Even though Annabeth wore her fanciest outfit, she felt extremely underdressed. Lugis was the kind of place where Hollywood stars went for dinner. It was not the kind of place that Annabeth Chase went. Just an appetizer alone would put her back twenty dollars, and that was for a salad.
"It was not this fancy the last time we came," Piper said to herself. Annabeth glanced back at her friend. She knew that Piper's father was a famous movie star, and he had won his fair share of awards. He also took Piper out to Lugis twice before to celebrate winning an Oscar.
Annabeth studied Piper. She knew Tristan McLean didn't exactly approve of Piper's career choice. He wanted her to follow in his footsteps and had even offered her a few roles in some of his movies. Piper refused and spent most of her free time as Annabeth's manager. That was what paid her bills. Being an activist and reporter was something that she did for fun.
Annabeth was more than appreciative of her friend. The role of a manager, especially one that dealt with the media, was more than Annabeth could handle. Having someone she could trust in that position helped her relax. That was one of the reasons she always made sure Piper got a good paycheck every month. It was also the reason why Piper was going to stay her manager one way or another.
"Is it bad that I hate this place?" Annabeth questioned. She glanced down at her plain silver dress. There was a split that went down her dress, starting at her knees. It hugged all of her curves, which Piper kept telling her on the way over. Piper herself was dressed in a pink, gaudy dress that her father had gifted her for his last premiere.
"Not at all. I hate it too," Piper whispered. She looked around. The hostess was eyeing them like she knew they didn't belong there. "Do you see the guys?"
Annabeth turned her head and nodded. She motioned towards the front door. Jason was the first one inside. He looked like he was at home, and Annabeth knew that Jason probably came here once a month for business meetings. She also remembered a story about how Jason's father periodically came to this place to impress his new flavor of the month and have them meet his kids until he found his current wife.
Jason wore his two-piece black suit and dress shoes like it was a second skin. He adjusted his blue tie and blue dress shirt. Percy followed behind him and looked less comfortable. As far as Annabeth knew, the last time Percy wore a suit was for his mother's wedding, and it had been lost when he moved out. Now, he was borrowing one of Jason's suits, but his tie and dress shirt were green.
The two boys made their way over. Jason took Piper's arm and gently kissed her hand. Percy looked at them and then Annabeth. He gave her a small bow. Annabeth grinned and curtsied back. She noticed that they were given a few side looks, but those looks would have been given anyway.
"I don't see Octavian anywhere," Jason commented. Annabeth looked around as well. Before they had left for the restaurant, Jason had shown her a picture of the scarecrow man that was named Octavian. Piper seemed to look around as well.
"We can see if they are already here," Percy suggested. He walked towards the hostess stand, and the three walked up behind him. The hostess looked up at them, and something like a frown came to her face.
"Do you have a reservation?" the hostess asked. Her eyes drifted in between the four of them before focusing on Jason. "Do you?"
"We're meeting someone," Piper began. The hostess glanced at Piper and raised an eyebrow. Annabeth shifted uncomfortably.
"And what is the name on the reservation?" the hostess asked. She looked them up and down and almost had a sneer on her face. Annabeth clenched her fists.
"Lupa," a voice behind Annabeth said. Annabeth tensed and slowly turned around. She focused on the woman in front of her. The legendary fighter Lupa stood only three feet from her. Unlike everyone else, Lupa was not dressed up. She wore her signature black jacket. Her hood was thrown over her head, casting a shadow on her smirk.
Upon looking back at the hostess, Annabeth saw that the woman had gone pale. Any look of disdain was gone. Lupa looked at Annabeth and spoke, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Annabeth Chase."
Lupa's eyes flickered towards Jason, and a smile appeared on her face. She stepped forward and pulled Jason into a hug. Jason seemed surprised, but he slowly hugged Lupa back. The two parted after a few moments, and Lupa glanced at the rest of them.
"This is your team?" Lupa questioned. Annabeth nodded. Lupa took a turn looking each of them in the eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope that we will have a future working together."
