Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.

Reading Consul of the Underworld: The Game Begins

Graduated: Grand Theft Symbol

"Awesome, Grand Theft Auto reference!" Ares grinned.

"That series totally misrepresented what thievery is!" Hermes scowled. He then tilted his head and groaned. "Oh man, seriously? We're here already?"

"Seems like it, Hermes. I suggest we prepare bunkers," Hera said, smiling lightly at her brothers.

They were not amused with her joke.

Alkaid closed her eyes as she took a tranquil sip of the wonderful tea she was having. Both she and Pyrrha were sitting outside a quaint coffee shop in New York City. Across from them was Melinoe, who was having a mocha latte.

The couple was meeting up with the goddess of ghosts so that Alkaid could catch her sister up on what had happened on their month-long graduation backpacking trip through Greece. The goddess was apparently very interested not only for her own sake but that of the House of Hades as a whole. Hades it seemed, rightly, believed that Alkaid would be more honest about things with her sister than himself.

According to Melinoe, Hades was suffering from a bout of Paranoid Daddy Syndrome.

"Don't act like neither of you have had it!" Hades snapped at his smirking brothers.

It ran deep in the family.

"...Stop looking so smug, Hades!" Zeus growled while Poseidon had the decency to look sheepish."

"It's nice to be right, as usual." Hades shrugged, his cruel smirk plastered on his face.

"So you guys visited Apollo's old crib in Delos? How was it?" Melinoe asked as she took a distracted sip from her drink.

"Kinda in ruins, but I bet it was pretty swanky back in the day." Pyrrha chimed as she had a sip of her black coffee.

Alkaid pulled a picture of her and Pyrrha next to the remains of a colossal statue of Apollo at the site and gave her sister an amused look. "Though I do say the statue does not do him justice."

"Well, thank you, hotness!" Apollo grinned and rested his ankle across his knee. "Second favorite cousin thus far."

"And your first?" Poseidon asked.

"I'm sure it'll be explained." Apollo waved him off.

Melinoe's eyes narrowed slightly at her sister, while Pyrrha looked confused.

"You said that when we took the picture. What did you mean?"

"Well, I've met him twice." Alkaid smiled around her tea. "But why ask me, Mel's the one who shags him practically every other day."

"And boom, there it is." Apollo grinned and manifested a pair of sunglasses on his face. He made an air basketball gesture. "All the way from downtown, swish. Balla!"

"...There are times, Apollo, where I think letting you take over for Helios was the worst decision I ever made." Zeus mumbled lowly. "This is one of those times."

"...Harsh." Apollo frowned.

Pyrrha nearly choked on her banana nut muffin and took a quick sip of her coffee to wash it down. "Wait what?!"

Melinoe glared daggers at her sister. "Can you not spread gossip about my love life? It's supposed to be the other way around!" The goddess pouted as she lazily sipped her latte. "And for your information it's not every other day. It's Wednesdays and Fridays. We do have other lovers you know."

"Oh, you coordinate, too?" Aphrodite asked, interested by this prospect.

"Duh, Dite. I mean, all this awesome can't be limited to one person for a set amount of time!" Apollo scoffed.

"You. Disgust. Me." Artemis grit out.

"I love you too, sis."

Pyrrha looked scandalized at learning about the sexcapades of one of the Olympians.

Alkaid on the other hand just curiously asked, "Why Wednesday?"

"Duh Al, hump day!"

"That is not the most surprising part of that rationality." Hermes, Artemis, Hephaestus, and Athena drawled.

Apollo rubbed his chin. "Yeah...I'd totes pick that day too."

"Apollo, if you're going to speak a different language, please use one that's actually recognized by humanity." Zeus grumbled.

"...Your age is showing, Zeus," Poseidon said with an amused smirk while Hades concealed a chuckle with a cough.

Alkaid just took a suffering glance down at her tea. "I knew I should have added some alcohol to this."

"Anyways!" Pyrrha said loudly in an attempt to change the topic. "We also visited Sparta."

"WHOO!"

"Ares, sit down!"

"Oh, whoo." Melinoe raised her latte in the air with mock cheer.

"Screw you!" Ares sneered at the goddess. "Wouldn't know a fun time if it bit her in the ass."

"Bet my other self did," Apollo said nonchalantly. He yelped and grimaced after Artemis smacked him. "Okay, I deserved that one."

"You deserve more than just one."

"Hey! No violence, we agreed to be civil!"

"That's the only reason I'm holding back."

Pyrrha didn't let the goddess' lack of enthusiasm affect her though and soldiered on.

"So before we could even get into the city," the daughter of war started and grabbed a Sweet n' Low packet and a Splenda packet. "A dragon attacked! It came at us with a dive bomb." The Sweet n' Low coming down on the Splenda. "But as it landed, I got right in there with my labrys and managed to catch it right in the jugular!" Her teeth opened the Sweet n' Low, and she dumped it into her coffee. Tossing the Splenda to the table, she pointed to the necklace of dragon teeth that she was wearing. "Got this beauty outta it."

Her excitement growing as she got caught up in talking about something that she had enjoyed immensely.

"And where were you when all this was happening, Al?"

"In a nearby store asking for advice on where to visit and directions to get around." Alkaid explained as she bit into her double chocolate chip muffin.

"So it was such a pathetic monster that the war girl could handle it all on her lonesome?" Melinoe suggested a little unkindly.

"...Ooh, right in the pride." Percy winced.

"That'll leave a mark." Jason nodded.

Pyrrha bristled at the goddess dismissing her accomplishment.

"No, it was bigger than an average dragon. As you can tell by her sugar packet demonstration."

"Then how did she manage to take it out on her own?"

"She's that good?" Alkaid suggested even as she discretely shaped her free hand into a series of symbols from the secret sign language that the daughters of Hades had developed as a game when she had been a little girl.

She got lucky. But be nice, she thinks it's a big deal.

"Dragons aren't easy when you're not broken magic casters, bitch." Thalia grumbled sourly.

"Thalia Grace, watch your tongue." Hestia warned her niece and then eyed the matron in charge of her.

Artemis grimaced lightly and then gave Thalia her own warning look, despite agreeing with her.

Pyrrha eyed the signing, which she spotted of course, with some distaste. She had probably guessed the gist of what Alkaid had told her sister.

"We also visited the temple of fear." Alkaid smiled, showing a picture of the chained statue of Ares.

"Oh! Phobos and Deimos' place." Melinoe leaned in to see the statue. "You know, this is where the rumor that Ares loved bondage started from. Thank you flaming Spartans." She sniggered.

"Ungrateful bastards..." Ares grumbled lowly.

"And blackmail for life." Hermes grinned. "So, was there a reason you loved Sparta so much?"

"I will eat you, half-pint!"

"Whoa, Ares, try to contain your urges. Grandma Rhea is right there!"

"You little-Stop laughing, you cripple fuck!" Ares snapped at the chuckling forge god.

"Ares! Language!" Hera snarled. She snapped her fingers and a bar of soap appeared in his mouth.

"...And I have my cellphone's new background." Hermes grinned. "Thanks, Hera."

"That was cool, but the lighting there was pretty terrible. The best picture we have there was this one." Pyrrha said as she ignored the rather unflattering talk about her father and enthusiastically showed off a photo of her next to the city's famous Statue of Leonidas, wherein she was striking the same pose as the ancient King.

"Wow, he kind of does look a little like my dad in that lighting." Piper mumbled under her breath.

"Really? Because I see Gerard Butler," Leo said with a thoughtful hum. "Man, imagine him as a Spartan. He'd go all gamer badass on them!"

The goddess ignored her completely and instead asked her sister, "So after Sparta you guys went to Athens?"

"Indeed." Alkaid continued as she shuffled out more pictures of the ancient city. There were multiple pictures of the Parthenon, shots of the two young women posing next to various artifacts in museums, ruins and at various tourist spots.

"Not much to say about it. Snapped plenty of photos at its museums and at the Parthenon, but that's-"

"Oi! Then what about those snakemen that tried to mug us?" Pyrrha cut in.

"Gemini?" Athena muttered in mild distaste. Those cretins were creeping around her city still...She'd have to issue a quest...somehow.

"You ran into Gemini?" Melinoe asked sounding mildly surprised.

"Just a bunch of stupid thugs." The demigod of Hades said with a shrug. "I scared them off with a simple shooter spell. Hardly worth mentioning."

Pyrrha pulled out another picture. "I thought it was cool. See? They look hilarious while slithering away in fear."

"I need to start taking pictures of monsters running away." Percy muttered. He smiled as he thought of getting a picture of the Minotaur running for the hills.

"No, Percy."

"But Annabeth-!"

"I said no."

"...And that foot came crashing down on his hopes and dreams..."

"Leo, shut up."

For once, Melinoe showed interest in what Pyrrha was talking about and eagerly leaned in to get a closer look. At the sight of a dozen of the snakemen slithering away from beams of pink light with terrified looks on their faces, the goddess couldn't resist chuckling.

"And of course, the original Mount Olympus." Pyrrha spread out more pictures eagerly. "The hike was so worth it. You can really see why the gods love the view." She glanced at her girlfriend. "Though Kaidy complained about the hike up."

"I'm just saying they could have installed a travelator or something. But no, I couldn't even Shadow Travel. It was an 'experience' you said." Alkaid sniffed with distaste.

"I like it when you sweat." Pyrrha said cheekily.

"Hey-oh!" Hermes, Ares and Apollo called out with lewd grins on their faces.

