AN: Chapter two is finally here! Thanks for all the views, favs, and follows, especially the review. Even if it was pretty short! Thanks Bacon Burg! That review made me happy! :) Please tell me what you want out of this story :D
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 disclaimer. Yeah, I don't own Percy Jackson…
Chapter 2: Camp Half-Blood loses a valuable camper
Percy's POV
The crowd parted to let James through to Chiron.
"Welcome back, my boy. How was the quest?"
"It was a success," James replied. The look on his face said that we shouldn't talk about it anymore in front of the other campers.
Chiron summoned all the cabin counselors to the Big House to talk about James's quest. As soon as we were all there, he started talking.
"What happened, my boy?"
"I defeated Oceanus. Father was right. He was the one. I had to fight him alone, since the gods can't help us on our quests. But before he ran away, covered in cuts and bruises, he said that he'd be back."
"They all say that," said Nico, with a bored expression on his face.
"No. He said something else. He said, 'Mother will avenge me.'"
"Well then he's just a mommy's boy. Nothing to worry about," sneered Clarisse.
"It could be. Oceanus's mother was Gaea," said Annabeth, smiling at James. Huh?
"Gaea? Isn't she the primordial Earth goddess?" asked Katie.
"Yes. She is also the mother of the Titans, and the grandmother of the Gods. She's a very dangerous enemy."
"And you're saying she's going against us to avenge her son?" said Clarisse, turning towards James.
"Yeah."
Clarisse looked like she was about to say something insulting back. Ever since he had come to camp, she had hated him. And even she was smart enough to know that Gaia would be extremely hard, if not impossible to defeat.
Flashback – 11 months ago
Percy's POV
The day after James was claimed, Clarisse cornered us while I was giving him a tour around.
"And this is the arena. We have sword-fighting classes here," I explained as we both watched a son of Ares beating up a straw-stuffed dummy. "Come on, I'll show you the armory."
We were almost halfway there when Clarisse stepped in front of us.
"New kid?" She sneered.
"Yeah," I said. "He's a son of Poseidon, so you'd better watch your head. Don't want to get it stuck in the toilet again."
Clarisse growled with anger and stormed towards me. At the last second, she twirled and spun towards James, smashing his nose flat with her fist. I was mad and raised my hand, the creek rising up. Then James took a hold of the water I had summoned and directed it all towards Clarisse. She got hit full-blast with a couple hundred gallons of water. She lay on the ground, choking. James smirked.
"What the hell, James? You could've killed her!"
"She punched me in the face."
"Well, yeah, but still… never mind." I ran to help Clarisse.
Clarisse had gotten what she deserved, but she still had water in her lungs. James just stood there, watching her try to draw air into her water-filled lungs. With a wave of my hand, I dispelled the water in her lungs. As Clarisse sat up, glaring at James, with a look of appreciation in her eyes for me, James turned on me.
"Why did you, bro?"
"Look, you can't just go around attacking campers without helping them if they get seriously hurt. Besides, Clarisse does this to everyone. She's a daughter of Ares."
He almost growled at me, and then walked away. "I think I'm done with the tour. I basically know this place anyway."
I offered Clarisse a hand. Although she glared at it in disgust, she took it. "James is kind of a jerk, but he's a son of Poseidon. He'll come around." I hope.
She just growled.
End Flashback
"Alright, the meeting is over. I have to inform the Olympians about Gaia," said Chiron.
We stepped out the Big House and all walked towards our cabins.
"So," I said, walking faster to catch up to James, "How'd the quest go?"
"Fine. I defeated Oceanus without father's help."
I swear, his ego was bigger than Olympus. I tried again. "So, do you think you'll get another quest?"
"What, you think I won't? I've got to be the best demigod at camp. Or course. They'll probably beg me to lead a quest for them."
My eyes narrowed and when we got to cabin three, I immediately called, "Lights out!" I didn't care if he was in bed or not. I heard him stumble around a couple times. Then he fell onto his bunk promptly fell asleep, snoring deeply.
Time skip to the next day, after lunch
After lunch, as I headed out of the dining pavilion, I heard footsteps behind me. I glanced back and saw an Aphrodite camper who looked slightly familiar. She was following me. I stopped walking and turned around to face her. I recognized her as the one who was in the forest while we were playing capture the flag.
"Um… Why are you following me?" I asked her.
