Chapter 12: Love, Hate, Revenge

Colt had gotten what he wanted. I was still in there somewhere. I knew what I had done...but Colt had a plan. He was stronger than I was. I knew what he was going to do was wrong but what did it matter now? Everyone already hated me and believed I was a murderer so I might as well be one. Of course I didn't know how bad Colt was. I didn't remember him killing Evie or Tom. But now I saw Colt's every move as if I was doing it. Only it wasn't me that was doing anything. I should have known how bad he was, after all I saw Tom's mutilated body. I shouldn't have listened to him...but I wasn't that strong. Ask yourself, if the world hates you and you have a horrible method of revenge...could you resist that temptation? I know I couldn't. Revenge was something I gave in to easily. I held grudges and was willing to end the person I had a grudge against. Revenge was a thing that made me.

He moved like some sort of shadow even in broad daylight. No one seemed to notice him, and those that did turned their heads. I walked around with my eyes pointed at the ground making myself look smaller than I actually was while Colt walked with his head held high. Everything about him made you understand that he was better than you. He seemed to know where he was going, I had no idea. He seemed to be able to know what I was thinking yet I couldn't get any idea as to what he was thinking. Knowing Colt, I probably didn't want to know. As soon as I saw Maria...I knew what he was planning. And right there and then...I wished I had been stronger.
"Hey Maria." Colt said. He sounded like me now, it seemed like all his confidence had disappeared. Colt turned out to be a pretty good actor. Which made him even more dangerous.
"Hey Angel." She said. She sounded nicer than she did the day before. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I had a bit of a bad day."
"I get it. I mean the deaths, you're sister being missing, it must be hard." Colt sounded understanding, I didn't get why he did this. But he had a plan, and it wasn't good.
"Thanks. You know what they say about you? Everyone thinks you're the killer." She said. She seemed interested. As if she believed that by talking to me...or Colt she could find out. And if she could see through the act Colt was putting up she would find out that I was the killer. But his act was pretty good, I doubted she'd see the difference.
"They're wrong. If anyone knew anything about me they would see that. I've seen people die right in front of me. I could never hurt someone like that, I saw the bodies. I'm not capable of anything like that." Colt lied through his teeth. Maria seemed to believe him though. She had no idea about the things I had done. I had caused more death than a soldier. And I rarely offered a quick death. Burning alive, beating to death, torture. No one would face death quickly. My offer was a long and painful death, just like Evie and Tom had.
"Everyone takes rumours too seriously." She said. There was a moment of silence. Colt was gaining her trust in a way. I guess I saw what he was doing...I felt horrible...I knew what he wanted to do. What had I done? "How did you know Sophie anyway?" She asked. I had told her before but obviously she hadn't listened then.
"I met her when I lived in New York. She came to visit Jake." Colt said. For once he wasn't lying.
"Jake Kopaka? Wow you have friends in high places." She said smiling a bit.
"Dead friends in high places." Colt said. Maria's face turned dark.
"I hope Sophie isn't." I hoped so too. Truth was that she had made quite the impression. That and she was the one person that knew about Jake's plan, I had to know what that was and if she was alive she was going to tell me.
"Sadly she is." Trust me...I was just as surprised when he said that as Maria was. He had no idea if she was dead. Of course since no one did...what did it matter.
"What?" Maria looked at Colt with raging fire in her eyes.
"She died. Just like Jake. He wasn't as tough as people made him sound. He begged for death after a while." I hated Colt for how he spoke about Jake. He was the last true friend we had and now he acted like he killed him. "He couldn't handle the pain."
"You're lying." She tried to convince herself. He was lying, but obviously she didn't know that.
"Sophie was tough to find...I had no idea where she lived or whatever. Once I found her though.." Colt didn't say anything yet. He just smiled. An evil sadistic smile. "The little bitch even cried...will you cry?" He said.
"GET AWAY FROM HER ANGEL!" Luke yelled. Colt hadn't noticed him yet, but now he looked right at him with the same smile.
