A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to the story! There isn't much I need to say about this chapter, so let's jump right into it. (Cover art by Viria)

Warnings: None for this chapter

There was a stillness in the air; a putrid, stale odor lingering in the dark alleyway, as a crepuscular figure made its way down the grimy pavement. Obsidian robes billowed behind them, which swiftly transformed into a jet black suit. It was his attempt to disguise himself, but little did the lord of the dead understand; a man wearing a suit in an abandoned New York alley was far more suspicious than a man wearing a robe. But gods would be gods.

He couldn't believe he'd requested this meeting at all. It wasn't in a gods nature to do what he was about to do. But he simply had to. His son; his foolish, stubborn son was all he had left. He'd spent millennia watching his children suffer and he would do it no longer. Least of all with Nico.

Hades never liked playing favorites with his children, but he found that he always did. Like almost all of the gods; the lord of the dead was prideful. If his children could prove themselves worthy of his affection, they would receive it. None had ever proved their worth more than his last living child. Nico had done many things that no other child of Hades ever dared to do.

The most obvious being that he made the Underworld his home. Mortals, even Hades' own children, are not permitted to enter the Underworld. Only a select few of those who have, ever returned to the land of the living. But at ten years old, Nico had fled to the Underworld and made its harsh landscape his home. He braved the world of the dead and he eventually conquered it. He was truly his father's son.

That alone wasn't enough to impress the immovable god of death, however. It took his pigheaded son standing up to him, defying him, and becoming a silent hero to gain the god's attention. Each step of the way, Hades found himself surprised by his boy's strength. Even the depths of Tartarus couldn't break him; a place that Hades himself refused to go. Indeed, none of his children deserved happiness more than Nico di Angelo.

A thought that had lead the god to this alley. It was his fear that his brother, Poseidon, would not approve of this meeting. After all, Hades' proposition would directly interfere with his precious Percy's life. The lord of the dead wasn't even sure if his new business partner would approve of his plan; but for his son, he was willing to take the chance.

Only a few minutes after the dark god's arrival, another figure sauntered down the vacant alley. This figure wore armor, Hades could hear it clacking and clanging as his conspirator made her way toward him.

"Uncle," the woman said, hidden by the dark veil of the night, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Come out from the shadows, my dear niece. We have an important matter to discuss," Hades insisted. The woman moved forward, the sound of her armor replaced by the soft sound of tennis shoes hitting the pavement. She now wore a simple white tee shirt and black slacks, her long black hair fell loosely around her shoulders.

"Is there a reason we couldn't have this important meeting somewhere a little more comfortable?" she asked, with disdain.

"The subject matter is a bit. . . sensitive," Hades admitted, "I'm not sure all the gods would approve of my ideas. But you, Athena. . . yes, you may just understand where I'm coming from." Athena raised her brow, trying to figure out where her creepy uncle was going with this conversation.

"Very well, you've piqued my interest. What is this sensitive subject you wish to speak to me about?" she asked, stepping closer to the god.

"Our children. More specifically, our favored children," he said, crossing his spindly fingers over one another. Athena seemed to understand immediately, just as her uncle had predicted.

Of course she understood. The most promising of her offspring had been intellectually stifled by a foolish relationship. One that was destined to fail, at that. The goddess had hoped that Annabeth wouldn't fall victim to teenage flights of fancy. . . but she was more emotionally compromised than her mother ever imagined her to be- which was odd considering her existence was the imaginings of Athena's very own mind.

From a very young age, her child prodigy became involved with boys. Not just any boys. First the son of Hermes- rash, ignorant, and worst of all, a hero. Then her daughter's mind was muffled again by the son of Poseidon- who just so happened to be all the same things as the foolish girl's former crush. She clearly had a type. But it stood to reason that she only liked this type of man because he posed a challenge for her. Children of Athena always look for challenges, they need to stimulate their minds and solve puzzles. There was nothing in the world more puzzling than an ignorant, emotional man.

Being romantically involved with a person such as Percy Jackson posed more than just an intellectual challenge. Heroes require attention. . . a lot of attention. If her daughter was to ever reach her full potential, she couldn't afford to grant her dimwitted boyfriend the sort of attention he needs. Athena knew Annabeth wouldn't be capable of giving that much to Percy Jackson. She knew this because she invented her daughter's mind. She knew exactly what it was and was not capable of.

What awaited Percy and Annabeth was misery and resentment. All of which would cloud her thoughts and stifle her talent. But what any of this had to do with the son of Hades, the goddess wasn't sure.

"What about them?" she asked, crossing her arms. Hades sighed.

"My son. . . he's come so far and done so much. He deserves to rest now. However, I fear he may never truly be free to rest until his heart is tamed. He's a romantic that way, silly boy," the lord of the dead admitted with a small grin. Nico's wild heart reminded the god so much of his dear Maria. He was truly happy with her, she saw something in him that his own wife didn't. To this day, he still couldn't be sure what it was, but she loved him for it- and that's all that mattered. The two children he sired with her were his pride and he loved them, as much as a god can love.

"I see. And what does that have to do with my daughter? If you're suggesting the two of them find romance, I must respectfully decline to have any part of that scheme. The last thing I need is for Annabeth to go from one high maintenance relationship to another," Athena chided. Hades chuckled.

"No, no. That would never work out. It's not Annabeth that my boy pines for," the god admitted, with a reluctant grin. He wasn't exactly a very big fan of Percy Jackson- the impudent demigod had once had the nerve to attack him in his own domain. However, if Nico saw something in him- he couldn't be so bad. He trusted his son's judgment.

"What exactly are you getting at, uncle?" Athena demanded, growing impatient. She had no interest in the romantic whims of demigods, but clearly her uncle had something in mind for her daughter, else they wouldn't be having this conversation.

"I have an idea. A way we can both get what we want for our children, in theory, anyway," Hades said quietly, hoping that Poseidon wasn't listening. "Of course, it may involve incurring the wrath of Poseidon." Athena raised her brow.

"That sounds unwise, uncle. However, I am willing to hear this plan of yours. Something tells me that if I refuse to help you with it, you'll do it anyway," she presumed. Her uncle gave her an unsettling smile.

"You know me too well, my dear niece."

A/N: That's it for this chapter. There will be updates every Wednesday. Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review & favorite if you enjoyed it!