Year: 301 AM (Anno Mortuus, Year of the Dead)
Place: Sector Olympus, Division 6

Even through the shut windowpane, the world looked cold. Little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything.

Athena could see the despair and disappointment from her husband. It was the way his eyes shifted as he tried to comprehend the horrible command Sector O was carrying out. While the rest of the divisions were safely barricaded, Division 13 was, for lack of better words, quarantined and left to face the ongoing bloodbath alone.

But what choice did they have? They couldn't risk letting Division 13 members enter the other neighboring divisions with the likelihood of at least one of them being infected. Should that happen, more chaos would only ensue and more lives would be lost. Athena knew from history how mankind had experienced that consequence far too many times than they'd like to admit. In the past, many would have protested against the quarantine, but not since the Anno Domini era gave way to Anno Mortuus.

"How… How can there be no other way?" Frederick Chase repeated, the creases on his face deepening with the guilt he trying to grapple with.

"You know the statistics better than I do, Fred. We can't let our division suffer the same fate," Athena replied. She took a peek outside the living room window at the front yard, where their little daughter was at, observing the cocoons suspended on the twigs of their house's growing tree. She remembered planting the tree with her husband, when she was still carrying Annabeth. For those eight years, the tree had grown well, just as Annabeth had. "We especially can't let Annabeth come to harm," she added, finally meeting Frederick's gaze. "Even if that means sacrificing an entire division."

Place: Sector Olympus, Division 13

"Hick, help me! Mom's stuck!"

It was Nico that was crying out. Hick tore her gaze away from the army of corpses approaching from the horizon, but the horror she felt stayed. And then her gaze finally landed on the sight that had Nico is utter despair.

Stuck under fallen debris was Stef Valkyrie. As hard as he tried, Hades could barely lift the huge chunk of concrete that seemed to have dug into Stef's back. Nico was by his side, cradling a wailing Hazel. Hick mustered what strength she had in her arms to help lift, but of course to no avail. A pool of dark red blood was seeping out from under Stef, staining Hick's shoes.

"No no no, Hick! My darling, listen to me," Stef said, her voice hoarse and weak. "You cannot get me out of here. You need to run. You need to find a safe place to hide. You.. You need to be the big sister, alright, and take care of Nico and Hazel now."

"No! I don't have to because you'll be with us to take care of them! We're not leaving without you!" Hick sobbed, fighting back the tears. "You're coming with us, mommy! You're leaving with us!"

"Even if you get me out of here I can't escape with you. My… My body's crushed. My legs won't move. My darlings, Hades, I want all of you to leave this place! You can't fight them! The last thing I want is for any of you to die before me!"

The zombies were getting nearer, especially the large ones that the TV newscasters called 'Colossals'. Three of them were getting exceptionally close, their jaws wide open and cold, hard fingers ready to ensnare any human meal within reach.

Hades fell to his knees in exhaustion and, what Hick believed was dejection.

"It's what's best for us," Stef insisted. "For our family."

"I'll take care good care of them, and I'll find Bianca, my love," he whispered, reaching for his wife's hands to hold them one last time.

This couldn't be happening. It couldn't. "No!" Nico gasped. "NO!"

Without another word, Hades picked up Nico and threw Hick over his shoulders, running off despite Nico's kicks and punches. Hick sniffles turned into uncontrollable sobs as she wailed for her mother. Hardly able to stand it, Stef's resolve finally broke and she covered her face with her hands, sobbing. The zombies had reached her, the big ones who had eaten far too many and were monstrously cyclopean in size. Limb-by-limb, they tore her apart before her children and gorged on her meat.

Hick would never forget how the sorrow in Nico's screams turned into pure anger, how his cries mingled with Hazel's anguished bawls. Hick felt the change too, the fury she wanted to unleash on all those responsible for Division 13's demise. She wanted to kill them all, tear them apart and spill their innards. And those thoughts that came to her in anger frightened her. She knew… she knew they would never be the same after that.

The present…

Year : 309 AM (Anno Mortuus, Year of the Dead)
Place : Westmill Town

The door closed behind her with a metallic click. With the flick of a switch, the dim corridor lit up. From the looks of the varnished floorboards and clean concrete walls, the mansion appeared to be of a solid build. Perhaps this was how the houses of richer divisions looked like, or so Hick thought bitterly. Either way it made her old house in Division 13 seem as sturdy as a house of straw.

Gun in hand, she quietly inched her way down the hallway. It led right into a living room tastefully furnished with viridian plush sofas, a black coffee table and a television set that wider screen than the tiny boxy one Hick remembered in her old, the one that Stef would only allow switched on weekends after homework time was over.

A kitchen counter emerged on the right. It had everything her mom ever wanted in a kitchen: rows of cabinets and drawers, sleek ovens, ladles, pots and pans of countless sizes, and a collection of chinaware neatly displayed behind glass doors.

