Who watched CA: Civil War and loved it? Totally me! Here's your chapter readers, enjoy (hopefully) ^ - ^
Reyna POV
An almost familiar man stepped out of the shadows. Dark red hair was artfully tousled on his head, and his skin glowed the color of molten gold. Clad in silver armor that was adorned with way too much jewelry, he looked like a god. Black eyes regarded them calmly, skirting over all of them before settling on the scepter in Hazel's hands.
Three figures stood behind him. Judging from the curve of the armor, two of them were girls and one was a boy. Two were masked, and one girl was cloaked with a hood that hid her face. All of them armed. Reyna gripped her spear. Her dogs materialized next to her.
The flash caught the man's eye. He frowned. "There's no need to get violent Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano." He said her full name almost mockingly.
"Well, guess we finally know your full name," muttered Tony.
"Who are you?" asked Jason, his voice guarded.
"One of Alcyoneus's followers I presume?" Nico was sizing up the man.
"How strange for demigods to always diminish in intelligence every year," said the man.
"You're Alcyoneus," said Percy. He stated it certainly, absolutely positive.
"Indeed Perseus Jackson," he said, "I see your intelligence hasn't waned since we last met." Percy frowned.
"When we met before, you were different."
Alcyoneus chuckled. "I have seen things that changed me Perseus Jackson. When I came back, my brethren was already killed. Gaea had fallen, and yet she left me a path to follow. Well, she did, I simply did not follow it through. Why serve a queen when I can rule as king, over many worlds." He turned his eyes to stare at every one of us. "I have seen true power. And I know I am destined to wield it."
He held out his hand. "Now hand over the scepter." He raised a hand. Around them, monsters and shades appeared out of nowhere, like a curtain hiding them had disappeared. Immediately, Reyna sprung into an attack stance, mentally calculating how all of them would get out of here in one piece. Around her, her friends drew weapons.
"Make us."
Alcyoneus laughed. "Your power is strong. You are correct. But all of you still have human hearts." His smile turned cruel. "And no matter how hard you bury the past, it will come back to haunt you." He gestured behind him.
The figures behind him tensed. The boy removed his mask. Ethan Nakamura stared at them impassively with glowing blue eyes. The girl removed her mask slowly. Reyna felt the ground tremble as the face of Annabeth Chase can into view. Her hair was blond with color, but her face was drained. Her eyes glowed and brilliant blue, no trace of the wise grey in sight.
"Wise Girl?" Percy's choked voice shattered the silence. Reyna snapped to look at him. His face was pale; dread, hope, pain, lingering in his eyes. He had that haunted look her got when memories and flashbacks entered his mind.
Annabeth simply looked on, with an impassive expression. Reyna felt pain as her dead friend assessed them like threats.
"Keep you head together," yelled Natasha. Reyna could feel the other demigods wavering. Bellona guide me, she thought. Steeling her mind, she barely registered the last reveal.
Bianca di Angelo can into view. She looked perfectly identical to the one that had betrayed them, except her eyes were the most vibrant blue of all.
Reyna snapped her head to the Bianca that had betrayed them, only to see a lady in a black dress standing in her place. Fire torches were in her hands, and she had blue eyes as well.
"Hecate," gasped Hazel. Nico was looking at the real Bianca, his expression like a corpse.
"Stop!" cried Piper, her charmspeak washing over them. "They are only illusions! Hecate probably has mist everywhere." Reyna mind reeled.
"I swear on the River Styx that Lady Hecate is not using any of her abilities to influence your sight right now. This is all real." Alcyoneus's words cut through the air. Reyna could feel the rumble of thunder and his knowing smile.
Reyna swallowed. Nico and Percy were a mess. Hazel was in no condition to battle. This wasn't good.
Alcyoneus snapped his fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot." Two shades dragged a limp figure forward. Reyna instantly recognized the blond hair of Luke Castellan. They had somehow captured him. One shade leveled a blade under his chin.
He smiled. Reyna growled. He had played them. "I —"
SCREECH! A golden snake head erupted from the floor, rising up. Several of the monsters backed up nervously.
An arrow flew through the air and punctured through the snake's head. The beast wailed, and collapsed on several monsters, killing them under its weight.
Reyna turned to Frank,who lowered his bow grimly. He met her eyes, the message clear. They could still fight. Reyna glanced at her friends. Jason and Piper stood side by side, determined. Hazel and Nico were still disoriented, as was Percy. Steve simply held up his shield. Tony hovered inches above the ground, repulsor beams loaded; Leo by his side was wielding a flaming hammer. Clint had an arrow drawn. Natasha simply inclined her head.
Her mortal friends seemed to understand this was a battle that they could not fight. They still stood strong, they would fight alongside the demigods.
"A mere distraction," said Alcyoneus airily, "it seems like the Great Python was meant to be downed by Apollo's champion after all." He swiveled his head to look at Reyna.
"The scepter now, my patience is growing thin." He held out his hand.
"No," said Reyna. "We keep the scepter." She raised her spear. "We will fight to defend it." A chorus of firm nods followed her words.
"Ah, very well," Alcyoneus sighed, "however, you will not fight."
Reyna blinked. "What?"
"Why fight?" Annabeth's voice cut through the air. Percy lifted his head.
Annabeth's eyes hardened and her mouth curled into a sneer. "Why fight," she continued, "when we know you will fight until your last breathe." Her eyes were calculating. "You will risk you lives for the Soul Stone. And your mortal friends will lay their lives down with you."
