Heheheheheh. Percy and Jason would be screaming.
Replies:
Undeath9087: Just picture it, Percy screaming 'You interrupted them you son of a bitch die die die!' though uh- she doesn't need to by the end of this. Also, protective Jason would be fully ready to fight Bryce too..
Jubby1905: I mean, they weren't quite there- if anything there is a teensy chance you should thank Bryce for prompting more gay.
Guest: Percy and Jason would like this chapter.
Guest: It's a funny thought but Percy wouldn't do that to them, especially not Bianca.
MKDemiGodzilla-Warrior: It's largely because while I love TOA, it's not so much to do with Percy and these are Percy centric fics really.
Guest: Because Bryce and Octavian are looking for excuses.

Bianca inhaled sharply at that, lurching to her feet, eyes darting around quickly. But Hedge and Calypso must had wandered away to give her and Reyna privacy- she couldn't see either of them. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

And Reyna pulled Bianca backwards quickly, positioning herself between the newcomer and Bianca, and Aurum and Argentum scampered to Reyna's side, growling at the intruder.

And gods but had they let their guard down so much? How had this guy snuck up on them so easily?

"Bryce Lawrence." Reyna's voice was cold, and it forced Bianca out of her thoughts. "Octavian's newest attack dog."

The Roman inclined his head towards them.

His eyes were green, they reminded Bianca of pond-scum. Everything about him made her feel uneasy.

"The augur has many attack dogs. I'm just the lucky one who found you first. Your Graecus friend here-" he pointed his chin at Bianca- which made Reyna shift slightly, protectively, trying to block Bianca from his view. Which was sweet, but probably not that helpful. "She was easy to track. She stinks of the Underworld."

"That comes from being a daughter of Hades." Bianca snapped, glaring at him from behind Reyna. "I know the Underworld pretty well. Do you want me to send you there to meet my father?"

Bryce laughed. His front teeth were two different shades of yellow. "Do you think you can frighten me? I'm a descendant of Orcus, the god of broken vows and eternal punishment. I've heard the screams in the Fields of Punishment first hand. They're music to my ears. Soon, I'll be adding one more damned soul to the chorus."

He smirked at Reyna. "Patricide eh? Octavian will love this news. You are under arrest for multiple violations of Roman law."

"You being here is against Roman law," Reyna said. "Romans don't quest alone. A mission has to be led by someone of centurion rank or higher. You're in probatio, and even giving you that rank was a mistake. You have no right to arrest me."

Bryce shrugged. "In times of war, some rules have to be flexible. But don't worry. Once I bring you in for trial, I'll be rewarded with full membership in the legion. I imagine I'll be promoted to centurion, too. Doubtless there will be vacancies after the coming battle. Some officers won't survive, especially if their loyalties aren't in the right place."

"Wow. You really are a piece of shit." Bianca snapped the words, "That's just low. But then your kind never have any real standards-"

"Perhaps I'll show you my standards- you know it would be good to keep a few of you when we've destroyed your camp-"

"How dare you!" Reyna snarled the words, "You're disgusting-" and oh gods. Bianca felt sick to the stomach at what that implied. She'd heard plenty of stories- a lot of hunters joined the hunt because of men like Bryce. But still she'd never had anyone looking at her like that before.

Gods was this how Percy had felt when Alabaster had looked at her? It was horrible.

And Bianca surged forward, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword, but the second she started moving the stones beneath her feet began to rumble almost like they were coming to the boil. Out of the grave site, skeletal warriors erupted – spartoi in the tattered remains of British redcoat uniforms.

Bianca wanted to vomit. She felt frozen as she reeled backwards just in time to stop the skeletons from grabbing her.

She felt paralysed as Reyna caught her arm and dragged her backwards again even as the grave spewed forth more dead British soldiers – five, ten, twenty, multiplying so quickly that the two girls and the metal dog were surrounded before Bianca could even pull herself together enough to pull out her sword.

How had she missed so many dead. How could she have messed up so badly. She'd never forgive herself if Reyna got hurt because of her failure.

"I forgot to mention." Bryce's voice was smug, "I'm actually not alone on this quest. As you can see, I have backup. These redcoats promised quarter to the colonials. Then they butchered them. Personally, I like a good massacre, but, because they broke their oaths, their spirits were damned and they are perpetually under the power of Orcus. Which means they are also under my control." He pointed to Reyna. "Seize the girl. Both of them. Bring them to me."

The spartoi surged forward. Aurum and Argentum took down the first few, but they were quickly wrestled to the ground, skeletal hands clamped over their muzzles. The redcoats grabbed Reyna's arms. For undead creatures, they were surprisingly quick and Bianca had her sword out instantly- but when she slashed at them her sword passed harmlessly through them. She tried to use her powers, to will them to dissolve, to fall apart.

It did nothing. They didn't even acknowledge her.

"What's wrong daughter of Hades?" the fake sympathy made Bianca want to slap him. "Losing your grip?"

"Leave her alone-" but the skeletons were grabbing at them even as Reyna gasped out, "Bianca go! Get to the statue and run."

"I wouldn't tell her to do that." Bryce mocked, "Look at her. If she tries to slip into the shadows she'll become one-" and Bianca's eyes automatically flicked down to her hands- which- which were dark and transparent- she let out a terrified noise and Reyna was shaking her head frantically as Bianca managed to yank herself free from the skeletons, stumbling backwards away from them as they kept advancing.

"Please! Please let her go-" the daughter of Bellona had been disarmed, the skeletons had grabbed her tightly. "Whatever you're doing to to her stop it!"

