AN: Hey'all! I would like to inform you that the story is coming very near to its end! I'm still trying to work out on how the sequel would go. Now I'm back on track! It's Nico's turn to fight! Elysia and Thalia are next in line. So without further ado, here's the latest chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!

Anika, Leo and Nico dashed through the prison. From a distance they can still hear the waves of water made by Zavion. Nico still has Leo hanging on his shoulder, until now the demigod did not even make one movement since the son of Eurybia drowned him.

Nico looked around the prison, plain stone walls, torch lights and barred cells. It looks like a plain prison from the ancient times. Nico has his share of prisons in the Underworld but this underground reformatory looked like a hotel compared to that in his father's realm.

"We must be far enough, put Leo on the floor. I'll be able to heal him" Anika ordered. Nico's eyes narrowed.

"Why should I follow you? You're an enemy" Nico leered. Anika shook her head; children of Hades can be such a pain.

"That's because I just saved your life. Leo won't have the same fate if you don't oblige!" Anika replied sternly. The son of Hades snickered and reluctantly put Leo down.

Anika chanted in Ancient Greek, green light glowed on her hands and Nico was amazed. She ran her hand on Leo's chest and the wounds began to heal. His broken limbs, lacerations and other injuries were instantly healed.

"How did-"

"An Ancient Greek spell, I studied it during my stay here. Spells Hecate taught mankind ever since they were made and thrived in this world" Anika explained, not removing her gaze at Leo.

Leo fluttered his eyes; first thing he saw was Anika's eyes. Leo blushed. He stood up abruptly, but Nico pushed him down. His hazel eyes looked around nervously, he was breathing heavily.

"Whoah, it's alright. There's no cascading water rushing onto you right now" Nico smirked but Leo still seemed shocked.

"Skullface, what the hell happened? Where's Vincent?" he asked as soon as he got hold of himself. His eyes were not focused on Nico though, he was focused on Anika. The girl shifted uncomfortably at Leo's stare.

"Don't call me names, Valdez"

"So we're in a last name basis here, Di Angelo"

"Shut up. Anyway, Anika here saved us both from the water dude and the cloaked guy"

Leo eyed Anika again; she averted her eyes away from him. The fire user grinned,

"Why?" he sat closer to Anika. The girl scooted a little farther, Nico can't hide a smirk. It was pretty obvious Leo was trying to hit on the girl.

"I-I just want to... um... redeem myself" she stammered, Leo grinned wider. Anika raised a brow at him,

"Why are you looking at me?" she asked, playing nervously with her hair.

"You look cute. But why is your hair silver?"

"Umm...well..."

"Did you dye it?"

"No!"

Leo rubbed his chin as if he has an imaginary beard. Nico stifled a laugh; he really should've brought his blackmailing list on his way here.

"You wear a wig, don't you?" he pulled a strand of Anika's hair, the girl yelped in pain, "Hmmm, with super glue?" he chuckled.

"There is no way I'll put glue on my head!" Anika replied, a smile played on her face. Leo sighed in defeat, he leaned on the wall.

"Anika, can I ask you something?" Nico went in,

"Hmmm?"

"How come the Titans that were thrown in Tartarus before had children?" Nico asked, his Stygian sword was dangerously close to Leo's face. The demigod backed away.

"During WWII, as the war wages on the earth, Titans become even more eager to leave Tartarus. The gods were so busy in the war as well; other Titans were able to escape. A few were lucky enough, because of my mother; they were able to leave Tartarus. Lord Hades tried to search for the escaped Titans, but they hid in the presence of the mortals. The titans used the mortals to shroud themselves from the gods. Cowardly, I know, but during the times they concealed themselves, they fell in love with some mortals as well. And with that, we demi-titans were born"

"How come the gods never crossed paths with them?"

"That I'm not sure. My mother might have figured a way to shroud them from the gods."

Nico nodded, everything made sense right now. Leo shook his head, persuading Anika to explain it again. Knowing Leo, he just wants Anika to see batting her eyes again while she spoke.

Anika put a hand on his forehead. She was trying to consult if he feels a lot better now.

"You're hot" she said, removing her hand from his forehead.

"I know right!" Leo grinned, Anika's face flushed. Nico rolled his eyes.

"She meant you're temperature, Valdez"

Leo snickered, and crossed his arms. Anika giggled lightly.

"Killjoy"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing" Leo chimed. Then Nico suddenly stood up, Anika took her sword as well. Leo stared at the two as if they were crazy.

"What's happening?" Leo asked, standing up as well.

"Walker" Anika hissed, the two stared at her.

"Who?" they asked in chorus

"Walker Hamilton, son of Iapetus. He's here" Anika whispered, clutching her sword tighter.

Then a white mist surrounded Anika. She whimpered as a cold, sharp edge of a sword touched her neck lightly.

