Piper Mclean
When Piper woke up the next morning she was sitting in an alien room, decorated with her wardrobe, desk, and private belongings. The air smelled differently and she could hear the bustle of a metropolis seeping in through the cracked window. It took her a few long moments to remember that she had moved away from the midwest.
She sat and groaned, her muscles still sore from last evening's sparing session. She had almost died, both physically and metaphorically. Annabeth's workout routine was absolutely ridiculous and had left Piper almost crawling back to her new home. She had thoroughly embarrassed herself in front of the infamous Sally Jackson earlier that day and the mere memory of the incident made her squirm inside.
Annabeth somewhat reminded her of Emily, the girl that had unwittingly foundered her relationship with Jason. Apart from their hair color and complexion, the two girls were nothing alike. Emily was short and petite, with sky blue eyes, and a gentle temperament. Annabeth was tall, lean, and tough as nails. Still, Annabeth was very sexy when she worked out and Piper had been just as hard-pressed not to gawk at her as Percy had. Though Piper knew how much Annabeth mourned for her long hair, the look still suited her despite it now giving her an angry lesbian vibe.
That night's sleep had been hard to come by as well. The apartment's walls were relatively thin and though it was obvious that they had tried to be quiet, Piper had spent what felt like half the night listening to Annabeth and Percy having sex. Despite her usually brash behavior, she was still very much a virgin. She hadn't had the stomach to knock on the wall and ask them to quiet down so she had spent a lot of time being both uncomfortable and kind of horny as she imagined what could get that scary blond to make such noises. It had brought up memories of that one relatively recent occasion where she had IMed them as they were getting busy, that too had not helped. Though Percy had certainly offered a good display, the image of a clearly aroused Annabeth with her breasts exposed was forever etched into a memory where they lived rent-free.
When that disturbance had ended she had spent even more time pondering her breakup with Jason and trying hard not to cry herself to sleep.
After a deep yawn, Piper got up, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a camp shirt, walked out of the bedroom, and froze dead in her tracks when entered the kitchen.
Standing at the stove as he made omelets stood Percy, bare-chested and wearing only shorts.
He had changed.
When she had met him Percy had been wiry and kind of cute, and despite being undoubtedly handsome he had not really been her type. She did not know if Percy had started bodybuilding in his off time or if it was just a perk of godhood but the son of Poseidon had bulked out considerably, now sporting a body covered in muscles that looked like they had been chiseled, especially the abs. Add his illustriously unruly hair, and that roguish sparkle in his eyes, Piper now understood what so many of the girls at camp and that Calypso girl had been on about. At least his personality had not changed as far as she could tell, though that served him rather well. After spending half the day watching him being around Annabeth had her clearly torn between exasperation and laughter, she understood why Annabeth had so hopelessly and completely fallen for him, and why her half-sister had been so very happy to serve as a rebound. Percy showed his feelings, his joy and anger, grief and love. And he didn't feel embarrassed about it in the slightest. She found herself wishing Jason had been a bit more like that.
Piper had been ashamed of herself when she realized she was comparing the two men.
She had grown up with a thing for older men, especially that strong, quiet, and brooding type. Two years ago therapist had said she liked older men it was because of her father not being around and her compensating, but knowing that hadn't made any of the boys in her class any more attractive and any less childish. Now, she could suddenly see the appeal in a man who was in touch with his emotions. Still, Jason did not deserve that.
"Dude, cover-up," Piper announced as she entered, dramatically covering her eyes.
"Sorry, Annabeth stole it," Percy explained apologetically. "I could put on Annabeth's bra though?" he suggested helpfully.
Piper sniggered and sat down on the counter. "What are you making?" she asked.
"Breakfast, Omelets with bacon, toast, and fruit salad," he announced confidently and flipped the omelet he was currently frying in the pan.
"Damn, was she that good?" The words had slipped out again before she could stop them and as Percy looked over at her confused her cheeks flushed brightly.
"Kinda heard you last night," she admitted. "...you know hard to ignore..."
"Oh," Percy replied, his own cheeks turning scarlet as he realized what had happened. "Oh shit, I am so sorry!" he burst out, awkwardly running his hands through his thick dark hair. "That bad?"
Piper shrugged. "Not too bad..."
