I do not own Percy Jackson, its character and its unvirse except my plot so dont go copying my work.

CHAPTER 10

LUKE

For a month since I came here he would watch me from distant with his stony poker face thinking I wouldn't know. He would try to dissect what I am, like I am some sort of roach. My claiming did nothing but made him more suspicious. He already knew something was wrong with me since Charles told him about last part of prophecy to him. First came Clovis's warning, Anthony and Reece unclaimed demigods(two quest mates of Luke) disappeared later, Clovis disappeared the same week, then I appeared mumbling the prophecy which Luke only knew one part of it, which I was thankful of, then I was claimed one of the child of big three, Poseidon. Everybody immediately was suspicious of me but Luke was even more because he knew more than them. He was there when his quest mates disappeared; he was the only one who didn't immediately dismissed Clovis's warning and he knew a part of 'new' prophecy. That made him more dangerous than I expected and I didn't even realized that. By the time I did it was already late.

Knowing what he had been through I can't blame to be distant to me at first. I was the wild card whom he suspected knew more than I told. He was not wrong, I did know more probably more than even gods. Not that I am going to admit to those guys, with their already inflated egos they would blast me to molecules, no thanks I value my life.

Anyways, by creeping on me from distant, he 'evaluated' some things about me which…made him little satisfied. He was a little happy that I became a loner in the camp and on the top of that I kept mostly to myself, talking mostly to Charles, Katie, Selena or Grover. Well, they were the only ones who made efforts to be my friends unlike others whom kept their distance with me and Luke knew that. I was pretty fast to accept being demigod and was oddly familiar with the camp. I would sometimes gaze at others with mournful expression on my face as if it hurt me to look at them, which baffled him quite a bit. He honestly thought something was seriously wrong with me and on top of that he also found out that I sometimes talk to me which even for a demigod is really weird and quite alarming. I was thankful that he didn't tell on me to Mr. D otherwise that would have made my situation and position really worse. Probably that's because he already started distrusting and hating gods a little. If you knew him even a 'little' would be 'very much' for others. All these made him little solidify his case on me. He got even a little distant with me. He also noted that I would sacrifice almost half of my food at every dinner, only dinner. He wondered what's up with that but chalked it down to one of my weirdness.

So, naturally, he wasn't happy with so little information made by observing me from distant, therefore, he began asking others about me discreetly so he wouldn't seem interested. Obviously, he wouldn't want others to know he was interested me so much that he was asking others what they thought about me, the guy is-sorry was sociopath.

Now you would be wondering then why wouldn't he just approach me and try to socialize on his own, he is charming person isn't he? Charles and his group did a little then why wouldn't he. Wouldn't make his case easy? The real reason was why he was hesitant to approach me was first; he honestly thought something was seriously wrong with me and he wouldn't want anything and god forbid something happen to Annabeth because of me. Second, I made him nervous for some reason. He would get this chill down his spine whenever he would think to approach me. When I heard that it made my day. Luke nervous of me, the scrawny ten years old boy, it was hilarious. I now understood the real reason why would he get nervous but that will come later into the story.

So he still wasn't happy with what he learnt, no, what he didn't already knew. Note my sarcasm. So he decided to do next best thing. He cornered Charles one day because he was the only one other than Grover, whom was mostly busy with counsel, closest to me. Katie and Selena were still warming up to me so he didn't think they were worth to corner them and ask about myself and Charles trusted him which was the bonus point.

Luke cornered Charles in the infirmary where Charles was sorting out his equipments and deciding what he needed for his project. He looked up when he saw Luke entering the infirmary.

"Hey, man." Charles said in greeting.

"Hey," Luke replied.

Luke started placing his practice swords and shields which he used for teaching demigods in his class. They were quite for several minutes, busy doing their own work. After Luke was done placing and putting equipments, he sighed heavily feeling quite relieved from the burden and turned towards Charles.

"So, what project you're working on this time?" Luke asked looking interested, gesturing towards the chart hanging by Charles's waist with his right hand. Luke I knew might have been a jerk but he was not always like that, so, I would agree he was genuinely interested in Charles's projects. If what Charles told me about his past quests, whom I trust won't lie to me about such things at all, they had been quest mates and have put their life in each other's hand countless of time. So, they trust and respect each other and were, still are, very good friends.

"Oh, yeah. I just started recently." He said, nervously scratching his neck. He does that when nervous or is guilty of something. "I am making a sword for Percy." He admitted.

"What do you mean?" Luke was immediately interested. The guy would come running if someone said anything or would talk about me at that time. He was in very weird place. When I heard about the same from him, I actually pitied him. Obviously, he punched me in gut, he doesn't like being pitied.

"You might have noticed the sword he uses is terribly unbalanced and still he does well, so, I thought I could put together a sword that he would feel much comfortable to use." He explained and then chuckled as he thought about something amusing, "I mean that guy's a natural, you wouldn't have missed that." There was admiration in his eyes when he said that.

It was true, he grudgingly admitted. I was natural plus I had memory of my past which made me even better for someone who only came to camp only few weeks ago. Luke started thinking some things which made Charles a little suspicious.

