'Planning'

27-Aug-2030, 0115R

Jason Grace, Son of Jupiter

Joint Operation with Hunters of Diana, Camp Half-Blood

Bald Mountain State Forest, Angelica, New York, USA

Percy wasn't kidding when he said it would be a long drive.

I was in the first van, sitting along with Percy, Piper, Argus, Morty, Annabeth, Tyson, Clarisse, Chris, and a few sons of Ares. Apparently, the drive should've taken around six and a half hours, but it was significantly shorter thanks to some amazing knowledge from Morty—a son of Hermes and brilliant navigator—and frighteningly fancy driving from Argus and the other sons of Hermes in our little convoy.

The ride was mostly silent—Percy was checking his equipment and communicating with Argus and Morty, while occasionally hailing the other vans on the radio. Annabeth and I had similar intentions to Percy, discussing some ideas to prepare ourselves and our scrappy band for the mission.

Tyson, Piper, and the rest had dozed off after ensuring that their plastic squares were firmly taped to their armor or themselves. After some words over a possible plan, Annabeth joined the others in a nap while I stayed awake, staring at my old friend.

There were a few things that were the same since the last time I saw him twenty years ago: his crazy smile, his commanding presence, and his strange sense of humor.

Yet, the changes were far greater than I ever could've imagined. And frankly, those changes concerned me.

To start, there was the weaponry. The Percy I remembered hated the idea of any armament that wasn't close-ranged. If he had to throw it or shoot it, he would choose to abandon it for the sake of charging the enemy head-on with Riptide. Now, though, he was at ease with his machine gun, pistol, and grenade launcher. While he did have a knife and Riptide (the former of which was visible), it appeared that he had no intention of utilizing those.

Next, there were the burns. Half of his face was scarred, almost like Two-Face. I found myself wondering if they came from flames or acid, and if so, how. He said he wasn't SEAL Team 6, so what had he been doing for the past twenty years?

That was the big question, wasn't it? What was he doing for twenty years that changed him so much? He was more rigid, more focused. He seemed more militaristic, more so than any Roman I'd ever met.

When I met him for the first time at Camp Jupiter, Annabeth later confided with me that she was concerned, saying he had changed from the Percy she knew. At the time, I shuddered to think how crazy Percy was prior to his "Roman-ification." Yet, in retrospect, I would definitely take that form over this one today. Not only was it confusing to see him act in such a new manner, it was very disconcerting.

While he had indubitably become more calculating and formal after twenty years, he ironically possessed a crudeness and roughness I had never seen before. He looked like a teenager, but he didn't act like one in the slightest, possessing a new maturity. He seemed older, somehow.

It had me questioning what had really changed over the past twenty years in our world. I thought that things were different today than they were during the wars with Kronos and Gaea, but the more I thought about it and compared my memories to Percy's own evolution, the more I realized that, for the most part, little had changed.

Granted, the gods were doing a better job of visiting their children. Their visits were about as common as those of divorced parents with limited custody, and some visits consisted of the demigods meeting their parents outside of camp. One example of this was the time Apollo took his children on a cross-country archery tour. And by cross-country, I mean it literally, as they hit targets on the ground and in the sky from New York to California.

Furthermore, the camps had gotten larger. With significantly fewer threats, demigods had begun living beyond their twenties and establishing their own lives. Some stayed at Camp Half-Blood, others went to New Rome, and a few even went off into the mortal world.

Rachel Elizabeth Dare was no longer the vessel of the Oracle of Delphi, having passed off the role over a decade ago to a new, younger girl. Annabeth still kept contact with Rachel, but she hadn't visited often due to her job.

Finally, there were several structural changes to the 12th Legion a couple of years back, courtesy of Frank and Reyna. The reasoning behind these alterations was, and I quote, "for the sake of accuracy and truly preserving Rome." Apparently, sometime after the 12th went underground after the fall of Rome, someone screwed up the organization of the legion. Frank was the first to notice the errors, while Reyna managed to trace the messed-up system back to the 4th Century AD. However, to this day, neither can determine the cause behind the problems.

Leo, being the helpful guy he was, suggested that the logisticians in charge of the legion at the time were drunk while writing up assignments for all the legionaries. Surprisingly, everyone burst out laughing at his idea.

Truly, Leo had advanced as a comedian, but this change wasn't as surprising as Percy's evolution.

Speaking of the devil, he began bellowing orders, making me realize that somehow, I had been pondering the situation long enough that we finally arrived at our target. A quick glance at my watch indicated that it was 3:15 AM.

"Rise and shine, campers! Thank you for riding the Delphi Bus Service! I'll be your stewardess-task force commander today!" Percy announced over the radio, rousing everyone from their slumber as he clapped his hands. "Also known as first in, last out! Today, we'll be serving up some gold, silver, and bronze, followed by our main course: all-you-can-eat monster!"

