AN: Hi everyone, hope you're all still enjoying this. Thanks everyone who's taken the time to review. Sorry I've been so lapse these last few weeks, it's mostly been down to holidays and the like, but also a tiny amount of writer's block. Getting to the crux now, so will do my best to keep going and keep it interesting.
Nico sat miserably in Percy's apartment far longer than was decent. Maybe he just lost the desire to move, feeling the pain of Percy's rejection once again tearing him open. Or maybe he couldn't believe his own stupidity.
There was nothing left for him to want. No more reason to carry on. He'd thrown away everything – his relationships with his father, with Hazel and with Percy. Even Zagreus would have no reason to return since Nico had declined to help him. He was now useless. Pointless.
Maybe he had one more need. To not be found here when Percy got back. That would be beyond pathetic. He pulled himself together, grabbed everything that was his and made himself presentable. Then he walked out, not looking back, barely looking up in case he saw anyone he knew. He dodged through the growing crowds on the street and just kept going. He had no further aims, just get away, be anonymous, get somewhere no one would know him.
Eventually he found himself near a park, just a small patch of greenery, grass and trees, with a kids' play area. He made a beeline for it, dodging into the shade of the trees and finding a bench to sit on. The place didn't mean anything to him; he had no memories of it, no feelings about it, no illusions of sanctuary. It was just a place to be. Anonymous. Quiet.
Except after a few minutes he did crave something. He wanted someone to tell him to snap out of it. He needed someone to push him to move, to hold his hand and tell him he wasn't useless. He needed someone who cared.
He stepped into the shadows of the trees and travelled to the house he recognised from the couple of visits Hazel had forced him to make on holidays. It was on a quiet street, a friendly neighbourhood that suited Frank and Hazel perfectly, with enough space that they would notice any intruders before they could be surrounded. And no doubt, Hazel was more than aware of any secret or forgotten tunnels around that could aid any emergency escape.
Nico went up to the door and stopped with his hand ready to knock. He'd been a dick to Hazel last time they'd spoken. He'd basically told her never to contact him again. And Frank had practically ordered him to leave them alone. Maybe all he'd get here would be more rejection.
He turned to go.
The door opened very suddenly.
"Oh!" said a surprised voice.
After quietly swearing under his breath, Nico turned slowly back.
"Hi," he said, pathetically, to his wide eyed half-sister.
"Nico," she said, "What are you… I mean, it's so good to see you."
She flung her arms around him, but Nico wasn't fooled. He knew what she'd nearly said. He knew the greeting he deserved.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I'm so sorry."
"No, it's… no," she said. "Come inside."
"Is Frank…"
"No," she said, "he's out. Come in. I'll make tea or something. Have you been eating? You look so thin…"
And she went on like that for a while, fussing in such a familiar way it almost made Nico feel better. He didn't deserve Hazel, but he loved her.
She made him a sandwich and force fed him tea, mothering him. Eventually she snapped.
"But why did you do it?!"
He didn't need to ask her what.
"I'd… stolen something from our father," he said, "he was mad, and I didn't want you to be involved."
Hazel frowned at him, "But why would you steal from him?"
"I thought I was doing the right thing," said Nico. "I just…
Nico trailed off. Maybe there wasn't an acceptable excuse for betraying Hades, whether or not he could have predicted Zagreus' plans.
"Is that why Percy was looking for you?" Hazel asked.
Percy. Couldn't he escape mention of him? He nodded, sadly.
"I take it he didn't find you as you're here?" Hazel asked.
Nico took a moment to get annoyed by that, "Why do you say that?"
"I just… he's… you know."
"You think he'd win in a fight, don't you?" Nico cried.
"Well, he… you know, he fought those … I don't know!"
Nico crossed his arms, sulkily. Bloody Percy Jackson. Even Nico's own sister preferred him.
"So," said Hazel, hesitantly, "what did happen with Percy?"
Nico closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, "I…"
"Hazel?" called a voice from the door, "Hazel? I just had an Iris message from…"
Frank blundered into the room. He took no time at all to notice Nico, and for his face to morph from its usual well-meaning calmness to anger.
"What do you think you're doing here?" he demanded.
"Frank…" Hazel protested.
"No, Hazel!" Frank snapped, "I've had enough! He can't come around here and then keep breaking your heart! No!"
