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Zagreus should have known something was up when, upon opening the portal back to the Underworld, Chaos murmured, "Hmm, interesting." Anything Chaos found interesting would invariably make Zagreus's life more difficult, but he was too focused on seeing his family again to think too much about it.

He stepped through the portal and was spat back out of the Eldest Sigil in the Administrative Chamber. The shades hardly seemed to notice him but for a few small groans, as usual, but Zagreus still bounded over to the front of the room. "Keep up the good work!" he called cheerfully, then he left the chamber to the sound of renewed groaning.

Thanatos wasn't at his usual spot by the river, but Zagreus figured he had to be on duty. Achilles was at his usual spot at the other end of the hall, though, so Zagreus ran over to him.

"Hello, sir! I'm back!"

"Zagreus?" Achilles asked. He sounded surprised, which surprised Zagreus in turn. Achilles had known that he was going on vacation while the theft of his father's helm meant he couldn't do his usual job, so there was no reason for him to be surprised that Zagreus was back. Zagreus was about to ask what the problem was when Achilles's wide eyes focused on something behind him, and Zagreus turned around just in time to avoid a punch from Megaera.

"You idiot! Where the hell have you been?"

"Whoa, Meg, what- I've been in Chaos, you knew that!"

"For four years?"

"For four- What?"

"Lad," Achilles said, his voice much gentler than Megaera's, "it's been over four years since you left for Chaos. We were worried something might have happened to you."

"Why would something have happened to me? I was with Chaos. Wait, did something happen out here? You did get Father's helm back, didn't you?"

Achilles and Megaera shared a look. "You missed a lot in the past four years," Achilles finally said delicately. "Megaera, why don't you take him to his room and fill him in?"

Megaera grimaced. "You're right, we shouldn't be making this much noise right outside his bedroom. Do you want to join us?"

"I'd rather not be caught missing from my station while on duty," Achilles said dryly. "But you could collect Hypnos, I believe he's due for a break."

"Good idea, especially with everything that's going on," Megaera agreed. "Come on, Zag."

Zagreus had no idea what the two of them were talking about, but he followed Megaera over to Hypnos's post by the Pool. Hypnos looked drained and worried, which was unlike him, but he brightened a little when he saw Zagreus.

"Hey, Zag! You're back!"

"I am," Zagreus agreed. "And apparently it's been four eventful years. It was only about a month for me."

"Ah, time dilation in Chaos," Hypnos said, nodding sagely. "It can be the same in dreams."

"Hypnos, I'm going to fill Zag in on what he missed," Megaera said. "Come with me."

Hypnos checked his clipboard, then sighed and looked at the Pool. It seemed oddly quiet, now that Zagreus thought about it, and the halls were oddly empty of shades. He wondered what that was about.

"Okay. Not much I can do here anyway."

Megaera marched to Zagreus's room with Zagreus and Hypnos trailing behind her. Zagreus's doors were usually open - it had taken some persuading from both Megaera and Thanatos to convince him to get doors at all - but they were closed now. Megaera opened them with a touch, then she ushered Zagreus and Hypnos inside and shut the doors again behind her.

"Clearly Dusa hasn't been here in a while," Zagreus mused as he looked around the room. It looked the same as he'd left it, just dustier. "Is she alright? I can tell something's wrong, but-"

"Oh, a lot of things are wrong," Megaera muttered, pushing scrolls off the recliner and sitting down. Hypnos hovered nervously beside her. "But not with Dusa. She's alright."

"Who isn't, then?" Zagreus looked from Megaera to Hypnos and swallowed. "It's Than, isn't it?"

Megaera sighed deeply. "Among others. Zagreus… While you were away, Kronos tried to rise again."

"Kronos?"

"He was stopped," Megaera dismissed, as if it was no big deal. "But now history is repeating itself. Gaea is raising the giants."

Zagreus hadn't been born yet during the first Gigantomachy, but he knew the stories. If Gaea was raising the giants again…

"But the giants are in the deepest part of Tartarus. How can Gaea-"

"She's taken control of the Doors of Death," Hypnos said miserably. "And she's captured Than."

Zagreus's stomach twisted. "Why hasn't my father done anything?"

"Conflict is brewing between the Greek and Roman demigods," Megaera said. "So the gods are torn between their two aspects."

Zagreus hated when his father went into his Pluto aspect. He himself had only been worshipped by the Greeks, and barely even there, so he had no Roman aspect to tear at his psyche. But that also meant that Pluto had no immortal son, so things got difficult quickly. Luckily, the Furies were the same in Greek and Roman myth, and most of the others in the House like Thanatos and Hypnos were primordial enough concepts that they predated any worship and were only slightly affected by shifting aspects. But with Hades incapacitated and Thanatos gone…

"We need to rescue Than."

"He's on the surface," Megaera said grimly. "You won't be able to get to him."

"I reached out to Ares. Mars. Whatever," Hypnos said. "He's going to give some demigods a quest to free Than."

"So we're relying on a bunch of demigods?"

"A bunch of demigods defeated Kronos. Including, actually-"

Before Megaera could finish her sentence, the doors burst open. Hades strode into the room, his face grim and his hand gripping Gigaros. Zagreus wished he had a weapon. His father normally didn't attack him in the House, but if he was caught between two aspects, there was no telling what he'd do.

"Lord Hades," Megaera said, shooting to her feet. "What-"

"Did you think you could reenter my realm without me knowing, boy?" Hades snapped. For a moment, his form flickered, his robes shifting into a dark toga, then he gritted his teeth and shifted back. "Listen to me. I can't maintain this form for long, but- You need to go to Tartarus."

Zagreus blinked. "Is now really the time to test our defenses?"

