Chapter 2: The changes we dread most may contain our salvation

This was it. This was how it was going to end. Nico thought about all of the times he had cheated, out-smarted, and out-run death- his death. All the work he had put into his training, his powers, his own "personal" development, and therapy- all of it had been a waste. He was going to die here and now in the back of a taxi with three bickering crones.

"I said to go left, Wasp! Not right! Tempest, why can't you drive?" A withered old woman held her stringy hair out of her face so that, with one eyeball, she could see where the taxi was going.

"I'm counting the money!" The shortest and squattest gray lady kept biting the coins in her hand. Chiron had been generous: there was plenty to bite. "Maybe you should just give Wasp the eye!"

"Yes, yes! Give us the eye! Come on, Anger!" Wasp whined. She took one bony hand off the wheel and swiped toward the right, colliding with Tempest as she bit one of the golden drachmas, causing the sister with the tooth to swallow the coin.

Tempest gagged and sputtered until the coin came back up, wet and glistening. "Watch what you're hitting!"

Wasp wailed. "I can't!"

Anger screeched into the air, "Turn right! Right again! And right! Again! NOW!"

Nico's head slammed into the window with a solid crack. He didn't have time to curse as Wasp stepped on the gas and accelerated down the road.

Wasp screamed, "If Anger won't give me the eye, then give me the tooth, Tempest! I want to bite her!"

"You'd have to find me first, you old bat!" Anger spat at Wasp and elbowed Tempest at the same time. She closed both eyelids and turned her face toward the ceiling of the cab. "Stop TOUCHING me!"

Tempest let out a shriek and clawed at Anger, her fingers poking at her sister's closed eyelids, trying to pry the eyeball from the socket. Meanwhile, Wasp took both hands from the steering wheel and turned in her seat, wrapping her fingers around the first throat she could throttle- which happened to be Tempest's.

The cab veered left and then right, hitting several curbs along the way.

Nico held on to the black chain wrapped around his middle for dear life and yelled, "For the love of Hades, will someone please just drive!"

All three sisters turned to the demigod in the back and screamed as one, "SHUT UP!"

Nico opened his eyes. A train station loomed in front of them, growing closer with each passing second.

"Brake!"

"We said-" Anger and Tempest started.

-shut up!" Tempest and Wasp finished.

"No! Brake!" Nico pointed, and Tempest, who had succeeded in popping the eye from Anger's socket, pushed it into her own and blinked before agreeing with Nico.

"Wasp- BRAKE!"

Wasp slammed on the brake. The smell of burning rubber and a screeching noise from the tires heralded their arrival. Nico struck the back of the driver's seat so hard, his vision blurred for a moment.

"We're here!" Anger screamed.

"Get out!" Tempest wailed.

"Find the peddler in Houston to find the answers you seek! Have a horrible day!" Wasp screeched.

"What?" Nico rubbed his head, not sure if he had imagined Wasp's words. "What peddler? Do you mean- answers to the prophecy?" He unwrapped the chain from around his waist and leaned forward.

All three women turned again and, in deathly calm tones, whispered, "Get out."

Nico sat still for all of one second when the trio began screaming at him again. "Get out, get out, get out! Son of Hades! Doesn't know what's in store for him and the fiery one! Get out, get out, GET OUT!"

Dragging his bag behind him, Nico scrambled out of the cab. As soon as he had put both feet on the ground and had barely shut the door, the taxi began to sink into a pool of dark red blood.

"Nico?" The son of Hades turned. Standing outside of the station stood a middle-aged African-American woman. Her strong jaw and broad shoulders seemed at odds with her easy smile and laid-back voice.

"Yeah. I'm Nico. Thanks for having me. And on such short notice too." He crossed over to the woman and offered a hand. She took it with a grin and gave a firm shake.

"Nice to have another demigod to help with the work load. Almost all the repairs are finished from the last battle, and Leo's been working on some security improvements." Josephine dropped Nico's hand. "Come on. Let's show you around and get you settled. Then we'll go over the schedule with you."

Nico followed Josephine toward a sign that read UNION STATION. At the last moment, the tall woman turned to the right and walked right up to a red brick wall. She traced her fingers along the brick and spoke, "Josephine Armstrong accompanying guest Nico di Angelo."

Nico felt as though a soft breeze reached out and caressed his face. It wasn't altogether unpleasant as it was unexpected. He shivered.

"One of Leo and Cal's renovations. We had some issues a while back with some unwelcome visitors." Josephine pushed against the bricks, and a doorway appeared. "Cal regained enough of her powers that she was able to manipulate her air servants into a recognition software that Leo worked up. Pretty ingenious if you ask me."

