𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐏.
her eyes were locked on one thing, focused, and unwilling to move.
the sweet iron taste of her blood coated the top of her tongue, and she quickly wiped it off.
percy had settled into a routine that was almost normal.
cherry hated every second she spent at the camp.
a couple of the campers were trying to decipher who percy's father was, but nobody could figure it out.
he wasn't strong, he wasn't good at archery, he was terrible at metalwork.
luke suggested he was a child of hermes, but nobody really knew what it was.
cherry also wondered what greek god was percy's father.
unfortunately, she came to the conclusion that it was a trick question, and greek was a yogurt flavor.
"good luck." a camper encouraged percy as he walked by. "luke's the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."
"maybe he'll go easy on me." percy shrugged.
the camper snorted.
cherry didn't feel right participating in any activities, and she honestly didn't want too.
her and a couple other campers would sit and discuss their hair. the last thing they wanted was to practice hurting other people, and accidentally break a nail.
percy was fine at using a sword.
fine seemed to be all he was.
he wasn't anything, he was barely in existence, but he was the subject of every conversation.
every blade in percy's hand was too heavy, too light, too thin, too long.
percy looked up, as he tried to balance the blade.
for a moment, his heart fluttered.
he wanted the only thing to fit in his hands right, to be her.
ew.
what was wrong with him?
luke announced he would be percy's dueling partner, which drew cherry's attention away from the boy she was speaking too.
after a little bit of charm, everybody seemed to get over the paranoia they had because of cherry.
of course, it was only temporary.
whenever they spoke to her, all they wanted was for her to like. for her to love them the way they loved her.
but as soon as they stopped, and realized what they'd done, it was too late to question what she'd done to them. what kind of spell they were under.
percy wasn't any different.
occasionally, he was stronger.
when he walked past her and didn't look at her, he still didn't like her.
but that meant he'd never be able to look in her eyes.
"keep your guard up, percy." luke suggested, when he caught percy's wandering eyes.
he called a break.
all the campers swarmed the drinks cooler, and cherry stood up, holding a cup of water in his hand.
"can i help you?" percy asked, catching his breath and tossing the sword.
"be nice." cherry reprimanded.
if she was any other god, she would've struck him down and decided to go about solving her prophecy herself.
percy was lucky.
the only thing she did, was toss her cup of water at his face.
percy didn't freeze at the cold liquid that ran down his face and wet his shirt. his arms didn't feel tired anymore.
cherry stared at him, slightly confused.
he looked refreshed, not cold.
"okay, everybody circle up!" luke ordered. "if percy doesn't mind, i want to give you a little demo."
cherry grinned.
turns out, her favorite form of entertainment was watching percy get knocked over.
the rest of the hermes cabin gathered around, suppressing smiles.
luke was planning to demonstrate a disarming technique.
how to twist the enemy's blade with the flat of your own sword, so they drop their own weapon.
"this is difficult." luke reminded. "i've had it used against me. no laughing at percy, now. most swordsmen
have to work years to master this technique."
luke demonstrated the move in slow motion, clattering the sword out of percy's hand.
they tried a second time, and somehow, percy actually stopped like from hitting the sword.
it was like his senses had opened up.
percy countered, and luke deflected the thurst of percy's own sword.
percy tried the disarming maneuver, and successfully knocked the sword out of luke's hand.
cherry wasn't laughing anymore.
"uhm, sorry." percy lowered his sword.
"sorry?" like grinned. "by the gods, percy, why are you sorry? show me that again!"
« ───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ───── »
cherry joined the pair of boys who were walking past a bunch of campers.
"what's up, peter johnson?" cherry greeted.
"don't call me that, strawberry." percy glared.
"sorry pete." cherry frowned, dramatically.
luke shook his head at the childrens immature argument.
he continued to speak, making room for cherry to join them.
