III. Chiron Has His Y/N Moment

Nico had unanimously decided that morning Elektra was his new on-camp GPS. Elektra, had no option but to agree- and besides, she was starting to get the hang of Nico di Angelo. Even liked his company, but Nico couldn't find out- it would get into his head too much.

The day after he had tagged with her and Ajax ( the son of Apollo had begrudgingly agreed ). He had introduced them to Mythomagic- a game of cards Elektra couldn't quite get the hang of- and tried to rope them into playing constantly. He only succeeded 50% of times.

The next morning after breakfast; Ajax, Elektra and Nico sat in the meadow watching the satyrs chase the wood nymphs through the snow.

The nymphs had promised to kiss the satyrs if they got caught, but they hardly ever did. Usually the nymph would let the satyr get up a full head of steam, then she'd turn into a snow-covered tree and the poor satyr would slam into it headfirst and get a pile of snow dumped on him.

It amused Ajax to no end, saying things like oooh I bet that one!- oof nope! Or fifty points to the shrub!

Elektra didnt participate, the game didn't sit well in her stomach so she opted for silence. The satyrs got their hopes up for a kiss with a pretty girl to be tricked. Or Elektra was simply being over emotional and dramatic- that was probably it.

Nico just stared in awe. It must've been strange for someone to discover the world of gods for first time. The brunette could barely remember her first week in camp.

There was a slight icy crisp to the grass, so that the brunette had slipped off her coat and used it as blanket for them to sit down. The northern winds blew at them, forcing the three to huddle closer to each other and hide their hands in their pockets.

Will Solace had came up to them, Ajax after all was his supervisor at the infirmary ( and his favourite sibling- but he would never say out loud ), Nico and him had exchanged a couple of friendly words.

"You won't guess what I heard." Ajax told them proudly.

"Silena and Charles are finally dating!" Elektra exclaimed with glee, she turned to Nico. "Silena is an Aphrodite kid and Charles a Hephaestus kid- totally great people."

Nico nodded quickly in understanding.

"No," the son of Apollo said deadpanned, "pity but no, I heard that Zoë had a strange dream. She went to the Big House and demanded to talk with Chiron."

"Time out," Nico said, "how do you know this?"

Elektra and Ajax exchanged a similar expression.

"Mystery." The son of Apollo answered.

"Mystery?"

The brunette nodded. "You never ask, it's the same with the Stolls, you never ask."

Nico blinked slowly, processing everything. Just the day before the Stolls had tried to rope him into poker. He was beginning to get the hang of people around there.

"So, anyways, long story short, the goddess Artemis is in trouble and needing the hunters, kidnapped or something- Zoë started speaking old-fashioned so that's as far as I know." He sighed, an icy breath leaving his lips. "Good riddance if you ask me, one Olympian less."

Over in the frozen meadow, a satyr skidded on his hooves as he chased after a redheaded tree nymph. She giggled and held out her arms as he ran toward her. Pop! She turned into a Scotch pine and he kissed the trunk at top speed. Elektra looked with distaste.

"Hey, Artemis is one of the cool ones." The brunette said, shifting her eyes away from the scene. "She doesn't have kids to neglect."

Nico grumbled. "She's not cool," he paused for a long second, "well, my sister thinks she's cool so maybe she's cool."

Elektra looked at him with some sort of mix between empathy and pity. His sister, Bianca, had joined the hunters as soon as she had been introduced to the godly world. The brunette didn't know the details, but she knew it must've been complicated- she wasn't going to ask Nico anyways, she had only known him for two days.

That night after dinner, Elektra was excited to beat the Hunters at capture the flag. It was going to be a small game: only thirteen Hunters, including Bianca di Angelo, and about the same number of campers.

Zoë Nightshade looked pretty upset. She kept glancing resentfully at Chiron, like she couldn't believe he was making her do this. The other Hunters didn't look too happy, either.

The brunette guessed that losing their gang leader must've sucked, but capture the flag was amazing. Surely they would pipe up- or not, but positivity guys.

It was a disruption for the usual activities. Elektra could showcase her skills, could put in use strategy, she had as close as real-life practice of what a real battle look and felt like. She loved the way the entire forest was an advantage and disadvantage, ADHD finally being useful. Yeah, she liked capture the flag. Ajax on the other hand didn't, he grumbled non-stop as he strapped his armour.

On the campers team, they had Charles Beckendorf and two other Hephaestus guys, a few from the Ares cabin ( though it still seemed strange that Clarisse wasn't around ), the Stoll brothers, Elektra and Nico from Hermes cabin, and a few Aphrodite kids. There was also Malcom Pace from the Athena cabin, real strategist that guy, a little intimidating at times.

It was unusual that the Aphrodite cabin wanted to play. Usually they sat on the sidelines, chatted, and checked their reflections in the river and stuff, but when they heard they were fighting the Hunters, they were raring to go.

