A/N: A bit more of the Judges' plan is going to come to light in this chapter, and no, I haven't laid it all out for you. I'm not going to, until closer to the end.

PLAGERISER: Since you're accusing me of that, I'd like you to think of a few things: First, there are over two million stories on this site alone. Second, there are dozens of sites with fanfictions. Third, Miranda is a common name. Fourth, the Flamels aren't exclusive to HP, or SotI:NF (Secrets of the Immortal: Nicholas Flamel), and it's mentioned in Harry Potter. Fifth, standing up to and beating down bullies is a common event to stories. All those add up to at least a few dozen stories that have characters named Miranda, Nicholas, or Perenelle beating up bullies. You want to accuse me? Show me the story, and I'll get to work showing everyone just how different my characters are.

Chapter 6- Allies

Percy's POV

That night I slept somewhat quietly, deciding to wait until morning to report to the Judges. I woke at four o' clock, as my training with Jeanne forced me to -or get woken up by some unpleasant surprise- and immediately made an Iris-Message.

"Report, Proctor." This time, it was George Read.

"There is a demigod who has figured out that I'm not all that I seem. However, all that they know is that I was involved in the Pack-Hunt engagements, and that I likely knew of this world before joining Camp Half-Blood."

"Is removal necessary?"

"No!" I said forcefully, out of instinct, then I carefully regulated my tone, "I'm sorry for the outburst. Rather, I do not believe that silencing her is needed. In fact, I think she would be useful to your plans."

"Explain."

"She is Miranda Lytvyn, a daughter of Nemesis and very powerful. She can convert an action and use it against her enemy, even if that enemy is not the one that preformed the action in the first place. Either that, or the complete opposite. As "revenge" for me lying, she forced me to tell the truth, or at least a half-truth." I looked downward, "Now she knows my "last name" is Proctor, but she seems to be keeping quite for now."

"And she would be useful?"

"Indeed, The entire camp fears and respects her, and she controls them. Chiron, while slightly suspicious, overlooks her, and Dionysus doesn't have a clue." I took a deep breath, thinking through what I was going to say, "She is unspeakably beautiful, graceful, and elegant. Pardon my language, but that is the best way to describe. Her stunning beauty is only matched by her cunning, ambition, and ruthlessness. In addition, I believe she has plans of her own."

"All the more reason to execute her." Read pointed out.

"True, but where does one with grand ambitions go in this world? Where is the seat of more power than anywhere else? The Senate, presiding over the Legion and the city of New Rome." It was the simple truth. "Already, many Greek demigods go there for school, college, and a job. Camp Half-Blood is just that, a camp. Whereas New Rome, or perhaps even Mount Olympus, is a home."

"And how would this Miranda Lytvyn join the Senate? They do not welcome Greek demigods."

I shrugged, "As I said, she is cunning, ruthless, and smart. I think she already has an idea of how. I will most likely enter the Senate within two years, even sooner if I find a good opportunity.

"Much can happen in two years."

"Here, now?" I shook my head, "Not likely. If there was trouble brewing with the Titans, there would be some sign. With the Hunt mostly out of commission, the monster population will start to swell, which is good for us. The Pack being decimated doesn't give us any benefits other than their part in your plan. It is unlikely that the Greeks and Roman will go to war before I incite them. Most of the Olympians are too busy with their own enjoyment to watch over the demigods. The minor gods keep an eye on things, but Nemesis is hopefully building connections."

"Very well. You know the situation better than I." The Judge broke the mist screen, and with it, the connection.

Sighing, I was ready for the next thing I had to do today: Talk to Artemis.

Leaving Shadow under my bed, I nonetheless used my powers to shadow-travel myself into Artemis' tent. To my surprise, she was actually sleeping there. What about the Moon Chariot? Does it fly itself, or something?

Artemis' tent was basically a bed, a desk, and a chair. Animal furs littered the floor, making it soft and warm underfoot. For a minute, I debated decapitating or otherwise crippling her while she slept, ultimately deciding against. After all, that'd put Olympus on alert for a war, and I don't want that. Not yet.

Carefully, I picked up the chair and moved it next to her bed, waiting for her to wake. In her sleep, she tossed and turned a bit, which shoved the covers down a little. That, in turn, showed the rather revealing nightgown she was wearing, which prompted me to take a few pictures. Somewhat embarrassing blackmail.

