Ok this one is kind of weird lol. It's basically supposed to be an AU where Nico kind of loses his mind in the Labyrinth and Kronos' army finds him first. As a result, he joins them and by the time Percy and the others go on their quest (Bianca still sends him the IM's, but it's different obviously because Nico's situation has changed) Nico is basically fully pledged to Kronos IG?

Honestly, this might be a dumb AU idea haha. I've just been listening to the song I Can't Decide by Scissor Sisters and keep on picturing this sort of scene in my head, and my brain filled it in with Nico and Percy, so I framed the AU around it lol. Would highly recommend the song, and especially listen to the second chorus for the real "inspiration" for this fic if you want djhdkd.

I'll stop rambling now lmao.

Enjoy! :)

-alltheglowingeyes

Percy had no idea what was happening. One minute he was at Geryon's ranch, and the next minute he was knocked out and… well, he had no idea where he really was.

He glanced around the room he was in. It looked straight out of a torture scene in a movie, with dim lighting and metallic grey walls and flooring. As he tried to move to look around more, he realized he was strapped to a chair, tied down so tight that he could feel the ropes burning his skin if he even shifted by a centimeter. One look at his pocket, and he knew Riptide wasn't there. Hopefully, his sword would return soon, but even then he had know idea how he would move enough to get to his weapon.

His head was throbbing vaguely as he continued to try and scout the room from where he sat. As he looked to the left, his eyes settled on something shifting in the corner of the room, cloaked by the shadows. Percy grit his teeth, turning himself as far as he could and shouting, "Show yourself, whoever you are!"

The figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a young boy, maybe ten or eleven, but he looked years older. His pale face was sharp and angular, contrasting with his shaggy, shoulder-length black hair and equally dark eyes. But Percy already knew in his gut who he was looking at, as shocking as it was.

"Nico?"

The boy hummed in acknowledgement as Percy braced himself for what his reaction would be. He wasn't sure what exactly he expected Nico to do next. Maybe some shouting or a roundhouse kick aimed for his head.

Instead, the younger boy just smiled at Percy. It was cruel and cold, much more unnerving than any sort of physical attack he could have sent his way.

"Hello, Percy," he responded, raising an eyebrow. "Certainly not the circumstances I would have pictured us meeting again," he remarked, gesturing at Percy's tight bonds holding him in his chair.

Percy didn't say anything, mind still reeling at the sight of the boy in front of him. Less than a year ago, Nico di Angelo was a vibrant, hyperactive little kid. Now, everything about him seemed so… sapped, like the life compelling him forward disappeared. It seemed that it was replaced by something darker and sinister, something that Percy couldn't quite understand.

He was drawn out of his shocked state by a sharp laugh from Nico as the boy grinned at Percy. "Something wrong?"

Percy blinked, still processing what was happening. Before he could stop himself he blurted out, "Your hair is really long now."

Immediately, the son of Poseidon mentally kicked himself, gauging the other boy's reaction. To his relief, Nico just laughed (a cold and harsh sound, but he supposed it was still a laugh).

"Mm, yes. I kind of like it this way, you know? Easier to tie back in fights than when it's an awkward middle length."

Percy swallowed, put off by the casual conversation. It could have almost passed as two old friends playing catch up, but that was clearly not the case.

"Nico… I came here to look for you. I mean, we searched everywhere for you last winter, but you disappeared and, well… I only got a better idea of where to look when there was another Ir-"

Nico cut him off, making a tsk-ing noise and looking ready to burst into laughter again. "Well, now that was clearly a mistake, wasn't it?"

Percy stared at Nico, confusion evident on his face. He had a feeling what the son of Hades meant, but he didn't want to think that's what the younger boy had come to. Before he could prod further, Nico answered for him.

"I'll keep it short, Jackson. Your concern is… appreciated, but I've already found where I'm supposed to be. Here, I'm respected. I have friends, which is honestly truly a miracle. These are friends who actually know what I might feel, who aren't just putting up with me because they feel bad or want something from me."

