A/N: Hey, this is my new story that I have had an idea for a while, I don't know how it's going to turn out, but if it turns out well I might make a second one of this. I don't own any of these characters that right go's to Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson
The Flickering Flame
Two days. That is how long it has been since Percy and Annabeth have fallen into Tartarus. The other seven where all laying around the Argo II, comforting each other to depressed to do anything, Me. I spent 2 days in the engine room without any sleep, food and drink.
Percy wanted us to meet him at the doors of death yet we were all still laying about doing nothing while Percy and Annabeth where fighting gods knows what in Tartarus, this isn't what they would have wanted. They would have wanted us to keep on going, and that was what Leo was going to do.
Leo went up to his room, he spend a through hours tinkering with the Archimedes sphere , figuring out how to install it into the ship and how to work it. He wrote notes while doing this incase he ever needed to look back over something.
Leo finally figured out how to install it into the ship to give it an extra boost as well as a couple of other little surprises. The preparation had started, Leo spent the rest of the day upgrading various bits of the engine room and repairing the ship so it is ready for its voyage to the house of Hades.
It was night now; Leo retired back to his cabin and spent the night writing plans for weapons for the seven and the Argo II, Leo made a lot of progress and even managed to make some stuff. Leo spent the next day the same way he spent the last one.
Leo was thinking about the doors of death, Leo didn't know much about how the doors of death actually work but he was pretty sure in order to close the doors someone would need to close them on the other side, so Leo decide to ask Nico who was still in his bed to tired and weak to move.
When Leo got there he noticed that hazel and where there sitting with Nico, They looked up when I entered when the greetings where all done i turned to Nico.
"Hey guys, do you mind giving me and Nico a minute alone?" Hazel and Frank both looked a little hurt and miffed at this but they still agreed to get out; Nico just looked confused as to why I was looking to talk to him.
"Nico" I began "I guessing there's something you're keeping from the rest of us, something to do with the doors of death. They have to be closed on both sides don't they?"
Nico looked at me so calmly it was a little unnerving he said "Leo, tell no one of this" I fought back the shiver that was crawling up my spine at hearing Nico talk with his obsidian black eyes drilling into me.
"Why did you want to know about this, unless you're planning to..." Nico left the remainder of that sentence unfinished knowing it didn't need finishing. I guess my silence gave him the answer he was asking for because he looked me in the eye and said quietly "Leo, you can't go in your one of the seven, this is my task and mine alone"
I stared into his eye knowing I won't be able to convince him otherwise so instead I came up with a deal "Nico, How about we make a deal, if you are unable to go through the doors of death or you are too weak and injured to survive in Tartarus, then you let me take your place. No one else needs to know about this"
Nico was silent as he thought about Leos offer; finally he said "I swear on the Styx that I will keep this deal" I felt a huge wave of relief go through me as I said good bye to Nico and that I would come back to talk to him some other time.
A deal was made and Leo fully intended to keep it.
A/N: This was just a chapter to give you a taste of what's to come later, give me comment on who you want Leo to have a romance with because I can't decide. Thanks for reading
~Perce585
the day upgrading various bits of the engine room and reparining the ship s