"Ugh." Artemis pinched her nose in disgust.

"I'll remember that next when you are a panting mess."

The pictures showed the couple going up the trail, multiple distance shots of Athens, and even the women stopping to have a small picnic with a group of nymphs.

"Though I have to agree with you about the view. Besides, the company up there was pretty good too."

"Company?" Melinoe asked as she looked up from looking through the photos, pointing at the one with the nymphs. "These girls?"

"Yup." Pyrrha said with a nod. "The oreades and the naiads of the mountain, real friendly nymphs."

The Olympians blinked and exchanged looks with one another.

"Did we forget to-?"

"I could've sworn-"

"I thought we remembered-!"

"Damn, I totally forgot how hot they were."

"Apollo, really?"

"What?! They are!"

Melinoe let out a pleased sigh. "Yeah, real friendly. I remember them from the old days. I should go visit them sometime."

"You should. They'll love the company. With the gods gone, they're quite lonely it seems." Alkaid suggested.

"That's horrible! Someone should go and keep them company for a few wee-Dibs!" Hermes grinned.

"Hermes!"

"What? I'm just going to go visit."

"Liar!" Apollo declared with a pointed finger.

"It's why they practically ambushed us with hospitality and forced us to have a picnic with them once they sensed us." Pyrrha grunted.

Alkaid smiled a little at that, apparently Pyrrha still had not gotten over just how friendly the nymphs had been. Their warm smiles and gentle touch had shocked and unnerved the daughter of war quite a bit, as she'd never met any nymphs that enthusiastic about playing hostess to her.

"True," Alkaid agreed after a moment of enjoying her girlfriend's amusing discomfort. "But it was an enjoyable experience."

The child of Ares snorted. "Yeah, like how they tried to play the guessing game on whose child we were."

"The oreades figured me out in a second." Alkaid chuckled and took another bite of her muffin.

"That doesn't surprise me," Hades said dryly.

"Took them five for me." Pyrrha smirked, taking a savage bite of her own muffin, finishing it. "Apparently I'm too well-mannered. Mom'll be was so proud when I tell her that."

"That, however, does." Hades muttered.

"Five-She's obviously mine!" Ares growled.

"Like how Frank Zhang was obviously yours?"

"Shut up, Apollo."

"I'm sure it did." Melinoe said with a roll of her eyes. "So did you guys pay your respects to dad?"

"Of course we did. We went to the Nekromanteion in Epirus, the real one mind you and not the one that the mortal archaeologists incorrectly identified." Alkaid rolled her eyes, mortals could be so stupid. The real thing was only a stone's throw away from the misidentified site and yet they couldn't find it!

"I actually prefer it that way." Hades snorted.

Fishing through their stack of photos, Pyrrha handed Melinoe a picture of the couple standing next to the entrance to the underground portion of the temple.

"Sorry but that's the only photo we got of the temple." Pyrrha explained. "I wanted to take some more photos down in the underground, but Kaidy said no."

"You're lucky you didn't." Melinoe commented as she handed the photo back.

"Father hates flash photography." Alkaid added on.

"It's so annoying..." Hades groaned. He rubbed his eyes. "And blinding."

"You only say that because you're such a hermit." Poseidon pointed out.

"Only because someone throws a fit when I stay above ground for more than a day!" Hades shot back.

"I do not throw fits!" Zeus growled.

"Then why does it storm whenever I'm amongst mortals for more than a day?"

"Coincidence!"

"Bullshit!"

"Boys, that's enough!" Rhea snapped.

The two gods held heavy glares with one another before they looked away. Athena waited a few seconds before continuing at Rhea's behest.

"So you've told me." Pyrrha replied with a exasperated sigh. "Like a dozen times."

"Considering how badly you were dealing with just being there, upsetting father more would have been unpleasant."

"Oh ho? The war girl couldn't cut it in dad and mom's old temple?" Melinoe teased.

"Not afraid to admit it." Pyrrha confessed. "The place already gave me the willies with all that fear and memory stirring stuff, didn't wanna find out how bad it could get if I had pissed your dad off by taking photos."

"That and upsetting him would have completely defeated the purpose of going there to pay our respects."

"Oh by the way, talking about paying respects, Heracles sent a reply to your postcard to the Underworld." Melinoe said. "He said it was nice of you to remember him. Plus he liked the parrots on the postcard. So he counts sending the postcard as his quest for permission to visit the homeland."

"Jerk." Jason muttered with a scowl.

"Amen to that, bro." Percy nodded, recalling how the famed hero acted towards Zoë.

"Oh. Convenient." Alkaid smiled, glad her ancient cousin didn't make a hassle out of the situation.

"Yup. Heracles is super chill like that." Melinoe admitted before her eyes took on a mischievous gleam. "So Al, you've told me all about the places you visited but so far you've left out the most important part."

Alkaid raised a fine brow. "And that is?"

"Duh!" Melinoe slammed her empty cup onto the table. "The horizontal tango, Greece style!" She smiled lecherously. "You make the piglet squeal?"

"A very important question." Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, and Hermes nodded.

"No it is not!" Artemis and Hades snapped, before they shared a bewildered stare with one another.

"...Well, that's one step to making up, finding common ground." Poseidon idly commented. Hestia smiled at the sight, whereas her other three siblings – Zeus, Hera, and Demeter – smirked in amusement.

"Be silent, Poseidon." "I-It was a coincidence uncle!" Hades growled and Artemis snapped.

Pyrrha's face burned as bright as her hair. She wrung her wrists unconsciously as her eyes shifted downward.

Alkaid flashed an illuminating smile as she made subtle gestures with her hand again.

We'll talk later.

Pyrrha having spotted the hand signs and guessed their meaning, gave her a disgruntled look. "Come on, really? You have to gossip about it?" Her voice a pitch higher than usual.

"You have nothing to worry about." Alkaid assured her with a smoldering glance. "You did very well. Especially when I-"

"Kaidy!"

"And I'm scarred for life." Nico drawled.

"Might need to see a doctor after all this?" Piper asked with a smirk.

"I said I was scarred for life, not scared to death."

"That's not a denial."

"...Shut up, Piper."

Alkaid turned the page of her textbook, as she highlighted some lines to make notes on later.

"Hey, Alkaid, you know the answer to number seven on the homework?" A brunette girl from her Math class asked.

Oh, yes, she had forgotten. Apparently, due to her charming, intelligent, and nurturing personality, the child of Hades was ranked high among the popular crowd. This meant that she had her own gaggle of girls that would sit with her at lunch, the library, or just hanging out in the student center.

"...Math." Percy glowered darkly over the subject.

"Did you plug in the new formula we learned today?" Alkaid asked as she pushed up her glasses.

"Oh, X equals twenty four point seven. Thanks!"

Alkaid just gave the girl a happy nod in return.

It was nice, she hadn't had any just plain mortal 'friends', well to be frank, ever. They asked her about school problems, fashion tips, even romantic advice. Sure she counted the members of her Study Group back at Hogwarts as her true friends, but from the get go they had always looked at her with a level of reverence that had created something of a distance between them. But to these simple mortals, there was none of that. She was not the Girl-Who-Lived, not a daughter of Hades, not anything particularly special. To them she was just a peer, an equal, perhaps a particularly talented one but not some kind of special heroine. For Alkaid, associating with people who thought that was incredibly refreshing.

"It's nice to be pulled off a pedestal." Jason chuckled and then glowered. "But not when you're a kid who gets his butt kicked by some magical girl."

"Wow, still angry about that?" Piper asked.

"I was like ten! She was a teenager! Totally unfair..." Jason pouted.

"Yeah, but you're Superboy." Leo pointed out with a grin. "You can fly."

"Not the point, Leo."

She openly confessed to not being an expert at the romance questions. Plus her not being that interested in men also put a dampener on things on that front, since most of her new 'friends' were boy crazy.

Though that seemed to have peaked some interest among the girls.

But with all the ups of such a wonderful and rich environment, there were of course the bad.

This took the form of one of Stanford's janitors. His name was Mike and was generally a nice guy. He was helpful and courteous to everyone he met and was well liked. The only problem however was that according to her wards, scrying and scans, he was a lycanthrope.

"Ah, shame." Zeus frowned. Whilst he held no anger towards unfortunate souls turned against their will, he did not condone their mingling with his subjects.

Which was why Alkaid has taken the time out of her busy schedule to confront the man.

"Hello, Mike." Alkaid greeted kindly as she cornered him in one of the janitorial supply rooms. "I expect you know what this is about, don't you?"

"Hi Miss Potter, and yeah...I guess I do." The genial looking forty something man said as he fidgeted nervously.

"Now I normally don't do this, but I'm going to offer you a chance." Mike perked up at this, and Alkaid held out hope that he would take what she was about to offer. "You're a nice person, so I'm going to offer you a chance to live. Voluntarily leave campus and never return, then I'll spare your life."

"That's generous." Hades mused. "Extremely so. ...Ares, your daughter made mine soft."

"Wha-Are you fucking serious?" Ares asked dryly.

Mike's jaw dropped in shock at the ultimatum.

Alkaid felt a twinge of sympathy for the man but squashed it and continued, "I'm sorry but you have to go. You being on campus puts everyone here at risk."

At hearing this, Mike's shock was replaced with indignant rage. "But I'm been working here for years and ain't hurt nobody!"

"And if Lycaon orders you to because I'm here?" The daughter of Hades pressed.

"A fair point. He should take the offer, but his avarice and pride will not allow him to," Zeus said with a sneer.

