ROUGH WATERS

"the tides are uneasy between them"

     SHE LOOKED A BIT MANIACAL WITH HER GRIN. Despite her crazed look, the girl was utterly ready to throw up. Whatever Aphrodite had said made an impact on her well-being. She felt horribly sick, ready to topple over, but she couldn't.

All around the Romans, Charleston Harbor erupted like a Las Vegas fountain putting on a show. When the wall of seawater subsided, the three Romans were in the bay, spluttering and frantically trying to stay afloat in their armor. Percy stood on the dock, holding Ariadne's sword.

"You dropped this," he said, totally poker-faced.

Ariadne ruffled his hair with an enamored smile. Her other hand gripped his tightly. "I love you!"

"Guys," Hazel interrupted. She had a little smile on her face. The embarrassment from earlier must've worn off at the sight of the loving couple. "We need to hurry."

Annabeth seemed shocked her best friend had said those three words, but smirked, nonetheless.

Down in the water, Octavian yelled, "Get me out of here! I'll kill you!"

"Tempting," Percy called down.

"What?" Octavian shouted. He was holding on to one of his guards, who was having trouble keeping them both afloat.

"Nothing!" Percy shouted back. "Let's go, guys."

Hazel frowned. "We can't let them drown, can we?"

"They won't," Percy promised. "I've got the water circulating around their feet. As soon as we're out of range, I'll spit them ashore."

Piper grinned. "Nice."

They climbed aboard the Argo II, and Annabeth ran to the helm. "Piper, get below. Use the sink in the galley for an Iris-message. Warn Jason to get back here!"

Piper nodded and raced off.

"Hazel, go find Coach Hedge and tell him to get his furry hindquarters on deck!"

"Right!"

"And Percy, Ari—all three of us need to get this ship to Fort Sumter."

Percy nodded and Ariadne joined him at the mast. Annabeth took the helm. Her hands flew across the controls.

Ariadne had seen Percy control full-sized sailing ships before with only his willpower. This time, he didn't disappoint. Ropes flew on their own—releasing the dock tied, weighing the anchor. The sails unfurled and caught the wind. Meanwhile Annabeth fired the engine. The oars extended with a sound like machine-gun fire, and the Argo II turned from the dock, heading for the island in the distance.

Ariadne was sending vines toward the three eagles still circled overhead, but they made no attempt to land on the ship. Her vines were swatting while she helped her boyfriend with the sails. More eagles were flying in formation toward Fort Sumter—at least a dozen. If each of them carried a Roman demigod...that was a lot of enemies.

Coach Hedge came pounding up the stairs with Hazel at his hooves.

"Where are they?" he demanded. "Who do I kill?"

"No killing!" Annabeth ordered. "Just defend the ship!"

"But they interrupted a Chuck Norris movie!"

Piper emerged from below. Got a message through to Jason. Kind of fuzzy, but he's already on his way. He should be—oh! There!" Soaring over the city, heading in their direction, was a giant bald eagle, unlike the golden Roman birds.

Leo was holding on to the eagle's feet, and even from the ship, Ariadne could hear him screaming and cursing.

Behind them flew Jason, riding the wind.

"Never seen Jason fly before," Percy grumbled. "He looks like a blond Superman."

"This isn't the time!" Piper scolded him. "Look, they're in trouble!"

Sure enough, the Roman flying chariot descended from a cloud and was diving straight toward them. Jason and Frank veered out of the way, pulling up to avoid getting trampled by the Pegasi. The charioteers fired their bows. Arrows whistled under Leo's feet, which lead to more screaming and cursing. Jason and Frank were forced to overshoot the Argo II and fly toward Fort Sumter.

"I'll get 'em!" yelled Coach Hedge.

He spun the port ballista. Before Annabeth could tell, Hedge fired. A flaming spear rocketed toward the chariot.

It exploded over the heads of the Pegasi and threw them into a panic. Unfortunately it also singed Frank's wings and sent him spiraling out of control. Leo slipped from his grasp. The chariot shot toward Fort Sumter, slamming into Jason.

