Prelude to the Third Life

Funny thing, since my classes are online, I'm one research paper away from finishing the semester a full two weeks early. I think for that paper I'm going to research how PoundMeToo is like modern-day McCarthyism, and a rendition of the French Revolution's Terror and the Salem Witch Trials.

But anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or AC

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Camp Half-Blood

In Lou' forest cabin, she, Percy, and Kira appeared in a swirling blur and a snap.

"Ah, home sweet home away from home," the witch sighed. "Smells like pinecones."

"I'm just happy our clothes weren't swapped."

Lou grinned proudly. "Told'ya I got the spell down."

"Excellent work. Now let's get going."

The camp was remarkably…quiet. Concerning, as this was the summer as this place was a summer camp. But, as the trio got closer to the Big House, they started to hear the distant sounds of battle, sounds that got steadily louder. With a shared look, they took off running for the hill.

Upon cresting the hill, they found the campers, a battalion of teens of various sizes and shapes all wearing Ancient Greek battle armor over orange t-shirts and jeans brandishing swords, spears, and shields at a pair of golden, mechanical bulls, each the size of a truck.

"Colchis bulls," Lou said with a tilted head. "Don't see those very often."

"Indeed not. Let's go."

One of the bulls let out a bull sound, and charged the line, causing the undisciplined Greeks to scatter with yelps and squeals, which caused Clarisse's face to turn as red as the color her late father was famed for.

"You idiots! I told you to hold formation!"

Her outburst attracted the bull, and it turned its beady red eyes to her. Clarisse gulped and dove to the side, narrowly avoiding getting gored.

"Ew, what's that smell, Clarisse?" Lou teased. "Need a change of panties?"

The daughter of Ares looked up from the dirt. "Lou Ellen?"

"That is my name. Don't wear it out."

The bull turned.

"Whup. Here we go."

Lou braced herself, clenching her butt and tensing her muscles. Then she thrust her hands forward, and a magic circle, colored green and purple, sprung to life in front of her. The Colchis bull slammed into the magic, and the result was like that of a car speeding into a steel wall: the automaton smashed itself to dozens of little pieces.

Clarisse's jaw dropped, as well as the jaws of anyone watching, and Lou brushed nonexistent dust off her shoulder, then picked Kira up and held the puppy in her arms.

Meanwhile, Percy was dealing with his own Colchis bull. With a textbook taxicab whistle, he got his bull's attention, and it charged. Drawing the magic ballpoint pen from the hidden Minotaur horns strapped to his back, Percy brought Riptide back to the world for the first time in months. What followed could only have been pulled off by someone with impeccable reflexes, great speed, and breathtaking timing.

Percy had all of this.

When the Colchis bull got close, he spun to his left, avoiding the lowered horns, and then twisted back around enough to where, as the bull charged forward, it cut itself wide open along the length of Riptide. The magic sword cut through the metal hide like it was soft butter.

The automaton crashed to the ground, its eyes dying out.

"Praise the Lord," Percy muttered.

The crowd was stunned, both at the sudden appearance of the two most infamous half-bloods of the day, and at how easily the two attacking monsters had been taken down by said half-bloods, when a small army of other half-bloods had not managed. The silence was short-lived, however.

"PERCY!"

"Yes? Oh, hi, Beck."

The behemoth of a black boy put his barrel arms around Percy and lifted him clean off the ground in a bear hug that not even a bear could have pulled off. Percy wheezed, and was then set down.

"Where on God's green earth have you been!?"

"Rapid City, South Dakota."

Beckendorf blinked. "Huh?"

"I needed some time to get sorted out after coming home to find my mother's corpse all over our ransacked apartment."

"…oh."

"Yes, oh," Percy smiled thinly. "Is Annabeth here as well?"

On cue, a blonde-haired child pushed her way to the front. "PERCY!"

"Why does everyone keep screaming my name today?"

Annabeth ran to the boy, eyes wide. "It—it's you—it's r-really-"

She threw her arms around him, and Percy patted her back. The moment ended when Lou Ellen coughed.

"Off my boyfriend, please."

Annabeth pulled away with a look of shock. Her eyes went from Lou's to Percy's, checking to make sure what was in those windows matched what she had heard. To her dismay, she found only confirmation. The daughter of Athena couldn't keep the crestfallen tone out of her voice.

