Disclaimer: I don't own Trials of Apollo.

APOLLO XV

Awake or asleep?
Not that it matters when it's
A dream anyway

Asclepius dragged himself out of the Pit with trembling, ichor-stained arms and took a moment or several to recover once he had crawled far enough away from the Pit's black hole-like vacuum. It was the sort of dishevelled appearance most gods would never let themselves be seen in, but given the circumstances, it was clear that the former demigod had no choice.

He certainly didn't have much by way of strength left.

When Apollo had closed his eyes, pain and a weariness he'd never felt before (as a god – mortal exhaustion was something else entirely) sapping his strength to the point he'd been unable to fully conceal it from the observant eyes of his uncle, he hadn't expected to find himself watching his son make his final escape from Tartarus, but he couldn't say he wasn't happy about it.

It was a massive relief, to know that Asclepius was – or soon would be, if this was a glimpse of the future rather than a dream of the present – out. Safe was not necessarily so obvious; Hades had promised protection, but Hades was not the only god who operated in the Underworld, and Apollo could do nothing but hope that what concealing power Hades had granted his son would be enough to avert the eyes of other gods, who might not be so inclined to keep Asclepius' new location to themselves.

In Tartarus himself, despite his minds' eye's current view, there was nothing Apollo could do save be a silent observer as Asclepius hauled himself to his feet, staggering like a drunkard complete with a shaky hand pressed to his forehead as though nursing a severe headache, and took one near-blind step after another, away from the Pit and towards the throng of the Underworld.

More than once, he almost fell, and Apollo longed to reach out and catch him as he stumbled sideways, barely catching himself, but he couldn't.

Despite never having been to that part of the Underworld before, Asclepius headed unerringly towards Hades' palace, one dogged step after another. Apollo recalled that part of what Hades had given him was a draw of sorts, guiding his battered form towards the safe haven come prison he was expected to reside within until Apollo and Hades returned from their own Tartarus excursion.

Circling in the sky, or what passed for it in the Underworld, Apollo could see the Erinyes swooping down into the Fields of Punishment, and then back up again to the sound of eternal screams. Many people, both fictional and not, had called screams music, but the agonised sounds of souls in eternal torture did not, in Apollo's professional opinion, count.

It was more akin to fingernails across chalkboards, a grinding, sharp sound that reverberated all the wrong ways through his essence, and he suspected the grimace on his son's face was at least in part caused by the noise.

Thankfully, either due to Hades' influence or their own distraction, none of the three sisters appeared to notice Asclepius as he traipsed past the Fields at a sensible distance, carefully keeping his head down.

Compared to Tartarus, where time flowed strangely and distances seemed to vary on the whims of the Primordial, the Underworld was as linear and static as the Overworld. It should have been easy to track how long Asclepius took to traverse the Underworld, but despite his vision being focused entirely on his uncle's realm, Apollo, still in Tartarus, could not quite grasp the scale of time. He could, however, see that the ichor was slowly disappearing. The Underworld was not the Overworld, but it certainly wasn't Tartarus. Gods had access to their own power, almost as strong as when they were in the Overworld (barring the Chthonic gods, whose power was of course at its zenith in the dark caverns of the land of the dead), and to Apollo's great relief, Asclepius' healing abilities were thriving in their new comparative proximity to the sun, to life, as ironic as that seemed.

By the time he reached the gates of the palace, he at least looked every inch the god he was. Apollo could sense weaknesses still, but they were beneath the surface, locked away where they had to be searched for to be found. The ichor stains were gone, and so too were any remaining traces of a decrepit old man.

Apollo had never seen his son's preferred godly form before. Part of him had expected his son to remain a teenager, the same youth he'd held at his unfortunate death, but it seemed that the salt and pepper hair was not, in fact, a suggestion of weakness but rather a choice as Asclepius replaced his tattered and all but destroyed chiton with a smart suit – although not the same level of pin sharpness Apollo's father preferred, to his private relief – covered with a long, white coat.

He looked just like a modern doctor, and while seeing his son – always a teenager, in Apollo's mind and memories – with the face of a mature middle-aged man was undeniably a little strange, it also felt right. Asclepius was comfortable, like that. Even in the Underworld, with an unknown punishment looming in his future, there was no hesitation, no discomfort in the way that he held himself and moved.

