A/N: Hey guys! This is AK again with a new chapter. There are a few that may/may not break your heart, so look out! We've actually reached 500+ views! Asdfgh! Thank you!
Summary: Nico comes to terms with the harder side to his trip to the past. Things happen. Also, minor major character death (you'll see what I man).
Book One
Second Arc: Ab Incunabulis
Chapter 6: Flashbacks and Echoes
Dr. Thorn seemed to have enough of his chatter.
The Manticore let loose a low, frustrated growl.
As the monster took a threatening step towards the demigods, Bianca gave a small scream of fear, while Percy looked up, alert and ready for battle.
The monster took no notice of the two elder demigods. It had simply plucked the whooping youngest from the circle of his sister's arms.
It dragged Nico forward and away from the two others by the hand around his neck, disregarding Bianca's panicked screams.
Nico was worried that she'd come after him, but a pale-faced Percy restrained her from doing anything drastic.
Nico looked up at the Manticore.
It wasn't exactly a pleasant sight.
The monster's mouth reeked and its teeth were sharp and off-white. Its fur was a matted brownish-yellow. Its clawed paws were so big; they were the size of his arms.
"Well you're not human," muttered Nico, furrowing his brows.
"Keep your puny mortal mouth shut!" the Manticore hissed.
Usually, a pre-teen who was just introduced to the life of a demigod will have the natural, instinctive knowledge of what to do to survive.
And that is to shut up and do whatever the big, hairy, scary monster says.
But seeing that the big, hairy, scary monster was mean to his sister, survival instincts took a distinctive second place.
So, naturally, he did the one thing a healthy, sane, not-having-a-death-wish demigod in his shoes would not do.
Retaliate.
Or in other words, kick it where it hurts.
Fortunately, a belated impulse towards self-preservation kicked in and he got out of range as soon as possible.
The Manticore, however, was not a particularly sensitive creature in the first place.
It just blinked for a second or two before twisting its face into an ugly snarl and lunging forward to attack him.
Nico dodged the Manticore by diving to one side and coming up next to him in a rather messy roll.
(He made a mental note to work on that later)
The Manticore turned around in an enraged manner.
Nico braced himself for a volley of spikes.
But something seemed weird.
His eyes caught on the tail.
It was high up in the air with the spikes not fully extended, which was odd.
The poison tips were the only portion sticking out, that too only slightly.
Its actions seemed confused- half-hearted to say the least.
Hmm… that meant the Manticore had not attacked him with lethal intent.
It must have had express orders not to harm him.
A.k.a the shenanigans up till now was it trying to 'put him in his place'.
But if that was true, then…
The Manticore looked up, eyes narrowed and suspicious.
Aw shucks.
He might as well have put up a pink and yellow neon arrow pointing towards him over his head.
Low profile indeed.
Gods, what was he thinking?
…And more to the point, what was Bianca thinking?
He hoped that she didn't notice anything odd.
He mentally face palmed at his own stupidity, before rubbing his eyes, and putting a confused look on his face.
Time for damage control.
He turned his head to where he had been a second before, towards the monster, then back again.
He looked at his slack jawed sister, whisper shouting,
"Did you see that?" excitedly in her direction.
Percy grinned and shot a thumbs-up at him, before pulling out Riptide in its pen form.
Bianca looked a bit suspicious, but shook it off with a relieved smile.
Percy uncapped his sword and swung the blade at the Manticore's tail.
The blade just managed to graze the monster's skin, before the tail whipped up again.
A volley of poisoned spikes flew in all direction.
Just as a poisoned thorn the size of his leg was about to skewer him, an invisible force grabbed the back of his shirt and pushed him face first onto the ground.
He stayed down as two more spikes went deep into the ground where he was standing mere seconds ago.
Nico whipped his head around to look at the person who had come to his aid. A girl with princess blond curls took off a Yankees cap off her head.
Annabeth Chase.
"Cool!" was the only thing he had the time to say before they ducked to dodge another spike.
"Hello, I'm Annabeth." said Annabeth, with a polite smile.
