Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
I want to thank everyone who read this because you took the time to do so.
A special thanks to DangerIsNotMyMiddleName, Strider101, Cryanth, Mythomagic-Champion, and all the guest users for being the first people to review.
Now, here is Chapter Two.
Hades messaged his temples and resisted the urge to scream. The cacophony of voices was becoming too much to handle.
Sure, he'd predicted that everyone would react this way, but never at this magnitude.
Moments ago, Zeus had announced that the rumors about the monster outbreak were true and that they were going to do something about it. The last part caused a lot of gods to find the need to express their opinions in an extremely loud manner.
No god was eager or willing to go out and fight something they once assumed was a small problem, even though it had escalated into something much worse.
"I still don't see why this is such a big problem," Aphrodite continued to apply the top coat of her nail polish, "maybe there are a few more monsters than we thought, so what?"
"Yeah," Ares mumbled, "why should we have to fix this so called problem when there isn't problem?"
Athena rolled her eyes, "There are a lot more than a few extra monsters, making this a very serious problem."
"That still doesn't explain why we should do something," Dionysus didn't even bother looking up from his wine magazine.
This started up a brand new round of arguing, a round that was much louder than the first. Hades rolled his eyes, fed up with everyone's idiocy. He couldn't see why everyone was making such a big deal out of this. Then again, those up on Olympus weren't used to getting off their backsides to actually do something important.
Zeus called a 15 minute recess sometime into the argument, probably tired of the whole charade himself. Some gods stayed in the throne room, others left, most likely to express their opinions amongst themselves in a less tense environment.
Hades left as well, having found that staying where he was would become much too suffocating. He walked, somewhat unsteadily, in the direction of the gardens, the one place he was sure to find solitude. A bit of alone time, though sleep would be better, would do him some good.
He sat down on one of the many stone benches situated around the grounds and sighed heavily, feeling more tired than ever.
All the commotion in his domain had taken a physical toll on him. The disruption in the Underworld regarding the monster outbreak had practically dumped a new workload upon him, causing Hades to be exhausted most of the time. However, that wasn't the main cause of his decline in health.
When that blasted key unleashed all the creatures, the force from the rush of all of them scrambling out of the Underworld depths was so great, that it shattered Hades mental balance and his body went into shock. He fell into a coma like state for nearly two weeks, and even after waking up was still weak and could use his powers limitedly. He would need a lot of time to rest to get back to full strength.
Unfortunately, Hades didn't have that luxury. The Underworld desperately needed stability, and its king was the only one who could restore it. He had immediately set to work on returning as much order to his domain as possible. It had drained his power (still was) to the point where he had to draw some of his energy from his immortal essence just to get through his tasks.
As a result, he now literally felt like death most of the time.
And, to add to his problems, he neglecting to give himself enough to recover from his comatose condition was beginning to take its toll. Hades had begun to suffer from headaches, loss of appetite and stomachaches (both of which he'd never experienced before), fevers, and, the most embarrassing of all, falling asleep without being aware that he had dozed off until after someone woke him up.
He heaved a great sigh and leaned against the tree that was behind the bench. Maybe he could catch a few minutes of sleep before going back to that hectic conference. Hades felt himself begin to relax and his eyes began to close when –
"Hades, what are you doing in my gardens?"
The Lord of the Underworld glanced up and bit back a groan when he saw Demeter standing directly in front of him. If there was one person he didn't want to talk to right now, it was her. Though they had gotten onto much better terms, things weren't perfect.
"If I remember correctly, these gardens are open to everyone, Demeter." Hades stood up, towering over his sister with his impressive height, and looked at her with narrowed eyes, "And as for why I'm here, I don't have to explain myself to you."
Demeter lifted one eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips, "Hades, are you alright, you look awful."
The dark god was caught off guard by her question, but quickly regained his composure. He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, "Just peachy. Why do you ask?"
"You look sick –"
"Well, I'm not."
"It appeared as if you were about to pass out a moment ago."
"I didn't."
"You didn't eat much of the dinner Hestia prepared."
"So?"
Demeter exhaled and gave the dark god a look that was almost sad, "Brother, Persephone told me about everything you are going through…"
Hades expression softened and he broke eye contact with the nature goddess. He was quiet for a few moments before moaning and running a hand through his hair, "Can anyone I know keep a secret?"
His sister chuckled and sat down on the bench that Hades had previously occupied. Demeter looked up at her brother and patted the spot next to her, motioning for him to sit down. He did so and relaxed a bit, though he knew that his sister would soon start up a conversation.
"My daughter mentioned that you weren't getting much sleep, is that true?"
Hades gave her a skeptical look, "Why do you care?"
Demeter glared at him, "Okay, look, I'm trying to be civil here; so enough with all the snappy comments!"
"Sorry…"
The Goddess of the Harvest calmed down and began to redo her braided hair, "I care because no one should go through what you're experiencing alone. It all sounds terrible, so if you ever need to vent or simply want to talk about it, you can come to me from here on out."
