Disclaimer: I don't own PJO/HOO
Wasn't sure how to write a fight scene and no matter what it came out really awkwardly so I just skimmed over it.
Thalia was morbidly surprised that they hadn't tortured her physically. The majority of them had certainly and vocally wanted to. If not for Athena's orders they would've. Instead they were trying to convince her to turn on the gods by isolating her to convince her. Annabeth and Athena were the only people she'd seen since being removed from under the sky.
"I know what will work to prove the truth to you," Athena smirked slyly at her. Thalia let out a huff and shifted in answer. She was doing her best to ignore Athena and turn Annabeth back but it was hard. She wasn't sure how much longer she'd last against the psychological torment.
"Do you know why I turned against Olympus?"
Thalia tightened her jaw, refusing to acknowledge the woman.
"Because of the Romans," the venom and loathing in Athena's voice had Thalia flinching away. "They deserve to suffer for my humiliation!"
'Definitely insane,' Zeus' daughter nodded to herself. She wasn't able to refrain from speaking anymore. "You do realize that the Roman Empire died like, thousands of years ago, right?"
Athena laughed coldly. "Oh, that's what the gods would have you believe. They fear another Civil War, you see. But no, the Empire is alive and thriving in the Bay Area. Living their lives unpunished for stripping me of my dignity!" Her voice rose to a shout as she spoke before abruptly she calmed to smile coolly at Thalia.
The demigod squirmed. If the goddess was telling the truth than frankly she couldn't blame the Council for separating the two sets of half-bloods. There were enough problems with the Titans without adding Romans to the mix.
"Don't you want to know," Athena breathed in Thalia's ear, making the captive feel shivers run up her spine. "What really happened, to your poor, precious baby brother?"
Thalia's head jerked around to look at her before she could stop herself. At the smug look in Athena's stormy grey eyes, she resumed staring at the opposite wall in silence.
"He's alive you know," she whispered and Thalia felt her teeth grit together tightly. "He's a Roman so they took him away and said he died to keep you from looking for him. Even your precious Lady Akantha was there with Juno when she took him from your mother."
"You're lying!" Thalia shrieked without realizing that she'd even done so. She could feel lightening dancing painfully under her skin, demanding to be released at the threat but kept inside by the Celestial Gold chains binding her. She cursed her loss of control at the coldly satisfied expression on the wisdom goddess' face.
Before anything else could be said, Chris Rodriguez, one of the traitors, came hurrying up to the door of the cage Thalia was being kept in.
"What?" Athena snapped angrily at him, eyes flashing dangerously. Chris flinched but gasped out his message.
"The rescue team from Camp Half-Blood has arrived and are passing Ladon's tree, my Lady! The General ordered you be fetched with the prisoner."
Athena scowled slightly but Thalia felt a jolt of relief and hope. After being hastily gagged she was roughly dragged from the cage where Rodriguez, two dracenae and an empousa took custody of her and 'escorted' her through a labyrinth of dark tunnels until they arrived at the entrance to the mountain summit where Annabeth and Atlas waited.
The questers had their backs to them and the two huntresses were tugging frantically at Artemis' chains. The goddess herself was saying it was a trap and ordering them to leave.
Atlas laughed coldly. "Aw, how touching," he said as he stepped forward.
"Annabeth," Luke spat the name like a curse as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Let Thalia go. Now."
Annabeth looked genuinely pained as she shook her head. "I can't do that Luke," she told him. "Thalia needs to make the right decision."
Luke glared bitterly at her. "Traitor," he snapped contemptuously at her, not letting his anguish touch his face.
"So much for old friends," the General laughed coldly. "And Zoe, my traitorous daughter. It's been a long time, I'll enjoy killing you."
"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."
"Let Artemis go!" Zoe demanded. Atlas smirked and strode forward.
"Are you offering to take her place?" He raised an eyebrow as she began to reply. Artemis interrupted.
"No! Do not offer Zoe! I forbid you!"
Before anymore taunts could be exchanged, there was a flash of light and Akantha appeared. She was dressed for battle in a short Greek chiton, lace up sandals and Celestial Bronze armor. In her right hand, her ancient sword glowed softly and a shield emblazoned with her various exploits as a mortal was strapped to her other arm. Atlas's face twisted in rage. "You!" He spat. "How did you get here?"
Akantha arched an eyebrow. "Enough strong, brave and loyal heroes were gathered here that I was able to appear via them. Where is Ares? I expected him here to uselessly gloat in an attempt to boost his ego."
Athena scowled. "He is commanding the Princess Andromeda," she answered stiffly. "Soon he will arrive but you will be in Tartarus by then."
Akantha attacked first, raising her sword and moving forward to quickly to see, striking out at Atlas before he and Athena could prepare themselves.
She whispered inside the heroes' heads. 'Free Artemis, so that she may aid me. I can only fight them both for so long without another immortal's help. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to challenge them. It is too dangerous.'
