Disclaimer: I do not own Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson books, characters, series, movies, or anything else you may recognize.

Chapter Ten

Follow The Leader

"People have faith in me

I think I once did too

I promise whoever has a hold on our lives

I'll see the bad times through."

"The Truth" by Elton John

I had met my fair share of crazy people throughout my life, but Jason took the cake. Me as a strategos? It was a role for a leader, which I most definitely was not. I wasn't even trusted to go on quests anymore – my first quest since the war wouldn't take place for another year! I couldn't even control my own abilities!

When I noticed everyone staring at me, I said, "I'm not a leader."

"Yes, you are," Annabeth said. "You led your first official quest with Camp Half-Blood last year and you did extremely well."

"I led our entire group into a trap that could and very well should have killed all of us, and got a key that was supposed to show us how to destroy Kronos, but looked like it was a ploy. I took it at face value and gave up while Nico – who wasn't even on the quest with us – figured out what it really meant!" I argued. "Besides, by the time anyone was able to use the key, I was already under Kronos' control."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, remembering the war. Probably remembering the horrible things I know I did but couldn't really remember myself.

"You are the best fighter any of us have ever seen," Lee started. "You're also the most powerful and because you have the most to lose on this quest, I personally think you'll keep a level head and make sure that whatever decisions are made, are made so that they'll benefit and spare the most people."

Jason nodded his agreement. "Besides, Chiron's already appointed you as the ambassador for Camp Half-Blood so it only makes sense."

Everyone's eyes were glued to me, waiting for an answer. Clarisse didn't look impressed, but she also wasn't saying against it. Clarisse rarely kept her opinions to herself, so if she was quiet, it usually meant she agreed with what had been proposed but just didn't want to admit it. I could tell what the others were thinking.

I'm sure there were at least a few of them that didn't think it was a good idea. Everyone remembered what happened last year and I knew some of them still felt uncomfortable around me, like Kronos was still in control of me.

"I vote Andee le Fay, granddaughter of Zeus, daughter of Apollo, ambassador for Camp Half-Blood, to be our strategos when we go to Camp Jupiter," Annabeth said. "We're Greek – we're the founders of democracy, are we not? If anyone opposes, you can challenge her in a duel for the spot."

No one would challenge me. For one, I couldn't die. Secondly, I've been training since I was six years old, while most of the other campers only started training when they were twelve or thirteen. I also trained year-round, instead of just summer break.

Getting in the ring with me would be stupid, as Mark from the Ares cabin learned the hard way.

"I second the vote," Lee said. One by one, the senior counselors began echoing Annabeth and Lee. I sat there in stunned silence while they waited for me to accept. I hadn't known when Chiron told me everything about the Greeks that this might happen, that I might lead the Greeks to war. Chiron also hadn't mentioned that this was all part of the Prophecy. I didn't want to be a part of another Prophecy, not one this deadly.

"Fine," I sighed frustratedly. I didn't want to do it, but there wasn't really an option at this point.

Jason's grin reached from ear to ear. "Good. Now we've got a warship to build."

Everyone went their separate ways, a few of the senior counselors asking Leo how they could help. I was a little furious that the people who supposedly cared about me had ganged up on me like that. I mean, come on, I said I couldn't do it!

I went for a jog around the camp to help me calm down. After about ten laps around the camp's borders (and stopping to talk to and pet Peleus for a good hour), I needed to hunt someone down.

When I found Jason walking back to the Zeus cabin, I shoved him as hard as I could. My shove sent him flying into the front of the Athena cabin. "What the hell, Andee?"

"Why on Earth would you want me to lead this quest with you? Hmm?" I demanded. "You don't know anything about me or my past! You don't know what I can and can't do – you barely know me. What makes you think I'm capable of this?"

"You've got power in your eyes."

"That's not a valid answer! That's something I would find in a fortune cookie, and you're not even Chinese!" I growled at him. "I would have been fine being a scullery maid, so long as I got to see Percy again."

"Do ships even have scullery maids anymore?"

"The Hades if I know!" I exclaimed. "What did you even mean when you said I've got 'power in my eyes'?"

"When I first met you, there was just something in your eyes that told me how strong and powerful you were before I knew anything else about you. I'm not sure why or how that happened, but I just knew," Jason explained. "Intuition, or something like that."

I was silent for a moment, letting his words seep in. "I don't know if I can lead everyone into what might very well turn out to be a war."

