OH MY GODS! I updated! Do you believe it?
Sorry 'bout the wait, guys. I really had no inspiration for this. And I promised my readers in Dumbledore's NotSoGenious Plan that this chapter would be about Nico's first meeting with Thanatos and why he knows what Death tastes terrible... hm...
But guys, I'm writing this with a sprained finger (curse those basketball tryouts!)so it's taking me twice as long to write it.
Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I said that I'm still in school. I'm pretty sure Rick is not in school. I'm pretty sure that means that I am not Rick.
Chapter 7: Nico and Thanatos (and the demigods of Camp Jupiter)
Who turned out the lights?
The day had started normally enough. Camp Jupiter had done their normal routine, dined, and retreated to their bunkers.
Well, most people.
Nico di Angelo, known as Pluto's Ambassador, was lurking around Pluto's temple. He was watching the temple of Jupiter as Octavian stabbed defenseless teddies in their stomachs. Octavian had said he'd felt a "premonition" at dinner.
Jason Grace was striding purposefully down Via Pricipalis. Hazel was trying to get Dakota to let go of his drink. Bobby was doing... well, nobody knows what exactly what he was doing, but everybody was sure he'd be sewn into a sack full of angry weasels the next day.
For one minute, everything was fine. The next... BOOM. Pitch blackness.
(Tonight's darkness is brought to you by Nox and Neptune. They send their compliments and would like to tell you to enjoy the show!)
Before, thunderclouds had skirted over the sky, occasionally blocking out the light of the full moon. Now, it was like one massive cloud had blocked out all the light from the sky. But that wasn't all. There were no lights in any building. All the electricity was blown.
And so, predictably, everyone went into a frenzy.
Nico had sprung up from his seat on the ground outside his father's temple. He fumbled for the door, and stumbled inside. Of course, there was no light inside, either. He cursed loudly as he hit his shin against the base of the altar. He backed up, and smacked his head on a low beam. Biting back another curse, he ducked his head and stepped to the side.
Only to walk into something solid.
Nico bounced back. He squinted his eyes: he was pretty sure the Pluto temple didn't have any pillars in it last he checked, but what had he just walked into? His attempts were fruitless: it was like trying to see through the walls of his cabin back at Camp Half-Blood.
"I always wanted to know what being blind was like," a deep, calming voice commented mildly. "I've decided I don't like it."
"Who the Ha-Pluto are you?" Nico hissed, "And what are you doing in my father's temple?"
"I think the more appropriate question is, what are you doing in your father's temple? Do you know how risky that is right now?"
"What?"
The voice sighed. "This is impossible. We need some light."
"Well, sorry, but I don't think I've got any light to spare right now," Nico replied sarcastically.
"But I do." All of a sudden, a ball of bright white light appeared in front of Nico, illuminating both him and the pillar/person/thing Nico had been talking to. The figure was tall and ripped, skin an odd color from the light. He had a kind face, with dark eyes and long hair. He was wearing black robes.
"Who... are you?" Nico asked, bewildered.
The man bowed slightly. "Your father's employee, of course. I long wanted to meet you, son of Hades. We've come close so many times, but alas, somehow you always slipped away. But no matter, these circumstances are much better. At least, for now."
Nico quickly ran through his father's servants. No... It couldn't be...
"Thanatos?"
Thanatos smiled. "So you do recognize me. That's nice. Now. Stop talking. I'm supposed to keep you safe."
"Huh?"
Death rolled his eyes. "You didn't think this whole pitch-blackness thing was random, did you?"
"Um..." was all Nico could think to say.
"Poseidon and Nyx have gotten into a fight. Well, more accurately, Neptune and Nox. But anyway, your father believes it is only a matter of time he and Jupiter get involved. And he doesn't exactly want his only living son meeting me the hard way, does he?"
"So you came here to protect me. From what?"
Thanatos pointed at the small window in the temple. Nico attempted to peer through it, but it was still pitch black outside. 'Wait for it..." Thanatos muttered. Suddenly, there was a crash of thunder and a bolt of lightning struck down onto a small temple. It exploded, and then there was blackness again.
