CAMP HALF BLOOD

The only use of an obstacle is to overcome. All that obstacle does with brave men is, not to frighten them but to challenge them.

Woodrow Wilson

Percy was completely drained out. He wasn't even able to speak. His throat felt dry and soar. His eyes burned making it impossible to open them. The last thing he remembered was Grover carrying him a place which looked liked infirmary. Now he was laid down on a soft bed with someone beside him. The fact that someone was watching him while he was asleep made it disturbing for him.

He felt a very cold hand on his forehead and then on his throat, probably checking for fever. Maybe the hand wasn't cold. Maybe he was warm from fever. Some one was feeding him a fluid which tasted much like his mother's home made blue coloured chocolate chip cookies. He opened his eyes and saw girl with curly blond hair hovering over him smirking as she scraped drips off his chin with the spoon. He wanted to ask her where he was. But he was too tired and he slept again.

The next time he woke up, the girl was sleeping on a chair beside him. The bed was just next to the window through which he peeked out, cool breeze immediately hitting him. Percy could see the moon shining brightly in the night sky. He sat on the bed, resting his back against the wall. Closing his eyes tightly, Percy recalled all the events which had happened previously. Nothing made sense. Out of curiosity, Percy looked around the room. Everything in there was mostly white, just like the environment in a hospital. He slowly observed facial features of the girl who had mended him. She had a really beautiful face. Her curly blonde hair was falling down from her right shoulder. The girl had worn an orange coloured dress with camp 'half blood' written in bold letters.

Percy had heard his father referring to camp while talking with him on a phone. Maybe Poseidon meant camp half blood. Percy glanced at the wall clock to know the time.

"The time is quarter to five" a feminine voice said. Percy looked towards her and found the girl's stormy grey eyes open.

"Who are you?" Percy asked.

"Annabeth Chase"

"Where have you bought me?"

"To camp half blood"

"What is this camp?"

"Keep patience, everything would be explained to you"

"That is what I have been told half of the time"

She frowned "Can't you just keep quite for few minutes, I am trying to sleep."

Percy wanted to retort her. After all these things which happened to him, how can she just simply say to let her sleep? But, he was interrupted by the creaking sound of the oak wood door. Grover slowly walked him, not removing his gaze from the floor. He had somewhat worried expression on his face. Percy gritted his teeth on his sight.

"Percy, I know you need answers, just wait an hour. Today we also have eight more recruits. Everything would be explained to you after two hours when the orientation starts." He said.

"I am sure the orientation won't explain how my father knew a laser dude who had just attacked my school."

"Look, Percy, we aren't normal people. We aren't humans. We have special powers. We are abnormal. Just like how I have goat's legs from the abdomen. Just like how Hyperion and shot blast of light from his palm-"

Annabeth cut in "Wait, did he withstand Hyperion's attack?"

Grover sighed "Sort of, but it had drained his resistance energy"

"He might have resistance to telepathic strains just like me"

"He is not like you"

Annabeth smirked "I can clearly see that"

Percy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Half of their conversation wasn't understood by him. Everything happening here was just a mistake. He didn't belong here. He was a human. Just like his parents. Just like his mother. Just like his…

Doubts arised in his mind. Was his father a human, just like him?

"Grover" Percy asked in a stern voice, still keeping his eyes closed "Is my father human?"

"Percy, I am not the right person to tell you that-"

"Was my father a mutant?" Percy asked again.

"He is a mutant Percy."

"So my mother knew it." Percy balled his fist. His mother knew it all the time, but she lied to him. He had mixed feelings for her now. Sad because he regretted for the first time by trusting his mother and angry because she had lied to him.

"You have no reason to be angry at her. She did it for your own good-" Grover tried to explain.

"Just let me sleep. Alright? I don't need any of your lame explanations." Percy intervened and laid himself on the bed. He covered his body with the bedsheets and forcibly slept, needing more rest to adjust to new world he had been introduced to.

. . .

Percy was stranded in a deserted island. His mother was standing just few feet away from him, keeping her arms open for him to embrace her. But, something just didn't felt real. Whenever he would go near her, she would go away from him.

"You have to run away" a strong voice shouted in his ears. It hurt his head intensely whenever he heard these words. Suddenly out of thin air a scythe shot from the sky and stabbed Percy's mother from behind.

"Mom!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. But no voice came out of his mouth.

He wanted to go home. He wanted his mother back. He didn't care if he had to return to his old life again. He didn't care if he had to be kicked out of every school he joined. He didn't care if he always disappointed his mother by bringing low grades again and again. He just wanted his mother.

Percy sat bolt upright on his bed, sweat drenching all over his forehead. Annabeth gripped his shoulder tightly with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"Just a bad dream, nothing else." Percy replied

"I think you should freshen up, the orientation would start in a few minutes."

"At last." Percy sighed.

"Come with me, I will show you your room" Annabeth said and started walking towards the wooden door. Percy nodded and followed behind her. As soon as the door opened fresh air welcomed him. This wasn't what had expected. The place looked just like a small city complex. Different coloured buildings were placed in definite arrangements. They both were heading to a group of ten storeys white coloured buildings which Percy assumed to be the place where his room was. To his right was an open field where an adult was giving a group of children some instructions. All of the them were wearing same orange coloured shirts with 'camp half blood' written on them. Students carrying notebooks in their hand were coming out from a small brown coloured two storeys building beside the infirmary.

Annabeth noticed him staring at his surroundings and "Yeah, the architecture of the buildings here is excellent, this place was expanded a couple of months ago." She pointed a large grey coloured building "This is the second branch of the infirmary for major injuries. I had designed the structure of the building. We have also modified few other buildings which were suggested by me."