"He's like a wild animal now in the shape of man," Artemis said solemnly. "The school is his territory, and while he doesn't hunt there, it's his."

"He won't leave without a fight." Thalia muttered, following her matron's train of thought.

"...Bummer." Leo summed up.

This stopped the man short and he pondered the matter for a moment. "I… err… dunno. But I can't quit. I need this job!"

"Mike...Honestly, I'm trying to be fair to you." Alkaid pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm not risking hundreds of lives just for you to keep your job. Besides, it's in my job description to kill monsters and I'm already failing that by just giving you this chance to run."

Mike looked both hurt and furious. "I ain't no monster! I love this place!" He said with an aggressive edge, a glint in his eyes that showed that he wasn't going to back down.

"Mike, don't do this." Mike just started to shift to his wolf-form. "Mike! Don't make me do this!" Alkaid pleaded as the now transformed lycanthrope lunged at her.

"And thus ends the life of Mike the Werewolf." Leo bowed his head. "Goodnight sweet prince, we hardly knew ye."

"...I hate it when people use that line out of context." Apollo grumbled.

"Incantare: Argentum Igne." Alkaid intoned quietly as a pillar of silver fire engulfed Mike.

Not even ashes remained.

Alkaid gave a sad shake of her head. "Why didn't he listen?" She raised her fingers and snapped them, the Mist going to work.

And now no one would even remember Mike died or even existed.

The life of a demigod could be so heartbreaking at times.

"Amen to that..." Percy mumbled.

"Bye Pyrrha." Alkaid smiled sweetly. "I had a great time." She leaned in and pressed her lips against her girlfriend's.

Closing her eyes, the daughter of Hades savored the sweet yet spicy taste of her lover as they shared a passionate kiss.

As they broke apart, the redhead waved goodbye. "See ya, Kaidy."

Giving Pyrrha one last smoldering look, the daughter of Hades disappeared into the shadows and returned to the Underworld.

Alkaid had a bit of a skip in her step as she hummed her way to the throne room. Honestly, she felt like she was on cloud nine with how well things had went today. Sure, it was terribly cold in New York this time of year, but that just meant she could use the weather as an excuse for cuddle time with her girlfriend.

Still, the warm California winter was more to her tastes.

"Bah, no snow. No fun." Percy huffed.

"And who needs an excuse to cuddle?" Piper asked, snuggling closer to Jason.

"Very well put, sweetie," Aphrodite said with a smile.

In high spirits, the demigod continued her trip to the throne room to check up on her Father. He should have recently returned after his annual visit to Olympus for the Winter Solstice. Those meetings often left him in odd moods, sometimes he would come back pleased if things went well but more often he returned furious at some new slight the Olympians offered him. As a caring daughter, Alkaid needed to check on him and offer some commiserating support if need be.

Apparently, this year the campers from Camp Half-Blood were allowed the rare chance to go up the Empire State Building and walk the great white city. And since the Campers generally had such a poor opinion of her House, she reckoned that they, if no one else did, would offend her father in some way.

Her euphoric feeling felt as though it was slowly drained away as she began to feel the thick tension in the air. Ghouls were hustling back and forth in a panic, skeletal security seemed tripled, and with each step she took towards the throne room it increasingly felt like she was walking into a powder keg.

"...Oh, great." Hermes' smile dimmed. "And I hoped it would just be an end note."

"The theft of my helm is not to be left to a cliffhanger!" Hades snapped.

"Right, right."

"I dunno, I think it'd be pretty dramatic," Percy said lowly. Annabeth elbowed him and shook her head in the negative, meaning now wasn't the time to give his opinion.

"Gods, I hope they didn't have the whole 'Mother Rhea liked you best' argument again." Alkaid groaned, she didn't need this. It was the most stupid argument the Big Three could have right now.

"I love you all equally." Rhea frowned at her sons.

"...It's a son, thing, Mother." Poseidon answered in his brothers' stead, allowing them to just nod in agreement.

"That's...That's just foolish!"

"They're male mother," Hera said with a smile. "Did you expect anything different?"

"Touché, Hera."

The only argument that she thought might be worse would be if they started arguing about her fate, though that might just be personal bias. Both were just so pointless. Her grandmother Rhea had no favorites after all and her fate, whatever it may be, was already guaranteed by the Fates themselves.

She reached the large door of the throne room, which she noted was flanked by four times the usual number of M-16 toting Green Berets.

She was about to tell them to let her in, when a hand covered her mouth and pulled her aside.

She let out a muffled scream, only for a voice to hiss in her ear.

"Al, shut it." Melinoe instructed her and turned her around.

"Whoa, talk about a jumpscare." Nico muttered.

Hades frowned, wishing he did have Alkaid if only to bring his House closer together.

Facing the goddess, Alkaid furrowed her brow. "First, please don't womanhandle me. Second, why?"

Melinoe looked like a frightened child oddly enough, her eyes darting around everywhere. "Dad is seriously fucking angry, Al. Even for you, going in there could spell bad news. He's smited ten ghouls already just for their robes shifting too loudly!"

"Aha! I knew I wasn't the only one who smote when upset!" Zeus smirked at his eldest brother.

"My. Helm. Was. Stolen." Hades grit out through clenched teeth. "You keep your cool when your glowstick-Oh, right, what happened? You wouldn't shut up about it!"

"It is not a glow stick!" Zeus snarled.

"I prefer to think of it as a very powerful night light."

"No one asked you, Poseidon!"

"Boys, enough!" Rhea's voice echoed in the room and her presence became the focus. "We are listening to the end of a story, please. Please. Let us finish."

"...Yes, mother." The three gods looked like punished children as they ducked their heads and sunk down in their thrones.

"Good. Athena, you may continue."

It was at that moment, a frightened looking ghoul approached the two and tapped Alkaid's shoulder. "Lord Hades would like a word, Lady Alkaid."

Both sisters shared a look.

"I'll get Maka to save you a spot in Elysium?"

Alkaid shot her sister a deadpan look.

"Hey, don't give me that look. Dad looks like he's ready to storm the mortal world or something."

"I think you're exaggerating." Alkaid said and promptly turned to enter the throne room.

As the doors closed behind her, Alkaid winced at her Father's voice.

"I'm going to storm the mortal world at this rate!"

"...And apparently my skeleton will lead the forces," Percy said dryly.

"That's a terrifying thought." Nico hummed. "A skeleton that bursts into rooms demanding for two things: Blue chocolate chip cookies and Hades' helm."

"I...Okay, yeah, my skeleton would probably do that." Percy nodded shamelessly. "Blue chocolate chip cookies are the best."

Okay, so maybe Mel was being honest for once.

Rare though it may be, it happened once in awhile. She just wished this wasn't one of them.

"Dear," Persephone said in a soothing tone, "do calm yourself. Please?"

"Calm?!" Hades thundered, his eyes ablaze with hellfire. "You want me to be calm over, over this?!"

"Yes, calm." Persephone replied sternly. "You're unnerving Alkaid," At this the Queen of the Underworld gestured towards her stepdaughter.

"I think that's the wrong word, dear." Demeter muttered to her daughter, a frown on her face. "Honestly, how she put up with you, I'll never know."

"I ask myself the same of you every summer." Hades muttered.

Unnerved might be too mild a word for how I'm feeling right now. Terrified might be a little closer.

"And all of the Underworld." Persephone added quickly, almost as afterthought.

"The Underworld can suck it up." Hades snidely returned but took a deep breath. His eyes returning to their normal solid obsidian. His pale fists pounded the armrests of his throne as he set his fierce eyes on Alkaid. "Daughter."

She noted his voice was strained, like he was trying to be as kind as possible, even as he felt ready to explode into another bout of fury.

Alkaid bowed and looked to Persephone. "Was it the Rhea fight?"

The goddess of spring gave a strained smile. "I wish."

"Yes, if only it was that." Hades grumbled. He could calm down fast after that argument, he just needed a month or so.

Oh, then it was worse than Alkaid feared.

Hades rubbed his temples, spouting curses in ancient Greek under his breath, the mad glint in his eyes unsettling the demigod even more.

She had never seen her Father this upset before.

Building up her courage, Alkaid decided to point out the primordial in the room. "May I be so bold as to ask what has happened?"

Hades clenched his teeth, grinding them. "There was an attack against myself and the Underworld."

Alkaid gasped and hastily asked, "Father, are you alright!?"

"An attack? Wow, Zeus, you've got a rival for that Theatre God title."

"Poseidon, I will disembowel you." Hades growled while Zeus snarled at the smirking god of the sea.

"Aw, I knew you cared, Hades."

"No, NO I AM NOT!" Hades snarled, his hands gripping his armrests so tightly that they looked like they were about to shatter into pieces. The entire Underworld shook at his words and no doubt all of California did as well at his sheer fury.

"Were you injured? Have you been treated?" Alkaid asked in rapid fire succession. "Did some foolish demigod actually try to storm the palace?"

"That actually would've been entertaining." Hades muttered with a smirk. "I think I have my next quest in mind."

"They have to have a chance at survival Hades," Zeus said dryly.

"And they will...provided they act appropriately."

Seeing his daughter's obvious concern for him seemed to dull the god's anger slightly, and he took a calming breath before replying.

"No, I wish that were the case. Then, at least I would have something to torture to new heights." He looked intently into her eyes. "You have to act with the utmost care now Alkaid. From now onwards, I want a small patrol near you at all times to ensure your safety."

