Chapter 24

I Give Out Free Baths

Disclaimer: This chapter is long. It's 3 times the length of some of the shorter chapters (explanation why at the end, for those interested). If you usually read chapters in one sitting, you may want to split this one up. Or don't. Anyway, Enjoy!

It's amazing how hard you can work at something, covering every detail, and think you've done a pretty decent job… all while feeling worried like crazy.

The Bronze Regiment might've been weirdos, but they kept their promises. For five days they'd been up early and around late training. I got the feeling Lucas would rather slip a millipede in my bed than go through another drill, and Alyssa's thoughts about me were definitely less than family-friendly. If Ninja Kid had even a little of the stealth skills he claimed to I might've found a knife in my back while I slept.

But as long as they were putting in the effort I could deal with all that, so we were all good.

Better than good, actually. A few times Lucas had actually shown some teamwork, and just the day before Vera sparred with actual aggression. It was more than I'd hoped for.

And I was still absolutely terrified.

Even on the best of days, keeping still was a challenge. Right now it was impossible. So I was pacing.

"Would you stop already?"

I glanced at my unwilling host. Bianca was at her desk, pen in hand, not looking at me.

"Sorry," I said, still pacing. "I've got a lot of energy today. There's a lot going on."

She pulled her pen sharply across the page. "I wouldn't know."

"You could know," I said. "If you just talked to Luke…"

She snorted. "Subtle."

I blushed. "Yeah, uh, whatever."

Morning guard duty had become a daily routine. For some reason, Luke thought we were a good match and put me on the job permanently. I was fine with that, considering I would've asked for it even if he hadn't.

Maybe I was crazy, or just butting my head where it didn't belong, but I felt for the younger demigod. I couldn't shake the impression I was looking at a less fortunate version of myself.

And wasn't that brutal, considering how close my own fortunes were to rock bottom.

"What're you writing?" I asked, only half expecting an answer.

"If I tell you will you stop pacing?"

"I'll try."

She sighed. "Better than nothing."

I approached cautiously. It seemed like it could be a trap, but when I got close all I found was an ink picture of a woman.

Now, I was no artist, but even I could tell this was good. The woman looked in her thirties or maybe a little older. Black hair hung to her shoulders. She was smiling warmly, like she'd just invited you in for cookies. If I couldn't see the pen in Bianca's hand, I might've thought it was a black and white photograph. Not only was every dot perfect, even the tiniest details were there, like a slight dimple and a bump on the tip of her nose.

"That's amazing," I said. "You did all that with a pen?"

"I've got plenty of time to practice. I mean I better be decent by now." Bianca tried to play it off, but I could see the praise had her excited. "I've got a bunch more, if you're that impressed with it."

She started flicking through pages, showing them off like a slideshow. There were soldiers rushing across the battlefield, a family crammed into a minivan, even a guy charging a Drakon with a pitchfork. Then there was the woman.

Sometimes her hair was tied in a bun, sometimes it was hanging loose. She wasn't always smiling like the first picture. Sometimes she was serious, waving a scolding finger. In one she was singing while washing dishes. One in three pictures was her, every one of them more detailed than any of the others.

"That woman," I asked, "who is she?"

"Hm? Who…" Bianca frowned. "She's someone I remember."

"Remember? From where?"

Her face scrunched up, like she was fighting a migraine. "She's, um, she's… Well she's a person."

Bianca said it like it were a proper answer, and the strain seemed to fade. I let it go, worried her head would pop if I pushed her any further.

She flicked through some more pictures as I watched. There were lots of them, and it helped keep my mind busy. We were getting toward the bottom of the stack when I saw something that made me say, "Wait!"

Bianca stopped. "What? What is it?"

"That picture! Go back two."

"They're my pictures," she said. "Is that how you ask for something?"

"Go back two, please."

"If you insist."

She flipped back, and my breath caught.

I thought maybe it was a mistake. I'd told myself there was no way. Bianca never met her, so it didn't make any sense at all.

But that picture, close to the bottom of the stack, was definitely Andi. Her unique outfit, her spear on the ground next to her… it wasn't as detailed as the pictures of the woman, but there was no mistaking it.

Bianca had drawn Andi exactly how she died.

"How did you do this?"

Bianca shot me a 'what?' look. "With a pen? I mean the shading can be a bit tricky, but as long as you practice-"

"No," I shook my head. "I mean this scene. How did you know about it?"

"Know about it? I just imagined it. I sat down to draw, and this came to my head." She looked at me suspiciously. "You're being weird."

Imagined it? That was impossible. Maybe she dreamed about it, but if that were the case, she should've recognized me. All she had seen was Andi, just as she died. I didn't want to admit it, but it kind of freaked me out.

There was no way I was saying that out loud though.

"I just thought it was cool. You know, like a defeated warrior type of vibe."

Bianca didn't look totally sold. She returned to flipping through drawings with a shake of her head. "Boys."

That evening the whole Bronze Regiment gathered at the edge of the main courtyard. Everyone was dressed for a fight – leather breastplates and armguards with plumed horsehair helmets – except for aurora, who was snoozing on Vera's shoulders piggyback style. My joining had taken the Bronze Regiment's numbers to nine, one more than was needed for The Competition. Almost by default, Aurora had been selected to sit out, since nobody could keep her awake long enough to swing a sword.

I asked, "Everybody ready?"

"Not at all," said Emmitt. His breastplate looked about three sizes too big, with gaps at the armpit big enough for a rat to crawl through. "But I've prepared myself mentally."

"To win?"

"To not cry," he said. "That's a type of winning, I think."

It didn't seem like the others were any more eager, and I grimaced.

"Look on the bright side," Victoria told me. "They took the Silver Regiment down first, which means we should still have plenty of time before it starts to find some confidence."

"Not quite, I'm afraid. Your guide is right here."

As I spotted our guide strolling across the courtyard, my first thought was: someone's overdressed. The second was, I know him!

