Chapter Three – Dark Shines II
"We can't force you to make this decision, you must do it willingly."
"I know," he said, dark brown eyes staring into the golden ones. "We've been over it, it's the right thing for me to do."
The golden eyes blinked at him before a small smile spread on the rosy lips of the man in front of him, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine as his cheek heated up. "It comes with a price, you will never be the same."
"I don't care, it's worth it, my new family."
"Are you sure?" The man asked him, his voice softer than before but it was comforting. "Nico, there is no going back from this."
Nico smiled at him and took a step closer, he was sure and there was nothing that was going to change his mind. It was the only path he could see and there was not a single part of him that regretted those events, it was almost as if destiny had called him and he was only steps away from fulfilling it now.
"Nico?"
"Nico?" A familiar voice rang in his ears. "Nico, hey come on man, wake up!" At the sensation of someone placing his hand over his shoulder, the teenager shot up, eyes opening to quickly be closed as he was blinded by the light. The dream, or perhaps it was a memory, started to slip out from his grasp and Nico tried to hold onto it, but as he opened his again all that he could remember was a pair of golden eyes looking back at him.
"Leo! What do you think you're doing?" The son of Hades turned his eyes to look at Hazel as she entered the infirmary before they moved to look at the curled hair mechanic sitting at the edge of his bed with a wide grin plastered on his face as he looked back at him.
"'Sup?" he asked, making Nico rolled his eyes before he leaned back into his pillows. He had been sent back to the infirmary earlier that day, when it had been discovered that his wound was far from healing, to everyone's great dismay, even Chiron seemed to have grown worried of the lack of progress that had been made. It wasn't good, but Nico didn't feel as if he was about to die, so he assumed that it wasn't too horrible. "I was waking him up, he had been up and walking for a few days so I thought that he would like to come to dinner with us," Leo told Hazel, still grinning to Nico and Hazel's annoyance.
Nico didn't need to look at his sister to know that she was seething, he had seen how she had been like for the past few days and her new developed temper wasn't too fun to watch. At least not when it was directing at him or had anything to do with him, which it always seemed to do.
"He should be resting, not leaving bed until we know what's wrong with him," yes, everyone (minus Leo) had been talking about Nico as if he wasn't actually there since they found out that he was lying about getting better. Honestly, he didn't know how they could blame him with all the fuss that they were making over it.
He could hear Leo answering back to Hazel and while he was grateful to have someone on his side, even if it had to be Valdez, all that he wanted to do was to shut the two of them out, too tired of being treated like he wasn't there. Instead, Nico tried to focus on the dream he had, something about those golden eyes and warm smile made his heart beat faster, it was strange because he couldn't put contact to the face, yet at the same time it stirred something inside of him and though he was reluctant to admit it, that something was rather pleasant.
It was almost enough for him to forget the pain that rocked as his body as he could feel his wound start to bleed again, though he wasn't sure if it have truly stopped bleeding. Nico had a small feeling that he was only alive because the nectar and ambrosia were enough to deal with the blood lost.
Moving slightly, watching as Leo and Hazel continued to argue, he took his chance and slang his legs over the side of the bed which was unfortunately enough to catch Hazel's attention.
"What do you're doing?"
"I believe that it's called getting up," he answered, not even looking at her as he carefully stood up and walked over to grab his leather jacket. "I'm a big boy, I can handle going and getting dinner on my own," he said with a fake smile, doing his best to ignore Leo's happy grin in his direction. He really was annoying.
Not that Leo seemed to have noticed Nico's dislike towards him as he walked over and placed one arm over his shoulders. "See, we think alike."
"Hardly," Nico replied before pushing the boy's arm off and walking out the door, the two soon followed him and Hazel began lecturing about the importance of him lying in bed but as he continued to walk slowly, he simply ignored her.
It wasn't only the caged feeling that was driving him off the edge, there was something more, something that made him feel like he just didn't belong there and there was this heavy feeling in his chest. It was almost like he was missing something. 'Or maybe someone,' a small voice in his mind said as he was once again reminded with the golden eyes.
