PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || The Trial of the Chosen || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO
Title: The Trial of the Chosen – Living in a World of Mutants
Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus; AU
PJatO Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan for he created the awesomeness that is Nico di Angelo. And everything else related to Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus. Aside from the Gods, of course. They are all copyright by the old Greeks. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Warnings: shounen-ai, underage, explicit intercourse, masturbation, anal, hetero, shoujo-ai, mutants
Main Pairing: Nico/Percy
Side Pairings: Octavian/Percy, Leo/Percy, Ethan/Percy, Jason/Percy, Piper/Annabeth, Charles/Silena, Chris/Clarisse, Frank/Hazel, Grover/Juniper, Malcolm/Katie, Tyson/Ella, Jake/Will, Lou/Miranda, Drew/Thalia/Bianca
Percy Jackson Characters:
The Sirens of Poseidon: Perseus Jackson, Piper McLean, Silena Beauregard, Drew Tanaka, Lacy Hunnigan, Mitchell Logan, Tyson Jackson
The Fighters of Ares: Nico di Angelo, Clarisse la Rue, Frank Zhang, Chris Rodriguez, Bianca di Angelo, Hazel Levesque, Reyna Anderson, Mrs. O'Leary, Aurum, Argentum
The Crooks of Hephaestus: Leo Valdez, Nyssa Black, Charles Beckendorf, Jake Mason, Travis Stoll, Connor Stoll, Grover Underwood
The Hunters of Zeus: Jason Grace, Thalia Grace, Zoe Nightshade, Calypso Nightshade, Phoebe Burge, Hylla Anderson, Kinzie Cohen
The Avengers of Hermes: Ethan Nakamura, Annabeth Chase, Lou Ellen, Katie Gardner, Miranda Gardner, Juniper Gardner, Malcolm Cage, Luke Castellan
The Seers of Apollo: Octavian Simmons, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Ella Dare, Will Solace, Austin Barton, Kayla Hein, Alabaster C. Torrington
Court: Counselor Paul Blofis, Judge Chiron Brunner, Counselor Nancy Bobofit
Summary: Poseidon, one of the most powerful mutants, used his son to spy on his enemies. But what after they got caught? How will Percy struggle through the trial? And through love?
The Trial of the Chosen
Living in a World of Mutants
2. Engulfed by Shadows
/Clarisse\
"How did your mother die?", asked the prosecutor.
She was of no beauty to be noted. Plain, awkwardly tall, with wild orange-red hair and freckles that didn't compliment her skin complexion. Her eyes were sharp as a predator's who zoomed in on the prey. And the gorgeous teen in front of him was said prey. A girl in one of the back-rows huffed.
"That woman disgusts me", grunted the young woman, flicking her dirty brown hair back.
"Be silent, Clarisse", warned the young Italian two places to her right sharply. "We don't want to get thrown out. So keep your opinion to yourself."
"He's right, love", whispered the black-haired man between them, taking her hand.
It's easy talk for Nico and Chris. But hours of watching this insensible woman tearing that kid apart. I still remember how my own mother had died. If she would ask me about my story, I would simply rip her head off. Though then again, I do have a certain advantage due to my mutation.
"What are we even doing here?", hissed the woman on Clarisse's other side. "It's too dangerous to be here for our tribe. I mean, it's obvious we wouldn't have let Nico come alone, but..."
I roll my eyes at Reyna and give her a glare to silent her. We may be mainly here because of Nico, because the boy he had fallen in love with turned out to be a traitor. But I, for my part, am also here because I like the kid. I don't believe that he made me like him. I don't believe I've been under his spell. And somehow I also doubt that Nico was when he first bedded the boy. Somehow I can't shake the feeling off that it's love between them. The anger in his eyes is shadowed by too much sadness for it to not mean something more.
"We're here because we have to watch over Percy", whispered the chocolate-skinned girl on Reyna's other side. "Take a close look around the court. If one of the other tribes gets their hands on Percy before us, they not only have Poseidon's secrets, but also the secrets of all other tribes. Ours included. Our only chance is to wait for the perfect opportunity and take him with us."
The bulky, tall Asian at the farthest end of their row, holding the girl's hand, nodded in agreement.
"Okay, I see your point there, Hazel. But still", muttered Reyna displeased and shifted some.
