I WOKE UP TO ANNABETH TRYING TO POUR NECTAR IN MY MOUTH. Appreciated, but in the moment I sputtered in surprise and kicked her. I apologized as soon I realized it was Annabeth and not someone making a poor attempt at drowning me. 

We were floating in a lifeboat. The space was crammed, what with all four of us, but we were alive. We even had our stuff. Which put us at least a step ahead of the last quest. Percy and Annabeth explained what had happened after we left the ship. They'd used a thermos that held the four winds (apparently it was among Hermes's gifts. I missed that, too, don't worry) to get away from the ship. They had been able to contact Chiron with an iris message and tell him what had happened. Apparently he'd tried to say something as well, but a rave had interrupted him.

Weirdly, that last part was the one that confused me. Chiron? At a rave? Unlikely. 

"What were you thinking?" Annabeth scolded me as soon as they finished their explanation. "Were you trying to capsize the ship?" 

"I don't think I could do that," I said. 

Not without dying, anyway. Already I felt like someone I run me through a ringer. My limbs were heavy and my mouth had turned into the Sahara. There was a constant throbbing behind my eyes, maybe the beginning of a headache. The rolling of the waves was just enough to make me want to puke – I've never been sea sick before, but I imagine that's what it felt like. 

If I'd thought about it, I probably would have realized shifting a thirteen-plus-floor ship was way beyond my abilities. Even powerful demigods who knew what they were doing had limits. And I definitely didn't know what I was doing. 

"Sorry," I mumbled. "I just...I dunno, I just wanted to do something."

Not like anyone else was going to, I thought miserably. At least not the gods. I think Annabeth could tell what I was thinking, because she gave me a nervous look. Before she could ask I pulled my knees to my chest and turned to stare out at the ocean. 

It was a few minutes before Percy spotted land. There was a long stretch of beach, lined with high-rise hotels. Finishing boats and tankers crowded the waters, and a coast guard cruiser passed close by. Thankfully, not close enough that they came over to see why we our yellow lifeboat with no engine was going around a hundred knots an hour. 

"That's Virginia Beach!" Annabeth said as we approached the shoreline. "Oh my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight? That's like –" 

"Five hundred and thirty nautical miles," Percy said. 

Annabeth stared at him. "How did you know that?"

"I – I'm not sure."

She thought for a moment. Then, she turned to me. "Attie, what's our position?"

"Not particularly good, why?" I asked dryly. But, to my surprise, the real answer came to me almost instantly. "36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west...or something. Just guessing, I guess."

"Not guessing," Annabeth said, soundly slightly in awe. "Because of your dad, when you're at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is so cool." 

Percy and I shared a look. I could tell he was as unimpressed with I was.

"Other boat is coming," Tyson interrupted. 

I turned. The coast guard boat, which I had assumed was just passing us, was definitely on our tail now. Its lights were flashing and it was gaining speed. 

"We can't let them catch us," Percy said. "They'll ask too many questions."

"Keep going into Chesapeake Bay," Annabeth said. "I know a place we can hide."

I didn't question that. Of course Annabeth would have some random hiding place. She was cool like that. And, also, didn't she come from Virginia? Percy loosened the terms cap a little bit more. A fresh burst of wind sent us rocketing around the northern tip of Virginia Beach and into Chesapeake Bay. For obvious reasons, the coast guards didn't keep up with us. 

We didn't slow down until the shores of the kay narrowed on either side as we entered the mouth of a river. I could feel as the water shifted from salt to fresh. If I thought I was tired before, I crashed even harder now. A wave of disorientation washed over me. Where was I? What was happening? I was relieved that Annabeth was directing us, because I was pretty sure I couldn't have found my way out of the boat in that moment. 

Soon enough we'd arrived in a swampy area. Percy beached the lifeboat at the foot of a giant cypress. 

I was wobbly as we stepped out of the boat. The ground, squishy and wet, didn't help me feel any more stable. Vine-covered trees loomed above us. Insects flittered around, buzzing at us like they were trying to chase out intruders. Steam curled off the river in the muggy air. 

"Come on," Annabeth said. "It's just down the bank."

"What is it?" Percy asked. 

"Just follow." She grabbed a duffel bag. "And we'd better cover the boat. We don't want to draw attention."

We buried the lifeboat with branches. Then Tyson, Percy, and I followed Annabeth along the shore. A snake slithered past Percy's shoe. The further we got, the more mosquitoes congregated around us like a small cloud. 

After a few minutes, Annabeth said, "Here."

