(Nico)
Zoe yanked both him and Jason out the doors and to the side where no one was standing. She looked mad and Jason looked a little terrified and I did as well because whether she knew or not was still up in the air. She let go of us and then turned around quickly glaring at the both of them like she was expecting an answer. There are huge rules against revealing oneself to a mortal so he had no idea what she wanted. Nico looked over at Jason and he simply shrugged. She huffed loudly and shook her head like we were the dumbest people on the planet.
"Care to explain why you two are down here?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" Jason said trying to sound convincing.
He wasn't, "What I mean is why are two angels, especially ones as powerful as you going to a high school in the mortal world. I thought you guys were forbidden from doing things like this."
"Were not allowed to reveal ourselves, but there is nothing against mingling with mortals. And how do you know were angels?" Nico snapped.
"Because I'm a hunter, dumbass. Of course I know you two are angels, your kind isn't the only ones to show recently."
"Demons?" Jason quipped.
"Yeah, about three of them showed up two days ago. Now why are you all here?"
"You know Percy?" Nico said.
"Yeah what about him?"
"He's a fallen angel."
She stayed silent for a moment then said, "No wonder he felt off, he wasn't like a normal mortal or demon. The thing that threw me off was that I thought I had know him since freshmen year."
"Exactly, that's what keeps most off of his trail, especially Luke. It seems these demons noticed something off and are investigating. We'll have to be careful as to not arouse suspicion." Jason said.
"I agree, you can't just tell him he's an angel, even I know that won't work. So what is your plan?" she asked.
"I'm charged with finding him and bringing him back home as quickly as possible. However we'll have to slowly get him to believe before we break the big news, if that works then he should remember and get his wings back."
"If that works, and why is he fallen anyway?" she looked at me, "You caused it didn't you, that's why your suppose to get him."
"Yes, now let's get past that and think about Percy. Sometime soon we'll have to talk so you can tell us about him and what memories you have of him. The more we know the better." Nico said quickly.
Jason and Zoe nodded and Jason went back to Percy and the others and Zoe stayed. Nico thought she had something else she could tell him to help, but he was very wrong.
"Don't think I don't know you love him, I won't tell him. He'll tell you himself." she whispered in his ear.
His eyes grew wide and his face became a deep shade of red. Of course she knew about that, hunters make a life out of reading people by simply looking at facial expressions, and your body. Sometimes it's amazing how well an experienced hunter like Zoe could read people and know their intentions even if they don't. He walked back over to the group with his face still a little heated and hoped the Percy wouldn't talk to him at all. He has have enough embarrassment in the past week to last him decades but luck was not on his side.
Percy disengaged from the group and came over to him, now Nico had to act cool as Percy wouldn't remember anything about him. Not yet at least, so he had to act a stranger to the very person he loved. It would pain him but he could deal with it, he had dealt with it enough when Percy knew him so this wouldn't be any harder. He hoped that it wouldn't be.
"Hey, Nico you ever been to New York before?" Percy asked.
"Yeah once or twice but it's been years since I last came here, so I hardly remember it." Nico said.
"I could show you around some time if you want." he smirked.
"Maybe, I don't know." Nico looked down.
"Just let me know. There is too much to do in this city to not go and do it. I've lived here all my life so I know all the ins and outs of this city. Did you enjoy school?" he said changing subjects.
"It was alright, a lot of what they talked about I already knew so it was pretty boring."
"Lucky, it's so hard for me. The numbers and letters start to float off the page after awhile for me. It makes concentration hard for me."
"I could imagine." Nico said quietly.
Jason waved over and Nico ran off with Percy slightly frowning behind him but simply huffed. Chiron was walking with them home, or rather rolling with them. Anyway, all Nico could think about was what to do with Percy. He couldn't be up front about it for fear of driving him away, but if they moved to slow the demons had a higher chance of finding them and as a result finding Percy which would be disastrous. He also didn't want to get to attached to Percy again, for Nico saw this as an opportunity to finally get over him and start a new life.
