Tempting the Fates
Chapter Two
Descent

Engulfed in darkness, time did not stop. It did not stop, but it was different. There was a feeling in falling as hot air rushed passed their bodies and it was one that Nico had felt before. When he had been captive in a cage, an animal on display for monsters left isolated and fading. It was a feeling in the way his heart beat. Nico could feel it— it was beating— but it responded to the impossible gravity of Tartarus. It seeped into lungs and wiggled around organs, tightening around the muscle slowly. So time didn't stop, but it felt different in the way it touched his insides ageing them, and the way it fogged his mind.

Tar filled his lungs, the impossible blackness leaving less room for air. It choked and squeezed leaving the boy with shallow breaths. Maybe he was hyperventilating. Maybe he was simply on his way to it, but Nico couldn't let himself succumb. Because what his heart wanted to do— besides break— was hammer. Suffuse the trepidation from his heart to his nerves to his brain until every muscle was frozen because what he was doing— what he had willing done— was return to the place he'd only just been saved from.

Tartarus.

With Percy Jackson, somewhere inside him whispered.

Without realising it, his fingers tightened their grasp on Percy's. The older boy hadn't let go since they had begun falling. It wasn't until he felt the action returned with a reassuring squeeze that Nico attempted to turn towards the other and look at him. It was too dark to see anything more than a shadow and while the son of the Underworld normally would have found comfort in the secrecy, he found only unease. Nico would have given anything to see Percy.

"We're going to be okay," Percy answered like responding to a question. From the sound of his voice, Nico was certain that the boy had turned towards him as well, though he knew the son of the sea wouldn't be able to see him either. "They'll find us. Hazel will find the Doors of Death and…" there was a brief pause. "I'm sure you'll find them this time."

I'm sure you'll find them this time. Nico repeated the phrase in his head. It took on a kind of rhythm with his struggling heart. I'm sure you'll find them this time. Because he hadn't been successful from the other side. He hadn't succeeded. He'd gotten too close. He'd been captured. He'd been weak and helpless. He'd had to be rescued. It had to be Percy. Percy who he couldn't look straight at. Who he couldn't stop owing. Who was aloof and demure for reasons only too justified. Who he couldn't forgive but he couldn't forget. Who Nico had to save.
I'm sure you'll find them this time. And the salt in the wound? He'd had to buckle. He'd had to succumb. He'd had to go beyond losing and be found lacking. He'd had to rate the pomegranate seeds and loose just a little more of himself. Just a little more of his mind… maybe parts he couldn't live without.

Shaking his head, Nico tried to clear the aphotic thoughts.

I have a job to do. And with that reminder, he banished the mist from his head. Because time was different down here as they fell but there certainly wasn't more of it so he wouldn't waste precious seconds in self indulgence and upset. In his heart he made a promise and Nico knew of any promise he had ever made (though he didn't take them lightly), this would be the one he kept.

He responded to Percy's (perhaps unintended) challenge with "I will."

Another comforting squeeze to his hand and Nico felt just the tiniest of tensions melt away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and even in the silence it fell flat like soldiers on a battle field. Eaten by the weight and the pull of the abyss below. They'd follow soon enough. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you in time." Because if he'd been better, faster, less exhausted, more focused, not so susceptible maybe Percy would have stood a chance. Or maybe he shouldn't have listened to seaweed brain's plea and saved Annabeth first. But he had saved someone, even if that someone wouldn't forgive him for the time the two lovers had to spend apart. No matter Nico di Angelo's reasons— even if they were just following an understanding of above (and below) and the order of things to come— they were never good enough. "And for other things. I'm just sorry."

Whether his eyes had adjusted or not, Nico felt certain he could make out some difference in shades and caught sight of the boy next to him. Or at least parts of him. His eyes, by far his brightest feature. "Nico," he started but the older hero stopped. "She's safer up there than she is down here. We should be thankful of that, at least."

Nico puzzled over the words but didn't question further. Maybe he wouldn't want to understand anyway, and even if he did, the Italian didn't really feel like potentially inciting further questions of himself lest Percy question his motive altogether. Besides, Nico couldn't think of a single thing he had to be thankful for.

A wave of heat hit him and for just a moment, the younger demigod (or older, depending on a matter of perspective) swore for a second that their descent began to slow. After the initial resistance of the wall of heat, they continued tumbling down. At some point, he became mindful that the thread attached to Percy's ankle had become untangled. It was only gravity now bringing them down spinning faster and faster. "Is that… can you see that?"

"I can…" It was a glow, warm but not inviting. It did nothing for his vision as far as lighting the way or giving either boy the slightest about what lay below them. For he knew, they would hit the ground with such force that they'd both die instantaneously. Nico darkly wondered if there was any honour in such a death but even if there was, he felt sure that even the gods could not rescue them from so lowly a place.

