[Edited April 21, 2023]

[For everyone who forgot that Alfred was a badass, please see the evidence above.]

Nico decided to wait until the next day to travel to the Roman Camp. He hoped that the image of the camp in his dreams would be enough of an emotional anchor to get him there. If it didn't, there was a very high chance he could end up in China again. That was a risk that he would have to take.

He told Bruce that his mission from his father required him in California again, and Nico had to convince the older man to let him go. It took a lot of convincing and talking about the different emergency protocols that Bruce had in place if anything were to go wrong. Some of those protocols seemed to be created specifically for him. 

For instance, NA 2147 was his code to override the magic dampeners in the Batcave, and NA 3896 would let him into any of Bruce's safe houses around the country (many of which he had been forced to memorize). Bruce was very thorough and wouldn't allow him to go off on his own before he recited all of the emergency contact numbers, a list of safe houses in and around California, and the address of one of the safehouses in China just in case.

It was annoying, but Nico also had to admit that he understood where the man was coming from. Bruce dealt with super-powered people all the time as Batman and he knew very well the potential dangers that were involved with magics such as Nico's. He had also seen what Nico's powers could do to him when he overused them. He had every right to be cautious. When the son of Hades had finally gotten permission, it was well after lunch. He decided to shadow travel as soon as possible and left around 3 pm. He landed in what seemed to be a grand amphitheater and was grateful that it seemed to be empty—sort of.

Only mere seconds after he arrived, he was confronted by an armless statue whose special effects arsenal consisted of sulfur bursts and a strict handle on the rules.

"You! Graecus scum! How did you get here?" An angry-looking statue had popped out of nowhere and was interrogating him. Nico had been ready for angry Romans, monsters, scared Chinese people, or something along those lines. He had not been prepared for this.

"I..." The impatient thing cut him off.

"Never mind. You know that weapons are forbidden past the Pomeranian line! Give them to my assistant. Where is that girl? Julia?!" The being called. He barely even stopped to breathe. Did he need to breathe? He wasn't exactly alive, but he was still a god of some kind. Did he still breathe? A young girl came skipping over with a tray, presumably for his weapons. There was already an odd assortment of weapons on the tray, such as a handgun-- it looked like a modern model-- a gladius, a weird-looking glove that might channel magic, and an odd-looking coin.

"Well, put your weapons in the box, boy." The statue said impatiently.

"Everyone will be weaponless?" He asked as he slowly moved to take off his sword. If the answer was no, then he would have to leave. There was no way that he was going to meet a group of armed Romans empty-handed.

"Yes, yes. Do I look like I tolerate rule-breakers? Anyone who crosses the Pomeranian line must be unarmed," the statue said even more impatiently. Nico decided to do as he said. As long as he stayed inside the lines, he had a chance at survival.

"Your knife too," he sighed. Nico dropped it in the bin.

"Very well, I am the guardian of New Rome. Terminus, god of boundaries. What brings you here, graecus?"

" I am an ambassador of Pluto and I wish to speak peacefully with the praetors. I would appreciate it if you asked them to meet me here," he asked politely. Terminus seemed to consider this-- his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I have already informed them of your presence. They should be here in a couple of minutes." The god poofed out, leaving Nico coughing and gagging. The smoke smelled like rotten eggs.

 True to god's word, a couple of minutes later, he could hear a group of people approaching. He should have known that they wouldn't come alone. There seemed to be several footsoldiers and a strange-looking boy with teddy bears on his belt with the two people from his dream. Nico decided he didn't like him, on sight.

"Greetings, intruder. Please explain to us why we should not have you killed for trespassing." The girl, Reyna, called out when she saw the son of Hades. Her soldiers were standing in a formation behind her and the blond boy from his dreams.

"Ahh, greetings, praetors. Believe me; I did not wish to intrude. My father, Pluto, sent me here to scope out the camp. His daughter is undergoing the trials as we speak and will soon request to join the army. I suppose he wished to know the facilities." Nico shrugged. He was trying to come off with the message that he was just following orders. Romans seemed to like obedient soldiers.

