It was 1:25 am when the four of them woke up to lightning. Nico was in the middle, sitting up right in between Maria, Bianca, and Nicholas.
"That's...um...loud lightning." Bianca stated, pointing out the obvious. Maria, on the other hand, was breathing heavily, although she tried to mask her panic.
"Kids...put on your coats." Maria didn't even bother to pack, which confused Nico but not Bianca and Nicholas as they looked at each other-refusing to believe why the lightning is there.
Thunder was mixed in with the lightning as series of bolts flashed outside the window, followed by rain. Maria got herself and her kids off the bed.
"Why are we leaving?" Nico asked as he put on his aviator's jacket.
"Niccolò, I'll tell everything once we—"
Neither of the siblings could hear what their mother said next nor could see her as lightning struck down, blinding them temporarily. Nicholas was the first to open his eyes and was stunned to see Hades towering over the three of them, his arms outstretched. Lightning struck again, but it was too late as he took them into the shadows.
***
"No. Way." Nico looked around in awe as he held Bianca's hand while Nicholas trailed behind them as they walked in the Underworld.
"Did mama....?" That statement from Nico made everyone freeze, including Hades, who rarely felt any emotion. Nicholas just looked away, pretending to not exist as Bianca pulled Nico away from the two and crouched down as she slowly and hesitantly began to explain what happened, even if Nico already knew—but he didn't want to accept it.
It was then just Nicholas who stood by himself as he glanced back and forth between Bianca comforting Nico and Hades who was conversing with Alecto. Nicholas remembered how Alecto was his 'babysitter' whenever Hades did not want to be around him. Nicholas walked towards his father, building up courage as he thought of the words to say.
"We—we can live with you, father. In the Underworld."
Alecto looked back and forth between her boss and his son before clearing her throat. "I...I'm gonna leave you both." She said before walking away. Hades turned to look down at Nicholas and spoke.
"Under no circumstances will I have children in my domain. You and your siblings will go to Washington D.C., safe from the war. Safe from everything."
"And then we'll come back to Italy."
A silence passed by between the two until Hade spoke up next. "No. Alecto!"
In an instant The Fury returned to Hades. "Yes, my lord?" As Hades leaned in and whispered something into Alecto's ear, Nicholas could have sworn he heard him say something about 'keeping them in the Lotus Casino' along with 'wiping their memories except his.' Alecto nodded and gathered the children, handing each of them roses including herself.
"Crush them." She ordered.
Nicholas raised an eyebrow, and so did Bianca and Nico, but nevertheless, they crushed the roses and soon, the four of them vanished, leaving Hades all to himself. As usual.
