One hundred reviews! Wow! Thanks folks!
I'm sorry for not updating sooner. The system had some sort of error uploading the thing- I would have definitely updated sooner if I could help it!
In this chapter, Thor and the Norse gods are clearly losing control over their forms- this would present problems in later chapters. The Demigods, Magicians and Avengers are moving to eliminate the threat, and Aglaia's cousin joins them- a Valkyrie demigoddess daughter of Freya who's been sent to Earth/Midgard but with her own motives and orders from her mother. Freya herself is considering some sort of deal. They look like they're succeeding... For now.
Aqila: Thank you. In terms of the topics they spoke about, I took inspiration from some things like soldiers affected and undergoing therapy for PTSD, but they were my own words. I felt that they needed to be spoken. I'm sorry it took so long. I've been busy with various projects. Thank you so much!
levo.Micheal: Thanks- it's a lot of characters though! Even without the Percy Jackson and HoO demigods from both camps- there are the Kanes and the Magnus Chase characters. Thank you so much! It's sad though- because the reality of being a soldier hits a person hard- even if you're a demigod battling monsters that will someday reform.
Guest Reviewer: Thank you! I may not involve them as deeply- unless I wish to make a Percy Jackson-Mortal Instruments crossover. But there was this part where Chiron discussed- to Percy in The Lightning Thief, where God- capital G- is another matter entirely, whereas gods- plural form and lower case g- is a 'smaller matter' and he didn't want to breach too deeply upon that topic. Jason said that he thought they 'shouldn't sacrifice chickens' to them- meaning they no longer worship them in the sense the ancients did.
I also think that these similarities between stories of various pantheons mean they evolved from the same source- like golden apples of immortality from both the garden of the Hesperides and Idunn's, the three Fates = Norns, the Ginnunga Gap = Chaos = The Sea of Chaos which Ma'at sprung from. And then I saw a similarity between the golden apples of immortality from both myths and the Tree of Life in the Bible, guarded by an angel. But as Chiron hints- the God of the Christian/Islamic/Jewish faith would operate on a much higher level. So we may get hints in this storyline- or in a sequel. But the workings of the gods of these pantheons and their 'squabbles' will be on a lower level and more visibly seen by the characters.
Loki watched the Vanr goddess quietly.
Freya had been emotionless for quite some time now. Of course, when she first saw him, she attacked. She of all people, he could not blame for wanting to harm him. But he managed to get her to listen.
After all, he knew what her deepest desires were. And it was what he wanted to.
Right now she stood there.
Golden-haired Freya morphed into her other form. A silky black mane replaced the golden tresses. And the fair skin like creamy-ivory or alabaster, turned into a shade- like snowy porcelain, but tinged with almond. Her figure grew more slender, willowy and less voluptuous. She resembled the four Chinese daughters she bore, whose lives shook Chinese history- and ended in horrific tragedy or mystery. Like her other daughters.
She was losing control. Just as the others were.
But she was as still as before.
"That's it." Loki broke the silence. "You don't trust me, but you never doubted my genuity in that regard. You of all people should know better."
Freya was silent, but a nugget of red-gold threatened to spill from her eyes- which she closed.
"Are you sure it's her?" Her voice was whispery, but like a caress. She was the goddess of love and beauty, after all.
"Almost certain." Loki replied. "Take a look yourself if you so wish."
He turned to leave.
"I want the same thing you want," Loki said calmly. "You don't trust me, but even I can't fool you in that regard. You of all people know better."
And so he left.
Freya sat there, still and silent, taking a deep, shaky breath. Her form flickered and changed once more- into her Scandinavian-looking form according to the few Midgardians she met.
She ran a shaking, fine-boned hand through her golden-blond tresses, shaking all over.
Could she do it? Did she dare hope?
Her logic screamed that Loki was lying. He'd lied so many times. He deceived and served one person only- himself.
And yet… Even if she were not the goddess of love, she couldn't doubt what he was like before she was lost- before she lost them all.
Only her sons remained- the sons whom she had never been allowed to raise. And the few demigoddess daughters which lived, but was doomed- like the rest- to die and to die horribly.
Freya took a deep breath once more. She stood.
Her form briefly transformed again, and back, before Freya's blue eyes became hard like gems.
What choice did she have?
But first, she needed to be sure.
"So you're all here." Percy said.
His eyes were grim, dark and haunted. Everyone sympathised.
They knew what this was about.
"Now, as I was saying, Magnus and his friend Blitzen have something to say."
Percy stepped aside and handed the floor to them.
"Um…" Magnus began. "Thanks." He cleared his throat.
"Now, as Percy was saying, we have something to say- that is, uh," Magnus rubbed his hand against the back of his head uneasily. "There's someone else coming to join us."
