The child of wisdom and war

by Brain_go_buzz_buzz

Summary:

What if Yuu was a fake identity. In this world no one knows who(and what) Yuu really is. After all. Once fate knows who she is. They will know to.

Notes:

Story wise this takes place after the events of book 7 of the main story. Think of this as a book 8 of sorts I guess.

Chapter 1: Prolog

Yuu looked up at the statue. The king of the Underworld. She looked up, coming face to face with the man. A snarky smile, sharp teeth, and fiery hair. That was the difference. While it wasn't exactly the same. The name and title give Yuu a small sense of familiarity. She loved researching gods and mythos in her world. That meant Yuu was well versed in Greek gods. If the gods existed in this world, maybe she could look to them for help. Not to mention, thanks to the naming of the Jupiter spears. The chance of Roman gods also existing would be a reasonable assumption. Yuu placed a small piece of bread in a bowl before the statue. She kneeled and closed her eyes in prayer. “Please accept this offering Lord Hades.” After a moment she stood and headed towards the library.

 

Yuu ran her finger along the library shelf. She looked at the labels. M, MY. Mythology. She grabbed two books. ‘Ancient gods and goddesses’ and ‘Heroes of the gods’. She walked over to a small table in the corner. Without wasting a second she flipped the pages to a certain page. When she found the page she was looking for, Yuu paused. ‘Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle strategy.’ The page depicted the goddess as a tall woman clad in silver armor. Athena was armed with a spear and a shield depicting the head of Medusa. Yuu ran her fingers over the picture. Swallowing the lump in her throat she flipped open the book of heroes. Perseus. Yuu closed her eyes. She imagined the name without the face of a hero. Rather, a boy with tanned skin, sea green eyes, and black hair. A loved one. She let a single tear fall. Yuu took a deep breath and sat up straight. She had research to do. Yes she had studied said gods and heroes in her world, but there was no saying they would be the exact same in this world.

 

“Remind me again why you want me sitting on your feet.” Yuu started the next sit up before answering. “Because I need a weight to keep my feet in place and you are my best option.” Yuu finished her final sit up of the night. “Why do you even work out? It’s not like you need to.” “I want to stay in shape. Helps me keep a good routine. Having a routine makes me feel good.” Yuu picked up Grim and placed him on the bed. “Why do you like routines?" Yuu looked down and gave him a small smile. “I can control a routen. Its also a sense of order. Helps me feel put together.” By the time she finished answering Grim had fallen asleep. Yuu went downstairs to the kitchen. She grabbed a small piece of bread and placed it in a bowl. Grabbing a lighter she set the food ablaze. She then whispered a single sentence just loud enough for her alone to hear. “To the gods.”

Chapter 2: Why did he send you?

Summary:

An invite from Rook Hunt revels that someone knows what she is.

The constant chatter of her fellow first years was a welcome background noise. It was nice to have a group of close friends her age again. While Yuu did her best to keep her life from her world and her life in Twisted Wonderland separate. She couldn’t help but wonder how her two friend groups would interact. Who would Jack train with, who would Ortho enjoy talking to. Who would she have to stop Ace from getting into trouble with. “Ah, Trickster~”Turing her head to the side, Yuu was met with the face of Rook. “Hey Rook.” “Dear Tricster, I was hoping you might help me in a hunt later today.” Yuu’s face must have given away her confusion because Rook answered her question. “I figured as the resident beast tamer, you could be a helpful asset in placing a tracker on this bird that has been seen around the woods behind the school.” “Alright. Grim, you want to come with or stay with someone while I do this.” The small creature looked up at her. “Do what?” Yuu swallowed the ball of frustration in her throat. “I’m gonna help Rook catch some sort of bird after school in the woods.” “Well yeah, you’ll need the great Grim there to help you.” Grimm stood on the bench, puffing up his chest. As much as he was annoying sometimes, his antics here lit a small light in her life.

