TW: swearing, graphic depictions of violence / blood / death

1 DAY AGO

As Nico felt his grip slipping from the stone ledge, he began to realize this was not a very good plan. The plan being, there was no plan. He had debated shadow-traveling somewhere else before he hit the ground, but A, there were no shadows, and B, the Soul Stone would only reveal itself if he died.

"Clint. It's okay," he whispered, trying not to let fear creep into his voice. The tears running down his face were no doubt streaming, and while he didn't want to look weak, there's not much one can do in their last moments.

Of all the ways Nico imagined dying, falling off a cliff was not one of them. A monster? Sure! A war? Most likely. The gods? He wouldn't put it past them. But in outer space, sacrificing himself for a magical rock? Definitely not what he expected.

At least Will would be safe. Nico's heart dropped to the bottom of his stomach. Gods, Will. All this, just to lose him again. The sun and the moon would never meet - always circling each other in a never ending game.

So as Nico let go, he tried not to panic. Clint's gut-wrenching scream absolutely broke him as he fell, but Nico tried to focus on the bright side.

Wind blared in his ears, his fall picking up speed. It seemed to take forever, almost as long as the fall to Tartarus. Nico's brain rattled.

Oh, gods, I'm going to die.

If he hadn't realized it beforehand it was definitely hitting him now.

For Percy. For Hazel. For Will. Nico shut his eyes and waited for the impact of the ground. What would death feel like? Would it be calming, or painful? In a way, Nico felt like he'd already cheated death by living in the Lotus Casino. It was only a matter of time before fate caught up - he was an old man anyway.

As Nico's limbs snapped on the jagged stone floor, blood pooling out of a wound in his skull, he could feel his life force fading away. The sooner the better.

Fuck, it hurts, it hurts it hurts—

He lay there for a few moments, trying to control his breathing, staring up at the purple clouds.

In, out. In out. Get through this, Nico.

The sky is really beautiful.

Fuck that Nico, you're about to die.

His eyes glazed over, a single tear sliding down his cheek.

Deep breaths. In, out. In, out.

Fuck it really really really really fucking hurts—

Just don't go into shock. 

In, out.

In, out.

See you soon, Mama.

When death washed over him, he embraced it like an old friend.

———

Nico's peace was short-lived. 

When he awoke, he was standing on the banks of River Styx, in a long line of those waiting to cross using Charon's ferry service. His limbs were intact, his skin that had been bleeding only moments ago now smooth and not as pale as it once was.

The line, granted, wasn't very long, but it was at that moment Nico realized he didn't have a galleon with him. Perhaps Charon would simply let him in, seeing as he was the Prince of Darkness and all.

He suddenly felt sick.

If the plan had worked, then Will and Percy and Hazel and Jason and Thalia were back on Earth, save and loved.

But Nico wasn't there to see them.

Even if the plan hadn't worked, his friends were never dead — he had checked. He would never see them again, at least not until they really died, died.

He hoped he wouldn't be seeing them for a very long time.

Wait. 

Those who had been snapped had never died — they had disappeared.

Hades, Zeus, Hera — they had simply vanished, and so had whatever power they once possessed.

Whatever damned souls Hades was supposed to sentence to the Acheron simply moved on to the Fields of Asphodel instead. So why wasn't Thanatos doing damage control? Why wasn't Thanatos rounding up those who needed to be punished and doing his duty?

Unless...

Thanatos was gone too.

Leaving the Doors of Death unguarded.

Nico almost sobbed with relief. 

There was a way back. 

It was a long shot, but it was something. 

His plan? Go through Tartarus — again.

He swallowed down the doubts that were rising inside him.

But the flashbacks, hissed his mind.

Shut up, he snapped back.

It was a risk he was going to have to take if he was going to see his love again.

And so the son of Hades set off. The journey was dangerous, no doubt.

But what was the worst that could happen to him? Death?