DOOMSDAY

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THE WOODEN SWORD in Valeria's hand clatters a few inches from her feet, causing the fallen leaves to dust up into the air. She lets out a heavy breath, pressing her lips together tightly when Luke grins smugly at her.

Valeria's dressed in a pair of black leggings, a white sports bra (her orange camp shirt being draped over one of the rocks nearby), and white converse. Her hair is tied back into a high ponytail, a few strands dangling around her eyes and framing her face.

"You're rusty," Luke says matter-of-factly.

The teenagers stand in a desolate area of the forest, their voices being the only noises heard through the trees. Luke had asked Valeria early in the morning to spar with him, and despite her better judgement (as it's been over a month since they've sparred), Valeria agreed.

Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena and head counselor of her cabin, has been ordering everyone on their team to train and prepare for the upcoming game of Capture the Flag. She's determined to win, and Valeria would hate to disappoint the young girl.

Within her first week of being at camp, Luke introduced Valeria to Annabeth during an archery lesson. She and Annabeth easily bonded over the similarities between them— specifically their relationships with their fathers and reasons for leaving home. Annabeth seems to view Valeria as an older sister figure, and the brunette knows exactly why she does.

Luke told Valeria that before he was brought to camp by a satyr, he'd met Annabeth and another demigod named Thalia, the daughter of Zeus. Thalia was a forbidden child, meaning that monsters were always being drawn to her. Always finding a way to put her and others in danger.

The three traveled together for a long time before they were found by Grover, the satyr meant to lead them to camp. However, when they reached Half-Blood Hill, they were attacked by monsters sent by Hades from the Underworld. Thalia sacrificed herself to ensure that Annabeth and Luke would get to camp safely with Grover, leaving an empty space in Annabeth's life.

Over time, it's become clear to Valeria that Luke and Annabeth are closer than friends. They're like brother and sister. They'd gone through so much together, and now they see each other as family. Even though Valeria knows that she will never replace Thalia, she wants to help Annabeth with whatever she can.

At the moment, that means helping her win Capture the Flag.

Valeria kneels down to collect her sword, adjusting her grip on the hilt. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

She rises from the ground. "You're a better swordsman than I am, Luke. I feel like you have an obvious advantage here."

He shakes his head with a chuckle, spinning his sword around his wrist naturally. "Doesn't matter, Val. Clarisse isn't gonna give you a break just because you're out of practice."

Unfortunately, Valeria knows that he's right. Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, is the captain of the opposing team. She's presumably the most ruthless person in all of camp, as she relishes in the glory and power that comes with each win. These past defeats have left her full of rage and vexation, which they've taken much enjoyment in and would like to continue.

"Well, then let's keep going until I'm not," the brunette raises her weapon. "Hm?"

Luke nods. "Sounds good to me."

They've sparred together many times before, though Luke has more often than not beaten Valeria due to his skill level and strength with a sword. Sometimes the losses agitate her, but overall, Valeria finds their matches productive. Luke gives her advice and tips on how she can improve, which is always useful.

However, Luke takes pleasure in teasing Valeria whenever he manages to disarm or overpower her, which merely prompts her to put more effort into developing and advancing her abilities.

She tightens her fingers around her sword, watching as Luke does the same. They surge forward and their blades clash together, the scratching of wood sounding through the spring air. They continue to move around one another, swords repeatedly colliding as they avoid each other's attacks.

Luke abruptly presses his sword against hers harshly, causing Valeria's knees to bend as she struggles to keep her blade from giving out. She grits her teeth together and pushes harder, the muscles in her arms starting to ache from the force. Then he relents, and Valeria stumbles slightly as her chest heaves.

He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Rusty."

"Shut up," she snaps, dropping her arm to her side and rolling her shoulders. "You're doing that on purpose."

"Maybe," Luke smirks, receiving a scoff from the girl. "Seriously, though, you need to practice more. And keep your arms firm when you're trying to push back."

Valeria glares at him, exhaling through her nose. "I swear to the gods—" When he takes an unexpected step forward, she uses her blade to deflect his as he tries to slice at her. Her mouth gapes, "What the hell?"

Luke lunges again, and she sidesteps to dodge him while remaining focused on trying to anticipate his next movements. Valeria swings her weapon upward when he strikes again, and he manages to duck before the wood can connect with his forehead.

"Are you done yet?" she asks, followed by a grunt as Luke somehow catches her forearm.

He uses the hilt of his sword to knock her own out from her grasp, and Valeria winces at the impact. Then Luke twists her around so her back is pressed up to his chest, crossing his arm over hers to lock her in his grip. He raises the wooden blade to her collarbone, and Valeria holds her breath at the closeness of their bodies.

She can feel his heart beating steadily beneath his shirt as her head rests near his shoulder. Suddenly Luke's mouth is brushing against her ear, and she can practically feel the smile tugging at his lips. A shiver runs down her spine as he says, "Now I'm done."

Luke lowers the sword, and Valeria turns slightly to peer back at him. He looks down at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes, the smile she'd heard being clear on his face. When his gaze flickers down to her lips, she shoves his arm off her and pulls away, putting some distance between them.

"You're so annoying." She rubs her wrist softly despite there being no soreness in her bones. "You should teach my siblings instead. They need it more than I do."

"You mean, teach a bunch of mini-yous? No thanks." Valeria rolls her eyes at his words. He bends down to pick up her sword, flipping it around to offer the handle to her as she takes it from him. "Besides, most of them aren't even going to be participating in Capture the Flag. You are, and I want to make sure that you'll be useful."

"Excuse me?"

He laughs at her offended expression, walking over to the rocks and leaning his weight against them. Valeria instinctively follows, sitting in the spot beside him. They prop their swords up against the side of the rock, collectively deciding to take a short break from their training.

Her jaw slackens as she questions, "Did you just call me useless?"

"With a sword? Maybe." She pushes his head away, and he bats at her arm gently. "You know I'm kidding, Val. I just want Annabeth to get her fourth win."

Valeria nods her chin, "Understandable."

"And if you're fumbling with your sword the entire time, then we'll have no chances."

She shoots him a glare, swiping her shirt off the stone and pulling it over her torso. "I'm not fumbling with the sword."

"Well—"

"Watch yourself."

The boy shakes his head playfully before his tone changes to one of sincerity. "But really, I want Annabeth to win this game. She's been pushing herself too hard recently."

"She learned that from you," Valeria remarks.

"Yeah, I know," he sighs deeply. Then he looks down and curls his finger under the sleeve of her shirt, tugging at the fabric in a teasing manner. "I think I liked this better off."

"You're feeling bold today."

"Hey, I'm just pointing out what I'd like to see."

Valeria raises a brow. "Hm... You're never seeing anything again after that comment."

"Oh, come on," Luke groans, releasing her shirt and leaning back on his palms. He squints at her through the light that shines on them through the trees above. "You're trying to kill me, huh?"

"Maybe," she replies. The smile on her lips grows when he rolls his eyes in annoyance, and she nudges him with her elbow. "Please, we both know I'm joking."

"Really?" Luke hums intently, pushing himself upright and grinning. "So, if I asked..."

"Not what I meant, and not happening."