Chapter XLI: GUINEVERE: The Traitor Unmasked
"Get him cleaned up, okay, boys!" Gwen called as she walked out the door. Jason, Leo, and Nico looked after her. Leo was cracking jokes left and right. Jason was grimacing at Percy while he tried to figure out how he would clean him up without touching him. Nico was holding a long horse brush and was glaring at Gwen like "how did I get myself caught up in this?" Percy looked like he wanted to just melt into the floor and not worry about this whole mess. Gwen laughed a little and closed the door firmly.
Even though Percy wasn't dying anymore, his strength was still slow to coming back. Which meant someone would have to volunteer to help give him a bath after his bronze coin expelling episode. Gwen had already taken a quick shower and was beginning to realize just how short her hair was. She'd never realized just how heavy her hair was until it was gone. It felt weird for it to tickle her neck and her white stripe of hair was annoying.
Gwen sighed a little and turned around. She jumped back, a cry of shock bubbling in her throat, but she forced it down and took two steps forward, glaring darkly at the person who'd snuck up on her.
"I actually want to see you for once. I have some things to discuss with you." she told him. Carson started to sneer then he shook his head.
"Help me, fast! It's Daisy, she's hurt! She went out of the borders and collapsed!" Carson sounded genuine. Gwen hesitated for a moment, something in her gut saying "no, no, no!" but it was Daisy. She nodded and took off, Carson chasing her.
She, Piper, and Annabeth had hardly gotten a breather since they'd come barging into camp and saved Percy. It was simply chaos, chaos, and more chaos. Chaos was uncommon in First Legion so of course all the Romans were half acting like they'd catch a chaos bug if they got too close to a Greekie and half acting like the Greeks were just slightly odd cousins.
Gwen was exhausted. She still hadn't recovered from her fight with Gaea. The only thing that was keeping her on her feet, as unsteady as they were, was some serious adrenaline, intense relief, and a little ambroisa. Any second they would subside a little and exhaustion would come prowling out to pounce on her. But for now, she would help Carson save Daisy. Then she could interrogate him and go to sleep.
"Where!" she yelled at him, her swords out.
"There!" he yelled back, pointing.
Gwen leapt over the fence. It hurt when she landed solidly on her feet. Daisy was laying in the dirt, blood in her blonde hair. There was no sign of any monsters. Gwen landed painfully on her knees and dropped her swords. She turned Daisy over. She was alive. Just unconscious. She felt the back of her head. What a bump.
"It looks like someone just snuck up and clubbed her in the back-"
Pain.
Gwen was choking on her words, trying to get them out. Slowly she looked down. A sword tip was poking out of her. The bronze was dripping in her red blood. Her purple shirt was turning dark red. The sword was jerked out of her.
Gwen fell forward but stopped herself with her arms. The pain was so intense. She'd never gotten such a serious injury and she was already so weak and exhausted. She turned a little so she could see her attacker.
Carson had his sword close to his face. He was examining it, watching her blood drip down the blade. A small smile wormed its way onto his face. How could she have been so stupid and blind? Of course it was Carson. She worked her mouth. She could only manage to force out one word.
"Why?"
Chapter XLII: PIPER: Gwen Gets Dirty
"I guess you did okay, for a Greek that is." Reyna told Piper reluctantly. Piper smiled. That was as good as it was going to get with Reyna. Her face settled into a slight scowl. Apparently that was all the niceness Reyna could muster up for Piper. "We sure have one foul mess to clean up, though." she glared at Piper like it was personally her fault.
"Hey," Piper held her hands up defensively, "Gwen did it, not me. You can't pin Percy's mess on me."
"You could have stopped her." Reyna shrugged. They both knew the argument was getting plain stupid.
"Why didn't you stop her?"
"I don't know, why didn't you?" Reyna countered.
