Child of Light(Sequel to Son of Death in Gotham)

13) Realize

Will's Pov

Will was injured.

He'd been trying to recruit some Empousa when one of them went ballistic on him. Something about being friends with a sea bastard. Will had tried to explain himself but none of them had listened. One of them had managed to stab him in the stomach before he could light travel away.

He wasn't thinking clearly enough to imagine Hecate's base. So he just thought of home, hoping the rest would do itself.

He stumbled out of a thin ray of light. It took a lot out of him, especially because of how dark it was in here.

He looked around, there was no way this was Hecate's base. It was dark and a bit creepy, yet his subconsciousness had brought him here.

He decided to explore a bit, he definitely didn't have the energy to return home now.

He walked over to the closest bed, it looked kind of like a camp cabin for a bunch of emo vampires.

He settled down on the bed and dust was kicked up. This place looked almost abandoned, it was clear no one had called this place home for a long time.

He settled in, stretching out, and pushed out his senses to make sure that there was no one nearby. When he didn't sense any heartbeats too close by he relaxed. He could finally catch a break.

Hecate had been working him to the bone. He knew that it was his job and his responsibility to serve her, but he hadn't eaten anything in three days, and the last thing he had eaten was from a dumpster because Hecate refused to use her powers to convince a cashier to let him have some food.

He didn't want to seem ungrateful, he was lucky his lady let him live. But he was also human from what he knew, he had limits, and she was close to hitting them.

He was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion when he noticed something on the bedside table. A picture frame.

It was dusty, but it was obviously Will in the picture. He was basically glowing, kissing the forehead of a shorter black haired boy.

A black haired boy who looked suspiciously like Hades.

Nico.

Will shot up, his eyes widening. Was this Nico's cabin? He'd finally found him. What would Hecate think? Should he go searching for him?

After a moment he decided on it. He looked obviously in love in that picture, and Hades had called Nico his boyfriend. Or used to be his boyfriend or whatever. If Nico had been his boyfriend then that meant that Will had a life before serving Hecate. Nico might be able to tell him about that.

He barged out of the cabin. Looking around anxiously. The sun was setting, and so was his energy levels. He really needed to sleep, but this was more important.

It looked like he was in some kind of camp. By instinct he relaxed all his muscles, keeping his head down and moving his growing hair in front of his face. He didn't want to be noticed as an outsider.

He stretched out his consciousness and searched the clearing for anything that seemed familiar. After a minute he found a pulse that he seemed to recognize. He immediately set off in that direction.

He noticed something strange. All these people were wearing the same shirts as his. The bright orange one with the pegasus on the front. So he had been here, or known someone from here before. Was Nico wearing the same shirt?

He walked up to a familiar looking place. It looked like an infirmary, and considering the healing powers Will had found himself to have, he guessed he at least used to spend time there. He walked in, keeping his head down again.

The pulse was coming from a private room near the back. A few people gave Will strange looks but he was able to get there without anyone stopping him.

He slipped into the back room and finally saw him. Nico was a bit different than he imagined, and different from the picture. His skin was paler than in the picture, and he didn't have the smile he'd had then. His clothes were dirty and torn and he looked extremely skinny. Will had the urge to get him something to eat and make him eat it, but he resisted.

Because this was Nico.

He might not have had any memories of him. But he knew. He didn't know why he knew at first, then he saw it.

An earring.

It looked like his ear hadn't been properly pierced, more like he'd just sharpened the earring and jammed it in, which Will bet hurt like hell. It was crooked and looked ready to fall out. But still, Will knew what that earring was.

It was the other half to Will's.

Once again he didn't know how he knew that. It was a completely different earring, gold instead of silver and a sun instead of a star. But he knew it was the other half.

And if Nico was Will's star.

Was Will Nico's sun?

Will was about to wake him up and question him, when a voice suddenly spoke in his head.

What are you doing there!

He winced at Hecate's harsh voice, he whispered, careful not to wake Nico up.

"I didn't have energy to get back, so I decided to explore."

He was careful not to mention knowing Nico. He didn't want to give his only secret up. He tucked it in the back of his mind, though it was difficult, he fully acted like he didn't know the boy.

Get out of there, now! That demigod is an enemy, he'll ruin my plans if he gets a hold of you!

"Yes ma'am." Will whispered. He turned to face the light, but before he stepped into it he 'accidentally' dropped one of his notes on Nico out of his pocket.

He'd been writing down everything he'd learned about the boy. It wasn't much, and it hurt him to lose one. But he knew this was important. Nico had to know he'd been there.

Then he stepped into the light and left his boyfriend once again.