OoOoOoO
It should have been a normal dinner, as normal as it could have been considering everything that had happened since Nico's sudden return, but it should have been normal nevertheless. Or that was what Percy had tried to convince himself as he sat down next to Annabeth, offering her a soft smile.
"Hey," she offered him a smile as well, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes.
"Hey Annie," he wasn't as smart as she was, but Percy knew that there was something bothering her, the way she would bite her lower lips and seem to be deep in thoughts all the time. At first, he thought that she was only worried but she had never quite gotten along with the son of Hades and while Percy didn't doubt that her worry was real, he couldn't help but feel as if there was something more about him that kept festering her mind,.
Annabeth didn't talk to him ans for some reason, Percy didn't feel comfortable to ask. She would tell him if she'd want to, when she's ready to speak about it, he would just remind her that he was there, squeezing her hand gently so she would not forget.
She looked back at him, her gray eyes shinning with something that he could not describe and when she spoke next it came barely as a whisper. "I don't want another war, Percy," she said, not looking away. "An unknown enemy, a power we can't understand, I don't want to be part of that again," he should have known, he should understand her feelings but at the same time, he knew he wouldn't be able to stand aside when it will begin.
"Annabeth," he started, unsure what he wanted to say but Percy didn't get to think of it as a strong wind blew in their direction before coming to a stop so suddenly. His eyes moved to look at Jason, but the son of Jupiter looked as puzzled as he was.
"Just in time for dinner," came an unfamiliar voice and Percy, along with everyone else, searched for its source. Two strangers stood in the middle of the dinning pavilion, almost as if they appeared out of no where.
Percy and a few other campers rose to their feet immediately, everyone were more alarmed since Nico's return and his warning of a coming war and while the two hardly seemed like monsters, they knew better than to be fooled so easily and their sudden entrance seemed alarming in his eyes. It didn't took a minute before Percy was already holding Riptide in his hand.
Before he could make a move, one of the two turned his way, a boy, not much younger than himself with define face lines and cold demure, but the unnerving things were his eyes, mismatching in their color as they looked at him as a small smile spread on his lips. "I would put it away, Percy Jackson," he said, voice sharp and strong. "I could shot an arrow through your forehead before you can even so much as swing it."
That did not help the strangers much as more of the campers rose to their feet in alarm, though not many were armed.
"Who are you?" Percy asked, tightening his grip on Riptide, preparing to attack at any hint of impending danger from the two. The girl turned her head to look at him, she was beautiful, that much Percy could not deny, and unlike her companion she did not seem as cold.
She smiled at him, her enchanting blue eyes sparkling with amusement. "It doesn't matter who we are," she answered, much to everyone's annoyance. "My brother and I would be leaving shortly, we are simply looking for someone," so they were siblings? At first sight, Percy wouldn't have been able to say that but as he took a closer look at the two, it was rather clear that they were.
"I must disagree," said Annabeth from next to him, dagger already in hand. "This is our camp and you threatened one of our own, I must ask you to answer the question."
"I wouldn't call it threatening," the boy replied, smirking as he looked at Annabeth and making Percy narrow his eyes. "It was a warning, we don't take it lightly when attacked and although you may hold the title of heroes of Olympus or the Seven, neither would have gone easy on you. Not a threat, a warning."
"A bit full of yourself, don't you think?" Percy asked, arching an eyebrow as he stared right at the mismatching eyes, trying to stop the growing nerves as he noticed his strong aura, This, those people, couldn't bid anything good for the future, they were there to take something that Percy cared about and at that moment, he thought that he knew what. Or more exactly who.
The girl rolled her eyes at his words, "he is always full of himself," she said, earning herself a glare from her brother. "We're not your enemies, Percy, so why don't you put your weapons down and tell us if you seen him, okay?"
"I don't think so," Percy said, not surprised to hear Jason's voice echoing his as the Roman took a stand next to him, obviously to the two annoyance.
