Frank and Hazel are freaked out but they are doing their best to hide it right now lol. And Percy is just automatically like 'Leo, Leo, Leo. Must fuss over annoying baby brother who scared the shit into me.'
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Undeath9087: Frank and Hazel are currently trying not to show how freaked they are because it is so not the time but they are very freaked. And Leo's just worried about his big sister.
Guest: The second one was against the twin giants with Jason.
Percy was openly sobbing into Leo's uninjured shoulder as her brother murmured softly, soothing noises with the occasional. "It's okay Percy. I'm gonna be okay." and she could hear the goddess struggling in the bindings of Leo's little gadget behind her but she didn't give a shit. The only thing she gave a shit about was the fact that her baby brother was safe and in her arms.
When Percy did eventually manage to lift her head and turn it to look at the others they were pale. Hazel looked exhausted from how much magic she'd used, and Frank looked drained too. And they were both staring at her as if they were struggling to believe what they were seeing.
Percy tried to push down the wave of anxiety that their gazes caused.
"You-" Frank looked hesitant, "Are you-"
"I'm calm now." Percy shifted slightly, loosening her grip on Leo, "I- I'm sorry guys I just- Leo was hurt."
"Of course." Hazel's voice was slightly unsteady. "That- I mean what you did-"
"I was angry. I thought-"
"You thought I was dead." Leo finished, "Which really." he pressed his hand to his chest, a mock wounded expression on his face, "You have so little faith in me."
"You're amazing." Percy kissed the top of her brothers head, "You were amazing Leo." she glanced back towards Nike, who was still waiting and struggling in her net. "And so were you two by the way." Percy hesitated, "Especially you Hazel. Are you okay?"
"Tired." Hazel admitted, "I think I used too much magic is all. A bit of rest and I'll be fine. The real question is what do we do with her?" she nodded towards Nike, and Percy carefully helped Leo up to his feet, pulling his uninjured arm around her shoulder to take most of his weight.
"I say we take her aboard the Argo II." Leo remarked, "Chuck her in one of the horse stalls."
Hazel's eyes went almost comically wide at that. "You're going to keep the goddess of victory in the stable?"
"Why not?" Leo grinned, "Once we sort things out between the Greeks and Romans, the gods should go back to their normal selves. Then we can three her and she can, you know, grant us victory."
"Grant you victory?" the goddess scoffed. ."Never! You will suffer for this outrage! Your blood will be spilled! One of you here, one of you four is fated to die battling Gaea!"
And only the fact that Percy was holding up Leo stopped her from attacking the goddess again, she growled lowly, and Frank and Hazel both shot slightly panicked looks at her as Leo swallowed hard.
"How do you know that?"
"I can foresee victories!" Nike yelled. "You will have no success without death! Release me and fight each other! It is better you die here than face what is to come!"
Hazel stuck the point of her spatha under Nike's chin. "Explain." Her voice was harder than Percy had ever heard. "Which of us will die? How do we stop it?"
"Ah, child of Pluto! Your magic helped you cheat in this contest, but you cannot cheat destiny. One of you will die. One of you must die!"
"No." Hazel insisted. "There's another way. There is always another path."
"Hecate taught you this?" Nike laughed. "You would hope for the physician's cure, perhaps? But that is impossible. Too much stands in your way: the poison of Pylos, the chained god's heartbeat in Sparta, the curse of Delos! No, you cannot cheat death. You and the daughter of Poseidon should both know that much."
Frank knelt. He gathered up the net under Nike's chin and raised her face to his. "What are you talking about? How do we find this cure?"
"I will not help you," Nike growled. "I will curse you with my power, net or no!"
She began to mutter in Ancient Greek.
Frank looked up, scowling. "Can she really cast magic through this net?"
"Heck if I know," Leo said.
Frank let go of the goddess. He took off one of his shoes, peeled off his sock and stuffed it in the goddess's mouth.
Percy blinked slowly, "Well." she breathed out slowly "That is kind of disgusting, no offence dude."
"Mpppppphhhh." Nike complained. "Mpppphhh!"
"Leo?" Frank's voice was grim, "You got duct tape?"
"Okay, okay I am offended that you even asked that question." he paused before, "Of course that does mean I need my hand Percy, and I can't use the other one so you need to let go of me."
"Are you sure you can stand on your own?"
"Of course I am." Leo nodded, "I'll be fine." and Percy shifted slightly, letting Leo slide his arm away from her neck, and he slipped it into his tool belt- and he let out a happy little noise when he pulled free a roll of silver duct tape oiut of it.
"Oh how I've missed actually being able to get things out of there." his voice was very happy, and Hazel raised an eyebrow.
"Tartarus?"
"Yeah, usually I can get most stuff, even food but-" he pulled a face, "That was not possible down there. But hey that doesn't matter now because we're out of there." his gaze focused on Percy. "We're not down there any more."