"Oh…well, congratulations!" she smiled, but it was very clear she was hurting a little bit.

Percy smiled sadly, sympathizing with the girl before him. "Where is Chiron? I need to speak to him."

At the mention of the centaur, Percy and Lou Ellen felt the collective atmosphere turn sour.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is there some hidden plan, here? Some kind of ulterior motive that I don't yet see? Because I find your removal as director from this camp after several thousand years of loyal service, just because the tree got poisoned, to be very stupid."

Thunder rumbled distantly, and Chiron smiled knowingly. "Perhaps judging the judgement of the sky king is a little unwise."

Percy's eyes darkened. "The sky king has no power over me or my mouth."

Lou put a hand on his shoulder, and he calmed slightly.

"Zeus is well aware of the fact that you didn't poison the tree?"

"Of course," said Chiron, "but he blames the event on me due to his reasoning that I have been negligent in my teaching, and that my self-distraction kept me from preventing the catastrophe that was the lightning thief debacle, and the poisoning of the tree—and arguing the matter will not solve anything, I'm afraid. The only way to get through this, I feel, is to find a new source of power for the borders."

"You all know I'm a witch, right?" Lou Ellen piped up. "I have over a dozen books on spells, rituals, hexes, charms, curses, and summonings. I am a hundred percent positive that I can find something—lots of somethings, actually—that can boost this place's barrier. It runs on magic, after all, and magic is what I'm all about."

"All help is appreciated, Ms. Williams, but I'm afraid Lord Zeus' judgement is absolute. Until such time that the barrier is fixed and the half-bloods safe, I must go into exile."

"Where are you going to go?" Percy asked.

"Oh, I have many kin throughout the world. I suspect that I will be going to Florida. It is a lovely place…when it's not being terrorized by typhoons," Chiron finished flatly.

Percy exhaled. "Is Dionysus supposed to run this whole place by himself, or do you have a replacement?"

A troubled look appeared across the old teacher's face.

"That does not inspire confidence, Chiron."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Percy watched with a deadpan gaze as Chiron's replacement chased down a turkey. Now, this wasn't a turkey that gobbled and had feathers on it, but a turkey that had been killed, stuffed, roasted, and was dripping with juice while running away on its stubby leg bones, somehow animated for the sole purpose of running away from the man trying to eat it.

Lou Ellen was snickering. "This is the greatest thing I've seen."

"Of all the people of the world, living and dead, Zeus appointed Tantalus? His own son that killed and served up his own son, Pelops, in retaliation for not being granted ambrosia and nectar?"

"Yeah, I suppose that is pretty bad, but just look at that!"

The turkey was dueling Tantalus, chair to frying pan…somehow. It was attracting quite the crowd.

Percy stared at the spectacle for a few more seconds, before he shook his head. "We don't have time for this. Grover said he was in Miami, tracking a source of nature magic so powerful he thought it was Pan, when he was taken by something. One of us needs to get to the Oracle so we can get some kind of idea of just where this is all supposed to lead."

"Sweet. After you. The Oracle creeps me out."

Just as Percy and Lou were going to leave to do just that, an old, scratchy voice cut them off. "And just where do the two of you think you are going?"

The son of Poseidon barely gave Tantalus a sideways glance. "To work on restoring the border. Good day."

"Ah-ah-ah! Not so fast, Christian boy. As acting camp director, I get to decide who does what around here, and I say-"

"As acting camp director," Percy spoke over the once-king, "I trust that you are considering the safety and well-being of the children under your care, the children whose lives are your responsibility, to be of the utmost importance. After all, if anyone here were to get hurt due to your negligence, I am sure you would several upset parents to deal with, both of the mortal and the divine kind."

Now Tantalus found himself on the receiving end of expectant and pointed looks. "Well, naturally, of course-"

"Yes, you say that, King Tantalus, but the fact that you murdered and cooked your own son does not instill within me confidence in your sincerity."

Muttering broke out amongst the campers, as they realized for the first time just who their new director was. A sweat broke out across Tantalus' face as he saw the dark looks he was receiving, and he realized he was losing standing very, very quickly. So, a threat.

"Yes, boy, you are correct in that I killed and cooked my own son. Knowing what I'm willing to do my own immediate family," the king smiled with a sinister gleam, "just what do you think I'm willing to do to you if you cross me?"

"I can wreck you like the Hindenburg," Percy said flatly.

