● _____《°•○ \|/ ○•°》_____ ●.

RIDING HIPPOCAMPI WAS EASIER THAN RIDING PEGASI. andromeda zipped along with the wind in her face, speeding through the waves so smooth and steady, she almost didn't needed to hold on at all.

as they got closer to the cruise ship, it dawned on her just how huge it was. she felt as though she were looking at a building in manhattan. the white hull was at least ten stories tall, topped with another dozen levels of decks with brightly lit balconies and portholes. the ship's name was painted just above the bow line in black letters, lit with a spotlight:

princess andromeda

"your highness!" percy mocked. "such noble company you make,"

"is that how you speak to a princess, jackson?"

"if you were royalty, the kingdom would be doomed."

"we're kind of invading a warship, if you don't mind," annabeth shouted above the waves.

attached to the bow was a huge masthead — a three-story-tall woman wearing a white greek chiton, sculpted to look as if she were chained to the front of the ship. she was young and beautiful, with flowing black hair, but her expression was one of absolute terror.

"how do we get aboard?" annabeth shouted over the noise of the waves.

but the hippocampi seemed to know what was needed. they skimmed along the starboard side of the ship, riding easily through its huge wake, and pulled up next to a service ladder riveted to the side of the hull.

"you first,"

annabeth slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and grabbed the bottom rung. she hoisted herself onto the ladder and began climbing, her ride whinnied a farewell and dove underwater. a few rungs up, percy followed her, extending an arm to andromeda. she looked at it.

"you sure you want me along? i could always —"

but he caught her hand and pulled her with such force, she had to step on the first rung. her hippocampus retreated into the water.

now it was just tyson in the water. his hippocampus was treating him to three-sixty-degree aerials and backward ollies, and tyson was laughing so hysterically, the sound echoed up the side of the ship.

"tyson, shhh!" percy put a finger on his lips. "come on, big guy!"

"can't we take rainbow?" he asked.

percy stared at him. "rainbow?"

the hippocampus whinnied as if he liked his new name.

"um, we have to go, and rainbow, well. . ."

"he can't climb ladders." andromeda completed.

tyson sniffled. he buried his face in the hippocampus's mane. "i will miss you, rainbow!"

the hippocampus made a neighing sound andromeda could've sworn was crying.

"maybe we'll see him again sometime," andromeda suggested.

"oh, please!" tyson said, perking up immediately. "tomorrow!"

nobody made any promises, but percy convinced tyson to say his farewells and grab hold of the ladder. with a final sad whinny, rainbow did a back-flip and dove into the sea.

the ladder led to a maintenance deck stacked with yellow lifeboats. there was a set of locked double doors, which andromeda melted with a heating spell.

she thought they'd have to sneak around, being intruders, but after checking a few corridors and peering over a balcony into a huge central promenade lined with closed shops, she realized there was nobody to hide from. well, it was the middle of the night, but they'd walked half the length of the boat and met no one. passed forty-fifty cabin doors with no sound behind any.

"it's a ghost ship," percy murmured.

"no," tyson said, fiddling with the strap of his duffel bag. "bad smell."

annabeth frowned. "i don't smell anything."

"cyclopes are like satyrs," andromeda said. "they can smell monsters. right, tyson?"

he nodded nervously. since being away from camp half-blood, the mist had distorted his face. if andromeda didn't will to see him clearly, the mist clouded her vision and tyson appeared to have two eyes.

"okay," annabeth said. "so what exactly do you smell?"

"something bad,"

"great, that clears it up."

"cut him some slack, 'beth." andromeda layed a hand on her shoulder.

the four came outside on the swimming pool level. there were rows of empty deck chairs and a bar closed off with a chain curtain. the water in the pool glowed eerily, sloshing back and forth from the motion of the ship.

above them fore and aft were more levels — a climbing wall, a putt-putt golf course, a revolving restaurant, but no sign of life. and yet. . .andromeda sensed some familiar magic. dangerous. she tried to nail it down, but couldn't place it.

"we need a hiding place," said percy. "somewhere safe to sleep."

