Wrestling With Innocence

There wasn't any luxury of natural sunlight in the dorms. Not underground. Not when we were boxed in and kept in the confines of a whitewashed brick room. But when you consider how great it is to wake up with the one you love in your arms, little details like sunlight don't matter. Especially when, with her dazzling golden bedhead and radiant tanned skin, she may as well have been my own personal sunshine anyway.

Annabeth, normally one of the first awake, exerted herself a touch too much the night before. And with the telltale stickiness of our activities still present on my thigh, which she so lovingly wrapped her legs around, I knew she was going to be in for a rough morning. And let's be honest, those sheets probably needed replacing.

The two remaining occupants, Piper and Calypso, still hadn't woken up. Piper, I understood. She never liked mornings. Calypso concerned me though. She all but embodied the bright and early mentality. Then again, she was probably used to having more light available beyond the faintest glow of the ceiling's nightlight. Still though, both were at peace, Piper on the top bunk opposite us, Calypso right underneath her. With the days we had, it seemed a shame to wake them up before they were ready.

I didn't have that luxury. Sure, I didn't know what time it was. But I knew how much Annabeth could leave me sleeping like a baby after a vigorous night. So as gently as I could manage, I extricated myself from Annabeth, slid out of bed, and threw on whatever clothes I could find. Fortunately, I still had some left over in the pack Annabeth so carefully put together back at Camp Half-Blood. Sure, I'd stand out like a sore thumb wearing my bright orange tee shirt; but hey, beggars and choosers, am I right?

What left me paused and pondering was a certain little device left on the small nightstand beside our bed. A remote.

Should I?

Taking Annabeth's words the day before in stride, I decided there wouldn't be any harm in playing her little game. Who knew when she'd get tired of it? So I swiped the remote and stuffed it into my pocket, only half certain that I'd actually use it at some point during the day.

That aforementioned longing for light vanished when I left the room, squinting as I found myself overwhelmed with the sights and sounds of the ever busy warehouse. How some people managed to work through the nights, I'd never know.

My stomach tried setting my priorities straight, demanding food right away. But I'm nothing if not a man of my word… most of the time. So in spite of my better judgement, I marched down the stairs, rubbing out the stiffness in my back, probably rocking a hairdo that belonged in a post-apocalyptic film. I had a meeting with Phoebe to—

"Took you long enough."

Speak of the devil.

She leaned on a wall, munching on the final bits of what looked like a granola bar. Seeing how she was in her full hunter garb, I guessed I wasn't too late.

"For the record, I have no clue what time it is."

"Almost seven." She leaned forward, licking the crumbs from her fingers. "That means the recruits are about to start their training. Better we hurry up or we won't have a spot for another hour at least."

"Doesn't sound like the worst plan. You got your breakfast already, so…"

She snorted. "You're not getting off that easily. Let's go."

We made it all of a hundred feet before another redheaded blur streaked across us. Not that kind of streaking, though I wouldn't be too surprised if she did.

"Morning, my prince… and ever so mighty chef!"

Kinzie beamed at us, rocking her jumpsuit in a way that left me gulping. Granted, she didn't do anything differently. But after the day before, I couldn't help but wonder if she had any other costumes hidden underneath it.

Phoebe ignored her first comment, but smirked at the second. "Katie said she'd take over for breakfast today. Something about me making sure someone—" she tilted her head in my direction "—actually shows up today."

"In my defense, I was very busy yesterday."

Kinzie rolled her eyes in spite of her broad grin. "Yeah, blowing more backs out than an overweighted squat rack. I speak from personal experience."

Phoebe went a bit red, but said nothing. Instead focusing on continuing toward the fitness center.

"So what's on your menu today? Calisthenics? Cardio? Endurance training?"

"Wrestling still," Phoebe said. "One lesson won't cut it."

"It certainly worked against me." Kinzie turned an approving smirk toward me. "And that's saying something."

"Yes, but you said it wasn't until he was covered in water that he beat you. We need to keep him at his prime without using powers."

"I'm not complaining either way. In fact, this is perfect! You might be able to join the recruits! They're going over pále today!"

Phoebe paused, turned to Kinzie, then let her shoulders droop. "I mean… That's useful, but…"

"Okay, maybe my automatic translator isn't working right now. What's pále?"

"Ancient Greek wrestling," Phoebe said. "The very same they conducted during the Olympics… back in my day."

"In that case consider me on board. May as well get back to some of my roots."

Kinzie grinned. "I couldn't agree more."

When I say I wasn't expecting what awaited us, I couldn't begin to tell you how much of an understatement that was. After all, it's just wrestling. I'd already seen that in spades, whether it was my own matches against the women beside me or watching Thalia nearly crush the life out of an Amazon with her thighs. Hmm… If only…

But no. No luxury of something that sensible. To be fair, I should have expected that with how much Phoebe was fidgeting. The idea that wrestling made her uncomfortable was honestly laughable after my experience with her. And then there was Kinzie's ever present energy near bubbling over, but I just boiled that down to her normal behavior dialed up a bit after the way the day before went.

What I wasn't prepared for was walking into the fitness center while the grid of training mats were occupied entirely by half naked people.

