Reading: Sun's Heir, Death's Guardian II: A Hero's Peril
XIV
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Naruto exited the Hokage Mansion with a light smile on his face, "Well, that went better than I expected it to."
"What did you expect?" Jason asked, "Jail time?"
"Nice question to ask Jason," Piper giggled.
"What? It was a perfectly fine question to ask in that situation," said Jason as he frowned with a broody look on his face.
"I'm kidding," the love child teased with a slight smile.
"More like downright execution," Naruto replied with a shrug, "I certainly earned it. It was probably my personal history with Tsunade that saved me from that."
"Ah, the pros of knowing the head of state," Nico sighed out, getting some laughs.
"What was that thing you called her?" Piper asked curiously as they started to walk through the village, "Baachan...what does that mean?"
"Baachan is the equivalent to 'Old Lady'," once again shrugged the eldest blond present, making the two younger demigods look at him like he was crazy. The woman didn't look any older than thirty, thirty-five at best.
"So she's older then she looks," Annabeth said with crossed arms, "I knew she could be that good looking. Probably some illusion."
As they turned down a fenced pathway that would take them back to the Academy, Jason scrutinized the teen with an odd look, "You have issues with authority, don't you?"
"Are you just now noticing?" Naruto retorted with a roll of his eyes.
"True, you would have to be pretty slow to not notice that by now." Percy nodded mockingly to Jason, who frowned at his Greek counterpart.
It's going to get you killed one day, Helios said chidingly.
"Indeed it could Helios." Hades nodded happily.
It'll be worth it, shot back the incarnation as a smirk crossed his face. Piper and Jason walked behind the older two demigods, taking in the sights and slowing down their pace consequently.
"Small talk for the future couple no doubt," Leo teased, getting faint smiles from the couple in question.
The blond looked to his girlfriend, who was now walking along his left side, and lightly nudged her arm, "You're awfully quiet."
Thalia simply gave him a look from the corner of her eye and then returned her gaze forward.
"The colder shoulder huh?" Percy said.
"Yep." Thalia nodded, it would be what she would do.
Naruto frowned at the raven-haired girl's cold shoulder, prompting him to look ahead before he spoke again, "I know that no amount of apologies could ever make what I did right, Thalia-chan. Nothing I say can make this better, we both know that. Just know that even if you decide to hate me forever, I will still love you."
Thalia blinked at that while some gaped and most of the women cooed.
"See, he really is a great boy to be in a relationship." The love goddess said with a smirk. "If your other messes this up, then I have nothing but pity for her."
The hunter just glared at her for a second before turning back to the story.
Thalia turned to look at her boyfriend, opening and closing her mouth to say something. Gods, why did he have to have such a silver tongue?
"Huh, guess he has some skill from his uncle," Hermes said with a puffed chest.
"Hey," his older brother interjected, "I'll have you know I can be a smooth talker, too! So can my kids."
"But they can't lie."
"…Shut up."
Then again, he had a really skilled tongue if their make-out sessions were anything to go by—she was getting off track.
"No, please, go on."
"Honestly Aphrodite." Artemis griped with a tired and annoyed look on her face.
"What? I was just curious is all." The innocently smiling love goddess retorted.
She opened her mouth to really talk, in order to get off what was on her chest.
Before Thalia could even begin, a familiar annoying voice addressed the blond first, "Naruto!"
"Stupid pink haired menace," said Aphrodite said with venom while she gritted her teeth.
"This is not going to end well." Percy said with a grimace.
"Well, duh Johnson." Mr. D rolled his eyes.
The four demigods stopped walking and turned around to see the pink-haired aide running towards them. Naruto groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose as the woman came to a stop in front of them.
"Why did you resign?" Sakura demanded.
"Geez, he already said it." Hazel said, her tone laced with annoyance.
Moving to stand in front of the other three, Naruto defended himself, "I told you. I have other duties as the son of Apollo."
The pink-haired woman growled, "Don't be an idiot, Naruto. There is no God of the Sun!"
"…If she was real, I would curse her, so bad." Apollo simmered with a deep frown on his face.
Oh, that little bitch!
"And Hel agrees completely."
"Well, yeah, he was the former sun god, so this mortal would piss him off." Hermes reasoned, getting bland glare form his sun brother.
If I still had a physical body and most of my godly power I would smite the holy Tartarus out of her! Helios began to rage.
"Don't let him hear you say that," Naruto mumbled as he reached up to rub his head from the headache Helios was giving him.
"What kind of idiot believes they're the child of a god?" continued Sakura.
"We do," the demigods said, irritation on their faces. They hated stupid skeptics, those people made their life harder at times.
"I dunno, maybe the same kind of idiot who promises to risk his life to save someone that doesn't want to be saved?" snidely replied the blond.
"You were trying to help your friend!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Oh, I think I see what happened here." Aphrodite smirked, "Little girl likes the traitor boy, even though Naruto liked her, she asked him to bring her back for him." She thought with a perfect understanding of the love situation.
"Seriously?" Piper asked with a blink, how could she even get all that from just one two lines.
"I'm very good at I do sweetie~"
"Yeah, and he put his fist through my fucking lung in return!" Naruto said with narrowed eyes, "After I forced him to miss my heart!"
"He was under the influence of the curse mark," Sakura argued.
"This girl is defending a traitor, who tried to kill Naruto? How could she love some psychopath?" Piper asked, not understanding at all.
"Simple, she wants to fix the broken toy, a medal of honor one could view it as to fix him," her mother answered simply. She was really loving this deep view into her domain right now.
"I beg to differ," retorted the son of Apollo, "He seemed pretty coherent when he was driving my skull through the ground from fifty feet in the air!"
"And that cursed healing comes into play once again," Apollo sighed out, both thankful and depressed his kid had to go through that life.
"This isn't like you!" Sakura announced, "The Naruto I knew wouldn't just abandon his friends for a bunch of delusional kids!"
"Why you little bi-!"
"Thalia," Artemis said sternly to her Lieutenant, who cowed. Though the huntress could understand the rage she was feeling. It was still only a story.
Jason, Piper and Thalia all glared at the woman for her response. Thalia pushed forward to stand next to Naruto, speaking for the first time since leaving the Hokage's office with an angry tone, "Who are you calling a kid?"
"Yes, conflict!" Ares cheered, "Bout time."
