Chapter Three

The few days Bolan spent training passed quickly, with the demigods teaching him everything they knew about Greek and Roman battle tactics, the different types of monsters, how to kill them, what happened when they died, what weapons they used, and how to fight with those weapons. The soldier wasn't a swordsman, but he caught on quite quickly and became highly advanced in each weapon, including archery. They had expected him to take a while, but after they figured out that he had combat experience, they knew why he learned so quickly. Percy admired the man's humility; he wasn't the type to show off, but instead, he took on the role of someone who knew that the demigods, as young as they were, could offer him valuable knowledge that would help him survive and treated them as such. He had even spent several hours after his rigorous training schedule with Annabeth, reading through mountains of books, desiring to learn as much as he could. Annabeth, of course, enjoyed the task, because being the daughter of Athena made her appreciate knowledge, and she loved that about the Executioner.

Chiron, however, was not convinced, and after Percy informed him that Bolan was fully equipped to fight monsters, he called a meeting in the Big House the morning after the soldier's final day of training, just before breakfast. As the Executioner walked with the demigods, he wondered how Chiron would ask him to prove himself. Of course, he could understand his doubts, and admired that about him. After all, the Executioner was the first mortal to enter the protected camp, although they did find out during training that he could see through the Mist. Since he was a mortal, that meant that for all the centaur knew, he had no combat experience and was somehow thrown into camp by accident.

"Hello," Chiron greeted the group somberly as they gathered around the Ping-Pong table.

"What's up, Chiron?" Leo asked.

"Look, I'll just cut to the chase, since I know you all are hungry, and breakfast is in fifteen minutes. I do apologize, but I have to be honest with you, friends. I do not know Mr. Cooper, but I fear for him. I trust you, as you all are valued heroes who have been through a lot. But I fear for Mr. Cooper because I have no clue if he can fight or if he even understands the level of danger and combat demigods endure on a regular basis. I don't want him to be in danger if he can't defend himself, even if you all are with him. So, I hope you'll forgive me, Mr. Cooper, but I would like you to duel our best demigod. Percy, unless you object, I'd like you to be Mr. Cooper's opponent, as I believe everyone who has fought with you would say that you are the best fighter. What do you think?"

All the demigods looked as if they were about to object, but turned to Percy and nodded at him, allowing him to make the decision. Percy looked at Bolan, who nodded his head ever so slightly, and as Percy returned the nod, the soldier saw a very mischievous gleam flash across his face.

"Chiron," Bolan began, making eye contact with the centaur. "First, I want to thank you for your honesty, and I completely understand your position. I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes. So, I will gladly honor your request."

"Alright then," Chiron replied, "I suppose we should find an open spot. Thank you, Mr. Cooper, and good luck!"

With that, Percy led the way to an open patch of grass in the center of camp. Several kids stopped what they were doing and wandered over, lining up behind Chiron's wheelchair or joining the inner circle of demigods that closed around Percy and Bolan. Percy glanced around, gazing at his friends. They all winked at him, then he locked eyes with the Executioner. The man had a penetrating stare, and he wondered just how much Cooper had been through. Bolan watched as Percy looked around, and as they made eye contact, he once again saw a very mischievous gleam in his eyes. He knew the young hero was about to fight hard, and he made a mental note to be on high alert as they began to circle, Percy uncapping Riptide as he moved.

The Executioner was quick to draw his knife and was ready when Percy attacked. He brought Riptide up to chest level and thrust the sword toward Bolan's heart, but he parried the blow with a lightning-fast slash that would have disarmed him had he kept his blade out a split second longer. Percy moved fast, diving between the Executioner's legs and rolling, aiming to come up behind him. Bolan spun with the roll, blocking yet another thrust. Their weapons clashed for several seconds, as Percy tried to disarm him several times. Bolan, however, saw each trap, each fake move, and matched him blow for blow with an agility born only from years of fighting. The demigod kicked his leg out, hooking it behind Bolan's ankle in an attempt to trip him. As Percy moved, propelling his weight to drive the soldier onto his back, the Executioner simply followed him as he spun, instead throwing Percy to the ground. Wasting no time, he followed him to the grass, and despite his experience, he quickly pinned his sword down with one hand while placing his knife at the demigod's throat, effectively ending the duel.