This was his son, now, and oh, how Apollo hoped Hades' revised punishment wouldn't force them apart for another four millennia. He had so much to learn about his son, so much to get to know – an entire facet of him, the god rather than the demigod – and call him selfish but Apollo wanted to.

Asclepius passed through the gates without incident, and the nervous part of Apollo started to relax a little; the palace was the securest part of the Underworld, in terms of what was most protected by Hades' power even in the absence of the god himself.

Wings, as dark as Nyx herself yet shimmering with hues of purples and blues, flickered on the edge of the scene, and immediately panic snapped back to the forefront of Apollo's emotions.

"I must say, I never expected to find you, of all beings, here."

Thanatos' form faded into existence, as beautiful as he was deadly. Behind him, his massive wings reached out, effortlessly poised behind the dark god; they rather resembled a raven's wing in shape, although were many times the size and had an iridescence mortal birds could only dream of. In one hand, his wickedly sharp Stygian Iron scythe emitted an eerie purple glow, impossible to mistake for anything other than the reaper of souls it was.

In the other, he held his pitch black iPad.

"Lord Thanatos," Asclepius acknowledged, inclining his head.

It wasn't just Hades whose domain the Physician's Cure defied, and Thanatos had never taken kindly to souls trying to evade him (especially not after a certain king nearly succeeded; Apollo remembered that astonishing event well despite not being involved in any capacity). The god of death had every right to be just as upset with his son, and unlike with Hades, Apollo was not there to intervene.

Like this, he was nothing more than a silent observer. Visions were always like that, whether past, present or future, and it never made things any easier for Apollo to bear, but there was nothing he could do.

"You bear the presence of Lord Hades," the older god observed, golden eyes focused on where Hades had touched Asclepius. "You've been in contact with him."

It was phrased like a question, but there was no query in his tone. Apollo had crossed paths with the god of death several times over the millennia; Thanatos had never been particularly prone to displays of emotion, although his wit was drier than the Sahara and sharper than his scythe. There was little wonder that he got on so well with Hades.

"Lord Hades directed me here," Asclepius confirmed, not backing down as Thanatos looked him over with piercing eyes that saw a lot more than Apollo realised he wanted the Chthonic god to see.

Had Hades told Thanatos where he – they – were going? Apollo hadn't thought to ask, but it was unlikely the god of death would remain unaware of the two demigods currently sheltering within the palace, and Hades would know better than Apollo whether Thanatos could be trusted with either them or the knowledge.

"What has become of your punishment, then?" the dark god asked Apollo's godly son. Asclepius tensed slightly, and Apollo once again wished he was there to run interference as the tension between the two gods thickened, both clearly aware that the Physician's Cure had offended more than one god.

"Lord Hades has temporarily suspended it," his son informed Thanatos, "until his current business is complete."

"And once he returns from the Pit?" There was the faintest of trembles in Thanatos' voice, a reminder that not even he dared enter Tartarus of his own volition. Apollo was well aware of his capture and his Doors' imprisonment during the second gigantomachy and couldn't blame him.

If it wasn't necessary to protect Will and Nico, Apollo would never have returned, either. His current condition was testimony to why it was an all-round bad idea, even for gods.

"Then I will be issued with a new punishment," Asclepius confirmed. "I do not know what Lord Hades has in mind, although he has indicated that I will not be returned to the Pit."

"How merciful." Apollo hoped Thanatos was being genuine, but his tone was so flat it could have been one of his episodes of dry, near-indetectable, sarcasm. "If that is what Lord Hades wishes, then I shall abide," he continued, wings spreading wide as the doors of Hades' palace swung open. "Come, let us find you somewhere to stay, unless Lord Hades issued specific instructions on that subject, too?" The words seemed to be probing, although what Thanatos was looking for – and if it would be better for Asclepius if he did or didn't find it – Apollo could not tell.

"He did," Asclepius said as he crossed the threshold, looking around at the grand entrance hall as though he had never seen it before – which, Apollo realised, was true.

