DEFECTION

"Annabeth?" Luke called. He watched his girlfriend's face contort with worry, her eyes glued to the screen of her cell phone. "What's wrong?"

"One of my friends is getting himself into trouble...again," she huffed, texting away a reply.

Luke heard the phone beep, announcing a successfully sent message. "What did you say?"

"To him? Nothing much," Annabeth replied. Her phone beeped again as she added, "To his mom, significantly more."

Luke leaned over and peeked over her shoulder. "You're telling on him?"

"Luke, he's going to see his dad again," she told him. Luke could almost see the gears turning in her head. "The last time they met, it didn't end well. Percy isn't used to the whole half-blood thing yet."

"He's going to find out you told on him," Luke predicted. The two shuffled closer to each other, a late autumn chill settling in. The old bench creaked softly under them as cars shot past their bus stop. "And let me tell you Annabeth, teenage guys aren't very reasonable or forgiving when they get found out."

"I'm well aware of that," Annabeth smiled, leaning onto his shoulder. "But Percy doesn't think straight once he's got an idea into his thick head."

Luke could see Annabeth's bus slow to a stop at a red light two blocks down and frowned; they hadn't been spending much time together. "You keep talking like that and I'll have to go and 'meet' this Percy kid. You've even got his mom's number!"

"I've got her number because I'm Percy's tutor you goof," she said, shoving him away with a laugh. She got up and kissed her boyfriend lightly before going off to stand next to the stop sign. "You have nothing to worry about Luke. We promised to always be there for each other remember?"

"I remember," Luke answered, fiddling with a trinket dangling off a keychain on his belt loop. Then, just to annoy her he added. "Love you Annie."

"Ugh don't call me that," the blonde ordered, making a less than attractive face. "Nobody calls me that."

"I could start calling you that," Luke joked. At her very eloquent and unflattering response, he dropped it. "Ok, ok I'll stick to Annabeth."

"Good boy," she praised as the bus drove in and its doors hissed open. She stepped on and waved a goodbye to Luke as the bus pulled away.

Luke waved back, Annabeth's signature ponytail the last he saw of her, and stretched languidly in his seat. Now that he was free for the rest of the day, maybe he could pay a visit to Caduceus?

Obnoxious beeping sounded from his pocket accompanied by telltale vibrations that meant he'd just gotten a text. Flipping his phone open, he read the message and knit his eyebrows together. It looked like his visit would have to wait.

"Come on Castellan," Ethan Nakamura huffed.

Luke followed obediently, shrugging his Lord Cronus Institution blazer on. He needed to be dressed in complete uniform to meet with the Headmaster after all. "You're not still sore about earlier are you? It was just one half-blood."

"One too many if you ask me," Ethan muttered darkly.

They walked in silence through the halls and Luke couldn't help thinking about what Ethan would have done to that half-blood if he hadn't stopped him. The question churned in his gut, wanting to be asked, but Luke held his tongue. You didn't talk about those things in the halls of the Institution; it was just asking for trouble.

"Get in," Ethan told Luke with military importance.

"See you later Nakamura," Luke said.

Of course, he didn't get a goodbye back.

He was reaching for the door when it swung open on its own, a brunette walking out of it and into him. She was walking fairly quickly; it made for a spectacular crash.

"Sorry," Luke apologized, offering her a hand up.

"It's alright," she mumbled, brushing a few stray strands of long brown hair away.

Luke helped her to her feet and noticed a bracelet glinting on her wrist. A scythe dangled from it, the Institute and Headmaster's symbol. "Nice bracelet."

"Oh thanks," the brunette muttered, brushing imaginary dust off her clothes. "Sorry I have to go, bye."

Luke would have pondered more on the brunette and the odd sense of familiarity she stirred but, the Headmaster was waiting, and it was never good to keep the Headmaster waiting.

So he let the issue go and stepped into the office. Only to be greeted by a rather...large and denim obsessed receptionist.

"Hello deary," she crooned, lacing her fingers together. Her nails were painted acid green, and it really wasn't her colour.

"Hi," Luke greeted, trying to ignore the incessant barking that had started up. "I'm here to see the Headmaster."

"Oh you must be Luke Castellan! Well, the Headmaster will be ready for you in a moment," she told him. Luke heard something rattle under her desk where he suspected the barking was coming. "Don't mind Sonny, he's just mad because I had to crate him this afternoon."

"Thank you...," Luke started, reading her name plaque. "Ms. Echidna."

"Oh it's no problem," she smiled, leaning closer over her desk.

And so began the most awkward fifteen seconds of Luke's life, punctuated with Sonny's angry yapping. There had never been a better representation for the term 'cougar' than that receptionist's stare.

The transfer student was almost glad to hear Headmaster Oras Titanus' voice.

"Castellan, come in," he called, his voice overflowing with authority.

"Bye Lukey!" Ms. Echidna called.

