Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the series PJO or HOO.

AN: Another chapter! What? Wow! Let's see if all our favourite characters made it, huh?

Once again, thanks for all your support. I appreciate all those that fav'ed, reviewed or sent me a PM because they were too shy (or excited)- you guys know who you are! Fantastic and I hope to hear from you all again soon.

H.

-o-

Tuesday at school passed in a blur of sounds and colours. Everything seemed normal- the teachers droned on and on, the popular kids gave her disdainful glances, and Reyna still rushed over to find her the moment school was finished.

At that point, Hazel was walking in the yard towards the main gate, her mind abuzz with the events of this morning. She decided that it was probably best to avoid Nico for a few days- give him the silent treatment. She had been filled with serious considerations to just cut him out of her life, take the money that their father left her and go start a new life far away from here. She'd heard that Canada was a good place to live- especially if you had a few million dollars. Though, that definitely helped in most places.

But she couldn't bear to leave.

It felt like a betrayal, even though Nico had made the terrible mistake of naming her as his heir, he didn't do it out of malicious cruelty, but some misguided striving for justice. The way that he had opened up to her over the last few weeks was nothing short of a miracle, and she couldn't take that away from him. Like it or not, she was one of his own substantial relations left- bound by blood, circumstance and mutual trust. The estrangement between them could damage her brother terribly, and she had to admit that she loved him too much to do that do him.

Not to mention, if she left him now, she'd spend the rest of her life wondering what could have happened.

Reyna walked beside her silently for a few moments, looking like she wanted to say something. The tension in the air built until Hazel couldn't stand it anymore.

"What's going on?"

Reyna glanced at her, a quick regretful glance, "What are you thinking of doing tonight?"

"I'm going to stay with Gran. I haven't seen her in days. It's a wonder that she doesn't think I'm dead and call the cops."

Reyna laughed without humour, "Actually, I was hoping that you would say that you had nothing planned."

"Huh- why?"

"Because we need to head back to the apartment."

"Uh-uh. No way." Hazel shook her head, "I will definitely go back, but it's way too soon to head back there today. I've got to let Nico know that I'm seriously annoyed. I don't understand why I always have to do things that I don't want to do."

The wall of animosity that she felt sure was going to raise up again surprisingly didn't. Instead, Reyna just smiled at her grimly. They had stopped and were facing each other.

"Trust me, if you ever want to see him again, you'd come with me right now."

"What are you talking about?"

"He's sick, Hazel."

"Like with the flu? Or something more serious? Pneumonia?"

She felt her heart leap to her throat at the thought. The image of him puking over the toilet bowl at Gran's house resurfaced in her mind. That boy had such a delicate constitution.

Reyna shook her head, "It's much worse." She started to head for the large black car that had pulled up outside the rapidly emptying schoolyard.

Hazel jogged to catch up, "What kind of worse?"

"Frank found him barely conscious and had to restart his heart."

"Oh, my gods! What? What happened?" Hazel stopped dead, thinking that this had to be some sort of sick joke. Was this some sort of trick to get her to go back to the apartment?

Reyna turned around and gripped her shoulders, steadying her again a wave of fear that threatened to knock her down onto the ground.

"He's in a stable condition now, but only because Frank acted quickly and didn't freak out- like you're doing now."

Hazel barely processed the words, "I can't believe it. Gods. What happened?"

Reyna guided her to the awaiting car, "They're not too sure, some sort of heart failure."

"But how? He's so young!"

Reyna hmm-ed thoughtfully but her lips were pressed tightly together, "That's what I'd like to find out as well."

-o-

"Honestly, I'm fine!" Nico protested, trying to hide the way he was relying completely on the pillows behind him to sit semi-upright. Hazel sat down on the bed next to him and easily held him still as he tried to get up.

"You need to stay down and relax," she tried for a smile, "You literally just had a heart attack today. You're also pretty drugged up. I'm surprised you still recognise people."

Nico gave an uncharacteristic huff and turned his head to the other side. She glanced down at the IV needle sticking out of his arm, feeding vital nutrients and medication into those starkly blue veins that stood out from his pale skin, and felt her heart twist painfully.

