"How does everything look?" Annabeth questioned. She played with the tape on her hands nervously. While she had signed her contract yesterday, the real work was starting today. For the last thirty minutes, Will had been giving her a physical. The doctor in training had been gentle and kind during the entire thing, but that didn't mean Annabeth liked being poked and prodded everywhere.
"Everything looks great. You're in perfect shape," Will answered. He grabbed his clipboard and settled in the chair across from Annabeth. "There is one last thing that I need: a list of all your injuries. It's just a precaution."
"I haven't been injured too much," Annabeth answered. She took a few moments to think back. "I cracked two of my ribs in a fight before. On the right side. I broke my nose once before as well. I was also accidentally stabbed by a dagger above my elbow. Percy and I were sparring with weapons. It didn't work out well, and we haven't done it since."
"Why?" Will asked after a moment. He lowered his clipboard. There was a look of concern on his face.
"Percy and I always had an interest in fencing in high school. My dad also had a collection of ancient weapons. It kind of spiraled from there," Annabeth answered. She blushed and looked down. "Percy helps me make bad decisions sometimes."
"I also broke my ankle when I was younger. It healed properly as far as I know," Annabeth said, hoping to change the topic. Will nodded and wrote on his clipboard.
"As your unofficial doctor, I do advise you not to play with sharp items anymore," Will said. He placed the clipboard down and stood. Annabeth smiled and stood as well. "I'll let Lupa know that you passed with flying colors. I think you're about to have the physical portion of your evaluation. Good luck."
"Thank you," Annabeth said. Will held the door open for her. Annabeth left the room and slowly walked down the hallway. Her gaze stayed focused on the ground. The physical evaluation was what worried her the most. Everyone in the Wolves had been trained by Lupa: one of, if not the greatest, female fighter in the world. Annabeth had been self-taught and further trained by the local gym. How would she compare?
Annabeth knew how much was riding on this evaluation. It wasn't just a matter of showing how good she was. Lupa reached out to Annabeth and invited her into one of the most prestigious teams there was. The expectations for Annabeth were going to be high, and she could not afford to disappoint.
As Annabeth made it towards the door that led out to the gym, she stopped walking. Her hand rested on the handle, and she let out another shaky breath. This was what she had trained for. The time in the Delian League was just training. The Olympic League would be where Annabeth proved that her success wasn't a fluke.
Annabeth stepped into the gym and looked around. Hazel, Frank, and Reyna were gathered in a circle. They were all wearing shorts and a black shirt that had the logo of Lupa's gym on it. Each of them also wore their gloves and gear.
Lupa was standing near the ring and staring inside. She didn't even look at Annabeth. After a few moments, Annabeth walked towards Lupa and spoke, "Will gave me the all clear."
"Good," Lupa said. She focused on Annabeth. "We will have you spar. It will be a friendly match for you to show off your skills. Who do you want to fight?"
Annabeth's eyes moved over towards the three other fighters. Fighting Frank would be odd, but she doubted that Frank would hold back. She also doubted that Frank could beat her as long as she stayed out of his grasp. He was strong and tall, but he was nowhere as skilled as her.
Hazel would be an interesting fight, but it wouldn't be a fair one. She also wasn't as skilled as Annabeth and had not been fighting that long. Hazels' attacks would be deadly, but Annabeth would be able to dodge her. That wouldn't show off her skills though.
Annabeth's best option was to face Reyna. Even though Reyna seemed to have a problem with her, Annabeth had no doubt the other woman would be professional. This would be the best litmus test for her, and it was time Annabeth made an impression.
"Reyna, if her elbow can handle it," Annabeth said. A dark look passed through Reyna's eyes. She turned towards Annabeth but looked to the side like she needed permission. Out of the corner of her eye, Annabeth saw Lupa nod. Reyna walked towards the ring and stepped inside.
"You should watch your words closely," Reyna said so softly that Annabeth barely heard. Annabeth didn't say a word, and Hazel tossed her gloves and a mouthguard. Annabeth carefully put the mouth guard on and then the gloves. Her eyes never left her opponent. Reyna studied her back and got into a defensive stance.
"This is only an exercise," Lupa stated. "The first one on their back will be the loser. There will be three rounds. Keep the face shots to a minimum. Reyna, if you feel any pain in your elbow, tell me. We will stop the exercise there."
Reyna nodded stiffly. Annabeth looked at the elbow pad that Reyna wore on her formerly injured arm. It would be a nice target. Reyna seemed to follow Annabeth's gaze, and her eyes narrowed. She kept her defensive stance, but she turned so that her healed elbow was away from Annabeth.
