"I'll see you in battle preparations. I just have to go home and make sure that..."
"Carina, it's fine. Go see your family, besides, my father also needs me at home anyway," Theodore shrugged.
Climbing the hill, Carina and Theodore carried their bags and took short steps to prolong the climb. Days after their kiss, the two wanted nothing more than to spend the remaining days of normalcy with each other before jumping into war. Arriving at the top of Half-Blood Hill, they walked to the arch where the border was, and the sight of a car approaching. It was Carina's family car. Turning to each other, Carina and Theodore sighed as they knew it would be a while before they saw each other – with Carina heading to school again, and Theodore being homeschooled by his father. Seeing the car, Theodore pulled Carina in the direction of Thalia's old tree, hiding them from her parents, and then kissing her deeply.
"I'll see you around," Theodore said as soon as he pulled away.
"I'll see you around," Carina nodded. She kissed him again and then left the tree to meet her parents.
Theodore came out of the hiding spot and saw Carina be greeted by her father with a warm embrace, and then later by her mother who had a large baby bump. The sight of it had Carina grinning and hugging her mother tightly, but not too tight to crush the baby.
"Turns out, I was already two months pregnant when you left for camp," Emmanuelle said. "Are you upset?"
"What?! No! I'm glad, more than glad!" Carina wiped her tears. "I've always wanted a little brother or sister."
"Well, you'll never know with gods," Sirius sighed as he took his daughter's bag. "One might just pop out of nowhere, you know."
Waving goodbye to Theodore, Carina got in the car with her family, and they all left for home. Just watching them, Theodore knew that the war they were going to fight in meant more now, especially with more people counting on them to win it. If only he had the power to end the war right then and now.
Another car came from a distance, it was a black 1948 Jaguar XK120 that had the top down. Exiting the car, Theodore was met by his father. They shared no greetings and went straight to business.
"The labyrinth?" Nott asked.
"Dead, along with Daedalus," Theodore said as he got on the passenger side. "But, we have a bigger problem. Kronos is back, and he's inhabited Luke Castellan's body."
Nott sighed. "What do you need?"
"A map of Manhattan, and a battle plan."
"Then we have work to do."
~*~
The mission was supposed to be simple, Percy and Beckendorf were supposed to blow up Luke/Kronos's cruise ship of monsters and end the war, but plans don't always go as they were made to be. When Carina saw Percy emerging from the waters, she quickly jumped down her post to greet him and ask about the mission, but before she could ask about Beckendorf, Percy's face was enough to give her the bad news.
"Oh no... Roman... he's," Carina swallowed a lump. "And Silena."
Percy nodded grimly. The two of them walked back to the direction of camp and were greeted by the sight of the entire population of Camp Half Blood. Since four summers ago, the camp's number dwindled from deaths, campers never returning, and those who have turned to the other side – Crabbe and Goyle being one of them (though Clarisse would show off that she didn't care, they knew that she was hurt that her brothers left). The news of mission failing was not as bad as the news of Beckendorf's death. Silena was brought away by Clarisse as the girl mourned for her boyfriend, and Roman held on to Morgan as he lost a brother he was close to, and now it was his duty to look after Cabin 9 as he was next to Beckendorf with rights to lead – since he already completed a quest.
Not long after Percy returned from his failed mission, a senior counselor meeting was held. With Beckendorf's death, Roman was present as the new Head Counselor of Cabin 9, then then there was Carina – the only member of the Nike Cabin – then the other senior members: Annabeth and Theodore for the Athena Cabin, Clarisse for the Ares Cabin, Michael Yew for Apollo, the Stoll twins for Hermes, Pollux for Dionysus, Katie Gardner for Demeter, Silena for Aphrodite, and – of course – Percy for Poseidon.
Though they were in a middle of a war against the Titans, they too were having one at the rec room... over the ping-pong table as Clarisse kept arguing with Michael Yew about their claim for a quest loot. The arguing ended with Clarisse walking out of the meeting, apologizing to Silena, and then leaving the rec room.
