A.N. okey dokey! Yay! Here is this chapter! (in case, you know, you couldn't figure it out yourself…) I hope everyone is enjoying this story so far, I know it's no flowers for the dead, but trust me, it'll get better! (I hope, for everyone's sake) but if you already like it, then your in for a treat! (I think) I like parenthesis!

Oh, by the way, his name is pronounced 'A (like the fonz) Lis (like list without the T) Alis' it's for later.

Oh, right now I'm kinda getting really obsessed with True Blood, so anything strange or weird that are in my A.N.'s it's from that show!

Disclaimer: You know, the strangest thing happened to me today. I was told that I don't own Percy Jackson. Ya, it was a surprise to me too.


Ten of Spades: It's No Coincidence

Nico didn't know if he had ever worked this hard in his life. Sure, he's been in a war and had to raise the dead and break out of prison and fight blood thirsty monsters, but those were everyday stuff. This was a job, and he's never done that before.

Actually, he's exaggerating. This wasn't that hard, but it sure as hell hurt.

He was in charge of cleaning all the armor of the monsters. They were caked in mounds and mounds of blood (Nico shuddered at the thought of how it could have possibly gotten there.) He had to clean ten of them a day.

Viscaria had other duties somewhere else. Nico might not have her, but he at least had company. When the guards pushed him to his work station, they pointed to another boy by the pool of water and said "He'll show you what to do." and they left.

Nico walked up to the boy. He seemed the same age as him, maybe older. He had dark brown hair that flew in his eyes constantly along with everywhere else. He was tall and lanky with sharp bone features everywhere, even on his face. His eyes were a light green, and they seemed to eat up your soul.

"Hey." the boy said with a soft southern accent. "Do I need to show you what to do?" he drawled.

Nico nodded. He rolled up his sleeves. The boy showed him, and they began to work in silence.

"I'm Alis." he started.

Nico nodded. "Nico."

Alis smiled, and Nico was surprised to see his teeth were actually all there, straight, and clean. "Cool. How did they get you?"

"Sleeping."

"Ah. I was one of the first ones they got. They took me in broad day light. Idiots." He switched out his now very clean chest plate for a shoulder one.

Nico nodded again. "Yup, I've been here for almost a year now."

"A year?" Nico asked, incredulous. Dang, he didn't know it was around that long.

Alis nodded. "Yeah, they stopped taking people for a while, you know, so that people'd think that we'd just disappeared. Now they're startin again. They'll probably stop in another month, then start again."

"How do you know?" Nico asked.

"Cuz I've been here for a year."

Nico went back to his work. "Right. A year. I'm sorry." Alis nodded, and he went back to his work too.

He better get back to his room fast. He didn't want to end up being here a year too. He just knew that if he were getting out, he was definitely taking Alis with them.


Viscaria stumbled back to her cell. Nico was already there, laying on the bed with his hand over his eyes. "Hey." she said as she went onto the top bunk.

"How was your first day?" he asked tiredly.

"Terrible. You?"

"Terrible. I met someone cool, though."

"Yeah, me too."

They laid silent. Viscaria even started to drift, but Nico started to mumble something.

"Hmmmm?"

"I should call Bianca."

"Yeah. Good idea. Maybe in the morning."

She heard the springs of the below bed start to move. "No, now."

Nico got down and sat cross-legged on the floor. He bent his head down, and it got quiet. Then some silver started to appear, and then it just blinked, and in its place was a girl.

Nico fell over in exhaustion. "Nico?" Viscaria slinkyed onto the floor. "You ok?" she asked.

"Nico?" Bianca walked towards him, her translucent glow making the room seem like it had star light. It calmed Viscaria down, and suddenly she wanted to sleep.

Nico forced himself up. "Hey Bianca."

"Where are we? Why did you call?" she said. Ya, dive right into the deep end.

"I need your help." Nico said, and he explained it to her.

"Of course I'll help. Why aren't you just shadow traveling out of here?" she agreed quickly. Nico smiled a small smile and laid down on the stone cold floor.

"Too tired. I could barely get you here. I could kill us if I shadow travel."

"Ok, Nico. I'll help you." Bianca said. She turned to Viscaria. "You must be Viscaria. Nice to meet you."

"Ditto." she said to her, smiling softly.

"Nico sure made a fuss over you dying, you know. I think he may l-"

"Hey Bianca. Maybe you should go help us instead of chattin it up with Viscaria, eh?" Nico said from the floor.

Bianca grinned, and it lit up already bright face. "Of course, little brother. I'm on my way."

She blinked out again, and Viscaria and Nico finally went to sleep.


"Anything?" Adonis asked. Annabeth had just Iris-messaged him. Percy was sitting next to her.

She shook her head sadly. "Nothing. We asked around all night, even getting into a few fights. I'm sorry Adonis, I don't know-"

She was cut off, and Adonis lost his picture by a flash of silver. His rainbow cleared, and he saw a…ghost?

"Percy, Annabeth. I know where Nico is." the ghost said.

"And Viscaria?" Adonis asked, worriedly. She better be with him or Adonis would-

Bianca jumped and turned around. "Yes. She is with him. In a prison run by monsters."

They took the news in silence as Bianca told them what Nico had told her.

"Oh." Who new that one little word could have so many meanings.

"Yeah." Bianca looked down. "Will you help me? I can't really do…anything. Except take you there." her voice saddened. Percy nor Annabeth took notice to her tone, but Adonis heard. He kept it to himself, but heard it none the less. She sighed softly. Another thing unnoticed to all except Adonis.

"Of course. We'll meet you at your house, Adonis."

Oh good. Now he doesn't have to force them to take him.

The rainbow flickered again, and soon all Adonis was looking at was the crystal clear water of the fountain. Hopefully it would stay just the chlorine water of a fountain.

Adonis didn't want to add tears to it if they didn't find Viscaria.


"Ready?" Percy asked Adonis later that night.

"Yeah." Adonis said distractedly. He was too busy looking at Bianca. She was really pretty, long black hair and Hispanic features. She was translucent and glowed a vibrant silver, but that didn't change the fact that she was really pretty. She shuffled her silent feet and looked at the ground.

"That's Bianca di Angelo. Nico's sister."

"Ah. Nice to meet you."

"Ditto." she said. He was surprised to hear her normal.

They stood silent for a moment. Then Percy whistled and winged horses showed up. Adonis widened his eyes, but didn't voice his admiration.

"What's that, Adonis?" Annabeth noticed his deck of cards.

"Oh. This is my lucky deck of cards. I really like cards." Adonis admired his deck like it was the only think he had left.

It was though, really. The only thing left he had of Viscaria.

"Cool." it was actually Bianca who said it.

He smiled at the cards. "Pick a card." he fanned it out for Annabeth.

She rolled her eyes, but still took one. "The ten of spades."

Adonis paled. "Wow. What a draw." He swiped the card back and put the deck away.

"Why?" Percy asked.

Adonis shook his head. "The ten of spades means 'Misfortune and worry. Imprisonment. Unwelcome news.' a very bad draw, but a huge coincidence that you picked it."

Percy and Annabeth just rolled their eyes and mounted their horses.

"What?" Adonis asked as he carefully mounted his.

"You Ahura's have way too much in common."


REVIEW!!

p. we're getting somewhere! We're gonna start working on the Adonis/Bianca relationship now! Yays! (for those who want to have that relationship to happen!)

p.s.s. Don't discriminate! Vampires were people too!

REVIEW!! Huge self esteem builder

Aces and Eights