(A/N) Cliffhanger…sorta. Here's is the much-awaited next chapter! Just an apology: there is going to be a random POV for a camper that isn't really in the story that much for the next two chapters, but I thought that it was necessary to incorporate this in order to get the plot running. It wouldn't have worked any other way.

Disclaimer: I do not own PJO

Travis POV

"So you're saying you want me to spy on Percy?" I asked quizzically and crossed my arms. Jason and Nico, who were sitting on the floor in front of me, nodded in unison. "Alone?"

"Yeah. I know you and your brother make a great team, but Percy is very keen when it comes to detecting spies. You're the stealthier one and can stay off Percy's radar better than Connor could have. I have to admit, he can be a bit of a klutz." Nico confirmed. I had no idea why they wanted me to eavesdrop on the son of Poseidon, and I knew what the consequences would be if I was caught. I didn't want to end up submerged in an ocean of toilet water like last time. Thinking back on that, I shivered. If Nico and Jason wanted me to spy on Percy, then the pay better be good.

"How much?" I demanded and raised an eyebrow. Nico and Jason exchanged grim looks.

"Can't you just help a bro out?" Jason asked, his voice laced with exhaustion and exasperation. I shook my head no and he dragged his hands down his face in frustration. He had a silent conversation with Nico and I tried to read their eyes, but they had such a strong connection that only they knew what the other was thinking, I, on the other hand, was in the dark. The only person I could read like that was my brother…and Katie, but that's an entirely different story.

The sons of Jupiter and Hades finally seemed to come to a conclusion. "Fifty." Nico announced in a low voice, glancing around the Hermes cabin as if there were people listening in on the conversation, but there was no one else in sight.

"Fifty…thousand?" I asked, my jaw dropping.

"No, just fifty." Nico replied and my face hardened. I set my jaw stubbornly and refused the low offer. This was my specialty, my talent; I wasn't going to put it to waste. You should always demand a high price for doing something you love.

"One hundred." I shot back. I was not going to risk getting caught by an angry son of the sea god just to earn fifty measly drachmas in return.

"Eighty."

"Ninety-five."

"Eighty-five. That's the highest we can go." the son of Hades told me with a shake of his head. I considered this for a moment. Eighty-five drachmas could buy me a brand-new Celestial Bronze knife from the Hephaestus cabin. My old one was dented and bent slightly to the right. If I was ever in a sudden battle with a monster, I would be as good as dead. I weighed my options; risk nearly drowning in toilet water or getting mauled by monsters? I decided to go with the first choice.

"Deal." I replied and shook hands with both Nico and Jason, relief evident on their faces. I was still getting accustomed to the fact that Jason was wearing an eye patch, but other than that he was exactly like the Jason I knew before the Shadow's Song. I had been one of the few campers that had opposed to his force-feeding kind of diet; what was the fun of eating if you just threw it all up again?

"We'll throw in an extra twenty drachmas if you don't ask why we want you to spy." Jason suggested in a low voice and I nodded vigorously. The two sons of the Big Three rummaged through their pockets and panned out one hundred-five drachmas that gleamed and glittered in the light from the window. I scooped them all up eagerly and shoved them into a pouch which I then stuffed into my jacket pocket, where I could keep an eye on it.

Jason and Nico thanked me and left with solemn nods. Dang, what was wrong with Percy that made them so down in the dumps? I was glad that I'd been asked to do the job, because I honestly had to admit that I was a little curious as well. It was all the better that I was committed to spying rather than just doing it for the money.

I slunk out of the Hermes cabin, my movements catlike. My feet didn't make as sound as I padded towards Cabin Three. I knew that, if I was to spy on Percy, the Poseidon Cabin would be the first place that I'd need to check before looking elsewhere. I rounded the cabin and couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful the rough grey stone was. Along with the pieces of seashell and coral to make it resembled the ocean floor, the Poseidon cabin was a mansion when compared to the Hermes cabin.

I knew that this mission would be difficult. Percy was a natural warrior with heightened senses that alerted him if anyone, whether it be monster or demigod, was watching him or nearby. He was spectacular with a sword and was probably the best swordsman in the entirety of Camp Half-Blood, maybe even the entirety of both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. To add to that, all the windows in his cabin faced the sea, so it made it nearly impossible to see the inside from the outside on some angles, whereas people on the inside could see everything on the outside as clear as day.