"Oh, you might be able to," Tantalus said smugly, "but I don't think your peers will be willing to let that happen, especially not when I offer them a generous reward for defeating you in the chariot races!"

"Those were cancelled because the last time those happened, sixteen people were killed," an older camper said from the back of the crowd.

Annabeth crossed her arms and broke her silence. "Not doing a very good job of looking out for our safety and well-being by making us perform a banned event."

"Oh, nonsense," Tantalus waved off the concerns. "This will be a dumbed down race, like the modern-day NFL. All of you will be protected, cushioned, and swaddled like newborns, and any offenders will be punished at my judicial discretion. Now then," he clapped his hands together, "cabins have one hour to select teams and build chariots. Participation is mandatory, and resistance or refusal will be met with harsh consequences…not necessarily exclusive to your person."

The last part was directed to Percy, as a warning against rebellion.

If you act out, I'll punish everyone else and it'll be all your fault.

For a reason the son of Poseidon couldn't accurately describe, he felt like running Tantalus through on a bladed tail he didn't even have, then opening his jaws impossibly wide in order to bite the man's face off, and then finish it all up by ripping the king in half and letting the cadaver bake in the sun.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For whatever reason, the camp had several old chariots just lying in the armory, and the cabins swarmed the area in fear of whatever Tantalus would do to them. With only an hour until the race began, time for dilly dallying was nonexistent.

However, with such a crutch deadline and a lingering threat, Percy confronted the wine god.

"Mr. D."

"Percy."

"For the love of God, tell me you are not okay with this."

"Hmm," Dionysus rubbed his chin. "Well, you see, cousin, I do not like this place. At all. I do not like half-bloods. They are physical representations of unfaithfulness, and half-bloods themselves are conniving tricksters who operate for the sole purpose of personal gain, all perfectly willing to screw over any that help them at the drop of a hat.

"That being said, I do love my sons very much, and it is a constant, never ending pain to be so close to them, and not be allowed to speak with them, or interact with them at all, and it is an even greater pain to know that their lives are in danger because of the failing magic, and to boot, they have to deal with Tantalus' antics for the time being, and the odious cretin and I have the unfortunate status of being half-brothers. So no, cousin, I am not okay with this."

"What is the punishment for killing a camp director?"

"Oh, banishment, torture, transformation, retail. It all depends on what the Olympian council decides upon at the trial."

"Ah-ha. But if the camp director were to be found in bed, not breathing, with no evidence of foul play…"

"Well, there'd still be a thorough investigation, as Father is the god of justice and has a duty to perform, but if the investigation proved inclusive with no suspects or evidence to implicate or indicate suspects….Still, Tantalus is hardly the worst, and removing him may result in the instating of someone of even greater ill-repute. Perhaps the best course of action is the path of least resistance…for now."

"For now. Thank you, Mr. D, for your wise council."

"You are welcome, Percy." Then those purple eyes became just a little sad.

"Ah, past events…I am…it takes a lot for your father to do what he did. Your mother…I…if there's anything you need, ask, and I'll see what I can do."

"…I need a chariot."

Dionysus snapped his fingers, and a chariot appeared in a burst of wine fizz and the smell of grapes. "Done."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The chariot race wasn't the important part. Nor was it the fact that Lou Ellen teamed up with Percy. No, the important part was the attack by the Stymphalian Birds, and how the witch girl used a sound spell to make her screams very loud, and very high, which disoriented the birds well enough to where the Apollo cabin—who had the power to render themselves deaf, surprisingly enough—were able to shoot down the whole flock.

When later asked, Michael Yew explained that that their father often heard music so horrible, that he closed off his ear canals so that he didn't have to hear it, an ability passed to his children.

While the campers were all collectively nursing their ears, yet supremely grateful that the attacking birds were no longer attacking, the temporary camp director—who had yet to remove his orange prison jumpsuit—had a different opinion.

"What the bloody hell was that, girl?"

Lou Ellen frowned. "A sound spell I made based off Black Canary when I was seven."

"Really? It sounded more like a deliberate attack on the ears of all of Camp Half-Blood, which, as an attack, gives me valid ground to punish you."

"You're going to punish me for averting an attack by carnivorous birds?"

"The Stymphalian Birds were minding their own business, all content to watch the races, but your horrid driving no doubt irritated them and provoked them to attack. Therefore, this entire debacle is your fault. I hereby sentence you and Percy to a week of kitchen duty!"

