You come to claim the scepter. The voice was almost similar to Slenderman's, but Nico knew that wasn't who it was. He could already tell who it was by the way they were making him feel. He wondered if Jason could feel it too, but realized he didn't when he heard how steady his voice was. Nico wasn't sure he would be able to speak if he tried, but still he stood at Jason's back and did his best to ignore the way his mind was falling apart.
"Cupid where are you?!" Jason shouted, sounding brave to Nico.
Where you least expect me. As love always is. Nico watched helplessly as Jason went flying, leaving him alone. I would think you'd know better Jason Grace. You've found true love after all. Or do you still doubt yourself? This God was more of a monster than any of the monsters Nico had lived with or fought. Nico ran to Jason as quickly as he could, neither of them could be alone with this god, he would tear them apart.
"You okay?" Nico asked Jason, quickly reaching out his hand to help Jason up. Jason accepted it and Nico pulled him to his feet again.
"Ya, just sucker punched." Jason said. Nico wished he had the capacity to laugh.
Oh did you expect me to play fair? Cupid asked mockingly, Nico wanted to tear him apart now. I'm the god of love. I'm Never fair. Nico didn't have time to react as the arrow materialized out of the air and raced towards him. He registered briefly that Jason deflected it for him and then they were both running up the steps. For all they knew they could be running towards the god since they couldn't see him, but it felt better to keep moving.
Jason pulled Nico out of the way of a falling column. Twice now, at least Nico knew now that he could trust Jason in a fight.
"Is this guy love or death?" Jason growled.
Ask your friends. Cupid taunted. Frank, Hazel and Percy met my counterpart Thanatos. We're not so different. Except death is sometimes kinder. As far as Nico was concerned right now, death was ALWAYS kinder.
"We just want the scepter." Nico yelled, his anger breaking through his fear. "We're trying to stop Gaia. Are you on the gods' side or not?" Another arrow came flying at Nico. He only had time to stumble back before it landed on the cobbles between his feet cracking the stone.
Love is on every side. And no ones side. Don't ask what love can do for you.
"Great." Jason snapped. "Now he's spouting greeting card messages." Nico hardly registered the comment through his quickly mounting panic. What did cut though was when Jason attacked and some gold blood fell to the ground. Nico felt a savage pleasure at that. Good, let the god bleed.
Very good Jason at least you can sense my presence. Even a glancing hit at true love is more than most heroes manage.
"So now can I get the scepter?" Jason asked and Nico nearly scoffed at his optimism. The Cupid was a cruel god, he'd want to play cat and mouse much longer than this before he would give them anything.
Unfortunately you could not wield it. Only a child of the underworld can summon the dead legions. And only an officer of Rome can lead them
"But…" Jason started to object then seemed to think better of it. "Just leave that to us, Nico can summon." Nico didn't know if Jason said anything else, because suddenly everything was consumed by pain. It was too sudden for him to do anything but look down in shock at the arrow protruding from his arm. The physical pain was awful but it was nothing compared to his mind.
Nico stumbled, nearly falling as suddenly a dam somewhere in his mind broke and suddenly he was flooded with memories. Memories of speeches by the Fuehrer he had heard broadcasted as a child condemning homosexuality. Talking about how they had to be removed from society.
Even then he showed signs of his sexuality. His mother and sister had been so scared, they tried not to let him know, but it showed. It showed, it showed and it scared him to. He had tried to hide but it hadn't always worked.
"Enough games!" Nico shouted gritting his teeth and clamping down on the flow of memories he had suppressed for a reason! "Show yourself!"
It is a costly thing looking at the true face of love. Was Cupid fucking monologuing? Nico tuned him out, he knew the story he didn't need to hear it again. In his attempt to ignore Cupid he accidentally opened his mind enough for another memory assaulted. The one from the old church in Venice. His mother had gone there to pray, pray for him, pray to whatever god to fix him. He had stayed with Bianca out on the steps playing but after a while they had gotten worried and bored and gone in to Maria. They had found her crying in one of the front rows and Nico had run to her.
"What's the matter, mama?" Nico had asked grabbing her sleeve and staring up at her worriedly.
"Don't worry baby." She had half sobbed half crooned, hugging him tightly and then holding him at arm's length to look at him. "Everything will be fine. You'll grow up alright, you'll find a nice girl to marry and everything will be fine." Nico had been confused by this.
