If there was one thing that Bianca and Percy hated, the title would have to go to handcuffs. Sure they were easy to break out of, but it was a hell of a security measure for five seconds of known tranquility.
Of course, Artemis didn't seem to notice that the handcuffs weren't locked anymore, and they weren't going to tell her anytime soon. Percy and Bianca shuffled forward in silence, bearing a painfully obvious difference from the other demigod.
"Why the hell are we in shackles? Have I done anything to hurt you, hm? From your group of gals, not everyone's treated this way."
Artemis turned to Nico, cold fury evident in her eyes, but Nico didn't dare show any fear. Truth be told, though, he was terrified. "You should consider yourself lucky you are not either a pile of ashes or a jackelope by now, boy."
Nico laughed mirthlessly. "Boy this, boy that, do you have any insults besides boy? And why're you so sexist in the -"
"Nico, you've got serious balls talking to Arty here like that," Percy cut off, "but you seriously need to know when to shut up."
Artemis wasn't sure whether to thank the mysterious boy for preventing her temper to get the best of her, or to slap him for his insolence and utter disrespect for her. She settled on a glare, in which she got a grin in response.
Nico, on the other hand, just about exploded. "Who are you to tell me to shut up -" his words were cut short by a dark gag appearing over his mouth.
"Sibling rivalry. You should know, what with Apollo." Bianca chimed in.
"Hades' children," Artemis mused. "You're probably not going to survive this council meeting."
Percy and Bianca shared a look, deciding to let Artemis think that she just got three demigod spawns of Hades.
"Here we are, at Olympus," Artemis spoke proudly, gesturing to the massive white city in front of them. The streets were filled with nymphs, minor gods and vendors, selling the latest models of shields and swords and the like.
"Impressive," Percy started. "But small in comparison to home."
Artemis bit her tongue. Though Olympus was huge, she never knew how big the Underworld truly was. By what Hermes says, it's like, "a dark, deserted and gloomy copy of Olympus plus three gigantic football fields (Fields of Punishment, Asphodel and Elysium)".
Finally arriving at the throne room, she pushed open the massive throne gates to reveal a towering room. Twelve enormous seats pulsing with power made a U shape, with five on each side and two at the end of the U. Artemis promptly made to her seat, growing to her godly form of thirteen feet.
Of course, it was at this time that Percy's handcuffs slipped off. They clattered to the floor, earning the shocked gazes of twelve Olympians and a twelve-year-old, while Bianca simply headbutted him in the shoulder.
"Of course it was now, in the presence of the Olympian council that you reveal you picked the lock. Klutz." She took off her own chains as she said this.
"Hey, I'm not as bad as dad. Remember when he leaned in for a kiss from Mom and he fell on Aunt C?"
"Hah, that's true. He was crying for at least a day straight."
"Ahem," Zeus attempted at gaining control of the situation. "You are in the presence of the gods. Do you not bow?"
Percy smirked. "Our father told us the true stories of the Olympians on the Styx. The only Olympian we both find worthy is Artemis. Bianca likes Poseidon too, but I hold an old grudge against him. Although..." he trails off, clearly in deep thought. "If Hermes wasn't so prankster, he'd be cool."
"YOU DARE SHOW THAT LEVEL OF DISRESPECT TO THE KING OF THE GODS? I SHOULD HAVE YOU SMITED WHERE YOU STAND!" Zeus thundered, reaching for his master bolt.
Bianca shrugged. "With all your paranoia, you probably should. Or at least, you could try."
Zeus smirked. "Any last words, demigods?"
Percy and Bianca shared a gaze and laughed. Simultaneously, they muttered, "We're not demigods, idiot." They raised their voice enough so Zeus would catch the last bit or so.
It had the desired effect. Zeus turned dark red, almost purple with rage, and fired his master bolt, intending to send the two to Tartarus.
What he didn't expect to see was to clear out the smoke to find two perfectly unharmed teens.
"Hehe, Zeusy here thought his little bolt could actually touch us. Father would disown us right away if he even got close." In his snickering, he didn't notice that Nico's shadow gag had faded away.
"GIVE ME MY MASTER BOLT BACK!"
Bianca reached behind her back and pulled out the bolt. "As amusing as this is, we need to get down to business. Both of us are going back home, and we're taking him with us," she stated as if she were talking to a toddler, jerking her head in the direction of Nico.
"I'D RATHER DIE THAN GO WITH YOU!" Yep, Nico was mad.
Zeus tried summoning his master bolt back, and it complied, taking Bianca along with it. When Zeus tried to reach out and take it, she used the bolt to smack him across the face, then she jumped off his still-outstretched hands and back to Perseus, who gave her a high-five.
"YOU DARE ATTACK -"
"Listen Zeusy-boy," Percy snapped. "We're taking our leave and our comrade. Peace out."
"NOW JUST -"
Percy clapped a hand on Nico's shoulder, and the three of them reappeared in Tartarus' throne room, where - ah, that's up to your imagination. (I can't break any rating rules here guys)
A split second later, he teleported Nico to his room next to Bianca's, then decided to teleport to his own bedroom as well. Listening to the throne room, it wasn't long before Tartarus and Nyx got seriously mad at Bianca for...interrupting them.
Sure enough, the palace started shaking for a few seconds, before letting off and having an enraged Tartarus take its place. "BIANCA, YOU ARE SO DEAD!"
Percy couldn't help it. He burst out in laughter. Sweet, glorious laughs that escaped his lips, with his body shaking more than in the Garden.
After all, he did miss most of his childhood.
The next day, as Percy wolfed down his breakfast of bacon and eggs, Bianca suddenly laughed at a reminder. Percy raised an eyebrow, and Bianca clarified. "Nico was trying to escape the palace for four hours last night."
Percy grinned. "The poor guy. He knows there's no exit now, right?"
Bianca shook her head. "He only stopped because he fell asleep while looking for an exit. I tried to tell him that there was no exit, but he didn't believe me. Ah well, it's his loss."
As if cued, Nico's frantic voice started echoing through the palace. "WHERE IN HELL AM I NOW? I SWEAR THIS ISN'T A PALACE, THIS IS A LABYRINTH!"
Percy laughed, but internally he started worrying. How much longer is it going to be before Nico starts trusting us? Or, another frightening thought: What if he never trusts us? Or worse, he betrays us to the enemy?
Relax, his chill self thought. He's twelve. He'll get over it.
Before he had any more time to think, Tartarus and Nyx emerged out of the darkness. Tartarus looked both excited and weary, while Nyx looked frail.
Percy and Bianca stood up at the same time, bumping into each other, but that wasn't a worry. "What is it?"
Tartarus only shook his head, while Nyx managed to gasp out two words that still shocked everybody, regardless of their previous knowledge of the topic.
"I'm pregnant."
AN: Damn I guess they didn't listen to Percy in Chapter 2 when he told them to use protection. Right?
Also, there you go, another update within like nine hours, probably eight. Hopefully I'll update tomorrow as well (I'm in PST), but tomorrow I got a party, so no promises. (I'm evil that way.)
Peace out.