"you're gonna love this. camp-wide mock warfare, all glory to the victors. annabeth's the head counselor of the athena cabin." luke pointed to a pretty girl who's hair was tied up. "she's led our team to three straight wins. been a long time since anyone's won a fourth."
"she was there in the bathroom. she said she'd been waiting for it to happen." percy remembered.
"annabeth sees the world differently. always six steps ahead of everyone else. you should cut her a break."
"whose side are you on, anyway?"
"oh, hers, always. she's my little sister. maybe i should back up. before camp, i was on the road. me and a forbidden kid i met along the way. her name was thalia."
"and what does that mean, forbidden?"
"a long time ago, zeus, poseidon, and hades agreed their children were becoming too powerful, so they made a pact not to father any more. and it held for a long time, until zeus broke that pact. until thalia. a forbidden kid attracts trouble. monsters everywhere, it's just a constant battle to stay alive."
cherry eyed percy.
he made a face at her, and she glared at him.
he'd looked much better when he was asleep.
"one day, we, uh, find this little girl hiding in an alley. annabeth. we were worried about taking her in, exposing her to all that danger. then we saw her fight." luke continued his story. "thalia didn't make it. but annabeth and me... we did. and we've been family ever since."
"she's been watching me since i got here. why?" percy questioned.
"annabeth is the strongest warrior in camp. the only way left to prove herself is to go on a quest."
"and what does this have to do with me?"
"chiron's been promising her for years. one day, a demigod would arrive who was fated to go on a quest that even chiron couldn't prevent. and when that happened, she could join it. every new arrival, annabeth watches, looking for a sign they're the one. usually, she gives up after a day or two, but she's still watching you."
"can you ask her to knock it off? yeah, sure. but what if she's right?"
a conch shell blew in the distance.
« ───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ───── »
cherry huffed.
the gold armor she was dressed in, seemed to way her down.
"i don't wanna do this. please let me go with the aphrodite kids." cherry begged, once more.
"you'll have a better time with us." luke insisted.
'he can definitely show me a better time.' cherry thought, with a giggle.
"i vote that you let her go." percy raised his hand.
chirons voice boomed over the groups of campers.
"the game begins. the first team to retrieve the opposing flag and return it across the river shall be the victor. as always, there will be no maiming and no killing. i trust these rules will be respected." chiron instructed. "any magical items you may possess, are permitted as well. every camper who is not injured has to play."
percy's eyes looked off to his pocket.
he seemed to be unsure.
"it's okay. let her rip." luke encouraged.
"i still don't even know what my job is. maybe i won't even need a sword." percy comforted himself.
"yeah.. i think you're the last person that needs a sword." cherry pressed a finger to her perfectly glossed lips to resist laughter.
"let the games begin." chiron said, and the conch shell blew.
all of the campers held up weapons.
cherry's eyes widened.
she did not wanna participate.
"i'm gonna need a sword." percy spoke to himself.
the hermes cabin and athena cabin grouped together.
annabeth, the girl from before, approached the trio.
"all right. we have 20 minutes before the second conch and game-on. you know what you're doing?" annabeth questioned.
"yes, ma'am." luke answered.
"hey. today feel like a winning kind of day to you?"
"i'll see you on the other side."
the campers moved out like soldiers.
cherry and percy had no idea what to do.
"not you, sunshine. you're with me." annabeth spoke, barely looking at percy. "you too, red."
cherry hoped she'd do the absolute least amount of work.
annabeth led the duo.
she continued forward, ignoring the argument going on behind her.
suddenly, percy tripped.
cherry giggled, as usual.
she enjoyed anything that had to do with his downfall.
annabeth turned, and just stared at the boy on the floor.
"i'm fine, thanks. but i appreciate you, you know, standing there silently." percy stood up. "listen, i- i get it. okay. you're better at this than me, but i need this to go well today. i can't really get into it, but i need my father to see it go well. so, if you're gonna expect me to know how to do something i don't know how to do, and i end up falling flat on my face, i- i can't really have that right now."
cherry grinned.
she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "it's okay, perce. you embarass yourself enough on your own."
