Daughter of Olympus - [Leo Valdez xF!Oc]

No I Don't Make Sense, Stop Asking

Lily knows it's crazy to blame my brother, and she agrees that trying to kill me was definitely not right, Nico isn't entirely innocent. 

However, she considers Percy isn't good enough if he can't keep a younger girl from dying, which of course I argue against, but she ignores it. She drops her crush on my brother and decides to focus on my training. 

"You won't fail," she says as she plans out our new schedule. "If Nico's set his mind on avenging Bianca, you can't stay as weak as you are now."

"Thanks," I scoff.

"He's a big three kid, you're not even the daughter of a war god," Lily raises a brow. "Ask Percy to train you during your free time in New York, visit as often as you can—"

"We don't even know where Nico is or what he plans to do!"

"If he comes for you," Lily presses. "I can't help you. Hades is my patron, I can't fight his son! I need you to be an excellent warrior. Please, can you do it for me?"

No one has ever worried for my well-being like this, except Percy. After Nico's vague threat, he gets a little paranoid and thinks Nico will hunt me down when no one's looking. 

I think everyone's overreacting. Nico and I are friends!

***

"Oh, no way," Leo exclaims as he enters the hunter's tent. "We've been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!"

Phoebe sneers at Leo. "Boys." 

"Easy, Pheebs," Ara walks in grinning. "I answer for these boys, they don't bite."

"General Jackson," Phoebe glances at Ara's bandaged hand. "It's good to see you're out in the field again."

"Feels good to be back."

"They'll need extra coats," Thalia lists as she enters. "And I think we can spare some chocolate."

While the boys change and drink, Ara makes sure her scratches, bruises, and burns are nothing to worry about. "Did you fight with your bare hands this whole time?" Thalia teases her. "It's lucky Artemis blessed you! What's with all the wounds?"

"Let's see..." Ara counts with her fingers. "We fought cyclops, sorceresses, a werewolf, the nemean lion..."

"But we killed that one!"

"They're coming back," she replies gravely. "And faster than before, too. I don't know what's happening, things don't stay dead now."

Thalia's alarmed by the news, but she tries to play it cool. "But you handled it like a champ, huh?" She points at the pelt next to Piper. "You did that?"

Ara makes a face. "I wasn't going to. I tamed him but then Medea—"

"Tamed it?" Phoebe raises a brow. "You tamed the Nemean lion?"

The girl shrugs. "I wanted to give it a try and it worked."

Thalia laughs and turns to Jason. "You can trust Ara to go above and beyond to keep anyone safe. I mean, look at her, should be enough proof, huh?"

"We can't thank her enough," Jason nods with lots of gratitude. "She's already brought me back from the dead once."

"In that case, I should thank her too," Thalia pats her shoulder roughly. "We're all pleasantly surprised to see how far you've come, Birdy."

Ara stares down at her feet, she's thinking of Michael again.

***