The next day everyone was on edge.
They were scared of the battle that was to come. But we were ready.
I have been training with Chaos.
I could cut off anyone trying to enter my mind.
My team have been training the others hard.
I told them to do a group training with only Chaos warriors. We need to stay sharp as a team too.
So before dinner we gather by the lake.
Everyone of my team is here;
Luke, Selina, Zoë, Bianca, Beckendorf, Riley and Lewis.
I stand before them.
"Positions!" I order. They get ready as do I.
"Angel. Attack!" I say.
Bianca comes at me. She grabs my shoulders but I quickly block her grip and twist her arm. And kick her in her stomach. Not hard. But enough.
Trust me. We are used to it. We always train like this.
She grunts and gets up. She comes at me again. But I grab her wrists and push her to the ground and pin her there.
"Good job. But you need to think about your approach. Don't give me the time to block or grab your arms. Be faster." I say helping her up. She nods.
I look at the others. It looks like we have some company. Campers come and look at our training.
I get ready again.
"Lewis. Attack!" I order.
He steps forwards. He kicks me in my side but I grab his leg. And I push him on the ground wile holding his leg. I wrap my own leg around it and lay down. I hold him pinned down on the ground.
"Be faster. Dont give me the chance to bring you of balance." I help him get up.
"Fox. Attack!" Selina steps forward.
She too grabs my arms but I block it by forcing her arms up. I grab her and turn her over my hip and on the ground. I hold her arm and I lay down again with an arm lock.
"Good job. Try to focus on where you put your feet. That way it will be harder to bring you off balance." I say helping her up.
"Forge. Atack!" I order. He walks over.
He holds his fists before him. I do the same.
He leans forward for a punch in my face.
But I sidestep and grab his arm. And I turn around and throw him over my sholder.
He struggles out and brings me off balance and now I am on the ground. I quickly get up and punch him in the stomach and he doubles over. I throw him on the ground again.
"Nice work! Try to protect your stomach against a smaller opponent." I help him up.
"Riley. Attack." She steps forwards.
She stands before me and holds her fist up. I mirror her movement.
She too wants to punch me in my face. I slip and parry the attack. She is quick and tries a cross attack. I redirected it just in time using her own force against her. I put my hand in her neck and lock her elbow.
I slowely force her to the ground.
"You are quick. Use that. Especially against bigger enemies." I say.
She stands up and walks over to the others.
"Saving the best for last?" Luke says smiling.
"Of course I did." I say rolling my eyes.
"Alpha. Attack!" I say.
He comes at me at full speed. I saw this comming. He is always rushing into battle.
At the last moment I squad and sweep my leg. He rolls on the ground but turns around and rushes back into the fight.
I lower myself and as soon as he is in reach I lift him up and throw him over my shoulder. I turn around and pin him on the ground.
"You rush into battle. You need to think your actions through." I say. I offer him my hand. And help him up.
"Thanks." Luke says grunting.
"Allright. Take the rest of the night to rest up." I tell everyone.
"Do you think we have a chance ?" A young looking kid asks.
I turn towards him.
"I do. It will be hard. But I do believe we stand a chance." I tell him. He nods.
They all head towards dinner.
I stay behind.
"Aren't you comming with us?" Riley asks.
"Yeah. I'm comming." I tell her. She smiles and runs back to the others.
I move my shoulder and it hurts like Hades.
I close my eyes and put my hand in the water. I instantly start to feel better.
After a couple seconds I stand up and walk to dinner.
I hope my shoulder will hold up tomorrow.
"Hey.." Annabeth says. I was so lost in thought I hadn't noticed her.
"Hi." I say. "Heading for dinner?" I ask.
She nods.
"I can't believe this will be the third war we're fighting." She says.
"For me it will just be another one. My entire life exists of war and battle these days." I tell her.
"Oh.." She says. "So are you staying here after the war is over? Or are you going back?"
"I am going to visit my mom and Paul first. I think I'm going to head back after." I say looking at my feet.
"Per-" She stops herself. "Look. We can work things out here. You could stay and-"
"I can't. I can't abandon Chaos. My friends are there. I can't just quit. It is a job for life. I like it there." I say.
She closes her eyes. "Sorry.. I just-" She says with a tear rolling down her cheek.
"I am sorry too. But I just can't." I say.
We arive in the mess hall. She walks to her own table. I sigh and walk over to my team.
"Everything okay?" Selina asks.
I nod and sit down. I start eating not saying a word.
After everyone is done with dinner we head for the campfire. The moral is low.
Nobody is laughing. They are quitly talking amongst theirselves.
I have an idea.
"Fox.. how about a song?" I ask. She smiles.
"Always." She says and starts with humming it.
It slowely starts to quiet down.
(A/N The song is: soldier - Fleurie)
"Soldier keep on marchin' on. Head down till the work is done" She sings softly.
"Waiting on the morning sun. Soldier keep on marchin' on." I sing.
"Head in the dust. Feet in the fire. Labor on that late night wire." Zoë sings along.
"Listening for that angel choir. You got nowhere to run" My team sings.
"You wanna take a drink of that promise land
You gotta wipe the dirt off of your hands
Careful son, you got dreamer's plans"
"But it gets hard to stand
Soldier keep on marchin' on" the camper sing along with that one line. I smile.
"Head down til the work is done
Waiting on that morning sun
Soldier keep on marchin' on"
"Quiet now, you're gonna wake the beast
Hide your soul out of his reach
Shiver to that broken beat
Dark into the heat"
"Soldier keep on marchin' on" Selina ends.
I smile. The campers smile too. Selina can always lift our spirits with that song.
I stand up.
"Is it time?" Luke asks. I nod.
"For what?" Piper asks who was sitting next to us.
"Reinforcement." Zoë says looking at me.
I close my eyes.
I make a link to the base. "It's time. Assemble for war." I say out loud.
I wait for a minute.
Then I raise my arms and concentrate.
It always takes a lot of my power to let the whole army through.
I open my eyes and see a black hole.
My army is marching through. In perfect formation.
After a minute all 800 soldiers are here.
I let go of the portal and take a couple deep breaths. Then I stand up straight.
They salute me. I smile.