"Who?"
Blitzen grunted.
"My, er-cousin, you could call her that. She's coming here. To offer a bit of help."
"Your cousin?" Annabeth arched an eyebrow. "On your dad's side."
"Um, yeah," Magnus admitted. "My dad's twin sister's daughter. She's coming over from Denmark." He looked at Aglaia. "You may know her too."
Aglaia raised an eyebrow. "How would I know Freya's daughter?"
Annabeth noted that both she and Percy appeared decades older than they actually were- not in the sense they had lines and wrinkles and grey hairs, but they were haunted. Dark. Like they had experienced torture. Like Percy after Tartarus again- more or less worse.
It's the guilt, Annabeth thought. And the shame. But she bore it too. She wasn't prepared. As much as she hated to admit it. But killing monsters was different from killing demigods and humans.
"Well…" Magnus turned very red. "Cause she's our cousin too."
Aglaia sat there, emotionless. "Oh?" She asked.
She didn't react as strongly as she did before… All of this, Annabeth noted.
"Yeah, um…" He hesitated. "Princess Ingrid of Denmark, her grandmother contacted us and said she was coming- your cousin: Princess Astrid."
Aglaia stood, slowly.
"I see," she said calmly. She walked over to the window.
Memories of a happier, sunnier time emerged. Well, Scandinavia is quite pleasant especially in summer, no matter what people said. The war in Greece had ended. The country was rebuilding. She needed to discover what life was like in the outside world- she had no memories from outside the monastery and Kassandros was apparently making life hard for her mother and her. The solution was to send her to Denmark- a safe country in any case.
Astrid, she had some memories about- happy ones. She didn't have any siblings growing up and no playmates except for the few gracious nuns who were not busy and Saoirse who came with her to Denmark anyway. Her mother was there for the first part of the trip- trying to reconnect with the daughter who had no memory of her.
Astrid, she remembered was a blonde-haired girl, exceedingly beautiful even at that age. Grand-niece to the king of Denmark, like Aglaia, her grandfather was Prince Valdemar- the Danish king's and queen of Greece's- Aglaia's grandmother- brother. She wasn't high in the line of succession, which gave her a large amount of freedom. Aglaia had been in awe and intimidated by her, but they had been fast friends.
Of course that was years ago. If Aglaia had to be honest, Astrid and her genuinely confident- she wasn't merely acting, unlike Aglaia- attitude towards life, her freshness, her exuberance and the way she was allowed and had always run about in the sun and gazed up at the stars under the night sky- she was the one person Aglaia ever truly envied. She had all the freedom, confidence and joy Aglaia had never possessed- especially not in childhood, secluded and sequestered in a monastery, all the sun and blue skies in her life, the sea to gaze upon, swim and sail, the family to run back to at the end of the day, for dinner, games, bedtime stories, hugs, kisses and laughter. She never had to be terrorised by Kassandros- and it didn't look like there were monsters hiding amidst her security detail. She even got to go to school- public school. Aglaia had to be home-schooled for her own safety. And she bet the teachers never strapped Astrid's shoulders, waist and forehead to a steel rod to keep her back straight, so that reading and writing became uncomfortable, until the abuse was reported to her mother. Her timetable of lessons were not as strict. Astrid never had to be rigorously examined by whoever was in charge- like a governess.
Yet how was she a demigoddess? Aglaia wondered. Astrid's mother, she had been told, died. Her father remarried- and had more children. Huh. That would explain a lot.
So that meant that she wasn't the only royal to have been sired or conceived by a god.
"I haven't seen Astrid since I was a child," she informed Magnus bluntly. "Though I often came to Denmark."
"Yeah, er-well…" He mumbled. "She's coming now."
"Yes, you've said," she said steadily.
He clearly didn't know how to act in front of her anymore. Especially that she was so… Different. No one did.
"So," Aglaia said calmly. "Astrid is a demigoddess. Freya's daughter."
Blitzen scratched his ear. "Yeah. Freya has many famous daughters. But they were usually goddesses."
"Like the dwarfs that created Brísingamen," she said remembering the tale. "Freya's famous necklace." She said to clarify the confused-looking faces.
"Yeah." Blitzen winced. "Anyway, if they were girls then they were usually born goddesses- not the case with your cousin, but Freya had many famous daughters. They added to her legend." He tapped his pursed lips together. "Hmmm, let me see. There was Idunn wife of Bragi and keeper of the golden apples, Nanna wife of Balder, Sigyn, Loki's unfortunate spouse," Samirah Al-Abbas winced at her father's name. "- Syn, Sjofn, Var and Snotra- these were fathered by Iwaldi."
