Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Percy I

Every muscle in Percy’s body burned. Scratch that, everything Percy knew burned under the weight of the sky.

He could barely see or hear from his position at the center of the Chamber atop Mount Tam. Only flashes could reach him: A darting glow of silver, a roar from a Titan, a crying voice from someone he knew.

Percy wanted to scream out. He tried so hard, but no sound would come from him as he panicked over so many things. Zoe and Artemis fighting Atlas. Thalia backing Luke off the edge bit by bit. But most overall?

Annabeth. He heard her cry out in pain earlier, but he couldn’t see what happened. That was when he came closest to regaining some form of control over his quaking body. He strained to cry out to her, to know that she was still alive. He had already failed her once, allowing Thorn to kidnap her. Here he was again, letting her be harmed when she was his best friend.

He was supposed to be strong, and they were supposed to fight together. Instead, he struggled against an invisible weight.

He was sure he looked terrible. A sniveling, lanky fourteen-year-old Demigod shaking in the center of the room. He couldn’t tell if he was crying or not, but he was sure that he was biting his lips hard enough to stop any tears that might come, both from the pain and metallic, sour taste of his own ichor-laced blood.

The Sky had always been his antithesis, it was the domain of Zeus, his father’s archrival. And before that, it was the realm of Ouranos, Primordial father of the Titans. The Sea hates to be restrained. So this? This is the worst embarrassment of his strength he could ever suffer. The Sky had restrained the Sea, for all to see.

Artemis would probably look at him with such distaste. He already figured the goddess to have a problem with him on account of his being a man and possessing Anaklusmos, but after this fight was won? She’d turn around to see a pitiful son of the sea suffering under a weight she had managed to look ethereally beautiful underneath, the floor a pool of his sweat and blood. If she and the others won the fight, they would probably hate him.

If? If they won the fight?

Percy mentally frowned at himself, one half of his mind angry with the other for losing confidence. Artemis is an Olympian Goddess, and she’s being assisted by Zoe, a Hesperide Huntress that is older than he can comprehend. Not only that, but Thalia is here too. Thalia is strong, definitely stronger than Percy, both in experience and mind. Plus, Bianca and Annabeth are here. Nobody can outsmart Annabeth, and Bianca learned how to summon the dead pretty quick.

But they face Atlas, perhaps the strongest Titan after Kronos. How could they hope to beat him? He’s the Titan of Endurance; they can’t wear him down. He contended with Zeus and Poseidon in the Titanomachy, why would Artemis be able to beat him? And Zoe is his daughter, the prophecy said that one would perish from a parent’s hand. Zoe is fated to die, here and now.

“Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,
One shall meet their death in the land without rain,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
The Titan’s curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent’s hand”

From there on, Atlas would take Thalia prisoner and force her to be the child of Prophecy. If that didn’t work, he could just kill her and use Bianca or Percy. And…

He'd have no use for Annabeth.

No, Perseus! Artemis is strong, stronger than most Olympian gods in her mortal form, for she has remained in it for so long. And Luke is already defeated, he was on the edge of the cliff, Thalia had him dead already. And Thalia was wielding Hermes’ hand blade! One shall perish by a Parent’s hand! That would be Luke! Bianca was nursing Annabeth from her tired stupor, so she would be able to join the fight soon. All of them would converge on the Titan and force him back under the sky.

And you will be free, Perseus.

What?

It was at that moment Percy realized that the more positive side of his thoughts no longer bore his own voice. It was older, spirited, and most of all, restless.

The last he saw of Annabeth was when Bianca broke her out of the chains, he’d never seen Bianca give Annabeth any medical attention. How… How did he know these things?

The other half of his mind did not reply.

Percy scoured his own mind, since it was the only sense he had left at this point, searching, clawing through his brain to find that voice that had been speaking to him. He had so many questions. But none of them about the identity of the voice. Only what was happening around him, he had to know.

That was when the scream cut through the silence.

It was shrill at first but quickly softened into a feminine whimper.

Not Zoe. Zoe was used to pain and never despaired when she felt it.

Not Annabeth. Her voice never felt that soft. Maybe it was her teasing, haughty nature, but Percy couldn’t, didn’t want it to be her.

Not Thalia. Thalia’s too strong, and she forces her voice to be lower to seem intimidating, though it makes her seem sillier.

Not Bianca. Percy had heard her cry out in pain when Talos knocked her aside and shattered her arm in New Mexico, and Bianca had sounded more angry than afraid.

That left one.

Artemis. A Goddess too perfect in battle to have felt pain often. A strike from one such as Atlas would shake her, put her mind off balance, and put fear in her.

Percy’s face felt wet, wet and sticky. His heartbeat, already running a marathon, quickened. The other voice returned, urging him not to do what he was about to do. But Percy deafened it.

Percy let his tongue out of his mouth and lapped at the wetness on his face.

It tasted too strong. But he felt it. A memory of his mother’s cookies on one end, and thousands of years of memory on the other.

Ichor. Artemis’.

There was a moment of silence in his mind, too close to tranquility for him to like, considering the situation. His eyes darted around the room, seeing nothing. His ears quivered, hearing nothing. He felt the Ichor dripping slowly off of his face, and felt it hitting his foot, causing an uncomfortable gooiness in his shoe. Then the voice cried out to him again, from the deepest wretches of his breaking mind.

“Perseus, shut your eyes!”

But Percy ignored the voice as he searched for any movement in the room. A mistake he would remember until his death.

A blinding light broke into his eyes, and he felt as if he was standing on the surface of the sun. His blood boiled. The bits that leaked from his lip evaporated, Artemis’ Ichor excluded.

The Burning sensation lasted only a moment, quickly replaced by the more familiar burning of his own body trying to withstand the sky. But something had changed.

He could see. He could see so well that he could pick out indentations in the black rocks on the other side of the room. His peripheral vision had expanded, and somehow, someway, he could see the entire room around him, even behind his back. But before Percy could process any of this, he realized what he saw.

The room, more battle scarred than it had been when he first took the weight from Artemis.

But empty. So painfully empty. Except for one thing.

A Titan, sneering as he stomped his foot in a small puddle of Golden Blood.

“Cowardly little rat!” Atlas exclaimed. “One strike, and she ran, taking the whole lot of them with her! I should have made sure she stayed under father!”

Artemis was not fatally injured, she didn’t fade. Good. That was good news. He hadn’t screwed up so badly that he got a goddess killed.

But she was gone. And she took everyone with her. Leaving Percy utterly alone under the sky, and at the mercy of a Titan.

Upon that thought, said Titan looked up from the pile of blood, and smirked at Percy.

“What, still here, boy? I suppose that cowardly goddess didn’t have the power to take you as well!” He laughed, loud and booming in the room.

“Or did she leave you on purpose, because she feared that father would crash down? Of course! She would never sacrifice a woman to save a man, after all!”

The voice in the back of Percy’s mind snorted. Snorted? The voice was… amused at what Atlas was saying?

Two dracaena slithered into the room, dragging the broken body of a blonde.

Luke.

“Cassstellan is dead, General. What should we tell Lord Kronosss?” The first asked.

Atlas mulled over it for a moment, then smiled. “Throw the boy's body into the Sea. I will inform Lord Kronos myself. It is no setback, the goal is achieved despite the goddess and child of Zeus escaping.”

Atlas turned back to Percy, and stepped uncomfortably close, grabbing his head to force eyes to look at him.

“We have a child of the eldest gods. In two years’ time, he will be of age. Kronos has a buy into the prophecy with this one. And perhaps, after some more time under Ouranos and special attention from myself…”

Atlas sighed in content.

“A host.”

Chapter Text

Percy II

Atlas left him alone after that vague statement. He said that Percy would need to “Adjust to the Curse before being able to have a proper conversation.”

Which made quite a bit of sense, considering how Percy still couldn’t make a sound other than grunting in effort as he shifted his feet. No matter how many times he thought that he got into a better position, the sky would return in all its weight moments later. It was showing him a lifeline, a way to ease the pain, then ripping it away.

Atlas said that the adjustment would happen quickly, but what was time to an immortal Titan?

It couldn’t be more than a month, surely. Thalia was a day away from being sixteen, that would fulfill the prophecy! Thalia would make the choice to preserve Olympus, and they’d come back to the mountain with a giant force of Demigods and Nature Spirits to defeat Atlas.

“And then you’ll be free, Perseus.”

There he was again.

The voice had been helpful earlier when he was feeding Percy information, but now he’d just agree or disagree with random statements. But for however useless that might be, Percy is thankful that he has someone to listen to on the occasion.

Because the silence is so bad. As a Demigod, Percy had grown used to everything being loud in enemy territory, or something constantly happening. There was always a goal and something he had to do to achieve it.

Instead, he had been left alone in a black chamber, the only sounds being his own ragged breathing and the snickering of monsters passing through the halls outside. His only goal? Staying on his feet.

Some would stop and look him over for a bit. One curious Cyclopes even sauntered over, kicked him in the shin, and laughed stupidly before being scolded by another cyclopes, seemingly more mature. The two monsters left, and he was alone again.

Since the voice would only pipe up to agree or disagree with things, Percy started just saying random things to elicit a response.

“Atlas is a coward that hides behind walls of monsters.”

“Indeed.”

“He believes leaving me alone will break my spirit. He has no idea what I’ve been through.”

“You are correct Perseus.”

“The Knicks suck!”

“...Yes. Yes they do.”

Strange. The voice might actually be Percy’s own delusion if it has an opinion on a Basketball team. Percy didn’t know of any beings in Greek mythology that kept up with the wide wide world of sports outside of perhaps Hermes, being the patron of Athletes.

But that was not the purpose of Percy’s present goal. Get the voice to talk, and reveal its identity.

“You’re avoiding speaking outside of confirmations and denials.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“...”

No response.

“Are you afraid of being found?”

“No.”

“Would it be bad if Atlas knew you’re talking to me?”

“Yes.”

“Are you… related?”

“Yes.”

A Titan. Percy had to be talking to the spirit of some Titan. One of the ones that didn’t side with their family and chose to support the Olympians.

“No.”

Percy didn’t directly pose a statement or a question that time. It just responded to his thoughts. But his heart slowly began to sink as he pieced it together in his mind. He had to be sure.

“A god?”

“No.”

“...Older?”

“Yes.”

Percy concentrated on his breathing. He was already laboring against an impossible weight, he couldn’t afford to hyperventilate.

“A Primordial?”

“Yes.”

There was only one it could be.

“Ouranos? Are you Ouranos?”

“Yes, Perseus.”

He didn’t want to believe it. But it made so much sense.

He’d learned all about the story of the Titans and their forefathers from Annabeth. Gaea and Kronos conspired to cut Ouranos into pieces using Kronos’ scythe, and they scattered him to the furthest corners of the world, never to reform, never to hold power anywhere.

Anywhere but here. The center of his being. Where he still yearned to be with his old lover.
“Are you trapped here, Ouranos?”

“I am.”

“Do they know that you’re conscious? The Titans?”

“No.”

“So you never spoke with Atlas when he was under you?”

That question seemed to stop Ouranos’ immediate answers. Strangely, in a sickeningly uncomfortable way, Percy could feel the Primordial thinking in the back of his mind. It was a low humming, like a combination of when a frequency that’s a little too high pierces the eardrums and the feeling of loud bass hitting your body. And it was all being felt in his brain.

“I did not. Perhaps it was petty, but I did not wish to speak with him. He’d always been a brat, anyway.”

“So you’re speaking more than just yes’ and no’s now?”

Percy smiled. It was a good sign that his nature was still to be a minor annoyance at each available opportunity.

“I have always been able to, Perseus. It’s just that we finally have something that I possess an interest in, so I’m giving a greater input.”

“What, my thousand-curse barrage earlier when I nearly dropped you wasn’t interesting?”

“Oh, it certainly was, but I refuse to encourage that sort of behaviour in my descendants. If I still had hands, I’d wash your tongue in the Lethe so that it can’t remember how to spit such awful poison again. Honestly, it gets worse with the generation.”

“Are you pulling the “you kids” card on me right now? You’re literally a Primordial.”

“And all Primordials have children. They know quite a lot about “You Kids”.”

Percy snickered. It was the first sound outside of a grunt he was able to muster. But an immense sense of relief washed over him.

He has someone to talk to. And that someone has a sense of humor.

“You are pleased that I seek to humor you, Perseus?”

“Of course. My very nature is humor. Couldn’t you tell from the tears and struggling? I’m a comedian at all times.”

“Perhaps. You certainly did not seem amused at that one-eyed beast’s attempt at humor earlier. Did you simply not find his jest funny, or are your tastes merely too specific?”

Oh, this guy’s great. It’s like talking to a more tame Annabeth, except her voice is coming out of Chiron’s mouth.

“I just didn’t enjoy the fact that he kicked me.”

“Yes, comedy has truly come a long way. Back in ancient times, you mortals would kick each other in the shins and laugh all night long. Now comedy belies wit and strategy. By incorporating aspects of war to comedy, it has evolved into something spectacular.”

“...What are we talking about? Genuinely, why?”

“I’m indulging you, Perseus. Is this not what you desired? Someone to converse with?”

“Yeah, I want someone to talk to, but about more important things. Like getting out from under you.”

“Unless you have a silver tongue and can trick a Titan or God into taking your place, it is impossible without physical help. I say physical help, because, as you know, I have no body. Only a presence.”

“But you would help me if you did have a body?”

“If I had a body, this burden would not have to be carried at all. But you can thank my favorite son for causing this.”

Percy thought about that for a moment.

“You don’t blame Gaea?”

Ouranos decidedly thought much harder. It was evident in the way Percy’s brain buzzed.

“I do not. Her reasons were… understandable.”

“Want to talk about it? Nothing better to do, right?

Ouranos somehow managed to sigh in Percy’s mind. The buzzing returned for a long moment, before Ouranos began again.

“It is true that I abused her. It was my worst mistake. Harming my only love… nothing can compare. Nothing I ever do in the future could ever be worse than what I did. I would rage late in the night, and the storms from my sky would pelt her, bruise her, open up cuts in her skin. I even dropped the sky islands on her in my delusion.”

“Sky Islands?”

“Yes. There used to be many of them, and cities rested within their rock. They were purely mine, as they did not touch the Earth. But I grew angry with my people, and cursed them to fall to the ground, to be destroyed. I did not even stop to think what harm dropping massive cities and larger masses of land upon my love would do. She wept for decades after that night, as her body had been forever changed. Tartarus was cross with me as well, since I had plugged several holes which he breathed from. So he looked aside, and allowed my children to scatter my essence throughout his realm. It was my fault as well that Kronos was so willing to cut me apart and disperse me. I’d always raised him to be like myself, take what you want and destroy the ones who won’t give it to you. I deserved it, I still deserve it, Perseus.”

“Then why help me?

Silence.

“Why help me, Ouranos? Why not try to do good and help Gaea heal?”

“She sleeps eternally. She has ever since our children were defeated the first time. I doubt she will ever wake again, even if our children regain control and toss their own descendants off of their mountain. Anything I could do in this state would never even reach her mind.”

“And if she woke up?”

“If I even showed that I still possess consciousness, she would raise her Giants to guard you until the day you die. Then she would stick another of the God's descendants under me. And another. She would use me as a method of torture, to punish myself and our grandchildren. IN the worst possible scenario, she would simply rip you out from under me and let the sky fall against the ground. She would erase all of mortal society just to be finally rid of me.”

“You really think so?

“You do not know Gaea, Perseus. Your history books and recounts from Gods who are too young to have known her would never tell you the full story. Gaea never begins cruel. But when her love is tested or hurt, she seeks to eradicate what caused her pain. Only when the abuser is gone, erased from existence, can she feel that she is at peace.”

Percy was quiet for long after that. He still thought over the conversation many times, but nothing got more out of Ouranos.

Then, Atlas returned, dragging a massive table and an equally massive bag on top of it.

Atlas sneered. “Enjoying yourself, Sea Brat? Your guards say that you’ve been quiet for so long, only laughing on the occasion. Perhaps your mind has fractured, and begun to settle underneath the sky? I do hope that’s the case, because what comes next will get you there nonetheless.”

What happened next was straight out a movie, and it was the scene Percy always hated the most. The moment before torture began. Atlas began setting out crude instruments, some sharp, some dull, and some tiny, and not just in the giant’s hands. By the time he was done emptying the bag, dozens of instruments were laid out. A dracaena slithered into the room, wearing a cruel rendition of a surgeon’s scrubs, even sporting a magnification headset. Then it hit him:

Atlas is way too big to use any of that stuff. But the dracaena is just the right size.

Atlas lifted the snake woman onto the table.

“Pick whatever you like to start, doctor. I’ll give you creative liberty, since it’ll be the boy’s first time being tortured.”

As the dracaena stalked toward him, twirling a spiked hammer lazily in the air, Percy felt his chest drop. This was the scene in the movies he hated the most. Except there was one difference between this and the movie.

No one was going to knock down the doors and save him before the torture begins.

Chapter Text

Bianca I

Everything had moved far too fast since leaving Westover.

She had fought manticore who was also part of the school faculty, nearly gotten crushed by a giant metal man, and had figured out that her dad was actually the lord of the dead. That part, the skeletons had pantomimed to her in the desert.

But the mountain? The mountain was different. She’d grown used to fighting monsters and other snarling beasts at this point.

Watching your new friends and a goddess struggle uselessly against an enemy with a human face and body, no matter how large, was leagues worse than monsters. Atlas was perhaps the first thing that had scared her more than the men in black that visited once in the night back in Italy.

A massive being, swinging about a crudely forged spear nearly twice his height, taunting and goading the goddess of the hunt and her lieutenant like they were animals. He was playing keep away against the strongest beings that she knew.

He bore such a cruel expression naturally that there could never be a doubt as to his character. Sitting underneath the weight of the sky for millenia would do that to anyone, immortals included.

That made looking at Percy so much harder.

From across the room, Bianca could see the older demigod fighting to stay on his feet, tears mixing with blood flowing from his lip and cheek where Atlas had struck him. Panicked Sea Green eyes frantically darting across the room, seeking a means of escape.

Holding Annabeth down hurt a part of her soul. The blonde demigod named Luke, as Thalia so furiously yelled earlier, had struck the daughter of Athena across the head with the flat of his blade in an attempt to knock her unconscious. He had poorly misjudged his own strength and control of his blade, instead striking her forehead and turning the blade away too early, leaving a deep gash on the girl’s head.

As she held her friend down, stemming the bleeding and forcing Ambrosia into her mouth, Bianca cried. Annabeth, barely aware of where she was, was clawing at the ground, trying to get to Percy. Because she knew. She had held the sky for only a few seconds before Artemis took the burden from her, and it had shook her to her core. And there was Percy, already exhausted from a short and unsuccessful attempt at occupying Atlas, holding the weight of the sky.

She’d seen Percy get mildly infuriated or panic for a moment or so during the quest. The worst he had ever looked was when he was trying to splint her arm after fighting Talos, spitting vicious curses at himself for allowing it to happen. But outside of that, the son of the sea had always been the most lively of the group. He was the only male, save Grover (though Zoe said Grover didn’t count), and he knew that he still needed to earn both Bianca and Zoe’s trust, and his path to that was through humor. He’d gotten Bianca’s trust and friendship quickly, and managed to crack Zoe’s impenetrable shell of calm angst with a well timed joke about Apollo. Percy was an unstoppable force when it came to boosting morale and calming nerves.

So seeing him losing his mind underneath an invisible force was incredibly disconcerting. Even though he was two whole years her elder, he was still a child. And Bianca’s mind screamed to her that this was not a child’s burden to bear, no matter the situation.

She turned to one of her skeletons that was standing guard over herself and Annabeth.

“Can you take the burden from him?”

The skeleton shook its head immediately. It sent the message directly to her mind.

“Only one with ichor flowing in their veins can bear the weight. We would crumble, and the sky would flatten the earth.”

Even though she couldn’t hear the skeleton, Annabeth slumped against the floor for a moment before slowly standing up. Her wound had healed, and she had regained her balance. Annabeth looked back to Bianca.

“We have to force Atlas back under the sky. Thalia looks like she’s fully intent on killing Luke, so Atlas is the only option.”

As if he heard his name, Atlas whipped around to look at them from where he was waving his spear at Artemis and Zoe.

“Plotting are we, Wisdom’s daughter? Bah! Castellan is useless and a coward, for he could not kill you. I will have to personally fix my subordinate’s mistake.”

“I serve Lord Kronos, not you, Titan!” Luke yelled from the edge of the room, barely dodging a sweeping strike from Thalia’s new sword. “Lord Kronos has given me the choice to spare those I wish!”

Atlas snorted at that, pulling one of Artemis’ hunting knives out of his shoulder. “A petty mortal with such diluted blood speaks to me of all deities like that. If you wish to truly be my equal, Castellan, render Zeus’ spawn unconscious and join me in fighting her Sister!”

It was clear that Luke would not be beating Thalia today. He had gained his own cut across the forehead and was caked in sweat and blood, his grip on his sword weak. He threw several haphazard strikes at Thalia, who kept batting them aside, waiting for Luke to overextend. To the son of Hermes’ credit, he kept an excellent defense despite his haggard state.

Thalia had decidedly had enough of that, and feinted wildly with her sword, which Luke bit far more than necessary. Thalia pulled back her sword and parried Luke’s counter with her shield in one fluid motion, disarming him. But she wasn’t done. As she continued to spin, she brought her blade back around, smacking the man on the head with the flat of the blade. Before she could catch him, Luke fell unconscious and tumbled from the mountain, body breaking against the rocks as he disappeared from view. Thalia cried out to no avail. Annabeth made no sound, just wiped her eyes and turned her eyes on Atlas, who sighed, genuinely disappointed.

“That was the demigod Kronos chose to lead his army? I fear that his mind may have suffered some strange phenomena in Tartarus if he saw greatness in that brat.”

Zoe cried out in effort as she drove a knife deep into Atlas’ calf taking advantage of the Titan’s distraction. Zoe had overextended. Atlas roared in pain and swept with his spear. Artemis called to her lieutenant far too late, and dove in, tacking Zoe to get her out of the way. But it wasn’t enough.

Atlas’ spear just barely caught Artemis’ shoulder, cutting deeply into her flesh and sending a splash of golden blood across the floor. A portion of it hit Percy in the face, and his eyes stopped searching for a moment and settled on Artemis, who was crying, almost pitifully. From what Bianca could see, the wound would certainly permanently disfigure and stop any mortal from fighting again, but Artemis was an Olympian goddess. Even as she cried, her wound was already closing. But what came next would change the way Bianca saw the gods forever.

As soon as Artemis regained her mind, she dragged Zoe over to Annabeth and Bianca faster than either of them could see. Then Thalia was there as well. Artemis put a hand on the pile of bodies, and gave them an order with an ancient voice.

“Close your eyes. Now.”

Bianca had no choice but to obey. Her mind screamed, “DANGER! DO AS SHE SAYS!”. So she did. She felt warmth first, then like she was going down the giant drop at the lotus casino roller coaster. Then, the warmth faded, and she felt grass underneath her.

Bianca opened her eyes to see the strawberry fields of Camp Half Blood and a night sky full of stars for the first time in days, punctuated by a full moon. Around her was a disgruntled daughter of Zeus, an embarrassed huntress, a hyperventilating daughter of Athena, and a Goddess that couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with any of them.

And no Percy. They had left him.

Annabeth was the first to move. She shot to her feet and marched right up to Artemis, who… flinched? Artemis flinched as she turned and looked into the eyes of the daughter of Athena, whose stormy eyes had almost literally taken on the meaning of stormy. The two held eye contact for a few seconds, then Annabeth turned away and sprinted across the fields towards the cabins. But not the Athena cabin. Annabeth ran straight into the Poseidon cabin, and slammed the door behind her.

Next to move was Thalia. She wiped her brow with the sleeve of her leather jacket, and took tentatively slow steps over to Artemis. Their interaction was far different. Thalia knelt before the Goddess.

“I wish to pledge myself to the Hunters of Artemis. I swear off Love and swear to never bed a man, for the rest of my life. I will remain an eternal maiden, until the day I die.”

Artemis didn’t even speak, just nodded as she continued to clutch her now healed shoulder, rubbing it slowly and cautiously, as if the nonexistent wound was at risk of reopening. Artemis wasn’t just frightened by the injury. She was ashamed, ashamed that she’d been hit and ran away.

A silver light enveloped Thalia, the same as Artemis and Zoe’s. A silver tiara formed on her head, and she walked away, standing at the door to the Poseidon cabin with a hand poised to knock. She never did though, just stood there, waiting for her friend to come out of the cabin.

Bianca realized she was sitting in the grass next to Artemis and Zoe at that moment, and hadn’t said a word. She slowly rose, dusting herself off as she looked between the two women. Artemis looked at her with lidded eyes.

“You cut my chains, daughter of Hades. I will grant you a wish, and fulfill it to the best of my abilit-”

“Come with us when we go back for Percy.”

The words left Bianca’s mouth before her mind finished formulating the thought. Artemis’ eyes widened for a moment, her pupils shrinking. Was she angry at that request? Was it presumptuous to ask a god to fight alongside her?

“I… I will, should the ancient laws permit. I will be there.”

Artemis left for her own cabin, accompanied by Zoe. Thalia was still waiting outside the door for Annabeth.

That meant Bianca had to be the one to tell Chiron what had happened.

The daughter of Hades took shaky steps towards the big house, where the centaur was seated in his wheelchair on the porch, looking at the night sky with a sorrowful expression. He spoke before she could, but he knew what she had to say.

“Perseus fell in battle.”

“No, he’s alive. I think.”

“Captured?”

“Trapped under the sky.”

Chiron looked at Bianca for a moment, and his face scrunched up as he fought back a tear. He grabbed the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes, choking back his emotions.

“I’ve lost another before I had the chance to fully train him. And this time, to a fate worse than death. Your cousin is against an undefeatable foe and is unprepared, young di Angelo. I… I’m so sorry.”

Chiron held out his arms. Bianca was there in a moment, and everything spilled forth. She’d been holding everything in since New Mexico, and it was finally time to show her weakness again. She cried for so long, as the old centaur held her in his arms.

They had succeeded on the quest, but a demigod had died, and another was trapped until the day he would as well.

As she trudged to the Hermes cabin, standing over her brother's sleeping form for a moment, she contemplated what her place was in this new world. Nico was excited to see her, but after seeing the look on his sister's face, he went quiet. He didn't ask questions as his sister led him to the Poseidon cabin and opened the doors, stepping inside past Thalia, who was snoring, laid against the wall outside of the door.

For a moment, it felt like she was at the bottom of the ocean, being crushed by water pressure. Nico squeezed her hand tightly. But it lightened quickly, as if Poseidon had looked at who was intruding in his cabin and then approved of their presence.

Bianca's eyes passed over the sobbing lump of blankets that was Annabeth, and she settled into the bunk across from her, with Nico close at her side. He fell asleep after a few minutes. Bianca couldn't fall asleep before Annabeth. She watched the pile of blankets shift for the next hour or so before finally stilling, as a hand fell out of the blue sanctum of wool.

Annabeth's hand was clutching a framed photo: Percy, with his arm wrapped around her shoulder, the both of them grimy and grinning next to Thalia, who was frowning and covered in dirt.

Chapter Text

Bianca II:

The night did not pass peacefully.

After what Bianca assumed was only an hour or so of sleep, she woke to the sound of Annabeth Screaming in pain and clutching her chest, swiping at an invisible threat. She’d hit herself a few times already, as there were long red marks trailing down her arms and even a few on her neck.

A night terror. And not just a night terror. A Demigod night terror, which was likely prophetic in some way. No matter the cause, it was not a good sign.

Nico was awake and standing next to the girl, unsure what to do to help, a panicked look on his face. Bianca leapt out of bed and grabbed Annabeth’s wrists, keeping her in place so that she couldn’t cause herself further harm. Bianca shook the girl a bit in hopes of waking her, and after another minute of shaking, her eyes opened.

Annabeth immediately started crying. She gasped for air, trying her hardest to speak, choking herself in effort. Bianca steadied her, whispering softly.

“It’s okay Beth, you’re here, you’re in Percy’s Cabin. You’re safe, it’s okay.”

Annabeth shook her head quickly, sniffling and gathering her emotions for a moment.

“They’re torturing him, Bi. There’s a-a Dracaena h-hitting him!”

Bianca said nothing, and simply wrapped her friend in a tight hug, rubbing circles on Annabeth’s back as she sobbed uncontrollably. Nico was still at their side, looking between the two, utterly confused as to what was happening.

“It’s okay, Nico. Go back to bed, okay?”

“O-okay…”

Almost seeming dejected, like he was cut out of what was happening, Nico trudged back to the bunk opposing Percy’s and rolled under the covers lazily, turning away from the two. But from the unbalanced pattern of his breathing, Bianca could tell her brother was awake and listening.

Annabeth’s sobs had been slowing down and growing more controlled, and she was able to speak again.

“Atlas was there. He was just sitting down, laughing at him while he was screaming. Gods, there were so many weapons around, they were all made for torture. They won’t stop, they’ll just keep going until he breaks or dies.”

“Hey, don’t say that.” Bianca moved away a bit, holding eye contact with Annabeth. “Percy’s strong. He’s Poseidon’s son, he’s built to weather anything. No matter what they throw at him, he’ll never break. His fatal flaw’s loyalty, right?”

Bianca then realized why Annabeth thought Percy would die from the torture. Percy’s fatal flaw is loyalty, meaning that he would die before becoming a traitor. Eventually, Atlas would grow tired of trying to break Percy’s mind, and would just leave him to rot under the sky. Worse case scenario, the Titan would find someone else to hold the sky and kill Percy.

Annabeth understood Bianca’s thoughts all too well, she had likely already pieced those scenarios together and moved far beyond Bianca in what may happen.

There was a light knock at the door to the cabin before it opened. Thalia was there, standing just outside the doorway. She was the only one Poseidon wouldn’t allow inside, no matter what. Had she been asleep against the wall the whole time?

“Are you guys okay in there?”

Bianca nodded, sending the Daughter of Zeus now turned Huntress a small smile. “Yeah, we’re good, Thals. Beth just had a nightmare, that’s all.”

Thalia nodded solemnly, fully understanding the gravity of the situation, and closed the door again. Bianca’s eyes returned to Annabeth.

“What… what were they… doing to him, exactly?”

It felt wrong to ask that question, but Bianca had to know. She’d found out that knowing the injuries a being was suffering would give her a greater insight into how close to death they were. It worked well for monsters, allowing her to time her movements and attacks precisely to line up their predicted deaths with her strikes, so that she didn’t make any unnecessary movements.

Annabeth’s eyes flickered with annoyance for a moment, but the flash of anger faded immediately as she realized why Bianca wanted to know.

“It was hitting him with a Barbed hammer. Breaking the skin and working the barbs into his chest before ripping it out. His chest barely had any skin left.”

A feeling that Bianca was still growing used to shimmered in her chest. It felt like the cold morning of Italy hitting her skin, laced with the feeling of crushing dead leaves between her fingers.

Percy’s life force became apparent to her at that moment. It was so weak that she could barely tell it was there, but she was aware of it nevertheless.

“He’s… he’s still alive, Beth. I can feel it.”

That didn’t appear to lighten the mood for the daughter of Athena at all, it merely gave an assurance of a fact that Annabeth already knew, and had predicted. The girl nodded, and sat back on Percy’s bunk. Bianca took the message and went back to her own bunk across the way, and snuggled close to her little brother, who was now breathing softly in deep sleep. Not even the ever interested Nico could fight the fatigue of a kid his age. Bianca’s mind once more drifted into thought.

Kids. God, they were all kids on that mountain. All of them, Thalia, Annabeth, Bianca and Percy. They had gone up that mountain as children, and came back as children, and had witnessed horrors beyond comprehension along the quest.

Why?

Why did the gods force this on their children? Why did the gods never fight their own battles? Why send children who hadn’t even experienced half of primary school to fight against ancient monsters and titans, all while sitting atop their mountain paradise and ignoring said children?

Why even have them at that point?

Bianca stopped thinking for a moment. She had essentially just asked the question: “Why was I even born?” Then it hit her.

Hades had never asked a thing of her or Nico. He had even appeared often in their lives before leaving them at the Lotus Casino. He had fought so hard to love and protect them throughout their lives, and had evidently been watching their quest. He had sent skeletons the first time, which taught Bianca that she had the ability to command them, and it placed the idea to summon them in her mind. All this time, her father had been trying his best to protect her, and even to protect the other demigods on the quest, even Percy and Thalia, the son and daughter of his younger siblings.

And Hades didn’t have a seat on the council of gods in olympus. Hells, he didn’t even have a cabin here, so they had to group up in Poseidon’s cabin, and even Poseidon was hesitant to allow them a place to sleep. He wouldn’t even let Thalia inside!

Where was the King of the Gods? Where was Zeus, lord of Justice and the skies? The skies? Percy was trapped under the Sky! Why couldn’t Zeus do something about that?

Bianca gripped the blanket with an iron fist, anger seething from her as she turned to look across the way at Percy’s bunk again. But the sight was not what she was expecting.

Annabeth hadn’t moved. She was still sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at the photo of herself, Percy, and Thalia, eyes shining with unshed tears. The storm in her grey eyes was shifting ever so slightly, so that it looked like moving clouds in a monochrome old movie.

Annabeth was the child of the Wisdom goddess. She had been malnourished since birth, since her stepmother had treated her like the scum of the Earth. She had run away at seven years old, fighting her way to safety without anyone at her side. Then, she had found Luke and Thalia. She had lost Thalia, then gained Percy. Then she lost Luke to Kronos. Now she had lost Luke and Percy at the same time.

And she just sat there, a shifting view of the sky painting her eyes as her mind failed to produce a thought for perhaps the first time in her life.

Chapter Text

When she woke up, Annabeth was gone, having left early in the morning, since she hadn’t slept after that. Likely a smart move, considering the Harpies would tear them to shreds if they were seen leaving a different God’s cabin.

She roused Nico softly, letting the boy shake off the early morning drearies before leaving. The two children of Hades took one last glance at Percy’s bunk before leaving.

Annabeth had made the bed, but hadn’t cleaned any of the mess that had been there when they first arrived in the night. Dirty socks and empty soda cans littered the space around the bunk, as well as a few letters, each in their own stack.

The first few had nicer, shaky handwriting, those were Sally Jackson’s, asking about how Percy was doing and scheduling cookie shipments, of which a few had drafts in response next to them.

One was pinned to the wall with a Swiss army knife and appeared to be written in blood, the size of each letter varying wildly, made mostly of threats. Clarisse.

Another few letters were actually not written, but had the letters woven with grass into a piece of driftwood, definitely Grover or Katie Gardener. The top one had a request for Percy to help with redirecting some water flow that had been blocked by beavers. Long Island had Beavers?

However, the two largest stacks had even more obvious authors.

The first was most certainly Charles Beckendorf’s handiwork: blank printer paper with singed edges and fingerprints of ash with listings of weapons that different members of the Hephaestus cabin had made and wanted Percy to try out for them.

The second might’ve overflown if Annabeth herself had not been the author, dozens of letters each perfectly flattened sat atop each other. It looked more like a manuscript, really. Regardless, the only visible text was a complaint about the leaks of water that occasionally would spring from the cabin’s south wall. So Annabeth.

Stepping out into the morning air, the two had gotten up just before the cleaning harpies were set to wake for their morning patrol to massacre the trash that was left the night before.

The wind was definitely sharper than it should’ve been. A quick glance to the beach revealed a strikingly high tide. Both were concurrent with what anyone would have foreseen.

Poseidon was not in a good mood this morning.

“Where should I go? I haven’t really been claimed yet, so should I go back to the Hermes cabin?” Nico said the second part with a bit of distaste, it seems even Nico, the ever-nerdy kid full of excitement couldn’t handle the bustling Hermes cabin.

“You can go there if you want, but I’d just wait at the big house with Chiron. Dad will probably-”
The early morning campfire blazed brightly for a moment, and some of its embers came together over Nico, forming the Helm of Darkness. Convenient timing.

“Do that.”

Bianca looked to the Porch of the Big House, where Chiron was looking down at them. He just smiled sadly and nodded, turning his attention back to the horizon a moment later.

Bianca ruffled Nico’s hair a little, and smiled softly.

“Just try not to make Mr. D mad, okay? He might turn you into a Ram or something.”

Nico nodded and trotted off into the distance, interestingly, towards the Archery range, where some Apollo kids had already started practicing for the day alongside the hunters of Artemis who had less of an issue being in the presence of males. Archery was probably the right choice for a kid of Nico’s age and build, since he wouldn’t be able to swing a sword easily, on account of his skinny frame.

The door to the Zeus cabin creaked open, revealing an exhausted Thalia carrying a few boxes. She quickly met Bianca’s eyes and gave a lazy, half smile.

“I technically can live in either Zeus' or Artemis' cabins, but I think choosing Artemis is a bit… understandable to the both of us.”

A light crackle of thunder shook the sky at the daughter of Zeus’ remark, but she just glared up into the sky, causing the single storm cloud to disappear.

Bianca nodded to her silently, returning her gaze to the campfire. The only times she’d ever seen it were when she first arrived and the previous night. It had been small last night, but now it was miniscule, the flames barely even escaping the tinder.

There was a camper tending the fire, poking it softly in an attempt to rouse the fire without collapsing any of the tinder on it, for it would surely snuff.

But the camper looked too young, younger even than Nico. Apparently, Annabeth had first come to camp at only seven years old, but she was a special case.

Bianca stepped to the girls side and knelt, speaking to her softly.

“Best be careful with the fire, the flames could jump out and hurt you.”

The girl looked up at Bianca with sad brown eyes, and smiled.

“It’s okay. My father always said that I’m good with fire.”

She wasn’t wrong. The fire was actually picking up a bit, still safe enough to let the little girl tend it, but growing nonetheless. Bianca reached over and ruffled the girl's hair, causing her to giggle before she stepped away, gingerly taking short strides towards the big house.

Chiron sighed as he looked out at the camp, as most of the campers had emerged at this point. But then the thought hit her: the rest of the camp didn’t know. She and Annabeth had stayed in the Poseidon Cabin, and Thalia had slept outside. Artemis had stayed in her own cabin with Zoe and the other Hunters. The successful quest was obvious, Artemis had been rescued. But Chiron still had to break the news to the camp about Percy.

Speaking of the Centaur, he was muttering to himself while pointing in the distance.

“What are you pointing at?”

The ancient being before her let his hand drift again, now landing on one of the younger members of the Hephaestus cabin.

“Jake.”

“Making sure you remember our names, old man?” Bianca tried to laugh to herself, but she didn’t possess the same charm or ability with quick jabs like Percy did. Does.

Chiron rolled his eyes, and sighed again. How many times did he sigh on a daily basis? How many times has he sighed in all his life?

“Counting. I’m making sure that we’re only missing one.”

“Oh.”

That immediately squashed any hope for bringing either of their moods up.

“I tell myself every night that a camper passes that I can never forgive myself. For not training them well enough. For not providing them the proper means. For sending them on a quest that they were not suited for. And yet… I still make the mistake, every time.”

“You mean you think Percy wasn’t suited for the quest?”

“Not that he wasn’t, merely that he was not meant to be on the quest. He only went because of the situation with Phoebe.”

Bianca clenched her fists. She didn’t know why she felt so angry at Chiron’s reasoning, but her mind didn’t focus on how she felt, just the coming words.

“But he saved my life! If Phoebe had been there, I might have gotten crushed by Talos!”

The centaur turned his head to look at her for the first time. His eyes were shining with the weight of unshed tears, and his ancient, piercing gaze might’ve unsettled her, if it weren’t for the seething rage she felt.

“Tell me, young di Angelo, did Perseus use his own unique abilities at any time on the quest?”

Bianca’s heart dropped. Sure, she was mad. Mad that Chiron was arguing the point that the guy who saved her life wasn’t meant to have been there. But his reasoning was starting to make sense.

“You understand me, then.” He turned back to the camp. “Perseus may have saved you, but he was not meant to be on that quest. Perhaps Phoebe, Grover, Thalia or Zoe might have saved you instead. But Perseus did, and he was not meant to. So the fates spun their threads and punished him for interfering where he was out of place.”

The ancient man leaned back in his chair.

“Perseus has always been at odds with the fates. His fatal flaw causes them difficulty in orchestrating recent events. His loyalty is too strong, especially to Annabeth. It allows him to transcend the fates’ plans off of will alone. Thus, they punish him, over and over again. This is not the first time, and if we have luck, it will not be the last.”

Bianca sensed that the conversation was over, mainly from the centaur rising out of his wheelchair, which, frankly, was a terrifying sight. He pounded the grass with a hoof for a moment, before trotting down to the dining pavilion. Bianca followed.

Most of the campers had gathered for breakfast at this point. They all had high spirits after learning that the party had returned with one goddess of the hunt in tow. But there were certainly a few dark spots.

Thalia stood off to the side with the hunters, next to Zoe and Artemis. Zoe seemed to be far out of character, as she had a supportive hand on Thalia’s shoulder. Artemis seemed to have balanced her emotions, now sporting her monotone expression again. The rest of the hunters stood silently, no doubt having heard the news from their patron.

The only other member of the quest save Bianca was sat at the Poseidon temple, which earned a raised eyebrow from Mr. D. Annabeth had a blank expression, just staring at the table where Mr. D sat, her gaze not even wavering despite Chiron stepping directly where she was staring.

The Centaur banged a hoof on the floor, grabbing the attention of all gathered.

“This morning, I would like to formally announce the return of the questers from the west.”

A loud cheer erupted from the Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus, Demeter, and Apollo cabins. The Ares cabin was silent, until Clarisse waved a hand, giving her permission. The Ares cabin roared in approval of the news, and the other cabins rejoined the crying.

“However.”

The noise immediately stopped. Campers who had locked arms and started rushing towards Annabeth and herself stopped and turned to look at the centaur.

“I am… sad to announce the loss of Perseus Achilles Jackson, counselor of the Poseidon cabin.”

The mood immediately dropped, and so many pairs of eyes came back to her and Annabeth. Bianca felt like crying again, feeling the pressure of all those eyes staring at her with mixed emotions. But the first to speak was Clarisse, half skeptical.

“Lost? What, did you idiots leave him behind on the mountain or something?!”

Annabeth drew in a sharp breath and averted her eyes, focusing on the horizon instead. Clarisse turned to her, and realization dawned for her. She reached out to her fellow counselor with a hand for a moment, but quickly pulled it back. Chiron cleared his throat.

“Yes. Circumstances arose where it appeared victory over the Titan of endurance was impossible, and Lady Artemis had to flash the questers back to camp in a bid to escape. Perseus’ situation was unique, and he could not be brought with.”

Clarisse turned her eyes on Chiron, now flaring red with anger.

“What? What could possibly stop that bastard from leaving?”

Chiron tried to reply, but he choked on his words for a moment. Mr. D offered him a diet coke. As he tried to regain his composure, Annabeth stood, with her back still to the campers, and spoke in the softest tone that Bianca had ever heard.

“The Sky.”

Annabeth just walked away after that, right into the strawberry fields.

The rest of the camp watched for a moment, then turned back to each other. One camper, an unclaimed girl from the Hermes cabin, squeaked out a question.

“What’s that mean, Chiron?”

“It means…” Mr. D finally stood from his chair, tossing his diet coke into the grass and fastening his belt again. “That the sea brat now bears the burden of Atlas. Take a look at any sculpture of the Titan, and you’ll understand pretty damn quick.” The god then sauntered off into the forest, scratching his beard until it was empty of crumbs.

Chiron sighed yet again and re-addressed the campers. “As Mr. D said, Perseus was suffering under the burden of Atlas, quite literally the weight of the world. Perseus was trapped underneath the sky, stopping it from crashing down and flattening the surface of the Earth. Since the questers could not force Atlas back under his burden, Perseus could not be… recovered.”

“Couldn’t be recovered my ass!” Clarisse pounded the butt of her spear on the floor. “I’m the counselor of the cabin of Ares, god of war. We’ve got confirmation that there’s an enemy that an Army refers to as “General”. Hostile General plus hostile army equals war in my book. I call for an offense on the enemy stronghold!”

The entire Ares cabin immediately started to echo Clarisse, shouting for a battle. The other cabins were slow to respond, only a few of their members joining the shouting, mostly some of the young unclaimed kids that were big fans of Percy. However, none of the counselors, save Clarisse of course, spoke up. Thalia looked like she wanted to say something, but Zoe tightened her grip on the girl’s shoulder.

Just as Clarisse was about to launch into a great speech on why war was necessary for the camp, something unexpected happened.

The ever silent Artemis stepped forward.

“No.”

Clarisse whirled to shout at Artemis’ voice, but upon putting the face and voice together, her voice caught in her throat.

“I have already spoken with Lord Zeus, king of the gods. He has decreed that Mount Tamalpais is now forbidden ground, and that no quests to California will be allowed.”

No campers, not even the spirited Ares Cabin could find the nerve to speak against Artemis. Thalia’s eyes grew wide after the decree, and she opened her mouth to protest, but Zoe once again stopped her, now wrapping an arm around her shoulders and covering her mouth.

Artemis stepped back in line with her hunters, her face never changing. Chiron pounded the ground with his hoof.

“You have heard the decree from lady Artemis, daughter of the king. Lord Zeus’ word is law for us. “

Chapter Text

The worst part about being tortured for Percy so far wasn’t the actual infliction of pain.

It was everything after.

Strangely, his vision never changed. He still had the odd ability to see the entire room all at once, but even though he felt himself closing his eyes during each hit, he could still see.

And hours later, he could still feel the impact of each hit as if it had just happened, as if the skin on his chest were still there, clinging to raw flesh before being torn away.

Despite the aching, tearing pains rattling his body, he craved sleep. It had already been nearly a full day since his last rest when he first came up the mountain. Now, however much later it was, he wanted nothing more than to curl up on the cold, rough floor and pass out.

“That would be impossible, Perseus. Those who bear my weight may never know rest.”

“Always cheery aren’t you, Great Grandad?”

“Enough with that idiotic way of tying us together. You may simply refer to me as great ancestor, as I’ve told you many times.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“You concern yourself with fun at this point in time?”

“Hey, don’t bring my grandfather into this.”

Ouranos groaned at that, and chose to shift the conversation.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed your wounds have not closed.”

“Well yeah, I’m not immortal. That’s the usual for us when there's no doctor available.”

“Not quite what I meant, my ever wise descendant. Your blood has stagnated, even though it has not clotted. And your epidermis has not entered the first stage of healing. I can feel these things, you know.”

“Okay? What’s that supposed to change for me?”

“Your wounds are frozen for as long as you remain under my weight. The more damage you incur, the closer to death you become, the more risk there will be in removing you.”

“Oh.”

That had become one of his favorite phrases when thinking to the Primordial.

“You understand quickly. A trait the generation before you lacks.”

“Knowing that would have made fighting Atlas a lot easier.”

“Yet you couldn’t have known, because none had ever tried, fearing that Atlas would be able to draw them under my weight in a bid to escape. And would you have even been able to do that, Perseus?”

“Do what?”

“Bring a being, even one as terrible as Atas, to death’s doors while they are helpless to resist? Torture them, as they have you?”

The answer to that was obvious. No. He could never be like them. Not before, and especially not after the torture.

Percy had been hurt before. Even at his age, he’d experienced more pain than any teenager should have ever encountered. But after what Atlas had called “One session of many”, Percy was balancing the benefits of early retirement against rejoining his friends in the war against the Titans.

He undoubtedly knew that he couldn’t leave them behind. Not that his freedom would be coming any time soon, but the first thing he would do would probably be picking up Anaklusmos and retraining his sword motions: specifically the ones he had messed up while trying to distract Atlas.

He had first tried to strike the Titan’s spear head against the ground, but realized quickly that his fourteen year old arms were lacking in strength.

“Quite foolish, Perseus. You should have opened with your second move.”

That he should have: his second try to provoke the Titan was a simple feint to the inside shoulder, which seemed impractical against Atlas’ huge body, but it earned him a few seconds when the Titan bit the feint, thinking he could have cleaved Percy in half easily and swung a clearly telegraphed blow at Percy’s middle. If the strike had landed, he would have been two halves of a whole. But Percy was surprisingly quick, and had simply hopped over the spear’s low trajectory and gotten closer.

Then of course came the move that lost him the fight not even a minute in: Percy got greedy and slashed at the Titan’s hand that gripped the spear in a bid to disarm him, and froze when he realized that the cut had gone deep, but his sword had gotten stuck against Atlas’ bone.

Granted, he should have just let go of Anaklusmos. Sure, it would have left him without a weapon for about thirty seconds, but it would have also given him the opportunity to dodge the most wicked backhand ever thrown, which had landed him next to one dimly shining goddess of the hunt and a panting Bianca, struggling to heft her sword again.

Percy had known what he had to do after a few seconds of looking between the two with spinning vision.

They needed Artemis to fight against Atlas.

Bianca was winded after cutting the chains. She would lose control immediately.

He’d knelt before the goddess, doing his best to avert his eyes from her. He figured she wouldn’t take what he was about to say kindly if he was drooling over how pretty she looked.

After offering to take the weight, Artemis had taken a long moment to respond, before promising to repay him some day.

Bianca helped with the exchange, and Artemis sighed in relief while Percy made a sound closer to a gag.

“An aging feline excising matted hair from its esophagus would be an apt comparison, Perseus.”

Ouranos was really making this a lot easier. He was quickly moving up on Percy’s list of tolerable immortals, despite his scathing tone and constant disapproval of just about everything Percy thought about.

“You have a list, Perseus?”

“Yeah. I’d slot you at fifth most tolerable right now.”

“Who comes before myself?”

Even Primordials get jealous over menial rankings on lists, apparently.

“In order, Apollo, Persephone, Poseidon, and Hestia.”

“You’ve met my son’s eldest?”

“Yeah, she’s really nice. Gave me cookies that tasted real close to my mom’s one time.”

“Not the exact same?”

“No one, not even the olympian gods, can outbake Sally Jackson.”

Ouranos chuckled lightly at that, his laugh a rolling series of soft thunder in the room. The Primordial truly did seem like an old father that loved trying to outmaneuver whoever he was talking to. The two of them seemed to be growing closer, albeit out of necessity.

“Hestia was always a kind soul, but much more reserved. I’m surprised she showed herself to you.”

“She said something about appearing to people who understand and protect the hearth of their lives.”

“Indeed. She was born much earlier than the others, and Rhea spoiled her rotten. I enjoyed observing her first learn to navigate her own abilities with childlike wonder. When she first took on the hearth as her domain, I was overjoyed.”

“I thought you were chop suey at that point?”

“Yes, I had been scattered, but I could still see everything. Perks of being the Primordial of the Sky.”

Percy inwardly snickered. The Primordial was already picking up and utilizing new lingo.

“So can you see the world right now?”

“Of course. I’m surprised that you haven’t understood that yet, considering I’m lending you a portion of my sight.”

“Oh, is that why I can see in like, three hundred sixty view?”
“Correct. I felt quite terrible about you not being able to see after being blinded, so I granted you that.”

“What? I’m not blind, I can see perfectly fine!”

“Perseus, you gazed upon the true form of an Immortal when Artemis flashed your companions away. It’s a wonder I was able to preserve your body, much less your eyesight.”

Percy felt his eyes dart across the room, but nothing in his vision changed. It was still as if the entire room was being perceived at once, even though his eyes were always focusing on different points. They pointed down at the floor in sad acceptance.

“Yeah… I guess I should’ve listened when you told me to close them. I understand, I’m an idiotic mortal and I should know my place.”

“Peace, Perseus. You did not know who was speaking to you then, and you do now. Though you may not have healthy eyes, you will always be able to see when I am with you.”

“So if I get saved, I won’t be able to see at all?

“That is most likely. I doubt my blessing would carry with you once you leave, but I’ve never tried to grant a portion of my power to another.”

Percy just zoned out for a while after that. From the glances of fading moonlight he could pick up, it was probably morning at this point, much later back home. Then, a thought occurred to him.

“Ouranos, you said that you can see anything under the sky, right?”

“Correct, Perseus.”

“Are you able to show me that? Like, a specific point on Earth?”

“It might be possible. What do you wish to see?”

“Annabeth.” The name had left his mouth immediately.

“I imagined as much. You have a strong connection to the daughter of Athena. Let me find her for you.”

A new feeling came to his mind: that of crackling stone, similar to the sounds he had heard in the underworld coming from sisyphus’ boulder.

“There.”

The room vanished around him, and he found himself crouching in the same position, but in a field of strawberries. Camp Half blood.

He breathed in deeply, but groaned when he realized that the only sense Ouranos could grant him here was sight. So he used that.

The Demeter kids and nature spirits were working their way through the field with practiced ease, rousing the strawberries from their late night with magic and green thumbs. But they all avoided one patch of plants.

There, on the far side of the field, was Annabeth. She was standing with her hands limp at her sides, her golden hair a wild mess in the wind. Apart from that, she looked just like she had every other morning at camp, dressed in her orange camp shirt and jeans. She looked off into the distance at nothing.

“West.” Ouranos answered for him.

“Yeah.”

It almost hurt more from the constant sensation of his body being torn apart and crushed at the same time, because it hit him right in the heart. He’d been separated from his best friend, and she was hurting just as bad.

“Would you like to see something else, Perseus?”

“No, thank you, Ouranos. Just… this, for a little while longer. Maybe a bit closer.”

Ouranos obliged, and understood what Percy wanted. Percy’s vision tunneled as it returned to that of a standard mortal’s, and he found himself right next to Annabeth.

Her eyes were still, pupils unwavering as they focused on nothing. He just looked at her for a while, as Ouranos gave him as much time as he needed.

Then, something odd happened.

She turned and looked right at him for a moment, before looking around frantically, seemingly spooked by something. But the last thing Ouranos let him see was a glance at her lips, crying out. He couldn’t hear, but he immediately knew what she was shouting, because he’d faced it so many times before.

Chapter Text

“She knew I was looking at her! How?!”

Percy’s brain buzzed as Ouranos thought. “I suppose that I am unable to conceal my gaze in my present state.”

“And NOBODY else was able to feel you looking at them until now?!”

“It must have been you, Perseus. I shared my vision with you, and so your soul grafted onto mine for a moment. My soul is little more than dust on the wind now, but yours is bright, and immortal.”

That puzzled Percy, shaking him out of his panic at being sensed by his best friend. “My soul is immortal?”

“Yes, that would be perhaps the only positive that I can see in being mortal. You are granted an immortal soul.”

“How's that different from an Immortal… 's soul…?”

“We can fade, Perseus. It is difficult to do to more powerful immortals, as you’ve learned from me. But lesser immortal beings hardly ever take their true form for a reason. If they were to be injured too greatly, or have their source of power destroyed, then they would cease to exist. If the same would have happened to them while they were in their mortal forms, they would just lose their immortality and gain an immortal soul, meaning they would be able to go to Hades and “live on”, or choose reincarnation, perhaps even return to immortality.”

“You said you came close to fading, right?”

“Correct.”

“If… if it’s not too mean to ask, what did it feel like?”

Ouranos let out a deep breath.

“It was terrifying, Perseus. It felt like my memories were fading, starting with the happiest moments I ever experienced. First opening my eyes. Falling in love with my wife. Cradling my firstborn. Feeling the winds of each and every beautiful valley, the heat of the sun, caressing my form as I gazed out into reality as it developed. All gone for a long moment.”

“You watched the world develop?”

There was a little zap in the back of Percy’s mind. Ouranos was pleasantly surprised at that question, and he was having a happy thought. Percy had learned to recognize the Primordial’s emotions based on the nature of the buzzes that hit his brainstem.

“Would you like to?”

Percy didn’t think long on that.

“Yes, please. Anything but this stupid room.”

In an instant, Percy was transported to a place he’d never seen. The rock filled, sandy wastes before him reminded him of New Mexico, just without any of the desert’s character.

“Before, it was like this. I found no joy in entering the realms of my fellow Primordials. I simply felt boredom when I looked around reality. That is why I created my sky islands.”

Percy’s view flew into the sky at supersonic speed, revealing several floating islands of rock, arranged in a ring. Each was crowned with a palace and some smaller buildings, with rolling hills. Rivers carved their way through small valleys and created miniature ecosystems before tumbling off the edges. One island had a great mountain protruding from its center, with the top shaved off.

“I petitioned Gaea for a portion of her body that she disliked for the ground, and asked Pontus to create never ending flows of water for the rivers. Tartarus offered me some gemstones and the like for the palaces, but he never gives freely, so I turned him down. The carved stone was already more than enough to make the palaces and mountains the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.”

“It is beautiful. I think Annabeth and Grover would both gush at how well it all blends together.”

“I’m glad that you’ve voiced your approval, Perseus. Nobody, save Gaea, Pontus, Nyx and Tartarus have ever seen them. Not even my own children.”

Percy’s view shifted back to the wastes, where he caught sight of two figures embracing.

The first was a beautiful woman, her hair in tight braids from moist grass and weeds, her dress carved rock and clay with miniature landscapes permeating the entire dress. Her skin and eyes were dark terracotta, the irises a bright amber.

The second was a man, his skin a deep blue and his tunic light gray, with clouds shifting across its fabric. One side showed cumulonimbus clouds floating aimlessly, the other a calm rain. His hair was black, blacker than night, and his eyes a piercing, swirling storm.

“That’s you and Gaea, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Perseus.”

“You certainly look like a Primordial. The only god that I’ve seen get close to that over the top fit is probably Hades, and he technically owns all the riches under the earth.”

Ouranos chuckled at that. “Well, we literally are our domains, Perseus. Primordial deities will exist until their domains do not, so we understandably get a bit attached.”

The two beings shared a laugh as they watched the two Primordials before them gaze into each other's eyes with nothing but pure admiration.

“At first, our relationship was the same as it was with the other Primordials. But after I formed my sky islands, I first invited Gaea and Pontus to see the results of what I had done with their gifts. Pontus approved, but Gaea was enthralled. She wanted her entire body to be just like the islands, save the buildings. I tell you, she had Pontus working day and night creating rivers, oceans and other bodies of water across her. The man was exhausted by the end of the sixth night, he absolutely refused to lift a finger for the day after.”

“Isn’t that the story of how god created the world?”

“The Christian god, yes.”

“Huh. So I guess it did happen that way, just different in a way.”

Ouranos continued, unbothered by Percy’s sudden reference to a different religion. Was that technically blasphemy since he was talking to a deity of Greek religion?

“Gaea invited me down from the sky to see Pontus and her own work. She was so excited to show me the entirety of the new world, even though I’d been watching the entire time.”

Percy watched as rivers began to flow, carving valleys. He quickly realized that he was standing next to the Colorado as it formed the Grand Canyon. He saw the Rockies spring up in the distance, and if he strained his eyes enough as he looked to the northwest, he could see Rainier. It was amazing watching the world as he knew it come to be, and Ouranos echoed his sentiment with a satisfied exhale of air.

“That was the day I managed to win her affections.”

Percy groaned. He was about to get a sappy love story from his Primordial Great Grandfather.

“When we finished touring her new form, we had stopped in the area around where you mortals built that city named after Paris. She was still gushing over how beautiful it all was, and then, right then, I saw my chance. I told her that she was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid my eyes upon, and that I would give anything to be able to gaze upon her form for eternity. That’s technically why Paris is known as the city of love, though you mortals have a number of different reasons why.”

Percy groaned louder as Ouranos laughed harder than he’d ever felt the Primordial laugh before. Thunder and lightning cracked in his mind as Ouranos tried and failed to calm himself for the next few minutes. Finally, once he had steadied his breathing, Ouranos continued.

“She felt the same. She told me all about how the first thing she had wanted to do on the first day, after she formed the mountain ranges, was to climb her tallest mountain, and gaze into the sky. From then on, we were in love. And she pampered me too, by weaving that dress. Look at the left shoulder on it, my boy.”

Percy did just that. He saw the tallest mountain peak on the dress, capped with snow. But he recognized the shape.

“That’s Everest!”

“We had a different name for it, but yes. She was so happy about my statement of love that she weaved and carved herself a dress that was an embodiment of the entirety of the Earth’s surface, so that I could look upon her beauty in its entirety.”

“Jeez, Aphrodite would be applauding with pom poms at this point.”

“Having the creative mind of a Primordial is an amazing thing, Perseus. You should try being more creative once you’re back in the normal world. I’m sure your little crush with an interest in Architecture would appreciate it.”

“I do not have a crush on Annabeth!” The words formed for him immediately as he felt his actual body grow warm with embarrassment.

“Come now, Perseus. I see everything under the sky, and I had my eye on your quest, even before it began. You have feelings stronger than friendship for the daughter of Athena. Perhaps they are not romantic, but your souls are inextricably bonded together.”

“Uh, yeah? She’s my best friend and has been since we were twelve. That’s two years of being best friends, I did the math for you since it wasn’t invented in your time.”

“We knew how to do math, Perseus.” Despite the monotone voice of the Primordial, Percy could sense the annoyance. Good, he had struck him off track.

“Sure you did.”

“We absolutely did, I assure you! It is really quite simple, all you do is-”

Ouranos’ voice died in his mind for a moment, before returning, solemn and sad.

“Atlas has returned.”

The beautiful view of the American Southwest was ripped from him as his vision returned to the chamber on Tamalpais. The Titan was pacing around in front of him, but he suddenly turned his gaze on Percy, as if he noticed something.

“Ah, back with us, I see. Good, I’d hate to do this when you aren’t fully present in mind. I know you can’t see it, but I have a very special tool here for today.”

Percy could in fact see, and what he saw terrified him.

Atlas was holding a branch clipper between his index and thumb. The abominable thing had a celestial bronze cutter.

“One of my more… intelligent subordinates that escaped an encounter with you told me that you boasted your prowess with your sword. Apparently, you called yourself, “The best swordsman in a hundred years.”. Is that correct?"

Percy found that he could speak, though it came out in more of a pained croak.

“The part about my swordsmanship, obviously. I’d know as the best swordsman in a hundred years.”

Atlas sneered at Percy’s remark. Then he walked closer and knelt, grabbing Percy’s dominant hand. Percy realized too late what was about to happen.

“Perhaps you will not be as great a swordsman after today.”

Percy’s scream tore apart his throat as the Titan chuckled while clipping his thumb from his hand, leaving a burning sensation behind, and an aching absence.

“Worry not boy, if you allow Kronos to use you as his host, all of your injuries will heal, and your thumb will return to you.” Atlas trotted out of the room, leaving a dripping trail from the branch clippers.

Percy wept afterwards, both from pain and knowing he’d never be able to properly hold a sword again.

Chapter Text

Atlas was not done with him for the night.

After Percy got a hold of his emotions again, he managed to fight out his next words, and plaster a troublemaker’s smile to his face, creating an illusion of confidence.

“No swordsman who…. Who’s any… good, would need a th-thumb to beat you, you… overgrown fucking… support beam.”

Atlas didn’t initially give him the response he was seeking. Instead, the Titan returned to his side, crouched next to him, and tilted his enormous head.

“I’d feared for a moment that you’d lost your tongue, Perseus. I knew I hadn’t cut it out, but you were so quiet, you had none of the fire that you had boasted with before I tossed you across the room like a bug!”

The Titan gave a raucous laugh, and pulled out his clippers again. However, he simply tapped Percy’s head with them. The celestial bronze blade was rough against Percy’s scalp, and the cold metal sent an unwelcome shiver down his body.

“It’s almost like you want me to cut off another finger, boy! Oh, I’ll have to present your pitiful little city to Kronos on a silver platter for allowing me to toy with his vessel before he takes control.”

“Like… you even could. Clarisse would boom your ass… right back here. You couldn’t even beat… the Hermes Cabin. It’d be hilarious to watch you try to o-outsmart Annabeth.”

Atlas turned to him, and growled. A deep, guttural noise. That jab had worked to get the Titan angry. Downplaying the General’s renowned strategic mind was the key.

Percy felt the blade coming back down to his hand, and made his move.

With all the strength he could call on, Percy balanced the world on one arm, and shot out with the other, grabbing Atlas’ hand in an attempt to leverage Ouranos’ burden against the strength of the Titan. And it was working.

The Titan was initially shocked, but quickly began to panic when he realized what Percy was trying to do. He tugged and tugged, but he couldn’t beat the force Percy was relying on. The Titan was slowly being dragged under the sky, and it was starting to show. The burden felt like less and less as the Titan began to squawk in anger.

“NO! YOU CANNOT HOLD ME, BOY! GUARDS!”

Percy pulled even harder. It would be hopeless if others got involved. He had to win right now.

“FALL, YOU IDIOT! FALL!”

Percy screamed as he put in effort, his hand cracking the bones in Atlas’. The Titan was crouched now, his back parallel to the ground as he struggled to escape Percy’s grip.

The world around him began to blur again, as he felt Ouranos’ blessing start slipping away from him. Already, the guiding voice had vanished from his mind as soon as he made contact with Atlas. He lost all of his senses again, but he wouldn’t stop until he was dead sure that Atlas was the only one under the sky.

Time seemed to stretch on and on, as the burning started to fade more and more, freedom slowly leaking into his mind.

But then everything returned, all at once.

He smelled blood and Ichor.

He felt his bloody hand, stinging from the burden of the sky and magnified by a monumental effort.

He saw an enraged Titan sitting on the floor halfway across the room being helped up by a cyclops and dracaena, and heard his own labored breathing.

And he felt a familiar voice returning to him.

“I’m sorry your plan did not work, Perseus.”

His eyes immediately shriveled up, as he cried in frustration. His escape plan had failed. He had been so close. Even if he had died of his injuries or to a monster, he would have been free. He could have gone to Elysium, and felt true peace for the first time in his existence.

Instead, he found himself shaking in fear as the Titan approached him again.

Atlas looked like what Ares’ eyes had felt like. Pure, unmitigated Rage. Ichor dripped from the Titan’s nose, but he didn’t seem to care. He was dragging the dracaena, the one that had tortured him with the hammer, behind him.

Atlas heaved the dracaena onto the table, and pointed at something. The dracaena grabbed it, and Atlas set the monster down in front of him.

A bonesaw.

Percy’s unfocused, blind eyes froze. He couldn’t cut off his own vision and escape watching what came if he wanted to.

“I will hide it for you, Perseus.”

Percy’s vision vanished. He whispered a pathetic gratitude to the Primordial, before shrieking in pain.

The snake was going slowly, likely on instruction from Atlas. Percy felt the uneven blade gradually tearing into the flesh of his wrist, severing veins and splitting bone.

Against his own will, Percy felt his voice leaking out, quiet as a mouse.

“P-Please, no more. No more-”

Percy’s plea was cut into a scream by the snake driving the saw forward, and finishing the separation of his hand from his arm. Ouranos let his sight fade back into view in the coming moments, and shaking, sea green eyes bore holes into the ground. The snake left, and Atlas returned, now cleaned up, not a single blemish or trace of Ichor present on his perfect, angry face.

The Titan grabbed Percy’s mangled arm, earning an ugly, high pitched shriek, which he laughed at. Atlas rubbed his thumb over the remains of Percy’s wrist, and spoke to him in a scathing tone.

“Worry not, boy. Allow Kronos into your body, and everything will come back to you, even your sight. Until then, I will continue to take from you, until you are but a husk of what you once were, not that it was much, anyway.”

After one final painful squeeze on Percy’s arm, the Titan left the broken, weeping son of Poseidon alone for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

She had another nightmare.

This time, she was on the mountain again, next to Percy. He was crying. Crying because he had lost something.

As Annabeth took tentative steps around her best friend, she was able to see what.

Where his right hand used to be was an angry, festering opening, giving her a view directly to his bones and veins. Yet no blood flowed from the wound.

She had felt that it was strange before, when she had seen the torture happening. There had been blood when he was being struck, but none after. How?

Then, a sickening thought occurred to her.

Was Percy controlling his own blood?

The two had joked about the nature of Percy’s power before. Annabeth had theorized that he was unconsciously controlling his hair conditioner to ensure it never actually reached his hair, to which he had gotten relatively annoyed, and launched into a tirade on how he does use hair conditioner, it just has little effect on him.

But this was different. This was not a joke.

As she got as close as possible without vomiting, she looked into his wound.

There was his blood. Still cycling, and being pumped through the heart, oxygenising. But it would simply stop just before exiting through the wound.

Percy was strong, stronger than any demigod she had seen save Thalia, but this seemed like too much. She was thankful that Percy was keeping himself alive, but the fact that he could control blood, even if it was his own, unsettled her.

The more rational part of her mind took over again, shoving the scared fourteen year old mindset away. She is a daughter of Athena, and should think like one.

Percy was keeping himself alive. He was using this newfound ability out of pure necessity. When he gets out from under the sky, he’ll bury this disgusting ability deep in the recesses of his memory and never use it again.

Annabeth stayed deep in thought for a few minutes. She thought about the feeling she had that morning after breakfast in the strawberry fields.

“Can you hear me, Percy? Can you… sense me?”

No response from Poseidon’s son, which should’ve been normal. But Percy had dreamt of her when she was being held captive, and she had felt his presence then. She had felt his presence in the strawberry fields, perhaps he managed to fall asleep and dreamt of her then?

She stepped closer, and tried to put a hand on the boy’s head. It passed straight through, and Annabeth ripped her hand back. He gave no reaction. She sat down in front of him, cross legged, and looked up at his eyes.

Hopeless, shining Sea Green reflected her own face back at her. His eyes had yet to show true defeat, as always, but they remained wide open and frozen, tears flowing freely. But she noticed something else.

His mouth was moving. He was saying something, but she couldn’t hear. So she got closer, as close as possible, so much so that her ear phased into the boy’s nose. She heard the faintest whispers of what his mind was conjuring.

“Dead… the traitor… lost one raise. Ghost king… Rise or fall? Why show me this? Why tell me when I can’t help?”

A prophecy. Someone was showing Percy a Prophecy. But who? Who would be able to foresee the future, save the oracle? Annabeth noticed that Percy was getting louder, so she pulled back to look at him again.

His eyes were unfocused, just staring at the ground next to her.

“Endless maze… the labyrinth? What do you mean, it’s growing? I killed the minotaur, so what’s the problem?”

He then froze, and looked directly at her with pupils smaller than pinpricks. Annabeth felt her chest drop, and felt cold, just like how it felt whenever she was anywhere near the mummy in the attic.

“Child of Athena’s final stand.”

Before she could fight the urge to scream in the dream, she awoke to Malcolm shaking her awake.

“Annabeth! Annabeth, wake up!”

She got a hold on her senses and pushed Malcolm’s hands away, maybe a bit too roughly. Her brother looked minorly offended, but quickly changed his tune once he saw the look on her face.

“You had another dream, didn’t you?”

She nodded, and sat up in bed, rubbed her eyes, and groaned from the effects of a sleepless night.

“I’m going to wager that you’re not going to tell me what you dreamt of.”

Annabeth nodded again, and set about her morning, getting ready for breakfast.

When she stepped out into the early morning air of Long Island, she felt no joy as she used to. The previous morning had been hard, because she had gotten up from not a single minute of rest to a different world. But today was different. It had settled in her mind that, at least for now, there would be no Son of Poseidon to berate and get into battles of wit against.

She was starting her new life, in a camp half blood without Percy Jackson.

Chapter Text

Breakfast was uneventful that morning.

She had to fight the urge to look at the other tables, because she felt their pitying gaze bearing down upon her the entire morning.

Adding to the feeling of loneliness, neither Bianca or Thalia were present. Thalia was apparently camping out in the forest, doing training exercises with the hunters for the day, and had already eaten breakfast. Bianca was protesting Hades not having a cabin or a table, and had elected to take her brother with her to eat alone.

That was one thing that hurt deeply. Bianca had been rather… lax when it came to being protective of her younger sibling when the quest first started. She had felt fine leaving Nico behind in a new place while she went off to the other side of the country without a second thought.

Now? She was overbearing in how often she was around Nico. The siblings were practically attached at the hip, never seen apart for more than five minutes.

A part of her felt that it was due to how Percy had acted on the quest. Thalia had told her all about how they had interacted. Technically, the two were cousins, but Percy had immediately doted on Bianca, and was usually close to her during any monster encounters they had, which made Annabeth a tad bit jealous hearing about it, but again, the rational part of her mind disregarded it.

“He had simply been keeping a watchful eye on the most inexperienced member of the quest.” She told herself.

Thalia said Percy had nearly lost his mind when Zoe wouldn’t let him tag along into the Lotus. Granted, Bianca was probably the least likely individual to fall into a trance in the Lotus after being in it for decades, but he was angry nonetheless.

Perhaps Percy’s attitude towards Bianca had made her reconsider what her relationship should be like with Nico. Maybe she’d felt she wasn’t doing enough to protect her brother, and decided to do everything she could to prevent him being harmed.

So that left Annabeth even more alone. No big sister Thalia to keep her safe, no Bianca to keep her spirits up, and no Percy to keep her level headed and realistic.

She lacked Percy’s natural tact for quick thinking. Sure, she could plot out an invasion plan to sack Othrys in around an hour or so, but Percy could take a look at a support beam in a building and understand how to topple said building in ten seconds. Annabeth was an idealist, and Percy was an opportunist. They complemented each other perfectly in battle.

She’d have to adapt to not having her other half ti fight alongside now. And there was always the easiest path forward, so that she’d be able to fight just as well without him as she did with him.

Annabeth trotted over to the armory, and took slow steps alongside the rows of weapons.

