𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐑, 𝐏𝐉

𝟎𝟎𝟔.𝟓

The doors slid open. A bunch of campers climbed out, some of them looking a little green from the long drive. Percy was glad so many had come: Pollux, Silena Beauregard, the Stoll brothers, Michael Yew, Jake Mason, Katie Gardner, Annabeth, Augustus  along with most of their siblings. Juliet stepped out at last and Percy's breath got caught in his lungs, it was as  if he was seeing her for the first time all over again, she didn't see him yet, shaking her head and tying her short hair up while looking up at the sun.

Percy waited her for to look, he wanted, no he needed her to look at him. And when she finally did he could breathe again. She passed him a relieved smile before rushing forward towards him. She was just in his arms reach when she stopped, her smile receding and a haunted look replacing it.

"What have you done?"

Her words echoed around them and Percy wanted to fall his knees and beg for. her, why wasn't she getting any closer? 

"Jules,: She didn't stop him, when his trembling hands reached forwards and clutched onto her, or when he hugged her burin his face in her neck and calmed down. He'd sounded as if he was begging her. Juliet lightly tried to wound her own arms around him, but she could see Achilles so clearly in Percy, she could see his mortality being tethered to his back, she could feel his pain and anger. 

She let him hug her, hold onto her. Because she knew this was Achilles longing for her.

"Perce, why did you do it?" Her hand went to his hair, she could feel her eyes glazing over.

"I'm going to save us this time, Jules. We'll be happy this time." Her throat clogged up, she lightly pecked his cheek before breaking the hug. This time they would be happy, she believed him. 

Percy reluctantly turned his attention back to the campers. The Ares cabin wasn't here, but he tried not to get too angry about that. Clarisse was a stubborn idiot. End of story.

He did a head count: forty campers in all.

Not many to fight a war, but it was still the largest group of half-bloods he'd ever seen gathered in one place outside camp. Everyone looked nervous, and Percy understood why. They were probably sending out so much demigod aura that every monster in the northeastern United States knew they were here.

As he looked at their faces—all these campers he'd known for so many summers—they reminded him of the Myrmidons before Troy, a nagging voice whispered in his head: One of them is a spy.

But he couldn't dwell on that. They were his friends. He needed them.

Then he remembered Kronos's evil smile. 

You can't count on friends. They will always let you down.

Juliet squeezed his palm, she was dressed in complete white clothes and a gold armour, her crossbow was by her side as well as an odd looking flute, She frowned. "What is it?"

"What's what?" He asked.

"You're looking at me funny."

Percy realized he was thinking about his vision of Juliet pulling him out of the Styx River. "Tell you later." He turned to the rest of the group. "Thanks for coming, everybody. Chiron, after you."

His old mentor shook his head. "I came to wish you luck, my boy. But I make it a point never to visit Olympus unless I am summoned."

"But you're our leader."

He smiled. "I am your trainer, your teacher. That is not the same as being your leader. I will go gather what allies I can. It may not be too late to convince my brother centaurs to help. Meanwhile, you called the campers here, Percy. You are the leader."