"Can't you make this ship fly any faster?" Annabeth yelled from the quarterdeck. Leo poked his head out of the command station with Wii remote in hand, "I can only go so fast, magical fuel only gets us so far!" Festus, the dragon masthead, blew flames into the cloudy sky. "And Festus helps too!" Leo yelled before returning to his control board.
Piper came up from downstairs, she gave a glare in Leo's direction before walking up to Annabeth, "Hey, Blondie, enjoying the view?" Annabeth gripped the railing of the Argo II tighter, her knuckles turning white, "You're trying to make me smile, and I appreciate that Piper, but I'm not in the mood."
Annabeth couldn't stop worrying. Thoughts of Percy's memory never returning clouded her mind. All the evidenced pointed towards him remembering since Jason does, but her life was never that simple.
Piper leans against the railing and crosses her arms, "I know you're stressed, Annabeth, but we just crossed the border into California. And I know from everything you've said about Percy the first thing he's gonna do is make a joke." Piper shrugs her shoulders, offering a smile to her friend, "Just thought I'd get you prepared since you haven't smiled much recently."
"The first thing I'm gonna do is punch Kelp Head!" Thalia yelled from the top of the mast. Her and Jason were causing thunderclaps to see who was stronger. Jason offers Annabeth another joke, "I might say hello or something? Maybe a handshake."
Annabeth actually smiled at that, pulling her hands from the railing to rub the tiredness from her eyes, "Thank you, I needed that." Piper gives her friend a tight hug, "That's what I'm here for."
Just then, Jason came tumbling down from the mast. He barely controlled the wind to stop his fall. Thalia looked down at the three demigods below, "I meant to do that!" Piper offered her boyfriend a hand up. Once on his feet, Jason smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt, "She only did that cause my thunder was louder." Annabeth and Piper didn't even try to hide their laughter. Thalia wore a confident smirk.
"I see the Oakland Hills!" Jason yelled from the mast, "Leo, just keep steering the ship downward." Leo did as he was told, spinning his Wii remote in circles as he turned the volume down on his dubstep soundboard. Soon the Argo II broke through the mist and all of Camp Jupiter was visible.
Annabeth ran to the ladder, throwing it over the side of the ship. The Argo II was about 200 feet in the air still, but she climbed down the ladder anyway. Jason jumped from the mast, of his own free will this time, after her.
"Annabeth, wait, you're gonna fall!" Jason said, struggling down the ladder after her. "Then catch me," Annabeth said as she let go of the ladder.
As soon as Jason had Annabeth in his arms and the wind under them was controlled, a statue of a man exploded into exsistence. "Graecus!" the statue shrieked.
Jason sighed, "Terminus, it's me, Jason. Just let us-" Terminus, his face strained as if he was trying to move his non-existent body, interupted Jason, "Do you feel that? That is me slapping you!"
Annabeth looked between Jason and the statue with confusion evident on her face. She knew who Terminus was, the god of boundries, but she didn't understand why a statue of him was floating in the sky with them. "Uhm, hello, Mr. Terminus, sir, I'm Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and we were wondering if we could enter Camp Jupiter so we could meet with the praetor."
Terminus' attention turned towards Annabeth, "Yes, yes, I know who you are, Miss Chase. Now, if you will look to where I am pointing, can you tell me what that is above us?"
Annabeth looked up to see the Argo II stalled in the air above them. Leo, Piper, Thalia, looked down at the scene below. Coach Hedge was still in his cabin watching Walker Texas Ranger reruns. "That would be our ship," Jason said.
"Yes! Bravo Mr. Grace! That is a weapon ridden ship above us with five people ready to wield those weapons. More specifically,your Argo II is above the Pomerian Line."
That made Annabeth remember what she studied about Camp Jupiter, no weapons within the city limits. "What if we made a compromise?" Terminus looked very happy with that suggestion, "I like compromises! Maybe Athena's children really are smart."
Annabeth chose to ignore that remark, "If we leave all of our weapons on the ship and the ship stays in the air it will be above the city, not in it." Terminus began glowing with energy, "I will allow it, good compromise, Athena spawn!"
With a flash of light, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Thalia were on the ground surrounded by the Roman camp. Without their weapons, Annabeth was tempted to panic. If Percy doesn't remember that Camp Half-Blood exists, they could be attacked any second. Yet, from a strategical point of view, Hera should have left Percy with some memories if she was trying to forge peace.
Leo dragged her out of her thoughts, "That hunk of marble jacked my tool belt! He better not mess with my hammers!" Piper rolled her eyes. Thalia sighed, "Leo, did you not notice we're surrounded?" Leo looked at her confused, "That isn't a problem yet. I don't see any weapons."
Before anyone could smack Leo a voice silenced the entire croud. "Part ways," Percy yelled, walking through the crowd beside a girl about his age. They both wore a purple cape with a golden eagle medal pinned to their chest. Behind them were two other people, a tall, rather chubby, Asian boy who was holding hands with a girl about a year or so younger than him. She had chocolate colored skin with curly golden hair. The girl carried a cavalry helmet at her side.
Annabeth's eyes focused on Percy, he seemed different and she didn't know how to feel about that. His hair was the same, but his overall demeanor seemed more hardened as if he had to demand control from those around him. Annabeth made the connection between the girl and Percy's matching attire. The girl was Reyna, which meant Percy must be the new praetor.
Reyna marched forward with Percy at her side, "Welcome, friends. I am Reyna, praetor of the 12th legion. We welcome you to Camp Jupiter." The tone Reyna used when she said friends didn't sound too friendly. She seemed nervous.
A scrawny boy with pale hair and skin shoved his to the front, "Reyna, you call these graecus your friends?! They are the enemy!" Reyna silenced him with a stern look, "Your current and former praetors trust these people. You will treat them with respect." Octavian attempted to argue but Percy grasped his shoulder, "You heard Reyna. Go make an offering thanking the gods for the return of Jason. Now." Octavian walked away, but he wore a mean glare on his face.
Reyna began giving orders to the centurions, telling them to bring couches and tables to the forum for a welcome feast. While Reyna was doing that, Percy looked over Annabeth and the rest of the Argo II crew. His eyes settled on Annabeth, but instead of looking at her lovingly he seemed confused.
Annabeth took a step forward as did Percy. The two of them stood eye-to-eye, gray on green. Annabeth couldn't hold herself back anymore, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She couldn't keep the tears at bay. She missed her boyfriend more than she ever thought she could.
She pulled away from the hug, her sadness changing to anger. She pushed Percy as hard as she could, "How could you leave me, Seaweed Brain! Your mom, and me, and everyone else at camp have been worried sick. For eight months, Percy!"
Thalia and Piper pulled Annabeth into a hug, hoping to console her. Thalia gave Percy a glare, "I should punch you, Kelp Head." Percy just stared up at them, "I... I don't remember..." He pointed towards Annabeth, "You're Annabeth, right?"
Reyna offered her fellow praetor a hand up, "You're really stupid, aren't you?" Percy let out a heavy sigh, "You said that a couple hours after meeting me, too." Annabeth followed their conversation, wondering if the two had become more than just friends since Percy disappeared.
Annabeth looked to her friends with a forced smile, her eyes betraying her true emotions. Piper grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. The somber mood told the truth; Percy doesn't remember anything.