Chapter 9

CLARISSE POV

(A/N Come on guys, don't leave me hanging! No-one responded to me asking about the upload timing. Am I that horrible a writer? In all seriousness, I would appreciate feedback now and again, I want to know what you guys are thinking. And, going back to the pacing, I literally had to flip a coin (not into the road, even though I'm British I don't want to risk summoning the Grey Sisters) and it gave me biweekly, so on Sundays and Wednesdays you'll be getting updates. On another note, it's happening! I've been both dreading and looking forward to writing from Clarisse's point of view, because to my knowledge, I'm the first person to do it. In none of RR's books, nor in any Chrisse/Clarisse stories on here (If you did do a Clarisse perspective story, I apologise, I swear I searched every last story related to our favourite daughter of war in the archive) is there a Clarisse perspective, and I was really looking forward to writing it. I was apprehensive at first, because I didn't have much to go off, but it actually turned out really fun. I'm glad, because this means I won't have to do the entire quest in Meg's perspective. This note is getting really long, so enjoy the chapter! There's a lot of Chrisse here, so please don't get mad at me for taking them a bit OOC. Also, Rick knows all, sees, all, owns all.)

As Clarisse charged at Percy, she reflected the first time they fought. It was during a Capture-the-Flag game similar to the this one. The vlacas had broken her spear, which didn't get replaced for years, until she found Chris and brought him back from the maze. She shuddered involuntarily and brushed away the thought. Concentrate on the battle, Clarisse. She sidestepped Percy's initial slash and jabbed at him. Percy dodged backwards and raised his shield. Idiot, Clarisse thought with a grim smile as she jabbed at his shield with her spear, willing it to activate the electricity. It would shock the shield out if his hand, wherein she could move in for the capture. What she didn't have planned was the jolt that traveled back up the haft into her wrist, jarring it. (A/N I don't know if this is how electricity works, I just picture Percy having countermeasures ready, having been hit with that spear several times. Feel free to correct me, but I probably won't make any changes.) "What the Hades?" Percy smirked as he moved his sword up to her neck for the 'kill', but Clarisse was fast. Using her left hand to raise the spear, she blocked away the sword and retreated. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her companions fighting with varying degrees of success. To her left, Chris was duelling Nico, who attacked in a fierce flurry of attacks. The thing was, double handling a sword gives power, but a sword and shield gives versatility. So Nico would use all his strength on a big blow that Chris would parry or block, then try to step around, but to Nico's credit, he was skilled, and proved it by dodging Chris's attacks. To the other side, Meg was having more success against Malcolm, using her power of Demeter to trip him up, then go in for an attack while he was off-balance with her scimitars. Shaking her head, Clarisse turned back to Percy. "Why didn't my spear blast you?" He smirked again and raised his sword hand, revealing rubber underneath the celestial bronze.

"You're becoming predictable, Clarisse. You think I wouldn't have figured out how to get around the electricity by now?" Charisse scowled and shrunk her spear back to it's smaller form, a chain that she hung on her belt.

"Fine then. If that's how you're going to play, I'll take you barehanded." Percy shrugged and turned his sword and shield back to their pen and wristwatch forms. He crouched into a wresters stance and made a 'bring it on' gesture. Clarisse charged in with an uppercut to the jaw. Percy grabbed her arm and swept her legs out from under her. Rolling away, Clarisse jumped up and charged in again, this time with a left hook. Percy blocked her hand and gave her a solid jab to the side. Internally, Clarisse was groaning, but she couldn't afford to show weakness in front of her enemies, so she kept a solid face and began pummelling at his face. Not wearing a helmet, Percy was forced to put his hands up, and while he was distracted, Clarisse swept his legs out from under him and landed with a knee on his chest. Percy, the vlacas, had the audacity to laugh as a conch shell could be heard in the distance. Out of the forest, Chiron and the heads for Apollo and Hecate came marching out of the woods alongside a zombie, who proudly bore the flag, a deep purple banner with a midnight blue helm. Clarisse was dumbfounded. "How… What…' Nico, the only one of Percy's three still standing, (Malcolm having been incapacitated by Meg's vines) punched the air.

"Yes, Scott!" The zombie saluted to Nico before passing him the flag and crumbling into the earth. Charisse got off Percy, who was still laughing, and pulled him up. As annoyed as she was, Clarisse found it hard to quash the smile that came with duelling one of her oldest friends.

"Good to see you haven't lost all you tricks, Kelp-head. Those rubber gloves though? New low." Percy smiled. You still won though." He extended a hand. "Good game."

"Likewise."

Chiron blew the horn again. "Well played, campers. A good show. Now, back to your cabins!" Chris jogged up to her and they started walking through the trees. "Phew, Nico can put up a fight." She nudged him.

"You weren't so bad yourself." Chris laughed.

"Watching me instead of fighting? Where, oh where has Clarisse gone." She reddened.

"Shut up."

"Ah, you know you love me." Clarisse froze. The couple didn't throw that word around often, especially Chris. It had been seven years since they got together, but even now Clarisse still felt like it was a new and precious thing. Did this mean… No. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind. Lost in her thoughts, she was barely aware of Chris waving his hand in her face. "Hey, Clarisse? Earth to Clarisse. Anyone in there?" Charisse blushed again, but instead of telling him to shut up as she usually did, she kissed him, pulling herself up to his lips. Being 6'2 herself, and her boyfriend 6'3, she could understand why people were intimidated by them, and also the reason Chris had been the only person to ever ask her out. Wrenching her mind back to the present, she felt Chris stiffen for a second, then melt in and kiss back, pulling her closer to him and pushing them against a tree. Thank Ares no-one is here to see us, she thought before pulling back and leaning her forehead against Chris's. They were both breathing heavily. Chris brushed a lock of her brown hair behind her ear. "Right, something's definitely up. Are you okay?" Clarisse knew why he was confused. Even though (she hoped) they both knew they liked each other, Chris was usually the one to initiate anything romantic.

"Nothing. Just thinking about how much I love you." Clarisse inwardly groaned, they needed to stop throwing that word around. Chris however, seemed pleased with this and leaned in for another kiss. Clarisse obliged, and they spent what seemed eternities before they broke apart.

"We should get back to the cabins." Clarisse cursed her boyfriend's logic, they had probably spent too much time out here.

"Agreed." Chris nodded, and they spent the rest of the walk back to the cabins in silence. As they approached the treeline, Chris stopped and looked at the ground. Clarisse turned to him with concern. "You alright?" Chris didn't look up.

"I just keep thinking about the quest, what if something goes wrong-" He was stopped by a slap to the face.

"Hey." Clarisse's voice was deadly calm. "Nothing is going to happen. We're going to do this quest, and it's going to be fine." She pulled her boyfriend into a hug. "See you at the big house tomorrow?" He nodded again, and they walked across the green to their separate cabins.

(A/N Woop Woop, Chrisse! I know I'm acting overexcited, but along with Tratie, Chrisse is one of my favourite side ships. Sorry if Clarisse seems out of character, but she's been at college for the past few years and matured as a person, plus Chris has probably been mellowing her out. I'm not going to turn her into some helpless little girl like I've seen some do with Annabeth, (contrary to that, Clarisse is by far the better fighter between her and Chris.) but around Chris I'm going to have her lower her guard a bit more.)

Vaya con Queso,

DamaSENDhimafriend