"But mama I don't like girls they're weird." Nico had answered vehemently. Maria had shaken her head desperately.
"Angel, don't say that." She had half begged him, it had scared him even more.
"But."
"Don't say that." She shrieked and the sound of her strike shocked him out of the memory, just as it had on his first trip to the cathedral in this time. He had been born and raised in a time when being gay was punishable by a long slow death he could not, especially now tell anyone half way normal. It went against everything his mother had drilled into his head to keep him safe. But he also couldn't ignore the fact that during his silence Cupid had turned his full torment of Jason.
"Stop that!" Nico yelped when Jason nearly got crushed by a falling wall. "It's me you want. Leave him alone." It was a bad idea, but Nico didn't care. He couldn't let anyone else get hurt because of him.
Poor Nico Di angelo. Do you know what YOU want, much less what I want? My beloved Psyche risked everything in the name of love. It was the only way to atone for her lack of faith. And you- what have you risked in my name.
Nic wanted to shout everything! He had risked everything in the name of love for everyone he had loved! For years he had sacrificed his self expression for his mother, his happiness, and almost his free will to Minos to help Percy, and now almost his life to help Toby! He had risked his life and sanity going into Tartarus to try and find the doors of death for everyone he loved! The real question was what HADEN'T he sacrificed for love.
"I've been to Tartarus and back!" Nico snarled as the ground around him roiled under his anger. "You don't scare me."
I scare you very much. Face me. Be honest.
"Give us Diocletian's scepter." Nico half yelled. He would not admit his fear. Not even to himself. "We don't have time for your games!"
Games? Cupid question and suddenly Nico found himself flying sideways against a pillar. Unconsciously he sucked all the life of the grass around him, the death spreading out around him as he sucked all it's energy and power into himself. Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work. A quest that never ends. It demands everything from you, especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards. 'He's talking as if I don't know' Nico thought angrily. "I know but you are not the one I love."
"Nico, what does this guy want from you?!" Jason asked but Nico didn't want to answer. Too bad Cupid did for him.
Tell him Nico. Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you ran from camp Half-Blood and why you're always alone. Nico couldn't speak, he was too angry instead he just screamed. Screamed and every single dead thing in the ground around them answered. Stirring and crawling and clawing their way to answer him. They rose from the ground all around him, feeding on his anger and the life he pulled from every source around them besides Jason.
Will you hide among the dead as you always do? Cupid taunted The dead and the killers. The air around Nico darkened absorbing the light and the feeding the dead even more of his emotions. He didn't even notice when the wave hit Jason. Nico didn't realize he was broadcasting the memories along with it, and that it was powerful enough for the living to see as well as the dead. He focused on attacking Cupid.
It only took moments for the dead to locate him as numerous as they were. Once they had they swarmed him. Grabbing at him and crawling him, trying to pin him down so they could rip him to shreds as Nico desired but it wasn't working. No matter how many dead Nico threw at the god, he brushed them off like flies, but maybe if he was distracted enough.
Interesting! Do you have the strength after all?
"I left camp halfblood because of love." Nico admitted but then tried to backtrack. "Annabeth, she." He wasn't ready but Cupid cut him off.
Still hiding. He teased You do not have the strength.
"Nico it's okay!" Nico had almost forgotten Jason was there until he spoke. "I get it."
"No you don't." Nico answered miserably. "There's no way you could understand." Not only because Jason was straight and had a wonderful girlfriend everyone approved of, but because he had been raised in this time. Many things were more accepted now, but Nico very much doubted any of them would approve of Toby.
And so you run away again. Form yourself, your friends.
"I don't have friends!" Nico screamed back. "I left c amp Half-Blood because I didn't belong! I never belong!" Not even with the creeps really, he was too gentle, still. He had finally gotten Cupid pinned down but that didn't seem to bother Cupid at all. In fact he was laughing, in a way that made Nico want to cry.
"Leave him alone, Cupid." Jason crocked, he sounded like maybe he was going to cry to. Nico couldn't imagine why. "This isn't.." But Jason didn't finish his sentence. Still Jason's support helped.
"I-I wasn't in love with Annabeth." Nico managed his voice horse from yelling.
"You were jealous of her." Jason said reassuringly. "That's why you didn't want to be around her. Especially why you didn't want to be around… him. It makes perfect sense."
"I hated myself." Nico admitted softly. "I hated Percy." And finally Cupid became visible. Nico didn't even have the strength to punch him in the face. "I had a crush on Percy Jackson. That's the truth. That's the big secret. Happy now." Cupid nodded and smiled.