It was the man from my dream, the one who'd been having a casual chat with a box. He was just as tall, scarred, and confident as he had been in my dream, but instead of casualwear he was decked out in a sharp tuxedo. His walk was perfectly even, like the length of each step had been planned out in advance. His eyes picked me out, and I thought he must somehow have recognized me too, even though we never actually met.

Then I realized I was the only one who hadn't bowed their head.

"My lord," Victoria said.

I leaned over to Emmitt. "Should I know this guy?"

Emmitt looked at me like I was crazy, but the man answered first.

"Percy Jackson," he said.

"That's me. But, uh, who're you?"

I was a little worried he'd get offended, but he just chuckled. The sound was pleasant, thick and smooth like milk.

"I do so love a forthright personality. My name is Prometheus, hero."

"You're the fire guy," I said.

He clicked his tongue. "Just once I would like to be the forethought guy, or the champion of humans. Better than vulture guy, I suppose. A pleasure to meet you Son of the Sea."

"Likewise," I said.

I wasn't sure yet if I were lying or not.

Prometheus walked through us, heading down the hill, and we fell into line behind him.

The horizon was just shifting from orangish to dark, lights flicking on across the cityscape beneath us. With the water colored orange by the sun and Marin all lit up, our destination seemed highlighted – the shadowy expanse of Douglas Fir forest coating the base of the mountain.

We followed the steep, dusty fire road, trying not to trip over protruding rocks.

"Do you always have a titan for a guide?" I asked, eying Prometheus's back.

Victoria glanced over. "This is a first. Usually it's a monster or something. But think about that later! You remember the plan, right?"

I nodded. "Not like there's much to forget."

After some debate, we'd made the call to keep it simple. Complicated formations or multi-step strategies would only blow up in our face.

As soon as the match started I would go on offense, searching for Iron regiment kids to capture while Vera and Victoria watched my back. The others would hide the vase, then themselves. We were no match for them man-for-man, so we'd force them to take on our best fighters. That was the idea anyway.

Which meant that if I went down we were done for. My joints felt stiff with nerves I couldn't shake. It felt ridiculous worrying about something like this when I'd faced giants and furies, but emotions didn't always make sense.

We were crossing a burbling creek in a lush gulley when I saw the first orange dots ahead of us. Before long there were tons of them, like lines of fireflies weaving between the trees. With the lights came faint noises- cheering, cackling, and bellowing growls.

The noises of monsters.

"The audience has arrived already," Prometheus said.

"Audience?" I asked.

He looked back with a smile. "Of course. You didn't think monsters would miss a spectacle of violence, did you? They feel thwarted by the lack of murder, I believe, but 'better than nothing' was the final verdict."

I glanced at the shadowy forest either side of us. "If they wanted to stare at something totally dark they should've just closed their eyes."

"You would be surprised how many see clearly in the dark. Quite the shock for the unprepared would've-been hero." Prometheus chuckled. "If it's lighting you're worried about, though, you may be in for a surprise. Now, I suspect it's unnecessary, but procedure dictates I remind you of the rules one final time."

"Do not be caught maiming. Pay mind to the border. You can't miss it, I promise you. You will play best of three rounds, each of which will likely be decided off whether you can protect this:"

He dug into his pocket and drew out a vase. In his palm it looked tiny, but when he passed it off to Victoria I saw it was big enough to fit a baseball inside. The sides were decorated with repeating Greek letters. To hope is to be victorious, my mind supplied.

"You are free to hide or protect it as you wish, so long as you pay mind to rule number two. All tactics are fair play unless otherwise specified. Any questions?"

I raised my hand.

"Yes, Mr. Jackson?"

"You said we can't leave the boundaries. Does that mean we can use what's outside, as long as we don't step over the border?"

"Gosh, I suppose that would just about work." He smiled like someone rewatching their favorite show, knowing what was coming next. "Interesting choice. I do love outside the box thinking."

"Thanks," I said. "I think."

The fire road leveled out just as we got to the first spectators. The ones in our way parted and kneeled. Vera paused to roll out a sleeping bag and lay Aurora inside, the sleeping girl never stirring even slightly. As soon as Vera was finished, our group walked straight into the crowd.

The noise was like an NFL match, but imagine every other spectator had the oversized lungs of a Laistrygonian. It smelled of mud, reptiles, and spoiled milk; a combination that made you feel like puking even without nerves jamming up your stomach. Monsters hemmed us in, their torches shining in our eyes, jeering filling the air.

Then all of a sudden, it was gone. We stepped across a golden line on the ground no wider than a string, and the only smells and sounds were from the forest and our group.

"We can't be having distracted performers," Prometheus said as if reading my mind. "A bit of magic works wonders. A show is only as good as its stage."

"This one could do with some work," I said. The noise thing was a neat trick, but so far that was the only thing separating the arena from any other stretch of unlit woods.

Prometheus just winked over his shoulder.

It was only a minute or two later that the titan stopped and faced us, his hands fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves.

"Now then, all," he said. "We've arrived."

He finished adjusting his wardrobe, snapped his fingers, and something bright orange flared to my right. For a second I was certain a wildfire had caught at the worst possible time. Then I realized the light was stagnant- a wall of flickering oranges and reds, shining through the gaps in the trees.

"The halfway boundary," Prometheus supplied. "You aren't to cross it until the match begins. A lovely style for it, no?"

We mumbled a tossed-together collection of nods and yes's, not sure what he was getting at.

Prometheus beamed as brightly as his flame wall. "Thank you kindly. It's my own work, you see. A reminder. When I first created your kind you were consigned to the dark. It was a scrabbling, miserable time, but even then I saw potential in you. I said, 'They can be so much more, with just a bit of aid!'. So I borrowed fire from Olympus and shared it of free goodwill."

His hand came up to his face, absently tracing the length of a scar with his index finger. "For that Zeus had me chained to a rock for a millennia, beasts pecking away my skin. Not fun, let me tell you. But I escaped. Do you know how?"

