Percy held Annabeth close with his arm around her as they jumped into the Sound. She loved the way he protected her... like she couldn't easily whip a monster's butt. Percy created a bubble around Annabeth. She watched as he put Jason in a similar bubble. Jason jumped into the Sound as well, and Percy merged their three bubbles into one large bubble. "Where are we headed, Perce?" Jason asked. Percy pointed down.
"The palace of Poseidon," Percy said. "My dad's the only one who can oversee the whole ocean and find Val and Piper."
Jason looked baffled.
"Your dad will help us?" He asked, amazed. "How...?" Percy pulled out Riptide and looked at Jason.
"Yeah. My dad isn't a big jerkface like yours. Erm, no offense Jason."
"None taken." This exchange made Annabeth giggle. If someone ticked Percy off, nicknames was his thing. Her sarcastic boyfriend had woven a whole portfolio of the hilarious backstabbers: Sir Dandruff, Jennifer McImanidiot, Idiot McBodyodor (that was Ares's), and Wise Girl, but that one was just plain cute.... Annabeth smacked herself out of her PercyTrance. She hated when she lost her focus in wind-tossed black hair and sea-green eyes... Stop it, Annabeth. Don't let your guard down. If a crazy army of banana-slinging hippocampi ambush, you have to be prepared to kick their sorry rear ends. Man, Percy was rubbing of on her! One second she's serious and determined, the next she's spouting off random sarcastic jokes. Maybe there was a Seaweed Brain disease.... Percy grasped Annabeth's hand, and, with a deep breath, stabbed a whole in the bottom of the bubble. They shot downward at a mind-blowing speed. The three of them slammed against the bottom of the bubble. Minutes later, the bubble came to a stop, throwing its passengers against the bubble's ceiling. The dizzy trio stumbled out, dizzy. A mermaid with a shimmering blue tail and sliver shells swam up. She had brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Annabeth tried to keep Percy from noticing her prettiness, but she didn't need to. He smiled and walked past her, leading Jason and Annabeth to large, shell- encrusted doors. He lifted a large knocker made of a barnacle and the door opened, revealing a huge throne room. There were depictions of tossing seas, inlets, bays, harbors, and all things ocean on the wall. Poseidon stood when he saw Percy.
"My boy! He bellowed heartily. Percy smiled. Poseidon smiled at Annabeth. "And my beautiful daughter-in-law!" Annabeth smiled. Poseidon shifted his glance at Jason. "What's this....oh, yeah! Son of Zeus! I hate him, but I'll let it slide cuz you're my nephew!" Jason sort-of-smiled. Percy stepped forward and dropped to his knee.
"Hi, Dad. We're here because Camp Half Blood was ransacked. Piper, Jason's wife, and Val, Annabeth's half-sister, were taken by the monster syndicate." Poseidon gasped.
"That's horrible! Do you need my help? I can find them for you, as long as they're in the oceans." he led them to the back wall and ran his finger along the wall. "No vibrations yet..." he kept at it until he shivered. "There's high monster presence right here." He pinpointed a location just off the coast of Morocco. Percy looked at Annabeth. That could very well be the meetingplace of the syndicate. Jason looked at the floor.
"I was fighting dracanae," he said, "defending the Golden Fleece. I was pre-occupied so I didn't notice a manticore take Piper and Val until they screamed. I couldn't get to them in time. I just-this is all my fault." Percy set a hand on Jason's shoulder, comforting and understanding.
"Jason, don't beat yourself up. It wasn't your fault Val and Piper were taken. You were brave, fighting that dracanae to defend camp." Jason looked at the floor, and Annabeth shifted uncomfortably.
"Um," she murmered. "Why don't we find them instead of moping? I mean, Val and Piper have an expiration date." Percy and Jason nodded, following her to a series of chariots in a castle courtyard. "Are we allowed to hotwire one of these?" Annabeth asked Percy. They were unlike any other mythical underwater chariot; they weren't pulled by seahorses or dolphins. It had an engine, a steering wheel, and dashboard with a Honda logo. Percy shrugged. He grabbed the steering wheel and turned it around a few times in his hands.
"Well," he said, "I failed every driver's test ever took, so here goes nothin'..." Annabeth jumped in and grabbed the steering wheel.
"Um, I think I'LL drive, thank you very much." Percy looked at his feet and sat down next to Jason. Annabeth squeezed next to him and, knowing exactly which buttons to push, started the chariot. She entered in coordinates and turned the knob, and they rocketed toward the exact spot that Val and Piper were allegedly hostage.