Ch44

Bianca fired arrows at the hoards of monsters. "Hunters get into position!" Zoe yelled as a volley of arrows landed on the monsters killing them instantly.

Damn it these attacks have been getting more and more frequent. They were currently in Ohio doing their best to track down the movements of the Titan Army and bring down their forces but lately they have been pursued by monsters nonstop.

"Zoe I'm going to summon some help," she said taking a deep breath.

"Alright but don't wear thine self out," Zoe said as she shot a few monster down.

She took a deep breath and focused on the Earth. Father help us over comet the enemy. The Earth rose around her as various skeletons came out and attacked the monsters causing them to break formation.

"Charge!" Zoe yelled. They then went on the offensive, she ordered the skeletons to charge in coordination with the hunters. The monsters were quickly overwhelmed and some of them tried to flee. "Don't let them escape!" Zoe ordered.

"I got them!" She fired a few arrows at the monsters as they retreated into the woods. She ordered some of the skeletons to follow her as she chased after them. The monsters ran into the forest as she fired arrows at them. Eventually she arrived at a clearing and took the monsters out with a few arrows.

"Bianca!" A familiar voice called out that made her freeze.

Turning around slowly she saw her brother Nico staring at her with a wide smile. "N-Nico?" She was so surprised she didn't even react as he ran up and hugged.

"I missed you Bianca," he said hugging her tightly.

"Nico what's gong on why are you here?" She asked a million thoughts going through her head. "I was so worried I heard you left camp."

Her brother pulled away. Nico had gotten taller since she last saw him and wore a dark leather jacket and pants and had a celestial bronze sword by his side.

Nico's smiled widened, "I couldn't let them deceive me. I'm here to save you."

"Deceive me? Save me from what?" She asked in confusion.

Her brother stared at her his gaze turning cold. "Those evil hunters who brainwashed you and separated us."

"Nico," she said softly taken aback by his tone. Her brother's posture stiffened, the air around them tensing up. She heard screams in the distance, her sisters must have fallen into some kind of trap. "Nico what did you do?"

Her brother laughed, "Don't worry they deserve worse but they'll die quickly. I ordered the monsters to not spare any of them."

She stared in shock at her brother's callousness, "Nico what have you done?" Her body shook at her brother's wicked smile.

"I'm here to save you," Nico said extending his hand. "Lord Kronos has trained me to be strong so you don't have to rely on those pesky hunters and that wicked goddess." His eyes widened his smile became maniacal. "I wasn't strong enough to protect you that's why they took you from me and tricked you into leaving me."

She stood in horror at her brother's words. His smile made her stomach turn. "I'm here to save you," Nico said. "Come on I'm a true hero now just like in Mythomagic."

Oh gods no. Taking a deep breath she looked her brother in the eyes, "Nico I won't join Kronos."

Nico frowned and folded his arms, "Bianca we are family we should stick together. The goddess Artemis tricked you and I'm here to save you."

"Nico don't do this," she begged. "Kronos is a liar and means to destroy the world. Nico I joined the hunt on my own free will."

"NO YOU DIDN'T!" Nico yelled stomping his leg. He pointed his finger at her, "That goddess tricked you didn't she? She brainwashed you to leave me."

"Nico it wasn't like that," she said gripping her bow and arrow.

Her brother's face contorted into anger. "I'll take you back one way or another." Nico took a step forward but she gripped her bow and raised his face hardened. "So you would raise your own bow and arrow against me huh? Did those loser hunters and useless goddess brainwash you to hate me that much?"

"Nico I won't join Kronos," she said firmly. "Please just come with me back to camp and we can work this out."

"NO!" He yelled stomping his foot causing the ground around them to shake. "I won't go back to that camp," he seethed. "I'll take you back and we can be together again."

"Nico please snap out of it," she begged.

Nico's body shook, "Then come on we can escape together. You leave the hunt and I leave Kronos."

She stared at her brother contemplating that offer. A part of her wanted to accept, she debated what she could do to help him. "Nico lets go to camp both of us we can stay there for a while," she said calmly. "I'll help you adjust there. I know people who can help you."

Nico stared at her his posture rigid, "I won't go back there. They'll mistreat us, they'll never accept me for who I am. Bianca lets be a family again just the two of us."

Her eyes began to tear up as she shook her head. "Nico we are children of the Big Three life will never be the same again or normal again. Please lets just go to camp together."

