Tragedy of the Apollo cabin - Pickles17 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2024)

Chapter 1: The worst rescue mission ever

Chapter Text

It all started when his gym teacher turned into a goat.
Okay, he didn't really turn into a goat, more like half a goat? No, it was too weird.
Not that Will wasn't accustomed to weird. He always knew he wasn't like other kids.
Most kids' moms weren't musicians with hectic schedules, and most kids didn't need to work ten times as hard in school just to barely get passing grades (Will would say that most kids weren't stupid, but his mom didn't allow that kind of talk), and most kids didn't have the dreams that Will had, dreams filled with the weirdest creatures, so strange that they made Chewbacca look like just a regular hairy dude.
So, all things considered, maybe coach Hedge having goat legs shouldn't have freaked him out as much.

He was waiting for his mom to pick him up after school. She was late, again. Will was used to it, so he didn't worry. Coach Hedge was looking at him closely. He didn't dislike the new teacher (he had just arrived a couple of months ago), but he was way too intense for a gym teacher in an elementary school. He was always screaming, and asking them to do push-ups. The ambience was becoming tense until, finally, Hedge broke the ice.

- I've noticed that this is not the first time your mom is late...

Will shrugged.

- She's just busy, I don't mind, I can do my homework better here anyway.

The coach didn't look very convinced. Will was also used to this, people judging his mom, but they didn't know her as he did.

Yes, Naomi Solace was young to be the mom of an 8-year-old, and she had a weird schedule between her alt-country music band and her odd jobs, and she didn't have the steadiest of incomes (things were usually super great or not at all, little in between). But she was also fun, with a smile as bright as the sun, she was never angry even if Will wasn't the best of students, and never judged him, or anybody for that matter.

But Hedge's attitude seemed more out of concern than disapproval, as if Will being alone was... dangerous.

Will was about to ask about it when his mom finally arrived. He completely forgot about it the next day.

One day in May, with very few days of school left, he finally understood.
He was again waiting for his mom, trying to finish the text they had to prepare (a special kind of torture for him, the letters always seemed to be floating) when one of the teachers approached him. He didn't know this teacher (he taught the older kids) and had just seen him around a couple of times. For some reason, it was difficult to look at him, as if he wasn't really there.
He felt the urge to just run, but he didn't know why. He also looked around trying to find Hedge, but that day he wasn't there.

- I should have known it was you, young demigod. - he suddenly said- Looking for the goat? He won't come, I made sure of -

- Hey! - screamed a familiar voice behind him - I wasn't finished with you!

Coach Hedge appeared suddenly, covered in scratches and with a crazy look on his face. He had a bat and looked ready to murder someone.
He wasn't wearing his usual oversized gym pants, but rather... wait... no, it wasn't possible.
He just wasn't wearing any pants, those were his legs, goat legs.
Will looked at the other teacher again, more carefully, and noticed something: it wasn't a person, but rather a huge snake, and he had a tail... or was it another head?

- Will - said Hedge - we need to go now!

Finally, his instincts kicked in, and he ran towards Hedge, the snake teacher behind them.

A part of him thought that this was maybe just a dream (he had known worse), but, another part of him somehow knew it was all real, and even expected. He was going crazy.

- Damn Amphisbaena! Caught me by surprise. I should... - Hedge looked at Will as if pondering whether it was better to turn and fight a two-headed serpent with a bat and a scrawny 8-year-old by his side, or if running was the better alternative

- Fine, let's just go to the car.

Without having any idea of what was going on, Will still felt relieved with that solution.

They reached the doors to the parking lot and continued running. Hedge grabbed the keys to his car and unlocked the driver's door. He ordered Will to hop on and climb to the passenger seat. For a second Will was about to protest and argue that he wasn't old enough to sit in the front, but he decided it was probably not the best time.

- Put on the seatbelt!

The boy obeyed him and waited for Hedge to drive to the exit, but he had other plans. He turned the car to face their pursuer and just stopped it.

Will most have had a panicked look on his face because the coach looked at him and said:

- Trust me, better not to have that thing chasing us.

He grabbed a rifle from his side of the door. How did he hide it? Will had no idea, and just exited half of his body through the window yelling:

- DIE!!! - while shooting the snake.

Will probably also screamed, tho he wasn't sure. His saviour was going to kill them.

To Will's surprise, when the bullet hit the monster, he didn't fall, it just turned into dust.

- And the other satyrs mocked me when I bought this and the special celestial bronze bullets. Beeeeh! Who's laughing now?

Definitely not Will.

Chapter 2: I’m a Demi dog

Chapter Text

They say that when you are about to die, your entire life flashes before your eyes.

For Will, that wasn't the case. When he was about to die, all he could think of was "RUN" and "NOO" and "AHHH". It wasn't until he was safe in the car that finally he had time to reflect on what had happened.

That teacher was a monster. It was a serpent with a head on its tail. And his gym teacher had killed it with a rifle.

His gym teacher, who was part goat.

And he was driving him home, in an old car (Will didn't know much about cars, but this was definitely an old car) and in the front seat, even if he wasn't allowed. He kept closing and opening his eyes and pinching himself and looking at his teacher and confirming his worst fear.

This was real.

He had a million questions, but all that came out of his mouth was

- What just happened?

Coach Hedge grinned as if he had done this a million times.

- Kid, there's no easy way to say this. You're a demigod, and monsters don't like those, and that's why that friend of ours tried to kill us.

Yeah, that still didn't help.

- But what is a demidog ? And how can monsters be real? People would have noticed by now. And if they are real, why would they want to kill me?

- DemiGod! Pay attention Solace! Last time I checked, you weren't part canine. And humans... well, most humans, can't see through the Mist, which is why they don't know about the monsters. And they want to kill you because you are powerful. You are the son of a god.

Will Solace wasn't the kind of kid that went to mass every Sunday, but the last part of Coach Hedge's sentence felt wrong.

- Gods? What gods? Isn't there only one God?

- Behhhhhh let's not get into that! Texas, the best guns, but messiest conversations. I don't know about God with a capital G, but what I do know is that the gods, the Greek gods, are very much real.

- Greek gods?! As in the movie Hercules?

- Behhhh don't mention that film! The Goddess of marriage was so furious!

- Is that Hera...

- Behhhhh careful with names kid!

Will was already terrible with names, and now he had to learn the titles just to not say the names? What a nightmare.

- But wait... how can my dad - he was almost certain his mom was not a goddess- be a Greek god? Aren't they in like Olympia or something?

- Olympus Solace! We are going to need to work on your vocabulary. And yes, that's where they live, in Manhattan, but they move around the country... a lot.

He made a face when saying a lot, like a disapproving grandma.

- Manhattan? Not Greece?

- They moved. - said Hedge, no more explanation.

- But then who is my dad?

- I don't know kid, but I know where you can hopefully find out.

- But if he is a god, that means he is powerful right? Then why hasn't he come to visit? Or at least help when we don't have enough money?

There was a long silence before he heard the answer.

- I don't know kid, I don't know.

Another pause. Will's mind was racing like never before.

- Wait, you said you know a place where I can find out who he is?

- Camp Half-blood! A camp for demigods, where you learn survival skills, strawberry farming, and you train to KILL monsters!

Hedge seemed particularly proud of that last part.

Honestly, this still didn't make any sense. The coach was probably the worst person to explain any of this.

Once they were out of danger, Will showed Hedge where his house was. He parked the car across the street. He had a set of keys with him, and they let themselves in.

The Solace house was always in chaos, and nothing had a permanent place. Will usually didn't mind: he was the one who visited other people, not the other way around. But he found himself turning slightly red at the sight of it when he said:

- You can come in coach, just... - he removed some magazines from the couch - you can sit here.

A voice surged from the other room.

- Will? Is that you? Did you come home by yourself?

His mom came from her room, looking confused. Will felt a little angry at the fact that she was home and still late to pick him up, but he quickly changed his mind: if she wasn't home, then she wouldn't have known that Will was safe.

When she saw coach Hedge, Will expected her to freak out, since he still wasn't wearing any pants, and he looked like he had just been in a bar fight. Instead, she just looked at him, confused.

- Coach, I didn't know you were coming.

- I just offered a ride, and I was hoping to talk with you about William.

William, God (or gods?), that sounded so serious.

Naomi looked at her wristwatch.

- I was about to pick up Will... is not that late, is it? Was there a problem?

- No ma'am, no problem, just wanted to talk.

Naomi looked at Will, curious. She invited Hedge to the kitchen (the third less chaotic place in the house after the bathroom and Will's room). Will was still confused at her lack of questions. Will then thought of the ... what was it? Fog? That the coach mentioned. Maybe his mom just couldn't see it?

Will couldn't focus on their conversation. He was too confused about... well, all of it. He wasn't the only kid without a dad in their school, although most of the other kids at least knew who their dads were. His dad being a Greek god didn't make any sense. He didn't feel particularly powerful or with any special talents. Maybe it was all a mistake. Except, well, a monster did try to kill him. Great, all the weaknesses and none of the advantages.

At some point, his mom's voice started to sound angry, which caught Will's attention:

- I said it to you before, and I said it to Mr Brunner over the phone, I'm not interested in this summer program.

- Mom - Will surprised himself

- I want to go.

Is like the words just automatically came out of his mouth, but it was true: he wanted to make sense of what had happened, and if that was the only solution, so be it.

Naomi looked at him hesitantly.

- Are you sure hun? Cause you don't need any special camp if you don't want to...

- Yes, I'm sure.

Hedge looked at him with a proud grin.

- Pack your bag Solace, we are going to New York.

Chapter 3: The goat, the bait and the junior monster killer

Chapter Text

It was a sad goodbye. Naomi still couldn't understand why his son had to go away immediately, but Will had a way of always reassuring her that everything was going to be okay. He packed a simple bag with the basics and a picture of him and his mom.

He was ready. For what? He wasn't sure, but for the first time in his short existence, he felt a mysterious instinct kick in, a sort of calling. He had to find out the truth, and protect his mom.

- The reason why my mom couldn't see your... legs, it's because she's not like me?

Will and Hedge were in the car (Will was finally in the back and was relieved, and then felt like a dork when he realized he was relieved).

- Yes, although your mom seems particularly susceptible to the Mist. I still try to be discreet just in case, kid. You never know.

Will had a lot of things to say about Hedge. Discreet was not one of them.

- We have to make a stop and pick up another boy from your school.

- Another one?

- Yeah, you are actually pretty young for a camper. Most monsters start picking your scent at 12 or 13, or sooner if you find out the truth. This kid, he is just one year older, but he knows about all of this. That's why I was sent here, his mom called so he could be safe until the summer.

- Then why did the monster attack me?

- Well, you were on your own after school a lot, and you are powerful. Amphisbaenas are not the brightest, but even they can't miss a lonely demigod.

Great, Will thought. He had found out about all this craziness by accident. Just great.

They stopped in front of the other kid's house. Will didn't know what to expect. He saw a boy, not much taller than him, but a lot stronger, talking with a woman that looked a lot like him, short but muscular, with dark hair and olive skin. She had a military uniform and was standing straight, as if ready to salute her superior. As soon as she saw the car, she hugged her son as strong as she could.

Will stayed in the car, observing the scene.

The boy opened the door, climbed to the back and sat next to him. He suddenly recognized him. It was Oscar Julián, a fourth-grader. Oscar wasn't a bully, but he was pretty scary when playing dodgeball in the courtyard.

They just looked at each other and said nothing.

- Time to go! - Said Hedge, and the journey to Camp began.

It took them six days to reach Long Island. The journey was usually shorter, but they were held back by multiple obstacles. Coach Hedge's car was fairly unreliable (1979 Ford Pinto, Will soon learned, and the Coach was very sensitive to any negative comments about it) and the monsters kept appearing. To be honest, they might have escaped multiple times with a stealthier approach, but as Will soon discovered, that wasn't really Hedge's style, or Oscar's, for that matter.
Oscar knew how to fight. He had a knife made of celestial bronze, which Oscar explained was the only metal that could kill monsters. It was a gift from his father to his mom. Will felt a twinge of jealousy but said nothing. Hedge also trusted him with some of his weapons (he had a whole arsenal in the car). Having lived in Texas his whole life, Will didn't expect to be surprised by someone's love of firearms. He was wrong.

Will, on his part, didn't feel like a fighter and was used mostly as bait (he was at least fast). He remembered the first time it happened, on accident. It was late at night, right after leaving Austin, and their first stop near Dallas. Will had tried to make conversation with Oscar since he knew more about the world of monsters than he did, but he was even more confusing than Hedge.

- Your mom didn't explain any of it? But what do you do if you see a hellhound approaching? What kind of weapon do you use?

- A hellhound? What's that?

- You don't know about hellhounds!!!

And instead of explaining what a hellhound was, he just gave a detailed list of all the ways you could kill one. The coach was in the front seat, nodding approvingly.

They arrived at the stop, at a gas station, and Hedge explained they were grabbing dinner for the three of them at the store before stopping and resting for the night. His wounds from the fight earlier that day were starting to swell, and Will convinced him to get some first aid supplies as well, instead of just mud.

They were in the shop at the gas station picking up dinner. Will and Oscar were arguing on whether or not candy bars counted as a decent dinner (Will was on the side of not, even if, admittedly, the options were limited, and candy bars were two for one) when a woman entered the store.

She was old, with angry eyes and walked a bit clumsily, like a bird on the ground. She took a deep breath and smiled as if she had just smelled the best barbecue.

She then turned towards Oscar and Will and smiled some more.

- Two for one, I'm glad to see honest advertising. - she said mischievously.

- Harpy - Oscar smiled rather inappropriately, considering the danger of the situation, and lunged at her.

To Oscar's credit, the harpy was so surprised by this reckless action that the attack almost worked. Almost. She still dodged him and push him to the side with surprising force. Hedge noticed the attack from the other side of the store but, still sore from earlier, wasn't fast enough. She sent a strong gust of wind that knocked him to the side. She returned her attention to Oscar, who was beginning to stand up.

- Now, stay there little demigod. I will be as quick as possible.

- Hey! Leave him alone! - Screamed Will without thinking. - Don't you know it is rude to eat your food without paying first?

- Wha... - said the harpy stunned by the interruption. She didn't expect the scrawny and panicked boy to react. She turned to Will, which gave Oscar enough time to grab his knife and stab her in the back. She turned into dust immediately.

- That was awesome Will! - Oscar said.

- Yes - said Hedge, running behind him, more bruised up than before. 0 in self-preservation skills, but 10 in bravery and following store policy.

And so they repeated that strategy often, with Will being used as a distraction while Hedge and Oscar slashed the monsters. It made Will feel less useless about his lack of fighting skills, and Oscar seemed excited about their plans.

- It is so much easier to kill monsters with bait! So many possibilities!

Will didn't love the term bait, but he knew that Oscar was not being mean about it. It was genuine excitement. He remembered being so intimidated by him when they were at school because he was older and bigger and more competitive, but the truth was that, despite his love of weapons and killing, he was surprisingly sweet with his honest excitement.

Unlike Will's mom, Oscar's mom did know his dad was a god, even if not which one exactly. He had left Monica Julián with the info of Camp Half-blood for when he was old enough. But, his mom had to call and explain everything to his son sooner, because she was about to be deployed and she didn't want his grandparents to be endangered by monsters.

Will didn't know what to think of it. On the one hand, he would have preferred to have his mom explain everything to him, calmly, instead of having as only guides a crazy coach and a hyperactive 9-year-old. However, he was glad that his mom didn't have to deal with that kind of stress, being about to be deployed to the other side of the world while her son was being hunted down by monsters.

During their journey, Will also improved on his first aid skills. Both Oscar and Hedge had a tendency to get hurt, and Will was in charge of the band-aids, bandages and yes, even mud on Hedge's insistence. It wasn't the first time he did it (he and his mom have had a few accidents with the stove while trying to cook and that had pushed him to take some precautions) but this was new. It's like he could feel what was wrong, how bad it was.

Luckily, thanks to Hedge's arsenal and Oscar skills, it never got too bad.

Finally, in the afternoon of the sixth day, after surviving a temperamental 1979 Ford Pinto, a violent cyclops, several crazy birds and a hellhound (Will finally understood what they were) the trio reached Long Island.

Chapter 4: Great first day (thanks dad)

Chapter Text

The coach stopped in the middle of a road. There was nothing around except empty fields and forest. It must have been a mistake.

- Here it is! - exclaimed Hedge excitedly. - It's not the best entrance for the car, but I want you to have the best experience.

He pointed at a hill with a pine tree on the top. The pine was huge and stood up from the other trees. However, no matter how magnificent it was, it still didn't look like an entrance.

The boys followed the satyr (not goat coach, as Will had learned) to the hill. It felt weird to climb after hours of being sited, but it also felt good to breathe some fresh air. They hadn't really changed clothes during their journey and only washed in toilet sinks. Will was feeling as uncomfortable as you could get.

Finally, they reached the top.

The view was beautiful. You could see a big old farm-house, painted blue. A little further, there was a volleyball court and some structures with greek decorations. Even further, shaped like a U, Will saw twelve cabins. There was also what looked like an amphitheater (he wasn't completely hopeless in the name department, even if writing that word gave him nightmares) and an arena. On the other side of the house, he could see strawberry fields. The campers, most of them with orange shirts, were dispersed throughout the entire camp.

It was incredible.

- This is awesome! - Oscar confirmed aloud. - But it's so open, and with a forest over there - he pointed with his finger. - Aren't y'all scared of monster attacks?

- This tree - said Hedge sadly, pointing at the tree pine - protects us. Only demigods, satyrs, and other nature spirits can enter this place without permission. We do let some monsters in - his expression returned to his old self. - We don't want you kids going soft.

Oscar nodded approvingly, and started asking about the monsters they let in. Will was not so sure about that last part. But he wondered, based on Hedge's previous expression, if there was something more to the story about the tree.

The three of them went to the house (The Big House, not the most original name) where a man on a white horse was expecting them in the front. No, wait, the man was not on the horse. He was part horse. God(s)! A little warning would have been nice!

- Gleeson Hedge! - he greeted him happily. - I'm glad to see that you are all safe! I'm Chiron, the activities director. I'll notify your parents of your arrival. In the meantime, please, come in and ... make yourself feel comfortable before the tour.

The way he said it made Will realize he probably looked as grimy as he felt.

The interior of the house was, well, something. Compared to the simplicity of the exterior, it was opulent, and the colors clashed. Above the chimney, there was a leopard's head. It was strange: Will had seen stuffed animals before, but this one appeared to be sleeping.

Chiron led them to a visitor's room that had a bathroom with a shower. He also gave them two orange shirts with CAMP HALF-BLOOD marked in black letters.

They took turns in the shower and changed. They both tried to make as little a mess as possible. Oscar might have been hyperactive, but he was a military brat. As for Will, he was the organized one in his house.

