Sailing Solo

9

"No, Percy! You are not going to face her again when she comes!"

Percy sat stoically on the bench in the pavilion. All the cabin counselors had gathered almost immediately after the latest raid on the beach. It's been months since the first one and Percy was more reckless this time than usual. They had just finished reporting everything that had happened in everyone's respective sections.

No one had asked what Annabeth whispered to him on that first raid and he hadn't offered to tell anyone.

The first fight had gone as well as they had expected. The teleporting devices that Leo had distributed worked miracles. Especially with demigods who had been wounded to the point of immobility. The Apollo campers had been able to gather them up before too long. Mrs. O'Leary had a blast popping from one monster group to the next and demolishing them.

Now, months later, almost every demigod had a teleportation device and it made the raids more of a nuisance than anything else.

"Piper is right, Percy. I don't know what you're thinking you are going to gain by facing her again but it's not going to happen."

"All it's doing is causing you pain! You know she is one of the only people to have beaten you in a fight!"

His side had been cut open, almost in the exact place Annabeth had hit in training all those months ago when she was starting to pull away and again on the first raid. Will had tried his best to heal it but the fact that it not only reopened the last wound but made it worse means his healing magic isn't going to work as well. It was going to scar this time.

"Jason—"

"Don't you 'Jason' me, Percy." The blond interrupted with his hands on his hips. "You have given us no choice but to put you on land duty."

"Land duty?" It was a question but Percy said it in a voice that lacked any emotion. And his wolf stare made the son of Zeus falter in his stance.

"Yes." Jason was starting to look unsure about his decision now but he straightened his back and kept going. "We're keeping you from the front lines. No beach."

Percy's heartbeat picked up but outwardly he made no move to show he understood what Jason said. Nor the implications of it. Who else would be able to fight back against the monsters rising out of the water? He looked around at the other counselors. Most—like Reyna and Frank—actually seemed to be agreeing with Jason. Some—like Leo—had their heads down awkwardly as if present for a scolding between a parent and their child at a random grocery store.

"Don't think you can sneak over there either," Piper added. "I'm going to have Butch and Frank watch you."

"Babysitting? Really, Pipes?" Percy said in the same tone. He glanced at the two mentioned to see them nodding along. Again; really?

"It's your own fault!" She protested. "If you hadn't gotten hurt this time and insisted on putting yourself in situations where you practically sacrifice yourself, we wouldn't have to do this!"

All he did in response to that was shake his head and move to get up from the bench.

"Oh, no. Where are you going?" A hand appeared out of nowhere on his chest, pushing him back.

"I'm going to my cabin, Will." Percy said with all the patience in the world. "The meeting was over a while ago."

Will blinked in surprise. "Oh." Then he narrowed his eyes. "Where are you really going?"

"My cabin, Will. Do you need to escort me there to be sure?"

Will relaxed at that. "Sure, let's go."

-            -            -

"Why didn't you believe him, Will?" Nico asked once the son of Apollo got back from taking Percy to his cabin. He sat on the bench that Percy had just recently vacated. The rest of the counselors had left already. Piper and Jason were the only ones to stay behind. "Aren't you able to tell if people are lying?"

"It's been hard with him lately." Will admitted. "I can't tell if he's lying or telling the truth nowadays. He's changed."

"Yeah, ever since..." Piper trailed off, refusing to finish the thought. "Ever since then, he's been a lot more resistant to Charmspeak too. I try getting him to go to sleep, or to eat something, or even take a walk with me but he completely ignores it."

"He pushes himself too hard in training," Will sighed. "I see him in the infirmary every other day and every time he says he's not doing any more than healthy and it wouldn't seem like he was lying if it weren't for the way his body is so obviously exhausted."

"What are we going to do?" Jason asked the small group. "Nothing we've done is working."

"Just keep an eye on him." Nico said. His normally closed off expression was sad as he looked in the direction of Percy's cabin. "There's not much else we can do besides win this war against Pontus."

"But without a prophecy..." Piper trailed off again, worry evident on her face.

"We have to hope." Will said. "Dad's working on it. I just know it."

-            -            -

"We're just doing this because we care, Percy. You know that, right?" Will said quietly as they walked slowly to the Poseidon cabin.

"Yes, Will." Percy sent a small smile towards the younger boy. "I know. Thank you."

Will smiled back uncertainly and stayed quiet for the rest of the walk.

Percy entered his cabin, assured Will that he wouldn't do any training for the rest of the day, and shut the door. He waited by the door to hear Will's footsteps walk away before dashing to his closet. He flung the doors open as silently as he could in case anyone was nearby. He rummaged through the piles of clothes before he finally found what he was looking for. A crumpled piece of receipt paper from McDonalds.

Written in bronze ink on the back, was the prophecy they were living that moment.

"One sacrifice to share." He muttered under his breath. "Styx."