CHAPTER ONE:
KIT THE REPLACEABLE

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PLAYING TOUR GUIDE FOR the new kids at Camp Half-Blood was hardly the highlight of Kit Dempsey's day, not by a long shot. In fact, Kit hadn't even intended to speak to the two new demigods Gleeson Hedge had spent four months protecting by pretending to be a teacher (just the thought of Hedge in a classroom made Kit want to laugh) but Annabeth Chase had decided otherwise when she burst into the Ares cabin early that fateful morning.

"Get up," she demanded with a huff of impatience when she spotted Kit asleep in the corner. For the last four months, the boy in question had stayed out by the firepit or the lake until he was sure his siblings were asleep. Then, well past midnight, he'd creep back into their cabin and sleep long enough that he wouldn't catch them on their way out the next day. It was just easier to avoid them that way, no matter how troublesome it might've been for him or his sleep schedule. He couldn't stand the stares, the whispers about what he did. It was bad enough from the rest of camp, but his brothers and sisters? The betrayal stung just a bit more for them. 

"What do you want?" he groaned into his pillow, eyes peeking open to glare at the blonde. She seemed unimpressed, eager to escape the suffocating confines of the Ares cabin and Kit's presence. He didn't blame her. The day someone wanted to be around him was the day that Kit Dempsey regained his faith in humanity, including his father.

"You're showing the new demigods around today," she declared, kicking the foot of the bed when he scoffed and turned away from her, blankets swamped around his waist. "I'm about to leave for the Grand Canyon with Butch, so be up and ready for when we get back. With them and Percy."

The mention of Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, had a scowl forming on Kit's face. The past few days had been nothing short of hectic due to the sudden absence of their supposed saviour. Disappearing out of nowhere in the middle of the night, he'd left behind his very worried girlfriend and an entire army of people all too willing to search for him. Kit, however, was sick of hearing his name. He huffed, bringing the blankets over his head to block out the sunlight and Annabeth. She sighed at the action, shaking her head and turning to leave the room.

However, just as she reached the entrance, she paused. Kit heard the door creak but not close, prompting him to bring the blankets down to his chin with a confused frown. There she stood, her jaw clenched with a flicker of sadness and anger in her silver eyes. The emotions crackled like lightning across a cloudy sky, a storm on the horizon. They made Kit bring the blanket up again, unable to stomach the glare. Not from her.

"Don't mess this up, Dempsey," she said with an audible sneer. "They don't know what you've done."

With that, the door slammed shut, and Kit knew she was gone. For a moment, he stayed hidden in the darkness, his arms curled around his torso in an almost comforting embrace. If he closed his eyes and thought hard enough, it was like someone was there holding him, protecting him from the weight of Annabeth's words and the truth behind them. But then reality came crashing back down so strong it knocked the breath out of him. Kit Dempsey was alone, and he had no one to blame but himself and the selfish desires of his heart.

Not wanting to linger with his thoughts, he was up and out of the cabin within minutes, simply brushing his teeth before throwing on a black crewneck and a pair of light-wash jeans. He didn't worry about the mess of curls hanging around his eyes. Nobody paid enough attention to care about what he wore let alone how his hair looked.

As he exited the cabin, he caught sight of Will Solace's chariot retreating into the sky. Annabeth's absence was both a blessing and a curse for him. Now, he was free from her judging stare, her overbearing presence for someone had to watch over Camp Half-Blood's resident traitor. However, without her constantly following him everywhere, he was quite literally left to the wolves. While most campers steered clear of the brooding boy, his brothers and sisters didn't. They seemed to be waiting for him that morning, gathered around the training arena with swords in hand. Kit sighed at the sight of them, his boots creating a heavy sound against the wooden steps. He didn't want to go over there, he'd much rather disappear into the woods until Annabeth came back and forced two bratty teenagers onto him. But they had his sword already, the bronze blade hanging next to his elder sister, Dominique's, matching weapon. 

