The demigods were eating breakfast though Leo stood in the doorway of the mess hall, taking in the scene around the dining table.

Percy was eating a huge stack of blue pancakes while Annabeth chided him for pouring on too much syrup.

'You're drowning them!' she complained while Octavian was sneaking food from his plate.

'Hey, I'm a Poseidon kid,' he said. 'I can't drown. And neither can my pancakes.'

Medea nudged Octavian to concentrate back on using their cereal bowls to flatten out a map of Greece. At the head of the table, Jason sat uncomfortably with his T-shirt rolled up to his ribcage as Drew changed his bandages.

'Hold still,' she said, and her voice held no soothing bedside manner. 'I know it hurts.'

'It's just cold,' he said, pain deep in his voice.

'What's up, guys?' Leo strolled into the mess hall, grabbing the last brownie. 'Aw, yes to brownies!'

The intercom crackled and Buford's Mini-Hedge yelled over the speakers, 'PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!'

Everyone jumped. Medea ended up five feet away from Octavian, magicka turning the boy into shih tzu. Percy spilled syrup in his orange juice while Jason awkwardly wriggled back into his T-shirt.

Drew glared at Leo. 'I thought you were getting rid of that stupid hologram.'

'Hey, Buford's just saying good morning. He loves his hologram! Besides, we all miss the coach. And Tav makes a cute puppy.'

Medea waved her hand, and the blond turned back into his natural form. "Oh, sit down, Valdez. We've got stuff to talk about.'

Leo squeezed in between Jason and Medea, taking a bite of his brownie and grabbed a pack of Fonzies to round out his balanced breakfast.

'So ...' Jason winced as he leaned forward. 'We're going to stay airborne and drop anchor as close as we can to Olympia. It's further inland than I'd like—about five miles— but we don't have much choice. According to Juno, we have to find the goddess of victory and, um ... subdue her.'

Uncomfortable silence around the table.

Percy sipped his syrup-flavoured orange juice. 'I'm cool with fighting the occasional goddess, but isn't Nike one of the good ones? I mean, personally, I like victory. I can't get enough of it.'

Annabeth drummed her fingers on the table. 'It does seem strange. I understand why Nike would be in Olympia—home of the Olympics and all that. The contestants sacrificed to her. Greeks and Romans worshipped her there for, like, twelve hundred years, right?'

'Almost to the end of the Roman Empire,' Medea agreed. 'Romans called her Victoria, but same difference. Everybody loved her. Who doesn't like to win? Not sure why we would have to subdue her.'

Jason frowned; a wisp of steam curled from the wound under his shirt. 'All I know ... the ghoul Antinous said, Victory runs rampant in Olympia. Juno warned us that we could never heal the rift between the Greeks and Romans unless we defeated victory.'

'How do we defeat victory?' Drew wondered. 'Sounds like one of those impossible riddles.'

'Like making stones fly,' Leo said as he popped a handful of chips into his mouth., 'or eating only one Fonzie.'

Medea wrinkled her nose. 'That stuff is going to kill you.'

'You kidding? So many preservatives in these things, I'll live forever. But, hey, about this victory goddess being popular and great—Don't you guys remember what her kids are like at Camp Half-Blood?'

'He's got a point,' Percy said nodding gravely. 'Those kids in Cabin Seventeen—they're super-competitive. When it comes to capture the flag, they're almost worse than the Ares kids.

Octavian hummed. "Makes sense. We had to freeze Marion from Fourth once after they lost a game. She's been banned from participating ever since."

The other two legionnaires winced, remembering the sheer amount of damage Victoria's child ensued.

'Sounds like her Greek kids,' Annabeth said. 'They never turn down a challenge even the ones that are fostered by Athena. They have to be number one at everything.'

Drew grimaced. "Lea almost killed them especially the twins who claimed to be better twins that she and Percy. If their mom is that intense ..."

'Dude, all the gods are split between their Greek and Roman aspects, right?" Leo said. "If Nike's that way and she's the goddess of victory—'

'She'd be really conflicted,' Annabeth said. 'She'd want one side or the other to win so she could declare a victor. She'd literally be fighting with herself.'

Medea nudged her cereal bowl across the map of Greece. 'But we don't want one side or the other to win. We've got to get the Greeks and Romans on the same team.'

'Maybe that's the problem,' Jason said. 'If the goddess of victory is running rampant, torn between Greek and Roman, she might make it impossible to bring the two camps together.'

'How?' Leo asked. 'Start a flame war on Twitter?'

Percy stabbed at his pancakes. 'Maybe she's like Ares. That guy can spark a fight just by walking into a crowded room. If Nike radiates competitive vibes or something, she could aggravate the whole Greek–Roman rivalry big-time.'

Medea pointed at Percy. 'You remember that old sea god in Atlanta—Phorcys? He said that Gaia's plans always have lots of layers. This could be part of the giants' strategy— keep the two camps divided; keep the gods divided. If that's the case, we can't let Nike play us against each other. We should send a landing party of four—two Greeks, two Romans. The balance might help keep her balanced.'

'I think Dea is right,' Annabeth said. 'A party of four. We'll have to be careful who goes. We don't want to do anything that might make the goddess, um, more unstable.'

"I can't go," Drew said. "Nike is all about competition and well, Mother is too. There was a ten-year war that proves it. Nike will see me as a threat.'

Octavian nodded and scanned the group. 'Who should go, then?'

'Jason and Percy shouldn't go together,' Annabeth said. 'Jupiter and Poseidon—bad combination. Nike could start you two fighting easily.'

Percy gave her a sideways smile. 'Yeah, we can't have another incident like in Kansas. We may get along as cousins, but our Fathers…"

"We get along just fine," their Fathers grumbled.

Annabeth said. 'We also shouldn't send Octavian and I together. Not until we're one hundred percent sure that Mother's curse is gone."

"Personally speaking, I shouldn't go at all," Octavian grimaced. "I have the entirety of Roma's hatred of greeks stapled in my blood."

"You should be able to power through it," Drew informed him. "Concentrate on your bond with Percy. And Annabeth; maybe send some soothing vibes through it too. Keep his head out of anger and revenge and instead in love and adoration."

'Okay,' Leo broke in. 'So Percy and me for the Greeks. Octavian and Medea for the Romans. Is that the ultimate non-competitive dream team or what?'

"Yes," Medea nodded though there was laughter in her voice. Beside her, Jason's shoulders were shaking as he too laughed while Octavian fondly rolled his eyes. "A little hilarious because those two are soulmates and Camp Jupiter trains us to fight against our soulmates."

"You mentioned that before," Percy said with furrowed brows.

"Why?" Leo asked.

"This exact reason," Octavian shrugged. "Loyalty to Roma comes before anything else even your life so it would go before your blessings also. Percy, Annabeth, and Eliza are greeks. I'm roman. You're Greek. Reyna and Lilith are romans. Jason is Roman, and one of his soulmates are Greek. Lady Diana is said to be the blessing of Orion, and he's a giant while she's an Olympian."

"All I can say that I'm fine as long as Octavian and Percy don't turn it into some weird courting ritual."

"Well, no combination is going to be perfect," Annabeth stated, smiling as Percy and Octavian exchanged heated looks. "But Poseidon, Hephaestus, Trivia, Apollo ... I don't see any antagonism there.'

Medea traced her finger along the map of Greece. 'I still wish we could've gone through the Gulf of Corinth. I was hoping we could visit Delphi, maybe get some advice. Plus it's such a long way around the Peloponnese.'

'Yeah. It's July twenty-second already. Counting today, only ten days until –'

'I know,' Jason said. 'But Juno was clear. The shorter way would have been suicide.'

'And as for Delphi ...' Drew leaned towards the map. 'What's going on there? If Apollo doesn't have his Oracle any more ...'

Percy grunted. 'Probably something to do with that creep Dodie. Maybe he was so bad at telling the future that he broke Apollo's powers.'

Octavian kept quiet though a spark of fear entered his eyes; one that was shared by Drew when the girl looked over at him. It would seem that she had her suspicions.

Jason managed a smile, though his eyes were cloudy from pain. 'Hopefully we can find Apollo and Artemis. Then you can ask him yourself. Juno said the twins might be willing to help us.'

'A lot of unanswered questions,' Octavian murmured. 'A lot of miles to cover before we get to Athens.'

'First things first,' Annabeth said. 'You guys have to find Nike and figure out how to subdue her ...whatever Juno meant by that. I still don't understand how you defeat a goddess who controls victory. Seems impossible.'

'We'll see about that.' Leo smiled as he rose to his feet. 'Let me get my collection of grenades and I'll meet you guys on deck!'

