Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter, in which Percy is insane enough to threaten Hylla, and Hylla actually admits that Percy's not entirely wrong.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Honestly, even Hylla has to know that she wasn't entirely in the right- and Percy gets to call her out, which I love.
Weirdhead: Percy is just there like 'I'm gonna call out everyone I can for their bullshit and I don't care who I piss off'. Even to gods- which we love her for. And yeah, Percy's just like 'Huh, so my brother killed that bitch? Good for him.'
JjlovesPJO: Yeah, Percy has no regrets with that. We love her for that.
The Official Clarisse: Yeah, Percy is just madly in love even when her memories aren't clear- and don't worry Percy gets to call people out.
Guest: She will use those powers again- just not quite yet- and I love the scene when she does because before most of the times she did it was in the heat of the moment when she was hurting and grieving, or against a monster- that's not the case in this case. So yeah that will be fun.

There was a long stunned silence before Percy spoke again, "Hylla's right." her voice was tight, "It wasn't an accident. We were leaving and I made the choice to do it. I was thirteen years old, I was angry and hurting and scared and I'd come incredibly close to losing the one person who I knew would always always be there for me, because of what your boss did. And I don't regret my decision. I knew what I was doing. There were mortals ships- mortal's who'd strayed into the Sea of Monsters by accidents, Mortals who had no hope of defending themselves against Circe. I won't apologise for choosing to destroy the island."
she paused, swallowing hard, "You dare try and act as if you were innocent and I will punch you, Queen or not-" she ignored the shifting of guards. "You knew what she was doing. You were complicit in it."

Percy let out a breath then, "But I am sorry for what happened to you after. Circe is a goddess, I assumed she'd have the power to easily fix what I did and to scoop you and the rest of her servants up after the fact. I didn't know that you'd end up lost at sea. Reyna said some stuff about what happened after and I'm sorry that you suffered because of what I did."

"Reyna?" Hylla looked startled, and her eyes drifted down, "You-" her eyes landed on Percy's necklace ans she spotted the ring- the color drained from her face. "How? Explain, before I kill you."

Hazel stepped forward at that. She described Camp Jupiter. She told the Amazons about Reyna being their praetor, and the army of monsters that was marching south. She told them about their quest to free Thanatos in Alaska.

As Hazel talked, another group of Amazons entered the room. One was taller and older than the rest, with plaited silver hair and fine silk robes like a Roman matron. Percy noticed the way the other Amazons made way for her, and she noticed how Hylla and the older woman were glaring at each other.

"So we need your help." Hazel finished, "Reyna needs your help."

Hylla's gaze shifted back to the necklace- she looked as if she wanted to yank it off of Percy's neck but she didn't. "Reyna... she gave it to you.. that foolish girl."

"Well!" the older woman interrupted. "Romans need our help?" She laughed, and the Amazons around her joined in.

"How many times did we battle the Romans in my day?" the woman asked. "How many times have they killed our sisters in battle? When I was queen—"

"Otrera," Hylla interrupted, "you are here as a guest. You are not queen anymore."

The older woman spread her hands and made a mocking bow. "As you say—at least, until tonight. But I speak the truth, Queen Hylla." She said the word like a taunt. "I've been brought back by the Earth Mother herself! I bring tidings of a new war. Why should Amazons follow Jupiter, that foolish king of Olympus, when we can follow a queen? When I take command—"

"If you take command," Hylla said. "But for now, I am queen. My word is law."

"I see." Otrera looked at the assembled Amazons, who were standing very still, as if they'd found themselves in a pit with two wild tigers. "Have we become so weak that we listen to foolish demigods? Will you spare the life of the daughter of Neptune even though she once destroyed your home? Perhaps you will let her destroy your new home too!"

Percy's eyes flicked between them, her face pale, the Amazons looked back and forth between Hylla and Otrera, watching for any sign of weakness.

"I will pass judgment," Hylla said in an icy tone, "once I have all the facts. That is how I rule—by reason, not fear. First, I will talk with these two." She jabbed a finger toward Hazel and Percy. "It is my duty to hear out a female warrior before I sentence her or her allies to death. These two have come to us,
regardless of my past with Percy Jackson I will do my duty. That is the Amazon way. Or have your years in the Underworld muddled your memory, Otrera?"