"No, no, this is a lover's conflict, the girlfriend and the former crush." Aphrodite smiled brightly, "Just perfect."
Thalia groaned at this, but did wonder what her other would do to the stupid pink haired bitch.
"Just stay out of this," Sakura snapped with a glare at the raven-haired girl, "You're part of the reason he's acting so...so...stupid!"
"You do a good job of that yourself pinky." Thalia spat out, frowning.
"Maybe he's uncomfortable around the girl that used to brain him twenty four seven to compensate for her boardwalk sized forehead!" Thalia shot back.
"Ooo," the demigods smiled widely, Thalia crossing her arms with a haughty smirk.
"Who do you think you are?" demanded the pink-haired medic with narrowed green eyes locked on the slightly shorter girl's form. Her eyes drifted down briefly and narrowed even further in slight jealousy before moving back up to meet the electric blue that were glaring at her.
"A sixteen year old Thalia has a bigger chest then a grown woman…wow, that is so sad, I have no words." Annabeth snickered, getting Thalia to flush, closing up her jacket a bit while feeling self-conscious.
Thalia crossed her arms over her chest and replied, "I'm the idiot's girlfriend."
"Pleased to meet you pink haired bi-"
Hestia gave the girl a stern glare, getting the hunter to cow under it. The eldest sibling nodded, returning to the story.
"You?" Sakura repeated in disbelief. After looking her over once again the pink-haired woman looked at Naruto and said, "Didn't think you went for them that young, pervert."
"Ha, true." Hermes snickered, "You're what? Sixteen and Naruto's twenty two."
"I'm technically nineteen," Thalia retorted with some heat.
"Love has no age difference," Aphrodite said coolly, glaring at the messenger god, who gulped under her stern gaze.
"She's actually nineteen," Naruto corrected with a frown at the shot at his girlfriend and himself.
"Oh, he shouldn't have done that," said Piper.
"And she is standing right here," Thalia interjected with a scowl. Naruto wisely shut up, Sakura however, did not catch the hint.
"Hehe, about to see that famed temperament that runs in the family." Poseidon smirked, getting Zeus to flare his nostrils at the dig at him.
Thalia seemed perfectly keen with the idea of her ripping this girl a new one though. That dark smirk on her face said volumes.
"Why don't you go run along and look around?" Sakura snorted out as she cracked her knuckles and turned to Naruto, "I have some unfinished business to deal with. Konoha business."
"Oh, she honestly believes Naruto is still her punching bag, after he kicked her ass at Mt. Othrys?" Hazel scoffed.
"Mortals are stupid that way daughter," Hades said with a nod, he knew, he had to deal with them all the time. Bunch of whiners.
"What, you too afraid to get your ass handed to you with an audience?" Thalia said with a smirk, "Just like he did back at Mt. Othrys?"
"And Thalia brings the zinging one-two combo!" Apollo said like a sports announcer.
Sakura seemed to falter at that before regaining her fire, "Didn't I see you run away on that sleigh?"
"Hey, I was stabbed in the side!" Thalia retorted hotly.
Naruto winced and Thalia growled before speaking again, "At least I'm not mistaken for being a boy."
"Oh, and a sickening blow to the throat!"
"Apollo!" Artemis said, looking annoyed. He didn't care, this was fun. Seriously, how many times could you announce in a coming catfight?
"And what is that supposed to mean?" the pink-haired medic asked dangerously.
"It was very self-explanatory." Leo said blandly, she wasn't even cute enough to at least cover for the lack of chest.
"Uh, Thalia-chan?" Naruto said, putting a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, "I think you've made your point."
"Push that button Thalia," Annabeth cheered.
"She'd better." The hunter smirked, her other was getting the pink woman good.
"No, don't make her stop now, Naruto!" said Sakura as she glared at Thalia, who returned it with equal amounts of anger, "Let her explain herself."
"What's to explain?" Thalia countered, "You're flatter than a board!"
"And the K.O. hit is delivered!" Apollo rang out, getting cheers from the demigods. Thalia raised her arms in the air like some boxing champion.
Sakura clenched her fist and glared at the raven-haired girl as her face turned red in embarrassment. So she was lacking in the chest area, so what? That didn't give this...this...little bitch the right to call her out on it.
"Bitch, huh?" Thalia glowered, stupid pink haired bitch.
Before she knew it, Sakura had thrown a punch charged with all the chakra that was needed for an Okashou right at the girl's face.
"That was the super strong punch she did!?" Annabeth shouted, aghast that the woman would actually try to kill Thalia!
Another hand caught hers and she felt herself get shoved back to the ground. Looking up she saw that it was Naruto who had caught her fist, his body engulfed in golden flames.
"Bitch made the wrong move," Ares said, shaking his head.
"Naruto, you jackass!" Sakura screamed at the blond as she got back to her feet.
"How is he a jackass?" Leo asked in a disbelief.
"He pushed her to the ground, ooh." Nico said in a girly voice, "Crazy was about to punch in Thalia's face. I would have broken the arm, better opinion."
"Amen to that."
"I said I wasn't here to deal with you, but it looks like I don't have a choice. The second you attacked Thalia-chan, you forced my hand," Naruto said as he looked at the pink-haired woman. As his eyes narrowed, he raised his left hand and snapped his fingers.
"Um, what was that?" Leo asked in confusion, but Percy and Annabeth laughed.
"You'll see," the blonde child of wisdom said with mirth. Was it minor yes, but it was still slick to do.
After seconds passed, Sakura looked at him and asked, "What was the point of that, your useless finger snap?"
"Rhyming couplets, nice." Thalia smirked.
Her eyes widened and Naruto grinned foxily as his golden flames flickered out. Sakura tried again, "You think you've won, there's no evidence as to what you've done! What is wrong with me, why do all my sentences end poetically?"
"Flawless," Apollo said, brushing off imaginary dust from his shoulders with a cocky smirk.
This. Is. Hilarious, Helios said before bursting into laughter. Behind Naruto, the three demigods began to do the same.
"Yeah, enjoy that," the blond said to the increasingly red faced kunoichi, "It should wear off in a few days, a week at the most."
"Boo, he should have made it longer." Annabeth pouted, getting Percy to chuckle.
"Well, maybe he didn't want to start up too much trouble at home?"
