Several hours passed in which they swiftly erected the Chaos Cabin and attended dinner before Chiron had announced a celebratory match of Capture the Flag. Percy had been pleasantly surprised to find that the Hunters of Artemis were already in residence, leading to the announcement that it would be Campers v Guests - Chaos' Army and the Hunters paired together.

"If we lose, I am holding you responsible." Thalia had marched over and informed him when Chiron had signalled for them to continue with their dessert and chatter.

"Lovely to meet you too, Miss Grace." Percy couldn't help but laugh. "We've got an hour before we get given the perfect excuse to push Burns in the creek, I'm guessing you'd like to make a plan of action?"

Thalia's glare broke into a grin before she glanced over to the Artemis Table where her Huntresses were staring over keenly. She nodded, obviously a signal for the all rose, moving to crowd around the hastily claimed 'Chaos Table'.

"We have a War Room in our Cabin," Percy informed her. "Would you rather take this there?"

"Why don't we have a War Room?" One of the Huntresses asked Thalia indignantly.

"You're making me look bad in front of my girls." Thalia huffed at him before scanning his table. "Have anyone that I can poach?"

Percy glanced around and then realised that Bianca was still off with Nico, knowing that Thalia would be gobsmacked and demanding explanation if she was present. "Just wait until Angelus comes back." He grinned.

"Angelus?" Thalia arched a brow.

"One of us," Percy responded. "She's currently with her brother, they haven't seen each other for a few years now."

"So there are people who know who you are underneath those masks?" Thalia hummed. "Interesting."

"Would the gods trust us if they did not know who they were letting into this camp?" Percy countered. "Only a few of them know, not all, before you ask Lady Artemis to identify us."

"That aside, I think we should move this elsewhere." Thalia sniffed. "Burns is looking at me and I'll put an arrow through his eye if he continues it for much longer."

"That just gives me an incentive to stay here." Percy laughed before standing, the rest of the group standing with him. "But I suppose we should move along. I don't like the look of his face."

"The look on his face." Luke corrected with a low chuckle.

"I meant what I said." Percy shrugged. "This way!"

Thalia let out an appreciative hum when the Hunters piled into the War Room after them, looking around intently. Percy felt a mild sense of relief that they hadn't started to put up the information boards yet. He knew that he could trust Thalia with his life, but he didn't know several faces amongst the Hunters and caution was best at that time.

Thalia. Seeing her had brought him an unexpected relief, even if her first words to him had been a threat. He knew that she was safe, that was what mattered. He'd felt particularly guilty leaving at a time when the Hunters weren't visiting Camp, knowing that Thalia wouldn't know that he was missing until such a visit occurred unless Nico had managed to track them down - a nigh on impossible task. She rarely answered Iris calls, if Iris even managed to connect them. He'd left knowing that it could be months until she knew he was gone, and that she'd blame herself for not being around to follow his trail.

He resolved to talk to her when he spoke to Nico.

"This is a brilliant place." Thalia complimented before confusion covered her face. "But your Cabin doesn't look this big from the outside?"

"It's bigger on the inside," Luke announced before cracking up into laughter.

"Ignore him, we all do." Percy rolled his eyes. "He thinks he's funny, we just laugh to humour him."

"Come on Blue, you were about to make the exact same reference, you're a bigger nerd than I am," Luke whined.

"I understood that reference, I just elected to ignore it." Thalia laughed. "Though I have just realised that we missed out on introductions when you arrived before."

"Oh!" Percy realised that it was true. The Huntresses had only emerged from the Artemis Cabin long after their arrival and there hadn't been a moment to speak prior to Chiron announcing that they would be working together. "Commander Caeruleum. This lot just call me Blue."

"Do you always dress to match your name?" Thalia indicated to the lining of Percy's cloak, a rich blue silk.

"An unfortunate side effect of it also being my favourite colour." Percy couldn't help but smile.

"And the rest of you?" Thalia asked.

"Lieutenant Heros." Luke introduced himself. He couldn't quite believe that he was finally stood in front of Thalia, wanting nothing more than to apologise again for what had happened with Kronos, for everything. "This lot all call me 'a Pain' though."

"Lies and slander." Percy huffed. "You're loved by all of us."

"Is Heros whining about us all again?" Bianca entered the room, Thalia freezing.

"Bianca?" Thalia whispered.

Bianca nodded. "I was told that you made Lieutenant. Congrats." She smiled gently. "I'm guessing that Blue was just about to get to the point that he pulled us all out of the Underworld to be part of this?" She gestured to their ranks and then to the building around them.

"Nico thought you'd gone for rebirth without telling him." Thalia shook her head. "By the gods, Bianca, I never thought I'd see you again."

"You can thank Blue." Bianca smiled softly at Percy. "Now, Nico told me that he will disown me if we don't kick Nathan Burns' ass."

"Nico is on Nathan's team." Thalia deadpanned.

"Nico will probably defect the minute he's given the opportunity to." Bianca shrugged. "In just a few hours I have lost count of the number of times he has cursed Nathan's name."

"We'd best get down to planning." Percy nodded, grabbing the map of camp that they had brought, spreading it over the table. "Heros, love, be useful and grab some paperweights?"

"Nice map," Thalia commented.

"You're in luck with our lot. They'll underestimate us, think that none of us have been here before." Percy ignored her comment. "Apart from Bia, that is, but those who remember her being here will know that she was hardly here for any time before she left on the Quest."