The older woman sneered, but she didn't try to argue.

Hylla turned to Kinzie. "Take the boy to the holding cells. The rest of you, leave us."

Otrera raised her hand to the crowd. "As our queen commands. But any of you who would like to hear more about Gaea, and our glorious future with her, come with me!"

About half the Amazons followed her out of the room. Kinzie snorted with disgust, then she and her guards hauled Frank away.

Soon Hylla, Percy and Hazel were alone except for the queen's personal guards. At Hylla's signal, even they moved out of earshot.

As soon as they were gone the Queen turned to Hazel and Percy, her eyes taking in Percy for a long moment. "I have hated you for years." she said after a long moment, "I have despised you for what you did to us." she looked away, "I won't deny that mortals were some of our most common visitors. And I won't deny that Circe turned them into guinea pigs- perhaps you aren't entirely wrong. Though what you did was-"

"Was what I thought was necessary. At thirteen after being severely traumatised." Percy said quickly. "These days I'd handle it differently."

"Tell me." Hylla eyed Percy carefully, "Your sword."

"In my pocket." Percy pulled the pen out- Hylla had seen it before there was no point in lying about it.

"I see." Hylla's shoulders slumped and she closed her eyes for a long moment. And when she opened them her anger was gone and there was desperation in her eyes. Suddenly she looked like one of her caged animals being whisked off on a conveyor belt.

"We must talk," Hylla said. "We don't have much time. By midnight, I will most likely be dead. May I see the necklace- the ring?"

Percy stared at Hylla for a long moment, "Well. That sounds pretty bad." she took it off carefully and handed it over.

"It is-" Hylla's gaze turned to Hazel, who looked like she was searching for a way out. "Forget about escape. Of course, we'd respect you for trying. But we'd have to kill you."

"Thanks for the warning."

Hylla shrugged. "The least I can do. I believe you come in peace. I believe Reyna sent you."

"But you won't help?"

The queen studied the necklace she'd taken from Percy. "It's complicated," she said. "Amazons have always had a rocky relationship with other demigods—especially male demigods. We fought for King Priam in the Trojan War, but Achilles killed our queen, Penthesilea. Years before that, Hercules stole Queen Hippolyta's belt—this belt I'm wearing. It took us centuries to recover it. Long before that, at the very beginning of the Amazon nation, a hero named Bellerophon killed our first queen, Otrera." Hazel's gaze snapped to Percy, her eyes wide, and Percy flushed.

"What is it?" Hylla had clearly noticed the way Hazel had reacted because her eyes narrowed.

"Bellerophon is my brother." Percy admitted, "I- believe I've met him before. In the underworld-" she paused, "Wait- wait your first queen- didn't you call-"

"The woman who just left, yes. Otrera, our first queen, daughter of Ares."

"Mars?"

Hylla made a sour face. "No, definitely Ares. Otrera lived long before Rome, in a time when all demigods were Greek. Unfortunately, some of our warriors still prefer the old ways. Children of Ares…they are always the worst."

Percy couldn't stifle the laugh- she could picture an outraged face of a bulky girl with an electric spear- Hylla's eyes narrowed.
"What's so funny?"

"I-" Percy shook her head, "Just- I feel like a friend of mine would have been offended by that."

"Wait." Hazel glanced between them, "You mean the Amazons are a mix…Greek and Roman?"

Hylla continued to examine the necklace—the clay beads, the probatio tablet. She slipped Reyna's silver ring off the cord and put it on her own finger. "I suppose they don't teach you about that at Camp Jupiter. The gods have many aspects. Mars, Ares. Pluto, Hades. Being immortal, they tend to accumulate personalities. They are Greek, Roman, American—a combination of all the cultures they've influenced over the eons. Do you understand?"

"I—I'm not sure. Are all Amazons demigods?"

The queen spread her hands. "We all have some immortal blood, but many of my warriors are descended from demigods. Some have been Amazons for countless generations. Others are children of minor gods. Kinzie, the one who brought you here, is the daughter of a nymph. Ah—here she is now."

The girl with the auburn hair approached the queen and bowed.

"The prisoner is safely locked away," Kinzie reported. "But..."

"Yes?" the queen asked.

