Archive of Our Own ^beta

Having a quest dumped on her head in the middle of the breakfast wasn’t how Miranda had envisioned her morning, but it was still in the realm of ‘reasonable events’ for a demigod. That didn’t mean she was happy about it.

She also had no idea what were ‘the Dark Bonds of the Iron Queen’ that she was supposed to retrieve before the Summer Solstice, and the giant lizard that had appeared above the Camp Fire to give her the quest hadn’t been very enlightening. It was the first time her Mother was giving her a quest directly, and the Gods had been pretty quiet after the defeat of Gaea; maybe acknowledging that their children deserved some respite after two consecutive wars?

“Miranda Gardiner, you have been given a quest,” Chiron declared solemnly, standing up from his table. “Will you honor it, in the name of Demeter?”

As if everyone wasn’t already staring at her, wide eyed… She shrunk a bit.

“Uh, yeah, I guess?” she answered hesitantly.

Did she have a choice anyway?

“The quest has been accepted,” Chiron toned. “You may choose two companions to accompany you in this trial.”

Miranda looked around, a little lost. Some demigods were looking anywhere but in her direction, others were eagerly waiting for her verdict.

She glanced at her table, and her sister grabbed her hand. She didn’t look thrilled but she had determination in her eyes; she wouldn’t let her go without her.

“Katie,” the demigoddess designated, throat a little tight. “And… Clarisse?”

The buff girl grinned, puffing her chest proudly. Her table clapped and yelled approvingly, always happy to go prove their worth. It was part of the reason Miranda had chosen one of them. Also, Clarisse was a whole tank by herself! She had the raw strength the two sisters were missing; she would be a huge asset to their team.

“Katie Gardiner, Clarisse La Rue; do you accept the calling?” Chiron asked calmly.

“Styx, yeah!” Clarisse roared while Katie simply nodded gravely.

“Then, I advise you all to prepare today,” the centaur nodded. “You may use the Big House if you need to plan your strategies. I wish you luck, demigods!”

The whole Dining Pavilion banged their fists on their table and their foot on the ground, a deep rumbling filling the space as the earth shook. Miranda gulped and pressed her sister’s hand tighter. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be their last meal.

“It’s summer, Persephone isn’t in the Underworld,” Katie argued desperately as the trio gathered in the Big House.

They were around the large table used by the Head Counselors during meetings, doing their best to decipher the quest. It wasn’t even a Prophecy, but it wasn’t clear either.

“Yeah but ‘dark bonds’ doesn’t sound very ‘summer-y’. Wouldn’t it be some kind of instrument to keep her prisoner in the Underworld?” Miranda winced.

“We had a normal spring this year, though,” Clarisse shrugged. “Pretty hot even. If Persephone was stuck Downstairs, we would still be freezing.”

“Exactly,” Katie nodded vigorously.

“Are we sure the Iron Queen is Persephone?”

“That’s one of her aliases, and the quest was given by Demeter.”

“But who would dare attack Persephone? She’s under Demeter and Hades’ protection!”

They were going in circles, and time was ticking.

“We should ask Lou Ellen. She’s a daughter of Hecate, a Chthonic Goddess; she might have a clue,” Katie finally proposed.

Relieved to escape the infernal circle of theories, the other two nodded eagerly. The Hecate Cabin was the second bungalow with the most plants after the Demeter’s: most of them were poisonous though. It was painted in dark blue and sparkly purple, magical diagrams adorning the walls. Everyone at Camp knew better than to try entering uninvited (even the Hermes’ kids) but unlike their Cabin, the children of Hecate were pretty chill and nice to hang out with, as long as you didn’t annoy them too much.

Lou Ellen was their Head Counselor, and it was her who opened the door when they knocked.

“Hey girls,” she smiled. “Looking for someone?”

“Found her,” Miranda smiled back. “We were wondering if you could help us figure out our quest: it’s about Persephone, and since your mother is a Chthonic Goddess, we thought- Maybe you heard something about it?”

“Oh,” the girl hummed, stepping out and closing the door behind her. “I would be happy to help, but I probably don’t know much more than you about Persephone… And I’ve never been to the Underworld. When did you get the quest?”

“This morning at breakfast,” Miranda sighed. “One of our Mother’s sacred animals showed up and told us to retrieve the Dark Bonds of the Iron Queen before the beginning of the Summer Solstice. It was phrased a little more nicely, but that was the gist of it.”

“Have you ever heard about those ‘bonds’?” Katie asked. “Anything could help!”

“Dark bonds? From Persephone?” Lou repeated pensively.

The three girls nodded in unison.

“Not really,” the daughter of Hecate finally winced apologetically. “But wait, I’m going to ask my siblings.”

She vanished through the door again and came back a few minutes later, shacking her head.

“We’re fucked,” Clarisse groaned factually.

The sorceress shrugged with a grimace.

“I don’t want to twist the knife inside the wound, but if Nico hasn’t heard about it, there is little chance that we would have.”

A loud silence passed, the trio glancing at each other awkwardly.

“Wait,” Lou squinted at them. “Don’t tell me… You haven’t asked him?! Seriously, girls? He is literally our resident specialist of the Underworld! What were you thinking?!”

“I- Uh- We didn’t think-,” Miranda spluttered, blushing in embarrassment. “Is he even here right now? He is always strolling around the gods know where…”

The daughter of Hecate stared at them in disbelief, crossing her arms.

“You’re scared of him,” she accused, unimpressed. “Are you serious? He’s a total cinnamon roll!”

“A cinnamon roll?!” Clarisse scoffed, half outraged. “You didn’t see him on the battlefield like I did, then!”

“Well, he’s a kid of one of the Big Three,” she retorted. “Of course his powers are terrifying, but you wouldn’t go on a quest in the ocean without asking Percy for advice- And the guy is a freaking hurricane on the battlefield!”

