Percy of the Huntsmen

Changing Sides

Once Percy got to his cabin, he walked to the hidden compartment under his bed and pulled out the earpiece to talk with Adam. Turning it on, he saw that he had a message from Adam.

"Percy. There's been a major development with the case. Contact me immediately."

Percy hit the redial button.

"Adam, Adam, testing over and out, come in."

"Percy, glad you're on. There's something I need to tell you."

"Yeah, me too."

"I'll go first. You're job's been changed. Keep getting in close with everyone, and keep up the semi-cheerful guise, but our deal's off with Kronos. He's crossed us."

"Who's paying us then?"

"No one. We're going against Kronos to prove a point: nobody crosses the Huntsmen and gets away with it. You're going to lead the wolves and campers together against Kronos' army. Save New York. Try not to kill demigods. Y'know, the opposite of what we entered this mission trying to accomplish."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got the time."

Flashback
Five hours ago on the Princess Andromeda

Adam had been summoned by Luke to discuss their next step in the invasion of Camp Half-Blood.

"So, that was a success. Atlas was too much of a wild card, it's for the better that he's back under the sky." Luke admitted.

"Yes, Lord Kronos."

"I'm not Kronos yet, I still need a few more demigod souls to begin the process. However, I thought you might want to meet your new coworker. You'll be working together for the rest of this job." Luke beckoned to a figure in the shadows. Out walked none other than the Alpha vampire, Kakó.

"Luke, I will not work with this... thing."

"I'm sure you can work something out," Luke said. Kakó glanced at Adam and grinned evilly.

"It's none of my business who all you choose to hire, but I will not stand for working with this. You can choose: do you want me, or it."

"I want both of you."

"Your money will be returned. I will not stand for having a vampire as a partner." Adam walked off of the ship onto a boat marked with the Huntsman insignia. He gestured to the pilot, who drove away.

End flashback

"Good choice," Percy said. "I'd never work with them either, especially after-" he dropped off. "Well, you know."

"Yes, I do know. What did you want to tell me?"

Percy groaned internally. He wished Adam had forgotten. "There's someone at camp.."

"A girl?"

"Maybe..."

"Percy, I held you in higher regard than that. There's so many wolves here at camp, as Beta you could get anyone you want. Why choose a demigod?"

"You were wrong about them. All the stories, the horror tales, they were lies. Sure, not all of them are angels, but some aren't bad. One in particular."

"Look, we'll discuss this after the job is over. For now, just don't let her impair your judgement."

"Yessir."

"Percy..."

"Yes, Adam."

"Improve on that. Report later." Adam hung up.

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Percy felt in a better mood than he'd had for a very long time. Hewashed up and met up with Thalia at the Hades table a half hour later for dinner. She got special permission from Chiron to not have to sit with her jackass lackey of a half-brother.

Percy's meal had never tasted this good, and it wasn't completely because of his new allegiance. He even sacrificed a tear-and-share pack of M&M's to Thanatos. He wholehearted ignored dirty looks from Brayden, Chris, and Justin.

Throughout dinner, he kept noticing how the camp fire reflected off of Thalia's dark, shiny hair as she spoke to him, gesturing and laughing. Percy was laughing right along with her, something that had been rare in these last hundred and fifty years or so. They stayed there at the table long after everyone else had left for their cabins and until the fire was just a pile of dark red coals, talking about anything and everything.

Things hadn't been this good since the incident. Percy would have been happy to spend the rest of his life just sitting there talking, he didn't want it to ever end.