"How nice would it be, opening a family restaurant?" Stef once expressed wistfully, on a cold wintry night. She had brought woolen quilts out of the storage room into the living room for Hick and Nico to huddle in because the heater started to falter in its works. Strewn across the tattered floor rug were crayons and yellowed office paper Hades had brought home from work for his kids to doodle on. "Say, why don't you two draw a restaurant for mommy? A big, beautiful one that we can stay at!" Stef announced, to which Nico and Hick happily obliged.

Those were good days. Hick brushed of the thin film of dust and cobwebs off the living room couch and slumped down into the soft cushions. Eight long years of running and hiding and fighting… and tomorrow, it will all end.

Hick zipped open her haversack and pulled out a folded piece of paper, yellowed and tattered but still in tack. It was the front cover of a newspaper -dated 01.02.301. The headline read: 'Division 13 Leader Holds Back Funds for Strengthening Defenses, Abandons His People During Cloud Invasion'. Just beneath the title was a grainy photograph of her dad, sitting at a panel with his brothers… those traitorous pigs, Zeus and Poseidon.

Hick happened upon the folded piece of paper in Nico's backpack when she was packing in some canned goods she took from a couple of freshly killed and very unlucky drifters at the Malvridge forests. When she first laid eyes on the headline, she thought of putting it back and keeping quiet about it. But she pocketed. She knew those filthy words announced by Zeus were what fed Nico's thirst for vengeance; it was what fuelled his determination to keep living until he could one day point a gun to Zeus' head, just as he did to countless Colossals he became so obsessed with killing. For the sake of her brother's own sanity, she had kept it and remained silent for three whole years.

Looking at the paper she held in her hands still made her feel unsettled. "I should have burnt this," she murmured to herself. But of course, she couldn't bring herself to do that. The grainy photograph of Hades was the only thing she had as a reminder of how he looked like. She didn't want to forget that.

Ugh, focus on the primary objective, Hick. Primary objective, Hick got to her feet and headed for the kitchen sink. A good splash to the face is what you need.

Eight years back…

Year: 301 AM (Anno Mortuus, Year of the Dead)
Place: Dead Zone 4 (formerly Division 13), Sector Olympus

She could keep turning the knob, but not a drop of water will fall.

"There's no water, dad," an eight-year-old Hick said, looking over at Hades.

"So they cut our water supply too," he groaned. He had his back against the wall of a shelter they managed to escape to. There were other Division 13 survivors with them who managed to follow the late drill and make it to the basement shelters. The shouting match between the adults had fizzled out but there was still tension in the air.

Despite his condition, Hades slowly got to his feet with Hick's help. "Hick," he whispered, his deep voice sounding tired and hoarse. "Could you help daddy to the bathroom? Nico, you too. Bring Hazel along."

They nodded and with his right arm around Hick, they slowly made their way to the lavatory. The other adults watched, but none of them bothered to lift a finger. Hades settled himself onto the tiled floor, right next to the sink.

"Lock the door," he ordered, and Hick did.

"Dad… What's wrong?" Nico asked, his right hand repeatedly petting a sleeping Hazel out of nervous habit.

Hades reached for the back pocket of his pants and drew out a handcuff. He proceeded to handcuff himself to the pipe of the sink.

"Wait, what's… what's going on? Why are you handcuffing yourself?" Hick asked.

Hades sighed. There was no way to deliver the news gently. "I've been bitten, sweet pea. You cannot tell anyone out there. They'll suspect you kids be infected too, and I've seen… I've seen the nasty things that suspicious people can do."

"No!" Hick gasped, burying her face in her palms. "Not you daddy, no!"

"When!" Nico exclaimed. "When did this happen?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters now is what you two have to do next, to survive and take care of Hazel."

Unsure of what to say, Hick cast a nervous glance at Nico who could only stare back helplessly.

"In my bag, there's a gun and some ammo. I've taught you kids how to shoot, you remember how to, right?"

Hick quietly nodded trying to hold back her tears. It was difficult to do that, especially hearing Nico's sniffles. They were trying hard to be strong they truly were, but they were terrified. What were they going to do?

"Use the gun only when necessary. And ration the food wisely," Hades continued. "Both of you are good and smart kids, and you'll teach Hazel to be that too. You remember how to catch food, right?"

Again Hick nodded. She looked at Nico to see him nodding back. A relieved smile formed on Hades' face. "Good… Good kids. Now… you need to leave me. I think I'll turn any time soon. You see that window up there, above the toilet? You three can escape through there."

"Daddy," Hick choked, going in for one last hug. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too," Nico sniffled. For a while Hades held his three kids in one last embrace, holding back his own tears. And then he let go. "Don't forget to cover yourself in zombie blood to mask your scent."

