Hera's Chosen

Venessa's POV

The hordes of Aphrodites (as I will be calling them) entered without warning. They immidiately began running to the celebrities, and Tony flirted. "Tony! You're taken! Remember a certain 'Pepper Potts'?" He laughed. Then the Aphrodites saw Luke. "Oh m gods! Ababy! Who is he? Who's his parent? Is he staying? How old is he? Oh my gods, he's adorable! Can we keep him?" Piper must havee seen the expression on my face, because she stood and ushered them out, saying, "Alright, boys and girls. Quest bussiness to talk about. Highly classified. No, you can not take Luke with you." She came back in, looking content. "Thanks, Piper." We shared a smile.

"So what's this quest?" Steve asked. "Nothing to do with mortals, exept Venessa." Percy answered quickly. "What? Why? Why her?" "Not for mortals. You can't help. She's in the prophecy, and blessed by Hera, which knid of makes her a demigod. The only demigod representing Hera." Thor looked at me, acessing me, then looked at Percy. "Are you the real Perseus Jackson? The hero of Olympus?" "First of all, how do you know my name? Second, why should I answer you?" "Seaweed Brain, he's a god. And yes Thor. We are."

Thor looked around a the demigods, and did the most unexpected thing. He kneeled. The Avengers gasped, while the demigods just looked mildly annoyed. "Why are you kneeling, Thor? They're just kids." He got some glares. "Because, Man of Iron, while your team may have saved the world form aliens that wanted to control the world once, these 9 young heroes save the world form first, world war three at the age of 12, then the titan king Kronos at 16, who wanted to destroy the world,, then, just two weeks ago, they saved the world from the world, Mother Gaia, literally Mother Earth. They have survived the deepest pits of hell, and have cheated and come back from the dead. They have done more in the past 6 years then you will ever do in your entire life. All without getting a large ego.

Percy took this time to talk. "First of all, we had each other. Second, me and Annabeth-" "Annabeth and I." "Thank you, Wise girl. Annbeth and I wouldn't have survived Tartarus without each other. Praise Nico. He did it alone." "Ah, yes. The Ghost King." "Next, we had two whole armies. And Luke sacrificed himself to kill Kronos. Leo and Hazel are the ones back from the dead, so kneel to them, not me. I am truely tired of the attention and offers of godhood." "You were offered to be a god?" "Yeah?" "Nothing."

"But you, Persues-" "Percy." "You are one of the leaders. You are one of the emotional inspirations. You didn't quit, so they didn't. You survived, and they admire you. On my home world in Asguarrd, we tell your story to thee children, and they say, 'When I grow up, I want to be Persseus Jackson. I want to be Annabeth Chase. I want to be Leo Valdez so I can set things on fire!'" "Yeah, baby!" "You are heroes, so get over it." "Yes, sir." "Now, let's go eat."

We all paraded to the dinner pavilion and ate. Even Luke got a plate. He wanted poptarts. "Thor!" "Oops." So he got poptart flavored baby food. I ate the same as last night, holding back a flash back. That was a major win.

After lunch I went to sword practice. I was pretty good. Then archery, where Clint and the best archer from Apollo went against each other. They called a draw. Thor and the Graces fought, and they called a draw too. Then Leo took us to bunker 9, where Tony almost had a heart attack. Leo showed him ideas for his suit, and showed him the Argo II. Then we shoed Bruce the Athena cabin, and he was extatic. We ttook Steve to the hand-to-hand comnat area, where he fought a few Ares kids. An other draw. Natasha liked the climbing wall. Percy decided to take us to the beach.

Those were the happiest few hours I had had since the accident. No flashback. I was too happy. Percy led us on a tour of the lake bottom. Then he created a water slide. Him and Nico got into a play fight when he dumped three gallons of icy water over Nico's head. "Perceus Jackson!" "Ooh, full name!" "Leo, don't make me sic Cerebrus on you!" "Okay, okay."

Then dinner. Then campfire. Then we talked in my cabin. The Aengers would stay for three more days, after which we would begin our journey. They stayed in my cabin. It was peacefull. Unfourtuantely, peace doesn't last for a demigod, or quarter-god, or whatever I was.

-LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE-

Nico's POV

It was an hour after curfiew, and I was strolling the camp like I usually did. It calmed me, being in the shadows, hiding from the harpies. It helped me think. Then, a sound cut through the air. A scream. More specifically, Percy's scream. And Annabeth's. I ran back to his cabin (still no shadow-travel. Stupid son of Apollo). Half the camp was in Annabeth's. The other half with me in Percy's. I found Clovis from the Hypnos cabin and began my interrogation.

"Clovis! I thought your cabin was keeping them from having nightmares! Diverting it or whatever!" He looked at me, and I saw complete terror on his face. Was he afraid of me, or- "Dreams are fluid, Nico. You know that. It's hard enough guiding Percy and Annabeth away from their nightmares with out a stronger force pulling us in!" "What stronger for-" Another scream. One I didn't recognize, but Percy did. He woke up and shot out of bed.

"Percy! Are you all right?" "I am, but she's not!" "Who- Oh. Oh no." We started running. Clovis followed. "Nico, I have never seen a dream so powerfull in my entire dream travels. This is worse than Percy, or Annabeth, or anyone!" He stood infront of us to block our path. "I saw it. I saw why she's so afraid, and I was afraid, too. Her secrets are hers to tell, but there's one thing she won't be able to tell you." He took a deep breath, and I saw Chiron coming this way. "There was a man there. He stood off to the side. He was... he was... He was blue. A blue god."

What? Who is that? Before Chiron reached us he hurredely whispered, "Ask Thor." And we began to run again. When we reached her cabin, the door was slightly ajar. We met up with the rest of the 10 new questers, and entered. Chiron kept the campers out, and we met Venessa.

She was laying on her bed, writhing in pain and agony, the Avengers circled around her and Luke, who was still asleep. Tony looked at us, and screamed over her wails, "We can't get to her! There's some sort of force field!" I walked up and tried to shadow travel, but I was shot back into Percy. A light field of red, grey, and royal blue roared around her. Amore solid one encased Luke.

"How do we get her out? We can't get to her, what do we do?" I asked. Thor looked at Annabeth, and she said, "No. No no no. I won't do it!" "Child of Athena, it's the only way! Do you wish to see her in such pain? I will not tell her secrets, but I will say this; Akhlys, the goddess of misery, whom you met in Tartarus, has called her perfect. She has claimed that there was nothing more she could do to this child, exept take Luke."

"Annabeth, whatever it is, do it. Now!" I had been called perfect by the misery goddess before, and with all I've been through, I can understand why. But what had happened to this girl? "No!" Annabeth yelled. I glared at her, my I-survived-Tartarus-by-myself-Ghost-King-I-will-send-you-to-Hades glare. She cracked. "Fine." She ran out side, and came back with some ambrosia. She laid them on the altar by the statue of Hera.

"O, Hera, queen of the gods and goddesses, accept my offering. Please, come down. Your blessed one is in need of your powress." She stepped back, and the statue glowed. Then, Hera stepped out, a perfect image of the statue. She looked at us, smiling, but her smile instantly faded when she saw Venessa. "A family shield. Very strong. I knew she was strong, but not this strong." "What's a family shield?" Leo asked. "It lets no one in but family. Or other specific people who are chosen." She walked to Venessa, straight through the field, but not without a little turbulance. "Extremely strong."

She walked to Venessa's side, and laid a reasurring hand on hers. Venessa's shaking slowed. Hera began to talk to her in a motherly tone. Well, she is the goddess of mothers.

"My dear child. Wake. You no longer have to dwell in the past. You have lost your birth family, yes, but you have a new one. You have Luke. You have the mortal avengers along with Thor. They are your family. I told you to trust them, and you have. Family isn't just the people you're born with, it's the people you make to be your family, the people you choose. So choose now. They may be flawed, that is certain, but they will be a great family, and will protect you at all costs."

Venessa's face seemed to ease a bit, and Tony fell on his face from where he had been leaning on the field. Everyone laughed as the Avengers made thier way to her.

"You also could make a family with these demigods. They will protect you and Luke as well. The people of the prophecy have to be a family to cooperate in the ways needed. They are even more flawed then the mortals, but those flaws are put to good use. You can trust them, love them like a sister should. Make a home here. Put your powers to good use pulling them together. Now wake, child, and meet your family." Percy stuck his hand through the barrier as her eyes fluttered open, and the barrier dissappeared. Venessa sat up, grabbed Luke, and hugged the queen of the gods.

