Alright, Nico,

Chapter 9: It's go time.

Since Jason had been a little boy, rain and thunder had been his softest lullaby. He never got a better night's sleep than when the sky was loud.

So the way Jason felt now, sitting up in his bunk, groping for his glasses, was entirely new to him. It was as if a storm was closing in on him, and he had no choice but to move, or risk being caught in its path.

Changing quickly, Jason took a look out the window as he strapped on his sword. Stars burned in the heavens above, mocking Jason's lack of sleep. Nothing interesting could never happen during the day. No, it had to be in the middle of the night.

Jason left his cabin like a camouflaged lighthouse; his blue jeans, purple tee, and the black of his scabbard hid well in the dark- his white tennis shoes and golden hair ruined the effect. Jason was only marginally worried about stealth. He didn't want to draw attention this late, but he doubted he'd have any real trouble with the patrols. It was only when he engaged in… social matters with Piper that Jason avoided prying eyes.

Striding to the end of the Cabin Omega, Jason was drawn to the scene in front of the Armory. A trio of angry satyrs with flashlights were trying to force access past… wait, Clovis was out after hours? Jason felt a disturbance in the force- Clovis awake in the middle of the night ranked right up there with UFO sightings, the stupidity of Mortals, Hermes infomercials, and everything else Jason simply could not believe.

Piper out after dark? Now we were back in the realm of plausibility.

To round up the menagerie, there was Will Solace, actually looking like he was going to hit someone, Lou Ellen from Hecate, threatening to turn the night guards into piglets, and Rachel Dare, who was the first to notice Jason coming over. She ribbed Piper hard, looking pointedly towards him. Pushing past the scrum, Piper went to her boyfriend.

Jason smiled. "Y'know Pipes, we usually do this together. I feel kinda left out."

Then he noticed the look on Piper's face. She was trying to smile, but she looked nervous. And worried.

"Piper? What's wrong? Why is Clovis hitting the volunteer guard with a stick? And why do the satyrs want to get in the armory, anyway?"

"Jason, it's complicated, it's… Nico."

Mental shields shot up, and Jason's brain went to DEFCON 2. "Nico's in there? What's going on?"

"We, well, Rachel thinks that- I tried to send an Iris Message earlier in the bathroom, I tried lots of times, but she won't respond, and now Nico looks like he's going to… I don't… I think Reyna's in trouble."

DEFCON 1. Red alert. Battle stations. "How do you know? Where is she? And why is-"

Clovis, Rachel, Will, and Lou Ellen, all standing in front of the doors into the armory, were suddenly thrown forward into the flustered night guard as the doors flew open. Inky shadows leaked out of the darkness, and the wind changed direction, now much colder than before.

He wasn't terrifying; he was Terror, itself. His black combat boots were studded with Celestial Bronze, meaning instant death to any monstrous face he stomped on. His greaves, gauntlets, and breastplate were all done in Stygian Iron, making black the prevailing theme. The chain around his waist was an ungodly alloy of Celestial Bronze and mortal steel. His war helm had no horsehair plume, but did sport a face visor- a grinning skull. Through its eye sockets, Jason saw a pair of familiar eyes, burning with rage.

Nico stopped to help Lou Ellen to her feet, then give her and Will a quick hug. He exchanged a few words with Rachel, and shook Clovis's hand, before making an offhand comment that made Rachel blush and Clovis look at his shoes. Then he made his way to where Jason and Piper were standing.

"Hail, Pontifex."

"DiAngelo. Little late for taking inventory, don't you think?"

"Can't be helped. You know how it is."

"I understand this concerns Reyna?"

"And if Rachel's correct, New Rome itself."

Jason nodded, considering the implications. "What can I do?"

"I need instantaneous transport to Mount Tam. Thanks to this, uh, entourage," he stressed, gesturing at the other demigods who had gathered in a semi-circle around him, "I've received some kind of boost to my power, but I can't shadow travel across the country. Not without help."

Selene's crescent, mirrored in his glasses, made Jason's grin seem ghoulish. "Well then Nico, I think it's time you got over your fear of horses."

)Opos ta koraki myges(

Nico knew that animals hated him.

What was disheartening was how vocal they were about it.

