CHAPTER TEN; TO FACE THE MUSIC

( mark of athena )

✲*'。

IT WAS A GOOD THING PERCY JACKSON liked to completely suffocate his girlfriends in their sleep; his heavy body completely thrown on top of them, presenting his back to any possible intruder. Not that he would ever awake first, Ezra would usually have an attacker killed, Annabeth hovering by her back before he clumsily throw himself from the bed.

Today, for the first time ever, it worked to Ezra Min's favour. She could hear the anxious, heavy paced footsteps of Frank Zhang as he charged towards the stables. Hastily wrapping the blankets tighter around her chest and Annabeth, Ezra curled herself back into the warmth of their bodies, waiting for the shit show Frank would create.

He did not disappoint; his breathing erratic as he paced around, finally waking up Percy and Annabeth.

"What... ?" Percy yawned, using Ezra's bloody hand to rub his eyes. "Oh, we just fell asleep."

Frank swallowed, looking everywhere and anywhere than the throuple lying together in the mess of blankets.

"Everyone thinks you've been kidnapped," he said. "We've been scouring the ship. When Coach Hedge finds out—oh, gods, you've been here all night?"

"Frank!" Annabeth hissed, reaching over to tightly wrap a blanket around an unphased Ezra's chest, where the blanket lingered a bit too low. "We just came down here to talk. We fell asleep. Accidentally. That's it."

"Kissed a couple of times," Percy said.

Annabeth glared at him. "Not helping!"

Using Percy as a shield, Ezra clambered into his lap, staring in the general direction of Frank Zhang who was avoiding all forms of eye contact. "Frank there's no need to be ashamed, this would be a great spot to do the devils tango with Hazel, can one hundred percent recommend!"

The moment the words left her lips a squawk of indignation escaped Annabeth's lips as Percy hid his head in Ezra's neck to suppress his laughter.

"We'd better..." Frank pointed to the stable doors. "Uh, we're supposed to meet for breakfast. Would you explain what you did—I mean didn't do? I mean... I really don't want that faun—I mean satyr—to kill me."

Frank ran.

"Really spitfire?" Annabeth huffed, but the soft smile on her face betrayed her.

"What!" Ezra hissed as she stood up, stretching her lean body in the morning air, a smirk playing on her lips as she heard Percy's groan and Annabeth's sharp inhale of air. "Someone has to fuck the poor man; he's going to get blue balls over his weird jealousy of Hazel and Leo."

"Ez language!" Annabeth sighed, tossing the girl Percy's sweatshirt as she shamelessly tugged it over her gym shorts.

"Time to face the music!"

And face the music they would. Shit hit the roof the moment they appeared in the dining area. Hazel kept on fanning her face, refusing to meet Percy's eyes and glowering when she thought none of them were looking.

As for the others... well, Jason and Leo found it amusing, as did Annais to a certain degree, while Piper and Melanie shook their heads like they were disappointed but not surprised. It was Gleeson who was the most vocal about his opinion. The seven and the Mins sat in the dining room for what felt like an eternity while he paced in front of them and screamed.

"Never in my life," Ezra recalled him saying before he turned on an innocent bowl of apples and sent them scattering with his bat. "Against the rules! Irresponsible!"

"Coach, it was an accident," Annabeth sighed in frustration, squeezing her hand in Ezra's defiant to the Coach glowering at them. "We were just talking and we fell asleep."

"Besides," Percy snickered, unable to hold back his cheeky grin. In response, Ezra grumbled knowing exactly what he was about to say. "You're starting to sound like Terminus."

And of course with that it got worse.

Hedge's eyes narrowed dangerously. He held his club like he was considering whacking Percy over the head with it, not that anyone could blame him. "Is that an insult, Jackson? 'Cause I'll... I'll terminus you, buddy!"

Percy tried unsuccessfully to hide his laughter. "It won't happen again, Coach, I promise." Ezra knew for a fact it would, no way in Tartarus was she having ... bonding time as a throuple in front of everyone. "Now, don't we have other things to discuss?"