Aglaia frowned. "I thought more than one dwarf created Brísingamen." She said dubiously.
Blitzen winced further. "My apologies," Aglaia said. "Nah, it's okay," Blitzen admitted. "Yeah, there was more than one dwarf, but she only had daughters with Iwaldi. The rest of them she bore sons- the Svartalfs- called 'Dark Elves' though we're really dwarfs- a subset of the dwarven race who are descended from Freya."
Sadie frowned and a number of the Aphrodite girls- more specifically the snobbish ones- wondered why Freya- a goddess much like their mother- would hang out with dwarfs. As mentioned, they were rather snobbish.
"And she had two daughters with her Aesir husband," Blitzen continued. "Their names were Hnoss and Gersemi- who were so beautiful that their names were applied to and used to compare and describe anything precious and beautiful, like treasure." A number of the Aphrodite girls were so envious they barely kept it in check.
"So what about my cousin?" Aglaia frowned. The name Gersemi… She couldn't shake it off, but sounded awfully familiar… Like she should know it.
"Demigoddess," Blitzen answered for her. "She was born half-mortal, so Freya wasn't allowed to raise her."
"And I suppose Freya either married her father, or passed the girl off as his and his first wife's own daughter." Aglaia said simply.
"She's his daughter," Blitzen confirmed.
"I see." Aglaia said heavily. "Well, when is she coming? Where can we meet her?"
"Well, she's on the way." Blitzen confirmed. "Oh, did I mention that she's a Valkyrie?"
"Thor," Tony said worriedly. "Thor."
Thor was groaning again- in pain and annoyance. He didn't pass as much gas as he did last time.
"Unghhh," Thor moaned.
He was in his red-haired, greasy form on a gurney. But a few groans later, he was back to sunshine blond.
His blue eyes blinked, his gaze was confused, disorientated and wild among other things.
"How's he doing?" Steve asked Banner.
Bruce shook his head. "He's losing control." He looked frustrated. "If I could find the source of the problem… But I don't get this, man. I don't get this at all. I mean, how can anyone change… Forms?" He asked the last bit as he still didn't get this concept, and was thoroughly bewildered, not knowing what to make of this.
Steve sighed. "I asked the demigods. They told me that their gods had more than one form, because they were not only the source, but the manifestations of their culture and civilisation. They said something about the gods… Being a source of the culture and western civilisation, but they also gain something like new traits from the countries they moved to- first in Greece, then in Rome. Like new immigrants moving to another country- if they integrate- and the gods also became the centre of their culture and civilisation- but they adopt traits- they discovered they liked new Roman, French, British or American traits of their cultures and after absorbing them- like for nearly a millennia at least- they developed similar, but entirely different personas. The new traits become a new person- literally." Steve looked warily at Thor.
"Oh." Bruce looked surprised. "That sounds… Fascinating. I can't see them like immigrants though."
"Give or take a few generations of immigrants," Tony muttered. None of the Avengers took their eyes off Thor.
"We're mortal," Clint reasoned. "I doubt we could be like immortals."
"Must be tough," Tony said. Their eyes were glued to the shifting, ever morphing shape of Thor, groaning on the operating table.
"Give him some time," Natasha suggested. "That's what they told us. Their gods adjusted though it was difficult."
"But that's not what concerned them," Steve said. "They said the last time their gods had trouble staying in one form was during the Second Giant War. Their last great war. That means conflicting is brewing."
They stared at him.
"What kind of conflict?" Bruce asked warily.
"I don't know," Steve replied.
At this point Thor let out a very loud moan then knocked off unconscious. He was in his red-haired form. Steve exhaled.
"Well, he's unconscious," he said. "We'll just have to wait."
The thump that arrived, signalled to Blitzen the arrival of the Valkyrie- his half-sister.
Blitzen sighed as he went forwards.
"Astrid," he said by way of greeting.
"Blitzen." Her voice sounded disapproving, the only thing apart from the outline of a girl with great wings in the dark, that signified her presence.
"Where's my cousin?"
Blitzen cocked his head. "Do you mean the one on the mortal side or…"
"The mortal side," she said, her tone betraying her impatience.
Blitzen sighed. He'd never been her favourite.
"Where is she?"
"Right this way," Blitzen said.
Aglaia was sitting down until Astrid arrived. She stood.
Astrid had grown almost as tall as Aglaia. She was graceful, and her hair was rare genuine shade of silvery-gold, her eyes a clear, but deep blue. She was fine-boned like Aglaia, and had a figure which most girls would weep in envy from.
"Aglaia." She said pointedly.
"Astrid." Her cousin simply replied.
She was certainly not the shy girl Astrid remembered.
