Ghost King Meets Batman

Death has Left the Building

  [Edited July 22, 2022]

Nico found Hazel in his dreams, though whether it was from a vision or a concussion-induced fever dream, he wasn't sure. She was walking through the beautiful forum with a drink in her hand and a dark purple shirt with familiar letters: SPQR. As she got closer, Nico could tell that she was wearing a cord around her neck with a little lead plate that read probatio. He was relieved to see that the Romans had kept their word. Hazel was safe for now.

Nico approached her, excited to finally talk to her again. Hazel grinned brightly as she saw him coming. She moved to meet her brother in front of a stone bench where they sat to talk. It surprised him to realize how happy he felt to see her. She had become so important to him in such a small amount of time and it surprised him. He was worried, too. He didn't want to get too attached too quickly. Part of him was convinced that she would eventually leave him too.

"Oh Nico, I'm so happy to see you! I wanted to thank you for bringing me here. I know you didn't have to." Her face was full of life and her smile made it all worth it. He may not have been able to save his biological sister, but he could save this one.

"Don't be silly, you're my sister! So, how is legion life treating you?" Nico pressed on, interested to hear about how the Romans did things. From what little he had seen of the Romans, they had been organized, strict, and militaristic-- nothing like the Greeks he was used to. He imagined that life with the Romans would be harder than with the Greeks, at least when it came to training. The retirement plan sounded nice, though.

Hazel took the bait and started telling him all about her new life. Nico relaxed on the bench as she told him everything that she had done and seen since she had gotten to camp. She talked about the cohorts, the initiation, the village, and even some of the other campers she had been introduced to. Nico hoped this meant that she would have the chance to start over here. She deserved to be someplace where she could be herself and start to heal from her past life.

The tone of the conversation shifted as Hazel brought up the cursed jewels that still followed her around. Nico had hoped that the protective barrier of the camp would slow the curse some, but he would have known better. There were few things powerful enough to defend against a curse. With the number of precious metals and gems in the camp, Hazel was attracting everything from denarii and weapons to diamonds and rubies. It wasn't exactly ideal in such a crowded place.

"I think Octavian suspects. What if someone finds one of the gems and takes it? I don't want anyone else to die because of me." Hazel seemed to age a hundred years in a matter of moments and the son of Hades rubbed her shoulders in an effort to comfort her. He wished that he had some idea of how to help her, though he was out of his depth. Magic had never been his strong suit.

"You'll have to be careful. I'll see if I can find anything that can help. In the meantime, have you ever tried controlling the metals yourself?" He asked, a theory forming in his head.

"Controlling it?" Her voice shook. All at once, the answer crashed down on him and he wanted to kick himself. Of course, she had tried controlling it. That was how she had died-- shredded by the gems that Gaea had so wanted for her son Alcyoneus.

" I mean. can you send it away the same way you can draw it to you?"

"I don't know but I can try." She replied with a frown. Nico nodded and asked her to keep him informed.

"Hey, Nico?" Hazel called as he was getting ready to leave, "Octavian can't reach the gods anymore for his predictions. Things are getting tense around camp. Do you have any idea what is going on?" Hazel asked hopefully. Nico froze. It wasn't like he could tell her the giants were rising. No one would believe her, first of all, and he didn't want to start a panic. Things would happen as the fates decreed them and bad things happened to people who messed with fate. Olympus closing was literally the worst thing that could possibly happen right now, in the demigod's time of need.