Suzy was going to play ‘ball’ with her father in Central Park. But in fact, it was the first part of their training- how to use her sword, Lightning Bolt to will lightning out of the sky and zap enemies and deflect their attacks by using it. Her grandmother, Aphrodite wanted to take her shopping. Thankfully, she had taken after her mother who preferred sports than shopping.

She wanted to Iris-message Krystal or Tao to assure them that she was fine, considering that most kids who came here with no achievement to speak of never came out alive. But her father asked (ordered) she be ready in 15 minutes. She sighed. Kai and Lay had already gone to their destinations.

 “I wonder how they’re doing right now.”She thought. She looked around her new room. It was the size of a house. It was beautifully furnished. “Suzy, come now. Are you ready? Bring your glove.”Zeus called. “Yeah, dad.” she took the glove beside her and looked into the gigantic mirror.

She wore a New York Yankees shirt with tight skinny jeans and sneakers. She wore her hair into a high ponytail and she had no makeup on. Her blue gray eyes were hidden by a matching Yankees cap. In short, no one would recognize her. Unless that person was a fan. Then she was going to have some explaining to do.

She went to the throne room where her father waited for her. She was surprised at his getup. He actually looked like a normal dad. “Dad…you look normal.” she said. He was wearing a grey sweatshirt with blue jeans and jacket instead of his normal pinstriped suit. His long hair was now short and he carried a glove with him. “I know. I swear it feels comfortable. I haven’t dressed like this since…”he stopped as Hera glared at him.

Suzy immediately got it. Just then, she heard a low whistle. She turned around and saw Ares smirking at her. “Damn…”he let out a low growl. Suzy blushed. “Ares, this is your sister. Behave.”Zeus warned. “And my granddaughter.”Aphrodite added, glaring at Ares. He sat back down on his chrome and leather throne in fear. “Lord and Brother Ares, I thank you…for the special attention you have shown me right now but…I prefer Apollo more.”Suzy smiled mischievously. Ares glowered while Apollo blushed and smiled shyly.

“Thank you, oh beautiful godling.This gives me inspiration for a haiku.”Apollo announced. All the gods groaned. “Suzy, c’mon. We’re going to be late.”Zeus said. “But I want to hear Apollo oppa’s poetry. And besides, I am hungry.”Suzy pouted. “You can hear it later. And I see you have your mother’s appetite. I’ll get you a cream and cheese bagel. Now please, before Apollo recites.”Zeus grabbed her hand and took her down. The doorman greeted them in respect.

Munching on bagels, they walked to the park. They found a nice, quiet spot to practice. “Okay, Suzy. The first thing you need to do is to wield all of the power in you and from the sky. Try it.”Zeus said. She nodded. “C’mon, power. C’mon.” she thought as she tried to will the power in her. Nothing happened. “Don’t think. Just let it flow.”Zeus hollered. She nodded again and let her mind roam free. A ball of lightning appeared in her hands.

Zeus smiled in satisfaction. “That’s my girl. Now throw it at the sky.” he said. She looked at him, puzzled. “Just do it.”Zeus said. She did as she was told and threw it high above. Suddenly, a storm appeared and lightning crackled. Everyone who was present in the park turned to go. Suzy looked at the sky with awe. “I did that?”Suzy asked. “Yes, you did. Now take out Lightning Bolt and point it towards the sky.”Zeus instructed.

She did so. After taking out Lightning Bolt from her hair, it reverted to a sword and she pointed it towards the sky. “Now will it.”Zeus instructed again. Freeing her mind from all thoughts, she willed the lightning from the sky. Lightning fell on the sword, making it glow. “Oh, cool.” she praised, running the blade through her fingers.

“Now, hit that tree.”Zeus pointed at a tree near them. She did so, hitting the tree with her sword. To her surprise, the sword glowed. Before she knew it, the pungent smell of sulfur invaded her nose. She looked at the tree. It was completely uprooted from the ground and it was burning.

She along her father was surprised. “Wow, you’re even stronger than I had expected.” he said, in awe. “That’s all for today. Come, let’s grab some lunch.” he added. “Oh, cool. What’s for lunch? “I want pizza.” she said cutely.” He let out a laugh. “You really are like your mom. C’mon, let’s get some pizza in that black hole of a stomach.” he joked. Suzy giggled and held her father’s hand.

They went back to Olympus where her father had taken her to Demeter’s restaurant and gave her an ambrosial pizza pie to eat. “I could live here.” she said, taking another bite of her pizza slice as she looked at her father who was drinking a nectar-dosed latte.

-

Lay looked out of the window of his gigantic room in his father’s underwater palace. He sighed. The view was spectacularly beautiful but he felt…lonely. “Suzy would’ve loved to see this.” he thought. His eyes widened at the thought. Why was he feeling this way?

Just then, his father came in. “Zhang Yixing, what are you thinking about?”Poseidon asked. Lay shrugged, not wanting to answer the question. Poseidon looked at his son quizzically but then he cracked a smile. “You’re thinking about Suzy, aren’t you?”He teased, making Lay blush. Lay nodded shyly. “I don’t blame you. She is beautiful, just like her mother.”Poseidon said dreamily. Lay shot him a quizzical look. “Oh, Gianna was one of the only women your uncles and I fought over. Too bad she chose Zeus.” he explained coolly.

