Chapter Text
The third born to shadow and sun
Shall see an aging conflict done
Heroes and gods
As one or at odds
Their power the past’s greatest weapon
Mount Olympus - 15:22, September 1, 2025
“I do not care if the child is your son’s, I will not have it threatening Olympus!” Zeus boomed, his eyes flashing with irate lightning.
“The twins haven’t even been born! What am I going to do, kill an unborn baby and hope I picked the right one?” Apollo spat back at his father. He had lost so many children to wars and prophecies, he did not want that passed on to the next generation.
Zeus rose from his throne. “The prophecy said the third born.” He approached his son and glared down at him. “If a third is not born, then the prophecy cannot come to be.”
“That’s not how prophecies work and you know it. We don’t know that a stillbirth doesn’t count as a birth. Even if only one of the twins is born in technicality, it will be passed on to the next generation. You will only delay the inevitable.” Apollo glared back at his father.
“That very well may be true. Then kill the second child as soon as it is born.”
“That will end poorly. You can’t outrun a prophecy.”
Zeus’ expression shifted from anger towards stoicism. “There is no other option. The child’s existence threatens the very foundation of Olympus.”
“Why me?” Apollo asked, grief evident in his voice. “Why do you want me to kill my grandchild?”
“Your interference has already caused us one war. I want you to prove that you have learned from your mistakes. That you are willing to sacrifice for the good of Olympus.” Zeus growled.
Apollo lowered his head in defeat. “Yes father.”
di Angelo-Solace Household, Albany, New York - 15:22, September 1, 2025
“Maria, bug, can you bring daddy that hammer? I wanna hang up a picture.” Will called to his seven year old daughter. She came bouncing up to him, her curly blonde ponytail bobbing along as she moved. Maria had been so eager to help him decorate the nursery for her two younger siblings.
“Okay, bug, do you wanna help me?” He asked. She nodded excitedly, so he lifted her up to kneel on the dresser. “What you’re gonna do, I’m gonna hold the nail in place and you’re gonna tap it into the wall. Got it?”
“Yeah!” She exclaimed, taking the hammer from her father.
Will adjusted the nail to the right spot. “Okay. Light taps.”
Maria tapped the head of the nail towards the wall. When there was just enough left out of the wall, Will picked up the picture leaning against the wall and hung it up. It was a photograph of the sunrise over Long Island Sound that he had taken the last time he visited camp.
Will heard the door open and Maria leapt off the dresser. “Papa!” She yelled.
Nico leaned down to lift his daughter up into a hug. “How are you, luce mia ? I see you’ve got so much done. Good job keeping daddy on track.”
Maria giggled as he put her down, tapping her on the nose.
Will walked over to embrace his husband. “How was the appointment? Is everything okay with Cori and the babies?”
“Everything’s fine. You, signore ‘graduated medical school early because you already knew everything’, need to worry less. The doctor said that the insomnia and brain fog are completely normal.”
“I know. It’s just...she’s only 32 weeks. She didn’t start having those until, like, 37 weeks with Maria. Full term. That’s when it’s expected in pretty much every pregnancy.” Will’s voice sounded a bit panicked.
Nico placed a comforting hand on his husband’s shoulder. “ Tesoro , when are twins usually born?”
“32-38 weeks.”
“So does it seem reasonable that she’s having full term symptoms now?” He asked calmly.
“I mean, yeah, but...” Will stuttered.
Nico laughed. “Even if she has them earlier than we expect, it’s not like delivering a baby is a new experience for you.”
Will rolled his eyes. “Please. Will you ever stop reminding me?”
“I’m sorry. You decided that the first interaction we should have was saying ‘Have you ever delivered a baby? My hands are still shaking.’ Then grabbing the hands of someone who does not like touch to prove a point. No way in Hades are you ever getting away from that.” Nico poked Will in the side.
Will held his hands up in defeat, laughing. “Okay. Okay. I get it. Where’s Cori?”
“She’s downstairs sleeping.”
He nodded. “Right. So, keep Maria occupied up here.”
“It’s not her fault she got your ‘always need to be busy’ energy.” Nico sassed.
“I do not act like that!” Will protested.
“You do, amore .” Nico retorted. “But I love that about you.” He kissed his husband on the cheek then turned to continue working on the room.
Saint Peter’s Hospital, Albany, New York - 12:09, September 8, 2025
Nico sat in one of the two chairs in the delivery room, holding his newborn son, Lee Michael. He had the same dark brown eyes as his father. Spots of dark hair were hidden under the pastel green hat on his head.
Will sat next to bed, holding the hand of his best friend from medical school. She was in the process of having the third child she had carried as a surrogate for the couple.
