I, Nicolo di Angelo, order you to die.

Chapter One

Nico slashed and dived as he fought his way past monster after monster.

"Nico! Behind you!" Percy yelled from across the battlefield.

Nico glanced behind him and saw a large hellhound leaping right for him. He whirled around, slashing at the large mutt with his sword. The hellhound burst into golden glitter, spattering his clothes with the yellow dust.

He limped to Percy's side, exhaustion and grief weighing him down. The rest of the seven and Reyna had already fallen to Gaia, and the rest of their forces were dwindling.

"Nico, are you ok?"

Nico sighed heavily, his eyes darting around as he waited for the next attack. "No. Not at all. But we have to keep fighting. What choice do we have?"

His eyes were filled with grief beyond his years. He was barely fifteen and was a soldier, a former prisoner of war, a soldier, a demigod, a soldier.

Percy turned, slashing at an empusa with Riptide, then whirling to face Gaia. "HEY!" he shrieked, his voice hoarse. "Dirtface! You will regret killing Annabeth!"

Nico slashed through the ranks, he and Percy were shoulder to shoulder, but Nico was tiring. Eventually, all the monsters lay dead at their feet, and Gaia was smirking smugly as Nico panted, hands on his knees. Percy must have been out of breath, but Percy seemed too angry to care.

"Ah! Young demigods, I see that you have destroyed my army."

"We have. And now it's time for you to die along with it!" Percy growled, his face contorted in an ugly scowl.

Nico and Percy charged, ducking and dodging the tendrils of earth that were sent their way. Percy slashed with Riptide, his own personal hurricane protecting him from the earth. Nico whirled and slashed, but Gaia was too powerful. She knocked him to the ground, cackling as she raised her hand to strike.

"NO!"

Percy screamed as he ran across the battlefield, taking the blow for Nico. He fell to the ground, the green fire flickering out as his eyes went cold and unseeing. Perseus Achilles Jackson, Savior of Olympus, Chosen of the Prophecy of Sixteen, one of the Seven, was dead.

Nico stared at Percy, his friend, cousin, savior, the one person who stuck with him through it all. He looked up at Gaia, who was cackling at the expression on Nico's face. Nico realized he was crying, and the longer he stared at the primordial, the calmer he became. His tears dried and he faced Gaia, his face a picture of deadly calm.

"That was a mistake." Nico growled.

Gaia eyed him, mocking in her gaze. "Why? Because you have no one left to die for you?"

"No," Nico spun his sword in his hand. "Because I have nothing left to fear."

Nico raised his sword and the shadows creeped towards him, swirling up his body and curling around his stygian iron blade. Gaia laughed, but Nico could see the fear in her eyes. He raised one hand, bringing Gaia to her knees.

"What?" the goddess of the earth sputtered.

"I am Niccolo di Angelo, son of Hades, Ghost King, and I have deemed you no longer worthy of living. I order you. To. Die."

Nico made a jerking motion with his hand, and all the monsters within a mile radius fell to the ground, dead. Gaia shrieked as her soul was ripped from her body. Nico touched his sword to the green mass that was the goddesses soul, and it was absorbed into the black blade.

Nico fell to his knees, and the world went dark.