Disclaimer: I don't own PJO/HOO
Vincent sat straight and stiff in his seat around the Ping-Pong table that was still with them when they were transported to the Communication Route No. 15. Beside him is Jake Mason who stood as the cabin leader while Leo Valdez was away. In front of him sat the Roman demigod, Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, the only girl with a lengthy name that he knows of and one of the praetor of Camp Jupiter. Beside her is her co-praetor, the Chinese Canadian son of Mars, Frank Zhang.
Vince snapped out of his thoughts when the male general, General Maximilian, started to explain about their arrival.
"We are called the Soldiers of Omega rather than as the army of Chaos. We report directly to Lady Sillari and she's the one who will decide for the soldiers while Lord Chaos serves as our patron. We honor him as much as we honor Lady Sillari." Max put his hand on the belt on his side and continued. "We have more than thousands of soldiers with us, some of them already here on Earth to help you train for the upcoming war to defend the world once again. The others will come when the time is right."
"What will happen with the teamwork if the others won't be here to train with us? Or worst, what if they won't know who the enemy is and who's the allies?" Dakota, the Roman demigod of Bacchus, and a centurion of Cohort Five asked with a small frown on his face as he sipped a red Kool-aid that was on his hand.
"We know our limitations and who our enemies are. We can move around in battle at ease. We are trained to do that," General Maximilian calmly explained. Althea was just standing there, looking at the ground while rocking her heels back and forth like a child. "Since this is a large scale war, Lady Sillari decided to send two units that are capable to counter the darkness. They are the Unit 101 which is now under Althea's command and will help the Greek half-bloods to train and the Unit 102 which is under me will help the Romans."
Now that Vincent was sitting in front of the two generals and was clear of any shock, he could see the difference between the two. Not that they're twins or what. He's talking about the personalities of the two generals.
Maximilian has darker and serious aura around him that made you think and move alertly or else consequences will happen. He's militaristic and apparently ruthless. A trait that the Romans could deal with. Vince could see that in the way Reyna, Frank, and the others look at Maximilian.
Althea, however, was totally opposite. She's bubbly and clearly outgoing. She's talkative, one that you know you would get along with for a very long time. And just by looking at her, you would know that she has a soft heart.
"We can't have the two camps leave their base as the enemies will surely attack anytime," Maximilian continued. "So we have to rely on the communication route in order to communicate with each other."
"Is it why there are two units brought here?"
"That's the original plan, yes. We will have to change plans after we do some initializing for both camps," Maximilian replied.
Annabeth put her hand down on the table. "Your mistress knew what will happen, don't she? She knew that the Lord of Darkness will attack the camp right before you all arrived here. She knew what will happen to our world. She knew right from the start that her brother will rise." Her gray eyes were blazing in accusation and realization that Vincent thought it were storm clouds.
Althea began to wring her hands together, her fingers entwined as she bit her lower lip. "I would slow down in accusations, daughter of Athena," she stated in an anxious tone. "I don't want to see my lady… upset."
Annabeth looked like she was struck by the lightning bolt. Her face became pale. Whatever made Annabeth scared at Althea's statement, Vincent doesn't want to know. But he wondered what had happened in the solstice. Althea had mentioned that they managed to meet Lady Sillari who was basically Omega, the protogenos goddess of End.
Vincent narrowed his eyes at the table when something clicked in his head when he thought about that name. But before he could think further, he was drawn back to reality when Maximilian spoke again.
"Yes, Lady Sillari knew that Dark Face will attack the two camps but no, she doesn't know what happen between that. That's why she sent us to ensure that the result will be different. Lady Sillari has a prophetic ability but like Lord Hermes, it's only limited."
Althea decided to take over in discussing as she stepped forward. She was back in her smiling face. "The soldiers are neither demigods nor legacies. We are much more… complicated. We are either the children of a Greek spirit and Titan or a Greek spirit and gods or both Greek spirits."
The demigods' eyes widened as the information sink in. Children of two immortals?!
As if Althea didn't notice their stunned expressions, she continued. "Unlike demigods or legacies, we don't need to honor our parents all the time as long as we are loyal to both Lady Sillari and Lord Chaos. They are our mother and father in mortal sense. We also couldn't live in one place with half-bloods for a long time since we have a complicated combination of blood that will not fit to the environment of yours." A gleam passed Althea's eyes. "If we do live in one place with the half-bloods for longer time than we should, we die even without war."
"What…what do you mean?" Katie asked in a broken voice.
"What I mean is… we have different environment than yours," Althea answered in a meaningful smile.
Chiron decided to ask his own question. "Do you have any idea what the Lord of Darkness wanted here on Earth?"
Althea stared at Chiron's eyes before she answered. "We have information about what he wanted, Chiron. But unless the oracle delivers the prophecy to the chosen one, we cannot disclose it yet."
Chiron nodded in understanding. Max, then, spoke again. "We will start to train together as soon as possible. We know that prophecies guide you in quests. Now that Lord Apollo is back, expect that not only one group will leave for missions. As much as possible, one or two soldiers will accompany you to be sure that you come back safe."
"What if the oracle prohibit that?" Piper asked.