The dark god blinked. He was genuinely touched that Demeter would offer to do something like this, no one ever had before…
She smirked, pleased that she had unintentionally dazed Hades: her brother the stiff who rarely ever showed emotion. Demeter stood, pulling him up with her, "Come on, we should head back to the throne room. The conference is going to start soon."
As the pair walked back, the nature goddess looked the death god up and down. Hades caught her staring at him and quirked his brow up.
"What?"
Demeter narrowed her eyes, "You do remember to eat down there, don't you?"
Hades swallowed, worried about where this conversation was going, "Uh, why?"
"You look a bit thin. I mean, you've always been slender, but now it almost looks like you're starving yourself."
"Well…I will skip a few meals in order to get work done…and sometimes I'll forget if I get too busy…"
He stopped because he didn't like the way Demeter was looking at him; it was almost like she was having a mental fit. It was the same look their mother gave him whenever they argued about him taking some vacation time.
Demeter pursed her lips, "Persephone was right, you're much worse off than we thought." She then smirked and began to walk ahead of Hades, "It looks like the both of us have a lot of work to do."
The Lord of the Underworld's face twisted into confusion, "Excuse me?" What is this woman talking about?
His sister looked back at him, "Did I forget to mention that?" Hades nodded, and Demeter clasped her hands together, smiling, "Well, my daughter and I thought it would be a good idea if we did everything we can to help you when you need it the most, so we've come up with lots of great ideas that will take a load off your shoulders!"
He sighed and messaged his forehead, "Demeter, that really isn't –"
"Oh, come now. You shouldn't feel the need to protest, this will be fun!" Her smile grew wider and her eyes sparkled at the prospect of someone new to dote on, "Besides, you really do need it."
Hades rolled his eyes, but felt a grin creeping onto his face; Demeter was beginning to sound a lot like their mother. Annoying as it could be sometimes, it was good to know that some things would never change. He'd had enough alterations done to his life as of late.
The two siblings continued walking along the stone path of the gardens toward the Olympus Throne Room. Demeter chattered animatedly about some new herb she was creating that would do wonders for insomniacs and Hades listened intently, as it sounded like something he could definitely use. This was one of the rare times the two would be immersed in a civil conversation, and for once, almost everything was as it should be.
However, many people had no idea how much their lives were about to be set aflame.
The Lord of the Underworld pushed open the doors of the throne room, ready to get on with all the madness so he could leave as soon as possible.
He was very surprised to see that only the rest of his siblings occupied their places.
"I thought it would be best if we made this decision as to what we should do by ourselves," said Zeus, as if reading Hades thoughts and answering the question he had intended to ask.
The eldest of the Big Three gave the King of the Gods a skeptical look, but took a seat in his temporary throne nonetheless, albeit reluctantly. A familiar feeling was stirring in his chest. It was the same feeling he got whenever he knew that he wasn't going to like what Zeus was about to say.
Zeus ran a finger along his master bolt, causing tendrils of electricity to spark off, "After much consideration, Poseidon and I have decided that this issue is one we should not handle directly."
Hades glowered at his youngest brother, cross because Zeus had apparently decided to do nothing after all.
"It appears that this is a battle not meant for us to fight," the sky god continued, "yet, we can help the cause to rid these monsters as much as we can."
"And just what, exactly," Hestia questioned, catching almost everyone off guard, "has caused you to make this decision?"
Zeus said nothing, but glanced at Hera. She was dressed in a shimmering white gown and had her hair piled atop her head, looking as royal and proud as ever. Yet, something wasn't quite right. She was looking down at her tightly clasped hands, obviously trying not to make eye contact with anyone. It was like she was worried about something, almost like she was scared.
And that troubled Hades.
"I've been having dreams," Hera spoke in a quiet voice, still not looking up, "I…can't tell you what they are. All I can say is if we fight these creatures on our own, the gods won't be unified like they should…"
Demeter's face twisted into a nervous expression, "But, if we don't fight the monsters, who will?"
Zeus smirked, "I was just getting to that Demeter." He sat up straighter in his throne and smiled at them all as if he were about to share the greatest secret ever, "Who better to fight monsters than half-bloods?"
Hades snapped. His brother had been pushing his luck up till now, but this was the last straw!
He shot up from his throne, eyes burning like hot cinders, "YOU WISH TO SEND IN CHILDREN TO DO THIS?! ARE YOU MAD?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THIS IS?! YOU WOULD BE SETTING THEM UP FOR THE SLAUGHTER! I WON'T ALLOW THIS!"
Zeus raised his brow and his smirk grew, "Temper, temper, Hades. You never let me finish what I was saying. Plus, I never knew you had such a soft spot for children."
"That has nothing to do with this," the sharpness in his tone caused everyone to flinch.
"Whatever you say, brother. Besides, you shouldn't be straining yourself too much, considering your fragile condition…perhaps you should sit back down."
Hades crossed his arms, "I'd rather stand."
