Sorry for the lateness. I hate writing action and The Imp Within kinda distracted.

So, shameless plug: wanna see angsty/monster Leo? Go read The Imp Within :D

I own nothing you recognize as canon.


XXIV

LACY

"Okay, Tulio," Lacy said, holding the demititan's hands. "Deep breath. Don't hold it. Let it out."

Tulio looked ready to hyperventilate. Lacy shook her head. He's afraid of so many things…crowds, deep water…

The legacy of Hephaestus sucked in a deep breath. He shakily exhaled.

"Calm down," Lacy urged. "I can't do this if you freak out."

"Easy for you to say," Tulio mumbled.

Frank was already in Lake Mead. He had given the all-clear already, though that was just from quickly scanning the surface. He hadn't explored the lower water levels or closer to the dam itself.

Lacy slapped the back of his head. "Focus, dummy."

Tulio kept breathing deeply.

Lacy commended him. At least he was facing his fears. That was more than anyone ever expected out of the Latino for this trip.

Lacy grabbed Tulio's arm. She looked back and grinned at the rest of the crew.

"See you later!"

She dived off the ship, dragging Tulio with her. Tulio yelled, "I wasn't ready!"

They hit the water within seconds. Lacy put a form-fitting air bubble around Tulio, who had begun to thrash.

"Be still," she scolded. "Or the bubble might leak."

Tulio froze. He was turning blue.

"And you can still breathe, stupid."

Tulio huffed in and out. He looked flustered. "I can't swim very well," he admitted. "Wait, how am I talking?"

Lacy rolled her eyes. "It's a self-replenishing air pocket. You can travel like I can underwater—by swimming—or you can run. And don't ask how you can talk. Just don't question these things."

"Can we please get a move-on?"

Lacy turned and saw a hammerhead shark swimming around them. Frank.

"Neat," Lacy commented. "How does it feel to have your eyes so far apart? I've always wanted to know!"

"Me too," Tulio said, grinning.

Frank growled, bubbles rising out of his shark mouth. "Let's just go find Percy."

He turned and headed towards the dam. The light was fading, so the shadow cast by the dam in the water was enormous and dark. Frank went ten feet and Lacy already couldn't see him.

"Slow down, Mr. Zhang," she said. "I can't see you!"

Tulio ran next to her—don't ask Lacy how he was running underwater, she was pretty sure even he didn't know. "Perhaps I can help?"

He suddenly glowed orange, illuminating the shadows within about a twenty-foot radius. Lacy yelped. "No, Tulio! You can't have fire within the air bubble! It'll burn up your oxygen!"

Tulio just looked at her like she was an alien. Finally, he said, "Uh…I can't create fire. Only heat."

"Uh-oh."

Lacy turned to see shark Frank paused about ten feet away. He was looking down—which must have been hard as a hammerhead.

Lacy followed his gaze.

"Oh…" she said. "Fantastic."

About five serpents writhed around below them, lying in wait like snakes in a pit. Nearly fifty Telekhines swam around nearby, too. Each of the dog-mermaids (cause, y'know, that's what they are) were brandishing a hammer or a sword of some sort.

"Lacy, look," Tulio pointed downwards.

"Yeah, I see the monsters."

"No, below them. On the dam."

Lacy squinted and saw a blurb-kinda-shape-thing on the dam below the ambush. "What is that?"

Tulio grinned. "I think it's Percy."

"I see him," Frank said. "It's Jackson alright. He doesn't look hurt, but who knows how long that might last with all these monsters."

Lacy popped her knuckles. "Well then, we'd better get started."

Tulio shifted beside her. "I'm not much of a fighter," he complained.

"Lacy," Frank said. "You and I will battle with the bozos. Once there's an opening, Tulio can get down there. Percy's got an extra set of chains tying him to the dam. Tulio can melt them off with his heat, then you can quickly unlock your father. Then all Hades will break loose."

Lacy relayed the plan to Tulio, who nodded.

"Okay, then let's get this party started!" Lacy pulled out her sword and led the charge.


The first ten minutes of fighting were actually kinda fun. Lacy was Poseidon's granddaughter through and through, and this was her domain. She went right for the biggest, baddest serpent and sliced its head clean off before the others had time to react.

"Who wants some more?" She yowled in the water.

The other four serpents hissed and went for her.

Through the corner of her eye, she saw a giant squid take hold of a lot of Telekhines. They squealed in terror as Frank slammed them into the side of the dam. The dam held, thank goodness, but the monsters didn't.

Below the whole fight, still providing light, Tulio was grabbing Percy's extra chains and trying to melt them. The water around Tulio bubbled and heated as it began to boil. Lacy slashed another serpent, smiling as Tulio kicked away a stray Telekhine.

"Got it!" Tulio exclaimed. The water had reached a serious boil, but Percy seemed okay. He still had the original chains, but still…okay.

Lacy struck the final serpent down and swam over. She took out her key and unlocked her father.

The trident-shaped lock seeped into Percy's chest and the chains disappeared. He opened his eyes and blinked in confusion.

"Lacy?" he asked as if he hadn't noticed he was underwater. He looked at Tulio, who was still glowing. "Tulio? What's with the nightlight action?"

A few Telekhines yowled and all three of them turned to see a great white shark chasing them. Apparently a giant squid was too boring for Frank…

Percy took his Riptide out of his pocket and swam to Frank's side. He immediately got rid of all the fleeing Telekhines. It took probably a grand total of ten seconds.

Lacy huffed in annoyance. "Dang. Dad gets all the dam fun."

Tulio smirked and moved with Lacy to meet up with the adults. Percy high fived/high-finned Frank as they arrived.

"Yeah!" Percy exclaimed. "We still got it!"

Then he looked around. "Where are we, anyway?"

Lacy heard Frank cough—weird sound coming from a shark. "We're at the Hoover Dam."

"No foolin'?" Percy grinned like a lunatic. "All right! I'm hungry! I could go for a dam burger!"

Frank groaned. "Please stop with the dam jokes…"

"Well!" Percy waggled his eyebrows. "I guess you're not a dam fan!"

Lacy laughed and Tulio hid his smirk as Frank snorted bubbles into Percy's face and swam up to the surface.

Percy turned to the teens. "Seriously, though…I'm hungry. Can we at least go for a dam snack?"


A/N: *sigh* I promise. No more dam jokes...

:)