A Devil's Promise

Alex was a nervous bundle of coiled springs the next day. After Nico had said he would try and find the spy's parents, everything that had happened that night finally sunk in and Alex found it near impossible to sleep.

There were gods. Greek gods.

He was in a room with a son of death. He was friends with a son of death. He might be able to speak to his parents because of a son of death.

When he did fall into a fitful slumber, it was filled with masses of lightning and tsunami waves. The worst part of it was the chuckling coming from the earth as it cracked and steamed and turned a dark black colour. Alex bolted upright in bed to see it was only five in the morning. He headed out for a shower to wash away the sweat and nightmare's remnants. No one commented as he walked back into the cabin, hair dripping and a slightly pale look to his face. But Alex laughed it off and made sarcastic remarks until everyone forgot. Wolf gave him one last glance before they went for breakfast. Nico caught up to him.

"Hey," the son of Hades said. Alex nodded.

"How's tricks?" he asked. Nico shrugged.

"A lot better than I thought, actually." Nico looked at his spy friend. "But I spoke to my father last night."

Alex gave him a weird look while his insides froze. He had a feeling Nico's dad was responsible for his dream.

"What'd he say?"

Nico smiled a little.

"He very grudgingly told me not to reap your soul."

Alex stopped walking and Nico went a few steps before realising. He turned back, K-Unit getting further away as they failed to notice their two youngest members had halted.

"What'd you mean?" Alex asked, looking at his friend with a blank expression. Nico shuffled his feet a little.

"Well when I was with the CIA, they mentioned you. I started wondering about it, since Hades had been getting a tick in his eye over a specific personnel file, and I suspected it was the same person." Nico looked straight at his friend. "Your name was on it. He was angry at how many times you'd managed to evade Death. I took it upon myself to validate your files, see if there was a special reason you were still alive."

Alex stayed staring back in Nico's dark eyes. The other boy gave a haughty grin.

"It's because you're too damn stubborn to die, Rider."

Alex snorted as they began walking again.

"He said he visited you too," Nico went on. "Had a look at your life, mostly why you managed to stay alive, and even he was slightly impressed. Thanatos eventually just gave up."

Alex shook his head disbelievingly and Nico gave a wily smirk.

"Only my cousin pisses off Hades more than you. But that's a given, I suppose."

After breakfast, K-Unit had obstacle course runs. Nico had to forcefully hold back both a murderous snarl and a triumphant smile as he saw they were training with Green Jackets.

Alex had to run the course with one called Diamond, and even without Nico tripping up the other soldier with the shadows Alex would have left him in the dust. Wolf gave Nico a look when it was his turn, and Nico silently made an innocent face before lining up next to his competition. He flashed the other a sinister grin before taking off, moving so fast he could barely be seen. The man racing him splatted in a mud hole.

When Nico made it back to the group, the soldiers were divided and facing off, scowls on their faces. Wolf had one guy by his collar and was growling at him.

"You don't know the first thing about the shit these kids have put up with," the SAS leader snapped. "So you lay off their backs or I'll kick my boot so far up your ass it'll leave a footprint on your damn liver!"

Wolf threw the guy away and Nico saw it was Hallery. He walked up beside Wolf.

"Is there a problem here?" Nico asked coldly, and eyes immediately zoomed to him. Hallery shot his head off the ground and glared at Nico and Alex.

"Because Cub and I have business to attend to and if it's all the same to you, we'll be going."

Alex started walking away and Nico followed, K-Unit sending one last nasty glare over their shoulders before following.

"That's right you better run!" One idiotic Green Jacket yelled, and Nico drew a dagger before anyone could blink. He didn't look back as he threw it, and the knife pierced the waist hem of the man's coat, throwing him to the ground with the force of its impact.

"I'm not running," Nico said over his shoulder as he kept going. "You're just not worth my time."

Nico flicked his hand one last time and a final slop of dirt leapt out of the grave in front of him and onto the pile beside it. Alex and K-Unit watched in stunned silence as Nico knelt beside the multiple Happy Meal bags on the other side of the hole and started tipping the contents in.

"Let the dead taste again," he muttered, opening into a chant in Ancient Greek. It was minutes before he finally switched back to English and called out the names Alex had told him.

"Helen and John Rider, I call you!"

Ghostly figures swarmed the grave, floating around and trying to get to the sludge in the hole. Nico held them back.

Suddenly two spirits came into the crowd, and Nico sensed their souls were very much like Alex's. He let them pass and they bent down to drink. When they straightened, two misty people stood beside the grave. They bowed their heads to Nico.

"Hello, Lord Nico," the woman said, a slight fondness in her voice. Her eyes were a misty brown, and her hair was blond. The man beside her was smiling. He had brown eyes too, but deeper, and similar chocolate hair. He was muscled with slight stubble on his chin.

"Thank you for helping my son," he said, and Nico looked away.

