𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑬𝑺 • 𝑃𝐸𝑅𝐶𝑌 𝐽𝐴𝐶𝐾𝑆𝑂𝑁 ²

TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
—dumb dragons

🗡🗡🗡

—WHEN Judith imagined harming Percy, it was always because of his stupidity ( that could easily pass as heroics ). Rarely was it ever because he actually did something to upset her intentionally. But currently, she was thinking about how much pain she could inflict on Percy before he decided he didn't like her anymore.

The night before, during a capture the flag game, Hephaestus' cabin pulled off a huge upset, beating the Ares and Athena campers. Judith specifically blamed Percy as he had distracted their defensemen with a wave of water from the creek. Gotta use everything to your advantage!—he had yelled at her with a grin as Beckendorf crossed the border with their red flag.

The war god cabins were out for blood that night for the next game. Clarisse made sure to make that known, trash talking Chris Rodriguez the whole day as Hermes campers were on the blue team. Judith gave Percy the silent treatment which he seemed to hate to no end as it was a stark contrast from her familiar insults.

Even as they were getting geared up in the clearing, Percy was yapping her ear off and she was blatantly ignoring him.

"Judith," he drawled. "Jude ... " She went to strike up a conversation with one of her brothers. "Judy Moody."

Unfortunately, the fact that she was next to Ellis made matters worse as he started cackling at the nickname. "Hey, Judy Moody, I think your puppy needs some loving."

Percy scowled at the 'puppy' comment while Judith shoved her half-brother away. "Get lost." He only clicked his tongue with a smirk and went to bother their bother, Mark.

Percy walked to her side. "I'm not a puppy."

Judith finally looked at him. "You sure?" She swiped her hand through his shaggy hair, before pulling back quickly, the action a little too forward in public for her liking.

"Yes," he grunted, slapping a helmet on his head to hide his now crazy hair. "Now, you ready to get beat again?"

Judith deadpanned. "You've been begging for my attention just to ask me that?" The boy smirked and she rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you what," and she looked around before leaning in close, very close. She saw him swallow thickly and lowered her voice. "We're going to crush you tonight, but if you pick a safe position ... like right flank ... you probably won't get too pulverized." Their noses were almost touching before she pulled back.

Percy went to pull at the collar of his shirt, but his armor got in the way. Curse demigod armor for being so heavy and hot. "I-I appreciate the thought, really. But I'm playing to win."

Judith bit her cheek, shaking her head. "I am so going to kill you." She nudged him in the gut with the butt of one of her dual scimitars ( courtesy of Charles Beckendorf; she even let him name one of them: Soulrender. She named the other one Bloodscythe, thinking it fitting because she had lost her ax to a scythe ). "Don't get in my way."

He was about to say something when Annabeth beckoned the girl to their huddle.

"See you on the battlefield, Barnacle Breath."

As soon as Judith made it to her group, Clarisse bombarded her. "Did he reveal their strategy?"

"No, he didn't," Judith said. Luckily, Percy wasn't that dumb. "But, I have a feeling he'll take a strong group on the left flank."