Luke wants a rematch

{Camp Half-Blood, 4th of May 2005}

As Luke and I walked away from the stables, an uncomfortable silence settled between us. The camp bustled with activity around us, but it felt distant, as if we were in our own bubble of tension.

"So, Odysseus," Luke finally broke the silence, his tone deceptively casual. "How was your little adventure? Must have been quite something to keep you away for so long."

I could hear the underlying mocking in his words. "It wasn't exactly a picnic, Luke," I replied, matching his false friendliness. "But I've heard you also went on a quest didn't succeed but hey I'm sure Ladon caused you a lot of trouble didn't he."

Luke's smile didn't waver, but his eyes hardened.

"Let's not talk about quests after all I'm sure you're tired from yours."

"Hmm a little though I'm a little sad I couldn't keep a cool souvenir like you."

We'd reached the center of the camp now, near the arena. The sounds of clashing swords and cheering campers filled the air. Luke paused, turning to face me fully.

"You know what? Why don't we catch up properly?" he suggested, a challenging glint in his eyes. "How about a friendly spar in the arena? For old times' sake?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Friendly, huh? Is that what we're calling it?"

Luke's smile turned predatory. "Unless you're not up for it. I'd understand if you're... out of practice."

The taunt was clear. I felt my pride flare up, overriding my caution. "Oh, I'm always up for a good fight. Lead the way, old friend."

As we entered the arena, I noticed the stands were already packed with campers watching ongoing duels. But as soon as Luke stepped in, all eyes turned to us. The current match halted, the combatants stepping aside respectfully.

"Looks like we have an audience," I muttered.

Luke grinned, clearly in his element. "The more, the merrier. Unless you're having second thoughts?"

I scoffed. "Not a chance."

Luke turned to address the crowd. "Fellow campers! We have a special treat today. An old friend has returned to camp, and he's graciously agreed to a friendly match."

The crowd murmured excitedly. I could hear whispers, campers wondering who I was and why they'd never seen me before.

Luke continued, "Now, to keep things fair, I suggest we stick to basic combat skills. No powers." He turned to me, his smile challenging. "What do you say, Odysseus? Think you can handle that or are you too scared to fight without them?"

I couldn't help it. I laughed. The idea that Luke thought he could beat me without my powers was almost endearing in its arrogance. "Oh, Luke," I said, shaking my head. "If that's what you want, who am I to argue?"

A flicker of annoyance passed over Luke's face at my confidence, but he quickly masked it. "Excellent. Shall we begin?"

Luke unsheathed his sword, the bronze blade glinting in the sunlight. I held out my arm, focusing on the greek helmet tattoo that imprinted on my hand. With a thought, my spear materialized in my hand, its familiar weight comforting.

The crowd gasped at the display. I heard one camper whisper, "Did you see that? He summoned a weapon is he a son of Ares!"

Luke's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing about my choice of weapon. Instead, he called out, "First to yield or be disarmed?"

I nodded. "Works for me."

We began circling each other, the arena silent except for the scrape of our feet on the dusty ground. I studied Luke's movements, comparing him like he was now and when he confronted me at Thalia's tree. He was more confident now, his stance speaking of years of intense training but I still had more.

Luke made the first move, lunging forward with a quick thrust. I parried easily, the clash of bronze on bronze ringing out. We exchanged a flurry of blows, testing each other's defenses.

As we fought, I couldn't help but notice the changes in Luke's fighting style. It was fluid and graceful I didn't want to admit but if I were using a sword he might cause me a bit of trouble.

"You've improved," I commented as I deflected another strike.

Luke's response was a grunt and a particularly vicious swipe at my midsection. I jumped back, the blade missing me by inches.

"What's the matter, Luke?" I taunted, unable to help myself. "Feeling frustrated?"

His eyes flashed with anger. "You have no idea what frustration is," he snarled, pressing his attack with renewed vigor.

I found myself on the defensive, Luke's fury translating into a barrage of powerful strikes. But I was calm after all battling with Hector had taught me too ways of fighting the first was acting and the second reacting but no matter which way you fought you had to control the fight the way you wanted, and that was exactly what I was doing.

"Is this what you've been doing while I was gone?" I asked between parries. "I don't find it weird how Ladon turned you into a scary puppy."

"Shut up!" Luke growled, his next strike wild and uncontrolled.

I saw my opening. As his sword swung past me, I stepped inside his guard. In one fluid motion, I brought the butt of my spear up, catching him under the chin. Luke stumbled back, momentarily dazed.

The crowd gasped. I pressed my advantage, my spear a blur as I drove Luke back across the arena. He managed to parry most of my strikes, but I could see the strain on his face.

"What happened to you, Luke?" I asked, my voice low enough that only he could hear. "You're sweating."

"Shut up, you don't know anything about me," Luke spat back. "You were the person who left Thalia alone? You don't get to waltz back in and judge me."

" You shouldn't have said that," I murmured.

I started thrusting my spear faster and faster, too fast for him to stand my pace. He still continued parrying whatever he could but in front of me that was basically nothing, my spear pierced through his guard creating shallow cuts on his arms, torso, forehead and scalp.

He tried to counteract by performing an upward slash, I decided to finally finish it. I sidestepped, circulating my spear and slapping his side with the flat part of the spear.. Luke cried out in pain, his sword clattering to the ground as he fell onto the floor.

The arena fell silent. Luke stood there, panting, his empty hand clenched at his side. I kept my spear pointed at his neck, waiting.

For a moment, I thought he might try to continue the fight bare-handed. But then his shoulders slumped, and he raised his hand in surrender.

"I yield," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The crowd erupted in cheers, but I barely heard them. My focus was entirely on Luke, on the mixture of anger and shame in his eyes and most of all the black figure behind him which clung to Luke-s growing blood red aura.

I lowered my spear, letting it dematerialize back into my tattoo. "Good fight," I said, extending my hand.

Luke stared at it for a long moment before grudgingly shaking it. "Don't get too cocky," he muttered. "This isn't over."

As he turned to leave the arena, I left him alone but I saw a girl around eleven with blonde hair and Athena's greyish eyes running down the stands wanting to catch up to Luke.

I watched them go, a sense of unease settling in my stomach as I stared intensely at the figure which clung to Luke, I was sure I had seen him before. Still as I kept on thinking about it I felt a hand on my shoulder, "Hey dude that was awesome."

I turned and I got a sense of dejavu, there was a huge boy filled to the brim with muscles, brown skin, dreads and amber eyes, I could only let out a confused gasp "Kevin is that you?"

"Kevin? Nah the names Charles Beckendorf." He said a wide grin on his face as he pointed as his chest.

[Greek Myth Fact: Part 2 of the kidnappings.

Theseus, famed for defeating the Minotaur, had a troubling habit of abducting women. His first victim was Antiope, an Amazon warrior and sister of Queen Hippolyta. Despite the abduction, Antiope fell in love with Theseus, and they had a son, Hippolytus. However, the Amazons, angered by Antiope's betrayal, attacked Athens in the Attic War, where Antiope was killed.

After her death, Theseus sought to remarry and teamed up with his friend Pirithous. They targeted two daughters of Zeus: Helen of Sparta and Persephone, queen of the underworld. The pair abducted the young Helen, leaving her in Athens before attempting to kidnap Persephone. Helen's brothers, Castor and Polydeuces, rescued her and kidnapped Theseus's mother in revenge.

Helen eventually married Menelaus and became queen of Sparta but was later abducted by Paris of Troy, leading to the Trojan War.]

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