Soldatino ** A Nico di Angelo Fanfic**

And You Know I

I bitterly kicked the Argo II. Of course I had to go down to Split with Jason. Of course we had to go look for Diocletian's Scepter.

Jason looked about as happy as I felt, but hey, I volunteered, despite my hatred for the son of Jupiter. I tied my Stygian Iron sword to my side and reluctantly stood next to Jason. He studied my face with displeasure.

"What!?" I snapped.

"Nothing." He said quickly. "You ready?"

"Um, how exactly are we getting down there? We're all the way up here." I said matter-of-factly. I regret asked. After is said that, Jason picked my up and jumped over the side.

Oh Gods, oh gods, oh gods! I thought. We're going to die. We're going to die and Hazel is going to be by herself.

I had totally forgotten, that as the son of Zeus (or Jupiter), Jason could fly. He manipulated the winds to carry up. But I was still freeing out. One, I hated physical contact. Two, I belong Underground not in the sky. Three, this was Zeus' domain, and he could shoot us down. I half expected him too but Jason was his son, and as terrible as the gods were, they wouldn't strike down their own children. Unless they did something REALLY bad.
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A/N
This part has spoilers from The House of Hades so if you haven't read it yet, don't read ahead. Or do. I don't care. I'm not your mom.
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Jason pointed to A ice cream carat. "Nico, do you see that?"

I looked to where a pointed and merely raised my eyebrows. There was a guy standing there with the wings of an angel. "Maybe we should get some ice cream." I said shrugging.

I watched the guy, trying to figure out if he was a monster or some kid of Aphrodite. Some of those freaks, who have two godly parents, normally are born with wings. Not all. But a lot.

This guy seems way to casual though. He wore a red tank top, and Bermuda shorts. His wings were the color of a sunset. His skin was dark, which told me this dude spent a lot of time in the sun. He had long locks of curly black hair, kinda like Leo Valdez's.

"He's not a returned spirit," I said, "or a creature of the Underworld."

"Yeah, I doubt they eat ice cream."

"So what is he?"

Jason looked around. Not just for the guy but everywhere. "I'm betting that's the palace. Come on."

I followed slow behind him as we approached a tall building. Diocletian's Palace stood seventy to eighty feet tall, the walls were pink granite. Columns crumbled and large arches stretched high.

The angel dude was fast, and Jason and I could barely keep up. But we started to lose him.

"We've got to catch him." Jason said. "Hold on."

"What?" I asked

He grabbed me, and lifted me into the air. I cried out. We landed into the courtyard, and I was surprised that no tourist turned. I pushed Jason away.

'On the left side of the courtyard stood a line of columns holding up weathered gray arches. On the right side was a white marble building with rows of tall windows.'

"This is the entrance to Diocletian's private residence." I said scowling and turning toward Jason. "And I don't like physical contact. Don't grab me again." Quietly I added quietly "unless you want to get a Stygian sword up your nose."

I walked in front of Jason, looking around trying to focus on the scenery. Why did this place seem so familiar?

"I've been here before," I said out loud, not really directing my words towards Jason. "With my mom and Bianca." My voice shook at Bianca's name. "We were on a weekend trip out of Venice. Gods I must've been...what six?"

"Oh...in the 1930s?"

"1938 or something like that I think," I said glaring at him. "Does it matter to you?"

I cracked my knuckles to seem more intimidating. I hated how Jason was always trying to be my best buddy. He was like that with everybody else. They all just accepted him, no questions asked. I think that's why he was so shocked when I came along and denied him that friendship. I don't think he took rejection that well.

"No," he said shyly. "I just...I get how you feel. Coming back after so many years..."

"No," I said coldly, "you don't Jason."

My vision became fuzzy as I blinked. That had been so long ago...almost ninety years. I sniffled. "Look, I don't like to talk about it. I think Hazel had it worse. She remembers more about when she was young. She had to come back from the dead and adjust to the modern world. Me...me and Bianca, we were stuck at the Lotus Hotel. Time passed so quickly. In a weird way, that made the transition easier."

"Percy told me about that place," Jason said. "Seventy years, but it only felt like a month?"

I clutched my fist without even meaning to. "Yeah, I bet Percy's told you a lot about me." I hissed. I bared my teeth. Percy Jackson. The worst hero ever. It was his fault Bianca was dead. His fault I was alone. His fault I was...

A figure moving caught my eye. I peered at it...I was staring at a ghost. No a Lare. There were hundreds of them among the mortals. I never understood how the mist worked, how it could hide such things from mortals. But it did, and I envied them. Anyways, the Lares floated around, trying to get attention. Some were dressed like gladiators, some in just togas and sandals, but they all had dangerous looks.

"Roman dead are everywhere," I said to Jason, "Lares are everywhere. They angry."

"At us?"

"At everything." Hm, I can relate. "That used to be a temple to Jupiter. The Christians changed it to a baptistery. The Roman ghosts don't like that."

"And over there..." I pointed east to a hexagonal building ringed with freestanding columns.

"That was the mausoleum of the emperor."

"But his tomb isn't there anymore," Jason guessed.

"Not for centuries," Nico said. "When the empire collapsed, the building was turned into a Christian cathedral."

Jason swallowed. "So if Diocletian's ghost is still around here-"

"He's probably not happy."

The wind rustled, pushing leaves and food wrappers across the peristyle. Jason turned and suddenly said. "That way." Jason pointed. "The winged guy. Where do you think those stairs lead?"

I drew my sword. I smiled contently "Underground," I said. "My favorite place."

I looked at Jason who was looking completely uneasy. "Oh come on," I said, walking towards the stair. Jason wanted to object but he didn't so we ventured below the earth and I couldn't help but keep that rare grin on my face.
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A/N

Most of this chapter are excerpt from The House of Hades and that belongs to Rick Riordan because I didn't feel like screwing up a perfectly good book.

Uh, I hope you like the story.

---Rainbowscarfgirl 🌈