Nico di Angelo

Asphodel has always been miserable and I don't get it.

I feel like if people just lived a life, give them a little bit more than one of the most painful things in the afterlife, you know? Like, they're not being tortured, but maybe give them a bland town to just keep living.

Just personal opinion.

The girls name was Hazel Levesque, though. She was a little younger than me but a year or so, but she was born a couple years before Dad met Mom.

She's also technically Pluto's daughter, though, so... I don't know how that reallt works.

Either way, she died at the like, same time Bianca and I went into the Lotus and our mom died, so that's a really weird coincidence that I'm not going to think about because I can't stand to think about those people right now.

She's my sister, though. Technically speaking.

So we'll see how that goes. If we'll continue to communicate and talk after this job is done.

If she'll even associate with me if she finds out I'm dating Percy.

I miss him.

I hope that, wherever he is, he misses me, too. That he's doing okay.

It was a couple hours of walking around the misery of Asphodel when I finally caught a glimpse of her.

Not going to die, I was also looking around for Bianca a bit because I didn't think I'd actually find Hazel among all of the souls in Asphodel, but Bianca did mention that she was going to try to rebirth, so maybe she got it.

Maybe it's stupid to look for her, who knows.

I just miss her and I miss my mom and I miss my boyfriend.

So pull out a different sister that I've never met before to distract me from my missing boyfriend. Why not.

"Hello?" I said as I approached her, her face starting to go more into focus, confirming that she was who I was looking for. Just roaming around Asphodel. Looking... Not happy. "Is your name Hazel Levesque?"

"I am she, yes," she confirmed for me. "what's it to you?"

"I— my name is Nico," I introduced myself to her. "I'm your brother. Well, half brother, my father is Hades. Are you trying to get to his palace?"

She nodded her head, seeming hesitant.

"Yes but I'm sure I'll never reach it, it's just a goal and direction to keep me sane in here," she insisted, which seemed fair. "there's some sort of separation between here and there, right? Father wouldn't just let spirits of Asphodel wander his palace. I am closer than I was when I died, though."

"Yeah, 70 years is a while to make progress," I broke that news to her. "Would you like to go to the palace? I can bring you."

She sighed.

"It's not like I have anything to lose by giving it a shot," my younger sister figured. "yeah, big brother, let's go. Lead the way. Bring me back to life, while you're at it."

"That's the plan."

And while she definitely took that as sarcasm or some kind of joke, she'd eventually figure out it wasn't one at all.

Getting to the palace wasn't hard, but Dad wasn't there so she didn't get to meet him. Either way, I'm not sure how that would work if it's Hades meeting her because her dad is Pluto.

I still don't really get that because we're related but it's not the exact same.

Is it like a split personality? I feel like that's what it has to be.

Regardless of that, he isn't even around right now so I just assumed we should go to the place that Dad insisited I bring her to, some hidden place in San Francisco.

"Where the hell are you bringing me?" Hazel asked, reasonably so as I wasn't feeling all that talkative right now. "you don't have to actually bring me back to life. That was a joke."

"You'd be miserable in Asphodel," I reminded her, recalling how sad she looked at first. "think of it like... A second chance. Literally. It's been like 70 years since you died, so you're getting a blank slate."

"70 years?" She questioned, apparently not processing that I mentioned that earlier. "So wh... I won't have anywhere to stay or go to, though, right? It's not like I'll have family to stay with and I'm 14 so I can't get my own place."

"Yes, there is, don't worry," I tried to reassure her. "You're not the only demigod who doesn't have family to stay with so there's a camp for you to stay at if you want. We have to run somewhere in California, though, before I can bring you to the camp that I at least stay at, so. Hold on, I'm going to shadow travel us out."

"Shadow—"

But I didn't have it in me to explain shadow travel so I just went once I felt her touch my arm.

Luckily, it worked and she didn't get lost in the shadows. As one of dad's kids, I didn't think she would, but you never know.

"Wh— um, anyways," Hazel said as we emerged in San Francisco, a few blocks away from where Hades told me to go with her. "You stay at a camp? Do you not have any family then?"

Damn.

I wasn't in the mood for that question.

"I don't—"

But before I could say anything, somebody yelled from behind us.

"DUUUUCK!" some person yells, and I turn to see some dude flying in the air and what may have been his bag falling towards us.

So, rather than duck because that wouldn't work well, I just moved Hazel and I and grabbed the bag before it could hit the ground and maybe break whatever was in it as the dude descends down to take his belongings.

His eyes seemed familiar.

"Hey, thanks, sorry about that," he apologized with a smile that I fucking hated because it just annoyed me. "I'm Jason, Jason Grace. You guys looking for Camp Jupiter or New Rome?"

"Is it located near the Caldecott Tunnel?" I asked in response. "I have a direction, not a name."

"Yeah! Follow me!" He said and thankfully walked because I think if he tried to have us fly Zeus would strike me out of the sky. "Are you guys demigods or legacies? Or do you not know yet? Because if not, that's fine—"

"We're demigods."

"Oh, cool! Good to know," he said. "That's surprising to hear, most mortal parents don't tell their kids that they're demigods, we're usually ones to break the news and it's a headache most of the time, so thanks for saving me that. Is must've been hard for your family to let you come at this age."

He's like, the same age as us. There's no way he's older than Percy.

"I don't have any family," Hazel reassured him. "my mom died a while ago and I was an only kid, so... Well, I guess I have half siblings now thanks to my dad, but that's different."

