"The stage is set, Perce." Travis and Connor said, running up to the son of Poseidon, who was helping a daughter of Demeter put on armor that was slightly too big for her small frame.
"There. How's that, Marrisa?" Percy said, ignoring the two brothers for a moment as he was tightening one of the straps that held the breastplate together.
"Think I'm ready to beat your team's ass!" She said enthusiastically, lifting her helmet that was sliding over her eyes. The green-eyed demigod gave a hearty laugh in reply before playfully shoving the girl off to her designated team.
"Thanks, guys. We're all clear, correct? No wondering monsters in the woods?" He said, turning around to the two brothers who were fidgeting restlessly in anticipation. It seemed they too were excited for a classic game of capture the flag, something they hadn't played since their days in Camp Half-Blood.
"We checked for two miles. Nothing out there besides the animals of Alaska and one really, really lost pizza guy."
The leader of Camp Freedom nodded in satisfaction before directing his attention to the surrounding demigods who wanted to participate in the game. The camp was split into two teams, each consisting of two thousand people. It was easily the biggest game he had ever been a part of which even got his heart racing in excitement. This would be a simulation of a large-scale battle, something that they would soon face in the streets of New York. While the dense forest of Alaska didn't quite compare to the sleepless city, this game would at least allow their army to get used to close combat and use tactics that would later be implemented in reality. The saying practice makes perfect rang through his mind and he couldn't agree more. They would definitely need practice if they wanted any hope of defeating Zeus's army.
"Alright seeing as how a lot of you guys came from Camp Half-Blood and Jupiter, I won't bore you with the details since you already know how this goes. For those of you who don't, it's simple. This is a game of capture the flag. Get the opposing team's flag to your side of the woods. Anything is permitted besides maiming and obviously killing. Anything else goes. Simple?" Percy said with outstretched hands to his side.
A loud cheer and banging of shields came in reply, fueling everyone's eagerness to get the game started.
"Zimmer down. I'm not done yet." He smirked before continuing. "Obviously there's more to this game than just having good old-fashioned fun. Remember, we are at war so that means we need to act as such. I want all of you to treat this game like an actual battle. Centurions, you too. Lead your cohorts as you would in an actual battle. Implement tactics that you've learnt over the years or try out new things that you'd think work. We need to think outside the box if we want to defeat Zeus later down the road. Am I clear?"
Another cheer rang out in the air, allowing the son of Poseidon to order the two teams to disperse to their respective zones before commencing the game. Making sure he himself was ready as he too would be participating, he spotted Katie Gardner standing off to the side, two bags slung over her hip that contained a multitude of medical supplies.
"Didn't know you were a daughter of Apollo." Percy chuckled at the sight, causing her to cross her arms mockingly.
"And I didn't know you were Chiron. Seriously, you looked exactly like him giving that pregame speech." She replied. The black-haired demigod sighed wistfully as he thought back on his old mentor. He hadn't thought of him much during his time in Alaska admittedly but he still missed him greatly. Chiron was like a father to him and always wanted what was best not just for him but for all the demigods. He was a great person and he could only hope he was doing well despite what was going on in their world.
"I miss him too." Katie softly said, noticing Percy's saddening eyes.
"You didn't want to participate?" He asked, shaking off the dreary mood that was setting in.
"Oh I am, trust me on that. There's going to be plenty of injuries happening tonight and I felt bad for Will and Abby who I'm sure would appreciate the help. Seriously Percy, who's idea was it to convert the guns we have into paintball guns? Someone's gonna get their eye shot out!"
"Hey, we gotta practice shooting somehow and we can't waste any ammo we have left. This is the perfect opportunity to really test our skills."
Continuing to gripe on about how dangerous that was much to Percy's amusement considering they were literally playing with a plethora of dangerous weapons that could kill someone, he quickly lifted an air horn high in the air before pressing down on it, sending a loud blare throughout the woods, signaling the beginning of the game.
"Don't get your eye shot out there, Katie!" He teased before running off, ignoring the girl's curses.