"Not for that!" Hades snarled. "Your brother has been sucked into the depths of the pit. You need to get him out."

"Nico?" Megaera asked sharply.

"My brother?" Zagreus repeated. "Since when do I have a- Did you break the oath?"

"I broke no oath! Your brother was born decades ago, before that blasted oath. The Furies kept him safe and hidden. But he has reentered the world, and now he is trapped in Tartarus."

Zagreus had a million more questions, but if he had a brother who was trapped in Tartarus, he had bigger problems. "Where in Tartarus is he?"

"Deep," Hades said grimly. "Deeper than you normally go. He was searching for the Doors. He-"

Hades flickered again, his toga looking almost solid before it vanished. He growled in frustration. "Find him, boy. He is mortal, but he is my blood. He will lose himself there."

"I'll get him," Zagreus promised. At least that was something he could do. Thanatos might have been beyond his reach, but there were others who could rescue him. If his brother - Nico, Megaera had said - was in the depths of Tartarus, Zagreus was his best, perhaps only, hope.

Hades nodded, then shook himself as he flickered again. Megaera shot Hypnos a look, and Hypnos quickly jerked up to his feet.

"Uh, Lord Hades, why don't you come with me back to your room?"

Hades scowled, but he followed Hypnos out of the room. Hypnos looked back at Megaera and Zagreus one last time, then he pulled the doors shut.

"The Underworld has been a mess," Megaera said flatly. "And if Nico is in Tartarus…"

"Nico is my brother?"

"He was born before the oath, like your father said," Megaera explained, answering the question Zagreus hadn't asked. "Do you remember when Zeus killed your father's mortal lover, back around when they all swore the oath?"

"Vaguely," Zagreus replied; he'd never particularly liked hearing about his father's affairs. They tended to upset his mother, and he was firmly on her side. "Is Nico her son?"

"He is. Lord Hades managed to save the children from Zeus's lightning bolt."

"Children?"

"Nico and Bianca. Bianca died a few years ago."

"And, uh, how old is Nico?"

"Your father charged me and my sisters with hiding him among the lotophagi. He was there for over seventy years. I think he's fourteen now."

That answered some of Zagreus's questions, although not all of them. It answered the important ones, though, and he could wait to ask the others until Nico was out of Tartarus.

"Alright. Guess I should go rescue him, then."

Megaera followed Zagreus out to his courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, a sigil flared to life and Skelly appeared.

"Hey, boy-o! You're back!"

"Just got back," Zagreus agreed, "and now I'm heading into Tartarus. I'll take-"

He hesitated, looking at his weapons. "Where's Stygius?"

"It disappeared a few years back," Shelly dismissed, waving a hand. "I figured you called for it or something."

"I didn't," Zagreus replied, his brows tugging into a frown. "I'll figure it out later. Varatha!"

Varatha flew to his hand. Zagreus spun it experimentally and nodded, then went to his case of keepsakes. He couldn't rely on much godly help, not with everyone being torn between aspects, so he dismissed any keepsake given by a god and ended up selecting Sisyphus's shackle. If he wasn't likely to get any boons, he might as well increase his power with something else.

He looked over his companions and reached for Mort, his heart twisting. "I don't suppose summoning Thanatos would work."

"I tried already," Megaera said. "Wherever he is, he's trapped."

Zagreus picked up Mort and tried himself, reaching out to Thanatos as best he could, but he couldn't reach him. Megaera was right; he was trapped and cut off from them.

Zagreus hoped Ares's demigods would be able to save him.

He set Mort down and picked up Battie instead. "If I call you, can you help?"

Megaera nodded. "I'll do my best. I… The whole Underworld has a soft spot for Nico. I know I couldn't get him out alone, and my sisters are busy trying to secure our borders, but if I can help you save him, I'll do it."

"Oh, so this is all for him, not me?" Zagreus teased halfheartedly. "I see how it is."

"You'll understand when you meet him," Megaera said. "And, Zag… Be careful."

"I always am," Zagreus agreed, going to the edge of the courtyard.

"You could go out through the garden," Megaera called, looking unimpressed.

"Nah, this way is traditional," Zagreus replied, and he jumped.

He landed in his usual spot, but the boon that usually awaited him there was missing. He wasn't surprised by the confirmation that the gods wouldn't be helping out on this run. He looked to his left, the direction he usually went, then sighed and turned right instead. Normally, he tried to make it to the surface, but Nico was trapped in the depths of Tartarus. Zagreus needed to go deeper into the Underworld instead.

He hefted Varatha, then he plunged into the depths of Tartarus.

Tartarus, Zagreus knew, had once been a god. He and Gaea were the parents of the giants who were attacking the gods now. Tartarus had faded into his realm, losing his physical form, but if Zagreus concentrated, he could see him; he could see how the landscape he was traversing was the rotting carcass of a faded god.

He didn't concentrate. He hoped Nico didn't see Tartarus as it really was, but as a son of Hades…

Zagreus just hoped it wouldn't break his mind entirely.

He'd only gone into the depths of Tartarus a few times before. It was different than it had been those times, though; instead of monsters roaming around, they all seemed to be heading in one direction. Zagreus assumed they were going to the Doors of Death to return to the surface, but that wasn't his concern right now. They'd have to deal with the Doors before too long, but his first priority was Nico.

The monsters were still willing to divert from their mission to try to kill him, though. Varatha got a workout as Zagreus carved his way through crowd after crowd of monsters. Unlike the Underworld in the other direction, this part of Tartarus was one big open plain; Zagreus had no chance to catch his breath before the next group was on him.

He refused to let them kill him. He refused to die without rescuing his brother.