His collection of grenades? Phanes, Lea would adore him.

Hērmês resolved to keep them far away from each other.

Eventually the group searched through Olympia with Octavian and Medea scouting the ruins while Leo and Percy searched the museum. The latter two were sitting on a bridge that spanned the Kladeos River, their feet dangling over the water as they waited the others to finish.

'Guys!' Medea stood at the far end of the parking lot, waving at them to come over. Next to her, Octavian sat astride Arion, who had appeared unannounced as soon as they'd landed. Meanwhile on the ship, Drew was leading Annabeth through some meditation tips to help her bond while she was also IM-ing Lee Fletcher to check on Jason's wound that was slowly healing as the boy pieced his soul together.

'This place is huge,' Octavian reported. 'The ruins stretch from the river to the base of that mountain over there, about half a kilometre.'

'How far is that in regular measurements?' Percy asked.

Octavian rolled his eyes. 'That is a regular measurement in Canada and the rest of the world. Only you Americans—'

'About five or six football fields,' Medea interceded, feeding Arion a big chunk of gold. "And Tav, you are American."

"Italian-American darling," he smiled, batting his eyes.

'Anyway,' Medea continued, 'from overhead, I didn't see anything suspicious.'

'Neither did I,' Octavian said. 'Arion took me on a complete loop around the perimeter. A lot of tourists, but no crazy goddess.'

The big stallion nickered and tossed his head, his neck muscles rippling under his butterscotch coat.

'Man, your horse can cuss.' Percy shook his head. 'He doesn't think much of Olympia.'

'So we blunder around together,'

Leo said, 'and let trouble find us. It's always worked before.'

They poked about for a while, avoiding tour groups and ducking from one patch of shade to the next. Octavian found a tourist pamphlet and gave them a running commentary on what was what.

'This is the Propylon.' He waved towards a stone path lined with crumbling columns. 'One of the main gates into the Olympic valley.'

'Rubble!' said Leo.

'And over there—' Octavian pointed to a square foundation. – 'is the Temple of Hera, one of the oldest structures here.'

'More rubble!' Leo said.

'And that round bandstand-looking thing—that's the Philipeon, dedicated to Philip of Macedonia.'

'Even more rubble! First-rate rubble!'

Medea kicked Leo in the arm. 'Doesn't anything impress you?'

Leo glanced up. "Lilith. Reyna flying into the ancient lands by herself. Percy being a national terrorist at age twelve."

"Excuse me, according to the news I was kidnapped," Percy sniffed, turning his nose up playfully.

"Yeah, you and Lea and Drew became national kidnapped victims all before your fifteenth birthday."

Octavian snickered before continuing on as an unofficial guide. 'And over there ... oh.' Octavian glanced worriedly at Percy. 'Uh, that semicircular depression in the hill, with the niches ... that's a nymphaeum, built in Roman times.'

Percy's face turned the colour of limeade. 'Here's an idea: let's not go there.'

'I love that idea.' Leo stated.

They kept walking meanwhile the deities jerked in their seats. The mortal expression of someone walking over their grave sounded in their ears. Their eyes looked around them before turning to Athênai where the giants had set up command at the Akropolis. In terrifying synchronization, they all sneered at the sight.

When they claimed that they were going to destroy them at their roots, they would have thought that they would have stormed Ólumpos and utilize the heavens to force a fall from the Heavens where Gaía would have opened a shoot to Tártara and leave them at the mercy of their enemies within. Attacking them at the Akropolis would be make the giants easier to defeat even with the boost of a thousand years of prayer imbuing them with strength.

And Hērmês himself had a lot of anger to rid himself of for the simple fact that Gaía took his Leaneíras from him.

The children stopped at some wide steps leading to where the Temple of Ζεύς once stood. Hērmês could also imagine it as it once was in its pristine condition.

'Used to be a huge gold-and-ivory statue of Zeus inside,' Octavian said. 'One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Made by the same dude who did the Athena Parthenos.'

'Please tell me we don't have to find it,' Percy said. 'I've had enough huge magic statues for one trip.'

'Tell me about it,' Octavian grumbled as he patted Arion's flank, as the stallion was acting skittish.

'Hey, Percy,' Leo said, 'remember that statue of Nike in the museum? The one that was all in pieces?'

'Yeah?'

'Didn't it used to stand here, at the Temple of Zeus? Feel free to tell me I'm wrong. I'd love to be wrong.'

Percy pulled out his sword. 'You're right. So if Nike was anywhere ... this would be a good spot.'

Medea scanned their surroundings. 'I don't see anything.'

'What if we promoted, like, Adidas shoes?' Percy wondered. Medea and Octavian both stared at him judgingly. Mercurius found that a bit hypocritical considering who they were friends with. He knew the kind of things that Lea stated. 'Would that make Nike mad enough to show up?'

'Yeah, I bet that would totally be against her sponsorship deal," Leo smiled with a nervous laugh. "THOSE ARE NOT THE OFFICIAL SHOES OF THE OLYMPICS! YOU WILL DIE NOW!'

Medea rolled her eyes. 'You're both impossible.'

"Hypocrite," Octavian coughed though in the next moment, a thunderous voice shook the ruins: 'YOU WILL DIE NOW!'

Towering over the son of Hḗphaistos in her golden chariot yoked with two white horses, with a spear aimed at his heart, was the goddess of victory herself. Her dark hair was twisted into a halo braid with a gilded laurel wreath intertwined which made it easier to witness her wide-eyed crazed expression as she pointed a golden adamantine spear at the boy's chest.

Lússā and the Neikea were brimming in their seats as they looked at her.

'Lady,' Leo said, 'could you fold your flappers, please? You're giving me a sunburn.'

'What?' The goddess's head jerked towards him like a startled chicken's. The deities grimaced hearing the echo in her voice. 'Oh ... my brilliant plumage. Very well. I suppose you can't die in glory if you are blinded and burned.'

She tucked in her wings while the children looked between each other. Medea's fingers were twitching, sizing the goddess up as if she was thinking of the best spell to use. Octavian was having trouble with Arion. The roan stallion nickered and bucked, avoiding eye contact with the white horses pulling Níkē's chariot. Percy kept his gaze on the goddess, his sword not yet unsheathed.

Nobody stepped forward to talk.

'So!' Leo said. 'I didn't get the briefing, and I'm pretty sure the information wasn't covered in Octavian's pamphlet. Could you tell me what's going on here?'

'We must have victory!" the goddess shrieked. 'The contest must be decided! You have come here to determine the winner, yes?'

Octavian cleared his throat. 'Are you Nike or Victoria?'

Aw shit.

'Argghh!' The goddess clutched the side of her head and the deities all jerked in their seat in pain. Her horses reared, causing Arion to do the same.

The goddess shuddered and split into two separate images. Nausea filled them all as their heads felt as if Hḗphaistos was taking an ax to their heads. On the left, was Níkē in a glittery sleeveless dress, dark hair circled with laurels, golden wings folded behind her. On the right was Victoria, dressed for war in a Roman breastplate and greaves, her short auburn hair peeked out from the rim of a tall helmet. Her wings were feathery white, her dress purple, and the shaft of her spear was fixed with a plate-sized Roman insignia—a golden SPQR in a laurel wreath.

'I am Níkē!' cried the image on the left.

'I am Victoria!' cried the one on the right.

Most of them gritted their teeth, focusing their attention on the bonds from their blessings.

'I am the decider of victory!' Níkē screamed. 'Once I stood here at the corner of Ζεύς's temple, venerated by all! I oversaw the games of Olympia. Offerings from every city-state were piled at my feet!'

'Games are irrelevant!' yelled Victoria. 'I am the goddess of success in battle! Roman generals worshipped me! Augustus himself erected my altar in the Senate House!'

Hērmês cried out; feelings his aspects separate. He wished it was as simple as being his Greek and roman form instead… His form shimmered.

Hērmês with his glittering green eyes and curly brown hair lounge on his throne; the crowns of the heavens wrapped around his head and serpents wrapped around his arms like bands. His true form began to peek from beneath him as the onslaught of the heavens and earth, of the underworld and the wild combating in across his skin.

Mercurius stood with his pale blue eyes and wavy blond hair; drachma and denarii were pressed into his skin and the bones of the underworld made his crown. His true form poured around him like mist as souls pushed at the boundaries of his form.

The area around him began to fill with afterimages of him as he was invoked by various names.

The Herald of the Gods curled into himself, focusing completely on his aching simádi psychís. With the boundaries of reality thinning, he tried to imagine that he could feel snatches of Leaneíras as he forced himself back into one vessel.

