We're Not Dead Yet (Split Souls part 2)

30: A Claim

"Oh." Bucky nodded.

"Has he been claimed?" Clarisse asked.

"Nope, Dad said he was his, but it hasn't been announced yet." Percy said.

"Lucky you, capture the flag tonight. You good with any weapons?" Clarisse asked Bucky.

"Uh." Bucky said, and the brothers exchanged a look. Bucky turned back to Clarisse.

"You're not?" Clarisse frowned.

"No, not that. Just... A bit too much of the opposite." Bucky said.

"Never too much around here." Clarisse said. "What are your preferences? If you can do something impressive, that might get you claimed."

Just then, a blond kid ran up to Clarisse. "Clarisse- Percy- Old Guy-" He greeted them all, then addressed Clarisse directly. "So, you know how we were gonna play capture the flag, right, well, apparently the Romans really don't like the way we fight- like, we scare them- so how about paintball instead of weapons?"

"Where's Travis?" Clarisse asked.

"Trying to rig a landmine to explode with eco-friendly glitter instead of tnt. He's trying to woo Katie. Anyway, paintball?" 

"Do we have enough?"

"We will by the time the game starts."

"Then sure." Clarisse sighed, and waved him away.

Bucky was silent for a moment. "So, I actually did see some kids messing with a landmine?"

"Apparently." Percy replied.

"Oh. I thought it might it have been PTSD." Bucky said.

Percy gave him a side-eye. "You good, man?"

"Who knows?" Bucky shrugged.

"Alright, good to know. Anyway, think you can handle paintball?" Clarisse asked.

"I don't know what that is." Bucky deadpanned.

"Oh." Percy said. "You're put into teams, and given guns that shoot painful balls of paint instead of bullets. Easy to tell when you get hit. There's more rules, but that's the basic."

Bucky nodded. "Sounds interesting."

"You were a sniper, right?"

"Yeah."

"Clarisse, do you have any sniper guns?" Percy asked.

Clarisse hollered out to the boy who had spoken earlier. "Connor!"

"Yeah?" He yelled back, a hint of fear in his voice.

"Got a sniper gun?"

A moment of silence. "Think so!"

Clarisse turned to Bucky. "So, you can shoot?"

~~~~~~

Bucky got looks from the other demigods, especially when Clarisse personally handed him a sniper. The other demigods geared up while Chiron and this guy called Frank went over the rules. He had to stifle a chuckle at how odd a few hundred teens looked in badass armor and carrying paintball guns.

Someone offered to get him a set, but he turned them down. He didn't have enough experience to be comfortable wearing that bulk. Percy walked up behind him, and tapped his shoulder. Bucky felt his clothes shift, and a weight was added.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, and met Percy's smirking gaze. "You're welcome." The god said, before heading over to the centaur.

"So, what's the teams?" Bucky asked the demigod nearest him.