A/N: For the record, Burning Maze hit me harder than Infinity War

Published: 05/10/2018

Warnings: SPOILERS for the Burning Maze.

Heaven's Lament

Sometimes, Nico di Angelo really hated his powers. He hated them, because they gave him no warning. No surprise. No signs. They just struck, out of the blue when he least expected them to. Unless he was standing before someone, right then and there as they approached the inevitable, his powers were useless.

Useless, because they said nothing. Nothing at all, and, goddamnit, they hadn't said anything now!

The sword in Nico's hands fell with a clatter. Of it's own will, his hand rose, clutching against his chest, against the painful thud of his heart. Nico let out a sharp gasp. It hurt. Oh god. Oh god, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt, it HURT!

The class he had been teaching stopped, staring at him in surprise.

"Er… Nico? Are you alright?"

Nico didn't answer. Instead, as he felt his knees hit the ground, the Son of Hades tossed his head back and screamed.

Thalia knows the moment it happens.

She staggers, confused. Her shot misses. The boar, startled by the noise, lifts up its head and screams, scrambling away.

Thalia doesn't notice. Instead, her bow falls to the ground beside her. Shaking. Her arms are shaking. She's shaking.

Something… Something is wrong.

No. No, worse than that…

Something…

Something is gone, something is taken.

What in the world?

Thalia gasps, tears streaming down her face. Tears she doesn't understand, but tears she doesn't bother to wipe away.

Percy Jackson was very glad he was not his father. He was very glad that it was not him that sat on that throne, that controlled the seas, that had so much power in his hands, at his fingertips. He was glad, because he knew, without a doubt, that at this very moment, he'd destroy it all if he was.

Flood the entire world all over because any tiny sliver of control was gone. Even now, the waters around Camp Half Blood practically boiled, matching his mind, matching the emotions toiling within him.

Percy couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so much overflowing rage. He'd been angry before, yes, but not like this. Never like this. This anger, this hate…

For a moment, Percy finally understood. He finally understood the look of betrayal and anguish in Nico's eyes all those years ago, caused by broken promises and dead sisters, gone and taken before their time.

Dead brothers, ripped away, cut down by a deranged sociopath with dreams of becoming a god. No, not dreams. Not dreams at all, because wasn't that what Caligula had become, wasn't it? A God-Emperor. Yeah. That's what he was. He truly was a god, but that was fine.

Gods, Titans, Protogenoi… Percy had proven, time and time again, that he, a mere human, could bring them to their knees. He'd done it before, and he would do it again.

Percy had forced Akhlys to choke on her own poisonous blood, watched in glee as the great Protogenoi started to choke to death right before his eyes.

He'd do the same to Caligula. To Nero. To Cosmodus. To any who followed them. He'd make them choke on their own blood, make them pay, make them suffer, make them-

Arms wrapped around his back.

Percy grit his teeth.

Annabeth's gentle breath tingled against his neck.

"Percy, Percy…" she whispered his name, almost like a prayer. "It isn't your fault. It wasn't your fault, Percy…"

Percy pulled away. No. He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve any comfort. He didn't deserve any comfort at all. Spinning around, he glared at her. Annabeth's eyes were rimmed red, her hair a mess of tangles that she hadn't bothered fixing. She'd been crying. She hadn't really stopped.

She looked so heartbroken. It didn't match her, Percy thought. It didn't match at all. Annabeth was a fighter, a warrior. His Wisegirl, who'd respond to threats against her and those she cared about with a knife and a sword, all while dancing around the enemy until the enemy fell on their own blade.

This Annabeth looked like she didn't know what to do, what to even think. Too many emotions, frazzling her mind.

Percy could relate.

"It is my fault." Percy growled, then choked. The anger fell down to a simmer, tears prickling against his eyes. "It is my fault, because I could have gone with them. I could have helped. I could have done something, but I-"

Percy's breath hitched.

He hadn't wanted to.

Not another quest. Not another adventure. Not again. He couldn't do that to his mom, not again. Especially not now, with Estelle. Sister. He had a baby sister, and he had to protect her, didn't he? He couldn't do that if he ran off again, half cocked into every battle he saw.

