The Game of Two Camps

The light of the sinking sun shone over the plates of bronze armor, glinting against the edges of golden blades.

“Heroes!” Lupa’s high voice rang over the chatter of the campers as the mother of Rome prowled forward. “It is time!”

Cheers rang from both sides of the pavilion and weapons rose high in the air.

“You all know the rules.” Chiron trotted up next to Lupa. “No maiming. No killing. This is going to be a friendly game for both camps. Lady Lupa and I will serve as the referees and battlefield medics for the game if needed.”

“Your objective is to breach the fort of the opponent and hoist your own flag there in place of theirs.” Lupa declared. 

Percy glanced at the two flags fluttering atop two forts in the distance— an orange flag with the symbol of a Pegasus and a purple flag with the words SPQR printed on it in gold.

“The one who does it first, will win.” Lupa’s sharp grin sent shivers down the spines of a few Greek campers.

“Heroes! Take positions.” Chiron banged his hoof across the marble floor. “May the best camp win!”

Cheers from both sides echoed through the field of Mars followed by the thunder of footsteps as campers ran toward their forts.

“We are leading as usual, I guess.” Percy muttered to Annabeth as they strode toward the fort with the flag of Camp Half-Blood. “What’s the plan?”

“Well… the ones we need to be wary of are Frank and Hazel.” Annabeth said. “We will see Jason or Reyna coming. We might not see them.”

“Right.” Percy nodded. “But we have Piper and Leo on our side too. And Nico, who said he’d play this time.”

“That’s right.” Nico’s voice rang next to Percy’s ear, and he jumped.

“What the Hades, Nico! You scared the shit out of me.” Percy exclaimed.

Nico shrugged uncaringly and turned to Annabeth. “I wanted to know what my role was.”

“You’re on the sneak team.” Annabeth informed. “With the Stolls Piper, and Leo.”

“Must I take Valdez with me?” Nico wrinkled his nose. “He’s a pain.”

“Love you too, Neeks,” Leo flipped him off.

“I don’t.” Nico rolled his eyes.

“We are not here to fight.” Annabeth chided.

“Actually, that’s exactly what we are here for.” Leo commented.

“Shut up,” Annabeth muttered. “Alright, here’s the plan. Listen up everyone! The Athena, Hephaestus and Apollo cabins alongside Percy will defend the flag and hold the fort. The rest of you will take the offense. Clarisse, lead the Ares and Hermes cabin straight toward them. Take those elephants with you. Nico can take Mrs. O’Leary and teleport across the field of Mars with the sneak team if he wants.”

“Fun.” Nico said.

“Can’t Nico shadow travel directly to the flag, grab it, and change it?” Percy frowned. “We will win in half a minute tops.”

“The other team knows Nico is on our side.” Annabeth said. “They would be expecting it.”

“What would you do in their place, Owl head?” Clarisse frowned.

“Set Jason on defense.” Annabeth said. “He’d be the only one who could stop Nico. Put Hazel or Frank on offense while Reyna does what she does best: Lead their army to engage ours so we just don’t power our way through.”

“Jason could also fly straight to our flag.” Percy mused. “So could Frank but he’d have to turn into a bird or something.”

“And both will be shot down by the Apollo cabin.” Annabeth glanced at Will Solace who nodded. “Also, if they do make it through, we will be there to stop them, Seaweed Brain.”

“Of course.” Percy nodded.

“Alright.” Leo said. “What do I have to do?”

“Sneak attack alongside Nico the Stolls.” The two brothers perked up at their names. “They are the fastest people we have. Piper? Piper!”

“Yes?” Piper came forward, still struggling with the straps of armor on her right shoulder. “Leo, fix this for me.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Leo stepped forward obediently and fixed up the straps of her shoulder plate while Piper looked at Annabeth expectantly.

“You be with them too. If someone gives you trouble—”

“Charmspeak my way through.” Piper nodded. “Got it. Anything else.”

