I need a cover. Like seriously. Please, please, please, please PM me with a cover. I'd draw one, but then Percy would end up looking like an alien. And not a pretty one at that. So, please. PM me about a cover! Best cover gets a) put up on the story, and b) like a thousand shout-outs, and something else (that I have to think of)!

I'm going to copy paste that into every chapter until I get a cover. Yeah. Just a reminder.

Also. I'm not dead. Hi. Sorry about the late update. Like really late. I've been...busy/procrastinating. Please don't kill me.

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't.

Ch 13

HAZEL

Hazel woke up with to a scream. A seahorse scream.

"Arion!" Hazel cried.

Arion screamed again.

Hazel blinked her bleary eyes, then sighed. Arion was just annoyed. "Arion, the sun isn't up yet. Please, let me sleep some more."

Arion snorted.

Hazel opened her mouth to scold him, but was cut off by Hylla. "Hazel!" she shrieked as she ran in. "Hazel! It's Otera!"

Hazel snapped up at Hylla's cruel sister's name. Over the week that Hazel had been here, Otera had threatened, slapped, and hurt Hazel and Hylla. Hylla was the kindest person in the world compared to Otera. And Hylla executed any man she was the slightest bit displeased with.

Hylla was a mess. "Otera's sold you! And I can't do anything about it?"

"Why?" Hazel screamed. As nice as Hylla was compared to Otera, Hylla was still just a vile little human.

Otera burst in, a smirk playing on her lips. "Because I sold you to Lady Gaea."

o.O.o

NICO

Nico had to be honest. It felt good to be back in the water.

The Argo II was just ahead. Nico could make out the shape of the ship, and the people running around the ship. Nico dove, and swam closer. He had to warn the crew. They would help. Probably.

Nico poked his head out of the water. He could here Thalia's loud shouts echoing Annabeth's orders.

"Stay on lookout for merfolk!" Thalia shouted. "Ready the tanks!"

There was a different tone to Thalia's voice as she ordered the crew about. More bitter or something. More reluctant to do her job. That reluctance was in Annabeth's stance as well. Her eyes didn't scan the ocean with excitement like they did before. Now, they just stared at the horizon, uninterested.

Nico's eyes searched the ship until he spotted a certain blonde head. There. Sitting forlornly near the edge of the ship with Jason, Grover, Frank, and Calypso, was Will Solace. The bright smile that normally decorated his face was gone. The wheels in Nico's head turned until he had a plan to get that smile back onto Will's face.

Nico shook his hair in front of his face, then practically jumped out of the water, right in front of Lou Ellen. Basically waving a gigantic 'Hi I'm a merman! Capture me!' flag in her face.

Lou Ellen's response was instantaneous. She shouted at the rest of the ship, and in under a minute had an iron net ready to go. Nico smirked. His plan was working.

Nico stayed close to the surface of the water, waiting for his ride onto the Argo II to descend into the water. Sure enough, the iron net came splashing down into the water. Rather than swimming away from the net like last time, Nico grabbed the net, placed himself in it, and made himself comfortable. The net tightened around him, and started pulling Nico up. Finally.

Nico burst out of the water, and was carried up onto the deck of the ship. Lou Ellen's eyes were scrunched closed in concentration, and the rest of the crew was bustling around. Nico made sure that his circlet was hidden from view, and that his face was down. After all, Nico's dramatic entrance couldn't be ruined by someone recognizing him. That wouldn't make Will smile as big.

Lou Ellen dumped him unceremoniously on the deck. "Captain!" she yelled. "We got one!"

Annabeth sighed. "Are the tanks ready, Will?"

Will didn't answer. He was too busy staring at nothing.

Travis Stoll stepped forward, trying to get a better look at Nico. Travis' eyes widened in recognition.

Nico shook his head wildly at him. "The captain asked you a question, Sunshine," Nico said.

Annabeth gasped as she finally got a good look at Nico. Will whipped around. "The only person who gets to call me that is Nico!" he yelled, scanning the crew above Nico, not noticing the fact that he was sitting on the floor.

"Whatever you say, Sunshine."

Will looked down. "Nico?"

"Hey, Sunshine."

"Nico!" A smile, the biggest and brightest of them all, was suddenly plastered on his face. Will barreled into Nico, tears flowing freely down his cheeks as the two were reunited. Nico melted into Will's warm embrace.

Annabeth stepped forward hesitantly. "If you're here, Nico, does that mean that…" she trailed off as she saw the grim look on Nico's face.

"That's what I'm here about." Nico heaved a sigh. "They've all been sold to different humans, but Kahale said that word on the street is that some lady is going to try and buy all of them for her son, Polybut or something."

Annabeth's eyes clouded over with anger. "Polybotes. Lady Gaea's son." Annabeth stormed over to Thalia. "We're going back to the mainland, Luke or no Luke."

Thalia smiled. "I was waiting for you to say that." She turned to the crew. "You heard her! Turn this ship around!"

o.O.o

PERCY

Percy hung from the ceiling helplessly. Hazel, Piper, and Leo hung beside him. They had arrived just one hour ago. One hour ago, Polybotes, that sick, sick human, marched into the torture chamber, as Percy had begun to call the room, with Percy's friends in tow. Polybotes had them chained up. Then he took sadistic pleasure in cutting Percy and watching his friends scream and shout in protest.

"Hey, Perce," Leo called. "You alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Leo!" Percy said sarcastically. "Just bleeding to death from multiple cuts over here!"

"Yeah, well, so am I!" Leo responded. Polybotes had given Leo new scars, but left the girls alone. Why? Percy had no idea.

"Polybotes!" Lady Gaea appeared on the steps. "Polybotes!" she called.

Her son came tromping down. "Yes Mother?"

"I should like to see how your swordsmanship is going," she said.

Polybotes smirked. "Yes Mother." He pulled his sword out of its sheath and advanced on the merfolk.

"Ever heard of a training dummy?" Percy asked snidely. Seeing his friends helpless and in chains like he was made him braver than before. Now, Percy knew that he had to do everything he could to deflect Polybotes' anger off of them and onto him.

Polybotes growled. He started to swing his sword at Percy, but stopped himself mid swing. Polybotes smirked. And turned to Hazel.

"No!" Percy shouted, struggling against the chains.

Polybotes stuffed a rag in Hazel's mouth. Then he started showing off with his sword. Polybotes sliced a gash all the way down the side of Hazel's tail.

Hazel screeched through the gag.

Lady Gaea frowned. "Polybotes, my darling boy, why did you gag her?"

Polybotes shrugged, and removed Hazel's gag.

o.O.o

ANNABETH

The shore popped up on the horizon. Jason stood at the helm, a look of pure concentration on his face as he propelled the ship forward with wind.

I'm coming, Percy, Annabeth thought.

Yeah, this chapter took me a looooooong time to write. Sorry. But I love ya for putting up with me! And don't worry! The end is in sight!