Nico shook his head taking a few steps back. "They've gotten to you just like Lord Kronos said." His voice was low as if Christmas had been canceled.

"Nico please I joined the hunt out of my own free will," she said softly. "I didn't mean to abandon you, please don't let Kronos manipulate you."

"HE ISN'T MANIPULATING ME!" Nico yelled his body shaking as he glared at her. "He shows me the truth. He shows me how you have been tricked and forced to leave me. I'll save you Bianca."

He took a step forward and she raised her bow her body shaking as her brother glared at her. Suddenly an arrow flew between them. She turned around and saw Zoe and the other hunters behind her.

"Stand down," Zoe yelled. "Nico di Angelo surrender to us we promise fair treatment."

Nico laughed, "I won't be fooled." He then turned to her. "I'll save you Bianca I promise."

He then turned around and ran into the shadows. "Nico wait!" But it was too late for he had already disappeared through a shadow. "Nico," she whispered as she looked around the forest her heart racing.

"Let's go speak with Lady Artemis," Zoe said putting an arm on her shoulder. "But for now lets help clean up."

The hunt had suffered great loss that day, many hunters were either defeated or badly wounded. That night she dreamt of tunnels and various pathways that lead to other pathways. The image of her father's stern face appeared. "Descend into the labyrinth and bring him back," he said firmly. She had never met Hades though occasionally he spoke to her through dreams. Her eyes widened the next morning her body in a cold sweat.

She headed towards Artemis's tent and found the goddesses looking over some reports. "Lady Artemis," she said with a bow.

"Hello Bianca have a seat," Artemis said looking at her with a calm gaze. "I heard your ran into your brother?"

She nodded a lump building in her throat. "He joined the enemy, he thinks I was pressured into joining the hunt and wants to save me."

"Well children often have such notions of things they don't understand," Artemis said.

"I-I also received a strange dream," she said as she recounted the dream of her father. "He wants me to descend into the labyrinth."

Artemis sighed, "The labyrinth is a tricky place. If you wish to go I won't stop you, saving your brother from the enemy will be beneficial to all of us."

She looked up at the goddess and nodded. "I do. I want to save him if I can, we are family."

"I know all about family," Artemis said with a small smile. "Sometimes we all make mistakes but in the end we are still blood." The goddess extended a hand and a compass appeared in it. "Take this. As goddess of the hunt tracking is in my domain, your senses will already be heightened. Descend into the labyrinth but be careful the enemy is no fool."

She took the compass and gripped it tightly. "Thank you Lady Artemis. I won't fail, I'll get Nico back one way or another."

Artemis smiled at her. "I have great expectations for you dear. Be safe your sisters will be waiting for you when you return."

"Thank you. Are there any entrances to the labyrinth nearby?" She asked

The goddess nodded. "Some scouts found an opening not far from here in an abandoned factory. Get ready to leave as soon as possible."

"I will," she said firmly. Nico I'll save you from this. I won't let you go down this path.


Chrysaor tossed and turned in his bed. He saw a familiar sight, his son Geryon was tending to some cattle, except they weren't his cattle.

"They have been requesting more meat," Geryon muttered as he through some feed into the pen. "Hopefully I can make more money selling any lost demigods to them." A cruel smile spread across his son's face.

The dream ended and he awoke in a cold sweat. Damn foolish boy. He rubbed his head as the memory of his son. I wasn't the best father but he took after my worst qualities, Geryon seemed to only care about one thing and that was money. I know I'm not one to talk but he was a greedy son of a bitch who even had to audacity to steal from me. But still to side with the Titan Lord, I should've taught him better.

He got up from his be and stretched. "The labyrinth is becoming more troublesome for us," he muttered. Truthfully Geryone had died many times doing bad things and they did betray each other a lot back in the day?

"Is Percy coming back soon?" A yawning voice said from the other side of the room.

He turned and saw Tyson sit up in his bed. "Yeah I'm going to meet him today."

Tyson smiled at him, "Good. I'll make sure everything is ready for him."

He nodded. "Good. He'll be excited to see you again." They young cyclops came to visit and decided to stay and see Percy.

Tyson smiled at him, "I'm going to play with the ponies."

"You do that," he said as he stretched.

Tyson smiled and left leaving him in the room. He bit his lip remembering his son from his dream. Well its worth a shot, I mean I made up with Pegasus.

