Death's Reason

Chapter 29

(Nico- )

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Percy Jackson was going to fall into Tartarus.

(What was this feeling?)

Percy and Annabeth were going to fall.

(It was...familiar. Too familiar)

They would see what shouldn't be seen. They would meet Akhlys.

(Fear? No, or maybe a little. For them, for tainting them. But that wasn't it. That wasn't what was bothering him)

They would fall into his home. They would meet Akhlys.

(His. His home. He called Tartarus his)

"What'd you wanna talk about?" Percy asked. "Is everything okay?"

They would drink from the river only he had and they would close the doors he had failed to.

(The feeling...)

"Nico?"

(Why was he jealous of such a horrible thing?)

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"Listen to me and don't talk, we don't have a lot of time."

Was he going to do this? Was he really going to do this?

"When we break into the Emmanuel Building, you have to go straight to Annabeth."

He had meant to break Fate, he had always meant to go back in time, maybe he was meant to do this.

"She's going to get pulled into Tartarus and you're going to fall with her. Don't let it happen."

What was he doing?

"I'll go and close the doors. You stay up here with her."

What was he signing himself up for?

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"Dude, what?" Percy asked. "That's...what? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Sooner? You just got me. When would you have liked me to?"

"Before the war!" Percy argued. "Before you left Camp Jupiter! Hell, you could have told Annabeth when I was missing! If you were going to tell me, why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't think I was going to."

"Then why did you?"

Nico closed his eyes and took a breath, felt like three sides were warring in his head. "Percy. We don't have time for this."

"No, I just...Tartarus, Nico. Tartarus. That's a big fucking deal-"

"Alasdair! We don't have time!"

Percy froze with his mouth half-open, looking like one of the many fish he could speak to.

"Sorry, I'm just..." Nico spread his hands. "We're almost there. You need to protect Annabeth, okay? That's your goal in this. And I protect you two by doing what I know how to do, and that's by going into Tartarus. I'll close the doors. You'll lead them to Epirus. The House of Hades, remember that. Old sacramental offering place. Annabeth will be able to find it on a map. Don't cut the chains until I make it through, and help Hazel understand that she can do whatever she sets her mind to."