"sleep," annabeth agreed wearily.

they went through a few more corridors until an empty suite was found on the ninth level. the door was open. a basket of chocolate snacks lay on the table, an iced-down bottle of sparkling cider on the nightstand, and a mint on the pillow with a handwritten note; enjoy your cruise!

they opened their duffel bags for the first time and indeed, hermes really had thought of everything — extra clothes, toiletries, camp rations, a ziploc bag full of cash, a leather pouch full of golden drachmas. he'd even managed to pack tyson's oilcloth with his tools and metal bits, annabeth's cap of invisibility, and andromeda's spellbook, making them all feel a lot better.

"we'll be front door," annabeth said.

"don't drink or eat anything." andromeda warned.

"you think this place is enchanted?" percy eyed her curiously.

she frowned. "i don't know. i sense some magic. just. . .be careful."

"good night,"

"'night," the girls echoed faintly.

when they entered their room, the same repeated. the basket of snacks, chilled cider, and a note. the worst thing was that she couldn't see the moon from anywhere in the room.

"you'll see it as the ship goes forward," annabeth consoled her.

"no. it's on the other side. if the ship keeps moving in this direction, i never will!" andromed frustratedly rambled.

annabeth yawned, nestling on the bed in the opposite corner. she muttered 'good night' and andromeda returned the greeting quietly.

while annabeth fell asleep due to severe fatigue, andromeda layed awake due to the lack of moon in her sight. she felt uneasy. fueled by determination, she woke up from her spot and trudged out of her room. she now stood before the door of the room in front of her's. she opened the door, she didn't think anyone would be awake. but when she did —

whoosh!

a sword swung past her, and for a moment she thought someone had taken percy and tyson, she closed her eyes and casted a freezing charm.

thud. their body fell to the floor. and upon opening her eyes, andromeda saw -

"jackson? what were you attacking me for!"

with a conditional spell, she unfreezed him.

"what were doing at the cabin door you're suppose to be asleep!" percy countered.

"i could ask you the same!"

"forget it," he shook his head as he stood up. "why are you here?"

andromeda moved past him and sat before the window. "for the moon. it isn't visible from my side and. . .well, i can't fall asleep without seeing it,"

"what do you do when it doesn't show?" percy sat beside her.

"the moon is always there. just the light it reflects from the sun is varied every two-three days. so when it reflects none light, i just use my instincts to place it and usually, it turns out right."

they sat close, watching the silver moon shine upon them.

"why can't you sleep?"

percy alarmed. "i kept hearing voices out in the hallway, like whispering. and i know that couldn't be, we've walked all over the ship and seen nobody. but they kept me awake. so when you opened the door, i was very scared. they remind me of my trip to the underworld — the way the spirits of the dead sounded as they drifted past."

"from what annabeth says, it couldn't have been fun,"

"it wasn't. we barely made it out." percy frowned.

"but, you know, i wasn't surprised when you returned. you magical aura was so strong, it surpassed those of monsters."

"but what's so great and mighty about water?"

andromeda looked at him, unaware of how he didn't know the expand of his domain.

"water is adaptable. it's a vital element. without water, living things would die of thirst. humans have a high amount of water. water is used in innumerous liquids. and, i think, if you breached out, you could control them all."

"all i can do is make toilets explode."

"you grow into your power. you're born with potential; you harness that potential over time."

"but. . .you do so much." percy looked at her. "you do so many things and you're as young as me."

"but i also can't do many things. things way more important than what i can do."

percy stared at her. the way her eyes were focused on the moon, who's light revealed to him the scar on her cheekbone.

"how did you get that?" he pointed to the spot on his face.

she laughed as she touched it. "my first time with a weapon. i managed to cut myself,"

"does it hurt?"

"well, it reminds me i could never fight."

"i think you can. with the correct weapon. i think you need something long-range. like a javelin, or a spear."

andromeda thought about it. she never had fought with something 'long range' before. always swords and daggers. maybe she could fight. she just had the wrong weapon to do so.

she smiled, "you're very similiar to you namesake, y'know? that perseus always won."

"that's why my mom named me after him," percy explained.

"even though he was a son of zeus and you are a son of poseidon?"

