CHAPTER NINE: IN THE DARKEST OF NIGHTS

( mark of athena )

✲*'。

EZRA MIN WAS WELL AND TRULY over this quest. She well and truly couldn't catch a break; from being stabbed, to Percy being apparently being possessed.

In all honestly, what else could go wrong!

"Oh, gods," Annabeth murmured, helping an unphased Ezra to her feet. She glanced over her shoulder at Piper, then at Melanie and Annais like they would somehow be able to draw them out for good. "Can you cure them?"

Piper shrugged, clearly uncertain, but tried her best not to waver as three pairs of cat-like eyes peered towards her. "Are there more of you on this ship?" she demanded, voice trembling but stern at the same time.

"No," a voice that was certainly not Leo's replied. "The Earth Mother only sent three. The strongest, the best. We will live again."

Well, that didn't ominous at all.

Despite the what the fuck kind of feeling that occurred upon hearing her friends possessed, Ezra was relieved that it wasn't her who was possessed. She didn't want anyone else trying to inhibit her body whatsoever, no thank you.

"Not here, you won't," Mel said with a surprising amount of anger. Ezra was impressed, she'd never heard so much rage from her sunshine sister before. "I won't let you."

"Spawn of Melinoe--"

"You're going to leave these bodies," she snapped, refusing to let the voice controlling Jason waver her confidence. Despite everything, Ezra couldn't help the smirk growing on her lips. "Hey! Did you hear me?"

"We won't," not Percy growled in protest.

"We must live," hissed not Leo Valdez.

Frank ran a shaky hand over his head again, but this time, the action was stressed, like he was doing everything in his power not to turn and flee the room. "Mars Almighty, that's creepy," he stuttered. "Get out of here, spirits! Leave our friends alone!"

With a cackling kind of laugh, Leo turned to look him up and down with distaste. "You cannot command us, child of war. Your own life is fragile. Your soul could burn at any moment."

Jason and Percy had to be set free from their possession ... Leo on the other hand, Ezra thought she could get on quite will with this version of him!

Before Ezra could let the cackle of delight escape her lips, Frank bloody Zhao snapped. "I've faced down worse things than you. If you want a fight--"

"Frank, don't," Hazel warned at the same time as Piper cried out using her charmspeak. Frank froze, eyes wide and glassy. Hazel stepped closer to him, a protective hand on one of his arms while the other pointed towards Jason's summoned sword. "Put that down, Jason."

Percy scoffed, despite the fact she hadn't been referring to him. "Daughter of Pluto, you may control gems and metals, but you do not control the dead."

"She might not," Annais exclaimed before she could change her mind. "But I do."

Has Ezra ever mentioned how proud she is of her younger sister? No, well who can blame her; this is the first time in nearly six months Ezra's witnessed Annais' fierceness again, not that creepy lovey-dovey version of her.

"So do I," Mel smirked. "So do as I say, eidolons. Leave my friends alone."

Piper repeated her words, charmspeak rolling out across the room. Jason let out a gasp, nose scrunching up like the sound had pained him. Ezra hoped it did. "We will leave these bodies," he repeated, his voice croaky; it sounded much better than his normal pitch to be honest.

"Not only that," Melanie continued. "But you'll vow on the River Styx that you'll never return to this ship or to anyone on board the ship. You hear me?"

Leo and Percy struggled, at war with their own minds. At last, their conscious' won out, and the three of them, chanted, "We promise on the River Styx."

"You're dead," Piper insisted.

"We are dead."

"Now, leave."

Just like that, the three boys lost consciousness. Percy landed face-first into his pizza, Annabeth pulling away from Ezra to bring him into her arms. From beside her, Ezra could make out the sounds of Annais grunting trying to hold Jason up, lest the fool get's another concussion.

As for Leo. Well, he landed at Melanie's feet, groaning when his nose smacked against the tiles.

All was well and truly back to normal.

"Are you alright?" Hazel asked, prompting Mel to slide over to Ezra gripping her arm tightly.

Leo groaned like he wasn't sure, but thankfully kept quite. Ezra missed the possessed version of him already.

