Chapter One – Human
He staggered slowly down the familiar path, his hands pressing against the open wound over his ribcage as he left a trail of blood behind him. His pale olive skin shone brightly under the moon light and with the shadows over his face he could easily be mistaken for a ghost roaming the lands on a winter's night.
Singing voices drifted from the amphitheater, where a bright flame danced in the wind. Step by step the boy made his way there, his vision turning blurrier with every move as the metallic taste filled his mouth. He could barely walk now, he could barely make it through but he knew that he could not give up, not now when he was this close.
So close now, just a few more steps and he was there, he could feel the heat of the fire chasing away the coldness of the night, the voices were louder now but they were no longer singing, but he didn't know that – his mind was in such loss that he could no longer make out the words they were saying. There was emptiness inside of him, one that could only result from a massive blood lost, or at least so he had thought at that moment.
"He's coming," he blurted out, not even sure what he was saying as the screams filled his ears and he found himself stumbling forward as the world around him quickly turned black.
OoOoOoO
Screaming, people all around him seem to have lost all courage at the sight of the gravely injured boy who stumbled in, but it wasn't his job to fear – as a consoler, it was his job to help. Jumping to his feet, the young man rushed over to the boy, only half aware of the blond woman who was doing the exact same thing. He should have noticed her, he should have noticed the look upon her face at the boy's words but couldn't worry about it now, not when there is someone who is in clear need of help.
"Percy," the blonde said, stopping right next to him as he kneeled down next to the boy, his eyes examining the open wound in his upper body and his tattered blood stained clothes. "Is he still breathing?" she asked, not paying attention to the people who hurried to calm to crowd, scattering the campers back to their respective cabins.
The man, Percy, turned his sea blue eyes to her and gave her a small nod. "He is, but I don't think that he would do it for much longer in this state," he said, returning his eyes to the thin boy and in a swift move he lifted him up."I'll get him to the Big House, you go and get some guys from the Apollo cabin," he said as he got back up to his feet.
The blonde woman nodded before she rushed into the scattering crowd and Percy took off in the opposite direction, missing her worry eyes following him for a short moment until they were both out of each other sight.
It wasn't strange for him to miss such things, apparently so small but they were also things that sometimes foreshadowed the future. Still, he didn't see them, Percy Jackson might have grown much in the past three years, might have became a truer hero than he had ever been, but he would always be oblivious or like his girlfriend often said, he would always be a seaweed brain.
And so it was that he raced toward the Big House, nothing on his mind but the wounded boy in his arms, not allowing any sense of familiarity as he made his way up the stairs to be greeted by the worries eyes of Chiron.
"Come quickly," the centaur said, leading Percy inside before pointing at the couch so the boy could be placed there. "There is no time to get him to the infirmary," he explained before Percy could even ask. "Go and get some ambrosia and nectar, we don't have much time."
His eyes were way, but he had experienced so much death in the past few years and Percy could only share his pain at the deaths of the many campers in those wars. Wars which have never happened if it wasn't for the faith cruel work. Percy did not say anything as he turned to leave the room, however the sound of a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Percy," came the weak whisper, making him turn around slowly and look down at the boy, his eyes growing wider as he recognized the dark shade of chocolate in them. "Percy," the whisper came again and the man walked forward towards the boy.
"I'm here," he said, not understanding how he could not have recognized him. Yes, it had been three years but a person could not have changed that much in that time span. Sure, the son of Hades had grown taller and had long since stopped looking like the child he remembered, but he should have known. "Nico, I'm right here," he fell to the floor beside the couch and grabbed the boy's hand, squeezing it softly.
Chiron looked at the two with sad eyes, seemingly thinking of saying some before he left to complete the task he had given Percy. There was a new kind of worry inside of him, he could barely say that the boy in front of him was demigod, let alone Nico, something or someone was hiding the boy.
Nico couldn't move as he lied on the couch, pain rushing through ever fiber of his being as his eyes turned blurry. "He's coming, Percy," he whispered, chocking as he coughed out blood. Perhaps he should not speak and Percy's worried eyes suggested that as well, Nico knew that it would do him no good, but he had to say this, he has to say everything before it would all be replaced by the emptiness. "F-fire would burn and everything would crumble to ashes, Percy, he would ruin everything in his path," he stumbled over his words, biting the inside of his cheek as he tried to hold a cry as a shock of pain hit his body.
"Don't try to talk," Percy ordered, moving his free hand to put pressure over Nico's wound, hoping to stop the gashing blood. There was no need to be a genius to know that if he won't get treated soon, Nico won't survive this.
