❦UNEXPECTED | PJO X M!OC

ACT I-2.1

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PERCY

Clarisse's attention was directed towards the yelling from the direction of the red team territory. Seconds later the blue team ran towards friendly territory as Luke led them, in his hands was the bloody boar head banner (Aka-BBB). The half-bloods left my side and rushed to aid Clarisse in trying to stop the blue team from winning.

Unfortunately, the blue armoured kids erupted in cheers as Luke stepped across the boundary line, I would've laughed at how the Ares girl screamed 'It was a trick!' in her high pitched voice if it weren't for the fact that I felt absolutely exhausted. Exhausted to the point that even the water in the creek felt comforting like a soft warm blanket those fancy restaurants would prepare.

I looked around when I heard Annabeth's voice complimenting me, but she wasn't there-- or anywhere at all.

"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" she asked. The air shimmered, and she materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she'd just taken it off her head.

I felt myself getting angry. I wasn't even fazed by the fact that she'd just been invisible. "You set me up," I said. "You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out."

Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."

"A plan to get me pulverized!"

At that moment I wish it was Patroclus or Luke the one leading the team or even just the person planning the team strategy, at least neither would've sent me—a fucking rookie, out like that. The urge to just punch the girl in front of me grew quickly before I pushed it back down.

"I came as fast as I could. I was about
to jump in, but ..." She shrugged. "You didn't need help."

"Yea. No shit, I didn't need help in dying."

She rolled her eyes, hopefully in annoyance. "Language—", then her eyebrows furrowed as she nodded towards my wounded arm, "How did you do that?"

"Sword cut." I deadpanned.

"No. It was a sword cut. Look at it."

I looked down, taking a few moments to analyse the state of my arm--the blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even that was fading. As I watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared.

"I—I don't get it," I said, my other hand reaching over to feel the skin, it was as smooth as it was before the maiming.

Annabeth was thinking hard. I could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at my feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."

"I'm not listening to your so called 'advice' anymore." I glared at her, but in reality, I didn't want to leave the water at all. It felt nice, like the hugs from my mom and Patroclus.

"Just do it."

I sighed heavily before coming out of the creek and immediately felt exhausted-- I don't think even that word could describe how tired I felt. My arms started to go numb again as the adrenaline rush left me. I almost fell over, but Annabeth steadied me.