"Ah Luke...perfect timing." Colt moved lighting quick. He hit Maria in the face and grabbed her by the neck. He reached for the dagger he had in his pocket (don't ask me how he kept getting daggers.)
"Luke!" Maria screamed. She was scared as anyone would be in this situation. Colt had exactly what he wanted. Luke couldn't do anything.
"Come on Luke. Save her!" Luke stood there not knowing what to do. If he moved Colt would kill her, I think all four of us knew that. But if he did nothing he would probably kill her too. Colt liked this. The psychological games. Making someone make impossible choices or use everything he knew about you against you. Eventually...Luke got lucky. Maria drove her elbow straight into Colt's ribs. Of course Colt didn't really like that. He didn't care about his hostage any more. He took the dagger and stabbed Maria in the side. She fell down in pain. Blood gushing from the wound.
"Maria!" Luke was furious. He didn't waste a single second. He charged straight towards Colt. Colt reached for Shadow-edge but wasn't fast enough. His fingers just reached the hilt when Luke's blade pierced through his shoulder. (What was it with people stabbing me in the shoulder?) Colt felt the shock of pain go through him. He screamed for a second. He fell down onto the ground and actually expected Luke to finish him off. But he didn't. He left the sword and got to Maria as fast as he could. "Maria, Maria! Talk to me!" Tears appeared in his eyes.
"Look at the brave little son of Hephaestus." Colt said. "Couldn't save his sister, couldn't save Evie...and now he can't save his girl." Colt laughed. "Truly you're the lousiest hero that ever lived."
"SHUT UP!" Luke screamed. "Someone get some bloody ambrosia and nectar!" There were more people there now. Amazed demigod looking at the blood bath. No one made a single noise. A son of Apollo ran towards the infirmary as fast as he could.
"Now that's no talk for a proper Englishman." Colt said laughing. He didn't even seem to be bothered by the wound. He was still laying on the ground but more because he was too lazy to get up than because he was in so much pain.
"Shut up Angel or I'll kill you." Luke claimed.
"Don't make promises you can't keep Luke." Colt didn't expect Luke to do what he did. He left Maria's side for a second to get up and kick Colt in the face...Colt shut up after that, as he was busy with the passing out.

The dream I had was dark. I saw two teenagers in what seemed to be nothingness. I didn't know if I couldn't dream the surroundings or if they actually were surrounded by the thick black shadows. One of the two was a boy who seemed a little older than me. He had short brown hair and stood straight and powerful. He was muscular but smaller than the other one. He had a straight face but a determination in his eyes that is rare. The other one seemed in his late teens...but the way he made me feel...he seemed much older. He had pure black hair and pale skin. He was skinny as if he had been starving himself to death for months. He wore a Tuxedo and had a cane in his left hand. He was someone you would fear, hate and stay away from. By far the scariest about him though...were his eyes. Piercing bloodthirsty red eyes. When he looked at you...you knew that he was more powerful than you. He knew everything about you and if you looked into those eyes...you became the ant you were in his presence.
"My lord..." The boy spoke.
"What?" The guy in the Tux snared. The boy bowed down and looked down to the ground.
"I know that he's you're son...but do you really think that we should bring him into this. He was at camp for a while...do you really think he will betray them all?" He didn't seem scared, even though the mystery man was his master. It seemed as every human emotion had been pulled away from him.
"He's essential. I know you don't really like him...but you know what...I don't care." He said. "My son is the one that will bring camp crumbling down. But he can't go back into camp, but you can. You will be our eyes and ears...I'll contact you when needed."

It was me who woke up in a cage. I didn't just wake up in a cage, I woke up without remembering what Colt did. The last thing I remembered was talking to Luke in the woods. The cage wasn't too small. It seemed more like a locked off supply room that was now being used as a cage. There were steel bars around it and the door had a pretty much unbreakable lock. It was probably constructed by Hephy kids. The room looked like a basement. There was a stairway going up to a closed door. I had been locked up for a reason I didn't know. I had a mattress laying on the floor, I sat down waiting for someone to come through the door. The dream worried me. Who was the man in the Tuxedo? Who was the boy? I hadn't seen him around camp yet...maybe he hadn't arrived yet. Was that conversation happening as I slept? Was it past, present or future? I had no idea. What I did know...that this guy's son would be bad. The guy looked young to have a son...but I already suspected that he wasn't actually in his late teens. I didn't have much time to wonder about those things. The door opened, and Luke came walking through, he wasn't alone though. Next to him was the boy from my dream. His face just as straight with the same determined eyes.
