Hello, lovely readers :) I'm back again. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed or put me on your various lists – you guys rock :D We're now up to 77 reviews on this story; that's like eleven per chapter, which is totally cool B) Now for the reviews:
Southern Ravenclaw – Thanks very much :D That's very sweet of you, I'm glad you're enjoying it
April – Thanks :D
Lubi – That's okay, your review makes up for it ;) lol glad you like it and thanks for the review B)
Sparkleurlife14 – Thanks that's very sweet :)
ProngsandI – Thank you so much :D I appreciate you telling me that, really helps my sadly low self-esteem :blushes and shrugs: lol thanks again and here's your update!
One last note, the poll for your favorite couple in the series is still open on my profile, so if you haven't, please vote! :D Now, onto the new chapter – we're back to Annabeth to begin with for this one, and there's a surprise at the end of the chapter I hope you all enjoy ;D Onward!
That's My Seaweed Brain
Chapter 8
Thwack!
"Keep your guard up, Piper!" I shouted.
Thwack!
"Not that high up!" I barked.
Thwack!
"Now block!"
Thwack!
"I said block!"
"I am blocking!" Piper retorted, spinning her dagger around to deflect mine, but as soon as she did that, she exposed her midsection and I elbowed her sharply. The air rushed out of her in a whoosh and she clutched her stomach, doubling over.
I backed off and watched her struggle to regain her breath, deciding that perhaps we both needed a break. Piper wasn't too bad with her dagger, but she still needed a lot of work. She may have beaten quite a few monsters already, but she was going to need more than her charmspeak to stay alive in battle.
To our left, Leo laughed from his seat on a couple of crates holding provisions. "Wow, Piper, she kicked your butt!"
Piper glared at him, too winded to beat the crap out of the mechanic for the moment, though I had no doubt the kid was going to get what was coming to him soon enough.
Before I could warn him to keep his big mouth shut, there were some loud grunts and curses in both Greek and Latin. I looked to the other side of the deck, finding Percy and Hazel locking swords. When we'd figured out what was happening to Nico this morning, Hazel had been freaking out and in need of an outlet for her pent up energy. Percy had suggested working on her sword fighting, and they'd been sparring ever since.
I had to admit, Hazel was good on her own – attesting to the rigorous training the Roman campers went through – but Percy was really in a different league of his own; and I wasn't just saying that because he was my boyfriend. More than just having the Greek fighting style – slash here, duck there, roll under your enemy's feet, knock the person upside the head with the flat of your blade – Percy had had a wide variety of teachers. Chiron, Daedalus, the better sword fighters from the Ares' cabin… Luke.
That thought made my blood turn cold. It had only been a year since Luke had past. It still pained me to think of him, and not just for the obvious reasons.
It was my own knife that had taken his life – the same dagger that he'd given me when he'd promised that we'd be a family, a better and stronger family than the ones we'd left behind.
In the end, he'd broken his promise. Our family was shattered, and even though he had saved us all in the end – redeeming himself by killing Kronos, sacrificing his own life – a promise was a promise. And that one would always be ruined.
"Annabeth? You okay?" Piper said uncertainly, putting a hand on my shoulder, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I looked up and blushed as I realized everyone was looking at me, even Percy and Hazel had paused in their duel to stare. "I'm fine, just thinking, that's all."
The others didn't look so sure, but the let the matter go.
Percy, though, kept looking at me, his green eyes narrowed and his face wearing the famous brooding look he was known for – the one that made teachers and adults in general label him a rebel. It was one of the things that made him so much like his father, and why my mother hated him even more. Not that I cared.
I loved my mom, but it was my life and I only got to live it once. If I wanted to be with Percy, that was my choice not my mom's. Athena and Poseidon would continue to exist – hopefully – for the rest of eternity and could argue and hold their grudges all they wanted. Percy and I only had once chance in this life, and Elysium after that – and I had no doubt we'd be there together. Percy definitely deserved it, and I'd never do anything to endanger my chance to be with him forever.
"Annabeth? You want to put this off until later?" Piper asked tentatively.
