Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter
The Unrelenting Frozen Seas: Symphony of Tempering
Chapter Twenty: Prelude to Invasion
Beta: ShadowofAxios
"That's it Rhode, suck. Oh~! Yes, just like that!" Su hissed at her wife, as the other woman suckled on her neck just like she instructed so as to leave a hickey. She let out a sharp gasp as she felt some fingers tracing her inner thigh, moving at an agonizing snail's pace towards her center. "And stop teasing me with your hands. I told you to be- Kyah~! -teasing, not a tease!"
"Oops." Rhode mumbled against her neck, leaving a trail of kisses along her shoulder even as the strong hands on her thigh dutifully picked up its pace and slipped under her skirt. It was just as it was tentatively pushing aside her panties when they were interrupted.
"Ahem." A clearing throat had the married couple pulling away from each other hastily as if scalded, or more accurately like they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar, and they both surveyed their new residence in Cabin Two for its source.
They had discovered upon moving in, something Percy had insisted they do to so he could escape what he described as the bedroom eyes Su kept sending Rhode, that the Cabin was a lot bigger on the inside than it looked from the outside just like a wizarding tent. It was also separated into a number, which probably varied with need, of suites. Most were locked, but the one nearest the door was open and they'd taken the hint and settled in there.
The whole Cabin certainly advertised its owner strongly. It had tiles made to look like a blooming lotus that gave off a shine like they were jewels. Every piece of furniture, decorative or otherwise, had peacock or cow motifs worked into them somehow. A plethora of paintings hung on the walls full of groves of fresh apples, oranges and pomegranates and magical bowls perpetually filled with said fruits could be found in every room. In addition to this, pieces of stylized artwork of cows and peacocks hung from the walls or hallways, further showcasing Lady Hera's sacred animals. As if this still wasn't enough, even the bathrobes, towels and bed clothes had stylised diadems and scepters stitched into them.
And in what she sincerely hoped was just Lady Hera being a bit blunt, the bookshelf in their new bedroom was full of reading material for newlyweds. That they now had a copy of the divine edition of the Kama Sutra made Su's head spin. Though the large king sized bed that their Aunt had offered them was appreciated. It felt like sitting on a cloud.
All this flashed through Su's mind as she banged herself against the wall next to the entrance to their ensuite bathroom where she'd been pinned during their makeout, too shaken by the pain to properly survey the bedroom.
"Well, I find this highly questionable."
Rhode looked largely unimpressed by the man that had contacted them via I.M., whilst shifting to stand in front of Su so as to protect her modesty. "I could say the same. Got a name, mister?"
Rhode's chivalry and her acting so flippant even though they'd just been caught making out was something that made Su a little hot and bothered, but she smothered the feeling and began straightening her clothes. It wouldn't do to deal with whatever this was with her blouse half unbuttoned and her skirt hiked up.
"Daedalus. I'm sure you've heard of me. I have a proposition for your Camp."
Rhode's eyes sharpened at the name and Su felt herself blink in surprise.
How in the world is he still alive? He should be dead. Su thought with a growing frown.
"And why are you contacting us about this?" Rhode asked with a frown. "And not, say Mr. D or Chiron?"
"I asked for the Leader of Camp Half-Blood, Lady Iris did the rest."
"Glad to know it seems the gods recognise you for what you are, Rhode." Su said with a grin as she finished making herself presentable and stepped out from behind her to stand at her wife's side.
"I just do my best to help everyone out." Rhode flashed a small smile, but turned serious once more as she looked at the man. He had short greying hair, a clipped beard that was salt and pepper in coloring and grey eyes. Eyes that to anyone who knew the signature genes of Athena, goddess of wisdom, made clear his ancestry.
"And I do not care either way." The man claiming to be Daedalus said. "Are you ready to discuss my proposition or should I look for someone else?"
"I'm free to talk. So what's this deal about? With the war and all, I'm guessing it's something to do with the Titans?"
"They want passage through my Labyrinth to attack your Camp and have offered me a good deal to assist them in doing so."
"...Fucking Pit." Rhode cursed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "There's an entrance here at Camp, isn't there?"
"There will be if I choose to take their deal. I can make the entrances to my Labyrinth open anywhere. Even in the middle of your precious Camp, should I so please." Daedalus threatened.