Once they were ready, they left their backpacks on the porch and Chiron gave them a tour. He showed them the strawberry fields, which was apparently how they financed the Camp (Will wished they were more free camps with this kind of system), he saw satyrs playing music to the plants, which was weird since the only satyr he had met was coach Hedge, and he couldn't imagine him so peaceful. They also saw the stables, with real pegasi and campers taking care of them. One of the campers, a beautiful girl around 13 years old called Silena gave them the tour.

- They are adorable! - exclaimed one of the other girls - so cute!

Oscar didn't seem thrilled and mumbled something about stabbing a harpy. Silena gave them an apologetic smile, which turned even bigger once Will answered back with his own. She placed her hand on his shoulder:

- Let's continue! - she said.

Chiron didn't enter the stables with them and chose to wait for them outside. They went to the edge of the woods, apparently filled with monsters. Oscar loved that part, and it seemed to improve his mood after being called cute . but Chiron told the boys they were a little young, and to never go unarmed. Will had no trouble following that rule. They saw the armory, where they had to report later to get a weapon and a shield (why did an 8-year-old need a weapon and a shield? what a disturbing question), and next to it was the forge, where they made the weapons.

Finally, they arrived at the arena. There seemed to be a sword fight between two campers. Will couldn't see them clearly. One seemed to be a tall, blond boy around 18 years old, and the other one seemed to be a shorter, but bulkier guy around the same age.

Oscar was immediately drawn to the fight and approached the bleachers. Will was going to follow, more to avoid being alone than anything, but he noticed something on the other side: the archery range. It looked a lot less crowded, and he was curious to see what was happening. He decided to approach them instead. There was a group of ten kids. Two of them were holding a competition. The eldest of the group, a girl around seventeen years old, was supervising the competition.

- Lee vs Michael, our last two competitors! Who will win this tournament? - she screamed imitating a sports reporter.

The other spectators cheered.

Will observed the competitors. One of them was older, with blond hair and tanned skin. He was around fifteen years old, tall, with a radiant smile. The other boy was the opposite. It was hard to know how old he was. He wasn't much taller than Will, but looked much older, around thirteen. Maybe it was the imposing aura he had or his sharp features, but despite his height, he was intimidating.

Will thought he was being inconspicuous, but apparently, he was wrong. Another girl, around sixteen years old, heard him immediately. She gave him a huge smile, and her whole face lit up, including her big black eyes.

- Hey! I haven't seen you around here. Are you new?

- Yeah - nodded Will - I'm Will. - He gave a small wave to all the campers present.

- I'm Michelle - laughed the girl showing again her beautiful smile. - Was Chiron giving you the tour of the arena?

- Yes, but I don't know, I can't imagine myself doing that.

- Don't worry, you'll learn.

- Archery is better anyway - interrupted a boy next to them.

They all cheered.

In the meantime, Lee and Michael continued their competition, even if it seemed slightly pointless to Will. Every single one of their arrows had hit its target.

- Mr. Solace - said Chiron behind him. - I see you found the archery range - he smiled as if he knew something.

- Sorry, sir, I was about to go back - Will turned red all of the sudden.

- You missed the fight! - screamed Oscar behind them, all excited. - It was awesome! That Luke guy sure knows what he's doing.

After saying goodbye to Michelle, the tour continued. They skipped the cabins (Chiron decided to leave them for last) and the mess hall (dinner was just two hours away, he explained). They saw the canoeing lake, the amphitheater, and the climbing wall (with lava, a clear safety hazard according to Will, an excellent idea according to Oscar). They saw the Arts and Crafts room and the Volleyball court, and they were back in front of the Big House. A guy with sandy hair was waiting for them.

- That's Luke! - whispered Oscar - It's the guy from earlier.

Will took a while to recognize him, but there he was. His laid-back attitude and charming smile contrasted with the scar that ran across the right side of his face.

- Hey guys! - he greeted them - I'm Luke, I'm the head counselor of Cabin 11, the Hermes Cabin. You are going to be staying in our cabin for a while. Just pick up your stuff and follow me.

They picked up their bags, still waiting for them on the porch, and followed Luke to the cabins.

- Can I ask you a question? - asked Will.

Luke couldn't help but smile at his overly serious tone for an 8-year-old.

- Of course, go ahead.

- Aren't we supposed to stay in our fathers' cabins? Or is Hermes our dad? And how do you know if he is?

- That's more than one question - Luke mocked gently. Then suddenly his expression changed and went from happy to something bitter. - but to answer that, my dad, Hermes, is the god of travelers, so we take in all the newcomers. I don't know who your father is, or yours - he added, looking at Oscar - It might be Hermes - he said, without believing it - but it might be another god. We have to wait and see if you are claimed.

- If? - Will was worried.

- Well, not everybody gets claimed, it's true... but that doesn't make you any less of a demigod and you'll see, cabin 11 is great! We don't care if you are a child of Hermes or not, you are still a part of the family.

While Will appreciated the fact that Luke was trying to make him feel better, he had come this far and had almost died several times, to find out the truth about his dad. This did not help.

They were twelve cabins in a U formation, with two in the background and five in a row on either side. They all looked different. Luke explained every single one.

- Those two in the background are Zeus's and Hera's cabins. - He looked at the sky as if waiting for a bolt of lightning to strike him for daring to say their names. - They are mostly symbolic. After WWII, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swore to never have children, and Hera is the goddess of marriage, so no children either. That's also why cabin 3 (Poseidon's) is also empty. Then next to it you have Ares, Apollo, Hephaestus, and Hermes on that side - he said, pointing at each of the Cabins - and Demeter, Athena, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Dyonisus on the other side. Cabin 8 is also empty because Artemis chose to not have any children.

Will couldn't avoid being impressed. All the cabins were different as if reflecting their respective god's personalities. However, he had some questions: Luke had mentioned Hades and the pact, but there was no Cabin for him. Also, why didn't the gods just automatically claim their children? How did they have so many children so close in age? (Okay, maybe not that question, he had discovered some weird stuff about babies earlier that year). His brain was again working as fast as possible when he realized that Luke and Oscar were already going towards Cabin 11. He ran to catch up.

Oscar was quieter than usual. It was as if his excitement after the tour had worn off.

- Are you okay? - Will asked

- Yeah... it's just... thinking of my mom.

Will didn't know what to say. A part of him felt guilty (the truth is that he hadn't thought about his mom all day) and another part of him wanted to give Oscar a big hug. he knew he had to be even more worried than the other kids since in just a few days she was going to be deployed herself. He didn't dare hug Oscar, but he offered a big smile.

- It's okay if you miss her, you know? I'm sure she would be proud of how you fought during our journey.

- Thanks, Will - he smiled slightly, holding his tears.

Cabin 11 looked like one of the oldest, with worn-down walls. It also looked like the classic cabin, that could belong in any camp. Will found this fitting.

Inside, it was chaos, with too many people, and too few bunks. To compensate, they were mattresses and sleeping bags on the floor. Half of the boys and girls looked like they were to either sell you something or steal something from you. The other half looked worn down and tired.

- Regular or undetermined? - a girl asked.

- Both undetermined- Luke said with a monotone voice as if it was routine.

They were some complaints (so much for the welcoming) but Luke avoided all of them.

- Hey, none of that - Luke shushed them with little energy. - Will, Oscar, you can put your stuff over there. - he pointed at a corner in the back of the cabin - We'll get you some sleeping bags after dinner.

At seven-thirty, Luke yelled:

- Eleven, fall in!

The lineup was apparently in order of seniority. Will and Oscar looked at each other, not knowing what to do, until Will finally silently decided to stay in the back, as the youngest between them.

The mess hall was an outdoor pavilion. Chiron had explained to them when visiting the strawberry fields, that the weather at camp could be controlled. He tried to imagine what it was like to choose nice springtime weather in winter, and have dinner there without worrying about snow or rain.

Will understood why maybe the childless gods wanted to have cabins, but dinner tables? It was absurd seeing four tables completely empty while trying to eat in the overcrowded table 11. At the next table, table 12, he saw Chiron (not really sitting), with Hedge, who gave the boys a wave, other satyrs he didn't recognize, a strange man who looked like he lived in a casino, and two boys who looked a lot like him.

- That's Mr. D, the camp director - explained Luke as if reading his mind.

Wait, Mr. D, table 12, cabin 12...

- That's a god? - whispered Will, not wanting to say his name aloud.

Luke smiled.

- Yeah, they can choose what they want to look like.

Will was perplexed until Mr. D locked eyes with him. It was only a second, but he understood that indeed, Mr. D was a god. The first time he was truly scared inside the camp.

- To the gods! - toasted Chiron

Oscar and Will looked at each other.

- My mom says it's bad luck to toast with an empty glass - Whispered Oscar very seriously.

- Just think of anything you want to drink, - explained Luke- and it will appear in your glasses.

Will wished for a glass of milk. The cup was filled with fresh whole milk. Perfect.

The food arrived, but before the boys could eat anything, they saw everyone standing up with their plates, and approaching the bonfire at the center of the pavilion. They followed.

- These are offerings for the gods - Luke grabbed a piece of meat and threw it into the fire. - Hermes - he said, a little unconvincingly.

Will had no idea who to pray to, but he did the same. He just whispered:

- To umm, dad, I guess.

There was no response. But he did notice something: the smell. It wasn't the smell of a classic bonfire or burnt food. It smelled like a feast at parties.

After the meal, Chiron asked for silence. Mr. D stood up.

- Yes, hello and all of those things. In ten days we have our annual capture the flag, how exciting -he said with zero excitement - Cabin 6 holds the laurels.

The Athena kids just nodded but also smiled proudly. The Ares kids just groaned.

- Yes yes, good job etcetera. We also have two new campers: Isaac Jullien and Bill Souza - Chiron whispered something - Ah, Oscar Julián and Will Solace. Anyway, time for the campfire. Go.

Despite the terrible speech, everyone seemed happy. They all headed to the amphitheater. Will noticed that in the front were the same campers he saw in the archery range, with three other campers he hadn't noticed before. Michelle stood up and led the sing-a-long. Her voice was deep and very strong for her age.

While they were singing, Will turned to Oscar.

- Hey - he said, trying to cheer up his friend. We did it!

- I know! - he smiled - it's so cool! - he pulled out his knife. - I'm going to miss traveling with y'all tho.

Will wasn't sure he was going to miss the trip itself, but he understood. After that trip, Oscar was his friend.

- Remember when you killed that first harpy? It was amazing! - Will continued.

Oscar's eyes seemed happy again. He started talking again non-stop, thinking of all the monsters they had fought during their journey when suddenly Will was blinded by a red light. Once he recovered, he saw Oscar, glowing red, and covered in bronze armor. Everyone had stopped singing and looked in the directions of the boys, who were sitting all the way back.

- Hail, Oscar Julián, son of Ares - someone said.

Everyone tried to kneel, which was a little uncomfortable given the disposition of the amphitheater. The same guys Will had seen in table 5 started cheering.

Oscar had been claimed.

That night, Will returned to Cabin 11 with the rest of the group. Luke gave him a sleeping bag and looked kinda relieved because he wasn't sure if he could've gotten another one. Oscar arrived shortly after to pick up his bag after being reunited with his siblings.

- Hey - he looked guilty - I'm sorry I have to leave.

- I'm really happy about your dad Oscar - and he was. He was a little mad about his dad, but he was genuinely happy for Oscar. If someone deserved to be claimed, it was him. Will didn't know what to think of Ares tho: Oscar was definitely a warrior and more on the side of "punch now, ask questions later", rather than careful planning, but still, there was something sweet about him that the older kids Will had seen in cabin 5 lacked.

Oscar's eyes light up again.

- I'm so happy! My siblings told me I could have my own sword and shield and spear...

Oscar told Will everything he had seen in Cabin 5 until Luke insisted he had to leave.

Will was laying down in his corner of the room. His mind wandered off and he thought about his mom. He wondered if she missed him. He missed her, and yet a part of him didn't really want to go home. However, is not as if that dark corner of Cabin 11 felt much better. It was just too much, and he felt numb.

That was his first day in Camp Half-Blood.

Chapter 5: Nightmare

Chapter Text

No more dreamless nights on the road.

For the first time since he discovered the truth about the Greek gods, Will had a nightmare.

Will was used to nightmares. His dreams tended to be very vivid, filled with inexplicable creatures (well, no so inexplicable creatures anymore). He particularly hated dreams about snakes living under his bed, who whispered about getting revenge.

He was in the forest. What was he doing there? He couldn't understand. It was nighttime, but a red light kept everything illuminated. Was it fire? But it wasn't possible, everything felt cold.

He took a deep breath. All he could smell was the dirt at his feet. No smoke.

Suddenly, he heard a scream:

- Help! Medic!

For some reason, he knew that was him, which was absurd, because he was an 8-year-old, and 8-year-olds couldn't be medics.

But in his hands, he had a first aid bag. It was him.

Against his better judgment, he started running towards the voice. It was as if he was fully conscious in the dream, but couldn't control it.

Suddenly he heard another voice asking for help.

- We need a healer over here!

It was all the way on the other side. What could he do? He just followed the original voice. He would go back for them, he promised.

The same thing repeated itself over and over until all you could hear in the forest were the screams of people asking for help:

- Someone! We need someone here!

- It hurts! Please, it hurts!

- Don't go!

However, Will kept running towards the original voice, who just seemed to go further and further away. He was barefoot, and he realized his feet were bleeding, but for some reason, it didn't hurt. He could just feel the wet sensation of blood and dirt.

- Where are you?! I... I can't find you!

But people continued asking for help, over and over.

He screamed. Tears started running down his eyes.

His dream changed.

Now he was in a tent filled with people. Some were in beds, but they weren't enough. Some were laying on the floor. But the weirdest thing was that most of the people were faceless.

It was as if a sort of fog covered them. Will couldn't distinguish their features.

Except for one person: in the corner of the tent, he found Oscar.

Will ran up to him.

- Oscar!

But the boy wasn't moving. His eyes were closed.

- Help! Please, help me! - he begged - my friend needs help!

But no one was listening.

- Momma? Mom, where are you? - he whispered.

No response.

He tried to wake his friend by shaking his shoulders. His skin was cold. Was he asleep? He couldn't understand. He tried to see if he was wounded, but it was as if a fog covered his entire body.

- Dad? Can you hear me? Are you there?

But there was no response.

He had never felt so helpless in his life.

He woke up the next morning, shaking, tears still running down his eyes.

Chapter 6: Life in the Hermes cabin

Chapter Text

Most people were still asleep, even if the curtains weren't enough to keep the early summer morning light from entering the cabin.

Will closed his eyes and hugged his knees. He tried taking deep breaths to stop the tears, but it wasn't working.

- Hey Will, are you okay?

Luke looked at him with concern. Will was still crying, but now he was ashamed too. He was already one of the youngest kids in the Camp, and now everyone was going to think he was just a baby.

- I'm... I'm... sor... sorry - Will sniffled.

- You have nothing to be sorry about - he whispered and offered him a hug.

Will accepted, and they stayed there for a few minutes. Will's eyes were closed, but he could hear movement in the cabin. He started feeling self-conscious again. As if reading his mind, Luke asked:

- Do you wanna go outside?

Will just nodded. He was staring at the floor as he walked, not daring to see if anyone else was looking.

Outside, the day was clear. There were almost no campers, and just a few nymphs and satyrs having their morning walks. It smelled like fresh grass, contrasting with the stuffy ambiance of the cabin. They stood there, silently, Luke's hand still on Will's shoulder.

- You know - Luke finally broke the silence - it's okay to cry. We've all been there. The nightmares I mean.

Will most have had a very shocked expression because Luke smiled and continued:

- It's a demigod thing. We are more susceptible to dreams because of our powers. We have also seen more stuff than... well, most people, so ... - he looked at Will again, as if thinking how to explain all of this to an 8-year-old. - My point is, none of us are going to judge you - he gave a sad smile- especially not me.

- Did... did you have a nightmare last night too?

Luke took a while to answer.

- More like a very strange dream. - he smiled again. - Enough to wake me up early! This is good, I got us one of the first shifts for the showers!

Getting twenty-nine kids to be ready for breakfast was an impossible task, but Luke Castellan somehow managed. There was a bathroom in the cabin, but it was clear that the structure wasn't designed to hold that many people. Luckily, they had also installed toilets and showers outside for all the cabins.

One of the advantages of Cabin 11 was that the children of Hermes had excellent negotiation skills, so they often got good schedules. If that didn't work, they often just showed up early and stole the turn, which, when you had to wait for thirty kids to finish, was a terrible occurrence.

He had also noticed that someone had been searching his bag, but nothing was missing. He could've sworn he heard a conversation going like this:

- Dude, not cool, he is too young.

- Well, is not like there was much to take anyway.

The morning routine was so chaotic that Will had to remind himself of his road trip the previous day, and his times on the road with his mom and the band to look on the bright side.

However, more surprises were to come.

The first class was ancient Greek. This shouldn't have been that weird, he had recently started Spanish classes back in Austin, but it still felt unreal.

They were given an extract from the Odyssey. He had seen Greek letters before, but never so many so close together. He looked at them closely and realized... he could understand the words? Not only could he understand the words, but the letters didn't float around like in normal texts.

A girl of around 11 years of age was giving the class, the youngest teacher he ever had. Her eyes were a little scary, grey and serious, and way too mature for her face. Her name was Annabeth and had recently been named the Head Counselor for Cabin 6, the youngest Head Counselor in the Camp.

She must have noticed his shocked expression because she explained:

- Demigods' brains are wired for ancient Greek, which is why it's easier to read than English. We still have some dyslexia-friendly English books tho.

- Dyslexia?

- Yeah... Were you diagnosed with dyslexia?

Will shook his head.

- Do you have problems reading?

- Yes! It's very hard to distinguish the words, the words are kinda floating? I don't know.

- Well, you are pretty young and is never too late for a diagnosis. Your teacher never told you anything?

Chapter 7: Best participation trophy

Chapter Text

On team blue, the Athena cabin had formed an alliance with the Hermes Cabin (a common occurrence apparently), the Hephaestos cabin, and the Dyonisus cabin. The rest of the Cabins, led by the Ares cabin, were on team red.

Luke placed Mary and Will on border patrol, but, from what Will could tell, they were rather far away from the flags, and therefore, the action. Will's helmet kept falling and covering his eyes. The shield was so heavy that he couldn't carry it, so he decided to just lean it against his legs. It was ridiculous.

- Border patrol! - Mary was furious - You know, they only put us here because they don't think we can manage. But they are wrong! Come on Will! We should move.

Will wasn't very convinced they were wrong, but he didn't want to be left alone in the forest, so he followed Mary, carrying the oversized shield with difficulty, and barely seeing anything.

They were captured almost immediately.