As the soldier rose, he nearly stumbled as someone jumped onto his back. Making a split-second decision, he fell to his knees, sheathing his knife as whoever was on top of him tried to drive him to the ground. He threw the person off him and spun, coming face-to-face with Nico di Angelo. Bolan could see a wide smile on his face as he threw a punch, which Bolan had to duck to avoid, taking only a glancing blow on the shoulder. He rose into a crouch, blocking several more punches. His sword was out in a flash, heading for Bolan's throat, but at the last second, he caught the blade, directing it away from his body while kicking his leg out. Caught off guard by Bolan's leg tripping him, Nico hit the ground on his back before quickly rolling, rising into a crouch with his sword raised. His smile grew wider as he plunged the blade into the ground and the air grew cold for a moment, then several skeletons erupted from the earth where Nico's blade was stuck. He pulled the blade out and muttered something, and Bolan had to sidestep a skeleton warrior who charged him with a knife made of bone. The Executioner spun, kicking the dead fighter so hard that its shattered bones flew several feet into the air before disintegrating. The rest of the skeletal army paused, as if confused, and just as Nico was speaking to them, the soldier did the unexpected and ran directly at the warriors, cutting down anyone that moved with his knife until every one of them was a pile of disintegrating bones.

Applause rippled quietly through the circle, and Chiron looked thoroughly dumbfounded.

"Mr. Cooper," he began, "you are an excellent fighter. Very few people can fight Percy, let alone beat him! I can't believe it! You didn't even look shocked when Nico summoned his army of skeletons!"

Bolan nodded his thanks and was about to reply when a distant explosion caused everyone to go silent. He turned his ears toward the direction of the sudden noise and listened. A few seconds went by before he heard the unmistakable crackle of automatic weapons fire.

"Stay here," he said in a commanding voice.

The soldier took off running, only to stop a few seconds later as he heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he saw Annabeth, Nico, Percy, and Jason following him, their weapons gleaming.

"You should stay back," he said.

"We're coming with you," Jason asserted.

"You ever heard the phrase 'never bring a knife to a gunfight'? Look, I don't have time to argue, but if you're coming along, then do as I say."

Bolan took off running again, making it to his rental in less than two minutes. He popped the trunk and pulled out several heavy bags. The gunfire was still ringing through the air as he changed into a pair of combat boots and adorned a combat blacksuit and webbing. He hooked several grenades onto the webbing, checked to make sure his Beretta 93-r and Desert Eagle were loaded, then grabbed an MP-5 and loaded a war bag with several spare magazines for his weapons. He threw the empty bags back into the trunk, taking care to not hit his sniper rifle or any of his other bags filled with weapons, explosives, and other gear as he saw the demigods were already in the back of the SUV. He threw his war bag over his left shoulder and jumped into the vehicle, starting it and accelerating until he reached his hotel. He parked his car and signaled for the demigods to follow him.

Normally, the Executioner did not jump into a firefight, as he usually was the one starting one when he went on the offensive, attacking terrorist compounds, hunting down drug dealers, or leading a squad of elite assassins into a trap after a car chase. Today, however, was different, since only two blocks away, a fierce battle was raging. As Bolan ran closer to the fight, he could see it was between several police officers and a group of commandos dressed in black. Civilians were everywhere, screaming, running, or huddling together behind whatever cover they could find. Unfortunately, there wasn't much, since shops and restaurants created an open strip mall. Traffic was at a standstill, and the cops were far too busy to do anything about it.

"Alright," the soldier barked, turning to the demigods still behind him. "I need you to get as many people to safety as you can. I can't have you in this fight since you're not properly equipped. Meet me back at the car as soon as you hear police sirens. Go!"

Bolan didn't wait for an answer as he unslung his submachine gun and put a three-round burst into the torso of a squat little man who was distracted trying to clear a jam in his rifle. A few cops turned to him with their pistols raised, but quickly figured out he was rescuing them when he cut down two men who were aiming bullpup assault rifles at the officers in question, the terrorist fighters falling backwards in sprays of arterial blood. Bolan watched out of the corner of his eye as Nico stabbed another man in the back with his sword before dragging an elderly woman to her feet. The Executioner saw a round object hit the pavement and reacted instinctively, yelling for everyone to take cover as he dove behind the engine block of a beat-up truck. He counted down the seconds and waited for the debris to clear before charging from cover. He triggered a burst at a man who was hovering over the unconscious body of a cop with a pistol in his fist. Sirens filled the air, and Bolan decided it was time to leave. He hoped the demigods were still alive after the grenade detonation, and as he sprinted back to his rental, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry as they were nowhere to be seen. He was about to start packing up his gear when footsteps pounded the ground behind him. He turned, letting out a relieved sigh as the four demigods sprinted the last few feet and stopped, leaning against the SUV to catch their breath.

"Are you guys hurt?"

"Nah," Percy answered. "Dude, is it always like this when you meet someone?"

