This chapter is rated M for Clarisse's langue

Clarisse's POV:

I can't believe I agreed to this, I think to myself as I, along with Jason and Piper, are hiking Ithaca to the ruins of Odysseus's palace, Piper and I in servant girl dresses, and Jason as an old beggar. And before you ask, yes, I do, as a matter of fact, forget Jason's cover name despite Phoebe trying to hammer it into our skulls, with me quite literally.

Though if the hunt refuses to step foot on this island because of the likely foe, it either means they are strong or extremely sexist, like those ghosts Annabeth confronted under Rome that she told me about. Knowing the hunt, it's most likely the latter. I mean, they practically finished the battle at the house of Hades once Percy returned to the surface.

Heck, Nico or Bianca would be perfect for this if we are dealing with the dead, but they're returning Athena's precious statue with the Roman praetor Reyna to camp. Hopefully, that will stop a war from arising between the two, especially with Silena being there in her current condition.

I miss her but I also promised her that I wouldn't tell Charlie who's been spending most of his time with his siblings and the Roman engineers maintaining the ship, the rest of it is spent eating and sleeping. Though from the look on his face I can tell he misses her.

"Let's catch our breath here," Jason said as we topped the hill. In all honesty, he looked every bit of being over 100 years old, having been confined to working in a mine shaft for the majority of his adult life, hunched over with a walking stick to keep him upright and with more wrinkles than a crumbled-up piece of paper. I would have laughed at his state if not for the serious nature of this mission or my being in an ancient servant girl's dress.

I still can't believe Piper got me in this thing, though I'm also not sure if part of it is Hazel's magic. That girl scares me with what she can do, having defeated Scrion, Medea, and other magicians in our travels, not to mention the giant made to oppose Hecate herself, allegedly. Well, also, allegedly, Percy defeated him because he was still pissed from whatever happened in Tartarus that Annabeth and Thalia refuse to speak about, more so Annabeth than Thalia as Thalia gets this gleefully evil glint in her eye as if enjoying reliving the memories of slaughtering some sort of monster down there, only to grow a sad look before she reveals anything.

"Clarisse, you good," Piper asked

"Yeah," I said, "just hoping these fuckheads are actually stupid enough to try and touch my ass."

"But," Jason started

"Who said I didn't want to kill them all? I just need a good reason. So get that information quickly so I can get to killing," I told the other two. Honestly, I don't really care if a ghost touches my ass. They can't interact with the physical world anyway. I just want my chance to try and kill them again, and them trying to violate my personal space gives me a good enough excuse.

Everything was fine until fireworks went off, which got these two in gear again to start moving.

I watched on and presumed that we hadn't been detected yet, as they looked like I'd imagine they would thousands of years ago when they were suiting after Penelope. Though I'm pretty sure there were only 100 suitors back then, now there are many, many more.

"OUR NEXT OFFERING," Said this grey-skinned dude with an arrow through his throat. " LET US FEED THE EARTH MOTHER," he shouted and threw a marble statue of Zeus, which then became pulverized like sand, only for the earth to belch as if it were tasty.

"Look, if anything, that dude is the leader here. See what you can find out, Pipes, and I will blend in," I ordered Jason, who was staring in shock at the remains of the pulverized Zeus statue.

"Be careful. The ones with grey skin are ghouls. They can interact with the physical world, and they are smart, strong, and quick," Jason warned, shaking his head out of shock.

"Yeah, yeah. Just means I can kill them," I said, though I'm pretty sure I had a slight blood-red glow when I said this.

I started going around the ridge, collecting empty plates and goblets, much to my hatred and seething internal rage.

"IROS!" the arrow-throat guy yelled, "IS THAT YOU, YOU OLD BEGGAR?"

"That's me," Jason said. "Iros." The amount of mental restraint it took me not to facepalm at him, saying that's me, by Chaos, I'd be a saint.

Many of the ghosts turned to look at Jason. Some grabbed the hilts of their swords, and others looked on in disgust. "Guess I'm late to the party," Jason said, "I hope you all saved me some food."

