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Nico sat in the Hermes Cabin. He listened to his sister's heartbeat. He didn’t know how he did it- but he could touch the ground and feel her heart. He tried to mention it to Connor but he just laughed a bit and asked him what he meant. Nico remembered it vividly, that’s how he realized he wasn't normal .
“Connor? Can I ask you a question?” Nico asked as he walked over to him and tried for a small inconspicuous smile. He wanted it to be as casual as possible.
“Sure, what’s up Nico? Do you want to hang out with me and Will again? We had a lot of fun last time!” Connor had bounced on his heels a bit and laughed, “Maybe I can convince Malcolm to come this time.”
Nico noticed a small blush on his face but he ignored it and kept talking.
“No, no it’s fine. Uh… have you ever just kinda… knew where someone was? Or like… had a connection to them? Like- like hearing their heartbeat? But also not hearing it- more like feeling it?” Nico stuttered and looked aside. He neglected looking towards Connors eyes, he could feel them. They were glaring daggers into him.
“No? Is- is this hypothetical?” Connor hummed and crossed his arms, “That’s kinda crazy talk Nico… Like I know Demigods like you and I are, not-so-normal, but that’s not even demigod normal.”
Nico felt his chest get tight and a block grow in his throat, “Yeah- yeah. Hypothetically…”
He wasn’t normal.
He wasn’t even a normal demigod…
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Her heart beat slowed down. Nico raised himself to his feet and focused on her heart- he was scared now.
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Nico’s breath slowed down. He felt his feet move underneath him and run. He ran- he ran, and ran, and ran- and- ran…. He stared at the Big House where his feet halted to a stop.
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Nico ran into the big house and saw Chiron give him a face. His breath was slow and shallow as he stared at Chiron, he glanced at Mr.D who had made a face of confusion at him and adjusted his throat.
“Are you alright Nick?”
Nico felt his cheeks get warm, “B-Bianca…”
He stuttered out and stared at the two camp leaders.
Chiron glanced at Mr.D with a face and looked at Nico with a small sigh. His body was still- or as still as a centaur could be, “Nico… what do you mean? We need you to be specific.”
Nico sniffed and looked at his feet. He felt his eyes get hot as he tried to look back up, “Bianca… she- she died.”
Nico’s voice was hoarse and breaking as he stuttered. His body had started to shake and he hugged himself. He tried to speak again but he just cried instead. His legs gave out as he kept crying, “ Bianca, she died!”
Nico was on the ground and he felt a hand rest on his back in between his shoulder blades, “It’s quite alright Nico, we don’t know that for sure. Let’s not let our worries take over us, okay?” Chiron, ever the calmest, tried to soothe Nico.
“NO!” Nico screamed and managed to get himself to his feet. Once he was up he tried to shove Chiron away but he was weak and just staggered on his feet.
“My sister is dead! I- I know it! I felt her die!” Nico was huffing trying to keep air in his lungs, “She-She’s gone…”
When he came to the revolution he stared ahead. He blinked a couple times before looking up at Chiron. His breath was shallow and his body was visibly shaking, so when he looked up at Chiron and saw a grim expression he thought he hurt himself.
“C-Chiron…, “He tried to apologize but Chiron shook his head and looked aside. Nico watched him look at Mr.D. Both of them looked above Nico’s head and Nico shivered and looked up too.
Above his head was a bident.
Hades symbol.
Nico felt dread.
His sister and him both had the same dad- and If she died on a quest with both Percy and Thalia, then-, “Biancas dead… and… my dads-“
Nico stopped and looked up at Chiron and Mr.D with tears in his eyes, “I- what happens to Bianca?” He whispered his voice was small and he lowered himself onto the ground.
“Nico, “Chiron whispered to him but Nico shook his head, Chiron still kept talking though, “Your sister… she’ll be fine… I’m sure of it.”
Nico felt tears in his eyes as he looked at Chiron, he was shaking again, “Chiron… she’s dead.”
He tried to search for Bianca's heartbeat- but he found nothing. He looked in the last spot he heard her and heard 4 different heartbeats instead.
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That was Percy’s. The heartbeat was loud and erratic, much like how Percy acted when he met him.
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That one was Thaila’s, he knew hers too. It wasn’t as loud as Percy’s but it shared a similar erraticness.
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That one was Grover’s. He knew Grover’s heartbeat from when he hung around them in his old school.
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That one had to be Zoë’s. It wasn’t loud or erratic like the others. It was calm and collected, just how she acted.
He sighed slowly and looked up.
“She’s gone.”
