Eventide
part one: civil

ch. seven: supernova


Piper dragged herself up Half-Blood Hill, trying to reach the top. Despite the sudden adrenaline rush, she was bone-tired, so to speak. Cabin Ten was going completely crazy, she reminded herself, rubbing her temples. And oh, yeah, she'd almost forgotten - two of her best friends had just gone and disappeared - and right, they were the same people who happened to be the ones who pretty much all of the bad guys hated, were the same people who were the leaders of Camp Half-Blood, and were the people who freaking fell into Tartarus.

So, basically, she had every right to be tired.

She wanted to sprint up the hill in an un-ladylike fashion, though, due to the fact that Thalia was waiting there and looking like running up hills were normal occurrences. Which they probably were. Darn it.

The black-haired, immortal girl was leaning against her tree, watching Piper struggle as she stroked the head of Peleus. She looked worried, and for once, that sort of too-healthy glow seemed to disappear. Her stomach twisted with worry for her friend.

"Hey," she offered, smiling lamely. Thalia did not smile back, simply taking a step forward and snapping something to a white-and-grey wolf standing behind her. Tawny eyes watched her curiously, before the animal turned and fled down the hill back to the Hunters of Artemis.

They walked in silence to the Big House, before Thalia suddenly stopped her on the porch, glancing at the closed door.

"Piper," she murmured. "I heard... I mean, I heard about Percy. I- well, I saw him. We should call a meeting," Thalia said, straightening. The worried look seemed to slide off of her face, though she could still see traces of it.

"Yeah," she managed, lowering her eyes and running the information through her head. She'd seen Percy. Percy. "Yeah, um, let's tell Chiron about the meeting first and then split up."

The older sister of Jason nodded, blue eyes hardening in a determined way, before she rapped on the front door sharply, three times in a row. It swung open, and Chiron wheeled out, smiling wearily at the both of them.

"Thalia," he greeted. "You've come back. And Piper, my dear. Do you two need something?" She nodded, exchanging a glance with Thalia.

"Chiron, is it okay if we call a meeting? I know it might seem out of the blue, but Thalia has some news, um, about Percy." Chiron blinked, surprised, before nodding.

"Of course, my dear," he said, smiling again. "I'll get the chips. Gods know people like to eat while they discuss important matters." He chuckled before rolling back in.

"I'll take odd numbers, you take even?" Thalia asked. She nodded, letting the girl have her way. She probably wanted to talk to Jason, anyway. Oh, well, it would spare her the pain of talking to Drew. She was sick of perfume.

Piper almost went to Cabin Three - almost. She stopped a foot away from it, staring stunned at the quiet cabin. Her hand shot to her mouth as it hit her; Percy was gone. Seriously gone. She turned away with burning eyes and continued to Cabin Five.

She swallowed at the thought of talking to Clarisse, the big, tough, and mean daughter of Ares. No, she was scared of Clarisse getting pissed off, actually. She knocked on the door.

"Clarisse," she called. "Clarisse, you here?" The door swung open, and there in her tall glory stood Clarisse, glaring.

"Princess," she greeted. Piper gritted her teeth, but met the older girl's eyes. She called everyone princess, or, for the boys, punk. "What d'ya want."

"Counselor meeting," she gasped out. "Now. Help me get the others."

Clarisse simply sighed and took over Cabin Seven, while she got Nine. The smokestacks poured smoke into the sky, and even a cabin over, she could hear yelling coming from inside of it. There was clanging as well, but it was quieter than the forges, at least. Leo was planning to create a smaller forge behind the Hephaestus cabin, and he'd been working with Annabeth before...

Piper crashed into Nyssa, who was covered in grease, wearing a red bandana, and had dirty goggles on. They both let out startled yelps, apologizing, before Nyssa asked about what she was doing there.

"Counselor meeting," she said. "I came to get Leo... Is he around?" Nyssa shook her head.

"He's in the forges. I'll tell him for you, if you want. I mean, I was heading there anyway, and you've got to tell the other counselors." Piper smiled and sighed in relief. The forges were on the other side of camp. It would take forever to get all the counselors together.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly, running off. "Thanks, Nyssa!" There was an answering yell behind her, but she was already moving towards Cabin Eleven. Coincidentally, she found the twins hiding behind a tree as she walked past; they dragged her behind and told her Lou Ellen was coming their way and that they were going to prank her.

She responded by snapping at them that there was a counselor meeting, and by that time, Lou Ellen had discovered them and about the meeting, so the three headed towards the Big House. Thirteen was Hades, and Nico wasn't here. She decided Clovis could probably stay awake long enough for the meeting, so she dragged him out of bed and told him he'd better move it. Julie of the Nike Cabin had already been told; she waved at Piper and told her that the other counselors had been informed, thank the gods.

Julie was a bright, upbeat girl with long, blonde hair and green eyes. Piper didn't see her very often, though when she did, the girl was always wearing Nike shoes. Wonderful.

The two happened to crash into Thalia, who guiltily told Piper that she should talk to Malcolm.

