Author's Note: This Chapter Is A Bit Longer.
Chapter 2 – Sherlock:
Nico had to admit that the war had not treated the Underworld well. The gates to hell were swelled before, resembling some sort of bizarre airport security system. Now the swarms of humanity, waiting to get into hell better resembled the crowd attracted by a particularly controversial popstar. Nico smiled as he walked straight past the lines of people. Luckily queues were not problems demigods had to deal with in the Underworld – especially not demigod children of Hades, not that there were too many others. At least he assumed there weren't. Hades may have claimed to be the only god not to have broken the Big Three pact, but Nico wasn't so sure - a god who could keep two of his children hidden in a Casino for eight years could surely have sired some children on the side and kept them hidden. Only time would tell.
As he continued through the Underworld Nico could see the Black Obsidian pillars of his father's palace come into view. Today passage was guarded by two English knights; skeleton's covered in full plate armour with drawn longswords, their armoured skeletal horses by their sides. As Nico approached the two Knights kneeled and the bronze gates they guarded snapped open.
"You wanted to see me, father?" Nico said.
"Yes. There has been a … disturbance. Normally I would send the Furies…" Hades looked thoughtfully into the distance, "I think this situation could benefit from some detective work. Use your initiative. Rectify the situation. Deal with the perpetrator, appropriately… That is if you thin k you can handle this task."
The challenge was obvious to Nico. Was this all an elaborate ruse concocted by Hades to test him? Maybe. But it didn't matter. He could hardly decline his father's request – not if he planned on living long.
"I will try my best father." Nico said as he stepped into a shadow and disappeared.
While he was sure his exit from Hades palace could have made Zeus jealous, and would almost have certainly pissed his father off, he realised it was a mistake as soon as he reappeared – near a pomegranate tree in Persephone's garden. He now had no idea what the disturbance was – or where to start looking. He accepted the extra challenge philosophically; it was too late to go back.
Well then, where should I go? Thinking through the problem logically Nico realised it couldn't be the Gates of Hell, he'd passed through there. That meant Elysium, asphodel or the fields of punishment were most likely. The fields of punishment were the kind of place was things were wont to go wrong. Decision made Nico stepped into a shadow.
Like most days, the fields of punishment were truly an assault on the senses: the stench of rotting meat, the taste of pain in the air and the sights – millions of humans spread out across miles and miles, each with some personally designed ordeal of anguish. Bespoke service, that's us! We aim to please here in the underworld!
Refocusing on his mission, Nico turned to a nearby skeleton – a ragtag specimen if he ever so one and asked "anything out of the usual?"
"I think the screaming is louder today, My Lord" the skeleton said.
Funny. A skeletal comedian. Just what he needed right now.
"Well I guess its Elysium for me then" Nico said to no one in particular.
The decision to go to Elysium next, Nico had to admit, had nothing to do with logical deduction. He simply decided it was probably a nicer place to head to. The fields of asphodel - with its teaming masses of souls just standing there, were somehow vastly more depressing than even the fields of punishment. At least the people there had done something! At eat they would be remembered. The souls of asphodel barely new themselves – truly the epitome of forgotten.
He was about to shadow travel away, when a peculiar sight caught his eye – striding towards him was a giant in a bright orange prison uniform, madly flourishing - was that a mop?
"What the heck" Nico shook his head.
As the figure approached, he could make out more details. The man's head was governed in a mop of glowing silver hair – like a mad professor, and his jumpsuit was monogramed:
'Prisoner 24601'
The Underworld is full of comedians apparently. He briefly wondered if might have been his father's personal touch - an attempt at humiliating the titan Iapetus, but he discarded the idea, Hades didn't make jokes. Right?
"Bob, what are you doing here?" Nico asked.
"I work for Hades now. He told me to mop up all the blood from the fields of punishment. I keep mopping, but there's always more blood."
"Great… Listen Bob. Why don't you come with me. I could use your help." Nico figured that having a titan as back up couldn't hurt – he doubted the 'disruption' as his father put it, would be able to challenge them together.
"Great. Bob loves adventures. Just like last time" Nico cringed a bit as he remembered how Percy had pushed Iapetus into the River Lethe.
"One day he's going to get his memories back," Nico thought – "and when he does I sure as hell hope I'm nowhere nearby."
As he walked through Elysium, Nico realised he hadn't visited since the end of the war – hadn't come to see anyone who had died fighting Kronos. He wasn't particularly close to any of the campers, but he figured he should probably still say hi or something.
They were through a section of feudal Japanese houses - occupants dressed like Samurai, when Nico first smelled the smoke.
"Bob, do you smell smoke?" Nico asked.
"Yes. Bob can see the fire too"
"Take me to it." Nico set of after the titan.
The source of the fire turned out to be a modern looking house, built from a white looking brick. Nico had no idea how he was going to put a fire out. If Percy were here he could simply draw water and bury the fire – Nico had no chance of doing the same. It appeared however that Nico's concern was in vain. Bob leapt forth and began to beat at the flame with his mop. The flames began to die back. Bob continued to wave the mop furiously. The fire began to die out. This was working too well… It was almost as if Bob had regained some of his 'godly' power and was channelling it into putting out the fire. Nico decided he would have a chat with his father about plans for handling Iapetus when he regained his memories and powers.
With the house extinguished Nico couldn't help but wonder; who would set their house on fire? And how? The house was constructed of brick, it didn't look like something that would burn normally. That meant something magical had started the blaze – and that was bad news. Back to why then. He entered the house searching for something to identify the owner. He found the charred remains of a journal – on the top corner in spidery writing was a name.
"Well Fuck" Nico said. It was Luke Castellan's house.
Author's Note: Any Feedback welcome.