"Fine," the blonde conceded to her boyfriend.
"A week at the most, this had better wear off Uzumaki or you're going to be toast!" raged the pink-haired woman as he turned away.
"Wow, her sentences really are good. Makes her sound smart," Frank snarked.
Frustrated, Sakura stood and tried to rush Naruto from behind only to get stopped as Thalia drove her own fist into the woman's gut. The wind was knocked out of her, making Sakura double over.
"Nice one, take that!" the hunter cheered, it was a good punch alright. Of course she did it so it would be good.
For good measure, Thalia added a sparking punch right to her protected forehead, making the pink-haired medic's head snap back as she fell to the ground once more.
Piper giggled, "Talk about a Thunderpunch."
"Good one!" Piper cheered for her other, man, talk about perfect timing with that one-liner.
"It was super effective," Jason commented with a wince
"And Jay with the follow up," Leo nodded, "I didn't even know you knew about Pokémon dude."
"Poke-what?"
Silence was ensued as everyone looked at Jason.
as he thought about how the metal on the woman's head had to conduct the electricity through it. Piper burst into laughter and Jason furrowed his brow, "What's so funny?"
"Well, he made a pretty good joke unintentionally." Percy said, to support his Roman friend.
"Thank you Percy," the blond said.
"Thunderpunch, super effective?" Piper giggled out, shoving the boy lightly, "Good one."
"He doesn't get it either." Piper pouted, looking disappointed.
"Good what?" the confused teenager asked. The girl giggled again before looking at the genuine confusion on Thalia's brother's face.
"Wow...You're really sheltered, aren't you?" Piper said in astonishment.
Jason turned a shade of red as Piper giggled at her other's blunt statement.
As Piper explained the unintentional joke Jason made, Naruto looked at his girlfriend and asked, "Was that necessary?"
"No," Thalia admitted as she rolled her wrist, "but it felt really good."
"I bet it did." Thalia smirked, pleased with her other's actions.
Talk about a mean right hook, Helios commented before wondering aloud, That reminds me, I wonder how the kids are taking it back at camp.
I'm sure they're just relaxing after a hard day of training, Naruto thought as he waved the concern off.
"We wish." Percy and Annabeth said dryly.
Annabeth and her group had exited the Labyrinth moments ago to a giant desert, and after walking across what Grover revealed to be a cattle grate, found a herd of Apollo's red cattle.
"Hey, cool." Apollo grinned. He missed seeing his cows.
Percy and Annabeth started to sweat a bit. They didn't have it in them to tell the sun god what went down there.
It revealed that they were on a ranch of some sort. Soon enough they met the owner of the ranch, a man with three chests noticeable by the three different colored shirts, two arms and humongous legs covered by Levis that would give redwood trees a run for their money. A tanned head sat on the center of the three chests, black hair slicked back and a pencil thin mustache above his lips.
He said his name was Geryon.
Percy scowled deeply, Annabeth looked angry and Nico, well, he had a deep frown on his face with his black eyes glimmering with grudge in them.
Apparently, Geryon was a businessman who cared only for money, evident by the poor conditions some of the other caged animals were in, much to Grover's ire. He reminded the original members of the quest for the Master Bolt and Nico of Hades' ferryman, Charon.
"Charon would find that insulting." Hades muttered, but his lip was quirked up.
He was just a sly, too, convincing to let them pass without alerting the Titan's forces if one of them performed a task of Heracles': Cleaning his carnivorous' steeds' stables.
Hera pursed her lips as Percy grunted, annoyed at the reminder of the task.
Percy volunteered, figuring that his lineage with the God of the Seas would help in the task. As soon as Percy was led away, the others met the immortal son of Ares and Geryon's herdsman, Eurytion.
"Hehehe," Ares laughed in a low mocking tone.
His smith brother rolled his eyes, "Oh shut it. He's a good kid."
"More like stupid."
"Where does he get that from, hm?" Athena asked her counterpart, getting a growling scowl from the scarred man while Hephaestus smirked.
He was a tall, muscled cowboy with white hair and a thick white beard that made him look like Father Time, if Father Time had decided to move to Texas. After a pleasant chat, Eurytion surprised the rest of the group and bound them tightly in ropes.
"Stupid cowboy," Nico muttered with a pout, hating the fact he got caught by surprise.
Annabeth rolled her eyes, "He let you stay with him to think, didn't he?" she asked him, getting a huffing nod from the child of the Dark One.
"When I get out of this, you're gonna be sorry!" Nico raged as he struggled with his binds.
"You tell him!" Nico cheered on his other.
He then grumbled under his breath, "I can't believe Percy is escaping this because he's scooping poop!"
"Hey, it was a lot harder than you think," the boy in question said.
Nico snorted, "Please, I bet you did what Herc did."
"…She wouldn't let me." Percy sighed at that. Man, that was a draining task.
"They all say that," Eurytion grumbled as he rolled his eye, dropping Grover next to a whimpering Tyson.
"You know," Ares said, "They really do."
"Are you using Apollo's cattle to feed monsters for the Crooked One?" Annabeth asked as she watched one of the red cows chew on grass.
"What?" Apollo hissed out.
Hermes flinched, ouch, talk about bad timing on that one.
Geryon was lucky to be in Tartarus at the moment.
Eurytion shifted uncomfortably as he looked up, making Annabeth gape, "You are?"
"I think I might kill your kid now Ares," the god of the sun fumed.
"By all means," the war god chuckled out.
"It's the finest source of meat on the planet," Eurytion mumbled with an uncomfortable shrug, "And it's not like I have any choice in the matter."
"Bullshit," Apollo gritted out in fury, light surrounding him slowly.
"Choice in what matter?" Geryon asked as he walked back to the group. Eurytion went quiet as his boss returned, prompting the rancher to jerk his head in the cattle's direction, "Don't you have a job to do?"
"Sorry boss," the son of Ares grumbled as he walked away.
Geryon shook his head, "That buffoon...Takes after his father, that one."
"Fuck you!"
"He does speak the truth," Athena smirked, getting another growl from her brother.
"You're feeding Apollo's cattle to the Titan Army?!" Annabeth asked him while shifting in her binds. Her hands reached for a hidden kunai in her jeans' belt loop, concealed by her shirt.
"I didn't have that," Annabeth frowned, her other was going to bust out?