"I see. Terminus has informed us that you claimed to be an ambassador of Pluto?" She questioned, coming several steps closer. She seemed regal, for some reason, older beyond her years.

"That is correct," he confirmed.

"If this is so, you might be able to explain what is going on with the monsters," Reyna prompted.

"Ah, so you've experienced it here too," he murmured.

"It is occurring in other places as well?" Reyna questioned.

"Death is universal. The monsters just aren't seeming to stay dead. They don't seem to be the only thing either," he agreed. Nico couldn't very well tell them that the recruit was one of the undead.

"Oh really? Are all the animals coming back as well?" The teddy bear boy scoffed. It was strange to him that this boy wouldn't believe the possibility of rebirth. It wasn't like it was unheard of in the myths, especially from someone dressed in a child's bedroom.

"Octavian," Rayna warned. The boy scowled but shut up anyway, though it was clear that he didn't respect her authority.

"Praetor, would you mind taking this conversation... somewhere more private?" He suggested, motioning deeper into the amphitheater. Reyna hesitated momentarily before looking at the blond boy for his thoughts. He shrugged.

"Very well. Jason and I will accompany you alone. However, I must warn you, should you try anything, the consequences will be severe," Reyna warned.

"Noted," he assured her.

 Nico had no plans of starting anything. Reyna led him through the passageways, and Jason followed along behind them. It was meant to seem like a casual group, but it was really just another formation. Reyna stopped in a room that looked like a miniature colosseum. For senate meetings, no doubt.

"Alright, is this private enough for you?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"Yes, thank you. You were right, Jason. The monsters aren't staying dead. Though, I'm sure Octavian couldn't show you anything from the gods about it, though, could he?" Nico jumped right in.

"How could you know that? Were you listening in on us? Who are you?" Jason looked angry.

"I had a dream the other night. You two were arguing about informing the people about the monsters. You settled for consulting a boy named Octavian. I am assuming that Octavian, and the one with the stuffed animal obsession, are one and the same. I didn't really want to listen in on you, but you know demigod dreams," he supplied. The pair nodded, temporarily satisfied.

"How about you tell us who you are?" Reyna suggested.

"I am Nico di Angelo, son of Pluto."

"Reyna."

"Jason Grace." It was then that it hit him. Jason had the same eyes as Thalia.

"Jason, you aren't a child of Jupiter, are you?" He asked, trying to hide his disbelief. No way he and Thalia were blood siblings. A Roman and a Greek in the same family? Was Zeus out of his mind?

"How did you know that?" He asked defensively.

"Lucky guess. Your eyes are a dead giveaway." He covered his mistake easily. Jason looked uneasy, but the answer satisfied him for now.

"So are yours. Pitch black," Jason told him, looking uncomfortable. His eyes sometimes looked like a solid mass of black in certain lighting. In good lighting, Nico's eyes appeared coffee brown instead.

"Yeah, it's just the lighting. It makes me look kind of intimidating so it's useful sometimes," he agreed.

"I've never met another child of the strongest gods," Jason continued.

"I like to call them the big three, myself. I've met three others. One was a drifter, who made me promise not to tell people about who she was, and the other two were my sisters." He chose to leave Percy out.

"Sisters?" Jason asked, surprised.

"Yes, one was blood-related. She fell to a monster before we realized who our father was. Then there is my half-sister, the one who wants to enter this camp," he explained.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Jason said. The son of Hades waved him off.

"Anyway, you said that it wasn't just monsters that are coming back quickly," Reyna cut back in.

"Right. I've seen at least one demigod be able to come back from the dead," he reported. The teens in front of him stared in disbelief.

"How is that possible?" Jason finally asked.

"I don't know. My father has me searching for clues," he lied. "I was hoping that you might know something I could use to help me." 

"What about your sister? Is she on this case too?" Reyna questioned.

