Keaton's POV
15 minutes earlier
"Keaton." a stern voice said behind him.
Keaton continued to work on the catapult he was priming, testing the rope to see if it was firm. "Hey, Jake." he said, without turning around.
"Keaton." Jake Mason said again, tapping his shoulder.
"What?" he said, irritated, looking at the son of Hephaestus. "Look man, I'm really busy with this -"
"You know that girl you were telling us about?" Jake interrupted. "Well, I think I found her."
"What?" Keaton exclaimed, letting go of the rope. "Wh-where is she?"
"With Percy." Jake said coldly.
Keaton narrowed his eyes, trying to process his hostile mood. "Did she offend you or something? Why are you looking like that?"
Jake's fingers were a blur as he undid Keaton's work on the rope and redid it in a matter of seconds. He sighed heavily, and put his hands on his knees.
"It's just that...well, I don't know. Michael and I went up to Percy, showing him some battle maps, and that girl suddenly started spouting out a bunch of inside information. I'm sorry, Keaton. But I think she's a servant of Kronos."
Keaton felt his heart slowly turning to ice. "That's not possible. She must have accidentally...overheard some invasion plans when she was in the Labyrinth."
Jake shook his head. "I doubt it."
"Then why is she here?" Keaton said harshly. Jake shrugged.
"I have no idea. No one's ever switched over from Kronos' side to Camp Half Blood's before." Jake said, mystified. Then, his face hardened. "I've had plenty of friends join Kronos' army before. And it's tough to deal with. My advice is: don't trust her. I don't care that she was your best friend at one point. She's not anymore. Keaton? Keaton, wait!"
But he was already gone.
Keaton's POV
Keaton ran towards the clearing, shoving aside demigods and knocking over rows of weapons.
"Wyse, you will die for this!" A daughter of Ares screamed at him.
Then, he spotted her. The girl he had agonized over for so many months, the girl he had searched and waited for. His best friend.
Keaton scowled and corrected himself. His acquaintance.
Leila had always been a rebel, but to join Kronos' side..she must be pure evil.
Her back was turned to Keaton, and she was talking quietly with Percy. Percy said something that Keaton couldn't quite catch, something like, "Kronos...inside...possess..."
Leila clenched her hands into fists, and said sharply, "Gee, just announce it to the whole camp, will you, Jackson?"
Keaton's vision turned red. Leila never talked like that. She never addressed someone by their last name, and she definitely never talked with as much harshness in her voice as she did now.
Percy bit his lip, and mumbled an apology.
Keaton couldn't stand it anymore. He stepped forward and said, "Well, you seem to know quite a lot about Kronos' army, don't you, Leila?"
She turned around, and Keaton's heart stopped. He almost couldn't recognize the girl standing in front of him. Leila's face was covered with bruises and open wounds, and her hands - the skin on her hands were cut and sliced in every possible way. Keaton was glad that she was wearing a sweatshirt. He didn't want to know what her arms looked like. Her ratty hair didn't seem quite as dark, and her eyes were a dull green. And she didn't look twelve years old. She looked like she had lived for an eternity.
Leila's POV
Keaton's scowl faded, and he stared at her, his eyes bulging. Leila scanned his face, noting that he had shot up in height in the last couple of months, outgrowing her. His dark hair had grown out, and it was combed neatly to the side, as always. His gray eyes searched hers. Leila couldn't shake the feeling that his sad expression made him look so much older than twelve.
"What happened to you?" Keaton said quietly.
"You don't want to know." Leila said softly.
"I think I do! I want to know what happened to my best friend! You joined Kronos? He's evil! Leila, how could you?" Keaton said, his voice rising in anger.
Something inside Leila deflated, and she said, forcing herself to be calm, "I was lost, Keaton. I was scared, and I was alone in the Labyrinth. I could have died in there any second! What other option did I have?"
"You could have found a way out!" Keaton said fiercely. "I know you could have, Leila, I know you!"
"No, you don't."
"Excuse me?"
"You don't know me like you used to." She stepped closer to Keaton, getting close to his face. "How dare you accuse me of being in Kronos' army! If you haven't noticed, I'm here now! I'm offering you guys help because I want you guys to win! You have no idea what I have been through, Keaton, so don't -"
Before Leila could continue, a searing pain shot through her arm. Her muscles seized up, and her vision turned blurry. She swayed, and fell hard on her back, knocking out the air from her lungs.
It's time. chuckled an evil voice. Your big moment, Leila Brooke. In minutes, my army will attack this silly camp. And you shall lead the attack.
She was dimly aware of people shouting, surrounding her.
"No. Get away...please..." she said weakly, trying to raise her arms.
You know, I should thank that brother of yours. sneered Kronos, He is the one, after all, who brought you in the camp. Now I can crush it more effectively.
"No!" gasped Leila, and another shock of agony arched her back. "There are little kids here! Don't - "
"Leila! Leila, stay with me here." Keaton said sharply, shaking her shoulders.
Her fingers found Jackson's sleeve and she tugged on it lightly, croaking, "Jackson, Kronos is coming."
He nodded grimly in understanding and yelled, "GET BACK, EVERYBODY!"
Another surge of pain coursed through her limbs, and her tattoos burned savagely. Only Keaton was close enough to see the scythe tattoo glowing golden on her neck.
His eyes widened, and his fingers trembled. But he didn't move back.
Leila clutched the dirt, and thought desperately, Please, not now. Not in front of so many campers.
Ah, yes. murmured Kronos. But you asked for it, didn't you, my dear?
