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๐‘ป๐’‰๐’Š๐’“๐’•๐’š ๐‘ถ๐’๐’†




LEAVE IT TO ME

"give me a second, darling"





ย  ย ย  "OH...YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE."

Her eyes opened to see daylight streaming in through the glass pane on the floor. They glanced around as Percy's arms were curled around her waist, his head on her stomach while she slowly tried to sit up without waking him.

What she was met with was Frank, who looked terrified finding the two of them passed out in the stables. Percy finally woke up at her sharp inhale.

"What...?" Percy rubbed his eyes. "Oh, we just fell asleep."

Frank swallowed. He was dressed in running shoes, dark cargo pants, and a Vancouver Winger Olympics t-shirt with his Roman centurion badge pinned to the neck. Frank averted his eyes as if the sight of them together might burn him.

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

"Frank!" Ariadne's ears went red. Percy was still holding her, his head resting on her shoulder while his eyelashes grazed her neck tiredly. Whatever was going through the younger boy's mind was definitely not what happened. "We came down here to talk. We fell asleep. Accidentally. That's it."

"Kissed a couple of times," Percy said. Although, she was the only one who could tell that he was smirking on the inside.

Ariadne whacked his arm. "Not helping!"

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

Frank ran.

When everyone finally gathered in the mess hall, it wasn't quite as bad as Frank had feared. Jason and Piper were mostly relieved. Leo couldn't stop grinning and gave Ariadne dressing winks and wiggling eyebrows. Annabeth smiled behind her hand. Only Hazel seemed scandalized, maybe because she was from the 1940s. She kept fanning her face and wouldn't meet Percy's eyes.

Naturally, Coach Hedge went ballistic; but Ariadne found it hard to take the satyr seriously since he was barely five feet tall.

"Never in my life!" Coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over a plate of apples. "Against the rules! Irresponsible!"

"Coach," Ariadne said, "it was an accident. We were just talking and we fell asleep, nothing to it."

"Besides," Percy said, "you're starting to sound like Terminus."

Hedge narrowed his eyes. "Is that an insult, Jackson? Cause I'llโ€”I'll terminus you, buddy!"

Percy tried not to laugh. "It won't happen again, Coach. I promise. Now, don't we have other things to discuss?"

Hedge fumed. "Fine! But I'm watching you, Jackson. And you, Ariadne Phoenix, I expected you to be a better role modelโ€”"

Jason cleared his throat. "So grab some food, everybody. Let's get started."

The meeting was like a war council with donuts. Then again, back at Camp Half-Blood they used to have their most serious discussions around the Ping-along table in the rec room with crackers and Cheez Whiz.

Percy told them about his dreamโ€”the twin giants planning a reception for them in an underground parking lot with rocket launchers; Nico di Angelo trapped in a bronze had, slowly dying from asphyxiation with pomegranate seeds at his feet.

Hazel choked back a so . "Nico...Oh, gods. The seeds."

"You know what they are?" Annabeth asked.

Hazel nodded. "He showed them to me once. They're from our stepmother's garden."

"Your step...oh," Percy said. "You mean Persephone."

"The seeds are a last resort food," Hazel said. Ariadne could tell she was nervous, because all the silverware on the table was starting to move toward her. "Only children of Hades can eat them. Nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. But if he's really imprisonedโ€”"

"The giants are trying to lure us," Annabeth said. "They're assuming we'll try to rescue him."

"Well, they're right" Hazel looked around the table, her confidence apparently crumbling. "Won't we?"

"Yes!" Coach Hedge yelled with a mouthful of napkins. "It'll involve fighting, right?"

"Hazel, of course we'll help him," Frank said. "But how long do we have before...uh, I mean, how long can Nico hold out?"

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

"A death trance?" Ariadne scowled.

"It keeps him from consuming all his air," Hazel said. "Like hibernation, or a coma. One seed can sustain him one day, barely."