Jason—obviously dazed and in pain—lunged for Leo, caught him, then struggled to gain altitude. He only managed to slow their fall. They disappeared behind the ramparts of the fort. Frank tumbled after them.

Ariadne swept her hand to the side. She was growing more frustrated by the second. Vines followed her movements. Some grew behind the fort for her friends. The others were swaying in the air to create a dangerous airspace for whatever was over their heads.

"Coach!" Piper screamed.

"What?" Hedge demanded. "That was just a warning shot!"

Annabeth gunned the engines. The hill shuddered as they picked up speed. The docks of the island were only a hundred yards away now, but a dozen more eagles were avoiding the vines, each carrying a Roman demigods in its claws.

The Argo II's crew would be outnumbered at least three to one. Either the Romans listened to Reyna and targeted Ariadne first to take out their greatest threat, or Octavian, who would gun for Percy and Jason while Ariadne knocked back their forces.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "we're going to come in hard. I need you to control the water so we don't smash into the docks. Once we're there, you're going to have to hold off the attackers. The rest of you help him guard the ship."

"But—Jason!" Piper said.

"Frank and Leo!"

"I'll find them," Annabeth promised. "I've got to figure out where the map is. And I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who can do that."

"The fort is crawling with Romans," Percy warned. "You'll have tonight your way through, find our friends—assuming they're okay—find this map, and get everybody back alive. All on your own?"

"Well," Annabeth said, "Ari can be the center of the fighting. She just needs to keep the Romans distracted long enough on the ground."

Ariadne nodded. "You've got it." She kissed Percy. "Whatever you do, don't let them take this ship!"

***

     THE NEW CIVIL WAR HAD BEGUN.

Ariadne hadn't even realized what she was doing halfway through the fight. Her sword was swinging to not slash the demigods, only to ward them off. So far, they had been flocking toward her in heaps as she was perceived to be the biggest threat.

Her lungs were burning, but that was alright. Her eyes switched back and forth between the atmosphere—between the panicked tourists and fighting demigods—to the newly formed Roman ranks advancing toward her and the Argo II, but a miniature storm had gathered over their heads. Though the day was clear all around them, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed above the Romans. Rain and wind pushed them back.

Ariadne grit her teeth when a familiar voice shrieked over the wind: "Kill them! Kill them all!"

Octavian has survived his swim in the harbor. He clutched behind his guards, screaming encouragement at the other Roman demigods as they struggled toward the ship, holding their shields as if that would deflect the storm raging all around them.

On the deck of the Argo II, Percy and Jason stood together, their swords crossed. The boys were working as one, summoning the sky and the sea to do their bidding. Water and wind churned together. Waves heaved against the ramparts and lightning flashed. Giant eagles were knocked out of the sky. Wreckage of the flying chariot burned in the water, and Coach Hedge swung a mounted crossbow, taking potshots at the Toman birds as they flew overhead.

The brunette decided it was high time to get going as her blonde best friend came running toward her.

Ariadne gave Octavian a nasty smirk and a wink before snapping her fingers, grabbing onto a growing vine as she soared toward the deck of the ship. Annabeth leapt for her friend and grabbed her hand, the brunette twisting before they rolled onto the wooden floor of the ship.

"Go!" Annabeth screamed. "Go, go, go!"

The engines rumbled beneath her. The pears churned. Jason changed the course of the wind, and Percy called up a massive wave, which lifted the ship higher than the fort's walls and pushed it out to sea. By the time the Argo II reached top speed, Fort Sumter was only a blot in the distance, and they were racing across the waves toward the ancient lands.

***

     HAZEL AND FRANK WERE SHOUTING FOR THEM TO STOP. Of course, that did nothing to hinder the couple who were arguing. They waved their hands while frantically attempting to pull them apart.

Ariadne and Percy were wrestling on the ground. The boy was tired, but his Brian found a way to overcome that the second Ariadne had began dissing his way of making sure he didn't get hurt. He only wanted to get his mind off of everything, and Annabeth rolled her eyes as the two began arguing and bantering back and forth.