"he was one of the only heroes in the greek myths who got a happy ending. the others died — betrayed, mauled, mutilated, poisoned, or cursed by the gods. my mom hoped i would inherit perseus's luck. judging by how my life's going so far, i'm not real optimistic."

"i think you are." andromeda studied him as he observed the sky. "perseus beheaded medusa. so have you. he was known to be skilled with a sword, so are you. on the quest to slay medusa, perseus was guided by hermes. so are you. perseus defeated a titan, you defeated a god, close enough."

"didn't he save some girl from the rocks?"

andromeda nodded. "andromeda: my namesake was chained to the rocks by her parents as sacrifice to the sea monster ceto. perseus was on the way back to his home after defeating medusa, and he saw her, fell in love, saved her, and was offered her hand as a reward."

"well i hope you aren't getting chained to a rock anytime soon,"

"what? you'd fall in love with me?"

"yeah right, jackass."

"dumbass."

percy yawned.

"go to sleep." andromeda ordered.

"what if i don't? you'll brag about your beauty to me?"

"that was her parents," andromeda rolled her eyes. "but if you ask me, the sea nymphs had a bit of an inflated ego,"

"it does seem weird," percy said, laying down on the wooden floor. "gods have time to answer prayers but not their children?"

andromeda shrugged. "out of all the greek myths i know, this seems tame."

"what's the craziest one you know?"

"go to sleep, hero."

"you're actually a good storyteller,"

andromeda smiled. and percy adored the sight. the violet in her eyes seemed enhanced in the glow of the moon.

"maybe another time. both of us are tired."

he hummed as he turned face down.

● _____《°•○ \|/ ○•°》_____ ●

"andy, wake up!"

it was annabeth, shaking her violently.

"do you want her brains to fall out?"

"you try, then, seaweed brain!"

andromeda released a prolongated 'shh'. "i'm trying to sleep,"

"you'll miss disembowling practice,"

"who're we chopping up?" andromeda sat up.

"that caught your attention," percy smirked as he kneeled.

"get up and dressed. we've got some investigating to do."

once dressed, they ventured out into the ship and this time, there were other people there. a dozen senior citizens were heading to breakfast. a dad was taking his kids to the pool for a morning swim. crew members in crisp white uniforms strolled the deck, tipping their hats to the passengers.

nobody asked who they were. but there was something wrong. as the family of swimmers passed, the dad echoed: "we are on a cruise. we are having fun."

"yes," his three kids synchronized. "we are having a blast. we will swim in the pool."

they wandered off.

"they seem to be in a trance," andromeda peeked at their faces.

"good morning," a crew member said, his eyes glazed. "we are all enjoying ourselves aboard the princess andromeda. have a nice day." he drifted away.

"yeah, this is weird," annabeth declared in a whisper.

they passed a cafeteria and saw the first monster. it was a hellhound — a black mastiff with its front paws up on the buffet line, its muzzle buried in the scrambled eggs, looking young, because it was small compared to most (no bigger than a grizzly bear).

though the stranger thing was a middle-aged couple was standing in the buffet line right behind it, patiently waiting their turn for the eggs. they didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"not hungry anymore," tyson murmured.

before anyone could say anything, a reptilian voice came from down the corridor, "ssssix more joined yesssterday."

andromeda's blood turned cold. her body stiff. that whisper. that eerie whisper drew the soul out of her. she felt someone take her hand and drag her away. a door locked before her face.

something — two somethings — slithered past the door, making the sound a rough knife would on wood.

"yesss," a second reptilian voice said. "he drawssss them. ssssoon we will be sssstrong."

the things slithered into the cafeteria with a cold hissing that was surely laughter.

andromeda breathed in. she whispered delicately. "we have to get out of here."

"you think i want to be in the girls' restroom?"

"she means the ship, percy!" annabeth agreed, her hand firmly clasping her friend's. "we have to get off the ship."

"smells bad," tyson agreed. "and dogs eat all the eggs. they are right. we must leave the restroom and ship."

andromeda shuddered. she didn't want to fight and lose against the same monster twice.

then, another voice was heard — one that made andromeda go paralyzed, her heart raced and hands compressed.

