Seaweed Brain Forgets...

The Romans

*Now to the Romans catching up with them...*

I needed help... some kind of distress signal to Coach Hedge, or even better- Percy.

"Well?" Octavian demanded. His two friends brandished their swords.

Very slowly, using just my thumb and index finger, I drew my dagger. Instead of dropping it like they asked, I tossed it as far as I could. It splashed into the water of the harbor.

Octavian made a sound very similar to that of a mouse, "What was that for? I didn't say toss it! That could have been evidence, or a spoil of war!"

I shrugged and smiled, going for a dumb-blonde look. Oops, silly me...

Nobody that knew me would have believed it, but Octavian seemed to. He huffed.

"You two," He pointed to Hazel and Piper, "Weapons on the dock, no funny bus-"

All around the Romans, Charleston Harbor erupted like a Vegas fountain putting on a show. When the water subsided and slipped back it took the three Romans with them. They spit and tried to stay floating with their heavy armor. Percy stood before us on the dock, holding my dagger. 

"You dropped this," he said, completely poker-faced. I threw my arms around him.

"I love you!" The words spilled out of my mouth before I realized it. It had just become a habit of mine back when we were dating. Whoops. I awkwardly let go of him and took back the dagger. His eyes were wide with shock, and he stood stock still. Thank the gods for Hazel.

"Guys!" She interrupted, a slight smile on her face, "We need to hurry." 

*They talk about leaving quickly, skip to Annabeth's departure to search for the map in the midst of all the Romans*

"The fort is crawling with Romans," Percy warned me, "You'll have to fight your way through, find our friends- assuming they're okay- find this map, and get everybody back alive. All on your own?"

"Just an average day," I said with a smirk. He looked impressed. Good. I silently reached out and squeezed his hand. "Whatever you do, don't let them take this ship!"

*And now Annabeth's fight with Reyna*

"Rushing off?" Reyna asked.

The praetor stood ten feet away, in full battle armor, holding a golden javelin. The two metal greyhounds growled beside her. Just seeing Percy's possible ex/current girlfriend made all the rage I'd been saving for Hera surface. I lunged at her.

She lifted the javelin to hit my blade, "Aurum, Argentum, heel!" She called. Fine by me, if she wanted this to be a one on one fight, so be it. 

"What happened at Jupiter was not our fault. It was Gaea's." I said as our weapons clashed once again.

"Save the explanations." She snarled, "You'll need them for the trial."

"If you let Gaea drive our two camps apart, the giants have already won. They'll destroy us all."

"Don't you think I know that?" Her voice was as hard as the javelin she held, "What choice have you left me? Octavian's gone into a frenzy, and I can't stop it. Surrender. I will take you to New Rome for trial. It won't be fair, and you'll be painfully executed. But it may be enough to stop further violence." I glared into her black eyes as I thrust my dagger towards her.

"I wasn't the one who fired." I growled.

"It doesn't matter! Someone must pay for what happened?" She snapped.

"And why must it be me? Because I'm readily available, or do you have another reason?" She didn't answer, "Is it because of Percy?" She still didn't answer, but I saw something in her eyes tighten, "In your eyes, I took him from you. I removed your chance of love, it was me. Now you want me dead, is that it?" I was right. Her javelin blocked my next thrust.

"You honestly believe me to be that petty?" She asked. I twisted my blade so that it was released.

"The heart does crazy things to people." I said, "Aphrodite told you the same thing, didn't she?"

"Enough!" Reyna yelled and came at me with her weapon. I jumped into the harbor. She looked down at me as I floated in the water.

"Percy loved me first, and he'll love me last." I called up to her, "That's a promise." Reyna was smart, she knew this. She was the one who had given him the vial in the first place, just before we left. 

"If he drinks that blood, then he is yours. Only then, will he be fully yours." She said. She was leaving it up to Percy. Smart.

"We cannot follow you to Rome," She yelled down, "We will be forced to go to your Camp Half-Blood." She said. It was not a threat, it was information, "Stay here, go to the trial, and the camp is spared." Tempting.

"We have no choice! Either we go, or the world as we know it ends!" 

The water churned around my body, and I was propelled up onto the deck of the ship.