After this was over he would finally detach himself from the rest of heaven and strike out on his own. It wasn't like any of them could stop him, so it really didn't matter. He never really had any friends in heaven or anywhere for that matter. He could settle down in the mortal world and have a life and every now and then do his job. He was lucky to have so many reapers so he hardly ever had to do his job. It gave him a great deal of free time just to observe mortals and how they lived their daily lives so quickly.
Jason and Chiron were talking about something rather animately and were completely ignoring Nico which he was grateful for. He still felt extremely guilty for putting Jason in this position and having to help a sorry excuse of an angel such as himself. It was a wonder as to why Jason still talked to him. Nico supposed it was because he had to work on this mission but most likely after this was all over he would never talk to him again. He looked around at the streets and in one of the alleys he spotted eyes staring back at him, but when he blinked they were gone.
He shrugged and kept walking. For the next minute or so he kept seeing those eyes in random locations not he walk home. Just before they would reach the building Nico stopped and told them to carry on, he would catch up. He walked down the nearest alley and twisted his ring revealing his black as midnight sword. He held it ready to face whatever was following them. He heard a crash and turned to find the very last person he wanted to see at this moment, Luke.
"What do you want?" Nico snapped.
"And after all this time, I would've hoped you had become nicer. Oh well guess dreams are pointless in hell." Luke said.
There he was, heaven's number one enemy. He had red wings, a simple t-shirt that was pure purple and at his side hung his sword. Most angels and demons either carry a sword for killing each other, and never mortals. Jason's sword was an example, gold blessed in heaven to kill demons. In hell the cursed metal so it could kill angels, however Luke's was all his own. Since Nico held the only sword that could kill anything on its own, Luke created his own version. He took blessed bronze and cursed steel and fused them together and as a result his sword could harm anyone he wanted, well except for Nico.
"I said, what do you want?" Nico pointed his sword.
"Just to talk. No need for hostilities, at least not now." he said pushing the sword away with his finger.
"Alright then talk." Nico said holstering his sword.
"I've noticed you and Grace have taken up residence nearby. I don't know how but my demons can't get in the building, that old man has it sealed. However that's not the strangest thing, I am wondering why you two are even down here."
"I'm always down here, so I don't see the point." Nico snapped.
"I can get you being here, but Grace? No, those angels never come down anymore, not unless they have to. I ask you as he would attack me right away, you luckily are forced to be neutral."
"Why would I tell you? Just as you said I have to be neutral, and maybe Jason just asked for a favor, ever think of that?"
"Unlikely but I can see it. I wonder what it is that would get Death himself involved. I placed my demons when I heard you two were coming, you don't need to worry about them. If they try and attack without my permission, they'll be destroyed. You actually might like one or tow of them, they're a lot like me."
"As if you're a great role model."
"I never said I was perfect. Ha, the irony in that. But anyway, I hope your little retreat goes well, and don't worry about Jason's safety he could drop the demons I set in seconds."
"Then why send them at all?"
"For information. Annabeth understands the importance of information, even if she never get's her hands dirty to get it."
"Don't talk about her."
"Ah, I forgot. You've spent quite a lot of time up there recently. I doubt you made any actual friends, but I can see you getting defensive. I wish my demons were that way, then I would have you defending me. Oh well, my time is short. Errands to run, souls to collect, and revenge to plot. I hope to see you around, Nico."
He smiled and then erupted into flames and was gone. Nico felt a large part of his anger leave him, he always forgot that Luke's presence just riled up all your negative emotions to make you explode. He huffed and turn this sword back and placed it on his hand and left the alley. But something that Luke had mentioned caught his attention. Chiron had placed guards against an entire building yet he wasn't a wizard or anything, just a simple mortal. How a mortal could produce such a defense was unheard of.
Nico put that in the back of his mind, he could ask Chiron when they had a moment alone. He simply walked into the building and back to the tiny apartment. Chiron was busy in the kitchen cooking and he could hear music blaring form him and Jason's room. He threw his bag down that he had nearly forgotten he had, and walked into the shared bedroom. Jason sat on the floor with a few simply drawn on the ground, he was mumbling to himself.
