January 28th 1948
Nico's sixteenth birthday had long loomed in his future like a spectre: mysterious and tantalizingly out of reach. Logically, he had always known that it would arrive, but the specifics of the day had long escaped him. It seemed hopelessly mundane to wake in his bed in his room like every day before. There should have been some kind of great epiphany. Maybe an eruption of golden power or something equally spectacular. Unsticking his cheek from a drool spotted pillow and smelling his own morning breath did not coincide with the long awaited sixteenth birthday he had been counting down to for so long.
His birthday started out so… normal. He readied for himself for the day as he always did, and a breakfast tray was delivered to his door like usual. Even Quintus was waiting for him in the training arena to put him through his paces one last time.
It was the last time they would be training together. Once the council had made their decision, Nico would either be locked away in the Lotus Hotel, or he would start a new phase of his life as Olympus' hero. He wasn't entirely certain of exactly what that life would look like. The threat mentioned in the Great Prophecy might make itself known that very day. If that happened it would be the beginning of a quest that would make Nico a hero for the ages. If it didn't… he wasn't sure what would happen. Smaller quests maybe. Glorified errands for the gods. Maybe months of waiting around his father's palace for something to happen as Phillip had waited at Camp Half-Blood.
There was a thought. Maybe he would be sent back to Camp Half-Blood once he was no longer in need of his father's protection.
And what if the Olympians had nothing to do with him once he was made immortal? Would he be allowed to make his own life in the mortal world until he was needed? He didn't even know what that would mean. What did mortal sixteen year olds do? Go to school probably. No, a mortal education seemed pointless for him.
If there was no set path for him he'd carve one for himself. He'd cut a bloody path through every monster in the western world just to keep himself busy. It was what he was good at and what he had been trained to do.
Quintus cut their training short when it was clear Nico wasn't paying him the slightest bit of attention. How could he, when he had so much else on his mind? The meeting on Olympus was only a few hours away.
Nico obeyed when Quintus told him to clean himself up and find his father. At least the trainer wished him a happy birthday before dismissing him.
It was judgement day. He would accompany his father to Olympus again and the Olympian Council would make their decision, once and for all, whether or not he had earned an immortal life as a hero, or would be cast aside to be frozen in time until someone else would take up the mantle of the prophecy.
It wasn't too late, he supposed, to back out. He could refuse and choose the Lotus Hotel for himself. He had seen it himself on one of his many explorations of the Upperworld with Plutus.
It didn't look like the prison he had been led to imagine. Bright lights, arcade games, an indoor swimming pool, luxurious suites… It would be more comfortable than a life of battle, but could he condemn Bianca to his burden? She had always been the more responsible one and, before joining the Hunters of Artemis, she had been older than him anyway. With her years of hunting monsters under Artemis' guidance she might very well be better equipped to handle whatever it was the hero of the prophecy was required to do.
Hades was in the throne room when Nico found him. The room had ceased to intimidate Nico. He was well accustomed to the throne of human bones on the raised dais, the high ceiling and columns looming overhead. Even the skeletal soldiers didn't faze him; he knew they were only there for show. The only thing in the room that could still make him uncomfortable was the god who occupied it.
The main doors were guarded by skeleton soldiers. They jumped to attention when he approached, saluting sharply, and opened the doors wide for him.
The scene inside was a familiar one. Hades sat in his throne, head propped on one hand, watching the room with disinterest. He wore black robes instead of a business suit.
Even from a distance, Nico could make out the faces of the tortured souls as the twisted and writhed through the folds in the material.
A petitioner knelt in the centre of the room. A hood was drawn up over its head and it wore misty grey robes. The whole figure was almost translucent. It was a shade. They were common enough in the Underworld. Hades employed them to run messages and handle simple disputes that didn't need his personal attention among other things. The particular shade in the throne room seemed to be getting more desperate, fighting to keep the god's attention.
"Yes, yes," Hades was saying in a bored voice, effectively cutting off what the shade had been trying to say. He made eye contact with Nico over the shade's head and beckoned him closer with two fingers. "Work load too heavy, pay too low… it is always the same complaints with your kind."
The shade spluttered, scrambling for how to reply. "My Lord–"
"I've heard this before," Hades interrupted, "and I have more important things to deal with today."
"But–"
Hades waved a hand in dismissal and several of the guards moved forward, herding the shade out of the room. They ignored its protests, as did Hades who had taken to examining his cuticles.