No, I didn't stutter. Line upon line of people, roughly two hundred in total, stood just outside of the wrestling mats. And yeah, I mean people. Not just Amazons. Though fairly few, there were a number of guys among them, near matching the state of undress as the women, decked out in what I could only describe as slightly larger speedos.

"Did we just walk into an orgy?"

Kinzie doubled over and belted out a laugh. "Oh, I'd pay to see that." She wiped a fake tear from her eye and grinned. "Last I heard, the Amazons haven't done anything like that for at least a thousand years. At least not officially."

"This is pále," Phoebe said, her eyes on the floor. "Wrestling as performed in ancient Greece. And they did so bereft of clothing."

"Once upon a time, that's exactly how we operated," Hylla said. "Though you'll definitely encounter people who do that privately these days, we don't make that a requirement from the jump."

I paled. Most of them stood at attention, unbothered or even relaxed in their state of half dress, rocking their biker shorts and sports bras with the confidence I could only hope to match on my best days. But a fair few fidgeted or tried to cover themselves. None moreso than…

Oh, I'm so going to Tartarus for this.

Hazel shuffled from foot to dainty foot, hugging her arms around herself to either keep warm or cover her what her bra couldn't. But that left a lot of her exposed, and dammit if she wasn't a sight to see.

Sure, she was petite. One of the smallest people in my circle by far. Slender, but she rocked a major sleeper build. Strong arms, a tight core, and thighs that hid the slightest ripple under them. Her time in the legion may have been short, but her work showed.

Not that said work showed in her emotional discipline. Sure, she wasn't alone in trying to cover herself up. But the poor girl looked three seconds away from a full blown mental breakdown, shivering in place with her eyes wide, staring at the mat in front of her while an Amazon and one of the guys tousled.

WHOOM!

The recruit found herself pinned down on her shoulders, her legs desperately wrapping around the guy's head, which I couldn't tell was meant to subdue him or distract him. Not that it worked either way, his forearm pressed into her throat with a pressure just enough to force her to tap without leaving her with a crushed trachea. The guy rolled off of her, but made no move to help her up. Instead, she managed to get onto her hands and knees, heaving for breath while the nearby recruits snickered.

"Looks like he's got another girlfriend lined up," one said.

"Give it until the end of the day, she'll be blowing him in the shower stalls."

I decided not to pay all that much attention after that. Doubly so when I realized who the guy was. As he made his way off the mat, Thaddeus caught my eye and gave me a curt nod, thankfully not baring all his manly glory to the world, but still leaving just as many Amazons drooling as there were who turned away.

"Alright. Next up. Jailbreak! Show us what you can do."

Hazel went pale. Eyes wide as saucers, she trembled in scandalized panic, her feet refusing to let her take even a single step toward the wrestling mat. She went manic, crazed as her eyes darted around like a cornered mouse. Until, at last, she saw us. And more to the point, me.

"Jailbreak! Get on the– Oh, what the Hades!"

She finally moved, dashing in my direction with a speed that would make Arion proud. Even Kinzie stepped back as Hazel threw herself at me, tackling me hard enough to leave even the recruits groaning in sympathy. Not that it seemed to matter to her. Clutching herself to me with a tremulous grip, Hazel hyperventilated and tried to wrap herself around me, arms linked behind my back while her legs did the same around my waist.

"Well this wasn't on my to-do list for the day, but I'm not complaining." Kinzie flashed me a thumbs up.

She may not have been complaining, but I was. Not because Hazel hurt me. Though she certainly gave it her best shot if my screaming ribs had any say in the matter. But because I had to fight with every fiber of my being to not get hard in front of everyone. Popping a chub with over a hundred people to see it would be bad enough. Add traumatizing poor Hazel to the mix, and I'm not sure either of us would recover. But dammit, she had a great body, and even though I knew it was because she was most likely freezing in the heavily air conditioned facility, her nipples pebbled completely, and poked me through her sports bra while she tried her damndest to pull us together until we were one being.

"Dammit Jailbreak! Off the man now!" Her instructor marched up, unabashedly showing off her lean figure, grabbing Hazel's shoulder and tried to pry her off of me. Not that it worked. Hazel held on for dear life, whimpering into my chest with pitiful anxiety.

"Enough." Phoebe intervened, grabbing the Amazon by the wrist and pulling her off. "You can see she has no desire to go through with this portion of training."

She snapped her hand out of Phoebe's grip and huffed. "Tough shit. It's mandatory. All Amazon's need to know how to use their whole body as a weapon. If we can't even trust her to fight when she has nothing, how are we supposed to trust her to keep her sword up for her sisters in arms?"

"Saving the world seems like a good start," Kinzie said.

"Stay out of it, dead girl. You're proof of what happens when you don't take the training to heart."

Kinzie straightened, locking a wide eyed stare on the trainer. "Excuse me?!"

"She's accomplished more in her time than you could ever hope," Phoebe growled.

"You're one to talk. Thousands of years, hundreds of lifetimes! You were supposed to be the best of the best, but you were still one of the first Orion killed! So much for Artemis' finest."

A number of Amazons circled us, jeering and bemoaning on both sides. Most just said it wasn't worth it. Some even argued they needed to keep training. But there were more than a handful who heckled us alongside the trainer.

