Hey, uh… I'm back?
Disclaimer: Don't own (you know the drill by now)
On with the story, more about my disappearance later on.
Third Person POV
If one were to be walking along the strip of land that was Montauk, Long Island, it could be for a whole number of reason. They could be out for a jog through the beautiful country to get in a good workout and work on their cardio, they could be out strolling along the beach letting the gentle lapping of the waves lull them into a sense of peace. Or they could just be out for a nice walk as they watch the sun dip down through the clouds and watch the stream of colors flash across the sky in a beautiful sunset.
Whatever the reason, the landscape of Long Island was the location that was Camp Half-Blood. If one were to actually pass through the magical barrier that kept both Monsters and Mortals out of the safe haven of the children of the gods, they would be awestruck by the beauty that unfolded beneath them.
Stretching from the point of Thalia's Pine Tree, there were vibrant, rolling green hills that spanned out in all directions, covered in scores of colorful flowers. On one side of the camp, covering one-fourth of the property was a beautiful forest with trees reaching to the heavens, stoked with monsters for training and hunting. The lake's water glittered in the setting sunlight like thousands of shining diamonds. The variety of cabins that were scattered through the camp were the weirdest and most interesting assortment of building that had ever been seen.
A gentle breeze blew through the camp, bringing soothing coolness to the summer heat. The sky was an incredible mixture of blue with streaks of red, orange, yellow, and gold streaking across the sky as the sun set. All-in-all, it was one of the most beautiful places one could ever see, the very picture of peace and happiness.
Yet, within the boundaries of the camp, the atmosphere was completely opposite compared to the serene beauty that the camp exuded.
The mood of the camp was somber, downtrodden, and bleak. All the residents of Camp were sitting down for their annual dinner and campfire, but the air was heavy with sadness and regret. No laughter or chatter could be heard, as silence was heavy over the gloomy dining pavilion as the camper wallowed in self-loathing. The fire that crackled in the centre brazier had never been so low, tiny spurts of flames popped up every now and then but it was predominately coals. Even the colour was a dull grey that signalled the despondent moods of the campers.
It has been like this for a few years now ever since Percy was forced out of camp due to the many betrayals and heartbreak that happened to him. Ever since that fateful day that the campers and Percy's close friends found out that they were influenced and betrayed one of their best friends and unofficial leader, Camp hadn't been the same since. It was like when Percy left, he took with him the joy and happiness of the camp, leaving them with nothing but misery and guilt.
Everyone was dealing with the realisation in their own way. The newer campers who were claimed after the Second Titan and Giant Wars all felt awful as they all fell for the lies that spewed from that lying son of Zeus's, Zane's, mouth. They were brought up on Zane's lies and didn't know Percy as well as the stories portrayed him to be so their faith in him wasn't as strong as those that he had forged in the fires of strife and war. But when they found out that he was innocent of the lies that he was accused of, that he was a true hero and was the one to actually get their godly parents to claim and give a damn about them, going so far as to have cabins built for them…well…the regret and shame hit them pretty hard.
But that was nothing compared to what the Veteran Campers and Cabin Councillors felt. The relationship that they had with Percy and Percy had with them was supposed to be unlike any other friendship that any normal mortal could ever have. It was a relationship, a friendship that was forged and strengthened over the passing of many years through constant fighting, strife, and war. It was built up and strengthened through conflict, where the demigods could depend on one another and trust each other to have the others back when the shit hit the fan and they were battling for their lives.
It was the relationship that could be compared to those of soldiers in a platoon, the type of friendship where the soldiers have shed precious blood sweat and tears with each other as they fought and protected each other on the battlefield. Where they would take a bullet or jump on a grenade to save the lives of their fellow soldiers and friends. Where soldiers would run through a hail of bullets to get to a fallen comrade to get them out safely, drag them across the barren battlefield and once they were safe, go back into the storm to get more. Through thick or thin, through Hell or high water, they would go the distance to ensure the safety of each other.
And that friendship, the one that had taken years to build through war and peace, was shattered by one jealous, power-hungry demigod's influence and their own paranoia and selfishness. They were not innocent because they had a choice to ignore and resist Zane's influence or listen and allow their own flaws to rule them. And they failed and now the guilt and regret that they felt in their hearts was almost too much to bear.
