Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

NICO

Nico left a still-shocked Percy and smiling Annabeth behind him, walking up to Will with a surrendering smile.

“Alright,” Will announced, “let’s go.”

Nico followed him to the infirmary, glancing around at the campers and Romans cleaning up the damage from the battle. Some were carrying supplies to the SUVs taking the Romans back to Camp Jupiter.

“I still don’t know what you were thinking,” Will muttered, glancing at him. “Pushing your limits like that.”

“If I hadn’t, we would’ve lost the battle,” Nico snapped.

“And if you had pulled one more stunt, you would’ve lost your fight with Death.”

“Who says I was fighting?”

Will sighed. “Stop saying nonsense like that. You know some people care about you here.”

“Don’t push your luck with me staying here, Solace,” Nico warned, causing Will to roll his eyes.

“I can push my luck as far as I want,” he retorted. “You couldn’t go farther than a few feet outside of this camp without collapsing, Di Angelo.”

Nico grumbled under his breath but didn’t retort, and instead followed Will Solace into the Big House and up the stairs to the Patients' Rooms. They walked past mostly closed doors, but Nico caught glimpses of sleeping demigods, some who were severely wrapped in bandages and others who looked almost healed.

Will suddenly stopped at an open, empty room, and gestured for Nico to follow him inside. “Alright,” he announced, “lie down and don’t leave this room. I’ll check up on you in a few hours.”

“Fine,” the son of Hades sighed.

Will watched Nico relax on the bed and close his eyes, looking more relaxed than he had in days. He wasn’t scowling, which Will thought made him look strangely angelic.

“Don’t try any dark magic while I’m gone,” he reminded Nico as he headed towards the door.

“I’ll raise the dead,” the patient called out, and Will rolled his eyes with a slight smile as he left the room, closing the door behind him.

WILL

Will was trying to relax.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about the son of Hades, and it was messing with his break. His siblings from Cabin Seven had practically forced him to take an hour-long break since he hadn’t stopped working in the infirmary for the past few days.

Kayla had suggested that he go sit by the lake, promising that she would call him if he was needed. Of course, Will had a watch on him, and though he tried to stop himself, he couldn’t help but glance at it every few minutes, willing the time to pass faster.

He was restless; he needed to be doing something, like healing an injured demigod or checking up on a patient.

“Hey,” a voice said, and Will turned to see the son of Jupiter standing behind him.

“Hi,” Will replied, and Jason sat next to him.

“I haven’t seen you around camp,” Jason remarked, causing Will to shrug.

“I’ve been busy making sure the campers and Romans are alright in the infirmary.” He gave Jason a wry smile. “What’s been happening while I’ve been inside the Big House?”

“The Romans are almost ready to start their journey back to Camp Jupiter… They leave this afternoon; we’re just finishing all of the details.”

“I think the future should look better with the Greeks and Romans now friends,” Will commented, and Jason laughed.

“Yeah. Let’s hope that there are no more prophecies though. I’ve had enough for a lifetime.”

The son of Apollo tilted his head at the boy sitting next to him. “I heard that my dad was being held responsible for everything. Is it true?”

Jason took a deep breath, sighing. “Yes. I tried to speak up for him, but Diana—I mean, Artemis—stopped me. I think she’s going to talk to Zeus on her brother’s behalf.”

Will swallowed, mustering a smile. “Well, that’s good. You know, I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

“The gods rarely do visit demigods in person. It’s very rare at Camp Jupiter. Who was the last god that visited your camp?”

“Uh… in person, Apollo, if you’re not counting Dionysus. And for Camp Jupiter?”

“I heard Mars, but we have a god who maintains the pomerium.”

“The what?”

“City limits.”

“Ah.”

There was a long pause before Jason stood up and patted Will’s back.

Before he walked away, however, he added, “Your healing saved many lives, and it’ll continue to save many more, but don’t forget to take some time for yourself, Solace.”

The healer didn’t reply, and instead stared off into the water, praying for his father’s guidance.

Chapter Text

WILL

Will was standing in a doctor’s office on the patient’s side of the desk. Curious, he glanced around the room to find it quite normal, except for the person sitting in the large spinny chair with a gentle smile on his face.

“D—Dad?” Will stammered, his eyes wide. His father looked almost like him in the form that he had taken and also looked around his age. But there was something off. The demigod noticed that his godly father wasn’t glowing like he usually was.

“My son,” Apollo said, still smiling. “You’ve played a great role in the war; I’m quite proud of you. Your siblings, as well.”

“J-Jason said that you’re being blamed—” Will said, still in awe of the deity sitting before him.

The god waved a hand. “As much as I would love to sit and talk about me, I’ve come with a warning.”

“A warning?”

“Yes. A darkness still lingers about Camp Half-Blood. A restless monster that refuses to be tamed,” Apollo said, his face serious for once. “It has the potential to be one of the most dangerous threats to the camp.”

“What is it? Is there something we can do to stop it? What about the gods? Can they help?” Will asked panickedly, and Apollo’s seriousness was replaced with regret.

“If I knew, I still couldn’t tell you, but I don’t anyway. As for the gods”—the sun god shrugged—“take a guess.”

Will knew it wasn’t only his dad who didn’t help out, but the thought of them watching their children and comrades get slaughtered, tortured, and threatened simply for being a demigod without lifting a finger angered him severely.

Apollo seemed to have read his mind. “Even after four thousand years, son, I still can not resist the idea of stepping in to save my children during their fights. Of course, I do need to be constantly keeping up with all of my various awesome skills, but prophecy and fate is not a toy. It becomes more dangerous than ever when one tries to fool it.”

The god suddenly shimmered, almost as if he were only a hologram and was losing connection. “I must go to receive my punishment,” he announced grimly. “Zeus grows impatient.”

“Wait!” Will called frantically. “What is he going to do to you?”

The god sighed, his image wavering and glitching more than before. “I have a faint idea, but I can promise you this: we will meet again soon.”

Before Will could say another word, the scene shifted and he started a different dream.

