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I think I'm beginning to write more slowly, so I could do with all the encouragement you can throw at me!

The party was in full swing. Dozens of minor gods and nymphs danced around the Olympian streets, music blaring, Percy watched with an open mouth, his eyes wide. This was an unexpected turn of events.

Nico looked equally surprised. Nymphs kept flirting with him, and he was smiling at them. The whole thing made Percy uncomfortable. It didn't feel right to watch people trying to get close to Nico. In fact he wanted to push them away. He was aware that feeling was unreasonable.

"You OK, man?" he kept asking, unnecessarily, in an attempt to get Nico's attention back to him. Whenever he did, Nico turned to him with a half-smile. Those dark eyes were distracting him right now. There'd been a moment in the Hades cabin when he'd nearly got lost in them. Almost stopped breathing and lay on the bed with his legs open. Or pushed Nico into that position.

Which was ridiculous, because he was both straight and in definite love with Annabeth. Aphrodite herself had manipulated his relationship with Annabeth. He'd remembered Annabeth's name when he had forgotten everything else. He loved Annabeth, wanted to sleep with no one but Annabeth. There was no part of him that wanted any sort of physical relationship with Nico. At all.

Honest.

"Yeah, course," said Nico with a beautiful smile. "What do you think will happen now?"

Percy shrugged as a nymph tried to feed him grapes. "Maybe they'll send out a search party for him? And bring him here to Zeus?"

"Hmm." Nico didn't look convinced. "Not if Zagreus expects them to attack him."

That was a point. If Zagreus attacked before he knew he was welcome, then what would happen? Maybe they wouldn't avoid a war after all.

He looked around them. Zeus was getting drunk and flirting with a gaggle of nymphs. Poseidon was watching his brother thoughtfully, but Percy could see no sign of Hera. Or Athena. Or Ares.

"I wonder where Persephone is," Nico said aloud, "she should be here around now, she leaves my father in spring."

"Yes," said Percy, "that's a point. Your dad's going to be pissed."

He saw Nico shiver, but the only answer he got was "Well, we never told where we actually found him, did we?"

"And I can't say because of the oath, but someone will ask, eventually," Percy pointed out. "What are we going to say?"

Nico bit his lip worriedly, "I…"

"Percy!" called Poseidon, strolling over and looking friendly.

"Hi Dad," said Percy, smiling. They'd barely spoken for years, but that was nothing new.

"I hear congratulations are in order!" the sea god said, with a smile.

Percy shifted, awkwardly. He didn't like praise for something he didn't do. But he was still a bit scared of everything blowing up in their faces, and didn't want to place everything at Nico's feet just yet. "Er, we just… you know… found him."

"No, I mean the wedding, my boy!" said Poseidon with a grin. "Annabeth finally making an honest man of you."

"Oh, yeah," said Percy. He probably should have realised that. Normal people probably did think about their imminent wedding plans when they were being congratulated by a relative. "Thanks," he said, anyway. "Er… did we send you an invite?"

Poseidon smiled, "Yes, I received the invite, thank you."

Percy was about to ask whether he intended to come, but noticed Nico staring at the floor. Percy reacted to that sad expression without thinking.

"Hey Nico, dance with me," he said.

Nico's head snapped up. "What?"

"Come on!" Percy called, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the dancing. He himself was a terrible dancer, and he suspected Nico wasn't any better, but they still found a rhythm and wriggled, and laughed and stood closer and closer.

By the time Percy realised he'd somehow put a hand on Nico's hip, Persephone appeared beside them.

"Someone wants a word," she hissed, grabbing them both. They didn't have a chance to try to escape, because within a second they were in the throne room of the underworld.

"Ow!" Percy protested, "that hurt my arm!"

Persephone let them go, but with a none too small shove. They stumbled, and grabbed each other to stay upright.

"Welcome back, nephew," sneered Hades. "Something you want to share?"

"Er, did you want the chicken or the onion tart?" Percy asked.

"What?" snapped Hades.

"The meal at the wedding, we need to know how many vegetarian options to provide."

Hades face went red, "You… shut up!"

"Well, that would make it hard for me to tell you anything," said Percy.

Nico intervened before Percy could earn himself instant death from sheer cheek, "Father, Percy didn't do anything wrong..."

"Except hide the child he knew I was looking for, then tell Zeus and Poseidon about him before he told me, exactly the opposite of my wishes!"

Percy couldn't help but add, "Ah, but I didn't mention anything about you losing a baby, so technically I didn't break any oaths."

"He tried to bring us both to you, father!" Nico protested, ignoring Percy's new attempt at inducing god fury, "But Zagreus bound him and…"

"And he plots against me!" Hades shouted.

