Hey there! Here's another chapter of the story! Enjoy! Don't forget to review!
Disclaimer found on the prologue
It was a week after Emily died. They gave her the burial usually given and sent a note to her father about what happened (He did not take it calmly).
Everyone was in a state of shock. Who could have done hat to poor Emily (She was one of the not so vain Aphrodite girls who loved to help people)? Who is D.N?
Everyone got paranoid and started trusting people less and less. Except for Percy, Annabeth, and few of the campers. They never said it but everybody was thinking of the same thing. When will the next murder occur?
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It was yet another stormy night when it had happened once again. Except this time it wasn't another Aphrodite child. No screams of protests or pain was heard over the loud rumbling of thunder (It did not usually rain at camp).
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The day started out simple for Clarisse La Rue. Wake up early, eat a morning snack, train, go back and shower, then lead the cabin for breakfast. Problem was she only got to the morning snack part 'til she saw the bloodied up body near the door.
She quickly dropped her snack and ran to the body. His face had many gashes, but the eyes were left in perfect condition (they were red). His blond hair was coated in blood. His clothes were burnt and still smoking. The bed in which he was laying on was dripping with blood.
This is usually the part that whoever found the body would scream, vomit, or faint (Or all of those). But this was Clarisse La Rue, drakon slayer. She did no such things.
She has seen worse things in her entire life as a half-blood. She quickly put two fingers in her mouth, the thumb and pointer, and whistled loudly. Everyone woke with a start "Damn, Clarisse. It's like what.. 5 in the morning let us sleep more." Mark groaned.
"Not until you tell me why Derek is all bloodied up. Who was supposed to keep watch last night?" Clarisse snarled.
"Uhm, Clarisse." nervously said a cabin memeber "Derek was on watch last night. Maybe the hunter got to him?"
"So where's the card?"
"Huh?"
"Usually hitmen leave a signature thing, which is to say his card."
They searched the body and found it.
'You might never know who I'll strike next. Be better prepared. As I said before, you will NEVER be safe if I'm here.
-TR'
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"This is going out of hand already! First Emily now Derek. Who do you need killed to add more protection to camp?"
"You need to calm down. Screaming won't help."
"And doing nothing doesn't help too! I can't just sit here and do nothing while my fellow half-bloods are being killed!"
"Everyone calm DOWN!" shouted Annabeth. Sadly she was in one of those moods where if she did not get what she wanted she would kill. But of course Annabeth is not the murderer.
That shut them up. If your thinking her shout shut them up, you're wrong. The murderous look on her face shut them up. Yuhuh. I'm proud to say that Annabeth Chase has one of the scariest glares in camp.
Anyway, back to the topic. Every cabin counselor was in the Big House having an emergency meeting.
"Thank you Annabeth for calming them down," Chiron cleared his throat before starting "As you all know there is this killer running amuck in camp. But I seem to have noticed the slight difference in the cards. Percy, Clarisse if you please."
They both handed the two cards over. Chiron furrowed his brows. "Clarisse, what is Derek's last name again? Correct me if I'm wrong but it's Nardo?"
"Yeah, it means strong in some language." Clarisse grunted.
"Why'd you ask Chiron?" Percy asked, clearly not getting at anything. He was never the keen one.
At times he was smart, even smarter than Annabeth (Though she denies). But then they were only battle smarts. He was never the straight A student, he was the barely above average student. In battling, he was the sharpest sword in the bunch. But in school, forget it.
Anyway, Annabeth also furrowed her eyebrows at Chiron's question then it clicked. She quickly took the card left at Derek's body (Quickly apologizing afterward) and read the initials.
TR
The first card had the initials DN. Derek. Derek Nardo. DN.
"Oh my..." she whispered. The murderer had slyly gave them a warning before killing that person. And whoever that person was, he must have been a camper to know the last name of his victim.
Her mind was reeling. Who was the last one to leave camp? If not, are they still here?
"Wise girl?" Percy asked concerned.
"Percy.." Annabeth started "Do you remember the initials written on the first card?"
"Uhmm," Percy tried to remember "DN, right?"
"Yes, now look at this."
The others were clearly confused at this. What does the card have to do with anything? Then realization dawned on Piper's and Clarisse's faces.
"Hey!" Travis shouted suddenly, shocking everyone out of their thoughts. Except for Clovis who contently continued sleeping.
"Tell us what's with these cards?" Connor continued for him.
"Think Stolls, DN. Wasn't that the initials on the first card?" Annabeth said, trying to simplify it for them.
"Yeah..."
"What was Derek's last name?"
"Didn't you guys say it was Nachos?" Leo asked.
"Nardo, Leo. It's Nardo. Derek Nardo. DN. The initials that were left were actually the initials for his next victim."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Leo said "So he's going to target some person with the initials..." Leo left it hanging for Annabeth to continue.
"T.R. But there's so many campers here, we can't be sure who he's going to target them next."
"So, he's actually leaving clues for us to decode. Why?" Lou Ellen asked. The daughter of Hecate was concerned because one of her brothers initials were T.R.
"Maybe he wants a challeng before killing them? Like, you know giant robots with laser beams and cool stuff like that." Leo guessed.
"You know Valdez, that's a stupid thing to say because what murderer would wan-" Clarisse was cut off short.
"He's absolutely right." Annabeth said.
"What do you mean Annabeth?" Chiron asked.
"He thinks we're weak or we can't defend ourselves. That's why he's leaving these cards. To give us time to prepare ourselves for his next attack. But there's this thing that's bothering me.. Actually two..."
"What is it?"
"Why is he doing this to his fellow halfbloods?" Annabeth saw the questioning looks directed at her. "He must be a halfblood to get past Peleus and know the initials of his next victims."
"So, what's the second thing?"
"Is he still at camp or did he leave already?"
-Chapter end-
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Date submitted: March 18