Frank POV (yay, finally)
I wanted to hurry with this. I didn't even want to be here in the first place. I just wanted to be back in Titus, with my girlfriend and best friend. But peace must come with a price and this is the price. I brought way more than I would need but I wanted to hurry. Saturn provided me with ten thousand Shadow Titans. (Don't tell him, but the turtles creep me out) There was no reason why I wouldn't lose.
We invaded at night, the time where the Shadow Titans were most powerful. I led the ones from the sky, while the turtle-like Shadow Titans ran below us. There happened to be a festival of sorts when we reached. I sniffed in my shadow phoenix form (hey, I saw it in a movie in the future and it looked too nice to pass up. Don't make fun) a weird smell coming. Of fire and smoke. How odd it was the last of the four elements that Percy couldn't control. "Invade! Leave no survivors!" I commanded them. Usually they functioned best with single word commands. I wanted to be clear though. I dove down, and they followed me. As the land came up to meet me, I shifted back, taking the sword by my side in instinct, and let my battle reflexes rise. "Attack!" I hacked the villagers that came my way. Their faces were lost to me, and I forced myself to continue. It didn't matter if I didn't kill them or not, the Shadow Titans would finish them off. The entire village was in chaos in a matter of minutes. I couldn't control my glee. Not that it made me happy watching them die, but I couldn't help the biting sense of satisfaction knowing the Gods suffer with each source of worship we cut down. It was one of the only similarities we had of these two worlds.
They were desperately trying to fight back, but we had the element of surprise, and they couldn't destroy the Shadow Titans. At least I didn't think so until a large flare of fire distracted me. I whirled around.
The weirdest group ever stood about 5 miles away from me. There was a grown up in a CRU uniform. (I still cackle when thinking of what Percy did. Hey, it was funny!) A young teenage girl in a wheelchair. A… a creature with two heads that kinda looked cute to me. Two young men. And… a girl who looked familiar. Who were they? They weren't like the other villagers. For one, there was a CRU agent. I didn't always read up on the news, especially after… you know what, but I'm pretty sure the CRU started in the nineteen hundreds or something. Also, the wheelchair wasn't around until 1655. It was so wrong. Why was that girl here? Time travellers like us? Why, though? What purpose do they have here?
And the creature… although it was magnificent and looks like a worthy opponent, doesn't look like it should be here. One of the boys, the one who had black hair and was taller than the other boy, had a silver arm.
Oh, and not to mention, they had FUCKING PEGASUS WITH THEM. Older, wisened, weaker, but definitely Pegasus. I clenched my sword harder. Pegasus, the one that had taken Emily in the first place. Pegasus, who took away the one girl who had been with Percy her whole life and the pillar of support she needed. Pegasus, who was technically Percy's brother, the 'majestic steed' that wowed everyone. Their appearance here was troublesome and could pose a problem, especially if I wanted to hurry this up.
I took off my bow, and shot five arrows at them. The familiar girl raised her hands, and a barrier of fire cut my arrows. My eyes widened in shock. What kind of fire would be able to cut down imperial gold arrows?! Her face became clear to me, blue eyes widening.
That's when the memory resurfaces. 2 years ago. An innocent child who was heartbroken by her best friend's disappearance.
"These are my friends, Emily. You know Annabeth. These are Jason and Piper, they're a couple, and Hazel and Frank. Hazel and Frank helped me when I was lost. I helped them become a couple." We waved at the girl. Her large blue eyes blinked at us as she waved back shyly. Hazel, always the warm-hearted one, said, "you must be Emily Jacobs. Percy has told us many things about you. I'm sorry about your mother."
I remember Percy telling us about the little girl who she got close with. It was clear at first glance that this Emily almost worshiped our Percy like she was a goddess, but Oblivious Percy strikes again and doesn't notice.
"She'll get better." The 12-year-old said, almost to convince herself. We all shared a look. None of us believed that. The Gods were way too cruel to allow that. Cancer is cancer, and from what Percy has told us, the mother was deteriorating rapidly.
Percy was worried about her. She had been. The last friend she had in the timeline that was destroyed. Looks like your worry was misplaced. The first and last time I saw the young girl, she was barely a teenager. She wasn't anything more this time, with brunette hair and blue eyes with freckles. But she held herself in a new light. She wasn't as dependent on others anymore (yes, we all saw that she was latched onto Percy. How she listened to Percy. Percy thought of Emily as a little sister when in truth, we, Hazel and I, could see that Emily saw Percy as her closest confidant and depended strongly on Percy. That hadn't been healthy for Percy.) and was more confident. That brought along conflicting emotions. On one hand, yes I was happy. She's Percy's friend, which makes her my somewhat friend. On the other hand, if she's fighting against the Shadow Titans, that can only mean one thing—she fights for Olympus. I don't know when she knew Olympus, I don't care.
