Assemble

Graduation

Perseus Jackson

Somehow in some crazy mysterious way, the year was closing to an end. We had already gotten our college acceptance letters, and we were sort of parting ways, I mean, our group of friends was being dispersed by the flow of the real world. And by Ivy League colleges.

I know, my friends are super smart. I got into the Cornell Marine Biology program with a swim scholarship. REALLY! Plus I was just a natural at Marine Biology, that was a given. I really was only there for Marine Bio.

Adam and Kory were going to Yale. Adam was majoring in engineering, and Kory majoring in math. It may sound simple on the outside, but looking at her workbooks, I knew she was going to go places. Thompson, Michelle, Kellam, and I were going to Cornell. Thompson as a neurobiology major, Michelle was going as a literature major, and Kellam was majoring in business.

Michelle and I had somewhat progressed in our relationship. I guess we were dating, I took her out for dinner, and Tony and Pepper loved her. I really had no idea what we were.

Tony finally popped the question, and my parents got married. It was a small wedding, but it was all over the tabloids.

It was kind of hard telling Michelle about my situation, and she didn't talk to me for a week after finding out about my job. She found out about my "heritage", and accepted it after a while.

After graduation, our friends promised to visit each other often. We had already set up plans for the school year, and had decided on two weekends a month to hang out.

So, yeah. I was slightly worried that my minimal levels of depression would increase again. Tony and Pepper had been nothing but supportive, and the best parents. I felt my sanity returning with the slow courses of morning jogs or swims, Sunday night Game of Thrones, or even college football with Clint and Tony.

It was all going fine for once, and the summer had just started. I decided to spend my time as a counselor at Camp Half-Blood. So, there I was, packed bags and all, ready for the summer.

I parked my new Jeep next to a Hummer. I hoped my visit would go as well as the first.

Connor and Drew came out to greet me. They were holding hands; the war had brought us closer.

"Hey man." Connor said, grinning. Drew also said hi. I grinned

"Hey guys. So, what do I do first?" I asked,

"First, Chiron wants to introduce you to the newbies." Drew bubbled, I nodded,

"I'm gonna need an eight pack of fireworks, a battle axe, a can of Axe, and a lighter." I announced. Connor's face stretched into a huge grin while Drew's morphed into one of pure mortification.

"Really?!" They both yelled, and I shrugged,

"Kidding guys." Drew visibly relaxed while Connor's shoulders slouched.

We talked about what had happened at camp. There were demigods appearing everywhere. Some were even full grown adults. The adults were mostly children of minor gods.

I walked into the Poseidon Cabin and dumped my bags down. It was still as immaculate as ever, and I walked back outside.

There, people were walking around and playing volleyball. I was saluted a few times, and some people even bowed. I didn't like it, but I dealt with it.

"Percy, are you ready for the greatest job you will ever have?" Chiron asked, stepping up to me. I nodded,

"Sure!" He looked around and pulled me closer,

"Percy, I was wondering, are you mentally capable of taking this position? I've seen what war does to heroes. Odysseus took fifteen years before he came back as his old self. Ajax took five; my point is, you may be yourself physically, but mentally? I've seen many a hero dwindle away after wars." He whispered; I nodded,

"I hope I'm okay. I've gotten a lot of help along the way, the Avengers, my friends, and new parents. I think I'll be fine." I grinned, and Chiron nodded halfheartedly. He frowned, but let the matter rest.

I looked around, the Hecate and Dionysus kids were making the strawberry fields grow like crazy, and the Melpomene kids were acting out Shakespeare. Apollo people were practicing archery, and all was well in camp. There were a select few that didn't participate in anything.

Leo, the Stolls, Clarisse, and a few others. Even the senior Aphrodite kids were sitting in the group. They all looked up when I approached them.

"Hey! You're here!" They exclaimed, and pulled me into a hug. I laughed, holding them closer to me.

"Yeah guys! I'm here for the entire summer! Lets get this party started!" I yelled, and we separated,

"Hey! Move!" A voice growled, "Coming through! Coming- Pallas! I hope you don't talk to your mother with that mouth!" A hand pushed through the crowd of unknown and known faces. Chris Rodriguez squeezed through the people and grinned at me.

"Hey! What's up man?" I asked, grinning. He pulled me into a hug,

"Nothin' much, you?" I shrugged,

"Living life day by day." He nodded, and raised his right hand. I frowned,

"Right? Aren't you left handed?" He nodded, and raised his left arm. Where his hand used to be was a stump.

"I lost it on the last day. It took a hell of a lot longer to heal too; Gorgon blood. The Hephaestus kids are making a mechanical one for me. It'll work good as new." he confirmed. Clarisse snaked her arm around his,

"I think it's a scar that comes with a war to be remembered. Jackson, capture the flag is in an hour; you ready to get destroyed?" She sneered, I frowned,

"I don't think so. Blue Team! ASSEMBLE!" I hollered, and half of the campers cheered. The other half jeered.

An hour or so later, I was standing over a map of the woods with Leo, the Stolls, and Drew. The Aphrodite Cabin had started participating, and you could tell they were dangerous with smaller lethal weapons. For example; throwing knives coated in Marc Jacobs.

