A/N; Wow...I am so sorry for the very long wait, it's almost two years? Well one, and five months, which still counts for two years and for that I humbly apologize.
Without going into details and pouring out my entire life story and bothering you all with it, I can share the fact that 2014 hadn't been my best year, I had a lot of ups and downs. The downs sadly far outweighing the ups but I am glad to say that 2015 so far has been good for/to me.
Which is the reason why I managed to finish a chapter I started a year ago, this chapter can be considered to be a transition chapter going from part one of the story to part two and it was one that I needed to type down as it would allow me to focus on the mystery surrounding Reyna becoming an Amazon.
I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed and read this contraction of mine and I also want to thank you all for the favorite's and follows it made me a very happy writer and even more committed to completing this story.
PS; I have officially decided to ignore major parts of the last book (Blood of Olympus) and only take the parts that I truly enjoyed and those that I think can work with where I am taking this story (It's funny that all those parts are Reyna and Nico's chapters, the saving grace off the whole book)
At least those parts were the best for me, I skimmed over everything else and only read their chapters. Oh, blasphemy I know...Sue me :)
Speaking about suing someone, I do not own PJO and the HOO series, they are all property of Rick Riordan. I do own the plot and the Oc's, though and I am happy with that.
Smoke and dust filled the night air.
The dark haired women's obsidian eyes narrowed taking the damage they had caused in the aftermath of the battle, the once beautiful park was now reduced to noting more than debris.
Sigh.
Well at least they had managed to keep the damage contained within the boundaries of the park, something she was glad about as she hated dragging innocents people and buildings into this world.
It's about time we head back, this battle to took a lot longer than I had anticipated, and I can barely sense Riptide and Katropis, which can only mean that Jackson and friends are almost out of my reach.
The Daughter of Bellona was planning to extend her mental reach to channel the weapons within her abilities range, when the sound of gravel crunching and a very angry growl reached her ears. "Alive?"
Aside from another growl, the Giant didn't give Reyna an immediate rely, focusing instead on the task of pushing himself of the ground with his remaining arm and club . "Your reign has ended Hero."
"It has?"
The red haired Giants grunted finally managing to push himself to his feet, his glowing eyes glaring down at the Demigod. "Greeks...Romans...Amazons...All shall fall before the Giant King's forces."
The Ninetieth Queen, placed her left hand over her right one, the one which was still holding the double edged sword, sensing the blade responding to her mental order. "My, aren't you confident."
"Confidence, has nothing to do with this."
Dark eyes narrowed, Reyna's lips lifting in a cold smirk, if the Giant was smart he would have taken his chances and tried to retreat, but as it was the Laistrygonian had chosen to ignore the warning.
"I...No, we, me and my brothers shall enjoy seeing your end come to pass." It was to be admired, how the red haired Giant was forcing himself to stay upright. "Your fall, shall mean the end off all Amazons."
The double edged sword pulsed in her hand but it went unnoticed by the Giant. "Huh, is that so? All we can do is see, right?" Reyna's obsidian flashed dangerously. "Though, for now victory is mine."
The silver blade glimmered in the night.
And again this went unnoticed by the red haired Giant. If he had paid more attention to his surroundings, he might have stood a chance or at least somehow evade her. But as it was, the Laistrygonian was too busy with gloating about a victory, that wasn't even breaching the Horizon.
The gravel under Reyna's boots crunched.
"Maybe, but We shall surely win the war." His chapped lips lifted in a smirk, clutching the Iron club, his expression turning gloating as he clutched his iron club planning his final attack. "We shall-"
That was as far as the Giant's gloating went as the next thing he knew was the feeling of something cold and sharp piercing through his chest, his eyes shifted to see what it was that had stabbed him.
Not one, but two...His chest was pierced with two different silver glowing blades. Two blades held by the current Queen of Amazons. Just when did she pull out a second weapon? And when did this women, actually move?
Despite the pain and that he knew he was going to disappear soon, that he would once again end up in Tartarus. The Giant couldn't help but wonder what it was about her, what was so different from before?