"— only a matter of time. don't push me, agrius!"

it was luke, beyond a doubt. she could recognize that voice anywhere. her fear melted into sadness, which then diluted with vengeance and transformed into rage. she wanted to bust down the door and kick him off the ship.

"i'm not pushing you!" another guy growled. his voice was deeper and even angrier than luke's. "i'm just saying, if this gamble doesn't pay off —"

"it'll pay off," luke snapped. "they'll take the bait. now, come, we've got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket."

their voices receded down the corridor.

agrius. she knew the monster's story. he had a brother, oreius. if luke had them on his side, it would be hard to take him on now.

tyson whimpered. "leave now?"

the three demigods exchanged looks and came to a silent agreement.

"we can't," percy told tyson.

"we have to find out what luke is up to," annabeth agreed.

"and if possible, we're going to beat him up, bind him in chains, and drag him to olympus." andromeda glared as she spoke.

"i'll scout." annabeth volunteered. "i have the cap of invisibility."

"too dangerous," andromeda shook her head.

"how else are we going to do it?"

"i could use my magic," andromeda suggested.

"and that's not dangerous?" percy questioned with a trademark of sarcasm.

"i don't attract as many monsters."

"that doesn't mean you should sign yourself up for trouble."

"jackson. just yesterday, we sneaked out of camp and invaded a cruise ship of the enemy. i think invisible scouting with the best chances is minimalistic."

"i hate you."

"touche."

"you're not going, though."

"you wanted me to come! let me be of use!"

"not like this!"

"okay, quiet!" annabeth shushed them. "i'm going."

"no! you could attract monsters! i have a weaker scent. i'll go."

"no. either we all go together, or nobody goes." percy decided.

"nobody!" tyson voted. "please?"

but in the end he came along, nervously chewing on his huge fingernails. they stopped at their cabins long enough to gather their stuff. unspokenly deciding that no matter the circumstances, they would not be staying on the ship another night. tyson carried everything, which worried percy, annabeth told him not to. tyson could carry four full duffel bags over his shoulder without a fuss.

they sneaked through the corridors, following the ship's 'you are here' signs toward the admiralty suite. andromeda used her magic to hide them with the mist, but they still ducked whenever someone passed by (mostly dazed passengers).

as they came up the stairs to deck thirteen, where the admiralty suite was supposed to be, andromeda sensed magic. she warned, "hide!" and shoved the others into a supply closet.

a couple of guys were heard coming down the hall.

"you see that aethiopian drakon in the cargo hold?" one of them said.

the other laughed. "yeah, it's awesome."

andromeda flinched back in shock, her hands clamping around someone else's. she knew that voice.

"i hear they got two more coming," the familiar voice said. "hey keep arriving at this rate, oh, man - no contest!"

he voices faded down the corridor.

"that was chris rodriguez!" annabeth exclaimed.

"from cabin eleven." andromeda muttered sadly.

he was one of those undetermined campers who got stuck in the hermes cabin because his olympian dad or mom never claimed him. now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen chris in the cabin this summer. "what's another half-blood doing here?"

annabeth shook her head, clearly troubled.

as they kept going down the corridor, andromeda sensed something cold and unpleasant - the presence of evil. luke.

"guys." annabeth stopped suddenly. "look."

he stood in front of a glass wall looking down into the multistory canyon that ran through the middle of the ship. at the bottom was the promenade — a mall full of shops — but that's not what had caught annabeth's attention. a group of monsters had assembled in front of the candy store, a dozen laistrygonian giants, two hellhounds, and scythian dracaenae. . .it was andromeda's worst nightmare. her whole body shivered with fear.

"you've got us this time." annabeth said with determination, watching the look on her friend's face.