"Why?" Alkaid asked just getting more curious and confused by her father's refusal to properly explain.

Hades gnawed on his bottom lip, like he wanted to explain but couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he merely covered his eyes with one hand and gestured towards Persephone with the other.

With a resigned sigh, the sullen eyed Queen began to tiredly explain what had happened.

"The Helm of Darkness...it was stolen during the Winter Solstice meeting."

"Ooh, that was an excellent reveal, Hades. Athena, can he read that for us?" Apollo asked holding up a tape recorder. "I want to use that."

"Apollo..." Zeus warned.

"What?! The mortals will think it's fiction and demigods will see Hades in a brighter light! Isn't that a good thing?!"

"Yes and no." Hades grumbled. He did not want to be seen as a victim. At least his fool of a younger brother understood that much.

Alkaid felt as though the entire Underworld was spinning.

"But that's- gods can't take symbols of power from another!" She objected, but then stilled. "The campers…"

"Yes, my brother's grand idea." Hades spat venomously. "Idiot just let the little urchins waltz right in. I told him to add more security. But what do I know? I just keep the dead where the dead need to be. When was the last time mortals were up there? Fat, lazy, hippie beard…"

"...Hippie beard?!" Zeus snarled.

Poseidon laughed and nodded at Hades. "Ah, yes. I forgot about that one. Very good, Hades! Very good!"

"Thank you, Poseidon." Hades smirked.

"I'll ask Pyrrha to see if she can help identify the thief." Alkaid quickly offered.

"No! Don't involve her." Hades ordered sternly. "I will not let the Olympians know about my weakness. I do not trust them to not take advantage."

"Smart." The Olympians agreed.

"We totally would take advantage in that case," Hermes said with a nod.

"Coming from your lips, Hermes, that instills little faith in me of your allegiance." Hades drawled.

Alkaid wanted to object, to point out that Pyrrha could be trusted to keep a secret. But she knew better, her father was in no mood to listen. She didn't need the warning look her stepmother was sending her to understand that.

"But that's not all." Persephone wrung her hands. "Father's Master Bolt was also taken."

"Yes, and the idiot loved to parade around that fact." Hades snorted. "Like I would openly admit to losing my symbol of power? Only a fool would do that."

"He's got a point. Had I been the one to take your symbol, and had I not cared to mellow out over these many years, I may have pounced on the opportunity granted to me before," Poseidon said. "It was a miracle that Ares hadn't."

"...Yeah...Miracle..." Ares mumbled, his brow furrowed. He reached up and rubbed his head.

"Yes, I know." Persephone rolled her eyes. "You've said that about fifty times now."

"It makes it no less true…"

"If both the Helm and the Master Bolt are missing, then what of Poseidon's Trident?" Alkaid asked carefully, still wary of inadvertently provoking her father's still simmering anger. The exceptionally tortured faces of the souls sewn into his robes was clear proof of his continued fury.

Hades' face took on a mask of calm as he nodded. "That was what I thought of at first as well. Why were only my Helm and the Airhead's Bolt taken?" He prowled off his throne and stalked over to his war table.

"And like I told you a dozen times before, this isn't Uncle's style." Persephone tried to dissuade her husband even as she trailed after him.

"Thank you!" Poseidon shook his head. "I don't do thievery. At worst, I sink ships or send monsters to attack cities...Or catch someone in a net."

"Bastard." Zeus growled.

"It worked in everyone's favor, Zeus. You're still King, are you not?" Poseidon asked.

Zeus sneered at him. "Keep that in mind, brother."

"Perhaps not." Hades acknowledged. "But someone working for him could easily have concocted the scheme and convinced him to go through with it. It's not his first stab at the throne." The god hissed darkly. "With all three symbols, he could rule us all."

Perphone wavered. "That is true...but Uncle has mellowed out a great deal, Husband."

"Still it is a possibility that it wasn't him," Alkaid said only to have her Father direct a terrifyingly intense gaze her way. "We have to entertain the possibility if we are to recover the Helm. Explore all alternatives."

Hades nodded, acknowledging her point, but he was clearly unconvinced.

"And we will. But if it is Poseidon, then he must have a child out there somewhere." Hades deduced coldly. "If Zeus and I broke the Oath, he would no doubt be not far behind. The child must have been kept hidden from all of us, perhaps even snuck into the ranks of those accursed campers. All so he could get the opportunity to steal his rivals' symbols of power! That sneaky fishface!"

"Ouch...The names hurt." Poseidon put a hand on his chest and gave Hades a wounded look.

"Oh go eat a whale."

Hades slammed his fist on his war table, the poplar wood breaking into splitters.

"I liked that table." Persephone frowned.

"I'll have another made!" Hades shouted with rage. He glared at the wall, shadows writhing about his form. "I'll send some of my agents to New York, that's the best place to start. Then expand outwards to the neighboring states if they don't find anything."

"And other avenues? Like Alkaid said?" Persephone asked, still eying the remains of the table with a frown.

"I'll work on it, eventually."

"In about fifty years or so, once he's calmed down," Apollo said with a chuckle.

"...That's not inaccurate." Hades muttered sheepishly.

"Eventually, he says." Persephone murmured under her breath in resigned annoyance.

Alkaid had to agree with her stepmother's tone, that was husband code for pretty much never.

Melinoe materialized next to Alkaid then and offered, "Don't worry about that front Mom, me and my ghosts will handle it."

"I could go to New York." Alkaid offered. "It wouldn't be my first visit. I've been learning my way around the city."

"That would be amount to suicide." Zeus muttered. "I didn't think yours were the self-sacrificing type, brother."

"Shut up, Zeus."

"Absolutely not!" Hades roared, his form looking like a living shadow. "I'm not risking my own child to ferret out Poseidon's thieving spawn!"

Alkaid wilted at his tone, but still nonetheless felt touched at his concern for her.

"Now, where would a waterlogged seaspawn hide?" Hades mused darkly as he conjured a model of New York City from the shadows and began to examine it. "Brooklyn? No no. The Bay area? Hm, too obvious." He glanced along Long Island. "It would have to be close but still far away enough to escape immediate notice. Cold Spring Harbor? Oyster Bay?"

"I'm not that predictable!" Poseidon scowled at his brother.

"Your fondness for sea or equine-related things or phrases is your undoing, brother." Hades drawled.

"...Is not."

"Was that the best thing you could come up with?"

"Athena," Rhea said warningly.

The goddess of wisdom quickly retreated back to the book, smirking while her rival glared at her.

Alkaid was about to offer her opinion when Persephone gestured to Melinoe. In response her sister grabbed her arm and steered the half-blood out of the throne room.

The demigod could only pout. She knew her stepmother and sister meant well - they just wanted to get her away from her still unstable father - but she had wanted to help.

"Cheer up, Al. I'm sure this will all be over soon."

From all her years of knowing Melinoe, she could tell she was trying to be hopeful.

This wasn't going to end pleasantly, that Alkaid knew for certain.

The demigod could only hope it wouldn't escalate further than this.

"Oh, it will." Percy sighed and put his cheek in his palm. "It'll only get worse...for me, anyway."

"You poor, poor thing." Annabeth patted his head. "Don't worry, it all works out in the end."

"...Yeah, I guess so." Percy grinned at her.

The Winter Break after her first semester at Stanford was finally coming to an end and Alkaid had been excited to learn that she had managed to land a prestigious internship at a private school called Yancy Academy in New York.

"...Dude..." Leo's eye twitched and he glowered at Percy. "Seriously, screw you and your luck."

"Hey! It's not good luck!"

"Um, you get to have a total babe work at your school!"

"...I have to deal with a lot of-!"

"Dude, I died and even then I didn't get to have a total babe to work at my school!"

"Y-yeah, well...um...Demigod luck?"

"Save it," Leo said with a disgruntled huff.

She had hoped that the news would have offered at least some happiness amid the excessive gloom that had settled over the Underworld after the events of the Winter Solstice, but to her surprise it had the opposite effect.

In fact her father was, for some reason, unhappy about the whole thing and for the life of her Alkaid could not understand why. Sure it meant that she had to take a whole semester break from college, at first she had just assumed that he thought it would make getting the degree take longer. But his opinion hadn't changed even after she explained that it was a chance at gaining some practical teaching experience and Stanford was even willing to have it count towards her graduation.

So that couldn't have been the source of its ire. She'd next thought it had to do with her having arranged the whole thing behind his back. But that was simply her trying to be independent, like he often urged her to be, and achieve something without the help of his connections, powers, or authority. So that seems unlikely.

"It's the location." The demigods and Olympians unanimously drawled.

How could the girl not see that?

Sure, Yancy was coincidentally in New York, where he didn't want her to be, but that wasn't that big of a deal, right? Was he worried about the Olympians trying killing her? That didn't make any sense. They knew about her by now, she'd met two of them, and they were fine with her.

"Yeah, but we're the fun ones!" Aphrodite chirped.

"Exactly. Well, Herm is too, but he's too wrapped up in his work," Apollo said, smirking.

"I slightly hope you crash your car tomorrow." Hermes muttered darkly.

"Hermes!" Hera admonished him.

"I said slightly!"

Had the stealing of the Helm made him more paranoid? Definitely, but it seemed there was more to this than just that.

Was he upset that Yancy being closer Camp Half-Blood made it easier for her to go on dates with Pyrrha? Alkaid knew her father still didn't like her lover much, but was that enough to justify his ire? She didn't think so.