"I know." Percy let out a huff. "I get the point." and she watched as Leo held out the duct tape to Frank, who took it quickly.
And, well it was somewhat satisfying getting to see Frank wrapping it around Nike's head, securing the makeshift gag in her mouth as he did so-and he wrapped it around far more often than he probably needed to do. But hey it was very fun to watch.
"There we go." Frank pulled back, admiring his handiwork, and he tilted his head slightly. "Well. It's not a laurel wreath but it's a new kind of victory circle. The gag of duct tape."
"Zhang." Leo was grinning widely, "You have got style my dude."
"Thanks." Frank looked bewildered for a second before, "I think."
"You should be flattered, us Jackson's all have style-"
"A batshit insane kind of style but style."
"Hence the I think." Frank gave a wry smile.
"You're all ridiculous-" Hazel was cut off by Nike shrieking through the gag as much as she could, thrashing in her restraints and Percy turned to the goddess, expression instantly shifting, becoming colder and she focused on her.
"Hey!" She called the word, "You're going to shut that loud mouth of yours and behave or else. There's a lot of things we could do to you. And I wouldn't even need to use my powers. Hazel here could call Arion back and let him nibble on your wings. He loves gold."
Nike let out another shriek at that before becoming still and quiet, clearly she was smart enough not to try and call Percy's bluff.
"So." Hazel broke the newfound pleasant peace and silence, and her voice was somewhat nervous and shaky- which honestly, Percy could understand. It was a goddess that they had all tied up. Under usual circumstances that would probably be considered a bad thing. "We have one tied up goddess that we're going to keep in our stables. We've subdued victory. What do we do next?"
"Well." Frank folded his arms, clearly considering their optons before he spoke again, "We go looking for this physicians cure, whayever it is. Because personally I like cheating death-"
"And hey-" Percy gave a crooked grin, "You have two experts at it here." she guestured to herself and Hazel, and Hazel laughed.
"I'm not so sure that we can call ourselves experts on cheating death. You can't be an expert on something you've only done once."
"Nonsense." Percy declared brightly, "We're totally experts- and I'd say our dearest Mr Grace is a student in the matter- from what I was told he was like, barely dead. But yeah, I think we're as expert as can be."
"And this physicians cure thing can only help us." Leo declared, "And I gotta say, poison in Pylos? A chained gods heartbeat in sparta? A curse in Delos? Come on all that stuff sounds right up our alley. I'm gonna freaking love this shit."
"Of course you are." Percy gave her baby brother a wry smile. "We'll have to tell the others everything after we get back to the Argo II. After Leo and Hazel are fixed up by our dear Willace."
"And you." Leo said quickly, "I know how much power summoning water like that takes, you might not be feeling it now but you're gonna need some rest later-"
"And I will get that rest." Percy gave Leo a look, "I'll get snuggles with both my girls. It'll be wonderful. You and Hazel are the priorities right now." she hummed slightly, "How are you both feeling? It's gonna be a bit of a walk back to the Argo II."
"I'm fine." Hazel said, "A little bit tired but I can walk back okay."
"I cannot." Leo announced, "I'd love to pretend to be a macho hero dude but I am so not that guy and I'm kinda feeling a little light headed."
Percy's arm was instantly sliding beneath her baby brother's arm, pulling his arm over her shoulder.
"Okay, you're not gonna complain I am going to help you get back to the Argo II even if I have to freaking carry you back, am I making myself clear."
"Yes mother." Leo shot back, a hint of teasing in his voice.
"Oi! If you're not careful I will channel mom and you'll be grounded for the next thousand years."
"Hey! I haven't actually done anything wrong!" Leo protested.
"How about scaring me to death by getting hit by one of those Nikai's."
"That is so not fair!" Leo almost whined the words and Percy smirked.
"Life's not fair my dear baby brother." she shifted her grip on Leo carefully. "Now uh, how do we get Nike from here to the Argo II?"
"I can transform into a giant Eagle and fly her back." Frank suggested, eyeing the goddess wearily, "Get her secure in the stables and then I can come back and pick up you guys."
"That sounds ideal." Percy nodded, "We'll head towards the Argo II and you can pick us up half way there."
And so within a matter of minutes Frank was transforming into a Giant eagle, and he caught Nike up in his claws.
The three demigods watched them go before Percy shook herself very slightly "Now let's get out of here." she declared before faltering. "Hazel- uh, this is slightly awkward but I feel like I have to say it... thank you for stopping me."
And Hazel hesitated, her face flushing. "You mean the Earthquake?"
"Yeah, yeah I do." Percy nodded "I- I shouldn't have done that. I just-"
"Lost your shit." Leo asked innocently. "I'm fine Percy. Or I will be." And Percy let out a huff.
"I know Leo. I know. I just- the idea of losing you. Of losing anyone? That scares the shit into me."