Back at the Dining Pavilion, Chiron surveyed the area with a heavy heart as he saw his charges and, dare he say it, his children wallow in sadness. While his own heart was free of regret and sadness that he was plagued with for the years that Percy was missing, after seeing his young pupil in the Underworld and having their heartfelt conversation, his students did not have that luxury. During their talk, Chiron felt the lead weight in his heart lift, as he knew that his favorite student was doing well and didn't blame him for anything that happened to him. That did not abate the worry he felt, as he knew that the son of Poseidon was still very hurt by the events that took place all those years ago and that he was still healing. But he could only pray that as time would go on, Percy would heal from his wounds and would someday find his way home.
Snapping out of memories, the old trainer looked over each table he sighed and rubbed his beard as he saw that the councilors were nowhere to be seen. Each one of Percy's old friends was off in a different part of camp as they dealt with their guilt in their own way. Chiron contemplated whether he should tell them that Percy was alright and where he currently was. He dispelled that thought as quick as it came. He did not want to betray Percy's trust in him, adding another betrayal to his already long list and he knew that it wouldn't have the desired affect. If he told them where their old friends was, they would stop at nothing to find him and bring him back to camp and Percy obviously wasn't ready for that.
Sighing once more, he let his thoughts wander as to where his charges could be and what he could do to make their burden a little less heavy. On the other side of camp by the cabins, said councilors were off in their own little world of memories, each one was like a knife to the gut. Not because they were sad, but because they were happy, full of friendship, good times, and joy. Yet now each one was tainted with bitter regret as they were reflecting on how they ruined it when they betrayed their friend, their fellow demigod, and their brother.
Over by the Demeter Cabin, Katie was sitting alone in her personal garden, silently tending to her plants. However, from the way she was working, she just didn't have that much enthusiasm in tending the plants as she used to. Shadows from the setting sun seemed to obscure her face from view, but if you looked closely, you could see the saddened look on her face. She kept tending to her flowers until finally she came to a single plant that just caused her to stop and stare. It was a simple flower by the name of Moonlace.
Bending down slowly, she gently reached out her hand and ran her fingers along the smooth petals of the flower that she had gotten as a gift and was one of her favorite flowers. It was one of the flowers that survived Zane's destruction in his campaign to destroy Percy's reputation. The flower was simple in its beauty with its glowing silver petals, but she knew it was one of the rarest flowers in the world. She remembered the day when Percy gave it to her as a birthday present much to her joy and shock. It was no secret that Moonlace was a very rare plant that only grew on Ogygia and with that happy sparkle in his eye along with a bit of wistfulness, Percy told her the tale of how her got it and with her love of plants, he wanted her t have something special and meaningful to her.
Looking at the plant brought a bittersweet feeling in her heart as a watery smile stretched across her lips. She remembered how touched she was to receive such a thoughtful gift and she saw the look of happiness on Percy's face when he gave it to her. What she wouldn't give to see him smile again, to rectify her mistake and have her friend back. As she starred at the flower, a droplet of water fell upon one of the Moonlace's petals. Katie reached up to her eyes and found that she was silently crying. The memories and feelings were too much as she opened the floodgates and silently cried and cursed the actions of Zane and herself, the bitterness, sorrow and shame finally overwhelming her.
Not only was Katie acting guilt-ridden and withdrawn from the other campers, but so were Travis and Connor. Ever since the twin sons of Hermes found out that they cut their friendship with Percy over something as menial as a prank, they lost that mischievous pranking attitude that made them the most likeable and notorious demigods at camp. Pulling pranks was a rarity for them now and the ones they pulled were clumsy, lacking the quiet finesse that they were known for. Their pickpocketing skills dwindled till they were only half successful most of the time and the stuff they did take was usually worthless. They couldn't shake the feeling of shame they felt when they believed that arrogant son of Zeus over the guy that had their backs ever since he came to camp. Sitting in their cabin, they half-heartedly tried to design the next great prank they would pull, but the guilt weighed too much on their minds as they too allowed the tears to fall from their eyes.
