After a moment of darkness, we stepped out of the shadow. Nico squeezed my hand for support and blinked a couple of times, as if trying to stay awake.

"You okay?" I asked, releasing his hand.

"Yeah", he answered, looking around.

I also started studying our surroundings. We were on a small street, which looked like it could've been in the same part of Ohio were I lived. Even the weather was the same. But I could tell for sure, that we were actually far from my home. Far from that football field and that McDonald's. I couldn't help shivering a bit from the cold. I was still dragging along my sports bag, which hung on my shoulder, and holding my dagger. Fog hung in the air, making the whole place look gray. "Um... Where are we?" I asked, not knowing what was happening. But I was pretty sure Nico was in trouble. Even more than he usually was.

"Well... I don't know. But it doesn't really matter, since we're not staying here." He looked like the monsters had been hunting him nonstop for weeks. He kept looking around like expecting an enemy to appear in any moment. His typical black clothes were torn, there was a long cut on his cheek and a piece of black cloth was wrapped around his left arm like a bandage.

I frowned at him. "What's wrong? And don't even consider saying 'nothing'."

"It's a long story... And we really don't have much time."

"Okay, but could you even tell me why we don't have much time? What's happening?" I looked him into the eyes, determined to get a decent answer.

Nico didn't meet my eyes. "You know..." He sighed. "Okay. Have you ever heard of the... Force hunters?"

My first thought was the baddies from Star wars that hunted down the Jedi. Then, since I didn't think that was what he meant, another, totally creepy thought hit me. A shiver went down my back. Nico indeed looked like he'd been hunted. That desperate expression on his face... Could someone really be after his force, or powers, which sounded much saner.

He nodded seriously, reading my expression. "Yep. They wanna steal my Underworld powers."

The whole idea sounded insane, though I was pretty sure he wasn't kidding. He didn't do that too often. "So... how to stop them?"

"By destroying their base."

"Which is in...?"

"No idea. I've been trying to find it, but it's pretty hard, since it can be anywhere and their minions - those monsters you saw - are tracking me night and day."

"But if they caught you and took you to the base...?"

He shook his head. "If I ended up there as a prison, I'd have zero chances. Pretty handy for them."

"And let me guess: no one has ever found it before being caught, right?"

"Yep. If someone had, we wouldn't be here."

I sighed. "Well... then where should we start looking for it?"

"You don't understand. I'm going alone. You have to go to the camp, otherwise you'll be in danger, too."

I crossed my arms on my chest. "In danger? You think I haven't been in danger before? Besides, why would they even want me - I'm only an inborn champion, no supernatural abilities."

Nico bit his lip. "I... don't know. But apparently they do want you. Those monsters that just attacked you, were their minions."

I frowned. How had Nico known to come to that certain McDonalds when the monsters attacked me and my teammates? Did he think I needed help or something? Gods it's annoying, when someone thinks you need help when you just don't! "I would've dealt with them myself." I blurted, raising an eyebrow.

Nico rolled his eyes. "A wonder." Then his expression suddenly tensed. I didn't sense any specific danger, but apparently he did. "Run!" He gripped my wrist and coursed to the road side, dragging me along. There was just a small strip of forest, and across it, I could see a highway.

"Are we going to thumb a ride?" I shouted over the traffic noise.

"Um, something like that", he answered, scanning the road. He closed his eyes, concentrating.

Before I had the chance to ask him what he was doing, a black limo appeared on the highway. And by 'appearing', I mean it literally. First, there was just a red Lada and a few ten feet behind it a dark green Jeep. Then, suddenly, there was that limo between them. "Cool." I mumbled, as the BMW pulled on the brakes and stopped in front of us. The Jeep bypassed it to the next lane, causing startled honking and brake rasps.

Nico gave me a... guilty? look, then opened the car's back door and took a seat in the middle. He cast me one more nervous glance, then turned at the driver.

I knew this would most likely be the most suicidal quest in my life. Almost impossible to complete. But Nico was my friend - or at least something like that - and he was in trouble. In very bad trouble. And I was a daughter of Nike. I had never turned down a challenge. And, after all, if Nico had to beat those Force hunters to keep his freedom - he could need a champion on his side. I was pretty good at blowing things up, and I had decided to blow up one certain base. I sat down next to him and closed the car door.

Then I saw the driver. I flinched. And I don't usually do that. I was staring at a terrible looking bald hag, who had glowing eyes, sharp, yellow fangs and leathery wings folded on the back. I was pretty sure she was one of the Furies. I didn't look away, although looking at her really wasn't a pleasure. "Um, hi." I said.

She grinned maliciously, slobber dripping from her fangs. "Isn't it the little champion. How nice."

I wasn't really sure how to respond, but I didn't have to try. A man whom I hadn't noticed before sitting on the other front seat, turned at us. Just getting better and better... I thought. It was Hades himself. He had long, black hair, intense black eyes and even paler skin than Nico's. Usually, him appearing wasn't a good thing, but he was Nico's dad... Could he really be here to help? I kept my face blank.

I glanced at Nico. Now he certainly looked nervous. "Um, hi dad", he said. "How did you...?"

"...Know to come with Alecto? I'm a god. I know things. But lets get to the point and not waste time. It's possible, that the place you seek is..." The lord of the Underworld sighed. "Agh, explaining things to mortals... how I hate it..." He muttered. "It's possible, that it exists in many placed in the same time, like we gods. That's why it may be a bit... difficult to find."

I frowned. "So you're telling us we have no chance?" I started to get angry. This dude was just disgusting.

Nico gave me a warning look.

Hades narrowed his eyes. "Hold your tongue, girl. I though you may be useful, but your attitude is really pissing me off. Maybe I should just..." He raised his hand, as if intending to blast me. Then he hesitated.

"What do you mean by useful?" Nico asked quickly.

Hades rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to safe your worthless life and you still dare to be that slow." He shook his head. "What I mean is the dagger, of course!"

"The...?" Nico asked, stunned.

I raised my dagger, which I was still holding in my hand. "This dagger?"

"Yes." Hades said, sounding bored, like wondering, how dumb we mortals could be.

I fingered the hilt, which was decorated with black stone inlays. Black stone...

Nico gasped. "Dad... what have you done?" He's voice was full of disbelief and grave anger.

Hades laughed. "Styxian iron. It's interesting how our enemies always swallow that trick."

Hades had tricked me. As I now thought of it, I actually didn't remember how I'd got the dagger. Apperently, Hades had somehow made me have it. But I was glad I had it. Without it, Nico would wander alone in gods know what place, running from monsters and trying to find a base that possibly wasn't anywhere to be found. Was that what Hades had thought?

So that was the chapter two! Don't forget to leave me a review ;)