Zeus' Choice (A Percy Jackson Fan fiction)

Chapter 8 - Payback Time

We moved through the forest like a herd of elephants running away after seeing rodents scurrying around their legs. When we reached a certain spot surrounded by lots of trees, we took the bottles of paint and super glue out of our pockets and socks and started working on the flag.

You are probably wondering why we needed paint. Well, that is our first act. Camouflage. After a few minutes the flag was done. We stuck it high onto a tree with the super glue. It was still distinguishable but it will be a heck of a challenge for Athena's cabin to get that high on the tree, and a heck of a lot more challenge to fight the glue.

Then we started painting each other's faces and attires as, yes, we were also going to be trees today. A few were supposed to lie on the ground covered in branches and leaves, while others had to pretend to be parts of the trees.

"How much time do we have left?" asked Jenia in a hurry.

Just then the second whistle was blown meaning the game had begun.

"You know what to do. Go go go!" said Jenia.

Everyone scattered in different directions quickly. With their disguise, it was as if the forest was moving! I was about to go as well, when Jenia caught my arm.

"No. We're not going with the original plan." She said.

''What?!"

''I'll explain on the way!"

By now everyone had gone into hiding and we were the only two left. Jenia started moving in the direction of the border line with me following behind. When we were close enough to the river to see it but not be seen, she started sniffing the air. Then sniffing the trees.

"What are you doing? I know you are a person full of surprises, but this is idiotism. If that's even a word! Changing plans at the last minute is not a good idea." I said.

She gave me a wide grin and said, "But, it's not last minute. I thought of this last night. I would've told you but everyone would've known something was up."

She stopped at a tree that was 10 meters tall with rough trunks and layered with a lot of dust.

"This is perfect. Come on." said Jenia, getting ready to climb the tree.

Without complaining (much) I climbed too on the other side. Climbing the tree was one of the hardest things I've ever done. However, the more I climbed, the easier it got. This was because there were more branches on the top parts.

10 minutes, bruised arms, and a lot of sweating later ...

"Hey! Can you go slower?" I said, panting, trying to catch my breath and it was a miracle that Jenia heard me and stopped.

"What's up, Rose?" She inspected me from toe to head.

"I am not Hermes' daughter. You keep forgetting that." I spitted out.

"Sorry... I really keep forgetting it..." Jenia said quietly and looked down.

"Ok. Never mind. I am just in a bad shape for catching monsters." I tried to joke. She smiled back.

Then I heard distant shouts and clanging of weapons somewhere behind us. I looked down the tree and saw red and blues fighting in the heart of the forest.

''This is why I didn't tell anyone I had a different plan" she said, also looking down at the fight. "I don't want anyone accidentally looking up and giving out our location."

"Oh my Gods, Jenia. You're seriously crazy! But thankfully your craziness makes sense"

We continued climbing even higher (this time much more silently) until finally we reached the top where we could see the whole perimeter of the forest. A few meters on the other side of the lake I could see Athena's blue flag guarded by two guys, who watched very carefully everything around them. One of them had a spear in hand and the other had a sword and a shield.

"Jackpot! We found their flag. Annabeth didn't do a good job hiding it." said Jenia.

''Bet she thought she'd have ours in her hand before we found theirs. Now we just need to distract the guards." I whispered as quietly as I could.

"Yep! You are right! Ok. Here is the plan. I distract them and you pull the flag up with your arrow and rope. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Cool. Try to steal, I mean snatch, the flag the second they get away from their positions."

''Ok, but what kind of distraction are you going to do?"

"You will see..." And she started climbing down.

'Not fair!', I thought. Well... There is nothing I could change now, so I began tying the rope at the end of my arrow and leaned in closer on the branch I was sitting on for a better view of the flag and wait for Jenia to make her 'distraction'.

After a few minutes, which felt like hours to me, I saw someone from the blue team approaching. He was soaked with water and blood, as his armor glittered. He had a sword in his hand and mud covered the top of his blue helmet so I couldn't see his face.

"Help! John! Daniel!" the incognito person shouted. Then his leg caught a tree root and he fell.

The guards looked at each other and moved to the fallen guy. Something was odd here.

"What happened?" one of the guard asked. I think it was John.

''It's that Poseidon girl, ROSE! She came up too close! She used her water abilities against me! And Jenia is with her! They will be here in a matter of minutes!!" He spitted out.

Then I realized what was going on. I knew that sword looked familiar. Well this was THE SIGNAL. When I heard my name, I took aim and shot my arrow straight into the wood of the flag and started pulling up the rope.

The guards heard the whistle of my arrow and reflectively turned their heads around.

"What the he--" Daniel didn't get to finish his question, because Jenia, disguised as the blue team soldier, knocked both of them unconscious with the butt of her sword and they fell to the ground with a loud 'thump'. She gave me thumbs up and began running towards my tree while I attached the flag to the back of my armor.

"That was mean!" I said angrily when Jenia reached the top of the tree (which was a lot faster now that I wasn't there to slow her down).

She smiled and simply replied, "Maybe. Well, at least next time they'll think before they show off."

She was soaking wet with a little fake blood here and there as well. Honestly, I don't understand how the guards didn't see through the fake blood.

There was another question which popped in my mind.

"I see you've had a nice swim in the river. But where did you get the blue team's armor?" I asked, really curious to know the answer.

''Remind me what Hermes' kids are good at?" she asked with a smile while she changed back into her dry red armor.

''Of course! You stole it." We laughed, then quickly clapped a hand to our mouths and checked to see if anyone heard us. All clear.

I took the flag from my back and held it in front of Jenia.

''Here, you earned it and it is your party!" I said confidently. She took it and gave a small nod.

''So now we've won, right? I mean we have their flag. Do we go back to camp?" I said.

"Now where is the fun in that? I have a plan specifically arranged for Annabeth. It's payback time.'' she said, an evil grin forming on her face.