Chapter 41 – A Somewhat Violent Activity at the Camp
The dining pavilion was still buzzing with the remnants of breakfast—empty goblets refilling themselves magically, the scent of fresh strawberries and bacon lingering in the warm morning air. Sunlight filtered through the open sides, casting long shadows across the wooden tables. Annabeth Chase turned to Dante with a bright, challenging smile that made her gray eyes sparkle like storm clouds catching light.
"Well, do you want to have some fun?"
Dante immediately recalled the camp's famous capture-the-flag games—those intense, full-contact battles deep in the woods, where strategy met raw skill under the canopy of ancient trees, and the air always filled with the clash of bronze and excited shouts.
He looked at her and said: "Well, if it's a competition, I think it would be kind of unfair for me to participate, right? After all, having me on the team means there's no way the other side can win, right?"
Annabeth glanced at him, her sharp mind already running scenarios. She thought to herself: Well, you're right. If I go and announce that you're going to participate, everyone will lose the will to play.
Dante continued: "But if you really want me to go anyway, I don't mind going with you to watch you dominating the competition."
Annabeth, smiling at Dante, said: "Well, I don't mind having a personal cheerleader to encourage me."
Dante, smiling back, said: "Well, I'll be honored to cheer for this beautiful lady's victory."
Annabeth felt a sudden warmth in her cheeks as she noticed campers from nearby tables turning to look, some whispering and laughing softly at the exchange. The attention made her shy. Without a word, she reached out, took Dante's hand firmly, and said: "Well, let's go," while pulling him gently but determinedly toward the path leading to the training field.
The walk was short, the dirt trail crunching under their feet, birds chirping overhead amid the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. When they arrived at the large forested arena, the teams were already assembling—campers buckling on gleaming Greek armor, plumes of red and blue bobbing as they tested shields and adjusted sword straps.
Dante looked at Annabeth and said: "Well, I won't hold up their captain anymore. After all, the game is about to start. So I can only wish you good luck."
He said while extending his fist.
Annabeth looked at Dante's extended fist and bumped it solidly with hers. "Well, thanks for your confidence. Leave it to me, I'm going to win."
She then ran off with focused energy to join her team, her voice already carrying commands across the field.
Dante scanned the area and spotted Percy and Grover near the blue team's side. He approached them casually and said: "Well, you guys are participating too?"
Percy looked at Dante and said: "Mr. Chiron told me everything about the plan."
Dante looked at him, smiled and said: "So it looks like you decided to train, right?"
Percy said: "Well, I don't want to let the world be destroyed. And if I can prevent that from happening, I'm going to do my best."
Dante said: "Well, good emotional speech. I'd even cheer for you if I hadn't promised to cheer for the red team."
Percy looked at him and said: "Come on? I'm your uncle, right? How about cheering for me to win?"
Dante looked at Annabeth, who waved with a smile from across the field, and waved back.
Percy saw that and said: "So that's how it is? Girls come first?"
Dante said: "Well, sorry, little brother, but I have plenty of chances to cheer for you. I don't want to miss this chance to get closer to her."
Grover said: "Well, you can't blame him, Percy. That's the choice any rational man would make."
Percy looked at the two jerks by his side who only cared about girls and not friends, and said: "You guys really deserve each other."
Dante said: "Well, now stop joking. Grover and I are going to find a spot. The games should start soon."
At that moment, Chiron's deep voice boomed across the arena like rolling thunder: "Heroes, warriors! Formation!"
Campers quickly lined up, armor glinting in the sunlight, plumes swaying as they formed neat ranks.
As everyone lined up in formation, Percy stood still not knowing what to do.
Chiron then said: "Percy, one step forward."
Percy then stepped forward and stood in front of Chiron.
Chiron said: "This is Percy Jackson. He's going to need a team."
Suddenly, Luke said: "We'll take him."
Luke then came in front of Percy and said: "Nice to meet you, I'm Luke, son of Hermes, cabin leader."
