You Only Live Once ➳ Percy Jackson

▹chapter 6

"I'm going to stand outside. So if anyone asks, I'm outstanding."

Finally, it was time for capture the flag. Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth, me and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a flag. From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her siblings ran in with another one but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head. The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo, Artemis and Hermes. Ares had allied themselves with Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus.

Chiron then said, "Heroes! You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!" We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods. Percy managed to catch up with Annabeth and me

"Hey." He told me "So what's the plan?" he asked Anna.

"Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You don't want that thing touching you. Otherwise, don't worry. We'll take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"

"Border patrol, whatever that means."

"It's easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan."

"Okay," he mumbled.

"Sorry about her, she just hates to lose." I told him and gave him a smile that he returned. Then I went to find Luke.

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"Cream the punk!" I could hear Clarisse scream but we were still far away with Clarisse's flag.

Then we came to the place we left Percy at, Luke and I were racing toward the boundary line with the red team's banner lifted high.

"A trick!" Clarisse shouted. "It was a trick."

They staggered after us, but it was too late. We won. Our side exploded into cheers. Luke and I celebrated and I was too happy to register anything.

Little down the hill Annabeth and Percy talked

"Not bad, hero! Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" she asked.

"You set me up," Percy said. "You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke and Tessa for a flag. You had it all figured out."

Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."

"A plan to get me pulverized."

"I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but ..." She shrugged.

"You didn't need help." Then she noticed his wounded arm. "How did you do that?"

"Sword cut," he said. "What do you think?"

"No. It was a sword cut. Look at it." The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even that was fading.

"I-I don't get it," Percy said confused. Annabeth was thinking hard, she looked down at his feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said,

"Step out of the water, Percy." 

"What-" Percy started

"Just do it." Percy came out of the creek and almost fell over, but Annabeth steadied him.

"Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is not good. I didn't want ... I assumed it would be Zeus... ." Before he could ask what she meant a howl ripped through the forest.

The campers' cheering died instantly. 

Chiron shouted: "Stand ready! My bow!" Annabeth drew her sword and called me over. There on the rocks just above us was a black hound and it was looking straight at Percy. Nobody moved except Annabeth and me, I yelled, "Percy, run!" I tried to step in front of him, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over me and hit Percy. Anna,me and Chiron started shooting arrows at it. The monster fell over dead.

"Di immortales!" Annabeth said.

"That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't ... they're not supposed to ..." I stuttered

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."

Then, of course, Clarisse yelled "It's all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"

"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her. We watched the body of the hellhound soaking into the ground until it disappeared.

"You're wounded," Annabeth told him. "Quick, Percy, get in the water." Water? Why would he...what in the Hell did I miss?

"I'm okay."

"No, you're not," she said. "Chiron, watch this." He stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around him. The cuts on his chest were closing up. Some of the campers gasped, including me.

"Look, I-I don't know why," Percy tried explaining. "I'm sorry...."

But we weren't watching his wounds heal anymore, we were too preoccupied to even listen to him by something that none of us saw coming. We were watching something above his head. A trident.

"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um ...Your father,"

Annabeth murmured. "This is really not good."

"It is determined," Chiron announced. All campers started kneeling.

"My father?" he asked, completely bewildered.

"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."