Reading The Unrelenting Frozen Seas

by BonesBoy15

The first chapter in the story of Andromeda Potter has ended, but the readers are not satisfied. Their host, the mysterious Seer, brings to them a new story for them to enjoy. Watch as Percy and the gang, as well as the Olympians, read about his sister Rhode and her trials.

14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.

Reading The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: The Journey

Third Summer: I Get a Relaxing Summer, Sorta

---

"So who wants to go next?" Aphrodite asked.

"I'll read next." Rhea offered. The book vanished from Aphrodite's grasp and reappeared in Rhea's. She blinked. "Impressive magic."

As the clouds glided gently across the pale blue sky as they followed the soft summer winds, the sun glittered down like a smiling deity upon Camp Half-Blood as its inhabitants trained and made merry. A certain daughter of Poseidon was no exception as she was currently panting, her camp shirt damp with sweat as she spun the staff in her hands and went for a piercing strike with the blunt weapon.

"Ho! Ha ha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Thrust!" Apollo exclaimed with a grin on his face.

"Best Daffy cartoon ever." Percy grinned.

"I was more partial to the WWII cartoons," Ares said with a grin. "Always got the blood flowing."

The strike was parried and her opponent swung at her feet, forcing Rhode to hop back. Planting her feet firmly in the ground, she pushed forward with another stabbing strike, which was blocked and followed up with a swing to hit her taller opponent. To her frustration, it was blocked once more.

Her opponent let loose a flurry of swings that forced Rhode on the defensive and just as she thought it was over, her opponent went for a stabbing strike, forcing Rhode to deflect it to the side.

She moved in to capitalize on her opponent having her weapon out of position with a sweep, but her attack was thwarted when it was quickly blocked via a downward strike which snapped her staff in half.

"Bummer." Percy grimaced.

Man, recovering from a deflection that quickly? This guy could move fast!

Rhode made some distance as she flipped the broken pieces around and adjusted her grip with the intention to use them as batons. Having re-armed, she attacked fast and hard.

Her opponent skillfully spun his staff, blocking her strikes and disarmed her of one baton and before she knew it, the other one flew from her hand as well. He followed this up with a sweep, knocking her off her feet.

Rhode grunted and went to get up, but the tip of her opponent's staff kept her flat on her back, "You are brutal." The daughter of the sea groaned, letting her head rest in the soft grass, its blades tickling the back of her neck.

"Sometimes that is the best way to teach." Chiron smiled down at her.

"That's all thanks to me, ladies and gents." Apollo grinned.

"And you wonder why I call you fat heated?"

He was in an orange tank top, showing off arms that would make most men jealous, and that if he punched someone with would knock the poor fool out just as hard as if he mule kicked his victim with his rear legs.

"Mine are bigger!" Ares scowled.

"No one cares." Dionysus drawled.

Rhode just groaned at that.

"Now, now," Chiron said, "We're still on the clock." He said, trotting over to grab a spare staff. He was always prepared after all, "But still, excellent improvising with what you had at your disposal." He said in regards to her baton work.

"Thanks," Rhode grunted and rolled over to get up and held out her hand, catching the new staff that Chiron tossed her way. Spinning it once, Rhode fell into her stance. "Let's go!" she proclaimed and charged.

Chiron smirked and accepted her challenge.

After another twenty minutes of sparring, Rhode fell back onto the grass with a sigh, "Okay, that was insane." She breathed out in a pant and accepted the water bottle Chiron gave her, "You are crazy good at this."

"Well, I've had a few centuries of practice."

"Haven't we all?" Leo asked with a smirk.

"Hey, we actually have." Hermes frowned.

"I know, Uncle H."

Hermes blinked and grinned. "I like you, kid."

"I know."

Chiron commented jovially as he rested his horse legs, sipping some water from a flask. "Still, you are getting better." He encouraged.

"I hope so." Rhode sighed. "Why does my trident have to be so many different types of weapons in one? I mean, I got the thrusting aspect from all my time using a spear on the streets, but trying to grasp the other parts are hard." From what Rhode gathered, it was a polearm with many different uses such as thrusting, slashing, swiping, hooking, parrying, and scything. It was like the Swiss Army knife of polearms.

"More like the Swiss Army fork," Poseidon said with a chuckle.

"You did like to eat a lot." Rhea smiled at the fond memories of days long passed.

"A whale's stomach."

Poseidon rolled his eyes. "Funny, Hades."

"Well, in truth your spear could have served many more functions than as a simple thrusting weapon. That you failed to do so is no fault of the weapon. Or your own either. A great deal of skill is needed to handle polearms, their versatility and ease of use once mastered allows them to be used to serve the appropriate role for a whole host of combat situations." Said Chiron in a lecturing tone, "That is why I am training you with a simple staff. Mastering it will improve your overall control and allow us to progressively work up from there to more complex polearms."

Still, the centaur couldn't help but inwardly praise Rhode's talent with polearms.

"She knows how to work a shaft."

"ARES!" Hera's face was bright with embarrassment.

A piece of golden tape appeared around the war god's mouth along with a 'dunce' cap. His throne changed into a stool and his biker clothes turned into a diaper and a toddler's shirt that read 'Mommy's Bad Boy'.

Rhea smirked at her mortified grandson while the demigods and gods burst into laughter.

Aphrodite looked away while she laughed. She'd not be able to be with Ares for a long time because of this.

He knew she would no doubt master it in time.

Rhode leaned up, her long jet black hair swaying as she nodded in understanding. She took another swig of water and asked, "So, got any stories?"

"Several dozen," Chiron chimed with a smirk at her random question, "but what specifically are you looking for?"

"What were some of the heroes like back in the old days?" Rhode asked him honestly, "And I don't mean their deeds and everything, just, what were they like as people?"

Chiron had a mirthful smile on his face, "Oh by Olympus, you would not believe half the things I could mention." He outright laughed.

She had an eager look on her face, "Try me." She dared.

"Well, for one thing, if Achilles didn't have his invulnerability as a child, let's just say he'd have been known as Achilles the No Fingers."

Apollo grinned. "So true."

"You really didn't like him, did you?" Poseidon asked.

"Understatement." Apollo snorted and crossed his arms. "Since day one. Invulnerability gave him a fat head."

"Coming from you? Hypocrite." Artemis scoffed.

"I plead the fifth."

Rhode blinked and laughed at that, "No way?"

"Yes way," Chiron pointed at her, "It was after that I started the training of my youngest Heroes with staffs first instead of spears. I must say he was a wonderful test dummy half the time though." He said with a fond look on his face, like he could recite the memory action by action, word for word. "Or the time when Phoenix lost his sight and Peleus brought him to me. While I was mixing the ingredients the poor lad sat right down on a spearhead!"

Rhode fell back in laughter, "Oh gods, I mean, they always come off as so brave and bold in the stories-"

"But they were just as human as you and the campers here." His eye twinkled, "Just as rambunctious too."

"I think we're louder." Rhode smirked at him.

"True, but you've never had to go to parties with them. Trust me when I say that parties back then were far wilder than today."

"Rape of the Sabine Women," Apollo noted.

"That was not my fault!" Dionysus said quickly when Artemis glared at him. "I had no idea the centaur would go that far back then. They were the first I restricted after that."

"Bet Mr. D hates that." Rhode snorted as she drank more of her water bottle.

"Well, if his whining is any indication-" Chiron chortled.

Rhode, finally getting her giggles under control, said in a soft tone, "Man…I wonder if I could ever be as amazing as them." She mused. While she just mainly wanted to survive past eighteen, she could see the grandeur of that kind of life. That of a great hero.

"I have no doubt you will." Chiron said, his smile conveying that he believed that wholly and truly. It made a smile form on her own face. Dang, Chiron really was the best teacher she could ever ask for.

"I taught him!"

"Not a lot."

"Cruel, Athena. So cruel."

"Still," Rhode said in a sly tone, "I would be pretty awesome if I got my hands on a cool sword."

"You're still not getting Riptide."

"Mine."

Annabeth shook her head.

Rhode just clicked her tongue and pouted at that.

Percy smirked in superiority.

Laughing softly at her look, Chiron cleared his throat, "Now, I have a question for you."

"…Oh gods, you're not going to give me a test, are you?" Rhode said, horrified. It was summer! There shouldn't be any tests!

"That is the cruelest thing to do." Percy gained a haunted look.

Leo swallowed in fear and Piper grimaced in agreement.

Chiron warded off her concern with an amused chuckle, "No no, nothing like that." He assured, getting a sigh of relief from Rhode. "What I want to ask is: have you been keeping up with the diary I gave you?"

"Journal." Rhode corrected. "And yes I have."

"Ah, journal. Yes."

"I've decided. Thalia, you'll be starting your journal, or diary, when this reading is finished." Artemis nodded on her announcement's completion.

"Wha-Buh-I-L-Lady Artemis!" Thalia protested.

"You can't change my mind."

"Trust me, we've tried," Apollo and Aphrodite chimed.

Artemis glared at them.

Chiron nodded solemnly, but his quirked lip betrayed him, "But that is good. Was it helpful to you to jot down your feelings? If nothing else, it must have been quite a refreshing experience, no?"

Rhode gave a soft smile to that, "It was...nice. I just wrote down the stuff that pissed me off or just annoyed me, and somehow, it was like it wasn't that much of a big deal after rereading it. It was like I could vent my anger, but not use a punching bag for it." she laughed a little.

"So do you intend to continue writing in your journal?" The centaur asked with a content look on his face, one that expressed his happiness at having found a way to help one of his students.

"Sure." Rhode affirmed. "Like I said, it's been a big help."

"See? It's helpful." Artemis smiled at her Lieutenant.

Thalia whimpered. This was so not fair.

Looking at his watch and apparently seeing that he still had some time, the trainer of heroes decided to continue their little chat. "On another note, there has been something that I have been wanting to ask you Rhode. What do you feel is the best power you have?" he asked curiously.

Rhode knitted her brow for a second. She wondered if that was supposed to be a trick question, but waved that thought off and answered honestly, "My water boost. I mean, I get stronger, faster,

"Harder, better, never over!" the Greek demigods, and Frank, chimed with grins.

Jason and Hazel frowned. "I don't get it."

and my senses just go to the next level with that one." She said as if it was a no brainer.

Chiron shook his head with a chuckle, making Rhode frown. Did she say something wrong?

"Ah, every time I taught one of Lord Poseidon's children, they always say that."

"So the unpredictable sea can be tracked?" Athena hummed.

Poseidon frowned. "But it can't be completely measured. Pontus is still down there. Somewhere."

"Lazy one, Uncle Pontus," Rhea said with a sigh. She turned the page. "He skipped out on every gathering."