"you're an embarrassment to be around. and don't call me perce." percy argued.
"right. you like peter better." cherry remembered.
annabeth finally broke her silence.
"you still don't get where you fit into all this, do you?" she questioned. "game on."
she pulled out a blue baseball cap.
suddenly, she disappeared.
"wait, what?" percy called out.
"gift from my mom." annabeth reappeared. "don't worry, you'll do great."
she was gone, again.
"do great? do what great?" percy called into the air.
"nothing you can do." cherry frowned, and continued forward.
percy glared.
he took the opposite way, but still ended up in the same location she did.
they both sat on opposite ends of an old tree log.
cherry kicked her legs.
she spent the first couple minutes sitting and admiring her nails.
unfortunately, percy started doing the floss.
"oh my god. please stop. like, i'm actually begging." cherry cringed.
"you wish you could dance like this." percy glared at her.
"i wish you didn't exist."
"yeah, i'm not your biggest fan either."
"yeah you are."
"the only thing you're good at is running your mouth."
"it's a talent."
"can you just not talk to me? i'd rather sit in silence."
the pair did exactly that.
for, like, five minutes.
they were magically in another argument.
"please stop talking!"
"hey. hey. hey, percy."
"what. literally what could you possibly want?"
"what would you do in a room full of women?"
"are you in the room?"
"yes."
"run away."
the pair descended into silence.
a funny looking lizard was on the edge of the tree.
percy pet the lizard, with the biggest grin on his face.
after a couple more minutes, he got too tired, and laid on the log, right beside cherry, leaving her no space.
"move your fatass head." cherry glared.
"sorry my petite frame bothers you. leave." percy waved it off.
"get the fuck out of my face immediately. i was here first."
"i was here second."
suddenly, a couple campers from the other team climbed up the mountain and surrounded them.
clarisse was in the center.
cherry grinned at the boy beside her, who shot up.
"there's your bestfriend." cherry resisted laughter.
"flag's that way. it's not here." percy pointed in the opposite direction.
"we know. yeah, glory's fine. revenge is more fun." clarisse hit her spear against the floor.
"ooh, she's gonna beat the fuck out of you." cherry giggled.
"i'll sacrifice you." percy glared at her. "no maiming. it's like the one rule."
"yeah, i guess i'll lose dessert privileges for a while. i'll live." clarisse hit him with the spear.
percy grabbed his sword, and held up the shield.
cherry sat back.
watching clarisse beat the shit out of percy was like live entertainment.
sure, she could definitely do something to help him.
but did she want too?
"i'm actually not interested in maiming or killing you, believe it or not. i just want you to admit you're a fraud. it'd make me feel better. are you feeling up to that yet?" clarisse stood over percy.
percy ran in the opposite direction.
"guess that's a no." clarisse and her siblings after him.
with a groan, cherry followed after him.
what she really wanted to do, was go back to the aphrodite cabin and paint her nails.
but, she caught up to percy and clarisse.
they were somehow still fighting.
cherry was shocked that percy hadn't died.
but he was definitely injured.
suddenly, clarisse's spear was broken in half.
clarisse let out the most horrifying scream cherry has ever heard, and she grabbed him.
a loud conch was heard in the distance.
their team had won.
luke held up the flag.
annabeth appeared out of thin air. cherry jumped back a little.
when had she even been there?
"not bad, hero." annabeth complimented.
percy stared at the two girls.
he felt nothing but anger.
"were you here the whole time?" percy asked, with a frown.
"yes." annabeth began.
"you were here the whole time and you didn't help me?" percy questioned, still in disbelief.
his attention shifted to the red-head beside her.
cherry stared at him.
suddenly, she took a couple steps toward him.
she grabbed his arm, dragging her fingers softly over the wound.
