*Time skip – 1 year, 4 months*
"Have you heard? The whole of Williamsburg Bridge was destroyed!"
Percy was pretty sure that was the only thing he heard the whole morning, and he was starting to think everyone was saying the same thing just to get on his nerves. So what if the American states were going frantic about the apparent terrorist attack? He had his own problems to deal with.
"Are you ready for capture the flag tonight?" Darren was asking from the across the table.
Percy shrugged. "The same as all the others, I guess."
"Who're we playing with?" Darren asked curiously. "Is it Athena cabin?"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Duh. Who else would we be allying with?"
Darren grinned. "Awesome. Who else?"
"Uh... Ares, Hermes, Hypnos, Demeter, Iris, Nemesis, Hades, and the twins."
"This is gonna be so cool," Darren muttered as he ate his lunch.
Percy hummed. "Hopefully we won't get our flag taken."
Darren nodded. "Yeah, that wouldn't be that good."
"Ready for the afternoon?" Percy asked with a grin as he stood up.
Darren nodded. "I guess I have to be, don't I?"
"That's the spirit," Percy smirked as he jogged out of the pavilion to get to the arena and start his session with the immortal campers.
"What's your plan for tonight?" Jason asked, grinning from ear to ear as soon as they arrived. "Are you gonna use your freaky powers over the Pit?"
Percy sniffed. "You know how dangerous that is for me, Jason. King can sense it."
Jason shrugged. "Hey, you gotta make risks sometimes, right?"
"Not when they're about him," Percy scowled. "Haven't I told you all you've got to play safe with him?" The immortal campers all nodded, and Percy smiled slightly. "Pair up. Annabeth, you're with me."
Annabeth raised an eyebrow as she made her way to a few feet opposite Percy. "Any particular reason you wanted to fight me?"
Percy shrugged as he readied Tsunami, lifting the silver sword in front of him. "Does there have to be? What if I just wanted to fight you?"
Annabeth laughed as she blocked Percy's attack. "Come on, Seaweed Brain."
"Okay, I wanted to check up on the twins," Percy admitted.
"Because they're in our Capture the Flag team?" Annabeth asked as she slashed towards his legs in a feint and flicked her wrist to direct the drakon bone up towards her waist.
Percy frowned and spun to the side, easily batting away the attack with Tsunami and bringing Riptide up to Annabeth's chest. "Because I brought them here to camp and haven't seen them in an least a week. I want to know how they're doing."
Annabeth eyed the bronze blade pointing at her chest. "They're progressing quickly," she said as Percy withdrew the blade. "Almost too quickly. It's incredible, their Titan blood's giving them better and faster instincts and reactions than ours. Their strength is unmatched, and in their chosen weapons they've progressed amazingly quickly."
Percy's eyebrows furrowed. "They're not science experiments, Annabeth."
"I know that, Seaweed Brain, but it's giving us all a chance to see exactly what the difference is between the gods and the Titans."
"I know the difference," Percy grumbled. "The gods aren't insane and the Titans are."
Annabeth rolled her eyes and lifted her sword again. "They're still able to fight better than they should at their age."
"Krios did teach them a little, and if you've seen a Titan actually fight properly in a fight that takes longer than a few minutes you'll soon see that they're better than the gods," Percy said evenly.
"Then why aren't you also teaching them?" Annabeth frowned.
"Because Zeus won't unbend his pride enough, will he?" Percy said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm serious," he said as Annabeth opened her mouth to argue. "I wouldn't mind trying to teach them, but they'd hate it. Being taught by a mere demigod?"
Annabeth reluctantly nodded. "I see your point."
"Good," Percy grinned and suddenly seemed to disappear. "Because you missed a different one," he said, his voice coming from behind her. Annabeth turned to see the point of Riptide inches from her neck.
"Now fight me," Percy grinned, and Annabeth swatted away the blade with the flat of her own before backing up to put some distance between them.
