Chasing The Dark

Chapter 8 - Phobos Scars For Life

Entry #11

It's been a while since I wrote (a week)

Nico seems to be getting closer to Will, but hasn't found out anything important just yet.

I just hope he makes a breakthrough soon.

Knock, knock!

"C'mon in!" Apollo announced, closing his journal and hiding it in a drawer in his desk. The door got opened and Nico di Angelo showed his head.

"Is a good time?" Nico asked, wondering if Apollo wasn't busy. In the past week, Nico and Apollo were more cordially to each other, primarily because Nico couldn't snap at the god anytime he wanted and Apollo couldn't incinerate Nico every time he didn't find anything valuable. Apollo nodded and Nico walked into the office, hands in his pockets.

"Well? You found anything?" Apollo wondered, impatiently. Nico sighed and shook his head.

"He's worst than a shell, Apollo. And, I'm not a people's person!" Nico recognized "Whatever is going on with him, either scarred him for life or he's too afraid to let someone know"

"Jake Mason knows" Apollo blurted out. Nico frowned, but listened "You could try him"

"Have you tried?" Nico raised an eyebrow. He was glad the god chose him to help Will, but he wasn't gonna be his dog, doing the job for him.

"Yes" Apollo admitted, leaning back in his chair "He won't give anything"

"If he didn't told you, what makes you think that he'd open up to me?" Nico tried to reason with the god, in hopes he understood what they were facing.

"It was a long shot! I was too direct and you are more sneaky than me"

"Is that a compliment or a complain?" Nico pointed out, not sure.

"Take it as what you want-"

Knock, knock!

The god shared a look with the demigod, who shrugged his shoulders.

"C'mon in!" Apollo repeated. The door creaked open and Will Solace popped his head into the office "Will...?"

"Hey, Dad, I came to- Nico?" Will suddenly noticed his friend standing in front of his father and frowned slightly at the view.

"Hey, Will" Nico greeted him, a slight blush covering his cheeks. Apollo didn't took notice of this, as his eyes were focused on his son.

"He's, um... he's not in troubles, right?" Will questioned Apollo, a bit worried for his friend.

"No, he's not in troubles, Will. What do you need?" Apollo quickly diverted the topic from Nico and to Will.

"Oh, yeah!" Will remembered why he was there "We need more medicine supplies. You know, the mortal kind"

"What exactly are you asking, Will?" Apollo frowned, not understanding the question.

"Well, considering you made a big fuss last time I left Camp, I can I leave Camp to go to the nearest drugstore?" Will ended, like if he was some kind of five-years-old. Apollo blinked a few times.

"No"

"No?" Nico and Will complained, one more upset than the other.

"Will, you can barely walk. I won't let you go out"

"What if I go with him?" Nico butted in, gaining the attention of both, Apollo and Will. To say Nico didn't like the spotlight was light.

"Fine" Apollo gave in, nodding. Will smirked and turned to Nico, who he hugged tight. This time, Nico blushed like a firetruck.

~oOo~

Apollo was impatiently waiting for Nico and Will to return to Camp. He already tried to distract himself, pestering campers around. Now, little Aria was keeping him company, babbling about dolls and stuff. Can't blame her, actually. She's only 6 years old.

"Daddy?" Aria called him, surprising him. Aria never called him like that before "Are you worry about Will?"

"Why wouldn't I be, Aria?" Apollo questioned, gently. Aria shrugged.

"Because Will keeps secrets" Aria stated. Apollo noticed how her tone changed and turned a little grim "He has bad dreams..."

"What are the dreams about, Ari?" Apollo wanted to know, sitting down with her.

"He doesn't say... He doesn't want to scare me..." Apollo soften at the words, noticing how much Will was protecting his siblings "But, I hear him... He always says 'Don't hurt her...'"

"Her? Who's her?" Aria shook her head, meaning she didn't know "Thanks, Ari... That helps-"

"A doctor!!" Someone yelled, getting Apollo's full attention. He got up and headed to the Camp's entrance to see Nico holding Will, who looked weak. Several campers rushed to help, but Apollo was first. He took one look at Will and knew that nothing was going on.

"Austin, take Will to your cabin. And, also take Aria with you" Austin nodded and grabbed his own brother from Nico's embrace. Nico look wary but allowed it "You, with me" Apollo pointed at him. Nico nodded and followed him into Big House "Now. Spill" he ordered, once they were locked into his office.

"Everything was fine when we got to the city. We went to the drugstore, bought what we needed" Nico started, calming down while telling the story "When we finished there, Will noticed some of the medicines were missing, so he tried to get them in the hospital. You know, free samples" Apollo nodded at his explanation "We got them and, when we were leaving, we heard screaming and we went to see"

"What did you find?" Apollo asked, worry.

"A man yelling at a nurse. Will paled and clang to me and chanted over and over 'Not her. I'll do it'. Over and over" Nico finished. He looked ready to collapse. Apollo put on a thinking face "What?"

"Aria told me Will has nightmares. And he always repeats 'Don't hurt her'..."

"Who is that important to him...?" Nico whispered, serious.

"And who has that kind of power over him?"

Entry #12

Will went with Nico to buy medicines. He was pass out when they returned.

New discoveries:

-Will is protecting someone. A girl.

New interrogantes:

-Could it be his mother?

-What threaten him so bad, he'd freak out in a hospital?