When Emily woke up the next morning that there was a knock on her door and Steve walked in, she was barely awake when the knock came and Steve entered. But she woke up fully when Bucky yelled, "Steve." Emily nearly rolled off the bed if it hadn't been for the fact she has her arms around Bucky's neck. She was sure if she has her own cabin and she wasn't married to Bucky that she would fallen to the floor. She was sure that was something that Steve would bug Emily about for the rest of her life if that happened. Steve looked like he was going burst into laughter at the sight of them, Emily was at least glad that they were their night clothes. However she was glad that it was just Steve instead of Steve, Lauren and Phil. She knew Aubrey wouldn't bug Emily and Bucky too much about if she was Steve, but she knew Lauren, Steve and Phil well enough to know that they would have bugged her about it if the scene was different.
"Couldn't resist. Anyway, I need to tell you something." Emily let go of Bucky's neck and rubbed her eyes as she spoke.
"What is it?" Steve's face turned grim.
"Percy and Annabeth are missing."
For the next hour everyone was trying to find Percy and Annabeth, there was a chance that they could have been taken or died. After that hour that Frank managed to get everyone together and told them of where Percy and Annabeth were. So they went to the mess hall, when everyone was there that everyone had different reactions, Emily was relieved like most of the demigods there. Leo and Jennifer were grinning but Leo was muttering classic under his breath, however Bucky, Steve, Lauren and Hazel looked scandalized. Emily knew that their minds were still in the 1940s for the most part, Lauren and Hazel kept fanning themselves and wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. It was clear that Bucky expect Emily to do the same as Lauren and Hazel but she was close of laughing instead, for she got used to this time as time moved on for her. She live for seventy years at the same age and she adjusted to the times quickly enough as it went on, though Lauren didn't change with the times as much as Emily did. Naturally Gleeson went ballistic.
"Never in my life! Against the rules! Irresponsible!" He was bellowing, waving his bat, knocking over a plate of apples.
"Coach, it was an accident. We were talking, and we fell asleep."
"Besides, you're starting to sound like Terminus." Gleeson narrowed his eyes at Percy, Emily looked at Lauren of who stopped fan inversely and was close of laughing now. During their time together at camp Halfblood at Gleeson looked after Lauren and Emily, so he became their protector in a sense and he still sees himself as their protector as well as the one looking after the eight. Whenever Emily and Lauren went in a quest together that they brought Gleeson with them, partly because he was their protecter and partly because he was their other best friend as odd as it sounds.
"Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll - I'll terminus you, buddy!" Emily could tell that Percy was trying not to laugh.
"It won't happen again, Coach. I promise. Now, don't we have other things to discuss?" Emily was doing her best of not trying to laugh for Gleeson was fuming.
"Fine! But I'm watching you, Jackson. And you, Annabeth Chase, I thought you had more sense - " Jason cleared his throat.
"So grab some food, everybody. Let's get started." The meeting was normal for a war council meeting, even back when Emily was the head counselor for her cabin. For there was donuts around the table, back at Camp Halfblood that they have their most serious discussions around a Ping-pong table with crackers and cheez whiz. Percy told them about his dream about the twin giants, what they were planning and that Nico and Arabella were trapped in a bronze jar. That they were slowly dying from asphyxiation and that there was pomegranate seeds at their feet. Emily started to panic as Percy told them of his dream, Emily helped train Arabella and knew what Arabella could do. However she was unsure of how long Arabella and Nico could hold on there, she felt Bucky wrap his arms around Emily to comfort her. Arabella and Nico may not be her siblings through blood but through adoption, because of that she still thinks of them as her siblings. Hazel and Jennifer choked back a sob.
"Nico, Arabella... Oh, gods. The seeds."
"You know what they are?" Hazel nodded, Emily put her head on Bucky's shoulder as Hazel spoke.
"He showed them to me once. They're from our stepmother's garden."
"Your step... oh, You mean Persephone."
"The seeds are a last-resort food. Only children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. But if he's really imprisoned - " Hazel was nervous as well as Jennifer. It was harder to tell with Jennifer, Emily knows that because she knows Jennifer well enough, but the silverware was aiming at Hazel.
"The giants are trying to lure us, They're assuming we'll try to rescue them."
"Well, they're right! Won't we?" Hazel looked around the table, her confidence was crumbling.
"Yes! It'll involve fighting, right?" Emily rolled her eyes when Gleeson spoke with a mouthful of napkins.
"Hazel, of course we'll help him. But how long do we have before... uh, I mean, how long can Nico and Arabella hold out?"
"One seed a day. That's if they puts themselves in a death trance."
"A death trance? That doesn't sound fun."
"It keeps them from consuming all their air. Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, barely."
"And they have five seeds left. That's five days, including today. The giants must have planned it that way, so we'd have to arrive by July first. Assuming Nico and Arabella are hidden somewhere in Rome - "
"That's not much time," Piper put her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "We'll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. 'Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death.' Your brother's last name: di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for 'angel.'" Emily lifted her head and spoke.
"Not only that but Hades refer to Arabella as a light or an angel as she grew up in the underworld. Mostly because it was a nice change to have a child down there."
"Oh, gods, Nico, Arabella..." Emily put her head back on Bucky's shoulder once more as Hazel spoke.
"We'll rescue them. We have to. The prophecy says they holds the key to endless death."
"That's right. Hazel, your siblings went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld, right? They must've found them."
"They can tell us where the doors are and how to close them."
"Yes. Good." Emily noticed Leo shifting in his chair.
"Uh... One thing. The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we're walking into a trap?" Hazel looked at Leo like he made a rude gesture.
"We have no choice!"
"Don't get me wrong, Hazel. It's just that your siblings, Nico and Arsbella... They knew about both camps, right?"
"Well, yes."
"They have been going back and forth and they didn't tell either side." Jason sat forward and his expression was grim.
"You're wondering if we can trust the guy. So am I." Emily lifted her head when Jason said that, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, not only that but she was surprised she wasn't included with Arabella and Nico. Emily made it plain that she protected both the Romans and the Greeks, during the different battles including the one before they left New Rome, Hazel shot to her feet.
"I don't believe this. They are my siblings. Arabella helped brought me to Camp Jupiter along with Jennifer, Arabella watched out for me while I was in the underworld whirl I was dead, Nico watched out for me after I came beck from the dead as well as Arabella, they were there when I needed them, just like Jennifer and Emily were there when I needed them in the last couple of years, and you don't want to help them?" Emily couldn't blame Hazel for acting like she was, since Emily wanted to do the same thing. Frank put his hand on her shoulder and he glared at Leo.
