So, uh, a lot happens in this chapter...

I am not entirely happy with my writing in this chapter but eh, at least is something.

******************************************************

The summer came to an end and Percy and Annabeth started to get prepared for college. They had decided to remain another year in New York to spend one final year resting and doing things normal people did, excat they spend most of the days in camp helping with the kids that stayed (in Percy's case), remodeling and constructing new cabins (in Annabeth's) while studying for the upcoming exams. Every day, they went back and forth between Sally's apartment and Camp.

Piper went back with her dad. Jason continued upholding his promise to built shrines, traveling constantly between camps and making time for Piper. Hazel and Frank stayed at Camp Jupiter but they called constantly. Nico decided to move indefinitely into Camp Half-blood as he didn't like 'making a whole trip from the Underworld just to see my boyfriend' or so he put it.

Everything was going great so it must have been a signal that something bad ought to happen.

It started with brief mentions of Piper among some children of less powerful gods and goddesses that were allowed a phone. Percy guessed it had to be due to the new movie her dad was staring and paid it no mind. He had had wanted to ask her about it in the next time they Iris Message'd, but, truthfully, he hadn't been able to do that in a while. Catching up to the school year he lost whilst he was missing and without memories wasn't easy if he planned on continuing the lessons with the kids at Camp, study for the college entrance exams and spend some time with his girlfriend, Paul and his mother.

He introduced Dante to Tyson who was quite excited to get another brother. At first, Dante thought Tyson was bad, probably remembering his first encounter with Cyclopes, but everything went on smoothly as soon as Tyson hugged him. He even managed to introduce Dante to his dad that time since he wasn't sure Dante had ever met him. Also, he got to meet Sally and Paul several times and taste his mother's cooking. He was officially part of the family, even more so after he confessed that his mother had died in a fire years ago.

Summer came again and with it came Piper-as Jason stopped by quite frequently and they chatted with their friends at Camp Jupiter weekly so she was the only member of the seven missing that was returning home. Percy was so happy to see her again he had even bought vegetarian snacks to eat with her later. He first saw her near the Armoury having a very heated discussion with Jason who seemed close to tears so he decided to wait and went to the Climbing Wall-at the other end of Camp.

Neither Jason nor Piper seemed to notice Percy and carried on. Jason felt betrayed. It was truly a tragedy that Piper's dad had died in an accident related to the new movie, kinda explaining her returning into old habits and stealing cars, jewelers and banks, and into talking the child services guy to leave her alone. Jason had tried reaching out to her when he heard the news (that was, admittedly, a month after it had happened but it's not like he could carry a phone) but she had only turned her back and assure him that she was fine, and that even if he came, she would not open the door so Jason, unable to do much, kept sending her gifts and notes through a mail man.

Now that they had reunited since then, Piper had openly told him that she hoped he wouldn't mind that she gave them to Owen Rudd, the son of her chauffeur whom she had gone to a couple of dates when he asked her if she received the gifts.

"What?" Jason repeated, thinking there had to be a mistake. The Piper McLean he knew wasn't like this.

She rolled her eyes so unmistakably Piper's but with something broken that didn't use to be there before. "I told you, I need some more of the swiss chocolate that you sent me before? Owen liked it and asked me if I could get more. He plans on gifting it to her mother? Her birthday is approaching."

"I... I don't understand," said Jason. "After everything that've been through..."

"But things during the war not always work out after it is gone. There was a routine and you never had time for me in your, oh, so busy schedule. If you still want to be with me, that's fine, but, let's be real, despite being Jupiter's son, you are kinda boring and Owen is not so I expect to keep receiving those presents."

She... she wanted attention, Jason repeated to himself over and over again. She was still dealing with her dad's death and if she didn't want to be with him, he knew she would have the decency to say it right.

"Don't cry, it's pathetic if it was obvious this was going to happen," she continued, looking at his ashen face and red eyes. "Plus, you should be used to be abandoned by now."

That did something to him and he snarled. "What?"

She gulped, probably knowing she had taken it too far but wasn't going to back down in the mood that she was. "Your mother left you, your father tossed you away to his wife like you were a mere thing without value and your camp gave away your position once you didn't came back. They probably didn't even search for you. And now, I am telling you that I want you to disappear!"

Jason stormed off to his cabin where he cried himself to sleep, not caring it was 9 in the morning, and left Piper red faced standing there.

Piper broke down crying the second she was alone, already regretting her words and wanting to die. In the short time that she had known of her mother's nature she had lost her best friend and her dad. And now, in her stupidity, she had lost her other best friend and boyfriend. She didn't know why she had said that, Owen didn't even exist! Sure, her chauffeur had an annoying son whose name she didn't know but he was six! Piper had wanted him to regret not spending more time with her, not going to her father's funeral with her, and not being there for her when she needed him, so she had been mean and snapped. She got what she wanted in the end, but she wasn't feeling all too happy about it.

***

Dante caught up to Percy once he was climbing down the wall.

"Percy!" he called him. "Can we practice the movement you taught me a couple of days ago? But in combat?"