"Oh, I wouldn't say love always makes you happy." Cupid answered finally using his actual voice. "But almost, Nico, there is one more thing. Now that you have come to terms with the one you used to love I'm going to reunite you with the one you currently love. He's close and with the show you were making I'm sure he's on his way, he knows your darkness after all. I knew I was right to show an interest in you as a child, you and him are a fine example of my kind of mad love."
Nico was about to answer but the god was already gone. Where he had been was the scepter but it was quickly bumped out of the top spot on Nico's priority list. He could feel a familiar soul approaching quickly. Nico snatched up the staff and ran to meet it. When he reached the top of the hill he spotted Toby at the bottom. His grey hoody showed perfectly that he was covered in blood, but Nico didn't care.
"Toby!" He yelled surging down the hill. They collided half way down.
Nico!" Toby exclaimed happily enfolding Nico in a tight hug, picking him up and spinning around. Nico was half laughing, half crying in relief and buried his face in Toby's shoulder ignoring the sticky warmth he knew was fresh blood that seeped into him from Toby's clothes.
Reaching up he pulled down Toby's mouth guard so it rested around his throat and Toby surged in. Engulfing Nico's mouth in a fierce kiss and stealing his breath. But suddenly Nico had little desire to breath anyway as he reacquainted himself with the feel of Toby's warmth, the smell of his skin and the taste of his lips. It was a long minute before they separated but it felt like forever and still not long enough.
"Where have you been?" Toby asked. "Why didn't you come home? You've lost weight. You look awful. When will you come home? Can it be now? It looks like you need us to look after you?" Toby paused for breath and Nico jumped in to answer.
"I've been in tartarus. I only got out a week and a half ago. I didn't come home right away because the job isn't finished yet and I'm still needed so I can't go home with you yet. Yes I've lost weight, and of course I look awful tartarus is meant to be worse than hell. There aren't exactly any fast food restaurants." Nico answered half smiling up at Toby. Toby laughed and hugged Nico even tighter, lifting Nico's feet just a little off the ground again.
"My god I've missed you Nico! Ira fell apart about a week ago. What happened? You said as long as you were alive she would stick around, we thought you were dead!"
"I was forced to enter another death sleep, so I just didn't die permanently. You know how that works." Nico reminded him gently.
"Oh right! Who came to get you this time?" Toby asked curiously, a flash of jealousy crossing his face, which Nico ignored.
"My half sister Hazel." Nico said smiling gently. Toby looked confused. "I promise I'll explain later, it's just more world I wasn't allowed to speak about and now I can because… oh." Nico remembered that Jason was there and twisted to see him standing on the top of the hill looking confused. "Jason come down here please? Now that we're getting to know each other I think there's some things you need to know."
"Who's he?" Toby mumbled in Nico's ear, his goggles thankfully hiding his hostile glare.
"He's another demigod, he's on the quest I'm helping. He's a pretty nice guy though, and it seems the gods have decided it's time to introduce two more worlds. If it goes wrong it's Cupids fault and I hope the other gods flay him because I've never met a bigger dick." Toby looked confused but instead of asking he shrugged, let go of Nico and pushed his goggles up so his entire face was visible. Jason came down cautiously and Toby did his best to smile reassuringly.
"It's nice to meet you, Jason. I'm Toby Rogers, I go by Ticci-Toby now though because of my twitches. Don't worry their just tourettes, nothing sinister." Toby introduced himself as Jason came to a halt out of arms reach.
"Okay, then why are you covered in blood?" Jason asked cautiously. Toby opened his mouth to answer but Nico put a hand on his chest and Toby stopped.
"I have some other things to explain first, Grace, please be patient." Nico said and Jason turned his attention to Nico. He was still confused but he seemed trusting and he nodded. "I know you have and the others have some trouble trusting me because I've existed between the Roman and Greek sides without telling either, but existing between worlds is part of my responsibility as a demigod child of Hades. All demigods exist between the realm of gods and the earth, but children of Hades also exist between life and death. Darkness and light, and the underworld and earth.
Because of this I was trusted with the knowledge of other worlds as well. Rome being one of them of course, but not the only one. It seems Cupid has decided it's time to introduce you to another. Toby is one of the members of another set of legends, more modern ones. Urban myths and horror stories, until now the mist has separated them from you, like it did the Romans and Greeks but now obviously it isn't." Nico finished his explanation and Jason nodded his eyes sharp.
