Death's Son (And All Its Perks)

Chapter 17

Nico walked around the streets of New York, his hands in his pockets and his head hung low. He felt like everything was crashing down around him, like nothing in his life would ever bring him happiness. He admitted it, Will had brought him happiness, but he had now even ruined that. How hadn't he been more careful? He hurt Will...he had really hurt him.

Anubis, do you think he hates me now? Nico asked sullenly, dropping to his knees in the dirty alley he had ended up in. I think he hates me...

Anubis didn't answer. The wind roared and the traffic was as loud as in any big city, but nothing would have blocked out his voice. The only reason he didn't hear Anubis was because the god hadn't answered, not because it was loud that night.

Anubis, please. Please answer me. Nico pulled at his hair until it hurt and then some more, feeling some strands coming out from the force. His biceps shook and his eyes moistened with tears, but he didn't let himself cry. Not yet.

"I need to talk to someone that isn't afraid of me!" Nico shouted, his voice breaking as he couldn't keep the words to just his head anymore. "Come on, Anubis! Please!"

"You looking for Mount Sinai or something, kid?" A gruff man made his presence known, mentioning the psychiatric hospital not too far away. He looked like any stereotypical gangster, with tattoos on his arms and a red bandana hanging from his mouth. "You know the sky ain't going to respond, right?"

"Go away," Nico replied miserably, unable to get Will's hurt look out of his mind. "Just leave me alone!"

"Empty your pockets and you've got a deal." the man made it known that a gun was in his pocket. "That jacket looks expensive. Give me that, also."

Nico rolled his eyes, letting out a little laugh at how ironic his life seemed to be. There he was, scared of himself and his powers, being mugged by a mortal that couldn't do anything else with his life. Perfect.

"Why are you laughing? You insane bastard." His hair, as red as his bandana, glimmered in the moonlight as he pulled the gun from his pocket and aimed it at Nico. "Come on! Jacket off and pockets empty! I don't have the time for this!"

"You're the one that came to me, did you not?" Nico was aware that he probably did look insane and knew it wasn't far from the truth. His smile and laughter stood out against his tears and his eyes were sparked with madness. He had been talking to himself, which remained true with no response from Anubis. "Just get out of here before you get hurt."

"You? Hurt me?" he laughed so hard his face became the color of his hair. "You're funny, kid. I might let you go for that if you cooperate."

The tears poured from Nico's eyes harder, but the laughter didn't die down. How could he be bothered by such a puny mortal? "I'll give you one last warning. Look, I'm not giving you this jacket. It's a personal belonging. Go try to steal from someone else."

Anger started to replace the humor on the man's face. "One. Last. Chance."

"Shoot me." Nico teased halfheartedly, not expecting the man to actually go through with it.

But he did.

The bullet moved faster than Nico expected and embedded itself in his arm, breaking apart the bone that was in its path. It made him grit his teeth in pain and glare at his sudden enemy, but Nico wasn't worried. He was never scared of anything but himself anymore.

A grin split the man's face. "Now, you wanna cooperate? The next bullet will be in your skull. I've got a pretty good aim, you know."

The shadows started to bend to Nico's arm, covering the blood-coated skin that was hidden beneath his jacket. Their ice-cold tendrils wove his skin together, making what he assumed to be a makeshift bandage. Of course, he couldn't even get gravely hurt anymore.

The only thing that gave him some comfort was the fact that he could still bleed. If he bled red, he was still part human.

Nico stood from the ground and dusted his pants off, his tears having stopped when the bullet had hit him. This man became his enemy as soon as he hurt him, which allowed Nico to hurt him back. And since he was a mortal mind, it could be some fun.

Raising a finger to his forehead, Nico made sure the man had a clear view of him. "Right here. Show me your good aim."

"Insane and suicidal. Pity." he brought the gun up and fired it, but the bullet didn't get a chance to hit Nico. Instead, it disappeared into the shadows Nico had brought before him. Almost as a shadow travel for the bullet, Nico moved it through the dark masses until it came out of another shadow, which just so happened to be the man's. It entered the redhead's groin and came out his side, splattering blood and bodily insides across the brick wall.

"Ugh, disgusting." Nico pretended to shield his eyes. "I'm just a kid, dude."

In his last moments, the man stared at the night sky with his lips moving silently, no doubt trying to figure out what had happened. Nico kneeled next to him and leaned over his face, his smirk matching the insanity of a murderer. "Sorry, but you can't take my jacket today. Try again in the next life, if you go for it. I'll be waiting."

He grabbed the sticky gun and put the barrel against the man's forehead, fingering the trigger playfully. "Want me to put you out of your misery? I mean, you don't have to worry. I'll take your things so no one else does. This gun is pretty nice, even if it's got your blood all over it. Maybe I'll sell it with your body. Wouldn't that be nice?"

He looked into the man's one more time, taking in the pain and confusion, before moving to pull the trigger. Just as he was going to, however, Anubis shouted louder than he had before. Nico! Put the gun down and get him to a hospital!

Nico let himself twist his lips in annoyance. "Now you're talking to me? Really? Why not before?"

Nico, put the gun down. He's just a mortal, that's it. Anubis talked quickly and rushed, but Nico could tell his voice was shaking. I didn't answer because of what you asked.

"What I asked? I asked to talk to someone that wasn't afraid of me." Nico replied in confusion.

Exactly. Anubis became quiet. That's why I didn't answer. I couldn't fulfill that request.

Nico's smile dropped and his eyes melted from their cold state. Seeing the man's facial reactions, he had seen the change. "You're...you're scared of me."

The man nodded, but Anubis also agreed. That was the day Nico would never forget, along with the day that he had hurt Will. Those two days, more than anything, were what shaped Nico to see exactly what he was. A monster.

That still, however, didn't stop him from wanting to see the certain son of Apollo. He wanted to see him, talk to him, apologize to him. But would Will forgive a monster?