The First Daughter

Chapter 30:

Nico didn't say anything to me, but he just looked down at me, and when Darren started to stir he watched him as Darren put his arm protectively around my waist.
"It's ok." Nico said, "It's ok."

I looked around the scenery: we were a city, I could figure this about because of the tall buildings but it was completely empty and barren. It was cloudy as if it wanted to rain so badly, but it somehow couldn't but I still smelled rain in the air. I slowly got up and Darren followed with his arm still around my shoulders. I didn't feel comfortable with him being that close to me and I shifted my shoulders then stepped forward to Nico,

"How do we know you're not with Hazel?"

Then as if to answer my question Hazel's voice shouted, "NICO DI ANGELO!" She walked up very cross and her eyes were life gold shimmering daggers that were lethal and wanted to kill Nico, "HOW DARE YOU PULL US OUT OF THE SHADOWS!"

"Because," He replied plainly.

"If you continue working against us, Nico; you know the rules haven't changed."

"I have more people with me this time," Nico replied,"The rules may have not changed, the game has."

Hazel's eyes widened and stepped back from fear.

"What's going on?" Frank asked.

"That's not Hazel." Nico replied turning his head,

"Or at least it's her body; it's an Eidolon."

"What are those?" I asked.

"They," Percy started but paused to think for a second, "We've had a history."

Annabeth stood up and rolled her eyes, "They are servants of Gaea; which adds again to our enemies."

"But we defeated her!" Jason added.

Hazel laughed, "Do you think can defeat the very earth you walk upon?"

"We got her to take a nap!" Leo corrected.

"People wake from naps." Hazel reminded, "But the Mistress hasn't decided whether or not she is going to join in this fight."

"Then what's going on?" I asked.

Hazel smiled again, "Wouldn't you like to know?" She turned to Nico and smiled, "Your choice Nico, surrender or the girl dies."

"We can defeat you." Nico replied.

"Don't count on it." Hazel then got a look of surprise and then she lifted her right hand to her head and slowly went down screaming in pain. Darren was quick for a medic and dove to Hazel's side and turned her on her back as she screamed in pain, "I NEED HELP HERE!"

He shouted as Hazel's body began to shake seemingly uncontrollably I opted to help out and held down a leg at Hazel's ankle while Frank held her hand, Leo held the other leg, and Reyna managed the other arm. Hazel screamed at the top of her lungs, and Darren cried out in disbelief "I can't stop it!"

"But I can." I heard the familiar voice and I turned my head, and saw Lilly,

"Where have you been?!"

"I ran." She replied plainly, "I ran when I felt the tremors and ran to above ground."

"Who are you?" Leo asked.

"How did you get here with us?" I asked.

"We're in San Francisco, it's not far from Camp Jupiter." She replied.

"What do you plan on doing?" Darren asked.

Lilly sighed, "It takes magic to purge a Eidolon."

Piper stepped forward,"It's ok; I can talk them out of it."

Piper knelt next to screaming Hazel and spoke in the most soothing calming voice I've ever heard, "Um. Mr Eidolon, why are you doing this?"
Amidst the screams a dark voice replied, "The Master demands blood upon he line of the gods!"

"Why don't you come out of Hazel sir, and maybe we can talk peace for you Master."

"THERE WILL NEVER BE PEACE!" It shrieked, "TOO MUCH HAS BEEN DONE AGAINST HIM! NOW IT'S TIME FOR RETRIBUTION! BLOOD MUST BE SHED!"

"Alrighty!" Piper replied, "If you're going to be like that Mister you're going to come out of Hazel right this minute!"

"But I don't want to go!" The Eidolon whined.

"You have to. So come out right this minute!" With a great cry erupting from Hazel's mouth a shadow rose from her body and with beady red eyes it turned it's shadowy head and glared at Piper, then it's gaze turned to Lilly who was behind her and I knew exactly what was going to go down. I felt things slow down into a slow motion I turned my head for Lilly to move or something and the Eidolon had already launched himself towards Lilly as fast as a bullet.

Lilly, as if she was being attacked by bees, tried to swat away the Eidolon but it entered her and she froze for a spilt second and then she turned and ran.
"Don't let it get away!" Nico yelled. I went into huntress mode and sprung after Lilly and wished for a stun arrow or something. But then earthen creatures from from the ground, in my case I wasn't phased by this as I took a quick foothold on one that was beginning to form and climbed over it before it took on it's complete shape, jumped, and landed behind it and continued running after Lilly.

She had darted around a corner I took the opportunity and readied my bow, I looked out into the street Lilly had darted down and saw that she disappeared in the urban jungle. A hand touched my shoulder and I almost yelped as I turned around but there was Nico with his pointer to his lips reminding me to be quiet. I contained the yelp and Nico looked down the street for himself, "It's gone."

"She, has a name."

"She, isn't going to come out without a reason to."

"What are you suggesting?"

Nico looked at me, "I hear that you're the huntress; figure it out."

It only took me a second, "Bait?"

Nico nodded once and added, "I suggest that you go on top of the building and I'll draw her out." I sighed, "Sure, give me a sec."


A couple minutes, and a elevator song later I got myself at the top of a tall building, the wind blew gently against me as I followed Nico closely. While keeping myself from being seen from the ground, I made sure I was always in firing range. I jumped on different rooftops, even jumping across the street itself to keep up with Nico as he walked around calling out for Lilly. We found ourselves in a darkish alley with Lilly walking up to Nico slowly "Help me." She said weakly.

I looked over the wall in front of me and watched as it went down, "Release her." Nico replied. I sat on my haunches and nocked an arrow, and looked over the wall again.
"She's mine to take." The Eidolon replied.

"You sure?" Nico asked.

"Do you even know what this is?" It asked.

"Uh a girl." Nico replied rather defiantly.

"No," It replied, "But you're more powerful than this copy."

Then before I could do anything the shadow jumped from Lilly and transferred into Nico, Lily's back hunched over and her head was back and her arms were to her sides and her knees were forward as if she was some martinet waiting for her strings to be plucked up. Then the shadow entered Nico and Nico's body was thrown back as if he was hit with a bullet but he didn't hit the ground; instead his shoulders rolled back and his head circled around and a creepy sly grin spread across his face when it came forward,

"Now to get rid of this pathetic mess."

The eidolon moved Nico's arm out to the side and black mist circled his hand and some more forward and a little in the back and condensed and solidified into a very large sword. Lilly just had enough time to gasp and get one look at Nico before the giant sword stuck Lilly in the gut. I screamed and looked for a way down. Lilly cried out in pain and her hands circled around the blade that punctured her flesh. She groaned and cried out in pain, I decided to just jump over the side of the building since I was only a few stories up. The eidolon in Nico removed the sword and Lilly fell to the ground. I managed to land on my feet between Lilly and Nico. I felt the shock of the landing, spread in a web of my nerves through my feet and most of my legs but I pushed the pain down and aimed my bow for Nico's head.

Notes