A/N: It must be a miracle it's an update on this story! Sorry it's taken so long, massive writer's block. Meant to have it done by Christmas but life got in the way, so hope you enjoy!

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As soon as they stepped in the Greek Underworld, there cloths changed into the black robes of the dead.

"Tell me if any of you begin to see the faces of the dead more clearly" ordered Nico as he pulled his hood up stashing his sword back into his pocket.

"Why do you need to know that?" asked Sadie, following his example.

Nico turned and smirked at her evilly, "Because it means that you are becoming deader, if you stay down here long enough you will die."

Sadie shivered at the thought, but Annabeth didn't seem to be shaken at this fact, Annabeth caught her eye and gave a tiny smile. "I already know, this isn't the first time I've been down here." She stopped when Nico made a motion to be silent. They were lucky, the doorway Nico had cut was past Cerberus, so they didn't have to worry about the three headed dog.

Sadie gazed around in wonder, the dead wondered around aimlessly, their faces murky looking to Sadie's eyes. Goosebumps raised on her arms as she listened to the shrieks of agony that echoed all around them. She stayed close to Annabeth and Nico as the slowly made their way through the dead. Hade's palace loomed over them and Sadie could make out what looked like skeletons guarding the entrances.

Nico's eyes kept shifting as he kept a lookout for his Father, he didn't know how much longer he could shield his presence from him. The further into the Underworld they went the harder it was becoming. He glanced up every so often at the Furies, who were flying about watching everything that was happening. His hand went into his pocket clutching the pocketknife that would turn into his sword as soon as he drew it, having it there was a comfort. He looked at the girls, Annabeth was holding up quite well, showing nothing but calmness. Sadie was the one that worried Nico, her eyes were continuously moving eyeing everything that they passed. Nico had the feeling that if it wasn't for him and Annabeth she would be racing around the Underworld searching for her brother.

He lead them off the crowded street full of dead and onto a side street that was clear of the black hooded people. He knew he would have to be extra careful as he began to angle towards the Field of Punishment, not many dead wondered close to the gory place except for the loved ones of the ones being punished.

There pace was slow, it was driving Sadie mad but she kept her head. Carter needed help and a crazy Sadie would not help him escape from this terrible place. As they drew closer the screaming got worse, she tried to block it out, not wanting to recognize the screams of her brother. The smell got worse also, the smell of smoke, blood, burning flesh and other nasty aroma's Sadie couldn't identify and didn't want to. She couldn't help the look of disgust that came onto her face. She almost ran straight into Annabeth's back as Nico stopped short. Annabeth looked at him worriedly.

"Nico whats wrong?"

Nico didn't reply but fixed his eyes at the wall that they had been following, "She's here."

Sadie looked around, "Whose here?"

"My sister," Nico whispered as a gray ghost appeared before them. Unlike the others Sadie could see her perfectly. She was looking at Nico with regret in her eyes.

"Hello Nico."

Nico threw his arms around her, hugging her. "Bianca, I've been trying to find you for so long" he whispered. Bianca hugged Nico to her stroking his hair, amazed by how much he had grown in the short time she had been dead.

"Oh Nico, I wanted to come to you but I wanted you to move on with your life. To go back were you had friends, to Camp Half-Blood. I don't want you to go through with your plan to trade Daedalus for me, you'll regret doing it for the rest of your life" she whispered.

Nico resisted the urge to cry as he accept the fact he wouldn't get his sister back, he broke the hug and quickly rubbed his eyes, he had almost forgotten Sadie and Annabeth behind him. Bianca smiled at them.

"It is nice to finally meet you Annabeth, and I'm honored to meet you Sadie Kane"

Annabeth inclined her head, the feeling was mutual, Sadie just nodded. Nico looked at his sister he knew that there was only two hours before the sun rose and Percy and Carter would be stuck down here forever. "Bianca, we are in need of your help."

Bianca eyes turned serious, "I know, I know why you are here, and this is the reason that I chose to reveal my presence to you. I've tried to reason with Father, but he is determined that you will be the one to fulfill the prophecy. Percy and Carter are deep within the Field, it will be treacherous to get in and out unnoticed. Father has one of his personal guards in front of the cauldron at all times."

Nico smirked, "I can take care of the guard. Can you lead us to them?"

