Prologue – Meeting Her

Nico was ten years old when he lost his mother.

He was ten and a half years old when his world turned upside down.

He was eleven when he learned the meaning of sacrifice.

He was twelve when he fought for Olympus.

And now, he was fourteen when he met the one person that officially screwed up his life.

Nico hated the park. He didn't know why – maybe it was the fresh air that smelled like putrid waste to his nose, the happy smiles of the people around him that made him feel worse than ever, or maybe it was the calming feeling and serenity around the place that made him want to puke. Whichever it was, he hated it.

He absolutely hated it.

So why he was taking a walk around it early in the evening, aimlessly placing one foot in front of the other like a robot, he had no idea.

A feeling of safety washed over him as he walked in the cool night air as he walked the streets of Los Angeles. After another fight with his stepmother, Persephone, Nico walked out of the underworld, and, feeling too lazy to shadow-travel, decided to get some air here. Streetlights glowed dimly, lighting the streets sufficiently just enough for him to see two feet in front of his face. As the darkness began to settle, Nico let out a big sigh.

Night was always on his side. For some reason, he felt like the darkness was embracing him like a son it never had, and he had to laugh at the irony, being Hades' son and all. When his own father didn't want him, the darkness took him in.

A couple was huddled in one of the benches, sharing a passionate kiss. The boy was caught up in the moment, his hands roaming all over the girl's body. One of his hands was dangerously going lower than what was expected, which made Nico glare at him with disrespect. The girl's eyes were closed, signaling pure bliss. Nico sneered as he passed them, and made sure to ah…guide them away from each other using the shadows, just for fun. The couple, now on the ground, stared in shock at each other as they wondered what happened.

Nico smiled, taking a seat on one of the benches. He was most powerful here, in the dark. He felt stronger. His senses were more awake, acute. But most of all, he felt safe. Normally, people would cower in fear and run to find places to hide when the dark comes, but for a son of hades, he revels in its presence.

He could sense everything that was going on. A few birds were flying overhead. The couple he scared were running for their lives, as if a monster was chasing them. The water in the lake was calm, clear. The wind hardly blew. It was perfect…too perfect.

Nico immediately drew his sword. Three feet of stygian iron, forged for him and only him, sent out a ghastly black glow all around. A scream suddenly filled the air, and Nico knew his perfect evening just rolled down the gutter. He felt something behind him, inching slowly, trying to hide in the night,

He smiled. Big Mistake.

He tensed as he felt the presence grow stronger. It was only a few feet away from him now…

At the last second, Nico backflipped. The hellhound growled in frustration as it missed his head, claws scratching on nothing but cement. Nico landed on its back, and the hellhound roared, annoyed that someone, a mortal no less, would dare ride it. It reared on its hind legs, and tried to throw Nico off. Nico only screamed "yeehaw!" as he held the hellhound's fur, riding it like a bull.

When he finally had enough, Nico stabbed it in the neck with its sword. The hellhound let out one final growl before it disintegrated, and Nico fell face-first into the ground. Dusting himself off and cursing, he ran to the source of the scream.

He wasn't prepared for what he saw. In fact, he had half a mind to just run away from there as fast as he can, and forget that that night ever happened. But he stayed. He wasn't that heartless. Slowly, he crept forwards, making sure to stay out of the monsters' sights, lest they try to kill him before he attempted his daring rescue.

A little girl, no more than eleven or twelve, lay huddled in the center of the park. The usual monsters were circling her: dracaenae, hellhounds, Cyclopes, and…

Nico flinched. There was a demigod in the mix.

A boy with black hair, wearing the usual bronze armor and holding a sword, was beating the lights out of the girl. Her long black hair splayed out in sections around her head as she curled up into a fetal position, trying to protect herself from him. From his vantage point, Nico could clearly see the girl's face. A mix of blood and sweat…or was it tears? covered her face. Her midnight-black eyes were strangely open and devoid of life, and her lips were moving in a silent plea for help.

"Stop, please." Nico heard the girl croak out in a sobbing voice.

The boy didn't respond. He only kicked the girl harder, which sent her flying a good three feet away. The monsters howled, and the boy turned to them before giving a curt bow.

Nico wanted to help her. He wanted to beat that demigod within an inch of his life. He wanted to scream and just run there and hack-&-slash. But what good would that do? He thought bitterly. There were maybe thirty monsters there with the boy, perhaps possibly more. Chances are, he would make a mistake, and a monster would get a lucky shot, and he was on a one-way trip to his father.

No, he needed to be smart. Closing his eyes in concentration, he felt the darkness give him a surge of energy; more than enough to do what he was planning, and more. He smiled inwardly as the darkness filled him up with power. He imagined skeletons soldiers pop up of the ground in a circle around the monsters, and another group to arise between the girl and the demigod.

He felt a strange tug on his leg, like something was pulling him downward, and he knew it worked. The screams of battle, and possibly horror, plus the sound of cement cracking and skeletons chattering were proof of it enough. A little tired and weary, Nico walked out of the bushes, and jumped into the battle.

He rolled under the first monster, dodging its swing, and brought his sword up in an arc, slicing a dracaena in two. Nico the turned around, just in time to sidestep a sword, and then ducked from a flurry of arrows that whizzed past his head.

The battle was wearing him down, and Nico knew it; he barely blocked a strike with his sword, before spinning and slicing a hellhound's foot off. The monster howled in pain, right before it was sucked straight into Nico's sword.

The skeletal soldiers were almost gone know, but with them were half of the monsters. Nico almost sighed. Why was he doing this again? Oh yeah, for the girl.

Right.

