I missed the head. There, I said it. I messed up my entrance.

I wanted to look cool.

On my way down, I had pierced my sword into the Laistrygonian's loincloth. It's a good thing that they stitch loincloths properly nowadays, otherwise these campers are going to need a therapist.

I jumped down and hacked at the legs of the Laistrygonian, who then quickly crumbled to dust. Looking around, I could see that only a few were fighting like warriors. The rest fought like scared children, unprepared for an attack. Especially an attack of this scale.

I didn't blame them.

As the Laistrygonian finished crumbling, his absence brought the attention of the rest of the monsters. True they didn't have a Titan or Giant leading them, nevertheless, they were a formidable force. There were hellhounds. Earthborns. Sword wielding Dracnae. Armored Cyclopses. And those were the only monsters I could see right in front of me. I started to form a quick plan of attack.

A few minutes in Camp Half-Blood and the Fates already screwed me. You want to know why?

My plan didn't even get to see the light of day.

They all attacked me at once. I parried, blocked and dodged like no other demigod before me. I slashed with Soul Ripper and bashed some skulls with my shield. I shot a few of the Cyclops' and Earthborn's heads with the help of my crossbow. Their falling bodies and boulders took care of the rest of their comrades. I had decimated an entire legion of monsters, but they were soon replaced by another legion. And another. And another.

I had a few hellhounds hanging onto my legs by their teeth. Remnants of boulders stuck to my skin and hair. Arrows had gotten stuck in my armor. That irritated me.

I summoned for some fire, and made it cover my entire body. The hellhounds already destroyed due to the fire, I attacked the rest of the monsters with a renewed strength. Jumping, striking, and hacking. They fell within seconds. The rest escaped…

Tried to escape. I took care of them with a few shots from my crossbow and throwing knives. I let a few escape so they could go relay the message to their masters.

I could feel the post war bloodlust. The need to kill and slaughter some more. But there were no more monsters. I took a deep breath, the stench of my kills calming me down as I turned to face the camp.

I walked slowly towards the camp, Soul Ripper sheathed, but my shield still out. I kept my hood on, silently thanking Silena for making it so hard to come down. I noticed the infirmary tents set up here and there, injured flowing in and out like a factory assembly line. As I passed over the crest of the hill, I saw the rest of the campers.

They stared at me in awe, taking in everything from the dust stained suit to the absence of blood and scratches on me. I thanked the gods, a figure of expression now, that I hadn't used my water powers. I was pretty sure that if I did, I'd be discovered in an instant.

I secretly hoped that I had left a large bonfire on the battlefield, with the monsters' bodies in it. I knew the reason would sound childish, but I wanted that effect. The "cool guys don't look at explosions" effect. Registering the heat on the back of my neck, I knew I got it.

"Who are you?" A buffed up kid asked, his sword raised, "And what the hell are you doing here?"

I ignored him as I surveyed the camp. There were a lot of campers wounded, some critically so. However, there were no bodies covered in sheets, or burial shrouds waiting to be burnt. No one had died in battle. For now.

"Hey!" The kid asked again, "I asked you a qu-"

"Leave him be, Steve," A sing song voice said as a girl appeared next to Mr. T Jr., "After the way he handled himself out there, I'm pretty sure he can take your entire cabin. Heck, he could even take the entire camp and then some."

"Let's hope I only have to fight the monsters, kid." I replied nonchalantly, as I turned my back to them and gazed at my handiwork.

"Are you our camp's savio-"

"As a result of a close friend's request, I am," I replied, "But take my word when I say this. I despise this camp and all it stands for." I heard a few gasps, "I detest the naivety and neediness of its campers."

"Then why di-" Someone from the crowd was about to ask before I interrupted.

"However, I won't destroy it." I replied, turning back to them, "I promised a close friend I'd help, and I always keep my promises." I noticed the campers from my era in the crowd, their blessing of immortality not a curse for them yet.

"We won't refuse any help at all," A familiar voice said. I heard some galloping before Chiron appeared from an infirmary tent, "Welcome stranger," He held out his hand, "I thank you for your help."

I nod my head, shake his hand, and then head towards the woods, a final piece of advice thrown over my shoulder, "Don't disturb me unless it is an absolute necessity."

At Zeus' fist

"I see you enjoyed the battle," Hestia said as I arrived.

She sat cross-legged on a mat as a picnic basket sat in front of her. She had set a few plates all around her, and had a small fire going on behind her. I chuckled, amazed that she had already set up camp for me.

"Why all this, princess?" I asked, gesturing as I walked towards her.

"Why not?" She retorted, pulling me down next to her.

I had no comeback. I took a sandwich from the basket and munched on it as I put my arm around Hestia. I pulled her close to me and kissed the side of her cheek. She giggled a little before brushing her face with her hand.

"You wiped my kiss," I said, pouting a little.

"You got crumbs all over my face," She replied, glaring at me playfully.

"Your fault," I countered, "You made the sandwich." I was about to take another bite before the sandwich disappeared. My teeth bit into air and rattled as they bashed into each other.

"Then make your own," She smiled, before her grin disappeared a little, "You don't like it here, do you?"

"In camp? I'd be lying if I said I did."

"But Percy," She said, trying to change my mind, "They didn't do anything. Well, not all of them."

"You're forgetting that they depend and follow the gods without question."

"Then teach them to," She retorted, "Teach them to question. Show them how to fight for themselves."

"Your brother will have my head," I replied, slightly angry at the thoughts swimming in my head, "He'd think I'd be planning a revolution. You know how paranoid he can be."

"Then why are y-"

"I'm here because you asked me to." I could see a small smile on her face, "I'm only here to defeat the Giants and the Titans." A scowl replaced her smile.

"I take it then that you wouldn't care about the causalities, would you?"

"I didn't say that," I tried to choose my words carefully, "But they wouldn't be placed highly on my list of priorities." She pushed me away and got up, slightly angry and sad.

"You don't like the Olympians," She scolded, turning her back to me, "You don't like the campers. Why are you here, then? What's stopping you?"

"One reason is because you asked me to," I said as I stood up. I grabbed her arm softly, and pulled her towards me. I spun her around so she'd face me and pulled her close till my forehead was touching hers, "The other is because I don't want to see the girl of my dreams to die."

She looked into my eyes, searching for something before a small smile came onto her face, "And who is this girl?"

"Well," I said, moving my lips closer to hers, "She's the kindest, most selfless girl I've ever known. She'd put others before her. She'd help any lost soul find the right path." Her lips also moved forward, "She'd kill me for saying this, but, she knows how to drive someone crazy." I kissed her before she could take in what I said. As our lips met, I could feel my heart pumping fast, my palms getting sweaty. It felt like all the other kisses before. It felt like our first kiss ever.

She pulled back after a few minutes, "It's you that drives me crazy," She said, pulling me down with her, "With all the teasing."

"And you love each and every minute of it, don't you?" I said as we lay on the mat, her face an inch away from mine. I raised my head a little to kiss her on the nose.

"Your aim still stinks." She said, grabbing the sides of my head and kissing me on the lips.