A Pirate's Life For Me

Fraternizing With the 'Enemy'

Percy offered to take the late shift for watch. If Light's blasted crew returned, he wanted to be the first to know.

Around midnight, he felt a minor disturbance in the water next to the ship.

A shadow slipped across the deck, the wild curly hair telling him who was going to receive the mystery caller. Percy debated the pros and cons of revealing himself, then settled on moving deftly across the rigging to sit over where Hazel and her friend would be.

"Haz, help me up!" A voice hissed.

Percy started. He knew that voice.

Sure enough, Hazel reached over the rail and slowly pulled up the burly son of Ares from the Zephyrus.

"Hey, Haz, how-" Hazel cut him off by shoving him backwards so he landed flat against the deck and laying her Imperial Gold cavalry sword against his neck.

"What in Hades were you thinking, coming here tonight?!" The thirteen year old daughter of Hades snarled angrily. 

Percy could just barely detect the tears in her voice.

"I just wanted to see you!" Frank protested quietly.

"I don't care! Bianca died, Frank! And you know what? When I ask who shot her in the first place, everyone tells me it was a son of Ares from the Zephyrus! Frank, you're the only son of Ares I've met who uses a bow. How could you?!" Hazel was flat out sobbing now.

Percy listened silently, feeling a small pang in his chest. He hadn't known the other daughter of Hades had passed on. Even though he'd known her for a day or two, the girl had been a good friend. She was the perfect mix of maturity and teenage silliness.

Hazel was now sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, her back to Frank. Her sword lay abandoned on the deck.

"Hazel, I'm so sorry, I didn't know she was your sister..." Frank moved forward and laid his hand on the young girl's shoulder. 

Hazel slapped his wrist away from her and surged to her feet. Percy couldn't see her face, but he assumed the look in her eyes was murderous from the way Frank backed up.

"Get off my ship." The girl growled.

"Please Hazel, give me another chance-"

"I SAID-" Hazel bent and scooped up her sword, pointing it at Frank's throat. "Get. Off. My. SHIP!"

The last word had come out in an enraged shout/whisper. No matter how angry she was, Hazel obviously did not want this confrontation to become public to the rest of her crew.

Frank swallowed thickly and turned, vaulting the railing and dropping from sight. There was a quiet splash.

Percy searched for the boat that the son of Ares was aiming for, but did not find one. Searching the waters with his abilities, he found no human in the area either. There was a dolphin swimming away from the ship though.

Frank is a dolphin?!

Percy reached out for Maurai. 'Follow the dolphin please. Report back to me if anything strange happens.'

'Of course, Coral Brains.' The mermaid responded teasingly.

Percy rolled his eyes and dropped soundlessly onto the deck. "He come by often?"

Hazel whirled, her sword extended, but it was met with a second sword. She flinched, expecting a clang that would bring the crew running, but there was almost no sound. 

She looked closer. The second blade was coated with water.

"Hello Percy." The golden eyed girl said apprehensively.

"Answer my question, Hazel."

She deflated, then suddenly her shoulders straightened. "I am the first mate of this ship, Jackson. You cannot order me around."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Maybe not, but I can shout at the top of my lungs and wake the captain. And don't think I wouldn't tell him what just happened."

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"I am a pirate, after all." Percy smirked.

"Fine." Hazel sighed. "Yeah, he's been coming for a while."

Percy dropped the 'I have leverage so tell me your secrets' act. "You like him, don't you?"

She blushed, knowing he probably wouldn't be able to see it in the darkness, much less with her skin tone. "Yes..."

Percy reached forward and pulled the little thirteen year old into a hug. "I'm sorry. It can't be nice to find out that the man you love killed your sister. Hazel, if you need to talk, please come to me. I won't tell anyone about tonight without your permission, I swear it on the Styx."

Thunder rumbled lightly above them and Hazel pulled away. "Thank you." She told him sincerely.

"Don't, I wouldn't have told either way. But I've got a bit of a bone to pick with that boy now." He sheathed his sword and headed towards the railing.

"Where are you going?" Hazel asked.

"To talk to a certain bow-wielding son of Ares. If I'm not back by morning, tell Nico I went out to avenge Bianca and I probably got captured." 

Percy jumped onto the railing without looking and saluted Hazel with a goofy grin on his face before tipping backwards and falling from view.

The daughter of Hades rushed to the railing and was just in time to see the son of Poseidon hit the water before a small wake appeared behind him and he disappeared into the night.

[A/N YAY CHAPTER! Yes, Bianca is dead. No I'm not having Nico bring her back. There will be a formal explanation, probably later]