Shattered

Percy

"More sensational reports are flooding out of the now cancelled Keystone Pipeline, with-" Hades grunted at the DJ's voice and began his search for classic rock again.

"I don't mind Johnny Cash or Waylon Jennings, but I draw the line at Taylor Swift and Florida Georgia Line," the depowered god grunted, rapidly hitting the seek button and only stopping to listen to a single note before moving on to the next station. "Speaking of which, remind me to add the latter two to the Fields of Punishment playlist. Love Story on an endless loop would break even the hardest of men..."

Persephone looked up from her magazine, Bikers, Babes, and Roses, and punched Hades' shoulder, causing him to swerve slightly into the left lane. "We're not monsters, my love. What's New Pussy Cat has worked so far, and it will suffice for another thousand years."

"Do I even want to know what else is on that playlist?" Nico asked without looking up from his laptop; rapidly typing in bursts only to stop a moment and read what he had just done. Then the son of Hades looked up and mouthed, "What's a playlist?"

Percy smiled and suppressed a laugh. "A list of music," he mouthed back, the younger teen nodding in understanding.

Anyone who would have happened to glance into the SUV would have never guessed that they were on their way to assassinate a titan of industry and leader of a shadowy organization bent on the destruction of the divine. No, instead they would have just thought the four of them were part of a normal family on their way to some classy gala or the like. There was the father who was constantly fidgeting with the radio, criticizing other drivers, and looking in the rearview mirror to make sure his son and boyfriend weren't getting too frisky. The mother was thumbing through a magazine she had brought for the long trip, allowing her to ignore her husband's demands to take her feet off the dash and turn a blind eye to whatever was happening in the backseat. There was the dutiful son, who had kicked his shoes off and placed his feet in his boyfriend's lap while he worked on his homework. And then there was the boyfriend, who must have done something wrong by the way the parents kept glancing back at him.

Well, I didn't really do anything bad, I just let Nico get completely shitfaced and kind of crippled him for a couple days. Oh! And wasn't there for Jason...

The morning after Prom had been... awkward to say the least.

Nico had been the first to awaken, only to immediately vomit all over the both of them. The son of Hades had started to apologize, only to drench him once again in a mix of partially digested McDonalds and spiked punch. His face must have been twisted in disgust (could you blame me?) as Nico paled and began to cry; choking out apology after apology. This of course, further upset the crying teen's stomach and the sheets on their bed by that point were ruined. Hades had woken up by then and was helping him get Nico to his feet, and the two of them carried the poor boy up the stairs and deposited him in front of the toilet.

He quickly stripped off his drenched nightshirt and help Nico do the same when the younger teen wasn't gagging. And while he whispered assurances in Nico's ear that it was okay, Hades began to search the medicine cabinet for the Tylenol they purchased the night before. When at last Nico was empty, Hades made the boy take the pills, then Percy and the former lord of the Underworld went to work cleaning Nico up, and finally caring him back to bed with a bucket in hand.

Nico quickly passed back out after his head touched pillow, but Percy was wide awake. So, he and Hades retreated to the kitchen, adrenaline still coursing through both their systems, only to find Persephone waiting for them at the kitchen table; her arms crossed and disappointment and anger etched on her perfect face. Both he and Hades got an earful that lasted for hours. Apparently, Persephone and Nico's mom had been incredibly close, as the goddess informed them exactly what Maria would have thought of the current situation.