𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑, percy jackson

CHAPTER 74! cherry frowned. all that boy ever knew was torture

she pointed to where the argo ii was docked. "get the others aboard! retreat!"

"what about you?" he called.

"don't wait for me!" annabeth shook her head.

a spear flew past her ear.

the argo ii was already pulling away from the dock.

piper was at the gangplank, her hand outstretched. annabeth leaped and grabbed piper's hand.

the gangplank fell into the sea, and the two girls tumbled onto the deck.

"go!" annabeth screamed. "go, go, go!"

the engines rumbled beneath her. the oars churned. jason changed the course of the wind, and percy called up a massive wave, which rifted 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.

"at least we're all alive." cherry spoke.

"barely, but yeah." percy nodded.

« ───── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ───── »

leo, jason, and crank hadn't found anything in the civil war sub or elsewhere in the museum. when they tried to inspect the artifacts, a whole battalion of glowing zombie dudes in gray uniforms.

the idea that frank should be able to control the spirits? failed.

now, as the argo ii raced across the waves, leo had to use all his skill just to keep the ship in one piece.

percy and jason were a little too good at creating massive storms.

a nereida told percy that he needed to seek help from chiron's brothers. annabeth gave leo the coordinates.

the location was in the middle of the atlantic.

after forever, the sea calmed and the winds died.

"valdez," said coach hedge, with surprising gentleness. "let me take the wheel. you've been steering for two hours."

"two hours?" leo asked.

"yeah. give me the wheel."

"coach?"

"yeah, kid?"

"i can't unclench my hands."

coach hedge managed to pry him from the wheel.

leo took one last look at the console, listening to festus chatter and whir a status report. leo felt like he was forgetting something. he stared at the controls, trying to think, but it was no good. his eyes could hardly focus.

"just watch for monsters," he told the coach. "and be careful with the damaged stabilizer. and-"

"i've got it covered," coach hedge promised. "now, go away!"

leo nodded wearily.

he staggered across the deck toward his friends.

percy and jason sat with their backs against the mast, their heads slumped in exhaustion.

hazel and frank stood just out of earshot, in the middle of an argument, cherry focused on percy, trying not to accidentally overhear her friends conversation.

everybody gathered at the mast.

frank scowled like he was trying hard to turn into a bulldog. "no sign of pursuit,"