Puke: Left to Wither Alone

3: Percy

3: Percy

When Percy, Annabeth and Grover entered the Big House, they didn't know what to expect.

But they surely didn't expect to find Nico, Chiron and Mr. D, crowded around the pool table, deep in conversation.

Confused, and not fully recovered from the emotional start to his day, Percy silently walked to stand beside Chiron. Annabeth and Grover, who insisted on coming, quickly followed suit.

"Hi Chiron! Why'd you call us here?" Annabeth swiftly cut to the chase.

Chiron, seemingly enthralled in their conversation, looked up with a start. "Oh good. You're all here. So, Nico has some interesting news to share and wanted to talk to all of us, Nico?

Nico uncomfortably glanced around the small group and started, "Umm. So, I've been meaning to tell you all something. And, uh, can all of you promise not to freak out at least until I'm done explaining that something. Please."

"Of course, Nico. You have our word." Chiron's eyes darted to look everyone in the eye, not allowing room to disagree.

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Nico broke it with an anticlimactic "Umm..." Which was soon followed with what seemed to burst from Nico, as if he would die if he went any longer without saying it. "Dersanoderalf-bloodcamp."

A chorus of "What?" soon followed. Percy was particularly confused, what was 'Dersanoderalf-bloodcamp' supposed to mean? He looked to Grover for some clarification, but came up empty when greeted with his equally confused expression.

Nico sighed. "Thersanotheralf-bloodcamp."

"What?"

"There. Is. Another. Half. Blood. Camp."

This time, when Percy responded 'What?' it was for a different reason. Another half-blood camp? How was this possible?

"So I know you're all supremely confused right now, but let me finish. Yes. There is another half-blood camp. It's near San Francisco, and it's called Camp Jupiter. It's for Roman Demigods."

"There are Roman Demigods?"

"How are they alive?"

"Why didn't we know about this?"

"How do you know about it?"

"Who told you?"

"Why were you in San Francisco?" Percy had asked. Really getting at the hard hitting questions.

Nevertheless, Nico responded to the only softball, "My dad, you know, Hades, showed me. Introduced me as an ambassador of Pluto." He paused. "Now, one at a time, what are your questions?"

"Why didn't we know about this?" Chiron asked.

"After the Civil War, a battle that was majorly fought between Roman and Greek demigods by the way, the gods decided to split us up for good to avoid any future... conflict." He stopped briefly, "Ummmm... So before you guys assault me with questions again, I- I forgot to tell you guys something. Something important."

Everyone waited with a charged silence before Nico continued, "Camp Jupiter, the other demigod camp, they- they've declared war on us." He visibly swallowed, "On Camp Half-Blood."

No one waited for Nico's okay to speak this time, and everyone began to question and plan over one another, the rooms' volume rising in a cacophony.

Chiron's voice soon rose over everyone else's, silencing the room. "How long do we have to prepare?" he said, his authoritative tone rising with each word.