Even with Hazel in my arms, I wasn't about to let someone belittle them like that. Especially after the emotional rut Phoebe had to pull herself out of for that very reason. She masked it beautifully, but I caught the open handed clenching of her fingers, the tremble of her lip. That Amazon struck a nerve, and it was going to end in either tears or blood. So I took a step toward her…

Only for Kinzie to cut me off with a hand to my chest.

"As if you're in any position to criticize." She looked at the others, her eyes snapping to another trainer who cheered on her fellow Amazon. "I distinctly remember you running. And you. Most of you weren't even there to see it! You badger and crow like a bunch of good little sheep, but none of you– Not one! –were in that fight with us. Say what you want. Laugh like the cowardly hyenas you are. We died. But we went down fighting, like real Amazons. Like real warriors."

"Alright, that's enough!"

All heads snapped to the entrance, where Hylla along with four guards stood at the ready.

"Have we all forgotten that we're on the same side? Have we all forgotten who the real enemy is? Last I checked, I was the queen of the Amazons, not the principal for some snot-nosed elementary school."

That was enough for the more level-headed trainers to corral everyone back to where they needed to be. The guys all made the wise decision to stay on their mats, but Thaddeus couldn't wipe the grin off his face. A few other Amazons dispersed, going back to their treadmills and weight racks, until only we, the queen's group, and a single trainer were left.

"We need to get you on the mat, recruit. Just a week of this, then you're good."

"I'll handle her." Hylla said. "I needed a good workout to begin with. Besides, it might do her some good to see even I'm willing to bare my body if needed."

The trainer hesitated, but nodded after a few seconds and returned to her recruits.

Hylla turned to us, glanced at Hazel, then smirked. "You sure seem to inspire a sense of safety in them, that's for sure. Come on. We'll use one of the side studios."

In spite of my better judgement, I did as she said. Not necessarily because I was blindly obeying a queen who wasn't mine, but because it got Hazel some much needed privacy. She barely managed to subdue her shivering, and I needed to adjust her so I could walk, wrapping my arms around her hips to keep her steady. I thanked the gods she was so petite. Had someone like Reyna or Phoebe tried this, there's no way I could have held them for nearly as long. But Hazel… well, she was a dense little thing, but still one of the lightest girls I knew.

"Thanks for trying," Kinzie said, glancing down at Hazel and sharing Hylla's earlier smirk. "But if you stepped in to defend us, it would have only made things worse. There's no shortage of people who look at us as weak if a man stepped in."

"It's not right," I managed. "Everything they said. No one here thinks that about you."

"Maybe, maybe not. It's not something I can control, so I'm not gonna worry about it. That said, I could definitely blow off some steam, if you don't mind helping."

"Agreed," Phoebe said, hugging her arms to her chest. "Better to vent our frustrations productively than to let them consume us." Her eyes went wide. "Though… we need not do this in such a state!"

"You're in our land now, Feebs. And like they say, when in Rome…"

"Stab the one behind our problems?"

Kinzie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Come on. I'm looking forward to seeing what you all can do."

"Now, before we get underway, let's address the primary concern."

Hylla turned to me, spinning on her heel once she reached the center of what looked like a typical training dojo. Padded floor, a wall made entirely of mirrors, another wall with what looked like pull up bars, but I didn't focus on them.

The guards posted by the door: two outside, two inside. That left Hylla, Kinzie, Phoebe and myself to train… along with a young woman who clung to me like a baby sloth.

"Hazel, seriously. I'm not going to make you go back out there like this, but you can at least talk to me."

She slumped in my grip, then shifted herself so I could set her down. It wasn't lost on either of us that she'd been pressing very intimate parts of herself against me, and her near perfect tomato red cheeks proved it. Not that I was much better. She fanned her face while I turned away and coughed.

Thank the Fates I didn't get hard. Though if you asked Kinzie, she was a bit disappointed judging by her slight frown.

"Talk to me, Hazel. Are you seriously that ashamed of your body?"

She ducked her head and still attempted to cover herself with her hands. "This kind of stuff was unthinkable when I was growing up. Back then, showing too much of your arm or calf was scandalous."

Hylla frowned. "Were the thirties and forties really that bad? You'd think during the Depression, people would be used to having less clothes."

She shook her head. "Maybe not for everyone, but… I went to a really… strict school. St. Agnes was… Well… even swearing was enough to get your mouth washed out with lye soap. I'd have my hands taped to the desk for things I never did, swatted with rulers.

"There was one girl… Denise. She matured faster than any of us. One day, her bra strap was showing just a little bit, and Mrs. Leer…" She clenched her eyes shut. "Her parents tried to have her moved after, but they didn't have the money. It was a different time. A different mindset back then. I know I'm not in that time anymore. Sure, I was a little bit of a rebel back then. But even I couldn't begin to imagine doing something like this. This isn't what I thought I was signing up for."

Hylla pursed her lips, then gazed out the windows showing the surplus of wrestling mats in use, along with dozens of Amazonian backsides. "I'll admit, for once, I'm at a loss. Didn't know we had someone so… unique."

"It's… It's not just that. But… the one they wanted to put me with…"

"Thaddeus?"

She nodded. "I… I'm not usually the kind to gossip, but I've heard enough about him. How he collects girlfriends. How he has a reputation for sleeping around."