 

The three of them were sitting in a bush. The plan was pretty simple. Rook would use his bow to knock the bird out of the sky. Yuu would then use a net to capture the bird long enough for Rook to get the tracker on it’s leg. Grim would be on standby in case things got out of hand. “How big of a bird are we looking for?” “Quite large, it’s wingspan appears to be around the same as mine.” “Mrah, that’s a big bird.” "At least he didn’t use Floyd or Jade for reference.” The look of horror on Grim’s face gave Yuu and Rook a good laugh. “SSCREACH!” They jumped and looked up. “Ah, look at it gliding, such beauty.” While Rook and Grim saw a bird, Yuu saw a Furie. She inattentively reached to her right hip. Only to realize the weapon that was normally there, was not. Yuu attempted to get her breathing steady. “Scater!” Rook’s yell brought her out of her trance. The Furie was coming straight towards her. She attempted to run for cover but didn’t get far. The Furie tackled her to the ground. A flare of pain shot up through her arms. The Furie dug its claws into her shoulders. “Half-blood. Yes. Lord Hades will be very pleased.” Yuu hooked her arms around Furie and flung her to the side. This managed to get the Furie off of her. “Yuu!” Releasing it would be more trouble than its worth, the Furie retreated. Yuu started self hug hands. Hopefully it would help slow blood loss. “Yuu.” Rook knelt down next to her. “Those are really deep, let's get you to the infirmary.” Yuu let Rook guide her to the infirmary. Her mind was elsewhere. Why did a Furie attack her? And what did Hades want with her?

 

Yuu needed some stitches. Grim was fast asleep on her lap. “I apologize for what happened.” Yuu looked over at Rook. She sighed. “It’s fine. You couldn’t have known that was gonna happen, besides I'll be fine in a few days.” Rook walked over to the bed and carefully gave Yuu a side hug. “Now, I think the pain killers are kicking in. I’m gonna take a nap then head back to Ramshackle.” They gave quick goodbyes. Yuu laid her head on the pillow. She had a feeling she was gonna have a visitor tonight.

Chapter 3: A visit from a god

Yuu found herself standing in a large stone room. Looking ahead she saw a throne. It was engraved with skulls and other symbols of death. Blue torches lined the walls, making a path. A wisp of wind swept through the room as if guiding her forward. When Yuu was about three feet before the throne, it was engulfed in blue flames. “There she is! The girl of the hour.” A tall man stood before her. He had grey skin, sharp features, and fire for hair. “Lord Hades.” “Ah, no need for that. I just want to talk.” That simple sentence made Yuu’s stomach drop. Gods never wanted to ‘just talk’. “Here. have a drink.” Suddenly, a martini glass appeared in Yuu’s hands. It was filled with a carbonated yellow drink. “Don’t worry. Just pineapple soda.” Hades had a sly grin on his face. Yuu decided to take a small sip of the drink. Show Hades a small amount of trust. That would allow her to get some answers from him, and if the drink did have some poison or potion in it. At least it would be a small dose. “Why did you send a Furie after me?” “Hm, what?” Yuu took a deep breath. “The Furie’s are under your command. Therefore you are the only one who could have sent one.” Hades snapped his fingers. “Smart girl. I apologize for your injuries. I meant to bring you here unharmed.” He wanted to bring her somewhere. Where would he-. “You wanted to bring me to the Underworld.” “Yeah, I needed to confirm something. That blood the Furie brought though. That was enough to prove it.” Yuu had a sinking feeling. “Prove what exactly.” Hades leaned down, coming face to face with Yuu. “That you’re a demigodess Yuu. Or should I call you. Annabeth Chase.”

 

“How did you know.” Hades stood up with a tired look on his face. “I’m the god of the Underworld, I watch over the souls of the dead. You can’t hide things like this from me.” Yuu Annabeth backed away. She needed space to get her thoughts in order. Taking a deep breath, she looked Hades in the face. “How much do you know?” Hades looked around the room lost in thought. “I know you’re a daughter of Athena, you are eighteen years old, and no one at your school knows who or what you really are.” This brought a whole new load of worries down on Annabeth. How much longer could she keep this secret? How many more monster attacks would happen? Would the gods of this world come to her to do their bidding? Would her friends get dragged into this? “If you're worried about the gods interfering, don’t.” Annabeth looked up at Hades. “Look, we haven’t had any demigods in thousands of years. We were told to stop interaction with humans.” Annabeth took a deep breath. “Are you going to tell anyone or interfere?” Hades considered the question for a minute. “No, I have to reason.” A small wave of relief covered Annabeth like a weighted blanket. “However, I can’t help with eavesdroppers." Hades shot a small flame towards a shadowed area before disappearing. Following the flame it lit up the small area. Standing there was a boy in an insomnia uniform with silver hair. His eyes widened with shock at being caught. “Silver?”