Their captors were a couple of Ares kids: the first one was a boy around Mary's age, and the second one looked a little younger.

- Ugh, Mark, Sherman - said Mary with as much scorn as possible.

- Hey! You are our prisoners now! No talking. And you! - Mark pointed at Will - you haven't had your initiation yet, have you? - he smiled.

- Hey! Not cool! You said you weren't going to do it! - Mary placed herself in front of Will.

- He's not that much younger, honestly, the rule is stupid. But yeah, you're safe - said Sherman looking at him - for now.

They led them to their team prison. Mark and Sherman placed themselves behind them, pointing their oversized swords at their backs.

- What is the initiation? - he whispered to Mary

- Oh, it's this stupid tradition the Ares kids have where they stick the newbies' heads in the toilet. No one likes it, but it keeps the Ares kids calm. However, everyone agreed that it seemed to be a bit much for the younger campers, below ten. Besides, their counselor is like super protective of Oscar, and Oscar likes you, so I wouldn't worry much.

Wow, he would have to thank Oscar next time.

- Did you get your head stuck in the toilet?

- Yeah, wasn't great, but I managed to punch that stupid Mark on the nose - she smiled at that last part. Mark wasn't too pleased.

- Hey! Less talking a more walking, prisoners!

After a few minutes, Will whispered again:

- I'm sorry, it's unfair that I got saved because of Oscar...

Mary laughed

- Gods, don't worry Will, I'm personally glad about it. - she laughed a little more- You know? It's the first time someone apologizes to me for not getting their heads stuck in the toilet.

They laughed together until they were interrupted by a loud noise, followed by a painful scream.

Will's first instinct was to go towards the scream. He dropped the shield and started running. His helmet was on the way, so he just dumped it and left it behind.

- Hey! You are our prisoner! You can't just leave! - screamed Sherman behind him. - And you can't remove your helmet! It's against the rules!

- Did you just remind someone of the rules? - mocked Mark, running behind him.

- Oh shut up.

Will found Clarisse La Rue, one of Oscar's older siblings, on the ground. It looked like she had fallen and twisted her ankle. She also had a nasty cut on her head. She had the Athena flag in her hand but hadn't crossed the boundary.

- Will! - he heard Mary behind him - just grab the flag and run in the opposite direction! We can save it!

Will ignored her.

- You are hurt - he said to Clarisse. - Here, let me help you - he grazed her hand.

- Don't touch me! - Clarisse removed her hand and pointed her spear towards Will. However, she sounded a little groggy.

- Careful, you have a concussion, and you are going to hurt your ankle even more. Drop the spear and let me help you!

Sherman, Mark, and Mary had caught up to them and were too stunned to speak. Was Will crazy, talking to Clarisse La Rue like that? Also, how could an 8-year-old know about concussions?

Apparently, Clarisse was equally stunned, because she said nothing.

Will grabbed her hand again. He focused on the information. He could feel Clarisse's heartbeat going very fast, her blood running through her veins and arteries, the movement of her muscles. It was as if he could feel exactly what was wrong with her. He could feel the muscle injury in the ankle and the injury to the head. He could feel that no bones were broken, but that blood pressure was off. It was as if he had available all the health tests in the world, in the palm of his hand.

- Can you fix it? - asked Clarisse, a little violently.

- Well, not without any medical supplies, we should call for more help.

- Okay then. Mark! - she looked at her brother. - Run!

Mary tried to react, but Mark was faster. He grabbed the flag and started running like crazy, Mary behind him, screaming.

- Dude - said Sherman - I think you just made your team to lose - he started laughing until Clarisse gave him a glance - Ummm, I'm going to get Chiron.

Soon, they heard cheers from the other side. Mark had succeeded.

Sherman came back a few minutes later with Chiron.

- What happened? - the centaur looked at the scene, surprised to see Clarisse so calm.

In reality, Will guessed, she was probably too stunned from the injury to the head.

- I think she has a concussion, a sprained ankle, and some cuts and bruises from the fall. We should get her to the infirmary.

Despite his initial fears, he was confident in what he said. He had felt it. A knowledge that went beyond him.

Chiron looked at him, proud. Sherman was also looking at him, speechless. Clarisse just covered her eyes, disturbed by the light.

Above Will's head, a sort of holographic image was glowing. It was a lyre. He saw Michelle and Lee approaching.

- You owe me ten drachmas - she said to Lee. He just nodded smiling.

Soon, more campers started congregating and carefully kneeling. Chiron announced:

- Hail, Will Solace, son of Apollo.

Chapter 8: Introducing Apollo cabin

Chapter Text

With the help of Chiron and her siblings, Clarisse was taken to the infirmary. Soon, Will found himself surrounded by thirteen other campers: the Apollo Cabin.

- Guys! Give the boy some room to breathe - said the eldest of the group. She was the same girl supervising the competition, the day he arrived. He had learned since that her name was Lisa Huang, and she was the head counselor for Cabin 7. She had the same radiant smile that all the Apollo kids seemed to have. - Will, we are very proud to welcome you to our Cabin! Let's get your stuff from Cabin 11 and get you sorted.

Lisa accompanied him all the way. Most of the crowd had dispersed (it was almost lunchtime), so there were only a few kids in the Cabin. No one said anything. He found Mary sitting in her sleeping corner, looking angry.

- Hey - he approached her slowly. - I'm sorry about the game, I should've listened to you.

She sighed.

- It's not the game it's... - she looked at him and gave a sad smile. - nothing. I'm happy for you. To be clear, what you did was all kinds of stupid - she gave him a look - but it was great to see Clarisse being silenced by a little kid - Will was going to make a comment on how eleven wasn't really adult status, but he stopped himself. - anyway, the point is, I'm angry about another thing, and you being all sunny and apologizing does not help - she smiled, now earnestly. So go to your Cabin, and don't lose anything! I won't be there to protect your stuff anymore!

Will hugged her. She groaned but hugged him back.

Outside, he saw Luke with Lisa. Both looked very uncomfortable, but Will couldn't understand why.

- Hey Will! - Luke gave him his characteristic smile, although something looked different, maybe forced? - leaving us so soon?

- Yeah, sorry about the game.

- Hey! Technically, Apollo and Ares had an alliance, so you are all good - he winked. - Besides, it's good to be claimed, even if you have to risk getting stung by an electric spear just to do it - he ended, a little bitterly.

Will didn't really understand that last part, but Lisa apparently did, because she just said :

- Hey Will, come here, our siblings are expecting us. - and ended the conversation.

They didn't have to walk very far, but Will was still a little bothered with the previous interaction. Before they entered Cabin 7, he asked:

- What did Luke mean when he mentioned the electric spear?

Lisa sighed.

- He just gets a little upset when the gods don't claim their kids immediately. He feels like we shouldn't have to prove ourselves to get, well, acknowledged I guess.

The boy considered those words. Honestly, it made some sense. He was claimed, but he was happier about meeting his siblings than about Apollo himself, which considering his original motivations to go to Camp Half-Blood, it was surprising. Lisa must have noticed, because she placed her hand on his shoulder, and gave her biggest smile.

- Hey, look, I know that the gods can be... confusing. But remember, we have each other, everyone at camp, and now, everyone in our cabin as well.

Will smiled back. It was true. He wasn't alone, and regardless of his feelings for the god, it was in part thanks to Apollo.

Cabin 7 was incredible. At first glance, it looked like a smaller, but better-kept version of Cabin 11. However, when hit by sunlight, it looked as if it was made of solid gold. Most campers couldn't look at it directly, but Will could as if his eyes were made for bright lights. Inside, it was beautiful and calm (the complete opposite of Cabin 11). It smelled like sage, there were no sleeping bags on the floor. There were seven bunk beds, four on one side and three on the other, and books and instruments in each corner. Twelve campers were expecting them, with huge smiles on their faces. He knew Michelle, who seemed the happiest to see him (if that was even possible). He also knew Lee and Michael, the guys holding the competition on his first day. There was a boy, not much younger than Lisa, named Louis, who looked like a Greek statue. Carmen and Aida, a couple of twins around fourteen years of age, looked at him as if he was a new puppy. Another girl, Victoria, who must have been eleven, didn't look as pleased. Not mad necessarily, but rather assessing if Will was worth the trouble. Ben, a boy of the same age, looked quite the opposite, more like a literal golden retriever. Mateo was around fifteen, and his brown eyes were warm and comforting. David was thirteen, like Michael, but very shy, especially compared to the rest of his siblings. He was hiding slightly behind Tamara, who was actually a year younger. Finally, Hannah, the closest of his siblings to Will in age (she was around 10) offered him a proud smile, looking relieved of no longer being the Cabin's baby.

Indeed, the Apollo Cabin was the second largest of the bunch, in terms of inhabitants, except that, contrary to the Hermes Cabin, all the members were confirmed children of Apollo. Gods, how did his dad manage to have fourteen children, almost in a row? No, some questions were better left unanswered.

- We prepared this bed for you. - said Michelle, with a sad smile. She pointed at the inferior bed from the bunk in the left corner, the only bed available.

Everyone looked a little uncomfortable when Will placed his stuff there, and he was left confused. Wasn't he supposed to do that?

- Is it okay if I put my stuff here? - he asked to confirm.

- Yes, of course, sorry.- Lisa confirmed after a few seconds. - I'm sorry Will. Yes, of course, you can.- she repeated.

There was another awkward silence.

- Guys, we have to be honest with him - Michelle approached him. - He's our brother.

Lisa sighed as if fearing this moment would come. She sat in Will's bed and invited him to do the same.

- Will, I'm sorry for our reactions. We are ironically not the best actors. - she smiled, but her dark eyes showed extreme sadness. - The truth is, that bed belonged to our previous head counselor. His name was Henry. He passed away last year.

There was nothing but silence in the room. Aida cried silently while Carmen comforted her. Hannah looked sad, but also uncomfortable, as if not sharing the same degree of grief. Louis looked mostly mad.

- I'm really sorry- Will offered Lisa a hug. She accepted.

- Gods! I'm so sorry - she said, crying. - You deserved a better introduction! I swear is not always like this!

- Well, we are not the most dramatic Cabin for nothing - Michelle interjected, half crying, half laughing.

- Hey! That title belongs to the Aphrodite kids! - laughed Michael, with a twinge of sadness in his voice.

Will felt a little guilty, he didn't want to replace Henry (not that he ever could, he was just 8), but that was the last bed available.

Despite their initial sadness, the Apollo kids wiped their tears and headed for lunch. After all, as Lisa later explained, they were always in charge of the entertainment, even in the darkest of times.

At lunch, he discovered how different Apollo children could be. Lisa, Lee, Michael, Victoria, Tamara, and Louis were the warriors. They were excellent with a bow and arrow, at telling if someone was truthful or not, and at estimating outcomes. Michelle, Carmen, Aida, David, and Ben were the artists, excelling particularly in music, but literature too. Carmen in particular had the heart of a poet, in both English and Spanish. Finally, Mateo, Hannah, and Will himself were the healers. That didn't mean that a person from one group lacked the talents of the other. On the contrary, some campers, like Lee, seemed to act like Jacks of all trades. But there were definitely preferences, and some skills were easier to develop than others.

Even if he missed some of his friends in Cabin 11 (particularly Mary), that first day with Cabin 7 was amazing. All of his siblings, even the most intimidating ones like Louis and Victoria, treated him immediately as a member of the family, no introductions required. Michelle, Lee, and Mateo seemed the more protective types. Michelle told him how, from the first moment he saw him, she suspected he was an Apollo kid, and her brother. At first, Will found the idea funny. He was a tall skinny white kid from Austin who was only passable at singing, and she was a short, curvy black girl from Chicago with the most amazing voice. But soon, he understood what she meant: it was in the smile, the calming attitude, the little details. Lee, on the other hand, looked a lot more like Will physically, even though he was definitely more of a fighter. He was already planning everything he could teach him. Mateo was just happy to have another healer under his wing.

- We are often underappreciated! But trust me, Will, at the end of the day, we have the most important job - he winked.

Okay, Mateo was very convincing. Maybe it wasn't going to be that bad after all, being a healer instead of an artist or a fighter.

Mateo wanted to take him to the infirmary immediately and test his abilities, but, after all the emotions of the day, Lisa convinced him to let Will rest, and the Cabin decided to do some more relaxing activities to bond with him.

Lee, Michael, Victoria, Lisa, Tamara, and Louis held an archery competition. Victoria had an incredible aim, but being much younger than her siblings, she didn't have the advantage. Tamara was also pretty young, but taller and stronger. She held her own pretty well. Louis and Lisa were also fantastic, but, just like the first day, it was down to Lee and Michael. Still, a part of Will suspected that Lisa, as head counselor, had held back a little to let her younger siblings have some fun.

Then, it was the turn of the others to show their artistic endeavors.

In the Arts and Craft center, in the music room, David began playing the piano. His shy attitude disappeared as soon as his hands touched the keys. He was one with the instrument. Accompanying the music, Aida showed them a beautiful dance. Ben read aloud a short scene he had written, acting all the voices, and Carmen had composed a poem in Spanglish. Without understanding everything (even if his Spanish classes from Austin definitely helped), Will was still very moved. Finally, Michelle sang the most beautiful hymn to Apollo.

- You should take notes - whispered Mateo - hymns come in handy when healing.

While this wasn't completely clear for Will, he still made a mental note.

He realized that despite their differences, most of his siblings showed extreme confidence in their talents. He still didn't feel very confident himself, but maybe it was more an aura than a real feeling. He hoped to capture that attitude someday.

Heading to the pavilion for dinner, Mateo pulled Hannah and Will aside:

- Hey, I know we didn't get our chance to shine today, but don't worry: tomorrow I'm going to show you what the Apollo Cabin can do.

After dinner and the campfire, Will walked slowly towards the Cabin, trailing a little behind his siblings. Despite how great the day had been, he could still not shake up the uneasiness of his arrival. Michelle noticed him, deep in his thoughts.

- Everything alright Will?

- I... can I ask you a question? Even if it is a very personal question?

Michelle gave him a curious look.

- Okay, let's do this. Ask the question, and if it is too personal, I'll tell you, no hard feelings. Deal?

- Deal.

He paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

- What happened to Henry? - he saw the sad look on her face. - No, I'm sorry I asked.

- No, it's a fair question. It's not even that personal, as far as questions go. It's your right as our sibling, his brother, to know the truth. - she took a deep breath. - Do you know what a quest is Will?

- No, not really.

- Well, a quest is a mission, given by the oracle. The oracle is, well, like a voice, that gives prophecies, pieces of the future. Three is the best number of people to go on a quest, a sort of lucky number. Usually, each year, a senior camper talks to the oracle and gets a quest, and that person chooses two companions. Last year, Luke was chosen for a quest. It was a different quest because it was actually given by his father directly, rather than the oracle. That sometimes happens too, tho very rarely. Anyway, he chose two companions, Henry, our head counselor, and Callie, the head counselor of the Athena Cabin. Only Luke came back.

There was a long silence. Will was absolutely shocked: the story was even more awful than he had imagined.

- It's that why Annabeth is the counselor for Cabin 6?

- Yes, she's very young, but she had seniority. She was even younger than you when she came here. She's been here even longer than me.

Another silence.

- And, it's that how Luke got his scar?

- Yes - Michelle said painfully - it is. He was in pretty bad shape when he came back, but Mateo and Chiron saved him.

- And, it's Lisa mad at him for what happened?

Michelle looked stunned for a second.

- You are very observant Will, especially for your age. - she finally said. - No, Lisa doesn't blame Luke. But, he changed after that quest, and Lisa doesn't like the person he has become.

- But, he's super nice all the time, isn't that good?

- Yes, Luke is a good person but, he's bitter. I don't know, the head counselors know more about this, they have meetings on how to run things. Lisa sees a side of him that not all of us get to see.

Silence again.

- I'm sorry if it was too much - said Will finally.

- No, it's okay. I prefer to keep things honest between us Will. It's clear you notice a lot of what's going on, I prefer to explain rather than leave you alone with any wrong impressions.

Will was used to being treated as an older kid, especially by his mom, that always called him mature. But this was different. It was not someone asking him to do more than other kids his age, it was someone talking to him with a deep sense of respect.

He grabbed Michelle's hand, and she squeezed back.

- Let's go sunshine, let's get you to bed.

Henry's bed, now his bed, was below Lisa's. At his feet, in the next bunk, was Michelle. In front of him, on the other side of the room, he could see Mateo's bed. He felt safe, and the idea of sleeping in the old counselor's bed became less daunting.

He finally fell asleep.

Chapter 9: Medical school for an 8 year old

Chapter Text

The Apollo Cabin was always the first Cabin at breakfast, a sharp contrast from the messy routine he had witnessed during his stay in Cabin 11.

- And that's why Star Wars is one of the best modern retellings of the Hero's journey! - Mateo was in the middle of a heated discussion with Michael. Will noticed he must have woken up before sunrise because when he woke up, Mateo wasn't in his bed. They reunited with him at breakfast. Will had been daydreaming while eating when suddenly he caught the last part of their conversion.

- You like Star Wars? - he asked excitedly.

- No Will, don't encourage him - Michael rolled his eyes. - We already lost Hannah to those Space movies.

- Space mov... excuse me, have some respect - said Mateo, only half-joking - Will, what do you think about Star Wars?

Will turned red but answered happily:

- I really liked them! I haven't seen the last one tho... but I like the old ones better anyway.

- A man of taste - Mateo approved. - Guys, he said, looking at Will and then at Hannah.- this is better than I could have predicted. The Jedi trio, we shall be, taking care of these careless campers.

Michael rolled his eyes even harder. Tamara could barely breathe because of how hard she was laughing at the exchange.

- Lee - said Michael - I'm afraid we were too late.

Lee turned, having missed the entire conversation until he saw Tamara, tears still running down her eyes from all the laughter.

- What do you mean? What happened?

- Will likes Star Wars, and Mateo is now speaking all weird again.

- Gods! You guys are going to kill poor Tamara.

- No, I'm... I'm fi... I'm fine -she said, still wheezing. - Gods, my ribs hurt.

After breakfast, Mateo, Hannah, and Will headed to the Big House. Mateo was carrying a tray with food for Clarisse, the only overnight patient in the infirmary.

- And now, young Padawan - he said to Will - we are going to introduce you to THE most important place in the entire camp. Hannah, do me the honor, please.

Hannah rolled her eyes and smiled as she opened the back door of the Big House, which led directly to the infirmary.

The room was big, and bright, with beds on each side. It smelled of antiseptic, but the smell wasn't too strong. Will kinda liked it, it smelled clean. It was also cold, which felt refreshing. Only one bed was occupied: Clarisse was there, awake. Argus, the hundred-eyed security guard, was standing on the other side.

- Thanks, Argus! We'll take it from here - said Mateo cheerfully.