"Aw, sorry to hear about that," Jason remarked, turning his attention to me. "It's been a while, but still. What about you? Any family?"

I shook my head.

"Aw, sorry, dude, I feel you, though," he insisted. "I was raised here so I don't remember my mom, never really asked much about her, but I've been meaning to lately now that I'm getting older. It's not like I can just ask Jupiter, though, he's not exactly around to have farher-son time."

"You're the son of Jupiter?" Hazel asked as we emerged into what I suddenly realized would've been the Roman version of Camp Half Blood.

"Hm? Yeah, his only son thanks to some deal made back in World War II," Jason told us. "Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto made a pact to not have any kids but Jupiter had me so... Yeah. You can probably rule them out for your godly parent. You said your sister went on a quest, though? She was here before you?

What happens if he finds out I'm Greek?

"Wait, sorry," Hazel interjected and I would've thanked her. "But didn't you say that our dad is like..."

"Pluto," but I wasn't letting her give me away like that, and it obviously surprised Jason. "our dad is Pluto, but both of us were born before the pact was made."

"You— how?" He asked. "you're so young."

"Well I died when my mom died," Hazel explained her story. "1941. Nico just brought me back, actually. From the dead."

Nodding his head, Jason processed that as he glanced over for my story.

"Lotus Casino," I explained to him. "Mom was killed because your dad was actually trying to kill my sister and I, so dad shoved us into the casino and we left it two years ago and she died like a few weeks in. She joined the Hunt under Diana, ended up a quest and yeah. I've just been floating around."

"Oh, well sorry that my dad... Did that," Jason apologized. "Children of Pluto, though, fun. Um... Yeah. We don't have any Neptune kids so he's held his promise. I guess Pluto has, too, technically. Um..."

"Grace!" A girl closer to Percy or Clarisse's age yelled as she walked over, wearing a purple toga, which seemed like... A choice. "You're late, what took you so long?"

"Oh, Reyna, sorry!" Jason apologized for the millionth time to this girl. "I found two new demigods looking for the camp! They're both children of Pluto."

She glanced over to us, seeming judgy, and you know what? Two can play that game.

"Pluto?" She asked and then looked at me. "You mean Hades, no?"

How can she pick that out?

I'm not wearing a camp shirt, and my beads aren't big enough, nor do they said Camp Half Blood on any of them.

This is the first time I've heard about a Roman Camp or demigods, so how can she know...

"I met a couple Greek demigods shortly before I made my way here," this Reyna girl explained to me. "A blond girl and a boy who had darker hair, green eyes. They both wore necklaces like yours, had been on a quest at the time. Do you know who I'm talking about? The boys name started with a P. I've always wondered if they survived."

Jason, sensing that he wasn't going to understand anything Reyna was asking about, said he was going to show Hazel around since she doesn't know anything like I apparently do.

But damn, I didn't expect to run into someone that knew my boyfriend here.

"Did... Yeah, I know who you're talking about," I told her as we started to walk somewhere, I was just following Reyna as she walked. "Annabeth and Percy. They're still alive. Um..."

But there's a reason my dad told me to not tell the others back in new york about this job, and I knew that.

And being here, I kind of figured why.

"Don't... I'm here for a job for my dad," I explained to the older demigod. "my job was to revive Hazel and bring her here for some reason, she is Roman, but I don't know why he had me revive her. I'm on strict orders to not tell any of the demigods or anyone back in my necks of the woods about my job so if you could like... Not tell everyone I'm Greek and that there's a Greek Camp, that'd be amazing."

"Hm? Oh, sure," Reyna responded, which was a relief. "I'll make sure Jason doesn't say anything, or Hazel. I suppose the Greeks and Romans don't have an amazing history so separation kind of makes sense, I never really thought about it much until last year when I realized that Percy and Annabeth weren't here. People here are judgy about Greek people, so I'll keep it under wraps. Just... Avoid sparring. Greeks and Romans have very different fighting styles."

"Got it."

I should look in the area to see if Percy is here somehow.

I don't know why he would be, but maybe the gods are trying to get the camps to meet again or... I don't know, but I miss him.

A hug or a smile or anything from him would be really nice right now.

"Yeah, it's weird," she went on. "are you good? You seem a little down for somebody who just found out he has a sister."

Like my anxiety won't kick my ass about that later.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm good, it's just been a long couple of days getting ready to revive Hazel and then explaining everything and..."

I exhaled.

"Yeah. I'm good."

"Well if you need anything, just let me know," Reyna tells me. "My name is Reyna, by the way."

"Nico." I returned.

She gave me a soft smile, and I'm sure she can see through me, but she was respecting me not talking about it. So that was... Nice, I guess.

"Nice to meet you, Nico," she told me. "You're welcome at Camp Jupiter anytime."

And similar to when Chiron told me the same in New York, I didn't really believe her, but the difference is that it was justified here.

I have to come here, because of my job. I'll have to visit Hazel and make sure she stays and adjusts well to the new world while still being at camp frequently enough for it to not be weird and visit Sally enough so we don't go insane or get too miserable.

Thanks to shadow travel, the travelling won't be hard.

But walking into this camp is going to be a struggle. Walking into a place where I know I'm not...

Where I don't belong.

And it won't be a new feeling because it's a feeling that never really left these last two years, but it's going to be worse.

I'm the black sheep. The gay cousin. The son of Hades.

"Thanks," I said in return. "I'll definitely take the offer up."

And I'm not where I'm supposed to be.