"Hell yeah!" Chris, Clarisse, and a few sons of Ares cheered, with the former sharing a high-five with the son of Neptune.

"We hope you like foreign foods! Tyson, ready to kick some ass?"

"I'm ready, brother!" the cyclops shouted in determination, pounding his fist against his chest.

"We're pulling up now!" Morty announced. "Ten seconds!"

"Game faces!" Percy barked over the radio. "Let's get to work. GO TO RED!"

At his apparent warning, my senses began to heighten, my battle senses emerging after years of nothing but simulations.

"GREEN LIGHT! DISEMBARK! GO, GO, GO!" he ordered as soon as the van halted.

Feeling a rush of adrenaline, I, along with everyone else, quickly scrambled out of the van. We drew our weapons, searching around for any threats, but we couldn't see any.

"What do you got? What do you got?" Chris loudly asked the group.

"Nothing!"

"Zilch!"

"Nada!"

"I got no targets!"

"We're all clear!"

"Check," Percy acknowledged before lowering his machine gun and activating his radio. "All stations, area is clear at this time! Unload personnel and equipment, and rally by the first vehicle!"

"What did he get us so riled up for if there ain't anything?" Michael grumbled behind me.

"It's called preparedness, pal. You should have it," Percy replied as he retrieved some equipment from the van, not even turning around to face Michael. Even in the low light, it was easy to see the son of Ares flush in embarrassment.

"Come on, everyone grab some gear!" Clarisse ordered as she retrieved some extra weapons from one of the back seats.

After a few minutes, we had all assembled just outside the forest. Everyone was checking their weapons, armor, and supplies whilst Percy knelt away from the group, working on what looked like a small plane no more than five feet in diameter. His machine gun, grenade launcher, and duffel bag of extra equipment rested on the ground next to him.

"Everyone good?" Annabeth asked, receiving nods in confirmation. "Okay, then. Percy, what the hell are you doing?"

"This is the Raven," Percy explained, patting the machine. "RQ-11 Bravo. It's a pretty old UAV, but it still does the job. This lil' buddy is gonna be our ISR—intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance—asset. In other words, it'll be our eye in the sky."

"Raven?" Diana asked, sounding confused. "What sort of name is that? It doesn't even look like one!"

"Well, neither do the Raptors, but that's what the flyboys call 'em," he chuckled. "Though the Fat Amys... those are rather appropriate."

"... I don't understand."

"That aside," Thalia interrupted. "What now?"

"Stand by, LT," he replied, before activating his radio. "Torch, this is Knight. Radio check, how copy?"

After a few moments of silence, we heard an older-sounding female voice over the radio.

"Knight, this is Torch. I have you Lima Charlie," the woman said. "And before you ask, I'm speaking like a soldier because I borrowed one of Mars's American military handbooks."

"Uh, who is this?" I asked, confused.

"To those who can hear her, meet Trivia—goddess of magic," Percy explained. "Callsign Torch."

"Indeed, Knight. Be advised: enemy forces are inbound, ETA sixty minutes," Trivia reported. "Vulcan is also sending a special package. He should be joining in just a moment."

"Knight, this is Anvil," a gruff-sounding male voice said. "I have sent down an M224 plus ILLUM rounds."

"Say again, Anvil. Just ILLUM rounds? No HE?" Percy asked, sounding surprised and even concerned.

"I don't have everything, Knight. This is all I could find for the time being. I'm transmitting the package's coordinates to your ATAK at this time."

At Vulcan's words, Percy flipped open what appeared to be a cell phone attached to his chest.

"Android Tactical Assault Kit," Percy explained. "It's a mapping and friendly force tracker. Remember the plastic squares I gave y'all? Those have lil' bitty transponders that allow me to track all friendly forces, since we've only got one ATAK, meaning that I can direct each group and minimize the chance of friendly fire."

"Knight, if you're quite finished explaining, you had better get moving to the objective," Vulcan said over the comm. "The package is to the north, and the objective is further in the same direction."

"Solid copy, Anvil. We'll move after briefing. Out," Percy replied.

"So, what now?" I asked, resulting in Percy pulling out a map and laying it on the ground. He then turned on the headlamp attached to his armor and knelt, motioning for us to come closer.

"Group leaders, pull out the maps and pens in the chest pockets on your vests, and take notes. Here's the situation: the enemy force will be diverted to go through this clearing in around fifty-eight minutes. We've got about a platoon's worth of fighters that we'll be dividing into smaller units.

"First off, the assault force. Lady Diana, Clarisse, and Jason will each command a component. Piper, you're going with the squad of Huntresses to support them however you can. Y'all will set up a blocking position to the west of the clearing. I'd recommend splitting into teams of four, and make sure the goddesses are not on the same team for the sake of reducing the concentration of scent. Lady Diana's squad is Bishop 1.