That didn't sound right. Su thought as she reviewed what she knew about the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth's entrances can shift but there are limits to it. Then again, I don't think anyone has worked out what they are and if anyone can manipulate them, it's Daedalus.
"That sounds nice. Making a deal with Titans who've screwed over mortals in the past for fun." Rhode spoke softly, sea green eyes boring into the stormy greys of Daedelus'. "But you're calling us. So you want the best deal you can get. What are your terms to fight for the gods, oh great artificer?"
Daedalus almost seemed insulted by what Rhode called him, which was strange. It was the truth wasn't it? But he quickly schooled his features and continued speaking.
"Yes, I would like to hear if Camp has a counterproposal to offer me." Daedalus said with a shrug. "And no, I refuse to fight for the gods. At best, I will agree to not assist the Titans in this war. So, what are you willing to offer me for my neutrality in this Titanomachy?"
"What's the Titan's rates?" Rhode asked sharply. "Knowing who you are, I can take a stab in the dark."
"Do you honestly expect me to tell you, girl? Are you that inexperienced in such things?" Daedalus scoffed, with a tad more hostility than Su thought was warranted. "Perhaps it would be more productive to seek someone else to negotiate with after all."
"Your son or your nephew? Probably your son since you disagreed with your nephew." Rhode casually commented with a cold tone. It was clear that Daedalus was getting under her skin. She wasn't the only one as at Rhode's words, the man looked struck and for a moment a blazing fury burned in his eyes. It was clear that Rhode had struck a nerve.
Damn it, Rhode! You're going to torpedo this!
"Excuse my wife, Daedalus." Su stepped in hurriedly, before turning to Rhode and whispering sternly. "Rhode! Rein in your temper! Don't let his insults get to you!"
"Listen to your wife, little girl." Daedalus shot back tauntingly. "Perhaps Lady Iris thought she was Camp's leader after all. She certainly has a better head on her shoulders than you do."
"Fine." Rhode groused and looked at the inventor. "You want a deal? My little sister is Lady Athena's favorite right now. How would you like her so-called mark washed away?"
"Not enough." Daedalus retorted. "I've evaded my mother and Lord Thanatos for millennia now. I can keep doing so. What more can you give me?"
"Really? Getting off Athena's shitlist isn't enough? I mean, I've got Thanatos on speed-dial. I'm sure he's got opinions on that."
"And he'd need to find me." Daedalus countered. "Try again."
"Well, let's see. We've got Athena, Thanatos. Those are big names." Rhode stroked her chin. "If that's not enough-"
"Rhode, just be quiet." Su said, slapping a hand over her wife's mouth before she made things worse. How was pointing out which gods she could sic on him going to help negotiations!? "Let me handle this."
"Yes, please." Daedalus said with a sigh. "It's obvious the daughter of Poseidon is terrible at this. Take over, daughter of Demeter."
Su nodded, even as Rhode frowned but she thankfully kept quiet as Su removed her hand that had been covering her mouth.
"So besides trying to get you an amnesty from Lady Athena, what other favor do you want? Name them and we can see if we can pull them off. At the end of the day though, the Titans' deal is poison, Daedalus. Are you so willing to drink it freely?"
"I am contacting you for a counteroffer, aren't I?" Daedalus asked with a shrug.
"And leveraging what you can get out of it." Rhode muttered with a frown.
"You make it sound like doing such isn't the very basic part of negotiating." Daedalus scoffed. "Honestly, I hope you're better at leading on the battlefield than you are at deal making or Olympus is doomed, girl."
Su held Rhode's hand as it tightened into a fist, but her wife thankfully kept her temper in check.
"And are you any better, Daedalus, considering you're deliberately antagonising us?"
"And it is throwing you two off isn't it?" The asshole observed with a smirk.
"No, it paints a picture of your intentions, but we can brush that aside." Su dismissed.
"You forget who holds the better hand here, daughter of Demeter." Daedalus shot back.
"And yet you are talking to us. I think not having to hide for the rest of your days is quite the price."
"I am." Daedalus allowed. "And you overrate that. I've managed it for millennia as I repeatedly remind you. But enough of this back and forth. You asked what I want in addition to amnesty? First, I want Lord Hades' guarantee that I will receive a fair trial when I reach the Underworld, which means Minos cannot be one of my judges."