NICO

As promised, Will had visited the son of Hades three hours later to check up on him. The first night he stayed in the Big House wasn’t terrible; strangely and thankfully he’d had no dreams.

When he woke the next morning, he found Will Solace standing at the foot of his bed with a tray of food.

“How was your sleep?” his doctor asked, setting the tray on the bedside table. There were two slices of bread, a few pieces of bacon, and a slightly deformed sunny-side-up egg on a plate, accompanied by a silver knife and fork.

“Fine,” he said shortly.

“That’s not too specific.”

“Well, what do you want me to say?”

"Maybe something like, 'I feel better' or 'Getting some well-needed rest is refreshing,'" Will replied.

Nico felt irritated. It was a feeling that he often had when he was talking to the son of Apollo. He had woken up to the disapproval of his response not being satisfactory. But then again, why would he care about Will Solace's opinion?

"Another two days should fix you up. If you'd like, I can get you some lunch later," Will told him.

Nico considered putting up a fight but decided against it. If anything, Will had probably magicked the door so he couldn't leave.

"Fine," he mumbled.

Will was wearing a clean blue surgeon's shirt along with a pair of beige shorts and yellow flip-flops, something slightly different from what he had worn the previous day.

Nico asked to change his clothes, but he was denied permission to leave.

It was at that moment when Nico considered threatening Will Solace with his Stygian Iron sword (which he had momentarily forgotten was sitting in his cabin), and it was not the first time he had.

"You can either keep wearing your current clothes or allow me to give you some spare ones here at the infirmary. There is no way I am letting you out of this room, Di Angelo. You would never come back," he said, which didn't help Nico's attempts at convincing himself that murdering Will Solace was a bad idea.

"I'll keep the clothes that I have on now," he grumbled.

“Alright then,” Will said, a triumphant smirk on his face. “Eat your breakfast. I’ll be back in an hour.”

WILL

True to his word, Will returned to Nico’s room approximately an hour later to find the son of Hades fast asleep with the tray of mostly eaten food on the table beside him.

The healer noted that his patient had more color in his face than he had the day before, and took it as a good sign.

“Why are you smiling?” a voice suddenly asked behind Will.

He turned around sharply to find Kayla leaning against the door frame, dressed relatively the same as he was. Will had been smiling as he examined the son of Hades lying peacefully in the bed, but he hadn’t realized it until his half-sister had remarked upon it.

“I’m glad he’s resting,” Will said defensively, forcing his mouth into a straight line.

Kayla walked up to his side and nudged him with a small smirk. “Uh-huh, sure. Anyway, I came to tell you that all of the injured Romans have been fully healed, so they’ll be starting their journey this afternoon.”

“Okay. I’m assuming that they’ll be joining us for a last meal, right?”

“Yup.”

Kayla said goodbye before exiting the room, leaving Will alone with his still-sleeping patient.

Nico shifted slightly in the bed, mumbling incoherent words as he continued to dream—or perhaps he was having a nightmare. Will wasn’t sure, but since he had no other task at hand, he sat in a chair beside the bed and quietly hummed to himself.

NICO

Hades wasn’t fond of talking to his son through dreams, and Nico knew it.

So when the son of Hades found himself in his father’s throne room, he sensed something was wrong.

“Father.” Nico inclined his head to the god of the Underworld, who sat regally on his throne, idly running a finger up and down his armrest.

“Hello, Nico,” he replied formally. “I am glad to see you made it through alive. It would have been a shame to find your soul among those of your valiant comrades.”

The words reminded Nico of a thought that had been lurking in his mind ever since the battle had ended. He hadn’t shared it with anyone, not even Hazel, fearing that he would mistakenly bring someone’s hopes up only for them to be crushed.

“Father, Leo Valdez—”

“I already know what you suspect, Nico. And I am afraid that we do not have much time, so let us get straight to the point.”

So same as always, Nico thought, but instead asked, “Is it true?”

“Against all odds, yes.”

Nico couldn’t help but smile—it was an expression he didn’t make often and still hadn’t gotten used to, but Hades held up a cautious hand.

“However, you must not reveal the news to the others. Leo Valdez has a destiny, but many factors tamper with his future. If an unexpected disruption to his life occurs, it is better to conceal the information until he returns for certain.”

Nico was going to try to pry the knowledge from the god but then got distracted by a different topic.

“I heard that Apollo is being punished—” he began.

Hades interrupted him.

“I do not know for sure what will happen to him, though given how well I know my younger brother’s rashness, I have a shrewd idea. But son, if you had not noticed, I tend to… distance myself from their issues.”

Nico was tempted to ask, Is that why you kidnapped your niece and forced her to marry you? but he decided that he wasn’t in the mood to return to Hades so soon.

Hades studied his son thoughtfully for a few moments before saying, “You did well in the battle, Nico. Hazel as well. Though I may not always see eye to eye with the lord of the universe, I must agree that none of the gods can reward their children with the praise that they deserve for fighting bravely in the war against Gaea.”

Nico didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t expect any less from his father, or any of the gods for that matter. Despite the multiple occasions where demigods achieved what the gods couldn’t, there never seemed to be enough credit to the brave warriors who participated in the victory.

Before the son of Hades could reply, however, he shifted to a different dream.

Chapter Text

NICO

Will Solace.

Of all the people to invade his dreams, it was Will Solace. He shouldn’t have even been surprised.

After his small chat with Hades, the scene melted into what Nico quickly realized was the archery range.

The son of Apollo was nocking an arrow and aiming at the target a few yards away from where he stood.

The sun was high in the sky and the clouds were a fluffy white, like cotton candy floating in the light blue scene. A light breeze whistled through the air, and sounds of laughter from surrounding campers were heard as Nico zoned in on the son of Apollo, who was shooting at a line of targets with a few other people.

Will paused, adjusting his aim and stance for a few moments before releasing the string and allowing the arrow to fly towards the target. It shot forward, landing in the red zone of the target, which Nico considered impressive. He never went to the archery range at the camp, nor did he ever intend to. Knowing that Will was better at healing than combat, he figured that it was a good shot for him.

