Timore NICO DI ANGELO X OC (male)

7

      Nico found himself alone in the place where Mika had just been with him. He traveled himself to the place Mika had found him the night before, finding Mika leaning against the same tree as last time.

     "Hey. I figured out the trick you used last night."

    Mika turned with a closed off expression. "And?"

     "And, I can follow you around all day until you either pass out from exhaustion, or talk to me. So, I'm going to sit down, and your going to stay. And, you tell me about the tattoos." Mika tensed up, but allowed Nico to sit down. He hesitated, but rolled up his left sleeve, revealing several scars. Mostly old and healed. Some burns, some from a blade.

     "Tattoos-" 

      "I don't really know, I always thought tattoos were so cool when I was younger, permanent drawings on your skin, like magic. But the way things turned out, I got something similar, still permanent for the most part... Mine are old. I'm not proud of it, no one is. Will saved me from going to far, with... well you know I guess. He somehow cleared them all away, but I wanted to keep a few scars. To remind me of something, eh you could say the experience will never leave me. And they influenced my 'tattoos'. You good with telling me about yours?" Mika seemed a bit more comfortable after Nico shared, and sat up a bit straighter.

     "I-I can. I haven't done anything in a few months. But the cuts are mostly from my nights in the cafe. No one was there, I-I've had more breakdowns than I care to say there, and one of the times I found the box cutter for deliveries, and went down a rabbit hole. The burns-" Mika choked on his words but cleared his throat. "Ah, sorry. There from my mom, when i was younger she doesnt do it anymore, just as a punishment i guess. She can just kick me out for the night now that i'm older though, i honestly prefer it. Nico stayed silent for a second, before speaking.

      "Did she hurt you in other ways?"

"Ahh, not- well- i did go to school with a few bruises but it wasn't anything i couldn't cover up."

"Do you not realize how you sound right now? Thats still serious even if you can hide it. You should stay here, especially since you know your a demigod now, protect yourself from the monsters and your mom."

      "This is a summer camp though, and i still
have school i can't just leave it all behind."

     "You can stay as long as you need. I can teach you, so can Percy, Leo, Will, everyone can teach you how surviving as a demigod works. That all you need. Your 16, you've had more schooling than me and I'm sure you don't need more. So many of us start out in situations like yours, you have the option to not go back." Mika shook his head and stood up.

     "I can't. She'd find me. I have to go back before school starts. I can't just leave behind my life!"

    "What life?! No offense, but it was kind of sad. Kicked out of the house almost every night. Breakdowns in a closed cafe. No friends, no sleep, can barley read? How much are you actually leaving? That's not living. I would know." Mika looked slightly angry at Nico's description of his life.

      "Do you even know what life is Nico? Do you know anything other than this camp? And how to fight and travel around in shadows? You may have friends but I don't want to live like you. It seems lonely, not in the way I am. I've known you what- for three days? I barely know you and I can already tell you've built walls higher than the Empire State. My god you sound like Jenny." He whispered the last part but Nico's face went dark at what he was able to hear. He stood up and faced Mika.

     "You don't know the first level of brick I've built. You don't want to know. So don't say things when your clueless. Like you just said, you barely know me so are you getting so worked up?!" Nico was almost yelling now, Mika's face filled with a mix of fear, but mostly anger.

     "I'm sorr-"

     "No! You can't assume peoples lives! What they've been through, what they've done." He shuddered at his own words but kept going. "You don't know what's going on in my head. What I know. What I've gone through. What I've done." He spoke with a quiet anger, stepping closer to Mika.

     "Nico! Stop, please." He was shaking and backed up into the tree, Nico was close enough he blocked his view of anything in front of him. He seemed to have gotten Nico's attention. He appeared to finally be able to see Mika fully, and took a step back when he saw how much he was shaking. "Nico back off."
         He stared at Mika before nodding coldly and turning. Before he shadow traveled off he turned after hearing a large cracking noise. "Seriously! Nico run! I don't know what's happening. Get away!" Mika was surrounded by huge gashes in the ground, red light was shining through. Nico paled and stumbled back a few more feet, before trying to force his shaking limbs forward to help Mika.

     "Mika stop. Stop. Oh my gods please your the one doing this. Oh my god. I need to get Chiron. I-Mika you need to calm down before it opens up. Oh my god."

     "What am I doing?! Help! I can't get away!" The crack we're getting bigger and Mika had no way of getting out of the circle.

     "Y-your opening up Tartarus! Your going to fall in! Mika shadow travel away! Get away!"

      "No. No! Get me out! I can't shadow travel! Nico. Help me please. No. No!" The cracks met and completed a circle around Mika, there was a cracking sound and both of the boys gasped loudly. The ground collapsed and fell in, Mika screaming for Nico. Then, everything went quiet.