And we're back! Last rewrite, guys, don't forget to review! ^_^

"So, remind me again why Jason is old now?"

"It's just a disguise, Lou."

"But Blondie 'n' Piper look like themselves, just… servants." Her brow furrowed and she went back to watching their friends through Leo's binoculars. Jason had sat down on a rock, tired in his old age. The girls carried amphoras, purely to conceal weapons. Annabeth kept shrugging her shoulders to stop her dress slipping, but Piper rocked the sleeveless white gown. Louisa snickered- poor Old-Man Jason. He was looking at Piper like she was otherworldly and he was undeserving. "I am not gonna let him live this down." She grinned.

"Ditto." Leo smirked beside her. "Anyway, my turn. Go and help your brother."

"He's not my brother."

"Ugh, I know." Leo rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, him stealing your Oreos does not change blood ties."

"We'll see about that." She smacked the binoculars into his hand and stomped off to find her traitorous brother. Percy stood at the starboard railing, watching the water of Afales Bay, his back to the island. Louisa had already decided to paint the island later- despite what awaited Old-Man Jason and his 'serving girls', the island was beautiful. A spine of forested hills twisted down its centre. Chalky white slopes plunged into the sea. Inlets formed rocky beaches and harbours with red-roofed houses and white stucco churches nestled against the shoreline. The hills were smothered with poppies, crocuses and wild cherry trees, all of which Louisa was avoiding, but even the scent of them coming in on the sea breeze was making her nose itch. The pollen, combined with hundred-and-five degree, Roman-bathhouse-steamy air was going to get her, sooner or later.

She stopped at her brother's side, elbowing him. "I'm not talkin' to you."

"I will buy you more Oreos," he smiled, "and I've already apologised. What more do you want?" She cut him a sidelong glare.

"Grovel."

"I'll save that for Plan B." Percy said, biting back laughter. This didn't appease her in the slightest. She crossed her arms and stared out to sea. "How's it going back there?"

"I've bet five bucks with Leo that Old-Man Jason breaks his hip before the top of the hill."

"Aw, don't." Percy snickered. "You're horrible."

"Yep." She smirked proudly. "You feelin' any better?" Percy sighed.

"A little." He rubbed at his neck. She squeezed his arm, but Percy still felt guilty. Vivid flashbacks had backed him into a corner last night. He had felt like he had fallen into the bog again, except rather than inhaling mud, it had been poison. The only solidity he had recognised was his sister, sat next to him all night and holding his hand, her sword ready. She hadn't needed it, but the sight of it seemed to reassure him. At least one of them was ready for a fight, even if he was the only one that could see the attackers.

Her fingers tickled his arm, tracing a pattern that he quickly realised was something rather rude. He smacked her hand, trying to give her a scolding frown. His humour betrayed him and she smiled sweetly.

BOOM!

The twins held their swords in a second. The hillside rumbled. They rushed back to port, Leo was scanning the hills frantically, Frank hovering nervously at his side. Hazel was chewing her thumbnail- her magic was hiding their friends, this was on her shoulders.

"No, it's OK!" Leo called a few seconds later. "I see them!"

"What was it?" Percy demanded.

"I'm not sure." Leo admitted, passing the binoculars to Hazel. "But I think it came from up there." He pointed to the ruins at the top of the hill. Festus creaked behind him. Leo listened to him for a moment, fiddling with wires from his tool belt. "He says there's some sort of party going on at the top. But… he can't sense anyone alive?"

"Zombie apocalypse," Louisa dubbed, "called it."

"They're moving again." Hazel informed, lowering the binoculars. "I think I went a bit far with Jason's disguise."

"Are you kiddin'?" Louisa cackled. "Old-Man Jason is, like, my fourth favourite thing ever."

"Fourth?" Frank asked. "Dare I ask the first three?"

"Me." Leo claimed, patting his hand on his chest. "I'm clearly number one. Or, you know, maybe two." He added, smiling sheepishly as Percy glowered at him.

"No." Louisa said, breaking the news as gently as she could. Leo gaped at her, seeing Percy smirk in the corner of his eye.

"What then?" He asked, pouting. Louisa smiled knowingly, eyes glittering with mischief. Leo blew a raspberry at her. "Fine then, keep your secrets."

Another BOOM! This time they could hear a crowd cheering, faintly. Hazel hurriedly peered through the binoculars again.

"I can't see them." She said. "I think they've reached the top."

"No Jason with a broken hip?" Leo asked. Louisa swore.

"Bro, I need five dollars."

"Why can't you bet your own money?"

"Ain't got none, duh." She held her hand out. Percy pocketed Riptide and sighed. She pursed her lips. "Some big brother you are." She muttered.

"If I give you the money, I'm not getting any Oreos for you."

"Oh no." Louisa's eyes widened and she dropped her hand to her chest. "Dilemma." She looked to Leo.

