Nico: So do you have like a specific order of POVs?

Pearl: Nah.

Leo: Is is Nee-co or Nih-co?

Oceana: I say Nih-co because it's short for Nih-colas.

Pearl: Nee-ko sounds more Italian though.

Nico: ...Go away.

Leo: What do you say? Comment below!

Morgan Owens, Daughter of Hermes

Morgan opened her eyes to the bright Italian sunshine. Immediately, she wished she hadn't. So she closed them.

Cautiously, she opened one eye.

And stared right into the beady gaze of a hawk that was squatting on her chest. It screeched a rancid cry in her face.

'WARGH!' Nico awkwardly scrambled up into a sitting position and slammed his back into the crow's nest. 'HAWK!'

Morgan groaned and shoved the heavy bird off its begrudging perch. 'No kidding, genius.' The bird of prey squawked and ruffled its feathers indignantly.

Nico's bed hair - or rather - "nest" hair was cute and all ruffled on one side, curled up like little baby drakon's wings. Morgan couldn't help but smile little at his horrified face. It was understandable, the hawk was filling up half the crow's nest, and kept giving them evils. Morgan opened her mouth to explain this was her father's sacred animal, and it was perfectly harmless, but before she could, the ship shuddered violently and she was hurled into Nico. The hawk screeched in alarm and took off, flying alongside the mainast ahead of them. Alarm bells sounded throughout the Argo II. They heard Leo yelling from the helm.

Morgan rubbed her neck, and disentangled herself from their blanket. Nico swore under his breath. 'I'm meant to be on watch!'

Together, they looked over the edge of the little wooden outlook, when a massive grey shape came hurtling toward them. Nico reacted half a second before Morgan, and yanked her down as the boulder skimmed the air above their heads. The hawk dived and disappeared into the thickening fog.

'Thanks,' She said, breathless.

'Don't mention it,' He replied, his eyes wide.

Morgan grabbed Nico by the collar and flew them both down to the deck, where a curly haired girl was running around, frantically looking for a weapon more useful than her spatha.

It's Hazel, Morgan thought, as her winged sandals touched the wooden floor. Nico's sister.

Hazel did a double take when she saw Morgan. Looking between her and Nico, she shouted over the siren. 'Who the heck are you? Let go of Nico!'

Leo called a cheery greeting from behind the wheel. 'Morning, Morgan!' Despite the tiredness around his eyes and the rumpled clothes, there was a spark of excitement surrounding Leo. Morgan got the feeling she was in the presence of a mad inventor. Nico brushed off Morgan's grip on his collar.

'It's fine, Hazel. She's a friend.'

Confused written in bold letters across her expression, both at Leo and Nico's familiarity, she shrugged and peered over the rails. Pointing, she yelped, 'What is THAT?' On the summit of the nearest mountain was what appeared to be a moving statue. Only it wasn't made of marble, and his looks definitely weren't chiseled. If anything, he looked like a crazy hermit.

Nico joined her. 'It's an ourae, a mountain god, and I don't think he likes us!'

Morgan sized up the twenty foot tall, mud grey man-mountain sporting a white tunic the size of the Argo II sails. He ripped a hunk of rock from the mountain beneath his feet and shaped it into a ball like it was made of dough, and hurled it at their ship, accompanied by an unintelligible bellow. Morgan guessed it wasn't "Good morning."

Leo swung the ship into another dodge, and knocked the three demigods on deck to the floor. 'SORRY!' He shouted, clinging onto the steering wheel for dear life. 'Man the cannons!' Hazel yelled, skidding to the gun deck. She got halfway up the steps when the fling ship tilted to the other side, avoiding several car sized missiles.

'LEO!' She hollered, as Morgan and Nico, winded, got up, only to have the breath knocked out of them again.

The ship lurched out of the mountain god's range, and the silence that ensued was terrible. Apart from the heavy breathing of the demigods and the mechanical groaning of the oars, the ourae's roar faded into the fog. Leo hopped down from the helm and grinned at them, the smile not reaching his eyes when they met Morgan's.

'Dang, I didn't get a chance to test out my latest invention,' There goes the mad inventor theory, Morgan thought. 'Oh well. Who's for breakfast?'

Morgan looked up to where the son of Hades was sitting on the crossbeam of the foremast, the hawk out of kicking reach further down from the mast. She watched him climb up the rigging holding a sandwich in his hand, but it was more likely the hawk got most of his ham sandwich. Watching the bonding between boy and bird absent-minded, she chomped on her own BLT. If the ship ever survived the war, it would make one heck of a dinner lady.

