The Moon's Shine (PJO)

Chapter 35

A/N-An extra long chapter for you guys today. Enjoy :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the hydra incident, everything went wrong—and all at once. 

The injuries hadn't been bad: Serena had a few broken ribs from the fall,  Nico had a fractured arm,  and Alina had dislocated her shoulder. In a typical hospital, they'd be prescribed a week of bed rest—but they were on their feet within a few days, thanks to ambrosia. 

Rather than tamping down their spirits, the injuries sparked a collective sense of belonging in the recruits. Percy had expected them to start treating each other well—but it just meant that they had a common goal: mass pranking their leader. (Of course, Nico would do no such thing—he knew that Percy would definitely kill him for treason).

It first started with teasing. As the recruits had been unconscious while Percy fought the hydra, that pinned his victory on coincidence—but Percy didn't care. He was just happy that no one was hurt. Then as the days went on, the recruits switched to physical pranks: Serena "accidentally" shot arrows toward him while training. Louisiana slowed Percy with her ability when he attempted to have a fair fight with Alina. 

As the days passed, a pocket of rage filled his stomach. But he kept on going. Because, as long as his recruits were smiling, he wouldn't be the one to disrupt them. Let them enjoy themselves before they're actually responsible, Percy thought. I'm never going to break.

A week later, he broke. 

For three days, he'd been suffering without any beds—the recruits had thought that it was a good idea to take his stuff and leave—so, surrounded by cold, marble floor, he managed to get only a few hours of sleep. His muscles ached, and his bones hurt, but he pushed himself to meet his recruits at the training area . . .

And then he got pranked again.

The recruits didn't let him settle in the area this time. Even worse, they didn't even give him a chance. Percy took one step into the entryway, and then he found himself doused in a familiar liquid—and it reeked. 

Percy spun around and found Alina, Serena, and Louisiana behind him, lugging empty wooden barrels behind them. They had managed to sneak up behind the son of the sea and ambush him before he detected them. To the side, Nico leaned against the arena wall, a slight smirk on his face. 

The three recruits burst out laughing. "We . . . actually . . . got him!" Alina gasped out between laughs. 

"I didn't expect that," Serena agreed, clutching at her hurting stomach.

On a normal day, Percy would've been overjoyed at his recruits' skills. But he was tired, hungry, and wanted a nap. It'll be fine if I punch them in the face, right? Percy thought, irritation clear on his face. 

Meanwhile, Nico's smile shifted to one of worry as he gazed at Percy's reaction. "I think we should get him a towel . . ." he said warily.

And that's when Percy's mood dropped even lower. He looked down and found himself soaked in alcohol—and it reeked. Unlike most liquids, alcohol couldn't be dried off using his powers—but he didn't know how the recruits had figured that out. A wind current pushed passed him, and he shivered, hugging himself to keep warm in the brisk morning.

"Where did you even find alcohol?" Percy asked miserably. "You're not twenty-one yet."

"Give us a break," Louisiana defended. "We deserve beer. We've been in life-or-death situations too many times to count."

"Only once," Percy snapped. "And you did nothing. I had to help all of you."

The three recoiled, as if not expecting this reaction. "C'mon, Percy," Serena joked, but everyone could hear the nervous tone underneath. "It was a harmless prank."