Clockwork

18

Percy wasn't quite sure why the things that were happening were happening. Everything was just... dying. Withering away like dust. Trees, grass, even buildings were dying simultaneously. But the healers were working on the injured, and Percy felt as this was just the aftermath of something bigger. Something worse.

Percy spotted Annabeth, her face stained with tears as what was left of her arm was bandaged. He saw Max too, his jaw clenched as tears streamed down his face. There were injured laid out on the ground everywhere, even the healers had wounds of their own.

"Clockwork! It's a relief that you're here." Piper said, coming up to him. She was also sporting some injuries, but not any as bad as those around them.

"What happened here?" Percy asked. "We... we don't know," Piper said. Percy's eyes scanned the campers. "We will discuss that later, with camp leaders and Artemis. Until the huntresses arrive, I will assist you in any way I can." Percy said. "What we mostly need are healers, but if you aren't good with that you can help move rubble or get lunch to the younger ones," Piper informed him.

Percy nodded. He saw Leo and some of his siblings hauling large pieces of rock. They were working urgently, and then Percy saw that there was something under it. But whatever that something was, it was alive. Percy removed the rubble effortlessly, as he didn't feel strain exactly, and the children Hephaestus helped whoever was stuck.

"Calypso, on a scale from one to ten, how much do you love me?" A panicking Leo asked the person who had been trapped. "Negative 24," Calypso said rolling her eyes. Leo sighed in relief.

"Yay, you're okay!" He said with immense enthusiasm. Calypso rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile on her face. "You're such an idiot." She said.

"Ha! You know you love me." Leo said, smiling cheekily. "Unfortunately," Calypso said before she noticed Percy, a great towering piece of metal. At least, that's what she saw. "That one's yours?" Calypso asked, looking at Percy.

Percy just started clearing the debris. Not all of the cabins had been destroyed, but new cabins needed to be built. The Big House wasn't even standing.

He caught a line from Leo though. "No, he's kind of like my brother, on my father's side."

Artemis took longer than Percy had expected, and the demigods with the assistance of Percy had cleared the debris and the demigods had begun to eat.

"What has happened?" Artemis askes, her eyes scanning the injured. "That's the question we've all been asking Milady." Clockwork said. "Is it just me, or does the camp look a little... empty?" Thalia asked. "We'll discuss this with Chiron. Where is he?" Artemis said. Percy nodded towards the Centaur sitting at the head table. He wasn't going to ask why the goddess had entered the camp, and why she was getting involved personally due to the fact that she is not to allowed to meddle with mortal affairs, but not because of his respect overrode his curiosity. Simply because he knew that a small part of her was related to Hera and Hephaestus, which naturally meant that they couldn't help themselves.

Moments later, they stood in a clearing surrounded by towering trees and grass. For privacy, as it was a little far off from the camp, even though the nature spirits were extremely nosy. Artemis made seating appear, but when she asked Clockwork, he declined. The demigod council excluding Will and including a one-armed Annabeth had gathered along with Chiron, Artemis, Lieutenant Thalia, and Clockwork. "Chiron, we were alerted that there had been an attack. I see the injured, I guess that there was destruction, but who was the attacker?" Thalia asked. "One of our own. There were three of them," Came Chiron's answer. "His name is Adrien Du Vel, a son of Aphrodite. The young man I believe he had with him was Kenneth Jackson, a legacy who went missing years ago. I'm not sure who the young woman was." Chiron said.