Part 4

Percy walked out onto the deck and sat next to Nico. “It’s time for bed…” he said.

“Don’t care.” Nico replied.

“I’m not joking. It’s not safe to be out here alone at night. Go to bed.”

“I don’t want to…”

“Well you don’t have to go to sleep, but you do have to come to my room. You can’t stay out here.”

Nico looked to Percy. “I’m strong enough to defend myself Jackson.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. Leo installed a security system that comes on at night. It doesn’t turn off and it’ll barbecue anyone on the deck.”

Nico groaned. “Fine.”

Percy nodded and walked him to his room.

Nico sulked.

Percy rolled his eyes. “Oh quit your sulking!”

Nico elbowed him.

“Why do you keep hitting me?! What did I do?!”

“You were rude and annoying.”

“How? I gave you a bed to sleep in, we bought you new clothes, we got you dinner, why are you the only one that hates me?!”

“I just do.”

Percy got in his face. “Why?! Huh? Everyone else seems to at least not despise me! What’s your deal?”

“Back off Percy.”

“Not until you tell me what your problem is.” Percy said glaring at Nico.

Nico shoved him off.

“Oh, it’s a fight you want is it?” Percy said angrily. He shoved Nico back.

Nico stumbled backward, but quickly regained his footing. “No thanks.” he said brushing past Percy.

“And just where do you think you’re going?!”

“To bed.” Nico said climbing the ladder to the top bunk.

Percy grabbed his shirt and pulled him down. He pulled him in close. “This is my ship. And I will be treated. With. Respect!” he said angrily.

Nico tried to push him off. “Let go you idiot.”

Percy didn’t let go. “I can make you walk the plank lad. Y’know?” he said in an angry pirate accent.

Nico sneered at him. “You wouldn’t.”

“Try me lad.”

Nico shoved hard and Percy let go. “Leave me alone!”

Percy stepped toward him.

Nico punched him. “You leave me alone you hear?! I will fill your dreams with horrors and in the center of it all, I will be your worst nightmare.”

Percy smirked. “Yer powers don’t work here lad.” He kicked Nico in the stomach and he fell to the ground. Percy placed his foot on his chest and loomed over him. “The sea is my territory landlubber. Here… I’m your worst nightmare.” He punched Nico in the face and tied his arms behind his back tight. He tied his wrists together; he also tied his legs together. Percy stuffed a large rag in his mouth and threw him in the closet. “I’ll be seeing you in the mornin’ lad. Tomorrow, ye walk the plank.” He shut the closet and locked the door.

Nico curled into a ball and started to tear up.

Annabeth rubbed her eyes and rolled over. She looked around the room. “Where’s Nico?” she asked.

Percy coughed and forced his pirate voice away. “He insisted on staying outside…” he lied.

“I’m sorry about him… His sister was killed not too long ago. He’s just been falling apart.”

“…What happened to her?” Percy asked. He glanced at the closet, but quickly looked back to Annabeth.

“There was an accident with another demigod.”

“Oh… Now I feel bad for being hard on him…” Percy said with a frown.

Annabeth sat up. “Maybe if I go and talk to him-“

“No!” Percy blushed. “Uh, I mean… You look tired. Go back to sleep. I’ll talk to him.”

Annabeth gave Percy a skeptical look. “Okay…” she lay back down and closed her eyes.

Percy waited for her to fall asleep and he ran to the closet. He fumbled with the key and unlocked the door.

Nico had tear stains down his cheeks.

Percy grabbed him and ran to the stables. He cut the ropes with his sword and Nico took the gag out of his mouth. “Nico I’m so sorry. I-I don’t know what came over me…”

Nico punched him in the jaw. “Don’t you dare treat me like that again.”

Percy rubbed his jaw. “I deserved that. I’m sorry… I tend to get… out of control when I’m angry…”

“Why are you apologizing?” Nico asked angrily.

“Because I hit you, tied you up, threw you in a closet, and threatened your life…”

“…What changed your mind?”

“…Annabeth ah… Told me about your sister…”

Nico’s lip quivered slightly and he looked to the ground.

“…I’m… sorry… I’m sorry about your sister and the way I treated you… It was wrong… I’m just really confused right now… I’m trying to get better about this…” He looked at Nico. “Are you… crying?”

“No…” Nico closed his eyes and sank to the floor completely breaking down.

Percy sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay man… It’ll be alright.”

“No it won’t… She’s gone and I don’t know what to do…”

“You’ve still got your other sister… Hazel?”

“She’s not a direct sister. I didn’t grow up with her.”

“She’s still your family though… It’s important to stay close to family. That’s why I still visit my mom… No matter what you got through… family is forever.”

