Chapter 7: Nightmares

Percy looked down at the city of Wichita receding behind them. He was still mad at Mikel for having him tossed out onto the roof by four metal automatons and left there for a good twenty minutes. Sure, he probably deserved it for blowing up almost the entire building, but that was no way to treat a guest. Well, he wasn't exactly a guest. More like an intruder. But still, that was downright rude.

Percy had spent the last half an hour or so getting to know everyone better. He asked them questions, and answered theirs about his past freely. He needed these people to trust him. If they didn't, then the quest- and their lives- were at risk.

He almost laughed. So far, in about two days, they had almost been eaten by massive Cyclops, gotten scorched to death by sun dragons, and poisoned by the Chimera. Their lives were definitely already at risk.

He learned that Piper's dad was Tristan McLean, the famous movie star. She had seemed relieved when he didn't make a big fuss about it. Actually, all he'd said was: "Cool." She'd looked really happy at that. Most people probably fawned all over her when they found out that. But really, your family really didn't matter. You did.

Leo was the comedian, that was obvious from the beginning. He spent probably ten minutes just cracking joke after joke before he actually told Percy anything. He found out about his fire powers, and his mother's death. He learned about him running from orphanage to orphanage, never staying in the same place. He understood. For years, before Athena had found him, he had been living in the streets. He never knew his mom, so Leo's was worse, but he could connect.

Annabeth had lived with a father and stepmother for ten years. They had always treated her differently, and eventually she had run away. She had met Luke while she was on the run, along with a daughter of Zeus named Thalia. They had been on the run from monsters before they found a satyr named Grover. Grover had led them to Camp Half-Blood, but the monsters had caught up, and Thalia had been turned into a pine tree to save them.

Luke barely said a word the whole time, but had been watching the ground pass below them. Percy was fine with that. He really didn't want to know his story.

Leo asked Percy about his life, and Percy was glad to tell them. He explained how he had been running since the age of six, before Athena discovered him four years later. She had delivered him into Daedalus's care, who had trained him since then in almost every weapon made. Swords, axes, spears- you name it, he'd fought with it. He'd even learned how to shoot a gun. He told them how he'd gone on random quests throughout his life. They were really interested in how he'd fought a massive drakon that had ended up destroying Asclepius's tower. He'd explained how he'd fought off a massive army that had tried to invade New York from the north and had suffered mortal wounds from the leaders: Stheno and Euryale, Medusa's two sisters. Only Daedalus's skill as a healer had saved him.

Eventually, they ran out of life stories to share- at least, the ones they were willing to. They had been surprisingly open, and Percy hadn't even meant to spill everything, but it felt good to talk to someone other than Daedalus. But that didn't mean he'd told them everything.

Unconsciously, he felt his forearm, rubbing it and feeling to tiny indentations lining it.

Piper and Luke fell asleep nearly simultaneously, leaving Leo driving and Percy and Annabeth sitting in the back. This time, Percy was in the way back, and he was uncomfortably aware of how close Annabeth was to him. He tried to focus on anything other than her. But his thoughts kept wandering to her. Eventually, he had to break the ice or the silence would kill him.

"So…," he began, "you used to live in Virginia?"

"Yep." She said emotionlessly.

"Was it…pretty?" he asked weakly.

"Moderately." She answered, and that efficiently ended to conversation. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he tried again.

"Do they still live there?" he asked.

"No. We moved to San Francisco a few years ago." She said. I winced.

"Really? Right near Mt. Tam?" I said.

"Unfortunately. It's an…interesting place to live, even if I rarely visit. And then of course, there's Zoe…." She trailed off, lost in thought. He wondered who Zoe was.

"Zoe?" he asked.

"Yeah. She used to be a Hunter. She came with us on a quest to rescue Artemis, but the Titan Atlas…he killed her." She said softly.

"Oh." Percy said awkwardly. He didn't apologize. He knew from experience that sorry always felt empty. You really needed someone who would listen, who you could just let your feelings out to.

"Why don't you get some sleep." She said leadenly. "You look tired."

"Yeah." He agreed, leaning backwards. He didn't think she would like it if he used her as a pillow. Closing his eyes, he tried to lull his mind to sleep, though he felt to hard-wired to sleep. But to his surprise, he fell asleep almost instantly.

He was floating in a room underwater. It was empty, but there were beds everywhere, and it looked like the strangest barracks he'd ever seen. Turning around, he saw an open door. He swam out and found himself in the middle of a throne room. On the floor was a massive mosaic showing what was probably the outside. Life-like depictions of mermen were moving around on it. He recognized this place. This was Poseidon's palace.

