Ch.19

As we left the apartment I turned to Percy,

"Here, take this cash that's left over from the quest and take mom out. I have to take care of something."

"What? What are you going to do?"

"It's best you don't know." I responded.

"Why? You gonna do something you shouldn't?"

"No I'm gonna do something that should've happened a long time ago."

Percy grunted at me before turning around to grab mom, I walked down the alley till I got to the fire escape that led to our room.

Some cool parkour moves, like wall running, later and I was about to crawl into our room. Waiting till I heard mom tell Garbage... Gabe she was heading out I snuck in.

Staying out of sight I watch as Gabe went to go take a drink of his beer. I forced the water to evaporate at high speeds, man was I glad I had increased my arcane.

If you knew anything about ethyl alcohol, like I did, you'd know it doesn't take a whole lot to kill you...

There isn't much alcohol in beers so it was gone fast, Gabe seeing that grabbed the closest drink to him which happened to be hard liquor. It only took about 30 minutes for Gabe to start getting sick, his friends took that as their sign to leave.

Within a hour he was violently ill, being so drunk made it much easier for me to walk out in front of him and start forcing him to drink his liquor. Right before Percy dropped mom off I had pumped so much alcohol into him he would be dead within ten minutes, leaving I found Percy pretty quickly.

"What did you do to him? Will you be going to jail now?" He asked me.

"What? No, he drank himself to death I didn't have to do anything." I responded with a smile.

"Yeah right." Percy scoffed.

__

We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Being the sons of Poseidon, we didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make our shrouds. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle for both of us.

It was fun to burn.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, I watched as Percy was surrounded by his old Hermes cabinmates, he knew them better then I as he'd been awake two more days then I, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Hornsand-whiskersabove anything we have seen in the past."

The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabinmates, whose poisonous looks told me they'd never forgive me for disgracing their dad.

That was okay with me.

Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brats didn't get themselves killed and now they'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday...."

I moved back into cabin three and that night, I lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there. Maybe he wasn't quite sure about us yet, maybe he hadn't even wanted me born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what we'd done.

As for my mother, she had a chance at a new life. Her letter arrived a few days after we got back to camp. She told me Gabe had drunk himself to death after Percy brought her to dinner.

The police, based off of statements from his friends, ruled that it was accidental suicide due to anger.

At the bottom of her letter, she wrote a P.S.: Boys, I've found a good private school here in the city. I've put a deposit down to hold you a spot, in case you want to enroll for seventh grade. You could live at home. But if you want to go year-round at Half-Blood Hill, I'll understand.

I folded the note carefully and set it on our bedside table. I tried to decide how to answer her. I didn't know what I should do, I had a year rounder that I had to start training soon and going back to school sounded like the worst idea ever. I never went to college in my last life and honestly I didn't want to in this one.

__

Meeting Henryk was an experience, he was... aggressive.

"Hello? Are you Henryk? Some of the guys told me that I'd probably find you here." I said as I walked into the arena acter classes.

"Yeah, what do you want? Big hero on campus want to rub in the fact that you know your parent?" He responded.

"Woah man, easy there," I said holding up my arms. "I met your mom when I was at Olympus, she wanted me to give you this."

I handed him the braclet, "It's a magic item."

"No shit Sherlock," He grunted at me, as he put the braclet on.

He flicked his rist and in his hand was the most unique weapon I'd seen in the camp, a Kopis. It had a blood red handle, that protected the front of the hand, with a bronze blade that looked like a machete.

"She asked me to help train you, and go on quests with you." I told him.

"Who is my mom?" He asked me, his voice losing its aggression for the first time.

"Enyo, Goddess of war, destruction, conquest, bloodlust, and blood."

"Why hasn't she claimed me?" Now he started to sound mad.

"I'm not one to assume what the gods think, but I'd say it's because she doesn't have a cabin here and you being claimed would put a barrier between you and the rest of your cabin mates." I told him, I didn't need him to follow Luke.

"She clearly cares about you or she wouldn't have asked that I help you."

"I guess. Why does she want you to train me though?" He asked.

"Who knows? Only she could tell you that. Well it's lunch time let's go eat." I said as I heard the conch horn.

He grunted in agreement.

__

On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Henryk, who'd seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.

As Percy and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us good-bye.

He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as human.

"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say ... well, you know."

We'd grown closer due to the quest but he was still Percys best friend.

Percy asked him where he was going to search first.

"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan ..."

"We understand," Percy said. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"

"Yeah."

"

And you remembered your reed pipes?"

"Jeez, Percy," he grumbled. "You're like an old papa goat."