"I take it that you don't know where they're planning their next move."
"Yes," Aglaia said. "The staff at the factory were either arrested or killed. S.H.I.E.L.D is interrogating them."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "And you trust S.H.I.E.L.D?"
Aglaia was silent. "Not all of them." She said quietly.
"You're quite right." Astrid stated.
"Even the ones that have proven trustworthy have their limits." Aglaia stated steadily. "But we have no choice."
"Huh." Astrid sat back. "You do realise how worried and stunned I was when I saw the evening news?"
Aglaia winced. "It must have been a shock for you."
"And it was certainly a shock to discover that my cousin was in fact one of those existing Greek demigods of legend."
"Oh, I assure you it was a surprise for me to find out you were Freya's daughter and a Valkyrie." Aglaia replied.
"Touché," Astrid said with a wry smile.
"So what shall we do?"
Aglaia stood. "They haven't been defeated." She said simply. "They used one brainwashed serum-fuelled demigod army against us. They've been doing this for years, based on how long their group has operated under their alias: Athánatos pharmacies."
"Damn," Astrid murmured. "I've seen those guys- they're everywhere."
"Yet not big enough to attract any attention." Aglaia responded. "They've been very clever. As far as anyone is concerned they're useful and helpful- not something to take notice like a billion-dollar company like Microsoft and Hilton Hotels. That's how they remain undetected. Yet they've provided scientists for S.H.I.E.L.D as well, alongside many official international corporations."
Astrid regarded her. "So these guys are terrorists."
"No," Aglaia said dubiously. "They've made no demands. They've done no assassinations, hijacking or bombings for them to be noticed and taken seriously. They're not about making statements through terror in order for governments to meet their demands. They don't fall under any usual category."
"Except mad scientists," Astrid stated. Her cousin's lips twitched into a small smile. "So the Avengers have been infiltrated."
"Maybe not them," Aglaia said. "But S.H.I.E.L.D certainly is."
"Huh," Astrid said. "So the factory has been destroyed. That was where the serum was stored."
"Yes, one of the places." Aglaia scowled. "At least the storage. They're not stupid enough to put all their eggs in one basket. But that's where they manufacture them. The ones they've sent away…" She looked sadder, and much, much older than her teenage years. "Based on what we know, they may be getting desperate. They know their time is up."
"And when they know their time is up, they'll do just about anything dangerous to stop it from coming." Astrid stood. Behind her, her wings ruffled. "So what are you going to do?"
"Find them. Our guess is that they'll be administering serum and brainwashing techniques to as many demigods as they have as soon as possible to prep them up for battle," Aglaia said. "This is the end of their game. Whether they're going down, or about to win, they want to make us burn."
"What about the captured demigods?" Astrid asked. Aglaia fell silent. "We had no choice to begin with. To stop those demigods they set upon us… We had to burn them. We used Greek Fire."
Astrid fell silent. She had heard of Greek Fire. Many Valkyries came to take away the spirits of those that had been consumed by Greek Fire when Björn Ironside's ships attacked the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines destroyed most of the fleet. It was a chilling and terrifying weapon. And the effects had not been forgotten by the Valkyries of Valhalla or Folkvanger, and the descriptions given by the Einherjar themselves were like nothing she'd imagined.
"So they're dead?" She heard herself asking.
Aglaia looked down. "It was either to kill them or to let them rampage around, attacking any city, town or village settlement they could find, anyone in their path. They couldn't control themselves and we couldn't bring them to reason. We didn't even have the time to stop them. One of them- a Hephaestus girl- was launching lava at the Air Force's planes that came to our aid."
Astrid recoiled.
Aglaia exhaled. "If we can't bring them to their senses… Astrid… We might have to do it again."
Astrid knew she wouldn't like this, so she didn't try to hug Aglaia. Aglaia was thankful. She didn't accept hugs from everyone the way she used to. Besides Astrid was a Viking Valkyrie now and Aglaia a descendant of them as well as Alexander the Great.
"They would have understood, and even wanted you to do it," Astrid told her firmly. "They died a brave and honourable end- it was a sacrifice on both your parts- a sacrifice that enabled countless innocents to live."
Aglaia nodded stiffly.
"Now," Astrid stated, placing her hands on Aglaia's shoulders. The latter felt more strength and courage than what felt for a long time. "Do you have any idea where their other armies and serum may be located? We don't have much time."
Mizuki interrogated the prisoners along with Nico.
They didn't have much time so they used as many resources as possible. The demigods and legacies, Roman and Greek, the Kanes and their magicians- everyone prepped for battle. Aglaia got the feeling Astrid didn't like the godly side of her family much, watching her treat with Magnus- she looked like she disapproved of him and Blitzen, to an extent, but tolerated the elf Hearthstone and cooperated with Samirah Al-Abbas well enough. But she grudgingly allowed them to stay.
