Chapter Text
In the end, it takes Nico four tries and two years to find him. Anyone would have given up after the second time, but he didn't. He couldn’t.
After Jason's death, he had swore on the Styx that he would find a way to end the War. (Yes, Jace, I promise, he says crying and holding his best friend against his chest, I promise for you.) Many ideas had come and gone. Mortals, demigods and gods alike had attempted and failed to defeat Gaea, but everything was useless.
Now, a few months after Hecate, one of the few deities that still supported the Alliance, had been captured this was the only Hope.
Nico felt like laughing, but his throat was too dry to do so. Here he was, in his fifth trip through Tartarus because most of the Seven and the Olympians were dead, Mother Earth had taken her crown back, the whole planet had been submerged into a daily Armageddon at her hands, and the Pits of Hell weren't so bad as everything was up there.
Gods, Nico had seen friends and entire families perish, had seen Gods brought down from their thrones, had been there when Olympus crashed to Earth. Nico had witnessed firsthand how Gaea had risen, had seen how the mortals tried to sent their stupid nuclear weapons at her and watched them despair as they did nothing.
Since Percy and Annabeth had died down here ( it still hurts to think of them, fuck), Tartarus was the least scary thing Nico could think of.
Plus, on the Third Ride through Hell it started to lose its spooky flare.
Anyway, here he was, finally, next to Kronos´s Sarcophagus and the Titan himself chained to it.
And the first thing Nico can think of is woah, and this guy had such a powerful card in Mythomagic?
The Titan groans like he could hear what Nico just thought. The Son of Hades rolls his eyes. Please, as if Kronos could scare him after everything Nico’s seen in the past decade.
“So, it seems my brothers were saying the truth.” The titan says. “The Demigods are so desperate that they think I could help. And who are you, even? I thought Mother had killed most of my grandchildren out of spite.”
“My name is Nico Di Angelo, Son of Hades.” He replies, because that is the only thing Gaea will never be able to take from him, his name and parentage. “And yeah, we´re pretty desperate.”
“Death Breath´s son?” Krono laughs. “At least he could do something right, if he had a spawn with enough guts to come down here. Heard he didn't put up that much of a fight when the Giants took over his realm.” A shiver runs down Nico´s back. Kronos notices this, a wicked smile forming in his lips. “Oh, I guess you still remember that? Rumor says that you and one of your infernal cousins were the ones leading the Underworld´s defenses that time. Tell me, little Hellhound, how does it feel watching your home fall to the hands of your own kin?”
Nico´s grip tightens on his twin Stygian Iron swords. He needs to be strong.
‘He will play games with your feelings.’ Luke Castellan’s ghost had told him. ‘He will try to get into your mind and use your emotions against you if you give him the chance.’
“Bad.” Nico answers sincerely. “But probably not worse than being overthrown by your own children twice , and getting chained to the edge of Chaos by your mother because you failed her.” Kronos's smile disappears. “Thought so.”
“Give me a good reason to not kill you right where you stand, hero.”
“You can't do that.” It´s Nico´s turn to smile. “I´ve got the Fates’ Blessing for this quest, I cannot die until they say I can. I'm basically immortal, or how did you think I managed to cross this place these many times to find you?”
“The Gods are really desperate, aren't they?”
“Pretty much.”
‘However, my father also appreciates a sharp tongue and wit.’ Hestia had explained . ‘There is only one way you will manage to convince him, and it will be with words, not with your sword.’
Kronos laughs again. “Then, what exactly do you expect me to do, little Hellhound? Don´t you think that if I was more powerful than my mother I would have already freed myself and taken my place as rightful ruler?”
“Gaea has killed and trapped all those that represent a treat for her.” Nico starts with the speech he never really thought he would need. He can almost see Hazel´s concentrated face, as the two tried to put together the words he would speak to the Titan. (He misses Hazel the most in the lonely days in Tartarus, almost as much as he misses Bianca.) “She kicked the Olympians out of their thrones and conquered the three Kingdoms belonging to them: Atlantis, the Underworld, and Olympus. She has murdered most of Humankind with the help of the Giants, as well as destroyed the Two Camps and New Rome.”
“Why should this bother me?” Kronos interrupts. “Not watching your stupid world crumble is the thing I regret the most after regaining my physical form again just to be chained.”
“But.” Nico continues, glaring at the Titan. “This has completely messed up the balance of the World. She broke the Equilibrium of Existence by killing the Gods, wiping out the Mortals, and most importantly, imprisoning you.” Kronos frowns, his attention finally caught. “Nemesis and the Fates think that she needs to be taken down, and even Primordials like Nyx agree. The power has gone up to her head, so much that she is even menacing the Giants, her children that helped her build this wicked empire. And tell me, Grandfather .” Nico can´t help but feel that by calling Kronos that he just seriously violated the word. “Don´t you feel angry? Or jealous? You helped her when she was sleeping, you've proven yourself as a mighty enemy for the Olympians. You would have won if it hadn't been for that Traitor, Luke Castellan. Don´t you think that it should be you, Kronos, Slayer of Ouranos, Lord of Time and King of Mount Othrys, the one who rules the World?”
