Welcome back, my lovelies, Mistah J here with another exciting new update. That's right, it's that time of the week again when I bring a little more joy into this small world of PJO fics. First off, let me start by giving dragonoid9810 a shout out for being the first to figure out the cameo in last chapter. I'm sure the rest of you figured it out too, but their review was first.

But good job to the rest of you for figuring it out too! Then again, I didn't really make it challenging, did I? I'll have to work on that…

Also, Charlee, thank you for correcting me. I knew it should be the 1700's but I'm like super scatterbrained so I'm not surprised I fudged on that detail. I've gone back and made the correction. Can't have my story being inaccurate, now can I?

Anyway, thank you all for the kind reviews, and I hope to see more from you all!

Enjoy!

~Begin Chapter~

"Shit," Percy cursed, raising Void Breaker to block the iron-like, bronze beak that was heading towards his face. "Leo! Get us the hell out of here!"

"Workin' on it boss!" Leo shouted, his hands dancing frantically across the totaled control panel.

It was only two days into their journey, that the Seven and their friends ran into their first batch of monsters; Stymphalian Birds. Massive, hawk-like birds with razor-sharp feathers and bronze beaks. The same monsters Heracles faced as one of his labors. All across the Argo II was a scene of utter chaos. Spine-chilling screeching of murderous eagles rang out through the clanging of swords and spears.

The Grace siblings were throwing lightning left and right, sometimes frying the monsters with ease. Frank had shifted into a massive eagle and had taken to the air to try and beat back the fierce birds of prey. Percy was utilizing every aspect of his control over water that he could; freezing the water vapor in the air to create wickedly sharp shards of ice, forming large orbs of water to capture the birds, and attempting to slice or stab through the monsters with his sword and spear.

Annabeth stood alongside Leo, trying vainly to fix the damage the birds had caused to the control panel. Nico had somehow summoned skeletal birds of prey and Gleeson the satyr was running around shouting obscenities and swing a huge club at the incoming monsters.

"HAHA! Take that you overgrown pigeons!" Gleeson shouted manically, bringing his club down on the neck of one of the monstrous birds.

"Okay… okay…," Leo muttered, his nimble fingers weaving in and around the wires in the panel. "Red to green and blue to yellow… connect these two… quick splice and a wire nut there… replace this fuse… aaaand," there was a spark and the panel rebooted and a pleasant hum filled his ears. "Bingo!" He slammed the access panel shut and wiped his hands on a rag. Leo turned to Annabeth with a wide grin. "Throw the switch, Wise Girl!"

Annabeth grinned, fighting the heat that was rising in her cheeks and grabbed the big red lever Leo was referring to. She pulled it towards her and the ship shuddered under their feet for a few seconds and a loud whine started, like a turbo winding up.

"It's… ALIVE!" Leo cried, raising his arms and throwing his head back to cackle maniacally.

"Leo!" The mechanic paused and turned his head to Annabeth. The blonde girl was glaring at him. "Big ass birds? Self-Defense Algorithm?! Laugh later, Fire Boy!"

"Um… right, heh," Leo chuckled nervously and stepped up to the control panel.

Now, most control panels you find in movies are typically fitted with numerous buttons and levers, knobs and gauges, maybe a steering wheel or something… well, Leo's control panel on the Argo II wasn't typical. The ship came equipped with a myriad of strategically placed outer cameras, all of which provided feed to a large, LCD television mounted on the wall behind the control console. The console itself was fitted with what looked like a Wii remote and num-chuk, a GameCube controller and a pair of chopsticks.

Annabeth watched with a sense of awe as Leo danced, button-mashed and plucked his way through the controls with masterful ease. Seconds later a pleasantly calm, feminine and robotic voice rang through the ship's PA system.

"Weapons system: Armed. Initiating Self-Defense Protocol: Sigma Beta One."

A klaxon blared, and the battle paused. Stymphalian Birds hovered, their beady eyes searching for the source of the alarm. The crew glanced at one another and slowly lowered their weapons. Percy grinned, a crazed glint in his eye.

"It's show time!"

With that, the ship exploded into action. Bronze and wooden panels slid out of place, small gatling turrets rose to fill the space. Net launchers and miniaturized Hydro Canons unfolded from their hidden perches, and laser-assisted tracking cameras clicked on, emitting red beams. The guns began to spin and click, their lasers searching for the attacking creatures. The birds erupted into chaos and began to scramble as bullets made of celestial bronze and imperial gold began to fill the air and the canons began pumping out powerful torrents of scalding water.

The onslaught was over quicker than it had begun. The screeches and squawks began to die out as the monsters were reduced to golden dust and puddles of watery ash. A collective sigh rang out through the crew - except for Gleeson, that is. The crazy satyr was trotting all around the ship, beating the wet clumps of golden sand with his club and daring the birds to reform so he could beat them to death all over again.

