Nico's Return

The River Styx

It had been 5 days, 3 hours, and 27 minutes since Zoe went missing. Percy has gotten maybe 5 hours of sleep during that time. They made Hypnos come and put him to sleep. Before he fell asleep, he made Reyna promise to keep looking, he made her promise to search everywhere. So that is what she did, until Addy came along screaming.

"Miss Reyna! Miss Reyna!" the young child screramed.

"Addy, I am busy right now," she says, about to go looking in the woods for the third time that day.

"But you said to tell you when Daddy is in the rainbow!" Addy exclaims.

Reyna drops her weapon and turns the Addy, "Take me to him Addy."

The two sprint to the Hades cabin, and Reyna busts the door open. SHe immediately sees him, looking nervous through the Iris Message.

"Nico!" Reyna exclaims, rushing to his somewhat translucent form.

He smiles shakily, "Hi Reyna," he mumbles.

"Oh, Nico. Are you okay?" she asks.

"Yeah, the real question is are you okay? Addy said that Zoe is gone? I have only known one Zoe, and she has been gone for a while," he says sadly.

Reyna's face darkens, "Percy and Annabeth had their baby. It's a girl."

Nico breaks into a grin, "That's amazing! Why are you upset? And what is the baby's name?"

"Nico, the baby's name is Zoe," Reyna mumbles.

Nico's smile drops from his face, "Oh my gods. Reyna, is-is Percy and Annabeth's baby missing?"

Reyna nods her head grimly, and Nico disappears from vision in the Iris Message. Reyna waits for him to come back, when she feels a rap on her shoulder. She turns around, and Nico is standing there. She gasps, pulling him into a hug. Addy looks up from the dolls she was playing with on the floor, and screams with delight when she sees him standing there. "Daddy!" she shouts, rushing over and hugging his leg.

Nico pulls away from Reyna to pick up Addy. "Hey there little one," he says, putting her on his shoulders. 

"I missed you Daddy," Addy exclaims, giggling. 

"I missed you too, I am sorry I left. I didn't think I could protect you," he tells her.

"No Daddy! It's not your fault it's the mean mans fault," she reassures.

"Who?" he questions.

"The one with blonde hair. You call him the mean name," she says,

Nico's eyes narrow. "Will?" he hisses, "What did he do?"

Reyna explains everything that has happened recently, and everything they found out. Nico then proceeds to say some "not nice words" about him while covering Addy's ears. When he uncovers her ears, she tells him that she needs to go play with her dolls because they're lonely. He lets her down and she runs off. 

"Reyna, how can I help find their baby," Nico asks.

Reyna grins, "We have a list of places that Zoe could have been taken outside of camp that we haven't checked. Can you look there?"

"Absolutely," he confirms.

Reyna tells him the places and he immediately starts looking. First stop, Camp Jupiter, nothing. Next, Mount Tam, nothing. He continues on to many more places, until he reaches the final place, Central Park. He looks around, and sees nothing. Until he sees the boy with curly blonde hair and sun-kissed skin. Will Solace. Nico tries to avoid him until he notices something strange about him, Will is holding a baby. A baby with tufts of raven hair and intimidating gray eyes. Nico knows immediately that the baby is Zoe, so he tries to think of how to get her back without any harm coming to her. Nico starts to approach Will calmly, then calls out to him, "Will, give me the baby."

Will whips his head in Nico's direction, he grins when he sees the boy walking toward him. "I'll give you the baby when you say you love me."

"I love you, Will," Nico says cautiously.

"Stop LYING Nico!" Will shouts.

"I'm not," Nico tries to reassure. 

"Swear on the River Styx?" Will asks.

"Only if you swear on the river Styx that you will give the baby back to Percy and Annabeth unharmed and never touch Zoe again," Nico says.

"Deal," Will says, grinning.

Nico knows that it's a lie. He doesn't love Will. Not anymore. But he needs to save that baby, he has too. Saving that baby will repair any damage he has done. He knows that once he swears on the River Styx, he will die. Because you can't break your promise. 

"Will, I need to talk to someone quick, please just give me a second," Nico pleads. 

Will nods, unsure. Nico quickly makes a rainbow, pulls out a drachma and calls the first person he thinks of. 

"Nico? What's going on? Are you okay? Reyna told me you're helping," Thalia exclaims.

"Thalia, I only have a minute. I found Zoe. She will be safe I swear, and I hate that I'm making you do this again. Tell everyone that I love them. That I am doing this to try and fix my wrongs. Tell them that I'm sorry. And pleas, can you take care of Addy? I am in Central Park, get here as soon as you can," Nico says quickly.

"Nico what's happening? Nico!" she shouts just before  Nico dissolves the message. 

Nico turns to Will, taking a deep breath. "You say it first," Nico commands.

"I swear on the river Styx that I will give the baby back to Percy and Annabeth unharmed and I will never touch Zoe again," Will mumbles, clearly bored.

Thunder claps in the sky, verifying the deal.

Nico takes a deep breath. Who would of thought that simply saying 'I love you' to the man he once loved would be the death of him? It's ridiculous. And cruel, he never thought he would be loved, but it turns out to be the thing that kills him. Cruel irony, you can thank the fates. Nico closes his eyes. He hears people shouting for him from somewhere nearby. 'Good, Zoe will  be safe,' he thinks. 

Nico opens his eyes, looking directly at Will, then he smirks.

"Say it!" Will shouts. 

"No," Nico says.