Chapter 23: The Power of Hades

As their eyes held across the training ground, Percy felt something shift within him. The admiration he'd felt watching Nico's display was transforming, evolving into something deeper, more complex. It wasn't just respect for a skilled fighter; it was attraction, desire—a need to be near that power, to bask in it, to submit to it.

For a moment, Percy forgot that the body Nico inhabited had once been his own, that the strength and skill being displayed had been stolen from him. In that moment, all he saw was Nico—powerful, confident, victorious—and all he felt was a desperate longing to belong to him.

And in that moment, Hades finally answered.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, a subtle vibration at first that quickly intensified. Campers stumbled, reaching for each other to maintain balance. The sky darkened as though clouds had suddenly blotted out the sun, but when Percy looked up, he saw only an unnatural darkness spreading across the blue expanse.

A cold wind swept across the training ground, carrying the scent of earth and decay. The grass beneath their feet withered and browned in an expanding circle around a central point, where the shadows seemed to coalesce and deepen.

"What's happening?" someone cried out, their voice thinned by fear.

Percy knew. Somehow, he knew exactly what was happening, and his heart raced with a mixture of dread and anticipation. He watched as the darkness gathered, twisting and writhing until it formed a towering pillar of shadow.

The pillar solidified, taking shape—broad shoulders, a regal bearing, features that were both handsome and terrible in their severity. Hades, Lord of the Underworld, stood before them, his presence a weight that pressed against Percy's chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Silence fell over the training ground. Even the birds had ceased their songs, as though afraid to draw the attention of the death god. Hades stood tall, clad in robes of deepest black that seemed to absorb the light around him. His skin was pale as alabaster, his eyes dark pits that held the secrets of eternity.

His gaze swept over the assembled campers, lingering momentarily on Percy before settling on Nico, who still stood in the center of the training ground, victorious from his combat display.

"Nico di Angelo," Hades spoke, his voice resonating through the air, through the ground, through Percy's very bones. "My son."

Nico straightened, his posture shifting from triumphant warrior to something else—something more regal, more befitting a prince of the Underworld. "Father," he acknowledged, his voice steady despite the extraordinary circumstances.

Hades moved forward, each step leaving the grass beneath his feet dead and gray. The campers parted before him, none daring to stand in his path. As he approached Nico, a dark aura began to surround them both, a pulsing nimbus of shadow that separated them from the rest of the world.

"I have watched you," Hades said, his voice carrying easily despite the strange acoustics of the shadow barrier. "I have seen what you have become."

Percy, standing at the edge of the crowd, felt a chill run through him. Did Hades know what Nico had done? What they had done together? The thought made his cheeks burn with shame, yet he couldn't look away from the scene unfolding before him.

"You have claimed power not rightfully yours," Hades continued, his expression unreadable. "You have manipulated. Deceived. Stolen."

Nico's confidence faltered momentarily, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "Father, I—"

Hades raised a hand, silencing him. "And in doing so," he said, his voice taking on a new tone, something almost like approval, "you have proven yourself worthy of your birthright."

Confusion rippled through the crowd. Percy felt it mirrored in his own heart. This wasn't the condemnation he had expected—it was something else entirely.

"The power you have taken," Hades said, gesturing toward Nico's new form, "impressive as it may be, is but a fraction of what is rightfully yours as a son of the Underworld."

Hades raised his hands, and darkness gathered between his palms, swirling and condensing until it formed a sphere of pure black energy. "I bestow upon you your birthright, Nico di Angelo. The power of the Underworld. The dominion over shadow and death. The authority that is your due as my son."

The sphere floated from Hades' hands toward Nico, who stood transfixed, his expression a mixture of awe and hunger. As the sphere reached him, it expanded, enveloping him in darkness so complete that for a moment, he disappeared from view entirely.

Percy watched, heart pounding, as the darkness surrounding Nico pulsed and writhed. He could hear nothing from within that black cocoon, but he could feel the power building—a pressure against his skin, against his mind, against his very soul.

Then, with a sound like the rush of a thousand wings, the darkness dissipated, flowing into Nico's body through his mouth, his eyes, every pore of his skin. Nico's head was thrown back, his body rigid as the power of the Underworld merged with the stolen strength of Poseidon's son.

When it was done, when the last tendril of darkness had disappeared into Nico's form, he stood changed once more. The physical transformation wasn't as dramatic as when he had stolen Percy's strength—he was already muscular and powerful—but there was something else, something more profound.

An aura of darkness clung to him now, a subtle shadow that followed his movements. His skin seemed to have taken on a slight olive tone, a nod to his Mediterranean heritage that had been absent before. His hair, once Percy's golden blond, had darkened slightly, taking on hints of brown without losing its luster. But it was his eyes that had changed the most—still blue, but now with an inner ring of darkness, as though the shadows of the Underworld had taken up permanent residence in his gaze.