He tried to interrogate the more intelligent monsters about Nico's whereabouts, but he didn't have much luck; the empousai just spat at him, and the dracaena didn't give him much of a chance to ask before he had to kill them to keep them off him. If Nico had been searching for the Doors, though, then he would have gone in the same direction as the monsters, so if Zagreus went in that direction for long enough, he'd hopefully find Nico eventually.

He hoped he found him fast enough. He'd seen evidence of someone else killing monsters as well, so that seemed to indicate that Nico was still alive and well enough to fight. Or, at least, he had been recently; that didn't mean he still was. Zagreus was very aware of how quickly your luck could change in a fight.

He had to find Nico, and fast.

Eventually, he crossed a crest in the ground and found himself looking down at a hut. He had no idea who would have a hut in Tartarus, but he figured it was worth checking out. If he'd found this place, then perhaps Nico had too. And anything intelligent enough to build this sort of hut would also be intelligent enough to answer his questions. Zagreus would just have to be persuasive about how he asked them.

There was a dead drakon outside the hut, which was… concerning, but Zagreus stepped up to the door anyway. "Hello? Is there anyone there?"

Out stepped a giant.

Zagreus had heard of the giants before, but he'd never actually seen one. He was huge, and not just because Zagreus was, as his friends often reminded him, on the shorter side. He was also scowling, which wasn't the best sign, but he didn't attack, so neither did Zagreus.

He was good at befriending people. He'd do his best.

"Hello, sir! I'm looking for someone. Could you help me?"

The giant crossed his arms. "We don't get many gods down here, except sometimes the Night Children."

Zagreus had never heard that name before for the children of Nyx, but he loved it; he would call Thanatos and Hypnos that as soon as he next saw them. "Well, I'm sort of a Night Child. An adopted one, I suppose. Nyx isn't my biological mother, but she raised me. And like I said, I'm looking for someone."

The giant sighed. "You'd better come inside."

Zagreus wasn't entirely certain about entering the giant's hut, but the giant hadn't killed him so far, and he did need help if he was going to find Nico quickly. He followed the giant into the hut, clambering up into one of the chairs. He felt absurdly small, hardly able to see over the table.

Well, Nico was fourteen, Megaera said; maybe Zagreus would finally meet someone shorter than him once he found his brother.

"Hungry?" the giant grunted, holding out a bowl.

"Er, what is it?"

"Drakon stew."

Well, at least that meant the dead drakon outside wouldn't be wasted. "Thank you, sir."

The giant put some stew in the bowl and set it in front of Zagreus. He had to stand on the chair to be tall enough to reach it, but at least the bowl itself wasn't hugely large. Zagreus wondered what the giant usually used it for. It was certainly too small for him.

"I haven't introduced myself," he said after swallowing a mouthful of stew. "I'm Zagreus."

"Damasen," the giant grunted. He studied Zagreus for a moment. "You're a young god, aren't you? Not one of the ones from the first Gigantomachy."

"I wasn't born yet during the first Gigantomachy."

"Hm. If Nyx isn't your biological mother, who is?"

It was a gamble, Zagreus thought, to tell someone trapped in Tartarus that Hades was his father. But he didn't think lying to Damasen would go well, and he didn't get the feeling that Damasen was hostile. "Queen Persephone. Lord Hades is my father."

Damasen hummed. "I don't know the queen, but I know your father. My brother Alcyoneus was created to oppose him."

Zagreus remembered that story, that all of the giants had been created to oppose specific gods. "And… who were you create to oppose? If you don't mind me asking, sir."

Damasen's mouth twisted. "Ares."

Zagreus neglected to mention that Ares was a friend of his. "Was he the one who killed you and sent you here?"

"No one killed me, little god. Not like that, at least. I was Ares's opposite, so I refused to fight. My parents grew disappointed in me, and eventually, they sent me here."

Zagreus had thought, honestly, that perhaps being in Tartarus was nice for giants; it gave them time to spend with their father. For this giant, at least, he was wrong. He'd have to see if he could help.

Damasen heaved a sigh. "Tell me your story, little god. Tell me why you're here. And then, if I can, I'll help you find whoever you're looking for."

"There's not much of a story, actually," Zagreus admitted. "I've been away for a few years, and then when I got back, my father told me that apparently I have a younger brother, and he's lost in Tartarus. So I came to try and find him."

"Not many would delve into Tartarus."

"I'm the Underworld's Security Specialist. I delve into Tartarus all the time. Normally going the other way, to be fair, but I know what I'm doing down here."

Damasen nodded slowly. "And your brother, is he a god too?"

"He's a demigod."

"Ah, the little demigod everyone's been talking about."

"You know where he is?"

"I don't know much," Damasen admitted, "but I've heard whispers about him. It's rare that demigods end up here, and rarer still that living ones do. The boy is still alive, as far as I've heard, but my mother's forces are looking for him. And my father… My father will not make things easy, for either of you."

"My father never made things easy for me when I was going the other way," Zagreus said. "I'm not expecting it to be easy, but I'm not leaving my brother."

"You haven't met him before, have you? You said your father had to tell you he existed."

"No, I haven't met him. I don't go to the mortal world much, and I was away for the past few years, when he visited the Underworld."

"And yet you would still risk yourself to save him."

Zagreus rubbed the back of his neck ruefully. "My friends would tell you I'd risk myself to save most people, whether I've met them or not. Apparently I'm incurably helpful."

"Incurably helpful," Damasen repeated flatly.

"I don't think it's a problem, but they do, sometimes. By the way, while we're on the topic, do you want me to see if I can pull some strings to get you out of here? I probably can't get you up to the surface, but I think I can get you to the upper level of Tartarus where the House of Hades is. Well, I might not be able to do it immediately, with everything going on, but soon."

