𝕽𝖔𝖞𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖞 𝕻𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 (𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖔𝖑𝖞𝖒𝖕𝖚𝖘)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖵𝖨𝖨𝖨

Reyna didn't want to cry, but she did anyway. Her shaking hands gripped her polished desk for support, her knuckles paling immediately. The tears streaked her cheeks as she swallowed down another sob, her nails dug into her palms and there was a knock.

Hurriedly, she wiped away the tears and walked nimbly toward the door before slowly pulling it open. There was a boy standing there, his black blade in his right hand and his dark eyes searching Reyna's. His hair disheveled, and his mouth is twisted in a worried frown, his entire attire was black.

"Nico."she whispered. The boy nodded and blinked more than once before smiling up at the taller girl.

Reyna wrapped him in her arms and his body became tense, but eventually eased into the embrace. She kissed his forehead before looking into his worried eyes.

"We have a lot to talk about." was all he said.

"Hylla was sick?" Reyna's voice shook terribly, she'd never been close with her now late sister, but her death wasn't something Reyna had wished for.

"Yes, what were you guys thinking?" Nico shouted at the entire crew standing in Reyna's office. Jason merely winced at the news of his parents' death, while Frank didn't expect the death if his adopted father so quickly, he looked more relieved than grieving. Hazel was the only one crying when she'd heard the news of Hades' murder. Piper's face almost broke into a grin when she was told Silena took over the throne.

"So my sister killed her own parents and everyone else's for the throne because I was gone, and she was of age?" Jason said for the third time in the past thirty minutes.

"YES! NOW YOU WILL GO BACK AND TAKE IT FROM HER! WE ARE NOT SENDING OUR KINGDOMS TO THEIR DOOM!" Nico yelled, sending accusatory glares to everyone in the room.

"What about Sally and Poseidon?" Piper stole the question from Reyna's mouth.

"Sally's captive, Poseidon's dead." Nico said, with a glare to compete with Reyna's own.

"Athena?" Annabeth asked quietly. She had been sitting on Reyna's desk in utter silence until this moment.

Nico's gaze softened out of sympathy when it fell on her. Her usually tied hair was falling over her shoulders and her eyes were red and puffy.

"She's gone into a coma, she had a problem with her brain." Nico said softly. Annabeth only nodded, her mother had never paid her any attention, so her reaction seemed appropriate.

Now, they weren't cold people, but their parents had made their lives hell. So much so that they had to run away. Hera was absolutely crazy about finding Jason a wife when he clearly said he would only marry Piper. Piper's mom wanted her to, use men to prove she was worthy of being her daughter. Hades only ever talked to Hazel when she would sneak out to see Frank, who didn't like hurting people. Ares had ordered him to wage war against at least one city and conquer it, Frank ran away because the alternative was death. Leo just tagged along for the ride because his father was loved hammers more than his own son. Percy's mother, Sally, was the only decent one. Heck, she'd probably even respected his choice of leaving. So, with practically no family, that's what the children became for each other.

"So... who's ruling Athens ? " Reyna asked, giving Annabeth's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"The general. Malcolm Pace. " Nico said, frowning at Annabeth's relieved sigh.

"You went back home?" Hazel asked through her tears.

"Persephone didn't remarry. She said she'd rather die." Nico responded, with a scoff. "Our father didn't think the same, nevertheless I took the throne