Title: The Styx
Author: midnightinjapan
Summary: Percy is tempted.
Disclaimer: Characters, locations, etc are the property of Rick Riordan.
"Percy, remember the pain," Hazel said looking at him as if she could see what he was thinking. "It's trying to pull you back. The river remembers you, just think about how badly it hurt when you jumped in." The second he remembered that soul searing agony he snapped out of whatever the river was doing to him. -My Remedy
"I do love heroes and I remember your touch most of all," she said smiling prettily at him. Everything about her was silvery grey –her hair, the long dress with the flowing train that dragged scraps of broken dreams with it, her skin was pale with a grey tint, and her eyes… They were the most unsettling. They were grey pupils with black irises and they were as cold as iron. Her smile was coy –inviting—but he couldn't shake this feeling that she wanted to eat him. Like, actually eat him. Slow roast him at 375 degrees with a honey glaze and serve him over a bed of rice. He knew this but he couldn't move!
"I…" he faltered. She moved a bit closer now, her bare feet stepping onto the volcanic sand.
"No hero has ever commanded me the way you did, son of the sea god. We smashed Hades' troops together. Don't you believe I want to help you?" she asked sweetly.
"I can't…" he said trying to fight the influence.
"I could make you great," she implored, talking another step forward from her river.
"I don't want to be great," he finally said pulling some of his will back.
"But you need to be great to protect your friends. I can give you that again!" She reached out to him and for a moment he was tempted to take her hand.
"Percy, stop!" Nico di Angelo shoved him back and put himself between Percy and the nymph.
"Be gone, Styx! You can't have this one!" Nico was small and he usually hid in the shadows and moved as stealthily as a shinobi but here in the Underworld his presence was bigger. He was giving the nymph a murderous look and dark energy was radiating off of him as shadows gathered around his feet.
"Go back to your river," he said dangerously. Styx hissed at him and her pretty face contorted into a gruesome sneer –her true face.
"I am compelled to obey, son of Hades, but he will seek my gifts again. There has never been a hero who lived beyond my curse, much less a son of Poseidon. I am destined to have him," she said threateningly.
"I won't even call my father, I'll bind you myself if you even breathe his name. Or, how about I tell Zeus you're trying to ensnare his most valuable hero?" Nico threatened back. Styx growled at him but backed up to her waters.
"I guess we will never have our time together, sweet boy," she said to Percy. "Not so long as you have this one watching over you."
"Exactly," said Nico darkly. "I will never let you have him."
The nymph disappeared into her river and Percy finally came back to himself –only half aware of everything that just took place.
"Nico?"
"Come on," said Nico shoving his hand into his pockets and trudging toward Erebos.
End