Archive of Our Own ^beta

Annabeth kicked herself for not planning better. She had thought over the choices carefully and knew that Scylla was their better bet. She’d planned carefully for that situation and how they could escape, but she should’ve come up with a plan for if they ended up facing Charybdis. Children of Athena were taught to explore all options, so she should’ve figured out a way they could win against either monster.

Her brain was going a mile a minute when Percy suggested he could turn the tide. “Do you have the juice for that?” Annabeth asked, not to insult him, but because she was genuinely concerned. Percy was a child of the big three, and yes, he was strong, but the Sea of Monsters was unpredictable, and trying to control this ship was a big ask. Annabeth had seen the tidal wave he’d created when he was fighting Ares, but she’d never really seen Percy use the full force of his powers. She had no idea what his limits were.

“If I speed up the current, I can slingshot out the other side, but…” Percy trailed off with a shake of his head.

“But what?” Annabeth prompted. It was a good plan because it didn’t involve Percy trying to work in opposition to Charybdis. If he sped up the ship enough, he could use the momentum of the vortex and hopefully push the ship just outside of Charybdis’ reach.

“I can’t control the wind,” Percy admitted. Annabeth met his gaze, and they both remembered the thermos at the same moment. Annabeth hated to split up, but if she could help Percy get the ship away from the vortex, it was worth it.

She ran to get the thermos from Hermes' bag. The ship wasn’t huge, but Annabeth felt every excruciating second it took for her to retrieve it. She felt the moment Percy’s powers kicked in because the ship lurched forward. People around her shouted in alarm at the increase in speed, but Annabeth couldn’t help but smile. Her friend was indeed powerful.

Annabeth grabbed the thermos and made her way towards the deck of the ship. Wave after wave was crashing over the deck. Between the wind and the water, it was treacherous going. Annabeth did her best to keep her footing as she ran across the slick surface. She could see Percy standing at the bow of the ship, his feet braced as he ducked every so often to avoid getting slapped in the face by water. She couldn't see his face from this angle, but she could tell from the tension in his shoulders that he was working hard to accelerate the ship.

Annabeth reached the point where she could no longer hold on to the wall and made a run for it. Unfortunately, the ship hit a wave and knocked her sideways. The thermos went tumbling out of her hands, and Annabeth slid over the side of the ship. She just barely managed to grab onto the side of the deck. She was surprised and relieved when Clarisse took her arm and hauled her back onto the deck.

Percy briefly looked back at them to confirm they were safe. Annabeth winced at the strain she saw on his pale face. Percy turned back to the sea, and Annabeth remembered the thermos. She ran over to the hole that led down into the engine room and saw with horror the wind and fire whipping around the space. Annabeth realized a second before it happened that the ship was about to be torn apart. She met Clarisse’s eyes and saw that the girl had come to the same conclusion.

Over the sound of the wind and the ocean, Annabeth heard the sound of metal blasting apart. Wind exploded up, and Clarisse was sent skyward. Annabeth just barely managed to grab onto a handle, her body lifting fully into the air.

Annabeth looked to see Percy standing in the same spot, still trying to control the ship. She could tell he was losing the battle when the entire ship started to lift into the air. The cyclone that had formed in the engine room was now pushing them up out of the water. She saw more than heard him give a defiant yell, his arms still outstretched like he could guide the ship. Annabeth wanted to shout at him that it was no use and that he was only going to burn himself out if he kept this up, but she knew he’d never hear her over the sound of the storm.

Annabeth held onto the handle with all of her strength. Her fingers were cold and aching, but she knew if she loosened her grip slightly, she’d be thrown into the air. Even though the ship was coming apart around them and the rational part of her brain knew they were goners, Annabeth still would do everything she could to stay close to Percy.

Percy fell to his knees as the ship continued to fly up and up into the cyclone. Annabeth silently begged for him to look at her, wanting to see his face one last time, but Percy just stared upwards. Up, at the sky, at the domain that was not friendly to a son of Poseidon. Up through the cyclone, where the blue sky was steadily getting closer and closer.

