Chapter 14 I Make A Terrible Mistake

Annabeth slammed the trapdoor shut and scrambled down the ladder into the hallway. She was completely soaked from head to toe, but could still feel the hot tears on her cheeks.

Nico was right.

Nico was right.

After all this time, after every denial, after every time they'd fought, he'd been right.

Pietro wasn't who he'd said he was. He never had been. In truth, he was nothing more than a liar and a thief.

Annabeth cursed herself for being so naive. How could she not have seen it? How did she not notice any of the signs? How could she have been so blinded by her rose-colored lenses that she couldn't notice the sirens blaring all around her?

She took a deep breath as she continued down one slow step at a time. Gods, how was she going to explain this to the others?

Unfortunately, she had no time to prepare. She wasn't even completely off the ladder when Piper wrapped her arms around her, nearly knocking her off the step and crashing to the floor.

"Annabeth!" Piper yelled, "Oh my gods! You're alive!"

Piper finally let go and placed Annabeth on the ground. She looked around to find the entire crew of the Argo ll waiting for her.

Everybody except one.

One she'd locked out in the storm.

It didn't matter. He was a son of Poseidon. He'd probably rather be out in the storm than down here.

Not that she cared where he was.

"What happened up there?" Frank asked.

"Girl, you gotta stop doing this to us." Leo said, "You just about gave poor Uncle Leo a heart attack."

The way Leo said "girl" made Annabeth immediately think of "wise girl".

So much for that.

"We need to talk," Nico said, pushing past Piper and Leo.

Annabeth frowned, wondering what that was about. Then thunder and a couple of huge waves shook the boat. Everyone looked up with grim faces. Even Leo's mastery of mechanics wouldn't save them from a Category 5 hurricane.

Trying to take her mind off of the imminent threat looming above, Annabeth decided to move everyone from the crowded tiny hallway into the mess hall. Annabeth shivered as she walked. That water had been icy cold.

The air pouring out of her lungs as the depths dragged her down, down, deeper into the abyss-

She snapped out of it as Jason threw a blanket over her. She hadn't even noticed that she'd sat down on the couch.

"So what's Pietro doing up there?" Leo asked, "He must've sent you back down too, though how he managed to break your will I don't know, although if he did some crazy Jesus-level storm calming like he did with me and Piper, maybe that would've changed your mind, but-"

"Storm-calming?" Annabeth asked.

Piper nodded, but before she could respond Leo jumped in, "Neither me nor Piper would get below deck, even though Pietro kept saying 'I got this' and 'don't worry'. So he did this crazy thing where he literally stopped the wind and waves enough for us to get back to the trapdoor. I don't know about you, but I don't think he is exactly who he says he is…"

…And that's where Annabeth lost it.

Everything came flooding out like the tidal wave that had pulled her underwater. Annabeth couldn't so much as form a word without blubbering. No one said anything, not even Leo. Jason and Piper both came over and put their arms around her. Frank and Hazel followed. Leo eventually followed suit. Nico didn't, but he gave her a nod of understanding. He wasn't exactly a physical touch person.

After a while, the tears slowed. She took a handful of deep breaths. The others let go of her and sat back down.

"I take it that something went wrong up there?" Jason wondered.

Annabeth nodded. As calmly as she could, she recounted the story from the beginning. Her climbing on deck and Pietro telling her to go back down. Her not listening. She didn't add the fact that she'd nearly confessed her love for him, but Piper seemed to know anyway. She told of how she'd been swept overboard. That was hard to get out but she did it. Her losing consciousness and thinking she saw a tail. Her being rescued by Pietro. Her putting two and two together.

Annabeth blinked, noticing something she hadn't before. Pietro… Percy… whoever he was... he'd saved her life.

Why would he have saved her if he hadn't cared about her, or anyone if the ship for that matter?

Annabeth's stomach went sour. She suddenly had a feeling she'd made a terrible mistake.

"Whoa," Leo said, "I mean, I knew he had some freaky-deaky powers but that? Not what I was expecting."

"Shut it!" Piper said, "Let her finish."

Trying not to think about what may have been a really stupid decision, Annabeth continued. Wincing, she told everyone how she'd yelled at him and how he'd admitted to coming on the quest to betray them and how he wasn't actually Pietro but Percy Jackson, the literal freaking son of the sea god himself.

The room went silent.

"And what did you do when he told you?" Frank asked hesitantly.

Annabeth's heart dropped lower, "I slammed the door in his face."

"What!?" Leo shouted, "He revealed his darkest secret to you and saved your life and you had the nerve to slam the door in his face?!"