There was something.
Something, the Giant saw in her eyes that reminded him of the one going by the name of Travis Mathews. The women who had a hand in the end of his siblings, in his own end, shared the same eyes as that man. Cold, merciless but most of all they were filled with a sick enjoyment for blood thirst and a love for carnage.
Huh.
It seemed that she wasn't that different from every other child of a War God/Goddess, the Amazon Queen loved battle, carnage and coating the very earth in blood just as much as the rest of her Kin.
"It doesn't matter, whether the Giant King wins or loses this war. Because, this is as far you go, have a nice and safe journey to the depths of Tartarus." Reyna's said twisting her blades for good measure.
The redhead's expression went from shock, to anger before settling on pain. He could feel, his very life seep out of his body as he was started to disintegrate to nothing more than mere dust. "How-"
The Ninetieth Amazon's Queen obsidian eyes watched the Laistrygonian Giant burst in a cloud of green smoke, leaving only a pile of crisping dust behind. "Your win, my loss, your loss, my win."
Sigh.
"It makes one wonder, why say it?" Her words barely carried over the breeze, but it was still heard by the Son of Jupiter, whom had just finished his fight." Because it such a foolish thing to say, so why?"
Just what is it with Humans, Demigods and Monsters alike, to actually declare a victory before a battle has fully started? Where did that arrogance, come from? Was it innate? Did one grow into it?
The two swords in her hands glowed faintly, as one of them slowly disappeared and the other one shifted back into its original form, allowing her to sheath the silver dagger back into the leg strap.
.
.
.
Reyna could feel her muscles ease up and relax the tension of the battle starting to fade away, dark eyes closed for a moment as she needed a second to leash the blood lust and desire for battle down. She took a deep breath, holding it for a few second before releasing it slowly, by the time Reyna reopened her eyes, the thirst for battle and carnage was nothing more than a mere memory.
Now, where was I before I was so thoroughly distracted.
Ah, she was in the process of tracking down the Greeks, that made up the rest of their group. A feat that would be somewhat harder now, that they were further away and out of her immediate range. "Tsk, guess I've no choice."
Sigh.
As long, as I focus on the named weapons, I'll be able to do this without wasting to much energy. Just focus on, Riptide and Katropis, they are the only weapons in their possession with a actual name.
Reyna closed her obsidian eyes in concentration, allowing herself a moment to extend her senses and covering as much ground as she could in hopes of pinpointing the location of the Greek Campers.
Now, where are you?
In less time than it took to blink the several different weapons in her vicinity pulled against her senses filling her mind with every single emotion clinging on to them, each with its own story. Her own silver dagger Animus Messor (Reaper of Souls) and the Imperial Gold Gladius, where the first two weapons her ability picked up and Reyna ignored the two weapons as she extended her reach.
Focus...I just need to find the weapons made out of the Magical Metals, ignore everything else. Just close your mind for the nameless ones and focus on Riptide and Katropis...I can find them...Just Focus.
As Reyna's senses stretched further and further away from the park her mind was slowly filled with the various pulls of the many weapons in the area and there were a lot...More than she expected.
Guns.
That was the first thing her sixth sense picked up. A lot of Guns and it took her a moment to realize that it was because of one of Salem's Law Enforcement Building a couple blocks east of the Park.
Knifes...Batons...
The Police Station was making it somewhat harder for her to focus, their arsenal of weapons were assaulting her senses with all the emotions clinging to them...It was Fear...Anger...Betrayal and Hate.
And it was painful.
But Reyna forced herself to ignore that, it was years of training and pure strength of will that allowed her to do just that and focus on only those weapons that were created from one of the Magic Metals.
Where did you guys go? You couldn't have gone that far, right? I know that you are still near. So, where are you?
She smirked when she felt the familiar tingle in the back of her mind, pulling against her senses, she found them...Annabeth's knife and Valdez Tool Hammer...Katropis and the Sword Riptide.
