hold me in this wild, wild, world

by maharani_of_queens

Summary:

**Formerly titled: Face the Darkness, All You Need Is Light**
This work will not be updated or completed. I no longer have interest in continuing this since The Sun and the Star has officially released. However, I am still proud of the writing I have done thus far and hope to potentially write more fic in this fandom in the future. Thank you all for the support!

Nico has to save a friend that helped him in Tartarus. Will comes along, and their relationship blossoms as they quest and endure difficulties across the nation and Underworld, meeting old friends along the way.
OR

A post-Tower of Nero fic that centers around the prophecy that Rachel issued at the end of The Tower of Nero.

Chapter 1: A Midnight Date (Will)

Chapter One- Will

“This is not what I was expecting when you told me to sneak out of camp with you,” Will muttered.

“You can’t expect every plan of mine to be a romantic date idea, can you?” Nico raised an eyebrow at him.

“I can hope,” Will sighed. When Nico had told him yesterday to meet him after midnight at Zeus’s Fist for “something important”, he thought his boyfriend had finally gotten the guts to ask him out on an actual date. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. Now, there he was, mud up to his ankles, trudging through the camp woods in search of the rare five-lined skink.

Not that Will minded spending time with Nico, but it would’ve been nice to go to a restaurant, or park, or even walk through these very woods without looking for troglodyte bribe material. So far, it seemed like every date idea Nico suggested had a high chance of death and danger. He guessed that was sort of what Nico was used to— imminent danger at all times.

“Oh, look, is that one?” Nico lightly touched Will’s arm, bringing him back to the present. Nico pointed to a quickly moving shape on a tree trunk. Aided by the luminescence from his glowing body, Will saw five distinct lines seconds before they disappeared into the foliage. Will nodded to his boyfriend and passed him the small knife he kept in his pockets. Without a word, Nico took the knife and stepped into Will’s interlaced hands. Will lifted him up, and in one swift motion, Nico skewered the skink to the tree bark.

“Nice job, Death Boy,” Will said. “We can go home now, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico replied. He retrieved the lizard from its crucified position, wiped the bloodied knife on his dark jeans, and handed it back to Will.

“Gross,” Will said, sheathing the knife in his pocket.

“Let’s head back before any more monsters find us.” Nico faced Will. “Or worse, security harpies.” He moved closer to Will so they were standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

“You wouldn’t want them to find out that we were having this super romantic date in the woods, huh?” Will smiled at his boyfriend and took Nico’s hand in his.

“Shut up, Sunshine.” He accepted Will’s hand and they began walking back to camp. The thick canopy covered the sky above them, allowing slivers of moonlight to peek through the leaves. “Thank you, for, you know— coming with me to do this. I know this isn’t, like, your ideal activity or anything, but I’m glad that I didn’t have to do this alone.”

“Anything for you, Signor.” Will squeezed Nico’s hand. “Besides, you probably would have gotten eaten by that drakon earlier if I didn’t warn you.”

“No way, Solace. If you didn’t distract me with your stupid Star Wars references, I would’ve killed it long before it was behind me.”

“Hmph.”

It was true, Nico could have handled it by himself. Nevertheless, Will liked being there for him, and even pretending to help seemed to be an appreciated gesture. Will learned early on that Nico wanted to feel like he belonged. He needed human support, even when he was totally capable of doing a task on his own. When Will joined Nico in activities, he noticed how the boy became more comfortable and less rigid. If getting Nico to loosen up required Will to trek through monster-infested woods in near-darkness, he would do it.

Nico seemed to be more comfortable hanging out with Will in these more casual and private settings. It was less pressure to act as a “boyfriend” on a “date”. Even though they had been together for over six months, Will knew that the whole relationship thing was kind of hard for Nico to feel fully comfortable in. He was still learning that people actually liked him. When Will or another camper would ask him to eat lunch with him, go canoeing, or practice sword fighting in the arena, Nico sometimes had this look of confusion on his face, like he couldn’t fathom the idea of someone actually wanting to be around him.

“So, what’s next?” Will asked. “You want me to come with you to see your cavern-dwelling friends to deliver this skink or what?”

“Would you really?” The moonlight rippled in Nico’s ink-black eyes.

“Duh, I have to make sure our dear friend Screech-Bling doesn’t give you a yellow hat. That would totally ruin your whole ghost king aesthetic, and we can’t have that.”

Nico laughed, and Will’s heart leapt like a pegasus during the obstacle course chariot race. He loved hearing the laugh of Nico di Angelo, a sound so pure and wholesome. It lit up his entire face, and his pupils danced like comets in a pitch-black sky.

“It’s Screech-Bling, dummy,” Nico teased. “You’re gonna have to brush up on your Troglodytish if you want to be treated as more than a walking lamp.”

“Right.” Will shuddered, thinking of his last experience with the underground creatures.

“You know, you don’t have to come with me. I know how frightening the darkness can be for you.”

Will shook his head. “I need to come with you, Nico. I can’t bear to see you go there alone. And if we’re going to go to… other places together, I have to get used to it.” He couldn’t bear to say the word Tartarus, not just yet.

Nico seemed to understand. He leaned closer to Will as early twilight lightened the sky to a deep purple, matching the slowly unfurling morning glory. “Well, we don’t have to go just yet.”

Will wasn’t sure if Nico was talking about the troglodytes or Tartarus, and he didn’t particularly want to find out, either. “Yeah, until then, I’m making you spend every minute with me outside under the sun.”

“You better not wake me up before 9 o’clock, Solace.”

Will grinned. “We’ll see about that.”

Chapter 2: Dreams (Nico)

Summary:

Nico has a dream about the Titan Iapetus, and he's in trouble.

Chapter Two- Nico

They arrived back at camp just before the sunrise. Orange streaks blanketed the horizon, creating blush-pink hues across the early morning sky. Wind chimes gently shook outside Cabin Seven, and the calming hoots of mourning doves could be heard from the forest behind them.

“We have to make sure the harpies don’t find us,” Nico whispered to Will, who seemed to have no qualms about walking through the open field towards the cabins. “And turn off your glowing!”

“Sheesh, okay.” Will took a deep breath, and the faint glow faded from his body. Despite extinguishing his light, he still radiated warmth, as if a ray of sun decided to take refuge inside the boy’s heart. “There’s no way we can make it to the cabins from here, though. The clearing is too open, and the harpies are right there.” He pointed towards the nearest cabin, where, sure enough, a purple-feathered harpy was conversing with her red-plumed patrol partner. They couldn’t seem to stay in the same position for more than a few seconds, flitting back and forth around the cabins.

“I guess it’s now time for me to use my power,” Nico said slyly, offering a hand to his boyfriend.

“Just know that I’m only doing this because I can’t be caught as a bad example to the new campers.” Will took Nico’s hand, and they slipped into the shadow of a pine tree.

The boys emerged in the middle of the Apollo cabin. As it was still dawn, most of the campers were asleep, with the exception being Austin Lake, who stretched in his bunk and slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. Nico could not risk Austin opening his eyes and seeing him in his boyfriend’s cabin—rumors would spread, and Nico did not want that kind of attention on his relationship. He let go of Will’s hand. “See ya, Sunshine.”

Will opened his mouth, probably to dissuade him from shadow-traveling a second time, but Nico was already gone, sinking into the shadow of the cabin wall.

Nico collapsed onto his bunk with the exhaustion from shadow-traveling back-to-back. He clumsily removed his sword belt and tossed it to the cabin floor, his Stygian iron sword clattering. The dead skink fell to the floor with a muted thud. He would have to prepare the lizard for the troglodytes later, he thought wearily. He sank into his bed as his eyes shut, his mind dragging him into the world of dreams and nightmares.

***

As usual, images of Bianca flooded his memory. She laughed as she pulled a young Nico out from his hiding place behind an arcade at the Lotus Hotel. “I found you,” she giggled. “Now it’s my turn to hide. Close your eyes and count to twenty!” He did. When he opened them, Nico was watching his dream through the eyes of his younger self.

Where was his sister? “Bianca!” He cried. “Where are you?” The game was long over. The guests had vanished from the lobby, and the glaring yellow lights cast a sick glow over the hotel. Nico was cold and alone. “Bianca, why did you leave me?” Tears streamed down his face, and he ran towards an elevator.

Nico was now in his current body, riding an elevator with no buttons. Down, down, down. The creeping heat threatened to singe his body as the elevator descended. Finally, the doors opened onto Nico’s worst nightmare. An endless landscape stretched out before him. Black obsidian mountains rose from the crimson wasteland like manticore teeth. Large pustules erupted from the surface at random intervals, regurgitating hideous creatures and monsters that roamed the terrain, hunger gleaming in their eyes. In the distance, a fiery river roared, cutting red-hot channels into the rocks. Above, the sky was a deep umber, as if all the burnt sacrifices to the gods had desperately tried to cover this place with their remains. But godly offerings would be of no help here. This was a land beyond gods, a land beyond hope. Nico’s dreams had brought him to Tartarus.

He stepped out of the elevator and was instantly pulled across the harsh topography by an invisible force. His body alighted at the edge of a large crater which was covered in a thin, yellow-ish film. Inside, a Titan with silver hair slept. Only his head and torso were visible, but at the joints of his shoulders and hips, particles of the Titan’s essence slowly affixed themselves to form limbs. Iapetus, named Bob by Percy Jackson, looked at peace, a cruel contrast to the hellish environment he was being reincarnated in. Despite his tranquil appearance, Nico could hear the pleas in his head. Help me, Nico di Angelo! Bob’s voice was full of desperation and hopelessness. I helped you and your friends, now I need to be saved. You owe me for my sacrifices, son of Hades.

Saved from what? Nico wondered. He was so bent on observing the crater that he failed to notice the giant figure standing right next to him. Another Titan, identical to Iapetus, except for golden hair instead of silver, grinned at the pimple-like crater, a dark spear in his hand. “Once you reform, I shall vanquish you forever, brother. You will never betray your brethren again!” Nico looked with horror at the weapon in the Titan’s hand. Stygian iron. It was capable of completely eradicating one’s essence. If this Titan, who Nico deduced to be Bob’s brother, Hyperion, used the spear, Bob would be unable to live ever again. He would not be given the luxury of reforming in Tartarus. He would simply be no more. After nearly four millennia, Bob’s recent morality change to righteousness would cost him his entire existence.

Nico could not allow that. Bob had briefly helped him through Tartarus when Nico thought he was surely going to die there. He had helped Percy and Annabeth, too, holding the Doors of Death on his side so the couple could get to the surface safely, and he had died in the process. Nico couldn’t let Bob die permanently. He knew first hand what it was like to be feared by others for his past, remembered only for his acts of skeletal horror. Bob could not pass away, known as an evil Titan. Nico had to save him, had to recognize him for his heroic efforts that ultimately saved the world from Gaea’s wrath.

Looking at Iapetus again, Nico figured that it would only take a few weeks for the rest of his body to fully form. Then, he would be released from this crater and face his brother, who was eagerly waiting to kill him forever.

***

Nico woke in a cold sweat. The late afternoon sun streamed through the windows of his cabin. He had been asleep for approximately eight hours, he assumed. He was still in his jeans and leather jacket, and seriously needed to shower. The dead lizard on the floor was starting to smell, and Nico needed to properly desiccate it if he wanted the troglodytes' help. After showering, he changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a black t-shirt and he reattached his sword to his belt. He picked up the skink by its tail to take it outside to properly dry out in the June heat. As he laid it on the steps to his cabin, he saw the familiar figure of his boyfriend run up to him.

“Nico, I’m so sorry I didn’t check on you earlier, I had to teach healing lessons to my Apollo kids and I was in charge of the lava wall today, and Chiron wanted me to check in on Rachel, and I had to break up a fight in the strawberry fields.” Will gasped, out of breath. He grabbed Nico’s face and began touching his forehead, his cheeks, his lips.

“I’m fine, Will,” Nico muttered.

“No, you’re not. Your face is ice-cold, and your eyes look sunken in. You should not have shadow-travelled the second time!”

“I didn’t want Austin to see me in your cabin!” Nico retaliated.

“Oh, he wouldn’t have snitched, Death Boy,” Will said. “Now, you need to tell me the truth—how are you feeling?” Will’s bright blue eyes stared right into Nico’s, full of concern and stubbornness, and Nico knew he couldn’t lie.

“I.. I passed out after I got back and had a dream.”

“Do you want to share?” Will asked gently.

Will’s eyes were full of love, and Nico’s heart fluttered every time he made eye contact with him. This boy cared about him so much, Nico couldn’t help but feeling like he didn’t deserve it sometimes. “Okay,” he said softly, sitting on the cabin steps. Will took the spot next to him and tenderly placed Nico’s hand in between both of his own.

“I dreamt of Tartarus,” Nico began. “I saw Bob, and he needed help. Hyperion is going to end his life permanently in a few weeks when Bob is done reforming.” He described his vision of the Titan in the crater, his body slowly forming.

“Oh gods, Nico, that must have been terrifying,” Will surmised. “So, we have to save your friend.”

Nico nodded. He looked at his sword, sheathed in its scabbard. Stygian iron, just like Hyperion’s. He decided that he had to erase Hyperion before the Titan could vanquish Bob. There was no other option.

“We need to tell Chiron,” Will announced. “He won’t let us go on a quest without his approval, and he should know about Rachel’s prophecy, too.”

Nico looked at his boyfriend. They were both present when Rachel issued the shocking prophecy. Neither of them had talked about it since she had spoken the words last week, but Nico knew it might be time to consider the seriousness of their possible quest.

“Let’s first see if the trogs are willing to help us, please? I don’t want to worry anyone if the first part of our quest isn’t even successful.”

“Okay,” Will sighed. “But I’m coming with you, no matter what.”

Nico smiled gratefully and leaned his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “You’re a good person, Will.”

Will smiled into Nico’s hair. The son of Hades rarely communicated his affection, so these small moments were precious, and Nico knew it. He saw how much Will appreciated words of affirmation, and made a mental note to support his boyfriend more. Nico wasn’t a man of many words, but if it made Will smile with the brightness of a thousand suns, Nico figured he could afford to tell him how much he appreciated him. He wouldn’t mind seeing his boyfriend smile like that more often, especially with the impending quest. Nico would need all the sunshine he could get.

Notes:

Ahh now I have to come up with a prophecy. I think I'll reveal it in the next chapter once I figure it out. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3: Sword Fighting Lessons (Nico)

Summary:

Nico teaches sword fighting lessons and makes a friend. Austin teases Nico and Will, and the Apollo cabin learns of the prophecy.

Chapter Three- Nico

Nico could have sat with Will the whole afternoon under the warm summer sun, but Valentina Diaz interrupted his peace, waving at them with a long, thin sword. “Hey lovebirds, quit the loving! Aren’t you supposed to be teaching sword-fighting today, Nico?”

“Oh gods, I totally forgot.” Nico felt his cheeks redden as he hastily got out of Will’s embrace. He wasn’t embarrassed of his relationship—the whole camp knew they were together—but it was a little awkward that he had lost track of time and missed the beginning of the lesson he was supposed to teach. Since his decision to stay at Camp Half-Blood, Chiron had slowly begun to entrust Nico to take on more leadership roles. After all, he was technically a head counselor, and one of the few year-round campers. Nico couldn’t have Chiron lose faith in him because he was too distracted by the warmth of his boyfriend’s shoulder, his beautiful blue eyes, his sunshine-y smile, and his— wait. What was he supposed to be doing?

“Are you coming, or… ?” Valentina asked, breaking Nico from his thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m coming, Diaz.” Nico got up from the steps. “See you later, Sunshine.” He moved his hand to Will’s lips.

“Later, Ghost King.” Will smirked and kissed Nico’s hand like a courting prince.

Nico jogged over to Valentina, who was leaning on her sword with a whimsical expression in her eyes. “You guys are so cute together,” she said. “I wish I had something like that.”

“You will,” Nico assured her as they walked towards the arena. “After all, if a son of Hades like me can get so lucky, a daughter of Aphrodite should have no problem.”

“I sure hope so, di Angelo,” Diaz said wistfully. “I’ve been trying to get Paolo Montes to notice me all year, but I don’t think he likes me.”

“Maybe try learning Portuguese or something,” Nico offered.

Valentina laughed. “Look at you with the sage advice, no wonder you have a boyfriend.”

Nico shook his head, smiling. “Honestly, Will made all the first moves. I liked him ever since the end of the war with Gaea last summer, but I didn’t know if he liked me back. I… I didn’t know if anyone liked me, actually, even as a friend. Will really helped me feel like I belong at this camp.”

“That’s great, Nico,” Valentina said encouragingly.

Nico hadn’t ever talked to Valentina much, and he was sure that she was surprised by his sudden effusion of emotions. “Anyway,” Nico coughed, “it’s time to start the lesson.” They had arrived at the arena, where Nico faced about twenty demigods, including Valentina, who hastily jogged to join the line of kids with swords.

“Alright, demigods, I am Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, as many of you know. Welcome to sword fighting class, and my apologies for being late, I had… other things to deal with.”

“Yeah, things like cuddling with your boyfriend!” A young girl shouted, causing the other children to snicker. Nico pointed two fingers to his eyes and turned them out to the girl in an I’m watching you gesture.

“Anyway,” Nico continued, maintaining a playful glare at the girl. “Today we will be focusing on defense tactics.” He shifted his gaze to the rest of his students. “You were all at the battle in Nero’s tower, and since then, many of you have been on short quests already, issued by our Oracle, Rachel. Every single one of you will go on a quest in your future, and knowing how to fight is crucial to your survival. Often, your attacker will be better and stronger than you, and that’s why you all have to get really good at defense.”

“That sounds depressing,” A boy mumbled.

“You know what’s depressing?” Nico responded. “Dying from hydra venom because you didn’t pay attention in sword fighting classes.” The demigods looked at each other nervously, not daring to say another word. Nico realized he may have been a little too harsh. He wished Will were with him. He always made Nico feel more comfortable and could prevent him from lashing out like this when Nico got irritated. But Will wasn’t here, so Nico had to reign himself in on his own. “But that won’t happen, because I’m going to make sure your skills are extraordinary.” He tried for an encouraging smile. “Okay, let’s begin. Partner up, and for the first exercise, one of you will be taking offense, using jabbing strokes towards your opponent’s chest. The other partner should try and maintain defense by parrying. Remember, you need to protect your heart.”

He watched the campers team up and begin the exercise. He was surprised at how quickly many of them were able to pick up the skills. Most of the campers in his class had been at Camp Half-Blood for less than a month, and even with such little training, they had been able to fend for themselves against Nero’s army. They were getting exponentially better by the week, probably thanks to natural demigod talent and the drive to not be killed by monsters.

“Good job, Shane,” Nico told a young Hephaestus kid. “Try to use more upward strokes.” The boy smiled and fixed his grasp on his sword to better follow Nico’s advice. He moved over to the other groups of students and continued offering guidance. He liked teaching, he realized. It made him feel important and like he belonged. These campers looked up to him, and he was able to provide them with the help and support they needed to improve their skills. Nico somberly remembered his introduction to the world of gods and monsters. He had not had counselors and kind teachers. No, he was trained by ghosts and dead kings. If he had only stayed at Camp Half-Blood after learning of Bianca’s death, he might have had less pain and trauma, but he couldn’t stay bitter about his past choices. The only way to heal was to focus on the future and be grateful for the present. And Nico was grateful, for his boyfriend, for Chiron, for Dionysus, for his new friends and the Camp Half-Blood family.

“Hey, keep your blade closer to your chest,” Nico warned a girl, the same one who had embarrassed him in front of the other campers at the start of the lesson. She scowled, but adjusted her stance. Her black ponytail whipped in the wind as she defended with a newfound determination. Her partner, a muscular boy Nico remembered from the Aphrodite cabin, lost his energy and gave up, breathing heavily. “Nice job!” Nico congratulated the girl. “That’s how you can win against a big monster.”

“Thanks.” She squatted to catch her breath and removed the hair tie from her ponytail, causing her hair to cascade in waves around her face, reaching her shoulders. The girl looked about eleven years old and had dark brown skin with gold undertones that matched tiny gold studs that sparkled on her earlobes. “I’m pretty lucky in fights. I guess I have to thank my mom for that.”

“Your mom?” Nico asked.

“Yeah, Tyche.”

“That’s cool! I wish my godly parent was the goddess of luck, but I’m stuck with Hades.” Nico said.

“Hades is scary,” the girl agreed, her brown eyes far away. Had the girl had the unfortunate chance of meeting Hades? Nico wondered. She seemed far too young to have experienced death, but Nico himself had been around her age when he lost everything that was important to him: his mom, his sister, and his memories.

Nico nodded in sympathy. He wanted to learn more about her, but wasn’t sure how to ask for her name after she had just brought up his father. Mentioning Hades was always such a mood killer. “He sure is,” Nico decided. “My name is Nico di Angelo by the way, if you didn’t hear me at the beginning of class.”

“Oh I know who you are, Nico. You and your boyfriend are well known at camp.” She smirked. “I’m Ananya Perumal.”

“Nice to meet you, Ananya. When did you come to camp? I don’t think I’ve seen you around here much.”

“I got here last month, like a week before the battle. A satyr named Filipe rescued me from Chicago.”

“Rescued?” Nico asked.

“Yeah, after my dad met my mom, he won the lottery. Since then, he’s been gambling and ruining my life. He ended up using the money meant for my school on gambling and he ‘homeschooled’ me instead, which meant I was pretty much neglected. So I was really happy when the satyr told me that I was going to a faraway camp away from everything.” Ananya spoke so casually, like this was something every child went through.

“Oh, wow.” Nico didn’t want to pity the girl, as that was something he didn’t appreciate done to himself, but he figured a bit of empathy would be well received. “Well, I’m glad you’re here, Ananya.” Supporting the daughter of Tyche here at Camp Half-Blood would be the best way for her to heal from her past—Nico knew that from personal experience.

“Thanks! I really like your sword!” Her eyes lit up as she eyed Nico’s Stygian iron blade. Nico was astonished at how quickly the girl changed the subject, and subsequently, her mood.

“It’s Stygian iron, which is different from the Celestial bronze swords most of you have. It’s also much more dangerous.” Nico cautioned.

“Well, I like it! I can’t wait to be as good of a sword fighter as you someday.” She looked at Nico with her warm brown eyes, and the son of Hades couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of fondness towards her. She reminded Nico of himself, when he was ten years old and a new camper. She carried herself with the same enthusiasm and eagerness that Nico had all those years ago, but a vague aura of pain surrounded her, too.

“I’d be glad to continue teaching you, Ananya, as long as you keep practicing.” He gave her a promising smile. “I’ll end today’s class and then we can walk to the dining pavilion together, if you’d like.”

“Okay!” Ananya grinned.

Nico walked back to front of the arena and watched the campers spar for a few more minutes. Then he struck his sheathed sword against the ground three times. “Okay, everyone! That was a really productive lesson, and I hope you all improved your defense abilities in one way or another. Now, help your partners remove their armor, put your practice swords in the stands over there, and you can all head to dinner.” As the other campers put away their things, Ananya ran up to Nico, her wavy hair bouncing.

“When can I get a sword, Nico? I don’t like the practice ones, and I want something cool like yours.”

“You can ask your head counselor, Chiara, to take you to the armory later, but I’m afraid they don’t have any Stygian iron.”

“Aw,” she muttered.

“But Celestial bronze is just as great!” Nico assured. “It’s one of the strongest metals, and if you want to fight monsters, it’ll get the job done.”

“One day I’ll get a Stygian iron weapon,” she declared. Nico knew that Stygian iron weapons could only be forged in the Underworld, but he didn’t want to scare her or let her down.

“I’m sure you will,” he decided. The son of Hades and the daughter of Tyche continued chatting as they walked towards the dining pavilion. Once they arrived, they went their separate ways, Ananya towards the Tyche table, and Nico towards Apollo’s. Nico sidled his way into the spot next to Will Solace and grabbed a cucumber sandwich.

“So, how did class go?” Will gave Nico a quick peck on his cheek, making him blush.

“I really liked it. It gave me a chance to be a good role model, and being that kind of figure makes me feel needed, you know? I even met this girl from the Tyche cabin, Ananya, and she reminds me of me when I was ten, and I feel like I need to protect her. Or at least, make sure she doesn’t end up on a dark path like I did at that age.” Nico rambled to his boyfriend, who listened patiently, looking at Nico with his sky-blue eyes.

“That makes a lot of sense. I’m glad you’re liking it, Signor di Angelo.” Will bumped his shoulder with Nico. “I can call you that, right? Now that you’re a teacher and whatnot.”

Nico smiled. He loved how much Will validated him and made him feel safe and loved. “I guess that’s okay, Doctor Solace.” He elbowed Will, who promptly choked on his water.

“Oh, you know I love it when you call me that.” Will snorted, his face red.

Nico took a bite out of his sandwich and turned to his boyfriend with a twinkle in his eye. “Okay, so I have a date idea.”

“Really? Death Boy is ever the romantic,” Will said. “So, what is it? Bowling, a sunset picnic, or going somewhere scary where we could possibly die?”

“How about an underground cavern? I do need a flashlight...” he teased.

Will rolled his eyes. “That sounds about right, coming from Mr. Dark Lord.” He squeezed Nico’s hand under the table and lowered his voice. “Of course I’ll come, I already promised I would.”

“Ooh, are we discussing dangerous quests?” Austin piped up with a mouth full of spaghetti.

“As always,” Will admitted. “But I don’t want any of you to risk your lives for this. This has to just be a me and Nico thing.”

“Oh? Is this so the two of you can have some alone time?” Austin wiggled his eyebrows.

“Right, because dark caverns are just the most romantic,” Nico mumbled.