"Frank, he needs…"
"I don't care what he needs!" Frank shouted, "Get out of my house!"
"Frank!" Hazel protested, but Nico knew he deserved it.
"It's OK, Hazel," he said, "I'm going."
"No, don't!" cried Hazel.
"Hazel, we have to go anyway," said Frank, "that was Chiron."
He glared once more at Nico, and Nico wondered if this was an extension of his former anger, or based on new information from Chiron. It didn't matter. Nico had nothing left to fight for.
"I'm gone," he said, and stepped into the shadows behind the door.
…xxx…xxx…
Percy had never hated the gods more.
"You don't care?" he cried, "he might have killed your son and you don't care?"
Zeus shrugged. "Jason's a good boy, but he was always going to die eventually," he said.
Percy felt even more sickened.
"Zagreus, though," said Zeus, proudly, "Zagreus was always meant to rule. Zagreus was destined to succeed me, but I know he'd never kill me."
Percy had to snort at that.
"Oh, you mortals," Zeus laughed, "you think you know everything, don't you?"
"Particularly that one," said a voice from the doorway.
Percy jumped at the sudden and undramatic entrance of Zagreus. He was just stood casually in the doorway of the throne room, a pleasant smile on his face, arms shoved in pockets so he looked like a normal guy, maybe a college student back home for the first time in a couple of months.
And Zeus reacted accordingly.
"My son!" he cried, a laugh in his voice, excitement obvious. He rushed forward, arms open, and Zagreus mirrored him, accepting the embrace with cheerfulness.
"It's so good to see you, father," said Zagreus, making Percy sneer.
"Oh, my boy, my boy!" Zeus laughed, "you have no idea how much joy you bring to me!"
"Father, it is not I we should be grateful to," said Zagreus.
"Yes, yes, I know, Percy Jackson gets our thanks, yadda yadda…"
"Actually," Zagreus interrupted, with a poisonous look toward Percy, "Jackson had little to do with my freedom, save his attempt to prevent it."
"Prevent it?" cried Zeus, "he dared try to prevent your return to me?!"
"Father, it is Nico di Angelo who deserves your thanks. He brought me to human world, and cared for me when I could not care for myself. That one is just an ignorant boy. Barely worth a thought…"
"Oh, if his father were any less than Poseidon he'd be frying right now," said Zeus, "In fact, with you by my side, who cares what old Barnacle Beard, thinks? How would you like to kill him?"
Zagreus simply shook his head with a smile, "Father, he thought he was doing right. He had no idea who I was."
"Hmmm," Zeus replied, "even so…"
"He is not the one responsible for this, father." Zagreus said, reasonably.
"No," agreed Zeus, "I'd like to watch her fry too."
"Father!" Zagreus protested, "I will not hold a grudge. I believe my… step mother thought only of you and her sons when she acted. It was rash. She would never repeat those actions."
Barely over his own near death experience, Percy could spare little care for Hera, but he knew that Zagreus' words were a deception. Hera had already tried to repeat those actions, and Zeus was the only one who didn't know it.
"Let bygones be bygones, father," said Zagreus, clapping Zeus on the shoulder, "I wish to be friends with my stepmother. You must officiate. Olympus will be stronger than ever it was."
Zeus laughed, "Ha!" he cried, "See, Jackson? Could you dare hope for a more forgiving god? Others would have caused a war over Hera's stupidity, but not my Zagreus. My son is full of grace and mercy. Think on that, Jackson! Ha!"
Zagreus watched Percy curiously, who was struggling with his next move. If he stayed quiet, he would be playing into Zagreus' hands, and the god would get whatever he was planning from this meeting. But if he did reveal Hera's deception, who knew what Zeus would do in his anger? It could cause conflict amongst the gods like none they had seen before.
"I'll go look for her," said Zeus, "You, my boy, stay here. I'll drag her to you if I have to, but she will come and beg your forgiveness."
He turned to go, but stopped one further time in the doorway, just to look back with a soppy grin and mutter "My boy, my boy," a few more times. Percy waited until the sky god had gone before he turned his anger on Zagreus.
"Where's Annabeth? Where's Jason? What have you done to them? If you've hurt them…"
"Oh, a petty unsubstantiated threat," Zagreus sneered. "You think you can do anything to me, Jackson? You are little more than a fly to me. Would you like another demonstration?"
