Fate Withstands

Chapter 19

Nico didn't make it back to Will Solace before or after Jason Grace and Percy Jackson went missing. Instead, he spent his time with Hazel, in the Underworld, or searching for Percy Jackson. He didn't say a word to his father, didn't say a word to Persephone, but the neverending search took its toll.

He never spent a night at Camp Jupiter, never spent a whole day. They looked at him strangely, saw him only as an armed shade. Maybe he was, but he wanted to be a little more.

Nico himself had made up the title Ambassador of Pluto. It gave him a purpose there, gave him leverage over some of the others. His facts and rambles and rants were trusted despite his appearance.

That day, he had come from the Underworld for a senate meeting. Talks of a new camper were spreading through camp, so he went to his father's shrine and sat in front of it, waiting for his sister before he did anything. After Percy and Jason disappeared, he started looking at each choice he made before he made it.

The Romans and Greeks, he knew of each bomb and how they would interact if they ever met. He thought maybe, just maybe, they could get through this new threat without meeting.

But then his sister came up the hill.

"Hey, I've brought a friend," Hazel greeted. "This is Percy Jackson. He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto."

Nico stared at Percy Jackson, saw his unfocused and confused eyes, felt sudden relief at knowing he was alive. But there was also a sudden panic melting into his veins. This Greek was here...

"Pleased to meet you." Nico held his hand out to shake. "I'm Nico di Angelo."

Percy shook his hand, and when they both drew their hands back, they studied each other closely. Nico could feel Percy's life source and see that he was okay, but something was different. What once leaked into his aura from the Styx had seemed to have vanished. And his confusion, his deep, deep confusion...

"I...I know you," Percy scowled.

"Do you?" Nico looked to Hazel, wondering just how confused Percy Jackson really was.

"Um...Percy's lost his memory." Hazel explained what had happened since Percy had gotten there and how he had arrived. "So, Nico... I thought, since you've been traveling all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy before, or..."

Nico's face twisted into the darkness of this new lie. Without another word said, Hazel got the message to drop it.

'This story about Gaea's army," Nico said. "You warned Reyna?"

Percy nodded. "Who is Gaea, anyway?"

Still as clueless as ever, Nico thought warmly. His brother hadn't changed. "She's the earth goddess. The oldest goddess of all, like ever. She's in a deep sleep most of the time, ever since the old days. She hates the gods and their children. Like, if she was awake... We'd all be slaughtered."

"Mother Earth is...evil?" Percy asked.

Despite the dark situation, Nico couldn't help but snort. "Very. She convinced her son, Kronos...I mean, Saturn, to kill his dad, Uranus, and take over the world. The Titans ruled for a long time. Then the Titan's children, the Olympian gods, overthrew them."

"That story sounds familiar." Percy seemed surprised. "But I don't think I've ever heard that part about Gaea."

"Then you haven't heard it from Nico," Hazel joked. "He goes on and on about whatever he's talking about."

Nico sighed. "Yes, Hazel, I tend to over talk." He looked to Percy. "Gaea got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband, Tartarus, and gave birth to a new race of giants. They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least...the first time."