"As for Jason and Clarisse, each of you will command a squad: six sons of Ares and an Apollo kid for medical support. Your squads are Bishop 2 and 3. Chris, you and Lou Ellen will be attached to Bishop 3, and your responsibility is to make sure our magician doesn't die. Lou Ellen, keep our assault force hidden and stay alive. Bishop 2 and 3 will be assaulting the clearing at close to mid-range from the south side. Hopefully by hitting the target from the south and west should minimize the chances of blue-on-blue fires.

"Next, there's the fire support element. Annabeth and Tyson will be taking the Hephaestus kids to the M224 sixty mike-mike—60-mm—mortar at the location I've marked. From there, you will provide mortar fires as directed. Tyson, you are the mortar squad leader, while Annabeth is in charge of communications and calculations. There will be a manual for you to use at the site. Your squad's callsign is Queen.

"Finally, there are the vehicles. Argus, Connor, Travis, and Larry will each be Rook 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Rook 4 will serve as the extraction force for the mortar crew, while the rest will act as the primary QRF—quick reaction force. The remaining Ares and Apollo kids will be part of this squad. You will hold position one klick south of the extraction point. Your objective being to enter the AO when directed to and provide support. This means that you will either reinforce the assault squads or help extract them."

"Question: if we have a mortar, can't we just blow them all up?" Jeremy asked, eliciting several murmurs of agreement from the crowd.

"That was the initial plan, but since we don't have any HE—high explosive—rounds, we can't make nary a dent against the enemy. Even Willie Pete would work great, except for the fact that the forest around us would almost certainly catch fire," Percy answered.

"So, what now?" Michael asked.

"We're setting the table, just with the secondary plan," Percy began. "When we hear the dinner bell ring, things are gonna kick off.

"Trivia's going to make the enemy force end up in the target area, AP (action point) Bethany—"

"What do you want?" a Huntress asked in irritation, making another slap her upside the head.

"No, not you, Bethany!" the other one hissed.

"Okay, then. Wasn't expecting that," Percy said slowly. "Anyways, when they're at AP Bethany, we'll have a brief window to intercept them before they can escape. Queen will deliver illumination rounds to light up the night, eliminate as much shadow as possible, and blind 'em. Queen, to be clear, will be doing this from OP (observation post) Abigail—"

"Yes?" a daughter of Apollo asked.

"No, he wasn't asking for you, Abby!" Will groaned.

"... good Lord," Percy muttered. "Coincidences aside, assault force, y'all make sure you establish your positions at least eight hundred meters out from the target, 'cause I'd like to avoid danger close if I can.

"Rook 1, 2, and 3 will drive Bishop up to a drop-off point that I've marked on the map. It's a few klicks from AP Bethany. After this, the vehicles will move out of the AO and conceal themselves in a position down the road, to the south.

"Next, Bishop 2 and 3 will move up and engage the hostiles at BP (blocking position) Caroline, whilst Bishop 1 will move up and make sure the shadow-travelers don't try to leave. 1, try to provide some armed overwatch if you can from the treetops, meanin' that you tell Bishop 2 and 3 about the hostiles while killing any that get too close. Make sure to watch your fires.

"Rook will remain on standby as QRF, with Rook 4's responsibility to extract Queen when it's time. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah! Where in Hades are you supposed to be? Hiding?" a Huntress asked mockingly, only to receive a punch in the shoulder from Thalia.

"Well, I'm getting some help from an old friend," Percy replied with a massive grin before activating his radio. "Torch, this is Knight. What's the status on my boy?"

"Knight, he should be arriving to your position right about—"

A neigh pierced the night sky as a dark shape spiraled down from above. One could mistake him for a crow, or perhaps even an eagle in ninja's clothing (Leo's words, not mine), but I knew as well as anyone who this was.

A pegasus, and legend in his own right. None other than—

"Blackjack, you sonuvabitch!" Percy laughed with delight as his old friend landed directly in front of him, nuzzling his "boss."

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, buddy! Yeah, I—okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! ... yes, for sure, brother! You'll get all the doughnuts you want!" he said, trying to placate his irritated-sounding pegasus.

"Let me guess: he's mad at you for disappearing?" Annabeth asked with a wry smile. "Gee, I wonder why..."

"Shut the hell up, Chase," Percy grumbled as he scratched Blackjack's mane. "And yes, Blackjack, I'll explain when we're in the air. ... the plan? You, my good friend, are going to get me topside. I've got the M32, MK46, and NODs, so I can be our platoon's eye in the sky and provide CAS as needed."

