-Camp Half-Blood, Earth; After counselor meeting-

~Annabeth's Point of View~

I scribbled out a few words from my notebook, glancing over to a few of the papers that laid around me. Creating the training schedule was a little harder than I thought it would be.

"Annie." My head snapped up to the daughter of Zeus.

I scowled at her. Ducking my head towards the slightly filled out schedule in my hands. "Don't call me that."

Thalia sighed, sitting next to me on the steps of the big house. "Still no word about Kelp Head?"

My breath hitched and my eyes started to sting. "Not yet," I shook my head, fighting back the waves of emotions that threatened to overfill. "Chiron told me that the gods are working on finding him as we prepare for this new war." I finished, feeling a familiar bubble of bitterness.

It was silent for a few minutes between us.

The sound of my pencil touching paper was the only sound that could be heard. Nothing else mattered to me. Focusing on creating a schedule instead of thinking about Percy was more productive.

Maybe Percy was captured by the enemy? We don't know who it is, there's a chance that they wanted Percy to torture for information. That way of thinking doesn't make me feel any better. This would be the first war without my Seaweed Brain.

Even though the assassin of Chaos said Percy was the first casualty of this war, I can't help but hold on to the hope that he is still out there. Percy had gone to the underworld several times, he battled gods and won, he took down titans and giants, he fought against more monsters than anyone else I know. Whoever we are facing now...I know Percy will come back and help us.

He has to. Personal loyalty is his fatal flaw. The son of Poseidon wouldn't leave his friends and family behind. He wouldn't leave me behind. We've come too far...

"Annabeth?" I looked up to see concerned kaleidoscope eyes that seemed more green than usual. I sighed, thinking of a pair of sea-green eyes. "Are you okay?"

I tried to smile at Piper and the rest of the Argo II crew stood around the front steps. "I'm fine."

No one was convinced. Thalia rolled her eyes at me before turning to her brother. "Are you staying here at camp?" She sounded worried about Jason. He was supposed to be leaving in the next few days to go back to Camp Jupiter with Frank and Hazel to build more shrines in honor of the minor gods.

I haven't heard what the three of them are planning to do now that we are at war and Percy is missing.

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know." He sighed with a frown. He looked at Frank and Hazel. "What about you? Are you two staying?"

Hazel shared a lost glance with Frank. "We haven't decided."

"I talked with Reyna." Frank shuffled nervously. "There haven't been any signs of incoming attacks. She wants to talk to the Head Commander. Nyke?"

"Yes?"

Leo shrieked and his hair burst into flames. Standing behind Leo in front of the left side of the porch was the Head Commander himself. He quickly took a step back from Leo, taken aback from the flames dancing in the fire user's hair.

"Does that happen often?" Nyke asked, pointing to Leo.

Thalia laughed. "What's wrong? Is the Head Commander of Chaos' Army afraid of fire?" She mocked.

Nyke huffed. "No, I was just surprised, that's all." He cleared his thrall. "Anyway, I came over here to talk with the daughter of Athena when I heard my name."

Jason stepped forward. "What are your plans for Camp Jupiter?"

"Plans for Camp Jupiter?" He repeated, sounding lost. "What's Camp Jupiter?"

We all stared at him. Was it possible that the Head Commander of Chaos' Army doesn't know about the Roman demigods?

"The son of Jupiter is talking about the camp for Roman demigods." The Unit 1 leader spoke up as she walked towards us from the volleyball court. I think her name was Hesper?

There was a pause from Commander Nyke. "Is there something wrong, Hesper?" I was right, her name is Hesper.

She cursed under her breath, something I didn't quite catch. "I'm fine." Hesper's voice was louder now. "One of the Apollo kids that it would be fun to flirt with me."

"What's wrong? You have a boyfriend?" Thalia asked. I shot her a questioning stare, which she mouthed 'later'. I nodded back.

The unit leader growled.

"Hesper!" Her commander called out. "How about you see how Vernandos is doing?"

For a moment, I thought the female leader would talk back. There was a tense standoff between the two.

After a few more seconds that felt more like minutes, Hesper nodded mutely and stalked away.

Nyke sighed. "I apologize for Hesper's behavior. We can get a little angry when things don't go how we wanted them to." He tiredly shuffled his feet. "I'm going to have to apologize a lot in the incoming days."