“Distract Jason if you can.” Percy smirked and Piper returned it.

“So, I am going to have to teleport a total of four people with me?” Nico frowned.

“I have seen you do way more, Nico.” Annabeth frowned. “And it is a very short distance. Also, if you can’t, Mrs. O’Leary can.”

“Right.”

“Send the Stolls and Leo on Mrs. O’Leary.” Percy suggested. “You take Piper. Fight your way up and get to the flag as fast as you can.”

“Works for me.” Leo shrugged. “Except I have to ride a hellhound the size of a truck.”

“Clarisse, lead the rest up front and center to meet their army.” Annabeth turned to the daughter of Ares. “You’re in charge of it. Hold them off long enough so they don’t run us down with the numbers.”

“They won’t know what hit them.” Clarisse nodded. “ARES CABIN! UP FRONT AND CENTER! AND SOMEONE GET ME THAT ELEPHANT!”

“Katie, Demeter cabin and Hermes cabin should go with them.” Annabeth said. “Along with all the other cabins except Athena, Hephaestus, and Apollo. Get the Aphrodite cabin too if they are fighting.”

“Oh, they will fight.” Piper drew her dagger.

“Good. Lou!”

“You remember my name!” The shorter, younger girl stepped forward through the ground, beaming. “What can I do?”

“I need you and the Hecate cabin wherever Hazel is.” Annabeth said. “Only you guys can disperse the illusions she conjures up.”

“We’re on it.” Lou saluted, moving away with three of her siblings.

“Get going everyone. Make sure your armor is right.” Annabeth turned to her own siblings as the others ran to their positions. “Athena cabin! We hold the fort with the Hephaestus cabin. Percy and I will guard the flag. Apollo cabin archers, make sure no one scales the wall. The rest of you make it as tough as you can for anyone to get into the fort! Malcolm—”

“I know what to do.” He nodded.

“Great.” Annabeth clapped. “Let’s get going!”

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“Jason and Frank are standing next to the flag.” Percy squinted toward the Roman fort. “Reyna is leading the army as you predicted. And… by the gods, she is wielding the golden eagle. Can they do that?”

“Wait, what?” Annabeth shoved her way forward. “That’s cheating! It gives them an unfair advantage.”

“We need to change tactics.” Percy said. “That eagle is pretty powerful.”

“Or a big shiny distraction.” Annabeth’s eyes ran over the enemy's lines. “If Reyna wanted to make full use of the eagle, she’d have handed it to Jason, not kept it for herself. Also, why is Frank up there? He serves no purpose in protecting the flag.”

“He’s pretty good with the spear.” Percy remarked. “Listen. I should go and attack with the sneak team while Nico and Leo defend the flag.”

“No.” Annabeth shook her head. “Stick to the plan. It is too late to change positions. Especially to such an extreme.” Annabeth turned around. “Apollo cabin! Look out for birds in the sky! And get Lou or someone from the Hecate cabin up here.”

A runner ran down to relay the message.

“What are you planning, Wise Girl?” Percy frowned.

“I am thinking that this is a trap to draw you out.” Annabeth’s eyes ran across the enemy fort. “If that is the golden eagle, only you or Jason could face Reyna in single combat to stop her from carving a path through our lines. So, while you go to keep her busy, Jason and Frank will make a play for the flag.”

“But you’ll see them coming.” Percy glanced at his two friends standing atop the opposite fort.

“Not if that is an illusion.” Annabeth smirked. “Those are not Frank and Jason, Percy.”

“Hazel.”

“She has tricked quite a few monsters into believing her illusions. And how hard can it be to make an illusion of two people? With the right technology, even I could replicate it.”

“Right.”

“Stay here, Seaweed Brain.” Annabeth drew her Drakon-bone sword. “With us here, no one can get to the flag.”

Percy nodded, taking a few steps back, inching closer to the three-yard boundary of the flag. A few moments later, a deep horn rang, reverberating through the Fields of Mars.