"I'm sure I can talk Uncle into that. Or my cousin can." Rhode said and wet her lips. "He's all about being fair down there. If there's a biased judge, he'd deal with it."
"We'll have his son talk to him about it the next time he spends the weekend down in the Underworld." Su informed Daedalus.
"Very well." Daedalus said with a nod. "I have a few other things I would like."
"Alright, what else can we hash out?" Rhode asked, voice steady and calm.
"Make sure that none of you Campers ever remind me of what I did to deserve my fate ever again." Daedalus said, glaring at Rhode. "No mention of my being an artificer. No mention of my son or my nephew. None of it!"
So should we just pretend you never existed? That's your story, your history. Su thought as she allowed herself a mental groan at the petty request.
"Fine by me. I'll spread the word around." Rhode agreed with a nod. "I'm pretty sure I can get the Campers to watch their tongues, but I can't do squat about the gods. You know what they're like."
"That is good enough." Daedalus conceded. "So do we have a deal?"
"You got a deal from me. I'll let Lord Dionysus and Chiron know." Rhode said with a nod.
"Then I expect a team of your Questers to deliver a signed Oath on the Styx from my mother, Lord Hades, and Lord Dionysus enforcing the terms we agreed upon in my base here in the Labyrinth." Daedalus said with a smirk. "Oh, and they'll need to get here before the Titans get here or they'll just force me to take their deal instead."
"You want an extraction?" Rhode asked with worry.
"I can escape on my own if I need to, but if I do you'll never find me. So the sundial is ticking. You best hurry up, Campers." The asshole said with one last taunting laugh before he cut the I.M.
"I'm angry."
"And you nearly blew that up!" Su complained to her wife. "You should have backed down when it was clear he was getting angry, not escalated. Now, we'll have to send people into the deathtrap that is the Labyrinth just to finalise this deal."
"Yeah," Rhode said with a defeated sigh. "He probably did that because I pissed him off. Still don't know why though."
"Probably mentioning his title. He seemed angered by it for some reason, but given his last request? It makes some sense now."
"His past must be a major landmine for him." Rhode agreed. "I should've noticed him getting mad and backed off. Not let my anger get the better of me. I'm sorry."
"Rhode, love, you can lead warriors into battle. You are a great leader in a lot of ways, but you are not skilled at negotiating." The daughter of Demeter sighed. "Next time we need to make a deal with someone, leave it to me, alright?"
"Okay." Rhode said with a grateful smile. "We're a team."
"Yes, we are." Su agreed. "Now let's go talk to Mr. D and Chiron and see about getting our end of that deal squared away."
Standing in front of the pile of rocks in the woods surrounding Camp that Campers called Zeus' Fist, or more derogatorily Poop Pile, because of its resemblance to a large fist and a pile of deer droppings, Rhode, Su and Chiron watched as Bethy, Percy, Grover and Tyson prepared to enter the Labyrinth to find Daedalus. They had rather conveniently discovered an entrance to the damned thing inside Zeus' Fist during the last Capture the Flag game - Everyone suspected it was Daedalus sending them a message to hurry up. - and with the signed document that the jerk Daedalus wanted ready, it was time to send a team down to deliver it.
"Take advice, but don't let the others overrule you." Rhode told Annabeth, giving her some last minute leadership advice. "Not unless you have to. You're the leader and ultimately that means everyone is your responsibility, so you need to be the one to make the decisions. Got it, Bethy?"
Annabeth, ever the dutiful student, nodded.
"Rhode, I think that's enough." Chiron said, putting a hand on Rhode's shoulder as she was about to offer another tip. "They need to go now."
Rhode frowned but nodded.
"Don't worry, Rhode." Percy told her reassuringly as he hung back and the others filed ahead. "We'll be fine."
"I know," Rhode replied back with a smile. "I'm just worried. Don't mind me. Go ahead, Percy."
"See you when we get back!" Her brother said with a cheeky grin and a playful salute, before turning to catch up with the rest of the Questers.
Watching as the Questers disappeared into the tunnel that led under the Zeus' Fist and into the Labyrinth, Rhode sighed and Su pulled her into a one armed hug.
"Rhode, are you sure that Lord Thanatos will hold off on killing Daedalus until after he helps save Camp?" Chiron asked worriedly.
