Chapter 24: Memories Come a-ChristmasingNotes:Have I ever properly explained how much I hate the word nonplussed? Seriously, what the fuck does it even mean? It means being surprised... and its second definition is to be unsurprising. It's like the word sanction: its own antonym. And unlike the word sanction, you can't use context clues to figure out which meaning is correct. The word sanction is only used in response to either good or bad behavior, while nonplussed only comes after learning shocking news... which elicits either surprise or a shrug. Both uses of the damn word!
So, I never use nonplussed in my writing, and I never will! I never know which one the author means when I read it, and it's just a meaningless term to me. I have also vowed never to describe eyes as orbs.
Um... where was I? Why did I write this note? Wasn't I gonna ask you guys something...?
Oh, yeah.
So, I read and cherish every single comment I get, but I'm not sure if I should institute a policy of responding to all of them, or just reading them and not replying. I can promise you with 100% certainty that if you post a comment, I do read them. I don't want you to think I'm ignoring you guys, so I'm toying with responding to all comments posted here on out. Do you guys think I should? Would it be excessive? Considering it's you who would be most affected, and I can't decide, I thought I should ask you.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter TextChapter Twenty Four: Memories Come a-Christmasing
Yelena entered the bedroom, and saw Kate in the bed, hugging her knees.
She walked over, and sat next to her. "Listen, nobody blames you for reacting like that. You've had... a long day, Kate Bishop."
Kate nodded miserably. "My mother's working for an evil goddess, I killed a Titan who nearly killed me—again—and now I have to work with my ex whom I hate to save the world… and all that happened in the last several hours. So yeah, it's been a long day."
Yelena reached over and grasped her hand. "But there was one bright spot, wasn't there, Kate Bishop?" her lips were tugging up into a smile.
Kate smirked slightly, too. "Maybe..."
Yelena scoffed, and smacked her arm. "Kate Bishop, that was the best damn kiss of your life, and you know it."
Kate blushed, and looked down. "It was... and it was also the first damn kiss of my life."
She gasped. "Truly?"
"Maya and I never really got to that stage." She cleared her throat. "She wasn't settled into her sexuality, yet. She was paranoid and hesitant and stuff, so... we only held hands."
Yelena smiled mischievously. "Well. This is a most pleasant surprise, Kate Bishop. And I must say, you have much natural talent. Though it could be refined further with..." she leaned in slowly, "practice..."
Just before their lips connected, Clint opened the door.
Kate shoved Yelena back, who landed hard with her butt on the floor. Clint turned red when he realized what he'd walked in on. "Oh, um... I can come back?"
"No need." Yelena replied, standing up and glaring at Kate. "That wasn't necessary, Kate Bishop."
She blushed again. Kate found herself doing that a lot when Yelena was around. "Uh, sorry, Yelena. I just reacted."
She grunted, and brushed past Clint as she left the room.
Both Clint and Kate's faces were on fire, as an awkward silence settled over them.
Finally, he spoke. "Let's never discuss this again."
Kate nodded vigorously. "Agreed."
Both of them left, not meeting the other's eyes.
Eleanor and Hazel are being kept in the warehouse they brought the pair of you to. Hecate should be there, too. Maya signed, and Clint relayed it to everyone else.
Yelena frowned. "The same warehouse? Why would she continue to use it if her enemies know where it is?"
Maya shrugged, and Clint translated, "Warehouses are in short supply. It's easier to continue to use it instead of finding a new one."
Frank rubbed his mouth. "So, we break into the warehouse, find Hazel and Kate's mom, and defeat Hecate. Easy."
Except it'll be filled to the brim with monsters. Maya pointed out. And Tracksuits. Also, you don't know where in the building any of them are.
Nico said, "The last time we tried to break in didn't go so well, Frank. There'll also probably be a ton of Tracksuits and monsters."
Maya scowled. That's what I just said.
Kate frowned. "Clint, keep up."