"Rise, Nico di Angelo," Hades commanded, though Nico hadn't knelt. "Embrace the fullness of your heritage."

Nico flexed his hands, examining them as though seeing them for the first time. The power emanating from him was palpable now, a combination of Percy's stolen strength and the ancient power of the Underworld. When he looked up, his expression was one of wonder and exultation.

"I can feel it," he said, his voice deeper, more resonant than before. "The shadows. The dead. All of it."

"It is your birthright," Hades affirmed. "Combined with what you have... acquired... you now possess power few demigods have ever known."

Hades turned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the assembled campers once more. "Behold my son," he proclaimed. "Acknowledge him as a Prince of the Underworld, as one who commands both the power of the sea and the dominion of death."

The campers stood frozen, uncertain how to respond to this declaration. It was Chiron who finally moved, the centaur stepping forward with a respectful bow of his head. "Lord Hades," he said, his voice steady despite the tension. "We acknowledge your son and welcome him among us in the fullness of his power."

Hades nodded, satisfied with this response. He turned back to Nico. "Show them," he commanded. "Show them the extent of your power."

Nico's lips curved into a smile that was both beautiful and terrible. He raised his hands, and the ground beneath his feet trembled. Cracks appeared in the earth, thin fissures that spiderwebbed outward from where he stood. From these cracks emerged wisps of shadow, dark tendrils that curled and twisted in the air.

With a gesture from Nico, the shadows solidified, forming skeletal hands that clawed their way up from the depths. Complete skeletons followed, warriors from ages past, pulling themselves free of the earth to stand at attention before their new master.

The campers gasped, many backing away from this display of necromancy. But Nico wasn't finished. With another gesture, he dismissed the skeletons, sending them back into the earth. Then he turned toward the lake visible in the distance.

Percy felt it before he saw it—a tugging sensation in his gut, a familiar pull that had once been his alone to command. The surface of the lake began to churn, water rising in a towering column that twisted and turned in response to Nico's will. The water snaked across the distance, flowing through the air to spiral around Nico's form, a display of hydrokinesis that rivaled anything Percy had ever achieved.

As the water danced around him, shadows continued to emerge from the ground, weaving through the liquid in a display that was both beautiful and unsettling—the powers of Poseidon and Hades combined in one formidable demigod.

"Enough," Hades said after a moment, and Nico released his control. The water splashed to the ground, soaking into the earth, while the shadows dissipated like smoke in the wind.

The crowd was silent, awestruck by the display of power. Even Clarisse, usually quick with a cutting remark, seemed stunned into speechlessness.

Hades placed a hand on Nico's shoulder, a gesture of approval that seemed to please his son greatly. "You have done well," he said. "Continue to grow in your power. Continue to... expand your influence." His gaze flickered briefly toward Percy, a knowing look that made Percy's stomach clench with dread.

Then Hades stepped back, shadows gathering around his form once more. "I return to my domain," he announced. "But I will be watching." With those words, he dissolved into darkness, the shadows collapsing in on themselves until nothing remained but a patch of withered grass where he had stood.

The aura of power and dread that had accompanied Hades' presence dissipated, allowing the campers to breathe more easily. Conversation broke out immediately, a buzz of excitement and fear as they processed what they had witnessed.

Nico stood alone in the center of the training ground, the focus of every eye. His posture was different now—more confident, more commanding, befitting his newly acknowledged status as a Prince of the Underworld.

His gaze swept over the crowd until it found Percy, still standing at the edge, small and insignificant in Nico's dark clothes. When their eyes met, Percy felt a shiver run through him, a response to the power and dominance radiating from Nico.

Nico's attention was briefly diverted as he noticed something—the leather jacket he had removed before the combat challenge, still held by the camper he had entrusted it to. The young demigod, a son of Apollo if Percy remembered correctly, stood frozen, the jacket clutched in his hands, his expression a mixture of awe and terror.

Nico approached him with measured steps, each movement fluid and purposeful. The crowd parted before him, just as they had for his father. When he reached the camper, he extended his hand, palm up, clearly expecting the return of his jacket.

"I believe that's mine," Nico said, his voice carrying an authority that brooked no argument.

The Apollo camper, trembling slightly, handed over the leather jacket. "Y-yes, of course," he stammered. "Sorry."

Nico took the jacket, examining it briefly before slipping it on. The black leather settled over his shoulders, completing his transformation. He looked nothing like the small, awkward boy who had arrived at camp. He was magnificent now—powerful, confident, commanding.

And as he donned the jacket, something else happened. The alpha pheromones that had begun to emanate from him after stealing Percy's divine essence intensified dramatically, filling the air with a scent that was both musky and sweet, powerful and intoxicating.

Percy felt it like a physical blow, his body responding immediately and involuntarily. Heat coursed through him, pooling in his lower belly, making his knees weak. His breath came faster, his heart racing as the pheromones affected his omega physiology in ways he couldn't control.