Damasen huffed. "Incurably helpful indeed. Don't worry about me. You should be thinking about your little brother. Like I said, my mother's forces are looking for him. If you follow the other monsters, they should lead you to the Doors of Death. From what I've heard, the little demigod is somewhere along that path."

"I'll help him, then I can talk to my father about you when I get back to the House," Zagreus compromised. He finished the last of his soup and set the bowl down. "Thank you for your hospitality and your help."

"Here," Damasen said, handing him a drakon-skin sack. "If your brother is mortal, he'll need food, and the jerky will keep until you find him."

"Thank you, sir!" Zagreus tied the sack to his belt next to Battie. "If I can ever repay you, just call for Zagreus and I'll do my best to help."

"Focus on your brother first," Damasen said. "Farewell, Zagreus."

"Farewell, sir!"

Zagreus left the hut, doing his best to cement its placement in his memory. The layout of Tartarus shifted constantly, he knew, but perhaps his memories could help him find Damasen again. Then he turned in the direction that the monsters were going and started to run. He had a brother to find.

Zagreus started hearing the whispers about a demigod in Tartarus not long after he left Damasen's hut, and the closer he got to the Doors, the louder the whispers grew. They were a mix of excitement and frustration; the monsters relished the idea of fighting a demigod in their own home territory, but he was proving hard to find and harder to defeat. Zagreus was glad to hear it. As long as Nico was still out there, Zagreus had a chance of getting to him first.

He followed the path to the Doors and the subsequent path of dead monsters until the two diverged. There wasn't much cover in Tartarus, but there were some crags of rock nearby, and it looked like whoever was killing the monsters had gone that way. Zagreus did too. The rocks would be a good place to set up an ambush, but he hoped that he'd be able to explain what was happening to Nico before Nico tried to skewer him.

At first, the rocks appeared empty. Zagreus wove through them slowly, checking around each one, but he found nothing. And then, as he got closer and closer to the back…

A faint, faint hiss of a breath.

"Nico?" Zagreus called, pitching his voice low. "Is that you?"

Silence, but a pregnant sort of silence, the type that almost said more than any words could. Someone was definitely there, hiding. Zagreus would have to convince Nico that he was safe.

"My name is Zagreus. Our father sent me. Hades, I mean. I'm your half-brother. I'm sorry that I've missed you when you've been in the Underworld before. I've been on a vacation. But now I'm back, and I'm going to get you out of here."

Still no response, but Zagreus could hear quiet, quick breathing. He pinpointed which rock it was coming from and took a step forward.

"I'm coming closer, okay? I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I'm sure you could hurt me, given what you've been doing to these monsters, but… don't, please?"

Zagreus put away his spear, took a moment to hope that this really was Nico, and then stepped forward until he could see around the rock. There, huddled against the stone and clutching a sword too tightly to do any real damage with it, was a mortal boy.

Zagreus's first impression of his half-brother was that he was small, small and pale in a sickly-looking way. Tartarus wouldn't be kind to any mortals, but Zagreus had the feeling that Nico didn't take particularly good care of himself outside of Tartarus either. He'd have to do his best to change that. Nico was his little brother, after all, and Meg was right; he understood everyone's affection for him now that he'd met him. Meg told him that Nico's mother and sister were dead, meaning that all he had left was Hades. Hades, as Zagreus knew well, was an awful father, so Nico most definitely deserved better than that. A first step was an awesome big brother.

"Hey, Nico," Zagreus said in his gentlest voice. "Let's get out of Tartarus, yeah?"

"It's swallowed me," Nico whispered. "I'm inside him."

So much for Zagreus's hope that Nico wouldn't see Tartarus for what it really was. "I'm here to bring you back to the House," he told Nico gently. "I'll get you away from this. Just… don't think about it too hard."

"I'm tired," Nico whispered, his voice breaking. "I know I'll die if I stop, but… I'm tired."

"Well, luckily for you, I'm here now," Zagreus said. "Hmm. What's the best way… How do you feel about piggy back rides?"

Nico stared at him, but Zagreus thought he saw a bit more life in his eyes. "How do I feel about what?"

"I need to get you out of here somehow," Zagreus said. "How about a piggy back ride?" He turned around and bent his knees. "Jump on!"

Slowly, Nico clambered onto Zagreus's back. He dropped his sword when Zagreus rose to his full height, but Zagreus just bent down and scooped it up. He then promptly dropped it again, but he hardly noticed that.

"Stygius?"

The sword didn't react, but Zagreus knew he recognized it. Skelly did say it went missing a while back. Nico must have claimed it. Zagreus knew full well that his weapons went through different owners over time, and he also knew that he'd somewhat hogged them by keeping them in his courtyard for so long. If it was Nico's turn for Stygius, then Nico could have it.

"Here," he told Nico, picking the sword up again and passing it to him. "You should keep this, just in case. Try not to stab me with it."

"Will we get out of here?" Nico whispered.

"We will," Zagreus promised rashly. "Oh, right! I have this for you too." He grabbed the jerky from Damasen and passed it up to Nico. "Drakon jerky. It should tide you over until we get back to the House."

"Not hungry."

"You should eat," Zagreus said, unable to hide the concern from his voice. "You eat, I'll get us out."

He heard the sound of the bag being opened as he started to trek back towards the upper levels of Tartarus. He considered going back via Damasen's hut, but decided against it; Nico had the jerky, and what would help him the most was getting out of Tartarus. Instead, he made sure Nico was steady and stable, and he started to run.

They nearly made it.

They were so close to the doors to the House when the sound of monsters behind them got too loud to ignore. Zagreus couldn't outrun them, which meant he had to outfight them. He believed in his ability to do that, but he acknowledged that protecting Nico would make things much harder.

"They're coming," Nico said, his voice tight with terror. "They won't let us leave."