"Fine," the satyr huffed. "But I'm watching you, Jackson. As for you, Annabeth Chase, I thought you had more sense. And you, Ezra... well, I'm not surprised--"

What was that supposed to mean?

"Okay," Jason cut in as Ezra's was about to strike. "Let's grab some food and get started."

The first to speak was Percy, who told them a grim dream he had about Nico while digging into a plate of blue pancakes.

"Oh, Gods..." Hazel whimpered, prompting a sinking feeling from Ezra Min. "The seeds."

"Do you know what they are?" Annabeth asked.

Hazel nodded, reaching over the table to squeeze Annais' hand. "He showed them to me once," the daughter of Pluto admitted. "They're from our step-mother's garden."

"The seeds are a last-resort food," Hazel explained, Ezra already knew what they were. As did Mel and Annais for they were grim in their silence. "Only the children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere, but if he's really imprisoned..."

Then his days were numbered.

"The giants are trying to lure us," Annabeth murmured, sharing a pointed glance with Percy. "They're assuming that we'll try to rescue him."

"Well, they're right... won't we?" Annais murmured uncertainly, tugging on Ezra's heartstrings. She couldn't lose another sibling.

"Yes!" Coach Hedge exclaimed from where he'd taken up watch in the doorway. "It'll involve fighting, right?"

At the same time, Annais stabbed her fork into her eggs on toast, daring anyone to challenge her as she said, "There's no assuming to be done. I don't care if it's a trap, I'll go on my own if I have to."

"Hazel, Annais, of course we're going to help him," Frank said; well of course he would say that, Frank the bastard was really after the devil's tanho then. "But how long do we have before... uh, I mean, how long can Nico hold out?"

"One seed a day," Hazel frowned. "That's if he puts himself in a death trance."

Ezra winced in sympathy for Nico, heart aching from the harsh sting of failure. She'd failed to protect him, her little brother, time and time again. What if she didn't find him in time? He'd die, and she'd be the one to blame.

Just like she was for Penelope, Luke, Silena, Beckendorf. The list was never ending.

"A death trance," Annabeth repeated with a wary glance at Annais. "That doesn't sound fun."

"It's not," Annais grunted at the same time as Hazel said, "It keeps him from consuming all his air. Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, but barely."

"And he has five seeds left," Percy informed them, running a hand over the exhausted lines of his face. "That's five days, including today. The giants must have planned it that way, so we'd have to arrive by July first. Assuming Nico is hidden somewhere in Rome..."

"That's not much time," Piper finished. "We'll find him. At least we know what the lines of the prophecy mean now. 'Twins snuff out the angel's breath, who holds the key to endless death.' Your brother's last name is Di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for angel..."

Ezra dug her hand into Percy's, trying to stead her breathing. Nico needed her, and she would be damned if she failed him, like she did to so many others. "We have to. The prophecy says he holds the key to endless death."

"That's right," Piper said before turning to Annais and Hazel again. "Guys, your brother went searching for the Doors of Death in the Underworld, right? He must've found them."

"He can tell us where the doors are," Percy added, meeting Annais' stare and nodding at her. "And how to close them."

For a moment, everything seemed set in stone. They'd travel to Rome, find Nico, and do what they had to do to save him. Even if that meant knowingly walking into danger...

Or so Ezra thought.

"Uh, just one thing," Leo piped up. Annais was keenly aware of how he refused to meet her eyes. "The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we're walking into a trap?"

Hazel was quick to release Annais' hand, clenching hers into a fist like she was contemplating socking Leo in the face. "We have no choice!"

"Don't get me wrong, Hazel. It's just that your brother, Nico... he knew about both camps, right?"

Something hot and bitter formed in Ezra's chest; a feeling she felt so often now. As did Annais as her sister had to fight to keep her voice even as she spat, "What's your point, Valdez?"

Leo hesitated. He didn't want to upset her. But he was too far gone to turn back. "So he's been going back and forth, and he didn't tell either side."

Much to Ezra's surprise, Jason was quick to agree with him. "You're wondering if we can trust the guy. So am I."

