It took a little while for everyone to find their seats. Percy took his seat next to Annabeth, Hazel sat beside Frank, and Thalia ruffled Annabeth's hair as she sat next to the blonde. In the row behind them, Nico sat behind Percy, Jason sat on Nico's right, and Reyna took the seat to his left. Leo took the last seat on Jason's left.

Alyx stood in front of the screen, glancing at her watch, which was like nothing Percy had ever seen before. The watch was made out of celestial bronze and has clear quartz embroidered with clear quartz. "What's with the watch? Isn't time supposed to be paused here or something?"

Alyx jumped at the question. "Oh, my watch?" she said, hiding her hand behind her back. "It's nothing. Don't worry. Let's just start with the reaction, okay?"

Percy glanced at Annabeth, he knew that she wasn't believing the girl for a second.

[ODYSSEUS]
Alright, my brothers, listen closely

"Oh, it's started!" Frank looked at the screen to see a man's face.

Tonight we make the Trojans pay
Ten years of war, they've killed us slowly
But now we'll be the ones who slay

"Is that a horse?!" Hazel asked excitedly,  she thought about her horse friend, Arion. It's been a while since she's been able to visit him, her new position as Praetor has kept her busy.

Think of your wives and your children
Your families wonder where you've been
They're growing old and yet you're still here
Do what I say and you'll see them again

Most of the half-bloods in the room cringe, they have had their fair share of war. Piper didn't see her dad for months, Percy returned home after being missing for 8 months and when he returned home, he found out his mother was pregnant with his unborn sister.

Everyone in the room has a moment where they've wondered if they'll ever see their family and friends again.

[CREW]
Yes, sir

[ODYSSEUS]
Diomedes will lead the charge
Agamemnon will flank the guards
Menelaus will let our men through the gates
To take the whole city at large
Teucer will shoot any ambush attack
And Little Ajax will stay back
Nestor, secure Helen and protect her
Neo, avenge your father, kill the brothers of Hector

Annabeth and Frank watched in awe as Odysseus strategised some of the most recognisable names in Greek Mythology. If Annabeth didn't know any better, she would have assumed that Odysseus was one of her siblings, his strategising was on par with a child of Athena.

[CREW]
Yes, sir

[ODYSSEUS]
Find that inner strength now
Use that well of pride
Fight through every pain now
Ask yourself inside
What do you live for?
What do you try for?
What do you wish for?
What do you fight for?
What do you live for?
What do you try for?
What do you wish for?
What do you fight for?

Reyna smiled as she listened to Odysseus readying his men of battle, Reyna had led the Twelfth Legion to battle many times, she knew better than anyone, that morale is just as crucial as a good weapon.

Penelope
Penelope
And Telemachus
I fight for us
I fight for us
(What do you live for?)
Penelope
(What do you try for?)
Telemachus

Jason frowned as he remembered his time in Ithicia, how Hera had only agreed to help him because Odysseus' home reminded her of Odysseus' loyalty.

[ODYSSEUS]
(What do you wish for?)
I am on my way
(What do you fight for?)
Attack

They all sit there frozen as they listen to the battle cries of the soldiers, they watch the man blunge into battle, swords swinging and arrows flying. The sight was almost too much, only five months ago they thought of their war, one against Gaea, sometimes they still couldn't believe they won that battle.

Aargh
Who was that?

[ZEUS]
A vision
Of what is to come, cannot be outrun
Can only be dealt with right here and now

Thalia rolled her eyes as she looked at her father morphed into the clouds.

[ODYSSEUS]
Tell me how

[ZEUS]
I don't think you're ready
A mission
To kill someone's son
A foe who won't run
Unlike anyone you have faced before

[ODYSSEUS]
Say no more, I know that I'm ready

Leo chuckled unfortablely, "Dude is way too eager to kill someone, he wouldn't even let Zeus finish explaining."

Jason nodded, his eyes locked on the Greek version of his dad.

[ZEUS]
I don't think you're ready

Hazel gasped, "No!" There wasn't even anything on the screen but from the sound of a lullaby Hazel had a chill go down her spine, Nico grabbed his sister's hand. The others had their eyes on the screen, most of them anticipating the reveal of Odysseus' foe.

[ODYSSEUS]
It's just an infant

"What?!" Percy exclaimed. "WOW! Just wow! This is a whole new low for the Gods. Killing a baby! A baby!" Percy threw his arms in the air.

Thalia shook her head, she was furious but unfortunately not surprised by her father.

Frank hugged Hazel who looked like she was about to cry, Reyna was speechless. Piper looked almost as angry as Percy while Nico looked even more ghostly than usual. Leo tried thinking on a joke but for once he was too shocked to think of anything.

It's just a boy
What sort of imminent threat does he pose, that I cannot avoid?

Annabeth grabbed Percy's hand, "Odysseus is smart, I'm sure he'll find a solution where he doesn't need to kill the baby."

[ZEUS]
This is the son of none other than Troy's very own Prince Hector

Know that he will grow from a boy to an avenger
One fueled with rage as you're consumed by age
If you don't end him now, you'll have no one left to save

Thalia got goosebumps as she listened to Zeus describe baby Astyanax, a part of his description reminds her of Luke. Sometimes she still finds it hard to see the fourteen-year-old boy she knew before she turned into a tree as the mad twenty-year-old she woke up to find.

You can say goodbye to
(Penelope)
You can say goodbye to
(Penelope)

Nico remembered Bryce Lawrence, a man who he killed. Nico didn't want to kill him, it was out of self-defence but could he do it if Bryce was a baby? If Nico could go back in time and meet Bryce as an infant before he got the chance to harm anyone, would Nico still be able to do the same thing that he did?

[ODYSSEUS]
I could raise him as my own

[ZEUS]
He will burn your house and throne

[ODYSSEUS]
Or send him far away from home

[ZEUS]
He'll find you wherever you go

[ODYSSEUS]
Make sure his past is never known

[ZEUS]
The gods will make him know

[ODYSSEUS]
I'd rather bleed for you
I'm on my knees for you

[ZEUS]
They're bringing you down on your knees for you

[ODYSSEUS]
I'm begging, please oh,

[ZEUS]
This is the will of the gods

The colour drained from Annabeth's face, her hopes that Odysseus might be able to strategize his way out of killing Astyanax disappearing, "This is a prophecy..."

"One that doesn't leave much room for interpretation too..." Leo muttered. There are some things they can cheat, but prophecies aren't one of them, Leo had to die and then come back to life again to survive his prophecy.

[ODYSSEUS]
Please don't make me do this, don't make me do this

Hazel was crying now as she listened to Odysseus' plead to not kill the baby, she wanted to yell at the screen to say that it was unfair for her uncle to be making him do this but she knew there was no point, this all happened 3000 years ago, if Astyanax is dead, he's dead.

The hearts of everyone who was in the room broke as they looked at oblivious Astyanax, the infant who was happily greeting the stranger who approached his crib.

[ZEUS]
The blood on your hands is something you won't lose
All you can choose is whose

Jason and Leo looked at each other, that line hitting them a lot harder than they were proud to admit, five months ago that line applied to them.

"What happened-"

"Sh!! The next song is starting!"