"She can't be serious, right?" Carina spoke. "We can't win a war without war. You have to admit, even with Athena's battle strategy, we need Ares' bloodlust and war-freaks for this."
"Her pride has been wounded, she'll calm down eventually," said Chiron. "Now if you please, Percy has something that you should hear – the Great Prophecy."
The mention of the Great Prophecy had them all stand up straight, but for Silena who was still in mourning. As Percy read the prophecy from the rolled piece of paper – pausing every time due tohis dyslexia, thankfully Annabeth was there to help – a chill ran down their spines.
"A half-blood of the eldest gods... shall reach sixteen against all odds.
And see the world in endless sleep,
The hero's soul, curse blade shall reap,
A single choice shall end his days,
Olympus to preserve or raze."
"Raise," Connor spoke. "That's good, right?"
"Raze not raise, you blithering idiot," Theodore spoke.
Connor muttered under his breath. Luckily, everyone was used to Theodore's bluntness and harsh words that could strike a person's soul.
"It means to obliterate. Annihilate. Destroy. Turn to rubble," Annabeth added.
"Got it, thanks," said Connor.
"Hold on, a hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap?" Carina spoke. "You're not saying that Percy's going to... no – that's not."
"Prophecies have double meaning," said Annabeth.
"What can be a double meaning with reap?" Percy asked.
"Hold on, maybe we can stop it," Roman spoke. "Cursed blade – let's find the cursed blade and destroy it! Kronos has a scythe, right? Maybe that's it!"
"Perhaps we should let Percy think for a moment," said Chiron.
"No, I don't need time. If I die. Then I die," said Percy. "Besides, we have other problems. We've got a spy."
The mention of spy made Carina flinch. Two summers ago, Luke gave her a scythe to use to contact him about Camp, and to turn to their side. She would be lying if she said that she didn't consider the option, but after the whole labyrinth, Luke using her, and the reality striking about the Titans, and getting over her godly-mother issues, she got rid of it by giving it to Lord Hermes. But it wasn't just Carina who was affected by the story of Percy when Kronos told him about the spy, Silena burst to tears, especially at the mention of Beckendorf.
"Well, we have been suspecting about a spy for years, right? Somebody kept giving information to Luke," said Connor.
"Percy, there's something you need to know," Carina spoke.
"What? You're the spy?" Travis scoffed.
"Carina, don't," Theodore spoke.
"By trust shall victory take flight," Carina recited the prophecy of their quest. "Maybe that's why I haven't been able to get my wings out."
"Hold on, wings? You have wings?" Percy asked.
"The day Luke left, he left me something... it was a scythe keychain, he told me to use it to contact him. And believe me when I tell you that I never gave Luke anything – he's been trying to get me to join his side – that's what our whole quest was about."
"Hold on, I'm lost here," Percy spoke. "What Quest?"
"Remember when we went missing for five months?" Theodore spoke.
"Yeah, you were on a scouting mission in the labyrinth."
"No, we were there on a Quest." Theodore pulled out the tablet that had the prophecy about him, Carina, and Roman. "The day I was born, my mother sent this to my father. It was a prophecy about the daughter of Nike choosing sides in war... only by trust shall victory take flight. When Carina finally made her decision, her mother blessed her with wings."
"But even before the quest, I already got rid of the stupid keychain – Lord Hermes came to me and helped me with it, but he also told me to look out for other spies... Percy, I'm sorry for not telling you," Carina spoke. "I was just scared."
"Well, you should have told me before, then maybe we could have prevented Beckendorf's death!"
Silena cried even more.
"Percy..."
"So, who else could Luke have contacted?" Katie spoked. "It could be one of Hermes' cabin too."
Travis, Connor, and Carina started arguing with her.
"Stop!" Silena banged her fist on the table. "Charlie's dead and you're all acting like children!"
"She's right," Pollux spoke. "Accusing each other won't be of help. What we need to do is to look out for a silver scythe charm. Is that right, Carina?"
Carina nodded stiffly.
"How can we be sure of her word?" Michael spoke.
"Dude, we just agreed to not accuse each other!" Roman remarked.
