The Miss

A/N: Hey! THis is chapter1, it's in third person narration, and is a little bit longer than the prologue. I promise! xD

I finished this way back...a few weeks (?) after I wrote that drabble in the prologue, and I figured that I should post it right away since it's ready. I can't promise much, 'cause I only wanted this chapter to establish something between the main characters-the thalico pair, yes. :]

But I promise more happenings in the next chapters. So please read along! And review! :D

Here it is.

Chapter 1: VIRTUAL COUSIN

"The Hunters are here!"

Nico di Angelo sure heard Leo's neck snap upon hearing the sudden announcement. Taking advantage of the split second distraction, the son of Hades side-stepped and went for a lay-up. He was about to give Jason a high-five when he noticed that the blond was already running towards the big Pine tree.

Jason waved back at them without stopping on his tracks. "My sister's here!"

Leo Valdez contemplated for a moment—looking at Jason, then to Nico's dark brown eyes, and back to the direction of the Pine tree. "Uh…see you around!"

Nico rolled his eyes and shrugged. There was a strange stillness around him as he took a moment to stare at his friends' invincible tracks. Since when did the Hunters' coming become such a fuss? Didn't everyone hate them? What's there to get excited about?

Maybe it's because of their new lieutenant; she's an ex-camper anyway. Yeah. Probably that.

Nico shrugged off a few dry leaves from his silky black hair as the wind blew, deciding that maybe it's just Jason and Leo who's all too excited. Or maybe Annabeth, too. And Percy. And maybe Chiron. Which, he suddenly figured, was practically everyone who cared—and mattered.

Cousin. Nico never thought of her that way. Come to think of it, it's an interesting but weird thing to consider. His cousin just arrived. Should he feel the way his friends do?

Feeling the weight of his thoughts boring down on him, Nico frowned at himself. Maybe. Maybe he should feel the way Jason does towards the Hunters' arrival. Maybe he should be jumping for joy, or feel all happy and gay about it all…or maybe not.

Maybe he's just being paranoid. If not that, he'd be more than happy to feel the way Jason does if it was his real sister who'd just arrived. Maybe, if it wasn't the Hunters and only some old friend instead, he would have felt a little excited.

He shrugged. He should stop thinking by now, or it'll eat him up and ruin his day. For a son of Hades who has a reputation to be an emo, it sounded like something that would surely happen should he not stop moping. Turning his heels to go the opposite way, he sighed. What's on with me? It wasn't their fault anyway—Bianca's death—and he'd long ago accepted that. So why feel bitter now? Why feel like an outcast, when in fact, nobody wanted him to feel that?

A voice boomed inside his head, scolding him for even thinking about these things. They ought to be forgotten! And if he didn't want to get tied by emotional setbacks, he should find his feet and walk away.

But then a smaller voice yelled the same intensity, but a different message: What's there to lose?

Fighting his urge to scream like a frustrated baby, he ground his teeth and grunted irritably—turning his heels again and listened to the tiny voice. The next thing he knew, he was staring at some perky reunion. Jason seemed the happiest, so was Annabeth, though Percy looked kind of…being bullied by the daughter of Zeus, and that made him smirk. Leo, on the other hand, tried and failed to get the raven-haired lieutenant's attention, and for some reason that made his smirk widen a bit. Yet again he felt like a third wheel—though it doesn't exactly apply since they were quite a lot there—and that maybe he shouldn't have come here; but when her eyes glanced his way, and she smiled at him, he found himself not regretting it.

A/N: So! What do you think? Yeah, I know, there's not much to review about, but I'm so open for suggestions! Hey, I probably should mention, too, that I'm thinking about incorporating Leo Valdez in up-coming chapters. Do tell me your thoughts, please, and tick that review button down there. alright? Great!

Ja! :D