CHAPTER SUMMARY

Angelos attacks King's Cross. The Underworld crew makes their final stand against Persephone's forces. Bianca and Nico di Angelo's lives change forever now that Mussolini knows who they are.

BEGINNING NOTES

Chapter Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Content Warning: Cursing, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Sexual Themes, Self Harm (mentioned only), Rape (referenced only)
Word Count: 5142

This is the last one for today.

This chapter (and Alabaster's section of last chapter) will make much more sense to you if you've read the Demigod Diaries' "The Son of Magic." (That's Al's first appearance... and currently only canonical appearance.)

Enjoy! I think this is one of my best chapters, definitely in this story, and also in the series as a whole.

_ANNABETH_

Annabeth looked around. Hazel and Cho had finished off the last of the death eaters. They were all on the floor of King's Cross station, dead, stunned, or incapable of moving. Angelos was nowhere to be seen.

"This isn't right," Annabeth said. "It should've been harder."

"Do you think it's a trap?" Hermione asked.

"She's trying to lull us into a false sense of security, get us to lower our guard," Ron said.

Annabeth shook her head. "No. She wanted to see how we fight-get to know her enemy."

The grand hall hissed. The noise got louder and louder until Annabeth had to cover her ears. Winds as strong as Zeus and Poseidon's hurricane enveloped the room, tossing the bodies of the defeated death eaters around like beach balls. The hiss turned to windy, sinister laughter.

"Very wise, daughter of Athena. If only you realized it sooner." Hundreds-maybe thousands-of ghosts appeared, forcing Annabeth and her friends to scrunch together. A beautiful maiden with long, auburn hair and a floor-length blue-gray dress appeared in front of them. "Your friends have captured Melinoe. The ghosts return to Hades, and they are anxious to take revenge on the goddess who betrayed them."

"But ghosts can't touch anything!" Hermione protested.

"Hades has complete control over the dead. My lord has far more power in his pinky finger than your patron ever had. If he wills it so, they may touch the mortal world."

"Annabeth?" Ron asked nervously. "Where's your army?"

Angelos smiled a cruel smile. "Attack, restless spirits, and Hades shall set you free forever."

"What are we going to do?" Hermione whispered. "We can't kill something that's already dead."

"We have to try," Ron said. Without thinking, like the brave Gryffindor he was, he drew his wand and charged. "Ron!" Hermione shouted, but it was too late.

It was as though he'd taken a dip in the Styx. She was nothing but a pale smudge as he fired spell after spell. Ghosts shouted battle cries and swatted the air, but they only managed to knock their companions out. They weren't used to being corporeal, and that was working in Ron's favor.

Their victory didn't last long, though. A thick plume of smoke darkened the air. Angelos cackled, louder and louder as the room got darker and darker. A medieval ghost jumped on Ron and dragged him behind their lines. He screamed and fought, but was soon absorbed by the crowd. Only her muffled grunts proved she was still alive.

"No!" Cho cried. She tried to charge, but Annabeth pulled her back.

"You can't kill them. You'll die if you go in there."

A loud horn sounded. Angelos's laughs turned to fury. "No! It's impossible!"

A teen Romani girl appeared on the balcony. "Where there are foul creatures to be hunted, we shall hunt. In our Lady's name!"

Thirty arrows hit thirty ghosts, incapacitating them. Five wolves jumped over the ledge at their mistress's command and burrowed their way to the center of the crowd, ripping to shreds anyone who stood in their way. A path was finally open to retreat. Annabeth led the others out of the circle of ghosts. "Guard the stairwells!" Annabeth told Cho and Hermione. Then, she dashed up to the balcony.

"Roszí? I am so glad to see you."

Roszí gave a curt nod. "Yasmina brought the Hunters south, as Thalia instructed. A child of Hecate brought us to our sisters at Thalia's request." She paused. "Thou shalt command better than I. The rescue of Hazel Levesque requires precision. I go."

Without another word, Roszí crouched like a cat on top of the guardrail and surveyed her surroundings. Narrow eyes zeroed in on Ron. Then, she was off. Six hunters showered arrows so closely around Roszí that Annabeth was sure they'd hit her, but, of course, they only incapacitated her enemies. Roszí fought with nothing but her hunting knife, twisting, turning, diving, ducking, jumping, avoiding every obstacle with superhuman reflexes. She made one final grab, and Ron was in her arms, beaten, but all right.

