The Truth Behind The Myths

Everyone's Slowly Recovering

"Steve, if you make me drink another cup of soup I think I'm going to throw up."

Bucky laughed weakly from the bed he was lying in, watching as Steve fussed over Annabeth. The daughter of Athena was swaddled in two blankets already, and Thalia was digging through a closet at the other end of the room.

"To think, he used to be the one we'd have to swaddle and care for."

Annabeth smiled and disentangled herself from the outer blanket. Steve grunted in annoyance, but set the bowl of soup aside and sat down on the bed as she vacated it, leaning down to unlace his boots.

Bucky shifted himself over carefully as Annabeth walked over to his bed. She smiled and sat next to him, pulling one leg up underneath herself.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I got stabbed. He must have had the knife coated in something."

"Well there are no poisons in your system, that was one of the first things they checked." Steve shook his head. 

"Old poison can make people sick." Annabeth pointed out. The blond nodded quietly in agreement.

"Now what do we do?"

Steve looked up at the ceiling. "I guess we wait for Percy to show up and we try again."

"That should have fixed it." Bucky grumbled. "Winter Soldiers have always had some sort of reaction to water that neutralizes the inside instinct. And as the son of Poseidon, that should work double on him."

"Well if we know anything about Percy's life, it's that it is improbable and un-explainable."

"That's all there is to being a demigod." Thalia offered Annabeth another blanket. She stubbornly shook her head.

"I'm not dying, Thalia, I'm just cold. Actually, I'm not anymore, but I was."

The daughter of Zeus made a face and Annabeth smiled a little.

"I know you're trying to apologize for what happened earlier, Thalia, but it's really okay. There were issues and they were resolved."

"Well, she's still got to apologize to Percy, but you know..." Bucky mumbled.

"Well she can't if he's gone forever." Annabeth muttered, the smile dropping. "I have no clue where he is."

"He'll show up eventually. The kid's immortal, and even before that he just couldn't seem to die."

"No matter how many times the gods tried to kill him." Steve shook his head. "Poor guy."

"They told us he died during the war." Thalia said quietly. "The son of Poseidon and the son of Nike of legend."

"Aww, I'm a legend?" Bucky snorted. "That's cute."

"Legendarily annoying." Steve quipped.

Bucky threw an extra pillow at him. He ducked, grinning.

"Really though, is there anything more legendarily annoying than a skinny, asthmatic teenager getting into fights on every other street when walking through New York?" Annabeth snickered.

"Look, just because I was little didn't mean that I couldn't stand up for what's right!"

"I'm not saying that." Annabeth rolled her eyes, grinning. "I'm just saying that you bit off more than you could chew. Repeatedly."

Steve shrugged. "I don't like bullies."

"We know." Bucky and Annabeth chorused.

Thalia sat back a little, watching the three interact. She could tell that these three were very close, in a way that she and the other Hunters were. 

She'd almost ruined that. Unintentionally. She felt horrible, even though Annabeth had told her repeatedly that it was fine. She made a silent promise that she was going to make it up to them in some way or another.

A little girl came bursting into the building, looking frantic. Wanting to give the three their moment, Thalia hopped up and ushered her back out.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" She knelt in front of the girl, whose eyes were wide with terror.

"There's a man on the beach-"

That was all Thalia needed to hear.

"Take me to him."

The little girl nodded and ran off. 

Thalia ran back inside and grabbed her bow, just in case.

"What's going on, Thals?" Annabeth frowned.

"Lady Artemis called." If this wasn't Percy, Thalia didn't want to get her hopes up.

They nodded and Thalia dashed after the little girl.

There were a few Romans watching the beach warily from a good distance. Thalia ran straight past them, nocking an arrow as she crested the last hill.

Jackson seemed to be nursing a wrenched shoulder and an injured leg as he stumbled slowly up the sand dunes. There was a deep gash in his head, that seemed to still be bleeding despite the fact that he'd come from the water.

He looked up and made eye contact with Thalia. She had her arrow half drawn, watching him warily.

There was a clear, momentary flicker of recognition in the sea colored eyes.

"Help." Percy croaked weakly.

And then he collapsed.