AN: So, here's this chapter. I just wanted to say that I might not update for a week or two (especially mean considering how I ended this) due to the fact that I have a truckload of homework. *yells* WHY DO YOU HAVE TO EXIST, GCSES, WHYYYYYYYYY?

Previously:

Well, Tartarus said, what are you waiting for?

She was confused. "Why would you want me to-"

Did it ever occur to you that I want to help you?

She didn't have time to dispute that. Enkelados was nearing her, she could sense it. Whatever his motives, it had given her a much better chance. She charged.

~0o0~

"Impossible!" The gigante breathed when he turned and saw her.

Don't give into the sass, don't give into the sass- She leant casually on her sword. "Yes, they do teach us swordplay. And unfortunately for you: I'm top of the class." She changed stance instantly and swung her sword at his legs, which were red and scaly, like a snake's. The rest of his body was like a glowing dark rock, occasionally dripping lava as if it was sweat.

Enkelados' expression changed. At first it had been cocky, like he had a serious advantage. It morphed gently into confusion, and then violently shifted into determination. Every time he even attempted to strike her, it seemed to bounce off the red shield. This meant that there was no need to even slightly defend. By her twentieth jab to his leg, his face was a mix. Livid, desperate and vexed.

This was all very well, but Nicole knew she couldn't kill him unless she had some sort of tactics and a god to help. There was most definitely a lack of either. All she could do was weaken him, maybe. Enkelados, after all, was in no condition to taunt her anymore.

Then suddenly she wasn't in control. Her limbs moved on their own in some ancient manoeuvre that she'd never heard of. One hit to the gigante and he crumpled to the ground.

"No," he moaned, "not back in there!"

Still not entirely sure what she was doing, she found herself pushing into the crater.

The volcano had spilled all of its ash. Without warning, the glow faded around Nicole and all of her sudden strength left her. She hit the ground with a harsh thud, coughing for air.

When she woke up again she could only open one eye, the other was welded shut. Kallikrates was nudging her hard, apparently he'd lost all of his patience. It was all she could do to clutch the fur that covered his stomach, dangling like a common sloth.

~0o0~

She didn't know how she managed to hold on, but they made it down the mountain. As fatigued as she was, she had more pride than to turn up hanging from the underside of a hellhound. That didn't stop her from using him as a makeshift walking stick, though.

Reyna and Coach Hedge were further back than when she'd left them, they'd probably evacuated because of the eruption.

"-We need to start moving."

"Listen here, cupcake, as much as I'd love to join the war, there's no way of getting there."

Reyna looked at the statue. "I guess her hellhound could take us, but what about the Athena Parthenos? That's the most important thing."

Nicole lent on Kallikrates' shoulder. "I just obliterated a gigante, fell into a crater and survived a volcanic eruption. But sure, let's talk about the inanimate statue!"

Reyna almost looked disappointed to see her alive. "You're covered."

"What?" The ash seemed to have stuffed her brain.

"Ash and blood," Reyna noted. She raised an eyebrow sceptically. "You killed a gigante?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Nicole coughed, lurching over unpleasantly.

"You hit your head. Badly, I would say. You've been gone for two and a half hours."

"Thanks for noticing," she wheezed.

"There was an actual fight and I missed it!" Coach Hedge said rather unhelpfully.

Nicole wobbled when she tried to let go of Kallikrates.

Reyna found that entertaining, for some reason. "Do you have a concussion?"

"No," Nicole mumbled.

"Oh really?" Reyna looked around. "Walk to that tree and back in a straight line."

"Fine!" She got two steps before falling to the ground out of sheer dizziness.

Reyna cursed under her breath. "You're like a child!" She produced what looked like a dribble of Nectar. "I was saving it just in case something serious happened."

"Is suffocation a good enough reason?" Nicole managed.

Reyna snorted. "That's your own fault. This is where being completely reckless and irresponsible gets you."

"If this situation was reversed, you know I wouldn't lecture you." She coughed again.

"That's because I wouldn't get myself in to these situations. You shouldn't be talking. You'd better hope it's not a cerebral hemorrage."

"A celery what?"

Reyna rolled her eyes. "Bleeding to the brain."

"Oh." That was when she saw black.

~0o0~

It was night when she woke up again, presumably fixed. With all the excitement and adrenaline drained from her system, all she was left with was a throbbing headache. She gritted her teeth and limped away to the beach. She needed to be alone. The group of college aged people having some sort of party wasn't helping either.

