(A/N) I am very frustrated because I have two fanfictions going but I want to write another since I have this great idea however I can barely juggle two stories, much less three.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING but the plot.
The corpse was floating in a huge expanse of blackness, which stretched for an infinite distance on all sides. However the supposedly dead body, began to shift restlessly, its eyelids fluttering and finally flying open, unveiling a set of sea green eyes that were as vibrant as lanterns. His head snapped from side to side as he was enveloped in a state of overwhelming panic, but when the realization, whatever it may be, settled onto his shoulders, he relaxed. He ran a hand through his hair, gazing around curiously as he floated around like a wandering balloon, with no aim or direction whatsoever. The bliss and calm that had settled over the corpse-like teenager was immediately ripped away when a voice tore through the silence.
"Perseus?" The voice sang the boy's name like a song, and a very eerie one at that. It's owner sounded fairly young, like a young child's but, the boy, Perseus', blood ran cold when he heard it. It echoed through the expanse of darkness, sending chills racing up and down his spine, and that's when Perseus' feet managed to fall on something solid. It felt like a hard floor, but when he glanced below there was nothing but an expanse of blackness. It wasn't that this void was dark, it was well-lit, but it was like a room that was painted jet black with light shining into it. Only seconds after his feet touched the "ground" he broke off into a terrified sprint, his eyes wild with a fear that most likely no one alive had ever seen. He didn't have to breathe and he was probably running at speeds that no mortal's eye could register, but that didn't stop him from hearing his name again.
"Perseus?" He ran from that voice, ran from it's owner in a state of horror, but that's when Perseus came scrambling to a halt, his hands trembling as he clenched them into fists, regarding the figure in front of him. The child looked almost identical to the black-haired teenager, as if he was staring at a photo of himself from years past, but Perseus had turned as white as a sheet, his skin growing impossibly paler as he regarded the young boy. He looked to be about five, his mussed black hair sticking up in all directions as he gazed in wonder at his older look-alike. Though Perseus acted as if the boy was a ticking time bomb, the child simply smiled, which revealed his two missing front teeth.
Perseus finally managed to choke a few words out, "Y-you're dead. Y-you can't be here." The young child didn't seem fazed in the slightest, though his smile did sadden quite considerably.
"That doesn't mean that I'm not in your head," he replied, wringing his hands behind his back and shuffling his feet in the most endearing way. Despite this, though, the boy's pupils slit like a viper's and then returned to normal within their green irises, and with that action one would realize that the child was just as off as Perseus. He, too, was pale enough to be a corpse, and veins snaked along his bare arms, creeping under his T-shirt and reappearing on his neck and face. There was also this aura to him that, unsurprisingly, didn't affect Perseus but would send mortals and demigods into a fit of shivers, not to mention the fact that he had a rather ethereal intelligence that most five-year-olds didn't have.
"I-I-I have to wake up," Perseus cried, attempting to run in the other direction, but no matter what the child was always in front of him. No closer, no farther, with the same few feet between them as before.
"You still remember me?" the boy asked worriedly, his brows knitting as he frowned. "Please don't tell me you've forgotten." Those few words caused Perseus' knees to buckle, and he was only barely able to throw his hands out in front of him as he collapsed, sweat beading and dribbling off of his forehead despite the fact that he normally wasn't able to perspire.
"I could…never forget you," he managed, his hair falling over his eyes to cover the fact that they were glassy. "Why didn't you come to me when I freed you? Why didn't you come back? Are you still in Hell? I feel your presence, but I can't seem to ever find you…" his voice wavered, but he continued, "I did all of this for you, Alfie, all of it! After that huntress sent you back to Hell I was so alone. So very, very alone…" The black-haired teenager's whole body was racked with constant tremors as he forced his tears back, his head bowed as he stumbled over each and every one of his words.
"I have come to issue a warning. Word is going around that you were the one to free all of the demons, not Mother, and she fears that she will lose her influence if they fully uncover the truth. She plans to execute you," the younger boy, Alfie, told him. Though his eyes still held compassion, his expression turned stony, which looked very unnerving on a five-year-old's face. "They will kill you, and ever since you wrote that section in the demonic bible they've held a bit of a grudge, since they found that red-feathered harpie reading it…"
"Yes, yes, I know, but when?" Perseus asked, trembling from the fear. The mere thought of being hunted down like a reynard on a fox hunt, with his brothers and sisters being the hounds and his mother being the human that rides her horse to victory, terrified him to no end.
"I fear that I don't know, I'm not a prophet, Perce," the slight use of his old nickname sent pangs of loneliness through his heart; sure, he was surrounded by his family, but they weren't truly family. All that he had now was Mrs. O'Leary, and she couldn't even uphold a conversation with him. His everything had been his twin, and ever since they'd been separated he'd wandered alone. When he finally looked up, he saw that the child was right beside him, his expression forgiving and his eyes warm.
