AN: Here's another chapter! Hope you all like it!

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( - )

(Last Time)

Annabeth tilted her head to the side almost expectantly, as if waiting for more. When it became clear nothing else was coming, her lips thin and she looked away. "Well anyway, come on you two there is a lot to see."

Watching her go, Percy frowned.

The girl was perceptive, too perceptive.

If he wasn't careful he might set off a few too many red flags, and get himself busted.

And then… well, he had no idea what would happen.

He wasn't exactly in an ordinary situation after all, even when compared to other divine shenanigans his current circumstances were in a league of their own.

( - )

Chapter 7

( - )

(With Bianca)

Following along behind Annabeth and Percy, it wasn't difficult to see that something seemed a little… off between them.

At first, she thought the two of them might have been dating. She didn't have any real experience with romance. But she'd seen enough of it during her brief stint at Westover to notice that Annabeth had some kind of lingering feelings for Percy.

Biting her lip, she looked between the two older teens, her gaze flicking back and forth between the two of them.

But it also appeared that Percy didn't seem to either notice her feelings or if he did, he didn't reciprocate them. As the tour continued, and the distance between the two friends became more apparent, it made things feel a little awkward. Especially as Annabeth seemed to be getting gradually more unhappy and grumpy as the tour continued.

Looking over at the older girl, she frowned.

The scowl on the pretty, blonde-haired, grey-eyed girl, didn't fit suit her. Her expression was tight, and her tone was clipped. She seemed annoyed. But not at her, nor even at Nico, which was a surprise as he seemed to waver between looking around the demigod camp with awe and peppering the two older teens with endless questions. It was getting to a point that even she was beginning to grow annoyed with his antics, and she'd had his entire life to acclimatise to his peculiarities.

Percy, meanwhile – a handsome older teen with a nice smile and pretty eyes – was likewise acting a bit odd. For someone who was supposedly familiar with the camp, he seemed to be acting a bit awkward as he allowed Annabeth to take the lead and deftly dodged any and all the questions Nico threw his way. It made his presence all the stranger considering he wasn't contributing to it and instead seemed to be taking part in it like he too was a newcomer to the camp. This behaviour was something that Annabeth seemed to have noticed as she sent him the occasional frown.

Yes, Annabeth's head clearly wasn't on the tour. She talked about all the amazing things the camp offered — magic, archery, pegasus riding, the lava wall, fighting monsters — but there was no real excitement as she led them through the mostly empty camp. Her tone remained bland as she railed off all she knew about the camp as if reading from a script, with her occasionally pausing to answer Nico's questions.

Following along behind the two older demigods, she took note of all Annabeth said, filing it away with everything else she had learned over the last twenty-four hours. For now, she would keep her head up and learn what she could. She would wait until later to have a complete breakdown as everything she knew and understood to be fact was completely upended, along with her previously peaceful, if boring, life.

Looking over at the nearby open-air dining pavilion as Annabeth pointed it out, she bobbed her head as the blonde proceeded to explain how Camp Half-Blood was mostly a summer camp, but how some kids stayed here year-round.

She suspected that she and Nico would be year-rounders, which honestly sounded a bit nice. Being around more kids her own age and taking a step back and allowing Chiron – who seemed to be a real nice and down-to-earth for a centaur, not that she had met many centaurs before – to look after Nico in her stead. A selfish part of her felt almost relieved to have the responsibility taken away from her as she was instead finally given a chance to live her own life.

Glancing back at Percy as he looked around interestedly seemingly learning just as much from the tour as herself and Nico, she smiled. Was he an all-rounder as well? She kind of hoped he was. After all, Annabeth had already confirmed that she and Thalia were essentially all-rounders – apparently, they both attended the same school in New York, likely the same one that she herself would be attending in the none-too-distant future.

Grover, meanwhile, was apparently a satyr, and so lived full-time at the camp, and was also quite a bit older than he looked…, which was a bit creepy now she thought about it, considering he'd been pretending to be in the same year group as her….

