Misery Loves Company

By ancient powers, his fate is steered

Warnings for this chapter:
- depictions of a panic attack (specifically hyperventilating, dissociative symptoms) relatively brief.

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"You're going the right way,"

Now, usually a mysterious voice coming from the shadows of the Underworld telling them that they were 'going the right way' would be encouragement to turn around and head in the opposite direction. But only moments before Percy had been seriously considering marching up to Hades' palace and asking Persephone to give them one of those fancy flowers to show them the way - or just a map, really - since none of the Gods had bothered to give them directions to Phobos.

So, Percy wasn't exactly going to be picky as to where they got their directions from. Creepy-stalker-dudes included.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Leo questioned, igniting a hand to better light their surroundings.

"The creepy guy giving us GPS directions?" Percy said as he pulled Riptide from his pocket.

"That's the one." Leo chuckled nervously.

Annabeth was tense beside Percy, the vase of water strapped securely to her back with makeshift straps of rope from Leo's toolbelt.

"Right, yes...sorry." The voice said and a figure emerged from in front of them adorned in a traditional cream-toned tunic. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"...No problem," Leo said warily, "Who are you exactly?"

"Amphiaraus, at your service." The man, who looked to be in his late twenties with a thick beard and twinkling eyes, offered his hand for Leo to shake.

Leo shook the extended extremity awkwardly despite his confident tone, "Captain Valdez. Captain Leo Badboy-Supreme Valdez."

"You are the one who built the second Argo boat, correct?" The man said with awe in his voice. "The Forge."

"And you travelled on the first Argo, right?" Annabeth interrupted, "You were an Argonaut."

"Clever girl," Amphiaraus smiled. And Percy was unsurprisingly smitten by his Wise Girl, who always knew the answer. He grinned at her, squeezing her hand just so she'd know how proud of her he was.

Amphiaraus moved away from Leo to shake her hand which instantly returned to the hilt of her dagger after the gesture was done, then he shook Percy's - who had to tuck Riptide into his pocket to free his other hand because no way was he letting go of Annabeth's.

Up close Percy could see the glittering gold earrings that pierced Amphiaraus' ears, little dangling lightning bolts - all too modern for his old-style tunic.

"You are somewhat Argonauts yourselves. Not only did the two of you seek out the Golden Fleece, but all three of you journeyed on the Argo II."

Percy smiled politely through his temptation to grimace; the allusion to their previous quests were reminders he could have lived without.

Luke poisoning Thalia's tree.

Racing to Rome on the Argo II to save Nico.

They were memories best left undisturbed in the shadows and crypts of his mind.

The immortal clapped once, resolutely shaking away the notion. The sound and sharp movement made Percy react on instinct, tugging Annabeth's hand so she was dragged behind him and his other arm splayed out in front of Leo's chest. Annabeth scowled at him, and her eyes read 'Did you seriously just try to body block me from an attack, Seaweed Brain?'.