Don't Fear the Reaper

10) The Cook Doesn't Clean

A/N: honestly, at this point, just disregard the thing I said a few chapters ago about not combing chapter because this is like 3 little chapters smooshed together. Also!!! The POV changed multiple times but I am still working on making sure it is obvious to the reader without disclosing, so lmk if you think it's good. 

Nico didn't know what to do. He knew this family was a far cry from normal, but it was still far more domestic than anything he had experienced in a long time.

They sat at a table when they ate. They talked about their day. They were a family... and Nico had never felt more out of place.

"Reaper," Damian said as he appeared at the doorway of the room they had given him to stay in. "Dinner."

Nico gave a nod and dutifully followed the boy. They got to the table, sitting in the open seat that had been his since his first day in the manor. Jason came out of the kitchen with two large bowls, setting them on the table, Cass coming out a moment later with a big tray, also setting it down in the center.

"Pasta and garlic bread," Jason said as he sat down. "I made dinner, so I don't clean. That's someone else's job."

Cass coughed.

"Cass doesn't clean either," Jason added. "She made the garlic bread."

Everyone dished up, Nico waiting until everyone else had grabbed what they wanted before taking a small scoop of the pasta.

"Does he need make offering?" Damian asked in broken Ancient Greek.

Nico just shook his head. They already took everything from him, so why should he give them anything more?

"What language was that?" Tim asked, his interest apparently piqued.

Damian didn't respond.

"My heritage language," Nico said, voice quiet and rough. It was the easiest way to explain without giving anything away.

Tim looked like he wanted to ask more, but he held his tongue.

"So, any leads with the cases?" Tim asks, changing the subject.

Dick shook his head. "None so far, but that reminds me. We need to call Captain Marvel. One of the cases B was reviewing was a case report from him, but apparently he was pissed at Bruce for whatever reason, so he wrote it in some ancient text that the computer can't translate."

"Bil— I mean, Captain Marvel knows an ancient language?" Steph asked.

Dick shrugged. "Apparently it was included in the 'wisdom of Solomon' part of his powers. Once he turned in a report in hieroglyphs."

"Do you have the report?" Nico asked, his interest peaked.

Dick seemed confused, but still grabbed the report he was talking about from the pile that was sitting next to him, passing it down to the demigod.

Nico opened it and internally chuckled. Ancient Greek— no wonder the computer could translate it. It was written in scriptio continua, without any spaces, indentation, or punctuation.

"It's a report about a Justice League mission that went south because an unknown group of people who gave away their location," he said before flipping to the next page. "Location: Santa Prisca. Members Present: Captain Marvel and Batman. Target:" his voice trailed off.

"Target?" Jason prompted.

Nico shook himself slightly and closed the file, handing it back. "A new League of Assassins base."