"And he has five seeds left," Percy said. "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 Romeโ€”"

"That's not much time," Piper summed up. She pout her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "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: di Angelo. Angelo is Italian for 'angel.'"

"Oh, gods," Hazel muttered. "Nico..."

Nico didn't deserve that. Although Ariadne had a rocky relationship with him, he was a good kid. He should be able to live his life.

"We'll rescue him " he promised her. "We have to. The prophecy says he holds the key to endless death."

"That's right," Piper said encouragingly. "Hazel, 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 said, "and how to close them."

Hazel took a deep breath. "Yes. Good."

"Uh..." Leo shifted in his chair. "One thing. The giants are expecting us to do this, right? So we're walking into a trap?"

Hazel looked at Leo like he'd made a rude gesture. "We have no choice!"

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

"Well, yes," Hazel said.

"He's been going back and forth," Leo said, "and he didn't tell either side."

Jason sat forward, his expression grin. "You're wondering if we can trust the guy. So am I."

Hazel shot to her feet. "I don't believe this. He's my brother. He brought me back from the Underworld, and you don't want to help him?"

Frank put his hand on her shoulder. "Nobody's saying that." He glared at Leo. "Nobody had better be saying that."

Leo blinked. "Look, guys. All I mean isโ€”"

"Hazel," Jason said. "Leo is raising a fair point. I remember Nico from Camp Jupiter. Now I find out how also visited Camp Half-Blood. That does strike me as...well, a little shady. Do we really know where his loyalties lie? We just have to be careful."

Hazel's arms shook. A silver platter zoomed toward her and hit the wall to her left, splattering scrambled eggs. "You...the great Jason Grace...the praetor I looked up to. You were supposed to be so fair, such a good leader. And now you..." Hazel stomped her foot and stormed out of the mess hall.

Ariadne dropped the donut in her hand onto her plate. She glared at the three boys, leaning back in her chair while tapping her fingers against the table. "That was cold. Her brother is dying, and question his loyalties in front of her is absurd."

Jason looked shocked. He was practically shaking at her glare. "Cold? I'm just being cautious!"

"I'll go talk to her," Frank insisted.

"No," Piper said. "Let her cool down first. I'll go check on her in a few minutes."

"But..." Frank huffed like an irritated bear. "Fine. I'll wait."

From up above came a whirring sound like a large drill.

"That's Festus," Leo said. "I've got him on autopilot, but we must be nearing Atlanta. I'll have to get up there...uh, assuming we know where to land."

Everyone turned to Percy.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You're Captain Salt Water. Any ideas from the expert?"

"I'm not sure," Percy admitted. "Somewhere central, high up so we can get a good view of the city. Maybe a park with some woods? We don't want to land a warship in the middle of downtown. I doubt even the Mist could cover up something that huge."

Leo nodded. "On it." He raced for the stairs.

Frank settled back in his chair uneasily. Percy felt bad for him.

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

"You mean tune 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. Aidanโ€”"

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

Ariadne stared at him with a wild expression. "What?"

"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 Ariadne doesn't break anymore rules!"

Percy gave a distasteful expression. "This," he said, "is going to be so much fun."

He glanced over at Ariadne. She gave him an amused expression at Coach's threat and decision. The boy nodded.

Ariadne sighed. She leaned toward her boyfriend, pressing a kiss to the corner of his lips before standing. "Annie, wanna help me with something?"

"Sure." Annabeth gathered her things. "Stay safe, boys."

The brunette only hoped Percy came back alright.

***

ARIADNE ALMOST TRIPPED OVER THE SHIP'S RAILING ONCE BODIED FLOPPED ONTO THE DECK. Frank's clothes were stiff and damp, like they'd been washed in pure starch. The boy stood up and ran toward the stairs.