"Nobody's saying that. Nobody had better be saying that." Leo blinked.
"Look, guys. All I mean is - "
"Hazel, Leo is raising a fair point. I remember Nico and Arabella from Camp Jupiter. Now I find out they also visited Camp Half-Blood. That does strike me as... well, a little shady. Do we really know where their loyalties lie? We just have to be careful." Hazel's arms shook and a silver platter zoomed towards her and hit the wall behind her to her left, it splattered scrambled eggs.
"You... the great Jason Grace... the praetor I looked up to. You were supposed to be so fair, such a good leader. And now you..." Hazel stomped her foot and stormed out of the mess hall. Leo tried to call after her.
"Hazel! Ah, jeez. I should - "
"You've done enough." Frank growled at Leo and he started to follow Hazel, but Emily got up and put her hand on his shoulder but it was Piper that spoke.
"Give her time," Piper turned to Jason and Leo before she frowned at Leo and Jason. "You guys, that was pretty cold." Jason looked shocked, even though he shouldn't be.
"Cold? I'm just being cautious!"
"Her siblings is dying."
"I'll go talk to her." Emily kept her grip on his shoulder.
"No, Let her cool down first. Trust me on this. I'll go check on her in a few minutes."
"But... Fine. I'll wait." When Emily was sure he wasn't going to go after Hazel and Frank sat down that Emily let go of Frank's shoulder before she stormed over to Jason and she touched one of the leaves on her green bracelet and it turned into a dagger and she stabbed just in front of Jason of who looked utterly shock as well as everyone else in the mess hall.
"ARE YOU INSANE? DO YOU EVEN HAVE A BRAIN OR HAVE FEELINGS?"
"I was being cautio ... "
"CAUTIOUS OF WHAT, YOU ACCUSED NICO, ARABELLA AND MYSELF AS BEING AGENTS OF GAEA!"
"I never said you were."
"YOU DID TO, YOU SAID THAT BOTH ARABELLA AND NICO KNEW ABOUT BOTH CAMPS. I KNEW ABOUT BOTH CAMPS LONGER THAN EITHER ONE OF THEM. I KNEW ABOUT THEM FOR SEVENTY YEARS, FOR SEVENTY YEARS, I WATCHED OUT FOR BOTH CAMPS AND PROTECTED THEM BOTH AS BEST AS I COULD AND HELP TRAIN THE DEMIGODS IF AND WHEN I COULD."
"But you are different."
"HOW AM I DIFFERENT FROM THE REASON THAT YOU MADE OF SAYING THAT NICO AND ARABELLA ARE TRAITORS? HOW?" Everyone else backed away from Emily and Jason, the shadows and darkness was being pulled toward Emily, the aura of death and fear surrounding Emily was great. Jason was shaking out of fear, he couldn't even meet her eyes. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF SOMETHING HAPPENED AT NEW ROME? A CIVIL WAR COULD HAVE BEEN STARTED, I DID NOTHING BUT PROTECT NEW ROME AND THE GREEKS AND DO EVERYTHING I COULD TO MAKE SURE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. AS WLEL AS TO HOPE TO BRING ONE DAY PEACE BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS, IF IT WAS POSSIBLE. AFTER A WHILE, ARABELLA AND NICO STARTED TO HELP ME IN MAKING SURE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN SINCE IT WAS GETTING DIFFICULT OF MAKING SURE THE ROMANS ANS GREEKS DIDN'T MEET TILL IT WAS TIME FOR THE PROPHECY OF THE EIGHT TO START AND YOU DARE TO ACCUSE THE OF THEIR LOYALTIES AND BEING TRAITORS."
Emily pulled her dagger out from the table and out the hilt against the bracelet and it become a Greek leaf once more. "This is one reason why the gods split the two sides apart because they are almost always accuse each other of things when they should be working together." Jason opened his mouth to say something, but Emily turned and left before Jason could say anything.
Bucky's pov
Bucky would admit that when he went to New Rome with Emily a few times in the last year that he saw Emily get mad. That was mostly because of how thick headed some of the Romans were being, Bucky was glad that he was with Emily when he went and he could understand of why she didn't let him go there by himself till he was more ready. But the Romans got used to him and Emily rarely got mad when he was there at New Rome, not only that but he was glad that Steve and Emily were not Romans. For he couldn't began to think of what it would be like for Steve if he went to Camp Jupiter if he found out he was a demigod sooner than he did. With what Rome stood for that Bucky didn't think Steve have a much of a chance of following Rome's ways till after the serum. With Emily, she has a slightly better chance of making it through the legion than Steve did, even if Emily was one of the most kindest and gentle people that he knows. He knows she had a temper in her before he fell off the train, for it showed up from time to time, but it was nothing compared to the temper Lauren could put on.
When Bucky and Emily reunited that Emily hardly changed, he knew that she has changed some but he rarely saw those changes, even when he was at Camp Jupiter with her. But he cousin see the slightly roughness and toughness she displayed at Camp Jupiter, even though she used the shadows to push people back at her still make sure that they were not hurt to badly. He hadn't been surprised when Emily got up and stopped Frank from going after Hazel, Bucky knew that Emily was bothered by what Jason and Leo said, though it was more with Jason than Leo. For it was clear that Leo didn't really meant fully of what he said as oppose to Jason. But what followed after Emily let go of Frank's shoulders had shocked Bucky for not once has he ever see Emily like that. When she left the room that he looked at Steve, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey of were the only other ones in the mess hall that knew Emily the best besides Jennifer of who was sitting in the corner crying. The looks he got from Steve, Lauren, Phil and Aubrey clearly showed that they never saw Emily like that before.
Bucky noticed that Emily's temper seem bigger when he reunited with her, for he saw it a few times and each time he thought he saw the worst of it. But that has to be the worst he ever seen her temper, the other times he saw her lost her temper since coming back into her life that he was glad he wasn't on her anger end. With what happened that he hoped he would never be on her anger end, for Bucky could safely say that was scary. He tried to think of what that temper would be like before he fell off the train, but he couldn't, Bucky believes that was partly because her temper before was not nearly as scary. No one seems want to move or say anything when Emily stormed out, Jason sat there with his eyes wide open and he looked like a fish with his mouth hanging open. After a while in the silence that there was a whirring sound, like a large drill, that broke the silence that was in the Mess Hall.
