Book 1 - The Constriction in Breathing Air

Chapter 8

"This one's our cabin."

They piled into the little room on the train. Annabeth immediately pulled the curtains shut and Percy did the same with the door.

"Grover and I can share the bottom bunk," Percy said. "Or Grover can take the bed and I'll just take the floor."

"We can share," Grover assured, "I don't mind as long as you don't."

They sat in silence. Grover stared down at his reed piles, Percy stared at the window, and Annabeth stared at Percy as the train zoomed across the country.

Finally, he sighed.

"Something on your mind, Wise Girl?"

"We're just not going to talk about what happened?"

Grover slid down in his seat.

"Depends," Percy said. "Do you want to talk about what just happened?"

They stared at each other, Annabeth's eyes blazing.

"You took her side," she said. "You took Medusa's side."

"I made her think I took her side," he countered. "She wouldn't have let us leave without a fight otherwise. Feels bad, doesn't it, being on the other end of a plan."

Annabeth's mouth did something funny; she was fuming.

"Look," Percy started. "I'm sorry for what I did, but I didn't want to have to fight her. She's a dangerous enemy to have. In her eyes, and in a lot of other peoples' eyes, she was the victim of both my dad's Roman side and your mom's Roman side. We don't get to decide how she interpreted the things that happened to her."

"My mother punished her!" She sat up in her seat. "That—"

"And you are not your mother," Percy said sternly, "and I am not my father. Medusa is a lot older than both of us, and maybe what she said wasn't exactly that wrong. I get you want to be like...your mom, but maybe you should rethink that choice if this is how other people see her."

Annabeth jumped up.

"My mom," she said, eyes blazing, "is the Goddess of Wisdom, Craft, and Warfare, she is just and fair—"

"But is she?" Percy interrupted. "She created Medusa, did she not?"

Annabeth was silent, her mouth working open and close before—

"I'm going to the dinner car," she finally said. "I'll bring back some food."

The door shut behind her.

"That could have gone better," Grover murmured.

Percy sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this," he told his friend. "And I'm really sorry about your Uncle Ferdinand."

"No no, I..." Grover trailed off. "I don't...necessarily think you're wrong. I think it was wrong of you to lead us in there despite knowing the dangers, but in the time I've gotten to know you, Percy, I've found you always have a plan in the making. And thanks, about my Uncle, but I know the world is dangerous...."

Grover smiled, looking up. "Most of the time, your plans are dangerous, but it usually works and I know you're always looking out for your teammates. A-and now we don't have to worry about her reforming and hunting us down. I think you and Annabeth just have different ways of approaching a problem, and she's never had to worry about that until now."

"Next time I'll make sure to give you guys a heads up."

The door slammed open. Annabeth plowed in, her arms weighed down by food, and she dropped all of it on the seat next to Grover before pulling the door shut and locking it.