Sunburn- phoebus apollo

--xiii. the party ponies invade

THE BEAR TWINS HERDED THEM ABOARD THE PRINCESS ANDROMEDA. They threw them down on the aft deck in front of a swimming pool with sparkling fountains that sprayed into the air. A dozen of Luke's assorted goons--snake people, Laistrygonians, demigods in battle armor--had gathered to watch them get some "hospitality."

"And so, the Fleece," Luke mused. "Where is it?" He looked them over, prodding Percy's shirt with the tip of his sword, poking Grover's jeans.

"Hey!" Grover yelled. "That's real goat fur under there!"

"Sorry, old friend." Luke smiled. "Just give me the Fleece and I'll leave you to return to your, ah, little nature quest."

"Blaa-ha-ha!" Grover protested. "Some old friend!"

"Maybe you didn't hear me." Luke's voice was dangerously calm. "Where--is--the--Fleece?"

"Not here," Rhea said. She probably shouldn't have told him anything, but it felt good to throw the truth in his face. "We sent it on ahead of us. You messed up."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. You couldn't have..." His face reddened as a horrible possibility occurred to him. "Clarisse?"

Rhea smirked.

"You trusted... you gave..."

"Yeah."

"Agrius!"

The bear giant flinched. "Y-yes?"

"Get below and prepare my steed. Bring it to the deck. I need to fly to the Miami Airport, fast!"

"But, boss--"

"Do it!" Luke screamed. "Or I'll feed you to the drakon!"

The bear-man gulped and lumbered down the stairs. Luke paced in front of the swimming pool, cursing in Ancient Greek, gripping his sword so tight his knuckle turned white.

The rest of Luke's crew looked uneasy. Maybe they'd never seen their boss so unhinged before.

"You've been toying with us all along," Percy said. "You wanted us to bring you the Fleece and save you the trouble of getting it."

Luke scowled. "Of course, you idiot! And you've messed everything up!"

"Traitor!" Percy dug his last gold drachma out of his pocket and threw it at Luke, which he dodged easily.

The coin sailed into the spray of rainbow-colored water.

Rhea smirked, realizing what her brother was about to do.

"You tricked all of us!" Percy yelled at Luke. "Even DIONYSUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD!"

He uncapped his sword.

Luke just sneered. "This is no time for heroics, Percy. Drop your puny little sword, or I'll have you killed sooner rather than later."

"Who poisoned Thalia's tree, Luke?"

"I did, of course," he snarled. "I already told you. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus."

"Chiron had nothing to do with it?" Percy asked.

"Ha! You know he would never do that. The old fool wouldn't have the guts."

"You call it guts? Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?" Percy demanded.

Luke raised his sword. "You don't understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece... once I was done with it."

That made Percy hesitate. "You were going to heal Kronos."