“We’ll look for him,” Katie promised, defeated.

But Lou Ellen wasn’t done with them yet.

“Discrimination against Chthonic Gods and Goddesses is not cool, girls,” she glared. “I was expecting better from you. Are you going to accuse me of being a poisoning witch next, and point fingers at my Cabin for every intoxication at Camp?”

“You know we wouldn’t,” Miranda hurriedly tried to pacify her. “We didn’t mean it like that, it’s just- Nico is so rarely here, we simply didn’t think to ask him!”

“He pretty much lives here since he found his sunshine boyfriend,” she snorted, still glaring. “If he isn’t in his Cabin, just go ask Will. And worst case scenario, Iris Messages exist for a reason.”

Clearly upset, she turned her back on them and slammed the door of her cabin in their face.

“Oops,” Katie winced.

“Yeah,” Clarisse grimaced.

“Shall we go see Will, then?” Miranda whispered.

“Shouldn’t we go check the Hades Cabin first?” her sister argued.

They all glanced at Cabin 13, looming threateningly in the distance.

“We can go say hi to Will first, it’s just… polite,” Miranda coughed.

Cabin 13 had always freaked her out (more than its inhabitants), and despite what Lou had said, it had been a while since she had seen the brooding son of Hades around Camp. And his more sociable sister was residing at Camp Jupiter, so not an option.

They silently walked to the infirmary, a little ashamed of themselves, not that they would admit it. The activity there was pretty low today, maybe because it was early and camp activities hadn’t all started yet. An Apollo kid directed them to the back where Will was doing some organizing in the medical supplies.

“Hey,” he greeted them with a surprised smile. “How’s it going? Do you need anything?”

Even in the darkness of the old reserve, he was undoubtedly shining from the inside. How he had ended up with Nico was probably one of the top mysteries of Camp Half Blood. And there was a lot of mysteries around here…

“Uhm, we were actually looking for your boyfriend,” Clarisse explained, slightly awkward. “Is he at camp right now?”

“Nico?” Will brightened even more if possible. “Yeah, he’s staying for a little while! But you won’t find him outside at this hour.”

Katie glanced at the clock on the wall and raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean? It’s almost eleven.”

“Waking him up for lunch is a huge achievement even for me,” the medic chuckled. “We’re working on it. He’s more of a night owl, you see?”

He looked very besotted with the son of Hades if anyone had doubts, but something wasn’t adding up: sleeping in wasn’t possible at Camp Half Blood. There were mandatory activities, cabins inspections, and the Harpies cleaners- Sleeping during their shift was synonym with mortal danger.

“Nico is exempt from the usual organization,” Will explained when they asked him about it. “A reward he got from Mr D, I think he told me? Anyway, the Harpies know better than to bother him, and everyone used to piss themselves when it was their turn to inspect his cabin, so…”

He rolled his eyes with a sigh.

“They were so dramatic, it was ridiculous. You should wait a little if you want to ask him something; he can get cranky when he gets pulled out of bed too early. We don’t want any earthquakes or a massive crack leading straight into Tartarus in the middle of the Camp, do we?” he concluded with a fond chuckle that was completely inappropriate for the situation.

“That’s not being cranky-”

“It is for him,” the son of Apollo assured, going back to his duties. “We’re working on it. He’s a dramatic cinnamon roll: adorable but a little destructive. Let him sleep, he works a lot and deserves his rest.”

It was the second time in less than an hour that someone was describing Nico di Angelo as a ‘cinnamon roll’, and Miranda couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She was trying very hard, but the image of the calamity rampaging through the battlefield during the war against Gaea, surrounded by dead soldiers and decimating everything in its path would not overlap with the inoffensive pastry.

“After lunch then?” she hesitated.

“Sure!” the blond grinned. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to help you!”

The demigoddess doubted that, but she didn’t say it. At least she had nothing to worry about until lunch.

“Who’s going to knock?” Katie whispered as the three girls stood before the door of Cabin 13.

A giant skull hanged above the door, glaring at them.

“Clarisse, go on! You’re the brave one,” her sister whispered too.

“Since when?!” the daughter of Ares hissed in the same tone.

“Since the beginning!”

Clarisse couldn’t disprove that fact, so she knocked very gently. The giant skull didn’t go down on them and nothing moved.

“Maybe a little harder?” Katie muttered.

“Just do it yourself if you’re not happy with my way!”

“Come on, girls, this is literally the ‘easy’ part of the quest,” Miranda moaned.

Grumbling unhappily, Clarisse knocked for real this time, and all three held their breath waiting for… something. For a few seconds nothing happened, and the daughter of Demeter wondered if Nico hadn’t gone for a late lunch or something. Then, the torches framing the door flared to life and a low rumble shook the floor under them.

The door opened and Miranda barely contained a scream.

“Why are you knocking for Styx’ sake? Is this a new way to torture me, Will-”

A dishevelled and barely awake Nico froze in the embrasure of the door, staring at them. He was wearing black silky pajamas, his skin so pale in contrast that it looked almost translucent. His hair were pretty long, almost to his shoulders, and right now they resembled a crow’s nest. His dark eyes were boring through the trio.

“You’re not Will,” he noted, and it sounded a little like a reproach.

“An astute observation!” Katie squeaked before Clarisse elbowed her side to make her shut up.

The son of Hades didn’t react, but rubbed his face sleepily. Behind him, the shadows in the room were writhing in chaos as if the darkness was alive. Bones and jewels adorning the walls glittered, and Miranda gulped.

“Umh, sorry for waking you up,” she still mumbled. “We were wondering if- We had a question for you…”

“A question? For me?” Nico repeated, blinking sleepily. “Is someone dead? No, wait…”

He cocked his head to the side as if he was listening to the wind, then shook his head.

“No, no one dead around here,” he concluded. “What’s your question?”