"let go of me!" percy seethed, hatred lacing his words.
he didn't pull away.
cherry looked up at him, eyes searching his.
she knew exactly who he was.
the water behind him looked crisp, but also terrifying.
if she was wrong, she'd be fucked.
cherry's hand touched percy's armor-covered chest, and his heart beat against her palm.
then, she shoved him into the water.
percy got up, inching closer and closer towards the edge of the water.
the water still reached his knees.
"what is wrong with you?" percy shouted, which attracted the attention of both teams.
slowly, cherry approached the water.
the gentle waves pushed against her heels.
her hands traced along the cuts on his face, that had suddenly healed.
"i don't understand." percy spoke, and looked up.
cherry stared at the trident of water that had formed above his head.
"your dad's calling." annabeth commented.
this was who cherry was looking for.
« ───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ───── »
percy and cherry stood in front of chiron and dionysus.
they hadn't said a word to each-other.
they refused too.
"you have been claimed by poseidon, earthshaker, stormbringer. percy jackson, son of poseidon." chiron explained. "as a forbidden child of the sea god, you are singular amongst demigods. and your father's only hope to prevent the outbreak of war. for months now, zeus and poseidon have been locked in a dispute over the master bolt. the symbol of zeus's authority, and it has been stolen."
"who stole it?" percy questioned.
"cherry did." chiron revealed.
"no i didn't!" cherrys eyes widened.
"oh, you look like a thief." percy nodded.
chiron was quick to look over at the blonde boy. "with your help."
percys eyes widened.
"thief." cherry accused.
"zeus is looking for a thief, sees a forbidden child claimed by his jealous brother, and a girl with a prophecy to betray the gods? it doesn't look good for you, kid." dionysus explained, waving a hand.
"i didn't do anything." percy defended himself. "maybe this witch did, but i didn't."
"cunt." cherry glared. "and i wouldn't steal the bolt!"
"and i definitely wouldn't help her!" percy agreed, with a nod.
chiron took a deep breath.
"of course you didn't. but, percy, your father needs your help. an ultimatum has been given to him by zeus that if he doesn't return the bolt by the summer solstice in one week, there will be war." chiron stared at the boy.
he turned to the red-haired girl.
"cherry, this is the quest that can prove your innocence. perxy, you are going with her. you must leave immediately." chiron told the pair.
percy had no idea what was happening.
"leave? leave for where?" percy tried to catch up.
"zeus is king on olympus and poseidon has always resented it, but there is a third brother who has always deeply resented them both." chiron continued.
"it's hades."
"yes."
"the bolt is with hades. in the underworld."
"i know it sounds daunting. but you won't be alone, a quest is always undertaken with others."
"great. good luck finding those guys, 'cause it ain't gonna be me."
"poseidon has claimed you. this is his will."
"poseidon has ignored me my entire life."
cherry shifted her weight from foot to foot.
she didn't want to make any insulting comments.
at least, not at the moment.
"you are his son." dionysus interrupted.
"i am sally jackson's son." percy corrected, with a glare.
"who's sally jackson?" dionysus questioned.
"she's the one who cared enough to call herself my mother. she's the one who got herself killed, so that i could be safe here."
"the fate of the world hangs in the balance. you will accept this quest!"
"i won't!"
suddenly, somebody ran into the room.
cherry was thankful for a second of a distraction.
"hey, everybody." grover greeted.
"grover, now is not the time." chiron stopped him.
"i'm sorry, sir. but i have news. sally jackson is alive. it looked like she died, but it only looked that way." grover rambled. "your mother was stolen, by hades. which means she's with him now, in the underworld. that's where they want you to go too, isn't it? if you can find be there, i think you can bring her back."
percy looked at cherry.
he despised her, with every single bone in his body.
maybe he hadn't before, but he definitely did now.
he actually didn't want her to be proved innocent, and he would hate to do anything that helped her out in the slightest.
but he needed to save his mom.
"when do we leave?" percy questioned.