Another few days passed in a whirl of training.
Then came the big event, Capture the Flag.
The teams were set, same as canon.
Leading one team was Athena cabin, which had recruited Hermes Cabin and Apollo Cabin.
The other team was led by Ares and had recruited: Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Demeter and Dionysus cabins.
Me and Percy were therefore on team Athena, since we temporarily belonged to Hermes cabin.
Somehow Percy still had a run-in with a few Ares kids just like canon.
Clarisse La Rue appeared to have a thing for giving new half-bloods a special “welcome”, and the results were very similar.
This time she had tried to ambush Percy near the Canoe lake after he had gone swimming after training.
Turns out, trying to throw the unknowing prince of the sea into a lake was even harder than trying to push his head into a toilet.
People started looking at him more after the rumour spread, whispers followed him, yet he was completely unaware still.
I, however, had somehow avoided the “welcome” from Ares cabin, I wonder why?
As we moved towards the forest where the game took place I thought about what was coming.
“The hellhound should appear shortly after the game ends, summoned by Luke to attack Percy.
I could warn Chiron and stop it before it ever became a threat, but I wasn’t certain Poseidon would claim Percy without the attack.
I’d let events play out—while remaining close enough to intervene before Percy was seriously hurt.” We were now lined up, our entire team stood next to the flag as the game was about to start.
The plans had been made, everything was clear.
Me and Luke along with a few Hermes kids, one Athena kid and two children of Apollo were going on offence.
The rest would hold different defensive positions.
Apollo kids, defending, would climb trees and the Athena kids were the last line of defence next to the flag.
Percy was the only one who had not yet received his objective.
Instead Annabeth had insisted she would show him to where he was meant to defend when the game started.
I had already clued Percy in about the Ares kids likely looking for revenge during the game.
So this time he was aware of what was coming for him.
I also told him it was probably smart to fight in the water.
“I’m not sure how dense he needed to be, to understand who his dad was despite controlling water…” But he still seemed to accept my advice since he trusted me by now.
I had also pointed out to him that stalling the Ares kids would also mean we would win.
Annabeth’s plan made sense in that way.
Not telling Percy, however, was not a smart move long term from a strategist.
Annabeth, however smart, was a twelve-year-old girl, who had never been the leader in a high-stakes scenario.
She didn’t yet realise that being sacrificed in a wargame without being informed could easily lead to distrust when it really mattered, all she saw was winning.
I had brought four blunted steel swords, two blunted steel daggers and one shield with me.
The weapons were now floating around me and the shield lightly strapped to my back.
I was ready to test myself against these demigods.
The number of weapons left some room to manipulate my body, along with whatever else I could use.
The last preparations were made, and the horn sounded, the game had begun.
Luke, the Stoll brothers and I took the lead of the offensive team, splitting up slightly to more easily spot the enemy.
We set a good pace through the trees and quickly reached the creek.
The others waded through it while I just took a huge leap across using telekinesis to push the jump further and softening the landing.
I got some looks from the others, but they at least remained quiet and quickly refocused.
Just then I sensed the first enemy demigod as vibrations echoed through the ground.
The demigod was about to reach the treeline next to the creek.
I quickly sent a dagger forward towards the demigod to the gap in his armour at his neck, he was out before he saw us.
He quickly surrendered and walked away from the game area.
I signalled incoming just before more demigods poured out from the treeline and a small battle erupted between us and them.
I stayed back using telekinesis with maximum efficiency, sneaking weapons up, holding them next to necks, armpits or other weak spots.
One Ares kid tried using an arrow to bring me down from further back, a good try, but with nothing to distract me the arrow stood no chance.
Someone eventually yelled.
“Rush the new guy!
He can’t defend against all of us!” The defenders rallied, all of them swung wildly at the ones they were fighting, then made a beeline straight for me, leaving only a few to distract my allies.
Six managed to reach me that the others couldn’t stop or take out.
This mad dash would cost them the battle, but they decided taking me out was a must.
I pulled myself back with telekinesis from a swing, before then using the shield to deflect another attack.