"What really worries me is how Lady Athena giggled when we brought up Lord Thanatos taking over the hunt for Daedalus for her." Rhode said as she shook her head. "But yeah, Lord Thanatos knows the stakes. He'll wait till everything is peachy before he pulls the trigger."
"Indeed, I will." The aforementioned psychopomp said as he materialised behind the three of them. "Daedalus has escaped justice for millennia. A few more days will not be an issue. It'll make Sisyphus' first escape look like a vacation."
"Wait, first?"
Lord Thanatos just smiled enigmatically.
"Thank you for coming in person to offer your reassurance, Lord Thanatos." Chiron said, offering the god a grateful bow.
"You needed it," Lord Thanatos said with a nod. "And I needed to be here to follow the Questers better. And now I must take my leave. I do not want to lose them and through them my quarry. Farewell, Rhode, Chiron, Missus Potter."
With a flap of his midnight blue, purple and black wings, he turned into a dark wisp before disappearing entirely.
Looks like Daedalus was off his game too if he forgot to mention Thanatos. Oh well. Can't complain since she kept her word. She had even managed to somehow get the Campers not to talk smack about the inventor after some finagling. Though how many of them actually kept their word to her remained to be seen. Their deal only asked her and Mr. D to get them to promise to do so, after all. It didn't say anything about the Campers themselves having to follow through.
"I pray that Daedalus gets the rest and fair judgement he so clearly seeks." Chiron prayed with a sad smile and Rhode was reminded that once upon a time, even Daedalus had been one of his students. "But enough about him. Rhode, Su, I believe we have work to do."
With that he turned back towards Camp and the couple followed suit. As they did, they saw the hasty defenses that the Campers were hard at work putting up. It consisted of a half-completed palisade and barely started moat. Outside of which was a ring of magical plants, mainly Whomping Willows, that Su and her Cabin had planted as their first line of defense.
She wasn't satisfied with it, but Rhode kept that gnawing truth to herself as she put on a firm front for the rest of the campers. If the leaders didn't look confident, the soldiers wouldn't feel confident either. She'd have to do the rounds later to flash the Campers a smile, pat shoulders and stand tall for the younger kids. It was these small things that would make the difference, she knew.
"Yeah," Rhode said as she took a steadying breath. "Let's go. Thalia probably needs a break from overseeing everything."
"Indeed," Chiron said as they all began walking back towards the Big House where their efforts were being coordinated. "I believe that's your job, Rhode."
"Rhode! You can't just go gallivanting into the Labyrinth! Camp needs you!" Beckendorf, Cabin Five's current counselor said as he slammed his large hands onto the Ping Pong table in agitation.
"Cool it, Chuck." Gaige said, putting a hand on her younger brother's shoulders. She and all of Rhode's college age Camper friends had all rushed back once they'd received Rhode's summons and heard of the upcoming Titan invasion and were milling about the room in the Big House as observers whilst the counselors discussed recent events. "Percy just blasted himself out of Mt. St. Helens. He blew himself out of a volcano, Charlie. If that was one of our brothers, you'd want to go and hunt him down too."
"We don't even know if he's alive!"
"He is," Nico di Angelo, freshly back from his latest weekend training trip with his father, Hades, in the Underworld, informed the group. Just like planned. Rhode had invited him to the meeting to say exactly what he did. "I've checked with Father. He's alive."
"And I need to find him." Rhode said firmly. "Not only because he's my brother, but because he deserves it. He sacrificed himself, enduring who knows what kind of injuries to destroy the Crooked One's new scythe. We need to find him."
"People need you here, Rhode. Send a small search party, but we need our leader." Charlie stated firmly, not willing to budge. Rhode respected him for it all the more but she wasn't about to change her mind either. "I've been making rounds and morale is teetering on a fine line. We need our best to show 'em it'll be okay even if it isn't. And you're asking to let two of our best leave? 'Cos we all know Su will go with you if you do."
Rhode struggled to not frown, trying her best to keep her cool and not lash out. Her grip on the table tightened to the point it started to crack. A cold wind blew down Rhode's spine as the fires of her anger began to smoulder. She was about to snap but thankfully someone stepped in before she lost her cool.
"Charlie, relax." Emily ordered, emphasizing her words with a dose of Charmspeak. "There's a reason Rhode called us seniors back. We'll stand in for her and Su whilst they're gone."