Argus just nodded and left through the other door, that connected to the rest of the Big House.

- Your breakfast madame - Mateo had adopted an overly serious tone. Clarisse just rolled her eyes and took the tray.

- I'm fine, you didn't have to keep me overnight. A good dose of ambrosia and my ankle and head are all better now.

- Now now, the standard procedure for head injuries, even with ambrosia, is to keep you overnight. Doctor's orders. Now, eat, and after that, we'll check you again before discharging you.

While Clarisse was eating, still grumpy, Mateo continued his tour.

He showed them a very small room, filled with supplies, and a little bed. It was clean, but it looked like someone had slept there last night.

- Here is where we keep all the medicines and other supplies, when not in use. I'm going to ask Cabin 9 to make you a key since we use a special lock. It is also used by whoever has the night shift.

- It's here where you went last night? - asked Will.

- Exactly! When there's an injured camper, someone has to stay close. It's usually one of us, but Argus or Chiron help sometimes, like yesterday, Chiron took over so I could welcome you into the cabin, and this morning, Argus came so I could grab breakfast.

Mateo continued explaining how to use ambrosia and nectar.

- They have to be used with care if you don't want your patient suddenly combusting, and be careful because they taste great, so the patient may not know when to stop.

- What does it taste like?

- It changes depending on the person. For me, it tastes like my abuela 's arepas. - he gave him a nostalgic smile. - Anyway, hopefully, you won't need it. We don't want you getting hurt.

- I've never tasted it either - Hannah shrugged - so don't worry, you are not the only one.

Will was a little curious, but not enough to break the rules, and risk combustion.

They went back to Clarisse, who had finished eating.

- So, García, can I leave now?

- No, we need a last check-up! - he said cheerfully, ignoring her tone. - Hannah, can you show Will how it's done?

Hannah asked for Clarisse's hand, who gave it to her reluctantly. She closed her eyes and focused on the information. She gave blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. All normal. She then went on to check on Clarisse's ankle and explained how it had mostly healed (even if she had to be careful to not overuse it in the next week). The nectar had also healed the concussion.

Will wasn't familiar with all of these terms. It was a lot more instinctive when it had happened to him. But he wanted to learn all of it.

- Excellent work Hannah! - Mateo congratulated her - You are an even better teacher than I am. Now, - he turned to Clarisse - would you allow Will to try the same?

- What am I, a science experiment? Didn't she say I was fine?

- Yes, and if you want to go now, I'll let your sister come in. - Will noticed an Ares girl was waiting at the door. How could Mateo tell without even looking? - But, I was wondering if you could let Will learn a little, after all, he kinda saved you from a humiliating defeat yesterday - he smiled again.

Clarisse reluctantly gave her arm again. As soon as he touched her, Will could feel the differences between yesterday and today, the way the body was healing itself, helped by a powerful, but mysterious force. He let go.

- Wow! It's like something is working to heal her! Something... different, not the body itself.

Mateo looked proud.

- That's ambrosia indeed! - he said. Now, we need to teach you the medical terms, because you need to be able to communicate to other healers what it is that you feel is going on with the patient. Communication is key in medicine. But, you are on the right track. And you - he turned to Clarisse - thank you for your help. You are officially cleared.

Clarisse rolled her eyes and left as fast as she could.

- How did you know that her sister was waiting for her? - Will asked

- Well, young Padawan, when you work as a doctor, you need to always be aware of your surroundings. I know it's not always easy with demigods, and we tend to lose focus, or hyperfocus, which is fine when it is one patient. But, yesterday we just got lucky. When you are out there, treating multiple people at the same time, you need to be able to keep calm and always know what's going on.

- Also, there's a mirror pointing at the door over there - Hannah rolled her eyes - so we can see if someone is waiting.

Will chuckled.

- Well, I never said anything about not using the tools at your disposal! - Mateo pretended to be insulted. - but the truth stands. Let's continue!

Mateo made everything sound very exciting. He had medical texts in greek and special English medical texts that were dyslexia-friendly. Will soon discovered that he had a talent for learning names, at least when it came to medicine, and was even better at math than expected. It was easier when you had a clear goal in mind than the absurd math problems he had seen at school.

Hannah, on the surface, seemed less enthusiastic than Mateo, but Will soon saw that wasn't the case. She just had a different passion: medicines and potions. She explained everything that was in the cabinet (nectar and ambrosia weren't the only solutions) and all their healing properties.

- I have to introduce you to Katie Gardner! She's my friend, from the Demeter Cabin. She knows so much about medicinal plants!

Next, were the hymns, as García explained.

- Remember what I told you yesterday, about the hymns? Well, that is another important lesson. We can use music to heal.

Okay, that sounded a little strange. Mateo must have seen his expression because he continued.

- Sometimes, when a wound is too severe, ambrosia and nectar are not enough. Remember, we cannot use them in large quantities. The solution is then to ask for some help from the gods. Our dad, to be specific. So, we sing to him, and, if he answers our prayer, he can help us cure our patient.

- And if he... what happens if he doesn't answer our prayer?

- Well, in that worst-case scenario, some children of Apollo, like us three, can heal people with our powers, but that is only to be used in case of an emergency. It takes too much energy, and that means helping fewer people or burning yourself out.

- But, how do you know if I can do it? I've never done it before!

Mateo smiled.

- Will, what you did yesterday, what you did just now, feeling the way Clarisse's body was healing, that's not something all our siblings can do. It's something only we as healers can do. You only need to learn how to focus that information into action, carefully so you don't get hurt in the process, and Hannah and I are going to teach you.

- Really? - Will had never been so happy in his life, feeling like he had a purpose.

- Of course! Trust me, Apollo kids, we always say the truth.

- Well, mostly because we are terrible liars - Hannah interjected.

- Come on Hoffmann, I'm trying to have a moment here!

They all laughed and continued with their tasks. In the following days, Will spent most of his time in the infirmary with Mateo and Hannah. Mateo was right, the campers tended to get hurt often. Most of it wasn't too bad, mostly cuts from sword fighting, bruises, and some burns from the lava wall (again, why?). Will loved seeing his siblings work and followed them like a shadow. They both had different approaches. Mateo loved to joke around and lighten the mood but still took the job very seriously. He gave Will detailed explanations on how to do things, and what to say.

- Every patient is different. Some will follow your orders without trouble. Some need a more gentle hand. Some need some tough love. Point is, bedside manners are almost as important as the healing itself. People are hurt, and deep down, scared, even if they don't know it. You are there to make that healing process less scary.

Hannah, despite being five years younger than Mateo, was a lot more serious.

- I don't know, it's a little weird talking with the patients, most of them are older than me. I think I prefer to let Mateo do the talking. But, the curing part - her green eyes were glowing - I love that. The body, it's not like a machine with perfect gears, it's its own thing, always changing, adapting itself and growing, it's incredible!

Will agreed with both in his own way. He loved making people feel better, and he agreed with Hannah, the process itself was fascinating. His mind was always working, thinking in ways to convince a particularly stubborn patient to stay still or measure how bad a burn was, and think of solutions. He wondered if that was how the Athena kids felt when planning a battle.

Speaking of Athena, he also spent a lot more time with Annabeth, trying to improve his reading skills as much as possible to be able to read Mateo's books. At first, she was a little mad about the Capture the Flag game, but she loved teaching too much to hold a grudge for long.

- Fine, Solace, no need to make that face, let's continue with our lessons - she rolled her eyes. - But you owe me, so make sure to convince Lisa to get the Apollo cabin on our side for next year.

When he first saw a hymn in action, it was one of the most incredible things he ever witnessed.

Charles Beckendorf, a fourteen-year-old from the Hephaestos cabin, arrived one day at the infirmary with terrible burns on his hands. One of his experiments had exploded.

- Beckendorf! Again, really? - Mateo sounded exhausted.

- It was a small mistake in my calculations, nothing too bad.

Mateo didn't look too worried at first, but, after examining Charles, his expression changed. He went into serious mode.

- Okay, I'm going to need you to lie down. Will, get me the nectar!

Will obeyed immediately. He understood from his tone that the situation was more serious than expected. Charles must have been very strong to still be talking with those wounds.

After giving the patient some nectar, Mateo began singing in Greek. His voice wasn't the best, but his tone was so calming and sincere that it was still beautiful. The burns started fading.

- Seems like dad was in a good mood today. - He smiled, and relaxed again. - Come on, you are still not cured. Let's clean you up, put some ointment and let you rest. And please, be more careful. One of these days you are going to kill yourself with your own contractions.

Beckendorf just nodded and fell asleep almost immediately.

- Hey Will, come and check his signs.

Will barely grazed the patient when he felt the need to let go.

- Wow! I've... it's so different!

Mateo was surprised.

- What did you feel?

Will tried to think. How to explain that sensation? He tried his memory for answers and found one.

- Like, when I look at Mr. D in the eyes.

- Yeah, that's not a bad way to put it. It's power, divine power doing the healing. We were lucky, dad answered this time. I'm very proud of you Will.

- Why? I didn't do anything.

- Hannah and I, we have to focus to check our patients to understand what is going on. You seem to be a lot more sensitive to it. You have a strong instinct. Obviously, it's always good to double-check and be careful not to jump to conclusions, but in cases of a major crisis, with little time to manage, those instincts are going to help you.

- Like what crisis?

- Hopefully, we won't have to find out!

Chapter 10: Healing order

Chapter Text

At the end of July, after weeks of training, Mateo and Hannah prepared a surprise for him.

That day, Mateo had actually sent him to the music room with Michelle, telling him that, with no special activities, it was probably going to be a slow day. Still, Will sensed that he was hiding something (his huge smile gave him away). Michelle was no better, but she still didn't say anything.

Shortly before dinner, Hannah arrived to pick him up.

- Hey, we have a surprise for you! Can you skip dinner and go with us to the infirmary?

Will followed, filled with curiosity and excitement.

The curtains were down and the lights were off, but Mateo was holding a flashlight to his face, trying to look scary.

- William Andrew Solace! This is the day you oficially become... one of us, a member of the healers' order.

Hannah couldn't avoid laughing.

- Well, at least it sounds less dumb now that there are three of us!

Mateo ignored her.

- Come, young student, and read these lines. - he handed Will a piece of paper and illuminated it with the flashlight. He had made sure to put big letters and spaces so that Will could read it.

I swear by Apollo Healer, by Asc... Ascle... Asclepius, by Hygi... Hyga... Hygieia, by Pan... Pa-na-cea, and by all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will carry out, recording... no, according to my ability and judgment, this oath and this indeni... indenture.

I will respect the hard-won science... scien-ti-fic gains of those phy.. phy-si-cians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures that are required, avoiding those twin traps of over... o-ver-treat-ment and thera... therapy... thera-peutic ni-hi-lism.

I will remember that there is an art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and under-stan-ding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashes... ashamed to say "I know not", nor will I fail to call in my co... colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's re-co-ve-ry.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not dis... dis-closed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given to me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsable.. responsibility must be faced with great humble... humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at gods.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancer... can-ce-rous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and e-co-no-mic stability. My responsable... ugh! res-pon-si-bi-li-ty includes these related problems if I am to care ad... a-de-quately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prev... prevention is preferable to cure.

I will remember that I remain a member of social... so-cie-ty, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not vio-late this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and re-mem-bered with affection there... there... thereafter. May I always act so as to pre-serve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long exp... experience the joy of healing those who seek my help; but if I break it and for? force? fors-wear myself, may the opposite befall me.

Despite how difficult it was to read that text, no one interrupted him.

- And that - said Mateo - is the Hippocratic Oath. Well, a mix, of the original oath, and the modern version by Louis Lasagna, and no, we do not make fun of their names. You are officially a healer, Will.

Will could just go and offer Mateo a big hug. He gladly accepted, and added:

- You too Hannah! - The girl complied, and joined the hug.

But the surprises were not over.

- We know we made you skip dinner - Hannah said - but you didn't believe we would let you go hungry?

They led him to the on-call room. They had installed a small TV, with a VHS player. There was also a popcorn mix and pizza.

- This is my special popcorn mix: it includes salted popcorn, Twizzlers, and pieces of Kit Kat.

- For dinner? Is that allowed? And pizza? How did you get that?!

- Hey - smiled Mateo - First of all, it's a special occasion. I usually don't condone all this sugar and fat for dinner, but we are going to celebrate! As for your second question: you are not the only one with friends in Cabin 11. Are you ready?

- Yes!

That was one of the best nights of Will's life. As they watched the opening of "A New Hope", he realized that he had found a family, and now, he was officially a healer.

Chapter 11: More question then answer

Chapter Text

- For f*ck's sake! - Lisa stormed into the cabin. - I'm going to murder them!

Everyone was in there. They were waiting for Lisa to return from the counselors' meeting and give them a full report (for practical reasons and not at all because of the gossip, of course). Will was in his bed, reading Charlotte's Web.

Lisa immediately noticed her mistake and turned red.

- Gods! I'm so sorry - she was looking at Will in particular. She took a deep breath - Sorry guys. It was an... interesting meeting.

Tamara was trying her best but failing to control her laughter, while David was behind her, dying from second-hand embarrassment.

- Come here - said Michelle - sit and tell us what happened. - she moved to the right and patted her bed with her left hand.

- Preferably without murdering anyone - snarked Carmen.

Lisa sat and let out a huge sigh.

- Annabeth again and her obsession with the quests. I don't know how many times Chiron has to tell her that we are NOT sending anyone on quests at the moment, but she keeps insisting and insisting.

- Well, you can't really blame her - intervened Louis. He rarely ever spoke, so Will paid special attention. - she's been stuck here since she was seven, has never left, not even during the winter holidays... I'd be going a little insane too if I was her.

- Yes, but after what happened with Henry! And what about Callie, that was her sister! And Luke! He barely survived! - Will had never seen Lisa so upset, not even on the day of his arrival.

- That quest was not even a real quest! If it wasn't for Luke's father... - Louis looked furious.

Everyone in the room went quiet. Nobody dared to speak for what seemed like an eternity. Louis took a deep breath.

- I'm sorry Lisa, I shouldn't have yelled. - He approached her and sat on her left side. - I just think ... I don't know. I don't agree with Chiron's solution. Last year's quest was a mistake. What was even the point? The stupid apple, not talking to the oracle... - he shook his head. - My point is... gods, I don't even know what my point is anymore.

- Maybe - tried Michelle - and you can correct me if I'm wrong Louis, that Annabeth is not really the person you are mad at, Lisa.

Louis gave Michelle a thankful glance. Lisa relaxed and placed her head on his shoulder.

- I know. I don't blame Annabeth. I'm just tired of having the same discussion over and over. Chiron is clearly hiding something, everyone is on edge, and wondering what we are going to do before the end of the summer. Tony even dared propose we bring back the Chariot Races...

- Three deaths and twenty-six mutilations! - screamed Mateo from his bed. Now it was his turn to be furious, and angry Mateo was the weirdest thing Will had ever seen (yes, that included the multiple monsters he now knew existed). It was like a teddy bear with a bloody knife in its paw. It just didn't go together. - Three deaths and twenty-f*cking - six mutilations is how much it took to get those things canceled. I'm not going back!

- No, we shot that down, don't worry. - Lisa smiled. It was still a worried smile, but Will figured it meant her mood was improving. - I don't know. At least Chiron is going to talk to Annabeth in private. Maybe that will put this discussion to rest.

The cabin turned silent again. Nobody knew how to carry the conversation. Luckily, Aida saved them.

- Okay, not to be annoying but, you promised. What is going on between Park and Simone?

That got a laugh out of everyone.

- Ok, let's go get dinner people, and I'll tell you everything, but if anybody asks, it wasn't me!

Chapter 12: The Great Cabin war

Chapter Text

War had been raging at camp for seven days.

The Stoll brothers were the culprits (of course).

It all started when they decided to prank the Aphrodite Cabin. They replaced all their makeup (eye shades, lipstick, foundation... ) with a special concoction of their own that turned blue with sunlight. The members of the Cabin had appeared at breakfast, looking their best, as usual, and by the end, they all looked like smurfs. The nymphs couldn't stop laughing at them.

Of course, they retaliated in the worst way possible by revealing all the secret crushes and relationships from the members of the Hermes Cabin. Now, that was already terrible in itself, but it became even worse when they dragged the Ares Cabin into it.

As it turns out, Clarisse La Rue and Chris Rodriguez, a guy from the Hermes Cabin, had huge crushes on each other, but neither of them had dared to say anything (this did not help). While no one liked the idea of having their private life revealed to the public, Clarisse went absolutely mad, and the Ares Cabin decided to take revenge on the Aphrodite Cabin by throwing some firebombs, which could have worked fine if they had better aim. Unfortunately, the Cabin next to it, the 12th Cabin, got hit in the process. Castor and Pollux, Dionysus' twins, were not thrilled. They were usually level-headed and didn't mess with anyone (ironic, considering who their father was), but only on the condition that no one messed with them. They cursed some Ares kids, who suddenly appeared to be drunk. Mr. D himself seemed to ignore all of it, but Will could have sworn he saw him smile. In their state of pseudo-drunkness, they accidentally caused an explosion in the forge. While no one was seriously hurt (to Mateo, Hannah, and Will's relief), the explosion did cause some of the Hephaestus' kids' experiments to go haywire, including...

A robot spider, about the size of a dog. When the Athena kids saw it, they almost had a collective heart attack, but, after getting better from the initial shock, they destroyed the robot mercilessly, ignoring the pleas of Cabin 9 to give them time to deactivate it. They had been working for weeks on that project, and now it was gone.

They couldn't build another model just as advanced in a single day, but they could build very basic automatons in a relatively short amount of time. All their creations had to do was move... and look like spiders about the size of a hand.

The thing is... you just don't attack Cabin 6 and expect to get away with it. They did what they do best, and hit the enemy where it hurt: the workshop. All the tools and blueprints disappeared. Cabin 9 was furious, but they had another problem to deal with: Cabin 4. The Camp war had ruined most of the gardening around the Cabins, but when one of Cabin 9's inventions destroyed the rare flower garden the Demeter kids had planted six years ago, all hell broke loose. Poison ivy started growing in the worsts places, including the entrance to the amphitheater. Michelle, David, Ben, Carmen, and Aida got the worst of it since they often practiced there to improve the sing-a-longs.

Now, the Apollo Cabin was also involved.

While Will was applying a special ointment to Carmen's arm to cure her rash, she declared:

- Di immortales! This is it! I cannot take it any longer! This is war!

When she said that, Will thought that his siblings were going to grab their bows and arrows and shoot everyone.

The reality was much, much worse.

Bad poetry.

Apparently, the musically gifted Apollo kids could be just as deadly and were great at cursing others.