Thank the gods. Jason is disguised as a beggar and at least knows how to beg a little. The arrow-throat guy seemed to be pondering Iros's appearance. "You know what, I'm in a good mood today. Come join me at my table, Iros."

Jason, for his part, at least tried not to act nervous approaching the guy, but he was certainly unsure of doing so. "I wasn't expecting you here, Iros, but I suspect even a beggar like you can sue for retribution. Drink, Eat," he insisted.

Jason looked disgusted by whatever was on the plate but ate it nonetheless. I can only assume that it was rotten meat or something. "So tell me about this retribution," Jason asked, trying to act like he cared.

I, however, decided I'm not one much for conversation and decided to go around praying one of these fuckers would give me a reason.

I saw that Piper went over and spilled the wine on the dude Jason was talking to...sadly they still didn't give me a reason to beat their asses to death once again but only told Piper to leave them.

Seeing as Piper was now out of wine, and I still had wine, one of the traitorous dead decided to call me over to pour him some wine. I swear, if it weren't for the information we could get, I would just kill them all.

When I started pouring the wine, I heard Jason dissing this dude, saying the giant king was much more impressive than him. While if we were friends I would hope so...but we have a Percy and we are not friends with the ghost so Percy is better than all of them. Heck he even said I hope you get to kill them all, tome when I left for this mission

"Now, now, friend," a second ghost tried to placate. "I'm sure we didn't mean to question your credentials. It's just that if you've spoken with Prophyrion in Athens, you know why we are here. I assure you. We are doing exactly as ordered."

So a trip to Athens. I'm not sure if Annabeth will love it or hate it, but I know she will say she was right.

"The acropolis," Jason stated, "the most ancient of temples to the gods in the middle of one of its oldest and most powerful cities."

"Of course," the second dude laughed, but not mockingly, "and to get there, they'll travel by sea. That Hades girl already figured out that traveling over land is too dangerous, thanks to that magic goddess." I got bored and had the information I needed, so I moved on and stopped eavesdropping, going back to praying that a motherfucker would.

My prayers were unanswered as somehow this dead-by-freezing Roman fucker figured Jason out and called forth a woman ghost who called Jason her son. Oh great. If Thalia finds out about this, I'd have competition to kill everyone here. The only thing Thalia really ever told us about her mortal parent is that she's glad she drank herself to death after what she did, but the bitterness behind it was as if she was speaking of Hera.

Jason seemed to recognize the woman even though according to Thalia he was two when she abandoned him. But that's not the worse part. The worst part was Jason's mist disguise dissipated, leaving him completely exposed and our cover blown. I hate dead frozen Romans now.

"Dearest" the ghost of Thalia and Jason's mother asked, as if she didn't abandoned him.

"Mom" Jason croaked

"Yes dear. Come embrace me" she said opening her arms.

"You're—you can't be real" Jason stuttered.

"Of course she's real" Dead frozen Roman dude said. "Did you think Gaea would let such an important spirit languish in the underworld? She is your mother, Beryl Grace" so that's what her name is...well I know one name Thalia's kids won't be getting now, "star of television, sweetheart to the king of Olympus, who rejected her not once but twice, in both Greek and roman aspects. She deserves justice just like the rest of us" dead frozen dude continued.

Jason wobbled a little like the words got to him. "Jason look at me" Piper said, her charmspeak evident to me as I've been around Silena long enough to recognize it. Though her gaze towards Jason was just as fierce as Silena's was when I was frozen and she was defending Charlie and me in the last war. "This isn't your mother. Her voice is working some kind of magic on you—like charmspeak. Can't you sense it"

I got hit by the realization she had. I didn't detect right away, probably because I was still praying a mfer would but her voice was using some sort of magic, "pipes is right Goldilocks. There's some magic there" I said from where I was, which caused some of the ghost to chuckle.

"Jason that's only a remnant of your mother like an ara or something" Piper said jumping on a table and kicking off whatever was on it.