Charlie didn't look convinced, but a firm look from Emily shut his mouth.
"I'm with Rhode and older Lee and the other old timers here." Lee Fletcher, current counselor of Apollo's Cabin, said gesturing to Lee Jordan. "With them around, we can spare Rhode and Su. And seriously, if we told them no, do you honestly think they'd listen? You know how close Rhode is to Percy."
"Old timers?" Lee mouthed to the other college age half-bloods in the room.
"Psh, Rhode'll just blitz through if we try and stop her." Fergus snorted and leaned against the Ping Pong table.
The other counselors all nodded. Thalia, Su and Annabeth all glaring at Charlie as they did so. The latter having kept from screaming at him for wanting to leave her boyfriend to his own devices by strongly worded warnings from Rhode before the meeting that doing so wouldn't help.
"Fine!" Charlie said with a defeated sigh. "But I want it noted that I disapprove of this."
"Noted, Charlie." Chiron said, stepping into the conversation at last. "Now let's start planning how Rhode and Su's absence will affect our defense plans, shall we?"
Rhode and Su were walking through the Labyrinth for about an hour, and outside of the masonry supporting the passageways they were walking through changing like they were walking back through time, they'd encountered nothing strange. Which was honestly worrying. If they were being given such a long reprieve from a challenge, when they did run into trouble it was liable to be bad. Very bad.
"Rhode, is it just me or are things getting hotter?" Su said suddenly as they were walking down a particularly wide passageway and she had Helel grow a pair of small, leafy vines that she had fan her sweat drenched face.
"Su, now isn't the time for a makeout line." Rhode chided, even as she noted that the air did feel drier.
"No, I am being very much literal here." Su replied as she pulled her sweat soaked Camp tee from her body in an attempt at some kind of relief. "I know you have resistance to temperatures, so I'm pointing it out. It's getting unnaturally hot here. Look! My tee is so soaked in sweat it's practically see through!"
"Is the color fading from it?" Rhode asked as she noted that Su was right, she could in fact see the outline of her wife's bra under her soaked tee.
"I'm being serious Rhode," Su said with a roll of her eyes and pulled her tee off, tying it to her waist as she had Helel grow a few more fan vines. "And it's hot this summer, so I'm wearing the new thinner tee that the Camp Store is stocking this year. It breathes better."
Rhode frowned and put her hand to the wall and noted the fact that the stonework was indeed rising in temperature. "Su, I think we have a problem. The temp's rising and fast."
"So we need an exit?"
"Yeah, think Helel or your Ent Armor can mana-"
Before she could finish her question, the top of the passageway was suddenly pulled away and a giant of a woman dressed in a gown that swirled with red, black, and gold floral designs, and had her long dark hair crowned with a tiara that looked like a curved miniature ladder - two gold rails lined with rungs of silver -, loomed down to look at them.
"What's this!?" The giant asked, looking shocked. "What are two of my granddaughters doing inside my kiln? Oh my! Let me help you girls out of there!"
With a brilliant flash of gold light, Rhode and Su found themselves standing inside what looked like a pottery workshop next to the strange woman who was now thankfully only as tall as they were.
"Honestly, I know we were from a warm climate, but baking in ovens isn't smart, sweetlings." The woman chided them. "And walking around in your bra, sweetie? What is Demeter teaching her girls, honestly!?"
With that the woman snapped her fingers and Su was suddenly dressed in a sundress that was decorated by a plethora of floral designs. Her Camp tee still wrapped around her waist.
"There, much more presentable. Learn from your wife, dear." The strange goddess - What else could she be? - said with a disapproving wag of her finger. "See she's dressed properly."
Rhode looked down at her simple dress and Camp tee combo and just shrugged even as Su copied her look by pulling off her magically dried tee and slipped it on over her dress.
"And what can I do for you darlings? Tea? Irish coffee? Fun brownies? I've got a lot of treats in the snack cabinet."
"Um, no offense, my lady." Rhode said, speaking cautiously. "But can I check who you are?"
"Lady, ha! Oh that's a title I haven't heard in a while. Just call me Gram, dear."
"You're Lady Rhea!?" Su gasped in shock. And Rhode was feeling her. Their grandmother was a super recluse! To have stumbled onto her was incredible!
.