Everyone glared at him. Leo cleared his throat, "Sorry, think I've watched one too many romantic dramas."

"Still, Leo maybe has a point," Jason pointed out.

"He did try to save you." Hazel added in agreement.

"But… he was trying to steal the lyre from us. To give it to his dad," Annabeth said, a desperate attempt to defend her actions. She knew it was a weak argument. She was beginning to realize what she'd done probably hadn't been the best idea. And hadn't he even tried to explain and she'd just shut him out?

"True, but that's not all," Nico chimed in, "Annabeth, I was wrong."

That shut Annabeth up.

"…What?" Annabeth asked, barely a whisper.

Thunder rumbled overhead again. Nico looked up briefly, then sighed, "I overheard him talking to someone right before the storm started. I may have listened through the door to his conversation. Initially I thought he was talking to Pedro, you know, the god we thought was his dad, since he used that excuse on me before. But then the conversation switched to exactly what you just explained. Poseidon wanted the lyre. But the thing is, Pietro, or rather, Percy, told him off."

"He told him off?" Piper frowned.

Annabeth felt her heart sink even lower.

Nico nodded and continued, "Percy didn't want to betray all of us. He was sent on this mission to do exactly that, but told his dad no. He thought-" Nico paused, "He wanted to side with us. So he did."

Annabeth's heart nearly stopped. He'd talked back to a god to save them?

"Poseidon was pissed," Nico went on, "And basically told him he needed to be taught a lesson. That's why the storm came. Poseidon was punishing his son."

Well, Annabeth was right in one regard: the storm had been Percy's fault.

Just not the way she'd thought it had been.

Pietro—Percy—whoever he was—risked everything for them. For her. Even if that hadn't been his original intent, he'd decided he'd rather get obliterated by his own father than hurt the crew of the Argo ll.

And upon saving her life, what had Annabeth done?

She screamed in his face, told him she never wanted to see him again, and locked him out in a hurricane.

What a great person she was.

"So he did actually care about us?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"To do what he did?" Leo said, "I would think so."

Annabeth felt her heart rate start to climb. There had to be something she could do.

She needed to go talk to him.

Barely even registering what she was doing, Annabeth stood up and began walking back toward the ladder and the trapdoor leading to the top deck. Part of her said this was futile; he'd probably left the ship and was halfway across the world already. It wasn't like he was scared of drowning or anything.

Annabeth didn't want to think about that. If Percy was gone, then he was gone. They had no way of contacting him. They could try an Iris-Message but after everything that had gone down the chances he answered were next to zero.

She'd never see him again. Never hear his adorable voice again. Never laugh at his dumb jokes.

Most importantly, she'd never get the chance to apologize.

But she couldn't think like that. He was still on board. He had to be.

"Annabeth! Are you out of your mind?"

Annabeth turned and saw Piper racing toward her. She grabbed her arm. Only then did Annabeth realize exactly what she was about to do.

She was about to go outside. In a hurricane. The same one that had nearly killed her only moments ago.

"I just…" Annabeth faltered, "I need to know if he's still here."

The fear in Piper's eyes was extremely obvious, but she merely nodded and let go.

Annabeth scrambled up the ladder. She could do this. Really, she didn't even have to step foot out on the deck. She could just peek out and call his name.

Annabeth braced herself as she unlocked the hatch.

Almost immediately it flew open, threatening to yank her arm off. Annabeth held fast to the opening as tightly as she could. Memories of falling into the abyss threatened to overtake her, but she couldn't back down. Not yet. The black sky and driving rain made it nearly impossible to see or hear, but it was all she had.

"PERCY!" She shouted into the darkness.

No one responded.

No. No, this wasn't right. This couldn't be right. He had to still be here.

Turning around as much as she'd dared, Annabeth did a full 360 degree scan, but the deck was empty.

"Percy!" She called out again, but it was weaker this time. Again, no response by the pounding rain and waves.

The cold water splashed at her face, but it once again began to mix with the warm tears trickling from her eyes.

He was gone. Percy was gone.

And it was all her fault.

Maybe it wouldn't matter, she thought as thunder cracked around her yet another time. If Poseidon had sent this storm to kill them, then it probably wouldn't be long before the ship capsized anyway.

Annabeth knew that should scare her. But somehow, after everything she'd been through, she just felt numb. She almost laughed at the irony of the situation. Percy had risked himself multiple times to save both her and the rest of the crew, and it was all about to be for nothing because they were going to die at the hands of a god with an extreme power-complex.

