Nico di Angelo; Angel of Chaos

Broken

Reyna's POV

It was three days after Nico voluntarily went with Order in my place.

I was a mess.

I was supposed to be the strong second in command, to stand in for Nico when he wasn't there, but instead I was a bawling, despicable heap.

We had spent all three days tracking him, but it was futile.

There was no trace of him or Order, and we hadn't been able to reach Chaos.

Right now the third night without Nico was drawing to a close, and I couldn't stop thinking about Order's words.

I can't wait to break you.

Oh Chaos. What was happening to him right now?

I was bawling in one of the armchairs of the Big House, the other Angels as well as the head councillors and our old friends were gathered around.

Suddenly, a weakly shimmering black portal opened and Chaos leaped out.

Needless to say, we freaked.

Chaos silenced us.

"Stop, young ones. I know of your efforts to contact and find me. I know of Archangels situation. But Order is blocking my connection, and until she launches her final attack. I cannot track Archangel. But I can open a one way window to where he is." Chaos said breathlessly.

I was on my feet in an instant.

"What are you waiting for? Do it!" I pleaded.

"I am, my dear. But I must warn you, he will not see nor hear us. I do not know of his current condition. I am sorry." Chaos said simply and waved his hand.

A large black window shimmered into existence in front of us. Its surface rippled, and Nico appeared on the screen.

I started sobbing again.

He was chained to the stone floor by a shackle around his ankle in a dimly lit cell. His face was gaunt, and his eyes were glassy and dull with pain. His arm was twisted at a painful angle, and from his ragged breathing, I would guess he had at least a few broken ribs. The ankle with the shackle was twisted unnaturally, and Nico appeared to be fighting for consciousness.

But the thing that broke me was his wings.

Our wings are a part of us. They are extremely strong and durable, but also sensitive. The nerves in them were multiplied, and so pain was intensified if our wings were cut.

Nico's black feathers gleamed dully, and his wings drooped with exhaustion. They were cut and slashed in multiple places, and they were both twisted and bent awfully. They were clearly broken, and maybe dislocated. He must have been in horrifying pain, but he didn't cry out.

"Oh Chaos. I'm really in deep this time, eh?" Nico muttered to himself and shifted, then bit his lip and winced in pain as he moved.

"Nico. Oh gods. His wings." Shadow whispered, horrified.

I cried harder.

Suddenly the cell door swung open, and Order stood in the doorway, looking like a mix between a child and a ghost.

Her pale hair fluttered as she smiled brightly.

"Hello, little Angel. Not dead yet, I see." Order commented.

Nico frowned and struggled to sit up.

"What the hell do you want now, Order? Came to break my wings again?" Nico asked sarcastically.

"Again?" Sparky asked. She was a tough little twelve year old, but she was crying too.

Suddenly, Nico's not broken hand slowly crept back to his shackle. His hand glowed with a cold black flame, unnoticed by a cackling Order.

The shadowfire ate through the shackles quickly. While Order cackled and ranted on, Nico slowly scooted towards her. When he was barely a foot away, Order noticed him and his glowing shadowfire coated hand, but it was too late.

Nico somehow managed to launch himself off the stone floor and grabbed Order by the arm, shadowfire still flaming on his hand.

Order shrieked and tried to dislodge him from her arm as the shadowfire licked at her arm.

Order evaporated into white light as she teleported away. Nico slumped to the ground, the shadowfire dying out.

His eyes slipped close as he hit the floor with a thud.

I cried out again and reached towards the window, but the image was already fading.

The last thing I saw was his crooked, broken, bloody wings.