𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐗.
all to outrun my desertion of you

ᯓᡣ𐭩

𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 them long to reach the huge cruise ship awaiting them. As soon as they were within boarding distance, they could make out, albeit with difficulty, the big black letters embedded on it; Princess Andromeda.

The hippocampi took them to the other side of the ship where a ladder hung from the deck. With Annabeth in the lead, they all climbed it. The fish creatures fled, leaving the demigods -and Cyclops- to their adventure.

Once on board, they were met with nothing. The ship looked empty, there was nobody to look for or hide from.

"It's a ghost ship," Percy muttered, looking around.

"No," Tyson disagreed. "Bad smell."

"I don't smell anything," Annabeth said, frowning.

"Cyclopes are like satyrs," Maisie explained. "They can smell monsters."

Tyson nodded nervously. "Something bad."

"We should find a safe place to sleep," Percy suggested.

"Yeah," Maisie agreed. "Let's deal with the bad smell during daytime."

Everyone agreed and went on to explore the ship, until they found an empty suite to settle in. Maisie and Annabeth took one room, while Percy and Tyson took the other.

"We're right next door," Annabeth reminded the boys. "Don't drink or eat anything. Something's wrong with this place."

The two Athena daughters settled on the big bed that filled up the room, after begrudgingly changing into some comfortable clothes that Hermes had packed for them. They didn't speak much, instead trying to get as much sleep as possible for what awaited them.

Maisie dreamed of that night again.

She was back at the forest in Camp-Halfblood, watching from afar as Luke and Percy slashed at each other with their swords. She wanted to intervene, stop the fight, but her feet remained plastered on the ground behind the bush.

Luke spotted her before she could regain movement in her limbs. He smiled an evil, wicked smile.

"Just who I was expecting," he said. "Join the party, will you?"

Maisie hesitated. She took a step forward and her feet did the rest, against her will. She was facing him now, Percy on the ground next to them, clutching his injured arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked, obliviously.

"Changing the world."

"But," she started to say, looking over guiltily at Percy.

"What is it?" Luke asked, fake innocence plastered on his face. How had she never seen this side of him before?

"You can't do this. You're good. Please, don't become the bad guy," she pleaded, tears threatening to run down her rosy cheeks.

"I won't be the bad guy," he assured. "Join me and together we can change this. The gods won't ignore us anymore. They won't humiliate us, they won't win." His tone had changed into anger. Long gone was the sweet Luke she knew, the one who made her laugh and wiped her tears on bad days. This Luke was a stranger. Yet, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. 

After a moment, Maisie decided.

"Okay," she said weakly, staring into his eyes.

His mean smile broadened even more, bringing some light into his dark, vengeful eyes.

"Great," he said, then turned to Percy.

Without a word, he slammed his sword into Percy's chest.

Maisie woke abruptly, a long gasp escaping her lips. She sat up, looking at her surroundings. She sighed a sigh of relief when she realized Annabeth was next to her and they weren't in the forest, but in the ship's suite.

Annabeth had woken up too, courtesy of Maisie.

"Are you okay?" she asked her, sleep evident in her voice.

"Yeah, sorry," Maisie responded, an apologetic look etched on her face. "Can't have a quest without the regularly scheduled nightmare." She attempted to lighten off the mood and make herself feel better in the process. It worked, since Annabeth giggled.

"Come on, let's go wake the guys."

Once everybody was ready, they walked out into the dock and were greeted by a mass of people. They were doing what you'd expect passengers of a cruise ship to do, enjoying their vacation. But something was wrong.

Nobody paid them any mind as they walked through the crowd. As a family of swimmers passed by them, Maisie heard the dad tell his kids "We are on a cruise. We are having fun."

"Yes," replied his kids. "We are having a blast. We will swim in the pool."

After some crew members talked to them in the same way, Annabeth frowned.

"This is weird. They're in some kind of trance."

Before anything more could be said, they heard hissing.

"Ssssix more joined yesssterday."

Annabeth's eyes widened and she frantically gestured to the women's room, the closest hiding place. The four of them rushed inside, hiding from the threat that lurked in the ship.

A second reptilian voice sounded.

"We have to get off the ship," Annabeth said.

"Hard agree," Maisie said, itching to leave the danger behind.

Then a third voice sounded. One that chilled Maisie to the bone much more than any monster's snarling could.

"-only a matter of time. Don't push me, Agrius!"

It was Luke. Luke was in this ship. And Hermes had led them straight to him.

"I'm not pushing you!" someone else retorted. "If this gamble doesn't pay off-"

"It'll pay off!" Luke snapped. "They'll take the bait. Now, come check the casket in the admiralty suite."

Maisie's entire body shuddered. She felt the hairs at the nape of her neck stand straight, goosebumps all over her tanned skin.

"Leave now?" Tyson suggested, but Maisie barely heard him. She was staring straight ahead where the voices were heard from, mouth slightly agape, limbs unable to move.

"Maise." Annabeth placed her hand on the older girl's shoulder. She shook herself out of her trance and willed her eyes to look at her sister. "We need to find out what Luke's up to. And hopefully chain him and get him to Olympus." Maisie managed a slight nod.

The group made their way to the admiralty suite, passing through all the entranced passengers who had no idea what was happening around them. As they neared the suite, Annabeth pulled them into yet another hiding spot.

Voices were heard down the hall, talking about Aethiopian drakons in the cargo. Maisie recognized one of them, her gut churning.

"Oh my gods," she whispered. "Chris Rodriguez."

Percy frowned, trying to recall his former roommate from cabin eleven. Slowly, his look of concentration turned into a look of understanding. "What's another half-blood doing here?"

"He joined Luke," Maisie said, her voice shaking, slightly laced with terror.

Annabeth let out a silent gasp, then pointed. Dozens of monsters had gathered in the ship, cheering on someone who was slaughtering a dummy. The dummy wore a bright orange Camp-Halfblood T-Shirt.

Maisie tried to hide her unease as they continued walking. Suddenly, Tyson stopped, and starting talking. But his voice wasn't his own. It was Luke's. Specifically Luke's laugh.

"They can't trust Chiron. Not with the skeletons in his closet. The poisoning of the tree was the final straw."

Maisie gasped softly. Annabeth shivered.

"That's so creepy, Tyson," she said.

Tyson frowned. "Just listening."

"Keep going," Percy urged.

"Quiet!" Tyson said, in some other guy's voice. Then, in Luke's, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, right outside."

It took them a beat too long to realize what was happening.

The doors burst open to reveal Luke standing there, Backbiter, his new sword, in his hand, two hairy, armed giants on either side of him.

Luke smiled an evil, crooked smile. "Well, if it isn't my two favourite cousins." His eyes darted to Maisie. Her look was full of hatred, as well as sadness, whilst her expression tipped between bursting into tears or erupting into vile screams.

"Maise," he said simply, venom trying to make its way in his voice, but longing replacing it.

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