part 2- The Meddling Gods
-6 days earlier-
"Let me pass." Nico growled at the armed skeletons, waving a hand. The skeletons crumpled to the ground into a pile of bones.
Leo's eyes widened. Nico could do pretty incredible things when it came to the dead, but he didn't think even he could control the gods body guards. He worried even more and thought of home, of his sweet little laughing baby girl and the boy that looked so much like him.
Nico marched through the obsidian castle and Leo followed. Leo almost yelped when he realized his hands were on fire. He quickly put them out. As the walked closer and closer to the gods dark throne the air grew colder and Leo started to shiver and fear crept up his spine. What if they only made it worse?
Nico tried to block out all his other thoughts with fury. How dare Hades demand something like this. He may be a god, but he couldn't control his life. Sure he might be his father by blood, but by mind and my heart, never.
The black throne grew closer and closer, he could sense it. He entered the throne room, barely remembering how he made it past the barrier and guards on his way. It didn't really matter.
The god sat on his throne, a smirk on his face as his twelve-foot sitting figure stared down at Nico and Leo. Inside it made him feel small. He was done feeling small. He had been done years ago.
"How could you ask that!?" Nico yelled up at his father, let his rage and anger surge forward.
The god laughed, an evil cold laugh that echoed off the glassy walls, echoing into the corners of Nico's soul. He couldn't let him get to him.
"You know very well why." He looked at his fingers, picking at his nail beds carelessly, as if nothing else in the world mattered, "You owe me favors, Nico. I have done too many for you, and it's time I be repaid."
"But this way!?" Nico screamed, clenching his fists, "You could have chosen any other way than this!"
Leo gasped behind him, his dark brown curls disheveled as he stared at the spaces besides Nico. Nico turned his head then looked at where he was looking. Next to him, ghosts screamed silently and gasped at the air above them, slowly dissipating in the ground next to him.
Hades glanced at them at them and frowned and with a wave of his hand they disappeared completely, "You ask why do I want what I want?" He shrugged, "Persephone has been complaining. Every day she says, 'You know, I've always wanted a little boy.' Blah, blah, blah. And you owe me a favor Nico, it shouldn't be too hard." His eyes glinted with evil, "Plenty of where he came from. Besides, he'd be a god and he'd have a real mother."
"Excuse me?" Leo squeaked in disbelief.
Nico cast him a warning glance and shook his head. This wasn't his battle to fight.
Hades laughed coldly again, "I almost didn't notice you there, Leo Valdez. How strange you should come on this date. Correct me if I'm wrong, but today is the day your mother died."
Leo swallowed, his adams apple bobbing nervously. His voice was dry when he responded quietly, "Yes."
Hades waved a hand in front of him and a ghost figure of young woman with a braid down her back and handkerchief wrapped around her hair like a headband on her knees, screaming as what Nico assumed was flames ate at her from the distant past.
Leo froze and gaped, and tears started streaming down his face, "Please...put her away..." he whispered, hiding his face behind his hands.
"Stop with these games, father!" Nico yelled, even more angry now that he dared to taunt Leo with his foolery, "Call off this pathetic deal! I'll give you anything else, just not Lieco!"
"Hmm...what a nice offer...but no thanks." Hades smiled evilly and then whistled. Skeleton guards advanced towards them, grabbing Leo in their arms first. Leo struggled and fought, shaking off the first couple but soon their were too many for him to handle. They came at Nico next, pointing spears and swords at his chest.
Hades looked back at his nail beds, "If they try and fight feel free to poke them as much as you want, although I do want them alive." He smiled straight at Nico, "Though here it doesn't really matter which it is."
"You can't do this!" Nico screeched as the skeletons lead him through the obsidian doors, slamming behind him, ending Nico's desperate pleas for the release of his son from a deal that had never been bargained.
Percy shuffled his back-pack higher up on his shoulder as they followed Hazel through the hazy grass. Hazel winced. Here the decades flowed like the River Styx. But she had been aware. Every second. This time it was her who tightened her grip on Frank's hand as they made their way through the wandering souls, each one empty and confused as they drifted across the broken grass.
Hazel stopped three-fourths of the way through the fields, "They were here!"
"Really? How do you know?" Percy asked, glancing at his surroundings. Just a bunch of creepy ghosts, the same as all the other times he had been here.
"I-I just feel it." Hazel said shakily, glancing at the ground.
Percy opened his mouth to ask that if she just felt it, could it be trusted but Frank glanced at him as if knowing what he was thinking and shook his head. Hazel was nervous as it was, she didn't need doubt plaguing her too.
Hazel looked up as they heard screeches, "Quick! Hide!"
They ran for a rock a little bit away from the fields that was glassy black and huddled behind it, barely fitting.
"I hate those things." Percy grimaced. He noticed the others were looking up ahead of them. Percy groaned, "I hate that even more." Hades palace. Not a fun place to be...
"Hazel?" Jason asked, touching her shoulder as she looked at the obsidian castle glassy-eyed.
Hazel shook her head as if waking from a trance, "They're in trouble." She whispered, "They came this way, they were disagreeing. If I could get closer, I'll know where they are."
Hazel creeped closer, her feet crunching the dry grass. She snuck even closer and Jason felt Frank tense up next to him, watching intently, ready to help at the slightest notice.
Hazel reached the black walls and pressed her face against the glassy rock. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. She looked over at Frank, scared. Jason saw her hands quiver. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.
Jason was startled when he felt Frank's essence slip away. He watched surprised as a snake slithered through the grass towards Hazel. Once it got to her it became Frank and he held her in his arms.
Percy looked at Jason nervously, "I guess we better follow..." They glanced at the sky before running over to the other too. Frank ushered them over a few feet away from where Hazel was wiping away her tears.
"They're in the castle somewhere." He bit his lip, "And apparently good things are not happening to them."
Percy looked at Jason, and together they ran over to the other two. Frank ushered them over a few feet away from where Hazel was wiping away her tears.
"They're in the castle somewhere." He bit his lip, "And apparently good things are not happening to them."
Percy looked at Jason, "We have to go save them. Are you going to stay with Hazel or come? I don't think she should come any farther though."
Frank nodded, "I'll come, I need too. I'll go tell Hazel."
Frank walked over to her and Jason whispered to Percy, "Do you think they'll still be alive?"
Percy gulped, "We can only hope."
