Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Camp was fun. They had lots of cool things like pegasi, the lava wall, nymphs, sword fighting, Nico loved it.

But he missed his sister, Bianca. Travis and Conner were nice, but it just wasn't the same.

Nico knew he'd have to get used to it. Bianca was with the Hunters now, so he wouldn't be seeing her often, but he still missed her and he was worried about her being on a quest.

It'd be fine, Percy said he'd protect her.

Travis and Conner just finished teaching how to play poker. They said he was natural at it, in reality, Nico had watched adults play it while he stayed in the casino, so he knew the basics.

The cabin was loud, which was expected since it was the cabin with the most people, but Conner and Travis weren't very strict which made it worse.

But eventually with the threats of the Harpies eating them if they didn't shut up was enough to get them to quiet down and Nico fell asleep.

₊˚⊹ 𐂯 ⊹˚₊

Nico was standing in some sort of waste land. He didn't know where he was or how he got there, but before he could dwell she saw Bianca and Percy standing near a junkyard. Grover, Thalia, he thinks her name is, and the hunter lady were a bit further up.

Behind them was a Giant metal robot. Nico wanted to scream at Bianca to get out of there, but he could talk or move, and the other apparently couldn't see him.

All he could was watch as Percy and his sister debated their next move.

“Distract it,” Percy said, “I just have to time it right.”

Bianca's jaw tightened, “No, I'll go.”

“You can't, you're new at this! You'll die.”

“It's my fault the monster came after us,” she said. “It's my responsibility. Here.” She picked up the little god statue and pressed it into Percy's hands. “If anything happens, give that to Nico. Tell him…tell him I'm sorry.”

No…She should give it to him herself, Nico wanted her more than any mytho magic figure, if he could just tell her-

“Bianca, no!” But she didn't wait for Percy, she charged for the monster's foot.

Thaila had the monster's attention. Bianica got right next to the giant's foot, trying to balance on the metal scraps that shifted with its weight.

“What are you doing?” Zoë yelled.

“Get it to raise its foot!” Bianca yelled back.

Zoë shot an arrow towards the monster's face and it flew straight into one of its nostrils. The giant straightened and shook its head.

“Hey, junk boy!” Percy yelled. “Down here!” He ran up to its big toe with his sword and stabbed its toe.

The monster raised its foot to smash Percy but before it could Bianca shoved him out of the way.

Nico almost tried to scream again. Bianca no!! But somehow Nico knew she didn't get crushed, so she got inside somehow?

The monster was ready to finish Percy off but Grover used his pipes and sent a power line smacking the monster's thigh. The monster turned. Grover should've ran but he didn't, instead taking 2 steps before collapsing.

“Grover!” Percy and Thalia ran towards him.

The monster raised his sword to smash Grover. Then he froze.

Talos cocked his head to one side, then started moving his arms and legs in weird ways. Then he made a fist and punched himself in the face.

“Go Bianca!” Percy cheered

Zoë looked horrified. “She's inside?”

The monster staggered, Percy and Thalia grabbed Grover and towards the highway, Zoe already ahead of them.

“How will Bianca get out?” Zoë yelled to them.

Nico hated to agree with the girl, maybe he was a little mad at her for whisking his sister away, but how would she get out?

The giant hit itself in the head again and dropped his swords. A shudder ran through his whole body and he staggered towards the power lines.

Nico held his breath, he was pretty sure metal was a good conductor of electricity. Which was a really bad thing right now

He distantly heard Percy shout, but Nico was too focused on the robot. Its ankle snagged the lines, and blue flickers of electricity shot up his body.

The Giant craned back into the junkyard, and his right hand fell off, landing into the scrap metal with a horrible CLANK! His left arm came loose, too. He was falling apart at the joints.

The monster started to run. “Wait!” Zoë yelled. Everyone ran after him but they couldn't keep up. Pieces of the robot kept falling off, getting in their way.

Nico tried his hardest, his hardest to move to follow and find Bianca, but he was routed in place. If Nico could, he'd be crying right now.

Nico watched in horror as the giant crumbled from the top down his head, his chest, and finally his legs.

“BIANCA!”

₊˚⊹ 𐂯 ⊹˚₊

Nico woke with a gasp. A dream. It was just a dream. Bianca was fine. Right?

