I walked alone to bunker 9 at the crack of dawn the next morning. I knew that Annabeth and the others wouldn't be there this early, but I did know that Leo would be there.
When I got there I didn't knock. I walked right in. Soft singing came from a corner. I quietly walked towards the sound. It was for sure male, and in a different language. I looked around a giant machine, to see Leo. Tinkering on something, while singing. Honestly he was a great singer. I wanted to join, but I didn't know the song, or Spanish.
I stood behind him quietly, waiting for the end. Enjoying his voice. Until it came to the end.
"That was beautiful," I said, he jumped.
"What the-!" He spun around, "oh Theia."
"Yep it's me," I smirked. "What song was that?"
"It's a song that my mom would sing when she worked," he told me, going back to work. "It's just a habit that I sing it now."
"I think that's awesome," I told him and gave him the tool that he was reaching for (he wasn't tall enough to reach it)
"Thanks," He said, "Why are you here so early?"
"Apollo kids wake up at the crack of dawn, and I had nothing else to do."
"Ah, makes sense." He said, putting a little chip thing in his project.
"What are you making?"
"A machine that can play movies in fire without attracting monsters." He winced. "At least that's what I'm hoping to make."
"That sounds fun." I said and looked at it. I acted like I was really interested in how it worked, but really I was stalling what I actually wanted to ask him.
"Why are you actually here?" He asked, basically reading my mind.
I sighed, "I wanted to ask your opinion on a plan I have."
"Why not just ask the group that's going to plan?"
"Because I don't want them to know about it," I said not meeting his eyes.
"What?" He asked and gave me a really confused look.
"Let me explain," I said, he didn't respond. So I took it as a go ahead. "So I found out about these abilities I have and I wanted to use them to win." He tilted his head in interest. "So my abilities are making light." I put my hand up and easily did what I had done with Connor. He gasped.
"That's amazing!"
"I know!" The happiness that the light had gave me came back.
"What's the plan?" He smirked. I stopped the light and explained my plan. "Oh, that's a good plan."
"You think?"
"Yeah," He said, "but maybe you should only tell Annabeth, you can trust that it'll work."
"Okay," we smile at each other.
"Tell me what?" Annabeth's voice asked. She walked up to us, everyone else filling in behind her.
"I'll tell you later," I smiled at everyone.
"Well," Leo stepped forward. "Follow me to where we set up the meeting." He guided us to a circle of chairs. Each labeled with a cabin number. I sat at seven. Jason sat at one, there was no two, three was Percy, four had Miranda Gardiner, Sherman Yang sat at five, six was Annabeth, me at seven, no eight, Leo at nine, Piper at ten, eleven was Connor, twelve was a girl named Uri, thirteen was of course Nico, fourteen was Butch, fifteen was Clovis, sixteen was Damien, seventeen was both of the twins, Palao was eighteen, nineteen was Chiara, twenty was Lou Ellen, and there was two chairs for Camp Jupiter, in them sat Frank and Reyna. I just then realized that Camp Jupiter has joined us.
"Okay everyone," Annabeth started us off. "We are here because we haven't won against the Hunters yet, and we need to change that, so any ideas?"
"I say we do something we've never done before!" One of the twins said.
"That's why we're holding this meeting idiot," The other one snarled.
"Or we could spread out the roles, and add more." Reyna suggested.
"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.
"Well we could add like distraction runners, and blockers. Instead of just having that as a strategy."
"Good idea, now if anyone has any other ideas?"
Silence.
"Well then," Annabeth looked down at her feet. "I was hoping that this would work better."
"What was your plan Annabeth?" Butch asked.
"Well I was hoping someone would come with more ideas and maybe some insight. But I know that none of that would work."
"Why?"
"Hunters are ruthless. We don't have anyone that can break them." Annabeth told us.
"What about Jason? And Thaila?" Lou Ellen asked.
"Ha!" Jason laughed, "Thaila won't break for me."
"And that's what I mean!" Annabeth said.
"How about we put people into groups?" Chiara asked.
"Okay." Everyone agreed to put aside the ideas, for some grouping. Piper suggested the fastest people should go and be distractions, Uri pointed out that the Aphrodite kids could do that, but was shut down after realizing that hunters don't like romance.
The conversation went on for hours, until we finally decided on something that could work.
"Alright Guys!" Annabeth clapped her hands together, "I think that is our line up!" She then explained that the plan she had made up had a lot of running. Most cabins going to cause chaos and run around everywhere. Our plan was to have insanity, and annoying the hunters. A few people were chosen to actually go for the flag, while the others protected and distracted.
I was a part of the chosen few, with Lou Ellen, Kyle, Julia, Billie, Mark, and strategy involved picking people the hunters wouldn't think we would.
Annabeth decided to dismiss everyone to tell their cabins after she announced the chosen few. I grabbed her when everyone was leaving.
"Hey," I said, "Can I talk to you?"
"Yeah sure," She turns to me, "Whats up?"
"I have a different plan," I start. But Annabeth cuts me off, clearly pretty angry.
"YOU WHAT?" She asked me very loudly and disbelieving. I put my finger to my mouth, to shoosh her. "Okay," She quieted down, "Why didn't you say nit during the meeting?"