"But they know that we always plan Capture the Flag when we come to camp." Thalia gestured to herself and the Hunters. "And does that mean that you have been here before?"

"As Bianca said, Blue pulled us all out of the Underworld. Most of us lost our lives in the Titan and Giant Wars." Luke answered with a wince. "And they'll think that you'll be distracted trying to direct us."

"So I know you all?" Thalia looked apprehensive.

"Most of us." Luke nodded. "We've got some that are far older than this Camp amongst us, but yeah, you knew the majority of us."

"You're not going to tell me who though, are you?" Thalia asked, sounding resigned.

"Not right now. Trust us?" Percy asked softly. "I'll tell you who I am after we win, but I'll need to tell another person or two at the same time or they'll never forgive me."

"Fine." Thalia nodded. "I'll hold you to that."

Nico defected before five minutes had even passed. "Here!" He yelled, tossing Camp's flag over the creek to Percy. "I told them that I was moving it somewhere safer."

"di Angelo, I love you!" Percy yelled, breaking into a run.

"Already?" Luke raised an eyebrow when he nearly collided with him.

"Gift from Nic." He grinned. "Take it, I'll work on luring Nathan towards the creek. I want to see if he's bothered to hone any skills in the last five years."

"Can I hand this off and come watch?" Luke asked. "I need some entertainment."

"I suspect it will go on for a while." Percy's grin grew. "Especially if he's the same way as he was."

Luke nodded and started to run when there was a shout from across the creek, a camper having noticed that their flag was in the hands of the enemy.

Percy drew the less conspicuous of his two swords and spun to face the camper.

"Move, or I'll fry you." Jason threatened, lightning sparking from his fingertips.

"Not even going to challenge me to a fair fight?" Percy twirled his sword invitingly. "You can always start to play dirty halfway-" He ducked to avoid the bolt that would have hit his head. "Easy! You're scary."

"Just get out of my way." Jason rolled his eyes.

"Hey, do you know what happens to electricity when it comes into contact with water?" Percy asked, smirking as the wave behind Jason grew in height.

Jason frowned.

Percy soaked him, Jason yelping as the force knocked him to the floor. The charge in his hands dissipated into the earth and Percy let out a laugh.

"What in Hades?" Jason cursed, scrambling to his feet. "Nathan, what the hell was that for?" He yelled, looking around.

"What?" Nathan burst out of the undergrowth. "Those idiots have our flag-"

"I know, idiot, why did you just soak me?" Jason hissed, cutting him off.

"I didn't do anything?" Nathan whined.

Behind them, the wave started to rise again, Percy leaning lazily against the tree as he waited until it was taller than them both before allowing it to slam into them.

"Nathan!" Jason yelled as they were swept over.

Nathan spluttered and climbed to his feet, dripping from head to toe. "It wasn't me!" He wailed. "I wouldn't soak myself on pu- You." He hissed when he saw Percy stood there.

"Me." Percy grinned. "Want a repeat?"

"Don't you dare." Nathan summoned a pathetic ball of water, throwing it towards Percy. Percy lazily held up a hand to stop it, sending it back to hit Jason in the face.

"Way to kick a man when he's down." Jason grumbled, not even moving to get up off the floor, lying back and waving his glasses through the air as if that would dry them. Or as a sign of surrender. Percy couldn't quite decide which.

"Sorry Jay, just trying to make a point to Nathan here." Percy stalked forward. "Stay out of it and I'll dry you off."

"By all means, have at him." Jason invited.

Percy grinned, waving a hand to take all of the moisture from Jason's clothes and send it straight into Nathan's face. Jason started laughing as he stood up, walking back with his hands in the air. "Sorry Burns, you're on your own here." He gestured for Percy to continue.

"This is hardly fair." Nathan stepped backwards until he was up to his ankles in the creek. Percy grinned, making the water swirl up Nathan's legs like bonds.

He'd had five years of practice, while Nathan clearly hadn't bothered. Percy focused, envisioning the particles in the water. In seconds, Nathan was stood with ice fixing him in place.

"What have you done?" Nathan screeched, trying not to overbalance.

"I think that's pretty obvious, Nathan." Jason laughed.

"Don't just stand there, Grace, do something!" Nathan screeched.

"And have him attack me too, no thanks." Jason snorted.

"I demand a rematch if you win this!" Nathan glared at him while trying to move. The more water that flowed around him, the thicker the ice got. Percy found it hilarious.

"Here I thought you were a Son of Poseidon." Percy couldn't help but mock, advancing upon him. He heard a cheer come up from where he knew the territory line had been drawn, grinning. "Still want a rematch while you're stuck here, all the way away from everyone else?"

"Who are you?" Nathan whined, looking despondently at his feet. "I can't control ice."

"Ice is water in its solid-state, Nathan." Percy sighed. "Did you not listen in school?" He stepped forward, eyeing the now fully frozen creek.

He could hear footsteps approaching, lots of them. Then a mixture of the groups came flooding through the trees, following the path of the creek.

"Blue, it is summer." Luke started laughing. "There's probably a very pissed off water nymph out for your blood."

Percy winced and waved a hand, ice melting back into a flowing creek. Nathan promptly fell over, landing in the water - much to the amusement of those watching.

He sighed and offered Nathan a hand up, totally unsurprised when Nathan tried to tug him into the creek. Instead of falling, one foot went into the water and there was a mass gasp from the crowd.

"Blue, you've got a..." Luke gestured above his head.

Percy sighed, glancing up to find a glowing trident floating there.