He huffed in frustration. "I've never been an interpreter before, okay? It's one thing to know ASL, another to be fluent, and another to be able to translate at the same time! Sorry if I'm not fast enough! How about you do it? You were her interpreter at Camp Half-Blood, right?"
She sighed. "I was. Fine, I'll do it." Kate signed and notified Maya of the change in interpreters, who nodded.
You all need a better attack plan this time. She signed. No ropes that snap suddenly.
Will replied, "Agreed. Firstly—do we sneak in or overtly attack?"
Annabeth frowned. "I don't know if we can successfully sneak so many of us in, anyway. Fourteen people? It's a pipe dream to think we could pull that off."
Maya nodded. She's prepared for you. Remember the targeting beams around Olympus during the Battle of Manhattan? She's set up the same spell around the warehouse. She's expecting us to sneak in.
Kate noticed the subtle transition from you to us in Maya's words, and scowled as she translated.
Jason took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and put them back on. "It seems Hecate is so used to fighting with secrecy and subtlety, she's grown to expect her enemies to fight like that. She's got a weakness—she's forgotten how powerful brute strength can be."
Kate nodded. "So we attack head on. Three groups of five—one in the front, one on the left, one on the right. We make our way through her army of monsters and thugs—" Maya flinched. "—and we get to Hazel and my mom. We defeat Hecate and get Clint home in time for Christmas."
Leo whooped. "Yeah, baby! Sounds like we gotta plan. So, we ready to storm the Bastille?"
Annabeth raised her eyebrows. "How in the Hades do you know what the Storming of the Bastille is?"
Frank looked around. "Is there another Spanish tour guide around here somewhere? Or French in this case, I guess?"
Everyone laughed, while Leo looked affronted. "I read sometimes, okay? Just because I'm intensely sexy doesn't mean I'm an airhead."
Piper cackled, "Oh, feisty!"
Jason cracked a grin. "You guys have rubbed off on each other way too much."
Kate smiled. "I'm so glad you guys are back, honestly. Now, come on. Let's go free our inmates and defeat De Launay."
Kate, Clint, Leo, Piper and Yelena stood outside the front door of the warehouse. It was chilly and dark, and inside they could hear indistinct conversation from monsters.
Leo whispered, "So, when do we go in?"
"Once we hear the signal—" Kate replied, just as a bolt of lightning crashed through the glass ceiling and fried some monsters in the warehouse. Tracksuits and monsters alike bellowed and roared.
Clint nodded. "There it is. Let's go!"
They all streamed into the building, and Piper mumbled, "Why didn't we opt for a more subtle signal, again?"
Yelena chuckled as she armed her Black Widow Bites. "Because it is less cool, Piper. Way less cool."
A Laistrygonian roared and charged them, which caught the attention of some cyclopes, who rushed in to join the fun.
Kate rolled under the Laistrygonian, jabbing her daggers up into a very personal place. The Laistrygonian gave a high-pitched grunt of pain, and crumbled to dust.
Yelena shot a bolt into a cyclops's eye, and it screamed, desperately trying to pull the red weapon out. Piper lunged forward and dispatched the monster.
Clint fired an arrow at the last cyclops, celestial bronze. It sunk into his eye, and he collapsed into golden powder.
He grabbed the arrow, and stored it in his quiver, as Kate looked around. The other two groups were making their way past the monsters and thugs, but Hecate, Hazel, and her mother were nowhere in sight.
Maya ran over to Kate. They'll be in the throne room. Door on the left.
Clint sucked in a breath. "A throne room… like in the video."
Kate frowned at the door.
It was solid black, reminiscent of Mount Othrys. It was a complete break from the decor of the warehouse, as if someone had transplanted a Dark Lord's castle into the real world.
It gave Kate chills to look at.
We can handle the monsters and Tracksuits. Maya signed. You, Clint, and Yelena need to confront Hecate. End this, save your mother and your friend.
Kate nodded firmly.
Clint frowned. "Wait, why just us?"
Yelena said, "Because this is our quest."