He smiled down at her, "What is truly your most special gift, at least in my opinion, is your healing ability."

Rhode danced the idea in her mind and nodded, "That's what you think. But you said what I think is my best power." She noted.

Chiron nodded, "I indeed said that. But, have you ever wondered about your healing?"

Rhode gave an honest shrug, "Not really, I mean, splash water on me and I heal. Never really bothered with the why."

"Over powered bull-spit." Apollo snorted. "Sure, Zeus' can fly and Hades' can control dead, or in Hazel's case gems, but healing from water? Do you even do that?"

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "No...but it's my domain and water is a pure element-"

"If anyone's kids should heal stupid fast like that it should be mine. I'm the god of healing!" Apollo pointed out.

"He does make a good point. It's not like the wind or a lightning bolt heal my children." Zeus gave his brother a pointed look.

"The dead cannot heal mine. And pelting them with precious stones will do no good either." Hades drawled.

"...Mother, they're ganging up on me."

"This is a hole you've dug for yourself, Poseidon. I'm surprised it hasn't come up sooner." Rhea commented.

Poseidon brooded. "This is for breaking my oath, isn't it?"

"What? When did that happen?" Rhea asked innocently.

Percy leaned over to his girlfriend. "Rhea's scarier than you."

"I take that as a compliment." Annabeth whispered back.

Rhode was after all a firm believer in the saying: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

"Did you know that you yourself are not the only one that can be affected by your healing powers?"

Rhode blinked and tilted her head in confusion, "What?"

Chiron smiled, "Much like a child of Apollo, you yourself can heal others with water as a medium much as they do so by singing a hymn to Apollo."

"I reiterate, not as well!" Apollo declared.

"Oh, get off it, Apollo," Poseidon said with a grumble.

The daughter of Poseidon just looked surprised at this revelation, "I can heal people…" she trailed off. Rhode's heart couldn't help but twist at that. She remembered all the times that her family got hurt, where Rhode was patched up in minutes through the use of water. But Thalia and the others weren't that lucky, they had to walk off an injury or get some ambrosia or nectar.

But it turned out that she could actually heal other people. A frown came to her face, "I can't believe I didn't notice." Her voice now barely a whisper as she realized how utterly badly she'd failed her family in the past.

Eyes went to Percy and he held his hands up. "Don't look at me! I don't know if I can do that!"

Chiron, seeing this, gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder even as he questioned as delicately as he could, "Did you not know?"

"No." Rhode replied, sounding miserable. "And because of that… Thalia, Luke, Annabeth… they all had to… By the gods, I'm useless…" The daughter of Poseidon stated in stunned sadness.

Chiron wrapped her in a half-hug then giving her a comforting look as he said, "That was not your fault Rhode. You did not know." Rhode started to object, but the ancient centaur preempted her. "That talent isn't something easy to spot, much less learn to use. Self-healing is passive, but healing others? That is a skill that is difficult at best to notice one has, much less actively use. There's no way you would have known."

"See? Chiron's backing me!"

"Yes, Percy, we see. Shush now, let's listen to the story," Rhea said to her grandson.

Rhode wanted to protest. To continue arguing that it was her fault for being so stupid she didn't even notice a whole aspect of her own powers. But she stopped herself. That was just her being silly. If there was one thing she'd learned since she arrived at camp, it was that being silly was dangerous. It was being silly that caused her to run away from her anger problems rather than confront them and learn to control it. It was her silliness that had her so fearful of her dad's feelings towards her, even in the face of his love. She wasn't going to be silly again!

"Silly is good," Dionysus said. "Don't stop."

"Shut up, Dionysus," Poseidon said with a scowl. Stupid hypocritical drunk was trying to encourage his daughter to let other demigods die.

Dionysus sighed. "Well, can't say I didn't voice my opinion."

With a deep breath and wiping a stray tear that built up, Rhode looked Chiron in the eye, "So what do I have to do? I mean, how do I heal someone?"

"Ah," the centaur blinked in clear surprise at Rhode's quick recovery, "Are you alright, Rhode?"

"I am." Rhode replied confidently. "I was stupid as a kid to not know about this healing thing, but that just means I gotta make up for lost time and make the most of it now. So how do I use it?"

"Well, first you work the shaft-"

"ARES!" Hera glared daggers at her son.

Ares looked up with a light smirk. "I was talking about using a crane machine."

"Of course you were, and I'm Santa Claus," Artemis said, getting a small high-five from her twin.

"Ah, so you admit it!" Ares declared with a smirk and a finger pointed at her.

"Nice comeback." Hephaestus shook his head as Ares beamed at his sarcastic comment.

Chiron looked at Rhode searchingly for a moment, trying to confirm that she had calmed down. Satisfied after a few minutes he answered Rhode's question, "That is where training comes in." he said and stood up, "Perhaps a trip to the infirmary to start?" he suggested.

Rhode shot up to her feet, "Now? Sure." She agreed and pocketed her water bottle. Chiron nodded as he picked up their staffs as they headed to the Big House. He leaned them against the building as they entered the infirmary.

They saw Atlanta talking to a new kid with blond hair and blue eyes. She looked over his shoulder and waved to the centaur, "How's it going Chiron?" she asked.

Chiron just smiled at her, "Excellent my dear. Ah, Lee, enjoying yourself?" he asked the new camper.

"Lee Fletcher? Wow, he was older than I thought," Percy said.

"He was a good kid," Apollo said with a sad sigh. "I had high hopes for him...saw him at a book deal twenty plus years after he first got to camp..."

"He took after his father," Artemis said with a grimace.

"A good kid." Apollo nodded.

"Big time." Lee nodded and looked at Rhode. He gave her a friendly bright smile, "Hi! Name's Lee Fletcher. I'm new here." He said.

Rhode looked at him, he couldn't be older than eleven. Still, another Lee? That was going to get confusing. She took his hand, giving it a firm shake, not noticing his minor wince, "Rhode Evans. I'm going to guess Apollo?"

"Because he's awesome like Daddy!" Apollo grinned.

She smirked, taking her hand back.

Shaking his own a bit, Lee nodded, "Yeah…wait, you're that girl right? The daughter of Poseidon?" he asked.

Rhode shrugged, "Pretty much."

Lee leaned towards Atlanta, "I thought she was like ten feet tall and breathed fire?" he whispered.

At Rhode's clueless look to their covert conversation, Atlanta covered her mouth to giggle, "Don't believe everything you hear. Rhode's a good girl. Just a little hotheaded."

"A little?" Athena scoffed.

"Now, now, Athena. Behave."

Lee nodded.

"Yes, well," Chiron cleared his throat, trying to hide his amusement at the young boy's statement, "I was just about to show Rhode how she could heal with her powers."

Atlanta looked at Rhode in surprise, "She can do that?"

"With water, yes." The centaur answered.

"I've always wondered about her healing power." The redheaded daughter of Apollo informed. Seriously, Rhode almost never came to the infirmary, unless Fergus beat the tar out of her. Then the daughter of Poseidon needed some extra help. Even then just a nibble of ambrosia, or a sip of nectar and a bucket of water over her head and Rhode went away feeling more refreshed than before she started her training.

"BS OP shit..." Ares grumbled.

"Well, you will see firsthand, after some training of course." Chiron looked at the son of Apollo, "Lee, would you like to join us?" he asked, getting an eager nod from the boy, "Wonderful."

"I warned you two not to take it too far." The voice of Luke scolded as he came into the infirmary with two campers from his cabin.

"Sorry Luke." The kids drawled out. The two younger campers had some wounds on them, but nothing major.

"Already sinking his fingers into the kids."

Hermes glared at Ares, who smirked back at him.

"Just get checked up." Luke told them as they did so. With a sigh, the blond said, "I can't believe Lee stuck me with this. He knows the summers are the toughest for a counselor."

"Hey Luke," Rhode waved at him, getting his attention. Lee had stepped down as head counselor of Cabin Eleven since he had to study for his O.W.L. -or whatever it was. His mom told if he didn't get good marks, she'd make his life a living hell. So, in order to study over the summer, much to his manly tears, Lee stepped down and dumped the job onto Luke. Rhode couldn't help but feel sorry for him since Cabin Eleven had to deal with a rush of new unclaimed kids this year. Luke had already been the Year-Round counselor, now it was literally all year.

"Poor guy," Ares said dryly. "Having all those young and innocent ears to listen to him."

"Ares, must we have another discussion?" Hestia asked.

Ares paled. "No, Hestia."

Leo shuddered and rubbed his arms. He lit his fingertips on fire lowly. "Anyone else feel that?"

"Sup Rhode," he told her, walking up to the group, "What's going on?"

"Frank, Julian, come here please." Chiron said to the two boys Luke brought in, "You two are perfect."

"And...creepy." Leo nodded.

Percy shook his head. "Yeah, not Chiron's best choice of words."

He smiled down at them.

The boys looked each other with nervous looks, "For what?" Frank asked.

"For Lee and Rhode to use as their first patients." Chiron informed them.

"Be afraid." The demigods chorused. First time doctors weren't great.

"…Isn't Evans's healing method punching it into pieces?" Julian asked cautiously.

"I am not that bad! Right?" Rhode asked. Everyone avoided her gaze. With a broody pout, she crossed her arms, "You guys suck."

Chiron cleared his throat, "Anyway, please lay down. Atlanta, assist Lee. I will aid Rhode."

"Well," Luke smiled and clapped the two unclaimed boys on the shoulders, "Good luck." He said and walked away, "Have fun!"

"Leaving them to die." Ares chuckled.

Julian and Frank played a quickly game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Frank cursed under his breath at losing as he trekked over to Rhode, his head hanging as if heading for the chopping block. Julian looked quite proud as he went to Lee.

"Now Rhode, take out that water bottle from before, that should hold enough water for this." Chiron instructed as Frank got on the bed.

Rhode nodded and summoned the water into her hands and followed Chiron's instructions to the letter.

"Like a water-bender," Piper said with a snicker.

It had been a few days since her first water healing lesson and Rhode had made it a part of her schedule to dedicate at least a half an hour a day to help out at the infirmary. She couldn't heal as fast as the kids of Cabin Seven, not yet anyway, and it was definitely challenging, but Rhode was determined to master this skill. Who knew how beneficial it could be down the road? Plus, she wanted to be able to help around the camp besides be one of the main teachers during the pegasi lessons.

It was time for Capture the Flag too, and it was Poseidon versus Athena cabin.

It was an ominous situation.

Poseidon and Athena leaned forward.

"Poseidon. Athena. Behave." Rhea warned.

The rivals sat back and sent the other a quick glare.

Naturally, Rhode was scurrying for allies. She already got Cabins Eleven and Four thankfully. Now she was heading to the forge.

