To Awesome as Annabeth, I'm replying to your reviews here, seeing as you disabled PMs:
Alvie- Yes, Alvie pushed Nico away- WITH HIS MIND! Just because I felt like it…
Sister- I'll try and update that one ASAP, I've got a few ideas floating around for it
Sage- Yeah, just 'friends'. And that sounded like a partial pun- 'fishy' and granddaughter of Poseidon…
"Have you got it?" Poseidon asked. Alvie gave a hesitant nod. "Bring it up then." Alvie stared at his immortal grandfather as if he was mad, but he couldn't ignore a direct order from a god.
Alvie held his hands out in front of him, holding an imaginary rope. He pulled more with his mind than with his body, but it was working.
The water churned and a muffled groaning could be heard beneath its vastly rippling surface. A thick wooden pole emerged five hundred paces out. Poseidon had been right.
It really was down there.
Poseidon gave a knowing smirk and let his grandson continue. He knew one of his descendants would be able to pull this from the ocean's depths. At first, he believed it would be Max, but then Alvie was born and he changed his mind in a second.
Alvie's ears were ringing and blood was pouring from his eyes and nose, but he persisted. He had made his parents proud- they told him he had- but now he had the chance to make a god proud and that was something very un-Alvie-like indeed.
Gradually, his 'prize' rose from the depths. The wooden pole extended into a mast, water cascading down in fierce torrents. Surges of sea water washed up onto the beach, lapping about his lower legs and sending icy chills of energy through him.
It was a further fifteen minutes before Alvie had won.
The Queen Anne's Revenge would sail again.
"You're staying here."
"I am not!" Joy protested, glaring at Nico.
"It's dangerous!" Nico reasoned. She was due any day, but insisted on coming with them to rescue her daughter.
"It's also dangerous to stand between me and my daughter!" Joy bunched her fists.
"But-" Joy folded her arms and her glare hardened. Nico was losing this one.
"Joy." Annabeth stepped forward, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Calm down and we'll talk about this OK."
"I want to help!"
"I know you do, but you've got the baby to think about as well." Joy's shoulders sagged and all fire left her eyes, replaced with despair.
"Annabeth!" Athena's daughter turned and frowned at her husband. He really picked his timing.
"What?!" She demanded as soon as Percy reached them. He was grinning broadly, like a child on Christmas.
"Alvie… He… ship."
"What?" Percy laughed to himself and took her hand, dragging her off. Nico and Joy shared curious glances and followed their friends to the beach.
Alvie was sat on the sand next to Poseidon, dozing fitfully against his grandfather's shoulder. Poseidon was smiling up at the massive ship docked in front of him.
For a previously sunken ship, it looked brand new.
Annabeth stared up at the ship, awed. Percy bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly next to her, laughing.
"Queen Anne's Revenge!" Percy beamed. "It's so cool!"
"Damn right it is!"
"Why are you up there?!" Louisa waved casually from atop the figurehead. Leo appeared next to her, grinning and pulling faces at his brother-in-law. "Unfair!" Percy protested, running onto the water as casually as running on ground.
Annabeth managed to draw her gaze from the boat and moved towards her son.
"Alvie?" She shook him gently. Alvie opened his eyes blearily, stared at her for a second before falling asleep again. "How-?" She started, looking up at Poseidon.
"I told him it was here and that it could help bring Crystal and Francis home. He doubted himself, but he managed it."
"He'll be OK, right?"
"Yes, let him rest."
"How come it's so… new-looking?"
"Do you really think I'd let you sail off on a leaky old barge?"
"Fair point." Annabeth smiled. "Thank you." Poseidon bowed his head, returning the smile kindly.
"You may want to sort my twins out." He eventually said. "They're arguing over who'll drive already."
"Oh gods…" Annabeth pushed herself up as Poseidon waved his hand. A set of watery stairs shot from the ocean and stopped just to the left of the figurehead. Annabeth thanked him again and hurried up them.
Leo was despairing, standing between the twins as they insulted each other in Ancient Greek. "Twins!" Annabeth called. They fell silent and looked at her. "Really? Did you really just call her a dam pile of schist?"
