I'd had some very bad experiences in my life. I can't even get through a year of school without something exploding, if that sums it up. I wondered often about my father, every Father's day being a painful day, made even worse by the sight of all the other children spending time with their fathers.
Now, however, I know the truth. And, sadly, I'm not sure if I would prefer knowing that I'm half a god or going back to being miserable and never knowing I was the son of the Lord of the Sea, Poseidon.
Not only was I caught in a prophecy making me destined to destroy the Gods of Olympus or save them, but I also got taken away and sent to the Roman camp, Camp Jupiter, and my memory was wiped all except for one thing: my absolutely beautiful demigod girlfriend, Annabeth Chase, Daughter of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. And then, as if that wasn't enough, Annabeth and I fell into the depths of Tartarus.
Now, I would say that for all the stuff I've been through, I'd get some kind of reward, right? Wrong. The Gods continue to play their twisted game of chess using us heroes as pawns. But, I have to say, my life is pretty great. I have a loving mother and stepfather, I'm pretty popular at Camp Half-Blood, and I have a wonderful girlfriend.
I'm a pretty simple guy, I'm happy with what I've got, especially seeming as I have nearly died countless times. Regardless of all of that though, today is an interesting day in my life: one of the Camp Half Blood's Capture-The-Flag games. I figure I'm pretty good at this after years of near-death collisions and battles, and people see me as a leader, but really, I'm not.
As I said earlier, I'm a simple guy. Point me towards a monster and tell me to kill it? Sure, I'll go for it. Ask me to save Olympus? Ok, less eager, but I'll do it. Want me to lead a team of demigods in a annual game of capture the flag? Much less eager. The capture-the-flag games can be brutal, and I never get out of those unbattered.
And tonight, I've been chosen to lead our team of demigods in a game of capture the flag. I've got the following teams: Hermes', Apollo, and Ares' campers. The other team is Athena, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Demeter campers. Looking at the matchup sheet, it looks like this:
GROUP 1, STONE FIST:
Team Poseidon
Team Hermes
Team Apollo
Team Ares
Vs
GROUP 2, FOREST:
Team Athena
Team Aphrodite
Team Hephaestus,
Team Demeter
Not the worst matchup I've ever seen, but honestly I'm pretty worried here. Our side has myself, the sole member of Poseidon team, Team Hermes with quite a few people, most skinny stealthy kids. Could manage to be good scouts, or good flag carriers. Team Apollo, which has wicked archers, definitely good for backing up the flag carrier. And last, but definitely not least, we have team Ares. Strong, very strong fighters, definitely the front line.
On the opposing side we have Team Athena, the master strategists who would most certainly be very tricky. Team Aphrodite, which mainly consists of girls who are generally underestimated, but can still be vicious. I'm almost more afraid of the Aphrodite team than the Ares team. They also have Team Hephaestus, which consists of mechanical geniuses. And, lastly, Team Demeter. They are generally seen as kids with cool flower tricks, but they are pretty tricky.
All in all, not that bad a matchup. However, people seem to want me to lead our team. Challenge accepted, I guess. Our team starts at the Stone Fist, which is a easy defendable place. I put a few Apollo kids there to defend with their masterful archery skills, as well as some Ares kids to help defend it.
Looking at the opposing team, they start in the forest. Not as easy to defend, but much easier to hide their flag. For positioning, I put the Hermes campers mostly on scout duty, trying to find their flag without being seen. Being the children of the God of Messaging and Thievery, that shouldn't be too hard.
I have the remaining Ares' campers who aren't guarding the Stone Fist on the front lines, with the Apollo campers directly behind them to back them up. The plan is, have the Hermes scout's find the flag, and go back to get support from the Ares and Apollo campers.
And that brings me to right now, as I wait on the front line with the Ares campers. Most people seem to think that having their leader on the front lines is a bad idea, but to me it makes sense that the leader should actually, y'know, lead not wait at the back.
As I was waiting, I heard a sharp wire sound and a kid yell, and I knew a trap from the Hephaestus cabin got triggered. I winced in sympathy, and so did the other warriors around me.
The thing I hate worst about Capture the Flag and battles in general? Waiting. It's so horrible, how time seems to slow down and everything startles you. I suppose it's due to my ADHD, which all demigods have, to help them in battle.
Oh well, nothing we could do but wait. After about ten minutes, a Hermes' camper which I didn't know came running up. "I found it, I found it!" he shouted excitedly, and we all jumped up.
"Shhh, be quiet, what's your name and can you tell us about it." I whispered harshly. I suppose the waiting got on my nerves, and I kind of felt bad.
"Oh yeah, sorry Percy. My name is Kane. The cave is right in the middle of the forest inside a cave. They have a few people there, but I'm sure there's traps." He said, barely containing his excitement.
"Alright, Clarisse get a two of your best and leave the rest here. If it's a trap, I want to make sure that we still have people. Will, same for you, quickly now." Percy said in the best commanding tone he could muster. He pretended not to hear Clarisse's angry muttering.
As the group he collected set out on the way to the cave, he couldn't help but wonder if this was a trap. About five minutes into the trek, one of the Ares' campers with the group got knocked unconscious by a trap that shot bunt, but still very painful, arrows. Percy groaned. They didn't have time to leave anyone.
"He'll be fine, we need to keep moving." Percy stated. Clarisse didn't look happy, but she agreed.
After a rather uneventful rest of the trip, they arrived at the cave, which did in fact have guards, but not many. "Alright, I want you and the rest of the Apollo demigods here to try and pick off the guards with your bows. In the event that an alarm is raised, me and the Ares demigods will take on the reinforcements." Percy strategized, pleased with his quick thinking.