"You're welcome," he said. Then he gestured behind him. "Would you come this way?"

Nico ordered the rest of the spirits away before leading Helen and John back towards the slack-jawed K-Unit. Alex was standing stiffly, his mouth a thin line, as his parents ghosts approached behind the son of Hades. Nico asked them to stop, and he approached the other boy alone.

"It's okay, Alex," he whispered encouragingly. "We're right here if you need us."

Alex nodded and stepped toward the two spirits. When Helen saw him she gave a cry and hugged her husband.

"Oh, my baby," she breathed. John shook his head.

"I'm so sorry, Alex."

Alex hurriedly went to them.

"No, it's not your fault."

As Alex consoled his parents, Nico noticed a single ghost hovering around the grave he'd made. Ignoring the meep from Eagle, he started towards it. It turned its faceless head to the Ghost King, and Nico got a tug in his gut. He motioned for the spirit to drink and it did, shimmering into the form of a clean-cut man in slacks and a button shirt. His hair was dark and his eyes were sharp and blue.

"Ian Rider, Master Nico," he introduced. "I'd like to speak to my nephew."

Nico led the ghost forward and Alex froze when he saw him.

"Uncle Ian?"

Ian gave a small smile.

"Hey kiddo."

Alex reached out to try and touch the man, but his hand went straight through him. Ian gave a sad look to his brother and sister-in-law before looking at the blond boy.

"Listen Alex, I am so sorry for leaving you to them." He looked away. "I know I was training you, but I was only doing it so you'd be safe if anyone came after me. It's my fault."

Alex looked at him before nodding.

"I suppose it is," he conceded. "But it doesn't matter anymore. I know I'm supposed to do this now, it runs in the family after all." He gave his father a watery smile. Then he glanced at Nico. "And I have K-Unit now too. And Devil."

The spy grinned and slung an arm around the pale boy. Nico made an indignant sound as he was dragged into a bro-hug. Helen cooed over Nico and John made a face while Ian just chuckled at the expression the son of Hades was pulling. Slightly behind them, K-Unit stood, until the ghost of the greatest assassin beckoned them forward. He stood nose-to-nose with Wolf.

"Listen here, mate," John said. "If anyone gives my boy and Nico crap, it is my spiritual wish you beat the absolute fuck out of them."

"John!" Helen scolded. "Language."

Alex grinned, happy tears forming in his eyes that he stubbornly held on to. Nico puffed a breath through his nose and flipped a lock of raven hair off his forehead.

"As logical as that sounds, Mr Rider," he said, "Alex and I can take care of ourselves."

"I know," John smirked. "I'm telling Wolf to take care of the remains."

Ian bowed his head and chuckled again. Alex stood in front of him.

"Thanks, Uncle," he said. "And Mum and Dad," he added, looking at his parents. "I'm… so glad I could talk to you, at least once."

John's ghostly hand ruffled Alex's hair, going through it, but a breeze picked up and tousled the locks for the father. John smiled.

"I'm very proud of you, Alex," he said. "Stay safe."

Helen tried to hug her son, but he didn't feel her. He didn't mind though.

"I love you, baby," she choked. "We'll come to meet you at the gates."

She gave Nico a look, and he made a motion with his hands.

"Hey, if Alex doesn't get into Elysium, there's something wrong with the Underworld."

John gave a dry laugh and held out his hand. Nico shook it, the only one able to touch the spirits.

"See you there too, Nico," the older spy said. "You be good now."

Nico rolled his eyes, though he was secretly happy.

"Okay," he sighed. "My powers running out. Alex." He turned to his friend. "You'll see them again."

Ian, Helen and John started fading, the brother's arms around each other's shoulders with the woman hugging her husband and smiling at her son. Alex waved to them as they blew away with the wind.

Snake shook his head.

"Nothing could surprise me anymore," he breathed. Jaguar nodded, speechless. Eagle just sat on the ground and stared as Nico started filling in the grave. Alex stayed in the same spot, his hand on his cheek where his mother's ghost had kissed him. Wolf came and put a palm on the boy's shoulder.

"Cub," he grunted. Alex turned to face him. Wolf looked slightly embarrassed. "You'll be right, kid. You got a family here too."

"An overly dysfunctional family with anger issues and childish tendencies but yes," Nico added from his spot beside the grave. "A family."

He seemed to be telling himself more than Alex.

Dr Three clapped his hands in front of the monitor and gave a dry giggle.

"Ah ha!" he crowed. "We're ready now."

His assistant nodded behind him and smiled like a shark.

"Indeed we are, sir," she agreed, and Dr Three spun in his chair to face her.

"Gather the first wave," he ordered. "Time we caught ourselves some soldiers."

Well that was fun. Sorry it's so late too. Holidays make me surprisingly lazy

Hope you liked it! Le plan is unfolding.

Jasmine Out!