Annabeth took a deep breath, trying to hide her nervousness. She did not like talking to the press in the Delian League, even though their interviews were recorded. It was just as bad in the Olympic League where everything was live, but somehow, this was worse. It was live, but it wasn't talking to reporters. It was having a discussion with a talk show host.
Next to her, Reyna was standing confidently. Both hands rested in her jacket pockets, but she kept eyeing the table of food that had been left there for them. Hazel and Frank stood near the table and were sampling all of the food. Lupa and Piper were standing off to the side. Octavian wasn't there, as he had some family issues.
"This one isn't terrible," Reyna commented. She sighed and rolled her shoulders. "Did you buy the plane tickets? I'll pay for mine."
"I'm paying," Annabeth insisted. "You're doing this for me, so I will pay for your ticket. We leave in four days: the twentieth. The plane will leave at three, so we can stop by a restaurant and get dinner. Then, we'll check into our hotel; which I am paying for."
"I'm not a proper date if you pay for everything," Reyna complained. Annabeth hit her arm, and Reyna smirked.
"Thank you again. This means a lot," Annabeth began. Reyna shrugged.
"It's cool. I love to help people stick up to their parents. Would do it to my father if he was alive," Reyna said. "And, uh, your makeup looks really good."
"Yours does too," Annabeth replied with a blush. She felt her face heat up slightly, and she hoped that Reyna would just think it was the blush that had been put on her face.
"We're on in two minutes," an assistant called. "If you all will follow me."
Annabeth followed behind Reyna as she walked towards the assistant. The rest followed behind them, and they walked through curtains and out into a studio. Annabeth almost jumped as she saw the crowd of people sitting in the audience. They all cheered upon seeing them.
"My favorite team," a woman welcomed as she turned towards them. She had a smile on her face. Annabeth studied the woman, the host of the show. The woman was about sixty years old, and everyone affectionately called her the grandma of talk show hosts. She wore blue jeans and a shirt that looked like it was merchandise for the Wolves. A shawl was wrapped around her neck and covered most of her shirt.
The woman gently shook each of their hands, greeting them by name. Her black hair was pinned to her head, and she had kind, green eyes that studied Annabeth when they shook hands. When she got to Lupa, the two of them hugged. By the time they all sat down, the audience had calmed down from their cheering.
"We're live in three...two...one," an assistant called. The woman turned towards a camera close to her.
"Welcome everyone to Rhea's Corner," the woman greeted as she smiled at the camera. Annabeth didn't know much about Rhea. The Delian League forbade any of their fighters from appearing on her show, which made no sense to Annabeth. Rhea seemed kind and fair to all her guests. "As you can probably guess by my shirt and the noise of our live audience, we have America's favorite fighting team as guests today: the Wolves."
A cheer rose from the audience, and Annabeth shifted uncomfortably. She saw a television near them that was broadcasting the show, and she saw that the camera was showing the couch they now all sat on. Hazel was smiling brightly, and Frank had a meek smile. Reyna looked relaxed and calm, and Annabeth looked tense.
"Smile," Piper whispered, barely moving her lips. Piper was sitting on Annabeth's right, and Lupa was on Annabeth's left. Reyna sat next to Lupa, followed by Hazel and then Frank. The couch was large enough for them to all be relaxed and not squished together like sardines.
Annabeth forced herself to smile, and she was beyond grateful when the camera moved back to Rhea. The host spoke, "Now, I know we have a lot of topics to cover, so let's move on down the line. Let's start with Frank. How are you doing, hun?"
"I'm good," Frank said after a moment. He leaned closer to the mic on his shirt and winced as his voice was louder than normal. Rhea just smiled at him. "Um, how are you?"
"I'm doing wonderful, dear. Please don't be nervous," Rhea said. "Now, I do not mean to bring up bad memories, but everyone is wondering about your loss to Michael Kahale. How do you plan on bouncing back?"
Frank sighed and looked away for a few moments. Hazel gently squeezed his arm. Frank finally spoke, "I have to get another fight. It's not… It's not easy. I'll be honest: I had a lot of self-doubts after I lost. I felt like I was in some kind of spiral, and I just couldn't make my way out of it."
"Thankfully, I have a great team that has helped me," Frank said as he looked at the others. Annabeth noticed his gaze lingered on Reyna. "They told me that I have to get back on the horse so to say. I have to train harder and just remember that a single loss isn't going to ruin my career."
"Mr. Kahale is one of the best fighters in not just our league but the world. There is no shame in losing to him," Rhea consoled. "It's good that you can open up about how you feel. As my friend Lupa would always say, it isn't about your last fight but your next one."
"It is," Frank agreed. He fell silent as the crowd cheered, and a small blush came to his face.
"I must also ask this, Frank: The Wolves started with just male fighters before slowly adding females. It's never been this skewed towards this many females, so does that make it harder to train being the only male? Do you have to hold back when sparring?" Rhea questioned.