At that moment, everyone felt as if a ferocious beast was staring at them, but it passed too quickly. Everyone looked around, thinking it was their imagination.
Leaning against a tree, Dante watched Luke introducing himself to Percy and held back from ripping his head off. After all, it was this bastard who put his mother at risk. If he wants to get revenge on the Greek gods, that's his problem—he has every right. But he shouldn't have let his mother be affected by this shitty plan of his.
The only thing stopping Dante from killing this bastard right now was that he hid the bolt—Dante didn't know where it was—and second, he hadn't revealed himself to the whole camp yet. He was still the "cool big brother." If Dante attacked now, everyone would treat him as an enemy. Not that he cared about them, but...
Dante looked at Annabeth, who was looking at him with a happy smile, and thought: Luke is the one who saved her life. And even if she doesn't have feelings for him anymore, she still probably considers him a cool big brother.
Dante sighed tiredly. So I can't go there and rip his head off. The way is to let everything happen like in the original and let him reveal himself as a traitor.
Dante then looked at Annabeth to watch her fight and decided to forget about Luke so he wouldn't stay angry.
Everyone who felt it turned back to Luke and Percy.
Percy looked at him, greeted and said: "Percy Jackson."
Luke shook his hand and said: "It's a pleasure, Percy. But now, where's your helmet?"
Percy said: "Nobody gave me one."
Luke said: "Well, looks like you really want to die." He looked at Chiron and said: "Chiron, where's your wheelchair? He's going to need it."
Percy said: "Is it that dangerous?"
Luke said: "I'm kidding, man." He then shouted: "Anyone got a helmet to lend our new kid here?"
Luke then took the helmet his team handed him and said: "Cool. This helmet will protect you from getting hurt bad."
Percy took it and said: "Thanks."
Chiron said: "Very well. The rules are simple: whoever captures the enemy's flag wins. Dismissed! Attention! Attention now!"
When Chiron finished shouting, everyone from the blue and red teams charged and started exchanging sword and shield blows, the forest echoing with the sharp ring of bronze on bronze, grunts of effort, and the thud of bodies hitting the ground.
Percy, looking at this chaos and everyone exchanging sword and shield blows, hitting people and throwing them away, looked at Luke and asked: "What should I do?"
Luke said, while exchanging sword blows with red team demigods: "Guard the flag, Percy."
Percy said: "Got it. Guard the flag, right?"
Percy then ran off. He got near a river, the water rushing clear and cold under the dappled sunlight, and saw the red team's flag on the other side of the river.
Percy then smiled and said, running: "I won!"
But when he was about to grab the flag, Annabeth jumped from the tree in front of him and said: "Did you really think it would be that easy? My mom is goddess of war and wisdom. You know what that means? I always win."
Percy said: "I always lose. Maybe both are wrong."
Annabeth then cut Percy's hand and face with the sword, quick slashes that drew thin lines of blood.
At that moment, Dante was watching from the other side of the river with Chiron and Grover, the cool mist from the water drifting toward them.
Dante said, worried: "Is he going to get hurt bad?"
Chiron said, with a wise voice: "Stay calm, Dante. Percy is in no danger."
Dante looked at him: "Who cares about that Percy shit? I'm worried Annabeth might get hurt. If Percy gets hurt, we throw him in the river and everything's fine again. I'm worried about Annabeth. After all, a girl can get hurt more easily."
Grover, hearing this, looked at Annabeth chasing Percy with a sword like a maniac and twitched the corners of his mouth.
Suddenly, Percy was thrown to the ground after being cut, dirt and leaves flying up around him.
Dante then saw Percy crawling slowly toward the river and said: "Seriously, your idiot grandfather? You're helping Percy cheat in a kids' fight like this?"
On the other side, after Percy put his hand in the water, he started healing, the cuts closing with a faint blue glow.