And then it got even better. All her tossing and turning pulled her low-cut nightgown a bit too far, revealing a globule of flesh she would no doubt go to massive lengths to prevent from appearing in any photos. Needless to say, I snapped a few more shots, then carefully moved the covers upward, to hide that fact that I'd seen, much less taken pictures, of it. Perfect. I can get quite a big favor for that. Or trade it to another god for an equally big favor.

Like this, not fighting, she look strangely pretty, but nothing compared to Miranda or even Zoe. Noticing a hunting knife at her bedside, I nabbed it and cleared my throat loudly. After all, I don't need to see if she uncovers herself again.

Immediately, Artemis' eyes shot open, and her hand shot towards the the location where the knife used to be, now sadly empty.

"Looking for this?" I asked mockingly, holding up the hunting knife.

"Tristan." She growled, "What are you doing here?"

To my surprise, she didn't lunge forward to attack me, although that could've been because such an action would make her loose the covers, which were the only things that kept her modesty. Chuckling, I tossed the knife back to her, "I merely wished to say that I have fulfilled my promise. The Sword of Shadow, as you call it, is hidden in a very remote place."

To her credit, Artemis plucked the knife right out of the air, then regarded me as if debating whether to gut me, "And yet it's mark still adorns your palm."

"Yes, it does. To my knowledge, it can't be removed, even when the skin it rests on is removed." I shrugged, "Oh, and don't worry. I haven't permanently injured any of you surrogate daughters in getting here. If that is all, I will take my leave."

Turning before she got a chance to reply, I left the tent and rounded the corner, disappearing into the shadows.

Percy's POV

The day was going pretty well, until just after Archery. When I went to Miranda's and my usual meeting place -at a pair of adirondack chairs- she was already waiting for me. Even the way she looked at me was odd: Formerly, she looked at me like I was an amusing occupier of her time, and perhaps a mirror of herself. Now, I was something more. Almost like we were equals.

"Perseus." She greeted as I sat down. The blond minx looked completely calm and relaxed in her chair, but I could practically taste the tension between us.

Sizing up the situation, I replied as neutrally as I could, "Miranda."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, tension rising between us. We could sense similar traits in each other, as we had during the first day I showed up. But now, our relationship had reached a breaking point: Either we were going to work together on each other's plans, or we were going to become rivals, at best. At worst, we'd kill each other. This is the tipping point, I guess. I'd be able to move ahead with the plan without her, but . . . she could help a great deal.

I had no idea what was going on behind those icy blue eyes. They were coldly appraising me, and I knew that behind all the beauty and elegance, this could be a more deadly foe than even Kronos. Yeah, she can kill me on a whim, after all. I could kill her as well, but my death would be far more costly than her's.

Neither of us were willing to break the silence until well over an hour later, when I spoke up, "Miranda, I . . . I. . . ah, shit. Miranda, you know this can easily end with us killing each other."

There it was, out in the open, "Yes, it could."

"Then I'm going to say this outright, before we get to the clever talking and such: I don't want to kill you. Period. If you take my life at the end of this discussion, I'm not sure I would kill you as revenge." I shrugged, "I won't gain anything by killing you, Miranda, but I have everything to lose if you kill me. Hades, I'm pretty sure that you realize you won't get anything from killing me, either."

"Perhaps. There is that matter of the sword you were carrying, Perseus." Our eyes never broke contact with each other, "That is no ordinary sword, I'm sure."

"True, it isn't. Just as your ring is no ordinary ring." I stated calmly.

"Since you shared a confidence with me at the beginning of this conversation, I will do the same." Miranda, throughout this entire conversation, was calm and collected, like she was detached from her emotions, "I was visited by my mother this morning, Perseus. And do you know what she said?"

I shrugged, "No."

"She said not to harm you, Perseus, and while she neglected to state a reason, she was very adamant." Miranda's eyes now seemed to bore into me, "So I cannot harm you, Mr. Proctor. If I did, I have no doubt Nemesis would take my life."

Well, that's good news. But why would Nemesis. . . Read. Of course he'd take the precaution. Of the three Judges, George Read seemed to care the most about my well-being. And he was the Judge I reported to. This'll become awkward real fast.

