Chapter Text
Two weeks had passed. Two days they had left. Two plans was all they had managed to come up with… The first option was to storm Eris’ vacation home and see what would happen next, most likely a painful death. That was Logan’s plan. The second option was to call her bluff and hide, spending the rest of their lives on the run. That was Nico’s plan. They both straight up sucked.
Logan nudged Nico’s shoulder, stopping his downward spiral. “Hey, no pressure, but if we’re doing mine, we should probably get to it…”.
Nico took a deep breath, ready to continue the rest of his spiral out loud. He tried to stay concentrated while Logan kept turning his Greek fire on and off. “Alright, I know my plan isn’t that much better, but there is no chance in Hell just barging in is going to end well… We have to think of something else! We can’t just start a fistfight with the literal embodiment of strife! In her own home no less! She’s immortal! I-!”. Actually have something to lose now… He tore his eyes away from Logan’s when he felt tears well up.
Logan turned the fire off and reached over, grabbing his hand. “Look, Spooky… I know it sucks, but I think the harsh truth is we just don’t really have a choice” he shrugged. “We can’t not deal with it. Sure, if we go we might die, but it’s our only shot at an actual life” he shrugged.
Nico felt his hand tremble in Logan’s despite the warmth. “Yeah…” he sighed, tightening his grip. He hated when Logan was right, which was surprisingly often.
Letting Gwen know of their plan at the last possible moment, they’d prevented a long tearful goodbye, in favor of a short angry one. Leaving her behind on the other side of the shadows, they’d stepped out in Central Park. The Ramble, in the southern half. Among the rocks in the carefully crafted wilderness, an exceptionally large rock didn’t quite stand out. Well, not to anyone who didn’t know exactly what it was, at least.
Logan looked around, then settled his eyes back on Nico and raised an eyebrow.
Nico gestured at the large rock right in front of them. “The Door of Orpheus” he explained. “Leads right down to Hades. All we need is some music”.
Logan grinned, eyes burning with amusement. “Oh? Does that mean I get to hear you sing again?”.
Crap. “No!”. Nico ripped his hand free to stick it in Logan’s face. “We-!”. His hand froze. He hadn’t actually thought about that. Will had opened it last time…
Logan shoved his hand aside, still grinning. “Fine. I’ll sing” he declared smugly.
Nico sighed. “No… There’s no way it’s going to accept that as music…”. He reached out an arm. “Nevermind. I’ll just…” he muttered, drawing in the shadows from the undergrowth.
Logan groaned, grabbing his hand. “Don’t waste that on fucking pride” he squeezed into his palm. He shoved his other hand into his pocket and dug out his phone, scowling intently at the screen.
Nico blinked at the sight of it. The same familiar industrial black, metal phone case, completely indestructible, wrapped around a screen in smithereens… “What did you do to that thing?!”.
“Nothing it shouldn’t have been able to handle…” Logan grumbled quietly, scowling at it harder. “There”. He held his phone out for the rock to hear.
A very angry British man started loudly verbally abusing the rock, encouraged by even angrier, louder guitars and what might be drums. The rock stared back blankly, not impressed.
Logan looked at the screen, puzzled. “Maybe I need to up the volume…?”.
At that threat, the rock caved, splitting in two perfect halves to open a stairwell. The stagnant air flowed out with a distasteful sigh.
Logan unsheathed his sword and flicked on his Greek fire. “Well…” he shrugged, taking his first step down.
Nico hurried after him, the rock already inching back to a close. He glanced over his shoulder, at the last glimpse of natural light, as the doors sealed their fate behind them. He took in the downward spiral ahead. The shape of the pitch black stones only hinted at by their shimmer in the green glow of the flames.
After what had to be hundreds of steps, he lost count. After he lost faith they ever would, they ended, leading them down a narrow hallway. The darkness brightened to dusk when they made their way out from behind his father’s palace. The eerie green light emanating from the expansive windows casting down the walls of the obsidian fortress made Stabigail look like a mere green matchstick.
Logan held her up so she could see better. “Damn…” he huffed in amazement. He turned to grin at Nico. “Is that your dad’s?”.
“Yep” Nico replied coolly. “Let’s keep moving” he urged, glancing at the bronze ‘beware of dog’ sign on the black metal fence.
Too late. A black, furry body the size of a temple rose to four legs like pillars. One head after the other turned their bright red eyes on them. They growled in chorus, then barked in canon. Cerberus bounded at them, landing in increasing magnitude.
Nico pulled Logan behind him and stuck up a hand. “Down!” he ordered, pointing at the ground.
Cerberus slid to a halt in a small rockslide, raising six ears at the sound of his voice. He slowly sat down and lowered his heads to sniff him from all sides. One head let out a disapproving rumble when it found Logan.
“No!” Nico scolded with a snap of his fingers, earning a short whine.
Cerberus laid down, staring at Nico guiltily.
Nico petted its middle nose. “Good boy” he praised.
Cerberus wagged his massive tail, creating a happy dustcloud behind him in the chilly, musty air. He panted wafts of sulphur over them.
Nico sighed, letting go of Logan’s arm. Cerberus’ eyes narrowed as they carefully followed Logan’s every move stepping out from behind him.
Logan narrowed his eyes right back at him. “He probably senses I’m more of a feral cat person…” he muttered, grinning widely.
Cerberus let out another rumble, baring some huge teeth.
“Stop antagonizing him” Nico warned. Both of them, honestly... He beckoned at the ground, willing up the largest bone he could find and shoving it in Logan’s free hand. “Here. Throw that as far as you can”.
Logan grinned wider, sheathing his sword with a determined sizzle. He reached the bone behind himself and swung it forward with a low swoosh. All of Cerberus’ heads snapped around to watch the bone fly over him. His nails drew small craters in the dirt in anticipation.
“Fetch” Nico ordered as the bone bounced off the ground.
Cerberus skipped after it, pelting them with dirt and rocks. Two heads fought over the bone. The third snuck underneath and happily chomped down on it. They’d only made it a couple of steps before he dutifully returned it, dropping it at their feet. Repeating that pattern, they slowly made their way across the barren plain of dead grass.
