A/N: Hello to everyone out there! I hope you enjoy my version of Mark of Athena. Please review when you've finished reading. And as quick as possible so I know what to fix/change. Thanks!:)

Chapter 4:

The next day, the ship was much quieter than it had been the day before. Percy was settled into his room and taking a nap. Piper was standing on deck, just watching the water around them. Leo was watching the controls. So boring, he thought. Annabeth was busy designing her own world on paper, and Hazel went over to Frank's room. Leo had showed them around the ship. Hazel knocked on Frank's door. It opened.

"Hey, Hazel!" Frank greeted her.

"Hi," she replied. He opened the door and she stepped in.

It was a wonderful room. It did not have any painted walls or decorations on the walls, but Frank made it look amazing. He kept his clothes in his bag, and put some of his belongings on the three shelves provided. The shelves were full of books, papers stacked to the top, figurines, and trinkets to the places he had been as a kid. He also had framed pictures in different place on different shelves. He also hung some pictures on the wall of him, him and Hazel, him and his grandmother, him and his mom, and him and his parents. He also hung a few things in the closet, like shirts and anything else that needed to be hung up.

"It looks great Frank," she said. Her eyes wondered all over the place. Frank blushed.

"Thanks, Hazel. I am sure yours looks great too. Why did you come here? You want to talk?" he asked her. Then hesitantly, "Nothing happened to the stick right?" Hazel smiled.

"No, Frank. Nothing happened to the stick. It's perfectly safe here with me. I just came because I was lonely and needed someone to talk to. And besides Percy, you were the only other person that appealed to me," she paused before going on. "Especially since you two are the only ones who know. I feel that all of this is my fault. Nobody would be going on this trip if it weren't for me."

"Don't talk that way, Hazel. Nothing's your fault. It would not and does not matter that you helped raise that giant. First of all, you didn't know until it was too late, and second of all, it would have happened no matter what, just later on in time," Frank protested. She had sat down on his bed and he moved next to her, placing his hand on top of hers.

For a second, they were both quite, letting the gentle and steady rock of the boat calm them.

"Thanks Frank," Hazel said finally. "It does make me feel better, and now that I think about it, you're right. It would have happened later. But I still don't feel very good about it."

"Just forget about, okay?" Frank smiled at her. She smiled at him. Suddenly he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. She leaned forward too, kissing him too. She placed her arms on his chest to keep her steady. He wrapped his arms around her waist. The boat suddenly leaned farther to the left, and Hazel fell into Frank. When they pulled away, they were laughing. Frank was as red as a guy could get, and Hazel was pink. She smiled, gently pushing herself off of him.

"Thanks, Frank. You really made me feel better," she said.

"Anytime, Hazel. I'm always here for you, whenever, wherever, and for whatever, around whoever," he said, smiling. She gave a little laugh, hugged him, and left.

She bounced down the hallway happily, smiling, and had just turned the corner when the ship rocked violently, throwing her off balance.

"Hey, Leo! A little better—" her voice faltered when she heard Piper's shout and Leo shouting,

"Everybody! Above deck now! We're being attacked!"

She raced past her room, up the stairs and over to Leo and Piper. The sight before her scared her. She heard the feet of five other people behind her come to a stop behind her. A giant loomed over them. They had all been told they would have to pass "between the rock and the whirlpool" (as Annabeth called it that): the cliffs of monster Scylla and the whirlpool daemon Charybdis. But they had reached it far sooner than expected. And unfortunately, they were headed for Charybdis.

"No! Leo, get us into the air now! As fast as you can," Annabeth cried.

"What is this monster?" Pipes asked.

"Her name is Charybdis, and unfortunately daughter of Poseidon and Gaea. She used to flood land to make his kingdom bigger, but Zeus got mad so he turned her into a monster. From that day forward, she always swallows three tons of water a day and spits it out and it drowns all ships going by," Annabeth quickly explained. Percy stared at her.

"Please tell me you're kidding," he said.

"Sorry, Percy," she said. They were getting swept into the vortex.

"LEO!" Annabeth cried.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" he shouted. Slowly the boat started rising out of the water, but the vortex was so strong, it kept pulling them in.

"Percy!" Frank shouted. A huge blast of water was speeding toward them. Percy stared at the water and waved his hand as if dismissing someone or something and the water washed away. Suddenly, there was a loud roar. So loud they all winced.

Jason and Percy had gotten their swords out, Annabeth and Hazel their daggers, Frank readied himself for whatever might come his way, too. Piper stood close to Jason and Percy.

"I am Charybdis and who dare defy me? A child of Poseidon, perhaps?" the monster roared. Suddenly, she came into view. She was so ugly, if you were a girl, you'd be ashamed.

"Guys, I'll distract her and you keep sailing the ship okay, Leo?" Percy said.

"She'll notice, it's too risky," Annabeth protested.

"I'm Poseidon's son, Annabeth, you're not. I can handle this."

"WHO DARE DEFY ME?" Charybdis roared, making the ship rock.

"Me, you dimwitted monster!" Percy shouted. "I am Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon and I will give you two choices: let us pass, or be destroyed."

"Ha! You think I will let anyone pass? Even one of my brethren? I only let pass the people working with Gaea, and I know you do not work for her, because she has told me about you. I do as my master commands, and she would like you taken care of. Come Perseus Jackson, so I may destroy you!"

Percy snickered and looked at his friends, trying to ease just a little of the tension.

"She thinks she can destroy me."

"Percy, she's coming over here. Stop her!" Piper said.

Percy whirled around, and sure enough, Charybdis was wading through the water toward the boat, as if there was no water. Percy raised his hands and a huge wave of water slammed down on the monster. She was thrown off balance and began wailing in outrage.

"Perseus Jackson, it will be a huge pleasure to destroy you. I will make it the slowest, most painful death ever!"

"That's what they all say!" Percy shouted to her. "And they all fail."

"This monster will not," Charybdis had gotten up again and was running toward them at amazing speed. Percy brought his fist up and to the left, causing a fist of water to slam into Charybdis' face, making her stagger sideways. Suddenly she leaned down and opened her mouth wider than anything any of them had ever seen. She had swallowed half the vortex and then she leaned back and spit the whole thing out and in their direction. Again, Percy waved his hand to the side and the water rushed away from them.

"Percy, what can we do to help? You can't fight this by yourself. She'll tire you out and then wipe us out," Jason said, coming to stand by Percy's side.

"Right now, nothing," he answered, "Wait till she comes close enough then you can fly and attack."

Jason nodded and told everyone the plan. Jason was going to take Hazel and Frank would turn into a bird and take Annabeth and Piper. Thalia was going to shoot at it from the ship and Leo was going to do his best to protect Percy.

The monster came closer, and every time it threw water at them, Percy pushed it aside. Finally, it was close enough for them to attack.

"Now!" Jason yelled. And all Hades broke loose.