This seems familiar.
When summer came around, everyone seemed to be happy back at camp. This time, there was no scary Earth goddess or Kronos 2.0 to ruin this summer. The Roman demigods went back to Camp Jupiter, though they promised to visit every once and a while. Jason Grace was one of the few to stay at Camp Half-blood rather than return to his original camp.
Percy meanwhile was happy to be back at camp. Even though Jason had arrived, everyone seemed to be crowding around Percy. He was their hero after all. Jason was still respected though.
Everything at camp was going well, up until the first counselor's meeting in the Big House.
Percy walked through the halls of the Big House. The Big House felt so new yet so familiar. He found the door to the rec room and opened it, walking in and finding out that almost all of the camp counselors were there. Percy was late, like always. There were some things that even memory loss couldn't take away.
The rec room was the exact same as it was during the war with Kronos. Percy vaguely remembered reading the Great Prophecy in this very room. He looked around and found a open spot right next to Annabeth, who was looking at him expectantly. Clearly, she had saved him a spot. Percy liked that about Annabeth, he could always rely on her, even for small things such as saving a seat for him or helping him with his math homework.
Percy sat down next to Annabeth and sighed. Just a few months ago, he was in Tartarus. Sitting in such a comfortable chair almost felt foreign. Some days, he pinched himself to make sure he really made it out.
"Where's your trident?" Annabeth asked.
Percy blinked before realizing what she meant. "Oh, it's in my cabin. It's cool, but I like using it to surf. You know nothing can replace Riptide." He said.
"Jason clearly feels different. He's been flexing with his bolt ever since he got it." Annabeth said.
At the mention of Jason's name, Percy looked around the table to see where the son of Zeus was. Strangely, he was missing, and so was Piper. Jason was usually early to these type of meetings, at least, that's what Percy had expected judging from the reputation Jason had in Camp Jupiter. Being late seemed out of character for a guy who was all about discipline.
Then the door flew open. Everyone jumped because the door slammed against the wall when someone threw it open. Percy looked over to see Jason walk in, and he didn't look happy at all. His face was red, his blue eyes sparked with electricity, and he was gritting his teeth. Piper and Chiron were following not far behind. Chiron seemed to be trying to calm down Jason but something was on his mind.
Jason saw Percy and said, "You stole my lightning bolt!" He pointed at Percy with a accusatory finger.
Percy felt a pang of anger flare up in his chest. What was Jason saying? 12 year old Percy would've exploded but 18 year old Percy was different. He leaned forward and crossed his fingers so he wouldn't be tempted to draw Riptide.
"What are you talking about?" He asked.
"You know what I'm talking about." Jason growled, "Don't play dumb with me, Percy. Where is my bolt?"
"I don't have it." Percy said blankly.
"That's bullshit. You stole it!" Jason said, getting louder.
"I didn't steal anything!" Percy protested, "And the fact that you're accusing me of stealing your shit is pissing me off."
"Jason, Percy." Chiron said, "Please calm down, I'm sure we can talk this out. This must be a misunderstanding."
Jason sat down, though he was still glaring at Percy. Piper sat down next to him, casting a suspicious glare at Percy as well. Percy was not expecting this at all.
"So, what is going on?" Nico asked.
"Percy stole my lightning bolt, that's what's going on." Jason said.
"I didn't steal anything!" Percy said. Annabeth pressed a hand to his arm. He looked over and noticed Annabeth shaking her head. He leaned in so she could whisper in his ear.
"Don't let Jason rile you up. You and I both know you didn't steal anything. The more defensive you get, the more guilty you might look." Annabeth whispered.
"What are you two whispering about?!" Jason said loudly.
"None of your business." Annabeth said coolly.
Jason stared at Annabeth before looking at Percy. He started laughing. There was nothing humorous about his laugh though. This laugh sounded cruel, almost evil, though that may have been Percy's imagination.
"This is great." Jason said, "You and Annabeth worked together to steal my bolt. Why? You want to prove Poseidon and Athena are better than Zeus?"
"What?" Percy asked, "That's insane. We didn't steal anything."
"Yeah, we didn't." Annabeth said, "When did you lose your bolt?"
Jason seemed to calm down, though only by a little. He leaned back in his chair and started recounting what had happened, "I had my bolt last night. I put it in its case like I always did. I woke up and when I opened the case, it was gone."
"Okay." Annabeth said.
"Someone stole it while I was sleeping." Jason said, "I don't know how you did it, Percy, but you've proven your point. Give me my bolt back."
"I couldn't have stolen it." Percy said, "I was on a date with Annabeth last night. We were at Ocean Prime on 52nd street."
"Oh, so if I ask Argus, he'll back up your story, right?" Jason said.
"We took Blackjack." Annabeth said.
"Oh, how convenient. No witnesses to where you guys went. You wanna tell me that this is just one big coincidence?" Jason said.
"I didn't—"
"Percy, you should really tell us where you put the bolt." Piper said. Her voice was sickly sweet, and Percy felt the urge to suddenly say that he did steal the bolt. He stared at Piper but his thoughts were shattered when Annabeth slammed her fist onto the pool table, causing everyone to jump.
Annabeth stood up, a look of pure fury in her eyes, "Did you just try to charmspeak my boyfriend?!"
Piper shrugged, "Was worth a shot."
"Hey, no, that's a bit too far." Connor Stoll said.
"Relax, Stoll." Piper said.
Connor sat back in his seat, a little dejected. A few of the counselors looked concerned. A angry Annabeth was just as bad as a angry Percy or angry Jason.
"Hey, Jason, why don't I just have my cabin make you a new bolt?" Leo proposed, "I mean, with Calypso's magic, I can probably make one that was just like your bolt."
Jason gritted his teeth, "No. That bolt was special to me. My dad gave it to me. I want it back."