“So” Logan grunted, throwing the bone even further. “How are we going to get there?” he asked, shielding his face from the rocks and dirt.
Nico twisted his skull ring, not really sure. “I can't shadow travel us there… Not even anywhere near the river bank, actually. The fire is too bright and restless. The flickers of the current make the shadows too shifty. We’d get torn up…” he pondered.
“Hah. That whole shadow magic thing isn’t as much of a ‘skeleton key’ as I thought” Logan replied, bending down to pick up the bone. “Well, whatever. She probably crosses that river every day, right? There has to be a way” he threw back.
Nico clicked his tongue. “Sure, but seeing as she’s a Goddess she probably just gets a first class boat ride to-!”.
Logan cocked head in interest.
Nico stopped and closed his eyes in pure dread. “Ugh, Charon…”. He walked on. “Follow me…”.
They gave Cerberus some last pats on the noses and made a turn for a path slithering through the black, thorny disarray of a burned down forest.
They found him soon enough. No surprise, as he never left his post. The dead glared and tutted as they skipped the infinite line stretched all along the riverbank of the Styx. Charon didn’t even look up from his scroll. His bony finger slid over the parchment, the rest of him hidden under a ragged cloak.
Nico stepped in front of him, finding an ashen, gaunt face under the pointed hood. Ghastly pale blue eyes narrowed, but refused to acknowledge him. He took a deep breath. “Charon, we need your help” he urged politely.
Charon rolled his eyes at his scroll, still not looking up. “Ugh. You seem to be confusing me with someone who cares. I don’t work for you” he mumbled apathetically.
Nico sucked in his lips, then tried again. “I… I know that, and I’m sorry, but I’m sure my father would agree-”.
Charon rolled his eyes harder. “Ugh! You’re seriously pulling the ‘Do you know who my dad is’ card? Pathetic” he mumbled in disgust.
Logan snickered quietly.
Nico bit down on his knuckle to stop from screaming. Charon was so fucking impossible. “Fine” he groaned. He grabbed Logan’s arm with one hand, and the shadows with the other.
He let them go as soon as they reached the palace. The middle of Persephone’s garden, to be precise. Oops.
He stepped out of the now trampled flowerbed. His eyes quickly scanned over all the lush foliage around them, looking for dire consequences. The only movement he saw were the skeletal peacocks strutting and digging around the vegetables and flowers. Their dainty bones almost as stark white and elegant as their large tailfeathers.
An offended shriek made him grit his teeth. A much taller figure emerged out of the grape vines, all the way on the other side. She held onto the large straw hat on her head, waving a sickle around as she ran after a peacock, a bag of seeds in its beak. It led her into a maze of berry bushes.
Nico breathed a sigh of relief, quietly thanking the bird for its death defying instincts. He pulled Logan along, onto the shell path to the front door.
Two skeleton guards sprang to attention before they reached it, crossing their spears in front of the door. Nico dismissed them, all the way into a pile on the ground. He grabbed the doorhandle, then paused to look Logan over.
Logan’s eyes darted from the doorhandle, to his face. He cocked his head with a smile, eyes burning with anticipation. No… Excitement…
“Don't be cute with my father” Nico warned sternly.
Logan hissed. “Ooh, I can't help it. I'm naturally adorable” he said with the fakest apologetic smile Nico had ever seen.
“I'm serious” Nico pleaded.
Logan put his hand on his shoulder. “Hey, don't worry. It'll be fine. He's going to figure me out soon enough, anyway. I'm a terrible actor…”. His apologetic smile seemed a lot more genuine.
Nico sighed. “Let's just get this over with. Try to be respectful!”. He opened the door and walked in.
The familiar vaulted ceilings gazed down on them, through the countless empty eyesockets of the macabre chandelier, a carefully compositioned stack of skeletons locked into an intimate embrace, suspended from a spine. They held out their arms in all directions, cupping green flames, and lighting the main hall.
The light complemented the dark green runner, leading the way across the intricate, deep red pomegranate fruits and flowers in the otherwise black mosaic on the floor. His stepmother’s latest attempt at homemaking, Nico presumed.
The rug dulled the echoes of their steps as they walked into the hallway, past a collection of stuffed screech owls mounted on the wall. Nico avoided their intense ominous stare. From the corner of his eyes, he could have sworn they twisted their little necks all the way around to follow them.
His eyes needed a second to adjust when he pushed open the door to the throne room. The flare of the huge green funeral pyre right in the middle of the floor was painfully bright. It hid everything, and everyone, behind it. A cat skeleton snoozed lazily in front of it while two rat skeletons scurried by. Nico took a deep breath before he walked around it.
The tall, pale frame of his father came into view, clad in black robes. The heavy fabric cast down the steps in front of his throne made entirely out of bone and ivory. The backrest, a giant ribcage, almost embraced him. If Hades was surprised by their arrival, he didn’t show it. His demeanor statuesque and stoic, as he stared right at them.
Nico gestured for Logan to stop, right behind him. He sucked in his lips, sticking up a hand in an awkward greeting.
Hades’ lips tightened ever so slightly, finally revealing the slightest hint of emotion. “I heard you’re going to Tartarus, despite my telling you not to go back there… And to go live a happy, peaceful life…” he complained, mild disappointment hidden under a stern tone.
Nico smiled guiltily. “Yes… Well… Turns out I’m not really good at… That…” he stammered, glancing down at his feet.
Hades clicked his tongue, then smiled in faint amusement. “I suppose the bane of disobedient children befalls even the Gods…” he sighed. He rested his temple on his hand and gestured at them. “Now, who is this you brought?”.
Logan happily accepted the invitation and stepped forward. “I'm Logan, son of Ares, my lord. Your son's personal demon” Logan explained, he pulled Nico against his shoulder.
Nico shoved him back in his place.
“Well” Hades started stoically. “At least he's not Jackson…”.