Kate walked over to the door, followed by Clint and Yelena. She swung it open, revealing impenetrable darkness. At the same time, they all stepped through.
Kate was immediately confused. Clint and Yelena weren't beside her, though they'd been standing next to her only moments ago.
She looked around. She was in a long corridor, dark with no windows or anyone else. Kate cleared her throat. "Clint? Yelena? Where are you?"
There was no response, save for the unshakable feeling of dread and familiarity.
Familiar. Why is this so familiar? She wondered.
Then she heard something breathing heavily behind her.
Kate froze, the memories cascading through her mind. She was back the Labyrinth, pursued by something she could not see, intent on killing her, or worse.
Then, with heavy dragging footsteps, it began to chase her.
Kate gasped, turned and started running.
The creature behind her began to pant, moving faster. The hissing of snakes drifted from the creature, and chills ran down Kate's arms. She hatedsnakes. All Apollo kids did.
"Snakes." She whispered. "Why did it have to be snakes?"
But Kate began to slow—it was like she were in a nightmare, running through molasses.
The hot breath of whatever was behind her settled on her neck, and pure terror coursed through her. She had no idea what exactly the thing was, but she was at its mercy.
Then, the creature and the corridor was gone, and she was tumbling through the darkness, unable to see anything. She was trying to grasp at something, anything—
Then she landed in a short puddle in the middle of a battle.
She slowly got to her feet, only to see a Titan glowing down at her. He had harsh gold eyes, and a powerful fury that surrounded him.
Kate scrambled back. "No… you're dead!"
Hyperion snarled. "Am I, Kate? Or do I still live in your mind, torturing you after my death?"
Kate closed her eyes. "This isn't happening, this isn't happening!"
When she opened her eyes, she was underground, in a pitch-black chamber. The voice of Gaea crooned, So misguided. The little hero, vanquishing her foes… before her foes vanquish her in her mind. You are weak, Katherine Bishop.
Then, Kate felt the sensation of rocks crashing into her arms and legs, felt her throat gargle the rivers of the Underworld, and she was being tortured once again.
She screamed, and it immediately ended. Razor sharp and cold, the voice of Kronos spoke. My blade… my scythe, it kills more than its target. It seeps away at their identity, their name, their very soul. Don't you remember, Kate?
Starting from the scar on the back of her right hand, three inches long, an all consuming cold and darkness began to spread through her.
Kate remembered being slashed with Kronos's scythe during the final fight on Mount Olympus. Her name and everything she was had been pouring out of her in the most agonizing pain she'd ever felt. She spent that confrontation trying not to cease to exist, and only the last minute healing powers of Apollo had saved her.
But this time, there was no godly intervention. This time, her scar reopened itself, and the wound was back, killing everything about her. Kate forgot her name, who she was, where she was… all she knew was the unending pain.
Then, she opened her eyes. Hold on. This isn't real!
How could she be dying to a wound from a weapon that didn't exist anymore? Her mind tried to think back, remember why she was here…
Hecate. The goddess of the Mist.
The Mist.
All of this was an illusion from the Mist.
Kate ignored the pain, and slowly rose. She tried to force herself to see beyond the illusion, which didn't work…
But she could hear past it.
To her right, the strangled gasps of a man. Clint, watching Natasha die and watching himself possessed by Loki and a million other traumas, brought to the fore by Hecate.
On her left, quiet and horrified sobs echoed. Yelena, living out a twisted nightmare of her worst memories and worst fears. While Clint was only breathing strangely, Yelena was crying her eyes out. Her trauma was far worse than either Kate or Clint's, and though she was better at hiding it, Hecate was forcing it upon her, reopening a raw wound.
Kate's blood boiled, as Yelena whimpered and shuddered. She was sobbing pained, manic apologies to someone named… Jessica?
And in front of Kate, the desperate cries of a teenager with a faint southern accent, and an old-timey inflection to her voice that reminded Kate of newsreels from the 1940s. "Please, make me stop… I don't want to do this."
In a cold voice, Hecate replied, "Silence, my champion."
