— ROUTINE WAS EASY to find at Camp Half-Blood. Percy ended up with Annabeth most mornings, the blonde taking the time to teach him Ancient Greek. The rest of the day was spent with camp activities, while attempting to find some sort of giveaway as to whom Percy Jackson's father was.
Hugo kept Clarisse away, the pair of them spouting casual French as they traversed through the camp grounds. Percy wasn't sure what to feel when he watched them. His biggest bully at camp being all chummy with his new friend. Despite the fact the two were brother and sister.
Hugo saw Percy around day after day. He wasn't as strong as him and his siblings, or as good at archery as Apollo's cabin seven. He didn't have Dionysus' way with wine plants, or Hephaestus' skills with metal. He was everything he was when he first showed up to half-blood hill: nobody.
Luke stuck to him like glue on paper, like he did with all new campers when they first arrived. He comforted Percy in cabin eleven, after two weeks of no signs. (Unless you count the "bathroom incident")
Capture the flag was nearing when Hugo formed his plan. He wasn't as methodical as Athena's children, although, strategy is an integral element of war. And he was no Agamemnon. Quite the contrary; some of this sisters called him Hector, to tease his unvoiced authority. He wasn't the counsellor, he was too young for that. But he was strong and brave, and most importantly, powerful.
Truthfully, Hugo debated flipping sides. Seeing as he didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with his siblings in most regards. He liked to see himself as better, because he was. Like he possessed more self control than the others. But did he really? Honestly, he didn't know.
Hence why you could see why he and Clarisse would often clash. Actually, often wasn't even the half of it. It was constant. They fought continuously. Both verbally and physically.
Hugo always "won", even if Clarisse was objectively correct. She despised her brother's power, how easily others would sway to his side. She craved that authority. But had too much pride to lose what little she currently had. Hugo was too strong for her. No matter how close she got, she always lost.
He was Achilles. She was Ajax the Lesser.
Her brother stayed leaps and bounds ahead of her, no matter how hard she tried to catch up. It wasn't fair, and she was pissed.
He was a god. She was a slave. Forced to worship her brother's will because he had all the power to make her. He could take everything from her, and she knew it. In fact, she knows Hugo is aware of his title. He knows he's good, he knows how far his reign stretches. To Clarisse, he looks like a cruel human while she is a starving dog, dangling food over her head only to whip it away at the last second as he cackles from his godly thrown.
She wasn't going to lose. Not this time. But she can't win against Hugo. So if winning over Hugo isn't an option then...
Her eyes spotted someone, a lock of raven hair. Fiddling with a bow as his legs quaked like a newborn horse. Hugo stood behind him, attempting to guide his arrow. But the boy missed, lurching at the force as the arrow slipped through his fingers.
Clarisse was certain his mouth was full of dirt. Hugo laughed uncontrollably, clutching his stomach and falling to the ground. Percy began to laugh as well, dirt smudged across his lips, nose and cheeks.
Hugo scooted closer, still wiping tears from his eyes. His fingers supported Percy's chin as he licked the pad of his thumb. The mud smudged even further and Hugo let out a childish giggle. The two grinned at each other, Hugo's eyes gleaming like a stained glass window. The French boy looked away, batting his eyelashes behind his thick curtain of chestnut hair, his cheeks as red as the strawberry fields. Percy looked equally as awkward, utterly oblivious to the intimacy of the situation.
Clarisse had an idea. A devious one. But first, she needed numbers.
• • •
— AS MUCH AS Hugo liked Annabeth, they were still rivals. Like their parents before them, the tension between the two was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Hugo couldn't help but feel as though she looked down on him. That she didn't respect his strength and intellect simply because a war-crazy meathead was his father. Albeit, his siblings acted that way as well. But, he was loyal to his family; he would die for any brother or sister if he felt he had to, he doesn't mess around when it comes to those he loves.