Logan smirked “Thank you for noticing, sir!”.
Nico saw the corner of his father's mouth twitch ever so slightly. “Logan, shut up” he commanded.
“Yes, dear” Logan responded dryly.
Nico glared at him.
Hades broke the tension, gesturing at the door. “Son of Ares. Leave me to speak to my son”.
“Yessir!” Logan said cheerfully. He threw in a salute, his other hand shoved in his pocket. With one last devious smile, he strode out the door.
Nico turned to his father. “Forgive him, he's probably got brain damage from all the punches to the head-” he tried.
“I approve” Hades interrupted him calmly.
Nico looked at him in disbelief.
“That's the reason you brought him here, yes?” Hades inquired.
“No, we're… Wait. You approve?” Nico stammered.
Hades leaned back. “This is the young man who singlehandedly slayed Destructor, I believe? I quite enjoyed that story… Almost as much as Ate did. She even offered to show me the security footage. However, as she described the events that followed, that seemed a tad inappropriate”.
Nico’s mouth fell open, the rest of his face on fire. Their first kiss had been caught? On camera? In the underworld?! Not just that. It was being shared.
His father smiled apologetically, with a strong undertone of schadenfreude. “That aside, he seems confident and… Decently polite.”. He looked at Nico intently. “More importantly, he seems to challenge you” he added with a faint, but genuine smile.
“Tell me about it…” Nico muttered with annoyance. Truth be told, this mattered to him more than he would ever admit to either of them. “Alright, enough about that. We need your help with something”. Nico handed his father a small, empty scroll.
Logan turned around as Nico walked out the door. “Got what we need?”.
Nico held up the now no longer empty scroll. “I hope so” he said, handing it over. He watched Logan shove it into a small compartment of the backpack. “Despite your charm offensive back there, my father said he approves of you” Nico told him, trying not to let his excitement show.
“Does he now? That's going to come in handy when I beg him for your hand in marriage in a couple of years” Logan teased.
“Please, as if you'd ever beg for anything” Nico scoffed.
Logan shrugged. “Not the first time I’ve gotten on my knees for you”.
Nico tried his hardest to shake the memories out of his head before his face burned off. “Don't say stuff like that here!” he shouted. He pulled on one of Logan's earrings, just hard enough to serve as a warning.
“Sorry, sorry” Logan laughed, putting his hands up in surrender.
Nico let go.
Logan's expression suddenly turned a lot more serious. “Would you like that? You know, to get married or something? At some point I mean… You never actually told me at the wedding…”.
Nico shook his head slightly, caught off guard. “What?” he asked.
“I was joking just now, but if you'd like to… We could. One day... Or get matching t-shirts that say ‘I'm with stupid’ or something. Probably important to talk about this stuff eventually…”
Nico chuckled. He pulled Logan in by the hem of his shirt and kissed him. “You're so corny”.
Logan gave him a lopsided smile “That's your fault though. I used to be really cool before I met you”.
Logan waved at someone.
Nico glanced over his shoulder. Hades was standing by the window, looking at them. One eyebrow raised and his arms crossed. He slowly took a sip from the goblet he was holding.
Nico hastily shoved Logan off of him. “Father, please!”.
All recently deceased eyes followed them as they made their way past the line yet again. Charon’s eyes fell on them along his count of heads. He narrowed them in irritation. “Ugh… You again…”.
Nico sighed, just holding out the scroll for him.
Charon swiped it out of his hand and ripped it open, skimming the text. His irritation flared into anger. “Ugh~! Are you serious?!”. He pinched the bridge of his nose and tossed the scroll over his shoulder. It landed in the ghastly water in a puff of smoke. He didn’t even bother opening his eyes as he addressed them. “Ugh! Fine! Toss a golden drachma into the fire once you reach it! And hurry it up!”.
He muttered angrily to himself as he turned to the ever growing line in front of him. Nico only picked up the word ‘raise’. Charon sighed not once, but twice, then cupped his mouth. “Listen up, people! I know you’ve been waiting for ages, but my boss is abusing his position to make me take care of his personal matters! Don’t blame me! Blame these bozos!”. He gestured at Nico and Logan.
A loud disgruntled groan moved down the entire line. Nico sucked in his lips, he elbowed Logan in the side to get him to stop snickering.
To get to the very source of the Phlegethon, they needed to get to Tartarus. Nico twisted his ring as they walked through the murky meadow of the field of Asphodel, a shortcut to the gateway to the darkest pits of the underworld. He wasn’t looking forward to the rest of their journey. He’d been there a few times already, of course. And he’d survived. Barely. But Logan had no-!
Logan grabbed his hand and squeezed, forcing Nico’s fingers off of his ring. “Stick with me, bud. I need you here” he teased.
“Yeah” Nico affirmed. Jokes aside, that was their strongest strategy.
The dead grass turned into rocky dirt, forming a narrow path through a series of caves. Not the cave he was looking for. Not yet.
Logan let go of his hand to twist his ring. A small green flame grew big as he unsheathed his sword. Nico gestured for him to stay behind him as he took the lead into the darkness, tracing the rocky wall next to him with his fingers.
The walls spread apart, then spread even more. Nico almost tripped when he stepped onto a bone. A human bone. It slid right into another, next to a skull. Ha… He slowly nudged it with his foot, rolling it to see from all sides. Deep scratches in all directions hinted at the sharp teeth that had torn away the flesh.
A damp draft hit his face from above. He glanced up, at nothing but darkness. The green flames couldn’t reach the ceiling. No… His eyes narrowed, realizing his mistake before he did. There was movement above them. Writhing…
Logan stepped next to him and grabbed his shoulder, illuminating the true scale of the carnage. A pile of corpses in various stages of decomposition right in front of them. “Are you-?” he began to ask.
Nico quickly shoved his hand over Logan’s mouth.
Too late. One after the other, eyes opened above them, reflecting the green light like a sickening starry night. The leathery sounds of wings spreading lasted a mere second before piercing shrieks echoed off the walls from all sides.