"That's Festus, I've got him on autopilot, but we must be nearing Atlanta. I'll have to get up there... uh, assuming we know where to land." Everyone turned to Pecy, Jason raised an eyebrow,
"You're Captain Salt Water. Any ideas from the expert?" Bucky could hear the resentment in Jason's voice, he wasn't sure of why Jason would be resentful towards Percy.
"I'm not sure. Somewhere central, high up so we can get a good view of the city. Maybe a park with some woods? We don't want to land a warship in the middle of downtown. I doubt even the Mist could cover up something that huge." Leo nodded.
"On it." Leo raced for the stairs. Frank settled back in his chair as well as the others, it was clear that Frank felt protective over Hazel as well as Emily. Even before Emily become the champion of Hestia, after his supposed death, that Emily cared for her family and did everything she could to protect Steve and Lauren or did her best to keep them out of harm's way as she could. She did the same thing with Bucky as well, it was just in her nature, he expected Emily to reacted to what Jason said earlier but not the reaction that Jason got. Bucky noticed the baleful look Frank was giving Leo as Leo left the mess hall.
"When we land, I'll scout around in Atlanta. Frank, I could use your help."
"You mean turn into a dragon again? Honestly, Percy, I don't want to spend the whole quest being everyone's flying taxi."
"No, I want you with me because you've got the blood of Poseidon. Maybe you can help me figure out where to find salt water. Besides, you're good in a fight."
"Sure. I guess."
"Great, We should take one more. Annabeth - "
"Oh, no! Young lady, you are grounded." Annabeth stared at Gleeson like he was speaking in a foreign language, Bucky was sure he wouldn't be telling that to Emily or any of them that were married or even Phil and Aubrey.
"Excuse me?"
"You and Jackson are not going anywhere together! I'll go with Frank and Mr. Sneaky Jackson. The rest of you guard the ship and make sure Annabeth doesn't break any more rules!" When they got on deck that Bucky heard Percy say wow and Bucky couldn't agree more. They landed near the summit of a forested hill, a complex of white buildings nestled in a grove of pines to the left. It looked like a university or a museum, below them spread the city of Atlanta, a cluster of brown spans silver downtown skyscrapers two miles away. Bucky wished Emily could see this but she wasn't up here, he figured she was down in their cabin. Coach Hedge inhaled the morning air.
"Ah, lovely spot. Good choice, Valdez."
"I just picked a tall hill. That's a presidential library or something over there. At least that's what Festus says."
"I don't know about that! But do you realize what happened on this hill? Frank Zhang, you should know!" Bucky looked at the satyr as Frank flinched.
"I should?"
"A son of Ares stood here!"
"I'm Roman...so Mars, actually."
"Whatever! Famous spot in the American Civil War!"
"I'm Canadian, actually."
"Whatever! General Sherman, Union leader. He stood on this hill watching the city of Atlanta burn. Cut a path of destruction all the way from here to the sea. Burning, looting, pillaging - now there was a demigod!" Frank inches away from the satyr, Bucky couldn't blame Frank, Bucky wasn't sure of what to make of this satyr. Bucky meet satyrs before in Camp Halfblood and until last December he never meet a satyr that was unlike any other satyr he meet. The two that seem the most comfortable around Coach was Lauren and Emily, Bucky couldn't understand of why that was.
"Uh, okay."
"Anyway, let's try not to burn down the city this time." Coach Hedge looked disappointed when Percy said that.
"All right. But where to?" Percy pointed downtown.
"When in doubt, start in the middle."
When Percy, Frank, and Coach Hedge left that everyone went to do their own thing, Bucky went back to his chain, hoping that Emily was in there. Sure enough when he entered the cabin that Emily was there laying on the bed sleeping, it seemed she cried herself to sleep. She was tossing and turning of which was usual for Emily to do, even before they got married. Bucky closed and locked the door before he worked over to the bed and stirred Emily gentle, after a minute that Emily woke up and was about ready to grasp her poppy but stopped when she saw it was Bucky. It looked like she she been crying, Emily sat up suddenly and throw her arms around his neck and put her head on his shoulder before she started to cry. Bucky wrapped his arms around her, wondering what happen in her dreams.
Emily's pov
Emily was mad, Jason should better than claim that they should be careful because he was unsure of where Arabella's and Nico's loyalties lie. Out of everyone there besides Hazel, Jennifer and Emily, that Jason should know where their loyalties lie. Just because it shady that both Arabella and Nico visited both camps doesn't mean that their loyalties wasn't to the gods. For she knows that is where their loyalties lie, she knows all to well and that they would protect their family. She knows that they were always pushed aside due to the fact they were children of the underworld. Everyone seem to judge them on that fact alone or at least in the demigod world, it was utterly stupid. Sure, most people don't know the underworld all that well, but that doesn't mean that children of Pluto or Hades were bad luck just because of who their father was or that they shouldn't be trusted. When Emily reached her cabin that she laid down and started to cry before falling asleep.
As she slept that she dream of her past from when Bucky fell form the train till the day before she found Phil and learned he was her half brother. Of which was about twenty years later, twenty years of being lost, alone, sad, unsure, and much more. It was a difficult time for her since she she lost so much and saw so much that it was hard to take in. She didn't have much comfort expect for her mother, Hestia, Persephone and Hades and even at times that wasn't enough and they knew it. She was always busy doing something including reading, she reached memory of the day of when she visited the area of where Bucky fell twenty years before when she found herself being shaking awake. When she was awake she went to grasp her poppy but stopped when she saw Bucky sitting on the bed next to her. She stopped herself, instead she sat up and threw her arms around his neck and started to cry into his shoulder. She felt Bucky wrap his arms around her for comfort, Emily wasn't sure of how long they were like before she managed to stop crying but she kept her head on his shoulder.
"Emily, are you all right?" Emily lifted her head, her Hestia powers were still somewhat wacky because of her child. Emily wasn't sure if her child has anything to do what what she did earlier but she doubted that very much. For she hardly even noticed her Hestia powers when she got mad at Jason or any roman, the memories in her dreams scared and worried her. It felt like they were symbols, signs or something, than again she might be over thinking that.
"I have been better." Emily looked at Bucky before she spoke. "Don't worry the child is fine and what happen nothing to do with the child." It seem Bucky was slightly relief when Emily said that, she knows that Bucky see her become mad before. There was only a few times of when Emily got as mad as she did with Jason, however that was pretty much against Hades or Octavian. So Bucky never saw that, she only got mad at Hades because of some of the dumb things he has done.