At least she and her friends would always be together, even unto death. If only she could see Percy one last time before that happened.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

Percy raced down to the bottom of the ocean, forcing fleeting memories of his so-called friends out of his mind. None of that mattered now. What did matter was that he stopped his half-sister before she blasted the Argo ll to smithereens.

It wasn't hard to find her. All Percy had to do was follow the green glow.

Eventually, he reached a small underwater cave where the glow seemed to be emanating from. Without hesitating, he swam in.

He hadn't seen Kymo…kympleo…Kymoplea…Whatever, he was just going to keep going with Kym, in years. She occasionally came to visit Atlantis, but she usually left a couple decades in between those visits. One of them had been right when Percy had first moved to Atlantis against his will.

He didn't remember much about her. Most of his first couple of months in Atlantis had been a blur of learning how to cope with his new life. He was pretty sure she wasn't on great terms with Poseidon though.

Maybe he could utilize that.

Percy was so lost in thought trying to come up with a game plan that he didn't realize the cave had opened up, revealing a cozy little space that looked like a typical suburbian living room.

Sitting on a blue couch that was somehow intact despite having been underwater for the gods knew how long was a humanoid figure with bright white skin and glowing hair. She appeared to be filing her nails.

She also looked extremely bored.

"Ugh!" Kym said, throwing the nail file off to the side. It gently floated in the water. How she'd managed to keep one of those things from floating to the surface, Percy had no idea, "Why won't these demigods just die already? Then I can leave and not have to sit here in this stupid cave with this stupid furniture-"

She stopped talking as she noticed Percy. Her bored look immediately changed to one of annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, "Haven't seen you since Poseidon forced you to live with him in Atlantis."

"Um…well…" Percy said, not really sure how to engage in the conversation.

Kym rolled her eyes, "He wouldn't shut up about you, you know. Honestly, why that man cared so much about a single demigod baffles me. It's not like so many of his other kids are infinitely more powerful than the likes of you." She swished her hair back and grinned, "But who's counting?"

"Look, Kym," Percy started, fidgeting with his hands, "About the storm up on the surface-"

"Let me guess," Kym interrupted, "You want me to stop it so you can save your precious little friends, hmm?" When Percy didn't respond she continued, "Father already told me all about it. Too bad for you, I don't have enough sympathy for a pathetic little mortal brat like you to care."

Percy forced down the urge to insult her back. The last thing he needed right now was to be turned into sea foam or a starfish or something.

"I know you don't really like me," Percy said.

"Like you?!" Kym stood up and laughed, "Please, Perseus, it's far past not liking. Father has always favored you above the rest of us. The last twenty years have all been Percy this and Percy that. Come on, give me a break!"

Her voice seethed with jealousy. Percy winced. He knew that Poseidon had screwed over a lot of his kids, and he began trying to recall what happened with Kym. Something about being exiled and married off to a guy she didn't care about?

Sounded about right for the gods.

"Just this once?" Percy said, "I know you don't like Dad either, and I would be forever grateful if you-"

"Honestly, I think this will be good for you." Kym said, once again interrupting Percy, "You've always been the favorite. I don't exactly know what you did to piss Dad off or why, but I think it's a fine time for you to see what the rest of us have to go through." Kym paused, "You're gonna have to learn that it doesn't matter what we want. Those who have more power will always rule everything and force the rest to bow to their whims."

For a moment, Kym sounded almost…sad. Regretful. Like something had happened beyond her control due to Poseidon's influence.

"Kym…" Percy stammered, trying to figure out what to say.

Kym looked at Percy inquisitively, then sighed. "Okay. So clearly you're desperate for a solution. I don't really want to do this, but I might be willing to trade with you."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Trade?"

Kym nodded and flicked her hair, "It gets real boring wandering around Dad's old ruined palaces trying to find stuff to do and things to collect," She grinned. A shiver rolled down Percy's back. Something felt off about her smile, as if she didn't quite know how to form it properly, "But if you could give me something that would pique my interest, I might be inclined to let your friends go."

Percy blinked. That had come out of nowhere, "Really?"

Kym shrugged, "Why not?"

"But you just said-"

"I know what I said," She waved her hand dismissively, "But I changed my mind. I don't exactly want to help you, but being father's little minion doesn't suit me too well either."

Well, that was something to go off of. But what did Percy have to give her? He had nothing. All of his belongings, however scare they'd been, were back on the Argo II.

Wait. He did have something.

Percy had never tried to pull out Riptide underwater. He pondered briefly how that would work when it appeared directly in front of him.