Nico’s hands shot forward on instinct, reaching for the dead. Bones scrambled to assemble themselves, rotting flesh moved once more, all grasping for any weapon in reach.
All at once, the Arai swept down. They darted through the darkness like a flock of bats, clawing the undead corpses apart at any given opening. Nico pulled them back together as fast as he could. Logan pulled him against his side, sword ahead.
The wings of the Arai almost blew the Greek fire in their face with the force they needed to come to a halt. They shrieked in pain as they shielded their eyes from the bright light, then flung themselves back into the air.
The relief was short. They wouldn’t be able to keep that up. Not from all sides… Nico’s hands trembled at the weight of his army. He groaned as two more soldiers fell, hoisting them back to their feet.
Logan let go of his arm, thrusting his sword forward in a green flash. He stabbed it right through the ribs of the closest undead…?
Nico’s eyes widened as the corpse caught fire. It glanced down at the burning flesh of its hands in idle surprise. Right! Nico forced all arms outward. He squinted at the explosive flashover, forming a ring of green fire all around them.
The shrieks turned panicked, frantic. The Arai flew into each other and the walls in their desperate attempt to get away from the flaming spears, swords and shields, only spreading the fire further. Their wings burned up in green cinders, dropping them to the floor. Dust and ashes mixed in the air as they perished.
The skeletons fell apart top to bottom, all bones scorched black. All green flames died. The draft returned, carrying the smell of burned flesh. Nico huffed weakly. He felt Logan’s arm slide around his waist before he could drop to his knees, and let him pull his arm over his shoulder.
“I swear to the Gods, if you pick me up again…” Nico grumbled. To his annoyance his threat only yielded a chuckle. Maybe it would have helped if he hadn’t sounded so frail.
“Yeah, yeah… You’re very strong and scary” Logan assured, moving him along to the side of the cave.
Nico gratefully let himself get lowered down, resting his head against the rocky wall. It was still warm from the intense heat earlier. He almost missed the feeling of a near fiery death. The sweat he hadn’t felt earlier, was turning cold fast.
He watched on by the dim light coming through the cracks and openings in the walls as Logan kicked some bones in a pile in front of him.
Logan twisted his ring, green flames enveloped his hand. He ran it over one of the skulls at the top, almost like a macabre caress. It lit up, spreading the fire down the rest of the pile, emanating an eerie green glow around them.
Nice. “Lame” Nico said flatly.
“Damn, sounds like your pants are a little too tight today!” Logan complained. “C'mon, man! That's a mood!”. He seemed pretty pleased with himself. “Really thought you'd be into that…” he muttered, sitting down next to him.
Nico looked away and grinned. “Alright, sure. Maybe a little”. He dropped his head on Logan’s shoulder, looking at the emerald flames dancing in the empty eye sockets in front of them. “Stabbing that dead guy was really smart” he admitted quietly.
“I didn’t really think about it…”. Logan shrugged under his cheek. “You’re the one who thought of letting them spread it themselves. Now that was smart!”. He nudged Nico’s foot with his own. “You're probably the smartest guy I know” he said with audible pride.
“Wow! I feel sorry for you. That’s terrible!” Nico replied with only half feigned horror.
“Stop being mean to yourself, or there'll be consequences” Logan warned.
“Sounds kinky” Nico taunted.
“Okay, you asked for it” Logan sighed.
Nico grinned to himself in anticipation. This should be fun.
“You are a good person” Logan declared empathetically.
Wait. Nico quickly pulled back from Logan’s shoulder and glared at him.
“You are worthy of love and respect” Logan continued, digging even deeper.
No! Nico grimaced.
Logan responded with a malicious smirk. “You are enough just the way you-”
Nico firmly put his hand over Logan’s mouth, putting a stop to the torture. Logan kissed the palm of his hand.
Nico pulled it back like he'd stabbed it. “Stop! You win!” he shouted desperately. He angrily dropped his head back onto his shoulder.
Logan rubbed his cheek on his head, chuckling quietly.
Nico shot up, making Logan jolt next to him. Crap! How long had he been asleep?! They were only supposed to take a short break! They didn’t have time for-!
A warm hand pressed down on his shoulder. “Spooky! Chill!” Logan urged. “It was just a few hours. We’d have to sleep eventually anyway!”.
Nico sighed. Sure, but… “We have to stay focussed! We aren’t even in Tartarus yet!”. He didn’t wait for a reply, beckoning Logan to follow as he paced further down the cave.
Green light hurried after him, with an exasperated sigh. It caught up with him, illuminating a scowl. The scowl turned into a reassuring smile when Nico’s eyes lingered on it. All reassurance turned mischievous as the smile grew.
Oh, no…
“You know, I noticed something…” Logan started suspiciously carefully. “Your dad is actually pretty hot”.
No! You! Fucking! Didn't! Nico stopped and turned to him slowly. The corner of his mouth twitched. He controlled himself as he drew in a deep breath. “Not as hot as yours” he countered.
Logan's eyes dimmed instantly. The spirit of his grin shattered, leaving a horrified green hue hanging over it. He raised his shoulders slightly. “Okay. Let's never go there again” he said breathlessly.
“Deal”. Nico quickly turned back and paced on.
They kept up the brisk pace cave after cave, steadily making their way to where they actually needed to go. Just a bit more and they’d reach-!
The cave rumbled with the unsettling sound of rock scraping against rock, then roared as rocks no longer scraped, but crashed. Green fire clattered ahead of him down the cave and died. Nico turned around in a flash, right as Logan’s arms flew around his neck. The air got knocked out of him when Logan's body hit his, all muscles tense, bracing for the impact. Nico gripped onto him, shielding him as best he could. The darkness caught them as they fell in.
His back finally hit the ground outside, under a shady overhang, now all the way down in Tartarus. Logan’s full weight landed right on top of him. Far away, but not nearly far enough, an entire mountainside collapsed and tumbled down with a thunderous crunch.
“You alright?” Nico heard himself wheeze through the chokehold.
