A/N: Wassup, reading people? Special Shout-Out to FallingStar17 for being the lucky 17th reviewer. She gets a role in this story as a prize, so keep a lookout for Diana, a new character in this story, entering soon!

Also, thanks for Lucia Diana-Ninja Queen for reviewing, like, every story of mine!

Y'all rock my socks off.

And for the record, I was NOT trying to make Spud's death funny, it was NOT supposed to be funny. So, put your torches down- I'm sick of those PMs. I actually kinda miss him already…

I don't own PJO. Or Walmart, or the JusticeLeague. But I do own the things in this story that I DO own. Hah. Because that makes sense. No sarcasm.

Oh. And Ray-Ray made this chapter a bit T in some parts. So does our little unexpected visitor… ;)

Lilah's P.O.V.

Ray-Ray, Adam, and I trudged over to Ginger. Next to her, SilverStreak was munching on a blade of grass.

Ray-Ray sat on an empty post while Adam and I mounted out horses.

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Ray-Ray asked with a sigh.

I hung my head. "I don't know," I admitted. "Maybe we should tell Mrs. Kiskos what we did."

"No!" Ray-Ray shouted. She hopped down from her perch and walked over to Ginger. "We can't. She'll hate us, for, like, ever."

"Then what do you suppose Spud's death passes off as?" Adam asked, motioning for Ray-Ray to untie SilverStreak.

Ray-Ray untied Streak and thought. "Well, um, old age. Yeah, old age."

Adam and I looked at each other. None of us wanted to get in trouble, but it really was an accident. Maybe they'd understand. Then again, maybe not. There was no way of knowing. But…not saying anything...passing it off as old age…we could get away scot-free. Nobody had to know it was our fault.

"Well….maybe." I said slowly. I gestured for Ray-Ray to untie Ginger, and she complied.

"You guys, I don't know if this is such a good idea…" Adam started. He fiddled with a button on his shirt out of nervousness.

I could see what he meant. Eventually, something would give, and people would know. There was a chance that we wouldn't get in trouble now, but if we lied and people found out, we were I the doghouse for sure.

"Nobody has to know." Ray-Ray said sternly. "This is a Coolness League secret." She held out her fist. Adam and I put our fists next to hers. "There, it's official. Only we know."

"Lilah's house?" Adam asked. Ray-Ray nodded.

"Sure." I shrugged.

We took back our fists. "Coolness League?" Adam questioned as Ray-Ray mounted Streak behind him.

"Yeah, you know, like the Justice League, only cooler- made up of Catwoman, that's you, Lilah, Wonder Woman, that's me, and Robin, that's you, Adam." Ray-Ray said, with an emphasis of Duh.

"Isn't Wonder Woman in the Justice League?" I inquired as I turned Ginger towards the road.

Ray-Ray scrunched up her nose in thought. "Hm, well, yes, but now she's in the Coolness League with Catwoman and Robin."

"I am not Robin!"

We led the horses to the stables. "There's an extra stable still, for Baby Cakes' baby. It's empty right now, so you can use it for Streak." I hollered to Adam. He nodded and dismounted, along with Ray-Ray.

I got off Ginger, too. "Speaking of Baby Cakes, she, Topher, and Xavier are gone. I don't know where, though." I said as I lead Ginger back into her stall. Adam put SilverStreak in the empty one.

"Really?" Ray-Ray asked. "Maybe your dad took her to the vet to get a check-up."

I gave her a look. "You don't take horses to the vet, the vet comes to the horse. And with Xavier, I don't think so."

The three of us marched across my backyard to the back porch. I slid open the door and stepped inside, relishing in the cool air-conditioning.

Ray-Ray went for the living room and flopped down on the couch, Adam made a bee-line for the fridge, and I went to check the messages.

1 New Message, The phone read. I hit the "Hear" button and grabbed a bottle of water from the counter. I flopped down next to Ray-Ray as the message began:

"Lilah? Yeah, hey, sorry I haven't been around lately, but things have gotten busy." My dad's voice played. "Baby Cakes is about to have her baby, and things are a bit complicated. I know you're probably with Adam and Rayna," Cue Ray-Ray's growling. "But if you wanted to know, I rode Topher and led Baby Cakes to the big red building not to far off the edge of the house's yard. I was teaching Xavier to do things, when I heard Baby Cake's neighing. I didn't have time to put him up, so he just followed me. I should be home for dinner, but if I'm not, I'm sorry. I love you." Dad's voice cut short as the automated ladies voice told mde the message was recorded at 10:51 A.M, today, which was shortly after I left for he contest, the she asked me if I want to save, delete, repeat, or more options the message.