I squinted. The heat had fogged up my glasses, but I don't think that was what kept me from seeing what she was talking about. It was just a patch of bramble. Or I thought it was a patch of bramble – Annabeth moved aside a woven circle of branches and revealed what looked like a small hovel. A camouflaged shelter. 

The inside was big enough for four, even accounting for Tyson being as large as two. The walls were woven from plant material, but still looked pretty waterproof. Supplies were stacked in the corner. Sleeping bags, blankets, an ice chest, and a lamp. There was some demigod-specific stuff, too. Tips for javelins, extra arrows and a sword, and box of ambrosia. 

"A half-blood hideout." Percy turned to Annabeth. "You made this place?"

"Thalia, PB, and I," she said. "And Luke."

Annabeth's face fell at his name. 

"Sorry about him, by the way," I said. "Luke...he shouldn't have talked to you like that."

Annabeth didn't say anything. She wiped a had across her eyes, and I realized her eyes were watering. 

Percy cleared his throat. "So...You don't think Luke will look for us here?"

"We made a dozen safe houses like this," Annabeth said. "I doubt Luke even remembers where they are. Or cares."

She threw herself down on the blankets and started going through her duffel bags. It was obvious Annabeth didn't want to talk. And I didn't want to pressure her. 

Percy turned to our brother. "Um, Tyson? Would you mind scouting around outside? Like, look for a wilderness convince store or something?" 

"Convenience store?" Tyson asked. 

"Yeah, for snacks. Powdered donuts or something. Just don't go too far."

"Powdered donuts," Tyson said earnestly. I felt bad that Percy was just sending him off, but I also knew Annabeth needed a break. "I will look for powdered donuts in the wilderness." He headed outside and started calling, "Here, donuts!"

Once he was gone, we stood awkwardly. Annabeth unsheathed her knife and started cleaning the blade with a rag. 

After another moment, she said, "It's not your fault." Pause. "Luke, I mean..."

"He let us go too easily," Percy said. 

Annabeth nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. What we overheard him say about a gamble, and 'they'll take the bait'...I think you were right, Attie, that it was about us. But not the ship..."

"The Fleece?" I suggested.

It made sense, now that we knew Luke was aware of our quest for it. 

"Or Grover?" Percy asked. 

Annabeth studied the edge of her knife. "I don't know. Maybe he wants the Fleece for himself. Maybe he's hoping we'll do the hard work and then he can steal it from us. I just can't believe he would poison the tree."

"What did he mean, that Thalia would've been on his side?" Percy asked. 

"He's wrong."

"Yeah, we know that," I said. "But you don't sound so sure."

Annabeth glared at us. Which she did often, but felt a lot scarier when she was holding a knife.  

"Percy, you know who you remind me of most? Thalia. You guys are so much alike it's scary. I mean, either you would've been best friends or you would've strangled each other."

"Let's go with 'best friends,'" Percy said. 

"Thalia got angry with her dad sometimes. So do you. Would you turn against Olympus because of that?" 

"No," Percy said. 

Then they were both looking at me. I pressed my tongue against my teeth and resisted the urge to ask who I reminded her of, if only Percy reminded her of Thalia. 

"Dad's not perfect," I said, after a moment. Not perfect felt like an understatement at the moment, but I remember everything Dad had done for us. "But I...I wouldn't put camp in danger. And I would never work for Kronos." 

I wasn't happy with the Olympians. So why would I turn to a guy fifty times worse? 

"Okay, then. Neither would she. Luke's wrong." Annabeth stuck her knife blade into the dirt, which felt a little counterproductive after cleaning it. 

I almost asked about what Luke had said about the prophecy. It hurt a little that he of all people knew the truth when we didn't. But I doubted she would actually tell me. Chiron had told her not to. Even if she would disobey him, I respected them both enough not to ask her to. 

"So what did Luke mean about Cyclops?" Percy asked. "He said you of all people –"

"I know what he said," Annabeth snapped. 

"So what does it mean? Is it why you hate Tyson so much?" I asked. 

I don't hate Tyson," Annabeth insisted. She sighed. "He...he was talking about the real reason Thalia died." 

I didn't know what to say. 

Annabeth drew a shaky breath. "You can never trust a Cyclops. Six years ago, on the night Grover was leading us to Half Blood-Hill –"

She was interrupted when the door of the hut creaked open. Tyson crawled in. 

"Powered donuts!" he said proudly, holding up a pastry box. 

Annabeth stared at him. "Where did you get that? We're in the middle of the wilderness. There's nothing around for –"

"Fifty feet," Tyson said. "Monster Donut shop – just over the hill!" 