"Odin can't send an army of Valkyries or Einherjar," Astrid confirmed. "Not until he has confirmation that Asgard and Vanaheim are under direct attack as well. And Frey for Alfheim. So far, there are other Pantheons involved. Too many would be a catastrophe."
"So, really, no help from Asgard." Tony Stark's voice came from behind them.
"You guys seem to be prepping up a lot for battle lately."
"Well, we can't stop now," Aglaia stated. "They're getting desperate."
"So the chances are they'll do something dangerous when they get desperate." Steve Rogers appeared out of nowhere.
"Exactly," Aglaia said. He looked at Astrid, wide-eyed.
"Are you-" "Valkyrie," Astrid replied. "Chooser of the slain. My task is to fight alongside warriors in great battles, providing aid and gifts of strength and power to them without them knowing, and to bring the souls of those that died a heroic death to Valhalla, where they can feast and be attended upon for all eternity." She replied. "Until Ragnarök, the ending of the world."
"Do you enjoy intimidating them by saying that you bring the souls of dead warriors into the next life?" Aglaia sighed. Astrid looked amused. "What? In the old days, the Viking warriors were glad to see the sight of a glorious Valkyrie."
"They were eager to die in battle," Aglaia muttered. "The Spartans should have met them."
Astrid smirked. "I'll leave you at it," she said, waltzing away, humming.
Steve had a raised eyebrow. "How many pantheons are involved?" "So far only two," Aglaia responded. "As she said, Odin does not wish direct involvement unless the Norse realms are directly threatened as well. Too many powers at once will cause great chaos. But we've got two Valkyries, one Einherji, a dwarf, an elf and a Thunder god at our side coming from their pantheon."
"So what are we going to do?" Tony asked irritably. "It seems like you guys are intent on keeping us in the dark."
"My apologies," Aglaia said smoothly. "But considering the number of Agóna sleeper agents, spies and operatives that have infiltrated, it was not a matter of trust but we didn't know who would overhear."
Steve was silent. This was what Percy and Jason had warned him about. They were being set upon.
Tony frowned deeply. "So who can we trust?"
"Only ourselves, because even the best-intentioned ones are being played here." She pursed her lips. "I've forgotten but someone once said, when you play chess, don't play the pawns. Play the chessboard. Take in the whole board, the layout, the other player- find out what they're like, how they see us, how they think and plan their next move. Right up 'til now they had the upper hand. This was something they'd spent years- possibly decades in the planning. But we showed them something." Aglaia went silent.
"What?" Steve asked.
"These people," Aglaia finally spoke. "They know my brother. They've heard and probably witnessed his deeds. They've heard tales about him. They know how he works- how he rescued his mother when she was taken hostage, how he saved his friend Grover who was in mortal danger. How he rushed off without a second's hesitation to save Annabeth. And what he was prepared to do for me. The desperate lengths to save just about anyone he didn't even have to know- like civilians. They knew I was in the same wavelength. Possibly worse. Look what I was prepared to do when the campers were threatened. When the demigods and Athens was attacked. Look how desperate, how enraged I became."
Steve winced. He wasn't the only one. The foolhardy operation in Athens… Now that was unnecessary. Truly unnecessary. But there was something else there. Ever since she'd recovered from what that Stone did to her… Aglaia, always so mature, seemed to have aged a thousand years at least. She went quiet at times, more often than most, delivering strange, disconcerting silences for certain periods of time, making her extremely hard to discern, even now that she had recovered and gained her will- or at least that was what he thought- to get on with her duty. As if everything about her- her mind and soul- had retreated deeper and deeper within her. Before that it seemed nothing more than composure the way a princess was supposed to be. Now…
"They knew what we wanted. They had no such scruples." Aglaia continued. "Therefore they had nothing to lose except for themselves. But they weren't expecting us to be desperate enough to stop them that way. By throwing Greek Fire onto brainwashed demigods- our own- to save civilians and the rest of the world. They were betting on the fact that Percy and I- alongside many- would be torn and unable to do it. Now we've shown that we could rise above that game. They'll become desperate. Even the most cunning wouldn't be able to do anything once their time is running out."
At the memory of the screams from those demigods and the green flash of light, the Avengers winced painfully.
"But that won't stop them from using the brainwashed and serum-amplified demigods." Aglaia said. "If they have any written formulae on that serum we need to destroy it. We've destroyed their factory and laboratory where they made it, the stores of freshly-made serum before they were handed out and distributed- and one army of brainwashed demigods. But they would have distributed others- and copies of the formulae."