The brunette rushed to her boyfriend's side as Annabeth pushed up the stairs three at a time, Hazel right behind her and Frank trailing, still gasping for air. Percy and Hedge looked exhausted. Hedge was missing his shoes. He grinned at the sky, muttering, "Awesome. Awesome." Percy was covered with nicks and scratches, like he'd jumped through a window. He didn't say anything, but he grasped Ariadne' hand weakly as of to say, Be right with you, as soon as the world stops spinning.

She helped him sit up. Percy leaned against her chest, his head in the crook of her neck while he gasped in exhaustion. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, a hand holding into his wind-swept hair while his body shook. Ariadne's lips pressed gently to his forehead.

Leo, Piper, and Jason, who'd been eating in the mess hall, came rushing up the stairs.

"What? What?" Leo cried, holding a half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich. "Can't a guy even take a lunch break? What's wrong?"

"Followed!" Frank yelled.

"Followed by what?" Jason asked.

"I don't know!" Frank panted. "Whales? Sea monsters? Maybe Kate and Porky!"

Annabeth wasn't pleased. "That makes absolutely no sense. Leo, you'd better get us out of here."

Leo put his sandwich between his teeth, pirate style, and ran for the helm.

Soon the Argo IU was rising into the sky. Annabeth manned the aft crossbow. She saw no sign of pursuit by whales or otherwise, but Percy, Frank, and Hedge didn't start to recover until the Atlanta skyline was a hazy smudge in the distance.

"Charleston," Percy said, hobbling around the deck with his arms round Ariadne's shoulder. He still sounded pretty shaken up. "Set course for Charleston."

"Charleston?" Jason said the name as of it brought back bad memories. "What exactly did you find in Atlanta?"

Frank unzipped his backpack and started bringing out souvenirs. "Some peach preserves. A couple of t-shirts. A snow globe. And, um, these not-really-Chinese handcuffs."

Ariadne forced herself to stay calm. "How about you start from the topโ€”of the story, not the backpack."

They gathered on the quarterdeck so Leo could hear the conversation as he navigated. Percy and Frank took turned relating what had happened at the Georgia Aquarium, with Coach Hedge interjecting from time to time: "That was awesome!" or "Then I kicked her in the head!"

At least the coach seemed to have forgotten about Percy and Ariadne falling asleep in the stable the night before. But judging from Percy's story, they had worse problems to worry about than being grounded.

When Percy explained about the captive sea creatures in the aquarium, she understood why he seemed so upset.

"That's terrible," she said. "We need to help them."

"We will," Percy promised. "In time. But I have to figure out how. I wish..." He shook his head. "Never mind. First we have to deal with this bounty on our heads."

Coach Hedge had lost interest in the conversationโ€”probably because it was no longer about himโ€”and wandered toward the bow of the ship, practicing his round-house kicks and complimenting himself on his technique.

Annabeth gripped the hilt of her dagger. "A bounty on our heads...as if we didn't attract enough monsters already."

"Do we get WANTED posters?" Leo asked. "And do they have our bounties, like, broken down on a price list?"

Hazel wrinkled her nose. "What are you talking about?"

"Just curious how much I'm going for these days," Leo said. "I mean, I can understand not being as pricey as Ariadne or Percy or Jason, maybe...but am I worth, like, two Franks, or three Franks?"

"Hey!" Frank complained.

"Knock it off," Annabeth ordered. "At least we know our next step is to go to Charleston, to find this map."

Piper leaned against the control panel. She'd done her braid, which looked good with her dark brown hair. Ariadne could barely brush her hair.

"A map," Piper said. "But a map of what?"

"The Mark of Athena." Percy looked cautiously at Annabeth, like he was afraid he'd overstepped. He huddled closer to Ariadne.

"Whatever that is," he continued. "We know it leads to something important in Rome, something that might heal the rift between the Romans and Greeks."

"The giants' bane," Hazel added.

Percy nodded. "And in my dream, the twin giants said something about a statue."

