Thanks so much for the support once again! I'm proud to announce that the retention rate for this story is pretty crazy. Around 64% last I checked, which is to say, 64% of people who clicked on the story made it to the second chapter. That's a crazy amount for me. For comparison, my other main story, Guardian of Sanity, has about a 30% retention rate, which isn't even that bad. Thank you to everyone who's followed, everyone who's favorited, and especially everyone who's reviewed! It really does mean a lot, so if you can, please do review, even if it's just to say "good." And I mean for every story, not just this one. It's a good practice.

Quick note, this will not be a Percabeth story because in this universe, Annabeth confessed her love for Luke in the throne room before Percy died the first time. If you missed that, I'm afraid that one is on you, because he very clearly has that flashback, early in the very first chapter. Remember, the pairing is still undecided. Once it is, it won't say it in the summary anymore, so know that going forward.

Anyways, as a disclaimer, I do not claim ownership of any element of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians franchise, and any verbatim phrasing is either used entirely for effect or is completely coincidental.

As an entirely different disclaimer, the views expressed by Percy are not necessarily the views held by A Samhildanach, particularly those regarding relationships. (Meaning, don't take everything Percy says in this chapter to heart. That's what I think Percy would think, not necessarily what I think. It may be correct, or it may not be. Don't come to this story for quotes to live your life by. Visit my profile for those.

Without further adieu, here is Chapter three!

Chapter 3: Percy's Body Odor Is Deadly

Lee handed Percy a glass of nectar, and for a fraction of a second, Percy had the odd feeling that he should pour it on his stomach. He knew it was the drink of the gods, so it would heal him if he drank it, but he wanted to seem clueless, so he made to pour it over his wounded stomach, and Lee quickly stopped him.

"Wait! It's not applied topically!"

Percy knew that Lee was telling him not to pour it on himself, but he truthfully didn't know what the word meant, so he responded with a graceful, "Huh?"

"It's nectar, you're supposed to drink it," Fletcher explained.

"Oh. What does topically mean?"

Lee Fletcher sighed at the boy's cluelessness. "If something is applied topically, it means it's supposed to be rubbed into the skin. It's a medical term. Nectar is the drink of the gods, meaning it is for oral use only. I don't know what would happen exactly if you poured it on yourself, but certainly nothing good. Go on and drink it. That much should be safe."

Percy was intent on milking this interaction for all it was worth. "Should be? What would happen if I drank too much?"

Lee looked at him and nonchalantly said, "You'd combust."

Percy looked at him with confusion. He knew what combust meant, but was very good at looking confused. He was confused a lot.

"You'd be consumed by flames. Haven't you ever heard of spontaneous combustion before?"

Percy had, but he wasn't about to let Lee Fletcher know that. He still had a reputation to uphold, however small, and not knowing what combust meant while knowing what spontaneous combustion was would make him seem pretty stupid.

"Just drink the nectar, Percy."

Percy did, and it tasted like his mom's homemade blue cookies. He felt stronger, and better knowing his mom was still safe. But something was nagging at him.

"How'd you know my name was Percy?"

"Nancy told everybody everything about you. She's a serious blabbermouth. And a good person, too. She kept insisting that you were the one who really killed the Minotaur, and that you saved her and Grover. That she had barely helped. As if. She broke both of his horns off, and didn't have a scratch on her. She's one powerful daughter of Hermes. He claimed her as soon as she entered camp."

A lot of this made Percy very confused. There was a lot to digest here. Nancy told everyone about him? What was there to tell? And people thought she was a good person, right off the bat? That was probably the first time that had ever happened in her life. And everyone thought she was lying about him trying to protect her? They thought she broke both horns off? Percy wasn't mad, since she had clearly told them the truth, and she had in fact saved his life, but he was a little peeved at how weak people thought he was. In a way though, it was a blessing in disguise. Annabeth had always been telling him about the Art of War, by Sun Tzu, and the book was about the only thing she spouted off he ever took to heart.

When weak, appear strong. When strong, appear weak.

Percy had thought about Annabeth enough over the past few months for it not to hurt that badly, the fact she had crossed his mind once again. He wasn't sure how he'd fare when he saw her in person, however.

At any rate, Percy knew this was his chance to set the record straight. So he set it to his liking. "Yeah, Nancy is always doing stuff like that. She's way too modest. I tried to protect them, but I failed. I let the Minotaur gore me, and Nancy is the only reason I'm still alive."

Percy didn't mention that if he had died, it only would have been a minor setback, or the fact that he had broken off one of the horns himself and stabbed the monster, or that it was only because he had gotten overconfident in his ability to kill the stupid beast that caused him to hit a nonfatal spot, or even the fact that the place Nancy had struck the creature wasn't a fatal strike on its own either, and they had both played an equal role in killing the Minotaur.

No, Percy let everyone believe he was weak. No one would suspect that the son of Poseidon could be so weak, and certainly no one would think that he had more monster fighting experience than almost anyone at camp.

Percy also blamed his loss on the fact that he didn't have Riptide. The blade was a part of himself, and he felt naked without it. Weaker, unprotected. He had just felt wrong for the last few months, when the blade had been in Chiron's possession.

Lee Fletcher spoke. "Speaking of Nancy, she'll want to know you're awake. She's been checking on you all the time. She cares about you a lot. I've yet to see why."

Percy tried not to be offended. Nearly all children of Apollo were cocky and conceited, like their father. Lee was actually one of the less stuck-up among them.

"Wow. Really feeling the love here, buddy. What's your name, anyway?" Percy nearly called Lee by his name, but managed to say 'buddy' at the last second.

"Lee. Lee Fletcher." With that, Lee left the - other than Percy - empty infirmary to get Nancy.