Percy blinked, choosing his next words carefully. "Nico, you really don't mean that…"

Nico grinned wolfishly, dark eyes glinting with a cruel light. "Seems I'll have to be blunt with you: I'm with Kronos now. Nice try, but you're too late."

Percy felt his stomach turn. Nico di Angelo, who was just a few months prior a lively, Myth-O-Magic fan, somehow got himself caught up with Kronos? He strained against his bonds, trying to move closer to Nico as he began to try and reason with the younger demigod.

"Nico, whatever they've promised you- they can't get you Bianca back. I'm so sorry, but…"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Percy. My intentions for joining Kronos on his conquest have nothing to do with Bianca, no," he announced, smiling coldly. He stepped closer to Percy, lazily brandishing his dagger for a few seconds before setting it right under Percy's chin. "I'm here on my own accord."

Percy felt his heart drop as he tilted his head up, forced to look Nico straight in the eyes. His eyes were a true reflection of his father's; dark and cold, with a strange glint that was either that of a mad man or a genius.

"What happened to you, Nico?" he murmured, ignoring the blade slowly digging into his neck. The younger boy sighed, expression turning to one of boredom and slight annoyance at the question.

"What do you think, Jackson? My dear sister, my only family, abandoned me at a camp full of strangers, most of whom made it no secret they found me obnoxious. Said sister dies and they send everyone's favorite hero to try and soften the blow. I run away, find this hellscape, almost die a few times, and finally find my way to where I truly belong," he proclaimed, pulling his dagger away and waving it around for emphasis once more.

Percy shook his head, taking a deep breath as he tried to adjust his position so he could sit up a little more. "You can still find your place in Camp, Nico. This isn't… there is so much that Camp has to offer, so much that you're going to miss out on if you keep going down this path."

Nico was silent for a few seconds. Then, he suddenly spun around, throwing the dagger right in Percy's direction. For a split second, Percy was sure he was a goner as he instinctively shut his eyes. Instead, he heard a thunk, opening his eyes to see the dagger embedded in the wall above his head, missing him by less than a centimeter.

When he looked at Nico, the younger's boy's expression could only be described as a painful combination of brokenness and insanity. However, the most peculiar part was that his gaze was fixed on something behind Percy, breathing raggedly as he glared intently at where his dagger was.

The tension was suffocating as Nico continued to stare right past Percy. After a minute of silence, Percy cleared his throat, speaking up.

"Are you ok?" he asked, trying to keep his voice low enough to not startle the younger demigod (just in case he had another dagger hidden in the pockets of his jacket). Nico blinked a few times, looking a little dazed and irritated before allowing another casual smile to grace his face. He stepped forward gracefully, pulling the dagger from the wall with a little more force than necessary as some of the rock pieces from the wall crumbled on to Percy.

As Percy shook his head in a vain attempt to get the dirt off his head, Nico turned so his back was to the son of Poseidon. He began laughing quietly to himself, muttering softly under his breath. Percy didn't catch any of what the younger demigod was saying, but he was overwhelmed with concern. In the months that Nico had disappeared from Camp, something happened. His sanity was clearly fragile, like the slightest pressure on him and he would snap. It broke Percy's heart to witness the younger boy's breaking mind, the weight of his own failures constricting tighter than his physical bonds. Bianca asked him to look after her brother, trading her life for the others on that quest, and he couldn't even do that much for her.

Nico drew Percy out of his self-loathing once more with a feral shout, clutching his head in his hands and allowing his dagger dangerously close to his face. He mumbled something rapid-fire in- was that Italian? After a few seconds, he feverishly seemed to cross himself before spinning back around to face Percy, that same maniacal smile on his face providing a thin coverup to his clear discomfort.

"Well, I think you've been waiting here for a little too long now, huh? I've said all I needed to, and you've played your part well enough. I think it's time for you to get some rest."

