A Fatal Flaw

by resteasy

Annabeth's fatal flaw was pride, unfortunatly this put a stop to her plan much earlier then anyone would have expected. A/N A series of oneshots on what could have happened if Percy wasn't fine with Annabeth on the quest for the lightning bolt, and of potential members that could have joined him instead.

2. Selena

"Look Percy, I'm really grateful, but are you sure you want me?"

"And why wouldn't I Selena? You're smart, You're charismatic, and most of all.."

"yes?"

"I trust you! I can't think of anyone else doing a better job of convincing Hades to give back the lightning bolt"

Percy never once in his life considered himself to be a charismatic speaker. He was always the underdog, the one who got bullied; but the way her expression changed, from fragile and worried to firm and intense.

Yes, he made the ride choice.

"Car? You are the son of Poseidon right? I think it would be much better to take the pegasi. Faster, plus they probably trust you."

Chiron relaxed his shoulders. He didn't mean to be prejudiced but it wasn't usually the children of Aphrodite that people go to for quests, and courage. A grin stole its place on to his face. Yes, they would be alright.

Percy had the Pegasi rest by that little store. They had just begun their quest when they were accosted by all three furies.

He had managed to take out Mrs. Dodds and one of her sisters (he honestly wasn't sure which one) with a quick slice from riptide. Selena got rid of the last with something that smelled like roses when it exploded.

He was going to ask, but the evil grin on her face made him hesitate,

He never thought that the way Selena kept on checking her self in the mirror would end up useful, but when she decided to check her hair for the third time before Aunty M could take her picture and spotted snakes just early enough to tackle them to the ground…. Well he stopped complaining after that.

"Of course we'll help lord Ares, just after I pray to my mom and let her know.. Whose my mom? Aphrodite of course."

Percy never thought he would ever see a god pale, but Ares was doing a good job.

I fought the feeling and stepped forward. I knew what I had to say. 'Lord and Uncle, I come with

two requests.'

Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds

of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields

of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off-task, whether the rest of his

clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven

into Hades's underwear?

'Only two requests?' Hades said. 'Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak,

then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet.'

I swallowed. This was going about as well as I'd feared.

I glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded

with gold. I wished Queen Persephone were here. I recalled something in the myths about how she

could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the

world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the earth,

created the seasons

Selena cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.

'Lord Hades,' I said. 'Look, sir, there can't be a war among the gods. It would be… bad.'

'Really bad,' Grover added helpfully.

'Return Zeus's master bolt to me,' I said. 'Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus.'

Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. 'You dare keep up this pretence, after what you have

done?'

I glanced back at my friends. They looked as confused as I was.

'Um… Uncle,' I said. 'You keep saying "after what I've done". What exactly have I done?'

The throne room shook with a tremor so strong they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris

fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in,

hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter

'You were the thief on the winter solstice,' Hades said. 'Your father thought to keep you his little

secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bolt and my helmet.

Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding

his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as

Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back!'

'But…' Selena spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. 'Lord Hades,

your helmet of darkness is missing, too?'

'Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero – coming here to

threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt – to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be

blackmailed into supporting him?'

'No!' I said. 'Poseidon didn't – I didn't –'

'I have said nothing of the helmet's disappearance,' Hades snarled, 'because I had no illusions that

anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to

get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it

was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you.'

'You didn't try to stop us? But –'

'Return my helmet now, or I will stop death,' Hades threatened. 'That is my counter-proposal. I

will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare.

And you, Percy Jackson – your skeleton will lead my army out of Hades.'

The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.

At that point, I probably should have been terrified. The strange thing was, I felt offended. Nothing

gets me angrier than being accused of something I didn't do. I've had a lot of experience with that.

'You're as bad as Zeus,' I said. 'You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after

me?'

'Of course,' Hades said.

'And the other monsters?'

Hades curled his lip. 'I had nothing to do with them. I wanted no quick death for you – I wanted

you brought before me alive so you might face every torture in the Fields of Punishment. Why do you

think I let you enter my kingdom so easily?'

'Easily?'

'Return my property!'

'But I don't have your helmet. I came for the master bolt.'

'Which you already possess!' Hades shouted. 'You came here with it. little fool, thinking you could

you threaten me!'

'But I didn't!'

'Open your pack, then.'

A horrible feeling struck me. The weight in my backpack, like a bowling ball. It couldn't be…

I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a sixty-centimetre-long metal cylinder, spiked

on both ends, humming with energy.

"Ares!" Selena shouted, bringing all attention to her.

"My lord, we have been played! This pack was given to us by Ares, and until we got here it was empty!"

Hades snarled and was about to shout something when she interrupted him again

"Think about it my lord, I am a daughter of Aphrodite, we came here with nothing but our words, we came here as diplomats."

Hades took a look at her and blinked…

Yes, she really was a daughter of Aphrodite…

"hahaha" he began to laugh "hahahahaha a daughter of Aphrodite, hahaha"

Selena's pitiful look didn't appear to change but you can't go on a 10 day quest filled with one death threat after the other without really getting to know each other. I decided that we'd better get out of here before she decides to throttle the Lord of the Dead.