"What about HYDRA?" Steve asked. "Do they have copies of the serum and formula?"
"Not exactly, that would be my guess," Aglaia said. "Remember, the Agóna control them through fear amongst other things. Otherwise they would have risen up and tried to exterminate them long ago. They're afraid of the Agóna, but they crave their power and secrets. To keep them content and obedient the Agóna would have presented them with copies of the formula, but not to the same advanced stage as they themselves have kept. My guess is that HYDRA has these versions- but they don't need demigods or any partially supernatural creatures to use them on. They probably gave them the original."
Steve frowned. "Dr. Erksine didn't like the idea of that serum getting into the wrong hands. Now I find that guys worse than Schmidt have them- and they've been trying it out on brainwashed kids." He shook his head.
"I think Schmidt must have some idea of this," Natasha said, popping up out of nowhere.
"Either way," Aglaia said. "We've found the next target. In fact, we've found either all the targets or so many the Agóna won't recover from this."
Mizuki walked forwards. "We're ready."
The Avengers frowned and all of them moved forwards, Steve among them, but Aglaia discreetly grabbed his arm.
"I assume Percy told you," she said quietly. "And Alex. They told me."
Steve stared hard at her. "What do you mean?"
"Destroy the records." She said. "This won't end with the Agóna. Once a type of animal has been eradicated another species move to take its place on top of the food chain. HYDRA is here. Fury doesn't know. It's safe for him- for now." She gave him a long, hard look. "They know we demigods exist. Now they know who we are. Erase the records."
She looked him in the eye.
"If you care what could happen to the lives of millions of innocent people- if not billions- then erase them. Please."
"So this is our plan- we can't spend too much on it, but this is war- it's chaotic. We've already sent fleets of Pegasi riders out- both Greek and Roman. Some magicians will be there. We're going to disrupt them- do whatever it takes to keep them from brainwashing and injecting the serum. Then we will attack. There will be plenty of S.H.I.E.L.D agents- based on what we know, the Agóna is mostly based in Greece and the surrounding countries." Jason explained.
"Now they know that we know- we're playing it very risky," Alex said dubiously. "So we don't have much time."
"But we do know that a cargo of serum is being transported." Annabeth put in. "Right over the Greco-Macedonian border, so some of us are going to intercept them- others have already been given their plans."
Steve looked confused. "How much and when did you have the time to plan and carry out orders?"
"We've grabbed and interrogated as many sources as possible," Annabeth explained. "With Nico, Mizuki and Lou Ellen and the magicians working over-time just before we used Alex as bait. We know where they are now. We've been handed as many sources as possible."
"It also helps when someone you know is an Einherji," Aglaia explained. "And a Valkyrie. Also we have a magical elf here as well."
"So what now?" Nico asked. "Where are we going?"
"You, Nico are going with Lou Ellen." Percy explained. "Terrify them to the Fields of Punishment in your father's realm." Nico gave a chilling grin. "The kids of the Big Three can't be everywhere at once 'cause there are so few of us- but the rest of the cabins and legions will split up- we'll attack, like special ops- covertly, hard and fast, but meticulously careful and sudden. The Magicians too. You guys have to split up too." Percy said looking at them. "But stay within flying distance of one another, so you can quickly come at each other's aid- that's my advice." He said fully aware they couldn't take orders from him. "Where you'll be is your choice." Percy said gesturing to the map in front of him.
Steve frowned. He looked at the map. "Okay," he said. "Decide fast," Nico warned them. "We haven't got much time."
"Oh, I get it," Steve muttered. "Tony?" He said looking at Iron Man.
Tony examined the map closely. "So that's where they are?" He said gesturing to the red circled areas on the map. The red circles were not made of markers but light. They needed to get rid of the map fast in case anyone unwanted saw it.
"Yeah," Jason stated. They all looked down at the map.
Natasha frowned. "I don't know- I don't like the idea- we're strong because we stay together."
"Yeah, but this time," Clint put in. "They'll be expecting that. We need to stop them before they inject anymore demigods with the serum and brainwash them. And they're everywhere at once."
"I know that," Natasha sighed exasperatedly. "It's just…"
Tony took a deep breath. "Well, we don't have much time." He looked at the map again.
"Hurry," Percy warned. "We're burning the map."
"Percy!" Alex shouted, as he flew beside him on a grey Pegasus.
"Yeah?"
"We've gotta make contact," Alex warned. "Before we engage we need to know who else they've got on their side. Eris was one- there could be someone else."
Percy cursed. He hated that. "You think she's here?"
"As I said," Alex yelled over the rushing wind. "We don't know. There's no way of telling."
