A/N: Hey guys! It's AK here with yet another story for your reading pleasure! This one is dedicated to the lovely Ryano12345, who is celebrating their birthday today! This was supposed to be a one-shot, but my imagination ran away with me and here's the result.
Please note: In this story, Nico (5) and Bianca (7) are the children of Pluto and are younger than their original ages. Bianca joins the Amazon Warriors while Nico is sent away with nothing but the general location of the Wolf House and the name of a boy who their oracle divined he would meet.
That being said, enjoy!
When in Rome
Chapter one: The Wolf House
By SilverWolf (a.k.a AK)
Lupa sniffed the air delicately.
There was something in it that was… different.
The source should be downstream as it mingled with the smell of water.
She inhaled deep, tasting the forest and its earthy undercurrents on her tongue.
The little foreign scent tingled at the tip of her snout.
It wasn't the putrid scent of damp fur, nor the pungent one of wet feathers.
Hm.
It definitely did not smell of scales, nor did she think it was from any monstrous source.
Could it be…?
Well, it certainly had been a while.
It very well could.
Even if it wasn't, it held little danger.
At the very least, nothing to warrant her personal attention.
Should she send one of her wolves to check it out?
Or should she send one of her wards?
She mulled on it for a while before howling.
One of her wolves came up to her and bowed.
"Send for Jason Grace."
'Find the source of the scent, but don't interfere.'
Jason Grace, a newly turned seven year old demigod, made his way through tall fronds of green.
Sounds of life could be heard in the relative silence-
The flutter of wings and the rustle of branches as a bird took flight.
The scuttle of beetles and the scurry of nails against bark as a squirrel made its way up a tree.
The crackling of dry leaves and snapping of fallen twigs that he himself made.
The merry cackle of the flowing river, the growl of a watchful wolf, the coo of the cuckoo finding a nest to lay eggs in.
These were a part of the white noise that usually accompanied his weekly patrols.
But there were deviations in its rhythm.
The low grunt of a wild boar, the urgent splashing of water, the terror filled cry of a young child.
All warnings of non-interference flew out of his head.
Jason burst out of the bushes, just in time to see a boy of five or six injure the beast with a sharp stone to the neck. The beast went down with a groan.
However, the younger one didn't stop at that, he pulled out the same and finished off the beast with a blow to the head. The boy hit the beast's head twice more for good measure before throwing the stone away and crumpling to the ground.
Jason's presence was still undetected.
The muscles of the hunched back and spindly arms had hidden power in them.
How else would the boy have been able to overpower such a brute animal?
Jason heard a sniff.
He shook himself out of his daze and walked towards the boy cautiously.
The child looked like a wild animal himself, no less feral than the carcass lying beside him.
Jason crouched a few feet away from him and whistled.
It came easily to him after one of his front tooth fell out.
A head whipped up and piercing dark eyes gazed back at him.
He gulped.
That gaze was intense.
It could give the wolf-glares of some of the more senior demigods a run for their money.
He found his tongue falter over the words,
"Uh, hello, my mane is, I mean, my name is-"
"Are you Jason Grace?" came a voice, with all of a child's sweetness.
Jason blinked and nodded.
Then thought back to what he had just said.
"Whoa, are you psychic?"
"Huh? No, I'm Nico."
'If you play your cards right, little one, you just might get your birthday wish- a sibling.'
The boy was duly taken to the Wolf House.
He soon got over the shock and had revealed a sunny personality.
Jason was badgered with question right off the bat.
The stoic older boy was bemused.
He had never dealt with such enthusiasm before.
When he had wished for a sibling, he had somehow pictured blue eyes, black hair and an older girl who gave him quiet smiles.
Nico only fit one of the five criteria.
When he had said as much to one of the senior demigods, he had received a weird look and the question- 'Are you sure that you weren't hoping for a girlfriend instead?'
From then on, he had kept any and all opinions on their newest member to himself.
Nico had always liked the idea of wolves. Strong, fierce, deadly and generally awesome.
Come on, who wouldn't fall for their mysterious appeal? Standing alone against the world at times and facing it with the strength of the pack at others, they were the personification of every young boy's ideals of pride and honor.
