((A/N Sorry it's been a week since I updated... My life is crazy! So I wanted something important to happen this chapter, and this is what popped into my head. Sorry it's another cliffy... and sorry I keep saying sorry ;) I'm already working on the next chapter, and if you're lucky, it's going up to night! But only if you REVIEW! :D))
Percy POV
"Our bow thruster is malfunctioning, which is causing the starboard stabilizing fin to unbalance," Adam, the son of Hephaestus, explains, leading Annabeth and I down to the ship's engine room.
"Is the port side fin still functioning?" I ask.
"For now." He sighs.
"So the boat is leaning because all of the momentum is coming from the back propeller, and the rudder is turned so that we stay on course?" Annabeth pops into the conversation. She looks like she's struggling, and the fact that I know more about something than she does is obviously driving her nuts.
"No, if the rudder was turned, we'd just be going in circles. The reason the floor is now at an angle," Adam points down to the ground, which tilts noticeably yet only slightly, "Is because one of the stabilizers is being bent under the pressure of the water."
Annabeth scrunches her eyebrows together, "I don't understand."
I put a comforting arm around her shoulders, "Welcome to my world." She smirks up at me, although not quite forgetting her ignorance.
"How do we fix it?" she asks.
Adam shrugs, "We just have to figure out why the bow thruster stopped working."
Annabeth pushes past both of us and stands near a control panel, her fingers over her lips in concentration. "Can you get me blueprints of the ship, Adam?"
"I guess. I don't know how that's going to help," he shrugs, but disappears around the corner a second later.
"What are you planning?" I come over to look at the flashing lights on the panel that mean absolutely nothing to me. Boat talk? I've got this. Electricity? Forget it.
"I'm thinking it was a power issue. According to the labels on this panel, all of the ships main functions are connected through a parallel series, which means that their current is independent. If the pow thruster-"
"Bow thruster…" I correct. She glares at me, then continues her explanation.
"If the bow thruster lost its current, the problem could easily be solved by sending a line of voltage through the functioning parts."
"I'm sorry," I scratch my head, "I didn't understand anything after 'I'm thinking'…"
She grins up at me, "And once again, all is as it should be."
Adam reenters the room holding a white tube. He hands it to Annabeth, who pulls out the blueprints and begins studying them, making comments about the structural soundness (or whatever).
"Aha!" she cries victoriously, "I was right!"
Adam looks my way, "I get the feeling she says that a lot."
We both crack up, but Annabeth punches my arm and points at a seemingly random point on the paper with a lines of numbers on it. "Adam, send exactly fifty-nine volts through the main engine system and see what happens."
Adam seems to understand, because he leans over the control panel and flips a few switches. Something deep inside the boat groans, and then we begin to lean, back towards the normal 180 degree angle floors should be parallel to.
"You're a genius!" I exclaim.
"Thanks!" Annabeth and Adam chime simultaneously.
Annabeth POV
I know I'm a child of Athena and all, but I still like being complimented on my brilliance. I mean, technically, it's my superpower; Percy can breathe underwater and bend it to his will, and I can do long division in my head. Doesn't always seem fair, but I put it to good use.
"Let's try to keep the malfunctioning thrusters to a minimum," I smirk towards Adam, who rolls his eyes in response.
"My ideal vacation is spent disaster-free."
"Yeah, me too." I laugh, "Thanks again."
He shrugs, "No problemo. It's kind of my purpose in life."
"I know how that feels," I snort, turning towards the stairwell that leads outside.
Percy follows me, and once we're out of hearing range from Adam, he whispers, "You know how what feels?"
I keep ascending the stairs, but shrug, "Having a purpose handed to me."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks as we break out of the hot engine room and into the cool evening air. The sun is just beginning to set, and the water looks orange.
I turn to look at him, "Just that I don't get to choose who I am. With mortals, their parents don't really influence their natural personalities. As demigods, certain abilities are forced upon us, and others are literally impossible for us to learn."
"That's not true," he retaliates, "Anyone can do anything if they're determined enough."
I place my hands on my hips, "So you could stand in the middle of a blazing fire for an hour, because of your determination?"
"That's not what I meant!" he groans.
"But that's what you said," I say, "You aren't able to, but Hephaestus kids can withstand immense heat. Because of their father."
"So, what, are you not proud to be outstandingly brilliant? Annabeth, I of all people know how stupid it is to be stupid."
I purse my lips, "You're not stupid."
He laughs, "Yes! I am! I practically failed kindergarten."
"You're just lazy," I half-smile.
"And stupid," he chuckles, "It's a good thing you're always around to correct me."
"And I always will be," I wink, "Although it'd be kind of cool to have a special power."
"You do," Percy smiles, his eyes sparkling.
"Intelligence is not a superpower." I sigh.
"I was going to say exceptionally great kisser, but intelligence is a close-second." He laughs, pulling me close. I wrap my arms around his neck, and lean into him.
Percy POV
Something hits me. Hard.
One second, I'm holding Annabeth, and the next, we're both flying through the air. I couldn't grab the railing of the boat, since everything happened so fast, and right now, I'm extremely disoriented. Wind rushes through my hair and ears, and my arms flail aimlessly. The world spins orange and blue.
I figure that, since I haven't hit the water yet, we've been shot upward. How far up, I don't know, but what I do know is that if Annabeth is going the same speed I am, she'll be flattened like a pancake when she hits the water.
Somewhere in the muddle of my senses, I hear screaming. I focus on that one point and will the water to reach up. With my ADHD and everything going on, I can only hope I've helped Annabeth as I smack into the water and slow to a stop.
Now, anyone else would have broken bones and internal bleeding, but I happen to both be invincible and the son of Poseidon, so naturally, I'm unharmed. Actually, the feeling of the water around me sharpens my senses.
Annabeth floats a few yards away, above the surface, her feet kicking to stay afloat. I swim up next to her and break through the waves.
"What the hell?" she sputters, her hair dripping in front of her eyes. She's watching the ship, which is about a mile away from us.
"Are you alright?" I ask. A cut runs along her forehead, but it's not very deep.
"Am I alright?" She snorts, "What just happened?"
"I don't know," I say, wrapping my arm around her waist so that she doesn't have to struggle to stay above the waves anymore. She's breathing heavily, and even though she seems okay, I'm instinctually worried.
"Can you get us back to the boat?" she grumbles, clinging to my dry shirt. She's soaking wet, but when she touches my skin, her hair bounces back to curls, as dry as they had been before she hit the water.
"Yeah, I can-" I'm cut off as something tugs on my ankles, below the water.
"What?" she gives me a weird look.
"Do you feel that?" I ask as the tugging gets harder. I kick, but nothing holds onto me. It's like the water is dragging me down.
"Feel what?" her eyebrows knit.
"Something's pulling on me." I grunt. She opens her mouth to reply, but her response is cut short as we're sucked under the surface. The grip on my ankle tightens, and I'm dragged downward at such a high speed, I lose my grip on Annabeth. She slips through my fingers, and I watch as she tries to swim after me, kicking frantically, air bubbles trailing from her mouth. I can feel her heartbeat in the water, speeding up as she loses oxygen. Then, out of desperation, she kicks towards the surface, towards air, and away from me.