"Don't be idiots," the boy said, spinning a golden ring around his index finger impatiently. "He doesn't belong with you, I bet you can't even heal him," there was worry in his voice, but it went unnoticed by Percy as he felt anger pulsed through his veins. With no shame, his ability to take care of those important to him had been humiliated and stepped on and he did not take such thing lightly.
"We're his family and friends," Jason spoke, glaring daggers at the two strangers as he pulled out his golden sword. "He will always belong with us."
"He never did belong here," the girl said, her voice soft and gentle as she tried to keep a calm demeanor, even if her eyes did not hide her true feelings regarding the situation. "Nor will he, we do not wish him harm though we will admit that it was carelessness on our part that he ran away and got injured, we do not seek troubles with you," there was something more, something that she wasn't telling but at that moment, Percy decided that it mattered only little.
Annabeth took a step forward, her dagger held tightly in her hand. "You just admitted that he ran away and that he did not want to be with you," her voice was sharp and there was no fear in her eyes as she spoke. "Nico di Angelo had arrived at camp mortally wounded and speaking words of a new war, taking this into consideration with your own words, I must say that the two of you seem more like enemies with every passing second."
And she was right, it was the feeling in the air and the fear that radiated from the younger campers. Percy couldn't deny that they looked like enemies, acted like ones and the fact that they were currently standing in the middle of camp was alarming to everyone around. Perhaps it was time to send a message to camp Jupiter and warn the legion.
"We're not your enemies," the girl said.
"But you are right," her brother continued. "War is coming but none of you currently has the power to fight in it, Nico's warning did come for you to fight, it came for you to hide."
Percy could feel his blood boiling once more, it was not that he wished to take part in another war but he would not be deemed useless, not after all that he had done. He fought gods, titans, giants and Gaea herself, he could deal with whichever enemy would present himself as a danger to his loved ones next. "We can fight, do not treat as like you're better, you're no gods."
They were powerful, yes, but Percy could tell that they were no divine beings, that they lived not much differently than he did.
"This fight is useless," the boy said, looking around him. "Why don't we just let Nico decide? After a couple of years traveling with my sister and I, I think that I can trust him enough to make the right decision."
"Too bad he can't remember the last three," Percy said, he wasn't sure what he had excepted, perhaps surprise from the two of them but it wasn't quite that as he looked at them now, he could see hurt, worry but most importantly he could see fear shinning in their eyes.
"Come again," the girl said, suddenly taking a few steps forward towards Percy. "He lost his memory?" They obviously didn't even take such an option into consideration when they came to camp.
"The last three years," Jason confirmed, ready to make a move if he needed to. "So why don't you listen Annabeth and tell us who you are?"
OoOoOoO
He was ignoring Hazel when he first noticed it. There was something different, as if the air around him had shifted but as Nico turned to look at his sister and the blubbering son of Hephaestus, neither of them seemed to have noticed it.
They did notice when they got closer to the pavilion, the usual chatter of the campers was replaced by a threatening silence as no one sat down next to the tables, instead all stood with their attention focused on something. Hazel turned her eyes to him, no longer talking as her eyes filled with worry and she placed one of her hands over Nico's shoulder.
"Would it help if I'd ask you to stay here?" she asked, though she had already knew the answer and in a matter of seconds, the three heroes began running towards the pavilion, both worried and curious about what was happening.
Nico could feel the pressure in his chest as the pain spread, making it harder to breath as blood slowly began to soak his shirt. He knew that he shouldn't be running, especially not into what could easily be a fight, but at the same time he couldn't stand to just wait and look around, do nothing. He had proved, time after time, that he would put his life on the line when it matters most, Nico would not stand aside like a coward.
"I don't take orders from no one, son of Jupiter," a familiar voice rang in his ears as he reached the pavilion, walking after Leo as he pushed his way towards the center. Nico recognized Percy, Annabeth and Jason even when they stood with their back to him but he could not see the person who was talking, his line of vision blocked by them.
"Well, you're clearly outnumbered, so I would suggest you reconsider," Jason spoke and Nico began pushing his way forward, curious about the situation.