Zeus frowned, the Lord of the Underworld finally getting under his skin, "Have it your way." He cleared his throat, "True, I do want half-bloods, but not the half-baked kind. We all know that as a demigod grows older, their powers grow stronger. I'm sure you all remember the incidents regarding a few certain someone's...never mind."
"What are you saying, Zeus?" Hestia questioned warily.
The King of the Gods smiled, "I want full-grown half-bloods, adults to specify. There are quite a few out in the world, if I remember correctly. What I want is for them to help lead this operation and to train the younger ones to fight better. I want all that are alive." Zeus glanced at Hades, "All that are alive."
Hades felt as though someone had suddenly placed a large block of ice in his stomach, he was so filled with worry that he didn't hear his brother bid everyone a good night and what the date of the next meeting was. He didn't pay any mind to his siblings leaving, Demeter looking at him with a worried expression, or that he had lowered himself back into his seat.
He finally realized what Zeus meant by all…
Nico di Angelo, his son, the boy who grew into the most powerful demigod to ever exist; much stronger than Jackson and Zeus' two children combined.
He was also the only half-blood to escape from being under the watchful eye on the gods, though he had very good reasons for going through so much trouble to do so. Nico had vanished from their grid, not one person knowing what he'd made of himself, though nobody doubted that he was now someone who was just as powerful in the mortal world as he was in the world of the gods.
He wasn't dead, that was for sure. Hades confirmed it at every Solstice meeting. But whenever you brought up his name, it always set the Olympians and those who once knew Nico on edge. He was a great friend and a good person, someone worth looking up to. Someone who younger half-bloods would say they wanted to be just like him when they grew up, though he would encourage them to just be themselves.
Not knowing Nico's whereabouts was killing people, some more than others.
But Hades hurt most of all, for it was partially his fault that Nico had run off. He may have only been fractionally responsible, yet Hades blamed himself entirely. He'd searched for Nico for years, wanting nothing more than to apologize and have back his only son. To show that he truly cared for the boy.
Unfortunately, his attempts to find his son all failed. He couldn't even get a lead on Nico. Now, he would no longer be able to be a part of his son's life, to see what he would become. The only closure he had was knowing Nico was still alive…but it just wasn't enough.
"Hades," Demeter tried yet again to pull her brother out of his trance like state. This time it worked. Hades ran his hands through his hair and groaned.
"I think I'm going to be sick," he muttered.
His sister placed a hand on his shoulder, trying her best to comfort him, "Don't worry too much Hades, it'll all turn out fine in the end, you'll see." But even Demeter wasn't too sure, for she knew why her brother was as troubled as he was. Hades' troubling situation with Nico was a lot more than him just running away.
"I don't know, Demeter."
The Harvest Goddess pulled Hades to his feet, "You should go home and get some rest, I think we could all use some sleep right about now. I'll tell Persephone you said yes about our idea, she'll be so thrilled!"
Hades smiled, appreciative that his sister was trying to lift his spirits, "Thank you, Demeter, and I think I will go home and retire."
She nodded, and as Hades went off toward a nearby shadow, she called after him, "I bet if we all try hard enough this, we'll find Nico this time. Wouldn't that be great?"
Hades looked back at her from over his shoulder, "As much as we would love that to happen, it is also something I fear about."
And with that, he stepped into the shadow, traveling back to his dark realm.
Hades tried to fall asleep that night, but found that he could not. He kept tossing and turning, contemplating the thought about Nico being found.
Demeter was right, it would be great. So many people missed him, and he would be a great asset in the battles against the monsters.
But at the same time, it would be dangerous.
For Nico had something that Zeus wanted; something he wanted badly. So much the King of the Gods wanted this, that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt the people Nico cared about to get it since he couldn't hurt the Son of Hades.
The Lord of the Underworld suddenly remembered all the events leading up to the big finale in which Nico obtained what Zeus wanted. It had been an amazing experience, being able to watch his son grow from it had been the best part. So many things had happened and so many emotions were felt, and for the first time in his life Hades knew what it was like to be a father.
But, oh, how he wished he could go back and change so many things, especially the way he had treated his son. He had pushed Nico too hard, caused him too much grief. If only he could apologize.
Suddenly, amongst all his angst, Hades tried to remember the title Nico had earned after getting that much valued "item". It was something catchy and he chuckled, remembering how Zeus' boy first officially hailed him the title. How he'd raised Nico's arm and had gotten all of Olympus to cheer for him, it was a great night up till the end, but that was another story.
Hades tried harder to remember the name. What was it? He began to feel himself drifting off and then it came to him.
'Ah, yes. Now I remember,' Hades said the name to himself before falling into the first peaceful slumber he'd had in ages, the name that Nico had earned the hard way. The reason Zeus was after him…
…
Nico di Angelo, the Boy who Swallowed Time…
"From the experiences of your past with the opportunities of your present you have the power to create a picture of your future." - Shubhanshu Tiwari
I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter, thank you for reading. Please give me some feedback, feel free to ask questions, and review, and I'll see you all again next chapter.
~Fantasila~