"There is going to be another war," he continued to try, pain written over his face. "A war," bit he didn't continue the sentence as his eyes rolled back and the world turned black again. He didn't feel it when Percy shook him, nor did he hear him calling his name, just the blissful silence of the darkness.
OoOoOoO
Annabeth stroked his hand slowly as they say on the Big House's porch, her blond hair falling in soft curls around her face. She had arrived to the house about three hours ago with the best healers the Apollo cabin could offer, only to be completely shocked with the revolution that the injured boy was none other than the missing son of Hades, Nico di'Angelo.
There were so many questions going through her mind, but more than everything else there was worry. She had never gotten along well with him as the boy seemed to try his best to avoid her, yet she knew the she owed him her life and that even if Nico had many problems, he was the unaccredited hero of the Giants war and perhaps the Titans war as well. She owed him much and Annabeth always paid her debts.
"Why is it taking so long?" Percy's voice cut her line of thoughts and the young woman turned her stormy gray eyes to him. "It had been hours, they have at least said something by now," as much as Annabeth was worried for Nico, she knew that was more worried.
"It's a good thing, Perce," she said, trying to lift up his spirits. "It means that his wounds are treatable," she explained, trying to put some logic into her words even if she knew that it would not mean much. "Nico would get through this."
She couldn't be sure, but Annabeth needed to be certain that Percy didn't lose hope. Through it all, and though the feeling probably wasn't mutual, Percy had come to view Nico as a little brother; she remembered how he had requested a quest to search for the boy about three months after he disappeared, when it was becoming obvious that he wasn't coming back. Three years had passed and Annabeth probably knew her boyfriend better than he knew himself, which meant that somewhere in his mind Percy was blaming himself for Nico's condition. If only he had searched more, if only he would have found him three years ago – this wouldn't have happened.
Annabeth squeezed his hand tightly and leaned her head against his shoulder. "There is nothing that you could have done to prevent this," she told him, watching as the sea blue eyes focused on her and though he didn't say anything, she knew that he believed otherwise.
Percy didn't mean to act this coldly towards her, but all he could was wrap one arm around her and pull her closer to him, hoping that it would be enough to comfort both of them. Worry, it was something that never really gone away and Nico… Nico had gone through so much in his life, he had lost and gained everything, only to lose it to the feeling that he did not belong, choosing the shadows even when everyone kept trying to convince him to stay. Percy just wanted him to have a quiet life for once, for him not have to go through hell and back.
"He'll get through this," he mumbled into Annabeth's hair, trying to convince himself more than anything else really. "Nico is strong, he had done some amazing things," like going through Tartarus alone, the horrors that he and Annabeth were the only ones who have seen it too for they too passed through the darkest part of the world, the pit of monsters.
His girlfriend only smiled at him, giving him a small nod before turning her eyes back to the dark sky. "Do you think we should tell everyone that it's him?" she asked, unsure if either one of them could actually leave this place before they know that Nico was going to be completely fine. "I mean Jason and Hazel had been worried sick and the guys all care for him too," she said.
"No," his answer was short and clear. "We should only tell them when we have more to say than the fact that he is gravely wounded, we shouldn't get their hopes up for nothing," he knew that if Nico was dying, they would want to be by his side, but the same time, it would pain them less if they didn't see him like this – Percy wished he hadn't, it brought back those painful memories of the war, of how close they were to lose him then. No, he couldn't give them that would fail them.
"It's not fair to them," she said, knowing that she won't be able to sway away his thoughts from it, but Annabeth believed that they deserved to know, especially if those were Nico's last hours.
"What good will it do to bring all of them here, to get their hopes up only for him to die?" it hadn't felt real until he said it out loud, the words seemed to echo through the air as it sank in, Nico di'Angelo, after everything he had been through, might die tonight.
Silence filled the air as he said that, sadness filling Annabeth's eyes as she looked at him, Percy had changed so much since she had met him eight years ago, two wars in which one is forced to fight can do that to a person. She had changed too, her regard on life, friendship and love was completely different now. The fear of losing another person in a time of peace, it was greater than everything she had ever felt before.
The crack of the door shook the two of them out of the frozen state they had entered, their eyes turning to look at the centaur. Annabeth could feel Percy's hand holding onto hers at the tired look on Chiron's face, worry settling in her heart as she prepared herself for the worst. "He is stable; it looks like Mr. di'Angelo is going to be alright."
OoOoOoO
She was furious, no, furious was an understatement when it was required to describe the way she was feeling right now. She was beyond furious and anyone who had ever seen the true rage of the daughter of Pluto knew that it was not a preferable state for the usually sweet sixteen years old.
