Nasuverse Crossover One-shots

Percy Jackson X Fate

𝕲𝖗𝖔𝖜𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕴𝖒𝖕𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖙

1998

Within the dark castle, a grandfather clock rang at precisely nine o clock. A loud resounding echo could be heard throughout Westover as children scrambled to their dorm rooms, in fear of being caught in the hallways.

The staff began locking all rooms, patrolling for any rule breakers to punish. However, unlike other days, there was no one out and about. The halls were quiet and dark. Not even the air vents could be heard, and the night sky was seemingly empty as well. No sign of any stars or the usual iridescent moon.

Unbeknownst to the school's faculty, one student was still missing from his quarters. A small boy, olive in skin tone with dark hair, sat hidden in a janitor's closet: crouched in the midst of dirty brooms and cleaning solutions, soaked head to toe with stale tomato juice.

The dim overhead light continued to flicker as the boy curled his body inwards. Cold and sticky polyester clung to his skinny frame as the echo of a clock strike vibrated throughout the building; the boy's mind barely registered the sound though, too focused on counting his cards. Shivering, he made sure to carefully look through each one, praying the bullies didn't steal anything. Unfortunately for him, half the deck was now missing, and the older kids stole the good ones like Zeus and Hades, all the high-powered cards he treasured.

Trying to shake tomato chunks off his hair, the young student rose in sudden anger. Tucking away his deck, he kicked the door out of frustration before fiddling with the doorknob.

Locked. Someone had locked the closet already.

Overwhelmed with emotion, the boy broke down crying, wishing he could call out to his sister, wishing he hadn't fought back that morning. He slumped against the door, tired and irritated, waiting for any sound of rescue. And speak of the devil, no more than a second had passed when he heard a rustle of fabric.

Bracing himself with a hand clenched on his chest, he whispered.

"Hello?"

But there was no reply.

Growing impatient, the boy shifted his position to face the door and took in a deep breath. Detention wasn't something he'll look forward to, but anything was better than being found by Mr. Zeppler the next morning. That janitor was rather unsettling to interact with, gave him chills in a way no other teacher or staff member did.

"There's someone he-!"

The boy couldn't finish his sentence for the closet door abruptly opened. He tumbled to the floor, his knees and elbows hitting the marble pretty painfully. Groaning, he slowly picked himself up, ignoring the dull throbbing in his joints. When he finally looked out into the hallway, he was immediately struck by the complete lack of light.

From ahead and behind him, he couldn't see anything but black murkiness. The closet light was the only source of illumination, casting a distorted shadow of his figure onto the walls beside him. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't see if anyone was with him, couldn't see what had caused that noise, and he was certain that someone must have unlocked the door. There couldn't be any other possibility.

What was even stranger was the card lying just a foot away from him. Quickly picking it up, he was relieved to see a familiar hooded figure. Skulls surrounded an opulent throne as dramatic hellfire surrounded a tall form. This Hades card, which was stolen earlier today, lay perfectly undamaged near his hiding spot: almost like it was placed there, right in front of the closet for him to see.

A faint but sardonic laugh cut through the still silence. One by one, the hallway lights turned on, revealing a trail of cards that led to the back exit door. He let his eyes adjust to the abrupt change, unnerved by the whole situation. From where he stood, he could tell they were his cards, and despite his growing trepidation, no spirit or demon can stand in his way from retrieving them.

He took tentative steps forward, gathering all of them until he reached the end, staring out into the night through the door windows. The woods wouldn't have been visible if it weren't for the school's only street light. And above him, the exit sign seemed to create an eerie glow that colored the landscape an ominous red. Squinting his eyes, he could see his own face reflected in the glass pane. There was that scratch on his cheek from being pushed the other day, eye-bags from his insomnia, wet hair from the juice, a dark figure standing near the edge of the woods. . .

A chill ran down his spine. The individual stood only a yard away from him. Once again, he could hear laughter, and this time, it was laced with eagerness.

Hearing this voice three times in a row must mean it's not his imagination, right? Was this mystery person the one returning his cards for him? He still didn't want to go outside to ask, scared of who or what he'll meet. Looking down at his cards, his hands still trembled, this time from fear rather than the cold. He had 24 out of 25 cards. There was one still missing, yet he couldn't remember what it could be. An attack booster maybe? An energy ambrosia crystal or a sacred weapon?

