~Hazel~
~Hazel~I stood in a shadow in Percy and Annabeth's kitchen, waiting nervously for Nico to show up. It's not like I was afraid of him, I just hadn't seen him in so long. It seemed like we'd both changed so much, and I had to say I was slightly worried of what had become of him. The last time I saw him I was fourteen, one year after the battle with Gaea. He'd disappeared from both camps and I hadn't talked to him since then. Call me a bad sister for not trying to contact him sooner, but I was kind of busy.
Two bodies appeared next to me, making me jump back like a scared cat. I stepped back and saw Nico and someone who I assumed was Will Solace. Honestly, I couldn't believe they were still together.
I studied Nico. Man, he'd gotten tall. His straight black hair was just below his ears with bangs that mostly covered his eyes. His face had become more angular and the childish nose I remembered had matured. He was wearing all black. What did I expect, rainbows? I should have known he wouldn't change that much. Will, on the other hand, looked almost exactly as I remembered him. That was kind of creepy...
"Hi..." I managed. Nico seemed to be taking me in as I had just done him. A slow smile spread across his face, making me grin. Maybe he had changed. I couldn't remember ever seeing him smile.
"I missed you." He let go of Will's hand. I don't know what came over me, but I lunged at him and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed him, too. I'd lacked physical contact for so long. There was only so much computers and hand shakes could satisfy, and I was tired of talking through machines.
"I missed you, too." I felt his arms around me as he laughed.
"I can see that." I pushed away to see his smiling face. That was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen, and I'd seen some interesting things.
Annabeth cleared her throat in the doorway and motioned for us to come. Nico took my hand and we started walking.
"I feel replaced." Will laughed. Nico rolled his eyes at him but kept walking with me and smiling. I wondered if it was a real smile or just something glued on his face for my benefit. It seemed legitimate enough.
Once we reached the living room, Nico and Will were greeted by Percy and Annabeth.
"Where did Misty go?" I asked, a little downed that she wasn't out here.
"For a nap." Annabeth said curtly. She seemed really strict.
I frowned a little bit and turned away. I hadn't thought about the fact that there would be tons of people here. I felt like caving in on myself due to all the noise and moving, warm, fleshy bodies. I looked at everyone, instead, as mechanisms. I could see the control panel in their brains and the gears and pistons moving their joints. The recorded audio for response smoothly and automatically grafting words together to form a response sentence to listed phrases or commands. And it made me feel better. Now these weren't unpredictable people. They were just warm, fleshy robots with too many protocols to memorize.
I turned and found Percy where Annabeth had been standing. He smiled warmly and leaned backwards with his hands fisted in his front pockets, "Hey," he said, "Can I ask you something?"
Protocol says that if you are asked if you can be asked something and respond positively, a deep or intense question follows.
"You just did, but yeah. Ask one more." I was aware of my heart, my humanity, in that second, and I wondered when I had stopped feeling it.
"What happened to you?" He seemed to grow quieter in asking.
"Elaborate?" I wasn't sure if that was a thing people said, but it worked on robots, so it should work on Percy.
He sighed and looked around like he was trying to find some other way of explaining, "What... You've changed a lot. Elaborate on that."
He spoke in terms I was comfortable with, so I did as requested, "I spent all my time away from you guys with computers, then eventually I designed and built my own robots on the side of a massive project to accomplish time travel that is the reason for the presences here today. I have had no human contact since you last saw me. Report complete."
He looked at me in what I could only assume was pitting awe, "I didn't know you hadn't talked to people."
"My robots talk to me. I'm fine."
Will shouted from across the room, "LIAR!" People stared but he looked at me, "I don't know what Hazel just said but whatever it was was a lie. Son of Apollo. Get over it." And everyone did fairly quickly. I felt blood rush to my cheeks. All these emotions in one day.
"So which one is the lie?" He asked me as if I could be trusted to tell the truth.
"Robots do talk to me." I said. Will didn't call me a liar. Percy noticed this and enveloped me in a hug. People alert. People alert. People alert.
I pushed away from him and resisted the urge to swipe at my skin. I would re-show the Holograph Square after everyone was here.
I found Annabeth talking to Will and Nico, and, unsure of what I was supposed to do, I said her name. She turned, so I spoke.
"Can we get other people here now?" I never thought I would say that sentence.
She nodded, "Who next?"
I thought, "Anyone still in New York."
"That'd be Jason," Nico said. I nodded in conformation and Annabeth went to find some drachmas and a flashlight.
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