She seemed to hesitate and think, but then she ran forward and smashed her lips against mine. My eyes widened in surprise. Then all I could think about was the soft pressure on my lips. My heart was pounding in my chest and my mind was racing. Why would she kiss me? Her nails dug painfully into my neck. I tried to break away, but she pushed me closer to her. I struggled, but it was next to pointless. Finally, after we had been kissing for almost two minutes, I got my hands between us and roughly shoved her away. I stared at her in disbelief and was about to yell at her in disgust when I looked behind her, over her shoulder.
A black-haired boy was patting the shoulder of a girl. James? The girl, her hands covering her face, shrugged it off and ran towards the cabins. Her blond hair was bouncing on her back. Suddenly I realized what that girl had wanted. Curse Aphrodite and her children. All they wanted was love and heartbreak. I wanted to run to the beach and dive into the ocean, but then I'd lose Annabeth for sure. Annabeth. The official architect of Olympus. That beautiful, grey-eyed Wise Girl. The girl I had fallen in love with. I couldn't lose her.
I gave my best glare to the daughter of Aphrodite, resolving to deal with her later. Then I raced towards cabin six. I could hear sobbing coming from inside. I knocked on the door. When Annabeth didn't answer and just kept sobbing inside, I pushed open the door and went inside. I found her lying on her bunk, head in hands, tears seeping through her fingers.
"Hey, Annabeth."
She looked up and stared at me with those beautiful round grey eyes. They were filled with anger, hurt, even a little bit of betrayal. My heart almost broke at the sight of them.
"Look, Annabeth… It's not what it looks like…" I didn't know how to continue.
"It's not what it looks like?" Annabeth whispered, her eyes never straying from mine. Her voice was hollow. "It's exactly what it looks like. You, making out with her." Her voice rose. "Right in the middle of camp! And you thought I wouldn't see you? Percy, I may not be smart enough to know that you have probably never loved me, but I am smart enough to see you kissing Audrey!"
Ouch. That hurt a lot. My temper flared. "Audrey? That Aphrodite camper? I didn't even know her name. Besides, I didn't kiss her, she walked up to me after lunch and just kissed me!"
Annabeth hiccupped. "Seaweed Brain… Percy, how am I supposed to believe that? Please, just leave me." She turned away.
"Annabeth! No… please… let me stay. I – I can explain." I put my arm around her shoulders.
She shrugged it off. "No." Her voice went hard. "I already understand. My mom was right." Her voice broke down again. "I shouldn't have… You weren't… You're just not the one for me."
I felt my eyes growing moist. I stared at her back in disbelief. "Annabeth, I did everything for you! Everything! I even turned down godhood! All for you! Please, just give me another chance!"
"No," she said firmly. I heard her take a deep breath. "No. Just leave. I'm done. If I can't have the former savior of Olympus, at least the future savior of Olympus will have me."
She sat on her bunk, staring at the wall.
"Annabeth! No! Please…" Former savior of Olympus? That was me. But the future savior of Olympus? Who was that? I kept talking to her, trying to get her to see the truth. But she just sat there with an empty stare. Finally, I just couldn't take it.
"Fine. I'll leave. But know this: I would never cheat on you, Annabeth Chase." I turned my back on my disbelieving girlfriend and left before the tears could spill down my cheeks.
Annabeth's POV
"Fine. I'll leave. But know this: I would never cheat on you, Annabeth Chase." And then he left.
Immediately, I broke down sobbing again. Part of me just wanted to believe that, wanted to run after him and throw my arms around him again. That part wanted him to hold me against his chest, breathe in the smell of the sea, and know I was safe. But the other part of me didn't believe it. He cheated on you! With an Aphrodite kid!
No! He's Percy! He's Seaweed Brain! He would never do that!
Wouldn't he? What was that you saw when you came out of the dining pavilion? They were kissing, Annabeth. Kissing. Face it. He was cheating on you.
No! He wasn't! That wasn't what I saw.
No? Then what did you see? You saw them kissing! A full-on kiss-on-the-lips! How many times did he do that with you?
Once…
Exactly! And you still deny it?
Yes… He… He would never do that…
But he just did!
You… You're right…
Yes! Yes, I am! He's just not the one for you. You'll find another.
No… No one will be like him… Sweet, caring, loving Seaweed Brain…
Sweet? Caring? Loving? Was he sweet to you when he kissed Audrey?
Maybe she kissed him…
No! Did he care about you when he kissed Audrey?
Maybe he was thinking…
Of course not! Did he ever love you? He kissed Audrey. He loves her.