Frustrated at being unable to figure her father out, Alkaid decided it was time to confront him and find out what his problem was. This was why she now stood in his throne room staring up at him defiantly demanding answers as he shifted uneasily.

"...Oh." Rhea smiled. "I know what it is."

"...Mother..." Hades almost pleaded for her to keep quiet, but decided that suffering through it silently would be much less painful then if his wishes were ignored.

"Okay, no more avoiding this. What's your problem, Father? You're acting so...not you!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Hades tersely answered, looking like a broody teenager.

"Poseidon is the brooder." Hades grumbled sourly.

"Wha-? I am not!" Poseidon snapped.

"You're right, you're right..." Hades relented. He smirked. "You're a wailer."

"All of my hatred, Hades. All of it."

"It tastes good." Hades grinned.

"Does this have to do with me being in New York?"

"No, but I still don't want you going there." Hades grumbled.

Alkaid placed her hands on her hips. "Is it about me being closer to the camp? Closer to Pyrrha?"

"Don't bring her into this." Hades spat. "You could do far better by the way. Persephone had a list of blind dates for you and I to look over before you jumped the gun."

"This is about you, not me." Alkaid derailed his obvious deflection.

Hades clicked his tongue.

"You did teach her well, Hades." Hera smirked at her brother. "I think perhaps, almost a bit too well."

"I'm still immortal. I may lose some battles, but never the war." Hades grunted.

"Love that phrase." Ares grinned. It's how he viewed immortality, after all: a never ending war.

Honestly, what could be his problem, it was as if he was upset of her leaving or something!

Oh...oh!

Alkaid gave her Father an incredulous look. "This is Empty Nest Syndrome, isn't it?"

"I knew it!" Rhea declared triumphantly.

Zeus and Poseidon burst into laughter.

Demeter was not far behind them.

Hera smirked widely.

Hestia averted her eyes and tried to hide her amusement.

Hades glowered at his siblings and frowned at his mother.

It was at times like this that he absolutely hated his family.

"It is not!" Hades countered as he shot up from his throne. "I let you go to Hogwarts for months at a time didn't I?"

"But you sent me there and kept an eye on me the whole time." Alkaid shot back. "This time, I'm leaving on my own accord and to a place you can't watch closely."

Hades gaped for a moment before sitting down heavily in his throne. "That isn't it I assure you."

"Denial now, father?" Alkaid asked with a raised brow. "You're acting like Aunt Demeter."

"Ooh, low blow." Hermes winced while Demeter stopped laughing and gained a look of revulsion.

Hades covered his mouth and then moved his hand to rest over his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Nah, you're fine." Apollo waved him off.

Hades looked as though he had been struck across the face, he looked completely flat footed as he processed the truth behind Alkaid's observation, horror written all over his face. "Holy shit I am...

"Hades! Language!"

"It's entirely warranted here, mother!"

Oh the Immortality!" He looked at his hands. "I need to clean myself, I feel dirty."

"That's being a touch over-dramatic." Alkaid plainly told him.

"Perhaps," Hades agreed with a smile.

Alkaid relaxed, if her Father was smiling then he was done objecting to her internship.

"Though I do want to be sure of something before you leave."

Alkaid frowned, her Father was setting a condition before allowing her to leave? What was she? Twelve? She was a grown woman who could make her own choices, thank you very much. She'd humor him though, if for no other reason than the stress he'd been under lately.

"What do you have in mind, Father?"

"Trial...by combat." Ares grinned.

"You know me well." Hades nodded.

"...Wait...So we're going to see..." Hermes and Apollo gained wide grins.

"No...No, don't you dare-!" Artemis' warning was cut off as Apollo manifested a gong that he then struck.

"MORTAL KOMBAT!" The two gods declared and the hip electric beat began to echo around them.

"...So glad I'm not in her shoes right now." Percy muttered.

"Leo. Piper McLean. Jason. Percy Jackson. Zhang. Annabeth. Hazel. MOR-TAL KOM-BAT!" Leo declared in a mockery of the infamous song.

Piper smacked Leo upside the head.

"I want to be sure you're ready to be out in the mortal world alone."

Alkaid was about to object that she had proven that already. Time and time again, but Hades continued before she could speak up.

"Absolutely sure." The Lord of the Underworld added sternly. "To that end, I want you to have a no-holds barred spar with the Furies. Defeat them and prove that you are ready."

"By MORTAL KOM-Ow!" Apollo yelped after Artemis smacked him. "...You cut off the declaration! Arte, you never cut off the declaration! The Elder Gods-"

"Apollo!" Artemis hissed. "Think before you speak."

"...Ah...Right." Apollo winced as he felt the Big Three's glares locked on his form.

Alkaid sighed but nevertheless bowed and offered her agreement, "I don't see the point, Father. But if you insist, very well."

"That is all I ask, Daughter."

"Now where's Shao Khan?" Hermes asked.

"That is the ultimate question." Apollo nodded.

"Love that video game." Ares grinned. "So ...perfectly gore-y."

"It's an abomination." Demeter sneered. "That ruins children!"

"You only say that because one of your kids copied a finishing move during the war!" Ares snapped.

"It was abhorring!"

A short distance from the palace of Hades stood a massive amphitheatre that mirrored the mortal world's Flavian Amphitheatre in almost every way. It had the same arcades, the same ornate facade, and the same impressive seating capacity. It was however unlike the mortal structure in that it was still wholly intact and retained the over two hundred mast corbels and attached awnings that provided the rather wet weather unnecessary shelter. Apparently the spirit in charge of duplicating the original colosseum for Hades had been somewhat of a perfectionist. It was also entirely made out of human bones and lit by torches and braziers of Greek fire.

Admiring the structure, Alkaid's lips pulled back into a smile. "Every time I see this place I'm reminded of that one-"

Hades interrupted her with a tired look. "Let me guess, a game?"

The demigod gave him a sour look in return. "I was going to say 'movie' actually. But you can forget it now, you've spoiled the mood."

"I hope we're not thinking of the same movie." Apollo muttered. He shivered. "Mortal Kombat was meant to be played, not watched."

"Still...maybe today-?"

"Dude, no. Just ...Just no." Apollo shook his head.

"He tends to do that." Megaera muttered.

Hades gave the fury a glare.

Alecto cleared her throat. "My Lord, may we go at our best?"

"Yes, you may."

The mortal of the group suppressed a groan even as she commented sarcastically, "That's both fair and wonderful. Thank you, Father."

"You're welcome." Hades smirked.

"I try. Truly." Hades replied either missing or completely ignoring her sarcasm. Considering his temperament and the playful smirk - for him, it was actually quite terrifying looking - he sported, it was probably the latter.

The Furies had always looked horrific to the eyes of god and mortal alike. Usually this took the form of just looking like a bunch of old biddies. But in their true forms, which they thankfully rarely wore, they grew massive leathery wings like bats from their backs, dark glimmering brass claws, their mouths grew grotesquely wide and showed off their wide array of huge yellow fangs, and was further capped off by a set of glowing eyes. They were also never far away from the flaming whips that were their favored weapons.

Personally, it was more horrifying to be attacked by the old lady forms.

"Math teachers are absolutely terrifying." Percy grumbled.

But while many a demigod would consider them monsters, the Erinyes were in fact goddesses. Minor but still very powerful divinities in their own right.

Not many have ever seen their true form and fewer still had ever seen their true power. They rarely needed either to deal with their enemies.

And her Father had basically said they could go all out.

Lovely.

"...I thought you loved your kids, Hades."

"Shut up, Poseidon."

The three Furies nodded to one another and if possible, their forms grew more horrifying.

Two more sets of bat wings erupted from their backs as the existing set of wings joined its new counterparts in giving off a shine of black diamond something which Alkaid reasoned was not just for show. Wisps of black fire coiled around them that crackled with the cries of pain and anger, their claws becoming serrated while their human legs took on a more bird-like appearance and their feet transformed into a set of talons. And lastly their eyes shined with an eerie whiteness that seemed to and probably did gaze into the depths of your very soul to view every dark little secret there was to see.

"Personal space. Invasion of personal space!" Leo cried out with his fingers forming a cross in front of him.

"Leo, seriously?" Piper asked.

"What? Chica, that's loco power right there. Seriously bad vibes."

"He's not wrong." Hazel mumbled uncomfortably. She'd seen the Furies at their worst while she was dead.

It wasn't a pleasant show.

Geez, talk about a Sailor Moon timed transformation. I think they're done, but let's not tempt the Fates and let them unveil some even more monstrous form.

With that thought in mind, Alkaid made her move. Quickly summoning a card, she slammed her Grimoire shut around it and cast the spell stored within.

"Blast Calamity!"

Suddenly, the space around the sorceress was filled with dozens of floating orbs of raw magical power even as a massive concentration materialized right in front of her.

"Does she really think that'll greatly affect them?" Hera asked.

"It could." Hades mumbled.

The furies tensed at the sight, but before they could do more than that an intense beam of power shot from the mass of magic in front of Alkaid and engulfed them. Even as they were hit by the large beam, smaller streams of destruction lanced out of the floating orbs and streaked across through the air like lasers. The arcane beams rained down upon the Furies while they were still being burned alive by the earlier larger attack and triggered some kind of reaction. The moment the lesser beams contacted the original, the whole target area, where the Furies stood, was consumed in a massive explosion.

Unfortunately, her spell also took half the arena with it. Something that considering the amphitheatre size was quite the feat. Not that Hades appreciated the fact, as he simply sighed moodily commented, "That's coming out of your allowance."

