I am sooo sorry for the wait. This has been a long chapter to write, type (I write on paper first), and edit. I was going to post it last week, but like I said it was a long chapter to type. Unfortunately, I'll probably won't update again at until the end of May (That's when I finish school. :'(). So, luck for you for that I'm giving you a long chapter. Hope you like it.

... Or For Failure

Maverick's P.O.V.

Once Teresa left, Annabeth began her instruction. She asked me to take my stance and I did. I separated my feet a bit, held my sword with both my hands tightly together, my right arm across my center so the sword would be by my side and had it pointing up. Annabeth walked around me, checking my stance.

She pushed my right foot out and back a little and said, "Remember Maverick, keep your feet shoulder-width apart. It's the most stable stance ever." She grabbed my shoulders and twisted them slightly to the right. Then she pointed at my hands. "Make sure that your hands aren't too close to each other. Less maneuverability that way. And loosen your grip, you'll get blisters if you hold it too tight." She explained as I corrected everything she pointed out . "Okay, let's get started then."

For the next couple of minutes, she explained the new move to me. She went through the process with me in slow motion, so I could feel the movements she made. Afterwards, she did the same thing with Percy only in real. Before my training was over, Annabeth made the three of us have a little competition with each other. Surprisingly, I beat Percy but lost against Annabeth.

I was on the ground, on my back, from Annabeth's final blow (she tripped me if that's what you were wondering), when I heard Teresa's voice again "You guys are still here?" she said. Yay! My sister is finally here! I thought as I raised my head off the ground to look at her. With the weight of my head being too much, I brought it back down.

"Why is Maverick on the ground?" Teresa asked. She walked where I was and looked at me with her half-smile that she always has.

"Annabeth made us compete with each other. I beat Percy, by barely, and Annabeth beat me, big time." I answered her.

Teresa extended her right hand out to me and I took it. She then pulled me up on my feet and said, "Either way, I'm proud of you. Not everyone can beat Percy with curse and all." I beamed up at her when she said that. She leaned against her golf club and continued. "Anyway, I went out recruiting right now."

Percy and Annabeth turned to look at each other and then back to Teresa. "Who did you recruit?" asked Annabeth.

"Before I tell you that, I have to say this first. There may be some cabins that you wouldn't normally pick... probably." Teresa paused. "I got Apollo, Demeter, Hypnos and Hypnos guys kept nodding off but they finally agreed after I made a deal with them." she said with a smile.

"What kind of deal?" I asked fearfully.

"That I would leave them alone if they agreed to be our team."

Annabeth had a disgusted look on her face. "Okay, Teresa. I'm okay with Demeter but Hypnos."

Teresa crossed her feet at the ankles and rested her weight on her golf club. "You guys are dealing with a daughter of Nemesis, and the most balanced one that there is I might add. There has to be strong and weak ones. Athena and poseidon, strong. Hypnos and Demeter, sort of weak. Together we'll make great team."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "What about the other cabins?" she asked.

"And your's?" Percy added.

Teresa looked at Percy and said, "That was implied, Fishhead," Annabeth laughed at the nickname.

"Fishhead? Wow, I've never heard that one before," Percy muttered.

"I know you haven't." Teresa rebutted. "Anywho, as for the rest of the cabins, including mine," she glared at Percy. "We are in between. But I can't take part in the game."

All of our mouths fell and we looked at each other. "Why?"I asked.

"Cause I tip the scale," Teresa said like it wasn't a big deal. "On a slightly different topic, are we going to work on the plans, Annabeth?" Annabeth nodded and before they left, Teresa pointed at me and said, "Watch yourself and behave."

"I will!" I called back to her. She smiled and ran off to her cabin with Annabeth behind her. I turned to Percy, who had went to get water for me and himself. "So, what are we going to do next?" I asked him as he handed me a cup. Slowly, I drank the water and I felt my strength replenish.

Percy drank his water in one gulp and then slapped my back. "I guess we'll go which cabin you belong to." Percy finally answered. With a simple nod of my head, we went off.

Teresa's P.O.V

Annabeth and I arrived at my cabin in no time. Before I opened the door to the cabin, I faced Annabeth. "Remember, Annabeth. What you are about to see is top secret. You can't tell anyone." I told her as I tried to have a grim look on my face.

Annabeth let out a heavy sigh and crossed her arms, "I swear on the River Styx that I will not tell anyone," she said.

I smiled and opened the door. I went down the main hallway, and when we reached the statue at the center, I turned to see Annabeth gawking at it. I smiled at her again.

"You know, it's impolite to stare." I told her, which brought her back.

"You have a statue inside your cabin?" she asked mystified.

"Yeah, can't you see it? it's right in front of you." I opened the door to the Retribution Room and went inside. Annabeth was right behind me, and even though the room had the command table in center the room, the four other tables in each corner of the room and a hanging lamp over the command table, she was still amazed by it.

I crossed to the other side of the table and rested my hands on it. "Well, lets' get started, shall we?" Annabeth walked over and nodded head.


After three days, Annabeth and I finally came up with a foolproof plan. On Wednesday afternoon, right after we finished planning for the game, we sat on the steps of my cabin and looked at the central green.

"So, tomorrow we'll tell the others what they should work on." I said after a moment of silence.

"Yup, but it has to be vague." Annabeth responded. "Well, I got to go. It's almost time to eat." Annabeth got up and left.

"Alright. I'll see you later." I called after her. I entered me cabin and went in the Common's Room. I sat in my chair that was marked with the Beta symbol and faced the roof with closed eyes. When I opened them, I see Kim looking down at me.

"Hey, Kim." I greeted but she only raised her hands to grab my cheeks just like a grandmother does to her grandchild. I gave her a questioning look. "What was that for?"

She smiled at me. "Just because." I brought back my head to it's original place and looked at my watch.

"Annabeth and I finished the plan and its almost time to eat." I announced to no one in particular. "Hey, Kim. Since you're here, I got an idea that might interest you." I told her my idea until it was time to eat.

When my table got our food and went to do the offerings, I prayed to my mother. Mother, please. Send me a message on what might lie ahead of me. Just a clue. Please. I scrapped half of my food into the fire and headed back to my seat.


The next day, I was walking to the archery range knowing that the Apollo kids will be there. As I walked, I felt that I was being followed but when I turned around I saw that it was only Elizabeth.

I let her catch up to me. "Hi, Elizabeth." she curled her lip in disgust.

"Please, call me Lizzy. You're Teresa, right? Our team leader?" she asked.

"Yeah, and Annabeth and I have a plan." I said with a smile. "We are going to win and the gods will see my worth." I added, mumbling the last part.

"Showing someone worth doesn't mean winning. It's the willingness to lose that makes someone worthy." Lizzy said as I thought of what she just said.

Maybe she's right. Maybe winning isn't everything. That was when I realized that our great victory plan was against my cabin's central belief. I needed to modify the plan slightly.

When Lizzy and I arrived at the archery range, I looked for Will and told him what his cabin needed to practice on then hurried to my cabin once again.

Once I got inside my cabin, I took out the battle plan and stared at it with frustration. "Gods! This had to happen now. Just my luck." I muttered as I quickly changed the plan.

So there you have it. Actually now looking at it, it doesn't look as long as I thought it was.

Again, I'm sorry this took so long and that I won't be updating in the next two months. However, if you are one of the people who are also reading Love & Distrust, I need two more reviews to update it now since I already have the next few chapter finished or I'll update after May. I swear on the river Styx.

Hope you guys liked this chapter and that you press that 'review' button on the bottom of this page and actaully review. Until June. :)