They decided that since the room were the original scrolls were sucked the life out, or energy out of anything, it's defense mechanism left it with enough protection for now. The meeting continued. But really, all they wanted to do was get it over with and go on to the gods-we've-missed-you-guys reunion part. They just respect strength, that's all. So the Pack kinda disappointed them by getting caught and stuff thus the mocking in the earlier part. They would never let the Pack forget this. Not in their immortal life times.
"At least we're not the ones getting stuck in camp," Thalia and the one beside her muttered. L barked a laugh as he was going too. Percy groaned at the unfairness.
"But you guys have to be as stealthy as possible and have them believe you are part of the Pack that the gods have discovered"
One of them scoffed. "Oh please. We're not you guys. We succeed where you fail"
"Hey!"
"Leave the blues in the bases," Percy said as he mused with a hand on his chin. By blues, he meant the fairly new ones in the Pack that's with them. The one besides Thalia nodded.
"Well guys, I think we're finished here," L said standing up. "B, I think all of us guys have some catching up?" L said waggling his eyebrows and B grinned and put an arm around one of them. "Yup, I think we do," he said grinning like a fool.
"And I think, Artemis is looking for you, Thals. You've got some explaining to do," Percy said with a smirk, glad that he wasn't the one left to do the explaining to the goddess again. Thalia paled a little. "Yeah yeah"
Few by few, they exited the room but Percy wrapped an arm around Nico and grabbed him back. "We've got some talking to do, bro"
Once all of them exited, Nico and Percy started talking.
"ORIGINAL COPY?!" Percy exploded. Nico shook his head and said, "Yeah, I know" The Scrolls of καθετίποτα. καθετίποτα literally meant everything and nothing in Greek. It held nothing. And every secret there is. That is, every secret there is that Chaos put in the scroll. Needless to say, it didn't hold the secret to where Chaos was. He really was Lost. According to the first pages of the scrolls (it was a letter from Chaos), saying that none of his children- - the Protogenoi- -knew of it.
The scrolls were intended to...well, let's just say, they were a reset button. Regardless, it held many things. Prophecies long forgotten. Secrets of...well, things that can't possibly said.
"Remember the theta section of the Scrolls we read?" Nico asked. Percy nodded.
Nico continued, "Remember what it said? No one should be able to read the Scrolls without being destroyed. It was a self mechanism and remember how we thought that the only reason we read it was because it's power dulled out? Maybe it never did. Maybe our copy was it's host. You know? Kinda like how the god of time used to come back to life? Maybe our copy was a host for the Scrolls so that the intended people could actually read it"
"Then I'm afraid we can't really destroy the original, can't we?" Percy said darkly. Nico nodded.
Percy barked out a laugh, "I bet the fates are laughing at us right now. A buck-tooth twelve year old boy" Percy said. Nico laughed with him and continued, "and an overly mythomagic-addicted ten year old girl"
"Along with the pinecone face," Percy reminded him and said, "avoided and avoided and tried and tried and tried to." He said it rather bitterly. "And no matter what we do, we can't run away the trap of a destiny we fell for"
"We take this secret to the grave. Till we we fade. We will keep the Age as it is." Percy stated in a deadly tone.
"No one in the world will know of its secrets and powers. It is not for anyone to know." Nico said nodding.
Chiron had gathered the demigods in the amphitheater. They were all mumbling about different rumors about the situation they were in. Dray was brooding. He kept cringing. Dee put a knowing hand on his shoulder. It wasn't nice to feel all the buzzing from the dead souls that was coming in soul after soul. Drew was infuriated that his father had told him nothing about the situation. He hated his father for making him look like a fool when campers asked their leader what was going on, and that he'd have to tell them he doesn't know!
Chiron grimaced. How many of his heroes would soon be dead? But there was hope. And he had trained them well. However, as for their leader, Chiron thought looking at the son of Zeus. He just hoped that the son of Zeus wouldn't do anything wrong. At times like this, one wrong move from the leader and poof, a platoon of his men would be gone.
The roman demigods filed in. Their praetors nodded in acknowledgement to Dray and Dee but only stiffly glared at Drew. The other Romans had formed a brotherly alliance to the Greeks over the centuries and had acknowledge them, but they loathed Drew.
Chiron sighed. He had to explain before the Pack would arrive. After all, after they were all brief of the explanation he would still have to tell them that the camps were being merged- - literally. As in the physical aspects and all that. It was one of the defense mechanisms that Lord Hephaestus had put in over the years for times of...danger.
