"What the fuck are you doing!?" Thalia yelled. She shoved Clarisse away and moved her eyes back to the ground. Her veins turned to ice as she saw how bad of a shape Reyna was in. The woman's hands were cuffed together and trapped by a pipe attached to the building. It looked like a brace had been on her knee, but it was now pulled down by her ankle. Her actual knee was a deep purple from bruises, and her kneecap was out of place.

"What we should have done so long ago!" Clarisse fired back. She was holding onto some kind of fucked up club that had metal welded onto it. Thalia had been horrified when she first saw Clarisse repeatedly slamming the club down onto Reyna. And the sickening screams. The fucking screams sounded like an animal being tortured.

Thalia thought it was some psychopath murdering someone innocent. When she turned the corner and saw it was a psychopath beating another psychopath, her heart dropped to her stomach. Her gaze moved back down to Reyna. The woman was absolutely destroyed. She needed medical attention.

Thalia looked back at Clarisse. She knew that Clarisse was a woman of action, but this was beyond what they should have done. Thalia raised her voice, "You can't just fucking kill her!"

It went against all of their rules. They did not kill anyone unless they were in a life or death situation. Was this what Clarisse had been doing for the last month?

"She tried to rape you!" Clarisse screeched. Thalia stared at her fellow vigilante. Shit. They should have told Clarisse the truth. She would have still been mad, but she wouldn't have tried to kill Reyna.

"She didn't!" Thalia argued. Clarisse glared at her with wide, angry eyes.

"I saw what happened!" Clarisse yelled.

"I wanted it!" Thalia finally admitted in a shrill voice. Clarisse's glare adopted total confusion. Thalia slowly looked back at Reyna. The woman was gasping for air and trying to breathe. Reyna's head collapsed against the ground and slowly turned to the side. Her eyes started to drift closed.

"No, Reyna. No. No. No," Thalia begged. She collapsed to her knees next to the woman. "You have to stay with me. Please stay with me. Please."

"Grace, what the fuck are you doing?" Clarisse demanded. "The fuck do you mean you wanted it!?"

"I'm the one who put the handcuffs on myself! I kissed her first!" Thalia hissed. She could see that Reyna wasn't breathing. Thalia's eyes widened, and she quickly started to do CPR on the woman. Clarisse stared down at her.

The only sound in the alleyway was Thalia counting to three under her breath before breathing into Reyna's mouth. Clarisse didn't move a word. She just stared and seemed unable to comprehend that Thalia was trying to save Reyna.

"This is on your head, Grace. I'm done," Clarisse said. She started to walk away. Thalia breathed into Reyna's mouth again and then looked back up as she continued the compressions. If she stopped, Reyna would be dead.

"Clarisse. Call an ambulance!" Thalia yelled. The other woman flipped her off. Thalia cursed under her breath and continued CPR. As she breathed into Reyna's mouth, her other hand dug her phone out of her pocket and threw it on the ground. She counted to three as she did the compressions once again. As she breathed into Reyna's mouth, she unlocked her phone and tried to open her phone app.

"I already called someone," a voice said. Thalia jumped and started to turn. "If you stop, I will kill you."

Thalia quickly went back to doing CPR, but she knew it was no use. Reyna was too far gone, too destroyed to save. She tried to look around the alley, but the male that had spoken was standing directly behind her. It didn't sound like that Augur asshole, so who was it?

Thalia focused on doing CPR. It didn't take long for her arms to tire. She hung her head but kept going, refusing to stop. As minutes passed, sweat trickled down her forehead. How the hell had she gotten herself into this situation?

When Thalia thought she was about to pass out from exhaustion, she heard a car stop near the alley. Footsteps thudded down the alley, and someone knelt by her. A voice spoke, "Allow me."

Two hands gently took over for Thalia, and she collapsed into a sitting position. Her gaze focused on this newcomer. He was wearing blue jeans and a doctor's coat. His blonde hair was matted, and his blue eyes were full of concern.

"If she dies," the voice warned. Thalia turned her gaze from the doctor to focus on the figure behind them. The man with the gun stood in the shadows. She couldn't make out any of his features, but she could see the gun in his hands.

A strangled gasp escaped Reyna, and Thalia whipped her head back to the woman. The doctor had two hands to Reyna's chest, and his hands almost looked like they were glowing. Reyna's eyes had snapped open, and she was staring at the sky.

"I didn't think healers were real," Thalia began. The doctor didn't answer. His face was screwed up in concentration. Thalia slowly looked back at the man in the shadows. "You can't hurt this doctor! Do you know how amazing he is?"

No response was given. Thalia frowned, and her eyes moved back to the doctor. It worried her that this man had just called the doctor like he had him on retainer. Were they threatening the doctor if he didn't help them when they needed it? Was it possible the doctor did this because he thought this city was better with Reyna alive?

The doctor let out an exhausted sigh. He slumped forward, and Thalia caught him. The doctor slowly spoke, "She's out of immediate danger, but she needs a hospital."

"Your clinic," the man argued.

"I don't have the supplies," the doctor began. Thalia moved protectively in front of the doctor. "She needs a real hospital."

"Both of you get out of here," the man ordered. Thalia stared at him and tried to shake her head. The gun moved directly to point at her. "Leave before I change my mind."

Thalia held her hands up and slowly grabbed the doctor's arm. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped him stand. Then, she helped him walk towards his car. Thalia was going to take him somewhere safe. Then, she and Clarisse were going to have a very long talk.


