First Encounter (22)

                                    

                                          
Nico darted down the street, taking a sharp left turn and pausing in front of a convenience store. 
He was kind of hungry. 
Nico walked inside, well aware of the fact that the store clerk was glaring at him. Nico walked down the aisles, looking at everything they had. It was mostly junk food, chips, and soda. 
Nico grabbed a bag of Doritos; he didn't know what they were, but they looked good. Nico glanced over his shoulder at the man behind the cashier. The man gave Nico weird vibes. 
"Will that be all for today?" The man drawled, taking Nico's chips, and scanning them. 
"No, thank you," Nico mumbled, holding out ten dollars for the man to take. 
"Hey, I think I know you." That made Nico pause and withdraw his hand slightly. 
"You must be mistaking me for someone else," Nico said, trying to sound as intimidating as possible. 
"No, no, you are definitely familiar." The man said, taking his money and putting it into the cash register, rummaging around for change. 
"Well, I don't think I've ever seen you before," Nico said, smiling coldly as he took his bag of chips and accepted his change. 
"No, here, I can prove I know you." The man said, walking out from behind the register. "Come." 
Nico knew it was stupid to actually follow him, but he did it anyway. The man led Nico to the back of the convenience store. Nico walked slowly, hugging the shelves like his life depended on it. He kept a firm grip on his ring, his lighter clenched in his other hand. He knew now that Stygian Iron could hurt mortals, but he wanted to have a separate weapon in arms reach if he needed it. 
"Here." The man said, bending over a freezer. Nico took a step back, wondering if he could slip out the front without the man noticing. 
Nico glanced back around and the next thing he knew Nico's feet were dangling several feet off the ground, a large spike embedded in his forearm, a clawed paw clamped tightly around his neck. 
"W-wha..?" Nico choked, his leg flailing out, trying to kick his attacker. 
"I know you. Nico Di Angelo." Hot breath washed over Nico's face. 
Nico forced his eyes open, and his heart stopped as he was met with the sight of the monster he never wanted to see again. 
"M-manticore." Nico gasped, flinging his legs up to kick the beast square in the chest, channeling some demigod strength in order to get free. 
The Manticore flew backward, knocking several shelves over. The few other people who were in the convenience store screamed and ran out, reaching for their phones. Nico ducked behind a discarded freezer, hearing the whishing sound of more spikes being dislodged. 
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. Thwack. 
Nico jumped forward, barely managing to avoid getting pricked by the spikes that pierced through the freezer. Nico rolled and used his momentum to pull the spike in his forearm out and whirl it back towards the Manticore. 
Nico gasped as a searing pain shot through his arm. He silently cursed himself as he remembered that the spikes were poisoned. 
Nico jumped as high as his legs could take him and grabbed onto a ceiling beam, using it to swing himself around and connect his feet with the base of the Manticore's head.
As the beast whirled around and snapped its human jaws at Nico's dangling ankles he wondered if it was the Manticore from Westover Hall. It certainly didn't look like Dr. Thorn, but Nico didn't even know if that was his real appearance.