The sun was out, telling Nico that he'd woken up a bit late.

The rest of the cabin was already up and bustling about, getting ready for breakfast.

After taking a few shaky breaths to calm himself, Nico got up to get ready for the day.

Nico couldn't get the dream out of his head. Was it real? Was Bianca ok? She had to be. He spent the next few days stressing about it. The Stoll brothers had noticed him acting off, but he didn't want to tell them about the dream, Nico told them he was fine, and was just getting used to living here instead of his military school. Whether or not they believed it, Nico couldn't tell, but they let it go.

3 days later, Percy and the others finally returned.

They went to the big house first to debrief Chiron, unfortunately Nico was anxious to find out what happened to Bianca so he ran for the big house.

Once Nico got there, he quickly knocked on the door, not bothering to catch his breath and went inside.

“Hey! Where's…” Nico trailed off scanning the room for Bianca, but didn't find anything. Nico could feel the worry creep up in his gut. “Where's my sister?”

The room went dead silent. Nico's heart began to race in fear.

“Hey Nico.” Percy said, getting up from his chair. “Let's take a walk, okay? We need to talk.”

Nico followed Percy out of the room and to the dining pavilion, where he explained what Nico was most scared of. His sister was dead. The dream had been real.

“She wanted you to have this.” Nico handed him the Hades statue. Nico started at it, a million thoughts running through his mind. It was the same statue he saw in the dream, the one Bianca gave up her life for to give to him. Nico was devastated, angry, hurt, and betrayed.

“You promised you would protect her.” Nico said. She was gone, she wasn't coming back. Percy promised he'd protect her. He promised he would get her back safe. He lied, he broke his promise.

“Nico,” Percy started, “I tried. But Bianca gave herself up to save the rest of us. I told her not to. But she-”

“You promised!” Nico interrupted. He felt the tears stinging his eyes, and gripped the statue in anger.

“I shouldn't have trusted you.” Nico's voice broke. “You lied to me. My nightmares were right!”

“Wait. What nightmares?”

Nico flung the Hades figure to the ground and it clattered against the icy marble. He didn't want that stupid statue, he wanted his sister, but she was gone, because of Percy-

“I hate you!” Nico yelled. Suddenly behind the son of Poseidon, there were skeleton warriors.

Nico gasped as Percy whipped around to see them.

He was going to finish the job. He'd already killed Bianca and now he was going to try and kill him.

“You're trying to kill me!” Nico screamed. “You brought these…these things?”

“No!” Percy defended “I mean, yes, they followed me, but no! Nico, run. They can't be destroyed!”

“I don't trust you!” He already lied about one thing.

The skeletons charged, but Nico wasn't really paying attention, he was scared, and still felt all the emotions from earlier running high.

“Run, Nico!” Percy yelled, “Get help!”

“No!” Nico put his hands to his ears in an attempt to block out the sound of fighting and Percy's voice.

“No!” Nico shouted louder. “Go away!”

A crack opened on the floor, swallowing up the skeletons, but Nico still wasn't paying attention, his head spinning.

“Nico. How did you-”

“Go away!” he yelled at Percy “I hate you! I wish you were dead!”

Nico ran. He didn't know where to, he just wanted to get aways from Percy, from camp.

Next thing Nico knew, he was falling and hit something hard. Nico groaned in pain, he didn't know where he was or how he got there. It seemed to be a corridor, one made of metal.

Nico felt like crying again. He hated this, why did everything have to go wrong? He wanted everything to go back to the way it was before. Now he's lost in some dark place. He'd give anything to just hear Bianca's voice again, to feel her comforting hugs.

“Are you lost, young master?” A voice behind him suddenly spoke. Nico whipped around only to be greeted by a man? No. A ghost. He was slightly transparent and Nico could somehow sense he was dead.

The ghost man chuckled at his surprised look. “I suppose we haven't been introduced, my name is Minos. I'm here to serve you, young master.”

Nico narrowed his eyes, young master? This is weird.

“You have much to learn.” Minos continued, “I'll teach you, and you'll be able to get what you want the most.”

Nico blinked. The most? “You can help me get my sister back?” Nico asked, timid but hopeful.

Minos smiled, “Of course, if that's what you want. Now, come along now young master, we have a lot to get through.”

