'Beaver'

29-Sep-2030, 1405U

Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arrellano, Hero of Olympus, Daughter of Bellona

Legion XII

Elkhorn Slough, California, USA

"Okay, what's your recommendation?" Percy asked as his eyes locked on our dirty selves. Leo, Frank, and Hazel looked as shocked as I felt—not only at the fact that we had to respond to a hostage situation, but the fact that Percy was asking us of all people what we thought needed to be done.

"Are you insane?!" Frank spluttered. "We have three weeks of training. THREE! And one close-to-reality exercise! We're not frickin' Delta Force or JTF-2, okay?!"

"We've rescued hostages before, Grizzly. Your first quest, kinda my first, definitely my second. Only difference is we're packin' guns instead of swords."

"Percy, you just said that you didn't plan on training us for that! How are we supposed to come up with a plan?!" Hazel exclaimed.

"You four understand yourselves better than damn near anyone else," Percy elaborated. "Remember: always listen to the guy on the ground. I ain't necessarily gonna do everything you say, but considering it will always allow for informed decision-making. Now: hostage rescue, at least three fauns or satyrs or whatever the hell they're called. Aerial insertion is problematic, ground insertion is too difficult, and shadow insertion ain't happening. We've got a boat with weapons crates and two M60s and the five of us: a diver, a blacksmith, a metal detecting witch, a shape-shifter, and a swordsman, so what do we do?"

I was about to voice my disbelief and frustration when something suddenly clicked: we could use our individual abilities to maintain "speed, surprise, and violence of action," to quote Percy. To be precise...

"Frank. Frank's faster than any of us when shadow-travel isn't in play," I realized. "He can fly in. Going in the air would get us shot down... but it's going to be damn near impossible to see a small bird or insect."

"Hey, that could work!" Frank said. "If I maintain stealth, I can keep an eye on the situation below and tell you where everyone and everything is. I could probably even go for the hostages if there was something to draw the enemy away."

"Well, Dad said we'd have to fight our way in," Leo remarked. "Maybe if we go in by boat—with Percy driving and moving us as fast as possible—we can give 'em something to shoot at. With bad guys focused on us, Frank moves in for the kill."

"And I can wrap Mist around Frank to keep him as hidden as possible!" Hazel added. "Since shadow-travelin' ain't an option and all."

"Well, I like the way y'all think," Percy said from the boat, having jumped on to rifle through the crates of weapons. He pulled out a small duffel bag, removed some magazines from it, and tossed it to Frank. "Speedball with all the shit: 7.62, 5.56, nutsacks for the SAW, flashbangs, smokes. Grab what you need."

"Yep!" Frank replied, quickly unzipping the bag and rummaging around it, passing out magazines—5.56-mm rounds for Leo and me, 7.62-mm rounds for Hazel—before refilling the pouches on his plate carrier with the soft magazines for his machine gun (I know it's a "nutsack," it's just a very weird name!). We divvied out smoke and flashbang grenades next, fitting them in the smaller pouches on our belts and plate carriers—ensuring not to have too many for the sake of ease of movement.

"Perce, we're good!" Leo called, tossing the bag back to the son of Neptune. "There's a few grenades and mags for you!"

"Good! Checked the ATAK, looks like we gotta move around two-and-a-half miles west to Monterey Bay, three-ish miles south to Salinas River, and another three southeast to the objective, with them being on the... right riverbank!" Percy reported before getting on the radio. "Torch and Anvil, this is Knight. Requesting you vector Grizzly to the target. We're executing a dual maritime-aerial assault, over."

"Anvil copies," Vulcan replied. "Get moving, Grizzly."

"Uh, yeah. Roger that. Heading up now, guys," Frank mumbled before transforming into a seagull and taking off southbound. A quick manipulation of the Mist by Hazel later, he'd disappeared—only Trivia and Hazel, as it seemed, would have any chance of seeing him now.

"C'mon, fireteam!" Percy barked from the driving station, motioning for us to get on the Boomin' Beaver. "Valdez, break open that crate! Plenty of forty mike-mike inside, along with your tool belt! Levesque, stern gun! Ramirez, bow gun!"

"... what?" I asked, receiving an audible groan in reply.

"Hazel, back! Reyna, front! Dammit, I have got to get that Navy crap outta my head..."

