"𝙷𝙴𝚈, 𝙻𝚄𝙺𝙴," Andromeda said once she found him.

"Hey. Annabeth told me our roles, you ready?" Luke asked. Andromeda nodded.

In the distance, the conch horn blew and Luke and Andromeda were off.

Andromeda smiled as she felt the familiar burn in her muscles from the run, the forest blurring around her, the wind blowing through her hair and chiton, Luke the only constant thing.

They eventually made it to the flag without being caught by the red team and they stopped behind an oak tree.

"I'll distract them, you get the flag," Andromeda whispered. Luke shook his head. "That's not fair."

"When has being a half-blood ever been 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳?" Andromeda asked as she shook her head.

"True," Luke admitted, "but I don't want you to get hurt."

Andromeda smiled cockily. "I can beat 𝘺𝘰𝘶. I'll be fine."

"But—"

Andromeda ran out, successfully distracting the guards. Luke sighed and got his sword ready.

"Sorry, not sorry," Andromeda said as she fought the guards.

"Sorry," Andromeda muttered. The guard was about to ask what for when his weapon was taken from his hand by a stream of water controlled by Andromeda.

He smiled — entranced by the charming look Andromeda sent his way — at Andromeda and sat down on the ground.

"What are you doing?" guard number two yelled angrily. "Get up!"

Guard number one shook his head. Guard number two growled angrily and yelled a battle cry before he ran at the Legacy of Olympus.

Andromeda easily disarmed him and soon had him pinned to the ground.

When Andromeda stood up, Luke was running away with the flag. He stopped behind a tree, waiting for her.

"Bye, boys." Andromeda winked — causing guard number one to blush — and ran off.

She caught up to Luke easily and they ran so close to the boundary line, that Andromeda could hear the rushing water.

Will Solace and another Apollo camper came and watched their backs as the couple ran.

The four campers ran over the river, officially in blue territory, which resulted in everyone on the blue team cheering.

"A trick!" Clarisse shouted. "It was a trick!"

The blue team ignored her and cheered louder. A moment later, the flag changed to the symbol of the Hermes cabin. Like passed the flag to Will.

Andromeda was jumping up and down. "We won! We won! We won!" Luke smiled and spun her around. He kissed her once — a kiss that was too short for Andromeda's liking, but too long for Annabeth's — and everyone who was watching cheered — even Clarisse.

The entire camp had been waiting for the two to get together — the tension was unbearable, even Chiron would admit that.

No one but Chiron, Luke, Andromeda, and Andromeda's mother knew why Andromeda had waited so long, and that was a mystery Andromeda preferred to keep that way — a mystery.

Just a single moment after Luke had set The Legacy down, a howl ripped through the forest. The cheering died down instantly.

Luke and Andromeda looked over — Luke's hands still gently holding Andromeda's hips.

"Κάποιος να μου δώσει ένα φιόγκο! (Someone give me a bow!)" Andromeda shouted.

Lee Fletcher stepped forward and handed her his bow. Luke backed up a little — reluctantly letting go of Andromeda.

They looked over toward Percy and there behind him, standing on the rocks was a black hellhound, with blood-red eyes and teeth sharp like a hundred daggers in its mouth.

Andromeda held her bow at the ready with Chiron standing beside her — copying the position his adoptive daughter was in.

"Percy, run!" Annabeth shouted.

She tried to step in front of him, but the hound leaped over her. It hit Percy in the chest, causing him to stumble backward.

Andromeda stood in shock for a moment — watching in horror as the hellhound started ripping through the boy's armor.

Andromeda snapped out of her trance and shot her bow — three arrows at a time. Chiron joined just a moment after.

In a matter of seconds about fifty arrows were burrowed in the hellhound's hide. It fell limply to the ground in front of Percy.

Andromeda ran up to Percy when he swayed, helping to steady him. Chiron trotted up after Andromeda had steadied the raven-haired boy.

"Κάποιος να μου φέρει λίγη αμβροσία και νέκταρ! Καιένα πανί! (Someone bring me some ambrosia and nectar!)" Andromeda yelled.

"Άγιος Άδης! (Holy Hades!)" Annabeth exclaimed. "That's a hellhound from the Fields of Punishment. They don't — they're not supposed to..."

"Someone has summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."

Luke came over and stood next to Andromeda. He took a deep breath and entertained his fingers with Andromeda's.

"It's all Percy's fault!" Clarisse yelled. "Percy summoned it."

"Σκάσε! (Shut up!)" Andromeda yelled, the water in the river churning angrily. "Κάποιος πρέπει ναβοηθησει! (Someone help!)"

"De," Luke said softly, turning the girl to look at him. "You're talking in Greek."

"Είμαι? (I am?)" Andromeda asked. Luke nodded once. "Εντάξει. Ηρέμησε. Ηρέμησε. Ηρέμησε. (Okay. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.)" Andromeda muttered to herself.

Luke leaned toward her ear and murmured. "Do you like him?"

"Θχι! (No!)" Andromeda exclaimed then looked at Percy. "Αιμορραγεί! Αμβροσία! Νέκταρ! Τώρα! (He's bleeding! Ambrosia! Nectar! Now!)"

"Andromeda," Luke said, taking both her hands in his and looking her in the eyes. "Calm down."

"Συγνώμη. (Sorry.)" Andromeda muttered. Luke gave Andromeda a pointed look.

"Sorry."

Luke looked over at Percy and gasped in surprise.

