Zero to Hero (Percy Jackson Fanfic)

Chapter Nineteen - Flight Pattern

Percy's POV

I was underwater. Which, actually wasn't that weird for me. I have dreams that I'm underwater all the time. But in this instance, there was someone very...strange with me.

He was easily close to seven feet tall. He wore an orange T-shirt that read Camp Halfblood. The big guy carried a giant club in one hand, but that wasn't the most disturbing part about him. Everything else went into the background when I zeroed in on his face. There was one giant eye, right in the middle of his forehead.

"A cyclops," I muttered, "Why am I dreaming about a cyclops?"

The poor guy seemed to be struggling against the current. He didn't seem to be in danger of drowning, but was looked like he was trying to swim to the surface. Unfortunately, something--I don't know if it was the water or something...else--kept solidifying around him and pulling him down every time he made it more than ten feet.

"Okay..." I said.

He heard me. The cyclops stopped fighting and turned to look at me. "Percy! You have to help me! Brother!" He made another attempt to swim upwards. "I can't get back to camp to see my brother!"

I woke up in a cold sweat, the word, brother, echoing in my thoughts. I shook my head and rubbed my eyes.

Sun was filtering through the cabin windows. The clock on the wall told me breakfast was in ten minutes. I quickly changed, tidied up the cabin a bit so I wouldn't have to do it after breakfast, then left.

With everyone still half asleep, breakfast was always kind of quiet. I got my breakfast burrito and sat at the Poseidon table. The next table over was Zeus's, and Jason already sat there, eating his burrito with a fork. Who does that?

He caught me watching him and waved cheerfully, the sunlight glinting off his glasses. I rolled my eyes and took a bite.

"Hey Percy!" Jason said, loud enough for everyone to hear, "You want to help me with the rock wall today? Show the new kids the ropes?"

I glared at him. I hated doing the rockwall. I mean, it was fun the first three hundred times, but then it started getting a little too terrifying. Jason, for some reason, seemed to enjoy getting blasted with fiery-hot elements, or rocks slipping mechanically out of his grip. Me? I'd rather go swimming. And of course Jason knew that. And of course, he had to ask me where everyone could hear.

"Fine," I groaned. Great. More quality time with the new kids. Maybe I could hang out with Annabeth though, she was alright. And Frank.

Jason left while I was still eating. "Ten minutes, Perce," he called.

Gradually all the new kids got up and followed him. I finally decided I should stop trying to procrastinate, and get down to the climbing wall. I chucked my plate and made my way down to the climbing wall.

The thing was huge. At least ten stories high, with scraggly rock faces, smooth metal faces, boiling lava faces, freezing water faces, and a lot of terrified faces of campers as they struggled to dodge obstacles.

Jason had already started lessons. He was holding the rope to Luke's harness as Luke struggled up the vertical cliff face.

"Finally," Jason said, without taking his eyes off of Luke, "You can help me belay these campers while they climb the first time."

"We're using harnesses?" I asked hopefully.

With a chuckle, Jason said, "It's required for first timers to use harnesses, which you would know if you spent more time around here. However, you and I will be going after they try it out as kind of a demonstration, sans harness."