He felt hands cradled his form, fingers running through his hair. The scent of the ozone caught his attention, and he shakily looked up, meeting his Father's gaze as the elder god gazed at him in worry.

"Ahhhh!' both voices screamed in agony. 'We must decide! We must have victory!'

Hērmês groaned, forcing himself into one while his parents held him together.

Arion bucked so violently that Octavian had to slide off his back to avoid getting thrown. Before he could calm him down, the horse disappeared, leaving a vapour trail through the ruins.

'Nike,' Medea said, stepping forward slowly as the goddess forms shimmered into a clash of one, 'you're confused, like all the gods. The Greeks and Romans are on the verge of war. It's causing your two aspects to clash.'

Mercurius sighed in relief, slumping the holds of his parents.

'I know that!' The goddess shook her spear, the tip rubber-banding into two points. 'I cannot abide unresolved conflict! Who is stronger? Who is the winner?'

'Lady, nobody's the winner,' Leo said. 'If that war happens, everybody loses.'

'No winner?' The goddess gasped. 'There is always a winner! One winner. Everyone else is a loser! Otherwise victory is meaningless. I suppose you want me to give certificates to all the contestants? Little plastic trophies to every single athlete or soldier for participation? Should we all line up and shake hands and tell each other, Good game? No! Victory must be real. It must be earned. That means it must be rare and difficult, against steep odds, and defeat must be the other possibility.'

The goddess's two horses nipped at each other, as if getting into the spirit.

'Uh ... okay,' Leo said. 'I can tell you've got strong feelings about that. But the real war is against Gaia.'

'He's right,' Medea said. 'Nike, you were Zeus's charioteer in the last war with the giants, weren't you?'

'Of course!'

'Then you know Gaia is the real enemy. We need your help to defeat her. The war isn't between the Greeks and Romans.'

Victoria roared, 'The Greeks must perish!'

'Victory or death!' Níkē wailed. 'One side must prevail!'

The goddess's form flickered again as Octavian grunted. 'I have enough of this with my ancestors screaming in my head.'

Victoria glared down at him. 'The Son of Troia, are you? The Empire's Legacy? The Princeps of Roma? No true Roman would spare the Greeks. I cannot abide to be split and confused—I cannot think straight! Kill them! Win!'

'Not happening,' Octavian said, though he was flexing his fingers as if he wanted to draw any of his hidden weapons. He took at least five steps away from Percy and Leo.

'Look, Miss Victory ...' Percy tried for a smile. 'We don't want to interrupt your crazy time. Maybe you can just finish this conversation with yourself and we'll come back later, with, um, some bigger weapons and possibly some sedatives.'

The goddess brandished her spear. 'You will determine the matter once and for all! Today, now, you will decide the victor! Four of you? Excellent! We will have teams. Shirts versus skins!'

'Definitely no,' said Medea.

"I will blind all of you before I let you look at Percy without a shirt," Octavian growled. That cleared Percy's head enough for him to flush.

'Greeks versus Romans!' The goddess cried. 'Yes, of course! Two and two. The last demigod standing wins. The others will die gloriously.'

"Look, lady, we're not going to go all Hunger Games on each other." Leo said through gritted teeth. "Isn't going to happen.'

'But you will win a fabulous honour!' Níkē reached into a basket at her side and produced a wreath of thick green laurels. 'This crown of leaves could be yours! You can wear it on your head! Think of the glory!'

'Leo's right,' Octavian said, though his eyes were fixed on the wreath. His eyes were starting to bleed gold even if he couldn't use his prophetic powers. 'We don't fight each other. We fight the giants. You should help us.'

'Very well!' The goddess raised the laurel wreath in one hand and her spear in the other.

Percy and Leo exchanged looks while Octavian and Medea moved further away from them as the goddess' aura no doubt ignited their battle instincts at an intimate level.

"'Uh ... does that mean you'll join us?' Percy asked. 'You'll help us fight the giants?'

'That will be part of the prize,' The goddess said. 'Whoever wins, I will consider you an ally. We will fight the giants together, and I will bestow victory upon you. But there can only be one winner. The others must be defeated, killed, destroyed utterly. So what will it be, demigods? Will you succeed in your quest, or will you cling to your namby-pamby ideas of friendship and everybody wins participation awards?'

Percy uncapped his pen, and it grew into a Celestial bronze sword before he pointed his blade at Níkē. 'What if we fight you instead?'

'Ha!' The goddess' eyes gleamed. 'If you refuse to fight each other, you shall be persuaded!'

Níkē spread her golden wings. Four metal feathers fluttered down, two on either side of the chariot. The feathers twirled like gymnasts, growing larger, sprouting arms and legs, until they touched the ground as four metallic, human-sized replicas of the goddess, each armed with a golden spear and a Celestial bronze laurel wreath that looked suspiciously like a barbed-wire Frisbee.

'To the stadium!' the goddess cried. 'You have five minutes to prepare. Then blood shall be spilled!'

The Nikai shifted; two taking on the image of Níkē and the other turning into Victoria.

'Run!' Níkē bellowed. 'To the stadium with you, or my Nikai will kill you where you stand!'

The metal ladies unhinged their jaws and blasted out a sound like a Super Bowl crowd mixed with feedback. They shook their spears and charged the demigods who took off so quickly that left dust clouds like the cartoon characters. The four metal women swept behind them in a loose semicircle, herding them to the northeast. The demigods ran, tripping over stones, leaping over crumbled walls, dodging around columns and informational placards. Behind them, Níkē's chariot wheels rumbled and her horses whinnied.

'There!' Octavian sprinted towards a kind of trench between two earthen walls with a stone archway above. 'That's the entrance to the old Olympic stadium. It's called the crypt!'

'Not a good name!' Leo yelled.

'Why are we going there?' Percy gasped. 'If that's where she wants us—'

The Nikettes screamed again, and all rational thought abandoned the demigods as they ran for the tunnel. When they reached the arch, Medea yelled, 'Hold it!'

They stumbled to a stop. Percy and Octavian doubled over, wheezing. Annabeth and Eliza coughed harshly.

Medea peered back the way they'd come. 'I don't see them anymore. They disappeared.'

'Did they give up?' Percy asked hopefully.

Leo scanned the ruins. 'Nah. They just herded us where they wanted us. What were those things, anyway? The Nikettes, I mean.'

'Nikettes?' Medea scratched her head. 'I think it was Nikai, plural, like victories.'

Octavian nodded his head. 'Yes. In some legends, Nike had an army of little victories she could send all over the world to do her bidding. They used to get mixed up with the Neikea.'

'Like Santa's elves,' Percy said. 'Except evil. And metal. And really loud.'

Medea pressed her fingers against the arch, as if taking its pulse. Beyond the narrow tunnel, the earthen walls opened into a long field with gently rising slopes on either side, like seating for spectators.

'Ghosts linger in this place,' Medea murmured. 'A lot of pain is embedded in these stones.'

'Please tell me you have a plan,' Leo said. 'Preferably one that doesn't involve embedding my pain in the stones.'

"This was the players' entrance. I could probably lead the ghosts. Nike said we have five minutes to prepare. Then she'll expect us to pass under this archway and begin the games. We won't be allowed to leave that field until three of us are dead.'

Percy leaned on his sword. 'I'm pretty sure death matches weren't an Olympic sport.'

'Well, they are today,' Medea warned. 'But I might be able to give us an edge. When we pass through, I could raise some obstacles on the field—hiding places to buy us some time.'

Octavian frowned. 'Like Marion's training seminars?'

"Yeah,' Medea winced and the two of them shuddered. "Victoria would probably like to see an obstacle course. I can play her expectations against her. We've only got a couple of minutes now. When we pass through the arch, I can at least manipulate the playing field to our advantage.'

Percy exhaled through his nose. 'Twice now, I've been forced to fight in stadiums—once in Rome, and before that in the Labyrinth. I hate playing games for people's amusement.'

'We all do,' Medea said. 'But we have to put Nike off guard. We'll pretend to fight until we can neutralize those Nikettes—ugh, that's an awful name. Then we subdue Nike, like Juno said.'

'Makes sense,' Octavian agreed. 'You felt how powerful Victoria was, trying to put us at each other's throats. If she's sending out those vibes to all the Greeks and Romans, there's no way we'll be able to prevent a war. We've got to get her under control.'

'And how do we do that?' Percy asked. 'Bonk her on the head and stuff her in a sack?'

'Actually,' Leo said, 'you're not far off. Uncle Leo brought some toys for all you good little demigods.'

On the other screen, Hērmês' Uncle, Háidēs, was speaking with his son inside a chapel within Portugal.