Wasting no time to run off toward the sound of battle, weaving and dodging through the trees at speeds that would make a child of Hermes jealous. Taking less than a minute to arrive at the first scene, the son of Poseidon scanned the area to find four cohorts facing off, two on the blue team, and two on the red. It seemed evenly matched with both teams preferring a shield wall to face off against one another. However, the red team did have a few sons of Apollo hiding high in the trees and sniping down at their opponents with paintball guns. Percy couldn't help the smile that split across his face as he heard the outcry from the demigods that had the misfortune of getting hit with a paintball, eliminating them from the game.
Deciding to give the blue team a hand, the black-haired demigod used his power over the Earth to simulate a small earthquake directly under the red cohorts, sending them crashing on the ground in moments. The demigods were quick to get back on their feet which impressed him but those few moments of vulnerability were just enough to get the blue team to push their attack, electing to charge head-on with their shields raised high.
"Fuck off, Percy!" Frank could be heard over the sound of clashing metal, knowing that it was he who had caused this situation.
"Hey man, unforeseen situations always pop up in the midst of battle. This is just one of those!" The son of Poseidon replied before moving on to the next skirmish that wasn't too far off.
Deciding to mist-travel to the high-hanging tree limbs above, he watched a small band of Hermes and Mercury children attempt to sneak their way behind enemy lines, trying their best to move quickly but quietly. He was honestly impressed with their agility and stealth, watching silently from above as the group managed to sneak past a patrol guarding a certain sector of woods.
The group was already closing in on the blue flag which was perched up on a couple of boulders a few yards away. If he hadn't caught them in time, he was sure they would have managed to snatch it away without alerting the patrol guards. Jumping down in front of the group once they had made it to a small clearing, he couldn't help the smirk split across his features as he listened to the terrified gasp of the demigods in front of him.
"Well done. Well done. You managed to make it all the way behind enemy lines without being spotted." He congratulated, wiping the dirt off his jeans as he watched the group form a defensive line in response.
"Travis. Connor. You did good leading your team through the woods but you should've known to always be aware of your surroundings."
"The hunter becomes the hunted." Travis quipped, rolling his shoulders in preparation for a fight.
"Come on, Percy. Even with all of us, you know this isn't a fair fight against you! Can't you just let us pass?" Connor tried to reason but to no avail. Uncapping Riptide which sent a harsh sound of screeching metal out in the air, the brothers could only groan in frustration as they realized the son of Poseidon wasn't going to let them off easy.
"It won't be a fair fight when we're invading Olympus. Would you ask an Olympian that when you're on the battlefield?" Percy insinuated, not realizing he just compared himself to an immortal deity.
With all talk of mercy being squashed, the group of Hermes and Mercury children began to form a circle around Percy, their weapons raised directly at him and ready to strike at any moment. The black-haired demigod waited until the perfect moment to begin his own symphony of combat, eyeing every single person with a confident but curious gaze. He wasn't nervous taking on a group this large. Hell, he's battled armies for Gods sake. It wouldn't take much to subdue these guys, even the Stolls who were seasoned veterans. No, he was just curious about the brother's game plan. What tricks would they have up their sleeve to defeat him? He was sure they had something but whatever that was, was yet to be revealed.
"Alright guys, this is what we're gonna-" Connor ordered out loudly, hoping to draw Percy's attention for a split second. In that second, however, Travis was seen pulling out a pistol holstered behind his shirt. It took the son of Poseidon less than a second to realize what was going on before he disappeared in a green mist, a paintball splattering against the tree behind where he had been standing a moment ago.
Reappearing in the shadows, Percy almost laughed at the brother's audible groans of frustration.
"Dammit! I told you we needed to think of something else. He's too smart to fall for that!" Connor slapped his brother upside his head
"Now wait a minute. Wasn't it you that thought of it?!"
"No, No, No, it was you!"
With the brothers continuing to argue amongst one another, Percy decided it was his turn to press the attack. In their confusion and anger which he took advantage of, he willed tendrils of water around the legs of two unsuspecting demigods. Thanks to the darkness, the group was unaware of their siblings being dragged off into the dark woods, their shouts of fear silenced by the water around their mouths. It was something straight out of a horror film and the green-eyed demigod couldn't be happier in recreating it. This nightmare continued on until it was only the brothers remaining, still loudly arguing amongst themselves unaware their entire task force had been decimated. It wasn't until Percy came out from the shadows, his bronze sword shining brightly in the darkness, did they once again dial in on him.
