Just like I promised. I'll update tomorrow too, because I'm nice.

I had a really bad migraine while writing this chapter, so if it seems a little wacked up, I apologize.

I forgot to thank you the last time I updated for the 100 reviews. So, thank you.

I also now have well over 10,000 views. So thanks for that as well.

Happy Reading!

Chapter XXXI

Leo

The explosion-if that's even what it is-knocks Leo, Percy, and Annabeth off their feet, and they all slide across the deck.

Leo crashes into his control station and almost blows up the ship when he hits his head on the keyboard.

Percy and Annabeth both go sliding towards the railing. Annabeth almost slides under it and off the ship, but Percy catches her hand and pulls her back on.

Leo swears, untangling himself from his complicated controls. "What in Hades was that?"

"I'm not entirely sure I want to find out." Annabeth answers, standing and brushing herself off.

"I don't think we have a choice." Percy says, smiling faintly. Annabeth glares at him before striding over to stand next to Leo at the controls.

"What happened?" She asks him.

"Still not sure. There doesn't seem to be much damage. It's just like something pushed us." Leo glances at Percy. "Or we got head-butted by a sea monster."

Percy doesn't look at him, but instead stares intently at the screens. "Roseus would have done a lot more damage than a few dents."

Suddenly, Leo hears a terrible shrieking groan, as if the Argo II is being ripped in half.

Pain lances through Leo's heart, quickly followed by anger. Not my ship. He finds himself thinking. He taps furiously at the keyboard, waving his Wii remote at the same time.

Next to him, Percy goes rigid. Leo glances at him curiously and is surprised to see something resembling fear in the demigod's eyes.

"Leo," He says slowly, "why are the bay doors opening?"

"They aren't." Leo says, then amends himself when he sees Percy's look. "At least, they shouldn't be."

A scream rips through the air-Piper's scream. Almost as soon as it starts, though, it's abruptly cut off, and Leo hates to think what that might mean.

Not Piper. He thinks. She's like a sister to him. He starts moving faster, his fingers blurring across the keyboard.

Footsteps can be heard running on the stairs, presumably Jason, Frank, and Hazel running to Piper's aid.

Percy curses. "Leo, get the bay doors closed." Leo nods grimly, without looking away from the computer screen. "Annabeth, can you go get the others? There's nothing they'll be able to do, at least not from the stables. They need to be up here."

Annabeth hesitates before agreeing, but before she goes she turns to Percy. "What are you going to do, Seaweed Brain?"

"I'm going to go get Piper." Annabeth opens her mouth to protest, but Percy cuts her off. "She's in the water. If I don't do something quickly, she'll drown. I'll be fine, Annabeth."

"You better be, Seaweed Brain. Or I'll kill you myself." She warns him.

Leo listens to them, his heart aching. He misses Calypso more fiercely than ever.

"Noted." Percy says. "Now go. I'll be here when you get back." After Annabeth has gone down the stairs after the others, he runs to the railing.

Leo glances briefly at Percy while he balances on the railing and then dives smoothly into the sea. Then he redirects his attention to the task at hand.

He can't understand why the bay doors opened. They shouldn't have been able to unless someone hit the button, or Leo opened them himself from the control station. But no one did either of those things. They wouldn't have.

And that sound, that groan, like metal being ripped apart. It's as if someone-or something-pried the bay doors open from the outside. Which shouldn't have been possible.

He hits one last button and the doors finally start closing. He feels a flush of relief, but then they slow down and stop closing outright, shuddering as if they're meeting resistance. He peers closer at the screen and taps a few more buttons. They start closing again, excruciatingly slowly.

Leo taps his fingers against his thigh in impatience. Finally, they close, and Leo pulls the lever that will cause the water to drain out.

Just as he does, an arc of water deposits Percy back on the deck, cradling Piper to his chest. Leo's about to ask him what's wrong with her, but Percy anticipates the question and cuts him off.

"I think she hit her head. She's unconscious, but all the water's out of her lungs and her breathing is steady. She'll be fine." He says.

Relief sweeps through Leo, and he sags against the rail, allowing himself to relax a little.

Not a good idea. As soon as he does, another impact rocks the ship, tilting it violently sideways. Leo crashes into the controls again.

Percy staggers, but manages to stay on his feet, seemingly by sheer force of will. He clutches Piper tighter, to avoid dropping her. Leo wonders a bit about why he's suddenly so concerned for her.

Just then, the others burst onto the deck.

"Piper!" Jason cries, running forward. He sheathes his sword in order to take Piper out of Percy's arms. He doesn't seem at all suspicious about how tightly Percy was holding Piper, or the way he was holding her. Although what other way he could have been holding her, Leo isn't sure. But it seems a bit intimate for Percy to hold Piper like that.

"She's fine. Just unconscious. I think she hit her head." Percy explains before anyone can ask. They nod, relief clear on their faces. Percy turns to Leo, his face tight with worry. "Leo, you might want to get us up into the air."

From his tone of voice, Leo knows he shouldn't question Percy. But he can't help it. "Why? What is it?"

Percy shares a look with Annabeth. They have a brief conversation with their eyes that Leo doesn't understand at all.

