Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter.
Consul of the Underworld: Grinding Phase
Chapter Twenty Two: Having All the Bases
Beta: ShadowofAxios
It was a beautiful June 15, 2008 and the perfect weather for one of the biggest days in Alkaid's life, her graduation from Stanford. Despite her joy at the occasion, the daughter of Hades was immensely glad that the ceremony had finally ended, at two and a half hours of speeches and other, in her opinion, pointless pageantry, she was finally allowed to file down the central aisle alongside her peers as a graduate.
In her cap and gown, she wandered over to where the families of the graduates had been seated for the ceremony and found to her surprise not just all the godly members of the House of Hades and her immediate family plus Jane like she expected, but also Athena and Auntie Hera. With the exception of her di Angelo siblings who had been refused permission to leave Camp by Mr. D as they were required to help prepare Camp for the summer campers that would arrive in the first weeks of June, it was a full house and then some.
Her Father and Auntie were chatting over something in hushed whispers, dark looks in their eyes as her Father scowled in annoyance over whatever was being discussed. Athena was speaking with Jane over military hardware apparently. Makaria was cowering a little, looking at the crowds warily and clutching Melinoe desperately. Considering her agoraphobia that she was here at all was something Alkaid appreciated immensely.
For her part, Melinoe seemed to be eying the various graduates with a glint in her eye as she protectively warded off any curious glances at their rattled sister. Even Mother was getting in on the action, though her looks were a lot more mild and the majority of her attention was focused on comforting her middle daughter by rubbing her back tenderly.
"Mum! Congratulations!" Mina cheered as she popped out of thin air, literally, and wrapped Alkaid up in a tight hug. A soft gasp escaped the demigoddess at the strength her little girl used in the hug.
"Mina, Mum needs to breathe." Pyrrha reminded their overexcited daughter teasingly as she strolled up behind the girl. "And congrats 'Kaidy, you're a Ivy League grad now."
"So I am," Alkaid shot back once Mina had let go enough for her to catch her breath. Once her breathing was under control, she pecked her lover on the lips before giving Mina one on her forehead. "I have both my girls here, that makes this day even grander."
"Aw! So sappy, but thank you." Pyrrha grinned teasingly as she wrapped her arms around Alkaid's left. Mina immediately taking her right.
"Mum, we should go somewhere fancy to eat. We can get cake!" Mina beamed up at her, her yellow-green eyes going wide at the mention of cake.
The family of three chatted as they returned to the location of the house of Hades, gandering the attention of them and their guests.
"Congratulations, Alkaid," Athena said stepping forward with Jane in tow, though the mortal was smart enough to let the goddess speak first. "You have proven yourself as a true scholar."
"Thank you for the compliment, Lady Athena." Alkaid replied diplomatically. She wasn't sure she was a scholar in the mold that the goddess of wisdom implied. She was no academic. As much as she enjoyed learning new things, she did so with a mind towards applying them towards practical uses rather than for the sake of pure study.
"As polite as ever I see," the matron of Athens said with a smile and offering her hand.
Alkaid was startled for a moment. A goddess offering a mortal, even a demigod, a handshake? That was amazingly generous!
She quickly overcame her shock and returned the gesture by shaking Athena's hand. As their hands touched, a tingle passed from the goddess' body into her own.
May my blessings be upon you, daughter of Hades. The goddess of war's voice boomed in her mind. May you always find a path to victory no matter your endeavours. And a word of warning: be wary of Hera's intentions. Her words are honeyed but more often than not poisoned.
With her words said, the goddess released Alkaid's hand and after offering her one last warm nod, she teleported away.
Jane stepped forward to fill the opening even as Alkaid tried to process what Athena had said but before her mother-in-law could say anything, she was preempted.
"And the woman of the hour arrives." Auntie Hera stated as she walked over. She was wearing a simple gown of powered blue, yet the Queen of Heaven made it look like something peeled off a mosaic. "So rare to have a half-blood reach such an age. Brother, you've outdone yourself this time."
"Most of the work was her own, Sister." Father smoothly replied as he walked over with a rare soft smile on his pale features. The warmth in his eyes caused a small smile to appear on Alkaid's own face as she gave him a quick hug. One that he readily returned.
"We just guided her along," Persephone said, following up where Father left off. On the surface, her words seemed pleasant enough but knowing the goddess most of her life like she had, Alkaid could hear an undertone of annoyance as she offered a forced smile to Auntie Hera.
Her tone turned more genuine however as she gave Alkaid a small hug. Happily accepting the embrace, Alkaid luxuriated in how the sweet scent of Spring wafted off her mother and filled her nose. "I'm very proud of you, Daughter."
"I-I'm proud of you too, Sister," Makaria said as she came over behind their mother.
"Thank you, Maka," Alkaid said as she pulled her usually shut-in sister into a hug. "And thank you for coming today."
"Wouldn't have missed it for the w-world." The goddess of blessed death assured her sister with a small stammer.
"And I made sure that you didn't." Melinoe said with a roguish grin that earned her a smack on the arm from their Mother. "Hey, it's the truth!"
"No need to boast about it," the goddess of spring reminded her eldest daughter sternly. "Now go give your sister your congratulations."