I pushed my thoughts away firmly, determined to focus on the task at hand. "No, I'm fine, let's get back to your blocking technique. Let's also work on your flexibility – I think you're still too tense and that's slowing your reaction times."
Piper nodded. "Alright," she replied, her tone weary.
Good, she was going to have to deal with battle fatigue. It was better she learned to push through it with a friendly opponent, rather than one who would willingly use it to their advantage to send her to the Underworld. We returned to our stances – Piper quickly adjusted her feet to the position I had showed her that would keep her weight distributed evenly, making me proud that she'd listened – and we began again. It was going to be a long day.
Leo
After watching Piper, Annabeth, Percy and Hazel spar for a little longer, I returned to the engine room to check on my siblings and address any major problems that might've come up. So far, the Argo II ran beautifully with hardly a hitch, but you never knew when something was going to conk out on you.
Strolling along the lower corridors of the ship toward the engines, my hands in my pockets, I couldn't help thinking about Reyna. We hadn't talked before I left Camp Jupiter, which was mostly my fault. I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about her yet, so I just wasn't ready to talk to her. Honestly, it was a more than a little strange how my body reacted to being around her. My heart rate had sped up faster than a V8 engine, my hands were slicker than if they'd been covered in grease, and I couldn't talk properly like my tongue had been made of lead.
I'd never had this problem with girls. I was Mr. Suave – Mr. Smooth – Mr. Love Doctor… okay, maybe not the last one, considering I've never had a girlfriend, but still this reaction wasn't natural. Maybe I was becoming more like my father than I first thought. The thought wasn't encouraging. Although I no longer thought of Hephaestus as a dead beat mortal dad, we still weren't exactly buddies. I was growing fonder of my siblings… even if they did lack a sense of humor.
Speaking of which, one of my younger sisters, Leah rushed past me to the door of the engine room, her long ponytail flailing around. "Where's the fire?" I called after her jokingly.
Leah glanced over her shoulder, telling me seriously, "In the engine room." She ducked inside the door, which I suddenly realized had smoke coming out of it.
"Aw, crud," I muttered, running after her.
I pushed open the door, finding total chaos on the other side. Imagine half a dozen kids yelling in Ancient Greek, two of them shooting fire extinguishers at a surprised Cyclops, and you've got what I had on my hands.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on in here?" I shouted above the din. It took a few more shouts and some loud whistles before I could get everyone calmed down.
Nyssa, looking the most rational out of all my siblings, answered me first. "Tyson was working on the hydraulics when a part he was fiddling with caught fire. He pulled it off to try and stop the fire, and well," she gestured uselessly around, "a few of us panicked. We've got a lot of flammable chemicals down here you know."
I sighed and shook my head. "Yeah, yeah I know. Let's just, try not to panic in the future, okay? You alright, Tyson?" I asked the Cyclops, although I knew realistically that he was probably fine.
Tyson nodded. His face, clothes and hands were covered in extinguisher foam, making him look like a melting, greasy snowman. I think Frosty needed a bath. "I'm okay. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare friends."
I shook my head again. "Don't worry about it man. Nobody's hurt, and the ship's still in one piece. We're all good." I glanced at my brothers and sisters, daring them to argue with me. Thankfully they didn't. "Let's just get back to work, okay?"
Everyone nodded and went back to what they were doing before the panic had ensued. Tyson started to put the part back into the machine he'd been working with when he seemed to realize for the first time it was still covered in white foam, like someone had gotten a little overzealous at a slumber party with the whipped cream. He wiped the part off and put it back, not bothering to wipe himself off in the process as he continued to tinker.
I looked over at Nyssa, who hadn't moved. "So, other than that little fiasco, how's everything else going down here?"
The older girl shrugged. "Smooth as silk. We haven't really had any problems. We've only had to do a few small adjustments to keep the engines running and the magic strong. So far, it's been smooth sailing." She frowned as if wondering that she might have just jinxed us.
I couldn't blame her, the curse of cabin nine – though officially broken – still hung over all our heads. If we screwed this quest up, everyone would blame the Hephaestus cabin and we'd be branded losers for the rest of our lives. I didn't know about the rest of my cabin mates, but I really was getting tired of that title.