“Yep. I’m fine” Logan groaned. He let go and rolled off of him. “You?” he asked in return.
Nico hadn't really considered it yet. “Yeah…” he breathed.
Logan pushed himself up and stuck out a hand. He pulled Nico up alongside himself. Nico grimaced as he took in the state of him. One side of his nose was bleeding heavily. The impact had splattered blood over his cheek and collarbone.
Logan let the blood run down his face for a few seconds. Then he sniffed and wiped over his mouth and cheek with the palm of his hand, leaving a faded red streak. Tiny flames burned in the back of his eyes. He looked excited, but uncharacteristically serious. Neither fit the bloody nose… “So, where to?” he asked.
“You said you were fine!” Nico replied angrily.
“We almost died” he defended. “This is more than fine” he said, gesturing over his face.
Nico sighed. He hated that he had a point. “Right… We’re going west. We’re close to the delta now. It’s going to flow over into…”.
Logan didn't seem to notice the blood running down his face. A drop fell off his chin and hit the ground, making Nico trail off.
“Your, uh. Your nose is still bleeding…” Nico pointed out.
Logan grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it up to his face, pressing it around his nose. “Go on” he said, slightly muffled.
Nico tried not to look down. There was no time for an ab break. Maybe just a second. He picked up where he left off right after. “The delta flows over into the Phlegethon. We follow it up north. All the way to the edge of Tartarus. That’s where Ate said it should be”.
Logan nodded. His serious expression fell when he looked down at his now empty hand. He slumped his shoulders, grieving Stabigail's untimely death.
Nico chuckled, earning a half hidden scowl. He held up his hands in a peace offering, shrugging off his backpack. He’d known something like this was going to happen… Logan’s eyes followed his hands warily as he zipped the bag open, then widened in awe as Nico pulled out a brand new Xiphos.
Nico held it out for him. “Behold…” he joked. “Stabigail the ninth”.
Logan let his shirt drop down to hold out his hands in surprise, eyes burning with a warm amber fire, a faded blood streak over his grin. “You know me so well~!” he mused, voice strained in excitement. He moved past Stabigail to pull Nico into a tight hug, rocking him from side to side.
Nico smirked, savouring the warmth before trying to wiggle free.
Logan stole Stabigail out of his hand, then wagged her at Nico accusatorily. “Stabby” he insisted. He seemed to think for a second. “The tenth, actually…” he added carefully.
Nico blinked at him.
“Apple tree” Logan explained.
Right… Nico sucked in his lips. His smile returned when Logan kissed them anyway. They got back on their way over the even murkier, gloomier, rockier landscape.
The light of the Phlegethon had led them straight to it, even yards away it shone like a beacon. Its current reflected onto the jagged ceiling in heaving streaks of orange, mirroring its meander all across Tartarus. The whispers in the shadows turned shrill and panicked as they got near, cowering from the restless flickers.
They followed the flowing flames over sharp obsidian pebbles, through breathtaking dustclouds, past bottomless caves. They had no choice but to avert their eyes as they walked, the river being too bright to look at for long. Nico glanced into yet another crevice in the rocks as the light passed over it. He stopped for a second, but couldn’t see anything anymore as the darkness reclaimed its territory. The time pressure pushed him on.
He heard Logan shift sharply behind him, making him spin around. But not in time…
A huge, writhing serpent tail coiled itself tightly around Logan’s entire upper body. Nico saw he had managed to get his fingers onto the handle of his sword, but that wouldn’t be of any use with his arm wrapped against himself… The Dracaena didn’t seem to want to take the risk anyway, sliding her tail over his hands and pressing them down.
A mean giggle sounded from behind his back. The serpentine monstress slowly revealed her hideously beautiful face from behind his shoulder, smiling her needle-like teeth bare. Logan fixed his eyes on her when she rested her chin on his shoulder. He let out a laboured gasp, then gritted his teeth.
Shit! Nico shifted to grab his sword.
The Dracaena tightened her stranglehold further up around his neck, tilting Logan’s chin up. She tutted, slow and condescending. “No, no, no. You don’t want to do that” she warned.
Nico froze, then slowly moved his hand away.
“Good boy~!” she cooed.
Nico sucked in his lips. This was bad… One wrong move and…
She pouted her shiny green lips at him, examining him carefully. “That’s a fine sword you have there. Too fine for a half blood, don’t you think? How about a trade?” she suggested, caressing Logan’s cheek with the back of her finger.
Logan swallowed. “Don’t-” he wheezed.
She cut him off with another coil of her tail, squeezing hard enough to make him squint. The orange flames brightened anxiously between the slits of his eyelids. “Quiet, this doesn’t concern you…”.
The slithery, raspy sound of the scales rubbing together was breathtaking. Nico almost instinctively reached for his sword again, but caught himself. Logan tried his best to smile reassuringly at him. It had the opposite effect.
Nico tore his eyes off of him and forced them back on hers. Her pupils narrowed, piercing him. If he actually believed her, he would have given her his sword without a second thought. But it was obvious she just wanted to disarm him…
“I’m getting impatient~” the serpent mused. She stabbed a jagged fingernail into Logan’s cheek and slowly tore it across, leaving a deep cut.
Logan’s reassuring smile turned a lot toothier. Nico watched his fingers rap quickly against his thigh, not even able to pretend it didn’t hurt. Nico clenched his teeth when she slowly worked her forked tongue along the wound, lapping up the blood.
You. Dirty. Fucking. Worm!
“How much is your friend worth to you~?”.
Nico couldn’t hold himself back. “I'll show you!”.
The shadows shot towards his hand. They concentrated, darker than black. In not even a second they fired back out, in a long sharp lance. It cut off her shriek as it entered her maw, skewering the back of her throat. She writhed and slithered, then blew away in the draft.
Logan hit the ground with a heavy, dusty thud. He shoved his hand onto the floor and pushed himself onto his back. Nico knelt down and lifted his head onto his lap. Logan grinned widely through the weak coughs he pushed out. He opened his mouth to say something, something that couldn’t possibly be worth the effort.