"Yes." Percy confirmed, smiling.
"Seaweed Brain. You two are going to work together to get this ship ready to go, understand?"
"You gonna throw us overboard if we don't?" Louisa smirked.
"No. I'll tie you to the mast and have Leo set the ship on fire." Annabeth glared at the son of Hephaestus, who clearly had no choice in this matter.
"But… Queen Anne's Revenge!" Percy insisted.
"Be good then." Annabeth replied simply. Percy wrinkled his nose at her and then bounced off, excitedly exploring the ship.
"Where are we going?!"
"I don't know, just keep running!" Francis huffed and pushed himself to run alongside her, although his legs felt like they were on fire and his stitch was beginning to cripple his breathing.
Shouts and clashes of metal surrounded them. Apparently, Strike thought it was a good idea to summon his entire force to stop two pre-teens escaping.
Some people really did have a thing for the theatrics.
Crystal ducked a guard's arm, pulling his knife from its holster and burying it in his bicep. He gave a strangled cry of pain, but she paid no attention to this, yanking the knife free and continuing to run. Francis marvelled at her, but she didn't say anything or look at him.
They darted around a corner and saw some stairs. Up was good, especially if Strike had ordered his men not to let them above ground.
Francis, on her insistence, ran up first. She checked the halls around her before running up after him.
So much for resistance.
Joy walked slowly about the deck of the Queen Anne's Revenge, one hand on her stomach while the other trailed along the side of it. It was hard to believe that this had been underwater for gods knew how long.
"Found one!" She looked round as Tobias appeared on deck again, holding a black pirate captain's hat with a large red feather. "Alvie!" He called. "Alvie, where'd you go?"
"He's still sleeping." Annabeth informed.
"And that hat will clash with his cloak." Joy added, smiling.
"Fine then, I'll wear it." Tobias sat the hat firmly on his head, looking around excitedly. "Can I drive?"
"No."
"But I've got the captain's hat."
"I really don't care. The twins are driving because they come with built in training."
"They do?" Annabeth nodded and pointed. Louisa was standing by the main mast, frowning up at it. Percy was by the wheel, drumming his fingers on the spokes.
Louisa placed her palm against the mast and the sails unfurled. There was a clanking of metal as the anchor was pulled in, the chain clinking about its reel. Percy gave a heavy clockwise spin on the wheel and they were soon sailing away from Camp Half Blood.
Tobias looked back at his mother. "They do know where they're going, right?" Annabeth nodded, explaining the Poseidon twins' sailing abilities.
Her eldest son was quiet for a few moments, his eyes shining ecstatically. Then he looked curious.
"Can a child of Poseidon get seasick?"
"I doubt it." Tobias just nodded and bounced off towards his father. Annabeth instantly saw Max peering over the edge. "Max?" She called. He stood up straight and looked at her. "Are you alright?"
"I think I saw a mermaid." Annabeth glanced at Joy. "Honest!" Max insisted, looking back at the water below. His mother trailed over, studying the water. She couldn't see anything.
They searched for another ten minutes, but Max eventually gave up, leaving to check on his younger brother instead.
Alvie was lying in one of the blue hammocks, staring at the ceiling with only a gaslight lantern keeping the darkness at bay.
Max ruffled his hair, startling Alvie. He flickered, uncertain if he should turn invisible or not. Max smiled reassuringly at him. "Hey, Alvie. How are you doing?" Alvie just nodded, the flickering stopping and he remained in sight. "I'm not even going to try and get in one of those." He nodded at an empty hammock. Alvie stared at him and then at his hands. "Are you sure you're OK? Your eyes have gone a funny colour." Alvie looked at him again, his eyes narrowing.
It may have been the dim lighting, but his eyes seemed more sunshine-golden than any other colour Max had seen in them.
Clearing his throat, he hastily changed the subject. "We'll be there soon, right? Maybe there could be trucks for you to throw or something." Alvie looked away. "What's going on with you? You're really quiet and… not yourself." Max finished quietly, frowning. He grabbed Alvie's arm to get his attention, only to be thrown back by a sudden, indiscernible force.
