Death and Madness 2

Hades loses a bet and I lose my mind

28.

We gathered 28 monsters. 

Everyone from zombies to laistrygonian giants. A handful of empousa had turned into their mortal form, but for the monsters that still looked like monsters, it was dangerous to be in an active war zone. 

Whenever a demigod got too close to our monster circle, Nico would yell out an explanation, tell them these monsters were friendly. Though he didn't look like he believed it either. Still, he trusted me and I couldn't thank him enough for that. 

We fought side by side with Hades for the rest of the battle. Just a bunch of kids going unhinged. 

Nico faltered, some monster almost stabbed him. I killed the monster before they could even think about harming him. 

There was no time for thanks. We just kept on fighting. 

Whatever was going on at Olympus, I really hoped Percy was having better luck than us. 

Even after the top of the Empire State Building turned blue and Sally Jackson wept with happiness, the monsters didn't stop. They had thinned out a lot more and started joining our monster protection circle, but they weren't yet completely defeated. 

A demigod tried to stab me and I thought I was a goner for the fifth time that day. 

It all happened so fast, I could barely keep track of it. 

One moment, Nico was behind me and the next he was by my side- falling to his knees. I couldn't even process what was happening. Completely by instinct, I stabbed the demigod with my dagger. 

The guy cried out in pain, letting his sword go as my dagger buried itself in his ribs. Again I stabbed him and I didn't care if that made me a bad person. I kicked the guy back, away from Nico.

I didn't even care if it was one of the good guys on Luke's side just trying to survive.

He hurt Nico. 

There was a ringing in my ears and everything looked fuzzy, like it did when I had panic attacks. 

He hurt Nico.

Nico was hurt. 

Nico was on the ground. 

Nico was bleeding. 

I killed a guy. 

I killed a demigod. 

Why was I not understanding a word of what I was thinking?

"No, no, no, no, no" I whispered as I collapsed next to him. My daggers fell aside, and I didn't give a fuck. Hades and Persephone fought side by side, providing us cover. 

The Battle of Manhattan raged around us but none of that mattered. 

Nico was wincing, his face screwed in pain. There was blood, but I couldn't even tell where it was coming from. 

His big brown eyes found mine and I was transported back to the first day I met him. 

Most people I met, I annoyed so much they decided they couldn't deal with me and left. But not Nico. Never Nico. All the times we had been apart, I had been the one to leave. 

And it all seemed so stupid now.

Our argument had been a heat of the moment thing. Nico was still trying to deal with internalized homophobia, he was still trying to adjust to modern day society and on top of that I had caught him at a bad timing. 

None of that mattered now. He apologized, told me he supported me no matter what.

Whenever I needed him, he was exactly where I wanted him to be. But I was always too slow for him.