The Winged Warrior

Chapter 1

***

Annabeth was now talking to her siblings in the Athena cabin, and though she was whispering, everyone at the table watching the iris message could catch words like "Can't believe he would frame him" and "He's jealous of his powers". It seemed the other campers spread the rumour, and soon everyone was saying Percy had a huge grudge against this poor guy and was going to do his best to get him kicked out of camp.

Campers were giving Percy dirty looks, muttering things behind their hands and shaking their heads.

The only one who supported Percy was Nico, who instantly believed Percy and hated Nicolas.

***

The iris message changed to Nicolas standing outside the camp, talking to what appeared to be a dark ball of light in front of him.

"Yes father... We've got to break him... No, not like that... I was thinking more emotionally."

***

Percy was now entering the Athena cabin. He asked Malcolm where Annabeth was, and he told him she was in the forest, before giving him a nasty look and turning away. He ran into the trees to find her, but before he had got fifty paces he stopped dead. A huge crowd was gathered in the center of a clearing, and Percy pushed through it to the very center. He stared at the sight in front of him, betrayal and hurt in his eyes.

Annabeth was standing in the middle of the crowd, kissing Nicolas with a ferocity to rival the nemean lion. She looked up and gasped at the sight of Percy, tears pouring down his face, staring at her with so much pain.

"Wait, Percy! It's not what it looks like!"

But it was too late. Percy flung the a small velvet box at her, before pushing his way back through the jeering and laughing crowd and away towards the camp.

Annabeth picked up the box and opened it. Inside was a ring with a huge grey jewel in the center, surrounded by tiny blue sapphires.

She made to run after him, and her eyes were filled with guilty tears, but a strange blankness suddenly came over her face. She turned back to Nicolas as though in a daze, and continued kissing him to whoops and cheers from the crowd, as campers complimented Nicolas and insulted Percy.

***

Percy was now leaving the camp. He took a cab to his mom's apartment. The door was already open so he pushed his way in.

On the living room carpet were his mom, Paul an their 2 year old son Micheal, all dead.

On the inside of the door was a note. It read;

Before I killed them, I glamoured myself to look like you. Enjoy my gift!

Nicolas xxx

***

Nicolas was sneaking through camp, and saw Nico and Percy walking towards the Poseidon cabin. Percy waved goodbye, and Nico set off for the Hades cabin. But before he could reach it, Nicolas grabbed him from behind, dragging him into the forest and out of sight.

He grabbed Nico's mouth to stop him from crying out and pulled him along, as his victim's heels scraped uselessly against the floor.

Struggling and kicking, Nico managed to free his mouth and let out a strangled yell that echoed around the deserted forest before his mouth was smothered again.

Percy, hearing Nico's shout, shot out of his cabin, uncapping Riptide as he went with a soft whoosh.

But it was too late.