Bones

39: What Being A Hero Costs Part 1

Have you ever been separated from the person you need to talk to most? I kept finding myself turning to say something to Milo but he just wasn't there. I needed my best friend right now. Wherever he was, I hoped he was safe. I sat in the tent we had met with Albus' inner circle before we knew who he was. Before we lost Nik. I was the first here. I was ready to get out there and get my brother back. Tapping my feet vigorously on the ground where I sat I was desperately trying to make contact with my father but so far he was a ghost. Deaf to my pleas.
"No one else here yet?" I looked up and saw Atlas. No splint on his foot, no limp due to his rushed healing in the woods.
"Nope, just me." I said not stopping my tapping foot and constant turning of the black Stygian iron skull ring on my right ring finger.
"Uh, mind if I wait with you?" Atlas asks hesitantly.
"Go ahead." I said Atlas took a seat beside me and fiddled with his own Stygian iron skull ring. Hades had slipped one in each of our bags it appeared. Atlas had chosen to slip it onto his middle finger on his left hand.
Atlas continuously glanced at my thumping foot. I knew he wouldn't ask me to stop but I enjoyed knowing someone was currently as miserable as me.
"Tobias can you-"
"No." I cut him off he stayed quiet.
The tent flaps opened and our remaining four brothers walked in
"You're late." I grumbled
"No you're early. And there's no clocks, Tobias.. There's no possible way we could be late." Alpheus says
"Oh, I've been counting the minutes that have passed. Are we going to make this plan or what?" I asked
"Well, it might take some time Tobias." Albus says
"Then draw me a map. I'm done waiting." I said getting up and sticking my hand out. Albus looks me over for a moment.
"Sending you in there will be unwise. You don't have nearly as much years in training as we do." He says gesturing to Thanatos, Alcaeus and Alpheus. "That goes for both of you." He adds nodding to Atlas.
"I don't need training, Albus. I need my brother back," I growled using emphasis on his name. Spitting in the face of his request not to use it in camp.
"Tobias.. Are you feeling alright? You're acting more aggressive than usual.." Thanatos says
"I'd feel better if he'd draw me a map so I could get our brother back." I said
Atlas seemed ticked. He must have been. He snapped his fingers and familiar smoke appeared and he handed me a piece of old folded up paper.
"If you think you're such a warrior.. You go ahead. We'll catch up." He says I snatched the paper from his grip unfolding it and looking it over quickly.
"With pleasure." I said and proceeded towards the exit. Alpheus steps in front of me
"Tobias you can't be serious just wait-"
"For them to get bored and kill Nik? Yeah no thanks." I said and shuffled past him. My arm was grabbed and I was spun around. Thanatos was holding onto my arm tightly. The familiar skull ring was on the index finger of his right hand.
"Listen to me Little Brother," he says "I want to save Nik just as much as you. It may as well be my fault that he got taken.. If you wait..just long enough for us to gather more information I will go with you. Albus' plan could take hours. Just wait minutes and we'll go.. Okay?" He says I looked into the dark cold eyes we all shared. He reminded me of our father. He hadn't shaven in a few days causing a shadow to surround his face throwing me off the track of Hades who had a clean face most of the time.
"I will help you, Tobias. Every step of the way." He says
Out of all my brothers, I had to be honest in saying Thanatos was my best option. He was my eldest brother and by far the wisest. I nodded
"Deal." I said he nodded and patted my arm he'd been holding.
"C'mon, let's get back in this tent and plan." He says