Annabeth studied Lupa quietly. This was not what she expected from someone as famous as Lupa. Someone who had changed the way that the world viewed women was not as stuck up or arrogant as Annabeth expected. She almost seemed normal.
"This is Piper," Jason said after a few moments. He wrapped his arm around Piper. "She's Annabeth's manager."
"And your girlfriend," Lupa noted. Her eyes flickered towards Percy. It took a moment for Percy to give her his troublemaker grin.
"Percy Jackson. I spar with Annabeth and help her prepare for fights. I'm also her best friend if Piper hasn't pushed me out of that spot yet," Percy said. Piper rolled her eyes.
"Your table is ready," the hostess said quietly. Lupa nodded and then followed after the waitress. Annabeth waited for her friends to follow behind before taking up the rear. They made it towards a table that was near the back of the room but not in a corner. Annabeth counted eight chairs, and her heart almost did a flip. Would she meet some of the fighters?
The hostess planted eight menus, partially confirming Annabeth's theory. Lupa waited for the rest of them to sit down. Then, she took a seat across from Annabeth. Since they were closer, Annabeth could see some of Lupa's reddish hair hiding underneath her hood. Her eyes looked to be gray if not almost silver.
"I wanted to speak to you before Octavian arrives. I am sure that he will not like my negotiating tactics, and I hate to hear him complain," Lupa said. Her eyes focused on Annabeth's. "I want you to join the Wolves, Annabeth Chase. Name your price."
Annabeth stared at Lupa. She expected a much more tense atmosphere, one where two people tried to out-negotiate each other. Numbers would be thrown around, and both parties would come out moderately satisfied. The last thing she expected would be for Lupa to just hand her a blank list and ask for all of her demands.
"Why?" Annabeth asked quietly. She tried to maintain eye contact with Lupa, but she looked down at the menu.
"Why do I ask what you want?" Lupa questioned. Annabeth didn't respond. "Or, why do I want you to join?"
"Why do you want me to join?" Annabeth slowly asked. She focused on the drinks. A glass of water costs five dollars. What kind of place was this? Why would Lupa want to pay for a party of eight to meet just to discuss Annabeth joining? There was no guarantee that Annabeth wouldn't just take the dinner and run.
"Did you follow my career?" Lupa questioned. Annabeth quickly nodded. "Then, you understand that I fought many women who were not prepared. They stepped into the cage thinking it would be a quick paycheck and an audition for their body. After all, some of those women went on to model because an agent saw them fight. Others had their face too broken to take advantage of the opportunity."
"I would be lying to you if I said that it didn't eat away at me every day. Most of the women in the Olympic League were only there for the exposure. They didn't earn the right to be there. All they did was flaunt their bodies, and none of them had an ounce of talent. Those that did deserve to be featured in the spotlight were only found in local gyms, and even then, they were ridiculed for their choices."
"Towards the end of my career, I watched everything change. More skilled female fighters joined. It was no longer about exposure for another career. They wanted to make a name for themselves and to become stronger. There are times when I look at some of these young fighters and think back to my own career. I saw many skilled men and women shoved to the side because of gender or a lack of means."
"If they had the chance to be in the Olympic League, they would have scratched and clawed their way to the top. They would have done everything in their power to keep their thrones, becoming stronger and more skilled along the way. When I look at you, Annabeth Chase, I see someone that I believe can become the greatest fighter of your generation. That is why I want you on the Wolves," Lupa said. "Just name your price."
"I want Piper to remain as my manager," Annabeth slowly answered. She felt Percy squeeze her knee, and she relaxed slightly. Piper gently grabbed her other knee. Lupa interlocked her fingers and rested her jaw on her chin. She just studied Annabeth's eyes and maintained her wolfish gaze. "That is my only term. Piper can negotiate the rest."
"You are loyal to your friends," Lupa commented. Annabeth nodded. "And, you brought Jason along to help convince me. He is loyal to his friends as well. Loyalty is a trait found in every wolf: human and animal."
"Would Piper like to only manage you?" Lupa questioned. Annabeth glanced over at Piper.
"I don't think the others would want me as a manager," Piper began.
