Being caught and held hostage gives you a lot to think about. I mean honestly, being put to work for the majority of your stay anywhere tends to get a tad boring.

Okay, really boring.

I was so stupid for letting Gaea capture me. Especially when I let her capture me in my father's own realm. I had promised Hazel that I would make it back safe and not get myself captured. Shows how much control over my life I had. I knew it was at least a week or two since she had taken me from the Underworld.

I was in Wyoming, straight above a super volcano. Gaea had me building her fortress for when she returns from Greece. She overlooks the Half-bloods who are going on the quest, saying that there was no way the Half-bloods would defeat her prized children. She also had pointed out that they were going in the wrong direction if they wanted to close the Doors of Death.

At the end of the day Gaea's guards would lead me to my room- I was always too weak from her forcing me to use my powers, so there was no way for me to best anyone without a weapon. Normally, the fortress was an eerie sort of quiet. Today I could hear the crashing of metal upon metal down the hall towards the center of the fortress.

I was nervous, seeing as there never had been a fight here since I've arrived. I put my hand against the black obsidian wall and concentrated, taking the time to mold the rock into a sizable dagger that broke off into my hand. I grasped it tighter as the crashing got nearer. I could hear yells as someone ran down the hall. Footsteps grew louder and seemed to get close, and after a long minute a tall girl with a pair of green sunglasses burst through the door. She wielded a two foot Celestial Bronze sword with designs etched into the metal- most I could see of victories of past heroes.

"Hello, Nico di Angelo." The mysterious girl said as she smiled at me. She had shining purple black hair that reminded me of a raven's feather. It was pulled into a tight bun with small wisps of hair falling into her face. Her sunglasses prevented me from seeing what color her eyes were, however I could tell she was analyzing me.

Her outfit matched her green sunglasses. She was wearing black skinny jeans, a body hugging grey tee-shirt, and a pair of sparkling emerald converse that had wings attached to both sides of each shoe.

She looked like a lethal angel.

Noticing my pathetic weapon, she laughed a melodic laugh. "Here, your sword will be way more useful to you." She said as she tossed me my skull ring. I carefully twisted it, and to my surprise, my 3 foot Stygian Iron sword popped out.

"Where did you get this?" I asked as I examined it. "I know for a fact Gaea had it guarded.

She shrugged. "Pfft. The guards were almost way too easy to get past." She answered as she looked out the door. She was carrying a green shoulder bag, and from it she drew a Celestial Bronze throwing knife. I heard the impact of the blade as she turned her attention back towards me. "Come on!" She said as she motioned for me to follow her.

I stood where I was. "Do I know you?"

"No," She replied exasperated. "You don't know me."

"Then why are you here, risking your life to save me?"

"For the thrill?" She replied. She sighed when I didn't move. "Fine. A mutual… friend of ours asked me to step in and save you. Now, let's go. We don't have a lot of time."

I sighed, knowing I didn't have much of a choice. I wouldn't be able to get myself out of this prison, and I knew it. I had to rely on her help, even if I did not have any idea who she was working for her, and who she actually was. "Fine," I answered as I followed her out the door. She took off running down the dark and damp tunnel, making turns as if she didn't even think about which way to go.

She was graceful and hard to surprise. She made quick work of any opponent that stood in front of us, and barely let me get my hands dirty. She knew the exact weak points of each and every thing we attacked. One time her sword was flung out of her hands. Instead of losing her cool she simply backed away, pulled out a throwing knife, and hit the dracaena in its weak point.

I couldn't figure out how she did it, but we stopped at the end of the corridor. A door leading to the room that led outside stood in front of us. I remembered it from where I was brought in. It was the only entrance and exit this fortress had that I knew about.

"There are twelve Dracaena in the room, stationed particularly to keep you and I from leaving. Gaea's gotten word of my rescue and doubled the guards I killed to get in. Nico, if you're not at full strength, I'd really suggest you'd call up a gladiator or something." She said as she put a strand of hair behind her ear. She was ruffling through her bag as I called up the Roman Gladiator. I thought came to me.

"How did you know I could call up the dead?"

"You're a son of Hades. I came put two and two together." She replied under her breath as she continued searching through her bag for something. She smiled a slightly psychotic smile as she pulled out a jar of Greek fire. "This will do the trick." She said as she backed up a couple of feet from the door. "Once the Greek fire burns a hole big enough through the door, run in and make it to the door. Swim upwards and you'll reach a beat up pickup truck. The keys are under the gas notch, open it and unlock the door."

"You act as though you don't see yourself getting out of here." I said dryly as I carefully looked at her. She was calm, calmer than I was. She reminded me of Thalia and Annabeth both, brave, smart, courageous. Although she wasn't Annabeth's kind of smart, she was more cunning.

"I do plan on getting out of here. I'm telling you the plan so if I'm knocked out or killed you have to ability to make it away safely." She replied as she threw the jar against the wall. It shattered upon impact, and within seconds she was able to jump through a hole she made. I was stunned, but quickly followed with the gladiator trailing behind me. She had already killed two dracaena and was engaged in a fight with another two, her shoulder bleeding from where a sword pierced it.

In an instant two dracaena attacked me. I dodged, parried and stabbed until there were not any enemies left. The girl, I still had no idea what to call her, leaned up against the wall bleeding heavily. Her shoulder wound was dripping blood and looked painful.

"Stupid dracaena. Never go for a fair fight." She said through clenched teeth. Her other hand was shaking as she attempted to put a bit of nectar on the wound. I took the thermos away and did it for her.

"What's your name?" I asked as I recapped the thermos. She had to be my age, maybe a little bit older. Her sunglasses her pushed on top of her head and her eyes were a startling green, but not like Percy's sea green."

She thought for a moment before answering. "Emerald." She said it as if she had just decided to call herself that. She looked behind her where we could still hear sirens going off. "Nico, we've got to leave while we have the chance too." She said as she walked over to the door, pulling it open. Water gushed in as she held her breath and jumped in.

I had no choice but to follow her.