To anon: Although I am quite a fan of some of them, this isn't a Pertemis story. If you haven't read it already, I suggest 'Tides and Moon', written by ADHD-kid2811. Hope you enjoy it.

Thank you all for your support!

Chapter 10: Suspicions

For once, I was glad that Chiron gave me a break.

It took me an hour to finally wash out the stench. An hour may not be much, but I usually washed really fast, so it was a long time for me. When I finally finished drying out my hair and putting on a new set of clothes, I decided to visit the wretched bathrooms again. Sure enough, the damage looked to be beyond repair, so I decided to visit the Hephaestus cabin. If anyone could fix this, it was them. I eventually met up with Charles Beckendorf, the cabin counselor, and after hearing my explanation of having a 'mishaps' in the bathrooms, he decided to come check it out with me, and that was how I was back here again.

"Do you have any idea how this might have occurred?" I asked. I didn't mentioned Percy's part in all this. I had to be sure of something.

"Uh huh," was all he said, as he placed a hand on the pipes that protruded from the walls. "You see these crack lines here?" He pointed a finger at it so I could understand what he was talking about. "It appears that these pipes broke due to some kind of pressure."

"Pressure?"

"Yeah, and seeing how there are crack lines and numerous holes apparent, it is obviously not caused by some loose screw. I believe that this was caused by a sudden overflow of water."

"An overflow? But an overflow can't be this serious right?" I asked.

Beckendorf shook his head, looking confused. "Not if it is in huge amounts and going at rapid speeds-and when I say rapid-I mean the kind of speed that drives the Amazon River." I widened my eyes slightly.

"Then, do you have any idea what may have caused this?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"That's what I'm not sure of. This kind of problem has never occurred before, at least not at Camp. So I don't have the slightest clue as to what the source of the problem is." Beckendorf said, looking distressed.

I knew. I didn't want to believe it, but Beckendorf had unknowingly confirmed my suspicions:

Percy was a son of Poseidon.

It suddenly made so much sense. Why he was the only one left unscathed from the flooding. Why he stopped at Cabin 3, like he felt some longing to it like I did to Cabin 8 on my first day, and the way he handled the Minotaur when he had no prior knowledge in fighting…it all came down to this.

But it also meant that Poseidon had broken his part of the pact, and remembering what happened to Thalia, this knowledge could easily lead to a full-scale war. All because Percy wasn't meant to exist.

Yet despite knowing the disaster that could-no, would- eventually follow, I couldn't help but feel glad, and relieved. Not because I knew for sure that quests would coming back (and very soon), but because I wasn't the only disaster of a demigod after all. Percy might even be considered more of a threat to the gods than I was, seeing how he was a child of the Big Three while I was just…a clone.

"Hey." Beckendorf called out as I suddenly snapped away from my thoughts. "I was wondering if you had any idea what had caused this. You are a witness."

"Oh yeah. About that…" I said, trying to think of an alternative story in my head. "I'm not sure actually-they really just decided to blow up all of a sudden. Maybe you could…ask the naiads? Maybe they'll know something, being spirits of water." Beckendorf looked at me uncertain for a moment, before giving off a satisfied expression.

"Yeah, I might do that. That's a good idea." he nodded, getting up.

"You…will you…be able to fix this? I mean, I know that it's a lot of damage…" I said as I followed him out the entrance of the restroom.

"Oh that?" Beckendorf rolled his eyes. "That's nothing. My cabin and I could fix it all up in an hour or so. It just needs a lot of replacing."

"Oh, that's great. Thanks for coming with me to check it out." I said as he nodded with a smile and went to alert his cabin of the news.

-o-

"I am so going to strangle those two!" I mumbled angrily. I stalked out of Cabin 11, weaponless.

Just when I thought it would be safe to leave my bow and quiver behind, that was when the Stoll brothers decided to pounce on it. And it wasn't just my archery weapons…oh no…they even had the nerve to take my twin daggers as well. Knowing full well that I would be coming after them when I discovered them missing.

The only problem left was locating the two peeves.

I checked the stables, the arena, the archery range, practically searching every inch of this camp upside down several times. I had even asked someone to tell me what their class schedules were, but it turned out to be no use because they conveniently decided to be absent today.

The smart brats.

So that was pretty much all I did the whole day, searching for my valuable stolen weapons until I was too tired from walking back and forth from place to place. Where could they possibly be? It's as if they were off the face of the camp. I sat down on one of the pavilion tables to take a break, panting silently as I tried to remember anywhere else that I might have missed.

"Looking for these?" I heard a voice call out behind me. When I turned around, I saw Clare at the entrance of the pavilion, holding my quiver and bow in one hand, while having my twin daggers in the other.