Each and every one of Percy's closest ex-friends was affected in one way or another, from their personality to their skills. For Will Solace, his sunny disposition melted away as he withdrew into himself, his sky-blue eyes dulled, his blonde haired paling, and he rarely smiled anymore. Not only that, but his skills as an archer were affected as well, making sloppy mistakes and missing the target half the time. For Jake Mason, it was like the curse of Cabin Nine came back on him with a vengeance. His forgery skills went to crap as anything he made was either defective or blew up in his face. Needless to say, that the big son of Hephaestus became more like his father as he cut himself off from his friends, preferring the company of machines to organics.
But their sadness and sorrow was nothing, compared to the unbridled guilt and misery that one demigoddess felt as her actions weighed on her more heavily than the weight of the sky. Passing all the cabins, the camp beach comes into view and overlooking the beach, a lone demigoddess sits watching the gentle rolling waves with a look of longing, regret, and shame. The lone demigoddess was none other than Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena.
Sitting in what she considered 'their' spot, Annabeth could only watch the swirling sea green waters pulse and flow with the beating of the tide with a look of such longing and regret, that it was almost heartbreaking to watch. Ever since the gods had found out about the betrayal to Percy, even if they were influenced somewhat, Poseidon held a deep-simmering anger for the campers to the point where no one besides Chiron, Clarisse, and Chris could walk along the ocean's shores without being severely injured.
But for Annabeth, it was like a curse was placed upon her. She felt pain every time she tried to touch the ocean's waters, her feet felt like they were on fire whenever she walked along the sands, she couldn't even get close to the Camp Lake and Streams as the Naiads would look at her with such hatred and try to drown her any time she got close to them. But she couldn't really blame the sea god as she had hurt his son horribly and in such a devastating manner.
At that thought, she wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them up to her chest as if trying to curl in on herself. If one were to look at Annabeth right now, they would be shocked at how the Heroine of Olympus looked. Her honey blonde hair lost its brilliant golden luster, fading to looking more like a dull yellow. The princess curls that she was so proud of became unmanageable tangles that not even the Aphrodite children could fix, die to countless sleepless nights to where she forgot to shower. Her skin lost it California tan and gained a pale quality to it that is associated with someone who spends lots of their time indoors. And it appeared that she has lost some weight to the point where her cheeks were starting to look a little hollow and she lost most of her baby fat that she managed to hold onto.
But it was her eyes that showed just how different than she was from the woman that she once was.
The sharp, analytical, intimidating and startling grey eyes that had always had a twinkle in them, a thirst for knowledge and adventure, and a penetrating quality like she was developing a battle plan to take you out had changed dramatically. The beautiful cloudy grey colour had faded to a dull flint grey like the colour of rock and stone. The shining twinkle has been snuffed out and replaced with a hollow, sorrowful look that seemed to match that of the River Cocytus. If one looked closely, they could see just how broken Annabeth Chase has truly become and just how much she hates and regrets her actions.
A single tear seeped out the corner of her eye that made a wet trail down her cheek as she made no move to stop it. Her fingers drummed against the tips of her knees and fiddled with a silver ring on her left ring finger that had the picture of an Owl and a Trident engraved on the side.
She gazed intently at the inscription on the side of the ring, a saying that she would give anything to here just one last time. "Forever and Always-Love Your Seaweed Brain." She said, with a faint smile on her lips, her eyes watering slightly. "Oh Percy, I'm so so sorry. What I wouldn't give to feel your arms wrapped around me in your strong embrace, to feel your lips on mine as you kiss me only like you could."
She looked down at the ring, no longer holding back her tears as they trickled down her cheek. "I am such a fool. The stupidest child of Athena there is. I would give anything to take back what I did." She said softly, regret clear in her voice.
"You and almost the whole camp. Myself included." A sad voice said from behind her. Tense, she whipped around, hand flying to the hilt of her new dagger and Drakon bone sword, but she relaxed once she saw who it was.
"Oh." She said, relaxing the grip on her weapons, she turned back to watching the ocean, feeling the person sit down beside her. "Hey Grover."
