𝕽𝖔𝖞𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖞 𝕻𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 (𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖔𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖔𝖑𝖞𝖒𝖕𝖚𝖘)

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖵

"Percy!"

The scream woke Leo from his slumber. Normally Leo was one to be annoyed if he was woken up at the crack of dawn but whoever screamed ol' water boys name seemed to be in a considerable amount of distress.

The elfish boy ran straight out of his room and climbed the stairs to the main deck as fast as his short legs would take him.

What Leo saw did not please him, rather, fear gripped his chest in a vice-like clamp as he saw all seven of the crew members, all except for whose name he'd heard earlier.

Annabeth sobbed helplessly into Piper's shoulder. Reyna stood dangerously quiet, as if though she would impale anyone who dared to stand in her way. Jason gripped the wheel, so fiercely Leo was afraid it might break, Leo looked around the ship and spotted Hazel crying in Frank's arms.

He did not have to ask what the issue was because, Leo wasn't that oblivious. Percy was gone, but he wasn't dead, Leo would never mistake the hope that Reyna held in her pitch black eyes.

He wanted to ask Reyna, she was the most realistic about these sorts of situations. But, Leo also didn't want to be thrown overboard by an angry and worried princess.

Instead, he clambered over to Frank, the only person in the mood to talk.

"What happened?" He asked the woolly mammoth, a lot of people thought Leo insulted Frank by relating him to animals. Leo didn't mean it as an insult. Leo used to be a bit envious of Frank's stature, he was built like a war machine after all. After a few years though, Leo learned that maybe being 5'6 wasn't that bad.

"Luke Castellan. He took Percy and jumped overboard, Jason said he's probably taken him prisoner on a ship. According to Reyna, the big black ship from earlier is the one, that's where Jason's heading." Frank pointed toward the blond boy steering the Argo II toward the north, back toward where the main land of the continent.

"Percy's the best fighter in the entire continent, how did the barbie bastard take him?"

Leo could swear he saw the corner of Frank's mouth twitch lightly.

"Him and Annabeth were kissing when Luke attacked. He had the element of surprise." The Sasquatch replied, again, that's not an insult. Leo just had a weird sense of humor that few people understood.

"Oh." was all Leo responded with. He trudged over to where Jason was standing, his knuckles slowly turning white and his eyes red from holding back tears.

Something pricked Leo's heart when he looked at Jason in such a mess. His hair was unkempt and blue iris' were unclear and had become darker than usual. Leo only sighed and put a hand on his friends shoulder.

Percy and Jason had been as close as brothers since Jason's birth. They had always trained together and when they fought, they fought as if they were one soul split into two bodies. Rather like Reyna and Annabeth. Leo thought.

"Drop the pretense, Grace. Let me take the wheel." Leo expected Jason to tell him he was fine or say nothing at all in general, but he only nodded stiffly and let the wheel out of his grip.

Hazel saw Jason go below deck through her tears and immediately exchanged a glance with Piper and Reyna. Reyna started to speed walk toward Annabeth and crouched in front of her, whispering encouraging words to her cousin as Piper slowly let go of her and followed her boyfriend below deck.

As soon as Hazel witnessed the subtle exchange, Percy's absence hit her like a bus. She broke down again and clutched Frank's shirt for reassurance as he gently rubbed her back.

The world seemed to weigh down on Jason's shoulders, but he somehow managed to contain his tears. They threatened to spill out of his eyes as he slumped his head and leaned his hands on the table in front of him. Jason shook his head, he hadn't cried since Bianca and Nico left two years ago, dam, his cousins had a habit of bringing tears to his eyes.

Percy was gone, and he might never come back, Jason might lose a brother. The tears were burning in his eyes as he thought stay strong. The others need you to.

The door to his bedroom clicked open, and he heard soft footsteps as someone approached him. Gentle hands lifted his chin up, and he met striking kaleidoscopic eyes, returning his look of misery.

"You've always been there for me when I needed you, I think it's my turn now." And without warning Piper folded Jason in a tight hug. They both dropped onto the bed as Jason started shaking badly.

"Shhh, it's okay, my love. You can cry, you don't always have to be strong." Pipers sweet, soft intoxicating voice was barely above a whisper. And there, in the safety of Pipers arms, in the warmth of her embrace, Jason broke down . Slowly Piper propped herself against the bed as Jason rested his head against her shoulders. For once, Jason felt like crying didn't make him any less of a man.

"Jason." Piper grabbed the boys shaking hand. "Look at me." But he wouldn't meet her eyes, his hands continued to tremble.

"Look. At. Me." Piper said softly but not without sounding intimidating.

Jason forced himself to look into his girlfriend's beautiful eyes and as the tears continued to spill out of his own. Piper kissed the top of Jason's head and stroked his hair for what felt like hours until the blond haired boy finally spoke.

"He's going to come back right?" Jason asked like a small child looking for reassurance.

Piper looked like she wanted to lie but settled on the truth instead. "I don't know darling, I hope he does."

A more comfortable silence with less crying followed until Jason finally spoke again.

"I love you, Pipes."

"I love you too, Sparky."

Everything except pain seemed like a blur to Annabeth. She felt as if though the world had been ripped away from her arms, which it had. She knew from the distinct scent of the roses that it was Piper who had her wrapped her arms around her, but Annabeth couldn't hear a word she was saying.

Percy was gone, taken from her by Luke, gods Annabeth wanted to kick that son of bitch where the sun don't shine. Annabeth had already despised Luke, considering he'd tried to kill her a few months ago. For which Percy had made him pay by burning his ship to the ground under his pirate alias 'Dark Steed'.

Another voice said something to Annabeth as she felt soft arms let go of her, Annabeth tried to focus on the voice trying to talk to her and finally her ears heard something but muffled sounds.

"Annabeth, we'll find him, and I'll make sure Luke never sees the end of this. Just please, pull yourself together." Annabeth recognized the voice as Reyna's. Wiping the tears from her eyes, the blond girl stood and nodded.

Annabeth glanced at Reyna whose eyes were red and puffy from crying. Perhaps Percy was dead, no, Annabeth shunned the thought. Percy would come back, Annabeth knew it. Because Annabeth didn't know how she would live if he didn't.

-hush