"Definitely not. Her powers don't have to do with the dead-- it would seem. Pluto wanted to keep her safe, so he wants her to come here. I have her letters of recommendation if you wish to see them."

"I will take them, and her admittance will be reviewed," Reyna agreed. Nico handed her the documents. He'd gotten them from Diana during her brief stay at the manor. He'd told her he needed them for a Roman demigod he'd found during his travels. She hadn't questioned it.

"You mentioned that you knew the gods didn't respond to our questions," Jason spoke up again.

"Yes, it would seem that Olympus is on a sort of lockdown. No prayers are going through," the son of Hades explained.

"That would explain why the auguries are going unanswered," Jason agreed.

"I agree. Nico, are you wanting to join the army?" Reyna asked suddenly.

"No, I'd rather keep acting as an Ambassador for Pluto, if you don't mind." There was no way that he could join the Army. Even if he wanted to, they would figure him out somehow eventually, and he would be in trouble. There were also too many rules. He didn't do well with structure, though he knew some demigods who needed it.

"Very well. You may come and go as you wish... for now. There may come a time when that privilege is revoked," Reyna informed him. Nico nodded in acceptance-- he had expected as much. It seemed like there was something big on the horizon, and trust was going to become a commodity.

"Where do I go to get my weapons back? I really must be going. My father will be expecting my report." He checked his watch for emphasis. It was almost time for dinner in Gotham, and he didn't want to be too late. While Bruce had drilled him on the emergency protocols, he didn't want to worry the older man for no reason.

"Here, we will lead the way," Jason chuckled in a less than humorous manner. The trek to the place where they had left the others was silent. It would seem that Octavian was either asleep or meditating. He was awoken, and they led him the rest of the way out of the no-weapons zone. Terminus seemed less than happy to give him his weapons back.

"Thank you very much. I shall be off now." Nico promptly stepped backward into the shadows of the pillar behind him, and shadow traveled home. He wasn't dead, so he was pleased by how the meeting had gone. Nico arrived back at the manor-- in his seat this time. Dinner was well underway by now, and basically, everyone had finished eating.

"Ah! Nico. I see you're getting better with your aim. How does that work anyhow?" Bruce asked, genuinely curious.

"The shadow traveling? Well, I picture a place in my mind or an address and will myself to be there. I... wish to be there, almost." He explained.

"What is the actual traveling like?" Damian questioned.

"Well, it's very uncomfortable. It's cold, there are screams of the lost souls all around you, and your body undergoes a lot of G-force. Most people throw up the first time they try it," Nico tried to describe it as best he could. The first time he had taken Percy, the son of Poseidon, hadn't liked it all that much.

"That sounds... horrible," Dick sounded appalled.

"I've gotten used to it."

"How?" Bruce sounded concerned.

"I guess that I've just gotten used to it through years of exposure. Plus it's not as bad as listening to the damned souls in the fields of punishment-- trust me. My room is right above them."

"Wow, aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Jason took a drink of his soda. Nico must have been more tired than he thought because he found it very hard to remain awake for the rest of the meal. He finished part of his meal before dismissing himself to his room to take a nap. Of course, he dreamed. This time he dreamt that Octavian was warning the praetors that he was a Greek spy.

"How can you let him come and go as he pleases?! Are you insane?" Octavian was shouting at Reyna. Silver and gold bloodhounds sat at her sides. Those were new and Nico didn't think that he liked them all that much. There was something especially sinister about those ruby eyes. They seemed to have minds of their own.

"No, Octavian, I am not insane. I am simply keeping my enemies closer. He will have to prove that we can trust him like everyone else." Reyna assured him. Reyna sounded far older than she seemed, but Nico knew better than just about anyone that appearances can be deceiving. Was this wisdom won through age or experience? The years that shone through her eyes didn't give him any clues.

"Very well. Though if this goes wrong, this was all your idea." Octavian threatened. Reyna's hounds growled viciously, and Octavian retreated. Reyna sighed tiredly.

