σɾɳιƚԋαʂ (ρʝσ x ɱαʅҽ σƈ)

I Board the Princess Andromeda

Percy's POV

So, I just had a conversation with Hermes, Theo's grandfather and Luke's father.

He ended up giving me a thermos full of powerful winds, four duffel bags, and a pack of multivitamins, and asked me to not give up on Luke. I don't know if that's even possible.

As the conversation ended, a cruise ship appeared in the distance.

I was staring at the waves when Annabeth, Theo, and Tyson found me.

Annabeth: What's going on? We heard you calling for help!

Tyson: Me too! Heard you yell, "Bad things are attacking!"

Percy: I didn't call you, guys. I'm fine.

Theo: Then who—

He noticed the four yellow duffel bags, then the thermos and the bottle of vitamins I was holding.

Theo: (chuckles) Hermes?

Percy: Yeah. Now listen. We don't have much time.

I told them about my conversation with Hermes. By the time I was finished, I could hear screeching in the distance—patrol harpies picking up our scent.

Annabeth: Percy, we have to do the quest.

Percy: We'll get expelled, you know. Trust me, I'm an expert at getting expelled.

Theo: Fuck that, Percy. There won't be a camp to be expelled from if we don't do this.

Percy: Yeah, but you and Annabeth promised Chiron—

Theo: We both swore that we'd keep you safe. We can only do that if we come with you.

Annabeth: Yeah. Besides, Tyson can stay behind and tell them—

Tyson: I want to go.

Annabeth: No! I mean...Percy, come on. You know that's impossible.

I wondered again why she had such a grudge against Cyclopes. There was something she wasn't telling me. I looked at Theo, who looked back at me, and he shrugged.

She and Tyson both looked at me, waiting for an answer. Meanwhile, the cruise ship was getting farther and farther away.

The thing was, part of me didn't want Tyson along. I'd spent the last three days in close quarters with the guy, getting razzed by the other campers and embarrassed a million times a day, constantly reminded that I was related to him. I needed some space.

Plus, I didn't know how much help he'd be, or how I'd keep him safe. Sure, he was strong, but Tyson was a little kid in Cyclops terms, maybe seven or eight years old, mentally. I could see him freaking out and starting to cry while we were trying to sneak past a monster or something. He'd get us all killed.

On the other hand, the sound of the harpies was getting closer...

Percy: We can't leave him. Tantalus will punish him for us being gone.

Theo: Besides, if we're going to the Sea of Monsters, we'll need all the help we can get.

Annabeth: Percy, Theo, we're going to Polyphemus's island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k...a C-y-k...

She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. We could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops.

Annabeth: You know what I mean!

Theo chuckled a bit.

Annabeth: Don't you start, Miller!