 

Silver approached her and grabbed her arm. Not hard, but enough that it was clear he wanted her to stay. “Why did you lie?” He wasn't mad, that just made it worse for Annabeth. He genuinely wanted to know. “To protect everyone. I knew that once they knew what I was, they would come for me.” She couldn’t bare to look him in the eyes. Silver stayed quiet for a minute. “I’m sorry.” Before Annabeth could say anymore, Silver wrapped her in a hug. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.” Annabeth let herself melt into the hug. A loud crash sounded from a few feet away from them. “Looks like you're about to wake up.” That made sense, most demigod dreams ended shortly after its purpose was finished. Silver grabbed Annabeth by her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I’ll keep your secret.” “Thanks.” Silver stepped back and gave her a soft smile. “Goodbye, Annabeth Chase.”

 

Annabeth sat up in the infirmary bed. Silver knew her secret. As much as that worried her. It felt nice to have someone call her by her real name after more than half a year.

Chapter 4: A important conversation

Summary:

Annabeth decides to give Silver a more in-depth explanation.

Notes:

This chapter has quite A few sibling like moments between Annabeth and Silver.

“Thank you so much for taking him last minute Deuce.” “No problem Yuu.” Even though Silver knew Annabeth’s secret, she wasn't keen on anyone else finding out, not yet at least. Silver was going to meet her at Ramshackle after school so they could have a more in depth conversation. Things were getting more serious. When she first arrived in Twisted Wonderland the mist blocked her from seeing the mythical parts of the world. However, since they got back from STYX, there started to be cracks. She could only assume that since the Furie attacked her the other day. It was only a matter of time before other creatures started coming for her.

 

Annabeth set two cups of tea on the table. “Okay, tell me what you think it’s important for me to know.” She took a small breath to calm her nerves. “My name is Annabeth Chase. I am eighteen years old and a half-blood. Half human half god. My mother is Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare.” She watched Silver’s face shift as he processed the information. There was no doubt in her mind that he would have more questions. “What did one of the Great Seven want with you?” Annabeth expected this. “When I went to the STYX institution to get our friends. We set foot in Hades domain. Since he is a god, he was able to sense I was a half-blood. Apparently the first in a long time.” “According to your conversation with him, he sent the Furie after you.” Annabeth simply shook her head as she rubbed her slightly scarred wounds. “There is one last thing I have to tell you. It is very important.” Silver straightened and looked at her with total concentration. “Monster’s hunt half-bloods. We’re easy to kill because of our human side. Yet still hold the ‘delicious’ blood of a god.” Annabeth couldn’t look him in the face for the last part. “That is not going to be the last attack on me. I was wondering, could you maybe train me a bit.” Silver looked at her with mild surprise before it devolved into admiration. “I would be happy to be your trainer. How does every Saturday sound?” Annabeth couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds great. It’s almost curfew, I have to pick up Grim and you have to get back to Diasomnia.” Silver barely walked a couple steps before Annabeth stopped him. “Can you, maybe call me Annabeth during our training sessions?” Silver gave her a stupidly soft smile. “Of course Annabeth.” She nearly knocked Silver off his feet with how quickly she hugged him. “Thank you.” She could barely be heard with her face almost fully covered. “Thank you for treating all of this like it’s normal.” Silver just wrapped his arms around her until she let go.

Chapter 5: A tough decsion

Notes:

For the sake of the story lets just say that the Disney company doesn't exist in the Riorden verse.

Annabeth finished drying off her hair. It felt good to be routinely training again. It was a sense of normalcy. It also made sure she could defend herself from other creatures. Silver had given her a Bollock Dagger. Now that she had a weapon, she never went anywhere without it. While she was admiring the blade, the mirror began to glow. The light caught the blade, it looked as if it were engulfed in blue flames. Annabeth readjusted her grip on the handle and placed her head on the pillow.