In the end she found herself taking a walk on uneven ground by the sea. Full moon tonight. She tried to think of the last time she saw one, was it the night she left the Argo II (first time)? Must have been. All of that was a month ago. She could hardly believe it.

She realised with a jolt that tomorrow was July the 26th. That meant only five days until Gaia was due to rise. The thought terrified her. She didn't know how far she walked, only that it was north. If she told Leo she preferred navigation by stars over compasses he would have killed her.

She sighed. What was there to lose? "Tartarus. Why did you help me? Why did you want your own son dead?"

For a mortal you ask a lot of questions.

"There wouldn't be so many if you answered them," she retorted.

I needed an anchor. I can't let you die, I suppose. Who knows how long it'll be till another foolish demigod crosses into my domain.

"I understand that, but aren't you and Gaia meant to be raising the giants?"

Gaia, yes. But me? No. I want my children to return back home to me. It doesn't matter if they have to die first. It'll do them some good.

"What? Hang on. You're telling me that you want to stop Gaia?"

Something like that.

That was hard to wrap her head around. "Let me get this straight. You, the spirit of hell, want to help us?"

It's not a matter of 'wanting'. My wife is out of control. I am doing what I need to, which may by default benefit you and your friends.

"Then why did you force me to kill myself?" She felt herself get angry.

I knew you wouldn't actually die. Your half immortal side needed to be dimmed and vulnerable in order for me possess your body. A standard procedure. Ever since my presence has been healing you. Your mind, especially. That was almost impossible to fix.

"Healing me? Then why do I have a concussion?"

I stopped the ash from burning your lungs. I prevented suffocation.

Touché. "So that's what you meant by 'your duty lies in Athens'. You can help us. How?"

Complete the prophecy.

She was about to question that when someone cleared their throat. Reyna. "You run off a lot. To talk to yourself?"

Nicole swallowed. "No. I needed to clear my head. It's been a long day."

"So I'm completely wrong in assuming you're a schizophrenic?" She raised an eyebrow.

She chuckled without humour. "Yes. No. Maybe." She turned away.

"Those are the only options," Reyna noted.

"I'm aware of that." She took a heavy breath. "We should leave the minute we see the sun. We don't have time anymore."

"You don't actually have to do that."

She felt the urge to roll her eyes. "Because you care about my health."

"It's no secret that I find you, well, bewildering, maybe, but the most important thing is that we get the statue back to your camp. We can't have you dying in the process. Besides, the more energy you save the further we go."

She smiled weakly. "If I didn't know you I'd say that you actually do care."

"Debatable." She paused. "I can just... tell you've been through a lot."

Nicole couldn't meet her eyes. "Is that so?"

Reyna nodded. "I learnt long ago to study people closely. Small details help a lot. One: you have scars on your wrists. Two: you and Percy were wearing identical wedding rings. Three: you were just talking to yourself."

Why does everyone take such a deep interest in her arms? "One: I went to hell. It plays with your mind. Three: I can't really explain that. Two," she looked around nervously, "is a long story."

She raised an eyebrow. "I've got time."

For some reason Nicole managed to tell her most things. A lot, actually, leaving out the gaps which she definitely couldn't speak about. "-So ever since then it appears to be fixed on, like, I can't take it off." She motioned the ring. "Punishment, I guess."

"And I thought you were irresponsible before," she snorted. "I'm almost surprised I didn't figure out you weren't Roman earlier."

She bit her lip. "Too bad I don't feel very Greek, either. Why do we have to be one or the other, anyway? Why can't we be both, or maybe neither?"

"What do you mean?" Reyna asked.

"We're too easily defined. Most people don't just belong in one place or another. People can't just be linear. Take me, for example. I know I don't belong in one place. That's the worst thing for me. I have this thing about constantly moving. I guess I'm just scattered. But the thing is, I doubt you could define me if you tried. I guess you've never felt like that?"

"Once," Reyna admitted. "The day I was elected praetor. I was close to running away. All I was thinking was 'what if I screw this up'. Very un-Roman of me."

"That's the thing. Greek or Roman? If you remove the technicalities maybe I'm neither."

"So what do you call for?"

"I don't know. Choice, maybe? As long as we haven't obliterated each other already, at least."

Reyna looked at the stars. "Rome is built on traditions. We tend to stick to them. It is one of our greatest values."

"Maybe that's right," Nicole pointed out, "but not always the case. Rome was always expanding in the ancient world. Its goal was to get better. Bigger. So why not? Huh?"

"I do, you know." She paused. "I can see Roman in you." Reyna smiled lightly. "It's a nice thought, in theory. We should go now, get some rest."

