Hello! I do not own any of the PJO characters, but I do own mine! And I apologize in advance if I got Percy's or Nico's behaviors wrong. So yeah, read on!
Chapter 7: Capture the Flag and Leto
Percy kept on worrying about me not having on my armor. Even when I told him that I'm positioned up in a tree. Nothing seemed to calm his nerves. When I gave up at trying I said to him.
"Well then you'll have to try harder protecting me now don't you?"
"Once Athena said to me that I'd never have a reason to fight if a friend wasn't in danger, Or something like that." for the son of Poseidon that seemed about right, I thought. How I knew that... I don't know. Things lately have been coming to me with or without me wanting them to. I started to hear footsteps in the distance. If I wanted to get them I'd have to use arrows. I have no idea if that was allowed but to Hades with it. I thought about my bow and arrow, and Earth Shaker morphed from the sword to my golden bow. I made a little noise to get Percy's attention. When he looked up I motioned in the direction I heard it. I saw the enemy by the far trees. I went against my feeling to shoot. Sorry mom, but sometimes you need to think with your head. I moved the flag and I further back into the brush of the tree until anyone could hardly see me or the flag. I could still see everything that was happening below me. There was about ten of them.
I'm talking about them like we're in a real battle I thought. Out of the ten there was one -like me- not wearing armor and Alice though she had armor on. It was the boy with the spiky bright blue hair from the pictures. He looked like he just came from a survival camp. Not like camp half-blood. He was wearing a white background neck t-shirt, a pair of Grey slim jeans tucked into a pair of faded grey army boots. I think just about the coolest thing about him -other than his hair- would be his glass spacers. They seemed to have clear blue water moving around in them. He was carrying a silver bow and arrows.
"Hey, shouldn't you be by the flag or something?" The blue hired boy said. Percy gulped nervously. He better not screw this up.
"I got hurt earlier today." He was doing okay so far. "Didn't want to hurt it further I guess. Didn't help that Annabeth was doing strategy." I wouldn't have bought it but it seemed good enough for them.
"All right... I'm heading forward you guys fight him." The boy and about five more left to find were the flag was. I mentally snickered; I'm right above your head idiots. Once they left they started to fight. Clashing of swords filled the air. After Alice left to go after the blue haired boy there was only two left. After a bit I got bored of just watching, so I drew a bow and shot at the ground in between the three fighters. They looked up but saw nothing, a little freaked out they ran after their fellow team mates. The shot was also a signal for Percy to run. Somehow understanding what it meant, he ran in the opposite direction of the others to fight off any unwanted guests trying to find the flag.
After a while Percy came back trying to fend off a few of the blue team with Ora and Sage. It was a little odd watching Sage fight, the dagger she had was short range and she got cut a few times on her arms and face most likely because of that. Believe it or not but sitting in a tree is most boring. I switched my weapon back to Earth Shaker and jumped onto the ground leaving the flag hidden in place. I startled the other campers, and I took the opportunity to my advantage. Dropping onto the ground and slicing at their legs, making them fall to the ground unable for them to stand back up. The girls thanked us and I sent them back. A while after that when I took my position again in the tree with my bow and arrows the horn blew, signaling their defeat. I took downturn flag from the tree with me. The two campers somehow waddled off sometime in between when they were hurt and when the horn blew.
When we got back to homemade you could call it, out team was celebrating. This game was taken more seriously than I thought it was. I couldn't see who it was that found the flag since there was a big crowd of kids around him, but I'm sure it wasn't one of the campers I've met while I been here. All I could see was a pale hand holding up a blue flag. I really had no idea what to do with the flag so I just set it down on the nearest table and sat down next to it turning my bow back into a bracelet.
"So it was you." I heard from behind me. I turned and saw the blue haired boy.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You know, setting the arrow by the campers to scar them away from the flag." The kid showed me my arrow, how did he know I was up there. He never looked up. He saw my face and answered my unasked question.
"I saw a light coming from the tree."
"You're smart for a 15 year old." I guess I got his age right since he didn't correct me. "So, who are you and who's your parent? If you know." I added at the end knowing that there are kids that don't know, even if the gods said that they would claim their kids at 13. I mean the big three still had kids after their oath, so it would be no surprise. He seemed a little, oh lack for a better word uncomfortable.
"I'm River Felton and um... Don't now; I could just be blessed by anyone. (A/N I don't know if it's true but I read a HP PJO cross over and the wizards are "blessed" by Zeus' sister so they can go past the barrier) Could be any God." he said. We just sat there for a while watching the template celebrate their win. After a minute of this my team started to stop going overboard with this stuff and spread out away from the kids. I finally got a look at the kid; well I should say man that won. Once again, it was someone from the picture. It was the boy with black hair and bright green eyes. His hair was styled into one of those long "emo" side swept cut. He had a necklace with what looked like fire was captured in between two circular glass plates. He had on a red and black lose but fitting tank top, his pants were black skinny jeans tucked into some black steel toed boots. His green eyes popped out the most on him, no thanks to the black eyeliner he was wearing. I saw Alice running over in his detection. When she got to him he picked her up and spun her around. This must have been Alpha, Sage talked about him. So far all of the people in the picture knew Alice. I noticed River had gone over to them, he had moved without a sound. I felt Nico sit beside me.
