vii. a hope for the future

THE ROUGH FIBERS OF THE rope brushed harshly against the smooth skin of Morgan's palms, leaving faint lines of pink indentations that were sure to turn a vibrant red the tighter her grip became. However, the young girl paid the sensation no mind as she tugged sharply at the rope from where half of it rested around the thick branch of a tree. As it began to fall in her direction, a force jerked it back into place. From the other side, holding the other end and mirroring Morgan's was Priya, who let out a grunt in affirmation.

"I think we're good, Mo." The hijabi girl wiped the front of her palms along the softer fabric of her jeans before turning to the two girls behind her. "We're all set on our end."

Leia hummed softly, her attention focused solely on Andy's waist as the two pulled and tugged at the knots dotting the line of the rope tied around her waist. Both girls had held some knowledge in the art of rope tying, for Leia with being inducted in Girl Scouts and advancing with ease, while Andy had often been at the side of sailors, shadowing behind them and absorbing every word that fell from their lips.

With one final pull, Leia and Andy shared a brief look before the daughter of Aphrodite turned with a proud gleam in her eyes. "All set here." Pulling away, she moved to stand beside Priya and Morgan, the trio now wrapping their hands around any extension of the rope that they could hold. "Now it's your turn, Andy."

The girl in question released a huff, tilting her head towards the sky. Clouds had scattered across the expansive blue sea, dusting shadows over the land and blocking out the sun's light. Subconsciously, Andy brushed her thumb along the edge of her gold bracelet, skin rising under the presence of the slight cold brought by it. Even if she were to step into the light of the sun, she would remain safe as long as no glow exhibited from the metal.

"I didn't think we were out here to do cloud watching," she heard Priya mumble, only to be followed by a loud crack of a hit landing on its target. "Ow!"

"Be nice," Leia reprimanded, scowling at the shorter girl before turning back to Andy. Meeting her gaze, a smile instantly broke out on the Xiao girl's face, raising her hand to display a "thumbs up" gesture of praise.

Andy could feel the bones of her feet click and shift as they curled within the inside of her shoes, aching to be set free. The soles crunched blades of grass as she bounced on her heels, knees bending and straightening as if her movements were soon to propel her upwards. She often dreamed of being able to touch the clouds, to feel them with the palms of her hands, and she could. The possibility was there, hopefully. But alas, all she was able to reach were the mid-level leaves of trees, ten feet in height, that barely towered over any of the cabins.

Since the day she had been discovered, it was determined that Andy held capabilities that would require her to be under close watch, especially when she was younger. Andy could remember Mr. D telling her that she could have been a terror at times when she had simply been rolls of skin and flailing hands, piercing wails released every time they had to swaddle her in blankets just to keep her in place. At other times, she was merely a delight.

But today things would change, or so Morgan had been so adamant about. Her reasonings behind the belief had been unclear, though Andy had half the mind to conclude that the older girl's impatience was getting the better of her and Silena had reached her wit's end as a result. It was best Morgan found something else to entertain her mind.

Andy, however, wasn't as certain, but upon seeing the intent stare directed her way it was ultimately a lost cause to argue. Inhaling softly, she closed her eyes and outstretched her arms, fingers dancing with the wind as a breeze drew past her. She felt it twist and bind around the spaces of her fingers, curling along the paths of her arms and pulling at the fabric of her clothing. The hair on her nape rose at the small chill but Andy ignored it when, with one last stretch of her heels and the shift of her weight to the balls of her feet, the ground was no longer present.

The trio watched with anticipated awe as their friend rose higher and higher into the air, frame shaking now and again as Andy's hands, illuminated by an indigo haze, grasped at the air to regain balance. The higher she lifted, the more her stability became uncontrolled. As the rope attached to her waist rose close behind, drifting from the ground little by little but nowhere near the level of the branch from where it was wrapped, Andy's stability caved. Her arms flailed around in clockwise circles, her spine arching backward as a sign of her presence nearing the hands of gravity before she launched forward and locked her grip around the base of a tree branch.

"Should we start pulling the rope?" Priya asked, shaking the extension in her hand for effect. Andy paused, shaking her head briefly as she slowly let go of the branch. Her frame quivered, stumbling as if she were walking on unstable ground, but she began to sink further and further back to the ground.

"I told you guys, there wouldn't be much difference today. Just like any day before that."

"But that doesn't mean that there ever won't be any difference," Leia commented, voice hopeful and uplifting. "It just takes time and practice."

Priya nodded. "Besides, even with what "little" you can do now is a big deal for us. I mean, if I could fly, I'd rub it in everyone's face."

"More like hover," Andy grumbled, legs kicking as she tried to lower herself the rest of the way. However, it would seem like whatever gave her the ability to float held other ideas. With every attempt at going down, she was met with a rebuttal and bounced back up. "Can someone help me over here?"

