Chapter 6
Percy walked towards the direction he had came, a headache already forming. It was only the first day of camp, and Percy had already met 2 people who had perplexed him.
He decided he'd have to have his alone time to think on things. It may have been weird for such a young kid to spend so much time to himself, but Percy enjoyed it.
He got a calm feeling while alone, as if he was in his own world. Time always seemed to slow down during these moments, and it helped the demigod get in tune with himself.
This was probably partly the reason he was how he was.
But all that would have to wait as Percy decided now was the time to meet back up with Luke. He didn't like the idea of the boy convincing him to go over, yet he felt like he needed to.
After all, Luke had apparently been expecting him, so he may have knew something about who sent the minotaur.
The thing that killed his mother.
He deduced that if he really had answers, it would be beneficial to go. The thought that Luke had something to do with the monsters attack also lingered in the back of his head.
Luke was definitely different from the other demigods, in a bad way of course. He gave off bad intentions, almost evil. He wondered if maybe the bull was sent to kill himself and his brother, and now Luke was goi to finish the job.
He shook his head and decided that it was a stupid thought. He may have seemed shady, but there was no way he was evil as he had apparently been at this camp for as long as Annabeth.
Percy remembered hearing around that Luke was also one of the best swordsman at the camp, if not the best. There was no doubt about it, he was dangerous.
Percy's shoulders slumped in a huff. He thought that maybe he was looking into things too deep. He had grown used to being the cautious one, looking over his older brothers shoulder.
Maybe this camp would be the place where he could stop worrying about everything, and maybe even enjoy himself. However, speaking about said older brother, Percy was alerted when he heard a large boom! In the direction of the bathrooms.
Percy turned around to see water splashing out of the place with a drenched Clarisse on the floor. He watched his brother walk out, perfectly dry with a large wooden pole in his hand.
Percy's eye caught Annabeth, also drenched looking annoyed at Theo. She seemed to notice she was being watched and turned around to lock eyes with Percy.
They held a gaze for a second before they both turned around at the same time defiantly. Percy found the image of the soaked girl a little amusing, feeling better about himself.
However, due to this he didn't notice the girl turn back around to watch the boy walk off. "What could he possibly be doing?" She wondered, confused on how the demigod was already going by himself on his own. She would've possible followed him if she didn't have to deal with the boys troublesome brother.
Percy though, didn't have time to deal with said brother. No not today. Today he had other things to deal with, things that would end up dragging him into a whole world of trouble.
-Line Break-
Percy stumbled through the last line of foliage to break into a open plain like terrain. The camp itself was bigger then he thought with plenty of woods to cover the distance.
Though he was worried at first, he quickly realized the place was safe, filled with only small and peaceful animals. It had only taken him a couple minutes to get through the thinnest part of the woods, before he saw the hut.
The trees had disappeared, and there was only a small path leading towards the building. Percy was pretty sure Luke was there.
Without hesitation, Percy walked forward till he reached the door. The wooden frame was falling apart, the whole house was really, but Percy only grunted.
The boy walked through the threshold to see Luke sitting on a what seemed to be a cage, but there was a blanket draped over it. He was leaning back nonchalantly. Percy quickly then noticed a dangerous looking sword in the corner of the room. That, along with the mysterious cage made Percy even more wary.
It took a moment for Luke to notice him, but when he did his face brightened. The scar didn't help with his friendly facade though.
"Percy! I'm so glad you could make it, though of course I expected you." He said with a slight chuckle. "Please sit." He gestured to Percy's right, and that's when the boy noticed another box in the corner.
He sat down hesitantly, making sure to watch his step. He sat down and relaxed slightly, trying to get comfortable.
Percy scanned the floor to see a couple of the wooden planks coming out. He raised his head to meet Luke's eyes as he spoke.
"Is this place real-!" Percy's eyes widened in absolute shock. Just as he raised his gaze, the first thing he saw was a small round object traveling towards him at crazy speeds.
Percy's brain went into overdrive. He watched the object in slow motion, and quickly realized it was a small pebble. On instinct Percy weaved his head to dodge the pebble, because no matter how small, at the speed it would do damage.
All in the same moment, he looked ahead to see a cocky smirk on Luke's face. He also noticed that his scar seemed to grow. Wether it was the lighting, or the viscous smile, it made Percy on edge.
Time seemed to speed up after Percy was safe from the projectile. The pebble ended up hitting the wall directly behind the boy.