Titaness Rhea, Rhode and Su's Grandmother
"Grammy Rhea, Gram-Gram, though I go by Rhe-Rhe these days." Rhea said as they were all surrounded by golden light again and all three of them were transported onto a porch overlooking a well tended garden, with tea and snacks laid out for them to share.
Oh, and there was now a large lion nestled in Rhea's lap, one whose wild and braided mane the Mother of the Gods had started to stroke. Can't exactly forget to mention that.
"Now hydrate dears, you look like sundried tomatoes. At least the little sapling is. Seiden really made his kids hardy."
Rhode exchanged a look with Su before they both obliged and took cups of the tea offered to them and sipped on it carefully, earning them a pleased nod from their grandmother.
"Grammy Rhea," Rhode began after a moment of quiet. "Can you help us find my brother Percy?"
"Such a serious face, you half-bloods need to live a little more." Grammy Rhea said with a shake of her head. "I know! How about you help me in my pottery workshop for a while? It's very relaxing, you know. And you can even sell what you make and earn a good profit. Persephone, the dear, is always looking for something to decorate her garden in the Underworld."
"I mean, I would love to, Gram. Sadly, I really need to find my brother."
"Hm, a brother? Seidon really has been busy." Rhea snickered. "Always the lively one. As for this brother of yours…"
The Mother of the Gods paused for a moment as if considering something before frowning.
"Sorry, can't help you." She said, sounding annoyed. "He's in Ogygia right now and that's Aphrodite's domain. Can't send you girls there even if I wanted to. Especially since you two are already happily married."
"So he is safe." Rhode felt somewhat relieved at that. Though that last line's a bit hollow. Didn't Odysseus stay there for a decade?
"He's fine." Gram said with a nod. "Give him a week or two or less, the time is never certain, and he'll be back in your Camp. All those sent to Ogygia always return. None will ever stay for Calypso. That's her curse."
Rhode breathed a sigh of relief at that. It was a shit deal for the poor Titan if Rhode was honest, but she sadly picked the losing side during the First Titanomachy and had to pay for it. And she was more concerned with Percy anyways.
"So in the meantime, why don't you two spend some time with your grandmother, eh?" Gram asked, offering them an inviting smile.
"We sort of have a situation at Camp-"
"What? My Ex hobbling himself back together? Ugh, don't remind me of that buzzkill." Gram huffed, her pet lion yawning and showing his huge dagger sized teeth.
"The Crooked One is quite the, um, buzzkill." Su said diplomatically.
"I know, and I married him! Once divorce became a thing, I had Hera do the paperwork. You should've seen the look on her face!" Gram slapped her knee with a cackle as she spilled her tea. "Oops."
"I can imagine." Rhode said, with a wince. She could imagine how upset the goddess of marriage had been to arrange that. For her parents no less.
"Though she took it in stride, the trooper. She understood toxic marriages just shouldn't be tolerated. Now if only she'd take her own advice, but domains ya know!? Real kick to the pants." The Titaness sighed dramatically.
Oh yeah, Rhode could see where she got that side of herself.
"That may be so, Grammy. But if Percy is safe, we really need to head back to Camp." Su said, trying again to get their grandmother to see reason.
"Tch, just like my children. 'The Titans are being jerks, we gotta raise an army to fight them. Sorry, no time to talk. Just stay here Ma, on the homefront.' Typical." Gram said sourly, slumping back in her seat. "They're all too busy to actually spend time with me."
Rhode and Su exchanged a look at that. Was it possible to feel guilty over your parents neglecting their mother? Because if the child of Poseidon was honest, that was what she was feeling.
"But you two have to promise me to visit again sometime. With the baby next time." Gram Rhea insisted as her chair turned into a recliner as she laid back. "We'll share the peace pipe together."
"Sure," Rhode agreed readily and Su nodded.
"But I can't send you two back just like that either," Gram Rhea said with a shake of her head. "Ancient Laws and all that jazz. Those Amanos are a scary bunch, so let's not piss them off. So till next time, dearies!"
With that they were once more surrounded by a burst of brilliant golden light and when it faded, the two Half-bloods found themselves on a small raft that was magically making its way across Long Island Sound towards Camp. A raft that contained Percy, who was clutching a cutting of moonlace.
"Rhode? Su?" Her brother shouted in shock as he noticed them. "What are you doing here?"