Hades was not just the god of the Underworld, but also of riches, and nowhere was that more apparent than within his palace. Trapped souls wailed soundlessly from within the walls, but between the writhing movements, there were gemstones of every variety, including those not yet discovered by mortals. It was not garish, not even by far lower standards than Apollo's (garish, as far as Apollo was concerned, was almost impossible to achieve. Artemis frequently told him that he was garish, however, which proved that it held differing opinions for different individuals. However, while his twin might consider Hades' palace to be garish, more discerning eyes would call it tastefully done). Regardless, it was a stunning piece of architecture, whether despite or because of its similarities to Olympus itself, Apollo could not decide, and Asclepius' awed reaction was wholly justified.

Thanatos, a long-time resident of the palace, seemed to have long become desensitised to the beauty around him. "And those are?" he prodded, entering behind Asclepius. The doors of the palace swung shut with a loud bang that was entirely unnecessary but perfectly dramatic.

Asclepius turned to face him. "I am to guard the two living demigods I believe are currently residing here," he said.

Something that might have been an amused look flickered across Thanatos' face. "Very well," he said. "Follow me."

Either the influence Hades had left on Asclepius was enough to convince Thanatos that Asclepius meant well, or he thought that any issues that might arise could be easily handled, because he didn't question further. Apollo had half-expected some resistance, if only because Hades' protectiveness of Nico, while subtle, would certainly not have been missed by as close an associate as Thanatos, but the god in question seemed content to lead Asclepius directly to Nico's bedroom door.

"You will find them in there." Thanatos gestured with the hand holding his scythe. Apollo wasn't sure if he would have preferred him to use the other hand, with its list of dead and soon-to-be-dead souls hidden in a sleek black piece of technology, or not. Neither item held much by way of positive connotations when it came to living. "If you want to enter."

Apollo was certain there was a challenge in his voice. Clearly, Thanatos knew not just that the demigods were there, but also that Nico was not happy about the situation. At least, he hadn't been happy the last time Apollo had seen him, and as there was no way Will would have regained consciousness without Apollo there to stir him, he was highly doubtful that that had changed.

"I'd like to meet them," Asclepius confirmed.

The flicker of something that was probably amusement passed over Thanatos' face again.

"As you wish," he said. "But do not let them leave. Lord Hades was thorough in his demands that his son not leave his room under any circumstances."

"I was made aware," Asclepius told him. "Thank you for guiding me here."

Thanatos' wings shifted slightly; the look he gave the door was definitely one of an interested observer. "I would reserve the gratitude until after you've met the children," he said, then disappeared before Asclepius could say any more.

Apollo was just relieved Thanatos hadn't threatened his son – either of them, although out of the two currently in Hades' palace, Asclepius was certainly in more danger from the Underworld's denizens. Will had the protection of Nico, and by a tentative extension, Hades himself.

The door opened effortlessly as Asclepius pushed at it, Hades' power thrumming down his shoulder and into his arm, and Apollo's vision followed his son as he stepped lightly into Nico's bedroom. Just like the main doors into the palace, the bedroom door slammed shut behind him far more loudly than was strictly necessary.

If the door opening hadn't caught Nico's attention, the door closing certainly had. Asclepius had barely a moment to catch the demigod's wrist as a familiar black blade slashed towards him.

"Peace," he said to Nico. "I am not here to hurt either of you. Your father sent me."

Nico scowled, but after however long Apollo had spent in the company of nothing but gods and their stoicism, his face was an open book. Wariness warred with confusion, and he didn't let his guard down at all, but he stopped trying to yank his wrist back from Asclepius' firm yet gentle grip.

The son of Hades looked haggard. Physically, he had never had the healthiest appearance, and while the Underworld strengthened him more than it ought to strengthen a living soul, his already pale skin had bleached further and his black hair had dulled – and turned greasy. Worst was the exhaustion settled behind his dark eyes, mental rather than physical but no less tiring for it.

"Who are you?" Nico demanded. "Why did he send you here?"

"My name is Asclepius," Asclepius began, and recognition instantly flickered in Nico's eyes, as it should.

"Apollo's son?" he pressed, and the god smiled slightly.

"Yes," he confirmed. "Your father and mine found me and sent me here." That was a gross oversimplification, although Apollo understood why Asclepius would be hesitant to go into details on the topic. Unfortunately, Nico was an understandably paranoid demigod, and would never be pacified with such vague information.

