"Boo!" Will yelled as he hugged Nico from behind. "GAH! HADES'S GYM SHORTS, YOU SCARED ME!" Nico said. "Sowwy, Neeks." Will replied. "It's okay, sunshine." Nico replied, giving him a peck on the cheek. Will released Nico and stepped back. "Reyna is here. Said she needs to deliver news? Any idea what, Neeks?" Will inquired. "Nope." Nico answered. Reyna walked across the green to them. "Hello, Nico and Will." Reyna said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Hey, Reyna!" Nico said, a grin on his face at the surprise arrival of his old friend. "Please come with me to the Big House, there's something I have to tell you." Reyna said solemnly. "Okie!" Nico said. " Will, you must come as well. " Reyna said. Will nodded hesitantly. Nico rushed on ahead. It made Reyna's heart break to see how happy he was. She didn't want to break that, and drag him back to the horrors of real life. Will lagged behind with Reyna. "The news is bad, isn't it?" Will asked, glancing at Reyna's frown. "Why else would I have asked you to come, Will?" Reyna said simply. "You're right, of course. I guess I was just hoping, for his sake, that it was good news." Will kicked a rock across the ground. They picked up the pace to catch up with Nico. Reyna then led them to an empty room she had probably set up beforehand. There was a bench for Nico and Will to sit on, and a chair for Reyna. She gently closed the door. "The news is about Jason." Reyna explained. " Oh, how is he? I heard he was off on some quest with Apollo-" Nico started. "He's dead Nico." Reyna said. The color drained from Nico's face. "What? No, no, that, that can't be true. He's Jason. Jason is Jason. He, he can't die! " Nico stammered, his voice breaking as he slid to the floor. Will tried to come down next to him, but Nico shot up and ran all the way to his cabin. "NICO!" Will yelled. He turned to Reyna, and she nodded, his confirmation that he could go. He bolted after Nico. Nico reached the Hades cabin, slammed the door, and leaned against it as he slipped down to the floor. Will knocked, and called out for him. Nico knew if he didn't let him in through the door, Will would come crashing through the window, so he let him in. "Nico, I-" Will started as Nico burst into tears. "He was like a father to me!" Nico managed to get out between sobs. Will sat down on the edge of Nico's bed, pulling Nico down gently beside him. He rubbed Nico's back in little circular motions, the way a mother might if her child were crying. "And what makes it worse is that Reyna already had to know in order to tell me. That means that Annabeth and Percy probably already know! They probably had to grieve in secret, while I picking strawberries and making bracelets!" Nico exclaimed. "Oh, oh oh oh, Nico, it's okay, you're going to be okay, everything is going to be fine. " Will said gently. But it wasn't. Nico started venturing into the woods alone, with no weapons or armor. He always came back scratched and bruised. Two weeks later, he started refusing food. Even Will could barely coax food into him. "Just a few more bites, and I'll give you a lollipop! Eat your vegetables and I'll give you a sticker!" Stuff like that. Eventually, Will sat him down to have a talk. "Why are you doing this to yourself?!" Will demanded. "Doing what to myself? " Nico asked. "Going into the woods alone! Not eating! Come on Nico! Wake up and smell the roses! If you keep on like this, you will literally kill yourself!" Will screamed. "Oh yeah? And why do you CARE!" Nico yelled back. Percy and Annabeth walked into the room. "It's because you're like family to us, Nico. You always will be." Annabeth said. "Fine. I'll do better." Nico said. And he did. Will made sure of that.