The Risk in the Choice

Chapter Three

Nico di Angelo

            Nico stared wide-eyed at the pressured stream of water, before dodging very sloppily out of the way to the right and nearly hitting his head on the ground.

            “Cheap trick, Jackson.” Nico pushed himself off from the ground, wiping his forehead with the back of his sword hand. “Can’t go easy on someone injured like me?”

            Percy smirked in triumph at the results. “You don’t seem very injured to me. Beside, you’re one of the Big Three’s children too. You can handle this way better than others.”

            Everyone gaped at the fact Nico was a child of the Big Three. Many stared wide-eyed and with their mouth hanging open. Some more people that heard the last comment decided to join around them and see how the battle would turn out; two children of the Big Three going all out on each other. This could be interesting.

            They most likely guessed—from the way Nico dressed and looked (black everything)—he was a child of Hades. They only knew of a child of Pluto, Hazel Levesque, but never a child of Hades. The hero of Olympus knowing this child of Hades was also another astonishing thing.

            The new campers—which were most of the campers there—had many questions forming in their heads. How did the famous Percy Jackson know this child of Hades? Did the child of Hades take part in the Giants’ War? What about the Titans’ War? How come he doesn’t go to Camp Half-Blood? How long have they even known each other? How strong is a child of Hades anyway? And in some other cases: Is he single? Does he have a girlfriend/boyfriend? What’s his type anyway?

            Now the campers were more than eager for this battle to get started, even if it was just a little challenge. Well, a challenge between two demigods of the Big Three can’t be considered as “little”.

            Nico smiled evilly, determined to get revenge for that surprise attack. This could get very interesting.

            The campers surrounding the two demigods spread out as Nico and Percy charged at each other, and the sound of Stygian Iron and celestial bronze sounded throughout the air.

            They pushed their swords against each other, trying to topple over the other. Nico went up the kick Percy in the leg, but Percy jumped back, resulting in Nico kicking air.

            “Not very Greek-like, eh, Nico?” Percy raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you just haven’t been spending enough time here.”

            “Is that your excuse to keep me here?” snorted Nico. He spread his arms, and the shadows crept up towards the son of Hades, as he chanted under his breath.

            “Woah! This is not fair!” Percy yelped as he was suddenly surrounded by eight skeletal warriors.

            “No rules, right?” Nico snickered as he was swallowed into the shadows.

            The skeletal warriors lumbered over to Percy. He stared shocked at them, turned around in a full three-sixty, and felt a warm tug in his stomach. He pulled his hands as if he were pulling a rope, and a column of water came at his will. He spun around, washing the column of water over each skeletal warrior surrounding him.

            Which was where Nico took his chance.

            He sprinted, like a shadow, over to Percy once there were two skeletal warriors left. He sprung himself from the ground, preparing himself to kick Percy upside the head—not too hard of course, this was only a sparring challenge. He didn’t want to kill the guy.