In which Percy would very much like to break every bone in Varus' body for the shit he's saying.
Replies:
Thickneck: She had to get good at it, what with Alabaster in Tartarus.
Undeath9087: Yeah, yeah she's not doing great right now- I mean she's doing well, but she's not happy.
Noir Nyan: Thank you! and that at least is the same as canon.

Percy's brows furrowed very slightly, it would be useful if she could get more information on that, she pressed closer to Antinous, giggling. "Then they have no chance my lord."

"Yes." Jason nodded, rising to his feet, "Very well. I will report as much to King Porphyrion. Thank you for the meal."

And then a voice came from over by the fountain, and Percy resisted the urge to curse very colorfully. "Wait!" It was Michael Varus. That was very much not good.

And the dead praetor was walking over towards them surrounded by a hazy white aura, his deep set eyes were like sinkholes and at his side hung and Imperial gold gladius.

His gaze was flicking between Percy and Jason.

"You must stay."

"Ugh, who gives this Roman the right to make demands my lord." Percy asked, pulling a face, "The beggar stinks. I want
him gone."

"Yes." Antinous shot the ghost an irritated look, "My lady makes sense. You do not give orders Varus. If Iros wants to leave let him. He does smell bad.

The other ghosts laughed nervously. Across the courtyard Percy could see, Piper shooting Jason a worried glance. A little further away, Annabeth casually palmed a carving knife from the nearest platter of meat. And Percy was sure from the gleam in her eyes that her girlfriend was just longing for the chance to slice up some ghosts.

Antinous was probably the top of her list. This could go very bad very quickly.

And Varus was resting his hand on the pommel of his sword. Despite the heat his breastplate was glazed with ice. "I lost my cohort twice in Alaska, once in life and once in death-" his gaze met Percy's, "To a a Graecus named Percy Jackson. Still I have come here to answer Gaea's call. Do you know why?"

"Because you're a glutton for punishment?" Percy answered, as Varus' gaze flicked between Percy and Jason.

"Stubbornness?" Jason offered.

"This is a place of longing." Varus said. "All of us are drawn here. Sustained not only by Gaea's power but by our strongest desires Eurymachus's greed. Antinous's cruelty."

"You flatter me," the ghoul muttered.

"Hasdrubal's hatred," Varus continued. "Hippias's bitterness. My ambition. And you, Iros. What has drawn you here? What does a beggar most desire? Perhaps a home?"

Percy's eyes narrowed- he was definitely focusing on Jason now, though Percy was certain he would turn to her soon enough.

"I should be going." Jason said quickly, "Messages to carry."

Michael Varus drew his sword, "My father is Janus, the god of two faces. I am used to seeing through masks and deceptions. Do you know, Iros, why we are so sure the demigods will not pass our island undetected?"

"He annoys me Antinous." Percy made her voice whiny, "Get rid of him like you got rid of that Greedy fool Eurymachus. I want the beggar to go."

The ghoul twitched, taking a deep breath that made the arrow rattle in his throat. "But my pretty one, this might be entertaining-"

"You think this is more entertaining that me?" Percy's eyes narrowed and she leaned in again, "Get rid of him- get rid of them all my lord-" Percy felt his hands wandering up her sides again, saw the desire shining in those eyes, "So that you and I can be alone at last- or would you like to put on a show? Let the others all see me-"

"I see you." Percy forced back the urge to grab a chunk of meat and throw it at Varus- Antinous's hands might be wandering but his focus had been fully on her- Jason had started to move away.

"Yes Roman." Percy shot him a scathing glare from over her shoulder, "I don't really care what you see. Your jealousy gives you away to my lord. Doesn't it?" she focused on Antinous. "He irks me-"

"Your beauty blinds your lord." and Percy's fingers tightened around Antinous' shoulders as she saw Varus raise his sword, blocking Jason's path, and she swung herself off of Antinous's lap, slapping his hand away when he pawed at her thigh, trying to draw her back.

"Let the beggar go Varus. What use is he to you."

"Girl-" Antinous's voice was annoyed, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Perhaps you should ask her her name. I wonder if she's as much a maiden as she acts, or if Gaea's little Graecus managed to take her down a few pegs while they were in the pit."

Percy blinked rapidly at that, her mouth dropping open in shock- because she knew what he was insinuating there, and the thought of it- of how easily it could have happened- she lost control, snarling as she tried to launch herself over the table, scattering food everywhere, lunging towards the spirit, but Antinous was on his feet, arms suddenly around her waist, hauling her backwards, and but Jason was already moving, grabbing Varus by the shirt, a furious look on his face- and both Piper and Annabeth had started moving towards them too.

"Let go of me!" Percy yelped the words, "You son of a-"

"I would stop struggling." Antinous's voice was a sneer, "After all, you saw what I did to Eurymachus my pretty one."

"She said let her go." Jason turned his head, glaring at Antinous.

"Ah yes." Varus smirked, "So protective of your friend-"

"I made a promise-"

"You know Jason Grace, our desires reveal us. They show us for who we really are. Someone has come for you.
Behind Varus, the crowd parted. The shimmering ghost of a woman drifted forward. One Percy recognised from a trip to the Underworld a lifetime ago, though there were some differences.

Beryl Grace was wearing a dress not a pink bathrobe- it was a flowery green and red wrap around dress, and she wore plastic bangles too- and there was no glass of wine in her hands.

Other than that she looked basically the same, that same ridiculously puffy mass of blonde curls, those same blue insane looking eyes.

"My dearest-" the ghost spoke, "You have come home." And Percy jerked in Antinous' grip- but- the memory of what he'd done to Eurymachus made her stop. And Poor Jason, he was staring in shock, his eyes filled with horrified pain and grief, and Percy could see that the ghost was all Jason could really focus on. Which made sense, unfortunately.