"Him and several other studs." Hylla shrugged. "What, do you think he'd try that on you?"

"I don't know! That's the problem." She went wide-eyed, then stepped back, hunching her shoulders. "All I have to go off is what the others say. And he's definitely looking at a lot of us…"

"Can you blame the man?" Kinzie snorted. "Say what you will, but we have some damn good looking women."

"Not helping," Hylla chided.

"I'm sorry." Hazel deflated in on herself. "I didn't mean to cause all of that—"

"Don't worry about all that." Hylla waved her off. "There's bad blood no matter where you go. And someone is always going to get heckled. It's just part of the system. But it still leaves us at a bit of an impasse."

Phoebe came up to Hazel and rested her hand on her shoulder. Though Hazel leaned away from her, she didn't go so far as to pull the hand off.

"So here's the position I'm in. You've accomplished things beyond what we could hope. Not a single Amazon alive can say they helped save the world. Not even me. But while that will get you ahead with those of us up top, all it will do is build resentment among recruits if we give you special treatment. Especially because you're training alongside them. It's like an Olympic athlete joining the military in the mortal world. We can't bend or break rules for them just because of what they've accomplished.

"But… I can't stand by and watch someone of your standing get singled out for being a conscientious objector over something so trivial." She moistened her lips. "Damn, I need a drink already. Okay. I'll make you a deal. This part of the training exists for a reason. And I can't stress that enough. You're great on horseback from what I've heard, and your magical abilities rival gods. But for the Amazons, we train our bodies to be our weapons. The stuff you do is advanced. What we need to show everyone is that you can still handle the basics."

Hazel stepped closer to me, grabbing my arm in a firm grip. In spite of it, she nodded for Hylla to continue.

"If he's up for it, we'll continue what you need to do out there, but in here. And instead of some random stud as your sparring partner, you have someone you can trust." She gestured at me.

Granted, it took me a moment to catch up.

"Wait, me? You want me to… with…" Yeah, my brain skipped a few words.

"Ideally, yes. If you both agree to it. If you go through with it, it's on more even footing, with people you know you're safe with."

Hazel balked, then looked at me with a twinge of hope written clear in her eyes.

"That being said," Hylla continued. "It may be time to reconsider. This is just a small glimpse of the culture clash I see coming your way. If this is too much for you, then perhaps we can find some other way to work together. We don't really work with auxiliary units, but…" She looked at me in earnest, speaking silent words that could only be understood by me.

"I'll try."

Everyone, even Kinzie, turned on Hazel while she pulled back into herself all the further, taking a step back until she bumped into me. Shivering, she turned and faced me.

"I know I have hang ups," she said, reaching out one hand to grab mine, but pausing halfway. "And I can't promise if or when I'll get over them. But I told you already, I wasn't scared of what almost happened between us. I just wanted it to be my own choice."

"But… this isn't your choice."

"No… But I chose to join the Amazons. And… I think they still have a lot they can offer me." A shudder ran up her spine. "If this… if this is something I have to do, then I at least want to try. Better you than a man I don't know."

I grimaced, torn in how to approach this. "For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure Thaddeus wouldn't try anything with you. The man already has enough girlfriends to juggle."

"Someone's been making their rounds," Kinzie snickered.

"That's not the point," Hazel committed to grabbing my hand, using both of hers. "I know you, Percy. I trust you. In all of the mess we've been through, everything we've done, out of every guy within six hundred miles, you're my best friend!"

She bowed her head, flushed in her cheeks. "I don't have any good choices. It's either do this or give up everything I was working towards. Seeing the world. Knowing I have someplace safe to come back to. Knowing that, no matter what time of day it is, where I am, if something bad happens, I'll have help. Someone will be there."

I curled my fingers around hers, and let my shoulders droop. "You're one of the most powerful demigods alive. Do you honestly think you won't be able to handle yourself?"

"I know I can. But that doesn't mean I want to. Not every moment of every day. It's nice to let my guard down every now and then."

"You're in for a rough trade then," Hylla said. "Freedom and security oft run antithetical to one another. Even with us, if you're out in the field, you won't have any guarantees. We do what we can, but… No one can be everywhere at once."

"No. I don't need that. But I'd rather have someone who's still looking out for me than have no one. Even if it's just a small bit of security, it beats not having any."

I sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

She gulped. Though her hands still shivered in mine, she managed to still them for a moment and nodded.

"It's decided then," Hylla said. "You two pair off for now. Phoebe, you have more experience in this than all of us combined. Care to referee for us while Kinzie and I go a few rounds as well?"

Phoebe looked on at Hazel for a moment longer, curling her lip. Until, at last, she met Hylla's eyes. "I can do that."

"Perfect. We'll rotate partners every few rounds. But for now…" She reached for her zipper, and I had to force every muscle in my body to stay standing and not start panting like a dog.

That zipper took way too long, cutting down the front of her black jumpsuit until she had to stop it just above her girdle, the intricate links clicking among themselves. Even so, enough of her was showing to tell me she didn't have a bra on, and the cleavage she displayed between that unzipped gap left me salivating. Then she peeled it open, letting her two impressive breasts pop out into the open before pulling her muscled arms out of the sleeves and rolling the top of her clothes down to her waist. Those mouth watering mounds begged for me to bury my face in between them, matching Silena in sheer volume, though a touch more firm. Not that it mattered when Hylla slipped what looked like a fire emblazoned sports bra over her head and somehow managed to wrangle her chest into it.