"I never seen you get that mad before."
"I know, it only happened a few times before, all of those times was before I knew of what really happen to you as well as Steve and Lauren. So it was like over two years ago since I last lost it like that. It was just really annoying when Jason thought that their loyalties were to Gaea, I know Nico and Arabella well enough to know that they never would side with her. More so with the fact she trapped them in that bronze jar. It always seem like the Romans were either blaming Neptune, Pluto or Athena in her greek form for half of their problems or bad luck. I can understand that, just from the roman past. But it really needs to be fix, badly."
"I have to admit it was rather scary, I wouldn't be surprised if Jason wet himself from that." Emily smiled when Bucky said that. "Before the train, I saw you lose your temper but it was never scary before, at least it doesn't happen very often like in the past. However you were just as scary when you were mad as you are fighting."
"Hurray for that, I am aware of that. Anyway, the main reason why this time my temper was scary because of one simple change. That is the fact Hades adopted me, so when I lost my temper now, shadows and darkness reach out to me and I can't control the death and fear aura that comes off of me like I can the rest of the time." Than Emily heard people rushing by, the door opened and Phil entered, he looked between Bucky and Emily. Emily knew that her cheeks were stained with tears and that her hair was rather messy, but she didn't care though. But at least Phil looked relieved that she was no longer angry.
"Frank, Percy and Coach Hedge came back. We need to move."
"Where did they go?" Bucky helped Emily up as they went to the door and followed Phil.
"They went into Atlanta." Leo, Piper, Jason, Steve, Lauren, and Aubrey were already up there. It looked like they have been eating lunch or something since Leo was holding a half eaten grilled cheese sandwich.
"What? What? Can't a guy even take a lunch break? What's wrong?"
"Followed!"
"Followed by what?"
"I don't know! Whales? Sea monsters? Maybe Kate and Porky!" Emily looked at Bucky of who shrugged.
"That makes absolutely no sense. Leo, you'd better get us out of here." Leo put his sandwich between his teeth and ran to the helm. Soon the Argo II was rising in the sky and there was no sign of being followed, it seems that Percy, Gleeson, and Frank didn't calm down till the city was far behind them. Percy was hobbling around the deck like an old man and he sounded shaken up.
"Charleston, Set course for Charleston."
"Charleston? What exactly did you find in Atlanta?" Frank unzipped his backpack and started taking out stuff.
"Some peach preserves. A couple of T-shirts. A snow globe. And, um, these not-really-Chinese handcuffs." Emily raised an eyebrow when Frank pulled that stuff out, it seem that Frank was a bit clueless with the question that was asked.
"How about you start from the top - of the story, not the backpack." They gathered around the quarterdeck so Leo could hear the conversation as he navigated. Percy and Frank took turns of telling them of what happen to them, Gleeson interjecting from time to time with that was awesome or than he kicked her in the head. It seemed like Gleeson forget about what happened with Annabeth and Percy last night for the time being. But there was worse things to worry about, when Percy brought the captive sea creatures that Emily felt sorry for the animals.
"That's terrible. We need to help them."
"We will in time. But I have to figure out how. I wish... Never mind. First we have to deal with this bounty on our heads." Gleeson lost interest in the conversation by that point and wandered toward the bow of the ship. Emily tugged slightly at her poppy as Annabeth gripped the hilt of her dagger.
"A bounty on our heads...as if we didn't attract enough monsters already."
"Do we get WANTED posters? And do they have our bounties, like, broken down on a price list?" Hazel wrinkled her nose, Emily rolled her eyes when Leo said that.
"What are you talking about?"
"Just curious how much I'm going for these days,mI mean, I can understand not being as pricey as Percy or Jason, maybe...but am I worth, like, two Franks, or three Franks?"
"Hey!"
"Knock it off, at least we know our next step is to go to Charleston, to find this map." Emily leaned into Bucky as Piper leaned against the control panel.
"A map. But a map to what?"
"The Mark of Athena." Percy looked at Annabeth, like he was afraid he'd overstepped something. Emily figured that Annabeth didn't want to talk about.
"Whatever that is. We know it leads to something important in Rome, something that might heal the rift between the Romans and Greeks."
"The giants' bane."
"And in my dream, the twin giants said something about a statue. Emily brought the state as well." Frank was rolling his not exactly Chinese handcuffs between his fingers.
"Um... According to Phorcys, we'd have to be insane to try to find it. But what is it?" Everyone looked at Annabeth and Emily, than Emily spoke. Emily looked at Annabeth of looked scared, Emily couldn't blame her for the one prophecy was becoming more clear to Annabeth. But Annabeth was still unsure about it though. Emily stepped away from Bucky and took a couple of steps toward Annabeth before putting her hands on Annabeth's shoulders.
"It is becoming clear to you know of what you must do and what is waiting for you in Rome. I have guesses when I came across that legend and story with the things I heard from Camp Jupiter among other sources. Every attempt so far has failed, but I do believe this time this attempt won't fail. But what will happen and how it will succeed is something I can't say." Jason spoke up.
"How can you be sure this time it will succeed." Emily looked at Jason.
"Because eight of the greatest heroes must travel to stop the giants and the earth. Putting the eight together would be one of the greatest quests ever. One that would be remembered for a long time. Even though there isn't a civil war on, the rift must be healed." Everyone was looking at Emily and Annabeth, than Annabeth spoke.
"I - I'm close to an answer, I'll know more if we find this map. Jason, the way you reacted to the name Charleston...have you been there before?" Jason glanced uneasily at Piper.
"Yeah, Reyna and I did a quest there about a year ago. We were salvaging Imperial gold weapons from the C.S.S. Hunley."
"The what?"
"Whoa! That's the first successful military submarine. From the Civil War. I always wanted to see that."
"It was designed by Roman demigods. It held a secret stash of Imperial gold torpedoes - until we rescued them and brought them back to Camp Jupiter." Hazel crossed her arms.
"So the Romans fought on the Confederate side? As a girl whose grandmother was a slave, can I just say...not cool?" Jason put his hands in front of him palms up.
"I personally was not alive then. And it wasn't all Greeks on one side and all Romans on the other. But, yes. Not cool. Sometimes demigods make bad choices." Jason looked at Hazel and Jennifer. Before he looked at Emily sheepishly. "Like sometimes we're too suspicious. And we speak without thinking." Emily watched Jason grow up and knew that this was his of saying sorry. Jason elbowed Leo of who yelped.