Nico simply turned of the music and sat down across from him. Eventually Jason stopped and looked down at the ground frustrated. He seemed a little confused and Nico took a look at the symbols he drew into the floor. It was a communication spell that should have worked anywhere but Nico knew why. It was Chiron's defenses that prevent him from getting contact. Jason wasn't powerful enough to override them, Nico was though. There was hardly anything that Nico couldn't do.
"It's not going to work." Nico said.
"How do you know?" Jason asked looking crossed.
"Because there are defensive spells on the building, you aren't powerful enough to punch through. Luckily I am, so who are you trying to reach?"
Jason looked at him but then sighed, "I was trying to reach Annabeth or Piper, or even Leo at this point."
"One moment."
Nico closed his eyes and began chanting the latin needed. It was a simple two sentence spell and took very little effort on his part. As the spell intensified all the shadows began to pull in his direction and the symbols lit up a dark purple. He opened his eyes and black mist pooled in front of them until it cleared and an image of Annabeth's workshop appeared with her and Piper.
"Annabeth!" Nico yelled.
She whipped around, a little startled by the noise, but then calmed when she saw who it was. Piper smiled widely and ran over hoping that she could get as much of Jason as possible.
"He guys, how goes the little retrieval?" Annabeth asked.
"We found him. It was a little too easy, but he doesn't remember a thing." Jason said.
"But there is good news, we have a hunter on our side." Nico added.
"Really? How did you guys manage that?" Annabeth asked.
"She figured us out, and we told her what we were doing. She told us a few demons had shown up as well so she's going to help us keep him safe." Jason said.
"Well that's good, knowing you two. You would have to be surrounded by them before you realized they were there." Piper chimed.
"I take offense to that!" Jason protested.
Piper laughed and Annabeth took the image, "Has Luke found out?"
"No, the demons just know something is up." Jason asked.
"How do they know something is up?" she asked.
"Because they knew we were coming." Nico said.
"How would you know that?" Jason asked.
"Because I spoke to Luke. He told me he heard that we were coming and sent demons to investigate."
"You spoke to Luke?" Annabeth asked shocked.
"Yeah, he said I was a neutral party so he would have the best chance with me. It's also how I found out this place has wards, his demons can't get in here."
"Backtrack, Luke talked to you. Does he know about Percy?" Jason asked.
"No, he wanted to know why we were here. It wasn't me that tripped him, it was you. Angels haven't been down here in almost a hundred years, then suddenly one of the most powerful show up with Death? He is very suspicious."
"Guess you'll have to be really careful. Luke can't know Percy's down here or he will come after you guys with all his might. He won't let two powerful angels and Death slip between his fingers." Annabeth said.
"Actually, not exactly." Nico said.
"What do you mean?" They all asked.
"I've been around longer than any of you. I saw the first lifeforms take its first breath, and from that moment on there are laws. As death I can't favor heaven over hell, and vice versa. So if Luke went after Jason specifically, there is very little I could do. It would violate the laws and I would cease to exist."
"Now if he went after Percy then I could intervene all I want, for Percy right now is a mortal. If Heaven or Hell starts messing with mortals, then I even the playing field. Whether it be killing one demon, or an entire army of angels. I can't go around throwing my power at whoever I want, if I do that then I'll lose control and the apocalypse will start."
Jason whistled, "Well, that sure complicates things. I didn't even know those laws existed. I mean I know you can't show favoritism but to the extent of sacrificing people, that's crazy."
"Those laws were written by God himself, and only he can rewrite them. So basically, unless he magically appears out of nowhere and changes stuff my hands are pretty tied."
"Then we just have to strategize then. Luke won't dare go too far as to bring you in, you both will be surrounded by mortals most of the time. If he wanted to act it would have to be very subtle. He has to be careful just as much as you do."
"We'll just have to wait and see." Piper said.
Sorry for such a long time between updates but I finally have a free weekend from classes. So I hope to update each one of my running stories at least once this weekend. I may get around to a second update for this story but it'll depend on how much you guys want it. So let me know if you want more than one this weekend because after this I'll be very busy. Enjoy and review. -starwarswiz
