| Third Person POV |
Willow felt like someone was watching her but there was nobody within a mile radius. She shrugged it off and ignored it. She stood up and left to train. She reached Chaos's castle training arena. It was more advanced than the camp's so it was a better exercise.
"Sally, turn the stimulation to the highest," she told the AI.
"Alright Miss Jackson. Anything else?" Willow shook her head then realized that the AI could not see her. "That would be all," the stimulation started. A world materialized in front of her. Assassins started appearing at all sides.
She stretched out her hand and a sword started forming. It looked like it was made from thin air. She held it up in a ready and attacking position.
They started running towards her but she didn't hesitate to disarm and kill them. She hacked and slashed. Dodging when they started swinging and stabbing her. One after another, they started falling.
There was one standing left. A shapeshifter.
It morphed into the one person she was trying so hard not to think about. He stood there in all his glory. Willow growled. They readied their position. "It's been a long time," he even had the same voice. Willow and the shapeshifter stalked each other around the arena.
"Not long enough," she snarled and attacked him. Both of them were a blur of red and white. They were fast enough to render time. They hacked, slashed, stabbed and lunged at each other in sync.
Until finally, the makeshift made a mistake. Willow faked stabbing him to the side but quickly changed to the right. Her sword went through his abdomen. "Order will never let his sides unguarded," she took out the sword and the makeshift faded back to the system.
"Willow Jackson, first trainee to finish the highest difficulty," Sally, the AI said. Willow stood back up and her sword faded from her hand. She rubbed her hands over her face and felt wet stains on her face.
She quickly wiped it off and took in a deep breath to calm her beating heart.
"That was impressive," she chuckled and smiled at nothing.
"Are you suppose to be here Di Angelo," The Son of Hades shrugged and leaned against the door. "Percy said that they were having a meeting or something," he said and pointed to the back. Willow sighed and nodded her head.
She tied her hair into a high ponytail. They walked out of the training room together in comfortable silence for a while. "Do you ever get lonely? When you were out in the world I mean," Nico asked out of the blue.
Willow didn't know how to respond. She took some time to think about it. "Sometimes I guess," she said as her mind wandered off.
"I never had anybody to confide my feeling to or anyone to care for me. So I learned to survive by myself," she said. Nico nodded his head.
"This leather jacket was, is, my protection of sort," she told him. She was wearing a dirty red coloured leather jacket. Now that she said it, Nico had seen her wear it every day.
No matter what she was wearing, it would always be on her. When he looked at her, she had a haunted look on her face. She always had a guarded expression too. Like how the older Greek campers had too but hers was more guarded.
He nodded his head. "You like Solace don't you," she told him suddenly. He got caught off guard. "W-What do y-you mean?" He stammered. She chuckled and turn to him.
"You can't lie to me you know," he blushed and sighed.
"It's not like he notices me anyways," they were suppose to be at the council hall but ended up to the highest tower in the castle. It towered over camp and everyone could be spotted from above.
Will Solace was teaching archery to the younger campers. Nico sighed and stared fondly at him. Willow looked at him and smiled sadly.
Love brings nothing but pain.
She didn't want to burst his bubble. But she also knew that Will liked him back. From above the balcony, everyone looked at peace. It was like they didn't even know they were at war. It had been months since it started and yet everything and everyone was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Willow had her suspicions a rousing but kept it at bay. "Will does like you, you know?" Nico sighed and leaned his head on the railing. Willow chuckled and patted his shoulders lightly. "How about this, I ask Will for you and see if he likes you," she whispered to his ear.
The Son of Hades widened his eyes and was about to protest but she had already disappeared. Only the sound of her laughter remained.
"WILLOW!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Daughter of Tartarus pushed open the door with a grin on her face. The others turned their heads to her while Thomas continued surveying the plans.
"Your late,"
Willow shrugged her shoulders and sat beside Tartarus. "By 30 minutes," he looked up and raised an eyebrow. She gave him a grin. "Get used to it," she told him and winked. Thomas rolled his eyes.
"For a speedster, you are really slow," Peter Rouge said. She smirked at him. "Well I wouldn't be too sure about that," she casually held out a wallet and opened it. Peter widened his eyes and then squinted them. "Isn't that my ...," he quickly checked his pocket.
Then cursed. Willow laughed a melodic laughter. She crossed her legs and leaned back while throwing the wallet to him. He caught it and glare at her. "I may or may not have looked through it," she pretended to pick her nails while giving him an innocent look.
Peter huffed and slouched back down on his seat. She chuckled just as the door swung open once again. Nico Di Angelo bursts in and stomped to one of the guests seat. He plopped down and huffed his hair out of his face. Willow grinned and made kissing faces at him. He glared at her while she cackled.
Thomas raised an eyebrow at the both of them but they both ignored him. "Well, as we were saying, Order hasn't attacked in quite some time which arouses suspicions. We are sending a team to scout the area," he told the two new comers.
Willow creased her eyebrows and thought for a moment. "I'll go," they looked at her. Tartarus and Poseidon looked like they wanted to object. What if she got hurt? What if she got captured? Both fathers of the girl thought. Thomas asked her a silent question. She rolled her eyes and nodded her head.
"I can take of myself. Please, I'm over three centuries old," she gestured her hand for them to continue. Thomas looked around the room. "Anyone else?"
Hands immediately shot up. "Apollo, Teresa, Austin, Hermes and Amy," he said. Some other people grumbled. The two fathers of Willow were reluctant to allow her to go on a quest with Apollo and Hermes. But after seeing the look she sent them, they nodded their head reluctantly.
"Okay, tomorrow at dawn, the six of you will travel to his-," he was interrupted by someone working in the palace barging in.
"Milord, someone send this," he lifted the object up to show him. It was a parcel wrapped in cable ties. Willow screamed and jumped onto the table. She started hyperventilating while crying. Everyone looked at her weirdly. Except Tartarus.
He immediately stood up and hugged her soothingly her quietly.
"I'll meet you outside," Thomas told the messenger. He nodded and left the room abruptly. Willow calmed down a little and wasn't on the table anymore but was still scared and shaking. Thomas and Poseidon got worried. What would cause her to have a panic attack?
Tartarus, what happened? Said Primordial looked up at Thomas. She had a panic attack. Something must have activated it. Thomas nodded her head and looked at his sister. She had calmed down but her face was wet with her tears. "You alright 'Low?" She nodded her head and leaned onto Tartarus's shoulder and closed her eyes.
"It's nothing," she whispered loud enough for them to hear. She stood up and left the room while hugging herself. Everyone had gotten a strange look on their face. But one question remained on their minds.
What could have caused the almighty sea warrior be so afraid of?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Word count: 1472
I tried to finish this as soon as possible because I'm going overseas for a few days with my family to visit my relatives. So I might not update for maybe a week I guess. If there's wifi or data, I'll update.
Yours sincerely,
Backbiter