Work Text:
Despite being the most populous cabin due to the housing of not only children of Hermes, but also unclaimed Demigods - Cabin 11 was quiet. Scarily quiet. Connor and Travis sat against the back wall, heads slumped back against the drywall. Luke had betrayed them. He had betrayed the whole camp - he attempted to kill the new kid, Percy Jackson, and has been working for Kronos' for Gods know how long. Usually, the Stoll's weren't bothered by much; any insult you'd threw their way they'd deflect with a comical approach or jab back at you, and that was that. But this betrayal hurt more than Celestial bronze through the heart, stung way worse than consuming too much Ambrosia - Luke Castellan - their brother was a traitor, working for the enemy, seeking to destroy the camp in which he once served. The news spread like wildfire, especially after Percy Jackson's near-death experience. The Dryad who had carried him to the infirmary wasn't a particularly good secret keeper, per se.
Connor and Travis had become head counselor of Cabin 11 almost immediately after the reveal; things moved quickly at the camp. As much as they enjoyed the praise, the order and power they now possessed over the younger Cabin 11 kids, they can never fully be the head counselors with this Luke-shaped hole in their hearts. It felt like Connor and Travis were replacing him, like a pair of old, worn-out shoes. They feared they would become too much like him - manipulate the other Half-bloods and turn them against Camp Half-blood, just like Luke did. As if simply being in this position would cause them to spiral and betray their friends. But at the same time; they knew they would never do that. They weren't like that and never would be.
At least they had each other. The only person Travis had in this time of need was Connor, and Connor with Travis. Granted, they were brothers - but still; both of them being leaders together helped ease their minds. If one of them went rogue, the other was there to ground them. It also provided a stable sense of motivation, in case Kronos did try to recruit them. They couldn't leave the other one alone to manage all of Cabin 11 by himself - they needed to do this together, to get through this together, to lead everyone in a way where they do not fall victim to Kronos' compelling lure, like a Siren call. The drywall behind their head was cold, as if the house was reacting to Luke's absence, as if he were the sun to provided the stability and warmth throughout the cabin. Their cabinmates had all went along to do their activities for today, but the brothers didn't bother. They sat in silent, sulking, staring up at the ceiling, as if it would start spewing a prophecy or Luke would descend out of it saying, Sike! I'm not really working for Kronos. In reality, I hate that guy! This was simply payback for replacing my shampoo with shaving cream, gotcha!
Oh how they wished it were all a prank; a sick, twisted joke in retaliation to one of the boys' mischievous hijinks.
The Hermes cabin was silent for the first time in it's life, that was until Travis spoke up. "How are you feeling? Honestly."
"Honestly? I mean, I could be much better." Connor said back, absentmindedly playing with a lock of brown curl that fell in his face.
"I get it." Travis placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "I can't believe Luke betrayed us like that."
"You don't sound very affected by that" Connor replied, obviously joking, in attempt to lighten the mood.
To his surprised it worked, Travis chuckled, "I guess...I'm in so much disbelief that my brain just can't...register the shock? I don't know, it's weird, man."
"Being betrayed by someone you once looked up to and admired really fucking hurts."
"Tell me about it."
Quietness coated the cabin yet again - and up surged that uneasy feeling in the Stoll's hearts, as if the silence were slowly swallowing them whole. Suddenly, a low, disgruntled grunt turned their attention inwards, to the center of their cabin. What they saw in front of them made their hearts swell up enough to fill their throats and cause them to slowly die of asphyxiation. An Iris Message from none other than Luke Castellan. His face was slightly blurred in the blue mist of the hologram, but it was no doubt him. He was in a weird circular room that resembled a hotel, behind him a large golden coffin. Gods knew what was in there. Luke must've noticed the brothers' wide eyes and agape mouths, as he was the one who spoke up first.
"I'm sorry." Those were the first words to leave the blondes' mouth. After years of pretending to care about the camp, after years of being a leader and then outed as a traitor, and all he could say was sorry.
Travis and Connor glanced at each other , tears welling in their eyes, giving the other an are you hearing this right now? look.
"No, you're not." Travis replied coldly, gritting his teeth at the Iris Message. Luke was lucky he was currently just a misty hologram or Travis would've taken the nearest object large enough to do some damage and hurl it into his stupid face. Travis meant what he said, he wasn't sorry. He betrayed them and almost killed a kid. Sorry doesn't make up for that behavior.
"I know you won't believe me, trust me I know, but for what it's worth, I am. You don't have to forgive me or anything; I'm not asking for it; I just wanted you to know." Luke said solemnly, if Connor and Travis didn't know any better, they would've believed them. They would've let the waterworks go and tackle the mist in a hug, saying how it's okay and they forgive him. Except, it's not okay, and they don't forgive him. They looked up to him, and now he's gone.
It was silent for what felt like a millennia long enough for the Gods' to move to an entire different continent before Connor found his voice somewhere deep in his throat and spoke up. It was a simple question, but one that held so much power in it: "Why?"
Luke looked down, mockingly ashamed. "The Gods... they don't care about us. They use us as pawns in their game. Send us off on a big quest for them and don't even thank us when we get back. That Jackson kid? I bet Poseidon didn't even glance at him while they were off retrieving Zeus' bolt. Do you know how tiring it is to risk your life for someone who doesn't care about you? Who uses you for their own benefits and then just discards you like a piece of cake gone bad? I wasn't going to stand around and be treated like that, I'm sorry, but I wasn't. You can tell Hermes all you want, but it's too late. Once Kronos rises, the Gods will be dealt with accordingly; and a New Age will begin; a new America."
Travis and Connor sat paralyzed as Luke's words rebounded in their head like a basketball. He had a point, sure; risking your life to do a God's dirty work couldn't be fun, but surely there's another way to go about it other than destroying the world.
"Wow." Was all Travis could say.
Luke spoke again, his voice colder, and more serious, like a command: "Join me, brothers. We can take down the Gods and start life anew. No more having to house unclaimed Demigods in your cabin, no more mistreatment. Power, fame, and fortune. That's what I promise in return for joining my cause. What do you say?"
Travis and Connor looked at each other again, having a telepathic conversation. They silently made an agreement as Connor spoke again. "What do we say? We say you need help. We say you've lost your mind, and that Kronos is not a good influence. The Gods may not be the best people, sure, but they're grounding the world. Destroying the Gods destroys everything the rule over, there will be no world to conquer once you've defeated the Gods. We say you're a traitor and a cheat, and we hope you come to your damn senses and realize that Camp is your home, not your enemy. We want you to come back and use your leadership skills for good, not for operation world takeover."
Luke simply sighed, clearly trying hard to contain his anger. He knew the Stoll's wouldn't budge, so he gave it up. "Whatever. Suit yourself. Have fun fighting a losing war." He waved his hand in front of the Iris Message, and it promptly dissipated as quick as it had shimmered to life.
Cabin 11 was quiet again. Scarily quiet. Connor and Travis sat against the back wall, heads slumped back against the drywall, tears spilling against down their faces, sobs wrecking from deep within their emotions. Luke had betrayed them. He had betrayed the whole camp and wasn't coming home.