𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙴𝙳𝙰 𝚂𝙰𝚃 𝙱𝚈 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙳𝙾𝙾𝚁 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙼𝙴𝚂 𝙲𝙰𝙱𝙸𝙽 when Percy and Chiron arrived.

"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have master's archery class at noon. Would you help Percy from here?"

"Yes, sir."

"Cabin eleven," Chiron told Percy as he gestured toward the doorway. "Make yourself at home."

All the camper's in cabin eleven stood up and bowed at Chiron respectfully.

"Well then. Good luck. I'll see you at dinner." With that, Chiron galloped away toward the archery range.

Percy stood at the doorway silently.

"Well," Andromeda prompted. "Go in."

Percy tripped walking in, earning a few snickers and giggles, but no one dared say anything.

Annabeth smiled and announced. "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven."

"Regular of undetermined?" a camper asked. Percy stood confused, so Andromeda spoke up, "Undetermined."

Everyone groaned.

"Now, now," Luke Castellan said. "That's what we're here for. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there." Luke hugged Andromeda — who had stood up — from the side.

"This is Luke," Annabeth introduced as she blushed.

Percy looked over at Annabeth and her expression hardened. "He's your cabin counselor for now."

"For now?" Percy asked.

"You're undetermined," Andromeda feigned patience. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers and visitors."

"Naturally, we would," Luke added. "Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

Percy looked at the floor, then at all of the campers.

"How long will I be here?" Percy asked.

"Good question," Luke said. "Until you're determined."

"How long will that take?"

Everyone in the cabin — excluding Percy — laughed.

"Come on," Annabeth said. "I'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it," Percy protested.

"Come on." She looked at Andromeda, a silent plea for the Legacy of Olympus to help.

Annabeth grabbed Percy's wrist and dragged him outside with Andromeda following behind.

The three of them heard the Hermes cabin laughing behind them.

They went a few feet before Annabeth stopped them. "Jackson, you have to do better than that."

"What?" Percy asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."

"Told you," Andromeda sang softly, smiling. Annabeth glared at her.

Percy turned toward Andromeda. "What's your problem? All I know is I kill some bull guy—"

"Don't talk like that!" Andromeda scolded him. "Do you have any idea how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"

"To kill the Minotaur?"

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" Andromeda yelled.

Percy shook his head. "Look if the thing I fought really was 𝘵𝘩𝘦 Minotaur, the same one from the stories..."

"Yes?" Andromeda prompted.

"Then there's only one."

"Mhmm."

"And he died like a gajillion years ago, right? Thesus killed him in the Labyrinth. So..."

"Monsters don't die, Percy," Annabeth spoke up. "They can be killed. But they don't die."

"Oh, thanks. That clears that up," Percy said sarcastically.

"They don't have souls like you and me," Annabeth explained. "You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you're lucky. But they're primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they re-form." Andromeda rolled her eyes, causing Annabeth to slap her on the arm.

Percy looked puzzled. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword—"

"The Fur... I mean your math teacher," Andromeda said. "That's right. She's still out there. You just made her really, really mad."

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?"

"You talk in your sleep."

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' tortures, right?" Percy asked.

Annabeth and Andromeda looked nervously at the ground as the sky cackled loudly.

Andromeda swallowed thickly. "You shouldn't call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones if we have to speak of them at all."

"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" Percy wined. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there." Percy pointed toward cabins one, two, and three.

Annabeth and Andromeda paled.

"You don't choose a cabin, Percy," Andromeda said. "It depends on who your parents are. Or... your parent." She stared at Percy, waiting for him to get it.

"My mom is Sally Jackson," Percy said. "She works at the can't store in Grand Central Station... or at least she used to."

"I'm sorry about your mom, ... Percy. I really am. But, that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad," Andromeda explained somewhat patiently.

"He's dead. I never knew him."

Andromeda sighed, she'd had the same conversation before with other kids. "Your father's not dead, kid."

"How can you say that? You know him?" Percy asked.

"No, of course not," she lied. Annabeth stifled a laugh. Of course, Andromeda had met Percy's father, she'd met all the Olympians and hundreds of the minor gods. She somehow had a talent for getting away with pestering them.

"Then how can you say—"

"Because I know you," Andromeda interrupted Percy. Annabeth spoke up. "You wouldn't be here if you weren't one of us."

"You don't know anything about me," Percy defended.

"No?" Andromeda raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved from school to school. I bet you got kicked out of a lot of them."

"How—"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia," Andromeda continued. "Probably ADHD too."

Percy swallowed hard, his cheeks red. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you put it together, it's almost a sure sign," Andromeda said.

Annabeth smirked. "The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hard-wired for Ancient Greek. And the ADHD — you're impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that's because you see too much not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course, the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They don't want you seeing them for what they really are."

"Leave it up to the nerd to give you a speech," Andromeda muttered under her breath. Annabeth slapped Andromeda once again.

"You sound like..." Percy trailed off, "You went through the same thing?"

Andromeda shook her head. "Most of the kids here did though. If you weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur. Much less the ambrosia and nectar."

"Ambrosia and nectar?"

"They're the food and drink we gave you to make you feel better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you'd be dead. Face it, you're a half-blood."

Percy froze.

"Well!" Clarisse LaRue yelled. "A newbie!"

Percy, Annabeth, and Andromeda looked over and Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"Clarisse," Andromeda sighed. "Why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure, Miss Olympus," Clarisse and her friends laughed. "I'll polish it. So I can run you through with it Friday night."

