𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

123

Hadrian had missed this. Missed his friends. He could cry his feelings out, write them all love letters but it wouldn't be enough. He could really not explain how much they all meant to him. 

They attacked the giant from every direction—Leo shooting fire at his legs, Frank and Annabeth jabbing at his chest, Jason flying into the air and kicking him in the face. 

Each time the giant's smoky veil started creeping around one of them, Nico was there, slashing through it, drinking in the darkness with his Stygian blade.

Percy was on his feet too, looking weak and dazed, but his sword was drawn. Hadrian tried to shoot once or twice, but the others seemed to have got it covered. The giant was surrounded.

Clytius (which in Hadrian's professional opinion was a stupid name. Really? Gaea could make all these awful things happen, dream about destroying the world, taking over, blah blah blah, but Hadrian drew the line at cruel names for your kids) snarled, turning back and forth as if he couldn't decide which of them to kill first. Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!

Hadrian wasn't sure where his voice was coming from. And he hated whom the giant reminded him of. One look and Percy and he could tell he was thinking the same thing. Tartarus. 

The darkness around the giant dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armor. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. The damage healed almost as fast as it was inflicted, but Hadrian could tell the giant was tiring.

One last time Jason flew at him, kicking him in the chest, and the giant's breastplate shattered. Clytius staggered backward. His sword dropped to the floor. He fell to his knees, and the demigods encircled him.

Only then did Hecate step forward, her torches raised. Mist curled around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin.

"And so it ends," Hecate said.

It does not end. Clytius's voice echoed from somewhere above, muffled and slurred. My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?

"Please for the love of gods, just shut up" Hadrian rolled his eyes. Hecate turned her torches upside down. She thrust them like daggers at Clytius's head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body until the heat of the bonfire made Hadrian wince. Clytius fell without a sound, face-first in the rubble of an altar. His body crumbled to ashes.

For a moment, no one spoke. Hadrian heard a ragged, painful noise and realized it was his own breathing. 

The goddess Hecate faced Hazel. "You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place."

Hazel looked like she wanted to bring the cavern down on the goddess, "Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?"

The goddess tilted her head. A weasel chittered and disappeared in the folds of her mistress's skirts. Okay so clearly Hadrian and Percy had missed a lot.

"You look in the wrong place for gratitude," Hecate said. "As for 'good work,' that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen—all of them, stronger than ever. Gaea is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her."

The chamber rumbled. A stela crashed to the floor and shattered.

"The House of Hades is unstable," Hecate said. "Leave now. We shall meet again."

The goddess dissolved. The Mist evaporated.

"She's friendly," Percy grumbled.

The others turned toward him and Hadrian, as if just realizing they were there.

"Dude." Jason gave Hadrian a bear hug.

"Ow, Grace my ribs-"

"Back from Tartarus!" Leo whooped. "That's my peeps!"

Annabeth threw her arms around Percy and cried.

Frank ran to Hazel. 

"Did any of you guys cry?" Hadrian chuckled, "I bet you anything Frank cried"

"He did" Hazel smiled too. 

"I didn't-"

Hadrian was so giddy with relief it took him a moment to notice Nico, standing by himself, his expression full of pain and conflict.

"Nico di motherfucking Angelo" Hadrian slurred. It was probably best if he tried to conserve energy. But hey! fuck it! He survived Tartarus! "Gods, I could kiss you right now"

All his thoughts about Kira, Hadrian pushed deep down. That was something he had to deal with later— by himself. 

Nico turned fifty shades redder like Hadrian's red hair color had seeped into his face. It was an amusing sight, seeing as he was mainly dressed in all black. He was cute in a scrawny, I-won't-hesitate-to-stab-you kind of way which Hadrian had by now decided was definitely his type. 

Percy had said Hadrian reminded him of Nico. But they looked nothing alike. The only similarities they had were of the rainbow kind. 

Still, Hadrian stumbled over to him and wrapped his arms around him. 

Nico looked too stunned to move or say or so anything really. Even the others watched in shock. Hadrian didn't know why. They all seemed to wait for a reaction like they half expected Nico to slice Hadrian's head off. 

But Nico looked young, probably one of the youngest demigods on board. Barely fifteen — if not less and all Hadrian wanted to do was wrap him in a blanket and take him to Percy's house where nothing evil could ever touch him again.

Hadrian could definitely not have survived Tartarus without Percy and by association— Nico who had helped Bob talked to him about Percy. He wondered how Nico had managed to stay sane down there. It was like every waking moment was a battle, not just with the monsters, but mentally as well. 

If it hadn't been for Percy, Hadrian would've gone mad. 

Nico didn't move, but he leaned into the touch. 

"I feel like you like anyone except me, Nico" Percy raised his eyebrows as he watched the interaction. 

If only he knew. If only. 

Hadrian pulled back, winking at the son of Hades in a knowing way, and then collapsed into someone's arms. 

"Superman" He giggled deliriously, "Perce, I told you he's like a blond Superman"

Jason grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet. "Good to have you back, Hads"

"I think his brain's broken" Annabeth looked like she was trying hard not to smile. Hadrian grabbed her face and planted a kiss on her cheek. 

"I missed you sooooo much"

"Yeah, definitely loads of screws loose in there" Leo knocked on his head and then gave him a side hug. 

If Hadrian focused on his friends, he could almost forget about the pain.