Percy and Jason began walking around the ship, using their powers over water and wind respectively, to clean and dry the ship with ease. Jason clasped his right shoulder with his left hand and began rotating his arm, sighing when he heard a satisfying pop.

"Alright there, Superman?" Percy asked with a grin.

"Damn birds are tougher than they look," Jason grimaced, cracking his neck. "Damn near threw my shoulder out when I tried to cut the head off one."

"Jason, Percy!" The two turned as Piper and Thalia approached them.

"Hey, Pipes," Jason greeted, smiling warmly at the girl. Piper blushed a bit under his warm gaze and returned the smile.

"Hey, Sparky," Percy greeted Thalia, pulling the girl into his side in a half-hug. Thalia sighed happily and wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's waist. "Everyone all right?"

Piper nodded, smiling happily at the strong connection the son of the sea and the daughter of lightning had between them. As a daughter of the goddess of Love, she couldn't help but admire and appreciate the feeling of true love she sensed between those two. Jason looked uncomfortable with the way the couple so boldly displayed their affection, but he learned his lesson about making a fuss over it. A very painful lesson.

~Flashback to Yesterday~

"Oh for the love of… could you two not do that?" Percy and Thalia separated from their kiss to find Jason looking uncomfortable a few feet away from them.

"What's the matter, Sparkles?" Percy asked playfully, snaking his arm around Thalia's waist. "Uncomfortable?"

"Very," Jason replied without hesitation, glaring slightly at the son of the sea. "I don't enjoy watching my sister sucking face."

"I should hope not," Percy stated with mock horror. Then, just tick off the son of Jupiter, he leaned down and smacked a big kiss on Thalia's pouty lips.

Jason rolled his eyes and groaned. "Will you two get a room?" He asked rhetorically, using the age-old byword.

"We already do," Percy commented with a shrug. Jason froze and turned his electric-blue glare on Percy.

"You already do… what?" He asked, his voice low and dangerously calm. Thalia's eyes narrowed slightly: she knew that tone. She herself had used it often enough.

Percy either ignored or was ignorant to Jason's growing anger and shrugged again. "We already have a room."

"Together?" Again, Jason's voice was deadly calm but shaky with anger.

"Uh… yeah?" Percy finally took notice of Jason's rising anger and felt… well, not nervous. Perhaps, slightly wary?

Jason's fingers began to twitch, and his hand slowly reached for the gold coin in his pocket, every brotherly instinct in his brain telling him to cut his sister's boyfriend down and string him up by his thumbs. Thalia caught the action and her glare intensified. Sparks began to crackle and lance off her body. Jason froze at the sight and his eyes widened fearfully.

"Don't. Even. Think about it," Thalia warned in a low, dangerous tone. She saw Jason hesitate for a second that just pissed her off even more. "Come here," Thalia growled, grabbing Jason by the wrist and dragging him towards the War Room.

Percy stood there, watching the two disappear into the War Room. Leo was walking by and slowed when he spotted Percy, looking confused and slightly amused.

"What's up, Aquaman?" Leo said in greeting, coming to stand by Percy.

"Hey, Leo," Percy replied, still watching the door. He could hear Thalia's muffled shouting and he smirked.

"What, uh, what are you doin'?" Leo asked, looking between Percy and the closed door of his War Room.

"Thalia is chewing Jason out," Percy said with a snicker, pointing at the door. "Listen."

Leo turned his ear towards the door and, sure enough, he could hear the daughter of Zeus shouting and yelling angrily. "Yikes… what'd he do, so I can make sure I don't do the same?"

"He complained about me and Thalia being 'intimate' in public and almost pulled his sword," Percy explained. "Thalia didn't like that, so she's giving him a talking down." Leo snickered.

"I've seen Sparky angry," Leo commented, "poor bastard."

The two friends jumped when they hear a raised shout, followed by a loud crash and a crack like a thunder clap. There was a pause and the door slowly creaked open, plumes of smoke poured out, followed by a cringing, wincing Jason and a smugly smiling Thalia. Jason's hair was standing on end and smoking slightly, his shirt was singed, and he was favoring his left side. Jason walked up to Percy, with Thalia close beside him, and sighed wearily.

"Perseus, I apologize for my actions…" he cringed again when Thalia elbowed him in the ribs. "And for almost freaking out when you said you and Thalia share a cabin. It was uncalled for; my sister is her own woman and can make her own choices and… and I'm… do I have to say it?"

Thalia glared at him and nodded slowly. Jason sighed heavily and wouldn't meet Leo or Percy's eyes.

"And I'm an uptight jackass, with a stick still wedged up my ass." Jason glanced over at his smugly smiling sister, ignoring the snickering of the two boys. "Happy?"