Lay’s mind whirled. Suzy or Kai were not going to like hearing this. “C’mon, let’s go. I’ll teach you how to surf this time.”Poseidon announced. Lay looked at him. “Isn’t today’s lesson over?”Lay asked. “Please. Amphitrite’s making me nuts. I need to get out.”Poseidon pleaded. Lay sighed. “Fine. Let’s go, father.” he relented. Poseidon smiled. Poseidon and Lay went up shore. To Lay’s surprise, they were in some exotic place. It wasn’t in America.  The sun was sinking into the magnificent Pacific Ocean and the sky was peach and blue. There was no one in sight.

 “Welcome to Mazatlan, Yixing.”Poseidon announced. “It’s beautiful.”Lay praised. “Race you to the ocean.”Poseidon grinned mischievously. Then with a sprint, Poseidon raced to the ocean. Lay was close behind him. “I win.”Poseidon yelled. “You cheated.”Lay said, tired. “I don’t care. Poseidon replied with a smirk. Within a second, the water rose under him and a huge surf formed. With a loud exclamation escaping from his lips, the surf took Poseidon away with it.

Lay watched in awe as his father surfed with grace. He looked happy. “Come on, Yixing. Try it.”He hollered. Lay nodded and tired to will the water to rise. It did, and a minute later, like his father, he cheered in excitement as he surfed on the water. “You’re a natural, Yixing. It took me days to teach Percy surfing.”Poseidon exclaimed. “Thank you, I think!”Lay said.

After a while, both of them were tired but reinvigorated. “That was awesome.”Lay panted. “I know. This is my stress releaser every time your stepmom and I have a fight.”Poseidon replied. “So, my boy, you like Suzy, don’t you?”Poseidon added with a shameless grin. Lay turned red. “I don’t know. I am so confused. I feel butterflies when I see her. I get jealous when she’s with Kai or Tao or any other guy who isn’t related to her. And every time I see her smile, I want to kiss her.”Lay explained. “Ah, then you don’t like her. You’re in love with her.”Poseidon smiled at his son.

“Am I?”He asked. He thought about it over again. “Well, maybe I Am.” he sighed. Poseidon chuckled. “Love can come at any time, my boy. You sometimes have no idea till you lose it. So I advise you to confess the next time you see her.”Poseidon advised. Lay nodded. “Come, your stepmom must be waiting for us to yell at me.” Poseidon chuckled as he got up.

Lay got up as well. “I am going to take my father’s advice. Suzy, I hope you’ll accept my heart.” he thought as they went back down the ocean.

-

Kai groaned in anguish as he tried to rest from the after effects of . He tried to cover his ears from the moans of the dead but they were just too loud. He got up and buttoned up his opened shirt which had revealed his perfectly chiseled abs and proceeded to the throne room. He knew that his father, Persephone and Demeter were awake. He bumped into someone. “I am sorry.” a voice piped up. He looked down and saw an Italian-American boy with olive skin and slick black hair. His eyes, unlike his and Hade’s, had a soft, kind look in it. “This must be Nico,” he thought.

“It’s okay. You’re Nico, right?”He smiled. “Yeah…how do you know my name?”The boy asked. “I am Jongin. Kim Jongin. But you can call me Kai. I am your brother. Hazel has told me a lot about you.” he smiled reassuringly. “Oh. Nice to meet you. Where’s fa-Hades?”Kai hesitated on the word father. It still was quite foreign to him. 

“He’s with Persephone. They don’t wish to be… disturbed.”Nico colored. Kai immediately got it and he grimaced.  “Oh, okay. I got it. So…you’re the King of Ghosts…right?”Kai asked, regretting it as soon as it came out from his lips. It was a very stupid question. “Yeah. Well, at least I am known as that.”Nico said, aloof. “So, Father told me that I have to teach you something?”He asked. Kai nodded. If Hades wasn’t…disturbed, he was supposed to teach Kai the art of telekinesis. “C’mon, let’s go.”Nico said. “Why? We could do it-“Kai was cut short by the loud moans of not the dead, but of something else.

Both the brothers colored. “You’re right. Let’s go.”Kai said quickly. They shadow-traveled to some remote woods. It was clean, quiet and lonely. The perfect place to practice. Nico placed a twig in front of Kai. Kai looked at him quizzically. “We begin. Kai, try to lift the twig up in the air and break it-not using your hands.”Nico instructed.

“How?”Kai asked. “Just focus on nothing but the twig and will it to rise. Simple.”Nico said. Kai did what he was told and concentrated on the twig. It rose in the air. “Break, twig, break.”Kai said in his mind. It broke into two. Kai smiled satisfactorily. “That was so cool.” he awed. Nico shook his head. “You have a lot more to practice, Jongin. A twig is just the beginning. Watch.”Nico said as he focused his gaze on a huge tree.

To Kai’s shock, it uprooted and swayed gently in the air. “This is what you’re supposed to do, Kai.”Nico said. Kai was jealous. So, he focused on an even bigger tree than Nico’s. To both their surprises, the tree was uprooted easily and it was in the air, swaying. “You were saying, Nico?”Kai smirked. Nico cleared his throat. “You’re even stronger than I had imagined. Get some sleep. Its father’s turn tomorrow.” he yawned lazily. But Kai knew that somewhere deep inside of him, Nico was seriously jealous.  “This goes to show you don’t mess with Kim Jongin.”He thought.