She must have already been headed there, because it hadn't even been ten seconds when she flew through the door and jumped at Percy.

"Percy! You're awake! This place is so cool! There's a climbing wall with lava, there's a lake, there's archery, there's swords, there's everything! It's amazing! Come on Percy, let's go!" Nancy was incredibly excited by the camp, and she wanted Percy to be just as excited. Up until... actually, Percy wasn't sure how long he'd been out, but up until they had gotten to camp, she, Percy, and Grover had been inseparable. She missed him.

"Hold on Nancy, hold on. Just because I'm awake, it doesn't mean I'm healed. How long was I out?" Percy tried to calm Nancy down, but only succeeded with the question, to which Nancy looked, sullen, down at the ground.

"Three days. I'm sorry I couldn't help in time. But if you hadn't told Argus to grab us, we could've fought it together! You big-headed idiot!" She smacked Percy in the chest, safely above his wound, but it still hurt.

"Ouch! I'm sorry Nancy. I was just worried about you. Thanks for saving my life," Percy said, with real gratitude.

"It was nothing," Nancy said, blushing. It clearly wasn't nothing. "I have both horns, but one is yours, so I'll give it to you when you get back to the Hermes cabin. Oh wait, you don't know all about the camp yet! Yes! I'll show you everything!"

Great, Percy thought. A tour of the place I've lived at for years.

"Nancy, I don't know if I'm allowed to be walking yet."

At that exact moment, Lee walked in.

"You are. You big wuss."

Percy rolled his eyes, and swung himself out of bed. He was pleased; he wasn't nearly as injured as he'd thought. He was always surprised at how quickly the Apollo campers could heal.

"Yay!" shouted Nancy. She was still only twelve years old. She hadn't thought her mother was dead when she first came to camp, unlike Percy. He imagined he would've had a much better reception to camp if that hadn't happened to him. It really was a wonderful place. He was glad she liked it.

As they walked slowly through camp, he made a mental note of everything he needed to do.

Go to the armory to find a sword as close to Riptide as possible, visit Beckendorf at the forge to get fitted for armor, ignore the Athena cabin in its entirety, tell Chiron about the entrance to the Labyrinth at Zeus's-

He was knocked out of his thoughts when Clarisse reared her ugly head, electric spear on her back.

"Hey Prissy, nice job taking down the Minotaur. Ha!" She laughed, and high-fived with her ugly Ares buddies.

Percy had struck up a sort of truce with the daughter of Ares before he died the first time, but it had taken years. She only respected strength, and even then she resented people stronger than her. Still, that was the only way to earn her respect. Prove how much strength you had. You couldn't win via trickery, or even skill. Only brute force. That was one of the reasons they'd never gotten along. Percy was no strategist, but he certainly relied on skill more than strength. Especially now, when he had skill in endless reserves but was trapped in a twelve year old body.

"Leave him alone!" Nancy shouted. It was odd, seeing her stick up for someone. She should've gotten along famously with Clarisse, since they were both bullies, but Percy had realized a long time ago that Nancy wasn't a true bully, unlike Clarisse. "I told you he really did stab it, I just finished it off!"

Clarisse wasn't impressed. "And I told you there was no way a twig like him could've even snapped off the Minotaur's horn, much less stabbed him with it!"

Nancy was getting angry. Percy knew that when she got angry, things got physical, fast. Nancy wasn't a person who backed down from a fight. She was a lot like a daughter of Ares in that way. Percy wondered if maybe one of her ancestors had been a child of Ares. Was that even possible?

Nancy growled. "Percy, show her."

Percy looked at her, dumbfounded. "Show her!? Show her what!?"

"Don't be a baby, Perce! Fight her! Show her how strong you really are." Nancy never once looked at Percy as she spoke, keeping her eyes trained on Clarisse.

"Listen, I'm glad for the vote of confidence, but I'm unarmed, and she has a spear!" Percy said, dishonestly. He could probably wipe the floor with her, even without Riptide, but he didn't want to give away his true strength.

"Listen, Perce. You're all healed now. You can take her! You nearly killed the Minotaur!" Nancy said reassuringly.

Percy didn't tell her he had actually killed the beast on three separate occasions before that, but he certainly thought it to himself.

"Come on, Prissy, are ya chicken!? If you fight me, right here, right now, I'll even let you skip out on initiation!"

Percy really didn't want to give away his strength. "While the offer is tempting, I choose life."

Clarisse wasn't waiting any longer. She lunged wildly with her electric spear, Maimer, and Percy let his honed battle instincts take over.

As she lunged, he pivoted backwards on his right foot, turning 90 degrees counterclockwise, so he was facing her spear, point to his left and Clarisse to his right. As he did this, he grabbed the shaft of the spear right under the spear head, and pulled vigorously to his left, causing Clarisse to overextend, making her choose between dropping the spear or stumbling forwards. She opted to hold on to the spear, and was pulled directly into Percy's waiting elbow, which he smashed directly in her face, and she crumpled to the ground, clutching her newly broken nose.

The trick wouldn't have worked on an experienced and disciplined spear fighter, nor would it have worked if he'd been armed. If Clarisse hadn't carelessly stabbed past the length of a safe thrust, Percy wouldn't have been able to pull the spear hard enough to make her overextend. Percy had learned the trick fighting with Thalia, who was an expert with her spear, and thus knew of most tricks one could use against someone wielding a spear. It was so she could avoid them. Clarisse clearly hadn't had the same foresight.

Percy was slightly saddened by how it had played out, because he hadn't wanted to hurt her, though he realized how lucky he had been. If it had lasted anymore than the approximately one second that it had, he wouldn't be able to use the beginner's luck excuse.