Normally, she would have went to ask Atlanta. But the head of Cabin Seven was on the summer quest. A extra prestigious solo one. She had to hunt, and not kill, her Aunt Artemis's stag, the Ceryneian Hind. Apparently her dad got her the green light to go for it and not get changed into a newt by the moon goddess.

"How did you manage that?" Artemis asked.

Apollo rubbed his chin. "I have no idea...Maybe because it's a daughter?"

"Perhaps...But still, she is your daughter. They're almost as bad as Aphrodite's worst. That Tanaka girl for instance."

The weirdest thing was Fergus making a big show of her departure by giving her a passionate kiss.

Ares burst into laughter while Apollo simmered.

"Aww, they're cute."

"Aphrodite, shut it."

Aphrodite pouted at Apollo. "Apollo..."

"No! Not Ares'. Anyone else's but Ares!"

"Hey, what'd I do?" Ares asked with a frown.

"Your kids are dicks and bad examples!"

"So are yours!"

"Boys!" Rhea frowned at the two. "Must we discuss this?"

"No Grandmother."

They'd been going out for a few months it seemed before the summer. She was still mildly grossed out by their kissing, not that they were kissing at all per se, but that they seemed to do it all the damn time! And flirt too. She'd only just learnt, from listening in to the chat between other campers, what that was and had been mildly intrigued at first but after seeing so much of it between the admittedly happy couple she couldn't help but be uncomfortable every time they did so. She hoped when it came time for her to date, that she didn't become like that.

Poseidon's amused smile fell into a scowl. "No dating."

Rhea's green eyes met his. "Poseidon."

"But Mother!"

"Poseidon!"

Poseidon slumped in his seat and brooded.

Entering the forge, Rhode shouted over the banging of hammers and hot metal hissing in water, "Hey, Gaige!"

"Yo, Rhode." Beckendorf said, walking over to her as he cleaned some oil off his hands with a battered rag. The two were pretty okay friends, despite the incident with her setting his hair on fire the previous summer. Luckily, he didn't hold it against her. He was cool like that.

"Sup Chucky."

"Wanna play?" Leo asked.

Piper scowled. "Oh, that's not funny."

"I beg to differ." Leo smirked.

Hazel frowned. "I don't get it."

"…It's Beckendorf."

Rhode shrugged with a grin, "Blame Gaige."

Chuck slumped at that, "I know." He shook his head, his short hair tied and kept out of the way under a red bandana, "What do you need, Rhode?"

"Gaige. Need to negotiate with her for support during the CTF match." Rhode explained, looking around for the maniacal daughter of the smith god.

"She's in her 'laboratory'." Chuck finger quoted.

"Mad scientist, did I mention I liked her?" Apollo asked his half-brother.

"Got the hots for Aphrodite's daughter, Apollo." Hephaestus said bluntly.

Apollo blinked. "And your point?"

"And that is…?"

Chuck tilted his head in a motion to follow him and went to an area marked by a sign that read 'Gaige's Area, Stay Out!' and tapped the stone floor twice, a trap door opening, "Ta-da." He dryly presented.

"She really is an evil genius." The daughter of Poseidon commented, looking at the ladder.

"I know, I live with her." Chuck sighed heavily, hanging his head.

Rhode just gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Well, here I go." She said, climbing down.

"Try not to die." Chuck waved at her.

Rhode looked up, blinking in confusion, "What?"

"Nothing." Chuck said very quickly.

"Nice save, no one caught that," Leo nodded sarcastically.

Rhode shrugged and slid down the ladder and touched a stone floor. She looked at the well lit hallway and walked down it until she was before a large metal door that had a red light that almost looked like an eye. Suddenly a red light scanned her, making Rhode take a step back in caution.

State your name and business. Then you will be terminated. A male mechanical voice demanded as two turrets came out of the walls, a five barreled Gatling gun with a targeting laser mounted on each, trained on Rhode.

"Wait, don't you mean or?" Rhode said, edging back as she lifted her shield carrying wrist.

The two turrets just made a cocking noise and started to slowly rotate.

"Nice defense. Crip!"

"I'll think about it." Hephaestus grunted.

Ares grinned. That wasn't a "no".

"Rhode Evans!" she squeaked out, "I need to speak to Gaige, don't shoot me!"

"Rhode?" Gaige's voice asked a second later with heavy metal playing in the background.

"Yes! Gaige, get the guns off me! Now!" she demanded.

"Oh! Sure. Sorry about that, the program's a bit trigger happy. Give me a sec."

"I wonder why?" Rhode muttered as the turrets retreated into the walls and the steel door groaned and parted into the walls.

"Welcome, to my secret laboratory!" Gaige greeted with a cackle.

"Not much of a secret if I can see it." Rhode commented as she walked in, hands in her pockets.

"Oh I'll just go MIB on you later." The Mechromancer muttered.

Rhode turned around, "What?" she asked with a squinted look.

"Nothing!"

"Your kids really like to mutter, don't they?" Hermes asked.

Hephaestus grunted. "And yours like to side with titans..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

Gaige chirped as she guided Rhode in. As the younger girl walked in she saw multiple partly assembled robots, like Deathtrap. In the far corner was a battered up cot, like it was used all the time. All around there were dozens of different saws, drills, and plenty of other equipment that Rhode couldn't even name. Scattered machinery parts were also all over the place though most of them seemed to have been stuffed into a number of unorganized bins. There was also incongruously to the state of the rest of the room, a cozy corner that had a big comfy reclining chair with a TV in front of it with game systems of every variety. Between the TV and couch was a coffee table with pizza boxes on it and a couple of old mugs. There was a stack of magazines next to the chair, of what, Rhode didn't know. There was even a bathroom and a small kitchenette equipped with heavily modified kitchen appliances. All in all, except for the cozy corner, the whole thing would have easily passed for a mad scientist's lab. Which all things considered was fitting.

"Humph. It needs to be picked up," Hestia said.

Hephaestus sighed. "Leave my children's sanctuaries be, Hestia. Order knows you ruined my space several times."

"You live in a pigsty!"

"I know where everything is."

"You know, Hestia, they say genius live in messes," Athena said.

"That's no excuse!" Hestia looked to Rhea for help. "Tell them!"

"Oh no, dear. You started this fire. You need to snuff it out," Rhea said with an amused smile.

Rhode whistled, "Wicked pad."

"Thanks. Now, what can I do for you?" the mechanic girl asked her young friend.

"The CTF match." Rhode said, Gaige already dawning a knowing look.

"Ah, a team up?"

Rhode nodded.

Gaige rubbed her chin, "What's in it for me?"

"Uuh," Rhode knitted her brow in thought. Her eyes wandered thanks to her ADHD, trying to think up an idea to entice Gaige. Gods, she desperately needed Gaige to agree! Otherwise it would be bad since she was up against the A-Team. All the cabins with A-named parent had joined Athena cabin. Yes, even Ares. Stupid Fergus. She thought they were tight!

"And risk loosing his tail? No."

Apollo glared at Ares. "Do not call my daughter 'tail'."

"Oh, sorry."

"That's bet-"

"He doesn't want to lose the pussy."

Artemis held the back of Apollo's jeans as he shot from his throne while Ares laughed. "Let me go! I'll stuff arrows up the hole in his-!"

"Apollo sit down!" Rhea ordered. She glared at the war god and snapped her fingers. The dunce attire returned once more and the room laughed.

Ares' eye twitched behind his doofus glasses. "I ha-!"

"Quiet!" Rhea sternly ordered as a pacifier appeared in Ares' mouth.

The demigods lost it and Percy fell out of his seat, holding his stomach.

It was then something caught her eye. There on an operating table was a completed robot, a human shaped one no bigger than herself. Judging by the shape it was female in design and was made of gold.

"What is that?" Rhode asked, distracted by whatever Gaige's crazy mind had made this time.

"Huh?" Gaige blinked and looked at where Rhode was looking, "Oh, Penny you mean."

"Penny?" the daughter of Poseidon raised her brow.

"Yeah," Gaige nodded, her pigtails bouncing, "You know how my dad has attendants and stuff? They're women made of gold that can think and just brimmed with life. Well, I was really bored over the school year since I had made most of my latest designs by then." She bragged, "So, I prayed to him to give me a challenge…and whoa boy did he!" the older girl groaned, "I mean, it took me almost two days to make even the tiniest of parts since it was so intricate." She complained.

"Ah, golden women are tough. Knock offs of Pandora," Hephaestus sighed. "Can't make another of her, though."

"Yes, that would be bad." Zeus frowned. He saw the 'God of War' games Ares was so enthralled/annoyed with.

Rhode saw her hands wandering, taking parts off the work table and building them as she talked, "I swear, the micro designing was a killer! I could only have a margin of error by point zero two percent! That's not easy!" she said and looked down at the thing she had made, "Oops." Gaige laughed, wiggling her fingers in front of her, "Idle hands, I swear they have minds of their own."

"I feel her pain." Hephaestus and Leo nodded solemnly, both fiddled with something in their hands.

The demigods snickered in amusement.

She picked up the object, studying it while rubbing her chin, "Huh, wonder what it is?" she said and tossed it again into a half empty bin that read: Idle Hands Bin.

"I need one of those." Leo hummed.

"So, does it, er, she work?" Rhode corrected.

Gaige slumped against the work table. "She won't wake up! I mean, I have her power core set, she's been charged. I even waxed her, with two coats! Nothing!" the orange haired girl whined.

"Have you told her it was morning?" Rhode offered a simple suggestion.

Gaige snorted, "Oh please. Rhode, I understand this might go a bit over your head, but no way if I say: Hey, Penny, it's morning. Time to wake up! Is going to work." she crossed her arms.

On the operating table, Penny's golden lids opened to show bright green eyes. She rose from the table and turned to the girls, waving at them, "Salutations!" she greeted in an upbeat chipper tone.

Gaige's jaw dropped.

"Ha! The simplest of things," Leo said with a snicker. "It's why I'm not afraid to whack Festus with a mallet every now and again."

Rhode felt smug as she looked at the older girl with a grin, "You were saying?"

Gaige got up and pulled the daughter of Poseidon into a hug, "Rhode! You're a genius! Oh I could kiss you!"

"Please don't,"

"Please do! Ow!" Leo winced when Jason punched him in the arm. "Dude!"

"That was so Thalia didn't punch you." Jason nodded at his sparking sister.

"Oh...I retract my outrage." Leo grinned at his friend. "Still though. Ow."

Rhode wheezed out, wide eyed from the strength of the hug, "Also, get out of my personal space."

"Right," Gaige released her with an apologetic smile, "Sorry." She looked at Penny, rushing over to her, "Yes, you're awake! Yay! Gaige Glenanne, you've done it again!" she cheered, hugging Penny.