"And that's where my patience reaches its limit," Percy muttered.

He took the center stage.

"Tantalus, I trust you believe yourself to be very powerful, correct?"

The man smirked, standing straight with a pompous look. "Of course. I am camp director after all."

"Indeed, you are. I trust, then, that you are well acquainted with the democratic laws of this camp, yes? Specifically, the law that gives the campers the power to remove the acting camp director should he or she prove unfit for duty, via a majority vote?"

Tantalus froze. "What?"

Percy smiled cordially. "I call for a vote," he said loudly, everyone around hearing him loud and clear. "All those in favor of removing Mr. Tantalus as acting camp director, say 'aye.'"

There was a resounding chorus of "aye."

"All opposed say nay."

There was a distant chirping of a cricket.

"Apologies Mr. Cricket, but the majority have spoken." Percy continued to smile like a cashier dealing with a difficult customer.

Mr. D took that time to appear. "The votes are in. Good day, Mr. Tantalus. You will not be missed."

"Hey, wait-!"

The ground opened up at his feet and he vanished into the earth.

The wine god sipped his coke. "On the grounds of this camp missing an official director, I hereby declare a state of emergency and assume emergency powers. With these powers, I appoint Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, to lead a quest to restore order and balance…get going."

Percy gave a two-fingered salute, "Don't become the senate," and took off running for the Big House.

With his next words, Dionysus' voice became throaty. "I am the senate."

Lou Ellen hid her snickers behind her hand, but managed to say, "Not yet."

"It's treason, then. And the punishment for this treason is that all of you will be working together to clean up this mess."

The mess in question was the pile-up of wrecked chariots.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Up in the attic, Percy stood before the Oracle. "What needs to be done to save this camp?"

The shriveled mummy's eyes blazed green, and green mist billowed from the mouth. Then that raspy, serpentine voice said:

Yo-ho, yo-ho, we row beneath the black flag

A rolickin' we go, we own the sea and skies

The cyclopes' island is where the Fleece lies

Return by the week's end, or all will be slag

The mist was sucked back into the Oracle, and she became dormant.

Percy blinked. "That was…helpful."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

To Percy's surprise, the camp had a legitimate war room down in the game room, with the ping-pong table serving as the main gathering area. Snacks and drinks were served upon request.

The reincarnation of Vergil outlined everything very easily. "On Polyphemus' island is the Golden Fleece, and we need to bring it back by the end of the week, or the camp will be overrun. Any volunteers to go with me?"

Katie Gardner, Clarisse, McKayla Brenn, Lee Fletcher, Beckendorf, Silena, the Stoll brothers, and Pollux and Castor Sargasso all raised their hands. All the cabin councilors raised their hands. And Lou Ellen was there, as she was officially claimed and had a cabin, however unofficial it was. She was an honorary member.

Percy hummed. "That was a stupid question as everyone here represents the most powerful of their cabin, which in turn makes all of you the most powerful demigods we have, and all of you will be needed to protect the camp from attacks."

"That didn't stop you from bringing me last time," Beck said.

"That was different, and you know it."

"That still just leaves one more person," Lou said. "Me and you will be going, so that leaves just one more to pick."

Percy met Lou's eyes, and the witch knew what he was about to say was going to make her very upset.

"You are not coming with me. You said it yourself that you have dozens of books on magic, so you know some ways to strengthen the border. I need you here to help with saving lives and protecting others."

The witch glowered. "…you make good points, but I'm still mad."

Percy turned his attention back to the councilors. "All of you return to your cabins and give them good news. Say something emboldening. I'll make a decision about my questmates in a few minutes. Lou, come with me, please."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Big House had many spare rooms for whatever purpose was needed, primarily that of bedrooms for guests. It was once such bedroom that Percy led Lou Ellen into, and the witch girl couldn't stop herself from cracking wise.

"I thought we were supposed to wait for marriage?"

Percy spun on his heal, glaring flatly.

"Kidding, kidding…but I'm not kidding about being mad that you sidelined me."

"I've given my reasons. Get over yourself. We both have a duty to perform, and a responsibility to everyone here, because we're the strongest."

"Yes, yes. The strong help the weak so the weak become strong and all that philosophy bruhaha. I still don't like it."

"And you're really not going to like who I'm picking to come with me."