"Where's your squad?" Percy asked, watching in amusement as the sons of Hermes frantically looked around for their siblings.
"Oh fuckkk." Tavis drawled out, realizing that the situation just went from impossible to absolutely fucked.
Backing away with every step Percy took toward them, the brothers were half tempted to turn tail and run with their superior speed. They knew that wouldn't help though. Percy could simply mist-travel in front of them. Water was everywhere around them. There was no escaping.
Deciding to eliminate the brothers from the game, the black-haired demigod raised the pommel of his sword but was suddenly interrupted by his sixth sense telling him something wasn't right. Focusing on the water particles in the air, he realized something was coming for him. Judging by the massive disturbance, it was a group. A group who was closing in on his position way too fast for comfort.
Seeing Percy stop dead in his tracks, the Stolls stopped their retreat, staring with confusion written across their faces as to why they weren't eliminated from the game yet.
"Uhh, Percy?" Connor called out, but not a moment later an arrow came whistling out from the shadows, heading directly for Percy's head. The son of Poseidon caught it with ease, causing Travis to involuntarily gulp at the amazing display of godly reflexes.
"I think you two better leave. Things are about to get pretty nasty." Percy directed the statement at them, looking up at the flashes of silver dancing high in the trees above, signaling the arrival of new foes for him to deal with. Heeding his advice, the Stolls quickly retreated deep into the woods, already formulating a plan to take advantage of Percy's momentary distraction.
"I liked that arrow, y'know." A woman's voice called out from the darkness.
"Well here. You can have it back." He replied, snapping the arrow in his hand like a twig. "Oops. Sorry about that."
Silence was the only thing he received in response to his unapologetic behavior. Realizing that probably wasn't the best thing to do as the hunters of Artemis prided themselves on their arrows, he could only give an exasperated sigh before willing his Stygian armor on. Not a moment later came the onslaught of a storm of arrows from above, all directed at him.
Dancing in the face of death, the green-eyed demigod put on a beautiful display of graceful agility. Weaving and dodging the rain of projectiles without any hint of difficulty, the hunters watching from above could only give a snarl of indignation as they continued to attempt to eliminate him from the game. That wasn't going to happen though, not in a million years. Something as meager as a thousand arrows wasn't enough to take him out.
"I know you all aren't good at close combat but that's the only way you're going to get rid of me!" He yelled out, hoping that his taunts would draw the girls out from the trees. That seemed to work somewhat as not a moment later Thalia could be seen jumping down from her tree. Rolling his eyes, of course it would be her to be the first to get into close combat with him. She was always one never to deny a fight.
"Alright, looks like one of you has the balls to face me. You sure you're not a dude, pinecone face?" He egged on some more, rolling his shoulders in preparation for a fight. One of the hunters didn't like that joke it seemed, electing to fire one last arrow at him which he quickly caught before sending it back into the trees just as quickly. His precision was dead on, the blunt-tipped arrow hitting its mark and causing the hunter who had initially fired it to fall out of the tree with a satisfying "oomph!"
Thalia didn't seem to like that remark either, circling him with a withering wolf-like gaze ready to pounce for the kill at any given moment. Percy knew this was a farce though. He had seen this look many times before during their time at Camp Half-Blood. Thalia loved to portray herself stronger than she actually was. Sure she was powerful but that wasn't enough to take him on and win. The only thing she had going for her in this fight was her powers. If she fought him with just weapons, she didn't stand a chance. Not like there was one to begin with.
It seemed she knew that as well, continuing to circle him without going in for an attack at least once. She had fallen for his taunts and didn't have any plan going into this altercation. She just wanted to beat his ass up. That eagerness and pride would be her downfall. Seeing that it would have to be him to concede first, Percy pressed forward, throwing an experimental upward swipe with Riptide which the daughter of Zeus swiftly parried with her spear.
The dance of battle had officially commenced.
