((I love all of you but I'm totally not sorry for that cliffhanger <3))

"...That was... a little... harsh..." Thalia murmured softly.

Percy slowly turned to look at all of them, the expression on his face almost... neutral, and numb.

"Anyone wanna go talk to the Nico?" Jason murmured, "Or... follow him?"

"I will." Bianca murmurs. "Just... make sure Percy's okay."

"Well how can he be okay the dude just got-" Reyna elbowed Leo in the stomach.

Bianca looked around the dance, quickly spotting Nico's escape route. She weaved her way through the dancing people, trying not to step on anyone or shove people too much- but this was her brother.

"I think... I think I'm gonna follow." Hazel said softly before going after Bianca.

"Alright squad, we're damage control, team B." Leo said. "We got this."

--

Bianca ran out of the school, Hazel quickly following behind her, both of them breathing heavily.

"Jesus he can run fast." Bianca gasped.

"Hey." Hazel gently nudged her. "Over there." she tilted her head in the direction of the giant tree in front of their school. Underneath the tree was Nico, staring at a little leaf he was playing with in his hands. He was twirling it and twisting it, just watching it flutter as he moved it. His eyes kept shimmering from time to time, creating an almost... glassy look. Perhaps it came from the way the moonlight was hitting his eyes, or maybe they were tears.

Bianca and Hazel cautiously made their way forward, a sheepish smile on both of their faces.

"Nico?" Bianca asked softly.

No response.

"Nico talk to us. What happened back there?" Hazel said as they came closer.

"...Nico?"

"Huh?" Nico jerked his head up to look at them, a minor look of surprise on his face.

"Oh..." he looked back at the ground, quickly wiping his eyes. "Hey guys. I... sorry, I-I didn't hear you."

"It's okay." Hazel murmured, the two slowly sitting down in front of him.

"If... you don't mind us asking, what happened back there?" Bianca asked. "Were we just... wrong? Do you not like him? Were we... incredibly wrong? If so I'm so so sorry, we shouldn't have jumped to such conclu-"

"It's fine." Nico cut her off, going back to playing with the leaf. He let out a loud exhale, biting his lip. "You guys weren't... wrong. I liked Percy- I-I mean I like- I mean, I j... I just don't know."

Hazel looked at him, a look of... almost... sorrow on her face. She gently placed a hand on Nico's shoulder, "Yes, you do." she whispered.

Nico glanced at the ground, "You guys won't get it." he said softly.

"We're your sisters, we get everything." Bianca joked quietly, "Now come on. You can tell us anything. You clearly like Percy, a lot."

"W-well I wouldn't say a lot..." Nico mumbled.

"Nico." Hazel gave him a mock condescending look, "You arranged an event at our school just for him, you turned everything around just because you met him, and took an interest in him."

"...Everything moved so fast. I... I don't know why I did that. I probably overwhelmed him..."

"He is sitting back there, at that dance, surrounded by friends, that you rallied and helped by the way, devastated because the guy he likes ran away. He basically just got Cinderella'd." Hazel said.

"I- wait, Cinderella'd?" Nico looked up at her.

"Y'know... kiss kiss love love then the person you want to get to know and kiss and love suddenly runs off without any apparent warning."

"...Kiss... kiss... love... love?"

"Okay we are not here to talk about my phrasing Mr. Judgey." Hazel huffed, making Nico chuckle.

"We are here..." Bianca murmured quietly, placing her hand over Nico's. "To listen to you, and find out... why you would run away from something you so obviously want."

Nico took in a shaky breath, finally dropping the leaf. He looked back up, meeting their gazes. He saw... concern, pity, sadness... Why? Why worry? Everything was... it was all fine.

"Love just... isn't for me." Nico murmured. "I... I don't know why I ever thought it was. It never works... I don't know why I let it get this far. I was... I just... I just wanted to be there. I didn't... want this to h-happen.... Or... I... maybe I did, I don't-"

"What has happened that has proved that love isn't for you?" Bianca asked.

"My whole highschool life." Nico said, scoffing a little. "My entire middle school experience, even."

"Ah, yes. Middle school, the dark times." Bianca said. "I... half understand highschool, but nothing happened in middle sch-"

"Will."

"...Oh."

"What? Will?" Hazel blinked.

"A guy, he was here... from maybe... 6th grade to... what was it?" Bianca looked at Nico.