“Wait, you know when someone dies just like that?!” Katie gasped.

“That’s not our question,” her sister pointed out before explaining. “We’ve been given a quest from our Mother to help Persephone.”

“Mom?” Nico tensed, straightening, suddenly more awake. “Is she okay?”

“Mom? Persephone?” Clarisse squinted, confused.

“Ah, yes, same difference- Is she okay?” he stressed.

“Uh yeah, I mean, I guess?” she hesitated. “We’re supposed to retrieve her ‘dark bonds’ and bring them back to her before the Solstice.”

“Oh,” he deflated, back to his sleepy self. “Is she having a party or something? She could have asked me, I don’t know why she went through the trouble of sending a quest to random demigods… No offence. It’s just impractical to send you to the Underworld when I’m literally right here: it would take me less than five minutes.”

“It’s in the Underworld?!” Miranda picked up, panicked.

“Obviously,” the son of Hades yawned. “It’s a set of bracelets I gifted her for Mother’s day: she probably forgot them in her room or something when she went up for Spring.”

“Jewelry?” Clarisse frowned. “Not literal bonds?”

“Who would dare to cuff her?” he snorted.

“You never know with Gods!”

Nico shrugged but didn’t retort.

“So, what was your question?” he asked instead.

Miranda opened her mouth, closed it. Asking Nico had indeed been the most effective way.

“Uuh, we were wondering what those bonds were and where they were, but- You already answered, so… Thanks,” she muttered, embarrassed.

“Well I’m not really sure where she keeps them,” he contemplated. “In the Palace for sure, but- She has a dressing room, a jewelry room… They might be in her own bedroom for all I know. Probably not the main Treasury, though.”

“We- We have to infiltrate the Palace of the Underworld?!” Katie trembled. “No way!”

“That’s suicide,” Clarisse grumbled while Miranda was already thinking about writing her last will and testament.

The Underworld was one of the most dangerous realms in their World, second only to Tartarus. But not only did they have to go there, they had to search the Palace?! The very place where the King of the Dead resided?!?

“It’s barely a quest,” Nico blinked. “More like a shopping trip.”

He stretched before their revolted eyes and scratched his messy black hair.

“Give me five minutes,” he demanded, turning back inside. “I’ll guide you. It’s Sunday, I had to visit my Dad anyway.”

He closed the door, leaving them shocked.

“Did he just-,” Katie whispered excitedly.

“We’re saved,” Clarisse breathed, relieved. “Thank the Gods.”

“Are we?” Miranda hesitated. “I know he’s the son of Hades and all that, but he’s still a demigod just like us. He might know his way around the Underworld, but…”

“It’s like going for a quest in the ocean with Percy,” Clarisse argued. “It’s just like Lou said. And honestly, if someone can get us in and out of this hell alive, it’s this guy! I trust him on that. Worst case scenario, we get a fourth demigod who’s a great fighter for this quest!”

“He said it would be a walk in the park!” Katie cheered, clapping happily. “We should have known: Lou is always right!”

The door opened again and this time Nico was dressed in his usual dark jeans and aviator jacket, a t-shirt with a silver skull under it.

“Let’s go,” he yawned once again, closing the door behind him. “I have to tell Will so he won’t panic about me disappearing, but then we’re good.”

They all went back to the infirmary that was a little more lively now, with various demigods getting patched up.

“Nico!” Will grinned when he saw them. “The girls found you, I see!”

“Yeah, they sure did,” his boyfriend muttered, joining him for a kiss. “I’m gonna make a quick trip home: they need a guide.”

The head medic nodded, not looking too stressed that his boyfriend was going down to the Underworld for the day.

“Alright, just don’t stay too long. And how are you going there?” he asked. “You can’t shadow-travel with three people.”

Nico paused. He hadn’t thought of that apparently.

“I mean- I can,” he assured uneasily under the serious stare of the son of Apollo. “You know it’s easy for me when I go down, and it’s just a single round-trip!”

Will glared without comment and Nico squirmed a little.

“I- Sunshine, I’ll be fine, I’ll take some ambrosia with me, promise!”

Will’s glare intensified, and the son of Hades waved the white flag of surrender.

“We will go down a physical path,” he gave up, head low.

Will’s scowl disappeared as if it had never existed.

“Good,” he smiled brightly. “Have a safe trip, Death Boy. I will prepare some Vitamin D for when you return!”

Nico nodded with a small pout and they left the infirmary.

“So,” Clarisse coughed awkwardly as they walked to the limits of Camp Half Blood. “When you talked about a physical path- Are we suppose to find an entrance or…?”

“There is plenty of entrances to the Underworld in the US,” Nico sighed. “We will take the Orpheus’ path. It’s in New York, Central Park.”

“Orpheus’ Path? Shouldn’t we take an instrument to open it, then? I’m not too confident in my skills, but…”

“We could ask a Satyr for help,” Miranda thought.

“What are you saying?” Nico snorted. “It may be Orpheus’ Path, but it doesn’t mean music is the only way through it.”

“Then what?”

“You do know that we’re just going to go through a tunnel?” he reminded them, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. “We just have to move the stone blocking the entrance. Are you not daughters of Demeter?”

“Uuuh, we are, but… We can’t move the earth,” Katie hesitated. “We can just control plants.”

“Really?” Nico hummed. “Well, it’s fine; I can do it.”

An awkward silence settled until they reached the closest road to camp. Central Park was almost a hundred kilometres away from their location in Long Island: they couldn’t do it by foot.

“I can’t use the pegasi: they’re scared of me,” Nico commented, putting one knee to the ground and patting it.

It was their only warning before a large crack tore the road open and a black limousine jumped out of it before sliding to a screeching halt before them. Behind the wheel, a zombie in outdated butler’s clothes nodded at them.

“Jules Albert, my chauffeur,” Nico introduced him as if everything was normal. “Remember to buckle up; he likes to drive fast.”

