"I DIDN'T FUCKING ASK FOR THIS!" Nico screamed, punching the wall. "FIRST MY MOM, THEN BIANCA, AND NOW YOU GO AND TAKE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE WHO FUCKING CARE ABOUT ME AND I CARED ABOUT THEM BACK!? NO, I WON'T FUCKING HELP YOUR ASSES, NOT AGAIN." Nico took a deep breath, lonely tear making it's way down his face. "Not again." He whispered.
He was standing in the throne room of the gods, his father looking at the son he loved since he was no more than a fetus in his mom's stomach.
Now, since Zeus had taken not only his jacket, but the skull ring Bianca had given him, he scratched at his arms and hands, his arms full of scars, some fresh, some healing, some small, and some large.
Hades looked sadly at the broken boy in front of him, then stood. "I agree with Nico." He whispered. "Do you not see it's our fault he's in this position? If I hadn't been so selfish as to lock him and his sister away in the hotel, he wouldn't be here. If Artemis had not offered Bianca a place in her hunt, he wouldn't be here. If it weren't for Hera's "big plan", he wouldn't be here. If we didn't fight at all, he wouldn't be here." His voice got louder as he went on, filling with rage.
"I agree, Hades. It's our fault." Athena said, standing up and going over to Nico, gathering him in her arms. She had never been good at comforting, but somehow, she knew exactly what to do.
Nico hugged back, sobbing into the Goddess's Greek styled dress, her rubbing circles into his back.
. . .
"Hey, Nico." Zeus said timidly the next day. Nico had cried himself to sleep in Athena's arms and slept on a bed Hephaestus had made, earning Nico the best sleep he had in years.
"What do you want?" He whispered, looking at his feet.
"Here, we had Hephaestus patch it up after you went to sleep." he said, handing Nico back his jacket and his ring. Nico took them, putting the ring gently back on first, and pulling the jacket on soon after.
"Th-thank you." He stuttered, looking Zeus in the eye. "I'm still not going to help you-"
"I figured." Zeus interrupted. "You're what, 15, 16?"
"16, sir." he whispered.
"You shouldn't even know about some of the pain you've been through, let alone go through it. Th-they should've been here, all of them." Zeus said, thinking of Jason and Thalia, who died when Will and Hazel did. All the seven died; Athena was still mourning Annabeth, Poseidon mourning Percy, and so on. Even Ares was mourning Clarisse, his Roman form mourning Frank.
"Hey, you okay, Zeus?" Nico asked, reaching out, then drawing back.
"Nico . . . as of yesterday . . . you're the only demigod left."