"That's great," I reassured her. "Really great. We should be able to keep on schedule then. Annabeth says we should be back at Camp in a day and a half's time. We'll restock what we need and be on the road again – figuratively speaking – within a few hours then head off to our next destination. Are we all set for Percy to take over being the main driving force once we hit the Atlantic?"
Nyssa nodded. "Yes, I think so. We're still a little fuzzy on how this all works, but if what you and the blueprints are saying is right, then it should work. It makes sense at least."
"Good, that's good." I looked around and sighed tiredly.
I hadn't slept well last night, despite my best efforts. Gaea continued to send me nightmares, trying to 'deter my path' or whatever. Fat chance of that. Aunt Rosa would sooner take me back home with her and adopt me as her own hijo before I would ever join Gaea. I think you can guess how low the probability is on that one, even if you do suck at math.
"Why don't you take a break? You've been working pretty hard kid. We can't have our chief engineer collapsing from exhaustion." Nyssa put her rough, calloused hand on my shoulder kindly. Her expression didn't change, but the fact that she was making an effort to be comforting meant a lot coming from someone who rarely laughed at even my best jokes.
I thought about it for a minute. A nap couldn't hurt, I reasoned. "Yeah, that's sounds pretty good actually."
I realized how that probably sounded so I added quickly, "You know, cause all this awesomeness takes a lot of power to provide. I'm a well oiled machine in need of a tuning."
Nyssa didn't smile, but there was a touch of amusement in her eyes. "Right, of course. Now get out of here before I kick you out."
I nodded and went to my cabin quickly. That might have been a joke, but it was next to impossible to tell when Nyssa was joking, so I took her words literally and skedaddled. I closed the door behind me, picked up a small packet of gears, washers and other bits of metal, and collapsed on my bunk. I tinkered with the pieces, not really thinking about what I was doing with my hands as my thoughts wandered. Inevitably, my mind once more drifted to Reyna.
Gods, that girl was amazing. She was smart, powerful, fierce, and completely out of my league. And yet… there was something about her, something I couldn't put my finger on, that was different. Under that hard, unforgiving exterior – the cold façade of a seasoned leader – there was a secret sense of humor and maybe a little bit of mischief. I was sure of it. If only I could get under that armor, maybe Reyna could see that I was a pretty cool guy, someone worth her time. If only….
I looked down at my hands, realizing they were now covered in grease and I had unknowingly finished the project I'd been working on to keep my mind busy. What I made, well… I couldn't even believe it myself for a moment.
Sitting in my hands was a small oval box, the bronze gleaming brightly even though I hadn't polished it yet. I pushed in a small button, clicking open the lid. Lifting the lid, out popped a small female figurine, about the size of the bottle of nail polish one of Piper's sisters had given her for the trip (yeah, cause we were going to defeat Mother Earth and her children the giants with 'Ruby Red Rouge – extra glossy'). The figure was dressed in a floor-length Greek chiton with laced sandals, delicate long hair piled high onto its head in a classic, old-world style and fine chiseled features. It took another millisecond for me to realize who the figure reminded me of.
I groaned and smacked my forehead. "I must have officially crossed the line from crushing to stalking," I muttered to myself, glancing through a crack between my two fingers at the tiny metal sculpture of Reyna. And there was no doubt that it was Reyna – it couldn't be anyone else.
"There's definitely something wrong with me," I murmured in annoyance to myself. Still, it was actually pretty good, considering I hadn't been thinking about it. I pulled a rag out of my tool belt, wiping my hands first and then carefully polishing the detailed statue. This had to be the most graceful thing I'd ever made, and that thought made me handle the figurine all the more gently. I didn't want to mar even a tiny bit of it, or do anything to take away from the perfect curves and dips placed precisely in the girl's bronze body.
I snorted to myself at that. 'Perfect curves and dips'? Maybe I bumped my head earlier today, and that's why I was turning into such a romantic schmuck. That had to be it. After all, Leo Valdez was no sap and never had been. Although if Reyna liked saps… Nope, uh-uh, I wasn't going there. I'd lost enough of my masculinity today, didn't need yet another drop in my testosterone levels. No one would ever let me live it down.