"Um..." Frank rolled his not-exactly-Chinese handcuffs between his fingers. "According to Phorcys, we'd have to be insane to try and find it. But what is it!"

Everyone looked at Annabeth.

"Iโ€”I'm close to an answer," she said. "I'll know more if we find this map. Jason, the way you reacted to the name Charleston...have you been there before?"

Jason glanced uneasily at Piper.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Reyna and I did a quest there about a year ago. We were salvaging Imperial gold weapons from the C.S.S. Hunley."

"The what?" Piper asked.

"Whoa!" Leo said. "That's the first successful military submarine. From the Civil War. I always wanted to see that."

"It was designed by Roman demigods," Jason said. "It held a secret stash of Imperial gold torpedoesโ€”until we rescued them and bought them back to Camp Jupiter."

Hazel crossed her arms. "So the Romans fought on the Confederate side? As a girl whose grandmother was a slave, can I just say...not cool?"

Ariadne raised an eyebrow. She gave the boy a steely look. She had dealt with dead Confederate soldiers before, and she was ready to knock some racist heads off their necks.

Jason put his hands in front of him, palms up. "I personally was not alive then. And it wasn't all Greeks on one side and all Romans on the other. But, yes. Not cool. Sometimes demigods make bad choices." He looked sheepishly at Ariadne and Hazel. "Like sometimes we're too suspicious. And we speak without thinking."

Hazel stared at him. Slowly it seemed to dawn on her that he was apologizing.

Jason elbowed Leo.

"Ow!" Leo yelled. "I mean, yeah...bad choices. Like not trusting people's brothers who, you know, might need saving. Hypothetically speaking."

Hazel pursed her lips. "Fine. Back to Charleston. Are you saying we should check that submarine again?"

Jason shrugged. "Well...I can think of two places in Charleston we might search. The museum where they keep the Hunleyโ€”that's one of them. It has a lot of relics from the Civil War. A map could be hidden in one. I know the layout. I could lead a team inside."

"I'll go," Leo said. "That sounds cool."

Jason nodded. He turned to Frank, who was trying to pull his fingers out of the Chinese handcuffs. "You should come too, Frank. We might need you."

Frank looked surprised. "Why? Not like I was much good at that aquarium."

"You did find," Percy assured him. He was feeling a bit better. The teen stood straighter with his arm on Ariadne's waist with his head on her shoulder. He looked tired, running his thumb over her shirt subconsciously.

"Besides, you're a child of Mars," Jason said. "The ghosts of defeated causes are bound to serve you. And the museum in Charleston has plenty of Confederate ghosts. We'll need you to keep them in line."

"Okay." Frank relented. "Sure." He frowned at his fingers, trying to pull them out of the trap. "Uh, how do youโ€”?"

Leo chuckled. "Man, you've never seen those before? There's a simple trick to getting out."

Frank tugged again with no luck. Even Hazel was trying not to laugh.

Ariadne turned her head to hide her ever growing smile. Her giggles sounded in Percy's ear, causing him to hold her tighter while he resisted his own chuckles of amusement. She pressed a light kiss to the spot beneath his ear to shut him up.

"He's confused," Percy murmured in her ear.

"It's kind of adorable at how awkward he is," she whispered back.

Percy gave her a slight shove in her ribs.

Frank grimaced with concentration. Suddenly, he disappeared. On the deck where he'd been standing, a green iguana crouched next to an empty set of Chinese handcuffs.

"Well done, Frank Zhang," Leo said drying, doing his impression of Chiron the centaur. "That is exactly how people beat Chinese handcuffs. They turn into iguanas."

Everybody busted out laughing. Frank turned back to human, picked up the handcuffs, and shoved them in his backpack. He managed an embarrassed smile.

"Anyway," Frank said, clearly anxious to change the subject. "The museum is one place to search. But, uh, Jason, you said there were two?"

Jason's smile faded. Whatever he was thinking about, Ariadne could tell it wasn't pleasant.

