[2] 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘 ― l.valdez ✓

023.

「023. the time it takes to fall 」

BARBIE HAD now found a comparison to her glitchy powers- and she didn't know whether to relish in her stupidity or chastise herself for it. tartarus, in simple words, gave jerald bad signal. as they sailed out of the colosseum, barbie was starting to feel better after the ambrosia. she sat patiently, nerves filling her body as they veered south over the rooftops of rome. she looked around to the rest of them- percy was looking ahead, down at the ground. piper and jason were fussing over each other cutely (honestly could they just get married?) and both cherry and leo adorned blushes.

note to self, she thought, ask cherry about this after we save annabeth.

she stood up after a moment, her head still a little dizzy as she looked around. all around the piazza del colosseo, traffic had come to a standstill. a crowd of mortals had gathered, probably wondering about the strange lights and sounds that had come from the ruins. as far as barbie could see, none of the giants' spectacular plans for destruction had come off successfully.

the city looked the same as before. no one seemed to notice the huge greek trireme rising into the sky. the demigods gathered around the helm. jason bandaged piper's sprained shoulder while hazel sat at the stern, feeding nico ambrosia. the son of hades could barely lift his head. his voice was so quiet, hazel had to lean in whenever he spoke.

frank and leo recounted what had happened in the room with the archimedes spheres- with cherry adding in information they forget, and the visions gaea had shown them in the bronze mirror. they quickly decided that their best lead for finding annabeth was the cryptic advice bacchus had provided: the emmanuel building, whatever that was.

frank started typing at the helm's computer while leo tapped furiously at his controls, muttering, "emmanuel building. emmanuel building."

coach hedge tried to help by wrestling with an upside-down street map of rome. barbie managed to walked over to piper and jason, "you lovebirds okay?"

"my shoulder will heal," smiled piper, "but you guys did amazing."

jason elbowed percy, "we make a good team, you and me."

"better than jousting in a kansas cornfield," percy agreed.

"and suddenly i was never there," barbie stated blandly, "oh how it pains me to know i have been reduced to a third-wheel in this bromance."

"there it is!" leo cried, pointing to his monitor. "frank, you're amazing! i'm setting course."

frank hunched his shoulders. "i just read the name off the screen. some chinese tourists marked it on google maps."

leo grinned at the others. "he reads chinese."

"just a tiny bit," frank said shyly.

"how cool is that?"

"guys," hazel broke in. "i hate to interrupt your admiration session, but you should hear this."

she helped nico to his feet. he'd always been pale, but now his skin looked like powdered milk. his dark sunken eyes reminded percy of photos he'd seen of liberated prisoners-of-war, which barbie guessed nico basically was.

"thank you," nico rasped. his eyes darted nervously around the group. "i'd given up hope."

barbie's eyes softened as she looked at him, wondering if perhaps she should give him a hug. she decided against it. judging by his stance, he looked like he might break if she hugged him, so she sent him a comforting smile- which he sort of returned.