Chapter Text
High risk, high reward. It’s a saying for a reason, and one that Nico finds to be highly relatable to his situation.
He took on the clients no one else would, and usually large amounts of money would be the result of his efforts. This day was no different, he was assigned a person to kill while Hazel was at a lecture in college. His feet were kicked up on the coffee table as he casually scrolled through the information provided to him.
Nico felt like a couch potato, to say the least. Sure, he worked a few hours during weekdays at a burger joint, but really that was all. Hazel was under the impression that he was getting paid enough to keep his family home and pay for her medical degree, he believed. Either she was blissfully ignorant, or ignoring where his money came from.
The new job he was given made his eyebrows raise a little. The photos of this man were a bit blurry, but he could easily tell he had to be a young adult. His suspicions were proven correct, the man was 23 according to the information. Why would this guy need to die? He was truly curious, quickly looking to where the client usually put their reasons for contracting him.
Ah, it was the usual reason. This target, Percy, was rich. This client needed him dead so they could get his money. He was not going to question how they would even get that money, because this job was paying well. Nico would not let himself lose such a well paying job by being too invested in the case. His work entailed killing, not detective work.
Despite that being the case, he still needed to learn about his targets. Percy worked at an aquarium, conveniently near Nico’s home. Maybe that’s why the client went with him.
Nico wasn’t the most experienced hitman. He only started doing this job when Hazel started college, and that was nearly a year ago now.
The information gave him an extremely valuable tidbit, Percy worked Tuesdays to Fridays from six to twelve at night. It was perfect, he could easily take a kill after Percy got off of work. When it’s this late and dark, it was likely he could make a quick getaway. He greatly hoped this would be the case for this hit.
Hazel returned home at about four, and he waited another hour before telling her he was going out with friends.
She was laying on her bed in her room when he informed her, “Who are these friends? Do I know them?” She sounded innocently curious, but of course she was suspicious. Nico didn’t have friends. He was too paranoid and strange for them.
“Uh- More like acquaintances,” he amended his initial statements. “From work?”
Nico wasn’t the best liar, but Hazel gave him the slip. Grabbing some supplies and a simple black face mask, he set out.
The walk to the aquarium was short, and it didn’t take him long to realize the aquarium closed at six. It wouldn’t be worth it to buy tickets now, and he didn’t want to kill Percy in the workplace. Right now, the best time would be after he exited.
Nico found an alleyway nearby with a good amount of garbage and a torn up fence to hide in, and decided to smoke there. Anyone walking by would likely chalk him up to being some teen with a secret nicotine addiction, though he wasn’t a teen anymore.
His view of the aquarium from here was pretty good, lucky him. The last hit he had to use a sniper from a rooftop, and that was such a pain in the ass. A place on the ground was familiar, and with such an unassuming target too. Usually his targets were older men with high prestige, this guy seemed oddly normal.
He snuffed out his cigarette and paid close attention as the time of Percy’s usual arrival drew closer. Finally, he spotted a man with black hair and a bag slung over his shoulder casually approaching the front of the building. He didn’t look very important, or like someone with a lot of money. The only thing that signaled this was a silver watch that glinted in the setting sun. He nervously twisted a silver ring on his own finger, one given to him by his late sister.
The target fistbumped some people at the door, laughing before disappearing into the closing establishment. Judging from that, the guy seemed popular, he hoped that wouldn’t affect anything.
Nico considered himself a loser. Despite having a job that at first made him think otherwise. When he started, there was an incredible rush of adrenaline from these jobs. He enjoyed doing something so foreign to the usual human experience, as fucked up as it was. Back then, Nico even would call it fun. If he had anyone to talk to about it, that is.
As time went on, the jobs became boring. It wasn’t that the hits were changing, it was him. He soon became so used to killing, he barely felt anything when he would take the opportunity to push a knife into someone’s throat or throw them off a height. Somehow, in a sickening sense, it felt the same as flipping burgers at his cover job. Nico was sneaky, and a lot of the time there wasn’t much danger unless he was sloppy. Danger was the only excitement he ever got from his work now.
Anyways, back to him being a loser. Nico camped outside the aquarium all night, idly playing some games on his phone and blowing through a couple more cigarettes in boredom. Sometimes this was just what you had to do for large sums of cash. Planning, or sitting around doing fuck all.
He turned his phone off as soon as he realized Percy exited the aquarium, alone. Heck, he could do it now! But before he could even get out a weapon, Percy was gone. The guy was sprinting. Okay, tonight wasn’t the night. Nico could be patient.
