Hey guys, I hope you all enjoy this chapter very much- the team to face Nike doesn't really change but uh, it's gonna be fun.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Not too much changing yet but uh- we will have some fun during the fight with Nike.
Guest: I kind of get it- trying to balance her out so it's not too much Greek or Roman.
MKDemiGodzilla-Warrior: Oh but Percy has to participate for reasons I will not go into yet.
"Two Greeks and two Romans then." Annabeth spoke up, "That's simple."
"Now the only question is which Greeks and which Romans." Thalia said slowly, "We need to be real careful here- for example Percy and I and Percy and Jason shouldn't go together."
"Yeah, you're not wrong." Percy gave a wry smile. "Nike would probably ramp up our normal competitiveness to a thousand. And given what happened last time Jason and I fought-"
"In my defence I was posessed." Jason remarked with a laugh, shaking his head, "But you have a good point."
"Okay, so which combination would be the least competitive?" that was from Luke.
"I'll go." Piper offered, "I can try Charmspeaking her."
"No." Annabeth shook her head, her brows furrowing as she thought. "Not this time, Piper. Nike is all about competition. Aphrodite … well, she is too, in her own way. I think Nike might see you as a threat."
"Then who?" Piper frowned. "Who's she least likely to make fight and who's she least likely to see as a threat."
"It's difficult." Annabeth said, "For example we shouldn't send Frank and me together. Mars and Athena – that would be just as bad as sending Percy with Jason or Thalia."
"But we need two Romans." Rachel pointed out. "And we only have three- maybe four if we're right and I'm a Legacy of Apollo but it's so distant I doubt it'd count."
"Percy and me for the Greeks." Leo spoke up suddenly, "That makes sense, there's no competitiveness there, and our parentage doesn't cause any trouble right? And for the Romans what about Frank and Hazel- if Percy's going it can't be Jason and Frank and Hazel aren't competitive and we're all pretty friendly, no rivalries with our parents or anything-"
"That could work." Frank said after a moment, "I mean, no combination is going to be perfect but Poseidon, Hephastus, Pluto and Mars... I don't see any huge antagonism there. I know if it was Ares then we might have a problem with my dad and Leo's but that stuff doesn't cross over between pantheons right?"
"Uh-" Percy paused, clearly considering it, "Not really. I don't think it does anyway. We should be okay. I mean, when I had no memories and I met Mars I did kinda want to break his face but he didn't seem too bothered by me so I doubt it'd make the Hephaestus and Mars thing and issue-" her lips twitched, "He did say once I got some respect he'd like to have a drink with me-" which made Frank go bright red and he groaned very loudly, thunking his head against the table as Annabeth and Rachel both visibly bristled, eyes narrowing.
Ethan almost choked on his muffin, Nico and Leo just both started laughing and Luke tilted his head back, groaning loudly.
"Percy, I know it's not your fault but I would like to go just a week, just a week, without hearing about some god or something being into you."
"It's not my fault that I'm cute."
"Gods I hate you sometimes." Luke grumbled the words, "You're evil."
"Can we get back on topic?" Hazel's lips twitched and she traced her finger along the map of Greece "I wish we could have gone through the Gulf of Corinth. I was hoping we could visit Delphi. Maybe get some advice. Plus it's such a long way around the Peloponnese."
"Yeah." Leo frowned slightly, "It's July the twenty-second already. Counting today, only ten day's until-"
"We know." Jason shook his head, "But Juno was clear, the shorter way would have been suicide."
"And as for Delphi." Piper leaned towards the map, "What's going on there. If Apollo doesn't have his Oracle anymore-" her gaze flicked towards Luke- so did everyone's honestly.
Even just by itself that would be worrying but for Luke it was probably a whole lot worse. After all it was his mom who they had to assume had lost her powers. Percy had been told that the woman was no longer insane but- what if losing the Oracle meant that she'd lose her mind again? But she didn't want to voice that thought, Luke had enough on his mind. The blonde was staring at the table as if it had personally wronged him.
"Eh, we should blame Octavian." she declared, trying to distract and lighten the mood, "Maybe he was so bad at telling the future that he just like, broke Apollo's powers."
"Yeah." Luke muttered the word, "That's probably it."
"I'm ashamed to call him my great whatever grandnephew." Will muttered the words, shaking his head, "He's like an anaemic insane loser version of an Apollo kid."
"Hopefully we can find Apollo and Artemis." Jason pointed out, "Then we can ask him ourselves- you can go personally you two-"
"And me." Rachel's eyes narrowed slightly "I have some questions to ask him."
"Well Juno did say the twins might be willing to help us."
"We do have a lot of unanswered questions." Frank muttered the words, "And a lot of miles to cover before we get to Athens."
"First things first." Annabeth laid her hands flat on the table, "You guys have to find Nike and figure out how to subdue her. Whatever Queen Cow face meant by that. I still don't understand how you defeat a goddess who controls victory it seems impossible-"
"Eh, look at us." Percy waved her arms dramatically, "Have we or have we not spent the last five years doing the impossible?"