"Miranda, to make this simple, I'm just going to tell you everything. You won't need to weasel any words out of me, I mean everything." I stated calmly, surprising even myself, "I know what I'm about to say will sound ridiculous, but I swear on the River Styx that it's true."

For the first time this conversation, hell, the first time since I knew her, Miranda looked surprised, and even shocked when a boom of thunder sealed the oath. Quickly, though, her features settled into her cool, inscrutably elegant composure, "Then continue."

Taking my time, I laid out everything that happened to me, including the entire plan. Prior to today, only four people knew that this plan even existed: The three Judges and myself. Not even Zoe or Sasha knew. Now, I was spilling it all to Miranda Lytvyn, the most cunning, graceful, ruthless, beautiful, dangerous, and elegant female in Camp Half-Blood, or maybe even the entire world.

By the end of the story, she looked like she expected me to get pulled down to the Styx for breaking my oath, but fortunately, I didn't. Eventually deciding that I wasn't going anywhere, Miranda spoke,

"That is quite a tale, Proctor. Mine is not so interesting." She shrugged gracefully, "My father, after Nemesis left him, drunk himself to death one night. I was only two when it happened. The orphanage took me in, but I did not know of my powers for a long time. Older boys claimed me as "their's", until bigger ones chased them off. When I was eleven, one of them -who was no older than fifteen himself- tried to rape me. That was the first time my powers had a visible effect. His manhood fell away from him. Mortals fear that which they do not understand, so gradually, as more and more people who crossed me were dealt lasting injuries, people avoided me. I lived like that for years, until I was picked up by Grover Underwood, a Satyr, and was brought here the day after the explosion you were held responsible for."

Her eyes met mine yet again, and this time, there was something there besides the cunning ambition, the cold dignity, and calculating ruthlessness, but I for the life of me couldn't identify what. Loneliness?

"However, my troubles did not end there. Several campers tried to make a move on me, but I refused them. One of them, an Ares camper, did not accept my refusal, and abducted me. Needless to say, I fought back, and being aware of my powers now, I took out my revenge on him for all of my years of loneliness, and being treated like a prize to be won. By the end, he was unrecognizable. Eighteen years of pain, all compressed into a few minutes?" Miranda laughed softly, "After that, I changed. If someone insulted me, they went to sleep that night sporting new injuries. If someone spoke out against me in front of others, I would tear them down. If someone wronged me, I would pay them back double. Then, I realized I would not have a future other than ruling this camp, so I started planning for one. That summer, I inherited my father's money. Then I moved to New Rome, where I now study Political Science, Government, and other related subjects at the college there. Then, a year later, you arrived. I saw something in you, Perseus Jackson. A drive not unlike my own, a sense of ruthlessness and strength the rivaled my abilities. And the rest, they say, is history."

She spread her arms expansively, "So this is my camp and my past, but what we are here about, Perseus, is the future. My original plan was to involve myself with a influential male Senator, kill him and inherit his money, then work my way up the political ladder."

"Why don't you allow me to aid you?" I pressed, "As you've heard, I can most likely enter the Senate in a year, and once there, I can put in a good word here and there."

"But at what cost?"

"Simply the cost of you being an ally to me. We could be either incredibly useful or incredibly dangerous to each other." I was being completely honest, and it looked like she believed me.

"Or perhaps. . ." Miranda trailed off, her lips forming words but no sound came out. She was thinking, analyzing something, but I didn't know what, "I will contact you tomorrow, Jackson."

With that, she stood, turned, and left. Which meant I was going to be stewing with apprehension until she talks to me again.

Percy's POV

For the rest of the day, I roamed the forest with the Celestial Bronze sword, slaughtering every monster I saw, until I tripped. Unfortunately, I tripped into a hole in the ground. The Labyrinth? Please no.

The cave was completely black, but I could see in the dark, thanks to Shadow. To my surprise, the cave only went a few meters before ending with a pool of water. And it wasn't a natural pool, either. More like someone had taken a huge hunk of rock, carved it into a bowl shape, and stuck it in the floor. But as odd as that was, there was something even weirder at the bottom.

Someone had made an indent for a sword to lay, at the bottom of the somewhat small pool of water. And this indent looked surprisingly familiar. . . . .