"A Remanent" the ghost of beryl sobbed "look at what they reduced me to. It is Jupiter's fault. He abandoned us. He wouldn't help us. I didn't want to leave you in Sonoma, my dear, but Jupiter and Juno gave me no choice. They wouldn't allow us to stay together as a family. Why fight for them now? Join these suitors. Lead them. We can be a family again" she pleaded

"Were you dropped on your head as a baby or are you just that fucking stupid?" I blurted out without thinking. Normally that kind of talk gets you killed in our world but Percy's been influencing us to speak freely I guess. Though I suppose my statement had no effect as the suitors still stared at Jason expectedly. "He has Thalia again. He has his cousins, nephews and nieces. What kind of a brother, a cousin, an uncle does he want to be? Do you want to be like Luke and betray us all? Your own family who actually understands your plights? For what? A woman who left you in Sonoma? Who didn't fight for and with you as we have? The woman who abused your own older sister who raised you more than she did?"

"LIES" Beryl yelled, though it was clear she was lying.

"All this talk about family and all I've heard is family with her. Not even your sister Thalia" I continued, "seems to me she wants another Heracles in the line of the king of Olympus"

This caused Jason to flinch and even some of the ghost to flinch. I guess news of his castration and humiliating defeat has begun to spread amongst the enemy now.

However this did also cause the son of Jupiter's brain gears to start turning, "you left me" he muttered, "you left me. That was you not Juno. That was you, my own mother"

"I told you I would come back. Those were my last words to you. Don't you remember?"

"Thalia told me you forced her into the car as she tried to go back to get me...that you forced her to leave me" Jason continued mumbling either not hearing or acknowledging his mother's words.

Across the table from Jason arrow throat guy raised his goblet, "so pleased to meet you son of Jupiter. You have many grievances with the gods. Why not join us? I gather these two serving girls are your friends? We will spare them. You wish your mother remain in the world? We can do that. "You wish to be a king"

"No" Jason stated grabbing his head and rubbing his temples. "No I don't belong with you"

The dead Roman looked on with cold eyes, "Are you so sure fellow praetor?even if you do defeat the giants and Gaea, would you return home like Odysseus? Where is your home now? With the Greeks? With the Roman's? No one will accept you. And if you do return who's to say you won't find ruins like this" he taunted

Jason looked around scanning everything. "You were an officer of the legion. A leader of Rome, loyalties change" dead Roman continued

"So were you" Jason retorted, "you think I belong with this crowd, a bunch of dead losers waiting for a free handout." Now that's a blow I know Thalia would be proud of.

"Beware" Piper charmspoke, " Every man here is your enemy and will backstab you the first chance he gets." I almost began laughing as the ghost started looking at each other with a weary look like they were planning to kill each other before they get killed themselves.

"Dearest be sensible. Give up your quest. Your Argo II will never make the trip to Athens." Thanks Jason's dead mom for doubly confirming where we need to go. "Even if it did there's the matter of the Athena Parthenos"

Jason shuttered at the mention of the statue of Athena, which hold a statue of Nike that Leo befriended...or more so started cuddling with. "What do you mean" Jason asked his mother.

"Don't feign ignorance, my dearest. Gaea knows about your friend Reyna, Nico the son of Hades, Bianca the huntress and the satyr Gleeson. The earth mother sent her most dangerous son, the hunter who never rest, to kill them. But you don't have to die, my dearest"

Well that will be interesting. Reyna, who's now apparently the girlfriend of Percy, Annabeth and Thalia according to Phoebe, Nico the ghost king, Bianca sister to the ghost king and a huntress, and the most violent satyr alive. I don't know about y'all but even if the most dangerous giant is against them I rather like their odds. Percy, Thalia, and Annabeth wouldn't just date some girl for her looks but because she's deadly in a fight and can lead. That's not even mentioning the shit I saw Hades's kids pull in the war and with Kampê. They opened a hole straight to Tartarus in camp and with Percy and Thalia's help sent her straight through that fucking hole. So I'm sure they'll be fine. Even without a god directly present, they might just make the Tartarus expressway appear again.

