AN: After the responses from last chapter, I'm holding off on finalizing any pairing for now. I'm going to have Percy interact more with our leading ladies and see what chemistry develops naturally

AN2: I pictured what was essentially Elvira for Salem's disguised form in this BTW. Dark hair, pale skin, yadda yadda. Realized that while she could use her old human form it would end badly if Ozpin remembered what she looked like back then.

AN3: And before anyone calls the alcohol thing unrealistic this was an actual Ancient Greek thing. Read the Odyssey, this is the stuff where a single bowl got a giant Cyclops drunk off his ass.

A New god of Remnant

Chapter 22

-Percy-

"Fuuuuuck." Qrow groaned as he all but staggered in his seat, "Thish shit is strong!" the scythe wielder was slurring and swaying on his stool, an empty shot glass in front of him while the bar tender was eyeing how own warily.

"I told you it was supposed to be watered down first." Percy sighed exasperated as he put his flask away, the container holding dark Grecian wine in the ancient style.

"How watered down?" the bar tender asked, poking the shot glass of crimson liquid warily.

"One part wine for every hundred parts water." Percy didn't even bat an eye as the man choked on his own spit. All this because he'd mentioned making booze when Qrow asked about his recent hobbies.

"Why in the blazes?!" the bar tender looked flabbergasted even as Qrow worked to use aura to burn through enough of the booze to straighten up.

"An old recipe from my home." Percy shrugged, "Designed to make booze that'll last on long sea voyages. Or I guess last a couple days for this lush." Percy jerked a thumb at a still somewhat dizzy Qrow.

"Who you calling a thrush?" Qrow shook his head "I'm a raven!...Wait, no…"

"Alright, how many fingers?" Percy held up a couple fingers.

"I can finger too!" Qrow happily flipped Percy off, grinning like a toddler who just learned a new word. An amused snort drew Percy's attention as he looked to see another person sitting at the bar a couple spots away. It was a woman with flowing ebony hair, wearing a form fitting sweater and jeans.

"Well, heeeeeeeey there pretty lady." Qrow gave what was his best attempt at a suave grin, trying to lean on the bar only to fall off his stool.

"Damnit Qrow." Percy face palmed as the Huntsman Ozpin had suggested he befriend finally lost the battle with the multitudes of alcohol in his system, both Percy's wine and others, and started snoring.

"I'll have a cab pick him up." The bar tender sighed, "Not the first time he passed out here." The man grunted as he hoisted Qrow up, "Won't be the last."

"You're…oddly calm about that." Percy raised an eyebrow at the man who snorted.

"Ozpin pays his fares and compensates me for the trouble." The fact that such a thing was necessary was painfully in how little it surprised him.

"Well, I came here hoping to get a decent drink, I didn't expect to get a show as well." The ravenette let out a throaty chucky, "I'm Selene."

"Perseus." He nodded, "But just call me Percy."

"A pleasure." Selene gave him a coy smile as gestured to a bottle on the back row, the bar tender pouring her a drink, "I've heard some interesting things about a man by that name."

"I plead the fifth." Percy joked automatically before grimacing when Selene looked confused, "Sorry, joke from where I grew up. Basically means 'I admit nothing'. Anyway, if I'm already a known commodity here then what about you? You live here in Vale or just come for the Festival?"

"Thinking of settling down here." Selene chuckled, sipping her drink easily even as Qrow snored loudly by the door, the Taxi on its way, "Looking to open up an art studio actually."

"Oh?" Percy felt the shards of Apollo and the muses within him stir.

I grew up rather sheltered." Selene admitted, "My family was…controlling. Stifling. Art and reading became my only real escapes. I've travelled around, learning different styles. Now I want to make something…beautiful. Something lasting." Percy felt a bit of heat creep up his neck as she smiled his way over her drink.

"Sounds like a good dream." Percy nodded to her, getting a refill on his own while Qrow get sent back to Beacon with a message for Ozpin.

"Dreams." Selene swirled her glass around, "I had nothing but dreams when I was a girl. I think I'd like something a little more than a dream now." Her tone was somber. Not the voice of someone trying to bring down the mood of wherever they were but of one who'd lost and suffered, who couldn't drag themselves from the depths of those memories.