Shaking her head at that uncomfortable thought, she looked back over at Percy. She'd learn bits and pieces about the others, both through stilted conservations in the Hunters' camp and on the flying school bus that brought them to Camp Half-Blood. But she didn't know much about him; other than him being the Son of Poseidon, having a tense relationship with Annabeth, and apparently being an idiot. Or at least according to Thalia and Annabeth, he was an idiot, though again that might also be banter. It was sometimes hard to tell with the three of them and their unusual dynamic.

Pushing that thought to the side, she followed Annabeth as she led them up a hill at the edge of the camp. Reaching the top, she turned and couldn't help but grin. It was an amazing view of the valley. She could see a big stretch of forest to the northwest, a beautiful beach, creek, canoe lake, lush green fields, and the whole layout of the cabins — a bizarre assortment of twelve buildings arranged like a Greek omega, Ω, with a loop of cabins around a central green. One she noticed, glowed golden, another silver. One had grass on the roof. Another was bright red with barbed wire trenches. All of it seemed like a different world from the snowy hills and fields that lay beyond the camp's borders.

"The valley is protected from mortal eyes," Annabeth said from beside her. On her other side, Nico was jumping up and down, grabbing at Percy's arm as he pointed out all the sights and made guesses at which gods the different cabins belonged to. "As you can see, the weather is controlled, too. And yes Nico, as you guessed, each cabin represents an Olympian god — a place for that god's children to stay while they attend camp."

"So, one of them belongs to our dad?" She asked, her voice coming out more of a wistful whisper. It would be nice to have a more permanent home, even if it was just an odd-designed cabin.

"Maybe, it depends. If your father is a minor god he won't be represented here, and you'll instead stay in the Hermes Cabin with the child of the other minor gods and those who have not yet been claimed," Annabeth said softly, before forcing a smile and turning her. "But if that does happen, I wouldn't worry. The Hermes lot are really nice, even if they can be annoying and dorky at times. But their cabin is big, and they're really welcoming, they'll treat you like family."

She frowned at the subtext of what Annabeth was saying.

It didn't seem right that only the top twelve Olympians were given their own cabins, with the rest of the gods being relegated to the Hermes Cabin. Considering how big the camp was, and that it was run by a literal god, surely it shouldn't be too difficult to add in more cabins for the other gods. It just didn't make sense.

"I know what you're thinking, Bianca," Percy said from her other side. He wasn't facing her, but instead looking out over the camp pensively. "The divine world is no fairer than the mundane one. If anything, it's worse, as we live in a world where might makes right. The strong make the rules, and those weaker than them are expected to follow them. Unfortunately, though, it is a world we are stuck with. As, while the Olympians rule the status quo will forever remain the same. Not that the Titans rule would be any better."

There was a bitter note to his voice, one which drew a slight frown from her. He was a very odd teen. Back in Artemis' tent, he had spoken so earnestly and so passionately, that it had made her rethink joining the Hunt. Life was for living, and she didn't want to be like Peter Pan; constantly running away from growing up, relationships, and reality, and forever stuck as a child as she roamed the woods like a glorified girl guide. But here and now there was a despondency to his voice as he aired his own thoughts, that made her angry at the status quo.

She felt herself frowning. "Then what can we do?"

"There is not much we can do," Annabeth said bluntly, "other than support each other like family should."

"Or we can be the change," Percy refuted, his hands clenching into fists. "If things continue as they are, Olympus will fall. The more they alienate their children with their indifference, the more of their children they push over to the Titans. War is coming, and if we're not careful, it is one Olympus might lose. If Olympus is to prevail and not be razed, they will need to change, they will need to decentralise power, offer more respect and acknowledgement to the minor gods, free those who were unfairly or wrongly imprisoned and cursed, and just do a better job. Because if they don't…." he trailed off and looked up at the sky as a loud rumble of thunder sounded out.

"Percy," Annabeth hissed, her eyes wide.

Percy just smiled crookedly, his gaze still on the heavens. "Sorry, just speaking my mind."

"Well, you should be careful," Annabeth said, "You're beginning to sound like Luke."

Percy cocked a brow and looked at her curiously.

Annabeth just cringed, a flash of old pain flitting across her face at the mention of this 'Luke'.

"Who's Luke?" Nico asked obliviously.

This time it was her time to wince, even as Annabeth forced a smile and shook her head.

