-Half-Blood Hill, Camp Half-Blood; After Breakfast-

~Kosmos' Point of View~

'Your plan is working, isn't it?'

A sigh that could only be heard by me echoed. 'Kosmos...after all of these years can you let things happen?'

'No.' I thought back. 'I did not ask for your help, Chaos.'

'No, you did not.' He agreed. 'However, you once asked, pleaded for someone to come. You needed someone to save you. You still need someone to save you.' The creator grumbled.

My lips twitched. 'I guess. This place does seem like something I would have enjoyed.'

'You can stay.' Chaos pointed out.

'No.' I immediately replied. 'It will only bring pain and suffering.' I bring pain and suffering...

Another sigh. 'Very well. I told Annabeth Chase what you wanted me to tell her.'

'Thank you.'

'Even if it wasn't real, she seems like a good match.'

'Chaos.'

'Of course. I'm not meant to be a matchmaker. That's Charis' job after all. Now, Chase did ask about the whereabouts of the real Percy Jackson.'

'What did you tell you?' I asked, watching the head commander talking with the unit 5 leader.

'I said that he was safe. She wants to meet him after the war. I told her it was up to him.'

I breathed out slowly. 'Thank you.'

'I told you, Xander. When you had made that decision to take a new name, a new purpose, what you chose to do with your second chance would be up to you. While I may have pushed to be more social, I never outright break my oath to you. You are safe with me. You can live how you want to. I only wish you rely more on the other leaders. Especially Nyke. He did take your position after all.'

'I understand, Chaos.' I broke the mental connection, noticing "Percy Jackson" moving towards the woods. In the direction of Bunker 9 to precise. 'What is your next move, E——?'

-Bunker 9, Camp Half-Blood; Meanwhile-

~Leo's Point of View~

I hummed, staring at the new project that was slightly on fire. "What do you think, Festus?"

The mechanical dragon's gears whirled, making a loud grinding sound.

"Yeah," I agreed. "This won't work either." I grabbed the fire extinguisher, putting the flames out. Thankfully this one didn't make the small fire worse by spreading out the fire into an inferno. Again.

The curse of Cabin 9 was no joke.

"Need a hand?" I jumped, pointing the (slightly unstable) tool of extinguishing flames toward the origin of the voice. "Whoa!"

One of the unit leaders held his hands up in surrender. "I mean no harm."

"Are you an alien?" I blurt out, lowering my makeshift weapon a little.

He chuckled. "No, I'm originally from Earth."

I blinked. "Like Nico's sister?" Were all the unit leaders from Earth then? Was Kosmos from Earth? That would be cool to know an assassin came from the same planet I was born and raised on. What were the other planets like?

He laughed again. This time it was a softer sound. "Yeah, I'm a demigod." His focus seemed to shift to the side of me. "It's been a long time since I've seen that dragon. Although it had a body back then."

I stared. "You know Festus?"

The unit leader seemed to blink. "You named him..."

"Happy."

He busted out laughing. The kind that came from the belly. "You named a dragon-" He wheezed. "Happy the dragon?!" Coughs started to mix into the laughter.

"Are you okay?" I asked, setting the fire extinguisher down not knowing how to help the demigod turned Chaos soldier.

"Yeah." He replied after several deep breaths. A grin stretched across his uncovered lower face. "My name is Charles. It's nice to meet another sibling of mine."

I tilted my head. "Charles?" The name seemed familiar. I tried thinking back on where I could have-

"Charles Beckendorf."

My eyes widened. "Beckendorf. The Beckendorf whose bunk I've been sleeping on for the past year?"

"You took my bunk?"

"You used to be the cabin head before me."

Charles shrugged. "I wasn't big on the title. I was more focused on my projects and making sure no one else hurt themselves too badly in the forge."

"And tamed a bronze dragon." I stated in a daze.

"You heard about that?" He sounded surprised as if he wasn't a legend to Cabin 9. Charles Beckendorf is someone who everyone knows about. You weren't a Hespaetus' kid until you heard about him.

I nodded, feeling a bit faint meeting him.

"Hey, Leo." I blinked at the new voice.

Standing at the entrance stood Percy Jackson.

-A Distance Away from the Dining Pavilion, Camp Half-Blood; Meanwhile-

~Milos' Point of View~

"I think Kosmos is one as well." A stunned silence followed my words. Speaking them out loud made everything that had happened right before Chaos announced the mission fall into place. The way Kosmos tensed when he found out we were coming here to not only Earth but Camp Half-Blood too.

And while the assassin can go off on his own and do things his way, the snapping at others and distancing himself were new. At least to this degree. Plus the situation that happened in the Demter cabin was also something that hasn't happened to Kosmos before. Even though he can be intense, that was not something Komsos did. The assassin of Chaos did not attack anyone who was not an enemy. There really was someone or something in Cabin 4 that night.

Both Kosmos and Chaos knew of the true enemy.

And the interactions with the Demeter girl was a strange development that could further prove the theory of Kosmos - Xander - being a demigod. She possibly sensed a connection with him. Could he be a child of Demeter?

"That's-" Nyke started, closed his mouth, and grimaced. "There's not much proof."

I sighed heavily. "Back when I was offered a place in Chaos' Army, Kosmos was there with him." I looked away from the head commander as I spoke of something that I have never said out loud. "I was going to turn down the offer. Kosmos hesitated when they turned away to leave." I scoffed out a laugh. "He asked me if I turned it down because I didn't feel worthy of the trust which comes from being placed in Chaos' Army. I told him to mind his own business. He didn't react, only stating 'Second chances are rare, are they not? Some would die for a chance to do good with their life after suffering so much, correct?' Thinking it over now, I believe he was simply asking because he didn't know the answer for himself. Rumor has it, Kosmos didn't have a choice when he joined the Army. Makes me wonder what he went through to say something like that. To ask those questions with no emotion. He wanted to figure out how to live a proper life again." I ruefully smile.

"You died too, huh?"

I looked away, uncomfortable with the thought of being in the underworld that day when Chaos and Kosmos came for me. "It seems Chaos made his army out of the dead?" I questioned.

"Head Commander." We both jumped at the assassin's greeting.

"Kos-Xander! Don't do that!" Nyke clenched his chest, panting. I wasn't fairing much better. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing Xander's tensed form. I felt uneasy wash over me.

"Something is about to happen." Just as Xander said those words, screams could be heard. Then the flames appeared at the treetops. The woods set ablaze and darkness started to fall over the camp.

A battle was coming. This war was continuing to progress and we had no choice but to follow the actions of the unknown enemy.

You know what's crazier than this chapter, the next three.

Hi! I said I might not be updating this week as I had a bit of a meltdown last Saturday and work has been hard as everyday (expect for Tuesday) instead of four people on shift we only had three. Despite that, I finished chapter 21 on Tuesday and finished 22 today.

I started on chapter 23 and, wow, I need a break from the unintentional craziness of these chapters. We are getting to the end and things are heating up.

The BIGGEST shoutout to LetsDieLol as you made my day Thursday with your second comment on chapter 19. I literally cried. While chapter 21 was finished by the time you commented, it really motivated me with finishing chapter 22. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

If things go well with chapter 23 (and work goes better), I will be publishing two chapters next week.

We are getting to the end of this story and it is an emotional rollercoaster for me as I want this completed but at the same time I don't want it to end.

Thank you for reading. I will be back next Saturday.

~MsPenguingirl1234.

Published: June 3, 2023.