Hazel looked around and found that the usually large bedroom seemed almost crowded with everyone and all the medical equipment that the family doctor had to shift over to save her brother's life. Poseidon and Triton had come back from a boardroom meeting, still in suits and ties, along with piles of files that Triton had unceremoniously dumped onto the couch and then flopped down next to. Frank and Reyna were both in here as security personnel. And then, there was her and the doctor, both feeling very out of place and awkward.

At least she wasn't being pressed for details like the nervous looking doctor by Reyna, "What's he actually sick of? Is there a diagnosis?"

"Sick of lying in bed!" Nico moaned and was promptly ignored. With one hand, he was trying to remove the sensors on his chest. Poseidon reprimanded him with a glance.

The doctor flipped a few pages in his notebook, took a glance at some messily scribbled notes and shook his head nervously, "Honestly, I'm not completely sure. There are too many unknown factors. He's got unusual fluctuations in heart rate, and therefore blood pressure. Has he experienced any stressful events recently?"

Frank came out of the bathroom with a glass of water and placed it on Nico's bedside table. He glanced nervously at all the angry looking people in the room and then decided it was best to retreat to the door.

The doctor shrugged helplessly at Reyna's persistent questioning, "I guess the best we can do is to keep an eye on him for the time being."

Triton snorted as he got up off the armchair. "That's not good enough. We pay you a lot of money to make sure that we're all good and healthy, and my cousin who is barely 18 has a heart attack and you can't even tell us what's going on?"

"Well… The unusualness of this case means that I would have to do further research into all the factors. I don't want to give you the wrong information. There are many things I need to know. A current physical examination, family history records, and any environmental factors. Take environmental factors, for instance, that could be all food, pollutants, stressors-"

Triton clapped his hands to stop the doctor midsentence, "Alright! Out you go to do your research and come back when you're done." He ushered the flustered man out of the door with a firm hand on his back. Reyna and Poseidon followed them out as well. The former asking more questions, and the latter shaking his head helplessly.

Hazel pressed a hand against her brother's neck and sighed when she felt a soft, but steady pulse beating there. Nico was much too pale, and his skin was freezing. Curse her pessimism- but he looked like he was dying. She felt guilty for being angry at him this morning, even if it was his own damn fault.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, opening his eyes curiously, "Checking to make sure I'm still alive?"

Hazel huffed in annoyance, "Yes. I'm worried about you."

The young man closed his eyes again, "Don't be."

But she was. He looked too vulnerable lying there, with a dozen electrodes stuck on to his bare chest, where one side was marred purple and red from the ribs that had fractured from the vigorous CPR that Frank had to perform to save his life.

Frank coughed awkwardly behind them, "I'll be outside the door. Give me a shout if you need anything."

The door closed softly behind him. They were left alone in the midst of softly beeping machines.

Hazel swung onto the massive bed and laid next to her brother.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, sounding half asleep. "There isn't space for you."

"Of course, there is! Anyways, don't you get lonely in this empty room?" she found herself asking. Her eyes scanned the wide space, from the Persian rug on the ground to the side doors leading to what she knew were bathrooms and a walk-in closet. Gran's apartment could fit into this space. And that was discounting the wide balcony that was behind a large set of French doors leading outside.

Her brother turned back on his side, moving a few electrode wires out of the way awkwardly with one hand. "Why do you have so many questions?"

Hazel saw that his eyes were closed now, and even the arm with the IV needle in it had relaxed. The drugs in his system were taking effect and she knew that soon he would be under.

"Are you still angry at me?" He murmured.

She didn't think it was right to let him off so easily. "Should I not be? You did something stupid and put me right at the centre of it."

"I deserve it," Nico said, "But let me talk to you later when I'm not high. Go to bed." He sounded calm, but Hazel suspected that her response had hurt him. He pulled the sheets up to his chin, signalling that the conversation was at an end.

The complaint that it was mid-afternoon and thus no time for sleeping was swallowed. She thought about apologizing but decided against it. Instead, Hazel laid back against the comfortable pillows and closed her eyes.

There would be time later for making up. She was true of it.

-o-

Frank was having a great day.

No, just kidding. He had had a terrible day. Not long after Nico had grabbed the whole bottle of whiskey and had a crazy flip-out moment in the breakfast area, he'd heard Hazel and him arguing from outside the door, unable to do anything.