Dominique Loughry was three years older than Kit Dempsey, making her nineteen almost twenty years old. Having arrived at Camp Half-Blood four years before he did, she'd been there pretty much her entire life. Her first friends were at Camp Half-Blood, her first heartbreak was a girl from the Aphrodite Cabin. With her mother dead and no one willing to take her in from the Loughry family, she had nowhere else to go, no one else to trust but the Ares clan. And before he gave everything up for him, Kit and Dom were attached at the hip, the two and Clarisse sharing the same passion for warfare, strength, the anger in their veins both a victory and a setback. But things were different now. Dominique didn't regard Kit as her brother anymore, and Kit knew why.

"About time you woke up," Jae commented as he neared where the five year-rounders were standing. There were six more children of Ares that frequented the cabin but they didn't stay during the Winter like Kit and the others did. Jae Yuen was one of the year rounders. He came to camp two months after Kit himself, a nine-year-old boy with an alcoholic mother too sick to take care of him. He was claimed within six months, got to spend time with his siblings while Kit sat on the outer in the Hermes cabin, waiting and hoping.

Just the thought made Kit feel rage like no other.

"Annabeth needed me," he muttered before wordlessly accepting the sword Dom thrust into his hands.

"Well, she's not here now, so let's do this," she said, refusing to meet his eyes but glancing at the remaining three for confirmation. There were two boys, Andrew and Nolan, the former just gone eighteen and the other fourteen, and their fifteen-year-old sister, Nettie. All three claimed before Kit. "You ready?"

With murmurs of agreement, the six dispersed into pairs. Jae approached the Andrew while the younger two split off on their own, leaving Kit with no choice but to face Dominique. She looked unhappy but determined, idly swinging her sword as she sized him up. Soft-skin marred with scars and stress-lines, a shirt just that bit too big for him, dark-circles under his eyes. What a mess her brother had become.

"Well," he swallowed thickly under the intensity of her gaze, raising a sly brow and plastering on a smirk even he knew was a lie. "What are you waiting for? Are you scared?" 

That was all it took. The muscle in her jaw twitched, the only sign his words had gotten under her skin. Then, with an intake of breath, she was charging and their swords were clashing mid-air. Dominique fought with strength, each blow landing heavier than the last. Kit, on the other hand, went on the defence. He and Dominique used to fight like a well-oiled machine, her on the offence and him on the defence. When Clarisse fought with them, she was the bridge between the two, switching between whatever was needed at the time. Unstoppable but temporary. Now, they were down a part of the machine and the remaining pieces couldn't stand to work alongside each other. Dominique hit harder, yelling with each movement, and Kit continued to retreat. His shoulders were burning as he resisted, again and again until his sword was clattering from his hands and hers was pointed at his throat.

Everything seemed to stop then.

Dominique and Kit were caught up in watching each other, waiting, but they knew their siblings had paused, eyes alight with surprise as they turned to see Dominique standing victorious. Even she didn't know what to make of Kit as he hung his head and picked up his weapon, tucking it into the holster at his side without so much as a snide remark.

Kit Dempsey used to be Camp Half-Blood's best fighter. That was what Luke had wanted him for in the first place, what Kit had used against them. And yet Dominique Loughry, who had come so close in the past but never managed to do the impossible, had finally bested him.

Kit Dempsey was replaceable. Maybe that was the root of his problems.

There was a sudden shout of fright in the distance. Kit wasn't sure where it was coming from, but he took off with everyone else towards the sound. Dozens of campers gathered on the beach, some rushing towards the water to help while others watched on cautiously. Falling through the sky at a fast pace was the chariot that Kit had watched Annabeth disappear on, one of its back wheels on fire as the pegasi frantically flapped their wings. The chariot suddenly detached from the animals, the group inside dropping like stones beneath the murky water.

"What a way to introduce us to the news campers," Dominique chuckled from somewhere behind him.