But this impression came from the books that his papa had read to him.
The actual thing was far different.
See, the thing was, whenever he thought about them, he had always pictured them to be a bit taller one of the German Shepherds that his neighbors kept.
Naturally, they were far bigger in reality.
You'd think an animal standing on fours would be much smaller, but nooo.
Bigger than Papa, bigger than Uncle Murray!
They were bigger than horses, even!
And that reminded him of a fact that really should have clued him in.
Wolves eat horses.
(A/N: I know, regular wolves aren't that tall, the wild ones are usually around 32 inches. But these are Lupa's vanguard. They are not regular wolves.
Also, I know this and you know this. But Nico doesn't)
When Nico and Reyna first met, they nearly brained each other.
No, it wasn't because it was hate at first sight- it was because Reyna had turned a corner at full speed and Nico had been too airheaded to notice.
And that was the start of a wholesome, yet fearsome, friendship.
Jason wasn't sure what to make of the new Reynico bromance.
But he would admit that he felt a little lonely without his little follow-behind.
"What on earth did you hope to achieve?" growled one of the Wolf Guardians.
"Do you even know how much trouble you've caused?" chided another.
Nico sniffed and his behind Reyna's skirts.
The aforementioned girl was unaffected.
"He was well within his rights to hit him," she declared.
"He didn't just hit me, he nearly took my eye out!" screamed a dirty blond haired guy.
"Yes, he did. But what else did you expect from him when you touched what was his without his permission? He, a boy who was raised by wolves?"
"What do you mean raised by him?" the boy snapped.
His eye was swollen and there was a cut on his cheek.
"Oh, didn't you know?" purred Reyna, "Nico was found in the clearing by the river with the carcass of a dead beast next to him. He was found without his memory. He knew little, save his name and his sister's."
Reyna could see Jason's little frown on Reyna's wild stretching of facts, but did not comment.
"All that he knows was taught to him by the wolves and yours truly."
"Is that so?" sneered Octavian, "That explains much."
"Stupid legacy," came a muttered insult from the crowd of onlookers.
While few viewed Nico with special favor, none of them were going to let the Wolf House be insulted by an outsider.
But this outsider wasn't like the others…
Said legacy of Apollo whirled around and threatened, "Who said that? Who said it? My father will hear about this!"
"I did, you Draco Malfoy wanna-be. Care to beat it out, steel to steel?"
"I believe I will refuse," he mumbled, eyeing the wicked long piece of metal that was his opponent's choice of weapon.
"But do tell me your name?"
"It's Michael Kahale," came the gruff reply.
"I'll remember that name."
As the yellow weasel walked away, Reyna turned on Mike.
"Why did you do that Mike?" she demanded, "You know that he's from an influential family. If he makes you a target-"
"It was me," cut in a small voice. It was Gwen, one of the smaller demigods. She was newly joined and with a tendency to put her foot in her mouth. Reyna also suspected that she had a crush on Nico.
She sighed.
Try as she might, she didn't have the heart to stay angry at her.
Or at Mike.
It was no wonder that he had stepped in the line of fire.
Everyone knew that he treated Gwen like a sister.
And she'd do the same for Nico if she had been in his shoes.
But still.
"You're going to turn thirteen this year," said Reyna anxiously, "I know that you have your heart in the right place, but it's a different arena out there. Just- try to keep low or something."
"Psh," scoffed Mike with a devil-may-care grin that made Reyna's heart skip a beat, "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Don't jinx it," warned Gwen, her voice still small.
"Jinxes are terrible," agreed Nico solemn.
Michael just tousled their heads.
"Still, he is powerful," cautioned Reyna.
"I'll be fine. Power isn't everything, now is it?"
The thirteen year olds had to leave the Wolf House. Those were the rules and the rules were absolute.
Everyone knew this.
Everyone except an eleven-year-old apparently.
"But I don't want you to go," wailed Nico.
The kid had become pampered to pieces under Reyna's watchful eye and loving care.
Said girl was hugging her pseudo-brother tightly.
"Hush, Chiquito. Two years will pass by in a flash," she said, her voice thick with emotion.