A series of hands reached out, grasping onto whatever was in reach- the cuff of her jeans, the base of her calf, the fabric of her shirt- before with one sharp pull, the claws of gravity snapped back into place and all of Andy's weight dropped down, causing the group to crash to the ground with a soft thump.

"Andy, get your foot out of my face," Priya grumbled, swatting at the shoe hovering above her chin.

"Get your face out of my foot."

As Priya grumbled at how the statement made no sense, Leia yelped in alarm when a swift pull drew around her hair. "Ouch!" She cried.

"Sorry," Morgan apologized swiftly, hand unclenching. After some negotiations and trial-and-error, the group began to break from their restricted twist of limbs when the sound of heavy footsteps rushing towards them cut through the air.

Annabeth panted slightly, brows furrowed as she tilted her head to process the scene before her, especially taking into consideration the rope tied around Andy's waist and strapped overhead around a tree branch. However, what had been on her mind before had returned to the surface. Her grey eyes snapped towards Andy and Morgan.

"I've been looking for you two everywhere!" She exclaimed, a pout surely to bloom on her lips had she not been so focused on the news she was sharing. "Chiron called for us at the Big House. He's awake."

Chiron and Mr. D sat at the card table on the porch, Andy tucked into a corner chair not to far away, eyes trained on the game. Annabeth and Morgan both stood off to the side, pressed against the railing. Morgan's lips were pursed as her eyes bounced every surface within her sight, jaw clenched with ever-awaiting anticipation. Not that she'd ever admit it.

Finally, Grover and the long-awaited Percy arrived. He appeared slightly more put together than before with his skin now holding a more natural, less flushed-out hue and his, now dry, inky curls now more profound. His eyes, however, were a bright sea green, mirroring the ocean the more and more Morgan looked at them. And interesting color.

When they came closer, the boy's eyes widened as they landed on Chiron.

"Mr. Brunner!" He exclaimed.

Morgan withheld a snort at the name, familiar with the centaur's alias.

"Ah, good, Percy," Chiron said with a smile. "Now we have four for pinochle."

He offered him the chair right of Mr. D, patting Andy's side gently. Rising to her feet, the girl quickly made her way around the length of the table. Unable to step the path behind the centaur, she had to move past the opposite way, in the process crossing the space in front of Percy. The pair briefly met eyes before she took to the space at Morgan's left.

The latter raised a brow at the response but refrained from saying anything further.

Mr. D looked up at the inky-haired boy and let out a sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you." Ever the welcome party was the camp director, god of wine and theater Dionysus, or simply known by most of the camp inhabitants by the first letter of his name. It could almost be easy to see how his godly presence was often missed, as the god did little to appear in any divine light. Dressed in a tiger-patterned Hawaiian shirt paired with bloodshot, tear-stained eyes and a red nose, he almost mirrored an average mortal.

His pudgy hands shuffled around his stack of cards, uncaring of the way Percy shifted his chair further away from him.

Chiron motioned over to the girls, introducing each of them. "Percy, as I am sure, you remember Andy." Sea-green eyes stared at the red-headed girl, taking in her persistent refusal to meet his gaze before letting out a grunt.

"Uh, yeah, I do."

Chiron smiled at the blonde. "Well, she and Annabeth nursed you back to health. Morgan, my dear," the girl in question glanced his way. "Why don't you and the others go and check on Percy's bunk? We'll be putting him in cabin eleven for now."

"Sure Chiron."

Morgan drew her attention towards Percy, eyes tracking over every considerable feature that may hold some importance. However, the more she looked, the little she found. He didn't appear all that athletic, rather lanky in regard, with little to no signs of any training to speak of. Most campers here could easily take him, and that was by mere size alone, as he sat a few inches shorter than all three of them.

In all honesty, a part of her was surprised that he had managed to slay the Minotaur.

It seemed as if Annabeth held the same thought process, her grey eyes resembling ever-moving cogs and gears. Morgan had half the mind to think that Percy was under the impression that the blonde would sprout a spiel of how awesome she viewed him for killing the Minotaur.

Instead, she said, "You drool in your sleep." Then she sprinted off down the lawn, blonde hair flying behind her.

Morgan jutted her chin in Andy's direction. "Let's be true cabin mates and get him squared away. I'm sure the boys have a lot to discuss." Her tone was playful, eyes hopefully to draw out some sort of reaction from the other girl.

Andy, however, thought the opposite. Shooting Percy one last glance before hurrying across the lawn. Morgan grumbled under her breath but refrained from arguing as she took after the redheaded girl.

IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG to get a space put together for Percy. While awaiting Chiron's presence, Annabeth branched off onto the steps and pulled out a book on Greek architecture. Andy sat on the grass near the cabin steps, her eyes distant as they stretched across the field, wordlessly muttering to herself as her fingers drummed over one another. Morgan felt a pull in her stomach urging her to go and demand answers, but judging from the way Andy shifted until half her frame was hidden in the shadows, it was easy to take the hint and leave her be.

However, the nerves crawling up and down her legs were not as well put at ease no matter how many times she paced in circles, her ADHD remained relentless. And adding attention to Andy's change in mood, Morgan was nearly tethering towards a cliff. With her desire for the truth, she was willing to admit that it could cause her to go into a form of tunnel vision, barely coming up for air until she got what she wanted. Or until someone pulled her back. She was sure that if she pushed more than necessary, receiving a snap from her redhead friend would be the least of her worries.

Gearing her attention to Percy was the lesser of the two evils. It seemed almost too good to be true. First the dreams, from her and Andy, then Chiron returning from his trip and the secrecy of it within itself. To add icing to the cake, the appearance of the Minotaur was no simple matter, nor was the fact that the boy who had slayed it had enough strength to tear off its horn, a feat that anyone who wasn't at least astonished by it would be a fool.

In Morgan's mind, even with the little he brought to show for it, all the signs pointed to him. He had to be the one, he had to be the answer to chaos erupting on Olympus, he had to be an opportunity for the availability of a quest. He just had to be.

After about thirty minutes, Chiron and Percy came down the hill. "Girls," Chiron said when they reached them. "I have master's archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

"Yes, sir."

"Cabin eleven," Chiron said to Percy, gesturing to the wooden structure. "Make yourself at home."

Percy took in the cabin's exterior, expression twisted as the building seemed to look like any regular old cabin, even more so when in comparison to the others around the camp. The threshold was worn down, brown paint peeling off the sides. Over the doorway was a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. A caduceus, the symbol of Hermes. Just from a glance inside alone, it was easy to see how packed the cabin was, both boys and girls, all outnumbering the availability of beds.

Chiron didn't go in. The door was too low for him. But when the campers saw him, they all stood and bowed respectfully.

"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you at dinner."

He galloped away.

Percy stood in the doorway, looking at the kids. They weren't bowing anymore. They were staring at him, sizing him up.

"Well?" Annabeth said. "Go on."

As soon as Percy stepped in, he tripped, falling to the ground. Morgan sighed. There were some snickers, but none of them said anything.

"Percy Jackson," Morgan announced. "meet cabin eleven."

His sea-green eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. While cabin eleven wasn't as nice appearance-wise in comparison to the other cabins, and in desperate need of extra supplies for its inhabitants, it still was far from the average run-of-the-mill cabins out in the mortal world. While on the outside it appeared small, the inside was a different story. Due to being the god of travelers, cabin eleven became home to demigods who were unclaimed, unaware of who their godly parent was. As more campers came in, the more that space became a necessity. Adjusting to the demand, the cabin now reigned with three stories, a wooden staircase running up the sides of the walls and connecting each floorplan.

Some floors had bunk beds, those belonging to the longest residing members who had been fortunate enough to receive one. Others, on the other hand, resided in sleep bags. There were some positives to the latter as, in a situation where your bedmate was a particularly loud snorer, it was easier to move to a more quiet space.

"Regular or undetermined?" Someone asked.

"Undetermined."

Everyone groaned.

Luke came forward. "Now, now, campers." He said, looking at everyone in the room. "That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have any spare spot on the floor that you like." He nodded to the dusty wooden floor below.

"That's Luke," Annabeth said, her eyes going slightly dreamy, but when she noted Percy staring at her, her gaze hardened. "He's your counselor for now."

"For now?"

"You're undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

Silence enveloped as Percy scanned the room, eyes landing on a few faces here and there before staring at the stray spot on the floor.

"How long will I be here?" He asked.

"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."

"How long will that take?"

The campers all laughed. Morgan frowned.

"Come on," Annabeth told Percy. "I'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it."

"Come on," she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him outside, Morgan and Andy tailing behind.

Once they were a few feet away, Annabeth turned to the inky-haired boy. Her expression was none too pleased. "Jackson, you have to do better than that."

"What?" He asked, tone riddled with such heavy confusion that Morgan had nearly believed it.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. "I can't believe I thought you were the one."

This, whether meant to or not, was caught by Percy's ears. A slight creased formed between the skin of his brows as he scowled at the blonde, confusion now tipping its way into annoyance. "What's your problem? All I know is, I kill some bull guy-"

"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth exclaimed, cutting him off sharply. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"

"To get killed?"

Morgan rolled her eyes at the generalization. "Yeah, because that's a real bonus. No, to fight the Minotaur. What do you think we fight for?" Does he know nothing?

