Hope

"A-Annabeth..what are you doing here?" I said awestrucked.

Annabeth face was unreadable, her eyes were stormy but she was scary calm.

"I was asking Jason to take me to New Rome with him so I can get settled in for this semester since I'm not needed here.." she said. Then there

"But then I asked if she could help me on my quest… daughter of Athena seems like a pretty good asset to the cause." Jason said nervously.

"At least some think I'm useful." Annabeth said rushing past me.

"Annabeth I-

"Save it." she said curtly.

There was silence again as I stood there gaping like one of my dad's fishes.

I then closed my mouth and tightened my jaw.

"Not one word." I said turning to Jason with a flash of anger.

He nodded quickly and then I turned around heading to Argo ll.

Why I was angry, I had no idea.

But I'm sure if the wrong hellhound had tried to attack me at this moment.

The hellhound would've wished it stayed in Tartarus.

I collapsed on my bed with a million thoughts running through my mind.

What was next?

Sure I had what seemed like a plan.. go talk to Nereus who probably still hates me.

Then what?

And then there was Annabeth, what could I possibly say to her to justify lying to her, or an argument that would survive against a daughter of Athena.

I could feel the ships engine sputter as we rose in the sky.

Hopefully Zeus wouldn't shoot me down but it seemed like the better option then having to face Annabeth.

"May the fates help me.." I said to myself but silently wishing that they heard and acted on my prayer.


"Alrighty folks! What's the game plan!" Leo said as we all gathered around the table.

There was no power struggle for the head of the table between me and Jason this time as I sat down in the head chair.

He probably didn't know if I was angry with him for letting Annabeth come and decided not to test me or my patience.

Annabeth sat at the further end near Jason and had not said one word to me or even looked in my direction.

"My quest requires talking to Nereus, Old Man of the Sea.." I said hoping to catch Annabeth's attention since he was a crucial part in my quest to save her but all she did was shift in her seat a little.

I frowned.

"But there might be a little problem getting the information I need since our last encounter didn't go that well and I don't think the same tricks to capture him.." I continued.

"Oh wait! Did you say Nereus!" Piper said as she snapped up.

I nodded.

"Well I know how you can get him to cooperate, my dad played him in of his movies, wasn't that good, but he had to study him and it's said that Nereus can be flattered into getting the answers you need , and it's said that he loves justice and wisdom and..oh" Piper shrunken down in her seat and became mute.

"And what?" I said.

"And luckily you have a daughter of the wisdom goddess to help you." Annabeth said indifferently.

"Still don't need me?" she said codly.

"Annabeth I never said-"

"Jason you can get me up to speed later, I'm going to my room." Annabeth said as she got up and left the room in a deadly silence.

"Okay.." Jason said gulping.

"Let's get back to it.. Our first stop will be New Rome to see if we can find Cassius Dagger. I could always use backup so, Percy? Can you come with?"

I couldn't bring myself to talk so I did a short curt nod.

I really messed up.

Gods I messed up.

"Umm great, while we go to retrieve that, Piper could you try to contact your mom about the apple?"

"Yeah sure, can't guarantee she'll answer though."

"Okay good. The rest of you on research duty?"

There was a collective of;

Yeah

Sure

Of course

"Great. Leo, ETA on a New Rome?"

"Sky is looking clear today so we should be arriving in an hour or so." Leo said as he fidgeted with his nintendo switch remote.

"Good. Okay that's all the debriefing for now, everyone knows what they're doing so get to it, and Percy may I speak with you?" Jason said as eyes turned in my direction.

I nodded.

"Alright, let's get to it guys."


"So.." Jason said as they both leaned on the side of the ship looking into the distance.

"I know what you're about to say.. apologize to Annabeth.. she's more capable than you think.. you can't protect everyone." I said with bitterness remembering all of the people that I failed to protect.

"Actually, I'm not here to tell you that." Jason said to my surprise.

"We're cursed Percy.. Me, you, Thalia, Nico, and Hazel, but especially me and you."

"We have these amazing powers.." he said as a tiny horse formed out of air formed in his hand.

"But despite that, we'll still fall, as mortals." he said as the horse returned back to its natural state.

"We can't pretend we aren't superior and the betters of our race because the truth is, without us heroes, there'd be nothing." he said.

"But we also like you said can't save everyone… that's our curse, we are the superiors, so while the world crumbles, we'll be the last to fall.. unless we sacrifice ourselves. It's a lose lose." Jason said with sadness.

"What I'm trying to say, Percy is that I don't blame you. Hell, I wish Piper and the rest of them would've stayed but the truth is, they make our existence a hell of a lot better. They'll be there at our darkest times and our brightest despite the odds or whether we want them there or not. They're our motivation, our hope. And we have to hold onto that in our world. It's the only way we'll survive whatever's coming." Jason said turning to me.

I met his blue eyes and I saw the same sadness and weight I carried, that we all carried, with us everyday.

"Whoever thought they see the day, a son of Zeus and a son of Poseidon having a heart to heart." I said jokingly.

Jason laughed.

"Just the Fates throwing another curveball into our existence." he said laughing some more.

"Sorry to interrupt the bro moment but, we're here." Leo said.

"Alright.. I guess it's game time."