Nico nodded and wiped his eyes. “…Don’t try to kill me again.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

Nico stood up and Percy stood with him.

“And ah… Can you… not tell Annabeth about what just happened?” Percy asked.

“…I guess… Only if you get some sort of separate room for me though. I can’t sleep in your room. You talk in your sleep.”

“Oh… sure… I actually have a spare bedroom because sometimes my friend Grover hitches a ride with us.”

“Good.”

“You want me to lead you there or…?”

“Tell me the way.”

“Okay so you go back upstairs and down the hall. Second door on the left. Frank’s room is next door. Try not to wake anyone up.”

Nico nodded and disappeared into the shadows.

Percy made a surprised face. “What the…?” He heard a quiet chuckle from the shadows. Percy ran to the engine room and examined the controls. The lever preventing shadow travel had been snapped off in the ‘off’ position. Percy chuckled. “Sneaky b**tard…” He went back to his room and quietly shut the door. He walked up to his safe. “Open.” he whispered. The safe clicked open and Percy grabbed Annabeth’s dagger from it. He shut the door again and walked up to the bunk bed.

Annabeth was snoring quietly.

Percy smiled and climbed into the top bunk passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

_

The alarm went off the next morning.

Annabeth groaned. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Percy was still fast asleep.

“Nico?” Annabeth called quietly.

Percy continued to snore.

Annabeth looked around. “Nico!” she called.

Percy snorted. “Hmm?” he mumbled sitting up.

“Where’s Nico?!”

Percy yawned and rubbed his eyes. “I gave him his own room.”

“What?”

“I said I gave him his own room.”

“…Why?”

“He said he was having trouble sleeping in here and asked if he could have a separate room so I wouldn’t keep him awake.”

“Okay…”

“I told you I was gonna work on this whole nice thing… Didn’t you believe me?”

“To be honest, no.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Nice to hear…” He hopped down and pulled on his clothes.

“Percy…?”

“What?” he asked pulling on his boots.

“…Nothing.”

Percy gave Annabeth a concerned look. “No, tell me. What is it?”

“Just… thanks for trying.”

He smiled and nodded. “Yeah…” He checked the ship’s controls.

Nico appeared in the middle of the room right in front of Annabeth. “Rise and shine!”

Annabeth screamed and Percy fell off of his chair. “YOU REALLY FEEL THE NEED TO DO THAT?” Percy yelled.

Nico cackled and disappeared again.

“WHAT THE H*LL NICO?” Annabeth shouted.

“Underworld!” Nico corrected.

“Ugh…” Percy got to his feet. “Gonna have to get Leo to fix that lever…” he mumbled.

“IT WAS ONLY ONE TIME, I SWEAR!” Nico shouted from somewhere in the shadows.

“Uh huh…” Percy said rolling his eyes. He looked to Annabeth. “He broke the lever that prevents his powers.”

“Leave him be. He feels more comfortable when he has a bit more freedom like that.”

“I know. I wasn’t gonna turn it on right now, but it still needs to be fixed. I have a lot of enemies that could use that-“ he paused and went completely silent.

“What?” Annabeth asked.

Percy remained silent for a moment then his eyes widened. “GET DOWN!” he shouted as he tackled Annabeth to the ground and the entire ship rocked. Several items fell on them and the bookcase toppled to the floor.

Annabeth screamed.

“F*CK! GET TO THE DECK!” Percy screamed running out of the room.

Annabeth ran after him. “WHAT’S GOING ON?”

“ENEMY SHIP! DUCK!” Percy screamed. He and Annabeth ducked as a cannonball flew over their heads.

Kids as young as twelve and as old as nineteen started to appear from the shadows around them.

“LEO! FIX THE LEVER!” Percy screeched.

“ON IT!” Leo yelled as he ran to the engine room.

Jason, Frank, and the girls ran out to the deck and started fighting various enemies.

A few more people ran to the ship over a plank and one with chestnut hair and green eyes flew to the ship. A group of kids surrounded Percy and Annabeth.

Annabeth reached to her belt. “Percy I don’t have a weapon!”

“Catch!” He said tossing her the dagger. “I meant to give it back last night, but you were already asleep!”

“Thanks!” Annabeth shouted as she started fighting.

Percy drew his sword and joined.

Nico appeared from the shadows and tackled a young kid.

He smacked Nico with the butt of his sword.

“Gee, this would be a whole lot easier if someone hadn’t taken my sword!” Nico yelled.

“I’m sorry! I’ll give it back later!” Percy yelled.

