Chaos 1/2
Four enormous sea horses, giant hippocampi, were racing across the water at incredible speed. Behind them, they carried Percy, Clarisse, and Grover.
Tyson explained how he had been rescued by Rainbow, who had been following them the whole time. He also told them how he ran into Clarisse nearby, so he took her to the closest island before going back into the sea to search for Percy and Annabeth.
But he couldn't find them.
So in the end he returned to Polyphemus's island, knowing they would eventually have to reach that place for the Golden Fleece.
So he stayed with the sheep for a while and waited.
Polyphemus never noticed him, because Tyson had covered himself with some of the wool the Cyclops had sheared and disguised himself as one of the sheep, thinking Percy and Annabeth might try the same trick to sneak in.
But they had taken a different path.
The harder one.
They had climbed the dangerous slope.
So Polyphemus had ended up leaving the Golden Fleece literally on Tyson's back before running back to the cave when he sensed someone had arrived.
Tyson had wanted to go earlier, but first he needed to remove all the sheep wool stuck to his body.
And by the time he finally arrived…
everything was already over.
"Wow… that's a great story. I think," Grover said after a moment, glancing toward Percy.
Percy hadn't said a single word.
Well, technically he couldn't for a while.
But even so, the way his eyes stayed fixed ahead as salty water splashed against his face while they rode the hippocampi…
was a little unsettling.
In the distance they could already see land.
Palm trees. Buildings.
As soon as the hippocampi entered the harbor's waters, they visibly slowed down, letting out uneasy whinnies. A moment later they stopped completely and began circling in place, clearly unhappy with the water around them.
"Thanks, Rainbow," Tyson said as the four of them climbed off the sea horses.
The hippocampi clearly hated humans.
Or more precisely…
the pollution humans create.
Tyson hugged Rainbow around the neck before handing him several mangoes he had gathered on the island so he could share them with his friends.
Then he waved goodbye.
Once the hippocampi disappeared beneath the waves, the four of them swam toward the shore. Thanks to the waves pushing them in, it wasn't too difficult, and soon they reached the world of mortals.
As soon as they stepped among the crowd—who seemed to completely ignore four soaking-wet teenagers—Tyson's eye seemed to shift on its own, hiding beneath his hair as if the world itself were helping him conceal what he really was.
Clarisse's spear transformed into what looked like a simple wooden stick.
Perfect for playing limbo.
Meanwhile, Grover quickly put on a hat and his fake feet to blend in.
But Percy wasn't paying attention to any of that.
His gaze was fixed on something else.
The enormous cruise ship docked at the pier.
Hundreds of tourists were stepping off the boat, laughing, snapping pictures, while the constant cries of seagulls echoed over the harbor. It looked like they were taking a break during their vacation, filling the entire dock with suitcases and excited chatter.
"Look," Clarisse said immediately, pointing toward the pier where several ships and cruise liners were docked together.
One stood out more than all the others.
Because of its size.
And because of the number of people getting off it, even causing a few problems for the man in charge of the dock.
The Princess Andromeda.
Percy's eyes turned cold for a moment before he began walking toward it.
…
"Ha—!"
Annabeth suddenly woke up, gasping as she struggled to catch her breath. Her face was confused as she stared at an unfamiliar ceiling.
She tried to sit up.
But before she could, she felt a sharp pull on her hands.
They were tied.
Thick ropes bound both of them.
Draped over her body was what looked like a red-and-gold academy jacket, with a glowing omega embroidered on the chest and across the back.
And even though it had changed form…
Annabeth knew exactly what it was.
The Golden Fleece.
She looked around in confusion and slowly realized the place felt familiar.
Yes.
It was the same place Luke had brought them before, where demigods and humans had been training together.
The place Tyson's bomb had destroyed.
Even now she could see burn marks along the corners of the walls and broken weapons scattered across the floor.
Annabeth began tugging at the ropes around her wrists, trying to loosen them.
But they were tied far too tight.
Before she could try much more, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
Quickly, she lay back down and pretended to still be unconscious.
A moment later she felt someone step close to the bed.
She could feel their gaze fixed on her.
"Hmm. I really don't understand why we're keeping you alive when your friends have no way of getting off that island," a familiar voice said suddenly.
It was Alison.
Annabeth felt the weight on her body lessen as the jacket was removed.
"Maybe Luke is still feeling a little sentimental… pff. What a stupid idea," Alison said with a crooked smile.
"Either way, enjoy your last moments alive."
She said it with a faintly mocking tone before turning around and leaving just as quickly as she had arrived.
Annabeth slowly opened her eyes again and looked toward the direction Alison had gone before going back to the ropes around her wrists, trying once more to loosen them.
…
"We need a plan," Grover said while the three of them stood not far from the enormous Princess Andromeda.
"For some reason Iris won't accept my offerings, so the network is completely down. I don't know why, but we can't contact the camp," Grover added, sounding slightly panicked.
"A plan?" Tyson asked.
"Yes. To get inside. We have to rescue Annabeth… and the Fleece, obviously," Grover said immediately.
"That's not necessary. We just go in, kick everyone's ass, grab the Fleece and Annabeth, and then go save the camp," Clarisse said, her voice a mix of anger and thirst for revenge.
"It won't be that simple," Tyson said, raising one hand slightly. "It's full of monsters and demigods. We were already there once… they might even be waiting for us."
"So what's your brilliant idea, smart kids?" Clarisse asked irritably, looking between the two of them.
"I don't know… maybe lure a demigod out and steal an access card or something. Then we sneak in slowly and quietly," Grover said while thinking it through.
"What do you think, Percy?" he finally asked, turning toward where Percy had been standing.
Or rather…
where he should have been standing.
Because right now that spot was empty.
"Percy?" Grover said, looking around, Tyson doing the same.
Suddenly, from the stern of the Princess Andromeda, a massive explosion erupted, shaking the entire ship and even startling the people on the pier.
A second later another explosion of fire rocked the area, sending black smoke and sparks rising above the dock.
People immediately began running in every direction.
The three of them looked toward the ship just in time to see a lifeboat go flying through the air along with the blast.
And in that moment all three of them had the exact same thought.
That could only be Percy's doing.
"Well… looks like my plan won," Clarisse said after a moment.
Then her expression changed.
"You two focus on finding something to get back to camp fast. If the Cyclops was right and they're preparing for a war… we need to get there in time."
Her tone had turned much more serious now.
"And you?" Grover asked.
"I'm going to help Seaweed Brain," Clarisse replied confidently as she tightened her grip on her spear.
A firm, determined look crossed her face before she took off running toward the ship.