'Getting some redecorating ideas?' Nico was asking. 'Maybe you could do your dining room in mediaeval monk skulls.'

Háidēs arched an eyebrow. 'I can never tell when you're joking.'

'Why are you here, Father? How are you here?'

Háidēs traced his fingers along the nearest column, leaving bleached white marks on the old bones.

'You're a hard mortal to find, my son. For several days I've been searching. When the sceptre of Diocletian exploded ... well, that got my attention.'

Nico flushed. 'Breaking the sceptre wasn't my fault. We were about to be overrun—'

'Oh, the sceptre isn't important. A relic that old, I'm surprised you got two uses out of it. The explosion simply gave me some clarity. It allowed me to pinpoint your location. I was hoping to speak to you in Pompeii, but it is so ... well, Roman. This chapel was the first place where my presence was strong enough that I could appear to you as myself— by which I mean Háidēs, god of the dead, not split with that other manifestation.' Háidēs breathed in the stale dank air. 'I am very drawn to this place. The remains of five thousand monks were used to build the Chapel of Bones. It serves as a reminder that life is short and death is eternal. I feel focused here. Even so, I only have a few moments.'

'So tell me, Father. What do you want?'

Háidēs clasped his hands together in the sleeves of his robe. 'Can you entertain the notion that I might be here to help you, not simply because I want something?'

'I can entertain the notion that you might be here for multiple reasons.'

The god frowned. 'I suppose that's fair enough. You seek information about Gaía's hunter. His name is Ōríōn.'

'Orion. Like the constellation. Wasn't he ... a friend of Artemis?'

'He was but he was much more than that,' Háidēs said. 'A giant born to oppose Ártemis, but much like Ártemis, Ōríōn rejected his destiny. He sought to live on his own terms. First he tried to live among mortals as a huntsman for the king of Khios. He, ah, ran into some trouble with the king's daughter. The king had Ōríōn blinded and exiled.'.

"My friend dreamed of a hunter with glowing eyes. If Orion is blind—"

"'He was blind,' Háidēs corrected. 'Shortly after his exile, Ōríōn met Hḗphaistos, who took pity on the giant and crafted him new mechanical eyes even better than the originals. Ōríōn became friends with Ártemis. He was the first male ever allowed to join her Hunt probably helped by the fact that he was her blessing from kháos. But ... things went wrong between them. How exactly, I do not know. The crime for harming one's blessing is grave, and Ōríōn was slain. Tis a secret the gods of marriage hold close though Ártemis was absolved of her crime. Now he has returned as a loyal son of Gaía, ready to do her bidding. He is driven by bitterness and anger. You can understand that.'

'How do we stop him?'

'You cannot,' Háidēs said. 'Your only hope is to outrun him, accomplish your quest before he reaches you. Apóllōn or Ártemis might be able to slay him, arrows against arrows, but the twins are in no condition to aid you. Even now, Ōríōn has your scent. His hunting pack is almost upon you. You will seldom retrieve rest from here to Camp Half-Blood unless you find the most ingeniously created ship that sails through the air.'

"I need to get back to my companions.'

'Indeed,' Háidēs said. 'But there is more. Medea is about to discover that someone will die. She may try to prevent this. In doing so, she may lose sight of her priorities.'

'Is Medea all right?'

'For the moment.'

'And the others? Who will die?'

Háidēs shook his head. 'Even if I were certain, I could not say. I tell you this because you are my son. You know that some deaths cannot be prevented. Some deaths should not be prevented. When the time comes, you may need to act.'

Nico was quiet.

'My son.' Háidēs's tone was almost gentle. 'Whatever happens, you have earned my respect. You brought honour to our house when we stood together against Krónos in Manhattan. You risked my wrath to help the Jackson boy—guiding him to the River Stúx, freeing him from my prison, pleading with me to raise the armies of Érebos to assist him. Never before have I been so harassed by one of my sons. Percy this and Percy that. I nearly blasted you to cinders.'

Nico took a shallow breath. The walls of the room began to tremble, dust trickling from the cracks between the bones. 'I didn't do all that just for him. I did it because the whole world was in danger.'

Háidēs allowed himself the faintest smile, but there was nothing cruel in his eyes. 'I can entertain the possibility that you acted for multiple reasons. My point is this: you and I rose to the aid of Ólumpos because you convinced me to let go of my anger. I would encourage you to do likewise. My children are so rarely happy. I ... I would like to see you be an exception.'

Nico stared at his father.

Over at the altar, the fiery ghost rose. He approached, burning and screaming silently, his eyes conveying some urgent message.

'Ah,' Háidēs said. 'This is Brother Paloan. He's one of hundreds who were burned alive in the square near the old Roman temple. The Inquisition had its headquarters there, you know. At any rate, he suggests you leave now. You have very little time before the wolves arrive.'

'Wolves? You mean Orion's pack?'

Háidēs flicked his hand. The ghost of Brother Paloan disappeared. 'My son, what you are attempting – shadow-travel across the world, carrying the statue of Pallás Athḗnē—it may well destroy you.'

'Thanks for the encouragement.'

Háidēs placed his hands briefly on Nico's shoulders.

'I will see you again,' Háidēs promised. 'I will prepare a room for you at the palace in case you do not survive. Perhaps your chambers would look good decorated with the skulls of monks.'

'Now I can't tell if you're joking.'

Háidēs's eyes glittered as his form began to fade. 'Then perhaps we are alike in some important ways.'

The god vanished.

'Begin!' the goddess of victory bellowed from her screen. Her chariot appeared on the field, the Nikettes arrayed in front of her with their spears and laurels raised.

Percy and Leo sprinted through the archway. Immediately, the field shimmered and became a maze of brick walls and trenches. They ducked behind the nearest wall and ran to the left.

Octavian and Medea shot out the tunnel. The Son of Troia had unraveled a spiked chain coated in poison. "DIE, GRAECUS SCUM!" He cackled, the weapon soaring over Leo's head.

'More vicious!' Níkē yelled. 'Kill like you mean it!'

Leo glanced at Percy. 'Ready?'

'I hope you labelled these right.' Percy yelled as he hefted a bronze grenade, 'Die, Romans!' and lobbed the grenade over the wall.

BOOM!

The field was covered in popcorn.

'Oh, no!' Medea wailed. 'Popcorn! Our fatal weakness!'

Octavian's whip soared through the air again. Leo and Percy scrambled to the left, ducking through a maze of walls that seemed to shift and turn on their own.

Somewhere behind them, Níkē yelled as she circled the perimeter of the field, 'Try harder! That popcorn was not fatal!'

"I'm allergic to offbrand products," Octavian objected though he was looking around the field, focusing on the direction of Percy and Leo. He threw a grenade, setting it off with his whip. The two greek demigods dived into a trench as the green starburst of Greek fire singed Leo's hair.

'Better,' Victoria called out, 'but where is your aim? Don't you want this circlet of leaves?'

'I wish the river was closer,' Percy muttered. 'I want to drown her.'

'Be patient, water boy.'

'Don't call me water boy.'

Medea's magicka poured over the field, creating illusions of the demigods. They began to attack each other while others ran around causing confusion. It made things easier when Percy and Leo singled out one of the Nikettes about thirty yards away from them.

Percy dashed to the left as Leo pulled a ball-peen hammer from his tool belt and yelled, 'Hey, Bronze Butt!'

The Nikette turned as Leo threw. His hammer clanged harmlessly off the metal lady's chest, but she must have been annoyed. She marched towards him, raising her barbed-wire laurel wreath.

'Oops.' Leo ducked as the metal circlet spun over his head. The wreath hit a wall behind him, punching a hole straight through the bricks, then arced backwards through the air like a boomerang.

As the Nikette raised her hand to catch it, Percy emerged from the trench behind her and slashed with Riptide, cutting the Nikette in half at the waist. The metal wreath shot past him and embedded in a marble column.

'Foul!' the victory goddess cried, turning towards them abruptly. 'You don't attack the Nikai unless you wish to die!'

A trench appeared in the goddess's path, causing her horses to balk. Leo and Percy ran for cover. About fifty feet away, Octavian had hogtied one of the Victors before yanking harshly on the chain shredding the metal into pieces.

'No!' Níkē screamed in outrage. 'No, no, no! Your lives are forfeit! Nikai, attack!'

Leo and Percy leaped behind a wall. They lay there for a second, trying to catch their breath.

'Hey,' Percy said, 'if we don't make it out of this—'

'Shut up, man. We're going to make it.'

'If we don't, I want you to know—I feel bad about Calypso. I failed her.'