 

This time, she found herself sitting at a table. Hades sat before her. “You’re quite trusting of that boy Silver, aren’t you.” “Yeah, he doesn't seem bothered by the fact I'm a half-blood and everything that comes with it.” She couldn’t help but smile, it was nice to have a friend with no secrets between them. “Let’s hope it lasts this time.” Annabeth looked Hades in the eyes. “What?” “You’re dad, he was okay at first, but as soon as your step mother came into the picture.” Hades summoned three figures on the table. Representing Annabeth, her father, and step mother. “He began to drive you off.” He flicked the tiny Annabeth away from the other two. “Silver isn’t like that, and my dad changed.” Hades looked at her with what appeared to be pity. “What about your other friends? How do you know they are going to be the same?” Annabeth quickly stood, knocking the chair over. “They would never hurt me on purpose!” Hades matched her temper. “There guys!” Hades placed his hand on Annabeth's shoulder. “Listen, you know the story of Hercules, right?” She did. “Megura traded her soul to you in exchange for you to bring her love back to life.” “But the second a more beautiful woman came along, he left her to suffer alone.” Hades used wisps of smoke to tell the story. “A striking similarity to your situation with your friends. A small bit of trust is made, but the second it starts to seriously affect them.” He didn’t need to finish for Annabeth to get the point. “We have survived seven overblots together. I don’t think some monsters will phase them.” Honestly, she was trying to convince herself rather than argue with him. “Look, that Crowley clearly isn’t looking for a way to get you home. You have been here for, what, seven months.” “Ortho found me a way home.” “While that is true my dear, he didn’t account for the mist. The chance that it is covering up something important is a non zero chance.” Now that he brought it up. Annabeth had seen something weird going on with the Dark Mirror. “What do you mean?” “I mean the chance that the Dark Mirror bringing you here and the gods of this world being connected is probable. The mist has likely been covering up anything strange.” That would make sense. “If that’s the case, my best chance at getting home would be to seek the help of the gods.” “Yes.” Annabeth felt tears pricking at her eyes because she knew what looking for a god meant. “I assume that it would not be good to bring any of my friends.” “You know what it's like to be in the spotlight of the gods. I don’t think that's something you want them to experience that.” Annabeth clenched her hands into fists. “Who should I go to first?” Hades rubbed his chin in thought. “Hecate, the goddess of magic should send you in the right direction. Goodluck.”

 

Annabeth sat up in bed. She found a lump in her lap. Looking down, she found a black hoodie and backpack. Inside was non-parshable food, first aid supplies, ambrosia, and nectar. A note was in one of the small pockets. ‘You know what to do.’ Annabeth looked over at Grim. Her first real companion in this world. She jumped off the bed and began to write a note on a piece of paper.
She stood huddled in her jacket in the halls of Heartsabuyle, Grim asleep in her arms. She gently placed him outside Riddle’s door. He would know what to do with Grim. She bent down and gave Grim a small peck on his forehead. “I am so sorry.” She gently tucked the note under his bow and placed a box of his things next to him. Before she could start crying, she was through the garden out of the mirror and off school grounds. In the backpack was another thing. The address for a mirror that will take her to the Land of Heroes.

Chapter 6: Secrets are told as plans unfold

Notes:

We gonna switch over the the NRC boys pov for this chapter and a chunk of the next one

It didn’t make any sense. Yuu wouldn’t just up and leave him. At least, that’s what Grim thought. She had literally went to hell for him. When Grim woke up that morning, he was in the hallway of the Heartsabuyle dorm with his thangs, and no Yuu in sight. All that was left was a note from her. “I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me. Don’t come looking for me and don’t expect me to return.” Grim smushed his face into Riddel's chest. All of Yuu’s friends had gathered in Ramshackle to discuss the situation. The first years were taking it the worst. Jamil broke the silence. “Okay, who was the last person besides Grim to be with her?” Silver raised his hand. “What were you doing?” Silver began to drum his fingers against his leg. “She was interested in what life was like as a knight so I came over so I could answer some of her questions.” “ Why didn’t she come to me with her questions, I am a much better knight than Silver.” While Sebek tried to make it seem like he wasn't close to Yuu, he had lost his normal bravado due to the situation. Jamil continued his questioning. “Did she show any signs of wanting to run away, or was she acting differently these past couple days?” Silver opened his mouth as if he were going to say something before he stopped himself. “No.” Ace suddenly stood up and faced him. “BULLSHIT!” Everyone was shocked at the sudden yell that rattled the walls. “You know something, you just don’t want to tell us.” Trey walked over and placed a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Ace, calm down.” Ace slapped the hand away. “No, he knows something.” Ace walked over to Silver and grabbed him by the collar. “You were going to say something. What. Was. It.” Silver kept his poker face and said nothing. “What do you know? WHY DID SHE LEAVE!” “Annabe-.” Silver covered his mouth. Trey took advantage to pull Ace away from Silver. Annabe. That sounded familiar to Grim. “Annabeth, that's what you were going to say, right.” Silver looked at him. “Where did you hear that name?” Everyone looks at Grim, waiting for an answer. “I took Yuu’s phone to watch a video. It was open to a text between her and Silver. He kept calling her Annabeth.” Everyone then turned their attention to Silver, looking for him to explain. Malleus placed his hand on Silver's shoulder. “Silver, if you have something to tell us, please do so.” Silver took a deep breath. “Okay, I think Annabeth would want you guys to have some closure anyways.”

