"Nico!" Jason called as soon as he saw him.
Fuck.
He barely found his footing in his rushed superhero landing. A circle of black - at least 30 feet wide, surrounded the son of Hades. Everything around him had died. There was no life, only misery and decay that weaved into the splintered ground. Dense shadows consumed the boy's slim form. They were coming from within, gnawing at him while his fingers drilled into the earth summoning his eternal army. Jason winced at the bloody mess as if Nico had been clawing through cement instead of soft soil.
In two big strides, Juno's champ closed the distance. Without hesitation, he knelt beside him.
"Please," Jason felt like a knife twisted into his heart.
He was crying. Nico was crying. Fat teardrops ran down his cheeks, pouring over his chin in a stream of endless agony while his body was shaking with silent sobs. He looked utterly terrified.
"Hey, hey. It's okay," Jason tried, careful not to make any sudden moves. "It's me, Jason."
Nico didn't answer. In fact, he wasn't making any sound whatsoever. In shock, Jason realized he was biting the inside of his mouth to keep himself from screaming.
"Nico stop," he pleaded close to tears, unable to comprehend just how far Nico was truly gone. No reaction. Nothing worked, no amount of words could get to him. Nico stared ahead as if he wasn't even there. He was shivering more violently now, his breath ragged, nearly hyperventilating.
Jason didn't know what to do. He reached out, placing his arms gently around him. "It's just an illusion. It's not real. Just the mist messing with you," Jason continued to whisper sweet nothings into his ear while rubbing soothing circles over his back. A wet spot formed where Nico's face pressed against his chest and he could feel the fear in the straight lines of his shoulders. Otherwise, the boy was motionless - silent as a grave.
"You have to snap out of it," he begged and tightened his grip. A mistake as it turned out. The shadows retreated and then all hell broke loose.
The skin of the earth burst open. More and more skeletons came to aid their master. A howl from deep below accompanied the crawling masses. No way, the barrier! But how? The gods themselves had -
"Nico!" He pulled back.
The boy's black orbs were dull and empty. Blood started to drip from his nose and ears and Jason could see the frantically drums against his ribcage, could freaking hear it.
"I am so sorry," he choked before he did what he promised he'd never do.
He raised his sword, imperial gold glistening without sympathy for neither of them. He had no other choice. The impact was swift and precise. No fight, just a sickening sound when the ungiving hilt made contact with ever so soft skin.
Nico's eyes went shut and the legions of undead crumbled into rattling piles of bones. Carefully Jason cradled his lifeless form in his arms. The shadows were gone but the tears were still falling. Clenching his fist, he bit back a growl. He was going to kill the Stolls!
"Jason?" Percy stood suddenly behind him, Will Solace by his side.
The son of Zeus rose to his feet. There was murder on his mind and Percy didn't look any less furious.
"Go ahead," the healer told them. "I'll take care of him." He'd never seen Percy or Jason so angry and couldn't blame them. The child of Apollo was fuming himself. This time the Hermes-brats had truly done it.
They left, and Will wanted to be in neither Travis nor Connor's shoes.
He took a deep breath. Nico appeared eerily similar to his first visit in the infirmary, icy lips, white as a ghost, and the smell of blood and death clinging to him. He was still crying though, even when unconscious.
The demigod sighed. In a well-practiced motion, he reached forward to take the boy's vitals, phasing right through his wrist.