Chapter Text

Percy's plan worked. Bianca has successfully gotten inside Talos. It was dark, cold, and hard to see, but Bianca made due.

She climbed up its leg to the torso? Head? Bianca didn't know. She found the controls and started pressing at random.

She didn't know what she was doing, she just hoped it was working.

The giant suddenly shifted to the side and Bianca was thrown against the side of the robot.

Then she felt a hot burning pain shoot through her body.

“It hurts,” Bianca thought desperately, “I want out.” Then it all went black.

₊˚⊹ 𐂯 ⊹˚₊

Everything hurt. Well, burned would be more accurate, but Bianca was in too much pain to care about the details.

Her limbs felt like jello and her head was pounding. Bianca let out a groan, she couldn't remember where she was or how she got there.

She was on something hard and cold, which felt nice against her burning skin, but didn't feel so nice on her aching head.

Bianca opened her eyes, thankfully she wasn't met with a blinding light. She seemed to be in some sort of cave? Maybe not. Bianca couldn’t make out any details at the moment, her vision too fuzzy, but there seemed to be a pathway in front of her.

Taking a few deep breaths she waited for her vision to clear up and the pain to die down. Eventually it did, or at least enough for her to move and think properly.

She tried to remember, her and her brother Nico were going to military school till Percy and his friends came and fought off Dr. Thorn who was a monster. She had joined the Hunters of Artemis and she and Nico went to camp. Then she went on a quest with Percy, Zoe, Thalia and Grover to save Artemis. They ran into Hephaestus's junk yard and she'd set off Talos by stealing a figurine for Nico.

Bianca shuddered remembering what happened next, Percy had come up with a plan to stop the robot. Bianca found her way inside and in an effort to stop him she had pressed every button she could, she had felt it tilt and fall over on..something. Bianca remembered feeling a burning pain and wanting, wishing, to get out. Then it went dark.

Now she was here. Wherever here was.

It was dark, everything seemed to be made of metal and there were multiple pathways around her she could take. Bianca got a sinking feeling in her stomach. Something was wrong with this place.

She tested sitting up, the stretch of what she now realized was her burned skin stung, but she pushed through it. The burns made zigzags across her body, electrical burns, Bianca realized with a shutter.

Thankfully they seemed mostly healed, somehow. They wouldn't be causing her anything other than pain.

Alright, Bianca. First things first, she needs to figure out where she is and find the others. Bianca Had no way of knowing how much time had passed, and it was likely everyone else thought she was dead. Oh Gods, Nico, Bianca couldn't imagine how he'd take the news of her “dying”.

If she was lucky, the quest wasn't over yet, and she can get back before anything happens. Unfortunately, Bianca wasn't a lucky person.

Bianca also had no way of knowing where her quest mates were, so regrouping would be difficult. Her best shot, Bianca thought, was to find her way back to camp.

The place she was in vaguely reminded her of alleyways back…somewhere. Bianca couldn't remember, which wasn't uncommon for her, so she didn't dwell on it.

Bianca looked at the pathways ahead of her. She wouldn't figure out where she was by sitting here, but there was also no guarantee she'd get anything but lost by wandering.

Deciding she'd rather not be a sitting duck, Bianca got up and walked down one of the pathways.

₊˚⊹ 𐂯 ⊹˚₊

This place was definitely not normal. Bianca didn't know exactly how long she'd been wandering but she knew it's been awhile.

Another thing, this place was like a maze, endless metal corridors leading to more corridors. Unlike any maze Bianca's heard of, this place would change and shift.

Thankfully, either she hasn't been in this maze for long enough to need food and water, or it made it so she didn't need food and water. Or it could be the semi-immortality Bianca gained from joining the Hunters. With how Bianca's life has been lately, she wouldn't be surprised either way.

The Hunters, as much as she hated to admit it, Bianca was beginning to have mixed feelings about joining. For one, she felt guilty about leaving Nico, even though she knows he'll be safe and well taken care of at camp by people like Percy. They only have each other, or at least they did. Bianca has found her people, surely Nico has done the same. Deep down though, Bianca knew it wasn't the same and it never would be. The Hunters aren't Nico, and the campers aren't her.

