"Everyone gather around for a show. Watch as this guy disappears." (Solangelo)
“Come on,” Percy insisted.
“No,” Nico answered for the 23rd time.
“Percy I swear to the gods if you ask me one more time I will ask my father to leave a special punishment just for you in the underworld and then send you there myself.”
Percy blinked a few times. “But Nico,” he whined. “It’d be so fun!” Nico looked at him with bored lidded eyes.
“The Mist wouldn’t let it work,” he answered.
Percy smiled, knowing he was a step nearer to convincing Nico. “But they would think it’s magic. It’s not something they need to wrap their mind around, they’d just accept it.”
“Will is going to keep me in the infirmary for a week if he finds out,” Nico said, still refusing.
“He won’t,” Percy assured. He grew a bit solemn. “Neeks, we just had a war a week ago. The war wasn’t too exhausting but everything leading to it….” Percy’s eyes glazed over. They got that almost dead look Nico used to have daily in his own. Suddenly Percy smiled again. “I think we could use some laughs. Imagine the faces on those New Yorkers that see you.”
Nico bit his lip. He agreed, it would be funny. Mortals were so ignorant and so naïve, it was just too good to pass up. But if Will found out, he’d probably make him stay in the infirmary. It’d only been a day since he got out. Will had warned him to watch it or else. As bright and happy as he was, Will could also be intimidating with all the doctor stuff.
“I don’t know,” he said doubtfully.
“Please,” Percy begged with big green baby seal eyes.
Nico winced and wondered how Annabeth could say no to him. He didn’t like Percy anymore, but saying no to a face like that was like taking candy from a baby- cruel and evil and just wrong.
“Fine,” Nico groaned. He stood and followed Percy as he gathered those who remained of the seven and Grover. Frank and Hazel were staying a bit before going about camp duties. They left the camp borders and made their way to the cluttered city.
Meanwhile Will was tending to some campers who managed to get some wounds even though a full fledged fight between the camps hadn’t broken out. He saw a head of dull blond hair and felt a nasty tug in his stomach. It was just a cabin mate. Will frowned and went for a drink of water.
Regardless of what a jerk Octavian was, his death was nothing to be happy or relieved about. It was a bone chilling, awful way to die and Will still felt awful for not being able to prevent it. Nico had said some destinies couldn’t be ptevented, and maybe Octavian’s couldn’t, but that didn’t make it okay. Will wanted to save people. Not let them die.
He drank his glass of water and shrugged it off for the time being. He said a quick prayer and hoped whatever happened to Octavian in his after life wouldn’t be too terrible. Even if he was a terrible person.
As he turned to go back to his patients, Lou Ellen tapped his shoulder. “Hey, I just got word that a bunch of campers left the grounds.”
Will frowned. “So tell Chiron, what do I have to do with that?” Lou Ellen gave him a look. Will clenched his jaw. “Di Angelo.” She nodded and Will groaned.
The raven haired boy seemed to love pushing limits. Even in his days in the infirmary he was a stubborn sarcastic little jerk who kept scowling. Will wouldn’t admit it aloud but he loved it. He loved the challenge Nico gave him as a patient, and he loved challenging Nico who obviously wasn’t used to someone bossing him around. He was used to people cowering and backing away. But Will wouldn’t do that.
Maybe Nico forgot, but Will hadn’t. He was in the Hermes cabin when Nico came to camp and stayed with them. They’d become friends. Then one day he was gone. Word got around quickly. “Did you hear about that Nico kid? A son of Hades.” When he came back he was so different, so angry and sad everyone backed off. Will knew he wouldn’t remember him. Will had become a little different too and was in the Apollo cabin by then. Being able to talk to him again was a wonderful rush.
But the idiot was out of the camp boundaries just waiting to get killed- again- and Will wasn’t going to sit back this time.
He was already leaving the camp with Lou Ellen at his side, listening for the raucous group of demigods. It wasn’t long before they were weaving between busy streets and large buildings and subway stations. There was a large group of people near a street and Lou Ellen tugged on Will.
“There,” she said. The two got near the group and saw Nico standing on a pile of bricks and Percy showing him off. Off to the side were the Roman/Grecian group and an undercover satyr. They were watching with anticipation and the rest of the crowd looked on curiously, doubtfully.
“Everyone gather around for a show. Watch as this guy disappears!” Percy announced. He smiled and nodded at Nico.
Nico looked nervous, but looked forward and-
“That little idiot!” Will snarled. “I told him no more unnecessary Underworld magic!” Lou Ellen and Will watched as Nico dissolved into darkness earning gasps from and murmurs from the crowd. The demigods however were holding back laughter.
