When Aphrodite stopped reading, she gave the book to Ares. The god looked affronted at being given the book, but calmed when he saw the title of the next chapter, "We Capture a Flag."

The next few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal ... even when he had to desnag a stray arrow out of his tail.

Frank, ever the archer, grimaced slightly and asked, "That's not as bad as it could've been. Where was Chiron standing?"

"... Behind me," Percy mumbled from behind his hands. Frank's mouth dropped open and he looked speechless.

Ares took the opportunity to keep reading.

Foot racing? ... it was a little humiliating to be slower than a tree.

Katie looked like she had swallowed a lemon, "I may be a Demeter kid, but I cant lie and say that I don't want to beat them at foot racing." Travis wrapped his arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

And wrestling? ... but they weren't having an easy time of it.

Leo wasn't proud of himself, but couldn't help but feel satisfaction from that confession. He had never been too self assured and being friends with heroes didn't help those feelings. Hearing that even Percy started off as a 'loser' made him feel a bit better.

I wasn't as strong as the Ares kids ... I started to understand Luke's bitterness and how he seemed to resent his father, Hermes.

Luke stole a glance in the direction of Percy. If he had done it right, he actually could have gotten Percy with him – he was glad he hadn't now, but he could've.

So okay, ... make a phone appear?

Those who had fought in the second Titanomachy couldn't even begin to see Percy not fighting for the gods; he had saved them, made the right decision – whatever that may have been.

Thursday afternoon ... I did the same.

"That's not fair," Jason complained jokingly. Percy stuck out his tongue.

Instantly, ... Let's all watch Percy get pounded.

Thalia snorted.

The Hermes guys gathered around. ... I tried the disarming maneuver.

Everyone was quiet, it was almost as if it was happing at that exact moment.

My blade hit the base of Luke's and I twisted, ... "Um, sorry."

Grover gave a soft flick against Percy's head.

For a moment, ... "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword . . ."

A lot, was the answer.

Friday afternoon, ... So did you get it?"

The spot where he had been flicked now got a slight pat, as if to make up for it.

Grover looked down at the naiads. ... "Of course I'd want you along!"

Percy repeated that last line with the book, making sure Grover knew that was still true.

Grover stared glumly into the water. ... That's her husband's job.

This time Grover was the one getting flicked – though Percy couldn't reach much further than Grover's stomach. "I apologise for that comment, lady Hera," Grover said, resulting in a terse nod from Hera.

When we say the Big Three, ... Let's leave it at that."

Grover grimaced, going to apologise but being stopped by Nico.

"It's okay, Grover. I know you don't think that anymore."

Percy nodded, "If you still thought that, Rachel wouldn't have been the oracle, so we know."

"But Zeus and Poseidon— ... Thunder boomed.

The gods all listened curiously.

I said, ... It wasn't the little girl's fault."

"No, it wasn't," Thalia said. "But the Styx cant take it out on my dad, so," she trailed off, though it was obvious what she didn't say.

Grover hesitated. ... and guilty too.

Thalia glared at her cousin, daring him to still feel guilty.

A girl my age had sacrificed herself to save her friends. ... could I have saved my mother?

This was even worse than still feeling guilty! She glared harder.

"Grover," ... Grover looked as if I'd just led him into a trap.

"I mean... You kind of did," Jason reasoned. Percy gave him a dirty look and then pretended not to have heard him.

"I didn't . . . ... it was time for capture the flag.

Frank, Hazel, Dakota, Gwen and Reyna were excited to hear how he did in his first capture the flag game, since he'd absolutely obliterated the field during the war games as an amnesiac.

When the plates were cleared away, ... The scar on his face made him look almost evil in the torchlight.

Annabeth made note of that thought.

"We've made a temporary alliance with Athena. ... They mostly sat out every activity and checked their reflections in the lake and did their hair and gossiped.

"I should rephrase that," Percy decided. "I wasn't too worried about them in capture the flag. That's a game, not an actual fight." He felt like a terrible person for having ever thought that when Silena had been such a great warrior.

Hephaestus' kids weren't pretty,

Leo pouted.

and there were only four of them, ... I could have snowboarded on it fine,

"What is with you and using shields as transportation?" Thalia asked exasperated.

Percy regretted telling her about his journey to camp Jupiter, "If not transportation, why look so much like transportation? – No but seriously, it works. Like, why not use everything you have to your name to survive? Whether that's a shield or a cheese 'n' wieners platter." He got a shrug from the lieutenant.

but I hoped nobody seriously expected me to run fast. ... as if she were afraid I'd stolen something.

When Annabeth got questioning looks, she explained, "I was keeping every option open. And anyway, he was sleeping in the Hermes cabin, whether or not he's a Hermes kid, he might've learned things from them."

"Just watch Clarisse's spear," ... "Glad you wanted me on your team."

Annabeth shot him a (not quite) apologetic look.

It was a warm, ... I'll miss all the fun, as usual.

"Not quite, mini me," Percy reassured (?) himself.

Then I heard a sound that sent a chill up my spine, ... I felt the presence retreat.

Percy shivered at the wording; feeling the presence retreat reminded him too much of what had happened in Tartarus.

"It had been there so soon?" Annabeth asked. Percy nodded, while Luke was busying himself with anything but looking at any of the (demi-)gods.

On the other side of the creek, ... but these guys were not as stupid as the Minotaur.

"Thanks, prissy, that's really a compliment," Clarisse drawled. Percy gave her a thumbs up.

They surrounded me, ... "Grab his hair."

The demigods gasped, affronted. "His hair?" Travis sounded offended.

Percy was confused, "Why do you all sound so shocked?"

"Your hair is majestic, dude," was the answer he got from Leo.

Sure, Percy liked his hair – he spent quite a bit of time to make sure the loose curls looked good – but to call it majestic? Before he could think on it longer, Ares started reading again.

I managed to get to my feet. ... "Guess I lost my desert privilege."

"Dessert privilege?" Poseidon stressed for his son. "What does that punishment even help?"

Nico raised his hand, "To be fair, Uncle. I have refrained from maiming campers just for desert privileges before." This didn't seem to calm down the god of the sea whatsoever – huh, weird.

He pushed me into the creek and I landed with a splash.

Clarisse sighed.

They all laughed. ... I knew what to do.

Triton raised an eyebrow; water didn't tell him what to do, especially not fresh water.

I swung the flat of my sword ... and I snapped it like a twig.

Percy sent an apologetic look Clarisse's way – short enough that only she could see.

"Ah!" ... but she wasn't there.

Many had forgotten that Annabeth had made a plan, but now they remembered, most were unimpressed with the lack of care the girl showed for her fellow campers.

"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" ... "You didn't need help."

"But if he had, you wouldn't've been there," Piper said to the girl next to her.

Then she noticed my wounded arm. ... and disappeared.

He can heal himself with water. Any water.

"I— ... "Step out of the water, Percy."

Annabeth relaxed slightly, she had finally figured it out.

"What—" ... A howl ripped through the forest.

People tensed up again.

The campers' cheering died instantly. ... his moment of glory gone.

Luke had closed his eyes sometime during that paragraph. At the mention of his name, he opened them again.

Clarisse yelled, ... "I'm sorry . . ."

Amphitrite decided to take it upon herself to learn the boy not to apologise when it wasn't needed.

But they weren't watching my wounds heal. ... "Poseidon,"

Those that hadn't been there for the claiming were drinking in every word being said.

said Chiron. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

"Damn, my claiming wasn't this dramatic," Jason said breathlessly.

Nico piped up, "I didn't even get claimed."