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and decided to count to three. On the last count, he'd venture outside, spend just three minutes searching before he can bolt back. His mind warned him of the strange figure he saw, reminding him of his sister's nefarious ghost tales, but he was braver than how he was before the orphanage, before Westover.

Pinching himself to calm his nerves, he counted till three and burst through the heavy doors. Immediately, he noticed the individual had disappeared. In their place, a bronze card lay slightly hidden under a bush. Despite the lack of moonlight, the card seemed to emit a faint glow. It looked different from the usual style of Mythomagic cards. Its material was thicker and the design more orthodox like tarot cards.

In the center, a malnourished figure is shown kneeling, their arms and legs shackled and chained. Underneath the thin individual read the simple title: Avenger.

A heavy wind blew at his face and hair, threatening to scatter his restored deck. Gripping them tightly in his pocket, he decided to take the mysterious card with him. It wasn't what he was searching for at the moment, but it would serve as a nice replacement, as a sort of memento of this strange night and of the figure who ultimately slipped away.

Taking one last glance at the dark woods, the boy turned, shuffled his new addition into his deck, and ran back inside.

***************************************************************

2007

The large gymnasium was unusually warm and decorated. Balloons, streamers, snacks, and hyper-active children littered the area as speakers continued to blast Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney. The glitter, pranks, and loud music were disorienting enough to distract anyone's attention from the two students on the bleachers. Unlike the other children, they were dressed in dark clothes, huddled far away from everyone else.

They talked in hushed tones and frequently snuck weary glances around them.

"Nico, who were you talking to the other day?" The older girl questioned. Her tone was sharp and accusing as she stared at the other boy much like a tired mother would.

"Was he or she the reason why Dr. Thorn didn't approach us yesterday?"

The boy across from her held his head down, shuffling his cards in annoyance. Nico didn't want to have this conversation again, of having to listen to his sister scold him for something he didn't do.

"Bianca, I told you already. It was the Count."

He continued his mindless shuffling, ignoring his sister's exasperated groan. Bianca threw her hands in the air, her brow scrunched in disbelief. "Not this again. You're already ten and still having imaginary friends!?"

That comment struck a nerve within him.

"He is real! You just can't see him cause you don't have any magical energy-"

"Children."

Bianca almost fell off her seat, startled at the new voice. Looking up from the brim of her hat, she could see a toothy grin, belonging to no other than the most despicable Vice-Principal known to man.

"Dr. Thorn," she gasped in horror.

"You two are in so much trouble today," the man drawled, eyeing the siblings in triumph."A classmate just told me he was pushed into the lake the other day. Says Nico here had done it."

Banca shot her brother a look of disappointment which was returned with an angry frown. He silently mouthed "liar" as he gripped his cards tighter, silently shooting the adult dark glares.

"You both are coming with me."

Ignoring their frantic questions, the interloper grabbed both students by the scruff of their necks, forcefully dragging them towards the nearest exit. Nico pleaded for his innocence, insisting someone else had done it, while Bianca tried to shift the blame on herself, feeling responsible as his older sister. The man only ignored their protests, prompting the two children to drag their feet, struggling to free themselves from his grip to no avail.

Only when they reached the main entry hall did Nico finally realize they were being led outside, into a frozen wasteland no less.

His breathing shallowed, vision rapidly blurring as his mind grew panicked. The boy could vaguely hear the sound of rapid footsteps, but he paid it no mind. The remaining cards in his pocket, the ones that hadn't fallen on the gym floor, felt unusually heavy and hot. Heat continued to sear into his leg until the strange sound of shattered glass resounded throughout the empty hall. The loud noise disrupted Dr. Thorn's focus, causing him to pause in confusion, scanning the building once more before opening the large double doors.

A wave of frosty air hit the man's face as he trudged through the heavy snow, his small captives still struggling against his grasp. With each step, the snow crunched under his weight. Snowflakes danced in a frenzy, and birds cooed softly to comfort the crying winds. The naked trees were cold to the touch as the captor fumbled his way through the dark, searching for a dim-lit path. However, now five feet deep in the woods and there seemed to be no sign of any man-made trail. The sounds of howling wind and chattering critters had suspiciously died, and the air around them felt suffocating.

Dr. Thorn wiped his forehead of his accumulated sweat, frantically searching in all directions, only to be met with more trees.

