The Old Jackson Twins Book 2

Chapter Four

"We're never gonna find her," Sam groaned.

Steve, ever the optimist, wanted to disagree, but they'd been searching for almost two weeks, and hadn't found even the smallest sign of the girl they were looking for. For all they knew, she was in Brazil.

"I'm going to call Natasha," Bucky muttered, pulling out his phone. "Maybe they've found something."

Wanda's phone rang before he could call Natasha, the theme song of some anime she liked ringing through the air. She picked up quickly. "Hey, Peter. Wait, seriously?" She listened intently for a minute, Sam, Bucky, and Steve staring wide-eyed at her. "Yeah, okay, I'll tell them. Bye." She looked up. "They found Percy. We've got a lead."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Aria and Reyna had been following the Avengers since Camp Half-Blood. So when they heard Percy had been found, she did, too.

She returned to the tent, fuming. If Percy had been found, it wouldn't have been an accident. He'd let them find him, after telling her it was a bad idea.

That backstabber.

"You look angry," Reyna observed as Aria ducked through the tent flaps. She put her book down. "Everything okay?"

"They found him," she spat, crawling into Reyna's arms. A year ago, the night after Poseidon had healed her and she'd slept in Reyna's room, she'd been right about Reyna's arms being the one place she wanted to spend her entire life. "They fucking found him."

"Are you sure?"

"I heard every word." She wanted to punch something. Preferably Percy. "He told me to leave them alone."

"Go talk to them," Reyna suggested. "He did. You should, too."

"Wait, you're actually encouraging this?"

"Yes. I'll come with you," Reyna offered.

"Now?"

"No time like the present."

Aria grinned and stood up, reaching for her shield. "Let's go."

-------------------------------------------

Wanda did not expect Aria to come to them. And she didn't realize Aria wasn't alone.

The silence was broken by the barking of two greyhounds bursting from the trees. She heard Steve's yell first, then turned just before the teeth of the first clamped onto her hair. She was about to use her powers to stop them when two voices came from the trees.

"Aurum, heel."

"Argentum, heel."

The dogs stopped and turned at the voices. The first was more commanding and powerful, the second lighter and a little playful. The first voice belonged to a girl with olive skin, shiny braided black hair, and deep black eyes. The second belonged to a girl with thick, electric blue hair that was black at the roots, crazy freckles, and sparkling sea-green eyes. Wanda recognized the second girl from the description in the file.

"You're Aria Jackson."

Aria knelt as one of the dogs trotted back to her, rubbing his ears and kissing the top of his head. The light must have been playing tricks on Wanda's eyes, because Aria's dog appeared to be made of silver, and the other one looked like it was made of gold. "I am."

"I'm Reyna," the other girl added, rubbing the golden dog between his ears. "Aria's girlfriend and questing partner."

"Her file didn't mention you," Sam accused. "Look, lady, we only need Aria. So, uh, you're free to go."