When Nico woke up he was alone in the bed. The covers were thrown back on the other side when Toby had left but the side of the bed was cold so he must have been gone for a while. Nico groaned and stretched deciding he really hated going to sleep with someone and waking up alone but looking out the window Nico could see why. it was late morning, maybe almost afternoon definitely passed time to be out of bed. Remembering how high up he was he looked away from the window and slid out of bed.
He found his backpack next to it and changed into clean clothes. He ran his fingers through his hair wincing when he realized how badly he needed a shower. There was nothing he could do about that from the bedroom though so he slowly went out into the hall. Looking around himself carefully (he hadn't really seen anything the night before) he saw a medium sized apartment with what looked like three bedrooms and maybe a study and every wall he could see was covered with art. He went down the hall and came out into an open living room/kitchen space where he found two people he assumed were his hosts.
"Good morning." A girl said waving at him from where she sat at the table in front of a sketchpad. She had one bright green eye that he could see, the other eye was covered with her choppy bangs, her hair was long and brown. She was fairly small but that meant little. She was dressed in an open green plaid shirt over a white tank top, paint splattered jeans, and her feet were bare. She reminded Nico strongly of Rachel as she smiled at him, despite the stitches that went out from her mouth in a overly wide grin. "I'm afraid Toby left a little while ago when Hoody got back and he went straight to bed.
"I'm Clockwork by the way and this is Bloody Painter." She gestured to the boy with black hair and blue eyes standing in front of a canvas with a paintbrush in one hand. He waved at Nico silently but didn't look at him, too busy studying whatever he was painting.
"It's nice to meet you both, I'm Nico Di Angelo." Nico said hesitantly. He never knew what to do when meeting people for the first time but Clockwork didn't seem to mind. Bloody painter was too busy desperately trying to wipe a smudge off his canvas to pay attention.
"What would you like for breakfast? We have cereal, toast, instant oatmeal or I could make some eggs if you like."
"Toast would be good." Nico responded.
"Okay." Clockwork said, glanced at Bloody Painter, sighed and got up to go into the kitchen. "Would you like butter, jam."
"Jam please." Nico cut her off quickly before she could list more. "Would he mind if I had a look at what he's painting?" Nico asked Clockwork, he had the feeling that Blood Painter wouldn't respond if he was asked directly.
"Wait until he fixes whatever smudge he's after then he won't mind." Clockwork said putting toast in the toaster and getting jam out of the fridge. "He's been working on that one for a while but now we're on a deadline because the police of this town are beginning to put some puzzle pieces together and we'll have to move on in a few days."
Nico thought it was best not to ask. Instead he waited until Bloody Painter seemed to have gotten rid of the smudge and then went over to look at the painting from the side where Bloody Painter would be able to see him but he wouldn't get in the way. The painting was of a garden; Nico could pick out the different kinds of flowers even though most of them were red. Nico supposed that was why he was called Bloody Painter. But still, the picture was beautiful accented with gold, grey and shimmering bronze paint. Nico wanted to move closer to get a better look but he didn't want to get in Bloody Painter's way. It was true that the picture was obviously not done. There was a white patch in the corner and less detail leading up to it, if Bloody Painter was on a deadline Nico didn't want to interfere.
"It's beautiful." Nico told Bloody Painter who took a moment to smile at Nico before returning to his work.
"Watch it or he'll end up giving you some of his paintings. The two of us draw and paint so much we never have room for all the art we make." Clockwork said laughing. "Your toast has popped by the way. I think you should put the jam on yourself so you get the amount you like."
"Okay." Nico agreed going into the kitchen to fix his toast. "I wouldn't mind some of your artwork if it doesn't have any side effects." Nico smirked a little. Clockwork laughed.
"No, not all the art we make is deadly, sometimes we just like to pass a paper or canvas back and forth and see what we can come up with together. Not all of it turns out well, but most of it does."
"Then I would happy for some art. I just moved into Slenderman's mansion and the walls of my room are still very bare." Nico assured taking his toast to the table and sitting down to eat.
"Great, we'll leave some pieces out for you when we leave then." Clockwork said sitting back down at her sketchbook and picking up her pencil. "Before I start drawing and forget again, the bathroom is the first door on the left. Feel free to clean up or whatever." Nico nodded. Clockwork went back to her drawing soon becoming just as immersed in it as Bloody Painter already was in his painting. Smiling slightly Nico finished his breakfast, washed his plate so they wouldn't have to be bothered with it and went to have a shower and brush his teeth.
Once that was done he dressed again. The shower had helped the slight soreness that had still remained from his over excursion the day before and he felt mostly better. Sleep had banished the pull of the shadows from his body and food had done the rest but now he had no idea what to do. He couldn't wake up Hoody, he needed to sleep, or at least pretend to sleep so he could be alone and Nico had no idea where Toby had gone. Maybe Clockwork would know.
"Hey do you know where Toby is?" Nico asked once he was back in the living room. Clockwork didn't answer at first, to engrossed in what she was drawing but as Nico moved closer she looked up and he asked again.
