The Rebellion of a Daughter
Clarisse remained standing beside Thalia's tree, completely exhausted. As if all the fatigue from the mission she had taken on to save that tree had suddenly crashed down on her at once, and her body had chosen that exact moment to remind her of it.
When Miraak and Zeus had appeared a few moments ago, she hadn't even been able to move, while feeling a terrifying danger to her life. Luckily, both of them had left just as quickly, as if it had all meant nothing.
But Zeus had left behind a few words that were now echoing through Clarisse's mind.
"Olympus's Champion. Thalia," she murmured, before letting out a faint, self-deprecating laugh.
Of course.
Olympus had always had its chosen champion. Or rather, Zeus had always had one. And maybe the very mission she had undertaken had been exactly for that. To free the Champion of Olympus.
That was why the gods had not even moved when the tree was poisoned. That was why they had done nothing against Luke, even though they had the power to stop him. That was why… Ares had lied to her from the very beginning.
Everything he had ever told her had been a lie. There had never been a chance for her, or maybe even her siblings, to become Olympus's Champions by defeating Percy. They had never been contenders. They had only ever been tools.
But more than feeling the weight of being deceived… she felt free.
Completely free.
From the moment she had rejected her own father, it felt like everything around her no longer had any interest in staying tied to him. Maybe, if she were still trying to be Ares's daughter, it would have hurt more.
But it didn't.
A smile appeared on her lips.
And she started laughing.
In the middle of the battlefield, while Luke's people fled at full speed, carrying the wounded with them.
The campers also had healers tending to those who were in danger, while the others were being taken to the infirmary. For a brief moment, Alison shot Clarisse and Annabeth a hateful look before disappearing into the forest alongside the other traitors.
Meanwhile, Clarisse could not have felt happier.
Even though some of the people passing by looked at her strangely, they probably thought she was happy because she had completed her mission. And because the camp had won the war.
Tyson, who had been on the battlefield, suddenly ran as fast as he could toward where his master had taken Percy, while the healers, who still had not finished treating his arms, rushed after him.
Meanwhile, Annabeth removed the tiara from her head, and her eyes returned to normal. But a splitting headache, even worse than before, seemed to slam into her. Maybe using her new ability, on top of the intelligence tiara, put far more strain on her brain than it could handle.
As Grover quickly approached her, Annabeth finally handed the flute back to him, having only used it to drive Alison away.
The other campers were also carrying their siblings and allies over their shoulders, slowly making their way back while the shield protecting the camp was rising once again, and Thalia's tree, which maybe should not even be called that anymore now that Thalia had been expelled and was being carried away by several children of Apollo, began to regenerate.
And the monsters that had made it through were being pushed out of the camp by an invisible force.
As she watched that for a moment, Clarisse felt like something was calling her. And although she hesitated for a second, she put on a serious expression before walking in that direction, carrying herself with the air of someone who was about to finally put an end to something that had been bothering her for a long time.
…
Clarisse entered the forest and looked around in every direction for a moment, until she reached the very edge of the shield protecting the camp, which was slowly rising right in front of her eyes.
"I can't even count how many times you failed me this time," a voice suddenly said behind her, making Clarisse turn around immediately.
Standing there as if nothing had happened, staring straight at her through what remained of his now-melted sunglasses, revealing eyes filled with flames, was none other than her own father.
The God of War himself.
Looking at Clarisse with contempt, anger, and a thirst for destruction that immediately made a primal fear crawl through her body.
It was not the same fear she had felt under the presence of Zeus and Miraak when they had only looked at each other for a single moment.
But it was still the fear of standing before a higher being who could crush you like an ant.
"I gave you a mission. You failed. I gave you another chance, and you failed again. You lost the crew I gave you, and they never returned to where they belonged. You failed again and again. What exactly should I do with you?" Ares said in a dark tone, while even the nearby trees seemed to begin burning, and the heat slammed into Clarisse so hard that she could only stand there, unable to move, staring at her father.
"I… refuse," Clarisse said, barely managing to force the words out as her body seemed to tremble.
Ares, who was staring at her, made a confused face as he raised an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked, looking at her closely.
Clarisse's body seemed to tremble even more, but she forced herself to control it.
"I… refuse your mission. Any of your missions. I don't want them. I reject all of them. If being your daughter means becoming like you… then I'd rather be nothing," Clarisse said, forcing herself not to look away. "I'd rather be no one at all than become another version of you."
Ares stared at her for a moment before smiling, but that smile only appeared on his lips, while his eyes seemed to burn even brighter.
"I see. Looks like you spent too much time around the Sea Lord's son… and it gave you a lot of nerve, huh?" Ares said, taking a step toward his daughter. "I'm not like that oversized fish who lets part of his bloodline disrespect him. You want to follow in his footsteps and reject your father? Fine. Then I have no use for a daughter who's worthless… and weak," Ares said as he slowly raised one hand.
As Clarisse felt a huge sense of danger run through her entire body, it no longer responded to her. She could only watch as Ares's hand lifted slightly.
But before he could do anything, he suddenly stopped.
And quickly looked behind Clarisse.
For a moment, his expression changed.
"Oh… the trash slipped in," a voice sounded from behind Clarisse, somewhat familiar.
"What do you want?" Ares said, and for a moment, he actually seemed to take a step back.
No longer under Ares's direct gaze, Clarisse seemed to regain control of her body, so she turned around as well to look behind her.
And the one standing there…
was none other than Miraak.
Percy's master.
The very same man who, only moments ago, had looked ready to fight Zeus himself.
Staring at Ares with a genuinely calm expression while his arms were crossed… more like he was looking at garbage.