"You're lucky Angel." Luke said. "She'll make it...and you're shoulder wound has been taken care of as you may have noticed." I looked at my shoulder, there was a hole in my jumper...but no wound to be found. I had no idea what Luke was talking about. "We're still trying to decide what to do with you though." Luke had an intense hate in his voice. I had no idea what was going on. I figured they were sure that I killed Evie and Tom. But what she was he talking about. Evie was dead...who else did I hurt? I had a lot of questions...but one was more important than any.
"Who's he?" I asked. I knew I should have reacted to Luke properly but this was more important to me.
"He's..." Luke was cut off.
"I can speak for myself Luke." He said. "I'm Maximus Meridius. I just arrived. I agreed with Luke to help take care of you while you're hear. You need food and water after all." He said. Maximus Meridius. The spy of the unknown guy in the Tuxedo.
"I have questions Luke, and I trust you have some too. But I won't say a thing with him here." I said. Even though I was talking to Luke I looked straight at Maximus. His determined eyes met mine, I was sure he didn't like me very much...and I really didn't like him. But hell...if he was in on a plan to destroy camp half-blood...the camps own serial killer would probably seem like a good ally.
"Look Angel...you're going to be talking to him a lot over you're time here. And anyway you're in no place for demands." Luke said. My eyes moved, now I looked at Luke again.
"You want to know something Luke. You said about taking care of me...if you were here for anything else than answers you would have brought me something to munch on." I said.
"Max...?"
"Yeah...it's cool." Maximus said. He walked away, before he went through the door...he gave me one last glare, and a sadistic little smile. Once he was gone I lost the intense look and stared at Luke with questioning eyes.
"What the hell happened?" I asked hysterically. I didn't trust Maximus for obvious reasons...but now that it was just me and Luke I felt safer. I had to know what went on. Luke had seemed pretty pissed when I last saw him but I couldn't remember a thing after what happened after he left.
"What do you mean? Are you trying to act as if you have amnesia again. Don't take me for a fool Angel." It was logical that Luke would think that. I had been giving him extremely little reason for trust lately.
"Look man I have absolutely no idea what happened. The last thing I remember is when we talked in the woods." It wasn't a lie although Luke suspected it to be.
"You want to know what happened? You tried to kill my girlfriend!" I truly didn't see that coming. When he said it though. Flashed came back to me. Holding Maria as he hostage, stabbing her and getting kicked in the face by Luke. I didn't remember the things that were said or how I got there...what went through my head. It was like...it wasn't me. I knew what it was...Colt...he had done this. "And now you're acting like you don't even remember. You killed Tom, you killed Evie and you tried to kill Maria. You deserve to die just like they did. But we can't all be psycho killers can we?"
"Luke...I really don't remember...I don't. But Colt does." So I explained. Everything that I knew anyway. I didn't really understand much of it. I told him about the dreams I had about Colt. I didn't tell him about my dream about Maximus. I wanted to talk to him before accusing him of anything. Someone like that...had signs no matter how good of a liar you are. I needed to know if he really was the spy...or if it was just some freak dream.
"So you have what? Split personality disorder?" Luke asked.
"I guess. But it wasn't me who did these things...not really anyway."
"Angel...I believe you. I saw you back there...it wasn't the same. Those bloodthirsty eyes, the way you spoke. It wasn't like you. I understand that it wasn't you. But you have to understand that I can't let you out. You're dangerous." Luke started moving towards the door. He didn't look at me, it was tough on him to do this now that he realized what was what.
"Luke! You can't do this! Don't keep me in here man!" I tried. He didn't even look back.
"Maximus will bring you something to eat soon." He walked up the steps.
"Luke!" And out of the door.