Nodding in satisfaction, Percy mirrored her movements, eyeing any vulnerabilities in her guard. This was going to be a fun fight, something he hadn't had in a long time, especially with her. He could tell she was much stronger just by her posture. How much, well, he guessed there was only one way to find out.
"Let's see how much you've improved over the years." He said before pushing forward once more, his hands a blur of bronze flashes as he swung with Riptide.
Thalia grunted as she parried his attacks. He was fast, much faster than the last time they had done this. The strength behind his sword was greater than anything she had felt before. She was lucky enough for her spear to still be in her hands after taking such blunt strength from Riptide. Leaning to the right to avoid an overhead swipe, she spun around hoping to land a hit on his backside but to no avail. He was much quicker than anticipated and had managed to deliver a formidable kick right into her midsection which she was thankfully able to block somewhat with her vambraces.
The force from the kick however was still enough to send her flying backward into a tree. Feeling the breath knocked out of her lungs, she had no time to regain it as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up, signaling that she needed to move out of the way asap. Swiftly rolling out of the way just in time to avoid a deadly punch hitting the tree behind her. Shocked to see it splinter into pieces, she once again had to move out of the way as it began to fall on top of her. Had it not been for her lightning-fast reactions, she surely would've been crushed by both Percy's strength and the tree.
"Come on, Thalia. Can't keep running forever." He sighed almost annoyedly, his tone casual as if he weren't in the midst of a fight. His breathing wasn't labored in the slightest and his posture seemed lax, causing Thalia to almost growl at her cousin's cocky attitude. She was pissed. Pissed that Percy wasn't taking her seriously. Pissed that he didn't deem her a threat. Pissed at herself for not being strong enough.
It has been years since their last fight against one another. She remembered how back then they were evenly matched, both never able to gain the advantage over one another. Now though, she wasn't even in the same category as her cousin. He hadn't even displayed any of his powers and yet he was still beating her. Pushing her back and toying with her as if she were just another demigod in his way.
Getting to her feet, Thalia bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, staring at her cousin with lightning dangerously flashing in her eyes. Slamming her spear into the ground, she began to wield her powers into existence. Storm clouds began to form overhead, the winds raced dangerously through the trees, and heavy rain began to fall from the sky like a waterfall.
"Oh, I'm not running." Thalia replied dangerously low, leveling her spear at Percy before sending an arching ray of lightning directly at his chest. The son of Poseidon was surprised just for a moment but didn't let it overtake him. Raising Riptide in front of him, he let it take the brunt of the blue trail, causing his shoes to dig into the ground at the sheer veracity behind it.
He could feel his body become charged with electricity, something he wasn't really akin to. It hurt slightly but thankfully Riptide handled it well. He didn't want to find out if the curse of Achilles was able to withstand lightning so defiantly, he swept his sword to the side out toward the woods, deflecting the lightning in a random direction. The darkness around them was quickly illuminated in blue flashes as Thalia pressed on with her powers while Percy simply sent the blue tendrils anywhere else with his sword much to her avail.
This continued on for as long as she was able to summon her powers. The hunters had to take cover from the awesome display of power from their lieutenant as the lightning deflected off of Percy's sword would hit the trees they were perched upon, splintering them into a thousand pieces. It wouldn't be too long now until the area around them looked as if it had been devastated by a fanatical storm.
Screaming out in fury, Thalia decided this last attack of hers would be the final straw. This was all she had left in the tank and by the Gods she was going to make sure she at least left a mark on Percy. Taking a deep breath, she willed every fiber of electricity in her body to travel to the tip of her spear. She was going to need every last drop if she were to make this last-ditch attack work. She didn't care if this was going to knock her out for a couple days. She needed to do this. She was not about to let Percy leave her in this dust.
In mere moments, the wind was howling against her face, sending her hair flying everywhere. Her eyes had gained a dangerous tint of blue and white as she held onto her spear which was now vibrating in pure power. The metal tip of it seemed to be where the electricity was pouring into, causing it to give an ominous hum.
