Still HuntressBiancadiAngelo's writing
"Get up you lazy son of Hades!" shouted someone, a second later a rush of pain went through me as this person kicked me in the stomach.
With a small whimper I opened my eyes only to see Minos glaring down at me. I felt a shiver run through me. It was all to obvious that Minos wasn't happy at all. All the more reason for me to be wary of him.
"Well! Get up! I have other duties to do." Minos yelled at me while simultaneously grabbing me by the hair and yanking me up.
I couldn't help the yelp of pain that escaped my lips as he forced me up. It was less the kick to my stomach and having my haired pulled then it was the sudden dizziness that overtook me. Everything seemed to be swimming and I felt like vomiting right then and there. Would definitely serve him right. But on second thoughts he could do something verypainful to me; nope, guess vomiting over him would have to wait.
Before I could even realize what was happening Minos twisted me around, slamming me into the wall. This time I managed to hold back my cry of pain. Minos grabbed my arms, twisting them till I was sure they would break.
"Can't have you fighting back, can we?" Minos uttered while putting something onto my wrist, "These chains will make it impossible to fight back or use your powers. The more you try the more they will tighten. So, I recommend that you be a good boy."
He was definitely mocking me now. "Don't be so sure, I got out of your shackles before and I can do it again." I snarled at him through clenched teeth.
Minos sent a death glare at me, "We'll see how much of that feisty spirit remains after Lady Gaea has her time with you."
He then started to drag me out of the cell; it was then that I realized a door had appeared. Must be like the cells in my father's prison, I mused. He dragged me through many corridors, with many rooms. I didn't see many people but I had spotted some dracaena, which made sense, all monsters were siding with Gaea just like they had sided with Kronos. You'd think after last time they would have learned, but no they just had to join the bad guy who wanted to destroy the whole world.
The place was also pretty nice, you know in the evil hideout for the evil villain way. The corridors all had at least on dracaena guarding it so that no unwanted intruders got in. Which lowered my spirits at the thought of my friends having to fight them, if they even found out where I was. It was obvious though that this wasn't their main hideout, most likely Gaea had been smart and had multiple hideouts under the earth. But I had seen a room that seemed to be a strategy room, which meant if I did get out of these restraints I could see just where Gaea was planning to attack and how many she had at her command.
I was jolted out of my thoughts at the sound of a door being forced open. Right ahead of use two dracaena were opening up a door that looked to be made out of pure obsidian. I could tell from how big the door was that this was were Gaea was waiting for us. I could feel my stomach doing flip-flops at the thought of Gaea being in there.
"Come on, Ghost King, Lady Gaea wants to have a little chat with you." Minos growled at me before dragging me threw the door and into the throne room.
It was enormous, was my first thought. The ceiling went up at least one hundred-fifty feet and the width of the room was at least one hundred feet. The room seemed to be made of igneous rocks: obsidian, basalt, gabbro, and granite, with crystals, rubies, emeralds, gold, and sapphires scattered over the walls. There were dozens of monsters lining the walls, all with weapons ranging from a sword, to a club, to a bow with arrows. At the far end of the room was a throne made out of a mix of skeletons and jewels that reminded me of the Pluto Shrine. What got me was that right next to the throne was Bianca. I guess I should have expected her to be here if she was working for Gaea.
It seemed that I had spent to much time looking around for Minos gave me a rough shove in the back before leading me to the throne. Why would Gaea even need a throne, it's not like she has a body, she is the earth. Stupid ADHD, now wasn't the time to think about why they had a throne, now was the time to find a way out of here and find out Gaea's plans.
Where was Gaea anyway? Minos said it was her that wanted to talk to me. Out of nowhere a face began to form out of the earth that made the wall. Soon I was facing a giant woman's face with no body that was completely made out of the earth.
"Hello Son of Hades. Welcome to one of my many underground hideouts." Gaea purred to me.
"Oh, shut up and just get to the point of dragging me here." I snarled at the earth goddess.
That just earned me a hard hit in the head that sent the room spinning and the nauseated feeling to return.
"Kneel before Lady Gaea." Minos commanded.
I made no move to do that. I was willing to bow to my father, Zeus, Poseidon, any other god that didn't fight for Kronos, but there was no way in Tartarus that I would kneel before Gaea. But it seemed that it wasn't my choice for a second later I was on my knees after Minos kicked right at the joint. I had to admit that it hurt, but I wasn't going to let them have the satisfaction of hearing me cry out in pain.
