Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson.
Author's Note: As promised, I have a chapter that is twice as long as my usual ones just to make up for the amount of time missed for everyone. Also, I'm thinking of writing a Highschool DxD fanfic when I have time to write again that features Percy's world, and maybe even Perry too. What do you guys think? (For those of you who know what I'm talking about).
Answers to a couple of reviews:
One, it will be Pertemis as Percy x Artemis. I'm pretty sure I said this multiple times in previous chapters.
Two, Zoe will speak old English under times of stress because I'm too lazy to write all her dialogue in old English.
Three, I'm sorry for short chapters, but it's all about a matter of time.
Four, there might be a slight Percy or Perry x Calypso, but it won't be an official pairing and it won't last either.
Either way, enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 14:
The night was cold, but everyone was too focused on the task at hand to notice.
A circumstance where all of the cabins actually agreed to fight together was incredibly rare. In fact, the Aphrodite cabin never played capture the flag, but tonight was an exception.
Each camper wanted to win this game. They wanted to break the Hunters' undefeated streak. To do this, every one of them was willing to cooperate with each other.
…For a few short hours at least…
Generally each cabin would want to be the leader in the game. This time, however, every cabin knew which cabin, or who, should come up with the strategy.
Annabeth Chase. The most intelligent camper in the cabin known for her intelligence and strategy... And pride...
"...With squad 1, the Ares cabin, will lead the charge because of their offensive abilities." The Ares cabin as a whole seemed to like her idea. "Are there any questions about our attack plan?" Annabeth finished her explanation.
There were no questions.
"Okay, now to defence. This clearing will be where we place the flag. It will be at the rock formation over there." She pointed to it. "Normally I would want to hide it in a less obvious place, but the forest is the hunter's domain, so it is unwise to set up there."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"To get the flag they will have to get up close and personal. This will be good because they are distance fighters. Now, squads 2, 3,6, and 9 will be spread out along the perimeter as shown." Annabeth was gesturing to the map of the camp. Each spot had a huge red number drawn on it. Even the most dyslexic camper could tell where their spot was.
All the squads had been divided earlier. Annabeth divided them carefully. Some people would kill one another before the Hunters even got there.
"The last line of defense will be squad 10. Your job is to keep the flag safe for as long as possible. Hopefully, long enough for the offence to get the Hunter's flag." Annabeth then looked across the group.
"Any objections?"
Most people were satisfied with this plan. A few, however, were confused.
"...Wait, Percy and Perry are in squad 10. Shouldn't they be on the attack force? Remember the manticore and Percy's spar with Clarisse? He could beat down the Hunters' defence pretty easily." Thalia spoke up.
A murmur of agreement spread throughout the campers. Someone that could beat Clarisse like that should definitely be in the front lines.
"Well... I-" Annabeth was interrupted by the topic of the current conversation.
"I asked her to put us on defence." Percy's voice sounded out in the clearing.
The entire camp seemed to turn in unison. Each camper had a look of disbelief on his/her face.
"What! Why would you do that? You're one of the best fighter in camp right now." Thalia practically shouted in disbelief. She prided herself in her own skills, but Thalia wasn't humble enough to admit that someone was stronger than she was.
Many people would be jealous of Percy for his power and skill. But Thalia wasn't.
While she did have a fear of Percy, Thalia knew that her cousin's skill and power was hard earned. Thalia respected the hard workers in life.
Thalia may have been talented in most things, but no one had ever called her lazy. She worked her butt off training. It paid off, but she could now see the major difference between her and the twins. Both had the same talents and work ethic as Clark.
The only difference was time.
If Thalia had the time Percy had, she was sure she could become just as powerful. As long as she continued to work hard that is...
"Think about this, why do the Hunters win every time?" Perry asked.
No one answered, but each camper pondered the old warrior's words.
"The reason is because they are Hunters. They are experts at tracking and killing their prey. It will only take them a few minutes to track down our flag. Nothing we do can stop that, especially in the forest like this." Perry pointed out.
"They will find our flag before we find their flag. So, we have to defend the flag until we can use our superior numbers and offensive ability (Percy pointed to the Ares cabin) to take their flag."
"Our abilities will help keep the hunters at bay long enough for everyone to capture their flag. If we did go on the offence, the Hunters would get the flag before Perry and I would even get the chance to use our abilities. Our position on the defence is the most beneficial in this situation." Percy finished.
