Indigo Eyes

Chapter 115

It was late afternoon when the taxi dropped them off at the Empire State Building. Mrs O'Leary went crazy as she started licking cabs and sniffing hot-dog carts, the Mist making her invisible to mortals. Cressida whistled for her to heel as Percy signalled the three white vans that pulled to the kerb. They said Delphi Strawberry Service, which was the cover name for Camp Half-Blood as the doors slid open and the campers began climbing out.

"Where the hell have you been?! What happened?" Pollux exclaimed as he raced for his sister, seeing the dry blood on her face.

"I'm fine. I swear."

"Cress, don't play with me. Are you sure?"

"I'm fine. I promise. Now did you bring what I asked for?"

"Yeah. There's also some extra vials of Solace solution in there," he said as he slung a back off his shoulder.

"I hate that that name stuck," Cressida said as she slung the bag on her shoulder while Percy did a head count, they had forty campers to work with, the Ares cabin unaccounted for.

Everyone was ridiculously nervous and it was very obvious why.

Annabeth came up to Percy as Cressida stepped inside the van to change quickly, sliding the door shut and Percy's confidence seemed to shatter.

Annabeth was dressed in black camouflage with her celestial bronze knife strapped to her arm and her laptop bag slung over her shoulder – ready for stabbing or surfing the internet, whichever came first.

"What happened to you two?" she asked. "And why are you still staring after Cress?"

Percy was snapped out of his daze as he looked at Annabeth. "What? Nothing happened. Cress saved me, as usual."

"Whatever you say, but I'll get the story one way or another," Annabeth swore. "I brought you some clothes as well," she said as Malcolm, her brother, handed her another bag.

"Thanks," Percy said as the van door slid open. While Annabeth was dressed in black camo, Cressida was just dressed in black. Black leggings, black combat boots, and a black t-shirt with her armour haphazardly thrown over it as she tried to braid her dark hair back, the entire outfit making her eyes stand out even more than before.

"Hey, Polly, can you get my straps for me?" she asked as she stepped out, her charm bracelet jangling and her camp necklace still around her neck.

"Yeah, I got it," he said as he began tightening straps as Cressida finished her hair.

"Percy," Annabeth said as she snapped her fingers in front of his face and he looked out to the rest of the group.

"Thanks for coming, everybody. Chiron, after you," Percy said but the centaur shook his head.

"I came to wish you luck, my boy. But I make it a point never to visit Olympus unless I am summoned."

"But you're our leader."

He smiled. "I am your trainer, your teacher. That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allies I can. It may not be too late to convince my brother Centaurs to help. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader."

"Olympus help us," Cressida joked and Percy rolled his eyes at her. "Ow! Pollux, I can't breathe," she complained as he tightened the straps too tight.

"Do you want it to fall off when you fight?"

"No, but I'm also pretty attached to my lungs that you're currently crushing."

"Di Immortales. Let me do it," Annabeth said as she pushed Pollux out of the way and did up Cressida's straps, Cressida just giving Percy an encouraging nod as he took a deep breath.