I saw red. Anyone who fought for Olympus is on my to-kill list. For her, though, I'll make an exception and let Percy deal with her.
Two villagers ran at me with dull steel swords and I cut them down with ease, shooting imperial gold arrows. Not easily bent, and harder to break. Which brings me to the question. Percy may have convinced herself all this was for revenge, but we both know she was also doing it for all the innocents, which we had nothing against. Still, she fought for Emily, thinking she was some innocent who was living a life with her father. My eyes narrowed. Little Emily wasn't that innocent. Ever since she was taken away, although Percy wouldn't admit it to us, I know well enough that she thinks Emily was killed. When this whole time, she had been fighting for the Gods who killed everyone.
I disowned my father, but I cannot deny his blood running through my veins. Even now, I felt the same rage I hadn't felt since, well, forever. I gritted my teeth, making my way closer to them. Upon seeing me, she seemed to panic. Not only me though, Emily could also see the impossible task of defeating 10,000 Shadow Titans. From my observations, it was clear only she could defeat them. I was tempted to hit something. Oh wait I did. The villagers' heads. Sorry not sorry. Hey, at least they won't have to wake up with a headache. (Not that they would even wake up)
They seem to have decided to retreat. As I neared them, I could hear snippets of their conversations. "Leaving… weapons… Jupiter… Titans…" If I had any doubt, this cleared it. Emily Jacobs, one of Percy's oldest friends, was fighting for the opposition. My heart thumped harder despite me already knowing it to a certain level. Percy was going to be heartbroken. Most of them left, leaving only the CRU agent, Emily, and a dog. (Kinda cute, not gonna lie)
They stood back to back, and the CRU agent was shouting at Emily. "Just… firing! Matter… stop… can't… them." I gave up trying to understand because the harder I tried, the more of a headache I got from the surroundings.
Emily kept cutting down the Shadow Titans as I made my way closer, cutting down the villagers. She kept glancing at me fearfully, like I was the clock and she was in an exam, and fired faster than before. "There are too many!" She cried to the agent. "I can't stop them all."
She should know what people say. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the house.
As I watched steadily, the agent was caught. I snapped my fingers. The two Shadow Titans that were holding him started to pull. Sadistic? Maybe. But I hate the CRU almost half as much as I hate the Gods. They were similar to the Gods in a way, you know. They tried to take our Percy away.
"Agent B!" Emily cried out. I snorted. Oh. This one. The one Percy talked to. To this day, she still doesn't know why she did that. I took pity on him. I commanded the Shadow Titans to only use 50% of their strength. With 100, they could rip his arms.
"Go!" the CRU agent howled. "Forget me, just go!" Pegasus reared and kicked one of the warriors attacking Agent B. I smirked, enjoying their reeling shock, realising the head was hollow. Hah.
The brave, or dumb, dog bit into the armour and tore it to pieces. Emily immediately retaliated by firing at the Shadow Titan, successfully cutting off his arms. She then turned to the other Shadow Titan and burned off its arms. The agent collapsed to the ground, whimpering in pain.
That somehow snapped me out of it, and I started moving again. Hurriedly. Emily looked around, ready to have a panic attack. Might work in my favour, but I really hope she doesn't. Panic attacks aren't to joke around with.
Her eyes landed for me, and for a second, I thought she could see past my disguise. Instead, she began to work even faster.
It wasn't recognition I saw in her eyes, it was fear. And I like that. I was surprised by how much I liked that she feared me.
She huddled closer to Pegasus. Well, the older version of Pegasus. I almost lashed out when seeing the shield around them. Grabbing a hold of my bow, I shot six arrows this time at them.
Too late.
Emily cried out a single word. I didn't need to hear her to know she called out Olympus. They vanished, almost like they were never there. My arrows flew beyond them and embedded themselves in the Shadow Titans, cutting them clean. One of them flew through a human and she wheezed, falling down only to be cut down. I grunted, pulling my fingers back into a fist. The arrows trembled, rising into the air and shot back at me. With inhumane speed, I collected them all before they could stab me. I sighed, containing my anger. We will meet again in battle. And I swear, I will find out why she is here. She is just a child, yet she is also the Flame. I will find out whether she is a victim, or she is another fight we must win over. For hers and Percy's sake, I hope it is the first.