"What a perfect way to betray us all" a cold voice said through the mist. Leo lit up fire on his palm to see, Nico was behind him, and his sword was ready for any form of attack.

The white mist materialized into a pale boy with dark hair. Leo thought for awhile that he looked a lot like a cold corpse. His red eyes glinted viciously at Anika. The girl whimpered as the boy's hold of her tightened.

"Release her, now!" Leo yelled, he took out his war hammer and glared at the boy. Nico put a hand on the son of Hephaestus's shoulder.

"You're not yet in shape to fight yet. Your injuries may be healed, but you're still weakened. You still do not have enough strength to start this battle" Nico chided. Leo shrugged, the flame dancing on his palm extinguished.

"Let go of me, Walker!" Anika closed her eyes as she tried to distance herself from the edge of the sword.

Walker Hamilton did not say a word, but ghostly forms started to rise from the stone floor. Leo and Nico's eyes widened. Two spirits stood on their feet; the two were wearing a camp shirt. Even though they are ghosts, you can still see their physical appearance, only white vapour was emitted on their body. Their eyes were glowing. Nico and Leo know the two campers, Carmella Wellington, daughter of Demeter and Gerard Tolmann, son of Apollo. They were the two campers who accompanied Vincent Sanders in their quest for Castle Lismono. The two campers who never made it out alive of the mansion.

"Familiar? Are they not?" Walker said, removing his hold of Anika. The girl fell on her knees, gasping for breath. Nico looked at the boy's sword; the other side of the blade is made up of Stygian Iron, while the other half is made of Greek Adamant.

"What did you do to them?!" Leo asked, Nico raised a brow at him as if he was stupid.

"Do I even have to answer that stupid question?" Walker rolled his eyes. The two spirits lunged at the Leo. Nico and Leo spread out; Anika was pinned to the floor by Walker. Leo hurled a fireball at Carmella; the ghost did not dodge the attack. Instead, the fire passed through the ghost's form.

"Holy Hephaestus..." Leo gaped as the ghost materialized behind him. With the help of Nico, a wall of shadow defended Leo.

"They are souls, idiot! Celestial Bronze cannot penetrate them!" Nico yelled from behind, dodging the strikes from Gerard. He countered an attack and dissolved into the darkness; Nico appeared behind the ghost and made one swift slash.

"I'm sorry, my friend. I promise you, I'll tell my father to bring you to Elysium" he promised as the ghost screeched and disappeared into white mist. Leo evaded Carmella, knowing he cannot severe the soul.

"I need help down here!" he yelled at Nico. The son of Hades shadow travelled in front of the ghost and thrust his Stygian sword into her. Carmella dissolved into white mist as well.

"Sou ypóschomai Elysium" he muttered. Leo looked at Nico. His stygian sword looks like it was emanating a faint gold light. Nico's face is full with grief.

Anika pushed Walker and ran to Leo and Nico.

"Let's go, we cannot defeat Walker. We must leave before he takes your soul away!" she screeched, she took Leo by hand but Nico declined.

"I cannot leave this fight. I must take the souls back to the Underworld" Nico said, he was deadly serious. Leo decided not to argue much further, he took Anika and sprinted away. Walker stood up, he was laughing coldly at Nico.

"What's so funny, thief?" Nico sneered. Walker stopped laughing, but a devilish grin still played in his face.

"Children of Hades are very distant to other demigods. Take the demigod son of Hades in the last World War; he sure started one big war"

"Retrieve those souls you've stolen" Nico seethed, shadows danced behind him. Walker's grin faded, he looked sharply at Nico.

"I never steal souls, son of Hades. It's my innate ability; I cannot avoid doing it otherwise. Everything that I slay with my sword, their soul will be mine. Unless, someone will be able to make a bargain for it or take it forcefully from me" Walker explained, taking slow steps to Nico.

"Then I'll have to take it to you by force!" Nico charged at Walker. Stygian swords clashed in battle. Walker hacked Nico to his neck, but Nico eluded the strike but a small cut was formed on the side of his neck. Nico sent shadows to Walker, but ghostly figures comes in its way.

Nico landed a strike at Walker, but the blade only passed through a white mist. A black sword whizzed a few inches from Nico's face. Nico kicked Walker and the demi- titan staggered backwards. A ghost lunged at Nico from behind. Without chanting one word, the ground made a fissure and gang of skeletons crawled up from the crevice, stygian iron swords in hand.

"You were able to release an army of the dead without chants? I must say that is truly marvellous" Walker complimented as he leaped into the air, raising his sword over Nico. The demigod dodge rolled to the left. A skeleton slashed in front of Walker. The demi- titan snickered and gashed the skeleton, sucking its essence.

"Thank you" Nico replied, fighting his way through the crowd of skeletons.

"Care to tell me your name, demigod?"

"Nico, Nico Di Angelo"

Walker summoned a squad of ghosts as well. The battle continued, more souls seeped from the stone floors and skeletons from the fissure. Walker and Nico had their equal share of injuries. Soon enough Walker stopped calling out spirits, as well as Nico closed the fissure.