- Will, how do I stop this?/ No! Please do not dismiss/All the pain I now feel/ Please! I'll make you a deal! - Mary surprised him one day. He was walking to the infirmary with ingredients for more healing ointment. He wore a white piece of fabric in his right arm to show he was neutral, and the Demeter kids had provided the ingredients, reluctantly.

Will had barely seen Mary and Oscar since he was claimed. They were still friends and said hi to each other, but admittedly, he had been spending most of his time with his siblings, especially Mateo and Hannah. He felt a little guilty.

- Hey, it's okay. - He stopped - I'm not sure if this is going to work, but let me try. - He closed his eyes, trying to remember the words Michelle had taught him - Dad, thanks for the curse/ But we are cool now, so please/ stop your awesome rhymes.

- Really? That's how you... Holy Hades! You made it stop!

- Yeah, dad is in a bit of a Haiku phase right now... Anyway, I didn't know that the Hermes Cabin was now cursed too?

- Gods, I'm pretty sure by now all the Cabins are cursed. Thanks for your help tho! Now, I have to go back, we have... special plans for Cabin 4 - she gave him a mischievous smile.

- Cabin 4! No, I ... Not fair! I didn't free you from the curse just so that you could attack another Cabin!

- Too late! See you later! - Mary ran.

And the war continued.

On the seventh night, Will and Oscar finally managed to stop it (by accident).

A temporary truce had been declared during dinner. Chiron had tried to calm everyone down, but the truth is that the old centaur seemed distracted, worried about something he didn't dare to reveal. Mr. D was, as usual, no help. Peace at dinner was the only thing Chiron managed to achieve. Still, the tension was palpable, and everyone was more paranoid than usual, waiting for an attack from one of the other tables.

The campfire had been canceled for the fifth time. Everyone was getting cabin fever since they only got out to shoot arrows at other cabins, curse people, eat, or help with the wounded. It was getting ridiculous, but no one wanted to take the first step. Mateo had sent Will and Hannah to rest, while he stayed in the on-call room of the infirmary. They had protested, pointing out how tired he looked, but he pulled rank. He didn't do it often, but when he did, they were reminded of something: he was fifteen, which from Will's perspective was basically adult status, and they were still little kids. Still, Will was finding it hard with all the commotion in the Cabin. Michael, Louis, Victoria, Tamara, and Lee were preparing their next strategy against the Aphrodite Cabin (why were they at war with them? Will couldn't remember). Michelle was trying her best to avoid a fight between Ben and Aida, who wanted to practice music at the same time. Carmen was ignoring everyone, consumed in her writing. David seemed to be having an existential crisis in the corner, missing the sing-a-longs, the only time he felt comfortable in public. Lisa was triple-checking that everything was clean and in order, more nervous than usual, and Hannah was so exhausted from all the healing ointments she had been preparing all week that she was somehow asleep during all this commotion.

Will felt the urgent need to take some air. Everyone was so busy that nobody noticed when he left the Cabin.

Everything was quiet. Usually, at this hour, everyone was in the amphitheater, awake, so Will hoped that the harpies were still on their regular schedule. He was still wearing his white fabric to avoid any problems. Summer days were long, but the sun was almost completely gone. It was getting late.

Most of the other Cabins were closed, with the lights on, probably doing the same thing that his siblings were doing: hiding and planning their next attack.

The golden walls of the Cabin were covered in paint and the poor yellow daisies that grew around it were withering from all the damage. The other Cabins were in similar shape.

He decided to go to the infirmary. Yes, he would be disobeying Mateo, but he hoped to convince him to reconsider. Maybe without the obviously exhausted Hannah by his side, his case would be more compelling.

The truth was that, even if most people hated the infirmary, he loved it there. He wouldn't admit it aloud: the thought made him feel a little guilty, like... a bad person? It didn't seem normal to like a place most people hated, a place that smelled like antiseptic, like someone constantly trying to erase what had happened. A place where you saw people at their lowest, in pain, bleeding, vomiting, or worse. A place that was always a little cold because of the linoleum floors and the white walls.

But, for Will, it was a place of constant learning. He was often absent-minded, in his own world, daydreaming, and he hadn't realized how good it could be to be so present in the moment, so passionated by something real. To him, the antiseptic smell reminded him of how incredible it was that he could keep infections at bay with a simple product, how humbling it was to learn that a microscopic being could be far more dangerous than the gnarliest of cuts. Seeing people hurt or sick could be scary, but he also felt safe knowing he and his siblings could do something about it.

And the cold...

He usually didn't like the cold. Because it rarely got too cold back in Austin, and when it did, the city was usually unprepared. It wasn't a place built for it.

But the cold of the infirmary was different. It wasn't overwhelming, it was more like a breeze that kept him awake. Focused.

He was deep in his thoughts when he was startled by a familiar voice:

- Will! Over here! / It's me, don't fear- he heard Oscar whisper loudly while running toward him. He was carrying a mysterious box in his hands. Behind him, he saw Mark and Sherman, but they didn't approach him. They just rolled their eyes, waiting for their brother to finish talking with his little friend.

- What are you doing, Oscar? Are you allowed to get out of the Cabin? - Will whispered back in a more appropriate volume.

- Hey! But you are out! / I see with no doubt! - Wow, he was really bad at whispering.

- Because I'm with the healers - Was that the Apollo family pride he felt in his voice? It's not like he was really a healer. He hadn't seriously healed anyone yet. He mostly just helped Mateo and Hannah around, and he suspected they were probably teaching him, rather than in real need of assistance. Still, his voice sounded weirdly confident. - Also, are you rhyming?

Oscar just nodded. Will whispered his dad's haiku again, hoping it would work.

- Better?

- Let me see/ If I'm free!/ -He made a disappointed face - No, it did not work/ Please Will, do not smirk.

But Will wasn't smirking. Why hadn't it worked? It worked with Mary... Then he remembered: he didn't actually have any particular musical gift, so he didn't have the power to remove that curse. His dad had free Mary, thanks to his haiku prayer, and clearly, dad was more of a work-during-the-day kinda guy.

- Sorry, I think we need more sun for it to work. But I can help you tomorrow!

- Will, it's okay/ to you I say/ It's not why I'm outside/I have a bomb to hide!

- What?! - Now it was Will's turn to be a terrible whisperer. - Where?

- Near the lake / I will make/ All the Aphrodite kids run/tomorrow when the work is done.

Will was getting seriously tired of this stupid war. But how could he stop Oscar? Or anyone else, for that matter?

- Oscar! Now! Come here!/ The others will hear! / And Will, not a single word/ You little Apollo nerd! - He heard Sherman whispering loudly. Clearly, stealth was more of an Athena thing.

Oscar gave him an apologetical smile and went with his brothers, still carrying the bomb. The infirmary was in the opposite direction, so he turned and continued his way.

He walked slowly. He was now mad at himself. He knew that what his siblings and friends were doing was stupid, and dangerous, but he didn't know how to explain it to them. He was the boring 8-year-old who didn't really get into trouble, who didn't take the games like Capture the Flag, or this prank war, as seriously as the others. A part of him wondered if he could just loosen up and be like everyone else, and another part of him really didn't want to do that. Was something wrong with him?

He had barely left the Cabin complex when he heard the explosion. He got goosebumps. He knew immediately from where it came.

The lake.

He ran as fast as he could, wondering if others would notice. It was actually a fairly small explosion compared to all the loud noises he had been exposed to for the past few days, and with everything going on, maybe they would think it was simply another camper throwing paint bombs at one of the other Cabins, a common occurrence these days.

- You are an idiot, Mark! / It was too soon for the spark! - he heard Sherman saying. Bickering, Will thought, relieved. It probably meant no one was seriously hurt.

- Is everyone okay? - asked Will, tired from running that fast. As expected, he didn't see anyone else arriving. It was just the four kids and some angry nymphs on the other side of the lake.

- Solace! We're fine!/ No need to whine! - Mark was not thrilled to see him. Even if the sun was gone, he could still distinguish some cuts and bruises on their faces.

- Oscar? Are you alright? - Will decided he would deal with Mark later.

- Yes! I think I'm alright. / Wait, what's this to my right?

Indeed, lodged near his right clavicle, there was a piece of shrapnel.

- Oscar, don't touch...

Before he could finish his sentence, Oscar was removing the shrapnel. Will went pale: that's exactly what Mateo had explicitly told him not to do before assessing a wound. As soon as he removed the piece of metal, his shirt started getting soaked with blood at an alarming speed.

- Go get help! Now! - Will screamed at Mark. He obeyed immediately.

Oscar was about to collapse, but Sherman caught him on time. He placed him carefully on the floor.

- Gods! There's so much blood! / Please, hang in there, bud.

Will was immediately next to them, examining the wound.

The speed, the intense red color, the fact that when Will felt the injury and the blood leaving Oscar's body, it followed the rhythm of his heartbeat... Mateo had explained to him all the signs: the shrapnel had hit an artery. Simply applying pressure did not seem like enough, and it wasn't a limb, so there was no way of stopping circulation with a... no, he couldn't panic, he had learned all of this. A tourniquet. Great, he had remembered the word of the thing he couldn't use.

Oscar was drifting away, losing consciousness. Sherman was talking to him, in a surprisingly soothing voice, still in couplets. Mark would bring help any second now, but Will feared it wouldn't be fast enough. He could feel Oscar's blood slipping through his fingers. He could feel his entire body shutting down, his pressure dropping, his weak heartbeat going faster, his limbs going cold since the body was prioritizing the vital organs, his breathing becoming more and more labored as fewer blood cells were carrying oxygen.

Oscar was dying.

And Will was focusing all his energy on avoiding that. He knew what was wrong, where the wound was. He wanted to tell the cells to stop panicking, to act faster, to heal what was broken. All they needed was a push.

He started humming the hymn Michelle sang so beautifully, the one Mateo used for healing. His Greek wasn't great, but he hoped the humming was enough. He didn't feel any divine help coming.

But it was working.

He focused, even more, giving strength to Oscar, and realized that the bleeding was stopping, and Oscar, if not better, was at least no longer getting worse. The wound was still open, but, from what Will could feel, the artery was healed.

He heard a familiar voice behind him: Mateo. But he was so tired. He was so cold, and nauseous, and he couldn't feel his legs. His front was covered in a cold sweat. He felt as if he had run a marathon on an empty stomach. He gathered his last remaining strength to move aside, and let Mateo help Oscar.

He could hear him yelling orders and moving, but for some reason, his brain couldn't register any of that. A white fog covered his eyes...

And then everything went black.

Chapter 13: Running a marathon with no training

Chapter Text

When Will woke up, even before he opened his eyes, he knew he was in the infirmary.

He recognized the familiar smell of antiseptic mixed with the metal of the bed headboard, and his body was covered with the light and slightly raspy sheets of the cots. He was in his underwear, with a white shirt. He felt a little weird about it until he remembered that patients should never feel weird about that kind of stuff. That's when his brain made the connection: he was a patient in the infirmary.

Last night was still a blur. He rubbed his eyes with his hands, opening them slowly, and he saw his nails: blood. Someone had clearly tried to clean them, but the nails were always the most difficult part. He almost jumped out of bed: Oscar!

But there was someone there to catch him.

- Wow there! Easy Will. Don't get up too fast! - Mateo was next to him. His eyes were red from sleep deprivation, with dark eye bags under them. His smile looked more like a mix of relief and sadness rather than his usual happy self. That made Will even more scared.

- Oscar, he was hurt! - he blurted out.

- He's better now, look - Mateo moved to the side so he could see his friend sleeping on one of the cots on the other side. He wasn't alone: Mark and Sherman were sleeping on two chairs next to him. Another two cots were occupied with patients that Will recognized from the previous day that hadn't been discharged yet. Gods, Mateo must have been super busy, tho it seemed Argus was also there, at the door.

Will was about to ask more questions when suddenly, he felt lightheaded.

- Hey, lie down, you got up too fast. Here - Mateo had a glass of iced tea and a straw. He helped Will drink.

As soon as the liquid touched his lips, Will knew something was different. It wasn't iced tea. It tasted like salted popcorn, candy, and chocolate: Mateo's popcorn mix. He also felt a rush of energy, a warmth through his entire body: nectar. He knew he couldn't take too much, so he forced himself to stop after a few sips.

- Better? - Mateo asked, and Will nodded. - Great, now I can feel less bad about yelling at you, dear Padawan. What were you thinking?

Mateo was still smiling when he asked the question, and he had barely raised his voice, but there was something in his tone that made Will think he wasn't joking. Will tried to remember everything that had happened the previous night, from the moment he left the Cabin to the moment he lost consciousness. The events were becoming clearer now, thanks to the nectar.

- I'm sorry, I couldn't really sing the hymn, and I think I did it wrong - a terrible thought crossed his mind - Did I hurt Oscar? Is he really going to be okay? - he started crying, scared.

- Gods Will! No, you saved him! - Mateo hugged him immediately. - And the hymn wasn't your fault. They are pretty unreliable during the night. - He rubbed Will's back, trying to calm him down. - I was just worried, Will. You healed an artery with your own powers, with no previous training, no previous experience, no even experience healing with hymns before. Hannah hasn't even cured anything as serious with her own powers. You two are so young! I was going to wait another year for her, and maybe three years for you before starting that kind of training!

Will stopped crying and thought about what he had just heard. It was easy to forget sometimes that Hannah had just arrived the previous year, and wasn't that much older than Will. All the weight of Mateo's responsibility started to dawn on Will. They stopped hugging and looked each other in the eyes. Gods, he seemed really exhausted.

- I'm sorry I scared you- said Will - It just sort of... happened. I don't know how to explain it...

Mateo sighed and smiled.

- Yes, those strong instincts kicked in. It's okay, we'll learn to control them properly so something like this doesn't happen again. I don't want one of my two best students to get hurt while doing their job.

- You only have two students - Will laughed.

- Yes, and they're both the best! Best medicine maker in years, and you, crazy portable emergency kit. - he ruffled his hair while saying that last part.

With most of his worries gone, Will realized just how exhausted and hungry he was.

- Is it always like this? When you heal someone with your powers?

- No, not really. It's like sports or music: you train and your body becomes more used to it. But what you did was like wanting to run and starting with a marathon, or learning how to sing and dance by performing in a concert. A trial by fire. Which is why - he went serious again - we are going to take things slowly and in order, okay?

- Okay - Will smiled. His stomach growled.

- That's my cue to get you, and those troublemakers - Mateo pointed at the other beds - breakfast. I'll also tell the others you are awake, they've been worried. I'll be back in a sec.

Will wanted to stop him and tell him that he needed rest too, and someone else could take care of it, but Mateo was already at the door.

In the meantime, Sherman and Mark were waking up. They turned to Oscar, who was still sleeping. Once they saw he was okay, they looked around until they locked eyes with Will. Their faces turned red.

- Hey Will, are you feeling better? - asked Sherman. He was no longer speaking in couplets. In broad daylight, Will could see their faces covered in cuts and bruises, far worse than what he had seen the night before.

- You two were hurt! You lied last night! - Will did not know what had possessed him at that moment, but he was angry. - you said you were fine!

- It's just a few cuts, dude - Mark explained eloquently. Yes, clearly someone had taken away the curse.

- Well, I think last night we learned that little things can be just as bad! - that was harsh, and a little overly serious for someone as young as Will, but he was getting tired of reckless demigods that put their lives in danger.

Sherman and Mark went quiet and looked at the floor with a guilty look.

- You are no longer cursed - Will decided to change the subject himself.

- The war is over. After last night... - Sherman made a face - Chiron and the counselors finally put their foot down, organized an emergency public meeting in the middle of the night, and told us it was ridiculous to almost get two of our youngest campers killed over some pranks, and you know... It's all over.

- And now the Ares Cabin will get the blame again even if we didn't even start this whole thing! - Mark interjected.

But Will ignored the last part. Finally, it was over. He was scared that he wasn't going to get to do other things in his last week at camp, but no, he was going to enjoy his last days. He hadn't realized how much he missed the sing-a-longs, even if he didn't love singing, and a relaxed dinner time, and not having to wear a stupid white fabric to not get attacked.

Suddenly, he saw Oscar move. He was almost awake. He got out of bed and went to him. He ignored the aching pain in his head, the fact he was only wearing his blue boxers and a t-shirt, and Argus' disapproving looks.

- Oscar, how are you feeling? - he grabbed his wrist. His mind was still a little groggy, so it was difficult to focus, but he definitely felt the familiar effects of nectar on Oscar's body. Oscar seemed exhausted, but healing properly.

- Ummm - he answered - ouch.

Will felt immense relief. He thought about giving his friends a lecture on how not to remove foreign objects without medical assistance when you were injured, but he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

- William Andrew Solace! - Mateo was at the door, carrying a tray with breakfast. Hannah, Michelle, Ben, and David were doing the same - What are you doing out of bed?

Chapter 14: My first bead ceremony

Chapter Text

Will left the infirmary until the next day. He figured he could have left sooner, but none of his siblings were having that. Everyone from the Cabin visited (luckily, by this point, Lisa had brought his pajamas). The Ares kids, who were visiting Oscar, were actually super nice to him (well, as nice as an Ares kid could be, meaning they didn't tease him, and they acknowledged his existence). Clarisse even said hi to him, which was the epitome of recognition.

Michael, who had a long rivalry with Cabin 5 ("they don't appreciate the art of archery!" he often said), wasn't too pleased.

- Will, if you are going to kill yourself trying to save someone, can it not be an Ares kid? This is the second time this summer you pull a stunt like that.- he ignored Lee's disapproving face. Tamara couldn't help but laugh.

Being a patient wasn't as fun as learning and helping around. He mostly felt restless. He quickly finished reading Charlotte's Web, and after that ending, he wasn't in a hurry to ask for another book. Hannah took pity on him.

- You are lucky Lisa is basically forcing Mateo to sleep. Here - he handed an Ace bandage to Will - you can practice placing bandages on your arms and legs - but nothing more!

Will was about to complain, but he found the activity soothing. Trying to get it right each time, with the right amount of pressure and covering the right surface, was a fun challenge.

During dinner, Argus was watching all the patients. Finally, Oscar and Will had a chance to talk.

- Hey Will, are you awake?

- Yeah, I'm right here! - Will was super happy to hear from his friend. He quickly got out of bed and sat on the chair by his side. - How are you feeling? - and before Oscar could answer, he asked - Can I? - pointing at his wrist.

- I thought your siblings had said you weren't allowed!

Will turned red. Thankfully, Oscar offered his wrist anyway. Will checked his vitals. His friend was healing nicely, but his body was still working overtime. He would probably have to stay a couple more days.

- Sorry about last night - Oscar blurted out. Will let go of his wrists. - I'm sorry you got hurt because of me. My mom always tells me to be more careful, and yesterday I was stupid, and I'm sorry.

- Oscar, I'm fine! I didn't get hurt. I was just a little tired.

- No one stays two nights in the infirmary because they are "a little tired".

