Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Astoria had no idea what was going on. They ran through a clearing, followed by five of the Hunters, leading them deep into the woods and away from Thalia. The plan seemed to be working. Then all of a sudden Chiron announced without pleasure that the Hunters had won.
When coming back from her team's setup, Thalia was yelling Percy's full name in a voice that would cause even a giant to start calling for their mama. She smelled like rotten eggs, and she was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor. Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis. Astoria felt the need to go stop them from starting a fight as she was scared for their wellbeing but she didn't yet feel close enough to Thalia to mess in her business.
"What in the name of the gods were you thinking?" she bellowed.
"I got the flag, Thalia!" He shook it in her face. "I saw a chance and I took it!"
"I was at their base!" Thalia yelled. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would've won."
"You had too many on you!"
"Oh, so it's my fault?"
"I didn't say that."
"Argh!" Thalia pushed him, and a shock went through his body that blew his backward ten feet into the water. Some of the campers gasped. A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs. Astoria was watching chaos unfold flabbergasted.
"Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to-" A wave erupted from the creek, blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her from head to toe.
Percy stood up. "Yeah," He growled. "I didn't mean to, either."
Thalia was breathing heavily.
"Enough!" Chiron ordered.
But Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"
"Bring it on, Pinecone Face!"
He raised Riptide, but before he could even defend himself, Thalia yelled, and a blast of lightning came down from the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod, and slammed into his chest. He sat down hard. There was a burning smell; which came from his clothes.
"Thalia!" Chiron said. "That is enough!"
Percy got to his feet and willed the entire creek to rise. It swirled up, hundreds of gallons of water in a massive icy funnel cloud.
"Percy!" Chiron pleaded.
He was about to hurl it at Thalia when he saw something in the woods that made him cut it out. The water splashed back into the creekbed. Thalia was so surprised she turned to see what he was looking at, Astoria mimicked her.
Someone... something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.
"This is impossible," Chiron said more serious than ever. "It... she has never left the attic. Never."
