Disclaimer: I am not Uncle Rick, and never will be, and the PJO and HoO franchise does not belong to me. Pity.
~Chapter Two: Green Eyed Nightmare~
It was warm outside, not the comfortable calming warmth of the spring in Corinth, but the hot sweltering heat of summer, cooled down only by the cold wind from the sea. The smell of salt and fish hung in the marketplace air, and birds squawked in the air. The sounds of men and women hollering at each other and the bustling about almost proved too much for the boy. He kept his head down, darting through the throngs of people. He clutched the basket of fish closer to his chest, his dark eyes lowered.
He almost made it, the edge of the town market taunting him from afar. Once he was past that, he would catch his breath before scurrying home, safe for the day. He would have food tonight, for the first time in a week, and he will cook, and he would go to bed full. Then he would wake up in the morning, and start a new day, without worrying anyone of his bruises. He almost could feel it, the relief in his bones from making it home without so much a scratch. Almost.
"Hey, you!"
The boy, whose name was Nicolas, but preferred to be called Nico, froze, which was a big mistake. His tormentors, three bulky ugly boys with mud splattered hair and crooked noses, were just a few feet away from him, not paying the many Greeks around them any mind. Nico knew that screaming wouldn't do anything; he had too much experiance to learn this firsthand.
Nico, instead, darted to the left, hoping to outrun the boys. He may have been smaller than most boys his age, but he was as fast as any grown man. His speed had gotten him out of a lot of scrapes. He raced through the crowds, ignoring their grumbles of annoyance. He had to bring the fish back home, he wouldn't let her down.
But Nico then tripped on a piece of rock, falling down and scraping his knees. He bit down a cry of pain, staring at his bloodied knees. He would worry about that later, right now he had other problems.
Nico felt the back of his gray tunic lift up, and soon he was floating at least four inches off the ground. He flailed his limbs helplessly, trying to beat any piece of flesh he could find. "Let me go," he screeched, willing himself not to cry. "Let me go!"
He felt whoever was holding him grunt, struggling to keep him still. Nico felt a surge of panic, which soon turned to adrenaline. He twisted his body as far as he could, which was quite far, and bit down on the boy's disgusting hand.
"Argh!" He cried, letting go of Nico quickly.
Nico spat out the blood, breathing heavily. He tried to get up, but another boy got in front of him and grabbed his black hair, releasing a screech of pain from him. The boy thrusted his ugly face into Nico's, glaring at him. His eyes were narrowed, a brownish green color, like the old cow manure he used to pick up when he worked on a farm. That did nothing to calm the roiling torrents of dread in Nico's stomach.
"Thought you could run from us, eh?" The boy's breath stunk like fish and cabbage, a horrible combination.
Nico said nothing, choosing to spit in his face instead. The boy roared, raising one hand to backhand him before another boy stopped him.
"Not here, Lysandros," he growled, glancing at the townspeople, who stopped to glare at the boys. Nico could sense their curiosity from there, and willed them to help him. He didn't dare speak, or else he might get punched in the mouth. Help me, he thought. Someone!
Lysandros bared his teeth, annoyed. His grip tightened around Nico as he dragged him to a nearby alley, away from prying eyes. Nico didn't dare struggle; his adrenaline was already fading, leaving him tired and achy all over. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see the boy he bit holding his basket of fish, which he had forgotten about.
Nico was thrown to the ground once they were far enough, banging his head on the stone wall behind him. Nico yelped out in pain, cradling his head. He could feel a bump throbbing, relieved that it wasn't bleeding this time.
"Get it over with," the boy Nico had bitten growled. Nico didn't want to look up and see their satisfied smirks at seeing him like this. He would not cry, not one drop of tear.
"Patience, Tychin," the third boy said.
"I'm hungry, and these fish looks fine," Tychin replied. Nico could hear the smile on his face.
"N-No," he croaked, repressing a groan. The pain was throbbing harder now, and light danced around his closed eyelids.
"What was that, squirt?" Lysandros said, his voice closer than before.
"D-don't take th-that," he mumbled, still defiant even when he was clearly beaten.
"Did you hear that, Argyros?" Tychin said. "He told us not to eat the fish."