Leo stared at him, dumbfounded. 'It's not like that with me and her. Wait. You know about me and—'

'The Argo II is a small ship.' Percy grimaced. 'Word got around. I just ... well, when I was in Tartarus, I was reminded that I hadn't followed through on my promise to Calypso. I asked the gods to free her and then ... I just assumed they would. With me getting amnesia and getting sent to Camp Jupiter and all, I didn't think about Calypso much after that. I'm not making excuses. I should have made sure the gods kept their promise. Anyway, I'm glad you found her. You promised to find a way back to her, and I just wanted to say, if we do survive all this, I'll do anything I can to help you. That's a promise I will keep.'

They were going to be a bit disappointed to somehow get there, and learn that she was already freed so to speak.

'Man, what is your problem?' Leo grumbled.

Percy blinked. 'So ... I guess we're not cool?'

'Of course we're not cool! You're as bad as Jason! I'm trying to resent you for being all perfect and hero-y and whatnot. Then you go and act like a standup guy. How am I supposed to hate you if you apologize and promise to help and stuff?'

A smile tugged at the corner of Percy's mouth. 'Sorry about that.'

The ground rumbled as another grenade exploded, sending spirals of whipped cream into the sky.

'That's Medea's signal,' Leo said. 'They've taken down another Nikette.'

'One Nikette left,' Percy said as he peeked around the corner of the wall. 'I wonder—'

Howls pierced the air, and their gazes immediately swept back towards those carrying off the Trojan Pallidum. Wolves appeared from every direction— huge black beasts leaping from the roofs, surrounding their encampment.

The largest of them padded forward, standing on his haunches and began to change. His forelegs grew into arms. His snout shrank into a pointy nose. His grey fur morphed into a cloak of woven animal pelts. He became a tall, wiry man with a haggard face and glowing red eyes. A crown of finger bones circled his greasy black hair.

Lukáо̄n.

'Ah, little satyr ...' The man grinned, revealing pointed fangs. 'Your wish is granted! You will stay in Évora forever, because, sadly for you, my figurative wolves are literally wolves.'

"You're not Orion,' Nico blurted.

Lukáо̄n laughed. 'Indeed not. Ōríōn has merely employed me to assist him in his hunt. I am—'

'Lycaon,' Reyna interrupted. 'The first werewolf.'

The man gave her a mock bow. 'Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, pretor of Roma. One of Lupa's whelps! I'm pleased you recognize me. No doubt, I am the stuff of your nightmares.'

'The stuff of my indigestion, perhaps.' From her belt pouch, Reyna produced a foldable camping knife. She flicked it open and the wolves snarled, backing away. 'I never travel without a silver weapon.'

Lukáо̄n bared his teeth. 'Would you keep a dozen wolves and their king at bay with a pocketknife? I heard you were brave, filia Romana. I did not realize you were foolhardy.'

Reyna's dogs crouched, ready to spring while Pranjal pulled out his own silver dagger, shrugging when they glanced at him.

"Silver has numerous health properties that have been used across time and culture. It is a powerful antimicrobial agent that aids in cold and flu prevention, wound healing, and skin care. Its effective for boosting and maintaining a healthy immune system."

The coach gripped his baseball bat, though for once he didn't look anxious to swing.

Nico reached for the hilt of his sword.

'Don't bother,' muttered Coach Hedge. 'These guys are only hurt by silver or fire. I remember them from Pikes Peak. They're annoying.'

'And I remember you, Gleeson Hedge.' The werewolf's eyes glowed lava red. 'My pack will be delighted to have goat meat for dinner.'

Hedge snorted. 'Bring it on, mangy boy. The Hunters of Artemis are on their way right now, just like last time! That's a temple of Diana over there, you idiot. You're on their home turf!'

Again, the wolves snarled and widened their circle. Some glanced nervously towards the rooftops.

Lukáо̄n only glared at the coach. 'A nice try, but I'm afraid that temple has been misnamed. I passed through here during Roman times. It was actually dedicated to the Emperor Augustus. Typical demigod vanity. Regardless, I've been much more careful since our last encounter. If the Hunters were anywhere close by, I would know.'

Nico stepped forward. 'So you've got us. What are you waiting for?'

Lukáо̄n studied him like a new type of meat in a butcher's display case. 'Nico di Angelo ... son of Háidēs. I've heard of you. I'm sorry I can't kill you promptly, but I promised my employer Ōríōn that I would detain you until he arrives. No worries. He should be here in a few moments. Once he's done with you, I shall spill your blood and mark this place as my territory for ages to come!'

Nico gritted his teeth. 'Demigod blood. The blood of Olympus.'

'Of course!' Lukáо̄n said. 'Spilled upon the ground, especially sacred ground, demigod blood has many uses. With the proper incantations, it can awaken monsters or even gods. It can cause new life to spring up or make a place barren for generations. Alas, your blood will not wake Gaía herself. That honour is reserved for your friends in Greece. But fear not. Your death will be almost as painful as theirs.'

The grass started dying around Nico's feet. The marigold beds withered.

'Coach,' he said, 'you can climb?'

Hedge scoffed. 'I'm half goat. Of course I can climb!'

'Get up to the statue and secure the rigging. Take Pranjal with you. Make a rope ladder and drop it down for us.'

'Uh, but the pack of wolves—'

'Reyna,' Nico said, 'you and your dogs will have to cover our retreat.'

The praetor nodded grimly. 'Understood.'

Lukáо̄n howled with laughter. 'Retreat to where, son of Háidēs? There is no escape. You cannot kill us!'

'Maybe not,' Nico said. 'But I can slow you down.'

He spread his hands and the ground erupted. A wall of bones that burst skyward—hundreds of femurs, ribs and fibulas entangling the wolves, forming a spiky briar patch of human remains. Most of the wolves were hopelessly trapped. Some writhed and gnashed their teeth, trying to free themselves from their haphazard cages. Lukáо̄n himself was immobilized in a cocoon of rib bones, but that didn't stop him from screaming curses.

'You worthless child!' he roared. 'I will rip the flesh from your limbs!'

'Coach, go!' Nico said.

The satyr grabbed the medic and sprinted towards the temple. He made the top of the podium in a single leap and the two of them scrambled up the left pillar.

Two wolves broke free from the thicket of bones. Reyna threw her knife and impaled one in the neck. Her dogs pounced on the other. Aurum's fangs and claws slipped harmlessly off the wolf's hide, but Argentum brought the beast down, sinking his fangs into the wolf's scruff. The wolf dissolved into a puddle of shadow.

A silver dagger came flying from the sky, piercing the heart of another wolf that tried to sneak up on Nico. It melted into a shadow, and Pranjal quickly turned to follow Gleeson to the statue.

Reyna drew her sword. She scooped a handful of silver coins from Hedge's baseball cap, grabbed duct tape from the coach's supply bag and began taping coins around her blade. The girl was nothing if not inventive.

'Go!' she told Nico. 'I'll cover you!'

The wolves struggled, causing the bone thicket to crack and crumble. Lukáо̄n freed his right arm and began smashing through his prison of ribcages.

'I will flay you alive!' he promised. 'I will add your pelt to my cloak!'

Nico ran, pausing just long enough to grab Reyna's silver pocketknife from the ground. He wasn't a mountain goat, but he found a set of stairs at the back of the temple and raced to the top. He reached the base of the columns and squinted up at Coach Hedge, who was precariously perched at the feet of the Trojan Pallidum, unravelling ropes and knotting a ladder.

'Hurry!' Nico yelled.

'Oh, really?' the coach called down. 'I thought we had tons of time!'

Down in the square, more wolves broke free of their bone restraints. Reyna swatted them aside with her modified duct-tape-coin-sword, but a handful of change wasn't going to hold back a pack of werewolves for long. Aurum snarled and snapped in frustration, unable to hurt the enemy. Argentum did his best, sinking his claws into the throat of another wolf, but the silver dog was already damaged. Soon he'd be hopelessly outnumbered.

Lukáо̄n freed both his arms, pulling his legs from their ribcage restraints. There were only a few seconds until he would be loose.

In distance, not that quartet could hear or any of the wolves were paying attention... another set of howls sounded through the air.

'Reyna, get up here!' Nico yelled.

She slammed another wolf in the head and ran. In mid-stride, she flicked her sword, which elongated into a javelin, then used it to launch herself up like a pole-vaulter. She landed next to Nico.

'What's the plan?' she asked, not even out of breath.

'Show-off,' he grumbled.

A knotted rope fell from above.

'Climb, ya silly non-goats!' Hedge yelled.

'Go,' Nico told her. 'Once you're up there, hang on tight to the rope.'

'Nico—'

'Do it!'