I tore my gaze away from the pool, looking around for anymore clues, and something caught my eye. The object was partially embedded in the wall, but it was pure white. A sheath, presumably for the sword that used to lay in the pool. Suddenly, I knew exactly why the indent, and the sheath, looked so familiar.

I summoned Shadow -in it's own sheath- and compared the sheathes. Other than the color, they were an exact match, and Shadow fit the indent perfectly. There was another Sword, literally in Camp Half-Blood, right under my nose. And I didn't notice! How many times have I been in these frakkin' woods!? Hundreds!? And I never found this frakkin' thing!

Cursing myself, I drove a foot into the wall in anger. Naturally, the wall didn't budge and I leapt backwards, cradling a bruised toe and cursing even louder. My anger cooled eventually, making me decide to keep the sheath and find it's owner. After all, whoever owns Light could put quite the hole in my plans, especially if whoever claimed it goes insane. It's only a matter of time.

Shrugging as I made up my mind, I shadow-traveled back to my room in the Nemesis Cabin and hid the Sword and sheathes under my bed, then the conch horn rang for dinner.

But little did I know that I had the actual sheath of Excalibur, nor that it's rumored powers were still waiting for a claimer.

Percy's POV

The first thing I noticed at dinner: Miranda was missing. The second thing: The Hunt was missing. The third thing: Declan Ross, one of the unofficial leaders of Camp Half-Blood, was missing. The fourth: About half the Ares Cabin was missing. The fifth? Everyone was whispering.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

"You know Declan? He went berserk!" Olivia whispered back, "Artemis took him up to Olympus. I think he's going to get executed."

"For what?" I was incredulous. Declan had struck me as a kinda noble guy. An unclaimed Hermes camper before the Titan War, he stuck with us, fought hard, and lived. Since he grew to be a leader of the camp, at least a recognized one -*cough* Miranda *cough*- he was still a pretty good guy.

"He almost killed half the Ares Cabin!" Olivia stage-whispered as loud as she could, "I think some of them actually died! In my opinion, we're better off with him gone."

He wouldn't snap like that over a few goads or catcalls. Something's out here, and I don't know what. Damn, why are there so many things I don't know?

Dinner passed without incident, other than me hearing rumors ranging from the gods locking Declan in Tartaurus, to the Hunt torturing him, to he and Miranda going at it hot and heavy somewhere with the rest of the Hunt -and Artemis- watching, to Miranda being summoned by Zeus to execute him for treason. Most of the time, I had to stop myself from laughing.

If my "trial" was any judge of how things worked on Olympus, he'd be executed. Yeah, but he wouldn't have Adikea casting a judgment, right? Speaking of which, I still have no idea why the Olympians were so united in killing me, nor even why Adikea was there instead of Dike. I'd have to ask the Judges for permission to look into that, and into finding Drew.

Refocusing on my food, I finished the meal quickly and headed back to the Nemesis Cabin. Needless to say, Miranda's room was shut and locked, and I didn't particularly feel like shadow-traveling in on her. If she was even in there at all.

Sighing, I laid down on the covers and fell into a deep sleep. But, of course, I wouldn't get a nice, dreamless sleep following my odd day.

Indescribable rage pumped through my body as I clasped the grip of an almost familiar Celestial Bronze sword, this one with Stygian Iron inlays and diamonds embedded in the pommel. These Ares punks were gonna burn!

Dashing forward, I slammed the sword down into an Ares boy's shield. Sev? Something like that? It didn't matter. All that mattered was the thin line of blood that came when I caught him on the upper arm. The Sword throbbed in my hands, wanting more, NEEDING MORE.

"Ross! Why?" Clarisse shouted, smashing me in the back with her shield, "Snap out of it!"

I just growled and spun. Blinding light erupted from my blade, blinding the Ares campers but leaving me unharmed. Snarling, I pressed the advantage. Jess, another Ares girl, got her leg cut off. The blood flowing from it countered gravity, instead flowing upwards into my Sword, which absorbed it.

I could sense the mysterious "other" in my head growling in contentment. It had been there ever since I picked up the Sword from that cave. Those Ares campers wanted to boast about there skills? Why don't I show them what real skills are.

Clarisse lunged, but I grabbed her spear. Electricity coursed through me, but I smiled, then cleaved the spear in half. Arcs of the very same electricity hit the rest of the Ares campers, sending them flying backwards. My Sword pulled me forwards, yearning to cut, to wound, and to kill. And I was all too happy to let it.