"...Sophmore."

"Right, yeah, yeah. But... Nico... you always said nothing happened. You guys were just best friends."

"And you believed me?" Nico puffed, leaning back against the tree. "You know, 7th grade is regarded as so young... so immature. But so many things happen, so many feelings... and it all feels real, it all feels serious. I got... how you say, love duped in 7th grade. Sucked. Didn't help my place in life."

"Wait, in 7th grade you...?"

"Long story short, Will was there." Nico cut her off, not answering her question. "And... he helped. 8th grade with him was... fun. I finally had someone that.. I could get... that... fun, giddy feeling with. And then..."

"And then what?"

Nico took in a breath, screwing his eyes shut and resting his head on the back of the tree.

--

"Why would they lie!?" Will shouted, spinning around on his heel. His eyes held so much anger... so much fury. His blonde hair fell down in front of his eyes, making his appearance even more intimidating.

"Because they're jerks!" Nico yelled back. He glanced around them, noticing a few people looking back at them as they walked by on the street.

"Can we.. can we just please take this elsewhere?"

"Like hell I will!" Will snapped. "They're my friends! My best friends, and I can't believe you'd accuse them of doing something like that!"

"But you believe them after they say one bad thing about me?" he whispered, giving him a look of disbelief.

Will stared down at him with that... terrifying, steely gaze. It was the one he used whenever he wanted to be distant, whenever he was done. "You know how you're like, Nico." Will whispered. "You're not exactly the most predictable or the most stable."

"And you're like, the only person in the world who knows why!" Nico whined. "God I can't- I just- I thought for once someone could actually understand, I... I thought I was sure-"

"You cannot turn this back on me!" Will yelled. "I was there, I stayed through all of your crazy and your stupid sad mood swings! I don't know how to deal with that though! You just threw all of that crap on me an expected me to take it well!" he took a step towards him, making Nico flinch back. Will didn't seem to notice, or if he didn't he just didn't care at the moment.

"Please... just... please." Nico gave him a desperate look, "I- can we take this somewhere else, or wait until we're calmed down? I h-hate c-conflict you know that."

"Yeah I know all about you." Will scoffed. "Why did you have to drag me into this? You dragged me into this twisted life of yours and just thought I could handle it! I don't know what to do with this stuff! I never, ever have had to deal with this before in my life!"

Nico looked at the ground, "I'm sorry... I didn't... m-mean to."

"And all of your rants about how everybody always leaves or how trust is so hard for you or how LOST you are!"

Nico took a step back. "I-"

"And then... oh and then. After making me deal with all of that you go through you go and you cheat on me!?"

"I would never do that and you know that!"

"Please." he scoffed, crossing his arms. "You're the great and powerful Nico. The King of highschool. Every person fawns over you, they throw themselves at you. Maybe you just thought: What's one little fling? What's one little kiss here? It's just one out of practically a billion."

"I would never, ever, do that to you." Nico said firmly, looking at him, his muscles tensing up. "So what if I have a lot of people who like me? They don't even like me, they just like the idea of me. Either way I chose you after all of that. You."

"No." he whispered. "You chose Jason. Not me. If you can't stay loyal to the first person you fell in love with then just go and run off with the second. Because if you really cared about that first person you would have never fallen for the second one."

"I. Never. Liked. Jason." Nico said, his voice almost snappy- but not quite. He was talking very slow, very quiet, but very firmly. His voice was a steely calm- as if he was trying to match Will's gaze.

Nico glanced to the side, taking in a breath before looking back at will, staring him dead in the eyes.

"I like you."

Will rolled his eyes, "Whatever, Nico. I should've listened to them back in 8th grade. You could never change. You would never be changed, and you don't have any hope. Why don't you just stop fighting for once? Just finally give up this inner fight of yours if it's so hard?" he shook his head, turning around and walking away.

Nico watched him leave, tears brimming his eyes. He took in a shaky breath, leaning against a nearby pole for support. That. Did not. Just happen.

---

"Oh look it's the royal prissy prick." a guy scoffed as Nico passed him.

Nico paused, glancing at him.

"I'm not in the mood for it today Red." he muttered.

"Oh you think you can still give orders around here?" another guy from the crew asked.

"After what you did? Please." Red rolled his eyes, "We should just throw you out where you belong."

"Can I not walk anywhere in public without you guys following me?" Nico looked back at him.

