scared? | a nico di angelo fanfic

chapter 8: underworld

"So... Can we cover the plan one last time?"

Hoa rolled her eyes. "Look, we're not even going into the river. We're just camping by the Styx."

"But isn't that, like, dangerous?"

She sighed. " Look, everything is dangerous in the life of a demigod. You have to take risks sometimes, and most importantly, trust your gut. And since this is what my gut is telling me to do, I'm doing it."

"So number one: stealing an item out of the Styx's polluted waters."

"Correct." Percy told her that the river was so polluted with lost hopes and dreams, leaving discarded items as waste. There would probably be a demigod weapon there too, right?

"Number two, try and summon a ghost to guide us through the maze."

"Yeah."

"Pause—why can't I just navigate it myself?"

"We don't know the full extent of your powers."

"So you want me to summon a ghost?"

"Sounds about right."

He sighed. "Number three, camp there until we have enough energy to go back into the maze."

She clapped. "Right on all three dots! Congrats, Nico!"

"Shut up."

"My bad. Sorry for congratulating you".

They walked to the Styx as she passed Nico lóng hăng hái and kept tia chớp for herself. The long-range weapon she had kept her confidence up as she grabbed an arrow from the quiver that appeared.

Finally after what felt like an hour of walking, they reached a river.  It was full of junk like discarded toys, books, and photos.

"Damn," Hoa breathed out. "This is depressing as fuck."

Nico stared at the river. "So... where are we supposed to find a weapon here?"

"In the river."

"Very funny, Hoa. Where am I supposed to find anything?"

"Nico, I am being for real. Look in the goddamn river."

"How do you know that there's actually something here?"

She sighed. "In the myths, there is this type of metal that only children of Hades can use called Stygian Iron. Supposedly, you're supposed to mine out the materials here, forge it, and cool it off in the Styx. We just have to hope that there's one laying around somewhere."

"Like that ever goes well," he muttered.

"You've got any better ideas?"

He grumbled to himself as they reached the riverbank. Hoa looked down at the murkiness of the river, so polluted with trash. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something. A gleam of dark metal. "Nico!" 

He looked in the direction of her finger. "Wow, that is some wicked sword."

She grinned. "I know, right?"

They raced down the river, catching up to the blade. Nico lunged, grabbing the sword and landing on his stomach. "Ow..."

"NICO! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THAT? YOUR RIBS ARE STILL INJURED!"

"Sorry, forgive me for trying to get a potentially life-changing weapon for us."

She scowled as she pulled out ambrosia for him. When he took it, his cheeks gained a bit of color. Hoa sighed in relief, her heart still racing. "I swear to all the fucking gods, if you do that one more time—"