*****

Annabeth woke to bright sun on her face and sand covering her wet clothes. She blinked a few times at the calm, blue sky above her before sitting up slowly.

It took her a few moments to remember what happened. To remember why her whole body was stiff, and her hands were sore. To remember why panic gripped her as she looked around at the peaceful scene around her.

Scylla. Charybdis. CSS Birmingham. Thermos. Explosion. Percy.

The last thought had Annabeth launching to her feet somewhat unsteadily and scanning the beach around her. She had no idea how she’d gotten here. There was no sign of the debris from the CSS Birmingham, and Annabeth knew she wouldn’t have been able to survive a fall from the height the ship had been pushed to. Something or someone had saved her. Despite the pleasant look of the island she’d landed on, Annabeth had a bad feeling. This was the Sea of Monsters after all, and she knew better than to trust the innocuous surroundings.

“Percy!” Annabeth yelled as she looked around the empty beach. She knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to draw attention to herself, but she had to find Percy. She looked down both ends of the beach before picking a random direction to head. She and Percy had both been on the bow of the ship as it had been thrown into the air. Hopefully, that meant that they had landed close to each other.

Annabeth tightened Hermes' bag around her shoulder as she walked, grateful that it hadn’t fallen off. Everything else was gone, but at least she still had the supplies the god had given Percy. Everything except the thermos, that is. The thermos had likely exploded with the ship. With…Tyson. Oh gods, Tyson had been in the engine room when it had been torn apart. Cyclopes might be fireproof, but an explosion could still kill them.

Annabeth had manipulated Clarisse into putting Tyson in the engine room. Then, she’d dropped the thermos into it. Tyson was likely dead, and it was all Annabeth’s fault. A sob ripped out of her before she pushed the panic down with a shake of her head. She was a demigod and a daughter of Athena. There was a time to mourn and a time to allow the grief in, but this was not the time. Not when Percy and Clarisse could still be alive. Annabeth brushed her tears away and picked up her pace.

The sun beating down on her had almost dried her clothes by the time Annabeth turned around a corner and saw a figure lying on the beach a ways down.

“Percy!” Annabeth yelled, breaking into a run as she recognized his green jacket. Percy was utterly still as she closed the distance between them and fell to her knees in the sand next to him. “Percy!” She yelled again as she gently shook his shoulder. His body shifted limply under her hand, and his eyelids didn’t so much as flicker.

With shaking fingers, Annabeth reached for the pulse point on his neck. She might’ve sobbed in relief at the weak but steady beat beneath her hand if she hadn’t felt how hot his skin was. Annabeth leaned over Percy and cupped his face in both of her hands. “Percy, please wake up. It’s me, Annabeth. Please,” She said as she gently stroked his burning cheeks. Once again, Percy did not react to her presence. Annabeth wanted to believe that he was so warm simply because he’d been lying in the sun for a while, but she feared the truth was more perilous. Percy had been expending a great amount of energy trying to steer the ship. Annabeth hadn’t known what his limit was, but perhaps Percy had found it.

At camp, Annabeth had seen heroes overextend themselves. Either because they were trying to prove something, push themselves to get better, or because they simply did not know their own limits. Most collapsed and slept it off, but some had more adverse reactions. They usually depended on the demigod’s abilities as well as who their godly parent was. Unfortunately, there were no other children of Poseidon to compare Percy’s current state to.

Whatever the reason for it, Annabeth knew she had to cool Percy down. She glanced at the sea, contemplating. Usually, water healed Percy, but Annabeth knew that water outside of Poseidon’s domain did not. The Sea of Monsters was technically in Poseidon’s domain, but it was a wild and unpredictable area, and Percy had mentioned to her that the water felt different here.

Annabeth did want to try the water; however, she didn’t like the idea of going into the water when she didn’t know what could be lurking in there. Especially when the friend she normally would rely on to fight sea monsters was unconscious next to her. Instead of taking him to the water, Annabeth hooked her hands under Percy’s arms and dragged him back towards the tree line. She found a shaded spot and lay him down on the cool sand. Then she gently worked his jacket off his limp limbs, folded it, and placed it underneath his head. Percy didn’t stir during the entire process, and Annabeth felt her panic steadily growing the longer his blue eyes remained closed.