Percy waited until he was on the ground to give him an unimpressed look. Behind Dante, three new kids, Pablo, and Dianne-a Hephaestus' daughter whom he knew Dante had a crush on-stood, watching them.

He knew that Dante wanted to impress them, unfortunately for him, Percy thought of his safety first.

"You do know that I could kill you, right?"

"But I managed to block you!"

Percy pursed his lips. "Aren't they going to be a distraction?"

"Of course not!"

"Teaching you how to do it correctly in training isn't the same as using it in a real fight," Percy argued.

"I can manage!" Dante retorted. "Please, I know I can."

Percy knew from a start that this was bound to end wrong. He should have been more decisive. The only problem was that Percy had a soft spot for his brother and would end up doing agreeing, however reluctantly, at his request. He also knew that that was a fact Dante loved to take advantage of.

Percy sighed. "Fine."

Dante beamed and took out his dual long knives while Percy uncapped Riptide. They got into a fighting stance and the others took a couple of steps back to avoid getting hurt by accident.

The fight began with Dante lunging at Percy's leg. He sidestepped to the right and retaliated, hitting Dante's shoulder with his elbow. Dante recovered quickly and regained his balance, slashing a blow to Percy's side that he countered, leaving Dante's left open. As per Dante's request, Percy loosely aimed at his neck and wasn't surprised when Dante flickered his wrist and, using the other knife to help get Percy's sword of his face, successfully evading him, got closer to him, and punched him in the chest. Percy stumbled some steps back but didn't fell.

"Good job," he praised him.

Dante rolled his eyes. "You went easy on me, Perce!"

"What? No, I didn't," Percy lied.

"You always go easy on me! I've seen you fighting with Annabeth, you can't fool me!" said Dante outraged. "Why don't you fight me?"

"I care about your safety!" Percy replied, angered. "And you still need a lot of practice to catch up to me."

"Oh, so I am a bad fighter? Is that it?"

"I've had 7 years of practice while you've had 1! Being inexperienced is not the same as being bad at something!"

"Well, thanks for telling me that when we have an audience!"

"You wanted them to be here!"

"You could've have told me before! What a great brother you are, lying to me and then breaking the truth to me when we aren't alone!"

Before Tartarus, it had been relatively easy to rile him up. Now, it only took a couple of words to do the trick. Percy was boiling with anger and was not thinking straight because of it, so he took Riptide from his back pocket and uncapped it. He glared dangerously at Dante and the group of people behind him.

"Fine," Percy spat. "You wanted me to do it right? Get in position."

Dante smirked. It was exactly what he was waiting for. He knew that Percy was a much better fighter than him but had confidence in the speed and agility of his own disarming movement at the lethal move. Dante was going to prove everyone what he was capable of.

Dante did as Percy told him to but was caught off guard when Percy slashed at him first. Normally, Percy let Dante initiate the fight. Unfortunately, this was not a normal Percy.

Dante barely blocked Riptide and slashed at him back several times, but was met with a great force that stopped his advances at once. Dante retreated and Percy changed strategy, making a stabbing motion that had a resemblance to fencing. Dante ducked but was met with Percy's foot. He rolled backwards with a panicked look, finally the knowledge that an angry Percy was unpredictable and someone you did not messed with sinked in.

Percy wasn't slowing down, attacking his backside with his sword. Dante rolled again and dodged the weapon once more. He got up just in time for Percy to aim at his neck again. But he was too exhausted to properly counter it. Everything was too fast, and Percy hit the mark.

Dante heard people gasping behind him, and the sound of Percy's sword clattering on the floor. He grabbed his throat, feeling light in the head and the blood pouring from the wound. With difficulty, he tried to breathe, he collapsed instead.

Percy grabbed him, shaking at seeing what he had done to his brother-the one he was supposed to protect. He didn't know what to do, and neither of the others were children of Apollo. Calling for one as they were doing would take too long and Percy was on the border of a panic attack. His treacherous mind briefly recalled Grover's fate and his part in it, along with the poisonous pits of Tartarus.

Tartarus. Where he had, for the first time ever, manipulated something that wasn't entirely water. It wasn't supposed to be used like that, he wasn't supposed to have that power, but if it had worked on the poison...

It was worth the try, or he would never forgive himself for Dante.

He extended his hands, covering the wound and avoiding Dante's fluttering eyes. He tried to concentrate, to coagulate the blood and make it flow on the inside. His face wetted with tears but he kept on until he felt Dante's breathing evening.

Will came just a moment after, taking second to assess the sight before turning into doctor mode and take Dante's pulse.

"You'll me everything later," he commanded, "for now I'll need your help carrying him to the infirmary." Percy nodded.

*****************************************************************************************************

So Dante is not dead, yei!

I am trying to give Dante more personality than just Sad Boy™ and give Piper and Annabeth more clear motives so here is my crappy attempt at that. They were meant to happen but I don't think flashbacks (the original idea) is the best way to show it, so I changed it.

Hope you liked it. Comments are always appreciated!

If I make any spelling, grammar, etc. mistake, please tell me right away.