"Okay, Bruce I know this is a weird request, but I want to meet with someone from my dad's side of the family and basically tell them what's up with me, where I am and all of that.", Nico told Bruce.

The plan Nico had come up with yesterday evening did end up being just asking, because everything else was way more complicated. Besides, if Bruce were to say no, Nico would still be able to sneak off and do one of the many insane back-up plans he had come up with that night.

So now here the two of them were in Bruce's office on the third floor. It was morning, after they had eaten Breakfast together. Nico had asked Bruce if they could talk in private, and that's how they got there.

"It's not a weird request Nico, I understand that you want to see your family.", Bruce said, and Nico was feeling relieved.

"That's great, could you maybe drive me to New York? The person I want to see lives there."

"We can most certainly get you to New York, however I want to be there when you meet your family." Bruce said and his tone and overall appearance made it clear he was dead set on that.

"Oh."

"If you don't want it to be me, I would be okay with Dick or Alfred being there, but I want an adult with you. Cass is an adult too, but I don't want it to be just you and her, because you can't really understand her."

Nico didn't say anything. It was a reasonable request from Bruce, but it made it basically impossible to visit Camp Half-Blood, or any other Demigod place for that matter.

"It's just that nobody showed up in the hospital, there was no missing person's report issued, which means they weren't looking for you, and also the whole thing with you being homeless while having that big of a family that, how many people your age? 25?, is a low number. I'm sorry but letting you meet your family all alone doesn't seem like the best idea."

Nico had to think about what he would say next. He hadn't expected a 'yes, but', so he hadn't planned for this possibility.

"I understand why you think that way Bruce, but they don't really like people that aren't part of the family in their homes." Nico said. He could see that Bruce was about to say something about that, maybe offer a solution to his problem, so Nico decided to keep on talking. "I would want to ring a couple of them first. Do you have a landline?"

Bruce looked at Nico amused but then saw that Nico was serious in his question.

"I don't have a phone, Bruce. We went shopping yesterday and I told you all about my religion, remember?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. I though your whole no phone thing just meant you couldn't have one. I didn't know it meant you needed a landline."

"Well, it does." Nico said, trying not to sound too annoyed. He didn't mind not having a phone, he probably wouldn't have been able to properly use it anyways, he minded Bruce not remembering. "Do you have one?"

"Yes, I do. I'll get you the phone."

"Okay, thank you."

Now, 15 minutes later, Nico was sitting on the roof, the place Dick had shown him on his tour around the Mannor. He had the phone for the landline in his hand and was about to start typing in the number, when Nico realised, he didn't know the phone number for Camp Half-Blood, or any other phone numbers that weren't 911.

He pulled the thick envelope out of his hoodie pocket, took the prism out of it and put the prism down on the fire escape stairs. The rainbow was small, but it was a rainbow and that was all Nico needed.

"Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering and show me Chiron, Camp Half-Blood, long Island." Nico said and threw in one of the drachmas.

"All I am saying is that if the portal had worked properly in the first place, we wouldn't have this problem.", Chiron said. Nico was sure Chiron was in the big house, although he couldn't really see Chiron's surroundings or the person he was talking to.

"Yes, I know that, but that doesn't make it- Oh Look, you're being messaged." A somewhat familiar Voice said, although Nico couldn't tell who the person was.

"I'm sorry, we are discussing something im-" Chiron said before looking down and seeing Nico was the one messaging him. Then, Chiron's face suddenly looked older, although only slightly.

"Do me a favour and come back in about half an hour. This is more important.", Chiron said to the person he was talking to before.

"If you say so.", The voice said. Nico could hear a door closing, then he saw Chiron sat down in his wheelchair.

"Nico, is that really you? How are you still alive, what happened to you? Why do you still look like you did 50 years ago? Are the-"

"Chiron, I don't know what happened, or why I am here, or how I got here. I was hoping you would know something."

"Where are you anyways? And where were you? Why didn't you come back to Camp?"

"I am calling about that. I appeared out of nowhere in Gotham City Park, and then I was in a coma for 6 months or so. When I woke up, they told me I could either be Bruce Wayne's foster child or go to juvie because the foster system in Gotham is at its limit."

"What? Can't I-"

"I don't want to talk everything over right now; I was hoping we could meet somewhere in New York and talk about the details there."

"Yes, of course we can do that. When could you come over? Today? Tomorrow?", Chiron asked. Nico wasn't sure if he was hearing Chiron correctly or not, because he sounded somewhat frantic.

"Not so fast. You see, I wasn't sure what to tell them about the whole 'half of my family is made up from the divine', and so Dad spoke to me and said I should tell them I was homeless. I mean that is partially true, but you know. Now they believe Dad's side of the family is huge, but no one cared enough for me to take me in when I became homeless or missed me enough to make a missing person's report or look for me in any other way. He wants himself or another adult he trusts to be there with me when we meet. He thinks he's doing this for my own safety, at least I think so."