- It's just my siblings being protective, I promise. Mateo explained it to me: it's like trying to run a marathon with no training. You are gonna get tired. I just need to train more.

There was a pause. Oscar was trying to remember something.

- You know, my sister Marta loves the story of this guy, mmmm, he had a very weird name. Like Phillip? No, mmm Pheidippides! Yes, that's the one! Do you know who he is?

Will tried to remember his lessons with Annabeth, but the name didn't come to mind. He shook his head.

- Well, they sent him to Sparta to ask for help when the Persians attacked Marathon, the city in Greece I mean, so he ran all the way there, and then he ran back, and then he ran to Athens to announce the Greeks had won and the Persians had lost, and then he died ! - Will started laughing - No! It's not funny, I'm trying to tell you that you can die from being too tired!

- I'm sorry, it's just the way you told the story! - Will tried breathing to calm his laughter.- I'm fine, I promise. I won't go all Pheidippides on you. Plus, we stopped the Camp War, so really, you have nothing to be sorry about.

- I wish we could stop all wars like that - he laughed, but suddenly, he went serious. Will remembered his mom: the last time he saw her, she was going to be deployed. Will didn't remember exactly where, but he was almost sure it was Afghanistan.

- Have you talked to your mom? - Will asked.

- Well, we mostly exchange letters. She has Iris messaged me a couple of times, but she's almost never alone, so she doesn't do it often. I'm no good with letters because my writing sucks, but she doesn't care. - he paused before finishing. - I miss her.

Will looked at Oscar. He wanted to say something to make him feel better, but he didn't know what. Everything seemed a little shallow. The boys just stayed there, in silence. Then, Will got an idea. He went back to his bed and grabbed his book.

- I found this book in the library - he said, giving it to Oscar.- I really liked it. It's sad but... I don't know. I don't want to ruin it for you. It almost looks new! Annabeth let me keep it. None of the Athena kids can read it without getting nightmares, but they also hate to get rid of books, so it was just there. Look! - he pointed at the letters after Oscar opened the book - It has these special letters so it's easier to read. You can keep it for me until I come back next summer.

- Really?

- Yeah! And reading more is helping me with my writing, so maybe it can help you too!

- Thanks, Will.

The next few days went back to normal, or at least as normal as it could get in Camp Half-Blood. The sing-a-longs were back in place, the Cabins were repaired, and most missing items were returned.

Finally, the bead ceremony arrived. Will got his leather necklace with the bead for his first summer. It was light green, like grass, with a drawing of the twelve cabins, to celebrate unity. It was beautiful and everything that Will wanted, proof that all of his wonderful adventures were more than just a dream. During the ceremony, he tried to look for Oscar, to see his reaction. His friend had recently left the infirmary. When he found him, he saw he was just as happy as him, if not more. He also looked for Mary. This was her second year, and she was still unclaimed. She seemed rather lost, looking at her second bead like a cursed gift.

He couldn't believe he would have to wait almost ten months before seeing everyone again, his friends, his siblings... so much had changed. The things he knew, the questions he still had...

Lee had given him a whole speech on self-defense before his departure.

- You need to make sure to never be alone in public. Now that you know the truth, your scent will be stronger and you will attract monsters. But, they always get confused when humans are around. Just stick with them and you'll be fine. And just in case - he handed him a bronze knife. It didn't look like much, but Will knew how lethal celestial bronze could be. - Don't worry, next summer, we'll improve those archery skills.

He wasn't the only one to give him gifts. Mateo gave him a first aid kit with the basics and some ambrosia for emergencies.

- I never got to ask... - he said while giving him the package- what did it taste like?

Will's face turned red. The truth is, he didn't want to answer the question. He was a little embarrassed about the fact that it tasted like Mateo's popcorn mix. Yes, he was his brother, and Hannah was his sister, but they didn't know each other that well, and it wasn't an old memory. He wasn't ready to reveal how much that night had meant to him. However, he also felt guilty: Mateo had answered when he asked, after all.

His silence probably went for too long, because, as if reading his mind, Mateo continued:

- It's okay, it can be very personal for some people. You don't have to answer now. - he gave him a sincere smile. That only made Will feel more guilty, but he still didn't say anything.

Finally, Lisa gave him five drachmas.

- For emergencies! And maybe some special occasion - she winked. - All Apollo campers that live off-campus get them. I'm going home, but I'm still your counselor, so if you are in any major trouble, send me an Iris message, okay? - she gave him a concerned look.

- Don't worry, I'll only use them only for emergencies - Will smiled.

- What worries me is that you won't use them even if it is an emergency - she sighed, then gave him a big hug.

This time, he was going to take a plane to get back to Austin. Chiron had given him all the necessary paperwork to fly on his own. How? He wasn't sure. He had also promised to pray to Zeus before boarding. On the way to the airport, he sat next to Michelle.

- Why can we take the plane now, but not when we are taken to camp? - he asked.

- Well, for once, satyrs don't love flying, and two, we will enter the Lord of the Sky's domain, and you never know what the politics are in Olympus, so better not risk it with unclaimed kids. Seems like dad is on his good side, currently. It helps to be the god of the sun.

Will just nodded and turned his attention to the window.

- You have something on your mind - she noticed immediately. - Do you want to talk about it?

Will remembered their deal.

- What's it like? Doesn't it feel weird to just, go home after everything ? - he made an exaggerated hand gesture at that last part.

- Yes - Michelle laughed - Gods, yes it is the strangest thing! But don't worry - she placed her hand on his shoulder - it does get easier.

- Does your mom know about... all of it?

- Yes, she does. No one else in my family tho. It can be difficult to explain, especially to my friends back home. They think I have some scholarship in a mysterious music camp.

Will laughed, imagining what they would do if they knew what that "music" camp was actually like. But when he stopped, he realized he still didn't have the answer he was looking for.

- Do you know anyone else whose mom doesn't know?

- Yes, it does happen. Michael, for example.

Will felt a little stupid. If he had just asked around in the Cabin, he could've had his answer sooner. But he had postponed the inevitable, and now it was too late. He just stared out the car window, waiting to get to the airport.

- Hey, look at me - Michelle was looking at him with her serious dark eyes - I don't know what will happen when you get home, but I do know this: you are not alone, you have me, and all our siblings, and we'll be there for you if you need us.

Will didn't know what to say. It was almost overwhelming. His throat hurt, desperately begging for the release of crying, but Will didn't want to cry in front of the other kids in the van. He just held Michelle's hand without looking at her. She understood and didn't say anything until they arrived at the airport and had to separate at the check-in desks. As an 8-year-old, Will got assigned to a very nice flight attendant who never left his side until he landed.

His mom was waiting for him with a huge smile on her face.

Chapter 15: Nightmare

Chapter Text

At first, Will didn't notice anything wrong. Seeing that beautiful smile and those kind eyes was enough to erase all of his worries. But then he hugged her. He immediately felt something was off. While his mom held him hard, making it difficult for him to breathe, he tried to focus on her vitals. Her blood pressure and heart rhythm were high. Maybe she was stressed? There was something else but... Will wasn't sure.

- Let me look at you - his mom finally let go of the embrace. She was now holding his face with her hands. - You are so big!

Her breath had a strong minty smell, her hair was disheveled, and she had bags under her eyes. He felt a little guilty. His messages during the summer probably weren't enough to reassure her everything was fine. They had never spent so much time apart.

- Momma, I'm okay. - he gave her his best smile so she knew he was being sincere.

They took a cab back home, which was a little strange.

- Did something happen to the car? - Will asked.

- I just left my keys with a friend. But don't worry, hun, I'll get it back tomorrow. - her mind seemed elsewhere, and she talked slowly. Something had happened, but Will didn't know how to ask. She didn't even ask him about Camp. Will didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned.

They finally arrived home. It was late, so everything was dark. When his mom turned on the lights, Will was surprised by the mess. Sure, the house was usually messy, but this was even worse. It also smelled different, and stuffy. It reminded him of the smell of Cabin 11 in the mornings before anyone opened the windows.

- Sorry about the mess hun, I've been ... a little busy lately.

- With the band? - Will was happy. The band deserved its big break.

- No hun, I've been... working on my own for a little while.

- Did something happen?

She smiled and shook her head. She looked and sounded exhausted.

- It's okay momma. You can go to sleep. - he stood on his tiptoes and kissed her on the cheek, and she went to her room. Will was exhausted too anyway. He went to his room, which still looked exactly the same. He put on his pajamas without removing the bead necklace. He had earned that.

Unfortunately, he didn't get a sleepless night.

Those were rare for demigods anyway. His most recurrent nightmare was about snakes under his bed. Michelle had explained to him that Apollo's children weren't the biggest fans of snakes, because of their father's rivalry with Python. Will found it ironic that Asclepius' symbol had a snake. Still, it was probably better than fearing spiders: the chances of encountering one of those were much higher.

But no, this time, his nightmares decided to take him to a familiar sight: the woods.

He was again in the forest, at Camp Half-Blood. It was nighttime, but a red light illuminated everything. He recognized the smell of dirt and pines. He had his orange t-shirt, his necklace, and his medic kit. This time, he wasn't lost or barefoot. When a voice called for help, he immediately knew what to do. Except that, unlike last time, he knew the voice. It was Michelle calling.

- Help! Will! Please!- he had never heard her comforting voice so scared before. It didn't sound right.

He was running to her when he heard more voices. They were the voices of his siblings and his friends. Carmen, Aida, Lee, Hannah, Michael, Lisa, Mateo, Tamara, David, Victoria, Louis, Ben, Oscar, and Mary.

- Help! Someone!

- We have wounded people over here! Someone needs to come!

- Will!

He was still following Michelle's voice, but instead, he stumbled upon the hospital tent. This was also different: last time, his dream had changed, but now, it was all the same dream.

He saw the tent filled with wounded people, but they were no longer faceless. He recognized them, they were campers, people he saw regularly at lunch or the infirmary.

- Will? - he recognized that voice: it was his mom. She was at the back of the tent. He ran to her.

- Mom? What are you doing here? - but she didn't seem to recognize him.

- Will? Where are you?

- Momma! It's me, I'm right here!

But no matter how many times he said it, she always seemed to look past him.

Will woke up with tears in his eyes. He got up immediately and went to his mom's room. The room was a mess, with clothes and papers all over the floor.

- Momma? - he whispered. But she didn't answer. She was soundly asleep. Will didn't want to wake her up, but he didn't want to be alone, so he just approached the bed slowly, trying to be as silent as possible. It was difficult with so much stuff on the floor, but his mom was profoundly asleep.

He cuddled next to her and closed his eyes again.

Chapter 16: Worst birthday day ever

Chapter Text

When Will woke up, his mother was still asleep. It was a Sunday, a day before he had to return to school, so he wasn't too worried. He got up and went to the living room to watch some TV. In broad daylight, the mess was even more apparent. Papers were all around, there were some clothes on the couch and dirty dishes everywhere. That was strange. His mom was not the most organized person, but the house was usually clean.

Will decided to abandon his TV idea and take a shower instead. After getting dressed, he started organizing and cleaning as well as he could. It wasn't easy. He didn't really understand what the papers were for, so he just put them on a single pile. He took the dishes to the kitchen, which had a faint smell of trash and old food. He had to grab a stool to reach the sink properly and wash some of the dishes. It was hard to get the food out of all of them, and Will wasn't used to all of these tasks. He usually only had to scrape the plates and put them in the dishwasher, but the dishwasher was full, and he hadn't learned how to use it alone yet.

There was still a lot to do, but he got hungry. He had been awake for hours. He wanted to wait for his mom, but he told himself a glass of milk wouldn't hurt. He opened the fridge and grabbed the milk carton, but a foul smell came out of it.

Luckily, his mom came out of her room at that moment.

- Good morning hun - she gave him a kiss on the top of the head. She still looked tired. She looked at the milk carton Will had taken out, and her face went red. - Lord, I'm so sorry, Will, I have to go get groceries. - She grabbed the carton and tried to throw it away in the trash, but it was so full she just decided to grab another bag.

After a few minutes of silence, she massaged her temples as if she had a headache. She then turned to Will and gave him a big smile.

- Why don't we go to the diner down the street? A special welcome breakfast. How does that sound?

Will just nodded, smiling, but worried about what was going on.

While enjoying his pancakes with maple syrup, his mom finally mentioned camp.

- You have to tell me everything! Was it fun? I really enjoyed all your messages.

- Yes! It was awesome! All the other kids were great. My Cabin is the best, and I learned how to work in the infirmary, and I got this! - he showed her the necklace. Overall, maybe it wasn't impossible to skip all the Greek stuff.

- Mr. Brunner wrote to me, mentioning something about ... - she seemed very uncomfortable with the subject - about you, maybe having Dyslexia and ADHD.

- Well, they lent me some books with special letters, and they are a lot easier to read. It's still difficult, but I've been practicing a lot, and I really like it! I still don't really understand ADHD, but most dem... I mean, most kids at camp have it. Annabeth... Oh! I haven't talked to you about Annabeth. She's like super smart, and she helped me a lot with the reading, she's a little scary, but also nice! And...

- Will, hun - she interrupted gently - Did Annabeth tell you something about ADHD?

- Yes! She told me that maybe it was the reason why I sometimes get distracted, or I focus too much on the wrong thing.

Naomi went quiet. Will was scared he had said the wrong thing.

- I'm sorry Will - she finally spoke - I thought your teachers here were just... exaggerating. - she gave him a sad smile - You are always so mature, and smart, and creative, and I... - she shook her head. - I'm sorry Will - she started crying.

Will didn't know what to do at first. It was strange seeing his mom crying. It's not like it was her fault: how could she know? He had been so unfair. How could he have been upset with his mom while he was at camp? How could he not have missed her more, cared more about how she was doing? He felt like crying too. He went to her side of the table to hug her. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours.

After breakfast, they went home. They finished with most of the cleaning. The house returned to the normal levels of messiness. In the afternoon, someone knocked on the door. It was Emily, one of his mom's friends.

- Will! You are back! - she looked worried for a second, but then smiled - You look so big! Is your mom home? I brought the car!

Before he could answer, Naomi arrived, her cheeks slightly red.

- Emily! You didn't have to, I was going to get the car myself tomorrow. - she looked at her son - Will, why don't you go prepare your things for school?

Why was his mom acting so weird? Will knew overhearing other people's conversations was wrong, but instead of going directly to his room, he stayed in the hallway, hoping to catch some words.

- Naomi! What the hell? I thought Will arrived next week.

- Emily, you didn't need to come.

- Naomi, you need help. If not for you, at least think of...

Naomi interrupted her.

- I'm fine, yesterday was just a mistake. Thanks for bringing the car. - She practically slammed the door on Emily's face.

Will went to his room before his mom could realize he had been listening, more confused than before.

Will's first days at school went well, or as well as could be expected for a demigod. He started taking the bus back home. He didn't love it, but it was the best way to make sure he was never alone. He also carried the knife Lee gave him in his backpack at all times.

Chiron had given him some papers for his new teacher about his dyslexia and ADHD. She was nice about it, but the school didn't have as many resources as the Camp, so he was back at struggling with the assignments.

As for his mom, he never knew what to expect. She had always been a little unpredictable, but he could have sworn it was worse since he came back from Camp. Some days she was super happy and excited, maybe even too much, and other days she was completely absent, like a ghost. She often slept until late, particularly on the weekends, and when Will asked about it, she often blamed her new job as a waitress. Will knew something had happened with the band, and her mom had barely played any music since his return, but she refused to answer any of his questions.

At least he was getting better at cleaning, and helping out his mom in the best ways he could. The food was still an issue, and it was almost an art to remind his mom to do groceries without upsetting her. He remembered Mateo's lessons on how to deal with difficult patients.

He wasn't way off when thinking like that. His mom's blood pressure was all over the place, either too low or too high. Something was making her sick.

It didn't take long until he found one of the bottles.

He was looking for the cleaning products under the kitchen sink when he noticed one of the bottles didn't belong with the others. It was glass and reminded him of the bottles he saw often at parties with adults, like the celebrations after one of his mom's concerts. It was alcohol, something only adults can drink, and usually only on special occasions. That was a weird place to put it. He decided to move it and put it in the pantry, away from the dangerous cleaning products. He put it in the back, with other ingredients they barely used. He had learned that technique from Hannah, who always insisted on keeping the supply closet super organized.

That night, when his mother came home from work, he saw her checking the doors under the sink, and she mumbled something under her breath. She then told Will she had to go to the store to pick up something, but when she came back she didn't show him what she had bought.

The 17th of September that year was a Saturday. Will didn't like that his birthday was at the start of the year before he had the opportunity to befriend more people, but at least he didn't have classes that day. He didn't have any particular plans that year, maybe just a movie marathon (he giggled to himself thinking of the word. He would never think of marathons in the same way). He was in the living room watching TV when his mom suddenly stormed off out of her room, a panicked look in her eyes.

- Jesus, I'm late! Hun, I have a shift at the restaurant, I'll be back in the afternoon. - And before Will could answer she was gone.

She hadn't said anything about his birthday. All alone in the living room, Will felt like crying. That made him feel stupid. It wasn't his mom's fault she had to work. But still, he couldn't avoid it. Tears came to his eyes.

His mom didn't arrive until 9 PM. He had waited all day, watching TV, wrapping and unwrapping his wrists and ankles with bandages over and over, making a mess trying to make a Birthday ice cream sundae and then cleaning said mess. He had even finished his homework instead of leaving it at the last second on Sunday, his usual technique. He thought about using his drachmas to call someone at Camp, or his siblings, but he figured that being alone on your ninth birthday didn't qualify as an emergency. Still, he put one of the coins in his pocket, just to keep it close.

Her mom arrived all happy.

- Will hun! I'm home! Hey!

Will came out of his room. Truth is, he was upset, and it was impossible to hide.

- Hun what's... - her face turned pale, then she tried to change her expression and smile- It's your birthday! - she went to hug him, but he barely hugged her back. - Hey! I'm sorry, I had to work a lot today - up close, her breath smelled of alcohol, a smell Will knew from his days in the infirmary, but had never felt as strongly in someone's breath before. It was different, it didn't felt as clean or fresh, but rather wrong.- But let's go! I have a surprise for you!

- I think it's a little late...

- Nonsense! Let's go!

She grabbed Will's wrist with a surprising amount of strength. They went to the car, and Naomi started driving. She was acting so strange.

- Jesus, I'm sorry Will, for everything, you have no idea what's it been like, recently, with the band and all, and I'm the worst mother - she was laughing while saying all of it. - It's all so stupid. And I... Hey! Watch where you are going motherf*cker! - Will was scared. He had never seen his mom like this, he had heard her curse, but not this loud in front of him. The car was going faster and faster. - No one knows how to drive anymore, and then you have Emily criticizing me for driving!