"I told you already, you can't beat me," Kym said, "I can turn you into a stream of bubbles with the snap of my fingers. Fighting would be useless."

"That's not what this is for." Percy said, grabbing the sword's handle. Kym's eyes widened as if she recognized it.

"Is that-?"

Percy nodded, "This is Anaklusmos, also known by the name Riptide. It was a gift from Dad to help on the quest."

"He'd never give up a weapon like that to any of his other kids," Kym said, eyeing the sword like it was a fresh, juicy ribeye.

"That's why you should have it," Percy said, holding it up, hoping he sounded sincere rather than desperate, "It'd be a great addition to your collection, and you could spite Dad just by possessing it."

Kym nodded and reached out both hands instinctively for the sword.

Percy moved back, "Now hold on. How do I know you're not just gonna take the sword and run?"

Kym folded her arms, "How do I know you're not gonna run off with the sword once I release the storm?"

It was a fair argument, "Fine." Percy said. He held up a hand, "I swear on the River Styx to go through with this deal." When Kym didn't respond he gestured for her to follow.

Kym rolled her eyes, "I swear on the River styx."

The cave shook briefly, acknowledging the solemn vow.

"Now give it to me!" Kym cried.

Percy held out his hand. Kym snapped her fingers in one hand and took the sword with the other.

"There." Kym said, gazing at the sword, "I can't guarantee your friends safety forever, but they won't die by my hands."

"Thank you," Percy felt a deep sigh leave his body, as if a huge weight had disappeared. His friends were, at least for now, safe.

Kym didn't take her eyes off of Riptide, "It's beautiful," She murmured, "And Dad really is gonna hate that I have it." She smiled. This time it felt much more genuine, less like a creepy doll and more like and excited kid opening a birthday present, "Thank you!"

Percy smiled back, then added in a more serious tone, "I'm truly sorry about what he did to you. It's not fair that he married you off and plays favorites all the time."

This time it wasn't flattery. As much as he didn't like Kym, Percy couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

Kym finally looked up from the sword, "Yeah, gave me a good-for-nothing husband that hates me. The feeling is mutual. Left me here to rot too. All for what?" She paused, studying Percy, "You're different, Percy Jackson. I figured you'd be just as arrogant and cruel as Dad, but you're not. I hate to speak it aloud, but I just think that you might bring some big changes to our world. For the better."

Percy glanced at the cave floor. He thanked Kym for her kind words, but internally knew they were false. He wasn't anybody special. Just a guy who'd been beat back and forth like a tennis ball simply for existing. He couldn't even keep a friend group for more than a week, let alone change the world. With that, he left Kym to enjoy her new sword.

It hurt a little leaving such a sacred artifact behind. At the same time, giving it away officially severed his last connection to his dad.

He was better with tridents anyway.

As Percy left the cave, he returned to pondering his next move. What now? He couldn't go back to the Argo II. He didn't want to go back to Atlantis. He was completely and truly alone.

Maybe he could just wander the ocean. Be like Kym. Find new things to explore and discover until he eventually faded away and ended up in the Underworld.

Then something else came to mind. Somewhere he hadn't been in long time. Quite possibly the only person left on the planet who cared about him.

Maybe he wouldn't be going to New York with his friends, but he could still go. He had nowhere better to be.

That was it. He could make the trip to Manhattan. He could go back to his old apartment. Find his mom. It'd be better than wandering for the rest of his life.

Luckily, given his knack for coordinates in the ocean, directions weren't a problem. His location set, he began torpedoing off toward North America.

To hopefully a new beginning.

Again.

Unfortunately, he'd probably only been swimming for thirty minutes or so when he crashed into something.

Or rather someone.

"Perseus," Triton said. Percy looked up at his half-brother's sneering face, "I wish I could say I'm glad to see you again."

Percy immediately turned to try and swim away, but found himself surrounded by other guards. They pointed their various weapons consisting of tridents, swords, and spears at him.

Percy groaned. Why? Why could nothing go right?

"What are you doing, Triton?" Percy asked, voice dripping with venom.

"Taking you back to Father, of course," He said, "Can't have you running off on us, now can we?"

Percy cursed under his breath. After everything he'd been through, he couldn't even escape these nut-jobs?

Percy tried to duck down and swim under the siren hoard, but two guards grabbed his arms, keeping him from getting away.

"Dad's really not happy with you," Triton said, "But I'll save the whole rant for when we get back to Atlantis. He can deal with you then."

Percy grit his teeth. At least the Argo II was safe.

If only he could say the same for himself.