Shattered

Hades

He exited the shadows at the tunnel entrance to Camp Jupiter, quickly followed by Demeter and the boys. With hardly a thought he reduced the two sentries to ash and bone; it was great stress relief.

"Father," Nico squeaked, crouched over one pile of ex-demigod. "Don't you think we should verify Harpocrates's claims before we start... turning people to ash?"

He ignored his son and walked through the entrance, he was not taking the news very well.

That walking porpoise had one job! One simple job! Watch over Camp Jupiter! And he couldn't even do that!

When Jason returned with Poseidon passed out, he was upset. When Jason told them everything was the work of a mortal, he was angry. But when Jason told them Camp Jupiter had been attacked, well he was absolutely livid.

He liked to think he kept his cool though in front of the boys, as instead of throwing his useless brother into Tartarus, he merely summoned his sword and stabbed him through the heart. It didn't kill the god, but it would take him some time to recover from that.

I don't know if I'm mad at his failure or that I trusted him with Hazel's safety.

No one spoke as they walked, Demeter was looking at everyone with a worried expression, Grace was watching their backs, sword in hand, Nico was glancing at Jackson, and Jackson was staring at Nico. He wasn't sure what was going on between Jackson and his son, but right now it didn't matter.

This ends now.

When they crossed the Little Tiber, he held up his hand, bringing everyone to an abrupt halt. "Boys, find Hazel," He said his voice devoid of all emotion. "Demeter and I will provide an ample distraction."

He didn't wait for any response, instead he marched towards New Rome.

----------

How long has it been since I've walked down these street? The god wondered to himself. Twenty, Fifty, one-hundred years?

It was irrelevant though. The marble buildings, cobblestone streets, the trimmed hedges, all could be replaced.

His daughter could not.

He conjured his helmet, the dark metal cool against his skin. His suit transformed into his battle regalia, the souls of the dead screaming in silent agony as they formed his cloak. His sword, a forbidden gift from his wife, appeared sheathed at his side.

"A little warning would have been nice," Demeter groaned from behind him, "that fear aura almost made me take off."

I would've wore it to every dinner if I had known that.

She stepped in front him, one hand on her hips, the other grasping a giant celestial bronze scythe. "So what do we do now?"

He grinned. "Like I said, we get their attention." He stomped one foot on the ground, and a massive fissure opened up in the street, devouring several small buildings. From the fissure dozens of skeletons clawed their way out, all armed with various weapons that had been forged in the underworld.

"Stygian Iron? The goddess asked, one eyebrow raised. "It's troubling enough that you gave Nico a blade of that accursed metal, but a whole army?"

"Purely for defensive purposes," he said as he sank another row of buildings into the earth.

"If you say so," she sighed. She then grasped her scythe with both hands and swung it in an arc before her. Half a second later, the Roman Times office split into two pieces before being reduced to dust.