"I thought I fought him." Percy said.
"I think other Annie is going to bust out some ninja moves," Thalia said as she smirked, girl power for the win!
Nico and Grover saw the handle and started to struggle with their own binds, covering their slight movement towards their quest leader in an effort to hide her plan.
Geryon looked at the blonde girl with a smirk, "What? Are you going to tell him through prayer? If the God of Prophecy doesn't know by now that I'm feeding his cattle to the Titans in return for payment, then he deserves the accusations that he is an imbicile."
"Once he comes back, I am killing him again…for sport of course." Apollo said in a deadly calm tone, his blue eyes looked like ice cubes.
"And what about his kids?" Annabeth prompted, "What are you going to do when they find out?"
"Most of his children hold little love for him," scoffed the monster nonchalantly.
"Just wait till you return!"
"You obviously haven't met Naruto then," Grover snorted.
Nico grinned and continued, "Yeah, he may make fun of his dad, but there's no one Naruto looks to more for guidance."
"Knew that kid loved me," the father of said demigod said softly. Honestly, how could he not?
"Who is this Naruto?" Geryon asked haughtily, "Another child of a no-named whore?"
"That lousy motherfucker!" Apollo said, slamming his fist on his throne and making a small burst of fire appear at the impact.
"Apollo!"
"No, that was not cool!" he told his aunt, thoroughly pissed right now, but Artemis placed a hand on his arm, getting him to calm down somewhat. He was not happy when his kids' moms were dissed.
"You take that back!" Nico shouted angrily. Kushina was as close as a second mother he was going to get since Persephone didn't get along with him or Bianca well.
Nico's eyes widened at that. Wow, that must have felt… nice. To have such a nice woman feel like a second mother to him and his sister. That gnawing jealously for his other was feeling a bit stronger at that moment.
Even if she was a slave driver when it came to training.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Annabeth clarified, making the monster pause in thought, "You may know him as the Heir of Helios."
Geryon looked slightly unruffled, quickly recomposing himself, "W-Well...It's a good thing he won't find out, seeing as you'll soon enough be in the Titans' hands."
"Seems someone's scared of your kid," Hermes said to his brother.
"Oh he best be, my kid rocks." The sun god gloated.
"Not if Percy completes his task," Annabeth retorted. She had managed to unsheathe the kunai Naruto had given her, her secondary weapon in case she ever dropped Luke's dagger.
"I have to look into that," Annabeth frowned, seriously, a secondary weapon would come in handy.
Looking past Geryon for a moment, she caught sight of Eurytion putting their gathered weapons into a shed filled to the brim with others.
"I can literally see the wheels turning in that head of yours Annabeth," Leo smirked, the blonde gave him one back.
"You bet."
Geryon laughed before leaning down to get in the daughter of Athena's face, "Who said anything about letting you go if he does the task? I never swore on the Styx. Why should I keep my word?"
"Good business?" said the messenger god as though it were obvious.
"You worthless piece of-!" "Watch your tone, demigod," Geryon warned Nico with narrowed eyes, "The 'protection' of your parents does not stand here. All that's keeping you alive right now is your value. And frankly, I decide that value."
As she glared at the monster, Annabeth managed to cut her wrists free, and now slowly started working on the rope around her arms and torso. She cut all ropes but one before shifting her arms in an attempt to loosen the binds.
"I feel a badass Annie moment coming in a few." The hunter snickered, oh, this was going to be good. If Naruto trained her, well, let's see what the other child of wisdom can do.
To throw Geryon off his guard, Annabeth asked, "What if I told you I could summon the Heir of Helios?"
"That's a scary though," Leo snickered, "Got him on speed dial. Annabeth?"
"Who knows?" The blonde smirked.
"You lie!" Geryon snapped, looking unruffled once again at the thought of being discovered.
"More like pee himself times three." Nico jeered.
"I'm not," the young blonde daughter of Athena retorted, "Just one word and he'll be here faster than you can say size triple XL!"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I don't have to," Annabeth announced, "I can take you myself!"
"Darn right I can." The child of wisdom said, but was inwardly jealous that her other got out while she needed to be rescued.
Before Geryon could come up with a witty reply, Annabeth snapped the last rope and freed herself, using her newfound freedom to attack the three-chested monster.
"Go Annie!" Thalia cheered while her friend grinned.
Her first strike was a cut to his left leg, making Geryon cry out in shock as the bronze blade cut through his hide. The blonde girl used his shocked state to run towards the shed that was overflowing with weapons.
"Really, leaving those all around, he was so stupid." Percy snickered.
"Eurytion!" Geryon called for his herdsman, "Kill the girl!"
Eurytion looked to where he last saw Annabeth, who had ducked into the shed, before looking back at his boss. With a scowl, he pointed at Geryon and said, "Hell no. You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. Picking fights for no good reason and making me finish it for you. Well I'm done dying for you. You want the girl dead? Do it yourself."
"You tell him Eurytion." Percy nodded with a big smile. Ares had a neutral look on his face.
Geryon's eyes narrowed and he called out, "Orthus!"
A massive two-headed dog that looked like a Doberman came from the herd, both heads had their ears up, with the left head having its tongue out. It went to Eurytion's side, getting an affectionate pat on the head from the immortal half-blooded son of Ares. Geryon gained a look of annoyance and pointed at Annabeth, who had returned from the shed with a belted pouch she was adjusting around her waist.
"New weapon?" Percy asked his girlfriend, getting a pout from her.
"Let's just see," she answered, wondering what her other picked and a little giddy at her time to shine.
"Orthus! Kill that girl!" the rancher insisted.
"Don't do it, Orthus," Eurytion cut in before the dual headed dog would do just that, "This is Geryon's fight."
"Yeah, fight your own battle your triple bodied freak." The son of the sea grinned, knowing his girlfriend would pull off a win.
Looking at his boss, the son of Ares warned, "If you try and chicken out again, we'll help her against you."
"Bout time that kid grew some balls," Ares grunted.
Geryon scowled at the threat and opened his mouth to retort. Instead of a sneering warning, the three-chested monster let out a cry of pain, reaching up and grabbing at his shoulder. He pulled out a rather lengthy throwing knife
"I can't knife throw," said Annabeth with a confused blink, what did she learn from Naruto?
he had taken from a lost demigod who was long since dead, a daughter of Hermes if he recalled correctly.