"It's time," said Lupa, gently nudging her away.
The she-wolf stood next to a still sniffing Nico, looking strong and safe and home, and it hit her hard.
She really was leaving.
She said no more, hefting her bags on her shoulders and started walking.
Walking away, away, step-by-step.
It would be a long journey, their last test- could they last the journey?
Reyna felt something in her throat close up, tears threatening to fall.
She kicked a stone with vehemence.
She misses Nico already.
Would he be okay without her?
She had thoroughly warned the younger recruits against bullying him, but who knew how long it would last?
Maybe she should retrace her steps and check once, just in case.
But even as she set her foot in the ground, ready to pivot, she was stopped.
"You can't coddle him forever," called Dakota.
"Watch me." said Reyna, setting her glare on the boy.
Dakota flinched before laughing nervously.
"My, my as frightening as ever," came a well-known, well-hated voice.
Reyna rolled her eyes with great feeling.
"Ah, my least favorite creature on this planet. Tell me, teddy-bear killer, do you think I forgot the fact that you made Nico cry?"
The slightly older legacy gave her a sleazy smile.
"From here on out it is no longer 'who kicks the log the farthest', Reyna. The thing that takes you the next step is connections."
"You," said Reyna with no little scorn, "Have nothing but connections."
"Precisely," said Octavian, oilier than cheap street food, "That is why I have a proposition for you."
"A runner for Nico di Angelo! Is there a person called Nico di Angelo here?" came a shrill voice.
Nico who had been watching the ever shrinking figures of the thirteen-year-olds tore his gaze away reluctantly.
Lupa nudged him away gently, and stood up to leave.
He wiped away still-forming tears.
"I'm here," he answered the call.
The little cherub like creature who was the go-between for the demigods-in-training and their families nodded his head pompously.
"Word from the Amazons," he said, checking the sender's identification.
Nico immediately perked up.
"From Bianca?"
"Uh, no. From a certain Ms. Ramírez-Arellano."
"From Hylla?" asked Nico, in surprise.
"Hey kid, figure things out later. Sign here and let me be on my way, I'm a busy guy."
"Yes, yes."
Once the formalities were completed, the piece of parchment was placed in his hands.
Sure enough, his name was written in Hylla's spiky writing.
Nico turned it over in his hands with a frown.
Should he show it to Reyna first?
But then again, it would be two years before they saw each other.
He should stand on his own feet more.
Mind made up, he flicked the seal open with a small knife he kept on his person at all times.
Whatever it was, it couldn't be that bad, right?
Oh, had he ever been so wrong.
"What proposition?" asked Reyna, dubious.
The last time this ferret made a 'proposition' to anyone, it was to Mike and then they hadn't heard from him since.
Reyna remembered how he had stood up on Nico's behalf two years back.
Gathering information on his wellbeing was the first item on the list of what she'd do once she reached Camp Jupiter.
Whatever Octavian was about to say was cut off by an enraged scream.
It from the Wolf House, and was so loud that could be heard quite clearly from where they stood.
Truth be told, it was less of a scream than a roar.
She knew whose voice it was.
All of them knew.
But none of them could believe it.
Reyna didn't hesitate this time.
Dakota did not stop her.
Even Octavian didn't hinder her path as she dropped her packs and raced back.
Because few, very few, things could make Nico di Angelo scream like that.
And none of them bode well.
Nico's arms were shaking as he struggled against the hands holding him back.
The little messenger had shrunk away at his rage.
Nico was grateful for both- he had been taught better than to shoot the messenger, but he wasn't in the right state of mind.
The letters were burnt into his eyes; the meaning of the words they formed made his mind swim.
The Queen of the Amazon Warriors, Hylla Ramírez-Arellano, regrets to inform you that your sister, Warrior Lieutenant Bianca di Angelo been reported missing in action since twelfth of April. If any further details come to notice, you will be informed at first opportunity.
The storm of words was drowned out by a roar that shook the earth.
The last think he saw was Lupa standing tall and proud and angry before he went limp.
Reyna banged on the barrier that blocked her path to the Wolf House.
She screamed in outrage.
