Misery Loves Company

Liar, Deceiver, Manipulator, Monster.

Nico could sense four familiar souls in the living room. That was the first thing he noticed as he woke up. The second, was his pounding headache. And the third was Will must have restitched his cursed wound while he slept, since he wasn't bleeding out like every other morning for the past week.

His memories of the night before were foggy. Hazel had come, she probably hated him, and then she'd left. There was a battle - Akhlys' minions had found him in New Rome and launched an attack on the border. And he'd killed them with shadows - from a distance - that explains the migraine.

Nico took stock of the mess his life had become:

He was still poisoned and at risk of bleeding out daily, which was bad.

Akhlys' had found him in New Rome, and would destroy the whole city to capture him, which was also bad.

And he was stuck in an apartment, with his ex-boyfriend and soulmate - the one other person Akhlys was searching for - not that Will knew that - to torture or kill him while Nico had to watch. Which in Nico's vast experience, was also very bad. He was so fucked.

He needed to get out of this apartment and New Rome now. He'd only sent the Arai back to Tartarus, which they had clearly been able to escape from before, and there were enough other monsters that hated his guts, that the Goddess of Misery had her pick of soldiers to fight for her.

A plan formed; a terrible, manipulative plan that made Nico's insides shift with guilt...but a plan nonetheless. He couldn't break the wards, he'd tried every night with no effect but Hazel was Hecate's champion.

Hazel wouldn't break the wards if he asked her, especially not with him still injured; she'd never allow him to leave New Rome.

Annabeth had had no luck with her research on wards, aside from killing the caster - which if Will didn't care so much about Lou Ellen, Nico would have started seriously considering it - he already knew he was a monster anyway. But Annabeth was smart, and persuasive, and Hazel would trust her judgement.

So if Nico, a fucking liar, was forced to obey imaginary orders from his servitude bond and his 'soul started to shred', Annabeth would go to Hazel to break the wards. Or Percy might just outright threaten her upon pains of death.

And he would go free. Leaving New Rome, his friends, and his soulmate out of Akhlys' reach.

He was a fucking monster.

'Liar, Deceiver, Manipulator, Monster.' his mind screamed.

They would never forgive him. Never trust him again.

But they would be safe.

Making up his mind, Nico shadow-travelled directly into the apartment's wards.

The effect was instantaneous. The magic burned his shadowed form, combined with the poison boiling his blood, Nico couldn't stop the groan that escaped him. Then, he reappeared in the middle of the living room, slamming into the floor, wings twitching.

"Would you stop doing that?" Will shouted, already moving to check Nico over for injuries.

Nico pushed the son of Apollo away, refusing to let himself dwell on the masterpiece that was Will's bare torso, as he stood himself up.

Annabeth, Percy and Hazel had all jumped up from their respective seats but it was Annabeth that Nico looked to as he replied to Will, "Sorry, I must have done it in my sleep."

It was a poorly constructed lie, one that he knew Will wouldn't believe but it was Annabeth's reaction that Nico watched. He had to stop himself from collapsing with relief when her eyes widened and gaze dipped to the servitude mark that was hidden by his long sleeves.

Will was already turning away from him, moving back into the kitchen. Nico hated the hurt that curled up in his gut, that Will would dismiss him so quickly. With Will's back turned, Nico made his form flicker briefly to incorporeal. Poured every drop of his fear for his friend's lives into making a show of jerking his head as if to snap out of a trance, and wince in pain.

Hazel gasped, a noise that stirred that terrible voice in his head to whisper once more, 'Liar, Deceiver, Manipulator, Monster.'

But when Will turned around, Nico was fully corporeal and staring blankly out the bay window, as if nothing had happened at all.

Liar.

Annabeth joined him at the window, eyes not leaving his and she held his hand. Nico shoved the part of him that had missed those simple gestures of touch that he had finally learned to love, down, down, down. He couldn't get attached. He forced his fingers to turn to shadowy wisps in her palm. She gripped his hand tighter.

Deceiver.

Nico made himself drop her hand, sending her a small smile as he walked to the pantry and summoned his breakfast from the Palace's kitchen. But he didn't eat a bite, he just stared out at the window, pushing the hashbrowns around on his plate; planning.

He'd need to leave New Rome as quickly as possible, but he couldn't shadow travel too far or the monsters wouldn't find his scent for a few weeks. Weeks that they could attack Camp Jupiter and New Rome, not realising his absence. So, he would stay in San Francisco for a few days, moving about the city, then make his way to the East Coast. After that he could take a longer jump, it would give him a few weeks to recover before Akhlys found him again and finally some time to catch up on the duties he'd missed.

Was she sure he wasn't still her perfect miserable creation? He felt fucking miserable.

Except for the fact that Will was alive, and he would be safe, and Nico had been gifted this small chance just to see him again. Even if his soulmate hated him, just looking at him sparked hope.

Manipulator.

When the other demigods finished breakfast, Nico dismissed his plate, entirely uneaten back to the Underworld. He announced he was going to rest, refusing to meet their searching gazes as he returned to Lou Ellen's room.

Monster.

Nico let the tears fall.

End Notes: Oooh Nico's scheming!

I'M SO SORRY that I missed a daily update without warning (I know I've said previously I don't have a posting schedule but I've been trying so hard to post daily for you all after all the positive response!)
Anyway, I had a midnight deadline - and I worked right up till the buzzer oops - anyone else a serial procrastinator?! Usually I post these chapters around 11pm my time so it totally slipped my mind in the stress.

Drop a comment if your enjoying so far! Do you think Nico's plan will succeed?
Thank you so much for the comments & votes, the dopamine I get from those notifications is actually crazy, so thank you! <3