Jason
It is surprisingly difficult to keep an entire warship moving across the sky at the speed of a jet engine – even if you did feel like maybe your Olympian dad just might be helping you a little by keeping the thunderstorms, fog and other sky phenomena you'd passed by several times that day away from you… maybe, probably not though. It was most likely my imagination.
I wouldn't be surprised. My brain had been imagining and thinking the strangest things all day, long before Hazel had and told us her dream. Like, for instance, I'd been thinking long and hard on how the Argo II worked. Why? I have no idea. That was more Leo's thing.
Weirdly enough, we did have a steering wheel for the ship, but it wasn't necessary for anyone to man it at all times. When we were asleep, or busy doing other stuff, Leo just set the thing on auto pilot with the coordinates of our destination (which I provided; apparently I have perfect bearings when flying at the altitude of a commercial airliner) and bam! instant free time.
However, annoyingly enough, I had to at least pay attention enough to the ship to keep it moving with my powers – a single slip in my awareness would lead to us crashing into a mountain, or sky scraper, or giant, or anything else tall enough to smash into, so Leo had solemnly informed me before we started this crazy quest. Not an easy thing to do when you're fighting off a couple day's worth of sleeplessness and fatigue.
I hadn't slept well last night, much like Hazel, or Leo… or Percy, or… well, actually I could tell that none of us had gotten much sleep. I figured it was either the nerves of being around new people who were supposed to be our enemies, worry for what was ahead of us, or Gaea; probably a combination of all three.
Sitting on a warm, comfy sofa in the helm, studying maps and air charts to make sure we were on track, wasn't helping my battle. More than once, I felt my head begin to nod and I'd jerk up, shake myself and attempt to continue studying, only to almost doze off again. Gods, this was killing me! How was I supposed to get us back to Camp Half-Blood when I couldn't even keep my eyes open?
"You look like I do after cramming for a four hour exam all night, and then conking out half way through the test," a dry voice commented, shaking me out of near slumber land once more.
I looked up. Standing in the doorway with his hands shoved into his jean's pockets and hair still damp from a fresh shower, was Percy Jackson. He shot me a wry smile. "Can I come in, Sleeping Beauty?"
I glared irritably and scrubbed a hand over my face. "Yeah, sure, whatever," I said. I was never very pleasant company to be around when I was tired and grumpy, but I decided that if Percy was here, he probably wanted or needed something and that deserved my attention. At the very least, I hoped having a conversation with another breathing person would perk me up a bit.
He came in and took a seat across from me in an armchair, grimacing ever so slightly as he sat down. "You alright?" I asked.
Percy shrugged then winced at the action, rubbing his shoulder. "I'm fine. Hazel just wore me out, that's all. That girl's got amazing sword skills – though I think her coordination could use some work, she's awful stiff in her form."
I snorted. "The Lares back at camp would call that 'stiff form' as you call it the result of good discipline. Romans are notorious for their discipline."
Percy rolled his eyes, but smiled. "So I noticed. I wondered there to begin with if Reyna was going to feed me to Hanibal – or let Octavian gut me open and read the will of the gods through my intestines."
I laughed a little. "Hanibal is a vegetarian, but I couldn't guarantee you about Octavian – pretty sure he's wanted to slice me open a few times too… especially after I became praetor." I frowned suddenly at the thought, realizing I wasn't praetor anymore.
Percy seemed to pick up on my line of thought, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Well, believe me, when you guys hold elections again, you've got my vote – I wouldn't put Octavian in power for anything. That kid is nuts. You're much better equipped for the job than him, or even me."
"That can't be completely true," I argued. "They raised you on a shield, remember? That's a big honor in Roman standards. They consider you a hero."
Percy laughed, but it was a sarcastic, self desecrating kind of laugh. "I'm not a hero."
I gave him a long once over with my eyes, taking in little details about his physique and appearance, ones that most people missed. There was a pale, star shaped scar on his right hand, a streak of gray hidden in his messy black hair, a brooding, sad look in his eyes like he'd had to say goodbye to a lot of good friends – more than most people did in a lifetime. Though not a body builder, and about the same height as me, he had a muscular appearance. Not bulky, but definitely well toned from years of fighting monsters.