"Oh, sure. Guess it's my turn. Congrats 'Kaidy." The goddess of ghosts said as she pulled her baby sister into a hug.
"Thank you, Sister."
"So, since mom's babysitting Maka. I'mma go see a few grads about… plans."
"I-I don't need a babysitter!" Makaria cried out indignantly as she clung closer to Persephone.
Melinoe patted her head with a teasing grin as she walked off and started to chat up a group of young men and women with a saucy grin.
"Hades, your eldest daughter is… Polite language fails me." Auntie Hera said looking outright offended by Melinoe's behavior.
Hades gave his sister a dry stare, "I've heard it all before. No words needed. As long as she's having a good time… I assume it is all that matters."
"Quite." Auntie Hera agreed with a quirked lip. "As much as I would love to stay longer, duty calls. Matters to settle, tempers to cool. Alkaid, once more congratulations and enjoy your celebration. Ta-Ta."
In a shower of feathers of every color imaginable, the goddess of marriage departed to deal with whatever matters she deemed worthy of her attention.
"Okay, now that all the gods are finally done." Jane said, looking at the remaining gods with a accusatory glare, all of whom sheepishly avoided her gaze. "Congratulations, Alkaid. You've done well for yourself."
"Thank you, Jane." Alkaid replied with a smile.
"Mum, Mama! I'm hungry!" Mina suddenly declared out of nowhere.
"You're always hungry," Pyrrha teased back, even as Alkaid shook her head in fond exasperation.
"But I am," the silver haired little goddess insisted. "Can we go eat lunch already? And cake? A big one?"
"Are we sure baking isn't a sub-domain of hers?" Persephone asked Father with a mirthful smile.
"I checked with Betty Crocker, it isn't." Father assured Mother, ignoring how both Potters hurriedly tried to shush him the moment he started mentioning the name of the goddess of baked goods' name.
"Betty Crocker? Betty Crocker!? Where is she? I'll stabbity stab that meanie!" Mina declared, summoning a pair of her knives.
Shit! How to fix this? Alkaid thought desperately as she conceived and discarded one useless plan after another.
Much to both Potter women's relief the situation was defused by the most unlikely of sources.
"Mina Potter! Clam down right this instant." Jane commanded her granddaughter sternly. "Or no dessert. For a week!"
"B-But Grammy!" Mina whined, her knives dissolving into a teddy bear that she clutched tightly as she attempted to look as cute and innocent as possible to her grandmother.
"A. Week." Jane pressed sternly.
The goddess of serial killers could only look at the ground in shame and give a small nod.
As expect of an experienced mother. I might have to pick her brain some time with how unruly Mina can get. Mayhaps we're spoiling her too much.
"Now then," Persephone said, sporting an amused smile. "Shall we head out for lunch? Hades' paying so feel free to splurge."
"I am?" Father asked, blinking in surprise for a moment before Mother leveled him with a look that had him quickly changing his tune. "Oh, yes, ahem, I am. So, Alkaid, where would you like to go?"
Tapping her chin in thought, Alkaid smiled brilliantly at her Father, "Well, I'm in a mood for some French cuisine, so how about Maison Pic?"
The mere mention of one of the most expensive restaurants in the world had quite the impact on the Lord of the Dead. The souls in his suit stopping their eternal tormented writhing to all recoil in horror even as their tormentor's pale face turned haunted.
After the grand celebration, and some cuddle time for the young married couple, the Potter family returned to Camp Half-Blood. Of course, having to wear the orange nightmare of a shirt once again nearly brought Alkaid to tears. And no, not even Pyrrha's praise at how it hugged her figure flatteringly could make up for how much she hated the horrible garment. Thankfully, as Assistant Activities Director she didn't strictly need to wear it all the time. She was staff after all, not a Camper and they had their own rules.
These thoughts were set aside as they teleported into the Big House's living room only to be greeted with an unfamiliar occupant seated at the coffee table going over some papers. He was a man who appeared to be in his fifties, with short gray hair and a clipped gray beard. He was dressed in black mountain-climbing pants that he matched with a bronze breastplate strapped over his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and a sword on the couch next to him.
He was more than met the eye though as he instantly triggered Alkaid's ferrokinetic and necromantic senses at the same time.
"Mr. D!" Alkaid shouted, in as calm a tone she could. "Who's this?"
"Camp's new trainer," the god of wine and Camp's Director said as he popped in beside her. "He goes by Quintus."
"He's an automaton." Alkaid observed immediately. "An ensouled one."
It was obvious to her as a daughter of Hades. The metallic ore beneath his false skin was clear as day to her ferrokensis while his soul, weathered with an age almost as old as Chiron's, sang to her necromancy. Just being close to him, she knew that he was long past due to stand before the judges of the Underworld but had yet to do so.
A tremor of anger thrummed through her body at the insult that this automaton represented. He offended her to the very core. It was like Riddle, trying to escape from the natural balance of life and death.
"Cool your blood, girl." Mr. D told her in a whisper. "I know exactly what he is and I don't like it one bit either, but we need him."
The brunette spat out, her angry words as hot as hellfire. "What right does he claim to hide from his ride across the Styx?"