"Πήγαινε στα κοράκια! (Go to the crows!)" Andromeda exclaimed. "You don't stand a chance."

"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse said, though her left eye twitched — secretly afraid of The Legacy in front of her. She turned toward Percy. "Who's this little runt?"

"Percy Jackson," Andromeda said, giving Percy a look that looked like one his mom would've made, "meet Clarisse, daughter of Ares."

Percy blinked. "Like... the war god?"

Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"

"No," Percy said and straightened his posture. "It explains the bad smell, though."

"Bad move," Andromeda muttered.

Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."

"Percy."

"Whatever. Come on. I'll show you." Clarisse smiled.

"Clarisse—" Andromeda tried.

"Stay out of this, Miss Olympus," Clarisse sneered.

Andromeda shrugged and took an overly dramatic step back, making Clarisse glare — sneer — at her.

Percy handed Andromeda his box with the Minotaur horn inside and held up his fists, just making a fool of himself.

Clarisse easily grabbed Percy by the neck and dragged him toward the girls' bathroom.

Percy kicked and punched, making it hard for Andromeda not to say anything.

"He looks stupid," Andromeda muttered to Annabeth. The blonde stifled a laugh and nodded as the two girls followed the Ares kids.

"Like he's 'Big Three' material," Clarisse rolled her eyes as she pushed Percy toward one of the stalls. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid-looking." Her friends snickered.

Annabeth stood in the doorway, watching through her fingers. Andromeda stood next to Annabeth, hip resting against the doorframe, arms crossed, a small smirk painted on her lips.

Clarisse bent Percy over on his knees and started pushing his head toward the toilet bowl. Then, the plumbing rumbled and water shot out of the toilet, making an arc over Percy's head. Clarisse screamed. Andromeda and Annabeth flinched when the cold water hit them, successfully drenching the two girls and the boy's Minotaur horn.

Percy turned before water shot out of the toilet again, hitting Clarisse in the face with enough force to knock her off her feet. The water kept spraying on her so hard, she was pushed back into an empty shower stall.

She struggled, gasping, and her friends started coming toward her. But then the other exploded and six more streams of water blasted them back. Then the showers joined, and together all the water fixtures sprayed the camouflage girls out of the bathroom, spinning them around.

As soon as the girls were out of the bathroom, the water shut off quicker than it had started and the Ares kids ran off.

The entire girls' bathroom was flooded with Percy sitting in the only dry spot in the room.

Annabeth and Andromeda stood in the same spot, with the younger girl dripping.

Andromeda smiled, flicked her wrist, and the water had left Annabeth and soaked Percy. She laughed at Percy's expression.

All the while, Annabeth stared at Percy in shock.

"How did you..." Annabeth trailed off.

"I don't know," Percy said.

"I'm gonna go," Andromeda said. "I have to prove to Will Solace that I'm better than him."

She gave Annabeth a side hug, gave Percy a look, and left for the arena.

When she arrived, she fixed her hair again. Will gave her a look.

"If you say anything, I swear, you're dead."

Will shrugged. "You're late."

Andromeda shrugged. "I'm also skipping Greek Mythology."

Will nodded. "Nice."

"Let's just get this over with. I wanna prove that I'm better than you."

"Or, you want to see Luke." Will arched his eyebrows. Andromeda blushed. "No?"

"Yeah. Well, let's get started. Class ends soon," Will said after checking his watch.

Andromeda and Will stayed training well past lunch. At around 6:30 Andromeda realized the time.

"We gotta go," she said. "We're late for dinner."

Andromeda and Will ran toward the Dining Pavilion.

Andromeda silently slipped into the seat next to Luke right after Chiron pounded his hoof against the ground for everyone's attention.

Mr. D stood up with great effort and a large sigh. "Yes, I suppose..."

"Where were you?" Luke breathed in her ear.

"Lost track of time. Tell you later," Andromeda said, her breathing heavy.

The Ares table started cheering loudly.

"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I couldn't care less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper with us today. Peter Johnson."

"Percy Jackson!" Andromeda hollered, a laugh in her voice.

"Er, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected himself. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly little campfire. Go on."

Everyone cheered and headed to the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along.

Andromeda and Luke took their time heading back to the Hermes cabin, per Luke's request.

"So... what's up?" Andromeda asked.

"Well, you seem to be pretty hard on the new kid," Luke said. Andromeda shrugged. "He'll be fine. Besides, he needs to toughen up."

Luke gently grabbed Andromeda's hand and stopped walking, causing the brunette to stop as well.

"You've been distant ever since he showed up. I'm worried about you, De," Luke said sincerely as he looked into her eyes, worry dancing in his own.

"It's just..." Andromeda sighed and down. "It's very clear who his dad is. I just... I wish Dad would just claim me. I've been praying to every male god I know of to claim me if they're my dad. Hades, I've even prayed to most of the goddesses."

Luke pulled Andromeda forward gently and hugged her.

She sighed and melted into the embrace.

"We should probably get back to the cabin," Andromeda mumbled into his chest.

Luke laughed — which made Andromeda feel giddy inside — and let her go, save for one hand.

Andromeda lifted their hands up and intertwined their fingers.

"Better?" Luke asked as they started walking again.

"Better," Andromeda agreed through a yawn. Luke laughed.

"What's so funny?" Andromeda asked through another yawn.

"Nothing." Luke laughed once again. Andromeda frowned but didn't say anything.

PUBLISHED: may 3, 2025
EDITED: -