“Good,” a girl next to him said. Nico recognized her as Will’s half-sister, Kayla. “Try to keep your arm straight, though. It’ll help with your aim.”

“Thanks,” Will mumbled. Nico sensed that this was during the time when the Greek demigods were preparing themselves against the Romans, given that Will didn’t look very different from his present appearance. His blond hair was slightly shorter, and the fierce determination in his cerulean blue eyes was fueled by the anticipated war.

Nico observed as Will applied the girl’s advice, knocking another arrow and letting it fly. The arrow sharply pierced the red zone, but closer to the center this time.

“See?” Kayla said, raising an eyebrow at her half-brother. “You’ve already improved.”

Will gave her a half-smile before redirecting his attention to the target.

Suddenly, the ground split open, and skeletons burst from the crack, causing everyone to scream and run. Spartoi, Nico realized, and he was confused since he knew that this couldn’t be his father’s doing. He preferred quiet, short talks about the fate of the world, and would never send Spartoi into Camp Half-Blood, even in a dream (most likely). The son of Hades knew that he couldn’t control them because he was dreaming, but it didn’t stop a spark of panic from lighting inside of him as Will and the other campers who held bows tried shooting at the skeletons. It was useless, however, because the arrows went through the bone structure and only angered the Spartoi more if they were hit.

It didn’t take long for everyone (including Nico) to realize that the Spartoi were going after Will Solace and were ignoring everyone else. They kept advancing on the demigod, who was backing away slowly while hastily trying to knock another pointless arrow.

Everyone around Will was trying to distract the Spartoi, but it was no use. He eventually backed up against a wall, a ring of skeletons surrounding him menacingly. They held spears that were sharp and glistening in the still midday sun, baring their skeletal teeth at him fiercely.

For a moment, it seemed like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for someone to move. Campers tried to sneak up on the Spartoi, but there were a handful that were faced away from Will, brandishing their spears that pushed the campers back.

Before anyone knew what was happening, the first Spartoi attacked.

WILL

“NO!”

Will didn’t realize that he had nodded off to sleep until his patient cried out. He jumped out of the chair he had been resting in, looking around frantically for signs of danger, only to realize that Nico was having some sort of nightmare.

“Nico! Wake up!” Will said, reaching out and tapping his shoulder.

As soon as his hand made contact with Nico’s body, he found himself being shoved backward, ending up on the floor before he realized what had happened.

Nico sat up in bed looking alarmed, scanning the room for threats before registering what happened. Will made a note to be calm and patient in the future when waking the son of Hades up.

“Sorry,” Nico mumbled, and Will stood up, brushing himself off with a concerned look on his face.

“It’s fine. Are you… alright?” It seemed like a ridiculous question. The majority of demigod dreams were never pleasant, and based on how Nico was acting, the particular dream was terrifying. Will chose not to ask for details.

“I‘m fine,” his patient replied shortly, and it was clear that they wouldn’t speak further on it.

“Lunch is going to start in a bit. Do you feel alright?”

“I… yeah. I’m fine.”

Will figured that it wouldn’t hurt to let Nico out of the Big House for a while, especially since it did get quite lonely and stuff, sitting all alone in the room. Besides, he knew that Nico would want to say a few words to some of his friends who were heading off with the Romans.

“The Romans are leaving after lunch. I figure you want to be there, so you can go stop at your cabin and grab a new set of clothes. Don’t leave the campgrounds, or I will hunt you down.”

Nico couldn’t help but smirk slightly. “Got it, Solace.”

NICO

Nico couldn’t deny that he would miss his Roman comrades. He sat with Hazel at lunch with a few other members of the 5th Cohort. Despite not usually conversing with the demigods, he found himself smiling through the whole time, enjoying the laughter and the laid-back attitudes in the room.

It felt like yesterday that his father had guided him to Camp Jupiter, instructing him to introduce himself as a son of Pluto. Never in a million years would Nico have ever thought that he would be sitting amongst both groups in the same room, talking happily and eating together.

“Attention! Please, demigods and comrades!”

Frank’s commanding voice filled the room, and within seconds, everyone had quieted down, turning to look at Frank and Reyna, who stood alongside Chiron in front of the head table.

“We would like to express our gratitude once again to the Greeks before we depart. As Reyna stated, we could have chosen to tear each other apart and cause destruction. But instead, we chose peace and friendship.”

The Mess Hall was filled with the sound of hundreds of demigods clapping and whistling for a few moments before Chiron silently raised his hand and waited for the noise to die down.

“In return, the Greeks won’t be forgetting your kindness any time soon. We will value this newfound friendship and will always be glad that we became more than just allies in combat,” he replied with a smile. “We have been working to devise programs and events to ensure that our next encounter will not be on the battlefield!”

A few people smiled and laughed as the praetors and Chiron surveyed the apprehensive expressions on the demigods’ faces.

“We fought well together, Romans and Greeks. UNTIL NEXT TIME!” Reyna shouted, and there were even louder cheers in response to her words. Tears formed and long-lasting hugs occurred as the Romans filtered out of the Mess Hall and double-checked that they were ready to depart.

All of the Greek demigods watched as the Romans packed away the last of their belongings. While Frank spoke with Chiron to finalize their plans, Reyna privately took Nico aside.

“Camp Jupiter will always be open to you,” she said.

Nico couldn’t help but smile. What he had formed with the praetor was unlike anything he had with anyone; a bond of deep understanding and trust that had developed throughout a journey only they (and Coach Hedge) could attest to.  “You’ll be happy to know that I’m under strict orders to remain in the infirmary for a while. But once I’m released, I will be sure to visit.”

“Good.” Reyna smiled, and knowing that Nico wasn’t a huge fan of physical contact, settled for carefully squeezing his shoulder.

Nico couldn’t help but think it silly, though he appreciated her thoughtfulness. They had hugged before, and after everything they had endured together, a shoulder squeeze seemed too formal. He hesitated for a second before pulling her into a hug, this time not in front of both camps.