"Do you really think this Nico guy can be trusted?" Jason asked, coming out from the hallway.

"I think I will want my hounds around when we meet him next time. Then we will know if he is lying or not," Reyna replied.

"I don't think he's telling us the full truth, at least." Jason sat at the long oak table in the center of the room. The fireplace cast a dull light around the dim room.

"Agreed. I don't sense that he is a threat, however," Reyna said thoughtfully.

"I sense a lot of darkness, but that may just be because of his heritage," Jason agreed. "He seems dangerous, but I don't exactly feel... threatened. You know?"

"I do as well. We'll have to keep an eye on him." Jason nodded in agreement. 

Reyna's hounds turned to look his dream-walking form dead in the eyes, and he awoke in a cold sweat. It took him a moment to realize that someone was shaking him roughly. It was Bruce, and he must have been trying for quite a while because the entire family was gathered around him. He tried not to feel too bitter about them entering without permission, it was probably just out of concern. They wouldn't normally invade his space like that.

"We thought you were in a coma," Damian announced. That was a sobering thought, but he was too tired to comprehend it.

"Yeah? Cool," he said sleepily.

"You can't seriously be tired. You slept for 3 hours." Jason insisted.

"Time is fluid in dreams. Plus, demigod dreams aren't very restful," Nico explained.

"I need to go to camp. There are a couple of people in the Hypnos cabin that I think I need to talk to." He said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"Why?" Bruce sounded confused. His face showed that he was worried the son of Hades was hiding something important. He wasn't wrong.

"They can help with dream control." That technically wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. He didn't just want them to teach him how to control his dreams, he wanted them to tell him how to talk to others through their dreams. It would be a way to talk to Hazel long-distance, or Annabeth, or even Percy.

"You think that they will help?" Bruce questioned skeptically, Nico couldn't blame him. The children of minor gods were often the type of people that only did things for their own personal gain. 

Making deals with them, especially the children of Nemesis, could backfire in horrific ways. Not all of it came from the temperament of their parents, either. A lot of that hatred and anger stemmed from the way that they were still being treated by both the gods and even the other demigods. With so many super-powerful and famous demigods at camp, it was hard for anyone else to get recognition and the children of minor gods were basically ignored entirely. It was completely unfair and Nico sympathized with them. Even he'd rather be hated than ignored.

"Oh yeah. They're pretty nice. I just need to talk to Clovis," Nico assured him. The children of Hypnos were different. For one, they probably didn't even notice the injustice because they were asleep so often and even if they did, it wouldn't bother them too much. Children of Hypnos were content to be ignored and many actually preferred it because then there wouldn't be anyone to pull them out of their dreams.

"Can't you just Iris Message him?" Dick cut in.

"Not the Hypnos cabin 'cause... here. I'll just show you why." Nico knew that he didn't need to IM the cabin, but he wanted to make sure that the boy in question was even still there. He was talking about his mom sending him to boarding school at some point so it was possible that he had been sent away already. Nico went into his bathroom and turned on the light. He set the prism on the vanity and through some currency through the rainbow that appeared on his vanity.

"Oh, Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the Hypnos cabin, camp half-blood." A milky image formed that slowly cleared. It gave way to the vision of an entire cabin of kids who were fast asleep in their bunks. White noise was coming from somewhere and someone said something that sounded like cornbread.

"CLOVIS!" Nico yelled, startling the bat fam.

The boy closest to us shifted and whispered, "That's my name, don't wear... me...out." And fell back into a deep sleep. No one else in the cabin even acknowledged the sound.

"See." I gestured.

"Are they all asleep?" Jason questioned, sounding creeped out.

"Yeah, we sometimes have to remind them to eat and shower and all that—quite the dependent bunch. The only way you'll get help from a child of Hypnos is to be there in person. Stay too long, and you'll pass out too." Nico watched their sleeping forms for a couple more moments before swiping his hand through the image.

"So all they do is sleep? Doesn't that mess with their so-called demigod instincts?" Bruce pressed.