"How about this?" Carina looked at Percy in the eye. "I swear to the River Styx that I never gave Luke or Kronos or any of our enemies anything about what we're doing here in camp or our plans. And I never used it before I gave it to Lord Hermes to destroy."
Silence came to the room. To swear to the River Styx was a serious thing to do. Many expected Carina to drop dead after doing the vow, but the fact that she remained alive meant she never became a spy for Luke. But even as she swore to the River Styx, she could see that Percy was having a hard time believing her.
~*~
"I should never have opened my big mouth," Carina groaned.
"Yeah, you shouldn't have," Roman spoke.
Sitting at Roman's forge, Carina hung her head low as she felt the stairs of the other campers. The supposed traitor, she could guess what they were whispering about. Great, she thought, now the whole camp thinks she was a spy and won't believe a word she says.
"But, it's essential now that you helped me remember the verse in the prophecy of our quest, because I don't think it's over," Theodore said.
"What do you mean?" Roman stopped with his hammering.
"With trust hall victory take flight. I think your whole wings-problem goes back to that. You haven't told Percy and the others but for us, Annabeth, and Chiron, about the scythe... you don't trust them that they won't turn on you. Our quest isn't over, you need to trust them."
"But I do! I do trust them!" Carina exclaimed.
"But do you trust them enough to watch your back now that they think you're a supposed spy?"
Carina fell silent. She would be lying if she said that she did, only a fool would say "Yes, I trust them with my life because I am a good person!", that only works for Mary Jane characters in movies. Carina was a person who had reservations and her own mind. Besides, if she were in the situation of the other campers, she too would have suspicions on the person who claimed to have had the scythe, that is until they would swear to the River Styx... because no one was allowed to break that vow.
"Do you trust us? Me?" Theodore asked her.
Carina turned to him and took his hand. "With my life. And you?"
Theodore smirked. "You didn't even have to ask."
Roman groaned. "Seriously, you two, get a room."
After hearing his comment, Theodore and Carina punched Roman at the shoulder.
~*~
Percy's sudden disappearance alarmed everyone in camp, but what was more alarming was the message he sent Annabeth about leaving camp and coming to the city and protect Mount Olympus – or rather, the Empire State Building. Riding the Delphi Strawberry Service, Carina and the other demigods prepared for battle by fixing their armor, preparing their weapons, and saying their prayers to their own godly parent. It was the first time since the labyrinth that Carina spoke to her mother asking for fortune in battle. Looking up, Carina saw Theodore looking at her from across the van.
"Hey, if I die, I want the best shroud there is," Carina tried to lighten the mood.
"Idiot, if you die, I die – and that a fact bcause of the vow I made. And maybe I should remind you that if I die, you and Roman will die too, since you idiots made a vow to the Styx as well," Theodore crossed his arms over his chest.
"Right, so... no dying – both of you," she gestured to him and Roman, who sat at the other end of the van.
"Yeah, I'll put that in my to-do list!" Roman sarcastically called out.
"Oi, it would be a shitty death if I died just because you did, Alston!" Theodore exclaimed.
"Please, you love me!"
Many of the campers in the van chuckled at their little banter. But it died down as soon as the van stopped. Coming out, they all gathered around Percy, waiting for his command, then followed him to the elevator at the Empire State. Arriving at Olympus, they all went to the throne room where a goddess sat. It was Hestia. The goddess spoke to Percy about a curse of Achilles before Percy suddenly collapsed. When Percy recovered, they were soon in the presence of Lord Hermes.
"Guys, why don't you all survey the area. Check the defenses, see who is left in Olympus," said Percy.
"But – " Silena began.
"Good idea. Theodore, you take lead," said Annabeth.
Nodding, Theodore led the team to sweep Olympus and see its defenses. As they swept the grounds of Olympus, Carina stopped in her tracks as she came across the view of Manhattan below.
"What's wrong?" Roman came to her side.
"Do you hear that?" Carina spoke.
They were silent for a moment.
"I don't hear anything," said Roman.
"Exactly – Theodore, you better check this out!"