Of the two buildings that created the alley he was hiding in, one was an abandoned building, and the other was a jewelry store that closed early in the day. The abandoned building had electrical panels connected from the outside of the building, which most reasonable people wouldn’t dare to touch. Especially because of the rust.
Since the power was likely off to this building, Nico took his chances. The box was big enough to fit a certain gun he hadn’t used before, as long as he took some parts out. So with some scissors and his bare hands, he got the box open and took some parts out, shoving the gun inside. Likely, he would be able to use it the next day, if Percy wasn’t out of his sights too quickly once more.
He would wait again the next day, and then shoot Percy. After, he could make a quick getaway and no one would be able to connect him to the crime. There was no clear connection between him and Percy, at least he hoped. Nico wasn’t a jealous ex or anything, and most murders weren’t random. The client didn’t seem to disclose any connections to Percy either, so this seemed safe.
Nico made sure to rehearse an alibi before opening the door to his house, taking his coat off as he went inside. Hazel was on the couch, drinking from a liter sized bottle of soda. “How was the meetup?” She did sound genuinely interested, setting the half empty bottle on a table next to the couch. On her left was an open book, likely her medical studies.
“Oh it was good- I don’t think they actually liked me, they probably just invited me out of courtesy.” He pretended to lament while grabbing a cup of water from the sink. It was more realistic that way, if he pulled from his past experiences and changed them up to look different, it was easier to act. People put up with him out of pity constantly, so it was nothing new.
Hazel frowned at him from her spot on the couch, “I think you don’t see how cool you are. Like- You have the emo look down. There are people out there who would like someone like you, like me. I just know it.”
Most people weren’t fond of murderers, and he wouldn’t want to hang out with anyone who was. He wasn’t loveable, past a thin facade of him being a loner was a killer who didn’t even care for his victims anymore.
“Sure.” He took his cup of water upstairs, going to his room.
“Love you too! Goodnight!” Hazel called from below, but he was already closing his door quietly.
Nico stashed away the multiple weapons still on his person with a blank expression. Hazel wouldn’t love him if she knew what he was doing.
He returned to the spot two days later with newfound determination. They were running out of money, and he really needed to get this job done. Some clients changed their mind if you took too long, and he selfishly worried they would cancel.
While the time ticked closer to midnight, he opened the electrical box again. He was greeted with… Nothing. His gun was gone, and in its place was a blue sticky note with a smiley face. “What the fuck…”
He barely had time to comprehend what he was seeing before someone exited the aquarium, his target. Shit, he needed this money. Nico took out one of his knives. Messy it is. He ran out to the street, making sure there was no one around before tailing his target.
Nico saw him turn a corner, and he followed just to see… Percy wasn’t there. It was a little confusing, Percy usually continued down the road; he had spectated Percy while he was heading home the night before.
This stunned him, there were alleys Percy could have dipped into, but why would he do that? This job was starting to feel too strange for his tastes. As he was about to turn around and head home, he felt a arm quickly wrap around his midsection and a cloth pressed against his mouth and nose.
Nico panicked, trying to scratch at whoever was holding him. There was no way he was going down without a fight, he wouldn’t let himself be taken down. However he could only not breathe for so long, and soon he breathed in whatever was on the cloth.
He looked up. Nico saw the person holding him was Percy. A blank look was on his face as Nico passed out.
When he came to, his arms were tied behind him. He was on one of those stereotypical wooden chairs in a dark room with only a lamp on an empty table nearby. There was a staircase and concrete all around, so he assumed he was in a basement. Great.
The only hope he had right now was life insurance would pay Hazel enough to keep her going, but life insurance was such a finicky thing. Likely, they would investigate her as the cause for his disappearance. He cringed at the thought, Hazel didn’t need to go through that.
He heard steps coming down the stairs and looked up to see Percy, standing there with his arms crossed.
There were a lot of things he was expecting. Being tortured, being arrested, being killed, but Percy surprised him with what he said next.
“They sent a rookie after me. Wow.”
Nico sat there stunned for a moment before he scowled, “What do you mean a rookie!?”
“You were so sloppy. I was embarrassed for you really,” He spoke calmly, and his demeanor seemed much more sinister than the casual man he witnessed go to work for days. “I mean, I get why. You’re desperate for money.”
“How would you know that?”
Percy threw a folder on the table next to the lamp, and then sat beside it. His legs hung off the side, swinging back and forth as he spoke. “Because your mom died because you couldn’t afford medicine for her. You were thirteen. Then your sister died when a rich drunk driver hit her, and the lawyers tore the case to shreds. You were sixteen. Your father was never in the picture.”
