thunderstruck | a.c¹

1.03

CHAPTER THREE!
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CAPTURE THE FLAG NIGHT CAME RATHER QUICKLY.

Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree. From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.

The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins. Apparently, privileges had been traded—shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities—in order to win support. Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus.

Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble.

"Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, oxhide shields coated in metal.

Aurora strapped her armor on, collecting her usual sword, the one that was most balanced in her hand. Annabeth came over to her and checked all the straps of her armor, she smiled when she was done.

"Perfect," the blonde said, "As usual," She picked a blue-plumed helmet and placed it on Aurora's head, adjusting it so that it sat comfortably. She shifted her eyes to the crowd, "Blue team! Forward!"

The team cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. The red team yelled taunts at them as they headed off toward the north. Aurora stuck to Annabeth's side.

Percy managed to catch up with them, "So, what's the plan? Got any magic items you can loan me?"

Annabeth's hand drifted to her pocket, where her invsi-yankees hat lived. She rolled her eyes but looked ahead so he couldn't see, "Just watch out for Clarisse's spear. You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"

"Border patrol, whatever that means."

"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."

Annabeth took Aurora's hand and pulled her ahead, leaving Percy behind. 

☽☾

WHEN AURORA HEARD THE SCREAMS, SHE THOUGHT PERCY WAS DONE FOR.

She burst through the foliage to see him land with a splash in the creek. Aurora ran forward, "Clarisse!—"

She didn't need to finish, because as the Ares kids began to wade into the water, Percy stood. He swung the flat of his sword against one guy's head and knocked his helmet clean off. The Ares camper crumpled.