Percy Jackson, The Missing Hero.

27. Percy's Custody Battle vs Himself for Riptide.

There was an immediate argument that broke out.

"Not a chance." Annabeth shook her head resolutely. "You're not touching it."

"I don't think that's your choice to make." Clarisse responded coolly, glaring at Annabeth. Percy himself felt slightly terrified; he knew that someone would play for his side, but he didn't expect it to be Clarisse. He didn't know whether she was taking his side because she wanted to, or whether she was taking his side because Annabeth was on the other one. What he did know, however, was that it would be best not to ask.

"Annabeth, you have to agree that this isn't something that you can just say no to and expect the rest of us to follow." Jason spoke to placate her before she could fire back at Clarisse. Percy knew that he'd have to apologise later, for putting Jason in the position where he knew that the owner of the sword and the one requesting to use it were one and the same and the only other Counsellors who knew that were Leo and Nico. The latter of whom he still had his arm around, the former suppressing laughter in the corner. Technically Thalia too, for she counted as Artemis' Counsellor, but she was sat relishing in the hilarity of the situation with Leo. "If Blue needs Riptide, we can't just point-blank refuse."

"You can't just point-blank refuse," Clarisse added. "It's not your decision and your decision alone to make."

"Percy was-"

"Exactly, Percy was your boyfriend." Clarisse cut her off. "Until you dumped him for that." She shuddered and pointed at Nathan. "So you don't get to say 'no' and not give anyone else a chance to give an opinion. Sure, if it had been when Hera kidnapped him, we'd listen to you, but it isn't. Percy left because of us. All of us." Then she paused and reconsidered. "With the exception of those two," she pointed at Leo and Thalia, "Nico and Grover. So really, they're who we should be asking about this."

"I did not dump Percy for him!" Annabeth protested, shaking her head. Percy shifted uncomfortably, really not wanting to hear this conversation if it continued down the path it seemed to be taking.

"Really?" Travis snorted.

"We could have sworn that you kissed in front of the campfire on multiple occasions, one of which was right in front of Percy." Connor nodded.

"Say, isn't that how Percy found out that you were dumping him?" Travis asked, tone innocent and expression wicked.

"That isn't what's important right now!" Annabeth groaned. Her posture was clearly defensive and she opened and closed her mouth as if she was about to say something else before deciding against it, hurt flickering in her eyes. Part of Percy wanted to ask to speak to her after this meeting and talk about what happened before he left, but a larger part of Percy knew he wasn't ready to face that conversation yet.

"I know that it is a lot to ask." Percy intervened, wanting to move back to a topic that wasn't their breakup. "But Riptide isn't a ceremonial piece to sit enclosed in glass for all of eternity. It is a weapon, a weapon that has taken down Titans and Giants. Me wielding it would not be an affront to Percy Jackson, he would want it to be used if he was present to advocate for it. Instead, I ask permission from his closest friends, since he is not currently here to ask. Although, if he was, I wouldn't be the one going up against Kronos."

"He's not here because he's dead." Annabeth glared at him. "So please forgive me for not wanting to place the one piece of him we have left in the hands of a stranger."

"Dead?" Bellerophon snorted. "Pretty sure my baby brother wasn't a corpse last time I saw him. What do you mean he's dead?"

"What?" Clarisse sounded dangerous as she stared at Bellerophon, stunned. "Tell me you're not kidding us, Horse Boy, or I'll kick your ass that hard, you'll never be able to sit on a horse again."