"What part about us needing him do you not understand, Alkaid?" Mr. D hissed, starting to get angry. "Unless you suddenly developed some actual skill at swordplay, we need a swordmaster and general combat trainer and Quintus here fits the bill."
Calming down, trying to get her heart rate under control, she bowed her head to the god, "My apologies, Mr. D. his presence… unsettles me."
"As it should, as a daughter of Hades," the ensouled automaton said as it came over. "Rest assured though Miss Potter that I do not intend to flee Thanatos' pursuit forever."
"Hmph, we will see I suppose." Alkaid stated, doubt clear in her voice as she clamped down her anger at the abomination before her.
"I assure you that once my task is complete, I will be more than happy to embrace my end."
"And what task is that?" Alkaid pressed, her smile friendly as a shark.
"Let's just say I offended a god once upon a time and am wise enough to not die until I've made amends," Quintus offered. "You know how it would turn out if I didn't. The god would almost certainly barter with Lord Hades to make my afterlife quite unpleasant."
Calm yourself. You are above such anger, Alkaid. Deep breath, five in. Five out. And smile, Alkaid told herself as she smothered her growing ire once again, "Let's hope you are worth it then, Quintus."
"And you cheated death, pissing off the House of Hades and the other Underworld gods in the process in order to avoid getting into trouble with the one god you first offended?" Pyrrha asked, scornfully. "Sounds like such a bright move, genius."
Quintus' smile strained as he looked at her lover in an unfriendly way. "Genius comes with madness one would say."
"More like stupidity," Mr. D commented with a snort of disagreement. "But that's enough time wasted yapping away. Quintus get back to whatever you were working on, Penelope head back to your Cabin and get your siblings in shape, and you Alkaid go check in with Chiron."
Obeying the god's dismissal, Alkaid left the Big House with Pyrrha. Chiron would be at the Archery Range at this hour after all, so she could walk her wife to Cabin 5 before heading over to look for the centaur.
"'Kaidy, whatever you're thinking of doing about that Quintus guy, don't do it." Pyrrha told her as they walked out of the Big House towards the Cabin area. "Mr. D is right. We need him. With the Titans liable to attack any day now, we need all the help we can get."
"Whatever do you mean, love?" Alkaid flashed her a sunny smile of innocence.
"...As cute a look as that is, 'Kaidy, seriously. Don't do anything crazy."
"Fine," Alkaid said huffing in frustration. "I won't do anything 'crazy'. I'll just try and find out who he really is."
"Whatcha mean?"
"Quintus is obviously not his real name."
"I get that, but how will finding out who he really is help us at all?"
Her smile turned wicked and sharp, "We've been hearing chatter from the Titans' side that they're planning an attack on Camp Half-Blood right? And suddenly this guy shows up? Doesn't anyone find that suspicious?"
"We did," Chiron's voice suddenly said from just behind them, causing both women to spin to face the ancient immortal. "But he passed all our tests easily. Almost too easily."
"What do you mean?" Alkaid asked, shooting a triumphant look at Pyrrha that at least someone shared her suspicions about Quintus.
"It was almost as if he was familiar with our tests of loyalty. Familiar enough to fake his way through them."
"But did he fake it?" Pyrrha insisted.
"It was difficult to tell." Chiron frowned, "We had a few of Lord Apollo's children around. Some quite good at discerning truths, but Quintus passed their suspicions."
"How?"
"I have the transcripts of the interviews if you'd like to see them," Chiron offered.
"I would."
Pyrrha looked at the Activities Director and his assistant and shook her head. "You guys go do that and be all amateur Sherlock Holmes. Me? I'm gonna go catch up with my siblings. See you two later."
With a wave, the daughter of Ares walked off.
"Chiron, you were saying something about some transcripts?"
"Right this way, Alkaid."
"Isn't this so much better, Quintus?" Alkaid asked the Combat Trainer smugly, as the Camp's staff sat in the Big House's living room and watched on Hephaestus TV as the Campers faced off against their latest training exercise.
It had originally been devised by said ensouled automaton to be a simple case of releasing some random monsters against the Campers and seeing how they fared, but Alkaid had taken one look at his proposal and put her foot down as Assistant Activities Director. Modifying the hell out of it, she transformed it from a standard free for all into a proper learning experience for the Campers. One in which they were forced to face off an organised army of automatons that she'd arranged to be loaned from Lord Hephaestus in exchange for the broadcast rights to this unscheduled event and a small payment from the Camp's accounts as a deposit.
"It'll bear some fruit I suppose." Quintus said with indifference. Alkaid knew she stung his pride a tad from the sheer scope of her overhaul.
"I should hope so," Chiron chimed in from his enchanted wheelchair, "This exercise is costing a sizable chunk of our budget for the year."
"Ha! Look at Alison and Philip running away scared from those clockwork scorpions!" Mr. D said, sounding immensely amused as he pointed to Annabeth and Percy squeezing into a crack between two boulders in the pile of rocks known as Zeus' Fist to evade a trio of giant scorpion automatons armed with heat ray stingers.
Perhaps Alkaid took a tad too much pleasure in the panicked look on the daughter of Athena's face. Though after her screw up during the Quest for Artemis, it felt justified. She was worried for Percy though.