"What're you planning?"

"Little something to see how natural he is." He admitted after several moments of considering how could he put that he was planning to test me and not come out as threatening.

"Don't go hard on him, he's just ten."

"Annabeth is ten." He countered.

"That is different. She's already here all year since three years and is much focused. Percy, although is gifted swordsman, only been here for few weeks."

"So, you are asking me to not evaluate his talent, so, that I couldn't train him according to his ability in the name of protecting him? You can't be there every time to save his ass from the monsters when he's on his own out there."

Charles sighed heavily; his shoulder slumped in obvious defeat of argument and pursed his lips, looking away from his intense eyes. His face contorted in obvious conflict of emotions. He didn't speak for few moments.

"When you put it like that…" Charles paused thinking some things over before turning back towards and looking in Luke's eyes. His eyes hardened in apparent suspicion.

"What I'm afraid off is that you would do something to him." Apparently, Charles knew him better than he expected.

Luke's eyes widened in disbelief, and then narrowed in anger.

"You think I would do something to him? Are you suspecting me to what? Maim him or even injure him? Are you so daft to think-"

"No I don't think you would go that far but that wasn't what I meant by saying that. We both know you would do anything for your little family. I have seen what you can do when someone threatens your little family. You already suspect him and even think of him as danger. Don't think I didn't notice you watching him or heard you asking around about him. Since the time he entered this camp you've nothing but hostile with him. I can see genuine fear when you look at him, you're afraid of him.

"I know you're planning something and I have a feeling it is not something just to test him how natural he is with the sword." Charles told him not backing down.

Luke looked at him shocked for several moments. What Charles said bothered Luke more than he accepted because he got even angrier? But deep down inside he knew Charles was right about few things, he was little afraid. Major things happened all in a week. He was afraid that it would be Annabeth next then he would go mad. After Thalia he couldn't lose her, he just can't accept that, she was all that was left of his little family. He was afraid of me because he thought somehow all shits that happened somehow centered on me and he was not wrong. I was reason for his and other's disappearance, eventhough it was indirect. And he would get nervous tingling just for thinking of approaching me.

When I jumped back in time, it messed up few things for them. But he didn't know that then. He just had premonition feeling in his gut that shit was coming too close to his family, to Annabeth and that scared him very much.

What was Charles playing at? He wondered. But that wasn't what ticked him off.

"So you're saying, you're gonna protect him from me?" He hissed at Charles, "He already became close to you? You, who is the most closed off person I know, who is only close to either Selena or Katie, who doesn't even open to his own half-siblings? And now you are suddenly threatening me, just to protect some boy who you don't even know much about. I would say that makes him even more dangerous.

"So my question is why you are ready to go against someone who you know for three years for a boy who is here only since few weeks? Is it because he's sun of Poseidon? Is that it, huh? That you're gonna forsake tour friendship for son of one of the big three. Are you that shallow?" Luke fired back at Charles. He was now afraid for Charles, he could be the next one who could disappear, he thought. Him defending me and talking about protecting me, the one who was prime suspect on his list, gave him funny feelings in his stomach. The bad kind of funny feelings.

Charles became even angrier hearing that. His eyes lit with fire.

"How dare you?!" Charles spitted, "How dare you say that?! You know me for three years, we've been to countless of quests together, how dare you think that I would fall so low?!"

"You suspected me first, you asshole!-"

"Because you would do anything, go any length to protect those you love! I have seen that countless times and Percy is somehow a threat to you. A ten year old boy is a threat to you! So do not patronize me for being genuinely afraid for him from you! You know it's true!"

"Then what's the real reason? How did he broke your walls so easily when others, even your own half-siblings, have to try so damn hard to even fucking climb it?!"

That deflated Charles anger a little.

("Oh, I see what he did there. He questioned his loyalty to others. Clever." The guy said nodding his head, impressed with Luke's tactics.)

('He's devil's bastard for no reason after all.' I told him.)

Charles broke eye contacts and looked away, struggling with his thoughts. What Luke said hit right home. What made me so different from others that he was ready to fight someone he trust and knew for three years? I only came to camp few weeks ago so why was Charles ready to jump for me? The thing was Charles himself didn't know definite answer to that. He just knew he had to protect me, it was just a feeling. Then how would he describe that feeling to Luke? It was not something he could explain easily. Charles wondered for answer for several minutes.

While Charles deliberated his answer, tension between them increased ten-fold. Neither of them was ready to back down. Both are passionate guys and very stubborn and when they believe something is right, they would hold on to that very tightly. It's obvious they were their father's sons, both of them hard heads.

So you now you understand why it was very difficult to shake Luke out of his false belief, right?

"Sometimes when I look him in the eye, I see so much pain." Charles struggled to explain to him, "He would walk sometimes, when he thought no-one was looking at him, as if whole world's on his shoulder and he's only ten for god's sake! What happened to him? I don't know…when I look at him I just get this feeling that I have to protect him from all danger." Charles replied back quietly, several minutes later.

My heart swelled with so much warmth when Luke told me Charles said that.