“Take care of yourself, Di Angelo.”

He nodded, and she gave him one final look before going to wave goodbye to the Greek demigods and join the awaiting Romans. There was a minute of silence once the SUVs had all left before the demigods dispersed and returned to their daily activities.

WILL

“Hey.” Will approached the son of Hades, who was still staring at where the Romans had driven off. He noticed how close he and the female Roman praetor were, and he wasn’t surprised, given that they had shadow travelled together with the Athena Parthenos for a few days across the world.

“Hi.”

“We should go back to the infirmary,” Will informed him. He didn’t want to drag Nico back to the small and empty room, but he had to enforce the prescription that he gave his patient.

Nico nodded reluctantly, not happy about it but unwilling to argue. His irritation with the son of Apollo was still present, but he had resigned himself to the fact that there was no point in trying to fight a battle he definitely would not win.

“At this rate of rest, you should be able to leave the Big House tomorrow afternoon,” Will added, and Nico mustered a small smile.

“That’s good.”

They began walking silently towards the Big House when suddenly, Nico froze. His eyes grew wide, but he kept his expression neutral despite his curiosity and fright at the abrupt sound of a voice calling to him.

“Nico?” Will turned around to find that the son of Hades wasn’t following him. He was a few feet behind him, unmoving and seemingly guarded.

“Can you hear it?” Nico wondered aloud, looking at Will.

“Hear what? Nico, what’s wrong?”

“Nico di Angelo…”

The voice was addressing him by name. It was male, and though Nico registered that he’d heard it before, he couldn’t determine where.

“Please, Nico…”

Nico shook his head a little, and the voice echoed away from his mind.

“Nothing,” he said, and swiftly marched past his doctor, who didn’t look convinced.

NICO

The voice returned an hour later when Nico was lying motionlessly in his infirmary bed, staring at the ceiling.

Will had left, promising to walk him to dinner despite knowing that Nico was quite capable of that trip on his own. Nico was glad when he was alone again since there was no way he could control the curiosity and concern that showed on his face if the mysterious voice reentered his mind, which it did.

“Percy Jackson…”

Nico concentrated on the voice, sifting through his brain to try and put a name to the voice, or even a vague face. The whisper of ‘Percy Jackson’ didn’t help, because practically everyone he encountered knew the son of Poseidon. He did, however, figure that the voice was coming from Tartarus.

“Dreams,” Nico muttered, glancing at the analog clock that hung on the wall. He had about two hours before dinner, which would be perfect to get a quick nap in. Surely a demigod dream could guide him and help him locate where he had heard the voice before.

Nico closed his eyes, falling asleep within minutes.

Chapter Text

NICO

Percy was lucky.

Even as a child of Hades, the god of the Underworld, Nico was barely able to mentally and physically survive a trip through Tartarus.

Percy was lucky that he had Annabeth; lucky that they were together, and used their brains (or at least Annabeth’s) to find their way out while helping save the world in the process.

As far as Nico knew, no one else besides the two demigods knew what they had experienced, though surely they had each confided in someone. However, unless it was fake, Nico was witnessing a moment from their fateful adventure.

A tired and exhausted-looking Percy clung to a determined but desperate Annabeth, and they were clearly in Tartarus. They seemed to be on a path, talking in hushed tones, but Nico couldn’t decipher what they were saying.

He did notice the Empousai that were hiding behind the rocks up ahead, and wanted to call out in warning, but couldn’t since it was only a dream.

The demigods did look around moments later, seeming concerned, only to be faced with the group of Empousai when they turned back around.

There was a bit of talk, and Nico picked up that Percy knew the leader of the group, whose name was Kelli. Apparently, she had attacked his high school a few years before, and though there were a few minutes of Annabeth using her words in an attempt to stall, the Empousai eventually attacked.

It seemed that all hope was lost until a large figure suddenly fell from the sky, landing loudly on the surface of Tartarus and scaring Percy and Annabeth.

Nico wasn’t able to clearly see their features, but the stranger had silver hair and some sort of old uniform on. They were also holding… a broom?

They were faced away from Nico, who still couldn’t figure out who the savior was as they attacked the Empousai with impressive moves using the broom that turned out to also be a spear.

Silver. Uniform. Broom. Large.

It all clicked together in Nico’s brain as he woke up with a start.

WILL

When Will went to walk with Nico to dinner, he found the son of Hades ready and oddly eager to go to the meal. He didn’t question it, and merely walked to dinner silently with him, parting ways with a nod when they reached the Mess Hall.

As Will went to sit next to Kayla and Austin at the Apollo table, he couldn’t help but glance over at Nico sitting along at the Hades table, looking deep in thought but still very lonely.

Frankly, Will thought the whole ‘sitting by godly parent’ arrangement was stupid, and also the cabin arrangements that made some cabins overcrowded while others were barely occupied.

He was tempted to go and sit with Nico without saying anything, but he knew that the son of Hades would hate the attention that would be drawn, and it seemed that Mr. D wasn’t in the best mood either that night, so he decided against it.

“Will? Will? William Andrew Solace, can you hear me?”

Will’s head turned reluctantly to face his concerned half-sister. “Yeah?”

“I asked how many demigods are still in the infirmary,” Kayla said, thankfully not questioning what had gotten him so distracted.

“Oh. I… I think maybe a dozen that are still seriously injured or in need of rest and supervision,” he replied. Like Nico.

“You should take a break, Will,” Austin said from his left, nudging his shoulder. “Tomorrow, let’s go to the archery range. Or go swimming. Let’s relax or do something fun, the three of us.”

“I… alright,” he said. He needed a break, but it was hard for everyone to adjust to not having to expect a battle at any moment. (Technically, it could still happen, but the past few months had been so tense that no one could remember when they didn’t have to constantly remind themselves that they were fighting battles within a war.)

He glanced over at the son of Hades one last time before looking away and focusing on the conversation that his siblings were having.