"No!" Nico cried, "He just tried to look after me!"

"Don't think that you're not in trouble, young man!" Hades growled.

"Dad, I'm twenty!" Nico protested.

"I can still send you to your room!"

"Dad!" moaned Nico. "I took Zagreus, I looked after him, and I let him go! Percy did nothing to upset you! Let him go."

"Not likely!" Hades replied.

"Dad!"

Percy leaned against a wall. This was probably going to last a while.

Zagreus hadn't moved in hours. This was going to be difficult, and he needed perfect concentration.

He needed his Roman half; Aion. He couldn't imagine having another self, but he somehow knew that this was part of him. Aion had a different personality, a different way of being, but he belonged to Zagreus. As soon as he found Aion, he would be stronger than he'd ever thought possible. But finding him was not going to be easy.

He spent his fourth consecutive hour trying to feel Aion. He didn't really know where to start. He could be on Olympus, or Earth, or anywhere else. Zagreus imagined he'd know if Aion had been in the underworld with him, but even that wasn't certain. And even then, Aion was locked inside a sword, and it was possible that he could not find him this way at all.

He called for his Roman self. Not with words, but with thoughts. He guessed Alaska was an unlikely place for Athena to have hidden him, so he sent the ripples across the world, and waited for a reply. He listened and listened and listened.

It took an age before he could hear Aion. Then another before he could figure out where the reply was coming from. But at least it came. Aion craved him, too, needed him to join them together, to fuse, to become greater than they could be separately.

Now he need only follow that call.

...xxx...xxx…

Jason marched through New Rome with purpose. He knew his mission, and he'd never felt right when he didn't have one. He'd been a soldier for as long as he could remember, following orders, thinking up strategy, preparing for battle. Life with Piper was like some kind of dream: loving and warm and beautiful, and somehow misty and confused. This was clearer. A mission to protect the world and to serve the gods. A chance to make his father notice him.

He summoned the senate, a dozen or so kids in purple togas looking uncomfortable. They all knew of Jason Grace, former praetor. There were some who were still suspicious of him: he'd become almost Greek in his fighting style, seemed to return to Camp Half-blood far more than he returned to Camp Jupiter. Though his mission had been a success, he had still gone to the forbidden lands of Greece and Rome. But Jason knew he had right on his side - he was given this mission by Juno herself.

By the end of the meeting he had an army at his back. Veterans, too, formed ranks as he marched. It seemed Juno had appeared to them in dreams, instructing them to follow, to fight the threat to Western Civilization that Zagreus posed. And though Jason had not been told where to march, he found his way was shown by cows and peacocks, the sacred animals of Hera. It led them North to a military base. The commander was a veteran of Camp Jupiter, third generation and mostly untroubled by monsters, but strong and brave. He knew they were coming; Juno had appeared before him in person to instruct him. The whole camp was put under Jason's command. Human soldiers confused by the arrival of so many teenagers led by a man with no known military history were told that this was a secret mission backed by the CIA. Jason was confused - mortals were never a part of the god's plans, but he realised the base had dozens of aircraft, ready to transport them hundreds of miles. He instructed everyone to get a good night's sleep. In the morning, Juno could return with instructions on where they were needed.

In an officer's simple room, he tried to sleep too, to ready himself for the following day, but dreams kept plaguing him. Some were Juno, trying to prepare him for battle, some were of battle itself, but some were inexplicable. A voice in the night, from the cold and far away. A voice that slotted within him perfectly. A leader, a lover, a fighter.

"Aion," called the voice.

And in the night he heard a reply. Colder, meaner, more dangerous. It hissed through the night in all directions.

"Zagreus," it replied.

...xxx...xxx...

Nico and Hades seemed to argue most of the night, and probably for some of the next day. Nico had to be exhausted. Percy certainly was. He'd fallen asleep a couple of times as he sat next to the argueent, only to be woken by nightmares and terror, no doubt presents from an angry Hades, particularly if the god's satisfied smirk was anything to go by.

The argument itself seemed to be going round in circles. But it focused on four main points

1) Zagreus was or wasn't out to get them.

2) Hades had betrayed Zeus by hiding him in the first place.

3) Nico had betrayed Hades by taking him.

4) Whether or not Percy should ever be allowed to see the light of day again

When Nico was almost dead on his feet from exhaustion, Percy asked, "But how did you even come to have him?"

"That's not of your business, bastard," snapped Hades.

"Dad!" Nico groaned. "We need to know! What if he isn't Zagreus?"

"Oh, he's Zagreus," sighed Hades.

"But how did he end up here?" Percy asked.