“Well, it is dark, so no one would be able to see you, if you, you know…” Austin’s eyes danced with humor. Nico’s eyes grew wide and he decided to focus intently on eating his sandwich. He and Will had never gone far in the physical intimacy department, and he did not want to think about the possibilities in front of Will’s siblings.

“Shut up!” Will glared and slapped his brother across the table. His cheeks were still red, though no longer due to the water he choked on.

“Okay, okay, chill. I was just teasing. But if you ever change your mind about the quest, I’m cool with being the third wheel.” Austin shot finger guns at Nico and Will.

“You’ve demoted yourself to last place on my Most Desired Quest Members list after that previous comment, Austin,” Will scolded.

“Aw, man,” Austin exaggeratingly slumped his shoulders and pretended to look hurt. Nico couldn’t help but smile. The Apollo cabin seemed to always be in a good mood, and it made him feel like he was sitting at a lunch table at school with his friends.

“Hey, I know you’re all planning for a quest or whatever, but don’t you need a prophecy?” Kayla interrupted.

“We got one, from Rachel,” Nico said, putting down his food. “She spoke it the night that Apollo came back.” Kayla and Austin looked at each other, confused. Nico and Will hadn’t told anyone the words she had said that night. They hadn’t even spoken the words out loud to each other.

The boys shared a glance, uncertain. “I think they should know, Nico.” Will reassured him with a squeeze of his hand.

Nico nodded. “Okay, here it is.” He took a deep breath and uttered the prophecy.

“Seek the sister’s tribe for aid
One shall fall to the darkest blade

Turned against a closest kin
Burns destroys one’s precious skin

Shadow and sun, love will sail
Silver and gold together prevail”

Notes:

The prophecy has been revealed! What do you guys think? Any predictions?

I really wanted Nico to have to be like a big brother figure to a camper, like how Bianca was to him. I think that is important in his healing process, so I created Ananya! I also wanted an Indian character, because the canon Rick works are really lacking in that department, and I've always wanted representation for myself. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Chapter 4: Troglodytes (Will)

Summary:

Will and Nico ask the troglodytes to help them on their quest.

Chapter Four- Will

After his boyfriend had spoken the prophecy the previous night, the mood was subdued for the rest of the evening. They told Chiron and Mr. D their honest plans to go on the quest, and Chiron had looked at them with sad eyes but gave them his blessings. Dionysus, on the other hand, had shook his head and grumbled about how Nico wasn’t prioritizing his mental health, to which Nico replied, “Will’s coming with me, and he’s good for my mental health!” Will had felt pleased at his boyfriend’s comment, but knew that tagging along would still not be enough to endure the depths of Tartarus without triggering Nico’s worst memories.

The next morning, Will tried to spend as much time outside in the sun as possible before waking Nico up to leave. They had to deliver the skink to the troglodytes in the hope that they would help them by tunneling into Tartarus, hidden from the surveillance of Nico’s father. As they were leaving, a small girl with a ponytail had eagerly gone up to Nico and shouted “Good luck on your quest!” with the biggest smile on her face. Nico had grinned and thanked her. “With your luck, I’ll be back, so make sure to keep practicing your sword fighting!”

They left camp, and Nico told Will that the girl’s name was Ananya, the daughter of Tyche he had mentioned the previous day during dinner. Will was astonished at how well Nico talked to her, like a perfect encouraging older brother. He was glad to see Nico so joyful and radiant around someone other than himself, and hoped that Ananya would give his boyfriend more of a reason to be careful on their quest. Having someone to return to would help Nico not make the reckless and stupidly sacrificial decisions that he often did, Will thought.

***

“Could you do the thing now?” Nico asked. They had travelled to New York City, and with Nico’s guidance, finally made their way underground to the troglodytes’ pitch-black cavern.

Will gave Nico a sly smile. “It’s showtime.” He slowly lifted up his orange shirt to reveal his tank top, his lean stomach briefly in view. “You like that. Don’t you, Death Boy,” Will said, raising his eyebrows with a smirk.

“You’re the worst,” Nico grumbled, but his eyes glanced at Will’s lightly toned abs for a lingering second, and he tried to hide his curving smile behind his hand.

Will beamed, quite literally. He loved making the son of Hades squirm a little bit. He knew Nico secretly enjoyed it, but he would never say that to his face. “Now that you’re done staring,” Will giggled, “go and call our friends.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I was not staring, Solace. I just wanted to make sure your glowing was sufficient.”

“If you say so,” Will lilted in a singsong voice. Nico shook his head, but a smile danced across his face as he looked at Will with gratitude.

“Troglodytes!” Nico shouted with confidence. “I am Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, and I return with my companion to thank you!” A scuttling sound deafened the cavern as dozens of troglodytes ran into the space. Like last time, they all had distinct hats on, with their leader Screech-Bling at the front wearing a George Washington-esque powdered wig and a matching army general hat.

“I see you, Nico di Angelo!” Screech-Bling rasped.

“And I see you, CEO Screech-Bling, wearer of the mighty hats!” Nico’s voice echoed through the cavern. “I come with an offering.” He reached into Will’s bag and brought out the desiccated skink to show to his underground friends. Will scrunched his nose in disgust, but he figured the troglodytes wouldn’t pay much attention to his expressions. After all, they seemed to simply regard him as a moving light source, which Will wasn’t too fond of. He was more than a walking lamp, goddammit!

“This is the highly desired five-lined skink, which, after hours of hunting, my partner and I have brought as a token of gratitude for your help at the battle in Nero’s tower,” Nico continued. Partner? Will wondered. Why couldn’t Nico refer to him as his boyfriend? It was probably Nico playing it safe so the trogs wouldn’t kill them on an off chance that they didn’t approve of their relationship. Maybe they had something against boys dating light fixtures.

Will liked it when Nico proceeded with caution, but when that meant being reduced to a partner, Will didn’t approve. He didn’t approve of the darkness either. Or the creatures eyeing his boyfriend with wet lips and a hungry gleam in their amphibious eyes. Or their complete disregard for Will. One of the troglodytes, Click-Wrong, bumped into him and stabilized himself by placing a scaly hand on Will’s shoulder, as if he were nothing more than a lamppost.

“Thank you—grr— for your gift, son of—CLICK— Hades.” Screech-Bling reached his hands and grabbed the parcel from Nico. “We shall prepare this—screech—delicacy later tonight.”

“I am glad to hear that, O Great Screech-Bling.” Nico bowed ever so slightly. “I also ask for a favor, which I ensure I shall back up with several more five-lined skinks, perhaps even an Italian wall lizard.” The troglodytes murmured with excitement. Will remembered that they hadn’t been able to eat Italian wall lizards since Olympus moved to the United States, so this was a hot-ticket item. Will hoped Nico knew what he was doing.

“What is this favor you speak of, Nico di Angelo?” Screech-Bling asked.

“O civilized troglodytes, you are the most experienced diggers, the most fashionable hat-wearing species. We need to find a path to Tartarus. My father cannot find out about my journey, and that is why I need your help.”

“Hmm, screech-Tartarus, you say? Let me consult with my—click—executive board.” Screech-Bling turned to the troglodytes behind him and began chattering in Troglodytish.

Will took Nico’s hand, and the other boy gratefully squeezed back. If the trogs refused to help, they would be doomed. Will was already worried about the trip to Tartarus, but if they had to go without the help of the best diggers and with the looming threat of punishment from Hades, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it.

“It’ll be okay,” Nico assured quietly. “They’ll help us.” Nico was never a man of many words, but he knew how to console his boyfriend. Will felt his heart rate slow down, his anxiety lessen. Amidst this dark, shadow-y cave, Nico was Will’s rock, his anchor, reminding him of the warmth above.

Screech-Bling turned around, but Nico kept his hand in Will’s, which Will appreciated. Maybe his boyfriend wasn’t so worried about how the trogs viewed their relationship, after all. Or maybe he figured the trogs would just see it as Nico holding on to his portable lamp.

“The board has come to a consensus, Nico di Angelo, provider of the finest reptiles! We have decided to help you and your light source friend.”

Nico and Will both let out a sigh of relief. Will was additionally grateful that the troglodyte had finally acknowledged his presence. Hooray!

“Thank you for your assistance. We are indebted to you, Great Screech-Bling,” Nico said.

“However,” Screech-Bling added, “we have some conditions.”

Will looked at Nico nervously. What else did the troglodytes want?

“We do not know the fastest way to screech-Tartarus,” Screech-Bling admitted. “You would have to find this information yourself, then you can come to—GRR—us again and we will escort you.”

“Oh, that is doable, Chief Executive Screech-Bling,” Nico said. “We shall come back with the directions, and perhaps more lizards.”

“That would be much appreciated, son of Hades.” Will saw Screech-Bling’s thin pupils widen at the prospects of more rare reptiles in the future. “Now, we will be going. We do not want the tunnel-lings to be around you crust-dwellers for much longer. It is a bad influence.”

“I understand. I shall call on you Mighty—CLICK—Cavern Runners when we learn of the way to Tartarus,” Nico concurred. Screech-Bling acknowledged Nico with a tip of his hat, and in seconds, the troglodytes scurried away, leaving Will and Nico alone in the cavern. The glow from Will’s body illuminated the two of them like the moon against a pitch-black sky.

“Well, I’d say that went well,” Will said, turning to face Nico. The son of Hades looked so beautiful in the dim light, his midnight eyes reflecting in Will’s warm glow.

“Yeah, it did. Thanks for coming with me, Sunshine.” Nico blinked, his eyes twinkling like stars. He tilted his head up and gently kissed Will on the lips. Will’s heart burst, releasing a thousand caffeine-fueled harpies, and he swore the cavern was brighter.

“I didn’t know a simple kiss could power you up like that, Solace,” Nico teased, pulling away, and Will realized that he wasn’t just imagining things. His glowing body now shone with a new vigor, illuminating the darkness with the energy of a hundred light bulbs. Nico never initiated kisses back at Camp Half-Blood unless he was absolutely certain that they were alone, which wasn’t often in a place with two-hundred demigods. Will was okay with that, but Nico kissing him was better than ambrosia. If Will had to choose between the sun and Nico’s tender kisses, he would gladly stay in this cavern forever with only the soft touch of the son of Hades. He placed his hands on Nico’s face and pulled him in for another kiss. “I love you, Nico.”

Nico’s eyes sparkled and his half-smile made Will glow brighter, the brilliance of the cavern now equivalent to a blazing July sun. “I love you, too,” Nico replied. They stood in the cavern, kissing, until Will’s glow finally faded to a soft luster.

“I think it’s time for us to head back, darling.” Will put his arm around Nico and turned him towards the exit. He couldn’t stop grinning. They rarely ever had private moments like these amidst the craziness of Camp Half-Blood. Maybe Tartarus wouldn’t be so bad, after all, Will thought. “So, do you have a plan for finding out how to get to Tartarus?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think the answer is in the prophecy,” Nico said. Will noticed that his boyfriend was having trouble keeping his typical son-of-Hades composure, too. A tiny smile maintained itself on Nico's face as he leaned into Will and guided them out of the darkness. “Seek a sister’s tribe for aid. I bet that’s where we’ll find our answer.”

“Sister’s tribe?” Will questioned. “Do you think it’s talking about… Bianca?”

Nico shook his head and moved closer to Will’s warm body. “I don’t think so. Bianca doesn’t have a tribe—she’s part of the dead, now. I believe the prophecy is referring to my other sister, Hazel Levesque.”

Will wasn’t sure if Nico was actually confident in his interpretation, or if he just hoped the prophecy was about Hazel instead. Regardless, Will nodded supportively. “Where can we find her?”

Nico looked ahead with a steely gaze. “We have to go to Camp Jupiter.”

Chapter 5: Back to Camp Half-Blood (Will)

Summary:

Will and Nico return from their troglodyte trip and plan out the next steps.

Chapter Five- Will

Will and Nico took the long way back to Camp Half-Blood. Will was glad that this small quest had allowed them to be outside the camp boundaries, so they didn’t have patrol harpies or Chiron watching over their every move.

“Hey, how about we eat lunch in New York City?” Nico asked, his arm around Will’s waist. “I did tell you that this would be a romantic date.”

“Oh, Death Boy, you are always full of surprises,” Will smiled. “Where do you plan on taking me?”

“Uh, I didn’t plan this far ahead,” Nico admitted. “How about… that bodega?”

Will laughed. “I would love that, Nico.” He pushed open the door to the bodega, the entrance chimes ringing. Will bought a BLT and a grilled cheese sandwich, thanked the owner, and the two boys left the shop. He handed Nico the grilled cheese, who took it and began to delicately unwrap the wax paper before taking a small bite. They leaned against the glass of a bus stop and had their lunch, relatively silent. The sidewalk glistened from light rain, and the asphalt reflected the multicolor stoplights. Will wished he had a phone, so that he could take a picture of Nico’s silhouette against this scenery. He looked like he was straight out of a New York postcard.

“It doesn’t get more romantic than eating bodega sandwiches on a dirty road, does it?” Nico said sarcastically.

Will watched Nico’s gentle eyes take in the drizzling New York Street. His hair was wet from the rain, and it shone with a reddish hue from the traffic light. It really doesn’t, he agreed. “Haha, no, I guess not,” Will said out loud. “I thought we would be shadow-travelling to Paris.”

“That can be arranged. After we survive this quest.”

“Of course. Until then, we can have dates in between fighting monsters and talking to underground cavern dwellers.”

“Yeah, exactly.” A small smile spread on Nico’s face. Gods, he was so cute. Will remembered his first encounter with Nico when they were both ten years old, before Bianca passed away. Will recalled being mesmerized by Nico’s wide eyes, full of astonishment and hope at the world of Greek gods. They had played Mythomagic twice while Bianca was on her quest, and Will was glad to have another friend his age at camp. Then Percy returned without Bianca, and Nico left without a word. Will remembered feeling hurt and betrayed, and another feeling that he couldn’t quite describe at the time. Now he knew that that feeling had been the beginning of a crush. Over the years, Will’s heart would soar when Nico would show up to camp, but he never stayed for longer than a few weeks, and he always isolated himself. Will felt so lucky when he finally decided to stay at Camp Half-Blood after the battle against Gaea. He felt even luckier, when, on a cold day in December, Will expressed his feelings for Nico and had kissed him. The past six months had been the most whole Will had ever felt, and he was pretty sure Nico felt the same way, too.

“What are you thinking about?” Nico broke up Will’s thoughts.

“You,” he said honestly. He moved to face Nico, who was still against the glass wall. “And how perfect you are.” Nico looked up at Will through his dark eyelashes and made a low whimpering sound. Then, Will was kissing him, and Nico was kissing him back, and their sandwich wrappers were on the rainy street, and the world melted around them until there was no one in the entire city but Will Solace and Nico di Angelo.

They pulled away, seconds or minutes or hours later, gasping and red-faced. Nico darted his face around them, making sure no one saw them. Who cares? Will thought. But he had to remember Nico’s childhood, and how their public affection would have been a crime back then.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Will said, gently touching Nico’s arm.

“Right, yeah.” Nico nodded like he was assuring himself. “We can never do stuff like that at camp.”

“I could get used to it.” Will smiled at Nico.

“Me too,” Nico breathed and studied Will with warm eyes. “We should get back, though. Are you ready?”

“Wait.” Will looked around them, trying to commit the setting to his memory. He wanted to remember this date forever. “Now I am.” He laced his fingers through Nico’s, and they dissolved into the shadows.

They stumbled on to the middle of the sword fighting arena. Campers were sparring, and Will almost got his head taken off by a swinging blade. “Watch it!” He yelled.

“Sorry!” A kid said, maintaining her eyes on her opponent. She quickly jabbed at the opponent’s sword arm, and disarmed them. The sword fell to the pavement with a clatter.

“Nice job, Ananya!” Nico complimented. He leaned on Will for support, but Will knew he wouldn’t pass out—shadow-traveling with just one other person didn’t require as much effort.

“Nico! You’re back! How were the troglodytes?”

“They were… good. They agreed to help us.” Will noticed that Nico wasn’t giving Ananya many details about their quest. He wondered if that was to protect her from being afraid, or if he didn’t want to say it out loud himself.

“What did they say?” Ananya asked.

“The trogs said that we have to find the destination ourselves, but they can lead us there once we tell them where to go.”

“Where are you guys going to go?”

“Camp Jupiter. I think my sister can help us.”

“No, I mean, what destination are you talking about?” Ananya pressed. Will realized that Nico had never told her about Tartarus.

“Um, well, we’re not sure yet,” Nico lied.

“Yeah, hopefully we’ll find out at Camp Jupiter,” Will added. Nico gave him a grateful look. “Nico still needs to rest from shadow-traveling, so we’ll see you later, Ananya.”

“Okay!” She grinned and went back to her sword fighting.

“Thanks for covering for me,” Nico said as they walked towards Cabin 13.

“Why didn’t you tell her the truth?” Will asked gently, supporting his boyfriend with his arm.

“I… I don’t want her to worry about me. And I don’t want to scare her by mentioning Tartarus.”

“She really looks up to you, Nico. I think she deserves to know the truth before we leave for Camp Jupiter. I have a feeling that she can handle scary topics.”

“She’s had a difficult past, like me. I know she can handle the truth, but some part of me doesn’t want to ruin her innocence. She reminds me too much of myself,” Nico said.

“That’s why I think she should know. When you were her age, you scoured the Underworld to find out about your mother and sister. Don’t you think she deserves to know the truth before you leave?”

“I… I know you’re right, but it’ll be hard to tell her.”

“It will be, but I think it will be better off in the long run if she knows. Being kept in the darkness doesn’t seem like something she—or you—would be cool with,” Will explained.

“Yeah, she would keep pestering me about it until I told her.” Nico smiled minutely. He would tell her, Will deduced.

“Okay, I’ll see you for dinner, Death Boy,” Will said, satisfied. Nico squeezed his hand and headed inside the Hades cabin.

***

Will spent the rest of the afternoon helping with cabin chores, leading healing classes, and doing camp activities. During lava wall training, Will reminisced about their quest with Rachel and Apollo last month, when he had to jump across a pit to escape the tauri sylvestres. He was grateful for Chiron’s choice of activities—it seemed as if the centaur knew exactly what kind of physical ordeals campers would face in the future. He wondered if any of the activities he was doing now would be beneficial in Tartarus. Better safe than sorry, he thought, and resumed his jump across the lava wall with a newfound determination.

During archery practice, Will was able to talk to Chiron, who was leading the class. He described their encounter with the troglodytes and the next step, which was to go to Camp Jupiter to talk to Hazel.

“Are you sure Camp Jupiter is the right place to find out more information?” Chiron asked.

Will saw the wisdom in the old centaur’s eyes. He clearly had another interpretation of the prophetic line, but wanted Will to come to the conclusion himself. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t have any sisters, so I’m pretty sure this is referring to Nico. And I asked him if it was about Bianca, but he shut me down and assured me that the line must be referring to Hazel at Camp Jupiter.”

Chiron blinked under the bright sun. “Do you have any other ideas about this ‘sister’s tribe’?” Chiron asked suggestively.

“Bianca was part of the Hunters of Artemis, right? I think they might be the tribe that the prophecy mentioned.”

Chiron smiled, confirming that Will had made the same conclusion he had. “I think that is a good assumption, William. I’m not sure myself, but I wouldn’t shun the idea of meeting with the Hunters, either.”

“I’ll mention it to Nico later,” Will promised.

***

At dinner, Nico seemed to be more content. “I told her about Tartarus,” he said. Will turned his head to the Tyche table, and observed Ananya. She looked just as energetic and bubbly as usual, but her eyes seemed distant when she talked to her siblings, as if she were thinking about something else entirely.

“I’m glad,” Will said encouragingly. He wondered if he should bring up his prediction about the Hunters, but decided that that would be something he brought up when he and Nico were alone. He knew Nico didn’t like expressing his feelings in front of many people.

“Ananya was concerned at first, but then she moved on and asked me to walk with her to dinner,” Nico said. “I think she’s trying to hide her worry so that I’ll feel better.” Nico laughed dryly. “It’s funny, because I’m the one worried about her.”

“She’ll be okay, Nico. She seems to be a strong girl,” Will reassured him. “Just make sure to make it back from Tartarus and she’ll be happy.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to promise her that just yet,” Nico said quietly. Austin and Kayla sat in front of them, maintaining a conversation. Will knew they could hear him and Nico, but they didn’t interject, as if to give them a sense of privacy. Also, he figured they were nervous about his quest. The last two head counselors of the Apollo cabin had died in war, and Austin and Kayla were likely hoping that Will wouldn’t be the third.

Will and Nico ate the rest of their dinner, skirting around the topic of Tartarus, and then left for their evening activities. They stayed at the campfire until everyone else was gone. He decided now would be a good time to tell Nico about his predictions.

“Hey,” Will started.

“Hey?” Nico repeated, confused. “Is something wrong?”

“I wanted to talk about the prophecy. Specifically the first line. I… kind of think it might not be about Hazel.”

Nico scowled. “You think it’s about Bianca? She doesn’t even have a tribe.”

“Well, she did. The Hunters of Artemis,” Will noted.

“I don’t want to see the Hunters,” Nico said, his eyes fiercely reflecting the firelight. “And besides, Camp Jupiter makes more sense. Hazel is a centurion there, so she has enough clout for the camp to be considered 'her tribe'."

“Okay,” Will concurred. It wasn’t worth talking more about, as he himself wasn’t sure of the prophecy’s true meaning. “We should ask Chiron to book a flight to Camp Jupiter tomorrow morning, then.”

“The Big House’s lights are still on, maybe we should ask him now,” Nico suggested. “It’s not curfew yet.” They both got up, extinguished the campfire, and made their way towards the Big House. The door was ajar, and Will could hear voices speaking in hushed tones inside. He pushed open the door, and saw Dionysus and Chiron sitting around a table, talking. They stopped when they noticed Nico and Will.

“Hello, Nico, Will,” Chiron said.

“Hi, Chiron,” Will began. “We were wondering if we could get transportation to Camp Jupiter. We want to leave as soon as possible.”

“Camp Jupiter, huh?” Chiron looked at Will with an unspoken question.

“Yes, Camp Jupiter is the most likely place that the prophecy refers to,” Will answered, telling Chiron with his eyes, I told him about the Hunters, but he wouldn’t consider it.

Chiron nodded understandingly. “I can book you boys a flight if you want to be there by tomorrow.” He wheeled himself towards the camp’s single computer.

“Thank you, Chiron,” Nico said.

“Nicholas, remember what I told you. Your mental health is important,” Dionysus insisted.

“Yes, Mr. D.,” Nico said exasperatedly. “I won’t go looking for things that trigger me.”

“Says the boy who’s going to Tartarus,” Dionysus huffed.

Nico scowled. “It’ll be fine, I have Will.”

Dionysus grunted, then looked up at Will, sending a silent message. Protect him. Will nodded determinedly.

“Okay, boys,” Chiron said, breaking up the strange silent staring contest Mr. D, Will, and Nico were doing with each other. “I booked you a flight for tomorrow at twelve o'clock. Argus can drive you to LaGuardia at ten.”

“Thank you,” Nico and Will said simultaneously.

“Now, I think your curfew is almost up. I’d head back to your cabins if I were you.”

“Okay, thanks for everything,” Will said. He grabbed Nico’s hand and they left the Big House, walking towards Cabin 7.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Nico,” Will said when they reached the Apollo cabin.

“Bye, Will.” Nico gave him a sad smile and left to Cabin 13. Will could tell he was nervous about the quest ahead, but didn’t want to press him about it before they were about to sleep. Will opened the door, got into his bunk, and went to sleep almost instantly. He didn’t have any dreams, which was strange. It was almost like his mind was warning him that the dangers ahead would be unimaginable.

He woke up unexpectedly well rested and started prepping for the trip to Camp Jupiter. He realized that he wouldn’t be coming back for a while. I might not be coming back ever, he thought as he filled his backpack with essentials and emergency healing supplies.

“Will!” Kayla called, sitting up from her bed. “Good luck on your quest, okay? Stay safe.”

“I will, Kayla. Thanks for taking over head counselor duties while I’m gone.”

“Of course, just make sure to come back alive,” she smirked.

“I’ll try.” He didn't have the heart to return a smile back.

“Hey,” Kayla noticed his worry and got up out of her bed. “You’re the best healer we have, and Nico is one of our best fighters. Together, you two will be unstoppable.” She pulled Will in for a tight hug.

Will breathed in deeply and then exhaled. “Thanks.”

He finished preparing, gave hugs and goodbyes to the rest of his siblings, and then left to find Nico. When he walked out of the cabin, Nico was already outside, waiting for him with a huge black backpack slung over his shoulders. Will could always count on Nico to stick to his aesthetic.

“You ready?” Nico asked.

Will nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.” They walked together towards the strawberry fields.

“Nico, wait!” A voice called. They turned around and saw Ananya running up to them with something clasped in her hand. “I wanted to give you this before you go.” She opened her hand and revealed a ring. It had a black band, with a small symbol stamped onto the iron head. “It’s a horseshoe,” Ananya said. “In Hinduism, this prevents bad luck. I prayed to Tyche yesterday for you, and I have a feeling that she blessed it, too.”

“Wow, Ananya, thank you so much,” Nico said genuinely, accepting the ring and putting it on next to his signature skull ring.

“It has to be on your right middle finger.”

“Right, okay.” Nico moved the ring to the correct finger. “I… I’ll be back soon, Ananya,” he said, looking at her with his warm brown eyes. Ananya returned the gaze.

“You better be. Tyche will keep you safe.” She smiled, but her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. “Bye, Nico. Good luck.” She pressed a hand onto the horseshoe ring on Nico’s finger as she said the words, like she was blessing him. Then she turned around and ran back to her cabin.