"Well, what they're really doing is dreaming. They can contact any other sleeping person through their dreams. They can send or receive messages this way. As for the instincts, they never really get this lazy until after they get to camp as I have seen. I actually brought one of the youngest Hypnos girls to camp, Stacy. She was fairly alert then." He recalled. Bruce nodded thoughtfully.

"That branch, at the back. What was dripping from it?" Tim asked, breaking his silence. Nico glanced at him, not really comfortable with the attention-- or the question.

"Water from the river lethe."

"Wait, the river that wipes your memories? Why is it at camp?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"Well, it only wipes your memories if it touches your skin. Plus, we can weaponize it if we needed to." He countered. Nico knew that it sounded bad but it made sense in a way.

"Fair enough," Tim accepted.

"Weaponize it?" Bruce questioned.

"Sure, coat your arrows or blades with the stuff. Anyone you touch forgets everything. I've never used it. I was against it, but my opinion got overruled. I wouldn't wish that on anyone except maybe Kronos or other supremely evil beings. Percy and I brainwashed a titan once," He mentioned offhandedly.

"You what?" Bruce asked in shock.

"Oh yeah. We told him his name was Bob. Long story. Kronos is the worst of them, though."

"You sound like you've met him," Jason chuckled. He sat on the side of the younger's bathtub.

"Well, not personally. Though he did lead the titan war," He said, bitterness coating his voice.

"Wait, like Kronos. For real? The titan?" Came his incredulous reply.

"Yes. The titan of time. We lost a lot of good Demigods in that fight. I felt many of their souls leave their bodies myself. Silena, Beckendorf, Michael, Luke, Ethan, Castor, and so many more. They died too young." Nico rested his hands on either side of the sink and into the rainbow as he spoke. It felt like he was telling himself about the heroes of the war.

Dick rested his hand on the son of Hades' shoulder, and their eyes met in the mirror.

"Tell me about them-- the demigods in the war," Bruce said tentatively.

"Alright, but let's move to the living room at least. I won't talk about them in my bathroom," Nico said adamantly.

"Ok, let's go."

Once they had all gotten settled, Nico started up with his explanation, "Ok, first up: Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite. The traitor." he started, "She was... seduced... I guess by Luke Castellan. So she became a spy for him when he betrayed us. She switched sides for us after he became the host for Kronos. She died to a drakon while pretending to be Clarisse, a daughter of Ares. She died a hero."

"Charles Beckendorf, son of Hephestus. Selena's boyfriend and the real reason that she changed sides. He died on a mission that he and Percy were on. He blew up Luke's ship and half of Kronos' army along with it. Percy made it out, but Beckendorf didn't and Percy thinks that it's his fault to this day."

"Michael Yew, son of Apollo. He died when Percy blew up the bridge. The waves he called up broke the foundations and the rigging of the bridge, creating a gap between Kronos's army and our own. In either Percy's wave or the collapse of the bridge, Michael fell off. Percy feels responsible. Michael had talent, and he was brave." The demigod's hand went to the beaded necklace around his neck. His fingers habitually fiddled with the beads from the summer of the titan war. It seemed like it had happened an eternity ago, but not even a year had passed yet.

"Ethan Nakamura, son of Nemesis," Nico continued.

"The boy who traded his eye for a wish?" Damian asked, for once not sounding skeptical. He nodded in agreement.

"He was in Luke's... Kronos' army. He almost killed Annabeth and tried to kill Percy twice. In the end, he attempted to kill Kronos himself and was flung off the top of Olympus. He got his wish, though. Percy was given a wish at the end of the war-- the offer of godhood. He turned it down and instead made the gods swear that they had to claim their children by age 12. So no more demigods would feel abandoned, like Luke or Ethan." Nico's voice was dry-- he couldn't let himself cry or he wouldn't be able to stop. So much pointless death.

