𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚔𝚒𝚍 - percy jackson x oc

010

X - THE TALE OF THE TERRIBLE BROTHER

VALERIA COULD NOT SHAKE the sad feeling she felt as she took in camp.

A year ago, even a week ago, camp was thriving. The sun glowed throughout the valley and reflected all of the camper's pearly white smiles. Everyone laughed as they played volleyball against each other and played pranks on the other cabins.

This summer was tense and stiff. Everyone was preparing their weapons and talking lowly about the fate of the camp. There was not a smile in sight. Especially after the loss of Luke.

Last year, on the last day of summer, Luke had been outed as a traitor, a pawn of Kronos. Someone who had been such a guiding light was now a warning signal. He had often led the camp in stories around the fire, but now he had become the story. No one wanted to end up like Luke.

Valeria still could not believe it. He had seemed fine, the same Luke she had always known. But perhaps that had been a facade he had been holding onto for her sake.

Tyson was fascinated by everything at camp. Percy seemed a little exhausted as he answered his curious exclamations.

"Whasthat!"

"The stables for pegasi. The winged horses."

"Whasthat!"

"Um...those are the toilets." Percy smiled slightly, remembering how he embarrassed Clarisse last summer.

"Whasthat!"

"The cabins for the campers. If they don't know who your Olympian parent is, they put you in the Hermes cabin—that brown one over there," he looked at Valeria, who was suddenly interested in her shoes, "until you're determined. Then, once they know, they put you in your dad or mom's group."

He looked at Percy in awe. "You...have a cabin?"

"Number three." Percy pointed to the Poseidon cabin.

"You live with friends in the cabin?"

"No. No, just me."

They found Chiron in the Big House, packing his saddlebags while listening to music from the 1960s.

"Pony!" Tyson cried with joy.

"I beg your pardon?" Chiron slowly turned to look at the cyclops, looking utterly offended.

"Valeria, nice to see you again," the centaur said. "And Percy, my goodness. You've grown over the year!"

Valeria looked at the boy. He did not seem taller; then again, she had grown over the past year too. He was still about an inch or two shorter than her.

"Clarisse said you were...you were..." Percy mumbled.

"Fired." Chiron's eyes glinted with dark humor. "Ah, well, someone had to take the blame. Lord Zeus was most upset. The tree he'd created from the spirit of his daughter, poisoned! Mr. D. had to punish someone."

"Besides himself, you mean," Percy growled.

Valeria shrugged and nodded in agreement. "But it is like the gods do not know you at all, sir. Why are they so adamant on the villain being you?"