"Hey!" she shouted, shoving her chair back from the table. It landed on the ground with a clatter, the sharp sound almost violent as it echoed off the walls. "Nico isn't just some random guy. He's my brother. My family. I said it once and I'll say it again. You don't have to help him, I can do it myself. But if he dies, you can live with that on your conscience. And I'll never forgive you."

Jason stared at her for a long moment, the words hanging between them, acidic, burning everything in their wake. "Annais..." There was nothing he could say or do that would erase that betrayed hurt from her eyes. Like she'd expected it from the others but not from him.

"He brought me back from the Underworld," Hazel added, voice small and full of disbelief. "And you don't want to help him?"

"Nobody's saying that," Frank said. "Nobody better be saying that."

"Thank you, Frank," Annais hissed. "For being a better friend than some people I've known far longer than you."

"Come on, that's not fair," Leo disputed. "All I mean is--"

"No, it's totally fair," she snapped. "I put my life on the line trying to save Piper's dad, something I would've done for any of you if you asked me to. And you can't even look me in my fucking eyes when I beg you to save my brother. I've already lost one sister, I won't lose another sibling because my friends think they can play God."

It was at that point the stabbing pain in her chest struck; with a quick flurry of movements, Ezra stalked away from the dining area, in the direction her room. She needed to escape, get away from the reminder that she had already failed a sibling, another hanging in the balance.

Harshly ripping her pyjama's from her body, Ezra had just changed into a pair of denim shorts and cropped tee when she heard the door to her room opening; Mel, she would recognize the way her baby sisters feet struck the earth; soft and delicate, taking up the least amount of space possible.

Opening her arms, Ezra felt a weak smile tugging at her lips as Melanie charged into her arms making herself smaller, trying to seek refuge in this harsh, dark world. "I've got you bubs," Ezra murmured, playing with her sisters longer locks.

"He'll be fine ...won't he?"

The sinking feeling returned; Ezra's chest felt heavy as she fought down the urge to retch up her breakfast. How could this happen, in a matter of minutes, her good mood was ruined, destroyed into a million of pieces. Now the familiar, oppressive feeling of bitter anger had taken root once more.

"Let's go and find the others," Ezra hummed instead, refusing to give her sister false hope.

She couldn't disappoint them again.

Once the Min girls minus one had arrived back on top deck, the others were preparing for another quest.

"When we land, I'll scout around in Atlanta," Percy said. "Frank, I could use your help."

"You mean turn into a dragon again? Honestly, Percy, I don't want to spend the whole quest being everyone's flying taxi."

"No," Percy said. "I want you with me because you've got the blood of Poseidon. Maybe you can help me figure out where to find salt water. Besides, you're good in a fight."

That seemed to make Frank feel a little better. "Sure. I guess."

"Great," Percy said. "We should take one more. Annabeth—"

"Oh, no!" Coach Hedge barked. "Young lady, you are grounded."

Annabeth stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language. "Excuse me?"

Oh thank fuck the goat wasn't talking to her.

"You and Jackson are not going anywhere together!" Hedge insisted. He glared at Percy, daring him to mouth off. "I'll go with Frank and Mr. Sneaky Jackson. The rest of you guard the ship and make sure Annabeth doesn't break any more rules!"

Huffing, Percy didn't try to push his luck, but a crafty smirk appeared on his lips as Ezra felt his eyes landing on her. "In that case the Min that should come with us is Ez—"

"Not happening!" Hedge barked, settling his eyes on Melanie. "Ghost girl you're coming—"

"Not a chance in Tartarus." Melanie glowered, shoving Ezra forward. "She goes. Ez needs to get off the boat before she blows something up."

Ezra felt a smirk growing her lips as she heard Hedge huffing, trying to make up his mind about the matter. Her little sister was a demon, using Hedge's love of explosions to tempt him into letting her come.

A little demon indeed.

"Gear up Ezra Min," Hedge sneered. "And if there's any funny business—"

"None at all sir!" Ezra smirked, glancing in the general direction of Percy and Frank.

"This," Percy sighed "is going to be so much fun."

Ezra couldn't have agreed more.