But he didn't really sound annoyed.

He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway—nothing like the little runty boy I used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.

"Well," he said, "wish me luck."

"Hey man you don't need it, but I will say this stay away from Bramuda Triangle," I said. "I looked into it and more searchers have gone missing down there looking for Pan then anywhere else. It's like something lures you guys there, and they always vanish."

"Really? Thanks man, I'll search else where then."

"Maybe you can go down there when you're better at woodland magic," I said. "It just takes practice remember."

He nodded as he turned away.

Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the

boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.

"Hey, Grover," Percy called.

He turned at the edge of the woods.

"Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas."

Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.

"We'll see him again," I told Percy.

July passed.

I spent my days devising new strategies for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the

other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's hands. I helped with training Henryk, who was naturally skilled in combat. He couldn't come close to me though, my skill increases had put me at the top of the combatants in the camp. In hand to hand I could be beaten sometimes but with weapons I never lost... Except with bows, I just didn't care about it.

From time to time, I'd walk past the Big House, glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle. I wondered when I be going on my next quest.

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.

The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the

bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads.

That's when Henryk got claimed, I didn't know why she waited till now but he was happy so I didn't really care.

I got my own leather necklace. The design was pitch black, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Twins of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest they undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand.

___

The next morning, I found a letter on my bedside table next to a package.

I knew Dionysus must've filled it out, because he stubbornly insisted on getting my name

wrong:

Dear______ Aker Johnson_______ ,

If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House

by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated

your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will

be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit.

Have a nice day!

Mr. D (Dionysus)

Camp Director, Olympian Council #12

That's a thing about ADHD. Deadlines just aren't real to me until I'm staring one in the face. Summer was over, and I still hadn't answered my mother, or the camp, about whether I'd be staying. Now I had only a few hours to decide.

For the first time, I had the chance to live with her for a whole year, without Gabe. I had a chance be at home and knock around the city in my free time.

I knew though that I couldn't do the school thing, so I headed to the big house to talk with Chiron.

Before that though I opened the package. In it was the sweatshirt I'd asked for with a note.

It read:

Adrian,

This can never be stolen from you and neither can you lose it. I believe it will serve you well.

- Poseidon

Lifting It up I saw it was a zip up sweatshirt, looking at the back I realized it said:

IF YOU NEED TO REACH ME, CALL ME ON MY SHELL

I know funny right, on the front it said Poseidon's Wild Child. Even funnier right? I know.

Putting it on I pulled the draw string for the hood and it changed like I'd asked. It was bronze looking with chiseled muscles on it, there were shoulder guards as well that had a green trident on it that looking it was on fire with a trident on the chest plate.

The forearms guards were bronze as well, while still looking like muscle there was nothing decorative on it.

Willing it to turn back worked great and I was back to wearing a sea green sweatshirt.

~Percy Pov~

I wanted to stay with mom, but I kept worrying and wondering.

I wondered how many monsters would

attack me if I left Half-Blood Hill. If I stayed in one place for a whole school year, without

Chiron or my friends around to help me, would my mother, Adrian, and I even survive until the next summer? That was assuming the spelling tests and five-paragraph essays didn't kill me. I decided I'd go down to the arena and do some sword practice. Maybe that would clear my head.

The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection. Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill, where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport.

Don't think about leaving yet, I told myself. Just train.

I got to the sword-fighters arena and found that Luke had had the same idea. His gym bag

was plopped at the edge of the stage. He was working solo, whaling on battle dummies with a sword I'd never seen before. It must've been a regular steel blade, because he was slashing the dummies' heads right off, stabbing through their straw-stuffed guts. His orange counselor's shirt was dripping with sweat. His expression was so intense, his life might've really been in danger. I watched, fascinated, as he disemboweled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and

basically reducing them to a pile of straw and armor.

They were only dummies, but I still couldn't help being awed by Luke's skill. The guy was an incredible fighter. It made me wonder, again, how he possibly could've failed at his quest or how Adrian was almost as good.

Finally, he saw me, and stopped mid-swing.

"Percy."

"Um, sorry," I said, embarrassed. "I just—"

"It's okay," he said, lowering his sword. "Just doing some last-minute practice."

"Those dummies won't be bothering anybody anymore."

Luke shrugged. "We build new ones every summer."

Now that his sword wasn't swirling around, I could see something odd about it. The blade

was two different types of metal—one edge bronze, the other steel.

Luke noticed me looking at it. "Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter."

"Backbiter?"

Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. "One side is celestial bronze. The

other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both."