But he was beginning to lose. As his last skeletal soldier crumbled into ashes, he felt his energy slip away from him. He knew he was a goner. The monsters surrounded him, fangs bared, fists ready, and swords and spears pointed at him. Two dracaenae dragged him up by the arms. Sadistically laughing in glee as he didn't fight their vise-like grip on him. He was just too tired. The cyclops in front of him raises his spear, and Nico frantically thought of a way to get himself free.

"Son of Hades! You will pay for what you did to me in the Titan War!" The cyclops bellowed, raising his spear even higher.

"Huh?" Now Nico was confused. He didn't even meet this cyclops until now. "What in Hades are you talking about?"

"For killing me and my brothers! And now I will finally avenge them!"

"I killed a lot of monsters. Can't remember you though. I think I'd remember somebody with no brain, and definitely no brawn, either. Give you brothers my regards when I send you back to Tartarus the painful way." Nico taunted.

The cyclops smirked, and gave a hearty laugh, which made his armor rattle a little. "I like this one! So full of spirit. But your words are only words, little hero. Nothing more."

The cyclops started bringing down his spear. That's what I get for trying to be a hero. He thought. Hey, it's not that a bad ending. At least I didn't die because Persephone turned me into a flower and accidentally crushed me. That would've been embarrassing. I wonder if my spirit form will be a flower as well? Damn ADHD, focus Nico!

Just before the cyclops' strike impaled him in the heart, it was intercepted by a blade. "Whoa, hold on there. Who do we have here?" the kid in the bronze armor asked. He was staring at Nico in curiosity, and smiled smugly. Nico couldn't help but get irritated a little. He wanted to erase that kid's smile off his face. He wanted to take his own sword and shove it up his a-

"A son of Hades, my lord." A dracaena answered. Nico saw the kid glance in the girls direction for a second, as if thinking of something.

"Very well. Proceed." The kid said dismissively, and then left.

Nico couldn't believe what had just happened. Did somebody actually just diss him? Him, the all-powerful son of the underworld, was just treated like nobody by a total stranger? The cyclops raised his spear again, this time intending to finish what he wanted. Just then, Nico thought of a brilliant idea. Suicidal, but brilliant.

"Prepare to die, demigod." The cyclops roared.

Nico said nothing. He started counting in his head. 1…2…3…4…5…

The cyclops brought the spear down. Nico counted up to ten.

With a scream, a wave of darkness was emitted from his body, disintegrating all monsters with 20 feet of him. Nico let out a mighty scream, which he thought would've been heard all the way to his dad's palace. As the monsters were turned to dust, Nico smiled. I can't believe that worked…

Then, his smile faltered. He eyes glazed over, and he was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

When he woke up, a pair of black eyes was hovering just above him.

"Wha-huh?" he said, rubbing the side of his head. He felt like he had just been through a blender, twice.

"Um, are you okay mister?" The girl asked innocently. It was then that Nico realized that he was sprawled on the ground. He got up groggily, and the girl backed away a little quickly. "Ugh. Remind me never to do that again." He complained to the girl, who just stared at him confusedly. He checked his surroundings, and sighed in relief when he learned that a.) nobody else was there b.) the girl was safe c.) it was still dark d.) He didn't kill himself. The last one was where he inwardly made a happy dance.

"By the way, who are you?" He stared at the girl. She started fidgeting with her hands, which Nico thought were somewhat familiar.

"I'm not supposed to tell strangers." The girl said. Nico smiled, then frowned. "Why were those monsters attacking you?"

"M-monsters" The girl started shaking. "Are you one of them?" she retreated to the safety of the nearest tree, one that had, surprisingly, withstood Nico's little attack.

"No, I'm not." He snipped. He hated when demigods thought that because of the death power that he radiated. Of course he wasn't a monster! Anyone with eyes can see that!

"I'm not." He said more firmly.

"You sure?" The girl asked again. Gods, how Nico wanted to slap this girl upside the head. Did he really look like a monster?

"No!" Nico shouted.

All of the sudden, the girls fell forwards face first into the ground. Scrambling to his feet, Nico rushed over to her. He scooped up the girl, and laid her head on his lap.

"Hey, hey! You alright there, kid? I didn't mean to shout at you, I didn't, really!" Nico shook her, unsure of what to do. Usually, whenever he saw someone like this at camp, he would just call over a medic or an Apollo kid, and not give a shit about it anymore. But that option wasn't available this time. His shadow-travelling was out, since he was too exhausted to even summon a bone. He seriously needed a nap.

"Don't call me…kid." The girl replied, which made Nico smile widely. So he hadn't killed the girl. That was good. HE scooped up the girl in his arms, and with shaky legs, stood up to get to the nearest hospital.

"I'm going to get you some help…kid." Nico was unsure what to call this kid. But for some reason, all thoughts of leaving her to die and saving his energy until he can shadow-travel back to camp left his mind as soon as he saw the kid's face scrunch up in annoyance. So cute…like puppies. He thought with a smile, followed by, what the…? damnit!

"Don't call me kid…Sayra." The girl said weakly. Nico was amazed at how this girl could become from a scared little girl to an annoying waste of time and energy all in a span of three minutes.

"Okay ki-uh, Sayra. Just hold on tight, okay? I'm going to get us to a hospital. Don't…don't die on me. Yeah, don't die on me, because uh…it will be messy, and all that." He knew he was sounding pathetic and morbid, but seeing the situation they were in, it pretty much calls for morbid.

"Shut…up." the girl smirked, right before falling unconscious on his chest.

As Nico crossed the streets, looking for a Hospital, any hospital, he felt himself getting weaker.

"I don't have the strength to continue this…" he murmured to himself, right before his legs gave up on him, and he and Sayra both collapsed.

Finally, my first originalfanfic! I'm so proud of myself. XD

But anyway, since this is only the first chapter, was it good or bad? I don't want to plead for reviews, since that may make me desperate, so just review if you think this story is even worthy of continuing. Adios!