A/N: I'm so sorry guys! I know this is way overdue, but I'll try to keep up with more constant updates, but being in my last year of school I'm mostly focusing on that, but I'll really try to be better. You guys are awesome.

Disclaimer: As you know, nothing is mine.


Chapter IV

The Start

Percy ate his breakfast in the silence of the dinner. There were few others awake at this time. The sun hadn't even risen. Most were still asleep and would be for awhile longer. Even Hazel was not yet awake. Instead a far older barmaid with greying hair served the food.

There were only three people that Percy could recognize from the other day on top of Halfblood Hill. Either the rest had finished eating and they were already waiting on top of the hill, or they weren't taking Reyna's warning of being on time seriously. Maybe they believed that Reyna wouldn't show up until sunrise like she did just yesterday, but Percy doubted that. Most of them had to be too scared of Reyna to take the chance. Percy wasn't even willing to chance it, not when so much relied on him making this crew, and he knew he was less frightened by Reyna then some of the others.

Percy ate his last bit of food as he thought. It was possible the others were already at Halfblood Hill waiting, though Percy kind of doubted that many of them were already there. He would have heard them all getting ready.

The door creaked as it opened behind Percy, taking his mind off his current thoughts. He looked around to see a strand of blond hair just before the door closed. Something about Annabeth being ready to go made Percy feel uneasy. He knew she was going to be a major challenge in this and he would have to keep up with her.


The people on top of the hill came into view as Percy reached the crest. Only Annabeth and one other person stood there waiting. Percy looked back down the hill to see one of the other people who had been eating breakfast walking up the hill. There had been sixteen people here the other day. Now just Percy, Annabeth, and two others were there waiting for Reyna as the time for when she had told them to meet slowly drew nearer and nearer.

Two more people made their way to the top of the hill as the sun came into view, they were the last two people who Percy had seen eating breakfast. It seemed odd to Percy that he hadn't even seen the others, at least a few more people. There had to be more than six people that took Reyna seriously, or that weren't too scared to come back, but surly enough, no else showed up before Reyna came to the top of the hill, looking around and taking in the six people who stood before her. A surprised look played on her face.

"I see very little people took my warning seriously. All the better for you then. I also see that all of you carry a sword. That's good. Now pair up and start practicing while we wait to see if anyone else is willing to show up."

Percy walked towards Annabeth. If she truly was going to be a threat in these challenges, Percy wanted to see her skill with a sword. Before he had made it to Annabeth however, Percy felt a tapping on his shoulder. He turned to see a very confident looking guy.

"You look good enough to last at least ten seconds against me. While no one looks great, you will have to do," the guy said with a slight sneer on his face. Percy looked back towards Annabeth to see that she was already paired up with a redheaded girl that only came up to her shoulder.

"Yea, fine," Percy said looking back to the boy. He had a smug smirk on his face as he held his sword ready to strike. His sword was big and had to be heavy, with some impressive rubies in its handle. The sword had obviously been cleaned recently as it gleamed in the light of the rising sun. To Percy, it looked much too big to even lift. Quickly, Percy found out that it wasn't going to be a problem for the boy, as he lifted it and swung it a few times, while he waited for Percy to draw his own sword, holding the sword with easy grace.

The boy closely resembled his sword. He was big and stocky, and looked much too big to lift, but he was also dashing and handsome, and he also looked very impressive.

"Once both partners are ready, you may begin," Reyna called to the waiting group once Percy had drawn his sword, being the last to do so.

"Ready to lose?" The boy asked. Before Percy could even reply, the boy swung his sword downward. Percy would have been sliced in half if he hasn't jumped to the side. He landed on the grass and quickly rolled out of the way as the boy continued to swing down at him.

Percy swung his leg out as the boy stepped towards him, but it hardly slowed the boy down.

He only had seconds to roll back to his feet before the boy was again upon him.

He thrust his sword in front of him, blocking the boy's strike. The boy smirked at him while they held the stance.

"You're doing pretty well for a pirate that I haven't even heard of," the boy said. Percy was too busy concentrating on the fight to respond.

The fight went on in a fast frenzy. The other groups were unseen by Percy and the boy. They only had attention for one another. The boy would slash and Percy would block. The boy was all offense, not that he gave Percy many opportunities to play the offensive side. He swung his sword without break, like he really wanted to see Percy run through.

Reyna called them to a stop, after what seemed like hours. Both Percy and the boy were freely sweating. The boy lowered his sword panting hard. Still Percy didn't look away from the boy until he was sure he wouldn't be attacked while his attention was held elsewhere. He looked over to see the other ten people coming up the hill. Percy guessed that they had all ran here, as he watched them clutching their sides as they tried to catch their breath.

"So, you finally decided to show up did you? What do you have to say for yourselves?" Reyna asked them.

"It wasn't our fault we are late. Someone barricaded us in our rooms. If it hadn't been for the barmaid, we would still be in them." One girl tried to explain between gasps for breath.

Reyna looked around the group at large. "One of you thinks it's funny to make the other crew members look bad do you? Anyone care to step forward and claim up to their mistake?" Reyna looked around, but no one was willing to step forward. "Fine, if no one feels up to taking responsibility, then you can all suffer for it. I want you all to run up down the hill ten times while I think things through."

The group began complaining. At least Percy understood where the ten people in the room were coming from. Why would someone lock themselves in a room? While the other six were mad for being blamed for something they didn't do.

"I want to see you running?" Reyna yelled to the group.

Slowly the group began to run down the hill, deciding they didn't want to get on Reyna's bad side.

Percy finished doing his laps in the middle of the group. He had never been one of best runners. Sword play had always been his thing. He caught his breath while he waited for the others to finish. Once they had all made it to the top of the hill, Reyna stepped up to them again.

"Alright, listen up. You have time to have an hour break while I divide you into groups of four. Once you have been divided, your group will be like a make shift crew to you. Your crew will be your strength. You want to help out those in your 'crew' because if they get eliminated, it will harm you as well. The challenges will be harder to complete with less in your group.

"After your quick break, you will have time to meet your group before I present you with your first challenge. Enjoy your break," Reyna told them, in a far to innocent voice.

Once they came back together after the hour had past. They found Reyna and three of her crew members waiting for them. Reyna held a piece of paper in her hands. It probably told her who she had placed with whom.

"Team One, Annabeth, Percy, Katrina and Jack," Reyna called out not wasting anytime time that could be used for training the recruits. " Team Two, Piper, Skeet, Jaya, and Liam. Team Three, Michael, Frank, Darrel, and Kim. Team Four, Belle, Nathan, Mac, and Alice. Now get to one another."

Percy looked around at his team, Annabeth was defiantly a plus, but he wasn't too sure about Katrina. She was the small red head that Annabeth had paired up with for sword practice and didn't look like much, while Jack just sneered at the whole group with his moldy yellow hair hanging limply in his face, didn't make much of an impression either.

"Here." Jason said, thrusting an envelope into Percy's hands. "This is going to be your first challenge. I recommend that you get started straight away." Percy looked around at Reyna's other crewmates handing out the envelopes to the other teams. So this is where it begins Percy thought.