All the campers seemed to understand this. The logic seemed sound. Not to mention, they really wanted to win this too...
Annabeth took control again and asked, "Are there any concerns?"
Silence was her answer.
"Okay, lets spread out and get ready for the signal." Annabeth finished.
Beckendorf did not usually start conversations. And this was especially true during guard duty.
But this situation was completely unusual, so he decided to make an exception.
"...What other reason did you have to avoid being on the offensive team?" Even though he was almost always quiet, Beckendorf was a very observant person. He noticed things that almost everyone else would miss.
One such thing was the way Jackson's eyes and lips slightly twitched when he looked at Annabeth.
Almost as if it was painful to look at her.
Percy gave the son of Hephaestus a side glance. If the warrior was surprised, he didn't show it.
"It is a long story." Percy answered, hoping to shut down the conversation.
"We still have a few minutes until Chiron gives everyone the signal to start." Beckendorf countered Percy's remark.
"Touché, kid. Touché." Percy looked around to the other guards. Some were in their own conversations. Others were mentally preparing themselves for the upcoming battle. No one would hear them.
Both participants in the conversation had an emotionless expression placed on his face as Percy started his story. "The short version is still pretty complicated, but I will try not to bore you with details."
"In the past, I had a daughter. At that time, she was my whole world. There was nothing I wouldn't do for her. I loved her in a pure way that only a parent can love."
"But, there was a problem. That girl was my daughter in everything but blood. I found her after her father died. Originally, I planned to leave her at an orphanage, but I couldn't condemn her to a life as a demigod orphan. That would be cruel."
"So I decided to raise her myself. Let her grow up, train her, and move on. A simple plan, really. But that did not work out as planned obviously."
"Her mother was not happy that I took her daughter under my wing, but there was not much she could do about it. We were at odds about many things concerning my daughter." Beckendorf noticed the emphasis on the my.
"Many times she demanded that I get away form the girl, but I always refused."
"Part of me wishes that I didn't. You see, I can never age. Thus as my daughter grew older, I stayed the same. She grew up, like all children do, and I had to let her go."
"But the Fates have never been kind to me. A few years later, I had to bury my daughter." Percy suddenly stopped.
His neutral expression broke for a second, before it came back.
Beckendorf saw the grief in his eyes in that split second, before it was replaced by the usual emptiness.
"That day the mother... Athena... Came and told me never to go near one of her children again. I respected that request, until Athena changed her mind a few days ago..." Beckendorf inferred that was what Percy implied.
"I do not wish to fight side by side with Annabeth Chase, because she looks so much like my daughter. She looks so much like Alice..." Then Percy became silent.
Beckendorf let him go, but decided to add something of his own in. "I'm sorry."
Percy chuckled painfully. "So am I..."
Before a large battle, there was always a small window of peace. The point where the fight is on the horizon, but there is nothing that can be done about it.
The only things that can be done was to wait and think.
Both "teams" were at this point before battle. They were all waiting for Chiron to signal the beginning of the "game" by sounding the horn.
Each individual was going over his/her own battle strategy. They remembered their past battles and were ready to uses the lessons they learned in this next conflict.
They had to win this.
Many were checking their equipment. They were doing not only for safety, but also for distraction. Letting their thoughts wonder to ifs and buts would not help them in the upcoming battle.
A few were even praying. These few were looking for divine help to solve their problem.
Yes, this time was a moment of pure stillness and tranquility...
And all of them were hating it too.
Demigods could not stay still in normal conditions. It was wired into their brain to move. Their very souls couldn't stand this current situation. It was an instinct that each one of them was having a hard time fighting at the moment.
Thalia Grace was trembling in excitement. She loved battle. It made her feel so alive. Fighting was her way of letting go and being herself. She would gladly fight until the end.
Annabeth Chase's mind was racing at a mile per second. The plan she came up with was not perfect, but it was the best she could do. She was never great in combat herself, but she still felt the pull of battle. It was in her very DNA.
Nico di Angelo felt his nerves and his fatigue fight against him. The training today was harsh and he was sore, but he was ready. Because he was the new kid, he was placed in one of the least important positions. He was okay with that, because Nico knew that he had to prove his own worth and this was the chance to do it.
Bianca di Angelo was ready for her first fight. Her new family was completely behind her, so she was not that nervous. She just hoped that she would not have to fight Nico, who she pretty much abandoned...