His back slammed into one of the wooden columns supporting the deck, his breath catching in his throat.
Alvie's expression had softened and he had clumsily climbed down from the hammock, hurrying to his brother's side. His eyes flashed apologetically and asked quietly if Max was OK.
Max arched his back and rolled his shoulders, trying to work the ache out. "Forget throwing trucks. You should just throw people." Alvie had him by the elbow and turned him around with a strength that betrayed him. Max felt his brother's fingers on his back and the pain ebbed away.
Footsteps clattered down the stairs and Tobias appeared, his new hat sitting at a crooked angle on his head. He puffed the feather out of his face and looked at them curiously.
"I heard a thud. Everything OK?" Alvie looked at Max fearfully. Max grinned and threw an arm about Alvie's shoulders.
"Yeah, just trying to teach him some self-defence. He has a judo flip on him." Tobias beamed and vaulted the banister, bouncing towards them with his arms out. Max tried to squirm away, but Tobias caught both of them in a spontaneous hug.
Alvie fought feebly against his brother's hug, trying to think of a way to get free. Maybe he could duck and get to those stairs. Tobias wouldn't catch him if he had a head start.
Suddenly, Tobias's arm was around him and he tripped on the stairs. He threw his hands out before he bashed his face. He could see his brothers astounded expressions through the gaps in the steps.
"How-?" Tobias started. "You… were here. And now you're there." He inhaled excitedly. "You have super speed!" Max rolled his eyes at his brother.
"What's going on down there?" Annabeth shouted from above deck.
"Alvie has super speed!"
"Come again?" Alvie looked up as his mother's shadow fell over him. "What did you do this time, trouble?"
"Hey!" Tobias protested, hurrying into his mother's view. "I'm trouble! He's Alvie!"
"You're all trouble." Annabeth decided.
Crystal had managed to gain two knives, a sword and a shield from various people. Francis held a knife in his hands and at arm's length, as if he would cause himself more damage than anyone else.
Keep your shield up and your sword ready, Nico's voice told her. Your opponent will probably do the same, but if he's looking at your shield more than you sword, get in close and hit him with your shield. Preferably, hit his sword hand and disarm him. Bring the sword round, make him drop his shield and then hold him at sword point.
That would have to do. Crystal's training wasn't as extensive as other demigods/legacies.
Following the advice Nico had drilled into her head, she charged her new opponent, holding her shield forward. He raised his sword, his eyes fixed on the shield. She ducked to the left once in range and slammed the boss of her shield into his right arm, hearing bones crack.
He dropped his sword with a guttural cry of pain, losing his shield moments later following a nasty gash to his wrist. She bought the edge of the shield round, ramming it into his stomach and hearing the whoosh of air as it left his lungs in a solid burst. She then promptly moved onto to slamming the hilt of her sword against the side of his head, his eyes rolling back in unconsciousness.
"Francis, move it!"
"Zere… you… is he dead?!"
"No, but if you don't move, you will be." Francis blanched and hurried after her.
The corridors were endless and there were stairs everywhere. Crystal knew they were lost big time, but she hated being stuck like this and needed out.
Francis darted up another set of stairs, Crystal right behind him. They turned left at the top, sprinted down the hall and then the third right. A staircase stood at the end, lit at the top by… sunlight.
Oh thank the gods.
Francis put on a burst of speed and Crystal discarded the heavy shield, keeping pace with her friend easily.
They were getting out and that was final.
Footsteps- dozens and dozens of footsteps- echoed in the hall behind them, marching towards them. They got louder by the second, heavier and closer. Incoherent orders were shouted and choruses of agreements coursed through the air.
Francis reached the top of the stairs and burst out into the open, inhaling lungfuls of fresh air. He looked back, reaching out for Crystal.
She nearly made it.
He hadn't a clue as to how it happened, but the cliff face he had just run from crumbled. He managed to scamper away as the rocks started falling, but they covered every inch of his escape.
Crystal was still in there.