VIDEO GAMES! (p. jackson) (#1)

- ten

ROSE HAD NEVER FELT SO SICK.

"what were you thinking?" clarisse cradled silena's head in her lap.

silena tried to swallow, but her lips were dry and cracked. "wouldn't... listen. cabin would... only follow you."

"so you stole my armor," clarisse said in disbelief. "you waited until chris and i went out on patrol; you stole my armor and pretended to be me." she glared at her siblings. "and none of you fucking noticed?"

the ares campers developed a sudden interest in their combat boots.

"don't blame them," silena said. "they wanted to... to believe i was you."

"silena," rose said through tears. "why?"

"all my fault," silena said, a tear streaking the side of her face. "the drakon, charlie's death... camp endangered—"

"stop it!" rose said. "that's not true!"

silena opened her hand. in her palm was a silver bracelet with a scythe charm, the mark of kronos.

"you were the spy," percy said from behind rose.

silena tried to nod. "before... before i liked charlie, luke was nice to me. he was so... charming. handsome. later, i wanted to stop helping him, but he threatened to tell. he promised... he promised i was saving lives. fewer people would get hurt. he told me he wouldn't hurt... charlie. he lied to me."

rose met annabeth's eyes. her face was chalky. behind them, the battle raged.

clarisse scowled at her siblings. "go, help the centaurs. protect the doors. GO!"

they scrambled off to join the fight.

silena took a heavy, painful breath. "forgive me."

"you're not dying," clarisse insisted.

her blue eyes flicked to rose. "take care of the... kids, okay?" she coughed.

"no," rose said firmly. "no, silena, please."

"charlie..." silena's eyes were a million miles away. "see charlie..."

she didn't speak again.

clarisse held her and wept. chris put a hand on her shoulder.

rose's head fell into her hands, and she sobbed. horrible, ugly crying that normally she would never let anyone see, but she didn't care. she felt like she was ten years old again, crying for her sister after a nightmare.

percy was at her side in seconds, pulling rose into him.

"it's not fair," rose cried.

"no," percy agreed. "it's not."

finally, annabeth reached over and closed silena's eyes.

"we have to fight." annabeth's voice was brittle. "she gave her life to help us. we have to honor her."

clarisse sniffled and wiped her nose. "she was a hero, understand? a hero."

percy nodded. "come on, clarisse."

she picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings. "kronos is going to pay."

rose would like to say they drove the enemy away from the empire state building. the truth was clarisse did all the work. even without her armor or spear, she was a demon. she rode her chariot straight into the titan's army and crushed everything in her path.

she was so inspiring, even the panicked centaurs started to rally. the hunters scrounged arrows from the fallen and launched volley after volley into the enemy. the ares cabin slashed and hacked, which was their favorite thing. the monsters retreated toward 35th Street.