"What were you doing in the Pit?" he demanded, suddenly aggressive. "I heard you were imprisoned in Epidaurus."

"I was," Asclepius confirmed, releasing Nico's wrist. The son of Hades didn't attack again, but he didn't put his sword away, either. "However… Are you aware of the last group of demigods I interacted with?"

Nico was incredibly sharp, not just with his tongue and sword, but also in making connections and solving puzzles. It didn't surprise Apollo in the slightest when his eyes widened with realisation. "You gave Leo the Cure," he said. It wasn't a question. "You were punished for it?"

"I was."

Apollo couldn't fully squash the seething rage that tried to bubble up at the reminder.

"It wasn't my father who wanted you out of… there," Nico continued. "It was Apollo, wasn't it? Why did my father agree? He hates you."

Asclepius winced; Apollo wasn't certain if Nico spotted it, but he certainly did. "I believe Lord Hades decided my presence was… distracting my father from their objective." He paused, for a brief moment. "I do not think he was wrong."

What?

It wasn't news to Apollo – Asclepius had been a distraction, albeit not one he regretted in the slightest, and Hades had not been subtle in his accusations, but for Asclepius to agree so whole-heartedly that he'd admit it to a demigod he had never interacted with before?

Nico's snort snapped his attention back to the two of them. "Of course he wasn't. Apollo goes crazy when his kids are threatened."

Apollo should have been worried that he was apparently that transparent, and for a brief moment he felt it swell. Then he remembered his raw emotions – fear, anger, desperation – when Austin and Kayla were taken, and that Nico had been there to see it.

No wonder he'd managed to draw that conclusion, as correct as it was.

"So I'm aware," Asclepius responded, a hint of dryness in his tone. "Speaking of my father's children, I was led to believe a… William, is it? Is with you?"

Nico's shoulders slumped.

"Apollo put him in a coma," he mumbled. "To 'keep him safe'." There was definitely a not insignificant degree of frustration in the demigod's tone.

"Ah, I see."

"He didn't mention that?" Nico asked, a bit dryly, and Asclepius shook his head.

"He did not."

Nico turned his back on the god and walked across the room to his bed. Asclepius, and Apollo's vision, followed.

Will was exactly where Apollo had left him, eyes lightly closed and an almost peaceful expression on his face. A faint shine on his lips, and the fact that the vial on the table by the bed was not as full as when Apollo had left, showed that Nico had indeed been occasionally tipping a drop or two of nectar into his mouth.

The sight of his son, safe, went a long way to calming frazzled nerves Apollo hadn't noticed were there. If he'd come down to Tartarus…

Orion's laugh mocked him. I can smell your children.

Apollo knew, with absolute certainty, that if Will had entered Tartarus, he would be dead by now.

But he wasn't. He was alive, safe and protected in the confines of Hades' palace with Nico and now Asclepius looking after him.

"May I?" Asclepius asked, and Apollo's attention returned to his conscious son, who had a hand hovering lightly over Will's head but not touching as he looked at Nico in clear askance.

"What are you going to do?" Nico demanded, his own hand finding one of Will's where it rested atop the covers and intertwining their fingers together.

"I'd like to see what my – our – father did," Asclepius said.

"He said it was a coma," Nico repeated, but after a moment he nodded, although adding, "if you hurt him…"

"I will not," Asclepius promised, his hand coming to rest on Will's forehead. Apollo watched as he concentrated, frowning periodically.

Will's vitakinesis was powerful; Apollo knew he could diagnose precise injuries with merely a touch. It was the same talent Asclepius had once held, as a mortal.

Now, Asclepius' abilities went far further than that, identifying historic injuries as well as current. Apollo wasn't sure if Nico knew that, knew that by giving Asclepius permission to touch him, he'd inadvertently given Asclepius permission to learn Will's entire medical history.

He did know that Asclepius took his duties as a doctor seriously and would never share what he'd learned.

After a few moments, Asclepius sighed and shook his head.

Nico jumped on it immediately. "What?" he demanded.

Asclepius didn't reply to him, instead sighing, "oh, Father," in a tone that sounded almost a little pitying.

"What?" Nico snapped, sharper this time. "Is Will hurt? Did he hurt-"

"William is fine," Asclepius assured him – and Apollo, who despite having confidence in his abilities to not mess up when the health of his child was on the line had started to feel a twinge of unease at his son's reaction. "His physical condition has not changed at all in the past three weeks."

