Yeah. The first thing I ever write for this fandom, and there is so much angst Poe might have gotten depressed. Go me.
Disclaimer: The characters, story and the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus series do not belong to me and I claim no rights to them.
On the way to Athens, Jason Grace couldn't stop thinking about Nico Di Angelo. He mulled over what Percy had told him and what he'd discovered in Croatia, however unwillingly.
So, all in all, he didn't know much.
When they'd dragged the borderline unconscious boy on the Argo, Jason couldn't shake the feeling he was looking at a skeleton. There were deep, heavy circles under his eyes and Jason almost wanted to swipe his thumb across them to see if they'd smudge. He was far too thin (though part of that might have been from the Death Trance, but probably not) and his skin was robbed of the olive quality that came from being Italian.
This was the son of Hades Percy had told him about. The one who had led an army into the war against Kronos. The one who could raise skeletons and travel anywhere in the world through the world of shadows.
Jason didn't want to doubt Percy, but he couldn't help it. Apparently Percy noticed though, because he looked Jason dead in the eyes and said in the most serious voice Jason had ever heard, "Never doubt Nico. He's obscenely powerful."
When the boy started talking, Jason recognized the broken look in his eyes. Some of the demigods that made it to New Rome from the Wolf House had that look; that something inside them had broken and could never be fixed. He murmured the topside location of the Doors of Death before revealing the Underworld location that even the child of Hades couldn't walk; Tartarus.
Jason thought that if he could survive that by himself, he might not be as weak as he thought.
…
Over and over, he was proven that Nico Di Angelo was stoic and withdrawn for a reason, that reason being that when he allowed his emotions to rule him, he was more powerful than even Jason Grace.
The war between the camps was held off when the Athena Parthenos appeared on Half-Blood Hill, in front of the Romans who staggered backwards and watched in amazement as Reyna strode to Octavian and punched him in the nose as hard as she could. Travis Stoll scooped up Nico and ran to the Big House to get medical help while Chiron and Reyna spoke in hushed tones. When a truce was declared, Reyna IM'ed Jason with the news and said the camps had combined to defend America.
"Then that's it. I'm leaving-forever."
The words rang in Jason's head and he hurriedly asked her where Nico was, to which she said he was in the infirmary. Travis Stoll's face appeared, looking grim.
"No he isn't. He's gone. I ran to get some ambrosia for him and when I got back, he was just gone."
…
The night before the final battle, the couples of the ship cuddled up together on the deck while Leo maneuvered the ship, still staring wistfully into the distance. Jason couldn't help but stare at Percy and wonder how he hadn't seen it; how no one had seen it. It seemed so obvious now. Jason hoped they could win the war without him and his army of undead ghouls, but they seemed at a disadvantage now.
…
Jason was right to wish Nico was there on the battlefield that day. Sweat dripped down his brow and soaked his shirt, along with blood from multiple small cuts. None of the others were faring better. Hazel rode Arion in a caramel streak, wielding her cavalry sword. Frank shot at enemies near and far, perched on a boulder and looking around with hawk-like eyes. Leo and Piper were teamed together, Leo blasting enemies on his side with white hot fire and Piper confusing enemies on her side with charmspeak, allowing Frank to pick them off or slashing them with her own jagged sword.
Percy and Annabeth were a hurricane. Every bit of water the son of Poseidon could muster wrapped around them in a whirlwind that went with them as they fought, back to back, Annabeth with her drakon bone sword and Percy with Riptide.
It wasn't enough, though. Everyone was tiring and their own blood scattered the battlefield in little droplets. They were losing. No matter how hard they fought, they were only seven children.
A horrible sound grated on Jason's eardrums and he gasped, whirling around as Percy's joyous voice met his ears, "NICO!" Sure enough, the son of Hades stood on the edge, observing the battle with grim eyes. The Diocletian scepter was grasped in one hand and his Stygian sword was in the other. Any monster that got within ten feet of him wailed as though they were in agony, turning tail and running. Jason didn't understand why until he looked closer, noticing that literal waves of darkness and shadow that rolled off of him, poisoning the grass around him.
Then he raised the scepter, bringing it back down with a loud, sharp CRACK! Splits in the ground formed all around him and branched outward, caving and falling into a dark pit. Legions of dead soldiers of all eras clawed their way out, the Romans forming ranks and surrounding Frank. Civil War soldiers and Marines from World Wars one and two charged without instruction, diving into the thick of the battle. Nico himself melted into shadow, reappearing at random spots in the battlefield and slaying monsters left and right with his dark sword.
The tide began to turn with the legions upon legions of ghouls crawling out of the earth and Nico himself disappearing and reappearing seemingly at random. Jason wanted to whoop in victory and assured himself that they would when the last of the giants fell.
Then it happened. Jason turned and saw that Percy and Annabeth had been separated and were fighting their way back to each other through mobs of monsters and a sea of golden dust. A monster appeared behind Percy, sword raised and ready to impale him through the back. An earsplitting shriek rang through the air and Nico dissolved a few feet away, reappearing in Percy's shadow and driving his black sword through the monster's neck.
But not before the monster's weapon went through Nico's stomach, tearing through the back of his shirt.