Nico took a deep breath. “I don’t want her to get too attached to me. I don’t know how she’ll be if I don’t return.”

“You will come back. We both will,” Will assured. “Look at those strawberry fields.” Nico followed Will’s gaze. “I promise that I will take you strawberry picking when we get back here alive. And you promised a date in Paris. We will get back. Okay, signor?”

“Okay,” Nico said. He examined the rings on his hands. He had one on each middle finger, perfectly symmetrical. Will couldn’t help but admire Nico’s hands, too. They were lean but soft, like a pianist’s, and the rings accentuated the tracks that the extensor digitorum tendons made through his fingers. “With Ananya being a daughter of Tyche, and the horseshoe ring, I think we really will be okay,” Nico announced. Will wasn’t quite sure who his boyfriend was trying to reassure.

“Of course.” Will gave Nico a kind smile as they continued walking through the fields to the idling van, where Argus sat in the driver’s seat.

“One from someone who protected me, and one from someone I want to protect,” Nico muttered, still observing his rings. Will looked at him, confused. “Bianca and Ananya,” Nico explained. He was speaking more to himself than to Will. They approached the van, Will opened the door for Nico, who got in, his eyes still distant yet focused on his rings. Will crawled in next to him and sat down. He told Argus that they could leave, and the van rolled away from Camp Half-Blood, the pine trees and strawberry fields shrinking and shrinking, until Will couldn’t see them at all.

Notes:

Here is the kind of ring that Ananya gifts to Nico.
https://www.menjewell.com/shani-religious-rings-MKRi0817020?search=shani%20ring
As this is a good luck symbol in Hinduism, I thought it would be quite fitting for Ananya (who comes from a Hindu family on her father's side), to give it to Nico. In addition, with her being the daughter of Tyche, I felt like this represented Ananya wanting to do everything to make sure Nico and Will have good luck on their quest.

I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Feel free to comment and provide your insight, constructive criticism or any other thoughts you have about this story and where it might go. Thanks!

Chapter 6: Airplanes and Anxiety (Nico)

Summary:

Nico suffers from an anxiety attack on the plane to Camp Jupiter.

Chapter Six- Nico

“No, you can’t bring ski poles on to the plane, young man. Sorry, but the rules are rules.” The airport check-in clerk pointed at Nico’s sheathed sword.

“Oh, but, I need it for… health purposes,” Nico fumbled. “I use it as a walking cane because of my balance issues.” He tried to lean against Will convincingly. The woman frowned at the sword, shook her head, and blinked. Nico guessed that the Mist had reconfigured his sword to look like a walking stick.

“You should have known not to bring a metal cane to an airport. Unfortunately, you will have to check it in. There are stores after security—you can purchase a wooden cane there.”

“But—” Nico pleaded.

“Rules are rules,” The woman said firmly. “I don’t want to have to call security, and there’s a line forming behind you.”

“It’s okay,” Will said with a polite smile. “We can check it in.”

Nico looked at Will hesitantly. The last time he had been without his sword was in Rome, when Otis and Ephialtes had taken it from his miserable prison jar to mislead Hazel. While it might have not been a walking cane, his sword was a crutch nonetheless, like his skull ring. Being without it made him feel naked and vulnerable, like he was back with his giant captors.

Will pulled Nico closer. In front of all these people, Nico realized with a startle. He tried to pull away, but found himself relying on Will’s strong presence. Perhaps Will could be his crutch for a few hours while they flew, Nico decided.

“Well?” The check-in woman looked at them expectantly.

“Okay,” Nico sighed. He placed the sheathed sword onto the weighing machine. The woman picked it up and placed it on the conveyor belt behind her. Nico watched his precious sword slide away, until it disappeared behind a rubber flap door. Will paid the woman the check-in charge, they received tags for their backpacks, and they left to find their terminal.

“I haven’t been on a plane in so long,” Will said wistfully. “The last time was three years ago. Before the Battle of Manhattan. It was the last year I went to school in Texas and the last time I was only a summer camper.”

“Why haven’t you gone back?” Nico asked.

“We had so many back-to-back wars, and after the Battle of Manhattan, Percy disappeared and I kind of felt like I had to stay and help out, you know?”

Nico nodded, embarrassed. When Percy disappeared, he had been slightly relieved. He had thought that not seeing the boy’s face would make it easier to get over him. He had left camp and shadow-traveled across America and the Underworld, only to find Percy again at Camp Jupiter. He had secretly hoped that Percy’s erased memories meant that he might have forgotten Annabeth, but she was the one memory that Hera had allowed him to keep. It had felt like an additional stab in the wound for Nico, a cruel joke. But he hadn’t even considered how Camp Half-Blood might have been without Percy, and Nico’s selfishness made him cringe. Of course Will Solace stayed. Of course he would consider the morale of the camp. His boyfriend was the most selfless person he had met, and sometimes it made Nico feel like a monster. He shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off his feelings of worthlessness. He was learning, after all, and the fact that he cared for Will Solace and was worried about Ananya and his friends back at camp meant that he had changed. He was learning to rely on people, and have people rely on him, and that was growth.

“Are you okay?” Will looked at him with concern. “I know how hard it must be to not have your sword with you.”

“Yeah,” Nico tried for a smile. “But I have you, so it’ll be okay.”

“That’s right, Death Boy. Doctor Solace is here to protect you.” Will tousled Nico’s hair. It was a strangely paternal gesture, but Nico melted into his warm touch regardless.

Luckily, they didn’t run into any other issues after the check-in incident with the woman. Will’s pocket knife and other Celestial Bronze items didn’t seem to alert the metal detectors. After successfully passing security, they walked leisurely to their gate and sat down at two empty seats.

“Trail mix?” Will offered, holding open a bag that he had bought. Nico accepted a small handful, placing one nut or raisin into his mouth at a time. Will, on the other hand, ate his trail mix by the fistfuls. Nico wondered how he could ever enjoy the individual flavors like that. “You really have to eat more than that, Nico,” Will chided.

“I will!” Nico said. “I’m just eating slower than you ’cause I’m not a monster.”

“Oh, come on! I don’t like the taste of raisins, so eating it all at once drowns it out.” Will spoke through a mouthful of the snack.

Nico feigned a gasp. “Doctor Solace doesn’t like raisins? What a traitor to the health community!”

“Hey, I like grapes!” Will retorted.

“I guess that’s allowed, then. But you’re on thin ice,” Nico smirked.

“Whatever.” Will rolled his eyes and smiled.

 

The plane was crowded with people in suits, likely on business trips, Nico deduced. One woman across the aisle from Nico’s seat was hurriedly speaking to someone over the phone.

“I will send the data as soon as I can, but I will be losing reception when I take off.” She spoke with a foreign accent that Nico couldn’t quite place. “Of course, thank you so much, I will get them when I land.” The woman had thin brown hair that was cropped short above her ears. She wore a gray pant suit that didn’t match. Her blazer looked proportionate to her body, but her slacks seemed way too big, as if she had redwood tree trunks for legs instead. Nico recalled Will telling him about a disease that caused swelling in the legs—lymphedema. Maybe this woman had that, he wondered. That would be rude to ask, he decided, but there was still something about the woman that was off-putting and alerted every nerve in Nico’s body.

“Hey,” Nico nudged Will. “Is it just me, or is something strange about the woman to our left?” He pointed vaguely with his head.

Will tapped Nico’s arm. “Shh! I’m watching the emergency demonstration!” Will sat with his eyes focused on the flight attendant in the front of the aisle, who was explaining how to inflate a life vest on the rare case that the plane had to land over water.

“Dork.” Nico made a slicing movement with his hand, pretending to chop Will’s arm. He was getting antsy and on edge from the woman across the aisle, and wanted the plane to take off sooner. Will dealt with Nico’s prodding and nudging without a complaint as he attentively listened to the oxygen mask etiquette.

“Just so you know, I have to put my oxygen mask on first before I can help you,” Will said.

“That’s only if you’re traveling with children,” Nico replied, bouncing his legs in his seat.

Will raised an eyebrow. “You’re acting like one right now.”

Nico continued to fidget. He wished he had his sword with him, but he was defenseless. A sudden wave of anxiety rushed through him, and he twirled his rings with a frantic energy as his heart began to pound furiously. He thought about Bianca and Ananya. They had each gifted him a ring, one for each hand. His relationships with both girls were so different, yet the same kind of familial bond bloomed in his heart when he thought of them. Bianca had protected him from so much when they were younger, and he thought she would be there for him, always. The pain of losing her twice, once to the Hunters, and second to death, was unbearable. On the other hand, he had only known Ananya for a few days, but her energy was so much like his younger self. He felt the strong need to protect her, like Bianca had done to him. He would not leave her like Bianca had… but wasn’t he leaving right now? Would he see Ananya ever again? The uncertainty made Nico’s heart ache. Sweat coated his palms with a dull sheen, and Nico noticed his breathing shallow, out of his control. His mind wandered, unlocking other painful memories.

Jason. Nico had shut down his grieving ever since Apollo visited, but now his mind flooded with anguish. For two months, Nico had had a friend. A close friend, perhaps even a best friend. Nico had never used the word to describe his friendship, but he knew in his heart that Jason had been a best friend. Nico might not have been Jason’s best friend, but Jason certainly was Nico’s. He had pushed Nico to be social, and had encouraged Nico to talk to Will. They had inside jokes and could tell each other about their relationship concerns—Jason about Piper, and Nico about his doubts surrounding Will. When Jason left with Piper to search for Leo, and then moved to Los Angeles, Nico knew he could always see him the next summer. He had also grown closer to Will, and having that relationship made Jason’s leaving less painful. Nico felt his eyes well up with stubborn tears as he finally faced the certainty of Jason’s death. There would be no next summer—he would never see Jason again. He hated crying, especially in public. He blinked hard, trying to force the tears back into their ducts. They fell, unwilling to submit to Nico’s wishes, making two long tracks as they raced down Nico’s cheeks.

Will gasped with concern when he noticed. “Nico,” He put an arm around him, pulling him as close as he possibly could. He heard Will’s soft heart beat, a grounding rhythm against Nico’s frantic pulse. “Nico, Nico, Nico,” he whispered into Nico’s hair. Nico didn’t have to say a word. Will knew, and so he held on to Nico tightly, as the tears silently streamed down his face and memories of his friend flashed behind his eyes.

Chapter 7: Fight and Flight (Will)

Chapter Seven- Will

Will observed Nico calm down until his heart rate slowed and he was able to take deep, shaky breaths.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Will whispered, gently stroking Nico’s arm.

Nico shook his head and quickly glanced at the woman next to them. “Not yet. Not now.” Will knew that Nico was overwhelmed with this flight and because he couldn’t bring his sword with him. The rings on his hands seemed to remind him of a painful past, too, likely Bianca or Jason. Nico didn’t want any more pity, but he did need comfort, and perhaps something to take his mind off the pain and anxiety.

“I think you were right about that business woman,” he told Nico quietly. “I feel like she might be a monster or something.” Nico turned his head to look at the woman again, her enormous legs spilling across the aisle. She leaned down to scratch her ankle, and in doing so, lifted the bottom of her slacks ever so slightly. Will caught a sight of green scales. Why hadn’t he noticed sooner? This woman was a dracaena, with two monstrous snakes for legs. She turned to look at Nico and Will, and Will saw an evil gleam in her beady eyes.

Nico swore, his eyes still red and puffy. “I shouldn’t have let that check-in lady take my sword.”

“Maybe she’s not trying to attack us,” Will said, but the creature’s glare told otherwise.

“She was talking on the phone to someone about data and getting ‘them’ when she lands. Do you think she wants to capture us, for some reason?” Nico reached for his sword and flinched when he remembered again that he didn’t have it.

Will placed a hand on Nico’s. “I don’t know, but I got this. You stay here.” He stared back at the dracaena, issuing an unspoken challenge. Then he got up and walked to the lavatory, looking over his shoulder to ensure that she was following him. Will locked eyes with Nico for a brief second, who furrowed his eyebrows with derision. He opened his palms, asking the question, How in Hades are you going to do this? Will simply gave him an over-confident smile. He couldn’t have Nico involved in this fight—without a weapon, moreover—after having just suffered from an anxiety attack. Nico scoffed, but sunk back into his seat hesitantly, glaring at the back of the dracaena as she walked towards Will.

The airplane restroom was vacant, thankfully, but Will quickly realized that there would be no space for both him and the dracaena to fit. He had hoped to fight her in the bathroom, away from mortal eyes, but now that was not possible.

“You’re acting quite confident, son of Apollo,” the dracaena hissed. “You really think you can fight me without a weapon or that skilled boyfriend of yours?”

Will glared at her. “Why don’t you find out?” He unsheathed his knife from his pockets, the Celestial bronze reflecting against the dracaena’s eyes. He still wasn’t sure why the creature wanted to attack them. Was she working under someone else, or was she simply a regular monster who wanted a taste of demigod?

The dracaena growled like she had read his mind. “Nero might be gone, but his minions still roam the United States. And I, Safira, have been tasked to kill you and your partner for ruining his plans last month.” She elongated every “s” sound she came across. Will imagined that snakes would sound like that if they could speak. Perhaps he would ask Apollo about it if he ever met him again. Focus, Will scolded himself. But Safira didn’t give him time to think. With one swift reptilian kick, his knife fell out of his grasp and onto the floor. She attempted a boastful smile, but it looked more like she was baring her teeth.

“Ma’am, sir.” A woman emerged from the flight attendant’s station and nodded to Safira and Will. “I can’t have you out of your seats while the plane is in motion.”

“I’m just accompanying my son to the bathroom,” Safira grinned. Will had no idea how the flight attendant would buy the dracaena’s obvious lie, but she simply nodded and walked away from them. The flight attendant’s station became unoccupied, at least, and Will decided to take advantage of that. Now he could fight the dracaena out of view from the passengers. Safira advanced, and Will realized he was doomed—he had nothing on him but his medicine bag. Safira striked with her clawed hands and kicked with her scaly legs. She had every advantage, and Will could do nothing but duck, roll, and evade her punches. Luckily, he had good defense training at Camp Half-Blood, but he was never good at combat or archery. I should have brought Nico to fight with me, he thought for a brief second. No, stop pitying yourself. You can defeat monsters on your own, too. You have your own skills.

“Getting tired?” Safira sneered.

“Not even close,” Will panted. He reached into his bag of healing supplies frantically, trying to find something that could work against the dracaena. Were any human medicines dangerous for snakes? Safira took advantage of Will’s distraction, and reached out to claw his face. Will reacted in the nick of time, ducking to avoid her fatal blow, but she managed to pierce his skin nonetheless. A trickle of blood ran from Will’s left temple to his chin, and dripped onto the floor. The sharp pain jolted Will’s nerves and kickstarted his sympathetic nervous system response. His brain fired neurons at lightning speed. She hit my temple. Temple. Skull. Sagittal suture. Coronal suture. Sphenoid bone. His mind recalled this medical knowledge instinctually, connecting vague dots to form an idea. Meanwhile, he continued to defend against Safira’s ruthless attacks, somehow managing to avoid her vicious grasp. The pterion, he remembered. It was the weakest point of the skull, right where the temples were. A direct blow to the dracaena’s pterion would render her unconscious or dead. Will hoped that dracaenas had a similar skull anatomy to humans, or else his plan wouldn’t work. He eyed the metal armrest of the flight attendant’s chair and muttered a quick prayer to his father. Whether it was his physical education at Camp Half-Blood or Apollo offering him strength, Will managed to rip the armrest off of the seat, fashioning himself an ugly DIY club. He turned around with full force, hitting Safira in the chest. She stumbled backwards, back into the aisle of the plane. Mortals looked up with mild interest, but Nico sat up straight, his eyes wide as he fumbled to remove his seatbelt.

Will stared at Nico, telling him with his eyes, No, I can do this. He didn’t want Nico to get hurt, and Will did have a plan. He also needed to prove to himself that he was valuable in a fight just like his boyfriend. He resumed his glare on Safira, who regained her balance.

“Oh, you will die for this, son of Apollo!” She screamed, and charged at Will, eyes shining with hatred. Will didn’t move. Instead, he waited for her to approach, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nico get out of his seat.

The dracaena was only an arm’s length away, and Will needed to attack now. He focused on her head, located her temple, and crashed the armrest down with as much force as he could. Will heard the satisfying crack of her skull fracturing from his successful strike. Safira gasped quietly and fell onto the aisle, unconscious. Nico froze in shock as the dracaena’s body thudded at his feet.

“Will, I— wow,” Nico stuttered.

“Wait, she’s not dead yet.”

Nico picked up Will’s knife, which was still on the ground from earlier. He held it out, hilt side towards Will.

It’s unsafe to pick up weapons by the blades like that, Will thought, but he accepted the knife regardless. He was glad that Nico was letting him complete the kill—he didn’t have a high kill count like Nico did, and even though it grossed him out, it felt like a rite of passage for a demigod to kill a certain amount of monsters. He raised the point of the small knife and drove it in between the dracaena’s clavicles, and she crumbled to dust.

The mortals finally seemed to be put out of their Mist-induced hypnosis, and gawked at the two boys who took up the aisle. “Young men, you have to be in your seats, now.” The young flight attendant from earlier spoke firmly, like she was talking to two mischievous first-graders.

“Of course,” Will responded. “My apologies.” They quietly sat back in their seats and fastened their seatbelts. No one seemed to be concerned about the single empty seat across the aisle from Will and Nico, or the pile of dust coating the floor.

“Will, what was that?” Nico demanded. “And you’re bleeding!”

“Well, I didn’t want you to fight—you don’t have your sword, and you, like, just had an anxiety attack,” Will explained. He touched his temple and looked at the sticky red substance on his finger. “I’m okay, though.”

“I— I could have helped you somehow.”

“Really?” Will raised an eyebrow. “And what did you plan on doing? You can’t raise any dead from this high up, and I haven’t heard wonders about your fist-fighting abilities.”

“Hmph.”

“Nico, you don’t have to be the hero every time. I’m here for a reason, and besides, I did a pretty good job with that monster, don’t you think?” Will smirked, bouncing his shoulder against Nico’s.

“I guess so,” Nico grumbled, but his eyes shone with pride when he looked at Will. “You’re a smart fighter,” he added softly.

“Thank you very much, Signor di Angelo. I learn from the best.”

“How did you defeat her anyway? I was so worried when you lost your knife,” Nico said. He reached for Will’s bag and pulled out a Band-Aid.

Will tapped his non-bloody temple knowingly. “Medical knowledge, baby. I remembered learning about the sutures of the skull and how this one point, the pterion, is the weakest spot.”

“Nice job, Doctor Solace. Now let’s use that medical knowledge to fix up your cut.” Nico opened the Band-Aid and leaned towards Will to place it where he was bleeding.

“Wait, I have to disinfect it first!” Will yelped. “I have got to teach you first-aid, Death Boy,” he muttered. He brought out an alcohol wipe and gently dabbed at where he thought the cut was, but the pain was so dull he couldn’t tell. “Look at me,” Will said. “Your eyes can be my mirror.”

Nico inhaled and turned to face Will. Will dressed his wound in the reflection of Nico’s eyes, which were ink-black, like pools of the River Styx. Will motioned to Nico, who looked up to Will’s temple and gingerly placed the Band-Aid over the cut. His eyes were focused and intense, and his nose scrunched as he attempted to secure the Band-Aid as perfectly as possible. He gently patted Will’s temple, smiled in a satisfied way, and returned his gaze to Will. Even though he didn’t need to see his reflection anymore, Will maintained eye contact with Nico. Nico’s breath hitched as they looked into each other’s eyes, appreciating the beauty and depth that lay beneath. But neither boy leaned closer to brush his thumb along the other’s cheek, or reached to move aside a strand of hair across the other’s forehead. Through their locked eyes, they told each other those things, everything they wished they could do, but couldn’t because they were in public.

DING. Nico jumped, breaking their gaze. Will let out a breath and listened to the captain’s voice over the PA announce that they would be landing soon at San Francisco International Airport. The plane descended smoothly, and Will felt his ears pop. A few minutes later, Nico flinched and held his right ear. His eyes grew wide and his body went still, and Will knew it could be the beginning of another anxiety attack.

“Is everything okay?” Will asked.

“I haven’t felt my ears pop since… since I jumped into Tartarus,” Nico whispered. He inhaled and exhaled slowly and tightly gripped Will’s hand. It was one of Nico’s grounding techniques, and focusing on Will’s hand, something tangible and warm, usually helped him calm down. Will watched Nico observe the veins in Will’s hands as he continued manually breathing. Finally, he said, “Okay, I’m okay. It’s okay. Thanks.”

“Of course, Nico.” Will kept his hand in his boyfriend’s until the plane rumbled to a stop on the runway.

 

Nico was antsy at the baggage claim. He eyed every suitcase that circled the conveyor belt, eyes widening with anticipation any time he saw anything remotely the size and color of his sword. Finally, the familiar obsidian sheath crawled into view, and Nico lunged to grab it before it could turn away. He let out a sigh, and Will saw the tension release from his shoulders. Nico’s casual nonchalant posture returned as he attached the sword to his belt. He smiled at Will. “Let’s go meet my sister.”

The cab ride to the Caldecott Tunnel was uneventful. Will watched the scenery come and go, alternating from skyscrapers to blue oceans to rolling hills full of tall, bushy trees.

“You can actually stop right here before the exit,” Nico said to the driver.

“In the middle of the highway?” she asked.

“Yeah, you can just pull over to the shoulder.”

“Huh.” She frowned. “I’ve been getting more kids your age asking for the same thing. What do y’all do that’s here?”

“Uh…” Nico faltered.

“I’m kidding, honey. You teenage folks and your sesh spots, am I right?” She winked. “I won’t tell.”

Nico smiled weakly. “Of course. Thanks, ma’am.”

Will couldn’t believe the driver thought that the Caldecott Tunnel was a smoking location, but he figured that would be a safer assumption than to tell her the truth. She pulled over to the shoulder, gave Nico and Will another smile, and they stepped out.

“Do we really look like people who would smoke?” Nico asked, his eyes squinting under the California sun.

Will shrugged, checking out Nico’s leather jacket and black jeans. “You kinda do.”

“Hey!” Nico punched Will’s shoulder. They laughed as they walked towards the maintenance tunnel. It was being guarded by a young Indian man with silky black hair styled in a fade. The man furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Will and Nico.

“Can I help you?” The man asked.

“I’m Nico di Angelo, Hazel’s brother, and this is my boyfriend, Will,” Nico said. “We need to speak with Hazel about our quest—I Iris-messaged Frank about it earlier this week.”

“Oh, Hazel! Of course.” The man opened the door to the maintenance tunnel and led them through it.

Nico had attempted to describe Camp Jupiter to Will before. Unfortunately, children of Hades were not skilled in the art of imagery, so Will was completely blown away when they stepped onto the landscape. The Berkeley Hills spread out to his left, forming a lush green scenery. He spotted a large aqueduct which arched towards what looked like a small college town, which he presumed to be New Rome. A fast moving river ran in front of him, and snaked around the barracks up to the other side of the city. Outside the barracks, Will saw dozens of demigods in armor milling around, some practicing sparring, others playing board games at picnic tables. To his right, next to New Rome, hundreds of shrines and temples were in view. This must be Temple Hill, he guessed. Overall, Camp Jupiter was so much more expansive than Camp Half-Blood, and Will felt a strange pang of jealousy. He wished there was a place for Greek demigods to live and learn throughout the year. But at the same time, both Nico and Jason had chosen Camp Half-Blood. There must be something special about home that wasn’t accounted for here, something that made people pick a summer camp over a year-round safe haven.

“This place is— wow,” Will exclaimed.

“I know,” Nico agreed. He reached for Will’s hand. “I can’t wait for you to properly meet Hazel.” Will had seen Nico’s sister after the battle at Camp Half-Blood last summer, but he had never spoken to her. “Can you show us to Hazel?” Nico asked the guard who had led them.

“I’m actually on guard duty still, but if you follow the via Principalis, you’ll find her in the praetor’s office.”

“What’s she doing there?” Nico looked confused.

The guard raised an eyebrow. “Well, she is a praetor.”

Nico’s eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of his head. “What? Why didn’t Frank tell me when I called him? Or Apollo?”

The guard shrugged. “Frank is quite busy, he might have forgotten to mention it, or he thought you already knew. And Apollo’s memories were not in good shape when he was here as a mortal, so I doubt he thought to bring it up when he went back to Camp Half-Blood. I guess being poisoned by a eurynomos and losing your immortality can mess with your brain.” The man’s eyes were distant, as if recalling the last time the god of the sun had visited. Then he blinked and looked at Will. “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Pranjal, head healer of the legion.”

“No way! I’m a healer, too!” Will was ecstatic. “Are you a son of Apollo, too?”

“No, but I guess Apollo’s my grandpa. I’m a son of Asclepius.”

“That’s awesome! I heard that Romans use unicorns for healing. Do you think you could teach me about it?” Will said.

“Of course,” Pranjal smiled. His straight white teeth gleamed under the sun. “But I have to get back to guard duty. Best of luck!” He turned and walked back through the tunnel.

“He’s so cool! Maybe I can learn more Roman healing techniques here,” Will gushed to Nico as they walked towards the praetor’s office.

“You’re a nerd,” Nico replied.

“I hate you.”

“No you don't, Sunshine.”

 

The white headquarters towered next to the barracks. Nico strode up to it and entered the building. Frank and Hazel sat side by side at a long table, discussing something in front of a jar of jelly beans. As soon as they saw Will and Nico, they jumped up and ran over to them.

“Nico!” Frank and Hazel exclaimed. They simultaneously crushed Nico in a bear hug.