"I'll show them 'love is worthless," Silena grumbled as she strapped on her armor. "I'll pulverize them!"

"That's the attitude." Elektra said, as she helped some of the other campers strap their armours. "Send them to Hades."

Silena grumbled. "I will."

That left Thalia and Percy. They were in a corner of the pavilion, talking to each other- discussing. It appeared that they weren't best pals after all. Elektra took a mental note of that, perhaps Ajax would know something.

Silena nudged her. "You're staring."

"What?"

Nico had just went running to Percy and Thalia, his armour was a few sizes big and his blue-feathered bronze helmet was falling in his eyes. Had Elektra looked so funny when she had first arrived? Probably.

"You were staring at Percy." Silena's tone turned teasing.

The brunette looked around, if any of her siblings heard- especially Drew Tanaka- the entire camp would think Elektra had a crush of Percy Jackson of all people if Drew found out. Gods almighty, the horror. "Shhhh! I was... scanning."

"Yeah, I bet you were." She patted the younger girl on the back. "C'mon, love is great!"

The daughter of Hebe turned pink like a strawberry. "Let's play capture the flag."

Chiron's hoof thundered on the pavilion floor.

"Heroes!" he called. "You know the rules! The creek is the boundary line. Blue team- Camp Half-Blood- shall take the west woods. Hunters of Artemis-red team-shall take the east woods. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional maiming, please! All magic items are allowed. To your positions!"

Suddenly Thalia said, "Blue team! Follow me!"

Everyone cheered and followed.

They set their flag at the top of Zeus's Fist. It was this cluster of boulders in the middle of the west woods that, if you looked at it just the right way, looked like a huge fist sticking out of the ground.

If you looked at it from any other side, it looked like a pile of enormous deer droppings, but Chiron wouldn't let them call the place the Poop Pile, especially after it had been named for Zeus, who didn't have much of a sense of humor- booo!

Anyway, it was a good place to set the flag. The top boulder was twenty feet tall and really hard to climb, so the flag was clearly visible, like the rules said it had to be, and it didn't matter that the guards weren't allowed to stand within ten yards of it.

Percy set Nico on guard duty with Beckendorf and the Stoll brothers, Elektra had decided to stay with them. Percy hadn't argued, the brunette didn't think he would. Nobody really argued with her, she was one of the oldest campers and no bragging- a tiny bit- one of ( if not ) the best with the sword.

The hunters weren't a threat to take lightly and she wanted to be near Nico, if she was going to be his tour guide she might as well do it well, try not to traumatise the kid too much.

Besides, she didn't want to have to face Thalia. Imagine the horror of the two arriving at the flag and being like; you grab it, no you grab it- yeah, no thanks.

"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia told the team. "Silena, you lead that."

"Got it!"

"Take Laurel and Ajax. They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract as many as you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise."

Everybody nodded. It sounded good, and Thalia said it with such confidence you couldn't help but believe it would work, even Malcom had said it sounded solid. And Elektra couldn't lie, it was a good plan, the daughter of Zeus knew well what she was doing.

Thalia looked at the son of Poseidon. "Anything to add, Percy?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We've got four," he glanced at Elektra, "five guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest. I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said.

"Unless you see a golden opportunity," he added.

Thalia scowled. "Just don't leave your post."

"Right, unless-"p

"Percy! Now, is everybody clear?"

Everybody nodded. They broke into their smaller groups. The horn sounded, and the game began.

Silena's group disappeared into the woods on the left. Thalia's group gave it a few seconds, then darted off toward the right.

Percy didnt move, he climbed Zeus's Fist and had a good view over the forest.

"Do you see the hunters?" The brunette said from below.

He glance down, "um, no."

Elektra sighed, and quickly climbed up the rocks. Sue
her, Jackson's eyesight didn't inspire her much confidence.

She caught a glimpse of Silena and her scouts.They ran through a clearing, followed by five of the Hunters, leading them deep into the woods and away from Thalia.

The plan seemed to be working so far.

"Look there," Percy said.

He pointed at a clump of Hunters heading to the right, bows ready. They must've spotted Thalia.

"What's happening?" Nico demanded, trying to climb up to where they were.

"We're fine," she said, "but in case flank the Fist from all sides." The people below shuffled around the pile of rocks, covering possible angles of attack more scarcely.

Percy looked at Elektra. "Can you guys hold the fort?"

Beckendorf snorted from below. "Of course."

"I'm going in." He said, quickly climbing down.

The Stoll brothers and Nico cheered as he raced toward the boundary line. The brunette was finally down, staring at Jackson's disappearing figure.

Beckendorf crossed his arms. "I have a bad feeling."

"C'mon," as much as Elektra hated to admit it, Jackson wasn't completely useless in battle. "Have some faith."