Hazel sobbed, "I'm sorry, Kate. And to your friends. I know you can't hear me, but I swear, I am so sorry."
She realized they didn't know she'd broken free of the illusion. She only had a moment to act before they did, so Kate lunged in the general direction of Hecate's voice. Judging by the grunt and sensation of connecting with someone, she'd guessed right.
Hazel gasped in shock. "Kate?"
Hecate grunted, "No! Gods-damned demigods!" The pair of them rolled around on the ground, fighting.
Hazel pleaded, "Kate, I need you to bind my hands! Quickly! I can't break the illusion myself, Hecate's controlling me—"
Hecate threw Kate off of her. Kate was still stumbling around, blinded by the illusion. "Enough! If I can't break you mentally, then I'll do it physically."
She waved her hands at Hazel, who looked stricken as she felt Hecate's command. "No…"
"Hazel, my champion… kill Katherine Bishop." Hecate breathed.
Kate could not see, but crying softly, Hazel picked up her spatha, and looked at her. "I am so sorry, Kate. She's making me…"
Then, Hazel charged.
Kate listened to the sound of Hazel rushing her, before she sidestepped, but stopped herself from using the opportunity to attack. She couldn't kill her friend…
Kate gasped as she found her legs swept away and landed on the floor, hard. Hazel had kicked Kate's legs out from under her, and brought her sword down in a deadly arc.
Kate instinctively rolled away as Hecate chuckled. "Either you kill your friend, or your friend kills you… such a dilemma."
She was horrified. What was Kate supposed to do, let Hazel kill her? And she couldn't even see what was going on!
Hazel lunged, and with the increased proximity, whispered, "Knock me out, then get Hecate with your friends."
Kate nodded almost imperceptibly.
Hazel leaned back, and Kate went on the offensive. She ran forward, hoping she was charging Hazel and Hecate watched in glee, anticipating death.
Instead, Kate brought the pommel of her daggers onto Hazel's head, who crumpled to the floor.
Hecate was scandalized. "No!"
Her vision was restored as Hazel was no longer able to uphold the Mist.
Clint and Yelena got up dazedly, recovering from the abrupt end to the illusion. Kate yelled, "Come on! Now's our chance!"
They rose, and Yelena spat at Hecate. "That was… low, Hecate."
Clint murmured in agreement. "That sucked. A lot."
Then, the three charged the goddess.
Hecate sneered, and teleported behind them.
She fired a blast of Greek fire at them, which washed through the air, sending them back. Then, it dissipated.
Hecate reappeared off to the left, and Kate chased her down. She slashed at Hecate, who parried the blows with magical spells.
Hecate groaned loudly when a celestial bronze-tipped arrow soared through the air and embedded itself into her knee. "Stupid mortal!"
Yelena fired a Black Widow Bite at one of her hands, which flopped to her side as it was paralyzed. No more spells from there.
Hecate's eyes began to rake across the room and at her three assailants in fear. Slowly but surely, they were wearing her down.
Kate made a desperate slash at Hecate's other hand, and watched as her blades cleaved through her flesh, cutting it off.
Hecate screeched, and reared away from them, fury in her eyes. Golden ichor poured out of the stump.
She fell to her knees. "This isn't over. I swear—"
Then her eyes settled on the door, and the person in it. "My daughter…"
Kate, Clint, and Yelena turned, and saw Maya standing there, gripping a gun uncertainly.
Hecate pleaded, "My daughter… help me. Please. Turn your weapon against these upstarts, and we can rebuild everything that the gods have destroyed."
The gun twitched in Maya's grasp. With her left hand, she signed, My father?
Hecate swallowed. "Sometimes, family doesn't see eye to eye—"
BANG!
Maya had raised the gun, and fired a single celestial bronze bullet into Hecate's forehead.
Hecate's body collapsed on the ground, and disintegrated into golden dust, which scattered into nothingness.
It was finally over.
When Hazel came to, she guided Kate to her mother. On the way, she continued to apologize.
