Chapter Text
Nico had been positive that the worst part of his week was attending a one on one Royal Etiquette Crash Course. Sitting in a damp room for three hours listening to a nymph drone on about Olympic duties and how to properly bow to Zeus had seemed like torture worthy of the Field of Punishment. Somehow - despite the massive headache Nico was dealt afterwards - Chiron’s Myth Acceptance Lecture was even worse.
Signing up for a Lecture was mandatory for all 16 year olds. Nico’s schedule, already packed to the brim with useless courses, had arrived with his Lecture date already determined. It was a smart move, but Nico resented the Headmaster’s tact nonetheless.
Early on Saturday morning, the day everyone should be sleeping in, Nico finds himself trailing behind other 16 year olds into a packed auditorium.
“Nico! Here we are!” Hazel gestures to two seats right behind the Olympian’s section. Of course the Olympian heirs are front and center, Nico thinks bitterly. He pushes his way through a sea of other teenagers and takes a seat besides his little sister.
“Alright, demigods! Settle down,” Chiron’s booming voice echoes through the small talk and laughter. Nico, who’s only here because of Hazel anyway, slouches down in his seat. The Headmaster trots past the students’ rows, trying to influence calm. A bunch of teenagers who don’t want to be there make that task quite difficult. Nico smiles.
“Think he’ll notice if I set fire to the book?” comes a sharp whisper from right in front of Nico. He leans over enough to watch Leo Valdez hold up a ball of fire.
Nico recognizes the girl Leo’s speaking to as Hera’s heir. Or was it Juno’s? Hazel isn’t sure.
“Set anything on fire within the next hour and you won’t have a hand,” the girl threatens icily. Nico feels an appreciation for her instantly.
“Come on, Reyna, let him have some fun,” Piper McLean pipes in. “It’s not the real deal anyways. He probably just has a script in there…”
Leo laughs. The other girl, Reyna apparently, rolls her eyes. “You’re asking for trouble, McLean.”
“No, I’m instigating trouble. There’s a difference,” Piper replies cheerfully. “Seriously, Leo, do it.”
Nico watches the conversation unfold in front of him in silence. The other demigods seem so… natural. Maybe I was too quick to judge them? The thought is sudden, but Nico finds himself giving the teenagers in front of him a little more merit. They were all just kids fulfilling myths that they didn’t want, right? Maybe Nico could find something in common…
Leo proceeds to set part of Piper’s sleeve on fire, and Nico rescinds his previous verdict. The future Olympians were just as much idiots as all the other 16 year olds.
Chiron arrives back at his stand. He takes no notice of Piper tearing her sleeve and stomping on the fabrics. Nico silently sends a shadow to cool down the smoke. (Not because he’s nice. Just because it might get in Hazel’s eyes.)
“Is that everyone? Good, good,” Chiron nods to himself. “Well, first of all, I’d like to welcome all of you to the beginning of the tenth cycle here at the Half Blood training facility!”
There is a half-hearted round of applause, probably led by some people-pleasing nymph. Nico doesn’t join in.
“Thank you, thank you..” Chiron smiles before continuing his welcome address. As the Headmaster speaks, Nico can’t help but notice a commotion behind him. He turns around to see three children of some Minor God staring at him. When Nico meets the middle kid’s gaze, they sneer.
“What are you looking at, you skeletal freak?” the middle one whispers. The crony to the left snickers.
Taunts aren’t new. In fact, Nico’s come to expect them. The son of Hades turns back to Chiron without a response, settling back to ignore the three of them. Ignoring someone is sometimes just as effective as conflict, which Nico learned by being ignored for 16 years. It wasn’t fun, so he’s happy to pass along the experience.
Or he would be happy if something didn't hit him in the back of the head. Nico jerks backwards, hand already reaching for his sword.
“Want to do that again?” Nico threatens. This school is IN the Earth. Of all the possible domains to challenge Nico within… This one was the stupidest.
“What was that, Mr. di Angelo?” Chiron’s voice rings out across the lecture hall.
Nico slowly turns around. He can feel dozens of eyes land on his back as he realizes he’s the only one standing. Chiron looks at him expectantly as if he actually wants a response.
“Nothing.” Nico releases his sword hilt. “Please, sir, continue.”
The ‘sir’ might have been overkill, but Chiron seems pleased. Nico sits down, glowering darkly at his hands. Perfect. Just perfect. He had somehow created new enemies by sitting still.
“What was that?” Hazel whispers, eyeing the three demigods with suspicion. “Do you know them?”
“I don't have to,” Nico tells her with a small sigh. “Teenagers will be cruel? Drop it.”
“No. If something’s wrong, we can bring it up to Chiron,” Hazel whispers firmly. “I’m only at this lecture to watch out for you.”
“Well, thanks but no thanks.”
Nico feels another object hit the back of his head. He grits his teeth and trains his eyes carefully on Chiron’s podium. He can’t get publicly thrown out of a lecture. It was about the only thing that could ruin his reputation any further at this point.