"Oh, hey." I greeted smiling. He gave me a small smile back.
"Hey, so who's he?" he said gesturing to River; I could sense some jealousy in his voice even. It was cute how he was thinking that I might be interested in him that is if Nico himself liked me back. Though it seems like he is.
"One of Alice's friends from... Somewhere, I just met him." Nico seemed to be okay with that and got rid of some of his jealousy. But he did still seem on edge, mainly because guys kept on checking me out. But I paid them no attention.
"She said they were coming. Have you met all of them?"
"No, only Sage, Oriella, and River." I said. "So how was the game for you? I was in a tree the whole time."
"Pretty good, I guess." the Ghost King looked a little nervous; I noticed that we were the only ones left around the area. I myself started to feel a little nervous, Nico made me feel a little... You know, happy you could say. Man, I'm terrible at just thinking my feelings. I tried to seek a peek at him, but he was looking at me already. I cracked a little smile, making him smile larger than he already was.
"Hey, umm" the son of Hades said. "Do... Do you want to go for a walk?" I blushed and nodded. I was a little embarrassed, no guy had before even thought of talking to me. It was different but a good different. We started to walk towards the lake. We talked about random things all the way. It was easy to talk to Nico. After a while, maybe an hour it started to get dark outside. Nico took my hand and walked me back to the Apollo cabin. When we got close I stopped him.
"Are you okay?" he asked a little confused by why I stopped when we were a meter or two away.
"I'm fine." I answered, pulling him closer to me. "I just, thank you."
"For what?" the ghost king said confused grabbing my other hand in his, making me blush harder than I already was. I knew we were safe from my siblings since they were still by the camper's fire.
"For just, talking to me. I..." I started looking down at my feet. "I feel comfortable with you. Talking to you. Being around you." I said the last one in a whisper but making it loud enough so he could hear it. When I looked back up he was grinning like the Cheshire cat. How much more can a girl blush? I thought.
"Well that's good." He said, squeezing my hands. I giggled in nervousness.
"I should go..." Pulling my hands away from his. He seemed a little disappointed with this.
"Yeah I should get to my cabin to." Nico said rubbing his neck. I got an idea.
"Alright. Bye Nico." I got on my tippy toes and kissed his cheek. He seemed paralyzed by it.
"Yeah...bye..." He breathed out smiling the biggest I've seen on him. Though he doesn't smile much. I laughed quietly and walked into my cabin. When I looked back when I was closing the door he was staring at me. I quickly closed the door. When I turned Alice ran at me giving me a big hug. Or at least I think it was Alice, she seemed older a lot older. Like 15 older. When the girl backed up I got a better looks at her. She was wearing a white tank top, some slim old blue jeans tucked into knee high chucks (basically all-star high-tops), and a light brown fleece jacket. Her face looked like Alice all right, but she was so much older. She did say something about her mom. And her age. Maybe -though very unlikely- she could be a godling.
"Hey mom." She said. I looked at her like a deer in headlights.
"Excuse me?" I said. Is this girl kidding me? Oh, she better be. But somehow there was a part of me that did somehow believe her.
"This is going to take a while." A deep voice said. I looked up startled to see all of the people from the picture. Well not the red headed boy. But everyone else yes.
"Okay." I said trying to -but not succeeding- gain my composer. "Who are you?" Are Oriella and Sage for real? Is that even their names? Same with River.
"Well this is going to definitely take a while." Said the red head girl. The Alpha boy spoke up.
"I'm Alpha, this is Terra," he pointed at the red headed girl with black eyes and pink irises. "Caroline," an African American girl with auburn hair and grey eyes. "Shade, Ora's brother," a tall pale boy with black hair and hazel eyes. "And I think you have met Sage, Ora, Alice, and River." he finished.
"Okay," I said walking up to him. "Who the hell are you and why are you in my cabin?" The girl named Caroline walked up to me. She wore army camp pants, a grey t-shirt, and black army boots. Around her wrist she wore a metal bracelet with a circular disk with what looked like a lightning bolt was captured in it.
"Well Alpha here already told you who we are, and we're here because we need to talk to you." Caroline said.
"Well say it and leave." I said harshly. The Alice girl looked shocked at my words. Well, there intruding. But I did feel a little guilty. Terra stepped up this time. She wore a green T-shirt with a tree on it, mud and grass stained brown skinny jeans tucked into a pair of mud brown hiking boots.
