Nico Di Angelo, Assistant of Ironman

Part 11- The Quest

"Ehem, Hephaestus, hello. What brings you here today?" Chiron was the first to speak after everyone realized the god was present,

"Sigh, I need a quest." The scarred god huffed (and he puffed-).

"Whatcha need, pops?"

"Someone stole 'some of my old machines that I didn't use much, probably a-thinkin' I wouldn't no'ice. Unfortuna'ely for them, they hold 'sen'imen'al value, so I want them found and brought back, preferably in one piece, but I can fix 'em up if worse 'omes to worst," Apparently, Hephaestus had a weird accent whenever he talked for longer than a sentence. Kind of like a New Yorker, but warbled and grating on the ears,

"I see, well, do you have someone you want to lead, perhaps Leo? Or-"

"Nico."

Well, that was surprising. Everyone else thought so too, with how quiet it was as they all just looked at him.

He most likely wasn't used to people looking at him, especially a group of them, because of his... unique facial features, and was visibly uncomfortable with it,

"Well, 'e was talkin' about it! The robots! So I figured 'e might wanna do i', though I'd appreciate i' if 'e would bring Leo alon' with 'im, bright kid, y'know? Ah, I dunno, do what'ver you wanna, why you makin' me do decisions?!"

"Heh, mood," 

"Ah, of course, we'll issue a quest. Nico, are you willing to lead it?"

With one last meaningful look to Hazel, he nodded, "I'll take Leo too if he wants,"

Said demigod looked towards him in slight surprise, expecting him to pick someone he was closer with, like Hazel or Percy. Though he could still pick one of them since I'm only one, Leo nodded to himself, agreeing with the voice in his head, 

Which was misunderstood by the other occupants of the room to mean he agreed. Well, he did but it's the intent behind that specific nod that matters.

"Great! It will be announced at the campfire tonight, please pick a third quest member by then,"

"Will do,"

~

"So who else are you planning on taking?"

"I figured I'd talk it out with you since you're going to be coming with me,"

"Oh... well, I don't know, the only people I know are... well, less than a fourth of the camp, and 60% of those are Hephaestus Cabin sooo," Leo shrugged, kicking a rock on the path through the woods they were on.

Huh? Why were they on a path in the woods? I dunno, I'm just the Narrator, why are you asking me? Honestly, kids these days.

Ahem, anyway, as I was saying;

As they were walking in now silence, they heard the sound of crying coming from the back of Zeus's Fist, and went to investigate,

"Hello? Is someone there?" Leo called from the side before they got to the back, 

The sound stopped, replaced by muffled shuffling, leading to a pause.

"sniff. Leave me alone you rats," a feminine voice called back,

"Ehh?? Rat? Aww, you sayin' I'm a good chef, like the rat from Rattatouie, right? How kind of you," 

"No, you're a rat, like the ones in the sewer, nasty and gross,"

"Oh my gods, stop it! You are so sweet, I can't believe you noticed!" Leo then pretended to faint from joy and succeeded his Listen Check in hearing a muffled laugh from Little Miss Compliment Spout, Spout for short.