He looked bored, which Nico supposed was unsurprising given the nature of his job. He spent countless hours doing paperwork, seeing to petty complaints, and handling simple management disputes. He was more a CEO than a god, except he didn't get vacation time.
"That was convenient timing. I thank you for the reprieve."
"Saving people is my hobby."
Hades let his arm drop, hand dangling carelessly over the arm of his throne. "Are you prepared to face the council?" he asked.
Nico fiddled with the silver fastening of the cloak around his shoulders, making sure it was securely closed. "Ready as I'll ever be."
"Before we depart, I have arranged a gift for you."
Nico's eyebrows rose. Birthday gifts were not an annual occurrence for him. The last time he had received one was from Bianca during their last year in Italy. He must have been nine at the oldest when his father last gave him a present.
Hades rose from his throne and descended the dais, hand outstretched. In his upturned palm a long thin package wrapped in black cloth appeared. With his free hand, he beckoned Nico closer.
Nico approached and accepted the offered package. The wrappings fell away with ease when he pulled the coarse string tying them closed. His heart stuttered in his chest. Beneath the wrappings was a sword in a dark leather scabbard on a sword belt. Nico carefully drew the sword, admiring the swirls etched into the fuller.
With its recurved blade, the sword was unmistakably a Greek kopis. The blade was three feet of black stygian iron. Nico gripped the leather hilt in one hand and gave an experimental swing at mid air. He had practiced with similar weapons in the past. The length of blade gave the user reach and thrusting ability while the curve to the metal distributed the sword's weight to allow more momentum and force than the average short sword. For a smaller fighter like him, it was perfect.
"That sword was crafted for you after your second visit to the underworld," said Hades. "I believe that was the occasion you took it upon yourself to criticize my judgements. I knew then that you had the same fire in you that Maria had."
Nico almost dropped the sword. They never spoke about his mother. Never in all the years he had lived in the Underworld had Hades ever invited her as a topic of conversation.
"At the time, I still believed the prophecy to refer to Bianca," Hades admitted, "but that sword was always intended for you. I would have presented Bianca with her own if she did prove to be the prophesied Hero of course but, regardless, that sword was crafted for you and you alone."
"Even if I wasn't the hero?"
"Of course." He said it as though it should be obvious, as though bespoke gifts were par for the course. "I won't have a son of mine fighting with a second hand weapon."
Nico sheathed his new blade and wrapped the sword belt around his waist. He frowned a little when he fastened it; he had to cinch the belt to its tightest hole and even then the belt rested low on his hips.
"Thank you, Father." He meant it. He had wanted a blade of his own for as long as he could remember but he had never dreamt that his own father would give him a bespoke sword.
Hades inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement.
"There is no going back from this night," he warned. "The council will make their final decision tonight and there will not be a thing I can do to alter it. My influence has been exhausted as it is."
Nico swallowed hard around the sudden lump in his esophagus. "I'm ready." His voice came out strangled and not at all like the declaration of strength he had wanted. He forced a cough to clear his throat. "I can do this."
When Hades put his hand on Nico's shoulder to whisk them into the darkness, it was with a sense of finality. It might be the last time he escorted Nico anywhere. After the council meeting, Nico could be locked away in the Louts Hotel for the rest of his life.
The darkness swallowed them whole and when they reappeared on Olympus, Nico's feet did not stumble.
The Olympians were milling about the throne room when Nico and Hades appeared. Nico found himself surprisingly accustomed to the immortal gods and their superhuman height. He wasn't a scared little boy on Olympus for the first time anymore. He was a full-fledged demigod now with monster kills, mortal rescues, and years of training under his belt.
Someone tapped Nico on the shoulder and he turned. Bianca stood behind him, grinning like a cat with a canary.
Hades had left Nico's side to speak with some of the other gods and was thoroughly ignoring his children. That suited Nico just fine. He did not particularly want to listen to another lecture on how he was naive to trust his own sister – regardless of the politics involved.
"I have something for you," Bianca revealed. She looked unusually pleased with herself as she pressed a little red box into his hand.
Nico gave her a quizzical look as he delicately lifted the lid. Inside, there was a ring cushioned on red felt, the same way their mama's jewellery had often been when purchased. The ring was silver and carved into a skull with glimmering, jet black eyes.
"Bianca…" Nico met her gaze. Her eyes shone with hopeful apprehension.
"I know I've been really bad about presents since... well, you know, but I thought since this is a special one you should definitely get something."
"It's great, really." He pulled her in for a one armed hug, careful not to drop his new present. "Thank you."