Roszí threw Ron out of the crowd. Ianthe, waiting just in front of the stairwell, caught him. Four ghosts charged, but Ianthe dashed through the followers of Hecate's defensive line well before they could catch her. Hermione shouted "Protego!" and the air hardened in front of her. The four ghosts slammed into their shield and fell to the ground, out cold.

Corporeal bodies go both ways.

"The ghosts are a distraction!" Annabeth shouted. "Focus your arrows on Angelos!" Roszí fought valiantly in the center of the ghosts, but it was clear not even she could last forever. "Your three best hand-to-hand fighters, go rescue Roszí!" she commanded the Hunters. Three girls leaped off the ledge in unison and landed inches from Roszí. Together, the four of them began to clear a path back to their allies.

But, not even the Hunters could hold their own against a goddess forever. Black orbs like Bludgers appeared in the sky and rammed into a young girl, no older than eleven. Her skin turned white, and she fell to the ground, dead. "Yasmina!" Roszí shouted. But there was no time to avenge her fallen comrade; Yasmina's death only proved that even the immortals were fighting for their lives.

If Percy or Harry Potter were there, they'd do something rash, like charge Angelos. Well, they weren't there... so Cho did it instead.

_CHO_

Cho seized the opportunity to finally join the battle. She was a Ravenclaw, not a Gryffindor-Annabeth shouldn't have held her back, she should've known that the odds would be in her favor. Cho was their best chance. She ran from her spot by the stairwell and into the mess of ghosts, banking on the fact that the King and Queen of the Underworld had marked her as their own, so the ghosts would be confused, maybe hesitate to fight her.

She got through to Yasmina's frozen body. She grabbed the hunting knife off the dead Hunter, then charged towards the center. When a ghost got in her way, she stabbed.

It turned out they could kill a spirit after all.

"Call off your ghosts!" Cho shouted to Angelos. The goddess turned, pure hatred in her all-black eyes.

"I think I'll send you to my dearest Hades first," Angelos sneered. "Not even a demigod! You cannot fight me, girl!"

"I don't want to," Cho whispered, lying between her teeth. "I'm a spy for Lord Hades. I'd love for you to take King's Cross. In fact, I was going to sabotage them. But, there's a bigger game to play. If you let my friends go, they'll lead me to a weapon that will defeat Hecate once and for all."

"And why should I believe you?"

"You saw me killing ghosts on my way to you. Lord Hades is my patron now. He gave me that power."

Angelos's mouth widened into a sickening smile. It made Cho's blood boil-how could anyone ally themselves with this horrible woman?

"Strike me down, follower of Hecate."

So, Cho did. Angelos fought back, but, secretly, every spell she cast was a little bit slower, a little bit weaker. Cho got bruised and cursed but fought on. Angelos let enough blows past that the ghosts ran away, terrified a Hecate victory would damn them forever. With Angelos's less-than-loyal army retreating, her friends were able to join her. Cho stumbled and fell on the ground; she felt like she had the world's worst flu from what hexes Angelos had hit her with.

A flurry of arrows protected Annabeth Chase as she went toe-to-toe with the goddess. Her sword was nothing less than a weapon of mass destruction. When Angelos was bathed in golden blood, the goddess screamed in anguish. The air got electric and, this time, Cho knew what that meant. She shielded her eyes as Angelos showed her true godly form, then dissolved.

Why did she go into her godly... oh.

The ghosts didn't know to look away like Cho and her companions did. Angelos did her one final favor-the ghosts were back in the Underworld.

"Give them another chance," Cho prayed to Lord Hades under her breath. She had no idea if he'd answer her, but she had to try. She saw the Fields of Asphestol. If those witches and wizards chose another path, Cho didn't want to be the one responsible for damning them.

The Romani Hunter came up to Cho. "I am Roszí Lungu arri e Romani kinchni. Who art thou?"

"Cho Chang. You- you were amazing. So brave. I'm so sorry about your friend."

