Chapter 20: Reading Capture the Flag Becomes Lethal
*Time skip – 1 year, 4 months*
"Have you heard? The whole of Williamsburg Bridge was destroyed!"
"I am pretty sure everyone has heard of it by now, it seems like a really big deal," Athena muttered and glanced at Zeus who was reading the book.
Zeus had a scowl on his face as he read a few paragraphs ahead in his mind, only to wince as the but of Poseidon's Trident hit his head. He glared at his brother who just grinned and shrugged, and indicated to the book.
"Outloud brother, we shant hide any knowledge of what is up to come, war is on the horizon." he spoke calmly and motioned to the book.
With another glare to where Kronos sat snickering Zeus dusted imaginary dust off his clothes and began to read out loud.
Percy was pretty sure that was the only thing he heard the whole morning, and he was starting to think everyone was saying the same thing just to get on his nerves. So what if the American states were going frantic about the apparent terrorist attack? He had his own problems to deal with.
"Are you ready for capture the flag tonight?" Darren was asking from across the table.
"At a time like this?" Aphrodite sniffed. "No time for games!" she said and added another layer of nail polish on her toe.
Though many of the gods, Titans, and demigods stared at the goddess of love in surprise, haven't expected her to speak up in the times of war, Ares meanwhile wore a proud smile.
"Gosh, that is stinky, how do girls put that on!" Artemis said and waved her hand in Aphrodite's direction.
"A lady must always look beautiful and proper Arty," the goddess of love said and stared challengingly at Artemis.
Percy shrugged. "The same as all the others, I guess."
"Who are we playing with?" Darren asked curiously. "Is it Athena cabin?"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Duh. Who else would we be allying with?"
"Athena and Poseidon teamwork at its best," Percy quiped and looked at his father who was staring at Zeus who was reading. Like everyone else he wanted all the knowledge of what was going to happen and prevent it. Well as best he could since they would be changing the future for the best or the worst.
Darren grinned. "Awesome. Who else?"
"Uh… Ares, Hermes, Hypnos, Demeter, Iris, Nemesis, Hades, and the twins."
"This is gonna be so cool," Darren muttered as he ate his lunch.
"Lunch is the most important meal of the day, and with that said; snacks are in order here," Demeter tapped her weapon of power and everyone had food, a plate with half a sandwich apple slices and some veggies. "Enjoy," she bit an apple slice.
Coughing Zeus took a sip from his goblet and proceed with the book. (*)
Percy hummed. "Hopefully we won't get our flag taken."
Darren nodded. "Yeah, that wouldn't be that good."
"Ready for the afternoon?" Percy asked with a grin as he stood up.
Darren nodded. "I guess I have to be, don't I?"
"That's the spirit," Percy smirked as he jogged out of the pavilion to get to the arena and start his session with the immortal campers.
"What's your plan for tonight?" Jason asked, grinning from ear to ear as soon as they arrived. "Are you gonna use your freaky powers over the Pit?"
"Plus how is more power freaky? It's saying all powerful deities are freaks, but in reality we all have been training to use them since we were made and born," Iapetus said and glanced at Athena. "Plus we have had centuries of experience," the titan made himself well known to defend his breathn, and the ones who he considered friends.
Percy sniffed. "You know how dangerous that is for me, Jason. King can sense it."
Jason shrugged. "Hey, you gotta make risks sometimes, right?"
"A wise man once told me that there was a time for recklessness and a time for being smart, in times of war, it isn't a time to be reckless," Jason piped up and looked around him as they thought over his on contradicting on himself.
"Not when they're about him," Percy scowled. "Haven't I told you all you've got to play safe with him?" The immortal campers all nodded, and Percy smiled slightly. "Pair up. Annabeth, you're with me."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow as she made her way to a few feet opposite Percy. "Any particular reason you wanted to fight me?"
Percy shrugged as he readied Tsunami, lifting the silver sword in front of him. "Does there have to be? What if I just wanted to fight you?"
Annabeth laughed as she blocked Percy's attack. "Come on, Seaweed Brain."