The Ares kids looked furious, while Nancy grinned sadistically. "I told you he did most of the work in the fight with the Minotaur, Clarisse. I really hate it when people badmouth my friends!"

Percy tried to hold on to his beginner's luck ploy. "Please, Nancy, it must have been beginner's luck or something, let's just go!"

Nancy instantly looked happy, as she turned to Percy and said, "Right, Perce! There's still more of the camp to show you!" She stepped over Clarisse's barely conscious body, and the other Ares kids parted for her, however reluctantly.

Percy quickly followed.

Unfortunately for him, the worst possible person to have noticed that fight had noticed that fight. Annabeth.

Annabeth didn't hide her sneer at Nancy, which Percy found strange. Lee seemed to think she was a wonderful, powerful saint, but Annabeth looked at her like Percy used to. Like she was devil spawn.

"Nancy," she said, disgust barely hidden at all, and Nancy replied with Annabeth's name, in the same tone.

Annabeth's sneer lessened only slightly when she looked at Percy, though Percy had to bite his tongue to keep his pain from showing.

Even though she wasn't the Annabeth he knew, seeing as she was four years younger, she was still one of the Annabeth's he remembered. The one that had nursed him to health the first time.

"Percy," she said, not very happily. "Thanks for knocking Clarisse down a peg. She deserved it. But I couldn't help but notice the move you used to take her down. It seemed incredibly advanced; I've never even seen it before. Looks like this one," she gestured to Nancy, "wasn't lying after all, when she said you were the one who really took down the Minotaur." Annabeth said it like she was conceding something. As if she couldn't possibly deny what she'd said, but still hated the fact that it was true.

Nancy spoke before Percy could think up a lie to explain his mad skillz. "Of course I wasn't lying. I never lie when it comes to Percy. He's just naturally awesome. Once he gets trained, he'll be way better than Luke is!"

Luke? What did Luke have to do with anything? What in the world was going on? Why was Annabeth so mad at Nancy? Why was Nancy mad at Annabeth?

"What's going on, you guys? What are you talking about?"

Both girls responded at the same time. "Shut up, Percy!"

He did.

"There's no way Percy will ever beat Luke, he's the greatest swordsman in three hundred years!"

"Yeah right! Give Percy a sword and he'll knock Luke's lights out any day of the week!"

"I'll do what now!?" Percy knew Luke was much older than him, and probably still a better swordsman, even with Percy's extra experience. But what was happening?

"Shut up, Percy!" Annabeth shouted at him, without looking away from Nancy. "There's no way! Luke's a hundred times cooler than Percy!"

"That's impossible, since Percy is a thousand times cooler than Luke!"

Percy blinked his eyes rapidly a few times. Were they actually fighting over which of their crushes were cooler? That... wasn't possible, was it?

Luckily, Chiron appeared out of nowhere.

"Ladies, please stop bickering! We are all friends, here! Let's put aside our differences, and work together as comrades!" Chiron said admirably, as if he were doing something more important that settling a petty squabble over whose future boyfriend was cooler. Not that Percy intended to become Nancy's boyfriend, or that Luke would be around camp for much longer.

Percy's eyes lit up with joy, half real, for saving him from this argument, and half feigned for appearance's sake. "Mr. Brunner! Sorry, Chiron. I forgot."

"It's quite alright, Percy, my boy. I'm glad to see you're up and about. How about I give you a tour- a sanctioned one, this time.

Percy didn't enjoy meeting Mr. D any more than he ever had. It went practically the same way. Grover had met up with them, Nancy had had archery practice, and Annabeth left as soon as Nancy did. It seemed Nancy was a natural with a bow. Not quite as skilled as the Hunters or Apollo's children, but skilled nonetheless, though she'd only been practicing for two days, so she wasn't really all that good yet. Percy thought she'd make an excellent assassin.

Percy had woken up on Tuesday. That left Wednesday and Thursday to prepare for capture the flag. Percy had visited the armory after dinner on Tuesday. Dinner had been nice, save for the death glares he had constantly dodged from the Ares cabin. He had always hated sitting alone at the Poseidon table, and even though he had to sit on the Hermes table bench with half his butt hanging off the side, it was worth it to be able to talk to people. He wondered if he should sacrifice food to Poseidon. Surely Poseidon knew Percy was his son, but what would he think if he knew Percy knew he was his father? Percy didn't want to find out, so he sacrificed food to all the gods and goddesses he liked. Hestia, Poseidon, Apollo, Artemis, Persephone, Hermes, Hephaestus, and a few minor gods. After he was done, he realized he only had about half a plate of food left. He ate seconds, thirds, and fourths, but it was still only two plates full.

His visit to the armory was... interesting. He had managed to convince Beckendorf to come with him. He assumed Beckendorf only came because Percy wasn't afraid of him whatsoever. The man had sacrificed his life for the good of the world, and Percy would never be scared of someone who had done that. Also, they were friends the first time around, and Percy sort of forgot they weren't already friends, and forgot to act scared of the huge black boy.

Beckendorf spoke in a deep voice, despite still being a child. "So... why am I here, again? You can just take whatever you want, within reason."

Percy sighed pointedly. "I told you that I wanted a master armorer with me so I'd be best equipped. I don't have any drachmas yet, so I can't pay you to make me anything. This is the next best thing."

Percy hadn't intended to flatter the son of Hephaestus, and he couldn't tell if Beckendorf was indeed flattered or not, because his face remained ever stoic.

"Oh, alright. Take this." He handed Percy a short sword with a leaf shaped blade. "Give this a few swings, and tell me everything you think about it. Be as specific as possible."

Percy, who had essentially only ever used Riptide, was as bad at describing to Beckendorf how the sword felt as he would have been had he done this the first time. He had, of course, gone through something similar with Luke, before his first swordfighting lesson, but a swordsman and an armorer were two very different people. Beckendorf might be able to pull something off.