"They're no match for me," Zagreus countered. He fumbled for Battie with one hand and gave it a squeeze. "If you want to help, Meg, it would be appreciated."

Nothing happened. Megaera had only promised she'd come if she could, and Zagreus knew she had to be busy with things the way they were. He couldn't depend on her.

He set Nico down and angled them around a bend in the Cocytus, hoping it would keep anyone from sneaking up on them from behind. "You stay behind me," he told Nico firmly. "I'll keep them away. If you get a chance, run."

"I'm not leaving you," Nico protested hotly, which was unexpected and heartwarming. It was also, unfortunately, stupid.

"I'm a god," Zagreus said. "If they strike me down, I'll just wash back up in the Styx at the House. But you're a mortal, so if you die, you die. Don't wait for me. Run when you have the chance."

Nico still looked distressed. "I don't want to leave you behind."

"I'll be okay," Zagreus promised. "I'm a god. I'm more worried about you. If you get the chance, promise me you'll run."

"Oh, he won't be going anywhere except with us," a dracaena hissed. "Gaia wants him. As for you…" She spat at Zagreus. "You will bow before the Earth Mother, or she will make you regret your obstinacy."

"Oh, but I'm very obstinate," Zagreus replied. "It's one of my defining features."

The dracaena lunged, but Zagreus had Varatha out and at the ready before she was even close. The spear plunged through her chest, and she fell. Zagreus only wished the others would all be so easy.

"On your right!" Nico yelled, and Zagreus turned just in time to slice a telekhine in half. Nico had his sword ready as well, and Zagreus was relieved to notice that he looked better than he had before. The short rest and drakon jerky had done him good, even though Zagreus had noticed that he hadn't actually eaten that much. He hoped it was enough to keep him alive long enough to get away.

"Stay behind me," Zagreus told Nico again, settling into place between him and the monsters as much as possible. "And don't engage unless you have to."

"I want to help!"

"Nico, I'm your big brother. It's my job to protect you." Zagreus spun Varatha and threw it at an encroaching empousa, calling it back after the empousa crumbled into dust. "My focus is on keeping you safe. I can't do that if you won't let me."

The words seemed to surprise Nico, as if he wasn't used to being protected or taken care of. If he had no one but Hades, then Zagreus wouldn't be hugely surprised. He hoped Nico at least had some mortal friends, but honestly, he was somewhat doubting it.

"Stay safe," he told Nico again, then a wretched lout lunged forward and he turned to deal with it instead.

The wave of monsters almost felt never-ending. Zagreus supposed that made sense; they were in the place where monsters were reborn after they died, so of course they wouldn't be able to keep anything down for long. Monsters couldn't reform instantly, but there were more than enough monsters here to keep him busy. Zagreus was good enough to keep them away from him and Nico, at least mostly, but he hadn't been able to get Nico a long enough window to escape. And the monsters, he knew, had the advantage; they'd just keep coming, and eventually, Zagreus would slip.

He reached for Battie again and gave it another squeeze. "Meg, if you care about this kid as much as you say, you're going to need to give me a hand with saving him."

Still nothing. Whatever Megaera was busy with, it must have been hard to keep her occupied for so long. Zagreus hoped she was rescuing Thanatos. He hoped she'd have enough time to rescue him too, before it was too late.

"Zagreus!" Nico yelled suddenly, and he shoved Zagreus out of the way just in time to avoid the worst of a blow from a wretched thug. Unfortunately, their new positions meant that the blow clipped both of them, and while Zagreus was able to shake it off, Nico crumpled.

"Blood and darkness! Meg, I really need you-"

A gorgon slashed down on Zagreus, and he barely caught the strike with Varatha on time. The others were closing in on them too, and Zagreus knew he had limited time. He just had to hold out and keep everyone off from Nico at least until he regained consciousness. He'd failed his brother and he hated it, but perhaps he could fail him less if he managed to buy a bit more time.

He hoped he would return to the Styx like he normally did when he died. He'd never died this deep in Tartarus before, and he wasn't entirely sure what would happen. It was worth it for Nico, though. At least he had a chance. If Nico ended up at the mercy of these monsters, he'd have nothing.

"Sorry, Meg," Zagreus whispered. "Sorry, Than. Sorry, Nico."

He caught another blow with Varatha, but that left him open for another, which hit him in the side. He coughed hard, tasting blood, and spun his spear, slicing at anything that was too close. He was about to be overrun, but if he could just hold out a little longer…

And then, a familiar guh-dong rang out through Tartarus, and Zagreus started to smile even before the shadow of wings passed over him.

"Need a hand?" Thanatos asked.

"I thought you'd never ask."

Nico didn't wake until they'd been back in Zagreus's room for a while. When he finally did, Zagreus quickly went to his side, anticipating the panic that sparked in his eyes almost as soon as they opened.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you're safe. We're in my room, in the House. You're out of Tartarus. Or, at least, the bad part of Tartarus."

Nico blinked up at him slowly. "…Zagreus?"

"That's me!" Zagreus agreed cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Nico said after a long moment. "And hungry."

"Oh!" Zagreus grabbed a bag and handed it to Nico. "Food from the surface. Than went up to get it for you, since I wouldn't be able to get far enough without dying."

Nico blinked. "Than- You mean Thanatos?"

"He's freed," Zagreus said happily. "The demigods did a good job, apparently. He said one of them is our half-sister."

"Hazel?" Nico demanded, jerking upright.

"Yeah, that's what he said her name was. Don't worry, she's still alive. All three of them are still alive. Hazel, Frank, and Percy."

Nico's cheeks went a little pink at the last name. Zagreus wondered what that was about. "Oh. Okay. Good."