Kinzie joined in, not standing on any ceremony. She slipped out of her own clothes with fluid grace, leaving them in a pile by her feet while she stretched her equally divine physique.

Hylla worked the links of her girdle to unfasten, and slipped it, along with the form fitting jumpsuit, down her womanly hips, corded legs, and off her own feet. Until, at last, she stood, whipped her hair back and tied it into a ponytail, all while locking her eyes on me, an unspoken taunting in her gaze.

"Feast your eyes, son of Poseidon," I imagined her saying. "This is only a taste of what you'll soon enjoy."

Dressed only in socks and a simple black pair of spandex shorts, she turned just enough to show how much of a mockery her ass made of them. Voluptuous as she was, she strained the limit for what even they could conceal. She could turn any man's face into her throne, and he'd die happy.

"This looks a little unbalanced," Hylla said. "Kinzie, care to help our guests?"

Kinzie turned to me with a predatory gleam in her eyes. Not a breath later, she was on me, tearing off my clothes like she was getting paid for it. As if our activities from yesterday weren't enough for her. Until, at last, she had me in nothing more than boxers.

Phoebe froze as she stared, gulping to herself. But Kinzie never got the chance to get near her before she committed herself… partway at least. She shed her jacket. Then her boots, socks, and pants. But as she pulled off her shirt, I had to try not to be disrespectful. She kept her form fitting shorts, but opted for more of a sports bra this time around as opposed to her tank top, still a dark hunter green.

"You look damn healthy for a dead woman," Hylla said.

Every woman in the room turned to her, and she didn't bother clarifying exactly who she was referring to.

"And you." She turned to me with a calculated smolder. "What a fine man indeed. I'll admit, I thought you'd be a bit more built, but I'm far from disappointed. Olympic swimmers would envy you."

"And you're sure to put any fitness model out there to shame."

She quirked her eyebrow, but didn't say anything further.

Hazel took a bit to collect herself, whispering words of encouragement to her own psyche. Though that didn't stop her from stealing glances as I stretched. Nor was I innocent from doing the same with literally everyone in the room. Kinzie continued to badger Phoebe about keeping what little clothes she still had on.

"Positions," Phoebe finally snapped. "Standard rules. Pass out, knock-out, or tap out. But let's try to keep the first one to a minimum."

Kinzie huffed, but took her spot in front of Hylla while I did the same with Hazel. The two of us shared a less than easy moment of eye contact. Given the situation, that seemed the safest bet.

"Begin!"

Our first match was… laughable honestly. Neither of us wanted to break the contact barrier at first, but Hazel managed to muster up the courage to snatch hold of my arm… only to freak out when she inevitably pulled me into grabbing her chest… Then she bolted.

The second time around at least had us tussle properly for a moment, but she was so fazed by the situation that I managed to put her on her back in a matter of seconds. Though I'm pretty sure she was more concerned about my slowly stiffening groin by her face while my knee was planted on her chest.

Then came the third, and I knew we both needed the distraction. So why not give a hand at some self deprecating humor.

"You know, it's kind of funny when you think about it."

She tried positioning herself, but her stance was too narrow. "What?"

"Try spreading your… um… stance a bit. Wider stance. Yeah. What was I…? Oh yeah. Funny. You uh… you weren't really up for Thaddeus because of his reputation, but look at us now."

We grappled, both of us holding our own decently, though I'll admit, I was going easy so I could talk.

She curled her lip. "What are you…? Oh! No, Percy. You're not like that! All of us know you didn't do that yourself."

"Does that matter? You should have seen what things were like back at the Greek camp. We all have some pretty miserable reputations with the newbies."

I twisted her arm around, leaving her spinning her way into me until her back was flush with my chest, and I had my arms wrapped around her almost like I was giving her a hug.

"But you make people feel safe," Hazel insisted, looking up at me with insistent puppy eyes. "You take care of us because you feel responsible for us. Because it's the right thing to do. He does what he does because he wants to have a bunch of women to sleep with."

"Does he? Or is that just what everyone else sees? Think about it, if any of those Amazons saw us right now, what would they think?"

She glanced out the window, where there in fact a couple eyes looking in our direction. "I… I didn't think about it like that… But… for what it's worth, I don't care what they think. And you shouldn't be so rough on yourself either. You're a better man than any of them could hope to be."

The tightening in my chest was unnecessary, but I tried my best to smile through it. I let her go and get back into place so we could try again.

"How are things going with Arion? Thought I'd see him around since we left."

The faintest hint of a smile came back to her. "He wasn't happy about coming back. So maybe next time. Do you miss having a horse you can swear with?"

"Pfft. As if. That horse could give Thalia some pointers."

We grappled again. Hazel didn't flinch on contact. Seeing how I had one hand under her arm and the other pulling on her thigh, I took that as a win.

"Enough being gentle with each other!" Phoebe said. "This isn't a dance."

Hazel flushed, but she did manage to trip me up enough to stumble out of our square.