“You have a zombie chauffeur?!” Katie gasped, torn between awe and disgust.

“Yeah, a birthday present I got last year from my father, just before the second War,” he muttered distractedly, sliding in the car. “Don’t ask me why, I still haven’t understood the point either.”

They had barely sat inside when the car jumped forward. Nico hadn’t lied when he said Jules Albert liked to drive fast: they made the two hours trip in one, and Clarisse threw up when they reached the Park, barely making it to the nearest trash bin. The two sisters weren’t faring better.

“I rarely call him; shadow-traveling is more comfortable,” Nico admitted. “Probably safer too.”

He was a little green as he waved away the fast&furious zombie.

“I’m not going back with him,” Clarisse gurgled above her bin. “I don’t care if I have to walk for a week!”

“Let’s take a normal taxi next time,” Miranda burped in agreement.

Nico led them through Central Park, to a remote spot where a small mound of rocks was standing inconspicuously.

“Orpheus Path,” he presented unceremoniously.

He extended his hand and the mount parted in a low rumble, revealing a dark path going down the bowels of earth. He entered without hesitation, humming to himself even. The girls were forced to follow, way more tense than him. The opening shut behind them, leaving them in complete darkness.

“Fuck!” Clarisse hissed.

“Are you coming or what?” Nico’s voice called from afar.

“We can’t see a thing! Please don’t leave us!” Katie panicked, grabbing her sister blindly.

“Ah, I forgot,” the demigod muttered.

There was a resounding snap, and torches of Greek fire lit the path instantly. Green light illuminated the dusty stairs and Nico a few meters under them, waiting patiently.

“Better?” he asked as if he had just switched the light in his hallway.

“Better,” Miranda squeaked, still holding on her sister like a life buoy.

There was no doubt they were in a stairway to Hell; as they progressed the temperature slowly dropped, wails and ominous whispers could be heard from all around them, threatening shadows loomed on the walls… After what seemed hours, they reached a waiting room. Compared to the stairs, it was surprisingly bright and normal.

Countless souls were waiting silently on plastic chairs and a receptionist was tapping on his computer behind a desk. He raised his head when they entered and frowned in annoyance, opening his mouth to probably tell them off for being alive. He froze when his eyes paused on Nico though, and jumped to his feet.

Clarisse already had her hand on her sword, but the man bowed deeply.

“Welcome, your Royal Highness!” he greeted loudly without raising his head. “It’s an honor! How may I help you?”

Miranda’s jaw dropped while Nico didn’t seem surprise in the slightest by the weird display.

“Don’t mind me,” he said, waving a lazy hand. “I’m just bringing guests. I will escort them back afterward, don’t worry. They won’t cause trouble.”

“I wouldn’t dare, your Highness,” the man assured. “I wish you a pleasant trip with your guests!”

“He wished us a pleasant trip?!” Katie silently mouthed incredulously.

“Thank you,” Nico nodded distractedly, already leaving. “Please, continue your good work.”

“Thank you, your Highness!” the receptionist grinned happily, bowing once again.

As they ran after their guide, Katie made big eyes to her sister as if to convey her shock. She didn’t need to; Miranda was just as stunned. The hallway finally opened on the Underworld: a vast grey land with no sky and only darkness. They were on a stony platform before a large river with roaring current. Thousands of voices were crying out, shrieking in agony and pleading for mercy under the surface.

Clarisse took a hesitant step forward, and Nico pulled her back.

“Don’t touch the water; I won’t be able to save you if you do.”

They all took a step back from the river, and Nico put his hand above his eyes like a visor.

“Okay, I got some time,” he muttered. “You all stay here, I need to change. I will be back in five.”

He vanished in a shadow, leaving the trio alone.

“He- What?- He needs to change?!” Katie spluttered. “Is that a joke?”

Clarisse looked around cautiously and unsheathed her sword.

“It’s fine, we’re already in the Underworld: we might be able to make it.”

“You mean cross the frontier between the Living and the Dead, reach the palace, search through it, and come all the way back alive?” Miranda hissed, horrified.

“You don’t need to present it like that,” Clarisse protested.

“The Solstice is in two days, maybe we can go back and plan better-”

“We can’t give up after coming so far!”

At that moment Nico reappeared, now dressed in a traditional Greek chiton. Black of course. A light carmine cloak was fastened above his right shoulder with a skull brooch.

“Alright, everyone still alive?” he stretched, arranging a silver crown on his hair. “Why did you pull out your sword?”

“Uuh…”

“That’s what you meant when you said you needed to change?!”

“Well, yeah,” the demigod shrugged. “I have a reputation to keep, around here. Plus, my Father is a traditionalist, so I usually go around like this. Don’t mind me.”

“Is that a crown?!”

“Ah yes, a long story. Didn’t have a choice, really… I had to choose my battles, and this one was lost from the start.”

The crown was made out of small silvery bones and had an ominous aura. There was no way it was just an ornament…

They were about to ask more questions when a shadowy figure appeared in a bark, slowly approaching them in the river. Charon, Miranda guessed, steeling herself for the confrontation. The immortal parked his boat to the shore and turned his hooded face toward them.

“Mortals, are you seeking Death?” he rattled ominously, his disembodied voice echoing in the air.

“Quit it, Charon,” Nico retorted, jumping in the boat without missing a beat.

Miranda’s jaw was on the floor once again. Maybe it would stay there for the rest of the trip.

“Oh, you’re no fun, Boss,” the daimon scoffed in a suddenly normal male voice (pretty young at that), his free hand on his hips in a way that was completely anachronistic with his ominous appearance.

“Who are you going to scare with your paddle?” the demigod mocked, rolling his eyes.

Miranda was scared alright, but she didn’t say a thing.

“Come on, everyone on board!” the son of Hades called them.

