CW: Suicidal thoughts
The Aegean Sea
The storm came out of nowhere. Percy had been talking and keeping watch with Annabeth on deck when suddenly the winds picked up and the sea started heaving like some giant was sloshing it around like a bucket of paint. Lightning flashed and rain poured from the sky, and within seconds they were caught in a hurricane.
A wave the size of a small skyscraper crashed over the deck, ripping the sails and breaking some of the oars. The rails snapped. Venti swirled overhead. The clouds were so dark, Percy could barely believe it had been sunny only seconds ago.
Piper, Frank, Leo, and Hazel rushed onto the deck.
"What's going on?" Leo yelled. Percy could barely hear him.
A wave rocked the ship and Annabeth grabbed onto Percy to keep her balance. Hazel hugged her stomach as her face turned green, and she ran back below deck.
"Storm!" Percy answered, although he realized that was pretty obvious.
"Can you tell what's causing it?" Annabeth asked.
Percy cocked his head, concentrating. He could feel something underwater, beneath the ship, but he wasn't sure what. What he did know was that whatever it was, it was to blame for this insane storm.
"There's something down there!" Percy yelled.
Annabeth opened her mouth only to get hit with a blast of seawater as another wave crashed over the deck. More sails ripped and the rigging was damaged.
Annabeth coughed up water and then put on her planning face. "Okay, it won't matter what's causing this if we don't keep the ship afloat. Frank—see if you can untangle the oars. Piper and I will try to save the rigging. Leo, work on getting this ship airborne. I don't know if it'll be much better, but these waves will capsize us if we stay here much longer. Percy—you have to do everything you can to keep us afloat until we can get in the air."
Percy nodded and raced to the center mast. Leo slid into place at the console and lashed himself in with a bungee cord. Frank turned into a gorilla and hung upside down from the starboard rail. Piper and Annabeth hurried to the rigging, and Festus spewed fire at the rain, though that didn't seem to discourage the storm.
Percy put all of that out of his mind. He spread his arms like he was on a tightrope and sunk into the rhythm of the sea. He felt the tug in his gut, and something else. There was something fighting against him—something much stronger than Chrysaor or Phorcys had been. Whatever was down there, it was powerful, and it was doing everything it could to sink their ship. This wasn't going to be easy.
The ship tilted. Percy pushed in the opposite direction, and the hull stabilized. A wave loomed over the ship, ready to do its best to bring them down, but Percy wasn't allowing that. He summoned a giant fist of water from the ocean and punched the wave, breaking its form so it only hit the Argo II like a heavy rain.
It was difficult. It took all of Percy's concentration, so he was quickly soaked to the bone. His hair was plastered to his face, and his clothes were drenched and ripped; but it felt good to be back in the sea, to be doing something he knew he could handle. This was Percy's strength, and he would be damned if he failed his crew now.
But the storm showed no signs of stopping. Whatever was causing it was just as determined as Percy was. Waves formed faster than he could catch, and one wave the size of a skyscraper crashed over the forward deck, washing the front crossbows and half the port railing out to sea.
Leo was getting smacked into his control board like a human paddleball with each wave that hit. Piper and Annabeth were working like a well-oiled machine without even talking, which they'd been doing since Sparta. It was good that they worked so well, since they couldn't have heard each other over the storm. Frank was still hanging from the rail using his immense strength and flexible feet to hang on while he untangled the oars.
Percy kept going. He kept pushing from side to side to stabilize the ship, and summoning fists to slam into the larger waves, so it looked like the ocean was hitting itself repeatedly in the face. But he wasn't making much progress. As well as Leo had built the Argo II, Percy knew he was the only reason the ship hadn't yet been capsized or torn to bits. He needed to confront whatever was down there and put a stop to it, or it wouldn't matter that they had a son of Poseidon on their side. He couldn't keep this up forever. He was already feeling the strain. The tug in his gut was getting more and more painful with each second.