Without even saying, "I don't think it will be long," Nico held to Percy's hand a little tighter.
Electricity surged through him when he heard faintly from his left, "Don't let go. Whatever you do, don't let go." Nico's eyes went wide as he searched for some semblance of sardonicism but he found none. Green eyes locked with black ones and Nico nodded. "I won't let you go," he answered. The verity of the phrase rang throughout his insides. Whether he wanted to or not, the child of Hades would not be letting the son of Poseidon go. Not any time soon. They were in this together now, falling towards impossible province with the whole of two camps— not to mention civilization— depending upon them. Them being two sons of the most powerful gods, neither of whom had taken much interest in either of the boys. Who had grown up in less than normal circumstances. One bright, celebrated, accepted wherever he went because he was brave and courageous; people would not hesitate in placing their faith with him. The other dark, inexalted, avoided and unwelcome; people distrusted him because he was between worlds and other. The son of Hades almost laughed to himself. There could not be a more opposite pair than the two accidentally joined in this quest. And yet, maybe they would make up for one another's downfalls.

It was beneath them all of a sudden. The dark cut only by the faint red glow of fissures or some kinds of veins in the surface. They cast a creepy glow on everything. Immediately beneath them, cutting through the harsh landscape, was a river. One thing that a child of the Underworld did know without a close up look was which rivers this was not: Lethe or Styx. Which left a few options— none of which were appealing— and one of which was the least so. Please let it be Acheron, because the principal river of Tartarus was only a river of woe and Nico di Angelo doubted he could fall any lower. If there was one thing he'd had a whole heck of a lot of servings of in his life, it was woe, and he could handle that pretty well.

"Brace yourself!" He shouted, realising only too late how silly that was. The son of Poseidon next to himself hardly had to brace himself. Nico on the other hand, who was hardly able to swim, was a different story. As soon as they struck the water their connection broke, hands ripped from one another. The moment of impact, he understood without question that his wish was unfounded. It was not Acheron and the fire that ignited across the whole of his body blacked his mind from thinking of anything. Every direction was fire. It coiled around him and dragged him under. Every direction ignited his nerves with all consuming pain and before long his lungs were burning, his heart faint. Where am I? Which way? He wondered but struggle as he may, his limbs were flailing but the river brought no peace. For all he knew, he might have been travelling down or sideways rather than up. Nico didn't dare open his eyes for fear that they, too, would catch fire and be consumed by the flames. Weren't you supposed to lose feeling at some point? The thought touched is mind but it was gone just as quickly. The only thing that broke through the fire was the thought that his lungs were burning but in a very different way— they were burning for air. And because he held it too long and the body has automatic reflexes, eventually it attempted to do the only thing that it could: suck in oxygen. Instead, he got a lungful of the fire water and the blaze ignited up his sinuses, down his throat, into his lungs. Spasms wracked his body.

There was so much pain, he didn't even feel the hand that took hold of his wrist and dragged him along. It wasn't until his head was above water long enough for him to wretch a few times, and there was land under his feet, that Nico understood what had happened. Percy, far from the ocean as it may be, was naturally blessed an amazing swimmer. Enough so that he was able to tow a less than compliant demigod along with him and drag them to shore. Nico wretched a few more times, the burning up his nostrils and behind his eyes, caused them to tear. It was less than graceful the way he hacked, unable to vomit anything up besides his own bile. The last time he had eaten had been a pomegranate seed and that was— well that was long out of his system. When he was finally able to stand up straight, he ran a hand over the back of his mouth.

Percy wheezed a few times trying to clear his own airways. His voice was hoarse like dried leaves underfoot. "What is that?"

"Phlegethon." Nico answered. "The stream of fire."

"So we're…"

"In the depths of Tartarus. Yes."

"Alright then. So basically, we're screwed."

"Very, very hard," Nico answered crassly.

Percy chuckled at his reply but there was little humour in his voice. Hunched over with both of his hands on his knees, he gave a nod. Dark hair hid his eyes from view.

"Let's find your sword and then it's one step at a time."

Nico pulled himself up from where he had unintentionally collapsed on the landscape. It was over one of the opaque veins pulsing red. Pushing himself up, he pulled his hand back as if it, too, had been burned but by the river running beside them but the ground itself. Something deep within the very being of the abyss rumbled. Percy was unflinching; only Nico felt it. He was waking up. Darting to his feet, Nico dared to finally take a look around at the landscape.

His Stygian sword was no where to be found but the landscape was dotted with Italian cars. At least the areas around him. So whatever had fallen couldn't be far off.

"One step at a time." He repeated.
No. There wasn't anything ominous about that.

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So there you have it! I really want to explore Nico as he doesn't really have narration throughout the books. I'm assuming this is purposeful on Riordan's part but that doesn't mean that I didn't wish there were chapters just inside his head. So that's what I'm going to attempt to do. Anyway, please R&R! Let me know if you enjoy it or if you'd like me to branch into Percy's POV at any point. Or back with the other campers.

Notes

Disclaimer: I still don't own PJOO.
AN: I didn't think that I would be updating again quite so soon but it seems like this little light of an idea has just stuck with me. So I got home and while unwinding this next chapter was born. Sorry for any mistakes, I only gave it the most cursory look over. Trying not to edit too much while I write so I don't get writers block! Anyway, thank you for those who favorited or followed the story. And big thanks for those who took the time to review. It's really motivating to hear that someone else enjoyed it. So here's to you!