Will had no idea what a school for supers was supposed to look like, but this wasn't what he had in mind. The place looked like a summer camp on a Long Island beach. It was deserted, abandoned for a while, just like Jason had mentioned over the phone, but a set of cabins still stood mostly intact safe for dust. In the distance, Will saw a pool, and what looked like an outdoors arena, but the view beyond that was blocked by hills.
Nico had changed into his Night Angel suit, sans mask, then shadow-stepped them to a house standing near the cabins, which he pointed out to Will as the location of the infirmary. The term didn't sit right with Will—it made him think too much of a school infirmary, without proper equipment he could use. But when they stepped inside, Will saw he'd worried for nothing: the house's first floor was like a miniature hospital, with a regular consultation room next to an MRI and an X-Ray machine. At the end of the hallway, a door was marked 'Surgery block'. The light was dim inside—probably an emergency system running on low power, but proof that the compound was still working.
Will wondered why anyone would need so much equipment. Nico must have read his expression, because he said, "A lot of the supers who came here still needed help controlling their powers. It leads to a lot of injuries. And Mr D's training was…demanding, at times." He made an awkward face, half-smile, half-grimace, like he was fond of the place but it also held bad memories.
"Is that why you came? Because you wanted to learn to control your powers?"
"No—that came easy enough. I needed to learn how to use them to…well, to do what I do now. I also needed to be able to fight without them."
"And where did this…Mr D go now? Couldn't you ask for his help against Grace?" Will wasn't sure he meant Jason, Jupiter, or both, but Nico just shook his head.
"After the Titan…After Luke went up against him, he disappeared. I still have contacts from my time here, like Leo, but they're all busy. There are criminals everywhere, and not enough of us to keep them all in check." He checked his phone. "It's gonna be time. Let's get back outside."
Will followed Nico out, blinking in the sun after the darkness inside the infirmary. That didn't seem to bother Nico, who walked up to a console next to the door. "The dampeners are still operational."
"That will…stop you from using your powers, right? Are you sure it's a good idea?"
Nico glanced at him. "Jason is certainly going to try to fight, if that's what you want to know. But not until you're done with Percy."
"You sound pretty sure of yourself."
"I may know a thing or two about Jason Grace. Things from back when we were friends. He probably thinks I was too young to remember." Nico sighed. "And I did my research on him as an adult, too."
"Because you were friends?"
"Because he's his father's best hit man. But really, none of that matters. He set up this meeting to make sure Percy was healthy—he wouldn't screw that up."
"What if he was lying, and this is a trap?"
"It's definitely a trap, even if he's not lying."
Will couldn't help but whimper a little. "You're not really making me feel better about coming along."
Nico let out a nervous chuckle. "Sorry. It'll be all right, don't worry."
Then, Nico's gaze shifted to somewhere behind Will, who turned around. Two men were coming from over one of the hills. The first he recognized easily—it was hard to forget Jason Grace in his apartment, not so long ago. And he'd only seen Percy on Nico's security footage, but he was fairly confident the second person looked like him.
It was almost underwhelming, that they were walking like that. Will had expected Jason to make a dramatic entrance. In a way, this felt worse—like Jason was telling them, 'I don't need a show of force to know that I'm stronger'.
Nico tapped the console behind him, and it emitted a faint buzz. Nothing felt different to Will, but judging by the way Jason suddenly tensed and Percy staggered as they walked down the hill, they'd felt the dampeners activate. He wondered what it must have felt like—to have a part of you completely disabled, if only temporarily.
Jason and Percy soon reached them, pausing a few steps away. "Hey, Nico," Percy said with a faint smile. Then, turning to Jason, "So…how do we do this?"
"Head inside. Nico and I will wait here. No foul play. Scout's honor."
Nico scoffed, but he didn't reply. Instead, he glanced at Will. "You're gonna be okay?"
Will nodded. "I'm just here to do my job." In a way, it was true. But it definitely didn't feel like it.
Moments later, Percy was lying down on the exam table, while Will ran a batter of test to identify any brain injuries. He didn't speak much, though Percy wasn't sure why. Still, he was Percy Jackson. Breaking the ice was within his abilities.
"So you're the guy who saved Nico's life? I still need to thank you for that."
A small smile blossomed on Will's lips. "You don't need to. You can thank me for this, later."
"I hear we were neighbors until that night. It's a shame we never met. I could have set you up with him sooner."
Will froze, his skin turning a few shades darker. "Um."
"Come on, don't tell me he didn't tell you anything yet! Or maybe you're straight? If so, I'm sorry I said anything. It's just, Nico told me he thought—"
"No, that's not it." His blush deepened, and Percy wondered if it was a good idea to run his mouth like that. Maybe Will wouldn't like the idea of Nico talking about him to Percy. "And we did talk about it. It's just—he didn't want to worry about…that…while you were in danger."
