You're Not Getting Away From Me

CHAPTER SIX: Capture the Flag

Percy's POV

"Listen up heroes!" Chiron's voice boomed across the horde of teenagers. Mr. D had decided to stay as far away from the "commotion" as possible. "This game will be a match between Camp Halfblood and the Hunters VS Camp Jupiter and the Amazons."

You could actually feel the level of tension and excitement all mashed together increase right there at Old Thunderbrain's Fist. I was standing next to Annabeth.

"Good! We're together," Annabeth said softly but firmly to me.

"Yup. Now we can't possibly lose!" I said pumping my fist in the air. She laughed.

"Don't get a big head."

"Sure," I replied, smirking.

Next Chiron told us there was no intentional killing, maiming, shooting, stabbing, etc. fatally. But I doubt it did a lot of good.

The teams came together and went to their respective sides of the woods. Jason went with the Romans because it was brought to Chiron's attention that "It's not fair the Greeks get two Zeus/Jupiter kids!" Whatever. I think they're afraid to lose. I could've have also said "It's not fair the Romans get two daughters of Bellona!" But I didn't. Annabeth told me no. And I don't disobey an Annabeth Command. That might be bad for my health.

"Who's defense and who's offense?" Annabeth asked our team. "I assume they'll put Hazel on defense so she can obscure the flag with the Mist, Frank on offense so he can shape-shift to get super close to the flag without being noticed, Jason on offense to do combat, Reyna and Hylla I could see either way, they'll probably do one each, and after that I don't know: I don't know the Romans that well."

I interjected because I knew them best. "I say they'll put the First and Third Cohort on offense and Second and Fourth on defense. Then they'll split up the Fifth. It just seems like something logical and Roman-ish. The Amazons will probably mix."

"Sounds about right to me," Thalia said. "We definitely want some strategist on both sides, so split up Athena cabin, Annabeth offense, Malcolm defense. Probably charmspeak on both sides, so Piper on offense and Drew on defense." Her voice took a bit of an acidic tone when she said Drew's name. "Some wicked super-quickly-put-together-traps, so Hermes and Hephaestus on both sides, Leo offense for sure though." Leo looked very pleased with himself. "Us and Apollo kids should also split up so archers are on both sides-"

"Hey! Not all of us shoot!" Will objected.

"He's right. Some of them are just fun killers," Nico retorted.

"ABSOLUTELY NO SHADOW TRAVEL, YOUNG MAN!"

"I GOT IT! Wait, young man?  I'm like seventy years older than you!"

"BOYS! As cute as it is to watch you bicker, we have stuff to get done here. Plus they can probably hear you all the way on the other side," Piper said, earning angry looks from both halves of Solangelo. Sheesh, I spend very little time with any Aphrodite kid besides Piper, but obviously they're wearing off on me.

We figured out the rest of the plan. That's how I ended up walking through the forest with Annabeth (of course) and Thalia.

"I'll go wherever I can fight Reyna," Thalia had said mischievously.

"Well, where she'll be is kind of a coin toss, but if you both do defense then there's no chance of seeing each other. So come with me," Annabeth had told her. I wasn't sure I wanted to be there if Thalia, Annabeth, and Reyna fought. Very, very dangerous. Actually, I wouldn't want to be as close as Mount Olympus if those three fought.

The plan was for us three to sneak up from behind and steal the flag while the others created distractions. First, the Hermes' kids had a sort of method to set of small, ah... problems in some sort of pattern (in case you can't tell, I didn't understand it). Next, Piper would slowly lure the defenders away while they were slightly caught off guard by the small "problems". After that, a few of the Hunters and Apollos would rain arrows down on them (without hurting them, of course). Then Leo would, during the confusion, set fire to a carefully constructed ring of highly flammable wood (thank you, Hephaestus cabin) which would encircle the flag except for one section for Annabeth, Thalia, and I to run through. Then we'd snatch the flag, and run to our side while the other team was left in chaos. Theoretically, it should work. It should work if the timing is good. It should work if the defenders don't recover really quickly. It should work if our flag doesn't get stolen first. Lots of "ifs" and "shoulds". But every plan I've ever worked with has. And it usually works out. Usually.

"It's nice we're on the same team this time," I told Thalia. "You know, not electrocuting and dowsing each other."

"Yeah. But I totally would have beat you."

"No way, I would have crushed you."

"Shhh, we're getting close," Annabeth said. We started creeping, waiting on our signal.

Some fizzing a crackling noises started to go off all around us. Hermes' cabin did their job. A few moments of silence before we could just barely make out Piper's voice in the distance. I was glad I couldn't hear her that well. Next there was screams; did they call for some deadly showers today? Immediately a roaring sound was present, and I could feel heat.

"Now!" I whisper-shouted. We went sprinting for the spot that was supposedly free of Leo-flame. Fortunately, it was. But our plan didn't go quite as well as planned. Dakota and Gwen from the Fifth Cohort were still standing around the flag. Annabeth and I jumped in to fight them because Thalia's bow wasn't going to do much good now.

I took Dakota. He wasn't very hard. A few slashes from Riptide and he was disarmed, me in between him and the flag. I saw Annabeth defeat Gwen just as easy. Man, I love her. Thalia grabbed the flag and ran. Annabeth and I started to follow, but a little slower because we had to play some defense for her so she'd have a clear shot. We worked in sync, no communication needed. We knew each other's skills perfectly. We were only about one hundred yards from our territory when I saw Jason doing the same... With our flag in his hand.

It was a race between the Grace siblings (yes, the rhyme was unintentional). But Thalia made it first.

Our team screamed. We all ran together and clapped each other on the back, hugged, whatever. It was great. Then we shook hands with the Romans. They were surprisingly good sports. Who knew, the most competitive group of people in the world? Well, maybe besides that group of baboons in basketball that my buddy Carter told me about. Hm, I'd have to look into that.

Turns out we were wrong about the Hylla/Reyna thing. They both chose offense. The Romans had basically done the same thing as us, but with more team action and organization, but no surprise there.

"Well, Perce, looks like we did win," admitted Annabeth.

"I knew it!" Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me. And I knew I definitely had to carry out my plan, but with no "ifs" or "shoulds". It had to be perfect.