"I'm Nico." said Nico, as he let gaze scan the ground in search of his sister.
He saw Bianca running towards him.
After confirming that she was alive and that her limbs were attached and fully functional, he turned his attention to Annabeth.
"Can I become invisible too?" he managed to ask the daughter of Athena, before his sister knocked the living daylights knocked out of him.
Bianca held him close to her, almost suffocating him, as Thalia and Grover joined the fighting.
Grover was using his reed pipes to play a frantic tune which made rope-like weeds grow unnaturally thick and fast around the Manticore.
As the Manticore was fighting an uphill battle against the demigods and the bonds securely binding him, Nico studied his cousin's fighting form.
Thalia was less agile as she used to be (would be?), but still pretty impressive for someone her age.
She was holding her spear expertly, excluding some minor flaws which she could correct over time.
The one major flaw that stood out to him was her shield.
She was relying on it rather extensively. It would prove to be more of a liability than an asset in certain situations.
It was a habit she would (probably) grow out of.
But amateurish or not, they were slowly bringing the situation under control.
Of course, with their luck, that was when the helicopter arrived.
The sound of a helicopter's whirring blades cut through the noise of battle.
The demigods stared in shocked silence as Dr. Thorn's backup finally arrived.
And started shooting at them.
And in that moment of distraction, all Hell broke loose.
Manticore threw its head back and roared.
It lifted its tail high in the air and sent a volley of spikes in all directions.
Their only saving grace was that the helicopter was struck too.
It veered to the side and went down, over the side of the cliff.
Meanwhile, Dr. Thorn shook both Percy and Grover off with two swipes of its tail and swung its arm blindly towards Thalia.
Thalia was thrown off to one side, her shield and spear flung in the other.
The world stopped.
Nico's vision was clouded with the memory of another demigod child of Zeus being separated from his enchanted weapon.
He felt his heart's unhurried beat in his ears.
He did not realize that he'd wrenched out of his sister's grasp.
He did not hear Bianca screaming at him to stop.
He was not thinking about the consequences when he ran towards Thalia's spear.
His mind was not in synch with body.
It wasn't until the spear was halfway in the air, hurtling towards the Manticore looming over Thalia, did his body come out of the weird autopilot.
Yet still, he did nothing but watch as the sharp spearhead pierced the back of the Manticore's neck, turning it into golden dust.
He didn't even feel any alarm as one of the Manticore's wayward spikes cut the side of his head.
He could feel Percy and Thalia staring at him.
Percy still held his dented shield up from where he had angled himself to protect himself and the daughter of Zeus from the onslaught of spikes.
His heart throbbed painfully as he noticed that it was now held between them and Nico.
Thalia remained on the ground, stunned.
But Nico could not bring himself to regret what he did.
Not even at the sight of Percy still holding his shield up against him.
He felt numb.
Nico stood as still as a statue in shock. Fear and adrenaline burnt like fire through his veins.
He was in a state of paralysis as he relived Jason's death.
(Just to clear up any confusion, a flashback starts here…)
Nico and Jason stood back to back.
What had been a simple scouting mission had turned into a legitimate nightmare.
Their opponents boxed them from all sides.
As Nico stared into the hollow sockets of one of his opponents, he couldn't quite hold back a sneer.
"Huh. So this is what our enemies face," said Jason, parroting his thoughts.
It was in times like these that Nico wondered if his partner in crime was psychic.
And as for what they now faced- well…
Tattered garments covered bones yellowed with age.
Malice glowed in vacant eye sockets set within the rotting sculls.
Legions upon legions of skeletal warriors.
Of course, it was not as nearly as many as the number Nico could summon if he put his mind to it.
But he had no intention of giving the enemy any more ammo than he already had.
This was what they had been afraid of.
The person in front of them possessed what the Oracle had foretold.
The ability to turn Godly power against the user.
'The Harbinger'
And the guy was shrouded in Gaia's power.
But he digressed.
Before him was a worthy opponent.
It was just what he needed to stow away all thoughts of ardor and anguish.