I thought back to the stories Annabeth had told Leo, Piper and I on the way to California about this kid. When he was only twelve, he slew Medusa and the Minotaur. At thirteen, he survived the Sea of Monsters; something that I knew from personal experience wasn't easy. At fourteen, he held the weight of the sky on his shoulders and survived the Labyrinth. At fifteen, he fought Saturn, the king of the Titans. If this kid wasn't a hero, then I was a son of Mercury.
"Your friends back at camp would disagree," I replied quietly.
Percy eyed me for a second, as if contemplating throwing me over the side of the ship. "Which camp?" he countered. "The one where I let more than a dozen half-blood's die in battle, or the one I almost destroyed?" He snorted.
I shrugged. "Take your pick, they both like you."
He gave me an incredulous stare. Finally he looked away and shook his head. "I'm not a hero," he denied again firmly.
"Alright, fine," I said, holding up my hands. "Whatever, doesn't matter to me whether you believe it or not, but I'm telling you, you are. Just ask Annabeth," I added teasingly. I laughed at the glower he sent me. Now I knew what some of the Greek demigods meant about Percy. It was kind of fun getting this kid riled up.
Percy rolled his eyes. "If you're just going to make fun of me, I've got other things I could be doing." He stood up to leave, but I held up a hand.
"No, wait, wait, don't go," I said. "I was just joking. What did you come up here for?"
Percy shrugged, pushing his hands back into his pockets. I could see subtly through the material he was fingering his sword. "I just wondered if you couldn't use a break driving this thing? We're over a river now, one that ultimately heads towards Long Island, I don't mind taking over for you. I think you could use the sleep."
I tried to protest the offer, but the huge yawn I gave sort of put a hole in my argument. "That does sound pretty good," I admitted reluctantly. "You don't mind? Aren't you tired too?"
Percy shook his head. "I'm still wired from fighting Hazel, I'll be fine for the next several hours."
"Alright, if you're sure," I said.
I got up and looked out the window, gradually descending the ship until we touched down in a deep, wide river. Fortunately, the area we landed in was relatively deserted – no other boats or houses around for miles, just a dirt road I could barely make out wound its way through the trees to our left.
Percy took a second to close his eyes and breathe deeply, getting used to the feel of the river I guess. When he opened his eyes again, the ship started moving along at his command, traveling faster and faster. Five knots. Ten knots. Fifteen. Twenty. Soon we were doing thirty knots up river, the currents carrying us and Percy navigating us around obstacles I couldn't even see.
Percy didn't even look tense by our speed or when to turn to avoid the shallower parts of the river. Instead, he looked completely relaxed and in his element. Which, I guess, in a way he was. This kid was good.
"You got it from here, I take it?" I said, already inching towards the door.
He grinned. "Get outta here, Grace. Go catch up on your beauty sleep. I'll handle everything in here." With that, he gave me a dismissal wave, and went over to check the adjustments to our course I'd made on the charts.
I decided to do what he'd asked and left the helm.
Even as my mind tried to wrap itself around the conversation I'd just had, or the weird kid I'd gotten paired with to lead this quest, my body demanded sleep. I went to my cabin and collapsed in the hammock. For a few seconds before falling asleep, I tried to figure out what I thought of Percy Jackson.
He was weird, extremely modest, brave (from what I'd heard through Annabeth and others), and really powerful. What did all that mean to me? I wasn't really sure. All I knew was, Percy seemed like a really cool guy and I hoped that together we could pull off this bizarre, most-likely-to-fail quest and still live to tell the tale.
Nico
I took a deep, shaky breath, coughing a little on the stale, dank air of the cave I was in. For the moment, neither Gaea nor any of her followers were watching me, or paying me much mind.
They thought I was weakening and it wouldn't be long before I gave into them. I was weak physically – if only I'd seen those stupid dracnaes coming sooner, or heard the Lastrygonians sneaking up while I was busy battling the snake women, maybe I wouldn't have gotten captured. But I wasn't beaten. Not by a long shot.