"Okay, I wanted to check up on the twins," Percy admitted.
"The twins are always be looked out for, I may be a titan but i don't abandon my family for no reason." Krios said.
"Because they're in our Capture the Flag team?" Annabeth asked as she slashed towards his legs in a feint and flicked her wrist to direct the drakon bone up towards her waist.
Percy frowned and spun to the side, easily batting away the attack with Tsunami and bringing Riptide up to Annabeth's chest. "Because I brought them here to camp and haven't seen them in a least a week. I want to know how they're doing."
"They were doing pretty bad," Krios admitted, "they prayed to me for many things that I could not give as they were within the gods region."
Annabeth eyed the bronze blade pointing at her chest. "They're progressing quickly," she said as Percy withdrew the blade. "Almost too quickly. It's incredible, their Titan blood's giving them better and faster instincts and reactions than ours. Their strength is unmatched, and in their chosen weapons they've progressed amazingly quickly."
"You are treating them like experiments, and it's not nice," Hyperion spoke up, some of the gods and titans were so quiet that others forgot that they were even there to begin with.
Percy's eyebrows furrowed. "They're not science experiments, Annabeth."
"I know that, Seaweed Brain, but it's giving us all a chance to see exactly what the difference is between the gods and the Titans."
"I know the difference," Percy grumbled. "The gods aren't insane and the Titans are."
"Very one sided on what he thinks, since he has only been the enemy to the titans since he was a child." Kronos said an
Annabeth rolled her eyes and lifted her sword again. "They're still able to fight better than they should at their age."
"Krios did teach them a little, and if you've seen a Titan actually fight properly in a fight that takes longer than a few minutes you'll soon see that they're better than the gods," Percy said evenly.
"Then why aren't you also teaching them?" Annabeth frowned.
"Because Zeus won't unbend his pride enough, will he?" Percy said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm serious," he said as Annabeth opened her mouth to argue. "I wouldn't mind trying to teach them, but they'd hate it. Being taught by a mere demigod?"
"The battle strategy and the man power and knowledge of what you know would make me listen," Ares interrupted Zeus to speak to Percy, but since no one knew he was there yet he cocked his head.
Annabeth reluctantly nodded. "I see your point."
"Good," Percy grinned and suddenly seemed to disappear. "Because you missed a different one," he said, his voice coming from behind her. Annabeth turned to see the point of Riptide inches from her neck.
"Now fight me," Percy grinned, and Annabeth swatted away the blade with the flat of her own before backing up to put some distance between them.
Percy moved to the left, and she moved to the right. Her eyes flickered over his body, watching for any signs that he was about to attack as she raised her dragon bone sword. Annabeth waited, imagining that Percy was Kronos and remembering what he had said about the Titan. Don't charge, and wait for him to attack. Percy smiled slightly as he took one step forward, and Annabeth stepped back. He lunged towards her whilst she was backing away, using the momentum to his advantage to unbalance the demigoddess, but Annabeth recovered sooner than he'd expected. Percy blocked her attack, forcing her down with his strength and bringing Tsunami up, but she twisted away swinging her sword as she did. Percy leaned back, letting the sword pass by without interruption and tried to knock her legs out from under her, but Annabeth jumped over the blade and pressed her attack. Percy growled under his breath as he took a small step back, and slid around Annabeth to try to get behind her, only to find she was ready and facing him again.
Annabeth lunged forward and attacked, but Percy grinned widely and quickly counter-attacked, disarming her by ducking under the lunge and grabbing her wrist then slamming the hilt onto the inside of her elbow. Her sword clattered to the ground, and Percy had Riptide resting on her collarbone before she could take a breath.
"I win," Percy grinned, "again. You lost yourself in the fight and forget one very important thing-"
"Wait for him to attack," Annabeth finished with a sigh.
Percy shrugged. "It was better though," he said as he retrieved her sword for her. "Want to go again?"
Annabeth nodded as she took her sword back. "Yes, again."
Percy nodded and raised his two swords, readying himself physically and mentally for the next bout.