 

This was a lot of information for everyone to process. Yuu’s real name was Annabeth Chase, she’s a half god, and she left because she thought it would protect them. Everyone had been sitting in silence for the past fifteen minutes or so. Riddle cleared his throat. “It’s almost curfew and we all have school tomorrow. I say we sleep on the information and reconvene tomorrow.” “What. She could be in danger. We should at least figure out where she is.” Ace didn’t care if Annabeth didn’t want to be found. While the other first years didn’t vocalize it, they also looked to their housewardens in hope of approval. “Herbavore said she didn’t want to be found. She didn’t want us there so we shouldn’t go. Plus, with that training she can handle herself.” Leona's comment was final. Everyone started heading back to the dorms. Some more reluctant than others. It was decided that Grim would stay with Riddle for the time being.

 

Grim, Deuce, and Ace all huddled in the hallway. “So we all agree that there’s no way in hell we're just going to let her run off like that, right?” They all nodded in agreement. One they had managed to get into the garden, Ace texted the first year group chat telling them to meet in The Hall of Mirrors. Ace stuffed his phone in his pocket. “Okay, everyone should meet us there, let’s go.” They ran though the garden and into the exit. Everyone else got there relatively quickly. Ortho laid out a plan as they walked towards the docks.

Chapter 7: The search begins

Ace, Deuce, Grim, Jack, Epel, and Sebek all stood at the docks. Ortho had a hologram map in front of him. “Based on the information I have. My best guess is she is going to The Land of Heroes. It is where the gods were most worshiped, and where Mt. Olympus is located.” Ortho grafted the fastest route before entering it into a GPS program. “We should get there in about five hours.” “Okay, let’s get going.” Everyone walked to the edge of the dock about to take off. A figure behind them interrupted. Turning around the first years were met with the housewardens, vice housewardens, and their other friends. “How did you know we were going to be here.” Ace hadn't seen any issue with their plan. Riddle stepped forward. “You are not the type of people to simply accept something. You want to find Annabeth and get a proper answer.” Vil strutted over to Epel and tugged his ear. “Some of you also have a history of sneaking out to find friends.” Epel had a scowl on his face. Riddle ran a hand over his face. “The teachers are also worried about Annabeth. I was going to go through the formal work to let us go look for her over the weekend.” Leona walked over to Riddle with a smirk on his face. “The paper work just needs to be filled out right? I’ll just tell one of the people from my dorm to fill it out for us.” Riddle’ face became a pale pink and turned as if he were about to yell at Leona. Trey butted in before Riddle could say anything. “I mean, as long as the paper work is filled out I don’t believe we would have an issue." Riddle stood still for a moment. “Well, there is no rule against having someone fill out a form for you.” He smiled slightly before pulling out his broom. “Everyone find someone to fill the paper out for you.”

 

Annabeth stood in a dense forest. She looked at the Bollock that Silver had given her. While it was a good blade, unless it was celestial bronze it would be useless against monsters. Hopefully this world being openly magical it would be easier to find celestial bronze. She stepped on a paper. Taking a closer look, it was a missing poster that had about fifteen children on it. She folded it and put it in her pocket. Maybe she could find one of the kids, and finding a kid would help her find a town or village. Annabeth figured her best bet was to find a river. If she followed it she would likely find some town. Hopefully the townspeople would know where a temple is. She had also noticed that she had been able to see through the mist more and more. She had come across a number of Nyaids and Nymps. At least that meant creatures of Greek myth were here more. That meant she was on the right track. A cat jumped out of a bush. It clearly wanted Annabeth to follow it. She was going to ignore it before she noticed what was on its collar. A bow and arrow which were surrounded by woodland features. Bending down on one knee, she asked a question. “Did the goddesses Artmis send you?” The cat simply rubbed its head against his leg before running off. Annabeth quickly followed it. After about three minutes, they came to a large stone door. It had a large boar on it, the symbol of Ares. The cat had already disappeared into the forest. With no other choice, Annabeth entered through the doorway.