"Aye-aye, sir!" Leo laughed as he leapt from the shore to the tiny tugboat with almost no issue. With no time to waste, I did the same with a bit more slipping once I hit the deck, stumbling to the machine gun at the front of the vessel. Back on shore, Hazel seemed to swallow her nerves and take a leap—she nearly ended up in the water had it not been for Percy and Leo reaching out and yanking her onboard. Muttering a small word of thanks, she then moved to take her position as Percy got us underway.

"Haze! Remember what I said about seasickness, alright?" Leo shouted after a few minutes of silence. "Deep breaths n' all that!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Hazel nervously replied from the back, as if trying to steady her nerves.

"Hey, we'll be fine! We're with the main character, after all!"

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Valdez!" Percy exclaimed. "Would you drop your stupid fanfiction cospiracy theory? You sound like a combination of Fallon, Kimmel, Noah, Colbert, Myers, Corden, Bee, and all those jackass late night comedians!"

"Why?"

"'Cause you're spoutin' a big fat load of bullshit!"

"One: Reyna's idea, not mine!" Leo pointed out—something he'd probably never let go for the rest of the story. "Two: you're absolutely right! You know who isn't garbage, though? Conan O'Brien!"

"Finally, something we can actually agree on!"

"Boys, I love the background banter, but we gotta focus! Those fauns are counting on us!" I commented.

"Looks like I was right in givin' you the ATAK!" Percy laughed behind me after a moment. "Your strength ain't outputtin' damage, bein' stealthy, gettin' intel, or otherwise doin' fancy maneuvers like the rest of 'em! You're a goddamn leader, Ramirez! It's the Baloney blood!"

"Bellona, Aquaman!" Leo corrected. "Seriously, Reyna's a sweetheart, but I don't think her mother's nearly as nice! Better ease up!"

"Oh, please! If my old commander could diplomatically flip off a one-star, I think I can misspeak the name of a goddess!"

"I have no idea what you just said, but I don't think those two situations are equivalent!"

"Fellas!" Hazel shakily shouted from the back.

"Right! Anyways, what sorta ordnance we got, Valdez?" Percy asked.

"Well, we got ourselves an M32... lots of forty-mil, frags, and smokes... ammo boxes for the M60s," Leo replied. "A few extra tools and what looks like spare parts for the MGs."

"Good! You're the almighty Repair Boy, so be ready to refit and rearm our gunners as needed!"

"You got it, Admiral Aquaman!"

"Mother of God, now I know what di Angelo was talking about..."

Tuning out their increasingly sporadic conversation, I focused on the machine gun. It was a large beast, attached to a slender yet sturdy mount, providing what felt like full coverage and a decent bit of upwards and downwards tilt—giving as much freedom of movement to me as possible. I scanned the riverbanks and waters before me, remembering to use my peripheral vision to assist.

We're in the eye of the storm... only question in, how big is it?

"This is Grizzly, do you copy?" Frank's voice suddenly called over the radio.

"Grizzly? How the hell am I hearing you on the comm?" Leo asked, astounded.

"Anvil set up some sort of brain-radio link. Listen, I'm circling over the area now. The red pin that's been dropped on the ATAK is still where the hostages appear to be kept—large number of enemy forces at that position. In terms of weaponry on-site, we've got maybe twelve hwachas, but there's a slight twist: they're on the back of pickup trucks, two per truck in some sort of turret."

"Sonuva—they've discovered technicals!" Percy cursed. "Mobility and firepower in one package. Those are gonna be primary targets, people."

"Word of warning, I think I'm seeing some gryphons down there too—weird, considering they usually live up north—but only four. All asleep on the ground. Apart from that, everything else is on the smaller side: dracaenae, cynocephali... wait a tick, the latter are dressed just like the ones from Operation Black Squirrel! Mendocino!"

"The hell are those bastards doin' here?!" Leo exclaimed. "Plus, shouldn't they be nocturnal or somethin'?"

"No clue, ma—oh, no. It's those weird vampire ladies!" Frank hissed. "They're down there too with the fauns!"

"Hold on, I know they seduce men, but are fauns susceptible?" I asked. "Plus, aren't they loyal to someone else?"

"Normally, yes," Trivia replied on the radio. "But these insolent ones are rogues. They are probably the ones that set up the magical barriers, crafting them in such a manner that I cannot intervene without breaking immortal laws. You are free to kill them. I encourage it, in fact."

"Your bloodlust aside, Torch, can you say whether or not they're potent enough to affect satyrs?" Leo asked.

