There was a soft knock on Will Solace's apartment door. He opened it to be met with a pale face and onyx eyes.

"Is this Will's apartment?" he asked nervously.

Will nodded. "You must be Nico di Angelo."

Nico licked his lips anxiously. "Yeah."

"Come on in," Will said, stepping out of the doorway.

Nico shouldered his bag and followed. He tossed his bag onto the empty bed and started to unpack.

"I've never had a roommate before," Will commented, opening a cabinet. "We'll have loads of fun."

Nico grimaced. "Uh, sure." He ran a hand through his hair and said, "Just a couple things you should know." He took a deep breath. "Sometimes I disappear for long stretches of time, so don't freak out if I'm not here for a couple of days. I'm Italian, and don't question me anymore about my past."

Will looked slightly confused at that.

"Also, my friends are weird. Don't judge them." Nico cleared his throat. "I'm kind of introverted, so don't get all butthurt if I don't talk to you."

"Alright," Will said. "I can live with those conditions." He flashed a dazzling smile. "My friends are odd too. Don't worry."

Nico half-heartedly chuckled and began rifling through his stuff, obviously done talking.

"Speaking of friends," Will continued. "I'm going to a party with them tomorrow. Do you want to come?"

Nico shrugged.

"It's just us," Will assured him. "Nothing too crazy."

"Fine," Nico muttered.

"Great!" Will clapped his hands in excitement. "See you there!"

Nico grumbled something sarcastic before putting in earbuds and curling up under his pitch black sheets.

* * *
"So you're still coming, right?" Will questioned him.

"Yes, Solace," Nico snapped. "For the hundredth time." Nico zipped up his aviator jacket and trudged out, not even bothering to brush his hair.

Will trailed after him, a bright yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. He hopped into a car, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Do you need a ride?"

Nico sighed. "I guess." He climbed into the passenger seat.

"Buckle up," Will reminded him.

Nico sighed again and clicked the buckle into arrived at Cecil's apartment a couple minutes later. Will marched up to the door and swung it right open.

Nico heard a squeal of surprise, and Will was enveloped in a hug. A girl with a streak of purple in her hair grinned widely.

"Hey Will!"

"Hi Lou," he replied.

Lou peered over his shoulder. "Who's this?"

"My roommate," Will said. "Nico di Angelo."

Nico offered a small wave.

"What's up?" She said with a nod. "Come in!"

Inside the apartment, the floor was covered in blue carpet, a TV and couch was pushed into the corner, a disco ball was hanging from the ceiling, and the counters were stocked full of what looked suspiciously like cups of kool-aid. The room was washed in warm yellow light, and the air smelled vaguely like apple cider. Nico inhaled the scent, comparing it to the fresh smell of his own apartment.

"Make yourselves at home!" a boy(presumably Cecil) exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his arms. "Because I'm lonely…"

Lou smacked him playfully. "Oh, shut it."

"Yeah, she's right," he conceded. "I'm not lonely." A smirk crossed his face. "The voices in my head keep me company."

Lou smacked him again. "Help yourselves to a drink. It's fruit punch, don't worry."

Nico took a small sip out of a cup, surprised to find it was still cold. Cecil started blasting pop music and dancing like a maniac.

"Cecil!" Lou scolded. "You're not a monkey!"

He giggled, resembling a psychopath, and took another swig of coke that he pulled from the fridge. He grabbed Will's hands and yanked him into a dance. Will sent Nico a pleading look before Cecil spun him around.

Nico chuckled. Suddenly his phone rang, emitting a whistling tune. He held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Nico," a low voice said. "Are you free?"

"Leo?" Nico knew if Leo was calling, something must be up. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Leo replied. "We were just thinking of hitting the bank on 47th street."

Nico glanced back at the others, who were in the middle of fighting over the music.

"Alright," he said quietly. "I'll come up with a distraction."

Leo Valdez was Nico's mechanic and right hand man. Nico was… A super, to put it lightly. The city was ruled by supers, or rather, one. He was known as Ghost, and he had only one rival who dubbed himself Sol.