Chapter 8: The fighting wring

Of course Annabeth just had to wander into an underground battle ring dedicated to Ares. Although, considering she didn’t have a celestial bronze weapon. She was holding herself pretty well against the monsters. It definitely helped that she got a profile before the fight (and that some enemies were human). Annabeth had just finished getting patched up in the infirmary. Since she had a bit before the next fight, she decided to get something to eat. At least this place had food and board for those who participate.

 

They had landed in a small town an hour ago. Everyone had split up to get various supplies and try to get some information on Annabeth. Ace, Deuce, and Grim went up to a jewelry stand. “Hello miss.” The women turned away from the other customer and greeted them with a smile. “We’re looking for a friend of ours. She's eighteen years old, 179 centimeters.” The other customer at the stand turned towards them. “Blone Hair with stark grey eyes?” Grim hopped up on the counter. “Yeah, you know where she is.” The guy simply nodded. “Yeah, one hell of a fighter. I can take y'all to visit her.” Deuce took out his phone and texted the information to the group chat. “We have some other people who were looking for her, can they come with us.?” “Yeah, tell them to meet up in the square.” Ace, Deuce, and Grim gave each other a high five.

 

Okay, going into the forest with a random dude was maybe not the best idea. At least he was outnumbered twentythree to one. After a bit of walking, they came to a massive stone door. “Here we are.” The man opened the door and held it open for everyone else. They walked in before a barrier formed around them. When Riddle attempted to break it, the barrier simply absorbed it. A person walked over to the man who brought them here. They used a spell to take an invisible seal off his wrist. “Sorry, but over twenty teenagers was more than enough for me to get my freedom.” The man must have seen the confusion on their faces. “This is an underground fighting ring. You sign a contract and they give you food and shelter in exchange for fighting others for entertainment.” The man was handed a bag before he walked out. The other person then cast the same seal on all of their wrists. “That will stop you from using any magic. It will also not let you leave the building unless given permission. Even then you are limited to a certain area.” The barrier was then taken down. Trey leaned down and whispered. “I say we just listen to whatever they want until we get more information on the seal.” Everyone agreed and followed the Person deeper into building.

Chapter 9: friends turn to foes.

Everyone had been placed in a room. People had recorded their height, weight, age, a picture, and (non-magical) weapon of choice. It was to make a pre-fight rundown for their opponent. They would get one too. A woman in a sleek black dress walked into the room. “Ace Trappola.” Ace stood up. She handed him a document. “Good luck on your first fight.” Ace looked down at the paper and his breath hitched. He was met with a girl's face. Blond hair and grey eyes. The information simply confirmed it. Annabeth Chase, eighteen years old, main weapon: Dagger. Ace ran down the hall and into Deuce's room. He shoved the paper into his hands. Deuce gave him a sympathetic smile. “Well, at least we have a way to let her know we’re here.” That was easy for him to say. He didn’t have to fight her.

 

Annabeth didn’t know what happened. Ace had been assigned as her opponent. If he was here that meant the others were probably here too. She had been pacing her room for five minutes while trying to come up with a plan. The fight was going to start in five minutes. She walked over to the viewing area of the arena. Maybe she could use the terrain to her advantage. Looking at the arena, she lost hope. It was nothing but a dirk floor and stone walls. Something caught her eye. Another fighter had a bronze colored knife. She ran over and stopped him in his tracks. “Excuse me sir, but would your weapon happen to be celestial bronze?” The man simply nodded in response. “While, I hear that a bunch of humans got here recently.” Annabeth tightly gripped her dagger. “If you really want to hurt them, you’ll want something made of regular metal. Celestial bronze will go straight through them.” The man smiled. “You offering a trade girly.” Annabeth pushed the blade to her chest before holding it out to the man. He took his own knife and took hers. The bell rang. The fight was about to start. Annabeth walked down to the arena door. She curled in on herself before quietly whispering. “I’m sorry Silver. This is best for everyone.”

 

The door opened. Ace walked into the arena. He decided to grab a hammer. It was the only weapon he knew how to use. He met with Annebth’s eyes. They looked different. Not physically, but the person who looked through them was different. They felt more calculating. A woman looked down at them. Ace was taken aback. She had talons on her hands and wings on her back. She let out a loud screech. That was the start of the fight.