NICO

Will would murder him.

He would never let him out of his sight again.

But what did it matter? The plan that was brewing in Nico’s mind would probably get him killed anyway, and to have his death not be in Will’s hands was probably for the better.

As dinner neared an end, Nico quietly slipped out of the Mess Hall when he was sure that Will wasn’t looking at him. He knew that he only had about a minute before the son of Apollo noticed his absence and flipped out, so he was speed-walking as calmly as he could out of the dining area.

The sounds of laughter and plates clattering faded as he stepped into the darkening night. It must have been around seven, since the sun was setting and the stars were appearing in the sky.

Nico made the mistake of glancing up and silently looking at the peaceful setting, because ten seconds later, a concerned “Hey” sounded from behind him.

He whipped around to find Will standing with his arms folded and an eyebrow raised at him.

“What are you doing?” Nico demanded.

“I could ask you the same question,” Will replied evenly. His tone was relaxed, but his body was tense, ready to do anything if Nico so much as moved his finger.

“I’m fine, Solace. But I’ve had enough rest, and I have something important to do.”

Nico’s frustration was increasing the longer he stood. What right did Will Solace have to question him? Why did he have to care so much? Most people didn’t. Nico was fine with that. He was used to it. But for some reason, the son of Apollo felt the need to maintain a connection.

A connection that Nico refused to reciprocate.

“Which is…” Will Solace remained unfazed by his terse response. Annoying unfazed. How was he unbothered by Nico’s evident dismissal of his presence? It was frustrating to the point of near endearment.

Nico shoved the thought out of his mind.

“None of your business,” he snapped, and hastily started to shadow-travel away.

But that wasn’t before Will grabbed his arm, shadow-travelling away with him. They both disappeared from outside the Mess Hall of Camp Half-Blood, leaving New York entirely.

WILL

“Dannazione, lo giuro…” Nico swore.

It was pitch-black, wherever they were. Will immediately let go of Nico’s arm, backing into a rough wall in an attempt to walk away from the raging son of Hades.

“Where are we?” he asked aloud, trying to feel his surroundings. He combed the walls carefully but couldn’t find a way out. The surface he touched felt jagged and rocky, and the ground felt gravelly as he moved around.

“A cave,” Nico answered, his voice weak from exhaustion. No doubt that they had travelled a considerable distance, prompting extreme fatigue in the son of Hades. “Not sure where, but definitely a cave. Hazel would be better with direction, but I guess the only way to be safe is shadow-traveling again.”

Will was about to argue that Nico was in no condition to do anything based on his current state, but Nico had already collapsed against the wall, sinking to the ground as sleep overcame him. Will suspected that the son of Hades would have severely hurt himself had he not rested properly for the last few days, regardless of how far he had accidentally travelled.

Well I can’t find a way out if I can’t see anything, he figured, and checked his pockets in hopes that he could find some sort of light source. He found nothing.

Will sat down on the rough ground.

He was at a loss for what to do. He couldn’t use any of his powers; quite frankly, the only one he had was healing, as far as he knew. Surely, there had to be a way out of the cave. Will had heard about Hazel Levesque, Nico's half-sister, who was able to manipulate the Mist and navigate through underground tunnels. Will thought that skill would have been helpful at that moment. There was no telling where they were, which was bad because the distance they travelled would reflect on how much time Nico would need to regain his strength.

Suddenly, while Will was in deep thought, he realized that the area around him had gotten a bit brighter. In fact, when he looked at his skin, he saw with a gasp that he was glowing. Nico didn't wake at the light, but he did grumble a little in his sleep, shifting around and shying away from it unconsciously.

From what he could see with his new light source, there were jagged rocks surrounding them. Will noticed, after surveying the space, that there was a spot where the position of the rocks would allow them to climb up; possibly leading out of the cave. He glanced back at Nico, unsure of whether he should wake him up or venture alone. The safest choice would have been to stay and wait until Nico was strong enough to transport them, but he didn’t know how long that would take; so he decided that it wouldn't hurt to explore a little.

He gingerly placed his foot on an indented part of the rock wall, reaching up and wondering if he could extend his glow so he could see better. He held himself up using the wedge of the rock above him, blindly finding his footing and continuing to climb.

After a few minutes had passed, Will found a solid ground and pulled himself onto it. When he stood up, he noticed a ray of light seeping through the cracks between large boulders. He looked around and saw that the space he was standing in was wide and not as rocky as the ground that Nico was sleeping on.

Will assumed that the boulders had fallen and blocked the exit to the cave; he looked around for anything that could help him move or break through the rocks, but there was nothing. He glanced over his shoulder at where he had just come from and decided to go back to Nico and wait until the son of Hades woke up so they could figure out a solution together.

When he reached the place where he had left the demigod, he decided to take a nap himself, given that Nico would probably need time to recover and no matter where they were, it was around the time that they would have gone to sleep at camp anyway. He settled on the ground, trying to dim the light that was still emitting from his body, and quickly fell asleep.

Chapter Text

WILL

“How long have we been down here?” Nico di Angelo woke to a dim light and wondered if Will had been able to transport them to the surface.

Will had woken earlier than Nico did and somehow got his body to glow again so he could see their surroundings better. When Nico focused his eyes, he understood that they were in the same location, except that Will’s body was emitting a luminescence that allowed faint visibility.

“Why the—”

“Nico, I found a way out,” Will interrupted, not wanting to talk about his newly discovered power. “But I figured you needed rest, so I fell asleep too and I’m guessing that we’ve been out for roughly twelve hours.”

Nico decided to let the subject drop for the moment. “Where?” 

“If we climb the wall over there.” Will gestured to the spot where he had climbed earlier and found a potential way out.

“Really?”

“Yeah, but it's blocked and I don’t know how we're going to get through.”

“Oh, that's an easy problem to fix,” Nico replied with a shrug.

”How is it easy? When has a problem that a demigod faced been easy to solve?” Will asked in disbelief.

“Just… I can get us out, alright? But don't freak out or anything.”