"Oh, I have faith."

He shouldn't have had faith, ten minutes later the campers had lost against the hunters and Elektra felt absolutely pathetic.

Because, common! She was the daughter of a minor goddess- a pretty useless one at that- her only value as a soldier consisted of her sword and quick thinking. She was scared of riding a pegasus, helpless with a bow and arrow, a lost cause with knives, in hand-to-hand combat she had to rely on being smaller and not stronger. Capture the flag was her time to shine. And they had lost to their guests. Pathetically. It was mostly the disappointment in herself that led to her self-doubt.

"The Hunters win!" Chiron announced without pleasure. Then he muttered, "For the fifty-sixth time in a row."

"Perseus Jackson!" Thalia yelled, storming toward him. She smelled like rotten eggs, and she was so mad that blue sparks flickered on her armor.

Everybody cringed and backed up because of Aegis, Elektra gulped but stayed frozen in the place. She didn't fancy getting electrocuted, but backing down was a sign of intimidation- Luke had told her as much.

"What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?" she bellowed.

Jackson balled his fists. "I got the flag, Thalia!" He shook it in her face. "I saw a chance and I took it!"

"I WAS AT THEIR BASE!" Thalia yelled. "But the flag was gone. If you hadn't butted in, we would've fucking won."

"You had too many on you!"

"Oh, so it's my fault?"

"I didn't say that."

"Argh!" Thalia pushed him, he blew backward ten feet into the water. Some of the campers gasped there was an ooooh. A couple of the Hunters stifled laughs.

"Sorry!" Thalia said, turning pale. "I didn't mean to-"

A wave erupted from the creek, blasting into Thalia's face and dousing her from head to toe.

Percy stood up. "Yeah," he growled. "I didn't mean to, either."

Thalia was breathing heavily.

"Enough!" Chiron ordered.

But Thalia held out her spear. "You want some, Seaweed Brain?"

"Bring it on, Pinecone Face!" Elektra had to admit Pinecome Face wasn't bad.

Jackson raised his sword, but before he could even defend himself, Thalia yelled, and a blast of lightning came down from the sky, hit her spear like a lightning rod, and slammed into his chest.

Percy sat down hard. There was a burning smell; his clothes.

"Thalia!" Chiron said. "That is enough! Stop this instance!"

Percy got to his feet and suddenly the entire creek to rise. It swirled up, hundreds of gallons of water in a massive icy funnel cloud. If that wasn't intimidating, Elektra didn't know what was.

"Percy!" Chiron pleaded.

The water splashed back into the creekbed. Everyone was so surprised they turned to see what Percy was looking at.

Someone... something was approaching. It was shrouded in a murky green mist, but as it got closer, the campers and Hunters gasped.

"This is impossible," Chiron said, very nervous for a gazillion year old centaur who trained heroes for a living. "It... she has never left the attic. Never."

And yet, the withered mummy that held the Oracle shuffled forward until she stood in the center of the group. Mist curled around their feet, turning the snow a sickly shade of green.

Elektra had never met her in her Oracle-spouting-self, seen her once by accident when she hid in the attic for Hide and Seek. The mummy had plagued her dreams for weeks on end after that.

None of them dared move. Then her voice hissed inside the brunette's head. Apparently everyone could hear it, because several clutched their hands over the ears.

I am the sprit of Delphi, the voice said. Speaker of
the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.

The Oracle regarded Elektra with its cold, dead eyes. Her heart beat furiously against her chest, could it be perhaps! A quest for her? She quickly made the scene in her head; the people whispering about her prophecy, choosing the questers and well- then the Oracle turned unmistakably toward Zoë Nightshade. Approach, Seeker, and ask. Elektra blanched.

Zoë swallowed. "What must I do to help my goddess?"

The Oracle's mouth opened, and green mist poured out.

The brunette saw the vague image of a mountain, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, fettered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain.

The Oracle spoke:
Six shall go west to the goddess in chains,
One shall be lost in the land without rain,
The bane of Olympus shows the trail,
Campers and Hunters combined prevail,
Two the Titan's curse must one withstand,
And one shall perish by a parent's hand.

Then, as they were watching, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth.

The Oracle sat down on a rock and became as still as she'd been in the attic, as if she might sit by the creek for a hundred years. She didn't of course, but that was the mojo Elektra and everyone else got.

- ugh i wanted to change the prophecy so bad, thankfully i have act's 2 prophecy to redeem myself

the entire point of elektra in this act is, kinda, the fact that's she's NOT destined for anything, the fates dgaf ab her

so yeah i wanted that prophecy as much as she wanted to but oh well whatever

- PERLEKTRA WILL RISE

- the irony that hebe is the goddess of forgiveness ( amongst other things ) and elektra can't forgive her mother damn

Flo <3