October—2010—Two months after the war with Gaea ended—Long Island, New York

Bria yelped when she stepped out of freezing cold into boiling heat, drawing nine people's attention towards her. She let out a little laugh. "Sorry. I hate that transition, and it was really cold back there."

Those nine people still looked utterly confused.

Bria shrugged. "I'm fine, you can go back to what you were doing. Bye." Then she shadow traveled away—correctly this time. She was good at smooth transitionings, but where she wanted to go, even after a century and a quarter of practice, she still absolutely sucked at. And it sucked that she sucked at it.

"Hey, Bria."

Bria smiled at the bookish girl. "Hi, Cleo. I got something."

Cleo's eyes lit up as Bria gingerly pulled out several ancient scrolls she'd snuck from the Athena cabin. "If you want to copy them down, by all means, do so, because I have to take these back," Bria warned.

Cleo snickered. "You mean before they noticed that it was gone, niña?"

"Exactemente," Bria laughed. "You know me too well."

"Eeep!" Cleo squeaked, unrolling the scroll gently. "Você encontrou os pergaminhos Alexandrino perdidos?!"

"English, please," Bria requested dryly. "Or Spanish. Ancient Greek. Latin. Italian. I'm not too picky."

"You found the lost Alexandrian scrolls," Cleo whispered in awe. "Oh, deuses…"

Bria grinned at her friend's excitement. "Well, actually, I personally didn't find them. A child of Athena found them, ages ago. I'm not that old. But yes, I raided the Athena cabin to get these."

Cleo's eyes were shining as she gently set the scrolls down and pulled on gloves, so as not to damage the texts.

Bria shook her head at her friend's enthusiasm, and turned to back quietly away. Knowing Cleo, she'd be muttering to herself about the texture of the ancient paper until the cows came home. Instead, she ran into someone, letting out a startled, "Oof."

She looked up…and up…and up, into the face of Julian. She hurriedly put her fingers to her lips and dragged Julian out of the library. Julian was a literal two feet taller than Bria, but she was stubborn.

"Why are you trying to pull my arm out of my socket?!" Julian yelped softly.

"Would you like to be around when Cleo goes into book mode?" Bria pointed out quietly.

"I hate it when you're right," he muttered.

"Yeah, well, get used to it. I don't like it when I'm right any more than you do," Bria said bitterly.

Julian raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't ask, which Bria was thankful for. Unfortunately, Sadie didn't get the memo. "Why?"

Bria huffed. "Girl, daughter of Pluto, god of the Underworld, the guy that regulates dead people? That ring any bells?"

Sadie looked like she had just swallowed a poisonous frog. "Oh, god, thank god you weren't here two years ago. You would've seen Walt's…"

"Yeah," Julian looked grim. "We could all see it, Sadie. No need of a reminder."

Bria bit her lip. "You do know that the curse isn't gone? Anubis has just nullified it."

Sadie grimaced. "Yeah, we guessed that part." Her eyes widened. "That potion thingy-mabobber you gave Jaz—could that work on Walt?"

Bria chewed on her bottom lip. She shrugged. "It dissolves cancer and disease, speeds up memory recovery, brings the dead back to life, heals a wound to the head or heart in a matter of seconds…I've used it on myself, and I'm still cursed with immortality. I honestly don't know. The curse would probably be extremely diluted from extending over centuries, but I don't know…"

"A maybe, then," Sadie surmised.

"Don't get your hopes up, Sadie," Bria warned.

The Brooklyn house suddenly shook on its foundations. Sadie and Julian grabbed the walls to keep themselves upright. Bria, having been at the epicenter of earthquakes she'd caused, just stood there, bending her knees a little. There was a loud crash coming from the library, and a shriek of outrage most likely from Cleo.

"What was—" Sadie started. Bria took off running towards the East Wall, swearing under her breath. "—that?" Sadie finished in a huff, tearing after Bria, summoning her staff and wand.

Bria was already twirling her staff lethally, nearly dancing around the monsters, and using the large amount of monsters to confuse the heck out of them. One of them held out a hand to stop her, and Bria grabbed the dracaenae's arm, lifting herself off the ground, and catapulted on top of a hellhound, stabbing it with a small dagger of Celestial bronze. Sadie blasted an entire row of them to bits with a golden light. Felix dropped in, frozen about a quarter of them (which was quite a lot), and then fainted. Bria smashed all of the ice sculptures with a vicious expression, whipping her staff around to knock a Cyclops into next week. Still twirling her staff, she ducked, swiping low, breaking several monster's legs. Walt blasted them to dust.

