Chapter 8: Capture Their Hearts

AN: Wow, the idiot thing is really annoying. The seating order is as follows. Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Frank, Grover, Tyson, Ella, Hearth, Will, Alex, Sadie, Jaz, Hazel, Rachel, Jason, Carter, Sam, Zia, Thalia, Apollo, Magnus, Blitz, Reyna, Nico, Walt, Chris, Clarisse, Juniper, and Calypso.

Chris and Clarisse had been talking, sitting together and ignoring most of everything else that had been happening. As they got up to follow everyone else back to the viewing room there was a yell. "Hey, idiot! Pause for a second."

They turned to see Annabeth. Clarisse growled for a moment but stopped. "What? You going to tell me that there's more of my life that everyone's going to see up there now?"

"Not now, idiot. Eventually."

"Then what is it? I don't want to be called idiot fifty more times, so finish fast."

"I don't want to be an idiot, so I need to tell you. Knowing what the fates have chosen to show before, this is that game of capture the flag with Beckendorf, Silena and my idiot. As well as the bronze dragon," Annabeth paused for a second and sighed. "Idiot."

Clarisse scanned her face for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, she nodded. "Thank you. For the warning."

"Of course, idiot."

Everyone seated themselves much the same as they had at lunch. There were a few minor changes. After discussion Annabeth and Percy had told Leo and Piper what was happening, suggesting they sit with them, or at least nearby. Accommodating that others had shifted around as well, waiting for a few minutes to make sure they were all comfortable to make any noise so the next part of Percy's story could begin.

Percy looked around fourteen years old. The same age he had been after the Battle of the Labyrinth. Everyone was near the armory preparing for capture the flag. Blue was Hephaestus's strong burly kids, Apollo kids arming themselves with bows, the Hermes kids with their devlilsh grins and looks. Percy also wore a blue helmet. With the red feathered helmets prepping nearby were Aphrodite's kids, the Ares' cabin, the one son Dionysus had left, Demeter's kids and the flag holder's the Athena cabin.

"A capture the flag game?" Reyna asked excited to once again view the Greek version of the war games.

"A rare one, idiot," Annabeth said with a grin.

Percy frowned and whispered to Tyson. "If she says it's because I lost then—"

"Why?" interrupted Carter.

"There were a lot of reasons, idiot. Quite a few are probably spoilers," Annabeth replied.

"The one that isn't is that Ares and Athena were on the same team. That barely happens. The Hephaestus cabin, with some of Beckendorf's tricks, got the Ares flag the night before," Grover explained.

Annabeth walked up to Percy in her full armor with a mischievous grin greeting him with a Seaweed Brain. Percy groaned and asked her to stop calling him that.

"I still think it's cute," Jaz beamed at them.

"Yeah. Now, maybe. Back then it was her way of calling me a Dumbass. I could call her Wise Girl and Owl-head but they didn't sound as good as Smartass and we have to be role models as Cabin heads. So, no cursing."

"Really?"

"It doesn't always stick."

Annabeth smirked and said he knew he loved it. She bumped into him but since she was already in her full armor, he was pushed a little.

"Ow," Percy grumbled. "You know that hurts."

"Sorry, idiot."

"I'll forgive you. Only because you look really cute in your armor," Percy said with shining eyes. Annabeth gave him a similar look right back.

Annabeth spoke a little quieter and said they were going to crush his team tonight, so he should pick a safe position. Like the right flank. That way she could make sure he didn't get too hurt.

"Reverse psychology," Sadie said. "Smart."

"Yeah," Percy grumbled again. "Smart."

"It's more like reverse reverse psychology," interjected Magnus. "Either way, I can't believe that you fell for it?"

"You'll see."

Percy said thanks sarcastically saying he was playing to win. She smiled saying she'd see him on the battlefield. She turned and jogged back to her cabin who smiled and high fived her. Percy stared after her with a dopey smile.

"Again," groaned Magnus. "Obvious."

From on either side of him Thalia and Sam exchanged glances screaming about the irony in that statement.

"If you weren't there, and experiencing this a second time," Grover challenged, "You don't have a right to complain about it."

"It was still obvious though," Clarisse argued. "We all knew it."

Beckendorf came over and smiled at Percy saying Annabeth liked him.

Clarisse raised an eyebrow as if to prove her point.

Percy groaned, well aware of how oblivious he was for several years. "We get it."

"You didn't," Annabeth pointed out, then smirked. "Idiot."

Percy mumbled sure. If it was for target practice.

"All of us do sometimes," Thalia joked.

"Especially with guys who are oblivious to how much we like them," Alex called from the other side of the room.

Again, Thalia and Sam exchanged looks behind an ignorant Magnus's back.

Beckendorf said girls always did that. If they were trying to kill you, then they were into you. Percy said that made a lot of sense.

