Ghost King Meets Batman

Camp Jupiter

[Edited April 21, 2023]

[For everyone who forgot that Alfred was a badass, please see the evidence above.]

Nico decided to wait until the next day to travel to the Roman Camp. He hoped that the image of the camp in his dreams would be enough of an emotional anchor to get him there. If it didn't, there was a very high chance he could end up in China again. That was a risk that he would have to take.

He told Bruce that his mission from his father required him in California again, and Nico had to convince the older man to let him go. It took a lot of convincing and talking about the different emergency protocols that Bruce had in place if anything were to go wrong. Some of those protocols seemed to be created specifically for him. 

For instance, NA 2147 was his code to override the magic dampeners in the Batcave, and NA 3896 would let him into any of Bruce's safe houses around the country (many of which he had been forced to memorize). Bruce was very thorough and wouldn't allow him to go off on his own before he recited all of the emergency contact numbers, a list of safe houses in and around California, and the address of one of the safehouses in China just in case.

It was annoying, but Nico also had to admit that he understood where the man was coming from. Bruce dealt with super-powered people all the time as Batman and he knew very well the potential dangers that were involved with magics such as Nico's. He had also seen what Nico's powers could do to him when he overused them. He had every right to be cautious. When the son of Hades had finally gotten permission, it was well after lunch. He decided to shadow travel as soon as possible and left around 3 pm. He landed in what seemed to be a grand amphitheater and was grateful that it seemed to be empty—sort of.

Only mere seconds after he arrived, he was confronted by an armless statue whose special effects arsenal consisted of sulfur bursts and a strict handle on the rules.

"You! Graecus scum! How did you get here?" An angry-looking statue had popped out of nowhere and was interrogating him. Nico had been ready for angry Romans, monsters, scared Chinese people, or something along those lines. He had not been prepared for this.

"I..." The impatient thing cut him off.

"Never mind. You know that weapons are forbidden past the Pomeranian line! Give them to my assistant. Where is that girl? Julia?!" The being called. He barely even stopped to breathe. Did he need to breathe? He wasn't exactly alive, but he was still a god of some kind. Did he still breathe? A young girl came skipping over with a tray, presumably for his weapons. There was already an odd assortment of weapons on the tray, such as a handgun-- it looked like a modern model-- a gladius, a weird-looking glove that might channel magic, and an odd-looking coin.

"Well, put your weapons in the box, boy." The statue said impatiently.

"Everyone will be weaponless?" He asked as he slowly moved to take off his sword. If the answer was no, then he would have to leave. There was no way that he was going to meet a group of armed Romans empty-handed.

"Yes, yes. Do I look like I tolerate rule-breakers? Anyone who crosses the Pomeranian line must be unarmed," the statue said even more impatiently. Nico decided to do as he said. As long as he stayed inside the lines, he had a chance at survival.

"Your knife too," he sighed. Nico dropped it in the bin.

"Very well, I am the guardian of New Rome. Terminus, god of boundaries. What brings you here, graecus?"

" I am an ambassador of Pluto and I wish to speak peacefully with the praetors. I would appreciate it if you asked them to meet me here," he asked politely. Terminus seemed to consider this-- his eyes narrowed in suspicion.