The Coming of Nico di Angelo

Irony, Thy Name is Jesus

Alabaster knelt to her; Nico did the same. Hecate smiled and walked towards them, the click of her heels echoing off the walls. She extended her hand towards her son and helped him up, then did the same for Nico.

"Welcome to the Santi Cosma e Damiano, Nico di Angelo."

Nico opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, unable to fathom words. He closed his eyes and got ahold of himself, then tried again. "We're in Roma?"

Hecate nodded. "I reside here, as many non-Olympic deities find their own places. I showed it to Alabaster's guardian when I asked him to look after him the Second Giant War. Though, it looked far less beautiful--after the Second Titan War, my realm crumbled to ruin."

Nico turned to Alabaster and saw a grievous expression in his eyes. "Claymont saved my life too many times to count," he explained in a thick tone, "But, he wanted rebirth after he finished his job. I wanted to... but, I couldn't keep him in Mist Form anymore."

Hecate put a hand on her son's shoulder in a tender touch but said nothing. She nodded to him to assure him, then turned back to Nico to allow Alabaster time to recollect himself.

"The Roman Emperor dedicated this place, in part, to my son Valerius Romulus. The other beneficiary was a grandchild of Jupiter and you can be sure that the King of Olympus did everything to make sure his descendant stole the limelight. To this day, most say Valerius's dedication is conjecture.

"It was a Roman place of worship until the then King of Italy, Theoderic the Great, gave this place to the Pope. Though disgusted for many centuries, I see the Fates' wisdom now--reassigning this place to the Vatican kept it decorated and in its original glory. I come here when I can, using my magic to keep mortals from intruding, and my power over the Mist lets my sacred place reflect my realm without harming the physical structures. Sometimes I watch their services and remember that, powerful as the Olympians are, most of the mortal world lives without us. Being a Titan, I knew what losing absolute power felt like before the decline of Rome--I enjoy learning about the modern world, even if most other gods pretend the human world extends only to their children."

She paused and glanced around the pews. "Did your grandfather bring you here as a child?"

Nico swallowed, forcing himself not to collapse as he had not even a half-hour before. "No, my lady. We lived in Val d'Aosta ; it's closer to Paris than Roma."

"Ah." She turned towards the altar and walked to its side as she spoke. "Beyond revealing himself to you and apologizing for the trick, did my son explain anything else?"

Nico couldn't help but grin at the parental scolding coming from a goddess. And, Alabaster's reaction made the whole thing a lot funnier. "Not much," Nico answered. "I'm ashamed of it, but... Alabaster found me not in my... right mind..."

Hecate laughed; a cheerful bell that reverberated around the room. "You shouldn't apologize for emotions, Nico. I know you were at the gravesite of your family; I'd be more worried if you didn't have an emotional reaction."

Nico smiled again, though this once felt more forced with the painful memory resurfacing. Still, he felt relieved; Hades never let him show any kind of weakness. "He told me about the Artifacts, and how you plan to let me speak to my family again. He told me about my father's war, and how me joining you might fix things. And I accepted your mission and your patronage."

Hecate turned and stared at Alabaster with angered shock. "Alabaster! You should not have given Nico that opportunity before speaking to me."

"I didn't ask him to!" Alabaster protested. "It just sort of came out of nowhere..."

"He's right," Nico jumped in, defending his friend. "He didn't ask me to renounce Hades. But... I had to."