Hazel Lévesque's day had started like any other day at Camp Jupiter, she had got to spend most other day with her boyfriend on the training field and in New Rome, and then she spent the rest of her day attending to her duties as a centurion. It was a normal day and it would have been fully described as one if she hadn't been shaken awake half an hour before midnight.
The news that she had been delivered were the very reason for her anger at the moment. The dark skinned teen passed through the quiet camp in a stride, first rays of sunshine were only starting to light the night sky, but even with the lack of sleep that night due to making her way to New York was not enough to make her tired, Hazel did not have the time to be tired.
"Hazel, slow down," Frank's voice echoed from behind her as he rushed to keep up with her, a worried glance in his eyes. As a son of Mars and a praetor, he knew that he should not be afraid of his anything but something in the eyes of his girlfriend that night made him want to take a step back.
"I will not!" she was mad, he had no doubt about it. "Three years, Frank! Three!" she raised her voice and he tried to conceal a sigh.
Frank could easily remember how she had been three years ago, how worried she had been when Nico had disappeared. Hazel and Nico never did have the perfect relationship, but it seemed to have improved during the way and so, it was only natural for her to worry when all traces of Nico were gone.
She had spent about a year searching for him, praying to the gods that she would get a sign from him, only taking comfort in knowing that he hadn't died for he was not in the underworld either. Frank hated to admit it, but this had somewhat changed her and he could understand her anger now. Nico was technically her only family and he just left, not even saying goodbye. Frank would have been angry as well.
To make things somewhat worse, he had returned to Camp Half-Blood first, not to her and there was only a small matter in which he was supposedly badly wounded. Frank was just really happy that he was not the son of Hades right now.
"Where is he?" Hazel asked when the two of them reached the front porch of the Big House, her eyes zooming on Percy. "You should have something earlier, not have waited a few hours," was ready to unleash her rage, but Frank quickly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, reminding her that this was not the time for it.
Percy moved his hand through his hair, there were dark circles under his eyes and it was clear that he hadn't slept a minute that night. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know he'd be okay first," at least he had the dignity to look guilty.
"Chiron said that we should all calm down before we go see him," all eyes turned to the blond boy leaning against the wall. "He made it clear that Nico almost lost his life tonight, we should save the yelling for when he is completely healed," there was no doubt that the son of Jupiter was a born leader. "Okay?"
Everyone looked at him, taking a few moments before they agreed and the seven of them entered the house. Each and every one of them owed something to Nico, having been saved or protected by him during one of the two wars, if not in both. It just took them way too long to understand that this dark little boy was a true hero. That was why they all came; wanting to see it with their own eyes and believe that Nico di'Angelo was indeed back and he alive and breathing.
OoOoOoO
His legs were folded close to his body, he was only half aware of the pain that flew inside of his body like the blood in his veins. He couldn't understand why he had returned to camp, Nico had sworn that he would not do so, not before he could get rid of those foolish feelings he had.
Slowly he buried his head in his knees, trying to calm himself down and remind himself that it was going to be alright, he could hold it in until his would heal and then he would leave again.
"Nico?" a voice sounded from the door, shock echoing in the familiar tone. Slowly, the boy raised his eyes, blinking a couple of times as they fell on the dark skinned girl, but it couldn't be. She couldn't be…
"H-Hazel?" his voice cracked, the teenager in front of him couldn't possibly be his sister. She was too tall, too mature, not the thirteen years old girl he remembered leaving behind not too long ago. "Is that you? How can it be?" he asked, chocolate eyes growing wider.
The girl took a step back at this, her eyes wide. "What are you talking about?" anger was clear in her voice, so unlike her that it made Nico raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Of course it's me! What did you that I would look the same after three years?" Frank hurried to place a hand on her shoulder again, trying to calm her down.
Nico's eyes quickly turned to the rest of the people in the room, he knew them all, yet they were all older, they had changed so much, but it just couldn't be. It couldn't.
"No," Nico shook his head as he spoke, his eyes stopping on Percy as he felt his heartbeat growing faster. "No, it can't be three years," he was almost afraid to look at himself, not wanting to see a final proof that it had been just that. "I-I would've remembered," he was shaking slightly, trying to search in his mind for anything, but there was only a lingering feeling of emptiness.
Annabeth was the next person to speak, taking a step forward at his words. "Don't you remember anything?" she asked, both worried and curious.
"You have to remember, Nico," Percy said, worry in his voice. He needed answered and he didn't like the idea that someone bad had happened to Nico, yet they didn't know who or what did it. "You almost died, Nico, you said that there is going to be another war."
Silence followed Percy's words and Nico looked right at him, fear filling his eyes. "I don't," he said, he couldn't even remember getting back to camp. Flinching at the pain, he closed his eyes. "I don't remember anything."