Having heard him clearly despite being down in the arena, Alkaid couldn't help but mentally roll her eyes - physically doing so would be suicidal, as she needed to keep a close watch for any sign of the Furies' inevitable counterattack - and thought that her father was being ridiculous. I don't even have an allowance anymore. I've earning my own money and have been for years.

"...Right, magical businesses," Hazel said with a frown, actually slightly jealous that her half-sister was so fortunate in the financial world.

"And dummy fronts for blind mortals." Nico added with his own contemplative hum. "I wonder..."

"Nico, if you become a con artist, we will have stern words." Hades warned.

"I was only going to make a skeleton dance...or maybe more..."

The demigoddess had no time for anymore such thoughts though as Alecto shot out of the dust cloud created by her spell in a charge straight for her, even as her sisters scattered by rushing in different directions.

Within less than a blink of an eye, her old nanny was upon Alkaid. Her whip lashed out and raked the demigoddess side. The daughter of Hades had only just been raising her guard and had yet to even conjure a barrier but thankful her standard magical armor held. Though it failed to protect her from the curse that the leader of the Erinyes had either embedded into her attack or cast simultaneously. As such, Alkaid unexpectedly felt her ankle give out from under and was thus forced to one knee.

"Take a knee!" Ares crowed.

"...I don't know why, but I'm extremely offended for some reason." Apollo muttered with a frown.

"Forgotten the lessons that the Slav, Baba Yaga, taught you?" Alecto chided as she lazily flew out of the way of a retaliatory beam attack from the demigoddess.

Seeing Alkaid hurt and distracted by their sister, Megaera and Tisiphone tried to close in and exploit the opening. However, they had just gotten within twenty feet of her when they were both simultaneously engulfed by massive fireballs and were sent careening through the air and away from their target by the explosions.

Hope you liked my mines, Megaera, Tisiphone.

Even as she admired her handiwork in dealing with the other two Furies, Alkaid reserved the bulk of her attention on the immediate threat, Alecto.

"Hag." Percy grumbled.

"Have I now, Nana?"

"...I will never get used to that." Percy shivered.

Alkaid replied smartly, using what she used to call the Fury as a child to attempt to throw the goddess off her game. Not that she thought it would work, but it was still worth a try.

Alecto frowned at Alkaid's seemingly baseless taunt and moved to evade yet another beam the demigod sent her way, only to be visibly surprised when she found herself moving slowly to do so. The beam sent the Fury hurtling into one of the arena walls where the impact collapsed a whole section right on top of her.

Not that it kept her pinned for long as within moments she burst from the rubble in an explosion of dark fire. A move that Alkaid noted also quite conveniently countered the slowing curse that she had cast on her opponent.

Looking at her former charge proudly, Alecto observed. "You cursed me."

"Shame, shame." Frank stroked one finger with the other. "Shame."

"Three shames? That must be serious."

"Don't mock me, Leo."

"I'm not mocking."

"Just returning the favor." Alkaid said cheekily as she stood having healed herself in the brief window where all three Furies were recovering.

Unlike her sister, Megaera was not distracted by pride at the young woman's skill and made her next move while her leader and opponent talked. She unhinged her jaw and unleashed an earthshaking howl from her throat.

The attack was so sudden and Alkaid was sent reeling. She felt as though her ears were bleeding as she held her head in pain. She was no fool though and even in her pain she began hunkering down for the inevitable follow-up attack. Even as she she tried to make her head stop spinning, she summoned a series of barriers to protect her.

"A-L-K-A-I-D, kick 'em back to Sicily!" Apollo cheered with black and green pom-poms. "Go-o-o, Alkaid!"

"...You are so wrong in the head." Hermes chuckled.

"Yeah, but I'm fun." Apollo grinned.

True to her predictions, the Furies seized on the chance and proceeded to all gang up on her. They lashed out with their whips and claws. Slowly but surely whittling away at her defenses. Each layer they tore through would unleash some kind of nested retaliation, an arcane offensive spell, an elemental attack, a curse or even the occasional summoned or conjured creature, but this deterred them not at all. The goddesses of vengeance weathered the counterattacks and continued on with their seemingly relentless assault.

Alkaid looked up at the assault, and noticed her vision swimming.

Why am I seeing a dozen of them? That scream, it had some curse embedded in it!

"Like an evil Siren song or something," Percy said.

Annabeth rubbed her head. "Percy..."

Acting on her assumption, Alkaid tried to counter it but the Furies weren't about to let that happen.

Even as Alkaid finished casting her counter-curse, Tisiphone was casting another on her with a shouted word of power.

"Ασθένεια (Disease)!"

The demigod suddenly felt like she had a fever of a hundred and seven as she was forced to make a hacking cough and her already pale skin turned practically translucent.

"Πείνα (Hunger)!"

"Ooh, that's cruel." Ares chuckled.

A feeling of lightheadedness struck her as she fell to her knees and began to have trouble thinking straight. She struggled to come up with a spell to help her out of the situation, but it felt like her mind was clotted with cotton.

"Λυπημένος (Thirst)!"

Alkaid's throat felt like it was sandpaper and each breath she took was like she was gargling glass.

Alecto struck one of her last few barriers, shattering it as the demigod closed her eyes and called out to darkness itself even as she channeled her magic into her Grimoire so as to use the focus to enhance her spell.

"This is getting intense." Piper mumbled, snuggling closer to Jason.

"Yeah...She'll win though. Haven't seen her lose in a while." Jason pointed out.

"Well, not in a fight, but she's lost some battles," Annabeth said.

"...Name one."

"She had to run away from the Amazon."

"...Fair enough."

Dark Blessing: Black Cleansing.

Alkaid inhaled deeply as she was cured of her ailments. Before anything else, she unleashed a massive nova of dark energy that sent the Furies flying back and gave her some breathing room.

Quickly leveling her uncontrolled and unexpected flight through the air, even as her sisters tumbled a little still, Alecto turned to address the demigoddess, "That cleansing spell. That was something the Slav taught you, isn't it?"

"And there's another, the Baba Yaga."

"I get it, Annabeth." Jason muttered.

"Welcome to my life, dude." Percy patted his shoulder and grinned at his girlfriend. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Nice save, Seaweed Brain."

Alkaid merely answered with a nod. It was a spell that called upon darkness in its purest form to do some minor healing, though that only applied to those with a darkness affinity otherwise it would cause damage to the target instead. But this was not the reason the sorceress had used the spell, she had called upon the spell because it could remove magical effects on the person without differentiating between enhancements, curses, wards, etc. All of them, without exception were dispelled.

Suffering under the cumulative effects on multiple curses from the Erinyes themselves, Alakid had been forced to turn to this risky spell. It might have rid her of the curses but it had also removed all her personal protections. Thus while she was still within the safety of her last few barriers, the daughter of Hades hastily recast her personal wards.

"She's fairly talented with her cast time." Hestia mused. "Hecate would be impressed."

"If not more critical." Hades muttered.

Even as she did, the demigoddess took the time to assess the state of her opponents and to her pleasure found that the Furies were looking rather beaten up. As they had attacked her previous barriers, they were snagged by the many curses nestled within them. Not surprising considering the beating they had been taking so far. Megaera's body was smoking and looked a touch toasty from being hit by lightning. Tisiphone had icicles hanging from her wings and patches of her skin looked frostbitten. And Alecto had lacerations scattered about her body from a set of cutting curses.

With a deep breath, Alkaid cast once more. "Dark Blessing: Black Embrace."

"That sounds heartwarming." Poseidon drawled.

"At least she is making use of her surroundings." Hades hummed contemplatively.

Shadows quickly streamed towards Alkaid and in a moment coalesced into a protective aura around her body that crackled with dark energy.

"Why did Lord Hades allow her to talk to that Witch again?" Tisiphone complained.

"So she could learn to do things like this, of course." Alecto informed her sister happily. "With that, it'll be much harder to curse her."

"I call shenanigans." Megaera complained. "With that on her, nothing short of the Arai would be able to land a curse on her."

"Right?! Magic is bull-hockey!" Thalia groaned.

"She's exaggerating but I agree with Meg, this just got a lot harder. And Ally, stop being so smug about the girl kicking our ass. Who's side are you on?" Tisiphone scolded.

"Here we go again, can we not argue during a fight? What are you? A thousand years old?" Alecto hissed back.

"Look who's talking." Tisiphone shot back but quieted after that as the trio were forced to evade a salvo of beams from Alkaid that herded all three of them into different sets of magical mines that once more sent them tumbling through the air.

"Hang in there, sisters!" Alecto shouted as she righted herself. "Alkaid can't keep this up for long, this tempo is too draining. We just need to outlast her."

"That's what she said!" Hermes and Apollo proclaimed with a high-five.

"Apollo! Hermes!"

"Worth it!"

"Don't you think I know that, Nana?" A smirking Alkaid replied. "That's why I happen to have a nice little surprise to finish this off."

"Sur-" Megaera tried to hiss out, before she was cut off by the need to desperately avoid being incinerated a massive firestorm spontaneously came into being and engulfed the part of the arena where the Furies had been thrown by the mines' explosions.

The trio however found their movements were hampered.

"Again with the-!" Alecto grumbled. "She's caught us in a slowing curse again, sisters."

"Oh, that's not fun." Percy groaned.

"We know!" Megaera and Tisiphone shot back irritably as they used their powers to counter the curses.

Unfortunately for Hades' torturers, the time it took to do so was the opening that Alkaid was looking for.