"Ow! I mean, yeah...bad choices. Like not trusting people's siblings who, you know, might need saving. Hypothetically speaking."
"Yes, but one trends to be angry more at one person than another." From the glare Emily sent Jason that Jason knew she was more angry at him than she was at Leo. Even though Leo started it, Jason made it worse than Leo did, more so since Jason knows Nico and Arabella better than Leo knows Nico and Arabella.
"Fine. Back to Charleston. Are you saying we should check that submarine again?"
"Well...I can think of two places in Charleston we might search. The museum where they keep the Hunley - that's one of them. It has a lot of relics from the Civil War. A map could be hidden in one. I know the layout. I could lead a team inside."
"I'll go. That sounds cool." Jason nodded when Leo said that before turning to Frank of who was trying to pull his fingers out of the Chinese handcuffs.
"You should come too, Frank. We might need you." Frank looked surprised.
"Why? Not like I was much good at that aquarium."
"You did fine. It took all three of us to break that glass."
"Besides, you're a child of Mars. The ghosts of defeated causes are bound to serve you. And the museum in Charleston has plenty of Confederate ghosts. We'll need you to keep them in line." Frank gulped, he seems relented
"Okay. Sure." Frank frowned at his fingers, trying to pull them out of the trap. "Uh, how do you - ?" Emily smiled as Leo chuckled.
"Man, you've never seen those before? There's a simple trick to getting out." Frank tugged again with no luck, Hazel was trying it laugh as well as everyone else. Frank grimaced with concentration, suddenly he disappeared. Where he was standing was a green iguana crouched next to an empty set of Chinese handcuffs. Leo did his impression of Chiron.
"Well done, Frank Zhang. That is exactly how people beat Chinese handcuffs. They turn into iguanas." Everyone busted out laughing and Frank turned back to a human before picking up the handcuffs and putting them in his backpack.
"Anyway. The museum is one place to search. But, uh, Jason, you said there were two?" Jason's smiled faded when Frank said that.
"Yeah. The other place is called the Battery - it's a park right by the harbor. The last time I was there...with Reyna... We saw something in the park. A ghost or some sort of spirit, like a Southern belle from the Civil War, glowing and floating along. We tried to approach it, but it disappeared whenever we got close. Then Reyna had this feeling - she said she should try it alone. Like maybe it would only talk to a girl. She went up to the spirit by herself, and sure enough, it spoke to her." Everyone waited for Jason to say something.
"What did it say?"
"Reyna wouldn't tell me. But it must have been important. She seemed...shaken up. Maybe she got a prophecy or some bad news. Reyna never acted the same around me after that." No one said anything quite yet, it seems that Annabeth was thinking and considering of what Jason said.
"A girls' adventure, then Piper and Hazel can come with me." Both nodded, though Hazel looked nervous, than Annabeth turned and looked at Emily. "Do you mind to come with us as well." Emily was surprised by that, she expected to stay on the ship, she looked at Bucky and the others. Bucky nodded, Emily looked at Annabeth.
"All right I will go along as well. The last time I had a girl's adventure was just before World War II when Lauren and I played our last capture the flag before entering the SSR." Lauren snorted.
"I remember that, those Ares kids were either tangled in trees or their armor were burned from lightning." Emily smiled slightly when Lauren said that. Than Jason spoke up.
"Bucky, Phil and Steve can come with us. Percy can stay here." Jason looked at Lauren and Aubrey. "Do you mind if you two stay here as well." Lauren spoke.
"No, we don't mind." Lauren put her arm over Aubrey's shoulder. "It will give the two of us some girl talk." Lauren winked at Emily, Emily covered her hand with her mouth to prevent her from laughing. Emily knew what she was planning, since during the war and after Emily started dating Bucky , even after she married him, that they have late night talks provided that they were in the same camp. They used to tease Steve and Bucky a lot though Bucky and Steve never heard most of those things because of the late night talks. Emily removed her hand form her mouth and spoke.
"You two better have fun."
"So that's settled." Annabeth turned to Leo, who was studying his console, listening to Festus creak and click over the intercom. "Leo, how long until we reach Charleston?"
"Good question, Festus just detected a large group of eagles behind us - long-range radar, still not in sight." Piper leaned over the console.
"Are you sure they're Roman?"
"No, Pipes. It could be a random group of giant eagles flying in perfect formation. Of course they're Roman! I suppose we could turn the ship around and fight - "
"Which would be a very bad idea, those Eagles are trained to fight in the air. That also means that John decided to come after us."
"Or I've got another idea, If we went straight to Charleston, we could be there in a few hours. But the eagles would overtake us, and things would get complicated. Instead, we could send out a decoy to trick the eagles. We take the ship on a detour, go the long way to Charleston, and get there tomorrow morning - " Hazel started to protest but Leo went on. "I know, I know. Nico and Arabella are in trouble and we have to hurry."
"It's June twenty-seventh. After today, four more days. Then they die."
"I know! But this might throw the Romans off our trail. We still should have enough time to reach Rome."
"When you say should have enough..."
"How do you feel about barely enough?" Hazel put her face in her hands for a count of three,
"Sounds about typical for us."
"Okay, Leo. What kind of decoy are we talking about?"
"Hang on." Everyone looked over at Emily. "Where are this eagles?" Leo moved over and she looked at the long range radar. It was eagles but from the way they were moving that it seem a bit odd for an eagle, Lauren come over and looked down at the radar as well before she spoke.
"There is something wrong with nose eagles." Emily reached out with her powers form Hades and Hestia as well as her protection over New Rome, she wasn't sure what she expected. She noticed something, the eagles were shades and she could sense half of the first and second cohort behind them. The rest of the legion were back at Camp Jupiter, it was clear that the power hungry and the Greek hating Romans were after them lead by John.
"The Eagles are shades and half of the first and second cohort are trying to follow us. I will deal with the first and second cohort members that decided to follow whoever, I am going to assume that it isJohn, is leading them." Emily looked at Leo. "It looks like we need that decoy."
"All right and I'm so glad you asked!" He punched a few buttons on the console, rotated the turntable, and repeatedly pressed the A button on his Wii controller really, really fast. He called into the intercom, "Buford? Report for duty, please." Frank took a step back as Emily rolled her eyes when he did so.
"There's somebody else on the ship? Who is Buford?" A puff of steam shot from the stairwell and Leo's automatic table climbed on deck. Emily only saw him once before when Leo brought it back after it ran away or something like that. Emily knows he was on the ship but Buford stay in the engine room for the most part, Emily figured that Leo would brought Buford with him.