"Well you never know if the hunters were listening in, or had a spy." I told her, she glared at me, "Also, for my plan to work, only a few people can know." I then told her my plan and showed her my light. Annabeth quickly toned down, and excepted my plan. So we both walked back to camp, and got ready. We had planned for a really long time as it seemed. But the hunters didn't seem to notice. Apparently Annabeth had made everyone else in camp cover for us while we were planning.
I got my armor on and got my sword, and slipped a bandana in my pocket. I looked over at Will and saw he was getting all of his on the go supplies. Austin was preparing his bow. I grabbed mine and strapped it and the arrows to by back. I heard the horn, Chiron was calling everyone to get outside.
I smiled at Will and Austin as we headed out. Everyone gathered near the edge of the woods. Chiron was on an elevated area. He saw the last people join the group and started his speech of the rules.
I vaguely listened. I was too busy going over the plan in my head. Annabeth caught my eye. She winked and I smirked back. I barely caught that CHB was going to be the closer side of the forest. I just smiled at everyone.
Finally Chiron let us go, he told us to get in our positions. And when we hear the horn we can go. I found a place in CHB's group, next to Connor. I smiled at him and took his hand. He smiled back, but I could see doubt in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" I asked him quietly.
"I know that twinkle in your eyes, you're up to something, aren't you?" He questioned. I turned my head away from him. My smile growing wider.
"Maybe," I told him, "But you'll have to wait and see." He rolled his eyes at me.
"Just stay safe," he said.
"Connor!"
"I know, I know, you can keep yourself safe, I'm just reminding you that you have just been through a crazy amount of things." He moms, I laugh at him.
"Okay mom!" I dashed to the front of the group with Annabeth. She looked at me with a concerned face.
"Are you sure this will work?"
"I sure hope it does." I told her.
"And if it doesn't, we'll go on with the regular plan, and you try to fend people off." She planned. I smiled at her, it was good to have Annabeth on our side. We walked for another minute of two in silence. Then we got to our flag base. I quickly found the front of the group. Annabeth gave the signal for people to start to get into positions, I ran towards the front line. That's when I heard the horn. 'Go time' I thought to myself.
I sprinted past the border. Immediately spotting a hunter going for the CHB flag. I drew up my power and shot them down. I saw them fall. I started to zig down people surprisingly quick, whenever I saw someone with a dark blue shirt (The hunters shirt) I blasted them. When someone challenged me, I temporarily blinded them and took their stuff, then knocked them out. I didn't stop when it came to someone already battling another person. I "assisted them". I seemed to have drawn attention to myself, because more and more hunters started to target me. Of course I took them down. Pretty easily in fact, until the last few minutes.
I was already battling someone, who had somehow latched onto me. I got her weapons away from her. She was still trying to keep me down, that's when I heard the snap of a twig. My head instinctively looked towards the sound. It was Thalia. Her bow was drawn at me. Electricity running from her hands to the arrow. She was breathing really hard. The other hunter pulled my arms behind my back as I was distracted. Thalia and I's eyes met. Thalia let the arrow fly. I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow.
But it never came. I opened my eyes, to see ashes on the ground. And a very angry Thalia running at me. She screamed to her hunters, then tackled me. I struggled aganst her. I look around her to see more hunters coming to back her up. The girl behind me tightens my arms around my back.
They start to pig pile on me. Pain spiked in my back. I felt a sudden burst of heat in me. Like the first time I had used my ability. I struggled harder, yelling with effort. Then a giant burst of light, developed around me, throwing the hunters off me and shoving the girl under me into the ground.
I pushed myself off the ground. Looking around me. The hunters were trying to get up and come after me. When the conch horn sounded. The hunters looked at me, then at each other.
"Who wo-" one tried to ask. Then a CHB camper come through our group screaming "PARTAY AT THE WAAATTTEEER!"
"Well," Thalia growled, "I guess you won." I went to her and helped her off the ground.
"I guess we did." I smiled at her, then grabbed her hand. "Come on! Lets go to the water!"
"Okay," She said and gestured to the rest of the hunters with us to follow. We walked together to the beach, I congratulated them all the way there. Even though they did not want it.
When we got there Annabeth crushed me in a hug. "It Worked!" she yelled
Then right after she let go of me Connor crushed me, "You did it!"
"I know!" I yelled. The rest of camp started to surround me, asking me so many questions at one time.
"ALRIGHT!" I yelled over them, "I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF QUESTIONS BUT I'LL ANSWER THEM IN TIME! LET ME JUST SHOW YOU FIRST!"
I threw my hands up and made gentle light flow from them, swirling it around and making pretty designs. There were many oos and ahhs.
Leo was right by my side, I looked to him. He smiled at me. I suddenly felt something crash in my chest.
I felt sun on my back, I looked to my right, there was the bright smile of Alia. She beamed at me as she pushed me towards the water. "Come one! Lets go play!"
"You're so childish," I rolled my eyes, but let her shove me. I fell into the waater. Turning over sadly. "Look at how wet you made me!" \
"Oh stop it!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me up. I gave her a pouty face. "Grow up!"
"Taxes! Babies! College! Blah Blah Blah!" I teased.
"I knew we shouldn't have stayed up that late last night!" She groaned. I smiled and pulled her into a bear hug. She laughed, "You dumb dumb." Something that she had always seemed to call me.
I snapped back to reality and looked into the eyes of Leo.
"Did you feel-"
Alia.