The now identified Satyr sat down by one of his best friends and they both sat in an awkward and depressed silence. Grover looked like he had seen better days as the guilt of betraying his best friend was eating him from the inside out. His once confident posture that he had gained from going through all the wars and receiving the blessing of Pan had all but drained out of him as he slowly reverted back to his old ways. His posture was more stooped, his shoulders hunched over, and his head lowered to the ground. There were more worry lines and wrinkles around his eyes and if the dark circles under them were anything to go by, he hadn't gotten much sleep lately. His face looked gaunter and his stomach was sunken in slightly, indicating he had lost weight over the years. He looked like he had aged an additional 25 years as the once rich brown hair on his head and the brown fur on his goat legs were speckled with gray streaks. The years had been tough on the Lord of the Wild and they were only getting harder.
"So…how are you doing Annabeth?" He asked but cringed on the inside at the absurdity of his question. If her looks were anything to go by, she had to be doing worse than he was!
Annabeth turned her head to glare at the Satyr, her eyes gaining some of their intimidation back before it faded away as she sighed. "Great. Just absolutely freaking peachy." She replied sarcastically. "Now if you would please, go away."
Grover sighed, but made no move to leave. Sighing, he turned his attention away from the ocean towards the center of camp as a small smile crossed his lips at the sight. "I have to say that you did a fantastic job on New Athens. After 3 years you finally completed it and I have to say that it looks breathtaking." He said, hoping that mentioning her greatest creation would warrant some sort of reaction from the daughter of Athena.
In the direction that he was looking at was by far Annabeth's greatest creation ever; designed and built by her was a monument to the gods that would last for thousands of years in the form of a city: New Athens. This city was one of the only good things that have happened to Camp Halfblood over the past few years since The Betrayal, as Annabeth threw herself wholeheartedly into constructing a city of Greek Demigods much like New Rome at Camp Jupiter. She stayed up for hours and hours on end, working late into the night and into the early morning, skipping meals and even going so far as to forget to take showers and brush her teeth as she pushed her Athena blessed brain to the max to develop this city. It was the only thing that could somewhat distract her from the pain that she felt constantly in her heart, but once the city was completed, it was a sight to behold.
The city itself was like fine art, a beautiful tapestry of elegant shapes, angles and colours that have sprung off the pieces of paper and woven into reality; like enchanting poetry that with each word spoken, brought a different piece of the city to life in marble and stone. The gods themselves have blessed the camp and expanded the land inside the borders to make room for the city as it took up over 10 square miles of land. The layout of the city was arranged in a circle like pattern, flowing and working harmoniously with the land instead of cutting straight into the ground. Hundreds of buildings, some as small as a single-story house to well over 10 story apartments dotted the inside of the city, each one being made of a combination of marble, concrete, steel and stone. The Greek Architecture itself was expressed elegantly in the flawless marbles columns with their scroll-like designs, the archways and bridges with intricate swirls, lines, and edges marked into the stone. Stone roads crisscrossed throughout the mini-metropolis, connecting everything together as they all flowed towards the centre of the city. Bronze braziers were placed on every corner of every street so as night fell; the flames illuminated the city in their comforting orange glow.
But not only were there homes for the demigods to live in, but further into the city, there were shopping malls, parks, colleges, and all sorts of other buildings that allowed the residents to get the most out of their new home while they lived within the safety of the camp. Once adult demigods throughout the country heard that there was now a safe-haven within the confines of the camp, they flocked towards the safety of camp with their families in tow and settled in right away. Even now, demigods and legacies roamed the streets, little children running and laughing joyously as their parents had content smiles on their faces as they watched their kids play in safety.
Moving past into the inner most layer of the city was a sight that was purely Ancient Greece as all it was were massive temples of the gods, each one paying homage to every Olympian god and goddess up on Olympus. Not one temple looked similar to the other, much like their cabins, but they were no less extravagant as each one reflected the domain of each god. Flashing bolts of lightning and the smell of Ozone could be seen at the massive temple of Zeus while the sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt water came from the temple of Poseidon. The temple of Artemis glowed like liquid silver with the smell of nature lingering in the crisp night air and moving down the line were dozens more temples, each with their own little spectacle to behold. Celestial Bronze, Stygian Iron, gold, silver, and multiple precious metals was woven into the sides and columns of the temples, giving each one a beautiful, ethereal shine to it that made it seem all the godlier.