Smirking at Percy's concerned gaze, she raised her spear high into the air before sending the largest tendril of lightning high into the night sky, turning it into day. The battle and the game came to a halt as every single demigod stopped what they were doing to look up at what looked to be a beacon in the sky. It only lasted a couple of seconds before it disappeared, turning day back into a night. The woods were silent except for Thalia's heavy breathing.
Percy didn't really know what to do at the moment. He understood that this was her make-it-or-break-it moment but it really didn't seem to do much besides look cool. Glancing up at the sky one last time but finding nothing noteworthy, he decided to take a step toward his cousin.
"Um, Thalia?" He called out but it was in that moment that Thalia decided to enact the final stage of her power.
Screaming with all her might, she slammed her spear as hard as she could into the ground, the force behind it causing what sounded like a sonic boom above them. Taking a quick glance upward, Percy felt the blood drain from his face as he watched the dark storm clouds all turn to blue for a moment before unleashing hundreds of lightning bolts raining down on top of him.
Knowing he had nowhere to go, he summoned hundreds of gallons of water around him to shield himself from the onslaught. Each bolt that landed around him was loud enough to make his ears bleed and strong enough to shake his very bones. It was as if buildings were collapsing around him in every direction. That was how powerful these lightning bolts felt when they hit the ground. It only lasted for a couple seconds but he could tell the damage would make up for that.
Waiting for another minute or so after the attack was over, he willed the water around him to dissipate, allowing him to survey the destruction his cousin had brought upon. And by the Gods did it live up to his namesake. Scorched-earth. That was the only way to describe the setting around them. Trees splintered and destroyed for at least fifty yards, the ground pitch black and smoldering with intense heat, and the air intense with the overbearing smell of ozone.
"Jeez, Thalia." Were the only words he could say as he turned back to his cousin who was on one knee, panting for air. Her dangerous blue eyes glared unflinchingly into his own, still not backing down from the fight even when she was clearly pushed to her limit.
Percy admired that about her. Her tenacity was something he shared. It was a useful but dangerous thing to have in their DNA. It could help them win a battle but could also be the cause of their downfall. Walking up to the blue-eyed girl who began to shakily get to her feet, he pressed Riptide softly on her shoulder.
"Yield?" He asked calmly, knowing that this fight was over. It was faster than he would've liked but he understood why it came to this. Thalia knew that she couldn't win against him by any conventional means which was why she pulled out her trump card so early. It was smart yet stupid also. He'd have to spar with her later so she could learn how to rely on her weapons more effectively. He didn't want her doing this in an actual battle. The outcome would surely be the same if she didn't improve by then.
"Thalia, come on. Don't make me knock you out." Percy pressed some more, taking off his helmet to let her see his pleading eyes. That seemed to do the trick as his cousin craned her head downward, sighing to herself in defeat.
Percy took that as submission, capping Riptide as he patted her shoulder. He expected her to shake him off, scream at him, throw a punch, just do something to let off the anger he knew was bubbling inside her. What he didn't expect, however, was for her to stand on her tip-toes and give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Never." She whispered, her warm breath caressing his cheek. Not a moment later after she said that was when he heard a slight rustle of footsteps behind him. The son of Poseidon had no time to react before he felt his entire body be kicked with the strength that could easily kill a mortal man. The last thing he saw was Thalia's blue eyes twinkling in mirth before he was thrust into the darkness.
His body resembled a rag doll as he flew through the dirt and trees at great speeds. Feeling himself crash into trees that easily split apart from the sheer force, it was only when a boulder came across his path was when he was able to come to a stop. Groaning in pain, he knew something was broken. With spinning vision, he dragged himself out from the crater he had left in the boulder, reaching his left hand out to lean on the rock.
There weren't many people living in Camp who held enough strength to punt him across the woods at speeds that would make Hermes jealous. No, it was just one person that could do this to him. Grinning in anticipation, he uncapped his sword once more as he awaited his opponent's arrival.
"I know you're out there, Artemis. Come on out!" Percy shouted into the wind, twirling riptide in anticipation as he looked out into the dark woods. Soon after he said that a flash of silver could be seen twinkling just for a moment, causing the green-eyed demigod to raise his sword before cutting down the arrow that would've hit his face otherwise.