"Pretty much." another guy said. "We're gonna be on your trail for the rest of your life. I mean, hell, we should've kept up with it after 3rd grade."

"You're just a bunch of football playing wanna-be's who weren't fit or hot enough to make the team." Nico muttered. "I should be the one ashamed to be seen around you in public."

"Aww, look who's finally showing that he can actually bark." Red said, pinching Nico's cheek.

Nico stared back at him with an emotionless face, slapping his hand away.

"Owie, doggie bites." Red smirked, causing all the other guys to laugh.

"By the way..." another guy stepped forward.

"What, does Mr. Skank have something to say?" Nico scoffed.

"It's... Tank." the guy muttered through gritted teeth. "God, you just think you're on such a high pedestal, don't you? You just walk all over everyone, pretend you're better then everyone else. News flash princess, you're not any better then the rest of us."

"I don't know, I mean... the word angel is actually in my name. And I'm arguing with a group that contains names such as... Tank, Red, Rock, Stock, Twister-"

"Nicknames, all of them." Tank snapped.

"Except Red. But I mean you have to love the color Red, right? I mean it's the color of blood- which you'll all be oozing if you don't scat."

"Scat?" Stock raised an eyebrow. "We're in the 21st century stupid, no one says 'scat' anymore."

"Like I'm going to take grammar advice from someone who's failed English two times." Nico scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Oh that's right..." Red smirked, "You're a writer, aren't you? Real good too. I mean all those notes you left Will..."

Nico's expression faltered for a second, "You... what do you mean?" he quickly regained his composure. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Oh, you know, all of those love poems you wrote Will. 'Don't leave me on my own, though it's selfish I don't want you to go. I'd have to pull you from your throne, and you deserve more.' God!" he scoffed in disgust. "You know that was just enough to make Will buy your stupid little act. Till we showed him how horrible you actually are."

"He was always different around you guys." Nico growled, his eye twitching. He took a step towards them, some of them subconsciously taking a step back. "Ruder, meaner, he just changed whenever he was around your stupid group! Or how, the rest of the grade called it, 'The Pack.'"

"Huh, catchy."

"Oh trust me." Nico laughed coldly, "It was far from a compliment. I'd explain what it meant but I don't know how to speak the generic idiot language that all of you morons speak."

"Oh, getting a little salty now are we?" Tank snorted. "Maybe we should teach you a lesson. I mean... it's all of us against you."

"Aw you're right." Nico said in mock sympathy, his gaze growing cold. "It'd be an unfair fight to all of you. Now get out of here, I don't have the time or the patience to deal with your stupid antics any longer."

He started to turn to leave, but instead he caught a punch right in the face. Nico's body, not really expecting the hit, flew to the ground.

He looked up at his assailant, breathing heavily. He could feel the blood running down the side of his face from where it had scraped against the concrete.

Red just glared back at him. He kneeled down next to Nico. He reached towards him and Nico's muscles tensed up, waiting for the hit that he knew was coming his way.

"You... are trash. Bottom feeding trash, and you don't deserve to rule highschool. Trust me, we will take your spot. Just watch as everyone who adores you trickles away... until you're nothing. Until you are less then nothing."

The next thing he saw was Red's fist flying at him. Then another, then another. Finally he just closed his eyes. He couldn't do crap about the pain, so why try? Why keep fighting?

Was all this... really because of love?

Was love really that bad?

...It was for anyone who actually tried to get serious with him.

Any person Nico actually cared about in that way... poor them. Unfortunate enough that Nico himself actually took a liking to them. Serious relationships, when it came to him, were just a curse.

So he just let himself get pummeled. He knew he deserved it. His stepmom had been right all along. He was just trouble for anyone he came into contact with, for anyone he tried to truly love.

He just wanted everyone to be happy... so maybe distancing himself was the best way. Or maybe you couldn't make everyone happy, and everyone just sucked. Everyone was just... liars. Filthy liars. They never stayed when they said they would. They never cared when they promised. They always left. They were never around. Everyone just lied.

That night he was no King, he was just a pawn in a cruel game of life. But after that, he vowed to never be that again.

He was the King. And he would always be the King. All his life he had been an over-worshipped pawn. No... it was time. It was time for him to take pride in that King title that had been given to him.

And he could make Will and his gang suffer.

--

Summer was supposed to be fun... right?

