Percabeth (completed): Book 1 - Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty ~ PERCY

• Chapter Thirty • 

• PERCY •

Percy opened the door to the Ares cabin. It looked more gruesome than ever. A statue of a beaten man crawling through guts had been placed inside.

About ten campers were inside, sitting in their beds, chatting. Clarisse La Rue wasn't there.

"Where's Clarisse?" Percy yelled.

The Ares campers silenced.

"What's it to you?" one piped up.

"I won't ask again," Percy said coldly. "Where. Is. She?"

The same kid gulped. "Climbing wall."

Percy slammed the door shut, and raced to the wall. He knew he had to confront her. As soon as possible.

He found her, kneeling beside the wall, staring at the lava. Her eyes were red-ringed; she'd been crying.

Clarisse looked up. "Get lost, Jackson," she snarled.

"You know I can't do that."

Clarisse stiffened. "Why are you here?"

"You know why."

"I don't know!"

"Yeah, you do."

They stared at each other.

"Stop saying I know things!" Clarisse growled. "Because I don't. You're making no sense. As usual!"

"Does the word 'spy' mean anything to you?" Percy snapped. "Or 'betrayal'?"

Clarisse looked away.

"I'm taking that as a yes."

"Shut up!" she cried.

"Can't handle the guilt?" Percy said.

"What guilt?" Clarisse asked, eyeing Percy warily.

"What do you think?" Percy rolled his eyes.

"Stop acting like I should know something!" Clarisse ordered. "Just go and drown in Tartarus again."

Too late, she realised her mistake.

"How would you know I drowned in Tartarus?" Percy asked.

The stubbornness in her eyes turned to fear. "You said when you arrived back this afternoon."

"LIAR!"

Clarisse flinched. Percy drew Riptide.

"Why?" he asked, crouching before her. "What have we ever done that convinced you to side with Gaia?"

"Everyone hates me," she mumbled.

"There's a reason for that," Percy retorted. "You're a bully."

"Percy -"

"No, I'm not finished with you." Percy hauled her up by the scruff of her neck. "You can stand before the Olympian Council. Then we will see how easily the lies come, and how they'll react to your pathetic excuse for attempting to kill me and Annabeth!"

Fresh tears poured down Clarisse's face. "Percy, don't!" she begged.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't."

"I didn't act alone," she said.

As if on cue, a figure stepped out of the shadows. When he got closer, Percy recognised him as Chris Rodriguez.

"I should've known," Percy spat. "First Kronos. Now Gaia. Got quite a penchant for the bad guys, haven't you?"

"I've got standards," Chris said bitterly with a shrug. "Clarisse was only too happy to help."