- Momma, please, I want to go home.

- No! It's your birthday, and we are going to do something for your birthday!

Will heard sirens in the back. He wanted to pray, but to who? He tried his dad, but it was dark and had little hope. His mom cursed under her breath and stopped. Maybe it did work, after all.

A police officer approached them. Will didn't pay attention to the whole conversation. He was so scared he was mostly focused on his breathing. Then he realized that the cop was looking at him with concern in his eyes.

- Ma'am, can you step out of the car, please?

- Momma? - Will asked.

- I'll be right back, hun, this is a misunderstanding.

But she didn't come back. She was arrested. Will was taken to the station in a different car.

The police station was definitely a scary place. Through the Mist, Will could see that several of the people there, including other police officers, were monsters. He saw horns, serpent legs, and red eyes everywhere. He tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, but some of them were looking at him directly.

They wouldn't harm him with that many witnesses, would they? He didn't have his knife. But he felt something in his pocket... the Drachma. He figured this probably did qualify as an emergency. But there was no sun. How to make a rainbow? He looked around, desperately.

- Don't worry hun, everything issss going to be alright. - Will turned to see one of the officers talking to him. Her words would have been reassuring if she wasn't clearly a Dracanae, her serpent legs approaching him dangerously.

This was the worst birthday ever.

Chapter 17: Early summer

Chapter Text

Running seemed like the best option.

Of course, running out of a police station was an impossible task. There were officers everywhere, and none of them seemed to notice their colleague's serpent legs.

A distraction. He needed a distraction. Fast. Or something, anything. He needed to get out of there.

He turned to the other officer next to him.

- Can we go outside?

- No sweetie, we need to stay here until we can contact someone to come pick you up.

- I can take him - offered the Dracanae - Jusssst to take ssssome air.

Well, that had backfired terribly.

- No, it's okay, if it's against the rules... - Will tried to save the situation.

- No, come here - She forcibly grabbed his hand, and for some reason, her colleague didn't protest much. Gods, he was dead.

No, he couldn't die on his birthday. He tried thinking again. There had to be something he could do...

Once there were outside, his captor said:

- It'ssss time, half-blood.

He tried kicking and throwing punches with his free hand, but nothing worked. He had to focus. He tried his most intimidating voice.

- Let me go now!

The monster just laughed. He concentrated even more.

- Let me go!

Suddenly, the monster let go. She looked stunned. For a second, Will was too, wondering how that stupid plan had worked. Then he noticed: indeed, Will was glowing. It was a soft glow, like a night light.

They both stayed speechless for a second, not knowing what to do, as if waiting for the light to grow brighter and for Will to explode, but it didn't happen. The Dracaena just started laughing.

- I thought you were going to burn me or ssssssomething! What a relief!

Will was going to say something when he suddenly remembered he had to run for his life. He started doing that, taking advantage of the distraction. He ran for blocks and blocks, not looking back.

When his legs couldn't take it anymore, he finally stopped. No one was chasing him, but he was completely lost, and everything was dark. He must have stopped glowing while running. He didn't want to take any chances, so when he saw an alley, he decided to hide there, behind the dumpster, and closed his eyes, waiting for the nightmare to end.

He must have dozed off because when he opened his eyes, the sun was coming out. The smell of trash and urine was overwhelming, but he tried to ignore it. He had to think. The sun... a rainbow! He could finally ask for help. He tried looking for something, anything that could help him. He took some of the filled plastic bags outside the dumpster to climb and open it. He fell on his knees, scratching them, but he succeeded at the end. There was an empty glass container at the top, easy to reach without falling inside. The smell was just a mix of rotten food and plastic bags, but he had to ignore it, and be strong. He took the container and tried putting it in different positions until a rainbow appeared on the floor. It worked better with water apparently, but he hoped Iris was in a good mood.

- Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Lisa Huang.

Lisa was in her room, awake, still in her pajamas, reading a book.

- Will? - she looked confused at first, then smiled, and then she looked worried seeing where her brother was - are... are you okay? It's that a dumpster?

- I... - Will didn't know what to say. How could she help? She was in her home in New York, far away from Austin, but he didn't know what else to do. - I don't know...

He wanted to cry. Gods, why did he feel that way all the time now? He held back his tears, but his voice still sounded broken when he recounted the events of the night. He left out the fact that the day before was his birthday, and that his mom was acting weird. He didn't know why, but he felt his mom would be in trouble if he did. He also left out the part where he glowed because... that still felt like a dream, an embarrassing one at that.

- Gods Will! - Lisa's voice was filled with concern. - Okay, it's okay. Don't end the message. I need you to go and see if there's a street sign and a number in one of the buildings, and come back and tell me.

Will obeyed immediately and came back with the information. It was still early and very few people were in the street.

- Good, you did very well Will. I'm going to call and get someone to help you. I need you to stay there, okay? Everything is going to be alright.

He saw her pulling a prism and making multiple Iris messages. He couldn't see the faces of the people she was talking to, only hear pieces of the conversation.

- I need help, immediately. Is one of my siblings. He's in Austin, Texas. Yes, I know, please. Okay. - she wrote something on a paper. - Thank you.

At some point, he could've sworn he even heard Coach Gleeson's voice. But it was confusing with so many people involved. He felt a little embarrassed to cause such a problem.

- San Antonio! How long is it going to... two hours? Gods, okay, okay, I understand. Please, hurry. - said Lisa to a mysterious person.

The message was starting to fade.

- Will, listen to me. The message is going to fade. I need you to stay where you are. A satyr named Gary Pine is going to pick you up, but he is going to take a couple of hours, okay? I'm going to call you again, just give me some minutes. Don't move.

Those two hours were some of the worst in Will's life. He was scared of any stranger that passed in front of the alley, convinced it was some monster trying to get him. Lisa sent him four other messages during those two hours, always staying until the message faded and constantly making sure he was okay. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Gary appeared. By then the sky was completely clear, and the city started to come to life, or as alive as it could be on a Sunday.

Gary looked younger, a lot more gentle than Hedge. He seemed nervous.

- Sorry kid, I'm not a fan of Austin. The satyrs here - he shook his head.

- Like Coach Hedge? - It was strange, he was sure he didn't live there anymore.

- No! The Aethiopian satyrs. Scary stuff. They are cannibals! I don't know how Hedge worked here. - he suddenly remembered Will was in the car. - Sorry kid. What's your address? I'm going to take you home, so you can pack your bags and go to Camp.

Will had been mostly quiet, trying to process all the events of the previous night. His mom... His mom was probably worried sick, he needed to see her.

- I can't go to Camp before the summer! My mom needs me!

Gary bit his lips.

- Look, why don't we get you home and then... we can talk about what we can do. Sounds fair?

Gary didn't know Austin very well, and he got lost a couple of times. Luckily, he could talk to stray dogs who were apparently great at giving directions. Finally, they arrived at his house.

Will didn't have any keys, but there was a spare hidden under some rocks in the entrance.

- Hey kid, why don't you go and take a shower? You had a rough night. Then we can... discuss our plans.

Will was about to argue, but he had slept in an alley, so maybe Gary had a point. While showering, he realized how exhausted he was. It was difficult just standing up. He also realized he had bruised his wrist, where the monster had held him, the scratches on his knees burned with the water, and he had blisters on his feet, probably from all the running. He took one of the longest showers in his life.

When he came out, he overheard a conversation between Gary and another person. He was on the phone.

- Yeah, you were right. It is pretty bad. I did find some bottles in unlikely places. I'm going to make some calls to make things right with the police, but I have to go back to San Antonio before tomorrow, I'm still on assignment. Yeah, don't worry, I'll wait. - he noticed Will overhearing the conversation. - Hey Will! It's Lisa on the phone. She wants to talk to you.

Will grabbed the phone.

- Hey Will - he heard on the other side of the line - I'm so happy you are home! Listen to me: I know you don't want to leave home right now, but your mom... your mom can't take care of you right now. Camp is the best place for you.

- But I haven't talked to her! I don't know where she is - finally, the exhaustion caught up with him, and he was crying - I think she's sick, I can't leave her. I left her during the summer and she got sick. I need to be here.

- Will, listen to me - her voice broke, as if she was about to cry too - It wasn't your fault, okay? Your mom did something very serious last night, and she might have some trouble with the police. She won't be able to take care of you while she fixes that. And then, she needs help.

- Yes! I can help her! I'm learning how to be a healer, and I'll be better with the cleaning and organizing, I promise.

- Will, you will be an amazing healer, but this is not something that can be healed like a cut. She needs... she needs a different kind of help.

- But it's only the two of us!

- I know Will, but you are eight...

- I'm nine! I turned nine yesterday! Please!

- Gods, yesterday was your birthday? - There was a long pause. He heard Lisa crying.

- Lisa, I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you, I'm sorry for calling you...

- No Will! Don't apologize! - now she sounded angry. He heard her take a big breath. - Listen to me. Do you trust me?

He nodded, then remember he was on the phone. Gods, it was getting hard to speak.

- Yes

- Okay. Right now, you need to be safe. That's the best way you can help your mom. And the best place to be safe, it's at Camp. Chiron... he's not there, but he's been helping me. You are going to take a plane okay? I'll meet you tonight at the airport. Pack a nice bag, not just the essentials. Think of... think of things that you really like. Okay?

- I... - Will really didn't want to do it, but something told him he didn't have much choice. - Okay, I'll go to Camp until my mom gets better.

Lisa's sigh could be heard over the phone, but she didn't try to argue anymore.

- I'll be there when you land.

Gary helped him pack. This time, it wasn't just a backpack, he was also taking a small suitcase. Last time, he had left his Luke Skywalker figure and the old yellow pillow that he loved. He took them and took again the picture of him and his mom. He also put Lee's knife in his backpack (he wasn't going to forget that knife again), and the drachmas he had left.

- Perfect! It seems like we have everything here. Now, let's get your papers, and then to the airport.

Getting an unaccompanied minor on a last-minute flight to New York wasn't an easy task, but Gary somehow knew exactly what to say, and what papers to show. Will wasn't even sure how he got them, but he was too tired and sad to think much. He mostly just followed directions like a robot, without saying a word. Despite how tired he was, he couldn't sleep on the plane. He landed quite late. As promised, Lisa was waiting for him, and again a mysterious exchange of papers and forms that shouldn't have been legal happened, but it all worked out.

She gave him a huge hug. By now, he was mostly numb.

She started talking in the car.

- Did you get any sleep? - She was looking at him through the rearview mirror. He just shook his head. - It's okay, we are almost there, and you are going to find your bed! I'm even staying tonight! - Will barely reacted. - I usually don't stay every weekend, so Lee is going to be in charge most of the time. You are not going to be alone! He, Louis, Victoria, Tamara, and David are also year-rounders...

- Year-rounders? But I'm only staying until my mom is better right? - he said with panic in his voice.

- Hey - she said in her sweetest voice - I just meant there are there now, in September. And me and Hannah, we'll visit often, because we both live in New York.

Will started suffocating, he didn't know what was wrong, but he didn't like it at all.

- No! I'm sorry, I was wrong. I need to go back! I need to get home!

- Will, breathe, okay? Breathe... You are exhausted, and you need sleep. I know... I know it's too much right now, okay. I can't... I can't imagine what you are feeling. I know I'm asking too much of you right now, and it isn't fair, but I need you to trust me. Tomorrow, we'll ... We'll try to figure out our next steps. But we can't do that without sleep first.

- O... okay... but tomorrow we'll do that right?

- Yes, tomorrow we'll talk.

They didn't say much the rest of the way. Will's mind was all over the place.

Finally, they arrived at Camp. Lisa parked in the middle of nowhere, and they climbed the familiar hill with the pine on top. Thalia's tree as he had learned during the summer. He really hated that story.

- As I mentioned on the phone, Chiron left earlier this week for a special mission, and will probably be absent until the Christmas break. Maybe he'll be here some weekends, I don't know. Hopefully, Mr. D didn't forget to inform the harpies of our late arrival - she didn't sound too hopeful.

It was really late, so most of the Cabins had their lights turned off, except for Cabin 7.

Indeed, Lee, Victoria, Louis, Tamara, and David were expecting them in their pajamas.

- Hey Will, let me get that for you - Lee grabbed Will's suitcase. - I bet you are tired, but we have some snacks if you are hungry.

Will just shook his head. He didn't want to be rude, but he was too overwhelmed and tired to even speak.

- It's okay, I'm glad you are okay! You had us worried for a second. - Lee looked at Lisa with a concerned look, she just nodded as if confirming his fears - Come on, let's get you to bed.

And with that, Will fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. His summer had started way earlier than expected.

Chapter 18: When Mr.D knows your name

Chapter Text

When Will woke up, he didn't feel rested. He had relieved the events of the past two days in his dreams. It was all confusing and overwhelming, and nothing felt real anymore because how could it be?

But he wasn't in his house in Austin. He was back at Camp barely a month after his departure, and the last time he had seen his mom, she was in the back of a police car.

The morning routine went a lot quicker with half of the campers gone. Everybody gave him kind smiles. Even the overly serious Victoria and the shy David were being extra nice. But it was difficult to care about any of that. What he wanted were answers. However, he promised Lee and Lisa he would have breakfast first. He wasn't very hungry, but he took some milk and fruit. His siblings didn't look too convinced, but they decided not to say anything. He had noticed Mary and Oscar at their respective tables, but he was avoiding their gaze. He couldn't focus on anything else except his conversation with Lisa. Finally, she asked:

- Tell me, Will, what's your favorite place at Camp?

That was an odd question. How was it relevant? He still answered.

- The infirmary.

- Okay - she smiled - we'll go to the infirmary, you, Lee, and me, and we'll talk there.

The infirmary was completely empty. With more than half of the campers gone and without all the dangerous activities, like Capture the Flag, Will figured no one really got injured. Lee pulled some chairs and the three on them sat there, looking at each other. Will decided to begin.

- My mom is probably worried. I really need to talk to her.

Lisa was biting her lips, but Lee gave her an encouraging look.

- We managed to get the message to your mom that you were here, safe, and the police are no longer looking for you as a missing child ... - she looked at Lee again, but he didn't say anything.

Those were great news, Will didn't want to add to her worries. But he still wanted to talk to her.

- Maybe she's home already! I could use the phone in the Big House!

- Okay, we can try that later, promise. After we talk.

Will was confused. What else was there to say? He just needed to talk to his mom, and they needed to try. By now, he was distractingly scratching the armrests of the chair, desperate to get out of the conversation.

- Will, do you know what alcoholism is? - Lisa's tone was kind but serious.

He was stunned for a moment. Where was this conversation going?

- Like a drunk? - he asked.

- Well, what do you know about that?

He had a vague memory, from when he was six, and he had asked his mom about his grandparents, and why he didn't know them.

- My mom said my grandad was a drunk. He drank too much alcohol, even when there was no celebration, and he turned scary. - his mom hadn't given any more details, but he had never seen her as scared as when she told him that - that's why we don't see him.

His two siblings exchanged a glance he couldn't quite comprehend.

- Well, what your grandfather had is called alcoholism. He was an alcoholic. He had an addiction. Do you know what that is?

- When you like something too much? - he remembered Tamara joking about David being addicted to playing piano when they were confined during the Cabin War.

- Well, sometimes people use that word as a joke to mean that, but in this case, it's an illness. It's when someone feels the uncontrollable need to take something, like drugs or alcohol, and even though it hurts them, they feel like they can't stop. Do you understand?

Will considered the words carefully. Being surrounded by ADHD demigods, he could understand the concept of doing something even if they knew it could hurt them. Still, this felt different. People didn't use the word "drunk" kindly, his mom hadn't when describing his grandad. But if it was something that couldn't be controlled...

- I... I think so?

- Your mom... - Lisa took a deep breath - your mom is an alcoholic, Will.

So, his mom was a drunk? No, that didn't make sense.

- No, no, she can't be, she's not scary, so she can't have the same thing that her dad. - How could they know? They didn't know her.

- Well, alcohol doesn't have the same effect on everybody but... do you know why she was stopped by the police the other day?

He remembered the way she had acted, how that had made him scared...

- She... she was going too fast. It was just a mistake! - he added quickly.

- Yes, and then they discovered she had some alcohol before, and you are not supposed to drink alcohol and drive, because alcohol affects your brain.

He remembered the smell of her breath. Alcohol, just like Lisa was saying.

- Yes, but it was just once. And it was my birthday. She just drove because she wanted to do something before the end of the day. It wasn't her fault.

- Will, what she did, was very dangerous. If you got into an accident, she could've gotten hurt, she could've hurt someone else, you - her voice broke - you could've gotten hurt.

He remembered how he had asked to go home, how Naomi wouldn't listen. He couldn't hold his tears any longer.

- She's just been feeling sick lately. It's not her fault, she has to work a lot, and she can't play her music anymore. I... left her alone to come here, and I shouldn't have.

- Will - Lee finally spoke after being quiet for most of the conversation. He left his chair to kneel in front of Will - this is not your fault. You didn't cause this. Your mom is sick.

- But I left her! - he was now sobbing uncontrollably. Lee pulled him in a tight embrace - Please, I just want to go home.

- Listen to me - Lee was now looking at him directly in the eyes. His eyes were greyish-blue, and his gaze had a strength he hadn't felt before. - Your mom being sick is no one's fault, not hers, and especially not yours. I know you wanna help her, but she needs a special kind of help, and that's okay. It's okay to ask for help Will, you've been carrying way too much - He hugged him again.

- I'm... I'm scared. - He sobbed. - What if... what if she doesn't get better? - He whispered the last part of his sentence.

- We don't know what's going to happen - now Lisa spoke again. She was kneeling beside Lee. Will hadn't even noticed her move. - but we are here, with you, and we love you.

The three of them hugged for what seemed like an eternity.

- Do you have any questions? - Lisa asked when they finally let go.

- Can... can we try and call? Just to check on her.

- Yeah, okay. Let's go.

They went through the door that connected the infirmary with the rest of the Big House. Mr. D was in the living room.

- Lila Yang, Lenny Reacher - he didn't even look at them - I don't presume any of you knows how to play pinochle? I might be missing that centaur more than I thought.

- Sorry, sir. We just needed to use the phone for... - she didn't even finish her sentence. Now Mr. D was looking directly at Will.

- Ah yes, I remember. - Will couldn't hold his gaze - Off you go do... whatever it is you kids do all day. I will take care of this situation.

- But sir... - Lee placed himself in a protective stance in front of Will.

- I think you meant "yes, sir". William Solace, come with me.

Will didn't want to be left alone with the god, but he also didn't want his siblings to be pulverized. He slowly walked towards Mr. D and gave his siblings what he hoped was a reassuring look. From the look on their faces, it probably hadn't worked. He barely had the time to register that Mr. D had said his name correctly.

They went to Chiron's office, where the old computer and the phone were.

