XII: Nothings Black and White

-Luke-

Slip in, grab the target, get out. Three simple steps to follow under the dark of night. Many would be asleep anyway, I would just have to sneak past the harpies and border guards. Yet I somehow messed it up. Face to face with a tall, blue eyed boy. Dirt ran through his messy blonde hair as his expressionless look boud into my soul.

"Hello, Alpha was it?" He politely questioned. Nodding, I averted my eyes from the target. Why in god's name is this guy up so late? "Anything I can help you with?" Choices bounced around in my head. Truth or lie there was no way this could end perfectly. Wait, is this one of the dudes Percy used to talk about?

"This guy," Percy said pointing at a camp picture. "Trusted for good reason, Chaos said he never betrayed me." I was amazed Percy could just believe the goddess without question. Was it because she adopted him? That just made things more confusing. Percy already had a mom, Chaos just adopted Percy as the 'godly parent' in place of Poseidon. Imagine godly laws making any sense.

"Why did you trust him so much?" I asked. A bright smile crossed his lips.

"Same reason you trust Bianca. He was always straightforward and easy to talk to. No avoiding questions or pointless small talk. We still had good conversations, but being the lead healer he was easy to work with. Anyone got hurt he was the one to keep them alive. He didn't fail in healing or as a friend." Tilting his head back to look at me, Percy smirked smugly. "I feel like I liked him in a different way than you like Bianca though."

Shaking my head in disappointment, I decided. Loyal friends of Percy can be loyal friends of mine. Lying would only cause more tension between camps in the case word spread. "The spy girl we knocked out saw some of our warriors unmasked. I would like to inject her with this to wipe her memory of yesterday." Removing my left hand from my pocket, a small needle with purple fluid resided.

"Ok." I gaped before him. Eyes wide, and my jaw practically falling off behind my mask. It was that easy! "Will Solace," he said hand extended. Shaking from my shock, I eagerly grabbed his hand. Devoid of competent thought I dawdled toward the girl as Will leaned against the wall, a hand running through his hair.

Slowly pushing the needle into a vein on her wrist. Serum flowed into her system, the syringe emptying. "What do you think were up against?" Will asked. I scoffed at the fact no one had told him. Communication between us and the campers, and the high rank council and the camp needs to develop or we won't be able to save the innocent demigods.

"Kronos and Gaea if Chaos is correct. Don't worry, we've fought through worse." The attempt to ease him failed, as his jaw dropped harder than mine earlier. Purple liquid drained from the bottle, only stains dotting the glass.

"Do we at least have a plan?" He asked. Worry was present in his voice, but there was something else. Hints of fear, confusion, anger, sadness, and tiredness all rung out in the single voice broken question. It was the excitement that rubbed me the wrong way. The point where his lips and teeth connected was barely hiding a smile.

"No," I truthfully answered. "Campers are stubborn, and Annabeth won't listen to any of our plan ideas. She's so sceptical it pains me." Slipping the bottle into my pocket, I got off my knees.

"Yeah, she's like that since that day. You probably don't know, but someone at our camp was wrongfully accused of tratorism." Clenching my knuckle in my pocket, I resisted the urge to yell remembering this was one of Percy's real friends.

"His name is Percy, and Annabeth was his girlfriend. She tried as hard as she could to disprove the fallacy, but in the end she too sucked into the lies. There were even planned attacks on locations Percy could hide, including a storm on his mortal parents house if Chiron hadn't denied the idea." Insane.

"I know it makes her out to be a quick two timer, but in the first week the lie spread she had done everything in her power to believe it was wrong. All until people just called her out for being in denial. Too many people were on the opposite side, and many on his side were gone most of the time like Nico." Unable to move or speak, I allowed him to continue the story.

"When she finally bought in, they convinced her she would save the camp. Percy would try to take over and create an unfair hierarchy favoring power and rulers. Annabeth had become a puppet being used by Piper and Jason to enforce their rumor. Toying with pride and heroism, Annabeth became clouded and corrupt, feeling the need to free the camp form Percy's wraph." Silently gasping, I recounted the final sentence. "Toying with pride and heroism, Annabeth became clouded and corrupt, feeling the need to free the camp form Percy's wraph." Everywhere, every mission, Percy and Chaos's true motivations. Freeing the universe from threat. There's no way.

