"Oh great. I'm first." Frank sighed
AS HE MARCHED TO THE WAR GAMES…believe how close he'd come to death
"You get used to it." Clarisse waved it away.
"Wasn't used to it then." Frank shrugged
That morning on sentry duty…"I wish we had a fire."
"Your wish is my command." Leo grinned and got set himself on fire. Katie was sitting next to him and fell on her back in surprise. There were a few laughs even from her. Percy, being the fire extinguisher and wanting to have fun, dumped an entire bucket of water on Leo who screamed.
"That was cold!" He complained. Percy grinned. Hazel laughed.
Even with her armor on…but he'd never do that.
"Aww, my little brother is having a crush." Clarisse teased. Ares chuckled. Frank blushed.
"Happened to you too." He said defensively which then made Clarisse go red and Chris and Hazel chuckled and grinned at each other.
"That was a flattering description." Hazel smiled at Frank with a light blush.
"It was an understatement though. Can't describe how beautiful you look to me." Frank said with a smile. Everybody ooh'ed and Frank and Hazel blushed deeply.
"Love is indeed in the air." Connor laughed. Everybody nodded in agreement.
She'd probably hit him…a few minutes, and then I'd die.…
Everybody's eyebrows shot up to their hairlines.
"Bro. That's dark if I do say so myself." Nico said. Frank shrugged. Hazel sighed.
"Guess it explains why I thought that in the next line." He said.
It was scary that he even considered it…had the irrational urge to provide it.
"That explains it." Travis said with a light chuckle. Demeter raised an eyebrow at him and Travis went red and so did Katie.
He wanted to be the old-fashioned…more capable at everything than he was
"Not true." Hazel said to Frank "You're much better at certain things." Hazel said
"Really?" Frank asked with raised eyebrows
"I can't shoot a straight arrow if my life depends on it." Hazel chuckled.
"Well then, you won't have to. The person trying to harm you would be dead and the last thing he would see would be the tip of my arrow." Frank smiled at Hazel who blushed.
"Damnn." The guys echoed
"He's learning from the best." Ares grinned smugly
"Not the best best but sure. One of the best." Apollo corrected. Everybody laughed. Ares stared at him open mouthed and with a grin and then chucked a cushion at Apollo and the god of the sun ducked and the cushion instead hit Dionysus square in the nose.
"I swear to-. Damn, Ares." Dionysus grumbled but didn't seem too annoyed about it. Ares just grinned sheepishly.
He imagined what his grandmother…off his horse and break his neck.
Everybody chuckled.
Hard to believe it had been only…As long as it is safe, you are safe
Ares nodded.
"Just never let it get to your head." He said "Of course, not that you need it anymore." He added. Frank chuckled.
"Good advice, nonetheless." He said
The problem was that it burned so easily…blazed with a searing yellow flame
"Damn it." Leo sighed.
"That's another issue too." Ares said
It lit up the night and warmed Frank…For a horrible moment it kept burning.
"Normally I'm all for fire but not when its burning out somebody's life force." Leo shook his head
"Each thing has positives and negatives, kid." Hephaestus sighed.
"Agreed." Leo said
When it finally went out…that's all he thought about.
"Naturally." Everybody echoed.
On sentry duty with Hazel…they decided to give up
Everybody burst out laughing at that.
"I love that." Silena chuckled
"You tried, my dears. That's what matters." Aphrodite said to them with a smile. Frank and Hazel turned red.
Then Percy Jackson had arrived.
"Aw. Hate to be the spoiler of such a moment." Percy groaned. Everybody chuckled.
Sure, Frank had seen kids fight…Frank wished he had powers like that.
"So um, Frank I don't know how to break this to you but Percy can do much more." Lee said dramatically. Percy turned red.
"I know." Frank chuckled.
He could still feel the gorgons' claws…like dead mice and poison.
Ares yelped in pain as he felt the pain of claws digging into him and then groaned at the smell.
"Yikes. I sort of forgot about the curse." Michael grimaced.
If not for Percy, those grotesque hags…And it will not be easy.
"I choose my own path, lady." Frank said to Hera as he felt anger bubble inside him. He normally didn't get angry and he didn't like to either but like any other person even he had trigger points. In fact one of the trigger points for the house of heroes was somebody else trying to shape their path. Hazel kept her hand gently on Frank's while Hera was quiet.
Frank glanced at his bow in the corner…which had passed two weeks ago
Ares and Clarisse winced while Apollo sighed.