"Chain Bind: Whipping Variant."

"So, the dominant sadist within her reveals itself once again."

"Aphrodite, so help me, I will torture all of your children for eternity." Hades snarled.

"My, my, so quick to defend...Demeter, do you gossip with Persephon-?"

"NEVER!" The goddess of agriculture shrieked.

"Aphrodite, that's enough from you." Rhea huffed and snapped her fingers. An iron plate appeared over the goddess of love's mouth and she pouted.

No one could take light teasing, seriously.

Intoned the sorceress as she calmly closed her Grimoire around one of her magical cards, thus unleashing the stored spell within with the enhanced effect of both the boost from her focus and the verbal invocation.

A trio of magic circles materialized in a rough triangular formation the caster, two by her sides and one over her head. From these circles shot forth whip/tentacle-like chains that sought out the Furies and bound them tight.

The normal variant of this spell would never have been enough for this. It's chains are nowhere near as mobile. Even this version is having trouble, and that's with them already slowed. I guess there's still plenty of room for improvement. Alkaid critiqued her spell even as it caught the Erinyes in its grasp and she prepared the coup de grâce.

"Silent whisper on blackest night, cruel equalizer, bring my enemies to where death and nightmare reigns supreme! Nocturnal Annihilation!"

"That sounds like the lyrics of one of Thalia's favorite artists." Annabeth muttered.

Thalia tilted her head and nodded. "Yeah, if it was hardcore, I'd listen to it."

"Not if it was inappropriate." Artemis huffed.

"...Wh-What?" Thalia gaped. "I mean, you'd let me listen to Green Day-?"

"No."

"…I've made a terrible mistake." Thalia whispered in horror.

As she finished the full chant, the teenage sorceress, closed her Grimoire around the appropriate spell card. With both the enhancing powers of her Grimoire and the spell's full chant, the spell would as powerful as Alkaid could make it.

As she chanted, the bound Furies and the spectating crowd -now having grown to also include Melinoe, Persephone, and a large number of off duty ghouls - had borne witness to a growing cloud forming right above the arena.

Vaguely spherical in shape, the cloud of what could be described as a mixture of raw nightmare and pure death condensed into physical form.

Eying the cloud, both Tisiphone and Megaera summed up their opinion on it quite nicely. "Shit!"

"Such foul mouths," Rhea said with a frown aimed at the Furies.

"They mean well, Grandmother." Athena pointed out. "Fighting and exhaustion brings out lower vernacular responses."

"I know...But still." Rhea sighed. "Oh well. Continue, Athena."

Alecto on the other hand, quickly shot the young woman that she had watched grow up a look of absolutely glowing pride.

Before the spell could fire, most likely destroy everything in the arena and the immediate area, Alkaid's Father's voice rang out.

"Alkaid is the winner."

"Ohh, Uncle H! You have to say 'Finish It!'" Apollo complained.

"I refuse to subject myself to such foolish antics." Hades drawled.

"...But it'd be so awesome!"

She turned to look at her Father, the cloud of death still above them all, a little surprised he'd stepped in. To her embarrassment she'd been so caught up in the match that she'd actually forgotten that she had an audience at all.

For a moment, the father and daughter exchanged a look. Hades' eyes exuding his clear pride at his daughter's skill even as he used them to gesture with a pointed look at the death cloud for her to dispel it.

Alkaid readily complied, freeing the still bound Furies at the same time. She swayed on her feet a little as she did, the drain of the fight finally catching up to her but was steadied by Alecto as her old nanny appeared at her side in a flash.

"That's so weird." Percy muttered. He shivered. "I will never see her as a nanny."

"Oh, get over yourself, Percy Jackson." Hades grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"So Father, have I proven that I am capable of defending myself? That I can go to Yancy like I've planned?" The demigoddess asked tiredly.

"Hm, I guess you can go." Hades answered, saying nothing more as he turned to stalk off. It would seem the god was not happy with development.

"I'm right there with you, man." Leo grumbled with his arms crossed and a sour look on his face.

"Dude...She's my cousin." Percy deadpanned.

"She's hot." Leo argued, as if that was all he needed to say.

"...I gotta be honest. I agree with Heph's kid." Apollo nodded.

"Apollo!"

"What? I'm being honest!"

Overprotective much? Alkaid mused even as she turned to face her stepmother and sister as they came to offer their congratulations.

"Yes, aren't you, Hades?" Poseidon asked with a smirk.

"Shut it, Ducky."

"Make me, Boo Cap."

"Boys," Rhea interjected. "Need we have another talk?"

"No mother."

"Good. Then stop fighting."

"Yes, mother." The two gods grumbled, giving each other annoyed looks.

Alkaid pressed down on the top of her suitcase and zipped it up.

"Geez, packing a mini-mall?" Melinoe said as she peeked her head into Alkaid's room.

The demigod rolled her eyes. "Not all of us can get away with wearing barely anything, sister."

"Yes you can! Hell, you'd be paid for it~"

"Deplorable-Apollo, what are you contemplating!?" Artemis demanded.

"What it would take for our version of Melinoe to shift gears and look like that version..." Apollo admitted. He paused and grimaced as he turned to look at his twin. "Oh, crap..."

"...Run." Artemis growled as she manifested her bow and strung an arrow.

A door of light appeared next to Apollo accompanied by a sign that read 'Hunting Grounds – This Way!'

"...Cheeky Seer Bastard..." Apollo muttered darkly before he raced into the opening with Artemis hot on his heels.

Alkaid looked over her shoulder, giving the goddess a dry glance. "Yes, I'm sure I could find a nice pole to dance around as well."

Melinoe held up her hands. "Hey, more power to ya if you do."

"She really needs a better influence," Hera said dryly.

"Was that an offer to babysit?" Hades asked sarcastically.

"...Honestly, what harm could it do?"

"What?!" Zeus and Hades looked at Hera with wide eyes. The goddess shrugged.

"Perhaps she will have an epiphany like I did with Oceanus and Tethys," Hera said.

"A wondrous idea, daughter!" Rhea smiled at her youngest girl.

Groaning at her sister's crude behavior, she turned to face the body mirror on her closet door. She was dressed in a dark blue skirt suit with a small gold chain-link necklace. She flattened her skirt a bit and gave herself a sunny smile.

Stunning as usual Alkaid, you'll knock them dead. She allowed herself a giggle at the joke. She grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase and exited her room.

Melinoe proceeded behind her, whistling a tune with her arms folded behind her head.

As she walked corridor to the throne room to say her goodbyes to her parents, the ghoul staff she met along the way - more so than there usually should be - cheerfully offered their goodbyes and wished her good luck. Though some gave her pleading looks, knowing she was one of the few who could quell her Father's rage during his time of turmoil, they did not want her to leave.

"...Oh, gods, he's actually going to kill us this time." Percy whispered while Annabeth's eyes widened in horror.

"No I wouldn't...Much, anyway." Hades added under his breath.

Poseidon's glare just made him smirk. It seemed the sea god really couldn't tell when he was kidding.

As the two sisters reached the throne room, Alkaid was a little surprise to see her whole family there. Not just Hades and Persephone, but even her shut-in of a sister Makaria had made an appearance.

The Queen of the Underworld was the first to come forward and offer her goodbyes. The goddess of spring engulfed the demigoddess in a hug.

Demeter smiled at her daughter's kindness and then sent a glare to her brother, who ignored her as he usually did.

"Don't worry too much Alkaid. I'm sure you'll do great."

Alkaid just nodded and returned the her stepmother's hug.

As Alkaid and Persephone parted, Melinoe winked at her and gave her a good punch to the arm. "Don't do anything I would usually do."

"Isn't it usually 'just do what I'll do'?"

The ghost goddess shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm a bad girl, right?"

"A very bad girl." Aphrodite tittered.

"...I'm seriously considering your offer, Hera." Hades muttered.

"Nev-!" Zeus began to deny his brother the chance to put a spy – er, to leave him to watch Hades' daughter, when Hera put her hand on his arm.

"We'll go over the details after this finishes." Hera suggested, giving her husband the look.

Zeus clammed up and frowned.

He hated it when she used the look.

It usually followed with an argument.

Alkaid simply nodded in agreement to this.

Makaria was next, bouncing over and embracing her in a choking hug. Gasping for air, the young goddess released her. "Ah! Sorry Alkaid, I didn't mean to do that." She said, offering an adorable pout in return. "I'm just going to miss you." She looked around and leaned in to whisper. "Plus, who's going to be my magical nuke in WoW?"

Alkaid whispered back. "Maybe when I come back?"

"...Oh, if Apollo's going for Melinoe, I got dibs on-"

"Hermes, hold your tongue before I take it." Hades warned.

"...Right. You got it, Hades." Hermes nodded quickly.

Ares smirked at his brother. "What's wrong? Silver tongue turn to lead?"

"Dude, that's so not cool! Using the line from Thor!" Hermes complained.

"In a way, he compared you to Marvel Loki." Leo pointed out with a grin. "Marvel Loki's the bomb!"

"...This is true..." Hermes mused with a rub of his chin and then grinned at the scowling Ares. "Thanks for the compliment, bro."

"Deal!" Makaria beamed and pecked her forehead. She took a step back and pulled out a small book from her skirt pocket. "Here's a cheat sheet book. It has tips from as many teachers I could round up in Elysium."

Warmth filled her as Alkaid graciously took the book. "Thank you, sister. I'll put it to use, really."