Where the fuck was he going with this??
“Now you go around putting yourself at risk for money of all things. To pay for your sister’s schooling, the house you live in, and likely cigarettes because you had two packs on you. They sent someone like you after me, and it’s sad. I’ve been in this business for years, and they really thought someone like you could take me down. It’s pathetic, really. You’re motivated by cash, and nothing else. That I could find at least.”
Nico took a steadying breath. Percy somehow had a lot of information on his life. Things he never wanted to remember again were brought to the front of his mind. Everything was so confusing and he was barely sure how to even react. The best choice was to stay quiet, but his urge to explain himself bested him. “I needed to kill you-“
Percy was instantly in front of him, a bronze plated blade held to his throat.
“I’d like to see you try,” his eyes glinted dangerously in the dim light provided by the singular lamp. Nico tilted his head up, trying to keep still. This is it, he was dying now. This guy wasn’t what he expected at all, this was a cold blooded killer just like him. Likely, another assassin.
He wouldn’t plead for his life, or struggle. Staying completely still seemed like his best bet. His hands gripped the armrest of the chair tightly, and he closed his eyes. He accepted his fate, not having to worry about anything anymore didn’t sound so bad. Then he heard footsteps traveling away from him.
Nico opened his eyes, seeing Percy had stepped back. He looked frustrated.
“I’ve been sober, from killing. I stopped nearly a year ago now.” Percy stared at the bronze knife in his hand before stabbing it into the wood of the table. Nico was surprised it wasn’t plunged into his throat instead. “Honestly, I sympathize with you. Providing for someone is a hell of a motivator.”
“You seemed determined to kill me, and I cannot let that happen. However, you need money.” Percy sighed, “I’m going to offer you a deal.”
Deals were kind of in Nico’s wheelhouse. He had made many in his quest for a stable life without his mother or sister. Some he wasn’t proud of, and others he negotiated with them to a point to where he got what he wanted. Where he was most comfortable.
Nico swallowed and nodded, “Okay.”
“Call off the hit, and I’ll pay you the amount you were offered. I saw the information on your phone.” Too good to be true. There had to be more to this.
Also, his pockets were noticeably lighter. Percy nicked all of his stuff, including the precious silver ring he never sold despite times getting rough. The one his sister gave him with a skull engraving. He needs that ring like a crackhead needs meth. It provides him a memory of being loved, once upon a time.
“You also will become my roommate,” Percy continued. There it is.
He cringed at the idea. This guy was a chatterbox, judging from how much he talked. Also, patronizing. Nico wasn’t an inexperienced hitman, at least that’s what he told himself. Sure, this job had been sloppy, but he was far from chopped liver. Percy may be more experienced, but it didn’t mean Nico was pathetic in general. He was only pathetic in comparison.
“What? Why??”
Percy wretched the knife out of the poor wooden table it was implanted in. “You’re bad at your job, you need help. Don’t worry, I won’t make you pay rent. You just need to listen to my advice and clean up your messes.”
My many successful jobs say otherwise, but alright. I’ll bite my tongue.
There was one more piece of information he needed before he tried negotiating, but what was there to negotiate? It didn’t seem Percy would pay him and just let him go. “And if I don’t agree?”
Percy shrugged, “You die. No skin off my back.”
“I thought you didn’t want to kill?” Nico said bluntly while Percy gave a stale chuckle.
“I may be trying to avoid killing, but I’m not above doing it if it’s required for my safety. I can’t just let you go. If you attempt to kill me again, I won’t be as merciful as I am now. There would also be no point since you’re getting the money from me, so win-win.” Percy approached him, knife in one hand while offering Nico the other. He leaned over, their faces now at the same height.
“Do we have a deal, Niccolò di Angelo?”
Nico gritted his teeth, but tried to disguise his annoyance. No one used his full name but his mother and sister before they died, and he liked it that way. Only people he loved should be able to address him in such a way, that was his belief. He put on a false smile though, trying to appear confident.
“Really had to use the full name, huh?” He leaned forward a little, the rope around his arms holding him back. His gaze dropped from Percy’s face to the hand he was being offered, “You know I can’t take your hand, right dumbass?”
“I do, but it feels more official this way. Just say if you accept or not.” Right, he shouldn’t push his luck. He wasn’t the only murderer in the room, based on Percy’s claims.
“Okay. I’ll play, Perseus Jackson. We have a deal.”