Against My Will

9 | Aphrodite Isn't Happy

Nico smiled sickly, about to slice the blade right through his neck, but froze, dropping the sword to the ground. He stumbled backwards, looking down at his hands in horror. What was he doing?

He looked up at Will who looked at Nico with something he never had before. He looked terrified. Ares campers held him back, blood dripping down from his neck. He hurt him. He hurt him. He hurt him.

He hurt Will.

Before Nico could apologize, could scream, a flash of pink clouded his vision and he soon found himself in the throne room of the gods. All the other thrones had been shattered and Aphrodite sat in the only remaining throne, a huge rose gold one engraved with roses and a plush pink cushion underneath her. Nico stumbled around, looking at all the once almighty Olympians who wore pink and white maid and butler uniforms, all rushing around and frantically performing tasks for Aphrodite and groveling before her. It was a sight Nico thought he would never see. He never even imagined anything like this.

His confusion was quickly transformed into rage though. He charged at Aphrodite, a guttural roar coming from deep inside his throat. She had done this to him. Made him kill Jason. Made him torture his friends. Made him force Percy to love him. Made him... made him hurt Will. She had done this to him and she was going to pay.

Aphrodite just rolled her eyes though, snapping her fingers and causing rose vines to wrap around him, knocking him to the ground and keeping him there. "Oh please," Aphrodite scoffed, smirking, "Look around, Nico honey. I overtook each Olympian. I'm more powerful than all of them! I can make them do anything I desire! I was born from the blood of a Primordial! Born before all of them! I was always far more powerful, I was just biding my time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Speaking of which, I'd like to thank you! Without you, Nico honey, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this! Thank you so much."

"YOU MADE ME DO THIS!" Nico screamed, erupting. "YOU KILLED JASON! TORTURED MY FRIENDS! YOU TOOK WILL AWAY FROM ME!"

"Oh no, Nico honey," Aphrodite laughed, "You did that. Besides, you're happier with Percy! I'm not sure how you broke out of my spell though. Odd. I'll have to make sure that doesn't happen again, hm? Everything is going so perfect, I can't have you messing up my plans."

"You won't get away with this," Nico spat.

"Oh honey," Aphrodite smirked. "I already have."

"What are you going to do?" Nico demanded.

"Oh, you'll see," Aphrodite waved her hand absentmindedly. "Maybe I'll have a little extra fun too! Customize your precious camp more to my liking. I know you did your own little 'thing' with all the black, but it's way too drab. I am the one in control of this all after all. I'll have to take care of your sister too, she screwed things up for me in the first place."

"Don't you dare touch Hazel!" Nico screamed, struggling against the vines.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I won't kill her. She's too valuable for that. I'll just have some fun! That's how things are going to be under my control. I'll 'Aphroditify' her. Even worse! I'll make sure she's too stupid to come up with a master plan to overtake us. Make her loyal, a complete ditz! I'll take care of everyone else too."

"I suppose you're taking inspiration for the 'ditz' part from you then," Nico sneered.

Aphrodite's smirk twisted into a scowl. "I've had enough of your rude behavior already." She snapped her fingers, Nico's eyes flashing pink and the vines disintegrated into pink dust.

Nico immediately stood up, bowing. "I apologize, Mistress. You are my all powerful Queen. I won't speak out of line again. Thank you for helping me see things as they truly are," He said. He straightened, a smirk spreading across his face. "Now I think it's time I have some real fun with our camper friends. Thanks for the idea, Mistress."

Aphrodite's eyes sparkled evilly before nodding. "It's my pleasure, Nico honey." She snapped her fingers, Nico flashing back to his castle at the exact moment he had been teleported to the throne room. Only now, Aphrodite had done just as she had said, 'customizing the camp to her liking.' The castle walls were a pearly white and adorned with paintings of roses and gems. The carpet was a bright pink and diamond chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Who knew what the rest of the gods-forsaken camp and castle looked like.

Now as he looked around, he saw that the castle wasn't the only thing that Aphrodite had changed. Annabeth's Jester uniform had changed from black and white to pink and white and the guards' uniforms transformed from all black to all hot pink. The biggest change of all was Will though. He looked awful, raggedy, thin, and dirty. He wore rags that barely clung to his body, weakly kneeling on the ground with his head bowed. Cuffs were around his wrists, chains attached to them which the guards hung onto. He looked so empty, so broken, so hopeless.

Nico only smirked at that though. "I see our little slave is happily submissive," He mused. He pointed at an Ares camper. "You there. Go find Hazel. Aphrodite claimed to put her under a spell, it shouldn't be too difficult. You have ten minutes to return before I off you. I suggest you get moving." The Ares camper bursted off, leaving three guards, Will, Annabeth, and Nico.

"And Annabeth," Nico grinned, "Well done! I didn't think you had that in you!"

"Anything for my master," Annabeth bowed quickly, the bells on her cap jingling.

"Now Will," Nico said, stepping up to his former boyfriend and roughly tilting his chin up to look at him, "I won't kill you... yet. Let's have some fun first, shall we?"