Percy whipped his head around to meet Luke's eyes with a viscous gaze. "What the hell!" He said, angry.
Luke only shrugged. "Your reflexes are better then I thought, for a newbie at least. Though you'll have to get a lot better if your the one I've been waiting for." He said, almost like he was talking to himself.
Percy stared on, confused. Was that supposed to test him or something? To be honest, he himself had been pretty surprised by his actions. He only was able to see the pebble for a second, yet he had dodged it almost perfectly.
Annabeth had said his ADHD had essentially hard-wired him for battle, but what he felt just then was different. It was like even time itself had slowed down temporarily, even if it was just for a second.
That said, Percy always felt like things were moving slower then they should've been, but never to the extent he had just felt.
Either way, recently, he was starting to think it was much more then just ADHD.
With all that in mind, he didn't think about it too much right now as he was still pretty pissed.
"What are you talking about?! Is this some kind of joke to you!"
Luke shook his head. "Chill out kid, it's not that serious. I was just trying to see something. Besides, it's not like that would've killed you or anything, only knocked you out at most."
Percy glared at him before relaxing once again, still a little mad. The way Luke talked made it seem like a small deal, yet Percy could tell he wasn't completely relaxed.
"But anyways, you came here for answers right? So let's get into that, the important stuff am I right?"
Percy huffed.
"I only came here because you said you knew me and my brother were coming here. That itself doesn't matter to me, but if you know of who or what sent the bull after me, I need to know."
Luke raised a brow I confusion. "That's all you want to know?" He asked.
"Yes, so just tell me what you know, if you know anything, and I'll be gone." Said the boy stubbornly.
Luke leaned back slightly. He laughed. "Sorry to tell you, Jackson, but it won't be that easy. There's a lot we have to talk about, you and me.
If you stay to talk, I'll answer whatever little questions you have." He said.
Percy squirmed a bit. He didn't like coming to people for information in general. He'd rather find out himself, but it was even worse coming from Luke.
He may not have seemed as smart as Annabeth, but he definitely was more cunning. He knew he had what Percy needed, and used it against him. For what, Percy was about to find out.
"Fine. Tell me about whatever you want, it doesn't really matter to me." Said Percy stubborn as ever.
Luke only smiled.
"Well Percy, let's start off with this.
What do you know about the gods?"
-Line Break-
Theo frowned down at the wooden sword in his hand, and then at the buff girl in front of him.
"Is this really necessary?" He asked.
Though he had gotten pretty heated up when he first encountered Clarisse, right now he'd like to cause less problems, if possible.
"It's camp rules. If someone has a good enough reason to challenge you, they can call for a duel. You could decline of course, but that wouldn't be a good look for you, especially after killing the minotaur." Said Annabeth. As she was the closest one to the two at the time, she was selected to be the ref of the match.
Honestly though, as much as she hated Clarisse at times, the drenching from Theo was enough to make her despite them both at the moment.
Theo sighed. "I already told you, I didn't kill the minotaur." He repeated for the hundredth time. He hated taken credit for Percy's kill, yet no one would listen.
"But if it has to be this way, then I guess." He said, though it was obvious he still wasn't completely on board.
It wasn't surprising. Though she was annoying, it couldn't be denied that Clarisse was one of the best fighters around. That compared to Theo's ten minutes of training didn't make things seem bright for the demigod.
Clarisse got into a fighting position. "Shut up chump and get ready!" She said gruffly. Theo eyed her spear warily. He was told it was electrifying, and wasn't too fond of it.
"Now if both participants are ready, the duel between Theseus Jackson and Clarisse La Rue will begin!" Said Annabeth.
Theo raised his blade in defense. Wether or not he wanted this didn't matter. Clarisse wouldn't pull her punches, and Theo didn't like the idea of getting beat up in front of all these people.
There had to have been 20 kids here, all waiting to see what the newest "Monster Slayer" had to offer. It wasn't Theseus's ideal first day, but it would have to do.
Clarisse didn't waste any time to lunge forward. She jabbed her spear wildly for Theo's stomach, and it was honestly pretty accurate.
Theseus quickly swung downwards to direct the path of the spear into the ground. Theo ran forward and swung directly for the girls exposed chest.
Though they had thin breastplates, Theo was worried they may not hold up, though he didn't have the time to worry.
Clarisse quickly recovered from the previous attack and raised the shaft of her spear to block Theseus's blade. Clarisse followed up with a powerful kick, sending Theo back.