“Am I not even getting paid for my labor anymore?!” Charon protested, despite making no move to stop them. “What am I to you? A taxi for illegal immigrants?!”

“Oh, shut up,” Nico chuckled, throwing him a pouch that clinked with the sound of coins.

“Ah!” Charon exclaimed happily, catching the pouch. “Always a pleasure to work with you, Boss!”

He pushed off his hood, revealing a perfectly normal face: blond bleached hair cut short, neat black skin, forty-ish. He had red eyes, but it was far from the appearance of the crippled monster Miranda’d had in mind.

“Alright everyone, andiamo!” he declared theatrically, pushing off shore once they were all in the boat. “Are you here for sightseeing? I can give you some tips for nice spots-”

“You’re really full of shit today, uh?” Nico accused. “They are here for a quest, I’m their guide.”

“Really? That’s fun! How much do you charge them?”

The demigod seemed to think about it, and the daughter of Demeter paled a little. She wasn’t exactly rich…

“Well, it’s not like I need money,” Nico finally shrugged. “I had to come anyway; it’s Sunday, you know? And if I’m here, they can’t cause trouble, and I don’t have to come fix it later.”

“Smart move,” the immortal approved.

Crossing the river was pretty quick, and soon they were on the other side of the Acheron. A gigantic black wall was following the shore for as far as the eye could see, and a line of souls were queuing alongside it to enter the Underworld.

“The Wall of Erebos,” Nico introduced as if he was a real tour guide.

“Can I take pictures?” Clarisse snorted under her breath.

“You can, but no flash please.”

“Do we need to queue?” Katie worried.

The demigod laughed as he walked past the souls.

“If you want to wait for decades, yeah, sure! I’m here to give you a VIP experience, so stop spouting nonsense.”

“Well, excuse me, your Royal Highness,” the girl retorted, a little vexed.

Her sister shoot her a warning glare. Nico was their only life line here, and they couldn’t afford to anger him.

“Don’t mind the title,” he snorted, unbothered. “People are old-fashioned around here, and status is a big thing in our Pantheon.”

“Really?”

That was news to the daughter of Demeter.

“I really need to talk to Chiron about demigods’ education,” Nico sighed. “There would be less death if you all knew how to navigate your way around Immortals.”

“Why are you talking as if you were different from us?” Clarisse frowned. “You think being a kid of the Big Three is that big of a deal?”

Miranda was this close to slapping the girl to make her shut up.

“Yeah, after two major Wars where our existence was the trigger for the possible End of the World, I do,” he deadpanned. “It’s not about being better: it’s about our power being on another level, a level that can threaten the Gods, our World, and our own existence at the same time. But that’s not even my point; I spent my formative demigod-years here, in contact with different Gods and Immortals. I learned their ways, I adapted to survive, and I was appalled by the ignorance I found when I came back Upstairs. We need classes for mythological history, etiquette lessons, courses on how to pray and offer sacrifices to the Gods…”

His diatribe took the girls by surprise. The trend these days wasn’t really about boot licking the Gods.

“Why would we-”

“Because,” Nico cut Clarisse, fully glaring now. “It would heighten our survival rate. As simple as that. We have a freaking Olympian as our Camp Director and NO ONE ever thought of using that to our advantage! By Hestia, he had two demigods kids, only one now, but- Why not ask him for help or info, at least, when going on quests?!”

“Mr D hates us,” Miranda reminded him.

“If I had to be stuck for a century with you all, I would be mad too. He never gets sacrifices at dinner, no one treats him as a rightful Olympian, he is deprived of his Domain… Demigods are not bound by immortal laws: we could all help him go through his punishment a little more comfortably and get help in return, a win-win situation for everyone, but NO! Why make things EASY?!” he yelled, exasperated. “Who needs an Olympian’s help?! Not demigods going on deathly quests, no!!!”

A silence floated as he angrily strode forward, more animated than ever. The girls exchanged a look. He kinda had a point… Why had they never thought about that?

“Uhm… Do you think- Maybe you could- Since you seem well aware about those things, do you think you could arrange a few sessions with Chiron maybe?” Miranda tried. “I think… I would be interested. And I probably wouldn’t be the only one.”

That seemed to pacify the demigod, who nodded.

“I’ve been thinking about it, I’ll try to put it in place later,” he agreed. “And you will see that doing things right doesn’t mean just bowing down to the Gods like servants: we have a status we can all use. You two are the daughters of the oldest Olympian Goddess, Clarisse is a victorious General of two major wars; that is worthy of respect, even to Gods! As long as you know how to use it and when. I learned a long time ago to not be ashamed of my titles.”

“Like what?” the daughter of Ares inquired, her interest picked.

Nico stopped and faced them. He straightened his back, crossed his arms and steeled his face.

“I am Nico di Angelo, Son of Hades, Ambassador of Pluto, Rightful Prince of the Underworld, Champion of Nyx. I am a Hero of Olympus, Veteran of both the Second Titanomachy and the Second Gigantomachy. Those are some of my Titles.”

His aura was no joke and Miranda had to admit: she was impressed, and more than a little intimidated. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but reflect on herself: she did have achievements and possible titles to her name. She did go through the wars, she made contributions… She just never thought of using them, because- She wasn’t sure why. She just didn’t feel like they were worthy of anything.

“Wow,” Clarisse muttered. “That’s cool.”

“I will teach you,” Nico grinned before resuming his walk. “We didn’t go through all of the Gods’ bullshit to be disrespected and treated like unruly babies, did we?”

“Damn, dude… I think I like you,” the daughter of Ares declared in awe.

The demigod barked a laugh, and Miranda wondered why they had been so nervous to ask for his help to begin with. He was a demigod just like them, one who had been a precious ally during the last wars. What could have happened? Worst case scenario he would have told them he didn’t know the answers they needed.

She suddenly felt really stupid.

