War Preparations

Been a while since I was on fanfic, forgot how much I missed it! Just a warning I'm rusty at this!

Wanted to see more of our darling Nico, so decided to write this under the assumption that he made it back from Tarturus and got to camp by himself rather than being rescued. Also going to try fit a bit of his background (from between him leaving camp after Bianca died to Percy finding him in battle of the labyrinth) I mean there's almost a year we don't know about! So will probably alternate between those two ideas.

Bit of Solangelo hopefully, appreciate any comments encouragements and critics alike but seriously guys no Solangelo hate in the comments please! You're entitled to your opinion but if it's judgemental keep it to yourself.

Will Solace

Everyone had been busy since the Argo II had been commissioned, it was a whirlwind of preparing and building through to its completion, now it had left everything seemed still and silent by comparison. All except the infirmary, Will had a feeling it was the quite before a storm, and he was preparing for mass casualties. As quietly as possible of course, best not to panic anyone, but he had personally seen to the injuries after the battle fought at Zeus's fist, he had sworn to never be so unprepared again. Then the Titan war had commenced full force and again he had seen chaos, almost too many injuries for the infirmary to deal with, and far too much death. If this was anything like- he gave a humourless laugh as he cut another length of bandage. Who was he kidding? This would be so much worse; Giants, Gaia, and of course the rumour that the head councillors had done their best to contain… He bit his lip and put the bandages away. There wasn't time to worry, he needed to prepare.

The back room of the infirmary was mostly used to keep supplies but Will often stayed up late in here to work on new concoctions or ideas he'd come up with, so no one but him usually came in, if they did they had either put his organising of supplies down to paranoia or just figured he was getting OCD. He glanced towards his desk, strewn with ideas and tests that were now gathering a thin line of dust; a potential centaur blood cure, a half completed hydra venom antidote, they would have to wait, he didn't have the time. A shriek pierced the air and he spun round.

"Not yet" he whispered in quiet hope as he ran through the infirmary to outside. Lacy stood there a hand over her mouth, staring. A few other campers had gathered around the courtyard, brought by the noise. A couple of campers, he didn't stop to check who, were crouched by a figure. Will's attention was directed at him, easily recognisable although entirely different from the boy he'd last seen raising a sword unafraid of the barrage of monsters blocking his path in the Titan war. Now he sat slumped on the ground, darkness spreading out from him like a wave, his head (bleeding) propped up on the palm of his hand making blood spill down his wrist and arm, the gory sight worsened by his (skeletally thin form, and pale grey complexion). Will continue to note his condition even as he ran forward and knelt beside him, focusing first on his head (possible concussion), the worst of his injuries.

"He just appeared." Clarisse he realised now, Clarisse for all her faults had gained Will's respect by her tendency to gravitate towards injured campers. She turned back to Nico now, "gods what happened to you?" she demanded. Nico raised his head and Will had to keep himself from recoiling backwards. A part of him still took note of the confusion Nico was showing as to where he was and who they were, putting it down again to concussion, even as the rest of him panicked. Nico's eyes were vacant and dark, like he was in shock or terrified. Or both.

"It was alive." Nico breathed. Then he dropped his head back to his hand, his body shuddering. "I was such a fool, but I thought- Beating, like a heart. Had to find the doors. I couldn't breathe. So dark." He convulsed in a shudder again.

"We need to get him back to the infirmary, now." Will pushed his horror down and forced himself to remain practical. Clarisse's eyes were wide, but she nodded, grabbed his other arm and pulled him up.

We had barely got him through the door when he blacked out.

"He was muttering random stuff but he did mention doors specifically, he must have been talking about the Doors of Death, I mean deaths kind of what he does, maybe he knows what they are." Malcolm suggested, then shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable in his temporary position as head councillor.

"Maybe, has he woken up yet?" Lou Ellen asked but Will shook his head.

They had been discussing Nico DiAngelo for the past four days, as of yet he hadn't woken at all. Although most of them were concerned with Nico's wellbeing, Will knew that wasn't the main thing on their minds, everyone was thinking about but carefully skirting the same question; Nico willingly walked round the underworld on a daily basis, had gone through the labyrinth for gods knew how long and had remained not only alive but sane, a feat even Chris as tough as he was hadn't managed. What could scare him so much? And was it coming here? The discussion eventually turned into, as it always did, one about the Roman camp. The head councillors were meeting almost every day now, and though he did appreciate the point of them, he would much rather have been with his patients. Luckily this one only lasted a couple of hours.

Will couldn't help but be slightly annoyed at everyone's lack of concern, you would have thought, even in these circumstances, a camper turning up half dead and muttering nonsense would have been more of an issue. Surprisingly it was Clarisse that came to the infirmary to see how Nico was, Will raised his eyebrow at her as she came in.

She shrugged, "bored stiff, I have nothing to do till we actually have something to kill, everyone says there's this huge war on the way, but I can't see it!" she gave an annoyed sigh "Not that I care or anything, but is he still breathing?"

"Yes he is, and I wouldn't wish for it to come sooner, or at all. Fates it might come true."

"Chris looked at me like that after…" she trailed off, lightly biting her lip and looking over at Nico with concern, "will he be ok do you think?"

"I don't know, won't until he wakes up." She nodded

"Well I mean he's tough, probably won't go…" she was carefully avoiding all topics relating to Chris's condition as usual.

"Careful Clarisse" Will joked, "that was almost a compliment." She snapped her head round and glared at him, then stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Will turned to go back into the store room when a movement distracted him, there was a light moan and then Nico opened his eyes.