And at the very centre of the city was the crown jewel of New Athens. Standing at over forty feet tall, stood the Athena Parthenos in all its glory. Her ivory skin gleamed in the setting sunlight as her dress glittered like spun gold. The statue of Nike stood proudly on her outstretched palm and the billboard-sized shield with the sculpted snake shone was firm and defensive, as if ready for battle. The demigods have taken to calling her the Guardian of New Athens; a fitting name for a fitting statue. Her spear that rested on her shoulder behind her shield glowed with power as a white light shined from its tip. And if one was to look very closely, they could see a thing beam of light rising into the sky and forming a dome-like shield of power around the city, giving it an extra coating of protection from any threats that wished to do it harm.
All these buildings coming together gave rise to the spectacle that is New Athens. Grover turned away from the sight back to Annabeth, hoping that mentioning her Greatest achievement would get a reaction out of her. When he saw that she didn't even acknowledge his comment and just continued to stare longingly at the ocean, he sighed dejectedly, running a tired hand through his unruly hair.
"Please Annabeth. Just talk to me. Or Chiron. Or just about anybody! You haven't talked to anybody for weeks now. You haven't been seen at the Dining Pavilion, you haven't trained in I don't know how long, heck, you haven't made any new architecture designs in months!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
He quickly got himself under control and spoke in a softer voice. "I'm worried about you Annabeth. And so is the entire camp." He said, reaching out to take her hand.
"Well they shouldn't worry about me! I can take care of myself!" She snapped harshly, snatching her hand away from his grasp. She curled in on herself even more tightly, the fierceness she felt rise up within her becoming depression once again.
"I don't think I'm even worthy of their friendship anymore. I don't deserve it." She whispered brokenly.
She just wished that the campers would stop trying to talk and comfort her. She wasn't worth it. Ever since the campers were influenced to betray Percy, that event caused them all to seek whatever little bit of comfort and friendship they could find in each other. When the campers found out that Zane didn't "influence" her to betray Percy like he did with them, they were shocked and angry to say the least. Clarisse had to have nearly her entire cabin restrain her from killing the idiotic and prideful Daughter of Athena while Chris had to restrain himself with the utmost difficulty. To this day, Chris and Clarisse refuses to speak to anyone that had anything to do with hurting Percy and made sure to never let them forget it.
The campers actually didn't talk to Annabeth for about a month and she was completely fine with that. She felt that it was a suitable punishment for her to have them alienate and break off their friendships with her as penance for her actions, much like what Percy went through. But after a month, they all realised that they were doing the exact same thing to Annabeth that they did to Percy. After that moment of clarity, they knew that they never wanted to treat another demigod in the same manner that they treated their hero and immediately began to reconcile with Annabeth. While their anger was diminished greatly, they still felt incredibly disappointed in her, but they learned the hard way what happens when they hurt their friends in such a way and vowed to never do that again.
Grover reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch at the contact. He sighed sadly at the state his friend was reduced to. "You know that's not true. Please just talk to me." He pleaded.
She shook her head in denial and something inside her just broke "But it is true! And what's there to talk about! We all know what happened! What? You want me to tell you how I feel, and you think that that will make me feel better? All right then, I FEEL like I'm the worst demigod on the face of the earth! I made such a stupid and selfish mistake that it cost me one of the best things that has ever happened to me!" She cried out, tears flowing down her cheeks in torrents now. The amount of pain in her voice was enough to make the satyr flinch back as he felt his heart ache at the sight of his once proud friend.
"I looked into Percy's eyes, the eyes of the man that I loved as I tore his heart out of his chest and shattered it into a million tiny little pieces! I saw the sea green of his eyes dull with such hurt and pain that it tears at my heart every time that I think about it!" She stood up and began pacing, no longer being able to stay seated.
"And the worst part is that I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT!" She yelled, pulling at her hair like she wanted to tear it from her skull. "I don't know where he is at, I don't know what he's doing, I don't know how to fix my mistake, and I just don't know what to do!"
She slumped to her knees, her head slumped forward, little droplets of water dripping from her nose. "And-'sniff'-the campers are all trying to console me and make me feel better. I don't deserve to feel better and I sure as hell don't deserve their kindness. Not after what I have done." She said dejectedly.
Grover starred at her silently as she cried. Unable to stand there any longer, he slowly approached her shaking form, kneeled down and pulled her into a tight embrace. She wanted to push him back, to tell him to let her go, but she found herself unconsciously leaning into his hug, revealing in the warmth and comfort of her friend.
