The Intruder

Nightmares + Revelations

Hiya! Icey5105 here!

Wowza... two update in one day... I'm impressed with myself. Just saying. 

Anyways, Enjoy!

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Hades Palace

March 19th

2027

"Guys... what are you doing here?" Nico asked.

Percy Jackson's eyes were lit with determination, "I'm bringing her back."

Nico tensed, "Percy... I can't let you do that! I'm sorry, but she's gone! Annabeth is dead. She died.... please, Percy, don't do this!"

"It's us or duty, Nico." Jason told him.

Nico shook his head, "Jason... you know I can't help you"

"Please, Nico." Hazel told him, "We need to find her... please."

"Hazel... you of all people should know that you can't just bring back the dead. Annabeth wouldn't be happy if you..."

"Who are you to decide her feelings?" Frank snarled.

"No. I can't I..."

Piper grimaced, "Nico... please let us through."

"I'm gay Piper, your charmspeak doesn't work on me. Please don't do this."

Percy looked at Nico angrily, "LET US THROUGH!" He swung his sword in a downward arc.

"NO! I CAN'T!" Nico parried the sword, and then the battle began. Nico did his best while holding back. Tears streamed past his cheeks as he fought the people he considered friends. Percy whistled, and Mrs. O'Leary appeared.

"GIRL ATTACK!" She hesitated, but then charged, clawing Nico. Nico screamed in pain. Mrs. O'Leary stopped immediately. She whimpered, hating what she had done, and scampered away.

Percy was confused, "Mrs. O'Leary?"

Nico's semi-conscious mind saw the sword coming, and shadow traveled away. He lost focus, and wound up in a grey room. Despite his blurry vision, he could make out statues of the league. He was back in the Justice League Base from last year, "Di Immortales!"

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Mount Justice
August 5th
5:20 am

Nico shot up, breathing heavily. He glanced at the clock - just over four hours of sleep. Lovely. He sighed, and pushed the covers off. This revealed he was still wearing his black shirt and jeans. He really needed to ask if he could go shopping - he only had some clothes from the others. He had immediately used some black dye (Robin gave him some) to make them more to his liking. No one had given him pajamas, so he was always sleeping in the clothes he had worn the day before. Plus, it'd be nice to get some well fitting clothes. He would ask Black Canary, he decided, when it was a reasonable time of day to do so.

Nico trudged to the door, and made his way to the kitchen. He grabbed a small thing of grapes, ate them for breakfast, and didn't eat anything else. Yes, he was well aware that not eating could kill him. He just needed to slowly adjust his body to eating more, so he didn't get sick.

Nico sighed as he sensed a presence in the shadows, "Hello, Robin. Why are you watching me in the shadows?"

"I was trying to scare you." Robin huffed, "Aren't you going to eat?"

Nico rolled his eyes, "I did eat. I just don't eat much."

"What?" Robin's brow knitted in concern, "What do you mean?"

Nico sighed, "On the streets you don't get much food - especially if you won't do anything illegal.... well more illegal than being a minor without adult supervision, that is. I've developed Anorexia because of it... Black Canary says the pharmacy is being difficult, so yeah..."

"I have an adopted brother who lived on the streets. He never mentioned that."

Nico huffed, "Yeah... well I doubt he was kidnapped by enemies and left to die in a giant freaking jar."

Robin's eyes widened in horror, "What?" He cringed, "That's horrible. Why didn't you tell the league? They could go after them."

"I'm a demigod. That's kinda a merciful way to die." Nico waved him off, "While painful, it's not as painful as being burned or eaten alive. Some demigods are even cursed and then die painfully after a life of misery."

The other boy looked ready to puke, "Why? Who would do that?"

"Gods... Titans.... Giants... Literal Monsters..." Nico listed off as he sat down, "Just cause they're veiled off from the mortal world, doesn't mean they're not there. They just hide from mortals and then attack demigods."

Robin swallowed nervously, "So you're constantly at risk of dying?"

"Well yeah." Nico shrugged, "Most demigods die before 18. I'm actually pretty old. Especially considering that I don't live at camp or had any help.

"Camp?"

"Camp Half Blood. Half Blood is another word for Demigod, but I'm not exactly...welcome there."

"Why not?" The boy wonder sat down across from Nico.

Nico took a deep breath, settling his nerves as he looked down, "My father isn't exactly the most....favored god. While one of the three most powerful, he's also known for betrayal, and insanity. Any of his children have that reputation, too, - and, trust me, there is some truth to it." Nico looked up, "Nonetheless I have sworn that I would never be like my brothers." He looked back down, "It... it scares me sometimes - knowing what I could become if I let stuff get to me. I mean...my last brother was Hitler, so I don't blame people for fearing me. I just wish they'd give me a chance. I just want one chance to prove I'm different."

"You're not your family." Robin said firmly, "Just like Superboy is Superman, you are not your family."

Nico took a deep breath, "Yeah I know."

Robin took a deep breath, "I'm an orphan."

Nico's head shot up.

"My parents were murdered. I watched it happen. Bats couldn't save them in time." Robin explained, "Batman took me in... he didn't tell me it was him, though. I found the Batcave, and I realized who he was, and I realized where my parents murderer was hiding... I... I was going to kill him, but I... I couldn't. I didn't want to be like him. If I'm a good person - a hero - because I couldn't kill him... then you're a good person, because you wouldn't kill him either... would you? I mean, I know you've killed people, but... you don't seem like someone who does that willingly."

Robin looked at Nico expectantly, silently asking if he was correct. Nico hesitated, but finally gave in. "I.... I wanted the approval of my father." Nico answers the unasked question, "And it wasn't really killing. It was reaping. I had to take the souls of those who were in extreme pain. If I didn't do it, well, since Death was MIA at the time.... no one would. There would've been a great imbalance. People were already coming back to life... things were bad enough. If the souls weren't reaped, it would only end in suffering for those who were supposed to die. They would be in pain for a longer period of time or they would get better only to suddenly die in their sleep. How terrible would that be - for both their family and themselves? But... but I.... it still hurt. It still hurt when I had to take the souls... the worst one was a little girl. Her parents were screaming at her to wake up, screaming for the paramedics... and I had to be the one to take their daughter. I want to say...I want to say that I regret it, but I don't. I know what I did was the right thing, and I know that it was the only choice. I just... sometimes I wish I didn't have to be the one to do it."

"I think I get it." Robin said, looking down, "I'm sorry we judged you without getting the full story. If... if it means anything... I think you're a good person."

Silence.

"Thank you." Nico said softly.

"Your welcome."