Suspected Terrorists

《i》

Hazel

I wasn't sure why we made the trip. It would only bring back bad memories. Then again, the memories had already been triggered. That's why we were there, I supposed.

Everyone felt slightly differently about him. Especially now that news had started to reach us about what he'd been up to in the last five years. Most were rumours, sure. We couldn't be certain that any of them were true. But we had to be prepared for anything to come to light.

Thalia and Grover didn't join us. They left the camps behind too in a way. Grover threw himself into his Lord of the Wild duties. Don't think, keep busy was his coping mechanism, I guess. Thalia made sure that the hunters didn't approach the two camps. Nobody has seen them in years. Distancing herself was probably what she thought was best.

Reyna left as well. She stepped down as Praetor, leaving me to pick up the slack. She tried for a while to go out and live in the outside world, but she was too out of touch. At least, that's what she told us. I personally think that everything more reminded her of Miles, which makes me glad that she ended up joining her sister Hylla and the Amazons. I think having Hylla close will help her heal.

Eventually we rebuilt both the camps. Each in different places (the gods felt guilty and helped). Camp Jupiter relocated to Salt Lake City, we rebuilt New Rome (Though as Leo likes to call it, New New Rome). We named it Gratia, after the first casualty of the Hell War. I quite like it there. It feels more peaceful. Camp Half-blood was also moved to Staten Island. They built a city for demigods to live in too named New Athens.

I thought, for my lifetime at least, there would be peace. A quiet life in charge of Camp Jupiter beside Frank. Instead, there we were, stood outside a Manhattan apartment in the rain, waiting for someone to answer the door.

Eventually, a woman in a flour covered apron opened the door. She looked at us with bright eyes, but as she observed us, her expression grew sad.

"Hey Ms Jac-...Sally. Mind if we have a talk?" Asked Nico.

Sally thought about it for a moment.

"It's about Percy," Piper added.

Sally glanced up at me with a slight wetness glistening in her doe eyes. "I suppose you better come in," she guessed, stepping aside to let us through.

I glanced around the apartment. It was quite spacious. The room consisted of a couch, a TV, several kid's toys strewn across the carpeted floor and a little desk with piles of workbooks and documents.

Sally led us into the kitchen and directed us to the wooden table at the side. Rachel, Piper and Nico sat at three of the four chairs available. Frank offered a chair to me but I told him to sit in it. Sally leant against the kitchen counter and took a deep breath.

"So," began Sally, "what's this about?"

"Have you heard from Percy?" Asked Rachel. Her voice held a slight sliver of hope despite knowing the answer she would get.

"No," confirmed Sally. "Not since the war. He came and said goodbye. And said sorry that he wouldn't be able to look after Estelle."

As if on cue, the four-year-old raced into the room and ran up to her mom. She tugged on her mom's apron until Sally looked down at her. "Who are these people Mommy?"

Sally smiled down at her. "These are old friends of Percy."

Estelle waddled over to me. "Are you going to find my brother?"