So many had called to her throughout the years. But there was one she had rejected long ago. She had refused to use it, because she was so tied to her knives. But Percy wasn’t here to keep monsters at bay with his longer reach, and Thalia fought for the hunters now.

As she took the sickled longsword off the wall, she looked at it with disgust for a moment. Its weight was uncomfortable, its grip too rough, and the edge was uneven, melted from the cursed blood of a gorgon. Percy had looked at it with disgust as well the first time he had seen it, and Annabeth had teased him about not liking it, since it was “his” sword.

The blade that Perseus, the original, had beheaded Medusa with. A priestess of her mother. It had just been sitting there, collecting dust alongside so many other legendary weapons.

Now it was hers. And she was going to take it to the Hephaestus cabin immediately to have it fixed up.

After cowing a protesting Beckendorf, who was nervous about reforging the blade of one of Zeus’ favorite sons, Annabeth did something unthinkable.

She went to Clarisse for help.

Annabeth found Ares’ favorite daughter at the training grounds hacking at a dummy and her cabinmates, her daily conditioning ritual.

After she finished eviscerating the dummy, Clarisse turned towards the daughter of Athena, and her mouth curled up in a snarl for a moment. But it was quickly replaced by a more reserved, weaker anger.

The girl had mellowed out after their quest in the Sea of monsters, but now? Now it was almost like she was a respectful individual.

“Whaddya want, Annabeth? I’m a bit busy.”

Annabeth just drew her knives. “A spar. I need to get better.”

Clarisse smiled, and began stamping over to Annabeth. Immediately, the two were locked in combat, with Annabeth dancing around Clarisse’s sword that she kept in case of Maimer’s inevitable destruction. Clarisse eventually backed Annabeth into a corner, and pressed the advantage, to which Annabeth responded by putting both her knives against Clarisse’s blade, and pushed. A contest of strength, which Annabeth knew she’d lose, yet she did so on purpose.

Clarisse quickly pushed Annabeth back, and with a swift punch to the gut, knocked her to the floor. Yet the unusually tame daughter of Ares quickly offered Annabeth a hand, which she took and got up, dusting herself off.

“Why the hell’d you do that? You know you can't beat me like that with those shrimp arms.”

“I need to.” Annabeth croaked out.

“What?”

Annabeth looked up into Clarisse’s eyes with determination. “I need to be able to contend with you in strength.”

Clarisse looked mortified. Clearly, she had not been expecting Annabeth to come to her asking for strength training. The girl had an internal crisis for a long moment, stammering out different excuses for why she couldn’t help, before smacking herself upside the head, leveling her thoughts.

“Fine. I’ll make you stronger. But it ain’t gonna be easy, and it’s gonna hurt like hell.”

“I held the sky. I can take it.”

Once again, that look of conflicted worry flashed on Clarisse’s face. She felt for her comrade, it was obvious. But she was fighting her own nature in order to be helpful. Eventually, she threw another punch to Annabeth’s gut, but it had no weight behind it. Clarisse leaned in and whispered to her new training buddy.

“Get up an hour before breakfast tomorrow. I’ll show you the basics. But not a single word about this to anyone, especially not any of my siblings. They’ll try to get you onto their weird workout routines that are inefficient.”

Inefficient was quite possible the most complicated word Annabeth had heard come out of Clarisse, but she nodded politely and walked away, leaving Clarisse to her fun.

Her next stop was her last one.

As she stepped onto the porch, she looked on for a moment as Mr. D struggled to outfox Chiron in a hand of Poker, with Grover nervously dealing for the two immortals. Eventually, Chiron knocked Mr. D out with a three pair, Ace high, and sent the olympian spluttering muted curses as he trudged off into the woods to blow off steam, likely by yelling at the council about not doing too much.

Chiron turned to her and smiled softly, while Grover offered a more pained, halfway grin at seeing his old friend.

“What can I do for you, Annabeth?”

“I dreamt about Percy again. They cut off his hand.”

Chiron looked off into the distance as he so frequently did when trying to conceal his emotions, but it was useless against Annabeth. She’d learned to interpret exactly how he felt based on the movements of his jaw and his eyes. He was trying to hide his guilt.

“That is sad for me to hear, I’m sorry that you had to see him in such pain.”

“He was talking to someone who wasn’t there. He said something that sounded like a prophecy.”

That immediately dragged Chiron’s eyes back to her, irises laid deep with concern.

“What did he say?” This was Grover’s first time chiming in. It was odd seeing him in camp, but she remembered his trial with the council was set to commence soon. They had not been pleased at Grover’s claim that he had heard the voice of Pan.

“Dead, the traitor, the lost one raise. Something about the labyrinth growing again, and a Ghost King, and…”

Chiron looked her over with puzzled eyes. “And?”

“The child of Athena’s last stand.” She decided to omit the part about Percy looking right at her when he said that.

Chiron reclined as far back as he could in his wheelchair, and let out a deep breath as he processed the information.

“I am no great interpreter, you two. But here is my assumption, if this was indeed a Prophecy Percy spoke in your dream.” He sat back up. “The first portion refers to raising things, yes? Luke is no longer with us, and he is a traitor to Olympus. Perseus… one could say that he is lost. And, as much as I fear saying it, he is not likely to survive.”

The old centaur sat forward in his wheelchair and took a quick glance around, making sure nobody else was listening.

“The both of you mustn’t tell this to anyone, especially not the di Angelo siblings. Minos has escaped from Hades, and is seeking a way to revive the dead. It is likely that he has found at least a halfway solution, as the souls of some of his more… useful attendants have been disappearing from asphodel and the fields of punishment. Lord Hades has informed Mr. D and myself of this, as he fears for the safety of his children. It is possible that Minos may revive Luke to serve Kronos again, and he may do the same with Perseus, if he is the lost one this prophecy refers to.”

Annabeth was breathing shakily at this point, but she understood where Chiron was going, and she had some ideas herself.

“So Minos would be the Ghost King. And he’s probably hiding in the Labyrinth, with a revived Daedalus assisting him, willingly or not.”

“That would be my conclusion with the known information.”

“What about the third line?” Grover once again chimed in, erasing Annabeth’s attempt at glossing over the line that was probably referring to her future death. However, Chiron quickly gave a solution that was aimed to comfort, but it did little for her.

“Daedalus was a child of Athena in life. Perhaps Annabeth is correct, and Daedalus has indeed been revived. It is possible he may be the main enemy that a quest will have to contend against in order to complete the prophecy.”

“Yeah, yeah that makes sense.” Grover. Ever the practician of accepting the best outcome.
“I will think on this for now, and relay the information to Mr. D. Perhaps he can petition Apollo to give further insight.”

“Why can’t we go to the Oracle?” Annabeth spoke rather quickly, and seemed to be angry.

“Child, you just returned from the events of the last prophecy, and everybody in this camp can see that you were destroyed by it. You lost two of the most important individuals in your life, and you want to go off on another quest? Please.”

Chiron looked at her with a knowing gaze.

“Take this time to rest, and to know what little peace you can. The next prophecy will come when the time is right. All we can do is prepare.”

With that, the old centaur gave them a quick goodnight, and rolled away. Grover did the same, and went off into the safer parts of the forest for the night, leaving a conflicted daughter of Athena on the porch.

The next person she talked to wasn’t who she expected. Nevertheless, Dionysus walked back up to the porch with a decidedly less murderous look in his eyes, and stopped for a moment to observe her.

“What, waiting for me to give you a quest, Annissa?”

“It’s Annabeth.”

“Yes yes, always so concerned with names, you children are. As if calling me “Mr.D” actually hides your conversations.”

So he already knew.

“I’d advise you to do just as the director suggested, Annabelle. It is… how would your mother say, unwise, to interpret prophecies before their time comes.”

Strangely, his face seemed to flicker after that, but she had little time to question, as he walked into the big house and vanished into thin air.

Chapter Text

She was hesitant to go to bed that night. The fear of yet another nightmare gripped her like they sky had, like an overbearing feeling of dread. But she needed to get through this. To save Percy, she needed to get stronger, and to get stronger, she needed sleep.

As Annabeth stepped into the Athena Cabin, she noticed most of her siblings were already fast asleep. It made sense, since it had been barbecue night, which was infamous for striking the camp with food comas. But Annabeth hadn’t eaten much that night.

Slipping under the covers of her bunk, she closed her eyes slowly, and began counting in reverse, until her body grew heavy and was dragged under into the confines of sleep.

Of course, a dream came with her sleep. But this time, it wasn’t about Percy.

She sat in perhaps the most beautiful natural place she had ever seen. Rolling hills capped with hundreds of different wildflowers blowing in the wind stretched before her, all underneath a magnificent Purple, orange and blue sunset.

She naturally preferred the city, since she found entertainment in critiquing bad architecture and sketching the more well designed buildings, but this place was different. It felt almost unnaturally peaceful, as if it were holy ground where nothing could touch her.

Then, she noticed the figure standing next to her.

He was less of a figure, more of a shifting picture of the skyline. The same western sunset played like a moving painting across his body, the only still parts being his eyes and mouth, each a deep blue. He stared into the sky for a while, before turning to her, and speaking in a chorus of voices, each older than the last.

“This was the place he enjoyed the most. Artemis herself felt bliss when she moved through here, tracking the Ophitarius and leaving clues for the questers to follow. Isn’t it beautiful?”

At first, she didn’t know what to say to this mystery man. It was comically obvious that he was an immortal, but which one? She had some ideas, but none were conclusive. So she went along with him, and decided to ask questions.

“It is, I’ve never seen anything like it. Where are we?”

The being chuckled, an old, warm laugh that soothed her worries.

“Ever inquisitive, you children are. This place is known to you mortals as Peridot. I know it as the place where my influence is felt in its more natural sense.” He gestured to the sky. “Here, my art still remains, untouched, untainted by the mortal world. The stars shine bright, and the sky flows like Pontus’ rivers mixed with the most magnificent dyes. Gaea loved it so much that she blessed it with these hills and flowers, creating a paradise to the eyes.”

“The Primordials were quite the artists, then.” Annabeth quickly put one and two together to make Ouranos, but her questions weren’t over. “My Lord, you said that your power is felt naturally here?”

“You should know, child. I was fractured to the point of near fading. This place is simply where I put a great effort into my domain, similar to the far north and south. Here, my hand was heavy, and even though it is now gone, its weight remains heavy. As it does in another place.”

Annabeth turned her eyes to the Primordial again, and questioned with a shaking voice. “You mean Percy on the mountain? You’re aware that he’s there?”

The Primordial nodded sadly. “Yes, child. Young Perseus faces the burden of balancing this magnificent sky on his back.”

“Why speak to me, then?”

“The survival of the world as you know it depends upon him for now. If he loses all hope for survival, and loses control of the sky, it will fall to earth, and flatten the surface. I will fade, and my love will be hurt once again. And…” Ouranos smiled softly. “Because the boy yearns for you.”

That schooled Annabeth’s features quickly.

“He yearns to be home, to be alongside you and all of his companions once more. He no longer weeps from the pain late in the night, instead, he asks me to show me your camp, his mother, the ocean, and sometimes…” He gestured to the valley again. “This place. He feels… a sense of joy from looking here.”

“He can see all the way over here? How?”

“I see everything under the sky, child. I merely lend my sight to him, since he has none of his own.”

Annabeth held her arm, a feeling of sadness growing in her heart. Percy had been blinded by Artemis flashing them away.

“He feels some Peace here, so I brought you here as well, since the two of you find comfort in each other. I imagine you will enjoy this place as well.” The Primordial turned his eyes to her once more. “This is my gift, given freely. But you must not speak of this conversation, child of wisdom. Just enjoy the peace for the night.”

With that, Ouranos shimmered, and faded into the magnificent sunset, leaving behind a daughter of Athena who quickly heeded his advice.

She began walking, in no particular direction.

Everywhere she stepped, flowers spun and danced in the slow wind, creating a sea of colors on both the ground and in the sky. Wild horses cantered about without a worry in the world, and many other small animals, even a few peaceful monsters, frolicked in the fields.

It truly was paradise, in a sense. It felt like a place where you could let all of your worries go, and just breathe in the air, smell the flowers, and watch as the sun creeped lower on the horizon.

There was no conflict here. Not a single danger. No hostile monsters, no disease, no gods. Just the sky and the land, swirling about one another.

She felt herself sink to the ground, finding her fingers tangled in dry grass and flowers, as she laid on her back, and let out a generations worth of pain in a single deep exhale.

She could almost see Artemis in her chariot, bringing the moon into the sky once her brother had left. The introduction of the moon drove away the swirling blues and oranges, but made way for the stars, an unknown number of them crossing the sky, twinkling as they said hello to each other.

And she sat there, for so long, feeling safe, and yet…

She was alone.

That of course, was when her body raised itself from her one peaceful night in the past few months.

As Annabeth stepped out into the early morning, Clarisse was already waiting for her near the training grounds, alone.

“Let’s get right to it, girlie. Time’s wasting.”

For the next hour, Clarisse taught her all of her routines. How to strengthen every muscle that would give her an advantage in combat. They didn’t do more than a set of each exercise, it was merely educational, so Clarisse could teach proper form for each workout. The message was obvious.

Clarisse couldn’t personally train her. So she was giving her the tools to do everything herself, for which Annabeth was grateful. She usually preferred to train alone, or against Percy whenever he wasn’t helping teach the other campers sword techniques.

Once their session was over, Annabeth took a quick shower and dragged herself to breakfast.

The stares weren’t as heavy this morning, so she was able to eat without risking the excising of her insides onto the plate in front of her. This was an issue she’d never figured would occur, but it had now shown itself.

She struggled against peer pressure. In her mind, it made no sense. On the quest before she lost Percy, the two had discovered her fatal flaw. Her hubris. So why? Why did someone so confident in their own abilities crack so easily under the gaze of her peers?

She finished breakfast quickly as well, and went to the Hephaestus cabin, where a mildly annoyed Beckendorf was waiting for her.

Silena had apparently wrestled him into her salon the previous night, because his afro that he had been growing out had been tied into short braids, which he acted like he was annoyed by, but secretly, Annabeth could tell that the demigod was overjoyed to have his not so secret girlfriend braid his hair.

He handed her a wrap of leather, the blade of Perseus concealed inside.

“It was more than difficult, to say the least. Consecrated Celestial bronze does not like to be reforged. I hope it works for you, because the most I’ll do to that blade from now on is a sharpening, if necessary.”

He stepped back into the Hephaestus cabin, toying with the ends of his braids like a little kid.

As she walked to the training grounds for the second time that morning, she unwrapped the blade.

It was beautiful, and she hated it.

Perfectly polished Bronze gleamed back at her, the curved edge looking more like it was designed to harvest wheat than kill. It was forged to be ceremonial, but Perseus had taken this blade and killed monsters with it, changing it forever. Now she needed to get used to the thing.

After an hour practicing with the blade, she came to several conclusions.

The weight was still awkward. She needed to be careful with the curved end of the blade, because it easily got stuck if it penetrated incorrectly. And it was always warm to the touch, for some reason. Frustration kept mounting, as mastering the blade seemed like a more daunting task than she had been ready for. She didn’t even notice her least favorite child of Aphrodite sneaking up on her.

Drew poked her in the back with a stick, causing Annabeth to whirl around on her, though not brandishing the blade.

“Jeez, what are you so on edge for? Not like you’re about to get kidnapped again.”

Annabeth sighed, immediately disregarding Drew’s lazy attempt at getting her riled up. “What is it, Drew? Does Silena need something?”

“No, I just wanted to talk. To you.”

“I figured who you wanted to talk to would be obvious, considering you’re talking to me already.”

“Yes yes, you and your logic. Gods, you’re insufferable.” Drew went and sat down on one of the benches, leaning back to make herself comfortable. Annabeth thought it was odd seeing the girl out of the Aphrodite cabin this early. Usually, she’d get up early and spend forever putting on her makeup, come out and eat breakfast, then return to her cabin and spend another two hours fixing herself up again. But here she was, with just a few layers and a tiny bit of blush and eyeliner.

“So? What did you want to talk about?”

“You. You’re on edge, and the whole camp feels it.”

“So what?”

The girl huffed, and sat up from her lounging position on the bench. “It’s putting the camp on edge too. You’re kinda sorta like our… leader? No, that’s not the right term, Percy was more the leader… oh! You’re like the responsible one for a group of friends, and right now, you’re really breaking up the mood for the few of us that are here for winter. A few people even popped in just before yesterday morning to see you guys after getting back from the quest, and you just blew them off to go and stand in the fields.”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at Drew, now mildly annoyed. “Ever heard the term “in mourning”, Drew? When someone’s in mourning, it usually brings the mood down, sorry to tell you.”

Sensing that she was getting where she wanted, Drew began to smirk. “Oh, but nobody important died, right? Just a traitor, nothing more.” A vein swelled on Annabeth’s forehead, but as she opened her mouth to speak, Drew cut her off. “Oh wait, you’re mourning Percy, I almost forgot! Ohhh, I understand you now! You’re mad at yourself, because you got him trapped under the sky! That makes so much sense!”

Annabeth was breathing heavily. Her eyes tunneled on Drew.

“Gotta say, it's awful that it happened, especially to Percy. He’s such a great guy! You know something? Half the girls in my cabin are pissed at how much you hog him, and you’re not even dating the guy! If it was me there, I would’ve made sure that-”

Before Drew could finish, Annabeth dropped the blade of Perseus and decked Drew, square in the face. Drew had apparently been shocked at the outburst, because she was just looking up at Annabeth, with wide eyes and a broken nose, small trails of blood mixing with her makeup.

After a heavy exhale, Annabeth stomped away, and picked up the blade as she stormed off into the woods, blinking away tears of frustration, to blow off steam by erasing as many monsters as she could.

Chapter Text

Percy was pissed. But not for any reason one would think upon first glance.

Sure, the boy was blind. And missing a hand. And bearing the weight of the sky.

But getting told a cryptic prophecy hinting at his best friend’s death when he could do nothing about it? Now that’s just layering it thick.

To top it all off, his least favorite old women came late in the night after Atlas was done with him. It had apparently been his legs’ turn, and he’d learned firsthand why his mother warned him to stay away from the iron when it was heating up.

As the three ancient weavers of fate waltzed nonchalantly into his torture chamber, Percy just huffed in greeting. No groveling would come from his tongue.

“Perseus Achilles Jackson. You’ve caused us much trouble.”

“I don’t have a middle name.”

“But you do. All who are destined to bear his curse must also bear his name.”

“Uh, does it look like I’m invulnerable to you?”

Ouranos chimed in. “Peace, Perseus. Allow them to speak freely.”

The middle sister snapped at him. “Yes, boy. No interruptions.”

“Hold on, you can hear Ouranos?”

“Yes, they can. Now be good and stay quiet, yes?”

Percy grunted in response.

“We spoke the prophecy to Ouranos, and he spoke it to you. But you may rejoice, Perseus. We intend for you to participate in a way, unlike the last prophecy. We would advise that you take the strictest path possible moving forward, so that you do not tangle our threads further.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem, since I’m not going anywhere soon.”

“A consequence of your inability to follow fate. A reminder for the future. Serve us well, and you may know more happiness, Perseus.”

The fates stuck around for some reason, chilling out and rolling yarn for hours. One of them was even reading a book.

“Isn’t that neglecting your domain… uh…”

“Atropos, child. Are you complaining that I am not cutting threads at the moment?”

“You likely shouldn’t complain about that, Perseus. They might kill off one of the actors in that show you love.”

Percy laughed lightly to himself in bewilderment. “I’m getting teamed up on by my Primordial great grandfather and the sisters of fate.”

Ouranos chuckled to himself as well, but the fates just kept spinning, each staring at him.

Finally, as the morning sun began to break, the three old women stood again, and began to leave. Atropos stopped, and looked back at him. In a moment, an entire life flashed before his eyes: him escaping the mountain, returning to camp, and surviving the second Titanomachy. He grew old, got married, and had children. He died peacefully, his family floating his body out to sea so that his father could lay him to rest where he belonged. The vision faded, and Atropos turned to leave.

“Do not resist Fate, Perseus. Your life has many paths, but there is one we intend for you.”

He thought about the vision for most of the morning. However, he quickly grew embarrassed every time he thought about who he spent most of his time with in the vision.

“What did I say, Perseus? You have a… “Thing”, for her.”

“Shut up, old man.”

Ouranos whistled in his head. “Quite Brazen, speaking like that to a Primordial. I will take it as a good sign, meaning that you are nowhere near breaking.”

“You’d be right.”

Once more, he was just left to rot during the day, his only source of entertainment being teaching Ouranos about random obscure topics in the modern world or watching his guards get into random brawls.

“Would you like to look upon the world again, Perseus?”

“We’ve done that a lot, haven’t we?

“Well, sadly there is not much else that I can do for you at the moment.”

“At the moment? That means you can do more later?”

“So to speak, yes. Unlike Atlas, you are a more… friendly bearer of the burden, and you have allowed me freely into your mind to converse, and have even accepted some of my blessings. In a way, you are becoming my tether to reality outside of this point on the mountain.”

“So?”

“So, I am manifesting at a greater level, meaning my power is increasing the longer I am tied to you. Depending on how much I am able to amass, I may be able to have a physical form again, and I could free you.”

“And how long ‘til then?”

“Well, I have never come back from nonexistence before.”

“An estimate, maybe?”

“At the very least, a year.”

Percy felt rising frustration again, but he bit it back. Ouranos was trying to come back from the void in order to free him, and that alone was enough to be happy about.

“Thank you, really. I don’t think I’d have survived past the first night without you, Ouranos.”

“It has been my pleasure to help you, Perseus. Believe me, I am just as thankful for having someone to talk to after eons of silence on top of Atlas. I have meant to…reconnect with my family as well. I am lucky that it is you who I have grown closer to.”

It was odd, being a Primordial’s favorite descendant. It was almost a badge of honor, earning the favor of one of the most ancient beings in existence. Then again, the pride was muted by his situation.

How long has it been now? Almost three full days under the weight of the sky.

From what Ouranos had shown him, he quickly figured out why the world hadn’t ended or why his friends hadn’t come storming in to rescue him: Thalia had joined the hunters, and was now eternally a day before sixteen. Meaning he was next in line for being the child of prophecy, which in turn guaranteed his life until he turned 16.

Not that turning 16 was his main concern at the moment.

“Perseus… about that.”

“What? Turning 16?”

“Yes. While you are the most likely candidate for fulfilling the great prophecy, it is not set in stone.”

“You saying you’ve got a way out for me?”

“Figuratively, yes. I could adopt you, and you’d by technicality be a child of the eldest immortals then.”

“How is that any different?”

“The fates are rather loose with their strands when it comes to the great prophecy. But if it did indeed work, it would cause the prophecy to fall to your younger cousin.”

“Absolutely not.”

Ouranos sighed. “I imagined not. Cowardice is not your nature, after all.”

“...Do you actually mean that you’d adopt me just to get me out of the prophecy? Like, how does that even work?”

“I refer more to the meaning of the great prophecy’s lines. A half blood of the eldest gods would refer to you, being a son of Poseidon, however, if you were my adopted son, that might have superseded the lines.”

“Yeesh. Wait… Oh gods, would Aphrodite be my sister then?”

“Yes, just not by blood.”

“I think from that alone I would’ve had to say no to being adopted.”

“I understand your…discontent with her. I know that love and lust are her domains, but her behaviour, especially regarding younger demigods confounds and disappoints me.”

“Has she always been a huge annoyance, or is that a more recent thing?”

“That would be a recent change in her attitude, probably beginning around the time of Alexander.”

“Oh. I forgot what recent means to you.”

“Yes, well, aside from that, she used to be quite the lovely, outgoing personality. Not that she isn’t outgoing now, she merely minded boundaries a bit more. It saddens me to watch her grow so controlling over the freedom of love, it’s not in her nature.”

“If you manage to get me out of here, do you think you could ask her not to make my love life “interesting”, as she put it?”

“Hmm… maybe. It wouldn’t be wise for me to reveal my presence to an Olmypian, but she just might be the exception. Perhaps I could earn her secrecy by telling her about how I plan to fall back into Gaea’s good graces and regain her love. Knowing Aphrodite, she would say yes just for the opportunity to watch me try.”

“Well, we’re getting quite the plan going, aren’t we?”

“I only hope that you survive long enough for us to enact it.”

Chapter Text

Time stretched on indefinitely for him, since he lost count of the amount of times the sun had come and set to Atlas’ ever inventive methods of persuading him to betray his friends. Ouranos always offered to remind him exactly how many days he’d been there, but it would only make it worse knowing.

Instead, he measured how long he’d been on the mountain by how frustrated Atlas seemed with him.

After every single “session” they had, Atlas offered to release him, to replace him with a minor immortal that he had held captive in golden chains.

Each time, Percy gave a resounding “No”, though the language was often far more colorful than what Ouranos was comfortable with.

Depending on what mood Atlas was in, it would either earn him an extended session, or a grunt of frustration from the Titan.

Interestingly, Atlas had tried to get him to eat a few times. No water though, because Atlas would not risk the son of Poseidon gaining a burst of energy strong enough to attempt escape. He had learned last time when he’d given Percy a sip of water, which led to a minor earthquake and the Titan tripping and nearly knocking Percy out from under the sky.

So it was banned, strangely flavored energy drinks as his only form of moisture with his minimal meals, when he ate them. Turns out, Battery Acid mixed with expired spinach and other things monsters found in dumpsters didn't make for the most palatable dinners.

So Percy decided to get up to some trickery.

One night, after Atlas launched into his spiel on how terrible the gods were and what a great hero he would be hosting Kronos, Percy decided to attempt to mimic the silver tongued Lord of the Titans. When Atlas asked him if he’d like to be freed and join the Titans, Percy spoke.

“Get me some better dinner, and I might think about it.”

Atlas huffed, clearly seeing right through him, but it was the first time Percy hadn’t outright swore and spit at the Titan, so he just nodded, and walked away.

About an hour and a half later, one of his cyclops guards strolled in, dressed in a suit that had obviously been tailored for a bodybuilder, but it had still torn into five different sections when the monster put it on. The one eyed butler came and kneeled before him, producing a silver tray, which he lifted the lid off of to reveal Percy’s darkest fantasy: An All Star Special from America's Kitchen: Waffle House. A waffle, eggs, hashbrowns and all. There was even a glass of orange juice!

The meal certainly didn’t match the vibe the cyclops was trying to create with the whole fine dining approach, but Percy didn’t care. He demolished every bit of the meal the moment the Cyclops’ hands grew near enough. Sure, eating from a cyclops’ hand wasn’t a good look, but it was entirely worth it.

Warmth spread through him from drinking the Orange Juice. There was water in oranges, and it began to heal some of his interior wounds. He wondered if the cyclops hadn't thought of that.

He felt a fleeting twinge in his gut: his inner nature wanting to be released. An earthquake, a storm, for the Pacific to reach all the way over to him and wash away the mountain. But he held it in, converting everything he could to his reserves. He’d bide his time, and use it when he needed.

After giving him some time, Atlas returned, and sat in front of him on an oversized metal chair.

“So?”

Percy burped loudly. “So what?”

Atlas growled. “Any change to your opinion on how gracious a host I am?”

“Not exactly. I prefer Lunch, just so you know.”

“Yet you asked for a better dinner.”

Percy gave the Titan a shit-eating grin. “And you gave me Breakfast. You’re really not fulfilling my needs here.”

Atlas sighed and stood, then gave Percy a swift punch to the stomach, causing him to vomit the entire meal, save the Orange juice, which had been completely absorbed.

“Tomorrow, I will give you dinner. You will come to our side, or you will eat gruel until the day you die.” With that, the Titan left him for the night, and his mind drifted again.

Frequently, he found that Ouranos shifted his vision to Peridot whenever Percy was in deep thought. It was calming for him, and gave him a space where he could escape the stone walls of his captivity, if even for a moment.

The way that the flowers shifted in the wind gave him a feeling not unlike how it had felt looking upon Asphodel. The difference being the absence of the lucid dead and the aroma of decaying flesh.

“Ouranos, I’m fated to make a choice to save or destroy Olympus, right?”

“If you are the child of prophecy, yes.”

He never gave him a yes or no when he asked about the prophecy. Ouranos always skirted around directly confirming that the fate of Olympus rested in his hands.

“So, if I was, do you think that decision might be to accept or refuse Kronos when I turn sixteen?”

“That could very well be the choice. But the fates are much like Hecate. They love their crossroads, and will certainly put several decisions in the path of the child of prophecy, and it is often one of the stranger decisions that winds up being the most important.”

“Mm.” Ouranos wasn’t the only one whose speech was changing from conversing with another.

“If you would like my personal insight, I would say that it may not be the decision. Yes, joining the Titans and giving Kronos a mortal host to tie his soul to would shift the balance of power incredibly, but in my mind, you have already made that decision. I know you, Perseus, and you are not one to take after a turncoat.”

“Where’d you learn that one?”

“When I was rudely awoken by your country’s idiotic ancestors tearing into each other over a hundred years ago.”

Percy Laughed. “The Civil war woke you up from a nap?”

“Well, when it is a war that has the opportunity to shift the course the world is running, yes! Everything was so loud for so long, and I couldn’t ignore it when the Romans started fighting as well. It was a preposterous sight!”

Percy’s brain was seemingly malfunctioning. Had he heard Ouranos right?

“Uh, Great Grandad, you sure you’re not confusing the American Civil war with one of the old European ones? ‘Cause the Romans have been gone for at least a thousand years.”

“No, not those Romans, I mean your extended family, the Roman Demigods. Siding with Slavers instead of their own kin, absolutely abhorrent. Perhaps Slavery was crucial to the Empire, but they are little more than a village at this point.”

“Roman Demigods?”

“Yes, why do you sound so confused?”

“Uh, probably because nobody knew that there are Roman Demigods?!”

“What, Chiron never told you about your extended family?”

“No?!”

“Oh. Well then, just a moment here…”

His view flew far to the west, back to the mountain. Then it shifted, moving to overlook a small town not too far. Except the town looked suspiciously like some of Annabeth’s sketches, with tons of pillars and arches, generally looking like someone had restored the colosseum, then broken it into hundreds of pieces and scattered it around.

“This would be the Roman Camp, Camp Jupiter. Very nice and well ordered, I imagine you would like it.”

“This makes zero sense to me.”

“How so?”

“How exactly are they “Roman” and not Greek? We worship and are born from the same gods, so what makes them different?”

“That… will take some time to explain.”

“We have a lot of that. Time.”

Ouranos grumbled for a moment, and then launched into the explanation of how the Greek gods gained Roman aspects after Rome incorporated the gods into their own religion. He made it as simple as possible, but comprehending something like that was still like doing advanced algebra for Percy. After a few more, slower explanations, Percy seemed to get it.

“So they both exist at the same time, but focus on one aspect at a time.”

“Yes.” Said a very worn out Ouranos.

“And for some reason, we’re mad at each other.”

“Not for “some reason”, but yes, you understand the gist of it.”

“Why did you think I knew about them if we’re basically on war footing, then?”

“Well, I imagined Chiron educated you children on their existence and warned you to stay away from California in order to avoid a fight.”

“I literally went to California for my first quest. Hells, where am I right now?”

“I suppose you are right.”

“Any chance those guys are trigger happy with both us and the Titans?”

“That, absolutely. Their camp was actually positioned so close to Othrys so that they could keep a close eye in case the Titans attempted to rise again.”

“I'm not exactly you and your ever watchful gaze, but it looks to me like the Titans are rising.”

That quieted Ouranos. Percy figured that was probably the limit of the Primordial’s patience for the night.

Looking over the Roman camp as it turned to early morning, he saw many figures moving across a large field, seemingly in military maneuvers. Far more numbers than his own camp had, which confused him. He thought that not many demigods were supposed to live long enough to get to camp, even less lived into adulthood. But Camp Jupiter’s numbers were astounding, and Percy could gauge the experience that they had, even from a bird’s eye view.

One thing was certain. If Atlas wasn’t careful, a lot more than three demigods were going to march up to his front door.

Chapter Text

She shivered for a moment, not exactly feeling the same annoyance she had towards the blonde idiot standing a few feet away smirking at her.

“You get the feeling you’re being watched too?” Jason, blunt as ever, had stepped over to her, still managing to look perfect even after morning muster and drills.

“Yeah. Not like it feels with Octavian though. Like whoever’s watching is an actually powerful individual.”

“Your mom, maybe?”

“Bellona hasn’t been very communicative recently.”

“My dad hasn’t either, hell, not even Juno Moneta has sent me any cryptic dreams recently.”

“That would be…” Here comes the Blonde idiot. “Because things are rather tense on Olympus at the moment.”

Jason sneered at the legacy of Apollo, who so loved to bother Reyna and himself throughout the day, despite being a member of the first cohort.

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you enlighten us, Monroe?”

“Not my name, Grace.” Octavian absolutely despised the comparison. “From what I’ve seen, Neptune is in quite the foul mood, and it’s causing issues for Lord Jupiter.”

“Uh, aren’t my dad and Uncle always beefing?”

“Yes, they have their spats, but this one seems particularly troublesome. The Sea God’s tropical storms have increased in intensity, and he hasn’t been seen for nearly a week! I almost get the sense that another war between Lord Jupiter and his foul brother is stirring.”

Reyna piped up, no longer able to contain her silent seething at being in Octavian’s presence. “You of all people at this camp should watch your tongue when speaking of the Gods, Octavian. Yes, the incident with Shen Lun still weighs heavy, but you still speak of an Olympian God. And, if my eyes don’t deceive me…” She pointed to the west. “The area where said god is most powerful in the world is not too far away from Camp Jupiter. Please, try not to invoke Lord Neptune’s wrath?”

“Just barely a full legionary in the fifth, and already mouthing off at me? I’d be careful, Ramirez.”

Reyna quickly dragged Octavian down by his neck, and dug her thumb into his throat. She whispered in his ear. “Call be by anything other than Reyna or Legionary again, and I’ll offer up your body at Jupiter’s temple so we can get some good Auguries.” She let him go, and stepped back, slightly behind Jason, who was trying to be protective of her, but failing miserably, since he was intimidated as well.

Octavian coughed and rubbed his throat for a moment, one knee to the ground, then snorted and trudged off, thoroughly cowed for the day. Dakota shot her a look and stepped over.

“Do I need to ask why?”

Reyna shuddered, and gave Dakota a weak smile. “Please don’t, Decanus.” Jason mirrored Dakota’s concerned glance, but Dakota quickly mellowed and re-adopted his pseudo-drunken grin.

“Long as I don’t have to be the one reporting to Gwen, or, gods forbid, the senior centurion.”

Jason and Dakota shared a look again. “Yeah, best not to bother him.”

Jason had made Decanus just before Dakota, and he and Dakota quickly bonded over their fear of the fifth’s senior Centurion. Reyna had only seen said Centurion at roll and dinners in passing. The only time he had spoken to her was when she was first accepted into the fifth, but she didn’t blame the man. Managing the fifth and trying to improve it was a heavy task to contend with.

Thankfully, a more welcome sight quickly made herself apparent. Gwen came to Reyna just after dismissal, a comforting smile on her face.

“Octavian bothering you again?”

“Yes, Centurion. I’m sorry if I caused trouble.”

Gwen smirked. “Oh, not at all. It was actually entertaining watching you punk him. More people need to do that, or he’s going to somehow transcend his own insufferable nature when he becomes Augur.”

Reyna shared Gwen’s smirk after that. The two had quickly bonded when Gwen stood for her, and had been close friends ever since.

“Go get cleaned up, Reyna. Apparently, the senior Centurion has an announcement for us after Dinner, and you know how strict he is about appearances.”

“Yes, Centurion.”

The two girls went their separate ways after that, and Reyna fully abused her knowledge of where Gwen kept her spare key to the Private Bath for the fifth’s Centurions.

As she strolled into the Pavilion for Dinner and took her normal seat next to Jason on one of the smaller couches next to the Kitchen, she noticed that Gwen’s expression wasn’t the usual, aloof happiness tinged with stress that she had adopted after her promotion. Now, sitting next to her superior, she looked almost panicked at what he was saying to her.

“She’s looked like that for a good minute now, ever since he started talking. Think it’s related to his supposed announcement for us?”

“I hope not. If Gwen’s that spooked by what he’s saying, imagine what that might mean for us.”

Jason gulped down the rest of his drink, and Reyna noticed his grip on the table. She’d gotten to know his tendencies quickly, and this was most definitely a moment where she needed to make use of her knowledge.

She put a hand over his, and felt his grip loosen a little, and chose to attack his stress through sarcasm. “It’s probably not that bad. Hey, maybe he’s gonna retire, and Gwen’s scared about being Senior Centurion?”

Jason looked over to her with a face that showed he was starting to calm down. He gave a small laugh. “Yeah, like that would ever happen. He’ll keep an Iron Grip on this Cohort until he’s at least fifty.”

It was after another ten minutes of eating that their Praetors stood and announced the retirement of the fifth cohort’s senior Centurion, leaving Jason’s Jaw practically on the floor and Reyna now regretting her joke.

There wasn’t much noise, since the other Cohorts didn’t care much about the fifth’s chain of command, so after a continuation of her private conversation with her now retired superior, Gwen came over and collapsed onto the couch across from Reyna and Jason.

She exhaled deeply, and wiped the bit of sweat off her brow.

Gwen pointed at Jason. “You. You’re… promoted.”

Jason was surprised, which he really shouldn’t have been. Everyone knew that he was up next in the fifth. “Doesn’t that require a vote in the cohort?!”

Gwen raised an eyebrow, mildly annoyed. She shouted to the fifth, which had gathered nearby.

“I nominate Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter for the position of Junior Centurion! All in favor?!”

Every member of the fifth, Reyna included, shouted in approval. Jason looked at his friend with a look of betrayal, but she just shot him a grin.

“What? You’re my direct superior, and I’m your second. Why wouldn’t I vote in favor when I’m lined up for my own promotion?”

“You know that’s not what… never mind. My first disciplinary measure is definitely gonna be relegating you to solo stall cleaning.”

Reyna punched her new Centurion in the arm as he accepted his promotion, prompting a sigh of relief from Gwen and a cheer from the fifth.

That night, Reyna helped Jason move his things into his new room. She raised an eyebrow several times seeing some of the more personal items he had stored under his previous bunk, and elected not to touch many of them, instead leaving the flustered son of Jupiter to deal with it.

As he moved the last few things into his room, Reyna watched him from his bed.

He looked good, even in his current state, being that of panic and rapid movement as he tried his hardest to hide certain things. Then again, he was meant to look good. The Phrase ‘Practiced Ease’ came to mind. No matter what situation he was in, the mortal son of Jupiter looked like Imperial Gold to her.

Reyna still didn’t know her actual stance on Jason. She’d been here no more than half a year, and earned her place in the legion by dragging him from the Little Tiber when he’d somehow managed to lasso his own legs while pretending to be Tristan Mclean in his new western movie, which gained his friendship and trust immediately, and a promotion to his second. They’d been around each other constantly, both in their working relationship and while off duty from the legion, with Jason teaching her the ins and outs of New Roman society, even showing her his favorite places in the city.

The strategist in her simply saw this closeness as a necessity, and a positive on their working relationship. She was a Decanus now, just like Dakota, who was just as good a friend to Jason. A Centurion well connected with his Decanii is good for Rome.

But she wanted more.

Her father never let her interact with the boys in San Juan, not even the other well to do kids who lived nearby. He said that they would bring nothing but misdirection and bad omens into her life, and he promised that Bellona would say the same if asked.

On Circe’s island, the most she ever saw of men was a few rich idiots who had been lost for days or the occasional good spirited solo sailor. Never someone her age.

Well, there was that Percy Jackson kid, but from what Hylla had told her, he’d been rather mouthy to just about everyone, even Circe. It didn’t matter much though, since they all met the same fate.

Then the ordeal with the Pirates, all of them from a time long past, and they certainly didn’t know how to act around her and her sister. Not that she’d ever consider a relationship with those filthy beasts, anyway.

But here was Jason. Clean cut, with great manners and a face that was begging to be held like a newborn child. The exact opposite of those disgusting men that had held her so long. The very picture of stability for her future. Perhaps now that he’d have to hand her a lot more orders, they’d grow closer. Maybe in the future, when Gwen retires, she can be the junior centurion, and he would be her senior. And after that, who knows?

“ -judge me for the rest of the night?”

Reyna snapped back to reality. “Huh?”

He smirked. “I said, are you just going to sit there and judge me for the rest of the night? Or, are you going to go and settle into your own new digs?”

She’d forgotten about that. Even the Decanii of the fifth got a slightly nicer place to sleep than any old legionary.

“I guess I should do that.”

“Need my help?”

“No, I should be fine.”

“Are you sure? I mean, you helped me move all the stuff I had packed away.”

“Jason, I saw more than I wished to helping you move. I’d imagine you wouldn’t like to see what I have to hide, either.”

Jason blushed lightly, and turned away. “Oh, right. Sorry.”

She slid off his bed and punched his arm again. “Night, Centurion.” She said playfully.

He mimicked her tone. “Night, Decanus.”

As Reyna walked out of his room and began quietly moving her things, she thought of just how lucky she’d been since the Pirates dropped them off.

Everything was starting to look up for her in life. A new job, working under a great guy and her old friend.

What could go wrong?

Chapter Text

Just about everything went wrong the next day.

Not only did she wake up fifteen minutes late, missing her early morning extra practice, but she couldn’t find her shoes for even longer. Turns out, she’d left them tucked under her old bunk, so she had to somehow crawl across the creakiest floorboards known to man without waking up any of the sleeping Legionaries nearby.

Reyna caught her breath after she managed to file into morning muster just in time.

Imagine her surprise when the Praetors announced that the augur had passed in the night, and that as of today, Octavian would be acting Augur for New Rome.

Just wonderful.

To cap off that wonderful revelation, apparently Octavian wanted to speak to Jason and Reyna later that night at the temple of Jupiter.

As the pair walked up towards the temple, Reyna found herself slipping a hand into Jason’s, causing him to hesitate, though he eventually calmed a bit and gave her hand a nervous squeeze.

Not that Octavian was scary at all, just that being called by the Augur was never a good thing.

Stepping into the temple made one thing apparent: Octavian had been ready for this day.

The Altar had been completely refurbished, its marble now shining in the waning light of the day’s sun. Dozens of eviscerated stuffed animals already mobbed the feet of Jupiter’s statue, and one crazed Legacy of Apollo certainly didn't seem to be slowing.

“Ah, Jason, Reyna, thank you for joining me!” Octavian turned halfway around to face them with a shine in his eyes, his wide smile showing just how happy he was to finally be in this position. “Really, I am ecstatic that you-”

“What do you want, Octavian?” Jason asked him with a monotone, deadpan stare.

Jason had settled into his role as Centurion nearly overnight, and he was doing well with the whole ‘being in command’ part, which also meant being able to put up with bullshit. Though, his constant bickering with Octavian had given him early training for that. Perhaps the development of a disdain for your peers at the higher level was natural.

Octavian didn’t default to his usual sneer as he tended to whenever someone had the nerve to challenge him, instead letting his lips fold into a thin smirk as he fully turned, showing off his frankly over the top Augur uniform.

“Oh, it’s your lucky day, Centurion. I’ve had so many visions today, but quite a few involve you.” He turned around and gutted an oversized stuffed shark from Ikea, and let out a deep exhale, shaking as if he was cold for a moment. “Yes, it’s definitely you, Grace, and you as well, Reyna. A quest!”

Jason squeezed her hand a bit tighter. “Care to enlighten us before you pass out from huffing cotton, Octavian?”

“Oh, you’re no fun, Grace. South Carolina, there’s some Imperial Gold that’s been forged into warheads in a fort there. The Praetors should okie doke the quest by tonight, so get some good sleep, because you’ll be heading out in the morning.”

With that, Octavian returned to his bears, leaving a disgruntled pair of Demigods to trudge down to dinner.

Reyna noticed that Jason still hadn’t let go of her hand, even though he seemed a bit awkward about it when she first reached out. She certainly wasn’t going to complain, since she loved his nervous demeanor just as much as the warmth of his hand, but there were clearly more pressing matters on his mind.

“I’ve been Centurion for just over sixteen hours, and he’s already found a way to send me off so I can’t solidify my position.”

“Jason, I’m sure that’s not it.” Reyna was fully aware of what Octavian had in mind, and actually agreed with Jason, but she was focused on calming her friend down at the moment.

“No, it has to be. He was mad that I made Decanus a few months ago, and now he’s throwing a fit and sending me to the other side of the country for some Imperial Gold that isn’t even confirmed to exist. He sees me as a threat to his first few weeks as Augur, so he’s getting me out of the way.”

“It will be fine either way. Besides,” She put a hand on his arm. “You’ve got me to keep you on track, Jason. The majority of the quest will be spent traveling instead of fighting, that’s for certain.”

He smiled at her lightly. “You ever been to the East Coast?”

“Nope.”

“Yeah, me neither. I’ve never felt the urge to check it out, mostly on account of the increased monster activity.”

“Weird. Gwen said something different.”

“What’d she say?”

Reyna gave him a puzzled look. “Well, she said that the amount of monsters was generally the same, but she felt a strange sense of ‘foreboding’ while on her quest in Boston. No idea what that’s supposed to mean. Maybe we should ask?”

“Good idea. Hey, I didn’t even know Gwen went on a transcontinental quest.”

“Few have, and she wouldn’t call herself lucky.”

They made it into the dining pavilion at that point, quickly ripping their hands apart as they realized they were still attached.

Gwen shot Jason a look from the table where she sat with the other Centurions and the Praetors, and, annoyingly, Octavian now, and Jason realized that he was supposed to be sitting there too. However, he chose to just smile and wave at his senior centurion, and began digging into his food alongside Reyna, earning him a scathing look from Gwen as she sensed the other Centurions bearing in to criticize her inability to keep her junior centurion in line.

Dinner ended, and the two were initially confused as to why the Praetors hadn’t publicly announced their quest. Maybe Octavian wanted it kept on the down low so he didn’t seem like he was happy about them leaving?

Gwen quickly answered that question when she came over and collapsed across from them, much like she had the previous night. At first, not a word escaped her, as she breathed in and out, occasionally picking grapes off of Reyna’s plate, before she sat up and eyed Jason angrily.

“Jason, I was already on the edge of dying from anxiety overload when you weren’t up there with me. Now Lord Jupiter is sending you on a quest across the states?!” She leaned forward and grabbed Jason by the shoulders, shaking him as he suppressed a laugh. “Are you trying to get me to age fifteen years in a month?! Huh?!”

“No, no, I promise I’m not trying to speed up your aging process, you’re a fossil already, Gwen.”

That earned him a punch to the nose. Not enough to cause any real harm, but he certainly sounded funny when he next spoke.

“I’m Seventeen, Jason!”

“M’sorry, sorry!” Jason put one hand up in defeat,the other covering his nose, and retreated so that his back was against the couch. Reyna laughed at the both of them, causing Gwen to whirl on her.

“Why are you laughing, Reyna?! You’re witnessing dissent in the chain of command right now! Shouldn’t you be concerned as a future officer?!”

The bickering went on and on for the next ten minutes, with Jason somehow managing to get Gwen even more angry with the few words he was able to get out. Eventually, Gwen tired of shouting, and went back to her position on the couch.

Gwen spoke with a serious tone, which was so far out of left field from where they just were that it almost started Jason again, but Reyna quickly silenced him with an elbow. “So. You’re going to the east coast.”

“Yes, Centurion.” Reyna replied easily.

“Well, at least it’s the southern half. I’d be a lot more concerned if you had to go to New York or something instead.”

“What’s wrong with the northern half?” Jason had recovered enough from the earlier socking to speak normally again. His question prompted Gwen to start telling her story in length, which is exactly what they needed.

“Dunno. Everything was fine in North Carolina, but the moment the train left Richmond, everything just felt…wrong. There were more monsters, less safe places to camp out for the night, and just a weird feeling that I didn’t belong anywhere near there. It was the worst in New York though. Dakota said it felt like he was melting when we passed by the Empire State building, so he asked if we could go to Long Island for the rest of the day to relax. That plan ended quickly, since the taxi we were in broke down the moment we turned in that direction. It wasn’t as bad when we made it to Boston, but it certainly was still crowded with Monsters.”

“Dakota was there too?”

“Yep.”

Jason looked concerned. “He said he felt like he was melting? Are you sure he didn’t, y’know, get more in tune with his father’s nature while outside the rules of camp?”

Gwen finally laughed. “Oh, Gods no. He tried at one point to sneak a case of generic alcohol out of a store, but he’s gotta be the worst at hiding things. He’d make a poor thief.”

“Okay, but there’s nothing that would have caused him to have like, a really bad fever or something?”

“Jason, you know that we rarely get sick as Demigods. And no, Dakota certainly wasn’t sick. His immune system was probably the strongest it had ever been, since I forced him to go cold turkey from all processed and cane sugar while on the quest. Seriously, I’d never seen the guy so…normal!”

“Uh, the quest?” Reyna was enjoying learning more about her fellow Decanus, but she still wanted more information.

“Right. Monster activity is greater in the East, so be careful. And don’t go further north if you don’t have to, got it?”

“Yeah.” Both of the questers responded quietly, as Gwen wished them a goodnight and good luck on their quest, before trudging off to her quarters to claim what little sleep she was allowed in her new position, leaving the two questers to dread their early morning departure.

Chapter Text

“A pair of Romans are leaving the camp.”

Percy’s mind snapped back to attention, abandoning the amateur attempt he was throwing at creating his own philosophy.

“Where? Show me.”

“Next time, let it be Please, show me.”

“Sorry.”

His view tunneled on two figures stepping out of a tunnel. One boy, tall, blonde, and wearing armor with a medal pinned to the chest, though it seemed to be placed wrong. Strangely, he seemed to be unarmed.

The other was a girl, wearing similar armor with long hair. She had a long sword strapped to her back, and it seemed to be way too large for her. Perhaps she’d grow enough in the future to wield it better?

“A quest, it seems.”

“Only two? I thought Quests were three? Y’know, all the stuff about how three is a powerful number? Or is it different for them?”

“Three remains a powerful force in Rome. The Triad is still a major influence on the way that they go about their lives. As for why this quest entertains only two guests… I am unsure.”

The odd pair atop the mountain watched the Roman pair for some time, observing their slow pace as they struggled to find their way to the Airport. Gods, how jealous Percy was that they could fly without the fear of being smited by a cranky king who hardly travels his own domain.

“To tell you the truth, Perseus, I am dissatisfied with how my Grandchildren treat their powers.”

“You and me both.”

“What are your reasons, my boy?”

“They can’t hear our little conversations within my mind, can they?”

“No, they cannot.”

Percy took about half a second to mull over the myriad of reasons he had for hating the Gods, and picked out some of his biggest gripes.

“Well, Zeus is an idiot that threatens my life every other week, with or without a reason. Ares has to be the worst I could have ever asked for in a cousin, I mean, who uses their first introduction to their new family to attempt to start a war? On top of that, he also tried to kill me, but it was at least a bit more meaningful that he tried to do it in person. Hades nearly confined me to the fields of Punishment, Athena has something against me because of my dad and tries to separate me from Annabeth at nearly every turn in the road, and I think Apollo cursed me somehow, since I have never been able to shoot a bow without causing injury to myself or others, nature spirits included.

“That is quite the list. But I am afraid that it will crumble before my own.”

“Tell me all about them.”

“Oh, I am unsure that you would care about most reasons, much less understand them. You must know, I have been sitting here and seething at what the generations that came after me have been doing with the world for quite some time."

“Hit me. I am the King of pettiness.”

Ouranos huffed, but chuckled. “Perhaps that is a title you may rip away from my grandson.”

Percy’s mind hummed as Ouranos shifted his view to the Empire State building. He shivered a little bit when he looked up at Olympus, somehow more uncomfortable looking at the floating city than he was bearing the weight of the sky.

“To start, look at that. An absolutely abhorrent take upon my floating islands. The brat actually asked me if I was proud, even though I was nonexistent in his mind! Structures are supposed to be minimal, if not completely absent, on a floating island. The entire concept of one of my islands is of a sanctuary in the sky, where one can reconnect with every natural element of the world without the worry of being lost in tragedy!”

“Your biggest beef with the ruling generation of immortals is how badly Zeus ripped you off?”

Ouranos paused his rant a moment, thinking over his next words. “No… but it irritates me greatly!”

“Okay, how about some of your more serious issues then?”

“Fine. Regarding what you said about how my grandson hardly even tours what he rules over. You have seen it, since I have been the one to show you.”

Another long pause after that vague statement. “Seen what, exactly?”

“The beauty of the sky, Perseus. I have shown you the sky in all of its elements. You are born of the sea, and you can enjoy its magnitude, its greatness, as the sky reflects upon water throughout day and night. Yet that sniveling brat hardly ever leaves his Palace, much less Olympus! He has the entirety of the world visible from his domain, and he only uses that sight to police and monitor. Never to enjoy. And that is the great issue with my descendants.”

The view changed again, this time to a place that certainly would have given Percy hypothermia, had he been physically present. He recognized it as the North Pole, mainly from the Northern lights. Ouranos’ tone grew lighter, now more disappointed.

“I dotted living works of art across the world, Gaea and Pontus did much the same. And I must say, perhaps the only gods on Olympus that have treated the world properly, and basked in its beauty, are your father, Artemis, and Demeter.”

“I’d agree with you on that. Though, the few times I’ve come in contact with river spirits, they’ve done nothing but complain that my father doesn’t focus enough of his effort of keeping the water pure on them.”

“Pah! They are merely lazy themselves, if they truly cared for the purity of their waters, they would have prevented it in the first place!”

“Pah? Did you actually just say that?”

Ouranos cleared his nonexistent throat. “I suppose that I did. My apologies.”

Percy didn’t hear Ouranos, on the account of his own cackling. “Gods above, I got you worked up talking about Rivers! They’re not even your domain!”

“Yes, but I am an artist, and Pontus was my equal alongside Gaea! His creations brought greater life to the painting we worked on, and now I am seeing his work be tarnished by pitiful river gods that care not for the one thing that keeps them alive! And the nerve, to complain to an Atlantean Prince about pollution!”

“Ooh, forgot about that.”

“About what?”

“That I’m technically royalty.”

Ouranos was puzzled. “You dislike being of a lineage with a throne in the bloodline?”

“Yeah. Never really been one to be treated better than others.” Ouranos allowed him to slip mindlessly into his own dialogue. “I mean, it’s nice having a dad, like, a real dad, even if he’s really far away and not able to talk much, but being expected to succeed him as king of Atlantis? No thanks. It was already awkward enough seeing everybody kneel in front of me when I got claimed. Thankfully, I’m like, way behind everyone else in the line of succession, and it's not like Triton is ever gonna die, then again my dad won’t be kicking the bucket anytime soon either. But it’s just weird. I… I’d even say I hate it. I hate being put on a pedestal. I love my dad, but I’m not him, and I hate it when everyone compares me to him.”

Ouranos finally broke his silence. “Poseidon is not the worst immortal to be compared to.”

Percy snickered. “You’re not the first deity to tell me that.”

“I understand that you dislike being compared to your father, but even I see the resemblances. I would even call it uncanny. Had you not been…confined as you are now, I would imagine that you would grow to be tall and strong like he was in his earliest days. The constant longing for exploration and freedom that led him to run from his mother’s arms the moment her eyes closed, to be one with nature. He was even confined much in the same way you are now, within my son. Another resemblance.”

“Did you watch my dad a lot?”

“I watched all of my grandchildren quite closely. You already know of my love for Hestia, but your father, Demeter, and Hera were all quite entertaining to watch as they aged. Yes, they have gained some negative aspects over time, but all immortals do.”

“You said my dad always ran away whenever he could’ve, right? What else did he get up to?”

Percy could feel Ouranos’ mood tick up. This was going to be a long story.

Hours later, after baby stories that would’ve turned a moody teenager into a permanent shut in, it was night. And night meant it was time for a visit from his captor.

Atlas waltzed in as he always did, with a sneer, his spear turned walking stick in one hand, his personal torturer in the other. He set the snake woman before him, but something was different today.

Is she drooling?

…

She is absolutely drooling.

“I have to thank you, brat. This whole…experiment has greatly improved the morale of my troops. It was getting to be an annoyance satiating them.”

Percy croaked out his first taunt for the night. “What, using my screams as their main source of entertainment now? Must get boring quick serving you if screaming gets them fired up.”

Atlas chuckled. “No, that’s not what I meant at all, sea spawn! It’s just that your unwilling donation has done wonders for their appetite. They haven’t demanded to go hunting for demigods for a whole week!”

Percy’s chest dropped. His vision tunneled, no longer seeing the room. Now, just the drool of the dracaena, and the stump that is his arm.

He roared, somehow using his rage to emit a loud shout, despite his dry throat. “YOU FED THEM MY HAND?!”

Atlas got close to him, kneeling so that he could whisper in his ear. “Of course, did you think I merely threw it away? No, I simply had the cyclops chefs turn it into a seasoning for their dinner. It was only right, since I gave you such fine meals for two days in a row.”

The dracaena dragged her forked tongue across her maw, pupils like little dots as they focused not on his face, but on his arm. She began to reach out, but Atlas barked at her.

“No more! Get greedy, and there won’t be another scrap of his flesh for you. I already gave you his thumb as a reward, so do your job!”

The snake woman slithered frantically back to Atlas, and he lifted her to the table. This time, she came down with a branding Iron and a meat tenderizer.

“I figured that I’d treat you a certain way tonight, since you’ve become a delicacy.”

The hot iron came against the back of his neck, eliciting a cry of pain from the disintegration of his skin and the searing of the flesh underneath. He could see that the Iron was simply a circle, no actual symbol present on the instrument.

Then, the beating began. At first, it was bearable, small hits that would cause minor superficial damage. They grew in intensity over the hour, working deep bruisings into him, and marking his skin with tiny indents of the tenderizer’s head.

Most of all, the sound was sickening. It was like he was hearing someone jumping on a couch, but the couch was his skin, and their feet were hammers. Deep reverberations skittered through his body, down to his bones, as the flesh above was forever changed.

Eventually, it was over. It always seemed to end just as he felt like he was going to die.

The dracaena tossed the tools up onto the table from the ground while Atlas asked him to turn. He said no, and the Titan left. No extension tonight, thankfully.

But his night wasn’t over.

Later, as he was still sobbing, he caught sight of something moving in the shadows behind him. He quickly recognized the sound of scales dragging against the rocky floor of Othrys, and realized that a Dracaena was in the room with him. But not just any.

His torturer emerged from the shadows with blown up eyes, creeping across the floor with hardly a noise. Percy could only hear her since his hearing had become more sensitive after he was blinded.

She came right up to him, and dragged her forked tongue up his body, and to the open wound on his arm. A disgusting feeling rocked him as he felt the tongue intrude, entering the wound for a moment before darting back.

The snake looked at his face for a moment, her eyes now glazed over in pleasure. But they tunneled again on his midsection, which she had paid quite a bit of extra attention to with the tenderizer earlier.

In a mere moment, he felt fangs pierce his stomach, and he cried out in pain as the snake wrestled against his flesh, trying to tear out his entire side in a single bite.

A thousand thoughts crossed his mind, all of them related to killing this thing. Could he balance the sky on one hand, and draw riptide with the other?

No, because riptide is in his right pocket.

Could he kill the snake some other way?

As he continued to try to find a way to protect himself, his mind grew weaker and weaker as the snake began to find some success in trying to take a quarter of his body in one bite.

Percy screamed as he felt his intestines tear against the bite force of the monster. The pain was so great, it momentarily severed his metal connection with Ouranos to the point that he couldn’t see, even if he wanted to.

Darkness enveloped his vision, as many sounds assaulted his ears. Snarling, hissing, and finally, a defeated cry, and the ringing of metal. He no longer felt the fangs in his side.

Something was forced into his mouth. He tried to spit it out, but whatever was there held his mouth shut. He only swallowed when he tasted his mother’s baking, feeling the Ambrosia melt on his tongue.

As Percy’s vision slowly returned, he caught the slightest glance of a teenager, just barely older than him looking him over. His hazy vision produces the sight of black hair, and an eyepatch, as the boy turned away from him and walked out of the room.

Chapter Text

The Ambrosia worked wonders. Apparently, it got to pick and choose which parts of his body to heal.

It began with the recently lacerated organs and many sheared tendons in his side, returning them to their rightful places.

Another new fun fact about the food of the gods: it creates new blood! This was an absolute miracle for Percy, since the dracaena had been actively drinking his blood while trying to rip him apart like a gummy bear.

The last of the healing that the small piece gave him was his hand, or rather the lack of it. The open wound closed, with pink flesh stretching over the opening.

Noticeably, none of Percy’s skin had healed. Perhaps it just wasn’t as important?

Nevertheless, he was out of the danger of imminent death, and back to the danger of prolonged suffering.

The day’s viewing of the world, courtesy of one Primordial of the Sky, was the two Romans on their quest. The pair had made it as far east as Alabama in just one day.

Normally, Percy would have congratulated them on this. Instead, he felt more like a steaming ball of jealousy, since he couldn’t get over the fact that no monsters had even so much as picked up on their scent so far.

Percy was notoriously at odds with the fates, which meant any time he stepped out his front door, it was like rolling the dice on a monster encounter. Good roll? Maybe a few skeletons in a back alley. Bad roll? Pack of hellhounds in Central Park.

“They appear to have received a boon. I would imagine it is from Juno, considering the boy is wearing her markings.”

“I thought Juno didn’t have demigod kids?”

“She does not. Yet she can employ champions, which is something she has done many times in the past. Think of it as something similar to the way I offered to adopt you. Juno sees her champions as pseudo children.”

“Huh.”

Ouranos shifted the view away in order to give the roman pair some privacy as they settled in for the night. Back on the mountain, daylight was beginning to fade away quickly, and Atlas was uncharacteristically early.

The titan had grown to enjoy his freedom quickly, living lavishly and taking everything at a laid back pace. He was in no rush. After all, he had over a year to break Percy, which he seemed to think he could do in a month.

The night’s session consisted of pressure torture, which was odd. He was already being crushed by the pressure of the sky, so he found it funny when the new dracenae that Atlas had picked out to torture him grew frustrated at the fact that Percy was’t giving a reaction to the heavy weights tied at different awkward angles. The monster was about to blow a fuse, but Atlas just waved the monster off, and it left the room.

Atlas didn’t seem to care as he watched from the side, reclining in a frankly enormous La-Z boy, as he sipped on an equally oversized jug of nectar.

Percy had noticed that Atlas grew uncomfortable whenever he focused his eyes on the titan. It was as if his blind gaze was like holding a giant mirror over a person sunbathing. Atlas would shift in his chair each time their eyes met, grumbling in annoyance. At one point, he even got up and moved the chair.

Percy decided to make the most of it.

Slowly, as if his eyes were just drifting naturally, he let his false gaze drag across the floor. He passed Atlas’ feet, acting like he didn’t know what he was looking at, just passing over the area. Then he stopped, and brought his eyes back ever so slowly to the base of the chair. He then proceeded to drag his eyes up Atlas’ body, reveling in the way the immortal squirmed under his gaze before their eyes finally met again.

Percy Smiled. “Found you again.”

The Titan grumbled and stood, marching over to him with a little speed for the first time in a while. Atlas glared down at him.

“How do you sense me, boy? You have no sight, and you certainly cannot pick up my movements, since your blood pounds in your ears persistently. Believe me, I know the burden well, so answer me honestly.”

Percy snickered. “I have a radar for idiots. It works well, I’d give it to you, but you holding it would probably break the thing.”

“It’s never just a straightforward answer with you, boy, is it?” The titan crouched down next to him. “Just a mouth and flesh is what you are. No brain to formulate thoughts further than pointless, unintelligible jabs.”

“You seem to understand them quite well. Maybe we’re on the same wavelength?”

That earned him a swift smack to the head, which also seemed to damage his left ear, based on the ringing.

“I think I’ve an idea for you, boy.” Atlas lifted up Percy’s right arm. “Nakamura caused me great annoyance when he stole from my ambrosia reserves in order to heal you. That brat and his so-called equal judgement has been nothing but an annoyance for me. Yet I find unwilling genius in his actions.”

Percy choked back a cry as the Titan gripped his arm tightly, and cut off another section. Much, much smaller than the last time, but still, it was his arm.

Atlas brandished the tiny scrap of flesh. “I think I’ll use you as a motivator for my troops. They’ll be marching off to war soon, so I want them happy.” Atlas pressed on the reopened wound, which broke Percy’s will to hold back his cry of pain, causing the Titan to smile.

Thankfully, there was no extended session to make up for the new torturer’s failure to elicit a reaction.

The sun rose anew. And the new cycle was born.

Every day.

New torture. A berating from a titan. Another tiny piece of his arm taken from him. Visions of those he loved during the day, right up until it was that time again.

And time passed.

His chest had scarred severely now, along with his side. The weather was warmer now, though the cold of the night still bristled his body from the high elevation. Maybe it was May now?

Gods above, he’d been here for months. Ouranos knew all too well, yet still chose to keep quiet about it.

The Primordial had been quiet for long periods of time, his focus elsewhere. Of course, he was always there during Percy’s sessions to keep him sane, but other than that he just offered little comments.

The Romans had long returned to their camp now, but Percy found that it was more difficult to get a close look at the camp now. He could still get a bird’s eye view, but it told him little. The camp always appeared as he first saw it: orderly and quiet, though the strange flashes of red lighting on top of the hill every night perplexed him.

Back home in New York, it seemed that Bianca had pestered Chiron and the gods enough to actually get a cabin for Hades built. It was odd that there wasn’t one in the first place, especially given that Hera and Artemis had cabins, despite having no demigod children. Artemis had more reason, since the hunters had started visiting camp more often in the last century, but Hera having a cabin was merely a token gesture. It was a wonder how Hades hadn’t been openly combative with the council over his children not having a proper place to sleep for a few months. Then again, Bianca and Nico technically weren’t supposed to exist, yet Percy and Thalia did. All in all, the entire situation boiled down to a whole lot of nobody following rules and one lord of the underworld just trying to be a better father and give his kids a place they belonged, which was much more than the other members of the council were doing. Hades might have earned a new rank at number six most tolerable immortal, though his chances of cracking the top five were minimal at best due to his past actions.

“Yes, I would hate to lose my spot at number five. I would curse you for decades with the feeling of being watched if you put me any lower.”

“Them’s fighting words, Ouranos. You sure you’re not trying to go lower?”

“Absolutely sure. In fact, if I am not at least number three by the time you escape, I fear my feelings will be perpetually injured.”

“Gonna beef with Persephone, then? King of a losing matchup for you, since she’s married to the guy that rules the one place you can’t see.”

“Perhaps. But on that logic, I should easily rise above Apollo. He is well within my grasp.”

“You’re grasping at straws here. Never figured a Primordial would be insecure.”

“I am not insecure, I merely believe that I should rank much higher on your list, since I saved your life and am actively keeping you sane!”

“Gotcha. I am the master of the Ragebait.”

Ouranos sighed, grumbling still. “You are impossible, Perseus.”

Still, Ouranos remained Percy’s only true source of entertainment, to the point that he starting asking to view the Primordial’s memories like a movie. Ouranos obliged him more than often, and it eventually started proving useful when he started getting much more exposition on immortal history.

“I believe that a weight almost equal to my own will be lifted off the daughter of Athena’s shoulders when she realizes that she will no longer have to spoon feed you basic history.”

“Shaddup. She loves teaching.”

“The other demigod children, perhaps. But from what I’ve seen of your memories, she grows just as frustrated lecturing you as I get when you are purposefully annoying me.”

“And yet I’m one of the best people in both of your lives.”

Ouranos hummed in thought. “Perhaps it makes you more likeable, in a way? By purposefully being a nuisance, then showing your better aspects later, you might have more success in building relationships with more analytical types.”

“Perhaps you are overthinking, great ancestor.”

Ouranos had a love-hate relationship with Percy mimicking his speech patterns. On one hand, the Primordial enjoyed his descendant having a ‘proper’ conversation with him. On the other, he knew it was most definitely an attempt at getting a rise out of him, but he often chose to ignore it.

They had reached the time of the day where both were tired of conversing, so Ouranos just moved their view to another wild place in the world, this time a vibrant jungle in Asia.

Percy wished with all his might that he could feel the flowing river that he was crouched in. Wished that it would restore him, give him the strength of his father, so that the burden of the sky didn’t press so deeply into his back. But he was not truly there, so he instead enjoyed viewing the animals that frolicked about, not sensing his gaze as they felt truly safe in the wild.

“Ahem.”

Odd. Ouranos usually didn’t feel the need to get Percy’s attention before he spoke.

“Yes?”

“Today is… a special day for you, I believe.”

“Uh, what? Pretty sure there’s not much that’s going on for me in May or June. Mothers day maybe, I love my mom.”

“I am aware. But it is much later in the year than you believe. Happy birthday, Perseus.”

Percy’s heart dropped. He had grossly underestimated how much time had passed. He had stopped paying attention a while ago, since his mind outside of conversations with Ouranos or Atlas was mostly just a haze.

“It…It’s August?”

“Yes. I did not want to continuously update you on how much time we have been together, since it usually seemed to tank your mood.”

Percy silently cursed himself out, though there was really no use in trying to hide things from Ouranos, since he knew everything that Percy thought at all times. He could feel Ouranos’ disapproval weighing on his mind, no pun intended.

“Appreciated, but maybe stop doing that. I think it might have hit a lot harder than intended with how much I undershot.”

“Noted”

There was a long silence between the two, before Percy finally thought of something.

“For my birthday present, since you can’t really get me anything, could you stop calling me Perseus? Just Percy is a lot better.”

Ouranos barely even thought up a response.

“Of course. I was merely waiting for you to ask. I was aware of your…disdain towards the name, I simply did not wish to call you by your preferred name without being prompted.”

“Thanks. It means the world to me. Might actually help me feel a bit more relaxed throughout this predicament.”

“I am glad that you have more hope for that, Percy.”

The burden seemed to grow lighter, if only for a moment. Maybe it was just the safety Percy felt in hearing a Primordial call him in a way that felt more like two friends conversing, rather than a being older than time (literally) dictating his thoughts upon him.

The last light of the day passed with Percy feeling less than drained, which was much better than the usual. Though, everything inevitably led to his least favorite part, and into one of Atlas’ sessions.

Line Break. Go no further if you don’t want to read the Non-Con part of this chapter. This is the second warning, so no complaints in the comments. There will be another line break at the end of the non con section, letting you know where it is safe to read on from.

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Atlas entered in a different way than usual. He was still dressed in that Business suit that he always wore, kept perpetually clean by some unseen force, yet there was a bit of energy in his stride tonight. That, paired with his humming and small smile led Percy to conclude that something truly awful was coming tonight.

“Why so glum, Perseus? Today is a wondrous day!”

Percy gave the Titan the usual stare. “Yeah?” That one word was all he offered, intending to force the Titan to speak as much as possible, so that his session was as short as possible.

This apparently wasn’t picked up by Atlas. “Absolutely? Today is your birthday! You should be in a great mood after turning fifteen, you are only a year away from razing Olympus!”

“...Whoopee.”

Atlas continued, unfettered.

“I have a gift for you, Perseus. Now, it is not quite in line with the ancient traditions of Sparta, but an earlier society. Upon marking this age, you would be a man in the most ancient of mortal societies!”

Percy raised an eyebrow weakly. “Hell’s that supposed to mean?”

Atlas’ smile grew wider. “It means that I have a gift only a man can receive.” He turned and waved a hand at the doorway, beckoning something in.

Two figures emerged, and something was immediately odd about them. For one, they looked like any other high school girl, apart from the one goat leg, and the other metal one. Really, if they hadn’t been an amalgamation of steel and fur, they might’ve fit in with a class of teenagers. However, there was another thing that set them apart.

The pair were completely naked. Percy reflexively closed his eyes, forgetting that it wouldn’t work, but Ouranos blacked out that section of the room for him, sensing his disdain. Percy gave the Primordial a silent ‘thank you’ in his head.

“A man with as great a destiny as you, who carries such a burden, deserves the little pleasures in life. As an added bonus, this serves to fuel the power of these two empousa that I have in my service.”

Empousa. Which one was that? Percy racked his mind, searching for the answer, which Ouranos provided.

“Servants of Hecate, one of the gods that has defected from Olympus to fight alongside the Titans. They are what the premise of vampires are based off of, but they are more similar to a different beast entirely.”

“Which is?”

“What you might have thought of as a succubus.”

Atlas cackled a bit, and reclined in his chair again, watching with glee.

Everything grew quiet in Percy’s mind. He heard the mismatched clopping of hooves and metal growing closer ever so slowly. Sure Atlas didn’t intend to…?

He felt an unwelcome hand low on his body, slipping under the tattered remains of his shirt and tracing his stomach. Atlas did intend.

“Hello, little demigod.” A sultry voice was whispering in his ear, and he felt fangs ghosting over his neck. “The general has been so kind as to provide you to myself and my mentor tonight.”

Percy couldn’t formulate a thought. In the earlier sessions, his mind had always raced, trying to drown the pain away in screams and denials. But this was different. It was something that hadn’t happened to him since…

Since Gabe.

His facade of strength shattered in an instant. His eyes unwillingly clenched shut, and his lips quivered as the empousa he couldn’t see let her hands roam his stomach and sides.