Her javelin shrank back into a sword. Reyna sheathed it and began to climb, scaling the column despite her armour and her supplies. Down in the plaza, Aurum and Argentum were nowhere to be seen. Either they'd retreated or they'd been destroyed.

Lukáо̄n broke free of his bone cage with a triumphant howl. 'You will suffer, son of Háidēs!'

He palmed the pocketknife. 'Come get me, you mutt! Or do you have to stay like a good dog until your master shows up?'

Lukáо̄n sprang through the air, his claws extended, his fangs bared. Though before he could even fall upon Nico, another body collided with his, and they tumbled across the ground, claws and teeth scraping against each other before the smaller body; a russet brown wall of furry muscle bit into Lukáо̄n's throat before ripping it out brutally.

All around the temple, wolves howled as one even the ones that only just appeared as Lukáо̄n dissolved into a pool of inky darkness.

The smaller wolf threw her head back and let out a long howl as the wolves before her growled and shifted, some rolled onto their backs, showing off their bellies while others ducked their heads in submission. Several things happened at once. The outraged pack of wolves surged forward; at least those not willing to accept the brutal takeover. From a nearby rooftop, a booming voice yelled, 'STOP THEM!'

Then Nico melted into the pool of Lukáо̄n's shadow, taking his friends, the new alpha on the block who yelped in surprise, and the Trojan Pallidum with him.

'Hey!' Octavian yelled back on their screen. 'I want a participation award, too! Everybody wins!'

He whistled loudly and two basilisks appeared slithered from under his shirt, and Hermes could only stare as he threw them at Níkē's chariot which began to burn. Níkē ignored it. Her eyes were fixed on Leo.

He was insane.

He was utterly insane.

Who just carried basilisks all casually like that?

"'Percy ... ?' Leo's voice sounded like a hamster's squeak. From his tool belt, he fished out an Arkhimḗdēs sphere and set the concentric circles to arm the device.

Percy was still sparring with the last Nikette.

Leo threw the sphere in the chariot's path. It hit the ground and burrowed in, but the goddess ignored it, continuing her charge at Leo.

The chariot was twenty feet from the grenade.

Fifteen feet.

'Percy!' Leo yelled. 'Operation Water Balloon!'

Unfortunately, Percy was a little busy getting smacked around. The Nikette thumped him backwards with the butt of her spear. She threw her wreath with such force it knocked Percy's sword from his grip. Percy stumbled and Octavian snarled. The metallic lady moved in for the kill.

Leo howled, throwing out his hand and shot a white-hot bolt of fire straight at the Nikette. It melted her face. The Nikette staggered, her spear still raised, but Octavian jumped on her back, stabbing a dagger into her form over and over again.

The Nikette crashed into the grass.

And Octavian stood so gracefully that Hērmês had to look at Dêlos to make sure that his Brother was still there and had not traded places with his legacy.

He was.

Percy turned towards the victory goddess's chariot. Just as those huge white horses were about to turn Leo into roadkill, the carriage passed over Leo's sunken grenade, which exploded in a high-pressure geyser. Water blasted upward, flipping the chariot—horses, carriage, goddess and all.

Octavian collapsed. Percy caught him. Medea ran towards them from across the field.

"We have got to stop meeting like this after fighting bitchy monsters," Octavian breathed, smiling at Percy as he helped him to his feet. The son of Poseidón just kissed him on the cheek.

'YOU!' Níkē glared at Leo, her eyes hotter and brighter than her metal wings as she disentangled herself from the wreckage and rose to face him. Her braided hairdo now resembled a stepped-on cow pat. A laurel wreath was stuck around her left ankle. Her horses got to their hooves and galloped away in a panic, dragging the soaked, half-burning wreckage of the chariot behind them. 'You dare?'

'I know, right? I'm awesome!" Leo smiled nervously. "Do I win a leaf hat now?'

'You will die!' The goddess raised her spear.

'Hold that thought!' Leo dug around in his tool belt. 'You haven't seen my best trick yet. I have a weapon guaranteed to win any contest!'

Victoria hesitated. 'What weapon? What do you mean?'

'My ultimate zap-o-matic!' He pulled out a second Archimedes sphere as he fiddled with dials. 'How many laurel wreaths have you got? Because I'm gonna win them all.'

Leo clicked the final dial, and the sphere opened. "Behold!" One side elongated into a gun handle. The other side unfolded into a miniature radar dish made of Celestial bronze mirrors.

Victoria frowned. 'What is that supposed to be?'

"'An Archimedes death ray!' Leo said. 'I finally perfected it. Now give me all the prizes.'

'Those things don't work!' Níkē yelled. 'They proved it on television! Besides, I'm an immortal goddess. Emphasis on IMMORTAL! You can't destroy me!'

'Watch closely,' Leo said. 'Are you watching?'

Níkē stared straight into the dish as Leo flipped the switch.

"Look away," Hḗphaistos warned.

On the screen, Níkē screeched and they all peeked. Hḗphaistos grumbled, fiddling with the control systems as whatever Leo did affected the colors of the cameras and knocked a few things out of sync.

"I'm blind! I'm blind!' Níkē was screaming.

When the screens were fixed, Níkē was trapped in a bronze net. She wailed, falling sideways as the net constricted, forcing her two forms – Greek and Roman – into a quivering, out-of-focus whole.

'Trickery!' Her doubled voices buzzed like muffled alarm clocks. 'Your death ray did not even kill me!'

"I don't need to kill you,' Leo said. 'I vanquished you just fine.'

'I will simply change form!' she cried. 'I will rip apart your silly net! I will destroy you!'

'Yeah, see, you can't.' Leo hoped he was right. 'That's high-quality Celestial bronze netting, and I'm a son of Hephaestus. He's kind of an expert on catching goddesses in nets.'

"Very funny," Aphrodítē snarked.

"I laughed," Hḗphaistos said.

'No. Nooooo!'

Leo left her thrashing and cursing, and went to check on his friends. Percy looked all right, just sore and bruised. Medea had propped Octavian up and was healing him with her magicak while he nagged at her to take a break so she wouldn't strain her core.

"You were awesome, Dea.' Leo did his best Medea imitation: 'Popcorn! Our fatal weakness!'

She smiled wanly. Together the four of them walked over to Níkē, who was still writhing and flapping her wings in the net like a golden chicken.

'What do we do with her?' Percy asked.

"'Take her aboard the Argo II,' Leo said. 'Chuck her in one of the horse stalls.'

Medea's eyes widened. 'You're going to keep the goddess of victory in the stable?'

'Why not? Once we sort things out between Greeks and Romans, the gods should go back to their normal selves. Then we can free her and she can ... you know ... grant us victory.'

'Grant you victory?' the goddess cried. 'Never! You will suffer for this outrage! Your blood shall be spilled! One of you is fated to die battling Gaia and her giants!'

'How do you know that?' Leo demanded.

'I can foresee victories!' Níkē yelled. 'You will have no success without death! Release me and fight each other! It is better you die here than face what is to come!'

Octavian stuck the point of his dagger under Níkē's chin. 'Explain. Who will die? How do we stop it?'

'Ah, Son of Troia! Your sight might be broken, but you know that you cannot cheat destiny. One of you will die. One of you must die! The Blood of Ólumpos must be spilt!'

'No,' Medea insisted. 'There's another way. There is always another path.'

"Your mother taught you this?' Victoria laughed. 'You would hope for the physician's cure, perhaps? But that is impossible. Too much stands in your way: the poison of Pylos, the chained god's heartbeat in Sparta, the curse of Delos! No, you cannot cheat death.'

Octavian knelt. He gathered up the net under Níkē's chin and raised her face to his. 'What are you talking about? How do we find this cure?'

'I will not help you,' Níkē growled. 'I will curse you with my power, net or no!'

She began to mutter in Ancient Greek.

Octavian looked up, scowling. 'Can she really cast magic through this net?'

'Heck if I know,' Leo said.

Octavian let go of the goddess. Medea waved her hand over the goddess' mouth which was suddenly filled with wads of gum.

'Mpppphhh!' Níkē complained. 'Mppppphhh!'

'Leo,' Octavian said grimly, 'you got duct tape?'

'Never leave home without it.' He fished a roll from his tool belt, and in no time Octavian had wrapped it around Victoria's head, securing the gag in her mouth.

'Well, it's not a laurel wreath,' Octavian said, 'but it's a new kind of victory circle: the gag of duct tape.'

'Verus,' Leo said, 'you got style.'

Níkē thrashed and grunted until Percy nudged her with his toe. 'Hey, shut up. You behave or we'll get Arion back here and let him nibble your wings. He loves gold.'