Roszí closed her eyes; Cho knew that look of grief all too well. "My heart breaks for my sister. We shall grieve when this monstrous war is past. Lady Artemis shall be most distraught." Roszí opened her eyes again. She regarded Cho with interest. "Thou art brave as well. Fighting a goddess-only one with the spirit of a true maiden would hold thy own as gallantly." She smiled warmly, which was odd for someone who held herself as proud and stiff as Roszí. "I 'twas once like thee, centuries ago. I lived under a corrupt regime, as you did with your Ministry-hath thou heard of the Austro-Hungarian Empire?"

"In muggle elementary school," Cho said. "You lived there? How are you still alive? I- I mean-"

Roszí laughed. "I am a Hunter. We are immortal from the moment we take our oath of maidenhood, unless we fall in battle or break that oath."

"And you're the leader, right?"

Roszí shook her head. "Lady Artemis, goddess of the Hunt, leads us. But she fights the war and leaves us to be her peacekeepers. She hast chosen Hades' side, but my mistress is not like the other gods. She wishes the war to a speedy finish. Thus, she hath entrusted us to fight in her name. Our First Lieutenant, Thalia Grace, holds the Doors of Orpheus with Camp Half-Blood. I am Thalia's second-in-command; thus I lead today."

"Ah," Cho said. "You're a really good fighter."

"My Lady's patronage enhances my abilities," she said. "The Hunt doth not cease... though our numbers may." She cast another grievous look at Yasmina's body, carried to another platform in the arms of her sisters. "My sisters and I must conduct last rites for Yasmina." Roszí reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver calling card. "I offer you the chance to join the Hunt, Cho Chang. Consider thy decision well. Should you accept, we shall be family forever."

Cho glanced at the card. It was gray with silver lettering:

The Hunters of Artemis
Is eternal maidenhood right for you?
Iris Message us today!

You already chose Lord Hades. Like it or not, that's the path you're on now. You can't serve two gods.

_HERMIONE_

The Hunters gave Yasmina last rites on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. When Hermione, Ron, Annabeth, and Cho ran through the brick wall, the wolves had already fetched enough wood to make the funeral pyre. They wrapped Yasmina's body in a silver shroud and laid her on top. A few of the Hunters said something about their lost sister. Every Hunter had tears in their eyes.

The funeral lasted ten minutes-they didn't have time for anything longer. "We shall mourn properly when this war is past," Roszí assured the other Hunters. Then, she turned to Cho. "Cho, may you light the pyre?"

"Yeah," Cho said, lost in her own thoughts. She waved her wand, and the wood caught fire.

She cast that spell without an incantation. I didn't know she could do such advanced magic.

After a moment of silence, Ron motioned to Annabeth, Hazel, and Cho. "Let's give them space."

They walked to the other end of the platform, out of earshot of the Hunters. "What's next?" Hermione asked Annabeth.

"We find the Philosopher's Stone."

"Wait, we?" Cho asked.

Annabeth nodded. "Whichever god Genevieve was, she chose you, Cho. She led you to us. It's your quest too."

"She's right," Ron agreed. "Remember what Rachel said: 'A god's warrior appears when the first meets their end.' Percy... Percy was part of our team. He's- he's gone now, and Cho's here. She's meant to help us."

"If it's what I'm meant to do, I'll do it," Cho said, sounding braver than the terrified look on her face indicated. "But, where do we start?"

"The last anyone heard of the Stone, it was buried under Hogwarts," Hermione said. "But if we're meant to find it, it can't be gone, can it?"

"No," Annabeth agreed. "Godly weapons usually reappear to their owner. Like how Percy's sword always comes back to him because it used to be a Hesperides' weapon."

"It's said that Hecate made the Philosopher's Stone for Merlin," Cho put in. "Wouldn't that make Merlin its guardian?"

"Why would he want me and Hermione to give it to him, then?" Ron asked.

"Slytherin!" Hermione cried. "Merlin must've left it to his son when he died! Nicolas Flammel and his wife were both in Slytherin house when the Founders were still alive; Slytherin was their mentor. And, Riddle was Slytherin's descendant. They're the only two people I know who had the Stone after Merlin died."

