This is Disney and Rick Riordan's playground. I'm just playing on it.

Nico waited until the house had fallen silent before he pulled the shadows around him like a cloak and stepped out of the shadow of the Big House onto the dewy lawn. The moon was full and bright, the night was warm, and fireflies flitted about. The trees cast long shadows across the across the valley. Alecto was waiting for him.

"Thanatos lives." The Kindly One said. "But Death cannot rule the Underworld."

'My father had no immortal children?" Nico asked, walking past her, farther away from the Big House and those sleeping inside.

Alecto followed him. With her wings folded close to her back, the Fury almost looked like the pre-algebra teacher Percy had described to him. Gods, Percy. His loss, not death, was… jarring. Percy always pulled through. Until he didn't. Nico was tired.

"Macaria and Zagreus are both gone. Melinoë is the bringer of nightmares and madness. She is not fit to rule. It must be you."

"I'm not a god." Nico said. "I have no wish to be one. Are there no children of Hades in the Underworld to take his place?"

"Your sister chose to be reborn. Your other sister is one of the vanished. There are no others fit to rule." Alecto hissed, wings spreading in her irritation.

"Don't think you can intimidate me Alecto, I'm not a child anymore." Nico growled, Stygian iron dagger in hand.

"Good. A scared child cannot rule the Underworld." Alecto said.

Nico sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. It needed to be cut. "I would remain mortal? And capable of interfering?"

Alecto scoffed. "Only a god can raise you to an immortal. And Zeus has far greater concerns now. Hera and Apollo are gone. Only Athena, Hermes, Demeter and Hestia remain of the Olympian Council."

"So few." Nico breathed. "Do we know what happened yet?"

"No. There are no gods welcome in Wakanda except her own. If I were to enter, even peaceably, I would be destroyed. It is worth noting that demigods are not welcome there either."

"We'll have to find out with the rest of the world."

"You did not answer me." Alecto said. "Distracting me with mortal concerns-"

"I am mortal!" Nico interrupted. "Half of all life on Earth disappeared yesterday, and you want me to replace Hades!"

"I am not asking you to replace Hades. You must take his place to preserve the balance of power in the Underworld. There cannot be a power vacuum." Alecto said. "Melinoë would sow chaos the likes of which-"

"I fought the Titans and Giants, Alecto. And half of the world's population just disintegrated to ash. The chaos one minor goddess could cause doesn't seem very significant at the moment." Nico said dryly.

He looked around them, at Camp Half Blood's grounds. In the light of the moon he could just see the collection of cabins, amphitheater, and dining pavilion from where he was standing. The world was still in shock. It wouldn't be for long, Nico knew. When people finally realized their new reality, chaos would reign. He was almost glad Eris had disappeared with half the world's population. The last thing demigods needed was for her to make a play for power. Preventing Melinoë from taking power in the Underworld would (hopefully) help blunt what was happening in the mortal world. Nico sighed. "I need some time to think."

"Don't think too long." Alecto hissed.

Nico stepped out of the shadows. It was hot, even at night. Not the oppressive heat and humidity he'd experienced that one time he went to Florida (never again, he'd thought. Disney World wasn't worth it (Percy had bought the tickets)) but just hot. Sulphur was thick in the air in his father's domain. My domain. What a terrifying thought. A growl came from the fog that he's emerged in, and Nico stopped in his tracks. Keeping his eyes forward, he swung his backpack off his shoulder and dug the red superchewer Kong dog toy out.

"Cerberus!" Nico called. He tossed the toy up in the air and caught it one handed, then again. A giant head erupted from the shadows and caught the toy, and another dropped in front of him and snarled. Nico held his ground. "Hi, boy."

There was a piteous whine, and the Kong dropped on the ground in front of him, neatly shredded into rubber pieces. A second head joined the first and pushed its nose into his stomach. Nico rubbed its ears. Something was wrong. Where was the third head? The fog cleared as he stepped closer, feeling his was down Cerberus's massive neck to where the dog's necks joined the body. The middle neck was missing. Gone. WHAT.

"Oh, Cerberus. I'm so sorry, boy." Nico reached up as far as he could to scratch the dog's shoulder. "We don't know what happened yet, but we'll find out." I hope. Nico said, sounding more confident than he felt. He gave Cerberus a pat on the shoulder, then walked away, following the Styx's riverbank through Asphodel's field.

Spirits whispered as he passed through them. They scattered as he approached them, transparent and just below hearing. As he walked, he looked. He searched the faces of the shades for people he knew. He didn't recognize anyone, but with so many people gone, he likely wouldn't see someone he knew anyway. He kept going, mind racing. Finally, he reached the Place of Judgement.

There were three lines of spirits. The EZ DEATH lane was moving along through the security ghouls, but the other two lines leading to Judgement had stalled. Nico caught one of the security ghouls by the arm as it passed. It turned and hissed at him, then its eyes widened, and it fell to its knees.

"My lord." It gasped.

"Rise." Nico commanded, sighing. "Why are the lines not moving?"

The ghoul's eyes darted back and forth as if seeking help, but the other ghouls had vanished. "A soul went in yesterday, Your Grace." It said. "Judgement has not been passed yet."

Nico considered telling the ghoul not to call him that; but decided against it. He hadn't agreed with Alecto yet, but he already knew that he had to. He released its arm and walked past it. He shoved the doors to the mausoleum open with a dull boom, and silence fell as Nico strode into the room. William Wallace, Harriet Tubman and Peggy Carter all looked away from the soul standing in the center of the black marble floor.

"You are not Lord Hades." William Wallace said, his Scottish accent thick.

"No, I'm not." Nico agreed. "That's not why I'm here. The ghouls outside said that this soul-" Nico gestured to the…. green woman and did a double take. "You are not from Earth."

"No." the woman had grass green skin and dark red hair. "I am from the planet Zen-Whoberi."

Nico sighed. "What is a soul from another world doing here? Shouldn't she be in her own Underworld?"

"We were asking the same thing, Lord Nico." Harriet Tubman said. "It is highly unusual for a soul that died on another world to come here."

"When does this happen? I have never heard of something like this."

"The world she died on, Vormir, was it?" Peggy Carter said. At the soul's nod, she continued, "Did not have a living population, and therefore, did not have any gods to maintain their underworld. With no people to believe in the gods, they faded. With no underworld to go to, she came here."

Nico had never heard of such an occurrence and decided to ignore that he had just learned that there was life on other planets (take that, NASA!), and sighed. "The lines are growing. Why haven't you decided her fate yet?"

The judges all looked between themselves, then William Wallace said, "Her life and deeds are questionable."

"She had no choice." Harriet Tubman said. "She was as much as slave as I was."

"She escaped when she could and worked to stop what she was forced to do." Peggy Carter said.

Nico nodded, then moved to stand in front of the judge' black marble table. The entire mausoleum was black marble. Sconces glowed around the room, with gold and gemstones scattered across the walls. He hopped up on the table and sat with his back to the judges, facing the soul. "What's your name?"

"Gamora." The woman said.

Nico nodded. "Very well, Gamora. Tell me everything."