Back on the surface, I returned to the center of camp looking like a wet dog. Just as quickly as I noticed the imbalance, I fell to the side and failed at catching myself. I had forgotten in the weightlessness of the ocean that Triton took my leg, and that gravity existed a bit more when out of water. Now laying on my side, I blinked to take in my surroundings.

It was almost time for dinner, and everyone was spending their free time differently. Fuck, my leg is in cabin 13 and I am currently not at cabin 13 or anywhere close to it. Plus, Nico's in the Underworld, Annabeth's probably making the blueprints for Olympus, Percy's in Atlantis, and Will's likely at the infirmary. There was no one in my field of view, and the closest thing to me that made a big enough shadow to travel through was a bench 6 meters away. Just lucky for me, the setting Sun shone at the exact angle needed to make the benches shadow too small. Great. Thanks, Apollo.

"Need some help there?" I froze in shock at the familiar voice. Twisting around, I stared up at one of possibly the cutest couples I had ever seen.

"Chris?" I questioned. The son of Hermes was hand-in-hand with Clarisse, both of whom had cheeky smirks on. He raised an eyebrow, only then noticing that I was soaked in water.

"What did Jackson do this time?" Clarisse questioned while she let go of Chris. The older boy was now around the same height as me, but not as toned. I still remember how he was nice to me in my days at the Hermes cabin, and how he got me out of my shell. With my one arm slung over his shoulders, he steadied me stand upright on one leg.

"He actually was against it. We went to Atlantis, and some of the palace inhabitants didn't really like the whole 'Underworld being' walking in. I let them have their false sense of security before breaking out, and forgot that they took my leg. Hopefully Percy brings it back when he returns, or Nyssa's gonna be pissed." Chris grinned and chuckled as he dragged me over in the direction of the infirmary, but Clarisse's eyes only brightened.

"Did you fight them?"

"Not really. They tried a few things, but I got bored and threw them a few miles away before I had to drag them back." Clarisse snickered with joy, and Chris rolled his eyes slightly. Once we were at the infirmary, which they both insisted on bringing me to even though I could have found a shadow to travel with, we sat and waited for one of my half-siblings to come and check up on me. Chris left briefly to find one of said siblings, and I was left alone with Clarisse.

In what I thought was going to be an awkward silence, I was surprised to hear a very serious and solemn voice. "Thank you, by the way. I heard that you defended Selina during the battle." I was shocked, but only blinked at her gratitude. I had known that Selina and Clarisse were friends only after the war, when Selina was gone. I didn't think much of it when I had jumped in between her and Ethan's sword, but apparently someone had. The grief of the fallen still weighed heavily on everyone's shoulders, and Selina was among those fallen.

"Thanks. I know you've seen me done some crazy things, like when I first shadow travelled, or when I was fighting Kronos like a maniac, but if it ever came down to it, I'd rather fight your battle than see you do it yourself. For everyone, including Selina. She died a hero, no matter what, and I'm sorry I wasn't there to save her." The daughter of Ares nodded firmly, fighting the sadness creeping to the front of her mind.

"Don't be. If I had been there instead of holding a grudge against you're siblings, she would still be here." Sensing an upcoming end to this vulnerable moment between 2 of the most hardened beings at camp, I took the ballsy move and nudged her with my leg's stump.

"She wouldn't have wanted it any other way than embracing your element in the name of love for you, and everyone else. And she sure as fuck wouldn't want you to stop loving yourself because of it." Clarisse pulled the rare face of a kind and gentle smile, and I couldn't help but share one with her. As the curtains to the infirmary's room slide open, Clarisse hardened her gaze again at Will. Just then, Will reminded me of Michael, who I had only briefly seen at breakfast before training, and then during the battle of Manhattan. Michael Yew, the former counsellor of the Apollo cabin, was a short stack at 4"7, but he packed quite the punch with words alone. Now, Will Solace, age 13, looked so similar to him by just his eyes. Not the actual physical features, just the light and sass that was constantly shinning, and the stern look of an older brother and doctor.

"What do you mean 'they forgot their leg' that doesn't just happen!" I cringed at how bright Will was, and Clarisse snickered as her boyfriend came trailing after my exasperated half-brother.

"Don't ask me, man. They're your sibling, right?" Chris put his hands up in surrender before quickly maneuvering to take Clarisse in his hand. Somehow, Will wasn't even fazed by the couple and just grabbed his smiley face clip-board and sighed at me.

"Will, I'm not a child. I'll just shadow-travel and get my leg." At the great suggestion, the window blinds were opened to their fullest, making all the shadows too small. Mother fucking Stolls. With a chuckle, Will shook his head and I sighed. Looking at Chris, he had somehow stolen a handfull of lollypops from the drawer in the split second no one was looking. That fucking traitor, son of Hermes fucking-

"Do you have a spare somewhere close?"

"Yes, but if I could actually go there, it would be great!" My sarcasm made WIll roll his eyes, and he knowingly closed the lollypop drawer after Chris and Clarisse had bailed.

"I'll go there, or send someone if you try and escape like a fish out of water," he proposed.

"I don't know how wise it would be for someone else to enter the Hades cabin, let alone, snoop around searching for my leg," I reasoned. Will thought for a moment, then sighed.

"I'll go. and if I'm not back shortly, you'll know that I've burst into hell-fire and you can teleport. Deal?" Once I sent him an annoyed look, he grinned and gave a thumbs up. As soon as he turned the corner, a rainbow flickered in front of me. With my leg dangling off the side of the infirmary bed, I turned to face the Iris Message.

Nico popped up looking just as he did when we last called, except he had a mix of different expressions on his face. "Hey Neeks, you okay?" He slowly nodded, not even correcting my use of his oh so hated nickname. That meant something was up. I gestured for him to explain, and he took a deep breath before a smile found its way to his cheeks.

"I found my sister, just... not the one I was expecting." His voice was tired, but filled with so much love and overprotectiveness. But hold on, other sister?

"Her name is Hazel."