Zoe turned to her mistress to tug frantically at the chains, Grover helping her. Bianca raised her bow and began picking off the monsters on the summit and climbing it. Luke rushed toward Thalia to free her, slashing through her chains.
The daughter of Zeus slapped her bracelet, which she'd somehow managed to keep. It leaped to full size and she snatched up a fallen dracenae's spear.
They fought back-to-back and decimated the monsters quickly but it was obviously not enough. Zoe had been forced to abandon her attempts to free Artemis in order to defend herself from Annabeth, Bianca was struggling to keep up with the tide of enemies, Grover had been knocked unconscious and Akantha was faltering in her own fight against the Titan and war goddesss.
Thalia and Luke exchanged quick looks and swiftly nodded at the plan they communicated to each other through their eyes.
While Thalia went to attack the wisdom goddess, despite Akantha's mental protests, Luke rushed to Artemis and persuaded her to give him the sky. She rolled free and leaped into the battle. The tide turned quickly, Athena grabbing her daughter and disappearing after Atlas was forced back under the sky.
"Zoe!" Bianca's cry had all of them rushing over in panic. Zoe was lying weakly on the ground, a savage hole in her stomach. "My Lady can't you do anything for her?" Bianca begged desperately even as Artemis and Akantha both held their hands out over the huntress' stomach.
Everyone waited in tense silence. Even Thalia, who didn't particularly like Zoe, was worried for her. There was, after all, a huge difference between disliking someone and wishing them dead. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, the wound began to close.
"Thank you, miladies," Zoe rasped as she pushed herself into a sitting position. "When I heard the Oracle say that one's fate would be decided by a parent's hand, I thought-"
"A parent," Akantha gently cut in. "Not their parent. I am a parent too. Artemis acts as a mother to all her hunters. Now is not yet your time to go to Elysium, Zoe Nightshade. The world still needs you."
"As I still need you," Artemis added, smiling softly at her handmaiden. Then she turned serious, looking at Akantha. "We must hurry or we will miss the Summer Solstice. Fates know what would happen then, they can't cast any votes on the war without all Councilors present."
Akantha nodded back at her grimly. "Yes, if you would summon your chariot? I will ride with you, if you don't mind."
Artemis nodded and strode toward the cliff's edge while Akantha returned her attention to the demigods. "Unfortunately, we cannot take you with us. However," she waved her hand and Bianca let out a surprised gasp, pointing out several shapes flying closer.
They gradually became distinct, revealing they were five pegasi. "My pegasi will escort you to Mt. Olympus. The Council will want full details of what has happened. I will see you all soon." With that, she hurried off to join her fellow goddess on the silver chariot, leaving Thalia no chance to ask about the Romans.
By the time the demigods arrived on pegasi, the gods were debating what to do with the Ophiotaurus. Most of them wanted to kill it and be done with it all but Akantha was laying out a passion filled case for keeping him alive on Olympus.
Finally, they agreed to keep him in a pool on Olympus, under guard by two centaurs who were most definitely not Party Ponies.
Then they turned to the half-bloods to learn what had happened over the week. After the questers had finished they turned to Thalia.
"And you Thalia?" Akantha asked her gently. "What happened to you over the week? I can't see any serious injuries."
Thalia wet her lips and swallowed before answering. "They didn't really touch me," she said after a moment. "They wanted me to turn on you but I wouldn't. I, they said." She cut herself off in frustration before starting again. "Right before the battle, Athena came to speak with me."
"What did she say, Daughter?" Zeus boomed, his brow crinkled in concern.
"She said that there are Roman demigods in the Bay Area," Thalia told them hesitantly, seeing shock and dismay cross the faces of the gods. "And that," she faltered and felt Luke grasp her hand gently to encourage her. "That my baby brother Jason was alive and living with them."
She peeked up through her lashes at the Council, who were exchanging looks.
Eventually Zeus nodded and began to speak. "You must understand, when the Romans took over, we all changed. The majority of us became militaristic and, more united. Athena however, did not. Instead she became goddess of arts and crafts and Bellona became goddess of warfare. She was humiliated and her Roman aspect, Minerva, has never been sane. Not really anyway. She's obsessed with one of her statues that was taken in the Sack of Athens.
Athena never forgave the Empire for downgrading her. Every Civil War throughout history has been the result of Athena stirring up the feud. Eventually after the Civil War in the 1860's we decided that it could not continue. Both sets of heroes were separated and forbidden from crossing. When you did encounter each other on quests, you killed each other."
"I wouldn't've killed Jason! Ever!" Thalia angrily protested. "I-"
"Lady Hera," Akantha cut her off calmly, though her pursed lips and the cold look she sent toward the Queen gave away her true feelings. "Demanded Jason be given to her as her champion or she would kill you both.
On top of that, Jason was young enough that he didn't attract many monsters but it would've gotten out of control as you both grew. Jason could not have gone to Camp Half-Blood, just as you could not go to the Roman Camp. We did what we believed best to keep you both safe and alive. But I am, truly, sorry for your grief. You did not deserve such pain."