Despite being nothing but a disembodied observer, Apollo blanched.

Three weeks?

He and Hades had left the Underworld three weeks ago?

Or, he reminded himself, this vision took place three weeks after their departure. It was not necessarily a vision of the present.

He ignored the small voice that whispered that it might be a vision of events that had already come to pass.

Nico visibly relaxed. "He's okay?" he asked, in a voice that was probably a little smaller than he'd wanted it to be.

"I think," Asclepius said, "that it would be best if he answered you himself."

What?

What was Asclepius say-

No.

Asclepius, no!

Unfortunately, Apollo still couldn't interfere, still couldn't say anything, couldn't stop his son as he murmured words of healing under his breath.

In a complete opposition to Apollo's swirling panic, Nico's entire countenance lit up, hope shining out, and Apollo couldn't help but feel cruel to have inflicted such loneliness, such worry on the demigod.

But he'd done it to protect Will, because Will couldn't survive in the Underworld without godly intervention-

Oh.

He watched as a shimmering white-gold glow wrapped around his mortal son, a gentle embrace of power as his immortal son, always the best healer, slowly drew Will back towards the waking world.

It was a slow process. Pushing Will's body too fast would damage it; waking up had to be gradual, coaxing and leading him back to consciousness rather than yanking him out of the coma in an instant, but Asclepius was skilled and Apollo watched as Will's serene face started to shift into various expressions.

They were subtle at first, small twitches that only the keenest of eyes could see. Nico, despite his intense gaze, clearly didn't register the first few; when he did see Will's lips part, as though his son wanted to say something, he all but leaped onto the bed, leaning in as close as he could.

"Will?"

It was several more long moments before there was any sign of awareness, Will's eyes flickering open just the barest amount before his eyelids fluttered closed again, but Asclepius wasn't done and Nico was clinging to his boyfriend's hands tightly enough to bruise.

Continued sleep was not going to be possible.

A small, disorientated groan heralded Will's return to consciousness, his blue eyes flickering open once more but this time remaining half-open, rather than sinking back down into unconsciousness again.

"Wha-?" he started, the sound weak and dying as soon as it left his lips. Asclepius didn't let go, didn't stop channelling his power until Will blinked a few more times, cognition returning with every flutter of his eyelashes, and sat bolt upright.

"Dad!"

It was a shout but also a question, and the sound of it hurt. Will looked around, his head swivelling almost wildly, and he didn't appear to even notice Asclepius, or his surroundings, in his frantic search for-

If Apollo were more than a disembodied observer he might have let out a sob at the realisation that Will was looking for him.

"Will." Nico tugged on the hands he was crushing, pulling Will's attention to him. The slightly wild, almost panicked, look in Will's eyes faded as he focused on him, to be replaced with confusion, and relief.

"Nico?"

"I'm here," Nico promised him. "You're okay."

Will glanced around again; he still didn't seem to spot Asclepius as he asked, "where's Dad?"

Nico scowled. "They've both gone."

The heartbroken look on Will's face added to the metaphorical pain Apollo was experiencing.

"They really went? To Tartarus?" he asked, voice shaking a little. "Dad… went down there?"

Nico's expression was torn between relief and frustration. "They went," he confirmed. "Apollo put you… to sleep so we couldn't follow."

"Oh." Will glanced down, facing their interlocked hands although Apollo didn't think he was seeing them. He was silent for several moments, and neither Nico nor the unobtrusively observing Asclepius made a sound as he clearly tried to work through things the others had had time to digest.

As far as Will was concerned, Apollo knew, it had been no time at all since their last encounter in Hades' throne room.

He didn't regret doing that to his son, considering the alternatives, but he did wish it had never been necessary in the first place.

"What woke me?" Will eventually asked, raising his head. He managed a quirk of his lips that might have been amusement. "Was I your Sleeping Beauty?"

Nico huffed, his skin flushing pale pink, and Apollo was relieved when that startled a brief chuckle from his mortal son. "Don't be ridiculous," the son of Hades denied. "You think a kiss would have got past your dad's power?"