“So, it begins.” Annabeth whispered as the sound of the. “And here’s Lou.”

The smaller girl raced toward them, panting as she skidded to a stop. “You called?”

“Yes.” Annabeth said briskly. “Can you unravel the mist?”

“I can.” She bobbed her head. “Where?”

“Their flag. Where Jason and Frank are standing… if there’s any.” Annabeth said quietly.

“That’s too far,” she blinked. “I cannot do it from here.”

Percy glanced across the field. A line of golden shields charged toward their fort, gleaming spear tips rising above them. Reyna galloped across the field on a Pegasus, the golden eagle raised, her purple cloak fluttering behind her.

The Greek campers were mirroring their charge as they ran their bronze shields raised high, yelling as loud as they could.

“Can you tell if it is an illusion or not?” Percy asked Lou. “If you can tell it is an illusion…”

“It’d be enough.” Annabeth agreed.

“I can try.” Lou nodded with determination, drawing a dagger.

“Do so. We will protect you if anything comes.” Annabeth said.

“Thank you,” Lou said, drawing a weird letter in mid air.

On the battlefield below, Clarisse and Reyna had engaged each other, staff on spear. Both weapons cracked with tendrils of electricity as the daughters of war fought, each holding their own.

“That is going to be a Hades of a fight.” Annabeth commented.

“Reyna will win.” Percy said. “She is every bit as good as Clarisse is but she is holding an ace card against someone like her.”

“Can the golden eagle make that much of a difference?” Annabeth’s forehead creased.

“It can summon lightning as powerful as Jason’s good bolts. What do you think?” Percy grimaced as Clarisse nearly avoided a blast of lightning.

“Reyna will win then.” Annabeth said. “Not fast enough though. Clarisse is as stubborn as they come.”

“That she is.” Percy caught the sight of a gust of flame near the Roman fort. “Looks like Leo has reached their fort.”

“Which means, they might be about to reach ours.” Annabeth said. “Where’s your sword, Seaweed Brain?”

“Where it always is.” Percy drew a ball-point pen from his pocket and uncapped it. Riptide sprung into his hands in a flash of bronze, its edge glinting as Percy spun it. A moment later, he pressed a button on his watch and a bronze shield spiraled onto his arm. “And what now?”

Annabeth was saved from answering as a yell of surprise drew their attention. A powerful gust of wind whistled through the top of the fort as Lou stumbled, falling on her back, the dagger skittering out of her grasp.

“Lou! Are you alright?” Percy knelt next to her.

“Someone rebuffed my spell.” Lou breathed, looking wide-eyed at the Roman fort. “Tore through it before I could complete it.”

“Which means someone is hiding something.” Annabeth said triumphantly. “Jason and Frank are attacking our fort and Hazel is protecting their flag.”

As she proclaimed the fact, the fort beneath them shook slightly.

“And if I am not wrong, they just breached the doors of our fort.” Percy tensed as he heard yells echoing through the walls below. “And are making their way through our people.”

“Let’s win this, Seaweed Brain.” Annabeth squared her shoulders. “They should be coming through any minute now.”

A couple of tense minutes later, the door to their right burst open and Frank came through, followed by two other Roman campers and then, Jason.

It was happening just as Annabeth had predicted.

Malcolm and Lou ran forward to engage them before either of them could say a word, charging with reckless abandon, their weapons drawn. The two Roman campers with Frank and Jason reacted similarly, engaging them with pilums.

“Jason, Frank.” Percy grinned. “Are we going to fight or what?”

Jason lunged forward, his gladius arcing toward Percy who parried it with ease. Percy jabbed the rim of his shield into Jason’s lower ribs, sending the son of Jupiter stumbling.

Frank on the other hand, went straight for Annabeth changing into a tiger in mid air.

Annabeth’s face lit up with a smirk as she caught his paws, falling back and using Frank’s momentum against him. The tiger went sprawling across the bricked floor, rolling into the wall with a dull thud while Annabeth sprung back to her feet, retrieving her sword.