"Still sorry," Percy insisted. "But no, Annabeth started sketching something late last night after...well you know...and she will be a zombie today so I thought she would at least appreciate a good breakfast, you know...also making enough for the lot of us!"
Piper shot him two thumbs up. "In the name of all women, Percy, I approve of your actions. Men and kitchens just mix well."
Percy mockingly bowed and turned his attention back to the stove.
"How are you holding up?" Percy finally asked out of the blue. "You know..."
Piper's heart sank as she realized what he was on about. "Oh fine, yesterday was fun..." she explained. "Have you heard anything from Jason?"
"Nah, not yet," Percy admitted. "Though we were never that close. Sorry for the two of you."
Piper shrugged awkwardly.
"Want to talk about it?"
Piper raised an eyebrow. "Gathering gossip, Jackson?"
Percy winked and offered her a glass of orange juice "Of course."
Piper sighed deeply. "It was just a needless fight. I think we were doomed to fail, but it could have gone a lot smoother. You know, I don't think I can have nice things... He was a perfectly fine specimen of a man. Polite, well-groomed, tall, you know, the entire package! Why couldn't I just enjoy a good thing."
Percy sighed and shrugged. "Dunno, I am not the right guy to ask."
Piper took a long sip from her glass and stared at the vibrant yellow liquid and the fibers of fruit pulp floating in it. "You did something right, you know..." she reasoned and nodded at Annabeth's bedroom. "Took her back."
"It's not always easy," Percy admitted. "Even without everything that has happened. You just don't stop trying... So when Annabeth called the break.." Percy trailed off thoughtfully. "I know she just cracked under the stress, that wasn't about love..." Percy sighed deeply. "The thing is, when you love each other you don't just give up on them. "
Percy paused for a long moment. "What I am trying to say is Annabeth is my best and most trusted friend. She's followed me to the very ends of the world, even got stabbed for me. We really did some crazy shit together and she always sucked it up and stood at my side. When I was parading around in front of her with Rachel, even then she was still at my side when it counted..."
"You couldn't let go?" Piper asked helpfully, taking pity as she watched Percy struggle to try to compress what were undoubtedly quite complicated feelings into the right words.
"Yeah," Percy confirmed. "Unfinished business. I know Annabeth got a lot of flack for it, but she's been through a lot. Honestly, can't blame her panic attack. Look at how it's turned out, Silena Beauregard as a coming home gift, one of my best friends' ex-girlfriends insisting on joining her, and two goddesses under lock and key in my basement? She might have her bumps and corners but she is putting up with a lot."
"Yeah," Piper admitted drily, imagining her Alanis Morissette-fueled freakout if put in similar shoes. "I can see how a girl could be upset, though it can be argued that all the large-scale girl problems you have wouldn't have happened if Annabeth hadn't freaked out... "
Percy shrugged. "Not worth dwelling on it. We just have to take the punches as they come."
"With ADHD an absolute necessity," a voice announced from behind them and a drowsy-looking Annabeth appeared in the doorway, wearing a much too large shirt that Piper assumed she had liberated from Percy. "Coffee?" she asked hopefully and Percy pointed at a thermos can. "Warm and ready. How long were you listening."
Annabeth shrugged. "Not long," she grunted and slouched over to them and instead of making it to the thermos she bumped into Percy and rested her forehead against his back. Percy sighed and gave her that "See what I put up with!" look and poured the cup himself as his girlfriend dozed behind him.
Just then they all heard the front door's lock clicking. In a heartbeat, all drowsiness seemed to melt from Annabeth's moment and a moment later she pulled a celestial bronze dagger with a narrow thirteen-inch-long blade from her knife holder. Piper too looked around and grabbed a frying pan from the sink while Percy picked up his infamous ballpoint pen from the counter.
A moment later the door opened to reveal none other than Thalia Grace who was casually stowing away her lock-picking tools.
Annabeth sighed deeply and lowered the dagger she had raised clearly intending to throw it at whoever was trying to enter. "You know I have a doorbell?" Annabeth asked quizzically.
"Do I look like some sort of Jehovah's Witness?" Thalia asked indignantly and slammed the door shut behind her. "And Percy put a fucking shirt on. No one wants to see that, like really! Oh, hey Piper!"
"Good to see you too, Thalia," Percy greeted her drily. "Omelets?"