"Wha—" Andromeda turned around and saw the green hologram of a trident.

"Look, I-I don't know why," Percy started, referring to his cuts that were healing due to the water, "I'm sorry..."

"Percy." Annabeth pointed above Percy's head. "Um..."

"Your father," she muttered. "This is 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 not good."

"It is determined," Chiron announced.

Everyone — except Andromeda — started kneeling.

"My father?" Percy asked, in wonder.

"Poseidon," Chiron said. "Earth-shaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson. Son of the Sea God."

"Also, son of my grandfather!" Andromeda exclaimed as she stared bouncing up and down in excitement.

"I told you!"

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

        "𝙿𝙴𝚁𝙲𝚈," Andromeda shouted as she pounded her fist on the door to the Poseidon cabin.

"What?" Percy snapped as he opened the door.

Andromeda scrunched up her nose in disapproval and shoved past the Son of Poseidon into cabin three.

"You need to read this," Andromeda said after sitting on a mat on the floor.

"Well, hello to you too," Percy muttered.

"Right. Hi. Now listen," Andromeda demanded. Percy sat down next to Andromeda.

"It says here: Sally Jackson and son Percy are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78 Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken. The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred feet before exploding.

"Mother and son had gone for a weekend to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unsustainable around the time of the accident.

"Ms. Jackson's husband, Gabe Ungliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past.

"Police would not say whether son, Percy, is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stopper hotline." Andromeda handed Percy the paper.

"Why is the number circled?" Percy asked angrily.

"You'll see," Andromeda smirked. Percy threw the paper into her lap. "Get out."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

        𝙰𝙽𝙳𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙴𝙳𝙰 𝙳𝙾𝚅𝙴𝚁 𝚂𝙰𝚃 𝙾𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙶𝚁𝙰𝚂𝚂 𝙽𝙴𝚇𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝙲𝙷𝙸𝚁𝙾𝙽 — who was in his wheelchair — with the newspaper gripped firmly in her left hand.

"Please, Chiron," Andromeda begged. "I'll just get the address, then I won't need it anymore."

"No," Chiron said, "It is too dangerous."

"Please," Andromeda tried once again. Chiron looked down from his cards and shook his head. "I'm sorry, child."

Thunder rumbled overhead. Andromeda glanced at the sky nervously. "We just have ten days."

"If he accepts he'll make it," Chiron muttered. "Maybe."

"Maybe?" Andromeda asked. She started crying softly. "Chiron, he's family. I can't lose more family."

"I know, child," Chiron comforted. "I know."

"Well, well," Mr. D said, looking at his cards. "Our little celebrity."

Percy stood still — waiting for further instruction.

"Come closer," Mr. D said impatiently. "And don't expect me to kowtow you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."

A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.

"Blah, blah, blah," Mr. D muttered.

Andromeda curled into herself further. Chiron fiend interest in his cards, while Grover cowered into the railing.

"If I had 𝘮𝘺 way," Mr. D, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames and we'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp to keep you little brats safe from harm."

Andromeda sat up.

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Nonsense," Mr. D said, "Boy wouldn't feel a thing, nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Mr. D—," Andromeda warned.

"Oh, alright," Mr. D relented, "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness," Mr. D stood and the cards dropped on the table, "I'm off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I'll turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you're at all smart, you'll see that's a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."

Mr. D picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a security pass.

He snapped his fingers.

The air began to bend and fold around him it seemed. He became a hologram, then a wind, then he was gone, leaving the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

"Sit, Percy, please. And Grover. Andromeda, if you would like, go to cabin eleven. I do believe you and Luke have something to discuss," Chiron raised an eyebrow.

"It can wait," Andromeda said. She slumped down in the chair Mr. D was sitting in before.

Chiron laid his cards on the table, "Tell me, Percy. What did you make of the hellhound?"

"It scared me," Percy said," If you hadn't shot it I'd be dead."

"Gee thanks," Andromeda muttered, then spoke up, "You'll meet worse, Percy a lot worse, before you're done."

"Done with what?"

"Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?" Chiron asked.

Percy glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.

"Um, sir, you haven't told me what it is yet," Percy said.

Andromeda grimaced, "Well, that's the hard part, the details."

Thunder rumbled across the valley.

"I'll... go talk with Luke," Andromeda said, Chiron nodded. Andromeda ran to the Hermes Cabin.

"Luke!" She called. The door to the Hermes cabin opened.

"Hey," Luke said leaning against the door frame, his hair wet.

"Chiron sent me to talk to you about... Last night," Andromeda said. Luke nodded, "I guess we should probably sit down." They walked into the cabin and sat down on Luke's bunk.

"I don't really know how to start," Andromeda said softly.

"Yeah me neither," Luke admitted. He looked over at Andromeda, just as she looked at him. They stared into each other's eyes and Luke started looking to lean in. Andromeda followed suit and her eyes fluttered closed.

Their moment was interrupted by someone knocking on the door of the cabin.

Andromeda sighed and walked over to the door.

When she stood, there she was met by Selina Beauregard.

"Hey, can you come with me?" Silena asked. Andromeda looked back at Luke then nodded. "Okay."

Silena smiled and practically dragged Andromeda to the Aphrodite cabin.

"What's going on?" Andromeda asked. Silena smiled.

"Well, I feel bad that you didn't get to go to prom. So... you and Luke are going on a kinda date to make up for it," Silena explained, then dragged Andromeda inside the cabin.

PUBLISHED: may 17, 2025
EDITED: -