"That ought to get Nox mad," Death said. It started to rain. Torrential rain. "And now Neptune is trying to protect his own temple," he commentated. There was a boom, and a ball of blackness that seemed to be more dense than the rest of the air exploded into being. "And... there goes Neptune's temple."
Lightning exploded over where the temple to Jupiter should have been. Even the bolts didn't penetrate the darkness. About a minute later, the floor of Pluto's temple trembled oh-so-slightly. Thanatos' eyes widened and he pushed Nico to the ground. "Stay down and shut up," he hissed.
He put his light out.
"What? Shouldn't I be safe in my dad's temple? W-" Nico was cut off by a strong hand clamped over his mouth. Nico squirmed away and spluttered.
"Oh my gods, where have your hands been?! They taste disgusting!"
"I said to shut up!" A hand clamped over Nico's mouth again. He tried to move away, but a force pressed on top of his back.
Meanwhile...
When the camp had been plunged into darkness, those still on the streets did the natural thing: they ran in the general direction of Reyna's house.
Needless to say, several bodies ran into each other. There was a chorus of 'ow's, 'get off me's and 'give me my drink back!'
"Who are you?" a male voice asked the person who had crashed into him.
"Who are you?" a female voice asked.
"I asked you first," the male replied.
"You ran into me."
"Ladies first," was the snarky reply.
"Where's my Kool-Aid?" another voice wailed as another body crashed into the male. "Hazel! Why is is dark?"
"I don't know and I don't know!" a fourth voice replied.
"But you had it!"
"Nobody cares!" yet another voice cut in.
"Ouch! That's my foot!"
"And that's my stomach!"
"Would you rather have my elbow somewhere south of your stomach?" the previous voice threatened.
"What? Who are you?"
"EVERYBODY SHU- OW!" the first voice tried to regain control, but was cut short when he was tackled to the ground.
"WHY IS IT DARK?" the other voice asked for the second time.
"I DON'T KNOW!" another voice shouted back.
"IT'S THE APOCALYPSE!"
"Can you please get off me?" a voice begged.
"I'm not even on you!"
"I wasn't talking to you! I was talking to the person lying across my legs. How much do you weigh?"
"Wait, you talking to me?"
"Yes, I'm talking to you! NO, I'm talking to the magical door in front of me weighing my legs down."
There were a few thumps, and the voice cried out in pain. "Since when do magical doors exist?" it wailed.
"What is going on here?" a new voice demanded. "Why are there tree trunks in front of my door?"
"Those are my legs so please STOP STANDING ON THEM!"
"Jason?"
"Reyna?"
"Oh thank the gods! I was coming to tell you that the gods have gotten into a fight! I read it in the entrails!"
"A little late for that, dontcha think, Octavian?" Reyna snapped.
"Reyna, please tell Hazel to turn the lights on and give me my drink back!"
"For goodness sake, I didn't turn the lights off! And I don't know where your drink is!"
"Everybody! Shut up and tell me one by one who you are. Starting with me. I'm Reyna."
"Jason. "
"Hazel."
"Bobby."
"Gwen."
"Octavian."
"Dakota."
"Alright. Now that we've figured that out, let's go to Jupiter's temple and try to find out what's happening," Reyna said.
The group slowly untangled themselves and headed in the direction they thought the temples were in. About five minutes later, they noticed a light. It was bright white, and penetrated the darkness.
"Um, guys? I... I see a light."
"Same here."
"So do I." Almost everybody agreed with Hazel.
"Octavian," Reyna warned.
"What? I don't know about you guys, but I don't see a light. Maybe you should check your sanity."
"Octavian."
"All right. I see it too."
"Let's follow it," Dakota murmured, almost in a trance-like state. Slowly, they made their way up the hill.
"Guys, wait a second," Hazel said. The others stopped. "The light is coming from Pluto's temple."
"Wait, that means..."
OH MY GODS! WE'RE DEAD!" Bobby cried out as he threw himself to the ground.
BOOM.
A few seconds later...
BOOM.
And then...
Crackle... BOOM.
And then the light went out.
Viola! How'd you guys like it?
Review, please!
-Silver out.
