Disclaimer: I do not own PJO A/N:
"Clarisse, I remember you being better than this". The Commander chuckled, swinging his sword back and forth. "I used to go running at your glare and blade".
The daughter of Ares snarled, and tried to lurch forward, though a pair of arms pulled her back. Annabeth Chase stepped out behind the big girl, and murmured for her to go rest up. After the warrior had disappeared, Annabeth turned on the Commander and glared at him.
"You're supposed to be training us, not trying to kill us!" She spat.
The corners of the Commanders mouth lifted upward, the only part of his face that was visible beneath the dark hood that kept his identity a secret. "I am training you, and at the level of skill you all have now, the enemy will crush you. Though as far as I'm concerned, you should all die".
"You think you're so high and mighty, pushing everyone around! Come and fight me like a real hero!" Annabeth placed her hands on her hips defiantly, and stared at the powerful man before her, ignoring his comment about his wish for her death. A crowd of onlookers gathered in a circle around the two.
The Commanders lips tightened into a thin line, before speaking. "I am a real hero, Annabeth. I was trained here. Even saved the world, just as I am ordered to do so now".
"Then fight me fairly, without the powers given to you by Chaos, only the skills you acquired here!"
The Commander thought for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders and replying, "Okay. I won't feel bad if I kill you though".
In an instant, his blade rushed forward, but was blocked with Annabeth's sword, which she brought out just in time. For a few moments, they exchanged blows, before the Commander twisted his sword, and brought it down on the hilt on his opponent's blade, knocking it down. The tip of his weapon rested on her undefended chest.
"That," he spoke slowly. "Was taught to me by the Traitor".
"How-", Annabeth began, before being cut off.
"Switch to your dagger, Annabeth. I know you're better with it".
Warily, she brought out her dagger, eyeing the Commander the whole time. "How did you know that?"
"Everyone knows that", Came his simple answer. A second after that, The Commander spun forward, pressing her with his blade again. For a few moments, Annabeth kept up with him, though soon she could not comprehend and process the set of elaborate skills being put together. She found his sword at her throat.
"It was like you were playing Chess".
"Taught to me by the Inventor."
Annabeth narrowed her eyes, and came at him yet again, though it was clear she could not win this fight. But she was never one to give up, and she wasn't planning on starting now, especially when an audience was watching, holding their breath.
Soon she found herself up against the Commanders chest, molding with hers perfectly. Her dagger was held in her hand, ready to disarm him, but something stopped her. The feeling of being this close to someone was familiar, though she could not place it.
The daughter of Athena's breath hitched, when she felt his gaze on her. Ever so slowly, the Commander started to lean in. And though she could not understand why, Annabeth did too, letting her arm drop as the Commanders hand cupped her cheek. Almost immediately, her dagger was thrown from her hand, and she stood before the man, defenseless.
"And who taught you that trick?" She asked, trying to keep her blush under control. She scolded herself mentally for letting herself get distracted.
"You did," The Commander smirked. "You know, it was very unfair when you used it on me".
Her blush deepened, though she seethed with anger now. "What?! You knew me?"
He didn't answer, instead tossing her her dagger, and getting in his fighting stance. Using her anger as a weapon, Annabeth charged forward, hellbent on destroying him, Chaos' Commander or not.
Before she could even reach him, however, she was swept off her feet with thousands of gallons of water. She coughed up water, and could faintly hear the shrieks of the Aphrodite Cabin. Annabeth looked up from the ground just in time to see The Commander with a personal hurricane swirling around him, before it died out.
"I never thanked my dad for that power. It saved my life in the war. Grover's too actually".
At the mention of his name, the satyr looked up in astonishment. A suspicion started to form in his mind, before he blocked it out. It's not possible it could be him, Grover thought. A/N: So thats it, and I bet some of you will hate me for only having this as a one shot. But hey, it leaves room for imagination. If theres any weird sentence breaks, I didn't write it like that, the sites just been really stubborn. Read and review! - bluelightningbug
"A son of Poseidon". Annabeth cursed. "Should've known".
Once again, the Commander sprang forward, though instead of immediately disarming her like in all the fights, the two demigods continued to spar, while keeping up a conversation.
"The last thing I learned here at camp, was that hero's always have a tragic ending. Always". His voice shook slightly.
"You should have known that from the beginning, Idiot". Annabeth muttered, while blocking a strike.
"I did know Annabeth, you warned me every day. I learned why".
"Oh really? Now tell, me why do hero's never get happy endings, Commander?"
He spun around quickly, and ducked, avoiding one of Annabeth's particularly violent swings. "You're a daughter of Athena. You're smart enough to know if has something to do with love".
Annabeth panted, and swung again, though with less force. Her energy was draining fast. "So the great hero gets his heart broken by the pretty girl at Starbucks. Big whup". Even as she said it, she knew it was a big deal. She herself, had of course, been through a heartbreak."You know, for a little bit, I thought I was going to be the first to ever get a happy ending. I thought that everything was going to be okay, that I didn't have to worry about falling apart from the pressure anymore. For once, I thought I could be happy".
"Did the poor little Commander get his heartbroken?" Annabeth crooned in a mocking voice. "I don't care. What does this have to do with your amazing last realization?""You're making me want to kill you more, Annabeth".Suddenly, Annabeth felt herself falling as her legs were swept out from beneath her, before being caught, and having her back pressed up against the Commander, her dagger a few feet away, and her opponent's blade against her throat. Her hands were pressed against her sides, trapped there by the Commanders arms.How did he do that? She briefly wondered.
The arena was dead silent. It was the quietest Annabeth had ever heard while at camp. She focused on all the other campers, who were staring at the two fighters in wonder, and maybe a little bit of fear.The Commanders voice was quiet, and breaking at points, though loud enough for all to hear. "I learned that the one person who kept you going the entire time, the one person who you thought would always have you back, who you would anything for, anything, Annabeth, will always, always, destroy you.""Who are you?" the girl asked, speaking the question all the campers were dying to know.The Commander was silent for a moment, and she could feel the irregular rate of his breathing against her back, almost like he was trying to keep himself together. Slowly, he removed his blade from her neck, and unwound his arms from her waist."You should be thankful I didn't kill you".He threw his sword into the ground, piercing the soil so deep that half the blade was hidden by the dirt. He then walked forward, leaving his weapon there. It was the first time Annabeth could get a good look at the blade, its owner had always been sure of that. It had and small, but intricate wave design, and near the hilt, she could make out it's name. Rip-
Her train of thought was cut short, and she heard the Commander speak again, his voice quiet. It was still shaking, and Annabeth could tell he was trying to remain emotionless, but she could detect pain and hate behind everyone of his words."Watch your back, Wise Girl".
"...Percy?"