“I know your name, Perseus, but you don’t know mine. It’s only right for lovers to know each other, right?” She jerked her hand low, and Percy whimpered. “I’m Tammi, and my mentor Kelli is watching. Be a good boy so I can meet her expectations, okay?”

“Please…” Percy’s voice was little more than a whisper, a choked begging.

He felt the monster’s breath against his ear again. “What’s that, little one?”

“Please don’t do it.”

The monster laughed. “Oh, come now, don’t be shy. You’ll warm up soon enough, and if you don’t…” Her next words hit his chest like iron, in an attempt to erase what little will he had left to resist. “I might have to get rough with you, darling.”

Charmspeak. But this was different from when Drew used it to make him throw himself into a pile of mud or into a trap the few times she had participated in capture the flag.

His entire body involuntarily stiffened, and Tammi made a strange sound. “That’s much better, honey.”

Percy couldn’t help but stand completely still, unable to even protest as his mind struggled against the beast’s words. He could offer no resistance against the hands sliding down his legs and clasping around him.

He began to breathe shakily as Tammi began to work him, trying desperately to speak, to protest, yet he found nothing to say. But his mind managed to finally think of something as the monster began devouring him. But it was not a way to escape this situation. Only remembering the way it had happened before.

The molestation faded, as did the rest of his senses as he fell deep into a memory of the past.

He was ten again. He had returned home for break, and was unsurprised to find his step father in a terrible mood, as he had been losing money in a prolonged game of poker for the last two hours already. The difference this time was that he was already incoherent, which usually didn’t occur until late at night when Sally got home from her third job.

Gabe looked at him with glazed over eyes, trying to process who had just entered the apartment, and immediately shifted back to anger when he realized that it was Percy.

He spoke with slurred speech. “What’re you doing here, brat?”

Percy had chosen to be more reserved, thinking that he might be spared some of the berating if he didn’t seem to be challenging Gabe. “School just ended. I’m sorry I didn’t…call first.”

“Really? They oughta keep you there over winter too, Lord knows I don’t need you here.” Gabe stumbled over and stuck out a greasy hand. “I know you’ve got money. Fork it over, I need it to pay the rent, and I’m down a few hundred after tonight, since Eddie was cheating.” A lie. Gabe never put a single cent towards the rent.

Percy hung his head low as he offered the measly five dollar bill, the only money he had to his name. Gabe snatched it and snarled at him.

“I know you’ve got more, brat. Quit hiding it from me.”

Percy shook his head, still refusing to meet Gabe’s eyes. “It’s all I have. I spent the rest on the bus.”

That earned him a hard slap. “Stupid Brat, I told you to walk home!”

Percy backed away slightly, still boring holes into the ground with his eyes. “It’s winter, and it’s fifteen miles! I would die!”

Another hit, this time a shove. He felt weightless as Gabe lifted him in the air, back against the wall. “So? You’d be doing me a damn service. Costs more money to get you to and from your little juvie than it does to keep your mother satisfied.” Another lie.

“It’s not Juvie!” Percy didn’t realize that he had begun to argue with Gabe now, having lost track of his tone during the fight. This flipped the switch in Gabe that ensured a beating for him.

Gabe threw him against the kitchen counter, and Percy felt his arm dislocate as he fell to the ground, screaming in pain. But Gabe was back on him immediately, grabbing his face and stifling his scream so that the neighbors wouldn’t hear and call the police.

“Shut it, you ungrateful little bitch!” Gabe slammed his head against the floor, holding him there. He was growing more irate and senseless by the second. “I ought to sell you to one of those cartels, maybe then I’d be able to get out of the debt keeping you alive has put me in! Then you wouldn’t be able to bother me or your bitch of a mother!”

“Don’t call her that!” Percy lost it, and tried to twist out of Gabe’s hold and hit him. His little fist connected with Gabe’s chin, barely moving the man’s head, but it was more than enough to disorient the man. Gabe grabbed him again, this time by the same arm that he had just injured, and forced Percy to the ground again, writhing in pain.

“You and that bitch, always making everything hard for me. Y’know, I’m actually starting to regret marrying her. That first week was magical, and boy was she a wonder in bed. Now she doesn’t even let me fuck her anymore. She just sucks up anything but my dick, and I just sit here and take it.”

Percy groaned in frustration, still trying to free himself from the sweaty man’s pin.

For too long a moment, Gabe was silent, just holding Percy there without a word. But it ended quickly.

“Maybe you’ll do me some good by making up for her.”

Percy froze as he realized what Gabe meant, then began violently thrashing against him as he was carried into his mother’s bedroom. The thrashed turned to clawing, and the expletives into begging as his stepfather tore off his clothes and threw him against the bed, pushing his face into the sheets.

Nobody was going to come for him. The night before, Sally had called him and apologized profusely about having to work a late shift, saying that she wouldn’t be home until near midnight. And it was only six.

Gabe raped him that night for so long, he couldn’t even remember. He just gave up, and went limp after some time, as the man destroyed any shred of innocence he had left from growing up the way he did.

His rapist tossed him into his own room when he finally came out of his drunken lust filled rage, and spoke one last sentence to him for the night.

“Say a word, and I’ll kill your mother before I repeat tonight with you after.”

He locked the door with a spare key, leaving Percy alone, naked and shaking in his room, tears frozen on his cheeks as the cold wind of New York’s winter came in through the open window. He didn’t move from that spot on the ground for hours, only craning his head up when he heard his mother get home from work.

She tried to open his door, but paused when she realized it was locked from the inside, like how it usually was when he was away at school. “Where’s Percy, honey?” His mother’s voice sounded like heaven and he reached out pitifully from the floor. But no sound came from his mouth.

Gabe’s voice sounded from farther away. “He wants to be left alone. Something about being ashamed of his grades or something. Guarantee he’ll be fine by morning.”

Sally Jackson, the goddess of a woman she was, struggled for the next few minutes to crush a bag of candy and slide it under the tiny gap in the door. She whispered to him.

“Goodnight, Percy. I love you.”

Percy hicced and sobbed as he heard her walk away, cursing himself and Gabe.

The memory faded, and his consciousness returned to the present. A different voice was whispering in his ear.

“You gave my mentee good training, but I must admit, I enjoyed our time together as well. Goodnight, little demigod.”

It seemed that both of the Empousa had their way while he was trapped in his own mind, and Atlas had left long ago.

So here he was again. Destroyed, taken by a monster against his will and left behind as a shaking, cold mess. And for the first time, a new emotion came over him, despite the reassuring attempts at comfort from Ouranos.

Hatred. He held an immense Hatred for Olympus at that very moment. At Zeus for trying to kill him at every turn. At his father for leaving him alone in that apartment with a monster worse than most he had fought to date.

But more than that, he held a burning desire to return to where he had been two years ago. To get rid of Gabe in a different way. Namely, with the knife that the bastard had held to his throat while he destroyed Percy’s innocence.

End of Segment. Safe reading continues from here.

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The morning scene of the sunrise in Peridot gave him no solace. Nothing could after the night that Percy just lived through.

Ouranos had tried to talk to him so many times now, being met only with dismissal. There was only so much that Percy’s fractured psyche could produce now.

He laughed at himself for a moment in delirium. He’d thought this entire time that Atlas would never break him with torture, he was growing more used to it by the day. But being desensitized to pain had left him more vulnerable in different ways.

Ouranos picked up on something then, and tried to get Percy to converse.

“It appears as though the daughter of Athena has received a quest. She is making her way into the labyrinth.”

Percy’s mind fluttered for a moment at the mention of his best friend, and he silently asked to see.

Ouranos showed him Annabeth, Grover, Bianca, and Tyson entering a small hole that had been excavated in Zeus’ fist, disappearing from the light.

With another half hearted laugh, Percy attempted humor, though his voice was more of a hoarse groan than a sarcastic jab. “Think they’re coming for me?”

“It is possible.”

Chapter Text

The Labyrinth was an interesting place, to say the very least.

Sure, they’d killed a three hearted cattle rancher only twelve hours before accidentally dropping a few gallons of godly Hyper octane gas intended for Apollo’s new sports car, manufactured by Hephaestus Autoworks, into Mt. Saint Helens, causing perhaps the worst natural disaster in the United States since Hurricane Katrina, but this Arena filled with mismatched skulls and a giant obsessed with the UFC was just as weird as the god of forges preferring to work in a volcano.

Given that she was currently (unhappily) seated next to said half giant, who looked like he’d spent as long in a sauna as she had in the Lotus, today’s misadventure was certainly shaping up to be one she would remember.

The giant was absolutely the last thing on her mind, however. Presently, she almost shared the excitement Antaeus was radiating watching Annabeth destroy monster after monster with savagely powerful strikes.

The girl was almost as dense as Clarisse now. In the few months that she’d been working out, she’d been eating just as hard, solidifying into a powerhouse of a fighter. No longer did she dart around while invisible, slashing at tendons with knives.

Now she just obliterated whatever was in front of her with not even a sweat.

After the fifth telekhine of the pack that was sent after her in the second round burst into dust, the rest had started to grow weary as the daughter of Athena’s grey eyes began to pick their next target. They started to separate, no longer feeling safe in numbers.

Antaeus leaned over to Bianca.

“Quite the fighter, for a daughter of wisdom, eh? Such a shame that she’s built so large, no male god save Ares would feel attraction.” He cackled with genuine amusement.

Bianca didn’t so much as look at him as she replied dryly. “She’s not a daughter of Aphrodite, so she doesn’t care that being muscular might make her less attractive. And her wisdom told her that physical strength bolsters strategic capability, cousin.” Bianca put an extra touch of venom on the family term.

Antaeus didn’t seem to anger at that. He possessed an unconquerable humility. “Good entertainment though. I’d love to keep her.”

“Remember your oath. Three victories, and we pass, while Nakamura’s forces have to find a different way through.”

Nakamura shot her a glance from Antaeus’ other side. It didn’t make much sense that the boy took offense, when they were literally sworn enemies.
“Yes yes, it will be done. Only if Chase manages to win all three fights.”

Antaeus looked back to the Arena as Annabeth finished off the last terrified Telekhine. She turned to look at Antaeus, and raised her sword, shouting angrily. “Gonna send me the next round or what? Those water dogs were done in the first minute!”

Apparently, Annabeth had also spent some time with the Stolls to pick up some of their infuriating charm.

Antaeus chuckled again, and stood, raising his hands to quiet the jeering crowd of monsters. “Yes, well done, daughter of Athena! I will give you your third round, and it will be the best of all!” He clapped his hands three times, and the gate opened again, revealing the third and final challenger.

Round one had been a dracaena on a hellhound. Round two had been an adult pack of telekhines.

Round three was a tiny, shaking demigod in armor far larger than she could support.

From what little information Bianca could gleam, the kid was definitely younger than even herself, likely only ten or eleven. Long, curly brown hair tucked under and hooked against her helmet, and she struggled to heft an already undersized sword.

“I present Veronica, a descendant of Aphrodite who chose the Titans when she learned her mother’s true nature! She seeks to prove her worth to Kronos, and so she shall fight for her spot underneath the gaze of myself and Kronos’ lieutenant! Begin!”

Bianca and Annabeth were immediately of the same mindset, despite being in completely opposite standings in the Arena. This kid was untrained, malnourished, and terrified. And she was now circling a very sympathetic daughter of Athena.

Antaeus propped his head up on a fist. “I only wish my brother could have been here to enjoy this. I’m sure he’d get a kick out of it.”

Bianca cocked her head to the side sarcastically. “Is there another half giant son of Poseidon that I’m going to have to barter with on my way through the labyrinth? You guys running some sort of highway robbery scheme in the labyrinth?”

The giant just laughed. “No, foolish cousin. I refer to Perseus. Sadly, he is preoccupied with some strange task that Nakamura refuses to reveal to me. I would’ve loved to enjoy a drink with him while we give thanks to father in the Arena.”

Bianca audibly gagged. “Oh, gods no, Percy would hate this stuff. I can guarantee he’d never call you his brother, at least not in a loving sort of way.”

“You know nothing of Poseidon’s sons, cousin. We all thirst for blood, in one way or another. Give him time.”

Annabeth effortlessly sidestepped the unbalanced downward strike that the kid barely managed to throw at her, knocking the daughter of Aphrodite’s blade flat against the ground. Veronica squeaked and skittered back, frantically looking around for support that wasn’t there. The daughter of Athena sheathed her sword and held out a hand while slowly approaching the child of Aphrodite, who was beginning to consider accepting.

Antaeus radiated disappointment immediately, without a word. Nakamura sensed this and sent a smirk over to Bianca, who returned a less than friendly hand gesture that she’d picked up from Clarisse.

The giant stood, and jerked a thumb down without a second thought. “Kill! I demand blood!”

Annabeth shot him a glare and shouted up at him again. “She surrenders. Right?” She looked to Veronica, who held up her hands and began to nod so fast her head looked like it was a drinking bird on some serious uppers.

“No surrendering in my Arena! Poseidon accepts only ultimate sacrifice!”

“If you ask right now, he'd beg to differ! Trust me, I’ve spoken to him more recently than you have!”

“Enough!” Antaeus turned to Bianca and Nakamura, pointing at them. “You two sit still. I will decide your fates myself!” With that, he jumped straight down into the Arena, leaving two demigods on opposite sides of the war staring at each other.

Nakamura was the first to speak, already in a sour mood realizing he no longer had a giant to protect him. “I’m going to venture to guess that you won’t be sitting still.”

Bianca grinned. “Nope!”

Skeletal hands shot out of the rock, grabbing Nakamura by the wrists. Bianca started bouncing down the steps as the boy shouted after her from above, shaking off multiple hands, just for more to sprout up and restrain his legs, causing him to trip.

Down on the Arena floor, Annabeth had just finished shooing away a terrified Veronica, who was happy to go hide in the corner while the fight began. Annabeth ducked under Antaeus’ first wild strike, but had neglected to draw her sword, instead driving one of her many small daggers into the giant’s knee, causing him to stumble and roar. The sand of the floor began rising to heal him, but Bianca just held out a hand and forced it to settle.

Annabeth gave a quick thank you, and began darting around the giant, cutting him in odd, uncomfortable places while he swatted at her angrily.

Bianca was beginning to wonder why they didn’t just try this from the start.

Probably Hecate forcing them to make a crossroads decision again. That was one annoying goddess to be on the side of the Titans.

Still, keeping every grain of sand in the arena from moving was definitely starting to build up a sweat. Thankfully, Annabeth took notice, and decided to finish up by finally drawing her sword.

The blade of Perseus was driven deep into Antaeus’ chest, and it began to vibrate as Antaeus melted away.

The two girls looked at each other with mild confusion at the humming blade, and Bianca shrugged, gesturing to leave. Annabeth agreed, taking note of the increasing number of dismembered skeletons falling down the steps as Nakamura’s guards tried to get the constant swarm off of him. Meanwhile, the rest of the monsters had finally had the thought to charge them.

Much to Veronica’s surprise, she was scooped up by Annabeth as she less princess carried, more princess kidnapped the girl as the odd party began sprinting back into the labyrinth.

Bianca yelled to Annabeth, who was somehow outpacing her while carrying another person. “Where the hell are we even going at this point?!”

“Dunno! But anywhere is better than that place!”

They continued taking wild turns, not stopping until Bianca cried uncle and collapsed against a wall of black rock, fighting to catch her breath.

Annabeth set Veronica down.

To her credit, the girl was remarkably calm at the moment. She still glanced around nervously, looking for their pursuers, but she managed to remain quiet and collected, even managing to tie her rowdy hair back with a spare hair tie Annabeth had. After she shed the rest of the armor, which was incredibly easy since half of it wasn’t even touching her body, she started to pat down her t-shirt jeans to get the dirt off.

Bianca felt for the girl. It was so eerily similar to how it had felt traveling to Camp for the first time, transported by the hunters like a hostage.

Depending on how she felt after the fight, she’d either been kidnapped or saved.

Veronica put on a small, shaky smile now that she somewhat looked like a daughter of Aphrodite, the natural beauty shining through. She looked like someone who’d been saved at the moment.

Annabeth returned the smile. “Feeling a bit better?”

Veronica did that same rapid nod, though it was now a bit more grateful.

Annabeth held her arms out and beckoned the girl over, and Veronica rushed over, greedily wrapping her arms around the daughter of Athena in a tight hug as the older girl whispered something to her while running a calloused hand over her head.

It was then that Bianca noticed something.

The Black rocks that she’d come to rest against were familiar. Frighteningly familiar, since it was a memory that was still too fresh in her mind.

Drawing upon the ASL she’d quickly picked up, Bianca signed to Annabeth to avoid frightening Veronica.

‘Think on Tam. Look Stone’

Annabeth’s eyes tunneled for a moment on the stone, flashing with grim light, and she nodded.

‘Turn Back or Forward?’

Bianca thought for a moment. Nakamura had said that he was in the middle of marching to Camp to destroy it, but first he had to find the ‘Idiotic Fools’ who had separated from the main force and gotten lost without the guidance of Ariadne’s String. Which meant that the vast majority of the Titan Army’s strength was currently not on the mountain.

‘Forward. Might get Percy.”

Annabeth’s eyes tunneled further and further with each letter of the name Bianca signed. Her pupils were little more than pinpricks focused on the daughter of Hades’ hand.

‘No way Out. Remember? Need Titan.’

Bianca considered. ‘Trick Atlas?’

‘Impossible.’

‘Might not be under sky?’

“I know ASL.”

Both older girls snapped their sight down to Veronica, who had weasled her way out of Annabeth’s hug and had been watching them for some time.

“I never made it to Othrys itself. And the monsters I was ‘round never mentioned anyone named Percy. What’s the deal there?”

Veronica had an energetic southern accent that just made you want to talk back just as animated as she did, but now certainly wasn’t the time to ask about the girl’s roots.

Annabeth spoke first. “Old friend of ours. He got…captured when we got into a fight on Othrys, Mount Tam. His prison is uniquely difficult to escape.”

“Well ya can try, can’t ya?”

Bianca absolutely adored this girl already. Just a little bubbling ball of hope.

“Sure we can try, but unless you can trick a Titan, we’re out of luck.” Annabeth already started to turn away, but Veronica reigned her back in quickly.

“I can Charmspeak apparently, think that’ll work?”

Annabeth turned around and looked to Bianca, who just shrugged. “I’m not an Aphrodite kid, but Immortals probably have a resistance to it.”
“I’m willing to try.”

Veronica and Bianca looked to Annabeth, who had that look of determination in her eyes again.

Bianca didn’t have nearly as strong of ties to Percy as Annabeth did. But she understood all too well just how good of a person Percy is from the short quest they had been on together.

“Okay.” Bianca pushed herself back up to her feet, boots scraping against the black rocks. “Let’s go get my big cousin out from under the sky.”

Chapter Text

Mount Tam had changed in the half a year since they’d been there.

Much of the decimated palace of the Titans had been reconstructed, shown by the jagged black rocks shifting to carved blackstone walls and steps as they entered.

Bianca understood all too well the gravity of the situation they found themselves in, but she was surprised that Annabeth didn’t even take a second glance at the intricately designed hallways and stairways.

Veronica trodded along behind them with silent steps, content with watching the group’s rear while staying safe from any assault.
Annabeth put up a hand to halt them, and she peered around the corner.

‘Two guards. Spears.’

Annabeth looked back to Bianca, and the two nodded in understanding.

‘Stay Here.’

Veronica gave a thumbs up.

Bianca whirled around the corner and dashed up to the two guards, dracaena wielding spears that were far too long for the closed in hallway. This proved true immediately, as the guard closest to her was able to level its spear in time to intercept, but the other struggled to reposition to a point where it could lower its own spear without killing its comrade.

Bianca sidestepped the halfhearted spearing attempt and ripped her stygian iron blade into the repositioning guard, melting it instantly. Her blade warmed as it absorbed the snake.

The other dracaena now found itself in the same predicament as its deceased companion, having to point the spear straight up in order to bring it around to face Bianca. It never got further than halfway, since Annabeth was there to cut the beast in half with a single strike. Barely a sound had been made between the two guards.

‘Easy.’

‘Quiet.’

Bianca raised an eyebrow at the sign, and Annabeth realized just how stupid she had been in that moment. Deflecting, she motioned for Veronica to come out of hiding, which the girl did quickly, a wide grin plastered on her face as she signed.

‘Funny.’

‘Enough. Percy.’ Annabeth jerked a finger towards the doorway, and they continued forward.

They came to a stop again at another passage, yet this one was unguarded. But Bianca remembered it.

It opened into a large room, with bits of moonlight trickling in. There was a long shadow cast by a newly installed statue of what Bianca assumed to be the Titan Lord, but she had no idea what Kronos was supposed to look like.

Faint sounds of Classical music were coming from a gramophone that was on an incredibly oversized table. Strangely, the gramophone was normal size.

Bianca ducked back behind cover, and signed to Annabeth.

‘The Room.’

Annabeth nodded. ‘Don’t look. No cover. Listen.’

And they did. For five minutes, they just sat there, the only noise being faint wind, the music, and their own breathing.

Finally, a new sound came, but it was not one they particularly enjoyed.

Deep, heavy footsteps came into the room from the other side. Bianca risked a short glance, not even noticing how her body had become partly translucent and blended in with the shadows cast by the moonlight.

That same old bastard waltzed into the room to the tune of the music, stepping to each soft violin note as if he had little care in the world. A Titanic (no pun intended) spear was strapped to his back, the same one that had torn into the flesh of the goddess of the hunt.

‘Atlas.’ Bianca signed.

‘Others?’

‘None.’

The Titan gave a sudden loud exhale from the center of the room, causing the three girls to tense.

“I bring you music, and yet you still refuse to speak to me, boy? I was told you quite enjoy it!”

Atlas stomped over to the shadow cast by the statue. Bianca then realized that she could actually see Percy, but hadn’t noticed her vision adapting to the dark.

He looked bad, but nowhere near what she had assumed. From the few things Annabeth would admit she saw in her dreams, she knew that Percy had lost a hand and gotten a bit of skin on his chest damaged, but that was supposed to be the extent.

Instead, she saw something that barely even looked human.

Percy’s legs were burned severely. His only piece of clothing left wasn’t even clothes, rather a large cloth wrapped around his waist. A scar that formed a semicircle wound its way up his side, and his entire front was red and tender. Small cuts that looked more like bite marks were still open on his face, particularly around his lips and neck. Both arms still balanced the sky above him, but the one missing a hand was… missing much more. Small chunks appeared to have been cut out, leaving his right arm as mostly bone and thin muscle. And his eyes.

Oh gods, his eyes.

Before, they had been a bright, vibrant sea green. They would swirl whenever he was excited, or wielding the powers of his father.

Now they were blank. Muted green, like polluted algae. Lidded pupils just sat glued to the floor, never moving.

Annabeth had now lost the will to resist looking herself. She choked back a sob when she confirmed what her dreams had shown her.

“Truly, one of the few things the upstart generation improved, music. And yet you have the gall to ignore the gift I’ve brought for you!”

Atlas grabbed Percy by the hair, forcing him to look up, and Bianca had to strain to keep a raging Annabeth from charging the Titan then and there.

“You ignore all of my gifts, even the special one I had arranged for your birthday. I give you all of these things as a reward for hosting Kronos, a great honor, and yet you reject both your duty as a host and your gifts!”

Annabeth and Bianca stilled. The Great Prophecy clicked in both of their minds.

Kronos planned to reform through Percy, and destroy the gods when his body turned sixteen. Atlas was simply here to break Percy’s will so he’d make the decision that would lead to Olympus’ downfall.

Annabeth turned around to look at her companions while Atlas kept yelling at Percy, who didn’t appear to be listening.

‘How should do this?’

‘Threaten?’ Bianca questioned.

Annabeth shook her head. ‘Can’t. Titan.’

Veronica chimed in. ‘Trick?’

‘How?’

Annabeth thought for a moment, then whispered.

“Atlas can’t possibly know what’s going on with his army right now. What if we pretend to have taken the string from Nakamura and offer it to him in exchange for ‘letting us go’?” She used air quotes for the last part.

Bianca whispered back. “Okay, then what?”

“We get close to your guy, and I charmspeak the giant idiot into walking closer. Offer the way through and me, apparently I’m needed to swear loyalty to someone. Shadow master here trips ‘im from behind?” Veronica gestured to Bianca.

Annabeth nodded with a growing smile. “I like you even more now.”

Annabeth tied Veronica’s hands behind her back lightly, and gave her a comforting tap on the back. A fringed string of fabric torn from Annabeth’s coat became ‘Ariadne’s String’. Bianca melted into the shadows.

Annabeth turned to look at Veronica. “Ready?”

The girl nodded, her smile having long been replaced by a hardened expression not befitting her age or pretty face as she tried her hardest to look like an infuriated war prisoner.

The two stepped into the large room, not even trying to hide their approach. Bianca skirted the edges of the walls while in shadow form, and watched as the plan began to unfold.

Atlas noticed them immediately, and studied them with a quizzical look on his face.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

“Yeah, not every day the enemy general walks into your keep without a huge fight. That how you and the other Titans do it? If so, I can see why you lost.”

Atlas growled, and let go of Percy’s hair, letting Annabeth relax a bit. Veronica squeezed her hand.

“You possess the tongue of a child of Hermes, the body of one of Ares’ disgusting spawn, and the mind of a wisdom goddess whose birth makes little sense. You are no commander, you are an abomination of a mortal and a god, Annabeth Chase. You are mortal, and hardly worth my time. Run away while you can.”

Annabeth whistled. “Well for a mortal hardly worth your time, I’m impressed you know my name. By the way, your army is in a bit of trouble.”

That caught Atlas’ attention far easier than the jabs. No immortal with a title like ‘The General’ would be able to ignore his army completely.

“How so?”

“Well for one, I’ve got this.” Annabeth raised the bunch of string up in the air. “So not only are they in chaos after I killed Antaeus and cut them off from their leadership, now they don’t have a way through the maze.”

Atlas stood, a thick vein glowing yellow on his neck.

“Impossible! Nakamura had it concealed!”

“Well, it’s pretty easy to search a guy when he’s pinned under a bunch of skeletons.”

Atlas chewed on his finger lightly, and began a short pace back and forth. “And what other issues do they have, since you seem to know more?”

“I heard this girl is important. Veronica, she said her name was?” Annabeth lightly jostled Veronica in place.

Atlas froze, and turned to look at Veronica.

“The Traitor. She is… important, in a way.”

“In a way? From what she told me under knifepoint, her swearing loyalty to a certain someone is necessary for your ultimate victory.” Annabeth put heavy effort into her mocking tone. Bianca made a mental note to never get into a pissing match with the Stoll brothers again. They most definitely had been going easy on her.

Atlas growled in anger again. “Cursed child of Wisdom. You simply have to know everything, don’t you?”

“I’d say that’s the best quality of a good General, but I suppose you wouldn’t know.”

Atlas groaned. “I presume you wish to trade the string and the girl for the sea spawn, then?”

“You’re pretty bright for a guy who’s been under the sky for millenia.”

Atlas ignored her. “Name the terms of the deal.”

“First, back away from Percy. I need to make sure he’s alive.”

Atlas backed away slowly, standing on the side of the room he had entered from, and crossed his arms while he looked on, frustrated.

Annabeth moved to Percy and began to check on him. When she went around to the boy’s back where Atlas couldn’t see her hands, she signed to Bianca.

‘Heart’s beating. I think he’s unconsciously stopping his own bleeding. He should be safe to remove.’

“Have you confirmed that the boy is not dead yet?!” Or do you need to feel his beating heart in your hand?!”

Annabeth huffed and raised her hands. “I’m satisfied with his condition. My Terms are thus forth: I give you the String, as well as information on where we left Nakamura, and I will cut Veronica free of her bonds and let her free. You agree to take Percy’s place under the sky again, or, alternatively, provide another immortal to take the burden. From there we leave peacefully.”

This deal actually seemed to be viable. Annabeth had worded it expertly. She still hadn’t named Ariadne’s string, and had only said that she’d let Veronica go, meaning the girl could just tag along with them when they left.

Atlas thought over it for a moment, then nodded slowly. “You swear upon the river styx that you will honor the terms of the deal?”

All three girls swallowed heavily, though Veronica hid it quite well. Then again, only Annabeth would be in any danger if there was somehow a caveat to her own deal. That was still her friend though, so Bianca worried nonetheless.

“I swear upon the river styx to complete my end of my proposed deal.” Thunder rumbled across the sky. Percy shuddered a bit.

Atlas huffed, accepting that he actually had to make this deal. “I swear upon the river styx to maintain my end of the transaction proposed by Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena.”

The thunder rumbled again, but it was much louder, and seemed more powerful. Atlas shot a look to the ground with annoyance.

“Alright. Let’s do this.” Annabeth ‘cut’ Veronica free, and the girl pretended to be afraid as she skittered off to Atlas’ side of the room, still maintaining a bit of distance from the Titan, who just regarded her with a sigh.

“The string.” Atlas approached with an outstretched hand.

“Wait.”

“What is it now, Chase?”

“Are you going to take his place, or put one of your allies in it?”

A sly grin came across Atlas’s face. “I will provide a replacement.”

He snapped his fingers, and a middle aged woman wearing a tie-dye shirt, cracked glasses, and a rainbow patter undershirt and yellow pants appeared on the ground in the fetal position, wrapped in golden chains.

Bianca immediately concluded who the goddess was. Iris. This explained why they hadn’t been able to Iris message the camp, even when they weren’t inside the labyrinth.

Annabeth realized as well, and tried to protest, but she clutched her mouth instead. Her oath on the styx was already coming back to bite.

“There. I have provided the replacement. Now, the string.”

Annabeth unwillingly held out the fake, and Atlas snatched it up. His grin grew even wider for a moment as he held the string in the moonlight, but the grin vanished as soon as he saw it for what it was.

“Deceiver! You have broken your oath upon the styx!” He looked to the ground expectedly, but nothing happened. “What?!"

Bianca materialized behind Atlas, deciding to shift back to the original plan, since everything was in position anyways. “She said the string, never which one, dumbass.”

Atlas whirled on her and snarled, swinging a fist which never connected as Bianca ducked under the strike, having successfully gotten the Titan in better positioning to shove under the sky. The Peace agreement was now broken by Atlas, signified by the rumbling in the ground and the sky.

Stygian Iron bit into Atlas’ Achille’s tendon, causing him to roar and fall to a knee, just inches from Percy. Annabeth Rounded the Titan’s massive form, and Veronica had joined them as well. All three girls heaved and pushed the Titan with all of their might.

But he was just too heavy.

The oversized brute remained exactly where he had fallen, and he continued to glare at them.

“Fools! If Artemis could not force me under the sky, how could you ever hope to?!”

Bianca then had a miracle of an idea. She untangled herself from Atlas’ arm and ran to Iris, hacking at her chains savagely.

She was older now. Stronger. She would not struggle as she did before.

The chains shattered and fell away, with Iris sputtering back to consciousness.

The goddess looked around, bewildered and confused.

“GO! RUN!” Bianca literally screamed at the goddess, and made another mental note to pray for forgiveness, so that any time she had the opportunity to see a rainbow in the future it wouldn’t try to smite her.

Iris nodded, and turned into a rainbow, which darted out the slit windows in an almost cartoonish fashion. Rainbows could dart?

Nevertheless, Atlas no longer had someone that could take the burden. The rest of his oath was broken, and the world was voicing its anger at him.

The Titan shakily stood, and reached back for his spear, but suddenly found himself knee deep in the floor. He began striking at the ground, trying to break it to free himself, but he just kept sinking.

“Curse you, Chase! Styx cannot hold me long, I will return to kill you and that sniveling bi-”

He vanished fully into the ground.

The three girls panted in exhaustion.

Annabeth straightened first. “Shit! We don’t have someone to take Percy’s place!”

Veronica looked at her. “Before ya ask, I ain’t trying.”

“I was never going to…Nevermind!”

Dozens of ideas formed and were refuted in Bianca’s mind, and she was sure it was happening tenfold in Annabeth’s mind as well. The two paced, walking in a circle around an increasingly weirded out daughter of Aphrodite, racking their brains for a solution.

Then it came. But in perhaps the most terrifying fashion possible.

Everything suddenly grew very quiet. Bianca’s legs felt heavy, but her head felt even heavier. She had to balance herself to avoid falling, holding her head up with a hand. Annabeth and Veronica were doing much the same. The only one not struggling to stand up straight was Percy, who was stretching. His back cracked, and a satisfied sigh escaped him as he let his arms hang limp at his sides.

What?

All three of the girls’ eyes snapped to the Son of Poseidon, who continued stretching for a moment. His movements were slow, delicate, and precise. Not like Percy at all.

But the real difference was in his eyes.

The muted green had become vibrant, now mixed with blues and purples and oranges.

Those mesmerizing nebulas passed over the three with a calculating gaze which made her body feel even heavier. Annabeth stumbled again, while Veronica fell to her knees.

He opened his mouth, his lips coming apart as if they hadn’t been opened in ten years. His voice was not as she remembered. It was older, wiser, calmer. It wasn’t Percy.

“You need not worry for Perseus. He will live, and his time to escape naturally will come.”

The voice put even more weight on their bodies, causing Annabeth and Bianca to sink lower, while Veronica struggled to spit curses now that she was laying on the ground.

Annabeth croaked out a sentence. “Are you…Ouranos?”

Not-Percy nodded. “I am. And I will ensure that he survives, daughter of Athena. Voice your questions quickly, the favor that Styx owed me was minor. She will likely hold Atlas for only a few moments, so you must make your escape soon.”

“H-How are you talking through him?”

“Perseus’ mind was damaged quite terribly by Atlas’ attempt to break his will on his fifteenth birthday. The boy wished for a moment of peace, so I gave it to him. Presently, I control his body. His mind is in a vegetative state, healing.”

“Can’t you leave then?” Bianca felt it was her turn to speak. She instantly regretted it when Ouranos-Percy looked at her, increasing the weight further.

“I cannot. The parts of my consciousness that are still severed from my central nexus are still attempting to crash down to the earth. Worry not, the longer I have an attachment to reality through Perseus, the less the sky will weigh upon him. Eventually, when I fully manifest, the burden will vanish entirely.”

“How...Long?”

“In the area of a single year’s time I will be able to free him from the burden.”

Annabeth spoke up again. “Can you tell him something for us?”

Bianca sighed in relief as Ouranos-Percy looked back to Annabeth. “I am able.”

“Please, please tell him we love him and that we’ll be waiting.”

“I will do so. Now, before the three of you escape, I must ask you to swear upon all five of the rivers that you will not reveal my existence to anyone until I fully manifest.”

Veronica spit out a question from the ground. “If we don’t?”

“Then I will crush the three of you to death here, granddaughter.”

That was good enough reason for the three to say the oaths as soon as possible, considering the constantly increasing weight.

“Good. Now run, my descendants. Seek the one they call Dare to guide you through the Maze. Atlas will return soon.”

Percy’s body slumped again, his arms coming back up to support the weight of the sky as his eyes returned to muted green.

The three scrambled to their feet, with Bianca moving to help Veronica up.

Annabeth stood next to Percy with tears running freely, and cupped his face in her palms. She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, whispered something in her ear, then went to rejoin her comrades, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.

Veronica was the first to speak, as usual. “So how the hell are we getting out of here?”

Bianca considered. “I was able to shadow travel Clarisse really far into the forest on accident during capture the flag. Think I can move us all to Camp together?”

Veronica shrugged. “Don't know what all that is, but shit, might as well try.”

“Language.” Annabeth muttered, still trying to hide her face.

Veronica scoffed, but before an argument could break out, Bianca grabbed the both of them and screamed in frustration as she forcibly shadow traveled the group back to camp.

Chapter Text

Red spots danced in her vision, which was odd.

Usually when Bianca overexerted herself with shadow traveling, everything would just get dark and blurry. Yes, the world appeared rather undefined now, but the red was new.

As her body regained its full solidity, she realized that the red was actually something she was seeing.

An elated Rachel Elizabeth Dare was presently shaking her, while Annabeth and Veronica both vomited violently a few feet away on the beach.

“BIANCA!!!!”

The high pitched tone of Rachel’s voice sent a ringing through her ears, but recovery from the shadow travel didn’t take as long as expected.

“Hey, Rachel.”

Now that she had spoken, Rachel’s voice went from excited to annoyed.

“Neither you or Percy called me!”

Right. They’d first met the girl at the Dam after finding another one of Artemis’ clues, which had led them to the mountain. There was little interaction between Bianca and Rachel there, most came from Percy, who said that he’d met a wacked-out mortal who looked like she’d been awake for a week. Then, Bianca had met Rachel again when she’d snuck out of camp for a few days and wound up tracking what she thought was a demigod to Goode high school, only for it to be two Empousai and one confused red haired nightmare, who had made Bianca promise to call her to explain some more after she pushed the monsters off the roof into the even worse nightmare that is a New York Alleyway.

“We’ve been really busy, sorry.”

It came off a bit more hostile than she intended, but who could blame Bianca? She’d just been waved off from saving her friend by a Primordial possessing said friend’s mangled body!

Thankfully, Rachel was as oblivious to the mood at the moment as her fellow mortals were to monsters.

“Sucks, but I could really use that call, you know? I’d prefer to know if the idiots staring at me in class are eldritch beasts or just morons with a crush.”

“I’m sure you get enough of both.” Annabeth called over, her voice a bit distant since her face was still facing the ground, dreading another retch.

Rachel raised an eyebrow while looking in Annabeth’s direction, but she quickly hid her own disdain as her attention returned to Bianca.

“I get it, Demigod issues. That is the right term, yeah?”

Bianca nodded. “Percy told you that, right?”

“Yeah, in fact when he left me behind at the dam, he just said to go ask some guy at a record store about Demigods. I was back home for a week after we talked at Goode, so I decided to look around. Never found it though, since I forgot the name.”

Bianca’s mood lightened for a moment when she realized how Percy had tried to give Rachel a clue, and a small laugh escaped her. “Oh my gods, he told you to go to D.O.A. Records, didn’t he?”

Her eyes lit up immediately with realization. “That’s it! That’s the name, damnit!” Three letters and I forgot!”

Rachel’s frustration was lost on Bianca, who was now descending into a laughing fit. Percy had tried to send a clear sighted mortal to bug Charon about the Greek Mythological world.

Veronica had finally dragged herself out of the sand, and was looking at Bianca, incredibly confused.

Rachel turned to Veronica. “You’re a new face.”

Both girls’s eyes lingered together for a moment, before Annabeth joined the group, and fussed over Veronica’s now sandy locks of hair. “We picked her up in the maze, she’s an unwilling quester now.”

Veronica’s eyes darted off into the distance, and Rachel gained a small smirk.

“She doesn’t seem unwilling. You telling me Bianca’s a kidnapper, Blondie?”
“You know my name, and it’s not Blondie.”

“Eh, can’t seem to recall. Only Demigod’s I’ve spoken to before today are the one standing right there, and the ever mysterious Percy Jackson.”

Rachel’s tone had a bit of sarcastic longing to it, lidding her eyes and batting her eyelashes, fully intended to poke and prod at Annabeth to feel out her stance on the boy. The prod certainly worked, as the daughter of Athena’s nostrils flared.

Annabeth did her best to remain calm. “Well I know that the idiot couldn’t have possibly gone two sentences without revealing his own name and my own, endangering the mission, so you can drop the act.”

Sarcasm again from Rachel. “Damn. My master plan failed.”

“All plans are feeble before the mind of Athena.”

Bianca and Rachel grimaced as they recognized Annabeth’s standard pattern of spiraling into an argument.

“Big thinker, then? Sure that’s fun.”

Bianca interjected before Annabeth could respond. “Heyyy, Rachel, your last name is Dare, right?” She had a pleading look in her eyes, desperately avoiding meeting the gaze of Annabeth, who was now staring daggers into the back of her head.

“Yeah, why? Is that important or something?”

Bianca sighed as she felt the glare leave her as Annabeth looked at Rachel again. “We were told by… someone, that we needed a guide by the name of Dare. It would make sense that he referred to you, since you are a clearsighted mortal by the name of Dare.”

“Yeah, that’d make sense. Where am I guiding you, then?”

Wisdom’s daughter huffed. “You are remarkably calm about this.”

Rachel Shrugged. “I shoved Percy Jackson in a bathroom stall and led immortal security guards to the edge of the Hoover dam and pushed them off. I figure leading a tour group is going to be more of the same?”

All three of the questers nodded solemnly.

“Figured. About the second question?”

Annabeth motioned for them to walk together towards the city as she launched into lore mode. “The labyrinth, an infinitely expanding maze that tries its best to trick whoever tries to navigate it. We need to stop King Minos, risen from the dead, from conferring with the Titan Armies, and maybe kill Daedalus as well.”

“I know one name there, but I’ve only heard of him in a history lesson I wasn’t paying attention to. So, where exactly are we headed then?”

“Right back into the damn maze.”

Chapter Text

Sleeping felt odd.

He’d been waiting for it for so long, but it only came after he was destroyed beyond measure.

Now, everything was quiet.

Not quiet like it was when he viewed different scenes across the world, but quiet in the simple and obvious absence of anything.

His memory wasn’t serving him well, but from what he could remember, Ouranos had offered to put him in this ‘sleep’ sometime after that night, and Percy had said yes immediately. There had been some sort of deal or oath as well, but that he couldn’t remember.

So now he just floated aimlessly in nothing.

He had no eyes to see, no ears to hear, no tongue to taste, no body to feel.

Just a lucid brain to think with.

But even thinking was hard here, which Percy should have seen as a good thing.

Too much had happened in the last month or two for a just barely fifteen year-old to comprehend. He needed peace of mind for a good, long time before he could return to his normal state, lest old thoughts of before he learned about his father resurface.

So float on he did, only piecing together minor thoughts relating to himself, or those closest to him.

Percy. Perseus Jackson. Hurt and alone, on a mountain in a state he hardly knows. His father is the sea god from ancient Greek religions, and his mother is a woman who lives in New York, cursed by Poseidon with a son.

Sally Jackson. A woman with a fiery passion for baking and for her son, who doesn’t deserve her. She should be the owner of a bake shop while writing in her free time, but instead she battles rent in a lousy apartment in Manhattan while caring for her son.

Poseidon. An absent father who has done little for him other than utilize him as a tool to solve squabbles between different gods. Percy would prefer that he stay that way now.

Thalia Grace. Supposed to be Percy’s blood rival, instead became a close friend. Good with electricity, bad with heights. Friend of Hermes. And the one who had the guts to make the decision few could.

Bianca di Angelo. Another born in opposition to him, yet the opposition rests solely with the father. Too young to fight, yet they all were in the beginning. She found her strength when she needed it.

Annabeth Chase.

Percy’s foggy mind paused here. He knew what to think of her, a daughter of Athena who had been his best friend since he learned the truth. Smart, fast, and beautiful.

What ailed him was what he truly thought of her.

The opportunity of a relationship beyond simple friends had never occurred to him, not with anybody he’d ever met. It simply wasn’t something he viewed as achievable, much less sustainable with his issues, both in personality and in past.

Yet here he was, with nothing else to think about. So why not figure out what he thought of her?

She was most certainly his type. Not the micromanaged beauty of the Aphrodite cabin, instead it came naturally for her. Just a bit of hair care in the morning and she managed to look like a Mediterranean princess every day. Jeans and a t-shirt was the standard look, which he usually matched.

But her personality was the thing that made him want to be close at all times.

Smart girl, sure. But just dense enough to not notice some of the few jabs that might have been more flirting than mischievous. Always willing to correct, but in a fun way, always laced with a playfully crude remark on his own stupidity and dense head.

A mean outer shell of an uptight camp counselor, hiding the inner, easygoing nature.

She let herself go more and more in his presence when they were alone in the sea of monsters. At first it was minimal, but after the sirens, it flowed like a broken tap.

Percy probably couldn't have separated himself from her after he dragged her from the water. He was worried that she was going to freeze, (that's what he told himself so he could keep holding her), but even after she'd warmed up, the girl had refused to let go of him, crying softly into his shirt, the occasional apology for her foolishness falling on the deaf ears of a boy who's only thought was to protect what he'd nearly lost. Only when they reached Polyphemus' island did Annabeth find herself more than ten centimeters away from him.

And she had talked endlessly to him during that time, telling him about her family, her problems with her mother, her hopes and dreams, how she truly understood how wrong Luke was now that the Sirens had told her everything she wanted to hear.

The two grew so close during such little time.

But they were too different in the one place that he felt the most himself.

Freedom of will.

Annabeth told him that she wanted to become the greatest architect to ever live, to build such marvelous structures for the world to see, which would never fall. And she wanted to live among those structures she built, immortalized for all time.

She was structured, methodical, and wanted to tie herself to one place.

He was erratic, quick thinking, and always moving on to the next thing, desperate to be free of responsibility.

Percy was content to just melt away out of history. He’d made no lasting impact now, so why should he in the future? All he wanted was to see the marvels of the natural world, all the forests and rivers, all the mountains and seas, while at peace.

Drifting like a log throughout the world, with no one taking notice of him.

His mind finally produced an image, this time of exactly what he imagined.

He was floating on a piece of driftwood, someplace in the Pacific, over a shallow reef.

The colors mesmerized his feeble brain, watching the fish dart between coral foundations and beds of floating rock.

This was bliss.

Observing his home, his true home in the sea, with nothing to plague his mind or body.

Here, he could not hear the voices of the sea life, but that made sense to him, since he understood it was simply a made up reality.

But that could not stop him from enjoying it.

He rolled off the wood lazily, plunging into the perfect temperature water he imagined, and he was immediately mobbed by a school of Cardinalfish.

The orange scales consumed his surroundings until he was laying on the bottom of the reef, in between a Clownfish’s anemone and several other undersea dwellings.

He felt the phantom touch of the tiny crabs inspecting his hands, the fish nibbling at the dead skin on the bottoms of his feet, and the rock pressed against his back so perfectly.

A thought occurred to him.

This is where he would want to be laid to rest if he didn’t make it out alive.

A deep exhalation of nonexistent air escaped him, and he sucked in the fake seawater around him.

This would be the perfect place to die. Surrounded by creatures that understand him, who bore unfettered kindness in their souls.

The water flooded his lungs, alongside granules of sand, rock, and some small detachments of coral.

He smiled as he accepted his thoughts. This is where he could live with them, cope with them without any danger.

As his false body died, his vision moved away from it, watching as it became part of the ecosystem.

His ribs became supports for some reef plants to grow on. His legbones became part of the ground. An eel housed itself in his skull.

He wished so badly for this instead. No torture, no real pain. Just acceptance of what he had tried to do four years ago.

No temptation at the edge of the subway platform. No shaking hands holding a dull knife his mother had never noticed go missing. No urge to leap from the window, and escape Gabe by becoming one with the city.

Just the reef and him.

Decades passed in his escape, watching families and schools pass and be renewed, the final life of his bones as they were whittled away by the moving sands, and the sad whitening of the reef as the bleaching came.

Something was wrong here.

He looked to the left to see an unwelcome sight.

Two Naiads were in hushed conversation.

“The Lord must retrieve the Prince, or his mental state will continue to fail!”

“Fool! He is not too greatly attached to the boy, he can be brought to his senses.”

“Do you not see what the absence of his favorite has done? His protection of the seas is fading!”

“Enough.”

This voice was older, a more wizened and experienced female.

“He is the King of the Seas. His mental faculties are not of your concern.”

The three shadowy figures darted off into the water again, leaving Percy alone, unsensed by the fish in what he thought was his own personal mental picture of the ocean.

And then he woke.

Chapter Text

“Welcome Back, Percy.”

Immediately, Percy was overwhelmed with too many sensations to feel comfortable. Chief among them was the ever present weight of the sky, accompanied by the stinging of the cold on his still tender skin, bearing various new injuries that he had not been conscious to feel at first. However, as the curse of holding the sky warranted, they never healed.

Sight returned to him, and what remained of his right arm made him want to vomit.

It was little more than a child’s stick figure drawing at this point, only small scraps of flesh remaining on the scratched bones now visible to the world.

To top that off, he knew that Atlas had been using his body as fine dining for monsters, so the looming thought of his arm being shaved like a cheese wheel didn’t work many wonders for his mind.

“I am able to tell you everything that happened while you were asleep, but I imagine you would like to avoid the negative portions.”

“Spot on, as usual.”

“Well, now that I take it into account, perhaps only one non-negative event transpired while you were in meditation. The Daughters of Athena and Hades appeared for a moment accompanied by another who I am unfamiliar with, and they attempted to force Atlas into taking your place.”

Percy felt like a stone had been dropped into his digestive tract. “How? How did they even get here?”

“They traversed the labyrinth, just as the prophecy predicted. I believe they were attempting to fulfill the ‘lost one raise’ portion of the lines by freeing you.”

“Did they at least make it out okay?”

“No injuries to the questers, they scored a deep wound on Atlas but ultimately failed and retreated.”

A metaphorical weight was lifted from his chest. Annabeth and Bianca didn’t get hurt trying to rescue him.

"The Daughter of Athena also wanted to convey a message to you."

"What'd she have to say?"

"Miss Chase wished for you to know that everyone loves you, and they pray for your safe return."

A smile broke his lips.

“On another note, it seems as though my short period of physical manifestation expedited the process of regaining power.”

“That so? How close do you think you are now?”

“I would venture to estimate above a tenth by the end of the week.”

“How much did you say you would need to end the curse?”

“A fourth should suffice.”

Good. They were getting closer every day.

“With luck, I believe I will be able to free you before your sixteenth birthday. You will be able to escape the mountain before the deadline for the prophecy.”

Ouranos had told him all the lines of the great prophecy in exasperation after Percy told him he didn’t know the full thing yet, going off about how the boy was ‘marching to a fate he didn’t know willingly’.

Ouranos’ voice did seem a bit more solid, more stable in his mind. Perhaps it was a side effect of the Primordial regaining power?

“Figure that it’ll be in time for me to get home and make a cake?”

“If that is what you desire most after your escape, I would do my best to will it.”

That night’s session was sure to be unremarkable. Ouranos had told him that Atlas had begun losing interest and stopped personally attending, since Percy’s body never spoke or even acknowledged that anything was happening. So he maintained that appearance.

Ignoring the pain wasn’t as hard as he imagined. The nerves were already so overloaded already, so he just had to brace himself to avoid making any sort of movements. Avoiding speaking was what proved to be the more difficult task.

“Still acting like you can’t hear me, boy?”

The Titan crouched next to him, speaking directly into Percy’s ear, creating an uncomfortable vibration in his ear canal.

“I’m certain that I haven’t done anything to your ears, so I know they work. You can hear me, so speak!”

A Swift strike to the gut was pointless. Percy bit his tongue to stop himself from unleashing a taunt.

“Bah! Take another part of his arm then do whatever, I am going to drink.” The Titan marched out in frustration, leaving an equally dissatisfied torturer to do the night’s work.

One of the few remaining pieces of flesh on his arm was flayed off, and the session began.

Once the session was over, he looked over his body again.

His torturer had lazily struck him with some sort of a mace, barely hard enough to break skin. A superficial wound that would have healed within a day or two if he hadn’t been under the sky.

At this point, they were just injuring him as a way to pass time. He was like a task that they had to get through to complete the day.

“You are more than a chore, Percy.”

The night passed on in silence from then on, but the fates had not finished their work tonight.

Atlas returned, obviously drunk, yet he also seemed nervous about something. What could cause a Titan to pace about a room, chewing on his own fingernails?

What came next answered that question.

Two massive figures entered the room, carrying something wrapped in many layers of cloth.

Titans.

“Atlas! Move, you’re in the way!” The first shouted. His voice was gruff, and he was mostly bare-chested, with a few leather straps and some furs covering black armored leggings for his lower body. Stars were embroidered across his leather. What gave him some sort of personality was his helmet adorned with large, black curved horns.

The second Titan seemed to be on fire, with flames leaping out of his fully plated body.

“Krios and Hyperion.” Ouranos answered his unasked question.

Atlas almost jumped to the side in his drunken fear, and the pair turned, setting the wrapped item on a pedestal that was carved out of black rock.

Hyperion took a look around the room, his eyes lingering on Percy for a moment too long. He spoke in a haughty voice. “Seems you’ve been keeping the place nice and tidy for us, eh nephew? And you’ve even got us some decorations!”

Hyperion first walked behind Percy and gave a mock bow to the statue of Kronos. “Brother.” He then turned to Percy, eyes raking down the form of the mangled boy. “So this is what we’re going to be shoving our lord brother’s conscience into? He seems a bit worse for wear, eh?”

The Titan drove a finger into Percy for a moment, burning some of the skin on his back and creating a terrible smell.

“Not too durable either. Don’t tell me you haven’t tossed him in the river yet?”

“N-no, I haven’t yet. Still need to break him more.” Atlas’ voice was unstable, in line with his alcoholic stupor at the moment.

“He looks plenty broken! Now we have to drag the boy to the underworld to bathe him in the styx because you don’t know how to get things moving!”

Atlas groaned at the beratement from his uncle while Krios just watched on, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. He stood in a strangely defensive position next to the wrapped object.

“Alright, no more waiting. Let’s get this shit done.”

Atlas murmured something in protest, but didn’t fight out as Hyperion dragged him over to Percy.

“Go on.”

Ouranos called out to Percy before his voice left his mind.

“Endure. Find something you could not bear to lose, and hold on to that while in the river. Return to me alive.”

Percy felt himself get pushed out from under the sky, and the true terror of being blind hit him.

Not being able to see was much scarier than he first thought. He knew exactly who and what was in the room with him, yet only being able to hear Atlas’ groaning under the sky and feeling an arm lift his limp body into the air terrified him.

On top of that, he couldn’t move his body. At this point, he was probably completely paralyzed, both from the injuries and the severe pressure his spine had been under for months. He only felt pain while under the sky since that was its curse, for the bearer to feel perpetual torment.

But there was once thing that was coming for him quickly.

Despite all his fear, his racing mind, his brain demanded sleep now that it might be possible.

Everything around him faded, and he heard a different voice, Krios’, speaking to someone he couldn’t see.

“Ethan, babysit Atlas until we return. Your time approaches fast.”

Chapter Text

He was rudely awakened by sulfuric burning in his nostrils.

As he was jolted unwillingly out of sleep, his eyelids protested being opened, despite the fact that he still couldn’t see. Nevertheless, he strained them to keep himself away to take in his surroundings with what senses he had left.

He was most certainly in the underworld, evident from the stench of the dead and chemicals permeating the air. He could almost hear the lucid whispers of Asphodel’s residents nearby as he strained his ears, trying to gain new information.

“You are awake, it seems.”

Krios’ gravelly voice broke through the low noises of the underworld, and it was frighteningly calm for a Titan planning on throwing a teenager into the river of lost hope.

He felt himself be set against some off rock or such, propped up like a doll.

“My brother chose not to join for this. He remained on the mountain with Ethan to guard the coffin. Here. Chew.”

His mouth was forced open, and the familiar taste of Ambrosia on his tongue sent a desperate signal to his brain to tear it apart, but he could not. Krios recognized this, struggling for a moment to awkwardly shift the square into his teeth before manually working the boy’s jaw until it could be swallowed.

Relief came almost instantly as some of the tension in his spine was relieved momentarily, and a gasp of air signalled his return to the ability to speak.

A few short coughs came first. “C-coffin?”

“Yes. Inside is the vast majority of my lord brother that we have gathered throughout thousands of years. After you are bathed in the river, you will be laid inside, where Kronos will petition you to allow entry into your body.”

“No.”

“I imagined such."

A moment of silence existed between the two, no words coming to Percy’s mind that were of any worth. Krios’ deep breaths and occasional coughs were the most prevalent sound in the hellscape for now.

“I understand now why Hyperion did not wish to join. This place has changed since I last inhabited it. It is not in the same dimension of horror as Tartarus, yet it is bleak all the same. Here, I am separated from the stars, thus I cannot truly feel at peace. Hyperion would not be able to bear being away from his preferred source of light.”

“Place sucks.”

“I understand you’ve been here before?”

“Sure.”

“Then you already understand my discomfort well.”

Crunching sand signalled the Titan’s rise.

“I am glad you never had to experience the depths of Tartarus as Kronos originally intended, Perseus.”

Confusion clouded Percy’s mind. Did Krios think he could win favor through sympathy?

“Why’s that?”

“No being, divine or mortal, deserves that place. Eternity in Hades’ fields of punishment could never come close. There, what little one has left is stripped away, leaving the soul bare. The Pit is the only place the immortal soul can be directly damaged. If you had not willingly become my brother’s host along that line, your death would have been final. At least on this path, you will find yourself in Elysium if you do not accept him.”

Another period of silence passed as the two beings sat on the shore of the river.

“It is time.”

As the Titan scooped him up carefully, Percy realized that he had not dwelled on Ouranos’ advice. He hadn’t thought of what to attach himself to, not of who, not of what. And he was going into the river now.

“I will tell you what I told Ethan. Imagine a Rope tying you to what you treasure most. Be it a person, place, or thing, it does not matter. If you do not do this, you will disintegrate. Do not be afraid, your soul will be safe.”

Percy was certainly afraid, and the sudden bone chilling cold that he was tossed into quickly sent his nerves into overdrive, as the shivering quickly turned to burning as the river began to attack.

Wailing spirits cried out about their lost dreams, and the visions came to him. He heard a little girl crying about not getting a pony for her birthday, saw a mother weeping as she mourned her stillborn child, witnessed an old man whimpering at the bottom of a staircase.

And he found himself in his apartment in Manhattan, watching his mother sit alone at their table with a blue birthday cake, candles numbered one and five burning for a son that wouldn’t come home.

He tried so hard to cry out, but all that came was the river trying to fill his lungs and drown him, straining against his natural ability to breathe there.

Then the thought formed in his mind.

‘Gotta get home to mom.’

The rope snapped taut, and his mind bounced across his body. Shoulder, knee, heel, armpit? No, any wise foe would try to reach the hardest spots first.

The back. He never fought alone, always with Annabeth. She would always have his back in a fight, so there would be safest.

The cold remained, but the burning disappeared.

Krios ripped him from the river, groaning at the sizzling of his own flesh as he set the shivering boy against the rock again.

“Where… did you choose?”

Percy’s teeth chattered uncontrollably. “Won’t t-t-t-t-t-t-t-ell.”

“Very well.”

He was lifted again, and despite the shivering, he found some warmth from Krios’ furs on his back, and a bit from the glowing skin of the Titan, and descended into sleep once more.

He didn’t dream, instead finding himself in a strange void. Stars began to twinkle around him as a scene straight out of a Bill Nye episode formed, and the planets formed into existence.

At the moment, Percy seemed to be standing on some strange ice-rock mixture, and as he looked around, much of the same spread out endlessly to his sides. He was standing on Saturn’s rings.

“Going to finally see some truth, boy?”

A voice all too familiar.

“Never stopped seeing in the first place, Granddad.”

Kronos’ shadowy form rippled with laughter as the Titan lord looked upon his descendant with dark eyes.

“That is quite arguable, Grandson. You know I would fix that issue instantly, yes?”

Percy shrugged. “Rather be blind than a traitor.”

“He who fights back against a ruler that does nothing for him is no traitor, merely a wise and opportunistic man.”

“An old bastard that sits on a mountain and does nothing is better than an even older bastard that plans on forcing the vast majority of the world into chattel slavery.”

The shadow grumbled. “We can do this for eternity, Perseus, your moral rights and wrongs serve no true purpose in a war between Titans and Gods.”

“They’ve been serving me just fine. Also, you technically can’t do this for eternity. You’ve got under a year's time now.”

The shadow's form shifted for a moment, growing more spread out.

“So let us end the farce now! Join me, free your fellow godlings from their misfortunes and throw Zeus from his unearned throne! I would swear upon any damned river you wish whatever you want in exchange! Name your desires so that we can end the war before it truly begins!”

“Can you swear on all five rivers to go back to Tartarus and stay there until you fade? I might really put some deep thought into it then.”

“You are insufferable.”

“Makes a great candidate to host a Titan’s soul, no?”

Just before Kronos’ shadowy form nearly exploded in anger, he calmed himself down, just a little.

“Fine then! It seems Atlas was not creative enough with your torture to make you truly understand the magnitude of refusing me! Kampe will attend to you from now on, until your mind is little more than slop, so that I can pilot your body like an automaton!”

The universe collapsed in on itself, being swallowed by Kronos’ body, newly transformed into a black hole.

Percy’s sleep was again interrupted by a feeling he almost welcomed at this point.

The familiar weight of the sky settled between his shoulder blades, and the sight of the room returned to him.

Krios stood off to the side, arms crossed as he looked on. Atlas was breathing heavily on the ground, while Hyperion was angrily closing the lid to a strange, glowing coffin.

“Idiotic brat, couldn’t just say yes?!” Hyperion’s flames literally grew with his anger, not too different from the fire of Ares’ eyes. “Now we have to invade that stupid camp with full force!”

“I’ve never known you to be afraid of a pitched battle, brother. Has Tartarus changed you so?”

Krios had a smug smile underneath his ram-horned helm, and Hyperion whirled on his brother, glowing a bright blue.

“Another word, and I’ll char those stupid horns right off your head!”

Krios chuckled. “Well then, I’m off to watch the stars. Have fun, you two.”

The Ram Titan hastily walked out of the room, and Hyperion chased after him, yelling various curses in various dialects.

Atlas just stared at him with disdain for a while, then huffed and went off as well, likely to get more drunk, since it seemed he never quite left the state after going under the sky while under the influence.

A welcome voice returned to him.

“Well done, Percy. Very well done.”

“Thanks, Ouranos.”

“Krios treated you better than most, I hope?”

“He was a bit more sympathetic, how’d you know?”

“Krios was always the calmest of my children, he was hard to anger and he rarely left his mother’s side. At first I had a negative reaction to his apparent laziness, but I overlooked his kindness of heart.”

“Huh. Guess I’ve still got a lot to learn.”

“I must point out that you rejected my lesson on the personalities and natures of each of my children.”

“Still not up for that, especially not after nearly turning into sand at the bottom of the styx.”

“Would you like to see someplace to get your mind off of it?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice right about now.”

“I’ve been saving this one for a while. Prepare to see something Pontus and I spent a while on, a place the mortals have named Huangshan.”

Chapter Text

“THE HELL’S THAT THING?!” Was the first sentence that left her mouth when the Dragon-Medusa-Various other creatures monster burst out of the entrance to the Labyrinth.

“Kampe! Avoid the claws!” Annabeth shouted back to her, narrowly dodging a bite from one of the many beast heads on the creature’s waist.

Veronica managed to avoid said claws, but not the strike from the left wing, which sent her careening through the dirt, and next to a spindly boy with brown hair. He quickly pulled her to her feet, cursing at the cut on his side.

"You're a new face! You look a little to young to be on the front line!"

The two had to yell at each other in order to break through the din of the surrounding battle and screaming from those around Kampe.

“Not exactly! We ain’t acquainted yet, care to fill me in?!”

“Yeah! I’m Connor, basically head honcho here, second only to my older brother! You look a little young to be fighting on the front lines!”

“I’m thirteen! Ain’t everyone here seventeen or younger anyway?!”

Connor gave a halfway smile, eyes still focused elsewhere.

“Ignore that! Stick behind the Ares Cabin and try to pick off stragglers! Just stay away from the big freakazoid and you’ll be fine!”

He proceeded to dash towards what looked like a carbon copy of himself, shouting a few unintelligible words, which led to the pair running off together towards a pack of monsters trying to flank the Ares cabin.

Said cabin was presently eviscerating the center line of dracaena who were failing miserably to keep the attention of the Apollo cabin, which was now diverting fire onto the hellhounds and Kampe.

One girl, with a build similar to Annabeth, though a few inches taller with larger muscles, was swinging a spear that crackled with electricity like a polearm, forcing the monster battle line to give up space in the center, straining the line’s cohesion just enough to where the rest of the Ares cabin could strike out at the edge pockets and force them back.

The fight looked like it would be an easy victory, as long as Kampe kept chasing after Annabeth, who was moving frighteningly fast for a girl who’d been awake for the past three days.

The daughter of Athena was hitting Kampe with a masterful mix of rocks and insults while dancing around Zeus’ fist, but she was most definitely slowing.

She’d lost her dagger, and was starting to lose strength in her sword arm.

Bianca was nearby, still sticking to the plan of drawing Kampe to the ground in order to ambush her through the shadows.

Veronica spied the dropped dagger a short distance away, and she leapt at it, utilizing her small size and speed to navigate through the older campers quickly.

Her father had drilled her with hatchet throwing for years, a skill she never mentioned but kept in her back pocket for years. After all, what’s a girl to do when a bear, or in this case an eldritch monster, is causing a ruckus?

Veronica took aim, raising a hand, the tips of her fingers aligning with Kampe’s chest, and threw with all the might she had.

She came up a bit short, but the dagger still nailed one of the bulldog heads between the eyes, killing it instantly. Annabeth gave a quick thumbs up, and went back to hurling stones at Kampe, who sank closer and closer to the ground. Bianca’s dark eyes watched with malice from the shadows.

The monster’s wings were tiring, having held so much weight in the air for so long at this point, not to mention the small tears Annabeth had made that were slowly stretching and growing.

Kampe certainly knew, judging from the fact that she had grown accustomed to bouncing off trees for most of her movements, ignoring the thorns that sprouted and raked at her scales.

“RAHHHHHH!”

A roar signalled the large Ares girl’s victory over the enemy line, which fell back to just before the labyrinth entrance, alongside the skirmishers and cyclopes.

Adding to growing list of issues for the monster offensive, their general was still nowhere to be seen, and Grover, Tyson, a very oily old man, and an amalgamation of hands with feet attached were now emerging from the mouth of the labyrinth, meaning the remainder of the monster forces were encircled.

“Lock sssshields! Lock sssshields!” The dracaena lieutenant was crying out to her forces, who hastily formed a circular defense. More of their spears were pointed at the labyrinth than at the camp forces.

“SNAKE LADIES ARE BAD!” Tyson hurled one of many clubs he had picked up from the fallen monsters, which sailed over the shield wall and straight to the head of the dracaena lieutenant, who dissolved.

“Indeed, Tyson.” The hands-thing was next to speak, rapidly gathering boulders while staring at Kampe. “Snakes are bad.”

Some of his hands threw boulders at the shield formation, crumbling it instantly, while others remained locked on to Kampe. He hesitated, not wanting to hit the blonde demigod currently running circles around the monster.

The old man yelled to Annabeth. “Miss Chase! Fall back!”

Grey eyes whipped to the source of the voice, initially suspicious. She calculated for a moment, and decided that if he was with Grover and Tyson, he was to be trusted. Annabeth backed off rather easily, considering the seething glare Kampe was now giving the hands guy.

She spoke for the first time, a crackly, slithering voice that made Veronica’s skin crawl. “Briares! Who freed you, scum?!”

“I freed myself from prison. Now I will free myself from you!”

Briares, as was the name of the hands guy, tossed a dozen boulders at Kampe, who tried to take off into the sky to dodge. Bianca chose that moment to strike, poking her sword out from a tiny shadow to lop off Kampe’s left wing.

Kampe howled in pain at the cut, and was promptly struck out of the air by two of the boulders, sending her crashing down to the ground.

Hundreds of snakes hissed as she rose from her fallen position, eyes still focused on Briares.

Pure hatred radiated from Kampe as she rocketed toward Briares, who rolled out of the way like a tumbleweed, using his many hands to propel himself.

Kampe slammed into the last few remaining boulders from Zeus’ fist, groaning in delirium as she most certainly had whatever the monster equivalent of a concussion was.

She slowly turned, eyeing the now united front standing against her. Poison dripped from the claws and maws of the many beasts around her, but Grover had other plans.

A scream erupted from him, directly at Kampe, and it had a visible shockwave.

Every member of the battle tensed immediately.

Veronica wanted to sprint all the way back to the Oconee right then and there. Panic coursed through her veins, but she pushed it away, because she knew she was on the winning side right now.

The remaining monsters ran in terror, and the heads on Kampe’s waist stowed their fangs and venom, whimpering.

Kampe looked down at them with great frustration, then leveled a steely gaze across her enemies.

“You have not yet won today, godlings! Daedalus, you will burn in Tartarus when we assume control! I will personally watch you, Briares! And the rest of you will burn!”

She slithered away rapidly into the labyrinth, and a raucous cheer went up throughout the forest. Veronica found herself joining in, despite the fact that she knew approximately four people in this crowd.

Said four immediately mobbed her, making sure she was okay.

As usual, Annabeth was there first, attacking her hair and shoulders, looking for injuries. “Okay? No cuts, all good?”

“I’m fine, promise!”

She was then crushed by Annabeth's bear hug, which Tyson doubled in intensity.

The celebration went on for about another minute before the Titan showed up.

The day grew hotter by at least twenty degrees, which was awful for an already hot summer day on Long Island.

The Titan walked out of the labyrinth entrance with a frustrated fast walk, his shoulders and helmet pointed forward. White-Hot flames roared inside his golden armor, which looked ready to melt.

The Centaur that had been checking in on the campers stopped, and looked at the Titan emerging from the tunnel.

“Hyperion.”

Bianca and Annabeth snapped to attention, their eyes focused on the bright armor.

He regarded Briares and the Centaur.

“Brothers. Lovely day, isn’t it? For you of course, not for me, who just lost the vast majority of the offensive forces we’d been building for the better part of three years!”

Flames shot out of the face-portion of the armor, incinerating the ground in front of him.

“Since the largest monster force assembled since the Gigantomachy can’t beat a summer camp of teenagers, I’ve gotta do the rest myself.”

Briares tensed and reached for a boulder, but Hyperion yelled, and shot a blast of fire at him, burning much of the left side of his body. Briares cried out in pain and fell over, and the Ares cabin quickly formed a shield wall in front of their new battle-buddy.

Hyperion marched toward the line, knocking aside or melting the Arrows that the Centaur and Apollo campers sent his way. He raised his golden blade, and brought it down with fury.

The strike was stopped by three different swords. The first two were Annabeth and Bianca, and the third was the Ares Counselor, Clarisse’s.

All three of the girls struggled, gritting their teeth as they held the Titan’s blade in place, wincing as he brought his other hand to the sword and pressed them harder.

“Out of the way, brats! I have a Hekatonkheire to slaughter!”

“No Chance!” Clarisse yelled, as all three of the girls dislodged their blades, causing Hyperion to fall forward, his blade sinking into dirt now that the Ares cabin had moved Briares back, alongside their protective wall.

The three leapt at the opportunity to score a hit on the newly staggered Titan, aiming for the joint sections of his armor. Clarisse and Annabeth’s blades bounced off, but Bianca’s found purchase in Hyperion’s kneecap, stygian iron tearing through immortal flesh with ease, almost cutting the whole leg off.

“ARGH!” Hyperion had begun standing, but fell to one knee again, since Bianca had likely severed most of the connecting ligaments in his knee. He sent a wild swing sideways, which found nothing as Bianca melted away into Hyperion’s long shadow.

Clarisse turned and shouted to her cabin. “HAMMER!”

A large warhammer soared through the air and she dropped her sword, caught it, planted her feet, and drove the hunk of metal upwards into Hyperion’s chin, shattering the bottom of his helmet and sending him sprawling onto the dirt.

A fire had caught at this point, sending the strange green-tinted girls into a frenzy around them as they attempted to douse the flames with water from the nearby creek. Grover tried to coordinate them, but stopped for a moment as an idea came to mind.

While Grover formulated, Annabeth sent a blunt strike at Hyperion’s elbow, causing his arm to spasm and let go of his golden blade.

Six Hermes campers rushed forward, straining to drag the sword away as Grover and the green women started playing music for some reason.

Hyperion regained control of his arm and swung in a wide arc, finding Annabeth and Clarisse, who were sent rolling into lines of campers who caught them quickly.

But it was already too late for the Titan.

Wood grew from the ground like chain links, binding Hyperion to the ground. He looked down, realizing what was happening, and tried to burn them away, but the bark rejected the flames.

“Damn you all! Wretched nymphs, you’ll all burn when I return! I’ll light the forests aflame, take everything for-”

He was cut off as his mouth was muzzled by leaves, and Hyperion became one with the forest.

Chapter Text

“Hyperion has been defeated.”

Krios spoke from his newly installed moon pool, where he would sit while in the room. Starlight flowed in through crystal mirrors, where it then came to the Titan. He said that it was a necessity for him to “keep his wits together.”

Atlas shouted in frustration and ended up punching a decent-sized hole in the wall. “The fool would not listen to reason! Better to have let Kampe perish and retain Hyperion, yet he chose to run to battle like the idiot he is!”

“Now now, nephew. Your uncle may not have been at full strength as you recommended him be, but worry not. He will return again. The godlings merely dispersed his psyche by turning him into vegetation, he will reform quickly. It will simply be a matter of pulling him out of the pit again.”

Percy piped up. “Probably too quick, fast enough to where he’ll get punked even sooner this time.”

Krios chuckled, and Atlas shot him a glare. “How is it that you know the circumstances of Hyperion’s defeat?”

Krios breathed deeply. “The stars provide, dear nephew.”

Atlas marched over, just barely avoiding the water. He stuck a finger in Krios’ face, despite the fact that the elder Titan had his eyes closed and was in a near sleep state. “I know that’s not all.”

“Fine. Koios couldn’t escape the pit, so he… ‘donated’ his foresight to me.”

Gears turned slowly in Atlas’ brain. “I wasn’t aware of that being a possibility!”

“It happened. Now get over it. Let me meditate, so I might actually be able to use Koios’ gift.”

