One Too Many Heartbreaks

X. Down (Way Down) In Flames (Nico's POV)

NOTE: TRANSLATIONS AT END OF CHAPTER
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Unlike last time, Will let Nico sleep in his own cabin. He walked away from the infirmary begrudgingly pleased with the son of Apollo. Annoying as he was, the blond was starting to grow on Nico.

Nico approached his cabin, slowing as a figure came into focus in the dim light. A male, Nico could tell. As he drew nearer, he saw that it was Leo, crouched just outside Cabin 13. He held a single hand of front of his face, a small flame dancing over his fingers in turn. Thumb to index to middle to ring to pinky and back again.

"Um, Leo?" Nico asked shakily. He usually wasn't afraid at all of the scrawny inventor, but Calypso had left without warning, leaving Leo alone and tense as a taut wire. And Nico was sure it was all his fault.

"She's gone," Leo said, looking up. His red-brown eyes seemed to glow with flame, like Hestia's. Or Ares's.

"I'm all alone." Leo continued. "So I'm sure you would understand if I just wanted to talk."

This was trouble. There was a dangerous edge to Leo's voice that sent chills up Nico's spine. But what could he do? In Leo's fragile state, yelling for help or doing anything remotely so might cause the boy to snap.

"Sure," Nico said calmly, with his ordinary façade. "Come in."

Leo walked in and Nico followed. It was dark in the Hades Cabin, partly for lack of many windows and partly because of the dreary décor.

Ignoring the light switch, Leo kept one hand lit as he surveyed the small cabin. Nico perched himself on one of the two existing windowsills, angled optimally for diving under the bed, which was where his Stygian iron sword lay.

"Nice place ya got here, principe," Leo said. "Dark enough for my fire to really stand out."

"Well please keep it under control." Nico said, voice and face calm though he was starting to panic. "I'm made of shadows, quite the opposite of you, (1)amico."

Leo laughed, which made him sound normal for a second. But then he spoke again. "You are. Dark, light. Heat, cold. Even our weapons are opposites."

Nico tensed as Leo reached into his tool belt, slowly pulling out what looked like a long column of Celestial bronze. As the other end was revealed, Nico realized that it was a sledgehammer.

"It sets on fire, just like I do," Leo said proudly. He slipped into a more stable- more normal state for a minute as he described the weapon. "See, it's not like my old one. It's magic. It won't turn to ash, or melt. It's totally flammable, and fire-resistaint. Just like me. It's the same with your sword, (2)si, mi amigo?"

Nico slowly reached down under his bed and pulled it out, unsheathing the sleek weapon. "Yes. It is."

"Stygian iron," Leo noted. "Three feet, cold to the touch, kills all the same species as my hammer. Plus, it gives off black smoke and a creepy vibe, just like you."

Nico only responded by adjusting his grip on his weapon.

Leo ended all banter. "You stole her from me." He said, his fist tightening around his weapon. Nico stood.

"Leo, calm down."

"No!" Leo yelled. Patches of flame started to glow on his hair and clothes. "It was your fault." He spit. "You made her run away. You made her not trust me anymore."

The hammer set aflame. "You broke my heart!" Leo swung the hammer at Nico, whom dived, unscathed except for a small patch of hair on fire. He patted it out and scrambled to the other side of the cabin.

"Leo please!" Nico shouted.

"No!" Leo screamed, swinging the hammer again. Half of the cabin was on fire now.

Nico heard muffled shouts from outside. He was backed against a wall now, only his sword to protect him. They wouldn't make it in time.

"I swore on the Styx that Nico di Angelo would go down in flames." Leo said, hefting up his hammer.

One word resonated on Nico's head. Down. There was only one place where Leo truly couldn't hurt him.

Nico channeled all his emotion into one thought: Underworld. He felt his body turn to shadow as he left, but wasn't fast enough to avoid a rib-cracking blow of the flaming sledgehammer before he went.

His shirt caught fire, and Nico blacked out.

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(1) friend
(2) yes, my friend?