"Now that you mention it," I said, pulling myself up. "Would he be on board with carrying you around the country when he has to keep bringing you back here?"

"He wouldn't have to." Hazel glanced over at Phoebe, then dove for a desperate tackle before I even took a stance. When I managed to collect myself, Hazel had me on my back, with her straddling my abs. Her lean thighs managed to trap one of my arms against my side. "Um… We…" She went beet red. "The Amazons have bases all over. And… They… They…"

Her stuttering only got worse. Especially as she went to pull herself up, and bumped back into my – much to my dismay – very erect groin.

Dammit, dick! I was making progress!

"Alright, break it up."

Phoebe marched over and pulled Hazel off me, both flushed, though Phoebe at least maintained some semblance of her calm. Our other wrestling pair couldn't keep it together.

"Bahahaha!" Kinzie doubled over. "Hey– he– hey! Look on the bright side; you have another limb to pin!"

"Enough." Hylla swatted Kinzie's shoulder, but you'd need to whack her with a hammer to break the smile on her lips. "Don't torture them."

"Whaaat? According to Hazel, it's nothing she hasn't already seen anyway!"

"That was in confidence!" Hazel shrank in on herself, covering her mouth with her hands and staring off into the distance as she came to terms with the bomb she just admitted to.

Hylla shrugged at me and levied a glance that could only mean "I told you so."

"Time to trade partners. Kinzie, since you seem so hellbent on talking, why don't you ref this time?"

Despite still giggling to herself, she managed a thumbs up.

"Alright. Hazel, with me. And as you can see, I don't have anything I can poke you with."

Hazel took a while to collect herself. Phoebe less so. She caught on to the arrangement quicker than even I did. Which is why I found myself confused when she tried side stepping away.

"None of that." Kinzie grabbed her hand and pulled her back. "This is pále. You know it's done nude."

"Not always," Phoebe mumbled. "That only started after the Age of Homer."

"Come on! Your body is a weapon. You of all people know that. Be proud of it! Don't be afraid to show it off."

"Alright, enough. So far as I see it, Phoebe isn't a recruit. If she's not comfortable with this, then she doesn't have any reason to do it."

Kinzie narrowed her eyes at me as if I was the densest child on the planet. "Spoilsport. Alright, fine." She sauntered by me and gave my erection a playful rub. "Hmm… Might call for a handicap…"

Hylla continued with Hazel, first dragging her to the side to have a hushed discussion. But after a few minutes, they both took to the mats, with Hazel performing much better than we had together.

Phoebe… took a bit to get going. She shuffled over to me and whispered a quick "Thanks" before taking her position. She didn't press for me to put my clothes back on. But as far as I saw it, if Hazel had to go through this, then I'd suffer right alongside her.

"Begin!"

I rushed forward to take her knee, only for her to vault over me and throw me in a chokehold from behind.

"Remember what I trained you on yesterday," she whispered into my ear. "Keep your head down."

But I wasn't out of the fight yet. I pulled a move I called the jellyfish. In other words, I just went limp in her grip. That little shift in weight threw her off valance just enough to kicked my feet backwards and send her tumbling over me once again. Only she landed on her back instead of her feet.

"Back made contact with the ground," Kinzie said, slightly less enthused than earlier. "Point to Percy."

"Wait, we're keepi— Hurh!"

Phoebe shoulder checked me right in the gut, leaving me wheezing as I tried to keep my footing… for all of three seconds. Then it was my turn to hit the mat.

"Point, Phoebe."

"So… Uh… Sorry about last night. I didn't mean for you to walk in on that."

Her cheeks darkened. Her eyes flicked down below to a still sadly erect penis, though it was starting to settle down. But I could have blinked and missed it.

"It's… fine. I'll admit, never did I think I'd find one of my best friends in such a position."

Speaking of which, she took her position as I did the same. Kinzie gave the word and we rushed one another, both of us trying to go for a leg. And though she may still be clothed, those legs of hers didn't quit. Not to mention that midriff she showed off. You could shred cheese on those abs!

"I didn't think you stayed in that room though. I thought you shared with Thalia and Reyna."

She pulled off of my grapple attempt, only to trip up when I went for her hand instead.

"I did. After our first… incident, I traded with Drew. At the time, it seemed the sensible thing to do."

"Right… Still, you didn't deserve to– Oooh! Nng!"

She forced me into the splits with a swift ankle swipe. As I learned yesterday, I wasn't that flexible.

"Apology accepted." She smirked.

Rather than capitalize on my vulnerable position, she stepped back and let me collect myself before resuming.

This time I went low, only to jump up at the last second as she went to do the same. She read my move, but underestimated how high I was planning to jump. I vaulted over her crouched form, dug my fingers into her throat, then rolled forward, leaving us back to back as I choked her out from behind.

"One other thing; when I talked to Silena and Zoë yesterday, they brought up something I didn't consider before."

She slipped her fingers into my own, forcing me to pull back before she twisted one. In spite of that, she nodded in earnest once we faced each other again.

Only she made the first move this time around. Instead of going high or low, she lunged forward and back, just out of my reach.

"Flashbacks. Specifically from before she died."

She managed to trip on her own ankle, dropping under her weight.

"No point," Kinzie said, cocking up her eyebrow. "And… seriously?"