Percy POV
"What do you mean they died?" Phoebe asked desperately. I shook my head. Hazel answered for me. "The Flame." She spat poisonously. "She dared to come, and she killed the dragons. We tried to go help, but she somehow managed to redirect our teleporting. Somehow, that is possible."
It wasn't as ludicrous as she thought, really. Our teleportation took most of our concentration, and the littlest distraction would send us off-course. It is our most powerful skill, but it also our most vulnerable. And Saturn still asks why I didn't like teleporting in far distances.
"She killed all of them." I said, containing my tears. "And saved Chiron and the giants. We did, however, kill more than half of the giants, and still defeat the entire village. Most of them perished. The rest fled in panic. They won't be returning anytime soon."
She breathed heavily and nodded. "T- that is good. Lord Saturn will be pleased. I am sure the dragons will mourn. Please, allow me to inform them."
Before me, she was their friend. I nodded, "of course, Phoebe."
She smiled wanly, blindly walking away. Hazel stared at me mourningly. "We still have Saturn to meet." I shook my head. "I'm not feeling so well."
"Of course." She immediately said, "You should rest, I'll report to Saturn." Almost hesitantly, she leaned up, kissing my cheek. "It's best if you do rest, Sephie." She warned. "And not just tire yourself out. It isn't healthy."
"I won't." I promised, if only because I was too drained to say anything.
There, we split ways. I went to our room, she went to find Saturn.
The only reason I did listen, was because there were no more secrets anymore. I can't bear to lose them. And we all know lies only distance friends. That was what happened to Emily and I. That was too late to salvage, but I learnt my lesson. Besides, I didn't need to protect Frank and Hazel from myself. They've seen my best and worst. They know everything about me. Unlike Emily. I don't have to distance myself, cover my whereabouts with even more lies.
I sighed, even as our shared room greeted me. Honestly, at this point, I would have even invited my brother with his murder waterbeds. No such things in the Ancient times, and it wasn't like I brought an instruction book on how to construct one. But my poor neck.
"Home sweet home." I said sarcastically, letting myself sink down on the bed of moss. I had set up a barrier around our room, so no insects would be attracted. I mean, it would've made our room less lonely, but I really couldn't stand them right now.
Closing my eyes, I let myself be pulled into Hypnos's realm.
What do you want me to see now? Was my only thought as I opened my eyes again in the dream realm. As every time I slept, I could see the Gods. Perfect for spying really. They looked so different. So young. But most of the time, I didn't care about them. No, I was much more interested in Minerva. And there she is. My heart throbbed almost painfully as I watched Minerva tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Gods, she was identical to my Wise Girl. From her eyes, to her blonde hair, to the way she stood. Mirror image.
The first time I told Hazel and Frank, they freaked out. Hazel insisted on putting Mist around me to protect my mind when sleeping, but I was equally stubborn, refusing to do so. It helped. It was painful, but it helped. Minerva was like Annabeth, but she also wasn't. Each time I see her, the pain loosens slightly. Some might call me obsessed, but I compare Minerva to Annabeth every time. Each time, as she does something else, and I am reminded this isn't my girlfriend. My girlfriend is gone, dead. Our future together is ruined. But as each day passes, I grow to accept it.
Would Annabeth have wanted me to pin on her forever? No, just like how I would've wanted her to move on. Find a new lover.
Minerva, although unconsciously, is helping me move on. Maybe this isn't healthy, my love for Annabeth. I've been told many times, by many people, that our relationship isn't healthy. First, it was Mum. Then Poseidon. Athena as well. Minerva is helping me realise this. I was too focused on Annabeth, wanting to make sure she was never hurt. Never. Even in Tartarus. Every time I did something monstrous, I had her in my mind. Akhlys, the Arai, Tartarus. Minerva doesn't have a lover, she's so independent. And eventually, in this one year, I have learnt to stop having to look out for her.
Does it make sense? It doesn't have to. It's just my thoughts. I always put Annabeth first, convinced I did everything because I love her. It wasn't healthy for me, and Annabeth grew dependent. This 'Annabeth' isn't. She's strong by herself, and I learn, through her, to let go. I blamed myself for not being there for Annabeth when she died, but that wasn't true, not completely. She was the one who urged me to go on that quest. It didn't mean I blame her. It might take a few more months, maybe another year still. But with Hazel and Frank, I can let her go, and continue with my life. Who knows? Maybe the Fates might be kind for once, and let Annabeth be born. I will see her again. She won't be the same girl I loved, but at least she will be given the life I wanted her to have.