"It's to make sure that we don't come back," said Dakota, shaken.
All of them had been told that they would not be allowed back after they crossed the boundary.
All of them knew that none of the others had come back, either.
But it was quite another thing to see it with their own eyes and feel it with their own hands.
Reyna finally gave up, giving into sobs just as Lupa roared and Nico's legs gave way.
As the other thirteen-year-olds murmured between themselves, Jason broke away from the crowd.
He touched the barrier with an unsteady hand.
It didn't zap him or push him back or do anything really.
It just was, an impenetrable barrier between what was and what had been.
"Goodbye old home," he said, quietly, almost to himself.
He turned to his companions.
He looked at their faces.
All of them were pale, wan and betrayed.
What could he say that would give them hope?
He had never been much of a people-person...
"What do we do now?" Reyna whispered hoarsely.
Thank you. A question that he could answer.
"We go forward."
The ropes around his wrists did not chafe, but they did not give either.
The looks he got were not unsympathetic, but not forgiving either.
His heart was not hurting, but it didn't feel anything either.
Nico sat, unmoving in his makeshift cell.
Lupa was taking council from the wolf advisers before she decided on his punishment.
There was movement from the guards as they made way for Gwen.
"Nico," she whispered, emphatic.
Nico just looked at her, feeling broken.
At Gwen's request for privacy, the guards took their posts some distance away.
"Do you know why you are here?" she asked.
Nico shrugged.
"Attempted manslaughter?" he asked, trying to be sarcastic.
Gwen took the jest for what it was and said, "You are here for damage to property, minor insubordination and attempted harm to a messenger."
When Nico didn't say anything, she asked, "You weren't aware of this?"
Nico shook his head, "I kind of blanked out after... after."
Gwen nodded.
"While the accusations sound serious, they really aren't. You would get a light sentence because it will be put down as a justified emotional outburst."
"Is that so..." trailed Nico, unsure.
Gwen sighed.
"That's what usually happens. But..."
"But what?" asked Nico, curiosity sparking in him.
"...Octavian is interfering this time," she admitted.
"But why?!"
"He's given Reyna a proposition," she said.
"Like the one he gave Mike?" asked Nico, the signs of life coming back to him.
Gwen nodded, her face wan.
"I don't know if I'll ever see you again," she said, trying to hold back tears, "So I'll tell you this now. I-"
She hiccupped.
"Gwen, what-"
"I like you," she said in a rush, bracing herself for the imminent rejection.
And sure enough, "Oh, Gwen, I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt that way-"
"I know," she said with a watery smile, "You like Jason, don't you?"
Nico's face went pale immediately.
"What do you- How did you-?"
"Call it a woman's intuition," she said.
"Don't give me that," said Nico, angrily.
Gwen sighed.
"My friends tell me I light up every time I see you. My eyes tell me you light up the same way you see him."
Nico paled further.
"I- I'm sorry, I do like him," he finally admitted.
Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
They made Gwen's heart ache.
He continued, his voice small, "Are you disgusted?"
Gwen blinked.
"Disgusted? Uh, no. Sad, sort of, but I kind of expected it-"
"You don't mind the fact that I like boys?" he cut in, confused.
"What? No! If anything, I only mind the fact you don't like girls because I don't have a chance. Or," she looked reluctantly hopeful, "You don't happen to be bi?"
"Sorry, no," said Nico in a whisper.
Gwen sighed.
"Don't apologize," she chided.
"...Shouldn't I?"
"For what? For turning me down? For liking men? There is nothing that warrants an apology from you."
"...It's not a sin?"
"No, there are many sins in this world, but love is not one of them," she said strongly.
"...Thank you."
"Hey, what are friends for?"
Nico looked at her in wonder.
"You're a really awesome person," he said.
Gwen squashed any and all butterflies in her stomach.
"You realized that just now?"
A huff of laughter.
A breath of silence.
Gwen broke it with a laugh, "Here we are, talking about teenage romance while your life is hanging on the line."
"What better way to spend the eve of my death."
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"Seriously, what do we do now?"
Nico smiled and replied, "We go forward."
A/N: Well, that it for now, m'dearies! What did you think of it?