"Uhh... it feels... weird," Percy said, helpfully.

"Gods above, Percy! You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

Percy felt flustered. "Sorry, sorry! It, umm... the center of balance is too close to the hilt for my taste."

Beckendorf grinned. "That I can work with. Try this one."

A solid hour and a half later, the pair had gone through every single sword and dagger in the entire armory. None worked.

"Well, that's that," Beckendorf said.

"What's what?" Percy replied.

"You're impossible to find a sword for. On my honor as a smith, I cannot allow you to use any of the swords in this armory," Beckendorf said with formality.

"What!? Then what am I supposed to use to defend myself with?"

"Listen, on Friday is something called Capture the Flag. All the cabins make alliances, and it just so happens that the Hermes cabin, which you are a part of, being unclaimed, sorry, undetermined, is allied with the Hephaestus cabin, which I am a part of."

"Okayyy?"

"On one condition, one very important condition, I will forge you a sword to the exact specifications I've taken note of during all this testing, free of monetary charge."

Percy's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes. And all you have to do is distract the Ares cabin, namely Clarisse, until we win."

"Um... by myself? The whole Ares cabin?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Beckendorf was a lot like his father. Hephaestus had also cut Percy a deal, and one equally impossible to fulfill.

"Will I die?" Percy asked, incredulous.

"I don't think so. Maybe. Well, it's fifty fifty. Have you antagonized Clarisse yet?"

Percy mind immediately flashed back to when he had broken her nose earlier that day. "No, I don't think so... Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that, if she decides she doesn't like you, she might 'forget' about the no maiming rule. And the no killing rule."

"The no killing rule?" Percy licked his lips nervously, putting on a great show.

"Don't worry, Percy! I'll get your armor all fitted up, so you won't have anything to worry about."

Percy pretended to think about the deal. In truth, he was psyched to be able to use a Beckendorf Original. He never had enough money to buy one in his lifetime, plus Beckendorf had died, so he was pretty stoked about getting one for free. It couldn't be as good as Riptide, but it could be damn close. Percy was excited. Fighting off Clarisse was something that was already going to happen, he was fairly sure, and the first time he wasn't using a good sword.

"I accept the terms of the deal. I'll distract the Ares campers long enough for us to win, in return for a Beckendorf original. When'll it be done, do you think?"

Beckendorf was deep in thought. "Tomorrow morning, around 6 ish. Swing by the forge and tell whoever's there, 'Fish don't fry in the kitchen," and they'll show you where the sword is."

Percy didn't ask about the ridiculous password.

"Now, shield or no shield?" Beckendorf asked.

"Better safe than sorry against the Ares cabin. Shield me."

Finding a good shield proved to be a lot easier than finding a good sword. Percy still wasn't overly strong, despite his intense training regimen, so he could only carry a modest sized shield comfortably. It was a round shield, celestial bronze, and was about the size of Percy's torso, which wasn't actually very big, but was about the right size in proportion to him.

"And, now it's time to fit you for armor. Lucky for you, I always keep a spare tape measure with me. Raise your arms."

Beckendorf measured him with the speed of a pro, and then handed him the appropriate armor.

"I'd recommend wearing it everywhere for a few days. To get used to it. It can get pretty heavy, but you'll get stronger to compensate. I'll help you strap in."

Percy walked out of the armory with snazzy gear. He could hardly wait to see what wicked sword Beckendorf would make for him. He was giddy as he walked back to the Hermes cabin.

When Percy reached the cabin, the door flew open and Nancy tackled him to the ground, before getting off, dusting them both off, and helping Percy back up.

"Cool armor, Percy! I was wondering where you went. Tomorrow is your first real day! I'm so excited!"

"Yeah, me too, Nancy. Now, where am I supposed to sleep? I wish I could talk more, but I'm totally beat."

Nancy explained that she'd stolen, er, borrowed, everything he'd need. Apparently she'd managed to keep the space near her sleeping bag clear, despite the fact that there seemed to be absolutely no other space on the entire floor.

"Put your stuff down right here, next to me!"

No matter how long he was friends with Nancy, seeing her so happy and bubbly still weirded him out. Not that he minded. It was actually quite pleasant. Before he died the first time, everything had been pretty dismal. Seeing someone so happy, he couldn't help but feel happy, too.

"You're not going to sleep in that armor, are you?" Nancy asked, incredulously.

Percy grinned sheepishly. "Uhh, I am, actually. Beckendorf told me to wear it for a few days, so that's what I'm gonna do."

The real reason was that Percy wanted to seem like a total doofus, and this was a great way to do it. That, and it was actually really comfortable. It fit perfectly. Beckendorf was awesome. Percy got in his sleeping bag, and barely had enough time to say, "Goodnight, Boba Fett," before he fell asleep. He didn't see her blushing face, or hear her gentle, "Goodnight, Percy."

Percy headed to the forge at 6 AM sharp, still covered head to toe in bronze armor. He was eager to get his sword and start training his muscles to swing again. It had been a long time, and he hoped he hadn't gotten rusty.

Percy entered the forge, and the first person he saw inside immediately asked, in an unfriendly tone, "What do you want? We're not expecting any classes at this hour. If you don't have business here, then get out.

Percy wondered what he would've done if he'd actually wanted to learn how to smith, but that wasn't what he was here for. He was here for a weapon.

"Uh, fish don't fry in the kitchen!" He stammered out.

The kid, who had just a second earlier been horribly rude, instantly perked up with curiosity.

"Why didn't you say that sooner? So does that mean you're him? The kid who scored a custom sword from Beckendorf for free? I wish I was you, kid." It was weird for him to call Percy a kid, since Percy was actually a couple years older than him.

