The Next Generation: Hades's Helm

Chapter 11: Hayley

Note: Rights to Rick Riordan for the character of Nico di  Angelo. Ally Saven, Hayley Hart, Thunder Kim, Micheal, and Oliver are my OCs, though.

Hayley didn't know what happened.

One moment, she was being shoved by this big teenage boy. Micheal, Ally called him. Then, everything was pitch black. When the light came back after about 30 seconds, everything around her was glowing purple.

What had Ally called her? A daughter of Hades? Who even was Hades?

Hayley turns and glares at Micheal. He seems to shrink under her gaze as he turns and sprints into camp.

"Well, that was easy," Ally says, looking at Hayley with a smile.

Despite having seen Hayley's scars, Ally didn't seem scared at all. Not even intimidated. It was... nice.

Hayley nods a bit, looking down at the floor. She looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

It was Ally. "Come on," she said. "I'll show you around camp. Then I'll show you to the Hades cabin."

Hayley nodded a bit, studying Ally's face. There wasn't a hint of disgust or apprehension in her expression - a look Hayley didn't receive often.

Ally smiles and starts to walk into camp.

They didn't get very far before a group of people run up and swarmed the two girls. Hayley could make out Micheal's face in the sworm. He'd gotten his friends to jump two young girls.

How pathetic could this man get?

Ally's expression hardens as she draws something that Hayley hadn't noticed before. A dagger, in a sheath on her hip.

How hadn't she noticed? She'd lived on the streets for years. She'd taught herself to notice every detail.

She didn't get much time to dwell on this, however. One of the boys stepped forward, shoving her to the ground.

"Oliver!" Ally shouted, stepping forward, but the boy, Oliver, shoved her too.

Something inside Hayley snapped. Ally was one of the few people who had ever been kind to her. Seeing her shoved made Hayley feel protective of her.

She didn't even do anything. At least, not on purpose. But something exploded around her, knocking the whole group to the ground. Ally was untouched, though.

They all turned and ran. Ally was staring up at Hayley with wide eyes. Hayley's own eyes were wide. She looks down at her hand, and suddenly, tendrils of something dark and black wrap around her hand.

"W-what..." Hayley mumbles, looking at Ally.

The daughter of Athena slowly stands up, her eyes locked on Hayley's hand. She slowly approaches, seemingly unafraid. "Can you... stop it?"

Hayley nods a bit. At least, she was pretty sure she could. She looks back down at her hand, and slowly, the dark and cold tendrils recede and fade into nothingness.

"That's weird," Ally says quietly and slowly, stepping towards Hayley. "They look like shadows. I've seen children of Hades shadow-travel, but never like that..."

"What's 'shadow-travel'?" Hayley asks, glancing up at Ally again.

"It's what you did before you got claimed. When you fell, you landed in the shade, on a shadow. Your body melted into the shadows and you reappeared. You shadow-traveled." Ally explains calmly, no hint of annoyance in her tone.

Hayley doesn't react for a moment, taking in Ally's words. She pulls her mask up a bit, making sure it's still covering the scar on her face. "How do you know that?"

"Nico di Angelo. The son of Hades. And technically, your half-brother," Ally answers, glancing at one of the cabins behind her.

The cabin had black outer walls, even the porch was black. There were torches around the cabin, which glowed with green fire. There was also an old-fasioned door knocker in the shape of the skull.

"Who's Hades?" Hayley asks, looking over at Ally. Her mother had spoken about her father a few times, but she'd never mentioned the name 'Hades'.

"God of the underworld. He's also one of the big three. And your father." Ally explains calmly, shrugging. "You'll learn more about the gods as you stay at camp."

Hayley nods slowly, looking back down at her hands. After a few moments, the black tendrils started to float around her hands again.

"Except Nico can't do that..." Ally mutters, looking at Hayley's hands in curiosity. "But anyways, we should probably get you to your cabin. Nico isn't here, so it'll just be you."

"What're you going to do?" Hayley asks, looking up at Ally. THe shadowy tendrils fade as she drops her hands to her side.

"I'm going to go talk to Thunder about the prophecy," Ally replies, turning a bit. But Hayley catches her arm before she can leave.

"Why are you talking to lightning?" Hayley asks, eyebrows furrowed.

"Not lightning. Thunder. She's a part of the prophecy I'm in, and you might be in too," Ally pauses for a moment, before nodding to Hayley. "Maybe it would be good for you to meet her. Come on."

Hayley didn't like taking orders from anyone. But she let Ally drag her along to meet this Thunder person. Maybe she was as nice as Ally.