Disclaimer: I do not own any part of PJO and I most certainly do not own Rick Riordan (that would be awkward)
Percy POV
I have been wandering around in the desert for weeks, maybe even months. The days all run together. I put my lips to a canteen and turn away, spitting out sand. If I don't find water again soon, I'm going to die. I'll never see Annabeth (I'll find Nico again, he can visit me as often as he wants when I'm dead (son of Hades, hello)), Jason, Thalia, or Chiron again. I could really care less if I saw Hera again, or Zeus, or any of the other gods for that matter, but the only thing I cannot bear is not seeing my mother or Poseidon again.
Just as I faint from exhaustion, the helmet is lifted from my head and the simulator is switched off.
"Hey Jamie! Sweet setup you got here!" I exclaim to Jamie, the new recruit to the Hephaestus cabin, "It really puts you to the test of survival. How many settings you got on this thing?" Jamie replies back, "Nearly 30, from Bottom of the ocean to the driest desert on earth. Sweet huh." "When you gonna introduce this to the whole camp?" I ask. Not looking me directly in the face, he says darkly,
"Maybe never."
"Why not? This could really revolutionize our training, adapt us to real scenarios!"
"Yes, but where would that put Chiron?"
I thought for a couple seconds. "But no one or thing can train us like Chiron can, just like you can't replace capture the flag with Halo or replace us with robots."
"I guess you're right…"
"You bet I'm right you metal head!"
As he throws a tarp over the simulator, Annabeth comes strolling in with her laptop slung over her back. "Hey. What're you two talking about?"
"Nothing.", we say simultaneously.
"Right. Spill Seaweed Brain. I've been around you long enough to tell when you're hiding something."
I look towards Jamie for approval, but he gives an apologetic shrug and goes back to the computer screen to update the monster database. "Jamie has created a simulator for training half-bloods like us." I say sheepishly. She frowns, "Sounds nice. What do you do?" "Train?" Jamie suggests, "When a monster appears, you have to pull out your weapon in real life and hack, slash, and stab until you kill it. A cam records your movements and conveys it to the sim." Annabeth says nothing for a couple seconds "Sounds kind of cool. Maybe I'll try it out later, but right now, we have more pressing matters…"
Me: Dun dun dun… bwahaha!
Percy and Annabeth: O.o WTF Jamie?
Grover: No emoticon speak! (Whack over heads with frying pan)
Nico: Hey, whats up?
Grover: YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
Nico: ! Holy Fudge!
Me: Hey! (whack) this is (whack) my first (whack) WOULD YOU KEEP IT DOWN OVER THERE? (whack) (silence)thank you. As I was saying, this is my first fan fiction ever so please review! (WHAM) GROVER! YOU GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW AND LET ME MURDER YOU!