"This is a fool's battle," she scoffed, "so you will not fight and end lives that we need. Instead, you will sit and do nothing." She drew a knife. "As we carve up Castellan until his skin is in shreds." The vehement in her voice shook Reyna.
"She's bluffing," said Steve uncertainly.
"You could have mentioned Percy's dead girlfriend was psycho," Tony said under his breathe to Leo.
"Annabeth Chase was a hero," said Piper loudly. She looked at Annabeth fiercely. "And you are not her."
Percy was absolutely frozen, his face is disbelief as he watched his dead girlfriend smile like the devil.
Annabeth drew a line down Luke's arm, a shallow cut. Luke stirred. Hearing Steve's quick intake of breath, he wasn't use to seeing torture, and honestly, Reyna didn't like it either. Especially when it was one of her closest friends doing it.
Annabeth's smile turned serene as she dove the blade quickly into Luke's shoulder. He gasped, coughing. Blood tricked from his mouth, and Reyna's stomach turned as Annabeth twisted the blade. Thank the gods he was unconscious.
"Stop," said Frank. He was looking at Percy, who had turned a shade of green.
"Perhaps more motivation is needed," Alcyoneus voice hardened. "Perhaps, my apprentice would like a turn."
"Of course Dark One." Annabeth bowed.
Percy snapped his head up. "Knock him out," ordered Reyna.
"What —"
"NOW!" The room shuddered. Walls rumbled and the floor split apart with cracks.
Jason slammed his sword in Percy's head, who promptly collapsed. Reyna took in a deep breathe as the room stopped shaking.
Annabeth sighed. "Poor Perseus, never really could handle his loyalty flaw. You should learn to control your allies Miss Arellano." She tapped a blade on Bianca's cheek. The girl didn't even flinch.
Nico gave a strangled cry of protest. He struggled up. "Hold him too," said Reyna. The last thing they needed was a sign to attack. Frank and Clint grabbed Nico, but he melted into a shadow, only to spring out in front of Annabeth, his stygian blade gleaming. Annabeth simply sidestepped and shoved him back.
Before what Reyna knew she was doing, a dagger had left her head straight to Annabeth. Time seem to slow, as two other knives, a shield, and an arrow joined it. Shadows sprung up from the ground and formed a shield. The weapons bounced off harmlessly.
Alcyoneus chuckled. A familiar scepter materialized in his hand. Reyna watched the stone glow blue. Frank lunged forward, but Annabeth plunged out a hand. A force slammed into him, knocking him back. Frank turned his eyes on Annabeth in disbelief.
Alcyoneus held the spear on Nico's chest. He sputtered, before opening his eyes.
They glowed blue.
And then a gray force field enclosed them.
Hazel POV
Hazel had immediately felt her energy leech out of her when Hecate revealed herself. She let the world shift into layers. She could feel her presence in the regular world, but her mind was in another layer of reality.
"Hazel Levesque." Hazel looked at Hecate. The goddess took the form of when they first met, but she was seeing her double layered. " We do not have much time."
Hazel snapped. "I should kill you where you stand."
Hecate sighed. Her face shifted slightly, the blue tinge in her eyes before vanishing. "I'm drawing in your energy to suppress the Mind Stone. Granted it is temporary so I only have a few minutes." She scowled. "Alcyoneus may have that cursed stone to control minds, but I am a child older than the gods. I have more tricks that he will ever know."
Hazel looked at her carefully. "Fine, I believe you. Tell me what I need to do."
"Good," Hecate replied simply. "Now follow my instructions exactly. . ."
Reyna POV
"Take the knife," gloated Alcyoneus, from the other side of the barrier. Nico snatched the knife from Annabeth. She snarled at him. Nico merely held the knife.
"Stab yourself."
"Stop Nico!" Piper screamed. Nico hesitated a split second, before stabbing himself in the stomach. Hazel screamed, tears streaming down her face. Nico's face was a mask of agony, but he twisted the blade. Blood gushed from the wound.
"Take it, just take it." Surprisingly, it was Stark who wretched the scepter with the soul stone from Hazel's hands. He tossed it at the feet of Alcyoneus. "Now give us the kid."
"Mortals have no right to meddle with us," sneered Alcyoneus. He waved his hand at Annabeth, and the barrier vanished. Nakamura shoved Nico forward, his face bearing no emotion, the polar twin to Annabeth's sadistic face.
They vanished, along with the army, leaving no trace they were ever there.
Bianca lingered last, picking up the soul stone. It glowed brighter, like it had finally met its rightful owner. She turned her eerie eyes on them once, before vanishing.
Frank unfroze, like from a trace. He immediately starting checking Nico; beaming golden healing energy into him. Piper summoned a field of flowers, then drew out their life energies and directed them to Nico. Jason stood by, ready to shock Nico's heart if necessary.
"Great, so they took the scepter," said Clint, "and they still have Castellan".
"Wow, shocking," muttered Stark.
"It was all your fault," hissed Clint, "You —"
"I got the kid back," said Stark, walking over to Nico probably having JARVIS to scan him. "These eight are the best chance we have at winning this war, which is obviously happening. They'll need each other, 'cause in case your eyes have finally failed you, they are broken."
"No, we are not," Hazel spoke up. "And all hope is not lost."
Reyna helped her up. Hazel gestured to the corner, then the wall shifted.
Hecate was collapsed on the floor, torched out.
"She will tell us what we need to know," said Hazel tiredly. Reyna didn't even question how or what she did. Her mind buzzed with a mixture of emotions, planning, anticipation, and most of all, anger.
Reyna also felt a spark of hope in her chest. "And next time, we won't go down so easily."