"Katie's getting worse," Leo added. "Travis is on the verge of a panic attack."

"Okay, okay. I'll see you there." Nico hung up quickly. He walked over to Will and nudged him.

Will smiled brilliantly. "Hey Nico. Having fun?"

"Sure. Anyway, I'm not feeling too good, so I'm going to head home."

Will nodded in understanding. "I get it. Do you need a ride back?"

Nico shook his head. "I can walk. I need to stop by the store anyway, so I won't be home until later."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"Bye." Nico practically tripped out of the door, eager to be free of the suffocating atmosphere. He called Leo back and talked quietly, his footfalls the only sound. "We need to be quick about this. My roommate might get suspicious."

"I got you, Death Boy."

"Don't call me that," Nico snapped. "Remember who I am?"

He heard Leo gulp on the other end. "Right, sir. I'm disabling the cameras right now."

Leo hung up, leaving Nico alone. He backed into a nearby alley and raised his hands.

Shadows swirled around him, solidifying into pure black armor and a helm that covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes and mouth visible. A black sword appeared in his hand, shining under the streetlamps. Nico rolled his shoulders before slipping backwards into the shadows.

He landed neatly behind Leo, who was crouching by a control panel and fiddling with the wires.

"Hey boss," Leo greeted.

"Valdez," Nico said, bowing his head.

"Travis and Conner should be here soon," Leo muttered distractedly. "Who knows what they're up to."

"Probably robbing a candy store or something."

The door flew open, and two grinning twins entered.

"And the party-"

"-has arrived!"

They traded off sentences, which was strange to everyone who didn't know them.

"Speak of the devils and they shall appear," Leo chuckled lightly.

Nico raised a finger to his lips. "Hush."

Instantly, the three other supers shut up, knowing full well the consequences.

"Hey man, Katie will be alright," Connor assured Travis, who was frowning. "Why don't you go see what you can screw up outside?"

Travis mumbled something and walked out.

"He's been having a hard time," Connor explained. "He really loves her."

"I know," Nico replied tersely. "We've all had a hard time." For a moment he considered he was being too harsh, but he had a reputation to sustain.

Connor wilted for a moment but then straightened, a determined smile on his face. "I slip in and out, no alarms, no trouble."

"I'll mask you," Nico said. "And Valdez will keep the cameras dead until we're out."

Leo grinned, tying a red mask over his face. "And that's Feugo to you, sunshine."

"Chiuderlo." Nico adjusted his armor.

When everyone gave him a confused look, he sighed.

"Honestly, you think I try to slip into Italian? You just frustrate me to the core."

Leo smiled. "Just like I start talking in spanish when I'm stressed, right?"

Nico gave him a curt nod. "Let's get this over with."

Leo waggled his eyebrows. "No one is here, Ghost. It's midnight. And no is going to be."

"Sol."

The name brought an uneasy silence down on the trio.

Connor coughed. "Uh, doesn't Sol usually work during the daytime?"

"I work best in the night," Nico retorted. "And I still confront him in the day."

"Okay…" Connor intervened, diffusing the tense atmosphere. "Ghost, cover me."

Nico flicked his hand, and shadows engulfed Connor. The mass of darkness moved quickly down the hall, turning left and out of sight.

Leo held a small screen in his hand. "This'll follow him," he said, turning some dials until a grainy image spluttered to life.

Connor's dark form arrived in front of a massive bank vault, wringing his hands in excitement. He fiddled with the knob before it swung open. He started greedily piling money into his bag and pockets, as much as he could carry. Then he sprinted out of the vault, knowing full well that Leo couldn't hide them forever.

Connor burst back into the room, a maniacal smile on his face. "Come on!"

Nico grabbed the two of them and vanished, leaping out of the shadows in an alley where Travis was waiting.

Leo pumped his fist. "Success!"

Nico resisted the urge to slap him into silence. Instead he nodded to Connor and Travis, who were eagerly counting the money.

"Go home," Nico ordered.

They scampered off like thieves(which they sort of were).

"You better go too," Nico said to Leo.