"A last ditch effort to reason with Percy was met with him fleeing completely. That signed the contract of his betrayal for her. When everyone was outright told by Jason it was a lie, she was different. She gave up her own beliefs for someone else's once, and swore it would never happen again. Now it's backfired and any attempt to convince her of something goes haywire. No ones insight can cut through her barriers. But maybe if there's another war he could return." Earlier hidden smiles now let loose. "Yeah, he could come back."

I stood shocked with silence. "I have planning to do," I said, standing. Waving to him I

rushed out before he could say goodbye." Winds blew through the camp sending a whistle through the air. Moonlight shed down bathing the camp in light. Flames folded around my body, a spiral erupting from the ground. Whisking off to the woodland camp, thoughts consumed me.

"Toying with pride and heroism, Annabeth became clouded and corrupt, feeling the need to free the camp form Percy's wraph. A last ditch effort to reason with Percy was met with him fleeing completely." Headaches came and left as I stumbled towards my tent. "Come on Luke! You're not the bad guy! In the end you saved everyone, and were still the hero the fates intended! Nothing is black and white!"

Stumbling through the flap of my tent, I collapsed onto my cot. All this time Percy, sense five years ago. Nothing really was black and white. Annabeth should have never have left you for the beliefs of others, especially with your loyalty fatal flaw. However, in spreading your freedom logic onto her, and running away, you took away the only chance to be proved innocent. Lets go Luke! With the help of Chaos I'll bring you back, and we'll free the Universe from violence once and for all!

It's a small five percent, but big enough to turn others perceptions. Five percent of this was on you, it has been sense five years ago. Everyone makes mistakes. How could this have happened.

Sunlight pierced the open flap of my tent. "Wake up, news from the insides of camp." Rubbing my eyes, I focused on Hannah lifting the other sheet. Light burned my eyes as I forced myself to get up. Black cloaks draped down to the aqua carpet. Guess I slept with my clothes on.

"What's the news?" I managed with a yawn.

"Well If you'd get up there's a massive gathering going on!" Groans escaped my mouth as I rolled out of bed and onto the carpet below. Blowing a gust of air, I used my controlled fire technique to transport me towards the dining pavilion, assuming I slept in again. Sleep deprivation and stress cause my to overshoot my target, landing on the corner of a table. Spinning onto the grass, I could feel a cut in my mask from the miscalculation. Probably looks something like Percy's.

Looking up, Chiron, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and some other campers huddled around Percy and another group of people. "Listen, everyone!" Percy's voice boomed through the camp. "We all had a terrible start with each other, but honesty is key. One man cannot trust those they're not honest with, or the reverse. Two sides merging to fight a 'greater' force is difficult when neither side has made previous contact." An opening in the group revealed two near eighteen year-olds and one younger girl.

"Still we must keep moving forward! Kronos and Gaea could crush the camp in a heartbeat, especially now that you lack contact with the gods. We are your only hope. We will stroll into Olympus and make the gods realize the gravity of the situation. We'll call back the A-Wall hunters of Artemis and gods, armies, and campers will collide into the titan-giant army. Preparation can be made to ensure the life of every camper is preserved." So he's finally taken the first steps.

"We can give you weapons, army, food, armor, and specific training mentally, emotionally, and physically! This camp has lived in the peace of hiding behind a wall too long! You don't know how to fight! Your dwindling veterans lack practice in their crafts! Enemies don't sit around and wait for you to be prepared. They will attack relentlessly until claiming victory. We will assure that doesn't happen, but only if your truly with us!" Towards moving on.

"Fine lines run between secrets and brutal dishonesty! Both parties united stand the strongest! United we'll run the most powerful Earth group sense the dawn of time!" For the first time in five years. "So what's it gonna be!? Will you tell me the prophecy of not!"

Sorry for no chapter last week.

-Frost