Zoë Nightshade could not bring herself to truly care about this match. Her goddess was in trouble and she was stuck here playing a children's game. She wanted to quit and continue to urge Chiron to let the Hunters go on a search for Artemis. But that was not the way of the Hunters. In the name of Artemis, they would fight this battle and win!
Also, she had a little business to finish with Pericles Jackson...
And just when each person was about to lose his/her mind, the horn finally sounded.
Let the chaos begin...
Zoë and the Hunters found their flag with ease. The campers left a easy trail for them to follow. They really needed to learn how to cover their tracks.
Finding the location of the flag was easy. The difficult part would be getting it.
Only five demigods were in the field. They outnumbered the campers, for sure, but they had the Jacksons in that field.
That would be a big problem itself, but the snow on the ground made it worse. It gave Perseus the field advantage. She wasn't so sure about Pericles though.
When Zoë first heard that the Jacksons were playing, she hoped that they would be on the offensive. They may be powerful, but the Hunters could still ambush then. Not even a legendary warrior could stop several Hunters attacking from the trees.
"They probably asked to be on defence though." Zoë thought.
This made things more troublesome. They would have to fight out in the open where the twins were at their strongest. Some Hunters could support her from a distance, but...
Zoë looked at the matching black coat and boots Percy and Perry were wearing. Many would think that they were not wearing armour, but she knew better. She had experience in seeing through the Mist.
Long distant arrows would not work. They would lose power and speed before they hit them. Not to mention that the snow would either stop them or slow the arrows down like with the thorns of the manticore.
"We are running out of time..." Zoë realized. The campers would find their flag soon. It was now a matter of time...
The only thing to do was get the Jacksons away from the flag, retrieve the flag, and then retreat. It could work, but only if they were fast.
"They will hold back," Zoë thought. "He will not kill over a game, that and his pathetic chivalry may be the keys to our victory."
The lieutenant of the Hunters finally gave the signal to attack.
Percy and Perry knew that they were there. Both felt them approach them a while ago. They were just planning what to do next.
Normally, Percy would not use his Aura Sense* when guarding, but this was just a game. He made an exception, just this once.
Long ago, before science was anywhere near advanced, Percy noticed how much water was in the air. The gaseous water was everywhere. It was amazing to the man.
He spent years, decades even, learning how to use it. And that led to what Percy called Aura Sense*.
Perry, however, held no such ability. That was to expected though, as his brother was not a usual child of Poseidon.
Percy used the water in the air to expand upon his ability to sense things in water. As long as there was enough water in the air, Percy could spread out his sense to feel what was touching the air.
He used it the other day to find the young demigods. It was incredibly useful, but it held many risks, vulnerabilities, and downfalls.
While using his extended senses, Percy cannot move. He needed to completely concentrate on spreading out his senses. Moving would break that concentration. Thus he could not defend himself.
Besides that, he had to close his eyes and tune out the noise around him. His body would be completely defenceless.
He also needed water in the air to use this ability. If the air was too dry, he would be as blind as a mute bat. Luckily, the air was moist today.
The worst part, however, was the transition process. It took him five seconds to change from one state of mind to the other. If he was not careful, he could literally be stabbed in the back and not be able to do anything about it. However, this is where Perry came in and would protect him as he used it.
The final drawback was the energy it used. He could easily drain himself if he was not careful.
So, he decided to not press his luck and stopped his Aura Sense while his energy level was at approximately 87%.
After changing back into his normal senses, Percy opened his eyes and said to the others, "Prepare yourselves. There are eleven Hunters in the woods around us."
Just as he said that, arrows came from multiple directions.
Percy used the snow to stop the ones coming to him and the a few warriors near him, but he could not save the others. That would drain him too much. Luckily, he didn't have to worry about his brother as Perry easily parried the projectiles aimed at him away.
Percy's energy level was at 80% now. He would have to be careful not to drain himself too much.
As soon as they found the flag, the campers initiated their attack. Usually they would try to be sneaky, but that would not work against the Hunters.
Those girls would find them in a second.
So, with a large battle cry, the campers charged to the flag. Which of course, led to the chaotic battle that ensued.
Arrows were flying. Swords were slashing. Shields were blocking. It was combat at it's finest demonstration.
Everyone had a large grin on his face. This was what they lived for. The thrill of battle as you struggled to survive and win.
Well, that was how Thalia and Clarisse felt at least.
While they had only known each other for a short while, their teamwork was exceptional. They fought together like they had done it for years.