He placed a little hand on Perseus' shoulder in a comforting gesture, his grip surprisingly strong despite his outward appearance, and said softly, "I will find you, brother. Twins do share a more profound bond, but I think I have some catching up to do." Perseus and Alfie shared a dry laugh, one full of regrets and bittersweet memories. Then the younger boy began to fade, and Perseus reached out, a pain-filled cry clawing its way from his throat as he scrambled to grasp at the garments of the quickly dissipating image of his twin, but the fabric slipped through his fingers as though it didn't exist in the first place.
"Don't go!" he screamed, his voice cracking as the tears finally spilled. He collapsed onto his side, his whole body racked with violent sobs that echoed into the emptiness, though only after a few moments of weeping he quieted. Through the sniffling and the unshed tears he whispered, "I love you, Alfie. Come back to me."
-Ω-
Nico woke up with a start, gasping as if trying to suck the Earth's supply of oxygen through his lungs. His thoughts were addled to quite an extent, and his vision blurred as he fumbled around the floor for something, anything that would remind him that he's still alive. His four hands each had six fingers on them, and he blinked rapidly as a nauseating wave of vertigo crashed over him like a tidal wave. Had he not been on his hands and knees, he would've collapsed then and there, but he kept going, the dizziness threatening to consume him. He felt around like a mole feeling around a tunnel, screwing his eyes shut tight since at the moment they were of no use to him, though the darkness was quite unnerving and made him feel as if he were groping around the edge of a bottomless chasm.
That's when Nico's fumbling fingers found someone's wrist, and he quickly smoothed his hand up to the unidentified person's forearm. He traced over the telltale SPQR, and that's what he'd been expecting, but at heart he was a bit disappointed. Don't get him wrong, he was beyond relieved that Jason was safe, however he'd been hoping that Will had been there as well. After he felt around the rest of the cell and concluded that there wasn't another being within it, he almost curled up into a ball and wept. He missed Will so much that his chest hurt with every breath that he took, and though the memories of the last time he was conscious began to flood back into his mind, he couldn't help but worry of his boyfriend's safety. What if they were torturing him? What if he was already dead? What if they were starving him to death in a cold, dark room? Nico wouldn't dwell on the possibilities for much longer, for that's when the cell door swung open with the squeal of rusted hinges.
His eyes snapped open, his gaze focusing and sharpening as he regarded the set of legs in front of him. These legs were definitely male, and when he craned his neck to see who owned the face, a familiar voice sneered, "How was your nap, Sleeping Beauty?"
"Perseus," Nico hissed, recoiling as if someone had just told him something rancid. "What do you want?"
"To tell you that I didn't suck your boyfriend like sucking the juice out of a fruit. I have to admit that I was tempted. Boy, was I so tempted, but I didn't, and I think you owe me a thank you." Nico could barely register what was happening, not to mention that Perseus' words were coming out in an uncharacteristic rush. His hair was ruffled and his clothes were wrinkled, as if he'd just gotten out of bed, and his eyes held a sort of haunted look that made Nico wonder whether he'd seen a ghost or not. He almost felt bad form him, had he not been a demon that had captured and isolated his boyfriend.
"Is he well? What did you do to him?!" Nico cried, resisting to urge to lash out. He knew that he was at an incredible disadvantage, especially in this state, and if he all-out attacked Perseus, the demon would have no choice but to retaliate, and for now the demon merely seemed as if he'd like to talk.
"He's fine. I stopped harvesting his blood when he said he was getting dizzy, and I presume that Mother didn't treat you very kindly," the demon gestured the thin scar that went down Nico's forearm. The son of Hades grit his teeth together and nodded grimly, sighing in defeat. "Wow, you must be quite the demigod if Mother even shadow-travel proofed the place. I'm impressed, considering she's almost as old as Chaos himself."
"Why are you even here? I know it's not because you all of a sudden have some sort of burning compassion for your walking, talking portable blood machine," Nico scoffed. "Who just so happens to be my boyfriend?" The son of Hades pushed himself into a sitting position, his shoulders hunched and his eyes narrowed, and he regarded the black-haired monster with a look not unlike the demon was something the cat brought in. Perseus returned that glare with one of equal measure, though he still seemed bit jittery, which made Nico wonder what exactly had set him on edge like that. Mother, perhaps? She was pretty freaky, though Perseus would've been used to her threats and her very chilling demeanor by now. Nico wondered what exactly could spook a demon in such a way.
"So, what are you really here for?" the son of Hades asked.