"But Thor's going to be here with us," Jason yelled, riding beside them on Tempest. "If we face her. He'll know- he's keeping an eye out for her."
"Should be enough- one Norse god against a minor Greek goddess- should that ever happen."
"Loki!" Eris hissed.
"My dear Eris, what have I been telling you?" Loki hissed back. "Our scheme was disastrous from the very beginning. We have nothing left. Now they know your involvement. Go back to Tartarus- hide! Abandon the foolish mortals- salvage what we can."
"And then what?" Eris hissed at him, her face growing more livid.
"Hide- until the time comes. The Infinity Stones can wait," Loki's face grew hungry. "Until we can topple the once-proud pantheons," his face grew darker and hungrier. "Then we lie in wait, like a serpent, ready to strike. Now go, before Thor finds you." That was their plan after all.
Eris took one look at him, made her decision, and scrambled off.
In an escape pod, of either Asgardian or Olympian make, she wriggled in, smoothed herself inside and the doors sealed, before she zoomed off in her escape.
Loki looked and regarded her fleeing pod silently, before his form, grew translucent, turning and emitting green light before disappearing. An apparition. He was already gone.
It was time, after all. Loki needed to salvage what he could.
He would speak to Freya again.
"Pegasi riders!" Percy roared.
They swooped in by the dozens.
Many of them held Celestial Bronze spears, javelins and swords.
"ARCHERS!" Percy shouted. "FIRE!" Will Solace ordered.
The archers let loose their arrows. They found their targets. They were the arrow-heads Percy had ordered Leo to make and the ones made of metal that Hazel had summoned.
"Archers withdraw!" Percy ordered.
"JAVELINS AND SLINGSHOTS!" The javelin throwers and those with slingshots hurled them and they found their mark.
"Hurry!" One Agóna- or possibly HYDRA mercenary commanded desperately, down below, while many comrades of his fired upon the demigods in the sky- unfortunately, they were shielded- at least the majority of them.
Soldiers wheeled heavy machinery into place, but many of them were shot down when Percy gave the order again:
"ARCHERS!" Percy shouted. The archers shot again.
"FLAMING ARROWS!" This time the arrows were on fire. And they fired them multiple times.
"BLASTING ARROWS- AIM TO THE CENTRE, PERIMETER AND THE MACHINERY!" Jason shouted.
They did just that.
Then a rumble and a roar that signalled an engine- an aircraft taking off.
"FIRE THE BLASTING ARROWS AT THE ENGINES!" That was Alex.
"Hurry!" Nico shouted. "I'm going in."
"Alex," Alex looked at Percy. "Go with him."
Alex urged his Pegasus forwards, before launching himself off and diving into a crack.
Nico shadow-travelled away.
Will Solace notched another arrow in his bow. Austin, Kayla, Mizuki, Eleana, and Andreis- his siblings closest to him- did the same.
And they shot at the engine- which exploded.
"The other ones!" Will urged his siblings.
"Short-range fighters- attack!" Percy shouted. They were on air- no phalanx formation.
"Quiet," Alex whispered.
"Do you think she's here?" Nico whispered.
"Where are their serum stores?" Alex hissed. "Or their demigods?"
Right on cue, a pipe burst- but it was just water.
"Come on," Alex muttered. "Before we have to destroy this place like last time."
They hunted the escapees down- lying in wait, like predators- killing anyone caught escaping- by hiding in shadow or electrocuting.
Thalia and her Hunters were with Annabeth.
"We don't have a choice!" Annabeth was yelling. Thalia's eyes narrowed. "You're right, Thalia, but we have to get the demigods out first."
"And if they don't listen- if they can't?" Thalia demanded.
"Then we have no choice. Kill the escapees."
That was the plan everywhere. They were going for elimination.
Annabeth flew on her grey Pegasus. Thalia's eyes narrowed further. Lightning cracked and the winds swirled harder around her.
"Move higher, but stay close!" She commanded the Hunters.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" Magnus panted.
Hearthstone looked at him if he was crazy. He signed, Are you crazy? Annabeth had already told them the plan.
"What?" Magnus panted heavily. "I forgot."
"We go in, we kill everyone escaping, we destroy the serum and any machinery." Blitzen grunted.
"And we go out- quickly," Sam advised. "Then and only then. There will be people guarding the escape routes- and our ways of escaping."
"Right," Magnus stated slowly. Then he started to get an idea. He took out his sword. "Boss," Jack said sounding pleased. "What's up?"
"Jack- can you keep them from escaping- by cutting them down?"
"What sort of question is that?" Jack asked sounding mildly offended. "Of course I can."
