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Percy sat in his bedroom wide awake despite the fact it was 2am.
He’d come home from camp for the school year. He missed his mom too much to stay all year around.
He scrolled through his phone mindlessly. Technically, demigods weren’t supposed to have phones because they attract monsters. But luckily, a smart kid from the Athena cabin worked with a Hephaestus kid and they managed to create a safe phone.
A notification flashed across the top of his screen, someone messaging him.
are you home? It read.
Percy was confused. The person messaging wasn’t saved in his phone, yet it had to be another demigod from camp because they’re the only people able to contact each other through these phones.
He hesitated for a moment but then responded, saying yes.
Seconds later there was a sharp knock on the front door of his apartment. It was quiet enough not to wake Sally and Paul.
He got up wearily and opened it. He was pretty shocked at the sight before him.
Clarisse La Rue, the fierce and angry daughter of Ares. But she didn’t look so fierce and angry right now. Her eyes shone with tears she refused to let all, there was a nasty purple bruise forming on her jaw and a bleeding gash across her cheek. That was all Percy could notice before she stormed past him, walking into the small apartment.
She leaned against the wall of the hallway and slid down it as if her legs couldn’t hold her up any longer. Percy kneeled down beside her.
“What happened?” He asked. Normally Clarisse would have shoved him or made a mean comment by now but she didn’t, that was a big enough sign that something really bad had happened.
She glared at the floor, refusing to meet his eyes.
“Nothing, I’m fine.” She muttered shakily.
“You don’t look fine.” Percy retorted.
She didn’t respond for a few moments.
“I- I didn’t know where else to go…” she finally confessed.
Percy sighed worriedly. “Okay you don’t have to tell me what happened if you’re not ready but at least let me clean you up?” He offered, standing up and holding out a hand to help her up.
She relaxed slightly at him not pushing her for answers. She reluctantly nodded and took is hand. She winced in pain as she got up, Percy took a mental note of that. Her wrist might be injured too.
Percy led her to the kitchen and she sat down on one of the chairs at the island. Percy grabbed some supplies from the cupboards.
He sat down beside Clarisse.
“How come your away from camp?” He asked as he began to dab the blood away from her cheek.
She gritted her teeth at the sting of the antiseptic.
“Mission from Chiron…” she said quietly. “Ended up in Manhattan.”
Percy nodded, he didn’t understand but he knew she’d only elaborate further if she wanted to.
She lifted her hand up shakily to move a piece of hair from her face. Percy noticed her sleeve fall slightly and a purple mark was beneath.
“Your wrist is hurt?” He asked but it was more of a statement.
She nodded and allowed him to roll her sleeve up. There was a purple mark almost resembling the footprint of a boot on her wrist. It looked painful, someone had stomped on her wrists.
Percy stood up and waked over to the freezer. He grabbed a bad of frozen peas and wrapped them in a tea towel before placing them gently on her wrist.
He had experience with this kind of stuff, his old step-dad Gabe used to hurt him and he’d have to look after his own injuries. He never wanted to burden anyone with his issues.
Clarisse still refused to meet his gaze.
“Who hurt you?” Percy questioned. He felt angry for some reason. Although Percy had watched Clarisse get into hundreds of fights, this didn’t seem fair.
She shook her head.
“I’ll go wake my mom, she can help. I can’t tell if your wrist is broken or-“ before he could finish his sentence, Clarisse butted in.
“No- no you don’t need to worry her. I-I’m fine.” She stammered, her face full of panic and.. fear?
“She won’t be mad or anything, she loves to help people.” Percy reassured. “I think she’d only be upset with us if I didn’t wake her, she wouldn’t want to wake up tomorrow and see you here not knowing anything about it.”
“That’s right.” A voice said from the living room, walking into the kitchen. Sally Jackson appeared in her pajamas.
Clarisse had only seen sally once after her quest to the sea of monsters, but even then Sally had been so kind and caring towards her. It’s like she saw through her.
Clarisse stiffened. “Sorry Miss Jackson… I- I shouldn’t be here so late-“
“Don’t be silly!” Sally cut her off. She walked over and stood infront of Clarisse, taking in the wounds. “Let’s go talk in the living room, I’m sure Percy will make us all some hot chocolate.”
Percy nodded and Clarisse looked confused, as if she’d been bracing herself for some big angry reaction to her presence that never came.
She stood up tensely and followed Sally to the couch, slightly limping as she walked.
She sat beside Sally and didn’t say anything, still staring at the ground as if looking up and seeing their worried looks would break her more.
Percy didn’t understand what was happening at all. Clarisse is so emotionless and angry at camp, she’d never be vulnerable infront of anyone. Why’d she choose to come to him? What could have possibly happened that was so bad she had to come to him for help? She never asked for help.
He began making the three hot chocolates, listening in curiously on the quiet conversation coming from the other room.
“Did Percy patch you up alright?” Sally asked calmly.
Clarisse nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“Now I may be a mortal,” Sally began. “but I’ve had a demigod son for nearly 15 years and I even had a cyclops for a son for a while. You can tell me what’s going on, what crazy story wound you up here?”
Something about Sally was just so trusting. Clarisse found herself unable to stop the words flowing out.
“Chiron sent me on a mission… Luke’s army have been using this underground labyrinth to get around the country. You could enter the labyrinth in New York and exit minuets later in Los Angeles. It’s weird. He sent me to go investigate, I ended up in Manhattan.“ she was clearly shaken up.
“And how’d you get so hurt?” Sally questioned, wrapping an arm around Clarisses shoulders to ground her.
“My- my dad…” her voice cracked. “Ares- he came to me outside the labyrinth… he was angry at me.”
“Oh sweetie.” Sally pulled Clarisse into a hug and that was all it took. The tears she had tried so hard to fight back finally spilled over. She let out suppressed sobs against Sally’s shoulder.
Percy walked in and placed the hot chocolates on the coffee table. He looked at Clarisse and his heart broke for her. He knew ares was a shitty person, angry and violent, but he never imagined he would go so low as to harm his own children. He knew what she was going through and that hurt him more.
He finally understood why Clarisse was the way she was. So angry and defensive, it’s all Ares fault.
He walked over and put a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sobbed into Sally.
It took a few minuets for her sobs to turn into shakily breaths and a few stray tears, but eventually she pulled away from Sally.
Percy sat on the other couch and Sally handed Clarisse a hot chocolate.
“You can stay here as long as you need Clarisse. I can take you back to camp if you’d like when you’re ready.” Sally said softly.
Clarisse nodded in appreciation, she seemed shocked that anyone was being nice to her.
“Thank you.” She whispered and sipped on her hot chocolate.
“You’re not alone.” Percy added. “I used to have a step-dad called Gabe. He’d hurt me aswell. I know what it’s like.”
“You do?” Clarisse questioned in disbelief.
Percy nodded.
It was nearly 3am by this point.
Once everyone finished their hot choclates, Sally took the mugs back to the kitchen.
“Come on you need some sleep. You can sleep in my bed. I’ll sleep on the floor- or I can stay on the couch if you want to be alone?” Percy said, walking over to Clarisse.
“No… no, you can stay.” She replied, quiet and unlike herself but she seemed much better now she knew she was safe.
Percy smiled at her and they walked towards his room.
From then on Percy and Clarisse understood each other better. They had an unspoken connection and friendship. Even at camp, Clarisse would look out for him instead of fighting him.
Her and Percy would meet up sometimes past curfew in his cabin and just talk. If Clarisse had had a bad day or Ares had visited camp, she knew she could come to him. And he knew she’d always be there if he was having a hard time or needed someone to have his back in capture the flag.