"It's dangerous and we know it. But it's a risk worth taking", declared Nico. "And now shut up."
"I hate when jealousy takes over you, brother", whispered the Italian woman on Nico's right softly, her eyes trained on Percy, watching his every move. "It makes you think irrational."
That's what love does. That's what the Sirens do. It's up for discussion which of those two may be the cause for Nico's irrational behavior. I'm having my money on his dick though.
"I'm not being irrational, Bianca", disagreed Nico with a betrayed look in his eyes. "Take a look. The other Sirens are here, right behind them is Nakamura with his tribe. Further in the back are the seers and I saw Valdez with some of his people too. The Grace-siblings are even sitting in the front row, as if they are completely unfazed by the fact that we're in a governmental building."
Even without looking, I know he's right. The Sirens are there, complete. To protect their teammate? Most likely. Nearly all of Apollo's seers are there too. If I counted them right, Valdez only took three guards with him, the big dark-skinned guy, the girl and the brunette with the goaty. Nakamura brought two with him. And Grace got the guts to come alone with his sister. If the situation arises and we get an opportunity to take Percy with us, this will mean a full-blown fight. So many mutants at one place, in one room... That can't end well. I frown at the boy. All because of him.
"It was a car accident", replied Percy softly, his voice showing pain and sadness in such intense ways that some of the people in the audience had to choke back a sob. "I was only fourteen years old, not knowing what to do in the world without my beloved mother..."
/Nico\
I can't stop playing with the shadows. It's good I only wear black clothes, that way the Ordinaries looking at me would mistake it as me playing with the rim of my shirt. But it's a habit a Soul Mutant can barely suppress. Playing with their element. Taking a straight look at Valdez, I can see the smoke coming off his shirt. He tries, but I suppose he has as much a hard time holding back as I do. Just hearing Percy's voice again does things to me that I thought impossible. And seeing him up there, cornered by that annoying lawyer, makes me want to protect him.
I know I shouldn't feel that way. Not after what he did to me. How he betrayed me. How he used me. How he played with me. I know he never loved me. Not the way I love him. To him, I've only been a way to get information real quickly. He used me just as he used Valdez, Nakamura, Grace or Simmons. And I should probably feel ashamed for falling for the oldest trick in the book. But somehow I can't. His touch still burns on my skin, his sweet kiss lingering on my lips. His whispered words of wanton willingness call to me at night and remind me of all the passionate hours he have shared. Of the time I now consider the happiest time in my life. Even though it were lies.
My eyes harden as I watch the boy, my Siren, squirming under the questions. It serves him right to sit up there. It would serve him right to be caught in the act, revealing his secret. But regardless of how hard I try, I can't bring myself to believe those words. If he would slip, as he nearly had earlier, if the judge and the prosecutor would recognize his incomparable beauty as part of his gift, of his mutation, then I would jump up there, take him and run. Even if I would have to run for the rest of my life, I would give anything to protect him.
"It was... It... It was the most... painful day in my life", whispered Percy, tears shimmering in his sea-green eyes, the color in them shifting oh so slightly. "It... still pains me to think of it..."
He shook slightly, sobbing once. Practically everyone in the court room sighed in empathy. Nico chuckled darkly, crossing his arms over his chest to keep himself from playing with the shadows.
I would give anything to protect him. The problem is, he doesn't need my protection. He plays his own game and he has perfected it over the years. Even though it may be true that his mother's death was the most painful experience in his life, he knows exactly how to use that to his advantage. He's talented, cunning. He manages to manipulate people even without using his ability. I think he does that even without noticing that he does it. He draws people in like moths to the light. It's hard to resist him, to not like him. To not befriend him. To... not fall in love with him.
"Would you like a break, Perseus?", asked the judge tentatively.
That's it. His chance. If he says yes, he can go to the toilets. The girls distract the guards, Mitchell and Percy climb through the window to the parking lot where Tyson is certainly already waiting with the car. The perfect opportunity. Then, once they notice he is gone, the girls can slip away without even being noticed. They could be out of the country within an hour. In the save haven of the Canadian Islands to live a life far away from the troubles of the Big Seven.
"No, I'm... I'm fine, sir", smiled Percy bravely, rubbing his eyes.
