Chapter Two: Night One

Nico was unsure about this exercise Chiron had planned for the campers, but knew he could handle it.

It was a nighttime hunt. It was basically capture the flag, but in the dark, because the night is when demigods let their guards down yet are most vulnerable. It's to keep us on our toes, and keep detrimental accidents from happening outside of Camp's borders.

But there was one problem that made this more of a nightmare than a nighttime task. They were split up into groups of two. That's right, Nico was stuck with Leo again.

"So, I see you've been so nice to everyone today!" Leo started sarcastically as they were venturing off to their beginning hiding spots before the actual hunt began.

"Don't slip up and make some cringey jokes, Leo. It'd be pretty embarrassing to lose at your own challenge," Nico responded, but he threw in a sly smirk so it didn't sound mean.

Leo rolled his eyes, "Me? Lose? Only at re- I won't." He was going to say Only at relationships as a self-depracating joke, but would've lost right then and there.

Besides, Leo only makes self-depracating jokes when it gets dark, something about feeling more sad which is why he usually surrounded himself with his inventions and swamped himself in his work. No one else knew that, however, especially Nico, so it would've sounded odd.

Nico lifted an eyebrow, "Good catch, soldier."

There was a moment of silence as they quietly inched behind a boulder that sat against three closely knit trees. They kneeled behind it and peaked around, no one else in sight.

Nico let out a little yawn, covering his mouth as he did.

"Sleepy?" Leo asked, without his usual playful tone.

Nico nods, "I actually woke up on time today."

Leo lifts his eyebrow this time, "I never thought I'd hear that sentence from the Nico di Angelo."

Nico shrugs, "You might spend all night working, but I like my sleep."

"Is that a light jab at me, Neeksy?"

"Don't you try to spin it!"

"Hey, I'm just askin'! Because that'd qualify as you losing, you know."

"It wasn't a jab!"

"No, but this is," spoke a voice behind them.

They shot up to see a child of Ares behind the trees, glaring at them threw an Athenian-styled helmet.

"This will be easy," Nico said darkly, raising his scythe.

Leo took out a hammer, "Easy peasy."

The child of Ares darted at Leo first, knowing better than to challenge a child of the Big Three. Leo dodged a blow to the side, but she punched him in the gut.

"Easy for me," Nico corrected, jumping in and pushing her back.

"Hey, easy for me too!" Leo spit, getting back up and tackling her legs so that they both fell over. They grappled on the ground for a minute.

Nico stood there, just watching, waiting to see how Leo handled himself. Eventually, he managed to pull the girl's sword from her hand, flinging it away and sending it scattering into a bush.

"I win," Leo said victorious.

Nico smirked. Not bad, he thought, but I would've been faster.

If only the daughter of Ares gave me the chance to prove it.