The Pack had arrived early in the morning. Again, Apollo wasn't even up yet. They all were hoods and walked like a ghost. They had bid the Hunt farewell. Truth be told, they were worried for them, but they got over it for they would be watching over them in the shadows. The Hunt were ordered to help half of the Pack (which was disguised but were really just them) to fight off the monsters and help demigods and mortals fend off the Concurrence. The Hunt on the contrary, was excited. It was like a festival of hunts for them! And the Pack admittedly was sort of jealous for it.
But no worries. They would see the Hunt soon. There was a rotation and depending at the pace of the Concurrence, some of the Hunt would be called back in Camp for extra defense soon. But seriously, it's been a while since the Pack had any action. Now they were stuck in Camp strengthening it's defenses and teaching the kids.
Percy and others looked at Camp Half-blood. But didn't see it. Instead, they saw Olympian Camp. Which meant that the two camps had now physically merged into one. Olympian Camp was ten times biger than either of the camps. Since CHB wasn't really a fort and was basically just for a summer camp and CJ was a forte, just by merging them, Olympian Camp had the arrangements that screamed it was ready for an attack anytime, but it's atmosphere oozed relaxness and home. Olympian Camp was made after Percy left, but he had to say, Olympian Camp? Not bad.
You might ask, if they merged, barracks or cabins? Cabins. But in the center of the camp were sort of bases for each cohort and in each cabin was a room that was enchanted by Hermes to transport them in their respective barracks. Even the Greeks were assigned temporary Cohorts. But unlike the Roman way, the cohorts's numbers didn't prejudice nor was it an indicator if you were strong. Each cohort's member were strategically put into their own cohort (it was a suggestion the Greeks had made and the proud Romans hesitantly warmed up to the idea)
Chiron had met the Pack and had made Drew do an errand. He wanted to avoid the clash of the Pack and Drew as long as possible. The Romans were here. They did not want a commotion. Hephaestus seemed to have added a Cabin and a respective Barrack of the Pack himself. But the insides were bigger than the outsides, kinda like a close replica of the igloos. Percy figured Mars rigged them and Hestia had complied too.
Percy (a bit edgily and grumpily) ordered some of the Pack to sacrifice a few of their best swords and few gizmos that were made by the sons of Hephaestus that were in the Pack, actually cook a home made meal (without using their powers), and ordered a few to hunt monsters in the forest (that was actually much scarier since both Roman and Greek monsters were now there) and offer the spoils.
All of them were thanks for the new Cabin and Barrack. Mars grunted his approval back in Olympus and Hestia just smiled happily. Hephaestus, now, he was confused at such a magnificent sacrifice.
"Hestia told us to change outfits" Nico informed Percy. "Tell the others to implement," Percy replied a bit off. They settled in their Cabin and instead of the standard cloaks the wore to cover their identity they all wore normal commoner clothes on over a tight suit that seemed to cover every inch of their body and it even masked their face, though it fit them so well as if the masked was carved for their faces.
"What I'd give for shirts and jeans, eh Perce," B nudged him and Percy laughed a bit.
"Good ole times," was all he said and then, getting a bit distracted from the thoughts that are putting off his emotions, thought, wow, I sound old.
All the demigods and children of nymphs (yes, they were given cabins over the years. But they only had one huge cabin. Though their beds were decorated according to their parent) and other children of the gods' allies were gathered in the Olympian Camp's Assembly. (Don't cry guys, the lava wall was still part of the Olympian Camp. The Greeks wouldn't stand for it to not be part of the merged camp).
"Greetings, children of Greece and Rome!" Chiron bellowed. Lupa stood tall and proper. She let Chiron handle the speeches. Everyone of them stood in attention. "You have all been briefed of the happenings. And I am pleased to announce that the Pack has arrived." Chiron said gesturing to them and soon, they all went to the front. Once they have all stood proper in the front. Chiron continued. "Now, all of you are to respect them. They are here to help us and to train you to be better- -"
"Oh really?" someone said sarcastically. Two guesses to who it was.
"Drew," Chiron said warningly.
"What could they possibly teach that I don't already know? And seriously Chiron. It's as if their taking over camp! And you told us they would be leading us but I am the leader of this camp!" Dray and Dee tried to hold him back.
The Romans, though they hated his cocky attitude, said nothing and reserved judgement. Drew was slightly right. They had never seen the Pack in battle yet. They will not be lorded over that easily if the Pack were weaklings.
Percy growled. Oh how he wish L was the one dealing with this but nooo. He was assigned to hunt along with the Hunters.
"Listen here you twat," Percy growled. Chiron looked a bit worriedly; Lupa, assessing. Percy went toward Drew until they were just a feet apart. Percy stared him down and amped up his energy levels to the point he created an aura around him. All the demigods felt it and cringed and the proximity of Drew made with almost buckle over. Percy grabbed him by the shirt.