The robot tilted her head, "What is this?"

"A hug." Gaige answered instantly.

"I see." Penny nodded.

Rhode walked over to them, "So what now? She's not going to go Deathtrap on us, right?" she asked with some concern, Deathtrap was a killing machine after all; and boy did it kill, she was still terrified after what it did to that poor straw test dummy.

There wasn't even ashes left!

"That's impressive." Hephaestus smirked.

Gaige waved off her concern in a heartbeat, "No way, DT's programed for death and carnage. Penny here on the other hand is life, legit A.I. life." The older girl said with awe, wiping a tear from her eye as she marveled at Penny who was looking around the laboratory like a curious child.

"So, about the CTF match…" Rhode trailed off.

Gaige nodded, "Yeah, sure, we team up. In thanks for your help with Penny. I mean, I would have figured it out eventually, but you just sped up the process." She said, her pride talking,

"She wouldn't be a good demigod without some pride," Aphrodite said with a happy titter.

"I'll see you at dinner."

"Sure." Rhode nodded and moved to head out.

"Oh, just stand over there," Gaige pointed to the far corner, "It's the expressway."

Rhode looked at the corner and shrugged, stepping over to it.

Gaige moved to a lever and grinned, "Say bye to Rhode, Penny."

"Goodbye Rhode." Penny waved cheerfully.

"What?"

Gaige let out a cackle and pulled the lever. A large vacuum tube came out of the ceiling and started sucking in air.

"AH!" Rhode screamed as she was sucked right into it.

"I love doing that!" Gaige laughed, wiping a tear from her eye.

"...I'm making one of those!" Leo declared.

Hephaestus stroked his beard. "Hm, the suction required to not harm is precise. The material for the tube, the measurement..."

"And they're gone. Quick, read before they snap out of it!" Hermes stage whispered.

Penny just cocked her head to the side and blinked curiously.

Rhode screamed as the ground in front of the forge split open and she was shot out of a cannon that popped out of the hole that sent her soaring ten feet into the air.

Landing in a heap, there was only one thing to say, "Ow."

"I'll need a test subject," Leo said, looking at Percy.

Percy scowled. "No."

"But-but, it could be an academic study!"

"No!"

"Hold on, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Academic study, huh?"

"Annabeth?!"

"Yep! Publisher worthy. Do you know how many agencies would pay big bucks for that sort of tech? How many geeks go into science majors for this sort of thing?" Leo kept adding layers to it that made Annabeth's eyes sparkle.

Percy looked around for help, but he only got shrugs that made him sulk. When this reading ended, he was in a world of hurt.

"So, what are our chances here?" Gaige asked as she and Rhode stood in the middle of Blue Team territory, causing a ruckus to let their flag runners loop around for the Athena flag.

"Pretty good," Rhode said as she adjusted her red headband. She tightened her grip around Spellbound before continuing her assessment of the match, "So long as we take out the big players, we should stand a chance."

"Am I a big player?" a Scottish voice asked.

The girls turned around to see Fergus and Emily with their weapons out. Fergus had his celestial bronze gauntlets out, menacing looking as always, but it was Emily's weapon that made Rhode ponder for a moment. It looked like some six inch dark red tube with a three pronged downward curved celestial bronze hook on top.

"That looks interesting." Apollo smirked.

"Hi Rhode, GG," Emily gave a cheerful wave, wearing pink armor that made her look like Guerilla Warfare Barbie.

"Oh, hey, Emily," Gaige said, absentmindedly flattening her skirt. "And you two I like G Two." she mumbled, getting her friend to giggle.

"Aw, so shy!" Aphrodite giggled.

"What's that she's holding?" the daughter of Poseidon asked.

"The C-Nine whip." Gaige grimaced, raising her war hammer of doom a bit.

"The what?" Rhode asked, widening her feet a bit, eying the smiling daughter of Aphrodite wearily.

"The C-Nine whip, the Cabin Nine Whip, or just the Hephaestus Whip." Gaige rushed out, "I made it. It's like a grappling hook and whip all at once. The whip's made from tightly compacted threads of celestial bronze and can cut through solid stone."

"She any good with it?" Rhode asked, not liking whips all of a sudden.

"She's the strongest fighter in Cabin Ten." The daughter of Hephaestus told her in a serious tone.

"Bullshit." Artemis scoffed. "I've never seen any of her daughters like Piper McLean. She is the only one with my respect."

Piper smiled lightly. "Thank you, Lady Artemis."

"Don't thank her Piper, she insulted your sisters." Aphrodite frowned.

Piper grimaced. "Mom...Drew."

"...She honestly isn't that-!"

"Mom!"

Aphrodite huffed and crossed her arms. She glared at Artemis, who smirked back at her.

"Right." Fergus nodded, flexing his metal clad fingers, "Busts some of my sibs around when she practices."

"Well I don't go looking to hurt people." Emily assured kindly.

"…And she's so nice about it. Freaking scary." The son of war shivered.

"That is disturbing," Apollo shuddered. He nodded at Ares, who had changed back into his biker attire but couldn't remove the pacifier from his mouth. "At least with him, we know what to expect. Psycho with a shotgun."

"Ain't that the truth?"

"Alright, enough talk!" Gaige cried out, charging at Fergus, hammer in the air, "Time for some Whack A Mole!"

"Why do I have to fight the crazy one?"

"Crazies are more fun." Aphrodite and Apollo grinned.

"That's so wrong." Artemis said, her hand rubbing a circle on her head.

Fergus asked himself and rolled out of the way of a concussion. Getting to his feet, he clenched his fists and twisted his wrists. A foot long blade came out the top of his right wrist as a buckler sized shield came to life like a camera shutter on his left wrist. "Meh, still fun." He grinned and charged at Gaige.

A whooshing noise gained Rhode's attention as she ducked under a glowing streak.

"You should pay attention, Rhode." Emily chided nicely.

"Uh, right." Rhode answered. Shaking her head, Rhode charged. She weaved and ducked under the lashings Emily sent her way. Emily was using that thing like she was an expert with it. She kept Rhode at a distance and would retract the whip back into its container only to shoot it at the daughter of Poseidon.

Rhode in the meantime was testing the length of it. If she could just figure that out…ten, no, fifteen feet!

"Ooo, the other uses..."

"Aphrodite, please!" Rhea frowned at the giggling goddess.

Gritting her teeth, Rhode swung her trident up and let the whip twirl around it, "Got you!" Rhode said and yanked it tightly. Emily fumbled forward, but kept her footing and pulled back, turning their fight into a tug of war.

"Emily, you do remember the Taser function, right?" Gaige said as she moved back from a stab from Fergus.

"Oh, silly me!" Emily laughed at her forgetfulness.

"Gaige!" Rhode roared at her ally. What the hell was wrong with her!

"She wasn't using my weapon the right way!" Gaige argued as she bashed Fergus' shield into a bowl.

"At least Gemily is sweet to watch," Aphrodite said with a smile.

"Ah man," the son of war whined, "You are so buffing that out!"

Emily hit a button on her weapon handle and Rhode saw electricity trailing down the cord of the whip. With split second thinking, she threw her trident like a javelin, getting it right between Emily's legs as the shaft was touching her breastplate, making the older girl shock herself.

"Oh, that had to leave a mark," Artemis said with a smirk.

"Rude!" Aphrodite glared at her rival.

The shock left Emily smoking lightly and the hair of her bob cut standing on ends, "Don't forget to add the nutmeg," she muttered as she dropped her whip and fell backwards.

"Wah-wah," Piper shook of her head.

"Rhode!" Gaige glared at her as struggled to wrench her hammer from Fergus' grip on the shaft.

"Seems like he knows how to work a shaft."

"Shut it, Sunspot!" Apollo smirked while Ares seethed.

She knew she should've gone with two metal arms!

"What?! She tried to shock me!" the daughter of Poseidon argued.

Just then, a few meters away, Su jumped through a bush like a frightened rabbit, holding a silver flag with a barn owl on it, "Bad day, bad day, bad day, bad day!" she squeaked out as Athena and Apollo campers chased after her.

"Aw, that's adorable...if not a bit racist," Frank said with a chuckle.

"Psh, no racism about it. Jackie Chan for the win," Leo said, giving a firm nod.

Just as they were about to catch up with her, an older girl with very long wheat blonde hair tied in a side ponytail with some vine-like material and a purple flower on it and hazel eyes stepped in between Su and her pursuers. She gave a wide grin and snapped her fingers, pointing at the coming blue team.

The campers were yelping in pain as they suddenly found themselves up to their knees in thorn bushes.

"You losers thought it would be that easy? Pul-ease!" she scoffed at them.

"Viridi." Nils acknowledged while slashing the vines at his feet.

"Hey babe," the blonde waved to her boyfriend glibly,

Aphrodite tittered. "So many couples!"

"Well, at least Nils found someone talented..." Athena said with a nod to her aunt.

Demeter pursed her lips, torn between elation that her daughter was with one of Athena's and irritation at having to let one of her baby girls grow up.

"Like my gift?" she grinned.

"Lovely." The son of Athena said dryly.

"Well, you were picking on my sweet little sister, can't let that fly." Viridi gave a half-hearted shrug with her hands in the air, "I mean, sure, we're dating, but that doesn't mean I won't knock you around in a CTF."

A trickle of sweat ran down Nils' face, "Cut me just a little slack?" he asked weakly.

"Nope~!"

"So I'm not the only one to suffer..." Percy hummed.

Annabeth patted his head. "You suffer out of love, Seaweed Brain. Out of love."

Viridi held out her hand in front of her, "Let me show you the forces of nature!" she smirked as thorny vines and tendrils of wood erupted from the ground, tangling the dozen campers up as they shouted and yelped in protest.

"Ah damn, not that monster woman." Fergus gulped, actually looking nervous.

Viridi didn't even turn around. Instead, she just snapped her fingers and Fergus was tangled in a cocoon of poison ivy.

"I heard that Wallace!" Viridi turned her dangerous hazel eyes on him, a hand on her shapely hip.

"Like Poison Ivy, that one." Apollo smirked.

"You stay away from my children, Apollo!"

"What? Just a comment."

Rhode gave the head counselor of Demeter cabin an approving look. From what Su told her, Viridi was the oldest camper at camp, twenty years old. She went to some college in New York City to study environmental sciences so that she could be a better environmentalist… she was also a bit extreme in her beliefs.

She was also the strongest child of Demeter to be born in the past few centuries. Viridi was so in-tune with her powers, that she could do things with plants that should be impossible, even for a child of the nature goddess.

"I should keep an eye on her," Demeter said. She glared at Hades.

Hades rubbed his head. "Mother."