Dante looked at that and said to Chiron: "Old man, what do you teach here at this camp? Your enemy clearly awakening his power and, instead of going there and finishing him quickly, you just watch? What crap are you teaching? Turn-based battle? One turn you attack me, next turn I attack you?"
While Dante's complaint happened, Percy finally stood up after getting his upgrade—thanks to the "education" from enemies who waited for him.
Then he started running toward the flag, defeating each one who came at him with powerful, precise strikes.
Dante, seeing this, looked coldly at the team getting beaten and said: "If I had idiots like that as subordinates, I'd rather throw them in the trash. These pieces of crap aren't even good for cannon fodder. Letting the enemy, who they clearly could defeat, get stronger right in front of them just to beat them later. Bunch of useless trash."
Chiron looked at Dante in shock. It was the first time he saw Dante acting like a proud and arrogant dragon since he arrived. He had always been joking and smiling, almost making him forget what dragons are like: dominant, arrogant, and believing strength solves everything.
At that moment, the battle entered the final phase. Percy and Annabeth started exchanging blows, blades flashing in quick arcs amid the trees.
Percy then suddenly drew his sword fast and kicked Annabeth, knocking her to the ground with a thud that kicked up dust.
Before she could get up, he placed his sword at her neck and said: "I won, right?"
He then, after defeating Annabeth, walked to the red flag and grabbed it, declaring victory for his team.
Everyone then celebrated, tossing him in the air amid cheers that echoed through the woods.
Annabeth, watching this, said: "So I lost."
She then heard a voice behind her, saying smiling: "Well, you lost. Good thing I didn't bet money on your victory, otherwise you'd owe me."
She looked back and saw Dante. Then smiled and said: "Sorry. I talked so much about winning and ended up losing."
Dante smiled and said: "It's normal. It's not your fault. One time you lose, another you win. Who'd imagine Percy would suddenly get stronger?"
From afar, Grover, who was listening to the conversation, looked at Dante with contempt for this difference in treatment. The poor guys who got beaten by Percy were "trash" every two seconds, but when it came to Annabeth it was "it's not your fault."
Dante looked at her and said: "Well, usually when someone's down, a sweet is always the best to cheer them up."
Annabeth said: "That's true, but there isn't any in the camp."
Dante, smiling, said: "Let's play a game. You tell me your favorite sweet, close your eyes and count to ten. When you open your eyes, I'll have it in my hand. How about it?"
Annabeth said: "I'm not a child."
Dante, smiling, said: "I know. Just try to let me cheer you up, okay? It's just a guy trying to be nice to make the girl he's interested in accept going on a date with him."
Annabeth said: "Alright. I'll give this nice guy a chance."
She then closed her eyes and said: "My favorite dessert is strawberry cake."
She then started counting: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten."
She then opened her eyes and saw a strawberry cake in Dante's hands.
Annabeth said, surprised: "How did you do that?"
Dante said: "I could tell you, but then I'd ruin the magic. Well, let's eat."
They then went under a tree, the shade cool and pleasant, and started eating while talking.
Percy, who finally managed to free himself from the celebrating guys, looked to the side and saw Dante and Annabeth talking under the tree while eating cake.
Percy, for some reason, felt like he hadn't won.
Dante looked at Percy and thought: Idiot uncle, why do you think I didn't fight? It wasn't for some stupid reason like "fairness" or worrying it would be unfair to them. It was for a much simpler motive. If I fight on her side and she wins because of me, she won't be happy—because it wouldn't be her own victory. If I fight against her, it's even worse, because if I defeat her, she might get mad. But if I hold back and let her win with my strength, she'll definitely know I let her win and, with her pride, she'd just get even madder. So the right answer is to be the fan on her side who shows up to console her when she loses and make her laugh, make her feel happy again after being unhappy from the defeat. Sorry, Percy. Go try competing with Grover for girls around here. I'm not leaving any openings for anyone—got it
He then went back to talking with Annabeth.