"It doesn't matter. Yet. Just get us up into the air." He says finally. Leo nods as if he understands, which he most definitely doesn't, and turns to the controls.

As soon as he does, the ship rocks so violently every single one of them is knocked off their feet. They all tumble to the opposite side of the ship, which is tilted dangerously close to the water.

One of the crates Leo keeps on the deck smashes into Jason's arm, and he involuntarily lets Piper go. He tries to catch her, but another crate slides between them. Piper goes tumbling towards the edge of the ship-

-and is caught by Percy. He lunges forward just in time to grab her wrist. Her legs dangle over the water, but Percy pulls her quickly back on deck. As the ship steadies itself again, he turns to Jason.

"Jason," he says, "you might want to take Piper to the infirmary. I think it's a little dangerous to have her up here."

Jason, his face pale with pain, cradles his hurt arm to his chest, but reaches for Piper anyway. He supports Piper's limp body with his good side and stumbles down the stairs. Percy stares after him for a few seconds, then gestures at Hazel.

"Hazel, go with him. Make sure he eats some ambrosia for his arm. He might have dislocated his shoulder." She opens her mouth to protest, then closes it when she sees Percy's look. She's already looking a little green from seasickness. Maybe that's why Percy chose to send her instead of someone else. She goes down the stairs after Jason.

"Should I try to get us up into the air again?" Leo asks, glancing between Percy and Annabeth, not sure who he should be asking. After all, Annabeth has pretty much always been their unofficial leader, even if they're all equals on this quest. But Percy seems to be the one giving orders.

"Don't bother." Percy answers. "I doubt she'll give us the chance."

"Who?" Frank asks, surprising Leo. Until now, Frank had been quiet.

Percy glances at Annabeth again before answering. "Thalassa."

"Who-Oh, wait, isn't that the evil goddess obsessed with pink?" Leo asks.

Percy nods. "But she's not just a goddess. She's a Primordial. She's one of the oldest, most powerful gods who have ever existed. Gaea is her sister. And right now, unfortunately, she has control over the Ionian."

"If I remember right, she didn't originally want to kill us, did she?" Annabeth asks her boyfriend.

"Um...no." Percy answers, looking a little guilty. Leo wonders what he has to be guilty about. "She and Pontus just wanted me to lead an army against my dad so they could take over the oceans. You guys weren't really a part of it. Although I'm really not sure why you wouldn't be."

"So why does she seem to want to kill us so badly now?" Frank says.

"That's probably my fault." Percy admits. So that's why he looks guilty. "I kind of have a habit of pissing off super powerful gods, and I'm guessing I made her pretty mad when I killed her husband."

"And you stole her pony monster." Leo adds. Percy glares at him. "Speaking of which, where is he? Shouldn't he have eaten Thalassa before she could get this far?"

"No. And I doubt he would have been able to even if he tried." Percy says.

"Why?" This time Annabeth is the one who asks.

"Because Thalassa isn't just the goddess of the sea. She is the sea. That's why she doesn't really have a physical form."

"And that's important because...?" Leo says impatiently. This time Annabeth answers.

"You can't eat something that doesn't have a physical form. Roseus' teeth would just go right through her. Or she could dissolve and reappear somewhere else."

"Oh." Leo isn't particularly liking the sound of this goddess. He'd been hoping they could just blow her up. "Is there any way we can beat her? Or do I need to figure something out to get the ship in the air? 'Cause it doesn't sound like she'll be particularly easy to blow up."

"No, wait. Percy, didn't you say you killed Pontus with a gift from your dad? That trident?" Frank questions.

Percy looks a little uncomfortable. "Well, yeah..."

"So why can't you just kill Thalassa with it?" Frank seems to realize how that sounds as soon as he says it, because he quickly adds, "We'll help you, of course. You wouldn't have to fight her on your own."

"It's not that. I just think I may have gotten lucky when I did that. Plus I'm pretty sure my dad was helping, with more than just the trident itself. I don't know if I'll be able to kill Thalassa." He tells them, obviously worried.

Everyone is silent. Then Leo tentatively breaks the silence.

"So...anyone have any other ideas as to how we're going to kill what's-her-name? Tuna Fish?" Leo asks. Percy smiles a little.

"Thalassa, actually, Leo, and no, not really. I guess we can try with the trident thing, but we should probably come up with a back-up plan."

"I don't suppose she'll give us time to go to the mess hall and draw up a battle plan, huh?" Leo asks, only half-joking. Percy opens his mouth to answer but is interrupted by a high-pitched, nails-on-a-chalkboard, distinctly feminine voice that swirls around them with a laugh.

No, I don't think I will, young demigod. My sister has called on me, and I have agreed to help her.

Leo barely has time to think, Oh, man, we are in some deep chiz, before the waves erupt around the ship and surrounds them with a wall of water.

This chapter is a little longer than usual too. Pretty much for the same reason. I'm just having trouble with endings lately.

Although I doubt you guys are complaining. You probably like the extra long chapters, even if they do have crappy endings.

If the whole deep chiz thing seems a little weird to you, that's because of me. I say it all the time. And I'm a strange child.