Hello everyone. I am sorry it has taken so long to update, but a friend of mine died recently and needless to say I've been a bit too preoccupied to write fanfiction. This is the first chapter from Nico's point of view, let me know if I do Nico okay and what I can do to improve my writing style for Nico.

Chapter 2: Playing Private Eye

Nico

I was enjoying the party the gods were throwing at the new Olympus. Josiah, one of the twins from Goode, was with me. We had become quite good friends over the last few weeks. He was tall and lanky, with curly blond hair and gray eyes. You couldn't see his eyes though, because they were hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses. He was wearing dark jeans, an untucked white button down shirt, and a black leather jacket. The whole outfit was topped off by a fedora. He looked ready to go out to a club.

Based on his appearance and the way he valued his own coolness, one would think he was a son of Aphrodite, or Apollo. But, in fact, he was the son of Athena. His twin brother and he were very different, even though they looked identical. Ben (Josiah's identical twin) shared his looks, but wasn't cool like Josiah. Ben wore rectangular glasses. Both of them were very smart, but Ben seemed to be smarter, in fact he acted like a "proper son of Athena should," I believe Ben phrased it.

I liked Ben, but he and Josiah didn't get along great, and Josiah was frankly more fun to hang out with.

Anyway, Josiah and I walked along the streets of the newly rebuilt Olympus, enjoying the fun. I saw Percy, Annabeth, and Grover walking by, but just as I was about to wave to them, I saw someone I didn't really want to spend time with, because every time we did spend time together, we ended up fighting. This was the person that I had asked for advice from both Percy and Thalia about, and neither had really helped me. Unfortunately this person was also good friends with Josiah. I was talking, of course, about Shifa Blake.

She was slightly shorter than me, with tan middle eastern skin and facial features that seemed to be Persian. Today she wore blue jeans and a Relay for Life t-shirt. Her long, dark hair was braided today, and she appeared in a good mood. Not that that would stop us from arguing. She was the daughter of Ascelpius, god of medicine and healing. Of course Shifa valued saving a sick or dying person's life above anything. I, being the son of Hades, didn't enjoy people dying, but I knew when to accept when someone was a goner. Let's just say that the two of us didn't exactly see eye to eye.

But she came over to the two of us, determined as always, o try and be friends with me. But the fact was that an argument was bound to break out before long. I tried my very best to maintain a nice attitude though, and, surprisingly, the day didn't go badly at all. Night had fallen across Olympus, and Josiah and Shifa were deep in conversation about the newest additions, and I was eating – cotton candy. Even the gods liked it apparently.

"I especially like how even my father has a statue recognizing him," Shifa was saying. "All the minor gods are getting the respect they deserve, finally."

Josiah nodded, fighting to keep a smirk about something hidden. "Yeah, it is." Then he turned to me and murmured, "Kinda funny that she thinks her own father is minor."

I raised my eyebrows. If that was what he had been trying not to smirk about, it was a lame excuse. Josiah was funny most of the time, but sometimes he came across as just... peculiar.

Just then however, my father appeared. My raised eyebrows immediately furrowed. "Nico," he said. "Could I have a word?"

I shared a questioning look with Josiah, and we seemed to have a silent conversation. In less then a second I understood that he would eavesdrop on the conversation and use his amazing Athena skills to decipher any hidden messages or meaning. Not that I didn't trust my dad, but Percy had pulled me aside earlier and told me in a hurried whisper, "Our dads were talking in Latin, and since we're at war with the Romans, that isn't a good sign. Keep an eye out, but don't tell your dad that I told you."

I had, of course immediately rushed to tell Josiah, and the two of us had agreed to pay attention to anything fishy, and this certainly counted as fishy. "Very well, father," I said.

I followed him a little distance away, and into a mansion. Apparently the owners had not expected company, for they were engaged in a activity in the entry area that they would not have wanted to be seen.

They both gasped in surprise as we entered, then teleported quickly away. My father turned to me. "Nico, I am going to cut to the chase. You remember Iapetus? The titan Jackson washed in the waters of the Lethe? Well someone has kidnapped him."

"What?" I burst out. "Who could kidnap a titan?"

"There are several options, of course," he answered. "But I don't have time to personally oversee the matter. I must be present here, put up some face. If Hades disappeared in the middle of the reopening ceremonies, then Zeus would think that something was up. The shaky re-admittance I've gained with the other Olympians would vanish. You must go into the Underworld and investigate the crime." Then he added, with a slightly crooked smile, "You might as well take your two eavesdropping friends." He snapped his fingers and the doors burst open, revealing Shifa and Josiah standing there, wearing guilty smiles. Hades turned back to me. "The kidnapping took place in Elysium. Start your investigation there. And get me results by the solstice."

I nodded. Josiah and Shifa looked around uncertainly. My father gripped both of their arms and pulled them into the room. "If you two breath a word of what you overheard to anyone I will personally ensure that you know what it feels like to be affected by the Helm of Darkness."

Both of them nodded in understanding, too fearful to speak. My father left, slamming the doors behind him.

"Well he wasn't pleasant at all," Shifa said. "If he's what awaits after death, no wonder people are afraid of dying."

"Hey!" I snapped. "Don't make fun of my father, he's just going through a lot of stress right now! Right Josiah?"

But Josiah was staring ahead with a dazed expression, then he turned to us, grinning. "Guys, we get to be Private Eyes! How cool is that! Real life investigators! Can you believe it?"

"No," Shifa and I both said glumly.