Luke never noticed that. When he thought back he realized that could be because he was too much focused on me being the cause that he neglected or didn't see other things such as those that Charles mentioned.

"When you were on run with Annabeth, didn't you tell me, that you wanted to coop her from any danger that befalls on her even though you only met her few days ago and could possibly be an enemy in disguise?" Charles asked him.

That silenced Luke, his heart painfully impacted against his cavity. He didn't want to think that something would happen to her. He won't let it.

"That's how I feel and I know Katie and Selena do too. Percy's private guy and keep mostly to himself, I know that feeling and I know you do that too. If what his eyes convey is true then I would do anything to fight away his demons for him if he wants me to or not and erase that pain away, even if it meant going against you." He added quietly. There was so much heavy silence inside the infirmary that they could feel it pushing against their ears like a dull thud.

That hit home for Luke. What Charles said to him was all true to last words. He was just surprised, I guess because he never saw Charles caring for someone so much. He knew he cared very deeply for Katie and Selena but with Percy it was different …and familiar to Luke at same time. He felt the same with Annabeth. But Luke can't help to be still wary of me. Too much happened to be a coincident. Nothing is coincident with their lives, Luke preach himself that every moment since his time on run.

"But you can't deny that lot of things happened in span of a week and Percy listening prophecy? Although Chiron didn't tell me what Percy heard in the Grooves but it frightened him very much that he banned us to go on quests. Percy is somehow centered on this whole mystery and I get this feeling that he know more than he let on, you know that's true."

"Yes I can't lie that it didn't bother me even a little but I…." Charles sighed irritated, "It is difficult for me to explain but I am sure enough that he has nothing to do with it and If he is somehow connected…" Charles shrugged his shoulders "Then that would be a bitch to swallow." Charles chuckled at that.

"'The fall of Ancient One', that doesn't sound like something to cast off like a nonsense babbled words of a child. I made a mistake of not taking warning seriously before and it bit in my ass. I am not gonna let it go. Something is seriously wrong and I would find whatever that is and eliminate it before it gets close to whatever of my little family is left, even if those threats are gods." Luke had that mad glint in the eye when he said that, it scared Charles a little. I knew this because he told me.

"I can't force my thoughts and believes to you. Everyone is entitled own thoughts and believes. That said," Charles stepped a little closer to Luke, not letting Luke intimidate him and looked him in the eye with determination, "Then you should know I'll do whatever that is to save my family." It didn't go by Luke without his notice that I was too included in Charles 'family'.

Luke deflated and shook his head at Charles naivety.

He backed down a little accepting his defeat knowing that Charles wouldn't back down. There still what so much tension between and both hated it but they didn't know what to say to break that tension. After few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Luke couldn't take it enough and cleared his throat, cutting through the silence. He still had many things to ask Charles.

"I hate it when we fight." Luke finally admitted. That got chuckle out of Charles and just like tension fizzled out.

"You're right. Hug it out?"

They did hug it out quickly because they didn't want it to make it too weird. Charles took whatever equipment he needed and went on his way out of infirmary. Before he step out of the door, he turned around and faced Luke again.

"If you really want to know Percy, talk to him and I promise you, you would like him too. I have my confidence in him that he has nothing to do with his disappearance. He was just at wrong place at wrong time. If it was anyone else, I'm sure they would too have heard whatever Groove was trying to prophesize, being son of Poseidon is not reason to single him out. I trust him, if he wants to tell me anything, I believe he would, kid just needs a trusting figure and some love, I suppose. Just talk to him, you would not be disappointed I promise."

With that he turned around and went on his way to whatever he was going to do, leaving Luke with even more questions.

Something changed between them; Luke knew that even if they hug it out.

Luke was now confused, actually very confused. He was angry and agitated with the disappearances of his friends and desperately itching to find the culprit and know Percy was his prime suspect until proved otherwise. He remembered that day very clearly like it happened a day before, that same dread he felt that day assaulted him with full force, remembering his anguished face as if he just woke up from alarming nightmare, his warning that he like everyone else so foolishly chalked it down. He shoved that fear down when he heard his words because he didn't want them to be true, not want to disrupt the peace after what he and others went through. He was scared, felt weak and pushed Clovis away before going on quest.

They are coming for me, Luke. They are coming for us! Time is turning, Reality is breaking! You have to make them understand!

Luke got scared and avoided him, pushed him away before going on quest.

The only one who took that seriously was Chiron. He had been troubled since then but before he could do anything about it, three demigods including Clovis disappeared. Chiron suspected something but wasn't willing to say anything other than, 'Train hard'. It was very frustrating. Luke told him what happened with his quest mates, how they disappeared while on quest, at the same time Clovis disappeared from the camp. Mine entry and Groove's meddling with my mind just solidified Chiron's case whatever that was and banned everyone from going on quest and urged us to train harder.

Luke asked him what was happening but Chiron was tight-lipped, not willing to say anything. He knew Dionysus has hand in Chiron's silence, somehow. Again gods were meddling and making things worse for them by not sharing anything and leaving them unaware and unprepared for whatever that is coming for them.