"This is Buford."
"You name your furniture?" Leo snorted.
"Man, you just wish you had furniture this cool. Buford, are you ready for Operation End Table?" Buford spewed steam and he stepped to the railing, his top split into for pie slices of which elongated into wooden blades. The blades spun and Buford took off.
"A helicopter table. Gotta admit, that's cool. What's in the bag?"
"Dirty demigod laundry, I hope you don't mind, Frank."
"What?"
"It'll throw the eagles off our scent."
"Those were my only extra pants!" Leo shrugged.
"I asked Buford to get them laundered and folded while he's out. Hopefully he will." Leo rubbed his hands and grinned. "Well! I call that a good day's work. I'm gonna calculate our detour route now. See you all at dinner!"
That night Emily slept better than when she fell asleep after yelling at Jason, Emily figured that was partly because she got so use to Bucky sleeping next to her, in the last year and half or so, that without him there that it brought back nightmares. Before that, Emily didn't have much trouble sleeping by herself expect for the first five years after Emily lost Bucky. When Emily woke up that Bucky was gone already, she figure he was getting ready or on his way to the museum with the other boys on the ship, that is all the boys but Percy and Gleeson. Emily did wondered of what it would be like to be with them at the museum but she has something to do herself that day. When Emily reached the deck that Gleeson said that the boys would be back at sunset or they promised to be. When Annabeth came up that Emily, Piper, and Hazel were waiting for her, Percy was at the rail. Lauren and Aubrey were down below in Aubrey's cabin, Emily was sure that they were talking about Phil and Steve. First Annabeth turned to Percy.
"What are you going to do while we're gone?"
"Jump into the harbor, I want to try communicating with the local Nereids. Maybe they can give me some advice about how to free those captives in Atlanta. Besides, I think the sea might be good for me. Being in that aquarium made me feel...unclean." Annabeth kissed Percy.
"Good luck, Seaweed Brain. Just come back to me, okay?"
"I will. You do the same." Than Annabeth turned to Piper and Hazel.
"Okay, ladies. Let's find the ghost of the Battery."
As they walked along the battery that Emily wondered what will happen when they find this woman that Jason spoke of, Emily looked at the signs, according to the signs that the seaside park was called white point gardens. The ocean breeze swept away the heat of summer afternoon, the heat didn't bother her too much nor did the cold. However before the heat and the cold did bother her, that was only because she wasn't the daughter of hades or the champion of Hestia. There were old civil war cannons and bronze statues of historical figures. The Charleston harbor was glittering in the sun, to the north and south were strips of land stretched out like arms enclosing the bay. A mile out there was an island with a stone fort, Emily knew that fort but didn't comment on it. They turned away from the sea wall and explored the inland side of the gardens, Emily looked around. The four of them strolled along south battery street, there were lines of four story colonial mansions. The brick walls were blackened with ivy. The front gardens were bursting with rose bushes, honeysuckle, and flowering bougainvillea. It was like her mother put a timer on the gardens and forget to check on them.
"Kind of reminds me of New Rome. All the big mansions and the gardens. The columns and arches." Emily didn't say anything as they walked, no one else did either. Emily kept looking around, it seem hard to believe the history that goes with places like this. Emily wasn't the only one looking around for Piper was as well, Emily was sure that was partly due to the fact of what happened at Kansas. Hazel was preoccupied as well and was deep in thought, but it was hard to tell for sure if it was because of Nico and Arabella or if she was taking in the surroundings. As they walked around that Emily noticed something out of the corner if her eye, it was a figure of a woman. It seems Piper noticed the figure as well for Piper grabbed Annabeth's arm.
"There." Piper pointed across the harbor, a hundred yards out a shimmering white figure floated on the water. Emily knew it wasn't a small boat for it was moving more smoothly than a boat and it was making a straight line towards them.
"The ghost."
"That's not a ghost. No kind of spirit glows that brightly." As Emily looked at the figure that Emily notice that Piper was in some kind of trance, Piper walked across the street toward the edge of the sea wall. She narrowly avoiding a horse drawn carriage. Emily panicked slightly as she watched.
"Piper!"
"We'd better follow her." When Annabeth, Emily, and Hazel caught up with Piper that the ghostly figure was only a few yards away. Piper was glaring at it like the sight offended her.
"It is her." Emily looked between Piper and the ghost, Emily wondered what Piper meant by that. The figure floated up the sea wall and stopped in front of them, than the glow faded and Emily understood of what Piper meant. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, her features seem to shift from one glamorous movie star to another. Her eyes sparkled playfully and her eyes were blue, the same color as Emily's eye color, her hair was long, straight and blond much like Emily's hair color and she wore no make up. The woman was dressed like a southern belle, just as Jason described, her gown was a low cut bodice of pink silk and a three tiered hoop skirt with white scalloped lace. She wore tall white silk gloves and held a feathered pink and white fan to her chest. But the woman held a grace that Emily couldn't match in a feminine way and she seem to radiated feminine charm that no man could possibly resist her. But the effect on Emily was not as great on her as it was with Annabeth or Hazel, she was unsure about the effect on Piper.
"Aphrodite."
"Venus?"
"Mom."
"Girls!" The goddess spread her arms like she wanted a group hug. The four of them didn't hug her though, Hazel backed into a palmetto tree.
"I'm so glad you're here. War is coming. Bloodshed is inevitable. So there's really only one thing to do."
"Uh...and that is?"
"Why, have tea and chat, obviously. Come with me!" Emily followed Aphrodite to the central pavilion in the gardens, a white pillared gazebo where there was a table set with silverware, china cups and of course a steaming pot of tea. The fragrance shifted as easily as Aphrodite's appearance, sometimes cinnamon, Jasmine or mint. When Emily smelled the cinnamon that she remembered what Bucky told her shortly after Bucky found Emily in the HYDRA base before just before she passed out, that among her smell of nature that she smelled like cinnamon as well. There were plates of scones, cookies and muffins, fresh butter and jam. Aphrodite sat in a wicker peacock chair, she poured the tea and served cakes without getting anything on her clothes. Her posture was perfect and her smile dazzling, Emily was rather glad that the boys were at the museum, though she wished she were with them instead. Honestly, she preferred fighting than sitting here drinking tea with Aphrodite.
"Oh, my sweet girls, I do love Charleston! The weddings I've attended in this gazebo - they bring tears to my eyes. And the elegant balls in the days of the Old South. Ah, they were lovely. Many of these mansions still have statues of me in their gardens, though they called me Venus."