Hermes giddy look turned into a frown, his fists clinched tightly.
Snapping his small eyes on the blonde haired girl, Annabeth merely reached into the pouch once more, pulling out several similar blades in her hand.
"Annabeth, the rising ninja," Leo said in a low announcer tone, getting some laughs.
"You do realize that this means nothing," Geryon sneered as he tossed the blade to the ground. The hole in his far right shoulder closed shut and the monster smirked, "I cannot be defeated so easily, girlie. My three hearts are the ultimate backup system, and it would take a miracle for such a small frail thing like you to stop me."
"Cocky idiot." Nico snickered out.
Annabeth's eye twitched at the claim and she gave the monster a grimace before throwing her knives once again, this time aiming for his head. One grazed his left ear while the monster's hands caught the other two. He tossed the blades down and gave another smug grin.
Okay Annabeth, what do we know about him? Annabeth asked herself as she threw another knife at Geryon's chest, he heals fast. He has three hearts, large legs and he's very slow. Obviously relies on regeneration if his taunts are anything to go by. So that means he's trying to make me tire myself out. Smart. So I can't trick him into killing himself like I could a bad cyclops or another mindless monster. What does that leave me then?
Athena smiled at the fast analysis in her daughter's mind, pride swelling in her chest.
Geryon got tired of having to remove knives from his body and began stalking towards the daughter of Athena. Annabeth took note of this and reached into the pouch once more.
This pouch doesn't feel like its losing knives like it should be, Annabeth thought with mild confusion. She looked to the knives scattered across the ground and her eyes widened when one flashed before disappearing and a bit of weight was added to her pouch. A grin spread across Annabeth's face, Never-ending knife pouch? Oh, Naruto is going to be so jealous.
"As a ninja would be," Hermes smirked, he did do some good work for his kids.
Annabeth pouted, that looked so useful, it really did.
Annabeth's grin vanished when she had to move out of the way of a swipe from the towering Geryon, rushing past him into the herd of red cattle.
"Hey, don't use my cows as cover!" Apollo blanched.
"Oh let her be," Athena waved him off, but the god just muttered favoritism.
Eurytion and Orthus both moved out of the snarling Geryon's way as he stormed after her, the immortal demigod having a smug smirk on his face.
Annabeth came to a stop behind a grazing cow, panting and trying to regain her breath from the run into the herd. She pulled another throwing knife out and slowly peaked out from her hiding spot. Geryon was turning and snarling, shoving Apollo's cattle out of his way as he failed to find the blonde girl.
"Cows make good cover, who knew?" Leo chuckled.
There's no way I could bring him down with a guerrilla tactic, mused the daughter of Athena, If this were any other enemy I would keep moving and throwing knives from behind different cows, but that won't work on him.
"Very true, Geryon is one of the rare regeneration ones." Artemis said with a critical eye.
I need to take out all three of his hearts in a quick and successive manner. If I had a bow I'd ask Apollo and Artemis for help...Wait. That's it! Three hearts, three blades in quick succession should do it. But I have to get all the shots in at the same time from the same angle.
"No way," Percy said, his jaw dropping in slight disbelief. She could make that shot.
Annabeth was having same thoughts.
Stepping out from her current hiding spot, Annabeth called out, "Geryon!"
The monster swiveled from his place and snarled, "There you are! Are you finally ready to die?"
"I should be asking you the same thing," Annabeth retorted with a frown as she readied a knife in her right hand.
"Feel the badassitude, let it flow into you Annie."
"Okay Thalia, we get it," Nico rolled his eyes.
"Aw shut it death breath, you're just sour that you're tied up."
"…Shut up."
"Adorable, but sooner or later you're going to run out of knives," Geryon sneered, "Just surrender and I'll make it as painless as possible."
"I don't think he will," Leo said in a mock whisper.
"The worst thing you could do in life is give up," Naruto said from a memory of their journey across country,
"Use the Force, Annabeth." Piper said in a ghostly voice. Annabeth pouted, stupid Piper and her movie jokes.
which prompted Annabeth's eyes to harden into a cold steel shade of grey.
"There's that Athena glare," Poseidon muttered, said goddess smirked after hearing him.
Without another word, Annabeth pulled her right hand over her left shoulder. Closing her eyes for a split second, Annabeth prayed, Apollo, Artemis, please make my aim true.
"You bet kiddo." Apollo winked to the girl praying while Artemis smirked, too. Percy frowned, knowing at who really answered that one. Hera smiled widely.
The knife left her hand after her eyes snapped open. A second knife left her left hand as the empty right pulled out another. The third knife flew from the daughter of Athena's grasp a second and a half behind the second knife. Annabeth watched in what seemed like slow motion as the knives struck their marks, the left chest being struck dead center, followed by the right and then finishing with the center.
"Wow, wish I could do that." Thalia said with an impressed whistle.
Annabeth puffed out her chest, yes, her other was awesome…and now she wanted to learn how to throw like that, too.
Geryon's eyes widened and he stumbled backwards. The monster looked down at his chest, the knives buried into each one with only half of the handles sticking out. Shakily, Geryon looked back at the equally surprised Annabeth, before stumbling backwards and falling to the ground. His hand lifted once more and he watched it as it slowly dissolved away into golden dust.
"And stay down!" Apollo whooped, "Nice going Annabeth."
"It was a fine throw." Artemis nodded, somewhat wishing that Annabeth had indeed joined her Hunters.
Annabeth slowly felt a small grin spread across her face as Geryon dissolved into golden dust. Her grin fell as she walked forward and found nothing left behind.
"That sucks," Hazel frowned.
"I know," Frank nodded to his girlfriend.
Nothing but the knives she had used to kill him. They vanished in a small flash of light, and she felt the weight return to the pouch on her hip. The daughter of Athena continued to smile after she returned to the other side of the cattle pen, eyeing Eurytion warily.
The son of Ares gave her a grin and pat one of Orthus' heads, "Don't worry about us. Geryon lost, you're free to go."
"Wuss."
"More like fairness." Athena said to her war brother.
"What about Percy?" Annabeth asked with a frown.
"What about me?" Percy asked as he walked into the area from the stables.
"And someone misses the party, geez Percy." Thalia chided, making her cousin frown. He was knee deep in horse poop, what does she want him to do about it?