"Remember campers," Chiron said, his voice carrying over all of the campers. "All magic items are allowed, except any weapons of the Titans. Good luck, and may the gods be with you."
The campers cheered and headed into the forest, splitting off into their different teams as they went. Annabeth and Percy led their side to Zeus' Fist, making last minute changes to the plan as they went.
"You and Leo are leading the main group through the middle," Percy said and Annabeth nodded. "I'll go across the creek with Darren and clear the campers on the northern half of the creek for Clarisse and her group to go through. The Stolls will set traps with the Rest of the Hephaestus cabin. That's it, right?"
Annabeth nodded. "Just remember to not go for the flag before I give the signal."
Percy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. See you at the end of the game," he said and turned, running into the forest with Darren at his heels.
"Everyone, you know your positions," Annabeth shouted. "I want this over quickly!"
"So inspiring," drawled Athena, and frowned, they must play this game a lot if she says that and her team understands.
The campers cheered and all separated to go to their positions, leaving Annabeth, Leo, and a third of the Athena and Ares cabin. "Think we'll win?" Leo asked.
Annabeth nodded wholeheartedly. "Definitely."
The conch horn went off, marking the start of the game, and yells erupted in the forest as the sound of metal clashing on metal echoed around. "This way," Annabeth said as she started in the direction of the centre path to the other side of the forest across the creek.
They met several groups of demigods heading the other direction, towards Zeus' Fist, but their group of Athena and Ares kids quickly knocked out the opposition. They had just crossed the creek when half a dozen demigods ran towards them, but they weren't attacking. They were shouting out in fear.
"Annabeth!" One of them shouted, "They're here!"
The demigods were a dozen feet away when they all suddenly erupted into flames, the fire quickly spreading into the trees. Annabeth's eyes widened. "Leo-"
"On it," Leo said grimly, stepping forward and raising his hands in an attempt to control the flames. It worked for several seconds, and then Leo flinched back violently. "Damn it, not again," he groaned as he massaged his forehead.
"Leo?" Annabeth asked, "What just happened?"
"The last time I felt that was when I messed with Hyperion," Leo said, slowly turning to face Annabeth, and he was paling rapidly. "He's here, Annabeth. Hyperion's in the forest."
"It's a trap!" Leo yelled and grinned ass he saw some of his friends shake their head at him, understanding his reference.
Annabeth's eyes widened and she quickly backed up back to the creek. "All of you, come over he-" all of the demigods burst into pillars of flames, and they were screaming in pain as their bodies were burned into ash. Annabeth sucked in a breath. "Leo, he wouldn't be here alone. It'd be too stupid even for him."
"The others are here," Leo breathed, his eyes widening as one of his feet slid into the creek.
A fire approached them from the burning forest, taking the form of a twelve feet tall immortal. Hyperion scowled at the two demigods in front of him, casting a quick glance at the ash scattered on the ground around him. "You are correct, young demigods. We are here, and I have been given the pleasure of finding my weapon, which you, young Valdez, currently have."
"You say we,"Annabeth said as she backed into the middle of the creek, pulling Leo with her in the hope that the water would protect them. "Who is we, exactly?"
Hyperion's eyes gleamed with an insane light as he grinned savagely. "Why me and my brothers, of course."
"All of your brothers?"
"Yep, and some of our sister's, not all of them though, they don't like war, but will fight when it comes to Othyrs' defense.
Hyperion's smirk widened. "Of course. You should really invest in better boundaries for your little camp, demigod."
"Warding is the best knowledge to have after all, the mist can only do so much," Kronos mused and accepted the book from his offspring, he glanced at his lover who chewed on his lip.
'You need not worry, Zeus the gods, they will never take you away from me." Kronos bared his teeth. "You are mine,"
Percy shivered at the possessive tone his lover had, but didn't deny anything in his mind or voice.
.
.
.
A/N: So I realized I am not that humorous in my writing, sorry about the latest updates, but I finally got a laptop and I am prepared to write more and see where this story takes me
JIO