"Did it work?" Leo asked, snapping her out of her obvious  judgement.

"It worked," Mel confirmed, much to her sadness. "I don't think they'll be back."

Jason, from beside Annais, "Does that mean I can stop getting head injuries now?"

That was clearly the wrong thing to say. Not a moment later Annais stormed out from the room, Jason hot on her tail. Ezra didn't even want to know what those two clowns were about to get up to. No thank you.

Gently placing her hand on Mel's arm to release her, Ezra crept out of the room feeling the gazes of Percy and Annabeth hot on her back. She didn't dare turn around; Ezra was too tired, all she wanted was a fucking break. Her body was sore, for Hades sake she was stabbed not even three hours ago! She thought she was entitled to a well deserved nap, full of nothingness and no more strange dreams of Penelope.

But of course, Ezra was never that lucky.

✲*'。

EZRA MIN HAD LIKED TO THINK she wasn't vain, not to attracted to physical beauty, but the personality of a person. She'd like to think that is what attracted her to Penelope. The daughter of Kronos, was ironically the sun incarnate; Ezra's sure she is in looks but it's not like she can gauge it. Her sister was beautiful, her personality radiating clear and bright in the darkness of young Ezra's life; the first person who looked past her obvious challenges, giving her a chance to prove her worth, fight for what she wanted.

When her sister died, a piece of Ezra went to the underworld with her. The girl who had once shun so brightly was burned, her ashes remaining in their place, a stubborn spark always quivering waiting to reignite.

After all, perhaps it is the greater grief, to be left on earth when another is gone; rotting away, withering without their loving embrace.

Ever since her sisters death, almost like a strange sensation, Ezra was plagued of dreams; memories of the past. All centered on Ezra herself, Penelope always in the background. All pivotal moments in her life; from her first ever training session with a sword to her first ever quest.

So hearing her voice in another dream hadn't seemed odd or out of ordinary. In fact, it was almost like a comfort given how close her anniversary was.

This particularly dream was confusing, never before had Apollo made his debut but as Ezra curled up closer to the voice of her sister all she could make out was Apollo's anger. His rage, his disappointment yet before Ezra could find the source of his anger she felt herself being hastily shaken awaken.

"Fuck off!" Ezra hissed, curling her face back into her pillow as she heard a familiar set of laughter.

"It's to wake up spitfire!" Percy proudly declared, hands moving to grip her shoulders.

"No," Ezra hissed, her voice low. "It's the middle of the night. It doesn't feel like morning."

"So what!" Percy crooned, a quite moan of pain escaping his lips as Ezra harshly elbowed him.

"Enough Seaweed Brain." Annabeth gently chastised, reaching forward to gently tug the daughter of Hera into a sitting position. "I thought we could take a walk. We haven't had any time to be together alone; the three of us. I want to show you both something—my favorite place aboard the ship."

A loud grumble escaped her lips as Ezra pushed herself upwards. "I better get access to a month's supply of sugary snacks for this."

"Of course spitfire," Annabeth solemnly nodded, a smile playing on her lips.

Hand clasped in with Annabeth's, Ezra allowed herself to be led past the engine room, that to Percy looked like a  mechanized jungle gym, with pipes and pistons and tubes jutting from a central bronze sphere that was excellent for training; a sentiment Annabeth, or Leo didn't share.

"How does that thing even work?" Percy asked.

"No idea," Annabeth said. "And I'm the only one besides Leo who can operate it."

"That's reassuring."

"It should be fine. It's only threatened to blow up once."

"You're kidding, I hope."

"Kelp head don't even worry, it'd be you killed first!"

She smiled. "Ignore her, Come on."

They worked their way past the supply rooms and the armory. Toward the stern of the ship, they reached a set of double doors that opened into a large stable. The room smelled of fresh hay and wool blankets. Lining the left wall were three empty horse stalls like the ones they used for pegasi back at camp. The right wall had two empty cages big enough for large zoo animals.

"A glass-bottomed boat?" Percy asked, prompting a full body shiver from Ezra, she hated water something they were actively flying over, and the floor being made of glass wasn't really reassuring.