"I'm kind of bored actually…" Leo shifted nervously. "Could I maybe stop by your place?"

Nico let out a long sigh. He let his armor dissolve back into shadows, his face mask falling away. "I guess."

Leo grinned so wide that Nico feared his face would shatter. "Thanks!"

As they walked down the road, Leo wiggled his fingers as flames danced across them.

"Stop that," Nico hissed. "Someone could see you."

Leo made a pfft sound before extinguishing the fire. "Buzzkill," he mumbled.

Nico was quite tempted to summon a skeleton and trip Leo, but he forced himself to continue walking.

They stopped in front of the apartment.

"Will is probably back by now," Nico said, talking to no one in particular. He stuck the key in the lock and twisted. Inside, Will was curled up under his blankets, fast asleep. Nico gestured for Leo to be quiet as they snuck into the kitchen.

He rifled through some cabinets before pulling out a box of cereal. "There isn't much else," he said sheepishly.

Leo rolled his eyes and grabbed the cereal. "Are you kidding? I love cheerios!" Leo poured himself a bowl and sat down.

Nico joined him moments later, an apple in his hand. Will turned over in his sleep, causing Nico to wince.

"He doesn't know anything, right?" Leo asked, jutting a thumb in the direction of the sleeping boy.

"Of course not!" Nico snapped. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No no," Leo said quickly. "Just making sure." With another glance around the room, he declared, "Not too shabby decorating, although your side looks depressing."

Truth be told, Nico's color scheme consisted of black, grey, and very little white.

"Whatever," he said with a scowl.

Leo inspected his watch. "Would you look at the time! I better get going."

As he skipped out of the door, he flashed a grin at Nico.

"Sleep tight, Death Boy!"

"Don't call me that."

But he was already gone.

* * *
"Rise and shine," Will said gently.

Nico groaned and rolled over. "Go away," he said, his voice muffled from the pillows.

"The sun is up," Will urged.

Nico eventually got up, packed his bag, and ran out before Will could get in a word otherwise. He headed straight for the hospital to check on Connor and Travis. He found them on one of the upper floors, watching a frail girl on a bed.

"Don't worry," Travis was murmuring. "We have enough money now. We can perform the surgery."

Nico leaned against the doorframe, feeling slightly out of place.

Connor noticed him and gave him a grim smile. "Hey di Angelo."

"I guess super wounds are hard to heal," he commented.

"I guess." Connor gazed at her sadly. "I feel so bad for him, you know?"

"I'm not going to lie and say I do." Nico scuffled the ground with his boot. "But I know what it's like to lose someone, and I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone." He grinned slyly. "Even Sol."

Connor threw his hands in the air. "It's always Sol this, Sol that, with you. If you could just kill him already instead of letting him retreat, you wouldn't be so hung up over him."

Nico shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Maybe I should. But then what would I do? What is a supervillain without a nemesis?"

Connor seemed at a loss for words, and Nico took that opportunity to stroll back out of the hospital.

He had barely made it two feet before bumping into a doctor.

"Sorry," he mumbled, stepping aside.

The doctor didn't move, and just crossed his arms.

Nico tilted his head to look him in the eye, and was startled to find piercing blue staring at him.

"S-Solace!" he stammered. "I didn't know you worked here."

Will laughed. "Yeah, I'm a part-time student. What are you doing here?"

"Some of my friends are visiting," he said casually. "I came to support them."

Understanding dawned on the blonde's face.

"Ah. Well, I'll be going. See you tonight!" And with that, Will turned and walked down the hall, his boots clicking all the while.

Nico began jogging the moment he stepped out of the sterile white building, eager to get away from the near encounter with his roommate.

His feet took him to a graveyard, one which he unfortunately recognized. He pushed past the gate and walked down the rows of headstones, listening to the quiet whispers of dead spirits.

He reached the far end, a corner where shadows were abundant. He eased himself into a sitting position near the newest grave.

Bianca di Angelo

Age 12

"Il mio piccolo soldatino"

He patted the dirt before saying, "I finally got my roommate. His name is Will Solace, and he certainly acts like a ball of sunshine."