"They couldn't keep it in the family after Hecate used it to turn Merlin into a god," Annabeth realized. "She did what Hades did-gave it to the Wizarding World as a magical item. The only proof of her crime would be gone forever. We have to find Slytherin's sacred place."

"That's easy," Cho said with a knowing smile. With that knowing glow in her eyes, she could've passed for Ravenclaw herself. "Let's go to Hogwarts and find the Bloody Baron. He knew Slytherin personally. He'll know where to go."

Annabeth smiled. "Let's get going, then."

_NICO_

They all pretended not to hear Nico cry that night.

"Papà!" Nico shouted with glee. He ran out the front door of the villa and straight into his father's waiting arms.

Papà made a slight "oof!" when Nico slammed into him.

"Papà?" Bianca's voice came from the doorway. She ran a hand through her messy hair-she'd just woken up from a short nap. She walked out the door too, but much more hesitantly than Nico. "Mamma said we had another week."

"There's been a change of plans," Papà said in a grave tone. "Where is she?"

"At the market," Nico told him, releasing him from the hug. "Is it time?"

Papà nodded.

Life was hard once Mussolini visited their villa. Nonno became Nico's general first and grandfather second. Terrified the government would come to take his grandchildren away, he pushed them both hard. He bought them guns and taught them to shoot. He bought them soldier's swords and taught them how to duel. Mamma sewed dummies for them to wrestle. Soon, they were fighting each other. Every day one of them would get a new scar.

But no one saw worse than Bianca. Nico realized today what her fate would be: a broodmare. When Mussolini came to take him away, she'd be confined to Rome and turned into a prize. War heroes, government officials, model citizens, anyone Mussolini deemed worthy would rape her. They'd use her to create a master race of demigods: children of the best men of Italy and Hitler's young sister.

That was when Bianca got shy. That was when she got scared. Mamma and the servants pushed her day and night to learn how to be the perfect lady, the ideal wife, in an effort to protect her. She found salvation during the hours she trained with Nico, but most of her day was spent at the sewing machine, in the kitchen, taking notes at the brothel. It was degrading, and, once she realized what was to come, terrifying.

Two years went by. Almost a month after he turned nine years old, Kristallnacht-the Night of Broken Glass-ushered the Holocaust into Germany. Tensions flared between Hades and his brothers. His son Hitler began planning his invasion of Poland. Hades had shown Mussolini their true parentage. Whether it was a long con to give Hitler another weapon, or a short-sighted way to save Nonno for Maria that backfired big-time, he realized the government would come for his children sooner rather than later.

That was when Nico walked in on his mother and her "puzzles" and told Nico it was time to go to America.

They were pulled out of school. Their English lessons were so constant that they became fluent in six months. Mamma secretly taught them Greek Mythology at night, once Nonno was asleep.

But, a year passed, and they were still in Italy. Mamma, brave to a fault, assured them they were going nowhere. She stalled for the sake of her father and to give her children some stability.

Until the Great Prophecy came, and Hitler invaded Poland.

Nonno came out of the villa, his eyes red from crying. A lump formed in Nico's throat. He would have to leave Nonno. Mamma said it wouldn't be forever, but he'd never left Nonno for more than a day, not once in his ten years alive.

Nico and Bianca hit Nonno at the exact same time. The three of them squeezed each other tight. "Come with us!" Bianca begged him.

"I won't leave your Nonna," Nonno said, stubborn as his daughter. "Besides, someone must hold the fort. It's what a soldier does, hmm?" He made a silly face, and his grandchildren both laughed. "It will go by in no time at all. And then you will be back where you belong, and all this will be over."

"Must you stay?" came Papà's voice from over his shoulder. Nico was in shock. Papà and Nonno despised each other! He'd never heard either one of them talk unless someone forced them to.

But, for once, Nonno didn't look at Papà with hate. In lightly accented English, he said, "When Il Duce comes, I will wait for him with a gun. He will not take my grandchildren. Protect them well, Andrew. Bring them home."

"Hades," Papà said... almost like he was correcting Nonno.

"Hades?" Nonno questioned. Mamma, once on her way back from the market, froze on the walkway. Her wide eyes questioned Papà.

"You know the myths," Papà said firmly. "I am Hades."

