Broken || A Riordan Universe Story

Nico POV~ "I'm Perfectly Fine Doctor."

     After Hazel's breathing slowed to a steady pace I hopped out of my bed. I was going out to meet Will. I met him during the war and there was something about him that made him, different... I hated emotions. They were so useless. All they did was make you feel; feel worse. After Bianca died I was broken, because I loved my sister. All my emotions did was punch a hole in my heart. But then I saw Percy and Annabeth. It gave me the notion that "love can quite literally win a war." Will made me feel something. Every time I saw him my stomach would summersault! I was trying my best to shove it down, since I had a facade to keep up. I didn't tell any of the six yet, though I'm pretty sure that Piper already knew. That Aphrodite girl knew everything. Speaking about the six I had a feeling that Leo wasn't dead. I couldn't feel his soul leave to the Underworld. But my Hades sense have been a bit wonky ever since Gaea awoke. I didn't want to give anyone false hope, so I kept it to myself.

     I pulled on my black boots, and shrugged on my black aviator jacket quietly. I made sure that I wouldn't wake up Hazel. I slowly pulled open the heavy marble door of the Hades Cabin. I eased the handle down after I was out of the Cabin. Luckily Hazel didn't even flinch, she was a heavy sleeper. To avoid the Harpies I decided to shadow travel tonight, even though Will hates (and I mean HATES) it when I do.

     I felt the darkness course through my body. This was a very familiar sensation, that filled me with nostalgia for my quest with Coach Hedge, and Reyna. I've grown close with Reyna, she was like my older sister; always watching out for me. I saw a dim light, which I distinguished was a flame in the woods. The light was dancing across Will's face. He was smiling until he found my figure in the shadows.

     "Nico Di'Angelo!" Will jumped back, a look of anger crossed his face. "Did you shadow travel here? You know that your doctor prescribed no shadow travel creepiness, until you fully recover!"

     "I'm perfectly fine Doctor." I said, putting emphasis on 'Doctor.'

     "Sit down." Will said patting a patch of grass next to him. "I didn't get a chance to talk to you at dinner."

"Yeah, I promised Hazel that I'd sit with her today." I sighed as I sat cross-legged next to Will.

"I was so caught up with work. The infirmary is over crowded these days." Will said, exhaustedly.

I didn't notice the bags underneath his eyes until now. He looked pale, and tired. The stress must've taken a toll on his body.

     "How are you doing?" I asked sincerely.

     "I'm fine Neeks." He smiled, but I could tell that he was lying.

     "You need to take a break." I started, "you look like death."

     "Thanks Nico." Will laughed, rolling his eyes.

     "I'm being serious." I said.

     "Yeah, I know. Once I narrow down the injured I'll take a break." Will sighed.

     I decided to take a big step into what ever Will and I had, and I put my arm around him. I was the shorter one, but I managed to snake my arm around. I could see that Will was taken aback by this sudden show of affection, since I'm not really a touchy-feely kind of guy. I surprised myself too. He tensed, but then he eased back into the embrace, smiling. We sat there for a long time, admiring the embers from the fire dance in the moonlight. It wasn't the tense, awkward silence you'd probably imagine it would be. It was actually a comfortable one. I just felt Will by my side the whole time, and it made me smile; a smile that I didn't feel in life too often. I wanted to hold on to this moment forever, we left behind reality and stepped into our own little one. Full of peace and serenity. It was as if no monsters could harm us; and that's where I was wrong.

     I could feel the presence of someone behind me. I whipped around to see a Drakon. It wasn't a small one it was a terrifyingly big one. I could smell the rotten scent of its breath. The moonlight was bouncing off of his emerald green scales.  It was drooling more than Percy (which is a lot!). Its sharp fangs were barred, I could see its flickering tongue licking its teeth. But it wasn't the Drakon I was scared of. It was the army of monsters behind it.

     "Will!" I whispered-yelled, as he turned around to face the Drakon, a look of horror on his face. "Monsters have invaded camp."