She noticed him eyeing her with a puzzled expression and the tip of her ears turned pink "Sorry, if I blurted too much. I want to be an architect when I grow up."

"Why are even telling me all this?" Percy asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes in a annoyance and said "You won't understand, c'mon I need show you the room before the orientation starts."

They both walked to the corner most building and Percy saw that the whole complex was confined with large walls.

"You will stay in fifth room of tenth floor in this building. You have to change into the camp uniform. I have some work so you have to go to the orientation room by yourself. The directions would be given in the map with the uniform." She said and walked out leaving Percy alone.

. . .

Percy was seated in a small auditorium which would fit up to fifty people though only seven to eight people were only present. Three of them were around his age while other were younger that him. He was waiting there since ten minutes. Percy was so anxious about the orientation that he just brushed his teeth and rushed off to the auditorium without even wasting a second.

Though he was least interested in spending more time here, when people insisted that he wasn't human and specified that he was a mutant and had powers, it somewhat made Percy eager to know what powers he had. But it still scared him if we he would suddenly grow fur all over his legs and develop hooves just like Grover. He was snapped out of his train of thoughts when an old man, around his mid fifties came into the stage from the red curtains in a wheel chair.

He had thick dark brown hair and shaggy beard. His eyes matched the colour of his beard and had an innocent kind of appearance which gave Percy the feeling that he could trust him anytime.

The old man cleared his throat and started speaking "Good morning all of you and welcome to Camp Half blood. I am Chiron Brunner, activities director of the camp. I have to say that few students are intensely desperate to know what why you have been brought here."

There was a pause and for a few seconds and he continued "You all have been brought to camp half blood because you are special. I know many of you have some special abilities. We, at Camp Half blood train people like you to develop and harness your powers. I know you all have been treated unequally in the society just because you are not normal. Abnormal. Yes, Abnormal is the only word which people usually use to refer us, am I correct?"

There were a few nods from people but Percy stayed static. Yes, it was true that people didn't treat him like others. He started seeking interest in Chiron's words because they weren't simply words. They way he spoke made Percy believe that he had also once faced these type of difficulties.

He continued speaking "But we always forget there is a fine line between abnormal and different. We aren't normal, we are different, different from others. But children, remember that being different isn't something to be ashamed of. Being different means being special, which all people don't get a chance to be. As said before, this is a place for people like you. A place where we help and train you to use your gifts in an appropriate way. Now a could would arise in your mind. Why to trust us?"

He smiled gently "I will show you something"

He closed his eyes. Suddenly, his height started increasing. He shoes started to tear apart and his toes merged together and developed into sturdy black coloured hooves. His coffee coloured jeans also started to shred and long horse like white furred legs came to exposure. He sprouted the other two legs from behind along with a hairy tail. His other half body of his body had been transformed into a horse.

Percy eyes popped open (again) as the old man in the wheelchair had transformed into a typical centaur. Percy thought he was getting too much surprises in a single life.

"I am also like you. My ability is to transform my lower region into a horse. This power gives me the all the abilities that a horse have which includes it's strength and extreme speed. This ability to me has been passed down from generations. Just like me, you might have acquired you powers from parents. Just like you, I had also been rejected and treated unequally as people thought me as a failure. Most mutants have ADHD and dyslexia the common disease by which they are usually diagnosed by birth itself. They maybe diseases for humans, but for us they are abilities. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder or ADHD is a chronic disease which makes humans hyperactive, but for us they are extreme reflexes. Dyslexia makes humans unable to read, but for us it's more than that. We won't be able to read because we see more than they see. This gives us the ability to foresee attacks for self defence. All I want to say is this is the place for you. The correct place. We have contacted your parents, and with their approval, you all are staying here. The only reason we have conducted this orientation program is to not make you feel as if you have been forced to stay here. This is for your own good."

There was a momentary silence in the auditorium. Chiron walked around the stage with his four hooves, checking all the children's reactions. Percy was now having second thoughts about leaving this place. Maybe he was a mutant.

As if reading Percy's thoughts, Chiron said "All of you in here are mutants, that is for sure. This isn't the wrong place for you. Not having the knowledge of your powers doesn't make you human. The students in camp half blood are divided into two groups, the determined and the undetermined. The children who know their powers would be placed in the determined group while the other children who don't know their powers and abilities would be placed in undetermined. No student in Camp half blood has stayed undetermined for more than three months. So, there is no need to be disappointed that you are undetermined. Each of you would be assigned with your representative who would help you with your classes and train you. The diet you would follow, the exercises that would be given to you at the classes you would learn would help you manifest, harness and develop your powers."

Chiron gently smiled "I hope you all understood what I said. The orientation ends here and once again, welcome to camp half blood."

He walked out of the stage from behind leaving his torn out shoes and shredded pants along the wheelchair. Everyone started going out of the auditorium but Percy was still seated, not moving an inch from his place. What Chiron said was completely true. Maybe he should stay here for three months and see any changes. Maybe he should stay for three months and then decide what to do.

He slowly started walking out, still deeply thinking about what to do when someone poked him in his head. He turned around and saw annoyed Annabeth who had crossed her arms.

"How much time does it take you to come out" She asked.

"What to do now?" He asked back ignoring her question.

"You don't have to do anything today as per Chiron but we don't have much time, so we will do basic reflex sharpening exercises"

"Wait, you told I don't have to do anything"

"as per Chiron, not as per me."

"What if I won't listen to you?"

"You would stay undetermined for eternity" Annabeth said with confidence flaring in her eyes. Maybe she could really help.

"All right mom"

Annabeth playfully punched him in his arm and he for the first time saw her smile. Maybe time here wasn't going to be as difficult as he thought.