Nico heard an horrible noise, the sound of the boys guffawing. He felt his heart race, his thoughts racing even faster. He promised her that he wouldn't get into a fight, that he would come home un-bloodied and smiling. He grimaced at the thought of disappointing her.
"We'll teach that boy to tell us what to do," Argyros snarled.
Nico yelped when he felt his body rise up, his hair clutched in the meaty palms of Tychin, his watery blue eyes inches from Nico's own dark ones. Nico gulped and shrank away, fear rushing through his veins.
The boy guffawed, his eyes glittering with evil triumph. He grinned, and Nico recoiled from the sight of his crooked yellow stained teeth.
"Want to play a game, squirt?" He asked, pulling Nico's hair harder.
"Unk," was all he managed to get out, his head throbbing and his entire body aching. He just wanted it all to be over.
"Answer me, squirt!" Tychin snarled, shaking Nico roughly. All the small boy managed to do was squeak in terror. That was when he noticed something from behind the trio of boys. He blinked, not wanting to believe his eyes.
"He won't answer, damn it!" Tychin screamed, eyes burning with rage.
"Don't waste your time with him," Argyros said, stepping closer to Nico. "He's just too daft, isn't that right boy?"
Nico didn't say anything. He stared past the boys, at the shadow that he noticed earlier. Except it wasn't just a shadow, but a boy. A boy no older than sixteen, with wind blown black hair. Nico couldn't see his eyes, but could tell that it glittered in the dark alley. Nico panicked for a second. What if this boy was going to hurt him too? But he didn't seem like that. His entire posture told him of a disciplined youth, not like these street thugs. Nico didn't know if he would help him, so he just stared at him, not moving.
"What are you-" Lysandros turned around, and stopped at the sight of the boy. His face transformed into a face of rage, his eyes narrowing. The other boys turned around too, Tychin still holding Nico, and their faces matched Lysandros'.
"Who are you?" Argyros spat, his voice low and dark.
The boy said nothing. He just stared at him, his face hidden in the shadows. He then tilted his head to the side, as if puzzled.
"Don't just stand there," Lysandros growled. "What are you doin' here?"
The boy was silent.
"Arg-" Tychin was cut off.
"May I ask, before I give my name, what it is you're doing?" The boy's voice was smooth, like water flowing into a creek. It held a polite tone to it, as if they were all gentlemen talking to each other about the weather.
The boys were all shocked at his pleasent voice, staring at him in shock. Finally, Argyros replied coolly, "Nothing that is of your importance."
The boy tilted his head to the other side, this time as if to make an inquiry. "What I think you are doing is harming an innocent little boy, who wanted nothing more than to bring his basket of fish home." Nico flushed at being called a little boy. "Am I correct?"
"It doesn't matter if your correct," Tychin spat, the first to recover from the boy's words. "You got no buisness here, so you should probably leave and not tell a soul about this."
"And if I decline?" The boy asked politely. Nico was amazed at how he sounded cool and collected, not at all scared. He seemed to have an air of importance to him, as if he was greater than all of them. Nico felt himself drawn to the boy like a moth to a flame.
"Then-"
Before Lysandros could finish replying, the boy whipped out something from his back and threw it at him. Nico realized at last second that it was a stone, no larger than his fist, smooth and gray like his tunic. It struck his forehead with a sickening crack, and Lysandros fell to the ground.
The other boys stared in shock at their friend, alarmed. Before anyone could move, Nico bit down on Tychin's hand, the same one he bit earlier, but harder. Tychin screamed in pain, shoving Nico away from him. Nico nimbly fell out of his grasp, stumbling to the ground. He saw the abandoned basket of fish near his feet, and hesitated a second before grabbing it and running past Tychin. He raced towards the boy who save his life.
Argyros and Tychin roared in rage, taking after him, Tychin a little slower. Nico didn't turn around, running towards the strange boy who was yelling at him to run faster. And run faster Nico did.
Once he managed to scramble to the boy, he turned around and hid behind his feet. He peered around, his heart banging in his chest.
Nico was embarrassed to have to hide behind his savior, but there was nothing else he could do. He was already tired from fighting, and everything blended together. His headache never faded either.
