The Half-Blood Project

5- Battle Scars

Percy Jackson

This is a mistake. How can you trust someone you barely know?

I let those thoughts slide as I walk out of the interrogation room and into the main part of the warehouse. Piper and everyone else seems furious. Annabeth stands off to the side, looking around.

"Are you mental Percy? Recruiting a stranger?" Piper says tartly and looks angry at me.

"We've been doing this a long time. We need her help. If she's a half-blood and she knows Luke, then it's an advantage."

Piper spits on the ground. Angry. Anger wells inside me too.

"What's Rule #5 Percy? You always made sure I remembered that one."

"Trust your gut," I muttered and could see where Piper was coming from. She relied on her heart and when her gut told her something it was usually right. 

But I trust Annabeth. When I looked into those eyes I saw anger, the moment she spoke Luke's name. It surprised me. But if we knew about Luke's past, there was a way we could defeat him. So I had to trust her.

"Piper, I call the shots remember?! When I say that I trust her, so should you. So should all of you." I look at my five friends who are looking torn between Piper's strong voice and mine. Her charm speak will not affect my leadership. 

"Percy, you saved me, made my life better, but that does not mean I trust your every move. It does not mean you control me." Piper said in a quiet rage that reminded me of Mom whenever I got in trouble at school. 

I shook my head, dark hair falling into my eyes, poking at my eyelids. "Piper, I don't control you. But if we know about Luke and his past, we have an advantage. And Annabeth doesn't look to be the backstabbing type." 

Piper took in a deep breath and her rage seemed to dampen a little, storming off to the gym where she would sweat her problems out there. Good. I didn't have the time to console her on her trust issues with literally everyone. It's not my fault she was neglected as a child. 

"Percy, just think man, is this girl trust-worthy? Do we even know the limits of her capabilities?" Jason put a hand on my shoulder, I know he was just trying to be nice and I shook his hand off roughly. 

"You know I can hear you right?" Annabeth called from where she stood and walked over, Leo looked frightened ofher lof herglookinger face to the ground, his eyes wavering. She was intimidating. 

Hazel and Frank looked like they were ready to attack, but they need not. Annabeth didn't look in the mood to fight anyone. 

"Look, you don't have to like me, or trust me. I don't care. But we all have a common enemy here. And if we want him dead, you're going to need my help, whether you like it or not." Annabeth spoke in a commanding voice, similar to my own. She too was a natural leader, a commander if you will. This affected Frank and Hazel, relaxing their shoulders, but their eyes were still ready for a fight. Leo was still too scared to look her in the eyes. 

"What can you do then? What are your abilities?" Jason spoke up and Annabeth raised an eyebrow, Jason was challenging her to show off what she could do. Even I was curious. Leo stepped back nervously, his hands shoved into his magical toolbelt. I wouldn't be surprised if he accidentally lit his nose on fire. 

She brushed back a stray curl. "I don't have any like your's, I can't control water," She looked to me. "Or fire, or air. But I do have my mind, an IQ of 201. Plus some ADHD and dyslexia on the side." 

I didn't question what her IQ was or if she had ADHD and dyslexia. I could tell, the way her eyes flickered around constantly or when she squinted at the boards on the warehouse walls like the words were made of noodles and the letters were backward.