"Usually," Bolan replied as he packed his weapons away. "But it gets worse as time goes on."

The drive back to the camp was silent, and Annabeth wondered what that fight was all about. She didn't think it was a coincidence, but then again, she could be wrong. Something just didn't make sense. Police shootouts were not everyday occurrences, but the fact that this particular fight was so close to Camp Half-Blood only raised her suspicions. She watched as Matthew Cooper hid the vehicle in some bushes, and they walked the rest of the way to camp. Several of their friends were waiting for them when they got up the hill, asking questions all at once. Before anyone could answer, Chiron bellowed for everyone to move so that he could talk to them privately. He didn't even bother to wait until they were in the Big House before speaking.

"So, what was it?" He asked.

"It was a gunfight," Bolan answered calmly. "Several men were shooting at a bunch of cops who only had their service pieces on them. Their attackers were armed with automatic weapons and grenades."

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Something doesn't seem right though. The fight took place a couple blocks away from the hotel I'm staying at, and it's also not too far away from here either. The guys attacking the cops looked American. I need to make a call, so I'll be right back."

As Bolan left, Chiron turned to the four demigods, looking worried.

"Are any of you hurt?"

"We're fine," Jason said. "But you should have seen Mr. Cooper. He took a few of those guys out so fast they didn't even know what hit 'em!"

"Yeah," Annabeth agreed. "Those guys didn't even stand a chance. I've never seen a fight quite like that. Chiron, I can't believe you doubted him."

"I know, Annabeth, and I'm sorry. I just didn't know, OK? Once I saw him duel Percy I knew he was good but come on! It's not like you can blame me! Only demigods come here, so I just wasn't sure!"

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I think Mr. Cooper was cool with it," Nico remarked.

"Yeah," Percy quipped, "that was until you made him fight skeletons!"

"Hey! I just wanted to have a little fun with him," Nico cried in mock indignance.

"Did you see the look on his face though?" Jason asked. "I swear, it's like nothing can surprise him."

"Well friends, you'd be surprised to know the things I've seen," Bolan's voice rumbled from behind, causing them to jump.

"How much did you hear?" Annabeth asked sarcastically.

"Only the last bit," the Executioner responded.

"Alright guys," Chiron chimed in. "I let Professor Dumbledore know that you're all done with training, and I think he wants to start working with you tomorrow. So, rest up, oh and, while you were gone we decided that tonight we're gonna play Capture the Flag and throw a party just because."

"No way! Really?" Percy asked excitedly.

"Really," the centaur laughed. "We haven't picked teams yet, so don't start trying to make battle plans until we figure that out, OK?" He finished, winking at Annabeth. "By the way, breakfast is in five minutes."

Annabeth huffed in mock disappointment as Chiron rolled away, his wheelchair crunching the dirt beneath it. Bolan was left alone with the demigods again, and they were looking excitedly around camp.

"So," he asked, "what exactly does Capture the Flag look like around these parts?"

"Oh boy, you're in for a treat! Let's just say it all depends, my friend, on who the teams are and whether the Hunters decide to join. All you need to know for now is there's lots of fighting and stuff, though no one can kill or wound another player. Other than that, the rules are pretty standard." Percy explained rapidly.

"Are the Hunters going to join this one?" Bolan prompted.

"No idea," Annabeth said. "Thalia is quite fond of dropping in unannounced. It is always custom if the Hunters visit to play a game."

"How many games have they won?"

"Fifty-six," Nico growled.

"Well then, I sure do hope they stop by, because I'd love to try and break that streak," the Executioner stated.

The next several hours went by rather quickly. Percy and Nico spent most of the time sparring, and the rest of the demigods wandered about, all of them eager for the impromptu Capture the Flag match. It was almost time for dinner when the Hunters, led by Thalia and Artemis, came out of the forest with their bows slung over their shoulders. Annabeth was the first to see them and ran from her spot at the beach to greet them.

"Lady Artemis," Annabeth panted, dropping to one knee.

"As you were, young hero!" The goddess replied, smiling. "So, I hear you guys were going to throw on a game of Capture the Flag, and you didn't invite us?"

"Of course you're invited," Nico said, walking up beside Annabeth. "Would you care to join us for dinner? The game will begin right after."

As the Hunters followed the two demigods, Mack Bolan silently watched from the trees. This looked like it was going to be a fun game, and the Executioner was itching for some action. He waited a few minutes before walking into camp, watching as some campers were glancing at the Hunters with looks of determination on their faces. Thalia Grace, who Bolan found out was Jason's sister, simply smiled back at everyone she caught glaring at her. Percy motioned him to sit with him, and as the soldier sat, he filled his plate with food.

