Equilibrium

Chapter 48: Luka's POV

Currently ya boi was flying on the back of a black pegasus named Blackjack. Don't even ask me how I got him, let's just say I Iris-messaged Percy and he sent me the horse. We aren't gonna talk about all the possible embarrassing things that I might have said when I'd had to explain why Jackie wasn't with me and why I needed a magical flying horse.
The wind whipped through my hair, and I could feel it getting progressively messier, but I didn't really care. Getting mad about the state of my hair was the least of my worries right now.
The ride was long, and it gave me time to actually think without feeling scared about a monster attacking me.
There was unfortunately lots to think about.
Jackie being one of them.
My mind had cleared up a bit, and I was glad. In the heat of the moment I had acted like a lovesick puppy, which was stupid of me.
Yes I'm allowed to like a girl. Even love her.
But at the moment she didn't really deserve that from me.
Jackie said that she had trusted me, and that she had opened up to me about her life, and how apparently I didn't care about any of it.
But hadn't I done the same? Hadn't I opened up to her, too?
Yes I had.
Yet she made it about herself.
Didn't let me talk so I could tell her what the heck was going on. Didn't let me explain myself or my past actions or even admit my feelings for her, and now look.
She just up and left, punching me in the face and butchering the whole quest.
Now I'm not saying that Jackie isn't a good person, because she is, but she needs to realize that what she did was wrong.
And she needs to realize that my intentions were never to hurt her, just to do what was right for the quest.
Throughout this whole quest, Jackie and I have let our emotions get the better of us, and THAT was our real mistake.
As the sun rose higher into the sky I leaned into Blackjack's neck, resting my head against his mane, pressing my thumb and forefinger into my temple.
I could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. Blackjack neighed and I winced. Yup, my head was pounding. "Hey, buddy, I think I'm gonna take a nap till we get to camp." I said to the pegasus, adjusting myself into a better position on his back. He made a grunting noise and I assumed that was his way of saying ok.
Squeezing my eyes, I fell fast asleep, even after I'd slept for a good amount of time already. Actually scratch that the stupid dreams don't let me properly rest.
I needed a good couple hours with no dreams and no thoughts about Jackie.
It seemed like I had only slept for 2 minutes before I heard voices around me and Blackjack landed on the ground forcefully.
"What-" I jolted awake, almost slipping from the pegasus's back, stunned for a moment before realizing where I was.
Camp Half-Blood.
Yes, I'd made it. Thank the GODS.
"Luka my main bitch you're ALIVE!! Where's Jack Jack?" It was Leo.
Could he not even wait for me to get off the horse and wake up before making noise? Ok I was so salty, c'mon Luka turn it down
Shit.
I had to explain.
What happened.
With Jackie.
Shit.
Smile and nod Luka, this isn't completely your fault. It was the fault of the feels. Why do humans have so many emotions? I hate? Emotions? I just? Want? To? Be? Happy?
Rubbing my eyes I swung my legs over to one side of the Pegasus and hopped off. "Hi Leo," I said groggily, "She's not here."
That's a start right? I'll let them ask all the questions. More people ran up to us, Frank and Hazel came, looking happy to see that I was alive, Hazel even gave me a big hug. And then there was Percy and Annabeth, giving me skeptical looks, Annabeth even giving me a death glare when she realized that Jackie wasn't with me. More and more people I didn't recognise started surrounding me and I had NEVER felt more uncomfortable.
"Ok so WHERE is Jackie?" A boy with blonde hair and electric blue eyes walked up to me. He was wearing a purple SPQR shirt and had twelve lines on his forearm with the God Jupiter's sign. Yessir, Luka's been doing his godly research.
I laughed nervously, "um so about thAt-"
Leo cut me off before I could finish, "NO NO NO SHE'S DEAD? YOUR BASTARD YOU LET HER DIE??? NOPE I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO UNSTAN YOU NASTY EGG I CAN'T EVEN!!!!!!"
Wow.
"No stupid she's not dead," I sneered, peeved because he was doing the same thing as Jackie would.
AsSuMe! I hate when people assume.
Annabeth, who was standing off to the side with Percy, holding his hand and shaking her head. Walking up to me in the middle of the circle of demigods that had been formed around me and Blackjack, she grabbed Jackie's backpack from me aggressively.
"Hey!" I exclaimed trying to grab it back.
She huffed shaking her head, "We don't have time! Don't you idiots understand? You can tell us what happened with Jackie and the quest while we get ready, but for now there's a big ass army coming to invade camp and it's coming fast!"
Shit she was right.
"Are all the relics in here?" Annabeth asked me, waving the bag in my face. I shook my head, "not all of them, there are two missing and hopefully Jackie has them.... But Jackie's with Adrestia... so technically the enemy has them." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly, I really was a clown.
Everyone around me looked like they wanted to murder me. That's valid I guess.
Leo sniffed, crossing his arms, "Adrestia? She's the one we're fighting this time?" I nodded fiddling with the hem of my shirt.
Percy kissed his teeth, coming up to Blackjack. "Sorry bud I don't have any donuts right now." He murmured, stroking the horse's mane.
Donuts???? Horses don't eat donuts?? Oh wait nevermind he's a Pegasus, they probably have different eating habits.
"Come on!!" A girl who I recognised from my first time here urged, "The Goddamned army is almost here get back to work!!" For some reason her words washed over me in a way that made me want to do that so badly, that everything else seemed insignificant.
"Sorry Piper," Frank muttered, "you're right we need to be as prepared as possible."
The crowd dispersed, and a small group of teens formed around me as we hurried to get armour on and to check if our weapons were solid and ready.
Annabeth took charge since everyone seemed to religiously follow her anyways. "We've set up traps and ugH we're pretty much as prepared as we can be with the time we were given. The protective boundary put by Thalia's tree was taken down by an unknown source, dOn't ask me how because I don't know, and all in all we're pretty much doomed I guess." Annabeth was talking so fast I could barely keep up.
"Adrestia." I interrupted, "It was Adrestia who took it down.
"Who?" Percy asked.
"Um Luka now would be a good time to fill us in and tell us where the heck Jack Jack is." Leo said, very obviously peeved at me.
He pissed me off so much.
"Shut up elf." I said, returning the same glare he was giving me.
The boy whose name I gathered to be Jason had to hold Leo back from trying to throw a hammer at me.
"WHERE IS SHE????" Leo yelled, his face going red. Annabeth stepped in, "Luka tell us what happened right now. I've already told you we don't have much time."
Grunting, I decided to stop being difficult and listen to her. I told them everything, about retrieving all the relics etcetera, and even adding in the part about Jackie and I's fight but not giving too much detail about why we fought.
"Adrestia has her captive with the Hermes and Ares relic. I'm pretty sure she's alive for now but we have to figure out a way to save her. Hopefully she'll show up with the army? I don't know."
Leo shook his head, "I despise your existence Luka." I shot him a glare, "ditto whore."
Before Leo or anyone else could react another camper barged into our little circle. Panting she put her hands on her knees, "They're here! Get ready!!"
In the distance I could hear the sound of weapons clanking and the marching of an army.
Deep freaking breaths Luka.
Slinging my quiver over my shoulder I mentally prepared myself for what would probably be the most traumatizing experience in my life.