𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

04 - stabbing is certainly mabel's forte

˖*࿐ •*⁀➷

AFTER A QUICK DINNER, the campers made their way to the Field of Mars, buzzing with excitement for the war games. Mabel could relate. Her body felt full of adrenaline, warm and ready to kick some ass. Even if the Fifth always lost, she could still stab some people. Which was good.

Once they got out of camp, the cohort formed two lines behind their centurions. Hazel and Frank walked side by side in front of Percy and Mabel, who were both looking at the battlefield with matching expressions of gleeful anticipation. 

The engineers had built a stone fortress at the north end of the field, with guard towers, ballistae, and a ton of water cannons. A pretty lame setup in Mabel's opinion. 

"They did good today," Hazel noted, tilting her head to the side. "That's bad for us."

"Wait." Percy held up a hand. "You're telling me that was built today?"

Mabel shook her head. "It's not that great. I've seen better." She fiddled with her keychain, still attached to the belt loops of her cargos, almost itching to draw her sword and charge someone. "There was one when I was twelve that had a moat filled with piranhas and—"

Frank cut the girl off. "There are other games, like deathball—"

Mabel nearly jumped for joy. "I love deathball."

"—which is like paintball but with poison and acid and fireballs," Frank finished, causing Percy to look at Mabel incredulously. "We also have gladiator competitions and chariot races, and war games."

Mabel gestured to the fortress. "The First and Second Cohorts will have their banners hidden in there. Our job is to get in there and steal them without getting slaughtered. If we do, we win."

Percy's eyes lit up. "Like Capture the Flag. I think I like Capture the Flag."

Frank nodded, beginning to explain the difficulties of war games. Mabel admittedly spaced out, sweeping her hair over her right shoulder and beginning to weave it into a braid. She wasn't as good at it as she would like to be, so the braid was a little loose, but it was good enough to keep the waist-length strands out of her way. She tied the hairtie into place, looking at the braid in slight disappointment before deciding it would do. She missed Jason. He was much better at it.  As she tossed the braid over her shoulder, she felt eyes on the side of her face. Turning to her right, she met Percy's gaze, which was fixed on her.

Mabel's lips twitched up as she glanced in front of them before glancing back to him. "Admire my beauty later, Bubbles," she nudged him with her elbow. "We're here."

Percy's cheeks flushed as they grabbed armor from tables, suiting up for battle. 

Mabel stuck with a breast plate, opting not to wear a helmet. It obscured her vision. When she was done, she turned to Percy, stepping closer to inspect his armor. She reached out, tugging on his breastplate, gaze focused on her hands as they brushed across the straps and buckles. 

What she didn't notice was Percy's gaze fixed on her, again. He was staring down at her, watching her fingers flutter over his armor before his stare focused on the hazel of her eyes, gleaming in the fading light. His fingers twitched, like they wanted to hold her face in his palms. 

"Not bad," the daughter of Trivia hummed appreciatively. "You've done it before." It wasn't really a question; just an observation.

Percy shrugged halfheartedly. "I guess." 

Mabel unclipped her keychain, tossing it in the air to draw her sword, the Imperial Gold glowing in the light of dusk. Percy drew his own weapon, glancing down at it in his hands and flipping it over a few times.