"How many more 'worlds' are there?" Jason asked professionally.
"I honestly don't know." Nico said shrugging. "If I did know I wouldn't be able to tell you. The gods seem to be trying to consolidate as many as they can right now, but I swore on the River Styx I wouldn't talk about any of them until I was sure the time was right and the mist had lifted. The gods don't want to risk another war."
"Well we can't make you break an oath on the River styx." Jason sighed then looked back to Toby. "So urban legends and horror stories. Tell me more." Toby was opening his mouth to answer when his phone rang in his pocket.
"Shoot, sorry hang on." Pulled it out checked the number and answered it. "Masky?"
"Toby where are you? We've found your kill, god dude, you're almost as sloppy as Jeff, you really need to clean up after yourself. Where'd you run off to?"
"Hey it is not my fault! I found Nico!" Toby objected.
"WHAT? Where? When were you going to tell us? Where are you we're coming." Toby pulled a compass out of his pocket and after a moment a flair came up.
"Perfect we're south west of you. One of Nico's demigod friends is here, Nico thinks it's time that they learned about us."
"Ugh okay I'm going to talk to Slenderman about that quickly. I doubt he'll mind sense he's known about the demigods for ages but he is the keeper so he should know."
"Okay Masky, see you and Hoody soon." Toby said and hung up the phone smiling at Jason. "That's good, Masky is much more qualified to tell you about us than I am. I've only been a member for a little over a year, Masky's been one for almost twenty years, since he was seven." Jason nodded.
"Who is this Slenderman?" He asked.
"He's the Keeper, one of the oldest and most powerful of us. Actually from when Nico's told me he's almost closer to your gods but anyway he chose us. Me, Masky, and Hoody are his proxies, vessels of his will. That's why Masky wants to talk to Slenderman before we tell you stuff." Jason nodded again.
Almost immediately there was a familiar burst of static, making Jason jump and Slenderman and the other proxies were suddenly there. Masky hit the ground running, charging at Nico and tackling him to the ground. Nico landed and the air left his lungs with a whoosh, he noticed Hoody stopping Jason from attacking Masky before he registered Masky's yelling then he tuned into what Masky was saying.
"DON'T EVER DO THAT TO US AGAIN! WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD WHEN IRA FELL APART! SALLY CRIED FOR DAYS, BEN SHORTCIRCITED EVERY ELECTRONIC IN THE HOUSE SHOUTING ABOUT LOSING HIS GAMING BODY, EVEN JEFF WAS UPSET. I THOUGHT TOBY WAS GOING TO OFF HIMSELF YOU ASSHOLE! DON'T YOU EVER EVER DO THAT TO US AGAIN OR I FUCKING WILL KILL YOU! DO YOU UNDERSTAND GHOST? YOU WILL LIVE UP TO YOU'RE FUCKING NAME!"
"Okay okay Masky I get it I'm sorry." Nico said holding his heads up in a pacifying gesture. With some difficulty since Masky was half pinning him. "You knew it was a possibility that I would die. I thought I was, it was pure luck and some help from Jason, Percy, and Piper that I did survive." Nico gestured at Jason when he said his name. Finally Masky got off him and helped him up gruffly.
"Ya well next time take some of us with you." Masky grumbled. "I'm sure we can help just as well as the demigods, and faster." Masky's voice trailed off to inaudible grumbles and he moved back to let Hoody give Nico a much more gentle greeting.
"I m-missed you t-too Nico." Hoody whispered giving Nico a light hug before retreating quickly ducking behind Masky. Nico couldn't miss the way Hoody's voice shook slightly though, or the fact the Hoody reached under his mask to wipe his face.
It is good to see you alive and well, Ghost King. Slenderman greeted, his voice gentle inside Nico's mind, he noticed that still made Jason shudder. It was difficult to see my children in a pain I could not prevent.
"I'm sorry I caused so much drama, but you all understand it couldn't be helped don't you? The world must be saved."
I do understand that is was necessary Ghost King and I would like to offer my assistance. I wish for you and your companions to take one of my vassals with you. They will guarantee you the assistance of almost all of our kind you may encounter. I'm sure Toby would be happy to volunteer.
"Yes!" Toby yelped quickly grabbing Nico's hand and looking into his eyes intently. "I never want to be separated from you like that again."