"Yes you can," Jason said. "Trust me. I was a praetor at Camp Jupiter – every fiber of my being tells me it has to be you. You're even stronger than me, which is saying something."

I gave him a look. "And obviously much smarter."

"Do you always resort to insults when someone's right or is that just for me?" Jason asked with a grin.

"It's for all the dumb-asses in the world," I said. "You're not as special as you seem to think you are, pretty boy."

"Oh, I'm pretty special."

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "Because if we're talking special, I'm the only daughter of Apollo, Zeus' granddaughter, and I'm a Greek born on the west coast and in Canada. Pretty sure that makes me way more special than you."

Jason grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I think we're going to get along just fine." I wished he wasn't a son of Zeus so I could zap him. Repeatedly. With high voltage. "Also," Jason said, "the Romans have no respect for Minerva – Athena's equivalent – because she's more about planning and defensive strategies, but the Romans are all about the offense. It was always meant to be you."

We both fell silent as we walked the short distance to our cabin. My ring shone as it caught a glimpse of light from the shiny walls of the Zeus cabin. "That's a nice ring," Jason said to break the silence.

"It's a promise ring from Percy," I said quietly, lightly grazing my finger over the diamond. "He gave it to me the night he disappeared as a promise that we'd get married one day. Honestly though, if he'd asked, I would have married him on the spot."

"Even more reason for you to lead this quest with me," Jason said. When we arrived at the steps to the cabin, he looked around and smiled. "Follow me." Suddenly he was floating in the air, rising higher and higher until he was standing on the roof of the Zeus cabin.

"I can't fly."

"You sure about that?"

I thought back to the war and remembered Thalia and Annabeth saying that I actually hadn't made the jump from the elevator to Olympus – that I had flown. But we were in the middle of the war and no one was thinking clearly, so I didn't believe them.

"Apparently not," Jason said, noticing the uncertainty on my face. "Climb up, then."

"It's a flat surface!"

"I'm sure you can figure out a way."

"I should remind you that my grandfather – your father – isn't in the best state of mind right now and wouldn't notice if I killed you."

"You can't kill someone you can't reach."

I had an arrow notched in my bow before he finished the sentence. "You sure about that?" I asked in a mocking tone, mimicking his earlier question. I kept my arrow locked on him. If there was one thing I knew above anything else, it was that I could hit any target. Any.

Just to prove the point, I shot the arrow at him. It whistled through the air and skimmed his ear, leaving a couple drops of blood behind. "You missed!"

"I never miss," I said pointed. "That was a warning shot." I looked around. We didn't keep ladder around at camp. I backed up a few steps and took a running leap towards the Poseidon cabin, which was much lower than the Zeus cabin and was able to grasp the edge of the roof. I pulled myself up pretty easily and gauged the distance between the Poseidon and Zeus cabin. I could make it.

I moved to the far edge of the Poseidon cabin's roof and started running, taking a bounding leap and landing on the roof of the Zeus cabin. There was a lot of building jumping involved in my training with Val. A lot. Sometimes we even jumped trains instead of buildings.

I missed the good ol' days.

"You didn't fly, but that was still impressive," Jason complimented as I sat down on the edge of the roof with him.

"A daughter of Athena had fun making up creative, real-life training exercises," I answered.

"So you weren't trained here?" he asked.

"No. My godmother's been training me in Vancouver since I was six years old."

"I think I know someone from Vancouver," Jason said.

"Well, Vancouver is a pretty big city," I said before adding, "but I most definitely wouldn't know him if he was a Roman."

"You're probably right," Jason said, looking out at the camp. "It explains why you're so much stronger than the others here." I nodded. "So what's the deal with the necklace and the bracelets? You're always wearing them – during training, while you sleep, during swimming…why do you wear them?"

"Why shouldn't I?" I asked defensively. "I'm a girl – we like to wear jewelry."

"That's not the reason, though, is it?"

I sighed, rubbing my hands on my thighs. This was not a story I was eager to tell, but I did anyways, starting from the fires and power outages I caused as a child to the moment everyone realized that if the sedation I was under wore off, I would destroy everything.

Jason was quiet for a long time afterwards before saying, "That sucks."

I looked at him in disbelief for a moment before bursting out in laughter. "'That sucks'? That's all you have to say about it?"

"Well, that and we could help each other," Jason said.

"How?"

"You teach me how to fight like a Greek, and I'll help you learn better control," Jason said. "If we're going to succeed on this quest, we need to depend on each other and really be able to work as a team."

"I think that sounds like a great idea."