Which is how she got into this mess in the first place. Bianca felt bad, so she stole the Hades figurine as a gift to Nico, to remind him that she does still care about him, and she wasn't going to forget about him. She just wanted something for herself, to decide her own future.

Aside from Nico, Bianca never really considered what joining the Hunters would mean for her. She had joined a whim after all.

She's be semi-immortality, she can only die if she's killed. It sounded nice at first, but now that it has had time to truly sink in, Bianca wasn't sure if it was really all it was cut out to be. She'd have to watch Nico grow up without her, while she remained forever 12. She'd have to watch the world move and change without her.

A part of her pointed out that this already happened to her, having apparently spent 80 years in the Lotus Casino, never aging, she should be used to it.

But did she want to be used to it? Did Bianca really want to stay 12 forever?

On the other hand, she genuinely enjoyed being with the Hunters. Zoë was nice and clearly favored her, and from what short time she spent with the other Hunters they all were kind and welcoming to her. She thinks she wouldn't mind spending eternity with them.

Bianca shook her head, she didn't want to think about this right now, she needed to focus.

₊˚⊹ 𐂯 ⊹˚₊

It had been months since Bianca died. Minos has been training Nico on how to use his powers, Nico thinks he's gotten pretty good with them. More than that, Minos has given him a way to bring his sister back.

Though it bugged him that Bianca hadn't been answering his summonings, and he couldn't feel her soul in the underworld, he couldn't feel her soul at all actually.

Minos had told him it's probably because there's so many souls down there it's hard to pinpoint just one. Nico wasn't sure he believed that explanation, but he'd put up with him if it meant getting his sister back.

Now, he was at Triple G Ranch, trying to make a deal with the owner, Greyon, who had excused himself a few moments prior to take care of something.

Nico was getting annoyed and impatient, he needed to get this done, the sooner the better, so he walked out of the glass doors onto the porch where he heard Greyon's voice. “Geryon, I won’t wait for—”

Nico froze. Outside was Percy Jackson and his friends, the apparent business Greyon had to attend to. Nico felt rage surge through him, why was he here? Without thinking he drew his sword towards him.

Geryon snarled when he saw it. “Put that away, Mr. di Angelo. I ain’t gonna have my guests killin’ each other.”

“But that’s—”

Percy Jackson,” Geryon supplied. “Annabeth Chase. And a couple of their monster friends. Yes, I know.”

“Monster friends?” Grover said indignantly.

“That man is wearing three shirts,” Tyson said, like he was just realizing this.

“They let my sister die!” Nico’s voice trembled with rage. “They’re here to kill me!”

“Nico, we’re not here to kill you.” Percy raised my hands. “What happened to Bianca was—”

“Don’t speak her name! You’re not worthy to even talk about her!”

“Wait a minute,” Annabeth pointed at Geryon. “How do you know our names?”

The three-bodied man winked. “I make it my business to keep informed, darlin’. Everybody pops into the ranch from time to time. Everyone needs something from ole Geryon. Now, Mr. di Angelo, put that ugly sword away before I have Eurytion take it form you.”

Eurytion sighed, but he hefted his spiked club. At his feet, Orthus growled.

Nico hesitated, he didn't want Percy anywhere near him after what he did, but he also knew he shouldn't get on Greyon's bad side, not yet.

Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword. “If you come near me, Percy, I’ll summon help. You don’t want to meet my helpers, I promise.” Nico threatened.

“I believe you,” Percy said.

Geryon patted Nico’s shoulder. “There, we’ve all made nice. Now come along, folks. I want to give you a tour of the ranch.”

Annabeth Tyson, Grover, and Percy took the middle two cars. Nico made a point to sit away from them.

Greyon went on with his tour, Nico wasn't listening to him, he still felt the rage from earlier coursing through him, along with grief. He clenched his fist, knuckles turning white and sat forward. “I don’t care about any of this, Geryon. We had business to discuss, and this wasn’t it!”

“All in good time, Mr. di Angelo. Look over here; some of my exotic game.”

The next field was ringed in barbed wire. The whole area was crawling with giant scorpions.

“Triple G Ranch,” Percy said “Your mark was on the crates at camp. Quintus got his scorpions from you.”

“Quintus...” Geryon mused. “Short gray hair, muscular, swordsman?”

“Yeah.”