"Not at all," Frank answered. "Reyna has beaten me more times than I can count in sparring, and if I hold back, I immediately pay the price. Hazel is one of the fastest people I have ever seen. It feels like Annabeth knows everything I am going to do before I do it. I have to try my hardest just to have a chance."
Frank looked down, and a frown came to his face. Rhea spoke, "I am impressed that you manage to hang with them in sparring. You should be proud. You've only been fighting for a few months now, correct? The rest have been fighting for years."
"They have," Frank agreed. Understanding seemed to come to his face. He settled back on the couch. Rhea smiled at him.
"Do you have any idea who your next opponent will be?" Rhea asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Frank admitted. "Maybe Ethan or Dakota."
"Watch out for Ethan. He can be a killer," Rhea warned. Frank nodded his agreement. "Can you tell us how you have adjusted to training with the Wolves?"
"It's like a full-time job, but I enjoy it," Frank answered. "I'm at the gym five days a week, but it's like spending time with family. We have our little spats sometimes, but we always make up and help each other out. I wouldn't want to be on any other team."
"That is something we all like to hear," Rhea commented. Her gaze moved to Hazel. "How are you doing today, Hazel?"
"I'm wonderful," Hazel answered. "Thank you for having us on the show."
"You are too kind," Rhea said. She smiled brightly. "Congratulations on your last win, Hazel. Have you found a new fight yet?"
"I haven't," Hazel replied. "After resting from my last fight, my attention turned to helping my fellow fighters. Reyna and Frank both fought only a month after the matches were announced, and I knew it would be a better idea to help them out than try to find my own fight."
"A team player then," Rhea commented. "You will have to put yourself first at some time."
"I know that, but at the same time, the others have helped me the best they can when they didn't have a fight. Frank helped me prepare for my fight, and when Gwen was still with the Wolves, she did everything she could to help as well. It's not like I'm pushing away opportunities to help everyone else; I'm just returning the attention and focus they gave me."
"In fact, Piper is helping me find another fight," Hazel announced as she looked across at the couch. "I haven't settled on an opponent yet, but when I do, I know my team, my friends, will help me fight the best that I can."
Rhea nodded and studied Hazel, "Some say that you are too kind to be a fighter. What do you have to say to that?"
"I don't think my actions outside of the cage should dictate how I will act inside. I will treat all my opponents with respect, but the second we are in the match, there will be no mercy," Hazel promised. Rhea smiled at her. "I hate all of the trash talking and insults. I want my actions to dictate my thoughts."
"Very well spoken," Rhea complemented. Her eyes moved to the far end of the couch. "I hate to jump around, but Piper McLean, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"I don't mind," Piper answered after a moment. She looked surprised but finally smiled.
"I do have to ask. Your father is the actor Tristan McLean," Rhea stated. "Did you plan on following in his footsteps?"
"At the moment, no. I'm content where I am," Piper answered. "If I were to get into acting, I know that I wouldn't earn my spot. My father wouldn't have to say a word. Casting directors would just look at my last name and find a role for me. I want to earn my way, and I feel like I can do that here."
"How is it different being a manager for the Wolves compared to just Annabeth Chase?" Rhea asked. Annabeth glanced at her friend and gave her a comforting look.
"The Delian League and the Olympic League are quite different in how they work, and I could spend hours on the small differences. I think the most important thing is that it was just Annabeth and I in the Delian League. If I wasn't sure how to do something, we had to figure it out together. With the Wolves, I can go to Octavian, Lupa, or even ask one of the officials of the league. We never had anything like that," Piper explained.
"Are you surprised that you joined the Wolves as a manager when they had Octavian already?" Rhea asked. Piper frowned and looked down. Her gaze moved to Lupa, who gave her a comforting nod.
"I wasn't going to join the Wolves without her," Annabeth said suddenly. Rhea looked at her in surprise. "Piper has been with me for most of my life. She's always had my back, and she helped me with my career in the Delian League. I would not be where I am without her, and I wanted to pay Piper back somehow."
"Piper is a great manager in her own right," Lupa added. Piper blushed, but there was a smile on her face. "We are lucky to have her."
"She doesn't play opera music either, which is nice," Reyna commented. Rhea turned towards Reyna and smiled. A small smirk came to Reyna's face.
"Reyna, I'm sure I don't have to ask, but how is the elbow doing?" Rhea questioned.
"It's perfect," Reyna answered. She flexed her arm a few times and kept that smirk on her face. "Back to normal."
"I also noticed the hand injury," Rhea began. Reyna waved her hand.
"A minor accident before I fought Silena. Didn't affect much," Reyna said.
"I know everyone is wondering why you went straight for a fight against Silena instead of Clarisse. You two have been at each other's throats for the past month. Between the press conference and the aftermath of your fight. Why Silena?" Rhea asked. Reyna looked at the ground for a few moments. Her eyes finally flickered up.
