Chapter Five

Percy felt the thing surge up suddenly, from the depths of the lake where he had first felt it moving around. He turned around, shouting a warning at Nico, who was swimming behind him, but he was too late.

A huge tentacle broke through the surface. Percy heard someone on the shore scream. He reached out to Nico, trying to pull him closer, trying to summon a current to just get him closer but the tentacle crashed down, taking Nico back under with it.

Percy didn't hesitate. "Jason!" He shouted before diving underwater, after his cousin, after the monster who should not be here.

...↞⇹↠...

Jason saw the monstrous limb rear up and crash down on Nico, he heard Piper scream, he heard Percy call his name before he followed the thing under. Jason shot up into the air, trying to see down into the pitch-dark of the lake. He couldn't follow them down there. He could only wait until something resurfaced. He was limited.

...↞⇹↠...

I hadn't been able to catch my breath before the tentacle wrapped around me and pulled me under. It was as thick as my whole body, and pressed my arms to my sides, constricting my ribs. With my arms pinned, I couldn't reach my skull ring to get at my sword, and using my tattoo would only inhibit me further underwater.

I tried shadow-breathing, but my ribs wouldn't expand enough to allow a full breath, just the equivalent of shallow gasps. The thing was torpedoing us down through the water at an incredible speed and I could feel the pressure building with each passing second.

I could see Percy above me, propelling himself towards us. He knew that I couldn't really breathe underwater, I had explained it to him after we declared the prank earlier finished. I didn't know how long I could last, honestly. The tentacle was slowly tightening around me, squeezing my ribs. I prayed to every god and goddess I knew that he would get to me before I drowned.

Maybe I can distract it, I thought. If I shadow-travel us, it might get disoriented. Most things do. I focused my sights on the underside of a rocky ledge above me, about halfway to Percy. It was growing harder to concentrate, and I wasn't sure if the lake was getting darker the further down I was dragged, or if I was just losing consciousness. Probably both.

I screwed my eyes shut and zeroed in on the cold feeling at the edge of my mind, slipping into the dark and emerging right where I meant to, under the rock ledge. The thing made a sound eerily like a screech, and its tentacle slackened enough for me to wriggle out of its grasp.

I was slipping, I knew it. I couldn't coordinate my limbs to swim, and when I tried to shadow-breath, I instead inhaled a mouthful of water. My ribs were screaming in pain, my lungs were spasming as they filled with water, and my eyes slid shut.

...↞⇹↠...

When the monster disappeared, Percy pulled up short, looking around wildly. It hadn't just vanished, had it? Was he too late? But then it reappeared, and Percy realised Nico must've tried to shadow-travel away from it.

It seemed shocked, letting out a scream that echoed up to Percy. It went slack for a moment, and Nico pushed himself out of its hold, only to fall limp a second later. A stream of bubbles flew past his lips. That wasn't good.

Percy pushed himself harder, faster. He pulled a current towards him, buoying Nico upwards. When Percy finally had a solid grasp around his cousin's middle, he shot upwards, through the water, as fast as he could go, praying to his father to keep the thing away.

It had shaken itself out of its momentary confusion, and gave another angry shriek, surging after Percy.

"The son!" It screamed. (Percy had encountered enough talking things that shouldn't be talking things that he wasn't really fazed anymore). "The son the son the son, he must not get away!"

"What do you want with Nico?" Percy yelled back as the surface drew ever closer, the water lightening. The creature didn't answer, just continued its frantic screaming of 'the son'.

Percy broke through the surface with a crash, propelling himself as far as he could straight upwards. He screamed Jason's name, and the younger boy caught his friends on an air current and whisked them out of the way of the creature, who had followed Percy to the surface of the water and was trying to snatch the demigods out of Jason's hold.

Percy hit the beach hard, spraying sand outwards. He dragged a still-unconscious Nico far enough away from the water that he felt somewhat confident the creature wouldn't be able to reach him, before he turned and dove straight back into the water, attempting to help Jason fend off the thing before someone else got injured.

...↞⇹↠...

Will watched in horror as Nico was pulled underwater, Percy hot on his heels, Jason hovering anxiously above the scene. Annabeth sent Piper to get help, before rushing over to where Will stood, the both of them standing on the edge of the pier, waiting apprehensive for someone, something, to resurface. After much too long, Percy finally erupted through the lake's surface, a limp Nico in his hold.

Will's breath caught in his throat, like Jason caught the two demigods in his wind. Percy and Nico sprawled unceremoniously on the beach, and Percy dragged Nico away from the water, making a second of frantic eye contact with Will before running back to the lake.

Will scrambled off the pier, dashing to Nico's side. Annabeth swallowed, watching him go, before turning her eyes back to where her boyfriend was battling a sea monster that shouldn't have been able to get within camp borders.

Will skidded to a stop beside Nico, who was unmoving, laying on his side. Will carefully felt along his spine before turning him onto his back. He gently tapped Nico's cheek, hoping for a response he didn't get. Will swallowed, leaning his head over Nico's face and looking down his chest, pressing his fingers against a limp wrist.

Nico wasn't breathing. His chest didn't rise, and there was no huff of air against Will's ear. But Will's fingers, pushed against Nico's pulse point, could feel a faint heartbeat.

He was alive.

Will leapt into action, breathing air into Nico's lungs, performing chest compressions, his hands glowing softly, and he sang under his breath, forcing healing magic into the boy beneath him, forcing his lungs to work.

Three minutes of this, and Nico surged up, coughing and gagging water. Will sobbed in relief, turning Nico into the recovery position, rubbing his back as he vomited water onto the sand, heaving air into his lungs.

When Nico finally collapsed back to the ground, Percy and Jason, both soaking wet, had trudged up the beach. Percy had his sword out, and was trying to wipe the monster dust off on the sand. Annabeth hugged him like she might never see him again, and he hugged her back. Jason ran his hands over his face, looking exhausted. The three of them made their way over to where Nico lay, still recovering. Will had his hands pressed gently against Nico's chest, humming. He had broken three of Nico's ribs and cracked his sternum during the CPR.

Chiron came racing up the other side of the beach, followed closely by Mr. D and Piper, who threw herself at Jason, catching him in a fierce hug. He whispered soothing nothings into her hair.

Will kept at his work, calming the pain Nico was undoubtedly in, slowly knitting his ribs back together. He kept his eyes locked onto Nico's face, watching his pale features as he breathed careful, shallow breaths, his eyes closed. He could hear Percy talking quietly to Chiron, Jason filling in bits of the story.

"We should discuss this more at the house. Nico, can you stand?" Mr. D asked. Nico opened his eyes. He looked at Mr. D, then at Will. Will nodded, helping Nico sit, keeping a glowing hand against his chest, and then he pulled one of Nico's arms over his shoulders and pulled them both up. Nico winced a little.

"Piper, would you gather the others, and meet us in the house, please?" Chiron asked. Piper nodded, heading back into camp as the rest of everyone made their way, slowly to accommodate the still-healing Nico, back to the house. 

Just in case it's confusing, the main character of this story is Nico, so anything written in first person POV is Nico. Anything else will be in third person. 

Fun fact: it is possible for someone to be allergic to a specific other person.