Theseus coughed a bit, a little caught off guard by the impact.
Annabeth watched, slightly impressed. By her standards, Theo seemed like a natural fighter, though he didn't swing with the intention to hurt. Nonetheless, it wasn't as one sided as she had first imagined.
The two demigods swung at each other for a couple of minutes, pretty evenly matched. It had to took this amount of time before it became obvious they were growing tired.
After getting reflected back one more time, Clarisse became mad. "Stop just blocking! Fight BACK!" She yelled the last part as she swung her weapon in an arch.
Theo's eyes widened as he realized he wasn't used to something other then a jab. The blade hit Theo directly in his left arm, and the force sent him to the ground.
Annabeth facepalmed. She didn't know how Theo expected to win without attacking, but it looked like things would be over soon anyways.
Theo rolled a bit in the dirt before he regained his senses, only to see a menacing figure above him.
"I'm going to enjoy this." Said the gruff voice of Clarisse. The demigod raised her spear up high and slammed the blunt side downwards, knocking the air clear out of the boys chest.
"GAH!" Said Theo, as writhed in pain.
Annabeth cringed as she watched.
The demigod watching too opted to looking away. At this camp, not many people could avoid a beating from Clarisse, except Luke of course. It was a shame to see the newbie get roughed up, but it was bound to happen.
After a couple more blunt hits, Annabeth spoke up.
"That's enough Clarisse! Just put him in a "lethal position", and let the duel end!" She said, referencing the rules.
At Camp Half-Blood, a duel could only end in two ways. Either with one contestant passing out, or the referee calling it off once one contestant is in a lethal position. That is to say, in a position where they are moments away from a lethal attack.
Clarisse grunted. "Fine." She said. The girl flipper her spear around and now pointed it at the boy, who could've been unconscious in all honest.
If she was to simply place the tip on the boys neck or head, the duel would end.
"This is what you deserve, punk." She spat out one last time before lowering the weapon.
Theo mumbled something to himself that no one was able to catch. It may have seemed like a surrender of sorts, but the boy wasn't down just yet.
With the strength he was able to muster, Theo shot his hand out to grab Clarisse by the ankle.
"What?!" She said, surprised.
Theseus didn't give her time to process anything as he used his strength to swing the girl to the ground.
"Woah-!"
Using all momentum, in one swift move he forced himself up and pinned the girl to the ground, effectively putting himself above her.
With his sword in his hand, he jutted his sword downwards, preparing to put Clarisse in a lethal position. With her inner instincts kicking in, Clarisse did the only thing that could save her from a loss.
The crowd went silent as they were shocked and waiting for an answer.
Annabeth eventually caught herself and stuttered out the results.
"Th-The duel between Theseus Jackson and Class La Rue, has ended in a draw!" She said half heartedly as if she didn't believe it herself.
Theo frowned to himself, upset his "master plan" hadn't ended how he wanted it to.
Using the last of his strength, he had successfully been able to catch Clarisse off guard, putting his blade to chin. To his surprise though, the girl was ready as she shot out her hand and jabbed her spear outwards so it was poking Theo in the side of his neck.
A single drop of blood slid down the spear tip, causing it to send a wave of electricity, snapping Theo back into things.
Clarisse looked at the boy with sweat all over her face. She had barely been able to save herself as she was confident she had had the win. The fact that she had almost lost this, and even then it was a draw...
After regaining her senses, Clarisse got up in a roar, pushing Theo off of her. Without a word, she stomped off out of the arena, her siblings cautiously following after her.
Theo stared off before shaking his head. Cleaning himself off, he got up and walked towards Annabeth with his sword on his hip.
"Impressive, Jackson." She said, still a little shocked, but she couldn't let Theo know that.
"I guess. Can we finish that tour though? You were just about to show me the dining hall, and I'm getting hungry." He said nonchalantly as he walked away as well.
Annabeth stared at the back of his head at awe. Had he let himself get pinned down on purpose? That would be genius, even if it was stupid to get hit. Or if not that, did he just have crazy endurance, enough to take hits from Clarisse and still be able to overpower her?
The girl shook her head. There was no point in trying to break down the boy in front of her, he was a different kind of person. However, knowing that she wouldn't stop in trying to figure him out.
With that, she continue to follow the boy, still slightly shocked.
-Line Break-
"What?"
"I asked what you do really know about the gods. And answer wisely, because this will be very important." He said with a mischievous glint.