Someone grabbed Percy's shoulder and he turned. Jason had made it on deck. He still didn't look great—which made sense considering he'd spent the last day and a half in bed—but he seemed determined to help. Percy understood the need. He would've done the same thing.
Percy nodded at Jason like 'sup. He shouted in Jason's ear, "THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN THERE! WE NEED TO STOP IT!" From the look on Jason's face, Percy wasn't sure whether he'd heard him.
Percy pointed over the side. Jason shouted something back, but Percy couldn't hear a word. He just grinned and tapped his ears.
The boat rocked. They really needed to stop this storm. As powerful demigod sons of Poseidon and Zeus, respectively, Percy and Jason might have the best chance at doing so. Percy didn't know how Jason could breathe underwater—and Percy couldn't help him and fight at the same time, which was sure to be necessary—but Jason was resourceful. He'd figure it out.
Percy made a gesture with his hand like diving overboard. Then he tapped Jason on the chest. Jason looked shocked. He shouted something again, but he might as well have said nothing at all since Percy couldn't hear him. Percy just shrugged.
He ran to the starboard rail, pushed another massive wave away from the ship, and jumped overboard.
The water instantly revitalized Percy as he dove deeper underwater. He was able to breathe as easily as ever, and the cold and the pressure didn't bother him at all. It was definitely calmer down here, but the currents changed rapidly and the sea had an anger to it that Percy didn't like. He hoped the others would be able to keep the ship together for a bit longer until Percy and Jason were able to put a stop to whoever or whatever was creating the storm.
Percy kept swimming until he reached a ledge that jutted over a deeper abyss. There he waited for Jason.
A shaft of green light swept through the darkness, then disappeared. Percy frowned and looked into the abyss, but he couldn't see anything at this distance. A few seconds later, the green light flashed again.
That probably means trouble, Percy thought.
Percy didn't see him, but he felt Jason drift to a stop next to him.
"Hey," Percy said.
"What's going on?" Jason asked, his voice sounding like he was talking through a vacuum cleaner.
Percy pointed into the void. "Wait for it."
Three seconds later, the green light lit up the darkness, and then vanished just as quickly.
"Something's down there," Percy said, "stirring up this storm."
Percy turned to Jason. He looked like he was encased in a personal tornado—probably one of those venti that had been in the storm. It didn't appear to be very comfortable, but Jason seemed to be managing.
"Nice outfit. Can you hold it together if we go deeper?" Percy asked.
"I have no idea how I'm doing this," Jason said.
"Okay," Percy said. "Well, just don't get knocked unconscious."
"Shut up, Jackson."
Percy grinned and uncapped Riptide. "Let's see what's down there."
They sank so deep that Percy and Jason's bronze and gold blades barely illuminated the surrounding area. Percy could see fine, thanks to Poseidon, but there wasn't much to see—just the occasional fish running (swimming?) for their lives. Jason probably couldn't see at all.
Every so often, the green searchlight shot upward. Percy swam straight toward it, ignoring all thoughts that weren't related to the here and now. Percy was in the Aegean Sea with Jason, fighting to save his friends. He wasn't anywhere near Alaska and the muskeg, or Tartarus and its awful creatures.
Well, said a voice in Percy's head, your dad did open a tunnel straight to Tartarus from the ocean once before.
Percy ignored it.
At last, the darkness lessened below them. Soft white luminous patches, like schools of jellyfish, floated before Percy's eyes. As he approached the seafloor, he realized the patches were glowing fields of algae surrounding the ruins of a palace. Silt swirled through empty courtyards with abalone floors. Barnacle-covered Greek columns marched into the gloom. In the center of the complex rose a citadel larger than Grand Central Station, its walls encrusted with pearls, its domed golden roof cracked open like an egg.
"Atlantis?" Jason asked.
"That's a myth," Percy said.
"Uh . . . don't we deal in myths?"
"No, I mean it's a made-up myth. Not, like, an actual true myth."
