The Curse of Oenone (Daughter of Olympus II) - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

Turns Out My Brother Percy Would, a Little

"How was your talk with the god of jocks?" Leo grins.

Ara stares at the group in shock. "What was that?!"

Piper shrugs in a bad mood. "Heracles sent us to fight someone who didn't deserve it."

"Achelous?" Ara asks with annoyance. "Wasn't he convinced he was a nice guy, which is another way to say he's a weirdo?"

"He was just sad," Jason argues. "I felt bad about fighting him. He loved Deianira."

"Immortals fall for people all the time and pretend it matters," Ara says, bitter about her conversation with Heracles while also upset to end it on such a terrible note.

Piper stares at her aghast. "Hercules forced us to hurt an innocent guy!"

Ara understands where their frustration is coming from, but she relates to Heracles way more. No one is going to back her up, not even Percy—especially not Percy. A deep-rooted resentment appears out of nowhere and she can't bear to stay there surrounded by all of them.

"Whatever..." she rubs her eyes. "Sorry... talking to another child of Olympus was... I'll take a nap. Wake me if you need to."

***

"WAKE UP, STRATEGUS!"

Ara falls off her bed face-first. The pain disorients her, but then she hears heavy footsteps hurrying down the hall, so she jumps to her feet and grabs Lily's dagger along with her compass.

When the door opens, Ara has Almighty in shield mode and slams it against the first stranger who storms in. The second guy tries to attack her and she slashes across his chest with Lily's dagger and the guy drops to his knees. Ara pushes him out of the way and runs.

She hears chaos around her but doesn't know where to go first. Hoping to be the only member of her crew on that level, she goes to the deck. A man with a deep voice and a slight accent is talking to her friends.

"...Always happy to rob a fellow son of Poseidon. I am Chrysaor, the Golden Sword. As for what I want... Well, that's easy. I want everything you have."

As if monsters and giants weren't enough! Ara isn't in the mood to deal with pirates, so she storms into the scene hitting people's heads—dolphin's heads, sure, of course they're dolphins—and wounding them with Lily's dagger so they can't get back up.

"Stop! Or I'll kill them!" Chrysaor orders. Percy and Annabeth are surrounded. The man's eyes shine with irritation. "Who are you?"

"You'll regret coming into this ship," she glares at him. "I don't know who you think you are, but if I were you, I'd leave before I lose my patience."

The man laughs, walking up to her until they're face to face—or face to chest since Ara is smaller. He seizes her shield and pulls her close roughly. "I'll gut you like a fish."

"Don't touch her!" Percy shouts.

"No, not yet," Chrysaor snorts, "she isn't worth the haste."

"Careful with that!" Annabeth screams at a dolphin guy who's carrying boxes. "It'll blow up both our ships!"

"Ha! We know all about Greek fire, girl. Don't worry. We've been looting and pillaging ships on the Mare Nostrum for eons."

"Your accent sounds familiar," Percy says. "Have we met?"

"I haven't had the pleasure. But I've heard all about you, Percy Jackson. Oh, yes, the young man who saved Olympus. And his faithful sidekick, Annabeth Chase."