The Unsung Hero (An HoO Fanfic - Nico di Angelo) DISCONTINUED

Chapter 3

He (Nico) had his father’s eyes – that intense manic fire that made you suspect he was either a genius or a madman.

They sailed out of the Colosseum and veered south over the rooftops of Rome.

The eight demigods gathered around the helm. Jason bandaged Piper’s sprained shoulder while Hazel sat at the stern feeding Nico ambrosia.

Rigel stood leaning against the rail, as Frank and Leo recounted what happened when they were trapped – something about Archimedes sphere and bronze mirror. She listened half-heartedly and her eyes drifted to Nico. He was barely able to lift his head and when he spoke, Hazel had to lean in to hear.

She had heard quite a lot about Nico – from Hazel and Percy and sometimes even from Annabeth. But to actually look at him… Rigel marveled at how different his features were from Hazel’s. He was the one who got the entire child-of-Hades look. The first thing that came to her mind when she saw him was a zombie. A clean, good-looking one, but a zombie nevertheless. His skin resembled the color of powdered milk and he had dark sunken eyes. She wondered if he had faced something far worse than just being trapped in a bronze jar.

‘There it is!’ her eyes swapped back to Leo, who was pointing to his monitor. ‘Frank, you’re amazing! I’m setting course.’

 Rigel had no idea where they were setting course for, because she did not quite hear the entire discussion. Though the fact that they were going to rescue Annabeth was obvious. Rigel hoped she was okay. She did not want anything to happen to her. Partly because it hurt to see Percy without her – all tensed and troubled, the way he is now. And also because Rigel really liked her. They weren’t exactly “friends”. Annabeth was more like the stern elder sister that always made sure the younger do not cause trouble, or end up in it. She was missing her terribly.

‘Guys,’ Hazel said. ‘You should hear this.’ She helped Nico to his feet.

‘Thank you,’ Nico rasped. His eyes darted nervously around the group. ‘I’d given up hope.’

Rigel suddenly felt extreme sympathy towards him. Those four words… she knew how painful and terrifying they were – to give up hope.

‘You knew about the two camps all along,’ Percy said. ‘You could have told me who I was the first day I arrived at Camp Jupiter, but you didn’t.’

Nico slumped against the helm. ‘Percy, I’m sorry.’

Rigel listened as he explained how he discovered Camp Jupiter but could not tell anyone. She knew Percy was angry at Nico, but now she could see that he too felt sorry for him and could not muster any anger.

‘- I think he wanted me to know about the two camps,’ Nico continued, ‘so I’d understand how important your quest was, and so I’d search for the Doors of Death.’ 

At this Jason started throwing off sparks which Rigel found really amusing despite all the tension.

‘Did you find the doors?’ Percy asked.

Nico nodded. ‘I was a fool. I thought I could go anywhere in the Underworld, but I walked right into Gaia’s trap. I might as well have tried running from a black hole.’

Rigel leaned forward, frowning. ‘Black hole?’

Nico started to speak, but whatever he needed to say must have been too terrifying. He turned to Hazel.

She put her hand on her brother’s arm. She told them what Nico had told her, about the Doors of Death having two sides – one in the mortal world and one in the Underworld. The mortal side of the portal, which was heavily guarded by Gaia’s forces, was in Greece.

‘Where exactly in Greece is this doorway?’ Piper asked.

Nico took a rattling breath. ‘The House of Hades. It’s an underground temple in Epirus. I can mark it on a map, but – but the mortal side of the portal isn’t the problem. In the Underworld, the Doors of Death are in… in…’

‘Tartarus,’ Percy guessed. ‘The deepest part of the Underworld.’

Nico nodded.

‘No way,’ Rigel muttered.

‘They pulled me into the pit, Percy. The things I saw down there…’ His voice broke.

Hazel pursed her lips and explained what Tartarus was. But Rigel did not need an explanation. She might not have gone to Camp like the others, but she knew what Tartarus meant – untold horrors beyond one’s imagination.

Once Hazel finished, she handed Nico a black sword and he leaned on it like an old man’s cane. ‘Now I understand why Hades hasn’t been able to close the doors,’ he said. ‘Even the gods don’t go near that place. Even the god of death, Thanatos himself, wouldn’t go near that place.’

But you did, Rigel thought sadly. And survived. Guess he was not as weak as he looked.

‘So let me guess. We’ll have to go there.’ Leo glanced over from the wheel. Rigel looked at him like he were crazy or something.

Nico shook his head. ‘It’s impossible. I’m the son of Hades, and even I barely survived. Gaia’s forces overwhelmed me instantly. They’re so powerful down there… no demigod would stand a chance. I almost went insane.’

Rigel gulped, not wanting to hear anymore.

‘Then we’ll sail for Epirus,’ Percy said. ‘We’ll just close the gates on this side.’

‘Yeah, sounds good enough to me,’ Rigel said.

Nico looked at her, and she gasped, forgetting for a second how to breath. His eyes… they looked like shattered glass.

‘I wish it were that easy.’ The atmosphere suddenly seemed to wait a ton as Nico explained that the Door was like a double seal. And to close it, someone had to be in Tartarus to close it on that side.

‘There has to be a way,’ Jason said when Nico finished, but none had any ideas.

Rigel leaned back on the railing, hopelessly. No… there had to be a way! How could it just end like this? It might not be her quest, but she knew its importance. Had seen how much the seven of them had struggled, risking their lives at every moment in order to defeat Gaia. How can it just come to a dead end?!

‘We’ll figure out the Tartarus problem later,’ Percy said. ‘Is that the Emmanuel Building?’

It was then that Rigel realized that they were descending towards a big palace-like building.

Annabeth!