"Which are you? Venus or Aphrodite?" Aphrodite sipped her tea and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Emily spoke.
"I don't think that really matters, Annabeth." Before Annabeth said anything that Aphrodite spoke and she seem to not pay attention to what Emily said.
"Annabeth Chase, you've grown into quite a beautiful young lady. You really should do something with your hair, though. Emily, you really should wear make up." Emily rolled her eyes when Aphrodite said that, like that would ever happen, the only time she ever wore make up was at Steve's wedding as well as her own wedding. The rest of the time that Emily didn't see any point of wearing make up, that was mostly due to the fact she didn't care or want to wear make up. If she did wore a little make up at camp, she would have stopped when she formed the howling commandos with Steve. "And, Hazel Levesque, your clothes - "
"My clothes?" Hazel looked down at her rumpled denim, confused, as if she couldn't imagine what was wrong with them.
"Mother! You're embarrassing me."
"Well, I don't see why, Just because you don't appreciate my fashion tips, Piper, doesn't mean the others won't. I could do a quick makeover for Emily, Annabeth and Hazel, perhaps silk ball gowns like mine - "
"Mother!"
"Fine, To answer your question, Annabeth, I am both Aphrodite and Venus. Unlike many of my fellow Olympians, I changed hardly at all from one age to the other. In fact, I like to think I haven't aged a bit! Love is love, after all, whether you're Greek or Roman. This civil war won't affect me as much as it will the others." Emily knew this already, there were only a few gods or goddess that were not affected by what was happening to most of the gods, even Emily's own mother was being affected. Hazel was nibbling on a sugar cookie.
"We're not in a war yet, my lady." Aphrodite folded her fan.
"Oh, dear Hazel. Such optimism, yet you have heartrending days ahead of you. Of course war is coming. Love and war always go together. They are the peaks of human emotion! Evil and good, beauty and ugliness." Aphrodite smiled at Annabeth, Emily hadn't touched the tea or anything, not because it wasn't good. It was just that she didn't want any of it, Hazel set down her sugar cookie.
"What do you mean, heartrending days?" Aphrodite laughed when Hazel said this.
"Well, Annabeth and Emily could give you some idea. I once promised to make Annabeth's love life interesting. And didn't I? However I never made that promise to Emily since we never spoke before now." Emily glared at Aphrodite. Emily never spoke to Aphrodite before now but Emily saw her from time to time when she went up to the winter and summer solstice with her father and sister, though her father and Arabella never went to the summer solstice. Though Emily only ever loved one man, Bucky, for about sixty eight to seventy years she thought he was lost to her. Even though her love never died for him, he returned only to be the winter soldier, she still remembered that day she she saw him standing in the way of their efforts to stop HYDRA. Emily was almost sure that Aphrodite had a part in playing that Bucky could remember her and nothing else of his life till he went to the museum.
"Interesting is a mild way of putting it."
"Well, I can't take credit for all your troubles. But I do love twists and turns in a love story. Oh, all of you are such excellent stories - I mean, girls. You do me proud!"
"To you maybe." Aphrodite looked over at Emily when she said that. Aphrodite noticed Emily hadn't touched anything on her plate or her tea.
"Why haven't you eaten or drink?"
"For I am neither hungry or thirsty. Did you by any chance have Bucky remember me when he become the winter soldier?"
"That wasn't my doing, dear. My doing was when you first meet him before your father died as well as help form the demigod project that you were leading so you two would meet back up again. You and Bucky share a special bond, one that can't be broken. You and Bucky are among the few that have the true love bond, Steve and Lauren are among those few as well. I believe it is because of that bond between you and Bucky is the reason he remembered you when he remembered nothing else. When you two first meet, I was just thinking of just the teenage years. But when your friendship started to take shape the year after that I saw that you two have that bond. Not even I could tear you two apart from each other even in death. I just help so you two could meet again."
"What the Helicarrier, the time Bucky was there fighting with Steve without his memories of Steve? Was that your doing?"
"I had nothing to do with that." Emily was about ready to question Aphrodite but Piper spoke.
"Mother, is there a reason you're here?"
"Hmm? Oh, you mean besides the tea? I often come here. I love the view, the food, the atmosphere - you can just smell the romance and heartbreak in the air, can't you? Centuries of it." Aphrodite pointed to a nearby mansion.
"Do you see that rooftop balcony? We had a party there the night the American Civil War began. The shelling of Fort Sumter."
"That's it. The island in the harbor. That's where the first fighting of the Civil War happened. The Confederates shelled the Union troops and took the fort."
"Oh, such a party! A string quartet, and all the men in their elegant new officers' uniforms. The women's dresses - you should've seen them! I danced with Ares - or was he Mars? I'm afraid I was a little giddy. And the beautiful bursts of light across the harbor, the roar of the cannons giving the men an excuse to put their arms around their frightened sweethearts!" Annabeth wasn't eating anything either, of which Emily was glad of.
"You're talking about the beginning of the bloodiest war in U.S. history. Over six hundred thousand people died - more Americans than in World War One and World War Two combined."
"And the refreshments! Ah, they were divine. General Beauregard himself made an appearance. He was such a scoundrel. He was on his second wife, then, but you should have seen the way he looked at Lisbeth Cooper - "
"Mother!" Piper tossed her scone to the pigeons.
"Yes, sorry. To make the story short, I'm here to help you, girls. I doubt you'll be seeing Hera much. Your little quest has hardly made her welcome in the throne room. And the other gods are rather indisposed, as you know, torn between their Roman and Greek sides. Some more than others. I suppose you've told your friends about your falling-out with your mother?" Emily looked over at Annabeth, Emily had a feeling at some point Annabeth meet her mother before this quest happened for she sense that Annabeth's relationship with her mother was strained.
"Falling-out?"
"An argument. It's nothing."
"Nothing! Well, I don't know about that. Athena was the most Greek of all goddesses. The patron of Athens, after all. When the Romans took over...oh, they adopted Athena after a fashion. She became Minerva, the goddess of crafts and cleverness. But the Romans had other war gods who were more to their taste, more reliably Roman - like Bellona - "
"Reyna's mom."
"Yes, indeed, I had a lovely talk with Reyna a while back, right here in the park. And the Romans had Mars, of course. And later, there was Mithras - not even properly Greek or Roman, but the legionnaires were crazy about his cult. I always found him crass and terribly nouveau dieu, personally. At any rate, the Romans quite sidelined poor Athena. They took away most of her military importance. The Greeks never forgave the Romans for that insult. Neither did Athena."