His face darkened, flushed with a little more pink, and Apollo realised that Nico had tried it, perhaps hoping that it really would be that easy to have his boyfriend back with him again. Will obviously realised it, too, because he laughed a little more, before giving him a genuine smile so clearly full of love that Apollo could feel it. "Thanks for trying," he said, a little gently and with pure sincerity. Nico huffed.

Apollo couldn't be so carefree about it; he'd been selfish, protecting Will but leaving Nico imprisoned with no company save a comatose boyfriend. Leaving him, if not technically alone, lonely. He owed both boys such a massive apology when he met them again – he still didn't regret protecting Will the best way he could in the circumstances he was under, but desperation did not negate the distress it caused either demigod.

"He woke you," Nico said after a moment, tipping his head in the direction of Asclepius.

"My presence negates the necessity for the coma," Asclepius explained, as Will looked at him inquisitively. "I decided there was no need for you to remain comatose; I can provide for you until it is safe for you to leave the Underworld."

"Safe?" Will repeated, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "And who are you, anyway? Are you a god?"

"I am," Asclepius confirmed. "Although it is understandable you do not recognise me, seeing as we have never met before. I would hope you have heard of me, however, seeing as we share a father."

Will regarded him intently, clearly thinking hard.

It didn't take him long to reach the correct conclusion. "Asclepius?"

"That would be me, yes," Asclepius confirmed. "You will have to forgive me; it has been a long time since I last interacted with a mortal sibling."

"I don't think I've ever met one of Dad's godly kids, either," Will muttered. He looked a little overwhelmed as he swivelled his legs around, kicking off the covers in the process in order to sit on the side of the bed, next to Nico. "How?"

"He was in the Pit, apparently," Nico summarised before Asclepius could repeat his explanation. "Our fathers decided to send him here to babysit us."

"Protect you," Asclepius corrected.

"We don't need protecting," Nico huffed, and even Will looked a little taken back at the idea.

"If you believe that then you are unaware of the danger the pair of you are in," Asclepius told them bluntly.

"I've been in the Pit before," Nico returned. "I know exactly-"

"I am not talking about the Pit," Asclepius overrode him, shocking him into silence. "There is another, closer, danger to both of you – I would dare to say William, particularly, although I would not bet on your safety either, Nico."

"It's Will," Will corrected, but that seemed to be the least of the worries Asclepius' words had invoked in him. "And… why me, especially? Nico's the one that's being summoned."

"I told you," Asclepius said patiently. "I was not talking about the Pit."

Realisation settled in on Nico's face, and Apollo recalled letting slip to him in his determination to make sure the demigods stayed in the Underworld the fact that Zeus wouldn't agree with the swap that had taken place.

"How are you going to protect us against him?" he demanded.

"Who?" Will demanded instantly. "Nico, do you know what he's talking about?"

Nico shook his head, but it wasn't a denial. "Apollo mentioned it, when he brought you here," he explained. "That… a certain someone wouldn't like what he's doing." He gestured upwards loosely.

"A certain some- oh." Will sagged, finally on the same page as the other two. "That… makes sense?"

"All three of us will need to remain here until our fathers return," Asclepius told them firmly. "I will provide for you, but none of us are safe outside of Lord Hades' palace – or, even, outside of this room."

Neither demigod asked why Asclepius had included himself in that number; Apollo wasn't completely certain if either of them had noticed his wording, but if they had, they also had enough contextual clues to work it out for themselves. Either way, it wasn't a surprise when they let the conversation carry on without bringing attention to it.

It was soothing, in a way, to see the three of them together. Nico was still obviously agitated – whatever was calling him didn't appear to have stopped – and Will was showing signs of faint lethargy after his three week long coma, while Asclepius looked perfectly put together on the outside but Apollo could tell he was still recovering from his own stint in Tartarus, a recovery that even for a god wasn't going to happen overnight. But despite their various conditions, all three of them were together, were safe, and Apollo could breathe a little easier knowing that.

His vision faded away just as Will poked at Nico's greasy hair, saying something about looking after himself. The last thing he saw was Asclepius subtly summoning some non-Underworld food – food Will could eat – and placing it within the demigods' reach, before the scene disappeared and he was instead faced with the jagged walls of a cavern.

Asclepius might be out, but Apollo still had a quest to complete before he could join him.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari