𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑, percy jackson

CHAPTER 68! how good he looked if i wasn't so shocked he was still alive

what if i walked up to him and he asked me who i was?

that would ruin my life.

i'll just kill myself. actually, i can't, because that would mean leaving percy alone.

annabeth looked at me, like i was strange.

the clouds broke around their hull, revealing the gold-and-green carpet of the oakland hills below them. annabeth gripped one of the bronze shields that lined the starboard rail.

the other crewmates took their places. i couldn't bring myself to move. i kept myself planted in my seat, trying to get over my paranoia.

on the stern quarterdeck, leo rushed around like a madman, checking his gauges and wrestling lever. most helmsmen would've been satisfied with a pilot's wheel or a tiller.

leo had also installed a keyboard, monitor, aviation controls from a learjet, a dubstep soundboard, and motion-control sensors from a nintendo wii.

he could turn the ship by pulling on the throttle, fire weapons by sampling an album, or raise sails by shaking
his wii controllers really fast.

it looked a little funny, but it was kinda cool.

piper paced back and forth between the mainmast and the ballistae, practicing her lines.

"lower your weapons," she murmured. "we just want to talk."

her charm speak was powerful.

i could tell she was an aphrodite kid.

i love aphrodite!

piper wore jeans and sneakers, and her white tank top was covered in pink hello kitty designs. i liked her more and more.

piper's boyfriend, jason, stood at the bow on the raised crossbow platform,  where the romans could easily spot him.

his knuckles were white on the hilt of his golden sword.

he wore a toga and a purple cloak, symbols of his old rank as praetor, over his orange camp-half blood t-shirt.

he'd grown up at camp jupiter, so hopefully his familiar face would make the romans hesitant to blow the ship out of the sky.

annabeth tried to hide it, but i could tell she didn't completely trust him. she didn't say anything, though.

i tried to remember the summary annabeth had provided me as i panicked and asked for every single detail the moment i'd boarded the ship.

hera had forced a some sort of exchange program to introduce the two camps. she'd convinced the other gods that their two sets of children, roman and greek, had to combine forces to save the world from the evil goddess gaea, who was awakening from the earth, and her horrible children the giants.

without warning, hera had plucked up my boyfriend, wiped his memory, and sent him to the roman camp.

in exchange, the greeks had gotten jason.

i looked out; the valley was at least twice the size of camp half-blood. a small river snaked around one side and curled toward the center like a capital letter g, emptying into a sparkling blue lake.

directly below the ship, nestled at the edge of the lake, the city of new rome gleamed in the sunlight.

a dome was cracked open on a building i didn't recognize. the forum's broad plaza was pitted with craters. some fountains and statues were in ruins.

dozens of kids in togas were streaming out of the senate house to get a better view of the argo ii. more romans emerged from the shops and cafes, gawking and pointing as the ship descended.