Althea smiled one-sidedly. "The moment Lord Chaos made Lord Zeus bring Lord Apollo back from his exile, Lord Apollo is in an agreement with Lady Sillari's plan. Less death will mean more possibility to win the war.
"You… you forced my father in an agreement?" Will asked in disbelief.
Max and Althea simultaneously raised their eyebrows. But it was Althea who answered him. "Force is an overstatement, Will Solace." Will and the other's eyes widened when she recited his name like they already introduced their names to her. Which they had not as much as they remembered. "Your father knew what the future is… much clearer than Lady Sillari. He knows what we are doing much more than the other gods."
Vincent could see Reyna shaking her head in disbelief. Then his most awaited nightmare came. Althea looked at him and smiled.
"Anyway, this brave man right here saw enough for his whole life. I would like to know what he's thinking."
Vincent wished Nico would open the ground to swallow him up and never go back here again. All eyes turned to him as if he had magically appeared. Obviously they had forgotten that he was right there. Except General Althea, of course. It's as if she had purposefully didn't say something about him the whole duration of the meeting just to put him on the blinding spotlight later.
"I…I…" Vincent started but he couldn't speak. There's a big lump in his throat that was preventing him to talk.
Chiron rolled his wheelchair to Vincent's side and put a gentle hand on his shoulder reassuringly. Then he faced Althea. "Vincent is one of the senior campers here as he lived here longer than any campers. But he is… yet unclaimed by his godly parent."
Althea and Max appeared to be shocked. Then they looked at each other. There's some sort of communication between them, like they were talking through eye contact. Then they looked back at Vincent and Chiron.
"Are you sure, Chiron?"
"Yes," Chiron answered with his eyebrows scrunched together. "Is there any problem?"
Althea stared at Vincent for a moment, sizing him up before she shook her head and smiled. "No. No, Chiron. There is none. But I will need his opinion over all of his experience in this camp as Max would as the eldest among the Roman demigods later. It will help us know how to cope up with the way you train."
Annabeth opened her mouth to ask something but Max already glanced at her pointedly. She wisely didn't say anything.
Vincent started to fidget with the hem of his orange Camp Half-blood shirt. "I'm… I'm not into the frontline. I take part in the inner defense, protecting younger ones who couldn't be in war just yet. So I have nothing to say about war just yet. The cabin leaders can tell you instead."
Fool, his inner voice chided, you have a say. You're just afraid of the spotlight that they will put on you later.
Althea nodded before she crossed her arms. You are lying.
"I'm not!" Vincent exclaimed as his head snapped up from looking down at the table.
"Vince," Jake said in a worried tone.
Althea was still staring at him and he was staring back at her. You obviously had noticed a change in you as you grew older, Vincent Wayne. Those experiences years ago and the emptiness you feel until now. You noticed all of it. But you chose to ignore it.
Vincent felt, for the first time in his life, horrified. And scared. She knew. She knew something that even Chiron had a hard time figuring out. She knew that he doesn't want anyone to know so she spoke to him through their mind.
Those thoughts running in his head caused his eyes to throb and he had to close it and put his head on the edge of the table.
"Vincent, are you okay, son?" Chiron asked worriedly.
Vincent took a deep breath and exhaled shakily to calm down. "Yeah… Yeah I'm fine. Just… a bit dizzy," he reasoned weakly.
Suddenly a voice echoed around them. "General Althea, come in. General Althea, come in."
Althea sighed then she turned to the others who were obviously looking around for the owner of the voice. "Report, Keila."
"Squad 20 has been under attack. Dispatch counterattack?"
Althea and Max glanced at each other briefly. Then Max asked, "General Maximilian from Camp Jupiter under Communication Route No. 15 influence. Who's the offense, Keila?"
"Good to hear your voice again, General Maxim. Offense is led by Lyssa."
Vincent's lips curled in a cringing expression when he heard Max let out a series of unintelligible curses while Althea whipped her head to Max with her wide eyes.
"Get the Squad 34 and 40 for counterattack, Keila –", Max began to order but Althea cut him off.
"No. Send the Squad 1 to 10, Keila. I will go with them."
"Roger that, General Althea."
Max turned to Althea, his midnight eyes hard.
Althea shook her head. "No, Max. This is Camp Half-blood. Therefore, it is my range of responsibility. She turned to the Greek demigods. "I will buy some time for you to strengthen the defense of the camp. Make sure you guard the borders well. Also, the Golden Fleece."
"What? The Golden Fleece protects the borders. It's protected by –" Annabeth stopped when she noticed the graved look on Althea's face. "Peleus."
"The dragon is not to be trusted for now, daughter of Athena. Even a dragon cannot repel the power of the spirit of rage, and the Bringer of all wild animals' rabies and venom."
~O~O~O~O~O~
The moment Althea dispersed the communication route, Annabeth started to lay out her plans. Althea already went out of the Big House but not before stopping briefly at the door, her hand on the frame. She didn't look back but Vincent could hear her voice –warm and soothing – in his head.
Don't fear, Vincent. Prove yourself worthy of all heroes.
Vincent turned to the door but Althea has already slipped out. "Vince?" He turned to Thalia who was staring at him worriedly. "Are you okay?"