Since Clovis's disappearance, everyone's had been on edge and hence the reason for them suspecting me and watching me. I really can't blame them, they were scared.

Luke knew better. He took upon himself to go down to bottom of this mystery and save his friends, his family, save Annabeth. He would eliminate the threat. Charles was correct about him, if it come down to him saving his family by eliminating me, he would do that in a blink of an eye without any remorse.

You would then say that if it would be anyone else with the same choice, they would do the same as Luke. I am not going to deny that they won't but what made Luke different than everyone else was eliminating me without feeling any remorse. He won't feel a thing, even being fifteen years old teenager. It was the way he was raised that forced him that way. He didn't become the monster yet but he was on the path. In the end, he did became the monster but not of the same kind as of before change in time-line either.

When he stepped out of infirmary, he was determined that he would go ahead with his plan. He was planning to start with it even before having this talk with Charles; he just needed more insights before going forward with the plan. He saw Charles meeting up with Katie and Selena on his way to dinning pavilion for lunch. Charles turned his head towards him as if sensing Luke watching him. His determined brown eyes met with Luke's sharp gaze for a short moment but it felt like hours to Luke.

'He's just ten years old.' Charles voice boomed through his head. 'Being son of Poseidon isn't a reason to single him out.'

Looking in his eyes Luke can't help but consider his words. Could a child, five years younger than him could be a danger?

Luke came here to get some answers to his dilemma but left with even more questions than before.

Percy, you are an enigma that I intend to figure out. He thought while on his way to his cabin.

Since his insightful conversation with Charles, Luke started seeing me in new light. He tried to put himself in my shoes, of what he thought, I was going through. I mean he really couldn't exactly imagine what I was going through then, obviously. He just imagined of what he thought I might be going through. Do you understand what I am trying to say?

Charles question repeated in his head like a broken recorder. He couldn't get it out of his head. He wanted to believe him but he couldn't let his suspicion go.

Even if Charles's right that Percy was just at wrong place at wrong time then something else or someone else was manipulating these events, like a puppet. That angered him a little. Is it a god or are gods behind all these? May be minor ones were behind? He wondered.

Still I somehow I was connected with these events and Luke knew that. I may not be the actual reason but I was still involved, eventhough as a puppet. Luke just needed to connect the strings. This put him on the edge, either me or thinking about mystery consumed his thoughts all the time. Others might not have noticed slight changes in him since then but Annabeth did. Nothing went un-noticed with her.

"You alright?" She asked Luke during their training session. They were sitting across from each other in fighting arena, catching breath.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"You were so distracted that I managed to defeat you for the first time!" She said throwing her hands in air. Luke let out a hearty chuckle.

"It could be that you managed to surprise me, I mean, you always wanted to, what was that you said, judo flip my butt. Give yourself some credit."

A little pink dusted her cheeks in embarrassment. Luke couldn't resist then and pinched both of her cheeks. She looked too cute at that moment.

"Hey!" She swatted his hands away but it was half-hearted attempt. She secretly enjoyed that, not that she was ever gonna mention that to him, she would rather die than die in mortification.

They went silent for several minutes, each left to their own musing. For Annabeth, she was little bothered and confused. Luke never answered her question. As she watched him thinking, she would notice that he would throw several glance at me, his new object of obsession, where I was practicing with Chris Rodriguez just few feet away from them.

It looked, Chris was finding himself in conundrum as he couldn't believe how he wasn't able to land a single blow on me or beat me in few seconds like he originally bet me. Few minutes ago, he cockily challenged me to fight and few minutes later when I started moving hard at him, he wasn't sure anymore.

Stormy grey eyes appraised me from where she sat. She couldn't disagree that she found me annoyingly intriguing and very mysterious. She did manage to asses some things about me but it wasn't enough for her. She knew Percy, me, bothered Luke quite a bit because she would find Luke creeping on me from distance. It bothered her how green eyed demigod took more of his attention than her, atleast that's what I think it was. So, Annabeth would find herself looking at me, Luke's new obsession, more often, trying to find out what was so intriguing about me.

In the end, she blamed it on lack of information. What she figured from watching me that I was very loofy and loony, who would mutter occasionally to myself and spend most of my later part of day inside the lake. I was close to Charles, Selena, Katie and Grover, she reckoned. It was nothing that Luke didn't figure that out already. From this information she outlined that I was not very interesting person to be so obsessed on but then she would find me beating trained demigod several years older than me, when I only got to know about demigod world few weeks ago.

I would fight with sometimes so precision that she only ever saw Luke fight like that. Does that territory come with being demigod son of Poseidon? She would wonder that sometimes but something told her that it wasn't the case. Sometimes it looked to her that I would feign some moves to deliberately lose the fight but it would be so minute that can be passed for inexperienced misstep. It was very confusing for her. That's what made me intriguing to her.