“Never heard of him,” Geryon said. “Now, over here are my prize stables! You must see them.”

Nico gagged, whatever these prized stable's are were disgusting. He could smell it from within three hundred meters. Near the banks of a green river was a horse corral the size of a soccer field. Stables lined one side of it. About a hundred horses were milling around in the muck. “What is that?”

“My stables!” Geryon said. “Well, actually they belong to Aegas, but we watch over them for a small monthly fee. Aren’t they lovely?”

“They’re disgusting!” Annabeth said.

“Lots of poop,” Tyson observed.

“How can you keep animals like that?” Grover cried.

“Y’all getting’ on my nerves,” Geryon said. “These are flesh-eating horses, see? They like these conditions.”

“Plus, you’re too cheap to have them cleaned,” Eurytion mumbled from under his hat.

“Quiet!” Geryon snapped. “All right, perhaps the stables are a bit challenging to clean. Perhaps they do make me nauseous when the wind blows the wrong way. But so what? My clients still pay me well.”

“What clients?” Percy demanded.

“Oh, you’d be surprised how many people will pay for a flesh-eating horse. They make great garbage disposals. Wonderful way to terrify your enemies. Great at birthday parties! We rent them out all the time.”

“You’re a monster,” Annabeth decided.

Geryon stopped the moo-mobile and turned to look at her. “What gave it away? Was it the three bodies?”

“You have to let these animals go,” Grover said. “It’s not right!”

“And the clients you keep talking about,” Annabeth said. “You work for Kronos, don’t you? You’re supplying his army with horses, food, whatever they need.”

Geryon shrugged, which was very weird since he had three sets of shoulders. It looked like he was doing the wave all by himself. “I work for anyone with gold, young lady. I’m a businessman. And I sell them anything I have to offer.”

He climbed out of the moo-mobile and strolled toward the stables as if enjoying the fresh air. It would’ve been a nice view, with the river and the trees and hills and all, except for the quagmire of horse muck.

Nico got out of the back car and stormed over to Geryon. The cowherd Eurytion wasn’t as sleepy as he looked. He hefted his club and walked after Nico.

“I came here for business, Geryon,” Nico said. “And you haven’t answered me.”

“Mmm.” Geryon examined a cactus. His left arm reached over and scratched his middle-chest. “Yes, you’ll get a deal, all right.”

“My ghost told me you could help. He said you could guide us to the soul we need.”

“Wait a second,” Percy said. “I thought / was the soul you wanted.”

Nico shit him a look. “You? Why would I want you? Bianca’s soul is worth a thousand of yours! Now, can you help me, Geryon, or not?”

“Oh, I imagine I could,” the rancher said. “Your ghost friend, by the way, where is he?”

Nico felt unease creeping in his stomach. “He can’t form in broad daylight. It’s hard for him. But he’s around somewhere.”

Geryon smiled. “I’m sure. Minos likes to disappear when things get... difficult.”

“Minos?” Percy asked, “You mean that evil king? That’s the ghost who’s been giving you advice?”

“It’s none of your business, Percy!” Nico turned back to Geryon. “And what do you mean about things getting difficult?”

The three-bodied man sighed. “Well, you see, Nico-can I call you Nico?”

“No.”

“You see, Nico, Luke Castellan is offering very good money for halfbloods. Especially powerful half-bloods. And I’m sure when he learns your little secret, who you really are, he’ll pay very, very well indeed.”

Nico drew his sword, but Eurytion knocked it out of his hand. He heard Orthus pounce on Percy's chest.

“I would stay in the car, all of you,” Geryon warned. “Or Orthus will tear Mr. Jackson’s throat out. Now, Eurytion, if you would be so kind, secure Nico.”

The cowherd spit into the grass. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you fool!”

Eurytion looked bored, but he wrapped one huge arm around Nico and lifted him up as Nico tied in vain to wriggle out.

“Pick up the sword, too,” Geryon said with distaste. “There’s nothing I hate worse than Stygian Iron.”

Eurytion picked up the sword, careful not to touch the blade.

“Now,” Geryon said cheerfully, “we’ve had the tour. Let’s go back to the lodge, have some lunch, and send an Iris-message to our friends in the Titan army.”

“You fiend!” Annabeth cried.