"Beckendorf's the best weaponsmith we've got. You should've had to pay a fortune," the annoying kid continued. "Anyways, it's right on that table over there. Come again."

Percy went over to the table where the kid pointed, and saw a broken sword, probably waiting to be repaired or something, and a totally awesome one right next to it.

This sword was cool. It was gem encrusted on the hilt, and shaped almost exactly like Riptide. It made the broken sword lying next to it look like a strip of scrap metal. Percy picked it up, and gave it a few experimental swings. The balance wasn't as good as Riptide, but what sword was? It was balanced better than any sword he'd ever used, other than Anaklusmos, and about the same length: three foot blade.

He started walking out the door and was about to tell the annoying kid thanks, when the smith noticed him in the corner of his eye and whirled around.

"What in the name of Hephaestus are you doing with that!?" he shouted indignantly.

Percy was very confused. Wasn't this the sword Beckendorf had made for him?

"That's not your sword! That's supposed to be melted down- it's scrap metal. Actually, I need some, give it here."

Percy was very reluctant to do so. It was the only sword that had ever even come close to feeling as good in his hands as Riptide. He wasn't about to hand it over to some punk.

"Don't believe me, do ya? Here, let me show you what I mean." What that, the smith boy grabbed the sword out of Percy's hand, and raised it high over his head.

He brought it down on the anvil he was working at, and it shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

"What the Hades did you do that for!?" Percy cried.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, pipsqueak. Any sword Beckendorf forged would have cut the anvil right in two," he said, with a look of annoyance. "Stupid kid doesn't even know when he sees a Beckendorf Original," the kid muttered, as he picked up several of the pieces of the sword, presumably the scrap metal he said he needed.

Percy's mind was reeling. He was sure that Riptide would have cut the anvil in two, but was it even possible for another weapon? After all, Riptide was technically immortal, since it was imbued with the immortal power of Zoe Nightshade, another person he would save, Percy reminded himself.

In any case, Percy walked over to the table that had had the two swords. Was he really saying that the broken sword was forged by Beckendorf specifically for him?

Upon closer inspection, Percy realized his mistake. The sword only looked broken because there was no point. The blade itself was just under two and a half feet long, and it had a slight leaf pattern, but it was asymmetrical, and it looked like the last six inches had been cut off somehow, as it ended abruptly, without tapering in whatsoever. The end, however, was not flat. It was as sharp as the rest of the sword. Percy could tell it was far sharper than any razor. It looked like it might even be sharper than a scalpel. No broken sword would still be so sharp, and it had no signs of wear whatsoever. The grip still had that new leather smell, and there were no nicks or scratches anywhere on the blade.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the smith called over without looking. "It may look strange, or even broken, to the average swordsman's eye, but any smith worth their salt will be the first to tell you it's a masterpiece. You must have very specific tastes, because I've never seen such an odd one before. Just make sure you hold it right way up. The curve should fit your palm."

Percy looked at it again, and sure enough, the grip was curved slightly, though the pommel was still in line with the blade.

"I can tell you haven't picked it up yet, because you haven't gasped yet. If Beckendorf forged it knowing everything he said he did, then it's perfect."

Percy assumed the kid was exaggerating, so he grabbed the sword and started to say, 'I'm not going to gasp when I pick it up,' but he only managed to say "I'm not-" before he gasped. The sword was balanced exactly like Riptide. It didn't make any sense! How was this freaky looking sword weighted exactly the same as Riptide? They weren't even the same length!

Percy swung it experimentally, and fell in love with it. He obviously preferred Riptide, but only because it was longer and pointier; he could almost believe he was holding Riptide if he closed his eyes. The weight was perfect, and it swung just like Anaklusmos. Even though it was asymmetrical, the center of mass was clearly where it was supposed to be. It was incredible. And Beckendorf had whipped it up in a single night? This guy was amazing.

"So what are you gonna name it?" the kid asked.

"Name it? Does it need a name?"

"DOES IT NEED A NAME!? OF COURSE IT NEEDS A NAME, IT'S A BECKENDORF ORIGINAL!" the boy screamed at the top of his lungs.

"I'll uh, get back to you on that!" Percy shouted back.

"Alright," the boy said at a normal volume. "By the way, since Beckendorf made that, it's likely to be covered in enchantments. I'd strongly suggest doing exactly whatever Beckendorf told you to when he agreed to make the sword. Otherwise, this masterpiece might make your life a living Hades. See ya later!" he said, before shoving Percy outside the forge and closing the doors, leaving him to wonder what kind of enchantment could ruin his life.

"Wait!" Percy called back. He tried to open the doors, but he couldn't. "Does it have scabbard?" Percy asked.

Suddenly, the door opened a few inches, and a scabbard poked out. He grabbed it, and heard a faint, "That should work," before the door slammed closed again. Percy supposed whatever the guy was working on, it was really important.

But Percy finally had a balanced sword again! Haha! It had been months since he had held a sword that felt good in his hands, and it was pure bliss. He swung it around, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to be a master swordsman for a few seconds. He slashed at a Cyclopes that wasn't there, before beheading an invisible empousa, and finally stabbing an imaginary hellhound leaping toward him straight in the gut. He realized that he could still stab with this strange sword, even if there was no tip. It was still wicked sharp, so it would be as effortless as slashing.

Percy brought it down in an overhead chop, an incredibly powerful force, unstoppable and relentless, like a rogue wave.

A rogue wave? Percy knew exactly what they were, but he'd never heard the term before that moment. He was used to knowing things that had to do with the water without learning them first. A rogue wave was defined as a wave over twice as large as the average height of the tallest third of waves in a wave record. He wasn't sure what that meant, but he knew what a rogue wave was. He could imagine images of it, without ever having seen them. A rogue wave had no warning, and wasn't preceded by any overly large waves or followed by any overly large waves. No one really knew for certain how they were formed, but there were many theories. Percy knew it had something to do with Poseidon and his mood. Rogue waves were absolutely enormous, and immensely powerful.

