Just a small thing; I'm going to start incorporating bits and pieces from Trials of Apollo – The Hidden Oracle. If you haven't read it – I'm very sorry.
By the time, they returned, Jason and Piper had arrived. Piper saw Hermione and Nico's clasped hands and looked like she might explode from delight.
Jason only looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile. "So, Hermione Granger. You look like you're enjoying your kidnapping."
Hermione looked deeply confused. "kidnapping?"
"These were all over the place. I brought one back, because of the pretty drawing of our good friend Nico. You guys are famous." He replied, with a teasing grin.
Nico cursed colorfully. Hazel had slowly been getting used to the language of the modern world, but she still blushed. No one should say such things about the mother of a horse. She approved, when Hermione gave him a slap on the back of his head.
"I forgot to call them when we left the hotel."
"Well, as far as I remember, you were a bit preoccupied, Princess." Nico replied, smirking as he sat down on one of the chairs, placing his legs on the table.
"Oh do shut up, Pretty Boy." She snapped.
"Pretty Boy" Nico mouthed behind her back, looking deeply offended.
"Hey, Blondie!" she addressed Jason, who suddenly wasn't laughing anymore. "I'm going to need that after this."
"So!" Will started, rubbing his hands together "What are we doing here? Bring me up to speed."
Nico sighed, and they all sat down.
"Hermione, could you do that silencing thing? I think this is best not not overheard. Especially from above."
Hazel watched in fascination, as Hermione drew her wand and started casting the most powerful silencing charm she knew. It settled like a force field around them. Annabeth tried poking the shimmering curtain, trying to analyze its properties.
"Right then", Nico continued. "We all know that since the Titan War, our relationships with the gods has grown better. Except for one of them." he paused, looking at Jason, who looked uncomfortable.
"We've been working on improving relations, but it has been hard. Zeus has become a paranoid tyrant dictator, and won't listen to reason. A little more than a week ago, our diplomacy crashed. Literally." He looked at Percy accusingly.
"Look," Percy started angrily "Zeus is a tyrant, and we all know that, but someone had to stand up to him."
"But you could have prepared us for what you were about to do."
"I just do what is right! Zeus is treating all of us like crap! He expects everyone to hold their promises, but never keeps his own. When things go to crap, he blames everyone else. He uses threats, intimidation and extreme punishments to keep people in line! He's a tyrant and a dictator!" Percy ranted
"I agree! If you want a rebellion, great! I'm with you! Most of us are. It's just a bit hard to be with you, when you leave us behind. You acted rashly, without consulting anyone else, you didn't even consider the threat you put us all under! You're not the only one Zeus is going to punish!" Nico raged, punching the table with his right fist.
Percy looked properly ashamed now. It was true. He had acted rashly, and others had paid the price. Annabeth's father was still in the hospital, and people were scared. There had been an increase in thunderstorms all over the world. Especially in New York.
"Enough," Jason said "It doesn't matter how we got here. We have to make status, and decide, where we go from here."
Everyone nodded their assent.
"Piper and I, have been out checking up on how the others were holding up. As some of you know, it was decided to move everyone from Camp Half-blood here. Zeus might be angry with us, but the gods still depend on us. As long as we stay together, we should be relatively safe. Had we stayed in two separate camps, odds are that one of the camps would have been destroyed. The kids out there are scared, but hopeful that we will resolve the situation soon. This one guy, Harley though, kept complaining about a flamethrower he forgot though?"
"Ah yeah. He's my apprentice. I'll talk to him later." Leo said, smiling like a proud father.
"Now, the question is, where do we go from here?" Annabeth said. "Why did you bring Hermione here, Nico? You say protection, but knowing you, there is something else behind. You also brought Will, so what is your idea?"
Straight to the point. Hermione liked her.
Nico sighed, and looked to Hermione and Will. "It's true, Hermione does need protection, but she can also help protecting us, and help resolving the situation." He looked her in the eye and she nodded, giving him permission to share some of their story.
"I met Hermione, almost immediately after the end of the Titan War. Hecate had this community in Britain, and there was this guy who had tried to become immortal, like eighteen years ago. My dad sent me to see if the community was at peace and if there were signs of more people trying to do the same."
He locked eyes with Hermione and gave her a small smile, which she returned.
"There, I found Hermione. I could tell what she was almost immediately. It was incredible that she hadn't been eaten by some kind of monster before then"
"And if I remember correctly, I had been chased by a fifty feet long Basilisk by that time."
Franks eyes bugged out. "Fifty feet! How is that even possible?" "Basilisks are immortal, Frank. This one had lived for about a millennium. That's a long time to gain pounds" Hermione said.
"Ah, Petrification. Good times. Anyway, Nico found me. I had no idea, what I was. I was adopted as an infant, and had no clue about my birth parents. I knew I was a witch, and I guessed that it was probably passed down from one of them. I could tell that Nico wasn't like other wizards, his power was different and more powerful." Nico looked extremely pleased at that.
"I knew she could be trouble. Zeus had tried to kill me and Bianca, and had wanted to kill Percy. I knew he probably wouldn't take it so well if another kid of the big three was discovered. At least not so soon after the humiliation of a kid turning down godhood and instead demanding stuff from him." Nico continued.
"I went to see my dad. He and Poseidon had gotten along much better, and the two of them agreed that it would be better to keep her hidden back then. She was protected during the school year, by the enchantments of the castle, but whenever she would come home for holidays, she would be vulnerable. She needed to learn how to defend herself, but since she couldn't come to camp, it was decided that I should train her."
"I'm rusty now though. I lost my training partner."
"Nah. I'm pretty sure you could still give me a run for my money."
"That's cute and all, but can we get back to point?" Annabeth interrupted. "We have plenty of good fighters. What's so special about her? – No offence."
Nico gritted his teeth. "The thing is, that Hermione is powerful. Like crazy powerful. More than any of us." Hermione blushed and looked away. "She has magic, from being blessed by Hecate, and then she has powers from Poseidon, but both those powers amplify each other. She's Zeus's biggest threat here."
"So she can make a really large water gun? I don't get it" Leo said.
"I'm really not that great with water. Just the basics." Hermione replied.
"You know how many gods have several aspects?" Nico tried to explain. "Like Apollo's kids are great at archery or healing or music? Or Hades is the god of death and riches, Nico indicated himself and Hazel respectively. "Well, Poseidon is known as the God of the Sea. You know another nickname he has?"
"Earth-Shaker" Annabeth replied, wide-eyed.