“Don’t talk” Nico ordered.
Logan nodded, wheezing.
Nico stared down into his eyes. The pleased looking smoulder helped him calm his nerves. He sighed at the cut, blood slowly seeping down the side of his face. His fingers hesitated to touch it. The Dracaena’s repulsive expression around her forked tongue flashing behind his eyes almost made him bite his own. Yeah… No way we’re keeping that one… The shadows slowly crept in again, right under his fingers as he gently pressed them over the wound. He wiped away the blood, only a faint hint left of the cut left underneath.
Logan laughed coarsely between wheezes. “Damn. All of that because she called me your friend? I've never heard you that pissed before” he teased weakly.
Nico raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, not just that!... She also licked you” he replied sarcastically. “No. Seriously. How badly hurt are you?”.
Logan’s grin died down. He looked past Nico, actually considering it.
That was all Nico needed to know. “Let's take a break”.
Logan’s eyes fixed back onto his. “We don’t have time”. He slowly shook his head and shifted. A laboured swallow drew attention to the red abrasion streaked all the way across his neck.
“A short one” Nico urged, sliding his hand under Logan’s chin.
Logan settled back down. “Yeah, okay. Guess I don’t have a choice anyway… I’m no match for you right now”. He ran a finger over where the cut used to be, inspecting the result. His eyes glowed with admiration. “Why do I even bother teaching you anything about swordfighting… You're never going to use it”. His complaint lacked any bitterness.
“Would have come in handy back in Russia” Nico countered.
“You won that fight…” Logan complained again.
Ah, there was the bitterness… Nico chuckled quietly.
After just a few minutes Nico wasn’t able to keep Logan down anymore. He pulled himself free and onto his feet. Nico scanned him carefully, trying not to pout. Logan looked back defiantly. Nico stopped trying not to pout.
Logan grabbed his chin. “Thank you” he said softly, quickly pressing a kiss onto his lips.
Tired and sore, they reached the source of the hellish stream of fire. On the other side, the chateau looked back at them, the pointed arches above the tall facetted windows and doors raised in petrified surprise. The gothic architecture suited the biblical scenery around it perfectly.
They caught their breath for a moment. Their eyes met, both looking for confirmation. Nico sighed as he held up the golden drachma between his fingers, then flicked it into the flames.
The flames rippled as it went under. The ripples grew higher, flowed faster. The bow of the ferry surfaced with a violent, fiery splash. Embers spouted into the air. The bottom of the boat almost crushed them as it hit the bank, forcing them apart.
Charon glared at them from the middle of the deck, arms crossed. “Ugh. Get in already” he mumbled impatiently.
Logan smirked. Nico sucked in his lips. They did as they were told.
Charon didn’t even wait for them to sit down before turning around and sticking his oar into the flames. He let his head fall back into his dark hood and let out a wallowing groan so long and annoyed even a teenager would be impressed. He pushed them halfway onto the river in one stroke, letting the ferry come to a halt. He took a deep breath, leaned further back and groaned even more wallowy, all the way to the other bank.
Logan bent down, snickering less and less quietly.
Nico jabbed him in the shoulder as a warning. “Thank you so much for your help” he threw at Charon, disembarking even quicker.
“Uuugh! Whatever!” Charon mumbled angrily, wringing his oar.
“We'll be back in a bit…” Nico assured. “We hope…”.
There were no ‘ughs’ this time, but Charon’s expression made it clear he really didn't hope the same.
They walked up to the front door. Nico hastily checked the time. Two minutes before midnight. Guess they stretched the deadline as far as they could…
“Ready to give your life in the name of love?” Logan asked with clearly exaggerated excitement.
Nico sucked in his lips. Logan looked at him expectantly. Nico got lost in the sincerity in his eyes. There was so much he wanted to say. Way too much. He couldn’t put any of it into actual words. Not without crying. “Yeah… Let’s just get this over with…” he pushed out, trying not to sound too affected. He grasped at the key, turning it with a loud click.
Logan pouted. “Really?! Are those going to be the last words you say to me?” he complained.
Nico pouted back at him. He leaned in for a peace offering. Logan accepted it with his usual warmth. He smiled, clearly happy enough.
Nico wasn’t. “I know it's selfish, but… If we do die… I’m really glad we get to die at the same time… Then, at least I don’t have to miss you…” he declared softly.
Logan’s face flushed. His eyes smouldered with a mix of emotions. For a second it looked like the emotions would spill out. He bumped his forehead against Nico’s. It hurt a little. Perfect. “Shit! I fucking love you, man. I’d die for that any day…” he declared. The heavy emotion in his tone made up for the deeply poetic language.
Nico leaned against him. “I love you too” he let out in a strained chuckle. He sealed the statement with another kiss.
They pulled apart and took a deep breath. Logan nodded. Nico shoved the door open. They turned to see what, or more likely who, was waiting for them inside.
The ‘who’ in question did seem to have been waiting. Very patiently, at that. A large stained glass window backlit a tall, thin figure. Her long black dress spilled over the ground. She stood, arms crossed, in the midst of a high, spacious room, flanked by long black marble pillars. Drippy, lit candles melted together in all corners, almost burned out.
“Welcome!” a smooth, dark voice offered.
As Nico’s eyes got used to the surprisingly bright light, he could finally discern her features. Based on the evil, yet amused smirk in her jet black lipstick she was genuinely happy to see them.
“Come to me” she beckoned with an elegant clawlike hand.
They looked at each other, and did, stopping a few feet away from her. Staying just out of reach…
Her irises were dark red and threatening. She kept them at bay by narrowing her heavily darkened eyelids around them. Both parties took in the sight of each other carefully. Nico swallowed. She was as beautiful as she was daunting, like a vanitas painted by a true master. She was clearly not nearly as impressed by them. A faint scowl took over her sharp features. One of her hands casually gripped a goblet. A few drops of bright golden liquid sloshed over its side as she tapped it impatiently and indelicately. Was she… Drunk…?