"So this is why Annabeth is the brains of the operation, then?"
"Shut up, Grace."
They floated through the broken dome and down into the shadows.
"This place seems familiar." Percy felt unnerved. "Almost like I've been here—"
The green spotlight flashed directly below them, blinding Percy.
He dropped like a stone, touching down on the smooth marble floor. When his vision cleared, he saw that they weren't alone.
Standing before them was a twenty-foot-tall woman in a flowing green dress, cinched at the waist with a belt of abalone shells. Her skin was as luminous white as the fields of algae. Her hair swayed and glowed like jellyfish tendrils.
Her face was beautiful but unearthly—her eyes too bright, her features too delicate, her smile too cold, as if she'd been studying human smiles and hadn't quite mastered the art. Somehow, she looked familiar.
Her hands rested on a disk of polished green metal about six feet in diameter, sitting on a bronze tripod. It reminded Percy of a steel drum he'd once seen a street performer play in Manhattan.
The woman turned the metal disk like a steering wheel. A shaft of green light shot upward, churning the water, shaking the walls of the old palace. Shards from the domed ceiling broke and tumbled down in slow motion.
"You're making the storm," Jason said.
"Indeed I am." The woman's voice was melodic—yet it had a strange resonance, as if it extended past the human range of hearing. Pressure built between Percy's eyes. His sinuses felt like they might explode.
"Okay, I'll bite," Percy said. "Who are you, and what do you want?"
The woman turned toward him. "Why, I am your sister, Perseus Jackson." Percy flinched. "And I wanted to meet you before you die."
Percy saw two options: fight or talk.
Usually, when faced with a creepy twenty-foot-tall lady with jellyfish hair, he would've gone with fight.
But since she called Percy her brother—
Jason beat him to it. "Percy, do you know this . . . individual?"
Percy shook his head. "Doesn't look like my mom, so I'm gonna guess we're related on the godly side. You a daughter of Poseidon, Miss . . . uh . . . ?"
The pale lady raked her fingernails against the metal disk, making a screeching sound like a tortured whale. "No one knows me," she sighed. "Why would I assume my own brother would recognize me? I am Kymopoleia!"
Percy and Jason exchanged looks.
"So . . ." Percy said. "We're going to call you Kym. And you'd be a, hmm, Nereid, then? Minor goddess?"
"Minor?"
"By which," Jason said quickly, "he means under the drinking age! Because obviously you're so young and beautiful."
Percy flashed him a look: Nice save.
The goddess turned her full attention to Jason. She pointed her index finger and traced his outline in the water.
"Jason Grace," said the goddess. "Son of Jupiter."
"Yeah. I'm a friend of Percy's."
Kym's eyes narrowed. "So it's true . . . these times make for strange friends and unexpected enemies. The Romans never worshipped me. To them, I was a nameless fear—a sign of Neptune's greatest wrath. They never worshipped Kymopoleia, the goddess of violent sea storms!"
She spun her disk. Another beam of green light flashed upward, churning the water and making the ruins rumble.
"Uh, yeah," Percy said. "The Romans aren't big on navies. They had, like, one rowboat. Which I sank. Speaking of violent storms, you're doing a first-rate job upstairs."
"Thank you," said Kym.
"Thing is, our ship is caught in it, and it's kind of being ripped apart. I'm sure you didn't mean to—"
"Oh, yes, I did."
"You did." Percy grimaced. This was looking more and more like it was about to be fight. "Well . . . that sucks. I don't suppose you'd cut it out, then, if we asked nicely?"
"No," the goddess agreed. "Even now, the ship is close to sinking. I'm rather amazed it's held together this long. Excellent workmanship."
Percy clenched his fists. He thought about Annabeth and the rest of the crew frantically trying to keep the ship in one piece. By coming down here, he and Jason had left the others defenseless. They had to act soon.
