PJO Magazine Edition #3: February 2019

Oneshot: Laser Tag

Annabeth slipped through the dark laser tag course silently, clutching her gun to her chest tightly. It was the last day of camp, and Chiron had let a group of demigods go out for the afternoon. Now they were playing laser tag, and Annabeth was determined to win.

Just then, music blared over the hidden speakers, signalling the start of the game. Annabeth's vest flashed with green lights, and she darted towards the corner of the huge room that she'd scoped out earlier. Sporting a vest with flashing red lights ahead of her, she aimed and fired her laser gun at Conner Stoll, shooting his chest, then continued onward.

Hearing a noise behind her, Annabeth whipped around, but relaxed when she saw another green vest; a person on her team. Each team—green, blue, red, and yellow—had four people, and whichever team scored the most points by the end of the game would win.

Piper, her teammate, touched her arm. "Stick together or split up?"

Annabeth considered. "Stick together. Each guard a side." She motioned for Piper to follow her and raced towards her strategic spot, shooting Lou Ellen's blue vest as she passed. Dashing up the ramp, she crouched down in the small, walled platform overlooking the obstacles on the ground. Two ramps led up to it on either side. It was a good spot, our of the way, but still reachable from all areas.

Piper knelt on the right side, and Annabeth took the left side. Slowly looking over the edge of the barrier, she lifted her gun, aimed at Clarisse's red vest, and fired, hitting the target on her shoulder. At the same time, Piper caught Nyssa's blue vest in the stomach.

Annabeth noticed two people in yellow vests together in a corner. Travis and Katie. Then Katie reached up and kissed Travis' cheek, and Annabeth smirked and shot them both. Then an idea came to her.

Suddenly, a yellow figure appeared out of nowhere between them, immediately shooting Annabeth. The small figure turned to Piper, but Piper quickly shot him in the chest before he could shoot her.

Annabeth recognized him. "Nico, you're not allowed to use shadow travel here!" she called out, her gun rendered useless for ten seconds by the hit. Nico only laughed and sprinted away down the ramp.

Annabeth waited out the ten dull seconds, then lifted her laser gun again and pulled the trigger, aiming at a tall red-vested boy at the same time as Piper did. One light found his arm, the other his chest, and the boy's gun blinked out momentarily. "Piper, you traitor!" Jason yelled, shaking his fist comically.

In the center of the dark room, a tall platform stood with ramps reaching it on all sides, and two blue figures manned it, shooting down anyone who tried to approach. Annabeth aimed at them, but couldn't get a clear shot. Spotting two more persons in a green vest, she shouted, "Will! Malcolm! Come help!"

Will and Malcolm hurried up to them. "What's up?"

"I'm going to go get the top. If those are who I think they are, then this should be easy. The top platform is the best place in the ring, if you can control it, so as soon as I get them down, I need you guys to come help me control it. Got it?" Annabeth instructed.

The three nodded, and Annabeth scrambled down the ramp and crept towards the center. Slipping quietly up a second ramp towards the top platform, she peered around the corner at the two blue figures holding it. Then she aimed and fired at one, causing a yelp to ensue. Grover jumped backwards and groaned as his gun shut down for ten full seconds.

The second figure whipped around and found Annabeth's gun trained on him. He countered by focusing his laser in her chest. Annabeth walked towards him, both their guns focused, and backed him up against the barrier.

Annabeth grinned in a cocky way at the Percy, then did something unexpected. She stepped forward and kissed him, touching his face with her left hand. At first Percy froze in surprise, then quickly kissed her back.

Annabeth pulled away, and smiled sweetly at the still-dazed Percy. "Having fun?" Then she lifted her gun and shot him in the chest, shoving him so that he tumbled down the ramp. Shooting Grover again, she whistled high and heard a cheer as her teammates stormed up the ramp to join her.

By pluviophile_bookworm