"I know it doesn't make up for… anyway. I hope you like it." She pecked him on the cheek and withdrew from his hug. "We need to catch up. I have so many stories to tell you. How have you been? I mean, you look fine but what have you been up to for all of this time?"
Nico opened his mouth to answer her, but before he could utter a word he was cut off.
A BANG! reverberated through the chamber. Zeus had assumed his seat at the head of the room.
Without further prompting, the rest of the council took their places. Bianca flashed Nico an apologetic look and slipped away to stand by Artemis' throne.
It took a few heartbeats for Nico to realize that he was now alone in the centre of the room. He glanced back at Hades who was seated on the usual obsidian throne he summoned for Olympus. It was reassuring to have his father, physically and metaphorically, behind him.
"Let us call this meeting of the Olympian Council to order," Zeus declared. Thunder rumbled through the chamber and any remaining murmurings ceased. "We have assembled today to decide the fate of Nico di Angelo, son of Hades."
Nico cast his gaze around at each of the gods in turn. Hestia, as usual, tended the fire in the middle of the room. She was closest to Nico in the space and he drew reassurance from the tender warmth of her presence and hearth. Zeus, Hera, and Athena all seemed disapproving of the proceedings. Others, like Poseidon, Demeter, Hephaestus, and Artemis, were guarding their emotions more closely and Nico couldn't quite read what they thought of his situation.
A brown haired girl was perched on little three legged stool beside Apollo. She had plain sort of face and looked to be in her early twenties. Her dress was a blue floral pattern and sewn to look like it wrapped around her and pinned at the shoulder. It kind of reminded Nico of a chiton that Persephone might wear except for its pockets and that it was belted with a length of pink fabric tied in a big bow.
Zeus beckoned Nico forward with a single finger. "Come forth."
Nico approached Zeus' and Hera's thrones. He tried to take courage in the reassuring smile from Hestia as he passed her hearth. When he knelt, the marble floor was bitingly hard under his kneecaps.
"Our agreement with Hades," said Athena, "states that today, on the boy's sixteenth birthday, we will decide whether he has earned the gift of immortality or shall be exiled to the lair of the lotus eaters until another half-blood takes his place in the Great Prophecy. What proof do we have as to his worth?"
Nico did not have time to answer before Hades did so for him.
"I did not come here today to submit a résumé on my son's behalf."
"Then what," said Hera, "did you think the purpose of this meeting is exactly?"
"Nico's actions speak for themselves," said Hades. "I do not believe it is he who will be on trial today. A deal was struck here years ago to protect Olympus and this world from certain doom. Whether you will allow my son to preserve our existence or not is the only choice to be made. Nico's safety is assured no matter what decision is made. It is the fate of the Council which hangs in the balance. Tell me, sister, will you damn this world for your husband's pride?"
Nico did not enjoy holding his tongue, Olympian audience or no, but it was vindicating to have Hades speak his mind plainly enough for the both of them.
Zeus would not allow himself be publicly proven an oath breaker so Nico was as safe as he possibly could be. The only decision that really needed to be made was whether or not Nico would be the hero of the prophecy. As the "elder gods" had vowed to sire no more children, he was the only option left. It was Zeus' pride or the world. If any other god had sat on the throne, Nico would have been more sure of the answer. As it was Zeus who ruled, he couldn't be certain of the outcome.
"That is very convincing," said Poseidon. "Brethren, I, for one, have other matters to attend to this night. These debates are as repetitive as they are pointless. I would have us move directly to the vote."
"Seconded," said Aphrodite. "You would not believe how busy I am this time of year. Valentine's Day is almost upon us and those mortals do love to celebrate."
Hades leaned back in his throne. "By all means, go ahead. Vote."
"Very well." Zeus' voice was the low rumble of thunder. Nico shuddered at the sound. "All those in favour of granting the boy immortality?"
"A moment, My Lord." It was Athena. "Apollo, I believe it is time for young Nico here to hear the prophecy at last."
Apollo leaned forward in his throne to rest his elbows on his knees. "Not a bad idea. Come on, babe, let's hear it."
The girl seated behind Apollo got to her feet. She eyed Nico with unashamed curiosity. When she spoke, her voice was like an eerie song; haunting.
"A half-blood of the eldest gods
Shall reach sixteen against all odds
And see the world in endless sleep
The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap
A single choice shall end his days
Olympus to preserve or raze"
Nico mulled over the prophecy in his head line by cryptic line.