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "Then you'd be saying half of the female monsters and goddesses and stuff that have tried to kill me were into me. Like Gaea."

"I don't know dude," Leo frowned. "She kind of was in a creepy way. To use your power as her pawn at least."

"And there were definitely several monsters who made flirty comments with you," Piper added.

"There were the Amazons too," Hazel piped up.

Percy shivered. "I'm not going to think about that. Not going to think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it."

Beckendorf shrugged saying he knew about this stuff. He should be asking her to the fireworks. Percy looked at him skeptically.

"What's that look for?" Walt asked.

"Wait for it. Let's just say I was a bit unsure how qualified Beckendorf was to give this kind of advice."

Beckendorf didn't look back, his eyes had zone in on Silena Beauregard. Her long black hair was tied up and her eyes flashed when they saw Beckendorf and Percy. She smiled at them, calling Beckendorf, Charlie and wishing him luck before she joined Annabeth. Percy patted him on the shoulder saying thanks for the advice. He was glad to have a friend so wise about girls. Then he urged Beckendorf to come on and go into the woods.

Everyone was laughing at both boys by the end of the scene. Both were obviously smitten and had no thoughts besides the girls distracting them, especially from the game.

"I see what you mean," Walt smiled.

"Yeah. Everyone knew he liked her since my first year of camp," Percy smiled sadly. "They were like fifteen then."

"So, he was eighteen then," noted Blitz.

"Yeah."

"Beckendorf was the guy I went to for lots of advice. He was older and wiser," Percy shrugged. "And I knew I could trust him. I was a bit more skeptical about lots of people after Luke. Beckendorf was just a person you trusted though."

"Now you're the guy everyone asks for advice," Leo said.

"Just passing it on." Percy's eyes dropped down to where he was kneading his hands in his lap. Though he shrugged nonchalantly, leaning his head to the side with a small grin, it seemed strange. As if the two expressions were contradicting themselves. "And I wouldn't say that."

"Really? We asked for advice about several things you've never had experience with," Carter noted.

"That's different."

"Charles Beckendorf was an awesome guy. He was probably my best friend at camp outside of those here. He never judged me or anyone else for anything. He was dedicated and had so much he wanted to do. Honestly, Leo you remind me of him a lot. You would have loved each other."

"Yeah," Leo agreed quietly staring up at the projection of Beckendorf. "We would have."

As they headed into the woods Percy told Beckendorf to go left. Annabeth had wanted them to go right which meant she hadn't wanted them to go left.

Everyone looked at Percy slightly disbelievingly. He groaned and hid his face in his hands. Usually he was smarter than that. He tended to be good with figuring out plans and strategies, it just wasn't the case with Annabeth being his opponent. He just was blind with everything when it was involved with her.

Beckendorf nodded and told Percy they should suit up. This stuff took a long time to forge so Percy better not mess it up. Percy said you got it Captain. Beckendorf's mouth twitched as he grunted.

Leo was sketching and writing down all he saw with the armor Beckendorf had obviously made. He was a bit thrown with the Captain comment. That was what he called himself. Had Beckendorf liked or enjoyed a similar nickname….?

"What is that?" Blitz said looking back and forth at the armor then Percy almost maniacally. "Camouflaging armor?"

"New idea for your shop?" Alex asked him.

"For sure."

"It's chameleon armor. It blends into the background. So, we're pretty disguised but not perfectly. Beckendorf had spent a while making this for both of us."

"Just the two of you?" questioned Frank.

"Chameleon armor is tough. Two pairs is a lot of work," Tyson frowned. "Beckendorf did good. He always did."

Will nodded, "And Percy and Beckendorf were the leaders of the team, that much was unquestionable."

Both crossed the creek. There was no noise in the distance and maybe a gleam of something but no one around. Beckendorf whispered it was weird there was no border guards. Percy guessed they were being over confident.

"Dude," Carter frowned at him. "She has an invisibility cap. How could you forget that?"

A bunch of others groaned, wondering how they had also managed to forget that in the moment.

"Too focused on other things I guess?"

"It sure worked better than your armor, idiot," Annabeth grinned. "And I really hope you know I wouldn't forget border guards. Idiot."

"Of course not. You're the best strategist I've ever met. Which is why it set me off."

"You know to trust your instincts," Thalia chided him.

"You know I was a little less confident about all of that back then."

The scene skipped and changed again. They were walking through the trees and suddenly reached a clearing where there was a giant mountain of dirt. Beckendorf gasped saying Holy Hephaestus the Ant Hill.

"Ant hill? What does that mean?" asked Hazel with a curious frown.

"They're not that bad," Apollo argued.

"Dad, this is where our opinions differ. Like a lot," Will frowned.

"I mean I was mad at them when they took Meg too but now, we're good," Apollo shrugged. "I mean, I think."

"Does someone want to explain what the Ant Hill is?" Sam interrupted.