"that's what i don't like. i don't want you guys hurt —"

"you won't."

the monsters made a semicircle around a young guy in greek armor who was hacking on a straw dummy. her throat closed up seeing the dummy wearing an orange camp half-blood t-shirt. they watched as the guy in armor stabbed the dummy through its belly and ripped upward. straw flew everywhere. the monsters cheered and howled.

annabeth sucked a breath through her teeth and closed her eyes, turning away from the window. while andromeda could only visualize the scene from camp. a dracaena towering over her with the sharpest blade —

"come on," percy intervened. "the sooner we find luke the better."

andromeda only now realized that she was still holding his hand from the shock. she slipped it out quietly.

at the end of the hallway were double oak doors that looked like they lead to somewhere a secret meeting could be held. about were thirty feet away, tyson stopped. "voices inside."

"you can hear that far?"

tyson closed his eye like he was concentrating hard. then his voice changed, becoming an imitation of luke's. "— the prophecy ourselves. the fools won't know which way to turn."

andromeda could see annabeth from her periphery, her face ashen.

tyson's voice changed again, becoming deeper and gruffer, like agrius's. "you really think the old horseman is gone for good?"

tyson laughed luke's laugh. "they can't trust him. not with the skeletons in his closet. the poisoning of the tree was the final straw."

annabeth shivered. "stop that tyson! how do you do that? it's creepy."

tyson opened his eye and looked puzzled. "just listening."

"keep going," percy said. "what else are they saying?"

"jackson!" andromeda scolded, gesturing to annabeth.

"what? we could hear something useful!"

"it's fine," annabeth waved off.

tyson closed his eye again.

he hissed in the gruff man's voice; "quiet!" then luke's voice, whispering: "are you sure?"

"yes," tyson said in the gruff voice. "right outside."

"run!"

the words had only left percy's mouth when the doors burst open and there was luke, flanked by two hairy giants armed with javelins, their bronze tips aimed right at our chests.

"well," luke said with a crooked smile. "if it isn't my two favorite cousins."

● _____《°•○ \|/ ○•°》_____ ●

the stateroom was beautifully horrid.

the beautiful part: huge windows curved along the back wall, looking out over the stern of the ship. green sea and blue sky stretched all the way to the horizon. a persian rug covered the floor. two plush sofas occupied the middle of the room, with a canopied bed in one corner and a mahogany dining table in the other. the table was loaded with food - pizza boxes, bottles of soda, and a stack of roast beef sandwiches on a silver platter.

the horrid part: on a velvet dais at the back of the room lay a ten-foot-long golden casket.
a sarcophagus, engraved with ancient greek scenes of cities in flames and heroes dying grisly deaths. despite the sunlight streaming through the windows, the casket made the whole room feel cold.

"well," luke said, spreading his arms proudly. "a little nicer than cabin eleven, huh?"

he'd changed since the last summer. instead of bermuda shorts and a t-shirt, he wore a button-down shirt, khaki pants, and leather loafers. his sandy hair, which used to be so unruly, was now clipped short.

he still had the scar under his eye — a jagged white line from his quest. and propped against the sofa was his magical sword, backbiter. a half-steel, half-celestial bronze blade that could kill both mortals and monsters.

"sit," he offered. he waved his hand and four dining chairs scooted themselves into the center of the room.

none of them sat.

luke's giants were still pointing their javelins at them, inhumane twins. they stood about eight feet tall and wore only blue jeans, probably because their enormous chests were already shag-carpeted with thick brown fur. they had claws for fingernails, feet like paws. their noses were snoutlike, and their teeth were all pointed canines.

"where are my manners?" luke said smoothly. "these are my assistants —"

"agrius and oreius." andromeda interrupted him.

luke smirked. "perhaps you've heard of them."

andromeda glared at him.

"you know their story, too?"

she didn't answer.

"what a shame. well agrius and oreius's story. . .it's sad, really. aphrodite ordered the young woman to fall in love. she refused and ran to artemis for help. artemis let her become one of her maiden huntresses, but aphrodite got her revenge. she bewitched the young woman into falling in love with a bear. when artemis found out, she abandoned the girl in disgust. typical of the gods, wouldn't you say? they fight with one another and the poor humans get caught in the middle. the girl's twin sons here, agrius and oreius, have no love for olympus. they like half-bloods well enough, though. . ."

"for lunch," agrius growled.

"hehe! hehe!" his brother oreius laughed, licking his fur-lined lips. he kept laughing like he was having an asthma attack until luke and agrius both stared at him.

