The first thing that came to mind when Piper saw Perseus Riddle was that he wasn't as impressive as Jason.

After weeks of hearing praises, after weeks of hearing nothing but Percy this and Percy that, she expected more. All she saw was a boy, a handsome, charming looking boy with a sly smile and an air similar to the rich kids she was surrounded with back in her old schools but somehow even richer. She had thought he was harmless, maybe she was even disappointed because the great Perseus Riddle wasn't what she expected him to be. Oh, how stupid she was.

She was looking for a hero the likes of Hercules when she should've been looking for one the likes of Odysseus.

Piper shouldn't have underestimated him. If only she could've seen past the haughty expressions and arrogant smirks. If only she could've seen past it all to the darkness that seemed to cling to him everywhere he goes. To the tattoo that she can sometimes see in his forearm that sent shivers up her spine.

The boy scared her sometimes. Piper could manipulate others to do what she says through charmspeak. This was her ability, a power gifted to her by the gods. Yet it didn't work on him. She tried once, the seven of them had been demonstrating and messing around with their powers one thankfully uneventful day and she had relented to show her ability to the rest.

She made Leo dance around ridiculously in a duet with Hazel, made Jason think he was a cat and Annabeth an owl which they all laughed about afterward. She tried to use her powers on Perseus, can't even remember what she told him to do now. But what she did remember was his smirk, odd and dark.

"I grew up around people who have the power to make others do their bidding, you're going to have to try harder than that" Riddle had laughed, and the others were so amazed that he was what? Immune to charmspeak? Could resist it? That they missed the dark look that passed his expression that was gone in a second. Piper only noticed because she had been paying too close of attention. Just what was his childhood like? The girl wondered.

Ever the strategist, Annabeth tried to convince Perseus to teach them how to become immune as it would be a great advantage to have if they come across an enemy with such powers. The boy simply said it was a magic thing and they left it at that.

It scared her even more that he didn't need charmspeak to be as persuasive, to be as dangerous as her with words. The son of Poseidon could inspire loyalty, incite rage or awe in an entire crowd or army of demigods with a couple of choice words. Hades he was able to become praetor of Camp Jupiter in less than a month and Jason became one after training and living there for years. It was almost unfair, how good at it he was, at seamlessly making others either love him, hate him, or want to take a knife for him. It was like a game for the demiwizard and he was the master.

Perseus Riddle was not a snake. No, he was the snake charmer.

Can you trust him? Can you trust a person who so easily changes his persona as easily as a chameleon changes its colours? The answer was... Yes. It was hard not too.

Because despite everything, they all trusted him. They all had faith that Percy would help each and every one of them if they ever needed his help. And he has, he always came through in the end.

It was enough. It had to be enough.