Annabeth got into a fighting stance and slowly moved forward. Reyna didn't move an inch. Annabeth focused on her opponent. Reyna's stance was impeccable. Annabeth debated her first move. Attacking Reyna's elbow wouldn't be easy until Reyna threw a punch.
Something told Annabeth that Reyna would stay on the defensive. That was why her first move had to be a good one. Annabeth slowly moved closer and threw out a right hook. It was a simple move, one that would give Reyna the chance to dodge and maybe counterattack.
A fist slammed into Annabeth's face. She stumbled back in surprise, not sure of what had happened. An uppercut to the jaw slammed Annabeth to the ground. She blinked a few times and stared up at the lights. How had that happened? Annabeth just threw a simple punch, and Reyna had knocked her to the ground with one move.
"This is a waste of time," Reyna said. Annabeth stood and got to another fighting stance. Throwing a simple punch didn't work for her. She needed to be a little fancier next time. Annabeth bounced on her toes and studied Reyna for any weakness.
Studying Reyna gave her nothing but another pit of nervousness in her gut. Why was this so difficult for Annabeth? When she stood across her opponent in the cage, she wasn't nervous at all. Annabeth was in her element. Now, she was just nervous. Crowds had always bothered Annabeth, but she was able to block it out. What made only three sets of eyes on her different?
Annabeth was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't see Reyna strike first. This punch was aimed right at Annabeth's face. Annabeth dodged to the right, only for Reyna's other fist to slam into her jaw. Annabeth fell to her back once again. Her blood instantly boiled.
"Reyna, not another face shot," Lupa warned.
"Sorry," Reyna said. She raised her hands, but the ghost of a smile played on her face. Annabeth glared at Reyna. How was this happening? How could she just be taken down so easily? Annabeth was supposed to be the best of the Delian League, but she couldn't even land a hit against Reyna. She had been knocked down twice without any proper offense.
Was there that much of a difference between the Delian League and Olympic League? Was Annabeth out of practice? Or, had she just been lucky when it came to winning and defending her title. Annabeth closed her eyes tightly and tried to calm down.
"Are you okay, Annabeth?" Lupa questioned. Annabeth forced her eyes open.
"I'm fine," Annabeth answered. Reyna shook her head.
"I don't know why Lupa even wasted her time with you," Reyna muttered. She wasn't looking at Annabeth, and it seemed like she didn't expect Annabeth to hear. The words made Annabeth's blood boil even more. Lupa wasn't wasting her time on Annabeth, and she was going to prove it.
As Reyna started to back away, Annabeth felt her temper get the best of her. She launched herself into Reyna, and the two slammed into the ground. Annabeth punched Reyna hard in the mouth. She raised her fist again but froze.
This wasn't going to prove anything. It only showed that she had no self-control. Annabeth quickly stood and backed away. Reyna slowly sat up and placed her glove to her mouth.
"That is enough," Lupa said. She stepped into the ring and studied both of them. Annabeth couldn't even meet Lupa's eyes. All she could do was stare at the ground and swallow painfully. "Reyna, take a break."
"Break?" Reyna questioned. She stared up at Lupa. "I haven't-"
A look from Lupa cut Reyna off. It took a moment for Reyna to stand, and she left the ring, throwing down her gloves. Reyna left the gym without looking back. Annabeth forced herself to look up. Lupa was staring at the door, and after a few moments, she looked at Annabeth.
"We have many more evaluations to go through," Lupa stated. Annabeth couldn't tell what Lupa thought about what happened. Did it hurt her chances? Did it mean anything at all? Lupa met her eyes. "First, show me your form.
By the end of the day, Annabeth was one giant lump of sore. Every muscle ached, and she was completely exhausted. The evaluations had gone on for eight hours. It went all the way from her form and how she threw a punch to how fast she could run a mile. Lupa had spent the entire day watching her while the others went about their normal training.
When they were done, Lupa didn't tell her anything. She didn't state if Annabeth had passed or failed. All she did was say that they were done, and it was time to go home. Hazel had caught Annabeth and said that Frank was making dinner for everyone if she wanted a plate.
Considering Annabeth was too tired to even think about ordering food, she lugged herself towards their break room. Upon stepping inside, she saw the other Wolves. Frank was by the stove and finishing up the food. Hazel stood off to the side and was talking animatedly to him.
"Hey," a voice said. Annabeth jumped and turned around. She smiled as she saw Nico di Angelo. A small smile came to Nico's face as he looked at her. He was wearing his aviator jacket and black jeans.
"Nico," Annabeth greeted. She made a move to hug him, and after he gave her a reassuring nod, she pulled him into a gentle hug. "I never get to see you anymore."
