We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.

-Chuck Palahniuk

Edited

Death.

One may fear it, another may welcome it, but never escape it.
Death follows you, always watching, always waiting for the right time to grab your soul and bring it to the next world. Some let Death come in, and make the transition quick. Others fear the dark. Fear of never opening their eyes once again in the morning, breathing Life's air.

Life, however, is a delicate thing.
With a pull of a plug, or the snip of a cord. Gone. Lost in the wind, taken by the everlasting sleep. Life, out of the two, is the more hurting. Many things happen during one's Life. Loss, hurt, and many other things. Yet none of these happen in Death.

Death doesn't try to give mercy, unlike Life.
It brings justice.

And being the Prince of the Underworld, he should know. He felt their deaths. How quickly they each took their last breath, closing their eyes, hearts slowing down, smiling up at him, say not to worry. They'd be fine.

Fine, the Seven were. All of them, resting in Elysium. Happy. Percy, Jason, Piper, Leo, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, and another. Will. No more of this world. He wouldn't be able to see Annabeth tease Percy again, nor Jason brotherly nagging him over his lover, nor laughing with Leo as he caught himself on fire, nor trying to stand as tall as Frank, nor hug Hazel when she found out the meaning of a new slang.

Or even kiss Will again.

Because they were dead. And Nico di Angelo fell apart. Broken. Heartsick.

He was tired. He was a lone wolf without his pack.

All because of Gaea.

Nico rubbed his eyes, bags showing from his pale complexion. His hair ruffled in the cold Gotham wind. He was wearing his skull tee-shirt, black baggy leggings, and a overly large black hoodie over the shirt. He stood at the edge of an abandoned warehouse, looking up at the clouded night sky, hands in his pocket, lights in the fare background, rain soaking his small frame.

"Don't jump." A voice broke Nico out of his thoughts.

Nico jumped into a defensive stance. He saw five men. Well two men and three boys, all in uniforms. He tensed as he recognized the uniformed men. Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, and Robin, all standing in a straight line, Batman slightly in front.

"Wasn't planning to." He said, sighing.

"*Tt* Than what are you doing up here?" Robin, asked, crossing his arms. The emo boy in front of the bird was probably a year or so younger than him, possibly even younger with his small form, Damian noted.

Nico focused, looking for his life source, it matched the one and only Damian Wayne's. "None of your business, Wayne." He nearly smirked as the boy recoiled.

"Were did you get this information!?" Batman all but growled.

"I was talking to both of you when I said that." Nico replied.

"B-But how?" Tim stuttered. If the kid knew Bruce's and Damian's identity, then the lines would lead up to him, Nightwing,and Red Hood.

Nico didn't say anything for a while. He took out a black cat plush, putting it down and setting it alight, to the four Bats surprise.

He looked up at them, turning to face them, "That's my little secret."

Then he looked at the cat and then to the sky. "Bob says hello." Then he leaned back, falling off the warehouse roof.

The five Bats yelled out and used their grappling guns to get down, to the probably dead boy on the ground below.

They got down, expecting a puddle of blood. Instead, found a bunch of large shadows.

"What! How!" Nightwing exclaimed. "We saw him fall!Where's the body!"

"Unless he did that for show." Jason said, seemingly quiet. "If I know him well enough, he was just trying to get on out nerves." He mumbled the last part.

"You know him?"Batman demanded.

"We met." Jason shrugged. "When I was in the Pit."

"Do you at least have a name?" Tim asked.

Jason rolled his eyes at that, even though they couldn't see. "Duh, I'd think you'd know that. Being my brother and all."

"Not that." Tim sighed. "The kid's!"

"I used to call him Angel." He said. "How's that supposed to help us!?" Damian cried.

"It's a nickname Demon." Jason face palmed. "His name's Nico. Nico di Angelo."

"Angel in Italian, right?" Nightwing asked.

"Bingo. Give the man a cookie." Jason exclaimed sarcastically.

"Enough. We need to find him and find out how he got access to our identities." Batman said. "Find him and secure him. Be careful though. There is a possibility of him having powers. Report to the Batcave."

The four watched as Batman swung away. Nightwing turned to the others, a goofy smile on his face.

"Guys, I think we may have a new bird in our nest!"