"Good," Magnus said. "Cause Blitzen and Sam are going to destroy any machinery they see, by whatever way they can and hunt for the serum. Hearth will help you- he'll distract everyone, with magic."
"Oh," the sword said. "What about that wacky cousin of yours- Astrid?"
Magnus winced. "Never mind her. Let's just… Get to it, shall we."
"Of course Señor," the sword sighed.
Astrid and Aglaia were there. "We need to go," Aglaia advised looking at Thor. "Are you okay?"
Thor tried not to wince. "I'm fine."
Astrid frowned.
"They said you were changing."
"I can handle it now," Thor gritted his teeth and gripped Mjölnir. "Alright then. Please find Eris. Stop her, no matter what." Aglaia advised.
Thor nodded. He held his hammer high and flew off.
"What now?" Aglaia asked Astrid, not taking her eyes off the view of people leaving.
"We destroy what's left of them- to the core."
The plan was same all around. And it was the work of the magicians and children of Hecate to not only destroy and shield their comrades- but to cut off all communications with magic.
Alex and Nico did kill the escapees- and destroyed machinery.
In places like Sokovia- outside the country- that was where S.H.I.E.L.D and their assigned campers and magicians came.
Agóna scientists and their strike teams screamed or yelled themselves hoarse, cursing and firing relentlessly.
But most of them were dead.
"Sir!" One of them gasped, looking aghast and panicked at his commander. "The demigods, sir!"
Just then he was shot dead. Of course, the commanding officer thought.
The demigods. And HYDRA.
They needed to contact HYDRA.
Triskelion, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington D.C, United States of America…
"They want to what?" Alexander Pierce asked incredulously, as if he was mildly amused.
"They're calling for our aid, sir." Jasper Sitwell responded.
Other men in business suits stood there, Senator Stern among them, and Jack Rollins, a member of S.H.I.E.L.D's official S.T.R.I.K.E team.
"Huh," Pierce leaned back on his chair. "Incredible." He looked at them. "Do you have the formulae- the original one, then? We have more than enough clues to work on that form- we don't need demigods when we can turn ordinary mortals."
Pierce stood and went to the other end of the room. He pressed a hidden button behind an ornamental wall panel. There was a dark-tinted, reinforced, rectangular glass window.
Pierce looked inside.
"These demigods," he mused. "They'll be useful one day, but not today. So far they operate desperately on secrecy. Nobody knows who or how many their numbers are. They can wait- so long as we don't threaten them. We didn't see them during the Chitauri Invasion. Let's wait, until they can't ignore us- until they have no choice but to confront us." He stood there, hands in his pockets. "But we'll be ready. For now, we have what we need to gain more. We take S.H.I.E.L.D from within. And when the weapons are finished, when the governments are blind, when it's truly too late to stop now, then we can take care of them. Then and only then can we be strong enough; patience is a virtue."
He kept looking at the window. "A virtue we can't afford to lose."
The room lit up. Inside a tube, was a soldier frozen in ice, like he had been in there for a very long time- but was super-soldier if anything.
Let them salvage what they can, Pierce thought. As long as we salvage ours.
Although they were weakened now, and they stood no chance with gaining the power the Agóna had achieved supernaturally- for now- HYDRA bowed to no one.
Greece…
Thor flew out of nowhere, thunder and lightning in his wake.
Alex got up from his hiding place of ambush.
There was no more.
"Let's go," he told Nico.
Nico agreed and shadow-travelled them away.
"Percy, we're back."
They were now on the ground. Percy turned to look at them. "Good," Jason said. He and Percy marched forwards.
"The battle's yet to begin."
He nodded. Jason and Alex raised their hands. They rose into the air, the air and wind currents slightly stronger on Alex than around Jason.
And struck the place with lightning.
Percy watched it burn.
"They'll be assembling their demigod armies soon," Percy stated. "They know we can't be stopped."
"But they can." Nico said, watching it burn and explode.
Aglaia was silent.
The screams. The dying. She was to blame- partially at least- for the fact that the people of Greece were living in a State of Emergency right now. That the whole world- especially Europe- was feeling tense.
"People are still inside their homes?" She asked.
"Yes," Astrid replied. "We've all seen it." She looked at Aglaia while the latter was still watching through the window.
Yes, she saw it. She didn't even have to look hard. It was easy to explain as she was a descendant, but the profile was clear.
Yes Mother, I see it.
Then you know what to do, dear daughter.
Not yet, let her live and find a chance for love- true love now.
Yes. It will be a while- only at the end of her mortal life- but that may come sooner rather than later.
"We'll go soon. We've been given our places- on the battlefield, like in Plataea." Aglaia responded.
Astrid swallowed hard. "Yes."