"Hercules freed you," said Emmitt. "During his eleventh labor, while traveling to The Garden of the Hesperides."

"Absolutely correct. Hercules, the hero of the age. A mortal man. Do you know what my first thought was?" Prometheus paused rubbing his scars to wipe a tear from his eye. "My, how you've grown."

"With all due respect…" Victoria looked at the ground, tugging her collar. "Don't take this the wrong way, sir, but is there a reason you're telling us this?"

"Indeed there is," said Prometheus. "Man is my child. The entire race – your presidents and criminals, your riffraff and athletes, the unremarkable and the beautiful alike – when I look at any of them, I see the clay these hands fashioned. I mourn every death. Celebrate every birth. You, each of you, is in my heart."

He looked so earnest, his grey eyes sparkling like stars in the moonlight. It was like his voice was patting me on the back, shaking my hand, and giving me a hug all at the same time. But part of me held back.

See, I remembered another story from Dedalus's lessons. Before Prometheus ever nabbed fire, he pulled one over on Zeus, tricking him into accepting the bones and fat from sacrifices. Prometheus did it for humans, making sure they got the best cuts of meat, which I was grateful for and all on my ancestors' behalf, but to be able trick the king of the gods had to take one hell of a silver tongue.

Point was, I had a feeling he could tell you he was going to stab you in the head and make it sound like it was for your own good.

"But why tell us this now?" I asked.

"Because you are struggling," he answered smoothly. "Your regiment is considered the least of them. Nothing is going your way. But remember: I looked at man tripping over himself in the dark and saw the hero he could become. I say the same about you now- this regiment can grow to become so much more."

"So take your chance! Step out and give all you have, see where it is your best will take you! Only when you've nothing more to give will you truly recognize yourself!"

Each sentence was said with more vigor than the one before it, until he was shouting by the end. Despite my reservations, I felt energy bubble up inside.

"Go, and prove my faith wise!" He pumped his fist in the air, and almost without realizing it we did the same. He smiled as his form started turning translucent. "My work here is done. And remember, you never know what opportunities may lay in wait for those who perform well."

He shimmered and disappeared in a haze of light particles. There was something peculiar in that parting line, and it wasn't just that his eyes had been locked onto me.

But there was time to worry about that later.

I clapped my hands to jolt the others back to reality.

"A speech from a titan, and he even said he believes in us. I know it's all pretty distracting, but think about that later. We've got a job to do."

"He's right." Victoria stepped forward. "You all know what you're supposed to do. Give everything you have to not be found. If that's impossible, have some pride. Don't go down easy. Emmitt, take this and hide it along the way."

She handed to vase to him and he took it tentatively, as if afraid it would bite.

"Me?" said Emmitt. "I mean, I'll do my best."

Victoria smiled at him. "I know you will." Then she raised her voice. "Alright, everyone! You heard Prometheus. You know what we're here to do. There's only one thing I care about, and I don't care how we do it. Tonight we win!"

She stomped her foot and the regiment scattered leaving only her, me, and Vera- the attack force.

We didn't speak for the next few minutes, lost in our own heads. We weren't kept waiting long.

The golden line we'd stepped over shown and rose, light forming walls and, eventually, a dome that blocked off the night sky. A one-way barrier lighting the arena as brightly as if it were midafternoon. Right at the center, high above our heads so you couldn't miss it from anywhere, a three-dimensional hour glass took shape, all the sand settled in the bottom half. A voice we'd just heard a whole lot of filled the forest, rumbling from every direction.

"Good evening ladies, gentlemen, and demons of all ages. My name is Prometheus, and it is my honor to be your announcer for the fifth installment of The Competition."

Whatever noise cancelling magic had been worked on the arena cut out, letting us hear the roar from the crowd. The only way you'd hear them louder, I imagined, was if someone got shish kebabbed. I was in no hurry to volunteer.

"Exciting, exciting, I know. Settle down now. First, to introduce the players. With a record of three wins and four losses, the Iron Regiment is undefeated against their current opponents. Let's hear it for them!"

The cheers rose up again, but less this time. It seemed cheering for demigods was less interesting than cheering for them fighting each other.

"And, lining up opposite them, the Bronze Regiment. Their record is… On second thought, probably shouldn't read that. I suppose the only way they can go is up."

The crowd was silent, except for one Dracaena in the back who screamed, "Win! I have Drachmasss on you!"

How was that for a vote of confidence?

"But," Prometheus started up again, "before we get started, a word from my very special guest. Please welcome my co-commentator, Justin Petty! Say hi, Justin."

"Hello everyone." Compared to Prometheus's velvety voice, Justin's sounded high pitched and nasally. I wasn't biased. Not at all.

"And now that that is out of the way," Prometheus said, "We're all set to go. Try not to die, demigods. We- well, I would hate to see it at least. And if you do succumb to your wounds, make sure the audience has a good view. Everyone, begin!"

A drum beat thundered through the woods, echoing off the bark. The hourglass flipped on its head. I took a deep breath and turned to the others.

"Any second thoughts?"

Vera looked like she'd rather be back napping with Aurora – or maybe just anywhere – rather than here. She pulled her sword free from her belt. "Too late for those now."

Victoria shouldered her shield with a fire in her eyes that I hadn't seen since her spat with Justin. "Let's get them."

We took off at a jog.

Going too fast wouldn't do any good. Showing up to a fight exhausted was a fast track to getting embarrassed. As long as we found the Iron Regiment before they found our teammates, that was a job well done.

I thanked the gods – or the titans, realistically – for whatever magic was lighting the woods. Without golden dome lighting the arena I would've already sprained both ankles on undergrowth before seeing any action. As it was I could easily dodge the tallest roots, and a slash or two was all it took to cut through the bushes we couldn't slip around.