Coming to their side, Theodore asked what it was, and all Carina and Roman said to him was to listen to the city. Nothing, there was no sound of traffic or people at all, just pure silence and the wind. Taking out his magical compass that also serves as a telescope, Theodore had a closer look at the scene.
"Oh, no," he muttered.
Running back to the throne room, Theodore called for Percy and Annabeth, telling them to see what Carina and Roman saw. Gathering at the side of the mountain, Carina handed Percy the binoculars to see with his own eyes what has happened to the city: people lying on the ground, cars stopped, everything stopped.
"Are they dead?" Silena asked.
"No, not dead... Morpheus has put them all to sleep. The invasion has started," said Percy.
~*~
Coming down from Olympus, Percy started giving orders for their defense, with Annabeth and Theodore's eagle eye with Daedalus' shield, and Theodore's advance war planning with his father, they managed to set up a battle strategy that would protect Manhattan and its people, and especially Olympus. Before Roman left to join his group, he gave Theodore and Carina a brotherly embrace and then led the team; and just as Theodore got his orders, he promised his sister that he would report to her as soon as he can, and when he turned to Carina, he kissed her shortly.
"Stay strong," he whispered to her.
Carina rested her forehead on his and said, "Stay strong."
"You know what to do," he kissed her again. After releasing her, Theodore commanded in Greek, calling his siblings to form a platoon that would head to their assigned location, and Carina joining the Apollo cabin group, as per Annabeth and Theodore's strategy.
Outgunned. Outmanned. Outnumbered. Those were the words that Carina would explain the situation they were in. Fighting the hoard of monsters, she and the Apollo cabin fought with all their might but was not enough. The entire time, she kept praying for her mother's blessing but it seems that Nike was too busy doing something else. Throwing her javelin, she created a monster kebob before they all burst to flames, and with a simple reach, the javelin returned to her hand for her use. The first few waves, they all had luck and strategy to thank, but it didn't mean they were completely unharmed or did not suffer casualties.
In the middle of the battle, Carina found her parents in a car with her baby brother. All three of them asleep. With the help of the Apollo cabin, they pushed the vehicle to safety, and Carina took the blanket that dropped on the ground and placed it on her brother's lap to keep him warm. The sight of her family there just enraged her more and wanted to throw her javelin at Kronos' face, or Morpheus as it was the Titan who put the whole island to sleep. But it wasn't just Carina who found her family, Percy too found his mother and step-father, and Theodore found his father asleep in his car, and at his passenger side was a sword. The sword of Perseus. The Harpe. And on its hilt was a sticky note that said: "Theodore."
"I think your father was going to give this to you," said Malcolm, one of Theodore's brothers.
Theodore took the sword from the seat and unsheathed the blade. It was the sword that his ancestor Perseus used to decapitate the gorgon, Medusa. After he put up the top down of the car, made sure that his father was comfortable, Theodore returned to join his brothers and sisters in the battle.
They managed to survive the first few waves until the drakon came. The sight of the large serpent had everyone petrified. No one moved once they looked into its eyes that the only way to defeat it – logically without Ares – was in the air.
"PERCY!" Carina approached him. "Do you trust me?"
"What? This isn't the time –"
"DO YOU TRUST ME?" Carina grabbed his arm.
Looking at her, Percy could see the girl's battered form, her body covered in scars and monster ash and goo, her eyes completely tired from all the fighting, and for a moment, it wasn't Carina who he met at his first time in camp that he saw, and not the one his brain kept imagining a traitor.
"I do trust you."
"Good," Carina released him and ran straight at the drakon.
"HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Before the drakon's sprayed poison at her, Carina jumped out of the way and flew above the drakon. Percy couldn't believe what he was seeing, Carina was covered in a gold aura and on her back sprouted golden wings that gave her the ability to fly. With trust shall victory take flight, Percy remembered. So, this was what they meant, he thought. Though Carina battling the drakon in the air was an improvement with his own battle with the large monster, it still wasn't enough. They knew that only Ares can defeat the monster. And that was what came, from afar, the Ares Cabin came, and they were being led by Clarisse on the chariot. Their attack on the drakon did not last as one of the Ares children got eaten and one of them got sprayed by its poison.