"Good," Zagreus agreed. "Eat up. The food is from the surface, so you don't need to worry about the whole Underworld food thing. That doesn't always take anyway, but better safe than sorry."

Nico opened up the bag and pulled out a long baguette. "Than was in France," Zagreus explained. "There's some cheese in there too, I think, and some grapes."

Nico looked at the bag, then at the baguette. "How did this even fit in there?"

Zagreus waved a dismissive hand. "Magic. Don't worry about it."

Nico took a bite of the baguette, then quickly began to devour it. "How did we get out of Tartarus?"

"What, you think I couldn't have rescued you on my own?" Zagreus teased. "You're right. I couldn't have. Than and Meg saved us."

"Thanatos… and Megaera?"

"Two for two," Zagreus agreed. "They got us out before we were overrun. And then Meg told me that you don't have an actual room here, so we put you in mine, and once everything calms down a little, Hypnos and I are going to set up a room for you."

Nico blinked. "I don't need a room. I'm not dead."

"You're not dead, but you are a son of Hades, and that means you can come down here," Zagreus replied. "This should be a home for you. That means you need to have your own room. How do you feel about plants?"

"I always kill them by accident."

"Damn, I'd hoped there was someone else in the House who liked plants now. I guess it's still just me and Mother."

"You're going to make me a room?" Nico burst out, apparently only just managing to think through the entire proposition.

"There are lots of empty rooms," Zagreus dismissed. "So Hypnos and I will clean one up and spruce it up a little. I have a lot of gems to trade with the House Contractor, so he can help too. We'll make it nice."

"But- Does Hades want me here?"

Zagreus winced a little. "Father is… indecisive at the moment."

"He's caught between Hades and Pluto?"

"Going back and forth a bit madly, honestly. I don't know how Pluto would react to you if you're Hades's son. He doesn't like me very much."

"Do you have a Roman equivalent?" Nico asked, eyeing Zagreus warily. Zagreus knew full well that the question he really wanted to ask was, "Will you start arguing with yourself in front of me?"

"The Romans never worshiped me. The Greeks hardly did either, honestly. I don't get up to the surface very often. Or, no, that's not quite true, but I can't stay up on the surface. I can't survive up there. I can make it up, but I can only live for a little bit before something kills me. My record so far is twenty-four."

Nico looked a little lost. "Twenty-four what?"

"Twenty-four minutes on the surface before I die," Zagreus elaborated. "I'm tied to the Underworld. The surface world doesn't like that. I like the surface world, but it doesn't agree with me."

Nico stared at him for a long moment. Finally, he admitted in a whisper, "I'm so confused."

"That's perfectly fair," Zagreus replied. "This is all confusing. The basics are you're out of Tartarus, you're safe now, and we'll get you back to Camp Half Blood or wherever you want to go once you're feeling a little better."

Nico slumped slightly. "I can't go back yet."

"Why not?"

"The Doors of Death are open. Now that Thanatos is free, the dead will stop escaping, but monsters still won't stay down. Someone needs to find the Doors and close them, and I'm the only demigod who can travel freely in the Underworld." Nico's mouth twisted slightly. "At least, mostly freely."

"And why does it have to be a demigod who does it?"

Nico blinked. "The gods always have us clean up their messes. And there's a prophecy."

Zagreus nodded. "Alright. One second." He ducked his head out of his room. "Meg! Oh, and Than, you're back! We need to talk."

Zagreus greeted both Thanatos and Megaera with a kiss as they entered his room. Behind him, Nico did his best to scramble to his feet.

"Lord Thanatos! Lady Megaera-"

"Sit down, kid," Megaera said, tousling Nico's hair and pushing down gently. "We don't stand on ceremony."

Nico sat obediently. His gaze flickered to Thanatos, then he ducked his head.

"Your sister and her friends freed me in Alaska," Thanatos said. "They did well."

Nico swallowed visibly. "And, is Hazel…"

"She's not on my list," Thanatos said. "She's waiting for you on the surface."

Nico nodded jerkily. "Thank you."

"Than, Meg, apparently the Doors of Death are open and there's a prophecy about it," Zagreus said. "Nico, what is the prophecy anyway?"

"Is it the Prophecy of Seven?" Thanatos asked.

Nico nodded. "Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire, the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

"Well, that sounds unpleasant," Zagreus said. "Do prophecies always sound like that?"

"My sisters like being cryptic," Thanatos said dryly.

"So it has to be demigods who close the Doors," Nico said. "And I'm the only demigod who can travel in the Underworld, so-"

"The prophecy just says that seven half-bloods will answer the call," Megaera countered. "It doesn't say that the demigods have to close the Doors, just that foes bear arms to them."

"I'd say our foes are already bearing arms towards them, given the state of Tartarus," Zagreus said. "It won't be easy to get all the way to the Doors."

"We have to close them on both sides," Thanatos added. "And I'm certain both sides will be well defended."

"Probably with giants, which will require a demigod to deal with," Megaera agreed.

"Alright," Zagreus said, clapping his hands. "Giants can only be killed by a god and a demigod working together, so if we think there are giants at the Door on the surface, Than and Nico will have to close that Door. I can't stay up on the surface long enough, and Meg, you're not a god. That means the two of us will have to go through Tartarus to find the Door on this side."

"Only if you do a better job this time than you did last time," Megaera replied.

"Hey! I did a perfectly good job last time, up until the very end. I'll be fine."

"Wait," Nico interrupted. "I don't- What's happening?"

"We're planning how to close the Doors," Zagreus explained. "If they need to be closed on both sides, then we need teams on both sides. The best way to do that is for the four of us to split up."

"But- You want to help?"

"Zagreus is… proactive," Thanatos said.