"I should have fought harder, really. I'm so, so sorry about the illusions. I didn't want to—" Hazel began.
Kate shushed her. "Hazel. Seriously, it wasn't your fault. Hecate forced you to use your Mist powers against us."
She looked miserable. "She made me use everything I knew about you against you. You told me about your trauma from the Labyrinth, and from Gaea, and I used your secrets, your trust, to hurt you. I'm so sorry."
Kate grabbed her shoulder, and forced her to stop. "Hazel, stop. Don't blame yourself. It doesn't lead anywhere good. Trust me, you didn't do anything wrong."
Hazel bit her lip, but nodded. "Okay. Let's go help your mother."
Kate nodded.
Hazel opened the door to an office in the warehouse, where Eleanor had been handcuffed to the desk.
"Mom? Mom!" Kate sighed in relief, and ran forward to hug her mother.
Eleanor hugged her back. "Kate."
After a moment, Kate pulled away. "Are you okay?"
Eleanor nodded. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, baby. We're gonna put at this behind us. You'll see. Okay? It will all go back to normal."
Kate looked down, and moved away, tears in her eyes. "It's never been normal, Mom. I think part of me has always known that."
Eleanor paused. "Honey, this was just an unfortunate arrangement. And it's over."
Kate stared at her, sick to her stomach. "Killing Armand? Hiring an assassin to kill Clint? Trafficking little girls to become killers? That's an unfortunate arrangement?"
Eleanor was unfazed. "Yes, sweetie." She reached out a hand towards Kate's cheek, but she leaned away. "That's how the world works. I've protected you from it. You may not have known what was going on, but I did it for you. I know what it's like to have nothing. And you can't handle it."
Kate shook her head. "That's… evil, mom. And you… have no idea what I can handle."
"I know you." Eleanor told her, as sirens began to wail outside. "And I know that you think that you can live life without consequences, just like your father does. But someone has to clean things up. Someone has to take responsibility."
Kate looked away. "You're right."
Then, Eleanor realized what the sirens were for. She jerked her hand in the handcuffs, but they didn't budge. She narrowed her eyes. "Is this what heroes do? Arrest their mothers on Christmas Eve?"
Kate wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry. I've given them the video. The Mist will block their knowledge of the divine—"
"Katherine Bishop—" Eleanor began.
"—but they'll have enough to—to put you in prison for murder, and human trafficking. And—and whatever else you've done. I don't know if I'll visit." She managed, just as her voice gave out. "I love you, Mom. Though I really, really wish I didn't." She turned away, and left the room, sobbing hard.
Yelena wrapped Kate in a warm embrace as she cried, hugging her hard.
Kate gasped out, "Why does—why does it hurt so much to do the right thing?"
Yelena said nothing, simply holding her as she wept.
Notes:Chapter title derived from Here We Come A-Christmasing, popularized by Phil Tanner in 1949.
Chapter 25: Christmas is All AroundNotes:To contrast from my last note, defenestrate is my favorite word in the English language. Because we needed a fancy term for chucking someone out of a window!
Anyway, I won't keep you. Read on, and I hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter TextChapter Twenty Five: Christmas Is All Around
Clint called, "Are you two coming?"
They were at the Barton homestead. A thick layer of snow coated everything, and a large lake beside the house was frozen over. It looked like a picturesque Christmas. It was around 7:00, Christmas morning. They'd made it.
Yelena scoffed. "Three! Lucky is here, too!"
Clint rolled his eyes. "Does the dog really count?"
Kate bent down, and made a snowball, which she threw at Clint. He easily dodged it. Kate yelled, "Dogs are people, too!"
"I'm not sure that tracks." Clint murmured.
Yelena jogged up over to Clint, out of Kate's earshot. "Are you sure this is okay? I don't want Kate to go through any more."
He nodded. "I'm telling you, they're very excited to meet both of you. It's fine."
Yelena pursed her lips, and fell back to Kate, who said, "You don't need to worry about me so much, Yelena."
