Chasing The Dark

Chapter 6 - Hades Makes A Great Ally

Entry #7

The Hunters leave today. Finally (don't mention it to Artemis)

Will can walk again, though he limps a bit.

Goals of the day:

-Get an ally to get to Will

Apollo sighed, looking around the campers from the porch of Big House who would help him to get to his son. It's been a week and a half and Apollo was losing his faith in getting to know Will. The questions still wondered his mind. Why did he left? How did he got hurt? Has been hurting for years? Someone was manipulating him?

"All I'm saying is get a hold on that grip of courage you have and-"

"Just, shut up, Jake!" Will groaned, while walking pass the Big House with Jake Mason. Jake simply chuckled. Apollo followed them with his eyes, frowning.

"Will, man up!"

"Jake, you think you are being funny here?" Will accused him, jabbing his chest.

"No, I'm being realistic" Jake replied, smirking "You'll never know the answer if you don't try..."

"I have a lot in my plate right now to think about that..." Will defended himself.

"Think about what?" Nico di Angelo startled Will, coming from behind him.

"Nico!" Will scolded him, a smile playing in his lips "Have you been shadow-traveling again?" Nico rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Are you kidding me, right?" Will shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. Jake, however, observed the exchange of words with a smirk in his lips and keeping quiet "No, Will. I am not shadow-traveling. You gave me that order"

"Well, someone has to look after you. Because, you obviously don't" Will scoffed, showing he cares about Nico's health.

"Your concern moves me, Solace" Nico smirked and patted Will's back "I'll pay you up someday..."

"I know you will, Nico..." Will sighed.

"Well, guys... I need to get going..." Jake announced "I have some work left in the Forge..." Nico nodded at him, as a silent 'goodbye'. But Will paled and shook slightly his head, like pleading Jake to stay "I'll see you around, guys" Jake chuckled and started to walk towards the Forge.

"Bloody traitor..." Will muttered under his breath. Nico saw Will's lips moving and frowned, not understanding what he said. But Apollo, sat a few yards away, did heard it.

"What's wrong, Solace? Afraid I'll brainwash you?" Nico joked. Will rolled his eyes, but a slight blush covered his cheeks. Apollo didn't notice this, but what he did noticed were the seconds that Will's eyes turned cold and distant, like the word 'brainwash' had a different meaning for him.

"You don't have that capacity" Will argued back, trying to be friendly and playful, but his voice turned tight. Nico raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Is that a challenge?" Nico continued. Will shrugged.

"Take it as you want" Will answered, limping away from Nico, who stood there, confused as why Will walked away. Apollo smirked at that vision.
He had found himself an ally.

~oOo~

Apollo waited till Nico di Angelo finished his sword fighting lesson to talk to him. But Nico didn't leave the arena with all the other campers. He didn't even leave when the instructor, Clarisse La Rue, left the arena, screaming and scowling at her boyfriend, who was running in front of her, smirking and laughing. Apollo frowned, but walked into the arena to find Nico fighting against the dummies, alone. He was gashing, slicing and cutting fake heads off. Apollo recognized that anger, that need of unleash anger and stamina. That frustration of not knowing what to do.

"Stupid, useless, slow" Nico muttered. With each word he muttered, he attacked the dummy in front of him.

"Looks like that poor victim deserved it..." Apollo said out loud, trying not to scare him. But, like with Jake, he gained the opposite reaction: Nico raised his Stygian sword and turned around completely and glared at him.

"Lord Apollo" Nico sighed when he saw him.

"Why is with everyone and get in attacking position against me?!" Apollo couldn't help but complain out loud, not really expecting an answer.

"Well, we're kind of ready for anything..." Nico rubbed his neck, a little embarrassed he tried to attack the father of one of his friends.

"Yeah, yeah..." Apollo rolled his eyes at him, not impress by that answer "You demigods have answers for everything..."

"Not everything" Nico blurted out, almost not thinking about it.

"Oh, yeah? Give an example" Apollo dared him, smirking. Nico stood there, thinking, not realizing that his own silence had already given an answer to Apollo "Fine... Looks like you're right..." He groaned, shaking his head.

"What can I do for you?" Nico asked, finally dawning to him the presence of the god in front of him.

"I am... in the search of help for a quest" Apollo chose his words with extremely care, his eyes foxed to the floor, except for the last part, in which he was sending Nico a silent message of understanding his request.

"And, you need me, because...?" Nico wanted to know more about what Apollo was behind of. He knows that gods won't get demigod into troubles without getting something in return.

"Because the quest involves Will" Nico's interest peaked up and crossed his arms in his chest, listening.

"You think is, well, safe, for him to leave camp in that state?" Nico wondered.

"Will won't go on a quest. Will is the quest" Apollo specified, his blue and golden eyes burning in Nico's almost black ones "Look, Nico... Will is hiding something from me and I wanna know what it is"

"Isn't that call 'privacy invation'?" Nico raised his eyebrow and pointing at the god.

"Not when I'm the father. Look, Nico..." Apollo tried a different approach to the topic and interest of Nico "How much do you know of Will's life outside camp? What do you know about his Mother?"

"Not much-"

"Will is hiding something. Something big. And that's gonna kill him" Nico didn't sense the typical godly arrogance. He sensed the hurt, the pain and the worry behind the god's voice. He wanted to help.

"What do you need me to do?"

Entry #8

Talked to Nico di Angelo. Looks like he cares about Will.

Found myself an ally.

Improvements about myself:

-Nothing to report