Kronos glares at Nico, but the demigod can sense that he is analyzing what he just said. “You speak pretty words, Grandchild .” Yep, another violation of a term referring to family. “However, how do you want me to defeat Gaea? If you couldn't even stand against her with two Camps of Demigods and Legacies united, how do you want me to defeat her? Plus, what do I get if I help the stupid Fates with their plan?”
“You get your throne back when Gaea is asleep again.” Nico says. “With Zeus and the rest dead, only you are left to rule.”
Kronos smiles. “How am I sure that if I help you, you will give me back my throne?”
“I will swear, in the name of the Fates and the Alliance of Gods, Demigods and Mortals, that you will.”
“Swear it by the Styx then, little Hellhound.”
“You´ve got to help us first.”
Kronos laughs. “You are smart. At least Death Breath didn’t waste our blood in dumb children like the rest of our family. But, again, how do I know you will keep your word?”
“How do I know you will keep yours?”
The Titan sighed. “Fine. I'll go first: I swear on the River Styx that I will help you with whatever is that you need, as long as you keep your word to me.”
Nico was relieved. Now, it was the time to say the correct words. Hazel and Hestia had analyzed the words he was meant to say if he wanted for the plan to actually work, as it should if Kronos and he did everything right. This was the moment. No mistakes, Di Angelo, if you say something wrong it can all go badly. He has made too many promises that have failed to keep over the years, but this one and Jason’s, can't join them.
“I swear on the River Styx we will give you back your throne when Gaea is asleep and the Olympians stand death with their mighty thrones destroyed, as long as you, Kronos, help us and keep your word.”
Kronos seems pleased. Nico has a knot in his throat.
Relax, Nico tells himself, if everything goes according to plan, you won´t need to keep that promise.
“There, hero.” Kronos says. “What do you need me to do?”
“I need you to send someone back in time.” Nico explains yet again, because yeah let´s ask Kronos to send someone back in time to fix this clusterfuck has been the stupid plan all along.
Kronos has this you´ve-got-to-be-kidding face, like everyone when Nico told them his brilliant idea.
“That's it?”
“Yeah.”
“I think I will take back what I said about your father not wasting our blood.”
“Hey!” Nico hisses. “If you got a better idea, Kronos, I´m open to suggestions!” Kronos considers this, and then lets out an exasperated sigh. Nico smirks. Told you so. “Now, We will have to discuss who you will have to send back, and how we can cut your chains. Hestia and the Fates have been considering using-”
“I will send you back.” Kronos stated.
“-What?!” Nico shouts.
“I will just send you back, Nico Di Angelo.” Kronos repeats. “You were the only one that was brave enough to come here and ask me. Plus, you were the one that swore. My deal is with you and you only.”
“But- I mean, I don't think I am not really the best option!” Nico starts to complain. His plan was to send someone back like Hazel, or one of the Gods. Someone powerful, and smart. Not him! Not that Nico isn´t smart or powerful, but… (He thinks of seeing his friends again and how much he would cry if he did, he thinks of how broken he is because he is the definition of the word, he thinks of how useless he was when the Seven died, when Chiron was taken prisoner, when his Father was killed) No. Just no. No way in Hell.
“And I will send you now.”
“Now?!” Nico´s voice reaches an impossible high. “That wasn't the deal, Kronos!”
“You never specified, just as you didn´t in that swear of yours.” Kronos smirks. Oh shit. “Do you think I was born yesterday? You wouldn't have me in the throne, you would have chained me just as Gaea did.”
“I wouldn´t!”
“You are quite courageous though, little Hellhound. So I will send you back. Congratulations, you will be an official time traveler.”
And Nico couldn't talk, he couldn´t protest. His hand loosens on his swords, and he is lifted up in the ground. Gods, he should have known this was a bad idea, he should have known it would have backfired. Now he will die, he will never see Hazel again, he will never get to tell her goodbye, he will never keep that promise to Jason, and he will never watch Gaea fall and avenge Percy, and Annabeth, and Piper and Reyna, and everyone who fell.
Because this is how Nico Di Angelo ends, with the Fates’ Blessing or without it.
A weird fuzzy feeling starts to go around him, making him dizzy.
“I will send you to the moment that changed your life. This will be the only gift I shall ever give to a Demigod, just because you've impressed me with your valor.”
His eyelids are heavy, and he starts to close his eyes.
“Use this well, little Hellhound.”
The last thing Nico Di Angelo sees of that Timeline is Kronos’s wicked grin. Then he is enveloped into the purest pain he has, and will, ever known.