“Okay, Corrine, she’s almost out. Only a few more pushes.” The nurse said sweetly.
A few minutes later, their second daughter was born. But unlike her older siblings, she didn’t start crying. The nurse took her over to the table that held the scale. A few seconds later, she turned to whisper to another nurse in the room and handed her the baby. The second nurse quickly left the room. Moments later, over the intercom came a dreaded call. “Code blue.”
Will looked up at the nurse. “What’s wrong?” He asked, terrified of the answer.
She looked sad. “Something isn’t quite right. We’re going to take her to see if we can figure out what it is and fix it.” Then she, too, turned and left.
He held tight to Cori’s hand. He turned to reach for Nico with his other hand. Nico’s eyes were wide with terror, tears streaming down his face. “ Non. Per favore, non. ”
Will quickly stood and scooped up the baby boy from Nico’s arms, handing him to Cori. He kneeled in front of his husband and put his hands on the sides of his face. “Nico, darlin’, you can’t think like that. She’s gonna be okay.” He didn’t completely believe that himself, but he couldn’t let Nico know that every possible complication was running through his head at that very second.
Nico dropped his head and sobbed quietly. “Thanatos.”
Will’s eyes went wide in shock. That was the last thing he wanted to hear. He pulled Nico’s chair over to be next to his and Cori and held both of their hands tight. No one dared speak.
Around forty-five minutes later, the nurse returned, a white bundle of cloth in her arms and a grim expression on her face. “I’m sorry, but she didn’t make it.” Will felt the tears streaming down his cheeks as soon as she said the words. He had been holding onto a foolish hope that Nico had been wrong, but knew deep down that the worst had happened. Now it was confirmed. “Her lungs had a severe deformity that the ultrasounds had somehow missed. We tried everything, but her lungs wouldn’t take any air.”
She walked towards the three of them and held out the baby. Cori and Nico looked to Will, who took the bundle from the nurse. She held an unmistakable resemblance to her brother and father. “I’ll give you all some time alone. Would you like me to inform the adults in your family who are outside?” They nodded then she left the room once again.
“We should still give her a name.” That was all he could manage after a minute.
“Chiara.” Nico said through sobs. “I-it means light.”
Cori smiled a sympathetic smile. “I think it’s beautiful.” Will nodded in agreement.
They sat in silence for a bit longer, delaying the inevitable moment they had to tell Maria that she would only be going home with one sibling.
Palace of Erebos, the Underworld - 19:45, September 2, 2025
A blinding flash of light lit up the otherwise pitch dark throne room of the palace. Hades looked up from his work to see his nephew, Apollo, standing before him. Fury rose in the King of the Underworld, until he saw the sorrow in the sun god’s face.
“Apollo, you should not be here.” He said carefully, but stern.
Apollo shook his head. “I had no other options. My father has given me orders and no other Olympians can or will help me.”
Hades rolled his eyes. “What obscene task has my dear brother given you that you have resorted to asking me for aid?”
“He wants me to kill one of Nico and Will’s unborn children.”
Hades looked at his nephew in shock. “Pardon?”
Apollo looked at his feet, not wanting to meet the eyes of the god of the dead. “There’s a prophecy and he thinks killing the implied child will stop it from happening.”
“I take it by you being here, you do not want to do that.”
“Of course not! They’re my grandchildren!”
Hades looked quizzically to his nephew. “Why are you here?”
“I have a plan to make sure the child lives. If my father finds out about it, I will certainly be punished, but I do not care about that.” Apollo looked up to meet his uncle’s gaze. “I can handle most of it, but I need them brought here and you to hide them. My father expects her soul to be brought here.”
Apollo paused for a tense moment as he awaited an answer. “I will hide her. I swear on the River Styx.”
“Thank you, uncle.” He gave a single nod as he disappeared in another flash of light.
Saint Peter’s Hospital, Albany, New York - 12:17, September 8, 2025
Apollo stood in the corner of the hospital room occupied by his son and his family, obscured from mortal vision by the mist. He could not help but smile as he watched Nico hold his newborn son, softly singing an Italian lullaby.
His smile faded as he looked over towards his son and the mother of their children, remembering what he was here to do.
When the baby girl was taken by the nurse to be checked for hearing or vision loss, he moved to action. He took the girl and replaced her form with an illusion. One that mortals could touch and would believe was real.
Once the nurse left the room, Thanatos arrived to collect the newborn. Apollo felt pain well in his chest as he saw the recognition on Nico’s face and Will turned to comfort him. He heard a quiet cry of “ Non. Per favore, non. ”
After a few tense moments, Thanatos turned to leave. Apollo met him as he disappeared, handing over the child who was named Chiara shortly after.