Ok so I'll have to admit, I have no clue how to drive a warship. I mean, I'd gone over a few of the blueprints and read a few books the Hephaestus cabin had on hand about mechanics but I'm not sure an afternoon of boredom study time qualified me to drive a warship.
"Where's Casey?" She'll know more about this than me. She's more into the mechanics and magic myth stuff than I am. Max wiped his damp cheeks on his sleeve while the Kat pretended not to notice. She wasn't great with emotions.
"I'll go find her," Max said.
I stood up and grabbed Kat's wrist. "Get everybody to their cabins. I need Nico and Will to meet me in the control room," I ordered. Kat nodded and ran off to find my godparents. As I ran down the hall I tried to keep my cool. What would Mom do in this situation? I bet my parents actually have been in this situation. I wish they were here. "Casey!" I yelled. She rounded the corner just as I reached the main control room.
"What can I do?" she asked. I looked at her helplessly and shrugged.
"I have no idea. Just try your best, I believe in you."
She gave me a bewildered look and motioned wildly at the chaos around her. "Your belief gives me nothing! I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A WARSHIP, JASON!"
I backed off. Just then, Nico entered the room. "Are you two ok?" He asked. I nodded but Casey threw her arms into the air and yelled, "Do I look like I'm ok?!"
Nico wisely didn't answer. He skimmed his fingers across the panel and the ship evened out its course. I stared at him in disbelief. He saw my face and smirked.
"What?" he said. "Did you all I did was sit in dark corners and look gloomy?" I shrugged. He had a good point. I never really thought about what Nico did while aboard the Argo. I guess I always just assumed he sat in his cabin and stared at the wall all gloomy-like.
Once the ship had gone back to normal, I went to check on the others but Will caught my arm as I was exiting to the main room.
"Will, what is it? Nico's in the control room."
He shook his head. "Jace, sit down," he ordered. He wasn't using his doctor voice, he was using his I'm-your-godfather-and-I-am-worried-about-you voice. Yes that is an actual thing. I did as I was told."You are overworking yourself. If I'm right, and you know I am, you haven't given yourself a break since last time your mother made you," he said. Will was right. I don't ever take a break. I wake up, help get the little kids ready, dad makes breakfast and takes us to school, go to school, pick up the other kids on the way home, help Adora with her homework and help Casey with hers if Mom isn't home, do my own homework, study, sleep, repeat. I tended to overwork myself to the point that Mom or Dad have to step in and make me take a few breaths. I remember Dad dropping everybody off, then bringing me to get hot chocolate and he actually brought me to the bookstore for a break. Mom used to bring me to work with her when I was getting particularly stressed, and I'd get to spend the day helping Mom.
I'm not sure how long I had been thinking but Will was looking increasingly concerned by my lack of response. He shook his head, "Your mother is going to kill me," he sighed. Will always knew what to say. I laughed, although the sound was forced.
"Will, relax. I'm not going to have a panic attack. I'm going to be fine."
He smiled, "You better be. Take a break. Give yourself at least 15 minutes."
I nodded along. Yeah, not going to happen. I was going to give myself five minutes, then go back to researching. Then I'll try to iris message my parents. Again.
(Time skip)
Nico had the ship under control and Nico was watching Oliver while Adora was on deck with Kat and Jonathan. I decided to take Will's advice and take a break. I went through my bag of stuff that Casey and Kat had packed and found my glasses, then got out a good book and began to take an actual break. I almost go to the point of feeling relaxed.
I think the fates heard me.
I had been laying down for no more than ten minutes when there was once again a crash from the deck. My dad always said he had bad luck with the fates. I think I may have inherited that from him. At least Dad had Mom. I know it sounds selfish of me, seeing as how Dad lost his memory and was apart from mom for eight months, but he still had her. I didn't have anybody that I could count on like that. I could always talk to Max and the others but not like my parents did. I didn't want to tell anybody about how worried I was because I knew it would only stress them out, which lead to me getting even more stressed out. I should probably stop sitting in my own self-pity and find out what happened.
On the deck was a small porky man. His nose was red and his eyes were misty as if he was hung over. His Hawaiian shirt almost looked like something my grandfather would wear but his back curly hair was almost purple, showing that he was definitely not Poseidon.
I'd seen Mr. D before, but he finished most of his punishment and didn't spend much time at Camp anymore. That didn't mean I didn't recognize him. I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose to make sure I saw him correctly.
"Jack Johnson! You look just like your father. Full of yourself."
Who the Hades is Jack Johnson? It took me a minute to realize that he was talking to me. That confirmed it. There was no other god that messed up names like this.
"You think you're sooo powerful,"
"Dionysus, why are you here?" I said, feeling a bit like my dad as I spoke. I didn't feel confident and I knew what I was doing was stupid but I didn't care. Just like Dad. You should never interrupt a god. But my family was missing, kidnapped my titans and monsters that had escaped from Tartarus. I was not in the mood for the gods' crap.
"You should treat me with some respect," Mr. D said, narrowing his eyes. I folded my arms across my chest.
"As long as you want something from me, I can treat you however you want." I knew he wasn't here to help, so he wanted something. I didn't want to help. My family has done so much for the gods since they before they even got to camp and yet they were still asking things from us? Even as we were trying to find them? Dionysus looked like he wanted to turn me into a dolphin but didn't do anything. That's what I thought. Jonathan stepped in front of me and took over, which was probably a good thing.
"What can we do for you?" he asked. I wanted to roll my eyes but he had a threateningly tight hold on my wrist to keep me at bay.
"I am busy so I would have you find my wine glass for me. Aphrodite is upset at me for upsetting her ship, although she doesn't have a boat so I am not sure what that's even supposed to mean. No matter, she took my prized golden goblet and has it has been hidden from my view. Of course, I could find it but I am much too busy for matters as small as this," he said, waving his arms nonchalant and hinting that we were to find his goblet. He couldn't even drink wine, why did he need his wine glass?
"Sir, we are currently on a mission to save-," Jonathan was cut off by Mr. D waving his hand to dismiss the subject.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll give you something that will help get my goblet back, maybe with that other thing too. I need it as soon as possible and I would prefer you not to die before you get it to me." He raised his arm and we all turned around while Kat held her hand over Adora's eyes to protect her. When we turned back around, Dionysus was gone.
Why. Just, why.
(Hey what's up? Hope you all had an amazing day because you are all amazing people!)