“You took your time…” she sighed in displeasure.
Nico heard Logan take a breath, ready to speak. He straightened his shoulders and readied himself for imminent death. Eris put up both hands apologetically, willing him to stay quiet. To Nico’s surprise, he actually did.
She broke the silence. “I don’t blame either of you, of course…” she reassured. She downed her goblet, then took a bottle and poured in some more. Her eyes darted from the bottle to each of them. “Would you like some?” she asked.
Nico blinked at her. Logan didn’t make a sound either.
She straightened up. “Well? It is ξενία…” she grumbled.
Right… Xenia… The ancient Greek rules of hospitality… “Yes, thank you” Nico relented quickly, not giving Logan a chance to kill them with a sudden urge of rebellion against cultural norms.
Eris grinned, happily filling two other goblets on a golden platter and passing them over. As tradition, Logan downed his drink in one go… Nico glared at him, then shook his head. Oh, what the hell… Pretty sure they’d be dead soon… He did the same. Energy radiated from every single one of his pores as the nectar flowed through his body.
Eris giggled like nails on a chalkboard. “Now that!... That, I can appreciate!” she mused before quickly pouring the contents of her own goblet down her mouth and filling it up once again.
She draped herself on the leather chaise lounge behind her dramatically. Her long black hair gleamed in the light as it swung after her. “No, my sweet boys…” she sighed deeply “I don’t blame you for any of this… After all, none of it has anything to do with you at all... You see… Me and our fair lady, it has just been a while since we talked… We spent some intense quality time together, she promised she would write to me, visit me… None of that… It’s been centuries! I couldn't help but act out a little… Just for a crumb of attention…” she pressed her finely manicured black fingernail into her cheek with a coy expression.
Nico and Logan side-eyed each other. Of course. Petty bullshit again.
Eris rolled onto her back looking wistfully at the ceiling, her hand on her forehead. She continued, mostly talking to herself at this point. “Her arrogance is insufferable. Just think about it. When in history has love ever managed to overcome strife? Never! Only in fictional sob stories! Only in the mind of infants and imbeciles! So why does she think she's too good for me?! She keeps doing this to me! Time and time again! And I keep letting her! No longer! It was high time I put her in her place!”. She threw her goblet right between their faces. It shattered against the floor behind them.
She got up and strode towards them in one smooth movement. “Now you two… I got so lucky with you! Truly a recipe for disaster. I'm glad you're here. I'm kind of a ‘fan’, you might say. The amount of strife you two managed to conjure up all on your own!” she curled up her fingers and kissed them. “Magnifique, as that tramp would say…” She draped her arms around their necks, pulling all three of their heads together in an awkward embrace.
“That was… Until the two of you ruined it, of course…” she said with disdain, shaking her head slowly. “I assume that's why she wanted to send you in the first place… To rub it in my face…”. She shoved them back hard and turned away from them. “But that harlot underestimated me yet again… I know what lurks inside you two… I've seen it… I've felt it”.
She turned to Nico, running a finger over his cheek. “You... I respect you… They say all is fair in love and war, but…”. She let out a low whistle. “Colour me impressed. I never even dreamed to hope for that! What you did was exceptionally cruel!”. Her nail dug into his face as she finished.
Nico almost didn't feel it through the overwhelming nausea. He knew exactly what she was getting at.
“And you… You agree with me don't you?”. She gave Logan's cheek a firm slap.
He didn't react. Even if Logan didn't agree, Nico did.
She turned up her hand, a small flame erupted into an envelope. Some embers flew off of it. Nico's stomach churned. He'd recognize that envelope, his messy handwriting, anywhere… It had haunted his dreams countless times…
“I burned that…” Logan said breathlessly. He turned to Nico. “I burned that!” he reiterated desperately.
Nico couldn't meet his eyes. He wouldn’t have had the chance anyway.
Eris cupped Logan’s cheek and turned him back to her. “Oh, yes. You did. And you were so angry when you did… For a second there, there was some genuine! Undeniable! Pure! Hatred… Absolutely beautiful” Eris mused, reveling in every word.
Nico’s stomach twisted further. He knew it… A wave of bloodlust washed away all of his misery and guilt, Logan’s voice drowned out all of his thoughts. “That’s a filthy fucking lie! Sure! I was angry! Real angry! But I know what real hate feels like! And I've never hated him! Not even for a second!”. Relief felt like a deep breath.
Eris tutted disapprovingly. Nico glared at her, trying to drown her in the remaining bloodlust with his eyes.
She seemed happy to have his attention. Her disgust turned to glee as she made a show of running the edge of the paper over her lips. “Well, hatred… All consuming rage… What difference does it make? None to me” she cooed, narrowing her eyes at Nico.
He had to swallow away a gag at the sight of her smile next to the envelope.
Her eyes moved over to Logan. “Truth be told, normally I only accept the finest foods and wines… But, this… This is one of the nicest, most heartfelt sacrifices I've ever received”.
Another wave of bloodlust washed over. “That had nothing to do with you!” Logan yelled.
“Oh, my dear boy~! You are so wrong about that. What happened there had everything to do with me. Conflict! That is what I am all about~!” she almost sang, rocking herself side to side.
“So, we fucked up! We got a bit too into our feelings and did some shit we regret. So, what?!” he heard Logan shout. He almost couldn't hear him. His heartbeat pounded over everything. Logan calmed down, putting his hand on Nico's back. It snapped him back to reality. “We're past that…” Logan said quietly.
Nico looked him in the eyes. Despite his pained expression they glowed their familiar warmth.
“So, you forgive him?” Eris asked flatly.
Nico saw Logan's eyes flash to her. Crap… He couldn't breathe.
Logan’s eyes returned to his, he seemed a little flustered. “Yeah… I do” he revealed.
Nico released the tension from his shoulders. They were past all that. He knew that. So why didn't he know that, until just now…? Did Logan hesitate? Even if he did… He was in no position to be upset about that.
