Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.

1. Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.

 Nathan Burns.

Perhaps a simplistic name, especially when shortened to the owner's preferred 'Nat', but the name of someone who Percy vehemently disliked.

Disliked to such an extent that he had one simple wish when it came to Nathan 'Nat' Burns.

He wished that he had the type of personality and lack of consciousness to bring about the downfall of the boy, in a painful and twisted manner, but refrained as it was simply not part of his character. Although, Nathan was swiftly pushing the boundaries of Percy's self-made rule involving a lack of desire to hurt any demigod that he had no reason to fight.

However, some may have argued in his favour that Nathan certainly gave him a reason to fight, as often when the question was raised as to what Nathan had done, they would respond with a definitive 'everything'. When scoffed at and asked if it were a mere exaggeration, they would swiftly retort that it was the truth, that Nathan had certainly attempted to sabotage the best parts of Percy's life, along with the parts that already lay in tatters.

It had been constant over the long six weeks that he had been present at Camp, with Percy muttering darkly on more than one occasion that he wished to part Nathan's head from his shoulders, but never fulfilled the action. Even when he had been claimed by Poseidon, announcing that he had been important enough for the god to have broken the Oath for a second time, this time 'for a proper hero'.

Percy winced at the thought of his father. Poseidon. He had been different the last few times Percy had seen him, so different that he hadn't even reacted to Percy playfully addressing him as 'Lord Poseidon', nodding blankly as if it were perfectly normal for Percy to address him as such, instead of the 'dad' they had recently progressed to. When summoned to camp by Zeus, he had been proud to admit that Nathan was his son, eyes passing over Percy as if he were a ghost.

Percy hadn't spoken to him since, choosing to keep his distance whenever he saw him around camp with Nathan. He often wondered now if Poseidon regretted meeting his mom and having him, if his dad would have preferred for Nathan to be his Hero of Olympus. He wished for it not to be true, but it was still a present fear in the back of his mind, with Poseidon doing nothing to alleviate such fears.

He'd presented a happy façade to his mom and Paul, pretending that all was well at camp, relaying false tales of triumphant games of Capture the Flag and joyful campfires. In truth, he hadn't participated in Capture the Flag, nor had he attended the campfire since before Nathan's arrival. He kept the truth a secret, not wishing to alarm or worry either of them. His mom still worried that Hera would spirit him away again for an unprecedented amount of time, telling nobody his whereabouts. Silently, he almost wished for the goddess to do such a thing as it would take him away from camp and Nathan for at least a few months.

Camp. He winced yet again, staring up at the roof of his cabin. Dionysus was ignoring him again, but it was nothing new. But the fact that Chiron had been unmistakably distant with him was new, and it was something that he found almost intolerable. The centaur had been his mentor since he was twelve, believing in him when nobody else had. His distance hurt, especially when Percy attempted conversation with him, which only led to furtive glances as their stilted conversation occurred, as if the centaur was nervous about who could possibly see or hear them speaking to one another. His responsibilities had been inexplicably cut, gradually over the first three weeks before a sudden and complete reduction to the barest necessities from a cabin head. He feared that soon, that position would also be taken from him. It wasn't so much the responsibility being taken that hurt, but the alienation from his fellow campers, the fact that he could no longer help guide and instruct the younger kids who respected him for what he taught them, not because he was a war hero.

His friends too, how he missed his friends. First and foremost, Annabeth had always been his friend, and then a lover. Now, she was as distant as Chiron. As the longest-serving member of Camp, she always met anyone new who crossed the borders, which, unfortunately, included Nathan. Nathan, who had charmed her with casual quotations from some of Annabeth's favourite novels, followed by intimate discussions of characters, symbolism and other such topics that Percy wasn't able to comprehend. He saw her by chance, usually when she stopped by his and Nathan's silent dinner table to ask Nathan something about a novel with an author whose name Percy could barely pronounce.

He'd charmed the rest of his friends too, both expected and unexpected. He held the grudging respect of Clarisse who had taken to muttering the words 'toilet water' whenever she passed Percy, despite their state of truce that bordered on ridiculous friendship. With Nathan onside, it had become an all-out war, with his half-brother making snide, encouraging remarks whenever Clarisse and Percy somehow ended up sparring. After a particularly crude comment from Nathan when Percy had ended up on the floor again, he had stood and simply left the arena, seeking out those who had simply scoffed at Nathan's presence and taken Percy further under their wing.

Thalia and Grover had been furious on his behalf, Grover persuading the nymphs to play their tricks on Nathan while Thalia threatened to raise Hell when she was next at camp. As Lord of the Wild, Grover was rather persuasive, and Percy had seen Nathan covered in leaves on more than one occasion. He'd also made a passing comment about Nathan 'smelling funny', which he'd decided to remember. Thalia, although away with the Hunters, had other ways to carry out her business. Oddly, Leo had been quite vehement in his protection of Percy, keeping him company whenever he wasn't busy in the forge with his siblings. Then there was Nico.

Nico had barged into his cabin about five minutes after that IM call ended, declaring that he was 'a living embodiment of Hell' and that Thalia had sent him. After several days in the infirmary under Will Solace's watchful eyes, Nico had been recalled to the Underworld by his father to help with the influx of spirits caused by the Giant War. He'd returned at Thalia's insistence, muttering about 'scary women' as he gave Percy a nervous smile and an offer of genuine friendship. Several insults about the Underworld and its inhabitants later, Nathan had a broken nose and Nico was refusing to go to the infirmary for an ice pack.

Leo had gone for him, feigning a burn to the hand, which everyone knew he couldn't receive. He'd returned triumphant, however, giving Nico a gentle smile as he handed it over. After escaping on Festus, Leo had been missing from camp for a long three weeks, presumed dead by all. He'd returned shaken and quiet, refusing to talk to the majority of people. He was still searching for something, however, disappearing on long weekends and sometimes for weeks. After the first time someone had pressed too hard for an answer, nobody asked him where he went. Until Nathan. The idiot had asked too much, pressed too hard, and then finally insulted too much. Leo had seared his eyebrows off, along with burning every item of clothing that Nathan had possessed. Percy had walked into the Cabin 3 to find him contemplating Nathan's bed and had given him advice on how to shift the blame and Leo had cracked a smile for the first time in weeks.

The loyalty that Percy had offered to his friends and fellow campers was not reciprocated, forcing him to, for the first time since he had returned Zeus' bolt, re-evaluate whether he truly belonged at the camp. He was well aware of the fact he had been nicknamed 'the Pawn of Olympus' for years by a few of the more cynical campers, but it was the first time that he felt as if that was all he was.

Percy lay there for a moment or two longer before rolling out of his bunk, his decision made.

He was leaving.