She really shouldn't have, as soon practically the whole Camp descended on the scorpions trapping two of their own. Within minutes, and working with solid teamwork they managed to take down the automatons and pulled Annabeth and Percy out.
Percy was acting strangely though. He was gesturing wildly back at the gap in the rocks he'd just climbed out of and saying something that seemed to set all the Campers on edge.
"What is he saying?" Alkaid asked, as she tried and failed to read his lips. Percy's animated flailing as he talked, hindering her attempts to do so. "Can we up the volume so we can hear?"
"Give me a moment," Chiron said as he adjusted the remote. "There we go."
"-I'm telling you! It's an entrance to the Labyrinth. Annabeth tell them."
"There's a Delta sign, clearly Daedalus' trademark." The daughter of Athena nodded.
Alkiad was stunned by the magnitude of Percy and Annabeth's discovery. If there was an entrance to the Labyrinth then it would be-
"It's the perfect vector for an invasion by the Titans." Pyrrha noted out in the forest. "This is bad. Very bad."
The daughter of Hades glanced at Chiron and she saw he too shared the look of dawning horror as the reality of the situation set in. The Camp had a giant vulnerability in its defenses. Even Mr. D seemed ruffled by this revelation, as the hand that held his ubiquitous Diet Coke can tightened enough to deform the can. The only one not reacting as expected was Quintus. He like the others were unnerved, but his reaction was extreme. Too extreme. He looked mortified.
"Something you want to tell the class, Quintus?" Mr. D asked, picking up on the man's overreaction. "Or should I say Daedalus?"
So he is Daedalus after all. Alkaid thought even as the man in question reacted to the accusation.
"What!?" The ensouled automaton shrieked as he jumped to his feet. "How did you know!?"
"Your arrogance becomes you, boy." Mr. D sneered, his purple eyes swirling clockwise with power. "Did you forget that I am a god? A member of the Olympian Twelve? Your little tricks might have worked to hide your identity but it's not foolproof."
"So you've known all along?" Daedalus asked, still tense and eying the god warily.
"Not at all." Mr. D admitted with a casual shrug. "As I said, your tricks worked. But it isn't hard to eliminate the possible candidates who could produce a body like you have and even fewer with a reason to use it. Though I'll admit Alkaid and Chiron did most of that work."
"You were either Daedalus or Talos." Alkaid explained. "Both great craftsman of the mythic age but whose souls have not yet reached the Underworld."
"We were thinking you were Daedalus though," Chiron confessed. "After all, we are fairly sure Talos' soul merged with his masterpiece that bears his name due to all the fervor he put into the colossus and became a monster."
"But we weren't sure," Mr. D added with a cruel smile. "At least, not until you outed yourself just now."
"I really should have just kept my mouth shut shouldn't I?"
"You should have." Alkaid agreed with a nod.
"Now that you know who I am, what will you do?" Daedalus asked, his fingers gripping the arm rests of his chair.
"Nothing," a new regal female voice said suddenly. "At least not without my input."
Everyone turned to its source to see Athena standing in all her glory. She was wearing full hoplite armor and was equipped with both her spear and the dreaded Aegis shield. All in all, she looked every bit the goddess of war that she was.
"Ah! Athena. Punctual as always." Mr. D said with a sigh. "You're here to take him off our hands?"
Daedalus looked like he wanted to die then and there.
"Indeed," Athena said with a nod. "Thank you, Dionysius, Chiron, Alkaid, but I shall take it from here. My son has much to answer to me for."
"I understand, Lady Athena, but..." Alkaid said hesitantly, continuing only when the war goddess nodded for her to do so. "Well, we need Daedalus' help with the coming invasion through his labyrinth."
"Actually, I can't help you with that. Not from here." The inventor said sheepishly, a nervous smile on his fake face. "If I got back to my workshop I might be able to modify its pathways to stop it leading into Camp, but from here I can't do anything to it at all."
"Then I have a solution," Athena cut in before anything else could be said. "After I've had words with my wayward offspring, I shall deposit him in his workshop and he'll do what he just suggested. How does that sound?"
Chiron and Mr. D both looked to Alkaid.
I know I was the one to speak up, but seriously can you two not pick up some of the slack?
"That's agreeable, my lady."
"Very well, come along Daedalus." Athena said, before without waiting for a reply she teleported herself and her son away.
"Well, that happened." Chiron said after a long moment of confused silence. He slumped into his wheelchair, looking drained. "Now what shall we do?"
"We wait and hope that Daedalus keeps his word." Alkaid pointed out. "Or is able to. He didn't seem sure he actually could."
"Not confident Athena will make him do as he agreed?" Mr. D asked with mirth.
"Honestly? Not really. No offense to Lady Athena but Daedalus is wily enough to elude her for millenia. If he wants to somehow worm his way out of his promise, he'll find a way."
"You two should probably prepare Camp for the worst then." Mr. D chuckled as he sipped from a new can of Diet Coke.
"So, explain to me why we're going into the Labyrinth to find Daedalus again?" Percy asked for the umpteenth time as he, Grover and Tyson readied themselves to accompany Annabeth as she led them on a quest to accomplish the aforementioned task.