Looking at the three still tied up and back to Annabeth and Eurytion, the son of Poseidon asked, "Did I miss something?"
"…Wow dude, you even say that." Leo shook his head in disbelief as Percy turned a bit hot in the face at that.
"You have no idea, Seaweed Brain," said Annabeth as her head shook.
"This is a nice outcome and all, but could someone untie us before we burn in the sun?" Nico asked with a hint of annoyance.
"I think you could use some color," Percy smirked to the Ghost King who frowned at his words.
"I happen to like my skin tone, thank you."
"So would a vampire." Hazel giggled at her brother, who turned his frown into a pout.
Once the other three members of the quest had been released from their binds, Eurytion offered to make them a meal in order to make up for the ordeal and to thank Annabeth for the idea of how to shift the ranch into his favor.
"As she would," Athena smiled with an approving nod.
They declined the meal, but agreed to a small snack and soda, allowing Percy to relax and tell them about his completed labor. When that was all said and done, Percy looked to Annabeth and asked, "So how did you kill Geryon?"
"Three knives to the hearts," she answered with a shrug, "With a little help from Naruto's Dad and Artemis."
"Not really," Percy muttered with a side-glance at Hera.
"So the rumors are true about Helios' Heir?" Eurytion asked, leaning forward with a curious look on his face, "A demigod who holds the soul of the Fallen God?"
"Yeah, that has been popular with the minor gods and immortals, as we've seen so far." Hermes said with a stroke of his chin.
"More than true," Percy said as he took a sip of the Mountain Dew he was given, "Helios actually speaks to him."
Eurytion whistled and sat back in his seat, "That's a game changer...two souls in one body? Wonder what that's like."
"Amusing." Hades smirked, getting many nods.
"Apparently, really loud," Nico chimed in, recalling moments in January when Naruto would randomly just shout at nothing, claiming to be arguing with Helios.
"That just has to be awkward in public." Piper snickered.
It stopped shortly after Bianca fell ill, but it was amusing when it happened.
"I would think so," Eurytion mused. He turned to Annabeth and asked, "Did Chiron teach you to throw like that?"
"Naruto did," Annabeth replied with a small smile,
"Of course he would."
"You are just so jealous of having someone dot on Annie."
Percy huffed, so what if he did? It felt like there was an even better Luke around. Well, at least to him it did.
"He gave me the foundation of what I know today about combat."
"Okay this is new." Annabeth, interest in her voice as she leaned in a bit.
"Really?" Nico asked curiously.
"Tell us about it!" Grover said eagerly. He loved hearing about his old group's earlier days. Eurytion scratched one of Orthus' heads as he listened intently, and Percy put his drink down, looking to the sole girl at the table.
"Weave us a tale, Annabeth," Percy smirked. His father chuckled at the joke while Athena glared at the boy for it.
As she pulled a knife out of the pouch on her hip, Annabeth thought about the first night Naruto had shown her, Thalia and Luke how to properly throw a kunai.
"Oh, so it was a group lesson." Nico chimed, "No special treatment for the lil' sis?"
"Oh be quiet, Nico."
The first night she and Thalia actually had more than a few words with each other.
"I smell tension~" the love goddess sang out with a wide smile.
Annabeth and Thalia turned to one another with a frown, they wouldn't argue with each other, right?
She said softly to the group sitting at the table, "It was the night after we escaped the Colchis Bull."
"Yeah for continuation!"
"Quiet Apollo," Artemis chided, wanting to hear more.
"Why would I want to throw my only weapon?" Luke asked with a furrowed brow as Naruto helped Annabeth properly grip the knife.
"Aw, isn't that sweet of him~?"
Annabeth turned pink cheeked at that, stupid Piper and her teasing.
He had made it known that he did not agree with this lesson, that maybe turns with Naruto's bow would be more beneficial.
"True," Hermes said in agreement with his son.
Naruto had told him in response that no one but he was to touch the bow, because of the enchantment upon it. Annabeth knew it existed; she once touched it while Naruto slept and became ill for a day.
Annabeth frowned along with her mother who turned to her bow brother, "Cursed weapon, really?"
"All the better to keep safe from thieves." Apollo said, taking a sidelong glance at Hermes who looked offended. Though the way it was crafted...maybe Apollo was onto something.
From then on, Naruto kept a close eye on his bow, going as far as to sling it over his shoulder every time he went to sleep.
"It may not be your only weapon forever," Naruto replied with a sigh as he ducked under another throw from their resident lightning user, "Thalia-chan, how many times to I have to tell you to grip it firmly but lightly?"
"Yeah Thalia, can't you no learn right?" Nico mocked with stupid words on purpose.
Thalia flushed, "Screw off!"
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that?" Thalia retorted with a frown.
"We know you love it." Annabeth rolled her eyes.
"Traitor," Thalia pouted with crossed arms. Jason gave a light laugh of his own, but stopped when his sister glared at him.
Naruto looked at his fellow blonde with a grin, "What's the count, Annie?"
"Oh you little-you wouldn't!"
"Well, I have known him longer."
"Tch."
"Thirty-seven," Annabeth said with a smile to her pseudo-brother.
"Traitor." Thalia muttered.
"Oh, it was all in good fun," said Annabeth. Thalia still grumbled.
Thalia rolled her eyes at the two. Annabeth nearly always sided with Naruto in their arguments,
"I wouldn't always do that," the blonde child of wisdom frowned.
unless it was silly or stupid.
"There's the clincher." Annabeth nodded to herself, smiling.
She also noticed that Annabeth seemed to smile every time that Naruto successfully annoyed her.
"Annie!" Annabeth just rolled her eyes at the mock hurtful look Thalia had on.
"Oh this just had gotten ten times better," Aphrodite said as she nibbled on her bottom lip, giddy at what she knew what was happening.
"Guess it'll take more than thirty-seven, Tha-lia-chan," Naruto said with a smirk to the younger girl, who quickly averted his gaze.
"Mm, you like those eyes, don't you Thalia? Blue must be your color." The love goddess smiled brightly. Thalia frowned at the woman, turning her head so her face was out of the goddess' sight, not bothering to give a retort.
Annabeth frowned slightly, her finger slipping and accidently cutting herself on the blade.
"Ooh, so upset at big bro having attention on the new girl you slip up?" Piper teased the blonde, who flushed at the insinuation of it all.