Kinzie swallowed like she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Otrera made sure her followers are guarding the cell. I'm sorry, my queen."

Hylla pursed her lips. "No matter. Stay with us, Kinzie. We were just talking about our, ah, situation."

"Otrera," Hazel guessed. "Gaea brought her back from the dead to throw you Amazons into civil war."

"Sounds like something she'd do." Percy pulled a face, "Bitch she is-"

Hylla's lips twitched slightly, though she managed to hide any real smile, ,""If that was her plan, it is working. Otrera is a legend among our people. She plans to take back the throne and lead us to war against the Romans. Many of my sisters will follow her."

"Not all," Kinzie grumbled.

"But Otrera is a spirit!" Hazel said. "She isn't even—"

"Real?" The queen studied Hazel carefully. "I worked with the sorceress Circe for many years. I know a returned soul when I see one. When did you die, Hazel—Nineteen twenty? Nineteen thirty?" her gaze swung to Percy, "and you, when did you die? Recently I think. Perhaps not even a year ago yet."

"Nineteen forty-two," Hazel said. "But—but I wasn't sent by Gaea. I came back to stop her. This is my second chance. And Percy still doesn't remember."

"Nope." Percy paused, "I think I died on my wedding day if that's any help. Second chances, totally awesome, definitely not more trouble than they sound."

"Your second chance…" Hylla gazed at the rows of battle forklifts, now empty. "I know about second chances." her gaze shifted to Percy. "I'm sure you remember me back then- I was a glorified secretary, an accursed barbie doll. It was a safe place for Reyna and me," the queen continued. "We were daughters of the war goddess, Bellona. I wanted to protect Reyna from all that violence. Then Percy Jackson, you destroyed our home- we were stranded at sea until we were rescued- and I use the term lightly. We had to learn to be tough, to fight to survive. I wanted to kill you Percy. For what you did to us.
Perhaps you didn't mean to cause such pain but you did-"

"I thought Circe would protect you." Percy shook her head, "I should have known that you can never trust the gods to do what's right."

"But Reyna became the praetor of Camp Jupiter," Hazel said. "You became the queen of the Amazons. Maybe this was your destiny."

Hylla fingered the necklace in her hand. "I may not be queen for much longer."

"You will prevail!" Kinzie insisted.

"As the Fates decree," Hylla said without enthusiasm.

"You see, you two, Otrera has challenged me to a duel. Every Amazon has that right. Tonight at midnight, we'll battle for the throne."

"But…you're good, right?" Hazel asked.

Hylla managed a dry smile. "Good, yes, but Otrera is the founder of the Amazons."

"She's a lot older. Maybe she's out of practice, having been dead for so long."

"I hope you're right, Hazel. You see, it's a battle to the death..."

Percy winced. "And Gaea will just bring her back." she realised, "Oh... that's not good."

"As long as Thanatos is chained..." Hazel winced. "Exactly," Hylla said. "Otrera has already told us that she can't die. So even if I manage to defeat her tonight, she'll simply return and challenge me again tomorrow. There is no law against challenging the queen multiple times. She can insist on fighting me every night, until she finally wears me down. I can't win."

"Oh that's not good." Percy frowned, "Isn't there anything you can do?"

"Yeah." Hazel looked desperate, "Don't Amazons have…special powers or something?"

"No more than other demigods," Hylla said. "We can die, just like any mortal. There is a group of archers who follow the goddess Artemis. They are often mistaken for Amazons, but the Hunters forsake the company of men in exchange for almost endless life. We Amazons—we would prefer to live life to the fullest. We love, we fight, we die."

"The hunters." Percy blinked, "Zoe- I remember-"

"Yes." Hylla nodded, "You have met them I assume? I imagine they'd have tried to recruit you."

"I punched Zoe for what she said." Percy's brows furrowed, "I can't remember what she said but I know I punched her- and- we're friends now I think. And-" her eyes widened, "Bianca! Bianca was a- wait why is she not-" she shook her head, pressing a hand to it, there was that pain again- sharp, like a knife being jabbed into her brain "Not important-" she saw the confused look on Hazel's face. "I'll tell you when I figure it out Haze. But yeah, yeah I know the Hunters."
she pulled a face, "Time to focus on the actual problem, I can deal with my memories later. You can't help Reyna can you?"