"Ya he's watching those that man you guys are after." She responded quickly. "Hoody thought you might want to go join him so he left your mask on the coffee table there incase you want it." She motioned to something on the other side of the couch. Nico walked around it and sure enough there was the skull mask.
"Can you give me directions to the Rosswood park? I could shadow travel there but I'd rather walk." Nico asked Clockwork picking up his mask.
"Yep it's not far." Clockwork said and gave Nico the directions, he listened carefully repeating them back to her to make sure he remembered them then got his sword. He slung it over his back this time instead of buckling it to his belt and hooked the strap of his mask over it so it hung down as well. He had no doubt that humans would see it as a hockey stick and mask and assume he was on his way to a ball hockey game or something.
He thanked Clockwork and Bloody Painter again before he left but he was almost sure neither of them actually heard him. Clockwork waved without looking up and Bloody Painter didn't react at all so Nico left. He took the stairs down instead of the elevator; he didn't like the idea that the elevator might get stuck and leave him trapped above the ground. He gave a sigh of relief once he was on the ground floor and could once again feel the earth under him.
He stepped out into the sun and stopped for a moment to lift his face to it. He could see clouds in the distance, no doubt it would rain before the end of the day so he should enjoy the sun while he could. He took his time about making his way to the park, as he had suspected none of the humans seemed to see his sword so there was no need to rush.
He got to the park in about forty minutes, he would have been able to do it in twenty if he hadn't walked slowly and gotten lost once but he didn't mind. Once he got deep enough into the woods that he couldn't see anyone he pulled out the dog whistle he kept on a string around his neck for Mrs. O'Leary and blew it to call her. After a minute Mrs. O'Leary came crashing through the bushes towards him panting happily.
"Hey good girl thanks for coming." Nico sad grinning as O'Leary sat and thumped the ground with her tail. "Would you mind taking me to Toby? It's a big park and I don't know exactly where he is." Ms. O'Leary barked and jumped to her feet again turning so Nico could get up on her back. Once he was up she hardly waited for him to get settled before she bounded off into the woods with Nico clinging desperately to her thick fur.
She crashed through the bushes startling a few mortals going for walks and within ten minutes they where at the other end of the park near the hotel where Tim and Jay were. She skidded to a halt nearly throwing Nico and thoroughly starting Toby who jumped and twitched rapidly cursing.
"Thanks girl." Nico said sliding off Mrs. O'Leary's back. "Sorry for startling you Toby but I didn't know where you were and Mrs. O'Leary is a great tracker." Mrs. O'Leary wagged her tail enthusiastically and licked Toby' facing turning his curses into splutters and then a laugh.
"It's fine that was just very loud and sudden." Toby said as Nico sat down next to him. Mrs. O'Leary pranced out of the wood into the parking lot, probably off to check the hotels garbage cans, Nico had long since stopped trying to dissuade her from it, nothing made her sick anyway. Nico saw Toby about to call her back and interrupted him.
"Don't worry normal mortals can't see her, or they just see her as a big dog not what she really is. I think you can see her for what she is because you've seen so many things already." Toby looked at Nico skeptically but shrugged. "Has anything happened?"
"Nope nothing. You stole their keys so they can't drive away. Hoody thinks they'll move to a different hotel or motel today but they haven't yet and they shouldn't get far anyway." Toby said blandly going back to watching the hotel.
"This wasn't part of the plan, what do you think Hoody will do?" Nico asked crossing his legs.
"I don't know, if it were just him he'd continue to make those videos of his but with the two of us here he might decide to do something different."
"Aren't all five of us trying for the same thing?" Nico asked Toby without looking at him. "Shouldn't we all try to work together?"
"Maybe but Jay and Tim don't trust us at all and neither me or Hoody are very good talkers."
"I am. Trust me gods are far touchier then mortals, if I can act as a diplomat amongst them I can manage here."
"It's up to Hoody." Toby pointed out. "You can talk to him about it but he might not want to work with Tim or Jay. Especially Tim." Nico nodded his understanding and they both fell silent for a while. Half of the day passed calmly besides one monster which bit off more then it could chew and was taken care of quickly and quietly by Nico and Mrs. O'Leary who had wondered back to laze in the shade near them. It was just after noon when Tim and Jay left the hotel carrying their bags with Shade behind them with his hair covering his right eye, like he was going to fight anyone in his way, they were leaving just like Hoody had guessed they would.
"I guess this is when it comes in handy that Jay and Tim have no idea what you look like?" Nico asked Toby.
"Yep." Toby said taking off his goggles and mouth guard. "Will you hang on to these for me? They have good reason to be suspicious of anyone who covers their face."
"Of course." Nico said taking them. "But what should I do?"
"If I'm following them at a distance, you should be able to keep me in sight without being seen by them if you want to come. Or you can head back the Clockworks and Bloody Painters place to tell Hoody if you want, but I can just text him when we find out where they're going."
"I'll come with you." Nico agreed, "I might as well right?" Toby nodded and smiled before ducking out of the woods to start following Jay and Tim.
