AN

Hello everyone, surprised to see this I believe? As you may have heard, my older brother is no longer among the living and his closest friends and fellow writers have moved on with their lives.

I gave a promise to them that I would give it my best shot and for that, I am here. Things may change as I am now in control but have no fear for I will give my best efforts.

Let the story continue! Thank you all for your words for Roy. My name is Darion Markov! Let the games begin!

KEEP NOTE! WE WILL FOLLOW UP AS THE EVENTS AT BATTERY BEGIN!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: PJO and HOO are not ours, it is owned by RR.

Annabeth could only ponder and worry as she strolled the ruins of Battery as Fecilia, Zoe and Piper ardently scanned the area with their eyes as they looked about for the so called Ghost of Battery.

She had been calm for most of the trip. She knew nothing more but to keep silent otherwise things may come out of hand. Still, Annabeth could not help but be afraid. Her mother had basically sent her on a mission with a bleak chance of survival and success and she had to do it alone and she did not want her friends finding out as they would worry for her own safety.

"This place gives me the creeps," said Piper as she glanced left and right,

Zoe just kept her confident poise up and said "Just keep your eyes open. You'll never know what could be here."

She was right, it could be anything really. A horde of monsters could come raging through or hell, even a Giant could be here. It wasn't until a couple of minutes later until the group of girls started to hear humming.

Quickly, the girls drew their weapons as they drew into a diamond like formation, ready for anything that may come. Annabeth scanned the area with her grey eyes as Piper said "Why does this sound familiar?"

Annabeth faced east and said "It's coming from over there!"

The group glanced at the open table area that seemed to look like it used to be some sort of a restaurant and saw a beautiful woman with long chocolate brown hair in a dress smiling at them and continuing to hum the tune. She gave them a small smirk and said "Hello girls! Come, let us have some tea."

"Mom?!" exclaimed Piper as she sheathed Katoptris,

The goddess took a seat as she snapped her fingers and a tea set came as four other chairs pulled up to accommodate the four girls. She nodded and said "Hello Piper, looking good I see. You definitely take after me."

She giggled to herself as the teacups filled with tea and the four cautiously took a seat. Zoe put one of her hands on the table and asked "Lady Aphrodite, may I ask you, what are you doing here?"

"Oh here?" asked the goddess as she sipped some tea, "I like it here, Battery had some of the best parties and a lot of history happened here."

"Yeah," said Fecilia, "I read about that, first site of the Civil War battles."

"Yes," murmured the goddess, "The Civil War but which Civil War?"

"Gods," mumbled Annabeth, "You speak of the Greek-Roman Civil War aren't you?"

"Correct Annabeth," said Aphrodite, "Look how much you have grown! Keep growing out that hair and all the boys will drop their jaws dear."

She laughed a little as Zoe said "This is where it began?"

The goddess settled her teacup on the table and said "Yes, it started here and it ended here as well."

"I didn't know that," said Zoe, "I thought the Gods ended it."

"Oh," said Aphrodite," I forget…that was a forgone story."

"What does that mean mom?" asked Piper,

"Another time," said the goddess as she said "I'm guessing you want to prevent the incoming war."

Everyone nodded as she said "I come here for Hera or Juno if you wish. Our family stands divided and she is blamed for the spark of the new war therefore she is forced into hiding."

The crew members of the Argo 2 exchanged looks as the goddess continued, "As like most wars, it will begin and end with love. I'm here to say that no matter what, a war is coming."

"We can stop it!" said Piper, "There doesn't need to be bloodshed mom!"

She gave her daughter a sad smile and said "I admire your optimism Piper but alas, it is too late. The war is coming and the best you can do is to end it as fast as you can."

"Then how Lady Aphrodite," said Fecilia, "How can this war be put to an end?"

The four looked intently at the goddess as she said "To end it, there can be no Roman, and be no Greek. There can only be one army."

"So unite the camps?" asked Zoe, "My apologies but been there, tried that but it didn't really work."

Annabeth remembered the catastrophic attempt to unite the camps and she said "Maybe there is another way?"

The goddess smiled at her and said "Right you are Annabeth, there is a way. You see, the only way to unite the two factions is to bury the hatchet, so to speak."

Piper looked like she was thinking and said "Settle a score? How?"

"To return something of the Greeks that was lost long ago," replied the goddess as she bit a biscuit,

Annabeth's eyes widened as she said "I think I know what it is. The Athena Parthenos."

The table fell silent as Zoe said "The Athena Parthenos? That thing has been missing for at least a thousand years."

The goddess nodded and said "Correct my dear; you have been tasked to locate the Parthenos and restore peace between the two factions."

An all out argument broke out among the four girls and after a while, Zoe slammed her fist onto the table and said "Enough! Annabeth's quest is a large one and we will have to be there to help her, every step of the way."

The daughter of Athena was thankful but she said "Guys, I know you want to help but at some point, this quest will have to be done by me alone and you are going to have to trust me."

Piper nodded and said "Of course we trust you; we'll just make sure you get there."

"If that is the case," said Aphrodite, "I took the liberty of finding the map for the Parthenos."

She handed the blonde a thin paper and said "Be on your way. You may have company."

Sounds of flapping can be heard at a distance as they looked at the goddess and Zoe said "Lady Aphrodite, when you said the war ended here, how did it end?"

She gave Zoe a smile and said "Why are you asking me Zoe? You were there."

With that, she vanished in a bright light as a squadron of large eagles swopped above them towards the direction of the Argo 2. Annabeth clenched her teeth as she gripped the map and said "We need to go!"