"You're fast." Artemis stated, walking out of the woods with her bow pointed at him, another arrow already notched. "Let's test how fast you really are."
Not giving her a chance to get another shot off, Percy mist traveled directly in front of her, knowing that if he got inside her guard she wouldn't be able to use her bow. While that did work according to plan, he didn't expect her bow to transform into two silver hunting knives as soon as he was in range. Attempting to stab both sides of his torso, Artemis was quickly parried by Riptide as the demigod leaned backward just in time to avoid an overhead stab.
Deflecting another silver knife, Percy quickly used his right elbow and struck upward with it, hitting Artemis's lip with a sickening crunch. Being that close inside her guard, however, didn't come without consequences. Lifting off from the ground, the cat-like Goddess used Percy like a springboard, kicking him back which created distance between the two. The demigod-Goddess duo took their time to reassess the situation, circling one another in hopes of finding an opening that could be exploited.
Smearing the ichor across her lip, Artemis smirked at the sight of her stained thumb. When was the last time a person, a demigod no less, spilled her blood? Looking up at the culprit in front of her who seemed to take on a serious look in his eye, she was glad to finally have a worthy opponent. She just hoped Percy would live up to her expectations. Guess there was only one way to find out. Digging her feet into the ground, she used it as momentum to push herself forward at blinding speeds toward Percy who mirrored her actions. The two met in an orange blaze of sparks, their weapons loudly clashing against one another at unimaginable speeds.
One couldn't gain the upper hand over the other as they continued to clash. It seemed their speed and strength were even much to Percy's shock. Artemis was supposed to be weakened when in Alaska yet she was keeping up just fine. In fact, it looked like she was continuing to get faster the longer this battle continued. This really peeved him for some reason. Here he was, fighting a weakened Goddess who couldn't use her powers, yet was evenly matched with him still.
Grunting as Artemis threw a right hook directly into his temple, he backed off slightly to get some space. Panting slightly, Percy wiped the sweat off his brow as he eyed the Goddess who held a satisfied smirk across her features. She was enjoying this, that much he could tell. He couldn't say the same for himself. He hadn't had this much trouble against an opponent in a long time.
"You've been training, haven't you?" The son of Poseidon questioned.
"Guilty as charged." Artemis replied, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I can't stand feeling weak in this Godless land so I decided to train. Pushing my body to its limit which was something I hadn't felt in a long, long time."
"It's paid off. If you told me we weren't in Alaska right now, I'd believe it with how you're fighting. You're amazing."
Artemis slightly blushed at the praise directed at her, electing to hide it by pushing her attacks even further this time. The demigod grunted at the sudden movement but kept up much to her dismay. His speed and reaction time were something not even Achilles possessed in his day. It was unbelievable just how good of a swordsman Percy was.
"Quit with the flirting and just fight me." She teasingly sneered, swiping at his neck.
"Flirting?!" He replied abashed, leaning backward as the blade came millimeters away from his throat. He wished he could just let the knives hit him so that way he could get inside Artemis's guard easier but it was extremely risky. He still didn't know his weak point and one wrong hit to hit meant disaster. No, it was better to play it safe and act as if he didn't have the curse in the first place. "Please if anything it's been you flirting with me over the past year!"
That statement seemed to shake the Goddess up slightly, offering a momentary opening in her stance that he took full advantage of. Pushing forward, he batted one of her arms away, allowing him to press his body right into hers along with Riptide pointed directly at the side of her stomach. The air became still as green eyes stared into silver ones. Percy could feel her breath caress his skin as she stared at him, causing a slight shiver to go down his spine. It wasn't just her piercing eyes that caused that though. It was also the silver knife directly underneath his chin, the blade glaring harshly against the moonlight that peaked out from the clouds. Feeling the icy cold metal slightly on his skin, he couldn't help but let out a resigned chuckle.
"Suppose it's a draw then." He said, willing his armor back into a necklace but made no attempt to back away. Neither did Artemis. Both continued to stare at each other in silence, waiting for something, anything, to happen.
