𝐏𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢

38 | Thalia Andino

We're blanketed in darkness before loud music booms in the room, so loud I have to cover my ears. I faintly register Valentina laughing like a maniac, but I can't hear or see anything else.

「  A/N — the song above is what's playing in the building, it's Valentina's song 100% if you listen to the lyrics. It's on a loop, so listen first then continue reading with this in the background. 」

Milos grabs my arm, "what the fuck is happening?" He shouts, so I can hear over the loud music.

I shrug him off and scramble to where I last saw Val and feel around for her but she's not there anymore, continue to feel around I feel something wet coat my hands.

My heart starts to pound hard, my ears start to ring. This is blood, but whose blood?

All of sudden the room lights up, my eyes take a second to adjust before seeing chaos and dead bodies everywhere.

There are so many children slaughtering all the men and women trying to get away, screaming and begging for their lives.

I see the girl in the royal blue dress slitting a guy's throat before she looks up and sees Milos beside me who's staring at her with wide eyes and jaw dropped.

She smirks before she drops the dead guy, sprints away, and helps the other children finish off the rest trying to get away.

Valentina screaming, "I like the way they run, then fall, then die!" Gains my attention, she's sliding and sprinting through people running and slicing them with her daggers as they fall to the ground.

Children were not far behind her, finishing them off. She has the hugest grin on her blood-smeared face.

Is it weird I'm turned on right now?

"I see Thalia, come on!" Milos shouts, I follow his gaze and find my half-sister running in the direction of the door where some men are pulling out their guns.

It's the same direction Valentina is heading, so I follow closely behind Milos withdrawing my gun, him doing the same.

The doors behind all of sudden open and they get attacked from behind as more children pour into the room taking them all out.

As we reach them, everyone is breathing heavily, looking at the dead mass of bodies. The music cuts out in the room, I reach Valentina and pick her up and squeeze the shit out of her, she laughs looking up at me.

"I thought —" I begin, but she presses and finger to my lip, silencing me.

"Please, I'm Diavola, they can't kill me plus I sort of helped plan this," she shrugs and backs away from me smirking.

"Your reputation precedes you," Thalia says, walking behind Val.

Val quickly turns and lets out a girly squeal before crushing Thalia in a hug, "Oh my goddess, you were amazing!" She gushes, Thalia looks back at me with wide eyes.

Val steps back and grins, "I've heard a lot about you too Athena," she winks.

"Athena?" Milos asks, walking closer to them both, Valentina stands to the side so we can look at Thalia better.

"The Goddess of War," Val smirks, "I heard rumors of a group of teenagers who take on trafficking rings, and what would you know, your sister leads that group," she explains, giving us jazz hands.

Thalia looks at Val like she's crazy, which she most likely is but you still have to love her.

"You planned all this?" Milos asks, confused looking around at the room and the destruction they've caused.

Thalia hesitantly nods, "yeah, when father sold me when I was twelve I was trained to become an assassin by Carter Lopez and his goons. I managed to escape and have been rescuing children around the globe."

"You could have come and found me, I would have helped," Milos utters.

"You loved father too much, you wouldn't have believed me. He had you wrapped around his finger, I was eventually going to tell you but I've been kind of busy as you can see," she shrugs before looking away.

"I'm so sorry," he whispers before discreetly wiping a tear away.

"It's okay Milos, I wouldn't be here tonight saving these children if I didn't go through what I had to," she says with a watery smile.

Valentina grabs her by the shoulders and guides her towards Milos, "please hug him and put him out of his misery," she whispers to Thalia who laughs.

Thalia wraps her arms around Milos's waist and he hugs her back, tears falling freely now.

"Valentina," a voice says behind me, turning I find a teenage boy standing there with a grin on his face.

"No fucking way!" She squeals again, running up to the boy and hugging him, the little shit winks at me.

Fucking hell.

She pulls back and laughs, "I am so glad you're not dead."

He scratches the back of his neck, "well you did save me, when you sent me the information of this mystery group I followed your directions and now here we are."

She turns back to me and waves me over, as I get closer the boy wears a shit-eating grin, Val slaps the back of his head making him laugh.

"Mez this is Zeus, Zeus this is Mez," she introduces us, I shake the kids' hand.

"Are you cheating on me Val?" I ask, feigning hurt.

"Ignore him," she says, "I met him five years ago when I shut down a trafficking ring, he stayed with me for a year and I trained him and sent him on his way. He's like a son to me, weirdly enough."

The kid scowls at her before he looks at me again, "strangely she's right, I was only ten when she saved me, she helped raise me and train me. I wouldn't be helping these kids if it wasn't for her, she inspired me."

Val gasps dramatically, "this is one of those proud mom moments."

"Sorry to break up the reunion but I have to call in the clean-up crew and transport department so we can get these kids home safely and take care of those who don't have families," Thalia says, breaking the sweet moment.

Val waves her off, "my people are already on it —" she waves around at men, getting rid of the bodies, "Athena, Zeus, I have a job for you that you'll be interested in but I want Hades, Artemis, and Ares to come as well."

"What job?" Thalia asks, looking between us all, her eyes are eager for another fight.

She's definitely related to us.

"Carter Lopez," Val smiles.

Thalia and Zeus's faces pale, "you can't kill him, trust me we've tried," Zeus sighs.

"True but you didn't have me and my family to help you, come along children let's go home," she chirps, breezing past everyone and walking out the doors.