"Luke. Luke Castellan, son of Hermes. He felt abandoned by his father. He felt used by the gods, which isn't uncommon for people like us. Having begun to reform in Tartarus, Kronos latched onto his dreams and convinced him to help him rise. So he did. I won't get into the entire thing-- the entire story spanned over 5 summers. He took Kronos into himself and became his host. In the end, he killed himself to save the rest of us. He died a hero's death after all." Nico leaned back in the chair. He absentmindedly brought out his dagger and picked at the engravings. He didn't want to make eye contact right now.

"Castor, one of the twin sons of Dionysus. The only demigod children the wine god had that I know of. I don't know how he died. I just felt it when it happened. There are many more like that.-- where I felt them die, but I didn't know how. Missy, daughter of Demeter. Ty, son of Ares. Jayden, daughter of Apollo. Sarah, unclaimed. Allen, unclaimed. Justice, unclaimed, from Kronos's army. And so many others. Half left unclaimed, if not more. The gods have gotten better at keeping their promises, but they are forgetful beings. They will soon forget again," he finished.

"You felt them all, didn't you?" Bruce asked. His tone made it a statement.

"Every death during the final summer of the war, yes. And many even before that. Enemies, friends, strangers-- I felt them all. Death is universal-- it doesn't choose sides. I burned their death shrouds and begged my father to grant them passage." Nico's voice sounded hollow, even to himself.

"Nico, can you feel people dying all the time?" Bruce asked gently. Something wet dripped onto his hand, and it wasn't until then that he realized he had started crying. He didn't bother wiping the tear away-- there was no shame in mourning such needless loss.

"Not anymore. Now I only feel it if it's someone I know or if they're close to me, I've learned to block the rest of them out, but it took years of practice. Mrs. Dial, a couple of blocks over, is dying right now. She feels at peace, having lived a long and purposeful life."

"That's horrible!" Dick cried out, his face scrunched in both horror and disgust.

"Why? She's happy about it, surrounded by family. She is a pure spirit. She'll make Elysium for sure."

"Is there anything we can do?" Dick asked.

"No," he snapped, "it is her time. You'd do well not to cheat death." Nico sighed apologetically, "I'm sorry, but the fates have cut her string."

"They actually do that?" Jason asked, horrified.

"Oh yes. They know that you aren't dead," Nico pointed at him.

"What are they going to send you to collect me?"

"They might."

"Will you?" Jason --observed the younger boy he would go for self-preservation, he knew-- just as any human being would.

"No! Of course not!" Jason still looked horrified.

"How are you still sane, feeling all that death? Listening to the screams of the dead and the lost. How do you manage it?" Bruce questioned, sounding disgusted and fascinated at the same time.

"After a while, you're just desensitized to it, I guess. I can sense when their time is up-- I just do my best to help them move on. People may hate me for my powers, but they are often necessary." .

"Hate you?" Tim spoke up.

"Oh yeah, half of the camp hates me for what I can do. They call me a freak and a monster. I don't care."

"That's horrible," Dick whispered. He shrugged. It hurt, but it didn't matter.

"Death powers are taboo in hundreds of cultures. I can't exactly blame people for being wary of me," Nico shrugged.

"Still..." Dick didn't seem convinced.

"Is that why you were in Gotham in the first place instead of at camp?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, I was on my way to the underworld when I got pulled off course or something and ended up in Gotham. I didn't want to stay at camp where it was clear people were only tolerating me."

"I know it may not mean much, but I'm glad you got pulled off course. It landed you with us." Bruce gave him a meaningful look. Nico considered this with a soft smile.

"Yeah, me too. I think I'm ready to make it official if that's ok with you?" Nico murmured, glancing at the older man questioningly. He didn't know what he'd do if Bruce had decided to rescind his offer. Mr. Wayne just smiled and gave him a pleased nod.

"I have the paperwork all completed, I was just waiting for your word. I'll start the process first thing in the morning. Welcome to the family, Nico."

{Whooo! Nico's being officially adopted! Also, is anyone else excited about the new PJO series that's supposed to be coming out soon? I have hope!]