Death and Madness 2

We make a badass entry

The scene that greeted us in the overworld was somehow worse than the Underworld. 

"Luke's army" I couldn't help but whisper. 

It was just Nico, Mrs O'Leary and me for now, the Gods on their way. But still, I was terrified. I had a panic attack while getting here, and as embarrassing as it was, I thought I might have one again. Just watching the sheer amount of opposition was enough to make me sweat. 

Hundreds of demigods and monsters were gathered around the Empire State building and it was starting to look a lot like a final stand. The circle of enemies was so thick, I couldn't even see our friends in the middle. I had to hope they hadn't lost yet. I had to hope they weren't dead. 

Because at the end of the day, hope is what keeps us going. Hope is all I had left at the moment. 

Hope was next to me. Because if there was even a slim possibility that Nico might like me back, it was worth it. All of it would be worth it. Because if we had any chance at a happy ending, I'd fight for it. 

"We're not too late" Nico said. "Pollux is alive, I know he is. Don't worry about him"

I looked to my right. 

He looked... to say battle ready would be an understatement. He wore a skull shaped helmet, curtesy of Hades himself who gave us two matching empty skulls (what are dads for?) The eye sockets gave us enough visibility and with the grinning teeth, Nico looked like a skeleton himself. He was decked out from head to toe in black armor. It really shouldn't have looked as good as it did.

And though over time I had gotten used to the way he radiated death, this was something else entirely. If I had grown a vine in between us right then, it would have withered away. 

It was like his powers were leeching all the light and goodness from around us. 

But, somehow, it filled me with hope. 

Because Nico was there... next to me. And that's all that mattered. Even if we died here, if I died in Nico's arms, it wouldn't even matter. 

To call it hope... maybe that was a wrong word. 

Love? Maybe. 

(STOP SCREWING WITH ME APHRODITE!!!)

"You're staring"

"You look like a boot" I snapped playfully. 

"Ready for battle?" He asked, our fingers interlaced. Maybe that wasn't the most badass way to enter a battle so I pulled my hand away. 

Like Nico, Hades had fashioned me a skull helmet too, but the bottom half of my face wasn't covered. It was hard to see through the sockets so I was wearing it purely for aesthetic. Maybe mid battle I would take it off. My armor, though, unlike Nico's was a deep purple, like the rich earth of the Underworld. 

"As ready as I'll ever be" I flashed him a grin. 

"Try not to kill any butterflies" Nico said and I could hear the smile even if I couldn't see it. 

We were both stalling, I knew it. Neither of us happy to just jump into battle. But I savored the few moments. The calm before the storm. 

"Listen" Nico said, suddenly looking very nervous. He shifted his weight, hand on Mrs O'Leary's side. "If we-"

"We're not dying"

"That's not what I was going to say" Nico chuckled dryly, "Guess you turned me into an optimist, because I was going to say, if we survive... we should.... would you like to go on a date?"