Taking a deep breath he willed the water to make a rainbow and through a drachma into it. "Oh Goddess Iris show me Geryon. The image of his son appeared on the screen, his monstrous form as he remembered. "Hello son," he said in a neutral tone.

Geryon looked up at him and squinted, "Do I know you?"

"Don't tell me you don't recognize your own father?" He asked sarcastically.

Geryon's eyes narrowed before he laughed. "I heard you were turned mortal but to think you are now some puny kid?'

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah this is my punishment. Anyway I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh you want to talk now?" Geryon said his gaze turning cold.

"Look I know we didn't have the best of history," he said calmly. "But I know about your current client."

"So?" Geryon snorted. "You did a lot of things for money why can't I?"

He clenched his fists. "You're a fool to sell to the Titan Lord?"

"Has being mortal made you soft father?" Geryon mocked his gaze cold and icy. "After all you did to me and mother growing up and all the pillaging you did don't come and try to act high and might with me."

There was a mixture of contempt and hurt in his voice, his words were more than accusatory. The sad thing he didn't blame him.

He clenched his fists, taking all of his will power to not break the fountain. "We all made mistakes in life," he said calmly. "But working for the Titan Lord will not end will for you."

Geryon laughed. "Whatever. You never cared about anyone but yourself. I'm making my own living just like you did so you screw yourself. "

He slammed his fist into the basin causing water to spill out. "Foolish boy," he muttered his body shaking.

"Are you ok?" Reyna asked as she walked into the room. "You look upset." The daughter of Bellona was wearing an orange camp shirt her face neutral.

"Oh I'm fine," he sighed looking at the bowl of water. He didn't expect his conversation with his son to go well, in fact he wasn't the best of fathers so he didn't expect his son to like him. "Just an old acquaintance."

"Family?" Reyna asked.

He nodded slowly. "Tell me could you ever forgive your father for all the times he mistreated you?"

Reyna frowned her posture stiffening as she rested against the doorway. "I don't know how to answer that."

"I feel someone close to me feels the same way," he said looking into the water gripping the edges tightly.

Reyna looked to the ground her fists clenched. "If he wanted a better life I would wish him the best but that wouldn't mean I would want him into my life."

"I can see that," he sighed rubbing his head. I don't blame him for not wanting anything to do with me. He is my burden and mine alone. "Come on lets get breakfast."

The tension in the air was thick as he ate breakfast. There were less from the summer before and the tension in the air was thick, especially around the new table belonging to the Hecate Cabin

The new cabin was sparsely populated and most campers were rightfully suspicious of them even if they were mostly nice people. He frowned as he watched Circe show her siblings magic tricks such as turning soda into wine or making the silverware walk around the table.

"Hello Chris will you be visiting Percy today?" Chiron asked.

He nodded. "Yeah I'll be taking him to the movies then we'll head back here."

"Good. We'll need all the help we can get with all that is going on," Chiron sighed looking at the head table where their new sword instructor Quintus sat. "Anyway Grover will be having his meeting today Percy may want to be there."

"I'll let him know," he said. The Satyr and his girlfriend were distraught over the upcoming meeting where Grover's searching license could be taken away.

"Is there something on your mind?" Chiron asked.

"Sort of do you mind if we speak in private?" He asked. A part of him was hesitant to speak about his son but he figured Chiron might have some council.

"Sure come with me," Chiron said.

He followed Chiron into the Big House and into the centaur's office. "So I sort of had a dream about my son," he said explaining his dream with his son and his less than savory Iris message with him.

Chiron's face tensed up. "I'm sorry to hear about that. Your son from what I hear like to deal with selling sheep from what I hear."

"Yup and he had operations everywhere. Didn't matter who it was he just wanted money, not that I was any different." He sighed and rubbed his head. "I feel sorry for him but I don't think I can convince him to change."

"You can't convince anyone who doesn't want to change," Chiron said firmly. "You can advise someone but you can't make them change. Your son chose his line of work like you did. Where did you say he was?"

He scratched his head, "I'm not sure he had various farms. But from what I can guess it may be in the labyrinth."

The mood in the room tensed up, especially since Clarisse brought home a demigod who worked for Kronos who got loss in it. He knew of the labyrinth used it for many quick get aways back in the day, if he had to put his money on it the enemy was using it."

"Well we better get ready. I fear this summer will be tense," Chiron said a dark expression spreading across his face.

He nodded. "I'll go get Percy now."