Percy laid back a bit. "I know as much as they taught us in school. Zeus beat up his dad, and became king, then everyone lives happily ever after." He replied sarcastically.
Luke took a step forward. "See that's where you wrong, Percy. Everyone lived happily ever after? Hardly!" He said with a scoff, turning slightly angry. It was only for a moment, but Percy picked it up.
"The only ones truly happy up there on Olympus is Zeus and the rest of those gods. The rest of us are left to fend for ourselves." He said.
Percy said nothing, but he was thinking hard about Luke's words. The boy continued.
"The gods have never really cared for demigods like you and me Percy, I've learned that. This scar on my face reminds me every day." He said darkly.
Percy shifted. "And what does that have to do with me, Luke? You have a grudge against the gods, so what?" He said.
Luke laughed to himself, which wasn't the reaction Percy expected.
"You think this doesn't involve you, Percy? Ok, then tell me exactly how many times had your godly parent ever came to contact you in any way?
Based off the way you got here, beat up and knocked out, do you think they really care for you?
The gods have the power to step in whenever they want, yet they stay silent up there, taking care of their own problems while we suffer. Your mother was just one of the many victims of this behavior."
He said. He was quiet for a second as he let the words sink in with the younger boy. He had to make sure to convince him.
"But as for how this pertains to you exactly, Percy..." Luke continued. Percy perked up as he get this was the part he truly wanted to hear.
"I'm currently working with a very powerful man. All those problems revolving the gods that I mentioned before? This man is the only person alive capable of solving those things." He said.
Percy, despite himself, found that he was squirming in his seat. As soon as Luke mentions this "certain man" he found the room seemed to drop 10 degrees. He decided it was just him.
"It happens to be that this man was the one who warned me of your arrival." Luke took another step forward.
"You want to know what he told me, Percy? He told me that someone capable of helping us achieve our goals would appear soon.
At first, I thought it was your brother. At first glance, he's seems confident, charismatic, and likable. But once I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were the one.
There's something in your eyes, Percy, something that if used correctly, could turn into a fire that nothing can stay in the way of!" He said, getting excited about whatever fantasy he had in his mind.
It seemed Percy was supposed to be the one who would turn that fantasy into a reality.
"What exactly...is your goal, Luke?" Asked Percy slowly. He was still confused by all of this, but he wanted the boy to keep going.
"Isn't it obvious." He replied with a sly smile. "The complete eradication of the gods."
...
"What?"
Luke's smile didn't waver. "You heard me. I want to bring down what the gods have built up over the years. The gods and Olympus itself are a disease, cursing this world. The only way to get rid of said disease is to burn it to the ground and start over." He said.
Percy stood up from his seat and looked at Luke warily.
"I don't get what your talking about. Aren't those your parents?" He asked.
Luke laughed in a mocking tone. "Is that supposed to mean something? Cmon now Percy, your smart. Don't tell me your already attached to some beings you just learned existed." He said.
Percy shook his head, regaining his senses.
"Hardly. I don't really care for any gods, but I know what a madman talking sounds like.
Luke's smile grew slightly smaller. "A madman? Tell me Percy, name one thing the gods have done good for this world. I've already told you everything wrong about them, yet you call me mad?" He asked.
Percy was about to respond when something passed through his mind. The memory of Mrs. Dodds, and the realization that Chiron and Grover knew she was a monster, yet they had never once stepped in until the two had nearly died, and even then they lied about it for months.
Percy started to see some sense in Luke's words, though he still couldn't trust him.
If gods really did exist, why had they never stepped in to help him before? He wondered.
Luke's next statement was what really put the nail in the coffin.
"If you still aren't on board, I get it, but did you ever stop to think about who sent that beast after you and your family?" He said.
Percy tensed up. "Who?!" He asked, stepping forward and grabbing Luke by his collar.
He seemed off guard for a second, but his smile soon returned.
"The gods, kids."
Percy turned angry and gripped harder onto his shirt, yet Luke was unfazed.
"Don't be stupid! What do the gods have to get from us?!" He asked.
Luke only laughed, making Percy even more angry. "I'm sorry Percy, but I can't answer everything right now. After all, you haven't even answered my question, so can I really trust you?"
Percy relaxed his grip and let go, slightly intrigued. "What's your question?" He scowled out.
Luke flashed his winning sly smile.
"Are you willing to turn your backs on the gods?"
Luke seems like a sly fellow, huh.