We caught the first opponent alone. It was a boy, probably around fifteen, with shaggy hair and alert brown eyes. I didn't recognize him, which wasn't surprising since their leader was the only member I knew.

The dude's eyes widened when we burst out from around a tree, and he swung his sword on reflex. I swung back harder, knocking it from his hands with a strike right above the hilt.

He just had time to scream, "Contact!" into the night before a gold glow washed over him. Greek letters formed in the air above his head, labeling him, Prisoner. His body stiffened, joints locking. Somehow I knew just from looking that he couldn't move anymore if he tried to.

His callout had worked though. Already I could hear plants crunching as his teammates rushed toward us. There was a bit of space where we were, an above average gap between trees. I stomped a few bushes flat to keep them out of the way, then stepped to the middle of the space.

"Here we go," I said to the others. "Make sure they don't get behind me. If you see a chance to take one down, do it, but don't gamble. Keep yourselves safe if possible."

Vera sighed. Victoria watched the woods like a hawk, her lips pressed into a line.

This time there wouldn't be the luxury of a one on one fight, or getting to take the enemy by surprise. When reinforcements arrived there were five of them, grouped up and already in formation.

I grinned. "Over half your team just for us? I knew you liked me."

Kurt shook his head. His helmet was shadowing his face, making his nose look like a kite behind a cloud. His armor looked custom made and heavy, personalized studs offering extra protection in animal-shaped clusters. The biggest design, right in the center of the chest so you couldn't miss it, was a dolphin with a lightning bolt behind it. "It's how you play the game," he said. "Outnumber, then overwhelm. At the end of the day, taking you down is for your own good."

"What's this?" Prometheus's voice echoed around us. "The leaders are face to face, with the Bronze Regiment's rookie between them. With half the players involved, this clash may well decide the match. What do you think?"

"Hmm," Justin said. "I think it'll end here for the Bronze Regiment. They're outnumbered, and Victoria has a tendency to crack under pressure. Percy's good with a sword, but Kurt's better. I don't see a way out of this for them."

I considered myself pretty good with smack talk, both riling up opponents and throwing off attempts to do it to me. But for some reason Justin's words sent a lance of irritation through my gut. I was a second away from sprinting into a reckless charge when Victoria jabbed my ribs with her elbow.

"Ignore him," she told me. "His dad's Zelus, god of rivalry and jealousy. He's a master at throwing you off with his words."

I took a deep breath. Now that she pointed it out, the irritation felt hollow, like the emotions had been crammed into me instead of building up inside. That made them easier to ignore. "Thanks."

Victoria hefted her shield. "Look alive. Here they come."

The Iron Regiment charged in a Christmas tree formation- three at the back, two in front of them, and one taking point. The kid in front held a full body shield while the three behind him poked spears around like a miniature phalanx. Just like we planned, I stepped up to meet them alone.

In the background, the commentators carried on.

"What's your opinion my lord?" asked Justin. "Who walks away from this?"

All three spears thrust the moment I was in range, and I danced right, forcing them to reorient. They did so frustratingly quickly, Kurt barking orders from the base of the formation.

"My thoughts may spoil the audience's fun," said Prometheus. "I've a knack for picking winning sides."

The spears came again, their wielders walking forward as they stabbed, forcing me back toward a girthy pine tree. They wanted to pin me with nowhere to run. I could see their plan, but if I couldn't do anything about it in the next fifteen seconds that counted for squat.

"Come on, sir," said Justin. "You can give us more than that can't you? Think of the fledgling monsters in the audience. Won't you share a bit of your wisdom?"

I reached back with my free hand, feeling the distance between me and the tree. Only a foot. Seeing my escape route cut off, my opponents got eager and stabbed as hard as they could.

I ducked.

"Fine, I suppose." Prometheus's voice sounded reluctantly smug. "I won't share the winner, but I will say I see the result being quite the wash."

Two of the spears lodged in the tree, stuck to the base of their blades. The third remained free, its wielder holding back at the last second. Not that it did them any good. With a quick swipe I severed the shaft before it could retreat behind the protection of the shield.

"Back!" shouted Kurt. "Adopt formation four!"

They started backpedaling but I wasn't about to let them go. The one closest to me fell behind the others, weighed down by his bulky shield. I slammed the shield with my shoulder and his momentum took him straight onto his butt. A quick tap of the sword against his unprotected chest and he joined the kid we'd jumped at the start, glowing and paralyzed.

"The first goes down," said Prometheus, but even the magic projecting his voice could barely make it heard over the roar from the crowd. Whether they were cheering my victory or raging that I wasn't maimed yet I couldn't tell. It was an answer I was fine going without.

Formation four, it turned out, was a fancy word for a semi-circle. They spread out, preparing to come from different directions. But when the five came to charge, the two at the back found themselves cut off by Victoria and Vera.

I met the other three, including Kurt. Don't get me wrong, I was mighty glad I wasn't facing five, but even three in open combat had me nervous. I was pretty good with a sword, I knew that, but all the fighters I'd trained with- Thalia, Luke, Dedalus, Andi… any of them would've had me beaten halfway to the Underworld in minutes if they got the chance to spread out and surround me.

Yet fighting the Iron Regiment it was like they weren't trying.

Kurt swung high while the others swung low from the sides. I parried Kurt and hopped out of the way of the others. They tried again, and I evaded the same way.

None of Thalia's athleticism or Andi's experience. Wasted movements that couldn't be further from Dedalus's streamlined style, straightforward attacks completely unlike Luke's unpredictable ideas. Kurt was strong and competent, nothing more. The others weren't even that.

Ten seconds, then twenty, then thirty. A full minute passed, and still they hadn't hit me. If I wasn't so surprised I might have gotten some hits of my own in. I was stuck, but successfully, playing defense.

"And Jackson remains elusive," narrated Prometheus. "Three of them, including the leader, and it amounts, so far, to nothing. Any change in your opinion, Justin?"