Will almost broke into deranged laughter. After everything that they'd experienced with the war, the Titans, the giants, the lost comrades, the gods, the Romans, and above all, Gaea, he was almost certain that nothing could unsettle him at that point. Plus, he’d had experience treating countless gruesome injuries and delivered a baby satyr, so there wasn't much that could scare him.

“I'll try not to,” he reassured Nico.

“Alright. Lead the way.”

The two demigods started their climb and eventually reached the location that Will had found earlier. The son of Hades studied the rocks, murmuring to himself.

“Could you move a little closer?” he asked Will, a hint of amusement in his tone. Will rolled his eyes but complied.

“Better?”

“Yes.”

Will was about to question Nico after a few moments of silence when the dark-haired boy closed his eyes and concentrated. The ground rumbled and Will found himself jumping a little at the abrupt movement. Slowly and loudly, the floor shifted and skeletons crawled out of the small crack that Nico created. There was dirt on their bones and some wore helmets that miners would wear. Will stepped back, eyeing the shovels and pickaxes that they held, which were surprisingly in good condition.

Under Nico’s orders, the skeletons cleared the rocks within a few minutes for the two demigods. Will knew that Nico could summon skeletons and had some impressive abilities, but it was always unsettling to see the action first-hand. He didn't have much time to recover from his shock when Nico said, “Let's go,” and stepped outside into the light that was now streaming into the cave. He dismissed the skeletons and they disintegrated instantly, including their tools.

Will observed that as soon as Nico surveyed their surroundings, his face turned grim and closed off. He sensed that his companion was not content with the location that they had traveled to.

“What's wrong?” Will asked, and Nico flinched as if he’d just remembered that Will was standing beside him.

“I... I know where we are.”

“Where?”

“Venice, Italy.”

NICO

Nico now understood how Reyna had felt when they had landed back in her hometown. Every memory of the location, both the good and bad, was flashing in his mind, and it was almost too much to handle. He managed to keep a neutral expression while Will studied him with curiosity.

“Let’s go. Now,” Nico said shortly.

“Are you sure?” Will asked with a frown. “Half a day’s sleep doesn’t regenerate your energy instantly. I know that you got that Athena statue to camp on a deadline all the way from Greece, but we don't have to rush.”

“There’s no reason to stay here any longer,” Nico objected, his tone sharp. Shadow-travelling from New York to Venice should have drained him for a good day or two, but the prescribed rest had certainly allowed him higher endurance.

“Well, if we are in Italy, then we're about six hours ahead of New York. Since we left during dinner, it was probably around two in the morning when we got here. We most likely slept for longer than I estimated since our bodies are used to the Eastern time zone. And judging by the position of the sun in the sky, it’s the afternoon. So it's probably late morning at camp.”

“And your point is?” Nico wasn’t sure how Will Solace was so knowledgeable about time zones, but he decided not to ask.

“We don't have to get home at this minute. If you need another hour of rest—”

“I’m fine, Solace. Your siblings are probably worried about you.”

Will knew that the son of Hades was logistically correct. It was best to leave now, before his siblings noticed that he hadn’t returned to their cabin after dinner. A part of him wanted to protest that Nico would also be notably missed, but Will decided not to go down that path of discussion at the moment.

“How did you even know that we were in Venice?” he asked curiously, and Nico inhaled sharply.

“I’ve been here before” was his cold reply.

Will didn’t press. He sensed that he’d pushed his luck with Nico di Angelo further than he should have in the first place, but he wasn’t going to back down when it came to his health and limits with shadow-travelling.

“Are you sure that you can?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “I've done farther trips than this, Solace, with more people. Have some faith in me.”

“I have plenty of faith in you,” Will retorted. “Just not in your ability to know your limits.”

“Wow. Thanks,” he replied sarcastically.

“You're welcome.”

And Nico, who was never one for initiating physical contact, grabbed Will's left forearm before disappearing into the shadows.

WILL

Will wondered if Nico had the power to control where he ended up when he traveled. Of course, he understood that Nico could transport himself to any desired place (within reason), but the exact location was concerning. For example, he found himself inside the Hades cabin of Camp Half-Blood.

Nico immediately let go of Will’s forearm and stumbled back, landing on his bed and immediately passing out from exhaustion. Will silently observed the younger boy, who had started snoring softly. He carefully adjusted Nico's body onto the bed more and threw the nearest blanket on him before seeing himself out.

When he entered his own cabin, Kayla pounced on him without warning.

“Kayla!” he hissed, shaking her off. He registered that she had dark circles under her eyes, and that the rest of the cabin was empty. “What are you doing?”

She raised an eyebrow. “ Me? William Andrew Solace, you disappeared at dinner without a word, not to mention with your patient . Sue me because I stayed up to make sure you hadn’t gotten kidnapped by monsters. I was going to inform Chiron if you hadn’t returned by lunch.”

Will blanched as guilt surfaced at the thought of Kayla worrying about him all night. “Kayla, I’m so sorry. Thank you for looking out for me. I’m fine, I swear.”

She sighed, relenting. “I trust you, Will. But the next time you go running off, at least give someone a heads up?”

Will’s face reddened at her insinuation, but he figured that it wasn’t his place to explain exactly what happened, knowing how the son of Hades valued his privacy.

“I—It’s not that ,” he clarified, and while Kayla was still somewhat skeptical, she seemed to believe him and her anger had dissipated. “I was making sure that he wasn’t going to leave the campgrounds. Doctor’s orders and all.”

“Oh I bet you did,” she said, her tone teasing.

His embarrassment deepened, but he forced himself to shrug it off. “I—we’re not discussing this.”

“At least tell me where you guys went.”

“Kayla.”

“Fiiine."

NICO

The pouring water beat down on the cabins ruthlessly without faltering. The dining hall was mostly mute, as if the rain had dampened the mood so much that barely anyone felt like making conversation.