Athena's children did not get along with Ares', to almost any degree. Except for Hugo and Annabeth, the "gifts" to their cabins. Hugo scoffed thinking about it when his eyes stepped over every fibre of Annabeth's blue plumed helmet.
They weren't "gifts", they were tools. And the only person who could see that was Hugo. It was both pitiful and frustrating the way Annabeth admired her mother, placing her on a pedestal so high even she was too weak to reach. She was brainwashed, Hugo was convinced of it. She must've been cursed or hexed or something, there was no way someone could be that smart but naïve about godly lineage. I mean, have you heard about some of things Athena has done? Medusa ring a bell? How about Arachne?
Athena is nothing but a petty and jealous woman who believes herself to be so great and glorious that she will punish any innocent woman or man who wounds her pride. And yes, that includes her own children. At least he knew his dad was nothing but a dead-beat brute who finds mindless slaughter entertaining.
Hugo snapped out of his thoughts, inhaling deeply as he counted in his head. Usually, he was decent at controlling his anger, but, something was off about that night. Something bugged him. He missed something. But what was it?
Chiron hammered his hoof on the pavilion's marble floor. "Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"
He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, oxhide shields coated in metal.
Hugo clambered to find a set of armour his size and a helmet that a red plume clutched onto. He was never the biggest fan of them, they made his hair look weird. 'I should cut my hair,' he thought, his mind wandering a mile away.
His previously mentioned plan wasn't all that groundbreaking. He proposed that he and his siblings line the outskirts of the battlefield, two of their biggest protecting the flag. When a signal was given by Clarisse, as Hugo trusted her judgement the most, they would strike as one. Crushing whomever was stuck between them like a Wall of Death at a heavy metal concert. Again, it wasn't ingenious, but it was doable and unorthodox (it was enough to confuse Athena's logic-driven children)
"Red team, move out!"
They whooped and cheered, some letting out long and triumphant battle cries. Hugo joined in, the pummel of his sword butting against his chest piece like a drum cymbal.
Percy's cuddly perspective of him was shut down immediately. Clad in his armour with those scarred arms, he looked like a seasoned veteran who had lived through unrepeatable terrors. Whereas he was positive he looked like a little girl trying on her mom's high heels.
The night was young and humid, making Hugo sweat beneath his armour. His brothers and sisters scrambled into place, all utterly fixated on what was in their reach. Hugo was proud, as he settled into his own position: high in a tree with a canopy barely thin enough to see through.
The conch sounded, and red helmets fled from their positions. Hugo knew it, he had missed something. They betrayed him, almost each one... but why?
He grew angrier and angrier, letting out a huff of rage as he sat immobile in his tree. If they wouldn't listen, let them lose.
It was a protest, that much was clear. But was he really that bad of a leader? Had he bossed them around too much? Did they think he was messing with the Ares image? Ugh, whatever it was, Hugo was furious. "Clarisse," he snarled, as if he were cursing her entire bloodline. He descended from his tree, his eyes boiling with fury as he ploughed through any half-blood that stood in his way.
Clarisse would pay. Hugo just needed a good vantage point.
• • •
— "CREAM THE PUNK!" screamed Clarisse, her posse of four trailing behind. Percy was taken by complete surprise, lugging around his shield like a dumbbell. Clarisse brandished her spear, its barbed tip blazing with red sparks.
They charged across the stream. There was no help in sight. 'I could run,' Percy pondered. 'Or I could defend myself against half the Ares Cabin.'
He chose B. But, Percy quickly realised these kids weren't as stupid as minotaurs. They cornered Percy like predators, Clarisse thrusting her spear toward his chest. His shield blocked the point, but he didn't get out unscathed. A painful tingle shot through his nerves and his shield arm went numb.
Another Ares kid slammed against the raven-haired boy, forcing his numbing body into the dirt. They could've dismembered him if they weren't so busy laughing.
"Give him a haircut," Clarisse said. "Grab his hair."