"…who?"

"Annabeth."

There was a silence that lasted for eight seconds, until Lou Ellen's brain rebooted.

"Explain. Now."

"She's intelligent, quick on her feet, good in a fight, small, resourceful, and as just the two of us, that's less chances of something going wrong, and less of a chance of casualties."

"Quests are typically done with three people."

"The last quest involved five, and it turned out just fine."

Lou stared at him.

"The quest was fine. What came after was not."

"Whatever. The fact still remains that not only am I now being sidelined, I'm being sidelined for the girl that still has a crush on you, and wants you as her boyfriend, and will see this as an opportunity to make a move."

"And do you have so little faith in me as to let her make that move?"

Now Lou Ellen felt bad. "Well, no…"

"Then, if you are so confident in the strength of our relationship and our faith in each other, why are you worried about Annabeth."

The witch seemed to struggle for a little bit, but then she huffed. "It's a girl thing. If you were a girl, you'd understand."

"I was a girl. You turned me into one."

"Yes, but you weren't a girl in love."

"No, I was a girl who was almost raped by the late pagan war god."

The witch kept to herself how she knew Percy was also a girl in the 18th century.

"Please, Lou. Do whatever you can to save this place. The kids here are good kids, all of them have families that love them."

"Fine. I still don't like how you're just up and leaving me, though."

"I'm not up and leaving you." Percy grabbed Lou's waist and swept her off her feet into a deep kiss. When he separated, he said, "I'm giving you something to look forward to. Dinner when I get back?"

Lou had hearts fluttering about her head. "Yeah…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Uh…sure." Annabeth blinked.

"Good. Meet me on the beach when you're ready."

With that, Percy left for the beach. It was perhaps the calmest place at Camp Half-Blood right now, and would forever be Percy's favorite place to be on all of the property. He settled into the warm sand and gazed to the horizon. A cruise ship was slowly passing along.

"Nice day, huh?"

"Indeed, it is. Hello, Hermes."

"Hey, cousin. How are…things?" the messenger god said lamely.

"Oh, same old, same old. Danger, peril, fate of the world at stake. Just another day at the office."

"Well, here are some things to help spice it up." Hermes handed Percy three duffle bags and a thing of vitamins. "These should come in handy, if I do say so myself."

"Thank you. What are the vitamins for?"

"They are multipurpose vitamins," Hermes said proudly.

"…what are they for?" Percy tried again.

The thief god continued to smile. "Multiple purposes."

"…thank you."

"You are welcome. Now, I bet you're wondering just where you're supposed to start the quest."

"Miami."

"That cruise ship out there is a good place."

Percy blinked. "…okay."

And then Hermes looked the boy in the eye—really looked at him. Those old eyes were suddenly every bit of four thousand years. "Percy…if I've learned one thing in my long life, it's that you can't ever give up family, no matter what they do to you."

"You're talking about Luke. Whatever did happen to him?"

Percy didn't know. He had honestly forgotten about the lightning thief, due to far more pressing issues taking place in his life.

Hermes turned grim, but Annabeth called from the distance. Percy ignored it and kept staring at his divine cousin.

"Please look away so I can vanish mysteriously."

Percy slowly closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them back up. Hermes was gone. Conveniently before key information could be shared. The demigod just exhaled at this development, not surprised, but still irritated.

Annabeth came jogging down. "Ready. Who's the third member?"

"We'll find out soon enough."

"You're telling me we don't have a third member to our quest?"

"Worked out fine with five people last time. We'll be fine with two for now."

"Do you even have a starting point?"

Percy pointed to the distant cruise ship. "We are going there."

"…are we going to hijack it?"

"Maybe. Let's go."

"How are we going to get over there?"

"We're going to swim."

"Swim!? That ship has got to be miles away! Even with our demigod stamina, that's impossible."

"You do realize that I'm a son of Poseidon, yes? I can get us there just fine."

"…right. My mistake. What're all these duffle bags for?"

"Supplies for our trip." Percy hefted two of them over his shoulder and tossed the third to Annabeth. "Now let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ah, Luke," Percy greeted. "I was wondering what happened to you. I see you've been busy. Tell me: where did you get this ship?"

"Generous benefactors," the son of Hermes answered. "Hello, Annabeth."

Those grey eyes burned with sadness and betrayal. "You poisoned Thalia."

Those blue eyes smoldered. "The gods did that to her."