“Uhm, Nico?” she winced. “I’m sorry for how we behaved before. We went to Lou Ellen before looking for you, and she accused us of discriminating against you because of your parentage. She was kinda right about that, and… I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. And thank you for helping us, you didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Katie nodded, lowering her head. “It wasn’t cool on our part.”

“I admit we could have done a little more to get to know you,” Clarisse admitted, looking away awkwardly.

The confession made Nico smile.

“It’s fine, I’m used to people freaking out around me because of all the death stuff,” he shrugged. “Apologies accepted. I know I’m not the most approachable guy either.”

They were almost at the Doors now, but somehow Miranda felt more confident. Clearly, Nico was trustworthy and knew what he was doing.

“What’s going on there?” the demigod suddenly frowned, stopping next to a small crowd in the middle of the queue.

It seemed there was a quarrel, two Shades arguing about the other skipping the line or something.

“I need to deal with this. Go first, I will catch up in a second.”

The trio nodded and continued straight, glancing back a few times with some apprehension still.

“We’re ridiculous,” Clarisse muttered. “Technically, we’re not even inside the Underworld yet, just at the border.”

“Yeah, but we still shouldn’t be here as living mortals,” Katie argued. “We’re… illegal immigrants as Charon put it.”

The massive Doors were now clearly visible, a few hundred meters away. And between the Doors, a giant snout suddenly picked out, sniffing the air. Then a giant Mastiff’s head appeared. Then a second one. Then a third. Who all turned in their direction.

The trio froze, as if immobility could make them invisible. Cerberus growled and fully stepped out of the opening.

“Girls?” Clarisse whispered, unsheathing her sword. “Run. Grab Nico on your way out, and run. Fast. I don’t know how long I can hold him.”

“We can’t leave you!-”

Cerberus pounced forward, all teeth bared and claws out.

“Run!” the daughter of Ares yelled, crouching in a combat stance despite barely reaching the size of the monster’s ankles.

The sisters didn’t have time to even turn around that a swirl of shadow materialized between them and the Hound. Nico stepped out, no weapon in sight, hands on his hips.

“CERBY, DOWN!” he commanded, voice booming through the cold air.

The immortal Guardian braked with all his four paws, stumbling a little in his haste, and skidded to a stop right before the demigod. He was towering above him, panting in surprise. One head had its tong out, another lowered to sniff his hair, and the third yapped happily.

“Good boy, Cerby,” Nico smiled proudly, petting the head that was closest to him.

The praise seemed greatly appreciated because the Hound woofed and jumped excitedly (creating a miniature earthquake), and all three head howled loudly, the sound reverberating through the whole Underworld with no discretion whatsoever. Then Cerberus proceeded to cover Nico in slobber, licking him to death.

“Girls, pinch me,” Clarisse choked, still in a fighting position. “Is Cerberus acting like a Golden Retriever puppy right now?”

Neither of the sisters could answer her, too shocked.

“Okay, okay, enough!” Nico laughed. “You’re drenching me! I’m happy to see you too!”

He cuddled the giant dog, each head demanding his attention by whining pitifully.

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too,” he cooed at the monster. “Such a good boy for me… I will bring you steak when I’m done, promise! And I’ll play with you too, it’s been a while.”

That triggered another round of joyful (and terrifying) barks. Cerberus trotted back to his post with his tail wagging like crazy, and Nico gestured the girls to follow him.

“Let’s go,” he grinned. “He won’t hurt you, he’s a sweetheart.”

“I’m having flashbacks,” Katie whispered fearfully.

“Is he a cinnamon roll too?” Miranda shivered, containing her panic.

“He is,” Cinnamon-roll-n°1 assured seriously.

Clarisse let out a stressed-out laugh.

They passed the Hound who made no signs of aggression and simply drooled on them. The armored skeletons guarding the Doors straightened, bowed their head, and let them pass too. And just like that they were inside the Underworld.

“Welcome to my Home!” Nico gleefully declared, arms extended to show… devastation.

A rocky plain covered in fog and drifting shadows, filled with ominous silence only breached by the screams of agony and despair from the Field of Punishments. It seemed to be the perfect illustration for ‘hostile environment’, with its dark Palace presiding menacingly over the realm in the distance- And Nico looked truly happy to be here. He took a deep breath as if the cold metallic air could be considered fresh, and strode through the ashes toward the Palace.

The girls had no choice but to follow.

They entered Asphodel and got instantly swallowed by the fog. Shades and shadows were drifting around them in eerie silence, parting before Nico and closing back behind the group. Every now and then a scream tore the silence, making the sisters flinched and Clarisse clenched her hand on her sword. Before them, the son of Hades was joyfully walking with a spring in his step, ignoring their surroundings.

“Are you really not scared of anything in the Underworld?” Katie whispered, holding tight on her sister’s arm.

“Scared? Not really,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “There isn’t anything dangerous for me here. Apart from Tartarus, but I just have to stay clear from it.”

“What about the monsters?” the daughter of Ares inquired, glancing around suspiciously.

“Mmh, well you met Cerby already. I play with him and his pups on weekends. Ghosts either respect or fear me, or both. There was one who tried to get me killed once during the first War, but I got him locked up in the Punishment Fields,” he grinned darkly as if remembering good times. “I visit him, sometimes, when I need to vent my anger. The Keres were also kind of mean, but they’re imprisoned in Tartarus now, same for Melinoë. No, I don’t think I can think of any danger down here! I do avoid bothering most Chthonic Gods who have their Caves here if it’s not for a quest or official business though; it’s safer and it’s not like I lack places to stroll around here.”

“You stroll around in the Underworld?!” Miranda spluttered.

“Well yeah, it’s my backyard after all. Asphodel is great for taking afternoon naps, I can train in Elysium, hike through Persephone’s Groves… Sometimes I keep Charon company, or I picnic with Styx. There is so much to do in the Underworld! Oh, and I went to a barbecue party with the Furies once, but it was a little too gory for my tastes.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Clarisse mumbled, her eye twitching.