A strange, half choked, half gag noise escaped Atlas as the Titan turned heel and stomped away.

Despite the emergence of more Titans throughout the world, things actually seemed to be getting better for Percy at the moment.

Since Krios now meditated in the room, Atlas was no longer on guard duty, and no sessions were allowed, as they would ‘cause too much noise and disturb the quiet.’

“My son simply detests torture after he was subjected to it in Tartarus. He is granting you another boon, and I advise you accept it with silence, Percy.”

“Yeah, it clicked pretty quick for me. Think I should start another list?”

“Of what, Percy?”

“Titans, worst to least worst?”

“Perhaps. I assume Krios would top the list?”

“Absolutely not. Leto is queen of that list forever, for both being Apollo and Artemis’ mother, and for beefing with Hera.”

“Ah, I assumed you were going to keep the list well within the ranks of my eldest. But would you rank Atlas or Kronos at the bottom?”

“Shit, I just realized something. Aphrodite technically counts, right?”

“Well, she is solely of me, so I would not consider her a Titaness.”

“Nevermind then, it’s Atlas.”

Days continued to pass, where Krios would watch him at night and Atlas at day.

The Titan of Endurance always had several choice words for the Ram, but it was usually simple bickering. ‘You’re lazy’, ‘Someone could sneak the boy out and you wouldn’t even notice’, and other things in the same area.

Some months later, Krios finally spoke to him directly again.

“You understand why Hyperion fell so easily, I would hope.”

Percy was caught off guard by the sudden interruption to what was usually quiet time on the mountain.

“Not exactly.”

Truth was, Percy knew exactly why. However, he wasn’t in a position to reveal that a Primordial was feeding him information.

“My brother spent just as long in the pit as I, and I am still weakened. That is why I am here, always.”

He gestured to the moon pool and starlight.

“I am directly interacting with my domains by bathing in starlight each night. And during the daytime here, when Atlas guards you, I go west, following the stars. I gain more and more power nightly, and one day I will return to my heights. Hyperion spent about two hours sunbathing, decalred that he 'was returned' and marched to his defeat. Apart from that, he never directly received natural light, so he was bound to be crushed by your camp.”

Krios pointed at the low-light torches on the walls. “And if you are wondering, those do not count. Adding to that issue, he traversed the labyrinth, which is infamous for causing issues to immortals.”

“So because Great Uncle glowstick didn’t get his tan right, that made him weaker than Ares?”

Another soft smile from the Ram.

“Correct. He still had abilities close to that of a second generation major god, but he was nowhere near his true self. If he had waited and restored for even a month, he likely would have incinerated the vast majority of your camp after getting minorly annoyed. And that is the issue with immortals like Hyperion.”

“What issue?”

“Emotions.”

Krios rose from his odd, seated, floating position in the moon pool, and walked over to him, giving a quick scratch on the head to the equally odd giant Ram that had been hanging around recently.

“Emotions have always existed, even for the Protogenoi, but their effect on immortals has grown out of control under the rule of the Olympians. It makes us unstable, prone to moronic outbursts, as Hyperion has demonstrated so well. I meditate to regulate my own. Both Oceanus and your father release theirs through currents, riptides, and storms. Zeus utilized thunder, and Hades increases pressure underground. We all have our ways, but the few who ignore their pent up frustrations pay dearly.”

He stepped over to Percy, and placed a thumb against the boy’s forehead.

“My father had a tendency to create winds so powerful, they carved valleys and shifted the waves. We always knew how he was feeling based upon the color of the night sky.”

A thin smile was present on the Ram’s face.

“Though I’m sure you already know how my father feels.”

Buzzing came into his mind immediately as Krios returned to his meditation.

“Krios is aware of our connection. It is likely he saw something in the future using Koios’ foresight.”

Percy immediately began trying to process everything, feeling his chance at freedom slip away.

“He’ll tell the others, and they’ll be ready to stop me escaping. I can’t even beat Atlas, no hope in fighting two at once!”

“Calm yourself, Percy. If Krios truly possesses foresight, it is surely weakened, since it is not his ability. I am unsure as to what capacity he has, but I would cap it at a week’s time.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Krios appeared alongside Hyperion when they dragged the coffin from Tartarus, but they had very little interaction afterwards. Hyperion left to take command of the invasion force, but only arrived himself two weeks after setting out, since he had to navigate the labyrinth without the string. Meaning that Krios could not have foreseen his brother’s destruction, and could not have warned him.”

“Okay, but are you sure Krios would even want to protect Hyperion? Those two have been at each other’s throats every time they were in the same room!”

“Do not doubt Krios’ loyalty to family, Percy. He may have held me down alongside the others, but he wept that night. He has little left, save his brothers and sisters. His children have not been seen or heard of for millenia, it is likely that they have faded. He cannot afford to lose more.”

Percy sensed Ouranos’ temper flaring, so he backed off quickly. He made a mental note not to question the familial bonds of Titans.

More time passed. More Silence.

Atlas stopped appearing, since he had to take command and train the newly forming army. Krios took full responsibility of watching Percy, which he was thankful for. The Ram whined a bit about not being able to be in starlight full time, but gave up when the coffin rumbled.

That seemed to be Kronos’ way of approving or disapproving of actions that the more physical Titans did.

One night (Ouranos said it was late July at this point) Atlas finally returned.

“Iapetus failed to defeat Hades. He’s recovering below now. Kronos says you’re the last of the four compasses, so surely you’ll actually be successful at doing something.”

Krios didn’t even look over.

“I’d concur with my brother on that. I don’t remember the last time I failed to accomplish a task once requested.”

“Don’t be so sure. He wants you to be his personal bodyguard when he takes mortal form. An arrow even grazes his hair, and you’ll get an earful.”

“It almost sounds as if you’re praying for my failure, nephew. Is this you projecting?”

Atlas grunted, completely worn out from bickering with his relatives.

“Shut up. Typhon stirs, and the ritual is tonight, so you’d best be ready.”

Atlas left to go get something, and Krios returned to his position kneeling at Percy’s side, and whispered to him.

“You will be offered the choice again. Deny it, and another soul will have to bear my brother’s conscience. Will you accept, or force the pain on another?”

“I think I would implode from having to be anywhere close to Kronos spiritually, so I’ll pass.”

The Ram chuckled, and stood, moving to the coffin. “I imagined such.”

He pushed the lid off, and stood waiting, tapping his foot.

A few minutes later, Atlas returned, accompanied by Nakamura and a new Demigod, who appeared Native, with a bandana wrapped over his eyes. Scars covered the skin around his eyes, much like Percy’s face and chest. He and Ethan together looked like a warning against looking down the barrel of bb guns with their one working eye between the two of them.

Atlas stood before him.

“You have the choice again to either host Lord Kronos and assist us in tearing down the world order, or to continue to bear the weight of the sky. If you choose the former, Nakamura and Rushing Tide will swear oaths of loyalty to you and Kronos, solidifying your bond. If you chose the latter, you will continue to bear the weight of the sky, and Kampe will personally oversee your torture until the day you die. What say you?”

“I say you’re an idiot that can’t understand that the four hundred sixty eight times I’ve said ‘no’ to being Kronos’ host means I’m pretty against the idea. Ethan, have fun betraying your kin!”

Percy forced a thumbs up and smiled.

The two demigods opposing him turned to look at each other. Nakamura nodded, and Rushing Tide gulped nervously. Nakamura turned back to Percy.

“I would have enjoyed being your lieutenant.”

“Can’t say I regret saying no to that.”

He nodded, and stepped into the billowing smoke of the coffin, being swallowed almost immediately. Rushing Tide slowly stepped over to the open lid, and a few telekhines scurried into the room, holding something wrapped in cloth.

“I renounce the gods, and swear my loyalty to Lord Kronos and his vessel.”

The coffin rumbled violently, and fell off of the pedestal. Rushing tide backed away, and the telekhines dashed forward, unwrapping a sickening scythe, glinting silver and gold as they laid it before the smoke.

Nakamura’s body tumbled out, his skin paler, though tinged with a golden hue. A shaking arm rose, finding the grip of the scythe. His body shivered, then rose, not standing up, rather floating directly up, then plopping down on its feet.

Kronos didn’t address his brothers as they knelt at his feet. Nor did he even look at the demigod and telekhines shaking as they did the same. He turned around, and unwrapped the eyepatch, revealing an empty eye socket, while the other was pure gold.

His voice was not Nakamura’s, instead a non-echoing version of his shadow form.

“Hello Grandson.”

Chapter Text

“‘Sup Granddad. Figured it was finally time to get your ass beat, then?”
He chuckled, a low, grating sound that had not an ounce of humor in it.
“Not quite, Perseus.”

Kronos, now well ingrained within the body of Ethan Nakamura, turned to Krios and Atlas.

“Atlas. Return to your drilling. Kampe will keep the boy, Prometheus and Iapetus will hold the mountain.”

Atlas raised his head.
“But my lord, Iapetus is in no condition! He has yet to rise, the strikes Hades levied upon him were great!”

“He will rise in due time. If not, I will ensure that he wakes. Now go.”

Atlas grumbled and left quickly

Krios stood slowly, and regarded his younger brother.

It was odd that the Lord of the Titans was presently just under six foot while his brother easily eclipsed twelve feet in height.

“Brother.”

“Krios. You are the only member of this family that has actually seen success in the task I gave. For that, you have my gratitude. If you like, I will grant you one of Hyperion’s domains after our victory. I will give you time to dwell on this.”

“Thank you, brother.”

“Now, prepare the Princess Andromeda to leave port again. I expect my personal quarters to be adequate. Lieutenant, you will join Krios for this.”

Krios nodded, and vanished into the starlight.

Rushing Tide was halfway out the door before Kronos stopped him.

“Liuetenant, remain for a moment.”

He stopped immediately, body rigid like a board as he turned around to face his new master.

“Come.”

The demigod stepped back to Kronos’ side cautiously, unsure of whether to bow or kneel or just stand there.

Kronos stepped uncomfortably close to him.

The Titan lord passed a hand over the boy’s blindfold, causing him to shudder uncomfortably.

Slowly, Kronos removed the blindfold, revealing a sickening sight.

It wasn’t that Rushing Tide was blind or disfigured underneath the blindfold.

Two sunken sockets stared at nothing, mirroring the empty orbital cavity on Nakamura’s face.

Kronos spoke, his silver tongue mimicking empathy with an impossibly soft voice for his personality.

“How did you lose them, child?”

Rushing tide grit his teeth.

“Dionysus took them as a punishment after I cursed his name for what he did to my tribe. It drove me mad, but I was rescued by Ethan, who found a way to cure my insanity.”

“How very typical of a vengeful olympian to take even more from one he has already robbed of happiness. Who is your godly parent, Child?”

“Ariadne, my lord. Another of the reasons Dionysus punished me so severely. She fell in love with my father as she watched him tend the buffalo fields, and the wine god hated my family for it. He cursed them with madness and a crippling addiction to alcohol.”

Kronos turned to Percy.

“Do you not understand it, Perseus? The gods you so faithfully serve do these things without giving a second glance to their subjects, never truly seeing the consequences of their actions. They see only themselves and their own desire.”

Percy sneered.

“Already knew that. I don’t faithfully serve, I get ordered around like a soldier. I do what I have to so my friends get to stay alive, and to stop wars. And you want to kill anyone who opposes you, so you’re not much different. It’s really pointless to try to convince me to change sides at this point.”

Kronos hummed in content, nodding along with every word Percy said.

“I know this all too well, Perseus. I knew from the moment that you rejected my presence in the coffin. Everything was merely a formality. Now, I will punish you in the same way my lieutenant was punished.”

“What?”

Kronos stalked towards him.

“You desire justice for your friends and family, do you not? Let us see if you can bear Justices’ afflictions.

“No. Stop!”

Percy now understood what was about to happen. He screwed his eyelids shut, and held them tight as he watched Kronos’ fingers approach. The curse of Achilles would protect him. It had to.

But the curse failed him.

Kronos pried his right eyelid open, and Percy felt the maddening pressure of fingers entering his orbitals.

“PLEASE, NO!”

“You are blind Perseus, what use do you have for them now? Do not resist this.”

But resist he did. Against the wishes of Ouranos, who was trying to tell him to stay still and endure, Percy thrashed against the invading fingers, unwittingly increasing the pressure on his eye, which worsened the pain severely.

“Remain still, Boy!”

Kronos’ other hand latched onto his head, gripping his hair to hold him still. He struggled against the Titan’s strength to no avail, the ligaments in his neck screaming out in pain as they were pulled taut.

His teeth gnashed together in an attempt to bear some of the pain, but his jaw was wound too tight at this point, causing the canines to chip as they collided with each other. The bits of enamel that shattered moved freely in his mouth, sticking to his cheeks and the roof of his mouth.

Percy could produce little more than gurgling cries in protest now, as he felt his optic nerve stretching, receiving microtears along its length as the eye began to leave his orbital.

His left hand came out from under the sky and clawed at Kronos’ arm, Iron fingernails scraping and cracking against steel skin as they peeled back. Kronos grunted in minor pain, but continued undeterred.
A strangled cry came out of Percy’s mouth as the optical nerve finally snapped, with Kronos stumbling back for a moment.

Percy’s mind was spinning. He couldn’t even formulate words to cope with the situation, much less understand the prayer Ouranos was chanting in his head.

Kronos examined the eye in his hand, which was almost completely red from the bursting blood vessels. Percy’s resistance had forced the Titan’s grip to be iron against the delicate organ, and now that it was no longer even minorly protected by the curse of Achilles, the vessels inside had ruptured like an earthquake.

Tears flowed freely from the remaining eye, while no more could come from the other side.

The process repeated, the same futile resistance against the loss of his left eye. Tearing tissue, a lost organ, free flowing blood.

His brain was equal to a wild dog’s at this point. No other method of torture had come close to this.

Before, the nerves had been severed, bruised, or otherwise negatively stimulated. This time, they had been directly attacked, a direct attack on his brain that scrambled it like an egg.
His ringing ears picked up the muffled speech of the Titan Lord.

“Come, my lieutenant. You must see again to faithfully serve me.”

The horrified boy stepped forward, and his knees gave out almost immediately. His body barely moved as Kronos delicately placed one of Percy’s eyes into Rushing Tide’s right eye socket, and passed a hand over it. The boy cried out in pain for a moment as the eye cemented itself and attached to his brain, and Kronos stepped away.

“How do you like my gift, lieutenant?”

The boy stood, and glanced around the room with his newfound sight. But there was no celebration from him.

Rushing Tide’s eye, Percy’s eye, settled on its previous owner with horror.

His lip quivered, and his voice was shaky.

“M-my lord, I can’t accept this. Please, remove it.”

Kronos gave him a quizzical look.

“You do not enjoy my gift, boy?”

The demigod steeled himself, trying his best to compose his next sentence.

“I thank you for it, but I feel that it undermines my purpose, lord. It would remove from my motivation to strike back at Dionysus.”

It was absolutely a lie, and Kronos knew it well. Rushing Tide was terrified by the actions of his new master, and couldn’t bear using a tortured prisoner’s eye to see.

The Titan lord shrugged.

“Very well, Lieutenant. Worry not, it is not fully mended, so the removal should be mostly painless.”

The extraction occurred again, though much more careful and precise this time.

Rushing tide panted and quickly exited once he was given leave, barely concealing his rush to escape the situation. A puddle on the floor revealed that he had lost control of his bladder during the mauling.

“Now, what to do with these?”

The Titan Lord held the two eyes in the air, dangling them by the exposed nerve ending while tapping his chin. He stopped, and held one eye to his own empty socket.

“Mm, perhaps not. It would incinerate anyways. Ah, I have just the idea!”

He summoned a jar filled with an odd liquid, and dropped the eyes inside, tying it closed. He stepped over to Percy and shook the jar in his face.

“This would make a wonderful gift to your father, but I believe it will be better kept in the company of the Huntress. Rest well, Perseus. Kampe will attend to you tomorrow.”

Kronos left the shuddering, mad son of Poseidon alone atop the mountain.

Spoken words echoed through his mind.

Memories of a deal.

An oath, sworn between him and the sky before he fell into a mind healing slumber.

“I, Ouranos, Primordial Deity of the Skies, swear upon the five rivers that, in the event that you are physically or mentally unfit to control your own form, I will take charge, and preserve your body to the best of my ability, and act according to your best interest.”

He could no longer control his own body.

His mind could barely comprehend what he was anymore.

So he willingly let go of the reins.

Ouranos was returned.

Chapter Text

The mere lick of a physical form he had felt while controlling Percy’s body before was nothing compared to this.

Before, Percy had just wanted an escape.

So Ouranos had granted him one through Hypnos’ realm. A dream, more a vision of his perfect peace.

Now, it was as if he no longer wanted control.

The moment the mind of the crazed boy faded, and the Primordial came back into being, he felt immense power flowing through the blood as the body accepted him fully, erasing any trace of resistance.

It was intoxicating.

Within seconds he could feel every drop of moisture in the air. He tried to bend it to his will, but it did not respond.

He tapped his foot, and felt the echoes in the earth. A stomp had no great effect, as the earth refused to tear before him.

It was not yet time.

But this was it.

This was his future. His grand design.

He had waited untold time, and the fates had brought him the perfect vessel to manifest through.

Before, his limitations within domains had failed him.

His children had held him to the earth, where Gaia held the greatest power. With his connection to the sky severed, his skin lost its impenetrable, uncuttable nature. He solidified, and was split into a thousand pieces.

And the sky has been without a proper ruler ever since.

Here, now, he felt his power returning.

Soon, when more fragments return, he can take back control of the sky.

With a little more, he’d be able to heal the vessel, which would grant him powers he desired from the beginning.

The boy was truly magnificent. Born with control of two Primordial domains, he was able to influence both liquid and earth, but never knew the extent of his abilities.
But Ouranos knows.

In this form, he will be able to influence Earth, Sea, and Sky. The boy has made him master of Physical Reality.

“Cold as ever. Always concerned with power, aren’t you, Caligo?”

The excited mistress of cold who had woken first after the psyche took control of Percy groaned, and turned around to glare at Erebos.

“You are simply content with remaining a shadow of yourself.”

“Not a bad comparison. I rather enjoy shadows.”

“Do not think that since you are the most complete of us now that Ouranos favors you.”

“If he does not favor my judgement, then why was I placed as the head of this council?

“You’re impossible.”

“I’m you, you fool.”

“By your own statement, you’ve just insulted yourself.”

“You-, never mind. You’re too focused on the fifteen minutes of absolute power we’ll have once we end the curse. The goal is still to protect and save the boy, yes? Or have I been deceived by my fellow aspects?”

Erebos gestured to the other shadowy, indiscernible forms around him, who shook their heads in disagreement. However, Caligo and two others remained still.

“You are too unfocused upon the opportunities the boy presents! Think, he already wishes for his own death! What point would there be in saving the life of a mortal that no longer desires one?! He is right to offer his body to us, who would right the world!”

“Check yourself, Caligo!”

This voice was new, coming from the shining colors of daybreak off to the side. Hemera.

“We collectively agreed to help the boy! Ouranos’ punishment is not over yet, we have not served enough time under the curse! Our responsibility is to help those wronged by Ouranos’ descendants!”

“And how long would you have us wait, granddaughter?”

Hemera helf her arms stiff at her sides, hands clenched so tight that ichor spilled from them.

“Until day breaks for the last time on this world. Then I won’t be here to stop you all from using a FIFTEEN YEAR OLD HALF MORTAL GOD to advance your own powers!”

“Silence!”

Caligo tried to hurl a spear of frost at Hemera, but it merely dissolved, since little of the Primordial mother of Night had managed to collect so far.

Erebos stepped up to Caligo, grabbing her arm. “Do not forget your place Caligo. The decision is final. We will have our time to change the world to better accommodate ourselves, but the end goal is still to ensure that Percy escapes and is able to return to the godlings.”

Her eyes leveled, lidded stare burning against Erebos’ dark eyes. “Percy. You call him Percy?”

Caligo’s stare was hateful. Truly deserving of the title ‘Mistress of cold’.

“The boy’s name is Perseus. He forsakes his title of destroyer due to his upbringing. Were it not for the current predicament, he would have grown into his namesake and razed a portion of the world.”

Frost grew on Erebos’ hand. He quickly pulled away, turning his back to Caligo.

“Enough with the manner of the boy’s nature! He seeks peace, and so does Ouranos. Their goals are the same yet different, we are merely passengers.”

“Until he returns. With a Primordial in control of the sky, we will be freed once more to take control of our domains. Then the world will be right again! No more half baked immortals peddling about their mindless-”

“Enough.”

The voice echoed through the mindscape, and all of the aspects, save Caligo, immediately fell to a knee, facing the growing mass of colors emerging on the horizon.

“You would not kneel before me, Caligo?”

“I would not indeed, since you are younger than I.”

As Ouranos chuckled, the whirling skyline vibrated alongside the sound.

“Perhaps. But you survive now only because of me. However, I will grant you this.”

The colors came close to Caligo.

“You will be the first I call upon when I emerge. The conditions will be… favorable for your domains.”

The Primordial’s icy lips cracked into a smile.

“Is that so, Ouranos? Very well. My essence is yours to call upon.”

“Good. The rest of you, prepare. I will reach the needed amount of strength come mid August. Some of you will be more whole then. Others may be the same. But our goal is absolute. I will use your strength while in control of Percy’s body to remove the curse, and then reclaim my throne and castle. With it back in my possession, I will be able to manifest by myself, and the rest of your essences will be drawn to the castle. You all will re-form, and we will prepare for Gaea’s inevitable waking. And…”

The colors shifted to dozens of shades of blue.

”We will prepare to bring back an old friend.”

The aspects dispersed one by one, leaving the mass of blue alone. But not for long.

Two lions, bound together crudely by their own tails prowled over to the mass.

He was most certainly a deity, but he held a different reverence than the others. He appeared almost…different, in a spiritual sense.

The two heads spoke as one.

“You did not discuss with them the fate of your children, Ouranos?”

“I did not imagine that you’d care, old friend. After all, they are of little concern to you.”

“Mm, perhaps not, when it comes to the compass needles and their blithering descendants. But Kronos is of dire concern to me, and to my lord.”

“I understand. It pains me so, but my children have inherited too much of my wrathful nature. They will need to be returned to Tartarus for some time.”

The maws opened slightly.

“You mean to destroy them?”

“It is a necessary evil. Not only do their plans need to be thwarted, but they will most certainly attempt to hold Percy hostage still. They will stand in the way, so they will be removed.”

A nod from the two cats.

“Very well. I agree that it is a necessity. You and I both bear glimpses of the future. Perseus Jackson will be very helpful to one in my own sphere in the future, so his survival is preferred.”

The first lion disappeared, and the other said its goodbyes.

Chapter Text

Hey y’all. Not an actual chapter here, just a bit of poorly explained Primordial family trees from me.

To start, the Hesiod’s explanation of how the different Primordial beings came into existence is a mess. Therefore, I will be using my own version, the basis coming in order of existence. Should make everything smoother/less confusing.

So, here we go.

Chaos still comes first, since before Chaos existed, nothing did. When the Big Bang occurred, the universe or reality was in utter chaos from the sudden existence of well, stuff.

There isn’t exactly a Primordial of Heat, so they won’t be appearing.

However, after the Big Bang, we have stuff!

The explosion created light, so we get Erebos as a counterpoint (Darkness), and then when everything cooled, Caligo (cold). Aether won't be appearing, but he would have come along here as well. However, there is no Day/Night cycle yet, so no Nyx/Hemera. That’s the major difference, Nyx and Hemera are the babies of the group.

Chaos is the technical/recognized father (no mother) of Erebos, Caligo, Aether, Pontus, and Gaea.

I say technical because he’s basically just the reason for their existence.

Gases collect into Stars, and over untold time, the elements form through fusion, collect into planets, and we get Gaea (Earth).

Water collects on Earth, forming Pontus (Sea).

Minor life begins in the Sea, so an Atmosphere also forms. Atmosphere equals sky, therefore Ouranos.

Since the day/night cycle is now a thing, Nyx (Night) and Hemera (day) come into play.

Since Ouranos is the basis for Nyx and Hemera’s existences, he’ll be their father.

Ouranos and Caligo are very badly broken up lovers here. That’s why she’s so pissed off at being tied to his soul.

Where this is all leading is that I’m not a big fan of most of the Hesiod. Call me weird, but I don’t like Gaea giving birth to Ouranos, then marrying him.

The vast majority of parent, sibling, and other familial relationships are the same in wsms, so don’t worry too much.

Please also note that this explanation will also likely change, I’ll let y’all know if it does.

Sorry for no chapter over the last few days. I’ve been enjoying some time in Cascadia with some friends.

You’re getting Thalia next btw. Calm before the storm chapter. War officially begins after Thalia’s chapter.

Yesterday’s dinner: Dave’s Hot Chicken.

Chapter Text

Silver gutted flesh as her spear tore through the second Laistrygonian of the day.

As Thalia dusted ten pounds of golden dust off her head, her sisters around her were occupying themselves with the same task.

“What in Hades are this many Laistrygonians doing outside the North?! We’re in fucking Texas!”

“Language, Pearl!”

Pearl, a Huntress who had entered the hunt only about a year or so before Thalia, shot her second lieutenant an ill mannered gesture as she continued to furiously attack her black hair, trying and failing to remove the horrid mix of monster dust and mud.

Phoebe stepped to Thalia, a bit too unconcerned with the glob of gold tinged mud that was caked on her right shoulder.

“She’s right, lieutenant. It is incredibly uncommon for them to stray this close to the equator. The time grows ever closer.”

“You don’t have to say it so ominously, you know. This war has been building for long enough. We’re just cutting as much as we can from their forces before they actually decide to attack something important again.”

Phoebe blushed slightly. “My apologies, Lieutenant.”

Thalia giggled, smiling softly. “I’m not mad at you or anything, just relax a bit more. It makes it easier to hunt.”

Pearl, who had decided to just cut her hair down to about two inches instead of washing the gunk out in a stream, popped out of nowhere next to Phoebe, throwing an arm over her shoulder.

“Yeah P, can’t hunt very well with a stick up your ass.”

Thalia pointed at her.

“Not that relaxed.” Thalia shifted to a more quizzical stance, crossing one arm over her chest, and waving a hand at Pearl’s hair with the other. “Pearl, I thought you liked your long hair?”

She continued cutting away some uneven bits on her head. “Sure I did. But I’ve been straightening my hair waaaaay too long. Think I’m gonna braid it next, might look like Zoe.”

Pearl wasn’t wrong about looking close to Zoe. Her skin was a bit darker, nose a bit smaller, but much in their facial structure was similar.

Adding to that, Pearl had apparently been very close to Zoe, since she was a relatively new hunter compared to most others, and didn’t have an ounce of experience before joining the hunt. Therefore, Zoe, as the one who recruited her, took personal responsibility for her training, which made Pearl a vicious hunter.

Zoe had taken command of most of the younger generations of hunters, working in the East while Thalia was usually responsible for the more seasoned hunters in the West.

Her detachment always seemed a bit slower and moody though.

Not that her hunters didn't love her, but Zoe held a special place in the hunt. Most girls would jump at the chance to train with her, even after over a hundred years in the hunt.

“Have you ever tried growing locs, Pearl?”

Her eyes lit up. “When I was a kid, yeah. Gave up pretty quick when my dad told me they wouldn’t just be there the next week. Only let them grow for about two before I started losing my mind from how tight they were. Six year old, y’know?”

“Yeah, that figures. What if you start today? You’ve got until the sun implodes, might as well start now. I’ll help you cut your hair the right way when we get back to camp, promise.”

A grin grew on her face. “Deal. No complaining about my O.C.D., though.”

“May I be unhanded now?”

A fidgeting Phoebe, who had been caught in an even tighter hold with the increased excitement from Pearl, slipped free and sucked in air as Pearl let her go.

“Thank you. We have another giant to hunt, yes?”

“Yeah. About, uh… ten miles west, I think?”

“For a commanding officer, you sure are terrible with to-do lists.”

“Keep getting on me about that, and I’m going to purposely ruin your hair.”

The three girls darted off into the night to hunt their third Laistrygonian, while the rest of the hunt continued operations around them in the county.

By four in the morning, Coke and Sterling county were Certified Laistrygonian-Free, Guaranteed by Artemis herself.

Thalia was standing next to a fire, Pearl sat in front of her with tears in her eyes, fighting away laughter as Thalia struggled to give her a buzzcut with a hunting knife. Zoe was looking on from the side with an amused expression.

“Sit still, or I’m gonna wind up cutting off your damn scalp!”

“I’m trying, I promise I’m trying!”

With a quick look up, Thalia discovered the reason for the laughing.

Two of the younger huntresses had been hiding in the brush near the fire, occasionally popping out and making different faces at Pearl, who was decidedly weak to that specific humor. Zoe shooed them away, and ended up having to chase them through the brush in order to stop them from sending Pearl into a fit of laughter.

After several more close calls, the job was finished, and one near hairless Pearl said thank you after a long period of uncontrollable laughter.

The hunt was finally returned to a time for relaxation, sat near the second Lieutenant’s fire, just outside her tent, when their peace was about to be destroyed for the night.

“Perimeter Breach!”

The loud scream of a patrolling huntress cut through the otherwise quiet night, and the three girls immediately shot to their feet, bows, knives, and a spear collected quickly as they shot off in the direction of the call.

They found the patrolling huntress holding a dracaena at arrow-point. The monster appeared unarmed, but did have a small pouch, bound by a silver string.

Thalia marched over, clapping the huntress on the shoulder as she crouched next to the monster, snarling right back at the snake.

“Who are you with, and how many are there, snake? Tell me now, and I will kill you immediately, lie, and I will ensure you never even think about leaving Tartarus again.”

“A-Alone! I am Alone, Huntresss”

“Are you sure?” A knife was placed at the snake’s throat, barely digging in, courtesy of Pearl. “It isn’t very common for a single Dracaena to approach the Hunters’ encampment alone. Who do you think you’re gonna kill, all by yourself?”

The snake’s eyes blew open.

“None, Huntresss, none! I ssswear upon the Ssstyx!”

Thunder clapped overhead, and the dracaena remained unharmed. Thalia looked back down from the sky to the snake.

“Why come here, then? What do you bear in that pouch?”

“A gift for the Lady Artemisss, sent from my lord Kronosss.”

Zoe raised an eyebrow, doubtful.

She bowed her head and offered the pouch upon two hands, and Thalia snatched it away. She tried to tug the string off, but it held like Iron.

“It can only be opened by the goddesss herself, Huntresss.”

Thalia huffed, and dragged a finger across her neck. Pearl ripped the dracaena’s throat open with her knife, and the monster dissolved.

Thalia turned to the other hunters, including Phoebe, who had appeared as a response to the call.

“Draw the Perimeter closer to the encampment. Tighten the guard, and stay watchful. I must confer with our lady.”

The other hunters dashed away into the forest, but Thalia stopped Pearl and Phoebe.

“You guys stick with us. Whatever this is, it’s probably a trap, so we need to be ready to come to Lady Artemis’ aid.”

The two nodded, and the four marched with haste to Artemis' personal tent.

Zoe regarded Thalia. "That was well done. Fast, efficient, and protected. You have mastered interrogations already, lieutenant."

An embarrassed smile splayed out over Thalia's features. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

Thalia stopped, and knocked on the hard tent flap.

“My Lady, may we enter?”

The quiet voice of Artemis broke through.

“You may.”

Thalia found Artemis exactly where she expected. Sitting on her bed, dressed in a simple set of deer patterned grey Pajama pants, and an oversized grey sweatshirt. The goddess of the hunt knew how to appreciate simple, flexible comfort.

“Has the perimeter breach been handled?”

“Yes, my lady. But there was something else. A pouch.”

Thalia presented said pouch to Artemis, who took it without question. She didn’t open it immediately, sensing that Thalia had more to say.

“The dracaena that was captured said that it was a ‘Gift from Kronos’, and that only you would be able to open it, my lady.”

A soft smile appeared on Artemis’ face.

“And you three came along with Zoe to protect me in case it was a trap. I’ve trained you well, my sisters.”

Phoebe blushed for the second time that day, while the others matched Artemis’ smile.

“Very well. I will open it now.”

The four tensed, spacing out around the room with bows drawn, arrows notched.

Artemis moved to the war table, emptying it of all maps and lists with a wave of her hand.

The goddess of the hunt carefully released the silver string from the pouch, and it lost its light, turning to a standard string.

Artemis opened the top of of the pouch, and raised an eyebrow. Her fingers closed around a cork and began removing it to look closer.

Just before Thalia could see what was inside the container, Artemis slammed the pouch down on the table, and staggered away from it, covering her mouth as she fell onto her behind on her bed, eyes wide and shaking.

Zoe and Phoebe were at her side in an instant, checking over the goddess' condition.

“What lies within, my lady?! What ails you?!”

Artemis shook her head, waving her other hand in the air. The faintest glistening of tears had begun to form in her eyes.

Thalia decided quickly that she needed to know what was inside the pouch. She nodded to Pearl, who flanked her, and started towards the pouch.

“No, Thalia!”

Artemis had finally managed to gain some steadiness in her mind, but she was still sitting in the bed.

“Do not look!”

Thalia saw that Artemis was still freaking out, so she decided that following orders was not the path.

“I’m sorry my lady, but I have to know what’s doing this to you.”

Thalia grabbed the cork and ripped the container out of the pouch.

And a familiar set of eyes stared back at her.

She dropped the bottle and fell to her knees, pupils shifting to pinpricks as her mental state plummeted..

Pearl caught the container, and gagged violently as she saw what was inside.

Carefully, Pearl slid the container back into the pouch, and she removed a letter from inside before closing the pouch as much as she could.

Pearl then vomited in the corner, wiped her mouth, and staggered over to Thalia, dropping down to comfort her.

Phoebe and Zoe helped Artemis to her feet, and the three inched over to Thalia and Pearl.

Pearl held out the letter absentmindedly, to which Phoebe took it, letting Pearl dedicate both hands to rubbing Thalia’s back and head. Artemis joined her on the ground, furiously blinking away her own tears.

“Please read it to me, Phoebe.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Phoebe unfolded the letter.

“For Artemis, daughter of my son. I gift to you the eyes of Perseus, since you failed to fully take them the first time.”

Artemis growled on the ground next to her lieutenant, a deep, rumbling sound, like a Panther.

“In the morning, we run to California. If I have my way, they’ll never make it out of the state!”

Chapter Text

Normally, the Hunters hardly ever stopped moving. But the moment that they made camp, Thalia collapsed into her bed in her tent, descending into a panic attack.

Percy’s eyes. Kronos had ripped out Percy’s eyes and sent them to Artemis as his first action after gaining a host.

So many thoughts fought for supremacy in her head.

This at least meant that Percy said no to being the host. Kronos would never deprive himself of sight.

But that was unimportant. Percy was never going to be Kronos’ host in the first place. So it just meant that the boy was even more mutilated now, perhaps even deprived of the opportunity to have his sight restored by Apollo.

The attack lasted especially long.

She’d had them before, but they were always minor. They had come in moments of indecision, so her demigod brain wired for combat had always snapped her out of it quickly.

But here, there was no enemy she could reach. No hellhound to spear, no kids to protect.

For now she was powerless to end the suffering of her cousin.

So the attack endured for longer.

Finally, something happened that snapped her out of the attack.

Thalia heard voices outside her tent. The sound of arguing.

One of the voices she recognized. A very annoyed Phoebe.

“The answer is no. You are already trespassing. None are allowed to enter the personal quarters of the lieutenant, especially no males.”

The other was unfamiliar, the voice of a young male.

“Could you just ask if we could see her?”

“I very well could, but the question of whether I will is an immediate no. The Lieutenants of Diana answer only to Diana.”

‘Great’, she thought. ‘Romans’.

She’d been surprised to learn about the existence of the other camp, though the surprise didn’t last longer than five minutes after meeting them the first time. She’d rather deal with an entire legion of Connor and Travis Stolls than the first cohort.

“We only want to see her once! Our Centurion said she’s so beautiful, a single look can leave you happy for a month!”

“You will not be staring lecherously at the-“

Thalia cut Phoebe off by slamming open the door of her tent, sending a legionnaire of the first tumbling down the hill with a bloody nose. After a single annoyed glance, the other two ran off after their comrade. Typical.

“Hey, Phoebe.”

The girl was on her instantly, wrapping Thalia in a tight hug. She pulled back, looking over Thalia with a concerned glance.

“Are you well? You slept so long, we thought you had fallen into a coma!”

Apparently four hours was in the danger zone, but who was Thalia to judge? Phoebe’s concept of sleep was likely severely flawed. After all, hunters slept for personal pleasure, since it was no longer a necessity now that they were immortal.

“I wasn’t sleeping, Phoebe. But I’m fine.”

Phoebe seemed okay with Thalia’s answer.

“Lady Diana wants to see you in her tent before she goes to speak with the Praetors.”

“Okay.”

The two walked together, leaving one of the veteran hunters to guard Thalia’s tent.

“Where’s Zoe?”

“Lady Diana sent her with our eldest sisters to scout Othrys.”

Thalia noticed the foul expression Phoebe had.

“Bad news so far?”

“Zoe said that the main monster force left long ago. Lupa’s wolves tracked them as far east as Denver two weeks ago. Camp Half Blood has been informed, thankfully they have been preparing the defense of Olympus for some time.”

“Annabeth’s always ahead of schedule. We won’t have to worry too much about that then.”

Thalia trudged off to Diana’s tent, ignoring the small groups of legionnaires painfully failing to flirt with the perimeter guards.

She reached the tent.

“May I enter, lady Diana?”

“Please do.”

Diana wasn’t too different from Artemis. As a matter of fact, her appearance was the exact same.

Personality wise, she seemed a bit more relaxed, which made little sense, considering most of the Roman gods were a lot more uptight.

That personality quickly showed itself when Diana beckoned her over, to which Thalia walked over into a very comforting hug from her patron.

“I told you not to look, Thalia.”

“I had to see.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I would have had the same reaction if you had just told me instead.”

“It might have had a lesser effect.”

“It’s better that it didn’t.”

They sat there in silence for a while.

Thalia pulled away.

“Do you still have them?”

“Yes.”

Her gaze was steely.

“If my father attempts to stop me from raising the legion against Othrys, I’ll call on Neptune. He will force Jupiter’s hand.”

Thalia met her eyes.

“Why are you so adamant about this? Percy agreed to carry your burden.”

Her gaze steeled further.

“Perseus is a suffering form that portrays my greatest failure. Furthermore, I sensed that something that grossly violated my domains happened in his past. Even though he is male, it is my duty to discover the source and eliminate it. And…”

She smiled.

“If he were saved, it would make my lieutenant very happy.”

Thalia had to fight off tears for the second time that morning as she returned to Diana’s embrace.

They talked for a little while after that, but all good things have a sadly high chance of ending for demigods, so it was time to head to the Principalis to have a talk with the Praetors.

Just the two of them went to the Principalis, as Diana cited the increased number of Roman males trying to get past the perimeter as her reason for needing all hands on deck to protect the hunters’ encampment.

They wore cloaks to hide their appearances.

At Diana’s request, an all female detachment from the fifth cohort escorted them.

Interestingly, Diana was chatting up one of the girls nearly the entire walk.

“You’re certain that you won’t join the hunters? I need your expertise, my ranks are growing. I will need a third lieutenant in a few years time.”

A pang of jealousy popped up within Thalia.

Diana was trying to recruit one specific girl out of the group, and they were already familiar? And she was being offered a lieutenant position? No thanks. Instant lieutenant position was Thalia privilege only.

“I’m certain, lady Diana. I’ve already been promoted to Decurion since we last spoke.”

“Phooey.”

Thalia’s jaw hit the floor. Did Diana just say Phooey?

“Who’s that, my lady?”

“Daughter of Bellona. Great with a sword, even better as a tactician. Been trying to get her for years. With the three of you in command, I could probably have the hunt be autonomous.”

“You would leave us, my lady?”

“Ah! No guilt tripping me, Thalia! Managing the day-night cycle is a hassle, especially when Apollo is responsible for much of it. Plus, I would like to dedicate more time to the preservation of the wild, since Pan has passed and left your friend as the new lord of the wild.”

Thalia’s jaw dropped again. “They made Grover lord of the wild?!”

“Yes. And so far, he’s been great. I should have known, Zoe spoke highly of him. He might even be good enough to get the fauns to work too. With luck, we’ll have the national parks in order two months after the war.”

Diana and her Lieutenant continued talking over the long list of responsibilities that the goddess had until they reached the Praetorium.

“We’re not meeting with them in the Principalis?”

“No, Thalia. The Principalis is a place for more…personal, civilized discussion. War is never Civil.”

As they passed into the Praetorium, the sight of the Praetors was interesting.

There were of course two, this time a Male and Female.

The Female appeared to be the senior Praetor, sat in a chair with a chestplate full of medals. Red hair was braided around her head, and green eyes rose from a table of maps to meet Diana’s. The two women nodded to each other, but the Praetor seemed to be stressed for some reason.

The Male was standing next to her, bearing less medals. His hair was regulation cut, black to match his eyes. He was tall, easily rising above Thalia and Diana, but he gave them a deep bow. He bore the same stress, even appearing to sweat.

Like there was something much more scary than Diana in the room.

A mirrored glance to Diana’s own revealed to Thalia who.

“Mars, Apollo. What are you doing here?”

Diana’s tone was highly annoyed as she tried to annihilate Mars and Apollo with her gaze.

Mars was sitting in the other Praetor’s chair on the side of the table, one leg draped over the other. He was furiously chewing some tweed, cutting his fingernails with an oversized knife.

Apollo had an even wider toothy grin than Mars, his golden features perfect as always.

“Hey, sis. Y’know, it’s just as tough for me to pilot the sun.”

“That’s not what I asked."

“What Apollo didn’t say..” Mars rose and gestured to the maps. “Is that we are here because you are planning to invade Othrys alone. Personally, I jumped at the chance to join, since war is my specialty.”

Diana barely moved, still staring holes through her twin. “Why you and not Bellona?”

Mars shrugged. “She’s pissed that you tried to kidnap her daughter again, so she didn’t come.”

“And I’m here because I can’t let my sister get captured on Othrys again!”

The Praetors each raised an eyebrow, but Thalia just waved them off.

Diana took a deep breath, fighting away the urge to spew expletives at her relatives. “Thank you for coming to assist me. It will be much appreciated.”

Apollo scooched over. “Hey, Thals. Where’s Zoe?”

“Occupied.” Diana cut the conversation between Apollo and Thalia immediately, causing him to pout and go back to Mars’ side, who mock-comforted him before kicking his knees out.

The Male Praetor spoke up, his voice a bit quiet. “Shall we begin planning then?”

“Yes, let's!” Mars jumped out of his chair, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s go. Numbers, weapons, formations!”

“Uh, yes. The Legion is around two hundred strong at the moment, mostly veterans nearing the minimum years of service. Though, much of the officer core in the lower cohorts is young and inexperienced. We are still lacking great amounts of Imperial gold, so each cohort only has about enough for one Pilum throw. We should be able to maintain standard battle lines, and with luck, should be able to bottleneck the main gates and turn them into a kill zone.”

The female Praetor spoke up. “I concur. The First and Second should head up the sides and close the monsters in, while the third, flanked by the fourth and fifth work together to push them into the kill zone. I would suggest that we move the Pilum from the first and second to the other cohorts in order to increase the amount of artillery they can put out to occupy the enemy line.”

“That’s my girl! Great mind, Mary!”

Mars was pounding the female Praetor, apparently named Mary, on the back, and she was trying to hide her embarrassed joy.

“Alright, there’s demigod business handled. Now, Titan stuff.”

He jabbed a thumb into his chest.

“I call dibs on heading up the third cohort. I want to be right in the middle of everything. You two-” He pointed to Diana and Apollo. “Are on Throne duty. Dad wants that thing blown to smithereens. Meaning, you need a kill team. Me personally, I think most of your hunters should reinforce the back line of the legion to make that Artillery extra potent, so maybe take one of your Lieutenants with you. And uh, grab the best duelist in the Legion while you’re at it. Probably Juno’s champion. Sound good?”

Diana thought for a moment.

“War is your specialty, and it does appear to me as a sound plan. I agree.”

“Right!” Mars heaved his giant duffel bag onto his shoulder. “I’m gonna go oversee the Legion’s training for the day, you guys have a legionary to pick up and fill in on the plan! See ya!”

He sprinted out of the Praetorium, and the Praetors both breathed a sigh of relief.

Apollo was chewing his fingernails.

“Sis, does uh, Thals here know about Juno’s champion?”

Comprehension flashed in Diana’s eyes.

“Oh. Oh no, she doesn’t.”

Thalia spoke up, confused.

“Should I be concerned?”

“No, no, it’s just that it might be a bit of a shock for you.”

“Alright?”

Apollo nudged Diana.

“Alright, fine! Thalia, let’s go see your lost brother.”

Chapter Text

Thalia was sick and tired of crying.

Jason was alive, thank the gods, and he was apparently the champion of Juno.

Everything made sense to her now.

Hera, or Juno for that matter, had stuck her nose where it didn't belong again, and in doing so, she drove Thalia’s mother mad and stole away her brother.

After one heartfelt reunion with her brother, which consisted mostly of Jason cursing how tight his sister's hold was on him, it was time to raise the Legion.

Two hundred demigods, ten Centurions, Two Praetors, and one very excited Mars stood on his own field.

Diana stepped up onto the hastily assembled platform, intending to address the legion since she had technically been the one to declare war earlier at the temple of Bellona.

“Romans! Today, we march upon the enemies of the gods! Saturn has sent a force to attack Olympus, but he has forgotten his critical weakness! His throne lies guarded by the few he has left behind, and the already shamed Iapetus! Today, Mars leads Rome to taste the blood of the Titans!”

The Legion roared in approval, and Mars gave a little clap. He then turned to the third, fourth, and fifth cohorts, motioning them forward. A Praetor each took control of the first and second.

And the Legion marched.

Diana and Apollo joined with the Hunters, who were marching separately from the Legion.

“All good, Thalia?”

Pearl appeared at her side.

“Yeah. Just a bit unsettled still.”

She cracked a smile.

“Disappointed that your brother is taller than you?”

“Very. It’s not fair that I don’t get to keep growing.”

“Hey, at least you know he’s around now.”

“Not too happy about the fact that he’ll be joining us on the kill team.”

“Why not? He’ll be closer to you.”

“Yeah, but I’m a tad bit concerned at the fact that our first outing together after being separated for years is to kill a Titan and destroy Kronos’ throne.”

“Shhh. It’s Saturn, remember?”

Right. That stupid rule about not showing her Greek past.

“Yeah, sorry.”

Pearl whispered to her.

“You know, I’m actually Roman born.”

“Really? Who’s your mom?”

“Not telling. My dad’s way cooler anyways.”

“Yeah, but I know enough about him already. Not saying he’s a great guy, but you’ve told me his birthday, everyday workout routine, and favorite spice mixes. Just spill it, or I’m going to ask Zoe.”

“Fine. Venus.”

“Ooh, sorry.”

“Just kidding! I appreciate the sentiment though. Bellona.”

“Much better. And it makes sense.”

"How so?"

"Believe it or not, you're a pretty good fighter. Doesn't show often, but you have your moments."

A playful punch to the shoulder. "Shut up."

“Speaking of Zoe, she’s still waiting for us near the mountain, right?”

“I believe so. Once again, isn’t it your job as lieutenant to know?”

“Has it ever occurred to you that I ask questions I know the answer to a lot?”

“Based on the fact that yes, it has occurred to me, and that you asked a question, yes.”

The little bickering between the two ended abruptly when Tamalpais came into view of the march.

Thalia’s eyes zeroed on the top of the mountain, fists clenched.

Pearl’s hand found her shoulder.

“You’re gonna go up there and get him tonight. Save your strength for then.”

Thalia swallowed, and returned her hands to her sides, her eyes never leaving Tamalpais.

“Right.”

The march stretched on, until they came to the checkpoint, where Zoe was waiting for them.

“Evening, Thalia. Where is our Lady?”

“Dealing with Apollo. He and lord Mars are joining us for the assault.”

Zoe grimaced. “Lovely. Any update on what my role will be?”

“Lady Diana wants you to take full command of the hunters, who will be supporting the bulk of the legion from range.”

“And what of you?”

“I’m on the kill team. Me, my brother, Lady Diana and Apollo will be climbing the wall, and heading inside to get Percy and destroy the throne.”

Both girls crossed their arms as they descended into planning mode.

“What is your workaround for the curse?”

“Iapetus is the only Titan on the mountain, right?”

“From what I’ve discerned, yes.”

“He’ll still be plenty injured from when Bianca, Nico and I beat the everloving shit out of him in the underworld. Should be a cakewalk to shove him under the sky. Plus, we have Apollo to heal Percy when we make the switch.”

“Mm. A good plan. But easily changed by the introduction of a new variable. Namely, Krios. From what I have heard, Saturn has learned of our impending assault. Krios has not been seen for days of battle. It is likely that Saturn has dispatched him to the mountain, and he intends to take Olympus by himself.”

“Fat chance.”

“Agreed.”

Diana had appeared now to join their conversation. Thalia and Zoe both dipped their heads.

“But that has the chance of changing the tide of the battle here. Krios, in his current state, is likely to be comparable to Saturn's present strength. He has spent the most time recovering. I’ve sensed his presence each time I have taken to the sky. He absorbs more and more power from the stars each night. Be wary, Thalia. You and your brother may have to fight Iapetus while Apollo and I fight Krios, if he has returned to the mountain. That being said.”

She ushered her lieutenants away from any prying ears.

“The struggle against Typhon is not going well. Neptune still refuses to join as long as Jupiter refuses to allow him to invade Tamalpais himself, and what I was able to produce of Artemis is having little effect against the Giant. This is nearing a battle of attrition. Adding to that, Perseus turns sixteen after midnight tonight, if I am correctly informed. So here is our order of operations. Rescue Perseus, heal him, then destroy the throne. Once the mountain is secure, we three deities must focus our entire strengths on Typhon, and you must get Perseus to the sea, so that Neptune may join us against Typhon. Understood?”

“Yes, my lady.” Both girls answered.

“Good. Now then.”

Diana turned to the mountain.

“Let’s annihilate them quickly.”

Chapter Text

11:23 P.M.

At the foot of mount Tamalpais, five cohorts and a very happy god of war were easily pressuring the hastily assembled battle lines of lesser monsters back into the exact shape they wanted.

A few hours had already passed, which were disastrous times for the Titan army. Their vanguard had been near smited when Mars charged them head on and caught every single monster off guard. Since then, the battle had mellowed, if that was even possible, changing instead to the original plan of locking the enemy in a death trap.

“Hold that left, Gwendolyn! I don’t want to have to swing at things no larger than my feet, might catch one of you instead!”

“Yes, my lord!”

Reddish-brown hair flowed in the heat of battle as the Senior Centurion of the fifth, missing her second, wrangled her left battle line back into position, shoving back a horde of telekhines.

The god of war beheaded a group of Dracaena in one swipe of his sword.

“Ha ha! Mortal wars are great, but nothing beats monsters against godlings!”

“My lord!”

Just before a crudely forged arrow reached Mars’ head, a golden arrow split it in two, sending it off into nowhere.

“Saved your ass, Mars!”

“Thanks Golden Boy!”

Apollo joined Mars for a moment, speaking to him while fighting.

“When do we enter? Diana and the demigods are ready and waiting at the wall.”

“Soon, my friend, soon! Let us draw out more of their forces, perhaps even Iapetus himself! Can you hear me, you spear loving coward?! FACE ME!!!”

“Aaaalright, I’ll just slip away now.”

Apollo melted away, rejoining his sister.

“What did Mars say?”

“He wants a little more time. He thinks he can draw out more of the enemy forces. If he’s belligerent enough, he might get a Titan.”

“Very well. We will give him another ten minutes.”

“Whatever you say, sis.”

Apollo caught the light from a torch on his teeth, sending a signal to Mars, who smiled a great toothy grin, and began shouting taunts even louder.

It appeared to be working, considering the more well armed portions of the Titan army were now making their way out of the mountain, and in pre-assembled formations as well.

Ten minutes passed, and the monster force seemed to begin to wane, no large amounts of reinforcements coming to replace the spotty line holding the gate.

“Mm, no Titan still. Guess we’re out of luck.”

“Give him the signal.”

“Yup.”

Apollo flashed another signal to Mars, who pouted and commanded the army to begin its slow encirclement.

“Alright.”

Diana turned to Thalia and Jason, who had been playing tic tac toe in the dirt.

“Ready?”

They jumped to their feet, stretching a bit.”

“Ready.”

“Okay. Let’s go punk a Titan.”

Peak of mount Tamalpais, Throne room of Kronos.

Iapetus, still limping on his spear, paced about the chamber, chewing his nails and muttering to himself.

“Damnable beasts, not even worth keeping! They struggle, even against an Army of children!”

A sarcastic voice came from the skylight. “You are too harsh, brother. Give them time, and they will surely rout the Roman force.”

Iapetus spun around to face where the noise came from, and Krios formed from the early starlight, alongside a fuming Atlas.

Iapetus’ eyes bulged with similar anger.

“What in the name of Tartarus are you two doing here?! You are supposed to be sacking Olympus!”

Krios spoke with the same sarcastic tone he had upon entering, palms to the sky as he held his arms out jokingly.

“Didn’t you hear? Kronos is more concerned about his throne being destroyed than he is about his success in invading Olympus for the first time.”

“Then what is he doing here?! He’s supposed to be commanding the offensive force!”

Iapetus jabbed his spear in the direction of the two, facing Atlas. Krios jumped back in mock fear, while Atlas just batted the head away.

“Krios took me with him, for no reason at all! I was this close to killing that brat who stabbed me in the leg!”

Atlas pressed his thumb and index together, indicating just how close he was.

“You were about to be defeated, Atlas. I merely wanted to save you from the shame! Besides, would Kronos not prefer that we three guard the throne together?”

Atlas tried to grab Krios, but he simply stepped just out of range, standing in the center of the room.

“After all, if his current host fails, we still have the ever reliable Perseus to host our brother for his second attempt.”

Krios put a hand on the motionless… form of a human being sat on a knee in the center of the room.

“You dolt, he will never host Kronos! There is no possibility!”

“Why keep the boy alive then?”

“Because he holds the sky!

Krios paused, and tapped a finger on his chin. “Is that so? Iapetus, you are one smart cookie! You’ve just given me an idea!”

Both Titans looked at Krios with confusion.

“What could that possibly have told you?”

“It’s quite simple, really.”

Krios pushed an enraged Atlas towards the throne of Kronos.

“You kill the boy, and I’ll catch the sky! Doesn’t that seem like a great plan?”

“Were you not sent here by Kronos to protect the Throne?! You are suggesting blatant disregard for orders!”

“Yes, but this would create a perfect hostage situation! I will simply threaten to drop the sky if any manage to breach the Throne room!”

Iapetus stowed his anger for a moment, thinking over the plan.

In his mind, it was perfect. Atlas was supposedly stronger than Krios, so he’d have the more powerful of the two to help him defend the mountain. It would get the annoyance of keeping a half dead kid taken care of, and create an out for them if things went bad.

“Perhaps your plan works. But then what, will we simply stare the Romans to death?”

“Theoretically, yes. We are immortal, they are not.”

“Is Mars not immortal?”

“Yes, but could the two of you not defeat him?”

It all came together in Iapetus’ mind.

“Huh. Oh yeah. That’s smart thinking! Let’s do it!”

A now smiling Iapetus moved toward Percy and Krios, his spear level at the boy’s chest. He stopped when the point barely broke the skin.

“Take your time, line it up. Make sure to get the heart and the spine together to ensure death.”

“I know, I know.”

Iapetus lined up his spear at the perfect angle.

“Okay. Ready?”

“On my count, Iapetus. Three. Two.”

“One.”

Iapetus staggered for a moment as the boy under the sky spoke. He was too distracted to notice Krios dragging him in, and pushing the boy out.

Iapetus found himself straining against the weight of the sky, spewing curses at Krios. Atlas stood in shock, his eyes darting between Krios, the boy, and Iapetus.

“Krios, what is the meaning of this?! Have you betrayed us?!”

Krios just stared at Atlas with a thin smile, silence permeating in the chamber.

“On the contrary…”

An ancient voice broke the silence as Percy’s body rose, bones creaking and flesh squelching as the mangled form stood upon two legs. Two empty cavities stared at a horrified Atlas.

“My son merely remembered his loyalty.”

Atlas drew his sword in an instant, shaking with fear.

“No, it cannot be you! You are destroyed! I bore your weight for millenia, and never once felt your presence!”

Eyebrows furrowed.

“Has it ever occurred to you that I might not desire to speak with one as foul as you, Atlas? Even now what is left of Percy’s gut turns at your voice.”

“You… you are in league with Olympus!”

“Mm, wrong again. I’m starting to understand just how well Iapetus’ stupidity passed down. The reality of the situation is that I am in league with none. My mission is my own. Now then, Krios, if you would?”

“Yes, father.”

Krios transformed, his feet becoming great hooves and his legs gaining a coat of hair. His helmet melted away, revealing that the horns were not for decoration, but were in fact real, and expanding. His eyes became lines, and with a great yell, he jumped straight upwards, driving his horns against the roof, destroying the ceiling and revealing the sky.

Ouranos breathed in deeply, absorbing his domain. Parts of Percy’s body regained a tiny portion of muscle mass and color in the skin.

Krios also gained a small portion of strength as he took in more starlight. He landed back on the ground with a boom, cracking the floor.

Atlas kept shifting his sword between the two, not knowing who to guard against.

The Titan of Endurance’s lips quivered in terror when he saw Ouranos begin to approach him.

“You are the last obstacle before my quest can truly begin, boy.”

A being flared gold. “You call me boy?!”

With that shout, Atlas mustered the last ounces of his courage and charged Ouranos.

Ouranos held out a hand, and a twinblade materialized in his grasp, which he used to meet Atlas’ strike lazily.

Atlas gritted his teeth as he struggled against Ouranos, pressing harder and harder.

The empty sockets somehow seemed to widen with the Primordial’s grin.

“I am going to enjoy repaying each and every blow, Atlas.”

Just as Ouranos moved to push Atlas back, a cry sounded from the entrance of the chamber, and the whistling of Arrows could be heard.

“Percy, duck!”

Ouranos did so, ducking under the two silver arrows, and a singular gold, allowing them to sink into Atlas’ abdomen.

The Titan howled in pain as Ouranos stepped away to observe the new situation.

His sight told him what he needed to know.

Two Demigods, Two Gods. Three of them Immortals.

Diana and Apollo.

The Roman boy he and Percy had watched for some time.

And the new lieutenant of the hunt.

He thought that this was most inopportune. Perhaps for his desire, not for his quest, however. This would provide the perfect distraction to hasten the process.

The lieutenant tried to run towards him, but Krios blocked her. He raised his sword.

“No, Krios!”

His son looked back at him with confusion in his barred eyes, and the sudden guests matched with their own confusion.

“To me.”

Krios did as he was told, and backed up, still standing defensively in front of his father.

“Uh, why is Krios listening to the guy we’re supposed to be saving? Did he turn heel?”

“Never.” Thalia snapped at her brother. “Something else is going on here.”

The four drew closer together, hushed whispers between them. But Ouranos was done waiting.

“I am Ouranos. New master of Perseus’ body.”

Their eyes snapped to him, and their confusion and horror grew with each sentence.

“At first, my instincts told me that your arrival was to be detrimental to my cause, but Perseus’s memories have taught me much. ‘Street Smarts’ he called it. Thinking on your feet. Each problem that arises also gives way to an opportunity. And you have given me one.”

Ouranos gestured to Atlas, still holding out his sword, even after removing the arrows.

“Atlas was supposed to be the last hurdle to clear, but he is a difficult one indeed. Endurance is his domain for a reason, so it would take Krios and I at least five minutes to destroy him if he was helpless. But you have granted me an out, so to speak. You see, Atlas’ main goal should be his own survival, but he fears my youngest son more than he does I, therefore he will guard his throne to the last. I would also imagine that your goal, alongside obtaining Perseus’ body, is to destroy the throne. Now, I can’t have you take this body, but the destruction of my son’s throne? Plenty good. Therefore.”

Ouranos turned Percy’s palm to the sky, and the earth underneath himself and Krios cracked, breaking away and floating upwards. Several other pieces began to break away, the whole mountain seemingly beginning to float into the sky. Iapetus suddenly stood up, his eyes hazy as he looked around, confused at the sudden disappearance of the weight of the sky.

“I will leave you four to defeat Atlas and Iapetus, while I advance my own plans. Enjoy your battle, my descendants.”

Chapter Text

Thalia, Jason, Diana and Apollo found themselves facing a delirious Iapetus and a stunned Atlas.

Both stood in front of Saturn’s throne, with Iapetus quickly regaining his bearings.

“My lady, which do we attack?”

Thalia looked to Diana for guidance, her brother nodding along with her.

“Attack Iapetus, he is already weakened. Apollo and I will battle Atlas.”

“Right!”

The two pairs of siblings split off, Diana and Apollo charging Atlas, while Jason squared off against Iapetus, Thalia drawing her bow.

Their initial assault went well, with Jason easily dodging Iapetus’ inaccurate strikes and repaying them with shallow cuts across the Titan’s midsection, as he was helpless to resist while bearing the sky.

A silver arrow lodged itself in Iapetus’ kneecap.

Thalia couldn’t let off a barrage of arrows like Zoe or Pearl, but she would be damned if her shots weren’t the most accurate and powerful.

Iaepetus staggered to the ground, and Jason leapt up to slice at his neck.

Sadly, the strike didn’t land, as Iapetus managed to block it with his spear, which he was using to get back to his feet.

His wounds were already healing, including the knee.

“Damnit, this isn’t working, Thalia!”

“I know! Just keep him occupied! In any moment, he’s gonna-”

Thalia was cut off by Mars, who suddenly entered the room, delivering a crushing blow with his fist to Iapetus’ side, sending the Titan to his back, unable to get to his feet.

“What’s the situation, kids?”

Thalia was slow to respond in her anger, but Jason immediately relayed the conditions.

“Uranus has returned, and taken root in the son of Neptune, Lord Mars. He has gone with Krios, who betrayed the Titans, to the floating mass of debris in the sky!”

Mars raised an eyebrow, then turned his eyes back to Iapetus, who was back on his feet.

“You two get after him. I have faith that whatever he is planning, you can hold off long enough for me to finish off spear boy here and get up to you with the twins. Now go!”

Jason was just as fast to react, but Thalia stayed for a moment when she sensed Mars’ form shift to Ares.

“Don’t fail me, kid. That brat still owes me a rematch, and he’s gonna have to be alive for that.”

She nodded, and threw away every trace of her fear.

Ares shifted back to Mars.

Thalia sprinted towards her brother, grabbed him by the waist, and kicked off the ground, willing the winds to propel her up towards.

Meanwhile, an enraged Diana was constantly whirling around Atlas, cutting his tendons over and over again, while Apollo had gotten the message, abandoning his bow for a sword, and growing to match Atlas in size.

Apollo was able to contend against Atlas’ strength head on now that Diana had weakened his muscles, gradually knocking him out of stance.

The Titan had grown tired of this simple method of breaking him down.

He dropped his sword, and let Apollo’s dig into his shoulder. He winced, but this was necessary for what he was doing.

His trap had worked. Diana had stopped but for a moment, reconfiguring her strategy now that Atlas was wounded.

And he swung his hand at her with all his might, the same backhand that had taken Percy Jackson out of the fight long ago.

Diana noticed late, but was just fast enough to react. She brought up her knives, and drove them into Atlas’ fingers, using her momentary foothold to throw herself into the air, dodging the strike.

She landed atop Atlas’ head, and drew two more knives, planting them directly into the Titan’s eyes.

Atlas howled in pain, staggering around blindly, and threw his head back, trying to crush Diana against the wall.

But he had left Apollo uncontested for far too long.

The Sun ripped his blade out from Endurance’s shoulder, and waited for the perfect moment.

The twins were in sync, Diana knew exactly what her brother was thinking.

She tugged back on her knives, forcing Atlas’ head to the sky.

His arms came up again to try and remove Diana.

But that was exactly what the twins wanted.

Diana dove off of Atlas, hitting the ground rolling.

And Apollo drove his sword upwards, directly through the heart and into the neck.

Diana grew to her brother’s size, and grabbed hold of the hilt alongside him.

Together, the Sun and Moon screamed in effort as they dragged the sword to the side, thoroughly annihilating Atlas’ heart and severing his brainstem.

They stood panting, watching the Titan fall back into the remains of a wall, unmoving.

“Figure that killed him, sis?”

“I only wish it had.”

Sure enough, Endurance rose, Ichor flowing freely through his chest and neck.

“Fools! I am Endurance! Your paltry attacks could never kill me! Not even Zeus was able to!”

“I would imagine three of his kids should be able to do it, then.”

Mars joined the twins, now wielding both his broadsword and Iapetus’ spear, recently claimed as spoil from the easily defeated Titan, who was now mumbling something about wind while fighting to keep the sky aloft.

Atlas growled. “Not even my own father. Very well!”

As his body came back together, The Titan of endurance drew a blade alongside his own spear.

“As the last faithful Titan to our lord Kronos, I shall defeat you three, and present your heads as trophies!”

The trio born of Zeus charged Atlas.

Thalia’s control over the winds had started to sputter out around five thousand feet. Thankfully, there was enough debris around to jump to, so the siblings resorted to short bursts of wind to carry them further upwards.

“I thought you were afraid of heights?!”

“The Primordial of the sky doing some weird secret plan is a bit scarier, don’t you think?!”

“Yeah, makes sense!”

They continued to rocket upwards in the sky, climbing hundreds of feet per jump.

Just as it seemed like the air was thinning, the pair caught up to Krios and Ouranos.

Jason started out by erasing any possibility of sneaking up on them.

“Uranus! Release my sister’s boyfriend, and I might spare your son!”

Thalia looked at her brother with a sense of bewilderment, then elbowed him, whispering harshly.

“He’s not my boyfriend, idiot! Hunters can’t even do that!”

Jason whispered back.

“What? I thought that was the whole reason we were trying to get him back?”

“You two seem awfully relaxed given what you are here to do.”

The siblings whirled back to face Ouranos and Krios, of which Krios looked bored, and Ouranos amused.

Jason and Thalia responded with a dual-lightning charged arrow aimed right at Krios’ chest.

The Ram easily deflected the shot, but winced at the shock that passed through him. He looked to Ouranos, who nodded, and began to float away, focusing on a spot of the sky that seemed to be torn in a way.

The Ram settled on the large platform of debris that formed under himself and the siblings, and drew his new blade. A Stygian Iron broadsword, with the handguard fashioned from curling horns, and another horn spiked on the pommel. Inside the flat of the blade was the mold of a key.

Thalia whistled. “That’s new. Didn’t you have a golden sword before? I like the new one more though, very… horny.”

Krios chuffed, which was odd for a goatman.

“My father wishes for no more bloodshed on this day than necessary. But for now, it seems as though more must flow.”

Instead of charging the siblings with the sword, Krios lowered his head, and rushed them as a Ram would, at lightning speed.

The two narrowly dodged, and Krios bounced off of a piece of black stone that had come up to stop him from running off the edge.

“Very well.”

He rose to full height, about ten feet, and circled the siblings, checking their openings.

The pair defaulted to the same form they started with against Iapetus, placing Jason at the front and Thalia right behind him with bow drawn.

Electricity sparked between the two as they began fostering a current of lightning that bounced between them, continually gaining power.

Krios’ barred eyes picked up on this late, but he imagined that the best move would be the soonest.

He leapt forward, and swept his sword horizontally to break the formation, but that proved to be his first mistake.

The two jumped over the sword in sync, and Jason swung down to meet the flat of Krios’ blade, thus sending the electrical current up his blade.

He had deflected the charged arrow earlier, and was still recovering from the muscle spasms, so the stronger current did more damage than he thought.

Krios lost control of his sword arm, and dropped the massive blade, which ended up catching on his leg for a moment, cutting it open.

Stygian Iron cut the flesh on the Titan, and sent waves of pain straight to his soul, causing him to stagger back and groan in deep pain.

Ouranos turned to look, but Krios yelled to him.

“I am well, father! Do not worry for me, continue!”

“No, Krios.”

Suddenly, the Grace siblings were paralyzed by fear, as Ouranos touched down next to his son.

“Remember your true purpose. I am not defenseless, my son. If we are to succeed against her, the girl is needed for the prophecy. You know where to go.”

Krios shuddered as he stood, and bowed to his father. In a moment, his blade was strapped to his back, and he crouched, using his powerful legs to shoot off into the sky.

Krios melted into starlight and shot down towards Los Angeles, leaving two fearful children of Zeus to face Ouranos.

Said Primordial turned to them, and smiled. A smirking corpse.

“I apologize for leaving you to deal with my… lesser descendants. Truly, I should have given Krios more time to fight. He is always sidelined, put to a different task that needs getting done. To this day, none know his true strength but I. But alas, here we are.”

Jason tried to steel his resolve, using a taunt like Thalia did. “You monologue a lot.”

Ouranos smiled wider. “Can you blame me? I hadn’t spoken to anyone before Percy in millenia! Don’t you love talking to family?”

“Not when they’re possessing the body of your half dead cousin.”

“Point taken.”

Ouranos held out his arm, and the twinblade materialized again. He tried to hold out the other arm, but he sighed when he found no arm there.

“I suppose there is no avoiding it, then.”

He closed Percy’s eyelids, turned his head upwards, and began muttering to himself in an indiscernible language. Thalia and Jason stood on either side, with Thalia now wielding her hunting knives.

Finally, a name broke through the maze of words.

“Caligo.”

The night grew colder immediately. Jason’s teeth chattered, and Thalia struggled not to do the same.

Ouranos lowered his head again, and when the eyelids opened again, there was something behind them. Blue orbs, accompanied by the shimmering ghost of a stern woman hanging onto Percy’s shoulders.

“Quite late to call on me, is it not, Ouranos?”

“I promised you that I would, and now I have. So assist me.”

“Fine.”

Ouranos raised the remaining stump of Percy’s arm, and the woman blew cold air down it. Ice cracked and snapped as it condensed, forming into the crude shape of an arm, like an old school video game.

“I cannot imagine an honor greater than this, children. Prepare to face Ouranos, First lord of the Sky, and Caligo, mother of Night and Day!”

Chapter Text

To say it was going poorly was an understatement.

Caligo’s breath was deadly. Each exhale was a row of ice spikes six feet tall.

Each time Jason or Thalia managed to get remotely close to Ouranos, frost climbed up their arms.

“How are we supposed to stop this guy again?! “

“We’re not stopping him, just keeping him occupied until the gods get here!”

Ouranos chuckled. “A wise plan. Leto gave birth to strong children, I do not doubt that they could contend against Caligo and myself in our current state.”

Caligo’s shimmering finger jabbed a long, icy nail against Percy’s neck.

“You would speak ill of a woman with her arms around your neck, Ouranos? You haven’t changed at all.”

“I did not speak ill of you, Caligo. I’m simply proud that my granddaughter gave birth to such powerful and kind children.”

“Are you calling me unkind now?!”

Thalia and Jason closed together while Ouranos argued with his past lover.

“Something’s not right.”

“Definitely not. He hasn’t tried to hit us once. The ice is always a second too late. Why?”

“Maybe… maybe he’s stalling too? Look.”

Jason pointed at the point of the sky that was torn earlier.

The tear seemed much smaller than before, and Ouranos had seemingly been keeping an eye on it.

“He’s just waiting until that’s fixed. He can’t fight back against us, because he’ll probably kill us instantly, and that would definitely get dad here like, immediately. He can’t contend with Jupiter right now, so he’s buying time until he can.”

Thalia observed her surroundings. “I think he’s putting himself back together in a way. You know how he was cut up into a bajillion pieces?”

“Yeah?”

“So wouldn’t that happen to the sky too?”

Jason nodded as he put it all together.

“He’s just waiting until the sky is back together so he can take it away from dad.”

“Right.”

“So what do we do to stop that?”

“He can’t contend with Jupiter. He can’t contend with one of the big three. Jupiter is fighting Typhon, Pluto is defending New York. He can’t contend with Neptune.”

“We’re in the sky, Thalia! He’d never come here!”

Thalia grinned, a wild look in her eyes. “For his only mortal son, that god would sink a continent.”

Thalia reached into her bag, hand shaky as she produced a pouch and a pen. She scribbled a quick note on the pouch.

“Jason, when I throw this, put as much wind as you can behind it, and push it west.”

“Okay, but where?”

“The Pacific.”

Foot of Mt. Tam

Reyna dragged Gwen, who was presently weeping like a stage actor while reaching for the body of a fallen fifth cohort veteran, away from the last effort of the depleted monster army.

“Lemme go, Rey! Lemme go!”

“NO!”

Reyna screamed back just as loud, and took her centurion’s place in the line.

She bellowed out several commands, but none of them seemed to resonate with the line.

Reyna remembered the sound of the old Senior Centurion of the fifth barking orders down the line. Of the threats. Of the Promises.

“PUSH! I SAID PUSH! IF WE DON’T BREAK THIS MEASLY LAST STAND, I WILL PERSONALLY OVERSEE THIS ENTIRE COHORT AS IT TRIMS THE GRASS AROUND CAMP WITH NAIL CLIPPERS!”