Níkē shrieked once, then became still and quiet.

'So ...' Medea sounded a little nervous. 'We have one tied-up goddess. Now what?'

Octavian folded his arms. 'We go looking for this physician's cure ... whatever that is. Because, personally, I like cheating death.'

Leo grinned. 'Poison in Pylos? A chained god's heartbeat in Sparta? A curse in Delos? Oh, yeah. This is gonna be fun!'

Lea laughed as she looked between her siblings.

Percy looked entirely too friendly, his tone almost cheerfully amicable. He had always been the nicer one though it was clear to see that with Livia (And Lea in her own world) there was no need for him to be anything but positive.

Not to say that he couldn't be a negative nancy, but with the way that their sister stood at his side, and threats were more than implied by her scowl, well he was clearly the more liked one.

Livia didn't even have to say anything, just a dark, silent shadow at his shoulders, standing with the posture of a soldier, expression serious but unmoving. Somehow just her presence implied an unmistakable threat that can still be felt by everyone but Octavian, Jason, Annabeth, a few of the other Romans, and that scary healer that was drinking venom of a Blue-Ringed Octopus like it was water.

Lea was kind of jealous. How come she didn't radiate "I'm the biggest predator on the block" vibes like her sisters?

Though, she supposed she probably did considering her whole "Let's magic the giants out of existence" thing. And Percy was a threat also especially once that smile dropped.

Hopefully things will go a little easier in this world though... Lea turned her eyes onto her Mom and stepdad as they rushed over and the way that Livia hissed like an angry cat before stalking away. That would depend on what their Mother has to say.

Lea sighed, looking around her Camp Half-Blood where she had been brought which had almost caused another fight between the Seven and the Romans because Percy wanted to take her with them, yet Livia had given him a black eye the moment that he tried to carry her towards that ugly ship. Lea was a little sad about being there though knowing that in this world that some of her people were dead. Ethan was dead. Lee was dead. Castor was dead though she wasn't that close to him. It was still very sad that she saved him... saved them in one world just for him to die in another.

She watched the way Jason trailed after Livia like a lost puppy before Octavian yanked him back while the girl embraced Mercurius. Lea ignored all of that though to pay attention to the god that came to sit at her side.

"Are you alright," Hermes asked and Lea nodded her head. It had been a few days since the fight at Charleston though it could hardly be called a fight with how quickly it was over, and Lea had been on bedrest. She had definitely cracked her mageia core; worse than she did back during the Titan War to which Hekátē and Kírkē had scolded her immensely while they worked to seal and heal it.

It certainly didn't help that casting such a big spell had drained her reserves to absolutely nothing. She was at like .05% of a hundred as her mageia erased the giants that were in Greece, the dude that had been placed in the stars, and apparently from what the monsters that emerged from hell stated, the spell got the ones that had been in Tartara also.

Gaia had been pissed, not enough to wake fully but she was still out there causing problems for the gods who were trying to negotiate with her though Athena had been wasting time trying to convince Annabeth to go on some deadly quest about a statue and whatnot. The girl, however, was not talking to Mommy Dearest.

Lea, however, had been terrified when she awakened after knocking herself out from such a strong spell. It reminded her very much of her storm powers to which Livia had been offended and promised to start teaching her even more control than what she learned back in Kállos' universe. That sounded like a lot more meditation to Lea if she was being honest.

Lea only just been allowed to leave the medbay at Camp Half-Blood (and she really hated that name. Did it have to be that in every universe?).

"Kírkē says that my core is healing well. I'd be able to brew potions again soon enough."

Because she was so low on mageia, that she couldn't do jackshit but watch as Hekátē and Trivia alongside Kírkē and Cerca teach their children mageia and how to seal up all the rifts that she accidentally ripped into reality.

Whoopsie.

They were also reviewing the spell that she used to get her back to her own world before Gaia remembered that she was there.

"That is very good," Hermes said and there was a loud cry ahead of them. They turned, watching as Sally caught sight of Livia who grimaced before turning away pointedly, a sheet of rain manifesting between the two as the girl headed towards Drew to live up to her world of taking the girl under her wing. "I have more questions about these blessings that you spoke of. We were all so distracted by your powerpoint and theories about aliens."

Lea laughed lightly, wincing at the pain of her core. "Well," she started, accepting the piece of ambrosia that he treated her to and almost groaning at the taste of her Mom's chocolate-chip cookies. "Simply put, my soul chose yours and nothings could ever change that. And I tried at first. I begged Artemis to let me join the hunt but she kept refusing me and I would have stayed on Kírkē's island, but she turned Percy into a guinea pig and that was like a big no for me."

"He just does not take the vitamins," Hermes bemoaned. "Though I am not surprised by Ártemis. If we are blessed to be together, my sister would never hurt me so."

"She just doesn't accept soulmates of gods. I think Daphne was the only one and that's because she's a special case."

"Dáphnē? The one that Apóllōn loved? She and Huákinthos still live?"

"Oh. It's different in this world? Well, yeah. You once told me that you gods could never separate blessings. Most get turned into flora or placed in the stars. You were the one that led Hyakinthos back up from the Underworld and Daphne likes chilling with the hunters."

Hermes hummed. "Can you tell me more about us? Your Hērmês and myself."

Another god plopped down beside him, and Lea raised a brow at Mercurius as he got settled. "About us." he stressed. "Since it seems that your world operates under the belief that we are one deity with separate names."

Hermes snickered. "We don't even have the same parents."

"No," Lea stated loudly. "I will go back to sleep. The alien-gods that I deal with are enough alongside every single lifetime that I've lived and the memories of my siblings. I know waaaay too much right now."

If either of them took off their pants, she will scream and cry and her Father and Brother will kick their ass. Maybe her Mother too if the way the woman was staring at her in shock was any indication while Percy explained to her and Paul what was going on.

"Still," Mercurius stated, turning back to her. "I, too, would like to know more about this relationship."

Lea flushed, shrugging. "We hardly ever fight. He's the type of person to lay down beside you and explain the stock market instead and he's also very big on communication whenever one of us, though mainly me, is upset. He'd never lose his cool with me. He'd just... he'd just love me, hug me, stay patient and wait for me to gather myself because he knows that I have to be really upset to actually get to that point. My fatal flaw was apathy."

"Was?"

"Hard to be apathetic when the world not only makes but when you also spend most of your time around the love goddess's kids."

"You change your fatal flaw," Hermes stated admirably.

"I don't think it's changed. I still have a lack of interest about literally anything that has nothing to do with me," Lea shrugged before smiling softly. "Though, my Hermes is well... I cannot help but to love him. It's like I didn't know how people fell in love at first sight until he came though it wasn't love at first sight exactly. It was familiarity. Drew told me once. There's this Japanese phrase: koi no yokan. It doesn't mean love at first sight. It's closer to love at second sight. It's the feeling when you meet someone that you're going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don't love them right away, but it's inevitable that you will. I think that's the best way to describe it... describe us."

Tears began to stream down her face. "And I'm... I'm so scared that I won't see him again and that I will lose him to her."

Though she might actually tear the world apart if that did happen... Lea was not going through all of this for nothing.

"You will never lose him, Leaneíras," Mercurius stated firmly though his eyes were on Livia as she and Jason began to wrestle playfully across the ground. "True love always comes home."

And as he said that her sister suddenly turned her unnervingly blues on him.

Lea wondered if she should conjure some contacts.

She turned her head when she heard Medea and Lou Ellen and someone named Terrel start to cheer in excitement. They rushed up towards her and Lea raised a brow.

"I think we got it," Lou Ellen stated, waving an elixir around. Lea raised a brow as Hekátē and Kírkē appeared at her side. The demigods placed the elixir down alongside the spell components that they used.

"Is this math?" Lea grimaced. Who the fuck was using math in spell and why was it working? Thinking of math though gave her the reminder of all the school work that she would have to complete when she got back, and her head was already pounding trying to imagine it all the things that she would need to remember and how to push through her dyslexia because of it. She conjured a pen to her hand, wincing as Kírkē swatted her head as she worked on tweaking the spell to herself. Easily, she lost herself to spell work, working out the small details that fell apart when Hekátē pointed it out. The other three demigods pointed out other flaws that popped up, oohing and aahing when they saw the mistakes in their spellwork and how her own pieced them together.

It seemed like hours later that they managed to finish it to near perfection.

"This is as good as its going to get," Kírkē said. "You may go through a few more lifetimes, but this should aim you directly at your own world. Utilizing your bond to the Herald as the stabilizer."

"Kind of irritated that I didn't think of that before," she grumbled.