"Just an idiot, don't worry about it," The blonde shook her head again, her ponytail flicking back and forth as she quickly resumed her tour, her grey eyes occasionally shifting over to Percy, as she gazed at him partly curious, partly suspicious and mostly confusedly. "But anyway, Bianca, you seem to be taking this quite well."

Internally she screamed.

There was a lot going on in her head. Some of the things she had just learned had been compartmentalised, others she was outright ignoring until later. But even so, deep down she couldn't help but admit that everything she had learned over the last night had confirmed some weird feelings she'd had for years, questions she'd had about who her father was and how her mother had died.

She remembered her mother. She remembered living in Italy with her for the first few years of her life and growing up there. It had been a happy time. Later, when she was around eight or nine, she remembered being brought to America. She might have only been young when her mother died, but she still remembered the sound of her voice, the kindness in her eyes, and the warmth of her touch. But she had no memories of her passing. One moment she was there the next she was gone, and she and her brother were being looked after by a sharp-faced woman who worked for their absentee father. Before later being dropped off at a snazzy hotel by the same woman – whose name she couldn't quite remember – for a few weeks before they were then enrolled in Westover.

She shook her head and forced her unpleasant thoughts away.

Nico never mentioned their mother, it was almost like he had forgotten. And sometimes it felt like she had as well. It hadn't been that long since she had died only a few years. But it felt a lot longer. The feelings she had about her mother's death were not raw like they should be, but instead dull. It felt like she should be hurting a lot more, but sometimes it was difficult to muster up the emotion or memory to truly mourn.

Gritting her teeth, she forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I guess after everything we saw last night and after meeting Artemis it's a little easier to believe. So, who's my dad?"

"We should hopefully know soon enough," Annabeth said once again with a forced smile. "Hopefully he'll claim you both this evening after Capture the Flag."

Bianca's brow furrowed.

"It'll be okay," Annabeth promised, her hard grey eyes softening. "You have friends here. Family. We've all been through a lot of weird stuff. We know what you're going through."

Once again, she forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace. Just off to the side, she could see Percy still looking pensively out over the camp, he didn't seem to be paying attention anymore and instead seemed lost in his own thoughts. She had noticed that the older teen did that a lot. He seemed to be a very introspective person. A deep thinker as her mother would have said.

"Either way, for now, we still need to get you both settled. You ready to go back down?" Annabeth pressed on with a smile as she looked between Bianca and her brother.

Bianca gazed at the crazy assortment of cabins in the valley.

Her new home and a family who would supposedly understand them, look after them and provide them a safe place to grow.

"Yeah," she nodded, a slight smile ghosting across her face, despite the inner panic she was still feeling as she digested all that she had learned. "I'm ready."

( - )

(With Percy)

He could feel Annabeth's stormy grey eyes gaze boring into the back of his head.

She had clocked on that something was wrong.

The way he had been acting, although enough to fool Thalia, seemingly hadn't done enough to trick Annabeth. But then again, she was a daughter of Athena, so maybe he shouldn't be so surprised that she could dissect and analyse his every action and reaction and find fault.

Still, what could she do?

Despite having a totally different personality and backstory, he was still Percy Jackson. He might not be the Percy Jackson she knew, and he might have a completely different set of memories and a different personality. But he had still been born Percy Jackson, to Sally Jackson, and although his father was obviously different, he was still a sea god, and as such his connection to the sea and all it encompassed remained the same.

He forced a smile as he turned and met her gaze.

She might be suspicious. But there was fuck all she could do. She could snitch and tell the others her suspicions. But he was confident that he could brush them off by just claiming that it had been a while since he had last seen them and that people changed. After all, even if the God of Truth demanded answers, all he had to say was that he was Percy Jackson, and it would ring true.

He took solace in that thought.

Not that he was planning on getting him into that kind of situation.

Fortunately, the tour had helped fill a lot of the gaps in his knowledge. In fact, he suspected he had gotten more out of the tour than either of the Di Angelos had. Nico for one hadn't shut up the entire time, constantly rambling on about his stupid mythomagic game, or asking inane questions, and had probably taken in barely half of what Annabeth had said. Bianca on the other hand, had been more focused and contemplative, but even she had zoned out at times. Though he didn't blame her considering the enormity of everything that had happened to her over the last day. He may have been born into the divine world, but he was empathetic enough to understand what a shock to the system being introduced to it so suddenly could be.