Backtracking a little bit, Percy and Annabeth arrived at the ship, boarded, found it to be a mobile hideout for monsters, and then Percy allowed themselves to be captured so that they may be taken to the leader. As it turns out, that leader was in the captain's quarters, and he was also Luke.

Now Percy was fishing for information. No pun intended.

"Oh, stop it, you too. We could go back and forth all day about the shortcomings of the pagan gods. What I want to talk about is the past, present, and future. To start: what exactly happened after Grover, you, Beck and Lou Ellen got back to camp?"

"There was a celebration," Luke answered. "Big feast, burned the burial shrouds, and then you didn't turn up, your apartment was found destroyed, your stepfather shredded and your mother missing. A big panic broke out, I bided my time, and when it was clear you weren't going to show, I left a note explaining things and took my leave."

"And you were waiting for me because…?"

Luke spread his arms with an inviting smile. "I wanted to ask to join the revolution."

Percy stared at him flatly. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Kronos trying to make a comeback and dethrone his children to reassume power and reshape the world in his image under the promise of better treatment for the demigods…would it?"

"Hid the nail right on the head."

The son of Poseidon exhaled out of his nose. "Luke…you are a smart man. You know very well about how Kronos ate his own children, and enforced power over his siblings through fear and intimidation. What makes you think he will deliver on a promise to us lowly demigods?"

"He swore it on the Styx," Luke defended seriously.

"Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades swore on the Styx to not have children, and yet here I am and there Thalia was, and I think the former three are doing just fine. I'm not quite sure oaths on the Styx are as binding for immortals as they are for mortals."

Luke looked at a loss for words, and so he settled for idealism. "Kronos will rise, and he will bring justice to the gods. All half-bloods in America are either with me…or against me."

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

Annabeth looked at Percy. "Why all the Star Wars references?"

"Recently watched the movie. It's on my brain right now."

"Oh."

"Did you know that George Lucas convinced Carrie Fisher that there was no underwear in space, and so she went commando on set?"

"Really?"

The one-word question was four-fold, because Annabeth, Luke, and the Bear Twins, Agrius and Oreius, all asked.

"Yes, really. Also, there's a tsunami coming portside."

Heads turned, and Percy dropped the ultra-sensitive smoke bomb hidden up his sleeve. In the sudden chaos of obscurity and suffocation, the Assassin downed the Bear Twins in a single fluid stroke. Then he went for Luke…only for both of his Hidden Blades to strike off the older demigod's skin like it was made of diamond.

'Well, that's certainly a problem for later.'

Assassination failed, Percy retreated in the blink of an eye, grabbing Annabeth and yanking her out the door. She coughed the smoke from her lungs.

"Warning, next time, please."

"Apologies. Also, hold on."

Percy's hadn't been kidding about that tsunami. He had been working on it since the capture at the paws of the Bear Twins, trying to time it just right. While the intended time was when they were going to be surrounded by all the monsters on the ship, now worked just fine too.

The Princess Andromeda nearly capsized.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Percy and Annabeth stole a lifeboat and were well on their merry way down south to the Bermuda Triangle.

"This is going to take days," the blonde said. "We were at Long Island, in New York, and we've got to get all the way down to Bermuda just to reach the topmost tip of the Triangle, and that's a four-day cruise—on an ocean liner! We're in a lifeboat!"

Throughout her rant Percy just kept smiling. "It's all going to be fine."

"How!?"

"Have faith in the Lord."

A fish flopped out of the water and smacked Annabeth up side the face. She didn't react.

"I take it you haven't been reading the Bible much," Percy observed.

The blonde sighed. "No…I just got…too busy. Moved back in with my dad and stepfamily, started middle school, monsters every now and then, homework, projects, mandatory tutoring because of my ADHD and dyslexia, bullies who are infinitely less intelligent than me…just couldn't find the time. I'm…sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Percy said evenly. "Just read. It'll all be fine."

Annabeth looked at him. "How can you be so sure of this stuff? I mean, our own parents can't look after us. What makes Jesus or God any different?"

"They're not pagans."

"Is that really it?"

"Yeah."

"I wish I had your faith, Percy."

"Don't wish for it. Make it so."