"If you're getting Oreos, I want some too." He shrugged. "Five dollars' worth."

"Deal." Louisa grinned and they shook on it. "Bro, we'll take those Oreos."

"And we want it in writing." Leo produced a pen and a pad of paper. "A simple I.O.U will do." He grinned cheekily. Percy was in half a mind to use his own pen, and not for the I.O.U, but Louisa pulled on his arm. He took the pen and paper, lazily scribbling the note to both of them. He tore the sheet off and thrust it at Leo. "Muchas gracias, ese." Leo folded the paper neatly and slid it into his tool belt. Louisa swiped the pen and the notebook, proceeding to scribble away with random doodles. Percy looked to Frank, eyebrows raised. Frank shrugged, amused. Percy still couldn't get over how much Frank had changed- he was three inches taller than before, had filled out, his face was no longer baby-ish, but with a rugged jawline. Hazel had told him the story and Percy felt nothing but pride every time he looked at Frank. Sorry, Praetor Zhang.

"Look!" Louisa grinned, turning the notebook round for them all to see. "It's Old-Man Jason!"

"Is he eating prunes?"

"Yes!"

"And… is that a brick dressed as an old lady?"

"Yes!"

"Why is that brick human-sized?"

"Maybe Jason's brick-sized, who knows?" Louisa shrugged. Hazel shot Percy a quizzical look.

"It's very nice, Lou." Percy said, patting her head. "I'm sure Jason will love it." She beamed at him, signing her name at the bottom of her drawing.

Leo was watching when things went wrong. Hazel and Frank were sparring on the deck. Percy and Louisa were watching the sea, supposedly on guard duty, but Leo knew they were drawing caricatures of everyone they knew. With the binoculars, Leo searched the hilltop again. There had been no more 'BOOM!'s, no more cheering. Jason and the girls were still yet to return and his worry was gnawing its way through his chest.

His skin tingled. Lightning blasted the hilltop, sapping the colour from their surroundings. White dots danced in Leo's eyes and he dropped the binoculars into the water.

"Trouble!" He called, rubbing at his eyes. He heard the others arrive.

"Leo, you OK?"

"I got a close-up of lightning, is all." He squinted in the general direction of Louisa's voice. There was a splash and cold water soaked over his eyes and bridge of his nose. Gradually, his sight came back to him. He smiled at her and the water fell away. Louisa pressed her thumb to his forehead, her fingers tapping on the side of his head, just above his ear.

"Eh, ya'll be fine." She smiled. "What happened?"

"Not sure." Ghost zombies tumbled down the hill, having been thrown by the initial lightning blast.

"Get the ship ready to leave." Percy ordered. Leo nodded, turning towards the controls when something caught his eye. He pointed upwards. Flashes of light flitted. "What is it?" Percy asked, frowning at Leo.

"Morse Code." Leo said hastily. His eyes widened. "Jason's been hurt. Frank, we need an airlift." He rummaged in his belt, retrieving a bit of polished bronze. "Hazel, there's a stretcher in the medical bay, by the cupboards." Hazel nodded and ran from the room. Leo rubbed at the bronze with his sleeve, aiming the shiny surface up at the hill. Frank on way, he sent.

Within ten minutes, Frank had flown to the top of the hill with a stretcher and flown back, as a dragon, with Piper and Annabeth on his back and Jason lying in a stretcher, hanging from his claws. He and Piper carried Jason below deck, laying the stretcher on one of the medical beds. He was woozy from blood loss, Piper's charmspeak keeping him awake.

"What happened?" Louisa demanded. Annabeth stammered through the story- the suitors had figured them out, Michael Varus had stabbed Jason from behind. The wound ran right through his body, from his back to just below his ribs. Blood soaked his clothes, his skin, seeping through the stretcher and onto the bed below. Annabeth's hands trembled as she tipped nectar into his mouth. The wound was smoking. Louisa swore. "Imperial gold?" She asked. Piper nodded, tears sliding down her face. Jason smiled drunkenly at her.

"Stay awake, Sparky, focus on me." She encouraged, smoothing his hair back from his forehead.

Louisa held her hands out. The tap rattled, gushing water of its own accord.

"Frank, sit him up for me." She ordered. She budged Annabeth out of the way with her hip. Frank sat Jason up as carefully as he could, wincing apologetically at both him and Piper. Jason groaned, turning grey-green in complexion. Louisa pressed her hands to the wound, either side and he swayed. Faint green light spilled from her fingers, her eyes darkened.

"Give her some space." Percy advised, holding his hand out to Annabeth. She was trembling, pale. She latched onto his hand, her nails digging into his knuckles. Percy led her, Leo and Hazel out. Piper wasn't going to move. Frank was still holding Jason. "He'll be OK," he found himself saying, "he'll be OK."

Why did he feel like such a guilty liar?