She. Hugged. Hera. But of course, Annabeth asked before I could.

Annabeth's POV

"How the Hades could you hug her?" I yelled. This woman was a decietful little bitch (pardon the language), and I said as much! "She tricks, steals, decieves. You can't just hug her!" Hera stood up, and began to glow, but amazingly, Venessa calmed her down and gave her Luke. He immediately giggled.

Venessa stood and walked to me, until we were only a foot and a half away from each other. "Annabeth Chase, please try to control yourself, or I will have to try a new trick I saw in my dreams. Her eyes lit up. Well, I liked to expierament too, so I understand the look. Leo, being Leo, said, "Annabeth, make her mad! Please, Owl Face?" "Valdez!" "Leo, I'm not trying unless I must. It might cause some pain and anger pointed at me, so, yeah, I have a kid to worry about." "Aww!"

"What could you do to me?" I know it was a stupid question, but Hera was a stupid goddess, and this girl was her surrogate daughter. She glared at me. "Is that a challenge? I grew up with three siblings, all more dangerous than you, so try your worst. I bet I could beat you wwithout lifting a finger." "Uhh, Annabeth, can you just drop it?" Percy asked. For a moment, I did. But she had challenged me, and I wasn't about to e beat by this girl. "Any place, any time."

"Right here, right now." "Fine." I drew my dagger. She just began to talk. "I know what you've been through.

"You had a great father, who loved you and cared for you. But he remarried, and it was like a real Cinderella story. She and her two sons hated you. They were afraid of you. Your stepmother manipulated your father, blaming you for the monster attacks. So you ran away. You met two demigods you made your family, but tradgedy struck. One sacrificed herself and you blame yourself just like the other demigod and satyr. Then the other betrayed you. He also sacrificed himself. You met a boy. He also became family, but he is always in danger, always near death, heck he even met death. You have a large family, these entire two camps, in fact. But you're always afraid. Afraid they'll betray you, afraid that your plans will fail and they will die because you couldn't save them. You think you can fix anything, and that is your flaw, but sometimes, you can't. You can't fix the problems in your family, and it tears you apart from the inside out. Now tell me, how do you think Hera feels. She's been trying to heal, pull together, fix her family for eons. Her family has always been horrid, but she keeps trying. How do you think I feel? My family is dead. All of them. Then I had Luke, and responsibility was thrown on me again. I would have just curled up and died if not for him. Then the avengers found me. They took me in when S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to harm me and my child. But they lost my trust, prodding into my dreams, my memories that are replayed for me each and every night. They regained that trust, however, very slowly and carefully. I am not one to trust strangers. Not after what that man did to my family. Then you show up and my entire belief, my entire family's belief, was shattered when you, and Thor, and all the 'gods' appeared. But Hera told me to trust you, to make a new family. The fact that you belive that the goddess of mothers can't be one to me is not only an insult to her, and Olympus, but an insult to me, my heart, my mind. Insult me like that again and I don't care what you people say, I will go. And if I ever learn that I can trust the other side, and they protect me, you will have an enemy. So, daughter of Athena, are you going to be smart and put that knife away, or do I need to leave?"

I was dumbfounded. Her expression was cold and hard. My expression was one that said 'I'm not giving up that easily'. As if she read my mind, she said, "Hera, I am sorry. I apologize for this brat. I hoped I could make a family here, but she's not done, and I'm not putting Luke in danger. I'm leaving. Tony, I can't go with you. S.H.I.E.L.D. will already want your butts, I'm sure they want me and Luke. I'm so sorry." She gave Hera one more hug, then hugged the Avengers. With a wave of her hand to the other demigods, she grabbed her bag, and left.

"I hope your happy, Athena spawn." Hera spat. She walked right bak into her statue. The Avengers glared at me. I realized what a mistake I'd made. "Gods, Annabeth." the demigods said. They all left. Exept Percy. "Annabeth, she needed us." And he left too.

Hey! So, pls review! I need ideas! Srry for the wait. I might be starting another story, so this might be updated a little slower. I'll keep you updated on whether or not that will happen. Thx for reading!