And there would always be more battles, more struggles, more blood, because that's just the way the world worked and Percy-

Percy hadn't wanted to go.

And Jason had instead.

And now, Jason was...

Annabeth wrapped her arms around him. This time, Percy let her. This time, he didn't pull away. He needed it. They both did. They needed to let it out, because holding it in was far too painful.

There was one truth that Percy knew, though. One singularity, echoing in his mind.

I'm sorry, mom. Percy thought. One last fight. One last battle.

A battle that would end with Caligula broken at his feet and begging for death.

Hazel wakes up screaming.

Around them, Camp Jupiter is in shambles. Yes, they'd won. Yes, they'd pushed the enemy back. Yes, they'd sent them screaming for the hills, but that didn't mean that there weren't losses, that there weren't bodies to bury, that there weren't wounded to tend to.

Wounded, like Hazel.

All around her, healers marched about. Her scream hadn't even alerted them, any of them. They were too busy with the rest, trying to keep them alive. All it got her was a quick glance, eyes trailing up and down her before assessing that she was alright in the physical sense, then turning elsewhere.

Hazel wrapped her arms around her knees, eyes scrunching shut as tears streamed down her face.

She understood. She knew.

They'd lost so many.

And Jason? Jason Grace was one of them.

Thalia feels hollow.

The words… They don't… They just don't compute. It's hard to make sense of it. Make sense of any of it.

"No… No, you're… You're wrong. He can't- he can't be-"

Artemis wraps her in her arms.

Thalia grits her teeth and struggles against it, because Artemis is wrong. She'd broken the rules, broken them by coming here when Zeus has forbidden it, but here she is. Here is her Lady, comforting her, bring her news of a nightmare.

Because, that's exactly what this is.

Nightmare.

It's a goddamn nightmare, because it's happening. It's happening again. He's gone. Her brother is gone again, and Artemis is wrong. She's wrong, she's wrong, she's wrong!

Jason can't be dead. Not yet. No. He just can't. He isn't! Thalia refuses to believe it, she refuses!

Jason is alive and well and studying. He's going to become a Priest, make a name for himself. He has so much left to do, so much left to live. Yes, Thalia knows that she'll outlive him, because that's her fate as a Huntress. Eternal, as all others she knows fade and wither and die.

But not yet. Not now.

No…

It's… It's too soon.

He's too young. Jason has his entire life set out ahead of him. He's supposed to live and be happy and get married and make Thalia an aunt. He's supposed to survive and smile at her and grin and make stupid jokes.

He can't…

He can't be…

Thalia screams.

Percy looks up.

Nico meets his gaze.

"I'm here. Like you asked." Nico says.

Here being the Poseidon cabin, in the middle of the night. Not that it bothered someone like Nico. Harpies didn't bother with children of Hades. No. They ran in fear of them. Here they stand, alone, meeting in secret.

Percy stands. He was a pack over his back, stuffed full of clothes and supplies. Nico doesn't look surprised in the slightest. He's got his own pack, strung over his back.

So. He knew. Good. Percy wouldn't have to explain.

Nico strides towards one of the walls, where the shadows are thickest. Percy falls in easily beside the smaller Demigod.

"So, how'd Annabeth take it?"

Percy arched an eyebrow.

"How'd Will take it?"

Nico barked a bitter laugh.

"Touche, Percy. Touche."

Because they haven't said anything, not to anyone, not to anyone at all. They haven't said a word, because they'd try to stop them now, wouldn't they? They'd try and stop them, but here and now? It was too late for that. Far too late.

They'd have blood on their hands soon enough.

It's dangerous. It's suicide. It's insane. They're going to do it anyways.

"I might be able to track Thalia. Gods knows she'll never forgive us if we do this without her." Nico says. They've reached the wall. The shorter boy lifts his head, dark eyes locking with Percy's. "Ready?" he asks.

Percy takes a breath.

Ready? Was he ready to go back on his word, ready to throw himself head first into another struggle after he had promised his mom that he wouldn't? Ready to plunge himself into a battle that had taken his brother and left him a burned up ruin on a beach, twin holes plunged into his back?

Hell no.

Percy nodded.

Nico took his hand, and, together, they plunged into the shadows.