I reached out, and she grabbed my hand to pull herself up. Her grip squeezed my own a bit more than necessary.

"So you have them as well."

She turned away. "It's nothing I can't handle. Just some moments I wish I could relive. And others I wish I could forget."

"Want to talk about it?"

"I have. With Zoë."

Not a word more needed to be said. This wasn't a problem for me to solve.

"In that case…" I nodded my head toward the other wrestling pair, where Hylla sat on Hazel while pinning both her arms behind her back. "There might be someone who can help you out. She's already gone through this before. If anyone would know how to work you through this…"

She smirked. "Perhaps the Amazon route is incorrect for her. Unassuming as she is, perhaps we should make her a therapist."

"I'd pay to see that."

We posed to go for another round.

"On an unrelated note, where's Cinder? Haven't seen him around lately."

She tilted her head. "The phoenix? Almost always with Thalia. Though I'll admit he's spent much of these last few days napping. They are rather vulnerable in their early weeks."

I rushed her, and we met in the middle, palms smashed together, fingers interlaced. "So I've heard. So wait, she's just like stuffing him in a pocket or something?"

She scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. He puts himself there. Though I do recall him using Thalia's butt to sleep at night."

Yeah, that had the intended effect. I went slack for a moment once I registered that image, and how envious I found myself of a bird… again. Phoebe took advantage and used that slack to shove me down to a knee.

Not much after that, she twisted my arm enough to leave me rolling on the ground, and Kinzie called the point in her favor. Leaving us at a tie.

"Tiebreaker. Let's make this one interesting." Kinzie leered at us. "Now, this is technically in opposition to the pankration regulations, but—"

"No strip rules!" Hylla called, dusting her hands off as she prepared for her final round with Hazel.

"Aw, come on! Just a nip slip?"

Hylla glowered at her until she relented.

"Alright, alright. Throne rules then?"

All except Hylla gave her curious looks.

"If they agree to it."

"I need to know what we're agreeing to."

Hazel and Phoebe nodded.

"Simple," Kinzie said, rubbing her hands together. "Winner is determined exclusively by pinning. Specifically by sitting on their opponent and either pinning them from moving or exhausting them. Your pick."

I gave her a deadpan stare.

"Done."

Ever so slowly, my head turned to stare at Phoebe, who glared at Kinzie with set lips.

"If this will get you off my back, then I'll do it."

Hazel went wide eyed, then glanced down at the floor.

"Well, if they're doing it…"

Hylla grimaced. Despite obviously carrying her own reservations, she nodded in acquiescence.

"In that case…" Kinzie raised her hand while we got into position, only to slice it down at the last moment. "Begin!"

Phoebe flew at me with a speed on par with Kinzie, driving her shoulder into my gut before I could step out of the way. The world spun and my stomach to throw up a breakfast that wasn't there. Dazed as I was, I tried making sense of the world, only to discover that, in what couldn't have been more than five seconds, I had Phoebe on top of me.

She straddled my chest, breathing heavy despite her lack of sweat. Her chest practically pulsed with every breath, burning bright red inches away from me as she pinned my hands above my head.

"You know what? I'm okay with this."

That blush of hers reached her ears, but she didn't relent until Kinzie, who spent way too long ogling the both of us, finally gave her the win. As she stood, I tried not to look down at her abs or the faintest imprint hiding under her tight shorts. Not that it stopped my friend downstairs from saluting her.

"You still have much to learn." Kneeling at my side, she offered me her hand and pulled me up. Only noticing my… erect predicament after the fact. For what little it was worth, she didn't punch me for it. Though she did take a step away and turn toward the other pair.

Hylla and Hazel traded moves for a bit longer. The gap between their abilities wasn't quite so pronounced, which I think spoke more on Phoebe's abilities than Hazel's lack of experience. But it shouldn't surprise anyone that it ended with Hazel on the ground while Hylla sat regally on her back, pulling back her arms like she was riding a Harley-Davidson.

"Alright. One more rotation. Seems only fair to let the queen get acquainted with Percy." Kinzie turned to Phoebe. "And after that display, I want to see which of us is faster."

Hazel took a but to collect herself, fanning her face violently. "Wait… Does… Does that mean I'm referee?"

"Yup. Any special rules you want to call?"

"Umm… No? Well… Okay. There is no out of bounds. It's not like anyone will care in a real world situation."

Hylla shrugged while Kinzie nodded. Phoebe didn't react beyond what I think was some kind of flexing curl of her fingers, but I honestly couldn't tell you what that was supposed to be.

We took our positions, and I noted the subtle glower in Hylla's expression. How she moistened her lips. The river of her ponytail cascading down her back. The trickle of sweat running between her cleavage.

"Begin."

Though Kinzie and Phoebe dashed at each other like they were in a kung-fu movie, Hylla and I circled one another, eyeing the other up and down not only to discern the others' plan of attack, but to appreciate the bodies we'd be indulging in far more intimately later on.

We didn't say it. Didn't acknowledge it aloud. But in her smoldering expression, I saw her unspoken desires. Well… perhaps not quite so unspoken after the day before. But if I had any doubts about what she wanted, those moments before we pounced quelled them.

I struck first, jumping low and diving to take her leg… only to tumble and roll as she sidestepped me.