However the ghost and other dead folk started closing in on Jason, I couldn't tell if it was to kill him or if it was like he was going to lead them.

Jason looked over to me and Piper with the we gotta get the fuck outta here look...though his look didn't express the cussing, that's my addition. Maybe he still needs some development before Thalia will truly be proud of him in full.

Jason looked back to his mother, and even from here not seeing his face I could tell he was looking for any hints of what a good mother should possess, and from here I could only see the worst traits of Hera in his mother...maybe that's why Zeus got with her twice.

Beryl started glowing though. "What do you want? What brought you here?" Jason asked. Finally he's asking himself some real questions for his dead mother.

"I want life" she cried, "your father could have given me immortality. Taken me to Olympus so we could all be family but he abandoned me. You can make things right Jason. You are my proud warrior"

The air suddenly turned acidic in smell and I began looking for the drakon I killed, but that wasn't present. Then it hit me. Beryl isn't just a remnant but she's a manic one. Just our fucking luck we don't just have to deal with the gods mania but now we gotta deal with one our mortal parents as one. Demigod life sucks. I might see what the retirement options are after this war.

"You're a mania" Jason said, "a spirit of insanity. That's what you've been reduced to."

"I am all that remains" Beryl said either agreeing or just stating fact as she flickered through a range of colors. "Embrace me son. I am all you have left."

Is she stupid or something or does she not know that he still has his sister Thalia...you know what I'm choosing to believe she was dropped on her head as a baby. I can't believe that anyone can be stupider than Apollo with obvious facts like with Thalia still being alive and around.

"No" Jason declared stepping away from his mother. "My loyalties haven't changed. I am a child of Greece and Rome. My family has expanded. I am no child of yours" Jason declared, finally joining his sister in the demigod I've disowned my mortal parent club. It's about dam time Jason.

He did the satyr nature magic of warding off evil, and thrusted it towards his mother. The ghost of his mother disappeared with a hiss that almost sounded like a sigh of relief.

"Well then I suppose we'll just kill you then" Arrow throat guy declared.

A ghost jumped through me in what would have touched my ass if he could touch the physical world...does that count...ahh fuck it a mother fuckers, finally did it. "Thank you for signing all of their death warrants" I declared to the ghost that jumped through me, activating the blessing of my father and glowing red. Bloodlust over came me and I started killing...probably more aptly described as slaughtering these already should be dead shits.

While I was going around in my slaughter, Jason killed arrow throat guy and a bunch of others with a spear before getting backstabbed by the frozen dead Roman dude.

Piper killed some dead king before then and shortly after went to Jason and tried to start healing him. Meanwhile I finished off these dead idiots which just one of dared to jump through my ass.

While I wasn't covered in blood I was covered in dead dead people parts, and wine...maybe I did have some blood on me. Don't know who's or what's blood though. I went over to Jason and Piper, Jason looked like he was on his death bed and Piper was looking worried. "We need the Argo 2" Piper declared.

I sighed, "fine I'll go signal them. Hope my idiots on board actually listen"

"Leo knows Morse code" Piper called out. What did she think I was going to signal them with. We didn't bring know signaling flags. Plus all my siblings know Morse code, we are war children. If we didn't know it I'd be concerned.

I climb the hill we came down from set up a light source and started signaling the ship for help with a med evac.

I don't know who responded but Frank and the ship is on its way, with Frank taking care of the on ground med evac. With that taken care of I returned to Jason and Piper.

Jason still looked like he was planning to go see his uncle the easy way.

"Are you hurt Jason?"asked me

"The blood isn't mine" I said not knowing if he was talking to me or not, which did get a slight chuckle from Piper. "Anyway one of my idiots or Leo got the message. Frank is on the way for ground evac and the ship is preparing to head to us. We need a litter stretcher to stabilize him to according to the med team."

"How do we make that" Piper asked

I shrugged, "not my specialty. You need something killed or a battle to fight in give me a call then."