"Yeah," he said. "The other place is called the Batteryโ€”it's a park right by the harbor. The last time I was there...with Reyna..." He glanced at Piper, then rushed on. "We saw something in the park. A ghost or some sort of spirit, like a Southern belle from the Civil War, glowing and floating along. We tried to approach it, but it disappeared whenever we got close. Then Reyna had this feelingโ€”she said she should try it alone. Like maybe it would only talk to a girl. She went up to the spirit by herself, and sure enough, it spoke to her."

Everyone waited.

"What did it say?" Ariadne asked.

"Reyna wouldn't tell me," Jason admitted. "But it must have been important. She seemed...shaken up. Maybe she got a prophecy or some bad news. Reyna never acted the same around me after that."

"A girls' adventure, then," Annabeth said. "Ari, Piper and Hazel can come with me."

Both nodded, though Hazel looked nervous. No doubt her time in the Underworld had given her enough ghost experiences for two lifetimes. Piper's eyes flashed defiantly, like anything Reyna could do, she could do. Ariadne looked relaxedโ€”another quest, another day in her life. Her fingers drew shapes on Percy's hand while she listened. Annabeth had noticed the happiness in her best friend ever since Percy was back.

Ariadne realized if the seven of them went on these two quests, it would leave Percy alone on the ship with Coach Hedge, which was maybe not a situation a caring girlfriend should put him in. Nor was she eager to let Percy out of her sight againโ€”not after they'd been apart for so many months. On the other hand, Percy looked so troubled by his experience with those imprisoned sea creatures, she thought maybe he could use a rest. She looked up at him, asking him a silent question. The look in his eyes answered the question.

"So that's settled." Annabeth turned to Leo, who was studying his console, listening to Festus creak and click over the intercom."Leo, how long until we reach Charleston?"

"Good question," he muttered. "Festus just detected a large group of eagles behind usโ€”long-range radar, still not in sight."

Piper leaned over the console. "Are you sure they're Roman?"

Leo rolled his eyes. "No, Pipes. It could be a random group of giant washers flying in perfect formation. Of course they're Roman! I suppose we could turn the ship around and fightโ€”"

"Which would be a very bad idea," Jason said, "and remove any doubt that we're enemies of Rome."

"Or I've got another idea," Leo said. "If we went straight to Charleston, we could be there in a few hours. But the eagles would overtake us, and things would get complicated. Instead, we could send out a decoy to trick the eagles. We take the ship on a detour, go the long way to Charleston, and get there tomorrow morningโ€”"

Hazel started to protest, but Leo raised his hand. "I know, I know. Nico's in trouble and we have to hurry."

"It's June twenty-seventh," Ariadne said. "After today, four more days. Then he dies."

"I know! But this might throw the Romans off our trail. We still should have enough time to reach Rome."

Hazel scowled. "When you say should have enough..."

Leo shrugged. "How do you feel about barely enough?"

Hazel put her face in her hands for a count of three. "Sounds about typical for us."

Annabeth decided to take that as a green light. "Okay, Leo. What kind of decoy are we talking about?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" He punched a few buttons on the console, rotated the turntable, and repeatedly pressed the A button on his Wii controller, really, really fast. He called into the intercom, "Buford! Report for duty, please."

Frank took a step back. "There's somebody else on the ship? Who is Buford?"

A puff of steam shot from the stairwell, and Leo's automatic table climbed on deck.

Buford wasn't seen much during the trip. He mostly stayed in the engine room. He was a three legged table with a mahogany tip. His bronze base had several drawers, spinning gears, and a set of steam vents. Buford was toting a bag like a mail sack tied to one of his legs. He flattered to the helm and made a sound like a train whistle.

"This is Buford," Leo announced.

"You name your furniture?" Frank asked.

Leo snorted. "Man, you just wish you had furniture this cool. Buford, are you ready for Operation End Table?"