Nonno looked from Papà to Mamma. Disbelief turned to absolute shock as Mamma nodded her head in agreement. Nico felt the same way. Hades was from the myths Mamma taught them...

"Papà's a god?" Bianca asked in her terrified voice. She used it a lot now.

"Yes," Papà said. "I'll explain another time. But now, we have to go."

Nonno wrapped Mamma, Bianca, and Nico in one last, big hug. "I love you all. Be safe. And, Maria... I'm sorry for ever doubting your choice."

The last few months of his first life went by in a blur, so much so that Nico doubted he'd ever remember much. They stayed at the embassy, then with Nonno's work friends, then with some of Mamma's friends from her "puzzles." They met nymphs and satyrs loyal to Persephone who hid them, despite her and Hades' separation.

Then, the villa in Italy was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Not one person escaped. Not Claudia, Cuncaire, or any other servant. And certainly not Nonno.

When they heard the news, terrified, Hades moved them to a hotel near the entrance to the Underworld and begged Mamma to let him take the children down. Mamma, brave to a fault, stalled for the sake of her children.

All her life, she did everything possible to live for her children.

But Zeus had other plans.

Hades could've given them to Hitler, to aid his son's cause, but he didn't. That was enough to prove that he loved Maria di Angelo, that, even if he didn't kill him, he didn't support what his son was doing. He turned his back on that part of his family when he had so little.

He could've brought them to the Underworld, now that Maria di Angelo, the only dissenting opinion, was dead. Persephone left him; while she was still in the Underworld, as she had to be, based on what Nico knew, she stayed in the parts of the Underworld Hades chose not to go. He had no queen, no one to object.

He had no one left. But, for the sake of the children he loved, he selflessly gave them to the addiction of the Lotus Hotel and Casino.

He must've been over the moon when he got me back at his door, begging for him to take me in. He had his son in the Palace, finally, after he lost everyone else. And look what I did to him.

He hates me. Dad. Papà.

And I deserve it.

If Percy hadn't taken his sword away, Nico would be half-dead from blood loss right about now.

_PERCY_

No one woke up on December 26th well rested. They couldn't, with Nico's soft moans and tears and Will's futile attempts to calm him. Alabaster also screamed out in the night, reliving his past through nightmares. Lou did what she could, but nothing could stop Morpheus's torture.

Percy hadn't felt so helpless in a long time.

Before the night was out, Alabaster gave up on sleeping and elected to pace just outside their campsite, muttering to himself like a madman. Maybe it was good to have someone on watch, but Jason wasn't positive how much he could do to an enemy in his current state.

No one said anything when Nico climbed out of his sleeping bag with puffy, bloodshot eyes. He turned to Lou and croaked, "Al had a bad night, too?" Lou nodded and pointed to her rambling half-brother.

"Al!" Nico shouted. Alabaster stopped muttering and turned. "Al! Get your ass over here! I know where the Artifacts are!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"What?!"

"How?!"

"Nico, are you sure?!"

Alabaster came running. Nico didn't say a word; with dead eyes and sluggish hands, he pointed to the now dead campfire. Lou set it ablaze in seconds flat. Will forced some food into his boyfriend's hands, and they had breakfast.

"Persephone told me that the Artifacts are addictive, and that Thanatos once used it to try and depose Hades." Nico's voice popped and cracked like the fire, and his eyes were as empty as the skeletons he once fought with. "Remember the prophecy: 'the bane of the gods lies with the world's first high.' It's a double meaning: the Artifacts are the bane of the gods because they're addictive, but they're also in the world's first high. There's only one Greek myth that talks about addiction. The tree where Odysseus's men became addicted to the lotus flowers. It's in the Lotus Hotel and Casino."

Nico shuttered. Tears poured down his cheeks. Will took his hand and squeezed it. Nico buried his face in Will's shoulder. It took him a few moments to get ahold of himself. "Hades... Hades loved us so much. If he thought it was the place to hide us from the gods, that's enough for Persephone, too."

"Nico... you're a genius," Percy said.

"Thank Persephone," Nico hiccuped. "This is why you don't try to stop prophecies."

The air dropped twenty degrees. Everyone froze. The crackle of the campfire couldn't block out the faint drum of thousands of enemies marching towards them.