That got their attention.

Thirty two of what was once forty one roared as they surged forward, routing the last defense the monster army had. The fourth and third stumbled a bit as they fell behind, but quickly caught up, and the first and second looked on with awe as the lines they had started to struggle against were suddenly bowled over by what they thought was the worst cohort in the legion.

The battle was over. Reyna checked in with Gwen again, then walked through the field of death and destruction to where one Praetor and six centurions stood.

One look at Jameis, the junior Praetor, told her that Mary was dead.

He was holding his Fiance’s sword, and the wedding bands that the pair had donned before the battle started. ‘Just in case.’ They had said.

He was broken. Most definitely unfit to serve.

She looked to the left, and saw that the first’s senior Centurion was gone, as well as the third’s junior.

A pang in her gut told her that Octavian was now the senior Centurion of the first.

She looked at him, and he seemed giddy, like a schoolchild.

Every instinct told her to deck him right then and there, but decorum demanded she be better than him.

As she stepped forward, Octavian tried to play the role of Primus Pilus, but was immediately shut down by the second’s senior, Larry, who was someone she had no problem talking to.

“Decurion, where are your Centurions?”

“Jason’s up there.” She pointed at the mountain’s peak without looking. “And Gwen is a mess. We lost most of our veterans. Is… is Jameis fit to serve?”

Larry shook his head, and took her aside, alongside Hank and Leila.

“Jameis is retiring, effective immediately. We are the first to know. So here’s my proposal. Reyna.”

Reyna looked around, confused, as Larry and the others turned to her.

“Get out there on that field. Hank, get me a shield. We’re raising you, right here, right now, Reyna. Get ready.”

“Wh-what? No, I’m a decurion, I don’t have nearly enough experience!”

Larry looked at her with lidded eyes, annoyed. Hank was already gone.

“You just pulled the fifth, fourth, and third together, despite being a decurion, and ended a battle that could have claimed more lives early. There is not a single person here, save Octavian, that would stand against your raising. Go. That’s an order. You can get back at me when you outrank me.”

Larry shoved Reyna out onto the open field, causing her to stumble a bit. Before she knew it, Larry had his sword in the air.

“REY-NA! REY-NA! REY-NA!”

The other centurions, save Octavian, joined.

The entire fifth cohort joined.

The fourth and third got swept into the fervor.

“PRAE-TOR! PRAE-TOR! PRAE-TOR!”

Hank pushed her onto the shield, and raised her.

Larry glared at his cohort. The second joined.

Octavian was trying his best to appear calm, but the vein on his neck looked like it was ready to explode. He was making no decision, so Michael, the most senior Decurion of the first, made it for him by joining the chanting. The first reluctantly joined alongside him.

The chanting and cheering went on for another minute, but the crowd hushed just as fast at it had started to riot.

One Legionary with a thick midwestern accent broke the silence. “The heck’s going on up there?”

As Reyna looked to the mountain, she saw what was going on.

The mountain’s peak was breaking away into hundreds of pieces, floating into the sky.

One thing was certain.

Reyna needed to get up there.

Diana screamed in frustration as she cut Atlas’ achilles tendon for the fifth time today.

Mars punched the Titan’s face into the ground again. “Damn, he really is hard to kill!”

“No shit!” Apollo cut off Atlas’ left arm again.

The Titan roared as he got back up, sending the three flying.

His limbs re-attached, his tendons began to mend.

“You will never kill me! None have ever succeeded, and today will not be the day!”

And so it went on. Hacking and slashing to no avail. Each time it seemed like they were on the cusp of finally burying Atlas, he got back up, knocked them back, and healed.

But the final time was different.

They were back in the situation they were in before. Mars stunning Atlas with powerful blows to the head, Apollo hacking him apart, and Diana stopping the healing.

And it went just as it had before.

The three were knocked against a wall, and would have taken a second too long to recover.

Atlas began his boast.

“Foolish gods, descending into the depths of insanity! We will dance here for as long as it takes my lord to destroy Olym-”

Atlas was cut off (Literally). His head, which had been hanging on by threads, rolled on the ground, cut off by the newest Praetor of the Roman Legion.

Diana balled her fists in excitement.

“YES! GO, NOW!”

The three rushed Atlas, and that was it for him.

Four beings tore into the Titan of Endurance before he could heal.

And that was his end.

Diana shrunk down to mortal size and crushed Reyna in a bear hug, before backing away and apologizing for all the ichor stains.

“And what’s your reason for not joining the hunt now?!”

“I may have just been promoted to Praetor, my lady.”

“That pisses me off, but I’m happy for you anyway. Now come on, we’ve got a Primordial’s plan to foil!”

Reyna’s eyes went wide. “I’m sorry, what?!”

Mars scooped her up over his arm. “Just roll with it, kid. Should be easy, since I’m your personal sponsor now.”

He winked, Reyna braced herself, and the four shot into the sky.

Ouranos stood facing a panting pair of demigods.

Not a blow had hit either side, but his time was running thin.

He sensed another form approaching Atlas, and upon closer glance, he saw the girl who had just been raised to Praetor outside. No doubt a skilled warrior, she would tip the scales too far away from Atlas’ side.

So it was time to finish here.

“I’m very sorry for this, children, but I need to leave now. I know who you called, and I can sense his waves churning. The others will be here soon as well. So I need to finish this quickly. Caligo, try not to hurt them.”

“I will try.”

Caligo separated from Ouranos, and the night was not as frigid. Separated from Ouranos, the already weakened Primordial was a mere shadow of herself. But all she needed was a touch.

Caligo floated towards the two, and they both swung.

Their blades merely passed through her, but her hands became solid against their heads.

The Grace siblings became encased in ice.

“Back to me!”

Caligo floated back Ouranos as fast as she could, and joined him in knitting the sky back together.

“You are almost complete, I can feel it.”

“Only a few more seconds, Cal. We’ll be free.”

“Ouranos, defend!”

His vision came up late, and he brought the icy arm up to block the blast of scalding water too late.

Caligo screamed in pain, and the arm melted away. She put everything she had into blocking the stream coming from Neptune’s trident. The god was riding a ten thousand foot tsunami, formed right out of the pacific and carried all the way to here.

“LEAVE MY SON, OURANOS!”

“Just a few seconds. Hold out Cal, please!”

“I- I can’t… too hot. Promise me.”

“Anything, Cal!”

“Bring me back with him. With Pontus. When you bring him back, bring me back too.”

“I will! I promise!”

Caligo screamed, and gave her last effort, dissolving her body in favor of encasing Ouranos inside a block of Amorphous Ice.

It defended well, but it was melting quickly from Neptune’s water.

It was just enough time.

The final crack in the sky mended.

And the ice around Ouranos exploded.

Neptune was knocked back, Thalia and Jason were freed from the ice.

Diana, Apollo, Mars, and Reyna arrived too late.

Ouranos was floating, a new replacement for Percy’s arm forming actively. It was like a portrait of the night sky, showcasing colors and stars, and the false eyes matched.

“I-I am complete.”

Many different figures shot out of Percy’s body, taking off into sky and space.

Percy’s skin began to crack, golden light shining underneath.

Apollo was first to notice. “Percy’s body is going to detonate! Everyone, get back!”

“I WILL NOT ABANDON MY SON!”

“And the aspects are restored. It is nearly done.”

Ouranos set down on the ground, and tipped his head to Neptune, whose rage paused for a moment.

“I am so deeply sorry for everything your son endured under my curse, and for using his body to achieve my goal. I, Ouranos, Primordial of the Sky, relinquish my hold on this body.”

Thunder cracked in the air, and the golden light faded from Percy’s body. The new arm sadly went as well.

Percy's orbitals went dark again.

Ouranos’ ghostly form exited, and smiled down at Percy.

“Until next time.”

The Primordial turned next to the gods and demigods.

“I would advise you to take Percy and leave Othrys now. It will continue to break apart and rise into the sky, and eventually space. Space is no place for demigods.”

Neptune and Apollo were on Percy first. The Sea silently thanked the Sun as he began whispering incantations over the boy, trying to keep his heart beating.

Thalia shouted from the lower level.

“Where are you going?! Why give up Percy?!”

Ouranos smiled as he began to float away.

“I am going to live away from my old lover for some time. As for your second question, my freedom is Percy’s freedom. Take care of him for me, please. All of you.”

And with that, the Primordial of the Sky left the earth, taking with him mount Tamalpais.

The gods flashed themselves and the demigods down to the ground, where the Legion had retreated from the rapidly rising foundations of the mountain.

Apollo spoke to Neptune between incantations.

“Can you not take him to Atlantis? I would be able to heal him better there.”

“I cannot.”

Neptune Grimaced.

“I swore an oath to my brother that I would keep away from my son for the next ten years, in exchange for saving him personally. But you and I both know where we need to be now.”

Apollo nodded. “Right. MEDICUS!”

Three medics sprinted forward.

“You have my personal blessing. Save this boy’s life, and I will grant each Medicus at camp Jupiter a gift.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The medics loaded Percy’s body onto a stretcher, and began to work on him as Thalia, Jason, and Reyna carried the stretcher back towards camp Jupiter.

The gods, and one frighteningly calm centurion by the name of Larry, convened.

Neptune was first to speak.

“Did you destroy the throne?”

“No, but it was broken apart during the Othrys’ rise. Saturn’s base is destroyed.”

“Good. It now falls to the defense of Olympus. We must rejoin with Jupiter and prevent Typhon from reaching the mountain. Mars, command your legion.”

Every god but Mars melted away.

“Centurion, march the legion home. You know what rites, and what rewards, are to be given. Ensure your Praetor’s position remains uncompromised. Dismissed!”

“Yes, my lord.”

Empire State Building, Olympian Throne Room. Around 3 A.M.

Kronos’ lieutenant sank as the floor gave out under him, sending him hurtling to the ground.

“Pah! True Loyalty does not exist in the modern age. No matter!”

Bianca and Annabeth supported each other, covered in sweat and blood, as they faced the Titan lord.

Annabeth calculated. “Not the arm, back, heel, knee, or stomach. It’s gotta be on the head somewhere.”

“You will never find it, Chase! Your strength is long spent, and now, I will complete my victory!”

Annabeth and Bianca staggered back, swords raised as Kronos backed them against the wall. Just as he raised his scythe to kill them, a boom echoed throughout the Throne room.

Kronos dropped his scythe, which clattered into the hearth. He gasped for air as he stumbled around, clutching his head. The glow in his eye was dim.

“Atlas, Krios, Iapetus! You pathetic excuses for Titans! Nakamura, you will not-!”

The glow faded completely. Ethan Nakamura had regained control of his body.

“He-he’s gone, but not for long! Give me a blade! He’ll take control again if anyone else tries!”

Bianca stared at him, and let go of Annabeth.

“No! It’s a trick!”

“This is no trick.”

Bianca picked up Annabeth’s discarded knife by the blade, and held it out to Ethan, who took it.

“Promise me. Promise me that it will be different for us from now on. No more unclaimed. No more abandoned demigods.”

Bianca nodded. “I promise.”

Ethan nodded back to her, and gulped. He held the blade out in front of his head, pointed at his remaining eye.

“Thank you.”

He drove it home, and his body began to flare with angry golden light.

“DAMN YOU NAKAMURA! I WILL RETURN AGAIN, AND TOSS YOU INTO THE PIT MYSELF!”

He tried to grab the scythe, but it burned his hands away. Hestia appeared, her eyes low and angry.

“YOU WILL STILL BE DESTROYED BY TYPHON, YOUR PITIFUL GODS HAVE FAILED TO STOP HIM!”

“I think not.” Hestia replied. An image of Typhon being dragged into the underworld by the Olympians appeared in her smoke.

One final roar, and the Titan lord was gone, leaving the body of the son of Nemesis in the chamber.

Grover woke from his unconsciousness, and stumbled over to the girls, who finally had their moment to let out their frustration.

The three cried together, nursing their wounds, physical and emotional as they waited for the gods to arrive.

As expected, the Olympians burst into the Throne room with weapons drawn, scanning for Kronos.

“Where is he?! Where is my father?!”

Hestia spoke for the children and satyr. “Gone, Zeus. The children defeated him alone.”

All of the gods relaxed, except for Poseidon, Artemis, and Apollo, who left in a hurry, looking dissatisfied.

Hades entered with Nico, a proud smile on both of their faces.

“As expected of my eldest.”

Bianca didn’t respond. But Annabeth did.

She struggled to get to her feet, supported by Grover.

“Cool. Olympus is safe. Now we get Percy.”

The room went silent instantly.

Annabeth looked across the line of gods, many of which seemed uncomfortable.

“What? Is that not what’s next? Hells, why isn’t he here now? Some of you invaded Othrys, right? So where’s Percy?”

Hera’s shadowy smile faded as she left as well. Zeus looked to Ares, who groaned and stepped forward, ready to deliver the most heinous lie the gods had ever crafted.

“I regret to inform you that Perseus Jackson did not survive when he was freed from the curse. The damage was too great even for Apollo to heal. He was buried at sea, and his body will go to rest in Atlantis.”

Chapter Text

'Sup y'all. This is where the first storyline/ending begins, and I've made it its own chapter as a bit of a bookmark.

Chapter Text

After the funeral rites, she locked herself in the Poseidon cabin.

None challenged her. Some joined her on occasion.

Bianca and Rachel both found comfort in joining Annabeth. Hades gave his official approval, and so did Apollo, as Rachel’s new patron. Poseidon never sent any signs, but his silence was easily interpreted as a “go ahead” gesture.

But they weren’t there to mourn.

They gathered to plot.

On the first night, two gravitated to the cabin on their own. No words spoken, just a collective purpose.

Bianca was last to arrive, and she took a seat in the same bed she had slept in so long ago, when they first came back from the mountain.

“I think we all know Percy’s not dead.”

Rachel and Annabeth nodded.

“I can still feel his life force, and I’ve cross checked with my dad, Thanatos, and Nico. There can be no doubt. His soul is not in the underworld. Therefore, Olympus lied to us.”

“Which is the standard.” Annabeth’s inputs were usually sharp, no minced words.

“Right. This means that for some reason, Olympus doesn’t want us to know that he’s alive. 1: He’s hosting Ouranos, and the gods don’t want us to know that. 2: Percy is somewhere or with something they don’t want us finding. 3. They’re using him for something.”

Rachel raised her hand in confusion. “I’m sorry, Oura-who?”

Bianca and Annabeth both looked at each other for a moment.

“You were able to talk about Ouranos. He’s manifested.”

“Which means that he had to leave Percy’s body. If he stayed, Percy would have been destroyed.”

Rachel’s confusion deepened as she tried to keep up with the discussion.

“That eliminates one possibility, but that just leaves a severely wounded Percy without a Primordial to protect him. He didn’t die, so he’s being kept alive somehow. Somewhere.”

“Certainly not Olympus. The gods wouldn’t dare, that would put Poseidon on war footing.”

The water in the fountain swirled in agreement, breaking up the conversation for just a moment.

Bianca sat forward, determined. “Ok, cool, we’ve got some form of input from Poseidon. Meaning Poseidon isn't on board with the idea, obviously. So, he’ll be somewhere we wouldn’t naturally stumble upon.”

Another swirl.

“Okay, good. Somewhere that they’ve enchanted to hide from us. Somewhere far, removed from Greek culture.”

The water swirled faster.

Annabeth calculated. “They wouldn’t be able to move him far in the state he was in. Not far from the mountain at all.”

A full blown whirlpool was now going in the fountain’s basin.

“Percy never left California. He’ll be somewhere near the bay.”

The water crashed, and settled.

“Perfect. Thank you, Lord Poseidon, for giving us an area to search. Now, we just need a way to get there.”

“Duh, shadow travel?”

“Yeah, obviously, I mean a reason. They won’t let us leave camp during the summer without a quest.”

Rachel stood up, causing a few things to clatter around the area.

“Alright, time out! I have a deal to propose! You guys explain to me what the hell you’re talking about, and I’ll make up a quest to go get Percy!”

Bianca and Annabeth nodded slowly, slightly surprised by Rachel’s demeanor.

Annabeth rattled off the explanation.

“Okay, well Percy was trapped under the sky, the same curse that Atlas bore as a punishment after the first titan war. Ouranos, Kronos’ father, was the Primordial of the sky, and his soul, which got cut into a lot of pieces by his sons, latched onto Percy, and regained power while he was under the sky. We assume that since Percy isn’t dead, and we were able to reveal that Ouranos is active, which we swore not to until he was manifested, that he did fully regain his power, and freed Percy from the curse before leaving his body. That make sense?”

Rachel nodded intermittently throughout the explanation. “Somehow, yes. Now, let’s think up a quest, shall we?”

Bianca pointed at Rachel. “Don’t all quests have to come straight from the Oracle of Delphi? I mean, Chiron absolutely would not authorize a quest when you just walk up to him and say that the oracle spoke through you. He needs the smoke, dude.”

“Isn’t that how it worked when you guys had the mummy, just for the questers instead?”

“Yeah, but he’s definitely going to be skeptical still. We’ll need a really good argument and reason for the quest. Some ancient Greek artifact that’s still lost, some remaining titan army forces, anything major enough to send us to the West Coast.”

“Why don’t we go to our resident specialists in lying?”

Bianca looked at Annabeth with wide, concerned eyes.

“You would go to the Stoll brothers for a serious thing?”

“What? They did just fine when I had them ragebait Prometheus.”

“That’s-” Bianca paused for a moment. “Yeah, no, that actually worked really well. So, tonight or tomorrow?”

“Tonight. They’re always sneaking around late anyway, probably outside right now.”

Sure enough, the door pushed open, revealing two sons of Hermes with mischievous smiles.

Travis was first. “So, I hear you need the most dastardly, devious, out of this world excuse to go to California?”

Connor stepped around his brother, rubbing his fingers together. “We could easily do that. For a price, of course.”

Annabeth gave them an annoyed look. “Connor, you still owe me a debt of forty-two drachmas, which is on compounding interest, by the way. Travis, I still have blackmail, you know what of. Do this for us, and your debt and blackmail is gone.”

The Stoll brothers shivered as Annabeth recounted her holds on them, then began shaking like bobbleheads.

“Right–O!”

“We’ll get right on it!”

They tried to turn around and leave after barging in, but Bianca grabbed them by the ears.

“Let’s think up this excuse inside, shall we?”

“Absolutely!”

“Without a doubt, miss Ghost Queen!”

“And no calling me that!”

“Yes!”

“Sorry!”

Over the next hour, ending at around one A.M., the Stoll brothers went through a vicious peer reviewed lie writing workshop, overseen by Annabeth, and they managed to finally cook up something that got her and Rachel’s approval.

“Alright, so our reason for heading to California is as follows: Iris messaging is still active, but Iris herself has not been seen since we freed her. So, a quest, led by Annabeth, will go California, where we are then going to take a boat to Hawaii, the Rainbow state, where she’s most likely hiding out and recovering. Now, just to get that into something that sounds like a prophecy.”

Rachel was splayed out on one of the top bunks, her arm hanging off the side with a dangerously loose grip on a can of diet coke, lifted straight from Mr.D’s infinite cooler.

“Eldest of Wisdom’s hens sees the way, land of Kaleidoscopes conceals the goddess’ rest. Questers traverse the water on its lord’s sleigh, and Polychrome’s fate lies in the west. How’s that sound?”

Annabeth nodded. “A bit on the nose, but we can rework it before we present it. Just needs to be a bit more vague in my opinion.”

“Can we leave now?”

“Yes. And go to bed, don’t stay up any later.”

The Stoll brothers left as quickly as they had come.

“Okay, now let’s talk questers. Obviously you and I, Bianca, but who should be our third?”

“Nico would immediately say yes, but two big three kids going to find a third isn’t a great idea. Also, I’m still mentally scarred from seeing him fight Iapetus with us when we were in the underworld.”

“I get it. Let’s not involve your brother. Clarisse would be a great choice, but she’s got a heavy scent too.”

“Silena?”

“Probably not a good look to take a double agent with us right after her loyalty got affirmed. Not that Silena isn’t great, but it wouldn’t be a good look on her.”

“Beckendorf?”

“Now there’s an idea. He’s got Jake to run the cabin while he’s gone, and he’d definitely be able to carry Percy if he can’t walk. Plus, he’s mostly pure physical strength, Hephaestus’ blessings don’t attract too many monsters. A perfect fit, I’d say. Just have to convince him to leave Silena alone for more than thirty seconds.”

“Oh my gods, right?”

Rache turned over in bed, carefully repositioning her drink as to not spill it while facing them.

“In the three days I’ve been at camp, I have never seen those two apart. I get strong relationships getting stronger after convincing your girlfriend not to be a spy for Kronos, but the PDA! It’s so gross!”

Bianca and Annabeth nodded solemnly.

“That may prove to be the greatest challenge in recovering Percy. Getting a guy to stop kissing his girlfriend.”

The three of them laughed together, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in months. Everything was going well, plans were progressing smoothly, and it was peace-time.

What could go wrong?

Chapter Text

The next morning at breakfast, everything they planned went right out the window.

Rachel showed up to breakfast, since she wasn’t the biggest fan of eating alone. Technically, she should have sat with the Apollo cabin, since he was her patron.

Instead, she slid right onto the bench at the Poseidon table, where Annabeth was struggling in a heated debate with Silena to give up her boyfriend.

Chiron of course sighed deeper and deeper with each new addition to the Poseidon table that was not a descendant of Poseidon, but there was strangely no Mr. D to yell at them about it.

“Charlie fought enough already! I get it, Percy’s a great guy and all, but if the gods say he’s dead, then he’s dead!”

Silena’s blind trust in the gods irked Annabeth a certain way, which led to a comment she shouldn’t have made.

“I don’t remember you happily eating up everything the gods spoon fed you, Silena.”

Silena stood up rapidly, ready to leave, but Beckendorf gently tugged her back down to the table. “I’m sure she didn’t mean it like that, just calm down.”

Silena crossed her arms, and leveled a gaze so hateful at Annabeth that it made her shudder.

“Talk.”

“Look, Beckendorf is the perfect fit for this quest, and he-”

“There’s no quest, just a silly plan to go look for your boyfriend in California.”

“He’s not my- nevermind, it’s not a silly plan. We’ve got it all planned out, maps, travel, everything.”

“But that’s what you want him to be. Don’t think I don’t see it. Half the girls in my cabin wish he was alive just so that they can look at him. Drew never stops crying about it. You’re not special just because you’ve got this mania induced plan to go find a dead man.”

This time, it was Bianca tugging Annabeth back down to the table. Silena’s glare had now gained a smile, since she knew her words were getting to Annabeth exactly how she wanted them to.

Veronica’s arrival was something of a miracle for the situation, considering the girl she was dragging along with her.

Annabeth never in her life thought she would be happy to see Drew Tanaka. Hells, she wasn’t happy to see her now.

“I’ve a solution!” Veronica announced, pushing forward a very annoyed Drew. “Since old Charles here isn’t allowed to be outside of fifty feet of Silena, I volunteer Drew Tanaka, since she’s just as adamant about Percy not being dead. She sports quick skills with a dagger, elusive movement, and charmspeak!”

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, but motioned for Veronica to come talk to her a few feet away.

“Look, I get what you’re saying, and those abilities would work great. But can’t you do all of the same? We’ve already technically been on a quest together, what’s one more time?”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not going anywhere near that mountain again, ever, period. Look, Drew has been up every damn night crying. I get it, you guys aren’t on great terms. But she’s useful in just about any situation where the opponent is living. And she's motivated.”

“I’m more willing to go over there and keep losing this argument to Silena than I am to going cross country with Drew. I think we both know how easily she pisses people off, and that won’t be great on a possible long term mission.”

“Who else could you possibly take? That Will guy from the Apollo cabin is still a mess after Lee died, Beckendorf’s been labeled off limits, the Stoll brothers would probably be worse than Drew, Nico’s too young.”

“Maybe I’ll take one of the unclaimed- sorry, recently claimed kids. There’s that son of Iris, what’s his name?”

“Oh, Butch? I dunno, he’s still moody, even after being claimed. Plus, he’s pretty new to camp. Plus, a lot of the senior campers would be pissed, since they still haven’t gone on a quest.”

Annabeth and Veronica continued their back and forth for another minute or so, before being interrupted by a commotion at the tables.

The two turned around to see what Annabeth thought might be the worst thing that could happen.

Rachel’s eyes were glowing green, and green smoke billowed out from her mouth. Her body snapped into a rigid stance, as she looked at Annabeth and Bianca.

Her voice was not her own, instead that of the Oracle of Delphi.

“Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire, the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.”

A prophecy. Rachel had just given them a prophecy.

And worst of all, it had nothing to do with Percy.

Then, Rachel turned to Chiron, who was looking on with bated breath.

Apparently, the Oracle wasn’t done yet.

“The Broken one, forces unite. Together, East and West the world Spites. Destroyed, not erased, beware his might. The coming of the Primals strikes all with fright.”

Another insanely vague prophecy for them. But nothing that warranted a quest. So what was the purpose?

Rachel started to stumble as she went out of Oracle-mode, so Bianca caught her before she could fall.

As the redhead gasped for air, she looked over to Annabeth, wheezing.

“There’s… there’s something else. The grand canyon- you have to go to Arizona. There’s someone there, someone with one shoe. He’ll lead you to Percy.”

Annabeth nodded not unlike how the Stoll brothers had the night before as she supported her friend, lifting her back onto the bench.

She looked at Chiron, not intending to come off as aggressive, but that’s how it sounded.

“That a good enough reason to look for him?!”

The old centaur nodded sadly.

It was declared that Annabeth would go to the Grand Canyon, but Bianca wasn’t allowed to go for some reason. Chiron said that it was another order passed down from the gods. ‘The camp wouldn’t be secure with both of its commanders missing, blah blah blah, Olympian bullshit. So Annabeth had to travel by air, meaning Pegasi. Apparently Butch became their primary caretaker after Percy was lost, so Butch would be coming along for the journey.

But that was tomorrow. Meaning another meeting was going to be held tonight in the Poseidon cabin.

This time, it was her, Rachel, Clarisse, Veronica, Butch, Beckendorf, and Silena. Bianca hadn’t shown up yet for some reason, usually she was the first or second to appear.

“So, Percy’s alive, confirmed by the Oracle. Now you all know the gods were on some bullshit.”

Everyone nodded together.

“Great. So Butch and I will go to the Grand Canyon tomorrow.”

Rachel called down from her perch on the high bunk. “Knowing the Oracle, whoever this guy with one shoe is, he’s going to lead you down a rabbit hole of side quests before you actually get on track. So be prepared for anything, alright?”

Butch and Annabeth both nodded.

The group continued their conversation into the night, theorizing on what Annabeth and Butch would find in Arizona. But one thing kept weighing heavy on a few of their minds.

Veronica stood up.

“Hey, where’s Bianca?”

"I dunno, wanna check the Hades Cabin?"

Cabin was a loose term for what was presently a gazebo with walls. The actual Hades cabin was still in the early stages of building, so Bianca and Nico slept in their temporary strange housing arrangement.

As Annabeth and Rachel pushed open the tent flap, they found Nico partaking in his regular activity for the night, playing mythomagic against the skeleton of a previous world champion who had tragically died in a car accident the year prior.

"What's up?"

"You know where your sister went?"

"Yeah, she left to talk to you guys in the Poseidon cabin like, an hour ago. I don't think it takes that long to get there from here, does it?"

Annabeth and Rachel looked at each other with frightened eyes.

They both sprinted out of the gazebo and up to the big house, knocking frantically on the door.

A few seconds later, Chiron wheeled out in his chair, and rose into centaur form.

"What is it, Children?"

"Did Bianca leave somewhere?"

"Not that I am aware of, no."

Their eyes met again.

"Oh shit."

They searched as far as Chiron would allow them, even busting into a few other cabins, but no sign of Bianca could be found.

When they finally explained to Nico why they were looking for his sister so frantically, he quickly agreed to check the underworld.

He was back in less than five minutes.

"Dad says she hasn't been in his realm today, and that he's having trouble sensing her right now!"

"Shit, shit, shit!"

This was the worst possible scenario.

The gods had just thrown down a mandate saying that Bianca needed to stay at camp to protect it, and now she was miraculously missing.

The quest to find Percy Jackson seemed to be falling onto a backburner never seen before.

Chapter Text

The Snake women were a minimal issue compared to her lack of a good meal in the past two weeks.

Bianca had woken up in an odd, broken down, overgrown mansion, beefed with some wolves, one of which could talk, and was sent on a mission to go find some camp that she didn’t know the location of.

From what little she could remember, she liked camps. They were always good to her at camps.

However, the hot pocket and a half rotten banana that she was running off of was losing traction, and she was about to be running on empty, which would severely amplify the issue posed by Euryale and Stheno.

So far, she’d stolen a police motorcycle, evaded them at a Bargain Mart, pushed a Chuck-E-Cheese animatronic onto them, and gotten them lost in a mirror maze, which proved strangely effective. They yelped and shrieked every time they saw themselves.

Now, she was slowly making her way down Caldecott hill, slipping every other step due to the worn traction on her oversized converse, which was chafing her ankles and feet something awful.

“Come back, di Angelo! We will forgive you for your tricks and kill you painlessly!”

“We have Cheese n Wieners!”

Bianca shouted back at them.

“Enough with the supermarket Gimmick!”

Turning around to yell at the snake women was a terrible mistake, as she lost her footing and tumbled down the hill, landing in a bush, just short of becoming demigod roadkill on the highway.

“Oops! Lost your balance, dearie?”

Bianca looked to her right, seeing that she had apparently invaded the domain of an elderly homeless woman. She began to stand and regain her bearings after spinning like a barrel.

“Yeah, what told you that?”

“Oh nothing dear, it’s just that children of Pluto are usually quite good with the earth! Perhaps it's because the old bag of dirt is waking?”

Bianca froze, looking the woman up and down. “My name’s June! Oh, how wonderful, they named a month after me! Would you be a lifesaver and help me?”

She got the feeling that this was a life or death choice, probably a past lesson learned, another memory she had lost.

“If I don’t?”

“The gods will all die, your kind will be enslaved, and the world as we know it will end!”

She rolled her eyes.

“Right. C’mere.”

As she lifted June onto her shoulders, she caught sight of a tunnel entrance across the highway, where two kids were standing guard.

Calling them kids was definitely correct, seeing as they looked slightly younger than Bianca, but these kids were armored and armed.

The old hippie on her shoulders giggled.

“They will help you, dear. Now, across the road and into the tunnel, before the gorgons get us!”

Bianca watched the road for a moment, and when she saw her opening, sprinted across the twelve lanes of morning traffic

June was lighter than a feather, at first, which Bianca credited to her demigod-enhanced legs. However, her weight started increasing exponentially right after she finished crossing, earning a sharp intake of breath from Bianca. Nothing she couldn’t handle, but it was certainly an annoyance.

Now that she was closer, she could make out the forms of the two child soldiers, who were looking at the Gorgons chasing her with wide eyes.

The one that immediately caught her attention was the boy, who was freakishly tall for his (assumed) age. He easily cleared six feet, and had a stocky build to match, kind of like someone she thinks she knew. He had a short sword on his hip, and a bow in hand, both too small for his massive hands. Overall, he seemed like a football player out of place in the world.

The girl next to him was easily dwarfed, barely above five feet. She was the direct opposite of the boy, with a straight sword that was way too long, so much so that its tip was dragging on the ground while sheathed on her hip.

An odd pair, but if the prophetic homeless lady wearing trash bags says they’re friends, they’re friends.

“Hey guys, mind watching my back for a second?” Bianca croaked out, not waiting for an answer as she kept trudging along, the woman on her back cackling as she regarded the two children.

To his credit, the boy reacted immediately. His bow came up, and an arrow rocketed into Stheno’s head, knocking her to the ground. She was certainly taking longer to get up from whatever the boy shot her with compared to Jasper T Jowls’ crush force.

“Cover us, Frank!”

“Got it!”

The girl ran up to Bianca, easily catching up to the struggling demigod.

“You okay? Hurt anywhere?”

Bianca smiled and met her eyes for a moment.

“I think I’ll need to see a chiropractor after carrying grandma here, but overall I’m fine.”

The aforementioned grandmother gave an exaggerated gasp. “My, such hateful words, Bianca di Angelo! In front of your sister as well! Think of the terrible influence you’ll have on her!”

“Sister?!” The girl squeaked.

Bianca was surprised that she was related to this girl, but her mind was still set on getting this lady off her back as soon as possible.

“Let’s catch up on that in a minute, yeah?”

Frank suddenly came barreling out of the darkness behind them, covered in dust and a few scratches, quiver now emptied of arrows.

“No matter how many times I kill them, they keep getting back up! Know anything about that, Hazel?”

“Nope! My turn to slow them down!”

“Oh gods, you’re not gonna do that, are you?”

“I am! Just keep going!”

Bianca and Frank did.

“I’m not so sure about leaving her behind! She doesn’t have a ranged option in her back pocket, does she?”

Frank gave a so-so motion with his hand. “She’s got her tricks! Really good underground!”

Bianca got the sense that she was good underground as well, but she put that off for the moment as they broke out into the sunlight again.

Stretched before her was an area not dissimilar to a lake basin, if it were above water. This was the camp the lady mentioned. With her enhanced eyesight, she could see buildings, fortifications, and training fields.

Hazel emerged a few steps behind them, covered in far more dust and other underground substances than Frank was. “I buried them, but they’re digging out fast. We have to get over the Tiber, it might protect us!”

Bianca wholeheartedly agreed, but couldn’t exactly speak easily due to the weight. Her diaphragm was being crushed by this woman, and she just needed to get her over that river in order to be free.

June leaned over her shoulder, and whispered in her ear. “And now the choice, di Angelo. You can either brave a burden similar to the one your dear friend once suffered under, and deliver me to Rome safely, leading to a journey that may result in your death. Or, you can leave me right here, and run to Los Angeles, to the entrance of your father’s domain, and join your brother. Which will it be?”

Nico. That was the one thing she remembered, that she had a brother named Nico somewhere. But she had priorities now.

“Well, one seems closer, and I’d really not deal with the Bargain-Mart Goons any longer. Bring it on!”

Bianca took the first step onto the bridge, and the weight doubled. The pattern continued with each step, until it felt like her muscles were made of magma. She shook, and fought forward, Frank and Hazel pushing her in support, until she was finally across.

She unceremoniously tossed June onto the ground, huffing and puffing as she struggled to get back the air she had lost. But her troubles were not yet over.

Bianca heard a yelp behind her, and turned around to see the gorgons lifting Frank off into the sky.

Hazel cried for help, but was drowned out by horns from the fortification nearby. Giant crossbows and other devices swiveled to aim at the gorgons, but their crews did not fire, fearing that they would hit Frank.

‘Oh great.’ Bianca thought. ‘My turn again.’

Something she had found out early on at the wolf house was that she was capable of summoning skeletons, or just bones in general. It made for a great idea to distract some of the younger wolves in the pack.

She planted her feet, and raised two arms. The rapidly approaching crowd of soldiers halted as the earth began to shake from Bianca summoning way too many skeletons at once to a single place.

Thousands of bones rose beneath the gorgons, taking the rough shape of three hands, two larger and one smaller.

Several beads of sweat rolled down her head as she focused, crushing each of the gorgons and catching Frank with the third hand. Once Frank was safe, she used the hands to throw the golden dust into the river. Strangely, the river’s flow accelerated slightly, and the gorgons’ essence was carried downstream.

Bianca let go, and the bones returned to the ground, and returned to their resting places, creating an odd feeling, like she was standing on top of a rug with a bunch of centipedes under it.

She was panting, covered in sweat and dirt, and now surrounded by several dozen armed adolescents. Generally an uncomfortable situation. So when June started glowing, Bianca groaned in annoyance.

The soldiers around her all fell to a knee as June rose, transforming into a ten foot tall goddess with way too much peacock imagery. Like, really, the coat was creative, but the patterns on the toga and wrap were too much.

“Romans! I, Juno, have brought you Bianca di Angelo, daughter of Pluto, and former Ward of Percy Jackson, sole mortal son of Neptune! Serve her well, and she shall serve you better! The feast of Fortuna is fast approaching! If the battle is to be won, death must be unleashed! Good luck to you all!”

Bianca just glared from the ground, having rolled over onto her back, trying to catch her breath.

Juno shot a look down her way, but disappeared without complaint.

Frank shuffled over to her awkwardly, tucking two odd vials of liquid into his pockets. He helped her up.

“We’ll talk about those later. I’d get ready if I were you.”

“Get ready for what?”

Frank didn’t respond, he simply melted away into the crowd, alongside Hazel.

When the new girl stepped out of the crowd, Bianca understood why Frank was so quick to disappear.

She was armored like the rest, but lacking a helmet. Her eyes were darker than the obsidian that she had seen…somewhere, and her hair matched. Her chest plate was covered in medals, and every Legionnaire shied away from her when she approached, fearful looks in their eyes.

The look that the girl was giving her felt off, however. It was most certainly judgemental, which she expected out of a person in power, but it felt more like she was being analyzed as a challenger.

“Bianca di Angelo, was it? I am Reyna, Praetor of the twelfth legion, Fulminata. It is not often that we are visited by the gods, in fact, we haven’t heard even a word out of them in months. But for Juno the Warner to personally herald your arrival…”

She crossed her arms.

“Lady Juno has either delivered us a stark ally, or an enemy needing to be killed. Which are you, and do not lie.”

Bianca dusted her jacket off, and made sure her skull ring was secure on her finger.

“Considering how I just saved one of your guys, that much should be obvious.”

A few Legionnaires apparently didn't appreciate her tone towards whatever a Praetor was, because several older hands went to sword hilts. Reyna just raised a hand to stop them.

“Come, we will speak in the Principalis. There, I will determine your fate.”

“Oh goodie. That’ll be the second time my fate is decided today. Third time this month.”

She swore she caught Reyna cracking a small smile, but the Praetor turned away too quickly for Bianca to be one hundred percent sure.

What followed was the most intense five minute walk she’d ever gone on.

For one, the ghosts were very kind. They each tipped their heads as she passed, and did the same for Hazel.

“Lares. House Gods. Not really gods, but they’re respected former Legionnaires or Roman Citizens, so they’re usually treated quite well.”

“Is the respect thing because we’re daughters of Pluto?”

Hazel smiled awkwardly. “I guess? I’ve never really asked about it.”

“You guys are probably royalty to them considering who your father is.”

Frank had been bumbling along behind them, content to follow along, despite the fact he was likely marching along to an interrogation of his own.

They reached the Principalis, and Reyna ushered Bianca and Hazel in.

Frank tried to follow, but Reyna stopped him at the door.

“What, why?! Bianca saved my life, I should be able to speak in her favor!”

Reyna shot him a withering gaze. “Know your place, Probatio Zhang. Levesque is a full member of the Legion, you are not. Go… polish armor or something.”

Before Frank could argue further, Reyna slammed the door, and let out a long sigh, sinking to the ground against the door for a moment. She buried her head in her hands, and let out a frustrated scream.

“You good?”

Bianca was genuinely concerned for the girl. She got the feeling that she knew lots of other girls in positions of power who had similar stress.

Reyna raised her head, sighed, and got to her feet, dragging herself to the chair at the other side of the table.

“Not only do I have to deal with Shen Lun’s descendant, now I’ve got TWO of Pluto’s children in New Rome. TWO! Not a single one for a thousand years, and barely half a year after I made Praetor, I lose my fellow Praetor to unknown circumstances, and have to be responsible for TWO OF YOU! Do you have any idea how Pluto reacted when his last child died serving in the Legion! Well, if not, short story, HE BURIED A COHORT UNDER A MOUNTAIN!”

She was visually panting from the yelling, but Hazel came over and put a hand on her shoulder, letting Reyna calm down a little.

“I-I’m sorry, Hazel. It’s not you or your sister, I’m just really stressed out right now.”

“It’s okay, I get it.”

Hazel returned to her seat after a minute or so, and Reyna picked herself up off the table.

“Okay. Here’s the deal. See those dog statues behind you?”

Bianca turned around in her chair, and noticed two statues of dogs, one silver, the other gold.

“Yeah?”

“They’re not statues.”

As if on cue, the dogs moved, and sat on either side of Bianca, growling lowly.

“I see that.”

They stopped their little intimidation thing, and started making their way over to Reyna. The gold one stopped by Hazel, and nuzzled her until she scratched its neck, before joining its companion.

“These dogs can detect lies. You lie, they pounce. So, first question. Why are you here?”

Bianca figured the best way not to be torn up was to not mince words.

“Well, I woke up with just about zero memories in the wolf house, spent a few days with Lupa, then she sent me here, saying that it was the fastest way to regain my memories and life.”

Both dogs laid down on the ground, next to Reyna’s feet.

“That’s a truth. Do you intend to serve Rome, as Lady Juno said?”

“Yeah, I mean it's the least I can do after Frank and Hazel protected me from the Gorgons.”

No movement from the dogs.

“You said you have few memories, correct?”

“Yeah, mostly just blurs. The one clear thing I remember is my little brother Nico.”

A half crazed smile broke Reyna’s stony expression.

“Oh great, there’s a third one somewhere.”

“That a problem?”

“No, no.”

Reyna then sat forward, her stone cold expression returning.

“Have you any recollection of a son of Neptune?”

Bianca blanked on that question. Neptune- did she mean Poseidon?

“Isn’t Neptune another name for Poseidon?”

The dogs sat up, looking alert. Reyna looked just as ready to attack.

“Yes, Poseidon is the god’s older, Greek form. Answer the first question.”

Bianca’s mind buzzed. The answer should have been an immediate no, but something in the back of her mind was telling her otherwise.

“I-I feel like I don’t, but whenever I think about it, it’s like there’s something there, like, maybe I’ve heard of one? Like a myth maybe?”

“It wouldn’t be a myth, rather an ancient story. Let me rephrase. Do you personally know a demigod son of Neptune?”

The buzzing intensified severely. It felt more like a migraine out of control.

Bianca grabbed her head, groaning from the pain.

“I don’t know… it feels like I do, but anytime I try to remember, my head hurts.”

Reyna looked down, and saw that her dogs were resting again.

“Okay, you’re fine. No more questions.”

Bianca let out a sigh of relief, resting her head on the table not unlike how Reyna did earlier.

“You passed the interrogation. You are welcomed into New Rome, and into the Legion. Now you just need to find a cohort, and you’ll be set.”

Chapter Text

After one very cringy display by Octavian at the temple of Jupiter, Bianca was now officially ready to enter the legion.

Before the actual ceremony that was supposed to be conducted, where every cohort was present and would stake their claims to bring her into their own numbers, Bianca was snatched away by a girl named Gwen, who explained that she’d probably wind up with her anyway.

Bianca had no complaints, considering how Hazel and Frank were both from the fifth.

Her acceptance into the fifth cohort came along with a heavy pelting of jeers from the upper cohort members that walked past at the time, but Bianca was still riding a euphoric high after having her first Roman bath. And now the second part of the day she couldn’t wait for:

A good meal before battle.

Presently, she was sitting at one of the low tables, absolutely destroying not just one, but four plates of Chicken Parmesan and several more servings of mozzarella sticks. She wasn’t even paying attention to what her other centurion, Dakota, was saying to her, and from the looks of it, neither were Frank or Hazel, who were horrified by the ferocity she was attacking the chicken with.

“I mean, honestly? I think of myself as a collector. A great steward of the unwanted and dangerous, and you will serve as a fine addition to my collection, Bianca.”

“Mmhuh.”

“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

Dakota took a heavy swig of his nondescript red liquid, and sauntered off to the head table again.

Hazel put a hand on her shoulder.

“When was the last time you breathed?”

“Whah?”

Bianca paused for a second to look at Hazel. Her face was most certainly a pigsty of sauce and seasonings, as told by the greater horror on Hazel’s face, so she happily returned to her food instead of rapturing the mind of her sister.

Frank leaned over, and not so quietly whispered to his friend.

“Are you sure you guys are siblings? You two are totally different in every way.”

“Weren’t you the one that was saved by giant skeleton hands?”

“Yeah, but some other god surely has something to do with Skeletons and bone stuff, right?”

“Ehhhhh…”

“Alright, I admit defeat. Lady Juno said she was a daughter of Pluto anyway.”

“Haydheees.”

Frank and Hazel slowly looked over to Bianca, who kept her face down this time, but raised a finger to correct them. She finished cleaning her plate, wiped her mouth aggressively with a napkin, then finally faced them when she looked somewhat presentable, though her eyes were glazed over.

“Mm, damn that’s good. Hades. Daughter of Hades. Dunno why, but that’s what my head says.”

“Hades is the Greek name though, our dad’s Pluto now.”

“Heh, yeah! Maybe Hades would be your dad if like, you died way back when and just came back recently.”

Hazel froze for a moment, but nobody noticed. Frank was reeling from nobody laughing or even reacting to his joke, while Bianca was eyeing her next meal.

“Bianca, I really don’t think you should eat anymore. What if you get hit in the stomach?”

“Then I barf on a kid. Probably becomes a tactical advantage at that point. Besides, I think I lost a bit too much weight over the last two weeks, and that’s not even counting when I killed the Gorgons and saved Frank.”

Both Frank and Hazel looked at Bianca with confusion.

“That doesn’t happen to you? What’s the downside of causing a tunnel to collapse?”

“I get a bit tired? Then again, I’m nowhere near your level of power and control, so maybe I will have that issue if I get stronger.”

"Damn. I thought everyone had evil demigod anorexia."

And so dinner concluded for the three, as Bianca staggered out of the Pavilion, already feeling drowsy, while Frank and Hazel made sure to keep her upright.

Bianca was unceremoniously shoved in the fifth cohort’s formation.

Reyna addressed the Legion, welcomed Bianca, and rode off into the air after telling them the rules of the war games. Tonight’s special: The first and second defend the fortress, while the rest attack.

As they marched out onto the field of mars, Bianca was fighting her hardest not to descend into a fit of burps and hiccups, imagining that it wouldn’t be the best display on her first day.

Gwen and Dakota returned from the meeting with the other centurions.

Gwen spoke first.

“Bad and good news, folks. We’re up first to attack the wall.”

A collective groan passed through the cohort.

Dakota tried to lighten the mood.

“Good news, we get Hannibal!”

A few halfhearted cheers spotted up.

The cohort began forming up into testudo, and Gwen came over to the trio.

“You guys can do whatever you want, just don’t get killed, yeah? Get Bianca used to... fighting.”

They were left standing alone, watching their cohort get pelted by all manner of non lethal artillery.

"I have the faintest feeling that Bianca might already be good at fighting."

Bianca punched Frank in the shoulder playfully, smirking at his remark.

“So, what do you guys want to do?”

Frank elbowed Hazel.

“Think you and Bianca can get us close to the wall without being seen? I have a weird idea.”

“Sure? I want to hear this idea though.”

As they navigated their way through the old trenches and tunnels, Frank explained.

The idea wasn’t nearly as weird as he made it out to be. They would get close to the wall, then Bianca and Hazel would create a staircase with walls, so that they couldn’t be shot off while climbing. Not the most inventive plan, but often the simplest ideas go the furthest.

So it was no surprise that the lazy guards on the sides started losing their minds when a six foot five Frank Zhang sprinted up a dirt and rock staircase, and proceeded to hit three of them with a lariat, knocking them into the central area of the fortification. Bianca and Hazel followed shortly after, covering Frank as he switched to his bow and began taking out the emplacements on the walls with odd arrows that covered their targets in a strange slime.

Bianca made it to the front rampart first, and the entirety of the assault team looked at her with genuine awe.

She shouted down at them. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s no more artillery! SO GET ON WITH IT!”

Dakota met her eyes, and a crazed grin broke his red stained face. “YOU ALL HEARD THE ROOKIE! BREAK THAT GATE!”

The fifth roared as one, and charged, spilling right through the gates as Hannibal’s tusks shattered them.

Hazel, bless her soul, leaped off of the wall, right onto Hannibal’s back, and hung off of the harness, utilizing her sword’s reach to bat away spears from the ground.

Meanwhile, Frank had just finished clearing the wall, and he tried to replicate Hazel’s leap.

He missed Hannibal by about a mile, and instead crashed on top of the shield wall the remaining defenders were trying to form, ending their plans prematurely by complete accident.

This also put him right next to the enemy keep.

Bianca shadow traveled to Frank, surprising him by suddenly appearing at his side. It was the perfect exertion of power, ending her drowsiness while not taking away too much energy. Perhaps overeating was something she should do more often?

“Alrighty, let’s get some flags, shall we?”

“Uh, yeah!”

“OUT OF THE WAY!”

Hazel’s shrill voice broke through the noise, and they got out of the way of Hannibal’s charge just in time.

The enemy keep laid open, and the two standard bearers looked on with horror as Bianca and Frank rushed them.

But Bianca made a mistake.

She had expected the second’s flag bearer to be far behind on his draw, but his sword came flying out of its sheathe at just the wrong time, as its edge trailed up Bianca’s leg, cutting deep into her thigh.

It wasn’t intentional, as proved by the terrified look on the stand bearer’s face.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry!”

Bianca just slammed the hilt of her sword into his helmet, knocking him out cold. She grit her teeth, and stumbled over to the standard.

Frank had just finished defeating the first’s bearer, and he trotted over with the standard.

“That looks bad.”

“I’ve had way worse.”

“I believe you. Let’s get these out of the fort and finish the game so you can get treated.”

The fifth, fourth, and third cheered them on as they left the keep holding the banners high.

Dakota met them at the gate, Reyna standing next to him with a small, surprised smile.

“Congratulations! Frank, you were the first over the wall, so the mural crown is rightfully yours. I'll present it during honors.”

Frank’s joy was infectious, and another cheer went up from the victors.

But the good mood was gone quickly.

“HELP! GWEN’S DOWN!”

Dozens of eyes turned to see two fifth cohort veterans carrying the body of their senior centurion out of the gates, with a seven foot spear placed square in her back.

Dakota’s smile vanished, and he threw his goblet aside as he rushed to his fellow Centurion’s side.

Bianca circled the small crowd now formed around the medics who had appeared to tend to Gwen, but she could barely see a thing.

Reyna yelled at the crowd. “Space! Give them space!”

The crowd did as they were told, and spread out into a wide circle.

Bianca was barely able to make out an engraving on the spear that meant it belonged to the first cohort.

Frank seemed to have noticed too, considering how he was staring daggers at Octavian, who conveniently didn’t have a spear.

“He did it. I know he did.”

“Yeah.”

Bianca thumbed her skull ring, and matched Frank's gaze, causing Octavian to avoid their gaze.

One of the medics finally stopped working on Gwen, and turned to look at Reyna. He shook his head, and stepped away.

A vein twinged on Reyna’s forehead.

“Whoever is responsible for this, step forward, now!”

Nobody budged. Bianca, Frank, and Hazel kept trying to kill Octavian with their Gaze.

Reyna then did something that truly spoke to her being at a breaking point mentally.

The Praetor went to Gwen’s body, and ripped the spear out, earning a gasp from the crowd.

She mock-examined it, already knowing where it came from.

“This Pilum belongs to a member of the first cohort! Unless the perpetrator steps forward in the next ten seconds, I will take my dogs, and interrogate every single member of the first cohort, officers included! So TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!”

Octavian didn’t move an inch. He just looked over, faking concern. Bianca didn’t fail to notice the other centurion of the first gritting his teeth and clenching his fists behind Octavian.

But before Reyna could start, there was commotion from the medics. At the same time, Bianca felt strange, almost like she was filled with a pleasant energy for a moment.

Gwen suddenly gasped and sat straight up, completely unaware of the hole in her back or that it was rapidly closing.

“What? What happened?” I was at a river, and there was this guy with a coin… why’s everyone looking at me like that?”

Dakota ran back to her, dropping to his knees on the ground as he helped her sit up. “Gwen, you died. Like, heart stopped for more than three minutes. You were gone.”

The girl felt her back, and recognition flashed in her eyes. She stood, and her gaze gravitated right to Octavian.

“YOU!”

She stomped over, and nobody, not even a single member of the first, stood in her way as she threw Octavian over her shoulder into the mud.

He made a pitiful sound, like a dying pig, as he had his head pushed face first into what might have been Hannibal’s droppings.

“YOU FUCKING KILLED ME?!”

Octavian gurgled something out from the ground in protest, but it was indiscernible.

Gwen pushed his face into the ground a few more times, then marched right back over to Reyna, shoving her Centurion's helmet into her arms.

“I’m retired! Effective now!”

She turned to the fifth.

“I love you guys, but I’ve seen and done too much! Pick whoever you want to replace me!”

Once again, no one challenged her as she left, stripping off her armor and throwing it onto the field of Mars as she made her way to New Rome.

“That was quite the display. Can’t say I’m happy to lose such a great Centurion, but it's her choice, since she’s reached minimum service.”

Everyone turned to look at the new arrival, a seven foot tall man in army camo… everything, with a buzz cut and a rifle to match his stature. His aura was bright red, leading Bianca to clock him as a god immediately.

Everyone, save Bianca, fell to a knee.

Reyna was the one to address him. “Lord Mars, we are humbled by your appearance today.”

“I’d imagine! You guys just couldn’t wait to see me again, could you?”

He laughed alone, then went to sit on a rock.

“I’m sure it’s a big surprise Gwendolyn got back up from that backstabbing. By the way, why’s that legacy brat not tied up yet?”

Mars gestured to Octavian, who was trying to wipe his face off. His eyes widened as his two of his own Legionnaires grabbed him, and dragged him over to a post.

“Thank you. Anyway, Gwendolyn didn’t die. This might sound confusing for you all, but death has been captured, which is the reason why your dear friend came back, but also why monsters won’t stay down either. Therefore, I propose a quest! But first…”

Mars stood back up, and walked over in the direction of the trio.

As he passed Bianca, the god raised an eyebrow, smirking.

“Bit disrespectful, kid.”

“You think I care, G.I. Joe?”

“Doubt it. Your face is new to me, and I will never forget the name of a Legionnaire. I'll have to keep an eye on you.”

He passed Bianca, and went to Frank.

“Approach me, boy.”

He did as he was ordered by the war god, stepping forward nervously. Mars put a hand on Frank's shoulder, and looked to Reyna.

“You see that first play, ref? My kid thought up and executed it to perfection. Congratulations are in order for his partners there, but my son was first onto the wall.”

Reyna just nodded.

“Good. Now then, I have a gift for you as well, kid. A real man needs a real weapon.”

Mars unstrapped his rifle and tossed it to Frank, who caught it as it transformed into a spear.

“Romans! I will give my son a quest, considering your Augur is no longer a trusted member of the Legion! Letus is held captive outside of where the gods can sense him, you know where! Centurion Zhang will lead a party of three to Alaska to free death, and they must return before the feast of fortuna, or Camp Jupiter will fall to the enemy!"

From what Bianca could see, Frank was on the verge of a panic attack.

“But, my lord, I’m not a Centurion…”

“What’s that? Sorry, there’s an opening for centurion in the fifth right now, and you’re going on this quest. Potato Potahtoe, hail Frank Zhang, junior centurion and son of Mars. Have fun!”

Mars vanished, leaving the Legion confused and frightened on the field.

Chapter Text

The ceremony had already technically been conducted by Mars in the half second before he vanished, so there wasn’t much fanfare, not even from the fifth, considering how they were recovering from watching their former centurion die and come back to life.

Dakota, now Senior Centurion of the fifth, spoke with Frank for a moment, sent him off with Hazel, then came to Bianca, who had taken to sitting on the same rock Mars had.

She had to give the god credit. He was an ass, but he knew how to take care of his own. This rock made the perfect seat.

Most of the Legion had shuffled off, except for the fifth’s veterans, who formed a protective circle around Dakota as he crouched next to Bianca. It seemed like the fifth wasn’t willing to lose another of their own anytime soon.

“Hey, death girl. Sorry in advance for the nickname.”

“It’s fine. What’d you need?”

“I won’t mince words.”

The usually aloof son of Bacchus made heavy eye contact with Bianca, his eyes focused for what she thought was the first time.

“Frank’s a special kid. I wasn’t joking about being a collector of certain types. I’m overjoyed that he’s my junior Centurion now, but I wish it could have happened any other way.”

An eyebrow was raised. “Including Gwen actually dying and needing to be replaced?” Apparently, Bianca got sassy and sarcastic when gruesomely injured.

“Any other way that doesn’t include Gwen or myself dying. But that’s besides the point. Frank, fresh off a promotion, is being sent to Alaska, a place that’s been off limits for way too long. We already lost our Standard there, and that time we had the entire cohort in its glory days. Now it’s just three Legionnaires.”

“I get it, you’re scared that Frank’s gonna die before he has the chance to mature into a great leader. What’s that got to do with me?”

“He gets to pick his questmates. And I already know who they'll be. You and Hazel.”

“That’s not guaranteed.”

“No, but it’s a ninety nine percent chance he picks the two of you. And I’m just as worried about Hazel. She’s just as special as Frank, maybe even more so when it comes to pure power. So my two best future prospects are getting sent on a death mission.”

Bianca cocked her head to the side, feeling a bit dazed from the blood loss. That didn’t stop her sarcastic smile.

“Not too worried about losing me then, are you, Centurion?”

“I’m talking to you because I know what you are.”

Bianca’s brain buzzed again.

“Not exactly who you are, or where you come from. But I know what. The scar from your cut tonight will be minor compared to the others you have. You’re seasoned, and this won’t be your first long distance death mission. I need you to know that I’m putting my faith in you to get those kids home.”

“I’m not that much older than Hazel, and I’m pretty sure Frank’s my elder.”

“Not in experience. The eyes say it all.”

He pointed two fingers at Bianca’s eyes, causing them to unwillingly tunnel for a moment.

“I’ve seen eyes like those in two places. Veterans, and Lares. You’ll be the one in charge, whether Mars likes it or not. So get them home in one piece, I beg you.”

Bianca decided to drop the act and match Dakota.

“I swear to you, that I will do everything possible to make sure they get home, even if it costs me dearly.”

Dakota nodded solemnly, and his regular self returned, complete with a lopsided smile and all.

“Great. Now get yourself to the infirmary, you’re gonna need that leg tomorrow morning. Or maybe not, considering how much sitting you’ll be doing at the senate meeting.”

Bianca was supported on her walk to the infirmary by two veterans, on account of her weakened state and not knowing where the infirmary was.

She was handed off to two of the civilian doctors, who were legacies of Apollo, and Bianca found them much more pleasant than Octavian.

The doctor who tended to her was a nice woman by the name of Michelle, a second generation Legacy. As a way to distract her from the pain the healing caused, Michelle told her life story: of how she served in the legion, then attended New Rome University and eventually went on to get her doctorate outside the city. Overall, a very nice woman who was quite skilled at her job.

Michelle left after telling her to take it easy for about an hour before heading back to the barracks to sleep, leaving behind her assistant, a legacy of mercury named Remmick, who was too young to join the Legion.

Remmick liked to talk a lot. Without her even asking, she now knew the boy’s life story, his father’s history of service with the legion, and just how much he hated some guy named Jerry Jones.

But as Remmick was babbling on about his job, something broke through the barrage of words that caught her attention.

“-honestly, between all the skeleton models and the Prima Medicus’ personal project in the back, this place gets really scary at night.”

Bianca looked at Remmick, finally registering his appearance, being heavily freckled with red hair that looked like it was a bird’s nest.

“Personal Project?”

“Yeah, he’s this real scary dude.”

“He? The project is a he? Like a living person?”

A mischievous look came into Remmick’s eyes.

“Y’know, I could show you. But the doc said you’re not supposed to move until around an hour has passed.”

“Doc’s gone home for the night.”

His grin widened. “I suppose she has.”

Remmick led her through the dark halls of the infirmary, through a door labeled ‘VETITUM’.

Inside was the head physician’s personal office.

There was little more than a desk, a wall covered in surgical examinations, file cabinets, and a door on the back wall, sporting an Imperial Gold lock.

“I’m guessing that’s where we’re going?”

“Yup!”

Remmick went to one of the file cabinets and picked out a specific file, retrieving a key from inside the folder. He took the lock off the door, set it haphazardly on the desk, and ushered Bianca in.

Inside the door was a dark observation room, with one sided glass looking into an OR with strange blue lanterns as the only light, illuminating a pool filled with water. From here, Bianca couldn’t see what was inside, but it certainly was spooky.

“This room used to be reserved for Praetors. In the case one of them had to be operated on, they’d be brought here. Armored like a fortress, sterile like a medical ward. Now, it’s home to the Prima Medicus’ favorite patient.”

“It was for Praetors and Officers, Remmick. Perhaps you need a brush up on your history again?”

Bianca and Remmick whirled around, which caused an uncomfortable pain in Bianca’s leg, to look at the man who had appeared without a sound.

He was tall, thin, and had large, dark bags under his eyes. His blonde hair was graying, and deep smile lines lined his mouth. A medal was pinned to his coat, with the symbol of a lyre and a cross.

Remmick’s eyes went wide. “I- I’m sorry, Sir! She was interested, and I couldn’t help it!”

The man, assumedly the Prima Medicus, just smiled and patted the boy’s head.

“That’s alright, Remmick. But I will be changing the key’s hiding place. No more sneaking in here, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now run along. It’s already too late for you to be here.”

Remmick did as he was told after giving the key back to his superior, which left Bianca alone with the man.

“You are a new face.”

“I only got to camp today, sir.”

Normally, Bianca didn’t give a shit about formalities. But medical professionals were different.

“Mm. And got injured quickly, too. Do you mind if I look?”

Bianca nodded. The Prima Medicus ran a wiry hand over her leg, and it was cold to the touch.”

“Michelle did good work. And your own healing ability isn’t to be discredited either. There won’t be any lasting damage.”

“Pardon me sir, but I never got your name.”

“Ah. It’s Dr. Frederickson, miss…?”

“di Angelo. Bianca.”

“Well, miss di Angelo, I believe there was something you wanted to see, yes?”

Bianca’s eyes lit up when she saw that Dr. Frederickson had the same look that Remmick did.

In the next five minutes, she was sterilized, and dressed so well that she could sneak into a mortal operating room without being questioned.

Dr. Frederickson opened the airlock to the OR, and led her inside.

There was a control panel on the wall that she hadn’t noticed before. The Doctor fiddled with it for a moment, before the noise of gears turning filled the room.

A platform rose out of the water, revealing… a man?

No, man wasn’t the right term. He was older than Bianca, but still in his younger years. But the way he looked greatly contrasted how young his face appeared.

To start, his messy hair was starkly gray, with black roots just beginning to appear, which made no sense at all. His eyes were closed, and the eyelids seemed a bit sunken.

Below the neck, he was far worse.

He was missing an arm. His torso was a mess of scarring and discolored skin. The legs were marked by the aftereffects of severe burns.

And yet he was sleeping peacefully, despite his injuries and having been fully submerged without an apparent source of oxygen.

The doctor’s voice was slightly muffled behind his mask as he began to explain.

“We’ve no idea who he is, other than that he is a son of Neptune. He was pulled from the dungeons of Othrys during the invasion a little over six months ago by Lady Diana and one of her Hunters. They left without explaining who he was, and my father didn’t tell me either, simply granted me his blessing and asked that I operate on the boy.”

Bianca’s headache was dull, but present. But it cried out. 'I know who he is! I can tell you!'

That same feeling she kept having. This was a person she knew. She knew his name, but couldn’t think of it. She knew his appearance, but couldn’t link it to a memory.

“I was expecting grave injuries returning from the battle, but nothing like him. His spine was cracked in eight places, vertebrae bisected and crushed together like jelly. The brainstem, I can hardly even explain. That combined with severe organ damage and the more… visual injuries, produced the greatest challenge I have ever had in my life. And the operation still continues. His spine was fused together so strongly that standard steel couldn’t safely keep it apart. The Praetor offered one of her swords, which we melted down and used the Imperial gold for pegs, screws, and separators. He likely will never walk again, even with the restorative power of the seawater we keep him submerged in. And yet none of those come even close to the most sickening injury. I would advise you not to know, young di Angelo, but I will show it to you, if you want to see.”

Bianca swallowed nervously, and nodded, following the doctor to the boy’s head.

Dr. Frederickson carefully pulled back the eyelids, and revealed two sickeningly empty sockets.

Bianca shuddered, and thanked the gods that she had shadow traveled earlier. If not, the room might have become a modern art piece.

“Gone. Taken. From the examination of the Optical nerve, we determined that they had been ripped out, not surgically removed. There can be no doubt. This boy endured naught but torture upon that mountain, and I pray that Somnus is granting him a peaceful rest, even in this comatose state.”

Bianca tried her best to quell the shivering that was taking hold of her, almost overshadowing the buzzing in her head.

“You said he’s likely to never walk, does that mean he might wake up?”

“It is unlikely, but we can hope. It will not be the most pleasant of awakenings, either. When we straightened his brainstem’s connection to the spine, a small portion of neurosurgery was inevitable. The damage was not solely to body and control. His memory, or perhaps even his sense of self is fractured. If he ever wakes, I’m doubtful he will remember who he is.”

Bianca walked home through the cold night thoroughly shaken. The Paw Patrol bandaid Dr. Frederickson gave her wasn't doing much, either.

That was someone she knew. Someone she was friends with.

He was sitting there, half dead, and Bianca couldn’t even remember his name.

Her frustration was reaching a breaking point.

Her fist met wall, creating noticeable damage on both the wall and her hand.

She panted, cursing the gods, cursing herself for being inadequate.

And she also swore.

Bianca swore that she would get this quest done as fast as possible, so she could remember who that poor boy was.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t quite waking up, but regaining a sense of something breathed life back into him.

He was definitely comatose, just like Ouranos had told him he would be during the healing period. The damage caused by forcing a divine and immortal soul together in one body was deadly. Ethan Nakamura’s body was coming apart at the seams after a few months. Comparatively, it was a miracle Percy’s body was more than ash on the ground considering who he hosted.

The first ‘sight’ that he took in was that of a stream. Not quite a river, just a fast moving, small flow of water heading down a slope. carving out bits of dirt as it went.

The water was almost ethereally clear, devoid of any sense of pollution, not even discolored by bacteria. It was pure.

Percy ran a hand through the water, and was surprised that he could feel it. It didn’t send him into overdrive like interaction with water normally did, but he wasn’t one to complain. At least he could feel its cold, its moisture sinking into his false hands.

Percy looked at his reflection.

He was startled when he saw his own eyes peering back at him.

For a long moment, the boy just stared at his eyes in wonder.

He’d never really taken a deep look into them, only passing glances in the mirror or glasses.

Greens of all different shades swirled and clashed, not violently, but like a mixing of paints, constantly shifting hues at each new addition.

His own grin smiled back at him as he rose to his feet. This dream was going to be a good one.

He was dressed in some form of a chiton, though its design wasn’t one he had ever seen in Chiron’s textbooks. It was blue and green with wave patterns, a few tridents and fish mixed in throughout.

He decided to go on a walk.

As it turned out, he could feel just about anything he interacted with.

The rocks and grass passed under his bare feet, soft yet firm. The sun warmed his skin, and the wind caressed his shoulders.

The stream came to an end at a large cliff dropoff. Except the dropoff was into open air, since he was on the edge of a floating island.

From there, he could see many other islands floating.

The central mountain reminded him of Othrys, with its black rocks and crumbling remains of a fortress.

There were a few others scattered around, orbiting the central island, each with distinct terrestrial features.

He couldn't help but notice that one reminded him of Peridot.

“Enjoying my realm so far, Percy?”

He smiled wider as he turned, his eyes meeting the form he had seen in the memories of a Primordial.

“Pretty nice, big O. Where’d ya rip this spot from?”

Ouranos laughed, that same deep, booming sound that reminded him of rolling thunder.

“This one, I held onto. I can show you the places that I did tear from the Earth, if you’d like.”

“Later. Something tells me you want to talk.”

“Observant as ever, my boy. Come. We have much to discuss.”

Ouranos and Percy walked together, following the split in the stream into the forest nearby.

If he had looked at them from a glance, Percy would have pinned himself and Ouranos as overly artistic Greek Philosophers, wandering in nature while contemplating the complexities of life.

“I would ask how your recovery has been, but it just occurred to me that this is your initial return to consciousness, though it may be minimal.”

“I’ve got zero clue. No concept of time, or how my body is.”

“Completely understandable. Just over six months have passed since the Romans took you into their care, but you knew some of that already, did you not? I know that I am not the only one who has been paying close attention to your recovery.”

Ouranos’ grin was sly, and Percy’s ears grew hot as the memory of the first, and many other nights after his freedom came back to him.

It had been just like when Krios took him to the underworld. The moment he was the sole occupier of his body, all of the energy left, and his brain demanded sleep. But he deprived himself of it for a little longer.

Of course, it was difficult discerning what was going on around him, but the one sense he still had at full capacity was his hearing.

“He’s not going to make it to the camp, Thalia!”

Thalia. Of course she had come for him, she was the one person from his past life that would be able to break through the Greek/Roman divide.

“He has to, his time isn’t up. Besides, Apollo just gave him a blessing, he’ll live long enough to get proper treatment!”

“It really doesn’t seem like it! It’s gross, but I can see his heartbeat slowing!”

The voices of Thalia and the guy she was arguing with continued to bicker for a few moments before another joined in.

“There is something I could try, but someone will need to take my place at the rear!”

“No problem, we’ve got an entire legion of volunteers!”

“Someone trustworthy, Centurion!”

“Got it! LARRY!”

“Coming!”

The stretcher shifted a bit as the supporter on the back shifted.

Percy could feel himself fading. They were right, his wounds were too great.

Then, he felt hands curl around his back, and someone laid on top of him.

He was pulled into a strange, out of body experience, and found that he was looking at himself from the outside. Except now, there was someone laying on top of his body. The form of a girl, fast asleep. All the noise that he had been taking in before went away, becoming so muffled it was near silent.

Immediately he recoiled at the sight. The memory of his fifteenth birthday still weighed heavy on his mind, and he wasn’t very happy about someone laying on him while he was helpless, even if she was good looking.

“I guess I should have expected this. I’ve never shared my strength with someone so close to death before.”

Percy turned to look at who was speaking. It was a girl, and she had the same hair and body as the form laying atop his near corpse.

He managed a crooked smile, and an awkward wave.

“Uh, hi?”

She didn’t return his friendliness, instead crossing her arms and staring at him coldly.

“Hello, Percy Jackson.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“You know me?”

“I do. We met on Circe’s island years ago. You left me to be kidnapped by pirates.”

Percy’s smile faded. “Oh. Sorry about that.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “Is that all you have to say to someone who was young and defenseless, a girl that you left with vile men from four hundred years past?”

“Uh… I’m really sorry? Like honestly, I am. I kinda had just gotten out of being a guinea pig, so my brain was still in primal fight or flight mode, and Annabeth chose flight for me.”

Her expression softened, a tired smile breaking through.

“Alright then. I promise you, no great offense was taken. You and I never directly interacted, and your escape ultimately led me to new Rome, where I found my forever home.”

Percy let out an exhale of relief.

“So what exactly is going on here? How am I talking to you, and what does you practically straddling my half dead body have to do with it?”

A blush crept onto her cheeks.

“I am not- doing that! What you said!”

He smirked, satisfied with his first attempt at teasing a girl he thought might be a bit too straight laced (he was right). “Okay, you’re not. But about the first part of that question?”

She sighed, regaining her composure. “I am a daughter of Bellona, and an ability I inherited from my mother allows me to share my strength with another. For this, I have to be in direct contact with them. It tends to create a strong mental connection as well.”

“So is the straddling necessary, or could you have just like, put a hand on my shoulder?”

“I AM NOT STRADDLING YOU! I’M ONLY LIKE THAT BECAUSE THE CONTACT NEEDS TO BE CONSTANT! THE CONNECTION WOULD BE BROKEN IF I WASN’T LIKE THAT!”

Percy laughed, and he laughed hard. It had been too long since he had someone who maintained appearances losing their mind at his jabs. It was freeing for his first emotions after being rescued to be joyful and whimsical.

“So, what’s your name, daughter of Bellona? I figure it’s only customary to tell me that, given how close we apparently are.”

She ignored him, but her frustration was still visible.

“I am Reyna, Praetor of the twelfth Legion of Rome.”

Percy offered a hand. “Percy Jackson. Former host of Uranus, your indirect enemy, and only mortal son of Neptune, since that’s what you call my dad.”

Reyna took his hand, confusion evident.

“I know Greek aspects still exist in this world, but why are you so casual when it comes to breaking the separation?”

“Because we’re all in this together, right? I mean, we’ll have to be with what’s coming.”

“And what’s coming is…?”

“Oh. You don’t know. Is your Oracle that bad?”

“We do not have an oracle. We have an augur, but yes, he’s quite terrible at what he does.”

“I can see that now.”

Reyna’s other hand closed around his.

“Please. If something is going to endanger the city and my people, I need to know, and as soon as possible.”

Percy’s mood soured. It was his responsibility given to him by Ouranos to help the Romans when it came to dealing with Gaea, but he had hoped to get off with doing nothing for a little while longer.

“Gaea, or Terra, as Romans would know her, is waking. Uranus told me this, and asked that I forewarn you. An army a lot worse than what the Titans came up with will come to your gates, and they will be led by the Gigantes this time.”

Reyna’s eyes dropped to the ground, blown wide with anxiety, and she let go of his hand, clenching her own at her sides.