He had wanted to go inside and say 'Nico… you've done something stupid!', but that would definitely cost him his job. And he needed this job to support himself and his grandmother. But he had felt so bad for Hazel, and he wanted to help- give her a hug or a comforting word. But he didn't want to overstep the boundaries.

And that's when he officially realised that he liked her. He liked the way she laughed, the way she smiled, and the genuinely funny things she said. He could imagine taking her out to eat or going to the movies together. But asking her out would mean an instant dismissal. Sure, Nico did things with Reyna that were definitely out of line, but that was a bit different- and they were older.

Thanatos turned a blind eye to that. But, if that head of security knew what he was thinking about doing with Hazel, he'd be lying dead in a ditch somewhere. No doubt about it.

Anyhow, after he'd restrained himself from going after Hazel as she sped walked out of the room with watery eyes, he had fumed outside Nico's door for ages.

He considered going inside and giving his employer a talking to- and then had to settle on some exercise to blow off steam instead.

Halfway through a routine his earpiece let out a shriek that would have blown a lesser man's eardrums. He had only ever heard that sound once. During training- when Thanatos told him that if he ever heard that it meant the principal was in extreme danger. He dropped everything and rushed back to Nico's room, where he had last been seen.

Oh gods, he had just about screamed when he saw the guy writhing on the ground, Nico? Are you still with me? This wasn't supposed to happen.

His head was so full of the earlier experiences of giving CPR, and just praying to whatever gods would listen that this scene in front of him could not be happening that he didn't realise that Reyna was standing right in front of him.

"Reyna!" He gasped, "You scared me!" She did scare him, in a general way. She was full of authority all the time and had some serious fighting skills. He did not want to be on her bad side.

"Thanatos wants to see you in the basement." Her tone gave nothing away.

His stomach twisted ominously, "Did he say what he wanted?"

"Nope."

Shaking his head as the odd request, Frank sighed and decided it was best to obey. Even on his best days, the head of security wouldn't hesitate to bang together the heads of those who disobeyed his orders. He dropped what he was doing (which wasn't much anyways) and headed down via the service stairs.

The 'basement' (it was called that though it was still at least seventy levels in the air) was a haven that Hades had created for his employees. No one could say that their boss wasn't generous. Aside from the state-of-the-art accommodation and a well-stocked kitchen, it even had a pool room and massage parlour. Frank sped walked past the entertainment areas, saying hello to a few of the staff that were on their break and headed straight through to Thanatos' office near the very back of the basement. Reyna followed behind him without a word.

He knocked and entered at the typically gruff "Come."

Thanatos, the head of security, made for a menacing figure behind his sturdy oak desk. Frank coughed nervously. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

His manager stood slowly and frowned. Oh no.

Suddenly, with a loud clang, the door slammed shut behind him. A hand shoved him forwards.

"What-"

"Be quiet and sit down," Reyna said behind him, the barrel of her gun suddenly pressed hard into his back.

With no other choice, Frank swallowed and complied, shuffling over to the chairs facing the desk and sitting down slowly. "Guys, what's going on?" His heart was pounding. He had learnt about these intimidation tactics beforehand in his training, but they still worked on him.

Thanatos' face gave nothing away, but his voice told Frank that he was beyond angry. "After all that this family have done for you… They have trained you, fed you, and given you a sense of purpose- How could you do such a thing?"

Reyna pressed the gun even harder into his back- right at the base of his spine. He knew then that the only way out of this was to come clean- confess the shameful truth. The story of his own selfishness and cowardice would have to be put out in the open for everyone to know.

"They threatened my grandmother. They said that they'd get her if I didn't do what they asked." He hung his head in shame, "I know it wasn't right, but there wasn't anything else I could do. They told me that it was just to keep him out of action, and away from the company board until a vital decision had been made."

Reyna replaced her gun back into its holster. She walked over to stand at the side of the table and gave Thanatos a surprised glance. "Wow, I told you this would work."

Thanatos hummed, "I am also quite surprised. I couldn't even bring myself to believe that Frank could betray us like that. I guess you know him better than I do."

Frank was flabbergasted. It was all a bluff? They had tested him for like a minute and he had already crumbled. "Wait, you guys didn't even suspect me…"

Reyna silenced him with a glare, "We've been testing all the staff members to find out who is responsible."

"Responsible for?"