Will kept glancing over at Nico with concern, which Nico wanted to be annoyed by but couldn’t bring himself to be. He had been knocked out for a full two days after the incident, and apparently, Will Solace had explained privately to Chiron that it was a delayed effect of the excessive shadow-travelling from Greece. The son of Apollo had checked on him every few hours, electing to keep him in the cabin instead of moving Nico back to the infirmary. Nico appreciated the decision but said nothing except a muttered “Thanks” upon waking that morning.

Will had nodded and left for breakfast, leaving Nico alone in his cabin, frustrated and confused. Will’s actions were thoughtful, but that was a natural trait of the demigod. As a healer, he always prioritized the well-being of others. Nico was just another patient who he had to care for.

Nico hated the idea that Will only saw him as a charity case, someone to take pity on. But then again, he had called Nico a friendly face. For some reason, a healer believed that Nico, a demigod shrouded in death, could belong in an infirmary. Will must have lost his mind.

“Okay, look.”

Nico had been staring off so intently that he hadn’t realized that the son of Apollo had walked over to his lonely table. Not that he minded the loneliness. He preferred it if anything; making small talk and engaging in awkward conversations wasn’t how he liked to spend his meals. But after so many sudden appearances from his father, he didn’t flinch.

“Why don’t you come sit at the Apollo table?”

Nico frowned. “One, that’s against the rules. And two, why?”

“Because you seem… sad.” Will’s expression seemed alarmingly serious. His word choice was hesitant, but he didn’t rescind the statement.

“You’ll know when I’m sad, Solace,” Nico retorted, but it lacked menace. He did not have the energy, especially in a public setting, to argue that Will Solace did not have the right to tell him how he felt.

“Suit yourself.” There it was again, that annoying quality of Will’s to be unbothered by Nico’s dismissive remarks. “But the offer remains on the table. As your doctor, I think it’d be better for your health to surround yourself with people.”

“People tend to avoid me and I avoid them. I’d like to keep it that way.” It was Nico’s natural response to opportunities of socialization, but there was something about the son of Apollo’s expression that made him realize that a part of him did not want it to be true.

Will rolled his eyes and walked back to his table, ignoring the few stares that followed him.

Chapter Text

NICO

Nico di Angelo was deep in thought. Part of him wished to remain in his lonesome, but another begrudgingly allowed that perhaps the company would not hurt, even if it was the sun-shiny Apollo kids. Which included Will Solace.

Nico was used to eating alone. He preferred it, in fact. The solitude allowed him to be with his thoughts. During meals at camp, he was able to elude social interaction. It was a familiar circumstance that he more often than not found himself in, and thus, had become comforting. It was predictable. Routine. Amidst the calamity of his life, it was certain that he would have this time to eat in silence, contemplate life, and continue this lone wolf image that had been curated. He had come to accept it; even encourage it.

On the Argo II , he had deferred from eating with the crew of seven. He did not sit at their dining table, remaining mostly hidden in the shadows unless he contributed to the discussion. He was not a part of their team and had no desire to be considered as such. It was almost insulting when they offered Percy Jackson’s room to him… No. It was insulting. But they did not understand, and Nico was unwilling to explain, so he could not blame their ignorance. He chose to spend the majority of his time in the crow’s nest. Alone, of course. Just him and the shame that had fallen upon him after he was unable to stop Percy and Annabeth from falling into Tartarus.

Nico blinked. He was spiraling again, down the stupid Percy Jackson rabbit hole. Those days of that silly, naive crush were behind him. He had gotten over the son of Poseidon a long time ago, but the emotions . They lingered, reminding him of his foolishness and the burden he refused to accept or even acknowledge.

A distraction. He needed a distraction.

Perhaps, just this once. No harm in it.

It was a lie, of course, but Nico had successfully managed to deceive himself on numerous occasions and had managed to stay alive to this point. So a little white lie was easy to overlook.

He braced himself, tensing his leg muscles and prompting his body to stand. It was quite ridiculous, he thought. He had faced gods and titans and monsters, been betrayed and beaten countless times, and survived the living embodiment of hell, but standing up to move tables was where his body drew the line.

Nico gritted his teeth, taking a shallow breath. If he waited too long, breakfast would be over.

The son of Hades forced himself to stand.

No one batted an eye. The world kept spinning on its axis. The ground did not crack open and skeletons did not emerge from it.

Move , he chided himself, and directed his movement to the long table where Chiron sat. Dionysus was not present, but this was not uncommon. Nico was glad that the god was not here for what he was about to request.

Nico was well aware of the eyes that followed his figure as he stood before the centaur. He was unsure of whether or not Will was watching but did not dare to check. He was tempted to run, but that would cause a worse scene.

“Hello, Nico,” Chiron said kindly. The director was always warm and welcoming to him. Nico had been indifferent to his demeanor but presently was grateful as his nerves somewhat eased.

“Hello.” The demigod felt out of place but decidedly forged ahead. No turning back now. “I would like to request to be seated at a different table.”

“May I ask why?” the camp director questioned, seeming unperturbed.

Though he was internally freaking out, Nico did his best to present himself as neutral and collected. He was not entirely sure that Chiron did not see through the charade. “My doctor recommended that it might benefit my health to have company during meals.”

Nico silently pleaded that Chiron would not ask him to elaborate on what exactly that meant.

The camp director was quite conscious of Nico’s history and nature with the camp. The large crack in the floor of the Dining Pavilion was a stark reminder of his presence, courtesy of his rage years ago. It was no secret that Nico was anti-social and shrouded in death and misery. But Chiron was one of the few who had seen past the surface of his rage and pain, someone who empathized and perceived him as more than a recluse.

Chiron rubbed his chin thoughtfully. A faint smile played on his mouth, though Nico did not see what was amusing about his words. Nevertheless, he waited for the centaur’s response, though there were certainly a handful more pairs of eyes on his back.

“I see. I suppose that the layout is rather uneven. It does not seem fair for you to occupy an entire table on your own. Might I ask, did your doctor have a particular table in mind?”

“Apollo,” Nico answered, his response a bit too quick. He tried to recover by adapting a more careless tone: “I think. I guess. It’s a medical thing. No idea.”