Sadie was frankly amazed at how fast Bria was in battle. She knew she shouldn't be, she'd seen Bria in battle before, against that Percy bloke, but that battle was over so fast she hardly knew it happened before it was brought to a standstill—and by Bria. Now here she was in an extended battle, using the monsters against their own forces. She didn't really need help.

Bria jumped up and kicked the remaining monster in the chest, knocking the Cyclops on its back. She held her Stygian Iron staff an inch away from its chest. "Look," she said. "You tell me if you're working for someone, and if so, who you're working for, and I'll let you live. Deal?"

Sadie raised an eyebrow. Bria ignored her. The Cyclops seemed to register that he was looking at someone he really didn't need to be crossing. "I no—We no—"

"You're not working for anyone," Bria summed up the Cyclops' stuttering. He nodded frantically. Her eyes narrowed. "You aren't very old, are you?"

"I hungry," he grunted. "Smell good."

Bria seemed to be suppressing a laugh. "Thanks, but I'm not all for eating me, nor am I up to eating you. Here's a tip, though: Ham sandwiches are much better eating than I am. Off you go."

She rolled off of him, careful to not let the staff touch him, and stood up. I was right, Bria mused to herself, looking up at the monster. He was only about six foot.

"You just tamed a Cyclops," Sadie said flatly, watching it wander off aimlessly ("Ham sand witches? What ham sand witches?").

Bria shuddered. "I don't like sending monsters to Tartarus, but if it's a choice between my life and their going to Tartarus, I'm choosing my life. Not all monsters were born bad. Ask my cousin, Percy Jackson. His half-brother, Tyson, is pretty cool."

"You met him?" Walt asked, sounding interested.

Bria nodded thoughtfully. "Once. Involved a very long discussion on Nico and Percy and the property of hellfire and the River Lethe mixed together. Not entirely sure how we got onto that topic…"

Looking distracted, Bria vanished from the Brooklyn House.

November—2010—Three months after the war with Gaea ended—Long Island, New York

Bria appeared at the Hades' table in the pavilion. Nico's eyes lit up when he looked up and saw her sitting there. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

Bria grinned impishly. "Yeah, maybe because the last time you saw me you were half out of your mind. I thought I might want to introduce myself properly, with you feeling better."

"Thank you," Nico said sincerely. "I don't know what you put in that—"

"It was a potion with a little gorgon's blood and honey," Bria said, smiling a little.

Nico looked flabbergasted. "Where did you get gorgon's blood?"

"You acquire a lot of strange things when you've been alive as long as I have been," Bria said, laughing at Nico's expression. She suddenly sobered. "As well as secrets that are better kept secret."

"I haven't told anyone about the Egyptians," Nico said immediately.

Bria looked at him. "I didn't think so, after you kept the Romans a secret so well. I congratulate you on that, especially being so tested on keeping that a secret with Percy Jackson there. Unfortunately, I highly doubt that this will be the last of your secrets, Nico. Thus is the curse of the Lord of the Underworld's children."

Nico sagged in his seat, nearly face-planting in his pancakes. Bria continued, feeling sorry for her younger brother. "Nico, the up side is that whatever you've found, I've probably already found out about it already. Hades's kids especially are curious, namely because we seek solace with others not of the demigod world." Bria thought about what she said, and rephrased: "Well, those not of the Greco-Roman pantheon, anyway."

The Ghost King eyed his sister like he was sure she'd gone bonkers. "What? There are other demigods?"

His older sister rolled her eyes. "I recommend brushing up on your mythology—and not just this one, the Egyptians, and the Romans. Why do you think Hawaii, Alaska, Iceland, and several other areas are blocked off from the Greek gods?"

Nico blinked. Bria smirked. "Oh, look, Percy's spotted me," she said, laughing a little. "He must be a bit confused."

Nico let out an incredulous laugh. "What—let me guess, you know his life's story, too?!"

Bria laughed outright. "How could I not? Mythology's gossip network is worse than a dozen Aphrodite/Venus cabins. Of course I would sit up and pay attention: his birthday is the day I got cursed."

Nico had shivers run down his spine. "Excuse me?"

"Hi," Percy said, sliding into the seat next to Nico. "You're the girl who walloped me. And I think I glimpsed you in the Giant War"

"Good, you do remember," Bria said approvingly. "I assume Chiron already told you my backstory?"

Nico gaped at his sister. Bria snorted. "Never mind. You probably asked him before he figured out that you saw his missing student."

The ground rumbled. Bria looked alarmed. "Sorry, got to go, that's Daddy dearest finding me again. If you insist on following me, Nico, I'll be with the Egyptians, and don't worry about Percy: he was the one who invaded the Brooklyn House, trying to get you back."

Then she vanished from the spot in a whirl of darkness. Nico and Percy turned towards each other, both mouths opened to ask questions.