"Oh, I'm not doing a thing,' Bryce said. 'But I am curious to see what will happen. If you take the statue, you'll disappear with it forever, right into oblivion. If you don't take it … well, I have orders to bring Reyna in alive to stand trial for treason. I have no orders to bring you in alive! I'd like to, it would be most enjoyable but I don't have to-"

"If you touch her I'll kill you!" Reyna gasped, struggling desperately.

"You have no power here Reyna-" Bryce was mocking. "I can do what I want-"

"Then- then let her go and I'll come willingly! I'll face Octavian's stupid trial."

"No!" Bianca's eyes widened, "Reyna no-"

"A fine offer." Bryce turned his javelin, letting the tip hover a few inches from Reyna's eyes. "You really don't know what Octavian has planned, do you? He's been busy pulling in favours, spending the legion's money."

Reyna clenched her fists. "Octavian has no right –"

"He has the right of power," Bryce said. "You forfeited your authority when you ran off to the ancient lands. On August first, your Greek friends at Camp Half-Blood will find out what a powerful enemy Octavian is. I've seen the designs for his machines … Even I'm impressed."

And Bianca could feel herself falling apart, turning into nothing but shadows. Until she met Reyna's eyes, just as she'd felt the feel flooding through her. And she felt the daughter of Bellona's strength surging through her. A wave of courage and resilience that made her feel solid once more.

And gods but Reyna was so strong. Bianca felt a rush of- of love, hitting her with the force of a truck.

"Bianca." Reyna swallowed hard, "Please. Save yourself."

Bryce chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh Reyna. You want her to save herself? How sweet. It's going to be so fun dragging you before a tribunal, forcing you to confess that you killed your father. I hope they'll execute you in the ancient way – sewn into a sack with a rabid dog, then thrown into a river. I've always wanted to see that. I can't wait until your little secret comes out."

And Bianca felt the anger flowing through her.

And then Bryce flicked the point of his pilum across Reyna's face leaving a line of blood.

And Bianca lost it.

The scream she let out was so loud that Bryce dropped his pilum, hands slamming over his ears, the wave of pure power that Bianca let out made the air around them drop to freezing. The ground at her feet blackened.

Bianca had never felt like this. Never felt so much pure fury in her life as the spartoi disintegrated into ashes. The rocks of the cairn turned white with frost. Bryce Lawrence stumbled, clutching his head, both nostrils bleeding.

"What-"

But Bianca was moving forward even as Reyna stumbled backwards, a wide eyed stunned look on her face.

"Bia-"

"You hurt her." Bianca snarled the words as she reached Bryce- her hand lashing out, fingers curling around his throat.

"N-no-"

"You hurt Reyna." Bianca had never felt so powerful before. "No one hurts Reyna." and his flesh was turning gray where Bianca was touching, spreading out rapidly.

"Y-you- c-can't-" the boy looked terrified as his skin turned gray- cracking and drying at her touch, the life draining out of him, until her fingers closed tighter and tighter, his neck crumbling beneath her fingers, and then the rest of him was crumbling too.

She stared at the pile of human ash at her feet before she turned her head, her gaze landing on Reyna- who was staring at her with a shocked look before she was moving, and Bianca stumbled forward.

"Bianca!" and Reyna's arms were around her and Bianca let out a sob as realisation what what had happened crashed around her.

"Reyna I'm sorry-"

"You saved me-" and Reyna's hands were cupping Bianca's cheeks, tilting her head up, and Bianca met the daughter of Bellona's eyes. "You saved me-"

"He hurt you-" Bianca's voice cracked, "He was going to hurt you I couldn't-" and then Reyna's lips were on hers- and Bianca felt her eyes widening in shock, and she wrapped her arms around Reyna's neck as she kissed her back.

And then there was nothing.

...

Reyna knew fear and pain. She was used to it. And she'd been willing to accept whatever would happen to her, if only Bianca and the others got away.

And then Bryce had said those things, had cut her cheek and she'd watched as something inside of Bianca had snapped. As all of the bottled up emotions had burst out all directed at Bryce and his spartoi. She'd watched Bianca suck the life out of him.

And maybe she should have been disturbed by that but she hadn't been. She'd just been relieved. Relieved that Bianca was there, that she was alive.

And- and she had never had anyone do something like that for her. Never had anyone get so fiercely protective and angry on her behalf.

And Reyna knew that she cared for Bianca, she'd known when she'd felt jealous of Zoe- who who was Bianca's first love. Who had kissed her so gently. She'd resigned herself to it then- another person who would never feel the same way. As it always was- even if- even if sometimes she felt as if there was something.

But gods the way Bianca had looked at her. Reyna knew in that moment that there was no way Bianca didn't feel the same way.

So all she'd felt was relief when she'd been able to pull Bianca into her arms, to finally press her lips to the other girls.

And if Reyna could have saved that moment, if it could have lasted forever- if she'd died in that instant she'd have been happy.

But then Bianca was suddenly fading, drifting through Reyna's body, a strange sensation, and Reyna had screamed as she dropped to her knees in front of Bianca- who'd landed face down on the ground, her form transparent.

Reyna screamed as she dropped to her knees next to her. "HELP!" as if Bianca's scream wouldn't have been loud enough for the others to hear.

But she didn't know what else to do.

The only thing she knew for sure was that she couldn't bare to lose Bianca. Not when she had finally realised that maybe, just maybe there was a chance that she could find love after all.