"I gave birth to him, of course!" snapped Persephone. Percy had almost forgotten she was there. She'd stayed out of the argument, sat back and watched father and son back and forth without comment.

"Hang on!" said Percy, "Chiron said Gaia was his mother!"

"And he was reborn to me!" Persephone told him, as though she were telling a particularly stupid child that one plus one is two.

"But..." Percy started, and then stopped. But what? Was there a sensible 'but' he could add?

"Gaia tricked her into drinking a potion," snapped Hades, "we think it may have been made from Zagreus' heart. She was already pregnant, but when the babe was born, he told us he was Zagreus. He asked to see Zeus. What was I supposed to do?"

"Take him to see Zeus?" Nico suggested.

"You know Hera would simply have plotted against him once more. And there was that stupid prophecy. If Zagreus overthrows Zeus, do you think he will stop there? He'd have taken down me too! And Poseidon, brat, before you get all overexcited."

"Not necessarily," said Percy.

"Well, it hardly matters now!" snapped Hades. "Maybe one day I would have been able to make a deal with the boy, but not now! Not now my own son has thrown me to the dogs!"

"You kept him locked up for thousands of years!" Nico growled, "with no one! With nothing!"

"Hardly," Hades growled, looking furious that Nico would have suggested such a thing. "I checked on him regularly. He had the best wet nurse to have ever died!"

"You kept him a baby!" Nico cried.

"Seeing a bit of yourself in him, are you boy?" said Hades, and if he had any emotion at that moment, it was defensiveness. "You know I did that for your safety! You saw what nearly happened!"

"Look, guys," said Percy, "You've been arguing all night! And humans need sleep!"

Hades folded his arms, "He started it!" he said, sulkily.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Right, we need sleep!" he said. "Can we go home or something?"

"Bah," said Hades, "We'll continue this tomorrow. Go, sleep, you petty humans."

"Petty?" Percy repeated, thinking that was the biggest bit of hypocrisy he could imagine.

"Bah!" Hades repeated and waved his hand. The room disappeared, except for Percy and Nico, and was replaced by a simple but comfortable looking bedroom. It was dark, like the Hades cabin had been, but clean. The air smelt pleasant, and there was an array of beautiful fruits in one corner.

"Yeah, don't eat that," said Nico.

"Wasn't planning to," Percy replied. "So, shall we..."

He pointed at the bed. Just the one. It seemed like hours ago when he'd felt a thrill at the idea of sharing a bed with Nico, but right now he had other priorities. Sleep. Sleep was very, very necessary. Nico, who'd looked ready to explode when it was first mentioned, now simply nodded.

They got in on either side, having stripped off their outer layers of clothing. It didn't seem even slightly strange to be so close to each other. They listened to each other's breathing and slipped off into comfortable dreams.

They woke up closer than they fell asleep.

"Zagreus," Aion called.

The night had passed, and Zagreus had travelled through it. He didn't shadow travel, for fear of losing him, of not finding his Roman half again. He had gone through Canada at such a speed that no one would have seen him pass even if they could see through the mist, pausing every dozen miles to check for the sound. Still so soft, but getting louder and louder.

He skirted the border between Canada and the USA. The gods were more than able to enter Canada, he could feel that in the air, and he could feel the gods of the cold weather were there permanently, but they were less likely to notice him there, and until he had Aion and his sword, he was not ready for his presence to be felt.

He crossed the great lakes in a handful of strides, and leapt across the border at Toronto. He then traversed the wilds of New York State, following the sound, towards the great city of New York itself.

And still Aion called his name.

He stalked the streets, the tall buildings got in his way so he walked up the sides and over the tops, until he stood upon the building he knew was the right one. He could feel the power of his weapon and his Roman self in the very air around him. He only took a moment to enjoy the feeling, before he walked down the side of the building.

He read the names on the buzzers curiously. This building seemed exactly the same as the others he could see. Why would the mortals who lived here have his sword?

He saw a name that gave it away.

'Jackson'.

That meddlesome little brat. Zagreus would boil his head in oil. He would have him publicly flogged! He would tie his limbs to four horses and send them galloping in opposite directions.

Except Nico loved the presumptuous brat. Zagreus would have to have a word. He could keep Jackson alive if Nico really wanted him, but he was going to be nothing more than a fly when the new order came in. A dog for everyone to kick. Maybe he could make him sleep in a kennel and drink from a bowl on the floor.

He rang the doorbell. He heard the sound in a far off part of the building, way up over his head. It jangled nastily, and he heard the early morning sounds of people being woken up. Padded feet moved upstairs, the light feet of a slim female, and then a voice sounded, both up with the building, and here in the street with a metallic edge.