"He's gotten lucky," said Justin. "Kurt is too scared of risk. He's chosen to play it slow and careful. Make no mistake though, the jaws are tightening around the weaker competitor."

Now that I recognized it for what it was, Justin's taunts didn't affect me. I threw it off. The booing of the crowd, frustrated that nobody was on the ground yet? Tuned out. I knew what needed to happen. I imagined a third arm sprouting from my navel stretching off into the night, grasping for what I'd been keeping my eye on since the walk downhill: the creek.

Vera and Victoria were doing well. Defending was Vera's specialty, and she wasn't giving any ground. Victoria was doing even better. In a couple of minutes she would have the guy facing her captured if the cuts on his arms and side were anything to go by.

A few minutes was a long time though. A lot could happen. The Iron regiment's last member could reinforce them, tipping things in their favor. One of us could slip up, and the others would be overwhelmed. We need things to end sooner rather than later, and to make that happen we needed some flair.

My third arm found a handhold. It was distant, and grabbing the water made my abs clench, like I was doing a sit up with a truck on my chest. It was coming though. I could feel it.

Fighting was harder while splitting my focus. My parries got clumsy. One of Kurt's swings actually grazed my shoulder.

"See?" came Justin's voice. "He's tiring. Soon it'll be over."

Oh shove it, I thought. The startled shouts from one side of spectators told me what was coming a second before it happened, and my face split into a grin.

Eat this.

Water hit like a dozen firehoses turned up to max on a single spot. The three in front of me were slammed to the ground, their weapons knocked from their hands along with the air from their lungs. I tapped each with my sword, and the Iron regiment was down to three.

The two fighting Vera and Victoria had stopped, frozen as their leader and friends were crushed out of nowhere. I flicked my hand and twin spouts fired into them, propelling them off their feet. The girls quickly finished the job and I let out a sigh, releasing the water to saturate the ground.

My lungs were heaving, and I felt a headache forming already, the kind you get after staring at a screen for too long. Like your brain was telling you it had focused more than it was meant to.

"Down, down, down, down, and down," Prometheus listed off. "Kurt is out, along with all but one from his regiment. Ladies and gentlemen, things are nearing a close."

"Was that legal?" Justin's voice was filled with sickly-sweet concern, like he actually gave a flying whoop about the Iron Regiment. "That water came from outside the arena. That seems like cheating to me. And what about the force of it? We're lucky nobody's head was crushed."

"It certainly is borderline," Prometheus said. "Jackson thought so too, which is why he checked it's legality with his guide prior to the start."

"Oh? And what did the guide say?"

I could tell Prometheus was smiling, just from the sound of his voice. "I believe that I said it was fair game."

"I… see." Maybe I was crazy, but Justin almost sounded happy. "Well, let's see if they can finish the job."

That gave me a jolt. Right, the round wasn't actually over.

"They've still got one more," I said.

Vera and Victoria nodded. Even though they'd been spared from the bulk of it, spray from the water's impact still had them dripping.

"We'll drop back to defend the vase," Victoria said. "Breaking it is their only chance at winning. There isn't long left anyway."

Looking at the sky proved her right. The floating hour glass was two-thirds empty. We started jogging- slower, this time, because that stunt with the creek had taken more out of me than I was comfortable with admitting. We only made it a few steps before a drumbeat stopped us dead.

"The round is over!" Prometheus suddenly called. "As the Iron regiment has no more players free, the win goes to the Bronze Regiment!"

No sooner were those words said than someone slapped me on the back, hard enough felt it through my armor.

"Let's go!" Victoria yelled. She was grinning like a lunatic, hopping in place. "We win. Win! Yes!"

Vera was more subdued. "There's still another round."

"Oh hush. Let me have a moment. This is further than we've ever gotten, aren't you excited?"

Vera looked away. "Maybe a little."

"There will be a ten-minute break," Prometheus announced. "Regroup with your teammates. Treat their wounds and catch your breath. Move your vase to a new location. Or don't. The decision is up to you, but the moment ten minutes are up, the second round is live. Until then don't be caught in enemy territory or you'll find yourself disqualified, so do avoid anything unsavory."

"And remember," Justin added, "nothing's over yet."

We found Lucas first- or maybe I should say he found us, slipping out from a crevice in a trunk and shaking off the brown cloak he'd been wrapped up in for camouflage. It didn't take much to see how he'd escaped being found.

"Your good at that," I told him.

He smiled. "The most frightening surprise is the one they don't see coming. Halloween taught me that."

Alyssa and John had hidden together. Or Alyssa had hidden, at least. John just stood by a tree.

"People rarely notice me," he explained with a shrug. "I figured they would just run straight past."

The last ones to group up were Emmitt and Ninja Kid. Ninja kid was leaning on Emmitt, walking unsteadily. He had a hand pressed to the side of his mask, and when he pulled it away, the palm was red. Victoria and Lucas helped lean him against a tree, relieving a sweaty Emmitt.

"What happened?" Victoria demanded, pulling a cold pack from a bag on her waist and pressing it against Ninja Kid's temple.

"He tried fighting one of them," Emmitt said, breathing hard. "They got close to where he was hiding and he tried to do a sneak attack, but he stepped on a twig and they heard him coming."

"No," Ninja Kid groaned. His voice sounded distracted, like only a part of his brain could focus on forming words. "Wasn't a twig… forgot to suppress my aura."

Emmitt took pity on him. "Uh, what he said. Anyway, the two of them fought, and Po was kinda losing."

"Hold on," I said. "Who's Po?"

The looks everyone gave me made me feel like I was back in math class giving ridiculous answers.

"This is Po," Victoria said, nodding to the guy she was tending. "What did you think his name was?"

"Ninja kid?"

"Not ninja!" moaned Po. "Shinobi."

"Finish the story," Victoria instructed Emmitt. "What happened next?"

