Chapter 6

"Percy! Thank the Gods you showed up-"Michael Kahale said to me.

"Yeah- it's been a while. What have I missed?" I asked, grabbing my bags and lofting them over my shoulder.

"Uh… well- camp's kind of gone crazy since both Reyna and Frank left- though to be honest, it's kind of been building up since…" Michael said, before quieting down. I stopped walking for a moment, looking at him for further explanation, but he didn't seem to notice. In fact, it was like he's never said it at all. The last time I was at Camp Jupiter, was when I finished college. Annabeth was staying behind for a year because she was taking extra courses, which meant that I spent most of my spare time hanging around. At first everything was great- people were so lively and happy- finally at peace. Both camps were discovering each other, and people were travelling every so often, not letting the distance bother them. Everything was colorful- there was always music playing, and people held parties every weekend. After time the novelty wore off, and people went back to their everyday lives. Annabeth and I left two years after the war with Gaia, and I hadn't really been back for more than a week since.

Everyone I walked past gave me grunts, while others shouted, partially over excited to see me. One guy I saw- Jacob I think- Actually jumped when he saw me. The music had stopped since I was last there, people were isolated and cold, not really speaking to each other unless it was necessary. Most of the Cohorts weren't even making eye contact. When I finally reached the center of camp, I feel weighed down. "Percy! Great to see you man- you coming tonight?" Marcus, son of Ares asked me. I smiled at him.

"Of course." I said, which seemed to emit a spark of excitement with the campers. "Michael." I murmured, trying not to show any hint of doubt. "What's going on tonight?" I asked, and he cringed.

"The opening to the war games." He said.

"What?" I turned, as everyone went silent. "I swear they were only a month or two ago. Considering their an annual event, don't you think you should wait for, I don't know, at least a year?" I asked, and Michael cringed again.

"Percy, with all due respect, this is all we have going for us now." Michael said, and I nodded, pretending to understand. The war games have never been my favorite part of Camp Jupiter, considering the violence used. I like a good match as much as any demi god, but at Camp Half Blood, Capture the flag is a game, using our training exercises and gifts, but here, it's a competition- a fight.

"Ok- so we'll be doing what- siege?" I asked, hoping the answer would be yes, seeing as it's the most like Capture the Flag.

"Nope- we're starting off with Deathball." Jacob called and I smiled hastily at him, before dragging Michael into the nearest empty house.

"Can I talk to you?" I asked and him and he sighed. "What the hell is going on here. Deathball? Deathball? No one's played that in at least 4 years. Not since the war with-" I said, and Michael looked away- "… Gaia".

"Look Percy- I know it's a handful to take in, but it's the way we are, so I think you need to try. I'll send in Jacob later to help with your armor." He said, before exciting the room.

4 hours later

Deathball wasn't starting for another 20 minutes, and yet I was still going over the plan in my head. So far I'd gotten up to, avoid acid balls and hide. It wasn't much, but I was never one for making plans, that was always Annabeth.

"Percy? Let's go." Jacob said, dragging me out to the Field of Mars. He takes me into a room used for battle preparation, where the entire fifth cohort stood waiting for me.

"Hi." I said, a little uncomfortably. "Who's ready for some Deathball?" I asked, and everyone started jeering and shouting. "Alright, I think our best tactic is to find a safe house, where we hide and wait it out until only one cohort is left. Then we'll take them by surprise, and finish off." Everyone looks at each other.

"Um Percy- How about instead, we kick butt?" Leila, a 15 year old girl I've spoken to once or twice interrupted, and everyone cheered, before picking up a chant. "Kick Butt, Kick butt, kick butt." They shouted, walking out the room with all weapons.

"Come on Percy what are you so worried about- it's just paintball when you think about it." Jacob says, and I laugh.

"Yeah, paint ball with acid, poison and fireballs. No biggie. I said, grabbing a trident I see in the corner of the room. My favorite. My finger rubs over something carved in the wood, and when I picked it up I noticed it had written on it 'For Frank'. I looked at Jacob, grabbing his bow and arrow, searching for the same symbol. Like mine, it's written on each bow and I smiled.

"Franks going to be ok you know." I said to him, and he smiled, before grabbing his bow and walking out the room. We waited on the edge of a small patch of trees, before the siren went off. Everything was silent, and I looked around, trying to become more aware of our surroundings.

"Ok, let's try and find some more cover- a cave or-" I began before Leila interrupted.

"I see something- its Bobby- son of Ares. He's in the first Cohort- if we take him down now it will be a major blow to their team." She said, and everyone nodded. "LETS GO" she screamed, before charging like a maniac out into the open. Everyone chanted on their way out, before they were immediately taken down by acid balls. In the first minute, half of our team was on the ground writhing in pain. Leila was shot, but she had the sense to duck when acid balls were near, and was only hit in the thigh.

"Retreat!" I yelled, and everyone seemed to like that order now, especially compared to Leila's. around 10 people lay on the ground, and when they were ready, walked off the field to safety. The only good thing about deathball, was the feast after you'd been taken out.

"Alright everyone, find cover. Stay in a 100 meter radius- next time you see someone, wait until they're close enough and shoot. Keep silent, and don't get shot." I said, and everyone nodded, immediately branching off into groups. Most people settled for hiding in trees, while I walked over to a small pond I eyed before we started. I walked into the water and hoped no one stepped on me. It took 5 minutes for someone to come even moderately close to me, and when they did, I was distracted by what they were saying.

"Search all the trees, and once, we're done burn them." Someone said, while her two companions scurried off.

"Won't we attract attention?" one said, and the leader laughed.

"That's what we want- besides it's not like we're the only ones. First and fifth cohort are making a racket shouting out Frank and Reyna every chance they get. "she said, and the other laughed. That's when a cry went up, followed by a bullet.

"Shh- did you hear that?" she said, and that's when I moved. I rose out of the water as silently as possible, before aiming at both they're feet. I wasn't about to give them a heart attack- shooting was enough.

"Dammit." The girl I recognized as Carrie moaned. Dropped her weapons and walked out, her friend following closely behind her. The rules of deathball say that once you've been hit, no words are to be spoken about the location of any cohort on the walk out. Saying this, I don't have complete trust in Carried, meaning I summoned the rest of our cohort and moved to another space.

"Percy- you realize if we win you have to give a speech at the feast- what would you say?" Jacob said, and I looked around. Everyone began climbing trees again, going into hiding, waiting to pounce.