"Alright, we'll throw the Omega Team into the heat and send them to fend off the Ares people. Delta and Kappa will go throughout the woods and into the creek to await my signal. If any are captured, leave them behind; but never do that in battle." They nodded, and I continued,

"Alright, Alpha and Gamma teams, take the people with the strongest powers over anything, and use directly unless it's fatal. Sylvia, if anyone on our team or the opposing team dies, loses a body part, or slips into a coma, I will personally go Amazon on you and cut off your right breast. Are we clear?" The blonde child of Hypnos paled considerably,

"That goes for anyone else! Just kidding, but is my point across?!" She nodded frantically, messing up the plumes on her helmet. I laughed, and grabbed a spear.

Slamming the tip into the table, I raised Riptide and shouted,

"TO ARMS BLUE!" and a deafening roar followed.

I waited on the edge of the bank with a few children of Hermes. After the horn blew, we charged. I was greeted by two children of Ares; old timers Camson and Praxis.

The two guys charged me, and I felt deja vu sizzling. They were Ugly #1 and Ugly #4 from my first Capture the Flag at Camp. I took them on easily. About to win, I swung, I felt my sword hit Cam's and something went numb in me.

I fell to the ground, dropping my sword along the way. Cam and Praxis both dropped their weapons and knelt beside me,

"Yo! Percy! You okay?!" Praxis yelled, pulling my helmet off, I choked, gasping for air. My breastplate was unlatched, and Cam ran to get help.

"Chiron! Will! Anyone from Apollo!!"

The woods were so pretty looking up. I fought to stay awake, but my body felt so tired.

Percy. Percy. Percy.

A soft voice chimed, and Annabeth appeared in my eyesight.

"Annabeth?" I croaked.

Oh Percy; you'll always be my Seaweed Brain. Join me!

She smiled, reaching her hand out. I tried grabbing for her, but missed.

I love you so much Seaweed Brain.

I smiled,

"Me too."

And the darkness engulfed me.

~'~'~'~

Praxis McClellan

When Cam finally came back with help, Percy was hallucinating. He was laying on the ground, his shirt ripped open, armor everywhere, choking, and whispering to an imaginary person.

"Annabeth, come home. I can't live without you." He moaned, coughing. Chiron stepped closer and put his hand on Percy's forehead,

"He's burning. Malcolm, Praxis, get Percy to the Infirmary. Give him Ambrosia and I will see to him after the match." He ordered. I took Percy's legs and Malcolm took his arms. We loaded him onto a stretcher, and started walking out of the forest.

Once situated on a bed in the Big House, we had the time of our lives force-feeding a one hundred eighty pound demigod Ambrosia and Nectar. He fell asleep after the initial fight was over, and Malcolm collapsed into a chair.

"Imagine what he's feeling. I mean, it was really hard on the Athena Cabin when Annabeth died, but he loved her so much." He grumbled,

"Yeah. The punk's got some serious head trauma and whatnot going on there." I muttered.

Chiron entered, going towards Percy,

"Praxis, Malcolm, tell me. What was he saying when you brought him in?"

"He acted like he was talking to Annabeth. Like she was right in front of him. He reached for the ceiling and said some quote from like, The Notebook or something. Then he blacked and you came in." Malcolm answered, and I shrugged,

"Pretty much sums it up nice and pretty." I sat down on a stool,

"Yo, remember when Percy was just a little fish swimming against the current?" Malcolm nodded, and Chiron sighed,

"Now he's still a little fish swimming against an even bigger current. He has faced many hardships." His voice hard and cryptic.

I looked over at Malcolm. He could have fit under the category of Annabeth's twin brother. All of the other Athena kids took after their dads with the exception of skin, hair, eyes, and knowledge. Annabeth and Malcolm were like carbon copies of Athena. They both had the blonde hair and grey eyes, but they were the only ones with Athena's high cheekbones, and her murderous glare.

Percy stirred,

"Wha-? What happened?" He groaned, sitting up. Chiron reached him before either of us and checked his vitals.

"How are you feeling Percy?"

"Like an eighteen wheeler decided to plow over me eighteen times." He mumbled, scratching his head. I chuckled,

"You scared us Jackson, Cam thought you were dead." I grinned, and he smiled,

"I have that effect on people." He stretched, "Well, I guess I'll do something. I don't want to be stuck in bed all day." He stood up, wobbled a bit, and hobbled out the door.

Perseus Jackson

Somebody was a loose end. I could feel it, and my doubts were confirmed when Chiron approached me and began talking about the gods' meeting days.

I was being summoned to Olympus in a few hours, and it was going to be hard. I knew I had prayed to the gods a few times, but that still wasn't enough information to give me away, right?

Thor Odinson

There was an uneasiness in the sky. Many things were happening, and I had no name for them. Jane and Stark were working hard to find an answer to a strange body of clouds forming over this place of Manhatten. The clouds had nothing to do with mortal weather; Zeus was behind this.

"Hey! Blondie, so what do you make of these super weird clouds?" Stark asked, facing the window I was looking out of.

"This is no matter for mortals. This concerns your son and his divine family." I muttered, wondering what Zeus was planning.

"I should call-"

"No." I interrupted. "You may be of influence to him in the mortal world, but this is his home turf. No mortal should ever interfere in the divine spindle of time and life." He nodded,

"So, I should just sit back as my son does something that could potentially blow him to bits?" Stark asked, raising an eyebrow. I nodded; he caught on well.

"Absolutely."

~'~'~'~

Hi! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! The book is drawing to a close isn't it? I just wanted to take the time to thank everybody who guided me through this book! Thank you guys so so so much! I could not have done it without you, and my fans mean the world to me!

Love,

Kelly