"Aw. I'm touched, even if he shouldn't have. Although apparently I wasn't in danger. Well, except from myself."
Will snorted at that. "How did you even hit your head?"
"It's pretty much what Jason said. The plumbing exploded while I was in the shower, and I hit the wall. At least I think it was the wall. It's pretty dumb."
"You had no idea what you were doing," Will argued. "I'd say it's a miracle you didn't cause more damage." He paused, then added, "So what's it like? Being a super?"
"So far, not all it's cracked up to be." Truth be told, he'd barely felt different until they'd come here. Percy only even realized he'd had a new awareness when Nico had done…whatever he'd done to cut him off from it. Hopefully it would be easier to sense after he left. "What about you? What's it like, working with a super?"
"I don't really work with him. We've barely run into each other a few times."
"I mean…how're you holding up? It's kind of my fault you're involved in all this. I just wanted to apologize."
Will shook his head. "I'm here because I want to help Nico, and because it's the right thing to do. I made my choice." He sighed. "I should probably run an MRI for good measure, but I think you're pretty much clear. You have a bruise, but it's only skin-deep. You got lucky."
Percy sat up. "But?"
"But the moment we walk out, they're going to fight, aren't they?"
"If you're worried about Nico, you shouldn't. He can handle himself."
"I know that," Will said. "But—what then? Is he going to have to kill Jason? How exactly do we get out of this situation?"
"Actually—I might know how."
They emerged in the sun to find Jason and Nico stuck in an intense stare-down. Nico was still leaning against the house's wall, next to the dampener's console, and Jason was standing a short distance away, his posture just as relaxed—but the way their gazes were locked belied their attitudes.
"He's fine," Will said, and he waited for the storm.
But it didn't come. Instead, Jason walked up to Percy—to make sure Nico couldn't shadow-travel away or out of genuine concern, Will wasn't sure. Either way, Will couldn't help but back away from Jason a bit, which he noticed.
"Thank you," he said, barely looking away from Percy. "This will save us all a lot of trouble."
"Unless you let Percy come back with us, you can keep your gratitude," Nico retorted, stepping up to Will's side. He'd put on his mask, covering his head, and his quarterstaff was in his hands.
Jason seemed nonplussed. "Unless you and your doctor are bulletproof and can survive explosions, I don't think you can really stop me from taking Percy back. You should be glad I'm not killing you just for good measure, Nico. This situation is enough of a stain on my reputation as it is—don't push me."
"I'd take my chances," Nico said. "I have my own tools, Jason."
"Don't," Percy said, stepping in between them. "Please." Jason put his hand on Percy's shoulder, trying to shove him out of the way, but Percy didn't budge. "Jason and I talked, and he has a point. No one will look for me with him. And—I'm going to need a teacher. He can do that."
"I can teach you too, Percy," Nico said. "Don't be ridiculous."
"I know, but—I'd rather you don't." Percy took a deep breath, and added, "You had your chance to tell me everything."
Will felt Nico flinch next to him more than he saw it, but to his credit, Nico didn't let it distract him. "You can't trust him. He could change his mind and kill you at any moment. We can talk it out later. Together."
Percy shook his head. "I don't want you to fight. So I'm doing this. Sorry, Nico. I promise I'll come back, but please, let me do this for you."
Nico took a step forward, and instantly, Jason raised a gun—where he'd been keeping it, Will wasn't sure. It also took him a moment to realize the arm wasn't aimed at Nico, but at himself. "Not another step, Nico. Listen to Percy, and nobody has to get hurt."
There was a still moment, Nico too far for his staff to be of any use, Jason with his gun raised at Will, and Percy in the middle, trying to defuse the situation. Will felt like he should say something, but he also felt like he didn't belong there—this was between the three of them, the sons of the Olympians. Will's presence only served to make Nico vulnerable—which he was sure Jason had been counting on.
Then Nico dropped his staff. "I'll let you go—but I will be coming for you, Jason."
"I know. I'll be waiting."
The car ride back was silent, until they were almost at Jason's apartment. It was still baffling to Percy that Jason was letting him see where he lived. Maybe Jason really wanted to show Percy he trusted him—or maybe it was another attempt at manipulating Percy. Into what, he had no idea.
Except…maybe he did, actually. The look of concern on Jason's face when he'd emerged from the infirmary was one he'd seen before, long ago, when they were kids. Percy still remembered what Jason had told Nico afterwards.
"I know what you're thinking," he said.
Jason only replied with a neutral grunt.
"You think I chose you over Nico. But you're wrong. I chose the chance for both of you to work together."
Jason scoffed. "I never knew you were delusional, Percy."
"Think about it, though. Nico wants your dad out of the way. You want to keep me safe, and that won't happen as long as he's in charge. Working together is the best way to deal with both problems at once."
"You want me to turn on my father? And why would I do that?"
"Because you're still in love with me?"
Jason froze, and the car lurched. For a moment, Percy was sure they'd hit something, but no—they'd reached Jason's home, and he'd stopped the car. "What did you say?"