Bianca nodded gravely, "Yes, you would just follow me"

The three fell in step behind Bianca as she lead them into the Field. Sadie and Annabeth tried to shield their eyes at the horrors around them, by looking at the feet in front of them, but it was impossible. The screams echoed in their heads, the smell a thousand times worse. Sadie and Annabeth saw many unspeakable things, and Sadie knew that she would never forget them, that they would forever haunt her dreams. Nico eyes never strayed from the back of his sister robe as she lead them deep into the Field, to where some of the worst punishments were given to the worst of men.

And in the midst of all of it the trio's eyes were drawn to the largest cauldron they had ever seen. It was setting over a pool of lava. Nico already knew that this is where they would find the boys, but Sadie and Annabeth did not. But the twin gasp of shock were lost amidst the screams coming from within. Nico eyed the skeleton guard and pulled out his sword. Taking a deep breath he charged the skeleton, taking it completely off guard. Nico's sword sliced through its neck like butter, it head falling to the ground before disintegrating before his eyes in a cloud of dust. Annabeth and Sadie ran to were the chains the suspended the cauldron over the lava were anchored. "We need to dump the water off of them" Annabeth yelled as she grabbed one of them and was unable to move it.

Nico looked at the cauldron, taking his sword he stabbed it, cutting a hole in the great iron pot. He had to jump back as a stream of boiling water gushed from the hole, falling into the lava. He cursed as a great cloud of steam went billowing up into the air and he heard the shrieks of the Furies.

"We don't have much time" he yelled as he ran to help Sadie and Annabeth with the chains. "The Furies are sure to be telling my Father right this minute." With their combined weight they managed to pull the cauldron off the lava pit and onto the land. Annabeth rushed to the ladder and climb to the lip of the cauldron, crying at the sight she saw.

"Percy!" Her eyes took in the bad condition, the boils and blisters. The blood and clear liquid that ran from the wounds, the skin a bright red, his feet were bare except for the manacles that encircled his ankles. Her eyes drifted to Carter who was in the same shape. Tortured blue and brown eyes gazed up at her in disbelief. She jumped when she heard a roar coming from Hades palace, signaling that the Furies had informed him that a rescue was taking place.

"Annabeth get them out!" yelled Nico.

Annabeth didn't wait any longer she jumped into the cauldron, the rubber on the bottom of her shoes began to smoke as it melted.

"Annabeth" Percy managed to croak out, he couldn't believe the blond girl was here as she pulled out her dagger.

Annabeth glanced at him for a second before focusing on the manacles, she tried to cut them with her dagger but it was no use, it would take forever before she could get through them. Sadie's head appeared over the lid and she took in the situation without a word, there was no time to get upset. "Why don't you use that sword?" she yelled as she began to work on the cuffs on the lip.

Annabeth felt in her pocket for Riptide, she drew out the pen and took off the cap. The sword grew in front of her. It felt heavy in her hand as took aim and swung. Riptide cut through the chains like butter, Nico had climbed next to Sadie and was cutting the manacles from above. As Nico cut the last of Percy's cuffs, Percy slide from his place to the bottom of the cauldron, crying out in pain as pieces of skin were rubbed away.

Nico swore, but didn't stop he could feel his father getting closer, "Sadie hold onto Carter as I cut his, Annabeth get him on his feet. Bianca help Sadie drag Carter out" The girls did as they were told, Sadie clung to Carter as Nico cut the cuffs. Nico then pushed himself into the pot and helped Annabeth lift Percy to his feet.

Percy wobbled dangerously on his feet, he could only see red as his body beat in searing pain that matched his heartbeat. His mind struggled to focus on what was going around him as the world spun. He heard someone speaking to him. His eyes found their way to gaze on a boy he recognized but he couldn't remember his name, the boy's mouth was moving. Suddenly the boy was pulling him, and he watched as Annabeth climbed out of the pot and leaned over with her hands outstretched.

"Percy take my hands" echoed in his brain, and Percy struggled to make his hands obey him. He grabbed Annabeth's hands as tight as he could, the only action that didn't cause him pain. With the boy pushing him from behind and Annabeth pulling him up, he found himself out of the cauldron and back on dry land.

He eyes took in the sight of Carter being supported by a girl that he didn't know. But he was glad that Carter was being rescued to. Annabeth appeared beside him again and grabbed her arm around him and began to lead him out of the Field.