The death of Silena sparked a flame in Clarisse that the girl was given the blessing by her father. It didn't matter to them that Silena was the spy, she was reluctant to do so, and knowing about how Luke used her enraged Carina even more. She aided Clarisse in the battle, being the charioteer and handing the girl her own spear and javelin to kill the drakon. Once the drakon was killed, the bigger problem came as Kronos led his army.
The battle commenced with demigods battling monsters. On the streets, Roman swung his battle ax and beside him was Theodore who fought with the Harpe, and in the air, with a couple of sons of Apollo, Carina rose the flying chariot, creating an image of the goddess Nike herself, but in combat boots, pants, and an orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, and instead of a crow of laurel, she wore a bronze helmet.
In the middle of the battle, the sleep on the people of Manhattan was removed and all were awake once again, many were running but the demigods were sure that it wasn't monsters of zombies they saw, and wondered what. In the middle of the chaos, Carina saw her father and mother, running with her brother in her mother's arms. Carina handed the reigns of the chariot to one of the sons of Apollo and flew down to save them from a monster that came at them.
"CARINA!" Emmanuelle cried out.
"You have to run – get to safety – Uncle Remus' place isn't far," Carina ushered them to a random car, but when she tried to start it, the engine won't go to life. "Damnit!"
A honking sound caught their attention. Riding on a 1948 Jaguar, Theodore and Roman jumped out, leaving Theodore's father at the driver's seat.
"Get in," Nott told Carina's family.
"The safest place right now is my father's home," Theodore told them. "Go!"
Sirius ushered his wife and son to the car, having them sit at the back, but before he got in at the front, Carina handed him her pugio, the knife that Regulus gave her.
"You better come home or you're grounded, young lady," Sirius told her.
Carina smiled. "Yeah, don't want that... thank you, Mr. Nott."
Nott nodded at her way before turning to her mother. "Do you happen to know how to use a bow?"
"I don't believe I do," Emmanuelle replied.
"Then what use are you."
"Oi, mate, that's my wife," Sirius remarked.
"Father, be nice," Theodore chastised.
After saying their goodbye, Nott rode his car away from the battle to get Carina's family to safety, and the entire time, Sirius used the bow and arrow to shoot down the monsters that came at their way. Laughing whenever he would kill a monster as it reminded him of his young legacy life.
Returning to the battle, Carina, Roman, and Theodore fought more and more monsters. She managed to get the chariot once again and fought flying monsters in the air and send away aerial attacks with her wings. The battle seemed endless, Carina threw and swung her spears while flying or on the ground, Theodore sliced through monsters, while Roman kept chopping them to bits with his ax.
"This is getting us nowhere," Roman panted, leaning on the car. "I'm really hungry, and it doesn't help that there's a McDonald's just across the street."
"We can go to McDonald's later, I'll even pay," Carina swung her spear, slashing at a monster.
"And where did you get that money?" Theodore asked.
To demonstrate, Carina decapitated a monster with her spear, but at the same time, she destroyed a payphone where coins spilled out.
"I see," Theodore muttered.
In the middle of their battle, a shift was felt in the air and suddenly the Titans fled. Confused, Carina was about to strike at one but Theodore stopped her before she could kill anyone as it was a retreat. And just like that the war ended. They all were called to ascend to Olympus, and just as they came, they saw a body being brought down by the three Fates, and it was covered by a shroud that had the mark of the Hermes cabin. It was Luke. Carina had no doubt about it.
The realization of Luke's death had her stop in her tracks. Theodore and Roman urged the others to report to the throne room while they went to see her.
"Carina?" Roman asked.
"I don't understand, Luke did all of this but... why do I feel this?" Carina's hands balled to a fist.
"Maybe it's because you know deep down that that wasn't Luke," Theodore spoke. "It was Kronos... Luke was just a pawn in his game. There's no shame in admitting that you loved Luke like a brother before he was tricked by Kronos – he was this big brother you all shared in Cabin 9. You looked up to him."