"I heard you say it to Nico, all those years ago. You thought I was out from the painkillers, didn't you?" He paused. "At first, when you kidnapped me, I wasn't sure. But I'm right, aren't I? That's why you wouldn't kill me. That's why you made such a desperate arrangement, just in case I was hurt."
Jason licked his lips slowly—as if to stall before he spoke. "If—and I do say if—you were right, it would be shitty of you to use it against me."
Percy sighed. "You're right. I—I shouldn't have. I just—this is all happening so fast. First you show up in my life again, and you're an assassin, and now my dad was a crime boss and I'm a super…I just want things to be out in the open."
"Well…they are."
Percy was sure he could read the way Jason shifted in his seat—like he wanted to ask Percy how he felt. If there was any chance he could reciprocate. Could he? Percy had thought about it, back then, but he'd been too young to really understand love or sexuality. When he'd come out as bisexual to his mom, he remembered bringing it up—and the stress on Sally's face, which he now guessed had more to do with him mentioning Jason than with his sexuality.
But now Jason was an assassin, and he was holding Percy captive. Somewhat willingly, but still—it made everything more complicated.
So he didn't quite know what to say if Jason asked. All he could manage was, "For what it's worth, I meant it when I said I wanted you to teach me." He wasn't as mad at Nico as he'd pretended; that had been an easy way—a cruel way—to make Nico comply. But he was curious what Jason could teach him. He could count on Nico to teach him later if he still needed it—but Jason teaching him was a unique opportunity.
Jason only grunted again, and he killed the engine. "Come on. We shouldn't linger here too long. Someone might see you."
After Percy and Jason had vanished over the hill, Nico took his his mask, and dropped it on the ground—more frustrated than angry.
"I—I don't know what to say," Will said. "I feel like this is my fault."
Nico shook his head. "Jason would have found something else. Or he wouldn't have come at all. I just—I can't believe Percy would do this."
"He really didn't want you to fight Jason. He told me so himself, before we came out."
Nico turned to him, sighing, and Will realized there were tears in his eyes. "He did?" Then he shook his head. "Doesn't matter. I'm the one who's supposed to be a hero—I should have found a better way to end this."
His voice broke in a sob, and though he didn't start crying, he kept his head lower. Will took a tentative step forward, then, seeing Nico wasn't reacting, crossed the distance between them. He cupped his face, and said, "You did what you could with such a short time to prepare. You had more at stake than Jason—you weren't at your advantage. You'll get another chance to get Percy back."
Nico looked up and met Will's eyes, then managed a faint smile. "You're right. Thanks. But I'm serious, you can't blame yourself for this. You're not—"
"A weakness? I kind of feel like one. Not even in a bad way, just—" He smiled. "You know. It's kind of flattering, in a way."
Nico chuckled. "I'm pretty sure there's a legacy of damsels in distress who would disagree."
But he was smiling, his eyes lighting up in spite of the defeat he'd just taken, and that smile drew Will in, literally as much as figuratively. Before he was thinking about it properly, his lips were on Nico, his hand slid from Nico's jaw to his hair and he wrapped his free arm behind Nico's back. Nico let out a small, surprised noise—a gasp, or a whimper. But then he leaned in, kissing Will back and clutching fistfuls of Will's shirt. Nico was still smiling, and Will smiled too, feeling like his heart was about to burst.
Then he really burst out—with a laugh, forcing him to break the kiss. "I'm sorry," he managed to say while catching his breath.
"Sorry?" Nico said, sounding offended.
"I know what you said last night, but—I couldn't resist. Besides, Percy said we shouldn't have waited at all."
Nico raised an eyebrow. "Oh, he did, didn't he? Well, maybe it's a good thing he's out of my reach right now."
Will laughed again, and Nico joined him, and Will couldn't help but kiss that smile again. Nico took over this time, flipping them around and pressing Will against the house's wall as he deepened their kiss. Will felt Nico grinding against him, was keenly aware of the padding of his suit and the hard lines of Nico's body underneath—lines that were seared into his memory already.
His legs were about to give out by the time they parted, out of breath, but he would have happily collapsed if it meant kissing Nico for a while longer. But Nico took a step back, and turned away from him, picking up his mask and staff in the dirt.
When Nico didn't move, he took a step towards him. "Was this okay?" he asked. "I—don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you."
Nico shook his head, and turned back to face Will with a smile. "It's more than okay. I guess Percy's right—it didn't make sense to wait. I haven't been a superhero for long, but you don't really get a reprieve. Asking you to wait until there's one—it wouldn't be fair to you." After a moment, he added, "I mean…if you still want to?"
Will nodded. "Yes. Yes, I definitely still want to."
The grin that bloomed on Nico's face was different—closer to his playfulness this morning, when Will had shown up in his underwear. "Let me turn off the dampeners and we'll be out of here."