Geryon smiled at her. “Don’t worry, my dear. Once I’ve delivered Mr. di Angelo, you and your party can go. I don’t interfere with quests. Besides, I’ve been paid well to give you safe passage, which does not. I’m afraid, include Mr. di Angelo.

“Paid by whom?” Annabeth said. “What do you mean?”

“Never you mind, darlin’. Let’s be off, shall we?”

“Wait!” Percy said, and Orthus growled. “Geryon, you said you’re a businessman. Make me a deal.”

Geryon narrowed his eyes. “What sort of deal? Do you have gold?”

“I’ve got something better. Barter.”

“But Mr. Jackson, you’ve got nothing.”

“You could have him clean the stables,” Eurytion suggested innocently.

“I’ll do it!” I said. “If I fail, you get all of us. Trade us all to Luke for gold.”

“Assuming the horses don’t eat you,” Geryon observed.

“Either way, you get my friends,”.Percy said. “But if I succeed, you’ve got to let all of us go, including Nico.”

“No!” Nico screamed. “Don’t do me any favors, Percy. I don’t want your help!”

Geryon chuckled. “Percy Jackson, those stables haven’t been cleaned in a thousand years...though it’s true I might be able to sell more stable space if all that poop was cleared away.”

“So what have you got to lose?”

The rancher hesitated. “All right. I’ll accept your offer, but you have to get it done by sunset. If you fail, your friends get sold, and I get rich.”

“Deal.”

He nodded. “I’m going to take your friends with me, back to the lodge. We’ll wait for you there.”

Geryon got behind the driver’s wheel. Eurytion hauled Nico into the backseat.

“Sunset,” Geryon reminded him. “No later.”

He laughed at me once more, sounded his cowbell horn, and the moomobile rumbled off down the trail.

Nico felt even more frustrated than before. This was ridiculous and a waste of time, if Greyon wasn't going to help him then he'd leave.

When they arrived Orthus pounced at them, keep them from getting out of the car.

“Tie them up.” Greyon ordered, then smiled cruelly at them, “We have a special delivery for our clients.”

Nico and the others started to protest but were stopped (gagged) by Eurytion, who looked annoyed but did as he was told, easily tying them up despite them putting up a fight.

Greyon smiled, going on about how much of a fortune he was going to make off of them. Being betrayed, Nico was mad. Minos told him Greyon could help him, but instead he was giving him to some client for money.

Greyon started setting up and decorating for what seemed like a party, Eurytion reluctantly helping.

When Percy finally got back, he was livid.

“Let them go!” he yelled “I cleaned the stables!”

Geryon turned “Did you, now? How’d you manage it?”

Percy seemed pretty impatient, but told him the story

Greyon nodded appreciatively. “Very ingenious. It would’ve been better if you’d poisoned that pesky naiad, but no matter.”

“Let my friends go,” Percy said. “We had a deal.”

“Ah, I’ve been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let them go, I don’t get paid.”

“You promised!”

Geryon made a tsk-tsk noise. “But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No you didn’t. So it’s not binding. When you’re conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath.”

Percy drew his sword. Orthus growled. One head leaned down next to Grover’s ear and bared its fangs.

“Eurytion,” Geryon said, “the boy is starting to annoy me. Kill him.”

Eurytion studied him for a moment, then “Kill him yourself,” Eurytion said.

Geryon raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Eurytion grumbled. “You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I’m getting tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kid, do it yourself”

Geryon threw down his spatula. “You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!”

“And who’d take care of your cattle? Orthus, heel.”

The dog immediately stopped growling at Grover and came to sit by the cowherd’s feet.

“Fine!” Geryon snarled. “I’ll deal with you later, after the boy is dead!”

He picked up two carving knives and threw them at Percy. He deflected one with my sword. The other impaled itself in the picnic table an inch from Eurytion’s hand.

Percy went on the attack. Geryon parried his first strike with a pair of red-hot tongs and lunged at my face with a barbecue fork. Percy got inside his next thrust and stabbed him right through the middle chest.

“Aghhh!” He crumpled to his knees. Percy waited for him to disintegrate, the way monsters usually do. But instead he just grimaced and started to stand up. The wound in his chef’s apron started to heal.

“Nice try, sonny,” he said. “Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system.”

