Part Two: Chapter Six: Traveling Companions

=Percy=

Loud. It's the usual first thought when ten people start asking questions all at once. I leaned against the net leading up to the support beams and waited patiently for everyone to shut up. From where I was standing I could see Katie in the doorway of the captain's cabin and Jake sitting on the steps staring wide eyed at everyone. There was the usual crew, Clarisse, Thalia, Rachel, Reyna, Chris, and Leo. Annabeth had explained that Silena had recently had a baby and I would never take her out on such a dangerous mission, Beckendorf, being the father had to stay behind too. It was only fair. There was Piper, Jason, Frank and Hazel, and Calypso. The Nymph seemed to be one of the few people that backed off. There was also Ella, Tyson and Grover, a syter that had been my and Annabeth's protector years ago. Then there were Nico and Annabeth, standing a bit to the side and watching as I was being bombarded with yelling and questions. Connor and Travis were sitting on the railing opposite me, both with expectant looks on their faces. I kept silent until they were silent, slowly looking between everyone before my eyes fixed on the ocean past the Stolls, and finally silence fell. "What happened?" Rachel asked. I returned my attention to her.

"I don't know." I answered honestly. "The last thing I remember was being dragged under the water. I woke up several weeks later in a small apothecary, with a son of Apollo and daughter of Demeter tending to me. How much time passed between the two," I shrugged. "It took me a while to recover. To get back into a fighting condition, and by the time I had Luke had found me. He's stolen something that I have to get back."

"Thats it?" Clarisse demanded.

"Would you prefer it if I lied?" I hissed at her, she glared at me. "Spin some story of a fight I don't even remember? Pretend I was stranded on some Island for two years with no means to escape until just recently? I don't know what happened. I don't know why I'm still alive, or if the Kraken's still out there. If you wanted a more entertaining story then I'm sorry but that's not what happened, I've spent the last two years recovering from a battle I don't remember and when I'm able to return the people that saved my life are attacked." I returned the glare. "You can yell at me, fight me whatever, but Nico has already agreed to help me. And until this voyage is over you'll just have to deal with it." I turned my attention away from them. "I'm sorry for worrying everyone, I should've come back sooner, it was my own fault for not. But it's in the past. Right now I need your help. There's a storm coming, and if we don't face it the world as we know it will change. And not for the better."

Clarisse crossed her arms over her chest. "He's right," Rachel said, eyes fixed on me. "Kronos is rising, faster now than before. If we don't stand up to Luke then…"

"Wait, Kronos? The Titan lord of Time?" Jake asked, grabbing everyone's attention. He was staring at me. "I thought this was about getting Will back. Percy,"

"That's all you need to worry about." I told him. "I'm not asking any more from you." He relaxed a little.

"But you're asking them?" He continued.

"I'm not asking anyone to fight the Titan." I responded. "I'm asking for help in getting Will back. Luke's only using him to raise the Titan, if we can get him back we can delay his rise. Leave it for a different generation of Demigods to deal with."

"Then what? Will you leave?" Thalia asked.

"Only if you don't want me to stay." I answered honestly. Silence followed.

"So where are we going?" Chris asked. I looked to the ocean ahead.

"Right now? South America. There's one more person I need to find before we go after Luke." I stated. "After… well, it's hard to explain. North East, currently at open sea." I looked back to them. Clarisse grabbed my arm, and pulled me down to the deck. I stumbled a bit before I felt arms wrap around me and soon I was the center of a hug.

"You are never doing anything so stupid again." She was whispering in my ear. I smiled a bit.

"Yes ma'am." I agreed.

ΩΔΩ=ΩΔΩ=ΩΔΩ=ΩΔΩ=ΩΔΩ

"You're like a beacon of Hope." Katie told me as we stood together at the bow of the ship. "They flock to you, look for your word." She stated. It was night, the sun had set hours ago and currently the two of us were the only ones on deck. "It's unsettling honestly. Putting that much trust into one person."

"Its from years of knowing each other." I responded, looking out to the sea. The water was calm, always calm. "It takes time to build that sort of trust with anyone." It was silent between the both of us. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's not-"

"Don't. It's entirely my fault." I turned to her. "If I hadn't stayed, if I had just left as soon as I was completely healed. Luke wouldn't have come. Will wouldn't have been taken and you wouldn't have been… you wouldn't be…"

"Perseus Jackson you couldn't have stopped it from happening." She glared at me. I ran a hand through my hair and turned away from her. Walking over to the railing and gripping onto it with my free hand so I could glare at the water. She gave me a moment to breath before joining me.

"I could have stopped them, if I hadn't been taken off guard. None of this would've happened. You can't tell me that it's not my fault. They came because of me. They destroyed your life because of me! You should hate me, yell at me, never want to see me again why…" I was trembling, my hand dropped from my hair to cover my face and I leaned heavily against the railing. "I-I can feel the changes Katie. Everything… I-I try not too but… Your body's already making the changes for it."

"You can't stop everything. You're just one person." She glared at me, her arms wrapping around her midsection automatically.

"They raped you!" I hissed dropping my arm and staring at her. "Violated you, stole what was yours to give and now you're pregnant with some scumbags child! I had the power to stop it, if I had just… used it!" I pounded my fist into the wood, along the side of the boat a wave knocked into it. Katie moved back so she didn't get wet. "I will murder every last one of those bastards for what they did to you." Thunder rumbled in the distance. "Murder Luke for letting them touch you."

"Percy…" She whispered.

"I had to watch it, I was forced too… and I couldn't gather the strength to stop them. You needed me and I couldn't..."

"Percy. This isn't you." She stated, turning me away from the ocean and forcing me to look at her. "You are the strongest Demigod I know but even you have your limits. You can't do everything." She glared at me, trying to get her message through.

"I failed you when you needed me most." I whispered.

"You're failing me right now, just listen to yourself." She ordered. "You're not acting like yourself, I don't need a hero that can beat everything in his path. I need my friend. More than anything I need my best friend." She pulled me into a hug. "I won't hear any more of this nonsense, do you understand me?" I nodded and she pulled back. "Good, now get some sleep. We both need it. I'll see you in the morning." She gave me another quick hug before retreating down into the ship. I turned back to the railing, gripping onto it and closing my eyes.