He got no response, which he was expecting, but he still felt a twinge of grief at the silence.

"Katie doesn't have long, and I just robbed a freaking bank for those twins." He sighed. "I don't know if I can keep doing this, Sorella. Living like a criminal, hiding my identity? It's so hard, I just…" He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just don't know."

Then, he heard a soft whisper from behind him. "Don't know what?"

Nico whipped around to see a young girl sitting in the grass, weaving flowers with her nimble fingers. She shimmered in direct sunlight, leading him to believe she was a ghost.

"Nothing," he replied.

"My king," she began, "My name is Olympia. I died here." She pointed at the ground beneath his feet.

"But I don't have a grave." She tilted her head sadly. "I guess they didn't think I was important as her." She gestured enviously at Bianca's headstone.

"Of course you are," Nico said. "Every soul is important."

She slowly shook her head. "Not all of us." She glanced back at the other graves. "Many others did not get the closure they deserve. Stuck in limbo between moving on and staying here."

She plucked another flower from the ground and started knitting it into a crown. "But a lot of them are afraid to go," she admitted. "Afraid that they will be sent to punishment."

"Nico gently nodded. "I can give you closure," he said quietly.

She brightened at his statement. "Really? I mean…" She looked down bashfully at her feet. "Others need it more than I."

"Don't be silly," Nico teased. "I'll get to them all in time."

She grinned and stood. She bent over him and placed the flower crown on his head.

"Thank you," she whispered, her breath cool.

Nico found himself smiling back. "No problem." He raised his hand and muttered, "Tu hai la mia benedizione per Elysium."

You have my blessing for Elysium.

She closed her eyes and dissolved, her transparent hands tousling his hair before she vanished completely, whisked away on the warm breeze.

"Whoa!" a new voice exclaimed.

Nico looked up and was met with sea green eyes and raven black hair.

"Were you talking to a ghost?" the teen asked excitedly.

"Uh, no."

"Yes you were!" The boy insisted.

"What's it to you, kid?" Nico snapped.

He wasn't even fazed. "My name is Percy, not kid, and I think it's really cool you can talk to ghosts."

"I'm Nico," he said after a moment. "What are you doing in a graveyard?"

"What are you doing in a graveyard? I'm the same age as you, if not older, so don't treat me like a little kid."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "Alright. I was visiting my sister."

Percy's eyes flicked to the grave, becoming comically wide. "Oh. Sorry."

"It's okay," he dismissed. "Anyway, why are you here?"

"I was talking to my step dad," Percy said, his expression turning serious. "He died last year."

Nico picked the flower crown off of his head and placed it on top of Bianca's headstone, then got to his feet. "Let's go talk to him together," Nico said, smiling warmly.

Percy grinned right back, leading him over to a bright sunny patch where a crumbling grave was sitting.

"Hi Paul," Percy said quietly.

Paul Blofis

Age 34

"It's Blofis, not blowfish!"

"He always managed to make a joke out of everything," Percy explained. "That was one thing my mother loved about him."

"Bianca could comfort anyone. If you depressed, she would smile and you would feel like a huge weight had lifted from your chest." Nico unconsciously rubbed the spot over his heart. "I speak from experience."

Percy knelt in the dirt and pulled a small coin from his pocket. He wedged it into the soil, making sure it stuck.

"He collected greek drachmas," Percy said, dusting himself off. "That was his last one."

They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Percy chuckled darkly. "My mom always said I was special, you know? But look at how my life has turned out."

Nico's eyes flew open at that. His mother had called him special too, because she knew he was a super. Maybe Percy was…

"Percy?" he asked hesitantly. "Has anything… Weird, happened to you?"

Percy thought for second and nodded. "In sixth grade, some girl was insulting my best friend, and the water fountain exploded." He paused, then continued. "Later that year, someone was trying to shove my head in a toilet, and the pipes blew up, drenching them, while I was dry."

Nico could feel excitement blooming in his mind. "Anything else?"

"I was cut up pretty bad a few years ago, and I fell into the creek. All of my scratches disappeared."

