Hello! That's right, I'm back! And with a brand new story! This is actually co-authored, by an AMAZING writer called Angel Of Darkness 2004. If you find this story good you have her to thank :P She's incredible, and I'd definitely recommend reading her stories (You can find a link to her profile in my 'Favourite Authors' section). The story will be on both our accounts. But anyway, we really hope you like this story! However, I'd
Hope you enjoy!
You can read now, sorry for the rambling.
We didn't choose to be born. We didn't choose to be heroes either. And yet we were blamed for both. It is strange how it all went. The World praises the strong and yet fear the unknown. And then, they often mistake strong, for dangerous. That's what happened with us demigods. We had always known that our lives were cursed but it wasn't until after the war that we realised how corrupt both Worlds were. Mortals who prided themselves on their intellect judged too quickly and demigods, who preached of honour and heroism were ready to fight for their lives when danger struck. And to think, the whole affair started with 'insert number here' words…
The first incident took place after the Giant War. A few months later, in the April of 2015 and things had been going great, for both camps. The Romans and the Greeks had learned the hard way that war didn't help anyone, but the lessons that both sides learned would stay with them for a long time. Renovations were slow, the Gods were still out of commission, but spirit was high. Unfortunately, no war could be won on morale alone, and while the camps were at their happiest, they were also at their weakest.
That was when the monsters struck.
But we're getting carried away here, and that's unfair to those who weren't there. But to those who weren't there, the ones who live in a blissful trouble-free life, I warn you that this is not a story you want to read, it is not a story with a happy ending. It's a story of abandonment, of torture, of heartbreak and of crushed hope. It's a story that can never been forgotten but a story you will never forget. It's the story of when the mist fell…
Camp Half-Blood was finally finally rebuilt. It had taken the better part of a month but the Roman's assistance had been invaluable and the original cabins were all back, with some minor improvements. Most of the cabins (particularly Hermes's) were notably larger, and small renovations that suited the talents of the kids inside. The renovations and (gifts) were good enough to dispel any lingering negative feelings and the barrier between the Greeks and Romans were slowly diminishing until the only true difference seemed to be which camp they hailed from. It was as common to see a pilum or puthio as it was to see a dagger or sword around the camp..
They were at peace.
"PERCY JACKSON!"
Mostly.
A savage, frothing-at-the-mouth beast burst out of one of the many cabins, a bulging hand grasping at a long spear that seemed to have impaled something, judging by the red smear running across its tip and down the shaft. Despite the apocalyptic aura surrounding the creature, most of the surrounding campers seemed shockingly un-shocked at the appearance of what might be the end of their lives. Most didn't even bat an eye. Indeed the only real reaction seemed to be a high-pitched squeal that seemed to have originated from a patch of nearby bushes, a squeal that was followed by a boy, almost man, rushing from his hiding place.
"I'm going to kill you Prissy! I'll run through and use your blood as cleaning liquid you IDIOT!"
"You'll have to catch me first War-Head!"
"SO DEAD. YOU ARE SO DEAD."
"Come on! I know you can do better than that!"
Clarisse La Rue only growled, trying to catch up to the other teenager. However, the dark-haired figure had had a good head-start and had the motivation of a long and painful death if he stopped to keep him going. The two raced across the grounds, insulting and screaming at each other as they went. Their rampaging forced many campers to collect their possessions and rush out of their way. One camper in particular watched the tirade with a veterans look on his face, a face that said that he'd seen it all.
"See, right here. This is why we can never have nice things."
Jason sighed and released his spear and it shot through the sky like a beacon. It flew far, with some assistance from the winds and cleanly landed a few millimetres behind Clarisse, perfectly puncturing her boot and pinning her to the ground. Without looking at the consequences of his actions, Jason strode forward and dragged Percy with a suffering look on his face.
"You know Percy, most people decide not to enrage the most hot-tempered person in camp. Most people don't initiate a prank war. And most people live with all their limbs. You could try that sometimes."
Percy smacked Jason's hand off with a mock-frown, pretending to be annoyed when he really wasn't. "Well most people don't have to get vengeance on their deadly enemy. This was a matter of life and death!" Jason, impassive to the pleading tone (he found that the effectiveness of the seal eyes wore off after a few months)
"Well, there's a meeting in the Big House but I can always tell Annabeth that you were too bus-"
And off Percy went.
Jason crossed his arms with an amused smirk on his face. It was almost sad how easy his friend could be persuaded. Almost. Shaking his head, he started his walk towards the Big House.
When Jason entered the big house after Percy the son of Poseidon was seated comfortably by Annabeth, joking lightly as she told him off for being late. For all Annabeth's death-threats she didn't seem nearly mad enough to actually do any harm. Jason guessed that if you were dating a boy like Percy you would need a lot of patience. His stream of thought was cut off when Piper grasped his hand. He smiled down at his girlfriend.
Well, it wasn't like he was much better, the Gods only knew why Piper stuck with him.