November—2010—Four days after Hades's last attempt to catch up with Bria—Long Island, New York

"Hi," Bria said, trying not to startle her brother. It didn't work. She had to hit the deck from a stream of hellfire blasting towards her face. "Nico, it's just me! Bria!" she yelled.

The hellfire stopped. Bria exhaled. "Jeez, Nico," she said, getting up.

Nico looked a little sheepish. "Still not used to someone knowing how to shadow travel without Mrs. O'Leary, and she isn't very subtle. Sorry. Why did you disappear so suddenly last time?"

Bria shrugged. "Hades trying to catch up with me. Again."

Her brother looked confused and alarmed. "What? Why?"

Bria grimaced. "Nico, when I left I was in very bad shape. I'd just had my soul immortalified, I'd been in a wheelchair for two years after being half-submerged in the River Phlegethon, and I had just been out of my wheelchair for six months. My powers were weak, my mind still slightly foggy from Kronos invading my very soul. There is a reason the gods are forbidden to have extended contact from their children… When I left, Hades…"

Bria shook her head abruptly. "Do not misunderstand the gods' distance as disgust or dislike. They simply wish to avoid heartbreak."

Nico watched his sister carefully. Her jaw was clenching and unclenching rapidly, like she was trying not to cry. "And I cannot blame them," Bria whispered, her voice cracking a little.

Hesitantly, Nico wrapped her in a hug. "If the gods ever offer you immortality," Bria whispered, her voice high-pitched. "Decline."

"I already learned that from Percy," Nico said.

"Good," Bria said roughly. "Is it sad that I envy him?"

Nico shook his head. "No. He won't have his heart broken, over and over and over. I know what you've done for me."

Her shoulders shook as she started sobbing, clutching Nico ever closer, as if she wanted reassurance that he wasn't going anywhere. Nico's own heart broke a little as he realized what kind of gift his sister had truly given him. She was willing to break her own heart to offer Nico—a total stranger—solace.

Break her own heart.

Nico swallowed and hugged his older sister harder. "I know," he said. "I know."

Mora: Okay, I feel a little bit insulted. We update nearly daily with 2000-word-average chapters, and yet we have one review. Not that I'm ungrateful, TeamLeo, I'm just a little confused on why our story has so little attention.

Hector: Dear god, I'm so freaking tired.

Fire: Why?

Hector: Did you not see my project?! Jeez, that project was a doozy!

Kendra (laughing): This is not the seventies, Hectorr. No one says doozy anymore.

Hector (indignant): Tony Stark does! In the first movie! So ha!

Mora: *rolls eyes* Hello?!

Hector: Yeah? What?

Mora: We aren't getting nearly any feedback, Hector. I've looked at this site, most stories this length have like five reviews at minimum. Where are we going wrong?

Jen: Oh my god, guys, did you hear? The gov'ts practically throwing a hissy fit to remember because of Obamacare supposed to be passed like, yesterday, and they're closing down the government and oh my god the country's going to go into chaos and we'll be so vulnerable so what happens to like all the people that the USA sent out to play peace? Are they like, stranded there or something, cuz really, I can't imagine that they get high paying joi a kjl dadf g

Kendra: Jen, you can shut up now.

Jen: Yeah, this is Ruby. I jerked her computer away from her. She's currently freaking out in front of the TV, practically waiting for a bomb or something equally explosive to strike something important. I'm about ready to take her baseball bat and clunk her over the head with it. Driving me nuts. Why am I friends with someone so ditzy?

Jen: Why am I friends with someone who wants to clunk me over the head with my own basebal bat?! Why am I friends with someone who only gets riled when Hector talks to you?! I mean, I can understand Dakota, that guy drives everyone up the wall, but Hector?

Mora: Jen, you seriously need to shut up before Ruby really does bash your head in.

Kendra: And if you rub those welts raw again, if Ruby doesn't get to you first, I'm gonna kill you.

Jen: too late. :D

Mora: What did you do?!

Jen: Oh, I just tied her to her bed. Nothing major. But she won't be getting out of this any time soon, I used nautical knots. And no, Kendra, I was very careful not to get her welts. How can she talk so much? Jeez...worse than Caroline.

Hector: You're one to talk.

Mora: *groans* here they go again...

Fire: No shit...

Kendra: You know what? You guys can do whatever the crap you wanna do with this while these two yell at each other through their windows. Bye.

Mora: Don't remind me, I can hear them right now. Wait...

Fire: Did someone just throw a chair? Seriously? A chair?

Mora: See ya. I'm going to go break up the incoming fight.

Fire: ...wow. And people think that the Greek gods were screwed... Could someone review, though? We do want feedback.