"You're not alone Annie." Grover said quietly, his own voice thick with emotion. "You're not the only one who doesn't feel worthy to feel better and not the only one to feel regret and shame for their actions. The last thing I said to Percy before I broke our empathy link was for him to stay away from me and that he was no longer my friend. I hurt my best friend in a way that sickens me even to this day. I allowed myself to be overcome by my anger and insecurities and it cost me my friendship with the greatest friend I ever had."
He himself began to cry silently as he recalled the pain he inflicted on his best friend. Annabeth hugged him tighter as she sensed that she wasn't the only one that was hurting and needed comfort at the moment.
"How do you do it Grover?" She asked, her voice muffled as she spoke into his chest. "How do you deal with the guilt?"
Grover rested his chin on top of her head as he took a deep breath in. "I don't know. One day at a time I guess. But I do know that without my friends helping me, and without Juniper helping to ease the burden…I would be far worse off than I already am. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we are HERE for you Annabeth. We care for you and if you won't try to get better for yourself, at least do it for us. Please." He pleaded, pouring every ounce of sincerity into his plea.
Upon hearing his explanation, Annabeth sat there silently, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted after their heart-to-heart conversation. Finally, she pulled back from the embrace, her eyes red and puffy, but yet, she felt slightly lighter, as if a little bit of the weight he had been carrying had been lifted. She gave him a small smile, one he returned. "Thanks Grover. I needed that." She said gratefully.
Grover's smile grew a little bigger at that. "You're welcome Annabeth." He said, before he got a stern look on his face. "Now, I'm not gonna ask you why you did what you did, or your reasons for it. It's not for me to hear. But I what I will ask you is what are you gonna do now?"
Annabeth had a confused look on her face, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"No offense Annabeth, but you are not the same girl that I brought to camp all those years ago. That Annabeth was strong, independent, stubborn and bossy, but she always had a plan, and always knew what to do. She would do everything in her power to find Percy, get him back to camp, and apologize for what she did wrong. So, I ask you again, what are you gonna do now?" He asked again, pushing for a response.
A little bit of light returned to those grey eyes of hers as ideas began to form in her head. Pushing herself of the ground, she stood tall, as she seemed to regain back a little bit of who she once was. "First, I'm gonna take a shower, then I'm gonna train to get back into fighting shape and then…I'm gonna get some of the campers and we are gonna find Percy." She said, determination shining in her eyes.
Grover smiled at that. "Now there's the Annabeth I know."
The two of them walked together back to the middle of the camp, Annabeth having regained a little bit of life back in her stride. As she entered the Dining Pavilion, much to the shock and surprise of the campers residing there, only one thought was going through her mind.
'I'm coming for you Percy. And when I find you, I will do everything in my power to amend for the mistake I made and win you back. I will find you…whether you want me too or not.'
LINE BREAK
While the majority of campers were all anxious to begin preparing and planning on undertaking another excursion to find their lost hero, one demigod was isolated and apathetic to the whole ordeal of finding the missing hero. On the other side of camp was the bulk of the camp's wooded area, filled with giant trees that covered a huge portion of the camp. Plunging into its dark depths, penetrating deeper and deeper into the underbrush, in a clearing sat the mound of boulders that made up what the camper's called 'Zeus's Fist". And sitting at the very top of the stack, brooding was the disgraced and disgusted son of Zeus, Zane Skye. This was the only place that he could retreat to where he could get away from the campers that mocked and jeered at him.
The past few years have not been kind to the disgraced son of Zeus and it could be seen on his face as he brooded in silence. His punishment under the sea at the hands of Poseidon and his family was nothing by complete torture! Being under the sea was bad enough with him being a son of Zeus, but having to wait on the royal family, hand and foot was completely demeaning. And the worst part was that he had to do every little task they demanded him to do, no matter how stupid and he couldn't talk back or else. Oh, he tried to be his usual arrogant self by refusing to do the random tasks at first, going so far as to show disrespect in their presence. But after a few blasts of salt water up his nose, brutal sparring sessions with Triton and Poseidon, and target practice with the mer-people, he learned real quick to keep his mouth shut.
