𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚒𝚊 (𝙇𝙚𝙤 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯 𝙓 𝙊𝙘)

είκοσι δύο

"Blackjack has a pretty mean kick huh?" Elena mused, staring at the hoofprint adorning Percy's head. Piper nodded mutely as Annabeth stared at the print in confusion.

"I'll explain later," Piper said as the two demigods stirred in their berths. Piper waited until the two were able to recall bits of information before recounting their highway battle.

"Knocked out twice in two days," he muttered. "Some demigod." He glanced sheepishly at Percy. "Sorry, man. I didn't mean to blast you."
Percy's shirt was peppered with burn holes. His hair was even more disheveled than normal. Despite that, he managed a weak laugh. "Not the first time. Your big sister got me good once at camp."

"Yeah, but...I could have killed you."

"Or I could have killed you," Percy said.

Elena rolled her eyes leave it to them to bicker over their strength. She was starting to feel as if those two would forever fight over who had the other hand. Just like their fathers.

"-Food first," Percy said. "Please? And we really need to talk. Bacchus said some things that don't—"

"Bacchus?" Elena raised her hand. "Okay, fine. We need to talk. Mess hall. Ten minutes. I'll tell the others. And please, Percy...change your clothes. You smell like you've been run over by an electric horse."

Jason gave a small snort.

"You're not doing any better buddy, you smell like the Pegasi stables right now." Elena responds coolly making the other two girls snort in unison.

They gathered around the dining table, and Piper explained what had happened at TOPEKA 32—their conversation with Bacchus, the trap sprung by Gaea, the eidolons that had possessed the boys.

"Of course!" Hazel slapped the table, which startled Frank so much, he dropped his burrito. "That's what happened to Leo too."

"So it wasn't my fault." Leo exhaled. "I didn't start World War Three. I just got possessed by an evil spirit. That's a relief!" Elena took his hand in hers and squeezed it, he hadn't told her implicitly but since that day, she could tell he had been tearing himself up over it.

"But the Romans don't know that," Annabeth said. "And why would they take our word for it?"

"We could contact Reyna," Jason suggested. "She would believe us."

Hearing the way Jason said her name, like it was a lifeline to his past, made Elena cringe.

Jason turned to Piper with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "You could convince her, Pipes. I know you could." Annabeth looked at her sympathetically, as if to say: Boys are so clueless. Even Hazel winced. Elena shot Jason a dirty look and shook her head at Piper feeling sympathetic for the girl.

Elena refrained from talking and instead bit into her sandwich . On her other side, Ere gurgled at the crew. He was finally sitting up properly and after a long nap feeling more playful than he had before she'd had him nap. She could still hear his little wails as Annabeth handed the mini demigod back to her earlier.

—Leo drummed his fingers atop of hers. "Great. I should have installed a smoke screen that makes the ship smell like a giant chicken nugget. Remind me to invent that, next time."

Hazel frowned. "What is a chicken nugget?"

"Oh, man..." Leo shook his head in amazement. "That's right. You've missed the last like, seventy years. Well, my apprentice, a chicken nugget—"

"Doesn't matter," Annabeth interrupted. "The point is, we'll have a hard time explaining the truth to the Romans. Even if they believe us—" Jason interrupted looking bittersweet as he talked about being forbidden to enter the ancient lands.