"Because despite promising to disconnect Camp from the Labyrinth when Mom came to pick him up, he hasn't done it yet." Annabeth explained patiently.
"He seems the type to shirk responsibility and not own up to his mistakes." Alkaid remarked, looking towards Annabeth for a brief moment, as she helped the questers shrink down some of their supplies to better fit into their travel packs.
"Yeah, I got that bit. The part I don't get is why nobody thought to I dunno get him to swear on the Styx to make sure he actually did it?"
"And possibly offend Lady Athena by making demands of her son?" Chiron countered as she watched over the quester's preparations. "Besides, it all happened very quickly and we weren't prepared."
"It's not like we expected Lady Athena to just pop in out of nowhere like that," Alkaid added.
"I'm not blaming you guys," Percy said as he finished packing his bag and took a step atop it. "I'm just wondering why Athena didn't do it."
"She probably tried," Annabeth defended her mother loyally. "But Daedalus is slippery. Very slippery. He probably found a loophole or something."
"And now we've gotta go force him to keep his promise? This sucks." Percy said with a sigh.
Alkaid patted him on the shoulder, smiling down at him, "At least he didn't integrate himself into Camp too much. Who knows what would have happened if he was staying here for a prolonged time."
Grover chimed in, "Not for lack of trying. Didn't he give you that Stygian Ice Whistle, Percy? For summoning Mrs. O'Leary?"
Alkaid pursed her lips, probably annoyed that Daedalus tamed a hellhound.
"If Daedalus has turned against us, is it safe for Percy to use the whistle or trust the hellhound?" Annabeth asked worriedly as she apparently just thought on the matter.
"It's fine," Alkaid reassured her cousin, patting him on the shoulder. "I've checked both and they're safe."
"Huh? Really? Does that mean Deadalus didn't betray us after all?"
"We honestly don't know Percy," Chiron said with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "All we know is that we need to check in with him and get him to fulfill his promise ASAP. The fate of Camp Half-Blood could depend on it."
"Got it," Percy said with a nod.
"If that's the case, then let's head out." Annabeth ordered as she led the way down into the Labyrinth through the entrance in Zeus' Fist.
Percy let Grover and Tyson go ahead of him, taking the time to shoot Alkaid one last look.
"We'll get the job done, Alkaid." He reassured his cousin and mentor. "Keep Camp standing till we get back?"
"Would I do anything else?" She smiled in a haughty fashion that seemed to just fit her.
Nodding in satisfaction that he was leaving Camp in good hands, he descended after the rest of his team. They had a mission to complete.
While Percy and co. were out trying to get Daedalus to seal off his Labyrinth, Alkaid focused on preparing to defend Camp should they fail. Leaving the setup of the defenses to the children of Ares and Athena who were competing to lay out the most comprehensive network of trenches they could had led to the creation of an impressively complex network of pillboxes armed with machine guns courtesy of Jane, and hidden catapults to provide some artillery support. On her part, she'd put up a whole series of wards in a series of defensive lines within Camp for use should the enemy breach its primary wards.
With her contribution to the actual defenses already done, Alkaid had shifted her focus to overseeing the Campers' training, specifically those of her siblings. Off to one side, she watched as Pyrrha was giving Nico a pummel- ahem, some tips on CQC. Smirking at how her wife was literally beating skill into her little brother, Alkaid turned her attention to Bianca instead.
"So Bianca, are you comfortable with the new school of magic I've been teaching you?"
"I guess?" Bianca hedged, fidgeting a little. "I mean, it fits me since it uses shadows which I'm good at controlling and it keeps me away from the fighting which I like, but, um, does it have to involve curses?"
"How else would you hurt your enemies from range then? You've not exactly shown a proficiency for bombardment magic."
"Um, I guess you have a point. But do the curses have to be so… lethal?" Bianca asked nervously.
Alkaid just blinked in confusion. "Bianca, you do realize you're supposed to use them against things that are trying to kill you, right?"
"I, I do get it! But there are going to be other demigods fighting for the Titans, right?"
"And? They're the enemy and they're trying to kill you, what makes them any different from a monster? Or do you honestly think they'll show you any more mercy than a Laistrygonian?"
The olive skinned girl looked down, the grass under her feet blackening, "Y-You're right. I can't go into a fight thinking like this."
Alkaid frowned but nodded. I'm going to have to arrange some battle conditioning for Bianca it seems. We can't afford her freezing up in an actual battle.
"So, um, Big Sister, I have a contract with a familiar I want to seal today. You said, you want to be there when I did, so, uh, could we do it now?"
"What kind of familiar do you have in mind?"
"A Faceless." Bianca explained, some excitement coming from her now. "I'm thinking that it could help me out with its psychic powers."
"A good idea." Alkaid agreed as she recalled all she knew about the enigmatic creatures of shadow. "Go ahead then."
Nodding, Bianca used her umbrakinesis to form a magical circle that Alkaid proudly noted matched up perfectly with what was required.
And she did it without a reference. Impressive.
"Oh, mysterious Faceless, shadow wraiths of the deep darkness. Hear my call, and come to my side. I, Bianca di Angelo, daughter of Hades summons you to strike a bargain. Heed my call and come!"