They were having trouble getting close to the flag though. The Hunters were long range fighters. Their bows and arrows were their primary weapons. Thus the hard part was getting close enough to a Hunter to actually attack.
Not to say they were bad at close combat. Artemis made sure that her Hunters were well prepared to fight under any circumstance.
Thus the battle would be long and time consuming. It would take a lot of time to get to, drive back, and take the flag from the Hunters.
Time was against them in this match. Zoë might have gotten the flag already. The campers had to get the flag quickly or the game was forfeit.
But that was the whole purpose of spreading out the defence like Annabeth did.
The Hunters would find the flag no matter what. Most likely, they would move and do it quietly too.
If all of the defenders were in the field, the Hunters would just push past the campers, get the flag and quickly retreat.
To stop that, Annabeth had spread out the defence so that when the Hunters did sneak by and eventually attack, they would be trapped between the squads of demigods.
If it worked, the Hunters might be trapped. That would not only buy them time, it might also stop them all together.
That is, if Percy and Perry did not stop them first.
This was not the type of battle that the twins were used to.
They were used to bloodshed. Their battles were ones that ended lives. In a real battle, it was either kill or be killed.
Thus this little game left them at a distinct disadvantage. Their fighting style was to take out the enemy quickly and efficiently. They made sure that their enemies would not get up a second time.
But this was not what they was doing right now. At this moment, Percy and Perry had to avoid killing and permanently maiming their opponents at all costs. If they did kill them, Lady Artemis would surely want to skin them alive.
...Which was obviously a bad thing...
So, as his opponents shot deadly arrows and slashed sharp blades at them, all Percy and Perry could do was defend and try to keep themselves from killing them. Both brothers had to fight against his own battle instincts and experiences.
Yeah, it sucked. Luckily their skills and armour kept them from injury so far.
Many campers asked them earlier if they were going to wear any armour. Their answer was that they already were wearing some. This got them questioning looks, but the campers left them alone afterwards.
The Mist illusion over their jacket and boots dissolved after the first wave of arrows. The fur coat they now wore deflected all the arrows that wanted to maim them. Their greaves protected the lower legs from being pierced and cut. In all, both Percy and Perry were well protected.
So, even though they had to hold back, both twins could afford too.
"Arrgh!" A battle cry from his left caught Percy's attention. He quickly brought up his standard camp blade to block the knife strike to his head. But at that same moment, two arrows were being fired at his back.
Normally, Percy would move the girl so that the arrows would hit her, but he could not do that.
So, he let the arrow bounce off his coat.
The girl moved to a second diagonal strike, but before she could do that Percy moved. One of his hands left his sword to grab the wrist of the hand holding the knife. His hand dwarfed the hand of the girl who looked to be about ten.
With a twist of his wrist, the girl was disarmed. At this point, Percy would usually slit his opponent's throat. But he fought off the urge and head butted the girl instead. This hard blow to the temple effectively knocked the girl out.
Percy's pride hated the fact that he just hit a little girl. Only scum would strike a child like that, but that girl was probably thirty years old mentally and was trying to impale him with a knife.
He considered this an exception.
Percy was pulled out of his musings when a Hunter got to close to the flag. He stopped her by blasting her with snow, sending her forcefully into a tree.
His energy level was now down to 60%.
"Damn, controlling snow takes a lot out of me." Percy mused.
This had happened two times already. One of the Hunters neared the flag, but Percy kept them away. The girl attacked him. He held back and almost got hurt.
Ugh...
He hated fighting women. If he fought will all he had, he got yelled at. If he held back, he was mocked. He never truly won when fighting a woman, and it always brought all kinds of negative attention.
It happened earlier. The guys from the cabins other than Ares asked him how could he go all out on Clarisse like that.
Idiots.
The girl he stopped earlier was now attacking him. He dodged her strikes in an attempt to conserve energy. He had many opportunities to cut the girl's wrists and let her bleed dry.
It would feel good.
The Hunter was getting angry. Her twelve year old face was in a ugly snarl. In frustration, the Hunter lunged at him. He merely moved to his right by circling his stance.
Her torso was completely open. His first thought was to stab her through the stomach. He really had to fight to stop himself.
His hesitation cost him. An arrow aimed at his head nearly got him. Percy barely move his head enough to avoid permanent damage. Instead, he got a long deep cut across his right cheek.
A greave covered roundhouse kick to his current opponent's stomach cause the girl to collapse. She wouldn't be a problem anymore.