Tears filled Makaria's silver eyes as she roped Alkaid into another tight and possibly lethal hug.

"Godly hugs, the ultimate threat to demigods." Nico drawled.

"It is not." Hestia frowned.

"Yes, yes it is." Hades chuckled. "Ah, some punishments to germophobes...Fun."

Hades cleared his voice, making his godly daughter flush and release his demigod.

"Sorry!"

Once more, getting her breath back, Alkaid turned to her Father. The Lord of the Underworld merely gave her a grudging goodbye.

The sorceress shook her head. "Don't be so grumpy. We'll find the Helm soon."

"Just stay safe." Hades deflected.

"Baby." Zeus snorted.

"Pot, meet Kettle, guess what?"

"Boys! There's just the omake! Please!" Rhea pleaded.

Omake: Parental Observations

"I cannot believe this." Persephone said as she strolled along the streets of New York City. She was wearing a modest pale grey dress and a white fur coat.

"Why ever not?" Hades asked sounding genuinely curious, dressed in his black and red Italian suit.

"You decide to take me out for the day, and we spend it stalking your daughter." Persephone's watery gold eyes -that matched the December sun- glared at him.

"The nerve of you!" Demeter snarled at her brother.

"I'm sure she's exaggerating!" Hades shot back. "Something she picked up from you, dear sister."

"You-You-...Beast!"

"Ouch. Scathing."

"Grr, you...Mother, I demand that you punish him!"

"Really? Resorting to demands?" Hades scoffed.

"The both of you! Honestly! Need I have a talk with you, Demeter?" Rhea asked.

"...No, mother..." The goddess of agriculture sulked.

"Need we-?"

"No! Ahem, I mean, no, mother." Hades hastily interrupted Rhea. He looked at Athena. "Read, Athena, if you would please."

"...Hades said 'please'." Poseidon mumbled.

"Prepare the troops." Zeus ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Poseidon said with a scout's salute.

"Oh, yuck it up..." Hades glowered at his amused brothers.

"That Pyrrha girl needs watching. Who knows what depravities that foolish war girl will do to Alkaid?" Hades said with total sincerity. The couple in question was before them as they literally walked in shadows, seen by none.

His wife just rolled her eyes at him.

"Chaos, Hades! She's a grown woman now, you have to learn to let go."

"You convince your mother to do the same, and I'll try." Hades sniffed.

"...Well, sunspot's not here. Truce?" Ares asked Hermes.

"For now." Hermes muttered.

"On three."

"Sure."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

The two gods took deep breaths and then screamed: "BURN!"

"Ares! Hermes!" Hera glared at her son and nephew.

"Truce abolished, it was all Ares' idea!"

"You little!"

"...Touché." The goddess of youth frowned. She looked up at the Empire State Building. "And don't go bringing Mother into this, she might hear you."

"Look! The war child is leaning in for a kiss." Hades hissed as he grabbed his wife's arm.

"That little bitch!"

"Ares..." Hera drawled.

"What? Oh, c'mon, I don't fight my kids fights!" Ares groaned.

"Yes, because the last time you did, you went on trial for murder." Hades pointed out.

"Whoa, really?" Percy asked. "And he wasn't found guilty?"

"Oh, he was guilty, Percy, but his reason for doing so was...just." Poseidon's answer was accompanied by a sour look on his face and disgust in his tone.

"Exac...Jackson, how much would it take you to try and rape someone?" Ares asked curiously.

"W-What?! The hell is wrong with you!?" Percy shrieked in horrified fashion.

"Death of a mother, perhaps…?" Ares trailed off at the looks the other Olympians and Rhea gave him. "What? A guy can't be curious?"

"No." They deadpanned.

"Psh, fine, whatever. I'll think of something." Ares muttered.

"Oh, woe is you, darling." Persephone told him in clear sarcasm.

"I know." Hades pursed his lips, completely missing the sarcastic tone.

"Seriously though, their date is going well. Let's just go and enjoy our own." Persephone pleaded, giving him a pouty look.

"You should treat your wife well, Hades." Hera chided her brother.

"Oh, don't you start." Hades growled.

"I'm merely saying, a happy marriage-"

"I have a happy marriage, sister. It's my in-law who makes it difficult." Hades growled at his other sister, who sneered at him.

"Kidnapper."

"Mother hen."

"Ahem!" Rhea cut in with a pointed frown. "Talk?"

"No, mother."

"Then be quiet."

"Yes, mother."

"We can do that another time, right now I'm more concerned with my daughter's poor choice in lover." The Lord of the Dead said as calmly as possible though how quickly he looked away from his wife's pout proved how weak he was to it.

"Whipped." Ares snorted.

"Oh, like you aren't?" Hades shot back dryly. "Of any of the Olympians who're married here and has a backbone, it would be Hephaestus. He's constantly put you and his cheating wife in place by making you look like fools – loved the Cheaters plot, by the way."

"Thank you." Hephaestus smirked while his wife and her boyfriend scowled at the memory of the mortal television show bursting into their 'private time'. Being it a live show at the time, they couldn't even smite the mortals. ...Well, they couldn't smite them then, anyway.

Ares waited until a year or so had gone by, then systematically took them out one by one, after Aphrodite made them stars on their own show.

The show quickly became cancelled for reasons unknown.

"And what would be a better choice?" Persephone asked as she pressed herself into her husband's side.

"Well, we did have that list." The god brought up, making his wife shake her head in exasperation which coincidentally served to place her head on his shoulder.

"You mean the list you had me draw up for all those blind dates? Seriously, Husband? Let the girl choose on her own! Or are you back to the strongarming brides stage? We've moved beyond that centuries ago! Haven't we?" The youthful goddess whispered seductively.

"...I should really talk to Persephone one of these days," Aphrodite said with a thoughtful hum.

"You best not." Hades and Demeter growled and then exchanged glares.

Hades winced and ducked his head. "Yes dear. But still, they are way better. And prettier, and have similar tastes with Alkaid. I had Alkaid's browser history checked."

"Not cool, Uncle H. Not cool." Hermes shook his head.

"Oh, please. She lives in my home and uses my internet." Hades scoffed. "It's perfectly natural!"

"And they call me paranoid." Zeus huffed.

"You are paranoid!" Hades snapped.

"I know." Persephone said with a sigh. "I still think that was an invasion of her privacy."

"She mooches off my internet, I have the right to know what she looks at. Besides she inherited that disrespect for privacy from me as well. She'd understand." Hades assured with a solid nod.

"Exactly!" Hades nodded at his others words.

Persephone blushed at this as she recalled some of the times her husband had leveraged that usually negative trait into some great fun.

With his wife no longer arguing with him, he turned to see what else that repugnant girl was doing with his demigod.

Hades went whitefaced -a frightening notion for the already pale god- at seeing the two entering what could only be described as a love hotel.

"..." Leo got out of his seat, walked over to stand in front of Percy, and then punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! Dude! What'd you do that for!?" Percy asked as he rubbed his arm.

"Because the world isn't fair!" Leo shot back as he returned to his seat with a scowl on his face. Flames in his hair flickered on and off while he grumbled to himself in Spanish.

"Ares...I will kill you." Hades drawled.

"Yeah, well bring i-Er..." It was when his uncle turned to face him not as a god, but as The Lord of the Underworld, that for one of the first times in his immortal life Ares realized how stupid he could be.

Before Hades could act on his rage, Athena read the next sentence.

With Alkaid dragging Ares' girl by the wrist, whose face was as red as her blood shaded locks.

"Oh my!" Hermes gasped coyly, hand partially covering his mouth, imitating an aging star of a famous show.

"I...She..." Hades faltered for words.

"...Maybe I should kill her to defend my daughter's innocence," Ares said, a smirk on his face.

"You...I..."

"Huh, haven't seen him this gobsmacked since he tried LSD," Poseidon said to Zeus.

"Indeed. That was an interesting day." Zeus nodded.

Aphrodite was squealing so high it barely registered as an audible sound.

The god had gone mute by this point.

Drawn out of her pleasant memories by her husband's silence, Persephone turned to see startled him so badly. She smiled mischievously as she saw just what it was, a devious little plan forming in her mind.

"I think the girls have the right idea. Don't you, Husband?"

"Yes, do you, Hades?" Poseidon asked with a wide grin on his face.

"Shut. Up." Hades growled once he got his jaw working.

The eldest of the Big Three seemed to be struggling for words at the moment. So instead, he just opted to nod.

Persephone rolled her eyes and pressed her advantage by leaning into his ear and whispered. "I'm wearing those lace." With that said, she headed towards the building, a sway in her step.

This time it was Demeter's turn to lose her ability to speak.

Hades didn't mind, if his happy smirk was anything to go by.

"Oh my!" Hermes said once more, this time fanning his face.

Hades needed no more convincing and simply followed.

"Well, I think Alkaid can handle herself for a moment...or twelve hours."

"Oh...My..."

"Hermes, I swear!" Demeter leveled her nephew with a fierce glare.

"What? Apollo's not here, I gotta cover up the slack!" Hermes protested.

"What a healthy relationship you have," Rhea said to her son with a smile. "Honestly, I'm surprised."

"Mother!" Demeter shifted her look of anger to one of shock in a fraction of a second.

"For once, Mother, please listen to Demeter." Hades mumbled as he covered his face. "I need not hear you compliment my time spent with Persephone."

"All right." Rhea sighed. She looked to Athena. "And next?"

"It's over, I believe..." Athena mused as she closed the book. "For now."

"Shame."

(END)