The kid tried to hit Nico with his sword, but Nico caught the blade with his hand and threw it behind him. Tears formed in his eyes as blood gushed from his hand. He wrestled the kid to the ground and held him down.

“Get off! You’re squishing me!” the kid yelled.

Nico held him down as other wounded enemies started to retreat.

Percy ran to the cannons and fired a round of cursed gems at the other ship.

The guy with chestnut hair and green eyes flew over to Percy. “So we meet again Jackson.” he said.

“You just don’t know when to quit. Do you Kyle?” Percy said.

Kyle smirked and drew his sword. “So are we gonna fight?”

Percy pointed his sword at Kyle. “With pleasure.” Percy slashed his sword at Kyle and metal clanged on metal as he deflected the attack.

Kyle swung at Percy’s head.

Percy ducked and swung at his legs.

Kyle jumped and slashed his sword across Percy’s chest.

Percy recoiled and fell to his knees in pain.

Kyle kicked him to the ground and Percy sword clattered out of reach.

Percy lay on his back completely vulnerable.

Kyle laughed. “It looks like it ends here.” He raised his sword high above his head and Percy winced as he brought it down.

The sword never made contact. Percy opened his eyes to see Annabeth standing over him blocking Kyle’s sword with her dagger. She shoved him off and ran at him. He tried to hit her with the sword, but Annabeth was too quick and dodged easily. She knocked his sword out of his hand and it clattered to the floor. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and dug her dagger deep into his torso. She turned the dagger slightly and Kyle winced with pain. Tears fell down his face. Annabeth pulled him close. “Leave now or I’ll kill you.” she threatened.

“You’re just a woman. You don’t have the guts.” Kyle mocked. He screamed in pain as Annabeth quickly turned the dagger ninety degrees with a flick of her wrist.

“Try me.”

Kyle scowled. “Crew, retreat!” he yelled.

Everyone ran back to the other ship which was now starting to feel the effects of the cursed gems. Kyle shoved Annabeth off and flew back to the ship with blood dripping from his side. “I’ll be back!” he called.

The kid squirmed under Nico. “Let go! They’re leaving without me!”

“Shut up!” Nico scolded.

The ship took off in the opposite direction and was lost in the fog.

_

Percy tried to sit up. “AH!” he exclaimed. It hurt to move. He fell flat on his back.

Annabeth knelt over him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“It’s just a scratch...” he murmured weakly.

“Percy that cut’s about an inch deep. That’s not ‘just a scratch’.” She helped him to his feet and allowed him to lean on her for support.

“There’s some medical supplies in my room…” Percy looked down at Nico and the kid. “Asa…” Percy looked to Jason. “It seems we have another guest. Jason, would you mind tying Asa to the mast?”

Jason looked down at Nico and the kid then back to Percy. “Yes sir.” Together, he and Nico wrestled the kid against the mast and tied him down.

He kicked his legs. “Let me go!”

Jason ignored him and finished tying. He looked at Nico’s hand. “Ouch. Let’s get you a bandage for that.”

“Thanks.” Nico replied. They walked off to get some bandages.

Annabeth walked Percy to his room.

Using the wall for support, Percy walked to the safe and opened it. He brought out a white emergency kit and sat on his chair slowly. He set the box on the stool and reached for the supplies.

Annabeth put a hand over his and gently pushed it away. “I got it. Just relax.”

Percy opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it again. Instead, he smiled and nodded.

Annabeth set to work. She pulled out a clean rag and a bottle of water from the kit. She got the cloth wet and cleaned out Percy’s wound.

He winced with every dab of the cloth to his flesh and started to sweat.

Annabeth handed him a different rag and looked up at him. “Almost done. I need to stitch it shut.”

“You know how to do that?”

“I’m a daughter of Athena. Shouldn’t be much different than weaving.” She pulled a needle and thread out of the box and stitched the wound shut. Then she wrapped a bandage around it.

Percy watched as Annabeth wrapped the bandages. “Why bandage it if it’s already stitched?”

“Until it seals up the bandages will keep the stitches from coming undone.”

Percy nodded and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “…Thank you.”

Annabeth nodded with a small smile. “… I don’t get it. Why’d you do that for me? You could’ve been killed.”

She shrugged. “It seemed like the right thing to do. I couldn’t just let you die could I?”

“So… you’d be willing to lose your life? For someone you barely know?”

“I feel like I’ve gotten to know you pretty well Percy… Even if I had died… I would’ve been alright with that. I’d feel better knowing I saved you so you could have a second chance… and keep your promise.”

Percy smiled and shook his head. “I don’t think I’m ever going to understand you…”

Annabeth laughed. “That was my plan.”