I thought about what Chiron had told me when I started my quest—that a hero should never

harm mortals unless absolutely necessary.

"I didn't know they could make weapons like that."

"They probably can't," Luke agreed. "It's one of a kind."

He gave me a tiny smile, then slid the sword into its scabbard. "Listen, I was going to come

looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?"

I don't know why I hesitated. I should've felt relieved that Luke was being so friendly. Ever

since I'd gotten back from the quest, he'd been acting a little distant. I was afraid he might resent me for all the attention I'd gotten.

"You think it's a good idea?" I asked. "I mean—"

"Aw, come on." He rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six-pack of Cokes. "Drinks

are on me."

I stared at the Cokes, wondering where the heck he'd gotten them. There were no regular

mortal sodas at the camp store. No way to smuggle them in unless you talked to a satyr, maybe.

Of course, the magic dinner goblets would fill with anything you want, but it just didn't taste

the same as a real Coke, straight out of the can.

Sugar and caffeine. My willpower crumbled.

"Sure," I decided. "Let me get Adrian."

~Mc Pov~

I'd just finished talking to Chiron letting him know that, while I wouldn't be staying in the camp year round, I would be back quiet often.

Percy ran up to me, "Let's go into the woods, Luke invited us. He has Cokes man."

It suddenly hit me, this is when Luke first tries to make Percy join him.

"Sure let's go." I responded as I followed him.

We walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but it was too hot. All the monsters with any sense must've been taking siestas in their nice cool caves.

We found a shady spot by the creek where Percy'd broken Clarisse's spear during our first capture the flag game. We sat on a big rock, drank our Cokes, and watched the sunlight in the woods.

After a while Luke said, "You miss being on a quest?"

"With monsters attacking me every three feet? Are you kidding?"

Luke raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I miss it," Percy admitted. "You?"

A shadow passed over his face.

You could always hear from the girls how good-looking Luke was, but at the moment, he

looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome. His blond hair was gray in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deeper than usual. I could imagine him as an old man.

"I've lived at Half-Blood Hill year-round since I was fourteen," he told us. "Ever since

Thalia ... well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life.'"

He crumpled his Coke can and threw into the creek. Funny cause one of the first things you learn at Camp Half-Blood is: Don't litter. You'll hear from the nymphs and the naiads. They'll get even. You'll crawl into bed one night and find your sheets filled with centipedes and mud.

"The heck with laurel wreaths," Luke said. "I'm not going to end up like those dusty trophies

in the Big House attic."

"You make it sound like you're leaving." Percy said.

Luke gave us a twisted smile. "Oh, I'm leaving, all right. I brought you guys down here to

say good-bye."

He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled

something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion.

Instantly my axe was in my hand.

"I wouldn't," Luke cautioned. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."

"Luke, what—" Percy stopped for a second.

"You," Percy said.

He stood calmly and brushed off his jeans.

The scorpion paid him no attention. It kept its beady black eyes on us, clamping its pincers

as it crawled inbetween me and Percy.

"I saw a lot out there in the world," Luke said. "Didn't you feel it—the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics—being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but

they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."

"Luke ... you're talking about our parents," Percy said.

He laughed. "That's supposed to make me love them? Their precious 'Westerncivilization is a disease, Percy. It's killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest."

"You're as crazy as Ares." I said.

His eyes flared. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, I could explain. But I'm afraid you two won't live that long."

"Kronos," Percy said. "That's who you serve."

The air got colder.

The creek started to churn, Luke didn't see it as his back was to it but a tendrill had risen to his head level.

"You should be careful with names," Luke warned.

"Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."

Luke's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should've listened."

I took that as my sign, "Now Percy." I yelled as the tendrill slammed into Lukes head.

Percy swatted it away with his hand and uncapped his sword. The thing jumped at me and Percy cut it in half in midair.

I was about to congratulate him until I looked down at his hand. His palm had a huge red

welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck.

The thing had gotten him after all. My strike against Luke was so heavy though that he was knocked out.

I didn't care about that though, grabbing Percy in a fireman carry I full tilt sprinted to the big house.

It didn't take me long at all to get there. Running in I yelled, "Chiron, get down here. Luke attacked me and Percy, he's been stung by a Pit scorpion."

"Hurry follow me." Chiron said as he rushed to the medical room.

_____________________________________________

What do you think will happen to Luke?

What do you think will be the MCs quest with Henryk? Who will they bring as a third?

Did you enjoy this chap? I worked hard on it. Tell me what you all thought... Also don't judge my MCs actions if you think they're dumb, especially when there's a cliffy. Mwahaha