"It's not my fault you're too weak to fight against me!" Ariadne said, smushing his face into the deck while he wrestled against her arms. She had him caged with her knee on his back. "Just give up and we can get on with our lives."

"You're such a loser," Percy remarked, his voice muffled into the wood.

Ariadne scowled before releasing him. Percy and Jason sat with their backs against the mast, their heads slumped in exhaustion. Annabeth and Piper were trying to get them to drink some water while the older brunette calmed Hazel and Frank.

Eventually, they moved away just out of earshot, having an argument that involved lots of arm waving and head shaking.

Everybody gathered at the mast.

Frank scowled like he was trying hard to turn into a bulldog.

"No sign of pursuit," he said.

"Or land," Hazel added.

Ariadne scanned the horizon. Nothing but ocean in every direction. The Sea of Monsters was exactly like that, and her eyes wanted to play tricks on herself. She remembered the sirens who had lured her into the sea.

Leo turned to Annabeth. "Did you find the map you wanted?"

She nodded, though she looked pale.

"I'll have to study it," she said, as if that was the end of the subject. "How far are we from those coordinates?"

"At top rowing speed, about an hour," Leo said. "Any idea what we're looking for?"

"No," she admitted. "Percy?"

Percy raised his head. His green eyes were bloodshot and droopy. "The Nereid said Chiron's brothers were there, and they'd want to hear about that aquarium in Atlanta. I don't know what she meant, but..." He paused, like he'd used up all his energy saying that much. "She also warned me to be careful. Keto, the goddess at the aquarium: she's the mother of sea monsters. She might be stuck in Atlanta, but she can still send her children after us. The Nereid said we should expect an attack."

"Wonderful," Frank muttered.

Jason tried to stand, which wasn't a good idea. Piper grabbed him to keep him from falling over, and he slid back down the mast.

"Can we get the ship aloft?" he asked. "If we could fly—"

"That'd be great," Leo said. "Except Festus tells me the port aerial stabilizer got pulverized when the ship raked against the dock at Fort Sumter."

"We were in a hurry," Annabeth said. "Trying to save you."

"And saving me is a very noble cause," Leo agreed. "I'm just saying, it'll take some time to fix. Until then, we're not flying anywhere."

Percy flexed his shoulders and winced. "Fine with me. The sea is good."

He relaxed once Ariadne placed her hands on his shoulders, letting him lean on her legs. Her hands subconsciously rubbed down his arms and up toward the base of his neck, playing with his hair every now and then.

"Speak for yourself." Hazel glanced at the evening sun, which was almost to the horizon. "We need to go fast. We've burned another day,  and Nico only has three more left."

"We can do it," Leo promised. "We can make it to Rome in three days—assuming, you know, nothing unexpected happens."

Frank grunted. "Is there any good news?"

"Actually, yes," Leo said. "According to Festus, our flying table, Buford, made it back safely while we were in Charleston, so those eagles didn't get him. Unfortunately, he lost the laundry bag with your pants."

"Dang it!" Frank barked, which Leo figured was probably severe profanity for him.

Percy interrupted by doubling over and groaning. He leaned his head against Ariadne's legs, the girl crouching down while turning his head toward her. She whispered something in his ear, which caused him to melt into her arms.

"Did the world just turn upside down?" he asked.

Jason pressed his hands to his head. "Yeah, and it's spinning. Everything is yellow. Is it supposed to be yellow?" Ariadne and Annabeth exchanged concerned looks.

"Summoning that storm really snapped your strength," Piper told the boys. "You've got to rest."

Annabeth nodded in agreement. "Frank, can you help us get the guys belowdecks?"

Frank glanced at Leo, no doubt reluctant to leave him alone with Hazel.

"It's fine, man," Leo said. "Just try not to drop them on the way down the stairs.

Ariadne wrapped Percy's arm around her, wincing slightly at the headache pounding through her brain.