"Oh, easily enough. They're half-man, which is enough man to be seduced—even if they favor girls from nature. Moreover, while they are by no means the most powerful gods around, Grizzly and Zippo are completely resistant to their courtesan charm."

"Fantastic, 'cause I don't think RA-RA or Goldfinger feel like sharin' anytime soon," Percy snarked as we drove underneath a bridge. "We're almost in the bay. Anything comin' to kill us?"

"Negative, Knight. Everything's clear, far as the eye sees... and not. Happy hunting."

"Hell yeah."

Before long, we were in Monterey Bay, looking over the vast expanse of water. Under different circumstances, this would've been a fun afternoon—enjoying the sun and waters, flying with Guido or Festus... probably would be a good date idea (yes, I've become a bit of a hopeless romantic... don't laugh at me)—but right now, I was covered in mud, foliage, soot, tactical gear, and now seawater as Percy roughly maneuvered the Boomin' Beaver towards the Salinas River.

I gripped my machine gun and its mount, praying I wouldn't fall off and damage my pride more than it already was. I could handle a legion... I could handle Leo... but Percy goddamn Jackson shows up, and all the shit goes sideways. Not some of it, all of it.

Yes, I sound like Leo, don't I? It's my fault for picking up some of his vernacular and general style of speaking... the consequences of dating a jester of a mechanic. STOP LAUGHING AT ME, DAMN YOU! FOCUS ON THE STUPID STORY!

"Whoa! Hey there!" Percy shouted over the din of the engine and waters. "Long time no see!"

"Wha—who are you talking to?" I asked, briefly looking back.

"Starboard side, in the water! That's the right!"

Looking towards the specified area, I tried to identify who he was talking about. Amidst the waves and under the water, I could just make out what appeared to be an older-looking woman riding a seahorse—no, a hippocampus. After a brief racking of my memory, I realized that she was a Nereid, and by the sounds of it, Percy knew her too.

"Yeah, thanks!" he shouted towards the water. "Okay, guys! She's from my father's court, helped me out a long time ago with my first quest. She's givin' us a boost and the hippocampi are providin' an escort in and communicating with the fish to get us intel! In other words... HANG ON TIGHT!"

"Goddamn!" Leo yelled as we suddenly accelerated, likely making us the fastest tugboat in history. I clenched my M60, bracing myself against the breeze and splashes of seawater as we aggressively chugged southward, parallel to the shoreline. "Haze, you okay back there?!"

"Uh, a lil' dizzy!" she shakily replied.

"Don't you fall out! Grizzly, this is Zippo! Anything new?"

"No, monsters are still milling about. The fauns are unharmed, but you better get here fast," Frank replied over the radio. "I risked getting closer, managed to hear something about them moving. I can take these guys, but I need you to take the heat off so the hostages don't get killed."

"Roger, Grizzly. Maintain your orbit and stay high and out of sight. You can't risk the empousai seeing you," Percy ordered.

"Understood. Grizzly out."

While Percy conversed with the Nereid, I focused my energies once more on watching for threats and not falling off. Oddly enough, I was reminded of Leo's videogames, especially Call of Duty. He played every now and again in his free time, even getting me in on it. My skill was abysmal and it was far from the most exciting thing ever, but it was nonetheless an enjoyable activity. Now, however, we appeared to be doing it for real.

Holy shit.

"Hard a' port!" Percy bellowed, like a naval captain in the days of yore, as the Boomin' Beaver sharply turned towards the left, towards what appeared to be an outlet of the Salinas River. However, there was a slight probem. "Ah, shit! That sandbar's bigger than we thought! We can't clear that bitch!"

"Then allow me to assist you, son," a deep voice boomed behind us. "My attendant has served you well. Now, it is my turn."

Turning around revealed none other than the massive form of Neptune, some fifty feet tall at ramrod attention, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Jupiter may have been the master of dramatics, but his brother was certainly a runner-up.

"Please hold on tight, children. Hazel, my dear niece, I apologize for what I'm about to do."

"What are youOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!" Hazel screamed from the rear as Neptune quite literally flung us into the air on a giant wave of water. My own shrieks were not as loud or terrified as the younger goddess's, but they came close. Leo and Percy, meanwhile, seemed to be having the time of their lives, cheering as we were launched over the sandbar and splashed down into the river.

"Best of luck!" Neptune boomed behind us before dissolving into a sea breeze.