“Sounds like a great first start for me as Praetor, huh? Barely an hour into my promotion, and already the next war is mine to prep for. I’m sixteen, you know that? Sixteen, and I have to guarantee the lives of thousands of people. How am I supposed to be ready for that?"

“I think you’ll be more than adequate. It will definitely be a lot easier than what I had to get through before I turned sixteen. If all those guys-” Percy gestured to the Legion moving around them. “saw in you the great potential of a leader, I think that alone has merit.”

Her eyes came up to his, still doubtful.

“You think so?”

“Well…” Percy leaned backwards, and started floating in the air, relaxed as if he was laying on a long chair.

What? He was used to dreamscapes at this point, so he’d abuse his knowledge in order to aura farm whenever possible.

“As a former two time quest leader and part time general, let’s just say I can tell when someone’s words carry weight. It’s a lot better when the words are coming from someone with a good brain, which you obviously have.”

Reyna watched in confusion as the boy floated aimlessly throughout the air.

“Are you a god?”

Percy laughed again.

“No, but at this point, I wish I was. I got handed the short end of the stick in life. Worst of both worlds.”

He put his arms out at his sides, mimicking a scale.

“All of the physical pain a god might incur over their existence, yet none of the resistance or healing ability. Even if I sat at the bottom of the Mariana Trench for years, I don’t think I’d ever get back to where I was before the mountain.”

Reyna looked at him with a mix of critique and concern.

“You seem quite… accepting, of your current state, Percy.”

“Eh, what can you do? Not my fault I’m ridiculously stubborn about not being a traitor. This is just what comes from being strong minded after you get captured in the enemy’s home base. Walk with me?”

Reyna nodded, following along with him as he floated by the stretcher, the Romans beginning to move forward again.

“You said that Uranus asked you to warn us, wasn’t he controlling you involuntarily?”

“Ah, I forgot he was putting on a big show. I really don’t get that trend with Immortals, they can never just admit they’re up to some big scheme. Then again, the gods, especially Jupiter, likely wouldn’t have wanted him back anyway, so I get where he was coming from. Uranus helped me though, we were on the same page for the most part. In order to survive, I offered my body to him as a mortal host, so that he could keep me alive after breaking the curse. His reward was being able to finish his plan of fully manifesting again.”

“You bartered with a Primordial Deity.”

“Yep. Actually not that hard when it's one of the nicer ones.”

“But the resulting consequence damaged your body far more than if you would have simply been rescued.”

“I guess so. Neither of us knew just how fast I would start coming apart at the seams. I actually almost melted in between when Ouranos became whole and when he left my body. There was just that much divine energy built up in an already cracked pot.”

Reyna stumbled a bit, rubbing her eyes.

“I think I’m running out of strength to share with you.”

“That’s fine, in my opinion you never had to, I would have toughed it out. But it was nice meeting you. I have one request though."

"Outside of rescuing you and most definitely losing twenty pounds by pouring a portion of my life force into you? Feeling selfish today, aren't we?"

Percy floated down to Reyna, and gave her one more smile.

“Do your best not to tell anybody who I am. Trust me on that. Talk to you if I ever wake up again, Praetor.”

The images faded, and Percy was lulled into a deep sleep.

Back in the forest, Percy and Ouranos had found a place to sit and watch some of the wildlife in nature.

“An interesting girl, to say the very least. Don’t think I didn’t see how you looked at her when we watched her quest.”

“Oh gods, you’re not doing this right now.”

“Doing what?”

Ouranos’ grin was almost maniacally mischievous. He knew exactly what he was doing.

“You’re really going to interrogate me on having a crush for our first conversation as separate minds?”

“Oh, I very much am, Percy. Mostly because I know that wasn’t the only private meeting of minds you two had in the past few months. And you will be telling me about every one of them.”

Percy groaned, melting into the ground a bit.

“So, let’s pick up at your second interaction, shall we?”

Chapter Text

Initially, that first interaction she had with Percy was rather confusing to her.

She woke up to Jason and Thalia (Apparently, that was the second Lieutenant’s name. They were also siblings???) trying and failing to move her off of Percy’s body without waking her.

The exhaustion was intense, but that was a given, considering just how much strength she had lent him.

She’d been escorted to the principia, and basically shoved into bed by Jason.

The next morning, she rolled out of bed, groaning.

Today would be far too busy a day. Not only would there be many funeral services, but the legion would most certainly be voting Jason into power, meaning she’d have to officiate a senate meeting on her first real day in power, without any of the training.

She giggled to herself, savoring the fact that she’d be Senior Praetor, beating Jason to the punch by a day.

Sure, it was petty, but she got raised after a victory. It wasn’t her fault Jason was too busy fighting a Primordial.

Then she remembered who’s room she was standing in.

She rolled out of Mary’s bed. Into Mary’s slippers. All unconscious and mechanical, like nothing was wrong here.

Reyna shook her head, pushing those thoughts away. The mourning was for later tonight.

A shower, brushing of teeth, and insertion of contacts came as easy as second nature, despite her tired muscles yelling at her to go back to bed.

As she started to dress, her armor and clothes seemed too large on her. No big deal, she’d be getting a new set of armor now that she was Praetor. But the clothes irked her.

She’d never been too self conscious about her appearance, but her clothes seemed way too big, which was concerning, since she usually wore more snug-fitting sleeves and bottoms alongside her armor.

So when she stepped on the scale, and saw a number thirty pounds lower than the last time she had checked (a year ago), her eyes widened immensely.

Praetors usually ate with the Legion in the mornings, but she decided to utilize the option for private eating available to her for what she was about to do.

Three aurae had to work together to carry her request into the Principia.

Before her was enough food to crush a small child.

As soon as the door was shut, Reyna double checked that it was locked, and that there was absolutely no way that she’d be seen.

The Mofongo was her first victim. Everything after that was a blur.

Plantains were eviscerated. A variety of Bean soups drained. Three beef tortas gone without a second glance.

She stepped out into the morning light feeling plenty fed, wobbling like a newborn kitten, but also rather sick from the sheer amount she had eaten. Perhaps tomorrow she would go lighter, but this would be a trend for the next week or so if she wanted to get back into fighting shape.

She checked her watch, seeing that she had plenty of time to get to morning muster, maybe even catching the end of Breakfast.

As she trotted down the streets of New Rome towards the dining Pavilion, different citizens greeted her, some with her new title, some without. Apparently, the news hadn’t hit the entirety of the city yet. It could also have been that she wasn’t wearing a single piece of the Praetors’ standard dress.

She wouldn’t dare to touch a single other thing of Mary’s until the service was over.

Thankfully, the Legion seemed to be in a good mood at the tail end of Breakfast, which was the time she arrived. They were still celebrating victory, putting the bad feeling off until the night. Just like her.

A cheer went up as she walked into the Pavilion, each of the remaining officers saluting her.

A smile broke her face for the first time that morning as she returned the salute.

She sat down in the Praetor’s chair, the second empty, since Jameis had already stepped down.

An aurae moved to set food in front of her, but she waved frantically, doing her best to send it away before it got any closer.

Gwen and Jason leaned over the table, looking at her with concern.

“You alright, Rey? You’re not one to lack an appetite often.”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, and it’s probably not a great idea to skip meals for you right now. You need your strength back after last night, Praetor.”

Reyna shook her head just as fiercely.

“It’s okay, I already ate this morning! I wanted to eat alone!”

Jason made his way over to her.

“Yeah, but you need to eat more than normal. You literally brought a man back from the brink of death last night. Food here!”

Reyna’s eyes widened as the Aurae jumped forward again, placing a horrifyingly stuffed BLT in front of her.

“Come on, eat! Eat!”

Jason kept egging her on, and he was joined by Gwen, Leila, Hank, and surprisingly, the First’s junior centurion, Mike. Octavian looked on with disgust, and Larry with concern.

“Isn’t this negative intention toward a superior officer?”

“Relax, Larry. We’re maintaining the good health of a superior officer!”

Larry shrugged, and Reyna realized she was well trapped.

Her shaky hands picked up the sandwich, and the entire legion pounded their utensils against tables.

“EAT! EAT! EAT!”

Her eyes watered as she took the first bite.

It tasted so good, but hurt so bad.

A cheer went up again, and the Legion returned to their own meals.

Reyna made a mental note to be ready to vomit at any moment, preferably soon, and in private.
She stepped away to do so not even five minutes later, excusing herself to the bathroom for a moment before muster.

She returned to the Legion, already in their perfect formation, awaiting role.

Reyna called the name of each Centurion (Mispronouncing Octavian as Ohc-taveeahn as always), then let the Centurions call upon their cohorts.

They’d lost too many, almost all veterans.

Jason and Larry attributed it to the vets doing their best to protect the younger members of the legion, which warmed her heart, but broke it all the same knowing they were gone. Especially some of the fifth’s, who had practically raised her in the Legion after he first arrived.

Which meant that New Rome’s fighting strength was severely diminished.

They needed to solidify the officer core as soon as possible, so that the Legion could get back into shape.

She puffed out her chest, doing her best to look as Praetor-ly as possible.

“Romans! We have achieved victory over our enemy, and in the presence of Mars Ultor, no less!”

A raucous cheer tore through the mustering grounds.

“Many were lost, and tonight we honor them! Beginning with a march of our Legion, then to electing my second!”

She shot a grin at Jason, causing the other Centurions to roll their eyes.

“And finally, the funeral rites! Now, around the line!”

The Legion fell out into their march, the citizens of New Rome waving and cheering for them.

Reyna led, alone for the first time, her inaugural march as Praetor. She would’ve preferred it to be with Jason already with her, but she could tough it out.

After the march, she visited the Praetors’ private fitter, getting dressed in her senate garb for the first time.

Taking her seat in the senate, she realized a few things.

She had only ever been in the gallery, since the only active Legionaries permitted to serve in the senate were Centurions, so the view from the Praetor’s seating put a lot of pressure on her. She didn’t like sitting over just about everybody, it felt a bit too haughty. There would definitely be at least one person today to call Reyna ‘Her Majesty’. Most likely Jason.

Also, the Senators’ gaze was indeed piercing. Jason had told her about the pressure of speaking in front of them during his introduction as junior Centurion, but the way they looked at their new Praetor was almost predatory. They were looking for weaknesses before even introducing themselves.

She shook off her nerves, and rose, introducing herself to the senate as the new Senior Centurion, which earned only a few hushed whispers.

She had expected to be called upon for questioning by at least one senator, but their lack of questioning put her on an even hotter seat, addressing a nearly silent Senate chamber.

The best thing to do was rush her first motion then, right?\

“As my first act as Praetor, I call upon Jason Grace to be voted upon for service as Praetor. Centurion Grace, come forward!”

“Yes, your majesty.”

Yep.

Jason almost sauntered down to the speaker’s podium in the center, then snapped out of his humorous demeanor, switching effortlessly to clean cut, Roman poster boy.

One of the elder Senators stood.

“I’d imagine you are already aware of this, Praetor, but your second is to be raised by vote, in conjunction between the Legion and the Senate.”

“I am indeed aware, but is the legion not already here?”

Reyna gestured to the Centurions in front of her.

“The Centurions are the voices of their cohorts. If we cannot rely on them to guide their own cohorts, how can we guide ourselves to selecting a new Praetor?”

The elderly senator smiled, giving her a serpentine stare, but in approval.

“Quite shrewd, Praetor. All in favor of allowing the Centurions of the Legion to act as the voices of their Cohorts in voting?”

Every Senator, even Octavian, raised their hands.

Jason returned to his seat after voting in favor of himself.

One by one, the two centurions of each cohort stepped forward to vote, unsurprisingly, all of them were in favor of Jason. But Reyna was expecting bullshit when it came to the first for their turn.

Sadly, it came from Mike, which she wasn’t expecting.

She knew from the look on his face that Octavian had put him up to something. He was absolutely dreading it, and he dragged his feet all the way to the podium.

Mike cleared his throat, and straightened. His voice was a monotone droning.

“As is my right in this democratic assembly, I would like to offer another candidate for the position of Praetor before the rest of the Senate votes.”

Without even standing, the same elderly senator called out to him. His tone was sarcastic, asking a question he already knew the answer to.

“And who would you nominate, Centurion Kahale?”

Mike muttered something under his breath, then straightened again.

“I nominate Centurion Octavian of the first cohort.”

The only one who clapped was Octavian himself, as he moved down to the podium without even being asked. Several of the other Centurions groaned in annoyance, but Reyna sent them a withering glare. Decorum was to be maintained, even if she shared their sentiments.

“Naturally, my vote lies with the Primus Pilus. Thank you for your consideration.”

Mike trudged back to his seat, barely moving when Octavian clapped him on the shoulder, wielding a grin that was too wide. He launched into a speech immediately.

“Thank you for your consideration, great and noble Senators of Rome! First, may I request that we have a moment of silence for those who fell in the invasion.”

He hung his head low, clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

Naturally, so did the rest of the Senate, but the moment of silence was indeed only a moment, as Octavian returned to his speech within five seconds.

“Great Senators, while Centurion Grace was indeed a great and noble force at Othrys, even managing to rescue the son of Neptune who was defiled by a Primordial, and then managing to thwart that Primordial’s plans, he is at his core a great leader of warriors. The Praetorship already has one with the same merit!”

Reyna saw where he was going with the over saturated comments and rhetoric. But there was nothing she could do, since levying an objection would probably just be seen as overstepping by the civilian senators.

“Praetor Arellano is a warrior leader, what the legion needs is a statesman to assist her in the more… civilian aspects of managing the city!”

Reyna’s fury nearly sent her over the edge. She started to get out of her seat, but Jason shook his head at her.

Reyna reluctantly took her seat again, trying to push Octavian’s use of her old name to the back of her mind.

Octavian had been watching, given his victorious smirk at Reyna. But his minor victory in riling her up quickly vanished.

“Like you would know how to manage a city!”

The Senators laughed at the jeer, which came from one of the younger, female senators in the stands.

Octavian tried to hide his anger, poorly concealing a clenched fist as the jeers continued.

“What’s a brat like you know about the city?!”

“The most you know is how to walk home without your mother!”

As much as Reyna was enjoying this, she did have to put her foot down in order to maintain order.

“Enough! The Centurion has claimed the right to address the senate, and that right mustn’t be- tarnished!”

She almost broke near the end, fighting back a smile and snicker. Octavian shot a look up at her, but she ignored it.

“Continuing, I have a storied career in city duties, as well as merit as the current Augur. Would it not be beneficial to have the strongest connection to the voices of the gods in a position where the gods’ will can be communicated easily?”

A few senators begrudgingly murmured their agreement, though they still didn’t seem convinced, still off put by his halfway dismissal of Jason’s worth as a future Praetor.

Octavian had gotten that through his head as well, so he decided to wrap up his speech before he dug himself deeper than he could weasel out of.

“I urge the senate to please consider my nomination closely. Thank you, and glory be to Roma.”

Octavian hustled back to his seat after voting for himself, making the Tally Jason-8, Octavian-2.

Reyna stood.

“I now call upon our civilian senators for their vote!”

She just sat back and enjoyed watching Octavian’s fake smile drop further and further as he was nearly swept, the final vote being Jason-45, Octavian-5.

“The vote is confirmed! Hail, Praetor Grace, son of Jupiter, champion of Juno!”

The Senators, Legionary and civilian alike, rose and clapped, even the ones who voted for Octavian, who was currently masking his annoyance quite expertly.

Reyna accompanied Jason as he was outfitted in ceremonial Praetorian garb for his introduction to the Legion.

She was sitting on a desk behind him as he struggled, snickering as Jason fought to give his shoulders a bit of breathing room.

“You’re supposed to look uptight and uncomfortable. This should come naturally for you.”

“I think we both know who, between us, is the one who would enjoy this dressing a lot more.”

“Mmmmmmaybe…”

Reyna hopped off the desk and stepped over to Jason, letting her hands run up his back, fixing the rest of his outfit. She knew exactly what she was doing, even if it was a bit early to start making advances again.

“But this is necessary, Jason. It’s your first appearance as a Praetor. Don’t worry, as your senior, I’ll take good care of you.”

Jason tensed uncomfortably under her touch, and she could see him holding his breath.

Venus’ words echoed in the back of her mind, still permeating her thoughts since south carolina.

‘Where you look for love, it will never come to you.’

Reyna shied away from Jason, returning her hands to her sides.

“I’m telling the truth, you know. Anything you need, just ask. We’re both new to this, so it’s gonna be hard.”

Jason forced himself to relax, pushing out a jab to ease the tension in the room.

“With you above me in rank, I’d expect everything to be ten times worse.”

Reyna giggled a bit, and punched him lightly.

“C’mon, Praetor Grace. We’ve got a very pissed off Augur to see.”

The two greeted the Legion, establishing Jason’s new position, which earned a unanimous cheer, but that was the easier part of the evening.

They were set to speak with Octavian and receive an Augury for how the Legion should proceed from here on out before the funeral rites were conducted.

Reyna was already preparing mentally to plot out the next war. She silently thanked the boy lying comatose in the infirmary for his warning, and made a mental note to explain everything to Jason later that night, if Octavian didn’t feel like sharing.

They arrived at the temple of Jupiter to see that Octavian was already at work, red lightning flashing in the sky.

They stepped inside, witnessing the legacy gut another stuffed animal. He was visibly frustrated, which was to be expected.

Jason coughed, announcing himself.

Octavian turned around, quickly putting on his fake smile.

“Praetors! Welcome, how may I-”

“Drop the act, Octavian. It’s just us. Tell us what you’ve seen.”

Octavian didn’t need to be told twice.

“Fine. But I’m sorry to say, I have nothing for you. The gods are silent, not a single one of my auguries have yielded a divine word. Not even from a minor god seeking attention.”

The two Praetors turned to each other, eyebrows furled.

“That’s odd. The gods should be pretty vocal, considering that a new Praetor was just elected.”

“Agreed. It’s strange for Jupiter to be silent, especially when his own Son is now commanding the Legion.”

Octavian continued slaughtering childhood dreams as the two Praetors deliberated, but one particularly loud crack of lightning brought their attention back to him.

“Wait… there’s something.”

“What is it?”

Octavian looked genuinely confused, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead.

“It’s no godly voice I recognize… and it’s just saying the same thing over and over again.”

“Which is?”

He turned around, his eyes glinting with a bit of reserved fear.

“Something is coming. It just keeps saying ‘Something is coming’.”

It was at that exact moment that Gwen burst through the doors.

“So sorry, lord Jupiter, Optimus Maximus! Praetors, there’s something going on down on the field of Mars! Giant animal of some kind!”

The two looked between each other, then nodded, sprinting after Gwen as she led them down to the field of mars.

Gwen was spot on.

A few Legionnaires who had been sparring on the field had formed a defensive semi circle, facing a giant Ram, which was absentmindedly gnawing at a chunk of grass it had ripped out of… somewhere.

Jason tensed at her side, bringing his coin out of his pocket.

“No… how did he get in here?”

Reyna whispered to Jason.

“He? You know that goat?”

“Not goat, Ram.” He whispered back. “And definitely not a normal one. This has to be Krios, he was on the mountain but escaped after Thalia and I disarmed him.”

Reyna tensed as well. She held a hand out to Gwen, who instantly understood, handing over one of the swords she’d picked off the training racks.

“Close ranks!”

The semi circle responded as one, drawing closer to each other with blades pointed towards the beast.

Then, just as Reyna was going to give the command to attack, the Ram spoke.

“That won’t be necessary, Romans.”

To their credit, none of the Legionnaires faltered, still leveling their blades tip first at the Ram. Jason stepped forward, easily moving through the line, and Reyna followed.

“What are you here for, Krios?! Did you come to deliver some message on behalf of your father?!”

The ram chuckled, which was a disturbing sight.

“In a way. But I am not here to fight on this day. I have brought you something.”

The ram settled on the ground, tucking its massive legs under its body as the neck craned to its back, whispering something.

Then, from its thick fur emerged a Dark skinned girl, younger than Reyna and Jason, with Amber eyes, tired from just waking up. Very carefully, she slid off the Ram’s back, and giggled as she whispered something back to him.

The Ram, or Krios for that matter, laughed, and nuzzled the girl’s face a bit. The Romans looked on with disgust and mortification.

Then, Krios rose from the ground, and darted off into one of the collapsed tunnels.

“After him!” Jason shouted, as he led the few armed Legionnaires on the field into the tunnel. Reyna, accompanied by Gwen, moved towards the girl, cautiously.

Reyna whistled for her dogs, stepping toward the girl slowly.

Her young, untainted smile was so heavily disarming that she wanted to trust her immediately. But this girl had just been delivered to them by a Titan, so suspicion was warranted.

So why not start as friendly as possible.

“Hello. What’s your name?”

The girl beamed at her, adjusting her cinnamon brown hair.

“Hazel Levesque.”

“Okay, my name’s Reyna. Who’s that big Ram you came here with?”

“Oh, that’s K! He’s nice, said that this place would be safe for me, no monsters around.”

So she knew about monsters, which most likely meant that Hazel was a demigod. Easily understandable and acceptable. But it could be a lie.

Thankfully, Reyna’s dogs had arrived to discern that from now on.

Strangely though, they seemed to crane towards Hazel instead of being on alert, almost as if they were more curious than cautious.

“Where did… K, bring you from?”

Hazel faltered for a moment, thinking about what to say. The dogs lost their curiosity, and went right to being rigidly alert, like normal. They sensed that Hazel was trying to come up with the right thing to say.

“Well, I guess I got lost for a while. I didn’t know what I was doing, or even where I was trying to go, but then K came along and said that I wasn’t safe there, and that I needed to come here, and that ‘Rome would take care of you’.”

Reyna looked to her dogs, who just sat down, still paying close attention. A truth, even though it was particularly vaguely worded.

“And that’s what brought you here? Nothing else?”

“No. I also wanted to make friends and talk to people. My dad left early on, and my mom was never nice, so I was alone all my life. K said that the people here were like me, and that they could relate.”

Truth again.

Gwen whispered to Reyna.

“I think this is a conversation best had inside the city. She’s not lying about her intentions, so lets not interrogate the poor girl on the field of war.”

Reyna nodded, and Jason came out of the tunnel with his company, covered in dirt and sweat.

“Well?” Reyna asked.

“Lost him. He turned a corner to a dead end and just vanished. Probably flashed out somehow.”

“Did you not see any light?”

“I didn’t.”

The group moved into the city, their escorts dropping off, probably running to spread the gossip to their cohorts.

Reyna sent Gwen to oversee preparations for the funeral rites, and sent Jason to grab Octavian.

She didn’t like the idea of the augur sitting in on an interrogation, but since he had foretold Hazel’s arrival, it might be worth having him as an extra.

Reyna, Jason, and Octavian found themselves sat at the long table in the Principia, with Jason and Octavian facing each other, Hazel and Reyna at each head of the table. Reyna’s dogs were present of course, currently absorbing all the nose rubs and chin scratches Hazel could dole out.

“Okay, just a few quick questions Hazel. We’re having a bit of an important funeral after this, so don’t think too hard about your answers, okay? We want you to be at home here.”

Hazel nodded, completely oblivious to the fact that she was being interrogated.

“Alright. You confirm that your name is Hazel?”

“Yes, Hazel Levesque.”

“Are you aware that your father was most likely a god, and if so, do you know which one?”

“Yes. My father is Pluto.”

Octavian immediately sat forward. Jason sent him a warning glance, but the legacy of Apollo didn’t say anything, not yet.

“Okay. You said that Krio- K, that K found you and brought you here. Do you know who K really is?”

“To be honest, no. He was nice, and was the only thing I had talked to in forever, so I went along with him. Better to risk getting kidnapped than staying in that field for the rest of time.”

Octavian was still sitting forward, handing on every word that came out of Hazel’s mouth.

“Alright. So you can promise me that you have no bad intentions, no loyalties to outside forces that would seek to hurt us?”

Hazel shook her head. “Nope. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t owe debts to nobody, so I’m here to stay.”

At Hazel's answer, Aurum jumped up into her lap, causing the girl to giggle and rub the hound’s belly, earning a laugh from Reyna and Jason. Octavian relaxed as well, sitting back in his chair.

“Alright then, Hazel. Welcome to New Rome. There will be someone outside to show you to the baths so you can get cleaned up. We don’t want you bringing in Hay Fever or some other sickness from whatever field you were lost in.”

Hazel nodded and got up to leave, giving Aurum and Argentum a bit more attention before she left.

Reyna and Jason watched her leave, then their gazes moved to Octavian.

“You know something.” Jason cut right to the chase.

“Bad omens.” Octavian responded. “Children of Pluto are rare, and always carry Omens. They tend to appear before or after great occurrences of death.”

“Let’s hope if she’s an omen, it’s the former.”

“That still calls into question why she was delivered by a Titan, Praetor.”

“Wait…”

Jason stood and began to pace, his standard habit when thinking.

“When Thalia and I disarmed Krios on the mountain, Ouranos told him to leave, to go find someone, a girl, who was important for defeating someone. Maybe that girl is Hazel?”

Octavian huffed, crossing his arms while still seated.

“You failed to mention this, why?”

“It’s been like, sixteen hours since we got back from Othrys. I've been a bit busy. I’ll update you on all the facets of my great expedition up death mountain later, promise.”

Octavian nodded, and got up, leaving the room.

“I hope you two will at least be more transparent than Mary and Jameis.”

The funeral service went just as she expected. Fast, sad, and efficient. Perfectly Roman. Just enough time dedicated to each of the dead, but time ran fast, and the Legion needed to be rebuilt. Hazel Levesque needed a cohort.

The girl was easily accepted into the fifth, since no other cohort dared take on a child of Pluto. Dakota seemed overjoyed for some reason, raving about getting the fifth’s weirdness back, now that it was missing Reyna and Jason. Reyna was slightly annoyed that the fifth was still looked down upon so heavily, even though both present Praetors came out of it.

Reyna said her goodbyes to Jason, and started to make her way back to the Principia, but she found herself being stopped by Dr. Frederickson, a man she knew well.

“Praetor.” He greeted.

“Doctor. How can I help you?”

“It’s the boy you recovered from the mountain.”

Reyna’s heart dropped. Had they lost him already? Was Percy Jackson dead? Oh gods, what would Apollo do to them? He had practically handed down a godly order to keep the boy alive!

“What of him, Prima Medicus?”

Dr. Frederickson exhaled, steadying himself. He looked tired.

“He is stable. After hours of surgery, he is stable. But there is another issue. His spinal cord and brain are misaligned. If they are not corrected soon, there could wind up being a brain bleed, which we could not realistically stop. We could do the surgery to repair it, but he is just as likely to die during another operation so soon.”

Reyna understood where the doctor was going with this.

“You want me to share my strength with him again.”

The doctor nodded solemnly.

“I am aware of what the first time did to you, Praetor. It is a risk to yourself, as well. You are severely underweight now, and you’d be undergoing just about the same level of stress during the surgery. It is your decision, Praetor, I merely wanted to lay the offer on the table.”

There was no consideration for Reyna. Percy Jackson still owed her at least a thousand heartfelt apologies, and most definitely a cruise to make up for her loss of an island paradise for a home, and to wipe away the horrible memory of the ‘cruise’ the pirates took her and Hylla on.

“I’ll do it. Take me to him.”

She was whisked deep into the Infirmary, straight through the Doctor’s office into the specialized operating room.

There, she saw him for the third time of her life.

He somehow looked even more inhuman than when he was taken off the mountain.

His back was open, exposing the spine and nerves. The rest of his body was submerged in salt water, just as Apollo had instructed.

The few surgeons inside worked with extreme caution, fighting to make precise motions while avoiding splashing the water onto him.

Reyna was decontaminated, sterilized, and walked into the OR, and sat in a chair in front of the boy’s head.

Truly, the sight scared her. She was sitting in front of what was essentially an experiment to see if the best surgeons in the world could manage to save the most injured man in the world.

She reached out with her hands, dipping them underwater and setting them on Percy’s head.

Dr. Frederickson gave her a nod, and Reyna leaned backwards, steadying herself as she pushed strength into Percy.

Her eyes closed, and she felt like she was submerged in an ice cold pool, like a dive.

When she reopened her eyes, she saw herself, and Percy, looking down at his own body, fear etched in his eyes as he watched the surgeons operate.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

He sent her that same, sloppy grin, chock full of nervous energy disguised as easy confidence.

“Think they’ll be able to get my nose job right?”

Reyna was not in the mood for jokes.

She marched right up to him, and reached up and around, putting a finger on the back of his neck.

“Percy, they’re realigning your brainstem. I’m here because you might die during the process, so I'm lending you strength to give you a better chance. If you die, I might too. Your body might try to take the entirety of my life force to get past an unstoppable death.”

His eyelids fluttered, almost opening as his hands moved to her shoulders.

“Get out. Get out right now.”

“No.”

He grit his teeth, closed eyes unable to meet Reyna’s defiant ones.

“Please. Please don’t put yourself at risk for me. People love you here, they don’t even know who I am, and I don’t want them too. I’m only trouble. Just let go, I’m fine with the risk. I’m a lucky guy, you know?”

He tried his hardest to build that wall of confidence again, but Reyna wouldn’t be fooled by such easy deflections.

“No. I’m staying, because you have more to tell me. And you have more life to live. Apollo said you could live, so you’ll live. It’s partly my responsibility to make sure you do.”

His breath caught, hyperventilation quickly taking over. “Please, Reyna. I can run the risk. Right now, you’re more important in the world. I’ve already been gone two years, the world can manage without me.”

“Is that how long they tortured you?”

Reyna’s voice was soft, and it momentarily broke Percy free of his panic, his sightless gaze drifting down to her as she stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. Her voice changed slightly, a bit more annoyed as she growled into him.

“Stop being a self sacrificing dick, and let me do this. I saw it on Circe’s island, you took a strike that you could’ve easily just parried, because it was aimed at your friend. Now you’re willing to die so that I don’t get hurt. We barely even know each other, one pleasant conversation and you’d rather die than let me run the risk of getting hurt. Just let this happen. No more arguing.”

He tried to retort, but his breath caught in his throat again, replaced with choked sobs.

His arms found their way around her shoulders, and the two sunk to the ground.

“Please don’t die. Please don’t die for me, Reyna.”

She smiled, rubbing a small circle on his back.

“I won’t, promise. We’re going to make it through this.”

Reyna sat there praying to any god that might hear her in this state. Her mother, Apollo, Somnus. She begged for their help here.

Reyna begged and begged, but eventually found herself growing drowsy.

Her last sight that night was Percy’s body, fading from her vision as someone carried her away.

Chapter Text

Her morning was basically a mirror image of her first day as Praetor, but worse in all the best ways.

Thankfully, she still woke in her room, but this time, her arm was a mess of IVs.

As she swung her legs out of bed and tried to stand, she stumbled, finding so little strength in her own legs that it was nearly hard to walk to the bathroom.

She dragged the IV stand with her, feeling a bit lightheaded. There was a light beeping noise when she moved the stand away from her bed, but she ignored it.

The same three steps to start her day. Shower, Teeth, clothes.

Just as she removed the needles from her arm and tugged a shirt over her head to complete the outfit, Jason came bursting into the room, alongside a doctor.

“Oh no you don’t, back in bed, now!”

Reyna croaked out a bit of a protest as they wrangled her back into bed, replacing the needles with new ones. Her voice was low and raspy, owing to her just waking up and the low amount of fluids in her body.

“How long?”

“A week, Reyna. You’ve been out for a whole week.”

Her eyes widened for a moment, but she quickly accepted it.

Looking around, she noticed how different everything in the room was.

All of Mary’s things were gone, likely given to her relatives in the city.

The few bits and bobs that she kept under her decurion’s bunk were stashed in a box off to the side, leaving the room… blank.

There was no character to her living space. She was just like Percy, a patient in a nondescript room, serving to contain instead of foster.

She noticed that Dr. Frederickson had been the professional to accompany Jason, which made sense, considering she was one of the two most important people in the city.

Reyna rolled over weakly to look at the Doctor.

“How is he?”

Jason grit his teeth and turned away, frustrated about something, while the Doctor came and sat on the bed next to her.

“He lived. But not without issue. We brought him out of the water the day after to correct a stitch in his back, but he immediately began seizing. We can only say our thanks that we were able to complete all of the critical surgeries before lowering him back in the water, and pray that his father’s domain will heal him well enough to be able to leave it.”

Reyna nodded, slumping back onto her back with a deep exhale.

“Thank you.”

“You should be concerned for yourself, as well. You are in no condition to be up and about, so take the next few days easy.”

Dr. Frederickson bowed out, giving his regards to both Praetors as he left.

And now, they were alone.

Jason stepped back to her bedside, arms crossed. His eyes barely managed to conceal his anger.

“I get that this guy is important, but nearly killing yourself just to give him a better chance of getting through surgery? That’s just stupid.”

“They promised.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“They? Who is they?”

“The Doctors. They promised Apollo.”

“But you didn’t make that promise!”

Jason got on his knees so he could be eye level with her.

“Reyna, we just lost the vast majority of the Legion’s experience. We’re basically building a new one! And you’re supposed to be helping me do it, not sacrificing your own life force for some half dead son of Neptune who might be a traitor to the gods!”

“He’s not.”

“Not what? You know I hate it when you’re vague.”

“Has it occurred to you that my throat might be a bit dry after sleeping for a week?”

Jason realized where he went wrong, and stomped over to the sink, bringing Reyna a glass of water she sipped slowly.

“There. Ready to talk now?”

“He’s not a traitor. He said so.”

“What? Just because he told you that in whatever dream world you go into when you shave off bits of your life doesn’t mean it’s true!”

“Am I wrong for trusting the frightened words of a man we rescued from the enemy?”

“Reyna, we don’t know anything about him. Not his name, not his background, just that he’s a son of Neptune and he was Uranus’ host. Sure, Thalia apparently knew him a little while back, but she left before telling us anything important. Not a great rap sheet for building trust. You know the stigma about Neptune's children, and the fact that he willingly brought the Primordial father of the Titans back from annihilation should be more than enough to treat him as a threat.”

“You believe the stigmas?”

Reyna looked at her fellow Praetor with a sense of betrayal.

“I thought we had an agreement not to buy into those. I thought you were just like me. An upstanding leader of the fifth cohort, home of the unwanted. We took anyone we could, hells, the fifth just took a daughter of Pluto! What has a child of Neptune done to you?!”

“Nothing, nothing at all! But every time one of them has been anywhere near the legion, it's been devastating! So forgive me for being concerned that a son of Neptune, who we confirmed to be in league with a Primordial, is currently sat dead center of New Rome, inside the building where we treat our wounded!”

“Percy isn’t here to fight us, Jason!”

Jason’s temper flared as he got up to pace.

“Percy. That’s the guy's name, huh? Already on a first name basis, you two are. I bet the next time you’re out of bed, you’ll skip right down to the infirmary to give another portion of your life to a man who will never recover.”

“He will recover. I will make sure of it.”

He whipped towards her. “Why are you so attached?! Are you in love with this guy or something?!”

Reyna’s mind immediately produced a no as an answer, but she looked further, and saw a way to get a different frustration out of her mind.

This had waited too long, and she had found her breaking point long ago. So when Jason opened the doors, it all flooded out in a torrent.

“What if I said yes?! What right do you have to be against that, Jason! I gave you a chance, and you never took it!”

Jason froze in place, all his anger melting away, replaced by indecision as he suffered under the onslaught of a now crying Reyna, who was a mix of pent up rage and depression.

“For years, I pined after you so fucking much! Everything was public, my hints were basically punches in the face, but you just ignored them, every single time! Never even a ‘No Reyna, I don’t feel the same.’ Never a ‘I’m not comfortable with this, Reyna!’”

“I- I never meant to-”

“No, my turn to be mad! What even are we?! I asked you that question two years ago, and you didn’t answer! I asked six months ago, and you didn’t answer! Now I’m asking again, and if you don’t answer, so help me gods, I’ll drag myself to the infirmary and throw the rest of my life away so that I never have to worry about anything stupid like love or crushes or even the Legion, so that a good man might have the chance to live his own life!”

Jason was sweating. His indecision took too great a hold on him, as it always did. He could tell Reyna that he felt the same, just that he had been afraid, but that might seem like a lie. He could tell her that he never shared her feelings, but that might send her over the edge.

But to Reyna, all she saw through tear clouded eyes was a boy with his mouth hung open, no answer coming forth. That was all she needed to see.

Reyna rolled over, facing away from him, and tucked herself under the covers.

“I should’ve listened to Venus in North Carolina. We were never meant to be anything more than comrades.”

She sat there for a minute, not daring to move. Then, she heard Jason sniffle, likely biting back his own tears, and leave the room, closing the door behind him carefully, pausing to deliberate on whether to try to say anything, but ultimately deciding not to.

Reyna tried her hardest to stay still, but her sobs overtook her again, forcing her to curl up into a ball under the covers. She cried until she fell asleep, being taken away into the first dream without Percy Jackson in a week.

In the dream, she found herself sitting on an American school bus, which was odd, considering she never attended school in the continental United States, or rode a bus. So this wasn’t a memory.

However, what confused her further was that she was sitting next to Jason, who was fast asleep against the window.

A quick glance at his forearm confirmed that it was Jason, his years of service, rank, and father’s divine symbol all emblazoned perfectly. It was the correct amount of years as well, so whatever she was being shown was either the present, or the near future.

But when she checked her own arm, a pit formed in her stomach from the absence of her own legion tattoo, and slight difference in skin color.

She steeled her nerves, doing her best not to panic. Removal of a legion tattoo meant only one thing:

Exile.

So this dream was either showing her a different person, or herself in the future.

She sent a quick prayer to her mother for it to be the former.

There were many other high school aged kids on the bus, each looking more and more like a troublemaker than the last, especially the one presently leaning over the seat in front of her, grinning like a madman.

She tried to speak. But the words that came out of her weren’t her own.

“Yes, Leo?”

“Oh nothing, Pipes. Just wondering how long you were going to keep grossing me out by gazing longingly at your sleeping boyfriend. Really sucks being a third wheel, y’know?”

Jason stirred next to her, looking around, confused.

Reyna’s hand went involuntarily to his.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

Jason’s confused look deepened.

“Wha- who are…?”

A splitting headache hit her, and the vision began to fade.

She looked around frantically, trying to discern as much information as she could before it completely disappeared.

A sign was visible in the distance on an approaching building.

‘Grand Canyon Skywalk’

Reyna shot up in bed, covered in sweat.

She stumbled out, falling to the floor, the blanket coming with, tangled around her legs, and she crawled to her box of possessions.

The box was torn open, clothes and mementos of her past thrown aside as she searched for what she needed.

She found it near the bottom.

A smartphone, contraband by Roman standard, but she needed to know.

She held the power button, heart rate elevating as the device powered on.

“Come on come on come on!”

Finally, the screen came to life, and showed her her worst nightmare.

Another three days had passed in her sleep.

There was a heavy knock at the door.

“Praetor! Emergency! I’m coming in!”

Reyna tossed the phone back into the chest, and pulled the blanket up to cover herself.

Larry burst into the room, pausing for a moment as he saw the disarray in Reyna’s room.

“Reyna it’s-”

“Jason’s gone, isn’t he?”

Larry swallowed hard, and nodded.

“How did you know?”

“I saw it in a dream. How long has he been missing?”

“He was last seen yesterday night, after the war game. The last person to see him was Gwen, who came with him to check up on you.”

“We have to go, now!”

Reyna fought to get to her feet, groaning in pain as her frail body nearly collapsed in on itself.

Larry rushed to her side, steadying her.

“Where? Go where?”

“The Grand Canyon… I saw him there, on a bus. It’s early morning, we still have time!”

“Okay, I’ll grab a few people and go. Sit tight, okay?”

“What?”

Reyna grabbed Larry’s wrist as he went to leave.

“I’m going too, help me out here.”

Larry groaned in annoyance.

“No, Reyna! You can barely walk! I’m not risking the life of One Praetor while going on a mission to find the other!”

Larry not so lightly wrestled her back into bed, and went to the door again.

“I’m borrowing Skippy. I’ll be back before nightfall, and If I’m not, I’m either dead or on Jason’s trail. I’ll send Skippy back if it's the former.”

Reyna raised a hand in protest, but it was too late. Larry was gone, already on his way to the stables.

But she wasn’t done.

There was still something she could do.

She struggled to get dressed, then stepped out of the room, into the city, balancing herself against the wall.

She caught sight of Remmick, a boy who worked in the infirmary, who was looking at her, a bit scared.

“You don’t look so good Ms. Reyna, should I get a doctor?”

Reyna nodded, an exhausted smile forming on her face.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I need you to do. Get me Dr. Frederickson, Remmick, and quickly.”

Remmick scurried off, and not even three minutes later, the doctor came barreling down the walkway.

“Praetor, you need to get back in bed immediately!”

“I know what I need. Tell me, what condition is your patient in?”

“The boy’s health as of now should not be your major concern!”

“Just tell me!”

Dr. Frederickson’s breath caught for a moment.

“He is perfectly stable, and most of his deep wounds are healed. He would be normal, if not for the internal damage and comatose state.”

“Bring me to him!”

“Praetor, if you are suggesting another sharing of strength, I cannot allow it! You will surely pass!”

“I’m not giving him strength, I’m taking back some that I gave him, since he doesn’t need it right now! Get me there!”

Dr. Frederickson just nodded, and apologized profusely for his actions as he scooped up the malnourished girl and ran as fast as he could to the infirmary.

Once more, the decontamination process passed in a flurry, but the way that they interacted this time was different.

The doctor put her in a wetsuit, with an oxygen system added to the hood. Her hands were left uncovered.

Reyna was lowered into the water, where she sank down to Percy’s submerged body, resting atop it.

She placed her hands on his chest, and felt the world fade around her

She immediately felt Percy’s hands on her shoulder, shaking her.

“What the hell are you thinking?! You already got put in the hospital after the last one, you can’t live through this!”

“Relax Water Boy, I’m not giving you anything, you’re giving me back what you borrowed.”

She put a finger on his forehead, and he exhaled lightly, feeling some of the energy leave his body. His head drooped for a moment, but he snapped back up just as quickly.

Reyna straightened, feeling about half her strength return to her.

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

“Well, I can. We have a problem.”

Percy nodded. “Talk to me.”

“Jason, the other Praetor, went missing as of last night. I had a dream that night about him being at the Grand Canyon for some reason, so I sent one of my centurions to check the area out. Is there anything you can think of that would lead to him being there, without any other Romans?”

Percy nodded along to each sentence, his eyes wandering throughout the OR as he thought.

“It hurts to say, but I can’t think of any reason for your guy to just up and leave. He had to have been kidnapped or something, or just made the decision on his own.”

“That’s not who he is. He had to have been manipulated or taken.”

“How did he look when you saw him?”

“He didn’t know where he was, and didn’t seem to know the people around him. But a girl and boy seemed to know him for some reason.”

“Amnesia? Or maybe he just genuinely didn’t know why he was there?”

“I don’t know, none of it makes sense to me.”

“And you’re absolutely sure that there's no reason for him to have left of his own will?”

“We had, like, a fight, but not one big enough to influence him to leave the Legion and everything he’s ever loved!”

“Are you sure it wasn’t that fight? You never know, you might’ve said something that struck too deep without knowing.”

“No, it was a stupid, childish fight. He always loved the Legion more than me, anyway, so he probably forgot about it the next morning.”

Percy’s lips pursed, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Were you guys dating? Did you break up?”

Reyna sat down on one of the chairs placed there for surgeons to rest, cradling her head in her hands.

“I wish that’s what the fight had been about. I liked him for years, he never told me how he felt, so I decided to cut off the weird more than friends relationship we had three days ago. He left last night, so it doesn’t make sense for that to be the reason. End of story.”

Reyna’s leg was bouncing fiercely as she tried and failed to keep her emotions shoved down deep in her mind. She came here to talk to someone who might be able to figure out why her best friend was suddenly a state over in a few hours.

Then, she felt a hand on her knee.

She couldn’t bring herself to look up, but her eyes caught the faintest traces of Percy kneeling next to her.

“They’ll find your guy, you’ve got great people in the Legion. So for now, don’t worry about others. You need to worry about yourself.”

Reyna looked up, seeing his sightless gaze looking at her, eyelids still closed, hiding the horror behind them. But she noticed that they weren’t sunken like his physical body's were.

Her mother had told her once that when sharing strength, her children are usually feeding into the idealized version of the person they’re empowering.

Reyna reached forward, and put a soft hand on the side of Percy’s head, her thumb on his right eye.

His hand came up to lightly grasp her wrist.

“You don’t want to see that.”

“You don’t tell me what I do or don’t want, Percy Jackson.”

His breathing was uneven, his hold on her shaky. But Reyna pushed forward. She’d make him see that here, in this world, with her, he didn’t have to be afraid.

She lifted his eyelid, and revealed it.

That beautiful eye, so many different shades of green, punctuated by a dark pupil the size of a pinprick.

Slowly, as he realized that it was there, he let the other eye open on its own. But Reyna didn’t let him move, just held his face there in her hands.

“They’re beautiful.”

An embarrassed smile broke his face.

“Dad says I got them from my mother.”

She brushed a finger over his eyebrow. Now, if it weren't for the mess of tiny scars on his face, he looked like a normal kid.

“I only wish I could have seen them a second time, up close. But this will do, for now.”

Percy laughed nervously, sliding her hands off his face.

She didn’t fail to notice how his thumbs sat so perfectly in her palms as he held them aloft.

His hands were rough, not as calloused as her own, but still that of a fighter. But his touch was soft, cautious, and slow.

“Isn’t this supposed to be your therapy session?”

“I’m fine. You’re still in a fortress of a hospital room. If anyone needs positive reinforcement right now, it’s you.”

“You’re not wrong.”

Percy let go of her hands, which sent a strange feeling of disappointment through her, and stood up, walking over to the water and peering down at their physical forms.

“So, since you’re able to get back the strength you lent me, I guess we won’t be having many more of these meetings.”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

She joined him in looking down into the water.

“You are still in need of quite a bit of healing, and even though I took back some of my energy, the rest is still in you, helping you recover. Unless I keep coming back, that energy will go to waste, since it will fade out of you, and never return to me. So until you decide to wake up and get back on your feet, we’ll have to do this about once a week or so to keep the healing steady.”

Percy held his hands up in mock defeat, and turned to her.

“I wasn’t complaining. You’re fun to talk to, and also the only being able to communicate with me right now. Even if you were the most dry, uninteresting person in the world, at least I’d have someone to talk to.”

“Hey. Don’t close your eyes.”

Percy had closed his eyes and kept them shut as a force of habit, being used to hiding his lack of them.

“Sorry.”

And they opened again.

Those striking eyes that trapped her worries like a ship in a sea storm.

Everything just faded out when she looked directly into the green, like she was forgetting why she did anything else in the first place.

“See you next time, Reyna.”

Chapter Text

Larry came back that night, unharmed, but without Jason.

Reyna was sitting in the Principia, with a look on her face that was putting all of the assembled centurions on edge.

Anyone could tell from looking at her that she was a mess.

She was at the head of the table again, dressed in her Praetor’s robe and armor, both too big on her. Her hair was washed, but her normal braid was splintering, many hairs flaring out. Sunken eyes stared forward at the wall on the other side of the room, a gaze none of the officers there, not even Octavian, dared to meet.

Larry came into the room after returning Skippy to the stables, and sat down across from Reyna, his own expression a minor resemblance to hers.

She just raised an eyebrow, prompting him to talk.

“There wasn’t much there. The only sign that Jason could have been there was that the skybridge had been evacuated, the Park Ranger I talked to said there was some kind of dust storm called a haboob, which doesn’t typically occur that far north in the state. On top of that, the glass sky bridge was cracked, even though it’s supposed to be some of the strongest glass in the world.”

Reyna didn’t even need to speak during the meeting, her officers asked all of the questions for her. She just sat back and took it all in, waiting to hand down her decision.

Gwen sat forward first.

“No scorch marks? No reports of lightning at all?”

Larry shook his head.

“Any other questions you asked the people on site?” Mike questioned.

“To confirm what the Praetor told me, there was a school trip that had come to the skybridge that day. Three of the kids on the trip were reported missing, no report on where they could have gone. The Praetor recounted Jason being on a school bus, and two of the kids on the bus seemed familiar with him somehow, so it's likely those are the three missing from the school, the other two are possibly demigods.”

Reyna nodded along, confirming and agreeing with everything Larry said.

"Okay, so Jason shows up on this trip, looking bewildered, and he doesn't know the two people saying that they know him. He gets into a fight with something, causes a storm, then vanishes along with the two others, who are probably demigods. This reads as a monster attack to me."

"Yes, but what monster can you think of off the top of your head that could send Jason Grace, our Praetor who faced down a Titan, running the wrong direction from home?"

Hank spoke up, which was surprising, considering his usually reserved nature.

“What was the general age of the school trip?”

“Ranging between fourteen to sixteen years old.”

“That’s too old, if they’re demigods, why weren’t they brought to the wolf house?”

All of them were quiet for a moment, but gradually, they all dared to look at Reyna.

She didn’t look at them, continuing to stare a hole in the wall across from her as she spoke, slow and deliberate.

“We may need to reconsider the possibility of an existence of permanently settled Greek Champions.”

Naturally, every pair of eyes but Reyna’s shifted to Octavian.

“I will petition the gods immediately on this.”

He swept out of the room, leaving Mike as the only representative of the first.

Dakota sat up.

“Reyna, are you saying that Jason might be a prisoner or in league with this hypothetical Greek force?”

“It’s entirely possible.”

“Do we prepare for the possibility of a long distance offensive move, then?” Hank asked.

Gwen hissed at Hank. “We could at least try to find Jason before invading someone we haven’t even found yet! Have you ever considered that he might not be kidnapped, but just lost? Even if he was, we could surely solve this diplomatically, they probably don’t even know that they picked up a Roman elected official!”

“I will not negotiate with hostage taking Greeks.”

Everyone looked back at Reyna, who was now shakily standing up.

“The Legion is in a state of duress. I expect all of you to prepare for the possibility of war. Review your history of the conquests of Greece. If we must have war, we are going to crush them. In the meantime, drill the legion as usual, make sure the city is safe. If another of my officers goes missing in the dead of night, expect consequences."

She marched off to her room, still using the wall as support on occasion, until she got to her room, and collapsed in bed, dragging her fingers over her face and eyes as she tried to loose a bit of the stress.

She was thankful to find her dinner already set on her bedside table. It wasn’t much, but she couldn’t overwhelm her digestive system, so she happily ate the smaller meal.

Percy’s recommendation was spot on: greasy food tasted the best when you feel like you’ve been starving for a while.

The two sliders she relished, beef was her thing, and the aurae never failed to meet her requests. She was a bit disappointed that the potatoes were baked, not fried, but her health was still the main priority. The Caesar salad (Ha-ha) was just as good.

She downed her water and medication, and went to brush her teeth.

Sure enough, the mirror showed her the exact thing her officers saw.

A tired, stressed out sixteen year old girl who was commanding an army without her only true equal. Not only that, there were probably only two people in New Rome that actually had faced a similar level of stress in their lives, one of them being her former centurion, the other being a comatose teenager in the infirmary.

She decided just a shower every morning wasn’t enough.

After her second shower, Reyna found herself settling in bed, but noticed that there was something underneath her meal tray that she hadn’t initially seen.

Pulling out the stack of papers, she groaned out loud as she saw that it was paperwork that either needed her review or signature/dismissal.

She sifted through them, figuring she might as well get a bit productive before bed so it would be easier to handle tomorrow.

One paper caught her eye.

A request for an audience with her and Jason, from the official portrait artist of New Rome. The request? For her and Jason to be sat down in the temple of Bellona and have their portraits done for the Praetorian hall.

The Praetorian hall was more of an art gallery and museum than an institution of the Praetorian guard, given that there was no emperor, and therefore no Praetorians.

It was a building that contained the portraits of Praetors and Centurions dating back hundreds of years, all on display for any citizen or Legionnaire to see.

It was tradition for the portraits to be done of both Praetors or Centurions together, depicted in the temple of the senior’s parent or ancestor, though there had been one fully mortal member of the Legion that made senior centurion once, so it defaulted to the temple of Mars Ultor.

The worst part was that Reyna knew the artist personally. An elderly legacy of Apollo who took an insane amount of time with each portrait, dedicating nearly an entire day to a single attempt, which he often tossed out, decreeing that he could do better.

She remembered Gwen laughing about it one night, talking about how Mary was complaining about how bad her back hurt, and regretting the pose she chose for the portrait, since she had to hold it for hours on end.

Maybe, just maybe, if they were able to bring Jason back in a timely manner, they could have the portraits done. She could make fun of him for whatever stupid pose he took, while she would just sit back with her knowledge of the situation in a comfortable position.

Reyna smiled for a moment, enjoying the positive part of her night. Of course, there had been her talk with Percy, but she was still kicking herself thinking about how physical she got with him, even if it was for just a moment.

That opened up a whole different train of thought as she rolled over and tried to fall asleep.

Her love life had gotten to the point where she had started considering that she might have better luck with women than men. She wasn’t as bad as Jason when it came to ignoring the advances of others, but she did her best to let the few girls that had tried their luck with her down easily.

But her interaction with Percy earlier had got her thinking.

Reyna had been touch starved since her childhood.

Her father was hardly the model parent for raising a child in San Juan. Not only did he alienate her from her people, but in her childhood home as well.

Her only physical interaction came from Hylla, and when they wound up on Circe’s island, the two were kept separate most of the time.

Sure, Reyna got to comb hair, but that was hardly a positive touch.

So when she came to the Legion, she fell in love with it.

Every day was constant contact. An arm around her shoulders from Jason, Gwen, or Dakota, body on body fighting, the sheer physical nature of the Legion was making up for something she had lacked in great quantities throughout her life.

Casual, friendly touch.

That’s what made Percy such a strong, drawing force to her.

He was similar to Jason in how he shied away from Reyna’s touch at first, but his reasons were more understandable. They boy had been tortured physically and psychologically for two years, so it made sense that he wasn’t necessarily comfortable with someone new getting handsy with him. Reyna caught how jarred he was on that first night, when he saw her laying on top of him when he couldn’t do anything about it. He tried to hide behind his jokes, which had gotten her flustered, sure, but she knew it was more of a disguised protest than an attempt to rile her up.

But as he talked to her more, trusting her, he didn’t protest as much. He accepted her touch, starting with the hug when she got him through the spinal surgery.

He was still hesitant that morning, but he wasn’t as eager to escape from her touch as he had been before, instead trying to deflect the focus of the conversation back onto her.

Percy was her exact opposite, but both of them had started working towards some odd form of compromise already. They were finding commonality on middle ground in order to interact with each other in a way that benefited both sides.

She decided then.

She would break the poor boy’s walls down, bring out what he could have been, had he never been captured.

And if that led somewhere she wasn’t expecting?

Well, who truly cares?

She was just making a new friend.

Reyna descended into sleep, the thinnest traces of a smile on her face as she found peace.

Chapter Text

The weeks after Jason’s disappearance strangely seemed to fly by, but not in a good way.

No information on him ever came, causing the common thoughts of the Legion to drift in a negative direction.

Reyna’s declaration on Jason’s status remained firm: He was missing, likely on a secret quest from the gods. She refused to allow the belief that Jason was dead to take hold.

But the stress of being a lone pillar for a bridge that required two was stacking quickly.

One Praetor had two Praetor’s paperwork, responsibilities, and authority. One Praetor commanded senate meetings. One Praetor drilled the legion during war games.

But the worst part was that she had only one man to rely upon.

Every former Praetor was either dead, living in the mortal world, or senile. Jameis, the one possibly capable person who could have assisted her, had been committed to New Rome’s mental hospital, after he had multiple close calls with taking his own life.

Her Centurions tried to shoulder some of the workload, but they often made too many mistakes, and Reyna would just take the work back from them.

And of course, there was the never ending issue of Octavian trying to take the vacant Praetor position, arguing that at least a temporary replacement (him) was needed.

So when sundays came, it was like a blessing for her.

She would walk down to the Infirmary, tired as a dog, and come out with fire in her eyes.

He just had that effect on her.

Apparently, his body was now teeming with energy. Since the vast majority of his injuries had healed, he was just soaking up power from the salt water, which he gladly passed onto her when he returned Reyna’s strength for the night.

Dr. Frederickson was pleased to report that in the weeks since they started sharing strength on a schedule, Percy’s brain waves had been far more active, indicating that he had left the danger zone of possible brain death, and was starting on the path to wake from his coma.

Three more months, he said. Three months was the earliest possible time he would wake.

So she endured, committing to her weekly visits to Percy.

But there was a separate issue developing with their meetings.

An issue of restraining her desperation to just throw away her slow build up and tell him everything.

Percy got lonely quickly, and now that the wall between them as strangers had been obliterated after a few more times sharing strength, he didn’t hesitate to show her just how lonely he got.

Reyna sunk down in the water, taking a deep inhale of oxygen, and laid her hands on him, sinking into their little dreamscape.

The first feeling that hit Reyna was Percy’s arms around her, a vice grip that was positioned just well enough to where it didn’t hurt, despite the near crush force being applied.

She never failed to notice that the hug started high, with his arms over her shoulders, but wound up with his hands on her sides.

She didn’t care to pull away, though.

Her arms wound around his waist, head to chest to listen to a heart beating.

“Missed you too, Perce.”

“Sorry.”

“S’okay.”

The miracle of the dreamscape was that feeling, no matter how fake it was, existed.

Her favorite was the heat of his shallow breaths messing up her hair.

The two pulled apart, and Percy quickly shifted from lost puppy back to troublemaker, a half-smirk coupled with piercing green eyes telling her a jab was coming.

“So.” He said, floating into the air, kicking his feet out and knitting fingers behind his head. “What ails you today, your majesty?”

Reyna didn’t even process those half-assed attempts at getting a rise out of her anymore, she just accepted and rolled with it.

She too floated into the air, though her positioning was more serious than his, with arms crossed and furrowed brows, and she did struggle to stay upright. It was still new, being incorporeal.

“The usual circus antics from our least favorite descendant of Apollo, coupled with low recruitment numbers and a frankly terrifying encounter with the unicorn herd.”

A puzzled look broke his face.

“Unicorns are real?”

“Perce, you hosted the body of a Primordial and lived. You’re surprised that Unicorns exist?”

His palms turned to face the sky, arms outstretched at his sides.

“Well, duh! There’s this weird notion that I’m royalty to anything remotely equestrian or aquatic in nature, so I’m privy to ALL the horse gossip, but I’ve never heard a word about a Unicorn.”

“Well, I believe your clique of horses must have been out of the loop, since Camp Jupiter has had a Unicorn herd since the Napoleonic Wars. The wild Pegasi are on good terms with the herd as well.”

“That’s impossible. You remember my pegasus that I told you about?”

“Blackjack?”

“Yeah. That horse is a stallion by all means, and yes, I mean it in that way. He has slept around for, well, however long he’s been alive, and he has told me things I wish I could purge from my mind forever. If he knew Unicorns existed, he would have at least had a scar from one lowering the horn at him for not taking a hint.”

“Well, I’d imagine then that Blackjack is probably a known nuisance in the equestrian community, and they’ve been specifically keeping Unicorns secret from him.”

His eyes narrowed as he considered for a moment, hands going limp.

“Yeah, that’s actually a pretty good explanation. He is banned from Seattle and a few cities nearby, after all.”

Reyna gave a light laugh. “What could he have possibly done to get banned there?”

Percy’s eyes widened, a terrified look behind them.

“Please never ask me that question again. Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

Reyna raised her own hands to face him, disarming the disgust.

“Okay, okay, I won’t ask about that. But anyway, yes, we have Unicorns. And much like you mentioned with one hypothetically spearing Blackjack, I nearly got trampled today.”

“Nearly being the key word, since you’re not cut up or bruised anywhere.”

“Not that you can see.”

Percy flushed just a tiny bit, averting his eyes.

Another victory in the battle to see who can frustrate the other the fastest.

“But yeah, almost got trampled. Thankfully, Hazel was there with me, and through some odd form of Pluto child magic, willed them away. That cleared up any resistance to her becoming a full member of the legion, so she’s no longer on probation.”

“That’s good to hear. And expected for a kid of my Uncle down Under, they’re the greatest.”

Reyna groaned, putting a hand to her head. She was not looking forward to dealing with even more children of Pluto. “There are more?”

“Yep, two that I know of. The di Angelo siblings, Bianca and Nico.”

“Tell me about them.”

This was a perfect opportunity for Reyna to relax. Percy’s explanations were always long winded and overexplained, giving her time to settle in and rest her own mind, letting Percy be her rock of focus for a bit.

“For Nico, I can’t say much other than that I love the kid. Absolutely scared the hells out of me when we first found him, a kid of the big three that young, with a manticore on him? No thanks. Took him and his older sister right away from there. Tried to look out for him as much as I could, but then I had to leave on another quest, which led you know where. Bianca though? I could go on for hours, and I only knew her for about a week to a week and a half.”

Reyna’s process of mentally sinking into a beanbag chair was rudely interrupted by the alarm bells in her brain that went off from how Percy was talking about this Bianca girl.

“She took the whole demigod thing really well, considering how fast everything happened. Then, she didn’t even bat an eye when the oracle mummy marched right out and pointed at her, basically ordering her on a quest within the first twenty four hours of finding out her dad’s a god. Sure, my intro to demigod life was bad, and I threw quite a few fits about it, but Bianca took it like a champ. Freed a goddess, faced a titan, and figured out necromancy, all within a week. Plus, she showed up with Annabeth to try and rescue me, got a pretty good hit on Atlas, then managed to defeat Hyperion and Kronos in combat. Quite the rap sheet, right?”

Reyna noticed with a start that Percy was looking to her for a response.

But he looked a bit too happy talking about this girl, and it was starting to weigh on her mind. Not to mention that he mentioned the other girl that Reyna wasn’t too big a fan of.

“You’re quite fond of Bianca.”

“Yeah, she’s my awesome cousin, what’s bad about that?”

“Well, it’s simply that you speak of her in an almost romantic tone.”

This was false, of course, but Reyna was just prodding here, to get the answers she wanted.

Percy’s face scrunched up in a mix of disgust and confusion.

“What? No, definitely not. She’s my cousin.”

“Female children of Mars often have a thing for their cousins born from Mercury, you know.”

“Yeah, sure, demigod relationships are messed up. But that’s just the starter. She’s two years younger than me, not to mention the eternal beef I have with her dad. That is never happening, even if I was interested.”

Reyna saw her next point of attack.

“Right, you'd never be interested. You have Annabeth.”

“I don’t-”

He exhaled, frustrated.

“I don’t have Annabeth. That was a childish crush, I was swinging way above my weight class trying to even ask her to hang out during the day. That’s over with.”

“Are you sure? Every time you say her name, you still get that wistful look in your eyes like when you talk about Sally. That girl is home for your heart, don’t be afraid to admit it.”

Percy opened his mouth like he was going to protest, but slowly closed it as he gave up.

“She was, once.”

Sensing Percy’s descent into another one of his less than happy states of mind, Reyna floated over to him, resting her head on his shoulder and placing a comforting hand on his.

“Go ahead. Tell me about it.”

Another heavy sigh.

“You ever meet someone you think you really like as a kid, and get that stupid idea in your head that you’re going to marry them?”

“I haven’t had that experience myself, but I know the general feeling.”

She had to bite back her own breath as her frustration with Jason threatened to return for a moment.

“It was kind of like that with Annabeth. I was always a very ‘disorganized and spur of the moment’ person during my time as a normal kid. Then when I was getting my start as a demigod, everything was so chaotic, and I felt like I’d never be able to keep up. She kind of… solved that for me. She was so structured, and all that overhanging dread never seemed to have an effect on her, since she always had a plan for things to come. So, in my great master plan for living a successful life as a demigod, I thought that, if she were always at my side, things could actually turn out pretty good. I ended up crushing on her way too hard, which really set in after she got kidnapped.”

Reyna shifted a bit closer, her body against his side so she could look up at him.

“You never mentioned that.”

He gave the weakest of smiles, and rolled his eyes.

“In her infinite wisdom, Annabeth concluded that it was better for her to fall off a cliff with a manticore than for me to get hit by a poison barb for the second time that night. Granted, it probably could’ve killed me if it hit, but it was still way too much. The manticore ended up taking her to Othrys, which we then went to on the quest that put me in my present predicament. I literally thought about staging a rebellion when I wasn’t picked for the quest to go save her. Thankfully, by some odd form of divine intervention that I won’t attribute to my favorite sons of Hermes, one of the other questers got sick, and I was able to muscle my way into her spot. I got to go save the girl of my dreams, but wound up Atlas’ favorite toy. After that, she kind of fell out of my mind as an option for the future.”

Reyna poked his chest, right above the heart.
“Why? And don’t tell me you thought you were going to die, in the short time I’ve known you, I’ve got your personality pretty much figured out. You love hard, Perce, and not even psychological torture could take that feeling away from you.”

“I guess I just… realized who I am.”

That confused her.

“How so?”

“The thing is, my life has always been chaotic for a reason. It’s what I live for, not being bound by some giant responsibility or dedication to a task at the end of the day, just survival and enjoyment in my own way. Sure, I love to help people, and I’m definitely not letting a titan kill my dad. But being an instrument of Olympus' will? No thanks. Now that I know that I have the ability to cross the Atlantic ocean faster than a jet can, I’d like to take a no expense trip around the world to see all the cool places Uranus showed me.”

He was going right where Reyna wanted him. The excited rant.

“I’d live in a thousand different places, learn a thousand different cultures. Get a tattoo randomly, box a kangaroo, achieve Nirvana or something! I hate being told where to go and what to do. And that’s how I realized that Annabeth wasn’t the girl for me.”

Percy started talking with his hands, a surefire sign of his storytelling reaching its best parts.

“Uranus told me a lot about Pontus, the Primordial predecessor of Oceanus and my dad. You wanna know something? The guy was basically just me, but with unimaginable power! Gaea asked him to carve the Earth’s surface with his water, and he said yes, not because she was ordering it, she couldn’t really do that, but because he thought it might be fun. Then, when he was almost done? He got bored, quit, and took a nap! What kind of Primordial willingly takes a nap instead of checking out his own work?”

Reyna giggled at Percy’s exasperation, though he didn’t stop his speech.

“Uranus made all these comparisons between me and Pontus, and I saw them. We were really so much alike. Then, Uranus told me something I remember my dad telling me.”

Reyna was now absentmindedly tracing circles on Percy’s collarbone, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Which was?”

“The sea does not like to be restrained. Which is really true! Annabeth did put me on a life plan, which I thought I liked at the time, but I grew bored of it so quickly. I went along with it, but I started to hate it after a while. ‘Make sure to get up early for personal training, Percy.’ ‘Remember your Gods and their relationships, Percy.’ ‘Never question me, Percy!’ I gave in to her way too easily. It was never her fault, it was mine for acting like I wanted it. She was looking out for me in a way she thought was working, while I was suffering because of it. I can’t live a structured life, because it’s not who I am. The second I get the opportunity, I’m running away to tour the earth.”

“That sounds like heaven.”

Percy finally turned his eyes back to Reyna, interested in her take on it.

She’d retracted her hand just in time, cradling her head in her hands like he had earlier.

“I might be biased since I’m currently crumbling under the responsibility of two heads of state, but being able to just drop everything and go someplace nice? Yes, please. No more long winded meetings, no pulling hurt kids out of war games, no more Octavian? Please take me along for this world tour when you wake up.”

Percy laughed, turning over to face her.

“As long as you don’t order me around when it’s time for dinner. I’m pretty open minded when it comes to eating, but some things we’ll probably disagree on.”

Reyna laughed with him, then, she took her biggest risk of the day.

She got far too close for comfort, their heads almost touching as she looked right into his eyes.

“I can live with that. Doesn’t sound like the worst life a girl can have, and not the worst company, either.”

Percy’s cheeks flushed much brighter than before, but that was enough pushing for today.

Reyna started to move away, disconnecting their heads and floating back to the ground, but she didn’t expect what came next.

Percy’s hands shot out, wrapping around her waist, bringing her head against his.

His eyes bore into hers

She was understandably caught off guard. The boy she was used to teasing was quite always quite reserved about physical contact, other than the first fifteen seconds of each meeting. So to see him willingly start something?

It was surprising, but oh so exciting for her.

It seemed as though Reyna’s hidden feelings were on the verge of spilling out.

“What is this?”

“What do you mean, Perce?”

He gestured to the tiny space between their two bodies.

“This. Us.”

She raised an eyebrow sarcastically. Maybe a little more teasing wasn’t too bad of an idea.

“What do you mean? I need to be close to you to maintain the connection, but right now, you’re the one pulling me to you in a dreamscape, where the distance isn’t as important.”

He turned his head, trying to hide his frustration.

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

Cute. Very cute. And also enough.

Reyna’s hands came up to his head, forcing him to look at her again.

“I’ll give you two guesses as to what I want us to be, Percy Jackson, and if you say close friends as your first answer, I’ll kick your shins in.”

Percy’s breath caught in his throat, brain working overtime trying to come up with an answer.

Reyna already decided she’d waited enough time.

“Fine. I’ll answer for you.”

It was a risk, but a risk she was willing to take.

She’d been purposefully throwing herself at him to break down the wall of physical fear he had. He didn’t shy away from touching her anymore, either. So she figured now was better than never.

Reyna let go of his head, letting her arms drape over his shoulders as she pulled him into as soft a kiss as she could manage.

Sadly, he started to pull back at first contact, but when Reyna started to panic and do the same, he came back at her, tightening his hold on her and returning the kiss, body against body.

They stayed like that for a long moment, just a soft, barely moving kiss in midair.

Finally, their lips separated, both of them taking a deep breath, since their short intakes of breath through the nose weren’t nearly enough.

Reyna was still feeling a heavy twinge of guilt over his initial reaction.

“Sorry if that was too sudden.”

But as she looked up, and saw her favorite smile, she knew everything would be fine.

“Where’d all that confidence go, Rey Rey?”

Now, it was Reyna’s turn to flush, squirming in his arms and under his gaze.

“None of that. I forbid it.”

“I thought you wouldn’t order me around? Or is it different now that you’re my girlfriend?”

“Is that what I am to you, then?”

“If you’ll have me. But I might have to piss you off a lot if we don’t come to democratic decisions on which nicknames are forbidden.”

“Fine. For my first act as your girlfriend, I propose the removal of ‘Rey Rey’ from the allowed list of nicknames.”

Percy removed an arm from Reyna’s side, earning a disappointed huff, bringing said hand to his chin. “Mm, I’ll only allow it to pass if you allow an addition.”

“Which is? Oh, and put it in proper terms, I need to hear you try to talk like a legislator.”

“I propose as an amendment to the bill set forth that ‘Seaweed Brain’ also be struck from the list of allowed nicknames.”

“Oh, gods, we can agree on that. Pass pass pass.”

He smiled a bit wider, and returned to holding her like she was about to escape from him, and she did the same, just with his shoulders this time.

“Our time is almost up, isn’t it?”

“Sadly. From the looks of it, Dr. Frederickson is getting tired. We should let him get back to his wife and kids.”

“Are you sure you can’t stay a bit longer?” His hold tightened again. “I’m sure the doctor would understand. He probably didn’t leave his wife alone five minutes after they started dating.”

“Oh, enough, Perce.”

Reyna craned up to give him another quick peck on the lips.

This time, he didn’t hesitate to return it.

“I’ll be back for you in no time. Love grows stronger at a distance, right? You’d better love me just as much or more next time, or you have tell me your least favorite foods in existence, and those will be the first things we eat on our trip.”

“Uh uh. I will profess my love to you in a haiku if necessary, as long as it means avoiding eating some of those things.”

“Goodnight, Percy.”

“Night, Reyna.”

She smiled at him as her vision faded away, replaced by his actual face, asleep below her.

Reyna was lifted out of the water, and went to bed as quickly as possible, giddy about what had just happened.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t too far of an accusation to say that her devotion to sharing strength with Percy was more than being a helpful hand to the doctors for her.

However, her more frequent visits were not escaping the watchful eyes of the Legion’s snake of an Augur.

Her movements were constantly being watched by Octavian’s goons, even following her home after visiting Percy. They would always be around the same corners, the same dark shadows of old buildings nobody used for much anymore.

The part that put a lump in her throat was that they were counting under their breath.

They were timing her.

Granted, Reyna wasn’t afraid of an assasination attempt. Octavian was too much of a sniveling coward to ever attempt something that severe, and his goons were somehow even weaker than him, so even if one particularly brazen follower attempted, she wouldn’t be in any danger.

But the eyes on her were starting to get annoying, which was yet another stresser that she was not happy about.

That, combined with the new arrival at camp, was her primary issue.

Normally, she’d have been overjoyed for a new recruit. Their numbers had been low since Othrys, and the amount of demigods coming to camp was frighteningly low.

However, Frank Zhang being a descendant of Shen Lun was not the most exquisite thing to happen with her newest recruit.

She kicked herself a bit mentally for having negative connotations about Frank, after all she was (secretly) dating a son of Neptune. Frank’s godly parent hadn’t even been determined yet, but he did have some lineage of Neptune.

Nevertheless, the recruit confounded her.

What was worse was when Percy’s favorite daughter of Pluto stumbled into camp carrying a goddess. It didn’t help that she became fast friends with two of the most risk-inducing members of the legion, either.

So, what was supposed to be her easy Sunday “date night” as she’d started calling it, turned into a chaotic overhaul of all Legion activities in order to welcome a new recruit and somehow include her into the wargames, while recovering from the fright of two gods appearing in one day, when it had been months since they were last seen or heard from.