But there was something else. Her heart would speed a little whenever she would see him fight or sitting morosely thinking some things over, a foreign feeling like a distant memory. It was there but she couldn't figure out. She didn't like that, so, was making her mad and hence would blast like a volcano on me while teaching and also because she suspected me for disappearance of Clovis. She wouldn't be Annabeth if not get angry when assaulted by foreign feelings. I know you would say that it was her that pursued me in my past time-line but I ask you to remember that when we first met, eventhough she would not explode on me for even breathing, she was very distant. She only started opening up to me after our first quest where we somewhat connected and gained trust of each other to some extent. This time we weren't on any quest and she blamed me for Clovis's disappearance, only because Luke suspected me. She trusted Luke's judgment to heart. That damn asshat.

She was ten years of age and didn't understand many things even after being Athena's child. Some things can't be taught through book, you've to experience it in order to learn those types of things. She knew that and that was why she was very insistent to go on a quest. But few of the things she understood and one of them is to trust Luke's gut feelings. The same gut feeling saved their life countless of times while on run. That same gut feeling was warning Luke against me, it was written all over Luke's face. She was smart enough to catch it when most of the others not perspective enough couldn't.

"It's Percy isn't it?" She told Luke. It wasn't a question, Luke knew that.

"Maybe" Luke didn't say anything more and she didn't even bug him anymore. For past few weeks since he came back from his quest, Luke's been short-tempered. She didn't want him angry with her, so she refrained herself from asking anymore. He would tell her when he was ready, she assured herself.

They again went silent for several minutes, watching others practicing or in Luke's case, watched me like total creep he is. Puff!

"What do you know about him?" Luke asked her, breaking the silence between them.

Annabeth licked her lip, assessing her memory to get whatever information she gathered on me.

"He's likes to keep mostly to himself, has a bad habit of talking to himself and is quite close to Charles and his group. I think you already knew that." vivid

Luke nodded confirming her. She continued.

"He's very annoying, creepy and loner and little sad I think, maybe he miss his home and his mom."

Luke chuckled at first description of me and finally looked at her with amused smile on his face.

"Such a vivid description of him. Is that nothing to do with him being little persistent to make you his friend?"

Annabeth gaped at him before huffing and looking away from him.

"I don't what his problem is. I made it very clear that I don't want to be his friend!" She exclaimed in annoyance at me, scrunching her nose as if smelled something foul.

"Why you don't want to be his friends though?" He asked. Something in his tone when he asked that made her reconsider her answer.

She went silent for several moments before carefully constructing her answer.

"I don't know. He just annoys me. Maybe it has something to do with him being son of Poseidon and me being daughter of Athena. You know their animosity between them. Maybe because of that we naturally don't get along. I think it comes with territory."

"But that doesn't stop him from approaching you."

"He's son of Poseidon, ofcourse, it wouldn't bother him."

"Being his son doesn't make him same as his father, Annabeth." Luke reprimanded her, his eyes hardened. He clenched his fists by his side. It took most of his will to not sound angry infront of her. Annabeth didn't notice that.

"But you have some characteristics though. We are half god after all. It's bound to have some of their traits."

Luke seethed quietly by her side. She didn't notice because she was busy watching me almost beat Chris.

"Unfortunately." He whispered.

"What?" She looked at him confused.

"Nothing."

There was loud yell all of sudden from where Chris and I were fighting. Annabeth whipped her head around followed by Luke to see what the case was. They saw group from Hermes cabin that were watching Chris's fight, were cheering loudly.

It seemed Chris managed to best me at last.

"He's good, isn't he?" Luke commented casually, looking at Annabeth for her reaction.

Annabeth looked at me with her narrowed gaze, the gears in her brain turning. I fought someone older than me, more trained than me and gave him hell of a fight. Annabeth wasn't a fool, she may be ten years old but she was child of Athena and she wasn't fooled that easily. She knew then that I already had some sword fighting history, nobody can be that natural. Even a natural rookie can't fight like a trained fighter.

"Yeah, too good." She murmured.

"You know how he's adamant to be your friend…." He started after several minutes of silence. Everyone left except them two and Luke's next class was about to start. He needed to convey before matter worsen with Annabeth.

She looked at him sharply with her steely stormy grey eyes, "Yes what about it?"

He met her eyes without flinching, he was used to it. "I think you should let him be your friend."

Annabeth's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"I told you-"

"I know it's more than that pitiful excuse for a reason. I am not gonna force you to say anything that you don't want to but… I think you should connect with someone your own age." Luke looked at her with his serious blue eyes. Sometimes those eyes reminded her of somebody, that somebody who was tree now. She swallowed painfully suppressing depressing memories.

"Why?! I already have you, Charles, Grover, Chiron and my siblings. I don't need to waste my time on someone who I don't want to be friends with!"

"And they are all older than you! They cannot provide same perspective, same intellect as that-"

"Yes not same but better! I don't need to dumb down my intellect by talking to someone dumber than me, Luke."

"You don't know that." He insisted.

"I know enough and I also know you. What's this all about, Luke?"

"Is it wrong to worry about your own family, Annabeth? Sometimes I worry about you-"

"You don't need to worry about me, Luke. I am big girl now who can take care of herself." She said, placing her palm on his shoulder in comfort. "I am also smart enough to know that there is some ulterior motive of yours behind this. Come on, Luke, you can trust me."