Nico was now completely sure that Percy was a super with some control over water.

"You know about supers, right?"

The question knocked Percy off guard. He frowned slightly. "Yeah. Only the famous ones, like Spark, Ghost, and Sol."

"What if I told you," Nico said. "That I was a super?"

Percy raised an eyebrow, but didn't look surprised. "Talking to ghosts isn't normal, so I kind of guessed." Then Percy grinned childishly. "What's your name?"

Nico swallowed. "Ghost."

Percy froze. The gears seemed to be turning in his head, locking into place and forming a conclusion. "You're a criminal."

It was a statement, not a question.

"Maybe," Nico said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You-" Percy took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I'm talking to a mass murderer. Okay."

"I didn't kill those people," Nico grumbled, slightly annoyed. "It was accident."

"Okay. Say that I believe you. Why did you tell me?"

"Because you're like me. You're a super too."

Percy blanched, stepping back and almost tripping over a root. "I'm- I can't be- I-"

"You can control water," he said bluntly. "Who's your father? Poseidon?"

Percy nodded. "H-How did you know?"

"He's the only water super I know of," Nico said, walking towards the exit. "And it just made sense."

"Can you help me?" Percy asked suddenly. "To control my powers, I mean."

Nico smirked. "I can. Though I recommend you find someone named Leo Valdez. He's a lot better at these things than me."

Percy scribbled something on a piece of paper and thrust it into his hand. "Call me, please?"

Nico glanced at the number. "Alright."

Percy flashed him a toothy grin before sprinting down the street and towards the ocean.

"Don't be reckless!" Nico called half-heartedly after him. After a look at his watch, he walked the lonely road back to his apartment.

Will wasn't there yet, and Nico closed all the curtains, preferring the dark.

He put in his earbuds and curled up under the covers, and fell asleep to soft music.

Warm sunlight filtered through the shades, making Nico groan in discomfort. He got up quietly and closed the curtains, relishing the darkness. On the other side of the room, Will mumbled in his sleep and rolled over.

Nico served himself a bowl of cereal, eager to get out of stifling room. He pulled on his aviator jacket and was about to open the door when Will opened his eyes and smiled sleepily.

"Nico," he slurred, half-asleep.

"Hey Solace." Nico smoothed his hair over with three fingers. "Rise and shine."

"You aren't allowed to use my jokes against me," Will muttered. "What time is it?"

"It's almost eight fifty."

Will sat up like he had been shocked. "Crap!" he exclaimed, hopping out of bed and scrambling for his clothes. "I have a shift at nine," he explained. "Gods, Kayla will never let me live this down."

"Kayla?"

"My half-sister. She's a nurse." Will pushed past Nico with an apologetic glance. "Bye!"

Nico watched the door in silence for a minute before following suit and stepping into the warm August air.

His feet led him to McDonald's, where he ordered some fries and sat down.

His thoughts drifted to Katie, then Travis, and then finally settling on Percy.

A new super? It was uncommon, but not unheard of. There were plenty of supers who hid their identity from others.

An amused smile crawled up his face when he thought about what Percy would want to name himself.

He made a mental note to call him Aquaman when he got the chance.

Speak of the devil.

A mop of raven black hair appeared in the doors, and he was accompanied by a blonde.

Nico's heart soared when he thought it was Will, but he realized that there were many differences between the two. Then he mentally smacked himself for thinking that way.

Percy spotted him and waved, wearing an ever-present bright smile. He tugged on the blonde's arm and sat down next to Nico.

"Hey," Percy said. "Fancy meeting you here."

The blonde lightly shoved him. "Don't be stupid."

"This is Jason," Percy said, ignoring him. "Jason Grace."

Nico's throat closed up.

Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter. He was the son of the most powerful super to ever be born, and Percy obviously had no clue.

Jason shook his hand, and Nico's attention was drawn to the small scar on his lip. "Where'd you get that?" he blurted out.

Jason laughed. "I tried to eat a stapler when I two. Didn't work out, let me tell you that."

Percy eyed his french fries. "Are you going to eat those?"