Are they moving? No they are standing still...They are not fighting, I don't sense any other weapons near them...Though that isn't a guarantee, it could just mean that their opponent isn't carrying one.
It didn't matter, for now they were standing still and if they moved? Reyna knew that as long as she would focus on their weapons, she would be still able to track them no matter where they went.
Tsk.
It would cost her a severe headache in the morning, but Reyna knew that she had not much of a choice in the matter...They could not risk getting separated...There was just too much at risk.
Mackenzie and the others are counting on the fact that my plan works, I can't afford having the Giant's Kings attention diverting from us...Not until Mackenzie arrives at the Eastern Camp.
Gladius.
She had tried to ignore his presence.
But with her ability fully activated at the moment, ignoring the presence of a unfamiliar weapon so close was proofing itself to be a daunting task as she had to fight against her instincts and not react.
Gladius.
The pulse like feeling was getting louder with the second and it was ruining her concentration, the presence of the Gladius caused her ability to hone on it instead of focusing on Riptide and the others.
Gladius.
Reyna sighed when she realized that he was planning to stand there until she acknowledged him, he was very persistent and it was starting to work on her nerves. "Was there something you needed?"
"Here..."
The Daughter of Bellona shifted her gaze towards the blond male finding him standing a few feet away from her and holding out his black hooded sweatshirt. "What am I supposed to do with that?"
He sighed before he shook his head as if he couldn't believe her before he lifted his Hoodie offering it to her again. "Oh, I don't know...I thought maybe wear it? It is made for that purpose is it not?"
He had nerve. Reyna tilted an eyebrow not knowing whether to be amused or annoyed at his comment. "I was not aware that we had reached that point in our relationship, where we wear each other clothes."
At least he had the decency to blush it took him a few seconds before he managed to sputter out an answer. "I...I don't meant it like that...So, get your head out of the gutter."
Her lips twitched as much as he confused her and at times even scared her, he was probably the only person alive that had managed to get her to relax and smile before even really knowing them. "Me?"
"Yes you...I was just being kind and practical." He replied his electric blue eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Don't you prefer practical decisions?"
"That I do, though it still does not answer the question as to why you would offer me your clothes."
The blond Roman mumbled something that sounded like, aggravating woman, before he sighed deeply and shifted his gaze away from her. "Your shirt is full of burn marks...It will attract attention."
Reyna's dark gaze dropped towards her torso noticing that he was right and that her shirt was practically ruined and ready for the trash as it was filled with various holes. "I forgotten about that."
"How? How can you forget that your shirt is burning? You have to at least smell it right?" The blond asked releasing what seemed to be his umpteenth sigh. "Just take the Hoodie, will you?"
The Amazon Queen took a step towards him taking the Hoodie out of his hand and putting it on, her dark eyes lifted their gaze to meet his bright blue ones. "Jason was it not?"
"Yes."
Reyna nodded moving past him and towards the Iron Gates leading towards the streets. "It is getting late and we are running out of time, collect your Automatons, we need to regroup with the others."
"Reyna?"
The dark haired woman stopped when he called out to her but didn't bother to face him, her stopping should be enough indication that she was listening to whatever he wanted to say.
"You're welcome."
Reyna didn't respond nor did she give any indication that she had accepted his words, instead she started to move towards the Iron gates not bothering to wait for the blond male that had joined her.
Such a strange man...She wondered what it was about him...Just what was it about this man, that bothered her so much? The fact that she felt at ease one moment and then felt like he could and would hurt her?
Tsk.
It doesn't matter, I've more pressing matters to worry about. It seems like those monsters were waiting for us, and here Jackson called Annabeth and I paranoid...We were right, they weren't following us...They knew where we would appear and when.
Her lips lifted in a dark smirk already planning what she would do with the traitor in her ranks, Reyna had been wondering why the Giant King had send someone the minute she returned, especially if she had returned three days ahead of schedule...Either they were making mistakes, or they wanted her to know.
