Crimson Red. (a Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Three

I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk to those people or not.

But I came to them anyway. They were too focused on fighting, didn't even notice I was there. Luke, with an arrogant smile on his face, looked as if he was winning for sure.

"Uh hello?" I spoke up. "Hello?"

They kept on fighting, ignored me completely. Maybe it wasn't the right time. I turned to look at Percy. He gave me a sign to keep on doing what I was doing. And so I tried again.

"Hey, guys." I said, a bit louder. Still no response. Can't these people stop for a second to say 'hi' back? It's about being polite! And then I did something that made me regret pretty much.

"HELLO!" I yelled, so loud that the people at the other side of the arena might hear me.

Then the Luke guy was distracted from the fight for a moment. A second later, his sword was already on the ground, leaving the other kid, Leo, smiling in victory.

"You!" Luke was furious. "I was fighting, and I was winning!"

"No you weren't." Leo laughed, he kinda liked adding fuel to the fire, I guessed.

The situation was getting tense. There was silence for a few minutes, Luke was staring right at Leo's face, looking angrier than ever.

I didn't understand what was wrong with this guy anymore. He just lost in a training fight against his own friend because he stopped to see who said 'hi' to him. Now he was blaming me, who just wanted to get acquainted with him, for making him lose. And he's totally making a fuss out of it. I mean, what's the big deal? And he now he was yelling at his training friend.

"I WAS! UNTIL THIS GUY YELLED AT MY FACE." He yelled at the Leo guy, and then turned to me. "Speak of the devil, why did you shout at my face in the first place?"

"I... was just trying to say hello-" I said.

"DO I LOOK LIKE I WANT TO SAY HELLO BACK? I WAS FIGHTING!" It was Luke's turn to yell, I guess.

"Hey! That's rude!" someone in the arena, I didn't know who, backed me up. I was so thankful for a second.

"Listen, I didn't know it meant so much to you. I'm sorry. About you losing the match." I tried to calm him down.

"He wasn't winning anyway." Leo added. He looked about 12 years of age, of course he didn't know what he was saying was only making things worse.

"Seriously Leo! You never won a fight against me!" Luke yelled at his friend.

"I just did." Leo laughed, he didn't think that much.

"LEO GRACE!" He shouted so loud that the whole Arena stopped training to look at us, Percy and Bianca also started running to us."YOU CAN NEVER WIN IN A SWORD FIGHT AGAINST ME, ACCEPT IT! And as for you, pretty boy, if you think you can make me lose." He looked at me and smirked. "Perhaps you should pick up a sword and start beating me for real."

>>> <<<

Uh-oh

"What? No! I said I'm sorry!" That was my failed attempt to avoid the fight.

Percy and Bianca just got there, asking what was going on. Luke said something about me distracting him, making him lose in a game that he wouldn't lose. Percy scolded him for being rude, and said he was too arrogant and it was his fault that he lost.

"How could it have been MY fault?" Luke yelled.

"How come Leo still concentrated and you didn't? It was YOUR fault, son." Percy frowned.

"What now, boy? Wanna beat me in a match for real or not?" he ignored Percy and turned to me.

"I didn't want you to lose! Just wanna say hello!" Another failed attempt of mine to explain myself.

"He wanted to fight? Ken, pick the sword up, you might want to teach him a lesson on being why arrogance is bad." Percy said, he actually agreed on the idea.

"What! I don't know how to fight!" I exclaimed.

"Give us three minutes. He's fighting." that was Bianca.

"I am not..." I answered back.

Bianca never let me finish my sentence. She and Percy dragged me to the other side of the arena.

"It's Leo Grace, by the way!" The kid, Leo, called after me. That kid wasn't really helping. At all.

"Are you guys kidding me? I can't fight!" I started protesting.

"Listen." Percy was being serious. "Luke, he is a bit too arrogant. He really thought you can't fight and if he keeps on thinking like that, he'll lose. And you, don't you ever say you don't know how to fight. You never tried! Besides, it's in our nature."

"Go out there and fight, I believe in you. Luke was just being a jerk. He needs to be taught a lesson." Bianca encouraged me. "Go out there, pick up a sword, and fight."

I found it useless to argue with them. Slowly, I plodded to where Luke was, in a total nervous mood. I wasn't sure about the fight, yet somehow, I just knew I had to do it.

"Ready, boy?" That was Luke's arrogant voice.

Fine, if Bianca wanted me to do it, I would do it. Besides, Percy Jackson believed I can win, so why not give it a try?

I sighed, took a deep breath, then lift a sword up.