Nico cursed quietly as he heard the large thump, his hands moving to his side where his sword hung from his belt. "Will... I'm going to go help them. I'll be back."
"No!" Will's sudden gasp wasn't made without pain. Nothing could come from his mouth but that painful breathing, that painful reminder that Nico had failed to get him out. At least so far. "Don't leave me!"
"Will..." Nico's hands cupped Will's cheeks. "I have to go help them...it's the only way we're ever going to get you out of here."
"No...no..." Will's sobs came with tears. "Please...please don't leave me. You won't come back."
"Yes, I will," Nico promised. "I'll come back. There's no way I'm ever leaving you alone again. I'll go kill that man and come right back. I'm not leaving this house without you."
"You...you disappear..." Will muttered. "Two times...You come and you talk and you disappear... You leave me all alone."
"That's cause I was here through a dream," Nico replied. "I know it doesn't make much sense right now. But I can assure you I won't be disappearing. Okay?"
"Nico...please..." Will's pleas broke Nico's heart. That cold heart that once had no feeling of pity or mercy. Only justice. "Please don't leave me alone...I'm scared."
"I know." Nico put his forehead against Will's. "I know you're scared. I would be, too, if I was in your position. But I have to go help them...please...please believe me. You can trust me, Will. You can trust me."
"Trust you..." Will began to visibly shake. "Fine... Please come back soon...please..."
"I will." Nico got up quickly. "Do you know anything that'd help us against him? Maybe if he has any powers?"
"He..." Will's sobs continued on. "He...can hide...can make me think I'm not where I am..."
"The mist..." Nico felt himself stirring the shadows up, felt them moving to the room with Percy and Clarisse. "Okay. I'll be back. Hold on, okay?"
"Okay..." Will gasped for breath as Nico left the room, as he started down the hallway Percy and Clarisse had gone down. He kept himself quiet, kept the shadows close to him. Whoever dared to hurt his soulmate like this...
They'd pay.
As he got to the room, he stopped when he saw Percy in combat with...nothing. Whatever he was swinging his sword at, Nico couldn't see it. Clarisse had her own weapon out, a new spear just as deadly as the last. She also fought but didn't seem to be making any hits. Finally, blood droplets started to appear on the carpet.
Nico closed his eyes, feeling the souls of the room. Three, all demigods. Percy, Clarisse, and an unnamed. A powerful aura but nothing they couldn't handle. As Nico leaked the shadows into the room, he heard the man's terrified gasp.
Good.
"Nico? Please tell me that's you." Percy stepped back from the swirling shadows.
"Yeah, I caught him." Nico stepped into the room, leaning against the wall as he felt his energy drain out. "I'm holding him with the shadows."
"Told you we needed his damn powers." Clarisse walked up to the group of shadows. "Should I kill him?"
"No." Percy cut in. "We should get information and-"
"I'll kill him." Nico's voice was as cold as his father's. "He hurt Will. I'm killing him."
"Woah there, Nico, slow down." Percy moved to Nico's shaking form. "Why are you so angry? I know what he did was wrong but you're really-"
"Percy!" Nico held up a hand to silence the son of Poseidon. "I know you mean well but your eyes are distracting as hell. So step aside and let me kill him."
"Why are my eyes...?"
"I don't know what that color is yet." Nico got his sword out of its sheath as he moved closer to the mass of shadows, where a man grumbled spells to himself. "So it distracts me."
"YOU HAVE YOUR COLOR AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" Percy ran to grab the son of Hades. "Who is it? Who's the girl? Is it Clarisse? Is that why she came-"
Clarisse kicked Percy as hard as she could in that sensitive spot. "Shut it, Jackson."
"It's not even a girl," Nico muttered. "It's Will. So let me kill this guy so we can get back to camp."
Had he meant to say he was gay? Nico regretted it later on. He hadn't wanted to come out, not yet. But at that moment all he could think about was killing that man. If he had to explain why...well, that was what it took.
"He's...your soulmate..." Percy spoke as if he couldn't even think of a full sentence. "Oh..."
"Permission granted to kill," Clarisse spoke up. "Can I help?"
Nico nodded. "Let me get the first hit."
