Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Kane Chronicles.

Chapter Three: A Talk with Cheeseburgers

Anubis smiled at the other boy and said, "Let's start with something simple, shall we? What's your name?"

"Nico di Angelo," the boy responded warily "What's yours?"

"Anubis," said Anubis and held out his hand to shake Nico's.

Nico took his hand and shook it and then he let go. The two boys regarded each other for a moment before Nico said, "So, Anubis what do you have to do with the gods?"

"Haven't you heard of me?" Anubis asked in surprise, "I am a god, Nico."

Nico stared at Anubis for a moment in complete shock. In his head, he ran down the list of all the Greek gods he had met or heard of and then he shook his head.

"No you're not." he said angrily "There are no Greek gods named Anubis."

"No," Anubis agreed "But I'm not Greek, I'm Egyptian."

Nico looked slightly surprised but then he remembered something he had learned at Westover Hall, the school where Hades had sent him and his older sister Bianca for a year after he let them out of the Lotus Hotel and Casino, where they had been for seventy years because Zeus had tried to kill them.

"Anubis was the Egyptian god of funerals and death, right?"

"Yes," Anubis agreed, "That's me."

Nico studied Anubis closely and saw a slight grey aura surrounding him. It was an aura of power, that he could tell from spending so much time with his father and other gods, but Anubis's aura was different. It was definitely not Greek so Nico supposed that Anubis was telling the truth and he really was Egyptian.

While Nico pondered these thoughts, Anubis quickly put the pieces together about Nico. He had known of course that the Greek gods were real and that they had demigod children but he had never met a Greek god or a demigod before.

"You're really telling the truth." Nico said suddenly, startling Anubis out of his thoughts "You really are an Egyptian god."

"Did you think that I was lying?" Anubis asked a little hurt. The truth was that he did his very best not to lie because he usually carried the Feather of Truth and while he wouldn't burn up by telling a lie the way a mortal would the feather still stung quite a bit if he did.

"I didn't say that." Nico pointed out "I just didn't know that the Egyptian gods were real too."

"Well at least you know now." said Anubis and Nico nodded and smiled slightly.

Suddenly, out of nowhere Nico's stomach rumbled loudly with hunger. Anubis smiled at him and said, "I see your hungry. Should we find somewhere to eat? I'll pay for it."

"If you like," Nico mumbled. He looked kind of embarrassed that his stomach had rumbled so much in front of a god but he shook it off.

"What about a cheeseburger?" Anubis suggested. Nico grinned because a cheeseburger sounded absilutely perfect right then.

"That sounds great," he admitted. Anubis grinned back at him and said,

"I know just the place."

Half an hour later, Nico and Anubis were sitting in a small Mc'donalds near the graveyard. Anubis had told Nico that he could only appear in places of death or mourning so Nico had quickly summoned a skeliton warrior and then killed it with his sword so that Anubis could enter.

Anubis and Nico told each other stories about their lives and slowly they began to form an understanding of each other which Anubis hoped was the beginning of a friendship. They realized that they were both lonely and not respected by the people around them and that both of them had trouble with their parents.

They talked for hours and finally Nico stood up and sighed, "I better get back to my father's palace." he said.

"I should get back to the Hall of Judgement." Anubis admitted. They said their goodbyes but as they were about to leave a shimmering Iris-Message appeared in the air right in front of Nico.

"That's an Iris-Message isn't it?" Anubis asked. He had heard of Iris-Messages but he had never seen one before.

Nico nodded. When the Iris-Message cleared it showed a boy with black hair and anxious sea green eyes.

"Percy?" Nico asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nico, Annabeth has been kidnapped by a monster. I need help to find her and I was hoping that you could go with me to look for her."

Nico stared at Percy in both shock and concern. Annabeth meant the world to Percy and Nico cared for her too. He couldn't believe that she could be kidnapped by a monster for the second time in her life.

"Of course I'll help Percy." Nico said almost immediately, "What's the monster?"

"It's not Greek, I know that." Percy said, "I think it's something from Ancient Egypt."

"Ok..." Nico said, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Ok, thanks for this, Nico." Percy swiped his hand through the mist and disappeared.

Throughout the conversation, Anubis had been listening intently. Now he turned to Nico with a grim expression "You know next to nothing about EGYPTIAN monsters." he stated flatly.

Nico shook his head sadly and said "Your one, I don't."

"Well," said Anubis thoughtfully "I could keep in touch and help you, if you like."

"Would you?" asked Nico. He couldn't believe that Anubis would actually offer help. From what he could remember Anubis didn't just offer help but he supposed that the myths weren't always true.

"Of course," he said "We have a lot in common, Nico di Angelo. I have a feeling that some day we will be good friends." Nico looked at him in surprise. He didn't think that death gods had friends and he was very pleased to realize that they did.

"Thanks," he said "I really apreciate that."

"Well," said Anubis "I better get going now. I'll be in touch, Nico."

"See you." murmured Nico and Anubis disappeared.

Nico sighed. He was starting to think that Anubis was right and they really would become friends. He stepped into the shadows and shadow-travelled to Camp Half-Blood to talk with Percy about their plans to save Annabeth.

AUTHOR's Note: I hope you are enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.