PERCY

I

Percy was shoveling food in his face during breakfast, along with Annabeth. After a good night sleep they started their journey to Athens in the air. Percy slept comfortably with Annabeth on his arm the night before and the two wanted nothing more than to cleanse their throats of the fire water provided by the River Phlegethon. Percy looked over to Annabeth, between bites, noticing how simply being back on the Argo II had taken the deathly look out of her whole body and the ambrosia she ate the night before got rid of the endless amount of cuts and bruises she had covering her skin. Considering what she faced, Percy thought she looked beautiful. Percy noticed the rest of his friends where watching his girlfriend and him in awe as if they were aliens but no one seemed disgusted by the exhibition the two of them displayed. They all knew what Annabeth and he had gone through, so even though Percy saw the joy in their eyes; he also noted a hint of caution as well as if at any moment they would break down or have an attack. Luckily neither happened but still Percy was unsettled. Percy knew Tartarus had changed Annabeth and him -he felt different and knew Annabeth reciprocated that feeling-but he didn't know how he changed… how they changed

"Slow down guys, "Jason joked, "There may not be any left for the rest of us."

"Dude ...," Percy gulped down a load of blue pancakes,"I could eat all day, don't rush me."

Everyone laughed, and that is when the ship lurched and a mechanical click sounded on the alarm system. Leo jumped out of his seat, "Something's attacking the ship he said," he yelled back as he rushed out the door.

Percy jumped up, uncapping Riptide, with Annabeth behind him unsheathing her drakon sword. As they ran together Percy heard his friends on their rear. He and Annabeth reached the deck shortly after Leo who was shooting searing flames out of his hands. A swarm of Stymphalian birds and harpies were circling the deck. They both jumped into battle immediately. Annabeth ordered Leo to turn on an annoying sound to confuse the Stymphalian birds, a tactic used with Chiron's 50s music, years ago when Percy first saw the Stymphalian birds. Percy was side stepping sharp metallic beaks and harpy talons as he slashed Riptide in devastating arcs, disintegrating monsters left and right. Each monster Percy slashed made him think to the arai and how each monster he killed could be cursing him right now. The thought of the arai, unexpectedly, determined Percy causing him to fight harder and more explosively. Percy noticed Annabeth also on a rampage with her drakon sword, making crescent moon slashes through monsters. Boy was she beautiful Percy thought to himself. Percy refocused himself and was going on a tear. The last time he felt like this is when the Curse of Achilles was still in him during the Titan War. Finally all of the monsters were destroyed and he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Annabeth. He looked at his friends and saw that all of their jaws dropped. He noticed none of their weapons were out.

"Did they fight?" Percy thought to himself.

"Wow," Hazel and Piper said in unison as they gawked at the pair," What just happened?" asked a dumbfounded Frank.

Percy tracked their eyes further and turned around. Annabeth must have also seen their eyes as she turned with him. Percy looked at the deck of the Argo II and saw it covered in yellow monster dust. He looked at Annabeth and saw she was covered in the dust. Percy then looked at his clothes and so they were also encased in a layer of monster. Percy met Annabeth's eye and realized the first change caused by Tartarus… they were more dangerous.

After everyone got over the shock of what Percy and Annabeth had just done they had returned to the regular activities letting the two change clothes. Percy was combing the remains of monster dust out of his hair when a knock came on his door.

"Come in," he answered, reaching for a clean shirt to put on as Annabeth walked into his room.

Percy saw fear in her eyes," Hey what's wrong," he asked, concerned.

"When we were fighting, it was like…like, I wasn't in control of my own body," she cried," I was scared of myself Percy," as she broke down in his arms.

Percy looked at her face full of fear and felt extreme wave of hurt come over him. It was normal for him to be destructive and fearsome. He was eleven when he fought the Minotaur and Ares. He had once had the Curse of Achilles. Percy was used to being the strongest and pure carnage on the battlefield. In Tartarus he proved that when he fought Akhlys and controlled, poison almost killing her. Annabeth's face was the only reason he stopped back then and her face was the same now as it was then, the only difference was she was scared of herself instead of him.

Percy held her tight,"Shhh, it's okay; everything's okay," hugging her tighter.

"Look," Percy said as he gently pushed Annabeth in front of himself, meeting her watery eyes, "I know exactly what you're feeling."

"You do?" she asked shakily, as her eyebrows furrowed questioningly.

"Yeah, you weren't the only one out there you know," he paused then asked," Do you know what fighting like that feels like?"

"No, what?"

"It feels like the Curse of Achilles, he informed," But, do you know how I got through the curse?" She shook her head," I thought about what I was fighting for…who I was fighting for… I thought about you."

"Oh, Percy," she cried as she threw her arms around him again," You always know what to say."

He hugged back," Well, when you don't know too much of anything, the least you can do is know what to say."

"Shut up Seaweed Brain," Annabeth laughed as she leaned in to kiss Percy.

"Come on lets go eat, I'm starving and I need a blue cheeseburger."

They made their way down to the mess hall. They were about to sit down when the ship lurched."Come on," Percy yelled," We haven't been back for a day yet and you attack the ship twice in two hours."