Ghost King Meets Batman

Last Days on Earth

[Edited July 26, 2022]

[June 21st]

After breakfast, Nico went back upstairs to shower and change. He had a lot to do today and he needed to start now if he wanted to get everything done before he was supposed to go to the Mountain with the others. He tried not to put too much thought into it all. He couldn't say that he was dreading the point where he would have to say goodbye to the team, but he wouldn't say that anticipation was the right word either. They were mainly indifferent to him and he mostly felt the same way. The only difference is that he knew how much the team meant to his brothers. He was grateful that they had been there for his new family when they had needed support and he was grateful that they would be there to help them after he'd gone. The Bats were in good hands.

Once he had changed, Nico gathered what he'd need for the errands. First, he grabbed the letters he had written to Thalia and Ivy. He'd have to put them in places where they wouldn't be noticed quickly. He didn't need them trying to stop him. He also stuffed a pouch of ambrosia in the pockets of his cargo pants since he was leaving Gotham's protective barrier. He didn't want to be caught off-guard if a monster sniffed him out. He'd gotten comfortable with the lack of mythical monsters in Gotham, but he couldn't let himself get soft. With everything that he needed, the son of Hades took a deep breath and shadow traveled to toxic acres.

He wanted to leave the letter for Ivy first because he knew where she was for sure. His dreams had told him that the Hunters were still at Camp Half-Blood, but there was no way to be sure. For one, the Hunters tended to move around frequently and didn't tend to let people know when they were leaving. There was also the fact that dreams were unreliable at the best of times. If they weren't at camp, it would take some doing to track them down.

Nico walked out of the shadows in an alley across from the house that Ivy was currently occupying. It looked almost peaceful in the dim morning, and even the toxic gases that hung over the place weren't quite as oppressive. He was surprised to realize that he was actually going to miss this place. For all its flaws, Toxic Acres had acted as a sort of safe haven for him and he would be sad to have to leave it.

The demigod approached the dilapidated house with the utmost caution. The last thing he needed was for Ivy to catch him and read the letter before he had time to leave. The whole point was for her not to notice it until it was too late for her to stop him. The good news is that there didn't seem to be any lights on inside. Maybe she was off on a mission or something. Whatever the case, Nico was grateful for her absence. Nico stalked up the porch steps and paused on the doormat, realizing that he hadn't thought about where he should hide the note.

Nico stood frozen for a few long moments as he considered his options. He could go inside and try to hide it somewhere in the house, but he was worried that he wouldn't hide it well enough or, conversely, that she'd never find it. He could put it on the porch somewhere, but then he had to worry about the elements damaging the letter. After a few moments of indecision, Nico had an idea of where he could stick the letter that she wouldn't notice immediately. He could put it under her doormat, with just the corner sticking out. It wouldn't be obvious, but she would probably see it before too long. At least, he hoped so.

Nico gently pulled up the edge of the rotting welcome mat and slipped the letter underneath. He left a small corner poking out and the white clashed with the dark rotted deck boards. She'd definitely notice it whenever she looked down. Hopefully, she'd take a little while to notice it. When the letter was in place, Nico pictured Thalia and prayed to Hermes, the god of travelers, that he would land far enough away from the center of their camp that the hunters wouldn't kill him. Nico shut his eyes tight and crossed his fingers as he stepped into the shadows. Hopefully, he wouldn't end up in someone's bedroom or the hunter's cabin.