Annabeth growled in frustration. "It's not that simple, okay! My dad didn't want me, my stepmother tried to kick me out, my stepbrothers actively got me in trouble by breaking things or getting hurt and blaming it on me, and when I was attacked in the night by hordes of spiders, all of them biting me and wrapping in their webs, and come morning all of it was gone and no one believed me, and I kept praying, and praying, and praying that Mom would do something, and she never did! So I took things in my own hands and left. How am I supposed to have faith in higher beings, when I have to be entirely self-sufficient?"

"By recognizing that they've been looking out for you the whole time," Percy said. "Annabeth, you are a very lucky girl. Your father didn't bully you and make threats of pain. Your stepmother didn't brutally beat you with a switch or a belt for the most minor of conveniences, and neither of them were alcoholics or smokers. Despite how 'bad' they were to you, they were never evil, and when you ran away, you didn't starve, and you didn't die. Many people in the world are not so fortunate."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"It's supposed to make you humble. I know you know of Lou Ellen's condition, in that exchange for her magical powers, she has chronic nocturnal enuresis. If she can learn humility, you can as well."

"The fatal flaw of children of Athena is hubris…"

"That is not an excuse to be petty."

"I can be petty if I want to," Annabeth sniffed.

Percy almost threw her into the ocean. Instead, he settled for a flat look and a raised brow.

"What?"

"As smart as you are, that is a very stupid sentiment." And then Percy recalled a conversation from nine months ago.

"As tragic as your story is, it's but one of billions, just like mine. None but a few thousand know it happened, and there's nothing they can do except send their regards. What happened between you and your mortal family doesn't even matter anymore; it's done, it's happened, it's over, and it's time to pick up and move on. Besides, you've reconciled with them already. The past grievances are moot."

Annabeth didn't think they were moot. "You don't have any idea what it's like, do you? Having no one you can go to, no dad, no mom, no grandparents or aunts or uncles. Your mother always loved you, didn't she? She always-"

The lifeboat flipped, sending both tumbling into the blue.

Annabeth was yanked down, down, down, and down deeper still, becoming cold, becoming compressed, becoming short on air. The sun above became a distant dot, and the daughter of Athena became terrified that she was going to be dragged to the very bottom of the ocean and either be crushed, eaten, or suffocate.

…no…that wasn't entirely true.

…not dragged…pushed.

And then she was being ripped back towards the surface. The water rushed past her with such speed that not only did it feel like she gained several hundred pounds, but it was also cutting her, the fine particles ripping past her skin. Then, in the blink of an eye, she broke the surface and landed in the lifeboat, coughing and spluttering.

Many things ran through her mind, chiefest of which was that she was alive, and diving down so deep and then surfacing so quickly created the dangerous phenomenon in the body called the bends, and now that she didn't die from drowning, she was going to die from decompression sickness.

Annabeth looked up at Percy with wide eyes.

Beneath the shadow of the hood he had drawn up, his face could not be seen. "Do not ever mention my mother to my face again."

His first mother had died giving birth to him. His second mother he had come home to find brutalized. His third had been ripped in half before his very eyes, just after seeing him in his deplorable state.

"And don't worry about decompression sickness. You weren't breathing any compressed air."

Upon realizing that, Annabeth also realized that it was evening, and there was an island in the distance.

"Where are we?"

"Approaching Bermuda."

The demigoddess' eyes popped out of her skull. "How!?"

"God works in mysterious ways."

The two spent the night in a hotel, separate rooms, of course, because Percy was still highly irritated with Annabeth, and in the morning, they bought a fishing boat and headed south for Polyphemus' island. All of this was purchased with the little green card from the Lotus Casino.

Due to the funk he was still in, memories of his mother still tormenting him, Percy had been mentally unfit to battle against both Scylla and Charybdis, on top of also fighting the straining engine of the fishing boat, while also trying to keep Annabeth as protected as he could, and everything went up in smoke and flame.

Meanwhile, the sword of Baron von Wolff glowed.

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Whew. Having time to write and being motivated to write are an amazing combination.

Not a clue if Camp Half-Blood has actual democratic rules on the director like that, but it makes sense to me that they would. But Mr. D. is exempt because he's a god.

I will admit the ending there was rushed, but I was getting bored and 6k is plenty of words for a chapter.

Now, unfortunately, I will be riding off for probably the next week and possibly a few days as I write my research paper, but I'll be back soon enough, and when I do, the Third Life will be in full swing.