That's when I felt a hand on my shoulder. The slight smell of the sea filled my nose, even though the ocean was a good distance away from the cabin. For some reason that smell of the sea seemed a little sour, like saltwater that had been poisoned or contaminated. I whirled around to see Percy, who was staring at me expectantly, his eyes hidden by thick, tinted glasses. My palms became sweaty and I fought down my panic just enough so that it didn't show on my face. Here he was, the person who I was supposed to be spying on, catching me off guard. In any case it should've been me catching him off guard rather than the other way around.

Percy smiled, but it was without humor, which made it seem more like a grimace. "Whatcha up to, Stoll?" he asked, his voice icy and cutting through me like a knife. I shivered at how un-Percy-like it sounded. Jason and Nico were right that there was something strange going on with the son of Poseidon. His voice held a hint of warning; an undertone that clearly stated, I know you're up to no good. I will find out what it is and punish you for it.

"Nothing." I replied vaguely, fighting to keep my voice from trembling. Percy raised an eyebrow, and if he hadn't been wearing those tinted glasses I would probably have seen them full of question. I mean really now, why would a camper be sneaking around outside of his cabin unless they were up to no good? He studied me for a moment, his mouth contorting into a sneer.

"Nothing as in looking through my windows? Are you spying on me, Travis?" he accused. How was that possible? I hadn't even taken a peek into the cabin and he was already on my tail. He knew what was going on, I was sure of it. Then again, what was he doing behind Cabin Three? I was on an important mission that paid handsomely, but he obviously had something other to do. He was the son of freaking Poseidon for the gods' sakes! He couldn't possibly have nothing other to do besides monitor his cabin all day.

"N-n-no." I cursed myself for stuttering. You couldn't have stated that you were spying on him any clearer, Travis. I scolded myself. I regained my composure and added in a steadier voice, "Annabeth was wondering where you were, so she asked me to check on the cabin. Looking through the window would've been much quicker than entering the cabin…" Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Oh really?" Percy chuckled, but the laugh was sour and cold. He didn't buy a single word of my lies; he saw right through my façade. "And why do you seem so wound up? Obviously if you were truly checking on me as an assignment from Annabeth you would've been more relaxed."

"She did ask me to check on you!" I defended myself, trying to convince myself that the lie was true. Luke Castellan, one of the most notorious thieves and liars and once my idol, always said, "If you believe that the own lie you're telling is true, than the person you're lying to is more likely to buy it." Annabeth just sent you to check up on Percy. She was worried about him after his short disappearance earlier that morning, so she assigned you for the job. I told myself over and over until the words had no meaning.

"Is that so? If Annabeth sent you to check up on me, then why was a just talking to her just a moment ago?" Percy asked me coldly. Shit. I was screwed…and dead. So very, very dead. I should say goodbye to the Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, shorts, shoes, and underwear I was currently wearing, because all the toilet water that they were going to be exposed to was going to give them a permanent restroom smell. Gross.

"Uh…I…um…" I stuttered. I did the only rational thing; I ran. I didn't look back, for fear that Percy would be right behind me, but I didn't hear any footsteps as I barreled through camp and into the forest until I believed I was a safe distance away from the son of Poseidon. When I finally stopped and turned I was thankful to see that Percy had not wasted his time to chase me down, but I knew that I'd better watch my back in the future. I knew I was going to pay the consequences for trying to eavesdrop. In my mind I knew that I would never try that again, but a part of me thought, What is he keeping from us that he wants to conceal so badly? Why had he been in the back of Cabin Three at the exact time you were? He may not be there if you re-visit tomorrow…

My curiosity got the best of me. Tomorrow I would try to spy on the son of Poseidon again, and this time I would be successful. I didn't believe that if you failed a mission you still got paid. You had to earn your drachmas, even if it meant taking risks. As I slowly raveled back to the Hermes cabin, something nagged in the back of my mind. I hadn't heard Percy coming. He either had been waiting for me or he had simply materialized out of thin air. Either choice meant that he was up to something, and I was going to find out what if it was the last thing I did.