And Theodore was right, even though she hated Luke for what happened in the Arena, the scythe, the treachery, and the whole war, a part of her hoped that the Luke she met in Camp Half-Blood would still be there. Coming to the throne room, her hopes were made true after hearing what Percy said about Luke. The gods had their council meeting, recounting the battle until they finally gave credit to the heroes who fought in the war. When it was Percy's turn, his rejection of the gifts of the gods was... a scandal. It offended Zeus, especially when Percy started pointing out the reasons for what caused the war and had them promise to acknowledge all of their children, and the Minor gods as well.
"And the minor gods, they all deserve amnesty and a place in Camp Half-Blood!" Percy said. He turned to Carina. "No more unclaimed demigods in Cabin 9. They will have their own cabins in camp."
"Which you already started to build without our permission," Apollo glanced at Carina's way, but the girl just rocked on her feet and whistled as she avoided the gaze of the gods. Her cabin wasn't really acknowledged by the gods, but for Mr. D.
After the gods, reluctantly, agreeing to Percy's demands, work was already done to keep such promise. And in the middle of the formal gathering, Tyson suddenly came to the hall and exclaimed, "All hail Percy Jackson! Hero of Olympus... and my big brother."
Laughing, Carina joined in the cheer. "ALL HAIL, PERCY JACKSON! HERO OF OLYMPUS... and my great-great-great-great uncle!"
"Wait, what?" Percy turned to her in confusion.
~*~
Coming down from Mt. Olympus, Carina was greeted by the sight of her family standing beside the black Jaguar (that had many monster scratches), and with them were Theodore's father, and Percy's mother and step-father. The moment her brother saw her, he started making grabbing motions towards her, and Carina wasted no time in coming to meet them.
"You're okay!" Emmanuelle wrapped her in an embrace.
"I should be telling you that!" Carina told them, she then took her baby brother from his carrier and held him tight. "I was so worried about you, Damian". The toddler giggled and pulled on his sister's hair.
While Carina was reunited with her family, Theodore went to his father. He winced when he saw the large scratches on the car.
"That's going to be more than a paint job," Theodore said.
"Aye, it will be," Nott sighed. "Hope your friend is good with cars, I might ask him to fix it for me."
"Roman?"
"Who else?" Nott looked at his son for a moment then wrapped in an embrace. Theodore was in shock with his father's actions, never had his father show such affection. The most he probably did was a pat on the back or a handshake.
"Carina!" Percy called for her.
"What?" Carina turned to him.
"I need a lift to Camp Half-Blood. No one, and I mean no one steals my Pegasus."
~*~
"This is not how I imagined it to be," Percy said.
Flying over the city of Manhattan, heading to Long Island, Percy was being carried like a princess by Carina, and on the ground, the campers were following them via the bus. He was having second thoughts of just taking the bus with Annabeth and the others than asking Carina to carry him. From the hero of Olympus, he was now... he wasn't sure what to call him, but what he was sure was Roman taking pictures of him being carried by Carina, and his butt was the first thing that would be seen in those photos.
"What did you expect, I turn to a Pegasus and you ride on my back to camp?" Carina asked. "Hold on, Princess, we're close."
"I thought I'd be given a piggyback ride," Percy admitted.
"Yeah, no."
Arriving at camp, Carina dropped Percy at the Big House where they found Rachel Elizabeth Dare. Their arrival came just in time as the girl announced that she is now the new Oracle, which meant she can't date anyone, that was towards Percy which gained the interest of the nosiest campers: Roman and Carina.
"So..." Roman bumped his hip at Percy's. "You and Rachel."
"Knock it off!" Percy pushed him away.
"Abuse! That's abuse, right there!"
Dinner at the pavilion was low-key, and with new children of the gods being claimed, she was later joined by other demigods from minor gods at the table – a temporary set-up as things were still being built for them. It gladdened her to be reunited with some of her fellow Cabin 11 friends on the table. After dinner, while other joined the singalong, Theodore invited Carina to join him at her new bunk where it was still empty.