Now, your preview…

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Nassau, Bahamas

September, 1715

"Now you'll want to sail somewhere rich with plunder," Ben Hornigold advised Edward, after gathering a crew for the Jackdaw.

Thinking of such riches, Edward asked, "Have you heard of a place called the Observatory?"

"Aye," James Kidd answered from the bar. "It's an old legend like El Dorado or the Fountain of Youth."

Regarding the young man, Edward asked, "What have you heard?"

"It's meant to be a Temple or a Tomb, hiding a treasure of some kind."

Edward's heart beat just a little faster. "That's it! See, here." The scoundrel produced a piece of paper, the same he had stolen from his former compatriots the Templars.

As James examined the paper and its drawings, Ed Thatch looked over it once and scoffed. "Ah, rot! It's fairy tales you prefer to gold, is it?"

Before Edward could get something out of his mouth, someone dropped from below, landing on the wood floor of the tavern with a loud thump.

"It ain't no fairy tale, Thatch," the newcomer said with a grin.

He was a young man, fifteen years at the most, wearing a deep red coat that flared at the bottom and was cut into four tails, with red pants tucked into tough brown boots. There was a sash about the boy's waist, and around that red sash were many pouches, and four holsters, two at his sides, like Edward, and two more at his back. Across his chest was a bandolier with a few more small pouches, and on his back were a pair of cutlasses, sticking over his shoulders in an 'X.' On the hilts of these swords seemed to be attached guns.

To finish his outfit, the new arrival wore a big, black tricorn hat with a fancy feather coming out the top.

However, the most noticeable feature was the boy's skin, for it bordered between light and dark, marking him as a son of two worlds.

Edward broke into a grin. "Well, if it isn't little Jake Swallow."

"Not so little any more, Ed. You said you were looking for the Observatory?"

"Aye. Do you know anything about it?"

Edward, James, Ben, and Thatch were all paying close attention to the extravagantly-dressed young man, particularly James.

"Know anything about it?" Jake grinned. "I been to the Observatory."

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Martha's Vineyard

1770

The young Connor entered the tavern, following behind Bobby Faulkner. They were looking for gunnery officers for Connor's ship, the Aquila. More specifically, the Clutterbuck brothers, David and Richard. They were found easily enough, and while Mr. Faulkner had words with them, Connor couldn't help but notice two individuals sitting at a nearby table, one of which he recognized most strongly.

The young Assassin approached and started something. "Where is Charles Lee?"

The one in the powdered wig turned a dark gaze to Connor. "I don't much care for your tone, boy."

The grizzled man in the uniform stood, and Faulkner intervened. "Hey…you don't want to be doing that, Biddle."

Biddle cracked a mean grin. "Bobby Faulkner turned to wet-nursing? Good you finally realized you're a shite sailor."

Before things could escalate further, Miss Mandy the owner of the tavern stepped in. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Not in here, gentlemen! Better yet, not at all! Bobby, take your friends and get out!"

And then a new voice cut through it all.

"Oh, but I disagree with you there, Mandy."

From the darkness of a corner, a seventy-year-old Jake Swallow emerged, tall, built, and looking very powerful in his age…yet sad and worn, as well. Still, there was a gleam in the man's eye, and the metal of all his guns gleamed as well. Four single-shots across his large chest, and four more two-shots, two at each hip. There were no swords on him.

"I can't help but notice the kid's striking resemblance to an old friend's son, nor can I ignore the…affiliation of the men before me, and I just can't help but wonder how much grief we would spare the world if we let the kid use that tomahawk and put Biddle and Church here out of their misery."

Jake's footfalls echoed loudly in the silence of the tavern, all eyes on the old man. He stopped right next to Connor, the Clutterbuck brother and Faulkner all having bowed their heads and moved out of the way. Jake held Biddle's gaze, and the younger man looked away. Jake turned to look at Church, and the man didn't even have the stones to look back.

Then Jake smiled cordially. "Luckily for you, boys, there is a time and place for bloodshed, and this fine establishment is not it. However, your welcome has been worn out, and it's time for you to leave."

Church needed to further prompt and left. Biddle was slower in his retreat, but he vanished out the door as well.

Jake turned to Connor. "So…are you Haytham's boy?"

"How do you know-"

"Ha!" Jake clapped a hand on Connor's shoulder. "I sailed with your grandfather, son. I also hate your father, and if I ever see him I'm going to kill him."

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