Is that what I shall name you, my friend? Percy thought as he looked at his new sword. Rogue Wave?

Percy knew it was a stupid name. And that's why he would never tell anybody. It was just his sword for now. His incredibly strange sword. Percy almost didn't want to go back to the Hermes cabin. It would get stolen for sure. He never had to worry about Riptide getting stolen, because it would always reappear in his pocket, but this wouldn't fit in his pocket, and he wasn't about to sleep with the thing. It was sharp enough to cut him to pieces if he so much as touched the edge.

Percy decided to get a little morning training in with his Beckendorf Original before the other campers woke up. Beckendorf Original, huh? A BO, he thought, amused. Percy let a soft chuckle escape his lips, before he muttered, "Body Odor."

Suddenly, the sword heated up, not to the point it hurt, but certainly not comfortable, either, and it vibrated noticeably. Then, as quickly as it had happened, it stopped, and the metal cooled to the temperature outside.

Percy instantly knew what had just occurred. He'd just named this wicked awesome sword, "Body Odor."

Percy sighed loudly, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand, like he was an old man and his grandkids were doing something they really ought not.

To no one in particular, he said, "I've been told my BO is enough to kill somebody, but this is just ridiculous."

To his surprise, he heard a faint laugh. He looked around, and saw that Hestia was tending to the fire, not hiding her smile.

He went and talked to her, and said he was very glad she was still tending the hearth. It was an important job, but not one many were willing to do. After a few minutes of talking about nothing in particular, he thanked her once again, but said he needed to train. He said goodbye, almost calling her Hestia, but somehow not doing it.

"Well, Body Odor, it's time to get to work," Percy said to his sword, as he entered the arena.

Body Odor didn't respond. It was not a talking sword. It had just reacted to its name. A name always made something more powerful, and it takes on an aspect of its name. Percy took a good long whiff of its scent. It was subtle, but it did faintly smell like a middle school locker room. Just great, thought Percy.

He started doing exercises, practicing advanced maneuvers, ones that an untrained demigod had no business knowing. Disarming techniques against a scythe wielding maniac that only Percy could see, probing for a weak point that even Percy didn't know. Percy was getting tired. It had been a few hours, and he could hear other campers getting out of their cabins. Percy quickly switched from complex battlefield maneuvers to simple repeated overhand chops and ordinary swipes, not good for anything beyond strength training. Something an untrained demigod wouldn't be looked at twice for. Eventually, the Demeter cabin filed in, along with Luke, the instructor. Percy sheathed his sword, and left before Luke noticed him. He didn't particularly want to talk to the traitor. He had killed all of his friends once. Grover, Thalia, and even Annabeth had fallen to this monster.

Percy had decided that there was no point in try to convince Luke not to turn traitor. It was already done. He'd already stolen the helm and the bolt. Percy had to kill him, but he couldn't before proving that he was actually a traitor. And he couldn't do that until he went on the quest. Percy imagined that he'd be claimed as soon as Luke summoned the hellhound during capture the flag, and then he'd be sent on the quest right after, just like the first time.

Nancy hadn't realized that Percy didn't have normal training like her, because she had already been claimed, while he hadn't. He knew Poseidon was waiting for him to prove himself. He had to earn respect, just like everyone else. He wouldn't get it just by being a son of Poseidon.

Percy spent the days of Wednesday and Thursday undergoing various tests designed to figure out his parentage, but he knew they wouldn't figure it out. He spent the mornings and nights practicing on his own. By Friday, he could wield Body Odor almost as well as Riptide.

Thursday, however, had been quite a trial. It was swordfighting practice for the Hermes Cabin. He had to pretend to get his butt whooped by Luke, and he didn't want to. He knew he could beat him, since Luke was going easy on him. Although, he hadn't been allowed to use Body Odor, because it was too sharp, so he was using a bad one. Some dull swords could pass for training blades, but there was no way BO was getting mistaken for harmless. He was rather proud of it. It was no Riptide, but it was a close second. Percy was almost sad that he would have to replace it with Riptide shortly. Although, he might just keep both, and use Riptide as a sneak attack weapon. No one would expect his pen was his sword when he had one strapped to his belt already. It was a plan worthy of Athena, so Percy thought.

Nancy was actually upset when he got beaten by Luke, because she was apparently still having a feud with Annabeth, and Luke and Percy were the main players.

"You have to beat him next time, Percy Jackson!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry, Nance, I'm just not strong enough to beat him, yet. He's had way more training."

Nancy was upset, but not unreasonable. "I understand, Percy." She always seemed to lose her anger when he called her Nance, or any nickname, really. She was always just Nancy Bobofit. Percy was the only one who called her Nance, or Boba Fett. Not even Grover called her anything but Nancy.

"Thanks, Nancy. You're the best." Percy often said things like that to Nancy. Originally, it was just to tease her, to make her blush, but it was sort of just what he did now. She still blushed, but it wasn't... funny, it was just... something he liked doing. He enjoyed making her blush. Maybe he was selfish, but he was never able to make Annabeth blush with a small offhand comment like that, and it made him feel good about himself. Now, of course, he knew why he never could make Annabeth blush like Nancy. She never stopped loving Luke. But Nancy definitely did have a thing for him. She had no ulterior motives, because she didn't know she was a demigod when they first met, and didn't know Percy was, either. If she stopped liking him, then it was him that caused it, not because she never liked him. He didn't know exactly how he felt about Nancy, but he definitely enjoyed being around her. She was fearless, strong, independent, she never backed down, and she wasn't stupid, either. Only problem was that she was still a twelve year old girl. That's the kind of thing that can get someone into trouble in the world of Greek gods and monsters: immaturity. It had almost been the death of Percy quite a few times.