“Nice to see you guys, too.” Nico’s eyes sparkled and a new brightness took over his face. Will knew that his boyfriend was excited to see Frank and Hazel, but he didn’t express that enthusiasm as loudly as they did. “So, praetor Hazel Levesque, huh?” He grinned at his sister. “Why didn’t you tell me, Frank?”

Frank rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry about that. I honestly thought Apollo would have mentioned it, and our Iris-message cut out earlier.”

Nico patted him on the shoulder. “That’s okay. We have a lot to discuss anyway. Did you tell Hazel about the prophecy?”

The praetors shared a worried glance. “Yeah,” Hazel said. “It doesn’t sound too good, though.” She shifted her eyes, as if just noticing Will for the first time. “Nice to meet you. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I’m just so excited because I haven’t seen my little brother in over a year!”

“Hey, I’m older!” Nico retorted.

“No way, little bro.”

“Ugh.” Nico rolled his eyes, smiling.

“So, Nico, can you introduce me?” Hazel’s eyes twinkled with humor.

“Frank, Hazel, this is Will Solace, son of Apollo.” Nico gestured to Will.

“And…?” Hazel teased.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Nico mumbled.

Hazel grinned. “Of course. Very lovely to have you here, Will.”

“Thank you,” Will replied. He shared a look with Hazel, who simply smiled back. She seemed to get a kick out of teasing Nico a bit, which Will could relate to.

Nico shook his head. “You all are the worst.”

“You know you love us, Death Boy,” Will smirked and squeezed Nico’s hand. His boyfriend’s face turned beet-red, and Hazel and Frank only half-attempted to cover their laughter.

Frank regained his composure, but the remnants of a smile remained on his face. “Anyway, Will, would you like a tour of Camp Jupiter? Pranjal should be returning from guard duty soon, and he can show you around. Hazel and I would like to spend some time with Nico if that’s okay.”

“For sure!” Will was glad Nico was going to spend time with his Argo II friends. He didn’t want to intrude on their reunion, and he secretly hoped that Nico would talk to Frank and Hazel about him.

“Pranjal should be outside this building to the right. We’ll see you at dinner!” Hazel said, opening the door for him.

Will walked out of the praetor’s office. He looked over his shoulder and saw Nico, Frank, and Hazel talking and laughing. He wasn’t sure the last time he had seen Nico look so happy.

Chapter 8: Old Friends and New Information (Nico)

Notes:

Apologies for the long wait! I had a lot of work and had some trouble trying to accurately convey how I wanted Nico to react in a certain scene. Thanks for being patient!

Chapter 8- Nico

Nico watched Will’s fluffy blond hair bounce away out of the praetor’s office.

Once Will was out of view, Hazel said, “Okay, now spill the tea.”

“There isn’t any tea here,” Nico replied, looking around the office for a teapot or kettle. “And why would you want me to spill it? That would make a mess.”

Hazel and Frank looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“And I thought Hazel didn’t know slang!” Frank howled, tears rimming his eyes. Hazel was hugging her stomach on the floor, and her body convulsed with silent laughter.

Nico wasn’t sure what was so funny, but seeing his friends losing it caused him to let out a chuckle as well. They looked so ridiculous, writhing with tears in their eyes, and suddenly, he was laughing as well. It was so contagious, and Nico’s body overtook him as he giggled hysterically and joined Frank and Hazel on the floor.

“Oh, man—HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!” Frank slapped the ground, his cheeks red.

Hazel’s springy hair seemed to vibrate as she laughed. “I can’t believe I know what that means, and I’ve been dead for seventy years!”

This caused Frank to lose it once more. His body folded in half and his laughs ricocheted off the walls of the office.

The sounds coming out of Nico’s mouth felt foreign, but in the most refreshing way possible. His face grew warm and his abs contracted. “What’s wrong with what I said?” Nico snorted.

“Spilling the tea is a slang, Death Boy,” Hazel giggled.

“Hey, only Will calls me that!”

Frank wheezed. “Spilling the tea means to give gossip and news. And we want to hear all the details about this Will Solace, who apparently gets to call you cute names.” Frank put a hand over his chest, pretending to look hurt, as if he wished he had the privilege of calling Nico pet names related to death and darkness. If Frank started referring to him as Mr. Shadow or something equally horrific, Nico would have no choice but to leave Camp Jupiter immediately.

“Yeah, tell us everything, Nico,” Hazel smirked.

“Aren’t we supposed to be discussing a prophecy?” Nico complained.

“That can wait. Learning about your boyfriend is much more important right now.”

“All right,” Nico groaned. “But first of all, I had no idea you would take this so well, Hazel, being from the 1940s and all.”

“Oh, please.” Hazel looked mildly offended. “I’ve learned a lot since you found me in Asphodel. Lavinia, the centurion of the Fifth Cohort, made sure I was up to date with the twenty-first century.” She shook her head and smiled, and Nico suddenly had an image of a centurion furiously quizzing his sister about the latest pop hits. “And why on Earth would I ever judge you for being in a happy relationship? I mean, look at you!”

“What do you mean?” Nico asked, confused.

“You’re, like, brighter. And more radiant, I guess,” Frank said. “You used to blend in with the shadows, and now you look like you’ve stepped into light. That sounds kind of weird—sorry— but it’s true.”

Hazel nodded in agreement. Nico looked down at his hands. He didn’t feel physically changed since he last saw Hazel and Frank, but perhaps they were right. This past year—until Jason’s death—was the happiest Nico had been since he was ten.

“Anyway, Neeks, tell us about Will.” Hazel raised her eyebrows with a smile.

Nico scoffed at the stupid nickname, then began speaking. “He’s… great. Really great.”

“Come on, we want more than that!” Frank whined. “What do you like about him?”

“Well, he’s really nice to me. And he was never scared of my Underworldly-ness, or whatever. He was the first person besides Hazel to see me as a real person with feelings—no offense, Frank.” Nico looked up. Hazel and Frank leaned in with big grins.

“Go on,” Hazel encouraged, her golden eyes sparkling.

“He’s funny, and he knows how to comfort me. He makes stupid jokes and is a nerd about Star Wars. He likes strawberries and he can glow and he makes me feel safe.” Nico realized he was rambling, but he didn’t care. It felt good to finally say his feelings out loud to his friends. “Will’s really smart. He says he’s not a good fighter, but he just doubts himself. He killed a dracaena on the plane ride here.” Nico beamed, remembering how confident and strong Will had been while Nico was anxious and swordless. “His blond hair reflects the sunlight and looks golden sometimes, and his eyes are the most perfect blue, like the sky at Camp Half-Blood. I— I really like him,” Nico finished.

“Come here,” Hazel said. Nico scooted over to her, and she embraced him in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for you, Nico.”

Nico suddenly felt self-conscious, and a flush ran through his face.

“That was so cute, Nico. We should totally do a double date with you guys for dinner!” Frank squealed.

“Definitely.” Hazel leaned over to Frank and kissed him.

Nico scrunched his nose. “Ugh, Will’s always wanted to go on a double date. I guess today’s his lucky day.”

Hazel laughed. “Then it’s settled. But first we should actually discuss what you came here for.” She got up off of the floor and sat behind the praetor’s desk. Frank followed suit, and Nico was left standing across from them.

Nico coughed awkwardly. “Right. So, the prophecy told me to seek the sister’s tribe for aid, which Will and I figured was referring to Camp Jupiter.” He didn’t add that Will had wanted Nico to consider the Hunters of Artemis as well. Or that Nico himself wasn’t quite sure if Camp Jupiter was the answer to the prophetic line.

“Frank mentioned the prophecy to me,” Hazel said. “But I think your Iris-message cut out before you could explain what your quest was about.”

“Yeah, I tried to call you again, but it wouldn’t connect at all,” Frank expressed.

Nico looked at both praetors. He lingered for a moment longer on Hazel. “Will and I are going to go to Tartarus.” Hazel and Frank simultaneously widened their eyes in shock.

“What? Are you crazy, Nico?” Hazel bolted out of her chair and came around the desk so she was face to face with Nico. Her piercing gold eyes stared into his. “Why in Pluto’s name would you choose to go back there?” She shuddered. “The last time… when you came back…” Her voice shattered. “You were so broken.”

Nico reached for Hazel’s arm, where her SPQR tattoo glared. “Tartarus was horrifying, Hazel. But when I was there, there was this… Titan. And he helped me.”

“A Titan?” Frank gasped.

Nico nodded. “Iapetus. When I was younger, Percy, Thalia and I ran into him on a quest for Hades, and Percy wiped the Titan’s memories in the River Lethe. He turned good, and Percy named him Bob.” He allowed himself the tiniest of smiles as he recalled that day. “I befriended him after he was given a job in the Underworld at Father’s palace, and he came to help me when I chose to go to Tartarus last year.” Nico looked fiercely at Hazel, then turned and locked eyes with Frank. “I would have died without him.”

“But why are you going back?” Hazel asked desperately.

“He’s in danger. I can’t turn my back on him after everything he did for me and Percy and Annabeth.” He described his recurring dream of Bob reforming, and Hyperion waiting to eradicate his essence forever with the Stygian iron spear.

Frank stood up. “Nico, how can you vanquish a Titan by yourself?” His calf-brown eyes swam with worry.

“I have to,” Nico declared. “I have a Stygian iron weapon, too, and I can kill Hyperion before he can kill Bob.”

“We’ll come with you.” Frank stood up straight and made eye contact with Hazel, who quickly masked her unease and nodded.

Nico shook his head. “I can’t have you risking your lives for my mission. You have a legion to rebuild and maintain, and I don’t want more people than necessary joining me in Tartarus. Will refused to let me go unless he came with me, so if it wasn’t for that, he wouldn’t be coming either. No one should ever have the misfortune to look upon that place.” He shut his eyes for a brief moment, and images of Tartarus rushed in his mind. The rough, skin-like surface, the rocks rising out like teeth, the wet, throat-shaped caverns filled with monsters. It all made up the body of the god Tartarus himself, who allowed people to live in his realm on his volition only. Every single step carried the threat of engulfing you to Chaos. Nico felt bile crawl up his throat, and he swallowed forcefully. He opened his eyes and gripped the edge of the praetors’ desk.

Romans understood sacrifice and duty—it was one of the main differences about Camp Jupiter that Nico had observed. Hazel and Frank looked at each other, then turned to Nico. “Okay.” Hazel spoke softly. “How can we help you, then?”

“The prophecy said that Camp Jupiter would be able to aid me.”

“Because of the ‘sister’s tribe’ thing?” Frank asked.

Nico nodded. “Last time I found Tartarus, I went through the Underworld. But Hades forbids me from going to Tartarus again, so I need to find another entrance, away from my father’s realm. Do you have any ideas about that?”

Hazel pondered for a few seconds. “Despite being an underground girl, I have never felt anything that could be an entrance to Tartarus. I have found many doors to the Underworld, though.” She grimaced, as if recalling near-death trips to their father’s territory.

“I can’t think of anything either, unless… you could go to that parking lot in Rome where Percy and Annabeth fell through?” Frank offered.

“No, we don’t have that kind of time,” Nico muttered. He couldn’t believe he had come all this way just for the praetors to be of no help to his quest. Their contagious, unrestrained laughter seemed so long ago, and now Nico was irritated that he had even allowed himself that sliver of joy.

“I’m sorry, Nico,” Hazel stepped closer to him. “But we’ll be sure to ask every single legion member, and the New Rome citizens, in case any of them have clues. Frank, could you go gather the legion and ask if any of them have useful information?”

“Forget it,” Nico said. If his own sister, a daughter of Pluto, didn’t know anything about an entrance to Tartarus, he doubted any of their legionnaires would. But Hazel looked at Frank regardless, and a silent conversation ensued between them. Frank seemed to understand. He turned around to leave the office.

“It’s worth a shot,” Frank said. “I’ll be back in a bit.” The door gently closed behind him, and Hazel and Nico were alone.

“I really wish I could help you, Nico,” Hazel began. She phrased it like she was talking not only about his quest, but something more comprehensive.

Nico touched his shoulder to hers, grateful that they were alone. It was always easier to show physical affection for people when he was by himself, because he could let some of his guard down. “I’m sorry,” he sighed and took several deep breaths as Will had taught him to do. “This quest is stressing me out, and I thought we might get closer to some tangible answer at Camp Jupiter. The prophecy is so confusing, and I’m scared Will’s going to get hurt.” He had never admitted this fear to anyone.

“What do you mean?” Hazel asked.

“One shall fall to the darkest blade.” Nico recited. “I’m pretty sure the ‘darkest blade’ refers to Stygian iron. What if Hyperion kills Will with his spear? Or what if I accidentally hurt him with my sword?” Nico felt tears threaten to well up behind his eyes. He knew the dangers of his sword, which was why he always kept it sheathed, except in battle. His intrusive thoughts told him that he and Will might be in combat, and Nico would swing his sword a foot too far, and strike his boyfriend instead of a monster. That false image had played in Nico’s mind ever since they began their quest. He knew it was his brain creating these awful scenarios, but he couldn’t help but have anxiety over the possibility.

“Nico, you’re the best swordsman I’ve met. You know how to use your sword. You would never hurt Will,” Hazel assured.

“But he could still be hurt by Hyperion’s spear. And even if the ‘one’ isn’t Will, it could be Bob, and I can’t have him die, either.”

“Or it could be about Hyperion, right? He could fall to your Stygian iron sword.”

“I hope that’s it,” Nico said quietly. He didn’t mention his apprehension about one other line of the prophecy: Burns destroys one’s precious skin. Between the two of them, Will’s skin was arguably more “precious”. He could glow, and could use his hands to heal by singing a hymn to Apollo. Nico would never forgive himself if Will got burned. But he didn’t want to worry Hazel any further. He needed help on his quest. “I still don’t understand the ‘sister’s tribe’ line, though. If you don’t have any information regarding Tartarus, where am I supposed to find it?” He hoped Hazel wouldn’t bring up the guess that he had had for the past week.

Hazel’s eyes were like pinpricks of sun shining through a black veil. “Nico, if no one in Camp Jupiter has any idea about Tartarus, I think you should seek the Hunters of Artemis. Because… you know, Bianca.”

Nico took a deep breath, and let all the air in his lungs escape as he exhaled. “I don’t know if I can stand to see them again.”

“Even if it might be painful, I think it’s the best interpretation of the prophecy. The Hunters are more of a tribe than Camp Jupiter is, and Bianca was your biological sister. Besides, Reyna’s missed you.”

Nico had been so consumed by the quest and seeing Frank and Hazel, that he had forgotten to notice Reyna’s absence. “What do you mean? Where is she?” he asked hesitantly, but he was afraid of the answer. An angry fire began to kindle at the pit of his stomach.

Hazel’s eyebrows furrowed. “Didn’t Apollo tell you?”

Nico scowled. “I’m going to kill that god the next time I see him. He didn’t tell me anything.”

Hazel began twisting pieces of her hair absentmindedly. “Reyna joined the Hunters after the battle with Commodus and Caligula, and I was unanimously elected to take her place as praetor.” Nico noticed that her eyes gleamed with a hint of pride at the mention of her rise in title, but he didn’t have the heart to congratulate her now.

Nico sat down on a three-legged stool. His tailbone recoiled against the jarring wooden seat. He hadn’t talked to Reyna in almost a year, but she was important to him. Reyna was the first person to acknowledge and recognize his bravery during the war, and when she had hugged him in the firelight on their last day together, he had felt whole. Like he finally belonged somewhere. He knew that they wouldn't see each other often, being on opposite sides of the country, but somehow the thought of seeing her again, as part of the Hunters, was worse than not seeing her at all.

Nico tongue tasted bitter. “I can’t believe she would join them.” The Hunters of Artemis did nothing but take the people he cared about and strip them of their right to love. How dare they take both his sister and one of his first friends? Tragedy and the Hunters of Artemis always went hand in hand. He knew it was unreasonable, but he couldn’t help but blame them for Jason’s death, too. It couldn’t simply be a coincidence that his sister was the lieutenant to the goddess.

Hazel simply stood next to Nico, unsure of what to say. Then, she gingerly placed Nico’s hand between her own. “I can understand that this hurts you, but Reyna had been planning to retire for a while. Praetorship is such a difficult job, and Reyna has been leading the Twelfth Legion Fulminata since she was fifteen. She had to maintain a legion during both the Second Titan War and the battle against Gaea, and for most of it, she had to do it alone.”

Nico was silent as his mind raced furiously. Like Reyna, Bianca had also joined the Hunters to be free from responsibility. Now that he was older, Nico understood why his sister had wanted to leave him, but he still could not forgive the Hunters for selling the experience to her like it was some sort of vacation deal. Was it really the Hunters’ fault, though? A new corner of his mind opened, and for the first time, Nico considered a different answer. No twelve-year-old should have to parent their younger sibling. That was only a year older than Ananya. She should be focused on school, making friends, and practicing sports. But even Ananya’s life wasn’t so ordinary. Being a demigod automatically thrust them into a world of danger, and their lives were fated to be miserable from the start. It was the gods’ fault, Nico realized, for having children that had to be trained at camps as soldiers or else die in the mortal world. It was the gods’ fault, for designing a camp where a fifteen-year-old had to lead a legion against enemies that had centuries more battle experience. It was the gods’ fault, for ruining the lives of so many parents who were once young and in love, and forced siblings to raise one another too soon. And it was the gods’ fault, for creating a world where joining a group of immortal hunters was the safest and most liberating choice.

Now that Nico thought about it, Artemis was the only major god who didn’t bring children into this world of monsters. He didn’t particularly like her recruitment methods, but the freedom that came with being a Hunter was true. Nico wasn’t sure how he felt about his new perception of the goddess. He didn’t think he should forgive the Hunters just yet, but perhaps he understood their values a bit more. He certainly didn’t blame Reyna for joining them, at least.

“What are you thinking?” Hazel finally asked, breaking the silence. She still held his hand, and her warm eyes looked at Nico with love and concern. Nico’s anger had dissipated, and his thoughts ran clear.

“I… I think you’re right. I need to meet the Hunters. And… ” Nico took a deep breath. “ … I’m glad Reyna is happy with them.”

Hazel slowly smiled. “It must be hard to forgive them, but I’m really proud of you.”

“Oh, I haven’t forgiven them. But I understand why Reyna joined them, and I hope they will be able to help us find Tartarus.”

Hazel squeezed his shoulder and leaned down to hug him. Nico allowed himself to be enveloped in her warm embrace. “I’m still proud of you, Nico. You’ve changed, in a good way. You’re not so driven by grudges or resentment, and a child of the Underworld, that’s a huge accomplishment.”

Nico felt his chest grow warm. Getting complimented on his personal growth was so rewarding, especially coming from his sister. “Thanks, Hazel,” he managed. He stood up from the chair and faced her. “I’m proud of you, too. You’re going to be an amazing praetor, and Camp Jupiter will flourish with you and Frank as leaders.” He smiled, and Hazel beamed back.

Frank trudged into the office a few minutes later. “Hey Nico,” he said. “I put notices all around New Rome and questioned our legionnaires. So far, no one has any answers about Tartarus, but Percy and Annabeth want to speak with you and Will.”

Nico remembered that Percy and Annabeth were going to college in New Rome in the fall. He was surprised to find himself excited to meet them.

“Oh, and Hazel? We’re needed for evening legion activities, so we won’t be able to have dinner with Nico and Will.” Frank exaggerated a pout. “But Will still gets his double date—you’ll just be with Percy and Annabeth instead.”

“Thanks for your help, Frank,” Nico said. “And thank you, Hazel. I’ll be sure to say goodbye before we leave camp.” He gave her a look of gratitude.

“Oh, you’d better,” Hazel smirked, but her eyes shone.

“You can meet up with Will at the healing facilities before seeing Percy and Annabeth at the New Rome café by the university. You know where that is, right?” Frank said.

Nico nodded. Talking with Hazel and Frank had been a rollercoaster of emotions for him, but ultimately, he was grateful. “I’ll see you around,” he replied, and left the office. The sun seeped into his skin, and Nico felt a little sad, but perhaps a little hopeful of the journey ahead, too.

Chapter 9: Annabeth and Percy (Nico)

Chapter Nine- Nico

The cafe sat under the towering girls’ dormitory of New Rome University, which, unlike the rest of New Rome, looked like it could have been from any state college in the country. Its rain-stained windows were placed too far apart in Nico’s opinion, and he didn’t think it would allow for adequate sunlight to enter the rooms, especially since the building faced north. Years of its standing made the red brick desperate in need of a power wash. Despite the unattractive edifice above them, the cafe where Nico sat outside of was quite nice. They were at a patio table which shielded the evening sun with its umbrella. Mint green walls enveloped the inside of the cafe, and bright bold letters scrawled over them with the menu, which was vegan and health-oriented. Nico was seated next to Will, and Annabeth and Percy were across from them.

“I can’t believe you guys are going to Tartarus,” Annabeth continued.

“I have to help Bob,” Nico repeated. “He sacrificed so much for us, and I can't just leave him there to die.”

Percy and Annabeth exchanged worried glances. Percy looked mildly embarrassed. “I think about him so much,” he admitted. “And I can’t believe he has a chance to live again. But I never would have considered going back there. You’re way stronger than I give you credit for, Nico.”

Annabeth nodded in agreement. “We won’t be joining you. But we’d like to help. How far did you get in Tartarus when you went by yourself?”

Annabeth’s gray eyes stared at Nico with encouragement and support. Her presence was sturdy and stable, like a Greek column. “I managed to get to Akhlys,” he began. Percy and Annabeth both retreated into their chairs and Annabeth’s eyes wavered. Percy drew his arms under the table, and under the shadow of the patio umbrella, his once sea-green eyes looked more like washed up kelp. Nico continued. “She wouldn’t shroud me in the Death Mist, and I got captured by the giant twins. I was dragged through the rest of Tartarus until they pulled me through the Doors.”

Annabeth took a deep breath. “Okay, so you know about the River Phlegethon?”

“Yes. I didn’t know children of other gods could drink from it, though,” Nico said.

“I wasn’t sure either,” Annabeth confessed. “But we took the leap of faith, and it kept us alive.”

“And you had Bob.” And you had each other, Nico thought bitterly.

“Of course. Without him, we wouldn’t have even made it past the empousai.” Annabeth shuddered. “So, do you know about Hermes’s shrine?” she asked.

“In Tartarus?” Nico asked, puzzled. Tartarus was a place beyond godly help. There wouldn’t be any shrines there.

“Yeah,” Percy interjected. “Bob showed it to us. The altar connects to the Hermes shrine at Camp Half-Blood. Burnt offerings get sent down to the Tartarus shrine, and we were able to send stuff back, too.”

“Bob never showed that to me,” Nico muttered, and he remembered that the Titan had left soon after finding him in Tartarus, as he was called back on Hades’ orders. Nico wondered if his father had specifically recalled Bob to make Nico’s journey harder. He didn’t put it past him.

Percy made the slightest wince at Nico’s comment. Most people wouldn’t have noticed it, but Nico did. So did Annabeth. Her eyes darkened under the early evening shadows, and she lowered her voice as she spoke, as if raising her volume would bring the image to life. “It has a ring of black marble columns with an altar at the center. It was at the bottom of a large crater. I don’t know how much that might help you guys, but I hope it’s something.”

“Yes, thank you, Annabeth,” Nico said. “We’ll need all the help we can get.” Will looked up from his salad at the mention of the word “we”, but he stayed silent, observing the three veterans of Tartarus share their experiences. He had probably hoped for a more optimistic atmosphere on their long-awaited double date.

“There’s also Damasen’s house,” Annabeth continued. “He was a giant. A good giant.”

“He was,” Percy confirmed. He leaned into Annabeth’s shoulder, and she sank into his contact.

“If Damasen is alive, he might be able to help you. Even if he’s gone, his home would still be a good stopping point.” Annabeth's eyes were stormy. She described a dark swamp and a hut thatched with drakon leather. “It’s located in the… intestine of Tartarus.”

Will broke his silence. “What? What do you mean, intestine?”

“Well—” Percy began, but Nico cut him off.

“The realm of Tartarus makes up the body of the god himself,” Nico explained. It was time for Will to know the truth. “His physical form is the entire chasm, but he can manifest himself into smaller versions, too.” He looked at Will, whose eyes were wide with shock.

“Well, that’s not terrifying at all. At least I can put my anatomy knowledge to good use.” He let out a shaky chuckle. “Nothing like a blown up interactive diagram, right?”

Annabeth gave him a thin, pitiful smile. “I don’t know what other information will be helpful. Honestly, I try to forget as much as I can.”

“Me too,” Nico and Percy said in unison. They both looked at each other, then at Annabeth, who returned the broken gaze. They were the only three people in the world who knew what Tartarus was like. Nico felt a rush of guilt that Will was coming with him, but his boyfriend was too stubborn and caring to let Nico go alone. He wasn’t sure how Will would be able to handle it, though. Nico had felt immense pain before, but to his knowledge, Will had not. Tartarus might break him, and Nico would never forgive himself.

“We’ll be fine.” Will broke the thick silence, and placed a hand on Nico’s thigh under the table.

I should be comforting you, Nico thought. He decided to lay his hand over Will’s. Across from him, Percy and Annabeth appeared to be almost connected, Annabeth’s entire right side against Percy’s left. By contrast, Nico and Will looked distant, their shoulders a foot apart. Yet beneath the table, their stacked hands linked them together.

“I hope so.” The corner of Percy’s mouth turned down ever so slightly. “Also, Annabeth and I are seeing a therapist here in New Rome, and it’s really helped us deal with Tartarus… and other things.” He directed his gaze toward Nico, then slowly shifted to Will. “I know you might not want mental health advice from me, but if you get back, I think a therapist would be helpful.”