“And you’re all scaredy cats!” he mocked.

His nonchalance and excitement looked a little manic to Miranda’s eyes, but she wasn’t going to say anything.

The fog thickened around them to the point it was almost palpable, and it was hard to see more than two meters away. It seemed like it wanted to swallow them, and it was impossible to orient themselves anymore… Nico made no sign of slowing down though.

“Do you know where we’re going?” Katie worried. “We’re not lost, right?”

“Yes, of course I know where we are; I can’t get lost here,” he chuckled, extending one hand in the air as if to caress the fog close to him.

Ribbons of mist curled around his fingers, and Miranda was sure that thing was sentient. No way it was a normal meteorological element.

“We’re nearly there,” Nico announced at some point despite the lack of signs or change in the scenery.

“You mean…”

“The Palace. My house!”

Before them, what looked like giant cliffs stood out in the fog. Coming closer and finally stepping out of the mist, it turned out to be the Underworld Palace, built in rough obsidian rocks as black as the night. It was so huge they couldn’t see the top of the towers even by cracking up their neck. A massive staircase led to the main door where four giant armored knights were standing guard. They were at least two meters tall, their black armors and their perfect immobility giving them the appearance of menacing statues. They were holding long shields and spears, large swords hanging at their side.

“That was quite the walk!” the son of Hades remarked cheerfully. “I guess I had my exercise for the week! Let me grab your sister quickly and we can go in.”

“What do you mean-”

Miranda cut herself. Katie wasn’t beside her- She was nowhere to be seen!

“Katie!” she screamed in panic.

“Chill, it’s just the fog, it took her,” Nico explained, patting her shoulder. “It does that sometimes, she’s not far: I can still sense her soul.”

There was too much information coming at once, and too much panic to handle it all. What did he mean by ‘the fog took her’?! That it did it sometimes?!? And he could feel freaking Souls?!?!?

“How am I suppose to chill?!?”

Nico vanished in a shadow and reappeared before she could blink or scream some more. He was holding Katie by the arm. Miranda grabbed her in a fierce hug, her heart beating fast.

“Huh? What?” Katie mumbled, blinking in a daze. “What happened? Where am I?”

“I told you Asphodel is good to take a nap, but you have to be careful or you might never wake up,” Nico admonished her.

“I’m pretty sure you didn’t mention the last part,” Clarisse stressed.

“Didn’t I?”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” Katie hesitated, still a little lost. “I was… What was I doing?… I can’t remember… I was just…”

She glanced back at the fog, her expression dreamy.

“I’m glad you liked it, but we have things to do,” Nico reminded her. “Let’s go.”

Miranda pushed her sister toward the palace and away from the mesmerizing fog. They climbed the impressive stairs, and they could feel the guards’ eyes on them the whole time.

“Will they let us in?” Clarisse asked in a whisper. “Or do we have to fight our way in?”

“Stop trying to pick a fight with everyone,” Nico scolded.

As they reached the top of the stairs, a loud bell rang above them in the silence of the Underworld, making the trio jumped. The guards moved in unison, bumping their shields against their armored chest and banging their spears on the stone floor.

“HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS, PRINCE NICCOLÒ DI ANGELO,” they announced as the doors of the Palace slowly opened thunderously.

“It’s good to be home,” the son of Hades smiled.

He walked in confidently with a courteous nod to the guards, and the girls had to pick up their jaw from the floor before following him in. Inside, riches were adorning every surface of the dark palace: torches with Greek fire were burning eternally, fruits were displayed on top of mahogany cabinets, tapestries were dressing the walls, ancient statues and pillars decorated the hallways. Ghosts and skeleton servants were stationed in two perfect lines on both sides of the hallway and bowed in unison as Nico entered. One quickly came behind him to pick up his cape before stepping away.

“Hello everyone,” the Prince smiled easily. “Please continue your day, don’t mind me.”

The servants bowed once again before scattering away, and Nico motioned the girls to follow him. Not that they had a different plan in mind anyway.

“There is no need to search the whole place ourselves,” he decided, grabbing a pomegranate while passing by a basket adorned in emeralds. “I will call for one of Persephone’s maids: she’ll know where she stored her jewels.”

The guards standing along the walls banged their fists against their chest as they pass, bowing their head. No one made any sign to stop them.

“Man, is this for real?” Clarisse mumbled, stunned.

“Your Royal Highness, welcome back,” a Ghost bowed before them, appearing from Hades-knew-where. “Apologies for not greeting you at the door, we weren’t expecting you so early in the day.”

He was wearing butler clothes and seemed a little more material than the others.

“It’s no problem, I already told you there was no need for all this ceremony,” Nico sighed. “Do you think you could fetch me the Queen’s head maid? She forgot her jade bracelets down here…”

“Of course, your Highness.”

He disappeared in a poof and Nico leaned against a pillar, biting in his fruit.

“I’m not offering you a drink.”

“How can you eat pomegranates without consequences?” Miranda wondered.

“What consequences? Being tied to the Underworld?” he snorted, licking his lips.

The hallway suddenly turned cold (or colder than it already was), and the shadows trembled. Before the horrified eyes of the trio, the King of the Dead slowly strode toward them. The God was several meters tall, his black cloak woven with writhing and agonizing souls. His pale skin and dark hair resembled Nico’s, but his eyes were red and piercing, boring through their souls. The air thickened to the point it was hard to breath, and as he stopped before them it felt like gravity had tripled, pushing the group on their knees. Even on all fours Miranda had a hard time holding herself up; the aura of an Olympian, and one of the Big Three at that, was too much.

“Nico. You are early,” the God drawled, his voice deep and smooth.

Dangerous.

