Don't Fear the Reaper

79) Tell Me What You Want, What You Really Really Want

A/N: The pic has nothing to do with the chapter, I just thought it was funny.

Nico hadn't left his temporary room for the rest of his stay at the mountain, not even going to train at night. Kaldur brought him his meals and Artemis could come to help him change his bandages, both accepting when he didn't say anything to them other than signing a quick "thank you". Canary had come to check on him a few times, but he gave her the same silence.

It was two days after the attack when the team finally received word that the Bats would be collecting Nico. The demigod had packed his things wordlessly while Canary spoke, filling him in on what the others had been doing after he had sequestered himself.

"Oh, and Artemis let me know that you didn't want the Bats to know about the others seeing you without the charm on," Canary say, leaning against the doorframe. "I have no problem keeping that to myself, the others feel the same way, but I would like to know why."

Nico finished zipping the duffle bag full of his closes, letting out a small huff before signing, "They do not need to know you saw my face."

"Your identity is still secret," the woman said, seeming to know that it went deeper than just IDs.

"The scars are hard to forget, but they are even harder to ignore," he signed. "It's better if the others have to at least pretend they can't see them."

"None of them will treat you any different-"

Nico pulled off his mask, the cloth falling down to his collarbones to reveal not only the scars on his face but the ones that littered his neck.

"Ask me how I got it," Nico challenged, his voice rough from not speaking for 2 days, as he pointed to the exit wound just below his Adam's apple.

"I would never invade your privacy-"

"I was shot through the back of the neck, execution style, while trying to save a hostage," he said before beginning the point to the other large scars on his neck. "This one is from when my cousin held a sword to my neck and asked me why he shouldn't kill me. This one is from the first time the Great One killed me—I was 14. This one is from a war I fought in. This one is from when Ra's nearly killed me—the same day I got the brand." Nico turned away from her, shouldering his tote bag and picking up the duffle before he pulled his mask back up and over his nose. "Just because you'd never ask, doesn't mean I can't see that you want to. I am well aware of what I look like, and when people see the scars, they start to see me differently. They pity me or they're scared or they are disgusted. They see me as this broken idea of a person or a disfigured thing to be avoided."

"I don't-"

"It doesn't matter," Nico said, really not in the mood to hear her out. "My wardens are almost here, so I better be ready."

Canary's eyebrows drew together, looking like she wanted to say more, but she kept quiet and watched as he left the room.

He made his way to the large open room in the center of the base, dropping his bags against the wall as he just stared at the zeta tube.

"Hey Ghost," Bart called, walking into the room. He looked just as cheery as usual, but he seemed far more uncomfortable than he had days before.

Nico just gave him a nod, his eyes staying on the tube.

Bart stood there for a long moment, seeming to fight himself over what to say.

"Either say it or leave," Nico signed, glancing at him tiredly for only a moment.

Bart let out a breath, his hand rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "I just... I wanted to say sorry."

Nico froze at that, not understanding. He turned to look at Bart, eyebrows furrowed. "For what?"