Kudos to @ColdMilkLover for all the votes I got, btw your profile pic is awesome.

Going to die, don't wait up, I'll be back soon. Was the note I left on the counter, I shoved a few squares of ambrosia into my pocket, at the last second, I grabbed one of the roses, snipped the stem bit off and placed it carefully in my pocket. I prepared myself to vapour trail. It was a bit like shadow travelling except, it was travelling, by water. I'd literally convert myself back to my most basic form and draw the energy from around me to travel.

Some parts of Manhattan might've had a bit of a power outage that day.

It's was a slightly terrifying feeling; floating through the air, the world around you turns misty grey and all shifty, kind of like the ring in Lord of the Rings.

Anyway, how I managed to get downstairs to Hades' realm, I wasn't sure, I pretty much managed to get to the Styx before collapsing in a heap. "Uuuuggghhhh." Was the intelligent moan that came out of my mouth. I was splayed out like a star, verging on the edge of unconsciousness.

"Percy?" I heard someone ask, I blinked again and saw Nico hovering over me. That's right, wherever there's a Hades, there's generally a Hades child. Funny 'bout that. "Percy, is that really you? Oh gods, are you okay? Are you hurt? I honestly do not believe that you are alive. Where have you been? You look really bad, I think I have some ambrosia somewhere around here..." Nico gently shoved the food of the gods into my mouth. Soon enough, I felt it working its magic and I managed the energy to stand.

"Where have you been? Everyone's been worried sick, for like, three whole years!" Nico's hair was slightly shorter than I'd last seen it, it only just brushed over his eyebrows. Her had more muscle now and the term, lean, could be applied over twig.

"Four next week," I managed. Dusting off the black sand that seemed persistent on getting everywhere. "Why are you down here? I thought you'd be up there, partying with the rest of Camp, how is it by the way?"

"Somber, boring, monsters attacks are at a record low."

"It's cause I'm not there." I laughed, I'm not sure if Nico got the undercurrent of bitterness in my words.

"I don't think it's that." Nico pursed his lips in thought.

"I was joking." I said rather bluntly. The conversation lapsed into awkward silence with the au de u stink of rotting flesh and cries of punished souls in the background.

"I know why you're here." Nico said sombrely. "I've already tried looking Percy, I'm not sure."

"Aphrodite said that your father knew the direction in that she was drawn or went."

Nico seemed surprised. "You talked to Aphrodite?" I nodded slowly. "Well, he did say something about New York, but further out... And a river,"

"Aphrodite said there was a river too." I agreed. "And the souls, how can they be outside? In bodies and stuff?" We began to walk alongside the Styx, occasionally, Nico would kick away a stone or two. The entire place was like a black and white filter. I remembered when I used to be afraid of this place. The Underworld was the unspoken hell of demigods. Then I went to the true hell.

Now, the underworld was a leisurely park walk.

"When a soul separates from the body, the body drops to the ground all blood and guts and all that, and the soul floats over to Charon and comes into the underworld. When a soul leaves the underworld, generally, it's first priority is to find a body. When there is no body, the soul generally wonders around aimlessly until it can either build a replica or find the underworld again or just wither away into agonising pain and sit on the borderline of both the world's without ever going to either."

"So how do you build a body?" I asked, my stomach turning slightly, the hairs on the back on my neck prickled.

"But that isn't what the gods want, is it?" Nico pointed out. There was an undertone of teasing in his voice, I tried to ignore it.

"No, but it's what I want. Annabeth died an unfair death, she wasn't supposed to leave like that. Her life was cut too short." I protested and then realised that protesting with the son of Hades about the fairness of death wasn't going to do much, and then I remembered Bianca and I sagged in defeat. "I'm sorry."

We walked another couple of paces, Nico kicked a shell away. He wasn't angry or tense, kind of ... Sad. After dealing with the dead and all that, he'd probably heard the 'it's not fair' speech a billion times. He'd probably get sick of it after a while. Here I was, repeating the same words over again.

"It's okay." He said and shrugged. "I know what we need to do, tomorrow? I'll come to you."

I looked at him, he was quiet, his face pale and his eyes were worn out. "Thank you." I nodded and vapour-trailed away from the Underworld. A quick visit was all it really was.

Thank you Nico.

Well, it was a short chapter but hey, I've started year 11 now. First day, I am terrified. I've already gotten two assessments due in like, three weeks. So it goes without saying that updates may be slower.

Celebrate for the Apollo series coming out in May! Woot!

The father or son voting in the last chapter? Who was Percy going to meet with in order to get the information of Annabeth that he needed.

So, Blood or Ivory?

Please tell me what you want more of; more Avengers, character development, what happened to the over seven, name it.