"Of course." She stood and whistled. Kallikrates met them in under a minute.

"If I have to ride that stupid animal-"

Nicole grinned for the first time in a while. "You said animal. Not monster."

"Oh. I did, didn't I?"

Nicole nodded gently. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say there's some Greek in you, too."

~0o0~

She tapped her thigh uncontrollably. One well placed shadow travel and they'd be there. At least they were in America again. Vermont, actually. She tried not to be scared of what would happen. Would Tartarus cut off her power supply? He had been pretty clear that he wanted her to go to Athens and stop Gaia. He left one very important detail out. How?

"Do you know how we're doing to stop them from mutilating each other?" Nicole asked.

"Mutilation, what?" Coach Hedge chimed in.

Reyna ignored him. "Hopefully they should obey me, but they may be blind with vengeance."

Nicole looked at the Athena statue. "Maybe there'll be a roaring thunder and an explosion of flowers rain down from the sky. I think only my step-mother would enjoy that."

"You refer to her as that a lot," Reyna noticed.

Nicole shrugged. "She knows I'm talking about her if I say her name. Wouldn't want to give her an excuse to torment me."

"She really turned you into a dandelion?"

"And a Tulip, for being precisely nineteen seconds late. "

Reyna almost looked like she was laughing. When she wasn't being a serious Roman, she was actually okay. Decent. Good company.

"You think we can do it?" She asked Reyna.

"I think so. I can't fall into the trap of picturing anything else. We can stop this."

"That's if they even listen to me," Nicole muttered.

"They will." She paused. "Are you ready?" Her tone turned almost morbid.

"As I'll ever be," she got up, and then noticed Kallikrates. "The borders," she realised. "You won't be able to get through them."

He hung his head low like he expected it.

She bit back a sob. "Thank you," she kissed his between the eyes. "You've taken us so far. I'll miss you. Will you be okay... out there?"

He tilted his head to one side as if to say 'c'mon, do you even know me?'

"Of course," she smiled wistfully and Kallikrates ran away into the forest. "Okay," she turned back to Reyna and Coach Hedge, "we have peace to make."

Reyna grabbed her arm before she could walk away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay," Nicole murmured. "Hey, if this whole thing fails and we have to go our separate ways-"

"I know. Back at you."

~0o0~

What they first saw was, surprisingly, a normal summer camp. Of course, this was ruined by the cries of battle. She was almost disappointed that the statue of Athena didn't appear to have any magic affect. It just stood on Half Blood Hill.

"Come on, you pansies! The Romans will attack again soon!" It was coming from the forest.

"Clarisse," Nicole explained to Reyna. "Child of Ares- Mars."

Reyna nodded. "I'll find the legion. Until then..."

"See ya round." Nicole and Coach Hedge took off in the direction of the voices. What they found was the Greeks loading some kind of canon, whilst tending the wounded.

Clarisse almost looked shocked to see her. She stalked over, touring over her easily in an attempt to be intimidating. "Nicole di Angelo. Finally here, I see. I don't remember you getting clearance to leave camp."

This was it. "I found Percy, had to go to the Underworld after that. If anything, it's his fault for summoning me. Then I ended up in Greece somehow."

"You didn't think to come back after you did... whatever."

She took a deep breath. "I couldn't. I was stuck in Tartarus, and then had to help Percy and Annabeth out after they fell in after me."

Clarisse stifled a laugh. "That's impossible."

"Really? Prove it." She changed her stance. "I've been to hell and back. You, a demigod, don't scare me in the slightest." She looked around at the group of demigods. "And we're not fighting the Romans."

"And what makes you the leader all of a sudden? You're barely even here! Not to mention-"

"What? That I'm a child of Hades? Look where we're standing, Clarisse." Zeus's fist. "Remember that battle? How about Manhattan? Huh? I had just as much reason to fight against you, but I didn't."

"We're not backing down. That would be weak. Pathetic."

A group of campers that weren't injured had gathered around them. It was like a school playground, she half expected them to start chanting 'fight'.

Naturally, her hand rested on her sword. "Would you like to challenge that?"

"Listen here, punk," Clarisse hissed and grabbed her by the shirt. "Just because you're a kid of the big three-" Clarisse dropped her in shock. "How did you-"

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Nicole's hands ignited with hellfire. "It's up to you." Unsurprisingly, the campers and Clarisse had backed away from her. "Good. Because as it stands, I'm more powerful than Zeus and all the rest of the gods." Thunder roared across the sky, proving her point. "If they don't want to mess with me, you doing so would be a bad idea."