"I've tried," the Hunter said, frazzled. "But I was hoping... Anyway, I know you don't really like charm-speaking people, but I thought he would deserve to know. If he doesn't come out, yell for me, and I'll go to Plan B: Bust open the door and kidnap him."

That didn't sound like a very good alternative, so she waved goodbye to Julie and Thalia, walking straight towards Cabin Six. She played with her hands, straightening her hair and tugging at her clothes nervously. Malcolm had been hit hard. He didn't come out of the cabin much nowadays, which made everyone just worry more for Annabeth's brother and second-in-command.

She knocked on the door, once, twice, thrice, then four times. No one answered, and the nervousness that had started in her stomach turned into worry. Malcolm was quiet, intelligent - and a great person. He helped those who needed help, trying to follow Annabeth's footsteps.

"Mal?" she asked. "Malcolm?" There was no answer.

Suddenly, Amy, the resident thirteen-year old daughter of Athena stepped out, closing the door quietly behind her. She looked sad, way too sad for her age. Piper's heart sort of melted, and she gave the girl a hug, even though they barely knew each other.

"Hey," she whispered. "Is Malcolm here?" Piper pulled back from the hug and examined the girl. She obviously wasn't sleeping well, and the exhaustion was evident on her face.

"Yeah, he's inside. Mal's sleeping - that's how he copes - so I don't know if he'll respond, because he doesn't want to wake up. If he doesn't, I'll get you Bella." Bella was the new second-in-command, and for a girl of fifteen years, she was doing a pretty good job at it. She took the place of Malcolm calmly, organizing the chaotic cabin and reassuring the younger ones. She'd tried to help out when she could, but getting four hours of sleep and dealing with her half-siblings was hard.

Amy slipped back inside, yelling. There was the sound of an air horn. Murmured words. Shuffling. A violent cry, a thud, a little boy's voice yelling for help, yelling stop, stop. Piper's heart beat fast in her throat, and despite her instincts to turn away, she pushed in and found the most horrifying sight.

Malcolm, raised half out of bed, face bloated and red with one of his hands up. Amy, on the floor, clutching her cheek with tears streaming down her face. John, six, standing between the two and yelling. Bella, her expression outraged as she stared at her older brother.

"Everyone, stop!" she yelled. The charmspeak took hold as her emotions set in. Everything - anger, fear, pain - it all came rushing back as she yelled. Every single person froze. She breathed, hard, taking it all in.

Malcolm had hit Amy. Malcolm, the sweet, kind boy, had hit his own sister. He was obviously out-of-his-mind, and as she moved closer, bending down to help Amy, she noticed his bloodshot eyes and weird look. Oh, gods.

"I've got her," Bella said, finally, moving over to Amy and helping her to the bathroom. "John, come with me." The boy nodded, and the trio moved out of the room, leaving them alone.

Everything was suddenly clear - the way Malcolm spoke, the way he moved, all those times that she had seen him with bloodshot eyes and dark bags. When she moved forwards, her suspicions were confirmed. She slid to the ground, shocked.

He was rip-roaringly drunk. Her dad had never drunk, but she'd seen it before. As an actor, he was invited to a ton of parties, and although he didn't like it, he would take her to some and tell her to be careful. Always. He would touch her cheek and hug her, would tell her to please call him if anything so much happened, and he'd take her home. They usually left after a hour or two, due to alcohol.

"Malcolm," she said, inching forwards. "Malcolm, stop. Stop right there." He froze.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Malcolm!" she yelled. "Who the heck gave you alcohol? You just hit your own sister. You just hit your own sister, you moron!" The anger rose in her, unbidden. "I don't know what you are thinking, Malcolm, but you are in no state to even do anything. I don't care if Annabeth's gone. I don't care if you are dying; there is no excuse for you of all people to drink!"

She was panting now, and Malcolm stared at her. "Go to sleep," she spat. "If you even touch a bottle again, I will make sure to burn down this cabin until there is nothing left of it. I know it hurts, okay? I know it hurts, but you are head counselor now, and if you can't act like how Annabeth would want you to act, then you are nothing but a shame. Sleep," she commanded. His head fell back, and he slept.

Bella walked back into the room, clearly shaken. She was crying, her shoulders shaking. Her heart softened. "Piper," the girl whispered, walking forwards and burying herself into the front of Piper's shirt before she could react. "I need your help. I can't stand it anymore. I didn't even know until a day ago, found the bottles under his bed, but he yelled at me.. And now Amy's hurt, and it's all my fault."

"No," she said. "It's not. It's Malcolm's, and he fully well knows that. He's drunk and out of his mind, okay? Look, we're going to get Amy cleaned up, and we'll take all three of you to the Big House and they can listen in, okay? There's a counselor meeting, and it's about Percy, okay?"

Bella hiccuped and nodded. Piper carefully wiped away tears, using maternal instincts she had never known she had. "Now, come on," she decided. "We're going to be late."

And indeed they were. When they arrived at the Big House, with John clutching Amy's hand, Amy with one hand pressed to her darkening cheek, Bella still sniffling, their entrance was met with stares from everyone.