It doesn't matter, I shall find them and I shall kill them...I don't take betrayal lightly...Pray that I am not the one to find you first, pray my little Amazon.
She shifted her gaze when she felt cold metal brush against her leg, her lips lifted in an amused smile. "Ah...I will be trusting you two, then?" Reyna shook her head when the wiggled their tails in what she assumed was utter joy. "Well...Don't dissapoint me, then."
The two Automatons moved out infront of her, moving into the general direction she had sensed the Greek's weapons. Oh? It seems that he was right, they could track anyone down.
Reyna closed her eyes for a moment, taking a few seconds to decrease the range of her sixth sense and only focus on her immediate surroundings.
It was only because he had insisted that that the two Greyhounds could find the rest of their group just as easily as they had managed to find her, that had made Reyna turn her ability off, for now.
And it was a relief.
Reyna's ability to sense weapons was more than just detecting them, it was a form of Empathy in the sense that she could feel what their owners had felt during a battle or their death...Making it painful.
So, Jason was glad that he could give her mind some sense and spare her the headache, he knew she would have been sporting in the morning. A headache that wouldn't have been so bad, if the idiot hadn't decided to use her ability at its lowest output for the last three days.
It was how she had managed to sense the Giants almost a mile away, during the day she would focus on their immediate surroundings but at night, whether she was on watch or not. Reyna would use her sixth sense at its maximum output.
A reach that now contained at least a mile radius of her position, Jason hadn't mentioned it to the others in case they would tell her to stop it, a action that would lead to a very uncomfortable conversation.
Just how was he going to explain to her that he knew her abilities? And that he had learned to read the subtle signs her body was giving? There was no way he could explain it to her. At least not without mentioning the messed history between them, not without angering her Second in Command and defiantly not without bringing down the wrath of an entire tribe on their Camp.
The Son of Jupiter sighed softly his electric blue eyes shifting towards the dark haired women walking next to him, his lips lifted in a soft smile when he caught Reyna gazing at the star lighted night sky.
Huh.
It seemed that Reyna still enjoyed gazing at the stars. That small observation eased some of Jason's concerns, he was glad to see that some innocent part of her old character had managed to remain.
Because if Jason had to be honest, this version of Reyna scared him. She was nothing like the girl she was back in Camp Jupiter, yes some aspects still remained present. Her honesty, bravery and most of all an absolute lack of a single selfish bone in her entire body.
It was true that Reyna had been many things, distant and aloof just two of them. But, but he had always insisted and she had proven over and over again, that she wasn't cold nor emotionless. And defiantly not the type of person to threaten someone with death. A Child of War she had always been and she would always be one, but she had also been one of the few Demigods born to a War God who had preferred to talk things through as opposed to attacking.
It was why this version of Reyna scared him so much, though if he had to be really honest it was actually more than just that, it wasn't just that she scared him, it was also that it disturbed him. She was cold, merciless and most of all she enjoyed the carnage of battle. Jason didn't think that he could ever erase that image out of his mind, the look on her face when she had stabbed the Giant.
Reyna had enjoyed the kill and she wouldn't have minded to continue the carnage. Did losing her memories, really change her so much? Make her someone that suddenly truly enjoying taking a life?
No, that was ridiculous. It was ridiculous right? Because how could being three years with the Amazons, change her so much? Though...It was possible...Wasn't that like something that had-
Jason frowned when it occurred to him, that was it wasn't it? He knew that he had been really different when he had lost all his memories. It was even so, that Reyna had told him that he had became his worst possible self.
Was that what had happened to her? Was Reyna's worst possible self someone who took pleasure out of the deaths of others? Enjoyed carnage? The thrill of battle? Wished to coat her blade in blood?
No, that is ridiculous.
Jason's blue eyes closed for a moment trying to make sense of the situation. It took him several seconds to connect the dots, find what it was that they had in common in losing their memories.
Huh.
Blue eyes opened facing Reyna, this was...Actually Jason didn't know what to think of that, should he be happy? Add this as one other thing to the many reasons, of why he didn't deserve her friendship?