Upon his return to camp, he thought that he could finally return to his usual, arrogant self, cockily demanding and ordering the campers around like he did when he first arrived. But it only got worse from there. The power he so carefully built up, the connections her painstakingly made, and the campers he subtly manipulated all came crashing down around him as he fell from his high position of power. Crossing the border of Camp, he was met with a spear strike to the face, courtesy of Clarisse where she proceeded to beat the seven shades of shit out of him before he lost consciousness. It took him several weeks to heal from the injuries she inflicted upon him as the Apollo campers wouldn't do anything for him and once he did heal, he was alienated from the rest of the camp.
Whenever he got close to someone, they would mock and insult him, threatening him to leave or else they would resort to blows. He was given the worst camp schedule, the worst bathroom times, the hardest classes, and a tremendous amount of work meant for multiple cabins to do. He was forced to work with the cleaning harpies, clean the bathrooms, care for the pegasi, and more. Week after week, month after month this would continue and now he was reaching his breaking point.
He felt a deep festering hatred burning in his heart as he thought of what the camp and the gods have done to him. Sure, if he still had his electrical impulse power, he could easily reclaim his position of authority amongst the campers, but that was stripped from him at the hands of his so-called father. Every time he thought of the punishment that he received at the hands of his father, the humiliation he suffered at that hands of that infernal sea god and his kin, not to mention the fall from power at the camp, a white-hot spike of anger would shoot through being as his eyes flashed with lightning.
To think that he, a son of the King of the Gods, should be punished for trying to claim what was rightfully his was just unthinkable! He should be Leader of this pitiful camp, all of the campers of the lesser Olympians to do his bidding as he held complete power over them. Now look at him, alone and disgraced, hated by his own kind and it was all the fault of that stupid sea spawn Percy Jackson.
"It's not fair." He mumbled under his breath. "I should have been the one controlling this camp, not Jackson. I deserve to be the hero, I deserve the power, but no…it's all about that stupid sea spawn and how great he is! Percy this and Percy that and I'm sick of it!"
His hands clenched into fists as a nasty sneer crossed his features at the thought of the son of Poseidon. "Those damn campers shouldn't feel guilty about what I did to that sea scum. They should be happy, joyful, grateful even for ridding them of that pathetic weakling! They should be proclaiming my greatness and bowing at my feet! It is my birthright as a son of Zeus to claim power! And I had it too before it was taken away from me!" He growled through clenched teeth, hatred welling up from within him.
Lightning flashed across the sky, reflecting his mood as he threw his head back and bellowed to the heavens. "DAMN YOU FATHER! DAMN YOU AND THE REST OF THE GODS! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO ME, YOUR SON?! I SHOULD BE LEADER OF THIS CAMP! I SHOULD HAVE THE POWER! IT SHOULD ALL BE MINE!"
He stood up from the rock and began to pace back and forth feverishly, his mind becoming clouded with anger, as all he could think of was revenge. "It's all that sea spawn's fault! If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be in this mess right now and I would still have my power. And now he is gone so I can't make him suffer even more than he already has! But making him suffer isn't good enough; he needs to pay for the humiliation I suffered. Him, the gods, and the rest of the awful camp! But how?" He spat out through clenched teeth, his brain coming up with different plans to enact his vengeance.
He was so wrapped up in his own little world of anger and revenge that he didn't feel a presence sneak up on him and watch him with dark amusement. The being could see the potential this demigod held, his lust for power and control, but also it could feel the amount of anger and rage flowing off of him. This would make him easily manipulated and the perfect candidate for the plans he had in mind.
"Well, well, well; what do we have here? A disgraced son of Zeus fallen from power? And at the hands from a son of Poseidon no less. Now I've seen everything." A deep voice said in mocking amusement. The voice came from all directions, filling and reverberating throughout the clearing with is deep bass tone. If the earth could speak, then this would be its voice.
Zane tensed up, pulling out his sword, Shock Strike, before crouching in a defensive fighting position. "Who are you?" He yelled out, whipping his head around wildly to locate the source of the voice.
Chuckling filled the clearing, the blatant mocking amusement in its tone making Zane even angrier as he summoned lightning to run along the length of his blade. "Stop laughing at me! Come out and face me you coward!" He screamed, slinging bolts of lightning wildly in every direction.