"I dunno." Piper glared at Reyna then glared at her cheeseburger. She was super hungry. The thought of food was pretty overwhelming and the fact that, oh, by the way, it's fresh! But something kept tugging at her. Something kept saying "wrong, wrong, wrong". Usually when she thought about Gwen. But Gwen was totally fine. Piper had left Gwen when she'd said she'd get the boys set up to wash Percy then go crash somewhere. Annabeth had been engulfed in a crowd of eager demigods aching to hear the tale of their success. Apparently they had more confidence in a daughter of Athena than one of Aphrodite. Piper couldn't say she blamed them and the thought of real actual food was so promising...
But now she was caught in a "I dunno" kick-off with Reyna, unable to eat her burger because of the bowl of worms in her stomach. She shifted uncomfortably. Gwen was fine. Gwen was asleep. Gwen would kick anyone's butt who would disturb her. Gwen was fine.
"Have you seen Daisy?" Like a dark shadow, Bianca was next to her. Piper bit her knuckles to keep from squealing in surprise.
"No, why?" she asked calmly, getting control over herself. Bianca still looked a little hurt.
"She was going to walk me through a...uh...couple..." Bianca ducked her head.
"A couple what?" Piper prompted, trying to get her mind of her wiggling insides. Reyna sat down on Piper's other side.
"Uh...just a couple...of...uh..."
"Come on, B, spit it out." Reyna encouraged.
"Singing lessons." Bianca whispered so softly Piper had to read her lips.
"You sing?" Piper asked.
"Shh!" Bianca ducked her head, trying to hide. The shadows welcomed her. "Daisy says I have a magic voi-" she stopped. Her head slowly rose. Her black hair was like curtains around her face but Piper caught glimpses of her wide eyes. Her head was tilted ever so slightly, like she was listening to a tune far away...
"Bianca, what's wrong?" Reyna whispered.
"Something...is very...wrong." Bianca whispered. Piper and Reyna leaned closer to her.
"What do you mean?" they breathed together.
"It's...Gwen." Bianca closed her eyes tightly, then they flew back open, "She's dying."
"Where!" Reyna demanded.
"The border. Over there." Bianca pointed.
"RED ALERT!" Reyna stood up, screaming, "Lieutenant in trouble! All heroes to Northwest border! NOW!" Then she was sprinting and Piper was right in league with her, incredibly.
But they were too late.
The mud was swallowing her slowly. It was probably crushing her as it went. Daisy was being slowly pulled in also. But she was only in to her knees. All they could see of Gwen was her right hand and wrist. With its thick leather bracelet with too many lines. With its blood oozing down.
"GUINEVERE!" Someone yelled. Piper remembered something that Daisy had told her long ago. Well, it hadn't been that long, but she'd been through so much recently... "Even though no one will probably admit it, we need Gwen. She's way too Greek but she's a thing we need. Our camp will fight to the death to keep you from taking her back."
Now there was sweet little Daisy sinking into Gaea's clutches and Gwen nearly gone and probably already dead.
"No!" Bianca yelled, the loudest thing Piper had ever heard her utter. Bianca jumped forward and slammed her fists into the dirt. Her face turned red with exertion. The only patch of mud quivered as the solid ground around it cracked and shook. Bianca threw her arms back behind her. The huge boulder she'd created launched out of the ground and flew backward, onto First Legion territory. Bianca collapsed, gasping. Piper grabbed her by the back of the shirt and dragged her onto the border.
Not a moment too soon. The mud lashed after Bianca's feet but it hit the magical borders and splayed out, inching along, looking like a really creepy sucker. Piper just gaped at it intelligently.
"Thank you." Bianca whispered.
"Anytime." Piper gave her a small smile.
"Get her out of there!" someone screamed.
"She can't breathe!" another yelled. Several Mars campers yanked out their swords and knifes and shields and began to hammer on the sides of Bianca's boulder. Other campers decided to be really smart and punch at the rock or take other rocks and pound on the edges. Then Leo came running up, armed with a jackhammer from the Vulcan cabin, and split the rock open without breaking a sweat. A couple campers mumbled that the "stupid Greekie" was just "getting in the way". But most of them slapped Leo pretty hard on the back.