The chain around his right arm tightened significantly. Blood Seeker, his real sword in chain disguise, was getting frustrated. It wanted to feel blood.
"Be silent blade, this is not the time to throw a temper tantrum." Percy chastised the weapon.
Blood Seeker was not a blade to use in battle simulations. It was made for the sole purpose of cutting down enemies. If it did not feed soon, Percy might not be able to keep control over it.
Luckily, a lot of blood was coming out of the cut in his cheek right now.
Using the dull of the blade, Percy wiped the blood running down his cheek as he turned to face his next opponent. The chain loosened a little.
That was good. He would need to have his arm free if he wanted to defeat his next opponent.
"Greetings, Zoë Nightshade." Percy greeted the Hunter in Italian. He noticed Perry appearing from behind him, bearing a shallow cut on his forehead.
Their plan had worked in the beginning. They had effectively took out a two squads around the perimeter stealth fully (without killing them, of course). That left a huge gap for them to retreat to.
Zoë and the Hunters then began their attack on the main defence squad. The first wave of arrows was blocked and dodged, but it did spread out the campers.
Two of the campers were easily defeated by the Hunters' sheer numbers. The other two regular campers were kept busy by some of the Hunters.
That left Percy and Perry against six hunters including Zoë.
They were definitely holding back. Their hesitation and use of melee attacks and minor snow blasts were a sign of that. But both still had taken down three Hunters in the blink of an eye. The first one was finished by an uppercut to her chin. The second one was knocked out by a head butt.
And when the final one began to fight Percy, Zoë had enough. She could not let this continue.
The other squads had arrived earlier. They were now even in number wise. But that would not be so if the twins continued their assault.
So Zoë did the first thing that came to mind. She fired an arrow right at the older teen's head. It was done in hope that Percy would not finish the girl off.
The arrow would have managed to hurt Percy, if Perry's blade had not knocked it away at the last moment. Nodding to his brother, Perry turned towards Zoë as Percy left to deal with the rest of the Hunters.
"Greetings, Zoë Nightshade," Pericles also greeted her in Italian.
"Jackson! I can no longer allow you to hurt my sisters!" Zoë yelled angrily. However, Perry merely gave her a peculiar look before his heterochromic eyes turned dark.
"My last name is not Jackson. I do not have one. My brother took the name Jackson after his late wife, Rebecca Jackson." Perry raised his standard bronze blade, pointing at her chest. "Also, you show great loyalty to your comrades. That is very commendable, maybe a little foolish in this situation, but commendable none the less."
"..."
"...Silence! This may be just a game, but I will not allow my sisters to be hurt by you or your brother anymore, stupid man!" Zoë was infuriated at this point.
"...Why do you seem to hate me more than others?" Perry suddenly questioned.
Zoë was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you obviously have some sort of vendetta against me that I have no knowledge of. Why is that?" Perry's dual orbs gazed into her volcanic blacks.
Zoë was silent as she looked down for a brief second. "It's your name."
Noticing the confused look that Perry was giving her, Zoe snapped. "It's your stupid name! Pericles! You remind me of that stupid pig of a man!" Perry's eyes widened slightly as he noticed that tears were now rolling off her cheeks.
"By my name reminding you of someone could you be referring to Her-" Perry was cut off as Zoë gave a scream of rage before launching a throwing knife at his head, which he had to lunge to avoid. "Looks like I guessed right..."
"Fair enough, Miss Nightshade. I accept your challenge." Perry sighed as he charged towards her.
Zoë tried to stop him from getting close by firing arrows at him. However, Perry's blade and armour easily stopped the arrows.
He was now 10 meters away and was closing in more and more with each passing second.
This was bad. Perry could easily beat her in the field of close combat (she would rather rip out her tongue than say it out loud, though). He was faster and stronger than her. Her trying to beat him in close combat was like him trying to beat her in marksmanship. It would not happen.
Or so she thought.
The only way she could win was with a plan. She needed a strategy to beat him. The only thing she could think of though, was keeping him at a distance.
That would be difficult. She would have to be more cunning.
So, she did the first thing that came to her mind. She threw smoke bombs on the ground.
The smoke was a good plan. Keep your opponent blind to save yourself. Of course, at this moment she was just as blind as he was.
But her plan was probably to distance herself from him and use her goddess blessed accuracy to take him down by targeting the areas his armour did not protect him. If she got out of the smoke before he did, she would hit him with arrows faster than you say, "Look out for the arrow..."