Percy moved to the left, and she moved to the right. Her eyes flickered over his body, watching for any signs that he was about to attack as she raised her dragon bone sword. Annabeth waited, imagining that Percy was Kronos and remembering what he had said about the Titan. Don't charge, and wait for him to attack. Percy smiled slightly as he took one step forward, and Annabeth stepped back. He lunged towards her whilst she was backing away, using the momentum to his advantage to unbalance the demigoddess, but Annabeth recovered sooner than he'd expected. Percy blocked her attack, forcing her down with his strength and bringing Tsunami up, but she twisted away swinging her sword as she did. Percy leaned back, letting the sword pass by without interruption and tried to knock her legs out from under her, but Annabeth jumped over the blade and pressed her attack. Percy growled under his breath as he took a small step back, and slid around Annabeth to try to get behind her, only to find she was ready and facing him again.
Annabeth lunged forwards and attacked, but Percy grinned widely and quickly counter-attacked, disarming her by ducking under the lunge and grabbing her wrist then slamming the hilt onto the inside of her elbow. Her sword clattered to the ground, and Percy had Riptide resting on her collarbone before she could take a breath.
"I win," Percy grinned, "again. You lost yourself in the fight and forget one very important thing-"
"Wait for him to attack," Annabeth finished with a sigh.
Percy shrugged. "It was better though," he said as he retrieved her sword for her. "Want to go again?"
Annabeth nodded as she took her sword back. "Yes, again."
Percy nodded and raised his two swords, readying himself physically and mentally for the next bout.
"Remember campers," Chiron said, his voice carrying over all of the campers. "All magic items are allowed, except any weapons of the Titans. Good luck, and may the gods be with you."
The campers cheered and headed into the forest, splitting off into their different teams as they went. Annabeth and Percy led their side to Zeus' Fist, making last minute changes to the plan as they went.
"You and Leo are leading the main group through the middle," Percy said and Annabeth nodded. "I'll go across the creek with Darren and clear the campers on the northern half of the creek for Clarisse and her group to go through. The Stolls will set traps with the Rest of he Hephaestus cabin. That's it, right?"
Annabeth nodded. "Just remember to not go for the flag before I give the signal."
Percy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. See you at the end of the game," he said and turned, running into the forest with Darren at his heels.
"Everyone, you know your positions," Annabeth shouted. "I want this over quickly!"
The campers cheered and all separated to go to their positions, leaving Annabeth, Leo, and a third of the Athena and Ares cabin. "Think we'll win?" Leo asked.
Annabeth nodded wholeheartedly. "Definitely."
The conch horn went off, marking the start of the game, and yells erupted in the forest as the sound of metal clashing on metal echoed around. "This way," Annabeth said as she started in the direction of the centre path to the other side of the forest across the creek.
They met several groups of demigods heading the other direction, towards Zeus' Fist, but their group of Athena and Ares kids quickly knocked out the opposition. They had just crossed the creek when half a dozen demigods ran towards them, but they weren't attacking. They were shouting out in fear.
"Annabeth!" One of them shouted, "They're here!"
The demigods were a dozen feet away when they all suddenly erupted into flames, the fire quickly spreading into the trees. Annabeth's eyes widened. "Leo-"
"On it," Leo said grimly, stepping forward and raising his hands in an attempt to control the flames. It worked for several seconds, and then Leo flinched back violently. "Damn it, not again," he groaned as he massaged his forehead.
"Leo?" Annabeth asked, "What just happened?"
"The last time I felt that was when I messed with Hyperion," Leo said, slowly turning to face Annabeth, and he was paling rapidly. "He's here, Annabeth. Hyperion's in the forest."
Annabeth's eyes widened and she quickly backed up back to the creek. "All of you, come over he-" all of the demigods burst into pillars of flames, and they were screaming in pain as their bodies were burned into ash. Annabeth sucked in a breath. "Leo, he wouldn't be here alone. It'd be too stupid even for him."
"The others are here," Leo breathed, his eyes widening as one of his feet slid into the creek.
A fire approached them from the burning forest, taking the form of a twelve feet tall immortal. Hyperion scowled at the two demigods in front of him, casting a quick glance at the ash scattered on the ground around him. "You are correct, young demigods. We are here, and I have been given the pleasure of finding my weapon, which you, young Valdez, currently have."
"You say we,"Annabeth said as she backed into the middle of the creek, pulling Leo with her in the hope that the water would protect them. "Who is we, exactly?"
Hyperion's eyes gleamed with an insane light as he grinned savagely. "Why me and my brothers, of course."
"All of your brothers?"
Hyperion's smirk widened. "Of course. You should really invest in better boundaries for your little camp, demigod."