I need you to help me get out of here, Perseus replied, his voice echoing inside of Nico's head. At first, Nico was a bit startled, but that eased slightly when he recalled how incredible a demon's hearing was, and that just about any one of them could eavesdrop in on their conversation. Please don't reply, just let me explain. He gave Nico a look that clearly resembled fear, though the son of Hades wasn't sure whether he was bluffing or not. Perseus, however, looked one hundred percent serious this time, for the first time since Nico had confronted him. Whatever this matter was about, it was something big, and the black-haired demigod wondered whether Perseus' life was at stake; demons could kill other demons, and therefore his Mother and siblings could easily dispose of him if they all ganged up.
Nico nodded, signaling for Perseus to continue, however he cast a wary glance back at Jason's unconscious form. What would the son of Jupiter think when he saw Nico and a demon staring at each other without saying anything? It would be a bit on the creepy side, and he wondered whether Perseus would include Jason once he woke up. I had this dream, okay? My br…someone came to me saying that my family was going to murder me; Mother thinks I'm becoming too influential amongst my brothers and sisters. Nico raised an eyebrow, though he had to admit that he wasn't surprised in the least; demons were animals, and they wouldn't hesitate to cut down their own if it meant that they stayed in power. I decided that if you help me get off of the radar then I'll help the three of you escape. It'll be difficult; my siblings are spread worldwide now, and they are such good trackers that it puts the Hunters of Artemis to shame. How do you think I was able to capture the goddess in the first place? The pentagram was a bitch to remove, though; it requires a whole lot of spell work and an unforgivable mount of energy.
Nico wondered just how he'd be able to hide Perseus from the universe's most dangerous predators, but then he read in between the lines and realized what Perseus was asking: I need sanctuary. Please take me into your camps. He shook his head vigorously, wondering when he'd be able to speak and explain. Perseus chewed on his lip, his fangs making deep gauges within them and causing them to bleed a bit. I knew that'd be your answer. You're smart, but I need your help. I swear on the River Styx that I'll set you three free, unscathed. Seriously, as long as you give me a place to hide in one of your camps, both of which are the most dangerous places on Earth for demons, I'll live off of animal blood. I won't take any human or demigod blood that isn't given to me by reliable sources, but if you demigods would be willing to donate that'd be great… There was a pause as Nico contemplated over possible scenarios and weighed his options. Without Perseus, there was a zero percent chance that he, Jason, and Will would escape from wherever the hell this is, but if he took his help he'd be leading all demigods into immediate danger. He knows that a Styx promise is unbreakable, even if Perseus says it through telepathy (he swore he'd heard thunder rumble from somewhere), but demons were made to devour human flesh and blood, not animal. It was like the backup plan, like how carnivores will eat plants in desperate times, and that was simply for desperate times; they couldn't survive off of it forever. Nico was pretty sure that if Perseus began to live off animal blood he'd go rabid, and in turn he'd take blood without permission…putting his Styx promise into effect.
You're hesitant. Nico nodded and the demon pursed his lips, beginning to pace around like a caged tiger. Can you keep me at the edge of the camp? Then if I send you a distress signal you can let me inside? Nico shook his head, wringing his hands in his lap.
"If I give you permission, Chiron will be able to trace that back to me. They won't care how much I've done for them; they'll label me as a traitor and I'll lose everything," he whispered harshly, the mere thought of that scenario sending shivers up and down his spine. His friends rejecting him, the camp driving him out of its safe borders, and worst of all the look of betrayal that will be plastered all over his boyfriend's face. Very few demigods studied a situation from all angles; if something was bad, they killed it. They didn't stop to think whether that "monster" was merely passing by harmlessly, and they slapped a label on it just by species. No, Nico couldn't risk everything he had for a demon.
What about that Roman camp? Perseus asked. They don't have magical boundaries, and their camp is much bigger. I could possibly live off of unsuspecting fauns… The look that the son of Hades was giving him silenced the demon, and he quickly became interested in the ground.
"No fauns are going to die. You can live off of rabbits and birds and other wildlife and that's it. I'll tell you the location and you're going to lay low in the camp. No killing humans. No killing demigods. Got it Captain Corpse?" Perseus growled menacingly at his new nickname, but nodded, swearing by the River Styx once more as Nico did the same. That time thunder definitely rumbled overhead, and the demon smiled in a way that one wouldn't want someone smiling after they made a life-altering deal. "The location is by San Fran Cisco. The Caldecott Tunnel. Be careful, there'll be extra guards on duty after Lilith attacked."
Don't worry; I'm the king of sneakiness. I'd keep you conscious, but then you might tell all of your demigod friends about home base, and even though my family is planning to murder me I wouldn't betray them for the world. And with that Perseus placed two fingers on Nico's forehead, just like he'd done after their battle, and he slipped off into a very uneasy unconsciousness.