Bonds

Nico Becomes A Chew Toy And Sucks At Lying

"Hey Nico? Does the minotaur still work for your dad?"

Nico stopped his search for his belt and Percy's left shoe at Sally's strange question. But before he could even ask why, the woman's horrified screams filled the air. Without even wanting it, Akhlys' shield- no his shield appeared on his arm as he spun around in the ankle-deep water. For the briefest of moments Nico wonder how such a change in his weight and gravity didn't cause him to slip, but that question was blown away by what he awaited him. Not good! Not good!

"HELLLLLLLLLP!" Sally shrieked as she violently thrashed and kicked in the grasp of Percy's oldest enemy: the minotaur.

The son of Minos stared at the shrieking woman in his hand with what could only be confusion. His red eyes narrowed, and nostrils flared. Troublingly, the creature was armed. A massive spear clenched tightly in its free hand, though thankfully its shaft was still pressed to the ground as if it had been using it as a walking stick.

"LET HER GO!" Percy roared as he charged forward.

As the older teen surged forward, with a tendril of water trailing just behind his arm while the river altered its course to follow after him. The magical relaxing waters rising up in a cresting wave, only for pillars to just out and freeze into razor-sharp icicles that were nearly as long and thick as Percy's arm. Nico did not know if Percy intended to launch them the minotaur or slam the wave into the beast, or even if he knew he was creating the deadly ice in his wake.

What Nico did know was that Sally needed to be protected, as Percy would never forgive himself if he hurt his mother.

Before he even though about it, he found himself sliding through the shadows at breakneck speeds and reappearing between Percy and the monster. He was becoming increasingly concerned about how his and Percy's powers were behaving since the traumatizing encounter with Akhlys, but like a lot of things as of late, he would push them down for the time being.

Faster than any reflex, he swung his arm forward and the bronze shield grew in diameter until its edge was firmly entrenched in the ground. An instant later, he let loose the shield's aura of misery and shouted at the top of his lungs, "PERCY! STOP!"

The charging teen's eyes bugged out as his body went rigid, making him fall face first into the mud. The whip of water Percy had been pulling along rained down harmlessly, but the same could not be said for the wave.

As the rushing waters came crashing down, the lances of ice were propelled forward with all the speed and force of one of Artemis' arrows; shooting over Percy and straight towards him, Sally, and the minotaur. Nico clenched his jaw and braced against the shield just as the crystalline projectiles crossed the distance and slammed into the infinite images of the goddess of misery. Despite being wedged in the ground, the rapid barrage of impact forced him back at least a foot in the slick mud. He could guarantee that the blows would leave his shoulder, arms, and legs sore for days, but it would be worth it to save Sally and-

Nico's eyes widened in horror as one of the lances glanced off the edge of the shield, the blow altering its angle so it was perfectly aligned with Sally's chest.

NO! NO! NO!

He felt himself trying to slip into the shadows as he instinctively tried to reach for the deadly projectile, but sheer size of Akhlys' shield kept him pinned in place for a moment too long. "SALLY!"

Sally crossed her arms over her face in a vain attempt to shield herself at the approaching projectile-

In one fluid motion, without looking up from the woman wrapped in his fist, the minotaur released his hold of his own spear, snagged the giant icicle out of the air, slammed it into the earth at his hoofs, and snatched his own spear before it hit the ground. The half-man half-bull not even acknowledging what it did as it tilted its head to look at the still cowering woman.