"The Mark of Athena, It leads to the statue, doesn't it?"
"You are clever, like your mother. Understand, though, your siblings, the children of Athena, have been searching for centuries. None has succeeded in recovering the statue. In the meantime, they've been keeping alive the Greek feud with the Romans. Every civil war...so much bloodshed and heartbreak...has been orchestrated largely by Athena's children."
"That's..." Emily knew what Annabeth was going to say, Emily meet Athena in her roman form before. It was not pleasant, Emily felt awful of what the Romans did to her.
"Romantic? Yes, I supposed it is."
"But... The Mark of Athena, how does it work? Is it a series of clues, or a trail set by Athena - "
"Hmm. I couldn't say. I don't believe Athena created the Mark consciously. If she knew where her statue was, she'd simply tell you where to find it. No...I'd guess the Mark is more like a spiritual trail of bread crumbs. It's a connection between the statue and the children of the goddess. The statue wants to be found, you see, but it can only be freed by the most worthy."
"And for thousands of years, no one has managed."
"Hold on, What statue are we talking about?" Emily looked at Piper, than it seems that Piper realized which statue it was. However Aphrodite laughed.
"Oh, I'm sure Annabeth can fill you in. At any rate, the clue you need is close by: a map of sorts, left by the children of Athena in 1861 - a remembrance that will start you on your path, once you reach Rome. But as you said, Annabeth Chase, no one has ever succeeded in following the Mark of Athena to its end. There you will face your worst fear - the fear of every child of Athena. And even if you survive, how will you use your reward? For war or for peace?" Emily watched Annabeth, Aphrodite was already confirming of what Emily guessed and figures.
"This map, where is it?"
"Guys!" Hazel pointed to the sky. Emily looked up, above the palmetto trees were two large eagle shades, higher up was a flying chariot pulled by Pegasus. It seem that Aphrodite was paying no heed to the chariot for she was spreading butter on a muffin.
"Oh, the map is at Fort Sumter, of course." She pointed her butter knife toward the island across the harbor. "It looks like the Romans have arrived to cut you off. I'd get back to your ship in a hurry if I were you. Would you care for some tea cakes to go?"
They didn't bother to get anything, instead they just ran. Halfway across the dock three eagles descended in front of them, each deposited a roman commando in purple and denim with glittering armor, sword and shield. The eagles flew away, the roman in the middle raised his visor to reveal John. He was about ready to say something but stopped when Emily stepped forward. Emily grasp her poppy and it become her sword. Than Emily spoke in Latin.
"John, listen well as well as the ones who followed here. From this point on, you are traitors and outlaws of Rome. You are forever curse to wander and never find a home or even the Greek camp." As Emily spoke that the three Romans glowed purple in color, when the glow died that she heard the dying screech of the eagle shades as she used her Hades powers to kill them, the armor and weapons sprang off of them. John glared at her, Emily was in her normal appearance, he seem to have a hard time believe her and what she just did.
"We will fight those Greeks and finish them." Emily point her sword at him and spoke.
"Even if you found the camp, not only would you die but every roman will die the moment you enter the greek camp every roman that follows you will die and there would be no point in that battle with what you are fighting for." At those words that, another purple glow whet around them, Emily closed her fist before turning her palm down and opened it. Shadows and trees grabbed them than the four of them ran over to the Argo II and climbed aboard. Emily knew that the outlaw curse was permeant but she has no idea if not being able to find Camp Halfblood was permeant or not. When they climbed aboard that Annabeth ran to the helm.
"Piper, get below. Use the sink in the galley for an Iris-message. Warn Jason to get back here!" Piper nodded and raced off. Percy had climbed aboard as Piper ran off.
"Hazel, go find Coach Hedge and tell him to get his furry hindquarters on deck!"
"Right!"
"And Percy - you and I need to get this ship to Fort Sumter. Emily go and find Aubrey and Lauren." Emily ran down the stairs and went into Aubrey's cabin, when she was inside the cabin that she explained to Lauren and Aubrey and they went on the deck. Just after they got on deck that Gleeson came pounding up the stairs with Hazel behind him.
"Where are they? Who do I kill?"
"No killing! Just defend the ship!"
"But they interrupted a Chuck Norris movie!" Piper came up and spoke.
"Got a message through to Jason. Kind of fuzzy, but he's already on his way. He should be - oh! There!" Soaring over the city, heading their direction was a giant bald eagle, unlike the golden roman eagles.
"Frank!" Leo and Phil were holding onto the eagle's feet, even from the ship, Emily could hear Leo screaming and cursing. Phil wasn't screaming through, Emily knows Phil has been in a worst spot than he was now. However Steve was holding Bucky's arm as Bucky and Jason flew. Emily knew that Bucky could fly but till that moment, Emily never saw him do it before.
"Never seen Jason fly before, He looks like a blond Superman."
"This isn't the time! Look, they're in trouble!" The roman flying chariot descended from a cloud and was diving straight toward them. Jason, Frank, and Bucky managed to veered out of the way. The charioteers fired their bows.
"I'll get 'em!" Emily reacted quickly, before Gleeson could shot that she used the shadows and pulled him away just in time. Emily used her protection powers and the chariot started to rock back and forth, Emily managed to guide the chariot to the Argo II. During the whole time she kept her grip on Gleeson, when the chariot landed that the charioteers were surprised to see Emily standing there. She glared at them and they shrunk back.
"Why were you attacking us?" The charioteers looked at each other before one spoke.
"John said that you sent a message claiming that the Greeks were attacking." Piper had grabbed Gleeson when Emily pushed Gleeson over to her. Emily stepped towards them and spoke softly but it was loud to send shivers down their spine.
"Did he now? Don't you remember what Rachel said before she left on the Argo II as well as what Thomas said. You, as well as the Romans who foolishly follow John are here are traitors and outlaws and no longer allowed in New Rome. So hear me gods, if you are willingly to remove the mark that make them Romans." As she said that, the marks on their forearms disappeared and she could feel a fair amount of Romans leaving the protection about fifty or so. "Let it be known that if you find Camp Halfblood that your training will fail and that you would not be able to enter Camp Halfblood or you will die." The charioteers looked shocked at this. Before they could take off that Lauren used the wind and tossed the chariot over the side of the Aro II as Jason, Bucky, Steve, Leo and Frank landed on the deck. Emily looked at the island knowing Annabeth would have to go by herself.