Nico appeared in his same spot again. Will noticed he look a bit paler, slightly tired, but fine. It wasn’t as bad as before. He blinked a few times and looked at Percy.
The crowd clapped and someone near Will shouted, “Hoax! It’s fake!”
Nico narrowed his eyes. He reached for Percy’s hand- an act that left Will burning with envy- and shadow travelled both of them near the man who called it a hoax.
Percy looked dizzy and Nico growled, “I’m sorry, you were saying?”
The man jumped back, toppling over Lou Ellen. Nico finally saw Will, and his eyes widened while Will’s narrowed.
“Wuh-oh,” Nico said, disappearing again. The crowd started shrieking and clapping looking for the disappearing boy, but Will clamped his hand on Percy’s shoulder.
Percy looked and smiled nervously. “Hey, Will! What’s up man?”
Will glared at him. “What in the gods’ names were you doing?”
Percy tried to explain, but at that point, the shrieks of laughter from the other demigods had reached them. Annabeth and Hazel and Piper were holding their stomachs from laughing so much and Frank and Jason were high fiving, howling with laughter- they’d have made Lupa proud. Grover had started to trot in place and bleated with glee.
“We just wanted a laugh,” Percy said. “I figured Nico could use one too.”
“But you know what shadow travel does to him,” Will replied, not as angrily.
Percy shook his head. “He’s not weak. He overdid it with the Athena Parthenon and two passengers, but on his own he’s great. You saw him. And it was only one time. I mean look at them.”
Lou Ellen nudged Will. “He’s right,” she giggled. “Look.”
Will looked as the mortals had started to scrounge the area for Nico with wide eyes and kids jumped up and down shouting, “I want to learn how to do that!”
A smile tugged on Will’s lips and suddenly, he was laughing harder than he had in weeks. Every bit of tension from the war and the camps was rolling off of him as he laughed and Percy and Lou Ellen chimed in.
Once the crowd disappeared, Will, Lou Ellen, and Percy went to the other demigods. “That was golden!” Piper said as she wiped at her eyes. “Oh man.”
“Okay, the question now is, where did Nico go?” Will said.
“Wasn’t he with you, Perce?” Jason asked.
“He saw Will and shadow traveled again,” Percy answered.
“He’s probably back at camp,” Annabeth said. “Come on, let’s get back.” She intertwined her hand in Percy’s and the group walked back to camp as quickly as they could. Such a large group of demigods was sure to attract trouble.
Luckily they made it without running into anything. Will and Percy started looking for Nico immediately. Will gestured to the Hades cabin and Percy nodded. They both went to the cabin and knocked next to the open doorway.
“You can’t make me go back there, it was Jackson’s idea!” Nico called back.
“Nico, get out here” Percy said. Nico did and Percy raised an eyebrow. “Nice looking out, man.”
“I told you he’d find out,” Nico hissed.
Will smirked slightly. “As flattered as I am by your assumption of my skills, I’m not here to drag you to the infirmary.”
“You’re not?” Nico asked, shocked.
Will shook his head. “Percy explained.”
“He did?” Nico glanced at Percy who shrugged.
“I dragged you into that mess, figured I’d stick up for you.” He looked back and forth between the two. “Anyway I’ll see you around.” He clasped Will on the back and bro hugged Nico. “By the way,” he said into his ear. “If I were you I’d take those infirmary days. Seems like he’s your type.” Percy let go of a blushing Nico and winked before leaving to catch up with Annabeth.
Nico looked back at Will. He smiled slightly and looked down at his hands. “You’re shaking,” Will noted.
“Am I?” Nico asked. He shoved his hands in his pockets. “It’ll go away. I might just be cold.”
“You sure you don’t want to go to the infirmary?” Will asked. Nico hesitated. “Here, give me your hands.”
Nico furrowed his eyebrows but showed Will his hands. They were still shaing, but Nico didn’t know if it was the shadow travelling or Percy’s comment or Will standing so close.
Suddenly Will’s hands enclosed Nico’s, causing an electric current to run through Nico. This time he didn’t pull away though. Will closed his eyes and started muttering something. Before he knew it, Nico’s hands were warm and Will let go.
“Better?” Will asked. Nico looked at his hands, no longer shaking, no longer pale. Will wiggled his fingers. “Perks of being a son of Apollo.”
Nico smiled and felt a pleasant tug in his stomach. “You know, maybe I should take that infirmary visit. Just in case, you know?” Will smiled brightly and Nico couldn’t help but smile back.