One thing Percy knew for sure about Nancy, and that was that if she died, he'd have to start over.

Thursday came and went, and on Friday, everyone seemed abuzz with excitement over CtF. Beckendorf had even sought Percy out just before it started, to remind him of the deal.

"Remember, Percy. Your job is to distract as many of the Ares campers as possible, and make sure you get Clarisse. If you don't hold up your end of the bargain, your sword will be very upset, if you know what I mean," Beckendorf explained, ominously. "By the way, what did you end up naming it? I only ask because I've got a running tally of the coolest names, and you seem a creative sort. There's Dragon Claw, Phantom Striker, Shieldsplitter, Head-"

"Body Odor," Percy interrupted with a flat tone.

"Excuse me?" Beckendorf said. He wasn't sure if he'd heard Percy correctly.

"Body Odor. Its name is Body Odor."

For a few seconds, Percy thought Beckendorf would be furious, but he should have known better.

Beckendorf put a huge hand on his shoulder and said, "Haha! Body Odor! I suppose it accepted that name then? Otherwise, no one would call a sword that!"

Percy nodded and said, "Yes, it heated up and started vibrating when I muttered 'Body Odor,' after thinking about it being a Beckendorf Original, a BO."

Beckendorf turned suddenly serious. "Did you say that it heated up and vibrated?"

Percy nodded.

Beckendorf whistled through his teeth. "Wow. That's actually incredibly rare. I was kidding when I said it must have accepted that name, but it really did. The chances of a swordsman finding a blade's one true name are incredibly slim, like once in a hundred years. Can I hold it for a second?"

Percy obliged. Beckendorf held the sword up to his nose quickly, and then returned the blade to Percy with great haste.

When Percy grabbed on to the handle again, he noticed that it was incredibly hot. Burning in fact, just for a second, before it cooled down.

"Ouch, ouch ouch," Beckendorf said, hopping around while clutching his hand, which looked a little ridiculous, given his size. "Yeah, it definitely smelled like BO. It took on an aspect of its name."

"Why are you jumping around?" Percy asked, actually confused for once.

"Well, you see, when someone other than a sword's true owner holds a sword that has found its true owner, the sword tends not to like it. Sometimes it might shock the person holding it, or sometimes it'll do what yours does: get really really hot. That thing burned me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I should have just held it up to your nose."

"Yeah, that would've made more sense. Wish I'd thought of it before my hand got burned off. Anyways, I'd really appreciate it if you distracted the Ares cabin, but the truth is, since you are the true owner of that sword, it can no longer hurt you."

"What?" Percy asked. Was he the true owner of Riptide? Would it not hurt him? Whatever that means? No, Percy had definitely slit his throat with Riptide before. Maybe... Maybe Riptide wasn't his because Zoe didn't give it to him? She was its true owner. She would have to accept that the sword belonged to him before it was his. That's what Percy thought. What he hoped, at any rate.

"I'm saying that Body Odor cannot harm you in any way. If you don't believe me, touch the blade."

Percy was reluctant, but he trusted Beck. He touched the edge of the blade with his left ring finger: the one least important to a right handed fighter.

To his surprise, it felt smooth. He knew it was sharp as a scalpel, but it felt like he was running his finger along the flat of the blade, not the edge.

"Holy Hera," Percy said softly.

"But you still have to be careful. If you accidentally hit yourself with it, it still might break bones. It's just not sharp to you," Beckendorf explained further.

Percy felt amazed. How had he come to possess such a weapon? It had cost him nothing, and Beckendorf had just told him he really didn't have to do anything for it, either (though he was certainly planning on honoring their arrangement). He didn't deserve this. Riptide at least was a gift from his father, pretty much the only thing his father ever really gave him, so he figured he was owed it, but this sword? What had he done this lifetime to warrant a sword like this?

Percy didn't have time to think about it when Luke jogged next to him.

"Hey, Percy! Beckendorf explained your job, yeah? You'll be by the creek, running back and forth, finding and distracting the Ares Cabin. They'll be out for blood after what you did to Clarisse, nice work by the way, so it shouldn't be too hard to find them. And, with a sword from Beckendorf, I know you'll be twice as good as when we sparred with training blades. Good luck! Try not to die!" Luke shouted as he jogged off.

Percy was used to Luke talking to him. Nancy stayed away from the guy, and Annabeth avoided Percy, but Luke didn't seem to mind him. The rivalry between Annabeth and Nancy didn't affect him and Luke. It was strange, to Percy. Percy knew full well he'd never get a better chance to lop the guy's head off, but Kronos would just find a different host. He wouldn't be doing anything but getting himself branded as a traitor if he killed Luke now. And the worst thing he could do was get locked up. If couldn't die, he couldn't start over.

Percy knew that he would not only fight the Ares cabin, but also a hellhound. He had fought hellhounds before, but it was never easy. He could do it, especially if he was in the water when it happened, but he wasn't looking forward to it.

Before Percy knew it, he was at the creek and the Conch horn had blown. The game was afoot.

"Hey, big ugly Ares kids! Your dad can't fight for Hades!" Percy yelled. The entire Ares cabin surrounded him instantly, all twelve of them.

Percy gulped. There had only been five, including Clarisse, last time. He stepped into the water, and instantly felt much more confident.

Clarisse yelled, "Leave him to me! This kid's dead meat!"

Sorry to disappoint, Clarisse, but in the water, I'm unbeatable. I'm getting claimed after this, so I can go crazy, Percy thought to himself.