The thing was . . . fighting a goddess on her home court wouldn't be easy. Even if they managed to take her down, there was no guarantee the storm would stop.
"So . . . Kym," Jason said, "what could we do to make you change your mind and let our ship go?"
Kym gave Jason that creepy alien smile. "Son of Jupiter, do you know where you are?"
"You mean these ruins. An ancient palace?" Jason said.
"Indeed," Kym said. "The original palace of my father, Poseidon."
Percy snapped his fingers, which sounded like a muffled explosion. Now he saw it. "That's why I recognized it. Dad's new crib in the Atlantic is kind of like this."
"I wouldn't know," Kym said. "I am never invited to see my parents. I can only wander the ruins of their old domains. They find my presence . . . disruptive."
She spun her wheel again. The entire back wall of the building collapsed, sending a cloud of silt and algae through the chamber. Percy used the water to deflect the debris away from him.
"Disruptive?" Jason said. "You?"
"My father does not welcome me in his court," Kym said. "He restricts my powers. This storm above? I haven't had this much fun in ages, yet it is only a small taste of what I can do!"
"A little goes a long way," Percy said. "Anyway, to Jason's question about changing your mind—"
"My father even married me off," Kym said, "without my permission. He gave me away like a trophy to Briares, a Hundred-Handed One, as a reward for supporting the gods in the war with Kronos eons ago."
Percy brightened. He hadn't thought about Briares in a while. "Hey, I know Briares. He's a friend of mine! I freed him from Alcatraz."
"Yes, I know." Kym's eyes glinted coldly. "I hate my husband. I was not at all pleased to have him back."
"Oh. So . . . is Briares around?" Percy asked hopefully.
Kym's laugh sounded like dolphin chatter. "He's off at Mount Olympus in New York, shoring up the gods' defenses. Not that it will matter. My point, dear brother, is that Poseidon has never treated me fairly. I like to come here, to his old palace, because it pleases me to see his work in ruins. Someday soon, his new palace will look like this one, and the seas will rage unchecked."
Percy looked at Jason. "This is the part where she tells us she's working for Gaea."
"Yeah," Jason said. "And the Earth Mother promised her a better deal once the gods are destroyed, blah, blah, blah." Jason turned to Kym. "You understand that Gaea won't keep her promises, right? She's using you, just like she's using the giants."
"I am touched by your concern," said the goddess. "The Olympian gods, on the other hand, have never used me, eh?"
Percy spread his hands. "At least the Olympians are trying. After the last Titan war, they started paying more attention to the other gods. A lot of them have cabins now at Camp Half-Blood: Hecate, Hades, Hebe, Hypnos . . . uh, and probably some that don't begin with H too. We give them offerings at every meal, cool banners, special recognition in the end-of-summer program—"
"And have I gotten such offerings?" Kym asked.
"Well . . . no. We didn't know you existed. But—"
"Then save your words, brother." Kym's jellyfish tentacle hair floated toward him, as if anxious to paralyze new prey. "I have heard so much about the great Percy Jackson. The giants are quite obsessed with capturing you. I must say . . . I don't see what the fuss is about."
"Thanks, sis. But if you're going to try to kill me, I gotta warn you it's been tried before. I've faced a lot of goddesses recently—Nike, Akhlys, even Nyx herself. Compared to them, you're not scaring me. Also, you laugh like a dolphin."
Kym's delicate nostrils flared. Percy got his sword ready.
"Oh, I won't kill you," Kym said. "My part of the bargain was simply to get your attention. Someone else is here, though, who very much wants to kill you."
Above them, at the edge of the broken roof, a dark shape appeared—a figure even taller than Kymopoleia.
"The son of Neptune," boomed a deep, familiar voice.
Percy groaned as the giant floated down. Clouds of dark viscous fluid—poison, probably—curled from his blue skin. His green breastplate was fashioned to resemble a cluster of open hungry mouths. In his hands were the weapons of a retiarius—a trident and a weighted net.