She chuckled. "Shut your face, Kate Bishop. I do not worry about you."
Kate smirked. "Uh huh."
A little boy with brown hair ran out of the house and squealed, "Daddy!"
Clint's face broke out into a grin. "Hey, there he is!" Nathaniel wrapped himself around his father, who ruffled his hair. "Hey, buddy, Merry Christmas."
Lila stood in the doorway. "You made it." Clint looked up.
"You kept your promise." She said.
Clint smiled again. His face almost hurt from all the smiles and grins he gave his family.
Nathaniel gazed up at Kate. "What's your name?"
Clint shivered. "This is Kate. Come on in. Let's go. It's cold."
They walked in, and Laura smiled. "You made it!"
"I made it." He agreed.
He walked over, and kissed her. "I missed you."
She said, "I missed you too."
When they broke apart, Laura cried, "Ah! The dog is so cute. What's his name?"
Kate grinned. "That's Lucky."
Clint nodded. "Right, brought home a couple strays."
Kate waved. "Hi."
"This is Kate." He said, then gestured to Yelena. "This is Yelena, Natasha's sister."
Laura looked surprised. "Oh! It's good to meet you. Come in, come in. We were just about to open presents."
Kate laughed. "Oh yeah? Well, hold off for a bit. I think there should be some last minute arrivals."
Laura was confused, right as Nathaniel gasped, "Mommy, look!" He pointed at the tree.
Below it, next to all the presents, new ones were popping into existence. A gold-wrapped one signed from Will. A blue one from Percy, and a red one from Annabeth. A silver one appeared from Thalia, and more were coming.
Nathaniel looked entranced. "Wow! Where are they coming from?"
Kate coughed. "Um, Santa had some last minutes deliveries to make." Nathaniel Barton's a clear-sighted mortal. Huh. That's... interesting.
"Cool!" He said.
Yeah. Cool. Clint and Laura are gonna have their hands full dealing with that…
Yelena cleared her throat. "Kate Bishop. I need to speak with you for a minute?"
Kate stood. "Sure."
Yelena began tugging her away, and she followed.
The pair sat at the docks, overlooking the frozen lake. Their breath steamed in the icy-still air, the wood beneath them caked in a layer of frost. Wintry trees and rocks lined the sheet of ice, uniformly white save for hints of green and brown. It looked like something out of a postcard, the epitome of a winter landscape.
Kate and Yelena sat on the very end of the dock, their legs dangling over the edge.
Yelena brushed her hand over Kate's leg, giving her goosebumps. "I know last night was difficult. You took on your trauma all by yourself, and beat Hecate. I am proud of you, Kate Bishop."
Kate looked down, and blushed. She said, "It was because of my friends. They've all gone home now, but… I owe it to them. And to…"
Yelena quirked an eyebrow, smirking. "And?"
"And—and to you, Yelena. You really—um…" Kate stammered, and broke off. She was distracted by Yelena's beautiful green eyes, brilliant and all-consuming.
"Yes, Kate Bishop? Don't stop now."
Kate realized Yelena was trying not to laugh. She huffed. "Come on! I'm trying to make a heartfelt confession here!"
Yelena laughed, and wrapped her arms around Kate's neck. "I know, Kate Bishop. Now, please... be silent."
Then, Yelena's lips crashed onto Kate's, pressing against her insistently.
The kiss felt different, more defined and clear. Not simply a hint of something greater, but a confirmation. It was blinding and powerful, yet eye-opening and subtle at the same time. Kate felt the way all the songs and poems had described—like she were struck by lightning and melting, all at the same time. It was ecstasy. She was being kissed, she was kissing her back—it was everything she'd ever dreamed of and more.
And it was the best above water kiss of all time.
After what felt like hours, but was probably seconds, Yelena pulled away, leaving Kate breathless and high.
Yelena green eyes glittered, and she reached over, tucking a lock of Kate's black hair behind her ear. Kate's skin almost seemed to glow in the winter sun, which amazed Yelena. "You are… so pretty, Kate Bishop."
