When Flames Go Dark [A Leo Valdez Fanfiction]

Chapter 9

Nico attempted to deflect the ball and shadowtravel at the same time, but failed and the fireball made contact with his arm just before he managed to slip away.

~.~

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled. Percy's eyes met Annabeth's and he understood that she had something important to tell her. He took a last look at the two bodies and stood up, walking back into the battlefield.

Slashing his way through the crowd, he sprinted towards her, behind the Athena cabin.

"I just wanted to talk to you about Leo. He's hurt too many lives... there's no way to bring him back... and..." Annabeth sighed. "It's just like Luke all over again. He's Minos's weapon. There's only one way to stop him, Percy, and only you can do it. I don't like this, but there's no other way. He's beyond help. And since Jason is gone, and if Nico doesn't manage to persuade him..."

"When you see Leo, when he's at his most vulnerable moment, please, promise me, you... you..."

The ever so stoic Daughter of Athena buried her face in her hands.

Percy patted her back and said. "It's okay, take your time."

Annabeth looked up, her expression a sorrowful one.

"I understand that it's going to be hard for you. It was hard for me with Luke as well."

"You've got to kill him."

"One of the sons of the eldest gods defeats the traitor. There's no other way."

At this moment, Nico materialised in front of Percy. He stumbled, and the son of Poseidon caught him and helped him back onto his feet. The fourteen year old was literally smoking.

"He... He took a dip in the Styx, probably. Leo. That's why he's so powerful now. My sword didn't have any impact on his body. His Achilles heel is probably his ear or head or something. He... He's wearing a special helmet, and he never wore helmets in battle before. It looks like it's designed to protect his ears. He was guarding his left side more and most of the time, he angled his body so that the right side was facing me, so it's probably his left ear. You have to rip the helmet. off. Good luck."

Nico wanted to continue fighting, and it took Percy and Annabeth quite a few tries to get him to go to Camp Jupiter to see to his burn, as it looked pretty bad. Nico dissolved into the shadows, but not before sticking his sword into the ground and summoning another wave of the undead to help fight.

Annabeth stared sadly at Percy, then planted a kiss on his cheek. "Good luck, Seaweed Brain. It's going to be hard, but you have to do it. It's the only way. You can do it."

~.~

"You're so weak... Neeks, what happened to you?" Will would never admit it, but seeing Nico like this made him feel like he'd been punched in the face. Nico had shadowtravelled in and fallen flat on his face upon arrival, arm smoking.

Nico updated Will on what had happened in battle.

"You're telling me you raised a huge army of the dead twice, fought with a bunch of monsters, shadowtravelled and fought the most powerful person in Minos's army, got scorched, and then shadowtravelled again twice? Young man, you are grounded. Three days in the infirmary, doctor's orders."

Nico bolted upright in bed, then winced from the pain in his arm. "Three days? I have to get back to camp and help to fight!"

"You can't, Nico. You're going to kill yourself."

"Then let me die!"

"You're in no condition to fight. Plus you're one of camp's most powerful warriors. Camp need you to stay alive, and without you, they lose another fighter. They need you in future to fight." And Will needed Nico as well. "They sent the young and injured here for a reason, Sunshine. The others will cover for you now. You've done a lot for them."