Chapter Text
Nico’s heart pounds in his ears, so loud he almost doesn’t hear the falsely pleasant ding! of the elevator. Its doors slide open slowly, groaning loudly as if they’re being forced, and a limp form tumbles out of them.
Percy.
The demigod is beaten and bruised, blood covering his face and clothes slashed apart into near-rags. He looks up, freezing as he makes eye contact with the gaping group in front of him. Time seems to slow down to a crawl as they stare each other down.
Annabeth grips Percy’s shirt, limping on her broken ankle. She went through hell to get them the oversized statue of her mother that’s currently tipping precariously into the chasm below. Nico’s chest tightens as he risks a glance down into the darkness, feeling the pull of the pit and ancient evil of Tartarus far below them. Memories of the jar claw their way to the surface, but he shoves them down quickly. He needs to focus on helping the others secure the Athena Parthenos.
Nico takes a slightly ragged breath, eyes wide as he stares. He wants to jump forward, to hold Percy tight, to know that he can’t disappear on Nico again. He’s never wanted that before. Never wanted to hold anyone for fear they’ll disappear. He’s not sure why he cares so much. They’re not close; they don’t hang out. Bad blood and broken promises riddle their past, and he knows he doesn’t like Percy the way he used to. Percy’s mouth opens, allowing him to rasp a single word.
“Safe?”
It hits Nico then, the way Percy’s eyes are wide and scared, his breathing too fast and shallow. Nico’s never seen that kind of fear on him. It unnerves him, but it starts the whole group into motion. Annabeth launches herself forward, gripping her boyfriend’s shoulders like he’s the only thing keeping them both from falling back into the Pit.
Annabeth lets out a cry as her feet are yanked out from underneath her. Percy and Nico both lunge forward to catch her, Nico falling short but Percy managing to grip her hand as they’re both dragged towards the pit. Bronze flashes, and the strings of web hanging off of Annabeth’s ankle slither off the edge, disappearing into the darkness. The demigods follow them, caught only by Percy’s hand gripping the ledge. He watches helplessly as Percy swings Annabeth up, allowing her to scramble to safety. As soon as she makes it up onto the solid ground, the rock under Percy’s hand crumbles, sending him tumbling down ten feet. He catches another small ledge, face turned up to stare at Nico. His eyes swirl with desperation, and his bloody hand slicks the rock in crimson. He begs Nico to lead them to the Epirus, tells him he’ll see him on the other side. He promises to be there.
Nico can see the way Percy stiffens in Annabeth’s hold, flinches back ever so slightly. He’s not sure if it’s old habits or the instincts that almost certainly kept him alive in Tartarus. It doesn’t matter, because his body takes that moment to tighten. Suddenly, whatever shocked trance that was keeping Nico frozen in place dissipates, and his mind is screaming at him to get closer, to keep his cousin safe, to protect his family. They may not be friends, but they are family.
Nico can feel Percy’s soul. He hates it. He can feel his cousin creeping closer and closer to death with every passing second. As Percy falls, gets further away, Nico feels his wavering soul fading, though he doesn’t know if it’s from the distance or if Percy truly is dying. He shoves the thought away desperately, telling himself it’ll be okay. He knows Percy could never die down there, not when the rest of the Seven’s lives and the fate of the world rely on him to make it out. He wishes he could hate his cousin’s loyalty, wishes that he could think of himself for once.
Frank and Hazel both join Annabeth and Percy in clinging to each other, forming a group huddling tightly. Nico ignores the slightly surprised look on Jason's face as he darts forward, maneuvering so that the only people he touches are Hazel and Percy. He feels the son of Poseidon shift, gripping his cousin’s shoulders like a lifeline.
Nico thought he hated the feeling of his cousin’s soul teetering so close to death, but the silence is so, so much worse. He doesn’t know if Percy is alive. He could be dead right now, and Nico wouldn’t even know. He might never see Percy again, never hear him crack a stupid joke or ruffle Nico’s hair in that annoying way he always does. He’s just as helpless as he was when Bianca left on that stupid quest. Maybe he’s cursed to watch his cousin, his brother, die, while he’s hundreds of miles away and unable to do anything about it. Unable to even say goodbye.
“I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there after you were…” He swallows hard. “After the jar, and Bianca, and—”
Nico cuts him off by shaking his head into his shoulder and pushing himself closer. He feels the other demigods join their little group, and they all sit there like that for a few silent minutes, clinging to their recovered member. Usually, this much physical contact feels suffocating, but right now all Nico can think is that they’re all safe.
He’s not sure how long they would’ve stayed there, but the cavern interrupts them with a groaning, crashing sound. They all break apart, staring at the walls, watching cracks spiderweb through the stone. He sees Percy out of the corner of his eye with his head whipping around as he struggles to a fighting position. The dim light catches on Riptide as he swings it around, facing off against enemies only he can see. Nico approaches carefully as the others check all the exits for a path through the fallen rocks. The tip of Percy’s sword wavers slightly as he watches Nico warily, dropping fully when recognition flares in his eyes. His shoulders slump in relief, and he nearly tips over. Nico hastily wraps an arm around his waist, unable to support too much of his weight but still seeming to help somewhat as Percy relaxes against him.
“We need to get out of here. The walls aren’t going to last much longer.” Hazel calls over the din of crashing rocks.
“All the exits are blocked, and I don’t think Nico can shadow travel all of us. Hazel, is there any way you can manipulate the ground and get us out of here?” Annabeth responds, still checking the blocked-off exits in an attempt to find a path out.
“I can’t get us all out alone, but if Hazel can help me… It might work.” Nico looks around at the crumbling stone. “It might be our only option.”
Hazel nods, beckoning the rest of the demigods over to where Nico is supporting Percy’s weight as he sways and struggles to stay conscious. Concern flashes in Nico’s mind when Percy flinches at Frank raising a hand to grab onto him and Nico. He pushes it aside temporarily, and tries to focus on pulling the shadows surrounding him closer to cover their whole group in darkness. He has to fight the ADHD urge to pick up every detail around him that usually keeps him alive and alert in danger. He feels Percy’s breathing speed up and his grip tighten around Nico’s shoulders.
“Now.” Nico tries to keep his voice calm as he drags their group through the darkness. He can feel how much lighter the burden of so many people is with Hazel to share the load.
Light surrounds him as they pull the demigods out of the shadows now pooling at his feet, relief and exhaustion hitting him at the same time. He has just enough energy to lower him and Percy to the ground before he crashes fully against the grass. He barely registers the hand that slides underneath his head before it can smack against the dirt, and the rest of the world fades quickly.