Nico di Angelo Meets The Batfam (SPOILERS FOR 'THE SUN AND THE STAR'!!)

36: A Fateful Night

But this time Doctor Thorn looked different. Instead of having a human's head, he had a lions head, large leathery bat wings, and a scorpion tail armed with spines. I was enraged to see him. Then what i saw next made me even more mad. Dr.Thorn had cornered two terrified children, siblings a boy and a his older sister. just like Bian- her, and me when we first realized we were demigods.

Furious, i dived down at him, ignoring Dick's and Damian's yells of disapproval and surprise. I immediately twisted my ring and summoned my sword, diving faster. The buildings ruched by in a blur, and my eyes watered from the speed, but i urged myself forwards. I could sense that my brothers were close behind trying to stop me. They probably saw Dr.Thorn as a lion. I cleared the mist. 

I was getting closer 10ft... 6ft... 3ft....

I swung my sword but Dr.Thorn managed to dodge. The children stumbled back with a scared yelp at my sudden appearance, no doubt terrified out of their minds by Dr.Thorn and i.

"Ahhh... Nicolai di Angelo pleased to meet you, young demigod. You have aged well," he said with a humorless chuckle, "Where is your sister? Is she to scared of you? Or did you let her die?"

"Shut up." I whispered, my voice deadly calm.

"You know her death is your fault. Hades, your father, the god of the Dead said so himself."

"SHUT UP!" I screeched, taking a threatening step towards him.

"Even you acknowledge that it's your fault. Marie's death was your fault too." He said, a sly smirk on his muzzle. In my peripheral vision, i noticed the siblings flee.

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!?" I spat. "I'VE BEEN REMINDED EVERY. SINGEL. DAY. OF MY MISERABLE LIFE! 'BIANCA WAS BETTER THAN YOU' 'YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED INSTEAD'! THEIR DEATHS WERE ALL MY FAULT!" I screech, then i charged him head on.

He dodged, and attempted to sting me. I blocked his stinger with a rid from my armor. Then he suddenly wheels around. Then with a sickening feeling, I realize why.

My brothers had arrived, and he was staring at them maliciously.

TW! Blood, gore, and character death! You guys are going to hate me for this. Please don't kill me!

"No." I breath.

Then he lunged forward, and shot a spike out of his tail, heading strait at Damian. No matter how irritating and infuriating he could be, i couldn't stand there and let another sibling die.

I lunged forwards, my wings boosting me just in time for my to intercept it. And for it to pierce my left lung. With a startled wheeze, i fell forwards, blood spattering out of my chest.

"NO!" Shrieked Dick and Damian at the same time. My chest feels as if its on fire.

"I am proud, young demigod, to be the first and last monster you fight. This shall make me famous! Manticore, slayer of the child of Hades, destroyer of the Ghost King!" Dr.Thorn laughed. "Any last words?" He asked and padded up to me and put his maned head next to my face. I felt some blood start trickling out of my mouth as it got harder to breathe. I spat blood on his face, but he licked it. I forgot that demigods are delicacies to the monsters. Dick and Damian were frozen in horror.

I nodded as I realized i still have my sword in hand. "Do you know what Styxgian iron is?"

"Yes. What kind of monster wouldn't?" He said with a glare.

"Then you know what it does." I state. My vision goes a bit fuzzy as the poison starts to work. I head distant boots running down the sidewalk. I'm pretty sure it was Bruce, Tim, and Jason.

"Yeah. But you cannot touch it, because you are alive.... Wait.... Why are you saying this?" He froze, questioning me.

"It sucks the souls out of the living and traps them. Also, I'm a child of Hades. I'm always dead." I gave him a psychotic grin as i wheeze out the sentence. He freezes.

"You wouldn't." He whispered in shock, his ear's immediately pinned against his skull in surprise.

"I would." I gasp out as i weakly shove off my deer skull, letting the blood from my mouth spill out against the concrete. I heard a distant 'NICO!' that i think came from Bruce.

I pull up the sword and plunged it through his chest. He screeched, then slashed his claws across my chest, sending another spasm of pain.

 "Long live the Ghost King." He hissed knowing full well that I wouldn't live much longer, then the sword sucked his soul in. I felt my eyes start to glaze over as my body is in utter agony, my blood pouring from my wounds and out of my mouth.

My sword clattered onto the ground as my arm went limp. I averted my gaze from where the manticore just was.

"Nico." I hear Dick gasp out, tears streaming down his face, out of his 

"Hey guys." I whisper. "I'm sorry. For everything. Meet you in Elysium. The Angel has been set free." My vision blurred again, and this time my world went completely dark. I breathed out one last time, then stopped fighting.

So... yeah. That happened. Please don't hurt me! I am going to pull a Jason! You will find out what that means soon. Sorry. Love you my Minions!❤️🥲😅

—Anitoly!