Humming to himself he quickened his pace so he was walking side by side with his erstwhile enemies. It was odd being in such close proximity to them, with them not trying to kill him or vice versa. But he wasn't complaining either.

War might be encoded in his very being, but he wouldn't say no to peace either. His entire life had been spent fighting other people's battles. But now he was dead, or living a new life, or whatever the fuck was going on, he was more than ready to chill out and go with the flow.

The war, he suspected, would likely happen once again. Only this time, he was hopeful that he could stay out of it, or at least skirt around the edges. A few skirmishes here and there to make it seem like he was helping, and a bit of aid offered to the true heroes, Bianca and Thalia, and then it should be plain sailing. He was more than happy for those with a more heroic slant, like Annabeth, to sacrifice themselves this time, while he reaped the rewards.

Marriage, children, maybe settling down on a tropical island somewhere, that was what his future held.

Or at least he hoped it did.

Smiling wistfully at what could be he lazily followed the others as they wandered over the mostly empty, central green, and past a central fire pit where a young, hooded girl stoked the flames.

In the background, he could hear Annabeth pointing out the different cabins and the gods they represented, along with a basic commentary on who the different people they saw dotted around were.

Embracing his power and splitting his thought processes in two – like a dolphin – he absorbed all that she said with rapt attention, even as he let the other half of his mind wander as he sketched out plans for the future and responses to any of the awkward questions he might have directed his way.

"Speaking of," Annabeth continued, "it's about time we get you two equipped with some weapons and armour. Not that you'll be in proper combat anytime soon, but it's always good to get a head start on things, and learning to protect yourself is one of the key skills that is taught here at camp."

Weapons?

Percy fully tuned back in, his gaze flicking down to where his sword – still in its pen form – was resting in his pocket. Although he was not bad with a sword it really wasn't his weapon of choice. He had always been a middling swordsman at best. Better than the fodder, but nowhere near Luke Castellan's level of skill.

Perking up, he followed Annabeth as she led a cautious Bianca and overly excited Nico around the side of the cabins to a big metal shed that looked like it was meant for gardening tools – such as those that were probably used on the nearby strawberry fields.

Pulling a set of keys out of her pocket, Annabeth unlocked the shed and pulled open the door, revealing that inside were not gardening tools but instead a huge array of weapons — from swords to spears to clubs and bows.

"Every demigod needs a weapon," Annabeth said turning to the siblings. "Hephaestus makes the best, but we still have a pretty good selection on site, too. Athena's all about strategy — matching the right weapon to the right person. Now, let's see…."

Looking back at the two children of Hades, Percy fought a smile as he saw Annabeth pick out a sword and hand it over to Nico. The blade looked almost cartoonishly big in the young boy's hand.

Shaking his head, he slipped past Annabeth as she continued picking out weapons and offering them to the Di Angelos to test out.

Based on his knowledge of an alternate future, he was pretty certain he knew exactly which weapons would suit them. But he wouldn't say so right now, as for one, where was the fun in that. It was always better to test things out and make your own choice, and for another, he had other things to do. And for another, he would let Annabeth show up. She deserved a reward after giving him such an informative tour of the camp.

Ignoring the byplay between the three, he wandered deeper into the shed and looked through the treasure trove of weaponry inside. They seemed to hail from every era. Smiling at the sheer diversity on offer, he started rootling about, searching for something that better fit his style.

Idly reaching out, he hefted a vaguely familiar-looking weapon, one from the modern age.

"No, Percy," Annabeth's voice sounded out behind him.

Turning, he saw her stern grey eyes boring into his.

"A shotgun?" Bianca said, her eyes wide.

"Mossberg 500." Annabeth confirmed.

Looking down at the pump action shotgun, he shrugged. "Why not? It's probably modified to shoot celestial bronze, so it's not like it will hurt humans."

"Yeah, but you can still blow your own foot off," Annabeth said sternly. "I would barely trust you to run a bath, let alone use a shotgun. Besides you already have Riptide, you don't need another weapon."