Then as more reached me I simply pulled myself back across the creek with a jump backward.
The defenders who attacked me were now left surrounded by my teammates, who had taken care of most of the others.
A battle that should have cost us time and maybe 70% of our offensive force was instead done with only three “casualties” and three minutes.
We pressed on through the trees, with me sensing the vibrations of anyone hiding along the way it was almost boring.
I simply sent out daggers tapping people on the head sitting in trees.
We suffered another casualty when an arrow came through a gap of trees originating from too far away from me to sense.
But other than that we came upon the final defence intact.
I decided to enter melee this time as staying back didn’t really teach me anything by now.
I stepped in towards a hammer-swinging Hephaestus kid, deflecting his hammer with my hovering shield.
Then I used one of my swords to swing against his knees making him jump back, another sword was sent to meet him mid-air, the flat of the blade tapped his forehead lightly.
Just then another demigod tried a swing towards my side.
I pulled myself out of the way completely against the normal laws of physics.
Then I sent a sword to distract him while pulling myself towards him, ramming into him while his sword was out of the way, sending him stumbling to the ground.
I avoided another swing by jumping high in the air right over the demigod while doing a somersault, landing gracefully.
The demigod turned to find a dagger next to his throat and me walking away towards the enemy flag.
I lifted it off the ground with one arm and ran straight towards the still fighting demigods and again took a huge leap over the battle.
I set a good pace alone through the woods towards the creek, still hearing the sound of battle behind me.
I was not heading straight back, instead moving to where I knew Percy would be positioned.
Just before reaching the creek I saw Percy.
He was in the middle of a fierce battle against Clarisse, with the rest of the Ares kids that had come for him lying in various states in the shallow water of the creek.
Clarisse had that spear that made it very hard for Percy to block and was therefore weaving around it at a speed I had never seen him move before.
He had listened to me, keeping himself moving in the shallow part of the creek at all times, water coming up to his ankles.
I smiled as I stood there with the flag.
Now this guy had some real raw potential.
Clarisse seemed to grow more and more angry and overcommitted to a stab towards Percy, making the spear go past him.
Percy grabbed onto the spear letting his sword go pointing downwards and leveraged his shield and twisted, hard.
The spear snapped.
Clarisse started cursing Percy and jumped him, bringing them both into the water.
When they surfaced Percy was holding Clarisse in a rear naked choke, he had won.
I then jumped over the creek with the flag ending the game.
Percy immediately let Clarisse go as he saw me enter our side of the creek with the flag.
He waved sheepishly and I laughed.
Clarisse looked ready to attack Percy again, but I simply gave her a cold look while stepping towards her, she stopped, still angry.
People started showing up, our side cheering, the other side looking dejected.
I went up to Percy and said.
“So you took my advice, have you figured it out yet?” He looked confused.
I sighed.
“Is there any hope for him?” You grow stronger in the water, and you can even manipulate it.
Then my vibration sense went off, a large creature had just entered my range coming towards us quickly.
“Monster!” I yelled to get everyone’s attention, while sending my swords towards the trees where the monster is about to appear.
A large hellhound came crashing out of the woods heading straight towards us.
My four swords met it just as it entered our sight hitting it in the shoulder and forelegs.
It howled loudly and one leg gave up making it tumble straight towards me and Percy because of its speed.
Percy pushed me aside at the same time I pushed him back with telekinesis and pulled myself backward.
This sent me further and faster than I intended.
I tumbled over the beach, at the same time, Percy splashed into the deeper parts of the creek.
The Hellhound came to a stop and got up on three legs, moving towards Percy again.
Then an arrow hit the monster deep in the neck, killing it instantly.
The monster crumbled to dust, making my weapons and the arrow fall into the shallow water.
I get up slowly and see Chiron riding towards us, an arrow nocked and ready.
I then looked at Percy as he stood up in the creek, as he walked out of the water a soft green light gathered above Percy’s head.
It coalesced into the unmistakable shape of a trident.
Percy had been claimed.
I hope you enjoyed it anyway!
The bonus chapter is coming right after.