Almighty (Daughter of Olympus III) - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

The Gang's All Here! (The Voices)

Ara knocks out Apollo so Meg can't control him, then the Germani pounce on her, and the real fight begins. She's been in so many that the memories mix up and blend after everything happens, but even by her standards, this one happens at lightspeed. These men have size and power on their side, so she leans into her blessings to keep up. 

Nero watches as if assessing a new hire, and the fear of getting kidnapped and brainwashed keeps her from getting killed or injured. She fights with ferocity, the Germani have trouble aiming, and Ara uses her size as an advantage: stabbing legs and shooting at groins, ears, and joints. Nero gets bored, or at least pretends to, but as an Aphrodite, she can see the stress in him when he realizes Ara would never brag about things she can't do.

"Enough you two! How useless. Meg, my dear, deal with this."

Ara tastes copper from the cut on her lip. "You don't have to," she says softly. "Meg, I can look after you."

"No," Meg pouts. "If you have to kill me, do it fast."

"Not that you would give her the chance, would you, dear?" Nero asks.

"I will pull your spine right out through your ass and choke you with it!" Ara hisses.

Meg jumps into action. Ara expands her shield and stops her attack, turns Almighty into a spear, and sweeps the girl's legs with it. Meg can be fierce and agile, but Ara surpasses her. Or at least she does for a moment until Meg summons roots to trip her. 

Ara moves out of reach, musters lightning near Peaches to startle Meg, then kicks the girl in the chest, straddling her once she's on the ground and pressing the tip of Almighty's blade against her throat. Her hands are shaking, she feels dirty and used, threatening a child like this. Nero watches hungrily, and Ara has the disgusting feeling that he wants her to murder the kid. Mike used to call her a beast, she wonders if he knew Nero was called the same. 

"Please, stay down," she begs Meg with a shaky voice. "Please."

Meg looks at her with wide eyes, unarmed and defeated, and Ara feels like a monster. She feels like Luke probably felt each time he fought Percy and Annabeth. Here lies a kid, much younger and weaker than her, and Ara's being tested not only by Nero but also by the gods, to see if she remains loyal in the moment of most dire need.

Meg sees the way Ara's resolve crumbles, ready to yield and get taken by Nero, but then they lock eyes and see themselves in the reflection of each other's gazes. It can't happen again. Ara has to see this through, she has to help Olympus, and she's got to fight for Meg, Harley, and all the young demigods that could end up in Nero's hands is she gives up.

"I'm sorry," Ara whispers.

"I'll be fine," Meg retorts.

Meg summons a large tree branch that wraps around Ara's throat, she drops Almighty and squirms as the branch yanks her away causing her to drop the sword and shield, and everything goes black.

***

Ara saw in Meg's eyes before losing consciousness that she wasn't going to kill her, and she also trusted that she'd come back exactly when she had to, it tends to be like that. 

She sits up coughing and gasping as the voices of the trees tune in and speak together: Happiness approaches. The fall of the sun; the final verse. Would you like to hear our specials today?

Ara crawls to her shield and sword, turns her shield back to a hair tie, and Almighty into a grappling hook. She gets to her shaky feet and watches Nero pour oil on the grove's entrance, then shoots aiming for his head, barely aware of Apollo's crazy display of power as he tosses the Germani around like ragdolls. The hook stabs through Nero's shoulder and he screams in agony, Ara tugs back roughly so Nero topples backward.