"It won't be long until you're sharing with someone," Theodore said.
"Until then..." Carina pulled Theodore by his shirt and pinned him to the post in her cabin. "Let's use the privacy –"
"Ahem."
Turning to the door, Carina and Theodore saw Connor and Traves escorting two girls standing there. Both were carrying their own luggage and both were snickering at the sight of the public display of affection.
"What can I help you with?" Carina asked.
"Your new bunkmates," Connor gestured to the two girls.
"Wait, this is the Nike Cabin."
"Yeah, we know," said the twin girls.
"This is Holly and Laurel Victor," said Travis. "Daughters of Nike."
"So..." Laurel came to Carina's side. "You're Mom's favorite."
"I'm not," Carina stepped back.
"Well, she did give you the blessing," said Holly.
"Yeah, but –"
"And from all of us, you're the only one with a special gift from her."
"If you want a gift, go ask her for one," Carina stated.
"I'll see you at the beach after you help them get settled Counselor Carina," Theodore teased as he left the cabin.
Facing her new sisters, Carina sighed. "Fine – those are your beds," she pointed at the bunk beds. "Your things go at your trunks, and no clutter."
"Who gets the top bunk?" Holly asked.
"Talk it out."
"I should get the top bunk, I'm the eldest!" Laurel exclaimed.
Holly scoffed. "Yeah, right."
As the two girls started to argue, Carina stood beside the Stoll twins and watched the future of the Nike Cabin for years to come. Nike was the goddess of fortune, and is the competitive one... it shouldn't be a surprise to see the children of Nike being... competitive. Before Holly or Laurel could take out their knives, Carina made a compromise, both the girls will take the top bunks, while she moves to the bottom one, that way they both are the top. After that was settled, Carina escaped her sisters and went to the beach where Theodore said he would be. Arriving there, she found him training with his sword, the Harpe, swinging it around, attacking the dummy. When he did a killing blow, Carina made herself known.
"How are your new sisters?" Theodore asked.
"I miss being an only demi-child."
Theodore laughed at her statement. Carina took his sword and tested its weight and balance.
"Where's Roman?" she asked.
"With Morgan, he finally got one of the sons of Apollo to join him in his little song – it was Austin who gave in to Roman's begging. So, if you hear a screeching harpy, it's Roman not the harpies in camp."
Carina snorted, she then tossed Theodore's sword back at him, took one of her hair sticks to summon her spear and attacked. Theodore easily blocked her swings, and every time he tried to get close, Carina would move back to keep the distance, but eventually, they moth met halfway with the sword clashing with the spear's bronze holder.
"You know, I've never been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art," Theodore began.
Carina grinned. "Is this your way of asking me to ask you to go on a date?"
"How does Friday sound? If you want, we can invite Roman –"
"We can bring Roman along next time..." Carina dropped her stance and stabbed her spear on the ground. "It's a date, then?"
Theodore nodded. "It's a... date."
"Should I pick you up here?"
"No, my father's taking me home. He plans on having me enrolled in an actual high school now... I guess the only reason he didn't was because of the whole prophecy."
"Then I hope he chooses the school I'm going to..."
"Which is where?"
"I have no idea. We're still scouting."
Dropping his sword, and making sure that they won't be disturbed, Theodore cupped Carina's cheeks and pulled her to a kiss. Smiling, Carina wrapped her arms around him. Theis kiss was suddenly interrupted when a wave swallowed them both to the shallow parts of the sea, recovering from their fall, Carina and Theodore saw campers crowding the beach, and Percy and Annabeth were there with them, and Roman was holding a polaroid camera to capture the moment.
"This is going on the scrapbook," Roman said.
Holly and Laurel snickered like little elves and made kissy faces at them.
"Yeah, I am definitely going to your high school because we are not going to have our privacy in this place," Theodore said.
"Agreed."
"Hey, look, it's a giant squid!" Roman ran towards them. "LARRY!"
Running out of the water, Theodore and Carina hooked their arms around Roman and took him away.
"ROMAN, NO!"
