scared? | a nico di angelo fanfic

chapter 28: the fighting ring

Nico's commanding voice got the sword away from under her chin. The empousa didn't let up, still trying to bind her, but Hoa kept refusing to move.

"Nico," she muttered. "I can handle this."

"Yeah, Nico," Luke scoffed. "Let her handle this."

"Fuck no."

Ah, shit.

Nico never curses.

He raised his sword, taking a fighting stance. The air grew colder as Nico braced himself.

The empousa charged at Nico, trying to disarm him the way she tried with Hoa, but he simply sidestepped and kicked her metal foot.

CLANG!

The sound echoed in the narrow corridor as the empousa dropped.

"Oh, damn," Hoa muttered. She couldn't help but feel bad for the empousa. You never want to fight an angry Neeks.

Nico turned to Luke, a glint of determination in his eye. "Come on now, what are you so afraid of? Fight me."

Hoa mood went from proud to what the hell is he doing. "Nico! There is no way you beat him!"

"I can do it."

"Hell no! Not even Percy beat him! He was the greatest swordsman at Camp! You're fucked—!" She cut herself off when she saw the death glare Nico gave.

You never want to fight an angry Neeks.

Nico rushed forward, ready to stab him, but Luke smirked. He locked hilts and twisted.

The Stygian Iron sword went flying.

There is no way he used that move, she thought. That is so petty.

Luke kicked Nico's shin, forcing him to fall to the ground. "Yield," he commanded.

"Fuck," Hoa muttered under her breath. "That was anticlimactic."

"Stop acting like there wasn't something you could've done."

"Like what? Get knocked down another time?"

He didn't respond to that, turning away from her instead.

Another kind of monster walked up to Luke with two large sections of rope. He walked over and yanked Hoa's hands up, tying them together. With the rest of the rope, he tied Nico's wrists.

Luke smirked again, gripping Hoa's arm tightly. "You two are in for a real treat. Buckle up, kids."

~•~•~

Oh, holy mother of all bad shit that happens.

They were flanked by dracaenae with the empousa in the back and Luke in the front.

Up ahead were large bronze doors—about 10 feet tall and emblazoned with a pair of crossed swords. From behind them came a muffled roar, like from a crowd.

"We'll have fun with thessssse two," a dracaenae laughed/hissed.

Hoa turned toward her, ready to hiss out insults, but one look at her shut the demigod up.

Her face would've been beautiful, but her forked tongue and yellow-slitted eyes kind of ruined the image. She wore bronze armor that stopped at her waist. Below that were two massive snake trunks, mottled bronze and green, in place of where her legs should've been. She moved by a combination of slithering and walking, as if she were trying to walk on skis.