"shut up, you idiot!" agrius growled. "go punish yourself!"

oreius whimpered. he trudged over to the corner of the room, slumped onto a stool, and banged his forehead against the dining table, making the silver plates rattle.

"their mother must be proud," andromeda pursed her lips.

but luke acted like this was perfectly normal behavior. he made himself comfortable on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. "well, percy, we let you survive another year. i hope you appreciated it. how's your mom? how's school?"

"you poisoned thalia's tree." percy sneered.

luke sighed. "right to the point, eh? okay, sure i poisoned the tree. so what?"

"how could you?" annabeth angered voice echoed in the chamber. "thalia saved your life! our lives! how could you dishonor her —"

"i didn't dishonor her!" luke snapped. "the gods dishonored her, annabeth! if thalia were alive, she'd be on my side."

"liar!"

"if you knew what was coming, you'd understand —"

"i understand you want to destroy the camp!" she yelled. "you're a monster!"

luke shook his head. "the gods have blinded you. can't you imagine a world without them, annabeth? what good is that ancient history you study? three thousand years of baggage! the west is rotten to the core. it has to be destroyed. join me! we can start the world anew. we could use your intelligence, annabeth."

"because you have none of your own!"

his eyes narrowed. "i know you, annabeth. you deserve better than tagging along on some hopeless quest to save the camp. half-blood hill will be overrun by monsters within the month. the heroes who survive will have no choice but to join us or be hunted to extinction. you really want to be on a losing team. . .with company like this?" luke pointed at tyson.

"hey!" percy defended.

"traveling with a cyclops," luke chided. "talk about dishonoring thalia's memory! i'm surprised at you, annabeth. you of all people —"

"stop it!" she shouted, burying her head in her hands like she was about to cry.

"honestly luke," andromeda spoke up. "does this entertain you? betraying all those you loved you and cared for? i thought you were better than this,"

"this isn't for entertainment. it's for justice. you have always hated zeus too, haven't you? tell me, does it still hurt?"

he traced her upper arm, shivers ran down her body, the scar on her skin perked up, burning from the inside. it was like a reignition of the electricity that had bolted through her that cursed moment.

"no. but now that you've touched it, it's filthy."

"your tongue is the only weapon you can handle, isn't it? still hurting yourself with swords?"

"i'm going to hurt you soon."

"you never will. and it's been proven to you."

"it wasn't you i lost against!" andromeda countered.

"oh but it was my doing. i set that monster there, i made sure you would have to the forest for firewood, but you took your friends, too, so i thought, the more the merrier and. . ."

just turning around the path to the hill, andromeda heard silence. which was absurd. evan and jasmine were mever silent in the forest. she searched around for them. but found their belongings instead.

by the foot of an oak tree, sat jasmine's flower crown. andromeda picked it up. she casted a spell and followed the trail the crown lead her to, behind the oak tree, through the low-cut bushes and high grass, was the worst sight andromeda had ever seen.

jasmine being choked by a reptilian woman, evander passed out by the foot of the bush nearest to her, blood trickling from his temple.

andromeda dropped the sticks and held her hand out to the monsters, enclosing her fist as the woman threw jasmine away, screeching. with her other hand, andromeda used her powers to bring jasmine safely down on the ground.

the monster unsheated her weapon. andromeda had none. she battled it, dodging the blade and trying to divert it away from her friends. she doubted she could win, but she could keep her off them. she hesitated.

and within minutes, her reptilian tail was choking her, making her vision cloud, if she hadn't casted that heating spell she newly formed, andromeda would be dead. she stood before her friends, her mishappen excuse of a shield before them.

evan woke up and fought weakly, within minutes, the dracaena had been slayed by his clestial bronze sword.

and though he was victorious, andromeda was not. she had almost lost her friends. and although it was only almost she reminded herself that if evan hadn't gained consciousness, it wouldn't be just an almost.

"you almost killed yourself, and them." luke smiled with satisfaction. "almost, unfortunately."

andromeda had her jaw clenched, her fists clamped and her eyes pressed shut in hopes of not letting her tears fall.