Milo
As much as I loved water and being in it.. Something felt off. Like something really bad had happened. A weeks or so ago, my Father, Poseidon and Hades put together a plan to send their children into hiding from the big man(I meant Zeus by the way.. Just not supposed to use his name). My father had sent all of his children down under the sea where Zeus didn't have access to us. I'd been to his palace before, it looked like an Atlantis buff's wet dream. Emphasis on the wet. It was huge spanning across most of the Atlantic. Somewhere near the Caribbean. Where I was born. I wished I could surface and go see my mother.
"Milo, come check this out." Coral, one of my sisters says I swam up to her where she was sitting on a sofa. (Oh yeah, we got it all down here. Wifi, cable, top notch food.. You name it).
She had a bubble formed in front of her. I joined her perching on the couch beside her.
"Trouble in Hades Paradise." She says
"Why? What's happened?" I asked
"He's just got here. Dad granted him access for a visit. They're in his study." She says examining the bubble. It showed live camera type video from my father's study.
"What do you think happened?" I asked
"Want to go find out?" She asked I nodded we swam up to my father's study crouching by the doors peaking through the key holes. There he was, tall, dark and very creepy.
"What can I do for you, Brother?" Poseidon asks Hades looked distressed and angry. But angry was always how he looked, distressed? That was a new one.
"It's not working.. My boys aren't safe." Hades says
"What are you talking about? Zeus doesn't even know about that camp. He couldn't possibly-"
"Not by Zeus. By the inhabitants of the forest. They've taken one of my boys will the intent to kill him." Hades says my heart sank. I Immediately started praying that it wasn't Tobias.
"Oh Tartarus.." Dad says "Which one?" He asked
"That doesn't matter Poseidon! They're planning to attack but by the time they get there he'll be slaughtered! I've seen it!" Hades bellows
"But you swore you'd never peer into your son's fates. If you sensed their approaching death you weren't supposed to peak. You said you wouldn't help. That you'd let the fates handle it."
"I'm not helping. I'm down here aren't I?"
"And Tobias.." Hades sighs "So stubborn like his mother.. Keeps trying to make contact with me. Begging for me to help." Hades says. Oh Gods.. Was it Tobias?
"He's impatient.. Ill tempered and impossible to control..." Hades sighs
"Remind you of anyone?" Poseidon says Hades smiles ever so slightly.
"I suppose he may have gotten it from me.. But Poseidon.. I have come down here to help them.. Just in a different way." He says
"I'm listening." Poseidon says
"I need you to keep them safe down here." Hades says Poseidon snorts
"Hades.. Your kids can't even swim." He says
"They can learn. Just please.. Grant them the ability to stay down here. It would be so much better if the two of us could work together to protect our kids in the same area.. It too dangerous for my boys on the surface." Hades says
"Don't you want them to find your remaining children?" Poseidon asks
"Right now, I'm focussed on the ones I have than the ones that are a mystery whether they're dead or not." Hades says
"Which one did they take, Hades?" Poseidon asked
"That doesn't-"
"It does matter. You want my help? You have to cooperate." Dad says Hades sighs.
"Niklaus... They took Niklaus." Hades says a huge weight floated off my shoulders finding out it wasn't Tobias but a huge rock fitted itself into my stomach. Niklaus. The brother that helped raise him. That may be worse. Hades was right Toby was stubborn. He's probably going to get himself killed trying to save Niklaus. Before I knew it my hand was on the doorknob, twisted it an I was sanding before two out of three of the big three.
"Father, I'm sorry but I admit I've been eavesdropping. I wish to help." I said
"Help?" Dad asks
"Help Tobias and Hades' other children. I'll help them save Niklaus and escort them here." I said
"Escort them here? Milo, we haven't even agreed to do it." Dad says Hades gives him a look
"Why wouldn't you?" He asks
"You keep your domain simply accessible to your children, I plan to do the same with mine." Poseidon says
"This is different! Totally different! My children will die. This will only be temporary. If your children want to see the Underworld so bad they know how to get in." Hades says there was silence between them.
"Dad.." I said walking over to his desk with hesitation stepping past Hades getting goosebumps from the chill around him.
"Let me help him.. I'll put together a small group.. I can help him." I said "I owe him my life." I said thinking about Augustus and how close I got to becoming a two piece set instead of one. My Dad looks into my eyes. His were a Caribbean blue unlike my seaweed green ones that I'd gotten from my mother. He looked like he was giving in.
"Milo.. I.." He stopped he glanced between me and Hades.
"A small group." He says
Hades unexpectedly clapped me on the back and I tasted blood in my mouth and a sharp pain in my neck. I tried to play it off. Did I just see and feel my death? I had shivers up my spine.
"If any of my boys die..." My dad says turning up Hades.
"They won't. I'll lead them myself." Hades says
"You most certainly will not. You bring too much attention." Poseidon says Hades looked let down.
"I can lead the group." I offered
"First you need to build the group. Not many of your siblings would want to risk their lives for the sons of Hades." Poseidon says
"I know a few. I can get it out together and sorted most likely by tomorrow." I said
"I would like to stay until then." Hades says Poseidon nodded
"Very fell. I'll grant you access until the plan moves forward." Dad says Hades nods
"Thank you, brother." He says Hades turns to me.
"Where do we start?" He asked
"Oh.. Um I have to go to them individually and ask them, most of them have met one of your sons and has a remittance of friendship with them." I said he clapped me on the back again and I heard screaming and more pain in my neck.
"I'll start with my sister. Coral!" I said she swam out from cover.
"Did everything go okay?" She asked and turned seeing Hades and yelped. Hades laughed.
"Coral, I'm putting together a group to help save a son of Hades. I know you know one of them." I said she nodded.
"Alcaeus. We've talked a few times in the library." She says
"Are you willing to help?" I asked she nodded. I was relieved because she was an extremely good fighter and like me, she was a shapeshifter.
"Okay, let's go find a few other people.."