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The camp was quiet at night. Clairisse sat guarding Thaila’s tree. She didn’t know it but coming up the trail was Percy Jackson. It was almost time for the shift to end. Percy had the slot right after her then Annabeth would go until Morning. Stars had just begun to litter the sky like hundreds of tiny salt flakes. It was dark but not so dark that Clarisse couldn’t see the air shimmering in front of her. Rainbow hews danced in front of her like heat waves until the towering form of Ares appeared.
He was dressed in his normal biker-chic style but his face was contorted into a fuming scowl, like the face of an angry ox. Clarisse felt her shoulder tense and she sat up straighter.
“Father…” She gasped before bowling her head like a loyal soldier.
“Are you ashamed of yourself yet, cause you should be!” He screamed. “I give you a quest, a ship, a crew and what do I get in return? Embarrassment, complete embarrassment!”
“But father, I won!” Clarisse argued meekly.
“With Ocean Brat’s help! Without Jackson you’d be cyclops food! I knew I should’ve sent one of my sons for the fleece!”
In the background Percy continued to make his way up the trail. He listened from his spot, hidden behind a partially large pine branch. His jaw was tight as he watched. Ares always made him angry but his wasn’t just hatred this was something more, something deeper.
“No war can be won alone, you of all people should know that!” Clairisse protested back before closing her mouth swiftly, her eyes wide with fear.
“Lose the attitude, little girl!” Ares lunged forward, his fist raised like he might swing. Clarisse flinched backwards hard enough that her back slammed into the base of the healing tree. Percy started running. There was no possible way for the war god to strike through Iris Message but it didn’t matter.
“Leave her alone!” He called.
“Stay out of this, Perseus Jackson!” Ares spat like he swallowed a fly.
“No! You don’t have any right to talk to her like that, especially not after she succeeded!”
“She’s my daughter!”
“Even more reason for you to treat her with respect. Any god would be proud to have a hero as their daughter. Now get out of here and if you ever raise a hand to one of your kids again, you’ll have more than just an ankle scar to worry about!” Percy threatened, his eyes hooded and furious. Ares’s brows knit together and his face changed into an angry, plum purple before he screamed and slapped the message, disconnecting the call.
Percy let out a bitter but relieved sigh before slipping down the tree trunk to the cool grass. Clarisse stared at him with wide brown eyes, her mouth hanging open like Coi Fish.
“You’re free to go.” The son of Poseidon said.
“Why’d you do that?” Clarisse asked bewildered. Percy didn’t answer right away, biting his bottom lip in thought.
“If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone else!”
“Oh I’m so gonna make fun of you for this!” Clarisse smirked. Percy huffed dryly, making her face drop, before replying.
“Forget it.”
“Wait, I'm sorry, go ahead. I won’t tell anyone.” The daughter of Ares apologized when she got a good look at Percy’s expression.
“Alright, well for as long as I could remember my mom was married to this guy, Gabe. He used to yell at me like that and he hit my mom a lot.” Percy paused, his eyes watered like he was about to cry. “She put up with him for me but I wasn't brave enough to say anything back then, to protect her. I’ve only ever told Grover and Annabeth about it but seeing Ares treat you like that I didn’t want to just stand by. I wanted to be brave enough.”
Clarisse stared at the black-haired boy. The tears had started flowing down his cheeks. Her eyes are wider than paper plates. Clarisse had heard about Sally. She was the mother every demigod dreamed of, so many campers have expressed a desire at having a home-life like Percy Jackson. No one would’ve guessed his childhood wasn’t all blue cookies and jelly beans. That’s probably how Percy liked it, Clarisse didn’t want people to know about Ares or her mom back in Arizona and she guessed Percy didn’t want people to know about his step-father either. Still you could see how much this Gabe guy affected him. He looked so small under the moonlight, his hero and cool-guy persona dropped. He actually looked his age, or maybe even younger. Blue jean covered knees pulled close to his chest like a child hiding from the dark.
Without thinking Clarisse pulled the smaller boy into a one-armed hug. Salt water hung in the air around them, mixing with the smell of pine.
“It’s not your fault.” She began nervously. “You were just a kid….you didn’t deserve that. I know I give you a hard time but you’ve got a good heart and a fighter's spirit, I respect that. Gabe didn’t know who he was messing with!”
For the first time that night Clarisse saw Percy smile.
“Thanks, you aren’t so bad yourself. When you’re not sticking kids' heads in toilets, that is. You don’t deserve the way Ares treats you either. If I was as much of a coward as he is I’d be scared to cross you, you could beat him in a heartbeat.”
“High praise from someone who’s done it!” Clarisse chuckled.
The faint sound of a shell blew in the distance. It was officially time for the night shift to change.
“Go on.” Percy said, shrugging his left shoulder “Chiron will only let you out for so long past lights out.”
Clarisse nodded, sprinting down the hill before abruptly stopping midway down.
“I hope you know this doesn’t mean I like you, Kelp Head!” She teased loudly. Percy breathed playfully before yelling back, a wide smirk plastered on his face.
“Right back at ya, Bore Breath!”