"when i kill you, i won't stop at an almost."

luke smiled wider. "you want to. to protect them. you think you'll end up injuring them, too. and you're right. you can protect no one."

hearing luke, her mentor, her brother, her trainer, her best friend say that, it hurt like hell. she wanted to tell him off. but she knew he was truthful in his words. she couldn't protect anyone. not evander or jasmine that night, not annabeth or percy today. . .not even herself.

she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"she tried to protect you."percy said monotonly. "and it wasn't her fault she couldn't. you chose to be like this. now leave her alone. leave all of them, alone."

luke laughed. "getting attached, i see. oh, yeah, i heard. you have a knew brother,"

luke smiled. "yes, percy, i know all about that. and about your plan to find the fleece. what were those coordinates, again. . .thirty, thirty-one, seventy-five, twelve? you see, i still have friends at camp who keep me posted."

"spies, you mean."

he shrugged. "how many insults from your father can you stand, percy? you think he's grateful to you? you think poseidon cares for you anymore than he cares for this monster?"

tyson clenched his fists and made a rumbling sound down in his throat.

luke just chuckled. "the gods are so using you, percy. do you have any idea what's in store for you if you reach your sixteenth birthday? has chiron even told you the prophecy?"

percy hated how luke was getting under his skin. affecting him. he realized that was what he did. he preyed at people's weak spots. annabeth with thalia, andromeda with her lack of skills in combat. and him with lack of knowledge of his own future.

"i know what i need to know," he managed. "like, who my enemies are."

"then you're a fool."

tyson smashed the nearest dining chair to splinters. "percy is not a fool!"

before he could be stopped, he charge luke. his fists came down toward luke's head — it would be satisfying to see him punch the guy, but the bear twins intercepted.

they each caught one of tyson's arms and stopped him, pushing him back, tyson stumbled. he fell to the carpet hard enough to make the deck shake.

"too bad, cyclops," luke said. "looks like my grizzly friends together are more than a match for your strength. maybe i should let them —"

"luke," percy cut in. "listen to me. your father sent us."

his face fell. "don't — even — mention him."

"he told us to take this boat. i thought it was just for a ride, but he sent us here to find you. he told me he won't give up on you, no matter how angry you are."

"he abandoned me, percy!" luke roared. "i want olympus destroyed! every throne crushed to rubble! you tell hermes it's going to happen, too. each time a half-blood joins us, the olympians grow weaker and we grow stronger. he grows stronger." luke pointed to the gold sarcophagus.

the box disgusted her, but andromeda was determined not to show it.

"so?" percy demanded. "what's so special about it?"

"percy, think. demolishing the gods, golden sarcophagus, growing stronger?" andromeda stressed each aspect.

the moment he realized, the room went abnormally cold.

"whoa, you don't mean —"

"he's re-forming," luke said. "little by little, we're calling his life force out of the pit. with every recruit who pledges our cause, another small piece appears -"

"that's disgusting!"

"athena was born from zeus's split skull, annabeth. i wouldn't talk. soon there will be enough of the titan lord so that we can make him whole again. we will piece together a new body for him, a work worthy of the forges of hephaestus."

"you're insane," andromeda declared.

"join us and you'll be rewarded. we have powerful friends, sponsors rich enough to buy this cruise ship and more. percy, your mother will never have to work again. you can buy her a mansion. you can have power, fame — whatever you want."

"annabeth, you can realize your dream of being an architect. you can build a monument to last a thousand years. a temple to the lords of the next age!"

"andromeda, your talents can be awed at. a master of choices and magic. you can speed up the process and acquire excellent results. every aspect of magic can be yours!"

"go to tartarus," annabeth pulled the brunette back in defense.

luke sighed. "a shame."

he picked up something and pressed a red button. within seconds the door of the stateroom opened and two uniformed, entranced crew members came in, armed with nightsticks.

"ah, good, security," luke said, "i'm afraid we have some stowaways."

● _____《°•○ \|/ ○•°》_____ ●

maturity is realizing how deeply annabeth must've been hurt by luke to cling onto the hope of his reform