Jason had always known that he had needed Reyna. It was why he hadn't been anything like a Roman Leader when he had ended up with the Greeks, it was why he always doubted himself when he had an idea and why he had ended on the receiving end of a lot of blows.
He winced, a lot of blows.
Reyna had been one of the major factors in his life that had made him the leader he was, the Daughter of Bellona had taught him not to rely on his abilities and had given him the conviction not to doubt himself, simply because he knew that she would always be there.
Whether it was to congratulate, support ,or catch him when he fell. No one could deny that she was a great friend and in many ways she had been the very best he had. One that didn't need him to be strong ,smart or anything but himself.
No, instead Reyna had given him the tools to be the best version of himself. And, not remembering Reyna had erased everything she had taught him, and thus he was lost and became someone who got hit unconscious through his entire quest and be stabbed from behind.
It seemed that he had been just as big a factor in her development as Reyna had been in making him, well himself.
It was Jason who had insisted on befriending her, even though everyone in Camp said to avoid her. It was Jason who saw her as more than the girl who hated men and beat everyone into submission. It was Jason who had dragged her out of the darkness, who had sealed the darkness she was hiding.
He had helped her become the girl she became, the one who became Praetor , the one who had come to love the Camp more than anything and almost more than anyone else in the entire Legion.
So, Jason becomes less of a leader and warrior and Reyna becomes less a diplomat and someone who rather be a pacifist, by becoming a blood thirsty and coldhearted Child of a War Goddess?
Was this, how the two of them would end up if they had never met. Just how much had they influenced each other? Enough to become totally different people, in the absence of the other?
...
...
The Son of Jupiter sighed softly, his electric blue eyes sweeping their gaze over and taking a moment to take her in and try to find the slight differences in her appearance, her demeanor and posture.
He frowned, there wasn't much.
Aside from her ebony hair being slightly longer and that she wasn't wearing it in her usual braid. The SPQR brand was missing, and that there was a tattoo of Bellona's symbol on her left upper shoulder.
Reyna looked the same.
At least at first glance, the real difference, the one that actually mattered was how she held herself. It wasn't easy to spot the familiar traits that had made Reyna, Reyna. The only moments Jason, saw fragments of his old friend was only when he had pushed her to far, when she tried to understand him.
Heh.
It seemed that it was only when he was around, that she surfaced. Jason frowned once again taking her in, wondering not for the first time how and why she was made Queen. It didn't make sense.
Not, that Jason doubted for one second that she could become Queen, nor that she didn't deserve it. If Reyna put her mind to it, she could do and be anything she wanted. Giving up, didn't exist in her vocabulary. What bothered him, was why they had decided to lie to her.
Decided to keep this charade up, make her believe that she had always been part of their clan? Tribe? Whatever they called themselves.
Jason mentally shook his head, wondering just when he had decided to return to lamenting about the why's and how's of this all. Didn't he just decide that Reyna was Reyna and that he wanted to know this one? So, why was he killing himself with all these thoughts? Why continue hurting himself?
Because Reyna may be Reyna, but she will probably never be your Reyna. The one you grow up with. The one who actually took away the loneliness you felt..The one who didn't care whose son you were?
He closed his eyes for a moment knowing that denying the truth in those words would be nothing but lying to himself, he wanted Reyna back. The one whom always supported him. He wanted her back, even if she ended up , hating him.
He wanted it more than anything else in this world.
A/N; And finally after such a long time I managed to post the chapter. Once again wish to apologize for the delay and I am glad to inform you all that I am really back and found the love I had for this little tale of mine.
I am quite happy about how it turned out, especially if I take into account that I was suffering from major writers block when I started. Even though you can consider this a filler chapter, nothing really happened just some realizations on Jason's side.
The next chapter should be up very soon, please tell me what you think as I'm always open for feedback and ideas.
Next chapter will be Reyna and we will be visiting the Amazons at Camp Half-blood, I have already started on it so I just need to flesh the ideas out and actually put them all down in a way that makes sense.