When Percy reached the Zephyrus, the ship was in turmoil.
"Frank Zhang, what did you do?" He murmured.
Slipping onboard, he crouched behind a large crate.
"Are you sure, Zhang?" Percy flinched at Light's voice.
She was only meters away.
"Positive. I was just there."
Percy froze up.
They were talking about the Erebus.
"Why? Never mind, we'll talk about that later."
He heard clomping steps and pondered how such a tiny woman could make such noise, then remembered how Light acted around her crew.
"SET SAIL DUE EAST AS FAST AS POSSIBLE!"
Due East.
"No!" Percy whispered, louder than he intended.
"Who in Hades said that?" Light snarled.
More clunking steps, coming closer.
"Zhang, check behind those crates." Light ordered.
Percy froze again, listening to Frank's steps towards him.
When the son of Ares was almost next to him, he leapt up and grabbed the boy's collar.
"Thank you!" He called before dragging Frank over the edge.
"You! Get him!" Light roared.
"You're dead, Zhang." He snarled on the way down.
"Green-Eyes, I'm so sorry-"
"Save it!" Percy snapped as they hit the water.
Light turned to her crew.
"DUE EAST! LET'S GO!"
----------------------------
"Captain!" Percy shouted, dragging Frank on board. He had knocked the son of Ares out on the way over to make sure he didn't have to deal with him later.
"What?" Nico burst on deck. His eyes were red and puffy.
"The Zephyrus is on their way here, thanks to this piece of scum!" Percy explained.
"Take him belowdecks." Nico snapped before turning to his crew.
"Let them come! And make them pay!" He bellowed.
Percy pulled Frank down the stairs unceremoniously.
"You!" Jason yelped.
Percy raised an eyebrow. "Me."
"I'll swear fealty on the Styx, whatever it takes, just get me out of here!" The son of Zeus pleaded.
"What's in your bonnet?" Percy asked.
"Luke's gonna kill me." Jason whimpered. "He's been beating me for no reason, and I swear I'll do the work too. How could I have done this to you? Was I that cruel?"
"Yes." Percy tossed Frank into another cell and unlocked Jason's.
He looked over to the boy and saw his blue eyes were shattered. "I'm so sorry."
The voice was broken, whispered in a truly remorseful tone. Percy sighed.
"C'mon." He grabbed the blond by the arm and frog-marched him up the stairs.
--------------------------
"THERE THEY ARE!" Light screamed. "ARCHERS AT THE READY!"
"Cap, ye seein' this?" Will called from the crow's nest.
"Seeing what?" The girl snarled.
"In the ranks, starboard side, neares' the bow!" The son of Apollo called down.
Light pulled her seeing glass out and scanned the spot her crewmate had pointed out.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE AND PULL CLOSER!" She bellowed.
"Here they come." Percy called from his position at the bow.
"Really, I didn't notice." Nico snapped.
"Sorry, sir."
"Dark!" Light called over the gap between their ships. Nico let the shadows around his ship disperse a little more.
"What, Thalia?" He called back.
"You have something of mine!" Thalia called, not bothering to correct her worst enemy.
"And what would that be?" Nico sneered back.
"My little brother and two of his crew members."
"They don't belong to you, Grace." Percy interrupted.
"I didn't ask you, Sea Scum!"
"My name is Percy Jackson, Thalia, I suggest you learn the name."
Jason stepped forward from his spot, revealing that his hands were untied.
"Jason! Quickly, your powers!" Thalia shouted to him.
"No." Jason didn't shout, but his voice carried clearly.
"No?"
"I said no. This is where my work is. I have debts to pay, and I shall pay them here."
Thalia scowled. "You would betray your sister?"
"Yes." Jason said simply, stepping back to stand next to Piper.
Before anyone could continue, a bowstring suddenly twanged.
Will Solace swore explosively as his finger slipped and he loosed an arrow. It flew into the crowd and slid through a ghost before slamming into the neck of a skeleton.
"This isn't over, Grace!" Nico shouted, waving his hand.
The shadows congealed into a wall between the ships and the Erebus began to shoot forward.
Percy's brow beaded with sweat as he pushed the ship faster.
"That's enough." Nico said.
"Yes sir."
Don't." The son of Hades snapped.
Percy frowned in confusion. "Sir?"
"This is your fault. You couldn't save Bianca, and now after you go out to the Zephyrus for no apparent reason, they attack us."
"Sir, I promise that's not what I was-"
"SAVE IT!" Nico waved his hand in front of him violently.
"I have one order for you, Jackson."
"Sir?" Percy asked again.
Nico looked him straight in the eye.
"Get off my ship."
[A/N AYE CHAPTER! so there's a lot of skipping in that. I hope it makes sense.]