Seaweed Brain Forgets...

The Greeks are Coming

*Beginning of Mark of Athena!!!!*

"Well, what do we do about this? A Greek demigod-operated warship is headed straight for the camp!" Octavian shouted at the senate. I rolled my eyes.

"Octavian, they said they were peaceful. If they wanted to attack us, do you think they'd give us warning beforehand?" I asked. He glared.

"You, how do we know you didn't call them?" I grit my teeth.

"Why don't you cut open a teddy bear and find out?" I growled. Reyna smiled at me.

"I am on Percy's side. They say they are under a white flag, we can believe them. We should still set up precautions though, just in case." She ordered. I nodded.

"Agreed." Just then, Frank ran into the Senate House.

"They've arrived!" He shouted. We all stood immediately. Reyna began barking orders, scrambling the troops as we all rushed outside to see the ship.

It was huge. A big golden ship with a dragon masthead floating (yes, floating) over the city. I shielded my eyes so that I wouldn't go blind from the brightness. Hazel and Frank flanked my sides while Reyna ran around rallying soldiers. 

The ship stopped directly above us. A thin rope ladder fell down and demigods filed down. I was still far away, so they just looked like dots. 

Reyna pushed forward and started speaking to them, I stepped up directly behind her right shoulder with Hazel and Frank by my side. 

It was a group of four demigods: a blonde boy, a dark-haired girl, the Sammy look-a-like, and a blonde girl with grey eyes. That one was staring at me funny... I couldn't tell if she wanted to kill me or hug me so I kept a poker face, just in case. 

"Jason Grace, my former colleague..." Reyna said coldly, "I welcome you home. And these, your friends-" 

That was when something weird happened... the blonde one ran forward, past Jason, past Reyna, and straight towards me. Before I knew what was happening she was hugging me. 

"Thank the gods!" She cried out. I held out my arms, confused. Reyna looked furious, but it wasn't at me that's for sure. 

"Uh... hi?" I said awkwardly. I tried to give Reyna an I have no clue what's going on look. She seemed to get the message. The blonde girl awkwardly let go and took a step back. She searched my face for a sign of... something. 

"Percy?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah?" I said slowly. Realization hit her. 

"You... you don't remember me, do you?" She asked with more fear in her voice than I'd ever heard. I shook my head.

"Sorry." For a second she looked like she was going to hit me, then she looked like she was going to burst into tears. She ended on a kind of poker face but somehow I still knew she was hurt. Jason coughed.

"So uh... this is Annabeth." Jason said awkwardly. Huh, Annabeth. That rang a tiny little bell in the back of my head, but I just couldn't figure it out. He introduced the rest of the demigods to us. The dark haired girl was Piper, and "Sammy" was actually Leo. The entire time neither Reyna's nor Annabeth's eyes left my face. 

So I looked down. 

"It seems we have much to discuss." Reyna said firmly, "Centurions!"

"You can't be letting these strangers into the camp!" Octavian protested, "The security..."

"We won't let them into the camp. We will eat in the forum." She said. Octavian grumbled.

"Oh that's so much better... we can relax in the shadow of their warship!" 

"These are our guests." Reyna said, just a little bit hesitantly, "We will welcome them, and we will talk with them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."

"Good idea," I piped up, "Go burn your bears, Octavian!" Reyna grinned at me, and Annabeth smirked a little. 

Everyone dispersed, leaving just me, Reyna, and the newcomers. Annabeth was still staring at me, it was making things really uncomfortable. 

"So, Annabeth." Reyna said, "You know Percy." She said it like a fact, not a question. Annabeth pursed her lips and nodded. 

I wanted to talk to Reyna, to try to smooth this out since it was pretty obvious how exactly Annabeth knew me. But I also wanted to talk to Annabeth. She had to know things about my past. 

At dinner that night, me, Reyna, Octavian, Hazel, Frank, and Jason's group of friends sat together. Annabeth sat across from me, and wouldn't look up from her plate. Reyna sat by my side with her shoulder pressed up to mine. 

They told the story of their adventures over the past few months and Hazel and Frank told ours. I put in a couple details every now and then but otherwise stayed quiet. Turns out, Octavian was right. I was a Greek demigod, like them. Hera had switched me and Jason as a way to bring the two camps together. 

"You've been gone eight months," Annabeth told me. Well that's new information! I choked on my coke.

"Eight?!" She nodded grimly.

"Eight." She confirmed. I felt a little nauseous all of a sudden. I looked down.

"I'm gonna take a walk." I said quietly, and stood. 

"Percy?" Both Reyna and Annabeth shouted, but I was already outside. 

Deep breaths, Percy. Deep breaths I told myself as I stumbled through the darkness. The moon was bright that night, but the grapevines in the Garden of Bacchus blocked it out just a little, so that the light was latticed on the ground.

A hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me around.

"Reyna I don't..." Grey eyes stared back at me, not black. Blonde hair, not black, "Annabeth," I said quietly. She pursed her lips and nodded.

"Percy..." She started.

"Eight months," I cut her off, "Eight whole months of my life are gone. Before that... I don't even remember before that!" I cried. She said nothing, just listened. So I continued, "I don't remember Camp Half-Blood, I don't remember the second Titan War, I don't remember my own mother or step-father or brother. For gods sakes, I don't even remember you, Annabeth!" She winced at that, "I know I should, I just can't." I said and fell down on a stone bench in despair, "I want to remember you," I said and looked up at her. She was standing so that a strip of moonlight illuminated her eyes only, turning them silver. They glittered when I said that, but only for a second before she replaced the look with the emotionless one. 

"You just saved Camp Jupiter, found the lost staff, became praetor, and started dating the other praetor. It looks like you've gotten along pretty well, Seaweed Brain." I looked up with scrunched eyebrows.

"Seaweed Brain?" I asked.

"Right..." She sighed to herself, "It's nothing. I'd say forget it, but..." Even though I felt like I was on the wrong end of a pegasus, I laughed, and she smirked, "It's good to see you laugh again." She said quietly. Then recomposed herself. 

"Will you stop that?" I whined. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"What?" She knew full well what, and I knew it too.

"You sure act stupid for a daughter of Athena." She grit her teeth.

"If you're so smart, praetor, then you can figure it out." She spit at me. Note to self: do not call Annabeth stupid. Ever. 

With that, she stalked out of the garden, steam coming out of her ears, her golden hair flying back out behind her.

Well one thing's for sure: Annabeth Chase is definitely part-goddess.