On instinct, he turned around, almost like she was talking to him. She was standing not too far away with Jae and a mix of children from the Hephaestus, Aphrodite and Athena cabins. In an instant, her eyes were meeting his in an affronted glower, a brow raised inquisitively, but Kit's face remained blank as he returned the look. He'd let her get the better of him earlier but it wouldn't happen again. Before either sibling could make a move, Kit's attention was caught by Will Solace pushing past him towards where Annabeth, Butch and not two but three unfamiliar faces were being helped out of the water by a pack of prepared Apollo children.

The first of the trio to catch his eye was a blonde boy. Despite looking like a wet rat, he radiated power. Golden locks that curled around his ears almost effortlessly, lightning eyes and a chiselled jaw. He couldn't have been older than Kit was and yet his face spoke of experiences that even the resident traitor couldn't understand. In the end, he couldn't deny it, the boy was beautiful but not his type. Beside him stood a girl around the same age. Her choppy brown hair framed her jaw unevenly, the clumped strands only adding to her frustration as she pushed them out of the way of her fiery glare. She was short, thin, but looked like she could pack a mean punch if someone pissed her off enough. Kit liked her already which was a compliment in itself.

Kit Dempsey didn't normally like people.

Last was a boy who would just manage to reach Kit's shoulder if he maintained perfect posture. He was short in a way that seemed amusing, his features indicating to the group that he was of Hispanic descent. His hair was dark and untameable, but the boy was practically bouncing off the walls in a way that told Kit everything about him was hard to tame. The energy caught him off guard, a scowl forming on his face.

Just his luck that the newcomers he had to show around were his total opposites.

"Annabeth!" Will exclaimed in frustration. "I said you could borrow the chariot, not destroy it."

"Will, I'm sorry," she muttered half-heartedly. She looked so exhausted, defeated having to spend another day without Percy. "I'll get it fixed, I promise."

The blonde boy sighed, annoyed but not enough to start an argument with her. He turned to look at the three new demigods, his brows furrowing in sudden confusion. "These are the ones? They're way older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed already?"

"Claimed?" the dark-haired boy frowned.

But before Annabeth or anyone could explain, Will was interrupting with a question that seemed to worsen Annabeth's mood. "Any sign of Percy?"

Obviously not, Kit rolled his eyes as Annabeth shook her head. "No."

The campers exchanged mutters of disappointment before yet another body was pushing past Kit. Drew Tanaka barely spared him a glance as she sized up the new trio, her eyes alight with mischief behind a thick layer of makeup and a devious smile. As one of the eldest daughters of Aphrodite, she was one of the more outspoken demigods Kit was unfortunate enough to know. They often found themselves at each other's throats, even more after the defeat of him. Kit couldn't be trusted, and Drew would never let him forget it.

"Well," she hummed after a long moment of calculating silence. "I hope they're worth the trouble."

The dark-haired boy from before chuckled mirthlessly, his thin arms crossed over his chest in an almost defensive manner. "Gee, thanks. What are we, your new pets?"

"Yeah, no kidding," his friend agreed. "How about some answers before you start judging us -- like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?"

"That's a lot of questions," Kit muttered, earning a dark glare from Annabeth before she turned her back on him.

"Jason," she said (how nice it was to know at least one of their names.) "I promise we'll answer your questions. And Drew--" she frowned at her, huffing when she just raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow in return. "All demigods are worth saving. But I'll admit, the trip didn't accomplish what I hoped."

Kit couldn't resist the laugh that bubbled up at her words. All demigods are worth saving. Maybe that was the intention at first, but once they did something that the good guys didn't like, they were just as bad as the monsters created to hunt them in the first place. If not a hero, then you must be a villain.

"Hey," the new girl grumbled, put-off by Annabeth's bitterness. "We didn't ask to be brought here."

"And nobody wants you, hon," Drew retorted, her nose upturned snobbishly. "Does your hair always look like a dead badger?"

As Kit suspected from her, the girl didn't hesitate to step forward with a clenched fist, but Annabeth was quick to intervene. "Piper, stop!" Piper, though reluctant, did as she was told. With one last glare in Drew's direction, she was turning to hear what Annabeth had to say. "We need to make our arrivals feel welcome. Originally, Kit was their guide, but we'll find two others to help him. Hopefully, by the campfire tonight, they'll be claimed."