So Perry threw himself out of the smoke.
The lunge did not look graceful at all, but after he landed, Perry made sure to carefully roll into a crouch. It would be unbecoming to accidentally cut himself with his own blade.
As soon as he could, Perry started to run. A moving target was harder to hit, after all.
The arrows soon came at him from his left side. They were aimed at his head and his upper legs... Yeah, you know what she's aiming for...
Perry blocked all the arrows and turned to Zoë. It was then he noticed her position. She was in-between him and the flag.
"Damn, I was careless," Perry grimaced. He was so focused on the battle he allowed her true purpose to slip his mind.
Zoë's real plan was to get him away from the flag, retrieve the flag, and retreat into the forest. If that happened, there was nothing Perry could do to stop her. So, his only chance was to stop her before she got to the tree line.
And to do that, he would have to use up all his energy in free running. This would be difficult considering he lost a lot of stamina from his previous battles. However, he still chased after her.
Luckily, Perry noticed Percy running up beside him. His twin had already finished dispatching the hunters and had come back to his aid.
Using his left hand, Percy guided the snow. This would allow him to both conserve energy and focus enough on his legs to run after the Hunter...
The first blast of snow completely missed the running Hunter (Hey, controlling snow is hard!) The second blast was dodged ("She is one of the only semi-mortal people who beat us experience wise..." Percy thought). The third blast barely hit Zoë Nightshade, but it was enough to slow her down.
His energy level was at 39%. If he used the snow anymore, he would be seriously hurting later. However, Perry put a hand on his shoulder and nodded before running ahead, giving Percy the signal to stop. Percy pursed his lips as he had never seen his twin look so eager to fight against a girl.
"I wonder, is my brother also falling for the Lieutenant of the Hunters now?"
The semi-immortal warrior was on her in an instant. His blade struck down at the girl who used a knife to divert the strike as she side stepped the attack. Her movements were the embodiment of grace, but grace did not matter when he moved his blade to do a side strike at her.
She blocked it, of course, but the force of his attack flung the girl backwards.
As Zoë was flying through the air, Perry realized just how small the Hunter was in comparison to him. She looked to be a foot shorter than him, and probably weighed half as much as he did.
Perry was so into the battle that he let it slip his mind.
...Oh well...
Zoë rolled out of her fall and came back up into a defensive stance. She looked terrible, though.
Her braids had come undone and now her long hair hung free. The hit and fall seemed to knock the breath out of her. And, although she hid it well, her left arm was probably hurt too.
However, Perry noticed that she was still mesmerizingly beautiful. Her hair was dark and sleek, and her volcanic black eyes shone with a light of determination that seemed to captivate any who stared into them. Perry felt that he also saw the same look some time ago, but he couldn't remember when...
Looking at her, Perry realized he had already won the fight. Another confrontation would seriously injure Zoë, and most likely would only exhaust Perry. That would not stop Zoë, though.
Zoë would fight to the end.
The Immortal Inquisitor knew what he needed to do to stop this from getting out of hand. So, Perry pushed at the handle of his sword which suddenly twisted 90 degrees before turning into a .45 caliber handgun.
(Perry) (Surprised?)
She looked shocked as I pointed the gun at her. Miss Nightshade most likely didn't think that I would actually bring a gun.
Heh... You get in as many gun fights as I have, then you get in to habit of always having a gun near you.
"You dare bring that infernal thing into this game! Did you plan to kill my sisters, Stupid Man?" Zoë seemed really angry.
I wonder why…
"No, I merely carry it out of habit, Zoë Nightshade." But my face showed how I truly felt about this situation. I could feel a small smirk poking itself against my lips.
"I can't believe I expected a man to actually fight me fairly." Zoë growled. I gave her a deadpan look.
"Fair? You think me using a gun is unfair? It is merely a long range weapon, just like your bow and arrow. Except with only a little more kick to it." She glared at me, although I had to admit that she looked really cute when doing so.
"Do not compare that thing to my bow. My weapon is one of skill and pride. That thing has no pride." Zoë had calmed herself down. She seemed to be thinking about something.
"You obviously don't know much about guns, then." She did not realize how much attention a gun needed. It's hard enough cleaning a hybrid sword gun when you have to switch forms every five seconds to get at the grooves. After doing a few jobs for Hephaestus, my brother and I were rewarded with our motorbikes as well as a few of these hybrid sword erasers. (Remember the Staedler switchblade eraser?)