"All in a day's work!" Leo tried to stand heroicly, chuckling at his own corny joke, then winced and touched his back when everyone went to digging out Gwen. A couple campers jumped up to the top and began trying to free Daisy's legs. Gwen was buried in mud. But they found her. Indelicately, but she was found. The dirt and blood was thick on her skin and her breathing was jerky and few, but it was still there.
"Look at all the dirt in her wound!" Reyna snarled, rushing forward to part the crowd so she could examine Gwen.
"Look at the wound!" Bobby said, touching her ripped shirt. "Who could have done that to Guinevere?"
"Why didn't Gaea just suck her in?" Piper asked, coming behind Reyna to look at Gwen. Gwen's eyes opened a little.
"She was out of energy."
"What?" Piper asked, getting down on her knees. "She seemed just fine to me!"
"Gwen, you shouldn't be talking!" Reyna ordered, "I need to get her moved!"
"Precisely," Gwen answered, her voice slow but determined, ignoring Reyna, "She used way too much energy ranting at us then trying to catch us. She didn't have that to burn. She needs to rest. But she wanted us bad. Bad enough to make a stupid mistake."
"What mistake?" Bobby demanded eagerly, holding his sword hilt tighter.
"She played her traitor card."
"What?"
"She told her spy to get one of us, in this case he chose me, to her so she could slowly capture us with her remaining strength."
"What was the mistake?" Bobby insisted. Piper listened closely.
"She doesn't have her spy anymore. She played her card and failed."
"Failed?" Piper snorted.
"Oh, I'm fine, just throw me in a bucket of water."
"Who was the traitor?" Reyna asked.
"Carson Roberts."
"I can believe that." Bobby replied darkly. "He just likes to do things to stir up trouble and cause chaos. This is all just a big game to him."
"I wonder what's going to happen when he realizes its not." Gwen said quietly. She gritted her teeth then and curled her body, holding her arms over her wound.
"I want some manpower, now!" Reyna shouted. "I need a tub full of seawater at the hospital tent and I want it now! Gwen, how do you feel?"
Gwen forced herself to uncurl. She was in no way relaxed. Her jaw was tight. Then she sighed, forcing herself to relax. She pulled at her purple T-shirt. "Damn," she muttered darkly, "I running out of these fast."
Chapter XLIII: ANNABETH: The Acceptance of the Wise
It was dinner time but Annabeth was in the Minvera cabin, drawing quietly. Gwen was still soaking in her sea bathtub. Of course Percy's sister was completely fine, simply annoyed that she'd been outsmarted. Gaea's mud and any bacteria she'd slipped into Gwen's blood was easily cleaned thanks to Poseidon's gift to his children over water.
"So, I want to know one thing." Annabeth looked up from her work. Dakota was leaning against the edge of the door of the cabin. Nonchalant and unnatural for a Roman. He stood up and walked into the cabin, pulling up a chair and sitting down to observe the mess Annabeth had made.
"Sure." she replied, looking down at her work critically. Dakota's gray eyes roved around the desk she was using. She had about five maps out. Pens, markers, pencils, notes, rulers...they littered the table space and the maps. But Dakota's lip didn't curl back in disgust or in preparation for a rude comment. Instead he just observed silently, a peaceful look on his features.
"How did you find our camp?" he asked, "Lupa said you couldn't."
"I didn't." Annabeth replied, erasing a wayward mark on her map, "Jason did. We strung him up like masthead when we got to the San Francisco area and he just sensed you guys out. Once we caught sight of the camp-it's not invisible to Greek demigods-we reeled him back in so it wouldn't look like we were torturing him or anything."
Dakota chuckled slightly but controlled it.
"You Greeks are so different." he said quietly. He picked up one of Annabeth's colored pencils. It had grown considerably smaller and duller since in Annabeth's use. He turned it over his his hands. "Some of your ways are wrong. But a few are easier and smarter. A few of them are enviable."
"Thank you."
"Just a few though." he gave her a genuine smile. "What are you working on?"