I cut off an arm, then a silver arrow embedded itself in my leg. Growling at the people impudent enough to interrupt my fun, I spun to face my new opponents. Then there was a silver blur, and I was knocked unconscious.

I flew upright, gasping at the vivid dream. Cold sweat slicked my body, and I instinctively summoned my axe. Nothing's here, Percy. Just a dream. Groaning, I swung myself out of bed and got dressed, then walked outside and sat down in the ring of couches. In the center of the ring, a fire glowed cheerily, which I took some small measure of comfort in. Apparently, though, I wasn't the only one who had a bad dream.

"Perseus?" It was Miranda, clad in an elegant dressing gown. She tied it around the waist as she walked forward, but even in the dressing gown, she was stunningly beautiful.

"Bad dream?" I guessed.

"It appears so." Her smooth shoulders moved a minuscule amount for a shrug, "And it appears that Mr. Ross indeed hospitalized those Ares campers."

I nodded, "I had the same dream, by the sound of it. Mine ended with a Hunter -Artemis, most likely- knocking him unconscious. That Sword, though. . ."

"Light." Miranda said, bluntly stating what we both knew to be true, "From what I've seen, it looks to be almost a negative of your own Sword, Shadow."

I sighed, "Yes. It looks like we've also discovered what King Arthur meant when he said the Sword was hungry."

"Shadow never felt like that?" Miranda's ice-cold eyes met my own, "What of Water?"

"Not that I know of. I asked Zoe to tell me if she feels constantly angry or aggressive, and she hasn't said anything yet. Sasha, having no experience with Water, doesn't have a clue either." I shrugged, "I had Riptide for years, and I didn't feel anything like that, but . . ."

"But you were holding Riptide, not the Sword of Water." Miranda finished, "If the gods get a hold on Light, it could be very dangerous to us and our plan."

"Our?"

Miranda snorted, "You cannot expect to be able to do that alone."

"Miranda, my friend. Your words, they sting." I said with mock hurt, "So, what'll happen to your own future?"

Miranda eyed me, "It will change, of course. At our last discussion, I had an idea that could not have been in either of our plans as lone politicians, even if we join one of the parties."

"And queue the dramatic pause to make the other person lean inwards, unconsciously putting themselves under you." I said as Miranda fell silent, "We both know that tactic far too well."

"Quite." Miranda smirked, "It is good to see my hard work is not completely lost on your clumsy mannerisms. As one of us will already join the Senate, I rather thought the other could join the Bureaucracy."

"I didn't think there was a Bureaucracy in New Rome." I raised an eyebrow, "It's a bit modern, isn't it?"

"And now I see my work has been lost on you." Miranda sighed, "Yes, Perseus, there is a Bureaucracy in New Rome. If you had bothered to learn any history at all, you would find that Gaius Octavius Caesar created the first bureaucracy, to run things when he was not able. In particular, I was thinking of the Treasury."

"The Treasury?" I asked, the understanding fell on me, "Ah. I'm guessing providing supplies, armaments and such for the Legion is expensive. And, if there's any money siphoning, you could see it."

"Indeed, although I suspect they would hide it well. Romans have had thousands of years of practice in cheating the system." Miranda smirked, "But I will outwit them."

"You will? You've been majoring in Political Science!" I protested, "You should be the Senator!"

"No. You, without any studying, have managed to outwit me more than a few times in our games." Miranda smirked, "And besides, you will be the target of assassinations and foul play, not me."

"I guess, but you've beaten me in those mind games too. Hell, I remember when you convinced me that Clarisse was spying for Kronos!" One of our games was that we -using a mix of fake evidence, inflammatory language, subtle clues, and general convincing- would try to make the other believe something. But that was mixed in with actually discovering secrets about the campers, so neither of us was sure what was true and what wasn't before the other told them.

Miranda smirked contentedly, " I had to stop you from storming the Ares Cabin, if I remember correctly. But you managed to steal the leopard head from the War Room, and despite the clear evidence pointing at you, you managed to blame the whole thing on Connor and Travis. In fact, even I fell for it."