She looked at him with big puppy dog eyes. Luke didn't know if she was doing that on purpose or doing unconsciously. He sighed heavily. She can be such emotional manipulator in her own way.

"Fine. You are too smart for your own good." He muttered. Annabeth smirked triumphaly.

"So?" She raised her eyebrow at him to continue already, because his class was almost here.

"You wanted to do something to help find them, don't you?"

"Yes."

He didn't say anything but gave at her meaningful stare. Annabeth's eyes widened when his words impacted in her mind. She understood what Luke was asking her to do. Even deaf person could understand the meaning behind those steely blue eyes. Okay maybe not a good comparison but you get the gist tight?

Annabeth straightened and gave a nod in acceptance before going on her way, leaving Luke in arena with his class. He watched her leaving, striding away with clear purpose like someone on mission.

Luke smirked.

Few days passed since his talk with Charles and Annabeth. He didn't hold any conversation with Charles since their talk and Charles also didn't make any effort except exchanging pleasantries. Difference in opinion and action had erected barrier between them. They would sometimes give each other meaningful or warning stare but it was just that. Charles knew that Luke was planning something and Charles became extra cautious and protective of Percy. That made few things difficult for Luke, Charles's a valuable asset. He would have liked that Charles was on his side.

Luke did nothing in past few days. He would teach sword fighting, giving genuine efforts. He would go on with his life in camp as if he didn't warn Charles few days ago that he was planning something. That cemented Charles's resolve that something was definitely wrong.

I did notice that Charles had been protective of me then. I mean it was hard not to, he was painfully obvious. Even Katie and Selena noticed that something was going on but they didn't know what.

It was not hard to connect back to Luke as Charles would throw occasional assessing glance at Luke. Selena and Katie were blissfully obvious through that. I also never commented on that, feigning that I never noticed it.

Anyways, back to Luke. Since that day when group dynamics changed between Luke and Charles, Luke was walking around camp irritated and frustrated. For past half an hour, Luke was trying to find where Mark had disappeared too. He asked around the camp if they saw where Mark was, he only got vague answers and direction but not specific ones. It was getting on his nerves. Finally someone mentioned that they saw Mark inside stable. He cursed himself because he never thought that he could be there. But then another question arise, what the heck Mark doing in stable? He never once saw Mark going there or in Pegasus class with Selena. He usually avoided that.

He shooked his head and put those doubts behind and reminded himself to ask about it. He went to stable. He was man on mission.

"There you are! I was trying to find you everywhere." He exclaimed good-naturedly, when he saw Mark calmly petting the Selena's Pegasus.

"Apparently not the stable though." Mark replied before looking at him giving bright smile.

Other than Selena, Mark was hands down the most friendly and sociable guy, according to Luke. I only came few weeks ago and I found it very weird and suspicious that Mark, the-guy-who-took-my-girlfriend to be so friendly. I already told you how he was before I jumped back in time.

"Yeah because I never see you in stable, you tend to avoid it. What're you doing here anyway?" He asked as he started petting the same Pegasus too.

"You never saw me coming here doesn't mean I avoid it. I actually enjoy spending time with this guy. Why were you trying to find me again?"

Mark looked at him with his warm brown eyes. Luke felt at little ease. Luke knew that Mark may be son of Ares but he had one of the gentlest of soul. He wouldn't hurt a fly if it didn't bother him but at times Mark could be the force to reckon with when someone threatens him or his.

("I'm sen-" The man started speaking, when I interrupted him before he could give anything away.)

('Hey! Don't disrupt the flow bro. You're gonna give away the excitement!')

("But it's only us-")

('That's not the point man. Now where was I?' The man slumped back to his seat in defeat.)

"Oh, yes. I wanted to speak to you about tomorrow's class." Luke said.

"What about it?" Mark asked not looking away from Pegasus and continued petting him. Pegasus looked contented with his petting and moved his face closer to Mark.

"I need your help."

The next day as soon as I turned around the corner for dining pavilion for lunch, Luke gave him impressed nod.

"You surprise me sometimes." Luke said to Mark.

"I aim to be different." Mark said, shrugging his shoulder in non-chalance. Then he gestured with his head where they fought, "Kid is really good." He said, nodding, impressed.

"Yeah…it's uncanny how good he is."

"You sure not jealous?" he asked, smirking playfully at him.

Luke chuckled, "I don't have any reason to be jealous of him."

"Hmm…or you feel threaten that he would take your mantle to be the best swordsman in camp in a year or two." Mark said, playfully bumping his shoulders with Luke.

Naturally, Luke shoved him away in good spirits, "Go change before you miss your lunch. You take too much time to change."

Mark gave him mock military salute, "Sir Yes sir!"

Luke shook his head in wonder at his friend's un-naturally good spirit.

"Hey Mark!" He called out to him as Mark went few distance away towards infirmary to put away his weapon. Mark turned around when Luke called.

"Good acting." He said. Only two of them were present by this time, so, rest were still left to speculate whatever happened in fight with me and Mark.

"What're you talking about?" He asked confused but teasing glint in his eyes held mischievous glee.