The woman held out her arms for a hug, "Dearest-" and Percy could see the mist disguise burning away- suddenly Jason didn't look like an old beggar, he looked like Jason- and Percy could see Piper and Annabeth staring in horror as Jason whispered.

"Mom?" and gods but he sounded like a little child, terrified and lost. Which was probably how he felt.

"Yes dearest." the ghosts image flickered, "Come, embrace me."

"Y-you're not real." and gods but this was bringing back memories of Melinoe- except Percy was pretty sure this was actually Beryl not just a trick by a goddess.

"Of course she's real." Varus's voice made Percy want to punch him in the face, "Did you think Gaea would let such an important spirit languish in the Underworld? She is your mother, Beryl Grace, Beryl Grace, star of television, sweetheart to the king of Olympus, who rejected her not once but twice, in both his Greek and Roman aspects. She deserves justice as much as any of us."

"Shut the fuck up." Percy snarled the words- and many of the ghosts looked amused- they found it funny, though Antinous grip on her tightened as he sat down, dragging her with him, one arm still around her waist, nails digging into her thigh through her dress. He was clearly pissed off that she very obviously wasn't who she'd claimed to be.

"Jason- Jason you need to focus-" Percy tried to call out, but he didn't seem able to tear his gaze away from his mothers ghost.

"Jason!" Piper called loudly, and Percy could hear the power in her voice, "Jason look at me. This isn't your mother. Her voice is working some kind of magic on you – like charmspeak, but more dangerous. Can't you sense it?"

"She's right." Annabeth clambered onto the nearest table to her, trying to subtly move towards Percy, kicking aside a platter, startling a dozen suitors. "Jason she's just a remnant of your mother, like an ara maybe, or-"

"A remnant." Beryl sobbed "Yess, look what I have been reduced to. It's Jupiter's fault. He abandoned us. He wouldn't help me! I didn't want to leave you in Sonoma, my dear, but Juno and Jupiter gave me no choice. They wouldn't allow us to stay together. Why fight for them now? Join these suitors. Lead them. We can be a family again!"

"Liar!" Percy snarled the word, "You're a liar Beryl. Jason don't listen to her- listen to us think about Thalia-" she hissed in pain as Antinous gripped tighter.

"Thalia didn't understand-"

"You abandoned her baby brother and dragged her off against her will." Percy snapped, "You are a horrible excuse for a mother and Jason doesn't need you-"

"You will be silent." Antinous hissed into her ear, "Before I silence you."

"S-she's right." Jason's voice wavered, "You left me. That wasn't Jupiter or Juno that was you."

Beryl stepped forward, worry lines tight around her eyes- and so very very fake, "Dearest, I told you I would come back. Those were my last words to you. Don't you remember?"

"And you didn't come back for him- you abandoned him- but you weren't even his mother before that." Percy said quickly, "Thalia told me enough to know that she was more of a mother to him than you ever were-" Percy was cut off by his hand moving from her thigh, clamping over her mouth.

"Percy's right." Annabeth said quickly, casting Percy a panicked look, "Listen to her Jason- she-"

"She never even spoke of you." Beryl hissed, "She didn't tell anyone you even existed."

"Welcome." Antinous's voice was sharp, "Welcome demigods. You put on a good act but it's over now. Join us son of Jupiter. Listen to your mother. Your sister should have betrayed the gods long ago. You have many grievances against the gods. Why not join us. I assume the serving girls and the whore are your friends? We will spare them, especially the who-"

"Shut your mouth before I cut your tongue out." Annabeth snarled the words and Antinous only laughed.

"I would watch your tongue girl- remember, I can end your friends life in an instant. Now you Jason Grace, you wish to have your mother remain in the world? We can do that. You wish to be a king-"

"No-" Jason shook his head, shaking, "I don't belong with you."

"Are you sure?" that was Michael Varus. "Are you so sure, my fellow praetor? Even if you defeat the giants and Gaea, would you return home like Odysseus did? Where is your home now? With the Greeks? With the Romans? No one will accept you. And, if you get back, who's to say you won't find ruins like this?"

"Oh fuck off Varus." Percy managed to twist her head, free her mouth, as she shot a glare at him, "You're a pathetic failure and it would bring me pleasure to kick your ass a second time. And Jason belongs wherever he wants to belong. He has Greek and Roman family."

"I do-" Jason nodded slowly, "I d-"

"Are you really going to trust her?" Varus smirked slowly, "Your friend. Would you trust her if you knew what she was capable of?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Piper demanded- and Percy felt a stirring of unease in the pit of her stomach that had nothing to do with her precarious position.

"Antinous isn't the first she's manipulated in such a way, using her body" Varus smirked, "Whispers of what you did in the pit have spread very far Percy Jackson. Such cruelty- tell me, did you enjoy carving your symbol into the son of Hecates mortal point, in drawing his blood out through his very skin? Did you take pleasure in his screams? Akhlys herself was impressed with the misery you inflicted- until you inflicted it on her. Why should your friends trust you when you enjoy pain and suffering so? You think yourself better than us- but I think you fit right in. You're capable of far more cruelty than most of us have ever imagined. Just imagine the pain you could inflict if you joined Gaea. Perhaps we could even be convinced to let your friends go if they left you." and that, that was like a punch in the stomach, because Piper and Jason were giving her horrified looks- and even Annabeth looked unnerved as Piper shook her head.

"Stop lying Percy's not-"

"Look at her." Varus laughed, "Look at the Graecus and tell me I am lying."

And the most painful part was the fact that Percy couldn't even bring herself to lie.

Because everything he said she'd done was true.