Who Needs Superheroes When You Have Me

We Could Have Had It All

Chiron told us that, after breakfast, we'd have weapons training with the Ares cabin, the children of the god of war. 

"Yay," muttered Wolf. 

"They are younger than us!" I hissed. "We can beat them." Wolf shrugged. 

"We've come this far," he said.

"Right," I said. "Ask about hand-to-hand. We're better at that, what with how many street fights we've been in." 

Wolf nodded. He went up to the Ares head counselor and talked animatedly. Soon after she nodded and yelled at the Ares campers. 

"Done," Wolf said. "I think she likes me!" 

"Who is she?" I asked. 

"Clarisse La Rue," he said. "Head Counselor of Ares Cabin." 

"Ah," I said. "How old is she?" 

"I dunno. I didn't ask. Why do you want to know anyway? Are you working for the CIA? The FBI? You gonna turn us in?" Wolf laughed. 

"No, stupid. I just want to know." I rolled my eyes. 

"GET YOUR REARS IN GEAR AND LET'S FIGHT!" Clarisse yelled from the other side of the room. "I'll take Shaggy over there and YOU-" she pointed at another Ares boy. "Take Bones. Ready, GO!" 

Shaggy? 

The boy runs at me. This is hand-to-hand, which is easy for us. No armor to hinder us either. I sidestepped him and shoved him on the back hard enough to send him across the room. He hit the ground with a thud. Clarisse flew across the room to give me a nice bruise on the shoulder. I hissed in pain then swung at her. She ducked. 

"Di immortales!" I cursed angrily. Funny. I'd never heard of that curse, nor had I ever said it. So how did I know it? 

I got the wind punched out of me then, Clarisse took advantage and walloped me in the gut. I flew back, but got up and gave her a hearty punch to the middle of her stomach. I heard an audible oof. 

I looked over at Wolf's fight. He was getting walloped by two Ares kids. Shit! Clarisse followed my gaze and hissed. She leaped on top of the first Ares kid, throwing him off, then repeating the tactic with the second kid. 

"GENTLER!" she shouted. Wolf got up and knocked Clarisse down. She jumped up and kicked him. In the nuts. He let out a yell of mushed words I'd never heard before. 

"εἰς κόρακας!" I screamed. Go to hell, in Ancient Greek. Somehow, I knew that. 

Man, my world is ALL kinds of fucked up. 

Clarisse lay off Wolf, and declared the fight over. She led the Ares kids out and left us in the training arena. 

"Shit, I thought they'd be merciless." Wolf said, still huddled on the ground.

"I know. No weakness, or that crap. Apparently not. Let's get you to the cabin," I said. 

"Hell, I just got kicked in the nuts. I'm fine. This isn't a life-threatening illness." Wolf laughed. "Come on, what's next?" 

"I dunno. Let's ask Chiron." 

Wolf grimaced. "Yes. Let's." He was still bitter about the comment Chiron almost made about the gods forgetting us. We walked out of the arena, only to see the same shaggy black monster dog in front of us. 

"SHIT!" I screamed. Wolf raced back to the arena and threw me a sword. He himself used a dagger. I slashed at its side, opening it up. It howled and threw me across the room. 

"Wolf! HIT THE DAMN THING! SIDE!" I yelled, then I heard an answering howl. It was Wolf's agreeable signal. When he can't talk, he howls instead. I usually just make random noises. I'm not as organized. 

I heard it howl again. 

"On three!" Wolf yelled. "We stab the sides! ONE!" 

I positioned myself. 

"TWO!" 

Don't fuck it up, Skeleton. 

"THREE!" 

I plunged my sword into its side. It fell onto Wolf, who howled. I ran to the other side, and saw the tip of Wolf's hair. I screamed in terror. A gigantic fucking black dog that probably weighs a bazillion pounds FELL ON TOP OF MY BROTHER! I screamed again.

"WOLF!"

Chiron heard the commotion and raced over. Were Skeleton and Wolf alright? The Ares cabin had returned from the arena but the two unclaimed demigods had not. He saw a hellhound. Dead for sure. Skeleton was on one side of it. She was screaming in terror. He looked. A tuft of Wolf's hair was under the hellhound. When it died, it had collapsed on top of Wolf. 

But why hadn't it disintegrated? 

Well, then it did. He watched as the body disappeared, leaving a coating of dust on Wolf's prone body. Tears were running down Skeleton's face. 

"Wolf- Wolf! Are you OK? Dear God, Wolf-" He heard her cry. She swore under her breath, too. 

"Goddamn fucking hellhound. Gonna find it and kill it again- fucking thing." 

Wolf opened his eyes. 

"Skelly?" 

"Wolf?" 

"Where's Clarisse?" Wolf demanded.

"What do you mean?" Skeleton asked. 

"She's in trouble, I sense it." They both got to their feet and ran. Right at the boundary of the forest, they saw something terrible. 

Clarisse La Rue.

Only this time, she was unconscious, bloodied, and every shallow breath she took rattled in her chest. 

"Clarisse!" Wolf cried, dropping to his knees beside her. Skeleton watched on in pity. He brushed the hair from her face. His own darkened. 

"Skelly?"

"Yeah?" 

"Something's all fucked up." 

"Too right."