Previously:
Later, in his cabin, he sat at his desk with his lamp on, writing things out for the next day. Just because Will had banned him from training for the next week, doesn't mean he didn't have other things to do.

He had a lot to do. Like he said: he's running out of time.

Getting back from that morning's raid was difficult enough without the cyclopes getting stuck in a current. It stopped the entire trip because he was the son of Oceanus and it would have looked bad if they left him to get out of it alone. Besides that, Annabeth was working out how to break the news to Pontus that they failed to get Percy...again.

The primordial somehow got it in his head that if he kidnapped Percy Jackson, the camp and the gods would lose morale and eventually either surrender or loose because they do not have their best warrior. He said that was what his mother had done wrong in the Second Giant War.

Annabeth was not as confident that grabbing just Percy would do the trick, but it is a good start.

The problem is that this is the second raid with that mission in mind and they failed. Pontus is not going to be happy.

Annabeth knew from second hand experience that he was not so forgiving after multiple attempts to carry out his wishes.

-            -            -            -

"What do you mean, you lost them?" A dangerously soft voice coming from the trees ahead of Annabeth caused her to stop in her tracks. It sounded angry and powerful. It caused her very frame to shake as if she were to burst into dust at any moment. Fortunately, the sand she was walking on made her foot steps almost completely silent. So far, she has gone undetected.

Annabeth suddenly wondered if it would have been better to have Percy retrace the steps of the scouting party of monsters after all.

"They were being led by the daughter of Athena and son of Poseidon!" Another voice protested weakly. "We fought to the last man, like you said to after last time!"

Annabeth frowned. This is one of the monsters that had been chasing after the twins.

The sound of a blade entering flesh reached her ears and she could almost see the sneer in the powerful voice's answer. "Evidently not."

"What now, Lord Pontus?" A third voice questioned.

"You will gather another group to go sniff them out before they reach that blasted camp." The first voice said coldly but still in a soft manner "We need the leverage on the Nereids. This time, make sure they are not allowed to come to me until they've succeeded."

Now was her chance. Annabeth began walking again, making sure to step on a few leaves. The voices fell into an anticipatory silence. As she stumbled into the clearing a few feet away, she noted that there was much more than two beings and a pile of dust on the ground.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The first voice turned out to be a tall man in a sharp looking suit in the venter of the pile of golden dust. He made a move with his head and a group of telchines came forward to grab a hold off her.

Annabeth attempted to run, but they caught her, one on each side, holding her arms. She held her head up confidently, though she was shaking in her shoes.

If she remembered correctly, Pontus was the primordial of the sea, son of Gaea with no father or of Gaea and Aether (depending on the myths you believed), father of sea life and the telchines. Considering how hard it was to fight Gaea, she hoped he wasn't interested in taking down the gods and destroying the world. She wasn't sure if she could take it. Or even that the camp could take it.

"I asked a question, girl. Who are you?" Pontus demanded lowly.

Annabeth had to school her facial expressions to hide her incredulity. Were his deductions skills lacking? "Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena."

A light went off in Pontus' eyes. "Ah, you wouldn't happen to be courting the son of Poseidon, would you? I'm afraid I'm not as up to date on the gossip as I'd like to be. A millennia of sleep would get you behind on things."

All she did was nod.

"Interesting." He studied her for a bit then smiled warmly. "How is life treating you? Good? You are quite the hero, so I've heard. You would be heavily blessed by the gods, I'm sure."

Hesitantly, Annabeth shook her head. Heavily blessed by the gods? They were still fighting for a normal life where they didn't go on a quest every summer. Not to mention the trouble Hera still causes even after the last war.

"No?" Pontus said, blinking in surprise. "You sure? No golden chariots, horses, a life of luxury?"

Before she could stop herself, she snorted. Her eyes widened and looked at him warily.

"Really?" Pontus looked like he could not decide if he wanted to be confused or angry. "Maybe a revolution is needed. Would you care to join me? Help me to create a world where you don't need to fight, to remake the world to be better—safer?"

With every word, Annabeth's eyes got wider and wider. Her lips twitched, as if trying to smile. What he described was a dream world. And he was asking for her to help create it!

"My lord—" a monster tried protesting but a raised hand from Pontus stopped him. The monster narrowed his eyes at Annabeth warily.

"Well?"

Annabeth nodded eagerly. "You want me to help you build that world?" She confirmed. Images of architectural plans floated in her brain.

"It would mean over throwing the gods." Pontus pointed out softly, as if he were a friend helping her think things through.

Annabeth worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Well," she started, as if thinking about it for the first time. "They haven't really done much for me."

Pontus smiled and Annabeth could see the triumph behind them. "No," he agreed. "Here—" he took a plain looking hand mirror out of his pocket and handed it to her. "This will allow you to communicate directly with me. For now, just be my own spy in the Greek camp—what was it called?"

"Camp Half-Blood." Annabeth supplied.

"Yes, that's it. Tell me about the defenses, what they are working on, and talk to the water spirits there too. Anything that will help."

"Alright." Annabeth clenched her hand around the mirror. Then she paused, as if suddenly thinking of something. "You're not going to...kill everyone are you?"

"Oh, no, the mortals and the demigods who don't try to stop us have nothing to fear." He waved a hand. "I also don't punish people for believing what they've been told for as long as they lived. I'll show you a world more magnificent and glorious than the time of the Titans and the gods combined."

Annabeth smiled wide, reassured, then left.

When Annabeth returned to Percy and the twin demigods they had been tasked to rescue, she was quiet. She knew Percy's loyalties and his beliefs. This was not something easily accepted by someone like him. The twins on the other hand...

-            -            -            -

"I have a plan."

"Oh, you have a plan." The tone wasn't openly mocking her but she could tell Pontus was displeased.

He sat on his throne made of lava rock in a room deep in his castle under the water. The windows was blocked off by his magic, preventing water from getting in the castle and drowning his allies. This room was his favorite because it was the deepest part of his castle and thus became his throne room. Most allies that could not breathe water stayed in the topmost portions of the castle where the rooms are either barely above the surface or blocked off like this room was.

"Yes." She said. "I know their play; they're keeping Jackson away from he main fight. But he will come willingly if we play this right."

"Willingly?" It was a statement of unbelief.

"Absolutely." Annabeth reassured him. "We just need to grab hold of someone he will give himself up for."

"I see."