It wasn't their fault, Nico knew. They could sense certain demise about him, the same way they knew to shy from a rattlesnake, or get away from a chariot crash as fast as possible.

Now, charged with a wellspring of Death Magic and geared for battle, the horses were on the verge of bashing the stable to pieces. They reared as he passed, snorting and stomping with wide eyes.

Of course, they needed a pegasus. The camp had many healthy horses, but only a pegasus could blur space the way a centaur could. The problem was finding one that wouldn't throw Nico off the moment he climbed on. As Will and Jason wrestled with Guido, trying to calm him down, Piper and Lou brushed Poppy and whispered in her ear, probably apologizing for trying to make her deal with the death kid.

Nico stood nervously off to the side. This was such a stupid plan. His friends would never find a mount that was willing to carry him. And what pegasus could deal with shadow travel? Nico had pictured his death many times, and being thrown from a horse's back a hundred feet up in the air had to be in his Top 10 least favorite. If not Top 5.

They were wasting time. That much was evident as Clovis strained against a smallish chestnut mount, groaning, "C'mon, Poquito, we… need… you'raaAAAH!"

For being so aptly named, Poquito was strong. He swung Clovis through the air until the counselor let go of the horse's lead, flying into the curly redhead minding her own business. The two tumbled into a blushing, stammering tangle on the floor.

Nico started twisting the ring on his finger. The torch and sword glinted up in the silver. This wasn't working.

The boy wasn't sure who he was praying to; Aphrodite, Persephone, Bellona, his father, he didn't care. Someone had to hear him. Please. I don't need a miracle, or a lightning bolt. I just need a horse.

Nico was aware of a volume increase. Guido and Poquito suddenly held very still, and the noise coming from the other stalls ceased. A wave of sound was crashing from the far end of the stable. A horse was screaming, bashing and cracking wood, going totally berserk. Jason came out into the aisle, straining to see what xiroi karpoi animal had the stall on the end. "Wait, is tha-"

There was an almighty clash, and the stall door on the end flew all to pieces. Clovis and Rachel scrambled to get up off the floor and out of the way, as a jet black stallion with wings like a giant raven came barreling towards the demigods. The others backed up quick. They knew how wild Blackjack could get while Percy was away. This was the last thing they needed now.

Nico didn't flich.

The pegasus stopped inches from the boy. Two pairs of dark eyes stared into each other; one was cold and sharp, the other insane and fiery. This beast was not afraid of Death. Blackjack had been inches from death before, but he'd been saved by a girl who hardly knew him. Seemed it was time to return the favor.

Jason and the rest gaped in amazement, with a crazy smile creeping onto Piper's face. Another second of silence. Then Nico smirked.

"You'll do."

||Otan tha tin vreite||

Tightening his saddle, Nico turned to his friends. Grasping Jason's arm, Nico grew somber. "I won't fail her."

Jason smiled. "I know you won't." Stepping back, he gave Nico a Roman salute.

As Nico raised his hand in response, Piper stole forward and lifted his visor. A soft kiss ghosted on his cheek, and her breath blew over his ear as she whispered, "That's for Reyna. When you find her..."

Nico blinked hard, looking at this girl who was looking at him as if he was someone worthy of love. He pulled her into a tight hug, then slammed his visor shut. Swinging aside his mount, he called out, "Get to bed, you delinquents! Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

As laughing, biting comebacks came from his friends, Nico kicked Blackjack into a run. The horse spread his wings, and Jason's parting gift came swift behind them. The wind sent Blackjack spiraling into the sky faster and faster. High over the reaching fingers of the forest, all four of the dark eyes saw the camp from the air, and the six goofballs far below, looking up at him with eager eyes.

Nico leaned down to call to his horse. "Wanna go with some flair?"

It was hard to distinguish the replying whiny from, Heck yeah, boi.

With one hard beat of his wings, the pegasus shot higher into the air. Then the great wings folded, and boy and horse plummeted straight down, the ground growing nearer by the second. Nico lay flat against the horse's back, relishing in the rush of adrenaline that came with knowing he wasn't stopping. A scream from one of the girls, and then the appointed time of impact came. The shadows swallowed the horse and his boy. All was a nightmare. And Nico diAngelo was the monster.