Soldatino ~ A Nico Di Angelo Fanfiction

Chapter 9!!!!!!!

Hey guys!!!! I'm sooooooo sorry I couldn't update, I had a test that I had to study for, but I'm all done that now!!! :)

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The fight was intence. Kicking and punching, slashing and ducking, dodging and shooting; none of it seemed to make a difference. The two Nico look-a-likes were as fast as cheetahs, dodging and attacking but managing to do it with such gracefulness. Percy attacked in a blind rage at the sound of yet another scream that echoed through the hall. He slashed away, jabbing and parrying with blinding speed.

It wasn't until Frank body-slammed both look-a-likes in the form of an elephant, that they were able to take them both down. The Roman and the Greek fell limply to the floor, their bodies turning to black sand and being carried away by a sudden wind that came from no where.

"Were they sand from the very begining?" Jason asked, raising an eye brow.

"Who cares," Piper sheathed her dagger. "their gone, that's all that matters."

They all started to dust themselves off, putting their weapons away and mentally preparing themselves for whatever they may find down that hall. Suddenly, a scream, the most horrible they had ever heard - even for Percy, who had been in the Underworld and had listened to the tortured screams before - reached their ears. They blocked their ears as the sound intencified, causing the walls and floor to shake. Then, it all stopped.

The silence was eerie, like the calm before the storm. No one knew what the storm would bring, but they knew that if they wanted Nico back, they would have to find out... no matter how unpleasent it may be.

The walked slowly, dread filling each and every one of them as the took another step closer. The hallway made a sharp turn to the left, and the sight before them was so horrible, Piper bent over herself, and emptied her stomach.

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"L-Lord Hades!?" Percy gaped at the figure that stood over his fallen cousin. It was Hades alright, with the same evil, dark gleam in his eyes and wicked grin that sent shivers down the son of The Sea God's spine.

'What's he doing here?'

he asked himself, his gaze shifting from Hades to Nico, then back to Hades before resting on Nico once again.

The boy was a mess. His entire body was cloaked in his own blood, his sickeningly pale skin contrasting with the crimson. His tiny form trembled as he laid there, unconsious. Every once and a while he twitched horribly, as if jolts of electrisity were flowing through his veins. The unconsious action of the battered boy seemed to amuse the God of the Underworld because every twitch was followed by a malicious laugh.

The sight made Percy want to throw up right next to Piper, but his anger kept the content in his stomach. He took out Riptide, readying himself for the fight of his life when Hades' laughter echoed through the hallway.

"Foolish child, you should know by now that I am not really Hades. No, I am something far worse." If it was even possible, Hades' - or, not-Hades - grin widened. Percy, for a breaf moment, wondered if his face would tear from the amount of streaching his skin was doing just by holding that smile. He pushed the thought away.

"Then what are you?" Jason asked, grabbing for his own weapon.

"I see that you have beaten my sons." he stated his observation, completely ignoring Jason's question for the time being. "They imbody everything that Nico fears he will become, everything he doesn't want to do, but knows they all have a possibility of happening." He crouched down next to Nico's limp body, clutching the boy's chin and examining him.

"I, however, am different. I imbody the fear that Hades - the real Hades - will do more than just ignore him, more than strike him only once, when his patience wears thin. He fears that he will strike him down and make him relive his life with Chad."

Not-Hades stood, letting go of Nico's chin and letting it hit the ground. Shadows suddenly sprang from the corners of the hallway, covering the walls and floors, making it look like they were floating in endless space. The darkness wrapped itself around the Hades-look-a-like and then dissapated from him, revealing that he no longer resembled the Lord of the Underworld, but instead, an exact copy of Chad stood before them, the grin on his face revealing his rotten, crucked teeth.

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