𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐓𝐇 》 LEO VALDEZ ¹

―thirty-four. a heart-felt reunion

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𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐕𝐄
𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐊
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The Argo II definitely did not look friendly. What if the Romans panicked and attacked them on sight? Two hundred feet long, a with bronze-plated hull, mounted repeating crossbows fore and aft, a flaming metal dragon for a figurehead, and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fire explosive bolts powerful enough to blast through concrete... well, it wasn't the most appropriate ride for a meet-and-greet with the neighbours. They were all beginning to feel as though this was a big mistake. Really, none of them could blame the Romans for jumping to any hostile conclusions.

Charlie didn't share their concern. She laid on the embedded seating around the deck ― really it was like one of those windowsills you could sit on, only around the entire banister and with no glass. Her feet were propped up on said banister, shoelaces waving in the wind, and her forefinger and thumb were rubbing circles on the temples of her forehead, eyes screwed shut. Raccoon Leo was sunbathing beside her, daintily holding a sheet of tinfoil wrapped around a piece of cardboard he had foraged.

''Annabeth, you're making me dizzy.''

''Sorry.'' The latter sat down as soon as she had been called out, posture straight and stiff, gaze set on what was ahead of her, and hands in her lap, fiddling with her dagger. Once or twice it slipped due to her sweaty palms, making the odd scratch or chipping her nails into uneven and jagged edges.

Charlie sighed, her head had tilted backwards to watch her friend, and now she let her back collapse back onto the cushioning before spinning around, legs firmly hitting the decking, forearms on knees, joining in Annabeth's stare.

''So.'' The blonde turned to look at her. ''What can we do about it?''

Annabeth looked back down at her dagger, absently wiping the small drop of blood from where she'd pricked herself. ''I've already sent a holographic scroll as warning. And I've debriefed you all ― there's a plan, a backup plan, a back-up back-up plan, and a secondary back-up back-up plan in case the variables change. Plus, I reminded you about that nursery rhyme with 'please and thank you'.''

''Exactly,'' Charlie said, matter-of-factly. ''You've done literally everything you could possibly do. What does that tell you?''

''That we're prepared.''

''So why are you so worried?''

Annabeth furrowed her brow. ''Because. Things can still go wrong.''

''Such as?''

''The Romans misunderstanding―''

''Bethie,'' Charlie scolded lightly, turning her stature so she was on the floor, knelt on one knee, holding Annabeth and her dagger still as she initiated eye-contact. ''What are you really worried about?''

Annabeth sighed, posture slackening as she curled towards Charlie's presence, trying to shield herself, though no one else was paying attention to the two of them and no one really cared about showing emotions around the other anymore.

''Because... What if I'm wrong, Charlotte? What if Percy isn't there?''

''Then we continue the search.''

''It's that simple?''

''It is when you don't overthink it.''

''Right, you're right.''

Charlie winked. ''Always am.''

Moment ruined, Annabeth scoffed, hand shoving Charlie away by her face, causing the girl to fall onto her rear-end, head cocked back in a loud and joyous laugh. One that drew in Leo's attention. Jason snickered, elbow harshly hitting Leo's side, causing the boy to turn them to the left by a few micromillimetres, before he redirected them on course, hoping Annabeth hadn't noticed.