"Well, if that didn't get their attention, I don't know what will," Percy remarked as we began chugging down the river. "Okay, guys, we're rollin' solo here. My old friend said that the waters are clear of any enemy monsters or anti-ship weaponry, but the surrounding land is entirely hostile. We can't count on any other help."

"Hopefully, we won't need it!" I replied. "We're three miles away, right? We better start diverting now!"

"I'll take care of that!" Leo declared behind me. "Hey, Aquaman! Any suggestions?"

"Why the hell do you have a Bluetooth speaker in your tool belt?" Percy exclaimed. "It better be waterproof."

"Hey, sometimes I work to music. And sometimes, pretty ladies walks into my workshop."

"Is that a plural I hear?" I teased, with Leo spluttering in reply as Percy laughed at the banter.

"I was only referrin' to the hottest piece of ass known to man—AKA you! Madre de Dios, woman!"

"Leo! Please do not make me more sick than I already am!" Hazel groaned from the rear.

"Sorry, Haze. Now... let's see what they think of this!" Leo laughed as he strapped the speaker down with Flex Tape (he loves it far more than duct tape) and turned it up to full blast. The initial beats that came out, along with our current situation, reminded me of a very certain circumstance...

Wait a minute...

"What the—" I gasped, turning back around to see my grinning boyfriend with an M32 clutched in his hands.

"What can I say? We need a good soundtrack!" he laughed. However, as quickly as the grin came, it was replaced by a grim expression as he readied his launcher. "Left riverbank, archers!"

Please allow me to introduce myself

I'm a man of wealth and taste

"Fire the gun, Ramriez! Three to five-round bursts!" Percy barked, though he didn't need to say it twice. Remembering the similar and stuttered-yet-firm lesson from Mr. Kyung, I engaged the archers on the left riverbank. The recoil rattled me as I squeezed the trigger, sending rounds towards dog-headed bowmen hidden in the trees and grasses as they tried to stop our advance. The tugboat wasn't moving terribly fast, but it was still difficult to hit moving targets from a moving platform.

I've been around for a long, long year

Stole many a man's soul and faith

"Well, I can certainly see and hear you," Frank called over the radio. "Looks like one of those trucks is moving your way now, on your right. Apart from some guys on foot, that's it. You're gonna need something big to get their attention."

"Roger, Grizzly. We've got somethin' for 'em!" Leo replied as he fired his launcher with a "thunk," its grenade hurtling towards the riverbank and destroying the archers I failed to hit.

I was 'round when Jesus Christ

Had his moment of doubt and pain

"Fiddlesticks! They're behind us!" Hazel shouted from the stern as she too opened fire with her M60. "Percy, any way we can go faster!"

"I'm pushin' 'er all I can!" Percy shouted as we accelerated a little more—I wouldn't be surprised if part of it came from his own powers as a son of Neptune. "Just keep 'em off us!"

Made damn sure that Pilate

Washed his hands and sealed his fate

"Technical!" the sailor warned as a pickup skidded to a halt on our right, maybe a hundred feet away. A small monster in the truck bed turned the dual hwacha turret our way.

"Not for long!" Leo replied as he rapidly fired five grenades at the truck. Two exploded near it, one hit the cabin, one hit the turret, and one appeared to somehow hit the fuel tank, making the truck go up in a modest, yet fiery, explosion before it could atack. "Hell yeah! WHOO!"

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name

But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Percy cheered. "Ramirez! Neutralize those infantry!"

"On it!" I acknowledged, engaging a dozen archers and arbalists flanking us in the trees. After cutting down the ones on the left, I turned to hit the ones on the right, but we'd already chugged past, putting them in Hazel's firing arc.

I stuck around St. Petersburg

When I saw it was a time for a change

"Well, you've got their attention now," Frank reported on the radio as we passed underneath a set of bridges, still under heavy fire (somehow with the mortals not noticing this). "Every pickup truck save for one is headed your way, along with a crud load of monsters. Looks like two are gonna try and hit your backside on the left riverbank, so watch out. Some of 'em are also building a makeshift dam to block you off, two kilometers downriver, over."

Killed the Czar and his minister

Anastasia screamed in vain

"Technical!" Percy warned as the pickup truck drove parallel to the river towards us, its turret unleashing a hail of fiery arrows. Cursing, I ducked and squeezed the trigger, forgetting about the burst rule as I focused on putting as many bullets in the vehicle as I possibly could. Some arrows hit the hull, some hit the riverbank, and a few nearly hit me and Leo.