"Demeter, if there's anyone that should face your wrath, it is Zeus."

"Mother!" Zeus protested as Demeter glared at him.

"You reap what you sow, Zeus."

Just then, the conch horn sounded off, meaning that the game was over. As Rhode rushed to the creek, she saw out of the corner of her eye, Gaige help Emily up and hug her all the while fretting over her.

Aphrodite giggled and clapped happily while Hephaestus grunted.

Leo and Piper shared a small smile, both approved of the relationship.

Idly, Rhode wondered whether there was something going on between them, but quickly dismissed the notion. It was none of her business. As she reached the creek, Rhode saw Su holding the once gray Athena flag that was now forest green with a gold sickle symbol embedded on it.

Rhode walked over and patted her shoulder, "Nice win, Su." She complemented.

"Thanks," Su smiled, "Good thing Viridi gave me some backup. I thought I was a goner back there." She wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Me too." Rhode laughed as a pouting Annabeth come over to them.

"Cutest. Face. Ever!" Hazel declared.

"Agreed." Thalia nodded.

"Seconded." Piper smirked.

Annabeth glared at the three and the snickering boys. "Hate. All of my hate."

"We'll win next time!" she declared, pointing her finger at Rhode.

"Sure you will, Bethy." Rhode grinned, pulling her close and tickled her stomach, "But I think I can handle you!"

"Hey, haha, stop!" the blonde girl laughed out.

"Nope~!"

Annabeth covered her face as the demigods snickered again. She smacked Percy's hand and glared at him while he chuckled after he tried to tickle her.

"A-Are you sure this is safe?" A slim girl nervously sitting on a sandpaper colored pegasus asked Rhode. The girl had long silky black hair and crystal blue eyes. She wore bangle jewelry on her wrists, had her camp shirt neatly tucked into her denim shorts and wore gleaming white Adidas sneakers, that rounded out her outfit.

Rhode had to force herself not to roll her eyes at the new girl. Her name was Silena Beauregard

"My baby!" Aphrodite declared with a happy smile.

and she was around her own age, maybe a few months younger. She was also a daughter of Aphrodite.

Now, as a daughter of Poseidon, Rhode was usually in-charge of the stables at camp. Normally some older campers would be, but her pony knowledge shot them out of the water, making her quickly rise to be the expert around the equines of the camp. Plus they loved to use her to voice their complaints, Flóga acting as their 'liaison'. Or as she liked to call herself, Super Special Awesome Leader Pony, the First.

Yeah, she was 'special' alright.

"She needs a helmet." Percy smirked.

"So does Jason."

"Thalia!" Jason frowned at the Hunter.

Thalia shrugged. "You do."

Rhode usually didn't give lessons, she left that to the other campers, but Emily had politely asked her to help the new girl. Rhode liked Emily, so she decided to give her own lesson for once.

"Listen, Silena, Whiplash is one of the older pegasi here. He's got this, just trust me." The daughter of Poseidon assured in a calm tone.

"…That name doesn't inspire confidence." The daughter of love voiced meekly.

I could always buck you off. Whiplash neighed.

Don't. Rhode told the winged horse telepathically with a small glare, She's just new to this.

Then tell her to stop pulling the reins so much. My neck's cramping.

Like your attitude! Flóga nickered nearby Rhode.

Whiplash just glared at the mare, Watch it Rookie.

"Enough," Rhode said aloud to both of them with a groan. Flóga had grown some more over the year. Her wings had come in nicely, a bit longer than usual for her age, but the young mare enjoyed flying fast. It helped matched her ego, that was for sure.

Bosslady, don't be hating on your pegasister~!

"Flóga's got the 'tude." Leo snickered.

Rhode shook her head and looked at Silena, who was giving her odd looks, "Listen, I'll be on Floga and flying near you, Lash here's got your back. Also, ease up on the reins."

Silena nibbled her bottom lip out of nervousness, but nodded, "Okay." She said, trying her best to relax and slacked on the reins.

Rhode gave her a soft reassuring smile and mounted Flóga, who flared out her wings eagerly. Rhode couldn't usually go into the air since Zeus had this: None of My Bros' Kids in the Air policy. But, since pegasi were horses, Poseidon's sacred animal, Rhode could bypass that discrimination clause.

Poseidon, One. Zeus, Zero.

Poseidon smirked while Zeus scowled.

"Shrewd," Rhea said with an amused laugh.

"Okay, let's go!" Rhode said, and Flóga zipped into the air with a flap of her wings. Whiplash followed, making Silena scream a little, gripping the reins tightly and screwing her eyes shut.

Man, what a filly.

"Be nice," Rhode told her pegasus.

Fine, fine.

Rhode told Flóga to move close as Silena still had her eyes closed, muttering under her breath.

"Silena, open your eyes." Rhode said to the girl, "You're not gonna fall."

Taking a shaky breath, Silena did as instructed and her blue eyes fluttered open. She scanned their surrounds and made a sound of awe, "It's beautiful." She breathed, looking down at the camp from the air.

"Just like she is!" Aphrodite crowed happily.

"Quiet, please. We're reading." Rhea reminded the giddy goddess.

Rhode nodded, it was a pretty sight. You could practically see everything from up here. Rhode had taken many pictures from up here for precisely that reason.

"Yep. Well, let's work on some maneuvers first. I don't think you're ready for aerial combat yet." The daughter of Poseidon said with a quirked lip.

"Um, no, not really." Silena shook her head as she petted Whiplash's mane, "This is actually really cool." She said, finally getting her pegasi legs.

Rhode smirked at her, "Silena, you have no idea." She said as she went on to show the daughter of Aphrodite some basic flying maneuvers.

"Do a barrel roll!" Apollo called.

Leo grinned. "Slippy's getting hit!"

"Nothing we can do for her." Apollo sighed sadly.

It was the summer solstice. Rhode used the Hermes Express to send those sea-themed buttons she had made at the start of her second year to her dad for Father's Day. She hoped he liked them.

Poseidon smiled. "Of course I would."

Zeus frowned. "Breaking all sorts of rules."

"Breaking? No. Bending, eh, a little."

Percy frowned. "She's a suck up."

Rhea frowned at her grandson. "Now, Percy, nothing wrong with giving gifts."

"I fought Kronos."

"...Point taken."

The daughter of the sea was currently hanging out with Jack near the lake, working on her ice powers.

Poseidon's smile fell. "I dislike this boy."

"I think he's rather charming."

"But mother!"

Rhea just continued to smile.

Rhode had a look of concentration on her face as she shaped the water in her hand and then froze it, making an icy knife. "There!" she beamed, it was still a bit crude, but the time she needed to make individual constructs were decreasing. She could work on designs later, for now she was focusing on speed.

Jack whistled, "Hey, that's pretty good."

"Looks terrible though," Rhode laughed at her crude design.

The son of the snow goddess shrugged, "Yeah, but you're good at drawing, I'm sure you could make better looking ones."

"Drawing, not sculpting." Rhode corrected him.

"Come on! Where's that artistic flare?" He winked playful.

Rhode grinned at him, "In my sketchpads."

Jack floated up into the air, looking at her while upside down, "When are you going to show me your drawings anyway? Last time I saw one I got a pencil to the head."

The daughter of Poseidon snorted, "No way you are seeing them."

"What?!" Jack mock gasped, flipping and landing on his feet, "Why not?"

Rhode's cheeks pinked a bit, looking the other way, "Well, they're not that good. And my latest idea probably isn't that good anyway." She confessed to her friend.

"An artist's flaw. If anyone was so sure of themselves and never strived to improve, they'd get nowhere in the art world," Apollo said.

Ares hummed. "Then why is Minerva the Romans' goddess of crafts?"

"Ouch, gonna need some aloe for that burn," Hermes said with a snicker while Athena glared at her war brother.

"What idea?"

"…Mini comic strips. Like, the ones you'd read in the newspaper."

"…Let me see."

"What?" Rhode said startled, "No!"

"Oh come on," Jack whined, plopping onto his butt.

Rhode just huffed at him, "Nope!"

"I bet that little imp Chase has seen them," Jack pouted at her. Annabeth still didn't like him for some odd reason. Honestly, he only dumped snow down her pants that one time, and down her jacket another, and then there was…okay, maybe there was a reason. But seriously, the kid needed to stop acting so serious, she was only nine.

"Why so serious-?"

Piper flicked the elf-like ear closest to her. "No, Leo."

"What?"

"No."

Leo crossed his arms and pouted. "You're no fun."

Rhode found the look to be funny, "Not even Bethy has seen them."

"Lame," Jack stated and then looked at her and then gave a startled cry while pointing at her shoulder.

Rhode paused at that and turned her head to see what all the fuss was about. Only to discover that she had a small chocolate colored mouse cleaning its whiskers on her shoulder.

Rhode did the most logical thing she could do.

She released a startled scream, and swatted it off, making it land in the grass. Her hand covered her heart as she breathed and turned to see an amused look on Jack's face. "Shut up." Rhode pouted at him. "You screamed too!"

"Well, that was funny." A voice said.

Rhode turned back to see a grinning Lee Jordan where the mouse was.

"Did you, were you…" Rhode trailed off, unsure.

Lee's grin threaten to split his face, "Yes, it was. I have officially reached a new level of awesome. I am an Animagus!" he declared theatrically with a finger in the air.

"Best. Demigod. Ever." Hermes grinned. That was priceless.

"…So you can turn into a mouse?" Rhode said dryly, not looking all that impressed.

"A field mouse." Lee corrected, "Plus, I can get into all kinds of tight places now." He winked, getting a confused look from Rhode and a stifling snicker from Jack.

Shaking her head, Rhode said, "Well watch it okay…I almost stabbed you." She said with a blanch, "I hate rodents."

"What about otters?" Lee asked her.

Rhode looked indignant at that. "No they aren't!" she said, getting defensive of one of her favorite sea animals. "They're mustelidae, weasels!"

"They're the future rulers of the world. They have the table tummies!" Apollo declared.

"Allied Atheist Alliance forever!" Hermes thrust his fist into the air.

Lee held up his hands as Jack smirked at her heated tone, "Okay, okay, weasels, right." He said, sweating a bit at the intense gaze she shot him.

Rhode cranked the intensity of her glare down a few pegs and asked, "Why were you a mouse anyway?"

Lee flipped some of his dreadlocks and held his chin in his hand, trying to give off some kind of suave look, "Simply, my dear Rhode. In order to make myself truly an amazing expert at transfiguration, I had to tackle the most difficult form of it. I've been doing this since my third year, training like a ninja in the night!"

"Or like a thief."

