Hell And High Water (Percico boyxboy)

XXIV

(So, I think this is the longest section I've written yet and I'm really sorry if it's kind of boring and I lose anybody along the way. But this is the second to last section and all I still have to do with that one is edit and then publish and then I'm finally done.)

The ride back to the hotel was filled with pretty heated conversation. Hazel would say something, Nico would argue with it, Frank would agree with Hazel; Nico would say something, Frank would argue with it, Hazel would agree with Nico. All in all, it was mayhem.
The three, two children of Hades and the son of Ares, were desperately trying to figure out what they could do to get Leo back and were even more frantic to figure out what exactly happened. Percy would add something now and again and it would add another layer to the argument but, for the most part, the son of Poseidon stayed silent and just listened to the constant bicker: Hazel kept repeating that something needed to be done, Nico kept telling her to let him handle it, and Frank kept bashing on the son of Hades.
For a while, things were bearable for Percy: there wasn't much yelling and the vulgarity was kept to an extreme minimum. But that was quick to change and the conversation took a turn for the worse. Frank made a comment and Hazel responded with simple words that were harshly spoken.
"Why do we even give two shits?" The son of Ares tossed his arms in the air a bit.
Hazel glared at her goyfriend, wishing she could bite her tongue. She held back exactly what she would have liked to say, but didn't keep quiet. "Because, Frank, we aren't supposed to be the animals."
Frank gritted his teeth and read between the lines, figuring his own girlfriend was slamming his parentage.
"What do you propose we do then, Hazel?" The girls half-brother asked, not agreeing with her statement but not entirely on Franks side, either. "Go in there with guns blazing and swords drawn and fight them to the death over Leo? I realize he saved my life, and Percys, but these guys don't play. I'm lucky as hell they didn't fuck me up then and there."
The next phrase from the son of Ares was quick and bitter. "Maybe if YOU wouldn't have fucked up in the first place, we'd be in a much better situation right now."
Nico glared at Frank, a fire kindling within him. "You're blaming this on me? Seriously? You have no idea what goes on out here, you overgrown bastard."
Frank turned in his seat to look Nico in the eye. "Oh, and you do because you're the son of Hades and you killed people for money, you stupid son of a bitch?" Franks retort was filled with hatred. "We've been out here for a while too, Death boy. Don't forget that. We know very well what kind of shit happens just like we know how dangerous those two are. That's why going to get Leo would be foolish."
Nico responded witb a shout and Percy jumped from the volume and tone of the words. "Your ass doesn't have to go in there, Frank. I have people that I can send in."
The son of Ares scoffed. "And what? Risk someone else's life because of your stupidity?"
"Enough!" Hazel glared at Frank then looked in the rear view mirror at her half-brother. "Look, I don't wanna talk about this right now, okay? Why don't we just give ourselves a little bit of time to cool off and then try this whole conversation all over again?"
Nico scoffed, fully prepared to go as far as need be into the whole thing with the son of Ares. "Whatever." He tried to sound perfectly calm. "If you wanna run from the fuckin' problem, you be my guest. But when you grow a pair and decide you wanna do something about all this shit, you let me know." He quickly sunk a headphone into one of his ears and interlocked his fingers with Percys, much to the surprise of the son of Poseidon, before he flopped his head back into the seat. He tugged on the elder demigod a bit and Percy got the hint to lean back. Nico pulled him a little closer.
"Are you alright?" Nico whispered once he had calmed enough to speak instead of shout.
Percy nodded, quickly getting over the yelling that had ceased just seconds earlier. "What about you?"
Nico sighed. "I'm fine. I guess I'm just tired of all of it." He shook his head gently. "I was hoping to just wipe out Typhon and Manti and go back to Camp. But now I have Leo to worry about."
Percy nodded, not completely understanding but trying his hardest to. "Does it ever scare you?"
Nico looked at him as he unknowingly rubbed his thumb into the elders hand comfortingly. "Every time. And now it's worse because it's so close to home."
Percy tensed from the touches but flopped his head back, forcing himself to relax and think about what was actually important. "What are we gonna do, Nico?"
The son of Hades shook his own head. "I have no idea, but we need to figure something out soon. I may hate Leo but if anyones gonna kill that son of a bitch, it's gonna be me. Not Typhon and the Manticore."