"Really Annabeth, pay attention," Hazel jokingly chided, getting the blonde to flush darker.
"Ow!" She called out, dropping the kunai that was in her hand to the ground.
"There's some of that absentmindedness you'd expect of a blonde."
"Oh shut up Piper," Annabeth cried out with flaming cheeks.
"Careful," Naruto warned as he returned his attention to the younger blonde. He knelt down and picked the small onyx colored blade up, putting the knife away. Checking her finger wound, the older blond smiled softly at Annabeth, "It's just a small cut. Should be all better if you just wrap it up."
"There's some of that medical know how," Apollo nodded approvingly.
"Yet, you couldn't even let him know about it," his smith brother pointed out.
"Go play with your toys firebeard."
"Can't, listening to a story."
"What about an anesthetic?" Luke asked, "It could get infected."
Annabeth smiled softly at that while Percy looked put out a bit.
Naruto shook his head in disagreement, "Not if we wash it off first. C'mon, Annie there's a stream over here we can clean it at."
Naruto led Annabeth to the stream and gently guided her finger to the water. She hissed in pain as the water coursed over it, and did so once again when Naruto blew lightly on the cut to dry the damp finger. From his shirt, Naruto tore a piece of cloth and wrapped it tightly around the injury. Thalia and Luke, who followed the other two demigods, were silent in awe at the care Naruto showed to the younger blonde girl's finger.
"You want a kiss to feel better?" Piper cooed at Annabeth with mirth. Annabeth just growled in embarrassment.
"I bet she wanted a kiss somewhere else," the teaser's mother said with a gleam in her eye. The blond child of wisdom looked like a tomato from how red she was.
Tying off the cloth, Naruto grinned at Annabeth and pat her on the head, "See? Easy fix."
Annabeth smiled at him thankfully, throwing her arms around his neck and surprising him with a tight hug. Naruto hugged the girl back, his smile still in place.
"You know, they do look good together…" Aphrodite hummed in approval.
Artemis scowled, "She's seven Aphrodite, by Order!"
"I meant when she got older, oh, if only Naruto stuck around," the love goddess sighed out. Annabeth just wanted to crawl into a hole.
"Aw, look at you," Luke teased, "Just a lovable old teddy bear."
"Nice move kid," Hermes face palmed, Naruto was a get backer kinda kid. Poor Luke.
Pushing the younger daughter of Athena back out of the hug, Naruto said softly, "Annie, I need to go kill Luke, you stay here for a second."
"Do us the favor!"
"Fuck you Ares!" Hermes scowled to his older brother while the war god just laughed.
Annabeth giggled as Naruto stood and then ran at the other boy, who yelped impressively before he turned tail and ran,
"Something daddy is good at," said Apollo.
Hermes just gave a dull glare to Apollo, stupid arrowhead.
leaving her alone with the equally amused Thalia.
"Here it comes~" Aphrodite smiled while rubbing her hands eagerly.
Annabeth's giggles died down and Thalia shook her head, looking to the younger girl with a smile, "Boys, am I right?"
"Indeed," Artemis said while Thalia chuckled lightly.
Annabeth looked at Thalia with a small frown, making the older girl furrow her brow, "Hey, are you okay?"
"And confrontation!" the lady of doves said in excitement.
"Not quiet." Hestia told her with a tiny smile.
"Oh pooh!"
"Then it gets a little fuzzy," Annabeth said apologetically to the group, making them sigh in disappointment.
"Lair!" Aphrodite said with a pout.
"Aphrodite," Athena frowned, how dare she say that about her daughter, even though she knew her child was holding back, not lying. Honestly, the nerve.
The daughter of Athena smiled reassuringly, "Hey, don't worry. I'm sure I was just a little nervous at being alone with Thalia."
"No she wasn't~"
"Be silent Aphrodite and let us hear her out." Artemis rolled her eyes.
"Well at least you take some minor interest in romance, is Kronos back on the rise?"
"You take that back!"
"Ladies!" Apollo shouted. Once he had their attention, he pointed at the screen. "Let's see my little player make some sparks, please?"
Annabeth just groaned.
What the others didn't know was that this was a lie that Annabeth had made up when she realized what she was feeling years after it happened.
Percy frowned at this while Annabeth turned pink in the face, she had feelings for Naruto…oh gods was this really awkward. Did she have a thing for blonds at that age, or was it some father complex?! He was blond! Oh gods…
Annabeth thought back with small pink-tinted cheeks at her possessiveness of Naruto.
"Someone get that phone because I called it!"
"Silence Aphrodite," Athena said in defense of her daughter. Who was really grateful at the moment.
"Fine, I'll just enjoy the sparks." The lady of doves huffed.
Annabeth had a glare locked on the older girl,
"Annie," Thalia mocked frowned, but looking a little hurt.
"Sorry," said girl muttered.
one of accusation as she related the interactions between Naruto and Thalia to the brief interactions Naruto had with a minor goddess Eirene back in San Francisco.
"There's that goddess thing. Man, this girl just wants to break off a piece of that," Piper said in slight awe of the exotically handsome blond.
The goddess of peace had offered to help Annabeth get to a safe place as long as Naruto stayed with her in San Francisco, insisting that he had had enough fighting in his life already.
"Of course she would use that as an excuse," Ares huffed, he never did like his half-sister. She still sent him peace advocate emails!
Naruto declined kindly, but after that meeting Annabeth was wary of other older fluzzies
"Fluzzies?" Hazel asked the blonde with amused eyes, "Really?"
"I was seven!" Annabeth said while her cheeks became a healthy shade of pink.
-she didn't know how to properly say or think floozy at the time-
"See!" Annabeth pointed to support her point.
The earth user just snickered, "Fluzzies."
Annabeth huffed, turning away from the Roman girl.
around her brother.
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to!" Annabeth announced accusingly, "You're trying to take Naruto away!"
"So bold to say it right up front," the love goddess gasped in excitement.
"Please stop," Annabeth begged.
"No, I want to hear this, too," said Thalia, taking a sidelong glance at the blushing Annabeth.
"W-what?" Thalia asked in surprise, her cheeks flushing, "No I'm not!"
"Yet~!"
"Shut up!" Thalia shouted to the love goddess, honestly!