Chiron raised an eyebrow at the sloppy response. “Very well. I suppose we can't argue with your doctor, can we?” he said mildly.

Nico nodded dutifully, hoping that his face had not flushed. “I guess not.”

“Well. I will allow it. Though I will need to speak with your doctor.”

“What?” Nico was caught off-guard by the additional remark. He should not have been surprised, but he had not prepared himself to refer to the son of Apollo in the conversation by name.

“No trouble, of course. Just for a physical note. Standard protocol, I’m afraid. But nothing dire.” His tone remained easy-going, but his eyes seemed to silently challenge Nico.

“Will Solace.”

WILL

Everyone watched with curiosity as Nico di Angelo, a demigod who most often deferred to the shadows and avoided attention, casually sat next to Will Solace at the Apollo cabin table. While the son of Hades appeared unwavering in his movements, Will could tell that this was quite a big deal to the guy. He chose to be gracious and remain unfazed.

“Took me up on my offer?” Will asked quietly, faint amusement crossing his features as his siblings stared at Nico in surprise. The conversation in the Pavillion had quieted, many eyes still on Nico as hushed commentary stirred. No one dared to say a word; Nico’s reputation of being a member of the trio who had transported the Athena Parthenos from Greece had earned respect from fellow campers. He shrugged it off, knowing the courtesy would fade as it had in the weeks following the Battle of Manhattan. People were quick to forget.

However, he had conversed with a considerable number of the campers since the war with Gaea, as he was in charge of overseeing the burials of their siblings and friends. Some were still hesitant in their approach, but most were kind and forthcoming with their requests or contributions.

Yet, this did not change the fact that one did not simply leave their dining table for another; the Apollo cabin, as kind as they often were, had not been indifferent to this occurrence.

Austin Lake and Kayla Knowles were the only two who didn’t gawk at the unexpected guest, which Will was grateful for. They regarded Nico with consideration and admiration, understanding that he was not as his reputation often portrayed him as. He was, without a doubt, a hero, though not often acknowledged as one; it seemed cruel at times, how his efforts were easily overlooked by others in favor of his natural reclusive demeanor.

“Shut up,” Nico muttered without malice in response to Will’s remark.

“How are you?” Austin asked conversationally.

“Fine,” was Nico’s short reply.

Austin allowed the conversation to end there.

The rest of the meal was finished in relative silence, or at least on Nico’s end. Nobody tried to include him in their discussions, and he did not attempt to join in. Will still gave him the occasional glance but did not prompt a conversation himself.

The rain had slowed to a stop by the end of breakfast. When everyone stood up to head to their first activity, Will and Nico found themselves both heading in the same direction: the archery range.

“You’re going to archery?” Will asked in confusion. He knew that the son of Hades preferred to avoid using a bow and arrow in favor of his Stygian Iron sword, and it felt out of place for him to suddenly be heading to the range.

Nico shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Are you—are you feeling alright?” The son of Apollo could not hide his surprise easily.

“I’m fine, Solace. I just figured I’d learn how to shoot with a bow in case.”

Will remained confused but did not press him further. Still, he was puzzled. Nico had the power to raise the dead and shadow-travel, not to mention his skill at swordplay; what would he ever need archery for?

Kayla had a similar curious expression when Nico showed up beside Will, pulling her half-brother aside to remark, “I didn’t expect to see him here.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Think he really wants to learn how to shoot?”

Will frowned. “Isn’t that why he’s here?”

Kayla smirked. “Who knows? Anyway, I’ll help him out. Will you be alright on your own?”

Will rolled his eyes. “I might not be as good as you, Kayla, but I can still proficiently shoot a bow.”

“Mhm…”

“Shut up.”

NICO

Nico was frustrated.

Will’s half-sister—Kayla, he remembered was her name—had politely offered to teach him the basics of archery, which he wasn’t really interested in. He could easily summon a cohort of undead archers to fight alongside him if needed. However, he would rather not face the actual reason he went.

Perhaps it might serve him well in the future if the circumstances arose, but presently, he was trying to return her kindness by paying attention to her words, which proved difficult.

He saw Will out of the corner of his eye shooting at targets and finding decent success. Being a child of Apollo, of course, he had a natural foundation for archery that allowed for adequate talent, but it was evident that Will Solace was more competent as a healer than an archer.

“—try it, Nico.” He caught the end of her sentence but had become too absorbed in his thoughts to have heard the rest.

He re-directed his attention to her face. “Could you repeat that?”

Kayla had great patience with him, which Nico did not appreciate nearly enough. He supposed that her kindness to him was merely standard as a child of Apollo, easy-going and extroverted. She treated him as just another camper, though had been in awe upon learning his feats. She simply said: “Try using the bow.”

“Oh. Right.” He raised the bow he had been given; one that Kayla had handed him after testing a handful to assess which one suited him best. She was a thorough and determined teacher.

Nico nocked an arrow carefully (with Kayla’s light guidance) before eying the target and doing his best to focus on the bullseye.

“Stance.”

“What?” Nico cautiously lowered the bow, arrow pointed toward the ground as she had previously lectured. He glanced at Kayla, who was staring at his feet.

“Your stance. You need to stand like this—” She positioned her body in a demonstration, angling her feet and gesturing for him to mimic her actions.

“Alright.” He copied her, and she smiled with satisfaction.

“Now, whenever you’re ready. Take a deep breath and release.”

He nodded, refocusing on the target and lifting the bow to aim. Nico pulled the string back, somewhat unsure but forging ahead by letting it go and watching the arrow zip through the air and pierce the upper section of the red circle.

“Impressive. Have you ever used a bow before?” Will asked, glancing at Nico’s target.

“Not in a long time,” Nico admitted. “I don’t use bows unless I have to.”

“Well, it’ll be a useful skill someday,” Kayla commented.

“Not why I came here,” Nico muttered under his breath without thinking.

WILL

Will Solace pretended to not have heard the remark.