Emmitt blushed and squeezed his fingers. "I saw what was happening, cause I was hiding nearby. I know we were supposed to hide but I couldn't just watch him get beaten up. I rushed out to help, except… I wasn't fast enough. Po got smashed with a hilt right before I hit the other guy in the back."

"Hey, you did good!" I squeezed Emmitt's shoulder. "You captured one. Be proud of that!"

"Should've done it faster," Emmitt mumbled. "If I hadn't been so worried, or if I'd made up my mind sooner, he wouldn't've gotten all hurt."

Po lurched forward. "Do not trouble yourself, comrade. Shinobi are prepared to sacrifice their life for every mission!"

"Alright now, let's calm down. Nobody's dying tonight." Victoria hauled Po to his feet, then caught him as he started to topple forward. "Lucas, help me with him. We need to escort him to the boundary."

"You can substitute people between rounds?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. But look at him; he can barely stand up, making him fight won't do us any good. Besides, who would we replace him with? Aurora? We couldn't keep her awake in the middle of the day, let alone now. We'll just go with seven."

That logic was hard to argue with. "What about the vase? Do we move it or keep it where it was?"

"Definitely move it. Just because they didn't capture it there's no reason to take chances. Percy, John, and Emmitt, you guys go hide the vase somewhere new. Vera, you and Alyssa help me with Po. You're used to carrying people."

Vera sniffed. "Don't compare him to Aurura. He's not even a hundredth as cute."

"We meet back here when we're all done," I said, and Victoria nodded.

The two groups split.

At first Emmitt was carrying the vase, but he passed it off to me as soon as he could.

"Better off not in my hands," he said. "I'd probably drop it, or squeeze it the wrong way or something."

He laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. More nervous and self-deprecating, afraid that if he didn't add it we would think he was being as serious as he was. I accepted the vase anyway.

It was the first time I'd held the item I just fought six people to protect. The sides were smooth and chilly, a cool (literally) ten degrees colder than the night air. With my fingers pressed against it I could feel vibrations in my flesh, like something with a million volts of electricity was squirming inside, desperate to burst out. I held the thing a little tighter.

"How should we hide it?" I asked. "If we aren't defending it we need a really good spot."

"Pick somewhere average," suggested John. "Everyone walks by those on their way to check the best places."

"Does anyone ever find these things?" I couldn't help asking. "There's like, a billion trees to choose from. It seems impossible."

Emmitt shrugged. "There are tricks to it. If there's a bunch of defenders set up, the vase is probably around there. Spying is popular. That's why they guide us separately, to make it harder. One time, the gold regiment even got a kid to tell them mid-match."

I laughed incredulously. "What'd they do, bribe him with a candy bar?"

Both of them shivered.

"You're better off not knowing," said Emmitt.

"Wasn't pretty," John confirmed.

I frowned. After being subjected to Andi's idea of bedtime stories there weren't many things that could get me unsettled. "We face them next. I need to know their tricks before then or I might end up blabbing away our secrets."

"This match isn't over," John said. "Focus on that first."

"But-"

"Shhh!"

I was so surprised at Emmitt of all people cutting me off that I didn't think twice about shutting up. He stopped, holding up his hand and shutting his eyes. A moment later they popped open.

"Somebody's following us," he whispered.

I reigned in the urge to glance around. If he was right, there was no reason to give away that we were on to them.

"You're sure?"

"Positive," he said. "They stepped on a sapling. Those things scream like crazy. Even I wouldn't miss that."

Scream? I shook my head. Now wasn't the time.

Emmitt had just said spying was popular. Prometheus mentioned something about it too when talking about the halftime break. I didn't need to be a genius to guess who was skulking behind us- or at least who they worked for.

"Keep walking," I instructed. "We'll play it cool. In a minute, on my queue, we split up and you 'stumble' onto them. Can you do that? We'll back you up right after."

"I can do that," said Emmitt. "But if I mess it up, sorry."

We walked for a minute that felt longer, trying not to look back. Eventually I said, "Around here's good, guys. Let's split up and find a spot."

Emmitt and I made eye contact and I winked. With a gulp he slunk off to the left, beginning to ark around to where our tail must've been.

John was prodding trees and rustling bushes, and I followed his example. It would be way too suspicious if we stayed standing around. But I kept Emmitt in the corner of my eye, waiting to sprint over when he needed help.

It didn't take long. Just a minute after splitting off Emmitt let out a battle cry like a strangled frog and tackled something behind a tree.

I was over to him in a flash, John on my heels, but it was over by the time we got there. Emmitt was squirming around chanting, "Got you got you got you" while wrestling a paralyzed kid from the iron regiment.

Our little stalker's sandy blond hair was fully displayed, no helmet in sight. Her face was twisted in surprise and probably irritation. Her sleeves and pants were all camo. Her cheeks were face painted brown to blend in. If it weren't for Emmitt, I would never have noticed her. Something told me this wasn't an improvised tactic.

"I think you got her," I pointed out.

Emmitt quit his wrestling efforts and looked up at me, breathing hard. "I did?"

"Unless you can see a different meaning in that than I can."

I pointed to a word above the girl's head, right where the prisoner label had gone during the match. This one, though, said 'disqualified'.

"She's out," John agreed. "She was as soon as you touched her. That counts as being caught cheating."

Emmitt stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I was fighting for my life over here!"

"I thought you knew." John shrugged. "You've done this before."

"But nobody ever bothered spying on us then. How was I supposed to know the rules?"

"Prometheus announced it."

"That was what he meant by that? I thought it was…"

I whistled to get their attention. "Here and now, guys. We still have to figure out what to do with this."

I tossed the vase in the air and caught it, making both of them wince.

"Could you not do that?" Emmitt pleaded. "I'm nervous enough already without worrying about you dropping it."

"Give me some ideas on where to hide it and I'll be glad to get it out of my hands." There was something about the item that gave me chills, like I was holding a live grenade. "We're running out of time if we want to do this well."

