In Control (HIATUS)

Ch 23: Suffering

Ryker pov:

It was nearing the end of the school year, it felt like I had blurred the majority of it out because of trying to find my father. I spent nearly everyday training and pushing myself well past my limit. It got so bad my mom had to ground me from doing it at certain times.

I was thankful that Artemis kept training me, be it with the bow or with regular sparring and fighting styles. If she couldn't train me or my siblings it would be Uncle Damien, he came over a lot more often.

Actually a lot of our family did, Axe and his family, Claudio's family, they all visited more often. It was nice but given the circumstances it always lingered in the back of my mind. I really missed my dad and I knew they did too.

I could tell it was getting to the others too, Arthur was becoming more cold and distant. It felt like his sole purpose was to train and go on missions, he rarely allowed himself to have a social life. Although I took on more missions I still didn't like them a whole lot.

Arthur did, he loved any mission he could go on. He'd submerged himself in them, taking them on far more than I did, and he did well on them. The downside was that he was hurt more than I was, his body was littered in bruises and new scars from fighting.

I helped patch him up if he didn't want mom to know the extent of his injuries, sometimes Athena would even help. I started to worry only because it felt like I was losing my brother to grief and anger. He's never been so cold and quiet before, he even ignored Oliver and Dax more often to just come home and train.

It did ease my mind and heart that Athena was taking it in stride, albeit from the help of Hades. They stuck together like glue, it was hard to find one without the other. They'd often get Into shenanigans and pranks together. Sometimes late at night when I go to get water I could hear giggles and whispers from her room.

I liked that she didn't worry too much, instead trusting us to find our dad. It's a Long and slow process, having lost track of her in the fall and it nearly being summer time now. I wanted nothing more than to find her for their sake.

Closing my locker I turn to see Lyla leaning on the lockers next to me, showing off a calm smile. We'd gotten closer since I lost my dad, she offered a comfort I felt I couldn't bring to those who were involved in the situation. Sometimes I just wanted to vent about missing her or vent about my worries of not finding her.

Of course I can't tell Lyla that my dad's missing because of the mafia so I explained that it was a regular missing persons case. Sometimes I'd sneak out to go to her house and vent, we'd lay on her roof or hang out in her room. She didn't know she was saving me from my own grief.

"You ready to go, pretty boy?" She offered her hand out to me. Smiling, I happily took it and led us through the busy halls.

"Do you wanna get ice cream?" I asked her, letting people bump into me rather than her.

"Is it from Horacio or Donalds?" She asked me, talking about the local ice cream shops nearby.

"You only like Horacio's." I laughed and exited the building with her, squeezing her hand lightly. She smiled and leaned herself into my arm more.

"You know me so well Ry." She giggled and waved to a group of her friends as we passed them. I looked down at her when I felt her feeling up my arm.

"Is there a problem, Freckles?" I asked her, taking us onto the sidewalk to make our way to the ice cream shop.

"Feels like you've put on muscle, what the hell do you do in your free time?" She squeezed my arm and I blushed a little, rubbing my neck nervously.