"I assume you weren't asking for me?" another Huntress asked, receiving a frustrated groan from Percy. "What? I mean, you said Carly's full name, too."

"Cassandra, that's enough," Diana replied tersely. "We're running out of time."

"It means close air support," Percy explained. "And before anyone asks, all the names were generated randomly. Oh, and my callsign is 'Knight,' in case you haven't picked up on that. Any other questions? ... good. Tyson, can you saddle Blackjack up?"

"Of course, brother," Tyson replied, retrieving one of the items from Percy's box: a saddle with saddlebags—likely with extra supplies—which he began strapping to Blackjack.

"Hold on, if you're going up, what's the purpose of that?" I asked, pointing back at the UAV.

"We'll send it up as a backup: it'll maintain its role as an ISR asset, though it can be retasked for other missions, such as CSAR—combat search and rescue," Percy explained as he stepped towards the Raven.

"If it's a plane, how exactly do we send up the Raven without a runway?" Jake asked. "It doesn't look like it has vertical takeoff capabilities."

"Well," he began, picking up the drone and apparently activating it. "Like this!" He took off running, holding the Raven in one hand before he launched it. The drone's propellor took over, letting it clear the treetops and soar into the night sky.

"Impressive," Jake remarked, a smattering of (perhaps sarcastic) applause accompanying his words.

"Now, has anyone here driven RC vehicles before?" Percy asked. In response, Nyssa hesitantly raised her hand.

"Excellent! You're in control of the Raven!" he declared, handing her a device that appeared to be a combination between a tablet and a remote controller. "Now, the screen will provide real-time camera footage, and it has EO (electro-optical) and IR (infrared) capabilities, so you can change it as needed. These go from 150-1000 feet up, and normally last around ninety minutes. The altitude limits are the same, but it's been modified to give you two hours of flight time..."

The rest of his tutorial lasted thirty seconds, which I couldn't quite understand, but Nyssa seemed to catch on quickly. Once again confirming that everyone understood their role in the plan, Percy strode over to Blackjack and mounted him, with Tyson handing him his larger weapons.

"Torch, this is Knight. TF Socrates is preparing to move out," Percy said over the comm.

"Socrates?" Annabeth asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, yes. Y'all have been asking a lot of questions, and this is a task force for a special op."

"Sounds like Leo needs to take lessons from him in comedy," I sarcastically muttered under my breath, making Piper giggle beside me.

"Roger that, Knight," Trivia acknowledged. "Prepare to synchronize your watches. On my mark there will be fifty minutes until the enemy force arrives... three, two, one, mark!"

"Everyone get moving!" Percy barked. "Operation Azrael is underway!"

"Wait, wait, wait! What does 'Azrael' mean?" I blurted out before he could take off.

The smile I received in response was one that, despite coming from an ally, always sent a shiver up my spine. It was a smile I had only otherwise seen on Nico and Reyna, and even theirs didn't scare me like Percy's. It was the smile of the ultimate warrior: cool, cunning, determined, and most of all, lethal.

It was a smile that would make any enemy run for the hills, because for them, fatality was a certainty.

And this shiver became an all-out freeze at the chilling reply of the son of Neptune.

"It means, my friend, that we're going to give the enemy a very special present," he answered as he lowered his night-vision goggles. "Death from above."

YOU HAVE BEEN VISITED BY SANTA CLAUS, THE COMMANDER OF THE NORTH POLE'S SPECIAL OPERATIONS BRIGADE!

"All stations, this is Jolly Actual.  Operation Christmas-2021 is a go!  Bravo Platoon, deliver those gifts!  Alpha Platoon, you're with me!  Objective Grinch is priority, and the only way he's leaving his cave is in a body bag!" - Santa, the CO of the NPSOB

"Roger that, Actual.  Platoon, let's put this dirtbag in the ground!" - An elf, the OIC of Alpha Platoon

"What would you like for Christmas, Sergeant?"

"Can I get a slot into 1st SFOD-D, Santa?"

"I can't guarantee that, but I can give you this knife and a machine gun.  Get some experience with the Rangers as an assaulter, and then I shall see about getting you a slot into Delta."

"YAY!  BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!"

[TACTICAL HO-HO-HO INTENSIFIES]

[HAPPY OPERATOR NOISES]

(these images are property of the Coffee or Die magazine)

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter!  It took a lot of research and planning to properly set the stage for this joint operation between CHB and the Hunt.  Considering that a Tier One operator is leading the charge, I'd say the task force has a good chance of getting through this one with minimal casualties.

At least, it'll go better than the last CHB-Hunt joint operation (The Titan's Curse), which was a total Charlie Foxtrot...

But, I digress.  Be sure to comment your thoughts!  Oh, and before I forget...

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS, YOU AWESOME INTERNET PEOPLE!

- ADF-2