Luke chuckled again before turning around and then made his way towards his cabin where he saw a pair of crazy-twin half-brothers sneaking something in.

He ofcourse knew what they sneaked; he was partner in crime with them. He's son of Hermes, what else would you expect from sons of prank God with capital 'G'.

We saved him for the last; newbie should get special treatment from best pranksters in camp, huh? The infamous twins told him few days before when they planned the prank. Imagining their exaggerated innocuous smile and troublesome glint in their eyes made him feel pity for me. Luke knew what that meant. Whole camp knew that, this wasn't the first time 'special treatment' was given after all. You would say that campers would know who is behind all these shenanigans if it wasn't the first time it happened. They always managed to fool others if they wanted to remain innocuous. They, most of time, accept being brain behind whole prank in good-natured humor. But when they want to enjoy more of the prank….they could be little cruel sometimes. They apologize later. They don't go too far…they just push boundaries with newbie.

I remembered Malcolm not coming out of his cabin for whole day in past because he was too sacred too. After many apologies and pleading from Stolls that he came out from cabin but still didn't even look at them for whole week. Stolls were punished with toilet duty for two months for two consecutive years. Those were good times.

Luke had no idea what was coming for him and the Stolls. I already had an edge on them being time-traveler and all.

That night he was enjoying his feast with rest of his half-siblings and Annabeth infront of bon fire. The dinner in camp is always the best time in the camp. Campers sing, dance and enjoy delicious feast infront of a bon fire. This always put Luke and even always grumpy Annabeth in good mood.

"Hey Annabeth do you-"

"Don't care."

Ok not much that day.

Luke chuckled beside her.

"Was it Percy again?" He asked her knowingly.

"Ofcourse who could else it could be, that spawn of devil!" She snarled softly.

"So you blew up on him again." He stated, nodding wisely like some saint preacher, "What did he do this time?"

"That nincompoop had nerve to laugh at me when I saw spider on table! " She said huffing.

There was silence for few minutes between them.

Then her eyes went wide as she realized in horror at what she said. She looked sharply at him. By that time Luke was having hard time controlling his laughter. His face was already red trying suppressing his laugh.

"Don't you dare-" But that was last straw as laughter bust out of Luke like a bursting balloon. Tears were coming out of his eyes as he clutched his stomach laughing. Few campers looked at them curiously but didn't mind and went back to doing what they were doing.

"Did you seriously say 'Nincompoop'" then he again gave out belly full of laughter, saying the word again.

Annabeth was red in embarrassment.

"Shh-shut up!" She tried focusing everywhere other than laughing Luke, sprawled on ground. But his laughter was so contagious that she couldn't help but let out chuckle or two.

He was the only one she let it slide, obviously that was gonna change in few months.

"I'm sorry" He said, his full blown laughter subsided to chuckling softly. "I am sure he didn't want to do that…if he had known you then he would have thought twice."

Annabeth was smart enough to catch his implication.

"I know what I am doing." She said austerely.

"You keep blowing up on him."

She looked at him sharply. If her looks could kill him, he would have been dead by her feet at this point of time. Few campers even backed out a little when their gaze fell upon her. She had reputation. That didn't deter Luke though. He knew her well enough and she was family to him.

"Are you questioning my method?" She asked her tone sharp and steely.

"It's been fourteen days, 'Beth." He sounded disappointed.

"Do not call me 'Beth!"

"You were the one who asked to be part and now-"

"I am aware of that fact! You do not have to preach me about it!" She replied in harsh whisper, cutting through air. Luke knew she was on the edge but she needed the push otherwise it would go on forever.

There was silence between them for few moments. Annabeth's anger deflated by the time Luke again spoke.

"Then why do you keep blowing up on him like that?" He asked her softly.

"Because he-"

"Do not say that he did something stupid or something like that. He's ten years old and boys are immature than girls at that age."

Annabeth opened her mouth to object but thought better and closed. She looked away. She was aware he was correct about it. She was also aware that she had to be more mature one so why was she acting so immaturely?

"You've to do work from your side….and I can imagine from ten years old boy's perspective that he might have wanted to look cool infront of you instead of stupid. God knows what stupid things I did before-"

His voice hitched at last, his eyes getting a little distant. His face contorted as if in pain a little but he shook his head and looked at her intently.

"You are aware of these facts, don't you?" She didn't look him in the eye. She didn't want to see disappointment glaring down at her from his beautiful blue eyes. It was all her, I never found his blue eyes to be beautiful. If it's anything else, it gave him more evil look for an evil guy.

("You're jealous." The man infront of me stated with smug look on his face)

('You want to hear rest of the story or not?')

("Please continue.")

"Then what's the real reason, then?" There was little desperation in his voice that finally prompted her to look him in the eye.

"I-I don't know." She felt ashamed admitting that.

"You want to help me? Then please up your game, Annabeth." With that he stood up and went to his half-siblings that were laughing at something one of them said. He felt bad doing this to her but it had to be done. He had to find the scoop and if there were strings then find where it would lead before it's too late.