"I have some extra responsibilities," Nico said with a shrug, followed by a wide motion of the room they were in. "Are you enjoying it so far?"
"I am," Annabeth answered. She studied Nico. The two of them met at Chiron's summer camp. While they didn't talk all that often, Annabeth felt like they had grown rather close over the years.
"Good. I'll see you around," Nico said, and he gave her a small smile. Nico walked towards the corner of the room. Reyna was sitting in a chair and staring down at her phone. Upon seeing Nico, a smile came to her face, and she stood. The two of them left the room.
Hazel walked towards Annabeth and carefully placed down two plates on the table. She spoke, "What kind of drink do you want?"
"Water," Annabeth replied. Hazel nodded and walked towards the kitchen. She grabbed three bottles of water and moved back towards the table. Frank placed a plate down at the table and sat down. Annabeth slowly sat down as well.
"How are you doing?" Frank questioned. "You look exhausted."
"Frank," Hazel said, and she nudged him. A red tint came to Frank's face.
"Sorry," Frank said. He quickly looked down at the food and focused on eating it.
"It's okay," Annabeth admitted. "I am completely exhausted."
"It gets easier," Hazel answered. "Lupa has us run a mile or two every day, along with the other exercise."
"Lupa wants us to build our stamina up. That's why we do have some pretty long sparring sessions," Frank added. "Is your face okay? Reyna got some good shots in."
"It was sore earlier, but I'm fine now," Annabeth answered. She took a long drink of water and relaxed. Her eyes moved towards the rice and chicken that Frank had made. She took a bite and smiled.
"Sorry it's kind of basic," Frank began.
"It's delicious," Annabeth said. Frank smiled widely. "How did you get so good at cooking?"
"My grandma. I made dinners for her every night when I was living with her. She taught me how to cook. I still visit her every weekend to make dinner," Frank said.
"That's sweet of you," Annabeth said. "It's also sweet of you to cook food for everyone."
"I'm just really grateful for this opportunity," Frank said. He shrugged but seemed to have a permanent smile on his face. "I know that I'm probably the worst fighter here, but I figure I can prove my worth somehow."
"If you didn't have worth, Lupa wouldn't have let you join. And, you're not the worst fighter here. No one is. You just need more experience," Hazel said. She looked at Annabeth. "I think it's a tie between you and Reyna on who the best is."
"You're pretty good too," Annabeth complimented. A blush came to Hazel's face. Annabeth looked between them. "You two need to stop doubting yourselves. I have seen the two of you fight, and you guys are great."
"That means a lot," Hazel said. "Thank you."
"Yeah. Thank you, Annabeth," Frank said. Annabeth smiled at them, but her eyes moved to the side. She was getting along well with everyone, except for Reyna. Annabeth wasn't sure what it was. She didn't know if she had said the wrong thing or if that was just how Reyna was.
"Hey guys," Octavian said as he walked into the room. He was holding a mound of paperwork. Piper followed behind with her own stack. Annabeth smiled at her manager. Piper was spending that day training with Octavian, as Hazel had volunteered to let Piper manage her as well.
Piper seemed excited about the opportunity, and that made Annabeth extremely happy. She just hoped that Piper's day wasn't as exhausted as hers had been. Octavian looked back at Piper and nodded.
"We have a press conference on Thursday," Piper said. "The Olympic League has a few announcements to make, but we're also going to announce Annabeth joining the Wolves."
"Reporters already suspect it, since they've seen Annabeth coming to the gym. We'll confirm the news and give everyone something to talk about," Octavian said. He turned towards Annabeth. "We're also trying to see what your first title defense will be. Piper and I are going to work on that together."
"Hey Piper, I have a twenty if you can get me a title shot," Hazel said with a wink and smile. Piper laughed. Octavian frowned. "I'm just joking, Octavian."
"You shouldn't joke about that. You'll have to earn that shot," Octavian said. Hazel seemed to deflate slightly.
"You'll have to pay Piper at least thirty dollars before she hands out title fights," Annabeth teased. Hazel's smile came back. Octavian gave both of them a look. A sigh left him as he walked out of the room.
"I'll see you guys later," Piper said. She bumped Annabeth's shoulder and then hurried after Octavian.
"Don't mind Octavian. He's just by the book," Frank said. Annabeth nodded and looked back down at her food. The only thing she could think about now was the press conference. Annabeth didn't particularly like talking to the reporters. They always tried to twist and manipulate her words to create the most sensational story possible. The reporters would have a field day with this news.
Annabeth would just treat it like she did a fight. She would go in prepared for anything that they threw at her, and she would do her best to keep her words from being spun too much. Annabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Things would be fine. Annabeth just needed to stay focused, and the press conference would be over before she knew it.