The Coming of Nico di Angelo

Raiders of the Lost Cup

"I don't understand how you guys are even friends," Percy joked. "You fight all the time."

Nico suppressed a smile. "We manage."

Percy sent the Iris message, though it was early morning on Long Island, Will was awake. When they finished explaining what happened, Will let out a long sigh. "Really, Neeks? Again? Why is it always you who almost dies all the time?"

"Don't call me Neeks," Nico threatened, making Will smirk. "Just tell us how to fix me, William."

"All right, I'll be nice. All you have to say is, 'please Will, O wise healer, I swear I'll never almost die before breakfast ever again', and we'll call it a day."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Please Will, O arrogant healer, I swear I'll never talk to you again if you don't tell us how to fix me right now."

"That would be a tragedy," Will deadpanned. Then, he got to work teaching Percy the healing spell, which he finally managed after a good fifteen minutes. The pain in his body melted away, he breathed normally, and sat up. Then, Percy supported his weight as he finally put two feet on the ground, and stood.

"Thanks, Will," Nico said.

"Just try not to die, okay, Neeks?" Will asked, voice full of exasperation.

Nico gave a teasing smile. "You know me."

"Unfortunately, I do." Will waved his hands through the mist, and his image vanished.

Within the hour, Nico was at full strength, but Percy refused to shadow travel with him until sunset. "You need time to rest," Percy had argued. "And I don't want to end up in Russia because you were too impatient to wait a little longer."

Percy and Annabeth rotated napping and guarding the horcrux, but, after three days of sleeping, Nico felt restless. He killed time training, electing to hone his sword fighting skills rather than his magical ones. He didn't want to waste energy with Teddy's promise to learn 'damn to Hades'. Besides, he had to be careful with his powers in the real world; using them too much dragged his soul to the Underworld.

At long last, the sun dipped below the valley. All three demigods dressed in their armor, and gathered their things. With one final sweep of the church, Nico guided Percy and Annabeth to Gringotts through the shadows.

The vault was pitch black until Percy uncapped Riptide, so its bronze light could illuminate the cavern. They stood in a huge cave, packed to the brim with treasures. From floor to ceiling, Nico noticed gold coins, jewelry, armor, furs... even a skull wearing a crown.

"Whoa," Percy gasped.

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed.

"Find the cup," Nico instructed. "We need to get in and out, before someone notices us. Anyone would think we're robbers."

Annabeth described the cup to Percy and Nico one last time, then they moved towards the piles, hugging Riptide's circle of light. Nico's eyes fell on a jeweled golden cup near the edge of a nearby pile. He reached out to grab and inspect it, but the moment his fingers made contact, the entire thing burned white hot. Nico yelled in pain as he held his blistered fingers, then again in shock when the cup exploded into thirty exact replicas of itself.

"What happened?" Percy called, coming around the corner.

"It burned me!" Nico grimaced, holding up his injured hand.

"It has to be the Germino and Flagrante curses!" Annabeth yelled, her voice coming from Nico's right. "I read about them back at Hogwarts! Everything you touch will burn and multiply; if we keep touching all this stuff we're going to get crushed by all the gold!"