"Yeah, or like a-shut up Frost." Lee glared at his cabin mate. Collecting himself, he continued, "Anyway, it was just a project to help me with my OWL. Plus, think of all the pranks I can pull now." He winked. Of course, he was never planning to register, that would be lame to do.

"Isn't that illegal?" Athena asked.

Hermes rolled his eyes. "That takes all the fun out of it."

Rhode twirled her finger in the air, "Whoo." She said dryly.

"Well, it's been fun Lee, but we're trying to practice here." Jack told him.

Lee looked at the two, his lips quirking up, "Oh, I see. I get it." He winked, "Sure, of course."

"There's nothing there!" Poseidon huffed.

Aphrodite smirked. "No, no...Lee is onto something."

"The gossip to be spread," Hermes said with a grin.

Aphrodite squealed gleefully. "Oh, I hope it does!"

"It better not, Hermollo."

"...Grandmother, Poseidon is threatening us!" Apollo and Hermes pouted.

Rhea turned and frowned at Poseidon, who was glaring at the two for ratting him out. "Poseidon."

"Mother..."

"No more of this Hermollo talk."

Poseidon brooded while the two gods looked very relieved.

"What are you talking about?" Rhode asked with a clueless look on her face.

"What's that?" Lee said, holding a hand to his ear, "Here I come to save the day~!" Lee sang out proudly,

"That means that Mighty Mouse is on the way~!" Apollo grinned. "Andy Kaufman. Genius."

"And mortal, unfortunately." Hermes nodded.

"Mighty Mouse is on his way!" he said, turning into a mouse and scampering away.

"Weirdo." Rhode shook her head and turned back to face Jack, who had that teasing grin on his face.

"So, sea otters?"

"Shut up, Snowflake!" Rhode snapped with pink cheeks.

"Aw, nicknames," Aphrodite said with a giggle.

Rhode smiled at the mirror as she brushed the hair off her ears. She had gotten her ears pierced with some help from Emily. The daughter of Poseidon had small gold ring earrings in them. Looking away from the mirror, she said to Emily, "Thanks, they're awesome."

"No problem," the older girl winked, "One must always accessorize after all."

"It's subtle, but you don't always have to make big changes." Ethan commented.

"I think they suit her." Silena smiled, flashing a brilliant smile.

Emily nodded, "Indeed my little sister. Despite Rhode's tomboyish exterior. With our help, she's developing her feminine side one summer at a time." She gave Rhode two thumbs up.

"No..." Poseidon and Thalia hissed.

"Poseidon, you know better. And Thalia Grace, I'm surprised!" Rhea frowned at the two. She frowned at Artemis. "You're to blame as well, encouraging girls to remain in the years with hormonal imbalances..."

"Wha-Grandmother!" Artemis flushed brightly while Apollo looked up.

"There is a God."

"Yeah, you're one of twelve," Percy said.

"Not what I was talking about, Percy."

Rhode just rolled her eyes, but still had a small smile on her face. It was kind of true, the child of the sea was growing up, well, physically anyway. Even she noticed some things about her body that was...maturing she guessed. And less said about her periods, the better.

The demigods and gods grimaced while the demigoddesses nodded in agreement to that.

"Oh, grow up, all of you." Hera rolled her eyes.

"Thalia can't!" Jason retorted.

"Jason!" Thalia frowned at her brother.

Percy rubbed his chin. "Wait, you chose to be immortal right? So...you chose to never age and constantly have-?"

"Perseus Jackson!" Rhea exclaimed while Thalia sent Percy a glare.

"What? It's a leginament-a vageniment...I'll shut up now." Percy shuddered at the glare he received from his paternal grandmother.

But those things were precisely what had brought her to visit the Aphrodite Cabin today. Ever since last Winter Break she'd been feeling more and more concerned with how she looked. She didn't really understand it at first. She knew she had come to like how people complimented how she looked when before she didn't care about it, but she didn't know why.

So she'd sat down with Emily, her mentor in all things about being a girl, and asked her why that was. Emily had explained, after squealing happily about "Rhode's finally growing up!", that it was her feminine pride in her appearance.

"...Is that a thing?" Leo asked.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Yes Leo. In the words of Mr. D., 'No, duh.'"

"I could sue you for that slander, Penelope," Dionysus said dryly.

"Slander is harder to get a victory with," Apollo said. "You'd really have to build a case. Do some actual work for once."

Dionysus hummed. "Point taken."

Basically, according to Emily, it was wanting to look good to prove to herself she could and to impress other people. The old Rhode would have scoffed at both of those things, but Rhode was wiser now. She understood now the importance of the little things in helping build someone's confidence, helping Su out of her shell made this very clear, and how impressing people was important in leading them as her leadership of the Hogwarts demigods taught her. So, she went to Cabin Ten to get her ears pierced and a set of nice earrings, to help her look nice.

The Cabin though was feeling unbearably warm so, fanning her face, Rhode said, "Still, it's pretty hot today."

"I think someone from Apollo cabin said it was around one-O-one." Silena grimaced.

"And my kids know because they're hot like their daddy!" Apollo grinned.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "And just as fatheaded."

"Hey! Grandmother!"

"Twins, don't start," Rhea said without looking at the two.

Emily tapped her chin, "Hm, I should make something for today then. Oh!" she clapped her hands, "Homemade ice cream!" she declared.

"…You can make ice cream?" Rhode asked her in awe.

Emily puffed up her chest, fists on her hips, "There isn't a sugary treat I can't make!" The pride she had in her culinary skills clear on her face.

Ethan shook his head, "Trust me, she's serious." he said, his tone carrying a teasing edge.

Rhode grabbed Emily's hands, an eager look on her face, "Sea salt ice cream?" she asked the older girl.

Emily tilted her head at that, "Mm, I'd have to look for a recipe in my handy dandy notebook.

"Loved that show," Percy said.

"Why?" Leo asked.

Annabeth gave Leo a dry look. "Blue's Clues."

"...Oh..."

But yes, I could."

"That one please." Rhode asked quickly, childish excitement in her eyes.

"Well, I'm out." Ethan said, "Going to hang with the guys." he said.

"Escape the estrogen!" Leo declared.

Silena giggled at the scene, "Well, I'd love to stay and help, but I'm going swimming with some of my friends."

"Eh?! You're not going to help your older sister as she slaves away to make her family a cooling treat?!" Emily mock gasped at her.

"Super sorry!"

Emily huffed at her, "Fine, be that way!" she pulled Rhode into a tight hug, "I'll just have Rhode help me!"

"Wha?"

Emily looked down at the girl she was hugging, "Well if you want your ice cream, you have to help. Simple as that."

"Oh, I, uh…" Rhode trailed off, she wasn't very keen to step into a kitchen ever again. She wanted to argue, but the excitement in Emily's eyes made her relent. "I guess I could help." Plus, she'd learn how to make ice cream, that was awesome in general!

"She's got a point." Frank conceded with a chuckle. He patted his toned stomach. "If I knew how to make ice cream, this would probably be gone."

"Poor Hazel," Aphrodite lamented.

Hazel frowned. "It doesn't matter what he looks like as long as he acts the same."

"Good answer!"

"Well, enjoy." Silena said, walking down the porch of Cabin Ten.

"Emily?"

"Yes, Rhode?"

"Personal space."

"Oh! Sorry." Emily sheepishly said and let Rhode go, who brushed down her shirt.

"It's okay, I guess." Rhode admitted, "So, what now?" she asked.

Emily pointed her finger in the air dramatically, "To the kitchen! For ice creamy goodness!"

Rhode just pumped her fist in the air in amusement.

Emily was a riot.

"Meh, I've seen better sources of entertainment," Artemis said.

"Artemis, behave," Rhea said.

Artemis grimaced while Aphrodite smirked at the Huntress.

To make her ice cream, Rhode pulled hair back into a loose ponytail and put on an apron. Not that doing so helped her much. By the time they had finished, Rhode had gotten some sugar on her face and hair, but still, it was actually really fun. She had mostly negative feelings before now about cooking due to her terrible excuse of a childhood, but Emily just made it seem…fun.

Rhode had only helped with the dry ingredients as Emily did the other stuff. Her face was just glowing as she cooked, passion just oozing off her in waves of happiness.

The daughter of Poseidon could see why she wanted to be a dessert chef, she loved it. Making desserts that is.

"As opposed to loving the stove," Leo said with a wry smirk.

Piper elbowed him. "Ease off, hot rod."

"Psh, ain't nothing can cool me down!" Leo smirked. "I dare someone to try."

Poseidon cleared his throat. "Well, if you insist..."

"...On second thought, let's just keep reading."

Apollo snickered. "Hothead got burned by the sea god."

"Isn't that impossible?" Hermes asked.

"We just saw it."

"True."

"Duh."

"And they're done!" Emily cheered, taking the rounded bottom popsicle tray from Rhode, who froze them (Cryokinesis had some nice benefits for cooking). She pulled out a light blue sea salt popsicle for each of them.

"Nice," Rhode grinned as Emily handed her one while taking one for herself, and they tapped them together in cheer. Rhode licked hers and hummed, "Mm, salty and sweet. A great combo."

"Eating something you've worked hard to make is always rewarding." Emily nodded, licking her own treat.

"I wouldn't really know." Rhode said, her voice betraying a sudden gloomy quality to it. "This is the first time I've actually had a chance to enjoy something I've cooked in a kitchen."

"Rhode? What do you mean by that?" Emily asked suddenly concerned by her young friend's mood shift.

"Oh nothing." Rhode tried to deflect.

But Emily was having none of it. She wasn't about to have one of her friends feel sad when she could do something about it. "You're upset, it's obviously not nothing. What is it that's bothering you. You can tell me, right?"

"Ooh, older sister has been replaced." Aphrodite grinned. "Good for Rhode!"

Thalia clapped a hand on her face. "All my other's hard work...to the toilet."

"Well, if she asked nicely, I could try to retrieve it," Percy said.

Annabeth snickered. "That was terrible, Percy."

"Made you laugh though."

Rhode was conflicted. On one hand, she didn't want to talk, to relive, her painful past if she could help it. But on the other… She wanted to. To be comforted. To talk through it like she had so many things with her family and friends. So that they could help her with this too like they had with her other issues. In the end, it was once again Rhode's determination to move forward that prompted her to say, "It's what the Dursley's, my foster family, did to me when I was a little kid and living with them."

"What did they do to you?" Emily said as comfortingly as she could, though Rhode noticed the same hard edge, sharper than ever before, to her voice that she had only seen in her friend in a fight in that voice too.

"This is going to be unpleasant," Poseidon grunted. He tightened his grip around his trident.

Percy frowned and Annabeth interlaced her hand with his. He smiled at her gratefully for the support.

