How to survive a fight with Nico di Angelo

Nico has badly beaten me up. I am lying on the ground, writhing in pain. Thankfully, I have a secret stash of medicine that is keeping me alive.

Nico walks up to me. He says, with contempt: "You are not a man. You are not even alive." Then he raises his Stygian iron sword, which glows greenish-black. He gets ready to stab me with the sword and ghostify me. I manage to wheeze, "You are letting him... kill... Maria."

Nico stops. He asks me, angrily: "What does that mean? Why did you say that name?" When he is distracted, I steal a sideways glance. I feel relieved to note that Piper, the charmspeaking child of Aphrodite, is ready to play her part.

I continue, “Find... him. Save... Maria.” Nico reacts very strongly. He releases waves of sad memories. Then he screams, “WHY DID YOU SAY THAT NAME?!!!”

Piper immediately runs up to me, kneels down, looks Nico in the eye, and says, “It's his mother's name.” Nico is emotionally overwhelmed. He steps away from me, drops the sword, and begins to sob. After a few minutes, he recovers. Then he goes on to extend a hand of friendship to me.

(NOTE: Maria is not my mother's name. God forbid my mother actually gets into a situation where she needs to be saved.)