A half-blood of the eldest gods. That made enough sense. The hero would be a child of the original six Olympian children of Kronos, likely one of the three brothers since they welded the most power and Hades was the eldest of the brothers.
Shall reach sixteen against all odds. The hero would have a dangerous life and barely make it to sixteen. That wasn't exactly unheard of for demigods anyway. Nico himself had survived an attack by Zeus himself, aerial bombings, and more monster encounters than he could clearly remember.
And see the world in endless sleep. That part Nico didn't understand. Maybe that was part of whatever threat he would have to fight. It would only be a matter of time before the opponent showed themselves. He would just have to prepare himself for any eventuality.
The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. A single choice shall end his days. Those lines filled Nico with a great sense of unease. He would die in the course of fulfilling his mission. He hadn't prepared himself for that eventuality. He knew the he would die one day, like any mortal, without the gods' granted immortality
Olympus to preserve or raze. He wondered if it was a conscious choice he would make. Could he decide for himself if Olympus was preserved or razed? Perhaps it would be more clear at the time, as simple as hitting the big red button or not.
The thought of preserving Olympus as it was unsettled Nico. The Olympians were not inherently evil, he was not so naive that he couldn't see through Hades' grudge to realize that, but that didn't mean that the continued existence of Olympus as it was was a good thing. The petty squabbles, the children and mortals caught in the crossfire, it all had to change. It wasn't fair that Hades was banned from Olympus for all but one night of the year when he was the eldest brother and, by all accounts, the most law abiding. It wasn't fair that the descendants of Zeus and Poseidon went unpunished where Hades' children would have been eviscerated. Maybe he could change all that.
Athena met each of the Olympians' gaze in turn. Her steely grey eyes were cold with calculation. "We are in agreement, I believe, that Nico di Angelo is a worthy hero. The eradication of multiple monster infestations in our own city and the slaying of the hydra are worthy deeds."
Nico kind of liked the way this was going. If Athena was in supporting him, many of the other gods were sure to follow.
"However."
Maybe not.
"That does not necessarily negate the risk warned of in the Great Prophecy. The prophecy clearly states that it will be a half-blood child of Zeus, Hades, or Poseidon who will preserve or raze Olympus. If there are no children of Zeus, Hades, or Poseidon there is no one to raze Olympus."
"No one to save it either," Hermes pointed out.
"He's sixteen now," Dionysus observed. "I say we exile him with the Lotus Eaters until we need him. No need to have him running amuck under our noses."
Artemis snorted. "And deny you all the use of such a powerful errand boy? I am that surprised you would suggest such a thing."
"Are you calling me lazy?"
"If the chiton fits," Hephaestus muttered.
"I will have you know," said Dionysus, "that I spent years inventing, fine-tuning, and creating wine, and I have it on good authority that none of you are particularly opposed to the drink. I will bet good drachmas that I've contributed more of my time to the mortal world than any of you."
Apollo raised his hand. "I'll take that bet."
Hera leaned her chin on her fist like she was expecting to be there a while.
"Excuse me," Demeter said with great indignation, "without me all of those little mortal stomachs would be going empty each night."
Apollo leaned back in his throne, crossed one ankle over the other, and clasped his hands behind his head. "Without me, they would be freezing to death and bored out of their adorable little minds."
Athena huffed out a breath. "Yes, you are all very important to the mortal world. My point is that one should consider the risks we face by allowing this demigod off of his leash."
Zeus' blue eyes glittered in a way that made Nico's stomach roil. He did not like that expression, not one bit.
"Apollo," said Poseidon, "anything to add regarding this prophecy of yours before we continue?"
Nico looked at Apollo and the girl who sat with him. They shrugged in unison which was not reassuring in any way.
"Prophecies are tricky," said Apollo, "I cannot interpret every single line for the kid, it would throw the whole world off-kilter. Then the fates are mad at me and ancient laws are broken and it's a whole mess."
Zeus adjusted his grip on his thunderbolt. "The vote then. All those in favour of granting this boy immortality?"
Poseidon's hand rose with lazy confidence. It was followed by Aphrodite's, Hephaestus', then Artemis' (who earned a grateful smile from Bianca). Hermes and Apollo raised their hands as well.
Six. A tie.
Nico's heart hammered. What would they do now? Hades had already said that he had no more influence to extend over the council. Nico was on his own.
He would just have to convince them. He wouldn't be banished; he had too much to do, to see, to accomplish. He was only sixteen, his life wouldn't be paused now.
