Chapter 13

Or- where Clarisse is shown to be capeable of humane acts of kindness. And Percy’s prophecy comes true.

Kayla had started to run without a second thought. What was Luke even planning? Why did he need Percy in on this? Annabeth was… nowhere. Kayla didn’t have time to wonder where she had gone.

Clarisse was a little behind. She had dragged herself with a whine at first, unhappy to be walking herself to her own possible demise. She sped up to a jog. It was a good three minutes up the path and around a few corners, taking them to a clearing in the woods.

Percy and Luke were fighting. Kayla was the first one there. She pushed Percy away from an oncoming attack from Luke, yet yelled at the sight of a scorpion. Her wings popped out- startling all of them- and she flew herself back slightly. “Scorpion! Big, fat-!”

Kayla’s distraction with her wings had let Clarisse get an opening on Luke. She pushed him in the back. Luke spun, just in length to slash at Clarisse’s shoulder. She didn’t feel anything, barely, anyway.

Then- Annabeth made her grand announcement. She threw the cap off her head, and launched her dagger at Luke. It nipped his arm, and fell on the floor. It made Luke pause. All of them, actually. Annabeth looked heartbroken to have had to throw a dagger at Luke.

Luke shared a look with Annabeth. Words shared through expressions. Like a flicker of apology flashed in his eyes, before it was lost. “Goodbye Percy. There is a new golden age coming, and you won’t be in it.”

With that, he slashed at a rock with Back Biter, and dissapeared into a ripple through space and time. Percy let out a yelp- he was crouched down on the floor, his hand weirdly swollen and red. Annabeth had rushed over to him, cursing.

“A pit scorpion. we need to take action immediately, he’s got a minute tops.” She replied, her voice wavering. It was overcome with hoofs galloping- fast, confident. Percy was lifted onto Chiron’s back in an instant. No questions asked.

Clarisse stared in shock as the rip Luke dissapeared into closed up without a trace. She even tried to put her hand where it had been, but it did nothing. Annabeth had ran along with Chiron to go to the infirmary after getting over her shock of Luke. She was definitely crying, though. Kayla had tried to run along, but after a few little jogging steps, she stopped, because of the pain of a twisted ankle, and the confusion of Clarisse standing still.

“Clarisse?” She questioned, lifting her foot up for a second. “Come on. There’s nothing there now. He’s gone.”

Clarisse followed along after another few seconds. They got to the infirmary. Chiron explained everything to them, and when Percy woke, he explained his side to all of them including Chiron, too. Neither Chiron or Annabeth let Clarisse leave without a fight. So, she hadn’t had a choice but to stay slouched on a seat for two hours.

Clarisse had been asked to explain why she had been there, aswell as Kayla. They explained, and surprisingly didn’t get in trouble. She said how she had known Luke had blamed her for stealing the Master Bolt for a good few days because Kayla had overheard and told her. That was the main thing. Then when Percy woke and explained how Kronos had brainwashed him into betraying camp, well… things got alot more serious.

“So, we can go now? I can?” Clarisse asked once Chiron concluded Percy’s words.

“You may, and thankyou for telling your part, Miss La Rue. You too, Graves. My main worry here is Percy.”

Clarisse nodded. With that, she stood, along with Kayla, and exited the infirmary.

Kayla groaned, flapping her wings vigorously and rubbing her neck. She gave Kayla an odd look, but not a ‘what are you still doing with me’ look, more of a ‘what’s the matter’ look. “Can those wings get any stronger?”

“So my wings are strong?”

“No- i- well, you’re just getting better at the control… they look bad. Why so dirty?”

Kayla huffed, flapping them gently. “I can’t reach them, got them covered in leaves and dust and then realised i couldn’t get all the dirt out with a simple wash. So.”

Clarisse grimaced. Wings that big and unable to clean them sounded horrid. They must be itchy, and heavy, “it’s weird seeing you with these big fancy wings. Makes you look less like a small, scraggy little gremlin.”

Kayla’s lips twisted up in a small smile. She kicked a few leaves. “They’re useless, though. Too big to fly them unless I want to take a leap of faith off of the Lava parkour pit. They need alot of air resistance to work. And I don’t think I have the muscles to work them properly. You know, if I do manage to fly with them one day, I wont be able to safely land. I’d just tumble.” She shrugged. Clarisse let out a laugh in reply, like the thought of Kayla either falling into the lava pit instead of flying, or tumbling instesd of safely landing was hilarious. Typical Clarisse.

“I dunno, ask the Harpies for tips or something.” She replied, shoving her hands in her cargo pockets.

Clarisse took another second to look at Kayla. Those wings were a disgrace right now. Big, dirty, and… greasy? Was that even possible? “Hey, why don’t you take a wash, I’ll brush all the leaves out afterwards if you want, try clean them up a bit.”

Kayla paused, stumbling over her words before raising a comical eyebrow. “You? You won’t pluck them all out? Why are you offering-“

“Just returning a favour. For telling me about what Luke said. And- it probably saved Percy’s life. I hate the guy, but, dying at the hands of Luke, or… having to do god knows what if we hadn’t shown up,” She tried to explain. “Like the butterfly effect, you know? If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known. I would have been doing my own thing. Not following Luke tonight. Annabeth would have been keeping an eye on me at the campfire, instead of following me. Even if you hadn’t found out, maybe Percy would have died. And I’m not that cruel, to want someone to die. So, some weird thanks is in order there.”