Nico was the last one to leave the cauldron, he wasn't bothering to shield his presence anymore. Sadie and Annabeth were already going back the way they came, Nico turned to look at his sister wondering why she hadn't followed. Bianca looked at him and motioned for him to follow Annabeth and Sadie.

"Hurry" urged Bianca, "I'll stall Father as long as I can."

Nico cast one last look at Bianca before following his friends, Bianca watched him leave before turning to face the direction her Father was coming from.

The group of five were traveling slowly across the Field. To slow for Nico's taste, they would never get back to the place where the two underworlds connected before Hades caught up with them and opening a doorway to the surface would only allow his Father to follow them so that was out of the question. He would have to do something drastic to escape his Father's wrath, something that he never did before. Something that King Midas had told him that all children of Hades could do, Shadow Travel.

The girls struggled with the weight of the boys, every step they took they seemed to get heavier, until they could not support them any longer. As the girls sank to the ground under the weight of the boys, Nico knew that this is where they would make their stand. Nico turned to look at Annabeth as she gently began to pour Nectar down Percy's throat.

"Annabeth were not going to make it back to the connection point." Annabeth only paused for a moment before nodding. Sadie gave a dark chuckle.

"I guess were all bloody going to die down here." Sadie knew she should be getting ready to fight but she couldn't help but feel hopeless. She just gazed into her brother's eyes as he smiled up at her through the pain. "At least we get to go out together brother" she whispered, "Neither of us will be left alone.

Annabeth was having a similar good-bye with Percy, who with the help of the Nectar was able to understand her. "See how much trouble you caused Seaweed brain, all because you were a hero" she scolded gently.

Percy looked up at her with his green eyes, "You were supposed to stay safe Wise girl, I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

She gave a small laugh, as tears gathered in her eyes. "My brain is smart, but my heart is dumb Percy Jackson. I couldn't stand to lose you because…I love you."

Percy smiled his crooked smile up at her, "I love you to Annabeth, I have since the first quest." Annabeth leaned down and gently kissed him. Her tears of sadness mixing with the kiss making it bitter sweet.

Nico couldn't help but feel jealousy for the two other boys that still had people who cared about them. His Father only saw him as a pawn, and Bianca had abandoned him to join the Hunt. He grabbed the canteen of Nectar Annabeth had dropped to do what he needed to do he needed all the energy he could get. He drank as much as he could until he began to feel hot, and then he stopped knowing that if he drank anymore he would burn away.

About that time the first of the skeleton guards were appearing from the maze of the Field and he knew that his Father wasn't far behind. He turned to the four.

"Get as close together as you can, I have a plan."

They obeyed his command and soon Carter and Percy were practically lying on top of each other with the girls by their sides. Nico went and stood beside them concentrating as Hades appeared before them.

The souls trapped in his cloths were moving frantically making his cloths billow like the wind was blowing on them when all was still. There was a murderous look to his face, and in his eyes blazed hell fire. Nico wanted to shrink back away from his Father's wrath, but he half-way closed his eyes willing the shadows to gather around him.

"Boy, what do you think you have done" he yelled, making rocks fall from the ceiling above them.

"I am doing what you should have done," answered Nico, "I'm returning Percy and Carter back to their bodies."

Hades looked at him with disbelief, "You fool, I'm doing this for you!"

Nico glared at his Father. "You're doing this for yourself. I don't want to be the one in the prophecy!" he yelled. Nico's anger fueled his will and before Hades eyes the shadows bent around his son and his eyes went wide with shock as his son disappear in front of his eyes. He howled with anger as his two prisoners escaped.

He turned to his skeletons, "Find my son, bring him back along with those other demigods!" he yelled.

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Nico opened his eyes collapsing on the ground as he took in where he was. The skyline of New York greeted him, and he realized that he Shadow Traveled to the bottom of the building of that held Brooklyn House. He rolled over to see that the other four was with him as well.

"Let's not ever do that again" groaned Sadie as she sat up, nausea hitting her.

"Agreed" said Nico, he felt like he hadn't slept for a week and got hit with a truck all he wanted to do was collapse in one of the Mansion's bedroom and sleep.

Annabeth began to set up from her place next to Percy when she turned to the west and noticed the redness of the sky, as the sun began to set on the third day

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Hoped you like. I was going to end this story, but now I have an idea of how to tie it back into the main storyline of the Battle of the Labyrinth book. So please tell me if you would rather the story end in the next chapter or so, or that you want to see it continue through the Battle of the Labyrinth. Please review!