Nico was just about to follow Toby when he saw someone else surreptitiously flit out of the woods. Interesting, who were they? It didn't look like Alex, from the curves it was a woman but it looked like she was following Toby. Nico waited till she was almost out of sight before he left the woods before he started following her. He knew this could be nothing and he could just be getting himself lost by following her but if that was the case he could just get himself back to familiar ground with shadow travel and if it was something they needed to know.
She did seem to be following Toby though; on long fairly clear roads he was able to see Toby rounding a corner as he did while she was in the middle. Nico frowned, there were to many people out and about today so he couldn't get a good look at her or her soul.
Clouds covered the sun and it started to rain, finally the streets started to clear and he was able to get a clear look at the girls soul. His breath hissed though his teeth, there was something very not right there, the soul didn't match the body that contained it. It made Nico shiver, he didn't like it at all, he didn't like anything that could have done that either. Was that even a soul? It didn't look like anything he had ever seen, carefully he crept closer keeping to the shadows the clouds made for him. Carefully he tried to call to the thing inside the body with his power, it had the mark of the dead but only a fraction of it somehow.
The girl turned and Nico darted into an ally before she could see him, she had heard his call. She or it, whatever was in her body. He did have an idea but he wasn't sure weather he wished he was wrong or not. After a moment he checked that she wasn't looking anymore and she wasn't so he started following her again until she stopped. Then he went around her carefully using streets on the next block over until he spotted Toby down a side street watching a two story motel.
"This is where they stopped?" Nico asked as he walked up behind Toby.
"Yep." Toby answered, "They're in the third from the left on the second floor. Jay keeps looking through the curtains." Nico glanced at the room in question and then turned his attention back to Toby.
"Have you already told Hoody?" Toby shook his head. "Good then you had better tell him that you were being followed as well." Toby looked at Nico in alarm.
"Really? Was it Alex?" He asked.
"No, it looked like a girl in the outside but I'm almost certain it wasn't. That was possession if I've ever seen it." Nico said scowling. He hated possession, stupid dead who thought they could get back their life by taking over someone else's. "I can't think what reason they would have to follow you unless they are working with Alex though. Besides they didn't sense me until I called to them so they're not any Greek thing."
"Well that's really bad news isn't it?" Toby asked a little uncertainly.
"Maybe." Nico said shrugging noncommittally. Toby looked at him questioningly silently asking for an explanation but Nico shook his head. He wasn't ready to give an explanation yet he needed to ask Hoody some questions first. "When is Hoody going to come meet us?" Nico asked. Toby's eyebrows shot up.
"He should come soon but we were just going to trade off watches." Toby answered watching Nico curiously.
"Well I need to ask him some questions first. I have a theory but I need to know more before I should share it." Toby looked a little frustrated but didn't argue. The rain continued to fall and before long both Nico and Toby were quite wet, he was just glad it was warm so they were unlikely to get sick. Still they cuddled close together for warmth Toby lacing their fingers together. Finally Hoody came.
"You t-two can go get warm n-now." Hoody told them as soon as he showed up but Nico shook his head.
"No I need to ask you some things first if you don't mind?" Hoody shrugged, Nico took it as a go ahead. "The Operator seems to be tied to that Rosswood park doesn't he?" Hoody Nodded. "Do you know anything about the history of those woods or that land? Have they're been many violent deaths or deaths of violent people?"
"C-criminals used to be ex-executed by being t-tied to the trees and l-left." Hoody said watching Nico curiously.
"Tied to the trees." Nico echoed his eyes becoming unfocussed as he thought. "I think I might be able to get rid of him for you." Nico mumbled. "Alex and that girl will have to go first. There might be to many ties. I need to see him before I know for sure. But if I am right and he finds out he'll avoid me. If I am right then he must know what I am. Arg." Nico made a noise of frustration and ran his hands back through his wet hair both Toby and Hoody were staring at him with confusion and awe.
"How?" Hoody asked softly.
"Sometimes if a lot of people die in the same spot their souls kind of combine into one more powerful being." Nico said scowling, he wasn't sure how to explain this properly. "Even more so if they died in the same way and if they had malicious intent even in life… I don't know but if I'm right then I should be able to control it. I'm the prince of the dead and the ghost king after all. Ever since I took the title from Minos, so if the Operator is a collection of ghosts they might obey me. That's not to say that I'll be able to just command him to go away but I might be able to make him stay still long enough to figure out what's tying him to this world and then if we can destroy it I might be able to banish him."
"That's a lot of might." Toby sight raising one eyebrow. Nico shrugged at him.
"Do you have any better ideas?" Nico asked, both Hoody and Toby shook their heads. "By the way Hoody what are you planning to do about Jay and Tim now?" Nico noticed Hoody wince at the sound of Tim's name.
"I d-don't know." Hoody said shaking his head.
"Why don't you let me talk to them tonight?" Nico asked, Hoody looked at him sharply. "It seems silly to split our resources like this when we're both after the same thing. Maybe I can convince them of that and we can combine forces. It will be easier then the tapes." For a minute Hoody looked angry but after a few deep breaths he nodded.
"Fine." he said through his teeth. "I d-doubt they'll l-listen though."
"There's no harm in trying." Nico said shrugging. He knew Hoody didn't like the idea but Nico refused to let that stop him when he was sure this was the better thing to do.