For a moment nothing happened and then suddenly darkness spilled out of Bianca's magical circle. The unnatural murk poured out like a geyser which quickly calmed, leaving in its wake a truly strange creature. The Faceless, for that was what it was, had a humanoid upper body but instead of having legs it had hundreds, perhaps thousands, of writhing tentacles. From its back grew a pair of majestic membranous wings that were studded with glowing orb like growths and its face resembled nothing more than a blank ovoid mask. Its whole body was a dark purple in colour with the exception of its bone white face and was cloaked in an aura of ever shifting darkness.
"What bargain, girl, have you summoned me forth to make?" The creature asked in a voice that echoed with a quality that hinted at a age beyond mortal understanding.
"Faceless, I seek to make you my familiar. What do you deem necessary for this bargain to be fair?" Bianca asked in a pleasant regal tone that Alkaid mentally applauded her sister for being able to maintain.
Silence permeated the area as the Faceless simply stared. Then the dark creature spoke.
"I want three."
Bianca blinked in confusion, "Three what?"
"Three souls for my service."
The younger daughter of Hades shifted uncomfortably. "How about all the souls of the enemies you deal the killing blow for me?"
"And if you judiciously avoid using me to kill?" The Faceless asked suspiciously, perhaps picking up Bianca's aversion to killing from her mind. The creatures were renowned for their psychic prowess after all.
"I promise not to do that?" Bianca flashed a nervous smile.
"Acceptable. Though you'll need to throw in something extra then."
"What?" Bianca asked, clearly at a lost.
"An autographed photo of Lord Hades using his Helm to its fullest." The shadow creature said with all seriousness.
"What? Why?"
"For my collection of course! All of us Faceless adore Shadow Lords and Lord Hades is one of the greatest of their number. Having something like that to serve as the centerpiece will complete my collection dedicated to their glory!"
Bianca just looked lost as she turned to Alkaid, "Sister! Do we have photos of Father?"
"Depends. What kind?" Alkaid asked, pretending she hadn't heard the whole conversation and hiding her amusement at the odd turn it'd taken.
"Of him using his Helm to the max?" Bianca said with a pout at being teased. She looked adorable like that and Alkaid had to resist the urge to pinch her cheeks.
"Several," Alkaid said with a grin.
The Italian demigoddess tilted her head in confusion, "Why do we have so many?"
"Picture day."
"Does that mean we have embarrassing pictures of you as a baby too, 'Kaidy?" Pyrrha asked as she sauntered over with Mina and Nico in tow. Alkaid had no idea when her daughter had popped in, but was somehow unsurprised by her presence. Mina always seemed to be around when there was a chance for her or Pyrrha embarrassing themselves. If she didn't know better, Mina had a bit of the trickster as part of her domains.
"Oh! I have a whole stash of those!" Melinoe declared appearing from nowhere even as she handed the photo, already autographed, that the Faceless requested to the shadowy creature. "Especially of her during the phase where she thought 'nerd outfits' were cool."
"Not the elf phase!" Alkaid shouted, all composure lost, as she tried to grab the photos Melinoe were flashing around like a fan out of her sister's hands.
"Mwahahaha!" The goddess of ghosts crowed.
"Let me see! Let me see!" Mina said, jumping up and down in excitement and adding to the mayhem.
The Faceless meanwhile looked upon the whole thing with amusement. "I think being in your service, young daughter of Hades, will be most amusing. Till you need me again, adieu."
Without waiting for a reply, the creature of darkness disappeared in a cloud of shadowy vapour.
Nico and Bianca watched the mayhem of their family until Nico turned to his sister and asked, "So, is that shadow dude your pet or something now? 'Cause I'm not walking him for you."
"Ha ha, Nico."
An invisible force smacked the son of Hades upside the head.
"Ow!"
"That was for thinking I need walks, young man." The disembodied voice of Bianca's Faceless said as Nico rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, you young folks nowadays. I'm as old as creation itself! As if I need walkies. Hmph."
Bianca held her fist in the air for a fist bump and was elated to have it returned.
"Alkaid! Pyrrha!" A son of Hermes shouted as the duo were inspecting the increasingly robust network of defenses that now surrounded Camp. They even had automatons built by Hephaestus Cabin manning the machine guns and mortars that they'd set up and a whole host of other tasks, freeing up Campers to do other stuff. "Mr. D and Chiron want you two up at the Big House."
"They say why, Cecil?" Pyrrha asked.
"No clue." The impish boy shrugged, "I'm just the messenger. But I did spot Chris, you know Chris Rodriguez? The traitor? And Gracie Grey too, the Hecate-"
"We know who they are," Alkaid cut him off. "We'll head over right away. Thank you, Cecil."
"No prob, Alkaid," the excitable son of Hermes saluted before running off again to do who knew what.
"So what do you think the two traitors are here for?" Pyrrha asked as the two made their way to the Big House.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Alkaid admitted. "Let's go find out shall we?"
"Oh Miss Alkaid! Thank the gods that you're here. I've so much to tell you," Gracie Gray, daughter of Hecate said the moment that Alkaid stepped foot into the Big House living room.
Alkaid nodded, acknowledging the girl before sweeping her eyes over the rest of the room. In one corner was Clarisse and laying on a stretcher in front of her was the battered form of Chris Rodriguez being treated by Chiron, while in another corner was Mr. D looking peeved with the whole tableau in front of him.