“We’ve got Mr. D back at home,” Will said. “But thank you. A grumpy wine god maybe isn’t the best therapist.”

The four of them cracked dim smiles. It was difficult to joke with the impending journey, but Nico appreciated Will’s effort.

“Thank you, Percy,” Nico acknowledged. Speaking with Mr. D had helped him overcome some of his nightmares, but after seeing the level of comfort Percy and Annabeth seemed to have, Nico considered the benefits of an actual therapist. Perhaps when everything is over, he decided.

The rest of their dinner was spent learning about each others’ lives since the previous summer. Percy and Annabeth had driven cross country from New York to California with Grover. Will described the battle at Nero’s tower, and Percy and Annabeth listened intensely. The mood wavered, from occasional laughs to somber glances as the topics ranged from Meg’s antics to Jason’s death. Overall, it wasn’t the most pleasant atmosphere for a double date. Under different circumstances, when there wasn’t a deadly quest ahead of them, or if Hazel and Frank had joined them, it might have been more enjoyable. Also, Nico still wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the son of Poseidon. Sure, he was no longer infatuated with him, but he couldn’t help feeling slightly resentful over how Percy had treated him over the years. Percy had apologized and tried to make up for it since the battle with Gaea, but their relationship was still awkwardly formal sometimes. Nico was sure that Will could tell, because he didn’t try to embarrass Nico or make jokes like he had done earlier with Hazel and Frank.

“Anyway, we should get going. We’re going to try to find the Hunters tomorrow morning. I think they might have a clue about an entrance to Tartarus.” Nico got up and began cleaning up his trash. Will got up to help him.

“It was nice catching up with you, Nico,” Percy said. “I hope your quest is successful.” His sharp sea-green eyes pored into Nico’s with determination, and something else. Perhaps it was the hint of an apology long overdue.

Annabeth looked up at the early night sky, where a few stars twinkled. “Good luck. Bob deserves another chance.” She gave Nico one last encouraging smile.

“See you around, Percy,” Nico said. “Annabeth.”

Nico and Will left the cafe and walked down the darkening New Rome street. In the glow of the cafe, Percy and Annabeth’s silhouettes blended together in the shadow, becoming one.

 

Hazel had been kind enough to lend Nico and Will her room. Hazel would be spending the night with Frank, which Nico had teased her about. She eventually left with a flustered Frank, and Nico and Will entered Hazel’s room.

The praetor’s room was much nicer than the barracks. A queen bed with floral bedding took up the majority of the space. To the left, Hazel had set up a small art studio, with canvases, an easel, and an assortment of paints, pencils, and markers. That part of the floor was covered with tarp, but the rest of the room had thick maroon carpeting. To the right of the bed, a tiny bookshelf doubled as a nightstand, and a slightly open bathroom door lent warm light. Hazel’s art was displayed on the walls. Her art was more hyper-realistic than Rachel’s, and she tended towards colored pencils and charcoal rather than acrylic paint. Nico admired a drawing of a skyline, which he guessed was New Orleans. Another piece was of the Garden of Bacchus, drawn so well that Nico had the urge to reach out and touch the grapes. There was one more drawing that was pasted above her nightstand. It was the seven demigods, plus Nico, holding hands in a circle. It was from the night they had shadow-traveled out of the House of Hades. Hazel hadn’t bothered to color it, and Nico could see the remnants of the rough line work. Regardless, Nico’s face in the drawing haunted him. His eyes looked sunken in and sad. His hands were thin, and Hazel had drawn the discomfort that Nico had felt holding Percy’s hand for those brief seconds. It spooked him that Hazel was able to capture his emotions so well.

“Woah, Hazel’s art is amazing,” Will said, rousing Nico from his thoughts. “And the praetors’ rooms are nice. We should petition for special head counselor beds back home.”

“The Hephaestus cabin already has that. And I’ve got the perks of choosing any vampire-y bed in my cabin.”

“You get to choose between twelve identical coffins. What a luxury!” Will dropped his backpack by the foot of the bed and walked towards the on-suite bathroom.

Nico smiled. “Yeah, it’s really not that great.” He placed his backpack next to Will’s and pulled out a fresh change of clothes. “It gets lonely sometimes,” he admitted.

Will turned around and winked. “Well, you got me for tonight.”

Nico felt his cheeks heat up, and Will laughed at the sight. “Be out in a sec,” he chuckled and closed the bathroom door.

Nico pulled on a pair of clean black sweatpants and exchanged his dirty black t-shirt for an identical clean one. He plopped onto the bed, spread his arms and stared at the white ceiling. Its blank surface was a canvas for Nico to arrange his thoughts. First, he had to contact the Hunters and explain their quest. Then, hopefully after they were able to point him in the correct direction to Tartarus, he would have to reach out to the troglodytes, who would tunnel down from there. Once they reached the entrance, Nico and Will would be on their own, and Nico would have to do everything in his power to ensure Will’s safety while finding and rescuing Bob. He wasn’t sure how lucky he would be, though. Ananya had prayed to Tyche for Nico and Will’s journey, and Nico still had her horseshoe ring on his right hand. Nico fully believed that her luck would help them, but there was a chance that things could go wrong. It was Tartarus, after all.

Nico sat up and uttered a quick prayer to Apollo, imploring him to keep Ananya and Will safe. He hoped the god would understand the seriousness of Nico’s request. Since becoming mortal, Apollo seemed to understand the value of human life better, and Nico hoped that would make the god more willing to help them.

“What’re you doing?” Will came out of the bathroom wearing a navy blue Star Wars t-shirt and green pajama shorts.

“Praying to your dad,” Nico replied, “for you to be safe.”

“Hey, you better have prayed for your safety, too. I can’t have you die on me, Ghost Boy.” Will sat on the bed next to Nico and placed an arm around his shoulder.

Nico smiled and leaned towards Will. “We should probably sleep soon. I’ll have to Iris-message Reyna early tomorrow morning to figure out where to find them.”

Will squinted at Nico, probably realizing that he hadn’t prayed for himself after all. But he didn’t pry. “Okay,” he said. He got up and turned off the lamp. The only light now came from the warm streetlights through the window. Will’s shadow came back and settled onto the bed.

Nico scooted over to one edge of the bed as Will crawled under the covers on the other side. He hadn’t shared a bed with someone since his days at the Lotus Hotel with Bianca, and his body turned rigid, creating as much space between him and Will as possible. Will turned to face him, and Nico could just make out the two twinkling specks of his eyes.

“I don’t bite, you know,” Will jested. “You can have more of the blanket if you come closer.”

Nico moved a few inches towards Will and reached his hand out. He lay his cold fingers against Will’s warm arm. Will threw the comforter over Nico, satisfied.

“Goodnight, Nico,” Will whispered.

“Goodnight, Will.”

Chapter 10: Hunters in the Desert (Will)

Notes:

Here's the prophecy again, so you don't have to go back to Chapter 3 to find it:

Seek the sister’s tribe for aid
One shall fall to the darkest blade

Turned against a closest kin
Burns destroys one’s precious skin

Shadow and sun, love will sail
Silver and gold together prevail

Chapter Ten- Will

Will was pleasantly surprised to wake up with the son of Hades in the crook of his arm, quietly snoring. Will moved his free arm over his boyfriend and held him close as the sun slowly rose, casting soft rays of light into the bedroom. If Will was alone, he would have gotten up already. Being a child of Apollo made his body naturally wake at dawn. But Nico was still asleep, and Will had never had the chance to properly hold his boyfriend in bed before. In the early morning light, Nico’s face was peaceful, like an angel.

Eventually, the brightness of the morning woke Nico. He stirred and blinked, turning his head up at Will. He noticed their closeness and snuggled against Will even more. “G’morning,” he mumbled.

“Good morning,” Will sang. “It’s time to get up, sleepyhead. Big day ahead of us.”

Nico groaned. “Sun’s too bright.”

“Spoken like a true child of the Underworld,” Will smiled.

“Hmph.”

Will lay with Nico for a few more minutes, then carefully unraveled himself from their embrace. “Well, I’m gonna get ready, Death Boy. Maybe you can call the Hunters while I shower.”

“Okay,” Nico whispered. He pulled the covers closer around him, and Will couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Nico’s usual wariness was gone, replaced with a sleepy serenity. It made Will wonder if—for once—Nico had not had a nightmare.

He left the lump of comforter (also known as Nico di Angelo) and walked to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth in front of the sink, then got into the shower. It was fitted with a sliding glass door, which was a nice change from the paper-thin shower curtains back at camp. Along the inside ledge was an array of soaps, shampoos, and conditioners. He hoped that Hazel’s hospitality extended to her bathroom products, because he hadn’t brought any of his own. In place of his usual orange-scented body wash, he decided to try Hazel’s jasmine one.

Will lathered the fragrant soap on his arms and reflected on their conversation with Percy and Annabeth the night before. It had been new terrain for Will. He wasn’t sure how to process all of the information the older couple had shared, and he didn’t like the way Nico, Percy and Annabeth shared glances of pure brokenness, like there were parts inside of them that could never be fixed. Will had tried to mend those broken pieces of Nico throughout the last year, with minimal improvement. A cracked vase could never look the same as a new one, even if it was just as beautiful. So, Will did the second best thing—make Nico feel as comfortable and loved as possible. He could be like kintsugi pottery, once shattered, but now healed with the touch of gold at the broken points.

Will I break too? he wondered. Would he be able to heal himself from the trauma that Tartarus would cause? The powers of Apollo did not extend to healing oneself, so Will had always spent all his energy on helping others. That way, his mind could worry about someone else, and he wouldn’t have time to dwell on his own problems.

Will blinked ginger-scented shampoo out of his eyes. Tears sprung out of reflex. He quickly wiped away the stinging shampoo with a towel. Showers were a blessing and a curse. Will loved that they gave him time to himself, to remove that mask of calm that he always had to have as a head counselor and healer. But that break also brought forward his thoughts and apprehensions, rushing them to the surface like water bursting out of a dam. He was scared, he admitted to himself. He was terrified of going to Tartarus. But he couldn’t back out, because Nico would need him every step of the way. Whatever slim chance of survival they had there, it would be suicide if Nico went alone, and Will couldn’t imagine losing his Death Boy. The curse of the shower was creeping up to him. If he stayed any longer, Will was sure his thoughts would be unbearable. He quickly shut off the water and stepped out.

When he looked into the mirror, all Will could see was his blurred countenance, obscured by the steam. Spooked, Will kept the bathroom door ajar to urge the steam out. As he changed, he heard a voice talking to Nico.

“It’s your lucky day. We actually just found a pit to Tartarus yesterday.” The voice that spoke was rich, like spiced honey. Despite the youth in her voice, she spoke with a natural power. This must be Reyna, Will deduced.

“Oh, that’s great.” Nico’s voice attempted nonchalance, but his upward inflection gave away his satisfaction.

“We’re in Death Valley. Shadow-travelling from Camp Jupiter to here shouldn’t be too bad, right?”

Nico scoffed. “You don’t think my powers got weaker, do you?”

Reyna’s laugh rang through the Iris-message. “Just making sure you don’t overexert yourself, Nico. We’ll stay here until you arrive.” Her voice faded as she spoke away from the Iris-message screen and addressed someone else. “Thalia! You remember Nico, right? He and Will are on a quest to Tartarus and I told him we could show him to the pit we lured TF into yesterday.”

Will heard footsteps get louder, then stop. “Nico! How are you doing? We can show you there, no problem. Can you be here by this afternoon?” Will recognized the bright voice of Thalia, lieutenant to Artemis.

“Yeah,” Nico said, his voice strained. “Thank you guys.”

“Girls,” Thalia corrected.

“Right. Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”

“I can’t wait!” Reyna enthused. “Bye!”

Will finished drying his hair with a fluffy towel and walked out of the bathroom. “That was Reyna, right?”

Nico nodded. “It’s crazy that they have exactly the information that we need,” he muttered to himself. Will fought the urge to say I told you so. Admitting that the Hunters were the sister’s tribe of the prophecy had taken Nico time to accept, and Will speculated that he wasn’t fully on board with it yet.

“We better leave soon, then,” Will said.

“I’ll get ready,” Nico agreed. He grabbed a change of clothes and headed to the humid bathroom. “It's as hot as that Cheez Whiz factory,” he grumbled. Then he shut the door.

Will started repacking their items. The repetitive work gave Will space to think about the prophecy. Only the first line had been successfully decoded. The rest was a mystery. One shall fall to the darkest blade didn’t sound promising at all, and Will prayed that the “one” was a monster or evil Titan, not his boyfriend. The only lines that gave him hope were the last two: Shadow and sun, love will sail/Silver and gold together prevail. If he trusted his poetic abilities, he guessed that the shadow and sun referred to Nico and him. If anything, at least Delphi believed in their relationship. Nice to know that this death-filled quest wouldn’t be completely tragic. As for the last line, prevailing sounded like a good conclusion, certainly better than falling to the darkest blade or being turned against a closest kin. Yet even this line quickly became concerning. Hyperion and Iapetus were known to have gold and silver representations. Could they be what the line referred to? Might Iapetus join his brother and turn on Will and Nico? No, this is Bob, he chided himself. He’s no longer an evil Titan. Trying to outthink a prophecy never ended well, and Will would go insane if he kept trying to interpret it. His best chance was to stay alert and try to protect Nico at all costs.

He opened the window and let the sunlight seep into his skin. The air was perfumed with the smell of roses and freshly cut grass, and birds merrily tweeted to each other from the rooftops. On the cobblestone street below, two girls walked side by side. One of them reached over tentatively, and the other girl, who had bright pink hair, took her hand with a smile.

He had only spent a day at Camp Jupiter, but he would miss it. The idea of multi-generational demigod families living safely away from the dangers of the mortal world was calming, and Will hoped one day he could live like that, with no wars or quests to worry about, just surrounded by people who understood. Perhaps he could hold hands with a certain son of Hades down a cobblestone street.

The bathroom door clicked open, and Nico stepped out, his hair sopping wet. Drip, drip, drip. The water pooled in splotches around Nico’s feet, eerily reminiscent of bloodstains. He vigorously rubbed his dark hair with a towel as he walked towards the window. The dripping stopped. Nico’s head shone like raven plumage, and Hazel’s curl-defining shampoo highlighted the gentle waves of his hair. When Will stepped closer to him, he caught the scent of fresh apples.

“Are you ready to go?” Nico asked.

Will nodded. “Time to meet the Hunters.” He handed Nico his backpack, and they left Hazel’s room.

 

Saying goodbye to Frank and Hazel was difficult. Their boa constrictor-like hugs were only mildly painful, and he would miss their hospitality.

“Stay safe.” Hazel embraced them both. “Well, as safe as you can be, where you’re going.”

Nico’s eyes were bright as he said, “Thank you, Hazel. For everything.” The children of the Underworld shared a meaningful look.

“I love you guys,” Frank sighed, and pulled Nico and Will in for a bone-crushing hug. “You have to come visit us again when your quest is over.”

“Of course, Frank,” Nico said. Then he addressed both praetors. “Thank you for your help.”

“Thank you,” Will concurred.

The smiles Frank and Hazel returned were as radiant as the sun. Then, Nico took Will’s hand, and Will felt the warmth fade away as they dissolved into the shadows.

 

They arrived onto an arid landscape. The ground was hard and deep cracks ran through its surface. The sun cruelly beat down on them, a stark contrast to the gentle summer rays of Oakland.

“Will…” Nico whispered. His eyes fluttered, and before Will could stop it, Nico tipped backward, his head striking the pavement with a sickening crack.

“Nico!” Will shouted. His boyfriend did not respond. Will couldn’t see any blood, but his skull had definitely cracked. He wouldn’t be able to feed Nico ambrosia or nectar, or even the unicorn draught Pranjal had gifted him. Frantically, Will laced his fingers around the back of Nico’s head and closed his eyes. The ancient Greek words overcame him. His hands glowed and tears fell down his cheeks as he sang with more emotion than he ever had before, invoking his father’s divine help through the hymn. “Nico, stay with me,” Will begged. He knew how fatal a fractured skull could be. Exhaustion seeped through him, yet the fracture still did not close.

“Apollo, help me,” Will cried, collapsing onto the rocky ground.

“I’m here,” a gentle voice called. Will weakly turned his head and saw the god of healing, his father, in his familiar Lester form. The god winced upon seeing Nico’s unconscious body. Apollo carefully kneeled next to the son of Hades and placed a strong hand behind his head, where the fracture was. He closed his eyes and muttered the same hymn that Will had tried earlier. This time, it worked. Apollo’s worried expression turned into a thin smile as the son of Hades woke.

“Apollo?” Nico blinked and shook his head.

“Nico.” Will took in a deep, shaky breath. “Drink this. Now,” he commanded. He handed him a thermos of unicorn draught, but his hands trembled, and several drops spilled onto Nico’s shirt.

“Woah, Will. You’re not looking so hot, either,” Apollo noted. He touched Will on the shoulder, and he felt the strength return.

Nico caught the thermos before it rolled into a jagged crack. He took a few cautious sips. Instantly, color returned to Nico’s face and his eyes regained their typical alertness. He took in Apollo’s presence, as if finally accepting that he wasn’t imagining him. “What are you doing here?”

“Your boyfriend called me. You could have died, you know,” Apollo’s blue eyes brimmed with tears.

“Thank you.” He added tentatively, “Is Will okay?”

“He completely exhausted himself trying to heal you. I’m glad I made it in time, or you both might have been gone.”

“Thank you,” Will expressed, his eyes still wet.

“Of course. I will always be here when you call me.” Then, he added sadly, “You mortals are so fragile.”

Will was about to respond, but a voice called out, “Nico! Will!” He turned to see a girl with spiky black hair run towards them, followed by a dozen teenagers. Besides the bow and quiver and the silver tiara, Thalia wore a leather jacket over a Ramones t-shirt, and black jeans which were aesthetically ripped in several places. Will could have sworn that Nico owned the same outfit, and his imperceptible scowl upon seeing Thalia confirmed that Nico had noticed the wardrobe similarity, too.

“Hey guys!” Thalia grinned, then frowned when she saw Apollo. “Okay, I guess a god is joining us. Ready to go see that death pit?”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for helping us out,” Nico said. “Where’s Reyna?”

Thalia pointed over her shoulder, and Reyna’s eyes lit up. “Nico!” she exclaimed. She ran over and opened her arms, sending a silent invitation to hug him. A smile grew onto Nico’s face without his realizing, which Reyna took as a yes. She barreled into Nico and embraced him tightly. “I missed you, Nico. I wanted to Iris-message you, or even send letters, but communications were down this whole year, thanks to Nero.”

“Send letters?” Nico smirked. “You wanted to be pen pals?”

“Hey, that’s how I kept in touch with Thalia!” Reyna’s smile brightened her entire face, and she looked like an actual teenager, not the strained leader Will had recalled seeing at the battle against Gaea. Her eyebrows furrowed once she noticed Apollo lingering behind. “Apollo? What are you doing here?”

Lester shuffled from foot to foot. Despite having his godly powers restored, he carried himself with the same awkwardness that he had as a mortal. “Will needed my help with healing Nico. They’re both good now.” He took in the sight of the Hunters. “Are you helping Will and Nico on their quest?”

Reyna nodded. “They’re going to Tartarus, can you believe it?”

“Yes,” Apollo sighed.

“We promised to help them,” Thalia said. “We found a pit that leads there, in the Badwater Basin. It’s where we lured the Teumessian Fox into two days ago.”

Apollo raised his eyebrows. “Oh, you killed him? Congratulations.”

“Only after weeks of destruction and chaos, but yeah, we got him.” Reyna punched Thalia’s shoulder. Apollo smiled at the affection between the two girls. “You want to come with us?” Reyna asked.

Apollo squawked at the unexpected invitation. “You’re okay with me, Apollo, travelling with the Hunters of Artemis?”

“You’ve got a better heart now,” Thalia said. “And I don’t think you’ll be flirting with my Hunters anytime soon, not after your most recent rejection.” She eyed Reyna with a smirk. Reyna chuckled, and Apollo’s face went red.

“Okay, okay. No need to bring that up. I’ll be good.”

Will snorted. It was quite funny to see that two teenagers could make a god uncomfortable. Apollo fell in line with Nico and Will, and with the Hunters in the lead, they walked in the scorching heat.

Sweat quickly soaked through Will’s shirt. Nico’s damp hair clung to his face. He consistently raked his hand through it, but it relentlessly flopped back into his eyebrows. The Hunters gracefully walked on, unaffected by the blazing sun. The blessing of immortality seemed to extend to not dying in the desert heat, which Will thought was quite unfair. To his right, Apollo also walked with an air of content. He sauntered on as if it was a cool spring morning.

“Unfair,” Nico muttered. “We’re surrounded by heat-resistant immortals.”

“I know,” Will groaned. “At least I’m not wearing black though.”

“Oh, shut up.” Nico had cuffed the bottom of his jeans, but Will doubted that did much.

Will saw Apollo smile to himself as he heard their conversation. “I missed you guys,” he said. “It’s kind of nice to be back, even if you are heading towards a very high chance of death.”

“We have to help those who need it,” Nico said firmly.

“I know. I’m not going to stop you. I’m just glad I could help you when you called.” Apollo took in the landscape with awe. Olympus was beautiful—Will recalled visiting it during the Battle of Manhattan—but Apollo looked upon Death Valley as if it was more beautiful than the palace of the gods.

“Once Reyna shows us the entrance, we’ll have to contact the troglodytes,” Nico began. “I originally thought we could shadow-travel back to New York to tell them where to meet us, but since you’re here…”

“I can pop by and let them know,” Apollo concurred. “As long as Screech-Bling doesn’t feed me his skink soup.”

“I can’t promise that,” Nico smirked. “You might have to bring them another reptile.”

Will covered his smile with a hand. They had already made a peace offering to the troglodytes—Nico simply wanted to see the god carry a dead lizard.

“Ugh,” Apollo heaved. “Fine.”

They trudged along for what seemed like hours. The relentless sun made every step heavy, and by the time Thalia stopped, Nico and Will were drenched and panting. They simultaneously squatted onto the barren ground and drank what was left of their water.

“Here.” With a flick of the wrist, Apollo refilled their canteens with the cold, clean liquid. The boys gulped gratefully.

“This is where TF fell into,” Thalia pointed. Next to them, a crack ripped through the ground, wider than any of the others that covered the desert. It edged down into nothingness, darker than any black Will had ever seen. Everyone held their breath, careful to maintain their balance. Even without Underworldly powers like his boyfriend, Will could sense that this wasn’t simply any old ravine. Somehow, at the lowest elevation in North America, there was a direct path to Tartarus.

Nico curled his fingers around the edge of the crack. He looked at Will, his eyes full of a calm and acceptant dread. “This is it,” Nico confirmed. He exhaled deeply. Then he got up and stepped away from the pit. The rest of them did the same. When dealing with Tartarus, it was best to follow the lead of a child of Hades. “Unfortunately, this pit has a ledge, about two miles down, which stops at the Underworld. We’re going to need the trogs to dig past it so my father doesn’t find us.” He addressed Apollo. “Could you give them this information? Here—” he stabbed a poor spotted lizard that was scuttling between Apollo’s legs. “—take this as an offering. I don’t know how much they’ll respect you now that you’re officially a god of the sun again.”

Apollo made an empty retching sound, then nodded weakly. “I’ll be back.” He plucked the lizard from the end of Nico’s sword, gagged once more, then disappeared in a flash of bright light.

“There was no need for the lizard, Nico,” Will chided.

Nico gave a smile worthy of Darth Sidious. “I’ve got to keep the god humble.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Reyna snickered.

Thalia’s piercing eyes scanned their desolate surroundings. Above, the sky began to darken to a deep blue, and a few stars winked into existence. The temperature cooled to ninety degrees. Will felt the sweat leave his pores slightly slower, which was something to be grateful for.

“Ladies, let’s set up camp for the night,” Thalia said. “Miriam, could you put up the tents?” A girl with a full black outfit, from her hijab down to her platform Doc Martens, nodded to Thalia and brought out what looked like several packs of gum. With a precise flick, each square unfolded into a tent that could comfortably fit four people. Soon, their section of the ground was covered in multiple identical silvery shelters. The rest of the Hunters began settling in for the evening.

“I can build a campfire,” Will offered.

“I’ll help you,” Nico added.

“Thanks, guys. We’ll be in this tent,” Thalia pointed. “Feel free to join us once you’re done.” She linked arms with Reyna and headed to the tent. Reyna looked over her shoulder and kept her gaze on Nico for a lingering second. Will observed the sadness in her eyes.

Nico and Will collected all the measly twigs they could find. Once they had a decent pile, Will said, “I can start the fire on my own. You should talk with Reyna and Thalia. I think they want to spend time with you. Reyna, especially.”

“Are you sure?”

Will nodded. “She needs your support. She trusts you.”

“I don’t know,” Nico hesitated. “It’s so strange seeing her with this silvery aura and hanging around Thalia.” He said the lieutenant's name like it was a bitter medicine.

Will put his hand on Nico’s arm. “I know you don’t like the Hunters. I know you don’t like Thalia. But you told me last year that Reyna was one of your first friends. I think there’s a lot to catch her up on.”

“You want me to tell her all about my new boyfriend?” Nico raised an eyebrow.

Will laughed. “That can be part of it,” he admitted. “Go see your friend.”

Nico looked into Will’s eyes for a few seconds longer than necessary. It seemed to provide him with extra courage to face the lieutenant to Artemis and their common friend. He squeezed Will’s hand, then walked towards the tent, where hushed voices were speaking.