Even when he managed to raise his blade and get to his feet, Clarisse just shoved his weapon aside, forcing more volts through Percy's limbs. With both arms now numb, Percy was more concerned than furious. "Oh wow," Clarisse taunted. "I'm scared of this guy. Really."
"The flag is that way," Percy squeaked. He wished it was more of a growl or a hiss, something that made him sound more angry than scared.
"Yeah," added one of the other aggressors. "But see, we don't care about the flag. We care about the guy who made our cabin look stupid."
"You do that without my help," Percy sassed. Which wasn't the wisest choice in his situation.
The five pushed forward again. Percy couldn't raise his shield in time, Clarisse was too fast. Her spear struck against his ribs, his breastplate barely helping distribute the force. The electricity coursing through his body made his teeth jitter in his gums. Another camper lunged at Percy, his sword slicing across his arm.
Percy felt dizzy seeing his own blood. "No maiming," he groaned. "Oops," the camper said, spinning his sword in his hand. "Guess I lost my dessert privileges."
Percy felt damp when he landed in the creek with a splash. The posse continued to laugh at him. By then, Percy was sure he was dead. Only, something strange happened. He felt energised, like he'd thrown back a handful of espresso jellybeans.
Percy fought back immediately when his attackers met him in the water. It was instinct, or maybe muscle memory. The cowards backed up quick after Percy knocked one out, but of course, Clarisse persisted. Percy's shield caught the shaft of her spear, snapping it like a twig as if it wasn't a dangerous murder weapon.
"No!" she yelled. "You-"
"CLARISSE!" That scream was powerful. Percy was convinced it could've sent fear through a dinosaur. Out of the dark emerged Hugo, his model-like face contorted with the ugly emotion of rage.
He carried his own spear, which made Percy quirk an eyebrow. He could've sworn Hugo had a sword when the game started.
He emitted power and fury, so much it practically rose from him like steam. Percy saw fear in Clarisse's eyes for the first and only time. Hugo stomped toward his sister, the shaft of his spear knocking her over the head. Her skin split and she began to bleed, painting her hair as red as her helmet's plume.
Hugo cursed her out in angry French, which Percy couldn't understand a word of. Veins popped out of his neck and forehead, his face flushed pink with anger. He wasn't Percy's Hugo anymore, this was somebody else.
Hugo heaved out heavy breaths, like he'd finished a two hour workout. Clarisse's fear dispersed, she snapped back at her brother by saying, "We're all tired of you bossing us around! You make us look stupid!! YOU MAKE US LOOK WEAK!"
Hugo was far passed offended. "How. Dare. You. Look at that!" He gestured behind him, showing a trail of unconscious and (slightly) bloody campers. It looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie. They were practically butchered. Percy's heart beat quickened as he raised his shield.
"Tu ne sais pas rien! Tu m'as trahi! And why?! Why?! Tell me why!!" Clarisse responded with her own barrage of insults. Shoving away her brother with her fists clenched so hard her knuckles turned white.
"YOU DON'T DESERVE THE POWER YOU HAVE! YOU HAVEN'T HAD TO WORK FOR ANYTHING! NEVER! BUT YOU THINK YOU CAN BOSS US AROUND?! WHY?! WHY HUGO?! TELL ME WHY!!"
Hugo scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Heh, honestly. Con comme une valise sans poignée! I had to give up everything for this. It's not my fault you're weaker than me! The strongest leads, that's the unspoken rule! That's what you told me!"
"What are you saying?!" Percy questioned, his shield still raised in defence. Hugo's angry expression was wiped clean off his face. He stared at Percy, examining his defensive posture. Was he really that much of a monster?
"Nothing you need to worry about, Percy." He joined the boy in the water, holding out a sweaty hand. "Congrats on winning, by the way."
"What?" Clarisse snapped. She heard the cheers and saw the blue heads carrying her flag. She cursed violently, unseen tears stinging her eyes.
Hugo was confused how Percy was unscathed. Only, he wasn't fuddled anymore when he saw the bright, glowing trident hovering above the boy's head.