"You couldn't even stand a little energy amp. Look at my brothers," He gestured to the Pack. "They didn't even react to it. So I think you can learn a lifetimes worth of things from them. Don't ever insult them," Percy growled. Drew paled a bit. "Now, you're going to answer me a few questions. If you answer them right, then fine, you get to be leader," Percy said.
"Pfft, I probably know so much more than you anyway" Drew managed to spout. Percy grabbed him by his clothing. And Drew thought Percy was going to punch him, but he just spun Drew around so that both of them faced the entire Assembly.
"Then this should be easy. If you're really the leader here, big shot, tell me what you're looking at right now" Percy glrowled holding him by the helm of his clothes.
"Are you kidding me? That's easy. The people that follow me. Romans. Campers- -"
"Wrong," Percy growled amping up another wave of energy making him a bit overwhelmed, "Answer" and another wave before he let the energy died down.
"These people," Percy gestured to them. "Are your family" he said angrily as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Your blood runs in theirs and theirs in yours somehow, with the messed up incest in this shitty world. And even without that stupid blood you're oh-so-proud of having, as long as all of you think of this stupid place as a home. They. Are. Your. Family" Percy growled again.
"You think you can be a demigod leader if you don't know that?!" Percy exclaimed and shoving him off from his hands.
"You think the wittle sonny wanny of zwues haws what iw twakes two be a lweader, aaaaaaaaw." Percy drawled and Drew flashed. "WELL THINK AGAIN" Percy suddenly shouted. O-oh. The Pack thought. Percy must have been stressed. They wondered what Hestia and Mars could've possibly told him before they got to camp to make Percy this hot headed
"YOU THINK YOU CAN TELL THEM WHAT TO DO?! ATTACK THIS. ATTACK THAT. DEFEND THIS. DEFEND THAT. AND THEN WHAT? SOME OF THEM GET KILLED BECAUSE YOU TOLD THEM TO ATTACK THE WRONG MONSTER AT THE WRONG TIME? If you think you can make decisions that DECIDES IF THEY LIVE FOR ONE MORE SECOND OF THEIR MORTAL LIVES, then GO AHEAD. So tell me, if I kill one of them right now, what will you see" Percy roared
"A dead body" Drew spat
"FUCK YOU. The leader of this camp would see a sibling dying. Just because you're immortal, just because they're just mortals, just because you live for eternity, just because they don't, doesn't make it okay for you to RISK THEIR LIVES AND MAKE THEIR ALREADY SHORT LIVES ANY SHORTER. Can you shoulder all that? Huh? Can wiwtle sonny of zwues live with himself knowing his decisions can get people killed?!
Cuz if you can't! If you don't care! Then wittle swonny of zwues is just a wittle wannabe leader that couldn't leave up to the legacy of being a son of Zeus!" Percy growled.
The whole assembly was dumbfounded. Drew was paralyzed.
"Children of Rome and Greece," Percy now addressed them all. "This is the Period of Concurrence. Mortals. Demigods. People. They will get killed. So I suggest two words to all of you.
"WAKE UP. If the Concurrence overwhelms us, one by one, we will get ourselves killed. Until all there's left of this stinkin' Earth is a rotting hellhole infested with monsters. One by one, the gods will fade. And there will be no Elysium. No underworld. No escape for the souls when we die. Now if you guys finally get the situation we are in through your heads, then do tell us and we'll help each other. But if you don't want to, then fine. My brothers and I have other things to do. Oh you know. Stuff like. SURVIVING. So make your decision NOW."
Percy felt a bit of steam leave his body. He's definitely a bit calmer now. He discreetly looked around. No outbreaks of tsunamis. No hurricanes. Or storms. Hmm, he controlled himself too. Thalia would be proud he said sarcastically.
Percy waited for their reaction then his eyes bugged out when the Roman praetors knelt down and said "We would be grateful for your help" The whole Assembly followed suit in the kneeling.
Percy paled a white that would make Nico's blush when he then heard a voice in his head. See, demigod, how they kneel. You are paving the way for the Sixth Age.
"GET UP" Percy shouted, irritated again. "We. are. not. gods. So dont waste your time kneeling. Stand up and get ready to train for the fights of our lives. By the time the Pack's done with you, you'd think we're the monsters of the Concurrence" A few of the Pack chuckled at that. The fates wondered if they'd still be chuckling about it if they knew the future.
AN:
Was this long enough for your liking guys? Hahaha it's night here so gnight :)
Thanks for the reviews ^_^