"It may have been because you were not in the same place as Hērmês and Mercurius. From your words, the moment that you worked on the spell. You were only around Hērmês. Your world has them as one being and so you needed both to go as a guide."

"And with this," Hekátē stated. "We could send you on your way right now though we will need some of your blood."

Lea grimaced.

She hated needles.

The next hours were even more of a blur to the point that she had to be shooed off to sleep, feeling comfort in being back in the Cabin Three though Livia had refused to step a foot near it. Her elder sister opted to sleep outside, going as far as to sink to the bottom of the river to avoid speaking to anyone.

The next morning, she found herself yelping in surprise as Drew threw the doors open and her brothers carried her out towards Cabin Ten. Lea's eyes widened in horror, but she knew better than to argue. Lea was down before anyone knew it. Her only glimpses at life were through silk, satin, leather, spandex, and polyester.

She shivered as she was finally released, and she flinched more than once when she saw their hands twitch. As she stumbled out of their cabin, she saw the way that Piper had pressed herself against the walls, eyes wide in fear.

Yeah, look at this damn organized crime family!

Lea handed over her powerpoint to Livia who stared at it in judgment. The girl pressed it into Jason's face before engulfing her in a tight hug that she almost didn't let her out of when Percy came in for a hug.

Though when their Mother reached out to hug them, Livia nearly jumped out of her skin, pressing into Octavian and demanding wet wipes. "Have to make sure that I don't catch any child neglecting cooties."

Wow.

Ouch.

Lea was glad that she was leaving this world.

The family drama would honestly take Real Housewives of Poseiria to number one. It also might make her cry, and Lea hated crying. She did not do tears.

Hekátē and Kírkē got everything together, and Lea stood in the midst of the hastily dug trench filled with lake water and surrounded by crystals. Hekátē and Kírkē alongside their more powerful children surrounded her making the points of a witch's knot and Lea pushed just her mageia out around her. The small amount that she had managed to restore either way.

The wind picked up around them, and mageia manifested in the air.

Leaneíras turned towards Hermes and Mercurius, smiling softly. Her counterpart—her twin—peeked around Mercurius, smiling and waving as Lea prepared to leave while Jason placed a crown of stars into her hair.

Leaneíras waved back, moving her gaze over to Percy and then onto Annabeth and then Medea and Drew and Octavian. Her Mother. Stepfather. Both versions of her Father and both versions of her Stepmother. Her friends. Her family. And all the other people; including the gods, that had come to see her off.

She looked back at Hermes and Mercurius once more before turning to face the rip within the void. Absently, she could feel echoes of heat from her mark, and she'd play this game of Hot and Cold forever until she returned to her world.

"I'll cross the oceans of time to find you," she murmured, pressing her hand to her mark. "I'm coming back to you, Ermís. I swear it on the River Styx."

WORD COUNT: 12454

COMMENTS FROM THE AUTHOR:

1) Writing the HoO series is so much easier for the other stories in queue since I am writing in it currently and also because of the fact that everything is happening over the course of weeks in the books and I don't have to write out years. Like I can get those scenes together and then double back and write towards it.

2) Livia's verse. The only verse where Peithō gets the guy. Unfortunately, however, her roman counterpart, Saudela, does not get him. LMFAOOO.

3) With the way that Rick writes the gods, the idea of Leo and Frank going to fight Níkē shouldn't have worked either because of Hḗphaistos and Mārs about Aphrodítē/Venus.

3A) Here though, it would make sense considering that HḖPHAISTOS AND APHRODÍTĒ ARE DIVORCED AND HE IS LITERALLY REMARRIED.

4) After this chapter, Lea has one last adventure that short and syncs up with the Seven and the next parts of their quests. And then they'll all be reconnected at the end, and we can finally see Peithō's punishment.

5) Again, it would have been better for the Giants to attack Ólumpos from Greece using the entry point over Mount Ólumpos.

5A) The Olympian akropolis lay above the clouds and the paths of the stars, near the apex of the solid bronze-dome of the sky. It existed in the zone known as the aither-the bright upper-air of heaven or shining blue of the sky. The gods feasted on ambrosia and nectar, substances collected from the meadows of the earth-encircling river Okeanos or the smoke of sacrificial offerings wafting to heaven.

5B) Having them in Athens is so lazy though I get why he chose it considering its the capitol of Greece.

5C) Doing it at the ruins of Troy would've been killer because its stems from worship of the greek gods and then their legacy brings forth worship of the roman gods. That's THE seamless connection between the two pantheons and would have made it sense if he wanted to destroy them.

5D) The Pantheon would've been a good choice also. Like forget the Colosseum. Show those colonizers that the gods were back and return their temple to being their temple instead of turned into a church.

5E) I shall say no more because I will not be drawn into an argument about faith. I am not a worshipper of Yahweh or his son.

5F) I personally dont have the patience to change that part either so you know... you get canon.

THINGS TO KNOW:

1) Now we all know that Hērmês is the son of Ζεύς and Maía. However, Hyginus (who I don't actually take into account, but I do find this interesting and amusing) states that Mercurius was the son of Dies and Caelum.

2) According to Hesiod Astronomy Frag, Ōríōn was a son of Poseidón and Euryale, the daughter of Mī́nōs (one of his affair babies). He was NOT a son of Gaía until later writers.

3) Also,

VERSION 1 (Slain by Ártemis in wrath) Homer, Odússeia 5. 119 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :

"[Kalupsṓ laments the departure of Odusseús:] 'You are merciless, you gods, resentful beyond all other things; you are jealous if without disguise a goddess makes a man her bedfellow, her beloved husband. So it was when Ēṓs of the rosy fingers chose out Ōríōn; you gods who live in such ease yourselves were jealous of her until chaste (hagne) Ártemis of the golden throne (khrysothronos) visited him with her gentle shafts and slew him in Ortygía.'"

VERSION 2 (Ōríōn slain by Gaía, turned into a constellation by Ártemis)

Hesiod, The Astronomy Fragment 4 (from Pseudo-Eratosthenes, Catast. 32) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :

"[The constellation Ōríōn:] Hesiod says that he was the son of Euryale, the daughter of Mī́nōs, and of Poseidón, and that there was given him as a gift the power of walking upon the waves as though upon land . . . Ōríōn went away to Krḗtē and spent his time hunting in company with Ártemis and Lētṓ. It seems that he threatened to kill every beast there was on earth; whereupon, in her anger, Gaía sent up against him a scorpion of very great size by which he was stung and so perished. After this Ζεύς, at one prayer of Ártemis and Lētṓ, put him among the stars, because of his manliness, and the scorpion also as a memorial of him and of what had occurred."

VERSION 3 (Ōríōn slain through a trick of Apollō, turned into a constellation by Dīāna)

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 34 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.):
"[The Constellation Ōríōn:] Istrus [Alexandrian poet C3rd B.C.], however, says that Dīāna loved Ōríōn and came near marrying him. Apollō took this hard, and when scolding her brought no results, on seeing the head of Ōríōn who was swimming a long way off, he wagered her that she couldn't hit with her arrows the black object in the sea. Since she wished to be called an expert in that skill, she shot an arrow and pierced the head of Ōríōn. The waves brought his slain body to the shore, and Dīāna, grieving greatly that she had struck him, and mourning his death with many tears, put him among the constellations. But what Dīāna did after his death, we shall tell in the stories about her."

VERSION 4 (Slain by Ártemis)

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 25 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Ártemis slew Ōríōn on Delos. He was said to be a Gigas (Giant) of massive proportions born of Ge (Gaía, the Earth), but Pherekydes (Pherecydes) [C6th B.C. poet] says that his parents were Poseidon and Euryale. From Poseidon he was given the power of walking across the sea. His first wife was Side, who for vying with Hḗrē in shapeliness was thrown by her into Háidēs' realm. After that Ōríōn went to Khios where he courted Oinopion's daughter Merope. Oinopion, however, got him drunk, and, as he slept, blinded him and tossed him out on the beach. He made his way to the bronze workshop of Hḗphaistos, where he seized a boy [Kedalion], set him on his shoulders, and ordered him to guide him toward the east. Once there, he looked up and was completely healed by the rays of Hḗlios. Immediately he started back to confront Oinopion. But Poseidón had provided Oinopion with a house beneath the earth, built by Hḗphaistos. Meanwhile, Ēṓs, whom Aphrodítē taunted with constant passion as punishment for sleeping with Árēs, fell in love with Ōríōn and took him off with her to Delos. There he was killed, according to some, for challenging Ártemis to a discus match. Others say that Ártemis shot him as he was forcing his attention on Oupis, a virgin who had come from the Hyperboreans."