A knock came on the door, startling them. "Hey, are you guys done?" someone's voice came.

"Now go on! Go!" Hades whispered. With Hick's help, Nico managed to squeeze through the window with Hazel still sound asleep in his arms. Casting one last glance back, Hick met her father's eyes, the same violet ones she has. And in that moment, the man breathed a final breath and closed his eyes for the last time.

The present…

Year : 309 AM (Anno Mortuus, Year of the Dead)
Place : Westmill Town

A metallic cackle. And then a static voice. "Hey, Hick! You there? Yo, Hick!"

Hick broke out of her own thoughts and shook her head. Her cheeks tickled and she touched it to see it was a tear. It wasn't easy, but the three of them got by with food they caught, with kind strangers who would take them in until their untimely deaths or when Hick decided it time for her and her siblings to leave again and not burden to them. Two weeks ago, they met with three other kids: Leo Vandez, Piper McLean and Jason Grace.

She reached for her walkie-talkie, jabbed the call button and pressed her lips to the internal microphone, "Hey, Leo. Car battery's with me. I'm hiding out at block 36B, down avenue 7. How're Nico and Hazel?"

"We're fine, sis. We're by the dock with the others," Nico's voice came in.

"Stay safe!" added Hazel, her voice chirpy and sweet in comparison to Nico's bored, angsty tone.

Another metallic cackle, and Jason's voice came in. "Hey, Hick. Jason here. Piper and I are at avenue 5, between block 18C and 18D. We'll be taking awhile. There's a huge crowd at avenue 6 from block 21B onwards, so we're going down a longer path to avoid them."

That would mean they had to go walk round the periphery of avenue 6 and 7. Risky move, Hick knew. If they get cornered there, Jason and Piper would be done for.

"That's risky. Hey, how about this? You guys go to the Public Service Garage at your avenue. The one painted yellow. I'll go through the sewers and come out of the manhole at the entrance."

They were probably exchanging glances, Piper and Jason.

"You sure?" Piper's voice came in, tinged with worry. "You did say you met with a couple of zombies at the sewers just four nights ago."

Right. It was at the roof of the church, next to the toll bell. Leo's leg wound had reopened when they had to leap from one roof to another to avoid a couple of Regulars. He grew noticeable weaker and paler as his wound became increasingly infected, so Hick and Jason – being the faster runners of the group – navigated through the sewers to gather medical supplies at Broadfield University Hospital.

"Yeah," Hick shrugged. "But not a single Colossal."

A scoff came through the speaker. It had to be Jason. "How can you be sure?" he asked.

"Gosh, you were there with me, Jason! Sure, they may be the smarter lot of the undead but come on! They're too goddamn fat to ever fit through the manholes," Hick chuckled. "Anyway, nothing better than the smell of shit and piss to mask my scent from the Regulars."

A hesitant pause. Hick tapped her foot impatiently. Come on, come on…

"Alright, we have faith in you," Jason relented, and she pumped her fist in the air. "And Hick?"

"Yeah?"

"The shit scent goes well with your personality."

"Har har. Just shut up, Barbie."

Meanwhile…

Place: Westmill Dock

With the pale moonlight, the waters looked less dark and treacherous to Hazel. But she still felt uneasy. If only Hick would hurry back. She'd say something comforting, crack another one of her jokes.

Gosh, Hazel, you're such a sissy! You're eight years old, already! Be a little braver , she thought to herself. Embarrassed of herself, the little girl pulled her hood over her eyes and shook her head in frustration.

"What're you thinking this time?" came Nico's voice. Hazel looked up. He had seated himself next to her, hugging his knees and staring blankly into space like he always do.

"Nothing," she stared back down at her fingers. "It's just… a little frustrating, not being able to help much."

Unsure of what to say, Nico started playing with his hair out of nervous habit. Hick usually knew what to say in situations like this. But she wasn't around this time. Quick, you idiot! Say something! Nico clenched his fists in determination.

"Uh…" he trailed off. An awkward pause. "It's, uh… It's not your - "

"I know, you don't have to try to comfort me. It's never been your forté," Hazel smiled empathetically, much to Nico's dismay. He blinked at her, mouth agape.

"… Yeah," he finally admitted, out of reluctance. "You and Hick are much better at… being people-friendly than I am, that's for sure."

And of course, to prove his point, his little sister pulled him into a firm hug. "And we love you all the same!" she replied, planting a kiss to his cheek.

From a distance, three figures climbed over the fence and headed towards them. "It's them!" Leo announced. He staggered towards the boat, his leg still hurting form the healing wound, and beckoned Nico and Hazel to follow him aboard. "Come on! We're finally gonna start this baby up!"

To be continued...