"We ran into Gram Rhea and she dropped us off here." Rhode explained with a shrug.
"How was Ogygia, Percy?" Su asked, offering a teasing smile. "Who's hotter? Annabeth or Calypso?"
"Su!" Percy whined, blushing furiously.
Rhode laughed. Hard. Hard enough to let all the anxiety she'd felt at Percy being missing flow out of her. She hadn't known she needed it. But Su had.
And that's why she's the best wife in the world.
"You want to go back into the Labyrinth?" Rhode shouted at her brother as they and the rest of the counselors discussed the matter around the Ping Pong table in the Big House.
"We still haven't delivered the record of the Oaths to Daedalus." Percy countered. "We haven't finished the Quest."
"What's that matter anymore?" Rhode countered angrily. "We already know the Titans' army is making its way through the Labyrinth. We don't need his help."
"No, but we need his neutrality in the rest of the war." Annabeth said, putting a hand on Rhode's arm. "Plus Daedalus has suffered long enough. He deserves to get his final rest."
"And I need to find Pan. I was so close! I could feel it." Grover added as well. "All I need is a little more time in the Labyrinth. Imagine how helpful it'll be if I could bring Lord Pan to help us!"
Rhode was about to lose her cool but Su put a calming hand on her shoulder and with a deep breath she just barely managed to keep it together.
"I know, I'm just worried about you guys." Rhode confessed.
"Don't be, Big Sister." Tyson said encouragingly. "Me keep everyone safe."
"We can take care of ourselves." Percy reassured her as Annabeth and Grover nodded in agreement.
"Percy is right, Rhode." Thalia said, representing the other counselors who were all nodding along with what she was saying. "Who knows, Annie and Percy might even be able to slow the Titans down a little and buy us some time."
"Chiron?" Rhode said, turning to her mentor for the final word.
"I think it is best that Annabeth and her fellow Questers finish their Quest." The Trainer of Heroes said with a firm nod.
"Fine~!" Rhode said petulantly. "But if this screws up or turns out to be a waste of time, then I reserve the right to say 'I told you so'."
"Noted, Rhode." Chiron said with a sigh. "In the meantime, Questers, I believe you four have a Quest to finish."
"Fat load of good sending Percy and the others back into the Labyrinth did, Chiron." Rhode chided the Trainer of Heroes as they watched Zeus' Fist for the first sign of the enemy army that her brother and his fellow Questers had reported back were on the way from the lone watchtower the Campers had managed to erect in time.
"Chide me later when we get through this, Rhode. If you would be ever so kind." Chiron quipped as he was checking his quiver.
"Besides, it wasn't a total waste." Su added diplomatically. "I mean we did get a head's up that they were coming."
"Yeah, but not much else." Rhode countered as the first of the enemy, a squad of enemy demigods cautiously crept out of the tunnel under the pile of rocks that was Zeus' Fist.
"Recriminations later," Chiron insisted. "Fight now. Archers! Fire!"
At the centaur's orders, a hail of arrows rained down on the enemy, peppering their raised shields. A few arrows exploded, gifts from Cabin Nine. It left gaps in the enemy line but they filled it quickly enough to avoid a collapse of their formation.
Dammit, they're better than we thought. Rhode thought with a frown.
And thus with this inauspicious start, the Battle of Camp Half-Blood officially began.
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless and Axios as always!
So Daedalus comes into play, and Rhode might have fumbled that one a bit. Without Nico having Minos going around with him, Daedalus didn't really need to check on Camp to see if it was better for him. So he just called, and that escalated quickly, but still worked out thankfully.
Nameless: To be honest, Daedalus would've accepted almost any deal Camp offered him. He knew the Titans weren't to be trusted to hold up any deal they offered him. That said, he was a jerk because, in his eyes, Rhode started it. That Rhode then escalated when he got nasty instead of backing down, just made things worse. Rhode ain't perfect folks. She let her anger, her Fatal Flaw, get the better of her and it almost cost them a deal Camp needed. Luckily, she and Su are a team and her wife was enough of an MVP to save the day.
Best part of the chapter, was flat out, Rhea. Hippy granny is the bomb and we all need more hippy grannies in our life.
Nameless: Just don't let her too near the grandbabies. We don't want any high babies. ;)
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!