Then Demeter raised her hand. Her expression was warm as she met Nico's eyes. Looking at her made him think of a golden wheat field shining in the summer sun.
Zeus raised his thunderbolt and slammed it into the white marble floor. The BANG that followed shook the room so hard Nico could have sworn his clothes and hair moved.
"It is decided. Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, will have an immortal life. Rise, half-blood."
Nico's legs were half-asleep from kneeling so long. He almost fell over as he got to his feet.
After seeing Bianca's blessing from Artemis, he thought he was ready for what was to come.
He was wrong.
Zeus raised a hand and arcs electric blue power churned around his fingers like a nebula. With no more warning, the streaks of power shot forward and engulfed Nico's entire being.
Nico screamed. His entire body felt like it was burning. Fire surged through his veins. A bone-crushing tightness squeezed each and every one of his bones.
And then it stopped, as suddenly as it had started.
He fell and lay, curled and broken, on the cool marble floor. His body trembled, fingers twitching without conscious thought. His throat was raw.
Around him, the gods looked on. Artemis, Apollo, and Hermes gave him pitying, almost apologetic looks. Zeus looked disgusted and averted his eyes.
Shaking, Nico braced his hands against the floor and attempted to push himself up. The small movement made his head spin. He met eyes with his father and Hades looked down on him emotionlessly. Get up, his brain ordered. Stand up and make your father proud.
He pushed himself up from the floor into a kneeling position. Unsteadily, swaying slightly, he climbed to his feet.
Nico looked down at himself. He didn't really look any different. He hadn't been truly expecting a change but he wouldn't deny that instant Herculean muscles would not have been a disappointment. He felt, as Bianca had said those years ago when she pledged to Artemis, stronger. He knew, just knew, that he could leap higher, run faster, and fight harder without tiring as he would have before. He could take harder hits and keep going. He didn't have to fear a mortal death.
Then Zeus raised his hand again.
No, something was wrong.
Nico wanted to get into a fighting stance, draw his new sword, summon a legion to defend him, but he was powerless against the King of the Gods.
This time, the streak of blue light did not surround Nico entirely. It split into two strings that coiled themselves around each of his wrists. It was searingly hot and crackled with the sound of electricity.
When the light receded, Nico's wrists were no longer bare. A sleek golden cuff was wrapped around each of his wrists. The metal was flawless with no seam, hinge, or clasp to indicate their removal.
This hadn't been part of the plan.
"Zeus," Hades hissed. "What is the meaning of this?"
Zeus had an air of satisfaction about him. "You cannot truly have believed that I would allow such a weapon to be left unchecked, Hades."
"This was not our agreement!" Hades roared.
Nico still did not really understand what the cuffs meant. Was this a part of his new immortality? Bianca didn't have any shackles but she could also die in battle. Maybe that was the difference.
"Athena is quite right," said Zeus, "it would be an oversight to allow him to be off-leash."
Oh.
"Those shackles will keep him in check. Should he make any moves against Olympus, wander too far out of our power…"
Zeus snapped his fingers and Nico's knees buckled. The cuffs heated to twice as searing as they had been when they were first attached. Nico grunted and bit his tongue until he tasted blood to hold back a cry of pain.
When the burning ceased, Nico stared hard at the golden shackles. The skin around them was red and blistered but the metal itself was instantly cooled.
"This is not what we agreed," Hades insisted.
"Zeus," said Hestia, "please think–"
"Silence! Hades, you got what you wanted. I will hear no complaints. What's done is done. This meeting is adjourned."
Rage was broiled in Nico's stomach. He wanted to shake the palace, rend great cracks in the perfect marble and rain stone dust from the ceiling.
Raze. That was the word, the single syllable that must have terrified Zeus so much. The King of the Gods was living in fear that his precious Olympus would be torn down by a child of Hades. That was why Zeus had tried to kill him and Bianca. Zeus should have known, or Athena should have warned him, that failure to kill them and worse, killing their mother instead, would be more dangerous than leaving them in peace. Zeus had sealed his own fate as he had every other time he had tried to control a prophecy.
Nico met Zeus' gaze head-on. Damn the Olympians. What had they ever done for him? It was Hades who had protected him, trained him, shielded him from Zeus' wrath. Nico owed them nothing. He could raze Olympus to the ground for what Zeus had done. He could avenge his mother, free Bianca, and break his own shackles. The Olympians thought they had bought themselves a champion, but he would show them. Nico would show them all. He had never once been their hero.