Kaleidoscope eyes turned towards him with a smirk. As always, it seemed as though she knew exactly what he was thinking. He intertwined his hand with hers, treasuring how the younger girls fingers fit in his palm. Returning Pipers smile he sat and slid up the bench, letting their shoulders bump. His girlfriend was (arguably) put through more grief but somehow she maintained that sense of calm around her. It gave him an oasis, somewhere where it didn't feel like he was being fought and blown away. It made him feel… Safe.
I don't know what I would do without her
Soon all the head counselors arrived. The counselor from Cabin 1 to Cabin 20 that had kids were: Jason, Percy, Katie, Sherman, Annabeth, Will, Thalia, Leo, Piper, Connor and Travis, Pollux, Nico, Butch, Clovis, Holly, and Lou. Chiron closed the doors, his hooves clicking against the floor. He stood at the head of the ping pong table and looked at the the head counselors, his face grave, telling all of them that something bad happened.
"The mortals are getting closer," he started, "Gaea's attack has made us vulnerable to discovery. The Mist has also weakened. Hecate is trying her best but…"
"Is there anything we can do?" Annabeth asked.
Chiron shook his head, "The only thing we can do is prepare. There are still many that haven't healed yet and our casualties were heavy. We haven't finished reconstruction either and our weapon supply is low."
A tense silence rose throughout the Big House, nobody really knowing how to reply to such a grave situation. Gaea's attack had hit them hard with heavy casualties on both sides. They had barely managed to survive and they weren't ready for another attack on camp. Annabeth for once didn't have a plan.
The solemn silence was broken by a crash. Normally Percy would be grateful for a break in the tension but there was something… Off. It wasn't like your normal Camp Half-Blood explosion. He glanced over to Chiron and saw that the centaur thought the same way. Moving out of his chair and hurried out, a rushed pace to his footsteps. He stepped outside and gasped. His instincts were right, though he wished they weren't.
Chaos.
That was what surrounded him. Several of the cabins were destroyed and some demigods lay either injured or dead on the ground.
"Percy!"
Percy swung around to see Annabeth rushing towards him. Her face shook him out of his trance. Now wasn't the time for panic or fear, he had to be a leader.
"How heavily is the enemy armed, can we handle them?"
She shook her head, her curls whipping with her face's motion.
"We're massively outnumbered and they have far more resources. If we were at full strength maybe but with our diminished resources there's no way we can win this fight. Our only chance is retreat."
A yell bubbled up in Percy's throat. How did the mortals find them? What happened to the barrier? Why had nobody noticed before it was too late! The army was massive, there was no way the look-outs could have missed it! Were they asleep!
Bubbled
He gasped.
Bubbled!
"Annabeth, remember Mount Saint Helens?"
"I remember you being an idiot and telling me to leave you because 'you had a plan.' That trick's not going to work again. Percy, we can't risk any campers."
Percy snapped. His powers were under control now, he wouldn't hurt anyone. And the mortals weren't going to be harmed either. He'd seen footage of veterans, how they were in so much pain, how they struggled from the time they spent fighting. He'd never dream of hurting anyone.
"Exactly we can't! I can control my powers now, they'll all be fine! But you know as well as I do, there's no way we can get an organised retreat in so little time. This is our be-"
His head jolted to the side, his cheek stinging with the impact of his girlfriend's slap.
"I'm not talking about whether you can control your powers! I'm not talking about the campers! I'm talking about you!"
"Annabeth…"
He reeled back in shock as he met her eyes. Annabeth's eyes were full of tears.
I… I made her cry?
Angrily Annabeth brushed the tears from her cheeks and eyes. She sniffed and faced her boyfriend with her best 'steel gaze.'
"It's not about any of that. To me… To me, nothing in this camp is worth losing you. I can't… I can't lose you again. Don't you understand? We've been lucky so far but… What if is the last time? We're not immortal, you're not immortal and-"
Percy moved on instinct and kissed his girlfriend. It was the only way he could beat her in an arguement, or when she wanted to make a point. He thought of every memory he had of her. Her innate strength, her wit and bravery. He poured all of emotions into that one moment. Trying to make her understand what he was really thinking. Trying to say goodbye.
She understood. He knew she did. It was something that came from knowing each other so deeply, from fighting side by side, from going through what they had. They knew the other well that it was like they were a conjoined soul, one essence in two bodies. They could tell when one of them was counting.
"Then I'm coming too."
Percy's eyes shot open, disbelieving of what she had said. He had been doing this for her, to get her out alive, safely. Then, why was she going to risk herself so, so stupidly!
"No, you can't! Annabeth, you-"
"Nothing you say will stop my decision Percy. You know that Seaweed Brain. Either way, we're together. It'll be fine."
Percy sighed but at the same time decided against actually fighting. She was right, she cared just as much as he did, and nothing could stop her, not even him. Sighing, he hefted Ripide into his palm, the reassuring metal chilling his palm.
"Then we've got some work to do, Wise Girl."