VIII

Discovery

Nico was exploring a New York graveyard in the late hours of the night, looking for a grave that was just filled earlier that day. There have been reports of souls in the lobby of the DOA recording studios disappearing presumably back to the world of the living somehow. Charon said that the furies were already on the case, but Nico wanted to find out what was happening for himself. Lately, he'd been snooping around city morgues, fresh grave sites, and funeral homes to see any signs of the people coming back to life. So far he hadn't found anything and was about to give up if this venture turned out to be a dead end as well.

While there he couldn't help but enjoy the silent, tranquil ambiance the graveyard atmosphere gives off. The light of the full moon gave everything a silvery, spectral glow that allowed him to see everything just fine. He was leaning against the stone wall of a mausoleum taking it all in, when he felt the presence of something coming towards him. It wasn't a ghost, and it wasn't human either that meant it was a monster.

Nico unsheathed his sword and waited, soon he was got tired of this game. "Show yourself!" Nico growled. A young man stepped forward out of the shadows. He was taller than Nico, but they looked to be around the same age. Nico kept his sword pointed at the boy.

"What kind of Shadow Hunter are you?" The boy asked looking at Nico with hostility in his gaze. Nico's sword point never wavered, but the boys words confused him.

"I am Nico Di Angelo son of Hades. I don't know what a shadow hunter is. Who and what are you?" Nico asked in turn. The man stared at Nico intently, and seemed to be holding his breath. A spark lit up in his eyes as an understanding seemed to pass through him.

"You're a demigod aren't you? I've heard legends about you, but never believed them to be true." The man said in grudging admiration. Nico was confused this man couldn't be a monster, unless he's one so old that he hasn't been on earth since the earliest stages of man-kind. Either that or this monster was trying to trick him, and if he was it was a really bad attempt.

'You still haven't answered my questions, and yes I'm a demigod I already told you I'm a son of Hades." Nico said exasperated. The man looked at him with renewed interest, studying him like a sculpture or a piece of art.

"A son of the death god... you're here stop the birth aren't you?" the man asked cautiously. Nico lowered his sword carefully tired of holding it up, but still ready to use it in a split second.

"What birth? I have no idea what you're talking much less what you are!" Nico yelled exasperated, annoyed and beginning to get angry.

"Answer my questions now!" He finished leveling his sword at him. The man smiled strangely.

"My name is Raphael and I'm a vampire." The stranger answered still giving Nico that strange look. Nico looked at Raphael harder, trying to see through the layers of the mist and see the true form of this male empousai, but he couldn't see anything. Raphael just watched him quizzically before letting out a sigh.

"Listen I came over here to tell you to get lost. A birth is about to be performed and if you stay here you will likely be killed. I'm not in the mood to stop a raging, starving fledgling from draining you dry." Raphael said dismissively before turning away. The supposed vampire's words swam around Nico's mind as he tried to make sense of them. That's when an idea struck him; maybe he had finally stumbled upon the problem of the missing souls.

"Wait! What is a birth? What's going on?" Nico asked running up to the vampire. Raphael turned and looked at Nico with annoyance.

"You really don't know anything about me, vampires or anything do you?" the vampire asked bored.

"I have some knowledge on the empousai, and I know vampires are just legends based off of them." Nico answered. Raphael looked confused and angry like as Nico just slapped him. He then rounded onto Nico, his whole demeanor changing in an instant. Fangs appeared in his mouth, and his eyes grew darker and his pupils dilated to where there was hardly any white left in his eyes. A reddish tinge appeared in his eyes, as the vampire stood poised for an attack like a viper.

"Do you still believe vampires are only legends now demigod? A vampire would kill you in an instant for such disrespect if it wasn't for those damned accords." Raphael growled baring his fangs at the boy. Nico's eyes widened in surprise as he stood in his defensive crouch.

"What's about to be born? What are these accords? Are you even a part of Greek/Roman mythology?" Nico asked rapid fire questions. Raphael face palmed and looked really ticked off now. Nico wondered if everyone got annoyed at him when he asked so many questions.

"Look Nico, a vampire is about be born, and when people are first reborn as children of the night they are very thirsty and won't hesitate to take a bite out of you, so leave now if you value your life." Raphael growled trying to scare him off.

"Vampires... you're the reason for all the disappearing souls, and how they are coming back to life. I'm not leaving I must watch this. If I have to fight you in order to investigate this I will. I'll have you know I've fought monsters scarier than you before." Nico insisted stubbornly.

"So, you are here to stop the birth from happening. The lord of the dead sent you here to bring souls back to Hell." Raphael accused angrily staring at Nico with outrage and fear.

"If I were here to take back souls then I'd be taking out your entire race, besides that's not my job. Dad has other people to do that. He didn't send me here I came here on my own will to find out what was happening." Nico said truthfully. Raphael calmed down a little, and finally relaxed enough to where he hid his fangs.

"Fine you can come, but don't say I didn't warn you, and don't you dare go against your word." He finally relented exasperated. Nico smirked and lowered his sword to follow the vampire to the fresh grave. Along the way Raphael answered his questions on the accords which of course led to more questions.