"Can't do anything… Sorry, man." He said
"It's all right." Frank chuckled.
"Well then, I'm sorry." Ares said genuinely
"Dad, we've been over this." Frank sighed
Sixteen was an important milestone…archery was a job for barbarians
"Hey!" All the archers in the room complained
"That's a ton of shit if I've ever heard some." Michael snorted
A good Roman should be in the fray…invisible was probably one of them.
Nico and Hades shook their heads.
"So that's why you're such a g…"Thanks for reminding me," Frank muttered.
Everybody chuckled good naturedly and Frank turned red.
"It was adorable, don't worry." Hazel consoled him. Frank smiled at her.
"Yes, I remember my sixteenth…I wasn't wearing it at the time."
Everybody roared with laughter.
"TMI TMI!" Leo and the Hermes kids shouted but were cracking up as well.
"That's good," Frank said…Too much information?"
Everybody grinned.
"Mm." Vitellius wasn't listening…What if I could use them?
Percy and Frank sighed.
"We would've had a good conversation about this, man but I think its real use belonged in the quest. Percy said
"Yeah." Frank agreed
"Yes." Vitellius studied the vials…carrying the curse of that Argonaut."
"That's just creepy." Rachel shook her head
"They're more intelligent than given credit for." Chiron informed
"That's true." Dakota nodded.
"The ... what?"… "But I've said enough!
"Even he knew?" Castor asked.
"Apparently so." Chiron nodded.
At any rate, I'll let you work…but Frank didn't know that much.
Percy pouted at Nico who gave him a sheepish grin.
"He's okay," Frank said
"More than okay." Will corrected.
"He's not like Hazel—"…but he decided not to say that
"Good move." The Greek house of heroes said in unison. Frank nodded.
"Sorry, Nico." He said
"I'm used to it." Nico waved it away.
"Yes, well, you shouldn't be." Beckendorf stated. Everybody nodded in agreement. Nico smiled.
"Nico is kind of mysterious…being the son of Pluto, and all."
Half the house of heroes slammed their faces into cushions.
"I'm so done with that and I'm not even the kid of Pluto or Hades." Thalia shook her head.
"That opinion is ridiculous, just ignore it." Percy agreed as he rolled his eyes. Hades gave a small smile.
"But not you?"…and Pluto got the shaft."
"I feel flattered." Hades said to Frank. He gave a small smile so not to scare Frank because of the whole 'dating his daughter' thing going on.
"Death doesn't scare you?"… him as being real scary."
"Now with that, I beg to differ." Hades said with slight amusement.
Percy scratched his head…Greek stuff and perfected it."
Chris sounded angry as he read that. The Greek house of Heroes tried not to scowl but sourness still showed on their faces. The Greek gods shook their heads.
"That's what they all think." Artemis said "Not that I mind being Diana but Greek was the original so Romans cannot say that they perfected those customs."
Percy made a sour face…Juno became a hippie bag lady," Percy noted.
There were a few snickers and Hera didn't look too happy. Zeus looked at her in amusement.
"So you're saying the old Greek gods…It sounded cool.
Everybody chuckled.
The eastern empire lasted another…may need them to save lives."
"Percy never changes now, does he?" Pollux chuckled.
Frank stared at him, a little bit in awe…would have made that choice
"No, they wouldn't have." Reyna said
"So you don't remember anything?"… probably worried out of her mind.
"Most probably." Annabeth sighed.
Does your mom get to see you much?"… Frank found it easier to talk
"How in everything's name do you freaking do that?! Everybody finds it easier to talk to you and they always end up doing so." Thalia said, throwing her hands up in the air.
"I don't know. I do nothing." Percy said
"Its just his personality. His fatal flaw being loyalty, is quite strong and it rings out around him." Athena explained
"She died in the war,"… You have my deepest condolences
"Those are the worst." Leo groaned. The House of Heroes nodded in agreement.
It was like Percy had faced death…helped was moving on—moving forward.
"There isn't any point in saying any of that. Giving a person somebody to talk to is much better." Percy sighed. Everybody agreed with that.
"How about you show me the baths…forget his past, the way Percy had.
"Trust me, man, it may feel like that for some time but having no memories at all of anybody can really suck." Jason said
"He's right. What the fates did was different. They just took away our trauma but to not have any memories at all…its hard." Percy sighed. Frank sighed as well.
"Chapter's done, guys." Chris said in between.
"I'll read." Hestia said. Chris smiled and gave her the book.