"We work with children. We work with children," Annabeth repeated to herself as she paced back and forth. She dug her fingers into her temples as if that would help her get rid of her migraine. Thalia moved her gaze to glare at Clarisse. Across the table, the glare was returned. Percy and Jason stood near the corner of the table. "What the fuck were you two thinking?"

"I was taking action," Clarisse snapped. "And, Thalia tried to save her. Thalia said she let this woman handcuff her."

"You almost killed her," Thalia snapped as she jumped to her feet. Clarisse stood as well. "The fuck is your problem!?"

"I saw you pinned to the ground with your hands trapped behind your back. You cried out in pain as she had her hands all over you. What the fuck was I supposed to think?!" Clarisse yelled at the top of her lungs. "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?!"

"Because I knew you would overact," Thalia answered.

"Of course I would because you're being an idiot! Do you really have feelings for her?" Clarisse demanded. Thalia remained silent. "You're an idiot, Grace. A fucking idiot. How do you get feelings for a psychopath?"

"You're dating someone just like that, aren't you?" Thalia snapped. Clarisse stepped forward.

"Enough!" Percy suddenly yelled. Thalia slowly looked at him. "I'm serious. That is enough arguing. Both of you sit down. Now."

Thalia glared, but Percy's own showed a dangerous warning. It took her a moment to sit down. Clarisse sat down a few moments later. Percy let out a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead. Jason looked at Thalia and then looked away.

"Do you two understand what you have done?" Annabeth asked. Thalia remained silent, and Clarisse just growled. "Do you?"

"We were talking about trying to work out a deal with this woman," Percy began. He sighed and hung his head. "Now, she won't listen to us. That means we are going to have to tear down her empire, and we haven't been making progress so far in that. No matter how many times we arrest her or her men, they are back on the streets the next day."

"That's why we just need to kill her," Clarisse interrupted.

"We don't kill people, Clarisse. Your boss was an exception," Jason interjected as he stepped forward. "We were hoping that I could approach this woman and try to work out some kind of deal that would keep innocents from dying. Now, do you think she is going to listen? Or, is she just going to kill whoever approaches her?"

"It seems like the only way to topple the empire is to kill the emperor. If we try that, how many people are going to die?" Annabeth questioned. Clarisse looked away. "Now, we are back to square one."

"You two are done here," Percy added. Thalia stared at him, and Clarisse tried to protest. Percy held up his hands. "There are no arguments. Clarisse, I don't know what to do with you. I thought you had changed, but then, you almost killed someone. No. I could almost forgive you for killing her, but you tortured her."

"Don't tell me she didn't deserve it," Clarisse growled.

"It doesn't matter what someone does or doesn't deserve. We do not torture them," Percy proclaimed. "We have morals. That is the line that separates us from criminals. Understood?"

"And Thalia, you are too close to this. You can't control your feelings," Annabeth accused. Thalia tried to protest, but Annabeth's glare silenced her. "You allowed yourself to be put in a compromising position, and we don't know if you'll do it again."

"This is bullshit," Thalia snapped.

"You two are done on this mission," Percy declared. "Clarisse, I want you out of this city. I do not want this woman to send her gang after you for revenge. Just go back to your boyfriend."

"Fuck you," Clarisse replied. She stood and shoved past Annabeth and Jason. Clarisse stormed out of the room. Percy turned on Thalia.

"Let me guess. You want me to leave too?" Thalia spat. Percy looked away but nodded stiffly. Jason gave Thalia a sympathetic look. "Whatever."

"Thalia, I do not want you to be hurt. Do you really think Reyna is going to return any of your feelings now?" Annabeth asked. Thalia stood and shook her head. "Thalia."

"It's cool. I get it," Thalia said. She stormed out of the room despite the protests of her friends. Thalia walked down the wall and tried to stop her shaking hands. How could she be blamed for anything? Clarisse was the one who nearly killed Reyna. Thalia saved her!

Thalia felt herself starting to shake. Someone ran up to her side, and Jason walked next to her. Thalia didn't look at her younger brother. Jason spoke, "I know it sucks."

"You're not the one who got kicked off of a mission and out of a city," Thalia grumbled.

"I don't like it either, but we just want you to be safe," Jason promised. "What if Reyna decides to use you as a way to get leverage against us? What if she uses your feelings against you? After what Clarisse did, do you really think Reyna is going to trust anything we say?"

Thalia remained silent and kept walking. Jason matched her increased pace and continued, "I know how mad you are, and I'm sorry. For the record, I think you should do it."

"Do what?" Thalia muttered. She stopped walking and looked at him.

"Find and talk to Reyna. I know that is what you're going to do. Just be careful about it. And let me come as backup," Jason explained. Thalia studied him. Was he just keeping an eye on her for Annabeth and Percy? No. Jason meant what he said.

"Do you have a plan for what I should do?" Thalia questioned.

"Well, we have to find where Reyna is," Jason began.

"A clinic. It belongs to the doctor that saved her life," Thalia said. She tried to suppress her rage and think properly. She knew that Annabeth and Percy were right, but she didn't like it. Not one single bit. If Thalia did look for Reyna, what would happen? Would Reyna capture Thalia? Or worse?

"We find out who the doctor is and then find the clinic. If Reyna is there, you wait till she is alone and talk to her," Jason said. Thalia nodded her agreement. She suddenly hugged Jason, grateful for his support. He hugged her back. "Come on. Let's get drunk tonight. Tomorrow, we'll start on this."