Commander Alpha

Chapter 8

Annabeth's POV

     As soon as I saw who I now know is Beckendorf pull down his hood, my heart stopped.  I couldn't believe it.  After they finally calmed everyone down, a flicker of hope came to life inside of me for the first time in years.  Maybe Percy was one of the warriors.  He had to be.  I have to apologize to him.  I would die for one more day with him.
     Right after he caught Brendan and I on the beach, I ran to the Amphitheater and found Brendan's sword laying in the corner.  I put him on the spot and he confessed to doing everything Percy did.  I couldn't get Brendan to confess to the rest of the camp, so they went on thinking that Percy was a liar and a thief.  That was, until we discovered what had happened.  A particularly vengeful Hecate camper had teamed up with Brendan and used the mist to make it look to the campers that Percy had done horrible things, and to Percy it looked like our reactions were much worse than they really were.  A love potion was used to make me kiss Brendan on the beach.  I've never forgiven myself, and I still can't eat the horrible taste of Brendan out of my mouth.  Every month for the past five years, me and a group of other campers, usually part of the seven, go on week long 'Percy Hunts'.  The gods, even Artemis, help us, but the trail has long since gone cold.  I refuse to give up.  I just know Percy is out there.  Also, Grover is still alive and well, and he wouldn't be if Percy has died.  The empathy link, however, is almost gone, but he fights to maintain some trace of it in hope that it will help us find Percy.  Poseidon regrets disowning his son so much that he has been in a state of deep depression since Percy left.  We fear he is going to fade soon.
     The rest of the warriors lined up and stated their code names.  They pulled down their hoods, and my eyes flicked across their faces and I felt my heart fall.  No Percy.  I stopped.  Who were they.  I stared shell shocked at my dead friends.  The first camper to move was Pollux who practically threw himself at his twin.  The hugged tightly, and I could see tears fall down Castor's face.  Most of the demigods, including me, got up and ran down to the stage.  I watched Clarisse walk up to Silena cautiously.
     "Silena?" she asked.  Silena nodded, biting her lip.  Clarisse did the most un-Clarisse like thing I've ever seen her do.  She hugged Silena, trails of tears under her eyes.  I looked at all of my friends who I thought I had lost forever, and a smile bubbled to the surface for the first time since Percy left.  Movement caught the corner of my eye.  I looked and saw one of the warriors, who I presumed was Bianca walking over to Nico.  I smiled.  This was exactly what he needed right now.  I turned and sprinted to say hello to my long-lost friends. 
     In festive spirits, all of the campers stayed up until the early morning.  Nico and Bianca never left each other's side, same with Castor and Pollux, and Silena and Clarisse.  Bianca decided to sleep in the Hades cabin with Nico.  I trudged back to the Athena cabin, my eyes heavy with tiredness.  I was stopped by a bright-eyed Piper. 
     "What is it?" I asked warily. 
     "You know how Hades couldn't find Percy's soul?" She panted.  Apparently she had ran to catch up with me.  This must be important. 
     "Yeah?" I asked cautiously. 
     "What if he's in Chaos's army?"  She asked breathlessly. 
     "He's not.  He didn't reveal himself." I countered.
     "Why would he?  He thinks we all betrayed and hate him.  He's probably one of the ones who didn't reveal."  That stopped me dead in my tracks. My mind tried to process this information, but I was just too tired. 
     "Meet me first thing tomorrow morning so we can talk about this when I'm not dead on my feet." I suggested.  She nodded yawning. 
     "'Night." She sighed. 
     "Goodnight." I yawned and continued toward my cabin. 
     I got into bed.  Now that I thought about it, there was definitely something familiar about the Warriors who hadn't revealed themselves, especially Beta and Alpha, but could one of them actually be Percy.  No, I shook the thought aside.  I would've recognized his voice.  Also, why did I feel guilty at Suzuki?  As I laid on my bed, I couldn't get rid of the feeling that I know Beta and Alpha and that they were once important to me.
     "Lights out!" I yelled and the lights turned off.  I heard the thud of someone walking into something. 
     "Ow." I heard Brian, one of the new campers, complain. 
     "Go to bed Brian."  I said before I drifted into the first peaceful sleep I'd had in years.