"I'm not going to just hang back and let you and a group of other teenagers deal with this when I can help," Zagreus dismissed. "I know most of the gods would do that, but I like to think I'm not as bad as they are."

"You're bad in other ways," Megaera told him.

"Thank you, Meg."

"But- What about the line of the prophecy? Foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. We thought that probably meant that enemies would need to work together to close them."

"It could," Zagreus agreed, "but it might also be referring to the masses of monsters heading to the Doors right now. And even if it means we need enemies working together to close the Doors, Meg and I have fought each other to the death hundreds of times, and Than and I are diametrically opposed. I think we'd count as foes."

Nico blinked. "You- What?"

"Zagreus tests Underworld security," Megaera said. "I'm part of Underworld security."

"And Zagreus is the god of life, while I am the god of death," Thanatos added.

"So we're foes, sort of," Zagreus declared. "Than, does this seem like the sort of weird loophole that would work with your sisters?"

"Absolutely," Thanatos replied, sounding exasperated by it.

"So that's settled, then," Zagreus declared. "Let's all go bear arms to the Doors of Death. In a bit, at least, after Nico is recovered."

"You're going to help?" Nico asked, still looking a bit wary. "Really?"

"Well, they're Than's doors anyway," Zagreus said. "He should probably take responsibility for closing them."

"I was kidnapped," Thanatos grumbled. "No one's kidnapped me like that since Sisyphus."

"Oh, come on, how many times does he need to tell you he's sorry?" Zagreus protested. "He's different now-"

"You're overwhelming the kid," Megaera said. She put her hand on her hip and looked down at Nico. "They're stupid, and this is also their version of flirting. Don't pay attention to them. The important thing is, you need to relax and heal so we can go close those doors."

"Oh, would nectar or ambrosia help?" Zagreus asked. "I know I have some of both somewhere."

Nico did look overwhelmed, now that Megaera mentioned it. "It- I can't have too much, or I'll burn up."

"Can you have a little bit?" Zagreus asked.

Nico nodded slowly.

"Alright, let me find you something." He dug around in his room, moving things out of the way on his desk, and then finally came up with a bottle of nectar. "Ah ha! Found some. Here." He tossed it to Megaera, who handed it to Nico.

"Be mindful of how much you drink, little demigod," she told him. "I've seen other demigods destroy themselves with this before."

Nico looked warily at the bottle, then he uncorked it and took a small sip. Zagreus could see his exhaustion fade and his injuries heal.

"Wow, that stuff really does heal you, doesn't it? Does it do that for the Olympians too?"

"The Olympians normally don't need healing, and when they do, they have Apollo," Thanatos replied.

"Right, Apollo. I always forget about him. He never really came down to help me out."

"Apollo is the god of the sun," Thanatos sighed. "The further he gets from sunlight, the weaker he is. We've told you this before."

"I know, and I'm not mad at him for not helping. Did I say I was mad at him for not helping? I'm just saying, I forget that he exists sometimes. That's fair, isn't it?" He looked to Nico. "Don't you think that's fair?"

"Zagreus," Megaera snapped. "Most gods don't interact with demigods like this. You're. Overwhelming. Him."

"But he's my brother!" Zagreus protested. "Isn't this how you're supposed to act with a brother?" He hesitated. "Then again, I'm not sure either of you are good examples of how to act with siblings, because you hate your sisters, Meg, and you've got way too many siblings, Than. I don't hate Nico, and there's just one of him."

"You have another half-sister as well," Thanatos said. "She was one of the ones who saved me."

Zagreus beamed. "Oh, right! I almost forgot. I like her already!"

"You really see me as a brother?" Nico asked faintly.

"Why wouldn't I? We are brothers, after all!"

"Most of the gods don't see demigods as real family, except our parents," Nico said slowly. "And sometimes our parents don't care either."

"Our father is a colossal asshole sometimes, I know," Zagreus said, making Nico choke on his sip of nectar. "But we're still brothers, and if he's being too awful, I'll fight him for you. I fight him all the time anyway. He's killed me a bunch of times, but I've killed him too. I think we're probably pretty even now, or maybe I've even killed him more."

"Overwhelming," Megaera said. That was fair, Zagreus figured, since most people probably didn't talk about how they killed their father and he killed them.

At least, he didn't think most people talked about that. He didn't really have much of a frame of reference. He wished he could get out more.

"That's not what's important," Zagreus declared, deciding the best option was to just skip past the whole "fighting his father to the death" thing for now. "What's important is that you're my little brother, and if you need me, I'll be here. I've never had a little brother before, so I might not be perfect, but I'll do my best. How does that sound?"

Nico still looked a bit guarded, but finally, he nodded slowly. "Okay. That sounds good."

"Great!" Zagreus beamed. "First step in being there for you is helping you fix your little prophecy mess. When are we going to head out to find the Doors?"

"We should move quickly," Thanatos said. "The situation will only get worse. And I have a backlog to deal with, so I can't sit around waiting for too long."

"Noted. Meg, your thoughts?"

"We should be fast, but we can't be stupid," Megaera said. "Especially you two." She pointed at Thanatos and Nico. "You're going to be up against a giant, most likely, which means you'll need to work together to kill it."

"Um." Nico looked like he was half expecting for someone to smite him on the spot for saying anything, but when no one did, he asked tentatively, "Lord Thanatos, can't you just… kill the giant? You are Death, and the giant is alive."

"I should be able to kill it," Thanatos agreed, "but I'll need you working with me. The rules are that the giants can only be defeated by a god and a demigod working together, and unfortunately, the rules that govern things like that are more powerful than any of us." He made a face. "My sisters love to brag about it."

"Your sisters, as in… the three Fates?"

"Thanatos has a million siblings," Zagreus said. "But yeah, right now those are the sisters he's talking about."