"I guess not." Nico pushed the fries over to Percy, who devoured them hungrily.

"Slow down," Jason chided. "You're going to choke."

Percy stuck out his tongue, and few fries fell out. Nico rubbed his temples.

Suddenly Jason winked at Nico. "So. Ghost, right?"

Nico almost spat out his drink. "W-What?" He shot an accusing glare at Percy. "You told him?"

Percy shrugged. "I mean, he's a super too, so it doesn't really matter."

Nico fought the urge to reach over the table and strangle the son of Poseidon. "I would kill you," he said nonchalantly, picking at his fingernails. "But unfortunately it seems we would have witnesses, and we can't have that."

Percy paled and inched backwards.

Nico dropped the glare and smirked."I didn't think you'd be that easy to scare."

"Whatever." Percy chuckled weakly.

Nico changed the topic to avoid an awkward silence. "So why are you here?"

"I'm helping Jackson master his powers," Jason said.

"Ah." Nico absently traced circles on the wood table, black lines forming where he touched. "So you've taken my job?"

"I thought we could help him together," Jason suggested. "So he can have two supers helping him."

"Do you think that is wise?" Nico inquired. "It would certainly raise suspicion."

"I know about an abandoned school that we could go to."

Nico pondered this for a moment before reluctantly nodded. "But," he said, holding up a finger. "I need you to swear on the Styx that you won't give out my identity."

"Only if you do the same."

"I swear on the Styx I will not disclose your identity, Spark."

Jason's face split into a grin. "I swear on the Styx I will not disclose your identity, Ghost."

"What's the Styx?" Percy interrupted.

"An ancient river where the first supers were born," Nico said impatiently. His phone beeped, and he held it up to his ear.

"Valdez? What do you want?"

Jason and Percy noticed he used considerably more venom than usual.

"Uh, sir, something's happening downtown."

"What?"

"I think Sol is in the middle of fighting Spark's sister. What was her name? Huntress?"

"Why does that concern me?"

"I think you should help her out." Leo's voice shook slightly.

"Fine," Nico snapped. "Tell her I'm on my way."

"Aye aye, sir."

Nico ended the call. He glanced at Percy and Jason, who were gazing at him curiously.

"I gotta go," he said quickly. "See you later." Then he fell back into his own shadow and vanished.

He came out in an alley that was littered with rubble. Two people were facing each other, wearing contrasting types of clothing.

Sol adorned a bright yellow tunic and a white mask that covered his face, a golden bow in his hands.

Huntress was wearing a black leather jacket with metal studs, a silver bow on her back and a shield in her hand. She was glaring daggers at Sol as electricity sparked around her.

"If Ghost can't defeat me," Sol was saying, "Than how can you?"

Huntress gritted her teeth and ground her heel into the dirt. "He holds back. I don't."

"Don't assume his gender," Sol teased, wiping a smudge off of his arrow.

Nico felt his sword materialize in his hand, the area becoming darker as it did. He covered his face with a piece of cloth and stepped into view.

"Am I really that popular?" he said, lazily twisting his skull ring.

Huntress faced him, a smirk creeping up her cheeks. "You're late to the party."

Sol huffed. "This isn't your fight, Ghost!"

"Aw, I'm hurt," Nico said sarcastically, taking another step towards the pair.

Sol aimed his arrow defensively. "Don't move."

Nico grinned psychotically. "Alright, alright." Fast as lightning, he splayed his fingers, and the shadows around him erupted. The darkness churned and bubbled like lava, surrounding Nico and protecting him.

Sol reacted immediately, glowing brightly as he tried to banish the darkness. Huntress stood off to the side with an amused expression.

Nico flung himself at Sol, bringing his sword down hard. Sol leaped back, narrowly avoiding death.

"Fight back!" Nico snarled.

"Can't you just leave?" Sol pleaded, firing off round after round of golden arrows. "Leave this to us!"

Huntress, acting bored with the battle, flicked her wrist, and a massive bolt of lightning struck the ground at Sol's feet, blowing him back several yards.