I rode a tank, held a general's rank

When the Blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank

"SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!" Leo roared as he quickly fired two grenades at the offending truck, hitting the cabin and turret with great accuracy and filling them with fragmentation and smoke.

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name, oh yeah

But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game, ah yeah

"Shit, I'm out of ammo!" I shouted as I tried to engage another wave of arbalists, being forced to raise my slung M4 and fire wildly at the treetops (with very poor accuracy, at that).

"Coming, coming!" Leo replied as he clambered towards the bow, ammo box in hand and grenade launcher slung around him, doing his best to not fall as Percy pushed the Boomin' Beaver as fast as it could go.

I watched with glee while your kings and queens

Fought for ten decades for the gods they made

"'Scuse me!" Leo said as he ducked underneath my arm, reloading the machine gun as fast as he could while I kept shooting—it was suppressive fire more than anything else, honestly—even switching to my pistol to try and maintain the stream of bullets.

I shouted out, "Who killed the Kennedys?"

Well, after all, it was you and me

"Leo, I need ammunition!" Hazel called frantically from the stern. By the sounds of it, she too had transitioned to her rifle, trying her best to engage the monsters around us.

"Alright, alright! Geez!"

Let me please introduce myself

I'm a man of wealth and taste

"Dam's comin' up, Valdez! Bust that shit!" Percy ordered.

And I laid traps for troubadours

Who get killed before they reach Bombay

"One at a time, one at a time!" Leo yelled back, but nonetheless obeying as he stood to my back left, rapidly firing four grenades into the barricade of stone and wood that blocked our advance, all too easy of a target. I fired at a nearby stationary technical, dodging fiery arrows and debris as the dam was blown apart, while the truck was filled with bullets.

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name, oh yeah

But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game, ah yeah

Oh yeah, get down heavy!

"Well, now ain't that convenient?" Leo remarked as we plowed past the now destroyed dam, guitar solo blaring from the speaker. "Hey, Grizzly? I know there's at least three more trucks on the loose, but how much more can we possibly divert? We're still a mile out, give or take a quarter!"

"Keep doing what you're doing, Zippo," Frank replied over the radio. "They're still traveling your way. But it looks like, save for six empousai, it's all clear!"

"Now or never, Grizzly!" Percy urged.

"I... I dunno, man. I don't think—"

"Shut up. You do what you know best, okay? Take the best from your bowman side and the best from your rifleman side, and stick 'em together. You can do this, brother, y'hear? Now get in there, kill those bitches, and get our boys."

"... okay, going in. Grizzly out."

"You heard the man! We gotta give him a clear window!" Percy barked.

"Roger that!" Leo replied as he clambered towards the stern, likely to resupply Hazel with ammunition. As for me, I had gone back to engaging the enemy, cutting down four that came very close to hitting me with several well-placed bursts.

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name, oh yeah

But what's confusin' you is just the nature of my game, mm yeah

"You got this, Frank," I muttered, though more so to myself than the radio. My earliest memories of him were that of a big-hearted, unconfident, clumsy oaf. Now, though, while he was still somewhat reserved, he had proven himself to be one hell of a leader—even better than me, in fact, especially given his superior capability in forging bonds. It didn't hurt that he was one of the most badass warriors I'd ever met, standing toe-to-toe with even legendary figures such as Jason.

Just as every cop is a criminal

And all the sinners saints

"Truck, truck, truck!" Hazel called me—a technical had flanked us. A few arrows sailed over my head from behind, with a few more sounding like they impacted the hull and/or pilot house.

As heads is tails, just call me Lucifer

'Cause I'm in need of some restraint

"Coming, coming!" Leo shouted back, with several footfalls, three "thunks," and three explosions quickly following.

So if you meet me, have some courtesy

Have some sympathy, and some taste

"We're almost there! Send status, Grizzly!" Percy called.

"Got a problem here! Two empousai still up, and they've got a faun!" Frank shouted. "Need some help here!"

Use all your well-learned politesse

Or I'll lay your soul to waste, mm yeah

"Boat team, be advised, you have two technicals going around, aiming for your six," Vulcan warned on the radio. "And they have some slingers riding with them, possibly with explosives. You need to get in the fight, now!"

"Roger, Anvil! Everyone, get ready to jump to shore!" Percy ordered. "Ramirez, take the Pig with you!"

Pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name, mm yeah

But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game, mm mean it

"Anvil, how do I disconnect it? How do I disconnect it?!" I shouted, with the god quickly barking out simple instructions of what to do, though I couldn't do it for some reason. "Damn it—LEO!"

Get down

Woo hoo!

Ah yeah. Get on down

Oh yeah

"Shitshitshitshit!" Leo cursed as he clambered up to the front, stumbling as the Boomin' Beaver rocked under intense maneuvering and speed—more than it was probably built to handle—before finally reaching me, almost falling out of the boat had he not caught onto my shoulders. "Sorry! Now, what is it?"

"Get this damn gun off its damn mount!"

"On it! Grab the last ammo box from the crate and a belt of forty-mil! Get ready to jump!"

"Okay!"

"C'mon ladies, we're almost at the ball!" Percy urged. "Hope you're all dressed up!"

"Get us closer, damn it!" I shouted back as I slung a bandolier of 40-mm grenades over my shoulder, ducking to avoid an arrow from our pursuers.

"I put us any closer and we crash! Valdez!"

"Hang on, hang on!" Leo yelled as he furiously worked to remove the M60 from its mount, finally succeeding. "Okay, I'm good!"

"GO, GO, GO!"

With every bit of strength we could muster and a small running start, the three of us leaped for the tree-filled riverbank on the right. Leo and I barely made it, with Hazel shorting it and splashing into the water. Acting fast, Leo reached down and began yanking her to shore while I picked up the M60 and cut down a group of monsters that were advancing through the foliage.

"Thanks!" Hazel panted as she crawled into the grass, dirty and wet, but still in the fight as she began firing her M110. Leo, meanwhile, snatched the bandolier from my shoulder and slung it around his, motioning for us to follow him as he charged the enemy—an audacious move, but one for the best. We had a small problem, however... "Wait, where's Percy?"

"I gotta give these assholes something to shoot! Get your butts to Grizzly's pos, now!" Percy ordered. Glancing back, we could see the son of Neptune manning the stern machine gun, shooting at monsters as he propelled the boat forward—slower than before—using his oceanic abilities. And all the while, "Sympathy for the Devil" continued to blare from the speaker stuck on the Boomin' Beaver.

"You heard the man!" I said after a moment as the sounds of the Rolling Stones, machine gun, and tugboat lessened. "We have to move south, cross a road, then get to another collection of trees before hitting a clearing—that's where the hostages are!"

"Reyna, did I ever say that you look incredibly sexy firin' a machine gun?" Leo chuckled as we began fast-walking through the trees, weapons at the ready.

"Less flirting, more tactical... stuff!" Hazel scolded, though she sounded as tired as Leo looked and I felt. We were immortal, but it was surprising to know that this is what pushed our limits.

"Yes, ma'am."

Surprisingly, we weren't challenged by any more monsters as we silently made our way towards the fauns' last known position. In less than ten minutes, we'd made it through the trees, across the road, through more trees, and finally at the clearing, where we ran into a steel-gazed Frank escorting a half dozen fauns towards the river: the Council of Cloven Elders and their adjutants.

"What the—RA-RA?" the oldest one exclaimed—the one I recognized as Grover Underwood, the head of the trio and "Faunus's chosen one," or something like that.

"Just 'Reyna' is fine, Underwood," I sighed, before turning to my fellow consul. "Frank, what happened?"

"Killed four of them, but then two took Don hostage. Ended up switching to my pistol and getting shots off at both. One died but the other... she went up in flames. Something about smelling the blood of Percy."

"... how many enemies does that guy have?" Leo exclaimed.

"He was a legend," Grover muttered somberly before his face shifted to one of confusion. "Wait, whaddaya mean 'have?' That's present tense..."

"Later, later, later," I hurriedly replied, remembering what Annabeth said about how close Grover and Percy were back in the day. "Knight, this is RA-RA. We have the hostages, but it looks like one of the empousai teleported out, said she smelt your blood. What happens now?"

"Shit!" he cursed over several cracks, explosions, and gunshots in the background. "The Beaver's compromised! Say again, the Boomin' Beaver is do—"

Suddenly, a massive explosion some five hundred yards southeast cut him off, making the trees rattle and the air shake from the shockwave. My eyes went wide and I locked eyes with Frank, then Leo, then Hazel, all who held similar expressions of concern. One unspoken conversation later—something we'd developed after years of working together—Frank transformed into a giant eagle and flew towards the carnage, Leo and I charged close behind on the ground, and Hazel focused on corralling the disoriented fauns and protecting our six.