"Along with the rest of the camp, yeah." I chuckled at the memory. I had even left my camp-issued Celestial Bronze sword there, along with plenty of other things, but after a few days of giving eloquent almost-speeches to everyone, I managed to twist the circumstantial evidence to implicate Connor and Travis. The Hermes Cabin got kitchen-cleaning duty for the rest of the summer -which they were still serving- while I got off scott-free.

"And you will only improve." Miranda's face became serious again, the moment of mirth forgotten, "Without studying, you will be more inclined to do something unexpected, something new and different. Your skills are on par with my own, and yours will grow with more experience. You have taken to our politics like a fish to water."

She smirked at her joke, but didn't laugh, "More importantly, Perseus, you enjoy it."

"You do to." I pointed out.

"For me, it is the joy of accomplishment as I see my actions unfold. For you, it is something more."

I shrugged, "Fine. I can't think of any arguments, so you've convinced me. I take it that means you need some way to the top that I can't really help with, and you need to disassociate with me?"

"Correct on both accounts, although the soonest this will become relevant is at the end of summer." Miranda said, "So you will be at our meeting place at the usual time."

"I wouldn't dream of it otherwise." I replied, mocking a bow while sitting. "Now, I'm pretty sure people will start coming out soon, and by the fact that I've never seen you in that before, you'd rather not be seen in it. Although, your gown is much better than Artemis'."

"You've seen Artemis in a dressing gown?" Miranda raised an eyebrow, "When, Jackson, did that happen?"

"I'll tell you at the "usual time", as you call it." After I said this, Miranda glared at me. Needless to say, I chuckled, "Hey, you made me wait!"

Miranda just huffed, stood, and re-entered her room. I shrugged before standing and heading for the Dining Pavilion. Apparently, I was the only one who woke this early so I helped myself to the freshest food and sat down. Prior to today I usually arrived in the middle of the pack, just to not draw anymore attention than needed. Today I didn't really care. After all, my "teacher" here is willing to work with me.

Other demigods sat down in ones and twos, until I finished breakfast and left, heading for the Arena to warm up before Cameron got there. Swordsmanship passed quickly, with my steady, if large "improvement" continuing every day. Hopefully, holding back less and less everyday would let me exert my full skill sometime soon. The same thing occurred in Archery, then Canoeing, then Pegasus Riding, then the rest of the activities, until they were finally over and I could finally head over to the adirondack chairs Miranda and I met at.

This time, I got there before Miranda, sitting on the left as usually did, and waited. Less than a minute later, she arrived and sat down with the same poise and elegance she always did.

"So, Perseus, regale me with the story of how you found yourself to be in the same room as a nightdress-clad Artemis."

"Well, I was going to tell her how I hid Shadow in a place no one would likely find it. Of course, that was a lie, but it wouldn't do to have her be suspicious of me. She already wants to kill me enough for being a werewolf." I shrugged, "It was early this morning, actually, just after half-past four. I shadow-traveled into her tent, ready to surprise her when she woke. This is the state I found her in."

I took out my phone, and -hiding a smile- I showed in to Miranda, who smirked, "I do not think Artemis would like other people seeing these photos."

I laughed, "Yeah, it's not a very modest nightgown, is it? But look what happened after a few minutes of tossing and turning."

I went through the pictures until I found the one with Artemis lying on the bed with one breast exposed, "I'd imagine this picture would be worth quite a favor."

To my surprise, Miranda actually smiled at this. Usually, the only expressions that graced her beautiful features were a mocking smirk, cruel laughter, or simply joy when she got the best of me. Even when she smiled on a few rare occasions, it was usually mocking or not directed at me. Now, though, it was entirely different.

Miranda nodded slowly, already thinking of how this could be used, "A very big favor indeed. In fact, I believe there is little she would not give to get rid of this. Does she know you have it?"

"No. I covertly pulled the covers up on her to hide it. In fact, I believe her state of undress was the only think preventing her from lunging at me when she woke." I smiled back, "I think it could be used to give her a good shock at one point."

"An unbalanced opponent is the easiest to topple, be it on the political or physical battleground." Miranda stated, "One of the first things I taught you, I believe."

"Yep. What do you think about Declan's disappearance?" I asked, starting one of our mind games.

Miranda, didn't know I would be trying to fool her into believing my run of events in the next few days, though, so she answered without any wariness, "Most likely? He gets a telling-off from Chiron, forcing him to stay in his cabin for a while. Maybe even until the end of summer."