"Tsk tsk. You aren't being very nice, after all, Minos wanted to kill you right away. But I guess you are right, I should get straight to the point. I want you to join me." Gaea declared.
"Never! I wouldn't betray my friends, or the gods." Gaea had to be crazy, I would never betray my friends. Especially Percy, after everything I would never betray him. He had been there for me even after I had drawn my sword with the intention to kill, had invited me into his parent's apartment when I came to tell him about the River Styx, and had forgiven me after I took us on that "detour" to see my father. I wasn't about to betray his trust again.
"You really think about it. I mean what have the gods ever done for you. Nothing, nothing at all except to make your life harder." Gaea remarked.
"What do you know about my life?" I shout at her, she was starting to get on my nerves.
"She's right Nico. Gaea only speaks the truth." Looking over I see that it was Bianca who had spoke.
"W-what?" I stutter, but not because I was scared but because of her change in tone, before she had been angry but now she was talking to me like she had before she had died.
"Gaea only speak the truth. The gods have been messing with our lives for a long time. Well, not really gods but goddess, Hera. She's been messing with us since we lived in New Orleans.
Okay, gods messing with my life made little sense, but Hera messing with my life made a whole bunch more sense. She seemed to love messing with demigods lives and it barely shocked me that she messed with my life somehow. What I wanted to know was what she messed with.
As if reading my mind Bianca answered "Hera's the reason Mama is dead. She told Zeus where we were but made sure that Hades was there to protect us. She made sure that Artemis and the Hunters would be there to hunt the manticore. Messed with my head so that I would join and then go on the quest. Messed with my head again and made me pick up the statue and then sacrifice myself. Had Hades give you Minos as a mentor and then become friends with Percy Jackson. Made sure you knew about Styx. And most of all she made sure that I was out of the way and that you would bring that Pluto girl back to life." Bianca explained to me, her voice still in that nice soothing way, though now you could here an edge to it.
I was shocked. I couldn't believe that Hera had done all of that. Though it did make sense. This just hardened my feelings toward Hera, she is just as evil as Kronos and Gaea.
"See Nico, all of this should never have happened. Join Gaea, I don't want to lose you again. I'm sorry about the other day, I thought that you had known. Join Gaea and we can be together again." while Bianca was saying this she was also walking towards me. She finished what she was saying the same time she had reached me. Cupping my check she said "I love you Nico, and I don't want to be seperated from you again."
I felt tears well up in my eyes. How long had I wanted to be reunited with Bianca? How many nights had I stayed up wishing for Bianca to be alive? Praying for her to be alive. And now her she was, standing in front of me saying she wanted me to stay with her. It was so tempting. So tempting to just say yes and stay with her.
But no. No. No. No. This wasn't right. I would be joining Gaea and would be fighting against the gods and my friends. No matter how much I wanted to be with my sister this would be wrong. I felt a pang in my stomach at what I was about to say.
Pulling away from Bianca I found my voice "No. No. No matter how much I want to be with you, joining Gaea isn't the right way. I will never join Gaea willingly, no matter what I can get in return. I'm sorry Bianca, I truly am." the last part I whisper so low I doubt anyone could hear it.
Anyone could see the change in Bianca's face and posture. Her whole body became stiff, her lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean no?" she hisses, dangerously low.
"I mean no, I'm not joining Gaea." I say, my voice low. I didn't want to be saying this, I wanted my sister.
"And here I was thinking that you wanted me back. Well I guess I'm mistaken. You obviously don't care!" Bianca screamed at me. I couldn't help but wince at her shouting.
"No, Bianca, that's not what I mean. Of course I want to be with you. You're my sister and I love you." I shout at Bianca's retreating back as she walked towards another exit.
She stopped right before exiting and turned her head to look at me "I don't love you. I hate you. You're nothing to me." She hisses before exiting.
I feel like I had just been stabbed in the stomach. I couldn't comprehend what Bianca had just said. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't be. Bianca couldn't hate me, she just couldn't.
"Take him back to his cell, we'll have another chat later." Gaea smirks at me.
"Yes my Lady." Minos says, bowing low to he ground before grabbing me roughly from the ground and forcing me out of the throne room.
It seems to take less time coming back to my cell than it did going to the throne room. Soon I'm getting thrown into the cell. Minos unhooks my shackles from each other but doesn't take them off, instead he hooks chains to them and secures them to one of the walls to make sure I didn't have any chance to get out. At that point I didn't care anymore.
After Minos left the cell I slide down to the ground, feeling helpless and broken, wishing that Percy would find me and that Bianca would be like she was before hand.
