"Come on Jackson, if my mom was still alive she'd be handing you your ass right now!"
Come on Perce, you can do it! I mentally told myself running even faster, the swamps was a difficult place to train in, running the track that Rocky had set, you had to use a lot of senses, I had to slide under roots, jump over roots, use vines to swing over swamps and to climb in trees. My concentration was strong, my back ached from the bag that sat on my shoulders that weighed as much as I did when I was eleven, the rules were the bag comes off and I start again. Running I didn't look back, a root came up, it looked like a tunnel that had been designed funny, I slid under it and continued to run, another root appeared only this one was entangled in vines, I ran up and jumped over it, I nearly fell back because of the fricken rock like eleven year old me on my back. I continued in a sweat, jumping and sliding over and above roots, the hardest was climbing trees, I've never gripped onto anything as hard as I did to those trees and vines. I could feel the amusement that Rocky held whilst watching me, his smirk only made me more determined to finish this course, the thing about the swamps is that it's really humid, so all rocks,trees and vines were slippery making it even harder for me. Rocky had told me that to be an Omega, nothing must seem impossible, during my six months of training I've learnt new fighting technics, apparently I will have the ability to talk through mind talk with my Alpha's. The thing that Rocky has focused the most on is power of the mind, he says without power in the mind you're like a ghost in battle and as Omega I'm meant to be the ghostbuster, running through these swamps I had to be focused, these swamps had no mercy.
I rounded a corner, at a speed I'd call fast, nearly sliding on some mud I jump onto a tree and begin to climb up it, my bag acted as an anchor pulling me down but I kept going up, this tree was the tallest tree around, through the time I had been here this tree had been my challenge, it had been a challenge just to get a meter above the ground when I first went up the tree, today I'm six meters going strong on a twelve meter tall tree, today I plan to make it to the branches, today I will reach the nine meters. I continued to crawl up the tree using everything that I have, sweat ran down my body like a shower, after reaching the eight meter mark my shoulders were numb and back felt as if I had misplaced a bone but it's fine because I'm a meter away. You know when you are high up and people tell you to not look down? Well that's exactly what I did, I looked down, the ground was far from my feet but that wasn't high enough for me, I grabbed a branch and pushed myself off, my foot slipped, luckily I caught a branch and hang there, images of Annabeth appeared in my head as I just hang, not making an attempt to get back up, her smile came to mind, the smile that I'd probably never see again, I'd never give up when it came to anything involving Annabeth like in Tartarus, people call me nuts for going into hell for her. I could just see her telling me not to give up, even though it was all in my head I listened and pulled myself up onto the branch, I could touch my target branch but that's not enough I have to sit on the branch. I jumped up and grabbed the branch I pulled myself up and admired the view that I'd never seen, it was just the tops of trees and a blue sky which took a bit of time for my eyes to adjust, down on the ground it was just gloomy.
"Get down Jackson!" Rocky yelled from the base of the tree.
"I will, in ten minutes!" I yelled.
"No, get down now Jackson"
I sighed, "It took me how long to get up here, but no I have to get down so fast" I moaned to myself. I grabbed a vine and slid down it, the vine gave in just as I was about to reach the floor, I landed on my feet with no issue, "You called" I said.
"I'm sorry kid for disturbing your time on that tree but I just got a message about your departure" Rocky said, "Kid, you're no longer leaving tomorrow"
"Okay, when am I leaving then?"
"You've got an hour"
An hour? Wow, they must be really missing me back on planet chaos. I looked at Rocky who had a glimpse of sadness in his eyes, but that glimpse was soon gone, Rocky and I had planned a feast tonight, as a farewell to me for these past six months.
"I will go get my stuff ready" I said, I picked up my bag and ran to Rocky's hut. I hadn't come here with much stuff, just a few change of clothes and riptide, and a picture of Annabeth and I and a journal.My stuff lay around, here and there, my clothes lay in a pile next to the hammock that I had been sleeping in for these past six months, I picked up the pile and stuffed it into my duffel bag, once all my stuff was packed I walked out the door and found Rocky sitting on a root throwing stones into the water. "All my stuff is packed"
"Great, uh Percy, I want to tell you something" Rocky said, I walked up and sat on the root beside him, "You know, the last Omega trainee I trained was a guy named Kyle, an earthling like you" He said playing with a vine, "He was powerful, and had many talents just like you, only he held too much anger, it took a few years for Lord Chaos to realize his mistake, Kyle started to overuse his power, his Alphas weren't his second in command, they were his servants. Anyway kid, what I'm trying to say is that, don't become Kyle, but honestly I don't think I have to worry, because you have a big heart. You're loyal kid, to your girlfriend and I'm sure you will be just as loyal to Lord Chaos, and your Alpha squad"
"Thank you, sir" I smiled, the trees started to rustle as a dark ship hovered down into an open spot, the door moved out like a ramp, I held out my hand as a gesture, "Thank you, for these past few months, I don't think that anyone has ever made me sweat as much as you have, many of my PE teachers would be jealous"
"Your welcome Jackson, anytime you're ready to sweat you know where to find me, good luck, Omega" Rocky said shaking my hand, when he removed his hand, leaving something in my hand, I looked and found a vine bracelet in my hand, "You've made me a promise, you will always be a loyal Omega, this bracelet will change color if you aren't"
"I promise to be a loyal Omega, sir" I promised, "Thank you again for everything, but I must get going my Lord awaits along with my army"
"Goodbye Omega, and good luck" I picked up my bag and began to walk up the ramp, "And shave and get a hair cut!" He called after.
I chuckled and put my bag down, I walked over to a metallic wall and looked at my reflection, my hair was now at my shoulders and was messy, I had a beard starting to grow, my face was dirty, well I guess I know what to do when I get back.
"Sir, can you please take a seat, we are preparing for liftoff" A guy asked who I assume is the pilot.
I took a seat and buckled up, the jet took off moments later. The swamps became smaller and smaller, until all I could see was its planet. I didn't pay that much attention to the route this time, I played with the bracelet on my right wrist and thought about the future to come. Am I ready for the future? Am I ready to become an Omega?
"Sir, we will be arriving in a few minutes" The pilot said from his seat.
By a few minutes, he literally meant it, in three minutes we arrived at the takeoff point, I grabbed my bag and put the strap on my shoulder and walked down the ramp, a black car waited with a man in a suit wearing aviators. I walked up to him, the man said nothing he just opened the door and gestured for me to get in. I got in and he closed the door behind me. The man got in the drivers seat and drove me to the Chaos Headquarters, another man waited by the door, I got out with my bag over my shoulder.
"Welcome back, Mr Jackson, I trust that your training was successful"
"Yes, thanks"
"Sir, may I lead you to your room, where you can get cleaned up, before you meet with the lord himself?"
"That would be a good idea" I smiled.
"Right this way"
This chapter wasn't the greatest, but don't worry the next one will be good, we may or may not meet the Alpha's.