Nico looked like he was just barely holding it together through valiant effort. "Okay."

"You should get some rest," Zagreus declared. "More rest. And Than, can you get more food for him?"

"I thought we were going to close the Doors," Nico countered.

Zagreus reached out and poked Nico, who swayed with the touch. "You're not closing anything yet. Rest. Eat. The three of us will plan. And then we go and close the Doors."

For a moment, it looked like Nico was going to argue, but then he seemed to realize he'd be arguing with two gods and a Fury and decided not to. "We'll go soon?"

"We'll go soon," Zagreus agreed. "We don't want monsters running rampant on the surface any more than you do."

"It makes my job much harder," Thanatos agreed. Zagreus was pretty sure the deadpan tone was supposed to be a joke, but he could never be certain with Thanatos. Nico looked startled, but Megaera snorted, which probably meant it was a joke. She was better at catching Thanatos's jokes than Zagreus sometimes.

"Let's leave Nico to rest," Zagreus declared. He hesitated, not sure if Nico would appreciate a hug or a kiss. He decided against both and just offered Nico a smile instead. "Have a good sleep, and we'll come and get you later."

Nico hesitated. "You don't mind me using your bed?"

"I hardly sleep," Zagreus dismissed. "Don't worry about it."

"Get some rest," Megaera told Nico. "We'll make a plan, then we'll get moving later. But only if you rest."

Nico nodded. "Thank you." He looked over at Zagreus and Thanatos as well. "All of you. Thank you."

"Of course," Zagreus said. "You're my little brother. If you ever need me, just call. I can't spend much time on the surface, but I'll find a way to help you."

Nico looked a little dazed by the offer, but he nodded. "Thank you."

"Get some rest," Thanatos said. "I can send Hypnos to help if you need him."

Nico shook his head, and they all filed out of the room to let him sleep. "You were completely right," Zagreus told Megaera solemnly, once the door had closed behind them. "I understood once I met him. Nico is adorable."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Zagreus asked, adjusting Aegis on his arm. He'd decided to go with the shield for the second trip into Tartarus, figuring it made sense to use something defensive when he was trying to get through it without injury as much as possible.

"I'm ready," Nico said, looking very small in his dark armor. Stygius glowed darkly at his side, which was at least something good; Zagreus knew he could trust his old sword to keep Nico as safe as possible. "And we need to close the Doors."

"Meg and I will go through Tartarus as quickly as we can," Zagreus promised, strapping Achilles's old bracer to his arm. It would help protect him from the front, and he had Megaera to guard his back. He'd hung Rib from his belt, figuring that being able to summon a distraction in Tartarus probably wouldn't be the worst thing while fighting hordes of monsters. "Thanatos, you have Battie, right? If you need help, you can use it."

Thanatos looked down at Battie, who was tucked away in his robes. "I have him."

"And Meg, you have Mort?"

Megaera patted Mort, who hung from her belt. "We're ready."

Zagreus looked over at Thanatos. "And you're ready too? You were chained up as of a day ago."

"And I'm fine now," Thanatos replied. "Stop hovering, Zag."

"I'm not hovering," Zagreus retorted immediately. "I'm checking to make sure everyone is alright before we go fight giants and monsters and potentially Gaia herself. I think I should be allowed to do that."

"You're allowed to do that," Megaera said. "You're also hovering. Let's go already."

"You're all so mean to me," Zagreus declared. "Nico, you're on my side, right?"

Nico looked startled and a bit frightened to be dragged into the conversation. "Uh-"

"Nico and I are leaving," Thanatos said, holding a hand out to Nico. "If you're ready."

Nico looked at Thanatos's hand for a long moment, then he accepted it slowly. "I'm ready."

Zagreus offered Nico a winning smile, which Nico very weakly returned. "Good luck!"

In a flash of green light, Thanatos and Nico disappeared. Zagreus looked over at Megaera, then he looked at the balcony. "Shall we?"

"We're going out through the door in the garden," Megaera said flatly.

"Oh, come on-"

"No negotiating."

Zagreus huffed, but he followed Megaera back through his room and into the garden. The House wasn't quite as eerily silent as it had been when he'd first arrived; Thanatos had been making up for lost time as much as he could, and there were shades milling around. Hypnos was checking them in as usual, but he managed to spare a moment to shoot Zagreus a thumbs-up for luck.

Hades's desk was still empty. Zagreus was fairly certain his father was still in his room, warring with himself. Maybe, after they closed the Doors, he could see if he could figure out a way to end the fighting between the Greeks and the Romans.

One thing at a time, though. Closing the Doors of Death came first. The demigods on the surface needed him to, if they were going to stand a chance against Gaia's monster armies, and the balance of the world wouldn't reset itself until death went back to normal. Zagreus could see the way it weighed on Thanatos, who wasn't quite as back to normal as he was pretending to be, and if he could fix that, he'd jump at the chance.

"Are you ready?" Megaera asked, standing by the door.

Zagreus grinned at her. "Born ready."

"You were born dead."

"Technicalities."

Megaera sighed, but she stepped aside, letting Zagreus open the doors. The hallway loomed in front of them, dark and eerie as always.

"What's that mortal saying that Hermes told me?" Zagreus mused.

Megaera looked at him like he was insane. "What is what?"

"Oh, that's right." Zagreus tensed, grinning at Megaera. "Last one there is a rotten egg!"

Running full-speed into Tartarus probably wasn't the smartest thing Zagreus had ever done, but as he heard Megaera curse and chase after him, he couldn't bring himself to regret it. They'd close the Doors in the Underworld, and Nico and Thanatos would close the Doors on the Surface, and then they'd figure out where to go from there.

And wherever they went, Zagreus would go there with his new brother. He thought he liked the sound of that.