"Would you be opposed?" Lupa asked. There was an amused glint in her eyes.
"I wouldn't be opposed, as long as they wanted me to manage them. I wouldn't want to push Octavian out," Piper answered.
"Then, that is fine by me. You will have to sign your own contract of course. Octavian is paid a salary. There are also a few rules that I don't think you will have a problem with. You can't manage anyone outside of the Wolves, and of course, there is a confidentiality clause. No telling the press about anything that we are not ready to release," Lupa said.
"That won't be a problem," Piper promised. She looked at Annabeth, and a genuine smile came to her face. Annabeth smiled back. Before, she had only been able to give Piper commission off of her fights and of course some money from her sponsorship deals. Piper would get paid a salary for this, and Annabeth had no problems still paying her a commission off of each fight.
"Octavian will talk numbers with you two, but that will be after dinner and at the gym. If you decide to join," Lupa said. "But, I do not want an answer now. The earliest I want one is after dinner, and if you want to sleep on it, that will be fine."
"Why wait until after dinner?" Percy asked. "It's not that I don't appreciate the free meal, but if Annabeth doesn't join, you're out a lot of money."
"Meeting Annabeth Chase is worth the price," Lupa said. Annabeth's face burned in embarrassment. She looked down at the table and swallowed painfully.
"I also want my other friends," Annabeth said softly. She slowly looked up. "Percy helps me train. I want his help."
"Would you not want the help of the other Wolves?" Lupa questioned.
"I do, but I'm also comfortable training with Percy and Piper," Annabeth said. Lupa nodded.
"That's fine," Lupa stated. Annabeth almost felt like she could ask for Lupa to pull down the moon, and the woman would nonchalantly shrug and ask for a few minutes to complete the task. Was there anything the woman wouldn't agree to? "Ah. The others are here."
Annabeth turned her head and watched the three people that walked towards the table. The first one was a girl who would have looked familiar even if Annabeth didn't watch her fight a few days ago. Hazel smiled brightly upon seeing them. She was wearing a black dress, and her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her eyes were a hazel color that almost seemed to be moving towards the side of gold.
Hazel herself was rather short, over half a foot shorter than Annabeth. She moved quickly though, and her precision was something that Annabeth envied. Not all of Hazel's punches and kicks hit their target, but the ones that did were deadly. And, Hazel had a punch that had knocked out her opponent twice before. The scary thing about those punches was that they looked normal until the fighter's lights went out.
Upon seeing them, Hazel rushed over. She wrapped Jason in a tight hug. Jason smiled brightly and hugged Hazel back. Hazel looked up at them and spoke, "Nice to meet you guys. Again. We met at Nico's birthday party."
"We remember," Annabeth promised. Piper gave her a side look, and Annabeth fought a smile. "We also watched your fight. Congratulations on the win."
"Thanks," Hazel said, and her smile widened. She took a seat on Lupa's left. The other man behind her, who had to be Frank Zhang, slowly sat next to Hazel. Just typing in Frank's name into a search bar had led her to a dozen different articles about rumors that Frank was doping.
A picture from months ago would show an overweight Frank with a baby face being announced to join the Wolves. Now, he had lost a lot of that weight or turned into muscle. His baby face had been mostly lost, but he still held a kind smile. Frank was probably the tallest person there, and in his few fights, he used that height to his advantage.
Frank protected his legs and didn't let anyone unbalance him. Annabeth hadn't seen any of Frank's special talents just yet, but he had to be special to join the Wolves. She also thought that all of the stories about him doping were rumors. It didn't seem like Lupa would allow that kind of thing in her gym.
"I'm Frank Zhang. It's nice to meet you," Frank said. He slowly looked between and pointed to each one. "Jason. Percy. Annabeth. Piper. Those are your names, right?"
"It is," Percy said. He smiled at Frank. "I loved your fight against Chrysaor. You destroyed him."
"Thanks," Frank said, and his ears turned red. "Do you fight?"
"No. Just Annabeth," Percy answered.
