Melpomene (PJO)

3. Plan of attack

If Mari went up to the average Joe and said that she actively missed spending time in a summer camp that employed cleaning harpies to eat campers who broke curfew, and had a lava climbing wall installed as a daily activity, she had a feeling said Joe might get a little... judgy. Mortals tended to get a wee bit put off at the whole 'nearly dying' thing. But what the mortals missed (other than the fact that the lava wall was actually pretty fun) was that camp was where her siblings were, where her friends were, and where her life had been since she was ten years old.

It was nice to be back.

It was late afternoon when Mari and Will arrived, and a quick check of the schedule for that day told them that their cabin was assigned to winged horseback riding with the Athena cabin.

They headed over to the forest to intercept their siblings, who were currently in the middle of an all-out aerial battle. Lee spotted them and waved briefly before going back to firing flaming arrows at an older Athena kid, who veered upside down and dodged. Lee sped after him with a cry, and disappeared from view. "So, do you think they're all up there?" Will asked her.

"Nope," a voice drawled from behind, and Mari felt herself being yanked into a side-hug. "You lucky little parasites are going to get your favourite older brother Michael for company while we watch."

Michael looked like he'd been through it. He had bags under his eyes and his left arm was in a sling.

"What happened to you?" Will asked.

"The monsters have started circling camp, the same way they did when Thalia's pine tree was poisoned. Chiron thinks they're here because they can sense something bad about to happen. I think they were told to be here." Michael shook his injured arm. "I got this saving Kayla from a Pit Scorpion colony. Someone planted a whole nest of them at the border to camp, probably one of Luke's associates. Kayla tripped up over 'em whilst she was coming in. I ended up in the infirmary for four days. Thank the gods Chiron had the antidote on hand or I'd be dead for sure. I'm telling you, Pit Scorpion poison to the elbow is not a pleasant sensation - pray that you never experience it."

"Who's Kayla?" Mari asked.

"Our new sister." Michael grinned. "Kayla Knowles. Unlike the rest of you she's actually tolerable. I know, I was shocked too. Kid nearly beat me at the shooting range. Me!"

"Oh, good," Mari drawled. "The Pit scorpions must not have done too much damage - his ego's still kicking."

Michael thwacked her around the head with his good arm.

"How'd you manage to hold any kind of archery contest with your arm in a sling?" Will asked.

"What, you think I'm a one-shot kind of demigod?" Michael snatched a bow off a table with his good arm and somehow managed to notch an arrow, putting the nock between his teeth and using that bite as leverage to pull the bowstring. He tilted his head back, narrowing his eyes towards some far-off point, and opened his mouth, sending the arrow flying upwards. It nailed another Athena camper in the back of the head, and they spun off their pegasus, shouting something as they went. "That's how it's done."

"Hey!" Austin swooped close enough for them to hear. "That's cheating!"

"I'm on your team, Austin!" Michael shot off another arrow. Austin shook his head in exasperation and flew away, joining Lee in his pursuit of the Athena camper.

"So, is Kayla up there?" Will asked. "Can we meet her?"

"No." Michael shook his head. "Kayla has a mild concussion. Apparently she got into a fight with a Cyclops before the Pit Scorpion incident. She's not allowed to fly until she gets that cleared, so she's spending the session in the infirmar- Nope!" Michael grabbed the back of Will's shirt, yanking him into a noogie. "That is not an invitation to sneak off to the infirmary not five minutes into arriving. Kayla's sleeping in the infirmary tonight, anyway. I think Katie and Travis are holding the fort."