The two boys halted to a stop when they were a few feet away from them. They glared at the boy in hatred, nostrils flaring.
"What do you want?" Argyros snarled.
"Why are you hurting him?" He asked right back.
"That is none of your buisness," Argyros growled.
"We are stronger that you," Tychin added, flashing them a smirk. "A rock won't hurt us."
"Just because you're bigger and stronger," the boy said, "Doesn't mean you can pick on the weak and pathetic."
"Hey!" Nico yelped, shoving at the boy.
He looked down, flashing Nico an unapologetic smile. Nico was struck at how handsome the boy was, with his wind blown black hair and sea green eyes. He had a pleasant face, with that mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Nico was also struck by a sense of familiarity.
"Sorry, what's your name by the way?" He asked.
"N-Nico," he stuttered.
"Nice name." He looked back to the other boys, who were creeping closer. "Now, what are we going to do with you two?"
Something heavy was pressing down on Nico's stomach, leaving his nerves frazzled. His bones shook, and his hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat. Something was wrong, Nico felt it deep in his soul.
The boys barked a laugh. "You can do nothing to us," Tychin said, smiling broadly.
Nico's fists clenched. Why was that boy protecting him? He will just get hurt, and he did nothing bad. He should just leave him. Nico wasn't anything special. A burst of heat blossomed in his stomach, making Nico gasp out in pain. Red colored his vision, and he lost all sense of direction.
"Nico?" The boy turned around, kneeling down to check on him.
Nico whimpered, shaking everywhere. At the soles of his sandals, he could see something black, like tar, oozing towards the boys. No-not tar. Shadows.
Nico panicked. The same thought-Not again! Not again!- kept spinning through his head. His breathing became labored, and his vision blurred. The last time this happened...
His tormentors froze, staring in mixed awe and horror at the shadows, watching as they ignored the green-eyed boy and oozed towards them. They were still far enough from people for them not to notice anything. Nico wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
"Nico?"
Why was the boy still here? He should've ran away. He should be horrified and disgusted. He would know what Nico was, and he would chase him off, or stone him, or do something worse. Nico was depressed when he realized that he wouldn't see Hazel anymore.
The two boys, Argyros and Tychin, screeched once the shadows got to them. "Demigod, demigod," they shrieked.
Everything was now too dark for Nico to see much of anything, and he was glad. He didn't want to see the look on the boy's face. Nico started feeling hot, and for a second he wondered if he was on fire. But no-that was absurd. He felt a sharp snap in his head and he fell unconscious, hot and clammy like the air in Corinth.
"Nico? Nico, where are you?"
"I'm here Bianca!" Nico laughed, waving his arms in front of him. He was blindfolded, but not tied up. He could still run. He wanted to play with his big sister.
He felt something grab him from behind. "Nico, don't run from me blind!"
Nico let out a squeal of laughter. "Ah, okay Bianca!"
He felt a hand in his, and started walking again. "Where are we going, Bianca?"
"Somplace magical," came her cryptic response.
Nico pouted, hating when his sister knew something he didn't. He sighed loudly, letting his sister know just that.
"We're almost there," she declared, swinging their arms. Nico smiled, pumping it harder.
After a few minutes of silent walking, Bianca stopped. "What is it?" Nico asked, anxious.
"We're here," Bianca sing-songed.
"Take it off, take it off!" Nico exclaimed, jumping up and down.
"Okay, okay!" She laughed, removing Nico's blindfold. Nico blinked quickly, adjusting to the bright afternoon light, when he gasped in amazement. He was on a wide expanse of white sand, gleaming underneath the sun. In the distance, he could see an even wider expanse of blue. Seagulls croaked to each other in the sky, and waves broke on the sand, making a wide symphony of sounds. The smell of salt drifted into his nose, and Nico grinned.
"The ocean!" He cried, and took off running.
"Nico, don't go far!" His sister called out.
Nico looked back to see his sister's pale face, framed by her long dark brown hair. Her hair whipped in the salty air, and she clutched tight to her green dress.
"I won't!" Nico hollered, sprinting towards the ocean. It beckoned him, urging him to come close. But the closer he came, the larger and darker the waters became. The waves grew huge, dwarfing Nico's small figure. Thunder broke, and the once blue sky became clouded in gray.