Annabeth took off her own jacket and made her way back to the water. Making sure not to step into the water, she cupped a bit of it in her hands and hurried back to Percy. She dripped a bit of the seawater on Percy’s burning forehead, then his chest and arms. Much to her disappointment, there was no immediate effect. She ran back and forth several times until Percy’s shirt and hair were damp and Annabeth’s chest was heaving with the effort. Percy hadn’t even reacted to the salt water dripping into his closed eyes. Annabeth sat beside Percy and did her best to take stock of his condition. She felt his pulse again and was relieved that it was slightly stronger than it had been before. At the very least, getting him out of the sun seemed to have helped. Next, she put her hand on his chest to gauge his breathing, which seemed to be steady. She brushed back his now-wet curls to feel his still feverish forehead. No improvement there. She peeled open both of his eyelids and saw both of his pupils respond normally to the sunlight.

After doing that, Annabeth sat back on her heels, unsure of what else to do. She had reached the end of the first aid knowledge that the children of Apollo at camp had taught her. She dug into Hermes' pack to go over their supplies. Unfortunately, most of the real supplies were in her backpack that she’d left on the ship. All that was left in Hermes’ pack was some ambrosia, nectar, and those weird vitamins. Annabeth didn’t love the idea of giving Percy nectar when he was already burning up from a fever. As for the vitamins, Percy had said that Hermes told him the vitamins were to help him feel like himself again. Maybe they’d help Percy heal, but something in Annabeth’s gut was telling her it wasn’t the right time. Hermes had been very specific with his words, and Annabeth knew how gods worked enough to know that everything they said had multiple meanings.

“Percy, please wake up,” Annabeth whispered, running her fingers down his cheek in a way that she’d never allow herself to do if he were conscious. She knew that she should explore the island and see what dangers lurked around them, but she couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving Percy alone.

With nothing else to do, Annabeth lay beside Percy and took his hand. She rolled onto her side so she could watch him for any signs of waking. The quiet of the island unnerved her. Not just because there was a suspicious lack of anything alive, but also because it gave her too much time to think. Think about what had gone wrong and what she could have done to prevent it. Normally, when she was thinking too much about something, Percy would pull her out of it, or at least give her someone to bounce ideas off of. He’d done so not too long ago when she was battling over the choice between Scylla and Charybdis. Unfortunately, Percy wasn’t in a position to offer her comfort at the moment, and that was her fault.

She should’ve listened to Clarisse’s protest about facing Charybdis. Not because Clarisse’s plan was better, but because Clarisse was trying to find a way to spare the undead that had become her crew. Annabeth should’ve seen Clarisse’s attachment to them and her reluctance to sacrifice her undead men. She had underestimated Clarisse’s emotional side. Her human side. Annabeth had assumed that because she was a child of Ares, she would know that wars required sacrifice. But once again, Annabeth had been bested by the small choices, by the human choices. She often forgot that people couldn’t always separate themselves from emotion and act logically. She was getting better at it. Percy helped, so did Grover. Both of them followed their hearts above all else. They were helping Annabeth to see that the most logical way wasn’t always the best.

Yet, she’d still made the wrong choice. She hadn’t been looking at the decision from Clarisse’s perspective. She’d only looked at it from a logical perspective. Percy hadn’t objected this time around because there hadn’t been a clear choice, and he’d learned to trust her instinct. Unfortunately, this time around, her instinct had led them astray.

“Stop brooding…wise girl…” A soft voice breathed, and Annabeth sat up in surprise to see Percy blinking slowly at her. He squeezed the hand she still had in his reassuringly, and Annabeth let out a relieved sigh that turned into a half sob.

“Percy, I was so worried,” Annabeth said, leaning over him and using her free hand to feel his forehead. His eyes drifted closed when her fingers brushed back his curls and rested gently on his head. He was still warm, but Annabeth was pretty sure it wasn’t as bad as before. “How are you feeling?” She asked, reluctantly pulling her hand away from his face.