"The map you gave me." Annabeth hardened her expression, a motion she'd started to pick up from the stupid Romans, and looked at her work.
"What are you putting on it?"
"The journey to Greece." Annabeth looked up to Dakota, her sharp gray eyes meeting his hard ones. "Someone has to plan it out."
Dakota slowly stood up, stretching like he'd been there for a while. "I couldn't think of anyone better." he started to walk out. When he got to the threshold, he paused and looked over his shoulder, "Oh, yeah, Percy was looking for you. He headed off to the beach."
"Thanks, Dakota, I need a break from all these lines." Annabeth stood up herself and began to put away her utensils. Dakota remained in the doorway. At first she thought it was so he could make sure she didn't put anything away wrong.
"You know what?" he said. Annabeth expected him to chew her out for not color-coding the highlighters, "I'm glad you Greekies came, big sister."
Then he walked out.
What a change from her first time in the cabin with him.
Chapter XLIV: GUINEVERE: Final Decisions
She'd escaped.
Now she was simply laying on the beach, feeling the water lap at her toes. She could slightly hear the commotion from the pavilion as everyone ate and talked about the mission, jokes, work, life, and the upcoming war.
So, did you miss me, little sister? Percy's voice asked in her head. A slow smile curled her lips.
You and your stupid comments invading my head's privacy? Are you kidding? I was dancing when you collapsed.
Annabeth said you had your fair share of stupid comments. Percy said slyly.
I knew you were a bad influence from the start. Gwen replied. Percy chuckled and sat down next to her in the sand. Gwen sat up. Percy looked completely fine now. No marks, no bruises, no scars. She wouldn't believe he'd been two seconds from death earlier that day if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.
"Now that you're okay," Gwen said, "We have another problem." Percy looked over to her. "The war." a warm breeze ruffled their hair. It felt so weird to have her short hair.
"It doesn't feel like we should be discussing the war in a place like this." Percy said, sighing as the warm water licked his feet and the toasty sand rolled through his fingers. Gwen nodded silently. "You should go instead of me." Percy announced.
"I didn't know you got hit on the head too." Gwen replied.
"Gwen, I'm serious."
"So am I. Percy, you're needed on this quest."
"You're just like me, just better." Percy argued.
"What makes you say I'm better?" Was he insane? Gwen better than him? Yeah, whatever, in some really wacky dreams.
"You're the lieutenant of this camp. You're the best fighter there is."
"You're better at fighting than I am." Gwen answered evenly.
"That's why you always win and you always find a hundred mistakes when we fight." Percy said sarcastically.
"A fighter is not measured in the number of battles they have won." Gwen said.
"You sound like Chiron."
"Just a couple thousand years younger?"
"Yeah." Percy chuckled.
"They already have the captain on the quest. You don't need me. The Greeks need you to keep them in check. And, whether you want to hear it or not, you're much stronger than I am."
"How do you figure?" Percy glared at her.
"Favoritism." Gwen replied, "Daddy likes his little boys better than his little girls." she smiled, "You know what seven are going on your quest, right?"
"Jason, Leo, Piper, Annabeth, and I guess me."
"Good. Jason because he is Captain and the son of Jupiter." Gwen said, running down through the names, "Leo because of his gift of fire. Piper because of her unusual personality and charmspeaking capability. Annabeth because she is the pride of the Athena and Minerva cabins. You because you are the strongest and bravest and stupidest of the Poseidon and Neptune cabins. Reyna for her expertise in healing and archery. Bobby because of who his father is and his ability to anger the enemy. You seven will save the rest of us."
"You really think we can do it, Gwen?" Percy asked.
"It doesn't really matter if we can or can't." Gwen replied, standing up slowly, she was still a little iffy on her legs, "What matters is what's right and wrong. Anyway, you're too stubborn or stupid to back down anyway." Percy grinned at her, "See you later, bro, your date has arrived." she turned around. Annabeth's golden hair caught the light from the moon. "Catch ya later, Annabeth."