I sat there watching Piper do her best to stabilize Jason and getting him prepared to leave. "Wait" Jason said as Piper was trying to get a sheet under him so we could more easily move him to the stretcher Frank so coming with. "A bed" Jason said, "there was a special bed in this palace"

Piper looked worried, "Jason you've lost a lot blood"

"Yo love child he's talking about the marital bed of Odysseus and Penelope" I said. How the fuck do I know about that and...well she is newer than you the rational part of my brain interceded. Ugh fine. You win this time rationale side.

"Juno" Jason yelled.

Silence. Maybe Piper was right about Jason's blood loss. Then again Hera isn't to helpful to demigods. Even if some of us are her grandkids, she's not getting any grandmother award from me that's for certain.

I thought too soon, as 60 or so feet away a crack opened up in the floor and an olive tree sprouted bigger than any olive tree I've seen before, as if this one was hundreds if not thousands of years old. Under its canopy however stood my as lovely as ever grandmother with a leopard skin draped on her shoulders and a lotus flower staff.

"My heroes" the goddess said, "and grandchild" she looked at me as if I wasn't supposed to be here

"Shut it grams. You want your family to win this war or not" I retorted. Not in the mood for her shit and her playing favorites.

"Clarisse La Rue, charming as ever"

"Whatever" I said flipping her the bird and walking off, but not too far that I couldn't hear them converse.

"Too much of her father in that one" Juno stated like that was a problem.

"Juno we need you help" Jason croaked out, like he was about to kick the bucket.

"First things first" Piper said, "Jason's hurt. Heal him"

Dam. McLean telling a god what to do...maybe there's hope for her yet.

I saw a slight glow from behind me. "Something's even a god can't heal" Juno said. I wanted to laugh. Percy told me about gods and healing. Asclepius can pretty much heal everything with a medical remedy. Apollo is much the same but he can do magic healing things like boom instant heal but it is limited to things someone could survive naturally with medical intervention not including death. Artemis is effectively the same with her hunters and Hestia is the same for Percy. It has something to do with a service connection to the god or goddess when outside of parental relations. Otherwise it's kind of breaking the ancient laws and stuff.

"This wound touches your soul as well as your body. You must fight it. You must survive Jason Grace" well fuck that's bad. It means Jason can actually die even with medical prevention. I swear if this like a Padme Amiedala death thing though I might just go kill jason myself if Thalia doesn't do so.

"Yeah thanks. I'm trying" Jason said though I couldn't tell if there was sarcasm or not.

"My heroes. Our time together is short. I've spent weeks in a state of confusion as my Greek and Roman sides are edging to war with each other. Worse I've been forced from Olympus. Jupiter blames me for this war with Gaea. Fortunately this place is sacred to me. By clearing away those ghost you have purified it"

"YOU'RE WELCOME" I shouted interrupting her.

"Impertinent grandchild" I heard her mutter, "I will be able to speak with you briefly"

"Penelope's and Odysseus marriage bed" Piper questioned

"Yes. One of the bed post was this olive tree. Making it immovable. Which also perfectly represent their marriage...or well Penelope's devotion to the marriage."

"Can you please advise us milady" Jason asked

"Sail around the Peloponnese. Though I'm certain my grandchild and the others already figured that's the safest and optimal path. On your way seek the goddess of victory. She is rampant and worse than the rest of us. If you can subdue her peace between Greece and Rome shall be."

"Nike? How? Why" Piper and Jason asked

"To long to explain" Juno said as thunder boomed overhead. I hope that was Thalia. "Once I leave I will not be able to help you till you face the giants in Athens."

"What else should we know?" Jason asked

"The giants are in Athens. Few gods will be able to help you on your journey, and I am not the only Olympian who fell out of favor with Jupiter. The twins have also incurred his wrath."

"Artemis and Apollo" Piper asked.

"If you reach the island Delos, they might be prepared to help you. They are desperate enough to try anything to make amends. Go now. Perhaps we will meet again in Athens if you succeed. If you do not...well it won't matter we will all be dead then."

Suddenly there was a bright flash of light from behind me. And I could tell the goddess was gone. Just great. Succeed or die. But I'm more worried about Percy with the twins thing.