MAYHEM

The check for our sins

Astrid's POV
So yes we did find him and he told us who had the pearl as me and Nico ran toward the direction Nico pointed to earlier

"We're going to the palace be careful!" Nico shouted as I kept running I'm not gonna stop.

"It's slippery. So don't slip!" Shouted Jackie at the background.

-

"Stop." commanded Nico as I did

"We are here." He continued as I nodded

"Hades. Pluto. Really?!" Jackie complained

"I really need to sleep after this." She continued

"Let's go." he continued

"Oaky. Leggo." I said as I jogged towards the obsidian black palace

-

"WHO GOES THERE!" A voice Boom as we entered

"Father it is me." Nico said slowly

As he walked in

"Daughter of Zeus?! Poseidon?! I'm amazed son that you dare bring the children of my brethren.." He smiled Cold and cruel

"We don't mean to be a pain but have you ever seen my brother? And a pearl? And um....Percy-" I ask

"YES! THAT BOY!" He said
"Sir? Uncle? Mr? Hades? Pluto? Um we need that pearl and my brother..." Jackie explain

"You haven't even given me an offering yet you ask me for a favor?"
He asks mocking her tone of voice

As skeletons suddenly grab me and Jackie "are you crazy?" I ask the bones hands crawling up my wrist to my arms not letting me move next thing you know I was kneeling. Hurt. Suffering. Then I feel the boney hands going up my neck slowly suffocating me "Wait! Stop!" Nico screams but it has no effect

As I start grunting and whimpering "please." I cry as the boney hands start going around my lips

"You want her to die?" Nico asked as he pointed out Jackie's far slowly getting pale

"A soul can give glorious treasures." He answered

As I thought "Hades. Uncle. Listen to me. Kill me but you have to give everyone I love a favor." I say in my mind as he smiled the souls in his cloak shifting

"I'm listening." He answered to me as Nico asks "why?" As he pulls out his long pale finger motioning Nico to be quiet as I continue "Let my brother go. His friends. The Pearl and you can have my soul remember the soul of the daughter of Zeus is priceless.... But give a bit of my soul for my dad so that he knows. A soul can pay for ones dept. no." as he nodded and he smiled "immediate or torture for the others faults?" He asks as I ask "if torture that's for everyone?" As he nods "okay. Your choice." As he smiles

Once I said that I felt like a lightning bolt hit me but I didn't deflect it. it burned me. later I saw Nico and he grabbed Jackie's later they started kissing. I also felt like someone carried me then threw me into the river of Synth as I burned and boiled then I felt like someone got iron then started slashing me hitting me with every slash later I felt like someone grabbed my skin peeling it off as I shouted "Stop! Stop please!" But no one answered as tears brimmed and threatens to fall out my eyes as a few slipped it felt like alcohol on a newly opened wound then more came I couldn't stop it as I stood up my whole body aching as someone said I the back of my head. "the last trial and you are done. You won't ever feel the pain." As I see Jason, Thalia my mom and Zeus. "Wait what are you doing?" I ask but much less no answer.

As my mom suddenly spoke in a hush,soft voice "c'mere baby. we love you know c'mon" as I smiled but I couldn't move then a girl about my height walked over hugging my mom "i love you." She muttered as Jason, Thalia and Zeus came in and huge as Thalia laughed "Group hug!!" As the scene changed to see the girl holding a bloody knife with Thalia, Jason and my mom on the floor as she looked at me and said "this is all your doing. murder." as she hands me the knife as Zeus said "you unworthy, stupid, useless girl your not a hero and will never be!" As he shot multiple bolts hitting me. then I blacked out probably the last.

Nico's POV
Once she fell and hit the floor she was so pale she almost blue her lips were white, her sweater ripped and broken, with a big cut on her arm as I reached out to her neck. No sign of a pulse. As a male voice said "you know she's dead boy. You can't feel her anymore." As I looked back down and looked at the skeletons "wrap her in a shroud." So they did as they slowly carried the lifeless Astrid away as I looked at Jackie pale and tired

"She set it free..." My fathers voice boomed

"Let them go." He added. Soon Jason, Percy and Ara were standing right in front of me as Jason asked with hope and happiness in his voice "where's Astrid?" As a shroud entered as he slowly frowned understanding the pained expression I gave him.

"Here is the pearl." Hades said as he handed a really big Pearl to Jason.
"Your sister gave her life for your sins. so cherish your life." he said