So drowned in my thoughts and Minerva, I didn't notice as Jupiter and Neptune had walked into the room until Jupiter cleared his throat. Now, that had been weird. He was so young. I mean, all of them were, but he looked like some idol the Aphrodite girls would gush over. I'm too used to seeing Zeus. Still, there are some similarities. Their powers, their voice, the commanding presence. Their eyes. Now that's the same similarity all the Gods have with my Gods. Their eyes are all the same.
Which means Neptune and I share the same coloured eyes. That's a downside, but I'll make sure to hide it. When the time comes, I will kill him. Or maybe I'll let Frank kill him, and I'll kill Jupiter. Either way, it's three of them, Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, and three of us. I'm sure Hazel has things she wants to say to Pluto, so we're reserving him for her.
"Another has been struck." Jupiter said grimly to the gods around. I quietly counted them. Vesta, Ceres, Juno, Mars, Minerva, Pluto, Vulcan… add Jupiter and Neptune, that would be nine.
"How?" Vesta cried.
"We believe that Góissa and Prodosia had worked together. They conquered our base in barely an hour." Neptune said gravely. "While they did that, Ekdikó has also dominated a nearby fishing village."
"They are cutting off our supporters." Minerva speculated. Her controlling voice seemed so sweet to my ears. I know, I know. There's something seriously wrong with me.
"Exactly, my child." Juno sighed. I still cannot get used to her.
"But not all hope is lost." Jupiter said, getting back their attention. "We have gotten some help. Chiron was saved by someone, and she has come here to help fight against the Titans."
Oh? This was huge news. I ghosted closer to them, brushing past Minerva and Mars. They shivered, but not one noticed my presence.
"The Flame." I furrowed my eyebrows. Huh? Oh. Oh! The one who killed my friends. If only I could really touch them, I would show Jupiter what happens when he crosses me. Alas I couldn't.
Neptune gripped his trident. "I will go get her and her friends. See if she is being genuine."
Let me see. I tried to order. But no dream could be fully controlled unless you are a child of Hypnos. I felt myself spiral.
Moments later, I woke up to find myself back on Titus. My spy-fest time was over. I tilted my head and sighed. So far, there had been nothing useful besides intercepting the allies of Olympus from rescuing the people. It was small progress… but it was something.
"You okay?" Hazel asked as I walked out from the willow tree.
"I guess so." I mutter, running my hand down my hair. "It just makes no sense."
"What doesn't?" She asked, putting down her hands. The foliage she was playing with stopped in mid-air.
"How it feels like we're winning and losing at the same time."
Hazel was quiet for a long time before sighing. "Have you ever thought this goes against our morals, Sephie? That we're a bit like your brother Theseus?"
I thought back to Theseus who forgo his saying of attacking second. "We are."
"That's why you feel like we're losing." She said simply. "A part of you is still living that past life we had, and when you feel like we're losing, it's that part of you that's speaking out." She came to my side, taking my hands in hers. "But… truly. Did we ever have a choice? To create a better world, we have to make a more difficult choice. If we stay quiet, nothing will change. We need to speak up, and actions speak louder than words."
I smiled. Hazel always knew what to say. "Is Frank back?"
"That's impossible." She scoffed. "Give him a couple more weeks."
I stared at the room. "I never really thought of it since all we've done so far is attack and conquer, but what are we even supposed to even do? Nothing we know back in the future is even here now."
Hazel laughed, and ran to the water fountain. "That's what Frank asked." She said as she started to search for something. "Then I told him, why wait when you can make it now?" She popped again, holding a piece of wood in one hand, and bottles of something else in another. "Of course, it's not that easy with only two of us, but with Omichli? Anything is possible." She offered me the bottles. "Wanna paint?"
She and Frank had built canvases, which we brought outside the palace and set up on a small hillside. I summoned two rocks as seats for us, and Hazel gave me some paintbrushes made of some kind of fur which I didn't ask about.
I looked at the blank canvas. Annabeth loved to pose as I drew her portrait. I wasn't very good at it to begin with, but overtime, I learned how to do it well. And that's what I did.
I stopped thinking of the war, the Gods, the revenge I want to enact on them, and all the too soon deaths. I let my mind be completely blank, and not be distracted.
Then, I raised my brush, letting the familiar strokes come back to mind. There was an empty spot of land in front of us, untainted and beautiful. I let Annabeth and me fill in the spot, then our friends crowded around us.
Hazel never mentioned my tears as I painted in peace. No one interrupted me. I was happy on the memory lane, and I was happy… that I could do this without having an even larger reaction.