"You came." A familiar voice said behind him. Steeling himself, he turned around to see Poseidon standing behind him; trident held lazily, pointed upwards. He looked just like he had three years ago, in Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian button-up t-shirt, and sandals.

"Dad." Percy said emotionlessly.

His face seemed to fall, just a bit, before he returned to normal. "For a few hours, I don't think you'd come." He said.

"And I wish I hadn't." Percy spat.

"Will you just hear me out?" Poseidon pleaded.

"Why should I?"

"You know I didn't want this to happen." He sighed.

"But it's your fault anyway." Percy growled.

"How was I supposed to know?"

"You could have helped me!"

"No I couldn't! There are limits to a god's power."

"Even healing from the brink of death? Instead, Daedalus had to go and do this!"Percy lifted his arm, showing Poseidon.

He lowered his head. "I never wanted it to happen." He said quietly. Percy dropped his arm to his side, still smoldering his anger.

"Yet it still happened." He said. "I'm sorry. I really should be mad. You were preoccupied. I just…it's so terrible. I don't know how Daedalus can stand it."

"I don't either. I would have helped you if I could." Poseidon said. Percy's head hung, tears threatening to come from his eyes. He forced them down and looked up.

"So why am I here?" he asked.

"I know what will happen on your quest. There are two ways it can go down, and neither is really that good. But one is definitely better than the other."

"I'm listening."

"Back before Atlantis was sunk in the Abyss War, Atlas ruled over it."

"Hang on," Percy interrupted. "Atlas the Titan?"

"No," Poseidon said. "Atlas, my demigod son. He ruled over the ten kingdoms of Atlantis as King and Overlord. But he couldn't do that without help of armor, armor I had had the best Cyclops smiths spend years on. It's stronger than titanium, light as a feather, and can be suspended in reality to be called to the wearers' body instantly. The Seafoam Armor.

"Atlas is the only mortal to have ever worn the Seafoam armor. When he died, it was cast into the Sea of Monsters."

"And it's still there?" Percy asked.

"Yes. Only one who can even find it, much less defeat the guardian, can wear it." Poseidon said.

"And I need to find it, or I'll end up dead." Percy guessed.

"Precisely." Poseidon admitted.

"But I need to stay to protect the others." Percy protested.

"They'll be fine. Besides, if you don't find the Seafoam armor, you'll all end up dead." Poseidon countered.

"Oh." Percy said weakly.

"I can't give you much advice, but I can say this: you'll find it on an island at these coordinates: 16, 57, 98, and 75." He continued.

"Got it." Percy said, taking those numbers and committing them to memory.

"And one more thing." Poseidon amended. "The guardian…it will be like nothing you have ever faced, or will face most likely. It truthfully shouldn't be alive. I don't know what it really is, but one thing is for sure: it is not Greek."

It is not Greek. Those words were the scariest ones he'd ever said.

"Then what-?" Percy began, but suddenly he felt something tear at his head.

Poseidon had a look of surprise, then horror on his face. "Percy!" he yelled. Percy shook his head, lost amid a sea of fog. In front of him, a massive crag of rocks loomed. Something stood along the strip of beach that lay in front of the boulders. The rocks themselves disappeared into the fog, but what he could see was jagged edges that looked incredibly dangerous.

But his eyes were drawn to the figure standing on the beach. Shadows wrapped around it, making it hard to see. It looked vaguely humanoid, but something was definitely not right. There was only one physical feature visible: eyes. They burned straight through the shadow surrounding it, ancient, endless pits of black that drew all light into them. And they were staring straight at him.

It didn't move, and Percy knew that it was waiting for him. And he was certain of one more thing.

This was the guardian.

Annabeth exhaled a huge sigh of relief when Percy fell asleep. "Nervous, wise girl?" Leo asked, cracking a stupid grin.

She stared at him. "Shut up." Leo laughed and went back to driving Festus. Annabeth rode for a while, lost in thought. Eventually, Percy began to shift around behind her, and she caught her breath nervously. He kept moving, and began to mutter under his breath. At one point she thought she heard him say something like "…your fault…" but she couldn't be certain.

Then he fell still, and she let out the breath she'd been holding. Only then did she realize it didn't seem like he was breathing either. She turned around and felt along the side of his neck, feeling for a pulse. There was nothing.

"Percy?" she said worriedly. Nothing. "Percy?" she said again, more urgently. Still no reply. "Percy!" she yelled, shaking his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Leo asked, turning around.

"It's Percy! I think he's-." she began, but Percy jerked in her hands.

"OH GOD!" he screamed, and Festus dropped. Something flew over Annabeth's head and smashed into Percy's chest, and the straps that held him in were broken like they were toilet paper. Percy was thrown backwards and disappeared into the clouds. Piper and Luke woke with a scream, and then Festus exploded.