It was official, they were lost.

The siblings internally cried with worry, and to the older man, having to blindly wander the dark and cold reminded him of a certain dungeon he vowed never to return to.

His skin itched at the thought, and his mind was bombarded with the urge to shed his disguise. . . To run on all fours, fast enough to escape this never-ending banquet of bark and snow.

His body trembled at the thought.

Then out of the blue, a deep and taunting voice called out from the murky darkness.

"Afraid aren't you?"

The tired man looked around him in alarm, looking for the source of the sound to no avail. He unconsciously tightened his fingers around empty air, the feeling of impending dread slowly taking over him. . . 'Wait, empty air?' The man thought. His head whiplashed behind him to see his captives have vanished, yet no footprints were visible that would mark their escape.

"You're afraid of falling back into hell, correct? All that endless torment and suffering," the mysterious voice drawls.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Thorn let out a low growl. He had just about enough of all these unpleasant surprises. "Show yourself coward!" He yelled. "You don't know who you're dealing with do you!?"

Brief silence ensued, heightening the sound of reedy winds and heavy breathing.

"hahaha."

"hahahahahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Loud derisive laughter filled the immediate area, ending on a rather raspy crescendo.

"I know I'm dealing with nothing but a pathetic animal, hiding behind its paper skin and insecurities."

Somehow, the night grew impossibly more tenebrous or maybe it was the Thorn's imagination? He couldn't tell left from right. His breathing shallowed, mind becoming disorientated and fraught with fear. He was trapped, that he could tell for sure, as if he were sealed within a sensory water tank.

The voice spoke again.

"Reveal myself you say? Sure, I can do that, but why don't you reveal yourself first? Shed that awful disguise show me the real you."

Thorn's body cracked and popped, slowly transforming into that of a furry scaly hybrid. All the while, the monster's body grew uncontrollably pained. Skin and organs felt like they were on fire, the feeling of despair churning and corrupting his remaining sanity. Scorching blue flames danced around his large form, growing closer by the second.

"Ah don't you just hate it! How unfair the world is! For a sad creature like you, maybe being consumed by my poisonous flames will ease your horrid existence." The monster wailed in agony as his body was burnt through, his remains finally collapsing in ashes, soul ripped in pieces and forever gone. Red eyes closely watched the scene unfold, as a hat was tipped in mocking remembrance. . .

"Alas, the claws of despair had to be your undoing. Even with how despicable you are, may your soul forever rest in the sea of nothingness."

"Are you two okay?"

Annabeth rushed towards the lamplight, where two students sat crouched in the snow. The girl had her arms gingerly wrapped around the smaller preteen, who seemed hypnotized by something he held in his hands. She gave a small nod towards their direction, acknowledging their arrival, and softly nudged the younger boy with her elbow.

"We're fine," Bianca quietly answered. She briefly glanced at the boy with green eyes, his black hair shaped like a birds nest due to heavy winds. She remembers him chasing after her and Nico in the halls.

The blonde girl and the rest of her entourage looked concerned and puzzled as they whispered to each other, sometimes pointing fingers at the other preteens or the woods. Ultimately, Grover decided to approach them.

"Do you know what happened to the Vice Principal?"

Bianca stood, dusting off the snow on her clothes. Next to her, Nico tucked away his card, no longer tranced. "He vanished, didn't see where he went." Next to him, his sister seemed to hesitate, her eyes and hands trembling, before she finally nodded in agreement.

"Not just vanish but its very existence was burned away," a newcomer corrected. A small teenage girl emerged from the thick trees, her stern silver eyes scrutinizing the siblings. Behind her, a group of young girls trailed diligently, their arrows at the ready.

The other group of teens grew alarmed at their arrival. Thalia, the one dressed in all black, narrowed her eyes, whispering "hunters" in a harsh accusing tone. One of the hunters, tall and olive in skin tone, stood slightly ahead of her silver eyed leader. Her body posture was settled in a protective stance.

"Demigods, my lady. Greek ones."

The smaller girl nodded with little interest. "Very perceptive Zoe. They're Chiron's campers," she murmured as she grew closer to the huddled siblings. Her height being around the same as Nico's allowed the boy to admire her ethereal beauty. However, her stare was remorseless and cold, paralyzing him on the spot.

"Child, what did you do?"