Clarisse charged into the creek, jabbing with her spear. Percy merely sidestepped and chopped down hard with Body Odor, cutting Maimer in two pieces, electricity discharging into the open air harmlessly.

Clarisse dropped her now broken spear and drew her sword. "ATTACK!" she screamed, but only three people in the cabin actually moved closer. Just like their father, they were cowards.

Percy could feel their movements in the water, so it seemed like he had eyes in the back of his head. He blocked Clarisse's sword with Body Odor, while simultaneously smashing a guy's face in with his shield without looking behind him. Percy brought Body Odor down on another one's wooden shield, cutting it right in half. Percy made sure only to cut with the very tip, so he didn't maim the guy's arm behind the shield. As he did this, he turned to avoid another wild strike from Clarisse's sword. She was clearly better with her spear. More guys started charging in, angry at Percy for taking out their siblings, but reluctantly, as they were fairly sure they would get creamed.

It only lasted a few minutes. Every single member of the Ares cabin was lying in the creek, incapacitated. Percy had broken Clarisse's nose a second time, by bashing her face in with his shield. Clarisse didn't have a shield, being primarily a two handed spear fighter, and it is incredibly easy to beat someone with a single one handed weapon when you have a main hand weapon and an offhand one.

Not long after, the conch had blown again, signaling victory for the Athena team, the one Percy was on. It was relatively easy to win when the main cabin of the opposing team was lying unconscious in the creek.

Soon, the entire camp had gathered around Percy, and Nancy was in the creek, holding on to Percy. Percy, though he had beaten an entire cabin singlehandedly, was, surprisingly, covered in scrapes and bruised, though they were healing.

"Hahaha!" Nancy laughed maniacally. She looked at Annabeth and said, "I told you Percy was awesome! Way cooler than Luke!"

Percy didn't have time to say that Luke would have been able to do it too, and with four less personal injuries, because a howl cut through the forest.

Everyone grew silent.

Chiron shouted for his bow in ancient Greek, before someone shouted, "Hellhound!"

"Nancy, behind me, now."

Nancy knew better than to argue when Percy spoke in the tone he did. He was dead serious, and wasn't taking 'no' for an answer.

The hound appeared, the size of a rhino, and no one moved, save Percy.

He let out a battle cry and charged the beast. If he hadn't been in the creek, he wouldn't have even had the energy to stand, much less charge a hellhound. Lucky for him, he was in the creek.

The hound pounced, but Percy knew what he was doing. He brought Body Odor down on the beast's skull, cutting it straight in two, the blade tearing through the dog like a white hot spike through lead. This sword was nearly Riptide's equal. If only it were longer. Percy continually wondered why Body Odor was shorter than Anaklusmos, if they were weighted precisely the same. But that was only in the back of his mind.

The hellhound disintegrated.

"Well, I have been told my Body Odor is deadly before. I guess they weren't kidding," Percy joked sheepishly.

Everyone gasped at the same time. Percy didn't think the joke was that bad. Then Percy looked up at his head, to see a glowing trident right above it, and it made sense.

Everyone bowed, and Chiron told them to hail, and son of the earthshaker, blah blah blah. Percy had heard it all before.

Percy moved to the Poseidon cabin, though Nancy was yelling and screaming as he did it, clearly not wanting to Percy to leave. He had taken his Minotaur horn with him, and hung it on the wall.

Everything went about the same up until he visited the Oracle.

The image was the same; the Oracle spoke through each member of Gabe's poker party crew. However, the actual prophecy had a few key differences.

You shall go west, and kill the god who has turned,

You shall steal what was stolen, and see it safely returned,

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you 'friend,'

And what matters most saves itself, in the end.

Percy gulped at the implications of the prophecy being different. He couldn't escape his fate, whatever it may be.

He steeled his nerves. Maybe he wouldn't be able to change fate.

But he could damn well try.

So, how was that? Tell me in a review! Remember, Nancy and he might not end up together, so be sure to leave a review with your suggestions for the pairing. I've seen mostly Nancy and Thalia, but I'm open to anything other than Percabeth (nothing against it, but this is an AU, remember). Let your voice be heard!

Notes/Clarification:

Percy isn't going to be any more OP than he should. He has the skill of someone who's sixteen, and he's basically invincible in the water, so that's how he beat 12 enemies at the same time.

Percy isn't going to make anyone fade, kill isn't necessarily literal.

This still isn't PercyxNancy.

That was an accurate definition of rogue waves, which are 100% real, and can reach unimaginable heights of over 100 feet, and pose a significant (though incredibly rare) threat to any seagoing vessel.

Percy will absolutely still use Anaklusmos, but I'm debating whether or not he'll use Body Odor as an offhand weapon, instead of a shield, and have Tyson's shield watch as a back up plan.

If you want to know anything else, leave it in a review or PM me, and, if it isn't something that will be explained later in the story, I will explain it to you in a PM.

If you liked it, or didn't like it, please for the love of the gods say why. I hate not knowing why people think it's good, or why they think it isn't (though no one has said that yet). Though, if you don't know why specifically, don't let that stop you from leaving a review anyways. I don't think this chapter was my strongest, because nothing really happens in it; it's the first chapter where he doesn't die. I can fit in a lot more jokes when more things actually happen. Luckily, the quest is next chapter, so get ready for one heck of a ride!

Also, don't expect chapters to be this long all the time. I pick a point at which I will finish the chapter, and so the word count is, to me, irrelevant. The next chapter might only be 4k, for example, though I very much doubt it. Anyways, leave a review, pretty please! For me? Lol, leave one or not, if you like it, that's honestly enough for me. I just won't know if you like it unless you review or fav or follow.

Note: so close to 10k. Uggh!

Sayonara!