Tension filled the room, almost to the point it was suffocating. Plenty of counselor's watched with bated breath as Percy and Jason stared each other down. Both of them were very powerful demigods, and a fight between them would be devastating. From the looks of things, neither of them were backing down.
"I don't know what to tell you, man." Percy said, "I didn't steal your bolt. Seriously, why would I want to steal it anyways?"
"You said it was nice when I got it. Don't think I didn't see the way you were looking at it." Jason said.
"So, what?" Percy said, "I've said plenty of things are nice without stealing them."
"Percy's right." Annabeth said, "What reason would he have to steal your bolt? Percy is many things but a thief is not one of them."
"Perhaps you don't know your Seaweed Brained boyfriend like you think you do, Annabeth." Jason said.
Annabeth looked at a loss for words. Hearing someone else call Percy 'Seaweed Brain' felt wrong. It just didn't sit right. Annabeth knew she wasn't imagining that malice behind it either. Regardless, she still figured she'd reason Percy's innocence, "Listen, Percy might be a idiot, but he's my idiot. I know him way better than anyone else at this camp."
"She's right, you know." Nico said.
"Stay out of this, Di Angelo." Jason growled.
Nico shrugged. He really didn't care. Percy could see that. The thing is, Percy cared.
"You don't talk to Nico like that." Percy said.
"Don't you hide behind him now."
"Jason, you're insane."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
Jason hit the pool table, "Just give me my damn bolt back!"
"I don't have it, you brick magnet!" Percy yelled.
A few counselors snickered at the insult, but Jason flinched as if he was remembering the brick from New Rome.
"Oh yeah, lightning thief?" Jason retorted.
That insult was on par with a gunshot. Everyone went quiet. Some of the counselors, like Annabeth and Clarisse had been around when Percy was accused of stealing Zeus's master bolt, and now it was looking like that again. That story had been told at the campfire multiple times, and Jason had to have known what he was doing by using that as a insult.
Percy felt rage course through his veins. Nothing angered him more than being accused of something that he didn't do. He thought he'd escaped this moronic circus by returning Zeus's bolt, but it seemed the Fates were replaying that show again.
"I trusted you, Percy." Jason said at last.
"What are you going to do about it?" Percy pressed.
Jason took out his infamous gold coin. Percy's hand curled around Riptide. Thunder rumbled outside as the sky grew darker. Everyone tensed, some counselors reached for weapons of their own.
"You have one month to give me my bolt back." Jason said, "If I don't see it, we'll spar in the arena. Loser has to wear a dress in front of the whole camp and the Olympians."
"Deal." Percy said, "See you in the arena."
Jason let out a dark chuckle. He got up and walked out of the room, Piper following not far behind. As the door closed, the tension in the room turned into full blown panic. Everyone started talking at once. Then Chiron pounded his hoof against the floor. Everyone turned to him.
"I need you all to calm down." Chiron said, "I hope you know what you are doing, Perseus. I will have to report this incident to Olympus."
"Go ahead, sir." Annabeth said, "Let them know exactly what me and Percy said. Jason's in the wrong. I said what was right."
Chiron sighed, but got up and left the room, presumably to message Olympus about the showdown between Percy and Jason.
"What do we do now?" Clarisse asked, "Thunder boy is out for blood."
"I think we should help him find his bolt. Percy, let us search your cabin." Pollux said.
"I think the fuck not." Percy said, "I'm innocent and everyone knows it. I'm not letting my privacy get violated over Jason having a temper tantrum. If anything, he owes me a apology for that 'lightning thief' comment."
"I don't care what Jason does, I'm sticking with Percy. There's no way he'd steal anything like that." Connor said.
"And how would you know?" Leo asked.
"Do you have any idea how many heists Percy has ruined?" Connor asked, "Not to mention, I've never seen Percy steal anything without returning it later on."
Leo looked over at Percy, who was seething. Percy's sea green eyes were dark, and his jaw was tense. The fact that his fists were clenched didn't go unnoticed. "Sorry, Perce, but I have to go with Jason on this one." Leo said.
"Leo!" Annabeth protested.
"Sorry, but Jason is my best friend, I can't turn on him now." Leo said, "Plus, I still have to get you back for Calypso."
Soon, everyone was picking sides. Leo and Pollux were sticking with Jason while Clarisse and Connor were on team Percy. That left all the other counselors.
Nico, decided to play it safe, "I'm going to stay out of this, is that cool with you, Percy?"
"Sure, I can't ask you to pick a side." Percy said.
"Thank you." Nico said.
"I'm sticking with Nico." Will said.
"Alright then. Annabeth?" Percy asked.
"Do you even have to ask?" Annabeth said with a smile, leaning in to press a kiss on Percy's lips. That kiss told everyone what they already knew, the Athena cabin was backing Percy.
Leo and Pollux stood up and walked out, nervously looking at everyone who was staying. They knew that Team Jason was outnumbered.
Percy watched as they left, "Well, that's settled." He stood up and looked around the table, "Everyone keep an eye out for Jason and his friends. Who knows what they'll try to do to get back at me."
Percy's friends nodded before leaving the rec room one by one. Soon, only Annabeth and Percy were the only ones left in the rec room. Annabeth looked at Percy then she got up and locked the door.
"We need to make a plan." She said.
"For what?" Percy asked.
"You do realize how much can happen in a month?" Annabeth asked, "Jason is going to do everything possible to piss you off and get you to admit to stealing the bolt."
"Yeah, and he already thinks that you helped me do it."
"Exactly." Annabeth said, "If you go down, I go down too. I don't have a problem wearing a dress but I don't think you'd want to wear one too."
"So, what do we do then?"
"Easy, we start planning, Seaweed Brain."