"I'm not yet starting on you, Di Angelo" Walker smirked, stooping down a little to avoid the swing of Nico's iron sword.

"Same here" Nico back flipped as Walker began to emit white mist again. This time Walker pointed his sword into the ground, white mist covered Nico's sight.

"You can't hide forever, Walker!" he yelled, randomly swinging his sword in the mist.

"Nico?" a familiar voice echoed in the mist. Nico froze. He knew who has that voice; he turned his head behind him.

"Is that you?" he shivered. It was a voice he knew that he will never hear ever again. He gripped the hilt of his sword. Cold arms wrapped around him from behind, locking him in an embrace.

"Why didn't you save me?"

Nico loosened his hold of his sword. The next thing he knew was that the arms removed its hold of him. Nico closed his eyes.

It can't be, it just can't be

He reluctantly opened his eyes. Bianca Di Angelo was standing in front of him. She looked exactly the way he remembered her. It was at that moment, he dropped his sword.

"Why did you abandon me?"

"I-I would never abandon you, Bianca!" he said, his voice was quavering. He missed her. Nico reached out his hand to her. Then a pang of pain shot through his body. He looked at the Stygian blade plunged into the right side of his chest. He looked up at Bianca, the same thing happened to her. Blood trickled on her chest. Nico screamed in horror, but he cannot hear anything. His essence was being sucked away by the sword. The mist vanished; Walker was holding the hilt of the sword. Nico, with all his might, draw the sword away from him. He felt a part of him was taken away from him.

"Still fighting, I can see" Walker said irritably as Nico balanced himself with his sword plunged into the ground.

"How dare you use Bianca!" he yelled, blood trickled at the corner of his lips. Walker smirked amusingly.

"You're still haunted by the past. It made you weak"

The ground shook. Walker almost got out of his balance. Nico picked up his sword, his face darkened. He was enraged by the fact Walker used Bianca against him. He must pay.

Pillars of hellfire erupted around Nico. The fire was as black as night. It was said that it was the fire that never comes out. Not to mention, the hottest form of fire out there.

Nico's charcoal black eyes glowed red; he had a faint red aura around him. Slabs of stone floors rose up because of the earthquake Nico radiated. Walker watched in surprise, in front of him was the most powerful ability a child of Hades can muster. That is being able to create hellfire.

"How can this be? You were wounded! You are scarred from your past!" Walker disputed. Nico's eyes were full of hate, the blade of his Stygian sword blazed into black hellfire.

"Today, the souls you took shall be returned to the Underworld. And you shall feel the wrath of the child of Hades!" Hellfire rose from the stone floor. Walker was scorched by the flame; he knew there was no escape. Unless he might be able to execute what he has done before.

Nico walked over to Walker's almost burnt body. The hellfire was extinguished by Nico's will, the earth stopped shaking and everything almost went back to normal except that chunks of earth and stone rose up from the prison. Ceilings collapsed and the entire prison looks like it was about to give in anytime.

"What are you going to do, kill me? Go on with it" Walker chuckled humourlessly at Nico who glared at him.

"You shall regret what you have done, Walker. I will leave you there to torment in your wounds and burns. You shall die slowly than you think, son of Iapetus"

"I can cheat death, Di Angelo. Someday, we'll fight again. I always keep my word" Nico walked away. His wound was instantly healed by his Father's blessing. Nico shadow travelled to the lobby of the mansion, he was drained after exerting too much power. He feels like he was about to give in soon. As soon as his portal opened, he sprawled out in front of Annabeth and Lou Ellen. And at that moment, he blacked out.

Anika and Leo reached the secret exit of the prison. It leads to the entrance of the mansion. Anika said her goodbyes to Leo. Leo reluctantly said goodbye as well. He crawled out of the small opening, and then a hand grabbed him by his shirt.

"Quiet, or they'll hear you!" Luke Castellan pushed Leo to the wall beside him. Leo peered from behind, monsters are gathering near the main door.

"Why should I trust you? You're the traitor right? Luke Castellan?" Leo demanded, Luke sighed. Luke is now on his twenties, he looked taller and a bit more mature than last time.

"The order that was sent was to kill all demigods. They were not referring to the campers only. As much as I hate to do this, my goal was to put the demigods in the front line. We are the ones to rule not the Olympians. I thought we'd benefit once the Titans rule. Little did I know we'll be exterminated along with the gods"

Leo studied Luke for a moment,

"I still don't trust you"

"Fine, but we must... I hate to say this but we must help each other in order for us not to get killed by these guys" Luke reasoned.

"I get your point, but still when you got your leg chopped off I won't help you"

"Fine!"

"Okay, so what's the plan?"

AN: So that's the latest chappie! Well yeah, the next fight will be the two huntresses! So then again, read and review! Hope you liked it!