Rather than looking at me, John was staring at the girl we'd captured. "You know," he said, "why don't you two handle that. I've got an idea."

"An idea about what?" I asked, but he'd already turned and jogged off. I looked at Emmitt who shrugged back.

"Let him go," Emmitt said. "He probably knows what he's doing."

In the end we settled on an oak tree, following John's advice- the only thing abnormal about it was a slightly wider than average trunk. Clusters of roots were growing out of the ground, and shrubs grew around it on three sides. We shoved the vase into the thickest shrub and covered it with a few fallen leaves.

We were heading for the meet up point when a familiar drum beat hit.

I cursed and looked up. Sure enough, the hour glass had flipped over. The second round was starting.

"Shit," I said. "We lost too much time dealing with the spy."

Emmitt was pale, glancing around like he expected Kurt and company to steam out of the bushes at any second. "What do we do?"

"Go and hide," I told him. "I'll meet up with the others somehow, then we'll run the same strategy as before."

I reverted my sword to Aelia for ease of movement and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the way my shirt clung to my sides. The creek stunt had been even more of a gut punch than I'd expected.

Emmitt wasn't ignoring it, though. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look all that good. Are you sure this is going to work?"

I flashed a reassuring smile. "I know I might not look it, but I've seen some stuff. I can handle fifteen minutes of fighting where they aren't even out to kill me."

"Just don't get hurt," Emmitt finally said. "I'm kind of an expert on that, so trust me when I say it's no fun. Better to just run away if you have to, that's what I think."

And he scurried into the bushes with a final nod. I frowned after him, then shook myself.

I had a job to do and, warnings or not, I was the only one that could do it.

It was surprisingly hard to figure out directions in the forest. The entire arena was a circle, and intentional or not there weren't any landmarks to keep oriented. Sure, if you could find the halfway point there was a little glowing line, but that only helped if you could get there.

I wasn't sure how fast to go. It was tempting to try and sprint to find the others as quick as possible. It was also tempting to slow to a walk and let my pounding heart catch a rest. I split the difference.

"We're back folks," said Prometheus. "And I come bearing news! Gloria Bright of the Iron Regiment has been disqualified! Seems she was caught spying. How naughty. That brings the numbers to seven on seven, with Po of the Bronze Regiment retiring through injury. Things are heating up."

"They certainly are," said Justin. "Especially when you look at the Bronze Regiment. They're scattered and vulnerable right now. It isn't looking good for them."

I cursed as I ran. Great, so just in case Kurt hadn't figured out we were spread out, now he knew for sure. It was great to see Justin had that whole impartiality thing going strong.

Apparently I wasn't the only one unhappy, either.

"Announcing may be new to you," Prometheus said cheerily, "but I'd ask you not share sensitive information. They can hear us as well, you know."

"Oh! My apologies. It wasn't my intention to hinder our competitors!"

"I would also ask you not lie to me," Prometheus's voice lost none of its charm, but there was an unmistakable undercurrent there. "I don't take kindly to attempts at tricking me. In fact I take them very badly indeed."

I couldn't see what was going on at the announcing booth, wherever that was, but the tremor that entered Justin's voice made me wish desperately that I could.

"O-of course sir. Won't happen again sir."

"Brilliant." Prometheus was back to normal. "And what's this- the iron regiment has found their first opponent!"

I cursed again and was about to put on a burst of speed to help the unlucky guy. Then I realized the unlucky guy was me.

Sometime while I was listening to the announcers, I'd crossed the border. The thin line of fire was a few steps behind me, and I wasn't the only person there. Popping out of the woods were four Iron regiment members, Kurt at the center of them.

"Am I the only one getting déjà vu here?"

"Nah, it's a little different," Kurt said. "This time there's nobody to watch your back."

He was way too right. Not that I was letting him know that.

"You sure about that?" I asked. "Maybe they're just hiding. Getting soaked once was enough for them. Wasn't for you, apparently."

Kurt just plodded closer. He didn't look completely comfortable, but he also wasn't panicking. I knew focused eyes when I saw them.

"You came alone," he said. "We know that much."

I heard a crunch from behind me, and a fifth member popped out from the friendly side of the halfway line. He was dressed like the girl we caught spying- camo and face paint to help blend in. Clipped onto his belt was a blocky old-school walkie talky. Its pair was hitched on Kurt's belt, and I felt like grimacing. That explained how they found me.

"As for you water trick…" Kurt raised his sword, continuing to close the distance. His teammates spread out to surround me- all sides, this time. "I won't pretend to know how you pulled that off. But wielding that much power isn't easy for any mortal. You're exhausted."

"I guess we'll see," I said.

He smiled. "That we will."

We both lunged.

Our swords clashed three times, evenly matched, before the rest converged.

It wasn't like they'd suddenly improved. Each of them was as lackluster as they'd been earlier. But now it was a full five, not three, and my arms felt like barbells. Sweat fused my hair together and dripped down my nose. Every dodge put me in the path of a new sword; every parry left my back open to a different attack. A spear took off a lock of my hair. My elbow got sliced pretty good. I growled and swung back with everything I had. The flat of my blade hit a kids helmet so hard it rung his head like a bell. He dropped, probably concussed, and still I couldn't get a tiny break.

It was the most frustrating fight I'd ever been in. At least against the hellhounds with Thalia I'd had time to breathe, and I thought I'd done pretty well considering how young I was. The Phonoi had made me mad, but that was different, and they hadn't been allowed to spring their ambush. This felt like I was fighting amateurs… and losing.

"Things aren't looking so good," Justin narrated. "Do you think we'll see another turnaround, sir?"

"I'm not sure," Prometheus said, but his voice made it sound like he was, and it wasn't an answer either of us liked.

My throat was constricting. I was as exhausted as after the most brutal drills with Andi, and even my heightened reflexes were barely keeping me in the fight. I tapped the bottom of my weapon and it morphed into Anthea. One of my opponents yelped as I swung the suddenly materialized spear shaft into her side, dropping a second opponent.