Will went to work to start the fire. The dry climate caused the kindling to light almost instantly, and soon there was a calm fire, providing a sense of safety amidst the dark and barren landscape. Will lay on the cracked desert floor and took in the night sky. Years of living in New York had made him forget how beautiful a sky could look like without light pollution. Specks of light, from galaxies far, far away, dotted the entire dome above him. Will suddenly remembered touring with his mom when he was very little. The tour bus would drive for hours through nameless towns and fields, and sometimes, his mom would tell the driver to stop in the middle of a farm road. She would drag Will’s little hand out and they would lie in a dark field among the crickets and mosquitoes. And when his mom looked up to the sky, Will would be amazed. The sky in Austin was never this clear.

“That’s the Big Dipper, Will,” she would point. “Can you see it?”

“Yeah!” he would say, excited. “What’s that one?” And his mother would describe each constellation Will pointed at, until his eyes drooped and the humming of the crickets drowned out his mother’s voice. She would carry his sleepy body back onto the bus, and they would continue driving until they met the lights of the next big city.

He missed his mom. With her hectic touring schedule and the dangers that presented themselves after the Battle of Manhattan, it made sense for Will to stay year-round at Camp Half-Blood. But he hoped that after this quest, he could see her again. Maybe he could even introduce her to Nico, the illustrious boyfriend of Will that was mentioned nearly every time he was able to phone his mother.

“The stars are beautiful, aren’t they?” a voice said. Will turned to his side and saw that Apollo had returned. He joined Will on the ground.

“Yeah,” Will breathed. “What did the troglodytes say?”

“They’re on their way. It’ll take about a day for them to get here, then they can meet up with you and Nico and tunnel down.”

“That’s good.”

Apollo grunted in agreement. “Your boyfriend tricked me, though. They didn’t care for the lizard.”

Will let out a tiny laugh. “He told me it was to humble you.”

“Hmph.”

They lay under the stars, father and son. In the nearest tent, Will heard laughter, then hushed whispers, then the sound of a girl crying. Several minutes later, the familiar, spaced out sniffs of his boyfriend joined the girl’s sobs.

Will turned to his side and faced his dad. “I should go comfort Nico.”

“Reyna and Thalia are wonderful girls. They’ve got this. I have a feeling they’re talking about… Jason.” Apollo’s voice broke. “The three of them, while different, have that shared connection to him. Let them comfort Nico.”

Will hesitated, but turned back to face the sky. Sure enough, the crying eventually stopped, replaced with shaky laughter and muffled voices.

“They need each other,” Apollo continued. “Nico has you—my wonderful, wonderful son—but someone who knew Jason could help him heal faster.”

Will agreed. “I hope he can reconnect with Reyna. He’s made some friends at camp, but someone as important to him as she was would be good for him. I just hope he can get over the fact that she chose to join the Hunt.”

“She deserved the break from praetorship,” Apollo said. “I’m so proud of her decision. She’s so much more relaxed and content; I hope Nico can learn to see that.”

“I think he will.” Will and his father stared at the sky in contented silence for a while. “Dad?” Will began.

“Hmm?”

“I’m scared for this quest. I’ve never backed away from a challenge, but after seeing how Percy and Annabeth and Nico have been traumatized, I’m terrified it’s going to happen to me, too,” Will effused. He recited Rachel’s prophecy. “I don’t want you to interpret it for me, but I’m so worried. I don’t want Nico to get hurt, so I have to go with him. But I’m still terrified.”

“I have a feeling you would do anything to protect him, so I won’t convince you not to go. Sometimes, the most heroic thing someone can do is be there for their loved ones. That means I will be here for you, too. Come here.” Apollo pulled Will into a sitting position and enveloped him tightly. Despite Apollo’s teenage form, the embrace felt strong and paternal. Will buried his head in his father’s shoulder and let the anxiety of the quest spill out in the form of violent, racking sobs and relentless tears. When his eyes ran dry and he could control his breathing again, Will pulled away from Apollo’s hug.

“I’m so glad you’re here, dad.”

Notes:

I used like one Star Wars reference here (Darth Sidious). I used it to illustrate how Nico's smile was kind of creepy. I know nothing about Star Wars, so I hope that my simile was accurate to the image I wanted to portray.

Chapter 11: Turned Against a Closest Kin (Nico)

Notes:

Sorry for the long wait! I had a huge lack of motivation for writing this whole month and I'm back at my parents house so I don't have a lot of free time. I'll try to be more punctual with putting up chapters and thanks for being patient :)

Here's a recap of the prophecy again:

Seek the sister’s tribe for aid
One shall fall to the darkest blade

Turned against a closest kin
Burns destroys one’s precious skin

Shadow and sun, love will sail
Silver and gold together prevail

Chapter Eleven- Nico

“I missed you,” Nico choked.

“I missed you so damn much, Nico,” Reyna hiccupped through her tears. She pulled Nico into her strong embrace as they cried into each others’ shoulders. It reminded him of the hug by the fire at Camp Half-Blood after Gaea had been defeated. He had grown so much since then, and Reyna and him had grown apart too, to take up the roles they were meant to do on two different sides of the country.

They had spent the past hour talking about anything and nothing—the prophecy, their lives since last seeing each other, everything except the topic. Finally, Reyna mentioned Jason offhandedly when discussing her decision to step down from praetorship, explaining the stress she had when Jason had left her all alone to lead during the war with Gaea. The mood was tense after that, and Nico wasn’t sure what to do when Thalia began to cry. But soon after, Reyna and Nico had joined her. It was strange, Nico thought, that these two other girls had such different relationships with Jason than he had, and yet, they all shared in this grief. No one at Camp Half-Blood understood what Jason meant to him. Even though he had incredible support from his boyfriend and some of his other friends at camp, these two Hunters understood his grief in a much deeper way. They understood what he went through those mere months ago when he had felt that sinking feeling in his chest, the warning from the Underworld that a soul that he cared about was gone.

“Could you imagine what he would say if I told him about this quest?” Nico sniffed.

“My Roman brother would have literally stood guard by the edge of Tartarus itself to prevent you from going,” Thalia said with a shaky laugh.

Reyna smiled thinly. “Or he would’ve insisted on coming with you.”

Nico brushed a lingering tear from his cheek. “Yeah, he would have. What a hero.” He said it monotonously, but Reyna and Thalia knew he was being genuine. Their dim smiles told him as much.

“Jason Grace. The stupid, sacrificial, amazing hero.” Thalia’s eyes shone with the remnants of her tears, but they were filled with pride for her brother, too.

“Emphasis on stupid,” Reyna added. “He didn’t know how to use a TV remote until he was twelve. I guess that’s something you can’t learn from wolves.”

“I don’t think Nico here knew about that, either,” Thalia pointed out.

“You can’t blame me for being born in a different century!” Nico retorted. He’d meant it to sound bitter, but his voice was weak and defensive. Reyna and Thalia laughed, and the clear sound was cathartic. The grief and tension that clung in the air since the mention of Jason was replaced with an aura of familiarity, like the campfire sing-alongs back home. He suddenly wasn’t mad at Thalia for making fun of him. She spoke to Nico like they were friends, and Nico realized at that moment that she wasn’t as bad of a person as he’d initially assumed. She’d had her own demons to fight, and he couldn’t blame her for Bianca’s death at all. The Fates were the only ones at fault for that tragedy, just like they were for Jason.

The resentment and grief surrounding Jason had dissipated. Now he was simply in a tent with two friends, sharing memories. He learned that Jason had tried to eat a stapler when he was two, resulting in his lip scar. He found out that he was an Ultimate Frisbee champion, and would always bring victory for his team during the Camp Jupiter recreational competitions. In return, Nico told them of Jason’s eagerness to learn the cello, something he only discovered when he and Jason were in the same music class at Camp Half-Blood. “He would’ve been a prodigy,” Nico assured. They shared their stories, bringing him to life with their words.

 

Apollo left later that night. He hugged Nico and Will tightly under the starry sky. “Call me when you return, okay?”

“We will, dad,” Will said.

“Thanks for healing me earlier,” Nico added.

Apollo waved a hand, like saving Nico’s life was no big deal. “Just don’t do that again.”

“Okay.”

“And don’t fall into Chaos.”

“Dad, we’ll be alright,” Will assured. “But I appreciate how much you care.”

Apollo looked like he was going to cry, again. That god was a bit too sentimental for Nico’s taste. “I love you both so much,” he said, his eyes brimming with tears.

 

That night, Nico and Will slept in a tent by themselves, because, according to Thalia, “boys aren’t allowed to share tents with Hunters”. The dry heat was uncomfortable, but eventually Will’s steady heartbeat lulled him to sleep.

Nico hadn’t dreamt the previous night when he had slept with Will in Hazel’s room. He supposed, begrudgingly, that having his boyfriend’s presence somehow removed a layer of apprehension and anxiety, and allowed himself to finally relax. His mind had a different plan tonight though, regardless of Will’s proximity to him. Tonight, his dreams brought him back to Tartarus. Standing next to Bob’s crater, he saw that the Titan was almost fully reformed. Particles of Bob’s essence attached themselves to his elbows and knees. Next to Nico, Hyperion stood with his Stygian iron spear and a satisfied creepy smile. In a few more days, he would be ready to vanquish his brother, forever. Nico wondered why he was shown this dream again, other than as a warning that he didn’t have much time left to save his friend.

The image shifted. Now he was at Camp Half-Blood, watching two girls walk towards the armory. He noticed the thick wavy hair of Ananya Perumal and the tall thin figure of Chiara Benvenuti.

“I think it’s time for you to get your own weapon,” Chiara said, smiling down at Ananya.

“Really?” Ananya beamed. “Do you think they have Stygian iron?”

“Unfortunately, no. We only have Celestial bronze stuff and a little Imperial gold. Why do you want a Stygian iron weapon so badly?”

“My friend Nico has one,” she replied, as if no more explanation was needed.

At the armory, Nico saw Ananya peruse through the weapons like a bored child being forced to go clothes shopping. She picked up knives and swords carelessly, swung them a couple times, then tossed them back into the pile of clutter with a sigh.

“Nothing’s calling out your name, huh?” Chiara asked.

Ananya shook her head.

“How about we come back another day and see if something speaks to you then?”

“Okay.”

 

Nico woke at the sound of rumbling deep within the earth. If their tent wasn’t made of magicky Hunter material, he was sure it would have collapsed on them long ago. Nico heard the Hunters outside trying to investigate the commotion.

“What is that?” Nico said, annoyed.

“Let’s go see,” Will said, his eyes bright and alert. Outside, the Hunters nocked their bows towards the epicenter of the vibrations. The ground continued to shake for several minutes. Finally, one of the cracks near them split open to reveal two troglodytes covered head to toe with protective sun gear. The rumbling stopped as they emerged onto the surface.

“Italian wall lizard is here!” Click-Wrong exclaimed when he saw Nico. “Lester-Apollo’s directions were correct.” Nico quickly gave Thalia a look that said: they’re with me, and she and the Hunters relaxed their weapons.

“I see you, Great Click-Wrong and CEO Screech-Bling!” Nico projected, remembering to accent his speech.

Screech-Bling lowered his hat against the rays of the morning. “Son of Hades, we must leave now! The ACK-sun is too bright for us cavern-dwellers.”

“Of course.” Nico bowed ever so slightly. “May I say goodbye to my friends first?”

The troglodyte made a wet choking noise, which Nico took to mean: Fine, but be quick with it.

“Thank you, Screech-Bling.” He met Thalia’s piercing blue eyes. It was like staring into a sliver of Jason’s soul. “We have to go. Thank you, for everything.”

“You were the best male guests we’ve had in a while,” Thalia said with a playful smile.

Reyna came to Thalia’s side with a gladius in one hand. “Were you really going to leave without saying goodbye to your best friend?”

“Of course not. But I don’t think you have best friend privileges with me yet,” Nico smiled.

“Aw, I know you love me.” She extended the Imperial gold gladius to Nico. “Here, I want you to have this. Consider it a parting gift.”

“You know I don’t need another weapon.”

“I can’t come with you, so this can be like a substitute-Reyna. I’ll feel better knowing I offered you some symbol of protection, at least.”

It wasn’t worth arguing, especially with the trogs so eager to move, and Nico appreciated the gesture. The gladius was smaller and lighter than his Stygian iron blade, and he attached it to the sword clip on his backpack. He’d have to thank the Hephaestus cabin for that design.

“Thank you,” Nico professed. He pulled Reyna in for a hug, which seemed to surprise her. Nico took in her mild flowery scent, the bright morning sun, and the persistent heat. It could be a while until he experienced these simple pleasures of the world again.

She pressed her hands firmly on Nico’s shoulders. “I love you, Nico. Now, go save your Titan friend.”

Nico turned to grab Will, who was busy in conversation with Thalia. He was trying to hand a bow and quiver back to her, but she was relentless. Finally, he accepted them and attached them to his backpack.

“Ready?” Nico asked.

Will took a deep breath as if to capture as much fresh air as possible. He nodded. “Let’s go.”

Screech-Bling and Click-Wrong led the way as they dug, creating a sort of spiral staircase that descended deep into the earth. Nico and Will followed close behind, the latter glowing faintly against the darkness.

“What was that about?” Nico pointed at the bow and quiver of silver arrows on Will’s back.

He snorted. “Thalia wanted me to have it. She said no child of Apollo should be arrow-less. I don’t know how much of that was true. I think she just wanted to show me that she cared.”

“It could come in handy. Your knives aren’t great for long range fighting,” Nico admitted.

Will protested, “Neither is your sword!”

“Well, now I have a gladius, which I think can do this.” He grabbed Reyna’s gold sword and imagined it as a long pole with a pointed tip. It obeyed his wish, turning into a light javelin, perfect for throwing across enemy lines.

Will whistled appreciatively. “That works like the extendable lightsaber I got for Christmas one time! Except my lightsaber broke within a few weeks and didn’t elongate based on magic principles.”

Nico laughed, and the bright sound echoed through the passageway. “Nerd.”

“Oh, don’t you start. You still haven’t watched Star Wars with me.”

“Yeah, because I don’t have twenty hours to spend binge watching mediocre alien movies.”

Will gasped. “I can't believe my boyfriend just said that. You’ve watched, what, ten movies in your life? You don’t even know how good the original trilogy is.”

Nico sighed. “For the record, we had movie nights at Camp Jupiter. And fine. When we get out of this alive, I will watch the first three Star Wars movies with you. But only the first three.”

“Yes!” Will pumped a fist in the air. “We can get the secret TV from the Aphrodite cabin, and make popcorn, and—”

“The Aphrodite cabin has a TV?” Nico interrupted.

“Yeah, just like the Hephaestus cabin has an underground lair and the Apollo cabin has our own showers.”

“I’ve got to upgrade the Hades cabin,” Nico mused. “Yet another thing to add to my list when we survive Tartarus.” The word dampened the conversation, and they walked in silence down the tunnel. The scratching and thudding of the troglodytes reminded Nico of footsteps in Minecraft. Last year, Nico had watched Jason play the game often, and remembered listening to the soothing repetitive walking sounds. He smiled to himself at the happy memory, and the pang of hurt that usually followed was less sharp this time.

After several minutes of contented silence, Will muttered, “We’re actually doing this.”

He must have been thinking about Tartarus this whole time. “You okay?” Nico asked.

Will’s head jerked up and down, like he was trying to convince himself to nod out of reflex. “I was really anxious yesterday, especially when you became unconscious. I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if my dad didn’t show up.” He let the implication linger in the dank air.

“Hey, we won’t die. Remember the Paris date I promised you? We have to be alive for that to happen.”

“Yeah.” He took a steadying breath. “But in Tartarus… we won’t be able to call on the gods at all.”

“That’s true, but we’ve never really gotten the gods to show up when we want them to. I think we have to rely on each other the most.” Nico extended a hand out to Will. He smiled when he felt Will’s warm hand in his. Their clasp was like a solar eclipse, Nico’s shadowed fingers concealing Will’s glow where their fingers laced.

“I trust you, Death Boy.”

“And I trust you, Sunshine. We will survive this. Together.” Nico quickly glanced at the troglodytes, who were entirely focused on digging the path ahead of them. Nico decided to take the risk. He looked up to Will and kissed him. Nico smiled against Will’s lips when he felt the tunnel brighten. Occasionally, Nico had doubts over whether Will actually liked him. It was the remnants of his insecurities from his past, and sometimes those thoughts would resurface. So seeing this physical response to Nico’s affection always boosted his confidence—no one else but himself could make the son of Apollo glow like this.

“What is this?” Screech-Bling’s voice cut through the tunnel, causing Nico to pull away from the kiss. Will sighed ever so slightly, but he looked satisfied, and he still shone brilliantly.

Nico looked ahead. Instead of the dirt tunnel that the troglodytes had dug so far, there was a large cavern. Its ceiling was twelve feet high, and the walls were made of ancient stone, creating a circular space that could have easily fit a hundred people standing shoulder-to-shoulder. They hesitantly walked into the space.

“We should—” Will paused when he noticed rubble falling from the tunnel’s ceiling.

“That is not—GRR—good,” Click-Wrong noted.

“Not good,” Screech-Bling echoed.

“We should keep moving, then, right?” Will suggested. Nico heard the edge of panic in his boyfriend’s voice.

“Wait,” Screech-Bling said. “Someone is coming.”

“That’s why we should—” Will clammed up when a chunk of rock the size of a manhole cover crashed to his feet. Where the rock had fallen from, a hole led to another realm. The sky was a pale red, and Nico could hear the laments of dead souls.

Nico gasped. “We’re under the Fields of Punishment. I should’ve felt it earlier. We have to leave now.”

Screech-Bling noticed the urgency in Nico’s eyes. He squeaked a message to Click-Wrong, and they both hurriedly dug at the stone wall on the other side of the cavern. It gave way to their fingertips easily, and soon the tunnel continued with the troglodytes in the lead. Nico grabbed Will’s hand and pulled him towards the newly made path. But before they could successfully catch up with the troglodytes, the cavern ceiling splintered open. Shards of rock rained down, and Nico and Will dove for cover. When Nico opened his eyes, he saw that the tunnel that the troglodytes had made was caved in, and Screech-Bling and Click-Wrong were nowhere to be seen.

“Who dares trespass under my realm?” A voice shook the space. Nico froze. He recognized that voice. Nico squeezed Will’s hand hard, not to reassure him, but as a warning.

The dust settled, and Nico saw the looming figure of Hades standing before him. His helm of darkness obscured his features, creating an emotionless, monster-like visage. This was someone who could sentence you to death or life without a second thought.

What is my father doing here? Nico wondered. Hades spent his time in his palace overseeing the Underworld, and he didn’t have any need to leave unless there was a serious issue. I guess your son going to Tartarus counts as serious, Nico decided.

“Nico,” Hades growled. “What are you doing here?”

He probably already knows. “I think you know, Father. And you can’t stop us.”

“I will not have my son traipsing around Tartarus. I cannot risk the Doors of Death to be breached again. It is not a place for demigods, Nico. There is nothing there that is worth your life.” He sounded gentle, almost like he cared for Nico’s existence.

“There is,” Nico asserted. “Bob is down there, and he needs to be saved from Hyperion’s wrath.”

“Oh, Bob.” Hades let out a mild chuckle. It sounded foreign amongst the wails that Nico heard in the distance above them. “Iapetus was a good janitor. I never really questioned it when he left all of a sudden. Figured he might have regained his memory or joined the forces of Gaea last year.”

“No,” Nico growled. He despised how little his father cared. “Bob saved my life in Tartarus when I went to find the Doors. And he helped Percy and Annabeth, too. Now Hyperion is going to kill him—permanently—and I cannot have that happen.”

“Nico, when are you going to learn that some people will die? You can’t save everyone, and sacrificing your own life, when you have so much ahead of you, is not worth this Titan.” He spat out the last word.

“I looked for the Doors of Death back when you were struggling with your Greek and Roman identities,” Nico said, seething. “Bob helped me when you wouldn’t. It must be hard for you to accept that a Titan could be kinder to me than my own father.” Out of the corner of his eye, Nico saw that Will was silent, staring in horror at the large man in front of him. Nico wasn’t sure what Will thought of Hades, but the difference between their fathers was painfully evident.

Hades’ eyes glowed an angry red under his helm. “Nico, you have to understand when to step back. Bianca would have listened to me—she knew where the extent of her duty ended.”

Red-hot rage burned through Nico’s body. “Don’t you dare compare me to my sister!” he yelled. Cracks split in the floor, and Nico swore that the wailing of the damned was louder. He had been pushed around enough by his father as a child. He thought they had reconciled the last time he saw him in Évora, but apparently Hades still hadn’t learned how to be a good father.

At that moment, the trogs managed to dig themselves back into the cavern. They grinned when they saw Hades’ helm, as if thinking of what a nice addition it would be to their hat collection. Then they noticed Nico’s angry expression and Will’s frightened one, and their smiles disappeared.

“And who are you?” Hades bellowed.

“Click-Wrong.”

“Screech-Bling.”

Hades looked at them in disbelief. “Never thought I’d see troglodytes aiding demigods.”

Nico glared at his father. “People help you when you’re kind to them, believe it or not.”

“Nico, I try to be kind to you. I want you to be happy. But why isn’t this enough? You have this boy—” he gestured to Will, who took a few steps back, “—and a home, and people who care about you. I care about you. So why can’t you listen?”

“My life is better now, but it’s not thanks to you. Unlike you, I can’t turn my back on people who need my help. I am going to Tartarus to save Bob,” he declared. Nico turned around slowly to walk towards the troglodytes’ tunnel. His back was to Hades, completely vulnerable. He wasn’t scared of him, and a father would never fight his own son, would he?

“Son of—CLICK—Hades,” Screech-Bling began with a whisper. “While we were grr-caved in, we dug all the way to SCREECH-Tartarus. It’s only a few more yards from here, but you’ll have to jump with your glow-light friend.”

Before Nico could acknowledge the information, Hades’ voice boomed through the cavern. “I hate to do this, but you leave me no choice.”

Nico turned around just in time as the ground erupted, and skeleton warriors lunged towards them. Nico drew his sword and sliced through the first line of undead soldiers. Screech-Bling and Click-Wrong grabbed chunks of rock from the floor and hurled them towards their assailants, successfully hitting blows in their rib cages.

“Click-Wrong, Screech-Bling, get out of here!” Nico yelled. “You can dig yourselves to safety!”

“We will help you first, Nico di Angelo!” Screech-Bling responded. The rock he threw neatly embedded itself into the skull of a skeleton-warrior, who promptly crumpled. Click-Wrong was by his side, every throw accurately hitting an attacker. Nico made a mental note to never get on a troglodyte’s bad side.

Nico looked for Hades, but he was gone. He was likely invisible, lurking somewhere to strike when Nico least expected it. Then he saw Will. He was cornered by a group of skeletal Roman soldiers while desperately trying to reach the bow and arrow from his back, which would be useless at such a short range. Nico sprinted towards him, every slash of his Stygian iron sword furiously dissolving the essence of skeletons in his path.

“Nico, close your eyes!” Will shouted.

“Why?”

“Now!” Will’s glowing, which originally was as bright as a streetlight, now expanded like a supernova. Unfortunately, Nico hadn’t shut his eyes in time, and the white glare seared his eyes, momentarily blinding him. It seemed to be worse for the undead, having spent centuries in the darkness of the Underworld. They clawed at their faces and sank to their knees.

Nico stared at Will with shock and awe. But the skeletons on the floor were already beginning to rise. Nico couldn’t stand this any longer. “Father, fight me yourself!” he shouted, his voice a knife against stone. When Hades’ imposing figure didn’t materialize, Nico sank into the shadows. Instead of imagining a shadow-travel destination, he extended the tendrils of his mind through the darkness, feeling for his father’s presence. Finally, he reached something solid. Nico yanked his father out of the shadow plane. “Gotcha.” Before Hades could grasp what his son had done, Nico pinned him against the wall with the flat of his sword.

“If you’re playing dirty, so will I, son,” Hades said. He unsheathed his own sword, a Stygian iron blade twice as long as Nico’s. He pushed Nico off him, then advanced. The clash of their black blades echoed through the cavern. Where Hades slashed, Nico blocked, and where Nico stabbed, Hades parried. They fought like a dance, perfectly choreographed as they mirrored each others’ moves. After all, Nico had learned these exact maneuvers from his father.

The skeleton warriors stayed down, and Will and troglodytes stared in horror. Then, the trogs seemed to regain their senses. They motioned to Will to come closer to the exit tunnel. Will inched himself along the wall towards them. The blinding trick seemed to have drained his ability to glow, so he was quite successful at making himself unseen.

Meanwhile, Hades and Nico continued to spar, neither gaining on the other. Nico knew that his father was simply keeping Nico busy, possibly waiting for him to tire. If Hades had meant to hurt him, there was no doubt that he would already be dead. Unfortunately, Nico was already exhausted from his shadow trick, so it would only be a few more minutes before he would collapse. Will definitely noticed, because he shouted, “Nico! Stop fighting and get over here now!”

Nico turned towards Will’s voice and lost his momentum. Hades lunged and pointed the tip of his blade against Nico’s throat. “I would never hurt you, Nico. But if you don’t turn back now, I will have no choice but to bring you back to the Underworld. This fight was merely a warning of what I can do.”

So this is still a threat, Nico thought. He had no more energy to fight. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, but deathly serious. “Father. I don’t want to fight you either.”

Hades’ eyes softened and he lowered his sword. “Okay, let’s go home, then.”

“No, you misunderstood. I don't want to fight you. And the Underworld is not my home.” Nico helped himself up. Hades didn’t move. “Goodbye, father.” Nico dissolved into the shadows and re-emerged by Will’s side. The troglodytes grabbed them by their backpacks and shoved them towards the end of the tunnel they had dug.