"Nico, focus."
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Okay, let's do this.
"Nico, wait."
The son of Hades paid him no heed.
"Listen to me…"
No response.
Jason knew that Nico was hurting.
He was too.
The loss of Percy and Annabeth rested heavily on everyone's hearts, Nico's more than most, but they were on a mission.
He understood that.
But he wasn't sure if Nico did too.
Oh, it wasn't like he wasn't doing what his duty called for.
If anything, Nico was throwing himself into it with reckless abandon.
And Jason… was not able to keep up.
He wondered if that was his fate- to chase after Nico's back forever.
Despite everything, when Percy fell…
He thought he finally had a chance, but…
Yeah, he was a horrible person.
Maybe Nico knew.
Maybe that was why the distance between them was growing.
Maybe-
For all his worries about Nico not performing, in the end, he was the one who lost himself in thought like a moron.
And it was Nico who paid the price.
A skeleton dashed past Jason, and snuck behind Nico.
What happened next was blindingly fast-
A kick to the back of his knee and another to his solar plexus.
And Nico went down.
Jason's vision swum red.
A shout, and before he knew it, he had sliced through the skeleton in one strike.
The remaining skeletons converged on him, the last one standing.
But Jason didn't mind.
If the skeletons were after him, they weren't after Nico.
And if they weren't after Nico-
Jason should have learnt his lesson the last time.
He should have kept his attention at the work at hand.
But at least this time, he was the one who paid his dues.
Next thing he knew, he was sent skidding across the ground…
Away from his sword, and right under another-
Only this one was in the hands of a skeletal warrior.
Closing his eyes didn't stave off the pain.
But even through the haze, Jason felt three things-
A cry, as Nico finally recovers,
A slash of pure energy as, the last of the skeletons disappear into nothing.
And (although he wasn't entirely sure if he'd imagined it) a silent huff of laughter.
He felt a pair of hands that were as cold as death itself wrap around him.
He looked up into the enraged face of Nico di Angelo.
Nico was crying, screaming at him.
Nico's hands grew warmer and warmer.
Jason felt worse than he had ever felt in his life.
He didn't need to be a Son of Hades to know that he was beyond help.
But he was born a Roman, so he should die a Roman.
And as Roman, and by the law of Rome, his duty came in first and foremost.
He wasn't fully conscious when he asked Nico to swear to avenge him.
But he heard Nico's reply.
It was enough to make him smile despite his misery.
'So I'm really going to die, huh. Not that bad a way to go.'
As he saw the light, he had just one last thought.
'No wait. I never told him I loved him.'
What a mess.
The dark robed figure surveyed the carnage cause by the two demigods with no little glee.
The brunet cut through the thick of the fight like a man possessed while his blond counterpart demolished the stragglers with extreme prejudice.
One of them will die today.
That much was certain.
While he didn't really care for people, he was curious to know what would become of the one who lived.
Even as he looked on, the son of Zeus lost his footing.
What a wonderful, wonderful mess.
(…And it ends here. FYI, the last one is in 'the Harbinger's' POV.)
It was Nico's greatest regret.
The fact that his own skeletons had brought about Jason's death…
It was the one thing that he could never forgive himself for.
But maybe he would have a chance to do so now.
…Unless he was already too late.
His heart thumped faster.
He knew that Jason was supposed to be alive.
He knew that he was supposed to be fine.
But then…
What if he wasn't?
Things went wrong.
Especially around Nico.
And the person he was closest to…
How would it affect him?
…
Nico made a decision.
It wasn't a smart decision.
Powers and exhaustion aside, this could break him- mentally and emotionally.
He knew that he wasn't ready for it.
He knew it better than anyone else.
Dammit.
You were supposed to stay away from things that could hurt you if you felt as fragile as glass.
But at that moment more than he felt vulnerable-
He felt weak.
His best friend could be dead before he got the chance to meet him again.
Like the final straw on the camel's back, and it shattered his resolve.
He had to know.
He felt it would send him to pieces if he didn't.