Chapter 10: The fight

Ace was out of his element. He was no stranger to fights, but that was with magic. A fight based solely around physical prowess was different. Annabeth was clearly more experienced. She dashed towards him the second the fight started. Ace used the hand of his hammer to block her. He didn’t want to actually hurt her. He used his hammer to keep distance between them. When Annabeth came at him, Ace swung the hammer to keep her away. He had misjudged the distance and accidentally hit Annabeth on her side. They both paused for a minute. Annabeth wrapped her arm around herself and slightly curled inwards. The crowd was cheering for Ace to finish the fight. He dropped the hammer to his side and dragged it along the dirt floor. He crouched down to check Annabeth's injuries. Once he was close enough to put a hand on her shoulder, she grabbed his wrist and pinned him on the ground.

 

Annabeth felt like she was being crushed. It was definitely going to leave a bruise. She could hear the people chanting for Ace to finish her. The thump of a hammer hitting the ground and footsteps coming closer was what she was focusing on. Annabeth knew that Ace would not finish the fight. If it ended in a draw that would be bad. People who call draws are seen as weak, they don’t get any respect. If your injured people leave you alone. Not seen as lesser, just not worth it to talk to. Also, injured get excused from fighting if it’s serious enough. Ace had knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder. Even if it was just a few fights, Annabeth wanted to get Ace out of a few fights. She grabbed his wrist and lunged forward. She twisted his arm and used his hammer as a bar across his chest. He looked at her with an emotion she couldn't quite make out. Shock, confusion, betrayal? Maybe all three. Annabeth looked at Ace. She quietly said to him ‘I’m sorry’. Before knocking the butt of her blade handle into the temple of his head. She stood and faced the person in charge. He stood up and declared her the winner. Everyone cheered, some groaned as they had lost money. Annabeth stood in the ring until the medical team came and took Ace away. She walked out of the ring and ignored any congratulations the other gave her.

Chapter 11: Post-battle thoughts

Annabeth was barely holding it together. The thanks of fellow fighters were drowned out by her mind. With Ace being injured he wouldn’t be in any fights for a few days at least. She was stopping him from being hurt worse by someone stronger. She was helping him. Right? Annabeth had almost ran into a wall. The bell to signal dinner. She knew she should eat something, but her stomach felt like it was being crushed by a boulder. However, if she didn’t eat, she wouldn’t have enough strength to keep up in fights. Annabeth walked into the cafeteria and grabbed two apples. Healthy but doesn't require a certain type of storage. When she got to her room, Annabetrh put the apples in her backpack. She laid on her bed. She needed to have a plan to get them out of here. She told them not to follow her. Why were they here? Annabeth dragged her hand down her face. This wasn't gonna be easy, was it?

 

Thankfully it didn’t take Ace long to regain consciousness. He still needed to stray in the infirmary overnight though. Deuce had refused to leave his side. The blue haired boy was asleep next to Ace. Grim was also sitting on his lap. Ace couldn’t get Annabeth’s face out of his head. To the spectators, it looked like Annabeth had out an end to the fight in a quick calculating move. But, anyone looking at her face could see she didn’t really want to do this. It sounded cheesy but after knowing her for months. Ace could tell when Annabeth had something on her mind. Getting out of a conversation, wanting to hang out, wanting a bite of his food. This face, that face he saw in the wring. That was the face she gave him when she was saying sorry in silence. This one was different though. Not a ‘sorry I can’t hang right now.’ it was more ‘I’m sorry, I don’t want to do this.’ Annabeth hadn’t told them everything, and Ace was going to find out what.

 

Ace was having trouble navigating the halls. It was like a maze or labyrinth. He had been trying to find Annabeth’s room for a while now. He walked up to a larger man. “Excuse me sir? Do you know where I could find Annabeth Chase?” The man paused before pointing down the hall. “Fifth door on the left.” Ace barely thanked the man before running off. When he reached the door he had to hold onto the frame to avoid sliding past the room. He stood in the frame for a second before entering, closing the door behind himself. She was asleep. A pencil in her hand and a piece of paper as her pillow. She had probably fallen asleep while writing. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her awake. Annabeth opened her eyes groggily. She propped herself up on her elbows. It took her a moment of processing before she realized who was standing in front of her. Ace looked her in the eyes. “We need to talk.”