THREE YEARS LATER
Bianca felt her body get warm. Her breath filled her lungs and made her cough. He tried to move just to feel metal all around her. She shifted a bit and pushed at the metal above her. She had no strength physically but she managed to get it off of her. She pulled herself to her feet and looked around, she was in the middle of nowhere.
Wait- no… she remembered this place. It was Hephaestus' junk yard. She came here… She was here with Percy. Percy and Grover. There were more people too… but who- Zoë! She appointed Bianca to be a Hunter of Artemis. And- there was someone else, she was a daughter of Zeus.
Bianca scrunched up her face trying to remember who it was- she tried and tried, but she couldn’t remember. She sighed and decided to keep thinking once she was out of the rubble.
She could remember why she was in the rubble, but she couldn’t remember that girl's name?
Did she remember why she was in the rubble?
She was in it because she wanted to get her brother- her younger brother, Nico, a mythomagic statue. It was Hades, the only one he didn’t have. Then Hepestus’s robot attacked her. He attacked her because- because she stole the statue.
Bianca looked around for the statue before blinking.
She didn’t have it.
Percy had it.
Now it all clicked in her mind.
She gave Percy the statue to get to Nico- she told him something- what it was- she couldn’t remember. But then she fought the robot. She got inside of the robot and turned it off, but then- it fell, and she-
Bianca blinked and looked at her hands. They were normal.
She… died. But she was here?
She looked around trying to see a town- something- anything! But there was no civilization. She blew air out of her nose and made sure she had her bow and arrow, she put her hand on her waist band- she had her dagger too.
The dagger Zoë gave her…
Bianca took a small breath and yelled, “Hello?!”
Her voice echoed around her and there was no response. She looked around to try and pinpoint where she was- what state? She couldn’t remember.
As she thought about it she realized her memory was foggy. She couldn’t recall a lot…
She started to walk. She didn’t know where she was going, but she still walked. When she found herself on a hill she looked at the sun. She needed to go west- if she remembered correctly she was supposed to go to Atlas, the titan who had to hold the sky. He was in California and that was the furthest west United States state.
If she could recall it was around 100 years since it became a state, she learned that in history. Yeah- she learned that in history, just before the war broke out.
Wait- the war…
She pursed her lips and looked around trying to take in the area.
A war…
There was supposed to be a war… between the titans and demigods. It was.. Kronos?
Yes.
Kronos.
Kronos, he was a titan… and if Bianca remembered- she was a demigod. She didn’t know who her dad was, but she did know him. In the back of her mind she could hear something screaming at her- trying to remind her who her dad was, but that memory was the foggiest of them all. It was practically gone.
But if she didn’t want to go to the titan, she could go to Camp Half Blood- that was in New York. Bianca determined where she was by looking at the sky, she looked at the sun. It was just a bit lower in the sky and the sky wasn’t as bright as it should’ve been. So she was facing west. So she turned right and started to walk, her location goal, it was a distance from where she was. That she could remember.
She found a state sign and a road.
‘ Welcome to Utah, Life Elevated! ’
Bianca really tried on her American Geography tests in Venice but right now she was blanking.
Did she still go north?
Bianca sighed and tried to paint the US states in her mind. She only knew a few of the states- not all of them! She could remember there were 48 states, but that was it.
As she completed in her head a car slowed down next to her.
“Hey little lady, need a ride?” It was a woman, she had a thick accent from somewhere Bianca couldn’t pinpoint. But she really needed a ride.
“Uh yes please- I need to get to Manhattan New York, “Bianca smiled at the woman.
The woman made a face, “You a runaway?”
Bianca shook her head at the woman, “No. I am not. I’m just trying to get home.”
The woman looked hesitant but she let Bianca in.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it kid, just trying to help a little one. Say how old are ya’?” The woman had a small smile as she tried to make conversation.
“I’m 12, “Bianca answered, though in the back of her head she wanted to say she was older, multiple decades older but- she wasn’t?
“12 years old and out here in Utah? Why?” The woman asked her again as she started to turn onto another highway.
“Uh, camping trip. It went wrong, “Bianca smiled, remembering that mortals didn’t know about demigods and monsters and all of that.
She kept her hand on top of her dagger and kept quiet. Onl humming and nodding her head at answers continuing to dig around in her mind to find something else out that she couldn’t remember.
It was almost a day straight of driving when the woman pulled over.
“This is as far as I can take you kid, but we’re in New Albany Ohio right now. Maybe you can ask someone else around here if they’ll drive you to Manhattan, I recommend sticking to women with their kids, just to be safe, “She winked a bit at Bianca and Bianca nodded, she was a little bit confused by her words but she was an nice woman so she probably knew what she was talking about.