"They did lots of things." Rhode admittedly in a dead voice. "But in the kitchen, they used to make me cook their meals, but never let me eat them. Sometimes I got to eat their scraps but only if I was quick or if they had leftovers. I mean, at school I usually had to stuff my pockets with stuff from the provided lunches so I wouldn't get too hungry when I got home. I've always disliked kitchens because of that ever since."

"Oh Rhode." Emily cried, as she pulled Rhode into a hug. Rhode wanted to cry, talking about her past always made her teary, but the tears wouldn't come. She had shed so much tears over her childhood that she couldn't anymore.

"To be unable to cry...what a horrible life for a child," Rhea said with a frown.

Hestia nodded in agreement. "It's sadly to be expected of an alternate version of Harry Potter."

Apollo rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut. Harry Potter alluded to abuse, it never specifically mentioned it. Imaginations always made things worse than they were.

The two stayed that way for an indeterminate period of time, Emily offering comfort and Rhode soaking it in.

But as with all things, it had to come to an end and eventually Emily pulled away.

"What time is it?" Emily asked, banishing the few tears she had.

Rhode took out her phone and nearly dropped her ice cream, "Oh man, it's three. I've got a Wilderness Survival Course with Grover." She said, taking off her apron and heading out, "Thanks for the ice cream!"

Emily waved at her, "No problem." She took a bite of her own treat. Its bittersweet flavor was a perfect match for how she felt right now.

"That's some talented cooking," Leo said.

Aphrodite beamed. "Yes, and she gets the skill from her mommy!"

Rhode was walking with Annabeth out of the woods.

"Well, I think Grover gave an okay lesson, you?" the daughter of Poseidon asked the young blonde.

"It was kind of silly." Annabeth said as she played with a yo-yo.

"Hey, you never know when that could help you out one day."

Annabeth shook her head, an amused smile on her face. Those words were so true.

Rhode told her friend. "I mean, I knew some of the stuff, but I learned even more today."

Annabeth just shrugged at that and looked at Rhode, "What's with the ponytail?" she asked, her older friend never really changed her hair besides her dyed streaks and letting it grow out.

"Huh?" Rhode blinked and touched her hair, she'd forgotten to undo her ponytail, "Well, I was making some ice cream with Emily and forgot to take it down. Is it bad?"

Annabeth shook her head, "No, it looks nice on you." She confessed, getting a small pretty smile from Rhode.

"Thanks, Bethy." The child of the sea said, "What's with the yo-yo?" she asked the daughter of wisdom.

"Dana from Cabin Nine made it." Annabeth said, walking the dog with it, "I was curious about it. Plus, it's good for hand coordination."

"And can also be a good weapon." Ares grinned.

Apollo's eye twitched and he crossed his legs. "You're not allowed to have anymore."

"Aww..."

She said in a factual tone.

"I see." Rhode nodded in humor, "Well, I'm going to work out before dinner," she ruffled Annabeth's hair, "Catch you later!" she said, running off.

"Bye, Rhode!"

After reaching the gym area, Rhode was stretching and hanging out with Fergus, who'd happened to be there when she arrived, "So you and Atlanta, huh?" she had to ask, a bit curious.

Apollo's eye twitched even more violently than before.

Ares grinned widely. "Can't wait for the legacies."

Artemis was quick to put a hand on Apollo's arm and give him a warning glare.

"Yeah, so?" the son of Ares asked while lifting dumbbells.

"How did that even happen?" She asked, walking over to the salmon ladder.

Fergus grinned, "Simple. I showed her my feminine side, wooing her with my deep sensitive nature." He said in a poetic tone.

"…No, seriously, what did you do?"

"Yeah, one of Ares' having a sensitive side." Hermes rolled his eyes.

"If he does have one, he's not one of mine," Ares said with a snort. "Maybe Enyo's. I claim hers every now and again."

Apollo relaxed. "I can handle her son."

"Who's Enyo?" Percy asked Annabeth softly.

"Ares' companion on the battlefield, the goddess of destructive war," Annabeth said.

"Eh, she's more of a sister," Ares said with a cruel smirk.

Athena huffed. "She's no sister of mine. She's hardly a true war goddess, like Bellona."

"And you are, Minerva?" Ares returned.

"Ares, Athena, don't start!" Rhea warned them as Athena glared at her brother. She looked at her eldest daughter, who shrugged.

"I told you, mother."

the daughter of Poseidon asked him, grabbing the pole and starting to swing her body to climb up the pegs, working her core.

"I read her poetry I wrote!"

"That's funny." Apollo snorted in disbelief.

Rhode snorted, "Yeah, and my real name's Harry."

"Correction, that's funny." Apollo snickered.

"Oh yeah," Hermes chuckled in agreement.

She said and hefted up the salmon ladder.

"I'm serious, here, listen." Fergus cleared his throat, "Roses are red, violets are blue, I pummel you into the ground, so stay down you noob. See? It's pretty easy shit."

"Wow, I was wrong. There is something worse than Apollo's haiku," Artemis said.

"Yeah-Hey, wait a minute..." Apollo frowned.

He grinned at her.

Rhode just stared at him as she hung in the air, "You're an idiot." She concluded dryly. "Seriously, even I pity you just hearing that." Atlanta must've thrown him a bone or something.

There was a loud sound of skin meeting skin as Apollo slapped his hand over his eyes and groaned.

"Bah!" he waved her off, "You're just too young to understand how chemistry works."

Rhode just shrugged and went back to work. Seriously, older kids were weird! What did science have to do with anything?

"So Percy moments are inherited!" Nico declared with awe.

Poseidon glared at Hades, who had a wry smirk on his face.

"What?" Hades asked his brother.

Poseidon slumped in his throne and brooded. Stupid brothers.

Rhode was bobbing her head to some Fabolous (Can't Let You Go) as she was drawing at her art table. She couldn't wait for the Dust album by DJ Muggs and Philadelphia Freeway by Jay-Z she ordered for her birthday.

She shaded in one of her comic stripes as her door was banged on, "Rhode!" the voice of Annabeth called.

"Yeah?" Rhode asked, lowering the music.

Annabeth poked her head in, "Wanna hangout?" she asked curiously.

Rhode raised a brow, "Don't you have a class right now?"

"Annabeth Chase...playing hooky?" Percy asked with a small grin. He laughed as Annabeth elbowed him.

"Never!" She affirmed, her godly mother nodded in pride.

Annabeth shook her head as she walked in, sitting down on a green beanbag chair Rhode had gotten from the camp store. "Nope. Just wanted to see how you were." She said, looking at Rhode's shelf where she had some comics stored; that Fathom series and some Wonder Woman stuff.

Rhode shrugged, "Well, I'm just drawing. So you can chill here if you want."

Curiosity flashed in Annabeth's eyes, "What are you drawing?" she asked eagerly. She always loved Rhode's drawing, but her more personal stuff, she never showed anyone, saying it was embarrassing but Annabeth doubted it could be bad.

"Just, stuff."

"The curse of being an artist..." Apollo sighed. "Never thinking you're good at it...unless you're me, because you know otherwise."

Artemis rubbed her temple. "Mother should have never shelved that pot you made. Never."

"Wha-She loved it!"

"It was a maternal lie!"

"Was not! Mom saw my badassary! It was honesty she showed, and I would know!"

"Twins, please." Hestia gave her niece and nephew a frown. The two glared momentarily at one another before they looked back at the screen.

"This isn't over." Apollo grunted.

"Unfortunately, I saw that coming." Artemis grumbled.

"Can I see?"

Rhode frowned a little, "I don't know…"

"Come on! It's got to be great." Annabeth said with an assured nod.

"Well, okay." Rhode relented and showed her the comic strip. It was a simple single panel type. There was a teenage boy and girl on it.

The boy was signing, [I can't believe you got us grounded…]

The girl looked miffed and retorted, [That's because I didn't Apollo! This is totally your fault!]

"...It always is."

"Oh you just had to say it, didn't you Lil' Sis?" Apollo glowered.

Artemis glared back at him. "It is and I am not the younger twin!"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "You say that like it means something."

Annabeth looked up, "Is this about the gods?" she asked in surprise.

Rhode smiled, "I had this Teen Olympus idea, sort of like an Olympia High School thing. The younger gods and minor gods would be students, while the elder gods run the school." she explained.

"...Apollo?" Rhea looked at her grandson. This sounded brilliantly entertaining.

"Making notes!" Apollo declared.

"No." Zeus frowned.

"But Zeus..." Rhea frowned.

"I'm sorry, Mother, but I cannot allow this. We will not be slandered."

"It's not slander, it's homage." Apollo corrected as he continued to jot down notes. The arts were his domain, so Zeus had no say.

Unless it goes to the stage.

"What's my mom do?" Annabeth asked quickly, eager to know.

"Well, she's Athena. So I listed her as one of those girls who try to do everything." Rhode said, "Like, school newspaper, student council, sports, straight A's. That kinda stuff.

"Overachiever, best friend to protagonist kind of girl." Apollo noted.

"Not the protagonist?" Athena asked.

"No, too many activities." Apollo shrugged. "Makes the average viewer feel bad about their high school."

I got all the gods in a category. Like Zeus is the principal and teaches history,

"Gotta be in charge and right about everything," Poseidon and Hades said simultaneously.

"Mother!" Zeus frowned when Rhea let out a chuckle.

Hera is the vice principal, but she also teaches English and Ancient Greek,

"Don't think a lot of high schools have Greek classes, so we'll go with Latin," Apollo said.

Hera hummed. "I can see this."

Demeter teaches biology and is also in charge of the infirmary,

"And the secret desire of all students in her classes."

"Apollo!" Artemis glared at her twin while Demeter smiled radiantly at the compliment.

Apollo shrugged. "What? Nurses need to be sexy."

Hestia is the guidance counselor,

"That's a no brainer." The Olympians chorused dryly, save for Apollo who chuckled and wrote it down eagerly.

Hestia just smiled at the accurate role. If she were mortal, she'd do that or teach kindergarten.

and my Dad's the cool gym teacher and teaches biology with Demeter too." she smirked.

"And side relationship," Apollo said. "Despite the gym teacher's marriage."

Artemis rubbed her face. "Really?"

"I see no problem with it," Demeter said.

"Amphitrite might," Hera said.

"What about Hades?"

Rhode's face grew dark, "He's the head of detention...and teaches math." she shuddered.

"Honestly, what's wrong with math?" Hades asked. He rubbed his chin. "Detention...I can see. But math?"

"Math is evil." Poseidon grunted. He smiled. "Gym is a good class. We'd have a good swim team."

"We'd need more teachers, though. There are bound to be multiple classrooms with other staff needed." Athena mumbled. She wasn't so keen on being a student in this comic.

Annabeth rolled her little eyes and asked, "And the rest of the Olympians?"