- Mr. Solace, I know about your predicament. - the god said.

Of course! Dionysus, God of Wine! How could he forget?

- Can... can you cure my mom?! - he knew he was forgetting something - sorry, I mean, can you help my mom, sir?

- No, that is not how it works. - his tone was harsh, but not cruel.

Will stayed silent. Of course, that would have been too easy.

- Make your call, Mr. Solace.

Will made the call and waited, but no one answered. He looked at Mr. D, but his expression was undecipherable.

- Your mother is alive - he said finally. - She's not well, but she's alive, and she's relieved to know you are safe, I can tell you that.

- How... - he was going to ask how did he know, but he was a god, the question seemed stupid - Why do you care? I mean, why do you care, sir?

- I'm always interested in cases like your mother, Mr. Solace. Which is why I can tell you this. If she's ready, she'll contact you.

- If? But, she can be cured right?

- "Cure", your father's word. I prefer treatment or management.

- But, she's going to be okay, right? She's going to get help.

- If she accepts it.

He was starting to get angry. He knew he was talking to a literal god, but for a second he didn't care.

- So she's sick, and it's not her fault, but I can't help her or cure her and it has to be her choice! - none of it made sense. If she was injured, people wouldn't be so vague, but no one was giving him real answers or solutions.

Mr. D looked at him, and Will realized that the god's existence didn't make any sense either. He was a former demigod, who now as a god hated demigods. He could choose how to look and chose one of the most unattractive forms. He was the god of wine, and yet he could only drink diet co*ke. He was the god of madness, excess, and partying, and yet he was the only god that seemed to care about his children.

- Now, you understand, Mr. Solace. Things don't have to make sense to be true.

- I... I don't like it. - It was a childish response, but it was the truth.

- Well, mortals wouldn't be mortals if they didn't try to invent the craziest things to make sense of what doesn't. It doesn't matter. One way or another, you will accept it, because I fear you won't have a choice. - He turned around and stopped looking at Will. A sense of relief from being free from his gaze took over his body. - Phil Sundance, don't you have anywhere else to be?

He took that as a sign to leave.

Lee and Lisa were waiting for him expectantly on the porch.

- Are you okay Will? - Lisa looked at him, checking for any signs of injury.

- Yes, I just... I'm fine.

- Could you talk to your mom? - asked Lee.

- No, but... I don't think I can do that for now.

- What do you mean? - his brother insisted.

- I don't want to talk about it anymore.

His siblings didn't push the matter any further.

Chapter 19: How I started playing guitar

Chapter Text

Lisa left, as planned, shortly after lunch. During her absence, Lee was in charge. Indeed, even if Louis was older, Lee had seniority.

The first few days were rough. Will lost much of his appetite and was on autopilot for most of the day. In Chiron's absence, the older kids, particularly the Athena campers, were in charge of most of his classes, but he could barely pay any attention. The boy did become a master in bandages since bandaging his arms and ankles is what occupied most of his time. Every time Oscar or Mary asked him if he wanted to do something, he declined with some weak excuse.

However, his siblings didn't simply stand by.

Funny enough, David was the first to break through his walls. Out of all his siblings, David was the shyest. It was actually rare for a child of Apollo, the famously outgoing and too full of himself god. He was quiet, and always acted like a fish out of the water, except in the music room. Will went there for the music lesson and barely paid any attention. However, in the end, after all the other kids were gone, David asked him to stay.

- Hey Will, Ummm... I've been working on a cover, and I was wondering if you could stay for a little while and help me out.

Will nodded distractingly. It's not like he had any plans. David reached for a guitar instead of staying on the piano. At least this caught Will's attention.

He first noticed the melody. It was a little sad, but also hopeful. There was something incredibly soothing about it. Suddenly, he felt safe, in a way that he hadn't felt since... well, maybe forever.

He was barely listening to the lyrics until some words caught him off guard:

"See, my old man's got a problem

He live with the bottle, that's the way it is

He says his body's too old for working

His body's too young to look like his

My mama went off and left him

She wanted more from life than he could give

I said somebody's got to take care of him

So I quit school and that's what I did"

For a second, he couldn't breathe. Why was David singing this?

He was stunned for a moment, until the words and the melody caught him again, becoming stronger and stronger.

"City lights lay out before us

And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder

And I-I had a feeling that I belonged

I-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone "

He felt the song, with every fiber of his being. Whatever David was doing, he had never felt it before, and he was no stranger to listening to people play music.

"I got a job that pays all our bills

You stay out drinking late at the bar

See more of your friends than you do of your kids

I'd always hoped for better

Thought maybe together you and me'd find it

I got no plans, I ain't going nowhere

Take your fast car and keep on driving"

How could it feel so hopeless and hopeful at the same time?

"You got a fast car

Is it fast enough so you can fly away?

You gotta make a decision

Leave tonight or live and die this way"

His eyes were filled with tears, like so many times these past few days.

"Live and die this way"

But this was different. The tears... they weren't from fear or sadness.

"Live and die this way"

He felt free, released from something he hadn't realized was holding him.

"Live and die this way"

It didn't matter that so much in his life didn't make any sense, because what did make sense was that he wasn't alone. He hadn't realized how lonely he felt before, how different it was now.

After David finished singing, they stayed quiet for a long time.

- Can... can you play it again?

David obliged. Afterward, Will decided to learn how to play it. It was easier for him to learn with a song in mind. He didn't have the power to evoke emotion the same way David or some of his other siblings could, he didn't have the patience or passion for music to play on the same level, and his voice was pretty average. But it didn't matter, it gave him an excuse to relive the song over and over.

At least he was doing something now.

Lee asked after a couple of days:

- What is one thing you are not supposed to do that you would love to do?

He didn't expect that question. He wasn't the kind of kid that was told what he could or not do. He mostly just did things because he knew it was right. Will wasn't a fan of staying up late or pulling pranks. Maybe eating junk food? But it's not as if he was completely deprived of it.

Shoes, he thought.

- Mmmm, I don't really like to wear shoes.

- Great! You don't have to wear shoes. - Will looked at him as if he was crazy - really, just try it.

Being a child of a musician in Austin, Will had never been a white shirt and tie kind of boy, but after a few weeks, he started looking like a wild child, using almost exclusively flip flops, or even barefoot sometimes. His blond hair was shaggy, his curls growing in all directions. He looked as good as a nine-year-old being raised in a summer camp by teenagers could look like. But it was a way of rebelling against himself and his self-imposed pressure.

Louis focused on his training as a fighter. He didn't approve of his sportswear but didn't insist too much. Will was still a lost cause in sword-fighting and wrestling, but his archery skills improved. He was still nowhere near his siblings, though, to be fair, he didn't have their powers. The archers in the Cabin could calculate the exact distance between two points just by looking at them and estimate, with scary accuracy, the force, and direction of the wind. They could also see better and further away than most demigods and had great orientation, which helped them with shots in the dark. So, all in all, for someone without those habilities, Will wasn't doing too bad. At least his arrows didn't hit any innocent bystanders.

Louis was rather serious, and not as patient as Lee, but he always looked genuinely sorry when he got too harsh, so it was hard to be scared of him.

- No! That's not how... - he'd frown, then take a deep breath and say in a tone that tried to be encouraging, but came off as hesitant - sorry, it's actually much better Will, but let's try changing our position slightly.

He imagined Louis's mind looked like a constant debate between Ares and Athena. It made him laugh a little.

- You are laughing! - he smiled, which he didn't do often, but when he did Will remembered he was also a child of Apollo. - Really? Days without even a smile and this is what does it for you? - he pretended to be insulted.

Tamara decided movies were the best cure.

- I know you love Star Wars, but that cannot be your only cinematic culture, Will.

And so soon, Saturday nights became movie nights in the Cabin. It was usually Tamara, Victoria, Will, and David, since their older brothers sometimes preferred to hang with other kids their age on Saturday nights, but even they joined the fun once in a while. Tamara always picked comedies. The first film they watched together was Clueless.

- Really? Clueless? - Victoria rolled her eyes.

- It's an Austen adaptation, you snob, and a godly masterpiece - Tamara retorted.

Will had to admit that it was fun, and he always made sure to have a popcorn mix ready.

Victoria didn't say much, but she helped him in her own way: by not leaving his side and becoming his personal bodyguard. If the Stoll brothers even dared look in Will's direction, she'd give them a death stare so frightening that it made Will wonder if children of Apollo could learn to shoot arrows from their eyes.

Even when Oscar approached him again at the beginning of October, Victoria gave him a look as if saying "say the word and I'll get rid of this Ares kid". But Will was ready. He went to his friend.

- Hey - Oscar said cautiously. He was carrying Will's book, Charlotte's Web - How are you?

- I'm good - Will was surprised by how true it actually was - sorry I've been so distant lately, I wasn't a very good friend.

- No! It's okay. I know you needed time.

- Oh, you know what... you know what happened? - Will wasn't sure if he wanted people other than his siblings to know.

- Well, not really, but I figured that something happened since you were supposed to be back until summer.

They stayed quiet for a moment.

- Do you wanna talk about it? - Oscar asked.

- Not really...

- That's okay. Here! - he gave him the book - You were right, the ending was sad, but I enjoyed it, and reading it didn't feel like torture.

Will laughed.

- Thank you! - he said- do you want to hang out?

- Yes!!! I have to show you this new trick with the spear I learned from Clarisse! It's super cool and...

While they were talking, they went to get Mary. She didn't even ask how he was doing, she just acted as if nothing had happened. Will convinced Victoria to come with them. After all, she was the same age as Mary. At first, they were suspicious of one another. Victoria definitely had the Apollo pride, and Mary often mocked her for it. But they were both stubborn and enjoyed a good fight. Nothing like a competition to form a demigod friendship. For all her love of archery, Victoria was probably one of the few Apollo kids that could hold her own in hand-to-hand combat. Will and Oscar just cheered on the sides.

- You can't cheer for both of us! If we are going to do this, you have to pick! - Mary screamed.

- But it's not fair! You are my friend and she's my sister! - Will screamed back.

- What if I cheer for Mary and you for Victoria? To make it fair? - Oscar proposed.

- Yeah, that sounds fair!

- That's not how cheering works! - Mary and Victoria insisted.

But they still fought, and they were so evenly matched there was no clear winner, and Will and Oscar were useless in declaring anything else than a tie.

They were few injuries during that time, and nothing too bad, but with Chiron gone, everyone was slightly on edge. Will had only been at Camp for a few months, so it hadn't dawned on him how rare it was for the centaur to go on a months-long mission. Annabeth acted as if this could be connected to her finally getting a quest, though Will couldn't understand why, and Luke looked more tired and quiet than usual.

Argus and Lee were in charge of the infirmary in Chiron's and Mateo's absence. Lee wasn't a healer, but he had excellent first aid training, and if dad was in a good mood, any child of Apollo could try to cure with a hymn. Mateo even scheduled a couple of Iris's messages from his home in Miami to make sure everything was okay, and Will was invited to these mini-conferences. It was mostly inventory and monitoring the daily medicine intake of a few campers, but Will enjoyed the work.

Hannah and Lisa stopped from time to time. Lisa often gave him worried looks and mumbled "he needs a haircut" under her breath, but she could also see the difference in Will's happiness levels, so she kept a lot of her worries to herself.

With their other siblings, letters were a cheaper way to communicate. Will missed them, but it was something to look forward to for the summer.

As for his mom...

He and Mr. D had a silent understanding. They would lock eyes every night at dinner, Will waiting for a sign that anything had changed. It didn't, and while that meant that his mom wasn't better, it also meant that she was still alive, and he held on to that. He wasn't ready to dig deeper on the subject.

October passed. Halloween was particularly fun. The Hephaestos children transformed their Cabin into the ultimate haunted house with all kinds of traps and mechanical monsters. It was difficult to scare demigods, but they made a great effort. The Stoll brothers did their usual pranks, but everyone reluctantly agreed that what happened on Halloween stayed on Halloween, to avoid another Cabin War. Some kids told scary stories at the Campfire, most of them involving curses and dead campers haunting the grounds. The older campers organized a party on the beach, and Will, Victoria, Tamara and David stayed and watched Hocus Pocus.

- Next year David you can come with us! - Lee had said. David seemed scared rather than excited about that prospect.

November also passed. The weather in Camp became slightly colder, on purpose, of course, to get everyone in the Holiday spirits. Luckily for Lee, Will agreed to wear shoes again. A feast was organized for Thanksgiving. Louis, who was originally from Canada, commented that they celebrated on the wrong month, but still joined.

Things were not perfect, but they were good.

December changed everything.

Chapter 20: A Cabin of nightmare

Chapter Text

The nightmare came back.

Will was in the woods, surrounded by a red glow. He heard the voices of his siblings and his friends asking for help, and he started running.

But something had changed.

For starters, a voice was missing. The cacophony of cries for help didn't let him think properly, but he was sure of it. However, before he could figure it out, a golden path appeared. Unlike the red light surrounding him, this felt safe and familiar. He followed it, pushed by a sudden urge.

The path led him outside the woods and into a city. It wasn't Austin. New York maybe? He didn't know New York that much, but the answer felt right. It was dark, and he could feel the cold in his bones. He heard in the distance the sounds of police sirens and saw their characteristic blue and red lights. He followed the sound until he stumbled upon at least four patrols parked in front of an alley. There were officers everywhere, calming down the curious neighbors who were standing behind a line of crime scene tape. No one seemed to notice his presence.

- They said it was a dog attack...- he heard one of the neighbors whisper.

- A dog? What kind of dog would do that? - another one answered.

Someone was attacked? What were they talking about? But before he could figure it out, he was woken up by screams.

It was Victoria. She was screaming from her bed, on the other side of the room. Lee turned on the lights while Louis and Tamara went to comfort her.

- Tori, it's okay, it's okay, we're here - said Tamara. She had climbed to the top bunk where Victoria slept.

- Li... Lisa... she's hurt! Lisa's hurt! - Victoria said, sobbing. While he couldn't really see her face, hidden under her hands, Will had never heard her like that before. She sounded so small and vulnerable.

Will thought that Tamara was going to answer her immediately, saying it was nothing but a dream. Instead, she became scared too.

- Wait... you dreamt about Lisa?

- Tamara - Lee intervened with a serious tone - did you have a dream about Lisa too?

- Yes but... she was fine! In my dream, she was fine!

- The same thing in my dream - said Louis in a quiet voice.

- And in mine - finished Lee in a hesitant tone.

- This can't be a coincidence! - urged Louis.

- David, Will, what about you? - Lee turned to face them.

David didn't answer. Will moved to see his face. His brown skin had now turned green.

- David - insisted Lee kindly.

- I saw her, she was scared. But I couldn't ... I mean, I woke up before I could see why.

Lee took a deep breath.

- And you Will?

- No, Lisa... - He stopped. Something was wrong. The voice that was missing... It was Lisa's.

- What's wrong Will? - Lee had now approached him. Everyone was looking at him expectantly.

- She wasn't in my dream, but she should've. I heard y'all, and the others, but not Lisa.

Everyone stayed quiet.

- Alright, let's not panic - Lee broke the silence. I'm going to try to contact Lisa and check on her. - His voice was soothing and calm.

It was early, and the sun hadn't even come out yet. After all, it was December, and the days were getting shorter.

- Louis, maybe if you could take everyone outside while I...

- No! - Victoria interrupted. - I'm not going anywhere until we talk to her!

Lee hesitated for a second, looking at Louis for advice. His brother just nodded. Will didn't fully understand the silent conversation, but Lee didn't ask them to go outside again. He just went to one of the drawers to get a drachma and a prism and he started making a rainbow.

- Oh Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering. Show me Lisa Huang.

But it didn't work. The rainbow didn't accept the offering, and instead, a beautiful female voice said:

- I'm sorry, the person you are trying to contact is unreachable.

Victoria let out a strangled cry.

- No, no, no, no, no - Tamara was shooking her head violently. - There were just dreams. Just dreams.

- Hey, it's okay - Lee's voice still sounded calm, but Will noticed something different in his eyes. - Let's piece this together. I was dreaming, and then a golden flash of light took me out of that dream and I saw Lisa. She was in her room, and it was dark outside. She was working on something, it looked like homework. She kept looking at her watch as if waiting for something but... I woke up before I could see more.

- She received a phone call in the middle of the night, but I woke up when she answered. - Louis was looking at the floor while speaking. - I was also dreaming until an arrow flew in front of me, and then I saw her...

- Maybe... Maybe that's why she was on the street that late! - Tamara tried to sound hopeful. So far, Lisa was fine in every dream. - That's... that's what I saw in the smoke coming from the tripod.

- The tripod? - asked Lee.

- Yes, I was dreaming, and suddenly I see this tripod, like the ones used in Delphi, and something was burning in it, and in the smoke, an image was formed, almost like an Iris message. And it was Lisa, walking. And she was fine, everything was fine!

- No. - Everyone turned to see David, but he took a few seconds before continuing. - In my dream, she was running and she was scared.

- And she got hurt! - Victoria started panicking again. - There was blood, so much blood...

- Hey, it's okay, it's okay, we're going to find her - Lee insisted. - Do you know where she was?

- No - she sobbed - it looked like an alley, but I didn't see any signs, or street numbers, nothing!

- An alley? - No, Will though. It had to be a mistake. It couldn't be, right?

- Will? Does it sound familiar? - Lee's eyes didn't match the calmness of his voice.

- Som... Someone was attacked in an alley. By a dog. That's what the men were saying... In my dream I mean.

- But you didn't see Lisa right? That's what you said? - Tamara kept insisting.

- No, I couldn't see who it was... there was a crime scene tape and police officers ...

- It's happening, again, like Henry... - Victoria was shaking like a leaf.

- No, we don't know that, we don't know that... - Tamara was hugging her.

Henry, Will thought. The brother he had never met, who had... No, Lisa couldn't be... No. That was impossible.

Lee got dressed at record speed and went to the Big House to try to figure out what happened. Louis went to Cabin 11 to see if Luke could help. They all wanted to go with them, but Lee insisted they had to get ready before breakfast.

For Will, that was worse. It was the dread of uncertainty. He had had too much of it in the past months. But nobody said anything. They could barely think.

The next few hours were a blur in Will's memory.

He remembered getting dressed.

He remembered the wait.

He remembered Victoria crying, the sound of her sobs, her uneven breathing; Tamara, insisting over and over that everything was fine; David's eyes, glassy, dead, his gaze fixed on the floor.

He remembered the pounding of his own heart, the soft sensation of the bandages he was putting over and over on his wrists.

After a while, Luke took them to the Big House. His face was expressionless, but his scar had never looked more red, like a fresh wound.

Their older brothers were there, waiting for them, and Will noticed that Louis's eyes were red. That's when he realized something was terribly wrong.

She was dead. Lisa was dead.