“Hello to you too, Dad. I’m good, thank you. How are you doing? Don’t mind me, I’m just here for a quick pick-up for Mom,” Nico retorted, mouth half full with his fruit.

He hadn’t moved an inch from his position, hadn’t even stopped eating.

“And what is… that?” the God asked disdainfully, clearly referring to the shivering demigods.

“Living sacrifices?” his son offered with a shrug.

Dread flooded Miranda’s body, panic, she couldn’t even move-

The King of the Underworld sighed deeply.

“You have terrible humor, Son. I guess you got it from me, so I cannot complain too much about it, but still…”

Nico snorted.

“And who is flailing his aura all over the place like a master villain? I’m just playing along!”

The pressure greatly decreased and the girls gasped heavy breathes.

“You haven’t been here for more than five minutes and you already tire me,” Hades sighed dramatically.

“Mmh, sure… Will says hi by the way.”

The God raised an eyebrow before slowly nodding.

“You may convey my greetings to the sunny bra- boy in return. Now begone, dinner will be served at eight; the chef cooked Spaghetti Bolognese the way you like. There is tiramisu for dessert.”

“Nice! I will be here,” his son grinned.

Hades expression shifted to let a microscopic smile appeared for a fraction of second before he turned and left, his cloak bellowing dramatically behind him.

They had survived.

The butler reappeared as the girls were standing up shakily, a ghost lady floating behind him with a jewelry box in her translucent hands.

“Ah, perfect! Thanks!” Nico exclaimed, taking the precious case. “Let’s go now, we can’t make Persephone wait. Don’t tell Will I shadow-traveled.”

Before they could blink they were swallowed by a shadow, the world disappeared to be replaced by complete darkness and void. Then they were spit out in a field, and Miranda had never been so happy to touch grass in her life, even if she was throwing up all over it. The sun was shining brightly above them, its gentle warmth showering them, and she felt like crying in relief.

“Here you go, congratulations on the success of your quest,” Nico declared, handing them the box. “This is Demeter’s Palace: Persephone’s residence for the summer.”

Holding the jewelry box, Miranda felt like it was ridiculous to call what they did a ‘quest’. They had done nothing… Except maybe slowing Nico down?

“WHO DARES SULLY MY GARDEN?!”

“And that would be your Mother,” the demigod muttered before bowing. “Greetings, Lady Demeter.”

The Goddess was looking down on them from the entrance of her Palace, her dark golden summer dress undulating in the wind. Her auburn hair were tied in a crown of braids. She was regal, beautiful, and not happy.

“Niccolò,” the Goddess frowned. “What are you doing here? Persephone didn’t-”

She cut herself as her eyes fell on her daughters.

“Miranda, Katie?” she spluttered, taken aback.

It was the first time the girls were seeing their Mother from so close and not from the other side of a battlefield. It was overwhelming, even more to hear her say their names.

“Why are you so surprise when you’re the one who gave us the quest?” Clarisse frowned.

“I did no such a thing-”

“I did!” another voice exclaimed.

A maiden ran past the Goddess, bare feet in a white dress. Her flowing chestnut hair had golden strands mixed in them, and she had an uncanny resemblance with Demeter.

“Hi, Sweetheart!” she gushed, grabbing Nico in her arms to twirl him around as if he weighed nothing.

“Hi, Mom,” he smiled at Persephone. “Did you forgot your jewels? You could have given me a call instead of sending a quest; you know I would have brought them to you in a snap!”

“I didn’t want to bother you during your rest days,” the Goddess of Spring retorted with a small pout. “You’re always so busy…”

“Never too busy for you,” he grinned.

“Ooh, you’re such a cutie!” she cooed, hugging him some more.

Nico let her, and Demeter watched the small crowd gathered in her frontyard.

“Persephone, tell me you didn’t send my mortal children to the Underworld for a quest,” she groaned, pinching her nose in exasperation.

“Oh, don’t be dramatic,” Persephone scoffed. “It was barely a quest.”

“That’s not my point! I won’t allow any more of my children to go down there! You could have sent a random demigod!” she huffed angrily. “Or your boy!”

Persephone rolled her eyes but didn’t talk back, instead ruffling Nico’s hair with a fond smile. As the two talked in hushed voice, the Goddess of Earth sighed and gestured the girls to come inside.

“I will talk to Persephone,” she told them. “This won’t happen again- But you did well, nonetheless.”

Miranda wished she could enjoy the praise from her Mother, their first real conversation since… ever. But they really had done nothing to deserve it.

“We didn’t do much,” she admitted. “Nico did all the work.”

“That boy,” the Goddess sighed. “As bad as his father is, I have to admit he is terribly efficient. And Persephone has a soft spot for him. It does reassure me that you went down with him, but still: do not attempt it ever again. The Underworld is dangerous, and its inhabitants are vicious beasts!”

None of the girls remarked that Persephone was an inhabitant of the Underworld half the year. They just exchanged a glance.

“Do take some biscuits as a reward,” Demeter invited them as they entered an interior garden with a small table ready for tea time.

Biscuits were hardly a reward, but some time face to face with their Mother? That was priceless. It was hard to talk familiarly with someone they had barely met before, especially a Goddess, and they weren’t sure they were allowed familiarity even- Never the less, the small bits of conversation they managed to handle were precious.

After an hour, it was time to leave, and Demeter was the one who teleported them to Camp. Nico choose to shadow-travel on his own. It was almost time for dinner when they arrived; their quest had barely lasted half a day. There was a whole twenty four hours left before the Summer Solstice.

“Great, mission accomplished; you’re back here alive,” Nico congratulated them. “Have a good night, I have a family dinner to attend. Please, tell everyone to come to me if they have a quest in the Underworld- Better to avoid useless casualties. Just don’t come in the morning.”

On those wise(?) words, he went back to the shadows, and Hell. To eat spaghetti and tiramisu.