"Where are Annabeth and Jason?" Percy repeated, too angry and scared to acknowledge the threat.
"They are both where I want them to be," said Zagreus, "I have no need to explain myself to you."
He pushed past Percy, brushing him aside with one finger and enough force to send Percy flying into the opposite wall. He landed with a grunt, and stumbled to his feet as Zagreus reached the aquarium.
"Bessie!" Percy hissed.
Zagreus spared him a smirk, "You named the ophiotaurus Bessie?" he laughed, "what an odd creature you are. I can see why Nico cares for you."
"Zeus will come back," said Percy, trying to keep his damaged shoulder as still as possible, "He'll see what you're doing."
"No," said Zagreus. "We'll be gone by then."
"Fight me!" shouted Percy, because though he would lose, he knew it was the only way he would manage to keep Zagreus where he was until Zeus could return to catch them in the act.
Zagreus laughed again. "Attack then, Percy," he said, "You know you are too insignificant for me to start."
Percy looked around. Still just him and a stunned and terrified Piper. She had drawn her sword, but they both knew she was no real help. Her powers had all lain in manipulation, something she seemed too terrified to even try right now.
"I'm waiting, Jackson," sneered Zagreus, "Come on! I heard you were quite brave once upon a time. A hero, even. Aren't you going to fight for your…" Zagreus trailed off and laughed again, "Is the engagement still on? Only last time I looked you were about to fuck my brother. Now that would tend to put a dampener on a wedding."
Percy saw red and drew Riptide. He charged Zagreus with more fury than style, and realised too late that Zagreus was still merely smirking. Time slowed around Percy, his feet dragging as though through mud, and Zagreus turned leisurely back to the aquarium. The god drew his own sword, and raised it high, bringing it down with force against the cage that held Bessie safe and secure.
In slow motion, Percy realised that he could not change course. Zagreus stepped gently aside, and Percy plummeted forward into the water that was oozing from the aquarium. Even as he felt the water lent him strength, he crashed into the creature within. Bessie gave an excited 'moo,' at his arrival, but it was too late. Zagreus had hold of them both before Percy could blink. The world went black in an instant, and Percy knew he had failed.
…xxx…xxx…
Nico rambled. He had no direction at all now, so he paid no attention to where he had arrived after his shadow travel. He just walked in the direction he'd been facing when he felt the ground once more beneath his feet, choosing randomly left or right when he came across an obstacle. He wandered through woods, now, though it had been a small town a moment ago.
He had no idea how long he'd been travelling before he stopped to rest. He sat on the ground next to a tree and stared at nothing.
He wondered how long it would take to die. He wasn't looking forward to it. If Minos was still judging the dead, Nico knew where he was going. Even if Minos had that day off, Nico had betrayed Hades. He was unlikely to end up in Elysium.
It was only that fear that kept him moving. Without it he'd have given up completely by now.
A rumble in the trees made him stop again. He looked around, aware that his angry father might have sent a fury after him, or worse. Maybe he no longer cared about Nico's final destination either. Nico trudged on. There was no point standing around and waiting for it. He had to fight it. If he couldn't make Elysium, he at least had to outlive his father's fury and make it to Asphodel. Boredom was one thing, eternal punishment something else.
The rustling came once more. A snarling followed it this time and Nico felt a weight of regret.
He unsheathed his black sword, and hoped his father hadn't somehow removed his ability to control the dead and creatures of his kingdom.
The rustling became more constant now. It shuffled to his right, and Nico followed the sound, looking into undergrowth that was as tall as he was. "I know you're there," he said, "Either fight me or leave me alone. I'm in a bad mood."
The rustling grew louder and maybe closer. It seemed to be a playful creature that had decided to follow him. He hoped that meant less deadly, but most things were deadly to demigods.
"Come on!" he snapped. "I know you're there. Come out so I can see you."
The rustling stopped just feet from him. He considered just shoving his sword into the undergrowth, but that didn't seem fair. It could be someone harmless.
The bush directly in front of him quivered.
Nico glared at it. "I'll give you to the count of five to get lost, then I'm killing whatever's left," he said. "One, two…"
The new sound from behind him arrived without warning. It knocked him to the ground with ease, where his head hit a rock. He saw little before the world around him went black.
AN: Reviews are always adored. x