"Oh my gods, thank goodness. I was looking for those," I said, walking towards her. When I tried to take them, she stepped back, keeping my weapons out of my reach.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm keeping them away from you." she said sternly.

"What? Why?" I nearly shouted at her.

"Don't worry. I'll eventually give them back to you tomorrow." she said, as she moved out of reach again when I tried to swipe them from her.

"I did not waste all those hours of searching to get them back tomorrow!" I retorted. "What am I suppose to do then without those?!"

"How about getting some rest?" she suggested. I rolled my eyes furiously.

"Not this again," I snapped, "I told you already, I don't need the rest!"

"And I don't want you to purposely tire yourself out like this!" she shouted. I flinched. This was the first time that Clare actually yelled at me.

"Why should you care? What I want to do with my time is up to me!"

"What do you mean why I should care?" she shouted back again. "I thought you already knew why! It's because you're my friend!"

Out of anger, I regretted them as soon as they left my mouth, "you're NOT my friend!" She flinched noticeably, as if my words had stung her. And after what seemed like hours, she dropped both of my weapons to the floor, looking down.

"You're right. What you do with your time…is your decision." Then, she quickly turned away from me, and ran out of the pavilion.

"W-wait…Clare!" I shouted out as I ran after her, leaving my weapons on the floor. I thought I actually saw her crying. She had a head start, but since I was faster than her, I caught up with her in no time when she suddenly stopped at the edge of the lake.

"I…I'm s-!"

"Please don't say, 'I'm sorry'." she said, her back facing me. "I heard enough of those to last a lifetime." I stood silent, unsure of what to say, and after what seem like forever, she decided to speak up again.

"You know, my father nearly died because of that," she said quietly. "My father…he ran a landscaping company. He loved what he did, which was why he also gave his best effort." She paused, as she suddenly choked, I lifted a hand to reach out to her, but instead I hesitated, and held back.

She continued, "but when he met my mother, he said that she was unlike any woman he had ever met…and when I was born, he was…happy." She sniffed, "that was awhile back though."

I didn't say anything.

"Then my mom left. She simply left-leaving no letter, no indication to him as to why she did, that was when things really started to go downhill. My father was heartbroken, he thought it was something he did that caused her to leave…and as he grieved, he started working as hard as he could to keep his mind off of her." Now I could really hear her crying as her shoulders shook uncontrollably, "Then one day…when he was at work, and I was at school…I was later informed that he went into cardiac arrest." She paused as I tried to take all of this in.

"Later on, when the doctors tried to stabilize him, he fell into a coma. For the next 6 weeks and a half, I was on my own. I had no idea when he will wake up, or if he will wake up at all. I was alone, and when I asked what caused this attack to happen-do you know what they said?" She whirled around to face me, her eyes bloodshot. "Do you know what they said, Seth?" she repeated urgently.

I didn't answer, finally realizing why she made such a fuss.

She answered, "they said it was because he was working himself too hard." She gave a mirthless laugh. "Can you believe it? All this because he was working…all because he wanted to…move on." Then, she composed herself, giving off deep breaths, looking off towards the distance so she wasn't facing me. "A few weeks later, he eventually woke up-just as the doctors said he will. I was relieved of course...but the shock had taken a toll on me. I made sure from that day forward, that if my dad ever showed signs of fatigue or even the slightest hint of drowsiness, I would force him to take a break. I suppose that habit hasn't died off…despite all these years."

Then, she looked directly at me, as if she was expecting me to say something. I wanted to apologize, but she also mentioned how sorry didn't cut it.

"I…I don't know what to say," I said honestly, looking down. She only nodded.

"It's fine. It just feels…nice to finally open up." she said, giving me a sideways glance. "So…now you know my story. Does this make me a friend to you?"

I paused, not knowing how to explain myself, "I…I know that you don't want me to…to say that, but it's really not your fault." I started. "You are a great person Clare, but I just…"

"So you're saying you have trust issues or something?" she inquired.

"In other words…yeah I am." She sure made this a lot easier, I thought.

"Well then, I suppose I can't really do anything about it..." she said as she turned her direction away from the lake, walking passed me. "All I can do though…" She turned to face me and gave me a brief smile, "…is to provide support. If you ever do decide to let go, I'll be here."

Then, she walked away, leaving me alone with pondering thoughts.

-o-

I went back to the pavilion to pick up my weapons. After hearing Clare's personal story…I suddenly didn't feel like practicing with either. Instead, I went back to Cabin 11, placed them carefully under the covers and out of sight. And simply went out for a leisurely stroll around the lake, enjoying the view.

When it was finally dinner, everyone had crowded around as always. Enjoying the food and conversation after they had sacrificed their portion to said deity. Will and the Apollo campers were chatting along and some were creating poems. At the Hermes table, Percy seemed to be adjusting to camp well, talking to Luke beside him with a grin. I decided to sit across from them, picking at the food in my plate as their conversation droned on.

