I looked out my cabins window. It had been 10 minutes since Nico left.
I was playing tonight, but undercover. I opened a closet door and looked through it until I found a helmet. I blew off the dust and looked for some sort of blue feather to stick in the top. I found half of one. Well, it's better than nothing. I stuck the helmet on my head and looked for some armor. I found some knee pads and a breast plate with a back. That should be enough. I stuck the armor on and headed out the door. Maybe I'll win this for Nico.
"Anna, Esmeralda! You go as close to the flag without getting captured and once their distracted, you grab it! Hermes cabin, you'll go out and fight anyone who gets into our territory! Apollo's cabin, except Anna, you will get your two best fighters and set them up to guard the flag. Athena cabin, except Esmeralda and I, you will hide in the trees until any red team people come to capture the flag. Nico and Percy will come with me to try to capture their flag. Got it?" Annabeths voice yelled and the blue team cheered.
I peeked out from my hiding spot-a bush- and saw Nico, Percy and Annabeth talking to each other. I sneaked around to the two girls that were called Anna and Esmeralda. I was going to hide out with them.
...
It's been 20 minutes already and I'm scarred for life: Campers were falling to the ground, unconscious and stabbing each other with knives. I shudder as I see another camper fall to the ground. I know how to hide, luckily or I'd be in the infirmary by now. Anna and Esmeralda were sticking to the trees, but they had knocked out a few campers too. Finally we were at a point where we were out of sight, but close enough to see the flag. Anna and Esmeralda exchange looks and look behind them.
"We know your following us, just come on out. We just don't know who you are." I curse in Ancient Greek and step out of my hiding spot.
"Oh, you're the new girl, Flo. Nico's long lost sister?"
I nod. Esmeralda smirks. "Told you, Anna." I rub an invisible spot on the dirt with my shoe uncomfortably.
I recover my wits and ask my question. "Can I please help you guys? I'm pretty good at fighting, I killed a Manticore."
They look at each other. "I suppose. But you have to do exactly what we say." I nod. I'll do anything to get into battle.
"Okay, once Annabeth, Percy and Nico come and distract the guards, we'll run out there and grab the flag and get out of here." Just then, Percy, Annabeth and Nico come running into the clearing. The guards immediately run over to them and fight. Anna and Esmeralda nod at each other and look at me.
"Let's go!" She whispers.
And we run into the battle to capture the flag.
I tried to stay behind them so Nico wouldn't see me, but there was no reason to do that, he was fighting a guard with a murderous look on his face. I'm surprised the guard doesn't surrender already. I would leave as soon as he came through the opening. I would not be a good guard.
Anna grabbed the flag and we were out of there. We were almost there when a red team player jumped on her and she fell over. The flag was lying right in front of me.
"Get it Flo!" Esmeralda yells, she was being taken hostage with Anna. A red guard walked up to me with a sly grin on his face.
"Just give up, newbie. You're going to lose because all of Hades children SUCK."
He did not just say that. But I pretended to think about it.
"Alright, I'll make a deal with you." I say and he grins. "You let me go, and I'll take the flag!" He was so surprised, his brain didn't register in time to see me grab the flag and hightail it out of there.
"And the game goes to the blue team!" Chiron's voice yelled as I ran into blue territory. I pulled my helmet lower on my face so nobody would see me. People crowded around me, trying to look at the winner and the new flag owner. Finally, somebody pulled of my helmet and it clanked to the ground. Silence. I turned around and Nico was standing there with a shocked look on his face.
"You- I-" He stammered. I grinned awkwardly.
"I won…?" It came out more of a question.
"The flag goes to the Hades cabin!" Chiron yelled, and Athena's gray flag turned dark and gloomy with skeletons. Finally, Nico grinned. By now, I had taken off my armor and was looking nervously around, my fake smile still plastered on my face.
"You won!" He cheered. He picked me up and placed me on his back, piggy-back style.
"Nico!?" I protested, but he carried me around for everyone to see that a daughter of Hades won the game. I gave up trying to say something nice, but firmly for Nico to put me down and just enjoyed the ride.