Once the ship tilted to starboard, Ariadne was on her feet. The girl stumbled down the hallway and up the stairs in the blink of an eye to find the source of the disruption.

Her eyes locked onto the monster once it had surfaced. The thing was the length of their ship. In the moonlight, it looked like a cross between a giant shrimp and a cockroach, with a pink chitinous shell, a flat crayfish tail, and millipede-type legs undulating hypnotically as the monster scraped against the hull of the Argo II.

It's head surfaced last—the slimy pink face of an enormous catfish with glassy dead eyes, a gaping toothless maw, and a forest of tentacles sprouting from each nostril.

"Come on, Valdez!" Hedge yelled. "Take the wheel so I can get my baseball bat!"

"A bat won't do anything," Ariadne said. Leo made his way to the helm while she gripped the railing for balance.

Behind her, the rest of her friends stumbled up the stairs. Percy yelled, "What's going—Gah! Shrimpzilla!"

Frank ran to Hazel's side. She was clutching the rigging, but she gestured that she was all right.

The monster rammed the ship again. The hull groaned. Annabeth, Piper, and Jason tumbled to starboard and almost rolled overboard.

Leo reached the helm. His hands flew across the controls. Over the intercom, Festus clacked and clicked about situations happening belowdecks.

Leo toggled the oars. They could convert into spears, which should be enough to drive the creature away. Unfortunately, they were jammed. Shrimpzilla must have knocked them out of alignment, and the monster was in spitting distance, which meant they couldn't use the ballistae without setting the Argo II on fire as well.

"How did it get so close?" Annabeth shouted, pulling herself up on one of the rail shields.

"I don't know!" Hedge snarled. He looked around for his bat, which had rolled across the quarterdeck.

"I'm stupid!" Leo scolded himself. "Stupid, stupid! I forgot the sonar!"

The ship tilted farther to starboard. Either the monster was trying to give them a hug, or it was about to capsize them.

"Sonar!" Hedge demanded. "Pan's pipes, Valdez! Maybe if you hadn't been staring into Hazel's eyes, holding hands for so long—"

"What?" Frank yelped.

"It wasn't like that!" Hazel protested.

"It doesn't matter!" Piper said. "Jason, can you call some lightning?"

Jason struggled to his feet. "I—" He only managed to shake his head. Summoning the storm earlier had taken too much out of him.

"Percy!" Annabeth said. "Can you talk to that thing? Do you know what it is?"

The son of the sea god shook his head, clearly mystified. "Maybe it's just curious about the ship. Maybe—" The monster's tendrils lashed across the deck so fast, none of them had time to move.

One slammed Percy in the chest and sent him crashing down the steps. Another wrapped around Piper's legs and dragged her, screaming, toward the rail. Dozens more tendrils curled around the masts, encircling the crossbows and ripping down the rigging.

Ariadne sucked in a sharp breath the second her vision shifted to a dark purple. It made her practically blind to the tentacles, not noticing them crawling toward her as the ground seemed an endless void. Her hands shook when vines crawled up her feet and wrapped her feet to the wooden deck beneath, keeping her rooted in a deadly position.

Far away, there were those three hags holding balls of yarn and scissors. The second a piece was cut, a pain shook through her body as her heart palpitated weakly in response.

Out of all the times for this, it was during a monster attack. Her crew needed her, but she couldn't move because of the pain and her poor eyesight.

A tentacle took the chance and punched her chest, sending her rolling down the stairs. She landed on something, but her head had hit the railing one too many times, and before she knew it, she blacked out.

Dripping down her nose was a streak of dark purple, and the three hags whispered dark nothings in her ears, of how that blood wouldn't stop until she accepted her fate.

authors note:

I legit feel so tired it's killing me

I'm sorry if I haven't responded to any dms or anything my phone is wack and stuff

This is short and kinda boring but I've been a bit blocked with writing so oh well

Q: Yall fuck with bungou stray dogs?
A: one hundred percent. I'm using Izumi as a faceclaims for something!

Love you guys!