Leo had woken up on the cold, uneven cave floor, feeling as if he'd just gotten a full body massage from, well, Tartarus. He'd dreamt of some of his worst experiences in 4k HD surround sound, and now Nico was charging the goddess Nyx with nothing more than a sword and pure determination.
He was toast, of course.
Dark ribbons of Nyx's cloak shot out, wrapping around Nico's arms and legs, suspending him in the air. Nico's sword clanged to the ground, skidding right near Leo's feet.
"Such a pitiful choice, little hero," Nyx mused. "And a pitiful attempt at an attack. It's a shame that I have to kill a child of the Underworld, though I offered you more than enough mercy...."
The dark ribbons tightened their grip, and Nico winced, writhing against the hold. One strand of darkness seemed, for a moment, to caress his face, until it whipped past him fast enough to leave a nasty cut across his cheek. Blood, thicker and darker than Leo could have expected, began to seep from the wound. Leo felt around for the hilt of Nico's sword, gripping it tightly once he found it. Luckily, Nyx didn't seem to notice, too preoccupied with harming Nico. What Leo was to do now, though, he couldn't be sure.
"Hm," Nyx hummed, half interested. "How would you like it, then, Nico di Angelo? One thousand cuts? Or..." one of the ribbons slipped between his lips and Nico closed his eyes tight, shuddering like a child reliving a nightmare. He opened his eyes to reveal a glowing purple light, his muscles slack. "I could poke around in that brooding mind of yours, let you see your sister again, maybe? Of course...you didn't really get to see her die, did you? That would be fun to watch together...you see, if I can't have you all kill each other, I can just have you kill yourself-"
Leo didn't have a plan. All he knew was that he wouldn't stand (or lay, rather) for another moment of this. Gripping the sword he shot up-at least, as quickly as his shaking, tired legs would let him-and slashed at the dark ribbons. He would have liked to think he said some kind of cool catchphrase like: "Say 'hello' to my little friend!" But he didn't-half because he was too honed in on the battle at hand, and half because he was pretty sure that catchphrase was already taken.
The Stygian Iron moved through the darkness as if it were nothing-much like it had with his old boss. But if he could get a couple more slashes in-
Leo felt his feet lift off the ground for a moment before he was flung about ten feet across the room, landing with a sickening crack against the stone wall. Impressions weren't something in his comedy forte, but his back did a great impression of a Rice Crispy Treat in that moment: snap, crackle, pop.
Leo groaned, starting to get back up before being pinned to the wall by the goddess, Nico's sword held to his throat.
"Foolish boy," she hissed as Leo gasped for air, trembling but desperate not to move for the sharpness of the blade. "What is forged of the Styx cannot harm me the way it can a meager monster. You insult me with your weapon and your stupidity in wielding it!"
She pressed the blade further against Leo's skin, toying with him, a malicious light dancing in her black eyes as Leo cried out.
"And to think," she crooned. "You could have been down here to bring back your mother. Instead you're here, breathing your last with these so-called heroes...who only want you here for the very curse that killed her..."
Leo fought the urge to surge against her, to try to recapture Nico's sword, but he could spot her game from mile away. She wanted him to move, like a mouse in a trap activating the kill switch.
But he wouldn't be lying if he hadn't thought about it-bringing his mother back. They were bringing Hazel back, after all, so why not his mom, too? Then again, it'd be impossible to find her amongst the billions of spirits. And even if they did, Leo knew she wouldn't want to be brought back. Despite all the disadvantages she'd had in life, she never liked to take loopholes; she'd built herself from the ground up, just like when she started her shop. Every day, Leo wanted nothing more than to see her, talk to her...but he knew that by bringing her back, in that she may never forgive him.
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leo valdez & the olympians: the ceaseless eve
Fanfiction"Son of death and curse of flame, Trek down through the darkness to the land beyond name. The daughter of doves holds the key, Through the tomb of eternal sleep. Queen Eve's cause must be lost, Lest the earth rot in ceaseless frost." Leo is a pizza...