Nico frowned, his posture stiffening. Why was Percy doing this? Wasting such an opportunity. It didn't sit right with the leader of the Ares tribe. He locked eyes with Clarisse for a second, but the brunette looked as baffled as he did. Then he turned his attention back to the boy.
For a split second, it looked as if Percy was winking at him. But that must have been Nico's imagination running wild. Because the next second he looked, the teen was still busy rubbing away his tears. Nico shifted uncomfortably. Something was going on. Something he didn't know about. And that was more than just unsettling. He hated the taste of it.
"Before this day ends, this court will go up in flames. Literally or figuratively", muttered Nico.
"Never figured you for a seer", snickered Clarisse in mock amusement.
/Percy\
I can see the shift in Nico's posture. He must have thought I'd flee. I wink at him playfully. How dumb does he think me? If I leave this court, I will die. There is no chance they would let me live. Nico... Leo... Ethan... Octavian... Jason... I have betrayed all their trust. And even if one of them may forgive me, I would still have four pissed-off, strong mutants with a whole tribe behind them after me. One of them would be enough to kill me. I'm dangerous. Because I know their secrets. If the world would know what I know... I shudder at the mere thought of it. It frightens me. What would it do to the Ordinaries? It's not safe for them to let me live.
Nico's dark eyes bore into me. They make me shudder a bit. They always made me shudder. I think they were what I fell in love with first when I met Nico di Angelo. A smile wants to play on my lips, but it's not the time for pleasant memories. Regardless of how pleasureful they were.
It's silent. As if everyone is holding their breath, waiting for me to continue.
Funny, how everyone waits for me to tell such a boring, boring story. I'm not even at the interesting parts yet. Or the dirty parts. The parts that should not be told in public for they would even make the good, innocent people blush. The parts that could corrupt a pure soul with their filth. All the passion and heat between two sweaty bodies, the most natural dance of them all. But they will make me tell this story. And I will obey. I will tell them every pleasurable, little detail.
"What do you remember about the car accident?", pressed the prosecutor.
Percy looked up at her like a deer caught in the head-lights. A hurt, innocent expression on his face. Like the innocent boy he had been back then when his mother had died. The jury glared at the prosecutor for making the boy so uncomfortable. If this would be his trial, it would be a piece of cake. The problem was that it wasn't. But he wouldn't be Percy Jackson if he wouldn't be able to handle a problem like that. Never leave the house without a back-up plan. Something a certain blonde he had met had taught him and Piper. Sea-green eyes scanned the crowd. She was there, sitting in the row behind Piper, but trying very hard to not look at the native American.
I'm sorry for the heartbreak I brought. Not only my boys, but also you. I really like you, Annabeth. You're the sister I never had. I wish I wouldn't have been forced to lie to you. I wish you would have met Piper under different circumstances. It's my fault you can't trust her now. My fault you think she lied and betrayed you. Because I had to force her into acting along. I'm so sorry...
"It was a stormy night, we shouldn't have taken the car, but we did...", Percy took a deep breath, recalling the worst night of his life. "The shadows were creeping closer and closer. I've been feverish though, perhaps it was my imagination playing a trick on me..."
"Feverish?", repeated the prosecutor, raising one of her bushy orange-red eyebrows.
"Yes", nodded the teen slowly. "I have been sick. My mother was worried because I didn't get better and when she decided to bring me to a hospital, it was already late. Darkness had taken over the city. Like I said, the shadows were creeping closer. As if they tried to hunt us. The car drove fast through the ever-lasting darkness of the night, I saw... faces in the shadows, dangerous, threatening faces. Claws, eyes shining ruby in the light of the moon... I... I freaked out... I was so delirious that I screamed in pure panic and jumped at my mother, seeking protection... She... lost control of the car... She tried to regain it, to get us back on course, but it was too late... We were on a bridge and we... we broke through the guard rail..." Percy paused again, a bit for the dramatic effect but also because of the weight of those horrible memories. "We fell into the dark waters, the shadows engulfed us, eating us alive... Even before we hit the water, I knew the shadows would get us."
Everyone was holding their breath in anticipation, listening to his every word like it was the most important tale ever told in the history of mankind. Little did they knew that it was.
"But what happened after you hit the water?", pressed the prosecutor.