The lighting collided with multiple trees, hitting them with devastating force as they exploded violently, wood chippings flying through the air like shrapnel. Scorch marks were singed into the wood and the surrounding grass was burning slightly, crackling and withering in the heat. The smell of burning wood filled Zane's nostrils as he panted from releasing that much power. His eyes scanned the area warily, his instincts screaming at him that the presence was still there.
"Tsk, tsk. Are you done with your little temper tantrum yet, young one or are you going to continue to scream and whine like a little brat and not listen to what I have to say?" The voice asked with a hint of a warning to it. The amount of power behind that phrase seemed to hold an untold amount of power behind it, like ocean pressure barely being restrained.
Zane's eyes narrowed slightly before he lowered his sword slowly to the ground but not putting it away. "Alright, I'm listening. Who are you and what do you want?" He said.
The voice chuckled again but there was a tint of malice to it, making Zane's hairs stand on end. "Who I am does not matter at the moment. And it is not a matter of what I want, Zane Skye, but a matter of what you want. What I have to offer is something I believe would be of great interest to you." The voice said smoothly.
Zane cocked an eyebrow at this. "And what, pray tell, would that be?" He asked curiously.
If Zane were face-to-face with the mysterious figure, he would have seen a cold, cunning smile cross the figure's lips. "Power and Revenge."
Zane's eyes widened comically before a similar sinister smile crossed his features as he heard those words, the promise in them assuring him that this figure could and would deliver on what he was offering quite easily.
Zane's eyes glittered evilly in the fading sunlight as his mind began to form thoughts of taking vengeance on the ones who humiliated him. "Alright. You have my attention." He said, smiling as he put away his sword as he leaned forward eagerly. "Tell me more."
A victorious smirk crossed the mysterious figure's lips at the manipulation of his newly acquired pawn. This boy was so easily manipulated. Promises of power and revenge were all that it took for him to become compliant with his wishes, not to mention the anger and hatred he felt towards the gods and campers, especially that infernal son of Poseidon. He would have to be taken care as he could be the downfall of all their carefully constructed plans. But no matter, soon he like everyone else will fall before their might. All of the pieces are starting to come together and soon they will be ready to strike at the very heart of Olympus, destroying the gods once and for and taking their rightful place as ruler of the cosmos.
LINE BREAK
Chiron's view of the sunset had been beautiful once, pure and energetic light flooded into the big house, across the strawberry fields and cabins; even penetrating some of the deepest areas of the woods.
But this was not that time. Camp was quiet, unassuming and fragile, hiding from the brightness that previously they had basked in. New Athens was still its usual busy self, full of activity and laughter; but Chiron knew it was a fraction of what it could be.
Athena cabin was on patrol duty, a rare occasion for camp to need a guard required only the best. After the apparent disappearance of Percy years ago, the outside world had grown unsafe and dangerous; less than 5 demigods would arrive each season, despite almost 200 saytrs being assigned the duty of bringing them safely to camp. As Annabeth stared across the sunset, imagening Apollo shrieking in joy at the fiery ride that she was told nearly killed her friends, her then-friends she corrected herself… and Percy. Annabeth smiled at the bitter-sweet memory, so many years had passed from then… but had she taken any steps forward?
A shout disruped Annabeth, then Malcolm came running over to her. "Annabeth, we should talk", Annabeth looked at him through those faded eyes and waved her hand; "Malcolm, I know; I can't lead the Athena cabin anymore"
"Annabeth, it's the Romans... they're here"
That snapped Annabeth back into reality, "Here? Why? How? When did they get here?" the questions left her lips in rapid succession, before she realised; Malcolm wouldn't have an answer if he had chosen to told her. Annabeth's mind was working harder than it ever had before it hit her, Malcolm was looking for guidance; her cabin needed her.
Annabeth picked her drakon-bone sword off her back, resting it upon her shoulder as she called the Athena cabin to duty. As she gathered her brothers and sisters around she decided to take Malcolm and Tracy to talk with the Romans if necessary. She told Alec to stay behind and control the rest of cabin, trusting his tactical judgment. As Annabeth stepped up over the ridge of half-blood hill and into the full light of the fading sun, reality struck harder than a Pegasi hoof.
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