how did this happen? | MCGA

ii- Lets have full charge battles

NICO WASN'T SURE whether to kick himself or Will Solace.

If he hadn't been so distracted bickering with the son of Apollo, he would never have allowed the enemy to get so close.
As the dog-headed men barrelled forward, Nico raised his sword. He doubted he had the strength left to win, but, before he could attack them, Will let out a piercing taxicab whistle.
All six dog-men dropped their weapons, grabbed their ears and fell down in agony.
'Dude.' Cecil opened his mouth to pop his ears. 'What the actual Hades? A little warning next
time.'
'It's even worse for the dogs.' Will shrugged. 'One of my few musical talents. I do a really awful
ultrasonic whistle.'

Moody fell off of Lou's shoulder and onto the ground.

Nico didn't complain. He waded through the dog-men, jabbing them with his sword. They
dissolved into shadows.

Octavian and the other Romans seemed too stunned to react.

'My – my elite guard!' Octavian looked around for sympathy. 'Did you see what he did to my elite guard? He must've done that to the poor daughter of Vulcan.'

'Some dogs need to be put down.' Nico took a step forward. 'Like you.'

For one beautiful moment, the entire First Cohort wavered. Then they remembered themselves and levelled their pila.
'You will be destroyed!' Octavian shrieked. 'You Graeci sneak around, sabotaging our weapons, attacking our men –'
'You mean the weapons you were about to fire at us?' Cecil asked.

'And the men who were about to burn our camp to ashes?' added Lou Ellen.

'Just like a Greek!' Octavian yelled. 'Trying to twist things around! Well, it won't work!' He
pointed to the nearest legionnaires. 'You, you, you and you. Check all the onagers. Make sure they're operational. I want them fired simultaneously as soon as possible. Go!'

The four Romans ran.

Nico tried to keep his expression neutral.
Please don't check the firing trajectory, he thought. Moody suddenly rose like a dead person and pulled out a cup of coffee.

"Hi guys." She sipped the coffee.

He hoped Cecil had done his work well. It was one thing to screw up a huge weapon. It was
another thing to screw it up so subtly that no one noticed until it was too late. But if anyone had that skill it would be a child of Hermes, god of trickery. Octavian marched up to Nico. To his credit, the augur didn't seem afraid, though his only weapon was a dagger. He stopped so close that Moody could see the bloodshot veins in his pale watery eyes. His face was gaunt. His hair was the colour of overcooked spaghetti.

Moody knew Octavian was a legacy – a descendant of Apollo many generations removed. Now, he couldn't help thinking that Octavian looked like a watered-down, unhealthy version of Will Solace – like a photo that had been copied too many times. Whatever made a child of Apollo special, Octavian didn't have it.
'Tell me, daughter of Vulcan,' the augur hissed, 'why are you helping the Greeks? What have they ever done for you?'

Moody was itching to stab Octavian in the chest. She had no doubt he could kill Octavian before the First Cohort intervened. Nor did Moody particularly care if she died for his actions. The trade-off would be worth it.
But, after what happened with Bryce, the idea of cutting down another demigod in cold blood – even Octavian – didn't sit well. Nor did it seem right to sentence Cecil, Nico, Lou Ellen and Will to die with her.

It doesn't seem right? Another part of him wondered, Since when do I worry about what's right? 'I'm helping the Greeks and the Romans,' Moody said.

Octavian laughed. 'Don't try to con me. What have they offered you – a place in their camp? They won't honour their agreement.'
'I don't want a place in their camp,' Nico snarled. 'Or in yours. When this war is over, I'm leaving both camps for good.'
Lou made a sound like she'd been punched. 'Why would you do that?'
Moody scowled. 'It's none of your business.'