She touched her necklace. Everything was coming to a head. But for now it was okay. For now she would enjoy her brother until it was time for him to leave on his quest and then leave her for his Greek camp. Because Camp Half-Blood needed him and First Legion needed her. That's just the way things had to be sometimes.
She left the beach behind her and began her search of Rexie. It was his bedtime and she had a feeling he'd eaten another shirt of hers.
Chapter XLV: Burning and Love
Piper sat down and closed her eyes. What she wanted to do was go over and talk to Jason. But she knew she couldn't. So she would simply sit in the grass next to the camp fire and look into the flames. A shadow darkened her patch of light. She looked up. Reyna glared at her.
"I might tolerate you but don't get comfortable. This is my camp. Don't go anywhere near Jason, got it, make-up queen?"
"Listen here, blondie." Piper snapped at her, standing up. "I don't care who's camp this is. You don't need to tolerate me or talk down to me or anything. Just stay out of my way. I have just as much right as you to talk to Jason so just cool down. Get off my back and, just an FYI, but I don't wear make-up."
With that, she stomped off, leaving Reyna to gape after her.
"Making friends?" Leo chuckled from his cabin as she stormed past. Piper growled in response. When she got to where she couldn't see Reyna anymore, Piper stopped and sat down. Then there was a musical cry. Piper looked up and a ball of fire landed next to her. Phaeton shook off some ash.
"You're back!" Piper cried. "I thought you couldn't pass through the borders."
"I'm not a monster. Pegasi can pass through without a blink and so can I." Phaeton snapped lyrically at her, acting a little hurt. "I kind of missed you guys anyways."
"Aw, Phaeton, does somebody have a heart?" Piper cooed.
"What is that!" Leo jumped down next to her. "It's a flaming chicken!"
"It's a Phoenix." Piper correcting, laughing a little at the way Phaeton puffed up over the word "chicken". "Right, Phaeton?"
Phaeton cooed at her.
"He helped us with the quest." Piper explained to Leo.
"What made you name a chicken Phaeton?"
"He told us it was Phaeton." Piper replied.
"He can talk?"
"Yup. Show him, Phaeton." Phaeton however cocked his head at her and pecked around at the ground, acting like a real bird.
"Piper," Leo said, patting her on the shoulder, "I told you not to sniff that stuff, it makes you see things."
"But-I-he-" Piper stuttered but Leo skipped off, whistling a tune. "Phaeton." Phaeton ducked his head a little. "I'm going to wring your chicken neck!"
ANNABETH:
Gwen walked off and Annabeth was left with Percy.
"Hey, Wise Girl." he said, grinning. Annabeth walked up to him and punched him real hard in the shoulder. "Ow..."
"Stop dying like that, Percy!" Annabeth chewed him out, "I can't handle much more of your near-death experiences! Which means I'll just have to come with you on this next quest to make sure you don't do anything unnaturally stupid. You hear me, Seaweed Brain?"
"I'm starting to." Percy stood up and wrapped his arms around her. Lightly. Probably so he could escape if she went ninja on him again. She laughed a little. To wait so long to almost loose him again...Now it was all okay because Percy had his arms around her and she was safe.
"Seaweed Brain?"
"Yes, Wise Girl?" Percy whispered back to her.
"Promise me something."
"Anything."
"Promise me that you'll help me figure out how to get these two demigod camps together."
"Annabeth,"
"Yes, Percy?"
"Definitely."
He tilted her chin up lightly with one of his hands and brought his forehead to hers. "Annabeth,"
"Yes?" she whispered, her heart pounding.
"I love you."
Then he kissed her worries away.
Author's Note: I had to end the book with a Percabeth moment. I was just so...perfect. :)
Thanks for reading my fanfiction everyone! I love my readers and the comments and encouragement you give!
Unfortunately, I'm not going to start the fourth book to my fanfiction series right away. I've got some original stories that have been stacking up as I've neglected them for my Percy Jackson fanfic.
Thank you everyone for your wonderful support! X)