"Hi," Terra said. "Do you, by any chance... Recognize us? Well maybe not me or River but the rest of them." Terra kept on playing with her fingers and bracelet. I didn't notice the bracelet before. It was thick leather but had a metal band on it with little vines engraved on it; it looked like they were moving. She kept on looking at my face than to the ground. I grabbed a hold of her hand and smiled at her trying to calm her nerves. She seemed to look more relaxed by this. It was like she wanted my approval. I wonder why.
"You all look familiar." Then I remembered to pictures on the lid. "Come." I pulled Terra over to my chest, the rest followed. I took the key from my bracelet and turned it in the lock, it opened with a 'click'. I picked up the picture of everyone together and showed them it. They smiled and laughed at it as if remembering the day it was taken on. I looked back to the pair pictures looking and studying each one. When I looked at Alpha's, I just had to ask.
"Alpha?" I turned back to them. He looked down at me. "Are you Roman? Because you're wearing a toga in this picture." I pointed to the photo.
"Yes, I Am." he answered.
"Shouldn't you be with the Romans then?" He seemed taken back at this question.
"My duty is outside of Camp Jupiter."
"What's your duty?" He sighed.
"I am your right-hand-man, Lady Leto." Leto, again. My mother than Aphrodite, now these people. I didn't even ask about the right-hand-man stuff, that's how much it's bothering me.
"Why do people call me Leto? I was named Jessica." I had to ask, it's frustrating me.
"It's your name, is it not?" Shade said. If he's Oriella's brother than why does he have a British accent? Maybe they were separated when they were kids. Sure, let's go with that. He wore a Black Veil Brides band tee, a pair of dark blue jean shorts that hung low on his waist and went below his knees, a black hoodie, and a pair of black and blue skater shoes. Like Oriella, he a charm with darkness seeping through it. His was a glass bracelet.
"Not that I know of. Though people tend to call me that." I said. They all glared at Alice, she looked sheepishly back at them.
"Leto's your birth Name." Sage said. "I guess Mary didn't like it and called you Jessica." she didn't look too sure of herself.
"How is it my birth name when-" I was cut off by a bright light. We all stood at seeing who flashed into cabin seven. It was my dad Apollo. He was there in his blue jeans, white T-shirt, white Nikes, and ray bands. He smiled at me and I smiled back.
"Hello, Leto. How are you sweetheart?" he said. I was stunned; he just confirmed that my name was Leto. He saw my face of confusion, anger -because nobody told me-, and sadness.
"Are you all right sunshine?" He walked towards me and hugged me. I hugged him back. All of the things Aphrodite said, the things my mom said, and the things Mary said to me. No wonder she didn't like me, she most likely found out about the predicament. I pulled back a looked at him. My dad's face was covered in worry.
"Just a lot to take in for two days." I gave a short laugh.
"Yeah, but you're not the one that has to do the explaining." They all gave me an uneasy smile. I raised an eyebrow at them.
"I think bringing your mother here would be a good idea." Apollo said.
"But, other people will come in here. The fire will be over, it already 10:08." I said reading the clock on my bedside table.
"Then," Alpha started. "We'll go somewhere else. Possibly your home, Lady Leto."
"Okay, 1) don't call me "Lady Leto" it sounds weird, call me Leto if you have to. And 2) I don't have a home -well, you could call this place "home"" I explained sort of. They didn't hear me at all and if they did they ignored me. Hello! Confused person here! Why don't they listen? Weren't they told to listen?
Calm my dear my mother said.
Oh, I thought good your here. You can help me understand what the hell is going on!
I raised you better than that Leto! She said Watch your language!
You just had to be that type of mother didn't you? I was a little harsh but... I don't know!
I will see you soon Leto, and I'm not that type of mother I just don't like those words. Your father would know. Yeah, I now see clearly that she's my mother.
Well, -mom, mom? She didn't answer back so I had to listen to the banking group. Half of them wanted to go but half of them don't. Make up your minds all ready. I've had it.
"Hey!" I yelled. "Let's just go. People are coming!" The last statement was very true; I could hear everyone coming back from the camper fire/sing along thing.
Okay, I'll take Leto since she probably doesn't remember how to get there. We'll see the rest of you there." My father said. Some of them started to protest, and then we heard the door knob jiggle.
"Okay," Shade said. "Let's go." My dad grabbed a hold of my hand and we flashed out just as the door opened.
Hello, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Sorry that I was away, I'm not 18 so I don't make most decisions at my houses. Anyways, if you have any questions on this chapter that you want to know now than just massage me or review, I try to answer every one of the comments I get. Yes so I will um, see you all soon so bye bye for now!
~Scarlet Dove