"Trying to poison Nico, of course. You don't have to pretend now. How did you do it? Slip it into his water? You'd have heaps of opportunities."

"Poison?" Frank shook his head, unable to believe his ears. "I didn't poison him!"

Thanatos slammed his hand down on the table. The sound reverberated through the whole room, "Tell us everything. If the answers you give are satisfactory, I might even let you live. Don't even consider lying to me, boy- I can read you like a book. I trained you, remember?"

Frank looked around at the dim windowless room and then at the serious expressions of both Reyna and Thanatos and decided to take a leap of faith. Perhaps they would help him get out of this situation.

"A few days after Hades was killed, my grandmother received a letter addressed to me and passed it on. Someone warned me that if I didn't do as they asked, my grandmother would be tortured killed." He turned to Reyna, "Please, you have to understand. I wouldn't do anything to harm you guys, or Nico, or Hazel… or anyone unless there was no other option. My grandma is all the family I have left."

"There always is another option," Thanatos rumbled.

Reyna looked livid too, "You could have killed him. You realise that, right? You were conspiring to murder."

"No! They assured me that it wouldn't kill. I even drank some myself to make sure."

"What is it, exactly?"

"I- I don't know. They sent me packets of some white powder and told me that it was something to affect the neurotransmitters and that it would keep him tired and worn out. Like- increase the production of adrenaline. It's not poison! It's a natural substance that can't be differentiated from the bodily changes occurring due to stress. Definitely nothing fatal- please believe me."

"And how did you get Nico to take it?"

"I- I slipped it into the whiskey in order to mask the taste. A small dose every day is what I was told to give him. But earlier today, when he ingested so much at once… I- I don't know. That could have triggered something else altogether."

Thanatos and Reyna shared a glance. Unspoken words seemed pass between them.

"I'm disappointed in you, Frank. Perhaps more than I've ever been disappointed before." The former said in a steady tone. "Return to Nico now."

"You're not going to kill me? Or at least, dismiss me?" The young bodyguard was incredulous. This was Thanatos, a man feared by all those that knew of him. Cross him and you died- there were only a few rare exceptions.

"No. What you did was wrong. But whether it is justifiable by your attempts to save someone you love is a matter for another time. Until we can ascertain the consequences of what you did, I think it is appropriate to keep you around. Leave, now."

Frank stood up so fast that his chair almost toppled over. A myriad of emotions bubbled away in his chest- fear, gratitude and a bundle of surprise.

"Thanks, sir. I'm really grateful for your understanding." He nodded at Reyna, who returned the gesture grimly, "I'll make up for it. I promise. However, should I still continue to do as the letters tell me? They check on me every week- I've told my grandmother that I found myself a pen-pal."

Darn, don't say stupid stuff like that.

Thanatos nodded, "Yes, do everything that they say within reason. But don't give Nico any more of that substance- whatever it might be. Poison or not, his body can't handle any more. Give me a sample as soon as possible too."

"Err…They also told me that there were people here at the house who were working for them. Keeping an eye out for them as well to make sure that I do my job."

Reyna rolled her eyes, "Just replace the stuff with some flour then. No one will be any wiser. Hurry up and get out before I decide to shoot you, Frank."

That was his cue to go.

"And I hope it goes without saying, keep this to yourself." Thanatos added.

Frank gave a quick nod and rushed out.

Reyna turned to Thanatos, who looked thoughtful. "What should we do about this? I can't help but feel sorry for Frank, being caught up in the middle of this."

The latter sat back down in his chair, "Yes, he is a good kid. With his information, we know that this is all part of a bigger plan. They don't want Nico dead, not yet at least, they are after something else altogether. We must investigate this. No, you must investigate this. I cannot abandon my duties here suddenly without raising great suspicion."

Reyna nodded. "Alright, what about Hazel? Could she be in danger as well? I can get someone else to watch out for her whilst I'm away investigating this."

"No." Thanatos was determined, "If Frank is right, and I think he is, our staff has long been infiltrated by the enemies. Don't trust anyone outside of us three. If you're investigating this, take Hazel with you. She's a target here, but out there on the streets no one will give two school aged girls a second glance. I want you both to disappear completely and come back when you've ascertained the information we need."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'm depending on you, Reyna."

-o-

*disappears*

See you all next chapter! Don't forget to tell me your thoughts.