"Sounds like a plan." Clarisse and Will agreed.
As the Apollo campers fired, two of the four enemy campers were downed. One of them shouted, but no help came. It looked like they weren't expecting us to catch them! "Ok, Kane, when the last of the enemies are gone, I need you to take the flag, we'll back you up." I said, uncapping Riptide and finished with "Alright, guys, let's finish the other guards. Will, I want you and the rest of the Apollo demigods to back us up."
I charged, and the Ares' campers did the same. With a rather terryfing war cry, Clarisse leaped towards the first guard, who turned out to be a child of Athena. Without checking to see how that was going, I charged the second guard. As I raised my sword over my head, the guard muttered something and branches came out of the ground and wrapped tightly around my sword.
A son of Demeter! I thought. I've read a lot of quotes from historic generals saying surprise is the winning factor of most fights. Now, I stood there with my sword being yanked away. I did the first thing I could think of. I let go of my sword, stepped forwards, and threw a right hook into the face of the Son of Demeter.
I winced in sympathy as my fist collided with his face. I knew that had to hurt, as I was wearing Greek Armored gloves, and he fell to the ground with a grunt. The branches withered and I picked my sword back up, turning to see the fight with the Athena kid ending without any losses on our side.
"Alright, Kane, time to get the flag!" I said. Kane rushed into the cave, grabbing the flag, and spun around. I realized something in that very moment. Where were the Apollo demigods?
Clarisse realized this at the same time as we shouted in unison "Get in defensive positions!"
I looked around and saw nothing. Strange. I thought. I suddenly heard a twig snap. I was again thankful for my ADHD and great reflexes, as at that moment, several children of Athena and Aphrodite stepped out of the foliage and attacked. We were horribly outnumbered, and I knew this probably wouldn't go well.
I sidestepped a swing from a child of Athena, and quickly retaliated by striking him in the face with the pommel of Riptide. As he grunted and fell, I realized it was Malcolm, the second-in-command of their team. I looked up and realized we were losing, horribly. Clarisse was fighting with 3 people at once, and fighting admirably. There were only two Ares' kids and myself left. "Kane, run, now!" I shouted, knowing if we could at least get out of the ambush that would be enough.
Kane rushed through them, and actually manage to get away. I was shocked, and for a moment I was relieved, until I heard a twang and saw him hanging upside down, suspended from an obvious trap set by a demigod of Hephaestus.
I groaned, and stepped back into the fight, taking on a child of Athena and a child of Hephaestus. I managed a minor cut on the back of the Athena demigod, but the Hephaestus demigod caught the back of my head with a wrench.
I saw stars, and they disarmed me. I realized we'd lost, and it was my fault for falling into a stupid trap. Clarisse was still fighting amazingly, even though she was disarmed. One of the Demeter demigods managed to trap her in branches and she was still.
It's over. I realized, as I saw a child of Aphrodite running back with our flag.
After the match and congratulations, I went to sit at my favorite spot, on the beach. I always felt comfortable there. After about ten minutes of nice relaxing silence, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned expecting to see an angry demigod coming to chew me out for being an idiot, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It was the leader of the opposing side, my beautiful girlfriend Annabeth.
She smiled. "Hey, Seaweed Brain."
I couldn't help but be annoyed. "Hi." I said, trying to calm my voice, but obviously it didn't work judging from the hurt look she gave me. I instantly felt contrite.
"Look, I'm sorry, I just want to relax right now." I said, trying to apologize but I was still pretty annoyed.
"Percy, no one is mad at you, you went up against the Athena children, obviously our strategy was going to be better." She said, and I felt another rush of anger.
"Come here to gloat, then? Fine, I admit it, you're a better leader than me! Happy?" I asked, standing up and kicking a rock.
"Percy, that's not why I'm here!" She said, obviously upset, but at that moment I didn't really care.
"Why then, Annabeth?" I asked, aggressively pacing back and forth.
"I came here to congratulate you on doing well, you jerk!" She shouted, and I realized she had tears in her eyes. She spun around and began to leave, and I instantly felt like the worst person in the world.
I ran up to her and caught her hand, and she angrily turned and hit me. "Annabeth, wait! Look, I'm sorry! I was being an idiot!" I shouted apologetically, and she stopped but didn't turn.
"You shouldn't hide from people, Percy! We've been together for so long, don't hide from me at least!" she said, crying harder now.
"What? Hiding? What do you mean?" I asked, bewildered.
"You never tell people how you feel. I love you, Percy, why do you hide from me?" She said, between sobs.
I took a moment to think things over, and I realized she was right. I never really wanted to bother other people with my feelings, I kept them locked inside.
"Annabeth.. I'm sorry, you're right. It's just.. I love you. I don't want to burden you with silly words." Percy explained.
"Oh, Percy, you really are a Seaweed Brain. You fell into tartarus for me! We've been through so much together. We're a couple, we love each other, you wouldn't be burdening me!"
I felt so bad at this moment, as I realized everything she said was true. Her face was wet with tears, her face was flushed from a mix of tears and anger, and I'd never thought she looked so beautiful as she did now.
"Did you know you are beautiful when you're angry?" I asked her, with a crooked grin.
She looked so confused it was almost comical. "I don't even know what to say to you right now, Perseus Jackson!" She yelled.
"Don't say anything. Kiss me." He said leaning in. Her breath hitched.
"Sounds like a plan." she replied, smiling widely.
I'm quite pleased with this one, actually. Now, I know a lot of stuff was non-canon and OOC but I was always interested in the capture the flag games and wish there were more scenes like it, so I decided to write this. Sorry for any errors I didn't manage to catch, and I hope that you all enjoyed, and be sure to review! Thanks!