"You're welcome, di Angelo," she said, winking at Nico.

He gaped at her. "How did you…?"

"Oh, Jason tells me everything. I'm Thalia, by the way." She smoothed down her jet black hair. "I hope we meet again." Then she sprinted down the street, leaving Nico to deal with Sol.

Said super got to his feet, a murderous look on his face. "I didn't think the almighty Ghost would stoop to cheating."

"Cheating? I think you mean moral support from a mutual," Nico said, enjoying the confused look that Sol was giving him. It wasn't that bad to have a big vocabulary sometimes.

Sol said nothing and instead raised his fingers to his lips and let out an ear-piercing whistle.

Nico groaned and clasped his hands over his ears in pain. Sol took that opportunity to kick his sword away.

"Dirty trick, sunshine," Nico muttered. Then he knelt down and slammed his hands into the concrete.

The ground rumbled and shook, cracks appearing on the surface and forcing Sol to dodge. The undead crawled up from the ravines and converged on Sol, pushing him back and allowing Nico to retrieve his sword.

"That's your plan, huh?" Sol shouted. "Will you hide among the dead, as you always do?"

Will you hide among the dead, as you always do?

Nico froze, a sick feeling in his gut as he was hit with a flashback.

All around Nico, the ground shifted. The grass withered, and the stones cracked as if something was moving in the earth beneath, trying to push its way through.

"Give us Diocletian's scepter," Nico said. "We don't have time for games."

Games?

Cupid struck, slapping Nico sideways into a granite pedestal.

Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work - a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you - especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards.

If this invisible guy was Love, he was beginning to think Love was overrated. Aphrodite's version he could understand. Cupid seemed more like a thug, and enforcer.

"Nico!" Leo called. "What does this guy want from you?"

Tell him, Nico di Angelo. Tell him you are a coward, afraid of yourself and your feelings. Tell him the real reason you ran from Camp Half-Blood, and why you are always alone.

Nico let loose a guttural scream. The ground at his feet split open and skeletons crawled forth; dead romans with missing hands and caved-in skulls, cracked ribs, and jaws unhinged. Some were dressed in the remnants of togas. Others has glinting pieces of armor hanging off their chests.

Will you hide among the dead, as you always do? Cupid taunted.

Nico's roman skeletons surged forward and grappled with something invisible. The super struggled, flinging the dead aside, breaking off ribs and skull, but the skeletons kept coming, pinning the super's arms.

Interesting! Cupid said.

Do you have the strength, after all?

All the fight went out of him, all at once. He collapsed to his knees, rubbing his eyes furiously.

Sol had destroyed the skeletons, and was regarding him warily.

Whispers surrounded Nico.

Unwanted.

Freak.

You don't belong.

Coward.

Alone.

"Shut up," he muttered, clutching his head tightly. "Shut up!"

Sol was beginning to feel slightly worried for his opponent.

"I get it!" Nico screamed suddenly, his broken gaze falling on Sol. "I've had enough people telling me how worthless I am!"

Several emotions were flitting across Sol's face. He didn't trust him, but he still felt a pang of pity for the anguished super.

"You aren't…" Sol searched for the right words. "Everyone has a purpose."

"Don't give me that crap," Nico growled. His blank mask settled back over his face. "Same time tomorrow?" He stood, snatched his sword away, and melted into the shadows, leaving Sol lost and confused.

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" Nico kicked the wall, ignoring the throbbing pain in his foot. "Great time to have a flashback. Now Sol feels bad for me? Even worse!"

He paced around in an abandoned school, too angry to care about his destination.

The whispers made it worse:

Weak.

Abnormal.

How can you live with yourself?

"It's not wrong," he tried to assure himself. "Outlooks has changed since the 1930's."

Disgusting.

Mentally ill.

"No! That's not true!" Nico screwed his eyes shut until he saw stars.

Before he knew it, tears were pouring down his cheeks and mixing with the dust on the floor.

"It can't be true." His voice dropped to a whisper. All his barriers and mental walls came tumbling down, revealing the truly self-berating feelings beneath. "It can't."