"Polybotes," Jason said, "the anti-Poseidon."
The giant shook his dreadlocks. A dozen serpents swam free—each one lime green with a frilled crown around its head. Basilisks.
"Indeed, son of Rome," the giant said. "But if you'll excuse me, my immediate business is with Perseus Jackson."
Percy flinched again. Why did they keep insisting on using his full name?
Polybotes continued. "I tracked him all the way across Tartarus. Now, here in his father's ruins, I mean to crush him once and for all."
As far as revenge speeches went, Percy gave that one a 4/10. It wasn't super impressive or original, though the Tartarus bit was good and "his father's ruins" was a nice touch.
Two of the serpents shot toward Percy. He sliced them in half. The other ten swirled around him, just out of blade's reach. They writhed back and forth in a hypnotic pattern, looking for an opening. Even with the Curse of Achilles, Percy didn't want to let these things touch him. He'd already discovered that poison affected him like it always had before.
"Hey!" Jason yelled. "How about some love over here?"
The snakes ignored Jason.
So did Polybotes, who stood back and watched with a smug smile, apparently happy for his pets to do the killing.
"Kymopoleia," Jason said. "You have to stop this."
"Why would I do that?" she said. "The Earth Mother has promised me unrestricted power. Could you make me a better offer?"
The basilisks closed in on Percy. He blasted them away with currents of water, but they just kept circling. Percy was getting really annoyed at constantly keeping danger at arm's length without really taking care of it.
"Hey, basilisks!" Jason yelled.
Still no reaction. Percy couldn't take his eyes off the basilisks to try to communicate with Jason either—they'd swarm him if he did. Even underwater where he was strongest, Percy couldn't fight off ten basilisks at once, with or without Jason's help.
Apparently Jason thought of something, because a diffuse cloud of yellow light billowed through the depths, like someone had poured liquid neon into the water. Percy looked at Jason for a split second, just in time to see the light hit Jason's sword and spray outward in ten separate tendrils, zapping the basilisks.
Their eyes went dark. Their frills disintegrated. All ten serpents turned belly-up and floated dead in the water.
"Next time," Jason said, "look at me when I'm talking to you."
Percy wanted to congratulate Jason on a job well done—and a badass quip to go with it—but Polybotes interrupted. His smile curdled. "Are you so anxious to die, Roman?"
Percy raised his sword. He felt responsible for dealing with Polybotes. He'd done it before, he could do it again—though he didn't know how he'd kill him without a god. But he couldn't worry about that now.
He hurled himself at the giant, but Polybotes swept his hand through the water, leaving an arc of oily, black poison. Percy charged straight into it faster than he could call himself a Seaweed Brain.
The poison shocked his system instantly. His throat closed up. He dropped Riptide and gasped, clawing at his throat. He couldn't breathe. No matter how much air (water?) he tried to breathe, his lungs wouldn't accept it. He was back in the muskeg, back in the nymphaeum—helpless and suffocating.
Polybotes threw his weighted net and Percy collapsed to the floor, hopelessly entangled as the poison thickened around him.
"Let him go!" Jason's voice sounded far away.
The giant chuckled. "Don't worry, son of Jupiter. Your friend will take a long time to die. After all the trouble he's caused me, I wouldn't dream of killing him quickly."
Percy writhed in the net, his energy draining with each second. Some part of him knew he was still underwater in his father's old palace, but all he could see was the darkness of the muskeg and the water in the nymphaeum. He distantly heard the sound of Jason fighting and yelling at Kym.
Percy's movements were slowing. The poison was counteracting the natural energy boost that saltwater gave him. It felt like his strength was melting away with each drop of poison that wormed its way into Percy's lungs.
The bog disappeared and Percy saw something else in its place—the edge of Chaos, where he'd nearly suffocated Akhlys with her own poison. He'd used her own body against her, and nearly done the same to Annabeth too. He'd crossed a line there, become the dangerous son of Poseidon that Zeus always feared he could be.