But the move was a hail marry. I was stuck with a spear defending against the other four. At this sort of close range, that was very much not good. As I blocked a slash my weapon ricocheted to the side- I was wide open.

Before I could duck away Kurt's sword was at my throat. A quick tap cut off my curse before it materialized, my body turning stiff like plywood.

An array of choice words sprung to mind but my jaw was locked shut. Golden aura coated me like a sheen of glowing sweat to complement the old-fashioned kind dripping down me. As the color tinged my vision, I realized it was the same shade as Kronos's eyes.

"Whew." Kurt puffed out a breath, relaxing his shoulders. "You don't go down easy, do you?"

I tried to communicate with my eyes: Unfreeze me, and I'll show you going down easy.

My telepathy must not have been in working order, because he just chuckled.

"Right. You can't exactly answer, can you. Well, sorry, but this is where we split off. C'mon people!"

His subordinates gathered around him- those that could anyway. The girl who's ribs I'd hit for a homerun had a hand to her stomach and seemed to be glaring my way. Imagine that. The kid I'd nailed in the head was as paralyzed as I was, his own prisoner tag glowing above his head. The hit had left him unable to fight.

"We split up," Kurt announced. "Half of you drop back and defend the vase, the rest search for enemies. If you find one, take them down. Don't fight if you're outnumbered. If you find Victoria, only fight if you've got two or more. For all the others take them down on sight. Let's go!"

They shouted like a sports team leaving a huddle and rushed off into the woods. Kurt went last, casting a final look at me.

"Don't take it too hard," he said. "This was bound to happen. You can't rely on one player in a team game."

"Only fifteen minutes left," Prometheus announced. "Currently the scores are six to six- two down before the match started, two downed during it, and still the scores are even. Will they stay that way?"

Kurt smiled apologetically. "Gotta run."

I watched his back disappear into the brush. It was only after he was gone that I realized just how crappy getting captured really was.

I could move my chest enough to breath, I could look left and right, and that was it. It was like being constricted in hundreds of pounds of foam- no matter how much you tried to move, you were utterly stuck.

If I were claustrophobic I probably would've been freaking out. Luckily, I wasn't. I was ADHD though, and that was only slightly better. After a minute my brain was screaming at my body to move around, and the body couldn't do a thing. No wonder the others hated the competition so much if this was what losing felt like.

Speaking of the others, I focused on the announcers like a lifeline. We weren't losing… yet. If they could keep hidden and even catch someone, it was our win.

C'mon guys.

"Still no confrontations," said Prometheus. "It's possible there won't be another this round."

"I don't expect that," said Justin. "Someone will get found. Staying hidden isn't easy."

I really hoped Prometheus would shut him down and say, 'How ridiculous, of course they'll stay hidden!" but he just sighed.

"I do," he said, "believe that you are correct."

And he was. Only two minutes later the commentators' voices rose with excitement.

"We have contact people!" said Prometheus. "Alyssa from the Bronze Regiment has been discovered. Should've hidden a bit deeper in that thicket, my girl. Now, can she hold ou- Ouch! That one looked like it hurt. Ooh, should've blocked that… and its over! The Iron Regiment takes the lead!"

I would've shut my eyes if I could. Great. Now not only did we have to take one of them down, we had to do it without losing anyone else.

I figured the chances of that were somewhere around Zeus sending me a card on my birthday.

The next few minutes were torture. One by one the commentators described my teammates falling, all while the translucent hourglass ticked away overhead. I was torn between wishing the grains would drain slower to put off our loss, or wishing they'd just go faster and end the experience.

At least there was a third round. Except, I wasn't sure it would do us any good. Even unparalyzed, my body was so dead tired I could barely move my limbs. By contrast the Iron Regiment, who split the effort eight ways, had way more left in the tank. I only saw another round going one way.

But we were about to see, because all too soon Justin's voice filled the arena.

"We've only got a minute left," he said. "Currently only two members of the Bronze Regiment are in the game: John Smith, and Victoria Champion. The Iron Regiment still have six. This round seems over."

"It isn't looking good," Prometheus said. "As the time ticks down, is there still room for a miracle?"

"I hope not," said Justin. "I don't like those things at all. They have a way of messing up the natural order of things."

"Don't let Tyche hear you talking that that young man. The last one she caught talking bad about luck found a whole lot of flower pots dropping off balconies as he walked underneath. Oh, look at this, only a few seconds left. Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…"

At least it was almost over. I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I would just have to find a way to turn things around in the next-

Wait. I rubbed my eyes?

By the time my brain caught up with the fact that the paralysis was gone, Prometheus was shouting.

"A last second turn of events! John Smith has walked straight through the Iron Regiment defenders and smashed their vase! They never even moved to stop him! That takes the numbers to seven versus six, the Bronze Regiment leading at the death!"

The drumbeat hit. The crowd was roaring again but I barely noticed, dropping to a sitting position then all the way onto my back.

My legs ached, I had a migraine so bad I half expected Athena to bust out of my skull, and I was grinning.

We'd won.

(-)

So, that was a longer break than expected.

I gravely underestimated how much time it would take to start a new term at college, get accustomed to classes, and deal with the hassle of moving. Then as soon as I had my feet under me an unanticipated COVID case swept 'em back out. By the time I got back to writing consistently I hadn't touched this story in a month, and those of you that write yourselves will know just how hard it is to jump back into a story after losing momentum. You have to get back into the swing of writing the characters, the tone, the subplots... it's a lot, usually involving a whole lot of re-reading.

Eventually I made the call that I wanted to come back with a bang- hence the extra-length chapter. 10k words, roughly, after all was said and edited. Now that we're back I'll get some more consistent updates going, though there's no way I could keep up the one-a-week I was doing before. That was a Summer Vacation schedule. I'll aim for a chapter every other week, though, and do my best to stick to it.

Good to be back.