Gaea thought she could twist my mind and make me think and see things that weren't real. Every night – with the exception of last night – she'd put me in some sort of trance, sending me back to my childhood before Bianca and I lived at the casino, before my mother had been killed by Zeus, before Hades had made us forget everything. She'd take me back to my happiest memories, making me relive them over and over, trying to wear me down. Oh and she picked some good ones, that's for sure.
There was my fifth birthday. Gaea got a kick out of that one. Hades had come to see us, smiling at me and telling me that now I was the man of the house. My mother had baked an incredible three layer chocolate cake as well as other delicious goodies from Italy that her mother had taught her; zuppa inglese, spoon cookies, zeppole, tiramisu, the works. We were all so happy. Together, laughing, talking, eating, like a normal family. If only that were true.
Then Gaea would show the day my sister was in her ballet recital when she was ten. My mother had been so excited, and Bianca was ecstatic. She'd been practicing for months and she was so good. Hades wasn't next to us in the audience, but I'd caught a glimpse of him in the wings, smiling when Bianca had bowed to the standing, cheering crowd. Most people didn't know at Camp Half-Blood that Bianca had once loved to dance. She'd wanted to tour the world once the war was over and dance everywhere – New York, France, Spain, Switzerland – anywhere there was a stage, she wanted to be on it. After being in the casino for so long, even though it only felt like a few weeks to us, eventually she stopped going to the hotel's kids dance club and stopped playing the dance arcade games. She'd outgrown it, she said. It wasn't for her anymore.
The third memory Gaea loved to bring up was of my parents, curled together on the couch in the living room of our apartment at night, listening to the radio when they thought Bianca and I were asleep. Well, Bianca had been asleep, but I woke her up so we could spy on Maria and Hades together. They were so sweet together; even back when I'd thought girls were icky I felt they were amazing to watch. Mom would curl up next to Hades, a blanket around her bare legs and he'd hold her close. They'd say a word or two once in awhile – I can't recall the exact words – but otherwise, they'd sit in silence, snuggling and occasionally stealing small kisses. The perfect parents, Gaea would taunt.
She'd show me other memories too, but those were the three she seemed to enjoy the most. She said they perfectly showed just how messed up my life had become because of the gods, and she'd promise me that she could bring me back to that happy place. She could bring me back my mother, and the two of us could be together forever, nothing ever separating us or breaking us up. Not Hades, not Zeus, not Death, or anyone else.
As much as I missed my mother, I didn't want her back this way. My memories – except for the ones Gaea had restored to my mind – were still a little murky of my mom, but there was something I did remember. My mom didn't want to be rescued from Zeus and the other god's wrath by my father seventy years ago – she sure as heck wouldn't want to be rescued from Death by her traitorous son now.
I could see her now, happy to see me, but extremely disappointed in my choice. "My child," she'd say, "why did you take me from where I was supposed to be? Why did you betray your friends? You are better than this, my son." And I knew that was true. So I'd stayed strong – so far at least. But I knew that my resilience was running low. Soon, I wouldn't be able to refuse the offer Gaea was giving me, and I'd do anything to appease the Earth Mother.
The only problem was, I couldn't be sure Hazel and the other seven would find me in time before I slipped up. I needed to somehow guide them to my location. If only…
I stopped, a thought occurring to me. It was a crazy idea. Nothing else I'd tried had worked – Gaea had cut off all my powers, weakened me incredibly, and most likely had sealed off all magic into and out of this cave. Still, it was worth a shot. It had worked for my sister, why not me?
I concentrated hard, thinking of rainbows and praying to Iris the goddess of the color spectrum. Please, my lady, I need your help! I have to talk to my sister and my friends – they have to find me, before it's too late. Help me, Iris, please.
For a minute, nothing happened, and I figured that yet another god was having a laugh at my expense. Then in front of me appeared a hazy shimmer, like fog or mist.
The mist formed together into a semblance of order and a woman's kind voice echoed in my mind. Please state the hero you'd like to reach to make your collect Iris Message.
I grinned. At least one goddess up there liked me.
"Hazel Levesque," I murmured, barely loud enough for my own ears to hear. My heart pounded in my ears and beads of sweat broke out across my forehead. I couldn't get caught, I couldn't! I held my breath, then finally…
One moment please.