"Nico!"
"Bianca?" Nico called back, unable to see in the sudden fog. Where did the fog come from?
"Nico!"
"Bianca!"
"Nico! Stay where you are! I'm coming to you!"
"B-Bianca," Nico choked, scared beyond reasoning.
"Nico!"
The waves broke out again, gaining height. In the waves, though, Nico saw a familiar face. It was tanned, with green eyes and black hair. It grinned maliciously at him, white teeth fanged.
"Silly demigod," he said. "She's never coming back to you. She's long gone."
"No!" Nico cried out, blinking back tears. "She'll come back to me, she always does."
"Not this time. I will take away everything from you, demigod, even your new sister. Hazel has her curse to worry about too."
"Just leave me alone!"
"I can't do that demigod," the face said. "You're part of the prophecy, and that means your fate is sealed. If I can keep you from heading to Athens... I can't harm you, but I can harm those you care about. And I will, son of Hades, trust me, I will."
"Nico!"
Nico could barely hear his sister's faint cries, growing fainter and fainter by the second. Nico was consumed by terror, frozen to the sand. Tears started falling down his cheeks, cold and salty, just like the sea.
The face laughed, a cruel noise that was worse than any sound Nico had ever heard before. It's handsome face turned ugly by cruel glee. The waves, which was standing 20 feet tall by then, crashed down, pulling Nico into the sea.
"Nico!"
"Bianca!"
She would save him, she had to. Right?
"Nico! Nico! Nico!"
Nico woke up, tears falling down his face. He sniffed, trying to erase the memory of that nightmare. Or the nightmare of that memory. His sister was never going to comeback to him. She never will. She was already dead.
"Hey, are you awake?"
Nico started, panicking at the sight of the strangers. He realized that he was tangled in soft bedsheets, on a bed more lavish than anything he had ever laid on. He was still in his tunic.
"Of course he's awake, Rach," another voice said. "His eyes are open."
"I know that," the voice snapped.
Once his vision cleared, Nico blinked at the strangers. A girl stood over him, her freckled face full of worry. She had curly untamed red hair and bright green eyes. Her red dress was wrinkled and had colors splattered on them, like a painting. She looked at least fifteen, or at least sixteen.
"Let him rest, Rachel," the second voice chided.
Nico slid his gaze towards the voice. It was the same guy who saved him in the alley. He saved him, but also saw his powers. His green eyes were wide with worry, and his hair was tangled, as if he ran his hands through them a lot. He wore a simple white tunic over one shoulder with an orange cloth hung over the other.
He smiled, and Nico now realized why he looked so familiar. He was the same boy who haunted his nightmares, the same boy who left him with sleepless nights, who terrorized his mind. No-not the same boy, but the same face.
"Hello," he said, green eyes twinkling. "My name is Percy Jackson."
Yay, the chapters done! Anyways, thanks to those who reviewed, and favorited. I appreciate those who do! And clap your hands at Anonymus sender Z, who guessed Jason's correct patron goddess. Here's a cookie(::)!It's an easy guess why. And I now realized my mistake. If you read closely, you'd realize that I did say that Reyna will be one of the ten. Guess her patron goddess( It's actual really obvious, if you look closely). And to c. sarbani : Of course there will be Percy/Jason bromance, it's not a story unless it has one. I broship them, along with Nico/Will (I don't like the couple romanticly because, reasons(that you will find out soon(okay, fine, I have a crush on Will, okay?(I know, it's wierd, stop judging me)))), Annabeth/Piper, Piper/Percy, and Jason/Nico. They are my broships for HoO. But Will/Jem shall be my BroTP(if you've read Clockwork Angel, you'll understand). Nico's patron goddess is also hinted here. Review, and I'll update faster. Oh, and if you want to know what the characters are wearing, type their name and Ancient Greece or something like that, and it will show. Unfortunately, you might figure out the other ten. Oh well. I'm a horrible person. Bianca still dies, and I will somehow make Percy unintentionally kill her, too. I am horrible, almost as horrible as Uncle Rick. Oh well.
Bye~ Aurelie