I glanced up at them occasionally, but mostly at Percy. I wondered what I should do with my newfound information. I wasn't going to spread it around like gossip or anything-I wasn't like that, but I wondered if I should tell Percy. He had a right to know, since it concerned him. But then again, would he even believe me? Maybe if I told him my evidence, he would, but would that be such a good idea? Was it even my place to tell him and expose Poseidon's kept secret?

No…that wouldn't be right. I thought. I would be intruding…and Percy wouldn't necessarily appreciate it.

Percy eventually got up to get more food at the main table. When he did, Luke decided to ask about my day.

"It's been a while. Hasn't it, Seth?" he asked, looking weary.

I nodded. I stuck my fork into my meat. "It has. I still can't believe it has been so long." Luke looked confused. "6 months sure feels like 6 weeks." He chuckled softly.

"You have a point there." Luke agreed. Then, his voice became solemn. "I noticed you've been training really hard lately. How has it been going? Your training I mean."

I shrugged. "Just a little this and that, nothing big."

"Yeah, right." he said in disbelief. "I heard from Fletcher that you're using two arrows at a time now. That definitely seems like progress to me."

"Maybe to you," I relented, "but I'm sure there are many Apollo campers that are much better than me. I heard Lee could do four arrows at a time."

"You give yourself too less credit, Seth. Lee has been here for years, and even he took longer to reach the same level as you are now." he pointed out.

"Whatever." I said, munching on my food.

"It's a wonder though..." Luke began. I looked up at him, confused.

"What wonder?"

"You're such a good archer. I wonder why Apollo hasn't claimed you yet."

I stopped munching on my food, my breathing uneven. Was Luke…implying something? I narrowed my eyes slightly at him, but he was already facing the other way when Percy arrived back to his seat. They were already engaged in another casual conversation. I sighed, placing a hand to my forehead. I was too tense for my own good.

"Hey," Percy said. His sea green eyes were scrunched up with worry. "You alright? You look a little spaced out." Luke gave me a glance.

I nodded slightly. "Yeah, I…Luke, is it alright if I skip out the campfire tonight? I don't…feel very well."

"Of course," he said, concerned. "Do you need to go to the Big House to lie down?"

I shook my head. "That won't be necessary. I only need some rest, that's all. See you guys." I got up slowly and walked out the entrance of the noisy pavilion. When I located my sleeping bag on the floor, I quickly plopped down on it…and just pondered.

Six months. It had been six months since that day. So much had changed in that short time span, but my mind continued to be perturbed by the same haunting memory over and over again. I closed my eyes, praying to the god of sleep for peaceful slumber. When sleep finally started to creep up on me a half hour later, the nostalgic memories also dissolved away until there was nothing left but darkness.

-o-

Clang!

I pressed both daggers up as my opponent's sword was brought down upon them again. I quickly released my daggers from there locked position, causing my opponent to fall back slightly. I took the chance and aimed a full round house kick to the side of his face. He blacked out instantly. No sooner had I taken him down when another one came up behind me, his spear raised.

I swerved quickly to the left as the spear lunged at me. We circled each other silently while I made sure to stay at a safe distance. The opponent suddenly stepped forward to aim a jab at my side, but I simply blocked it with ease, and using one dagger as a shield against his spear, I quickly closed the distance and gave the guy a punch in the face.

That'll teach the Ares campers to mess with me, I thought with a smirk.

Seeing as how no one else tried to attack me, I quickly ran across the forest clearing, searching for Luke. Luke was supposed to be the one to get the flag, and according to the plan, I was to be his back-up.

I paced myself, dodging battles here and there while avoiding the enemies' traps. I scampered up quickly on the trees and was leaping from one to the other in order to get to my destination faster. I spotted Luke's sandy blond hair 30 feet ahead of me. He was currently fighting off the two guards.

I heard cracking noises behind me as I leaped down, and soon enough I was faced with 3 opponents, all of them surrounding me in a circle, swords held in offense. Two of them quickly jabbed their swords out at once, and I narrowly dodged both of them as I twisted my back and lowered myself to their foot level. Before they knew it, I turned a 360 with both weapons out; cries were emitted as all 3 of them collapsed-hands to their injured ankles.

I jumped over one of their kneeling figures and headed towards the flag. Luke was still being occupied with the two guards, and making use of that distraction, I took the flag.

That simple action caused a chain reaction:

The two guards suddenly realized their flag was breached, and were trying to end their fight with Luke quickly. Luke was urging me to run while fighting his way through, and several other opponents were racing towards me from the other direction. I quickly took off with the flag beside me. Climbing trees was not an option, and I could only fight with only one of my hands, cutting my attack strategies in half. The worse thing was that the boundary line was still a good distance away.