The pair of demigods stepped through the doorway and walked up a ramp. Several steps in, Josephine exclaimed in happy surprise, "The Grand Hall! The Waystation must like you to not make you start off near the bathrooms!"

Nico raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. From what Meg had told him, the Waystation was somewhat alive and moved to accommodate the inhabitants.

The Grand Hall was precisely that: grand. Above Nico's head, wood carvings made up a curved ceiling, glowing panels of stained glass glittering in the center. As the light hit the colored glass, green and gold designs wavered lazily against the intricate carvings. A rose window at the far end of the room cast dart-like shadows across the cement floor which was painted to brighten up the room. Underneath, several separate tables held the tools of a conglomerate of workshops: sewing machines and cauldrons, welding stations and printers, saws and drills, and an assortment of other devices.

Nico let out a low whistle. Leo must love this place.

Josephine waved to someone strolling down one of the raised walkways above their heads. The walkways on the left and right connected corridors and doorways of which Nico was sure he would later be shown. Victorian lamp posts dotted the paths, bringing a warm glow to the hall.

Multiple ladders led to the base of the ceiling, where several roosts were littered with hay. In the corner of the Grand Hall, an oversized and brightly lit kitchen bustled with activity. An assembly line of three people washed, dried, and put away dishes. Throughout the hall, clusters of sofas and chairs showed where people could gather at the end of a long day and chat.

"We have about thirteen others staying here at the moment, not including myself or Emmie. Or Georgina." She pointed back up to the doors along the walkways. "Most of them have rooms there. There is another wing down that corridor," she swung her finger over to the other walkway directly above the kitchen. "The Hunters normally stay in that wing. And Leo. There were so many explosions coming from his room that we decided to house him in the other wing so it disturbed everyone else less." Josephine looked over to Nico, beaming. "You'll be next to his room."

Nico tried to smile in return, but his head had started to throb. Josephine didn't seem to notice. She led him past the kitchen, one of the three on dish duty turning to watch them as the duo passed. He was tall with dark, curly hair. A handsome face littered with scars tracked Nico and Josephine's progress as they crossed to the stairs leading up to the walkways. He wore a simple t-shirt, and his arms were muscular but similarly covered in scars. Nico realized he was staring when the other boy smirked and winked. Nico blushed and looked away.

"Josephine, how long-" Nico began, but Josephine interrupted.

"Just Jo is fine."

Nico smiled softly. "Alright. Jo. How long have you lived here?"

Jo whistled. "Well now. Closing in on twenty-five years now, I should think."

"Has it always looked like this?" Nico gestured to the surrounding area, but Jo was already shaking her head.

"It's changed over time. Sometimes it's bigger, sometimes smaller. Depends on how many people we have staying with us. Rooms disappear, and other times, rooms we've never seen before crop up out of nowhere." She turned and put her finger by one of her nostrils conspiratorially. "I'm convinced if I took the time to explore each and every day, I'd always find something new. The Waystation has a way of giving us what we need." She dropped her finger and laughed. "But, I'm usually stuck working on my pet projects or adhering to the schedule."

They turned down the hallway. Three doors lined each side of the corridor, all dark except for the furthest on the right: a faint light and whirring noise came from behind the shut door.

Jo led Nico toward the second to last door on the right. "We'll put you in this one right here." She leaned over and rapped her knuckles across the door with light bleeding from underneath. "Leo! Nico's here. Come say hi."

Nico watched as Jo straightened and pushed open his new door, revealing a cozy but sparse room. A single twin stood in the left corner, a simple quilt tucked into the mattress. A small desk was placed against the wall on the right side. The floor was uncarpeted, wood worn with age and wear. One single window placed between the bed and the desk let a pale light shine into the room.

"Well," Jo motioned for Nico to follow her in. "It's not much, but it's a warm room and a soft bed. And it's yours."

Nico smiled sincerely. "Thank you."

"That is," she scratched the back of her short hair. "Until the Hunters visit. You might have to bunk with Leo in that case, but you'll get this room back as soon as they leave."

Nico grimaced but didn't say anything. A soft creak of the floor behind him had Nico spinning, summoning his Stygian Iron sword and bringing it up defensively before he registered who stood in front of him. Standing at 5'6" with his curls wildly framing his face, the intruder's eyes gleamed in his slightly elvish face. His hands tapped against his legs. Leo Valdez hadn't changed a bit since Nico had seen him last.

"'Sup Ghost Boy?"

Nico scowled. It was going to be a long visit.

A/N: A cacophony of thanks to the wonderful ViscountessAberowen for attention to detail, encouragement, and thoughtful read-throughs! Hope everyone enjoyed! Until next time!