From behind, watching silently for the duration of most of the conversation all the while keeping her eyes trained on the Jackson boy cautiously. "Maybe he doesn't know," Andy whispered, but the statement went unnoticed.

"Look," Percy began. "if the thing I fought was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories ..."

"Yes."

"Then there's only one."

"Yes."

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So ..."

Annabeth sighed. "Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die."

"Oh, thanks. That clears it up."

Morgan inhaled slowly, raising a finger to scratch the bridge of her nose. "Okay, so here's how it goes. Monsters don't have souls like we do. You can expel them from the earth for a while, maybe a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they reform."

Percy's expression grew distant as if he were thinking of a memory he had hoped to forget. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword-"

"The Fur...your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You just made her very, very mad."

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?" He asked, face twisted in uncertainty as he stared at the three girls around him.

"You talk in your sleep." Was the response he received.

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"

Annabeth glanced nervously at the ground as if she expected it to open up and swallow her. "You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones if we have to speak of them at
all."

"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" Morgan had half the mind to call him out for his whiny tone, as she felt a twitch pull at her right eye but bit her tongue. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."

He pointed to the first few cabins, and Annabeth turned pale while Andy inhaled sharply. "You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or ... your parent."

She stared at him, waiting for me to get it.
"My mom is Sally Jackson," he said. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."

Morgan frowned softly, grumbling under her breath as she felt the heel of her shoe dig harshly into the dirt in attempt to hinder a kicking motion. At what, she wasn't sure. Possibly Percy. Maybe herself. Pulling from her thoughts, the raven-haired girl explained. "Listen, Percy, we're.. really sorry about your mom, honest, but that's not what we mean. What Annabeth means is your other parent. Your dad."

"He's dead. I've never met him."

Annabeth sighed softly, body growing ridged from experience as she pressed on. "Your father's not dead, Percy."

"How can you say that? You know him?"

"No-"

"Then how can you say-"

"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us." Morgan quickly cut in, growing tired of the theatrics.

Percy hissed. "You don't know anything about me."

"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "I can bet that you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."

"How-"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

Percy tried to swallow his embarrassment. He was fortunate enough that the heat rising to his cheeks was so well masked, or the scarlet blush would have circled his entire face. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Morgan glanced at Andy, raising a brow to see if the redhead girl wanted to provide any input but it was obvious, especially taking into consideration the fact that they had grown up together, that Andy was more comfortable in the background, absorbing the information around her.

"Taken together, it's almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD-you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. Battle-field reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course, the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they are."

"You sound like...you went through the same thing?"

"Most of the kids here did. If you weren't like us, you definitely wouldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar." Morgan shrugged nonchalantly. Taking note of the boy's confusion she jutted her thumb over her shoulder at Andy. "The stuff you were given to feel better. If any normal kid drank or ate any of that stuff, their blood would have turned to fire and their bones to ash and-well, you get the point. So, face it, dude, you're one of us. You're a half-blood."

Percy stood silent, almost in a trance as the wheels in his mind were running at a mile a minute, processing all the information he had just been given. Even if he struggled to admit it verbally, something inside of him had shifted at the words half-blood, the term rolling over his tongue and echoing at the base of his brain. Something about the term felt familiar.

Suddenly, Andy let out a sound that, while small was loud enough to draw attention. The three kids turned to her curiously, but her wide eyes looked past them, staring overhead at the towering figure that advanced toward them.

"Well," a husky voice yelled. "A newbie!"

Morgan groaned into her palms, running them down her face. "Shit." She said.

This was going to be a long day.

________________________________________

word count: 4124
author's note:

Whew, this was a long chapter. I didn't intend for it to get this long, but I just kept  writing and next thing I know, here we are. While it might not seem like anything important is happening at the moment, or not as interesting as it will be later on in further chapters, these filler parts in the story are important for showing characters interaction and development (or simply showing their traits). I wanted to dive more into Morgan's mind and what her take is on Percy's arrival. She excited by it, because it could be the potential for a quest (she was on the last one during the winter solstice).

And, in her mind, it would make sense for it to be him, as she list the reasons above. So before even meeting Percy, she kind of already has this perception of him, and when he doesn't reach those thoughts she had, she begins to get annoyed. Like it's not fair on Percy's part, like somewhere in her mind Morgan knows, but this is something she desperately wants and when she wants something, she can become really focused on getting it.

But what makes it even more difficult is how she and Andy have differing views, especially on Percy (also on the quest because, if you noticed, Morgan tends to lead the conversation on the quest topic but you never really get Andy's true input). While Morgan wasn't there when Andy discovered Percy, she did see the drawing Andy made in reference to him. It was not a great picture. So she already knows Andy is on the fence, but she just doesn't know why.

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