"Would somebody tell me what claimed means?" Piper exclaimed loud enough to draw attention away from Kit. Everyone had turned to stare at him when Annabeth mentioned his name, either glaring or whispering about him, but at the sound of Piper's near-shouting followed by a bright red glow, he was left long forgotten.

The last of the trio, the only one without a name to put to a face, was staring with wide eyes at the fiery red hammer now hovering above his head. Hephaestus. Not even ten minutes in and he already knew his father was. 

"That," Annabeth declared. "Is claiming."

"What did I do?" he yelped in fright. "Is my hair on fire?" He ducked, swatting at the air like the symbol would somehow disappear if he could hit it away hard enough.

"Oh, this can't be good," Butch muttered, earning confused stares in return. "The curse--"

"Butch, shut up," Annabeth cut him off quickly. Kit wasn't part of the inner circle but it was clear that Butch was about to reveal something that not everyone was supposed to know. "Leo, you've just been claimed--"

Leo. He looked like a Leo. Kit wasn't sure how to describe it, but the name suited him. He didn't have time to dwell on it, though, for Jason was stepping forward almost instinctively to say, "By a God. That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?"

Silence. All eyes turned to him, either shocked or suspicious. Some even looked between him and Kit, like the latter's presence was enough to corrupt the former. Kit returned the glares just as fiercely and they looked away.

"Jason," Annabeth said, uncertain but curious. "How did you know that?"

Jason frowned, shaking his head in defeat. "I'm not sure."

"Vulcan?" Leo intervened. "I don't even like Star Trek. What are you talking about?"

"Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus," Annabeth explained, though her eyes lingered on Jason like he'd disappear if she didn't keep him in arm's reach. "The God of blacksmiths and fire."

The fiery symbol above Leo's head had begun to fade into mist but he continued to swipe at the air like he was scared it would follow him towards Annabeth. "The God of what? Who?"

Annabeth sighed with impatience, glancing around at the crowd as if searching for something. No, someone. After a moment, they settled on Kit, who immediately shook his head like he knew what was coming. He wouldn't mind if it was Piper or even Jason but Leo had an energy that was way too much right off the bat for him. Annabeth didn't care, though, for she grinned purposefully and looked away. 

"Kit's going to show you around, okay, Leo? He'll introduce you to your bunk-mates in Cabin Nine and answer any of your questions, a buddy of sorts."

Fuck you, Annabeth Chase.

"Annabeth," Will cut in before Annabeth could guide the new boy over to him. "Are you sure it's a good idea for him--"

The others seemed to agree, even Dominique and Jae. Kit would be lying if he said that didn't hurt, but after four months, he was beginning to get used to it. He stepped forward with a sigh, ignoring the confused stares of Piper and Jason as he headed towards Leo. The shorter boy was bouncing on the heels of his feet, questions drowned out by the hum of the crowd. 

"What's Cabin Nine?" Kit heard him whine. "And I'm not a Vulcan!" 

"Ares, kill me now," he muttered before he stepped up in front of the boy and began ushering him towards the cabins. Seriously, his father owed him at least that much. "Alright, Mr Spock, let's get this torture -- sorry, I meant tour, over with."

"Are you Kit?" Leo asked, choosing to ignore his annoyance as he spared one last glance at Piper and Jason. When they just shrugged at him, he turned to follow Kit up the path.

"No, I'm Lord Voldemort," the Ares boy deadpanned before rolling his eyes and huffing. "Yes, I'm Kit, why else would I be leaving with you?"

Contrary to most people he knew, Leo didn't seem the least bit bothered by his defensive tone. He was far too focused on his surroundings and pushing his shorter legs into keeping up with Kit's hurried pace. "Kit's a cool name, ya know. What's it stand for? Christopher?"

"How are Kit and Christopher even remotely similar, Leo?" 

Oh, this was going to be one long tour.