"What were you doing all day?" Percy enquired.

"I," Bolan replied with a wink, "was following the Hunters through the forest. I saw them a few minutes after breakfast when I started my run, and I managed to hide before they spotted me."

"Are you serious? So, you've been spying on them all day, and they didn't notice you? I'm impressed! That's their element, you know."

"It wasn't easy, but let's just say I have a lot of experience in the jungle. I just had to follow at a distance and cover my tracks. I think camp is playing against them in the game tonight."

"Yes," Percy confirmed. "It's always customary that we, as Camp Half-Blood, compete against the Hunters. By the way, you're on our team; I call dibs on you!"

"I didn't know I had a choice," the soldier quipped, allowing himself a small smile.

They ate the rest of their food in silence, and Bolan filled his plate with seconds, while Percy sat back and drank a glass of coke. The soldier had just finished his third plate of food when two members of the hunt strutted up to the table. Percy was too busy refilling his glass and eating a second plate stuffed with food to notice, that was until one of the girls rapped her arm around his shoulders, looking slightly annoyed. He looked up, startled.

"Thalia?"

"Jeez, Percy! It's about time you noticed us; hello to you, too!" She cried sarcastically.

"Um, hi? What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to remind you that the hunt is gonna win again, so you might as well give us the flag when it's showtime!"

"Bah! You won't win that easily," Percy retorted. "I think this one's going to camp!"

Thalia and the other hunter simply looked amused, then walked away without another word. Dinner ended a few minutes later, and everyone rushed to the forest. Bolan received a lot of sideways looks from the members of the hunt, but he simply smiled at them in a show of mock arrogance. Chiron was waiting at the tree line next to the creek, and once everyone was settled, the teams were officially picked; it would be Camp Half-Blood versus the Hunters of Artemis. Several hunters looked directly at Bolan, who hadn't officially been assigned a team, and he could already see Thalia about to call for him. Several campers beat her to the punch, however, and Chiron, with a smile, told Bolan to join the demigods. Artemis and Thalia glanced at him one more time, and Bolan wondered what they were planning.

Once the teams were picked, Chiron went through the rules of the game, then ordered the two competitors to pick a captain. The Executioner glanced around at some of the older demigods, thinking that perhaps Percy, Annabeth, or someone with a lot of experience would be picked. Instead, he only met gazes from older and younger demigods alike that told him he should lead the team. Honored by such a deep level of trust, he told Chiron he would be the captain, knowing that the camp would have a chance to finally break the winning streak of the hunt. It appeared that Thalia and Artemis would co-lead, which indicated to Bolan that they needed to watch for an ambush, as there were enough hunters on both teams to stage one.

The game began a few seconds later, and Bolan signaled Nico and Percy to find a place to put the flag. They ended up placing it on a low-hanging branch, and Annabeth was about to protest until Bolan calmly walked over and dug a hole a few feet away from the tree in all directions. He was about to order Percy to fill it with water when arrows began pelting the ground around him. The rest of the camp was running around, fighting, doing all they could to distract the hunt while Bolan worked. Dropping prone, the soldier crawled into the tree line, unslinging his own crossbow and triggering several shots that sent explosive arrows near several clusters of hunters. With a few seconds to spare, he yelled for Percy to fill the hole. That done, the soldier worked furiously, stopping every few seconds to fire another arrow to keep the hunt immobilized. After several seconds, he had the hole covered with leaves that were sturdy enough to make it look as if it was solid ground. He shouted for six people to guard the flag and didn't wait to see who answered the call.

The soldier saw the hunt's flag across the creek, hanging from a tree. It was guarded by two hunters, and several campers charged forward in an attempt to take it by force, relying on strength in numbers. Percy, Annabeth, Jason, and Bolan shouted warnings too late as arrows flew from the trees, snaking thick ropes around the group. Another arrow flew in the direction of the captured campers and a large net enclosed them, tightening around them as they struggled. Two hunters, with big smiles etched on their faces, sprinted from the forest and dragged them away to the jail.

"Mr. Cooper, we need to rescue them!" Percy shouted.

"We will, but there's no time right now! I need you, Nico, Annabeth, Jason and a couple others to come with me. We're going to be the roving border patrol. I think they're gonna try and ambush the flag guard!"