He tipped over the barbecue, and coals spilled everywhere. One landed next to Annabeth’s face, and she let out a muffled scream. The cyclops, Nico didn't know his name, tried to break them but failed.

Percy jabbed Geryon in the left chest, but he only laughed. He seemed to be getting desperate when he stuck him in the right stomach, it still doing nothing

Then Percy ran into the house.

“Coward!” Greyon cried. “Come back and die right!” And he ran after him. That's when Nico stopped paying attention, trying to think of a way to get himself out of this mess, but he couldn't come up with anything.

Percy came back, seemingly to have killed Greyon because of course he did, and untied everyone. Eurytion didn’t try to stop him.

“Yay for Percy!” Tyson cheered.

“Can we tie up this cowherd now?” Nico asked, he needed to leave and get back to Minos and couldn't have Eurytion or Orthus getting in his way.

“Yeah!” Grover agreed. “And that dog almost killed me!”

Eurytion was still sitting relaxed at the picnic table. Orthus had both his heads on the cowherd’s knees.

“How long will it take Geryon to re-form?” Percy asked him.

Eurytion shrugged. “Hundred years? He’s not one of those fast re-formers, thank the gods. You’ve done me a favor.”

“You said you’d died for him before,” Percy started, “How?”

“I’ve worked for that creep for thousands of years. Started as a regular half-blood, but I chose immortality when my dad offered it. Worst mistake I ever made. Now I’m stuck here at this ranch. I can’t leave. I can’t quit. I just tend the cows and fight Geryon’s fights. We’re kinda tied together.”

“Maybe you can change things,” Percy said.

Eurytion narrowed his eyes. “How?”

“Be nice to the animals. Take care of them. Stop selling them for food. And stop dealing with the Titans.”

Eurytion thought about that. “That’d be all right.”

“Get the animals on your side, and they’ll help you. Once Geryon gets back, maybe he’ll be working for you this time.”

Eurytion grinned. “Now, that I could live with.”

“You won’t try to stop us leaving?”

“Shoot, no.”

Annabeth rubbed her bruised wrists. She was still looking at Eurytion suspiciously. “Your boss said somebody paid for our safe passage. Who?”

The cowherd shrugged. “Maybe he was just saying that to fool you.”

“What about the Titans?” Percy asked. “Did you Iris-message them about Nico yet?”

“Nope. Geryon was waiting until after the barbecue. They don’t know about him.”

Nico glared at Percy, annoyed he was still acting like he cared about him

“You could stay here until we’re done with our quest,” Percy told him. “It would be safe.”

“Safe?” Nico said. “What do you care if I’m safe? You got my sister killed!”

“Nico,” Annabeth said, “that wasn’t Percy’s fault. And Geryon wasn’t lying about Kronos wanting to capture you. If he knew who you were, he’d do anything to get you on his side.”

“I’m not on anyone’s side. And I’m not afraid.”

“You should be,” Annabeth said. “Your sister wouldn’t want—”

“If you cared for my sister, you’d help me bring her back!”

“A soul for a soul?” Percy asked.

“Yes!”

“But if you didn’t want my soul—”

“I’m not explaining anything to you!” He blinked tears out of his eyes. “And I will bring her back.”

“Bianca wouldn’t want to be brought back,” Percy said. “Not like that.”

“You didn’t know her!” he shouted. “How do you know what she’d want?”

Percy seemed at a loss for what to say before, “Let’s ask Bianca.”

“I've tried,” Nico said miserably. “She won't answer.”

Silence fell over them, Percy gave him a sympathetic look which only made Nico feel more upset.

Finally, Annabeth was the one who broke it. “You're right, we didn't know Bianca, not like you did,” She starts. “But I do have younger siblings, and I know if something ever happened to me I wouldn't want them getting into trouble or getting themselves hurt to find me.”

A part of Nico knew Annabeth was probably right, Bianca wouldn't approve of what he's been doing, but another part of him didn't care, Bianca could be upset at him all she wants, as long as she was here to do it.

Annabeth sighed, “Listen Nico, you may not be on Kronos' side, but he knows how to manipulate people, And he won't stop at anything to get what he wants.”

Percy nodded, “She's right, you don't have to believe it, but we don't want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Yeah, right.” Nico muttered, going off to leave and ignoring Percy and Annabeth's attempts to stop him.