"Percy volunteers at Chiron's summer camp. He also works as a physical therapist," Hazel said. She smiled brightly at Percy. "Nico talks about you a lot."
"I didn't think Nico talked a lot at all," Percy said with a small grin.
"Nico barely talks to you because you're weird," Piper commented. Percy stuck his tongue out at her. Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw the final man sit on Lupa's left. From the picture, it was easy to recognize Octavian. The man's blue eyes slowly swept around the table.
Both Frank and Octavian wore suits. Each had the same red tie and white dress shirt. The only difference between them was that Octavian wore his suit like a second skin. This was his element, and he was probably the only one of the Wolves comfortable with this place.
Annabeth's eyes slowly moved around the restaurant. The entire city, let alone the whole state, was full of fighting fans. There was no football or baseball team for the state, so fighting filled that void. Fighters of the Olympic League were like football and baseball stars. Those who were part of the Delian League were comparable to college football stars.
Even so, none of the other patrons even looked at them. Their childish antics, Lupa's hoodie, and most of the Wolves being there weren't enough to draw their attention. They probably didn't care, and Annabeth was starting to realize why they had come here.
"Something on your mind?" Lupa asked quietly. It wasn't loud enough for the others to pick up, besides Octavian. He was studying Annabeth in anticipation. Percy had gotten into a conversation with Frank and Hazel about one of his patients. Jason and Piper were talking quietly, maybe flirting. There was a slight blush on Piper's face.
"You chose this place because no one here is going to care about seeing us," Annabeth answered. "They are too preoccupied with their own problems to even look over here. Reporters are not going to know that we met here, and it won't matter if I decline or not. They won't know unless one of us tells them."
A smile came to Lupa's face. She spoke, "May I ask you a question?"
"Of course," Annabeth said. She sat a little straighter.
"One of the things that caught my attention was your mind. I can tell how you pick your opponents apart and go after their weaknesses. With a mind like that, why choose fighting? I have no doubt you could have become a lawyer or scientist. Why fight?" Lupa questioned.
Annabeth looked down and thought about it for a few moments. A waitress came by and took their drink orders, giving Annabeth more time to think. She finally spoke, "Honestly, you inspired me a lot. I know I could have picked any kind of career I wanted. My father and stepmother wanted me to be a lawyer or politician. It wasn't that I was scared of the hard work. I just wouldn't have had any free time."
"I want to have free time to spend with my friends and family. I don't just want to live for work. I want work to be something fun, and I enjoy fighting. I enjoy the training, and studying each of my opponents captivates me," Annabeth answered. "I can also make my own schedule and be with my friends and family when I want to."
"When I watched you fight, I saw you make a difference, even if it was in the world of fighting. You inspired a lot of people, and I want to do that someday too," Annabeth finished.
"I won't lie when I say that the Wolves is a full-time job. I do expect a certain amount of work to be put in. We help each other prepare for fights and train five days a week. Nights are to yourself of course, as are the weekends," Lupa said.
"I'm okay with that," Annabeth promised, and she truly was. She had been scared and nervous when Lupa first called. Being there with her friends helped a lot. Talking to Lupa eased the rest of her nerves.
"We can discuss the contract after dinner," Lupa said. Her eyes moved down to the menu.
"Hey, Lupa, where is Reyna at?" Jason questioned. Lupa glanced up at him. The smallest of frowns came to her face.
"Reyna declined to come. I think she wasn't feeling well," Lupa answered. She looked at Annabeth. "You will meet her in due time. I know she is excited to meet you."
"I'm excited to meet her too," Annabeth admitted. She had been most excited to meet Reyna. From Jason's stories, it seemed like Annabeth and Reyna would get along well. And, she would make a good sparring partner.
"Hey Frank, you can get a steak," Hazel said. Frank gave her a look, but a smile came to his face. "I might get a steak too."
Annabeth looked around the table a final time. She could see herself having a home with the Wolves. Percy seemed to like that, which meant Annabeth would. Piper was able to stay as her manager. Everything was working out, but Annabeth was no fool. She would have a lot to prove when she joined the Wolves. But she was ready.