This was Percy's punishment. Punishment for thinking he could become invincible by bathing in the River Styx, and for what he'd done down in Tartarus. This was payback. The Fates had woven him a death befitting what he'd tried to do to Akhlys.
You deserve this, the voice in his head said.
This time, Percy didn't ignore it.
He'd done something purely evil down there. He'd hurt Annabeth—the person he loved more than anyone else. She'd barely been able to stop him. If there was a chance he could turn into that again . . . maybe it was better this way.
Instinct told Percy he might be able to will the poison away from him, like he'd done at Camp Jupiter the first time he fought Polybotes. But he saw Akhlys in his mind, and Annabeth's terrified face as she watched him nearly suffocate the goddess and use unnatural abilities.
He did nothing.
The next thing Percy was conscious of, Jason was yanking him out of the shredded net and propping him against the temple wall. He enveloped him in the airy shell of the ventus, and the swirling tornado worked to expel the poison from Percy's lungs.
It took a few moments, but eventually, Percy could mostly breathe again. He doubled over and began to retch. "Ugh. Thanks."
Jason exhaled with relief. "You had me worried there, bro."
Percy blinked, cross-eyed. His stomach felt like it was churning as fast as Jason's ventus. He felt light-headed and dizzy, and he was glad he was sitting down.
"I'm still a little fuzzy," he said. The last few minutes came into hazy focus in Percy's memory. "But did you . . . promise Kym an action figure?"
The goddess loomed over them. Polybotes was gone. "Indeed he did," she said. "And I expect him to deliver."
"I will," Jason said. "When we win this war, I'm going to make sure all the gods get recognized." He put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "My friend here started that process last summer. He made the Olympians promise to pay you guys more attention."
Kym sniffed. "We know what an Olympian promise is worth."
"Which is why I'm going to finish the job. I'll make sure none of the gods are forgotten at either camp. Maybe they'll get temples, or cabins, or at least shrines—"
"Or collectible trading cards," Kym suggested.
"Sure." Jason smiled. "I'll go back and forth between the camps until the job is done."
Percy whistled. "You're talking about dozens of gods."
"Hundreds," Kym corrected.
"Well, then," Jason said, "it might take a while. But you'll be first on the list, Kymopoleia . . . the storm goddess who beheaded a giant and saved our quest."
Kym stroked her jellyfish hair. "That will do nicely." She regarded Percy. "Though I am still sorry I won't see you die."
Percy wasn't even fazed. "I get that comment a lot," he said. "Now about our ship—?"
"Still in one piece," said the goddess. "Not in very good shape, but you should be able to make it to Delos."
"Thank you," Jason said.
"Yeah," Percy said. "And, really, your husband Briares is a good dude. You should give him a chance."
The goddess picked up her bronze disk. "Don't push your luck, brother. Briares has fifty faces; all of them are ugly. He's got a hundred hands, and he's still all thumbs around the house."
"Okay," Percy relented. "Not pushing my luck."
Kym turned over the disk, revealing straps on the bottom side like a shield. She slipped it over her shoulders, Captain America style. "I will be watching your progress. Polybotes was not boasting when he warned that your blood would awaken the Earth Mother. The giants are very confident of this."
"My blood, personally?" Percy asked.
Kym's smile was even creepier than usual. "I am not an Oracle. But I heard what the seer Phineas told you in the city of Portland. You will face a sacrifice that you may not be able to make, and it will cost you the world. You have yet to face your fatal flaw, my brother. Look around. All works of gods and men eventually turn to ruins. Would it not be easier to flee into the depths with that girlfriend of yours?"
Percy put his hand on Jason's shoulder and struggled to his feet. "Juno offered me a choice like that, back when I found Camp Jupiter. I'll give you the same answer. I don't run when my friends need me."