Thalia sniffed at the air and shrugged, clearly trying to look gruff. "Well, if you insist," she muttered. "Still, put something on. You are not the god of strippers!"
"I am the god of nothing," Percy replied and shrugged.
"Good morning Thalia," Annabeth greeted the huntress loudly. "What brings you here at this early hour."
"Girl, it is nearly ten o'clock. I've been up for five hours, putting up with Artemis," the huntress declared dramatically.
"Have you figured out what has her panties tied up in a knot?" Annabeth asked innocently, earning a scowl from Thalia.
"Something is up with Artemis?" Piper asked, immediately perking up at the prospect of new gossip to distract herself with.
"Yeah,..." Thalia hesitated for a moment but then declared dramatic: "You know what, it's going to come out soon anyway. Artemis recently hung out with Persephone who let slip that not all huntresses have made it to Elysium, even the ones who died in the last two wars!"
Thalia crossed her arms and scowled. "Why not?" Piper asked perplexed, having always assumed that serving the gods your entire life was the best way to get yourself a place reserved downstairs.
"Apparently just because you serve the gods doesn't mean you are a good person," Thalia explained indignantly. "And the Judges judge you by your moral character as well as your deeds."
"So they spent centuries acting like eternal spoiled brats and the judges weren't impressed?" Annabeth asked helpfully.
"Well, yeah," Thalia confirmed. "And you are the one to talk, you even almost joined..."
Annabeth shrugged. "I think I am quite safe, made sure Hades's new temple was finished before Zeus's on Olympus. Also added a few special requests, Hades is currently one of my biggest fans. You should have seen the review he gave me on Hephaestus TV. Besides, Percy's penis has improved my quality of life considerably so I have zero regrets."
Thalia stuck her tongue out in disgust and made a gagging sound while Percy laughed.
"Ladies, sit down at the table so I can serve breakfast. Thalia, you'll need to wait a moment. Gotta make another omelette for you."
"Honestly Percy, have you been hanging out at Apollo's and letting him oil your biceps or something, " Thalia grunted, "Put something on!"
"No," Annabeth argued, blowing her old friend. "Don't put anything on."
Deciding it was safest to side with her new roommate Piper added. "I for my part also agree," Piper announced. "Men making breakfast shirtless is something I too very much approve off..."
"You're a virgin, girl!" Thalia complained. "You've never seen a man cook breakfast shirtless before."
Piper was about to argue that her dad had baked bread in the morning, sometimes shirtless but chose to bite her tongue and avoid the comments.
"Speaking of virgins, I am supposed to give you this!" she announced and pulled a flier from her jacket and handed it to Piper.
"Thalia," Annabeth warned. "We talked about this..."
"By order of the goddess," Thalia defended herself smugly.
Piper glanced down at the brochure. It was one of those fancy ones, folded three times.
It took her a moment to decipher the title, written in ancient Greek, glittering silver inc, and the short text under it.
"Join Hunters of Artemis today. Regardless if you are a young heroine, nymph, or mortal. If you are looking for an eternity of adventure, outdoor activity, a glorious death in the service of the goddess, or have simply been disappointed by men one time too many and desire sisterly support, we have just what you are looking for. Daily activities include but are not limited to, archery, community cooking, tracking, hiking, craftsmanship, close-quarter combat training, purging the world of monsters, and of course, evening smores. Become the strong, independent women we know is inside you and help other women release their own potential, free from bad influence and distractions. If you are interested write your name and address down on the next page and sacrifice the flier to the goddess."
"Hmm," Piper announced, fainting interest, and made a show of opening the flier and looking at the pictures. While she had no interest in joining the hunt today or anytime soon, the pictures did look pretty cool with blatantly emancipated girls doing things like setting up tents, making fires, baking girl scout cookies, or practicing archery. One showed a girl couldn't be older than ten lunging at a fully grown Telekhine under the supervision of a wise and proud-looking goddess. Some pictures were much older though, a proud and beautiful-looking warrior maiden with olive skin and silky black hair pinning down a teenage boy in a Nazi uniform with a silver dagger pressed against his throat. A stygian iron sword lay just out of his reach. The back page was a black and white group photo, a bunch of heavily armed girls in long storm coats posing on a hill overlooking miles of smoke-filled fields that had been bombarded so heavily that it resembled a moonscape. That chaotic background was only breached by a maze of trenches zigzagging their way across the countryside. Printed below it in thing script were the words. The Hunt observing The Great War and learning from the folly of men. "Half a million men dead, barely a foot of ground gained, and not even one of them knows why. They boldly marched to their deaths, like livestock in a slaughterhouse." (Zoe Nightshade Verdun, France. 2nd of August 1916)
Above the picture was a box where aspiring applicants could write down their details on.