"Then why are you alive?" Someone asked.

"Because," she sighed, "I'm meant to stop you guys from eradicating each other. The Romans' leader and I, we brought the Athena Parthenos. Be rational. War is not the answer. How many mortalities? Huh? I can feel there's been at least a few."

"Fifteen," Clarisse muttered.

"That's fifteen lives that didn't need to be lost. We're fighting a pointless war!"

"So we just surrender? Even though they attacked us?"

"Yes. Well, kind of. We'll meet at the statue." She really hadn't been expecting them to follow her. The rest of the campers gasped in awe at the statue. Now it was here, the power it radiated felt as if it had doubled.

She grinned when she saw the Romans marking in formation, Reyna at the lead. She had to restrain herself from running forwards and giving the girl a hug. Instead she walked at a normal pace.

"See," Reyna said, "you got this."

"Yeah," Nicole almost laughed, "I guess I do."

They shook hands and nothing happened. No explosion. No sudden burst of light. With more confidence, they lifted their hands the way a champion would be announced.

"For demigods," Nicole said quietly to Reyna.

"Yeah," she said, then louder, "for demigods!"

~0o0~

"Hey, Octavian," Nicole said casually, leaning against a tree.

"Nicole di Angelo," he said through gritted teeth.

"That's me. Running from deserved punishment is the greatest level of cowardice. But you knew that, didn't you?" She held her sword across his throat. "One move and you're dead."

"Oh just get it over with!"

She thought about this. "No."

"No?"

"No," she confirmed. "This is too easy. Much too easy. You're lucky I have places to be. If I didn't, I'd torture you slowly. I'll leave it at this. Swear an oath on the River Styx never to return to either camp or try anything against us."

"Fine," he growled, "I swear it."

"Good. Run then, coward." She slashed him across the back of his knee caps for good measure.

After that episode she rushed to Rachel's cave. She needed answers, and fast. "Tell me, Rachel," she said in one breath. "What does it mean? 'Complete the Prophecy'?"

"Nicole," Rachel turned around, "you know it doesn't work like that."

"I know," she said miserably, "I was just hoping your inner oracle would tell me what to do via prophecy."

Her eyes turned green. "Complete the prophecy." She closed her eyes and they turned back to normal. "What did I say?"

"Nothing helpful," Nicole muttered.

"What's that in your hand?"

She nearly fainted. What in the name of Chaos almighty do you want me to do, Dad? She asked silently. She recognised it, how could she not? Her father's sword.

~0o0~

"Demigod," the king of the gigantes beckoned her forward. "Do you wish to die already?"

Come on, she told herself, game face. "I'm afraid, Porphyrion, that you can't do that."

"And why would that be?" He mused.

She swallowed. "You need me. You're getting nowhere with the seven. Haven't they already killed a number of your siblings?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you suggest?"

Deep breath. "They wouldn't suspect me. Hell, they spend most of their time convincing other people that I'm trustworthy. They've proven that they'll follow me, even if it could be a potential threat. I'm your best bet."

He laughed. "Feeble demigod, why would we trust you? How do we know that you won't betray us? Stand still, so I can kill you quickly."

She tossed the vial at Porphyrion's feet. "I knew you'd say that."

"What is this?"

"My blood," she said, silently adding freshly microwaved. "Go ahead. It won't be hard to find a male demigod. Raise Gaia now."

He eyed her up and down. "Master," a monster who had enough brain capacity to think logically, said. "She raises a good point. The war, so far, has not been in our favour."

"Very well," Porphyrion muttered. "Nicole di Angelo, sire of Hades, I accept your offer. You will lead the seven to Mount Olympus. But, however, I wonder what's in it for you."

She bowed her head. "Only the honour of serving the earth goddess, the rightful owner of the world. But I ask one thing; let it be my blood that awakens Gaia."

He considered this. "An oath."

Styx. Of course that's what he wanted. Gods, her father had some crazy plans. Was... was this what he intended? "Of course." She dug her normal sword across the palm of her hand, wincing in pain. She held it just above the River Styx, watching her blood pour. "I give my blood today in honour of Gaia, the earth goddess. Let my life essence be a reminder of my promise. I swear by the River Styx to lead the seven of the prophecy to you, and to give myself in blood upon the ancient stones to Gaia in sacrifice." The wound started to heal. "Your turn."

He didn't look too happy about that, but did it anyway. "I swear by the River Styx to allow your blood in the sacrifice." He paused. "Now leave."

What had she just done?

*cues dramatic music*