Kayla stated at her for a second before she nodded in reply, shrugging and trying to act nonchalant. “Yeah, yeah. You’re… welcome? Where are you wanting to brush my wings?”

“Knock on my window, there’s no way im brushing them in a full Hermes cabin on the floor. I’ll do them in my room.”

“Sure.” Kayla replied, swallowing and starting to pad away from Clarisse. “I’ll… see you then. Bye bye.”

Kayla.

Clarisse nodded, turning to the Ares cabin as Kayla made her way to the Hermes cabin. She was half excited for when the Thanatos cabin was built. She hated the nousie and mess of this cabin, but she was very, very used to it. Being in a cabin that is probably going to look like a funeral home plus have no other people in it wasn’t Kayla’s thing. Dark, depressing. No one expected Kayla to be claimed by Thanatos. She was too giddy and ADHD-ridden. She doubted she would be able to get any sleep at all having to stay in a dull cabin by herself.

She shook her head of those thoughts, gathering a towel and her usual shower products to make her way to the bathroom. It was a pain, trying to clean them in the slightest. Having to try and drown her wings in water with some tiny shower head attached to the wall. It did almost nothing.

She got changed into her usual checkered pyjamas, then made her way to Clarisse’s. Knocking on her window helped steer clear of all he brothers. And thankgod Clarisse had her own room due to being a cabin couselor.

“Heya, birdie.” Clarisse moved away from the window after sliding it open. Kayla hopped through; wings away, ofcourse. Her hair wet, loose curls dripping on the wooden floor. Kayla took a a quick glance around her room before replying, looking up and sauntering around the room.

“Hello, hello. Nice room.” She spoke. It had been a while since being in someones room and personal space. It was nice. Kayla missed her room. This was so quiet, but not lonely. Not how she thinks her Thanatos cabin will be.

“Thanks. Hope to keep it,” she replied, sitting down on the edge of her bed. “How are we doing this? Where are your wings?”

Kayla summoned her wings within the next few seconds. They popped out in a flurry of loose feathers that scattered the floor, and the droplets of water that immediately came after. Clarisse almost flinched.

“Not.. getting used to that any time soon. Uh- sit down, on the floor. God, that’s messy,” She sighed, looking at the array of feathers and wet patches on her floor. She reached for the hair brush on her bed, and analysed where to start before going ahead. “How do you wash these?”

“Barely,” Kayla answered, clearing her throat. “Stand under the shower until i think enough dirt has been washed out. That feels nice.”

Clarisse let out a blow of air, giving an uneasy glance at the feathers as she brushed. “Sounds annoying. And tiring. Maybe they should clean you with the Pegasi every saturday.”

“Okay, rude,” Kayla put. Fingers in the air, lowering it. “But possibly not wrong. Atleast I’d get them washed properly.”

Clarisse continued brushing. There were a fair few chunks of lesves and bits of mud under all the layers of feathers. “Eugh, I’m gonna grab some tissue, hang on.”

She came back with a roll of toilet paper, wiping wads through the feathers to help clean up. “We’re getting somewhere,” She mumbled, tugging on a stubborn feather that came loose easily. “Almost end of term. You staying full?”

“Nah, I’m going back to my aunt’s place. Always do,” Kayla replied, picking at some loose string on her pyjama top. “What about you? You always stay full term, don’t you?”

Clarisse faltered. “Yeah, my mom died in battle. She was in the army. About eight years ago. So, better off me staying here.”

“Oh, twins. My mom had cancer. I was one.” Kayla turned her head to look at Clarisse, who looked like she couldn’t help but to smile at the sense of having someone understand.

“Sure, birdie. Twins. Don’t have an aunt though. Well- I do, but I dont like to stay with her. She’s a… handful.” Clarisse replied, moving onto the other wing.

“I live in New York. My aunt has an apartment. Im grateful for her. Where were you from?”

“Phoenix, Arizona. I wanna go back there eventually.”

“Well, I’m sure you will. Don’t worry about it too much.”

Clarisse snickered, rubbing at her right wing with more tissue. “Have a nice time with your aunt, dipshit. Camp is gonna be way more quiet.”

“I hope my cabin gets built. Kind of.”

“Kind of?”

“It’s gonna be all dull and depressing and quiet. Opposite of what im used to. Im so unlike how someone would expect a Thanatos kid. So.” Kayla explained, smiling, and picking at the palm of her hand.

“Im sure if you dont like it, Hermes cabin would still let you sleep on the floor. Or, maybe bunk up with one of the guys. Just use a bit of-“

“Ew, no thanks. Not a guy.”

Clarisse huffed as she was cut off, smirking. Her eyebrow raised at her words, then she shook her head. “Fine, floor it is.”

Kayla bit her cheek, tapping her thumb on the floor. “Silena’s nice. You think she’d let me sleep over every once in a while?”

“Sil- Silena?” Clarisse cleared her throat. “No, you can’t sleep over with her. I mean- I’m sure her siblings would burn you at stake.”

Kayla raised her own eyebrow as Clarisse brushed her wings. “How do you know for certain? She might.”

“I wish,” Clarisse mumbled.

“You what?”

“I said- I said I bet she wouldn’t. That’s all.”

Please vote!!

AN: Ha. Two future wifeys pining over the same girl in an identity crisis. Typical. I dont care what anyone says, Clarisse is a loyal camper, just stubborn. So, I think her thanking Kayla by offering to do something is reasonable. Probably something TV show Clarisse would do more than book, but like i said, it’s a mix.