Hm, I guess I'm picking up on what Percy, Kyung, and Nai said.

Any worries I had of Percy being killed quickly dissolved when the sound of an M60 began to come from the distance. Despite my exhaustion and the weight of the machine gun in my arms, I couldn't help but lightly laugh. He certainly got on my nerves at times, but he still never failed to impress me as a warrior—he had been shot at, nearly blown up, but he was still in the fight.

"Welp, he isn't responding to my calls—guess his radio's down—but he's still alive and kicking," Frank chuckled on the radio. "Yeah, Knight's still doing good. But he's got two technicals and archers on gryphons and foot surrounding him. Goldfinger, keep the hostages safe and concealed, and only shoot when shot at. Zippo, RA-RA... take out the trucks and guys on the ground. I got the airborne ones."

"Sir, yes, sir!" Leo replied, a massive grin on his face as he picked up the pace, letting his rifle and M320 hang by their slings, raising the latter's larger brother to dish out some serious damage. We advanced along the treeline, weapons at the ready with decent concealment (if not cover) directly to our left. We soon reached its end, encountering a vast clearing of arranged fields, reminding me of a farm, with trees between it and the river beyond.

Out of the treeline stumbled a dirty and smokey Percy, M60 in hand with a belt of ammunition around him (reminding me of an 80s action hero, honestly), retreating while occasionally turning around to fire at the hidden enemy. Arrows rained from the skies as dracaenae shot at him from the gryphons they rode. However, quick action from Frank quickly eliminated one of the airborne archers and its mount, before he quickly turned on the other three. With the air threat appearing to be in good hands, Leo and I focused on helping Percy the best we could.

What happened next was somewhat of a blur. I went prone as I continued to suppress the enemy, trying to cover Percy as he limped towards us—it appeared as though he had a leg injury of some sort—every now and again firing off a burst at his pursuers. Another technical charged us along the road from the south, but Leo handled it with six 40-mm grenades before ducking to reload.

Before long, Percy reached us and dove for cover, taking a brief moment to breathe before going prone and joining me in the carnage. We'd entrenched ourselves behind trees and dirt, refusing to give in to the larger enemy force. Above, Frank had dispatched two more gryphons before chasing the last panicking one. I eventually ran out of ammunition, setting the M60 down and transitioning back to my M4. Despite an injury and looking more exhausted than I felt, Percy continued to send a hail of bullets at the enemy, relentless as always.

"Guys, behind you!" Hazel suddenly shouted on the radio.

"Finally, you're mine!" a female voice growled behind us, a quick turnaround revealed the sixth empousa as she dove at Percy, claws and fangs at the ready. They were too close together for me to take a shot, but the sailor seemed to have it well in hand, unfazed by the vampire woman.

Oddly, I remembered something Circe once mentioned: men could build up resistance to the feminine wiles of such monsters, but there were some that had it in their metaphorical DNA—a genetic trait, so to speak. Not even the most skilled empousai or charmspeaker could sway such men (this isn't to say they can't be tricked like normal people, just that they can't be seduced or forced by magical means). There was a drawback associated with the trait—weak to no emotional intelligence, particularly in the realm of love—but it was overall incredibly beneficial. However, it was an incredibly rare trait, so much so that even Circe had never encountered it herself, only knowing of it through stories.

Percy, as it seemed, had that trait, unfazed by whatever actions the empousa used to try and make him lower his guard. Instead, he punched her in the face and shoved her off of him.

"Y'know, Dad always said it's not nice to hit ladies," he groaned as he got to his feet, facing off against the fuming woman as she stood. But this sounded more like a taunt than the demigodish banter one would expect—psychological warfare, if you will. "But you're no lady, are you, Kelli? You're just a whore that doesn't know her mistress. And now, I'm makin' you my bitch."

Huh, right on the money.

"You impudent little—" Kelli the empousa growled before she suddenly changed form in a burst of flame. Earlier, she was little more than a normal woman with claws and fangs. Now, she was in her true form: flaming hair, donkey leg, and all, temporarily stunning the man—something his charmspeak resistance gene didn't appear to protect against. With a grin, she advanced on her target... but she seemed to forget that Leo and I were still present.

"Leo, watch my back!" I ordered as I raised my M4, continuously firing to make sure she stayed down. She was shocked to say the least, getting hit a few times in her legs and possibly her groin, but managed to explode into flames, escaping once more. "Oh, shit! Percy!"