Buford spewed steam. He stepped to the railing. His mahogany top split into four pie slices, which elongated into Woden blades. The blades spin, and Buford took off.

"A helicopter table," Percy muttered. "Gotta admit, that's cool. What's in the bag?"

"Dirty demigod laundry," Leo said. "I hope you don't mind, Frank."

Frank choked. "What?"

"It'll throw the eagles off our scent."

"Those were my only extra pants!"

Leo shrugged. "I asked Buford to get them laundered and folded while he's out. Hopefully he will." He rubbed his hands and grinned. "Well! I can call that a good day's work. I'm gonna calculate our detour route now. See you all at dinner!"



"Can you sit still for five seconds?"

"No! I have ADHD."

"So do I, dumbass."

Ariadne gave her boyfriend a deadpanned look as he squirmed the second she placed the alcohol wipe over his cuts and scrapes. He hissed out, trying to pull away while she rolled her eyes.

"This is what you get for jumping through glass," she said. The girl gently finished wiping his injuries on one arm. "You know it's safer to make sure these don't get infected before I give you ambrosia and Nectar."

Percy sighed. "I know."

Ariadne began wiping down his other arm. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, strands of curls fell before her face. She blew them every so often, her lips parted while furrowing her eyebrows. Percy smiled without realizing. His heart did backflips.

Percy watched as she bandaged his wounds. Her hands were quick, making sure he wasn't in pain as he winced slightly. She would glance over at him every few minutes to ensure he was still there. He had been having conflicted thoughts and feelings even before he had disappeared.

Whatever Ariadne had done to him, he didn't think he could live without. Anytime she wasn't with him, he felt like his heart was being ripped out. The idea of her being hurt on this quest made him have the urge to take her and run away from the prophecy. He just wanted to wake up one day with her by his side, sunlight streaming in through the cracks that the curtains didn't fully cover. Percy wanted to open his eyes and see her breathing quietly while sleeping peacefully next to him, blankets thrown over their bodies lazily. He wanted to be able to close his eyes and breath in the happiness he felt.

Percy could imagine waking up to their kids jumping on them while begging for breakfast. Ariadne would be laughing and tickling them, while Percy would watch with a smile before he became the victim of teasing. They would have curly locks and possible sea-green eyes, maybe purple. They would have those troublemaking grins and their mother's wild sense of adventure and fun.

It seemed too perfect to imagine. He wanted that.

His hand reached out and tucked a a stray hair behind her ear. She gave him a smile. His thumb ran over her scar while she kissed his palm, tingles sliding through his veins like he had just jumped in freezing cold water on a hot day.

Her fingers played with the collar of his shirt. "So suggest you don't pull your shirt down for a few days," she muttered, a smile evident on her plump lips.

"Right." Percy flushed under her gaze. "Forgot about that."

She laughed. Her eyes twinkled with happiness before giving him a soft smile. "Get some rest, Kelp Head."

Percy grabbed her hand. "Stay with me?"

No doubt, she climbed underneath his covers while holding out her arms. He smiled brightly before relaxing at her touch. Percy let his head rest on the pillows, twirling a curl between his fingers while closing his eyes. Ariadne kissed his forehead, then his cheek, then his nose, before planting a firm kiss to his lips.

He hummed. Then, he drifted off, feeling warm and full from her embrace. Percy wanted to stay like that for eternityโ€”him, Ariadne, and their hopes and dreams which lifted them off to sleep.






authors note:

Sorry this is so late!

I started my job on Friday and I worked from 7am-3:30 today and I'm doing the same tomorrow. God I'm so sore from lifting a bunch of groceries!

Anyways, hope everyone is good!

Hope you like this chapter!

Q: favorite character in MY Hero Academia?
A: BAKUGO!!!! But I also love Kirishima and Denki because they're my babies. I hate mineta tho.

Enjoy this work!

Let me know what you want and comment your favorite part!

Love you guys!

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