Looks like Chiron is busy. Mr. D is out, naturally, and by the look on Clarisse's face so is she. That means Gracie is my best bet for answers.
"Gracie, what are you doing here?" Alkaid asked the girl sternly.
Her seriousness seemed to douse a fair chunk of the younger girl's enthusiasm but she nevertheless replied in earnest, "Oh, uh. So Chris and I were forced into the Labyrinth. He went insane. I think I did too, maybe? And then there was a rock man and we ran and I got put to sleep by some magic. And then glitter and glue, oh there was also-"
"And what are you two doing here? At Camp Half-Blood?"
"They defected back," Clarisse barked, without looking away from Chris. "I went on a mission while you were at school to go pick them up. We ended up getting lost in the Labyrinth."
"So the Titans are intending to invade via the Labyrinth?" Pyrrha asked, sounding grim. Alkaid could empathise, despite their preparations an attack through it would be difficult to fight back.
"Yes! With evil cookies!" Gracie nodded sternly, before she continued in a stage whisper. "They don't even have milk, the monsters."
"I take it that the Labyrinth has had an impact on Gracie's mind?" Alkaid asked, directing the question to Mr. D.
"She's only half a fruitloop right now." Mr. D snorted. "The girl's heritage protected her somewhat it seems."
"And we sent Annabeth and her team into it?" Pyrrha asked, worriedly.
The god shrugged uncaringly. "They'll only end up like that if they get lost, which is unlikely since they're on a quest. The Fates will favor them more than these two dolts."
"And they have bolts!" Gracie chimed in, her hands splayed in the air.
"Okay, and what about the Titans? Which genius on their side sent their army through the Labyrinth then?"
"King Minos," Gracie supplied. "The floating windbag said it's a perfect backdoor into Camp. He was a meanie face. I think someone pooped in his cereal. That's sad, the wasted milk."
Minos!? So he's betrayed us? Father will hear of this. Alkaid promised ominously as her hands tightened into fists. She'd have fun helping her Father devise the dead king's punishments for his treachery.
First by getting a new Judge to rub into Minos' moronic face.
Alkaid looked at Gracie and frowned. "Mr. D, are you sure she's alright?"
"She's fine," the god said dismissively. "Let her get some rest for a few days and she'll be fine. Mostly. Besides, she's far more entertaining this way."
He would think that. Alkaid thought with a sigh.
"So Gracie, mind telling me, if you know, why Daedalus hasn't sealed off the Labyrinth's access to Camp yet?" Alkaid asked the unhinged girl carefully.
"Oh that! It's funny." The girl said before breaking out into a burst of deranged giggles. "That's 'cause Minos has caught Da-dalus in some kind of debt or something. It's magically binding so Dudealus has no choice but to obey. He doesn't want to though, so he's dilly dallying, I think. I mean, if he wanted to he could just make the Titans a direct path to Camp, right? Am I right? Huh? Huh!? What a silly dummy!"
Pyrrha leaned over to Alkaid and whispered, "It's like she's a mix of drunk, high and crazy. This can't be healthy."
"I know," Alkaid whispered back. "But we have to trust Mr. D. He is the god of madness."
"And I'm thinking I'll ask Mina for a second opinion," Pyrrha countered. "Madness is one of her domains too."
Alkaid nodded in agreement. That was a good idea.
"Chiron, is Chris stable enough to transfer over to Cabin Seven?"
"I'll handle that," Chiron replied. "Why don't you take Gracie back to Cabin 11 and get her settled."
"Oh! Cabin 11? I missed it so~!" Gracie sang. "It was wonderfully cramped! And didn't have the risk of being eaten by a random monster that got peckish or offended or just felt like it. Oh poor Sebastian! He shouldn't have pissed off those Telekhines back on the Princess Andromeda."
"Wait? The Titans just let monsters snack on demigods? Even those that work for them?" Pyrrha asked, horrified.
"Yeah-huh!" Gracie nodded, her head whipping back and forth. "Splash zone and everything!"
"I think that's enough for today, Gracie," Alkaid offered the girl kindly as she gently guided her out of the Big House. "Why don't we get you in bed?"
"Okay." Gracie said, in a subdued voice. "Sleep sounds good. Haven't slept in ages. Always had to keep eyes open. Monsters like little girls."
"Do I want to know what you mean?" Pyrrha asked, her face pale.
"No, nope, nada. You really don't." Gracie said as she followed the two women towards Cabin 11.
Alkaid and Pyrrha exchanged a look at that and silently made a promise to each other that they would never let Gracie suffer what she'd endured again. Not if they could help it.
It was a couple days later and a full week after Annabeth and her team had set off for their quest to get in touch with Daedalus when breaking news had Camp's Counselors gathered in the Big House to watch the news.
"...and scientists are saying this is the biggest eruption of Mt. St. Helens in recorded history. That it came so out of the blue, without any warning signs have left them baffled and caused the situation to be especially dire. Without those warning signs, evacuations were not called for and as a result, the death toll is expected to be exceptionally high."
"Holy fuck." Pyrrha whistled as she eyed the television. "So who set that thing off?"