Then, she’d nearly lost the life of a Centurion to that same coward she believed incapable of murder.

After reporting the full incident of Octavian’s treason to whichever members of the Senate she could find that weren’t asleep, she trudged her way to the infirmary, dreading the next day, when she’d have to first put Octavian on trial in front of the senate, then deliberate on the quest.

Before she entered the infirmary, she saw Dr Frederickson waving goodbye to someone she didn’t exactly expect.

Bianca di Angelo was leaving, a frustrated look on her face.

Reyna ducked into the shadows, and watched for a moment, raising an eyebrow after the girl left a dent in a storage building.

She decided to not think too much about it. After all, she was in a rush to get to a certain someone, and away from the groupies of a man detained for attempted murder.

Making her way inside, she sank into the water, and was met with a soft kiss pressed to her forehead when she reopened her eyes.

But Reyna didn’t even give him time to say anything. She just grabbed ahold of him, pushed off into the air, and curled into his chest, screaming into the fabric of his hospital gown.

Percy didn’t say anything at first, just rubbed her back as she let out her frustrations.

“Want to talk about it?”

“Gods, yes. Octavian tried to kill a Centurion.”

“Tried?”

“Well, he succeeded, but she came back from the dead. Death has been captured.”

He nodded. “That lines up with what Uranus predicted. First the doors, then death itself. I’m guessing there’s a quest then?”

“Yes, orchestrated by Juno’s foretelling this morning, and Mars’ order after the games.”

“You’re not going, right?”

Reyna paused for a moment. Sure, she knew full well that there was the minute chance that Frank would select her for the quest, but that was one in a million.

She sensed his concern growing heavier for every second she neglected to answer.

“Highly doubt it. He’s probably going to take your cousins.”

“Plural?”

“Oh, Bianca arrived this morning.”

Percy raised an eyebrow, a smile breaking his face.

“Jeez, lead with that next time. Is she…?”

“Amnesia, it seems. Probably from the gods’ meddling.”

“Figures. So she’ll be on the quest, along with Hazel. Who’s the guy leading the quest then?”

“That’s what I’m worried about. Frank Zhang, a Legionnaire who arrived just over two weeks ago, wasn't even a full member of the Legion until about an hour ago. Mars claimed him on the field, promoted him to a Centurion, and said he’d lead the quest, and pick his two companions.”

“Not confident in the kid?”

“He’s a good soldier, even I can admit that. But he has never led anything, he’s too used to being led. And now he’s going to be in charge of a quest, with his two companions both being far more experienced.”

“But you already have the solution. He’s got two people more experienced with him, who probably aren’t very power hungry, at least in Bianca’s case, and she’s the most experienced out of the entire group, so she’ll definitely be a great mentor for him.”

“I understand, I’m just worried about my Legionnaires.”

He smirked, brushing a loose bit of hair out of her eyes so he could see her face clearly.

“Afraid one of my Greeks is going to corrupt your young and impressionable Legionnaire?”

Reyna matched him, smirking with lidded eyes.

“Hardly. I’m sure Centurion Zhang will shape Bianca into a proper Roman, and get rid of those foolish Greek tendencies on this quest.”

“I’ll take your bet on that, Reyna.”

They sat together for the moment, drifting through the empty air of the OR without saying much, just an occasional small question.

Then, Percy suddenly shifted, sliding Reyna’s arms a bit lower so he could lift her head up to look at him.

“I spoke with Uranus last night.”

“What? How?”

“Something about a soul bond. We’re linked now, and able to communicate with each other mentally while in a dream state, which is basically all the time for me when I’m not with you.”

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything too important.”

“Please. I’d much rather cuddle with my girlfriend than hear about how the literal embodiment of the Earth just put a hit out on me.”

That earned him some more brownie points, and Reyna climbed her way back up to his chest.

“What do you mean by a hit?”

“Well, Uranus, ever the Romantic, tried to talk to Terra after he regained physical form. Obviously, she shook him off, and he let slip that I’m alive. Terra put two Gigantes on the job with the sole purpose of capturing me alive, for some reason, which means they’re probably coming here.”

Reyna frowned. She was not happy about his casual tone towards being a target.

“Do you at least know which ones?”

“Not definitively, but I can say that there’s a high chance Polybotes is one. He was already in command of the forces amassing in the North that I told you about a while ago, so it’d make sense for him to have two objectives. Destroy Camp Jupiter, and Capture me, probably Bianca too. They need as much Big Three blood as they can get.”

“Blood for what purpose?”

“Waking Terra from her super nap. Apparently, high concentrations of powerful demigod blood can hasten the process.”

“Shit, that’s probably why Jason had to disappear. The gods couldn’t risk having you, Hazel, and Jason all in one place.”

“That could be the reason, but Uranus and I think otherwise. Jason did in fact have Amnesia, and he was sent to the Greeks in order to start breaking down the age-old barrier between the two camps, which would line up with why Bianca is here with no memories. It’s a forced exchange program, cooked up by a god or maybe more.”

“That would be rather convenient, though I’m still pissed about my junior Praetor vanishing into the night.”

“I have some more on that. It looks like the exchange was somewhat staggered. Jason was back in action the day after he disappeared, and has been with the Greeks since. Meaning, he has hopefully regained his memories, and has earned their trust.”

“So the hope is that Bianca returns with the others from Alaska a hero, with her memories, and becomes our Ambassador?”

“Yup. Not a bad plan, though if a certain goddess that I have suspicions about regarding that plan is behind it, I will never willingly admit that it was a smart idea.”

“Never willing to give those who annoy you credit. I can relate.”

“You can relate because you and I are like minded, which is why we’re so good at liking each other.”

More brownie points for Neptune’s lone mortal son, and a less than reserved tickle battle after. This was their relaxation time, so they were going to enjoy it.

“Only a few days until the feast of Fortuna. If they’re not back by then, the quest is a failure, and we might lose to the invasion of monsters.”

“Why do you think you’ll lose?”

She turned around to face him, breaking out of his hold.

“Perce, from what you’ve told me, two Giants are coming with a horde of monsters larger than what we faced when we invaded Othrys. We’re already underpowered because of the Varus expedition, and our officers are still young. On top of that, we’re sending three Legionnaires, young ones, sure, but powerful fighters, on a death mission to Alaska. Hazel’s control over the earth would be a game changer, but Frank is going to take her and Bianca with him. We’ll be underpowered, undermanned, and facing what might turn out to be the largest Monster-Demigod battle in New Roman history. With only one Praetor.”

“I think the legion’s done plenty fine with one Praetor, especially since they’ve got a good one. Besides, if it comes to it, you can always rely on me.”

Reyna’s eyes narrowed, looking over his features for a sign of doubt.

“You’re still comatose. It’s not like you’re gonna just jump out of bed and get to killing monsters, you probably won’t be able to walk, not to mention that you can’t see!”

“I don’t need good eyes or legs to fight. All I need is the reason. I held the sky for two years, what’s another battle?”

Reyna shook her head, an exasperated smile splaying across her features as she looked down at her boyfriend, wondering when she could meet his mother, so she could give her most heartfelt thanks for raising such a competent, empathetic young man.

“Keep telling yourself that, Perce. If you try to get up and get in the fight, I’ll drag you back to the OR, put you to bed like the little brat you are, and then go finish up the fight.”

“Not so scared about losing now that you might have to see me stumbling around New Rome, are you?”

“Oh shut it, Perce. Go to bed, so I can get some sleep before I put a man on trial.”

One last kiss, and the two separated, one drifting off into stasis again, the other heading back to her home.

Thankfully, she did get to sleep on time. She didn’t exactly march with excitement towards breakfast, though.

The entire Legion sat in silence, most casting cautious looks in the direction of the table furthest in the back, where Dakota was having a hushed conversation with Frank, Hazel, and Bianca.

Reyna picked at her food absentmindedly, no joy coming from her eggs.

To her right, the seat usually reserved for the Senior Centurion of the first was now taken up by Mike, who had a steely expression. It wasn’t often that a traitor came from directly within the legion, much less from a storied family that had been with Camp Jupiter for generations. The betrayal had positively rocketed the first off their high horse, no longer feeling like they were the Legion’s finest.

Breakfast passed without incident, which eased Reyna’s worries that there would be some outbreak of a fight within the first between the more upstanding, proud members and the remnants of Octavian’s posse.

But the end of breakfast meant the beginning of the day’s woes.

Reyna plopped into her chair in the senate ten minutes early, watching with dread as civilians crowded into the spectator’s area.

The civilians were then followed by her officers, then the Senators, then most of the Legion.

And finally, Octavian, two Legionaries of the Second, Larry, and the Legion’s sole Delator, who was likely doing her job for the first time, since not much crime occurred in New Rome.

Octavian was shoved to his knees on the stand, Larry behind him, while his Legionnaires stood on either side.

There were still no weapons present, but two Legionnaires and a Centurion of the second were more than enough to ensure Octavian’s escape was impossible.

The Delator regarded Reyna, who just nodded to her, and then the Senators, before stepping onto a newly erected platform across from the main stand.

Reyna stood, taking a deep breath before convening the Senate.

“The trial of former First Cohort Senior Centurion and Augur Octavian will now commence. Charges?”

The Delator cleared her throat and began reading from a file.

“The accused is charged with the following: Conspiracy to Misconstrue the will of the Divine, Conspiracy to create Dissent within the Legion, and most heinous of all, Premeditated murder of a fellow Legionnaire, former Fifth Cohort Senior Centurion Gwendolyn. On the first charge, how does the accused plead?”

Every pair of eyes moved to Octavian, who was now dragged back up to his feet by the underarms, presented to the court of Senators. Even now, some trace of his haughtiness persisted as he complained about the treatment.

“Not guilty. I cannot misconstrue the words of the gods when they haven’t even-”

“That is enough, merely answer Guilty or not Guilty. We will get into the semantics of each charge in a moment. On the second charge, how does the accused plead?”

Octavian huffed. “Not Guilty.”

Small murmurs were heard throughout the chamber, but none loud enough to interrupt the Delator.

“And on the third charge?”

He tilted his head, shooting a look towards the officers. He enunciated every syllable.“Not Guilty.”

Reyna took a glance down at Dakota, who appeared to be focusing on destroying the armrest of his chair as a means to distract himself from the desire to lunge, while Frank was gritting his teeth.

The Delator turned to Reyna, the Senators, and the Officers.

“Understood. The accused pleads not guilty to all three charges. We will not proceed with prosecution. On the first charge, the accusation comes from an anonymous member of the staff at the temple of Jupiter, with no true evidence provided. However, given the nature of the charge, which cannot be confirmed nor denied without directly asking the gods, I motion to move this charge back, considering the severity of the following charges.”

The Senators murmured in agreement, and Reyna nodded her head. The Delator turned back to Octavian.

“On the second charge, placed by the Praetor, the Augur is accused of manipulating members of the first Cohort into running a smear campaign against the Praetor.”

Octavian smirked, raising an eyebrow. “None of that can be proved. Besides, who calls reporting on the activities of a sitting official a smear campaign?”

He looked to the Senate for support, but found none, each and every one of them staring at him with unconcealed hatred, causing Octavian to falter a bit, looking back at the Delator with a hint of nervousness in his eyes.

“Regardless of how it is perceived, the messages placed on posters and spoken by criers were each negative in nature regarding the Praetor, and in general were not related to the official’s actions as a member of governance, instead focusing on the Praetor’s private life, attempting to build a narrative that the Praetor was distracted from her duties by a secret, forbidden relationship. It should go without saying that, despite the young age of most Legionnaires, the private life is supposed to remain private, so investigations like this are childish in nature, and should be frowned upon. However, it is far more problematic to post a message such as this:”

The Delator took a paper out of her file book, and read it aloud.

“Praetor Arellano has frequently been seen by many different citizens sneaking out of her quarters late in the night to visit the infirmary, and some have reported her speaking to the Prima Medicus with an ‘Elated’ attitude. Suspicions are arising on this strange relationship between an older, married man, and the young Praetor. It is clear that Praetor Arellano is more concerned with chasing older men than she is leading our Legion, thus her leadership should be taken an being mostly ceremonial.”

Reyna had to stop herself from laughing. She stuck herself in the side to try and stop it, but she had to cover her mouth nonetheless to silence herself, which earned a few confused looks from Senators, but she waved it off.

Octavian thought she was hitting on Dr. Frederickson? How stupid was he, really? That was his master plan to oust her from power? Making it seem like she was a homewrecker?

“The main concern lies with the final line of the paper, posted to the New Rome Times, a paper with no declared writer, instead listing the “Collective of Priests” as their founder, which is most certainly a roundabout way of saying that Octavian himself writes the paper, considering it was founded the day he became Augur. Regardless, stating that a sitting Praetor’s powers should be disregarded as Ceremonial is direct violation of Legion Cohesional Law. To add to the accusation, I call forth the first witness of this case.”

One of Octavian’s goons came up to the stand, looking a bit disheveled and scared, especially under the death glare his former master was giving him.

“It’s true, Octavian writes the paper. He also had us watch the Praetor’s movements, building a schedule of where she went alone, and when.”

Several eyebrows raised, including the Delator’s.

“Octavian specifically wanted to know when the Praetor was alone?”

“Objection, Delator! This is hardly-”

Reyna slammed her fist against her chair, sending an echo throughout the chamber.

“There are no objections in the Delator’s court, Octavian. Interrupt again, and a fourth charge of contempt will be added.”

He grumbled a bit, then relaxed when he felt his guards inching closer.

“I will ask again. He specifically asked you and other Legionnaires or Priests to build a schedule of when the Praetor was alone?”

The witness nodded.

“Only verbal affirmations and denials are accepted in this court.”

“Yes. He wanted to know when she was alone, and if there was a frequently recurring time when she was alone.”

“Did he say why he wanted to know this?”

“No.”

“That is all, thank you. You may return to the gallery.”

The witness stepped away, refusing to make eye contact with Octavian.

“In light of this new information, we should take heavy consideration of what this profiling may have been a prelude to, considering the third charge. Before that, does the Accused have something to say in his defence, now that it is the proper time to do so?”

“Yes! Everything you just heard was nothing but lies! It’s not my fault if a ten year old priest follows around the Praetor at night! He probably wanted to see what scandalous things she got up to at night after hearing about it in the city!”

“Have you anything further to say on the issue of the writer or writers of the New Rome Times?”

“Yes. I occasionally look over the paper, but it is indeed written by several members of the clergy.”

“And you allowed the aforementioned paper to be published in good faith?”

“No, I don’t have any influence on it. I don’t get to choose if a paper I like or don’t like runs.”

“Yet, as Augur, you are directly in charge and responsible for the actions of the priests on temple hill.”

“Look, I didn’t read that paper before it went out! I couldn’t have stopped it even if I wanted to!”

Oh, how Reyna wished her dogs weren’t considered weapons by Terminus. They would be eating Octavian alive right now.

“Anything further?”

“No, because I don’t have a tie to that paper, plain and simple!”

“Then we will move forward to the main point of this trial. You stand accused of intentionally killing a fellow Centurion, and not taking responsibility. Do you realize what light your inaction paints you in?”

“You speak as if it’s already confirmed without a doubt that I was the one to drive the Pilum into her.”

Several officers shot to their feet, but the Delator held up a hand.

“Let’s not be pedantic about this. The Pilum that Gwendolyn was impaled with was registered to the first cohort. Upon inspection, confirmed by the Praetor, who interrogated each member of the first cohort individually, each was able to provide every piece of their Legion issued weaponry, except for you. At least ten members of the first cohort confirmed that you did not have your Pilum after the failed defense. You impaled a Centurion from her blind spot, which breaks five laws alone, then proceeded to attempt to evade responsibility for the action.”

“That’s not-”

Before Reyna could slam her fist again, the Delator literally threw her notes onto the floor.

“I did not say you could speak! The accusation that you killed your fellow Legionnaire is backed up by nearly the entirety of the Legion at this point, and you still refuse to take full responsibility for the intentional killing of a comrade! As Delator, I direct the Senate to seek Capital Punishment if the accused is found guilty!”

With that, the Delator stormed into one of the waiting rooms, not waiting for any sort of decorum.

And so the senate began to deliberate.

Reyna dropped down into the officer’s section.

“I’m quite pissed about all this as well, but Delators are usually known for their dedication to decorum.”

“Older cousin.”

“What?”

Reyna looked to the source of the voice, which turned out to be Dakota.

“The Delator is Gwen’s older cousin.”

“That makes complete sense. Thank you, Dakota.”

“So.” Larry cut the conversation short, even though it was already over. “I can safely presume that all of us officers are voting guilty on all charges?”

Each officer gave a thumbs up.

“And about the capital punishment?”

Several arms went down.

Mike stepped forward.

“Look, don’t take this as me being loyal to him, but I still think we should stick to banishment. That’s a more fitting punishment.”

The officers, including Frank and Dakota, nodded.

“Great. Have fun with the Senators, Reyna.”

She wasn’t planning on it.

She hopped over the railing onto the floor, and went over to the Senators, who were already waiting for her.

“Has everyone come to a conclusion?”

The same wizened senator who she’d spoken with about Jason becoming Praetor months earlier came forward.

“Guilty on all three charges. Positive on Capital punishment.”

Reyna gulped. She really did want Octavian gone, but sentencing a man to death? She wasn’t mentally prepared for that yet.

“I must advise you that the officers did find him guilty, but they voted against Capital punishment.”

“We realize that, but our vote outweighs the officers. It is our decision in the end.

Another gulp.

“Very well.”

Reyna made her way back up to her seat, and waited for everyone to settle.

The Delator walked back out, and came up to Reyna, who gave her the votes.

The Delator made her way back down to her own podium.

“The Senate and Officer Core unanimously find Octavian guilty on all charges, and by majority vote, have decided that Capital punishment is necessary.”

Octavian’s eyes bulged, and he looked to Reyna.

Her eyes betrayed her, not able to look at a dead man with the same hatred. She bit her lip, holding his eye contact as he was taken away to a cell, trying not to yell at them to stop so they could reconsider. That was the least she could do.

“My duty here today is concluded. I wish the Senate a productive deliberation on the quest.”

The Delator stepped out again, and the Senate went to recess for a few minutes before returning to discuss the quest.

It went just as she thought it would: Frank chose Hazel and Bianca, and the Senate didn’t have much to give them on their journey to Alaska.

But Reyna had something.

She separated herself from the officers, and walked around the city, going to the tunnel entrance to catch them before they left.

Hazel was first to notice.

“Reyna? What are you doing out here?”

She gave them a calm, reserved smile, still tired from everything before and after the hearings.

“I came to see you three off, personally. I think we all know that ceremonial send off means nothing. Now c’mere, and that means you too Bianca.”

The three nervously stepped over to Reyna, and were surprised by her pulling them into a group hug.

Hazel squeaked something that sounded like delight, Frank stammered over a few words, and Bianca laughed at both of them.

“Come back to me. All three of you. I’m not sure how well I’ll be holding up after I kill Octavian, so losing you three would probably send me over the edge.”

Reyna was making fierce eye contact with Bianca the whole time, sending a message to her that she wanted to speak, alone.

“Run along, you two. I have something to talk to Bianca about.”

Hazel and Frank reluctantly made their way into the tunnel, while Bianca crossed her arms, waiting.

“I know you know something about me. But you can’t tell me, can you?”

Reyna shook her head.

“Is there anything you can say, then?”

“Not without risking the ire of a goddess. But that won’t stop me.”

Reyna stepped forward again, and put a hand on Bianca’s shoulder, pushing her into the strength sharing dreamscape.

Bianca looked around, confused. Then, she saw her and Reyna’s bodies on the ground, limp.

“I get why you sent them ahead.”

“Nobody can hear us here.”

“That’s convenient.”

“Sure is. It’s how I have private date nights with your comatose cousin.”

“What?!”

Bianca stepped forward, grabbing Reyna’s shoulders and shaking her like a rag doll.

“What does that mean?!”

“It means that you know who you saw in the infirmary that night. Percy Jackson, lone mortal son of Neptune, or in your case as a Greek, Poseidon. He and I are… involved.”

“I think private date nights in a pocket dimension are a whole lot more than ‘involved’!”

“Regardless, you know him, and he knows you. I’m sorry for the interrogation, but I had to make sure that you weren’t a spy, or someone else was posing as you. You’re every bit the fighter he described. Know this.”

Reyna took Bianca’s hands off of her shoulders, and put their hands together, between them.

“I’m trusting you with them. I have every bit of confidence that you can make it back alive, but not without help. I’m going to give you a ring. If you ever run into a woman named Hylla, or someone loyal to her, show the ring and demand an audience, she will have to respect it. She’ll help you, whether she likes you or not.”

“Okay… who’s Hylla?”

“My sister.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Reyna pushed them out of the dreamscape, and the two girls groggily got to their feet.

Reyna slipped off the ring, and put it in Bianca’s palm.

“Good luck.”

“Yeah.”

Bianca went off into the tunnel to join her companions for the quest, and Reyna walked to the field of Mars to get it over with.

She arrived to a sudden downpour.

The Senior Officers had gathered, as well as the wizened Senator and a man she assumed to be Octavian’s father, who was looking at his son with a mix of pity and rage.

Larry stepped over to her, and presented the ceremonial beheader, a blade that had never been used.

He shot her a glance from his kneeling position, blinking the rain out of his eyes.

“What, not going to grant me the honor of bestias?”

“I’d rather not dirty our herd’s hooves.”

“That’s rich.”

“Silence, Octavian!”

The demand came from his father, whose voice was shaking, fists clenched.

“Just accept it!”

Octavian spit at his father’s shoes.

Reyna took hold of the beheader, leveling it at Octavian’s neck.

“Why hesitate? Get it over with.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Do what?”

Reyna pressed the blade against his neck, drawing blood.

“You know what.”

Octavian turned his head to look her in the eyes.

“She should have been ready for it. The Legion has done nothing but grow weaker and weaker, especially under your sole Praetorship. I was planning on killing you, if you continued to stop the process of electing another Praetor. I was just looking out for the Legion by getting rid of the weak, and preserving the power structure.”

Before Reyna could retort, the Officers pounded their armored chests with their own blades.

The message was clear. Get it over with.

Reyna hefted the blade, and brought it down swiftly, but not before Octavian could get out one last sentence.

“Sic semper tyrannis!”

His head rolled on the field, and blood was muddled on the ground.

Chapter Text

Reyna ripped her sword out from the neck of the dracaena commander, wheeling Skippy back into the air above the battle.

This time, it stayed down.

A black shape, resembling the a lithe figure, passed through the air, collecting a strange energy that seeped out of the monster as it burst into golden dust.

The figure disappeared, along with the strange energy.

Letus was freed. The quest had been a success.

A crazed smile broke her face, and she shouted down to the Legion as it fought to maintain cohesion.

“Romans! Letus is free, Centurion Zhang has succeeded in the far North! Now, we crush the enemy upon the anvil!”

The response was raucous, punctuated by a massive push that knocked the enemy vanguard flat on its back, ripe to be crushed under the foot of the advancing shield wall.

But it wouldn’t be enough.

For every wave of monsters that they decimated, another surged over the hills to replace them, each more ferocious than the last.

And she didn’t even know if support was coming or not.

But distractions were not her closest ally at the moment, because something else was coming.

A horn blared on the far left of the enemy horde, and they stopped, roaring in response to it.

A great shadow was cast over the field of Mars as the giant stood atop the hill, blocking the sun.

Even in the darkness of the evening, his dark green hair and scaly trunks could be made out, alongside his great trident and steel net.

Polybotes.

“CRUSH THEIR CITY! BRING ME JACKSON!”

The call from the giant echoed throughout the basin, and the monsters surged forward with new fervor, physically throwing their bodies against the shield wall.

For a moment, the full line held, all five cohorts holding strong to each other as they backed closer to the little Tiber.

But the bridges were too small, which proved to be both a curse and a boon.

“Get over the river! Force them to cross at the bridges, bottleneck the advance!”

The Legion responded to her orders immediately, streaming over the bridges as fast as they could without sacrificing Roman lives.

Thankfully, the veterans who had voluntarily come out of retirement had been quick with preparing for the invasion in the days prior, building temporary fortifications to fall back to if the initial defense began to fail.

Cohort by Cohort, they fell back, positioning behind spiked logs and trenches.

Torches were thrown, igniting several smaller bridges, removing them from the equation, leaving only the three oldest, strongest bridges.

The fourth and fifth defended the western bridge, the second and third the East, while Reyna, the veterans, and the first held the central bridge, where the majority of the enemy force was gathering.

The advance had paused, confusion rippling through the ranks of monsters with lesser intelligence. They didn’t know what to do unless they were directly ordered, which gave Rome time to form back up.

Polybotes began making his way toward the bridge, pushing monsters out of the way like fodder.

Accompanying him was a band of cyclopes, much smaller than the giant, but still well over ten feet. At their head was a female hyperborean with a deep red tinge, her one eye sweeping over the Roman lines with pure rage.

“So this is where that cowardly demigod calls home! If only he was here to see! Know this, son of Jupiter, I will come for you and the Greeks soon enough! Jason Grace’s blood will stain my spear!”

Polybotes smirked, and motioned forward.

The cyclopes hefted a titanic battle ram, and charged across the bridge, shattering the first’s blockade as they dove to the sides.

Monsters began to spill through the gap and engage the now split first, veterans moving quickly to reinforce them.

Meanwhile, Polybotes walked right through, casually shrugging off any spears that got close while heading straight into the city.

Several groups moved to stop him, but Reyna called out to them.

“No! I will handle him!”

Polybotes stopped, looking up into the sky with a confused smile.

“You? What could you possibly do to me, little girl?”

She grit her teeth.

“A whole lot, you oversized snake! ¡A su garganta, Scipio!”

Skippy responded immediately, throwing his head forward as he dived at Polybotes’ neck, rearing to the side at the last moment to dodge the trident stab.

Reyna pulled her feet from the stirrups, swinging over onto Skippy’s right side, hooking her left leg into the right stirrup for leverage as she reached out, her blade biting Polybotes’ carotid.

The giant roared, swinging his trident in a wide arc in an attempt to catch them, but Skippy was too fast, even this late into the battle.

“So you are a skilled Cavalier! It matters not! Draw close to me again, and you and your mount will be crushed under my net!”

“If you can find the right time to throw it!”

She got back onto Skippy’s back, reaching into one of his pouches for a ranged weapon.

Reyna produced a disassembled Javelin, rapidly putting it together in midair.

But she needed two things in order to finish Polybotes.

The right moment, and a god. Neither of which were directly available to her.

Nevertheless, she continued her series of assailments, consistently breaking off at the last moment, aiming to frustrate the giant enough to the point where he would overextend and open himself for a crippling attack.

One, two, three swings missed, and he growled ever louder.

Then it came.

Polybotes let Reyna get close, then drove a foot into the ground, and brought his trident down in a forward arc, swinging with all his might.

Skippy was too fast for him, and bucked to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike and rocketing into the air above the Giant, who was now struggling to remove his trident from the ground.

She stood on Skippy’s back, and with a shout of effort, threw the javelin hard enough to dislocate her shoulder, sending the spear through the giant’s back, into his heart, where the tip exploded, sending shrapnel to shred the rest.

He gurgled, collapsing to the ground as his heart struggled to regenerate around the imperial gold lodged inside.

Skippy sunk down to the ground, breathing heavily, fully depleted. Reyna hopped off his back, and looked around frantically.

Skippy cantered off to hide for a moment and rest.

A god. She needed a god, and she needed one now.

But there had been no word from the gods since the questers left.

Only one god was in New Rome full time.

“TERMINUS!”

“What is it, Praetor?”

Reyna whipped around to look at the shattered statue a few feet away, which somehow managed to maintain the exact same facial expression as always.

“I need you to kill Polybotes!”

“If you couldn’t tell, I’m quite busy at the moment!”

He closed his eyes, and one of the rocks flying through the air towards New Rome exploded in green light.

“Yes, but killing a Giant trying to get into the city is more important than protecting houses nobody is in at the moment!”

For perhaps the first time in his existence, Terminus contemplated the words of another.

“I find your reasoning acceptable.”

A surprised smile broke her face, and she went to grab the separated head.

But her troubles were not over.

Suddenly, Terminus’ head was kicked away by a giant leg, smoky black from soot and burns.

Before she could react, a hand of equal size swept out and sent her flying into a building.

Reyna cried out in pain, her suffering reverberating through her soul, and into the soul of another, somewhere close by.

Black spots danced in her vision as she craned her neck to look at her attacker.

Another giant, not quite as large as Polybotes, with black hair and singed clothing snarled, then moved to remove the javelin from Polybotes, helping the other giant up.

“Foolish girl, no amount of planning will save your city from I, Mimas!”

“Mime…. Who?” she choked out, pushing herself up out of the rubble.

She stumbled for a moment when her dislocated shoulder gave out, popping back into place when she put too much pressure on it at the right angle, letting out a small whimper.

“Mimas! Bane of Vulcan, ruiner of plans and proper machines! No plan succeeds in my presence!”

Reyna quickly concluded that this had to be the second Giant charged with capturing Percy.

Now, she was injured, against two opponents, without Skippy, and without a god.

But none of that mattered.

Reyna shuffled over to position herself between the Pomerian line and the two giants, weakly hefting her sword.

“You… are… forbidden. None shall pass the line.”

“Yes! Tell them, Praetor!” Terminus shouted from a good forty yards away. Reyna just huffed in response.

The two giants approached, smug as can be.

Polybotes just stepped around the slow strike Reyna could manage, walking right past her and towards the infirmary.

She turned around to follow, but was simply kicked to the ground by Mimas, who stepped on her leg, cracking the bones.

Reyna screamed in pain, hacking at Mimas’ leg with her sword as he cackled, slowly increasing the pressure.

Finally, with a sickening crack, her Femur shattered, and all the strength left her body, her sword clattering to the ground.

“So weak, you mortals. Always healing so slowly, never strong enough to break a hold.”

She stared into Mimas’ eyes defiantly, and softly struck his foot with her fist, earning a loud laugh.

Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glinting light, pulled forward by a black mass, hurtling towards her.

“Goodbye, Praetor of Rome.”

Mimas raised his foot to kill her, but was knocked aside by the shape, which turned out to be a hellhound towing a chariot, being driven like a Harley by none other than Bianca di Angelo.

Mimas went flying into a building considerably faster than Reyna had a minute earlier.

Bianca hopped off the Hellhound, running to Reyna’s side.

“Shit, you good?”

Reyna gave a weak nod, and whistled.

Skippy ran back over, and Bianca hoisted Reyna up into the saddle without question.

“Nice ride. What're you towing?"

“The Varus expedition’s stuff.”

“Get it to the Legion, quickly. Can I trust you to handle Mimas?”

“That ugly mug? Easy. What’re you going to do? That leg won’t get you far.”

“Polybotes is trying to capture Percy. I will stop him, and Scipio will be my legs. Now go!”

Reyna turned Skippy around, and galloped after Polybotes before Bianca could protest.

Bianca made her way to the line, where Frank and Hazel were busy uniting the fifth and fourth under the eagle.

Frank called out the rally again, incinerating the line of monsters in front of him with a wave of lightning.

“Alright, get your Swords here! Imperial gold for free, move it or lose it!”

Dakota and the fourth’s centurions looked at each other with crazed grins, then the entire cohort rushed the chariot, outfitting themselves.

Frank grabbed Dakota by the arm, shoving the eagle into his arms.

“You are senior Centurion, it is your right.”

His smile widened.

“With pleasure, Centurion Zhang.”

Dakota rallied the fourth and fifth to the eagle, and swiveled them towards the scattered remains of the monsters’ western flank. Meanwhile in the east, the Amazons had just arrived, pouring over the hills as the monsters had earlier, ensnaring the eastern horde against the third and second’s shield wall like a vice.

Hazel came over to her on Arion.

“Where should I go?”

“Help Frank! Cut off any skirmishers or groups trying to Flank! I need to go fight a Giant!”

And so she did.

Not alone, though.

Tyson, Bianca, and Mrs. O’Leary rolled back up to where she had left Mimas, the giant still stumbling around in a daze.

“That's the big scary guy after my brother? He doesn’t look too strong”

Her pet hellhound growled in agreement.

“Yes and no, he’s one of two. The one to worry about is Polybotes, who’s after Percy right now. Run that way-” She pointed towards where Reyna had galloped off to on Scipio. “And keep running until you see a girl on a horse fighting a bigger giant, she’ll need your help to protect him.”

“Okay!”

Tyson sprinted in the direction he was pointed in, while Bianca turned to size up Mimas.

“Fool… no plans… work against I, Mmmmimas!”

His words were slurred, the impact of a ten ton hellhound working wonders, even a few minutes after.

“Eh, I don’t plan much anyway. That’s Annabeth’s job.”

Mimas’ temper flared, and he threw a vicious punch at Bianca, who dodged easily.

“Chase will bleed, the same as you all!”

“Doubt it.”

Bianca dodged clumsy strike after clumsy strike, drawing the giant closer to the Pomerian line.

“Terminus cannot save you! I see your plans and spit on them!”

“Yeah? Spit on this.”

Bianca flicked her wrist, and the stone under Mimas cracked, putting him waist deep in the ground, just like Atlas had been before. A worthy strategy that worked in most situations, it also helped that it came to mind approximately two seconds before she enacted it.

She then whistled the attack command, leading Mrs. O’Leary to pounce on Mimas’ head, clawing and biting the panicking Giant.

Bianca didn’t let her dog do all the work, instead planting her blade clean in his gut, driving up to the lungs.

The stench that came out of Mimas’ innards was considerably revolting, causing Bianca to stagger back and cover her nose.

Mimas was definitely out for the count as long as Mrs. O’Leary had him pinned on the ground, but a god was necessary to finish him.

Fortunately, one was indebted to her after her jaunt up to Alaska.

Thanatos materialized next to her.

“The battle has lulled, and I so happen to find myself here.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sure you do."

“Perhaps you would like to use your one favor?”

“Just kill him and stop talking, or I’ll tell my dad and Artemis about your addiction to deer souls.”

“Very well.”

Thanatos pulled out his Tablet, and bent it into the form of a scythe.

With one clean strike, he lopped Mimas’ head off, and Bianca stabbed his heart, destroying the Giant.

“The deed is done, I will now return to the battlefield.”

Elsewhere, Reyna had been thrown from her pegasus once more.

She had overestimated the extent to which Skippy had recovered, her mount was now on its side in rubble because of her. Thankfully, Skippy appeared uninjured.

And she was helpless, only able to watch as Polybotes walked through the infirmary, his legs crumbling walls with each step.

He reached down into the rubble, and pulled him out.

Reyna’s heart dropped when she saw Percy’s limp body come out of the water, which had turned a sickening, poisonous green.

“In the end, you were helpless to stop me, girl. You should have let me kill you in the beginning. Instead, you will serve as a sacrifice alongside Jackson to wake the Earth mother.”

She growled as the Giant walked over to her, carrying Percy in a closed fist like a toy.

“I’d appreciate not being manhandled first thing after waking up.”

Polybotes stopped dead in his tracks, and looked down at his closed fist. Reyna did much of the same.

“Yeah, I’m talking to you, ya big sack of meat. Put me down!”

Polybotes opened his hand.

And there he was.

Reyna smiled, tears in her eyes, as she saw her boyfriend, awake, arm crossed over his chest in annoyance as he sneered at Polybotes, though he wasn’t exactly on target with his death glare, on account of the blindness.

“Ho ho! The boy wakes! And here I thought I would not get the chance to torture my rival’s lone mortal son.”

“Uh, I wouldn’t exactly say you’re my dad’s rival. More like an annoying scum sucker who laches on and doesn’t let go. Also, I’m good on the torture.”

Polybotes laughed, a deep, burbling sound that turned Reyna’s stomach.

“And you still possess a tongue to taunt with! Perhaps Atlas did not take enough from you, boy! But what can you do against me? You are naught but a lame warrior, no longer possessing even a fraction of strength.”

“I don’t really need strength to fight someone as stupid as you. Besides, I’ve already got someone to kick your ass for me. But I’d hate to leave you unscathed after our first meeting.”

Reyna noticed a small cyclops sneaking up behind Polybotes.

“Ha! Do your worst, Demigod!”

Percy raised his sole arm out in front of him, and planted the weakest of punches onto Polybotes' chest.

The giant raised an eyebrow.

Then he was sent hurtling through the ground, propelled by an invisible force as he crashed through multiple buildings, coming to a stop a ways behind them.

Percy fell out of the air, but the cyclops rushed forward, catching him easily.

“BROTHER!!!”

Percy laughed, cringing at the pain in his arm when he wrapped his arm around the cyclops, his arm appearing cracked, with bits of golden light leaking through.

“Hey, Tyson. Love you too man. Easy on the back though, yeah?”

“Can you walk, brother?”

“Dunno, haven’t tried.”

“Would you like to?”

“Sure.”

Reyna watched with bated breath as Tyson the cyclops set Percy on his feet.

The boy wobbled for a moment, then found his balance, and took a cautious step forward with one leg, then the other.

“Yeah, I can walk.”

Then her heart jumped out of her chest when he turned to look at her, walking over to crouch at her side.

His hand reached out, searching for her, and she reached with her own to meet him.

When their hands touched, he smiled, that classic troublemaker grin that sent her heart into overdrive.

“Hey there, beautiful.”

“Percy.”

She held onto his hand like he wasn’t real, like she was hallucinating. But he was real, and awake, ready to fight.

“Be right back, okay? I need to put my dad’s angry opposite in the ground real quick.”

“Be careful.”

“You know me.”

He let go of her hand, and turned to look at Polybotes, who was barreling towards them from where he had landed, wiping mud and rocks from his eyes.

“JACKSON?!!!”

“Hey, I’m the blind one!”

Tyson got closer to Percy.

“Can you do that cool punch again?”

“Maybe once more, that was my first time ever trying putting earthshaker powers into a hit, and it made my arm feel like a very expensive vase. Can you do the heavy lifting on this one, brother?”

“Of course brother! I have yet to have my first official battle as General of Olympus, so I have been very excited to use my new strength!”

“Great. Sock ‘im when I say!”

Polybotes drove his trident forward in the same flat forward arc as he did earlier, but Percy stepped into it, raising his arm to catch the strike. His fingers curled around the Trident, holding it in place.

“How?! You are little more than bones! How can you stop my strike?!”

Percy breathed in, hefting the Trident a bit higher.

“No weight can hold me. Now!”

Tyson burst forward, driving an elbow into Polybotes’ gut, sending the Giant sprawling again.

Percy tied his hospital gown tighter, and reached into its pocket, retrieving and drawing Riptide.

Together, the two sons of Poseidon mauled Polybotes, one cracking his head into the ground, the other slashing at tendons and joints.

Strangely, a harpy was flying around the two of them giving callouts on which spots to strike in succession.

Reyna called out from her position, now slumped against the wall.

“Terminus! Come to me!”

No response.

“Percy! Catch!”

Reyna looked to her right, exhilaration filling her as she saw Bianca sprinting towards them, Terminus’ head in hand. Apparently, the Legion had finished up with the battle, since they weren’t too far behind.

Then she realized.

Percy was still very much blind.

The marble head hit Percy’s back, not too hard, but just enough to make him stumble a bit.

“Uh, ow? How are you going to let that be your first re-introduction to me after two years?”

“Just shut up and kill the giant! You can be snippy with me later!”

Percy grumbled as he hefted Terminus’ head.

Their crowd watched, then began to bang swords against shields, increasing in intensity the higher Percy raised the head.

“KILL! KILL! KILL!”

Percy grinned.

“Can’t say no to that many, now can I?”

He swung downwards, Terminus protesting on the way down.

“Now just when did I give you permiss-”

The statue was cut off by the impact, which caused Polybotes to evaporate into a mist, which sunk into the ground, headed straight to Tartarus.

The Legion roared in approval, and Tyson crushed his brother in a bear hug once more.

Terminus had many words, but most fell away as he was dropped, rolling away into the surging crowd, which had begun to lift Bianca on a shield.

Reyna didn’t exactly care about the implications of that, especially considering Jason was alive and well, she was just happy that Rome was safe, and her boyfriend was fine.

Speaking of, Percy had slipped out of the crowd and returned to her, sliding down the wall to sit next to her.

He took another deep breath, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Hell of a day, huh?”

“Stop talking.”

Reyna grabbed his face, and kissed him truly for the first time. This one, she wasn’t letting get away from her, not even the entire Legion staring at them could take her out of this moment.

Bianca whistled from her new seat atop the shield.

“I guess you weren’t lying about dating my cousin, huh?”

Reyna gave an unceremonious middle finger to Bianca and the entire Legion, which was now descending into a fit of laughter and celebration.

None of that mattered. Not the aching in her leg, not the blood in her hair. She refused to let go of him.

She didn’t care that she was picked up alongside him, and taken to a medic’s tent to be treated.

He wouldn’t be getting any alone time in the near future.

Chapter Text

Thankfully, Reyna’s leg seemed to be knitting itself back together rapidly, thanks to both the expertise of the Doctors, who were mostly unoccupied, since Letus had given the Legionnaires with life threatening injuries a pass, and also thanks to Percy sharing a bit of strength with her during the healing.

The hold felt nice, the two of them laying together on a cot, his hand on her leg, sending warmth throughout her bones as they reformed.

She pouted a bit when he stepped away to get some actual clothes on, since the medical gown wasn’t exactly flattering, or stylish.

As he put it, he needed to “Make a good first impression on our kids”.

That statement was quite counterproductive to the doctors’ advice to stay as calm as possible and keep a low heart rate during the healing process.

But what was worse for her heart was when he stepped back into the tent.

A simple purple Camp Jupiter T-shirt fell over his shoulders like a blanket. Slim-fit jeans hung off his legs like bell bottoms.

Sure, he hadn’t had a proper day of eating in two years. But to be this thin, this… small, for someone like him? It spoke to just how real everything in their lives was.

What hurt most was the pair of dark-tinted sunglasses set over his eyes.

None of that truly mattered to her, though. He looked exactly like who she fell in love with.

Yes, she felt bashful when near him in the dreamscape. Who wouldn’t? A man as attractive as Percy, holding her like his greatest treasure?

But the face was the same, and she knew he was the same man who’d encouraged her, getting her through some of her hardest times.

He’d be just like that again in no time. A few weeks at the Dining Pavilion, and he’d be stronger than ever.

Percy waited at her bedside for a moment, confused at the silence.

“Did you fall asleep?”

“No. Just taking a moment to admire the view.”

His lips turned up in a small smile.

“Not much to look at, really.”

“Save it.”

Reyna swung her good leg off the bed, and tried to stand up, immediately failing and beginning to fall forward.

Percy was there to catch her, though. He reached out instinctively, and hauled her back up to standing, swinging her arm over his shoulder.

She leaned over a bit to place a kiss on his knuckle, then settled back against his side.

“Ready for the best dinner you’ve ever had?”

“Gods yes, I need a burger and fries two years ago.”

Reyna laughed lightly, and the two shuffled their way to the dining pavilion, ignoring the hissing doctors trying to keep them there.

It was a long walk, especially considering how slow they were moving. A shuffling pair, with the blind one doing most of the work? Certainly an odd combination.

It then occurred to Reyna that this was Percy’s first time in the city.

She kept raising a hand to point at things, then stopping, reminding herself that she wasn’t giving Percy a tour right now. He wouldn’t be able to see anything that she described, so there was little point to it.

Their arrival at the dining pavilion sent the Legion into a frenzy.

Legionnaires mobbed them like they were half-price tvs on a black friday sale, each of them clamoring to touch or congratulate them on their victory.

Percy just laughed it off, while Reyna was thoroughly annoyed. Thankfully, their troubles would be short-lived.

“Alright, give them space! Space!”

The voice came from Bianca, punctuated by Hylla, who was pulling people off of her sister like bugs.

“C’mere!”

They were dragged out of the crowd onto the raised floor where the officers and Praetors sat by Hylla, who set them in the seats next to Bianca.

Reyna bit back her pain when she sat down, her leg settling awkwardly against the end of the seat. Percy just traced a finger over her hand.

Hylla came up behind Percy, putting her hands on the back of his chair and leaning over.

“So, after all these years, not only do you take my first home from me, but now my sister? How cruel of you, Jackson.”

Reyna could tell from her sister’s eyes that she was joking around. She could also tell from Percy’s widening grin that he too had caught on.

“My bad, I get told I’m a bit greedy sometimes.”

“You have been told, or you know? You seem quite aware and accepting of the fact.”

“Must be my nature.”

Hylla laughed aloud, then leaned over and whispered something in Percy’s ear. He just nodded in response, and Hylla came over to Reyna.

“The Amazons have already feasted, and it is time for us to convene council. Juno Moneta has reached out to us directly, and seeks to give us a mission. From what I have been told, the Hunters are nearby as well. It will be a meeting of three groups: Rome, the Amazons, and the Hunters.”

Reyna took a big sip of the water that had been set before her.

“A war council, no doubt.”

“Indeed. We routed their main force here, but the doors remain open. They will simply gather in greater numbers somewhere else.”

Reyna looked to her sister, whispering.

“They will try the Greeks next, thinking that they have weaker defenses, won’t they?”

Hylla shook her head.

“I doubt it. The last major confrontation between the Greek camp and a large monster force was disastrous, costing the enemy their King. Yes, the Greeks are far below Rome in numbers, but they are a deeply unpredictable force. Their tactics are more ancient, and so are their powers inherited from the gods. Terra would much rather throw a second attempt at Rome, returning with a stronger force and more Gigantes.”

“So we will be formulating a joint defense of New Rome?”

“Unlikely. When have the gods ever resorted to defense over offense?”

“Good point.”

Hylla took her sister’s hand and squeezed it.

“There is something else that we must speak of. In private. Meet with me after the war council.”

Reyna nodded, and Hylla stepped away, her guards following as the Amazons headed to their temporary encampment.

She looked to Percy, who was rolling his fingers over each other while waiting to be spoken to.

It was cute, but sad at the same time. He couldn’t tell when a conversation was over anymore, so he just waited to be spoken to.

“So, what’d she threaten you with?”

He sat up a bit straighter.

“Lady Hylla said that I’d be put in a Brazen Bull if I ever treated you wrongly.”

Reyna giggled. “Ooh, that’s a new one. She’d just say that goblins would be waiting under my bed at night when we were kids to get me to behave.”

“Are goblins even real?”

“Some sort of monster resembles them for sure. Oh! Food’s here.”

That got his undivided attention.

An aurae set exactly what he had spoken of earlier in front of him.

A double cheeseburger, plate overflowing with fries, and a blue soda, accompanied by a plate of blue cookies.

Reyna reached over, guiding his hand to the different things on the plate, then pulled back, letting his memory tell him where everything was.

He attacked the fries immediately: They were easy to handle, and got put away quickly. But his mouth got dry quickly, so he fumbled around for the soda, drinking about half of it immediately.

“Some water too, please.”

“Mmfh.” Was all he managed through the first bite of the burger.

Reyna laughed to herself again, and used a napkin to clean up his face a bit before pressing the glass of salt water to his lips.

Bianca looked at them from across the pavilion, a grin just like Percy’s breaking her face. Reyna just rolled her eyes and continued.

He greedily drank it, the entire glass disappearing within a few seconds. Reyna set it down, and allowed him to continue his assault on the plate before him.

She turned to her own food, a simple plate with some roasted chicken and vegetables. She decided to be the more presentable one, and ate slowly and delicately with utensils.

When she looked back to Percy, he was sunk down into his chair, hand resting on his stomach, slow, deep breaths escaping him, followed by a big yawn.

“Good first meal after waking up?”

“Yeah… I feel like I need to lay down again, though.”

“Hopefully not for another six months this time.”

“Eh, no promises.”

“I’d yell at you, you know that?”

“Sure.” He stood, and offered a hand, which she took, coming back up to his side again.

His breath ghosted over her ear as he whispered to her. “But the only place you’d be able to do that would be the dreamscape where it’s just you and me. Not a bad place to get yelled at, in my opinion.”

She lightly slapped his side. “Enough. Let’s just get you to nap time, old man Jackson.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Several confused looks came their way as Reyna guided them to the Principalis.

Usually, only Praetors were allowed in either of the Praetors’ private rooms, with other entrances being granted for only a few minutes of time.

That did not apply here, with Reyna settling Percy down into her bed and tucking him in.

“I feel like a very spoiled child.”

“Get used to it. I’m your seeing eye Praetor until further notice.”

“Once again, not the worst position to be in.”

Reyna bid him goodbye as she got up to leave, but she felt a tugging on her shirt, and turned around to see Percy awkwardly laying on his side so he could reach her with his arm.

“Five minutes?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Alright. Scipio deserves as much rest as possible, even if it is only another five minutes.”

She carefully sidled up next to him, her body naturally molding against his as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around his torso.

Five minutes was what she agreed to, but it easily stretched to fifteen, no complaints from either side about the prolonged cuddling.

But the time did have to come, since there was an unspecified time for a war council to commence. She preferred to be early, and being late would be unbecoming.

After she sensed Percy drift off into sleep by his breathing pattern and heart rate, she carefully slipped away, balancing herself against the walls for support until she made it outside.

Once there, she whistled for Skippy, who appeared within a minute, crouching down so that she could mount easily.

She made her way down to the Amazon’s war camp, and saw them all streaming out to kneel on the ground.

A look further showed her Diana and her Hunters had just arrived outside the Amazon encampment.

Diana looked to Reyna with a smile, regarding her like an old friend. Reyna dipped her head.

“Lady Diana, I apologize for riding in your presence.”

“It’s okay, Reyna. I can tell your leg is not well. Where is the elder di Angelo?”

“Here!”

The group looked to the hill, where Bianca was tumbling down like a boulder, barely managing to stay on her feet, as she made her way down in a chaotically rushed fashion.

“Sorry, a good bit of the fifth was still off their rocker after someone, not naming names, snuck alcohol into camp.”

“It’s quite alright, but now is the time for a meeting. Please gather your centurions. Also, is Percy available?”

Reyna raised an eyebrow again. “Not really, he’s asleep. Why?”

“It’s simply that his input would be valuable during the meeting, considering his… experiences.”

“Right.”

Reyna quickly wheeled Skippy back to the dining pavilion, informing the Centurions on what was happening.

Five minutes later, Reyna was sitting next to Bianca at a round table, their Centurions standing behind them, the males among them very uncomfortable.

Hank, Larry, and Mike especially felt out of place, while Frank and Dakota just seemed happy to be there. They were the sole five men in a room of two all female groups, and two female Praetors.

On one side was Hylla and Kinzie with the Amazons, on the other, Diana and her two lieutenants, flanked by the Hunter veterans.

Zoe looked as stern as ever, but Thalia seemed to match her today. Usually, the second Lieutenant had a more aloof, relaxed air to her, not dissimilar to Percy’s lax mood.

“Let’s begin.”

Diana stood, and gestured to the large world map spread out on the table.

“After the second Titanomachy, monster movements have been less than erratic, which is concerning considering how badly they were routed during the war. Obviously, they made headway here, at Camp Jupiter, but were beaten back again by the masterful tacticians in the Legion, credit to Praetor Reyna for her victory.”

The Amazons and Hunters clapped lightly for the Romans.

“Continuing, the effort by my hunters, led by second Lieutenant Grace, ended in the freeing of Lady Juno from Porphyrion’s cage.”

There was a bit of murmuring from the Centurions.

“Juno was captured? When?”

“She was just at the river less than a week ago!”

“Lieutenant Grace? Is that a coincidence?”

“Shush.” Bianca said, holding up a hand to quiet them. “I’ll explain later, if Diana doesn’t.”

“Thank you, Praetor. As I said, Lady Juno was freed, and the expedition to free death and defeat Alcyoneus was successful, making the defense of New Rome far easier. Now.”

Diana traced a finger up the map, ending around Denver.

“Lupa tracked the remaining forces as far east as Colorado. They’re headed somewhere specific, because they’re moving together as a unit. They’re coordinated, and have some form of leadership other than the usual pack mentality of following the strongest.”

“East.”

Everyone looked to Reyna, who had made an incredibly obvious statement. But she merely said it to get everyone’s attention.

“There are only two things they would dare to move east for. Escape to the ancient lands, or to attack the Greek camp before we have the chance to meet with them and discuss peace.”

More confused murmuring from the Centurions, save Frank, while Bianca just sat forward, head in her hands at not getting the opportunity to introduce the Romans to the concept of Greek Demigods.

“The monster leader, whoever it might be, Titan or Gigante, could be attempting to use a false flag maneuver to pit us against each other.”

That got Bianca and Frank’s attention, the former shooting to her feet.

“Octavian!”

Diana looked on, interested. “Go ahead, Bianca.”

“Octavian’s alive, somehow. He was with Phineas up north, tried to get me killed by predicting the outcome of a bet set on gorgon’s blood. He barely escaped us, he could be leading those monsters!”

Reyna turned one hundred and eighty degrees in her seat to give a death glare to her Centurions.

“Did you not dispose of his body properly?”

Larry nodded. “We buried him as was traditional for traitors, beneath the bedrock atop the hills.”

Reyna shook her head.

“I’m sorry, I should have known. We are against Terra, the embodiment of the earth. With death enchained and his body in the Earth, he was bound to have escaped in no time.”

“This new information is quite revealing.”

Diana picked up a marker and circled a spot on Long island, New york.

“If your theory is true, Bianca, this band of monsters led by a disillusioned Roman traitor may well be aiming to start another demigod civil war. That much demigod blood being spilt would awaken Terra no matter where it runs into the Earth. If we are to prevent this, immediate action must be taken.”

“I will go.”

Biana was the obvious one to volunteer first.

“They know me well, and trust me even more. I’ve fought and bled alongside camp Half-Blood, and I’ve done the same here. I can definitely convince them of the truth, but it will be better if nobody dies or gets hurt beforehand.”

Agreement passed through the tent easily.

Diana pounded a fist on the table.

“The council is in agreement, a hasty rendezvous with leaders of Camp half Blood through Praetor Bianca di Angelo is in order. Let us-”

She paused, her eyes flickering a bit as she looked to the sky.

Zoe leaned over the goddess’ shoulder

“My Lady?”

“Something is coming.”

Diana then tensed, hand going to her bow.

“Prepare for an Air Attack!”

The entire group rushed out of the tent, Centurions sprinting uphill to the dining pavilion to put the Legion on high alert.

Hylla helped Reyna back onto Skippy, who was nervously cantering around, even with Reyna mounted.

The Hunters took up stances, the less experienced taking a knee with two quivers on their backs, the more experience of them standing behind, bows ready, explosive arrows sitting in the quivers of their sisters before them, waiting to be drawn.

Diana herself looked nervous, her hawkish eyes trying to pick out whatever was coming through the clouds.

The Legion joined them after a few minutes, temporary Ballistae being hastily set up on the field of Mars, aimed towards where Diana was looking.

After another few minutes, Diana’s eyes widened.

“Flying Warship. Celestial bronze plating, dragon head as the figure, full row of weaponry. Scatter! Remain in groups no greater than three or four!”

Each of the three groups obeyed Diana without question, spreading out so that they couldn’t be caught in easy AOE barrages.

Reyna remained next to Bianca, Diana, Hylla, and the two huntress Lieutenants. Not a great idea to be the one group of six, especially considering they all had major leadership roles, but more discussion was necessary.

“What else do you see, my lady?”

Diana’s eyes flicked across the sky.

“The weapons are all pointed straight upwards, perhaps a sign of peace? Yes, it’s flying a white flag.”

Hylla scooched over.

“Could it be a trick?

“Perhaps, but it is of Greek design. No monster could craft such a ship, it appears as though Hephaestus himself could have designed this.”

“It could still be a trick, even if it is the Greeks.”

“Octavian could have already pulled something. We might have to start with peace talks before we discuss the plan to fight Terra.”

Then, Diana’s eyes lit up, and a smile broke her face.

“It would appear the opposite. Today, Rome is in luck. Jason Grace is at the bow of this trireme.”
Sure enough, the ship broke through the clouds, sending startled cries throughout the Legion’s ranks.

“Hold! Anyone who fires without reason will be court martialed without question!”

The Legion held fast, Ballistae and scorpions tracking the ship as it lowered, hovering just over the field of Mars after passing over New Rome.

The air grew heavier as the ship settled, then, a rope ladder came from the side.

And the first to slide down that rope ladder was Jason Grace, hands held high in surrender.

He called out to them, utilizing his old tone of command well.

“Romans! It is I, Jason Grace, your Praetor! I return with our friends from the East to form an alliance!”

A wave of excitement swept over the Legion at the recognition of their lost leader, but it quickly disappeared when the next figure came down the ladder.

From a single look, Reyna identified her as Annabeth Chase.

Long Blonde curls tied back, punctuated by stormy gray eyes and a deep tan, all accenting a body that would make any Legionnaire have second thoughts of approaching her.

Hylla gritted her teeth next to her sister, unconsciously moving in front of Reyna protectively.

“Chase.”

“Yes, sister.”

Diana looked to the two girls.

“I’m afraid this is all your responsibility, Reyna, as well as yours, Bianca. I am not authorized to negotiate terms between Demigods, that relies solely with the leaders of each group.”

“That is quite alright, Lady Diana. I’m certain that Bianca and I can come to an easy understanding with Jason and Chase.”

Bianca swallowed awkwardly, sensing the disdain being emitted from the sisters, especially the venom seeping from Reyna’s lips every time Annabeth’s name was said.

“Riiiight, let’s get to negotiating, shall we?”

Bianca started to walk forward, which changed Annabeth’s initial stance from guarded to relieved. The two girls rushed towards each other, causing the Legion to tense momentarily, before the two embraced and exchanged a few words, letting the Legion relax.

Jason gave them a passing glance, but his gaze was mostly focused on Reyna, hard and protective.

Reyna understood that they hadn’t left things on the best terms, but she was determined to make this work.

Before she could head over herself, Hylla stopped Skippy with a hand on the flank. The horse had always been a bit of a sap for the older sister.

“Be careful. She is a daughter of Athena. Her first move will always be an attempt to unravel you.”

“I remember well.”

Reyna urged Skippy forward, stepping close to the three below the ship.

Jason nodded to her.

“Praetor.”

“Jason.”

Annabeth had now separated from Bianca, and her gaze had shifted back to what it was before.

“One might find it rude that someone they’re meeting for the first time greets them on horseback.”

Reyna furrowed her brows slightly, looking down at Annabeth.

“One might also find it rude to assume that someone who just finished a battle not six hours ago may not be capable of all of their physical faculties, Chase. And this is not our first meeting.”

She saw a vein flare on Annabeth’s neck, but Bianca was there in a second.

“Now, let’s be calm with this. No need to start off bickering, yeah? Look, Beth, Reyna’s leg got a bit smushed by a Giant earlier, so asking her to walk right now isn’t a good idea.”

“Right. My apologies.”

There was zero empathy behind that statement. Just a deflection to continue the conversation.

“Jason, how many more are on your ship?”

Jason looked almost surprised to be included back into the conversation, momentarily losing his stoic expression. “A good few, mostly veterans and cabin counselors."

Reyna raised an eyebrow.

“Why bring specifically Veterans? Would they not serve a greater purpose defending the Greek camp in its leaders’ absence?”

Annabeth butted back in. “Because they are the most experienced we have in war, and not including them would be a detriment to our planning.”

“Very well then. But I insist we hold this meeting inside the city limits, where no trickery or weaponry is allowed. We will continue this conversation inside the Senate in ten minutes. Bring all aboard to the meeting, and leave your weapons behind. Terminus will probably explode if we make him do full body scans after handling anti-air for the duration of the invasion.”

Jason cracked a smile at Reyna’s words, and so did she. They weren’t entirely at odds, at least not for long.

She wheeled Skippy back to Diana, where her Centurions had now joined with the leadership.

“We’ll be talking in the Senate. All ballistae will continue to be manned, and will target that ship. If a single projectile, no matter how strong, is loosed from it, fire at will. I expect each of you to be on your best behaviour, and avoid any and all provocations. My lady, Lady Lieutenants, Queen Hylla, I would be honored if you would sit in.”

They each nodded, and so began the disarming process.

The Senate room was unnervingly empty, only the centurions, three Huntresses, a collection of Greek Demigods, Hylla, and herself were present.

Then, a senator walked into the chamber, obviously in a terrible mood. She didn’t even wait to be addressed before shouting.

“Praetors, may I ask why Greeks are present in the Senate, and why we were not summoned?! Are you disregarding our input?!”

Hylla looked ready to say something in defense of her sister, and Bianca was gearing up to shout something back as well, but Reyna beat them both to the punch.

“Senator, this meeting is of a military matter, namely the dissolving of any hostilities between ourselves and the Greeks. Therefore, your presence and input are of no consequence. Leave at once!”

The senator snarled, and swept her cloak over her side as she stormed out of the building.

“Now then, with that taken care of, can we please start with introductions? We will go first, as your hosts.”

Reyna shakily got up, supported by Bianca.

“I am Reyna, Daughter of Bellona and Senior Praetor of the Fourteenth Legion Fulminata.”

She tapped Bianca’s shoulder, signalling her to introduce herself.

“Uh, well, Hi, I guess? A good few of you already know me well, but for the new faces, Bianca di Angelo, Daughter of Hades and recently raised junior Praetor of the Fourteenth Legion Fulminata.”

The Centurions then each took turns giving short introductions.

Now it was time for the Greeks.

Jason stepped forward, his Praetor’s cloak on full display.

“Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, Champion of Juno, technically Junior Praetor of the Fourteenth Legion Fulminata.”

Following him was Annabeth.

“Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena, hero of Olympus and counselor of the Athena Cabin.”

A bit haughty, no doubt.

Next was a great burly man, donned in singed work clothes and sporting a pair of welding goggles.

“Charles Beckendorf, Son of Hephaestus and counselor.”

Next to him, almost unbearably close, even, was a beautiful girl with black hair and blue eyes.

“Silena Beauregard, Daughter of Aphrodite and counselor.”

The next girl stepped forward so fast her shoulder knocked against Annabeth’s. She was just as large, if not larger than Beckendorf. Her entire demeanor shouted ‘I’m strong, and you should worship me.’

“Clarisse LaRue, Daughter of Ares and counselor, champion of the Arena and Drakon Slayer.”

Another girl stepped forward, choppy hair swept over an equally beautiful face to Silena’s.

“Piper McClean, Daughter of Aphrodite.”

After she gave her introduction, she almost shoved forward a scrawny Latino boy, who had been making obvious interested glances towards Reyna, which told her most of what she needed to know about him.

Reyna couldn’t help but notice that Piper stood just as close to Jason as Silena did to Beckendorf.

“Leo Valdez y’all, great to be here.”

Piper punched his shoulder.

“Oh, sorry, son of Hephaestus.”

Next was a blonde boy who looked eerily similar to Jason, only differentiated by a difference in facial structure and a complete antithesis of hair styles.

“Will Solace, Son of Apollo and counselor.”

Then, a red headed girl with various paint splatters across her torn jeans and oversized shirt.

“Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Mortal, Current Oracle of Delphi.”

That raised a few eyebrows.

Thus, the introductions were concluded, and a heavy silence descended over the council.

Reyna noticed Annabeth and the huntress lieutenants whispering between each other. Perhaps they were already familiar?

Nevertheless, this meeting had to begin, and the sooner that the idiotic son of Hephaestus stopped trying to get her attention, the better.

“Let us convene. I assume you are well aware of the situation?”

Annabeth stepped back up to the podium.

“Yes, Gaea intends to use the death of many Demigods to rise from her eternal slumber, and overthrow Olympus.”

“Good, we are on the same page. But there is a slight issue. Please tell us, has an individual by the name of Octavian been of any importance to you lately?”

Annabeth shook her head, and Jason came up to the Podium.

“What has he done now?”

Reyna thought about correcting his improper tone, but honestly? She’d just staved off an invasion, and getting to bed seemed far more important than maintaining decorum.

“To hell with fancy words. We put him to death after he went rogue and killed Gwen, thankfully she was able to return from the dead, but so did Octavian. Since death was enchained, they both rose, and he managed to escape, threatening the lives of Bianca and her companions on their quest. He’s still unaccounted for, and our working theory was that he was going to try and turn the two camps against each other.”

Jason nodded slowly as he processed everything, eyes seething with hatred.

Gwen was still like a big sister to them both, so her being threatened was a one way ticket to a beatdown.

“Since you didn’t arrive in a hostile manner, we can assume he hasn’t tried anything, at least not yet. But we still need to be cautious. Octavian held a high position in New Rome, so his role as an information source to the enemy will be dangerous. Moving on to the issue of Terra, or Gaea as you know her: She has called forth her children against us, of which at least three have been destroyed. Nevertheless, the doors of death remain open, and while monsters will die, they will come back in less than a month's time on average. Our primary goal should be to locate the doors and close them, in order to give ourselves a fighting chance against the horde.”

Agreement came again through those gathered.

Then, Rachel stepped up to the podium.

“I was given a prophecy just before Jason came to Camp Half Blood, which I have nicknamed the Prophecy of the Seven.”

“Yes, we know it well.”

“But I was given a second prophecy on the same day, right after in fact.”

Reyna motioned to Larry to write this down.

“Would you please recite it?”

Rachel took a deep breath.

“The Broken one, forces unite. Together, East and West the world Spites. Destroyed, not erased, beware his might. The coming of the Primals strikes all with fright.”

The last line sent many ideas coursing through her brain. Primals rising was obvious, Uranus had already risen, and Terra was set to be next. But if her timetable was right, Uranus had risen before this prophecy was given, which could mean that more Primordials would be rising.

She needed to talk to Percy about this.

“Thank you, Ms. Dare.”

“Oh, please call me Rachel.”

“Thank you Rachel.”

The girl went to sit down, and Reyna took a moment to contemplate.

She was beginning to feel the toll of staying awake this long after a battle that could have easily taken her life, if it weren’t for Bianca and Percy.

Her eyes were drooping heavily, and she was swaying in her seat trying to stay awake.

Bianca had already noticed when she first returned Reyna to her chair after the incident with the Senator, and had apparently decided that enough was enough.

“Okay, well that’s most of the important stuff summed up, why don’t we come back together and talk about this tomorrow, around lunch? Reyna here and the rest of the Legion really need some rest after the battle, and I myself couldn’t complain either. All good? Cool, see you guys tomorrow.”

Everyone looked at Bianca in confusion as she whistled, Skippy rushing into the Senate floor to take Reyna away.

“Excuse me, but could I have a word in private?!”

The shout came from Annabeth Chase.

So many people wanted to talk to her, but only one person she wanted to talk to.

“Tomorrow, please. It can wait.”

With that, Skippy took her out of the Senate and straight to the Principalis, where she barged in the door, sitting down next to Percy, who was still sleeping.

She snuggled up next to him, whincing when her leg caught against the sheets a bit too tightly, but quickly fell asleep as she connected their souls through strength sharing.

Back at the Senate, Bianca was talking to Annabeth, while the rest of the Centurions were engaged in excited conversation with Jason, who was certainly happy to be home.

“What was it you wanted to talk to Reyna about?”

“That should be really obvious, Bi. Percy. Jason said he’s here.”

“Oh.”

Annabeth’s eyes dialed a bit.

“I’m not a big fan of how that ‘Oh’ sounded. Is he okay?”

“Well, as okay as a man a hair away from death can be. From what Reyna told me, they did aggressive exploratory surgery into his spine, brain, and heart in order to keep him alive. Thanks to both the blessing of Apollo and Reyna’s help, he made it through. But he’s seriously messed up, Beth. For the few minutes I saw him awake today, he wasn’t moving too well, even though he and Tyson managed to beat a Giant. He went right back to sleep after eating like a madman, and didn't even say much to me. Plus, Reyna’s been a bit of a helicopter girlfriend when it comes to him, so it's hard to say how he’s really doing.”

Annabeth’s mouth hung slightly open for a second.

“Helicopter Girlfriend?”

Bianca’s eyes widened.

“Oh.”

“Oh what, Bianca?”

“I forgot that I wasn’t supposed to really talk about it.”

Bianca started to turn away, but Annabeth grabbed her by the shoulders, and Frank felt a bit uneasy, hand going to a nonexistent sword.

“Oh no, you’re not getting out of this one. Explain, now.”

Bianca tensed, looking around for an escape, but finally gave up, exhaling deeply.

“They’re dating. Reyna and Percy.”

“How? He’s been comatose for months from what Jason told me!”

“Well, Reyna has this weird ability to share strength with people, and when she does, it sends their minds into a dreamscape where they can talk in private. She did that with him for months in order to speed up his healing, and I guess they started liking each other, like, Romantically somewhere along the way. And it’s definitely legit, they were making out like Silena and Charles first thing. In front of the whole Legion, too.”

Annabeth just stood there, pupils like pinpricks as she hung on every word. Then, she released Bianca, and nodded slowly, seemingly dismissive.

“Okay. Thanks for telling me. Sorry about grabbing you. I’m gonna go get ready for bed now.”

Something in Bianca’s gut told her the Daughter of Athena marching out of the Senate floor like a Robot was not going to her newly assigned living facility.

As soon as she was out of sight, Annabeth sprinted in the direction that the Pegasus had carried Reyna.

It couldn’t be real. The entire explanation was highly suspicious. A relationship started in some dream world? That girl was manipulating Percy for sure. She had control in that world, and she made him feel things that weren’t real.

She was trying to steal him, make him permanently Roman by tying the two together in a relationship.

But she knew those eyes, and how a child of war’s mind worked in the darkest ways.

Reyna wanted Percy as a weapon, not as a lover. As fuel for her own body.

Annabeth wouldn’t allow it.

She finally found her destination when she saw the buildings: Magnificent marble works fashioned to tower over the surrounding buildings.

A place of power, and personal dwellings for those who wielded it.

As she snuck past the few people walking around this late, she tested the door, and found it was unlocked.

Slowly, carefully, she creaked it open to look inside.

And she saw them.

That conniving witch, sleeping soundly, her hand on his chest, emitting some strange light and feeling.

She was siphoning life out of him to heal her leg, no doubt.

Annabeth tiptoed inside, pulling the pin out of her hair and letting it fall down.

This was no pin: it was a disguised item that could easily double as a weapon.

She cautiously put one knee on the bed between them.

In an instant, Reyna’s eyes snapped open, her hands flying out to catch Annabeth’s wrists in the air, wrestling her down onto the bed fully.

Reyna’s eyes clouded with confusion as she registered who her attacker was.

“Chase? What are you doing?!”

Annabeth didn’t respond, instead choosing to leverage her greater weight against the girl, choosing her lame leg as the perfect point to pin.

Reyna cried out in pain as Annabeth’s legs wrapped around her broken one, letting go of her wrists to try and push her off, but Annabeth held firm, now pressing the point of her impromptu dagger to Reyna’s throat.

“What did you do to him?! How did you poison his mind?!”

“I-I didn’t-”

“Yes you did! You took advantage of him when he was broken! Don’t lie to me!”

Reyna tried to choke something out in response, but the pain was too great. She began to break out into sobs, her attempts to break the hold growing weaker by the second.

Annabeth felt the girl’s leg softening against her pin as the weakened bones gave way, causing Reyna to scream again.

And that was when he woke up.

Percy suddenly sat up in bed, and shoved Annabeth onto the floor, detaching her from Reyna.

Reyna whimpered in pain and laid flat against the bed, trying to get a hold of her breathing to stop hyperventilating.

Meanwhile, Percy stood over her defensively on the bed, sole hand clenched into a fist.

“Annabeth, what the fuck are you doing?!”

She looked up at him from the floor, torn between throwing herself at him in happiness and falling back to regroup: The two natures of her mind working against each other.

She decided the best course of action was to calm him down.

“Percy, it’s okay, I know what she did. I’m here for you.”

“She didn’t do anything! Why would you break into someone’s home and specifically attack an already broken limb? Are you insane? What is your problem?!”

“I- I’m trying to help you!”

“No you’re not! You’re trying to kill my girlfriend! Get out of here, now!”

“I won’t leave you!”

Before Percy could respond, shouting could be heard from outside.

“Here, in there, Legionnaires!”

A citizen had heard the screaming, and led help to stop the fight. Sure enough, two fully armored veteran Legionnaires from the fifth burst into the room, taking in the scene for only a second before they threw themselves at Annabeth.

Now, if it were a normal fight, Annabeth would have definitely given them a challenge, probably even won. But at the moment, she was highly confused, disillusioned, and afraid of hurting Percy somehow. So she was promptly lifted off the ground and into the air, arms tied behind her back as she was dragged towards a cell in the city.

Chapter Text

Bianca had meant to follow Annabeth closely, but she quickly got lost in conversation with the senior members from Camp Half Blood.

“How long since you last heard from him?”

Silena crossed her arms, a bit concerned.

“Since he left to look for you the second time, a bit before Jason got to Camp. He said he was going to search for you in the underworld again, but we haven’t heard from him since.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, Dad watches over Nico like he’s more important than his Helm. Nothing bad could possibly happen to him in the Underworld.”

“I understand you thinking that, but shouldn’t you be at least a bit concerned that your little brother hasn’t been heard from in a while?

“Look, I’m a bit worried. But the chance that something bad happened to him weighed against Persephone kidnapping him for more family bonding is so far removed that I can put that worry away.”

Silena sighed, shaking her head. “Even after losing Percy for two years, and you for months, nobody in this damn camp has any sense of initiative or worry for their friends unless they’re actively in a war.”

