[1] 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 ― p.jackson ✓

008.

「008. cadie finally loses it 」

"YOU ARE in so much trouble," clarisse said to them all after their little tour of the ship (which none of them really wanted) through dark rooms of overcrowded dead soldiers. they'd seen the coal bunker, the boilers and the engine, which huffed and groaned like it would explode any minute (not a promising sight if she was being honest). they'd seen the pilot house and the powder magazine and the gunnery deck (clarisse's favourite) and two dahlgren smoothbore cannons on the port and starboard sides and a brooke nine inch rifled gun fore and aft- all specially refitted to fire celestial bronze cannons.

so in other words, cam's worst nightmare.

everywhere they went, they were surrounded by dead confederate sailors. they approved of annabeth because she told them she was from virginia, and they were interesting percy too due to his last name being jackson- like the southern general- but he ruined it when he said he was from new york. they didn't really like cadie, especially after she told them she was from california. they hissed curses at her, and spat insults at yankees to percy.

generally, tyson was terrified of them. all throughout the tour, he cling to cadie like a scared child. she wasn't really bothered by it. usually, her insides would be going, oh dear god human contact- how do we respond! this is an emergency! and she might start panicking. but tyson was oddly nice, he was sort of like a golden retriever, and for some reason she found herself more protective over him than percy looked to be.

for some reason, that actually annoyed her now. tyson was a good person- er, cyclops. so whatever weird thing annabeth had against tyson, and whatever embarrassment percy held for tyson was comelpletly dumb.

"tantalus has expelled you for eternity," clarisse said smugly, "mr d said if any of you ever show your face at camp he'll turn you into squirrels and run you over with his beetle car."

"his beetle car?" cadie said, suddenly annoyed, "that's my car!"

"you can drive a car?" muttered percy.

"mr d has confiscated it," shrugged clarisse.

"he confiscated my car?!" she hissed, "oh that son of a-"

"did they give you this ship?" percy cut in.

clarisse scoffed, "of course not. my father did."

"ares?"

"your dad isn't the only with with sea powers, salt breath," scoffed clarisse, "the spirits on the losing side of every war owe a tribute to ares. that's their curse for being defeated. i prayed to my father for a naval transport and here it is. these guys will do anything i tell them. won't you, captain?"

the captain stood behind her looking stiff and angry. his glowing green eyes fixed at them with a hungry stare. "if it means an end to this infernal war, ma'am, peace at last, we'll do anything. destroy anyone."

clarisse smiled. "destroy anyone. i like that."

tyson gulped.

"clarisse," annabeth said, "luke might be after the fleece, too. we saw him. he's got the coordinates and he's heading south. he has a cruise ship full of monsters –"

"good! i'll blow him out the water!" she retorted.

oh how different she is to cam, cadie thought to herself.

"you don't understand," annabeth said, "we have to combine forces. let us help you-"

"no!" clarisse pounded the table, "this is my quest, smart girl! finally i get to be the hero, and you guys will not steal my chance!"