“Heavy…” He said in reply, not opening his eyes back up.

“I think you overextended your powers on the ship,” Annabeth said. At her words, Percy’s eyes flew open, and he tried to sit up. “Whoa, steady,” She said when his face lost the little color it had gained, and he fell back onto his elbows. Annabeth released his hand in favor of putting both of her hands on his shoulders and guiding him back to a reclining position.

“Tyson,” Percy said, his blue eyes wide and searching.

“I don’t know,” Annabeth said regretfully, not able to voice her suspicions. “I haven’t searched the whole island, but I didn’t see any signs of anyone else before I saw you.”

“He was…he was in the engine room…” Percy said, and Annabeth knew he’d come to the same conclusion she had.

“Percy, we don’t know. Cyclopes are fireproof,” Annabeth tried to reassure him, hoping her voice didn’t sound as flat to him as it did to her. Percy just shook his head and squeezed shut his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheek. Annabeth couldn’t stand this. She couldn’t stand that Percy was injured and might’ve just lost his brother, and it was all because of-

“It wasn’t your fault,” Percy said. Annabeth looked at him in surprise and saw that he was watching her with a careful expression.

“I put Tyson in the engine room. I insisted we fight Scylla even knowing Clarisse objected. I dropped the thermos. It is my fault, Percy,” Annabeth insisted. Percy tried to sit up again, and this time Annabeth helped him, steadying him when he swayed.

“Not. Your. Fault.” He insisted.

“And why not, seaweed brain?” Annabeth said, her temper flaring a bit at his flippant dismissal.

“You can’t control everything or predict everything, no matter how smart you are, wise girl. Tyson would’ve been in the engine room even if you hadn’t told Clarisse what his skills were, because that’s what he loves to do and where he feels useful. Your plan against Scylla was a good one. The entrance to the Sea of Monsters is designed to be a no-win situation. Even I didn’t consider that Clarisse wouldn’t want to sacrifice a few of her crew to save the many. And as for you dropping the thermos, you can blame me for that one. I was the one who was supposed to be controlling the ship when it hit a wave and sent you overboard.” Percy said, and Annabeth saw the same reflection of failure in his eyes. Her temper fled at his words and the look in his eyes.

“If none of this was my fault, then it wasn’t yours either. You did the best you could to keep the ship together. There was nothing you could do against the power of the thermos,” Annabeth said.

“Maybe,” Percy said, not looking like he believed her. Annabeth couldn’t really blame him, since she was having a hard time with the guilt herself.

“Look,” Annabeth said with a sigh, reaching up to put her hand on his shoulder. “I know you won’t believe this, but you did everything you could. If you had tried any harder, I think you may have combusted or put yourself into a coma.”

“That can happen?” Percy asked with wide eyes.

“The demigods I’ve seen usually just have to sleep it off for a day or more, but who knows with a child of the big three?” Annabeth said. She was half-teasing him and half-serious.

“Next time we are on a ship about to be sucked into a vortex, I’ll test it out,” Percy said, choosing to focus on the teasing part. His unseriousness had driven her crazy when they had first met, but now she found herself glad for it. Glad for a reason to roll her eyes and get out of her head a bit.

“Until then, you should rest a bit more,” Annabeth said, noting his still pale face and the heat she could feel from the hand on his shoulder.

“What about this island?” Percy asked, looking around them. Annabeth could tell that the calm made him uneasy as well.

“We’ll explore it after you sleep for a while.”

“Only if you do too,” Percy said. The fact that he gave in so easily told Annabeth how poorly he was really feeling.

“I will,” Annabeth lied, pushing Percy back down. Once he was settled, she lay down on her side, mimicking the position she’d been in when he was unconscious. Percy closed his eyes, and it was another testament to how wiped he was that his breathing evened out only moments later.

Annabeth was glad that it seemed her friend was going to be okay. But the fear of losing was still too fresh for her to be able to sleep. So instead, she listened to his steady breathing and brainstormed all of the ways she could think of that would get them out of this alive.