When they got to the grave site Nico stared at it in wonder. He couldn't feel anything alive down there, not even a ghost. He peered at it suspiciously. There were two large cow carcass next to the grave for the fledgling to drink, during its frenzy.

"The birth should occur at any moment now brace yourself." Raphael said looking at Nico skeptically. Nico stuck his sword into the ground and a crack formed in the dirt as skeletal hands began climbing out of the dirt. Raphael jumped back in surprise, and fear.

"What are you doing!" he hissed in fear as skeletons climbed out.

"Relax; they're just here to protect me." Nico waved him off. The vampire stared at the skeletons in distaste looking uncomfortable. Suddenly Nico felt the presence of a tortured spirit down under the ground. Nico's warriors positioned themselves in front of him.

"It's awake." Nico announced. Raphael turned to look at him, strangely and nodded in agreement. Soon Nico could feel something moving underneath the ground, something trying to claw its' way to the surface. A pale hand broke through the surface, and was soon followed by another as they pushed their way out. The Vampire was a young women with flowing brown hair, she wore a lacy pink gown the type of innocent, pretty gown young girls are often buried in. Nico would have thought her to be very pretty if it wasn't for the murderous, desperate gleam in her dilated eyes, and of course the fangs in her mouth.

Nico's warriors tensed around him as the girl leaped at the cow carcasses with inhuman speed. She drained the first cow in a matter of minutes before moving to the next one. The entire scene was terrifying, but Nico wasn't scared he'd seen, and handled worse things than this. When she finished and looked up, her face and dress were covered with blood and dirt. She eyed Nico with longing, Raphael moved toward him uncertainly.

"What's that human, and th-those zombies doing here?" the girl asked glaring at Nico with hunger and fear.

"Don't worry about them. Are you still thirsty? Or do you think you can make it back to the hotel now without stopping for snacks?" Raphael asked sarcastically.

"I think I'm fine, why aren't you coming with me?" she asked looking disappointed. Raphael glanced at Nico uncertainly before turning back to the new Vampire.

"Something has come up. You're going to have to find the hotel and/or some kind of shelter from the sun without me. I'll come looking for you at the next nightfall." Raphael promised. The new vampire just crossed her arms angrily, and ran off. Raphael turned to Nico again with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I believe you have more questions for me?" the vampire asked. Nico nodded.

"A whole other world with the same concept of relentless enemies, and divine heroes there to stop them, complete with their own glamours to keep the mortals ignorant." Nico thought as he listened to the vampire talk. Nico always had the suspicion that there were other Gods and worlds out there. The Greeks and Romans couldn't have been the only race of humans that were correct in their philosophy. To think that demigods, monsters, demons, shadowhunters, downworlders have coexisted together for thousands of years completely unaware of each other was mind boggling. Discovering Camp Jupiter was nothing compared to this discovery he happened to stumble upon.

"It seems as if your mist works both ways, not only does it keep the mundane's ignorant of your world, but keeps you ignorant of the other worlds as well." Raphael commented thoughtfully. Nico's head was spinning with all this new information and in disbelief that all this was living under he and his friends very noses.

"It's a good thing I'm good at keeping secrets." Nico told Raphael with a wry smile. The Vampire in turn was fascinated with Nico's descriptions of his world of monsters and Gods. He still wasn't very happy with being compared to an empousai, but then again who would be?

"Your name translates to Nico of angels don't you find that rather odd considering who your father is?" Raphael asked curiously. Nico returned the look.

"You're named after an angel, don't you find that weird?" Nico spat right back. The Vampire rolled his eyes annoyed. Nico's eyes grew sad and he started fiddling with his skull ring like he did when he was nervous.

"Di Angelo is my mother's surname, and the name really fits her. I think my father fell in love with her, because she was so unlike him in the first place. She was so kind, forgiving, and nice the total opposite of Hades…" (Raphael snickered at this). "…The reason why he fell in love with her was because she brought out the good in him and was a bright spot in his life. I think that's the same reason why he kidnapped Persephone. She was the anti Hades all bright and flowery, he wanted her to bring some light to his gloomy existence in the Underworld." Nico finished.

"At least that's how I think Hades works. Pluto is another story." He added. The Vampire nodded thoughtfully he looked towards the east where the sun would soon rise. He stood up and dusted off his clothes.

"I should leave now and take cover. I'm not in any trouble with Underworld right?" he asked though it sounded more like a warning as he watched Nico's reaction carefully.

"Oh I don't know. If you are the furies will be after you not me" Nico remarked with a nonchalant shrug. The vampire stiffened and his eyes flared in anger. He relaxed soon and offered his hand,

"It's been an interesting time meeting you son of Hades, let's hope that the next time we meet it won't be as enemies." Raphael said with a humorless smile that seemed to say "I better not be in trouble with your father or else."

Nico hesitated with the handshake wondering if he was doing the right thing by accepting the Vampire's uneasy offer of friendship. He ultimately went against his doubts, and accepted the downworlder's cold handshake.

"Goodbye for now." Raphael said as he walked away into the shadows. Nico looked down at his still extended hand and imagined all the new adventures, and places to explore with this new knowledge at hand. He smiled to himself as he followed the vampire into the shadows on a new investigation.