"Persephone found us," Thalia realized.

"Gates of Dawn," Lou Ellen said.

"Now," Percy agreed.

"No time to pack up!" Blaise ordered. "Run!"

They grabbed their weapons and bags, empty except nectar, ambrosia, and medical supplies, and sprinted behind Alabaster and Nico, guiding them to the Gates of Dawn. But they were too slow-Nico and Alabaster, incapacitated as they were, kept getting lost or confused. The army gained on them.

"We'll never make it..." Alabaster told Nico.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

They exchanged a look. It was the first time in hours either of them smiled.

"We'll meet you at the gates," Nico told the rest of them. "There's no one Persephone wants more than the two of us. We'll stall her army."

"Lou," Alabaster instructed, "you should sense where Mom's door is. Trust yourself."

Nico held out his hand, and Percy gave him his sword back. "Let's show them what the Twin Terrors can do."

_NICO_

Alabaster and he stood alone, like days past, as their friends ran to the Gates of Dawn. Alabaster's hands were so tightly fisted that Nico was pretty sure he was digging a hole in his palms with his own nails. "We can take them," Nico said.

"I'm not Tom Riddle. I'm not afraid to die." He smiled at Nico. "Thank you for being my best friend, Nico. You were the only one there for me when I took my first step back into the demigod world. If it weren't for you... I don't think I'd be fighting for peace today."

"Al, you're not going to die."

Alabaster gave him a broken smile. " 'The bane of the gods lies with the world's first high... / at the price of the cherished never seeing the sky.' " He pointed to the rocky cavern above them. "I don't see a sky."

"You'll. Be. Fine." Nico promised. "I won't let you fall."

"Nico... you don't get it. If I get my hands on the Artifacts... I'll give them to her. I won't betray Mom. And, let's be honest... I'm the only one they want more than you."

"There!" one of the Furies cackled.

Alabaster grabbed Nico's arm before he could stop him. "No!" Nico screamed, trying to fight his grip. But, it was already too late. Energy pouring out of his arm. Their psychic link dissolved. Now, Alabaster could sacrifice himself without killing Nico. Nico stumbled and fell to the ground, paralyzed. Helpless. It was all he could do to fight off passing out completely.

Alabaster pulled a card from his pocket and threw it in front of him. "Incantare: Exercitus Resurget!"

A thousand Mistform, all in Roman battle armor, rose up around the son of Hecate. Alabaster pushed the air, and they flew forward, forming a wall between him and the thousands of skeletons with guns, knives, and swords.

He rose his hand to the sky. "Incantare: Clypeus Industria!"

A force field of greek fire erupted from his palm, forming a bubble around him and the army.

He's creating an arena; he's going to fight them all off himself while we escape.

The skeletons were destroying Alabaster's Mistform, but that didn't matter. They were only meant to buy him a little time. He took one last card from his pocket.

"I never told you Elladora's warning," Alabaster said, his eyes on the advancing army. "I thought it was impossible, but now that you're going to the Lotus... she said, 'The Lethe consumes him.' "

Nico swallowed hard. That was scarily close to what Rachel had told him when she was possessed by Delphi. He had no idea what that meant, and, if the look in Alabaster's eyes was any indication, neither did he. Consumed by his memories? Was that why he kept blacking out?

The army marched forward. Alabaster gripped tighter on his card. "You saved me, Nico. Now, let me pay my debt. Be a hero for once."

The first of the skeletons broke through his defensive line. The card in Alabaster's hands started to glow like an orb.

"Incantare: Maters Ignis!"

Blue orbs-Nico recognized those from the Battle of Manhattan, when he'd seen them surrounding Olympus-shot from the card. They gathered together at light speed. Just before the last small orb entered the larger circle, Alabaster pointed at him, and Nico, seconds from sleep, felt himself being transported away.

He reappeared inside the Gates of Dawn. Alastor's curse had come true. To repent for the sins of his past, Alabaster had sacrificed his life. Because, in the distance, there was an electric blue mushroom cloud where his best friend used to be.

END NOTES

Body Count: 6

And another falls. Oh, this one hurt me.

Credits:
Author: Melody Rose (Tumblr melody0rose)

Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!