Death's Son (And All Its Memories)

Chapter 5

Will closed the door behind him as he stepped into his and Nico's room, the light from the window lighting up his husband's worried face. "They're both alive."

"Good." Nico sat with his back against the headboard of the bed, his boots still on from the night before. "Are they stable?"

Will nodded.

"Then we need to talk." Nico patted the spot next to him. "We really need to talk, Will."

Being a demigod had never been easy. It meant heartache and stress until the day you died, which was usually before 30. Nico and Will knew that before they married, and it was one of the reasons they married so young. They wanted time together before they ended up in the Underworld, before they were nothing more than spirits.

The building that now served as the infirmary was larger than Will had intended it to be. They didn't need separate burn rooms anymore, they didn't need a room for bodies. As the violence died down in the demigod world, it had been mostly empty for years.

When Nico and Will got married Chiron agreed to let them make their room out of the old burn room. They cleaned it up well, got it smelling unlike the old burnt skin. The next room over became Peyton's room, the boy they had ended up raising just like their own.

They never found his parents, never saw any signs of a godly power within him.

Will sat beside Nico on the cheap bed, the old mattress hurting their muscles just as much as practice and training. "Is Peyton still asleep?"

Nico nodded. "In his room."

"Okay." Will leaned his head on Nico's shoulder. "What's up?"

Nico told him all that had happened, where they found those kids and Anubis's insights. When he got to Evan's death, he did nothing more than choke on his words before continuing until the end.

"That's why I just took them here last night." Nico summed up. "Percy and Annabeth didn't need this. And I had no idea if we could trust Bay."

"I wouldn't," Will replied simply.

"What?"

"I wouldn't trust him," Will repeated. "I couldn't heal that girl fully. I don't know what's wrong with her."

Nico ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing can ever be easy. People just keep dying. The bad guys keep coming back."

"You think he's a bad guy?" Will asked. "He doesn't seem that evil to me."

"You don't need to be evil to be corrupted or mind controlled." Nico pulled at his curly strands of hair. "Think of Luke. Think of me."

"You weren't ever evil."

"I could've been. I turned Percy over to my dad."

"You were young and confused." Will reasoned.

"Exactly. So could Bay."

"So...what?" Will asked. "You think someone's doing something through him?"

Nico nodded. "We really have to question him. Someone he trusts. Or ask around to see if anyone's ever seen him before. I would ask Percy but..."

"Yeah, leave Percy out of this." Will pulled the blanket up over them. "That poor guy..."

"That reminds me." Nico tossed the blanket away from them. "I have to go to the Underworld. I was going to do it tonight but I might as well do it now. That poor kid is probably so confused. I'm gonna go and lead him through everything so he calms a little. He might not even realize he's dead."

Will's face turned grim. "Okay...go help. But what do I do about Bay? I can't just keep him under constant surveillance."

"Yeah, you can."

"How?"

"Argus. Campers. Ares cabin." Nico shrugged. "Just tell Chiron what I told you. He'll understand and help set it up."

"Fine." Will agreed, his hand moving to Nico's. "But lay with me for a minute? I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too," Nico admitted. "But I've got to go. Imagine what that kid's going through right now."

"Okay, okay." Will ran a hand through Nico's hair. "Get going. But be back soon. Pey missed you."

"I miss him, too." Nico got up. "Okay, I've got to go. Bye."

"Bye, Neeks."

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Nico spent two nights in the Underworld. The first night, he stuck by Evan's side as he waited for judgment. He did what he could, spoke in the trial. The second night, Nico stayed with him in Elysium as he got used to his dead family members. After a tearful goodbye and a promise to always visit, Nico shadow traveled back to camp.

Percy was waiting for him on the dark beach, his eyes hard from the death of those closest to him. Nico hated seeing those green eyes like that, hated seeing that handsome face in so much pain. But the only thing he could do was already done.

"I stood with him," Nico explained, Percy not having to voice his silent question. "I stayed in line with him and I stayed with him through trial."

"Elysium?"

Nico nodded. "I made sure he was good and comfortable. I'll visit him a lot. He seemed happy with a huge place all to himself. And I introduced him to Jason."

Percy looked down at the sand. "He's okay?"

"Yeah, he's okay."

"Can I see him? Just once." Percy begged. "Just once. Please."

Nico ran a hand through his hair. "Percy...death is death. I'm the son of the god of the Underworld. I have a death god in me. If I take you...it won't be unnoticed."

"I don't care what Hades does to me." Percy's eyes had turned as determined as they ever would. "Or Anubis. I don't care about that stupid heart feather test he does. I just want to see my son one last time."

Are you going to? Anubis asked, his ease into Nico's memories having become effortlessly.

I've got to. Nico eyed his old friend. If I don't, he'll find his own way down there.

I agree.

"Fine." Nico finally exhaled the air he hadn't realized he had been holding. "Let's go and get this over with so I can face dad's wrath."