The Next Generation: Hades's Helm

Chapter 17: Hayley

Again, no disclaimers. If  you've made it this far, I'm worried if you can't tell who's mine and who's not.

Hayley didn't know what to think.

First, she gets picked up and helped by two random kids. Then she finds out she's a demigod. The daughter of Hades, whoever that is. After that, she figures out that she's part of a prophecy, and her dad lost his 'helm', whatever that is.

A helmet? Did Hades ride a bike?

So yeah, obviously she's not going to be too happy about being forced to go to another country because her dad, whom she's never met, lost something and is mad about it.

That's why she hasn't spoken yet. Also because she doesn't trust Thunder. Ally is fine. She swore on the River Styxs to keep her safe.

Hayley didn't know what the River Styxs was, but Ally looked pretty serious when she had said it. And she hadn't tried to kill her yet, so that's also a bonus.

Hayley still didn't know what she was up against. At least on the streets she could get a sense of her opponent's fighting style. Whether they carefully planned or rushed into it, expecting to overpower her. But this? A complete mystery.

So, after Thunder's mother had brought them all dinner, despite Hayley being adamant that she wasn't hungry, everyone ate. Even Hayley, after careful inspection of the food and even Ally eating a bite to make sure nothing was in it.

Sleeping bags were set up on the floor. It was probably the best Eun-woo could do in a pinch. Oh, and Thunder had told the other girls her mother's name. Eun-woo. Silver rain.

Thunder fell asleep first. Hayley couldn't sleep, though. When she thought Ally was asleep, she sat up, sighing. To her surprise, Ally's also awake and sitting up.

When Ally sees her sitting up, she smiles gently. "Can't sleep, huh? Me neither."

Hayley raises her eyebrows, a bit surprised, but she nods.

Ally sighs and leans back against the wall, looking out the small window in the room. "You don't have to wear your mask, you know. I don't mind your scars. They look cool."

This catches Hayley off guard. Nobody had ever said they were okay with her scars, much less complimenting them. But slowly, she reaches up and pulls down the mask.

Ally glances at Hayley, smiling when she takes down the mask. She takes a deep breath, stretching a bit. "So, you don't know anything about Greek mythology, do you?"

Hayley shakes her head, still silent. She didn't want to wake Thunder up, she said to herself. But even as she thought it, she knew it was a lame excuse. No. She just didn't want to risk trusting somebody.

Ally nods slowly, looking out the window again. "Well, what story do you want to start with? I've been hearing Greek myths since I was able to comprehend words, and I know most of them by heart."

Hayley doesn't allow herself to smile, even though she desperately wants to. Something about Ally... It made her feel safe. She didn't know why. She spoke up, her voice quiet but not soft. "Who's Hades?"

Ally smiles again, nodding like she expected this answer. "Your father. Hades, lord of the Underworld. Most often confused for the god of death, but that's Thanatos. He kidnapped his wife, Persephone, had a daughter with her, then failed when he tried to cheat on her. Which would you like to hear?"

Hayley pauses, thinking about which story would catch her interest the most. "When he kidnapped Persephone."

Ally sits up a bit more, stretching out her arms. "Well, one day, there was a beautiful young goddess, playing in a field. The daughter of Demeter. Kore, she was called. Young maiden."