"Delete," I called, then took a sip of my water.

"You have no new messages. Goodbye." The lady said, then a click.

"What did he mean, he hasn't been around lately?" Ray-Ray asked.

I sighed, then told them about Randy and my Dad's fight, then how they both practically dropped off the face of the Earth.

"My God, what is wrong with that man?" Adam asked incredulously.

I shrugged.

"Oh my gosh, I just remembered- I went to Wal-Mart yesterday to get some new clothes with my mom," Her nose wrinkled in disgust- it was too girly for her- "And we saw Randy there. He was buying a flashlight, and I said hi. He turned, looked at me, glared at me, then went, "Outta my way, Runt." And was wondering What the Heck?" Ray-Ray said, making her voice all gravely when she mimicked Randy. "It was so weird."

"I wonder what's gotten into him." I asked. Even though he wasn't my friend, I was still kind of worried about him.

Adam shrugged. "Dunno."

"Hmm…looks like the Coolness League has it first enemy!" Ray-Ray announced.

I groaned.

"Speaking of the Coolness League, why do I have to be Robin? He's lame, and un-cool, so how can he be in the Coolness League?" Adam asked/whined.

Ray-Ray sighed. "You have to be Robin, because you're the sidekick, like him. Plus, every League has a lame guy. Like, the Justice League: Aquaman. I mean seriously, that guy has no cool powers, whatsoever. It's like: "Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice, Aquaman makes himself a Peanut butter sandwich because he can't do a shit." Ray-Ray said, imitating a guys voice.

I cracked up laughing, alongside Ray-Ray. Adam, however, was not amused.

"How could you compare me to Aquaman?" Adam said.

We didn't respond, because we were to busy laughing. Eventually, he joined in too.

"How do you think Baby Cakes is doing?" Adam asked. We were all sitting upstairs in my bedroom.

"I don't know." I admitted. I thought about Baby and how brave she was. "I bet she's doing just fine." I smiled.

"I hope so, 'cause I like her." Ray-Ray said, leaning back onto my bed.

"Yeah, same." Adam agreed.

"Ditto." I chimed in. We all kinda just sat in silence, thinking our own thoughts.

"Wanna check?" I asked, just to break the silence. The more I thought about it, the more I warmed up to the idea. "She should've had her baby by now."

Adam stood up. "Sounds good to me."

"It's a plan, Stan." Ray-Ray said as we both got up.

The three of us made our way downstairs and out the back door. We trudged through the muddy spots in my backyard, and over to the stalls, so Adam could check on SilverStreak.

As he took made sure Streak was okay, Ray-Ray and I went to Makayla's stall to see her.

"How's it goin', girl?" Ray-Ray said, giving her a pat. "I haven't seen you since, like, yesterday!" Adam joined us and together we left the stables and walked farther out.

"Is that it?" Adam asked, pointing to a big red building not too far off.

"Yeah. It's where Dad takes all the birthing animals. Like, a nursery, if you will. After the animal gives birth, they stay there for a few weeks, then they return to the normal place where they go." I explained.

"Oh. Like a hospital for preggie animals." Ray-Ray said with a nod.

I sighed. "Or, like a nursery, if you will." I repeated.

She dismissed it with a wave of her hand as we approached the barn. Adam reached out and wrapped both of his hands around the cold metal handle. He gave it two hard tugs, and the door finally gave way, slowly opening with a groan.

If you thought the outside of the barn was big, the inside seemed unexplainably huge. There was a loft strewn with hay and stretched all the way across to the other side of the barn. Below, on the level we were standing on, there were stalls, troughs, and even a small coop, which was completely empty. A few handfuls of cows were scattered here and there, some with a tiny calf by their legs, some with swollen bellies, and one with two calves, another sitting alone in it's stall, laying down, looking forlorn. Pigs were also spread among the calves, either eating, sleeping, or suckling. There was even one goat munching on grass in the corner.

Ray-Ray sucked in a breath and glanced around. "Wow. I didn't know you had so many animals that were knocked up."

I sent her a sharp glare. For some reason, she wasn't shy about that sorta thing, always cracking those kind of jokes merely for amusement.

We silently made our way to the far side of the barn, where a little closed-off stall. It was the horse-birthing stall, where Baby Cakes was. Outside the stall, Topher and Xavier anxiously kneaded the ground with their hooves.

"Hey, there, Xav!" I cooed, stroking him. "Topher." I gave him a nod.

I turned towards the door to the stable and knocked lightly. "Dad?" I called.