"Godammit, I forgot they could do that!" he hissed, clutching his head in pain. Suddenly, Kelli leaped back into the fight, jumping onto Percy's back and clawing at his shirt. Even worse, I didn't have a clear shot. They were shaking too much and Kelli's head—the only part of her exposed to me—presented too small of a target. Plus, I didn't have nearly enough training. Even one of the famed Delta Force soldiers would probably have trouble with this.

"I'm going to suck you dry, Perseus Jackson," the empousa maliciously cackled, baring her fangs and leaning into his neck as he struggled.

"Get... OFF!" he growled as he charged backwards into a tree, slamming Kelli's spine against its truck and making her loosen her grip slightly, hissing in pain. However, that was all he needed to get a proper grip on her arm and throw her over his shoulder. The technique was rough and rushed, nowhere near the skill of a martial arts master, but it was good enough to slam the empousa into the dirt, knocking the wind out of her.

"You... you stupid man—"

"Begone, thot!" Percy cut her off, drawing his pistol firing repeatedly into her face, emptying the magazine even after she exploded into dust. Then, he holstered it and dropped to the ground next to his machine gun, searching for targets as if only mildly inconvenienced. However, while he had battled the vengeful empousa with me observing, the rest of the battlefield had gone quiet, with Leo and Frank having finished off the rest of the monsters.

"Did... did you seriously just say 'begone, thot?'" Leo asked, half laughing.

"I blame you, Valdez. Besides, it seemed appropriate, considering the earlier 'whore' line. Just tryna get into her head, that's all. She was just like I remembered her, though: total bitch."

"Wow... for an old enemy and you bein' a son of the Big Three, that was... kinda anticlimactic."

"I hear you, Valdez. Honestly, though, my left leg's got a sprain, so I'll take the anticlimactic."

"Grizzly, this is... urgh, RA-RA, is there anything else to do?" I sighed over the comm, rolling my eyes at the strange conversation between my boyfriend and former co-praetor.

"Negative. All targets destroyed. Anvil confirmed it, along with Torch. We're in the clear," Frank replied with a triumphant tone. "Wow... that was pretty good."

"Goldfinger, all good?"

"Just fine!" Hazel shouted behind me, having emerged from her hiding spot with the fauns and beginning to walk towards us. "A few cynocephali snuck up on us. We're all okay, though!"

"Glad to hear it! Guess we better find a way out, considering the Boomin' Beaver is history."

Before we could consider teleporting back, however, a loud whinny pierced the sky. Looking northwest at the sky, I made out several shapes flying towards us, including a bronze-ish glint. It was none other than a group of pegasi, escorted by Festus. However, barreling towards us at Mach Jesus (again, blame Leo) were two very familiar pegasi. One was my steed and equine friend, Guido. And the other...

"Blackjack!" Percy laughed with delight as his buddy touched down in the clearing right next to us. Percy had some trouble standing, especially with a leg injury and an M4 and M60 dangling from his torso, but that didn't stop him from charging the black pegasus and giving him a strong embrace. "Oh, it is so damn good to see you, brother! Yeah—yeah, I know! Good Lord, Blackjack, okay... okay! Sheesh, I—okay, okay, you want doughnuts? Doughnuts you get... yes, I'm super, super sorry, okay?"

"Do I wanna know?" I asked as I gave Guido a hug of my own.

"No."

"Wait a sec, wait a sec," Grover said, pushing past his kinsmen and stepping forward to get a better look at the pegasus and his boss. "Blackjack? Wait a tick, who the Tartarus are you?"

"Don't you remember, Goat Boy?" Percy chuckled as he looked at the faun. "Wiseass and I sent you n' CHB a postcard from that hellhole."

"Whaddaya mean, 'Wisea'—wait... what? What? WHAT?"

Anyone catch the reference?

And yes, Grover is ever so slightly pissed. More on that in the next chapter. This one was focused on combat more than anything else, with a cameo from an old enemy just to add some humor. Sure, the duel between Percy and Kelli was anticlimactic, but remember: guns are a powerful equalizer. In gaming terms, she went from being an opponent in a boss fight to a playable character.

The Boomin' Beaver went down, but she did her duty well... fair winds, you beautiful, hypothetical weaponized tugboat.

As always, thank you for reading! Be sure to leave a comment, good or bad, and I'll see you in the next one! Take care of yourselves and each other.

- ADF-2