Ghost King Meets Batman

Trials & Tribulations

[Edited July 24, 2022]

"Mr. di Angelo," A voice echoed around the forum, "so nice of you to join us." Nico looked around at the assembled soldiers before he spotted Reyna. She stood on a small raised stage at the front of the assembly, and the senior officers of each of the cohorts stood in front of the platform. Each centurion held a scroll and was dressed in war regalia. Dakota seemed to have been reading from his scroll before Nico had interrupted. Whatever this event was supposed to be, Nico was sure that it wasn't supposed to be interrupted.

"Yes, well this isn't exactly where I wanted to land." The son of Hades frowned at the pitiful shadow he had managed to come in through. He had been picturing Pluto's temple when he stepped through the shadows.

"No, I'd imagine not." She gave the demigod a once over, "continue with the roll." She ordered. Nico gratefully moved out of the center of the room as the names were called.

"Levesque!" Dakota continued.

"Here!" Hazel shouted weakly. She had volume but not enthusiasm.

"McKinley!"

"Infirmary." Someone replied among the crowd.

"Right, I forgot." Dakota continued on with the roll call and Nico examined the soldiers. They were all so disciplined. Militaristic. They were ruled by firmness, fear, and pride. They would be a formidable enemy should the Greeks ever have to face them in battle.

Their weapons were different too. The shape of the swords was more uniform than the Greek's, many of whom didn't prefer to use swords at all. They were designed for stabbing, not slashing. Many more people used spears. Still, no one used guns, probably since they were so impractical in a battle. It wasn't just their weaponry that was different, either. Their armor was more classy and stylish than greek armor as well. Greek armor tended to have a look of use to it while Roman armor shone brightly.

As he scanned the crowd, Nico noticed that there was a new face on the sidelines today. He was young, or at least young-looking. He seemed to be Asian and the buzz cut didn't help him to look older. He watched on with interest and also wariness. It was easy to be intimidated by the mass of soldiers in the arena. he almost felt sorry for the boy. Clearly, he felt out of place amongst some of these lifelong soldiers.

After the roll, the soldiers were dismissed to training exercises. Nico was going to try to catch Hazel really quickly before she left, but Reyna cut him off before he could get to her.

"Nico. I would like to speak with you." She said formally. There were a few curious looks that came from her troops as they passed, but no one dared let their interest become obvious. Her tone didn't leave room for debate so the demigod agreed following her out of earshot of her soldiers. Nico expected to pause once out of range but Reyna wanted to walk and talk. Whatever was on her mind, Nico could tell that she was troubled by it. Her naturally pretty face could be very unpleasant when she was worried. Worry lines creased her forehead and her lips paled with the pressure of being pursed together.

" Is everything alright?" Nico pressed. Reyna ignored his question as if he hadn't spoken.

"Tell me, in your travels, have you ever come across demigods in orange shirts?" He was caught off guard by the question and he had to cover his fear with surprise.

"That's an odd question," Nico replied, biding for a little time.

"Have you?" She pressed. The son of Hades sighed and pretended to consider her question. He had to measure his words carefully.

"I have seen a few demigods in Elysium wearing orange shirts, I suppose. I've never given it too much thought. Why do you ask?" He had to be careful not to give too much away. He needed to know what she knew to determine what he could and couldn't say. His heart was pounding so hard he worried she could see his elevated pulse in the veins on his neck. If she could, she gave no indication.