She, Hazel and Leo were standing around Buford the walking table, who had brought them the delicious sandwich selection and lemonade. Leo had butter and crumbs on his face, his mouth over-full from his breakfast. Leaning on the steering wheel, he gazed into the middle distance after explaining a little about himself, listening to Hazel's story.

Finished, Hazel spoke. 'Uh, Leo? You have food on your face.'

'Ughh whaa?' Leo turned, forgetting his mouth was full and sprayed the Hazel with crumbs. He swallowed hastily and apologized. Hazel sighed and put her half finished, Leo infested sandwich back on Buford.

'No, it's fine, I think crumbs in your hair work for you.' Morgan smiled at Hazel, her own food having been spared from the contents of Leo's mouth. Giving a half laugh, Hazel ruffled her hair, dislodging the breadcrumbs.

'Sorry,' Leo said again, his face torn between smirking and horror. Before the situation could get more awkward, Hazel addressed Morgan.

'So you're the only ever female child of Hermes?' Morgan nibbled at a stray piece of lettuce.

'Yeah. Well, only mortal offspring, anyway.' Hazel and Leo listened with interest as she told them more about her early childhood, how her mum died and Hermes took her in last year.

'Wow, I guess you're one of the lucky ones.' Hazel said, her eyes on her shoes. Sensing a resentment toward her father from Hazel, Morgan moved on to explain why she was taken in.

'No really, I'm not. I would so much rather live at Camp Half Blood than on Olympus. The only reason I was taken in was because of the fact I shouldn't exist. Satyrs didn't find me, but on the bright side, neither did monsters. I'm a total paradox, and to the gods, a potential weapon.' The amount of spite in her voice surprised Morgan herself. 'The Fates prophesied a long time ago a daughter of Hermes would be leverage in times of despair. No one wanted to believe a child of the messenger god could be as powerful as the offspring of the Big Three, or even more so. The Olympians denied it to prevent any unrest against Hermes. Honestly, he didn't want to believe it himself. With Iris messaging not as functional as it should be, I guess I'm just meant to make sure email doesn't crash or something. My destiny.'

Nico knew all of this. Morgan had told him soon after they met, as he was searching for the Doors of Death.

Leo cleared his throat awkwardly. 'Jeez Morgan, that must be difficult. I mean, we're "The Seven", and we're meant to save the world and stop Gaia, but at least we have each other. It's easier having to share the load.'

Hazel put a comforting arm around Morgan's shoulders. 'Hey, you're part of our team now. We can handle all of this together. We fix stuff.'

'It's on our resume.' Leo joked. Morgan felt a surge of affection for the two demigods. She realised she'd been selfish, thinking she had the worst fate woven. Hazel was right - she was one of the lucky ones. Leo and Hazel had had much worse histories than her, yet they put themselves second, behind what they were forced to do by the gods' actions.

Buford ran below deck, taking Hazel's sandwich with him. Glancing at her BLT wistfully, Morgan threw it over the side and morphed her caduceus armband into a sleek, aluminium baseball bat.

'More ourae?' She guessed. Peering through the fog, Hazel nodded in conformation. Morgan rose off the ground and twirled her bat.

'Bring it.'

Pearl: I see nowhere for this story to go, what with Blood of Olympus and stuff.

Leo: Yeah, but when Blood of Olympus comes out, you can incorporate the ending.

Nico: This is just a retelling of HoH.

Oceana: I know, but it's ... Nope, I got nothing.

Pearl: It's kinda schist.

Leo: Nah, it's a story of becoming a better person. And dealing with... *points to Nico behind his back* ...relationships and FEELINGS.

Nico: ...What is Morgan going to do?

Oceana: If anyone dies in Blood of Olympus-

All: DON'T JINX IT!

Oceana: -She'll be part of an alternate ending, I guess.

Leo: *applauds* Genius, maestro. Bellissimo! *to Nico* DID I GET IT RIGHT?

Nico: ...

Oceana: ...

Pearl: ...

Oceana: This was a bit of a dull chapter, I'm sorry, and somehow it's the longest too. I'm no Rick Riordan. Pinky swear the next one will be better.

Nico: It'd better.

Pearl: Why do you always have the last word?

Nico: *flourishes hands like a magician* Magic.