“Glow-friend and wall-lizard, you must go now!” Screech-Bling said.

“Good luck, son of Hades!” Click-Wrong squawked. He and Screech-Bling dove into the rock wall beside them and disappeared as they made a new path, away from Hades and towards their headquarters on the East Coast.

“No!” Hades yelled, his voice diminishing as Nico and Will sprinted towards their exit. He sounded almost… defeated. But Nico couldn’t bother himself wondering how much Hades really cared. He grabbed Will’s hand as the precipice approached them. He had no idea how far of a drop this would be, but they had no choice.

Nico and Will leapt off of the tunnel’s edge into the realm beyond the gods.

Notes:

Ahhh okay so now that they've jumped into Tartarus, I'm going to have to plan out my writing a lot more because the realm of Tartarus is completely fantasy. As a start, I'm going to reread the Percy/Annabeth chapters from the House of Hades so I can have a better grasp on how I want to describe things. Also, I just started working and have summer classes so I'm still working on this, but it might just take longer between chapters. I appreciate your patience, and I love you all so much! Thanks to every single one of y'all who is reading my work!

Chapter 12: The River Phlegethon (Will)

Notes:

I'm so sorry for the month-long wait! I have been extremely busy and June was an utter mess for me mentally. In addition to my new job and quite literally the hardest class I've ever taken, I lost my grandmother. She was the fucking best and yeahh that grieving process made it hard for me to do anything for a few weeks. I will try to update new chapters more regularly, like every two weeks, but I cannot promise that. Thank you all for supporting me and being patient, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter. It's a little short, and I apologize for that as well. Thanks again :)

Chapter Twelve- Will

The poet Hesiod had claimed that it would take nine days to fall into Tartarus. Even with the troglodytes’ help, Will had assumed that their fall would be at least half as long as that. So, when his feet made contact with the ground mere seconds after their jump, his legs weren’t prepared, and he clumsily fell upon the landscape, dragging Nico down with him. Not the most heroic entrance into Tartarus, but Will was grateful for their short fall. It would have been a shame if they had travelled across the country and fought the lord of the Underworld only to fall to Tartarus and die on impact.

Nico let out a flurry of swears, most of which referred to his father in a… colorful way. His ankle was bent at an awful angle. He grimaced and tried to push himself up.

“Here,” Will said. He squatted next to Nico and placed a hand on his ankle. He inhaled deeply and uttered the hymn to Apollo. He wasn’t sure if divine songs would work in Tartarus, but he sang anyway. The beautiful aching melody pierced the air, then immediately died out without an echo. Will faltered. It was as if Tartarus was leeching the song from his own lungs. Nevertheless, he continued, and heard Nico breathe out a sigh of relief as his ligaments mended under Will’s touch.

“Show off,” Nico muttered. “You could’ve just given me ambrosia.”

“We only have a specific amount, so as long as I’m here we should use my powers.”

“You’re not dying on me, Solace.”

“Then I guess you’re going to hear a lot of my singing.”

“This place could use it,” Nico admitted somberly. He helped himself up and stood on both feet hesitantly. Will finally forced himself to look around.

At first glance, he almost thought he was back in Death Valley. The heat and desert-like air felt the same. But as his eyes adjusted to the red-tinged lighting, he realized that this was nothing like Earth. The ground below him was entirely black broken glass. Every shard pointed up, eager to impale. As he stepped, the landscape gave way to his shoes like a peat bog. Will wondered if it would even hold his weight, or rather swallow him into the unknown depths beneath. Instead of clouds, rust-colored wisps of dust combed over the sky. It wasn’t even a sky, really, just an expansive dome that produced a faint crimson light, as if Tartarus had bought a sun off of an IKEA clearance rack. Scraggly pole-like trees stood dispersed across the land, and a fiery river snaked in the distance. Even though he didn’t see any monsters on the terrain, Will felt uncomfortably vulnerable and exposed. At any moment, a creature could swoop down and kill them without a second thought. Behind him, the rock ledge from where they had jumped loomed menacingly. How had Nico possibly dealt with this alone?

Will’s eyelids felt heavy, and his heart beat like a flurry of bats. I am about to pass out. His thoughts were detached and clinically observant, and he would have collapsed if not for Nico, who held him up. His strong nimble hands gripped around Will’s side.

“Hey, you’re not passing out just yet.” Nico reached into Will’s bag and forced a square of ambrosia into Will’s mouth. The flavors of a BLT sandwich burst into his cheeks. Will was suddenly taken back to his date with Nico merely days before, eating sandwiches against the glass bus stop in New York. The ambrosia filled his entire body with warmth, comfort, and strength. You will survive this, it seemed to tell him. He blinked several times and was glad to find that his heart rate had slowed down. A single pair of concerned eyes stared at him.

“Healing exhausts you even more down here,” Nico said. “We have to find the Phlegethon.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nico gave him a quizzical smile. “And you’re not doing your godly healing thing anymore, okay?”

“I’m supposed to be the doctor,” Will whined. He still had to lean against Nico, and his brain felt like it had been put through a blender.

“You’re not okay yet,” Nico observed. “But we have to keep moving.”

“Ugh,” Will groaned. Despite how weak he felt, he didn’t want to be a dead weight on Nico. He forced himself to straighten and remove himself from Nico’s grasp, and shuffled forward a few feet. “I’m good now. Let’s find that fire river.” He put on a false smile, but it must have come out more like a grimace, because Nico’s eyes crinkled with worry.

They walked side by side, Nico with a slight limp and Will swaying feebly. He had seriously underestimated how much godly power drained him in Tartarus. He guessed Nico wouldn’t try shadow-traveling either.

“So, how did you do that light thing back in that cavern?” Nico asked, breaking the silence.

Will recalled his expanse of light that had blinded Hades’ soldiers. “I’ve never done that before,” he said. “I just believed I could, and it happened. If not, I guess you would’ve come and saved me anyway.”

Nico snorted. “I would’ve left you to have some quality time with my father.”

“Not a chance.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Nico conceded. “I had hoped we wouldn’t have to see him at all, though.”

“He was… terrifying,” Will admitted. Nico must have endured abuse every time he visited the Underworld. Yet he’d managed to convince Hades to fight with Camp Half-Blood in the Battle of Manhattan. Will knew his boyfriend was brave, but after seeing the true nature of the god of the dead, he realized that Nico was so much more resilient than Will could ever understand.

“Yeah.” Nico watched the glass crack under his feet. He clearly didn’t want to think of Hades, especially in a place already so triggering for him, so Will let the silence consume them. Several moments later, Nico unstrapped Reyna’s gladius from his backpack and handed it to Will. “You should have this. Not every monster is going to be light-sensitive, and this has a longer reach than your knives and requires less setup than Thalia’s arrows.”

“Okay,” Will said. He never liked swords very much. They were too bulky, and they didn’t have the same precision or long range that arrows provided. Nevertheless, he gripped the gold sword tightly, and felt a little less afraid.

 

As they trudged along, Will felt cuts and bruises bloom on his skin. When he was five years old, he had tripped down the porch steps of his Austin home and scraped his knee. It had healed into a faint scar over the years, but now it bled as if the injury had just occurred. Bruises from losing Camp Half-Blood sword fights re-emerged on his shoulders, and Will’s arms ached as if he had just battled a hellhound. He struggled to continue walking, and when he turned to Nico, the first thing he noticed was his arm. An angry gash cut through Nico’s biceps, and blood and pus oozed out of it.

Nico noticed Will staring and answered, “Lycaon.”

But Will wasn’t concerned with where the injury originated from—he was worried about the myriad of scars furiously reopening on both of their bodies. His mind went into healing mode: Disinfect, proper stitches, and sterile bandages. He reached into his medicine bag for the supplies, but Nico stopped him.

“No, normal medicine won’t work here,” Nico said firmly.

“Medicine always works. It’s just science.”

Nico’s eyes mirrored the shattered surface. “Tartarus doesn’t follow the laws of science.”

“If that’s the case, then I have no power here,” Will said angrily. He had already experienced how fatiguing hymn healing was, but he had at least thought he would have mortal medicine. Without either of those methods, what redeeming qualities did he have?

“I don’t have any power here, either, Will. No demigod does.” Nico looked at him, blood now dripping behind his ears. The droplets fell in a thin red line to the ground, and the black glass turned a dull shade of amber before returning to its shadowed luster. “We have to keep moving. We have to find the Phlegethon.”

“Right. Fine.” Will hoped the Phlegethon was as magic in its healing as Nico, Percy, and Annabeth claimed. How could fire possibly heal better than mortal medicine or divine hymns? He simply had to trust Nico, who knew this terrain far better than he ever would. “Can we at least hold on to each other or something? I don’t know how long I can keep walking on my own.”

“There are hundreds of bramble scratches on my calves right now. So, yes,” Nico concurred. His breath hitched with pain as he put his arm around Will’s waist. Will curled his fingers around Nico’s shoulder. Despite the sting that Will felt at his side where Nico’s hand grasped, it was better than walking alone. The River Phlegethon was infinitely far away, an unattainable oasis in the middle of a desert. They stumbled towards its banks, leaning on each other as old injuries continued to surface.

“SQUAWK!” Out of nowhere, a harpy descended down on them, her claws outstretched. Will hastily untangled himself from Nico, and instinctually sliced through the air with Reyna’s gladius. Dust and feathers rained upon the both of them, and Nico looked at Will with shock.

“Good thing I gave you that sword, huh?” Nico said.

Will watched the harpy’s remains float to the ground. He had no idea where his reflexes came from. Perhaps the pain he was experiencing had turned his brain to pure demigod survival mode. “Harpies are supposed to be good, though,” he said, detached. He thought of Ronga and Joanie, two of the cleaning harpies from back home. What would they think of him if they found out he had killed one of their own kind?

“You did the right thing, Will. That harpy was trying to kill us. Things in Tartarus aren’t like they are above.”

Will nodded, looking out to the horizon. Fire rivers, red skies, evil harpies. Nico was right—Tartarus was utterly oxymoronic. “It’s going to take me some time to get used to.” He sighed, dusted off the last of the harpy’s essence, and miserably marched on with Nico.

They collapsed at the shore of the River Phlegethon after what felt like an hour. Will wasn’t sure how time worked in this place. Dull green sand grated against Will’s legs as he knelt at the river’s banks. It was fire and liquid at the same time, flowing furiously hot while flames rose upward into smoke. On Earth, the sun provided life to its organisms. As the river's brightness blinded his eyes like a magnesium flame, Will wondered if the Phlegethon was Tartarus's version of the sun, its life source. It was brighter than whatever ungodly light lit the rest of this place, that was for sure.

“This doesn’t look safe to drink,” Will noted.

“It’s all we’ve got,” Nico said. “Just drip your hands in like this.” He cupped his palms together and placed them into the boiling rapids, then tipped the fiery substance into his mouth. As soon as he swallowed, Will was appalled to see Nico’s cuts heal before his eyes. It worked faster than ambrosia, and in seconds, Nico looked as good as new, his black eyes shimmering with relief. “See? Nothing to be afraid of, except the taste. It’s like ground up Thai chili peppers mixed with gasoline.”

Will took a deep breath, and his lungs filled with noxious Tartarus air and smoke. On the exhale, he plunged his hands into the River of Fire. It was not the nerve-numbing cold that Percy and Annabeth had described. It was the magma under a volcano, the core of the sun—and it fried every skin cell below Will’s wrists. All he could think was, OW. Pain. Pain. Pain. What came out of his mouth was an inhuman scream, and he withdrew his burning hands from the river. His palms were pale as bone and covered in blisters, and his skin threatened to peel off like a glove. It was the most agony Will had ever experienced. Tears streamed down his face, and suddenly, a sonorous voice roared, pounding his skull into a migraine.

“I DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN OF THE SUN TO DRINK FROM MY WATERS. THIS IS YOUR PUNISHMENT AND WARNING, CHILD OF APOLLO.”

Will’s vision was cloudy and his head throbbed with pain. He fell back onto the rough sand, and it scraped against his neck, abrating the cuts that had formed during his time in Tartarus. As his eyes closed and his consciousness faded to nothing, Will heard a familiar voice crying out his name.

Chapter 13: Burns Destroy One's Precious Skin (Nico)

Notes:

Sorry about another (really long) wait! I hope you like this chapter :)

The prophecy:
Seek the sister’s tribe for aid
One shall fall to the darkest blade
Turned against a closest kin
Burns destroys one’s precious skin
Shadow and sun, love will sail
Silver and gold together prevail

Chapter Thirteen- Nico

“Will! Will!” Nico cried out at the unconscious form before him. He didn’t know what had happened. One second Will was okay, following the steps Nico had told him, and the next, he was screaming in agony as his hands burned. And there was that awful voice. It must have been the god Phlegethon himself, Nico deduced. But what did he have against the children of Apollo? And how dare he prevent Will from healing in the only way Tartarus allowed them?

The voice boomed again. “I AM THE ONLY SUN IN THIS REALM. APOLLO’S WARMTH IS NOT ALLOWED HERE.” First question answered. The god Phlegethon was somehow jealous of Will because he was Apollo’s son, so much so that he decided to burn him. Nico couldn’t stand how unfair that was, but he should have known better. He cursed at himself for not protecting Will sooner. If he had been cautious of the god’s envy towards Apollo, Nico might have prevented this tragedy.

Anger and fear surged through him. What if Will didn’t wake up? What if he did, and blamed Nico for not alerting him to the river’s dangers? What if the god Phlegethon showed up in his full form and decided to destroy them both? He was completely alone, with only an unconscious hurt boy beside him. Will always made him feel accepted and loved, but without him, Nico’s thoughts spiraled. He was powerless and alone. A distant screech caused him to flinch, and he wondered—for what was probably the thousandth time in his life—if this was when he would die. The last time Nico was in Tartarus alone, he didn’t care for his life. He was so weak and felt so unloved that it didn’t matter if Tartarus was where he drew his last breath. Back then, he didn’t feel loved by anyone, so who would have cared if he died? But now that Nico had gained a glimpse of what it felt like to belong, the idea of death scared him. He didn’t want to meet his father just yet. Another screech removed him from his thoughts. He needed Will here, whether or not he wanted to admit it. He could not handle Tartarus by himself like he could when he was thirteen. And even then, he’d had Bob.

He crawled over to Will’s side. His boyfriend's chest rose and fell ever so slightly. Nico let out a sigh of relief. Will was alive. But his relief was short-lived. He eyed Will’s hands, charred and peeling. The soft golden skin of his palms would never touch Nico’s hand with the same gentleness ever again. Nico hated himself for thinking of that. Why would the texture of Will’s hand matter if he could never use them again? Think, Nico, think. What would Will do? Nico didn’t have the medical brain of his boyfriend, but he had survived some pretty gruesome things; he knew how to survive. He decided to test out a risky theory—would the River Phlegethon allow him to feed Will its contents if Nico was the one touching its waters? He dipped a finger into the liquid fire—no problem. Then he placed a droplet of the fluid onto Will’s lips. Surprisingly, no reaction occurred. That was a good sign. He took another drop and placed it on Will’s tongue. Again, no burning or charring. Nico took his nearly empty thermos from his pack and dipped it into the River Phlegethon. Then, he carefully lifted Will’s head to his lap and poured the fiery liquid into Will’s mouth. He swallowed involuntarily, and Nico saw some of the cuts on his skin heal. It wasn’t nearly enough to cure the burns, but it hopefully eased some of the pain. Nico poured a little more into Will’s mouth, and this time when he swallowed, he sputtered and coughed, and opened his eyes.

“Nico,” Will rasped. “It hurts so much.” His blue eyes were the most beautiful thing Nico had ever seen.

He reached for a container of nectar and gently poured it over Will’s hands. You should have done that before Will woke up, Nico scolded himself.

Will let out a sigh of relief as the burnt flesh turned into scar tissue. “That’s better.” His moment of bliss quickly vanished. “Nico, what happened? Why did it burn me when you and Percy and Annabeth were fine? What did that voice have against me?”

Nico explained the jealousy between Phlegethon and Apollo, trying not to let his anger overcome his tone. “The god doesn’t have an issue when I touch his waters. So I just have to feed it to you from now on. I used a thermos this time, so maybe you can drink yourself from it as long as I fill it up.”

Will frowned. “I shouldn’t have to rely on you this much. I don’t know if I can even use my hands properly anymore, and how can I help you fight if I can’t hold a sword or a bow?” His voice quavered and he shakily sat up. Nico saw tears well in his eyes as he looked at his ruined hands. “Will I even be able to heal with touch anymore?”

Nico rarely saw Will in such a panicked state. Usually, it was after big battles, when the mental exhaustion of healing so many wounded finally caught up to him at the end of the night and he would cry as Nico held him as tight as he could. Will didn’t allow anyone but Nico to see him in this vulnerable state. “Here,” Nico said as gently as possible, offering his arm where a new cut had already formed. “Whatever the outcome, just know that it will be okay.”

“It won’t,” Will hiccupped, but he placed his palm over Nico’s forearm and began to sing his hymn to Apollo. His hand was rough and feverishly hot against Nico’s skin. When Will finished his last off-pitch verse, the red line on Nico’s arm remained, not even a hint of a scab as proof. Burns destroy one’s precious skin, Nico remembered suddenly.

The once-defiant tears in his boyfriend’s eyes fell freely, and sobs violently shook his body. “I’m nothing, Nico. I’m nobody without healing. It was the one thing I had going for me. I wasn’t a good singer or archer or poet, but I was okay with medicine, you know? And now I don’t even have that. Would I even be considered a demigod? I can’t go back to Camp Half-Blood and keep my head counselor position if I have no godly powers at all!” Will spilled thought after depressing thought, and while Nico knew how crucial Will’s healer identity was to him, he had never known the complete depth of his insecurities. That Will was willing to be so vulnerable about this showed his immense trust of Nico.

Nico carefully took both of Will’s hands in his and faced him. “Your strength was never in the magical part of healing.” Will frowned, but Nico continued. “You know how to take care of people, and healing is more about your ability to comfort and console people than anything Apollo could have granted you. You learned how to have empathy. You cry with campers when their siblings pass away, and if they need space, you give that to them. But if they need a strong hug, you’re there, too. Healing isn’t only about stitches and medicine—it’s everything around it, Will. Every kid at camp trusts you to make them feel better and you always do. You make people feel safe and loved, and that is more important than any of this stupid god magic can do.” Nico meant every word. “Do you remember after we won against Gaea and I was planning on leaving for good? You saw my pain and loneliness and forced me to stay at the infirmary with you for three days. Three measly days, yet it changed everything for me. You showed me what it meant to belong somewhere. You healed me, Will, and someone who has the power to do that is a healer.”

Will let the words settle. “You think too highly of me, Nico,” he sniffed. A faint smile peeked across his face.

“It’s true—you’re a healer through and through. I can’t have you forget that just because of one mishap.”

Will drew back his hands. “This is bigger than a mishap, and you know it.”

“I’m sorry—you’re right. It’s just that your ability to heal transcends the magic abilities of the gods. Apollo doesn’t have half the bedside manners that you do, and based on how much Camp Half-Blood loves and trusts you, it’s clear that they see the value in that. I know I do.”

Will sighed. “Thank you, Nico. But it still sucks to lose the power that you used to have.” He opened and closed his palms slowly, as if hand exercises could bring back his magic healing touch.

Nico imagined how he would feel without shadow-traveling. He didn’t think he would have survived any of his past quests without it. “I know what you mean. You still have your glowing abilities though, right?”

Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His skin illuminated like a firefly, but his scarred hands remained devoid of light.

“Glad to see that I still have my glow-in-the-dark boyfriend,” Nico smiled.

Will looked down at the darkness of his palms briefly, then at the rest of his luminescent body. He smiled sadly and extinguished his light. “Yeah, at least I have that. Should we get going towards Hyperion now? We’ve been here for too long.”

“Sure, we can follow the Phlegethon.” Nico wasn’t sure what else to say. He had comforted him as best as he could, but Will needed to get back to the surface to fully understand his worth again. He got up and reached down to help Will, but he didn’t accept Nico’s outstretched hand. With a bit more fumbling, Will stood.

“Do you know where Hyperion is?” Will asked as they fell into step.

“I’m not sure,” Nico admitted. “I saw glimpses of him in my dreams, but I think I need to fall asleep in Tartarus to get the location in detail.”

Will nodded, unsure. “If we have to rely on your dreams for information, we should find some place to rest for the night. Didn’t Percy and Annabeth mention some giant… Damasen, right?”

“Yeah,” Nico said. “His hut is in the intestine of Tartarus, according to Annabeth.”

“Great, just add that stop on Google Maps and we’ll be good to go.”

Nico chuckled half-heartedly. “I think I know where she means.”

“Lead the way, Death Boy.”

Despite the return of his humor, Nico noticed that Will was more subdued than usual. He kept his hands hidden in the pockets of his joggers, which was something Chiron had drilled in them not to do. Hands were essentially a part of the weapon, and demigods always had to be able to draw their sword or bow within a second’s notice. Nico didn’t mind defending both of them in the instance of an attack, but it wasn’t rational for Will to completely put himself in a position of danger, either.

“Will,” Nico said gently, “you should hold a weapon or something, just in case.”

“It… hurts too much to grip things,” Will admitted finally.

There it was. Will’s admittance of pain had long passed his personal quota, and Nico had to accept that. “That makes sense. Don’t worry, I got you.” He adjusted his stance so he shielded Will from the exposed terrain to their right. He hoped the River Phlegethon was enough of a protective barrier on Will’s other side.

“I love you, Nico,” Will sighed.

“I-I love you too, Will.” Nico wasn’t sure what prompted Will’s sudden effusion, but he didn’t plan on taking any exclamation of love for granted. “We’ll be okay,” he added.

 

The ground beneath them slowly changed from the glass and sand to a more slime-like consistency. The pulsating pink-brown mounds were slippery and horrifying to climb over, but at least it was less abrasive against Will’s hands. When he had come to Tartarus alone, the terrain was always rocky or sharp, with every particle eager to snag his ankle or lodge in his airways. This was different, somehow. While it looked less threatening, Nico felt constricted, like a gigantic serpent had coiled around his entire torso. This must be what Annabeth meant by the “intestine of Tartarus”. Nico paused for a moment and recalibrated his perception of this place yet again. Sometimes he hated his demigod imagination, because right now he felt like he was literally being digested by a primordial being. His chest tightened and his body was slick with sweat—or maybe Tartarus digestive juices. Nico wasn’t sure what was real anymore. Despite his delirium, the River Phlegethon snaked on, sure and true.

“Let’s pause for a drink,” Nico rasped. “I think I have a fever.”

“Fever? Let me check,” Will said. He placed the back of his hand on Nico’s forehead. The touch was rock on skin. “I can’t feel anything. Either you don’t have a fever or my hands are no longer sensitive enough to temperature.”

“It’s okay, Will. I just need the Phlegethon water.” Nico dipped his thermos into the river and drank greedily. It was pure acid, but when he swallowed, his mind felt a little clearer and his palms lost their clamminess.

“When Rachel said 'burns destroy one’s precious skin', I would never have thought it would be this bad,” Will muttered to his hands.

“Me neither,” Nico whispered. He’d almost confessed to Hazel that he was worried Will would be the victim of that prophetic line, but he would have never guessed the extent of it. Will was still a healer, no doubt, but the ability to hold things and feel temperature and use hymn healing were valuable things to have lost. Nico hoped that in time—and with proper medicine—Will would be able to do those things again. But for now, all they had was liquid fire. “You should drink this regardless—it might help a little.” Nico gestured to his thermos.

“Phlegethon should have helped by not burning me the second I touched his fucking river.”

“If the god decides to make a physical visit, I will let him know how we feel,” Nico said. “But for now, please drink this. We have to save our ambrosia for when we leave the river’s banks.”

“I don’t trust that god enough to even touch your thermos.”

“Okay, I’ll feed it to you. Come here.”

Will hesitantly opened his mouth and Nico poured the liquid into it carefully, avoiding touching Will’s lips with the rim of the flask. Despite Will’s indignation, his face did brighten after several mouthfuls, and the gashes that had emerged along his arms faded.

“That’s the worst thing I’ve ever tasted,” Will announced.

“I did warn you earlier,” Nico said.

“When you said Thai chili peppers, I was hoping for the flavors of red curry, but alas!” Will placed a hand over his heart dramatically.

Nico couldn’t help smiling at Will’s change in constitution. Hopefully the effects of the river water would last until Damasen’s hut. “What a shame, Solace. I’ll remember to take you out for Thai food when we survive this.”

“Oh, and don’t forget the date you planned in Paris!”

“Maybe we can have Thai food in Paris,” Nico suggested.

“I don’t trust the French to make anything other than their own cuisine.”

“Fair,” Nico agreed, suddenly recalling the anti-French propaganda that was served to him as a child. “Anyway, we should find Damasen’s hut before we’re too tired. I don’t want to sleep on intestines.”

“Yeah, good idea. You may lead the way again, darling.”

They began their steady pace over the slick landscape. While Nico had told Will that he knew the way, he wasn’t actually using any direction markers. It was a Hades instinct, he presumed. He knew the anatomy of Tartarus roughly, but it constantly changed and moved with the god’s moods. Nico simply thought of the destination in his mind, and he approximated where to go. Now, they were approaching the end of the slimy pink terrain as it gave way to a marsh. The reeds and grasses were pure black, and the shallow water beneath them had the consistency of crude oil. Thankfully, their shoes reached the bottom, and they trudged across the wetland.

They collapsed on hard earth, if it could be called that. The ground had the same consistency and texture as soil, except it stank of decay. Nico followed his nose until he saw—

“Holy Hera,” Will said as he lay his eyes on the drakon corpse. “I don’t want to meet whatever killed that.”