"Hmm," Percy hummed, turning away and ignoring her as he shouldered the shotgun and continued searching the shed. "You can never be too careful."

"Whatever, I'll deal with you later" Annabeth muttered, "Now Bianca you're quite slim, but that's not always a bad thing when it comes to combat, as once we train you up, being slim will mean you're quicker and harder to hit. I think a set of knives would suit you. Maybe a bow as well to give you a range option. We'll have to see how good you are at archery."

"A sword would probably suit her better," Percy called from the back of the shed. "A sabre or rapier maybe. Something quick and light."

"Are you picking out these weapons, or am I?" Annabeth shot back.

"As you wish milady," he shook his head and grinned, his eyes alighting on a gleaming bronze trident. A small label was tied onto one of the tines: Drake 1596. It appeared to be a legacy weapon from a long-since-dead demigod. "Hmm, fun."

Putting the shotgun down, he picked up the trident and tested its balance and length. It was well-made but very much followed the Atlantean style of trident, as opposed to the Oceanic style he was used to. But it was without a doubt a high-quality piece, made by the Cyclops too if he wasn't mistaken. He recognised some of the signs of their work from past skirmishes with Atlantean warriors and a perusal of some of their better gear.

"Definitely a keeper," he muttered to himself, tracing the wave-like patterns that danced along the metal haft. The patterns on the upper half went one way, and those on the lower half went another and where the two met…. He twisted the haft following the direction of the waves, and with a slick swish of sound, the weapon contracted into a more compact form, an old-timey, bronze telescope with a distinctive trident etched onto the outer casing.

Smiling, he slipped the purloined weapon into his pocket, along with another weapon that caught his eye – a gleaming and well-cared-for parazonium. An admittedly, mostly ceremonial dagger which though mainly for show, was still plenty deadly in a fight. More than that he could practically feel the magic dripping off the blade. The trident was well-made, but whoever made the magical dagger was on another level. He didn't have to be a child of Hephaestus to recognise a masterpiece when he saw one. Nor a child of Hecate to taste the potent magic emanating off the blade.

Slipping the sheathed knife into the inner pocket of his coat, he shouldered the shotgun again and headed back to the still open door.

"I don't know, Nico," Annabeth said with restrained patience.

Rounding the nearest shelf, he had to hold back a laugh.

While Bianca was examining her new weapon, a slim, elegant, basket-hilted rapier – ha suck it Annabeth! – a similar weapon to what he remembered her wielding the last time he had fought her, though this one was not forged from Stygian Iron and was not quite as intricate.

His smile faded as past memories assailed him. She'd been a complete pain with her sword too, especially since she tended to use shadow travel liberally in a fight, by dancing through every shadow with contemptuous ease and emerging with lighting fast thrusts and jabs. She'd been a fiend on the battlefield, taking advantage of the melee to deliver devastating and deadly strikes at the most inopportune of times.

Her brother, meanwhile, much to his amusement, was trying to convince Annabeth that a large double-bladed battleaxe was the right weapon for him. With not much success either from what he could see. Though it likely didn't help that the weapon he had chosen was nearly as tall as he was.

"A sword would suit you better," Percy offered, reaching out and snagging a heavy, slightly curved, single-edged falcata from the weapons rack. "This one should do you. Mainly good for slashing and cutting. Which means you can go wild on any monster you face. But the hilt can also cause a lot of damage if you get in close and smash them in the face. The pointy end too, especially if the monster doesn't have a tough hide and isn't wearing armour. It doesn't excel in stabbing. But you can gut a monster easily enough if you're strong enough and hit them in the right spot."

Flipping the sword and catching it barehanded by its blade, he offered it to Nico.

The son of Hades he remembered, primarily relied on his demigod gifts, much like Percy himself did. But he also used a sword as well, when necessary. Though one that was similar, but still somewhat different from the blade he was offering the boy currently. Then again, considering that it too was made out of Stygian Iron, he was pretty sure it had been custom-made and forged in the Underworld for Nico and Nico alone.

Nico sent him a speculative look as he took the sword – which still looked slightly oversized in his small hands.