"To dreams." Percy tapped his glass to Selene's as the woman jerked slightly, blinking startled as he snapped her out of whatever memory she was in, "May they point the way to something real."

Selene gave a chuckle, tucking a midnight black strand of hair behind her ear, "To making something real? I can drink to that."

-Salem-

Closing the door to her penthouse she'd acquired in Vale, Salem dropped her guise of 'Selene', letting out a relieved sigh. Even if it was all just a glamour it still felt strange to not appear as herself. Unfortunately, the risk of Ozpin seeing a photo of her human form was just far too big a risk.

"Mistress, you've returned!" Tyrian perked up giddy from the kitchen when she strolled in. He, Hazel, and Watts were based out of here now and had simple enchanted items to give them their own glamour disguises. Cinder was left to 'prove herself'. She had part of the Maiden's powers so she could perform her own glamour if she bothered to train her abilities. Plus, her duty was to draw attention now.

"Yes Tyrian." Salem managed to keep from rolling her eyes. She appreciated loyalty but the devotion was admittedly quick to become…grating.

"Did you find Jackson?" Watts looked up from where he was working on one of his various side projects.

"Yes. He was with Ozpin's little pet bird." Salem scoffed at the thought of the Branwen's. At least the one still with Ozpin was more palatable even if it was just for the fact that he hadn't abandoned his own child like his sister had.

"Did he recognize you?" Hazel rumbled concerned.

"He was too drunk to recognize his own reflection I believe." Salem shook her head, "Regardless. My first meeting went…well, I believe." In all honesty she'd forgotten her plan to make him open up to her partway through. There was a…spark about him that had been distracting. It reminded her of what she'd thought Ozma had once been. As they'd talked and shared stories, she's lost track of time, only remembering her plan once she and her 'prey' had split off.

"But what of your own assignments?" she focused her gaze on the three, keeping her amusement at their sudden stiffening contained to just a small upturn of her lips.

"I'm making progress on hacking the various systems of Vale." Watts stroked his mustache as he spoke, a nervous tick she knew he did to avoid his hands shaking "I already had a couple backdoors still in place in the older Atlas systems and those make a good foothold to expand into the newer ones on Ironwood's ship."

"Good. Keep me appraised of any relevant finds or roadblocks that may occur." Salem nodded to her scientist who looked relieved she wasn't displeased. Glancing over at Hazel, the giant took the cue to start talking.

"I've been training Mercury and Emerald both." Hazel grunted "She started off crying rather than training most days. Or just desperately plotting." Yes, she'd noticed as that started after Cinder's 'declaration' of the girl being useless.

"I assume that's no longer the case?" raised a single eyebrow, silently impressed that Hazel neither flinched nor stuttered.

"Now she's angry." Hazel shrugged simply but she could see a spark of approval in the giant man's eyes "There are a few factors, but it seems a combination of the pain of rejection, knowledge you exist, and some surprising support from Mercury of all people helped with that."

"I can understand the first, but knowledge of my existence? And how is Mercury surprising?" Salem found herself intrigued, leaning forward slightly in the luxurious chair she was relaxing in.

"Mercury and Emerald tended to bicker constantly." Hazel shrugged, "Emerald took it seriously and thought Mercury did as well. However…" the man trailed off, trying to think how best to describe it.

"Given how he was raised he wasn't sure how to banter in a friendly manner?" Salem raised an eyebrow, having hoped that Mercury's father died painfully after hearing how the man treated his own offspring.

"Exactly." Hazel nodded, "But he is trying which was a help in and of itself to Emerald. As for your existence…I believe Emerald is aiming to replace Cinder in your ranks. To essentially prove herself to you and make Cinder eat her own words."

"Ha!" Salem barked out a laugh, grin growing, "Oh, this girl is starting to sound entertaining." Hopefully she'd be more useful than Cinder. She was already planning on adding Mercury to her council so having a Maiden candidate who wasn't constantly plotting the downfall if not outright death of the rest of her comrades would be a blessing. Even if just for the lack of headaches. The glorious, glorious, lack of headaches.

"And I haven't stabbed anyone in three whole days!" Tyrian looked exceptionally proud of his self-control.

"…Tyrian…we've been hiding out in the city a lot longer than that." Hazel's rumbling voice was dripping with exasperation.

"I got bored."

Ah, lovely, a headache.