The blazing storm

Chapter 11

James was just about to talk when Nico materialized beside Leo.  He did NOT look happy.  "You little shit." He said.  "I was looking like an idiot yelling your name."

Leo's eyes flicked up to Nico.  "A lot if people do call my name in joy."

Nico's face turned bright red.  "I need to tell ypu something."

Leo blindly grabbed for the apple James had offered him and held it towards Nico.  "Here, have an apple."

Nico snatched the apple from Leo's hand and sat down beside him.  "Fine."

Darcy glanced at them all in turn.  "Can we start?"

Nico picked at his apple, Leo fiddled with his pieces of metal and James nodded.  That was enough of a yes for her. 

4 years earlier
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Darcy had been on the run for three months now.  James was always by her side as a friend and as a protector.   They had faced a few monsters in the first few months but they started to press on heavier as time went on. 

They managed to fight them off using rocks and pointy things but it was always harder than killing a monster with celestial bronze. 

Darcy was sleeping under James' arm in an abandoned garage just outside of Athens.  The air was cold and the only warmth they had was the tattered old jacket James dug out of a trash can and each others body heat. 

Everything was fine until something came crashing through the roof, sending splinters of rotten wood everywhere.  Darcy woke with a scream on the edge of her lips, but James clapped a hand over her mouth.  They shrunk into the corner and didn't make a sound or move.  They hopped whatever just fell throught the roof would go away. 

It stood up, groaning.  Darcy started to tremble.  " Coronas cornonabit te tribulatione, idiota Graeco!" It yelled unhappily in Latin, shaking it's fist at the sky. 

Darcy recognized the words Idiot and Greek.  She imediatly assumed an angry roman had just fallen through the roof.  James had told her about a Roman camp a lot like Camp Half-Blood.   The mad roman stalked around the garage kicking the wall at random times in anger. 

James took his hand off of Darcy's mouth and quietly stood up.  Once the Roman was close enough, James lunged at him and took him down. 

"Παραδώσει τα όπλα σας!" He yelled defiantly. In English he had yelled Surrender your weapons!

The Roman screamed, making him sound more like a kindergarten girl than an all mighty Roman.  

"Get off me!" The Roman clawed at James' back. 

"Surrender your weapons!" James yelled again. 

This time the Roman understood.  He threw something in the air and it clattered to the ground at Darcy's feet.  She snatched it up without hesitation and sprung to James' side. 

" Τι μπορώ να κάνω με αυτό?" (What do I do with it?) She asked in greek.  The less the Roman knew what they were talking about , the better.  " Φροντίστε να είναι." (Keep it.) James said as he pinned the Roman to the ground. 

"What do you want?" The Roman screeched. 

"Where did you fall from?" James demanded.  He pushed the Roman's face into the cement. 

In the moonlight, Darcy could see his sharp features.   He had stark blonde hair and pale blue eyes as well as a belt around his waist with many stuffed animals strung to it.  Ya, little girl- not tough Roman. 

"A stupid greek warship!" He squeaked. 

James glanced back at Darcy.  "Wasn't your boyfriend building a warship?" He asked. 

Darcy nodded.  "Yes, but Leo's not my boyfriend."

"Hold on," The Roman sounded disgusted.  "Leo Valdez?"

Darcy froze at the mention of her benst friend's name.  "You know him?"

"If by know, I hope you mean hate because he blew up New Rome." The Roman tried to get out of James' death grip.  "Let go of me Gods damnit!"

Without another glance James' way, Darcy ran out into the cold night. 

She looked up at the stary sky.  Not five feet above her head, she saw the hull of a giant flying warship scrape up against the brick chimenies of the surrounding house. 

Darcy couldn't help but smile.  She ran after the ship.  "They're in France!" She crowed at the top of her lungs.  It was another lie of course and this time there was no one to cut her back to shreds. 

Present day
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Leo finally looked up from his project.  "I remember that day." He looked at Nico.  "Remember when-"

Nico punched Leo in the arm.  "Spoilers." He hissed in a British accent.  

Darcy and Leo grinned at each other across the table.  "You got him into all the Wibbly Wobbly, Timmey Wimmey Stuff?" She asked.

Leo grinned back.  "Isn't that just Fantastic? "

They grinned at eachother for a few seconds and came to a silent agreement.  They stood up at the same time.  "Allons-y!" Leo took off at a run. 

Darcy kissed James on the cheek and ran after Leo.