"Very," Thalia replied brightly, standing on her toes to peck Jason on the cheek. "Thanks, little brother."

Jason grimaced and started to walk away, most likely heading for the infirmary. Percy and Leo turned to Thalia with wide, fearful eyes and felt unnerved by the triumphant looking smile on her face.

"You can be a scary woman sometimes, babe," Percy commented. Thalia merely smiled brightly and stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thank you, I know," she replied. She waved to Leo and walked away, a slight spring in her step and a scary smile on her face.

Leo shook his head as they watched her walk away and he turned to Percy with a wary look on his face. "Your girlfriend is fucking terrifying."

"You're telling me," Percy replied, still staring down the hall where Thalia had disappeared.

~Flashback Over~

"Great!" Percy exclaimed, breaking Jason from his flashback. "Let's all gather in the War Room and figure out the best flight path to Greece."

Piper grabbed Jason's arm and started dragging him away. "We'll round everyone up, see you two in ten minutes!"

"What's that all about?" Percy muttered to no one in particular. He felt eyes on him and looked down to see Thalia smiling up at him with a strange glint in her eyes. He arched an eyebrow and smiled. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Thalia replied with a coy smile. She began to idly trace a long scar on Percy's bicep, smiling wider when she felt him shiver under her soft caress. "I was just thinking how hot you looked, fighting off those birds…"

"O-oh?" Percy said articulately, stammering slightly.

"Mhmm," Thalia hummed. "C'mon, let's head to our cabin…" she began tugging on his arm and half-pulled half-dragged the still stuttering son of Chaos towards their shared cabin.

"Uhm… w-why?" Percy asked, his eyes wide.

Thalia stopped and turned to her boyfriend with her eyebrow arched with a flat look. "We have ten minutes until the meeting and our own cabin… you figure it out, Barnacle Brain."

"Oh," his brow furrowed as he slowly began to put the pieces together. Thalia swore she heard a click when his eyes went wide, and his eyebrows almost shot off his face when he finally figured it out, "ooooh!"

"Yeah, oh," Thalia confirmed with an eye roll.

Percy grinned sheepishly before he picked Thalia up and threw her over his shoulder, earning a squeal and a giggle from the girl. "Percy!"

He didn't reply and just continued walking towards their cabin, the raven-haired girl playfully smacking and punching his well-muscled back. Those scattered on the deck watched the scene with amusement as the couple disappeared into their cabin.

~Break~

The crew of the Argo II simply stared at Percy for a long, awkward moment, most of them not quite believing what he had just told them.

"So, let me see if I got this straight," Frank began with a dubious expression. "Lady Order - the Lady Order - co-creator of the Universe - visited you and gave you a magic compass that points to whatever you want most? Right here? In this room?"

"... pretty much," Percy confirmed with a nod. Frank just stared for a second then nodded and sat down.

Leo looked absolutely ecstatic at the idea of such an ingenious invention. "The compass must have a self-guidance computational matrix with a cerebral scanning system that-"

Annabeth placed her hand on the babbling Leo's shoulder. "Leo."

"Yes?"

"Be quiet."

"Yes, ma'am," Leo immediately complied and started fiddling with one of his various gizmos that he hid away in his magical tool belt. The group snickered and chuckled at the two oblivious lovebirds.

"Anyway," Percy began, still smirking. "Yes, this compass with give us a heading. So far the needle has been pointing East, so we need to just keep heading that direction until we reach our destination."

"While simultaneously avoiding whatever mean-and-ugly Gaea throws our way and her giant children," Nico snarked, lounging in his shadowy corner.

"Right, that too," Percy said with a nod.

"Where is the final destination?" Hazel asked with her hand raised.

"I'm not sure exactly where," Percy admitted, "but I'm pretty sure it'll be in Rome. Which makes sense, considering the ancient Romans were the ones who had stolen the statue in the first place."

"Makes sense," Jason chimed in. "Only problem is, they wouldn't have left it in an easy-to-find location. They'd have hidden it, and quite well too."

Leo groaned and leaned his head against the table with a thump. "Why do I get the feeling it's being guarded by a big, beastly monster?"

"Well, if it is, I'll show the bastard what Gleeson Hedge is made of!" Hedge growled, hefting his prized club proudly.

"We're doomed," Leo groaned again.

~Time Skip~

It had taken our heroes almost a week to cross the rest of the United States and the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way they encountered several monsters, both on land and in sea. Earthborn and sea monsters, even the occasional flock of harpies and more Stymphalian birds. A few of the crew had received injuries, but nothing serious or fatal. Frank had broken a wing in his eagle form when a Stymphalian drilled into him with its bronze beak. The poor boy had to remain as an eagle for nearly a day while Hazel and Piper helped splint the bone and start feeding him small amounts of nectar and ambrosia.