"So even though you like him," Jason began, not bothering to correct himself at Nico's glare, "and he doesn't like you back, you protect him? Like, all the time?"
"I will always protect him, whether he returns my feelings or not."
The words rang through Jason's head with a horrible finality; an oath to keep with a final breath…
Several pained screams rang through the air; one was undeniably Hazel's, one was his own, and the last came from Percy himself. The son of Poseidon lunged and caught Nico under the arms as the boy fell backwards. Hazel leapt off of Arion and Frank assumed the shape of a giant lion, circling the area to fend off monsters. Percy dropped to his knees, pulling Nico into his lap and cradling the boy against his chest, babbling to Nico to stay awake. Jason summoned the winds and picked Annabeth up, dropping her next to Percy and kneeling on his other side. Hazel grasped his hand and sobbed openly. Frank paced on one side of the group while Leo and Piper fell against their other side, defending the dying boy.
"Hazel," Nico rasped, and Jason thought to himself that he hadn't heard Nico's voice sound that weak since he was pulled out of the jar. "Hazel, you belong here. Remember that. Dad… Dad would be proud of you. And you and Frank, you belong together." Hazel sobbed and clutched his hand tighter to her face, shaking all over.
"Percy… c'mere." Percy obeyed and leaned in, gasping when Nico threw his arm around his neck and pulled him down farther. "I never hated you…" he breathed, looking into Percy's eyes, pulling his closer until his lips rested against Percy's ear. "I've always… loved you…"
"Oh gods, Nico," Percy murmured, choking on tears that cascaded down his cheeks in salty rivulets. Annabeth's eyes were wet and wide with understanding and she placed a hand on Nico's shoulder, not saying anything. Jason felt a surge of pride pierce the hopelessness and dread for a moment and he grasped Nico's wrist above Hazel's hand, squeezing it once.
Then Percy drew back a bit before pressing his lips to Nico's. He only did it once and it was chaste and simple, but when he broke away and put his forehead against Nico's, the son of Hades was smiling in a soft, content manner that spoke of happiness and peace.
His obsidian eyes drifted shut and he went limp, head falling to the side as he sighed out his last breath.
"Guys!" Leo screamed, breaking the heart wrenching peace that had fallen over them. "We can't hold them off any longer!"
Percy laid Nico down on the ground and folded his hands across the gory wound in his stomach. He laid the Diocletian scepter on one side and his black sword on his chest, under his hands. Then he stood and strode past Leo and Piper, Riptide cutting a destructive arc through any monster in his way. Then he clutched his hair and screamed.
The Seven would confirm that they'd never heard a more terrifying sound in their lives later, when they could think about it without tearing up. Percy stopped and drew in a deep breath, letting out another horrible scream and in that moment, he wasn't the son of the sea god, he was the son of the earth shaker. Every drop of water from the ground welled up in the earth, creating a cyclone that moved with Percy, who took down opponents as though they didn't exist.
Scars began to open in the ground, swallowing monsters and giants alike until nothing remained but broken islands that fell into blackness.
…
Seven days later, campers gathered around a memorial that held the shrouds of the fallen. Everyone moved accordingly, respecting each of the fallen. The last shroud was black silk, edged in silver and red. Everyone fell especially quiet and the Seven welled up in tears, bowing their heads. Even Reyna, the stoic warrior, had tears glistening in her eyes. Most of the campers couldn't speak of Nico, as they didn't know him, but each of the Seven had things to say.
"Nico was… well, he was kind of creepy, but he was strong and smart. We wouldn't have won without him," Leo remarked before handing the torch to Piper.
"I didn't know Nico that well, and he seemed so hostile, but his power turned the tide on the war." The torch went to Frank.
"Nico meant a lot to me, if only because he meant so much to Hazel. He deserves Elysium." He handed the torch to Reyna.
"I got to know him when we brought the statue to camp. We couldn't have done that without him. I don't know how he managed it, but it took unimaginable strength." She passed the torch to Annabeth.
"I knew Nico when he was a nerdy ten year-old, even if I didn't know him that well. He deserved so much better than what he got." As she choked, the torch passed from her to Jason.
"Nico… I didn't think much about him when we brought him on board. He seemed scrawny and too weak to be a son of Hades. But when I found out that he went through Tartarus alone, I figured he had to be stronger than we gave him credit for. Nico was, without a doubt, the bravest demigod I've ever known, and one of the strongest." He drew a deep breath and dropped his head, handing the torch to Hazel.
"Nico was my brother. I owe him my life. He was… my best friend." She started to sob and stumbled over to Percy, who steadied her and took the torch.
"Everyone here owes Nico their lives. He's saved us… saved me… more times than I can count. He was brave, strong, and smart. We, as demigods, claim to be heroes. That's what we're called… but few are heroes. Nico though… he was a hero, through and through. He didn't do it for the fame, or the glory. He did it because it was right. He was the hero we should try to be."
Jason looked at Percy hard, noting how thin he'd gotten since Tartarus. There were thick black bags under his eyes and he was pale. But his back was straight and his eyes were hard as diamonds as he said this.
When they walked away, the pyres blazed high, and the black flames that engulfed Nico licked at the sky.
AN:2 Admittedly, not my best ending. But please review.