Changing the Future

Chapter 84

"I have every bit of confidence in you, Annabeth Chase. You will be the first child of Athena to avenge your mother and recover her stature. That's a fact."

"Andy's right, wise girl," Percy said, pressing a kiss to Annabeth's forehead. "I learned a long time ago to never bet against you. You're going to do great."

"I'd feel more confident if I had some cool demigod power. Wisdom will only get me so far."

"Hey, intelligence trumps power any day of the week, in my opinion. And don't forget about that bracelet I gave you. You have it for a reason, kiddo," I reminded her. "Still, what kind of mother/big sister figure would I be if I didn't leave you with all the tools you need to succeed?"

Annabeth's eyes widened. "Don't you dare give me another high powered charm. I'm scared to use the bracelet as is. The last thing I need is to accidentally set the statue on fire because of my inexperience."

"No, no, it's nothing like that." I reached into my bag, my fingers curling around the small first-aid kit. It was smaller than Daedalus' laptop, so it should fit perfectly within her backpack. "This is a first aid kit from Apollo's infirmary. It shares a similar enchantment to Leo's tool belt. So long as it's some kind of medical supply, you'll be able to summon it from the kit. Braces, painkillers, an endless supply of gauze, et cetera. Heck, I've managed to get a pair of crutches out of those things when my friend broke his ankle playing soccer."

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Was part of me relieved when I didn't spew green smoke? Very much yes.

I guess it helped that I told the truth. Pete had broken his ankle during a friendly soccer game for some student organization, and I had pulled crutches out of the first aid kit. Looks like the Oracle couldn't do jack so long as I kept my mouth shut about the future.

"Andy, I can't take this from you. It's too much," Annabeth said, trying to return the kit to my hands. "What about Nico? He's probably going to need this once you find him."

"That's what the sickbay is for," Percy said, gently nudging the kit back into Annabeth's grasp. "I'd feel better if you had more than just a baggie of ambrosia down there in case you got hurt."

"What he said," I agreed. "Better safe than sorry. God knows how unstable the Roman underground is."

Between Percy and me, it seemed we had convinced Annabeth as she unzipped her backpack and slid the first aid kit in. She then looked at me and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Is there anything else you're dying to give me, or can I zip up my bag?"

"One last thing. Here ya go."

She caught the headlamp and turned it around in her hand. "You know, not packing this was an oversight on my part. Thanks."

"Any time, kiddo. That headlamp has a battery life of seventy-two hours, so it should last you more than enough time down there."

"We don't tell you this enough, Andy, but you're awesome," Percy said, visibly grateful.

Annabeth vehemently nodded her head. "Hands down the best goddess in existence."

My face burned as I smiled to myself.

"Hush, I prefer you both intact," I laughed. "Well, the Tiber is just over that hill. Here's 300 euros for lunch. Have a nice lunch date you two."

"Wait, you're not coming any further?" Percy asked.

"I thought you would've wanted to spend these last few hours together. No need for me to third wheel, right?"

"I guess."