"Don't," he was surprised when Percy turned to look at him, holding out his hand to tell him to stay back, which was enough to anger Nico. "Please."
Nico didn't get the chance to react before the sound of clashing swords reached his ears and he turned his eyes to see Jason with his sword out, holding back someone as their swords clashed again and again.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jason said, the surprise in his voice clear, why? Nico wasn't sure but suddenly he found himself walking forward to see his friend's opponent, this time it was him who showed shock on his face but none around him seemed to notice as the two boys continued their sword fight. Jason was an experienced fighter, but it seemed like his opponent blocked each attack with ease, almost as if he wasn't really trying.
He watched as the two of them fought, not moving as it carried on. Jason continued to put more strength behind every move but his opponent didn't seem to be affected at all by those changes, every move done with amazing speed and had an aura of effortlessness to it. The more he watched, the more he found himself focusing, not on Jason but the other boy.
The boy had light brown hair and a pale complexion, he was lean and tall, yet when looking closely one could see that he did not lack in muscles. There was a warm feeling developing in the pit of Nico's stomach and slowly he moved to look at the boy's face. He was very handsome, that Nico wouldn't be able to deny and he seemed somewhat relax as he fought, unlike Jason, whose face showed every single one of his emotions.
Nico continued to look at the boy, a small gasp escaping his lips as a pair of mismatching eyes stared at him, one enchanting blue and the other emerald in its color, they were beautiful, captivating., but more than anything else, they were familiar.
At this short moment, the boy stopped fighting and in the swing of it, Jason took his chance to attack once more.
"No!" the scream left Nico's lips before he could even think about it and time seemed to have slowed down as he watched with horror in his face as the golden sword of Jason came closer to the boy's body, then it was should have been an impossible move, the boy caught the sword in his left hand, stopping it only an inch from his shoulder.
Blood trickled down from his palm, red staining the golden blade before he let it drop, not even looking at Jason as his eyes focused on Nico.
"Nico?" Percy said, taking a small step to stand protectively in front of him, "Do you know him?" he didn't look at Nico as he kept his on the boy, not even showing concern as he allowed his hand to drop to his side, red blood still dripping. His sister soon joined his side, a small smile nestled upon her face. "And her?"
"No, yes, I'm not sure," Nico answered, not tearing his eyes away from the two strangers, though he felt as if he shouldn't refer to him like that in his head.
"Well, that's better than not knowing at all," the boy said, his voice soothing and familiar that Nico almost found himself taking a step forward towards him. "Though, I would rather the answer to be yes and not a memory loss event," he added with a sigh.
The girl, her smile seemed to familiar as well and it made Nico feel warmer for some reason. "We came to pick you up, Nic," she said and for some reason, he did not cringe at the nickname, it felt natural with her voice, it was strange. "So why don't you tell your friends that this is alright and that they should keep to their own business?"
At first, he thought that maybe she was trying to charm speak as he felt like he should listen to her, but he noticed that he didn't feel compelled to do it. It was like a feeling that he got but could not place, like he knew she was right but at the same time he didn't know why.
"You're bleeding," the boy said suddenly, Nico didn't even have time to think it over before he was standing right beside him. He didn't know how he could have possibly move that fast and Percy seemed just as dumb struck as he currently felt. "You really don't remember anything, ah?" his voice was kind, it was caring and the smile was reassuring that Nico almost smiled back.
"It's nothing," he managed to say, but the boy only shook his head and gave him another smile, oblivious to his own wounded palms as he carefully brought his hand up and let it hovered only inches away from Nico's wound.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt," he said and as Nico looked down at his hand, it was glowing in golden white color, sending shivers down his spine. It was like a cold breeze and when it was over, it was as if it had taken away all of the pain. "Here," he said.
Looking up at the boy once more, Nico could feel his heart stopped because the once mismatched eyes stared back at him in a golden color. "You."
As promised, a quick update because of the shorter than planned last chapter.
I hope that you like it, please leave a review to tell me what you think.