"Sorry, Chiron," she apologized, sinking into a chair and staring at the ceiling. "John, can you take Amy up and get her an ice pack? If you can't find one, ask Argus, okay?" They disappeared. Bella trembled, pulling up a fold-up chair to sit next to her.

"It's no problem, my dear," he said, though his dark eyes betrayed his words. He stared at her, and she looked at him like, not now. He nodded. "Well, Piper, Bella... Thalia was just starting her story, actually. Would you mind, Thalia?"

Thalia told them, while standing, about the Hunters of Artemis, who had heard about Percy's disappearance from Annabeth. They had immediately started searching, and not before long, one of the wolves had found a scent trail leading out of the state and into a more secluded, nature-filled place.

It had taken them three days, but they had finally found him. There had been problems and a run-in with monsters, which then added in to the chase, meaning they had reached him only to find out there was something wrong.

"There was another being," Thalia explained slowly. "He was powerful, most definitely. I could feel his aura from miles away if I was that far. They were talking about something, and Percy was... It felt like a ceremony almost, like when we join the Hunters. He was pledging himself to something - something about the prospect of good... I didn't know what he was doing. I tried to run to him, to tell him to stop, but suddenly there was a shield, more powerful than I'd ever seen any god create before.

The man said something about a choice, that Percy didn't have to do it. But then he said he would do it for his family, all the while looking at me... He finished his pledge, and the man seemed satisfied, and he opened a portal, and they disappeared. Then, later, we were talking about it, and suddenly Artemis seemed to remember something, like she knew who the man was. She flashed out, and soon after that-"

"Olympus closed again," Bella finished, her voice faint. Thalia nodded, her electric-blue eyes stormy.

"The gods panicked. Whatever Artemis had told them, it wasn't good. The search for Percy was ordered to an end."

"And then Annabeth disappeared." Thalia sighed and sat down, putting her head in her hands. She couldn't imagine what she was going through. She'd known Annabeth for years, Percy as well, and right after they thought the fighting was over, they'd disappeared again. Piper choked back a sob and stared at the ping-pong table. No one dared to speak, the tension so thick it hung in the air like a dense London fog.

She held back the tears that threatened to rise. She could have stopped it. She could have stopped Athena. But she'd done nothing. She had done nothing, and now, here she was, with Percy and Annabeth gone. Piper wanted to tell everyone. She wanted them to blame her, wanted to see their nasty looks and hear bad rumors. She deserved it.

"Malcolm's not coping very well. That's why I'm here," Bella blurted out, before her eyes widened in horror and she slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted wildly around the room, as if waiting for someone to yell at her, and with a sick feeling, maybe she was.

Piper whispered sweet nothings to Bella, keeping her eyes low. "It's okay. It's over," she murmured. After the outburst, the silence seemed to break. People had started shouting. They yelled about things like protest against the fact that Percy had run away, against the fact that he had left them, or yelled things about Malcolm and Annabeth.

Chiron was in full height, his head almost brushing the ceiling. He stomped a hoof against the hardwood, silencing all the yells. "Meeting adjourned!" he yelled.

And the war council, the counselors of the cabins, the representatives of Camp Half-Blood walked out the door, upset, worried, and terrified. But Piper stayed, hugging Bella once again and watching Chiron with careful eyes.

He finally sat back down into his wheelchair. "Bella is here," he said. She nodded, throat constricting.

"And she seems upset. Her two siblings, also clearly upset, are in the infirmary now, getting ice. Piper, my dear, what has happened with Malcolm?" He knew. He knew, he knew, he knew that something was wrong, terribly wrong. Her heart hammered in her chest, and the fear rose in her as she remembered Malcolm, his hand raised, and Amy, on the ground.

"Chiron, he... He's been drinking," she rushed out. His face darkened.

"How?" the centaur asked. Campers didn't get drunk; next to the fact that drinking was bad and could get a demigod harmed, there was Mr. D to think about.

"I don't know," she said, wringing her hands. "But I told him to stop, and I yelled at him. Chiron, I don't know what to do, and Bella doesn't know either. Please, Chiron." She just wanted it to end. She didn't know how much more she could take, to be honest.

Piper was at her breaking point. Chiron wheeled forwards and motioned for both of them to follow him. They did, moving into a small, cozy, and quiet room.

"Sleep," he said, motioned at empty cots. "You both need it."

Even though she protested, Piper crawled onto a cot and closed her eyes, not entirely sure what would happen next.


Mal, sweet Malcolm, drunk? Piper, accidentally cussing? Thalia? Oh, my gods, I wonder what'll happen next. Haha, I already know. But wow, a lot of action. Counselors. Alcohol. Confessions. (Also, cussing isn't going further than hell/shit, and it'll make about two/three appearances in the whole story.)

Well? Is Malcolm's coping justified, or do you think he should've talked to someone? He's messed up; remember, they were probably close, with him being second. Review, please! We're at forty-nine... really. Come on, if we make it to sixty... well, let's say I'm already done with eight, and you might read it sooner than you think. Siriusly.

achieving elysium