Right as I was back on my feet, she used that very same leg to sweep mine, clipping my ankle as I tried to pull away. Those muscles weren't just for show. She held a power in them that left even my superhuman resilience reeling. My ankle simmered in angry pain, but I kept it off the ground, falling into her attack to grab her knee and drag her down with me.

We grappled and twisted, neither of us slouching in strength, but she had me beat in flexibility. I tried pulling her into a chokehold only for her to twist around and wrap her legs around me.

So close…

But it wasn't dry humping she was after. Instead, she squeezed her thighs with enough strength to make an anaconda weep. My back popped under the pressure, but as she wiggled her way up, my ability to breathe lessened. And the world grew fuzzy.

"Touch whatever you want," she whispered, ghosting her lips over my jaw. "I won't bite… unless you ask me to."

That did not help my aching erection. In my brain fog, I found myself staring out the windows into the larger are of the fitness center, where the mass of Amazons wrestled one another with vigor and relentless determination. Surely, if they could handle one another, I could handle the queen.

The smallest inkling of instinctual drive left me with a hand squeezing her hip while the other palmed a breast. Then up, up it traveled, grazing her neck as she hummed, then slipped a finger or two into her mouth.

But my mind was far away. Torn between the ecstasy of being joined so firmly to such a supple and firm woman, the terror of said woman strangling the life out of me, and the faraway gnawing notion that someone was watching.

Hazel!

My hand dipped and wrapped around her neck while I pivoted into her. Thrown onto her back, Hylla grunted, then gasped as I lifted her up and pulled myself to my knees. After that, I used the very strength that let me lift the minotaur and turned it on its head. With gravity on my side, I cocked out my hip, kicked back my knee, and brought Hylla to the mat with my hand around her throat.

WHAM!

Her grip went slack. Whatever breath she might have let out was stuck halfway, and her pupils blew out while her back arched off the mat. She rolled to her side as I sat back on my knees, half concerned I went overboard, but relieved I could breathe again.

Hazel stood off to the side, lips parted and eyes wide. Both of us took a moment to share a look somewhere between shock and embarrassment.

"Uh… Point?"

I snorted. Leave it to Hazel to stay too damn cute for her own good.

"I'll… I'll admit it, Jackson," Hylla gasped. "You impressed me."

She sat back up, chest heaving. In spite of me chokeslamming her onto the ground, she wore one hell of a grin. Almost enough to give Kinzie a run for her money.

Speaking of which, she and Phoebe seemed to have ended their match as well, though I couldn't tell you who won. They shook hands while sharing mutual expressions of satisfaction. Hazel on the other hand, looked overwhelmed, fanning her face.

"Right, um… So for the second round…"

Our attention was pulled away from the blushing young lady. Outside the room, a scuffle of some sort looked to be in progress, as Hylla's guards tried wrestling down someone very familiar. Not that they were very successful.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck…"

Hylla rushed to the doors and threw them open. One of her guards dropped to her knee while Annabeth twisted her wrist behind her back. The other went in to swipe her with the butt end of her spear, but Hylla caught it mid swing.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Where's Percy?" Annabeth shoved away the guard, who cradled her injured arm.

"My queen." The other guard dipped her head. "No one is—"

"I know the rules. You also know not to bar entry to specific individuals, Elizabeth. Or did you not get that memo?"

"I… Yes, my queen."

She turned to Annabeth, only to realize she was already halfway across the training mat, dragging me out.

"Yo! What's the rush? Did someone die?"

"Not yet, but that's likely to change unless you get your ass moving!"

"Fuck… Did Drew attack someone again?"

Hylla didn't bother standing in our way as Annabeth dragged me out of the room before breaking into a sprint as I did everything in my power to keep up. Only our mutually firm grips made that possible. Phoebe decided it was the best time to follow as well, matching Annabeth step for step like she was born for it.

"No," Annabeth said, her expression stony. "It's the nymphs. They're going critical."

A/N: I doubt anyone was expecting a chapter this quick. Especially after the gap that made up the last one. Now, I understand that Fanfiction has been a bit... difficult lately. Bouncing back and forth between whether or not it recognizes a new chapter upload. I promise, that isn't me jerking you all around. The website is just going through some difficulties.

As for the chapter, believe it or not, this is actually the third version of what it could have been. Originally, the wrestling was done naked, so have fun with the mental image of Hazel. I won't point out any other differences, as I don't want to spoil future content, but know that things are still well underway. Hazel is continuing to endure growing pains among the Amazons, and the nymphs distress just never seems to give Percy a break. What will it take to pull them out of this dire situation? Only one way to find out.

Fingers crossed, the next time I upload a chapter, I'll begin my cross posting onto Archive of Our Own. So if you happen to also have an account over there during the time of the next upload, please help the story get on its feet. Granted, even I'm still on the waiting queue, so who knows? Things might continued their delays.

As for this chapter though, I do hope you found it enjoyable. Hazel is given a bit more screentime, Percy gets much more physical with the queen. It's all good times. Or is it? Guess we'll have to wait and see. Please leave your thoughts. Pay a visit to P atreon if you'd like. Start up an AO3 account if you really want to go above and beyond. No matter your methods, I'm all the happier to have you here. This is Ronin signing off.