“Really? Are you sure about that? These are things you cannot just take back, you know?... More importantly, are you willing to risk your life to prove your outrageous claim?” Eris asked menacingly. She clasped her hands together gleefully. Her grin like that of a serial killer. “I tell you what. If you can overcome me, not only will I let you go, I’ll give you my word that I will never meddle with you or the skank again!”. Her joy turned even darker. “If you don't, not only will I take your lives, I will make sure you do it for me…”.
Nico looked at Logan. No expression, but clearly tense. They'd managed to overcome lots of things in their short but complicated relationship… From something close to hatred to something he didn't doubt had to be love. But still… Nico's fatal flaw was holding grudges… And there was no way Logan's wasn’t recklessness. Neither seemed very promising when facing strife itself… If he'd harm Logan he wasn't sure he could live with himself… If he did worse… he was sure he couldn't… He felt like he was about to throw up.
Logan gave him a reassuring smile. “This actually sounds like a pretty fair shot, compared to what we expected… So, what do you say? You ready to put our relationship to the test?” he asked. There was some jest in his tone, but Nico could tell he had his own doubts.
“I trust you” Nico started “It's me I'm worried about”.
Logan's eyes glowed like embers. “Good. Same for me. Guess that means we both just have to trust each other's trust right?”. All doubt had gone from his voice.
Nico smiled. He was such a dumbass... The absolute sweetest dumbass… He nodded.
“How adorable! You think you can withstand me?” she sneered.
With a single snap of her fingers, their eyes stabbed into each other’s. Nico could feel the ravenous bloodlust sweep over his mind, more intense than ever before. He let the murky all-consuming mist of death and dread fight back for him.
Ghosts of bruises haunted his body, aching worse than they ever had in the flesh. Each one a memory he'd inexplicably forgotten. A painful swallow rolled down his throat. He moved on instinct to fight the invisible vice grip on it. His wrist cried out with an agonizing memory of its own, forcing itself back down.
Unbridled rage spread over the deepest pits of despair within him. The resulting combustion clouded his mind with the thick, revolting fumes of their worst memories together. Every time Logan hadn’t even tried to understand him. Every time Nico couldn’t possibly understand him.
He unsheathed his sword, casting everything in an angry purple glow. He saw Logan do the same, countering with eerie green flickers of his own. All of his senses overflowed with contempt, rage and disgust.
The shadows drew in towards Nico. Pitch darkness swallowed everything around them, leaving them nothing but the ghastly emerald and raging amethyst hue around their faces. With nowhere else to go, their eyes stabbed even deeper. One set of diabolical infernos sunk into two pools of pure black abyss.
This was it.
This was the end.
Eris clapped her hands happily, walking closer to admire her work. “I love this part~” she murmured blissfully.
Nico slowly lifted his left hand, Logan his right. Their fingers locked together. The grip was painful, agonizing. Nico gripped his sword tightly in his other hand, ready to stab it right through him. Logan seemed to have the exact same in mind.
Without a word they plunged their swords into Eris’ chest. She choked loudly as they ripped them back out. She fell to her knees, grasping at her chest. She managed to subdue the green flames.
“Dis- gus- ting-!” she gasped.
They let go of each other’s hand. Nico gripped the back of Logan’s neck tightly, in turn he grabbed Nico’s lower back. Their lips met, uncontrolled and rough.
“Absolutely disgusting~!” Eris bellowed. Tears ran down her face, leaving long black trails as they mixed with her previously immaculate make-up.
Joke's on her. This was their whole dynamic. He had to give it to her, she'd almost had them… This was by far the closest they'd come to killing each other till now, but they'd had lots of practice.
Nico smiled against Logan. He felt him smile back.
They broke apart and looked at her. Her blood red eyes were spread as wide as she managed. She smacked the floor, cracking the thick, marble floor like an eggshell. Her eyes narrowed, still flowing with tears, as she pulled on her hair. The rage in her shriek ran so deep, it felt nothing short of apocalyptic.
The door opened. A stunningly beautiful, completely naked woman stood in the entrance. In the darkness all around them she radiated light and hope. “Is that truly how you feel?” she asked. Her tone stern, but filled with emotion.
Nico and Logan quickly averted their gaze.
Eris folded her arms onto the ground and laid her face down on them.
Aphrodite pushed them aside with a small flick of two fingers. She came to a halt in front of Eris, folding her arms and sticking out a hip. “You bring shame to both of us with your behaviour” she scolded.
Eris sat up quickly, running her hands over Aphrodite's leg with a desperate, painful look.
Aphrodite sighed deeply. She knelt down and cupped Eris’ chin in her hand. She didn't even turn to look at them as she addressed them. “You two, leave. You're no longer needed”.
They didn't need to be told twice. Both sped through the door, pulling it shut behind them. They rested their backs against it.
“What the fuck…” Logan let out.
Nico hummed in agreement. What happened in there was clearly intimate. It almost felt wrong to be a witness to it. The Gods were such a mess… He thought back to how they managed to get sucked into all of this. He turned to Logan. “Next time I'm telling Chiron to fuck off…”.
Logan's reply got interrupted by a loud, delighted squeal from behind the door. They grimaced and ripped themselves away from it. from all of it. Nico grabbed Logan's hand and pulled him along, practically running at this point.
They found Charon moping in his boat, one hand under his chin, the other stirring through a bag of golden drachma. His eyes shot up. “...Ugh” he sighed, as soon as he noticed them. His hand impatiently gestured at them.
They impatiently complied.
Nico’s hand found Logan’s, still sore from the grip he’d had on it earlier. His thumb gently ran down over the back of his hand, rewarded with a gentle squeeze.
Charon pushed them off the bank without so much as a glance back, muttering about raises under his breath the whole way back. Many ‘ughs’ later they reached the other side.
Nico decided not to bother with goodbyes or thank yous this time. He tightened his grip on Logan’s hand and pulled him up, over the side of the boat, and onto the path between the jagged rockformations, where soon enough not even the light from the Phledgethon could reach. Tears of relief washed away in the stream of whispers. He couldn’t even hear them over the sound of his heart.