Well, that escalated quickly. She must've thought that if were to dissect from the looks she was making then. Ofcourse I was watching them from my periphery. They seemed to have interesting conversation and also Chaos was annoying me, it was perfect opportunity to make her silent. You know I asked her if she could help me listen to their conversation and all she said was she doesn't have too. Also, I can see her giving me weird look. I didn't know what that meant then but when I got to know I wanted so much to kill her at that point.

Annabeth too stood up after few moments of deliberating something and went away.

As Luke reached the group, he turned around, his eyes landing where I was enjoying my time laughing with Charles, Selena and Katie and gave last assessing look of the night

I hope Charles is right, Percy or I won't have any choice but to make move. He thought before turning back.

One of his half-sibling gave him confused look but he shooked his head and easily integrated himself into their conversation.

The next day, Annabeth didn't snap at me. I appreciated her effort she was putting. She did not outright extend her hands of friendship. She still scolded and screamed at me but to a lesser degree. It was a genuine effort from her side. Here I was planning something grand to make me hate less and luckily opportunity fell onto my lap, eventhough I was just a mission to her.

Fortunately for me again, Luke gave me big opportunity to ruin his plans. I was giddy the next day. Luke was underestimating his enemy and that would cost him but not how he would expect. He would expect me to be sad and bitch about it when truth would be out in open. He expected that he would convince or charm me into thinking that it was necessary evil and had to be done.

Well, I had surprise for him.

Anyways, the next two to three days, Luke felt the change in dynamics between me and Annabeth. She was less snappy and was spending a little time with me after the classes. Luke was relieved that she was making efforts although he felt bad about the day before yesterday. She was little cold towards him for past two to three days and Luke knew he was to blame. He reminded himself to apologize to her. He did apologize and in return got punch to gut, he wheezed and then it was all ok again between them. He didn't expect anything else from her and he deserved it so he took that punch.

Luke was in dark place running, he didn't know where. Direction, places kept changing. He had to get out of this maze, he knew that, his other quest mates knew that but they were getting tired of running and there was horde of Hellhounds trampling towards them, ready to feast on them. He couldn't exactly remember how they got into this predicament. He remembers after golden apple quest they…fell down to this maze. How and where was all fuzzy.

He could think about that later when they are out of this situation. So, they kept running in hope to find exit but they kept finding dark corner one after another. It was as if this maze had mind of its own. This maze kept leading them to dark corner.

That's when realization struck him. They were inside Deadalus Maze.

Oh god. He muttered in dismay.

"Luke?" Reece, the weakest of them three, called out all of sudden and it was at distant too. Luke and Anthony stopped and turned around only to gasp in horror.

There was black arrow…thing protruded through his stomach. His face contorted in confusion, tiredness, pain and horror.

Luke ran towards him but Anthony held his shoulder back.

"Luke no! They're almost near!"

"We've to help him, Anthony damn it! Let me go!" Luke shouted, straining against his hold.

"We'll be dead too…we've too get out of here." His voice now sounded tired and full of grief. Luke realized Anthony too wanted to save Reece, he was practically brother to him. He was tired and worn out of all of this. They were practically starving. He himself didn't expect to be out of here alive. He had given up hope and he was mourning.

He was mourning for Reece already, he had given up on him.

"But…" Luke looked at Anthony. Tears were spilling out of Anthony's eyes. He was grieving but also holding most of that inside. His priority now was Luke, to save Luke.

"He was a hero." He said softly and started dragging him away. Luke gave one last look back, Hellhounds were almost on them. But the body….but the body was now-where. It disappeared.

Wha…? He was confused.

Then everything stopped. Everywhere was darkness. He didn't know what was going on. He knew that was recalling his memories of his quest upto the point when Reece disappeared as a nightmare haunting him like every other night this past month. He had already gone to something like this when Thalia sacrificed her life for them.

"LUKE CASTELLAN!" the haunting ancient voice shouted all of sudden.

Luke woke up screaming. He was breathing hard. Others were used to these nightmares of his and every other person so, rest of them ignored it.

That was first time for him. What was that? he wondered.

Luke took big gulps of breath and decided to take a walk. He knew he wasn't going to sleep back again. It was early in the morning so, it was no surprise to find few demigods, the early risers or some trying to get better from their own haunting nightmare doing their morning routines. Some of them greeted him on his jog as they passed by him. He knew where he was going.

When he reached his destination, he sat leaning against it…her.

"Hey, Thalia." He greeted her, sitting under her tree. "I know it's been a week since we had out little talk, but…I was busy."

So how was the chapter? Please let me know in review section.

I know the pace is slow right now but i had to take into their feelings and development so you all could understand the reason behind what they would do, understand their feelings and motive behind the actions they would take in future. I want to make characters justifiable to you all.

Ziizu- thanx a lot, i really appreciate your enthusiasm.

Thunderofdeath97- No I am not going to give her siblingS...but I have to bring both sides at equal so as to engage you all. Obviously Chaos would'nt have it easy, I have to make things challenging for them right? Otherwise it would become a very predictable and boring story.

Stay safe everyone, as this story is gonna take real interesting turn soon.

Until next time!