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

The Nonsense Has Escalated

She refuses to be who Helen was, the cause of countless demises while hiding behind fortified barriers. That's not who Ara Jackson is. She's the solution, not the problem.

Ara's looking at Piper's dagger for directions, and it shows her the outside of what seems to be an old workshop. The blade obliges to her requests easily, almost like it recognizes its original owner. It takes her no time to find a motorcycle and she takes it. If the owner's lucky, she won't even damage it beyond repair.

Ara drives through the city following her compass, it guides her effortlessly because there is only one thing she wants right now and that's finding Nico. Eventually, she locates the old workshop. Ara walks up to the entrance and breaks in. 

It takes her just a couple of minutes to get to the bottom, which of course is way bigger than it looks on the outside. Ara is overwhelmed by all the cages and machinery surrounding her.

"...this spectacle will be even better," one of the giant twins is saying. "The Romans always wanted bread and circuses—food and entertainment! As we destroy their city, I will offer them both. Behold, a sample!"

Percy talks, which sends a wave of relief through Ara's body. "Wonder bread?"

"Magnificent, isn't it? You can keep that loaf. I plan on distributing millions to the people of Rome as I obliterate them."

"Wonder bread is good," the other twin says. "Though the Romans should dance for it."

Ara comes out right behind the giants, and Percy's the first to spot her. There is a split second of recognition on his face before he looks back at the giants and resumes his conversation.

"Maybe you should bring our other friends here. You know, spectacular deaths... the more the merrier, right?"

Ara looks down at the giant's feet—if she can even call them that—and sees Nico lying there. She notices the terrible shape he's in, almost pure bones and skin, way too similar to the old mummy they used to keep in the Big House's attic. Seeing him like this brings her no satisfaction.

They won't kill these guys without a god present, but at least she can get Nico out, and that would take away the leverage the giants have on them, and they might have a chance to run. Ara holds Almighty, still as a compass, and waits.

"Hmm... No. It's really too late to change the choreography. But never fear. The circuses will be marvelous! Ah... not the modern sort of circus, mind you. That would require clowns, and I hate clowns."

"Everyone hates clowns," his brother points out. "Even other clowns hate clowns."

"Exactly. But we have much better entertainment planned! The three of you will die in agony, up above, where all the gods and mortals can watch. But that's just the opening ceremony! In the old days, games went on for days or weeks. Our spectacle—the destruction of Rome—will go on for one full month until Gaea awakens."

"Wait," Jason intervenes. "One month, and Gaea wakes up?"

"Yes, yes. Something about August First being the best date to destroy all humanity. Not important! In her infinite wisdom, the Earth Mother has agreed that Rome can be destroyed first, slowly and spectacularly. It's only fitting!"

"So... You're Gaea's warm-up act," Percy continues.

"This is no warm-up, demigod! We'll release wild animals and monsters into the streets. Our special effects department will produce fires and earthquakes. Sinkholes and volcanoes will appear randomly out of nowhere! Ghosts will run rampant."

"The ghost thing won't work—Our focus groups say it won't pull ratings."

"Doubters! This hypogeum can make anything work!"