"You don't think it's a natural phenomenon?" Katie Gardner asked, sounding unconvinced by her own words. She was clearly just trying to play devil's advocate.
"One of father's forges is under Mt. St. Helens," Beckendorf informed the gathered leaders of Camp with a frown. "Add to that the sudden nature of the whole thing… I don't think there's any doubt. This eruption is unnatural."
"It's also bad news," Mr. D said sounding genuinely worried as his Thyrsus appeared in his hand. "With a capital B. Mt. St. Helens is where Typhoon is imprisoned."
"Does that mean what I think that means?" Malcolm, acting counselor for Cabin Six, asked as he paled.
"That the daddy of all monsters is free? Not yet, thank Olympus." Mr. D said to the relief of everyone there though his teeth were gnawing on his lower lip. "But he's close."
That set everyone on edge once more but Chiron hastily cut through the tension before it could build any higher.
"We'll worry about that problem when it comes up," the centaur said authoritatively. "For now, let's deal with the problems at hand. I believe we have enough of those already, do we not?"
This was met by murmurs of agreement from everyone.
Before they could continue with discussions though, Cecil form Hermes Cabin burst into the room.
"E-Everyone," he said between gasps of air. "Annabeth is back. Alone."
The assembled Camp leadership exchanged nervous looks at that, but before they could so much as think on the matter, Annabeth herself walked into the room. She looked bedraggled, soot covered her body with twin tear tracks running down her blackened cheeks.
"Annabeth, where are the others?" Alkaid asked the blonde girl darkly, her tone ice cold.
The daughter of Athena looked down, refusing to meet Alkaid's eyes as she replied. "Grover sensed Pan's presence, so he and Tyson split up with us and went off to investigate."
"And Percy? Where is he?" The sorceress asked even as sparks danced between her fingers as she struggled to squash the urge to blast the girl if her answer was unsatisfactory.
"We ended up in one of Lord Hephaestus' forges being used by the Telekhines to forge the Crooked One a new scythe. We got spotted. Percy asked me to go report to Lord Hephaestus-"
"-and what did he do?" Pyrrha demanded her grip on the ping pong table so hard that her knuckles had turned white.
"He… He shook the volcano." Annabeth sobbed, her tears beginning anew. "It erupted and, and… I think he's dead."
That would explain Mt. St. Helens. Alkaid thought grimly.
"No he isn't," Alkaid said authoritatively. "As a daughter of Hades and a close friend of his, I would have sensed if he died. He is most likely recovering from the eruption."
"Then we need to find him!" Annabeth shouted as she finally looked up, a fire in her eyes.
"We need to prep the Camp's defenses. Percy will come back when he is needed, no doubt. For now, we dig in for war." Chiron countered.
"No offense Chiron," Pyrrha said looking the centaur dead in the eyes. "But screw that. One of our own is out there after having blasted himself out of a volcano to slow down the enemy. There's no way in the world that we're not going to search for him."
This was met by firm nods from everyone there.
"Besides, we've dug in as deep as we can already," Beckendorf added. "Camp is surrounded by fortifications already, it's not like we could add much more."
Chiron was shocked that his word was being challenged and turned to Mr. D for support. The god in turn just shrugged. "Let the brats do what they want. It's their Camp."
"Fine then," the Trainer of Heroes said with a sigh. "But we need to keep Camp's defenses up even during the search."
"Of course, Chiron." Alkaid said with a small smile, as she found joy in the old centaur getting overruled by his own charges. "I'll make sure of that."
"Then let's get down to it, shall we?" The old stallion said with fervour, betraying his own inner desire to rescue Percy. "Let's start with possible locations Percy could be recovering and move from there."
Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless and Axios as always!
The hounds of war are released! Soon the blood for the blood god and skulls for the skull throne will be given out! And Daedalus, dude, you are so dumb strolling up to Camp with three children of Hades right there. Hubris!
Nameless: To be fair, he did evade the gods for millenia. I think he has room for some hubris. Though, of course, it did eventually catch up to him.
So we got Gracie back, the poor thing. Plus who wouldn't want to follow Alkaid-sempai all day long? XD Still, writing her crazy dialogue was a blast! Gotta make sure she's got a little tick after all this. Oh, and Chris too I guess.
Nameless: Indeed it was. More Gracie obviously since Chris will rarely show up. He's Clarisse's boytoy even in canon, and neither have much 'screen time' even in canon.
And yes, Bianca is a familiar based sorceress with a knack for curses. Now that's going to be a fun fighting style to work around. Now we just gotta think about what Hazel's shtick is going to be. Illusions are fine but come on! We've got more pride than that.
Nameless: Pretty sure that makes Bianca a warlock.
Oh, she is! Pacts with outsiders and whatnot.
Nameless: Maybe not Outsiders, but you guys should get the gist.
And yes, we weren't going to cliffhanger Percy being The Dead. I mean, Al is buddy buddy with him so she was bound to know he is still kicking. Right?
Nameless: Well, we know from canon that children of Hades can sense when people have died. So it isn't a stretch at least to have this extend to them being aware of the death of those they are close to, at least with some training. And Alkaid definitely has the training.
Well, you know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!