Camp Hermit-Blood - The Sea of Monsters

Tengo

"So Hephaestus kids have fire powers," Clarisse said. "And nobody told me."

"It's probably a good thing," Ren assured her.

"Only some of us," Tango said. "I'm the only one, as far as I know. Nobody in my cabin knows yet. I'm trying to figure out the best time to tell them."

"Well, it's fire," Clarisse said, leaning back in her chair. "It could have been something stupid like water or something. But it's fire. I can work with that."

"Hey," Percy warned. "Watch the insults."

"I'll say whatever I like, Prissy."

Even Annabeth smiled at that.

"What about Grian?" Ren asked. "Where's the bread boy?"

"The bread boy is... not in the most convenient place right now," Annabeth said. "There was a ship that we used to get here. It's called the Princess Andromeda."

"...and?" Tango asked.

"It's full of monsters," Percy said. "A whole army of them. Kronos is on that ship. So is Luke. They want the golden Fleece."

"Good!" Clarisse said. "I'll blow them out of the water."

"The small pranker is on the ship," Tyson said gravely. "He won't get eggs. Dogs ate all the eggs."

"So maybe... don't blow them out of the water," Bdubs said, and took another bite out of his golden apple. Too much ambrosia would burn him up, so they had to result to less common healing methods.

"I don't think they're gonna kill him," Annabeth said. "But we might need to rescue him."

"I'm not that worried," Tango said truthfully. "He's a slippery guy. Most likely, he'll dress up as Mumbo, steal everything valuable off of that ship, and escape on elytra that he somehow held onto."

"Probably," Ren agreed. "But I don't know what they're going to do to him."

"I think they want him to bargain for the Fleece," Annabeth said.

"We'll get him off of there before they can do much," Percy said.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "We have, like, three days until Grover has to marry a Cyclops."

"Wait, what?" Ren asked, half laughing.

"On Grover's search for Pan, he found the Fleece," Percy explained. "I've been having dreams of him in a cave. He said he made an empathy link with me. But the Cyclops, Polyphemus, who has the Fleece thinks he's a lady Cyclops and wants to marry him. But the thing is, Polyphemus eats satyrs. So if he finds out that Grover is a satyr, Grover's gonna get eaten."

Everyone at the table nodded. Except Clarisse. She seemed to have lost interest in the conversation now that they weren't talking about blowing things up anymore.

Tango could relate.

"Tyson, that's enough donuts," Percy said.

"There's DONUTS?" Tango demanded.

Tyson held out the box for him. Tango eagerly took two and promptly choked on airborne powdered sugar.

He thought he heard a giggle next to him, which led him to believe that Gem and Zedaph were also here.

Shut up, he mouthed, before passing a couple of donuts to them as the group's attention turned back to the conversation.

"Let us help you," Percy offered.

"No way," Clarisse said. "Tantalus expelled you for eternity. Don't know about the Hephaestus kid-"

"Tango," Tango told her.

"-but I shouldn't be seen with you. This is my quest, my chance for glory, and I will not let you ruin it!"

Ren coughed lightly. "Excuse me," he said. "But I think you mean our quest...?"

"Yeah. Sure," Clarisse said. "But on the other hand... I can't let you go..."

"So we're prisoners?" Bdubs demanded.

"Guests. For now."

Tango wasn't sure he liked the "for now" part.

After receiving a tour of the ship that they didn't want (and that Tango had already gotten right under Clarisse's nose) they were given beds in the bunkroom that they had been staying in anyway.

"Okay," Ren said. "So... yeah. We're here."

"We're here too," Zedaph said.

"What was that?" Percy said, jumping so much that Tango swore that his head was about to hit the ceiling.

He and Gem appeared as their potions wore off.

"We heard everything," Gem said. "And we got donuts. But mostly I'm worried about Grian."

"We need to go find him," Zedaph agreed.

"What- WHAT-" Bdubs stammered.

"I knew that if Tango stowed away, the rest of you did too," Annabeth said smugly, as if she had known all along - she probably had. "You guys are inseparable."

"Ha, wait until Scar or Grian starts a war," Bdubs snorted. "You won't think we're inseparable THEN."

"Don't tell Clarisse we're here," Zedaph said. "She doesn't know yet. I don't think she'd take it very well..."

"Probably not," Ren laughed.

"So anyway," Percy said. "Sleep?"

"SHREEP," Bdubs agreed eagerly.

"Of course," Tango sighed.

"Not until we figure out how to storm that ship!" Zedaph protested. "I think Percy can get us there with the water stuff... maybe Bdubs can put everyone to sleep while we find Grian? Annabeth, help me out."

"We'll feel better in the morning," Annabeth told him. "Maybe we'll be able to come up with a better plan then."

"Go to sleep, Zed," Gem said. "Let's be honest, nobody slept well last night. We were all talking about Clarisse's quest, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Ares cabin was setting off their land mines with how loud they were."

"And the rest of us were on an evil cruise ship," Percy supplied.

"And the rest of you were on an evil cruise ship," Gem agreed.

With that, they all got into bed. It was quiet for about five minutes before Tyson said, "Percy, what happened to our stuff?"

"I saw a scrap of yellow fabric in the Hydra's mouth," Percy explained. "I think it was tracking us. Good thing we took all of our best stuff with us when we went to Monster Donut."

That was the last thing any of them said before they fell asleep.

------

Tango hadn't had many demigod dreams before.

Well, lucky him, tonight was the night.

He dreamed about a certain Underworld god pacing his throne room.

Or, that's who Tango guessed it was.

"I should have let that zombie stay longer," Hades growled to himself. "The undead aren't doing anything. They aren't dying!"

"Send Thanatos," one of his undead advisors said, because Tango hadn't had enough of the undead on Clarisse's ship.

"Enough mortals are dying. He's very busy and I can't send him on another mission when he's already asking for a pay raise."

"I thought that was Charon, my lord."

Hades pointed a finger at the skeleton. A black bolt of energy shot out of it, and the skeleton turned to dust.

"I may have to do it myself," he muttered. "But give the monsters a few more months. When they go back for the winter, they won't be getting out as easily, and hopefully the real monsters can get to them by then."