Moving away from them, Annabeth grabbed a blanket from the nearest stable gate and spread it across part of the glass floor. "Sit with me."

They relaxed on the blanket as if they were having a picnic; just like the old days.

"Leo built the stables so pegasi could come and go easily," Annabeth said. "Only he didn't realize that pegasi prefer to roam free, so the stables are always empty."

"Idiot, if he had thought to ask me I could have told him!" Ezra scoffed, earning a soft chuckle from Annabeth.

"Would you have told him spitfire?"

"Well ... no."

"What do you mean, come and go easily?" Percy asked. "Wouldn't a pegasus have to make it down two flights of stairs?"

Annabeth rapped her knuckles on the glass. "These are bay doors, like on a bomber."

Percy gulped. "You mean we're sitting on doors? What if they opened?"

"I suppose we'd fall to our deaths. But they won't open. Most likely."

"Great."

Annabeth laughed. "You know why I like it here? It's not just the view. What does this place remind you of?"

Percy looked around: the cages and stables, the Celestial bronze lamp hanging from the beam, the smell of hay.

"That zoo truck," Percy decided. "The one we took to Las Vegas."

"That was so long ago," Percy said. "We were in bad shape, struggling to get across the country to find that stupid lightning bolt, trapped in a truck with a bunch of mistreated animals. How can you be nostalgic for that?"

"Don't even bring that stupid memory up!" Ezra hissed, cocooning herself in the blankets. That was a horrible memory.

"Because, Seaweed Brain, it's the first time we really talked, the three of us. I told you about my family, and..."

"And," Annabeth continued after a moments of rustling. "It reminds me how long we've known each other. We were twelve, Ez, Percy. Can you believe that?"

"No," he admitted nudging a stubbornly silent daughter of Hera. "So...you knew you liked me from that moment?"

She smirked. "I hated you at first. You annoyed me. Then I tolerated you for a few years. Then—"

"Let's not even get started on when I started liking you!" Ezra interrupted, a bright smile on her face. "Do I even like you now?" She hummed, erupting into a fit of giggles as Percy rested his calloused palms on her hips. "In fact, you still piss me off!

"Okay, fine." He hummed, shoving Ezra back, easily tugging her into his lap. From there, Annabeth moved in towards them, a hand reaching up to rest on Ezra's thigh.

She leaned over and kissed him: a good, proper kiss. Well wasn't this just a lovely nightmare, being cushioned between your long time crushes, hearing them, feeling them kiss right before you.

Erza wouldn't wish this on her worse enemy; wait she would, Kronos deserved to suffer and burn.

Annabeth pulled away, eyes heavily resting on Ezra's face. "I missed you, Percy ... we missed you."

From her position in their arms, Ezra tensed, waiting for Percy to say something, anything. Yet for once the stubborn bastard remained silent, hand idly tracing her arm, Annabeth's lingering on her calves.

And finally, after sharing a long glance with Annabeth, Percy spoke up.

" Ezra, Annabeth," he said hesitantly, "in New Rome, demigods can live their whole lives in peace."

Ezra winced at the way Annabeth tightened her grip on her legs, body language turning  guarded. "Reyna explained it to me. But, Percy, you belong at Camp Half-Blood. That other life—"

"I know," Percy said. "But while I was there, I saw so many demigods living without fear: kids going to college, couples getting married and raising families. There's nothing like that at Camp Half-Blood. I kept thinking about you, Ez, me and maybe someday when this war with the giants is over..."

It was hard to tell in the golden light, but he thought Annabeth was blushing, and Ezra was frozen, her lips parted in a small o shape.. "Oh," she said.

Percy was afraid he'd said too much. Maybe he'd scared them with his big dreams of the future. Annabeth was usually the one with the plans, always finding solutions to problems that were yet to arise ... such as finding ways to finally tell Ezra.

And here he was, blowing them all to pieces.

As long as he'd known Annabeth, he still felt like he understood so little about her. Even after they'd been dating several months, their relationship had always felt new and delicate, like a glass sculpture. He was terrified of doing something wrong and breaking it.