Zoë looked at me and then the gun. She gave me a challenging look.
"That thing's only purpose is to kill. I know for a fact, thee will not kill me. So why should I believe that thee will use that thing?" Zoë continued her fiery glare.
Damn her cunningness. She was more intelligent then I gave her credit for, and looks like she goes back to old English when she gets smart.
If she was going to be cunning, then I need to become vicious.
"I do not need to kill you. A shot to the knee will stop you. You might not walk for a bit, but you would be alive." She glared at me, who merely gave her a blank look in return.
The others in the clearing were oblivious to us. They were too busy with their own fights to be concerned. Also, Percy was keeping the rest of her Hunters at bay.
We stood there for a while. She continued to glare at me while I continued to stare blankly at her.
Despite everything, Zoë did not move. She had lost and she knew it.
Then we heard the cheers. The campers were returning with the Hunter's flag.
I gave her a fake smile.
"It seems as though we have won." She gave me a look of murder.
It seems that now would be good time to reveal my secret to her, "You never played poker have you?" A blank stare.
"I love the game. Want to know why?" Still no answer, just an evil look.
With expert technique and experience, I flipped open the gun and held it upside down.
"What?" Shock covered her face. No bullets fell out of the gun.
It was empty.
"If you have a good enough bluff and poker face, you can still win big. Even if you don't have a good hand." I gave her a mischievous smirk as I saw the reaction forming on her face.
"What's wrong? I never said that the gun was loaded, did I?"
The entire camp was celebrating. For the first time, ever, the Campers had beaten the Hunters. Everyone had huge smiles as they congratulated each other.
Well, except for the Hunters and Mr. D... But they were all asses, so Thalia didn't care.
After everyone was healed, both the Hunters and the Campers met up in a clearing in the Camp.
The Hunters were not in a good mood. Especially Zoë Nightshade. She looked ready to explode at any moment.
"Congratulations, everyone. You did a fantastic job!" Chiron had not looked so happy in a long, long time.
Every Camper cheered. This day would go down in history, and thus it was a time of celebration.
"It was nice to be united like this for once. Too bad everything will go back to normal tomorrow." Thalia realized.
"Why so serious, Thalia?" Annabeth punched her in the arm. Man, she hated that.
"Yeah, you should be happy, I mean you were the one who got the flag." Grover smiled as he hugged her, having watching the game with the rest of the nature spirits in the outer bounds of the combat area.
"Yeah, I just wish we all could be like this every day." Everyone seemed to agree with Thalia. But before they could say anything a voice rang through the clearing that they were in.
"You don't have to be a sore loser, you know!" One of the female campers yelled to the Hunters.
All of the Hunters looked angry. They all showed a look that Thalia usually got from an angry Annabeth.
"Be quiet stupid girl! You do not get to lecture us!" Great, another fight.
It was then that the river burst through the dam. The arguing started full force. So many curses were thrown out. Thalia was sure that even a sailor would blush from listening to the language being passed around.
Chiron tried to settle everyone down, but no one was appeased.
It looked like a full out war was about to start when a voice suddenly yelled towards the crowd.
"Everyone, shut up!" They all turned their heads in unison.
Percy, who had been sitting by a tree a minute ago, was now standing. He was staring across the clearing. His face and eyes were completely serious.
Once again they all turned their head in unison. And cue the gasps.
The Oracle, the dead mummy-like Oracle, was standing before all of them.
It opened its mouth and said,
Seven shall go west to the goddess in chains,
One shall be lost in the land without rain,
The forbidden past will one be shown,
A betrayer of Olympus will be revealed and known,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
Loyalties of love shall one must pick,
As legendary curse bearers shall conflict.
Then the Oracle stopped and sat down in the field.
No one said anything. Even Percy and Perry looked at a loss for words. But Thalia knew one thing, though.
For some reason, Thalia was certain that she would have to be the one to move the Oracle back to the attic.
...And man, that sucked...
Author's Note: How was it? I hope everyone was satisfied from that. The Perry POV was a shock, eh? ;)
Also, anyone remember the Staedler eraser? It's still going to be a major tool the brothers use before Perry reveals his real sword. (Pretty obvious what the sword is, right?)
If anyone can guess the meaning behind the prophecy and what I will unleash, kudos to you!
Remember to read and review! I'll see you all next chapter!