The Legend of Nico and Will

Chapter Seventeen

So he's not dead?"
"But he exploded!"
"Well, I mean, he is fireproof – "
"Oh, shut up, Connor!"
"But he's right!"
"SILENCE!", Chiron finally yelled. We were in the head counselors' meeting room because Nico and Percy (of course it had to be them) had found a message from Leo. Chiron cleared his throat. "Mr di Angelo, would you?"
Nico looked uncomfortable. He probably wasn't used to the attention. "Uhm. Well. Look."
On the scroll he held, there was a tiny Leo. Not that real life Leo was more impressing, but you know. He's not really nine inches tall. He told us about Calypso and that he was coming back. (When he mentioned her, I saw Annabeth's eye twitching. Oh-oh.) When he was done, everyone started yelling again.
"SILENCE!", Chiron said – well, actually he sighed it. "Mr di Angelo?"
Nico scratched his neck. "Okay, first of all: don't freak out."
"Sounds good", Miranda Gardiner, the head counselor of the Demeter cabin snorted.
"I... already suspected Leo wasn't dead. His death felt different", Nico admitted.
Silence.
"And you're telling us that now?", Piper McLean asked.
"I didn't want you guys to get your hopes up."
"Dude! Why would you do that?!", Jason Grace finally said.
"Because Hazel didn't feel anything unusual about his death! Imagine what would have happened if I'd told you guys. And he wouldn't have survived somehow. You would have waited years, maybe even decades. Always hoping he'd come back. Hope is something wonderful, but too much of it when it shouldn't be there... it destroyed so many lives. Just –" He paused. "Just look at me."
Well, it finally was time to put in my two cents as well. I laid my hand on Jason's arm to calm him down. I had that effect on people. "Jason, I think Nico is trying to say he's sorry. He just didn't want to disappoint you."
"It's fine." Jason looked at Chiron. "Please, we have to go find Leo. I know Piper and I can do it."
"Mr Grace, I think you're forgetting that this could not be real. It could be some sort of trap."
"But Nico felt it!"
Chiron sighed. He seemed to do that often. "Give me two weeks. I'll try to contact a few people to make sure it's not some sort of monster or god trying to fool us."
Jason nodded and took Piper's hand. "Alright, young heroes. Go train."