JAWBREAKER

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙤

Percy, Warren, and Annabeth were still standing in the grassy area in the middle of the cabin pavilion when they heard a gruff voice shout: "Check it out, a newbie!"

Warren would recognize that voice anywhere. Clarisse.

Clarisse was one of her half sisters, a year older than her, although Warren had been at camp significantly longer. The two of them butted heads frequently, but that was to be expected of Ares children. Aggressive was their default setting, after all. Her other sisters, Naomi and Maya, were sauntering along behind Clarisse as they exited cabin five.

"You slacking, sis? He's still in one piece," Clarisse laughed.

"Sis?" Percy gulped.

Here we go, Warren thought.

"Nah. Just waiting until Friday night," she replied. "Chiron would have my head if I broke him before capture the flag."

"We're a little busy, Clarisse," Annabeth interjected. "Don't you have to go polish your spear or something?"

The older girl sneered. "Sure, Miss Princess. So I can run you through with it."

"Erre es korakas! You don't stand a chance."

Clarisse curled her lip into a snarl, glaring at Annabeth. "We'll pulverize you." Then she knocked her shoulder against Warren's, jutting her chin toward Percy. "Who's the runt?"

"Percy Jackson," Warren said, then turned toward the boy. "This is Clarisse, my sister. Daughter of Ares."

Percy's eyes bounced between the two of them. He could see a bit of a family resemblance. They both had dark eyes, dark hair, and looked absolutely terrifying. But while Clarisse was stocky, Warren was lean-muscled. Their voices were both low and rough, but where Warren's sounded smokey, Clarisse's was abrasive. He likened them to a fighter jet and a tank. Different, but no less deadly.

Percy finally connected the dots on why Annabeth found Warren's name so humorous.

"Ares," he blinked, "like the war God?"

"The very same."

"You got a problem with that?" Clarisse barked.

"No," Percy's eyes narrowed at her, "it explains the bad smell."

"Oh, you've done it now, Jackson," Warren warned.

Clarisse's features contorted angrily. Her eyes grew dark and her hands balled into fists. "We've got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."

Warren coughed into her hand to hide a laugh.

"It's Percy," he said.

"No, I think I had it right the first time. Come on, I'll show you."

Annabeth looked at Warren desperately, silently pleading for her to stop her sister. But Warren just shrugged. If Percy wanted to talk big to the Ares cabin then he'd have to learn the hard way.