And then, Ezra, Ezra Min was a completely different puzzle to solve.

As long as he'd known Ezra, Percy was hooked, drawn in, desperate to unravel a new layer to the complex puzzle presented before him. Usually he found them tedious, but Ezra was intricate, delicate compared to the foundation of his relationship with Annabeth.

Ezra loved completely, giving over her whole being, her soul to whoever was her current fixation; whether it be platonic or romantic; not that he had ever seen her try to connect with someone romantically. With every betrayal of a loved one, every death, Luke, Hea, Silena, a piece of Ezra Min was chipped away to nothing.

And then came the final bolt of destruction, Penelope.

"I'm sorry," Percy said. "I just...I had to think of that to keep going. To give me hope. Forget I mentioned—"

"No!" Annabeth exclaimed. "No, Percy. Gods, that's so sweet. It's just...we may have burned that bridge. If we can't repair things with the Romans—well, the two sets of demigods have never gotten along. That's why the gods kept us separate. I don't know if we could ever belong there."

Percy didn't want to argue, but he couldn't let go of the hope. It felt important—not just for Annabeth, Ezra and him, but for all the other demigods. It had to be possible to belong in two different worlds at once. After all, that's what being a demigod was all about—not quite belonging in the mortal world or on Mount Olympus, but trying to make peace with both sides of their nature.

Yet, Ezra remained silent, her white hues burning bright with guarded hope, arms tightly bunched together. She had connected the pieces of the puzzle that made up his and Annabeth's feelings. And for once, it seemed she refused to back down and let go.

She was finally choosing something for herself, choosing them.

"Percy..." She quietly began, mustering her ferocious courage, one of the many qualities they admired about her. "When you mean marriage .... why did you mention me?"

Sharing a look with Annabeth, seeing the tender look of adoration on her face, Percy knew this was the moment. This moment was the one they had been desperately searching for.

"Ez ..." He trailed off, watching the unadulterated insecurity lingering on his girlfriends face as words failed her, just like they failed him. For so long they had envisioned this moment ... but now, now what could they say?

For Hades sake, Percy had just stabbed Ezra hours ago!

Yet, in which every manner she approached in life, Ezra Min squared her shoulders and brazenly charged forward. Turning around in his lap, Ezra turned to face Annabeth, reaching forward to gently twist one of Annabeth's curls in her finger.

For once, Percy stared unabashedly, mesmerized by Ezra's deft fingers carefully plucking the ringlet of hair. It was a delight to watch her, watch them so openly, to act upon impulse as Ezra chose that specific moment to lean forward, closing the distance between her and the daughter of Athena.

It was only a brief, peck, laying the ground work. As she pulled away, a quiet whimper escaped Annabeth's lips, hands moving down to grip Ezra's lean hips. A shy, uncertain smile played on the daughter of Hera's lips as she twirled around once more, settling on Annabeth's lap this time, leaning forward to reach for Percy this time.

Small, calloused hands rested on his cheek as Ezra leaned forward again, stealing another brief kiss, before she pulled away once more. With a delighted grin, Ezra gently extracted herself from their grip, laying back onto the blankets.

Her intention is clear, for once Ezra is surrendering, trusting them to take charge. She laid the groundwork, now its to them to finish the construction.

For what felt like hours, the triad laid tangled together, exploring their new found relationship, exploring the uncharted territory that they had never once dared to hope to adventure.

And for the first time, Percy dares to speak up, trying to piece together where they fit now.

"We'll figure everything out. I've got you both back. For now, that's all that matters."

"Right," Percy said, wrapping his arms around his girls. "No more talk about defining our new relationship before Ez—"

"Shut up, Kelp head," Ezra ordered a pout playing on her lips as Annabeth smiled softly at them. "Just hold us for a while."

They sat together cuddling, enjoying each other's warmth. Before Percy knew it, the drone of the ship's engine, the dim light, and the comfortable feeling of being with Ezra and Annabeth made his eyes heavy, and he drifted to sleep.