"Oh, come on," he said. "You guys have got to look at these things with a little enthusiasm. I mean, we get a sneak preview of Elysium! We get to solve a mystery and prove ourselves! Doesn't that appeal to either of you?"

"No," we both said again. Shifa had been dragged into this by my father, and I was not looking forward to the fact that I was missing all the festivities.

Josiah rolled his eyes. "Well, we don't really have much of a choice, do we? Let's find Hephaestus, maybe he'll know where we can find some weapons for us, just in case."

I displayed my knife and pulled out a pistol that fired celestial bronze bullets. "Brought them along just in case."

"Of course the death boy brought along killing devises," Shifa said.

"There's nothing wrong with being prepared," I retorted. "I can't imagine you're prepared to defend yourself in an emergency."

Shifa had pulled out a ruler that quickly expanded into a quarterstaff. "Non-lethal," she said. "This way I can defend myself without killing. But I'm sure you must love killing."

"I do not-"

"Hey," Josiah said. "Look at this." While Shifa and I had been arguing he had stepped into another room and had found a sword. "Wonder if they mind if I borrow it? Well anyway, it looks like we don't have to go see Hephaestus after all. Now, Nico, how are we getting to the scene of the crime?"

I took a couple of deep breaths. "We shadow travel of course."

They both gripped my arm, Shifa a little reluctantly, and we disappeared.

-t-S-S-

When we emerged from the shadow stream we were standing in front of silver and gold wrought gates. In ancient Greek there was a blessing, saying, "Those dead who enter here will forever know happiness, and never know pain."

Shifa seemed mildly impressed. "Have to admit, this wouldn't be such a bad place to die to."

I took this as a sign that we were done arguing, for now at least. I led the way, opening the gates. We entered into an entry square of sorts. The cobbled street was made of gold bricks. Gigantic mansions stood all around. Shops and stalls stood all around the square and the dead people walked through the square, chatting happily with one another and shopping.

"Wow!" Josiah said upon seeing a number of fedoras weaved from golden thread.

"Like it?" asked the man running the stall. "That's real gold too, but fits on your head light as a feather."

"How much is it?" Josiah asked hurriedly.

"How much- oh you mean money! You must have recently died. Everything in Elysium is free."

I walked over. "He's not dead John," I said.

"Oh ho," John said, looking at Josiah with new interest. "Not often we get living people other than Master Nico down here. Here take a hat," he added.

Josiah barely concealed a squeal like a giddy school girl.

I rolled my eyes. Just what he needed, a golden fedora. I turned back to John. He had died in his mid-thirties and had brown hair and a beard. His eyes, though they had been green in life had turned black, just like all the other dead, but they twinkled happily. "Listen John," I lowered my voice. "Have you heard about the recent kidnapping down here?"

"You mean the one of Iapetus?" he asked, quietly. "I mean, uh, Bob."

I nodded. "Yeah, can you tell me anything about it?"

John lowered his voice further, but I was sure Josiah and Shifa were catching every word. "It was in the paper. 'Bob' had been tending some flowers up the street in central square. Then, suddenly, there was a flash f light and he was gone. That' all I know, but you may be able to get some information from some of the other people who had been at the crime scene. I know of one guy, Graham I think is name is, who lives just down the block, who witnessed the attack."

"Thanks," I said. "What does this Graham guy look like?"

"He's got long, dark hair," John said. "A little on the short side. Young too. Twenty-three I believe when he died. Good kid."

"Alright, well I'll see you around John," I said.

The three of us then proceeded to look for this Graham person. I saw several familiar faces, people I'd become acquainted with during my many trips to Elysium, but I didn't stop to say hi. I stopped once or twice to ask about where I might find this Graham guy. Eventually I tracked him down to a building that sold all sorts of photography equipment. Well, not really sold; as John had demonstrated there was no need for money in the underworld.

We walked inside and were immediately blinded by a camera flash. Once our vision cleared we were standing before a young man with longish, dark, wavy hair and brown eyes who was laughing. "Awesome!" he said. "This camera's flash is amazing."

Josiah chuckled a little, meanwhile I turned towards the guy. "Is your name Graham?"

"Yeah," he answered. "What's up?"

Shifa spoke up this time. "We're looking for some information on the kidnapping that happened around here recently and were told you had witnessed it. Could you tell us what you saw?"

Graham cleared his throat. "To be honest I didn't see that much, but my camera did. Not this one, the one that's back at the place I'm staying. If you want I can take you guys there to look at the pictures."

I nodded. "That would be very much appreciated."

-t-S-S-

Jason struggled harder than ever under the weight of the sky. He was sure that if he could only shift his legs a little the weight would be less painful. But it was to no avail. He couldn't move an inch.

Someone appeared at the edges of Jason's vision. It was Atlas. "I'm surprised you are still alive. By this time most heroes would have perished and their dead bodies would be all that was holding up the sky."

Between ragged breaths Jason managed to say, "I... am more... than a normal hero... I am... the son of Jupiter... and the champion... of Juno... I can withstand your punishment..."

"Perhaps, but fr how much longer, I wonder?" Atlas grinned. "I hope you live a few more days Jason Grace, because if you do, then you may very well get to be here to meet my father. I'm sure he'll be very pleased to meet you."

Jason groaned in pain. He could no longer think clearly. Who was Atlas's father?

AN:There we go. Once again, sorry for the delay, but as I said I've had other things on my mind recently. Hope you enjoyed it.

R.I.P. Graham