Hazel and Piper were the final two demigods to accompany Bolan, who charged into the forest parallel to where the camp's flag hung. He saw the six people still guarding it, and signaled to them, instructing them to remain on high alert, since it was likely they could be ambushed. He and the six demigods walked further into the forest, searching for any sign of the hunt. Percy was about to walk past him to scout ahead when the soldier put out a hand to stop him, kneeling to examine the ground. It took him a few seconds, but he eventually found a small string that served as a tripwire to some sort of trap. Removing his knife, he motioned for the rest of his group to back away before cutting the line. As the Executioner moved, he saw that the line led to a large net hanging high in a tree, covered in leaves.

"You can come forward now, but be aware of traps," he called out.

The seven of them carefully trudged through the thick trees, spying several more traps ranging from nets to coils of rope that were designed to keep the victim hanging upside down. They slashed all of them with their knives, and Bolan was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to ambush the guard when a rustle of leaves made him pause, crouching behind a tree. Up ahead, he spotted Thalia and her team stomping through the forest, either not caring who heard them or thinking no one was watching their movements, relying on their cleverly placed traps to catch any onlookers. Bolan signaled his team to watch and wait, listening as they drew closer.

"Alright, ladies," Thalia said, "we're almost there. When I signal, don't be as loud and we'll sneak up on the guard. There are six of them standing in a circle around the flag in all directions, but we've got 'em outnumbered. I need two of you to distract the guard while the rest of us go for the flag. We've got this! Win number fifty-seven!"

The soldier saw the demigods tense, and he could tell they wanted to take out the team of hunters. He signaled for them to wait, and when they got quite a distance ahead, he motioned for them to follow, informing them to be as quiet as possible. As Bolan expected, he saw them split up with just enough space between them and the guard that they weren't seen, and two girls stepped from the trees, surprising one of the campers. There was a brief battle, but Bolan forced his team to stay back. He could tell they were getting agitated, especially when four hunters grabbed the flag at a distance, avoiding Bolan's trap. Annabeth started to move, but the Executioner held her back.

"Let them take it," he ordered.

Hunters all around began shouting in victory as they seemed to think that the game was over, with Camp Half-Blood rolling over in defeat yet again. Bolan tensed, unslinging his crossbow. He watched, hoping some demigods would try and stop them. He saw his chance as soon as they reached the creek and two campers grabbed hold of the flag. He triggered a shot that sent an arrow directly at the group of hunters, ensnaring them in a net. Surprised, they let go of the flag and fell into the creek, and the campers holding the flag sprinted back to the tree, jumping over Bolan's makeshift mote.

"I need you guys to go and rescue the kids who were captured. The hunt's probably disoriented because they didn't expect that; I'm taking their flag. Go!" He barked while he was on the move.

Without waiting for a response, he took off, dodging several campers locked in a close quarters battle with hunters. As the soldier ran into the hunt's territory, he knew there would be more traps. His foot got caught on a large rope, and he tripped. Rolling with the fall, he came up in a crouch, narrowly avoiding a net. He sent two explosive arrows at some hunters trying to regroup and guard the flag, and cutting more ropes designed to trap him, he sprinted the last few yards and snatched the flag. A hunter tried to wrestle it away, but he effortlessly disentangled himself from the girl while making sure she couldn't take the flag. The Executioner ran back the way he came, all the while dodging arrows, nets, and ducking to avoid a spear. He didn't stop running even when he felt the air pressure change and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Waiting until the last possible moment, he shoulder rolled just as a small lightning bolt struck the dirt where he had been a nanosecond earlier. He got to the creek and smiled when he saw Percy forming two large walls of water that cleared him a path through the middle. Hunters followed him, but as soon as Bolan reached the other side the son of Poseidon let the waters drop, soaking the girls in the middle of the creek.

"The winner," Chiron announced with an obvious smile on his face, "is, for the first time in fifty-seven games, Camp Half-Blood!"

"Cooper," Leo exclaimed, "where have you been all this time?"

Bolan smiled as all around him, demigods were cheering, and hunters were sulking. The rest of the night was filled with celebration, and several campers approached Bolan, high-fiving him and thanking him for the win.

"Hey, the win wouldn't have been possible if you guys weren't busy fighting. Besides, I think it's about time they took a loss," Bolan would always reply with a small smile.

The party was just winding down when someone tapped the soldier, trying to get his attention.

"Excuse me," said a voice. "I'm Artemis, goddess of the hunt. I wanted to personally invite you to join us."

"Well, thank you, but I don't think that's for me," the Executioner said honestly.

"Fair enough. I like you, so whether you join or not, know that I have blessed you. You will be far more accurate than you already are, and the offer will always stand to join the hunt. I would be honored to have you."

Before Bolan could reply, there was a small pop, and Artemis was gone.

Author's Note: Oh, don't you just love cliffhangers? They're wonderful! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and if you feel like it, please review!