Little 4 year old Nico got so confused... Summer with friends was... supposed to be enjoyable.

So.. why all of the hitting?

Why all of the yelling?

Why all of the jeering?

Was it a game?

Bad game.

Bad bad game.

But this game carried on.

Finally he stopped going outside and just talked to his friends on the computer.

But they found him.

But he could still smile, right? He smiled. Because if he was sad, his family would be sad.

His family was already too sad. His family shouldn't be more sad.

His family didn't deserve to go through anymore pain.

Why trouble them?

He could still smile.

He was still capable of laughter, even if it was false.

Either way he was still capable.

And he could make people happy.

He seemed to be able to make his dad laugh when he filled up his mouth with blueberries and smiled a big blueberry smiled.

But then the new mom came.

She didn't like blueberries, she was allergic to blueberries.

New mom threw them out, got rid of them.

Nico couldn't make his new mom smile.

And with her...

Everything seemed to be wrong.

He was just... wrong.

He was just a mistake.

But even a mistake can still try to make people happy, right?

Maybe it's best if he didn't see the great in himself. If he focused on all of his flaws he could also focus on how perfect and flawless everyone else was.

Yeah, yeah.

Maybe he could make friends with his bullies.

Owe.

Bullies.

That's such a mean word.

--

He remembered backing up against a dumpster. He remembered tensing his whole body- it made the impact hurt less. He remembered blood dripping into his eyes and covering his arms and legs.

But whenever the bullies did it they seemed to laugh.

They smiled.

So if Nico's pain made them happy...

What could be so bad?

--

"Hey dweeb!" Tank yelled.

Nico uninterestingly turned his head to the approaching group, giving them a bored look.

"Come for some fashion advice boys? My opinion? Throw out everything you own, shave your head, and join a prison." he deadpanned.

"Cute." Red snapped. "So I guess you heard, Will's moving."

"Good."

"Do you understand how bad you made his life?" Tank asked.

"Do you understand that I don't care?" Nico scoffed. "I'm tired of trying to make everyone happy- tired of trying to make him happy. He made his choice about me a long time ago."

"Oh so you remember that do you?" Red asked, "Well you must also remember how we beat that stupid ass of yours into the ground the last time you hurt our friend."

Nico shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets, like he barely cared about what they were saying. He was just acting so casual, but it was filled with confidence.

"I remember not fighting back because I didn't care." Nico said. "Trust me, with your skill levels in those moments you wouldn't have stood a chance if I tried."

"So what, you just like getting hit?"

"I didn't feel like fighting with scum like you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some friends to go meet up with."

Nico turned around but Twister grabbed his arm.

Nico's eyes glanced at his arm. In the blink of an eye he had Twister pinned to the ground, his foot on his chest and his hand twisting his arm.

"Look at that." Nico said boredly. "I'm twisting the Twister."

Twister was yelling and writhing around in pain underneath him, trying to get Nico to let go of his arm.

Nico rolled his eyes, letting go of his arm and stepping away.

He looked at the remainders of the group, the same bored and uninterested look on his face from before. It hadn't even changed, not a bit.

"I call a cheap shot!" Stock exclaimed.

"Oh? He initiated the fight though." Nico said innocently. "He threatenly grabbed my arm, and that look... oh how scornful."

"Alright we get it, you can take on one guy at one time, but can you take on all of us?"

The group charged at Nico, who simply cocked his head to one side.

"Guess idiots really can never learn." he deadpanned.

They all punched and kicked, throwing their best moves at Nico- but they never made it to him.

All of their legs that they had kicked, all of their arms that they had used to try to hit Nico, we're stopped, and held in the air.

All of a sudden it was like Nico's entire group was around them. Leo was holding one guy's arm and another guy's leg, Jason had two guys in a headlock, and a lot of the others had tackled or held of the attacks from the others.

"Heard there was a problem here." Jason grinned. "We're here to take care of it."

Reyna, meanwhile, had stopped a punch from Red that had been aiming for the middle of Nico's face.

The punch was stopped about maybe half a foot from Nico's face, but he looked unintimidated.

Red's facial expression slowly morphed from cocky into... terrified.

Nico and Reyna stared him down, Reyna's expression cold, Nico's... most just, that same, neutral, unemotional one.

"Cute." is all Reyna said before kneeing Red in the stomach, causing Red to bend over in pain. When he did so Reyna brought her knee up, smacking him right in the nose.