Percy's eyes widened, unsure of what was happening as he made a last ditch attempt to appeal to whatever was left of that young demigod from months prior. "Nico, please. I'm begging you, man; think of what you're doing if you help Kronos. Camp needs you. We want you to just come back and… I can't fail Bianca like this. I told her I would look out for you, and the best way I can do that is if you come back to Camp with me," he rushed out. He knew his argument was mostly incoherent babbling, but he still scanned Nico's face for any sign of consideration.

To his delight, Nico's expression softened. However, the blank look in his eyes betrayed any feelings of comfort as the son of Hades leaned closer.

"But that's the thing, Percy. You already failed her. If you hadn't, well, she wouldn't be dead now, would she?"

Percy looked down, his eyes stinging momentarily. The boy wasn't wrong; Bianca's death was his first and most fatal of failures in his entire demigod career.

Nico hummed triumphantly at Percy's worn out expression, lightly placing an ice cold finger on his forehead. "I think you should sleep on it. How does that sound?"

Before Percy could even understand what was happening, his body shut down, feeling heavy. His senses slowly tapered out as the sudden exhaustion blanketed him, his last glimpse of the world around him being Nico di Angelo's cruel smile before everything went dark.

Nico watched Percy's head loll forward as he fell into a deep sleep. He sent strong enough dreams to keep him down for at least a few more hours, enough time for Luke and the others to decide what should happen next. Rolling his shoulders, he looked over the son of Poseidon once more to ensure he couldn't escape before turning to head out.

"You better have saved me some lunch, Blackstone," he huffed to himself, twirling his dagger around absentmindedly. As soon as the words left his mouth, however, he felt a chill from behind him, rolling his eyes as he didn't even turn around.

"Who knew death glares have a whole new meaning when you're actually dead right? I can feel it from where I'm standing," he snarked, smirking to himself. The presence moved, appearing in front of him as an ethereal blue glow solidified into Bianca's form. She had that same look of disapproval on her face, her mother-hen expression. However, the look didn't mean anything to him anymore as he simply walked through his sister's form.

She continued to appear in front of him, poorly hiding her aggravation at him brushing past her. "He is right. Kronos fights for no one but himself, Nico. If you continue on like this…"

Bianca trailed off, staring Nico down as she carefully tried to gauge his reaction.

Nico shot his sister an annoyed glare, finally returning his dagger back to its sheath. "I don't care who or what Kronos fights for."

Bianca raised an eyebrow at her younger brother, clearly doubting the sincerity of his words. "Really? You're telling me that your decision to join his forces wasn't at all influenced by his promise to bring me back? I've told you, Nico, I don't want to come back. Hell, I shouldn't even be here; the only reason I've intervened is because this isn't right and-"

Nico rolled his eyes, placing a finger to his lips as he locked eyes with his sister's ghost. Immediately her mouth glued shut as a look of frustration and alarm crossed her face at the realization of what happened.

Nico ignored her glare, continuing to make his way out of the room. "That's where you're wrong, sorella. Perhaps that's what drew me in, but I've come to realize I don't want that anymore. No matter how much you grate on me, I would rather not bring you back into this world of pain and suffering. No, I have a new goal… something far more enticing that I know Kronos can deliver on."

Nico reached the door, turning the handle carefully as he caught his sister's seething form in the corner of his vision. He laughed quietly under his breath, throwing the door open.

"I want to watch this ugly world crumble to the ground."

A/N: Sjhdjdjd any feedback on this is much appreciated. I really don't know if this idea worked out TBH. Nico is obviously OOC because he's basically gone insane, but I do feel like I accidentally wrote him to be a little too… old? IDK, any constructive criticism there is very welcome. I also went back to BotL to read into the context properly, but IDK if all the details match right.

Maybe someday I'll try to keep on writing this canon divergence as some practice (so I'll leave the chapters incomplete IG), but for now this is all djfhkdkd. Let me know, though, if you would be interested in seeing more (although this would be a very casually updated fic, as a forewarning).

But yeah… feedback is appreciated! I'm putting a hold on any new request for now, mostly because I need to hold myself accountable and get to work on the ones I have right now, but feel free to still share any ideas (it just probably won't get written up any time soon hdjfkhkdfjh).