The four rushed back to the ship and when they got there, the warship was suspended above a lake as eagles attacked from above but from the deck, people were being knocked off the boat into the water.

A figure seemed to leap off the boat into the water but as soon as it came in contact with the water, a wave lifted the figure to the shore where the group stood. There then stood Ara as she brandished her trident and said "Need a lift guys?"

"How's it going up there?" asked Fecilia as they were surrounded by a ball of water,

The ball quickly drove across the lake's surface and when it came below the boat, it came to an abrupt stop as Ara said "The Romans are attacking, there are a lot of them but Percy called a no lethal counteroffensive so just knock them all down the boat."

She looked around as eagles started to circle the orb and she said "Hold on guys!"

"Wait!" said Piper, "Hold on to what?!"

Ara snapped her fingers and a pillar of water rose and blasted the ball of water up into the sky until it slammed onto the ship's deck where the girls laid sprawled on the ship's bronze deck. They got up and looked around to see the crew knocking off any Roman that dared to step on board.

Talon swiped his tail onto two Romans who were knocked off the boat and said "Have a nice trip kids!"

Leo noticed them on board and said "Percy they're here! I'm all set to launch!"

Percy, who was in the middle of holding off eight Romans including Octavian, then said "Argonauts! Hit the deck!"

The crew members did as they were told and dropped flat onto the floor as Percy's eyes glowed purple and he slammed his fist into the floor and sent a massive purple shockwave around the area that knocked off any warrior standing into the lake below.

As soon as that happened, Leo reached for a lever and pulled on it as the Argo 2 lurched forward and began to speed away from the Romans. Everyone got up and before they knew it, they had already gotten away.

For about a good minute, the ship zoomed up and through the American skyline and as the crew struggled to get up against the ship's speed and the raging winds, Leo pulled another lever and the ship came to an abrupt decrease in speed causing everyone to lurch forward again.

With the steady pace, Leo sighed and said "Everyone alright?"

The members of the Argo 2 shakily stood as Frank peered over the ship's behind and said "They're long gone, we really took off and lost them."

Percy nodded and said "That's great,"

He then faced Annabeth and said "I assume you have what you came for?"

The blonde nodded and said "It's pretty clear what we have to do now,"

The daughter of Athena then said what Aphrodite had given to them at Battery and the crew seemed skeptical at first but in the end when Annabeth claimed with conviction, "I'll be the one to end this war, believe me, just get me to Rome and this war will be over."

Suddenly, the air shimmered around them and Reyna's face appeared before Annabeth. The blonde took a step back as Percy raised his finger and everyone kept quiet.

"Reyna," said Percy with a raised brow, "An Iris message? Not very Roman of you."

She gave Percy an edgy look and said "I have come to speak about terms of peace."

"Terms of Peace?" asked Fecilia," Excuse me little girl but if you haven't noticed, we were just attacked by Romans on eagles."

"That is just a capture team," claimed Reyna, "They come to ask you to surrender for your trial. Octavian demands of it."

"Octavian has you on a leash now?" asked Percy with a scowl, "Funny, last I checked, you were praetor."

"I am praetor," stressed Reyna, "I'm the only reason why war hasn't broken out yet."

"This isn't war?" asked Hazel to the frowning Praetor,

"It isn't Hazel," said Reyna," not yet at least. A trial is being asked of you all. It won't be fair, that I am sure of, you will all be promptly executed but at least this way, less lives will be lost."

"What?!" growled Frank, "Octavian said that!? Reyna last I remembered, the camp was just attacked by a Giant's army sent by Gaea! How can the Legion ignore that!?"

The Praetor massaged the bridge of her nose and said "Octavian has whipped the Legion into a frenzy. The outrage of the attack gave him a chance to take control and even now, defiance of my authority continues and I lose my hold on the Legion. Soon there will be war."

Jason shook his head and said "I know is hard Reyna but-"

"Of course it's hard!" said Reyna with a growl,

"We have a way to end this," said Annabeth, "We just need you to hold them back. Buy time."

The Roman Praetor narrowed her eyes and said "You ask me to commit treason?"

"No!" said Piper, "Just stall, we assure you, when were finished with our quest, this war will cease!"

Reyna shook her head a little and said "Octavian's focus is on you at the moment, when you cross the Mediterranean; he'll give up on you."

"Awesome!" exclaimed Leo,

Fecilia elbowed him and said "No Leo, not awesome."

"What?" asked Frank, "Why?"

Zoe crossed her arms and said "Then the weasel will focus on the closest target. The camp."

Reyna nodded and said "That means Octavian will rally the Legion and march across the country, looking for blood that is due at your camp."

"Then we'll beat him to it," said Talon with a grin, "It would take him more than two weeks but by then we'll be there, the Parthenos will be there and this whole crapfest will be over."

Annabeth nodded and said "Please Reyna, one daughter of War to another. Buy us some time."

She frowned and said "Very well, but the next time we meet, we will be enemies."

The blonde gave a small smile and said "Don't count on it,"

The image wavered and blurred away as Percy gave Annabeth a sideways smile as he faced the rest of the crew and said "To Rome then! If I remember we are going to have to pass through the-"

"Mediterranean," said Jason, "That's some dangerous seas,"

"Well Jason," said Leo as he turned the ship into the right direction, "We're a dangerous crew."

With that, the crew sailed off to the Mediterranean.

AN

A little short, I know but this is more of like my debut chapter.

I'm pretty sure you all know what comes next, the confrontation with Hercules at the Pillars. Sounds fun and I already have a plan in mind, hope you all stick around! This is Darion Markov! Till next time!