Luke took a page from Ethan's book and left her without a reply.

The teen walked into the Headmaster's annexed room, locking eyes with the highest authority in the school. Mr. Titanus sat behind a wide desk, smartly dressed in black formal attire as he always was. "Good afternoon Sir."

"Well Castellan, do you have any idea as to why you're here?" the Headmaster asked, setting down a sheaf of papers he'd been shuffling through.

"No Sir," Luke replied truthfully as the Headmaster pulled out a folder.

"That," Mr. Titanus said, holding the folder out to Luke. "Is the latest news on your mother's condition."

Luke felt his insides drop at the mention of his mom. How did the Headmaster even find out about her? The teen stayed defiantly still for a few moments but eventually moved forward to take the offered information. Those golden eyes were just as unnerving as Luke remembered. He flipped the folder open and gave a tiny gasp at the document's header. He reined in his excitement and forced his voice into a steady tone. "This isn't a hoax is it? It wouldn't be the first..."

"I assure you this is entirely possible. Clinical trials have already started," the Headmaster informed him. The man smiled, Luke was practically shaking at the possibilities; he would probably do anything at this point. "I would be willing to pull some strings. Ms. Castellan would be on the list for a trial."

"How high's the success rate?" the teen asked, his voice growing frantic with excitement. This would mean so much. If this worked then he wouldn't have to set foot into Caduceus ever again. He and his mom could bid farewell to that hellhole.

"Very high," Mr. Titanus reported. He leaned back into his swivel chair and added. "Yet of course, there is something you must do."

Luke wasn't surprised. There was always a catch; that's just how life worked. "What do I have to do?"

"Simply fully enrol into Lord Cronus Institution," the Headmaster announced. He knew the boy wouldn't refuse. The boy couldn't refuse.

"Why do you want me?" Luke asked. His common sense told him to be suspicious, but that was slowly losing out to the allure this cure presented him.

"You are a special child Luke," the man started. "What has CHB done for you to earn your loyalty? The Institution would suit you better, don't you think?"

Luke felt his left eye wince at the Headmaster's honeyed words. An old memory floated back up to his consciousness, of sneers and taunts that his mother garnered, of bullies who called names and threw punches, and of the years he and his mom had waited before Luke's dad had come back. After nine years of hell, the pompous jerk had put him into CHB and his mother into Caduceus.

After that wonderful trip down memory lane, the answer came with little hesitation. "It's a deal."

"Welcome to the community," Mr. Titanus said with an eerie grin, like an animal that had just cornered its prey. "I will take care of the paperwork. Right now, I need you to run an errand for me."

"Your students run your errands?" Luke asked.

"Everyone helps out in the Institution," the Headmaster informed his student. "It's all for a greater good."

Luke didn't question the oddness of that statement, chalking the creepy factor up to his new Headmaster's personality. "Ok then, what do you want me to do?"

"I have an important package that needs to be delivered. Echidna will hand it to you along with the address," Mr. Titanus said, an air of finality in his words.

"Why don't you just Fed Ex it?" Luke offered.

The Headmaster gave his newest student a contemptuous look before plastering a smile over it. "I trust my students more than those blue collar oafs. Now, move along Luke. You are wasting time."

At that obvious order to leave, Luke stepped back into the outer office to have a hopefully short chat with Ms. Echidna.

No dice.

"Oh you're back my dear!" she blurted out a bit too enthusiastically.

"Mr. Titanus wants me to deliver a package," Luke stated, getting to the point. "He said you would have it."

"Oh that," she chirped, digging through the piles of paper on her desk. Echidna yanked out a manila envelope and presented it with what she thought was a winning smile. "Here you go honey."

"Thank you," Luke mumbled before jetting out.

The teen was just about to close the door when he heard her call, "Come and visit Lukey!"

Most kids dreaded the principal's office because they thought they were in trouble. I just had to have the creepy receptionist, Luke thought to himself as he read the address on the envelope.

ICARUS MOTOR SERVICES

500 South Delta Drive

South Delta was a long commute away...looks like he wouldn't get to visit his mom today after all.

"Ms. Castellan?" a nurse called softly, knocking on the patient's door. "Ms. Castellan your son just called."

"Oh really?" May Castellan echoed. She sat in her single bed, legs stretched out in front of her. "What did he say?"

"He says he's sorry he can't come and visit today," the nurse reported.

"Visit? That's silly," May laughed. Her laughter was light and airy, almost as if she didn't know what she was laughing at. "Luke's still at the daycare, he shouldn't be visiting anybody. In fact I'm supposed to pick him up in an hour."

Note: Kronos' first name in my story, "Oras", means "time" in my country's language (Filipino). So that explains that. Also, next chapter an important event happens. It's possible to guess what if you've been reading carefully :D

Edit: FFN deleted this chapter for some reason. Sorry for double posting!