Nico took his breath away. Literally. Fast and hard it hit him. Man, for such a scrawny little guy he could pack quite a punch. The son of Hades pierced through his defense, narrow and precise and in complete control. It was mesmerizing to watch. If Percy hadn't been on the receiving side, he would have enjoined it even more. Unfortunately escaping the pointy end of Nico's sword had priority.
By now Percy's arms were throbbing. Riptide felt at least 5 times heavier in his grip. With each strike, he lost more and more ground while Nico showed no signs of slowing down. Swayed by a current constant as the tide Percy had to be careful not to drown in the eternal rhythm his opponent set. He needed to break the pace. And that quick. But how? There was no room, no opening to exploit, no crack in the surface. So he decided to try it the old-fashioned way - trash talk.
"Is this all you - Whoa!" The Titan Slayer shrieked as Nico aimed for his head. Hastily Percy retreated further.
From there, things only went south. Before he knew Percy was cornered and Nico didn't seem in the mood to take prisoners. Perfect. The son of Poseidon took what would have been his last step and nearly tripped. The heck? Who in their right mind would leave a - he looked down. Something complicated happened on his face that ultimately ended in a sly grin. Fortune occasionally did smile on him - the thirsty man was given water.
"Poor fool," he stalled in the one way he was sure would work. "You're no match for my brains!"
Nico's lips twitched in amusement. "I'd be in real trouble if you ever use it," he countered without missing a beat.
Percy laughed. Such a nerd.
"That can be arranged." His voice was soaked in mirth and too late Nico noticed what was going on.
"You gotta be kidding!"
The lid of a small water bottle burst open as Percy crushed it under his feet. A miniature fountain of temporary insight was released and promptly used to smack Nico's sword out of his hand. For the second time, the son of Hades landed in the dirt. Not that it mattered. He lived by the motto 'Fall seven times, stand up eight'. However, there was a limit to the humiliation he could bear per day.
"You cheated!?" Nico accused Percy who was now looming over him.
"Pirate," the other blurted. Nico's confused expression told him his joke fell short. Another movie to add to the list, Percy thought before making a mental u-turn.
"Let's keep it real. For the kids," he said, seeing himself already as the winner. "They have to learn eventually. There are no rules. Nothing is true, everything is permitted."
Fine. The son of Hades ignored Percy's recycled villain speech. Two could play this game. The conditions weren't ideal, not much to work with between the cloudless sky and the arena's flat terrain. That would have to change first.
"For the kids," he then agreed, in a sweet, amicable tone that promised nothing but a rigorous death, before dissolving into the shadow the sea prince cast.
Oh no. Percy screwed up. He should have finished him, while he had the chance. The atmosphere vibrated and he could hear the low groans of tectonic plates shifting. His fingers clutched around Riptide. Next to him wobbled what wasn't more than the remains of a half-full glass of water in midair. Crap. Percy did not think this through.