The Head Commander seemed so tired and worn in that one sentence. It made me question what Chaos' Army has done while we were fighting against Kronos and Gaea.

Maybe I could ask him. Later, right now I need to finish the training schedule.

"Don't worry, Commander Nyke." Hazel smiled warmly. "It must be different to be around demigods."

"Oh!" Nyke laughed. For a second, I thought I could recognize the man behind the hood. Then it was gone as if it was my imagination. "I can't speak for all the unit leaders, but I've been around demigods before. Just not Roman demigods, apparently." He spoke the last sentence quietly. "Anyway, I heard when I came over here. Did you need something?"

Frank blinked. "Yeah, yes. I was talking to Reyna-"

"The co-leader of the Roman camp." Jason interjected.

"-and she wants to talk to you about the coming war." The son of Mars finished.

Nyke nodded. "Alright then. Lead the way."

Frank stumbled a little as he, Hazel, and Jason walked off towards where they were talking to Reyna before coming here. Before Jason left, he quickly kissed Piper's cheek causing her to smile.

My heart broke a little at the gesture, but I smiled at them anyway.

"So, Annabeth." Piper's concerned eyes searched my face. "Do you need any-"

"Piper!" Lacy came running towards. "You need to come quick!"

Piper nodded with a frown. "I'll be back, I guess." They quickly took off towards the cabin. I wonder what that was about.

"Well, I should, uh, go too?" Leo awkwardly walked away as well. I stared at his retreating form in confusion.

I turned to Thalia to see that she had glared at the poor kid until he left.

"Thalia." I laughed a little in amusement. "Why did you do that?"

The daughter of Zeus only stared at me. "We need to talk."

"Talk about what?" I asked, distracted by the almost finished training schedule.

"While the meeting was going on, I noticed something about this 'Chaos Army'."

"And?" I prompted.

"And...Nyke, whoever he is, feels familiar. The others also seem to be familiar to me."

I turned my full attention to my childhood best friend. "What are you thinking? Could they be past enemies or...?"

"I don't know." Her electric blue eyes pierced mine. "Whatever happens in this war, it's going to be big."

I sighed. "When is it not?" A thought occurred to me. "Is this why you didn't speak in the meeting?"

"Yeah." She nodded, playing her silver bracelet. "That and I didn't want to be a part of the camp's meeting."

"Spoken like a true huntress." I teased.

She pushed me a little. "Hey, it's never too late for new members."

The running joke about me joining the hunt came out so natural as this wasn't the first Thalia has mentioned it. The first time it happened the look Percy had on his face was priceless. She's brought up the joke a few other times to see his reaction. I even joined in until Percy snapped and followed me like a lost puppy who had been kicked.

Once Thalia realized what she said, she started to apologize. I waved her off and smiled tearfully. "Maybe a day would come when Percy doesn't get himself into trouble. Or trouble finds him."

Thalia laughed at the thought. I laughed alongside her. "Annie, we both know that will never happen."

We continued to laugh and talk about Percy's misfortune over the years. It felt good to talk about him without feeling like I'm breaking all over again.

Even though there was still a dark cloud of sadness hanging over me, I felt a little lighter laughing with Thalia.

This is a short chapter, it's only a filler though.

Thank you to those who are still reading this book. I was going to update yesterday, then my power went out and it didn't work out.

I was going to update sooner today, but I couldn't finish it in the car as I needed to look up some of my notes that were at my house. I was going to finish the chapter after I got home, only I was helping my mom clean the car and my smart self (sarcasm) decided to step on a thorn with no shoes on.

It took hours of different ways to get it out of my foot (I also waited a while before realizing that maybe it's still in my foot), which ended with both my sisters trying and failing to get it out. Now, I have a bandage on it hoping it comes out on its own?

I don't know. I'm done picking a fight with the thorn. It's really a thorn in my side.

Okay, sorry. Bad joke.

Anyway, I've been meaning to update before this week. I just...I'm going through something that caused me to step from Wattpad for a while.

Things are doing better now (kind of, at least), so I'll try to update although classes start on Monday.

Though, if I write on my phone, I'm realizing that I write more and more often. That's a good thing. 

Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy this filler chapter!

See you next time! Later!

~MsPenguingirl1234.

Published: August 14, 2020.