Vince nodded. "I'm fine." He tried to focus on the war council's plans but he couldn't as he thought of what Althea meant by what she had said.
~O~O~O~O~O~O~
Althea led the Squad 1 to 10, which consists of 4 soldiers in a squad, out of the borders of the camp. She glanced at her side and could see the dragon, Peleus, shaking his head as if trying to fend off whatever curse Lyssa was casting on him.
The female general looked back to the front. She put on her helmet and slid the visor down to cover her eyes. She then pulled out her Celestial bronze sword.
"Soldiers!" she shouted and raised her sword in the air. "For Omega!"
The soldiers charged towards the opponents – same bunch of monsters but much more menacing and savage as they were inflicted by Lyssa's rage and venom.
Althea could feel it the moment she stepped on the battlefield. The rage, the anger, the lust to kill… so different to the Olympian god of war's aura. It's filled with venom and insanity. Althea scanned the field after she killed an empousa.
"Are you looking for me, Lade General?" a raspy voice asked from behind her.
She slashed her sword as she whirled around block a broad blade. She smiled as she came face-to-face with a pale, bony face of Lyssa. Her black eyes were hollow and dull, her black hair frizzy, and she has a pair of fangs that resembled a dog's, dripping with venom similar that of a snake's. Her eyes were staring at Althea in an insane, predatory look that Althea momentarily felt fear.
But Althea had been through a lot of battle fears and facing Lyssa is not the first time so she easily slipped through the initial shock and pushed the spirit away.
Lyssa cackled. "So, Omega decided to intervene. The Lord will surely love the challenge. He's getting bored of those useless gods and half-bloods, after all."
Althea smiled her casual smile. "Then why attack the half-bloods if you want a challenge? Why not attack the Olympians and us first?"
Lyssa laughed menacingly and started to slash he dual broad swords against Althea's sword. "Don't be naive, General! You know what treasure those gods hid behind that border!"
Althea was caught off guard, letting Lyssa slashed through Althea's bronze blade, cutting it in half. Althea threw her half blade to a telekhine near them. At least that blade served its purpose till the end. She reached behind her and pulled out two Celestial bronze daggers from its sheath holstered around her waist.
"Oh come on, General! You know pathetic Celestial bronze won't even reach me!" Lyssa cackled.
Althea grinned enthusiastically. "I didn't think you forget what these 'pathetic' Celestial bronze did to you eons ago, Lyssa."
She charged at the spirit with speed that matched the Olympian god of the road's flying sandals. Swords are weapons that Althea can live with as a front. Every soldier are trained to use every weapons they could have in sight. But Althea loved to use daggers. It's like her lifeline. A comforting assurance that she doesn't have to use IT ever.
Lyssa's eyes sparkled with burning rage. Her rage reflected on the monsters and soldiers almost immediately and even Althea was not an exemption. This is a spirit, still a deity of her own domain we're talking about.
The spirit of rage attacked Althea with renewed strength. Althea fell back in a defense, her smile still present as she dodged and evaded every attack of Lyssa's blade. Althea took a short glance around and saw the demigods gathering at the borders, restraining Peleus who was now ready to make a rampage anywhere. She ducked and slashed her dagger against Lyssa's thigh as deep as she could get, making the spirit scream in pain.
Althea proceeded into slashing her other blade above her head without looking up, catching Lyssa's wrist that was holding her other sword. Lyssa howled in pain again, catching the attention of Chiron and the demigods who were ready to go into battle.
The blonde didn't look at them, and smiled at Lyssa. "Come on, Lyssa. Calm down. You wouldn't get anything from being angry," she said softly as she took over the offense. Slash, stab, and twisting her daggers on Lyssa's flesh while the latter tried to defend herself in vain.
Suddenly the darkness surrounds them. Althea was hovering over Lyssa who was kneeling, limbs nearly decapitated. She looked up briefly but then looked back down at Lyssa who cackled weakly.
"The Lord has finally sensed Omega and her minions. My mission is postponed. Let's meet again, daughter of Aether and Philophrosyne."
Lyssa slowly dissolved in a smoke while the monsters backed away. The soldiers and demigods are going to charge after them but Chiron stopped them in time.
"Back to the borders, now!" Chiron commanded in a loud voice and all of them backed away from the battlefield and into the safety of the borders.
Althea, however, didn't move from her spot. She stood with her daggers in hands and her visor covering her eyes. The darkness swirled like a huge whirlwind above the ground.
"General Althea! Get away from there!" someone from the demigods' rank shouted.
She twirled her daggers in her hands and put it back on the sheaths at her back. She braced herself and planted her heels on the ground as the darkness gunned down to the earth, creating a huge blast.
The earth shook, making those standing stumble down. They have to close their eyes when dusts covered the air. When the dusts and smoke started to clear, they all squinted their eyes open.
Althea was still standing, but she's not alone anymore. Beside her stood the figure of the other general, General Maximilian. In front of them stood in her human form and battle gear was the goddess Omega.
And facing them, in front of his monster army, is the protogenos god of darkness, Erebus.
Hope you like the chapter :)