"You have a point." Annabeth laughed softly, pressing her lips to Percy's cheek. "You know now that I think about it she must have smiled on you a lot."
"That- is not wrong." Ethan snorted, "You do always seem to come out of everything somehow."
"Hey, maybe she likes me, that'll help."
"You are good at that." Leo chuckled, "If anyone could do it it's you."
"I wish I didn't believe that." Luke groaned, "You are the only person I have ever known who's so- so ridiculous."
"Whoah there!" Leo's voice was mock offended, "Are you just forgetting about the awesome badassery of me?" he rose to his feet, a grin spreading across his lips. "Now why don't you guys let me get my collection of grenades and we can meet on deck."
"Sounds like a plan-"
"I can't believe you two are going off together without me." Nico huffed the words, "Leo, if our ridiculous sister does
anything too stupid-"
"Don't worry I can handle her-"
"Rude-"
"And Percy, can you keep an eye on Leo for me- make sure our idiot brother doesn't offend Nike somehow and get turned into a pair or sneakers-"
"Hah!" Percy laughed, poking her tongue out at Leo, "Of course I can Nico, I'll take care of our ridiculous brother."
"You're all ridiculous." Ethan snorted, "I have no clue how any of you survived Tartarus. You have one brain cell between the three of you I swear." There was a long pause and then,
"Bob." Nico and Leo chorused the name together, and Percy pouted.
"Hey! Speak for yourselves. I had nothing to do with Bob until you guys found me. I happen to think I did very well surviving as I did." She smirked. "I couldn't have pulled what I did off if I was stupid-"
"So what you're saying," Ethan remarked teasingly, "Is that you were the one with the brain cell whilst you were down in the pit."
"Hm-" Percy considered it for a long moment before nodding, a smile crossing her lips. "Yep, yep I can accept that summary." she decided, "But I feel the need to point out that it's a very good brain cell, very smart."
"She can be smart." a proud smile played across Annabeth's lips at that and Percy felt herself flushing. "She can actually be insanely smart." and Percy almost preened as Annabeth pressed her lips to Percy's cheek.
"Of course she can." Thalia snorted, "If there's one thing I know about you Annabeth is that you could never fall for someone as stupid as Percy sometimes acts like she is."
"I have a type. The really smart ones who can also be complete and total idiots."
"Y-hey!" Rachel's eyes narrowed, "Annabeth Chase!" she shoved Annabeth's shoulder, "I'm not an idiot-"Rachel, as much as I love you and it was completely amazing and badass, you threw a blue plastic hairbrush at Kronos."
"Well it worked." Percy pointed out with a grin.
"Yeah, see it worked." Rachel agreed, "And I happen to know that that was one of the moments that made you fall in love with me."
"I did say I love the smart idiots- it just so happens that the smart idiots also tend to be slightly out of their minds."
"Oh thank you very much." Percy laughed, pressing her lips to Annabeth's cheek, "The only reason I'm not offended is because I long ago learned to accept the fact that I always have been and always will be a touch crazy."
"Ugh- you guys make me want to barf." Leo declared, "I couldn't be like it myself-"
"Bitch please we have all seen you with Calypso." Nico snorted, and Leo straightened up.
"Okay yes- and thank you for bringing her up- Jason mentioned the hunter thing to me and when I was below deck with Bob and Damasen I mentioned to to them. Bob said they'll try and track them down, help them if that's okay with us. I think they feel kind of useless and cooped up at the moment."
"That-" Percy smiled very faintly, "That's not a bad idea. It'll be good for them to have some back up- but- Bianca won't be able to take her with them every time she travels will she?"
"Probably not." Nico paused, "But I mean, Bob's a Titan and Damasen's a giant, they can probably travel pretty fast. And they knows where they're going. I'd feel better if I knew they had extra help."
"That sounds really good," Annabeth spoke up, looking around the table. "And- it's not like any of us really have the right to tell them they can't go right."
"We can agree with that." Percy said slowly, nodding, "Leo you can go tell them to do what they want to be- as much as it'd have been nice to have their back up when we get to the final fight I don't think they'll be what turns the tide but they might be able to protect the others and help stop our camps from going to war." Percy rose to her feet, "Now, since we're going to be leaving soon I want to go and get changed."
Percy rocked back on her heels, shoving her hands into her pockets. After all, her clothes still had blood on them- since she hadn't actually changed since she got back from Ithaca. She'd been too busy either sleeping off the drugs Will had given her to try and make sure she'd not be as terrible a patient as she usually was.
And of course when she'd woken up she'd had that rather unpleasant talk with Annabeth and Rachel and after that there had been the cuddles.
"I think we're done here anyway." Jason announced, "We've discussed everything we need to. Leo, go get whatever you need and talk to Bob and Damasen."
"We call all meet on deck in an hour?" Frank piped up, "Does that sound about right to you guys?"
"Sounds perfect." Percy rubbed her hands together, "Come on my loves, lets go and get changed."
And if Rachel almost fell over in her haste to rush after Percy, well, it was a nice ego boost for the daughter of Poseidon.
And of course Annabeth followed too, though she was much less hasty.