Kym turned up her palms. "And there is your flaw, being unable to step away. I will retreat to the depths and watch this battle unfold. You should know that the forces of the ocean are also at war. Your friend Hazel Levesque made quite an impression on the merpeople, and on their mentors, Aphros and Bythos."
"The fish pony dudes," Percy muttered. "They didn't want to meet me."
"Even now they are waging war for your sake," Kym said, "trying to keep Gaea's allies away from Long Island. Whether or not they will survive . . . that remains to be seen. As for you, Jason Grace, your path will be no easier than your friend's. You will be tricked. You will face unbearable sorrow."
"Kym, you said you're not an Oracle?" Jason said. "They should give you the job. You're definitely depressing enough."
The goddess let loose her dolphin laugh. "You amuse me, son of Jupiter. I hope you live to defeat Gaea."
"Thanks," Jason said. "Any pointers on defeating a goddess who can't be defeated?"
Kymopoleia tilted her head. "Oh, but you know the answer. You are a child of the sky, with storms in your blood. A primordial god has been defeated once before. You know of whom I speak."
Percy had no idea what she was talking about, but clearly Jason did.
"Ouranos, the first god of the sky," Jason said. "But that means—"
"Yes." Kym's alien features took on an expression that almost resembled sympathy. "Let us hope it does not come to that. If Gaea does wake . . . well, your task will not be easy. But if you win, remember your promise, Pontifex."
Jason looked stunned for a moment. "I'm not a priest."
"No?" Kym's white eyes gleamed. "By the way, your ventus servant says he wishes to be freed. Since he has helped you, he hopes you will let him go when you reach the surface. He promises he will not bother you a third time."
"A third time?"
Kym paused, as if listening. "He says he joined the storm above to take revenge on you, but had he known how strong you've become since the Grand Canyon, he never would've approached your ship."
"The Grand Canyon . . ." Jason's eyes widened. "Dylan? Are you kidding me? I'm breathing Dylan?"
"Yes," Kym said. "That seems to be his name."
Jason shuddered. "I'll let him go as soon as I reach the surface. No worries."
"Farewell, then," said the goddess. "And may the Fates smile upon you . . . assuming the Fates survive."
They needed to leave.
Percy knew Jason was running out of air, and everyone on the Argo II would be worried about them, but he still felt woozy from the poison. He was grateful when Jason suggested they rest for a moment. They sat on the edge of the ruined golden dome for a few minutes to let Percy catch his breath . . . or catch his water. Whatever.
"Thanks, man," Percy said. "You saved my life."
"Hey, that's what we do for our friends."
"But, uh, the Jupiter guy saving the Poseidon guy at the bottom of the ocean . . . maybe we can keep the details to ourselves? Otherwise I'll never hear the end of it."
Jason grinned. "You got it. How you feeling?"
"Better. I . . ." Percy still felt uncomfortable talking to anyone besides Annabeth about the truth of Tartarus. But after what Jason saw, he deserved to know. "I have to admit, when I was choking on that poison, I kept thinking about Akhlys, the misery goddess in Tartarus. I almost destroyed her with poison. And . . . something else." He shivered, even though he wasn't cold. "It felt good, but in a bad way. If Annabeth hadn't stopped me—"
"But she did," Jason said. "That's another thing friends have to do for each other."
"Yeah . . . Thing is, as I was choking just now, I kept thinking: this is payback for Akhlys. The Fates are letting me die the same way I tried to kill that goddess. And . . . honestly, a part of me felt I deserved it. That's why I didn't try to control the giant's poison and move it away from me. That probably sounds crazy."
Percy and Annabeth had talked a lot about what had happened in Tartarus—especially with Akhlys. But clearly, Percy wasn't as well-adjusted as he'd tried to appear. He needed to sort through his feelings sooner rather than later—otherwise, the next time he ended up in a situation like this, he might not make it out.
He wasn't sure what scared him more—the thought of this fear and guilt getting the better of him and accidentally causing his death, or the reality that if he didn't deal with it . . . it might not be an accident.