"Don't you think that he could've been executed?" I asked innocently, but not too innocently, and leaned in close. All calculated to make her actually think about my idea, not just dismiss it out of hand, "I mean, they executed me, and I wasn't insane."

"I do doubt he's insane, Perseus." Miranda's eyes met my own, and I tried desperately to clear them of any deceit, "You felt as well as I did that he was in full control of his faculties."

"Who says?" I pressed, my voice changing, becoming louder and somewhat more passionate, "We were in his mind for a matter of minutes, at most. Minutes, Ms. Lytvyn, are too short to be any judge of a person's well-being. Would you trust your life to someone you've only known for a few minutes, and in those minutes he was recklessly slaughtering everything in sight?"

"No." Miranda admitted, then changed the subject, "What do you think of Chiron? He has been very. . . . docile these past few years."

I chuckled at the thought, "Been like that for as long as I've known him. I remember my second year here, despite knowing Luke poisoned Thalia's Pine, Chiron refused to accuse him."

"He does believe everyone deserves a second chance. And a third."

"Yeah, one time when I was with Annabeth, I tried to impress her by, of all things, stealing a car." I laughed as I looked back at how foolish I was back then, "Used the Mist to convince the driver of this really sweet GT to give me his keys and walk away. Chiron managed to smooth it over, and didn't give me cabin-arrest, or even kitchen duty."

"Sounds like he wanted to be on your good side." Miranda remarked, "Probably just wanted to look good."

"Yeah, probably."I agreed. Wait, Chiron never tried to "look good" to anyone else. So what was that about? He always seemed to think about what is the "right" thing to do, for the greater good, except when it involved killing someone. And I really don't think that falls into the greater good category. "But it never seemed like Chiron wanted to impress anyone, or show favoritism, even if the camp did."

"Oh?" Miranda raised an eyebrow, "He helped you get over the traumatic experiences of your childhood, surely? Anything less would be a crime of neglect!"

"Actually, he never did. . . . meh, doesn't really matter now." I shrugged, but her words set off a line of thinking in my head. Why would Chiron send me -when I was only twelve- to retrieve one of the most powerful weapons in existence, that would've had to have been stolen in the first place by someone just as powerful? Why would Luke even give the bolt to Ares in the first place? Luke could've just kept the bolt and let the Olympians start World War Three! Something smells odd here. . .

Miranda shrugged slightly as well, in apparent agreement, "Now, you need to work on domination. In that situation, remember this: You will not take no as an answer. Either they give in, or you get rid of them. If an opponent can be cowed by a show of strength, then you have won the battle without compromises, and in the future, they will submit to you more easily. . . ."

Time Skip: 27 Days (36 after Percy entered camp)

Percy's POV

The days had settled into a rhythm, the days passing quickly, until I got a bit into my second month here. My relationship with Miranda had changed from teacher-student to friend, and now it was something more. Now, occasionally, we would hold hands and -very rarely- hug. She would sometimes seem more animated, and to my surprise, I felt the same things happening to me.

Then something happened that could throw all my carefully laid plans right into the fire: The Hunters came back.

A/N: I'm trying to stay true to the numerous legends I refer to, so I'll try to put some background in these Author's Notes. Oh, and remember that while Percy knows that the scabbard he found belonged to the Sword of Light, he never learned the Sword of Light was Excalibur, much less the rumors attached to that scabbard. Oh, and in addition, you might want to know something about the Senate before I really get into it.

The Sheath of Excalibur was rumored to do a few things. One was that the owner would not die from blood loss (or, sometimes, that the owner wouldn't bleed at all). Another was that the person who owned the sheath would heal quicker than normal. Not nectar quick, but faster than normal.

Stories I could be accused of plagerising (probably): The Assassin of Darkness, Assassin, Assassin School, The Assassin's Order, The Lone Ninja, Ninjas: Taking Over the World, The Murdered, Sneaky Sam, Secrets of the Immortal: Nicholas Flamel, etc. The list goes on for several dozen titles (in all fandoms), spread across Fictionpad, Wordpress, real books that i've read, and a dozen other sites Feel free to insult me like that guest did for all of these, or be a good person and tell that guest to fuck off.