The question was succinct and demanding. Nico willed himself to appear cool and aloof but his sister quickly stepped in front of him, her tone defensive and rough.

"My brother didn't do anything." Bianca struggled to keep her voice steady as she didn't sound very convincing at the moment. "And what's with you calling him a child! When you look no older than him." A pause was given for good measure before she weakly spat out "brat" as an extra insult.

A chorus of small gasps erupted from the armed girls scouts, the loudest coming from the second in command. Zoe knocked her arrow towards Bianca, face scrunched in fury. "My lady, permission to compromise this fool? How dare this mortal insult you like that! Does she not know who you are!"

"So please, tell us then! Who is she then?" Percy stepped up in anger, a bronze sword aimed at the potential attacker. "Trying to kill her over a silly insult. . . That's a bit too much ain't it?"

"You-."

"Enough." The smaller girl fixed her windswept auburn hair before calmly introducing herself. "I am Artemis. Goddess of the hunt and moon."

The silence that reigned afterwards was far too telling. Grover went on his knees, begging the goddess for forgiveness while the rest of his group just looked perplexed, unsure how to proceed. Bianca looked skeptical, but next to her, Nico was struggling to hide his bursting enthusiasm.

"Of course, the goddess of the hunt and moon! We've been expecting you," Nico announced dramatically. Bianca looked like she wanted to intervene but refrained from doing so.

The small boy stepped forward, arms crossed and face filled with determination.

"I did in fact slay that monster."

All heads turned to him.

"My burning stygian passion and my unkept powers of darkness ripped right through his form. Forever banishing his soul to nothingness."

It took a few seconds for everyone to process his response. Several people snorted while Percy tried his best to contain his giggles. Thalia, on the other hand, let her laughter to be heard. "Sure kid, I'm sure you did a number on him with your small form," she mocked.

The goddess remained silent, eyeing the young demigod with uncertainty. "Yes, I'm sure you did, son of Hades."

Zoe cleared her throat to gain her attention. "My lady, pardon me, but is pursuing that monster's disappearance really worthwhile right now?" Behind her, the rest of the hunters shuffled their feet, restless from the cold.

Artemis' eyes grew soft and she nodded her head in understanding. She turned to the siblings once more. "I am sorry for this sudden interrogation. Knowing the ins and outs of these woods and the dangers present is important to us." Her girls murmured in agreement."We will set up camp out up ahead. You children are free to join us as guests."

With her last words spoken, the hunters huddled together to discuss their camping plans. Percy and the rest of the campers agreed to follow, largely due to Grover's pleas.

"Did she say Hades?" Nico asked no one in particular. His breathing was heavy, eyes shining with amazement while his sister, gave out a shaky sigh, rubbing her temples to calm her nerves.

"This is too much. . . Everything is just too much!" She sharply whispered. The other teens looked on in concern until Thalia laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What the goddess said is true." Her voice grew more serious. "You two are demigods. Half mortal, half god."

". . . We . . . my brother and I are children. . . children of Hades then?" Bianca glanced down at Nico, noticing his starstruck expression. His right hand was also shoved into his pocket. She knew for sure he was gripping that blasted Avenger card of his.

She shuddered. Was her brother? No, was that "imaginary friend" of his also a product of their heritage? All that hellfire and dramatic villain monologue, was all that because of their dad? She shut her eyes, willing an incoming headache to fade away.

Nico broke out in exuberant laughter, over the hills about their new discovery. The blonde and the dumber looking boy beside her seemed amused by this reaction, chuckling in response to his joy.

Bianca, on the other hand, was very worried.

She had tried her best during all those years at the orphanage and Westover: tried her best to be a good sister. And for that sole reason, she was compartmentalizing as best as she could. How could she not when she was bombarded by the reveal of the supernatural: multiple times by now.

Her brother was just eccentric. That was what she initially believed, but now?

Her mind flashed to cold red eyes, moving shadows, and a familiar smirk that now seemed so alien to her. . . She didn't know what to make of Nico anymore.

Lifting her head, she stared at the hunters as they began their trek northwards. Artemis, an actual bonafide goddess could be seen leading the troupe, her powerful form emitting ease and comfort amongst her warriors. And without warning, said deity suddenly glanced back at her, wise ancient eyes boring into her soul.

Bianca sighed.

She didn't know what to make of her life anymore either. . .