A few minutes pass, and Nico assumes the three idiots are satisfied. He’s wrong. Something sharp nails him on the shoulder and he grunts in pain.
“HEY! Cut that out!” It’s not Nico who yells. He startles, looking to the side to find the blonde from Jason’s room standing up.
Nico stares in silence as Solace scowls up at the campers. For some reason, the Apollo kid’s death glare seems to work better than Nico’s. Hell, Nico even gets an apology out of the ring leader.
“Are we done?” Chiron finally asks expectantly. Solace sts down, but Chiron’s not even watching him. The centaur’s eyes are trained on Nico’s face. After not even speaking, Nico’s being blamed. Of course.
“Yes. Thank you,” Hazel pipes up with a warning look. She squeezes Nico’s hand once in apology. He squeezes back.
“Right then,” Chiron paces back to his podium. “Then this concludes my lecture! Is everyone clear on how the procedure works for signing into a thread of fate?” Another half-hearted murmur spreads through the crowd. “Good! Now who would like to be first?”
Dead silence answers. Nico finds himself looking around, panic rising in his throat with nausea. Were they expected to sign their myths now? Was this already the end of their school year? An anxious murmuring starts and Chiron quickly clarifies.
“Please settle down! It’s a practice run! You just need to step up, declare your Godly pathway, and sign a fake copy. No soul-binding contracts yet, I’m afraid,” the centaur chuckles. Nobody laughs.
“I’ll do it.” Jason Grace stands. “I’ll go first.”
Chiron trots over with a proud nod to provide Jason a pen. The son of Jupiter squares his shoulders and approaches the stand. It may be a rehearsal, but the auditorium is still rendered speechless by the future Head of Olympus. Nico rolls his eyes, slumping into his seat. This would be a long two hours…
“I, Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, declare that I will follow my father’s myth and become the next King of Olympus,” Jason says decidedly. He signs his name in a single, rigid move.
“Perfect!” Chiron takes the pen. “Absolutely flawless, Mr. Grace. Who’s next?”
One by one, every demigod turning 16 follows suit. Nico keeps himself entertained by watching the various reactions. Some demigods declare their destinies proudly. Some hesitate. The most interesting reactions are those who fall in-between.
Solace is one of the last to walk up. “I, Will Solace, son of Apollo, declare that I will follow one of my father’s many myths…” Solace seems to pause for laughter, but Nico watches something darker pass his expression. Interesting. “- and pursue Hyacinth before claiming my father’s place on Mount Olympus.”
Will walks down the steps, and Chiron holds the pen out expectantly. “Next? Don’t be shy. Ah! Mr. di Angelo. I notice you haven’t gone yet. Would you like to give it a try?”
Nico tenses in his seat. This time, it’s the entire Olympian row that turns back to stare at him. He can’t say no, and Chiron knows it.
“Sure.” Nico stands. There is no way he’s about to humiliate himself in front of every other 16 year old. There’s no way in Hades.
Nico walks up the spiraling staircase and grabs the pen. The silence hadn’t bothered him before, but now, with the lights shining directly into his eyes, it feels deadly. Nico approaches the podium and finds the page for Hades’ myth ready and facing him. He scans the text, dark eyes pin-pointing every possible facet of suffering attached to his father's domain:
Isolation. Hatred. Resentment. Eternity.
“I, Nico di Angelo, son of Hades…” Nico begins to declare. The words get stuck in his throat.
“Go on,” Chiron urges with a smile.
The room is silent again. Someone coughs. Nico stares at the pen in his hand. Even in practice, holding this feels wrong.
“I have a question.”
“Yes?” Chiron’s tone is strained. Nico looks up to see the centaur looking at him with an air of disapproval. “Get on with it, Son of Hades.”
Nico chooses his next words carefully. “What if… a demigod doesn’t want to receive godly powers?”
“Why,” Chiron laughs suddenly, “- that’s highly improbable, Mr. Di Angelo. I mean, who wouldn’t want to access the power of a God??” Several demigods in the audience join in the laughter, and Nico feels his face burn.
“Alright. What if I don’t want to receive godly powers? What if I don’t want to follow my father’s myth?” Nico challenges loudly.
All laughter comes to an abrupt stop. Nico stares unflinchingly at Chiron’s shocked expression. The Headmaster clears his throat, eyes darting out to the crowd of people. Nico sets the pen firmly down on the podium. “Well?” Nico pushes.
Chiron straightens up. “Well, Mr. di Angelo. Say you didn’t sign the book when you were 16, despite being deemed worthy by the Gods. The act itself would incite you in an act of treason against the Olympians. Their unhappiness is known to take many forms, is it not? You, and everyone involved in the myth you were graciously allowed to play a role in, would be stricken down by Zeus. In other words: you would be incinerated. Forgotten.
“Now I know, Mr. di Angelo, that none of us in this room would want such a fate to befall upon us or our friends. Isn’t that right?”
Nico feels his lungs restrict. Chiron’s threat is obvious, but the threat of living out the myth dictated on the paper is worse. Nico stumbles back from the podium, shaking his head.
“I have to go.”