"I'll think about it," she announced generously but promised herself to start going out on dates again soon before she cracked and actually did consider joining.
Seemingly satisfied Thalia leaned back and waited patiently for Percy to finish with her breakfast. "Anyway, Nico and I have been trying to calm things down but it isn't easy seeing as neither my lady nor Lord Hades seems to be willing to make any sort of compromise. Artemis is demanding that all her fallen Huntresses are brought at least to Elysium. Lord Hades is insisting that him compromising the separation of powers in the underworld would put severely undermine the public trust in the underworld's judicial system. Meanwhile, Artemis is enraged and announced she will make Hades regret this. Dunno what she is going to do about it though, complain to Apollo again? Try to recruit Persephone?"
"I am sure that will solve the argument," Annabeth agreed drily and committed to her breakfast.
Silena Beauregard
Cold dull emptiness. An existence doomed to eternal waking entropy among the evergrowing crowds of restless dead. Minutes melted into hours, hours into days, days into weeks, and weeks into years. How long she had been here, Silena did not know for she had no heartbeat to count by. There was no day, no night, only the harsh monotony of Asphodel. When she had really begun to comprehend the future that awaited them she had tried to scream in horror, however only faint whispers had escaped her immaterial lips. At times she saw faces she thought she recognized, at times those that shared her fate seemed barely human.
In the beginning, she had fallen into old habits. Taking long walks to soothe her ADHD fueled anxiety but she quickly realized that it offered no relief. She no longer had a body to exhaust. Finally, her soul had dispaired and she had collapsed up against a large bolder and retreated deep into her memories only to feel them slipping away as everything that defined her was slowly eroded as time passed. How long until she forgot who she was?
"You could be freed," a deep and rich voice drifted through to her wavering consciousness.
Silena looked around and found an imprinted sleeping woman's face staring up at her in the earth next to her.
"What?" her voice whispered.
"You served my son," the voice whispered. "A service that has not been forgotten." "There are many to be beguiled, truths to be discovered, and allegiances to be swayed in the weeks to come."
"No,..." Silena's whispering voice replied.
"Look how the gods have treated you. A child a naive child, manipulated, blackmailed, twisted by powers that even fooled Olympians themselves. You sacrificed everything in the end, and yet you face a harsher fate than any of them," the voice whispered. "Serve me and you shall escape their will, serve me and you can help bring them to their knees as my sons rise. Be the harbinger of a new age. Be the champion of a new world."
Silena only shook her head, as if to rid herself of a persistent and unpleasant thought. Perhaps she was dreaming, or this was some sort of test. But Silena was weary, and even on the off chance that this offer might be genuine and made by one of power, she truly had enough of lies and deception. It was better to fade away down here.
As if reading her thoughts the face spoke again. "Your friends rise to challenge my sons even now. You can still save them, all you need to do is serve me."
"No," Silena insisted. The voice was right, she had been a child and naive. Perhaps she had even been judged harshly, but she understood that this voice was trying to play her as a fool. If those she cared about in life were rising to face this voice, she was certain that consorting with it would only bring more grief. She might have the talent and tools necessary to move quite effectively in a world of lies and deceit, but she had gained enough wisdom to understand that it would only ever bring her grief.
"So be it," the voice whispered, already quickly fading. "I still have another that might be turned."
For a while Silena sat quietly, pondering the conversation she had had until confusion took over as the memories of what had troubled her soo had already faded, leaving behind only unease and doubt.
Suddenly Silena was sitting upright, her entire body drenched and trembling. Breathing deeply she looked around and remembered with profound relief that she was alive, and not trapped in some deep deception.
So, here we go. The next chapter might take a while because I am planning to put in some editing time for the past few chapters. I have procrastinated on that part. Anyway, here we go. Enjoy. Do leave a few Reviews and pop by on Ronin's Discord server. The invite code is 9kT6Qbn.
Henry Locker over and out.