Nico scrunched his nose to try and block out the smell. “It’s clearly been dead for a while so whatever killed it is probably long gone.” And there was something else, teasing at the edge of his memory. He somehow knew that they weren’t in danger.

“Wait, is that the place Annabeth was talking about?” Will pointed in the near distance, where a small thatched hut sat. It was tilted and on the verge of collapsing, its windows either barred or nonexistent. Yet it evoked the sense of home.

“Yes,” Nico sighed. He felt his shoulders finally relax, and he and Will walked up to the house. “Annabeth said that Damasen was hospitable and helpful, but if he’s not here…”

“We can make ourselves at home.”

“Exactly.” Nico smiled to himself, but it quickly faded. As they walked through the empty sitting room past a cold fireplace, Nico couldn’t shake his feeling of despair. If Damasen wasn’t here, that meant that he had sacrificed himself for his friends just like Bob had. But he wouldn’t have a second chance to live like Bob would. He will survive, Nico promised. I will save Bob. He couldn’t save Damasen or Jason or Bianca or his mother, but he would save Bob.

“Damasen was cursed to fight a drakon every day,” Nico blurted, suddenly remembering. “If the dead one outside hasn’t regenerated… I think that means that Damasen is gone.”

“He died for a good cause and was able to escape his curse,” Will said. “Maybe I should feel more sad about him, but all I can think of is collapsing onto that giant bed right now.” He stumbled towards the huge cot. Nico couldn’t blame him. The bed was stiff and dusty, but when Nico leaned into it, he swore was the most comfortable place in the universe. His thoughts of Bob and Damasen left his mind as he was enveloped by the hard, fibrous linen. It may as well have been Athenian silk.

“I’ve never been this tired in my life,” Nico confessed as he was hit with waves of exhaustion. “Not even post-shadow-traveling.”

“Mhm,” Will’s eyelids fluttered. “Make sure you remember your dreams tonight, though. This isn’t just rest time—you’re here to gather information about Bob and Hyperion’s location.”

“Of course,” Nico muttered as he flung his backpack and sword belt to the floor. Will carefully placed his medicine bag and backpack against a bed post. Then he fell onto the bed with all the grace of a minotaur. Nico joined him. Despite the Alaskan king sized space, Nico had the urge to be as close to Will as possible. With one arm around him, Nico pulled Will towards him. If he was less exhausted, he might have been more anxious about their physical closeness, but the fireplace was dead and the world was cold. Will had all the warmth of the sun.

“Good night, sweet dreams,” Will mumbled, his eyes closed.

“I don’t think so, Sunshine,” Nico whispered, but he smiled nonetheless. He closed his eyes and the world went dark.

The second Nico shut his eyes, the dream began. He was in the same place as his Tartarus dreams usually brought him, but everything was so vivid Nico thought for a moment he was physically there. The red sky looked like a curtain of blood. The ground was the color of deadwood laid perfectly flat as far as Nico could see. It was pockmarked with craters brimming with partially formed creatures, each a few yards apart from one another. There must have been close to five hundred of them just in Nico’s sightline. There was not a single sliver of cover, but the monsters didn’t mind. Every time two creatures shared a glance, a brawl would ensue, with the victor leaving to pursue other prey and the loser turning into dust before reforming again in a new crater. Despite the chaos, Nico could only hear one voice.

“Son of Hades, I know you are close!” Hyperion bellowed. Nico turned to his voice and saw the crater that held Bob. He was fully formed up to his wrists and ankles, and the sight of him laying there with his eyes closed caused a lump to form in Nico’s throat. As his vision blurred, Nico did a double take. He looked at the craters around him once more, then at the ground. He was standing on skin, and each crater was a single pore on the ghastly surface of Tartarus’s body. The thought made him gag, and each ripple in the landscape repulsed him. The intestine was one thing, but skin? How could Nico possibly find this place when it represented the largest surface area of any organ of the body?

“I know where you are, Nico di Angelo, and I am waiting,” Hyperion continued. The Titan turned his head and looked at Nico with piercing gold eyes. Nico felt like his skull was about to explode from the pressure of that stare. “You do not stand a chance, not even with that golden boy of yours. See you soon!” he flashed a toothy grin that reflected a streak of brightness across the dim atmosphere.

Nico woke up with a gasp. The dream gave him a location, but how was he supposed to find it? The skin of Tartarus must span the majority of his realm, so Nico wasn’t sure if his Underworld powers would grant him enough ability to pinpoint Bob’s exact location. He turned to Will who was still sound asleep. Nico watched Will’s chest rise and fall until the undulating pattern soothed him and he drifted off once more. He didn't dream the rest of the night.

Notes:

I forgot a lot about the imagery of Tartarus as it was described in the House of Hades, so I really took some liberty with it- I don't even remember exactly what Damasen's house was supposed to look like. So I apologize if any descriptions are "non-canon", although in my opinion, Tartarus looks different to different people and is constantly changing. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 14: As Long As We're Together (Will)

Notes:

Make sure to reread the previous chapter before starting this one. I just edited it (12/21/2021) and added some extra paragraphs at the end describing Nico's dream!

Uh yes I was basically absent from this fic this entire semester, so sorry about that. I couldn't find the time nor energy to write at all, and the little energy I did have I had to prioritize for school. I don't want to rant too much here, but I am very glad for winter break, and will hopefully have maybe one more chapter out during the next three weeks before school resumes. If you're still reading my fic, I thank you deeply for your patience and support <3

Chapter Fourteen- Will

When Will woke up, he immediately found himself looking into Nico’s dark eyes. Will was confused—Nico never woke up first. That strangeness alone caused Will to jolt up in his bed, and when he placed his palms flat on the mattress, a surge of pain coursed through him. Right. The Phlegethon. Memories of their previous day (or days, Will wasn’t sure) were brought back to the surface. He knew Tartarus was bad, but being punished by the only life source in the realm felt so personal to Will. He always tried to make people like him. At Camp, he saw how his empathy towards others made them trust him more. He knew that putting kindness in the world allowed him to receive some of that back, so Phlegethon’s curse felt so unfair. What did Will do wrong besides being born to a sun god? It was so cruel, so awful, so evil. Will didn’t think he held hatred for anyone as strong as this before. He wanted to kill Phlegethon.

Will took a deep breath. He had never had feelings like that before. Is this part of the punishment? Will wondered. Having your identity completely flipped upside down until you want to seek revenge? He didn’t like these thoughts, but perhaps vengeance had a sort of power when every other strength had been taken away from you.

He winced involuntarily, and Nico asked, “Are you feeling better?”

At home, Will always had to put on a brave face for his campers. He was the one to ask them how they were feeling, never the other way around. But around Nico, and especially in a place like this, he couldn’t bring himself to lie. “Not really,” he said. “The sleep was wonderful, but my hands still hurt. I still don’t think I can hold anything.”

“That’s okay. Do you think wrapping them will help?”

“Yeah, it probably would. Good idea.” Will was a little bothered that he hadn’t come up with that first. He might not have his hymn-healing powers, but he should have still had the mental capacity to diagnose a medical situation. “I have aloe vera, Neosporin, and gauze in my medicine bag. I can tell you how to dress my hands.”

Nico took the supplies out. “The Neosporin and aloe won’t work in Tartarus,” he said. “It’s probably better to just wrap them. I think the firewater is what will really provide the healing down here.”

“Alright, just be careful around my thumbs.” Will watched Nico wrap his hands with the most gentle precision he had ever seen. Was this what it was like to be on the receiving end of infirmary care? Despite the pain, Nico’s touch was so tender against his fingers that tears pricked at the corner of Will’s eyes. After all the ordeals of the day before, this felt like the most love Will had ever received from anyone. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Nico looked up at him. His mouth formed a small O when he noticed Will crying. “Is everything okay? Did I wrap it too tightly?”

“No, it’s perfect,” Will said. “It’s just—you care about me so much.”

“I love you, Will, and I also love caring for you, even though you don’t let me do it often enough,” Nico replied. He tucked the last of the gauze near Will’s wrist. “Let me know if there is anything else I can do to help with this pain, okay?”

“Okay.” Will slowly flexed his hands. They felt much stronger and firmer than before. He tried picking up his medicine bag. It wasn’t painless, but it was definitely bearable. “Let me try holding a weapon,” he said.

Nico unsheathed Reyna’s gladius from Will’s backpack. When Will took it in his grasp, he grimaced. He could hold it for maybe a minute with one hand before the pain became excruciating. “I wish I had something thicker than gauze,” he murmured.

“It’s okay, I can cover for you as long as we need, honestly.”

Will knew Nico was being genuine, but he didn’t want his boyfriend to overwork himself, and he didn’t want to feel like a free-loader, especially in Tartarus. “I just wish I could heal faster,” he muttered.

“It’s only been a day, and Tartarus isn’t a good environment for recovery. You’ve seen how it makes old injuries resurface, right?”

Will nodded. He could feel a bruise forming on his hip from falling off the lava wall earlier that year.

“Unfortunately the River Phlegethon seems to be the only thing that can help,” Nico continued. “We should get going soon, and follow the Phlegethon as long as we can.”

“Did you figure out where we need to go next to find Bob?” Will asked. That was the whole purpose of finding a safe place to sleep, after all. “Did you have the dream you needed?”

Nico frowned. “Mhm. It looks like this flat plain of craters, but it’s really Tartarus’s skin.”

“Ick,” Will gagged. “Are there any indicators or landmarks we can look for? Do you know which part of the body the skin is from?”

“No, it was just this flat land full of craters which looked like skin pores. I’m kind of worried that we won’t be able to find it. After all, isn’t the skin the body’s largest organ?”

“I can’t believe you remember that, Nico!” Will smiled. He had no idea his boyfriend actually paid attention when Will rambled on about medical things in the infirmary. That reminded him of something. “Were you able to see any hair follicles?”

Nico looked into the distance as he thought. “No, actually, which is strange, because last time I was in Tartarus I definitely walked across skin that had hair.”

“That means it has to be either the palms or the soles of the feet,” Will explained. “Those are the only parts of the body that don’t grow hair.”

Nico’s eyes widened as he broke into a grin. “You’re incredible, Sunshine. I don’t know what I would do without you.” He sighed happily. “Can I kiss you?” he asked.

Will smiled even wider at that. “Of course, darling, just watch the hands.”

Nico leaned forward to kiss him, and when their lips met, Will felt the same butterflies that he had felt half a year ago when they had kissed for the first time. It was rejuvenating and clean, and Will felt like he had just drank all the nectar on Mount Olympus. Nico was wrong about the Phlegethon being the only source of healing, Will thought. Kisses seemed to work just as effectively.

Nico pulled away at last, his cheeks red and eyes bright. “I needed that.”

“Me too,” Will breathed.

 

Before they left, they searched the hut for supplies. They found some drakon jerky which, according to Annabeth, was quite tasty. They also stumbled upon a large canteen made of a dark black metal. “It was probably Damasen’s,” Nico said. “This will be good for storing Phlegethon water when we have to leave the river banks.” He stuffed it into his pack.

Then Will saw something that he usually wouldn’t have given a second glance to. Gloves, placed on a gigantic workbench. Will could barely feel the texture through his wrapped fingers, but the worn leather looked smooth and flexible. Will carefully put them on his hands. When he opened and closed his fists, he felt almost nothing. The oversizedness of the gloves added plenty of breathing room. “Nico, give me the gladius again,” he whispered. Nico obliged. Will picked up the gold sword carefully, then gripped with the proper form he had learned from Chiron. The pain was dull and distant, the thick leather providing a beautiful barrier between his sensitive skin and the metal. He slashed the blade through the air. His palm felt a little tighter and some pain flared up his palms, but it was manageable. “You know how the Hermes shrine felt like a sign from the gods for Percy and Annabeth?” Will said. “These gloves are that for me.”

Nico’s face shone with love. “I’m so glad, Will.” He still couldn’t use divine healing, mortal medicine, or fully glow anymore, but he wasn’t completely useless. And that was something to be grateful for.

“I can’t think we’ll find anything better than this,” Will effused, looking at the miraculous gloves once more. “I’m ready to leave if you are.”

“Me too,” Nico answered. “We shouldn’t stay here too long, anyway. Our scent shouldn’t linger too much in one place.” With that depressing thought, the two of them left Damasen’s hut and entered back into the realm of intestines.

Will watched the way Nico led them, making sharp cuts and turns in a seemingly unknown pattern. “Wouldn’t it be more efficient to walk in a straight path?” Will asked, partially because he was getting tired of walking in zig zags.

“We don’t have the Death Mist to hide us, so I’m trying to spread our scent across more of the land so it might be more confusing for monsters. Our scent is more concentrated now that we spent all that time in the hut.”

“Is there any way to get the Death Mi—”

“No,” Nico snapped. “I’m not meeting Akhlys ever again.”

Will had learned about parts of Nico’s journey through Tartarus, none of which were pleasant for Nico to talk about. Will always had to be as gentle as possible to coax the words out of him, and even then, Nico wouldn’t explain much at all. Now that Will was here, he wondered how much of the experience Nico had purposely compartmentalized in his mind. “That’s alright, sorry I asked.”

Nico’s face softened. “No, it’s okay. Sorry for cutting you off like that. It’s just that last time, Akhlys told me that I was so full of sorrow and misery that she couldn’t add to my pain.” He took a shaky breath. “I—I guess I’m scared that if I meet her again she’ll say the same thing, and that regardless of the progress I’ve made, I’m actually still as broken inside.”

Will carefully stepped over a particularly large mound in the ground before responding. “I’ve seen you heal over the last year and the level you’re willing to open up right now is proof of that. Last year you wouldn’t have admitted your insecurities or fears at all to anyone. Don’t you think that's growth?”

“I guess.”

The lack of confidence in Nico’s answer bothered Will. “Healing takes a long time, but every little step we take makes all the difference. Akhlys would be a fool not to see how much you’ve grown.”

Nico was quiet for a while before he responded. “I know that, but somehow now that I’m here I feel like I haven’t changed at all.”

“Trauma does that to all of us, Nico,” Will said gently. “Everytime I visit Manhattan… It's so difficult to walk through those streets. And bridges…” Will shook his head. He needed to focus on Nico. “What I mean is that now that you’re back in Tartarus, you feel like the parts of you that were here the first time are resurfacing. But you have made it so far, and will continue to do so. You’re not as broken as you once were, no matter what this place wants you to think, got it?”

“Thanks, Will.” Nico smiled sadly. “I knew how you felt about the city, but I had no idea about the bridges. I’m so sorry.”

Will had told Nico about the deaths of his siblings and how he never had time to grieve them properly. He had never mentioned the physical anxiety he got whenever he had to cross a bridge, though. Nevertheless, Nico’s arm looped through his elbow, and Will knew that Nico understood.

 

Their winding trajectory brought them in and out of view of the River Phlegethon, and they stopped multiple times to refill their canteens. Nico filled up Will’s for him every time. Will wasn’t sure if the river was a fear he could ever overcome, and he was okay with that.

They sat at its banks when they were exhausted and shared a meager lunch of crackers and raisins. Nico poured out the raisins into Will’s gloved hands, but when he tossed them into his mouth, most of them tumbled onto the raw red ground.

“Oh, come on!” Will grumbled as he chewed on the two raisins that successfully made it into his mouth. “Why did we even pack raisins? You know I don’t like them.”

“They’re good for you, and you’re the one who did all the food packing, Sunshine.”

“I think I packed some real fruits, too. Can we eat one of those? There should be an orange in my pack.”

Nico obliged, rummaging through Will’s backpack until he procured a beautiful navel orange. Without thinking, he tossed it to Will. “Wait, your hands!” Nico exclaimed, wide-eyed. But Will caught it instinctually, and only felt a small burst of pain travel back from his palms.

“I’m good,” Will said. “The gloves really do help. But I think you need to peel it.”

Nico smiled. “Of course.” He took the orange back and slowly began removing its bright skin.

“When do you think we should get moving again?” Will asked hesitantly. He didn’t want their respite to end, but he knew it would be safer if they didn’t let their scents concentrate in one place.

Nico meticulously peeled off the orange pith, then split the orange in half and continued his precise technique. “The twisting way we’re walking is helping, so we should be good for an hour or so. Anyway, I think we deserve this, don’t you?”

Yes, Will thought. The River Phlegethon reflected off Nico’s rings in an amber hue as Will watched Nico’s slender fingers work on the orange. Finally, he plucked one of the slices and offered it to Will, who opened his mouth and let Nico place the fruit on his tongue. He bit down. The juice exploded against his lips—tangy acidity and bright tartness singing in pitch-perfect harmony, a sticky lusciousness reminiscent of the nectar of the gods. It reminded him of Camp Half-Blood breakfasts and hotel rooms with his mom. Judging by the look on his face, Nico was having a similar experience—his lips turned into a blissful smile as the juice of the orange dribbled down his chin. He continued separating the slices from each other and alternated between feeding one to Will and putting one in his own mouth. This ritual grounded them to the world above, and they were quiet for a while.

Eventually, Will asked, “How do you think Ananya’s faring back home?”

Nico threw the peel of the orange into the river. Will watched a small plume of smoke rise from the water. “I saw her in a dream when we were with the Hunters. She was getting her own weapon from the armory, but she didn’t like anything that was there. She said she only wanted Stygian iron, like me.” Nico spoke this to his horseshoe ring.

“Sounds like you’ve got a fan,” Will teased.

“She’s great. It almost feels like despite her past she is determined to prove to the world that she matters.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” Will said.

Nico smiled. “Is there anyone you miss up there?” he asked.

“My mom,” Will admitted. “I haven’t seen her since winter break two years ago. She drove up to Camp Half-Blood for a weekend after Leo, Piper, and Jason’s quest. She wanted to see me before another war happened, I guess.”

“You should go see her after we save Bob,” Nico said.

“I was actually thinking,” Will started slowly, “that you could come with me when I do.”

“You want me to meet your mom?” Nico asked, his eyes wide.

“If that’s something you’re comfortable with.” Will gave a coy smile. “I think she deserves to meet the ever-popular boyfriend of her son.”

The corners of Nico’s mouth twitched. “I would be honored, Will.” Then, he looked at Will with an expression he couldn’t quite place. “There’s so many people who care about us,” he whispered. “We need to succeed for them.”

Will nodded fiercely. “We will succeed,” he promised, “As long as we’re together.”

Nico’s face blanched for an imperceptible moment. Then, he scooted next to Will, placed a hand over Will’s gloved one, and drew him close. “As long as we’re together,” Nico echoed.

 

They cleaned up their meal by throwing their trash into the boiling river and resumed their trek. Considering the dignity and ego of primordial beings, both Nico and Will agreed that Bob was more likely located at the palms of Tartarus rather than the soles of his feet. Nico led the way as usual, and the lumpy, wet terrain flattened out to something completely different. They had left behind the River Phlegethon, and now Will faced a bleach-white landscape, dry as bone. He shivered, and his throat longed for water. He tapped the rock solid ground with his shoe. “It is bone,” he said aloud.

“Yes,” Nico concurred, gritting his teeth. “I wish it wasn’t so cold, though.” It wasn’t any colder than a summer night, but it was a stark difference from the hellish heat of the intestine.

“We’ll be alright,” Will said. “At least there aren’t any places for monsters to hide.”

Nico grunted in agreement.

He didn’t think that he would need to hold a sword across this boney land, so Will removed his gloves, letting his wrapped hands experience the cool atmosphere. As the air cooled his skin, Will wondered if Apollo would be able to fix his hands if they returned to the normal world. Not if, Will scolded himself, when. Nico’s pep talk the previous day had helped—Will knew that his magical healing properties weren’t what qualified him as a healer. Nevertheless, he had always relied on it as an option—combat medicine was chaotic and messy, and Will often ran out of supplies quickly during battles. Having his powers as backup was crucial in those situations. More than all that, though, was that Will had based his entire identity around his ability to heal. Unlike Austin and Kayla and Lee and Michael, who had inherited a myriad of their father’s traits, Will had only gotten medicine. At first, he wasn’t even sure if it was something he inherited. Will had had to put in so much work as a young camper learning from Chiron, his older siblings, and medical textbooks. When he had discovered his hymn-healing ability at the age of eleven—after being at Camp Half-Blood for two years—Will had finally felt like he belonged among the demigods. The way he saw it, without this power, Will was no better than a mortal doctor. What use would that be to a camp of demigods?

“Talk to me,” Nico blurted, out of nowhere.

“What?” Will was ripped away from his thoughts.

“It’s too quiet, and I’m going to lose my mind if I’m left with my own thoughts down here again.”

Will wondered if Tartarus was causing his own mind to deteriorate as well. “What kind of thoughts?” he asked.

“When I’m not talking or thinking about you, my mind tears me back to my last trip here,” Nico said quietly. “It’s like I’ve regressed into my thirteen year-old brain and it’s telling me that I’m worthless and broken.”

“I'm not sure if it's your brain,” Will began. “Your trauma could certainly be a part of it, but the same thing just happened to me, and I’ve never been in Tartarus before. I was thinking about my hands and then kept spiraling until I decided that I was worthless to Camp Half-Blood because I can’t hymn-heal anymore.”

“You know that’s not true,” Nico said firmly, his dark eyes blazing against the whiteness of the land.

“I’m realizing that now.” Will looked into Nico’s eyes and saw the fierce adoration in them. “I think Tartarus is doing this, making us think we are useless. It’s easier to die here if we don’t believe in ourselves.”

Nico’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “I never considered that. I didn’t think highly of myself even before coming to Tartarus, so it wasn’t any different. But your idea makes sense.”

“So, we just have to talk to each other constantly so Tartarus can’t mess with our heads.” An idea was forming in Will’s mind, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Why are you smiling?” Nico gave him a lopsided look.

“Because, my darling, we need to do a compliment chain!”

“A what?”

“We need to build ourselves back up again to believe in ourselves and our abilities,” Will said. “We need to compliment each other!”

“That sounds like a fifth grade activity,” Nico muttered, but his eyes were brightening already.

“Nico, you didn’t even go to fifth grade.”

“Whatever. You’re annoying.”

“And you’re brilliant,” Will beamed.

“You’re alright,” Nico said, a smile teasing at the edges of his lips.

Will put on his glove on his left hand and reached for Nico. “You’re strong.”

“No, you’re strong,” Nico replied, gently accepting Will’s hand. “And you’re brave and intelligent.”

“So are you,” Will smiled. “You’re also kind, and empathetic.”

“You have confidence, even when you think you don’t.”

“You care so much for others without expecting anything in return.”

“And you taught me that I deserve love,” Nico murmured.

“You taught yourself that.” Will brushed his shoulder with Nico. “I just had a crush on you.”

Nico laughed, and the glorious sound rang across the pale atmosphere. “You’re cute.”

“You’re pretty,” Will said. “And handsome.”

Nico blushed. “You’re a good complimenter.” He stopped walking, instead turning to face Will.

Nico’s face was gaunt, and the white sky bleached his skin further, making him look like a ghost. He had cuts and bruises all over his body. But his eyes were like a cut of obsidian from a volcano, full of fire and passion and life. Will leaned towards him, and whispered, “You’re a good complimenter, too.” Their lips met, and Will grew warm as he held Nico close. The bone-chilling climate suddenly felt like the tropics, and when Will pulled away, he realized he was glowing, all the way down to his wrists. He wasn’t even bothered by the lack of light on his hands this time. “You have no right making me glow, like, everytime we kiss,” Will smirked.

Nico nestled his chin onto Will’s shoulder with a contented smile. “It’s a power I love to abuse.”

“I’m glad you do,” Will grinned.

They spent the rest of the day talking and complimenting each other and kissing as they walked towards the palm of Tartarus. Will barely noticed the pain in his hands at all.

 

They were nearing exhaustion—albeit happier than they had been since entering Tartarus—and Will was about to suggest that they set up camp for the night. As he was opening his mouth to speak, the landscape abruptly changed, almost as if a curtain had been torn away. No longer were they on bone, but the fleshy skin of Tartarus. Will took in the tall black spires which rose around them. Hair follicles, he thought. In a valley below, craters pockmarked the surface. Will froze in fear at the sight of the monsters. Hundreds of them, brawling and killing one another with no regard as they disintegrated and regenerated in pus-filled pustules elsewhere. “Is this the place from your dream?” he whispered.

“Yup,” Nico gulped. The terror on Nico’s face was worse than anything Will had seen. “We’re finally here.”

“We don’t have to go down yet,” Will said. He was assuring himself as much as he was Nico.

“I think they’ll smell us soon enough,” Nico muttered, but he crouched behind one of the hair spires regardless.

As if on cue, a voice cut through the chaos. “I SMELL YOU, NICO DI ANGELO!” the voice bellowed.

“Oh gods, we don’t even have a battle strategy,” Nico mumbled.

“We’ve got this. As long as we’re together,” Will said. He shouldered Thalia’s silver bow and gripped his gladius tightly.

“As long as we’re together,” Nico repeated, unsheathing his sword. Side by side, they strode into the palm of Tartarus.

Notes:

hi everyone! I think i have finally made the decision to abandon this fic for the time being. I don't want to keep you all in suspense or anything, so I will just outright say there will probably not be another chapter upload for at least the rest of the year. I just lost a lot of motivation to write for this fandom ever since reading other solangelo tartarus fics and knowing that we will get a proper novel in 2023. There are some wonderful other fics that tackle this same conflict, and I highly recommend looking through the "solangeo in tartarus" tag.

Sorry about this update, but I think it's important that I'm honest with y'all. Thanks to everyone who has been reading this and I apologize that this journey is over (at least for the near future). Love you all!

Notes:

Thank you for reading! I love getting comments, so feel free to let me know what you think :)