"Um... uh..." Kate gasped and gaped like a fish, trying to catch her breath.
Yelena giggled. "And you are too funny. My girlfriend should be a comedian."
The word sent a warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Er, the word girlfriend. she thought. Not comedian. "So... we're together now?" she asked, so damn hopeful and light-headed. "I'm your girlfriend?"
"Yes, Kate Bishop." She smirked. "Unless you object?"
"Oh, no! I'm cool with it. I'm great with it. Super coolly great. Greatly cool. I'm so greatly cool with it, in fact—"
Yelena cut her off with another mind-bending kiss that left Kate somewhere north of Cloud Nine.
She pulled away slowly. "You talk too much, Kate Bishop."
Kate nodded dazedly, and Yelena chuckled, kissing her again.
Some time later, Clint and Kate were standing outside the house, over the destroyed remnants of the Ronin suit.
The pair took in the desiccated fabric, and Clint looked down. "The sword."
Kate looked over.
"I didn't know it was her, then, but Hecate gave it to me. She gave me loads of… tips, on who to kill. Now I see she was using me as her personal assassin, aiming me like a gun. It was celestial bronze and steel so I could hurt demigods, too…"
Kate sighed. "You didn't know, Clint. You have to move on."
He nodded slowly. "I... I know. It's not going to be that simple, though."
They both knew that.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So… I just wanna be certain. It's all over with?"
Kate nodded. "Yes. Remember the prophecy?
The Far Reaching One's rise you shall oppose.
Assisted by the assassin who knows,
And the avenging archer of dark past.
Against both monster and man now amassed,
Friends made enemies, enemies made friends,
On acceptance of truth, success depends."
He nodded.
Kate tilted her head. "So, The Far Reaching One's rise you shall oppose. Pretty straightforward. I fought against Hecate's attempt to overthrow Olympus. Assisted by the assassin who knows/and the avenging archer of dark past. Yelena was the assassin, and she knew that the gods were real. You were the avenging archer of dark past, because you're in the Avengers and you were also the Ronin."
Clint nodded. "Go on."
"Against both monster and man now amassed. Hecate used both monsters and Tracksuits in her little coup attempt. Friends made enemies, enemies made friends. My—my mom, Jack, and Hazel were my friends, but became my enemies, though Hazel was unwillingly. Maya and Yelena were my enemies, but became my friends."
"More than friends, in Yelena's case." Clint murmured.
Kate flushed red, and elbowed him. "S-shut up!"
He laughed. "Okay, okay. Keep going?"
"On acceptance of truth, success depends. That line was twofold; it meant Yelena had to accept that Natasha sacrificed herself, and it meant that Maya had to accept that Hecate had her father killed. Otherwise, Yelena would have killed you and Hecate would have won, or Maya would have killed us, and Hecate would have won."
Clint opened his mouth, and closed it. "Oh. What's the point of future-telling prophecies if they're so cryptic you don't understand them until afterwards?"
Kate shrugged. "No idea. Let me know when you figure that out, will you?"
He chuckled. "Will do. Say, speaking of things I haven't figured out…"
Kate looked up. He said, "You never did tell me what you're majoring in."
Kate smiled. "Oh, that." She rubbed her arm.
"I'm majoring in—"
The End
Notes:Chapter title derived from Christmas is All Around, written by Billy Mack in 2003.
Written by: Lord_Ghirahim
Credit to: Marvel Entertainment & Rick Riordan
Muahahahaha! I hope you liked that ending! You'll never know what Kate is majoring in, ever! Hahahaha!
Okay, in all seriousness, this has been very enjoyable to write. Thank you so much for the love and support. You're all amazing, and blow my mind!
I'm working on a sequel, following the Trials of Apollo, and I'm probably gonna call it Arrows Cutting Through the Sun. It's not yet at a place where I'm willing to publish the first chapter and get it going, though it should be soon.
Keep an eye out for more of my work, and I hope you have a fantastic day!