The ship sank like quicksand. The worst part, it was taking us down with it.
I heard Percy curse before he yelled, "Dive!"
We all went underwater.
I saw everyone struggling to swim away from the boat, but it kept pulling them in. I got distracted and was whacked in the head with a beam.
"Ow," I said out loud, forgetting we were underwater and probably nobody heard that.
We need help, I heard Percy's voice in my head.
I gasped and looked at Percy. He made a confused face, an expression that was starting to look normal on him.
Yes, Tyson's voice this time.
Percy had the same reaction as me.
We were all children of Poseidon, I guess that meant underwater communication.
Rainbow, Tyson said.
Percy and I nodded and concentrated hard. We sent a mental message, RAINBOW.
Seconds later, three shapes materialized. The hippocampi looked at us and neighed. I was hoping they too could hear our thoughts. Grab the people drowning first.
They disappeared into the wreckage and we made our way to the surface. We broke out of the water, taking in a deep breath. Breathing underwater wasn't the same as breathing in air.
"I did it!" We heard Polyphemus' voice in the distance. "I finally sank Nobody!"
I hope he didn't spot Nobody and his crew sailing away on the hippocampi.
The hippocampus with Grover bowed its head to me and allowed me to grab on. Tyson got on Rainbow with Clarisse. The other carried Percy and Annabeth.
"So," Grover said, breaking the awkward silence. Everyone else was either asleep or too tired to carry out a conversation. "Daughter of Poseidon huh?"
I smiled and nodded. Grover began to tell me about last summer. He told me all about the quest to find the lightning thief. He told me about Luke and his army and what was in the sarcophagus. He told me about the empathy link he had created with Percy. He answered all my questions about camp and mythology with joy. I mostly kept asking questions to keep him talking, it seemed to ease his nerves.
After awhile the the hippocampi began to act funny. They slowed down and refused to get closer to land.
"It's the pollution," Grover said, sadly. "They won't go any further."
I nodded. "We're in Miami, we'll have to find a way back to camp from here."
I got off my hippocampus and thanked him.
"Annabeth," I said. "Wake Percy up, we have to swim the rest of the way."
Tyson sobbed and hugged Rainbow's neck, giving him a soggy mango for the road. Percy and I made the waves push us forward.
At the beach, the crowds paid us no attention. Maybe the Mist was covering all of our bruises and cuts. Percy, Annabeth and I looked the least beat up. The water had slightly helped me and my brother and the Fleece, which had camouflaged itself as a red and gold letterman jacket, had restored Annabeth completely.
I walked out onto the street without looking and almost got run over by a cab. "Cuidado!"
"Perdon!" I yelled back. He gave me a curious look.
"Que te paso?" He asked
"Una pelea con mi hermano," I responded.
He shook his head and continued on the road. Technically, I hadn't lied to him. It was a big fight with someone who was technically my half brother.
Percy grabbed my arm. "You speak Spanish?"
"Dude," I looked at him. "I'm Hispanic."
"Right."
"June eighteenth?" Annabeth yelled. "We've been away from camp for ten days!"
"That's impossible!" Clarisse said.
"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover worried. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight."
"That's impossible," I said. "We're hundreds of miles away from camp, with no way back, and we're broke."
"This is just like the Oracle said." Clarisse muttered. "It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered-"
"Percy's fault?!" Annabeth got in her face. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest-"
"Stop it!" Percy yelled.
Annabeth stomped her foot in frustration.
Clarisse seemed more upset than furious. Her eyes were anxious and I knew she was just as worried about camp as the rest of us.
"Clarisse," Percy said calmly. "What did the Oracle tell you exactly."
She looked up at Percy and took a deep breath. She began to recite the prophecy.
"You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,
You shall find what you seek and make it your own,
But despair for your life entombed within stone,
And fail without friends, to fly home alone"
"Ouch," Grover said.
"No," I could see Percy's train of thought moving. "No... wait a minute. I've got it!"
He patted his pockets, no doubt looking for money. He pulled out a golden coin. "Does anyone have any cash?"
We all patted our pockets and found nothing. Clarisse had a soggy dollar.
"Cash?" Tyson asked. "Like... green paper?"
"Yeah," Percy stared at him.
"Like the kind in the duffel bags?"
"Yeah, but we lost those bags days ag-g-g-"
Percy stuttered as Tyson pulled out a plastic bag with a wad of cash.
"Tyson!" Percy smiled. "How did you-"
"Thought it was feed bag for Rainbow," he explained. "Found it floating in sea, but only paper inside. Sorry"
He gave it to Percy and he seemed to remember something. He reached back into his makeshift satchel.
"These are yours?" He handed me a pair of broken glasses. Bent out of shape and shattered glass, but amazingly, still in together.
I smiled. "Yeah. Thanks, Tyson."
I stuffed them in my pocket, to throw them away later, not in front of Tyson.
When I turned back to Percy he was giving Clarisse the Fleece and stuffing the money in the pocket.
"Cas, a cab," he told me.
I ran out to the street and held up a hand. Immediately, a yellow taxi pulled over. Ironically, it was the same guy I had had a conversation with moments ago.
"Para donde?" He asked.
"El aeropuerto," I answered. "Lo mas rapido posible, por favor."
He nodded as Clarisse got settled in the back. "You can count on me. I won't fail."
"Not failing would be nice," Percy agreed.
I shut the door on the cab and it zoomed away.
"Percy," Annabeth sounded dissatisfied. "That was so-"
"Generous?" Grover offered.
"Insane," Annabeth corrected. "You're betting the lives of everybody at camp that Clarisse will get the Fleece safely back by tonight?"
"It's her quest," Percy reminded her. "She deserves a chance."
"Percy is nice," Tyson admired.
"Percy is too nice," Annabeth muttered.
"C'mon," Percy said. "Let's find another way home."
"Percy, wait-" I tried grabbing his shirt but too late, his throat was against the tip of sword.
"Hey, cuz," Luke said at the other end of the sword. "Welcome back to the States."
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
"Careful!"
"Sorry!"
"What happened to you?"
"A fight with my brother."
-
"Where to?"
"The airport. As fast as possible, please."