Jason danced away from a strike of the Riptide, dropping low and spinning around. Percy leaped over Jason’s leg, stepping forward and kicking the son of Jupiter in his chest, sending him sprawling.

Before Percy could touch his sword to Jason’s neck, a tendril of lightning leaped toward him, flashing past his ear.

Percy could smell the scent of burning hair as he blinked away the spots of blue light. Jason rose to his feet, his golden gladius spinning in his hand before he struck. His blade bounced off the shield in Percy's hand before he had to sway out of the way of the Riptide.

With a growl, Jason lashed, his sword curving toward Percy.

Without blinking, Percy slapped the gladius away, hammering his shield into Jason’s torso, sending him stumbling.

Percy felt the hair on his neck rise and he raised in shield, just before Jason thrust his hand out, a bolt of lightning shooting forward, as thick as Percy’s arm.

With a bang, the bolt crashed across the shield, sending Percy skidding. While the shield had protected him from the electricity, it hadn’t protected him against the force behind it or the heat.

Percy felt rage rise in his chest, like waves of a high tide. He darted forward in a blur, slapping Jason’s gladius away and slamming into him. Without giving Jason the chance to recover, he continued his assault, his sword a bronze blur.

Jason barely parried his strikes in time, wincing with every clang of their weapons. Tendrils of lightning cracked up his arms and he lunged. Percy avoided him, his foot lashing out, catching Jason below the knees. The son of Jupiter fell on his face, the gladius skittering out of his hands.

Just before Percy could point his sword at his neck or chest, a shrill horn rang through the field and he stopped in his tracks, looking around wildly.

On the Roman fort, an orange flag fluttered, Nico and Leo standing next to it.

“The Greeks have won!” Lupa’s voice boomed as the wolf goddess prowled onto the field, separating Reyna and Clarisse, whose weapons were still locked. Even from the distance, Percy knew both of them were heavily bruised. Neither of them would have given in, after all.

Percy turned back to Jason who had rolled onto his back, breathing deeply.

“Come on, bro.” Percy grasped Jason’s arm and hurled him to his feet.

Jason smiled and stood up, dusting his pants. “Hell of a fight, bro.”

“It was though.” Percy smirked. “And I won.”

“I went easy on you. It was a game, bro.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, I suppose.” Percy snorted. “But I totally won. You know why? My flags on your fort.”

“That it is.” Jason nodded. “I’m almost disappointed. I heard how you, Frank, and Hazel won the game on your own. I thought I could do the same.”

“What can I say? I am awesome.”

“Seaweed Brain.” Annabeth’s voice sounded from behind. “You can gloat later.”

“Hey! The point of this game was bragging rights.” Percy protested.

“He isn’t wrong.”

“Boys.”

Behind her, Frank grinned, shooting them a thumbs up before limping toward them.

“What happened to you?” Jason asked.

“Annabeth.”

The girl in question rolled her eyes. “It was your fault, really. Whoever told you that turning into animals to fight is a good idea was mad.”

“I was about to turn into a spider.” Frank warned. “Maybe next time, I will.”

“You will get skewered.” Annabeth glared. “Or stomped on.”

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Frank shrugged. “Today’s… I call beginner’s luck. It was your first time playing this version, wasn’t it.”

“You lost the game fair and square.” Annabeth glowered.

“As I said, whatever helps you sleep at night.” Percy intervened. “Now I believe, we have a feast to celebrate and a trophy to take!”

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AND… DONE! I hope you all liked the story!

So, yes, I am aware that this update should’ve gone up a day ago but I am really playing catch up here.

But if you liked the idea of the story, do let me know. I will make a more detailed, intricate version of this highlighting all the fights that will happen instead of a more focused POV. I could do one in camp half-blood as this took place in Camp Jupiter.

A huge thank you to Mughil and Nanu for betaing this chapter.

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

HPfanfictioner66