The Aphrodite counselor stepped back to her now-fiance, chatting easily.

Meanwhile, Bianca turned to see a very confused pair, being Hazel and Frank.

“I know you said you were a daughter of Hades back before the quest, but I didn’t think that meant… this.”

Frank gestured with his arms out, referring to the other Greek Demigods. Hazel stepped forward a bit to talk.

“Yeah, it’s kinda freaky that the same gods exist with different names and personalities, but are somehow still the same at the core. Later, could you explain a bit more?”

Bianca silently thanked Hazel for giving her a perfect excuse to stop talking and leave.

“Yeah, I will. But you’ll also need to tell me the full story of how Krios pulled you out of Asphodel and into the living world in exchange.”

That got Hazel to pout a bit, but Bianca just ruffled her hair, and bid her goodbyes for the night.

Her first instinct was to head directly to the Principia, since that was where Percy and Reyna would be. Her assumption was that Annabeth was either trying to talk to Reyna about Percy, or find the man himself, and both paths had the same meeting place.

So imagine her surprise when she heard yelling and a commotion coming from the aforementioned building.

She ran up to the Principia, and caught sight of two Legionnaires from the fifth carrying Annabeth by the arms out of the building. Either Annabeth had gotten caught trying to break into Reyna’s room, or had succeeded.

Bianca ran up to them, fists clenched behind her back as she tried to appear Praetor-ly.

“What is the meaning of this?! That is an ambassador from the Greek camp!”

“She illegally entered the personal quarters of Senior Praetor Reyna by force and assaulted her, endangering both a high ranking official and her partner. We will take her to holding immediately.”

Bianca was about to protest, but one look at Annabeth’s face stopped her in her tracks.

She looked dejected, like she’d just been left alone at her own birthday party. She wasn’t even fighting against the cruel hold she was in, just accepting it and letting herself be carried away.

So Bianca let them take her. Prison was manageable, a fight to the death was not.

"Go unseen, if you can. I'd like to deal with the fallout of this tomorrow, when we've all slept, not immediately after a battle."

They agreed, and hustled off.

She moved to Reyna’s door, carefully pushing it open.

Inside, she saw Percy holding Reyna close to him, but something was certainly wrong.

Reyna was shivering, eyes unfocused, glazed over, and she was biting down on Percy’s hand hard enough to draw blood.

“Hey, Percy?”

His head turned, lips quivering for a moment.

“Bianca? Is that you?”

“Yeah. Just me. Can I come in?”

“Yes.”

She moved over to the bed, taking her time in case Reyna might get startled. She didn’t know the condition, after all.

“What happened here?”

Percy sniffled, and attempted to wipe his nose, but found he didn’t have a second hand to do it with. Bianca helped out, holding out a tissue for him.

“I’m not really sure. One moment, we were asleep, I was helping Reyna heal a bit more. Then we sense Annabeth come in for some reason, and she starts freaking out and attacking Reyna. She specifically attacked her already broken leg, too, while accusing her of poisoning my mind or some shit.”

Bianca’s heart dropped.

She’d known Annabeth to be jealous often, and quick to make a severe decision, but this was an entirely new level.

“Shit, it’s all my fault, Percy. I accidentally let slip that you and Reyna are dating. I should’ve known from the look in her eyes that she was going to pull something like this.”

“She’s done this before?”

“Not nearly as severely, no. But you know her processing power as well as I do. As soon as someone tells her something she doesn’t like, she tries to find the conclusion on why that thing is how it is, in the best way for her, not for anybody else. Once she has her made up answer, she acts on it, because she can’t be wrong in her own mind. She was already highly suspicious of everything Ouranos did, so I might have broken her by more cautious sense of logic by losing control of my tongue earlier.”

Percy bit his tongue lightly.

“Hubris.”

“What?”

“That’s her fatal flaw. Hubris. She never told any of you, did she?”

“No, but that makes sense now that you mention it. She got into this huge argument with a sphinx in the labyrinth over-”

He cut her off, sensing her increase in volume and irritation.

“We can talk about this another time. Do you remember where the infirmary is?”

“Yes.”

“Go. There won’t be anybody there this late, so you’ll need to go inside and find the pagers in the back office, they’re always active. Get at least two doctors.”

“Right. I’m so sorry, Percy.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

She took another look at the boy, holding Reyna like she was about to shatter into a million pieces.

The look in her eyes was terrifying. It was of fear, absence of mind, and paranoia, all at once.

Reyna was trapped in a waking nightmare, and the only thing preventing her from causing further harm to herself was the grip she had on Percy, and the taste of his blood in her mouth.

Bianca did as she was asked, immediately shadow traveling to the front of the Infirmary and tearing through the building until she found the pagers.

Thankfully, it seemed as though two of the doctors, plus Dr. Frederickson, were just settling into bed at home, so they were able to quickly make their way to the Principalis to help.

Together, she, Percy, and the doctors watched over her for a while, until she finally began to come back to reality after Dr. Frederickson tried some ways to break her out of her trance.

Reyna’s eyes passed over the room slowly as she named a few objects. She was still very nervous, and almost relapsed in the moment that Percy went to the bathroom with a doctor to sterilize his hand.

When he returned, she quickly reattached herself to him, hiding her sobs in his chest while the doctors continued to work on her leg.

“Well, I’ve done about all I can do. This is the first time I’ve used mortal medicine in conjunction with divine, and it’s definitely Reyna’s first time on Morphine. She already had more than the safe amount of medication earlier today, so she might be in a weird overdrive for a bit. I’m sorry Percy, but it’s probably going to be a long night. Keep her still for me, okay?”

Percy nodded to Dr. Frederickson, who began to leave the room with the others. Before he exited, he turned to Bianca.

“Praetor, a word?”

Bianca nodded, turning to say goodnight to Percy before she left with the doctors.

Dr. Frederickson led her back to the infirmary, and into his office.

He collapsed into his chair, dragging his fingers down his face, accompanied by a deep exhalation.

“I had prayed dearly to Apollo that something like this would never happen again, not to Reyna. She’s already had this happen too many times.”

Bianca sat across from him, hands on her knees, trying to stop the anxious bouncing.

“This?”

“An attack in her own bedroom. This is the third time it has happened. First, it was her father, attacking her and her sister in their childhood home in a state of paranoid delusion, which ended with Reyna having to kill him. Second was in Circe’s Spa and Resort, when she was ripped from her quarters by Pirates in a kidnapping. And now this.”

He gestured blankly at nothing.

“The first two times resulted in the loss of her home, her safe place. She’s going to be a nervous wreck thinking that somehow, she’s going to lose her home here as well. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen her, and I’ve been her doctor since she came to New Rome. I’ve no idea what could have warranted this attack, but when my wife hears about this in the morning, she won’t hesitate to demand a tribunal, and many others will do the same."

“Your wife is a Senator?”

“In every sense of the word. She’s been serving for a decade now. And she treats Reyna like her daughter since we don’t have one, so I don’t have much confidence that her attacker is going to be found innocent.”

“But a Tribunal is usually for active members of the Legion accused of a crime, not a foreigner, right?”

“Correct. You're well versed for someone who's been Praetor only a few hours. But I doubt that argument will find much headway, considering it is five Romans’ words against a single Greek’s. The Chase girl is a leader of soldiers, so Rome will treat her like one.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

“Before you go, Praetor?”

She turned back to him.

“I didn’t have the opportunity to properly examine Percy after he woke up. By all accounts, he shouldn’t be able to walk yet, much less fight. I’ve spent months of my life ensuring that he gets those abilities back, please make sure he doesn’t overdo it.”

Bianca nodded, and stepped out of the office to head back to the Principia.

There, she found three Legionnaires from the first standing guard. Two veterans on the sides of the door, and Michael Kahale in front of it.

“Praetor.”

“Mike.”

“We heard what happened from Dakota. We’ll be here until morning.”

“What else can you tell me? Do the other Greeks know?”

He shook his head.

“None but the culprit, a quick check by Dakota placed them all sound asleep in their quarters. Simple answer? She acted alone. But the Senate won’t buy that for a second. Years of Octavian’s fear mongering might have fallen on deaf ears while he was here, but now? They’re going to see him as a martyred Prophet, predicting the Greeks’ attempt to take out our beloved Senior Praetor, who held the City and Legion together alone. Not that it would help the accused, but Reyna won’t be allowed to preside tomorrow based on law, and the simple fact that she’s probably mentally incapable at the moment.”

“Gods of Olympus, I have to preside over that trial alone tomorrow.”

She began chewing her nails.

“Why did she have to pull this day one? Not that I would have preferred it happen at all, but now? Right when we’ve started off on a good note?”

Bianca shook her head and moved to enter.

“Thanks, Mike.”

“Praetor?”

She stopped to look at him.

“I understand you are originally from the Greek camp, but Rome raised you on a shield. Please make the right decision for Rome, not for yourself.”

Would she be able to do that? Would she be able to ok a punishment for Annabeth? If it was death, absolutely not. She would try to get the punishment as low as possible.

There still existed a possibility of compromise or absolution, but as Mike had said, Reyna wasn’t in a great state of mind, and even if she was, she’d be unlikely to be sympathetic towards Annabeth’s reasoning.

“I will make the correct decision.”

Mike didn’t much like the omission of ‘for Rome’, but he nodded anyway, stepping aside so Bianca could enter.

They were exactly as she left them, curled up together, looking inseparable.

“What did he want to talk to you about?” He whispered.

“How’d you know it’s me?”

“You walked in the same way as last time, I heard it and felt it.”

“You can do that?”

“I guess.”

“He told me a bit about Reyna’s past, and how he thinks Annabeth is going to be put on trial first thing tomorrow.”

“Mm. What about her past?”

“The things that made tonight really scary for her.”

“So you know why this is such a big problem, then.”

“Yeah.”

“I’d just go to sleep, Bianca. Tonight was a shitshow in physical terms, tomorrow will be a shitshow in political terms. You’re going to have to throw a lot of weight around to stop the Centurions and Senate from voting to Kill Annabeth and exile the Greeks.”

“Not you? You won’t be defending her?”

The question had been waiting, but it was uncomfortable nonetheless.

“I won’t speak against her, that’s all I’ll say for now. My priority is Reyna.”

“Okay.”

Bianca turned to leave again, but gave them one more look.

“Perce?”

“Yeah?”

“The doctor said not to overdo it.”

His lips curled up in a smile.

“No promises.”

“Night.”

“Night.”

As Bianca fell into a bed that wasn’t hers, she couldn’t fall asleep.

Everything in this room was still Jason Grace-related. Not that she disliked the guy after their first meeting, but his room felt too… uptight.

So she stumbled out of the room a few minutes later, walking down to her digs in the fifth cohort’s barracks, settling in the still empty bed that she had slept in her one night in New Rome before the quest.

There was but a single thought on her mind.

‘Tomorrow is going to suck majorly.’

Chapter Text

Percy didn’t sleep for some time, of course. He was much too scared that Reyna might shift the wrong way and aggravate her injury again.

So he laid there, holding her still, two nervous balls of energy trying their best not to cause a disruption to the other. But it didn’t seem like Reyna was going to be getting any sleep, either. By his estimate, it was around two in the morning now, and around an hour ago she finally stopped shaking, settling into an uneven breathing pattern that told him she was still awake.

“Ready to talk about it?”

She shook her head, nose rubbing against his chest. “Mm-mm.”

“Okay. We won’t talk about it.”

So they stayed there, Percy rubbing her back and doing his best to be a good stress pillow.

Another hour later, he found himself lost in his mind.

He was almost thankful for the absence of his sight. It meant he didn’t have to stare at the darkness in the room and let his brain produce images of things that weren’t real. So he thought about the things he was missing.

To start, his eyes and arm.

It was odd, wielding Riptide with his off hand, but somehow it felt natural. Maybe he was ambidextrous? Just that great a swordsman that the mind-muscle connection didn’t matter on which side of the body? Still, he felt unbalanced during the fight, and the first attempt at using earthshaker powers made him mentally prepare himself to be missing both arms.

His superficial features would never look the same. Between the sunken eyelids, scars, and discolored skin, he figured he must look like a patchwork doll to most people, unfinished, unloved, and tossed away as a failure. Then again, most of those things could easily be hidden with pants and a long sleeve.

The marks from Tammi and Kelli would perpetually be visible, unless he wore a mask that covered his full face and neck. He felt that would be a bit too much, added onto the heavier layers of clothing and general aversion to showing skin.

He hated the momentary feeling of disgust he felt when he physically kissed Reyna for the first time. Her lips had grazed one of the marks, which sent a feeling of revulsion deep into his gut. That had been the one thing that he despised the most, which he couldn’t recover from.

He received all sorts of injuries during his three quests, he was no stranger to physical pain. They’d gone above and beyond to find the worst ways to inflict it upon him on Tamalpais, but all that created was more festering hatred for them, never the urge to submit. Sure, he’d wanted to escape from the pain, it was by far the worst he had ever felt in life.

But taking it to that personal level was what almost broke him. It was an act that revived an old terror of his life, bringing back the image of a man he thought could no longer hurt him.

And now he was covered in marks that had been put there to claim him.

Maybe plastic surgery was a solution. Mortal medicine had come so far, after all. For now, he’d just have to live with it.

‘Because that’s how life goes. You live with it, alright punk?’

His breathing grew heavy. No. No, he would not live with it. There is always a solution provided in life, it’s simply on the individual to ask for help and receive it gratefully.

‘I provide for you, boy, so you’d best stop complaining. You get what you get, and never ask for more.’

A gulp and a sharp intake of air. He never got anything, not from him, anyway. Only bruises and ringing ears, a wrinkled nose, and on occasion, a cut that went untreated.

“You just gotta put up with it. Take what life gives you.’

A fist tightening against fabric. Life hasn’t given him anything. Life has only taken things from him.

‘Take what I give you.’

“Percy?”

He snapped out of it, and took a moment to regain his bearings after realizing he was gripping Reyna’s shirt.

She had a hand on his arm, giving it a light squeeze.

“You were breathing weird.”

“Sorry.”

She didn’t say anything for a few seconds, like she was thinking.

“No.”

“No?”

“None of that anymore. You need to tell me.”

“Only if you talk first.”

“You know why I’m like this. We talked about my past months ago.”

“I wanted to know how you’re feeling.”

“Gods, Perce, can you not just think about yourself for once?!”

This was new. She’d gotten a bit angry with him before, but never enough to shout like this. Her voice was shaking, even as she yelled at him.

“You’ve opened up to me exactly three times, and twice it was about a girl other than me! For once, can’t you just tell me what you have waking nightmares about? I had a freakout over tonight, sure, but right now? It's just us, and you’re acting like I was after I got attacked!”

His words caught in his throat, no protest coming. Just silence.

“Just tell me something. Anything.”

Could he really tell her what happened? Would she think less of him if she knew how weak he had been in that moment?

No, Reyna was perhaps one of the greatest things to happen to him. She was an easily understanding, patient person with heart enough to sacrifice her own well being just for a minor chance of him living. She would understand. But putting it in words was still difficult. Speaking the truth would just dredge up more, leading to a welling of emotion. It was just that hard a decision. Tell her and sate her desire to know, or hold back, and avoid the risk of making the night any worse?

“...Something happened on the mountain that reminded me of my past.”

“What happened?"

She wanted straight to the point, but he was more the roundabout person.

“Remember my stepfather? I told you about him, right?”

“Yes, you said he treated you and your mother terribly, and was generally a nuisance financially because of his alcoholic tendencies.”

“I never told you what he did while drunk.”

He felt her hand slip into his.

“He wasn’t usually that bad, at least not to my mom. He’d yell at both of us a lot, but coming from New York, that’s basically the standard. It didn’t help that he broke things, though. Made it so I had to clean a lot. But there was one night when he was different. He was usually worse whenever I got back from boarding school, but this time, it was like he somehow snapped. The hardest he’d ever hit me was a slap or at most a weak punch, but he threw me around like a man possessed after I talked back to him. I could have put up with all of that but then he…”

She gripped his hand tighter.

“He used me for what my mom wouldn’t give him anymore.”

Both of them were breathing shakily now, a bone-crushing hold between their two hands keeping them rooted.

“And it happened again on the mountain, didn’t it?”

He just nodded. No words could be produced, or were needed at this point.

She started to climb a bit higher, finding no resistance, despite his duty of keeping her as still as possible. The settling of her head in the crook of his neck gave Percy a moment of distraction, tearing just far enough away that he didn’t begin to relive the events in his mind.

“I’m sorry about our first kiss. I should’ve known something had happened then, based off your reaction”

He shook his head.

“No? I can’t be sorry?”

He croaked out a response, voice small and cautious.

“Not what I meant.”

“What did you mean?”

“Anyone might have had that reaction. Mine was just for a reason.”

“That doesn’t make me any less guilty for doing that without asking first. If we didn’t have the relationship and familiarity we did, I would have been no better than the ones that took advantage of you.”

Percy sighed, stretched out his back and repositioned Reyna as carefully as possible. This was a good place for them to be, sidled up next to each other calmly.

“We’re just two messed up kids. Plus we have weirdo gods for parents. I think you get a pass, especially considering that I pulled you in first. Can’t help the fact that you’re thirsty for me.”

A huff from Reyna.

“You’re being mean, and completely inappropriate, right now we’re talking about our issues, not waxing idiot poetic.”

Good. He had the conversation steered away from his own problems now.

“That’s rich coming from someone who’s had her hand rubbing my chest for the past few minutes.”

“You aren’t complaining, now are you? If you tell me to stop, I will, but I promise I’ll pout a bit.”

“You seem a lot better now.”

“Because I’m talking to you.”

“Really? I thought I was doing a good job pushing your buttons.”

“If I derived a negative effect on my mental state from talking to you, I wouldn’t be dating you.”

“Uh oh. I’ve brought out the big words.”

“Derive is not a big word.”

“First time I’ve heard you say it.”

“Have you ever heard me say ‘gotta’?”

“Not that I can remember.”

“Conclusion: Gotta is a big word.”

“Then so is asshat.”

“Now you’re being facetious.”

“Big word!”

“Ooh, you’re getting close to pushing my buttons now.”

“I think you’re just afraid to admit I already have been.”

“Oh, enough!”

She lightly slapped his arm, a loving touch that he’d grown to enjoy. He began to laugh, and she joined him shortly after. A moment of peace and fun.

“Feel like you can sleep now that I’ve irritated you?”

“I feel like I have to sleep, or I’ll have a brain hemorrhage trying to improve your lexicon.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

“Don’t even say it. You need to go to sleep, too.”

“I have bad news for you though.”

“And that is?”

“In order to heal your leg further, the doctor requested that you take some more of my strength.”

“Are you forcing me to use my abilities for my own benefit?”

“Just looking out for you, dear. I’d like to be able to take long hikes with my girlfriend, and two healthy legs work wonders on a hike. Or would it be more romantic for me to carry you all the way-”

“Alright, bed time.”

A warmth entered his chest, and he felt himself being pushed into deep sleep.

When he woke, they were exactly as they had been when the strength sharing began. Only a few hours had actually passed, but he felt refreshed. Then again, he had been cycling strength between himself and Reyna, so getting up early feeling like he slept like a baby was a side effect.

“Morning, Perce.”

“You’re up early too, huh?”

“I think we both woke up together when we left the dreamscape.”

“Really? How’s your leg?”

“Turns out…”

He felt her weight lift off of him, and he moved to protest, but she had already gotten off the bed.

“Drugging me up on the highest mortal and divine medicine plus a few hours of borrowing your strength does wonders for injuries. Feels like it was never even broken in the first place.”

“That so?”

He carefully found his way to the edge of the bed and slid off, cursing when he stubbed his toe on what he assumed was the bedside table, much to Reyna’s amusement.

“Looks like our responsibilities have shifted. I’m taking care of you again.”

“I know your leg is fine, but what about your mind?”

“Please. I shouldered the legion for six months while taking care of you. I’m more resilient than you think.”

“Okay, just making sure. Mind taking me somewhere I can get a toothbrush?”

“I’ve got a spare.”

Much like he had noticed with his sword, everything left handed came naturally to him, like he’d been left dominant his whole life.

“Your skin is still a bit dry on your left.”

“I guess earthquake powers are bad for my skin?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it, your arm looked like a cracked marble statue after that hit for a moment. Let’s not go around practicing that for now, okay?”

“Whatever you say.”

“Here.”

He shivered a bit at the cold touch.

“Just lotion, don’t be a baby.”

“And you said I was being mean last night. Now you’re harassing the disabled with icy creams and lotions!”

“Shut up and let me stop your arm from becoming an ashy mess.”

“Oh, I’m going to be paraded around for the rest of my life like a doll by a woman obsessed with skincare. A truly disastrous fate for one as wronged as I.”

“Your dramaticism never fails to amaze me, Perce. There, just don’t get your arm wet for a few minutes.”

“Do you know who you’re talking to?”

He waved a finger at the sink, sensing the water and sending a bit of it to splash Reyna’s face.

“Jeez, that’s cold!”

“That’s my revenge for the day.”

They finished up getting ready, and sat down on the bed before leaving.

“So.”

“So?”

“Are you going to talk to her before trial?”

“Isn’t that illegal in some way? I am a witness, after all.”

“There’s no law that I can think of that forbids a witness from speaking to the accused pre-trial. I guess I should have phrased it differently. Do you want to talk to her beforehand?”

“I feel like I should. She was out of her mind because she thought something had happened to me, after all.”

“Should and want and different things.”

“Okay, I do want to talk to her. I’d rather she know that I’m fine before going on trial and making a fool of herself again, ranting about how you’re some demon woman seducing men into becoming her slaves.”

“I won’t come with you, for a multitude of reasons. I’ll have Mike take you.”

“You’ll be fine without me?”

“Of course.”

He felt her swing a leg over his own, hands on the sides of his head as she captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

They gravitated downwards for a moment, until Percy’s back was against the bed. He lightly pushed her away.

“Maybe not yet on that.”

“Sorry.”

She got off him, letting Percy rise back up to a seated position before kissing him again, much lighter this time.

She broke it off, breathing a bit heavily.

“But come back quickly. I get just as lonely without you as you do without me, got it?”

He nodded stupidly.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good.”

Thankfully, she hadn’t touched any of the empousai’s marks this time.

Mike was a nice enough guy, just like how Reyna had described him. Easygoing, calm, and a bit slow in his step, though that might have just been him using caution while guiding Percy along.

“Here we are. Don’t cause any trouble, alright?”

“You don’t have to worry about me, I’ve got a girlfriend not to piss off.”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, I wish you luck on that. Keep her happy for us, or the Legion is going to suffer her wrath.”

Percy inched his way through the cell hallway, his hand tracing the walls and bars until he reached the end.

The thing he lied about to Bianca was that he didn’t identify her off of sound. His hearing was damaged after years of Atlas’ yelling.

He had identified her off of her heartbeat, which he felt instead of hearing.

He found Annabeth the same way.

Her heartbeat had hastened when he stepped into the section where she was imprisoned.

“Percy?” She whispered.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

“Why are you here?”

Her voice was cautious and sad, like a hurt animal. He doubted she had been injured in any way by the Legionnaires that took her away, but he could be very wrong.

“I wanted to talk.”

“That’s obvious…”

“Is it? It’s natural and obvious that I would come to talk to you, leaving Reyna first thing in the morning?”

His tone was already heating up a bit.

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“Maybe not.”

He fumbled around for a chair, eventually finding one and dragging it to where he assumed the middle of the hallway was.

“But I’m here to talk. So I’ll ask you this before we talk about anything else. Did you really think Reyna was manipulating me?”

“...Yes.”

“Care to explain why?”

“Percy, we were told that you died. The gods said so. They passed it down as an order not to go looking for you, since you were buried at sea.”

“And did my father confirm this? Matter of fact, did any of the gods that invaded Othrys?”

She paused.

“...Ares.”

Percy sighed, “When have you ever known the gods to be truthful? Especially him. On our first quest together, he lied to manipulate us! He lives to see me suffer at this point, so keeping everyone in a state of delusion would have just served as amusement.”

“What choice did I have but to believe them?! We were recovering from defending an entire city from three Titans and their armies! Bianca nearly died twice, and we lost a quarter of our numbers! We refused to believe it at first, and started planning to look for you, but then Bianca disappeared, and Rachel started speaking prophecies and… Gods, can’t you just understand that we were going through a lot?!”

“And we weren’t?! While you were defending Olympus, the Romans were invading Othrys. Krios pulled Atlas out of your battle and into ours, it took three gods and Reyna to beat him! Both sides went through some shit, and lost someone important to the gods’ meddling, so don’t you dare pull the ‘I was having a hard time’ card on me!”

There was no response, not even a sniffle for a long moment.

“We? Ours?”

“Yeah?”

“You say that like you’re one of them. A Roman.”

“Really?”

Percy felt exasperated. He’d never known Annabeth to draw lines dividing people just based off of their upbringings, so something like this? Dividing demigods into two groups just like that?

“I’m a demigod, Annabeth. Son of a god. I was taken care of by other Demigods, who happen to subscribe to a different version of the same deities for their nightly prayers. So yes, I used we, and our, because these people took care of me when they knew nothing about me, treated me as their own, as every demigod should. It frustrates me that so many of us on both sides think just like you, you know that? Just because we’re Roman or Greek doesn’t mean jack at the end of the day! We’re up against the literal personification of the ground we walk on, and you’re upset that I include myself when referring to Romans?!”

“I’m upset that you act like you weren’t forced into all of this! You were taken as a prisoner, then basically abducted by a foreign force that happened to be invading the place you were kept! That is textbook coercive persuasion, just gone about in a roundabout way! One side tried to brainwash you, and a different one swooped in, took you away and worked the clay into what they wanted! A companion for a troubled leader of an army at odds with us! The gods couldn’t tell us the truth because they were trying to keep their special little western camp in order, and saw that Reyna was going to break under the pressure, so they offered you up as a crutch for her!”

Percy shot to his feet, sending the chair across the room.

“I AM NOT A CRUTCH!”

The room shook, a small rumble rattling the stone and metal, vibrations echoing across the long hallway.

He hadn’t meant to cause a quake, even one as negligible as this one. But the fact that it happened was enough to drain the energy from his body immediately. He had let his emotions take precedence over self control, so he would suffer for it. His knees gave, and he fell to the floor, gasping for air as an inhuman hunger welled in his shrunken stomach. Light headed and delirious, he tried to get to his feet, hand pressing weakly against the floor.

“Percy?! Percy, what happened?!”

“Don’t-”

He coughed, spitting up a metallic taste and bile from deep within. The urge to leave right then and there gave him the motivation to get off the floor, and wipe his mouth, turning away.

“Just don’t make a fool of yourself. I won’t be there for you, and Bianca can’t be either. It’s just you.”

With that, he left the cells, trudging his way out past a centurion who tried and failed to ask him what had happened.

One singular thing was on his mind.

Food. Now.

Chapter Text

Bianca’s day began with Frank very skittishly telling her off for sleeping in the fifth cohort barracks instead of her new room, to which she just waved him off and got ready for the day.

Obviously, a senior Centurion had forgotten to mention to his junior what happened last night.

First on the docket? Get to Annabeth before anyone else. Which sadly meant skipping breakfast, but it likely wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience anyway, since just about everyone in the Legion would be finding out about the events of last night there.

She found her way into the holding quarters, a place that had been used perhaps thrice before in New Rome by the looks of it.

Everything was covered in dust, save for the sets of footprints heading to the cells.

But it seemed she was not the first to get there.

There was a small set of cracks in the floor just outside of Annabeth’s cell, alongside a discarded chair in the corner. The girl herself was sitting in the corner of her cell, head hidden inside her arms, knees drawn high.

Bianca stepped forward, and Shadow traveled through the bars, going to sit next to her.

“You talked to him, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“He’s pissed.”

Bianca laughed dryly, adjusting her hair.

“Enough to nearly put a hole in the floor, apparently. What in hades did you say to him?”

“I called him a crutch. He didn’t like that.”

“A crutch? What’s that supposed to mean for him?”

She raised her head, showing a set of teary grey eyes staring back at Bianca.

“I told him why I… did that stuff last night. I explained my thought process, and he didn’t like it.”

“There was never a way he was going to like it, Beth. Like it or not, you attacked his girlfriend, and needlessly aggravated an injury, which sent her into mental shock. Why couldn’t you have just waited to talk to him?”

Annabeth's temper flared as she looked up, fire in her eyes.

“You didn’t see what I saw! For two years, I dreamt of him, watching every single hit he took, all the things they did to break him. Then, as soon as we started fighting in New York, it stopped, like he was being hidden from me. Next thing I know, you’re gone, and we’ve got this mystery boy without a clue who he is, and once he remembers, he tells me that there’s a Roman camp that’s been hostile towards us for over a hundred years, and that Percy is there! Why does nobody else understand why I was terrified that Percy was being held by a hostile faction?!”

“Because you’ve overthought this!”

Bianca slid forward on the floor, and grabbed Annabeth by the shoulders.

“What was it we said? We are not our parents, remember! Well, we’re certainly not the past demigods from Camp Half Blood, and neither are the Romans! I’ve been here a little over a week, and they’ve completely disregarded the fact that I’m supposed to be their enemy, I’m their Praetor and friend! They’ve learned to accept, and everyone else was ready to cut the divide, but now we have to deal with this mess! That doesn’t even factor in that you attacked a Roman Praetor with a goddess in New Rome! Do you have any idea how prideful Roman gods are of Rome? Diana will see it as a slight on her honor for allowing not only a Female Roman Praetor, but one she’s been trying to recruit for ages getting attacked while she was nearby!”

Annabeth pushed Bianca’s hands off, and stood, walking away to face the wall.

“None of the gods ever give a shit about what we do to each other, and Artemis certainly doesn’t care about what I get up to. We both turned down her offer to join the hunt after Manhattan, so we’re little more than flies to her.”

Now it was Bianca’s turn to be angry instead of concerned.

“You would actually say that?! Artemis promised to invade Mount Tam to help get Percy back, and you know what? She did! Not as Artemis, but as Diana with the Romans! To top it off, she knew exactly how bad he was messed up, and knew how you felt about him, so she offered you a place in the hunt so you’d be able to toss those feelings away and avoid a second heartbreak!"

“She just needed more bodies! Artemis has been doing nothing but expanding the hunt for two years now, and not because she wants to protect maidens! No, she’s building a true standing army for the gods, so that they don’t have to rely on us free willed demigods anymore! Nobody sees any truth in this world anymore but me, and when I do something to bring attention to it, I get reprimanded and told I’m overreacting! The gods want to get rid of camp half blood, plain and simple. Why? Because we don’t bend to their every whim like Rome does to Olympus, or the hunters to Artemis! We’re the last truly free demigod settlement in the world, and I tried to protect one of our own! So bite me for overreacting when I see some woman siphoning life out of Percy like he’s a battery pack!”

Bianca lost control of her emotions for just a moment, and delivered a slap to Annabeth’s face. Both girls were breathing heavily, staring daggers at each other.

“I’m going to forfeit my vote on your fate. It wouldn’t be a good look for my Praetorship if I even voted at all, especially since I would never condemn a friend to death. I’m sure he already told you, but don’t try this bullshit explanation in front of your tribunal. All of those officers either watched or heard about Percy killing a giant while protecting Reyna, so expect harsh resistance to anything anti-Reyna.”

"Oh, you're worried about your appearance now? Afraid that you won't be seen as a benevolent leader by your new friends?!"

Bianca shadow traveled back outside the bars, trying to ignore her.

“What, not going to wish me luck?”

She whipped back around to say something harsh, but reconsidered when she saw Annabeth trying to maintain her fury as a mask over her failing confidence.

“Fortuna already sided with Rome yesterday. It’s time to make a choice between yourself and the possibility of a coalition.”

With that, Bianca stormed out of the holding area, heading right to the dining pavilion. A chicken parm was about to feel the full force of her irritation.

Jason was thoroughly caught off guard by the announcement of Annabeth’s trial, which was set for around lunch time, and so was just about every other demigod or legacy present in Camp Jupiter.

The news came rapidly during breakfast, which he had been greatly enjoying, moving between tables and chatting with old friends as much as possible. It was only when he reached a table which sat Dakota and some of the veterans of the fifth cohort did he learn of the news.

“So, Jason, you’re not going to clear her crimes just because she’s your friend now, are you?”

He choked on his sandwich.

“Sorry, who?”

“The Chase girl. You’re technically still a Praetor, there needs to be two of them voting, and Reyna can’t vote, since she was the one attacked. You’re telling me you haven’t heard yet?”

“No?!”

“Well, according to Reyna herself, and these guys-” He gestured to two of the veterans sitting at the table. “Chase broke into the Principalis last night and attacked Reyna in her sleep. Percy had to kick her off of Reyna, and she was arrested shortly after by these two vets. Her trial is in a few hours, the senate met early this morning and agreed that it would be a military tribunal. That means you, Bianca, and the Centurions, plus the decurions, but the upper officer’s votes are weighted. There’s also a chance lady Diana will be overseeing, alongside her lieutenants."

Jason looked to the two veterans, who he practically grew up with.

“You can say for certain that this is true? That Reyna was attacked without provocation?”

They nodded.

“The Praetor confirmed it, and so did her partner. Chase did not resist arrest, and was willingly taken to confinement after she was pushed away.”

Jason slumped in his chair, his food discarded and forgotten.

“What in Pluto’s realm could have made her do that? Manipulation? A shapeshifter?”

“We don’t know why, Bianca and Percy have been the only ones in contact with her so far. The Trial is going to be in the Praetorium, meaning Reyna’s dogs are allowed. No lies.”

Dakota and the fifth cohort veterans eventually left, making space for the group of demigods waiting to steal their seats.

Leo awkwardly slid into the seat across from him, but was quickly muscled out by Clarisse, the other Greeks finding their spots, Piper next to him.

“What’s this I hear about Annie getting arrested?” Clarisse opened with.

“Something about her attacking Reyna, the Senior Praetor, so just barely above Bianca in rank. She’s basically the top dog here. So if the accusation is true, Annabeth attacked her in her sleep, Percy had to fight her off, and she was arrested just after, going willingly.”

Will was next. “What?! That doesn’t seem like her at all!”

Beckendorf nodded, already deep in thought.

“Agreed. This is way too much for her, that’s for certain. She’s never been that aggressive with anyone, not even the Stolls at their worst. Plus, we don’t even know the reason.”

“My current theory is that an something, maybe an Eidolon or other spirit somehow got some influence over her, spiked her agitation and aggression towards Reyna, thinking that she wasn’t respecting her as a fellow leader. That would make anyone in a position of power angry, right? But that's only if it was Annabeth. If it wasn't there might be a shapeshifter or something with similar abilities in new Rome.”

“You may be right, but I believe that if it was an Eidolon, it would have used something else to enrage her.”

Everyone looked to Silena as she continued.

“I… have a small problem when it comes to eavesdropping. I can’t resist, old habits die hard. The last I heard of Annabeth last night was a conversation she had with Bianca. Now, to be clear, we all are aware of how incredibly obvious Annabeth’s feelings for Percy are, correct?”

Everyone nodded, save Leo.

“I haven’t even met the guy, so how would I know?”

“Shut it, Leo.”

“Sorry Pipes.”

“Ahem.”

Silena sat forward.

“Bianca told Annabeth that the Praetor and Percy are dating.”

An uneasy shiver passed through the group.

“If there was an Eidolon, it most definitely latched onto that. Love, no matter how serious the individual, is always the strongest emotion. Eidolons feast on jealousy and convert it to envy, hatred, and rage. For someone as attached as Annabeth, Bianca surprising her with that would have left the doors wide open.”

“Right then, Annie got pissed that Prissy chose a different girl, big deal. How do we get her out of this mess, and the Eido-whatever out of her? And in what order?”

Before they could answer, there was a commotion rising in the dining pavilion.

A quick look to the front where the Centurions were in heated discussion revealed that Bianca had just arrived, looking fit to murder someone.

Dozens streamed forward at one, but she held up a hand, causing all of them to freeze.

“Not a word until I’ve eaten. Sit. Down.”

Her words hit the crowd like a wave, sending them rushing back to their seats in hushed tones, leaving the Pavilion eerily quiet. Bianca looked at Jason, and nodded him over.

“I think that’s my cue to get more info. I’ll be back, I think.”

“Careful, Jace. Don’t take a side yet.”

“I know.”

Jason felt so many eyes following his every step as he walked up to the Praetor’s table, where he honestly should have been sitting in the first place, since a third chair on the right had been set up for him. He took it, leaving the empty chair between him and Bianca. All of the Centurions were looking towards the two of them, waiting.

“Here’s what’s going to happen.”

Bianca pointed to Jason.

“We’re forfeiting our votes. Both myself and you, like it or not, have friendly ties to Annabeth, meaning our superweighted votes as Praetors are unfair to the Tribunal. The vote will lie entirely with the Centurions and Decurions.”

Jason got up quickly, hands on the table, while the Legion watched in silence, trying to hear what they were saying.

“But-”

“I’m not finished. You may technically be my superior, Grace, but right now, who do you think the Legion will listen to? Me, who slayed a giant for them, or you, who rode in on a warship commanded by a girl who assaulted the most senior officer in Rome?”

He shut up, sitting back down.

“Good. You understand. Now, as I was saying, we will forfeit our votes. The Tribunal is in an hour, and there will be witnesses, as well as a defendant and a victim. I’m sure you can name each. Not a word of this is to be spoken to the bulk of the Legion until the Tribunal is over. Centurions, assemble your decurions and go to the Praetorium. Jason, you get our friends from the east. They will have to sit in for this.”

“And what are you going to do?”

An Aurae nervously set down a loaded plate in front of Bianca.

“I’m going to eat, and then I’ll have the honor of informing lady Diana and her lieutenants that Annabeth Chase is on trial.”

Thalia had been a bit miffed about not being allowed to walk around New Rome on her own, partly because it sucked being confined to the command tent for the time being, but also because she’d yet to meet with Percy, when it was confirmed that he was up and active.

Sure, she’d gotten to chat with Annabeth for a moment during the negotiations, but that was hardly enough time with old friends for the time being.

So instead, she sat at a table, chin on her palms as she tapped her foot to a memorized rhythm for one of her favorite punk rock albums, going through each song in her head. It appeared times were changing though, since there was a knock at the door.

“My lady?”

The voice was Phoebe’s.

Diana’s ear flicked a bit.

“Yes, Phoebe?”

“Praetor di Angelo is here. She says it’s urgent.”

“Show her in.”

Bianca stepped through the door, eyes low and notably agitated.

“What is it, Bianca?”

“Annabeth attacked Reyna.”

The three huntresses shot to their feet.

“What?”

“You heard me, Thals. It happened last night, she got arrested by two Legionnaires after Percy fought with her for a moment. Her Tribunal is in-” Bianca mimed checking a watch, which got no laughs, not even a smile from herself. “Fifty minutes, in the Praetorium. I came to let you know, as well as to ask that you sit in and maybe vote.”

Before Thalia could say another word, Zoe had a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head.

“Bianca, I already said that I am not allowed to influence the negotiation between the two sides.”

“With all due respect, Lady Diana, this isn’t a negotiation. I’m asking you to help me stop the Roman officers from killing her.”

“Understood. We will accompany you back. Zoe, Thalia, inform your seconds and give them charge of the encampment. Have them be ready to defend. The outcome of this trial has the possibility of resulting in battle, and we are still unsure of whether or not that ship needs a cannoneer to fire or not.”

Zoe nodded, and steered Thalia outside before she could protest.

“This is a troubling development.”

Phoebe and Pearl, who had been standing guard at the door, turned to them.

“What is, Zoe?”

“The Greek leader is set for trial soon. Until we return, you two are in charge here. Steel the encampment’s defenses. There may be a fight.”

“Right.”

The two girls darted off to relay the news and prepare the encampment, while Bianca and Diana emerged from the tent.

“What are we going to tell the Amazons?”

“I will send a message, one way or another. They won’t attend, because their leader is Reyna’s sister, therefore Hylla may be… unstable.”

“Agreed. Shall we?”

Thalia’s gait was ripe with nervous energy, completely unconcealed from those around her as they entered the Praetorium.

Some time later, they had all gathered. The Greeks, including Jason and Bianca, were sat off to the side with varying expressions of worry and anger, while Diana, her lieutenants, and the officers were sat at different positions of the table, forming a blocky semi-circle, facing the side where Annabeth was sitting, unbound.

Larry stood, banging a fist on the table.

“As the longest serving officer of the Legion and head of this Tribunal, I now begin the trial for Annabeth Chase, who stands accused of attacking Senior Praetor Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano. Commander Chase, how do you plead?”

Annabeth cocked her head, a confident look in her eyes.

“Guilty on account of being misinformed.”

Aurum and Argentum perked up, not quite growling, but certainly alert, and staring at Annabeth.

Many eyebrows raised among the officers, while Bianca buried her face in her hands.

“The misinformation being…?”

“That the aforementioned Praetor was manipulating a Greek Demigod by the name of Percy Jackson, who, until yesterday, was an unwilling resident of Camp Jupiter.”

Bianca’s face sunk lower into her hands, while the other Greeks were growing increasingly more confused.

“Ahem. I know it is out of order, but I must refute your opening argument now, for the sake of maintaining a proper line of questioning. I can personally attest to the fact that Perseus-” He put extra emphasis on the name. “Jackson was recovered in a near-death state from Mount Othrys, and Roman Medici were instructed by Lord Apollo, and Jackson’s father, Lord Neptune, to, quote, ‘Save this boy’s life’, end quote. May the Lady Diana please confirm these claims?”

Larry looked to Diana, who was at the front of the table next to him, and she nodded.

“I can attest that the Centurion’s claim is wholly correct. And, as you can see, the Automaton Truth-Hounds are calm, ensuring truth.”

“And if I object on the account of these ‘Truth-Hounds’ being of Roman design, and therefore weighted against me?”

A strange light flashed in Diana's eyes.

“May I remind you that this Tribunal is seeking to proceed peacefully and without interruption, and that you should be seeking to appease the court instead of infuriating it? Or would you prefer that I menace the entirety of this procession by calling upon my brother, the god of Truth, as a medium of discerning lies? I could even have him appear in his Greek form, if you still have complaints about a god being Roman and therefore ‘weighted against you.’”

Annabeth’s confident expression faded a bit, and she swallowed hard, though her neck moved oddly.

“No, that’s not necessary. I do not object to the Truth-Hounds as a medium of discerning lies, though I maintain that I do not necessarily trust them”

“Good.”

Diana sat back down almost forcefully, an annoyed expression on her face sending waves of unease throughout the officers surrounding her. However, what was underlying in her gaze was actually some curiosity.

“Alright, proceeding. As confirmed, Jackson was not taken against his will, rather escorted to New Rome as ordered by the gods to ensure his safe and swift recovery from injuries sustained on Othrys. To explain in further depth, I call for the first witness, Prima Medicus of the fourteenth Legion, Dr. Alberich Frederickson. Frank, if you would?”

Frank nodded, standing from the edge of the table where he, Dakota, and the fifth’s decurions, including a recently promoted Hazel, were sitting, to move to the door and fetch the doctor.

What entered was not only the Doctor and Frank.

The Greeks stared with an intense curiosity as Dr. Frederickson and Reyna entered, gently guiding one Percy Jackson alongside them.

The Doctor settled Percy and Reyna down into chairs facing opposite the gallery, across the table, Percy on Reyna’s right. Her hand was settled over his, earning a glare from Annabeth, which she returned. Percy whispered something in the Doctor’s ear, causing him to chuckle slightly before moving to stand next to Annabeth.

“I swear upon my father’s name to be wholly truthful in my words throughout this trial.”

“Very well. Doctor, I understand you were the chief caretaker for Jackson while he was a patient in the infirmary?”

“Correct.”

“Could you please explain his journey through recovery? And please, spare no detail. Commander Chase has argued that Jackson was held here against his will, to his detriment. It would please the court and the defendant if his exact conditions were well known.”

“Alright. I myself was not present at the invasion, but I was waiting, worried sick about how many injured would be returning. Imagine my surprise when Percy was brought to my table by a newly raised Praetor, a Centurion, and a lieutenant of Lady Diana’s hunters. It was clear that we needed to move into intensive surgery immediately.”

Reyna rubbed Percy’s knuckle, and he leaned over to her, whispering something to reassure her.

“Percy’s skin was quite disfigured, whether it be burns, scars, or general roughness, it was clear that a myriad of different tortures were inflicted. But those were minor in the race to save his life. What gave us real trouble was the internal damage. Multiple failing organs, a cracked and compressed spine, and a misaligned Brainstem were the main focus, because if those were not attended to quickly, he would never regain proper function of his nervous system, if he survived. Not to mention the aggressive nature in which his eyes had been removed, which warranted a bit of exploratory neurosurgery in order to stop his brain from sustaining further damage, or worse, becoming infected. Thanks to Praetor Reyna’s donation of an imperial gold blade, we were able to smelt the correct implants to correct his spinal structure and hold his brainstem in proper positioning for natural healing, and the donation of her sword was perhaps the smallest service she did us. The Praetor’s involvement in the healing process , namely her unique ability to share strength, not only allowed us to perform surgeries that would have proved fatal in nearly every other case on the same level of severity, but also hastened his recovery to the point that he is able to walk and talk with us here today, with no lasting brain damage. That is a surmised recounting, but it should provide all the necessary information.”

The dogs stayed still, curled against each other on the table. Will was looking at Reyna with a sense of wonder.

“Indeed. Thank you, Doctor.”

"Tribunes. My Lady."

Dr Frederickson nodded, and tipped his head to Diana before going to sit down next to Percy and Reyna again.

“Does the Doctor’s truthful explanation disprove your ‘misinformed’ view of Jackson being an unwilling resident of New Rome, Commander Chase?”

Larry had used air quotes when he said misinformed, to which Annabeth just shifted a bit in her chair.

“...Yes.”

Argentum sat up a bit, dark silver pupils blown wide.

Annabeth groaned, an unusual noise for her, and slumped a bit in the chair.

“Fine. I’m dissatisfied, but accept the fact that he was not unwillingly held here.”

Argentum huffed and returned to its curled up position.

“Dissatisfied how?”

“I’m sorry, is this a trial or a mental analysis?”

“A trial, which has its goal in realizing your reasons for the crime you’ve committed, since you stated that you were misinformed. We seek to understand your motive completely before voting.”

“To that, I would say that I am dissatisfied that a Greek was residing in Roman territory outside of our knowledge for half a year’s time, and that I was incorrect about the nature of his residence.”

“Is that because your assumption led in part to the attack?”

“Yes.”

Bianca’s worry subsided for a moment. This was good, Annabeth was slowly proving to the court that she had the wrong idea about what was going on, but earning an acquittal was still going to be quite difficult.

Thalia had eased her own concern a bit as well, but was now interested in the look that Diana had on her face, analyzing Annabeth like she was searching for something.

“Then could you please explain what else led you to attack a Praetor of Rome, in her own bedroom, under the cover of night?”

“I was under the assumption that Percy was being manipulated into a false relationship, in order to support the Praetor’s mental state, as well as to turn him into a weapon for the Legion”

“Well, that is solved easily enough. Praetor, if you would?”

Reyna nodded and stood, tapping Percy’s shoulder as she moved to stand next to Annabeth.

“I swear upon my mother’s name, as well as the name of Lord Apollo, god of truth, to be wholly truthful in my accounts.”

“Praetor, did you seek to emotionally manipulate Perseus Jackson into becoming a support for yourself and or the legion?”

“No, I did not. My interactions with Percy during the recovery process were entirely to ensure that he woke faster, without ulterior motive.”

Both dogs sat up, alert. Reyna fought away a quick smile.

“Okay, I may have had the ulterior motive of getting him as flustered as possible every interaction to get him more comfortable in my presence, which may or may not have led to a very poetic, although awkward confession.”

Percy snickered in his seat, which got many glances. He held up his hand, waving them off.

“Sorry, just funny, and true.”

The dogs returned to their little cuddle pile.

Annabeth was now staring at Percy, a betrayed, angry look in her eyes, while Diana was nearly out of her seat, waiting for the girl to make some sort of move.

“There, we have disproved your other misinformed thought. Anything further?”

“No, that’s not right! Percy wouldn’t ever fall for a girl like her, she’s not what he needs! He knows what he needs, and that’s me!”

Diana was now out of her seat, while Bianca was about to fall out of hers. Annabeth was raging with denial, her fists on the table. The guards began to creep forward.

“The only reason they didn’t get mad is because they’re her dogs, that has to be it! It’s wrong! WRONG!”

After the second yell, Annabeth's neck moved in the same odd way as before, and Diana's eyes lit up.

“There!”

Diana jumped straight over the table, and grabbed Annabeth by the throat, sending the Greeks into immediate battle mode. But Thalia stopped them, following alongside Zoe to Diana’s side, holding Annabeth in place.

“Don’t! Diana knows what she’s doing!”

Bianca was now the only one not trying to get out of the gallery, doing her best to keep them in place, while the Roman officers were still in confusion.

Diana tightened her grip on Annabeth’s throat, causing her to choke loudly.

“She’s suffocating!” Leo yelled out. “She’s choking her! Someone stop her!”

None of the Romans moved, not daring to question the goddess.

Diana pried Annabeth’s mouth open, and shoved a hand inside to the wrist, grabbing hold of something, and slowly pulling it out.

After a long, stressful moment, Diana’s hand emerged, dragging out a wisp of smoke that seemed to writhe against her hold. She let go of Annabeth, who slumped in the chair, gasping for air while Thalia comforted her.

Aurum and Argentum jumped up, barking and snarling as the wisp of smoke. Diana smiled, and tossed it to them. The two dogs tore into the smoke, which screamed in pain, and eventually exploded into golden dust.

“A minor Eidolon was possessing her. This explains everything.”

Larry was still remarkably calm, though he took a moment to wipe a bead of sweat from his forehead.

“How, Lady Diana?”

“Minor Eidolons in particular are fiercely proud schemers, unable to fully control a host, so they plan and manipulate their host into doing their will subconsciously. They despise when their plans fail, or are interrupted. This one possessed Annabeth Chase, remaining concealed by inflating her emotions, since it could not take control of her body. It manipulated her mental process, feeding on her pride in her mind to the point that she became aggressive. I confirmed its presence with my initial prodding, but your questioning and the witness's answers infuriated the creature enough to force out its true colors. Impeccable work, Centurion. I vote to absolve Annabeth Chase of all crimes, and advise that the rest of you do the same.”

Meanwhile, Annabeth had stood, looking around, greatly disturbed by the aftermath of getting an Eidolon ripped out of her throat by a goddess. Her eyes passed over each member of the court, her friends, allies, and finally, they settled on Percy, realizing everything that she had done while under the Eidolon's influence. Tears welled up, and she grit her teeth, then ran out of the Praetorium towards the bed she never slept in the night before. Neither of the guards were fast enough to stop her, but they were stopped from chasing after Diana gave them a look.

“Okay…”

Larry was now sitting down, looking at his fellow Centurions. He quickly glanced over to Reyna, who nodded to him.

“We shall begin casting our votes then. I will begin by voting to acquit Commander Chase of her crimes.”

The rest of the officers made a varying sum of commotions, many of them looking to Reyna for approval or disapproval. When they saw her smiling happily, as well as a glare from Diana, the votes tallied one after another for acquittal.

After a few minutes, the Tribunal ended with Annabeth’s unanimous acquittal.

Chapter Text

Reyna got up with Percy, stretching and yawning loudly.

“I guess this means I have to get back to work now.”

“Eh, I don’t know. There’s three Praetors in Rome, you can take a break from being in charge for another day, right?”

“As much as I’d love that Perce, I do have a reputation to uphold.”

“Looking to retire a legend here? Lofty ambitions, but I can’t help but think that you’ll meet them.”

“Always my biggest supporter. Have fun."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and stepped away, clearing room for the group of Greeks to mob Percy, excluding the two who were unfamiliar with him, being Piper and Leo, who had gone to check on Annabeth, as well as Jason, who had gone with Bianca to talk to Reyna.

They surrounded him like a torrent, each trying to be the first to talk to him. It turned out to be Clarisse, on account of her pushing the others out of the way.

“So, Prissy survived, huh?”

A grin grew on both of their faces

“I know that voice, I almost thought I was lucky enough to never hear it again.”

“Shut it, don’t ever try any of that self sacrificing hero shit again. There’s better ways to earn glory.”

That led her to let him free, while Rachel marched up to him.

“You never called me.”

“Rachel? Uh, I was busy?”

“Uh uh, you had at least five hours of time between leaving me behind at the dam and getting to that mountain to call and explain why there were skeletons fighting other skeletons there. You’re not off the hook.”

“I was really busy?”

“You’ll have to plead your case a bit harder.”

“What are you even doing with the Greek negotiators?”

“I’m the oracle now.”

“Huh. Cool, but you might be weirder than that mummy. I shiver at the thought of a redhead barfing green smoke all over me. I’ll miss the old girl.”

“Oh boo hoo, you don’t get to talk to a corpse anymore. I feel so bad for you. But seriously, you owe me a pleasant conversation still. Maybe we can talk later over a snack?”

“I’m up for that. Let me know when.”

Will was next, looking scared out of his mind.

“I have to protest you being up and at it only six months after getting out from under the sky. Just my professional opinion.”

“That you, Solace? I heard you came. Are you a doctor yet? I remember Lee saying something about you working really hard on getting there early."

He shifted a bit, embarrassed.

“Not yet. I still have to perform a successful surgery before I can get the doctorate I want.”

“Eh, you’ve got plenty of time. What’re you, fourteen? Most mortals take until their late twenties, at least I think they do. I’ll get you in touch with my doctor, he’ll have some advice for you.”

Will beamed at Percy’s words of encouragement.

“So, where’s my little cousin? I’d heard Bone Boy got up to some wicked stuff down in the underworld with Thals and Bianca, and I’d like to hear it firsthand.”

A light zap hit his fingers, causing him to shake a bit.

“Speak of the Goth Lightning Demon and she shall appear.”

Thalia came up behind him, arms crossed.

“I’m not Goth in any way, shape or form, Perce. And I think you owe me a thank you instead of an insult.”

“I dunno, what am I thanking you for?”

“Getting you off that stupid mountain and into Rome alive.”

“Okay, thanks for that. I thought you were still on my ass about saving me from being fried by that loose wire on the quest.”

“You do still owe me a thanks for that, good reminder. But that can come later. Right now- can I hug you?”

“Yeah.”

She moved to his front and slowly enveloped him in a hug.

“You can say thanks by not being dead. That work?”

He wrapped his own arm around her shoulders.

“No protests.”

Thalia sniffled a bit while they pressed against each other, but Percy eventually let go.

“Not that she doesn’t trust you, but Reyna gets frighteningly jealous sometimes.”

Thalia stepped away quickly.

“Ooh, I definitely don’t want to earn her ire.”

“Not you too! All my closest friends are starting to use big words that make me think.”

“It pays to be a lieutenant of the hunt, both physically and mentally. I think you should do some improving yourself. I think you’d sound quite sophisticated with the accent and a good wordbase.”

“I thought my accent was awful in your californian mind?”

“I’ve grown to like it in its absence. Don’t make me gag at hearing it again, Perce. Mind if I sneak out to have dinner with y’all tonight?”

“Honestly, that sounds like a plan, though it might piss of Diana. That's your boss, not mine. Why don’t we all eat together and get caught up tonight?”

Everyone voiced their approval.

“Right then. I have a feeling that I should probably go talk to Annabeth, considering the only conversation we’ve had so far was when she was possessed. Anyone brave enough to walk the blind man to her room?”

“You already have an assigned guide, Perce.”

The Greeks, save Thalia, got a bit uncomfortable when Reyna, accompanied by Bianca and Jason, walked over to them.

“Yes, but I feel like you’ll get mad at me if I’m alone in a room with a girl for too long.”

“Did I get mad at you this morning?”

“I don’t know!”

“The answer is no. You’ll be fine. C’mon.”

The Greeks laughed nervously as Percy was dragged away by Reyna, his voice shrinking the further they moved away.

“If he’s around, tell Nico to come to dinner tonight! I need to know the current meta in Mythomagic!”

They looked between each other, and eventually to Silena.

“I have to break the bad news all the time nowadays, but fine. I’ll tell Percy tonight at dinner.”

Sadly, there would be difficulties preventing the two sides from having a peaceful rest of their day.

While Percy was dropped off at Annabeth’s room, where he began talking to Piper, Jason, and Leo for a moment, Bianca and Reyna made their way to the senate building.

“This is utterly preposterous! A Praetor was assaulted, and while it may not have been within the city limits, the fact that it happened at all speaks to the aggression of this Greek force! They cannot be trusted!”

Unsurprisingly, the Senator who had taken the podium to rile up the others was Baldrick Jefferson, an old, quiet supporter of Octavian's before he was executed. An elderly bald man born fully mortal, and one who had bought into the fear of the Greeks long ago, still preparing for a war that both sides had forgotten that they were fighting.

“May I remind you, Senator, that it was this council, without input from the Centurions or myself that voted for a Military Tribunal? You forfeited all right to decide the fate of Annabeth Chase when you handed the reins solely to the military, thinking we would immediately sentence her to death. The bottom line is this: Lady Diana exercised an eidolon from the girl’s body, and the Tribunal unanimously acquitted her. You have no further say in the matter. She’s off the hook, senator. Like it or not, the Tribunal decided so. And I’d advise you not question their ruling, considering the first vote to acquit came from Lady Diana.”

“So what if a goddess voted? This is Rome, and Rome is of the Senate and People. Do you see Diana here?”

He gestured to the other senators and the gallery, who were reeling from his declaration.

Reyna stood from her seat, Bianca nearly asleep in the other Praetor’s chair. She’d eaten a bit too much at lunch, as was primed for a food coma.

“I understand you were born fully mortal, senator, but in New Rome, an Olympian’s will is of utmost importance, no matter their relation to you. It is also unwise to speak ill of them, even if you do not consider your lack of a title disrespectful.”

“MY MORTALITY HAS NO EFFECT UPON MY COMPETENCE AS A SENATOR OF ROME!”

Sure, he had been enunciating before, so that his fiery tone could reach everyone in the Senate building, but now he was full on screaming.

“I never said that it did, Senator. Merely that your upbringing may not have placed the gods on the same level as we demigods and legacies hold them.”

“I- I know very well how important Olympus is!”

It was too late, the other members had already turned against him, offering no support.

“I’m sure you do, Senator. If that’s all, please allow the next Senator to speak.”

He took his leave, muttering a few more unpleasant things about ‘Demigod Supremacists’ and other buzzwords, quickly replaced by a senator Reyna believed was her ally.

“Lady Praetors, while by no means was my colleague in decorum for his words, but his opinion is generally shared. We understand that Chase was indeed possessed by an Eidolon, however, as recounted by yourself, it was a minor eidolon, meaning that its abilities are quite limited, and the creature did not have the capability of physically controlling the girl, merely, how would one say, ‘Pumping up’ her emotions? Meaning that she was fully conscious and physically in control of herself when she attacked you. Glossing over the fact that you yourself haven’t stated your opinion on the matter, the Senate is incredibly dissatisfied that we are going to just let this go.”

She used air quotes, but returned to having her arms crossed on the podium shortly after, while Reyna remained standing, her hands on the ledge, leaning over to speak.

“Per New Rome law, I am disallowed from any decision making in trials, since I was the victim. As your colleague said before, Rome is of the Senate and the people. Why should my opinion matter here?”

“Because unlike my colleague, I and many others respect your position as Senior Praetor of New Rome, and all that you have done for us. If you would leverage your opinion, the Senate would listen.”

“You’re saying that if I said I’m fine with her not being punished, a majority of the Senate would just accept the ruling? You realize that is near dictatorship?”

“I would argue closer to a Cult of Personality, but yes, Praetor. Even though the majority would still prefer at least a small period of exile, we would accept the Tribunal’s ruling.”

Many others voiced their agreement in the stands.

“What has Rome come to?” Reyna muttered to herself. “Fine then. My opinion is that an otherwise rational individual was driven to severe irrationality by a servant of Terra. Would that serve as a strong enough opinion for the Senate to accept an already concrete ruling?”

“You have my acceptance, Praetor.”

Reyna sat back down, thoroughly disappointed as Senators voted one by one to accept the Tribunal's ruling, despite it not even being necessary. Bianca stirred and leaned over, whispering.

“What’re you grumbling about over there? We got the Senate off our backs, didn’t we?”

“Yes, but they’re only accepting it because I said something. That’s not how this is supposed to go, I look like a despot now. It’s exactly how Octavian was characterizing me in those stupid posters.”

“So what? You know you don’t have absolute power. I’m literally equal to you.”

“You have deferred to me on almost every decision you’ve made so far as Praetor.”

“Oh yeah, you’re right. You're probably getting a bit too much power without asking for it.”

“Not very helpful, Bianca.”

“So.” She stood. “Apparently we’ll be having a special dinner tonight to celebrate Percy being alive and awake, as well as us not being at each other’s throats. You coming?”

Reyna also stood, first using her chair to get a very satisfying series of cracks up her back. “I think I have to. One, it’s dinner with my boyfriend, two, there’s going to be political talk. I have a responsibility as a girlfriend and as an official of the state.”

“Sounds to me you’re putting your position as Percy’s eye candy above the other.”

Reyna raised an eyebrow at Bianca’s grin.

“I am not eye candy, though I appreciate your compliment. I am quite the looker, Percy tells me quite often.”

Bianca blushed. “I never said that. I didn’t call you pretty.”

“Not directly, but I know what you meant. Don’t bother hiding it, Bianca, I’m used to it. I can tell.”

“Wha- that’s not-!”

“See you at dinner!”

Reyna stepped away from the flustered Bianca, her mood turning for the better now that her day was looking up.

Meanwhile, Percy was in conversation with some of the other visitors from Camp Half-Blood.

“She’s had the door locked since she got in there?”

Piper responded. “Yeah. What happened between you two before the eidolon was removed that could have made her this… unstable?”

“We got into quite the argument this morning. Looking back now that I know she was possessed, she probably didn’t mean half the stuff she said to me, or to Bianca afterwards. Annabeth’s always been really picky with how she talks, so I’d say that’s why she wants to be alone right now. She’s probably still a bit hysteric and afraid she’ll say or do something she doesn’t want to again.”

“That would make sense. She didn’t have any episodes in the time I’ve been at camp, and the only time she got mad was when it was a conversation that mentioned you or Bianca.”

“Old friends tend to bring out that side of her. Bianca said she was a mess for weeks after I was gone and Luke was dead.”

“Luke?”

Jason chimed in.

“Topic for another time. Let’s leave Percy alone with her for now.”

“Definitely for another time. You three do your best not to get in any fights, okay? This place is already tense enough with a goddess present, not to mention the Amazons and anti-Greek sentiment after last night.”

They said their goodbyes until later, and Percy knocked on the door.

“It’s me! I want to talk!”

No response, to no surprise.

“Alright then, time for some power training.”

He reached into his back pocket, producing a water bottle, which he uncapped with his teeth and willed its contents out, forming the shape of a lockpick. The water pick entered the lock, and Percy began to attempt to open it, failing spectacularly. For starters, he didn’t know how to pick locks very well. Second, trying to pick a lock using a non-solid was practically impossible. Third, he couldn't see what he was doing. There was a moment of hope when he heard one of the pins move, just barely, but nothing further came of it.

However, after the pin made a noise, he heard a bit of shuffling inside. Sure enough, the door opened a moment later.

“Are you seriously trying to break into my room using water?”

Percy smiled and shrugged.

“It was an attempt.”

“A terrible one.”

“Can you blame me for trying? I’m trying to talk to someone who has me locked out right now.”

“Shut up and get in here.”

He felt himself being dragged inside, followed by the door slamming and locking again.

“So?”

“Not going to give me a place to sit?”

“You’re insufferable.”

He was dragged again, this time to what he assumed was a chair, and from the feel of it, one in the corner of the room.

“Did you actually just put a blind man in the cuck chair?”

“Are we going to talk or not?”

“Sorry. For a lot.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“For being me in a time when it’s probably not the best idea.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Joking. Snarking a bit. This should be a serious conversation.”

“It doesn’t have to, if you’re here to talk about what I think you are.”

“Which is?”

“What I did?”

“We already talked about that earlier today. Not in the way I wanted, but we did.”

“Not in the way you wanted?”

“Yeah. Personally, I’d have preferred you not be possessed for that.”

“I-yeah, that probably would have been better. What did you want to talk about then?”

“You still. What you’ve been doing while I was gone.”

“Really? You want a recap on the last two years from me?”

“Why not? You’re the best person to hear it from.”

“Bianca would be a lot better, I'd bore you with all my-”

“I want to hear it from you. I want to know what you went through while I was gone.”

She was quiet for a moment, but eventually launched into her explanation. The labyrinth, Mount St. Helens, revisiting Othrys.

“He told me about you guys showing up and tricking Atlas. Smart move.”

“I owe most of that to Veronica. She’s smart for an Aphrodite kid, so is Piper. Times might be changing for that cabin.”

“I certainly hope so. Silena was just about the only redeemable member of that cabin, considering Drew was the bar for most of the time.”

“It wasn’t looking good for Silena for a while. She confessed that she’d struck a deal with Kronos to spare herself and Beckendorf in exchange for her service as a spy, so she lost her position as counsellor for a while to Drew, inciting what some of the cabin members referred to as ‘The dark times’. When Piper showed up, she pulled Drew apart like string cheese, took control of the cabin, and handed counsellorship back to Silena.”

“Good on her for that. For both picking apart Drew and putting Silena back in power.”

“I know, right?”

Percy smiled wider. He was getting Annabeth comfortable again. He could practically hear her joy.

“The Aphrodite Cabin has been in a great place since then, a lot of the kids were more reserved because of Drew, so with Silena back in charge, we’ve gotten to know the individual members much better. The only negative is that they basically control cabin inspection with an iron fist now, and Silena has high standards. Travis calls inspections ‘The Inquisition’ now.”

“Probably just because the Hermes cabin is a living nightmare all the time. Or has that changed?”

“Well, now that the unclaimed are no longer such, there’s a lot less people in the Hermes cabin. Didn’t change the mess issue though, Hermes kids are just like that.”

Their conversation continued for some time happily. Together, they laughed as they talked about just how much camp had changed throughout the years.

Percy found himself slumped in the chair, legs extended as he felt himself grow more and more relaxed in this situation. It was just as he expected: no wall built between friends as old as they were could stand against both of them trying to break it down together.

“Can we… talk about you?”

That was the last sentence he wanted to hear from her.

“Yes.”

“How are you holding up?”

“My body is okay, apart from a few things missing. But you already knew that.”

“No, I didn’t.”

He heard her get off the bed and move over to him. Almost instinctively, like a protective motion, he sat up straight in the chair, drawing himself closer. A calloused hand passed over his face, causing him to laugh nervously.

“Reyna said she would allow it, but I’m starting to see why she was worried about this.”

“What do you mean? I’m just making sure you’re okay.”

“No, it’s just-”

His words died in his throat as her thumbs traced over the sunken eyelids, warranting a sharp intake into unsteady breathing.

“Gods, I remember that night. I had seen it all in my dreams, but what he did-”

Percy’s voice was low, almost hostile.

“I don’t need to be reminded of it.”

But hers didn’t change, still full of that same soft concern. He’d missed it, sure, but now wasn’t a time he wanted to hear that concern.

“You can’t just push it away. It happened, so talk to me about it.”

“How much could you see in the dreams?”

“Enough, though it was always blurry.”

“So you saw my fifteenth?”

It was the right choice of words, considering how fast her hands were removed from his face.

“Oh gods, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine. Nobody ever means to. Doesn’t stop them from asking, though.”

“Right. I should’ve thought of that.”

He heard Annabeth mutter a few curses at herself under her breath. She thought he couldn’t hear her, but at least one ear had gotten stronger after losing his sight.

“I said it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“No, it’s not fine! Why? Why do you just forgive me for this shit?”

“Because it doesn’t matter, okay?!” It happened, so just let it go!”

“No? Why would you prefer to just suffer in silence?!”

“Because I already died, Annabeth! I died on that mountain, and the only reason I’m here is because a Primordial owed me a debt for allowing him to use my body to come back to existence! The world moved on from me long ago, so you don’t need to drag the narrative back to me! My story’s done, written, published for all the Gods to laugh at and curse.”

He hated how he was sniffling, fighting away tears that would never come. He’d always struggled when yelling at others, it brought out too much of his own emotion.

“Why live, then?”

“What?”

“Why live? If you’re not going to let anybody in, why live casting them all out? Wouldn’t it be better for you to just give up and go to Elysium, so you can just do nothing but stew in your own suffering for eternity? Because that’s really what it seems like you’re arguing for, but I know it’s not. So what’s keeping you running? Because it definitely isn’t me or anybody else from camp.”

“I have precisely two necessities in life now. Apologizing to my mom for being nothing but a cause of stress, and keeping my girlfriend happy. One gave me life, and the other sustained it. I owe my own well being to too many people at this point.”

“Really? You don’t want a single thing in life other than to apologize to other people?”

“Nope.”

“Just tell me the truth, Percy. I promise you, it will be better in the long term.”

“If I tell you how I’m feeling now, will you get off my back about it?”

“I will.”

“Fine.”

He slumped in the chair again, running his hand through his hair.

“Reyna’s been a lifesaver for me since getting out of the coma. Turns out, sleeping while sharing strength drives away the nightmares, so I’ve been able to rest peacefully. But the nightmares don’t just come at night. I can still feel a lot of what I felt on the mountain. While I was under the sky, I learned the true nature of the Titan’s Curse. Anyone who bears the sky feels the pain of all their injuries at once, at a constant. It’s etched into my nerves now, like a constant reminder of every single thing they did to me on the mountain, just a constant, repeating sensation that I can’t do anything about. My doctor gave me meds to dull my senses, but I’m afraid of using them, since we might get attacked again.”

“So you’re just constantly in pain? You feel everything? Even the…?”

“No, thank the gods I don’t feel that. Apparently, it doesn’t count as an injury”

“Good. I’d understand wanting to get high on mortal medicine if you felt like… that was happening to you all the time. Who knows?”

“Just me, my doctor, and you.”

“She doesn’t know about this? She’s your girlfriend!”

“I can’t put more stress on her.”

“I think it’ll be ten times as bad for you, and for her, if she finds out at a later time.”

Percy just nodded, and paused for a while before asking her.

“Well, we’re going to be having a nice dinner together tonight, I’d really appreciate it if you came. It’s bound to delve into what we’re up against, anyways, so it’d be better if you’re there.”

“I shouldn’t. I wouldn’t be welcome.”

“Reyna isn’t super mad at you anymore.”

“I’m more concerned that Jason and the others won’t be comfortable, or might see me differently. Like I’m not mentally capable anymore. And my hair’s a mess.”

“You’re worried about appearances? You? I’m literally worse than one of those messed up things in Toy Story, I’m sure they won’t be too worked up over your hair being a big out of place.”

“Silena will notice. So will Piper.”

“Alright, I know we were building up the new and improved Aphrodite Cabin, but let’s not start subjecting ourselves to the judgment of the Aphrodite kids.”

He started out of the room, but began to fall immediately after leaving the chair, being caught by Annabeth.

“Percy.” She said in a scolding tone.

“Sorry.” He responded, reserved.

“Not that. Promise me something.”

“What?”

“You’re gonna tell Reyna, and stop acting like you don’t have problems. I don’t care if you keep up your nonchalant attitude about it, but they need to know. You’re not okay, and you’re not fit for a fight.”

“I am fit. I am so fit for a fight. I just killed a giant."

“No, you’re not. Until this problem is solved, you’re a risk to yourself on the battlefield. You need to make it clear that you’re not going to just go and do whatever the gods demand of us, because you’re suffering from something that they could have prevented. You need rest, and a cure to… whatever the curse did to you.”

“Okay.”

He hadn’t even noticed how quickly this was becoming a trend of his life. With Ouranos, there had always been compromise, a deal, even if it was just to reassure him. Now he just accepted whatever he was asked to do, at least most of the time.

“Let’s get to that dinner now.”

Chapter Text

Hey y'all. Not supposed to be some big surprise, I'm sure most that have read this story, especially recent chapters, can tell just how hard I'm fighting just to push out chapters. My creativity is nowhere to be found, and my writing is dry. I've honestly lost a lot of motivation to write this fic, between other work I have and just general enjoyment, I'm at an all time low. Meaning, this story probably won't be getting updates anywhere near as frequently as usual, it'll just be whenever I get motivation for it. Apologies again.

I promise, the story isn't dead, but I might have to confine it to just the good and bad ending.

Tonight's dinner:

Pot Roast with some Lemonade.

Chapter Text

Yeah. So it's probably obvious at this point that updates will be far and few. I have tried to sit down and write for this eight times now, and have generated a thousand words of pure nothingburger. Hate to say it, but I'm finding it hard to get this story where I need it to go, and I think a break is necessary to break out of writers block. In the end, I'm probably going to summarize the vast majority of books 8-10, focusing more on original bits, which makes for an incredibly boring read. So, for anyone still hanging on to this mediocre piece of writing, please be patient with me. I'll still attempt to work every now and then, but for now, I'll be locking in on Uni and focusing on things I have motivation for.

As always, thank you so much for putting up with my chaotic, unorganized, and generally unguided writing practices.

Until next time, friends.

On Hiatus as of 10/13/25