~ epilogue ~
After their date at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carina and Theodore walked back to her home to have dinner with her family. It was an agreement they made with her parents, Carina would bring her boyfriend home so they would meet him, and by they, Sirius meant the whole family, which included the Potters, the Goldsteins, and Remus.
"I swear, if Dad does this whole 'I don't like you' tell me – and if Uncle James also –" Carina began.
Theodore laughed. "You forget, I lived in Camp Half-Blood half of my life, I can handle a few chaotic family members. Don't worry about it."
"They can be embarrassing sometimes..."
"Doesn't matter, and besides, they can't drive me away."
Stopping at her front door, Carina kissed Theodore, knowing she can't do it once they enter the house.
"Let's go hop on a train and see another museum or we could have dinner at McDonald's," Carina said between kisses.
"No, you promised that we're joining your family, so we're joining them for dinner."
Sighing, Carina kissed him again before opening the door and made herself known.
"Mom, Dad, we're here!" Carina called out.
The house was unnaturally quiet, and it made the two demigods uneasy. Reaching for their weapons – Carina to her hair sticks and Theodore to his architecture scroll which hid the Harpe – they crept towards the dining area.
"CARINA!" Damian waddled from the dining area.
Hiding her spear, Carina picked up her little brother. "Hey, D, where's everybody?"
"Surprise!" Damian threw his arms in the air.
"Oh, honey, welcome home! And to you too, Theodore!" Emmanuelle came out of the kitchen with an nervous look at her face. "Let me take your... sword."
"No need, Mrs. Black," Theodore said as he hid the sword in his blueprints holder.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Carina asked.
"Well... a relative came to visit."
"Is it Uncle Regulus?"
Emmanuelle let out an incoherent sound. Coming to the dining area to see, Carina was loss for words and dropped her brother – luckily Theodore caught him ("Seriously?" he muttered) – as she stared at the person sitting at the end of the table wearing a black NIKE dress and white NIKE shoes. And all crowding at the other side was her entire family, all intimidated at the woman whose presence screamed: I'M A GODDESS.
"Nike?" Carina spoke.
Nike got up from her seat. "Is that how you speak to your mother?"
"Surprise?" Sirius squeaked.
"Come give gommy a hug!" Nike opened her arms.
"Gommy?" Carina and Harry asked, confused.
"Godly-mommy, since Carina calls sweet Emmanuelle "mom", at least let her call me gommy."
"I stand corrected," Theodore whispered to her. "This is awkward."
"Mother –"
"Gommy."
"Gommy," Carina said through gritted teeth. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I came to see my favorite daughter, of course!"
"Yeah, Holly and Laurel are going to kill you," Theodore snorted.
"And I also wanted to meet the boyfriend!"
Theodore paled as Nike turned to him.
"Well!" Emmanuelle spoke, breaking the awkward silence. "Why don't we all sit down and have dinner. And I believe Nike brought wine?"
"The very best!" Nike proclaimed.
Carina sat down at Nike's right side, beside her was Theodore, and across from her was her father then mother, brother, and then the rest of the family. Emmanuelle was the only one trying to ease the awkward atmosphere and offered food to the goddess, adding a bow as she didn't know how to address a god.
"No need to bow, Emmanuelle, I couldn't possibly ask the woman who raised my child do such a thing," Nike pinched Carina's cheek.
"Mother –" Carina whined.
"Gommy."
"Are you going to ask Holly and Laurel to call you that as well?" Carina crossed her arms over her chest.
"No, because they call me mom."
"Are you also going to visit them?"
"Not now, I'm right here!"
"The twins are also asking for gifts; they're accusing you of favoritism as well."
"If the twins want my love they must compete for it."
Sirius and the others choked in their food, while Carina glared at her mother.
"Give them gifts," Carina demanded.
"Fine, I'll give them gifts," Nike took out her phone and had Hermes send the twins brand new NIKE merchandise.
"I meant magical weapons, gommy."
"Fine, I'll handle it later."
As Carina negotiated with her godly mother Theodore leaned over to Harry and whispered, "I can only imagine Mother's Day will be next year."
Harry snorted. "Agreed."