Lunging forward and catching the now abandoned battleaxe before it could fall, Percy heaved it up and rested it on his other shoulder. "Besides, a weapon is a tool. One that you're supposed to use in battle, and which one day might save your life. That being the case, useability is a big factor. At the moment you can't even lift this bad boy, let alone swing it with any particular accuracy or strength. Best stick with an adaptable weapon like a sword for the moment and diversify a bit more once you've packed on some more muscle and had some training."

Turning back around, he put the axe back where it came from and turned to grin at Annabeth.

"Put the shotgun back Percy," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes as she saw he still had it resting on his shoulder.

"Nope," he grinned back, popping the 'p'. He had learned sass and stubbornness from his psycho ex-girlfriend Kelli, a strait-laced girl like Annabeth wouldn't be able to compete if she decided to die on this hill.

Her grey eyes narrowed, not with suspicion this time, but instead with irritation.

"You can barely even shoot a bow," Annabeth started.

"Well, luckily a gun is a lot easier and far less skill-based, especially a shotgun. Just point, shoot and blast anything in your way to pieces." Percy nodded sagely.

"It's…," Annabeth rubbed her temple with her free hand. "It's just not you, it's too flashy, and… well what's wrong with your sword?"

"Nothing," Percy said, glancing at the two children of Hades as they looked awkwardly between the two of them as they had their domestic. "But what happens if I need something long-ranged, maybe against a flying monster like a Harpy. If I can't reach them with my sword, and there's not enough water around for me to splash them, then I'm a sitting duck. Come on Wisegirl, you're the one who is always saying to plan for every eventuality. "

Annabeth's eyes widened a fraction.

His meanwhile narrowed as he realised what he had just said.

Where in Tartarus did that pet name come from? He certainly hadn't made it up, as for one he would have definitely come up with something cleverer and that rolled off the tongue better. For another, it also denoted a certain closeness, that he had up until now, not had with her. Or rather, which he still did not have with her.

Annabeth's lips curved into a slight smile, and her grey eyes sparkled as she shook her head. "You're such an idiot seaweed brain. You can't plan for every eventuality. Otherwise, you'd have to bring an armoury with you wherever you go. Instead, you have to extrapolate the most likely scenario and situations and formulate measures to deal with them in the most efficient way possible."

"And that's why you're a daughter of Athena," Percy pressed on, ignoring his discomfort for the moment. "Me, meanwhile, I like taking a more direct approach. If my abilities don't do the trick, and my weapon won't reach, then go with the blunt force approach of blasting them to pieces."

"You say that like you've ever shot a gun before," Annabeth shot back dryly.

Percy raised his finger to reply and then paused. This time she was right. He had never shot a gun before. Oceanus didn't exactly keep a stockpile of modern weapons in his undersea citadel, and during the war the demigods he had fought primarily used bladed weaponry. In fact, the only time he had seen a gun used during the war, was when Ares was blasting entire legions of monsters to pieces with a skull-covered, flaming shotgun.

"That's what firing ranges are for," Percy said, stepping out of the shed.

"Fine," Annabeth sighed resignedly, "Do as you wish, but I don't think Chiron will be all that keen on you running around with a shotgun."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Percy called back over his shoulder as the two children of Hades followed along behind him like ducklings, both of them clutching their new weapons to their chests.

"Thank the gods at least some things don't change," Annabeth muttered under her breath, locking up the shed.

Her tone was pitched low, likely so he couldn't hear her.

Unfortunately for her though, his hearing – thanks to his biological manipulation – was far too enhanced for her words to slip past him unheard.

Frowning, as he dissected her words, he said no more as he led the way back to the Big House, where he could already see a collection of campers and a handful of silver-clad Hunters gathering.

Considering most of the campers gathered were wearing armour and taking practice swings with weapons, and the Hunters were resignedly testing their bows, even as Thalia strutted about seemingly picking out a team of campers to match the Hunter's reduced numbers. It seemed like the game of Capture the Flag, Chiron had announced previously, was about to begin.

( - )

AN: All the broad strokes of the story are now fully planned out. Some of the minor things are still left to be done though. So any suggestions you might have, would be appreciated. Similarly if you spot any mistakes, please do point them out, same with continuity errors.

Cheers for reading, and let me know what you think.

Have a good one all and catch you later.

Greed720.