"That would be a problem, but it's nothing we can't overcome. I have talked to mortals almost my whole life, always trying to convince them of things I need them to believe. I think you forget that we have the mist on our side, so it would be easier than you'd think for me to become your legal guardian and have your legal residence be Camp Half-Blood."

Chiron talked with the same certainty Nico had expected. Now that the possibility of him living at Camp again and leaving the Waynes for good was so close and reachable, he became more secure in the decision he made last night.

"I don't actually want to leave the Waynes. I have this feeling, that I was sent here for a reason and that I must find something out about them before I can leave."

"If that's what you want, I can't stop you, but I still need to see you Nico. So much has happened while you were gone, I still can't... I can't quite believe you are alive.", Chiron said, and while he was saying that tears formed in his eyes.

Nico didn't know how to react, to him it seemed like he had just spent a week in the hospital and then two days with the Waynes since he had last seen Chiron, but he understood the way Chiron felt.

"I really don't know what to tell you, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, don't worry.", Chiron said and wiped away some tears.

They spend some time in silence while Chiron was trying to calm himself down again.

"I'm sorry if this is insensitive, but when we meet, I need you to seem just as happy, if not even more to see me. We somehow have to convince Bruce that you and the rest of the family aren't all horrible people for not filing a report and stuff like that."

"Don't worry Nico, I don't think it would be possible for me to not seem happy to see you."

Nico smiled and for a little while longer they just sat there in silence, until Nico remembered something.

"What's your mortal name again? I mean I can introduce you as Chiron, but I think that would just make them confused, because you don't really have a last Name and you are kind of well-known as a mythological creature."

"I used to use 'Chris Brunner'. If that works for you, we could use it again."

"I would have said it's more important that that works with you, so I guess we can use 'Chris Brunner' as your name. Oh, and before I forget, can you also give me the Camp's phone number? Chances are Bruce will want to ring you."

"Oh yes, the phone. Just a second."

Nico could see Chiron look though the stuff on the table in front of him, then he pulled out a card.

"Its 0800 56789 111, you got that?"

Nico had written the number in his little notebook and then stuck his thumb up.

"Great, expect someone to call in about half an hour."

Nico was about to wave through the Picture in front of him, essentially hanging up, when Chiron shouted "Wait!". Nico looked up again and saw how scared Chiron looked.

"What's wrong?"

"I just got you back after having lost you for over 50 years. How do I know I won't lose you again? I don't want that to happen. I just got you back Nico, how do I know I will ever see you again?"

Chiron's distress grew and it became more and more visible.

"Don't worry Chiron, we will see each other again, today. I promise. Even if for some reason I would be unable to come down to New York, because then I would send you another Iris message. We will see each other again." Nico tried to put the same certainty in his Voice that Chiron usually had. It seemed to be working because Chiron looked at least a bit relaxed.

"I am alive and well. Nothing will change that, at least not today."

Chiron nodded.

"I am sorry Nico. I don't know what just came over me. Normally I am-"

"Chiron, there is nothing you need to apologise for. Reunited family members in Elysium often can't believe they have each other back either. You thought you had lost me forever; you can be as overwhelmed by this as you are, it's big news."

"I can't wait to see you again in person.", Chiron said.

"Neither can I. Now, I need to go and tell Bruce that he can ring you to figure out the details of us meeting again. See you later."

"See you later." Chiron said, and Nico waved his hand through the image to essentially hang up.

꧁꧂

"I am sorry but I have to ask this one last time. Are you sure you want this?", Bruce asked Nico around the corner of the café they were supposed to meet Chiron in.

"Yes Bruce, I want to meet him. He hasn't seen me in ages, and he only ever was kind to me. He deserves to see that I am alive and well."

Bruce nodded and then said: "Well, here goes nothing."

Nico was glad Bruce was on board with meeting Chiron. He of course would have preferred to meet Chiron alone, in Camp Half-Blood, but like the rolling stones had said, you can't always get what you want. At least this way, Nico didn't need to be sneaky about it.

"Here comes another dumb question: What did you say was your relationship to this Mr. Brunner?"

"He's my half uncle, if you can say it like that. My father and Chi- Chris have the same father, but they have different mothers."

"Yes, I think you're right, that is called half-uncle." Bruce said in an attempt to keep the conversation alive.

"Bruce, I know we don't know each other very well yet, but can I ask you something somewhat personal?"

"Of course you can, Nico. I am supposed to be something like a father for you. You can ask me anything you want."

Nico smiled and took a deep breath.

"Is it normal for me to be this nervous? I mean to me it feels like it's been 2 weeks since we last saw each other, but to him it was so much longer. What if he changed since I last saw him? Changed into a person I don't like?"

"Nico, of course it is normal to be nervous. I don't know your uncle; I can't say if he is the type of person to change drastically in 6 months or not. All I can say is that he seemed like a reasonable man on the phone, and like he was genuinely happy to hear you are alive and well. Believe me, if I had a bad feeling walking into this, this meeting would be happening under very different circumstances."

Nico took a deep breath before the café entrance, then he nodded, and Bruce opened the door for him.