Yes… He does love her… It's not me anymore…
No, it's not.
Yes… You're right. He doesn't love me anymore.
Now that James kid… The other son of Poseidon… He was sweet, caring and, loving, wasn't he? He was all along!
Yes…
He helped comfort you when Percy broke your heart, didn't he?
Yes. He's much better than Percy.
Yes. He will never break your heart.
No. No, he won't.
And, you've already gone on one date with him, right?
Yes.
It was official. I was breaking up with Percy.
Percy's POV
As soon as the door to cabin six closed behind me, I took off towards the beach. I needed to be near the ocean, where I could calm myself down. I sat down on the sand and stared at the waves. They moved smoothly and were calm. Wow, dad must be in a good mood. I decided to Iris Message him, and tossed a drachma through the ocean mist where the afternoon sun made a rainbow. I saw my dad before he could see me.
He was talking to someone… Athena?
"Finally, you have a son who is worth dating my daughter, Barnacle Beard! I actually approve!"
My dad actually smiled at the goddess of wisdom. "Thank you, Athena. James is a special one."
I almost growled with anger. I uncapped Riptide and swiped it through the Iris Message. James and Annabeth had been dating? When had that even started? No wonder she smiled at him at the counselor meeting. And she had been so upset when he had gone on the quest to find and retrieve dad's trident. And at the cabin… "future savior of Olympus". When had she started cheating on me? How much was a lie? Probably all of it. And Athena. She approved? But hearing my dad had been the worst. He had smiled at his archenemy, a real, genuine smile. I loved Annabeth. Correction: I love Annabeth. But things will never be the same between us again.
I stood up. I didn't want to go near the ocean. Poseidon had been fine with Annabeth and James. Why would he care about me? I was the former savior of Olympus. But the future savior had come. I wasn't needed anymore.
I made my decision. I snuck into my cabin and quickly stuffed my remaining possessions into my backpack.
I left a short note: You will regret that you ever disbelieved me. I loved you, and I still do. But that love has been betrayed.
On the back: Camp-Half Blood has been my home for five years. I'll always miss this place. Chiron, you'll always be a teacher to me. To Nico: You'll always be a friend and one of my favorite cousins. Don't come after me. I can take care of myself. To Thalia, when she comes with the Hunters of Artemis: You'll always a favorite cousin. I know you'll miss me, but just forget about me. It's best that way.
I placed it behind the bloodstained Minotaur horn hanging on the wall. I wouldn't need that where I was going. I fingered Riptide in my pocket. It was the first magic item I had owned, given to me by the same dad who now favored his other son. Even though holding it reminded me of dad, which reminded me of the Iris Message, I still kept it with me. It would return to my pocket anyway if I left it here. One more thing, then I leave.
I left my backpack on my bunk. I'd come back for it.
I walked through camp, keeping in the shadows. But a certain son of Hades also loved the shadows.
"Percy!"
I turned. "Oh. Hey, Nico. I… uh, I gotta go."
He looked at me oddly. "Um… Ok." Then he shadow traveled somewhere else in camp.
I ran the rest of the way to the Pegasus stables, staying in the shadows as much as possible. Luckily, no one else saw me. I went in the stables, looking for Blackjack.
Hey, boss.
"Blackjack. You still have to call me boss?"
Yeah, boss.
I sighed. "Blackjack… I'm leaving."
Not on a quest… right?
"No… Annabeth's been cheating on me for… I don't know how long… And she thinks…"
I know. I saw. Chiron let me out and I was flying around camp.
"Oh. Well, I just wanted to tell you. Bye." I hugged Blackjack and stepped away.
No, boss! I gotta come with you!
"No. You can't."
Why not, boss?
I thought. "True… Can you get to the top of the hill, next to Thalia's pine, without anyone noticing?"
Sure, boss.
I lead him out of the stables and ran to get my backpack. When I got to Thalia's pine, Blackjack was already there.
What took you so long, boss?
"You sure about this? I'm not coming back."
Yeah, boss.
I took one last look at the camp. And then I stepped out of the magical barrier and jumped on top of Blackjack. "Let's go."
Where to, boss?
"Let's just get away from here first."
He took off, the camp growing smaller in the distance. How long until they notice I'm gone? If they ever do…
They will, boss. Some of them still care about you.
"Thanks."
And we flew away, one destination on my mind.
AN: There's Chapter 2! Like it, love it, review! Please? :D