The lost hero returns

15. No other choice

Luke's point of view:

During dinner I was talking with Annabeth, Jason, Piper and Hazel.

They were talking about everything that has happened since the titan war.

Of course I knew most of it already.

Percy told me a lot. But I always knew he left things out.
He never liked to brag or show off about all the great things he has done.

Hazel is talking about how she, together with Percy and her boyfriend Frank came back from their quest. And how Percy defeated a giant all on his own.

But there was a sadness in their eyes.

I look around but don't see Percy anywhere. He should be here by now.

I focus back on Hazel and listen.

We talk for a while. Annabeth tells them about how she, Thalia, grover and I met and arrived at camp.

Jason. Who turns out to be the brother of Thalia. Knew that his sister was turned into a tree. But he never heard the story from our point of view.

We laugh. Selina and Bianca tap on my shoulder.
"Luke. Have you seen Omega?" They ask.

I look around. He is still not here.
"No. This isn't like him." I say.

Omega? Where are you?" I Bianca asks using the mind link.

"Having fun for once." Omega anwers. I look at my team. He sounds weird. Not like himself.
Zoë and Beckendorf walk over. Wondering what is going on.

"Aren't you hungry? You should eat." Selina says.

"You don't tell me what to do. Just go back and eat with those people who treated me like garbage. Stab me in the back like everyone else does." He snaps at us. We look at each other confused.

"What are you talking about?" I ask him.

"You know what. It doesn't matter. I have someone to catch." Percy laughs to himself.

"What? What are you-" zoë begins. But someone runs towards the campfire screaming.

Matthew is yelling for help. Campers walk outside. Some grab weapons and get ready to fight.

We walk outside. Me and my team in the front.
Matthew runs at full speed towards us.

He looks like a wild animal being chased. Fearing for its life.

Before he reached us, a portal appears.

"Matthew. You are interrupting their lovely dinner. Let's go." Omega says.

Before anyone can stop him he makes another portal.

"Omega. What are you doing?" I ask confused.

He doesn't seem himself.

"Like I said, having fun for once." He says.

He grabbed Matthew by his shirt and throws him through the portal. He let's out a short scream before disappearing.

"Where is he?" Annabeth yells in shock.

"Worried about your old friend?" Omega asks. "Don't worry. He'll be down soon." Omega looks up at the sky.

"You did what?" Jason asks.

I look up. And I can hear him screaming.

"See, there he is." Omega says kind of bored.

Frank quickly turns into a large hawk and flies off. He catches him and puts him down.

"Nicely done Frank." Omega says like a teacher praising a student.

"What in the name of Hades is happening here?" Chiron says walking over.

"He is acting all crazy." Hazel says looking at Omega in disbelief.

Omega laughs without any humor.
"Me? Crazy? No dear Hazel. I am angry." He says.

"Dear boy. Come with me. You need to cool off. Nyx has been around you for too long. You have no control over your anger." Chiron says.

Nyx? What has she to do with all this?

"Yeah. Well all those years of cropped up anger can't be healty." He says quietly.

"No it isn't. But we can talk about them once you are yourself again." Chiron says calmly.

Omega seems to freeze. He moves his hands slowely to his head. He falls on his knees. He makes a weird chocking sound. And breathes heavy.

He grabs his arm and he seems to be in a lot of pain. I rush to him. He doesn't seem to notice or care.

"Omega? What is wrong?" I ask.

Then Omega lets out a scream of pure agony before blacking out.

He collapsed and I quickly lay him down and start to check for a pulse. While I do I can feel him buring up.

"Annabeth. Didn't you say he was hurt?" I ask.

"Yes. There was blood dripping from his left arm." She says looking concerned.

"The chimaera." I whisper. "Maybe it was poisonous?" I mutter to Zoë who has kneeled beside me.

"Could be." She says.

I pull up his sleeve and I can see the wound.

Campers gasp by looking at it.

It is a long and very deep cut. It looks like his blood turned black.

"We need to heal him." I say to my friends through the mind link.

"The lake?" Beckendorf asks. "But that could reveal his identity"

"But if we do nothing he could die." Bianca says. "His life force is weakening."

"Let's first try the pool in his room." I say.

"We'll take care of him." Selina says to the campers.

Beckendorf and I carry Percy to our cabin and towards his room.

We take off his hood and mask and lower him in his pool.
Yes Percy has a pool in his room. He tells us it clears his mind.

I take off my shoes and jump into the cold water.

I take off his shirt so I can take a better look at the wound. Percy looks very pale and sick.
The wound is deep and the veins look black.

"It was poisoned. It doesn't look good." I say.

The girls walk in and look at Percy in concern.

"Chiron came to me. He told me he knew it was Percy. Maybe we can let him in and let him take a look at Percy." Bianca says.

I nod. "Good thinking. Send him here."

Bianca runs off and comes back a minute later with Chiron.
He looks at Percy. His eyes look filled with sadness. Making him look older.

"The lake could heal him beter." Chiron says.

"We know. But we don't want to let the other campers see that. They'll figure out it is him." I say.

"True.." chiron says. "What about Poseidon? Did he let his father know he was back?"

"No.. Nobody except us know it's him."

"What else can we do?" Zoë asks looking very worried.

Percy is looking way too pale and the water we are in is turning a weird dark color.

We have to act fast. Or he'll die.

"We have no other choise. We have to take him to the lake." I say.