I wasn't going to make it-not without help of course.

The two guards were chasing after me, leaving Luke free to run as fast as he could after me. Being a child of Hermes, he quickly matched my pace. I handed him the flag, and he took it quickly. Giving me a nod of thanks and a grin, he ran ahead of me. I decided to stop and stand my ground. This was the job that was assigned to me.

I stretched my arms out, with both daggers pointed out; blocking the path of the two guards.

You'll have to go through me first. My eyes seemed to indicate to them. The two guards only smirked in response, probably thinking what a puny guy like me was going to do.

Ares campers and their stupid pride, I thought as I charged in between them, both of my daggers clanging against their broad swords. Both of them twisted their swords to release my daggers' clutches on them, and we were back at square one.

The two of them went around me like hawks circling their prey. I darted my eyes back and forth, trying to maintain my watch on the two of them. Sensing my distraction, the guard in front of me lunged a left swerve to my side, which I blocked, and the guard behind me tried to attack me overhead, in which I quickly placed my other dagger over my shoulder to block. They thought they had me trapped. The guard behind me was pushing his sword down with his weight, causing my knees to bend slightly under the pressure. The guard in front was doing the same. I simply tipped the handle of my dagger forward to my chest, causing the sword behind me to go off course. Given the opportunity, I aimed a backward kick to the guard's chest. Once the pressure was eliminated, I used both daggers to trap the sword of my other opponent, and gave a hard kick to his side. He fell to the ground immediately. I heard the guard behind me getting back up, so I gave him a round house kick to his sword hand, causing him to drop his weapon. Before he could run to get it, I held my dagger to his throat.

"You lose." I hissed. I darted my eyes at his unconscious companion, and then back at him. "Yield." He gave me a silent glare in return, and involuntarily raised his hands up in surrender. I jabbed at his shoulder to get him moving, with my dagger pointing at his back. I guessed all that training paid off after all.

As I walked my newly found prisoner to my team's base, a loud cheering erupted. I saw Luke on top of the shoulders of our teammates, raising the new silver caduceus flag above him for all to see as Chiron blew the conch horn to signify the game's end. I let my 'prisoner' go, seeing how there was no point to it. The game was over.

I spotted Clarisse and her gang among the cheering crowd, all of them looking downright pissed. Speaking of Clarisse, I roamed my eyes over the clearing until I spotted the one I was looking for. At the edge of the river, Percy seemed to stagger a bit, but Annabeth was there to support him. No wonder they were so angry, Percy must have beaten them again.

The cheering suddenly stopped and a low growl resounded among the mass of campers, I looked to see where the sound originated, and my eyes stopped as they looked right at a hellhound.

How did that thing get in here?! I thought frantically as the hellhound charged at speeds unimaginable-heading right towards…

"PERCY! LOOK OUT!" I screamed at him. He turned around in shock as the beast suddenly lunged towards him. I frantically tried to set my bow as the hellhound loomed over Percy. He was defenseless.

That was when Chiron released his own bow, the arrow struck a vital point. The monster disappeared. The terror had passed.

"Di immortales!" Annabeth called out while looking shocked, "that's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't…they're not supposed to…" she trailed off. She didn't know what else to say.

I paid her no mind as I sighed in relief, Percy looked alright. Clarisse, however, tried to exact revenge:

"It's Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!" she yelled recklessly after Chiron told us how it got in.

"Quiet, child." Chiron scolded her.

As we all recovered from the sudden event that could have turned into a catastrophe, I saw how Annabeth was beckoning Percy to get into the water.

She figured it out.

My eyes widened as a light green glow began to form above him. The campers beside me let out a gasp at what was about to happen: Percy was about to be claimed. The green glow became more and more pronounced until it shaped into the form of the god's symbol. Unlike the others, I looked away. I knew what was about to happen, and the campers' whispers and echoes of surprise confirmed my thoughts.

"Look, I-I don't know why..." Percy called out, sounding startled. He still didn't notice the symbol above his head.

I called, "Percy, look above you." He stared at me before complying, and by then the green swirling trident was already fading, but he saw it nonetheless.

"It is determined." Chiron said ominously. I could only agree with his tone as I looked away from the commotion.

So this is what it's like…to get claimed like this. I thought sadly, feeling bad for Percy for what was about to come.

Percy sounded startled, "m-my father?"

"Poseidon." Chiron answered. "Earthshaker. Stormbringer. Father of horses. Hail, Percy Jackson, son of the sea god." To make things even more awkward for him, he bowed with the rest of us soon following.

My only thought about all this? I was thankful it wasn't me, not yet anyway.

-o-