Rhode counted off her fingers, "Hermes is the guy everyone knows and the track star,

"Despite yours truly being the victor in our track race." Apollo grinned.

Hermes crossed his arms and frowned. "Still want a rematch. I want an official camera recording the race!"

"Nah, I'm good." Apollo said with a smirk.

Apollo's the musician and popular guy,

"Duh."

Dionysus frowned. "Really?"

"Duh." Apollo repeated firmly.

Ares is the jock,

"More like bully," Apollo mumbled as he wrote more notes.

"Add that in. And a fight! Fist-fight! Send me to jail a few times!" Ares grinned eagerly. He noticed the looks he got from his parents and shrugged. "What? Jail ain't that bad for a teen. My kids go in every now and then."

"Olympian god, everybody. Isn't he the model we all want to set humanity to?" Hermes asked dryly.

Hephaestus is the underappreciated shop class genius,

"No truer words have ever been said," Hephaestus grunted.

Apollo hummed and tapped his chin on a pencil. "...Yeah, he's right."

"Bull!" Ares grunted.

Rhea frowned at him. "Ares, language."

Apollo shrugged while Ares slumped from the scolding. "It ain't a lie, dude. I'd know."

Artemis is the independent girl,

"And focus of the series."

Artemis glowered at her twin. "Really?"

Apollo grinned. "Yep! People like protagonists to be unique!"

Aphrodite is the popular pretty girl,

"With tones of drama, loads of it!" Aphrodite smiled widely.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I'd give her a pregnancy scare."

"Ooo, that's good. I like that! Do that, Apollo!"

"Done," Apollo said. "As well as frienemy to Artemis."

"Brilliant!" Aphrodite said as she clapped her hands eagerly. "I can date her crush, too!"

Artemis' eye twitched. "I do not crush!"

"Uh huh, right, right..." Apollo nodded, not really listening to Artemis as his creative mind flowed. He looked at Rhea. "Keep reading, please. This is gold."

and Mr. D is the wild party guy."

Dionysus smirked. "I like where this is going."

"I'll throw in a forced PSA episode where your stash is confiscated." Apollo nodded at his idea.

Dionysus' smirk fell. "...I hate you, Apollo."

"No you don't!" Apollo grinned. He clicked his pen and looked through his notes. "This...is the next teen drama."

Rhea smiled, slightly excited to watch the upcoming series.

"Still, I can't believe you made a comic about them!" the blonde gushed.

Rhode looked embarrassed, "Like I said, it's nothing much."

"It's pretty cool." Annabeth argued, wanting to give her friend confidence in her work.

Rhode smiled at her young friend's attempt, not that she really needed it, she knew her work wasn't exactly ready to be shared after all. Maybe if she touched them up a bit more, but she honestly didn't think she would. After all, these strips were just for fun. Patting Annabeth on the head, she nonetheless said, "Thanks Bethy."

"Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend," Apollo said with a grin as he continued to look through his notes. "This is going to be awesome..."

Annabeth smiled back and looked over at Rhode's bed, "What's that?" she asked and picked the seal plushie that Rhode had dubbed Slippy on a whim. She examined it with a smile, "It's so cute!" she gushed, hugging it, "It even looks like you when you pout!"

Piper snorted and covered it with a cough.

Annabeth caught it and glared at her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Piper glanced past Annabeth at Percy and then looked back at the screen. That baby seal was so going to be the next gift she gave Annabeth.

Rhode pouted at that.

"Yeah, that look." Annabeth pointed out.

"Well, it was my birthday gift from Jack last summer." The daughter of Poseidon said, getting a sour look from the daughter of wisdom.

"Ugh, Jack? I don't like him." The blonde frowned.

"Wise girl indeed." Poseidon nodded.

Athena pursed her lips. She wasn't sure if that was an insult or if he was just agreeing with her daughter.

Rhode blinked and raised a brow, "Why?"

"He keeps treating me like some little kid!" Annabeth pouted, stomping her foot.

Amusement twinkled in Rhode's eyes, "But you are a little kid."

Annabeth sputtered, "No! I'm almost ten! Double digits!" she proclaimed heatedly.

Rhode had the strangest feeling of Deja vu.

"Double digits are high standards," Thalia said with a nod.

"Shame you'll never hit the big ones; sixteen, eighteen, twenty-one, thirty, forty," Apollo listed off with a chuckle. "And that whole permit thing..."

Thalia pouted. The one downside to her immortality.

Shaking her head, the daughter of the sea checked the time with her phone. It seemed to have morphed a few days ago. Like turning into a new model or something, most likely to be the best type of phone. It was a PalmOneTreo 600 now.

"It's time for lunch, Bethy. Can you put Slippy down?"

"…Slippy?" Annabeth gave a snorting giggle, forcing Rhode's cheeks to dust with pink.

"Shut up." The child of Poseidon pouted and stood up, pocketing her phone and turning off her CD player.

Annabeth put Slippy down and headed for the door with Rhode, grabbing her hand as they head to the pavilion.

Annabeth smiled up at her as Rhode smiled down at her.

"Photo opportunity!" Leo chuckled at his joke as the image flashed before them.

It was the fourth of July once more. Rhode had done her ritual for Jason's birthday on the first as usual and was currently waiting for the fireworks show with Luke, Annabeth, and Grover.

"Such a nice cousin," Jason said. He frowned playfully at Percy, Hazel and Nico. "You guys never left me cupcakes."

"We didn't know you existed," Nico and Percy said.

Hazel shrugged. "I was dead."

"...Excuses!" Jason rolled his eyes.

Gaige looked more excited then usual, maybe even nervous. Which was confusing everyone since that was something that was very rare for the usually confident Mechromancer.

"I've got a special show for you all this time!" Gaige said with her megaphone, "So get ready!"

She held up a pen-like object and pressed the red button at the very top.

"And nothing happened."

Hephaestus glared at the snickering Hermes. "Don't even joke like that. That's the worst part about being a mechanic, when you think you fix something and it didn't work. Frustrating, really."

"But it makes it all worthwhile once you get it," Leo said. He grinned. "Then later on, it's hilarious."

Moments later, the sky exploded into hundreds of light bursts.

But, where there were usually scenes of famous demigods, or historical events, the entire camp got something else this time around.

They were pictures of Emily and Gaige. There was a scene of them laughing together, eating cupcakes together, building something together, training together, just very cool and cute moments. As the scenes played out a burst of whispered conversations erupted among the campers as they pondered, and placed bets, on what it meant.

The final rocket shot off and formed an image in the sky that read, in large red letters with hundreds of rainbow showers of light, GG ER.

Aphrodite cooed while some of the younger gods nodded.

Artemis shook her head. She didn't get the big deal. It was sweet, yes, but dumb in her opinion.

The younger kids were baffled while the older campers were talking about how cute it was. While those few idiots who for some reason couldn't see what was coming paid up, the majority turned to see Gaige walking up to Emily, her face as bright red as her hair in the night.

"So, wanna go out?" she asked, trying to act all casual, despite the squeak in her voice.

She didn't have to wait long before Emily pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the lips.

"Bra-vo." Apollo clapped and grinned.

"Such a cute couple!" Aphrodite beamed. "Now, for her twin..."

"He'll be a designer, right?" Hermes asked. He grinned. "Give that boy a model."

"Oui! The handsomest or most beautiful of models!" Aphrodite nodded eagerly.

The campers cheered at that. A cheer so loud that Rhode imagined it might have been heard all the way on the other side of the world. There were naturally also the fair share of good-natured digs at the new couple. A few unfortunately sounded like they were being nasty and Rhode made a mental note to go teach them a lesson later, no one jeered at two of her closest friends.

"The downsides to the early new millennium. Same-sex rights weren't as strongly backed as they are now," Apollo said with a sigh.

Aphrodite nodded. "It was a tragedy."

"I mean, how would my boy Will have gotten the courage to-?"

"Grandmother Rhea, please keep reading, I want to know what happens next." Nico suddenly asked.

Rhea blinked but complied while Apollo frowned and then caught the uneasy glance Nico sent at Hades.

"Oh...that makes sense." Apollo nodded. Approval was a hard thing to come by, took Zeus a few decades to lay off Apollo's bisexuality.

Through it all though Mr. D looked on as apathetic as always.

"Way to be festive, D," Apollo said.

Dionysus laughed dryly at the comment before he drank some diet coke.

Chiron on the other hand looked torn between disapproving, fondly exasperated, and happy for the two girls. As the cheering died down, the immortal centaur strode forward and said, "Congratulations Gaige, Emily. Though I would appreciate if you didn't steal the fourth of July fireworks display to just ask to court her, Gaige."

"Sorry Chiron." Gaige replied, not sounding the least bit sorry with a lopsided smile on her face.

"You should be." Chiron said trying, but failing, to sound stern. "Now, do you have the scheduled fireworks prepared or not?"

"Duh, of course I do." Gaige responded as she rolled her eyes. "Just give me a minute," she assured with her typical confidence as she went to pick up her discarded megaphone and fished a second detonator out of her tool belt. Speaking into the megaphone she addressed the campers, "Now that my new girlfriend has said yes, why don't we get the secondary show started, huh?!"

She got thunderous wild cheers.

"Damn right! I order the sky to explode! In color!" Gaige declared happily as she activated the detonator.

"That's a dangerous declaration," Hermes said with a smirk. "Zeus might zap her."

"He'd better not!" Aphrodite glared at the king. "No zapping my baby's new girlfriend!"

Zeus blinked dryly. "Even if I could, considering this is a story of another dimension, I might because of your inappropriate language."

With that, the sky was once again filled with bursts of light, this time depicting the more traditional scenes of famous demigods and their mark on history. Gaige paid it no heed though as she chucked her megaphone and detonator and pulled Emily into a dipping kiss, the sky exploding behind them.

Rhode smiled at the exploding sky. She was crazy happy for Gaige and Emily. They looked so happy together. So that's what it means to be a happy couple, huh? I wonder if I'll ever have something like that?

"No...All of my other's hard work..." Thalia groaned.

"Your other was head over heels for Luke." Aphrodite tittered.

"Stop bothering my hunter." Artemis glared at the goddess.

Setting aside those thoughts for the moment, even as they percolated in the depths of her mind throughout the months to follow, Rhode spent the rest of the holiday enjoying herself with her family.

"That was an endearing ending," Rhea said as she shut the book. She looked at the demigods. "Who wishes to read next?"

---

AN: Aww...I love the fact that Heph's kids and Dite's kids always seem to get together. It's ironically funny. Don't see why people like to split Silena and Beckendorf up, though.

Meh, whatever. My gripes aren't yours and your gripes aren't mine, however, I do want one thing from you:

REVIEW!