Jason and Percy had nearly killed each other when a couple of homicidal spirits known as Eidolons, possessed them and forced the pair to fight, nearly running each other through with their swords. A couple of quick donkey-kicks to the head from Blackjack - who had shown up only a moment after the fight began - and the two were knocked out and the spirits banished.

The Argo II had passed the Strait of Bonifacio sometime before dawn while everyone was asleep - their first decent night's sleep since the quest had begun - and the blurry coastline of Italy had come into view just as the sun had begun to rise. Percy was the first one awake and on deck - his years of training had hardwired him to be an early riser - and he took a moment to gaze at the horizon. His inherent sense of direction at sea told him it would be another hour before they reached the coast if they continued their current speed, so he took this rare moment of peace to truly appreciate the scenery that was laid out before him.

The rising sun was casting long rays on the waters below, painting the waves a mix of fiery reds and oranges. The sky itself had faded to that perfect blend of blue, purple and orange that accompanied the sunrise. For once in his life, despite the impending danger and apocalyptic situation, Percy felt at peace with the world and his life. For the several moments that he stood on the deck, gazing out at the natural beauty lain before him, he felt as though all would be right with the world. That he and his friends, as he had told Jason a week ago, would come out the other side of this bruises and bloody, with big, stupid smiled on their faces.

"Hey," a soft, tired voice whispered beside him. He glanced over to find Thalia standing next to him, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey," he replied, moving to stand behind her and wrapping his arms around her middle.

The two stood that way for a while, Percy's chin resting on the top of her head and Thalia leaned back in his warm embrace. The pair of them watching the sunrise together.

"What are doing out here this early?" Thalia asked curiously, snuggling deeper into her boyfriend's chest.

"Just admiring the view and doing some thinking," he replied after beat.

"That's dangerous," Thalia said jokingly, giggling when Percy poked her side playfully.

She tilted her head up and studied her boyfriend's face, slightly shocked at how relaxed he appeared. His face was free of the tension he always carried, slack with a small, happy smile on his face. His, now emerald-green eyes, shining brightly and full of peace. Those who knew Percy always saw him as this brave, immovable force of nature, the human aspect of a raging hurricane. Powerful and destructive yet always carrying a calmness within him. But for Thalia, Annabeth and Grover, they saw beyond the hardened, sarcastic demeanor and had seen the troubled, anxious boy that hid inside. They saw a man with the world on his shoulders, struggling desperately to keep everything from falling apart. They saw the boy who never knew his birth father well, and longed to be with his true father and his aunt. The boy who had to learn to fight and defend himself and others at a young age so that he could save the world, not once, but twice.

Now, however, on the deck of this ship, in the early hours of the morning, Thalia saw the Percy she fell in love with. The man who had a love and appreciation for all that his father and aunt had created. A man who could make light of any bad situation and always come out on top. A gentle, loving, kind man, who treated her like a goddess, and their friends like family.

Thalia turned around in Percy's embrace and stood on her toes to give him a warm, tender kiss on the lips. Percy jumped a bit in surprise but quickly reciprocated. Thalia nearly melted when his larger, calloused hand reached up to gently cup her cheek as his lips danced across hers. Tears welled up in her eyes and her knees felt weak with the amount of love and tenderness she felt from Percy's kiss.

When they broke apart for air, Percy leaned his forehead against hers and the two stared into each other's eyes. "What was that for?" Percy asked curiously.

"Because I love you," Thalia stated simply with a shrug, practically beaming when she saw his green eyes soften and his mouth stretch into a warm smile.

"I love you too," Percy whispered softly, kissing the top of her head and pulling her close in a warm hug. Thalia closed her eyes and snuggled into his broad chest, practically purring with how content she felt at the moment.

The couple stood there for another hour, lost in the reverence of the beautiful morning. Neither left the other's embrace until the ship began to wake and everyone started moving about. The rest of the morning, as everyone set about preparing to land in Rome later that day, the crew of the Argo II would sometimes pause what they were doing and watch with puzzled expressions as Thalia and Percy went about with their tasks, small, blissfully happy smiles adorning their faces.

~End Chapter~

There's more fluff and filling in this chapter than a package of Double-Stuff Oreos.

Didn't feel like detailing every little point of their quest and I did the compass thing last chappy to skip ahead with the more impactful events. Btw, as it has been a while since I last read the books, I have no idea how long it took for them to fly to Rome, or where Arachne's Lair actually is in Rome, so I'll probably adlib my own location and go from there.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and please don't forget to leave a review! Seriously, they keep me motivated. Also, I've been working on two other stories on the side. Won't post them yet until I'm done with this one, or until I'm at a good point to post them. I will leave with a hint as to what they are: one is a Fallout fic, the other will be a Star Wars: TFU crossover fic that takes a super AU turn.

Anyway, Thank you, my beautiful readers!