"Yeah you are!" The young blonde girl exclaimed with a scowl on her face, "He's my brother and you can't have him!"
"I think she wants more than a brother." Frank muttered, but zipped his lip when Percy gave him a glower.
"I don't want him!" Thalia groaned as her cheeks darkened.
"Once again, yet~!"
Artemis just sent Aphrodite a glare, why can't she just shut her love yapping mouth?
"You do so!" Annabeth retorted as her eyes narrowed, "You're just lying so that when you take him away it'll look like he wanted to go!"
"Wow, that is a vivid scenario for a seven year old to make." Piper blinked in surprise, but her mother waved it off.
"Nonsense, a girl can think up anything along those lines, Annabeth is just one of those kind of girls."
"I am not," Annabeth said, sounding miserable from all the teasing.
"Where are you getting this information?" Thalia asked, "Because it's wrong!"
"You wish it was," Piper snickered out. Thalia just glared at her brother's girlfriend.
"I'm not wrong, you're just trying to throw me off guard!" Annabeth announced with a pout,
"And keep that guard up Annabeth!"
"Oh, stop with the cheering," Hephaestus groaned at his wife, seriously, it got so annoying. Aphrodite just huffed, this was too good not to cheer to.
"You're trying to take him away from me, well Naruto belongs to me,
"Wow, staking that claim huh?"
"Be quiet Nico," Percy frowned at his cousin, while Annabeth just looked even redder in the face.
"What? I'm just saying."
he's my big brother and not anyone else's, got that?"
"Once again, she doesn't want a brother." The love goddess chimed with a pretty giggle.
"Wow, really making some assumptions aren't you?" Thalia asked.
"Have you meet Athena?"
"Silence Hermes," said goddess frowned towards her thieving brother.
The god of travelers shrugged, "Just saying. You do."
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Thalia tiredly tried to explain, "Listen Annabeth, I don't want Naruto to be my big brother
"Of course not, she wants all that man all over her."
"…I hate you." The hunter glared at the love goddess.
"I'm just doing my job." The goddess smirked to the child of Zeus.
and I don't want to take him away from you."
"Yet!"
"By us, please shut up!" Artemis said, her wits at end from the constant interruptions.
"Never," said Aphrodite with a smirk.
"You're lying!" insisted the daughter of Athena.
Thalia pouted at her friend, "Annie, come o-"
"Stop it Thalia," the red faced demigoddess said, "Seriously, not funny."
"I find it a little funny,"
"Well I don't, humph!"
"No I'm not!" Thalia shouted out; a bolt of lightning landing behind her as her emotions got the best of her.
"Oh, like we haven't seen that before," Hades said with an eye roll.
"I wonder where?" Poseidon wondered with a stroke of his beard.
Zeus just silently fumed at his brothers' words, ingrates!
Annabeth jumped slightly, but stood her ground.
"Has her mother's balls, I'll give her that," Ares snickered as Athena glared at him for the remark, but did give her young daughter props for not backing down from the lightning.
The two glared at each other before Thalia sighed and said, "Look, Annabeth, you're a sweet girl.
"Thank you very much."
"Don't let it get to your head, Annie."
"Too late," Nico snarked.
"Hey!"
You obviously care about Naruto a lot and he cares about you.
"Just not in the way little you wants," Leo supplied.
Annabeth glared at him, her wicked grey eyes burning holes into his skull. Good thing he was immune to fire.
If it makes you feel better, I'll stop talking to him."
"Good!" Annabeth said with a firm nod.
"Yeah, good!" Piper snickered as Annabeth turned her glare to the daughter of the famed movie star.
"But that doesn't mean I'll ignore him if he talks to me first," Thalia added.
"Ah, loopholes," Hermes said with a wink towards Thalia. The hunter's cheeks heated up, stupid speedy brother.
Annabeth pouted but crossed her arms, "Fine."
"Learn from those defeats, Annabeth."
"Aphrodite," Athena gave a darker glare to the love goddess.
Annabeth just was to curl up into a ball, this was so embarrassing!
"Can't say I blame you," Percy interjected, snapping Annabeth from the rest of the memory as he took another sip of his Mountain Dew.
"Percy," the love goddess huffed, "It was just getting good!"
"Sorry," said Percy as he rolled his eyes, not sounding sorry at all.
Setting the now empty can down, the son of Poseidon looked at Eurytion and asked, "Do you have an idea of how to find Hephaestus?"
"I do."
Everyone rolled their eyes at the remark from the smith god.
Leo snickered though, "Nice dad."
"Thank you, Leo."
"Suck up," Ares sneered at his nephew.
"You're asking the right guy," the son of Ares replied. Grinning at the two, he continued, "Well, can't say I do want to give this gift up, but I figure you guys can use it more than me. Not to mention that I owe the both of you for taking care of the carnivorous steeds' crap and killing Geryon."
Eurytion left the group of five and went to the shed, quickly returning with something in his hand that made Annabeth cry out in surprise, "SPIDER!"
"So your fault they have that fear," Poseidon told his rival as she glared at him for the remark.
"Easy, easy!" the son of Ares said as he set the small machine down on the table. The still unnerved daughter of Athena looked at the machine warily while Eurytion said, "This little thing should lead you right to my uncle. He gave it to me after I helped him prank my father."
"Little asshole."
"Ares," his mother scolded.
"Bah!" the war god waved off as his full-blooded brother laughed deeply and he glared at the smith.
"That sounds like an interesting story," Percy said, only to get nudged by Annabeth.
"Aw, I wanted to hear it." Hermes pouted.
"Screw you speedstick."
The daughter of Athena looked for a brief second at the spider before looking at the herdsman with an apologetic smile, "Thank you, Eurytion, but we really need to get going."
She then looked at the spider again, her heart racing as she did. Just because it was not real did not mean it wasn't as terrifying.
"I thought it was a little cute," Percy laughed lightly as his girlfriend in the arm slapped him halfheartedly. He just wrapped an arm around her, getting her to snuggle close to him.
"I'll take it," Nico said as he rolled his eyes at Annabeth's reaction to the small guide. The son of Hades took the metallic spider and the five departed from Triple G Ranch the way that they came, leaving behind an amused Eurytion who then turned and went back to taking care of his uncle's cattle. Properly, that is.
"And about time, too!" Apollo announced with crossed arms.