He wasn't alone in his reaction. All around, campers were responding to Nico's enhanced presence. Some shifted uncomfortably, others stared with undisguised desire. A daughter of Aphrodite actually swooned, caught by her siblings before she could hit the ground.

Nico seemed aware of the effect he was having, his lips curving into a satisfied smile as he surveyed the reactions around him. His gaze returned to Percy, who was visibly struggling with his body's response, his face flushed, his breathing uneven.

Without a word, Nico began walking toward him, each step deliberate, predatory. The crowd parted once more, all eyes following his progress toward the diminished son of Poseidon.

Percy wanted to run, to hide from the intensity of Nico's approach, but his body refused to obey. He stood rooted to the spot, trembling slightly as Nico drew near. When Nico finally stood before him, tall and imposing, Percy had to tilt his head back to meet his gaze.

"Percy," Nico said, his voice pitched low, intimate despite the crowd surrounding them. "You look... affected."

Percy swallowed hard, unable to deny it. The pheromones were overwhelming at this proximity, breaking down what little resistance he had left. "I... I..." he stammered, unable to form a coherent thought.

Nico reached out, cupping Percy's face with one hand, his touch gentle but possessive. "Tell me what you want," he commanded softly.

Percy's last defenses crumbled. The part of him that had still been fighting, still clinging to the memory of who he had been, surrendered completely. He leaned into Nico's touch, his voice barely above a whisper as he said, "You. I want you. Please... can we go back to the cabin?"

His words were breathy, needy, tinged with desperation that should have humiliated him. But in that moment, with Nico's scent filling his lungs and Nico's power surrounding him, Percy couldn't bring himself to care about pride or dignity. All that mattered was satisfying the overwhelming need that coursed through his body.

Nico's smile widened, triumph gleaming in his eyes. "Of course," he agreed, his thumb stroking Percy's cheek in a gesture that was both tender and claiming. "Let's go."

He dropped his hand to Percy's shoulder, guiding him away from the training ground, through the parting crowd of campers who watched their departure with a mixture of envy, desire, and shock. No one spoke as they passed, but Percy could feel the weight of their stares, their judgment, their confusion at seeing the once-mighty hero of Olympus reduced to this trembling, needy creature trailing in Nico's wake.

Their walk back to the cabin seemed endless, though in reality it took only minutes. They passed other campers along the way, all of whom stopped to stare, affected to varying degrees by Nico's intensified alpha presence. Some called out greetings that Nico acknowledged with a nod or a brief wave, but he didn't stop, his focus entirely on their destination and the trembling omega at his side.

Percy's mind was a fog of desire and submission. The rational part of him, the part that remembered being a hero, being strong, being respected, had receded to a distant corner of his consciousness, overwhelmed by the primitive, omega part of his brain that recognized and responded to Nico's alpha dominance.

When they finally reached the cabin and stepped inside, Percy felt a momentary relief at being away from the staring eyes of the camp. But that relief was short-lived, replaced immediately by a more intense need as Nico closed the door behind them, sealing them into the private space that had once been Percy's domain but now belonged unquestionably to Nico.

For a moment, they stood facing each other, the air between them charged with tension and desire. Percy's chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, his body trembling with need. Nico stood still, calm, in control, his eyes taking in Percy's desperate state with undisguised pleasure.

"Please," Percy whispered, the word escaping without conscious thought.

"Please what?" Nico asked, his voice a low, seductive purr. "Be specific, Percy. Tell me exactly what you want."

Percy swallowed, his throat dry. The last barrier within him, the final defense of his former identity, crumbled to dust. "Please... dominate me," he said, the words both foreign and yet somehow right on his tongue. "Take me. Use me. Make me completely yours."

Nico's eyes darkened with desire, the shadow ring around his irises seeming to expand. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and placed his hands on Percy's shoulders. "You're sure?" he asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer. "You want to surrender the last piece of who you were?"

Percy nodded, beyond words now, beyond thought. All he knew was the need burning through him, the desperate desire to belong to the powerful alpha before him. "Yes," he managed to gasp. "Yes, please. I'm yours. I want to be yours completely."

Nico's smile was predatory, triumphant. "Then you shall be," he promised, his hands tightening on Percy's shoulders.

With a swift, powerful movement, he pushed Percy backward, onto the bed that had once been Percy's own. Percy landed on his back, looking up at Nico who stood over him, powerful and commanding in his leather jacket and stolen body.

Nico began to undress, removing the jacket first, then the blue t-shirt that had once belonged to Percy, revealing the muscular chest and abdomen that had also once been Percy's but were now, undeniably, Nico's. Each revealed inch of skin made Percy's breath catch, his body responding with a desperate need he couldn't control.

As Nico's hands moved to the waistband of his jeans, Percy felt a surge of anticipation so strong it was almost painful. This was it—the final surrender, the complete abandonment of his former self. And as Nico stood before him, powerful and dominant, Percy found he wanted nothing more.