"Hello?"

Female voice, too. Definitely not Jackson.

"Hi," said Zagreus, voice a pleasant mix of Jackson's and Nico's - between their frequencies, between their accents, "Is Percy home?"

"No, he's gone away for a bit" replied the woman. "Can I help?"

"Well, sure," said Zagreus, putting a smile into his voice, "I think he has something of mine. A package."

"Package?" said the woman, and Zagreus didn't fail to spot the crack of panic in her voice.

"Yeah," replied Zagreus, "long, thin..."

"Who is this?" the woman snapped, and now she sounded really scared, like he'd held a sword to her throat scared. Maybe Percy Jackson hadn't stolen his sword after all.

He thought back to what he knew of Percy Jackson. He was getting married. Did he know the girl's name? Had Nico mentioned it?

"Are you... Annabeth?" he asked. He remembered the name, mentioned in the argument he'd heard through the bathroom door.

"Who are you?" Annabeth repeated, still fearful but definitely brave. Zagreus could tell that she wouldn't just hand over her prize.

"I'm a friend of Percy's," said Zagreus, he thought through the names Nico had suggested before, "Peter."

The intercom switched off, but he heard some colourful swearing from the apartment itself. Then the intercom switched on again.

"Percy's not here," said Annabeth, "why don't you come back later?"

"So you can run away?" said Zagreus.

Annabeth didn't have an instant answer to that.

Zagreus smiled, reverting to his normal voice. "Annabeth, I know you have what I'm after."

"Don't know what you're talking about," Annabeth breathed.

"Sure you do," said Zagreus, "you have my sword. I want it back."

"I don't have any sword!" said Annabeth, "Come back later."

"Annabeth," said Zagreus, "you're brave, I like that. Join me, hand over Aion and I won't have to kill you."

"I don't have any sword!" Annabeth repeated.

"Yes you do!" Zagreus growled, "Did Percy give it to you?"

"No!" Annabeth cried, and that at least didn't sound like a lie, "I don't have any sword. You need to go now. Don't think for a moment I am defenceless!"

"I think you are Annabeth," Zagreus told her coldly, "you are a single demigod trying to stand between a god and his weapon. This is not a battle you can win."

The intercom snapped off. Zagreus suspected he wouldn't get another answer, so pushed the front door of the building until it snapped open, and entered. He followed the sound of panic and Aion. Maybe she'd grabbed the sword. A door opened on the floor above, so Zagreus leapt over the balcony in time to see a blond girl gasp at the sight of him and slam the door closed once more.

"Annabeth, you have nowhere to run," said Zagreus, "you cannot climb a building as I can. You cannot leap to the street and survive, you cannot hide behind a wooden door. Give up Annabeth. I only want my sword."

He didn't get an answer, just a few sounds of running. With one finger, he smashed open the door.

There was a sudden silence in the apartment. The girl was no where to be seen, either.

"Annabeth," he crooned, "Annabeth?"

He heard her breathing, shuffling. She was in a room, slightly further off.

"Do you know where your fiancée is?" he part said, part sang, "Do you know what he's… up to?"

The breathing didn't change, the shuffling didn't change. He stepped onwards, towards the sound, but with no rush.

"Hmmm, I wonder if Hades will let him live?" Zagreus said, thoughtfully, "and of course, Hera will not be best pleased with him now, either."

He moved into another room, this one with a bed, neatly made. The sound was coming from a further door, some kind of cupboard. "I wonder if he's fucking Nico yet," Zagreus said.

As he suspected, a very sudden intake of breath came from behind him, in the doorway, back the way he came. He spun and in a second, he had taken the invisible girl by the neck.

"You are clever, aren't you?" he said. "I could do with someone like you in my army." He strolled to the cupboard and pulled out a small box. "What's this?" he asked.

"It's called a cell phone, dumbass," said invisible Annabeth.

"Clever, brave, and I see you've learned your manners from Percy," Zagreus smirked

Annabeth let out a frustrated wail, "Who are you?" she demanded, "I don't know what you want! I can fight anyone when I know who they are!"

"I'm Zagreus," said Zagreus, "And where is my sword?"

"I don't know!" Annabeth hissed.

"I can hear him, Annabeth," Zagreus whispered, "I will find him anyway. If you tell me, maybe you get to leave in one piece."

Annabeth sobbed. She struggled in his grip, and he felt invisible legs kicking him. Then the blond reappeared, pulling a purple hat from her head. She glared at him, furiously.

She spat in his face.

When Zagreus left the apartment a few minutes later, he had his sword in hand and he knew there was one less person to oppose him.

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