"I don't think Clarisse would have accepted to fight me on my return fight simply because she is all about mind games. All she cares about is throwing me off my game. I know she would have just declined the fight to mess with my head, so I was focusing on more important things," Reyna answered.
"Silena is a submission specialist. Probably one of the best from the Delian League. I want the entire world to know that just because the Olympic League bought out the Delian League doesn't mean those fighters are on our level. Defeating Silena within the first round and so easily proves that no one from the Delian League is as good as me," Reyna declared. She turned her head and made eye contact with Annabeth. "No one."
A heavy, awkward silence settled over the couch. Annabeth met Reyna's challenging gaze and raised her chin. Piper was looking in between the two of them uncomfortably. The audience was watching in anticipation. Even Rhea seemed taken aback.
"The world will see just how good I am when I fight Leila and win," Annabeth stated. She looked at Rhea and smiled. "How are you today?"
"I'm good, Annabeth Chase. How are you?" Rhea asked. Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth could see irritation flash Reyna's face. The quote had been a good soundbyte, but by Annabeth just ignoring her now, it wouldn't have the effect Reyna was hoping for.
"Amazing," Annabeth replied. "I've always loved your show, but I was never allowed on because of the Delian League."
"We never could work out a deal with them," Rhea admitted. "But, the important thing is that you are here now. Do you have any thoughts on your fight with Leila?"
"My team has been training hard to prepare me," Annabeth began. "I know that the Delian League is considered minor to the Olympic League, but quite frankly, the only reason I didn't come here first was because I was focused on my future. I wanted to finish college and have a degree to fall back on, whether my career took off or not."
"Some people may call that doubt, but I like to plan ahead. I know that a career can end in an instant, and I want to be prepared for my future. Now, I have my degree, and it is my goal to prove that I am the best in the world," Annabeth finished. She made eye contact with Reyna once again.
"Well, we have to go to commercial, but when we come back, I have exciting news to share with the Wolves," Rhea announced as she turned her attention to the camera. After a few moments, her gaze moved back to them. "Do any of you need water? Food?"
"I'm good," Annabeth said. Her gaze just stayed focused on Reyna. After a few moments, she finally sat back.
"Same," Reyna agreed. She sat back as well.
"Um, can I have some?" Frank asked. Rhea smiled, and a stagehand walked out with some bottles of water. He passed them around. "Thank you."
"How is everyone feeling with live television?" Rhea questioned. "I know that only Reyna and Lupa have done anything like this before."
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," Frank said.
"Me too," Hazel added.
"Most television show hosts are intimidating. You're not," Piper pointed out.
"Thank you," Rhea said. Annabeth saw Lupa look at her, and there was an amused smile on her face.
"You're not mad, are you?" Annabeth asked softly.
"No. I expect the two of you to butt heads. I expected more than you two have already," Lupa said as she looked at Annabeth. "You two are competitors, but I know you both can put your pride aside if need be."
Annabeth nodded and settled back on the couch. A few minutes passed until they came back from commercial break. Rhea looked at them and smiled. The host spoke, "While most of the world already watched the announcement, I believe none of you have. Can we get the graphics up?"
Rhea turned her head towards a screen, and Annabeth did as well. She watched a graphic of the top five female fighters in the Olympic League appear on the wall behind her. Annabeth was above the list, as she was the champion. The woman in first place went by the name of Hippolyta, below her was the woman Arachne, Reyna was in third place, followed by Clarisse and then Leila.
"For our newer viewers, the contender for the champion's title is decided based on record. Now, you may be confused about why Leila is the one challenging Annabeth when she has the fifth best record. She recently won a fight against Lavinia to determine who would challenge Annabeth. Lavinia has been rapidly moving up the ranks by winning fights, and Leila was the only one available out of the top five. Since she was not number one, she had to earn her shot."
"The top three were coming back from injuries, and the league requires at least one fight after injury before a championship fight, in case the injury is not as healed as once thought. Clarisse is not allowed to challenge for a few months as a result of what she did after her fight with Reyna. But now, the top three have all returned from injury."
"And, Hippolyta announced her retirement a mere hour ago," Rhea informed. Annabeth watched Hippolta's name disappear off the rankings, replaced by Arachne. Reyna's eyes widened as she moved into second place. Annabeth sat back in her seat and stared. "If I was a betting woman, I would say that Arachne is going to challenge the winner of Annabeth and Leila."
"If Reyna and Clarisse do have their rematch, I would say that whoever wins would be the next challenger to the champion," Rhea finished. Annabeth stared at the ranking. While Reyna would still have a better record than Clarisse with a loss to her, Clarisse could simply point out that she beat the person above her, which would make her next in line after Arachne.
"I have no doubt that Annabeth will not only beat Leila but also Arachne. I also believe Reyna will beat Clarisse in their rematch," Lupa said. Annabeth slowly looked at Reyna and then Lupa. Their mentor smirked. "Which means, we'll learn who is really the best sooner or later.