Chapter Text
Nico was sitting in his cell, just minding his own business. Hes gotten used to this by now, the waiting, the fighting, the gross food. But today was different, he could feel it. Then the door to the room his cell was in was opened.
In walked the cockroach guard, with a limp cat-like body over their shoulder. What could this be about? They stopped right in front of his cell. Oh gods. They opened the cell and tossed the body in, locked the cell door and walked away.
It takes a while for the person to wake up, when they do Nico moves to the corner of the cell farthest from them. He has no clue what they're capable of and would prefer to be over here than anywhere near them.
The cat opens their eyes, looks at him and immediately backs away. Okay. He observes it a little longer noting that its black with red eyes, and a gray scarf-like thing around its neck. Nico pulls his knees up to his chest and lays his head on them. A couple hours later, he wakes up to a second person in his cell. This time it’s bird-like and yellow instead of cat-like and black. This is so weird, like Ive seen and been in weirder situations but Hades this is a lot.
The bird and the cat (he should give them names to call them) are huddled close together in the corner opposite of his which just so happens to put them near the door. The door to the room opens (cause why the hell not) and in walks the alien with the food cart.
It says something in a weird language and the two in his cell move away from the door as the rabbit-esk alien opens the little compartment in the door and slides in three trays and walks back out the room.
He knows the system and doesnt think the other two in his cell will change it, he gets fed before his match with whoevers next in line and doesnt get fed until right before his next round. He thinks that theyll come around more often to feed Black and Blondie (he can not come up with good names to save his life) but he doesnt think that theyll switch up his routine.
After his match (he cant believe he did that hes discus-) hes thrown back into his cell, slightly beaten and bloody, hes exhausted from running a fighting he only manages to crawl his way over to his corner and flop down before passing out. In his dream his father visits him, giving him the knowledge to be able to understand the language but not speak it. Because of course he wouldnt do anything he wanted him to.
When he wakes up he wishes he didnt wake up at all. Because he feels like a minotaur rammed into him and drove one of its horns straight through his stomach. Instead of doing what he really wants to do he sits up, going over himself and his surroundings. Hes mostly fine with a few bumps and scrapes but nothing he couldnt push to the side. The cell in his immediate vicinity is fine so he decides he doesnt want to look further just says fuck it and lays back down.
But instead of his head laying back on the hard metal floor it lands on a soft warm body and then he hears the voices.
”Do you think its okay, I mean it was pretty injured when it got thrown back in here.”
”I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about Zashi. You saw how it sat up and was perfectly fine I mean-“ He decides that he couldn’t care less about their conversation and goes back to sleep.