And so, Nico focused his consciousness on searching for Jason's life force.
He closed his eyes, coaxing his body to relax.
It was a bad idea.
It took more than he could afford.
It could threaten the stability of his powers, his body and his mind.
Even so, Nico searched for Jason, through his own life force, like a madman.
He scoured every road, every building and every life force in the Legions of Camp Jupiter.
But Jason was nowhere to be found.
He felt the sparks of panic touch his heart, and redoubled his efforts.
He searched New Rome.
He searched and searched and searched.
He was one panicked breath away from scanning the entire United States when-
There.
He finally found him, located in the house of a legacy.
He linked his life force with Jason's for just a second so that he would know what was happening.
A sight not his own enveloped his vision.
Jason was lounging with his friends, Marcus and Lilith.
They seemed to be enjoying some precious time off.
He fixed his eyes onto Jason's face, drinking in the sight and sound of him.
The four of them were recalling something that involved unicorns, ostrich feathers and the color green.
Even as he felt his pulse steady and his spirits lift, Jason turned towards him.
And, impossibly, looked at him.
Nico felt his own eyes widen in shock and cut the connection abruptly.
His heart pounded in his chest.
As he slipped away from Jason's consciousness, black spots danced on the edge of his peripheral vision.
Reality returned to him with the force of a sledgehammer.
While he had been unresponsive, chaos had erupted around him.
The Hunters had shown up, and were creating uproar.
Percy and Thalia were adding fuel to the fire.
Annabeth tried to play peace-keep, but to no avail.
Bianca was on the other side of the crowd.
Her eyes were fixed on him.
Her gaze held a mixture of concern and caution as she elbowed her way through the hostile crowd to reach him.
As he followed her progress in an almost detached manner, he felt his legs give way underneath him.
His eyesight became hazy and a weird buzzing noise sounded in his ears.
He could make out Bianca crying out in alarm at his sudden movement.
His kneecaps sparked protest against their sudden burden.
Even so, he didn't respond.
The ground was calling to him, the soundless cry far more powerful than a siren's song, and he felt himself slip sideways, unable to refuse its wordless plea.
The ground had not wronged me, Nico thought deliriously, Gaia did.
Gaia, and Gaia alone, was responsible for the misery he and his friends suffered, and Gaia, and Gaia alone, had to pay.
For Gaia had hurt him and his, so, so much.
But Gaia hadn't hurt him yet...
And there on that cold, snow clad ground, he let the silent tears which he had suppressed till then fall softly down his face as he grieved.
He grieved for the pain of loss he felt at his sisters' absence, both for Bianca's and for Hazel's.
He grieved for those who were dear to him and those who had died heroic deaths.
He grieved for the memories which he had, but had not been made, and which would never become reality.
He grieved for the life he'd lived, which was now worth less than a memory.
But those tears were not just those of sadness.
They were also brimming with an emotion he hadn't felt since the time he'd heard Rachel's last Prophesy-
Hope.
For in those few minutes, he had recognized the magnitude of the changes he had made.
Annabeth had not fallen off the cliff.
Percy had no reason to participate in the Quest.
That alone had the potential to change his entire, no, the entire future.
Hopefully for the better, but that rested on whether he did or did not mess up.
And he wouldn't mess up.
He couldn't afford to.
He remembered three things before he surrendered to the darkness dragging him down, down-
The soft snowy ground caressing his cheek, the cold seeping slowly through his listless side and Bianca's frantic cries of worry mixed with the echo of Jason's ringing laughter in his ears.
Preview:
...Nico was, for once, content.
...Not necessarily in that order.
...Wait a minute. Did she just say...?
...Both of them were scowling and annoyed.
...'This little wooden boy's was called Pinocchio.'
...Annabeth's eyes were a steady grey.
...Nico ended with a hiccup.
"…Yes, ma'am," said Nico, after a pause.
...She gave her Lieutenant a significant look.
A/N: Don't forget to vote!
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Also, I'm thinking of shifting my update to Wednesday instead of Saturday.