At first all I heard was silence, then the sound of metal clunking to the ground. The door slowly opened, revealing Randy's face. I gulped as he stared at me with hate-filled eyes.

"Lilah." He said coldly. Behind me, the horses whimpered and my friends shifted their weight uncomfortably.

"H-hi, Randy." I stuttered. I hadn't expected to see him here.

"Baby has given birth to a boy. Would you like to see him." That's how he said it- With no emotion, and his question sounded more like a demand.

"Um, sure." I started towards the door with my friends trailing behind when Randy held out a hand.

"One at a time. Lilah first." He said flatly. I exchanged an uneasy glance with my friends then hesitantly made my way to the door by myself, which, looking back, is arguably the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life.

The little seed of dread in my stomach began to sprout as Randy locked the stable door behind me. I bent down next to Baby Cakes and her baby. I patted Baby, murmuring how beautiful he was and what a good job she'd done. I racked my brain for something to say. Randy was currently standing in front of the locked door with his arms crossed, his cold stare boring into my back.

"Um, what's his name?" I asked. I wondered where my dad was.

"Hades." He said.

I stopped short of petting Baby and looked up in surprise. "What?"

"Hades." He repeated.

"Like the Greek God?" I asked.

"The very same." He confirmed. "The first born child of Rhea and Kronos, God of the Underworld, God of riches. Kidnapped his wife, Persephone, goddess of Springtime and flowers. One of the Big Three Gods." He said. I noticed the venom in his voice when he said Persephone.

"Um, okay," I responded, confused and not really wanting a Greek lesson right now. "God of dead people and the name of a horse. Very cool." I said.

He glared even more intensely, if that's possible, and he marched over to where I was crouched. He grabbed a fistful of my hair a roughly pulled me up. I cried out in pain as he lifted me so my face was right even with his.

"Show some respect, you imbecile!" He spat.

I cried out again. "Put me down!" I managed, kicking at him. He brought his other hand up and wrapped it around my throat, cutting off all noise. I struggled for breath as I continued to kick. I tried to pry his hand off my throat but it wouldn't budge.

To save my breath, I went completely limp in his grasp. He shook me. "Springtime spawn! Disgrace!" He shouted at me.

I was literally dazed and confused, running out of breath. I gasped for air, but it couldn't reach my lungs, which, in case you were wondering, were on fire. I saw spots in my vision as my mouth gaped for air it couldn't get. I was pretty sure I was about to die.

"Go to Tartarus, skýla!" Randy roared.

He threw me back against the wall like I was a rag doll. I hit the wall and fell to the ground in a daze. When I hit the wall, something shattered, more than likely the tiny window.

All I saw for a minute was stars. Pieces of glass were lodged inside me in various places. I slumped over so I was lying on the ground. My breaths came shaky. I was aware of the fact that a small pool of scarlet was growing around my head. I blinked a few times, and the world stood still. I made a small sound in the back of my throat.

I faintly heard a loud pounding on the door and the shouts of my friends. I noticed that Baby Cakes had tucked Hades tight to her protectively and was whinnying, distressed.

My eyes moved to Randy, who was watching me a smile, like he was enjoying my pain. He either shrieked "I love cheese!" or "Long Live Hades!" (and I had it a sneaking suspicion it was the ladder), then he burst into flames, only leaving a good-sized bat with coals for eyes. He flew right at me, and at the last moment he sharply turned upwards, tucking in his wings and flying out the broken window.

I sucked in one more shuddering breath and the world went black.

A/N: Da. (Cole's word for 'yes'. =))So, how was that? Haha, a cliffhanger! I love writing them, hate reading them! =P Now you'll just have to read the next update. Random note: Has anyone read the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, by Maggie Stiefvater? It's a trilogy: Shiver, Linger, and Forever. I 3 them so much! Finished the last book today. Cole is totally my fave character. I'm now saying "Da" way too much. =) I was so excited for Forever to come out, because when Shiver came out, I fell in love with the series. I so want to be an actress…and so wish I could be Isabel…*sigh*. Anyway, please review! This chapter is probably my longest so far, so tell me what you think! Please vote on my poll- it's asking who your favorite character from my stories is!

MY PLAYLIST FOR THIS CHAPTER:

1. I Wanna Go- Britney Spears

2. Obsessed- Mariah Carey

3. Hit Me With Your Best Shot- Pat Benatar

4. Teenage Dream- Katy Perry

5. 1985- Bowling For Soup

Till next time, my readers!

Read on and Rock out,

NinjaNakkiOfCabin11