A special thanks to ummiuno011 who came up with the amazing new title for this story.

Ch 5: Deja vu.

I could hardly sleep all through the night, I was so excited (and my brother's snores didn't exactly help the matter), so of course I had to wake my friends up too. So, creeping stealthily through the camp like the ninja I am, I slipped into the Apollo cabin and woke my best friend, Layla.

She semi-screamed but followed me to the Athena cabin, where our other best friend, Cesca, slept. She glared at us, but followed us to the arena none-the-less.

"So Ariel" (Ariel is the nickname my friends gave me, because they say I look like the mermaid) "were you picked?" said Layla excitedly.

"Of course she wasn't" said Cesca, still mad at us for waking her up.

"Hey, that's hurtful, and, for you information, I did. I blackmailed Clarisse into letting me."

"How?" they said simultaneously.

"Let's just say that Clarisse knows that our Dad doesn't take too kindly to his 'baby girls' disappearing into the darkness with their boyfriends at all hours of the night"

"Oh, she's gonna kill you for that." said Cesca (a little too happily at the thought of my pain)

"I know, but anyway, who are on your teams?"

"Well, there's me, Will Solace and..."

"Layla, you idiot! Don't tell her, she's the enemy!" said Cesca, glaring at me.

"Okay, but why does she care if my brother Harrison is on our team? Oh damn it!"

Immediately both Cesca and I face palmed, needless to say Layla isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the box. However; she sings like an angel and is the sweetest person I know, which I grudgingly accept is sometimes useful.

The next morning
Leo's pov:

I couldn't wait for the first task, this was going to be so awesome!

Athena called the participants from the cabins one-by-one to stand on a podium that the gods had erected. When the Hephaestus cabin was called, I, in an effort to impress Christie, attempted to look very regal and manly as I walked over. Surpirsingly, I succeeded, until I tripped and fell flat on my face. I picked myself up despite the sniggers, and shuffled on, blushing.

Next Athena called the Ares contestants forward, Clarisse, Terry and Christie walked forwards. Ugh, wasn't that just great? My amazing plan is ruined.

"Now campers, what we did not tell you is that you will be working in pairs. At the end of the tournament the winning pair shall fight each other for the title. The pairs will be assigned by Aphrodite, because she whined the most."

Aphrodite stepped forward (looking remarkably like a slightly girlier and better dressed version of Christie) and plucked a scroll from thin air. With a little giggle she began; "The pairs shall be; Percy and Annabeth, Silena and Charles," haha, Charles " Piper and Jason..."

The list went on, containing mostly couples or siblings, until Aphrodite looked up with a smirk and said, grinning, "Leo and Christie" My immediate reaction was an inward victory dance.

Christie, on the other hand, was furious. With an irate cry of "What?" she flung herself to her feet, her eyes literally ablaze with fire. A quick glare from Aphrodite, however, quickly reminded her of who she was addressing.

She calmed herself down, and then turned back to the love goddess. In a forced, calm voice she said "My Lady, I, of course, shall respect your wishes, but I wish to ask the council one question; what would happen if, hypothetically of course, one of the pair became...unable to participate in the event. For example maybe he...or she was involved in a purely unintended, freak gardening accident, that left them paralyzed, insane, or perhaps even dead, would that person's partner still be able to participate alone?"

"No" snapped Athena immediately. I made a quick, silent prayer to Tyche, goddess of luck for that.

Christie replied "Thank you my Lady", before sitting down and sending me a look which had brought many weaker men to their knees. But I didn't care, the plan was back; bigger and better than ever before!

Artemis, Goddess of the hunt, walked to the stage, a glare firmly directed towards anything male within glaring distance. Her mouth opened, and she began to speak "I have decided the nature of the first task.' she said firmly, as if daring someone to disagree with her "The pairs shall hunt a monster of my choosing, you will gather outside the forest at noon today, you will have no time together to prepare. Any pairs with even one person critically injured by the end of the task will be disqualified." With a quick, final glare she disappeared in a blur of silver light.

Approximately 12:30 pm
Chris' pov:

"Leo, I swear if you step on another twig, I am going to run you through where you stand"

"I wasn't even moving that time" he claimed

"Then what the hell made that noise? Well? Answer me flame boy."

"Ummm...I think you should turn around now."

"Hera's holy cows, that is one big Orthrus."

The serpent tailed dog stood at least six feet tall at the withers, its green, scaled tailed whipping out behind it. Thankfully, by some miracle, it had not seen us yet, and had both of its two heads pointed in the other direction, sniffing the air.

"Maybe we should attack it while we still have the element of surprise." he suggested, in a voice that was simply too loud for the situation.

"Bit late for that." I replied, drawing my slingshot from my pocket as one of the Orthrus' heads turned around. "I'll distract it, you try to burn it." I said as I pulled the sling back and shot the huge monster in the neck.

"O.K." he said as his hands lit on fire.

I fired another shot, which hit the Orthrus directly between two of its eyes. Judging by its roar it didn't like that, however; based on the way it charged us when Leo hit it with a fire ball, it hated that even more.

The monster bore down on us at such an amazing rate, it would be a lie to say that I wasn't scared. I pulled my sword out, ready to attack at the same time as Leo threw another fireball. The Orthrus continued on, its fur only slightly singed. At the very last moment it swung around to the side, and its snake's tail smashed into the both of us, knocking us down.

I, thanks to intensive battle training, had the presence of mind to throw my arms around my head to cushion the blow, unfortunately letting go of my sword in the process. Leo, who was not as experienced or lucky landed with his head against a rock, effectively knocking him unconscious. And so I lay, weaponless and dazed, on the ground, a monster standing over me, poised for dinner. Wow, déjà vu.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't need any help, although when that golden arrow came whizzing through the forest, and pierced the monster in the left head, I was quite relieved. A battle cry emanated from the directing the arrow came from, as Layla and her partner Connor Stoll burst through the foliage bow drawn.

She fired again, this time the arrow lodged itself firmly in the chest of the Orthrus, turning it to dust.

Great, I just got my badass butt saved by a ditzy Apollo girl. I was never going to live this down.

Constructive criticism is always appreciated. (as are reviews)