♆

"THIS IS BAD," Annabeth muttered. 

Uh. Yeah. The donut shop in the middle of the woods gave that away. It looked brand new, with brightly lit windows, a parking area, and a little road leading off into the forest. No one had parked there. Crouched behind a distant tree, I could only see a one employee, sitting behind the cash register reading a magazine. The name was printed in big black letters: MONSTER DONUT.

A cartoon ogre was taking a bite out of the O in MONSTER. The place smelled good. Someone had been baking recently. It looked really cute, actually. If it was in a normal place, like a store strip, I would have stopped in just to see what they had. 

"This shouldn't be here," Annabeth whispered. "It's wrong."

"What?" Percy asked. "It's a donut shop." 

"Shhh!"

"Why are we whispering? Tyson went in and bought a dozen. Nothing happened to him."

"He's a monster." 

"Aw, c'mon, Annabeth. Monster Donut doesn't mean monsters! It's a chain. We've got them in New York."

"A chain," she agreed, "And don't you think it's strange that one appeared immediately after you told Tyson to get donuts? Right here in the middle of the woods?"

"Yeah...that is a bit suspicious..." I admitted. 

Of course, I said that as I chewed on a powered donut, so I wasn't really feeling the danger. Annabeth looked like she wanted to slap the donut out of my hand. Nothing tasted weird, though. It didn't have evil vibes or look like it was made out of innocent demigods. It was just...a donut. A pretty good one, too. 

"It could be a nest," Annabeth explained. 

Tyson whimpered. Her tone was making him nervous. In the time I'd gotten halfway through my one donut, he'd plowed through half a dozen. Powered sugar coated his face. 

"What kind of nest?" I asked. 

"Haven't you ever wondered how franchise stores pop up so fast?" she asked. "One day there's nothing and then the next day – boom, there's a new burger place orange. coffee shop or whatever? First a single store, then two, then four – exact replicas spreading across the country?"

"Um, no. Never thought about it," Percy said. 

"I just assumed they were lazy," I admitted. "And how does this explain what monster this is, exactly?" 

"Some of the chains multiply so fast because all their locations are magically linked to the life force of a monster," Annabeth said. 

"Yeah, but what monster –"

"Shhh!" Annabeth froze. "No – sudden – moves. Very slowly, turn around."

There was a...scraping noise. Like something very heavy was dragging its belly through the leaves. I braced myself and, slowly, turned. There was something, about the size of a rhino, moving through the threes. It was hissing, it front half writhing like a handful of snakes. For a moment I thought it was Medusa's uglier cousin, before I realized it was actually multiple heads on long, thick necks. Each one had a plastic bib tied around it that read: I'M A MONSTER DONUT KID!

Oh, I thought. Hydras. It would be hydras. 

Percy pulled out his ballpoint pen, but Annabeth shook her head. A silent warning. Many monsters have terrible eyesight. She was probably hoping it would just walk past us. But Riptide gave off a bronze glow, which you'd have to be blind to miss. 

We waited. 

The Hydra was only a few feet away. I was holding my breath, just incase that was enough to give us away. Some of the heads were sniffing at the ground, as if trying to follow a scent. Two were ripping apart a piece of yellow canvas. One of our duffel bags, I realized, which meant it had already been to our campsite. The scent it was looking for was ours. 

I risked just enough movement to pull my slingshot from my belt. No fancy glowing there. 

Then Tyson stepped back. A twig snapped beneath his foot. Immediately, all seven heads turned towards us and hissed. 

"Scatter!" Annabeth yelled. 

We shot out in different directions. One of the Hydra heads spat an arc of green liquid. It slashed against an elm, which smoked and began to disintegrate. It broke in the middle and collapsed sideways, right towards Tyson, who had been too scared to move at all. Percy had to tackle him out of the way. 

At the same time, two of the Hydra's heads struck – and promptly got crushed by the falling tree. 

The Hydra stumbled backwards, yanking its heads free. It wailed in outrage and assaulted the tree with all of its power. 

"Is it just me, or is this thing a bit stupid?" I asked. 

From where I was crouched behind a log, I could see Annabeth glare at me. I gave her my best just trust me look. I had a plan this time, honest! 

Two of the heads snapped towards me, the others focusing on my friends. I was only able to launch a single ball before a glob of acid destroyed my cover. The ammo hit one of the heads in the eye. As I'd expected, they screeched in fury. Except they hadn't realized I moved and, instead of targeting me, released a torrent onto the ground I had once been standing in. 

They were attacking anything that thought hurt them. Even if it was just the ground. 