Red's head flew up and Reyna grabbed his hair with her free hand, holding his head up so he looked her right in the eyes.

He took in deep breaths, blood slowly dripping out of his nose.

"Leave." she said calmly. "You and your entire crew... leave. You have no power. You have never... had power."

Red glanced around, realizing everyone else had been pinned to the ground, Nico's group just standing above all of them casually as if it took barely any effort at all.

"...Very well." Red muttered.

"Good. Now you stay out of our business, and we'll stay out of yours. Got it?" she pushed him back, turning and walking next to Nico.

"You've got some nerve..." Reyna shook her head. "After what you guys... and after what Will did to Nico... to show your faces... here..."

"We get it." Red snapped, "We're going."

Nico's crew exchanged looks before letting go of the people they had trapped. They backed up so they were next to Nico and Reyna, all of them standing in a line, either with their arms crossed or their hands in their pockets.

"Probably would be best if you all just left. The school." Leo hummed. "I mean, Will's leaving. Why don't you be good little doggy's and follow your leader to wherever the hell he's going? I mean... that's what a good pack does after all, right?"

"Now SCRAM YOU PACK ANIMALS!" Jason shouted and they all scrambled to their feet, quickly retreating.

"Ugh, one of them got blood on my shoes." Jason muttered.

Nico slowly took out a kleenex from his pocket, wiping off some of the blood that had splattered onto his cheek.

"Let's go." he handed Jason the kleenex before they all turned and walked off.

--

Anytime anyone tried to attack them Nico's group would respond accordingly. They never showed any fear when they were confronted, because they knew. They knew they'd win, and they knew they were going to win.

They had that... distant, confident demeanor. Nothing could rock them. It was that... feeling, the way they carried themselves... it was a way only people who had been at the top could act. People who had climbed their way up. Cocky, almost. But not quite. They talked a big game, and they could back it up.

But soon... soon it became less then honorable. It became fun and games. Their demeanor rocked- not from fear or regret, but from joy. They got so used to beating up the minors they didn't care. And, hell, they always seemed to give a valid reason for doing what they did, and the public... the other members of the school always believed them. All of their reasons before had been justified, what would be the reason for them to start lying?

Except everybody lies.

It was just... that one day. That certain person. He didn't know that Jason and Leo had gone rogue- or maybe he did know it, and he just didn't care anymore. But that expression, those walls, faltered and shook for one moment.

He just watched from the background as Jason and Leo flung another kid into the side of a dumpster. He didn't move forward to stop it, he just watched.

The kid looked up at Jason and Leo, blood dripping down from the side of his face. Nico scanned over the guy, a small frown appearing on his face.

He seemed so... familiar...

Leo and Jason ripped the guy's hoodie from him, revealing a bunch of scars and cuts on his arms.

Nico furrowed his eyebrows, glancing down at his own arms, quickly adjusting his watch over his wrist.

Jason just kicked the guy in the face, the kid's body noticeably tensing up as another blow came.

He... knew his own way of how to brace for the impact. He used the same trick Nico used to use...

"Now, I think you've learned your lesson." Leo said, grabbing the guy's black hair and lifting his head up.

"And get a haircut kid, your hair's annoyingly long. Can barely even see your eyes." Jason muttered, kicking him one last time before the two turned and left.

The guy still said nothing, taking in a few deep breaths. He reached out to his hoodie, grabbing hold of it. Very slowly he stood up on shaky legs, managing to stand up straight after a minute or two of working at it.

He looked over in Nico's direction, obviously spotting him. Both of their features were hidden from each other from the shadows in the environments around the both of them.

They just looked at each other for awhile before Nico turned and walked away.

But watching that, watching those exact events play out... seemed to flip a switch for him.

For something.

--

Nico looked back up at Hazel and Bianca, meeting their shocked stares.

"Percy simply deserves more." he whispered softly. "Love is what turned me into that monster. I don't want to drag Percy into all of the drama that is my life. He deserves to find someone better, find someone who's... not me."

So I wrote this out on a google Doc and this ish is 15 pages long.

Geez if those are the statistics The Killer must be a LOT of pages.

Maybe I measured that out already.

Hm.

Oh well.

Check in again soon loves~ <3

Song: Everybody Lies by Jason Walker [Nightcore Vers]