"Suppose so." Artemis whispered huskily, still having her knife pressed against his chin. She didn't know what overcame her. Maybe it was his eyes. His scent. The slight up and down of his Adam's apple. The low vibration of his voice. Whatever it was, it caused her to lean even further into him, her body pressed tightly against his. Standing on the tip of her toes, she gave him a slight peck on the corner of his lips. She could taste the sea salt on his skin mixed with the ichor on her lips when she did so. It was intoxicating, leaving her wanting so much more.
"Thalia did the same thing before you came out to attack me. Is Zeus coming out of the woods next?" Percy asked, noticing that he too was pressing his body against hers, basking in her warm curves.
"I told her to distract you. Didn't think she'd do such a thing."
"And is this also a distraction?" He asked.
"It can be…or it can be so much more." She replied alluringly, causing Percy to nervously lick his lips. He needed to calm down. His heart was racing much too fast for comfort. It didn't help tasting Artemis's ichor on his lips, the taste stirring something primordial inside of him. The warmth of her body, the lustful gaze in her eyes, her scent, it was all too much for him. He was intoxicated, to say the least. He knew it was wrong. They shouldn't be doing this. She was a maiden Goddess and he was a demigod who had a way too complicated relationship with a woman who in all honestly probably didn't love him anymore.
"She doesn't so why not figure out where this leads with Artemis? She's definitely into you." One part of his brain reasoned, tempting him to kiss her back.
"But what if the same thing happens with her as it did with Annabeth? What if she leaves you too? What if she realizes just how messed up you really are? Artemis wouldn't want to deal with the likes of you if she found that out." The other half piped up.
He hated to admit it but he was agreeing with that half of his brain more. He'd love to see where this led with her but honestly, he was scared to take that leap. He was scared of losing her too. She was a great friend who didn't need to be burdened with all his faults. Sighing, he reluctantly peeled himself off of Artemis, the warmth of their bodies quickly being replaced by the cold night air that hit his skin like a freight train. This was for the best not just for him but for her as well.
"Artemis, I uh-"
Suddenly, whatever Percy was about to say was quickly replaced by blood-curdling screams of terror that filled the woods around them. Perking his head upward like a dog, the son of Poseidon wasted no time in discerning where it was coming from before racing off in that direction, Artemis quickly following behind. Weaving through the trees and concerned demigods who were scattered throughout the woods, he soon arrived at the origin of the cries and couldn't help the shock showing on his face at what he saw.
"Stop it! Please, stop!" The voice of Marrisa, the young girl whom he had helped before the game began, cried out as she watched the man in front of her beat her older brother to death. Seeing the son of Poseidon arrive on the scene, she quickly stumbled into his arms, tearfully begging him to help. "Tell him to stooop!" She wailed, burying her face in Percy's shirt as she was too scared to look any longer.
Hiding her behind him, Percy took a step forward to get a look at who was doing this. Their helmet was blocking most of their face but he could tell who it was. The tall, muscular frame and the blonde hair peeking out from the side gave it all away.
"Jason?" He called out.
It was as if a light switch had been flipped when he called out the son of Jupiter. The blue-eyed man abruptly stopped bashing the poor boy's face in with his own helmet, taking a deep shaky breath of air before slowly looking up at his cousin. Percy could see Jason's eyes that held no resemblance to the man he thought he knew. His eyes were cold, callous, and held an anger in them that he thought only Kronos could have. The air went rigid as the two men faced one another. It was a scene so similar to that of Zeus and Poseidon that one could say it was the brothers themselves here at the moment.
The son of Poseidon slowly pulled out Riptide from his pocket as he warily eyed his cousin who slowly got to his feet, his tall, looming frame casting a shadow.
"Jason, what the fuck is this?"
The son of Jupiter didn't reply. Instead, lightning could be seen dancing crazily in his eyes as he suddenly jutted out his hand and sent a tendril of lightning toward Percy who had no time to react as he pushed Marrisa out of the way instead of protecting himself. The son of Poseidon was sent flying backward into the dark woods, leaving the demigods who were still around the area standing in shock.
"Justice." Jason heaved out, taking his sword before flying high into the air in pursuit of his cousin.