Before I could figure out a plan with that, the Hydra's heads refocused. This time it was on Percy. He'd drawn Riptide. Most monsters hated seeing celestial bronze, since it was so deadly to them, and given how trigger happy this Hydra was about threats it angered it doubly so. 

One of the head snapped at Percy, as if testing what he might do. He swung. 

"No!" Annabeth yelled. 

Riptide cut straight through the Hydra's neck. The head fell to the ground, leaving only a flailing stump. Immediately it stopped bleeding and began to swell like balloon. When it burst it split into two necks, each of which grew a new head. Suddenly the Hydra had gone from seven heads to eight. 

I stared at the Hydra, flabbergasted. "Ah...right...Hercules." 

Hey. It wasn't an accurate movie, but I feel like it sums up this moment pretty well. 

"Percy!" Annabeth scolded. "You just opened another Monster Donut shop somewhere!"

"Good for them!" I shouted back. "Let's not die!" 

I launched another pellet. It hit one of the heads, splitting their attention and allowing Percy to dodge the next spray of acid. I ran to a new tree as the bush I was hiding in was obliterated. 

"How do we kill it?" Percy demanded. 

"Fire! We have to have fire!" Annabeth said. 

Right. In order for the Hydra to stop growing new heads, you had to burn the wound before it started. That's what Hercules had done – the real guy, I mean. There was just one problem...

"Oh, yeah!" I hit another head and ran again. The wave of acid nearly caught me. It was getting faster. Great. "Let me just get my pocket fire – oh way, we don't have that!"

Percy had been slowly leading the Hydra towards a river. While I distracted a handful of the heads, Annabeth came in from the left to get a few more. She parried the teeth with a knife for a moment – before another swung at her like a club. It knocked her into the muck. 

"No hitting my friends!" Tyson bellowed. 

He charged forwards, putting himself between the Hydra and Annabeth. While Annabeth got to her feet, Tyson swung wildly at the heads. It fended them heads off...for now. Eventually he would slip and all it took was one. Slowly, we continued to stumble backwards. 

It wasn't doing any good. We could run around all day, but we couldn't kill the monster and there was no opening to run. 

There was a strange sound in the distance. A faint chug-chug-chug, like a cartoon train. At first I was barely aware of it, but eventually it had grown so loud that it was shaking the river bank. 

"What's that noise?" Annabeth shouted, keeping her eyes on the Hydra.

I managed another bullseye (er, hydra's eye?) "More importantly, is it going to eat us?"

"Steam engine," Tyson said. 

"What?" Percy ducked an acid glob. 

The answer came from the river behind us. A familiar female voice shouted: "There! Prepare the thirty-two-pounder!" 

"Clarisse, you'll crush them." Another voice – Veerle. 

"I don't care!" Clarisse shouted. "Fire at will!"

Our amazing back up, everyone! 

With the benefit of cover, I took the chance to look up. Just in time to see a massive iron ship chugging towards us. Cannons aimed right at us. Annabeth yelled "Hit the dirt!" and we dove for the ground. An earth-shattering BOOM echoed as a cannonball obliterated the Hydra. We were splattered with green slime. It dissolved before it hit – thankfully – turning into dust like every other monster. 

"Gross!" Annabeth screamed. 

"Steamboat!" yelled Tyson. 

Steamboat felt like an understatement. It was a massive warship, riding low in the water. Slats on each side held cannons. Sort of like the one that had nearly killed us. A flag waved from the top – a wild board and spear on a blood red field. Ares's flag, as if it couldn't tell who it was already. Zombies lined the deck, dressed in a variety of different military uniforms. I could faintly make their skulls out under shimmering translucent skins. 

CSS Birmingham was printed on the prow. 

And then there was Clarisse. She stared down at us in full Greek battle armor. Veerle was next to her, switch blade in on hand and helm tucked under the opposite arm. 

And standing next to the cannon – still smoking from its attempt to kill us – was someone I hadn't expected to see until I returned to camp. Pat Gillespie. 

"Hey, Attie!" Pat grinned and waved down at us.

"What are you doing here?" I called back. 

"I got a cannon!" Pat cheered, as if that answered anything. "What'cha doing down there?"

"Almost getting killed. The usual."

"Losers," Clarisse sneered down at us. Veerle elbowed her and she rolled her eyes. "But I suppose I have to rescue you. Come aboard."

I glanced at Percy and Annabeth. The look they were giving me said that no wasn't an option. 

Author's Note: Three cheers for Clarisse getting a full crew! 

Genuinely I felt so bad for her. :( Like everyone was screwing her over.