“Thank you, I will, “Bianca smiled and climbed out of the car, “Thank you for the ride.”
“You’re very welcome sweetheart, “She smiled, her accent making the words sound like honey.
Bianca walked towards the small store as the woman went to what looked like a gas pump, but more advanced.
She took a small breath and walked, realizing that there were probably just a few new things from when she last was alive.
Bianca stilled at her own thoughts.
That was an odd thing to think.
She shuddered at herself and went inside as she rummaged her pockets trying to find anything she could trade or any money she could pay with to get something to eat- she hasn’t eaten anything for a while.
As she searched she found nothing.
She still went towards the food and gawked at how expensive it was.
“It used to be so much cheaper…”
Bianca whispered to herself.
Before she could react she felt someone at her shoulder whispering back, “You’re right.”
She turned and instantly recognized the face. It was Zues’s daughter- the one she went on that quest with Percy, Grover, and Zoë. But she still couldn’t remember her name.
“You- youre Zue-, ''The girl slapped her hand over Bianca's mouth and leaned forward a bit.
“We do not say his name, “She whispered towards Bianca's ear, making Bianca push herself back.
“Right… What's your name again? I can’t remember, “Bianca looked at her inspecting her face. Her hair was as curly as it used to be, but it had now all fallen out around her face, and the ends were blue. If Bianca was being honest the blue contrasted beautifully with her dark skin and blue eyes.
The one thing that stood out the most to Bianca though was the headpiece that had a crescent moon on it- the same one Zoë wore.
“Thalía Grace, “She smiled at Bianca, “And you’re Bianca DiAngelo. You’re supposed to be dead?”
Bianca blinked. What did she say?
“I got better?”
Thalía stared at Bianca before laughing, “Oh man that’s hilarious!” She wiped her left eye and Bianca stood still, still very confused.
“Right- right, you’re from the 40’s, you’re confused, “Thalia whispered out and Bianca raised an eyebrow.
“Is it not still the 40’s?” Bianca suddenly felt like her whole world came crashing down, but in a way that made it all make sense.
“No, it’s the 2000’s, you’re about 60 years off, but it’s fine, “She smiled and put a hand on Biancas shoulder before looking behind her, “D’ya want something to eat?”
Bianca pursed her lips and nodded slowly. She was very hungry.
So Thalia bought them both some food before leading Bianca to the forest nearby and introduced her to the Hunters of Artemis.
“I already know them?” Bianca smiled at Thalia, hiding her confusion.
“Oh I know!” Thalia smiled, sipping the bright green frozen drink she called a slushy, “Now what do you remember?”
Bianca opened her mouth a bit and closed it again. Then she did it again and actually spoke, “Not much…” She admitted.
“Oh boy… this’ll be a long talk then, “She sighed slightly and pulled her into a tent, “You tell me everything and I’ll fill you in on what you’re missing or need to know. Deal?”
Bianca nodded her head and did just that.
Around 2 hours later Bianca learned that her dad was Hades!!! So she was what the god world considered a ‘Big Three Kid’ that’s what Thalia, Percy, and Nico all were too.
Speaking of Nico, Bianca learned he stayed at camp after he was claimed, but no one but Thalia and Percy knew who his father was, as he kept it a secret. She also pointed out that the campers know he was claimed- they just were assumed to be a minor god.
“That couldn’t be further from the truth…” Bianca whispered, hearing that.
“Yeah!” Thalia agreed with a laugh.
Thalia continued to tell Bianca what she missed in the last three years- oh that was the other thing. She was only dead for three years, the other learned the 60 years or so she missed was spent in a hotel, The Lotus Casino. Bianca remembered it, she stayed there with her brother for 2 months, meaning a month was 30 years or so….
“Woah…, “Bianca whispered looking at her hands expecting her hands to be wrinkly.
“Yeah- Woah, “Thalia agreed before continuing.
It was a lot of stuff Bianca had a slight memory of but couldn’t recall.
Then Thalia said the dreaded question, “Do you want to go see your brother?”
Bianca stared at Thalia before letting out a small No.
She shook her head, unable to think, “I- I can’t. I don’t want him to be angry with me… He has a weird temper like that. I- can you appoint me to a Hunter again? I promise I won’t die this time.”
Thalía stared at Bianca before sighing, “Sure- if you say so.”
A month had passed and Bianca didn’t regret her decision. She actually was proud of it, she learned she could monitor her brother without being near him, she could hear his heartbeat in the ground.
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