DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything you recognize.

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Daughter of Time

Chapter 11:

The Sea of Monsters, part VI

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"What happened to Clarisse?"

Annabeth shot Percy a wry look. "You only noticed her absence now?" She answered anyway. "Lost track of her, we were on different lifeboats." She sighed heavily. "I hope she's OK."

"You two don't see buddy-buddy to me," Percy remarked.

"Yeah, but we grew up at Camp together. And, well, she's family like everyone at Camp is. And you don't have to like family to love family."

Percy supposed that since they were Greeks and related through their godly parents, that must've been similar to growing up with your cousins. Wait, Annabeth and Clarisse were first cousins; Ares and Athena were siblings, weren't they? Through Zeus. Wow, was that confusing or what?

Wouldn't that make Percy Annabeth's half great-aunt? Whoa, that blew Percy's mind. Their family really was fucked-up. Wait. Percy's hands flew to grasp her seatbelt, so tight her knuckles turned white as she came to a sudden realization: "Shit, I'm flying. I'm in air."

Annabeth blinked.

"What's wrong?" Alabaster called from the front, turning in his seat to look at them.

"Shit, what if Zeus blasts me out of the sky?" It was daylight so it might have been her imagination but lightning flashed.

"We're trying to save his son," Annabeth pointed out. "If he wants Thaddeus to live, he'd want us to make it safely to the island."

"Maybe not safely," muttered Alabaster darkly. "but in one-piece."

"That doesn't mean we're alive, just that our body's intact," agreed Percy wearily.

"Stop being so negative," said Annabeth even though she wasn't too optimistic about their chances either. She glanced at Percy; the daughter of Kronos was pale, gripping the edge of her seat now, her knuckles were whiter than ivory. Annabeth reclined in her seat—she wasn't too worried since she was Zeus' granddaughter—and tried to get some shut-eye. No doubt energy would be needed when they land at Polyphemus' island.

She just wished Tyson was with them, as absurd as it sounds coming from her.

As if sensing her thoughts, Percy opened her unnerving gold eyes and stared straight at Annabeth, successfully making the daughter of Athena squirm slightly. She hoped the daughter of Kronos didn't notice or if she did, didn't think much of it.

"I'm very worried," said the golden-eyed girl. "Very much so. Distract me, please."

"How so?"

"Maybe... by telling me why you hated Tyson?" She might as well get something out of this.

Annabeth sighed. Somehow, she knew Percy was going to ask that question. Trust her to ask personal questions bluntly. The girl had so little tact sometimes. "I guess you deserve to know. But, honestly, I was just wary and disgusted of him at first. I never hated him, especially not now, after he had done so much for us."

"Does it have to do with Thaddeus?" inquired Alabaster, eavesdropping.

Annabeth fought down the scowl crawling up her face. "Yes," she said. "How did you know?"

"We used to live in the same cabin, Annabeth," answered the son of Hecate. "You wear the same expression when the talk about Cyclopes and Thaddeus' tree came up. I was just being observant."

Percy snorted. "I'm assuming Thaddeus was killed by a Cyclops?"

"No, not really. They're just an indirect cause to his death. The night Grover was escorting us to camp, he got confused, took some wrong turns. The worst wrong turn led us right into the lair of a Cyclops. He could sound like anyone, I didn't even know how he could assume the voice of someone he never met and trick us, lure us deeper to him. I was terrified, I was seven then and I didn't know how I would get out without Ted and Luke. The Cyclops..." she sighed, brushing the hair out of her face. "Sounds just like my dad, telling me he loved mad and that I should stay with him..."

"What happened?"

Annabeth shot Percy a sharp look. "If you'd let me continue without interruptions, you would know. For your information, I stabbed him in the foot so no, I didn't even feel tempted by the invitation. Then I freed the boys and they took it from there."

"All of you have been very brave," Percy finally said. "I don't know if I could accomplish that when I was seven."

She shook her head, but felt heat resting heavy on her cheeks (on her heart) because coming from Percy, that was the highest compliment available. "We barely got out alive. I still have nightmares, Percy. The way that Cyclops talked in my father's voice. It was his fault we took so long getting to camp. All the monsters who'd been chasing us had time to catch up. That's really why Thaddeus died. If it hadn't been for that Cyclops, he'd still be alive today."

There was a long pause where neither of the half-bloods knew what to say. Finally, Percy shifted and gazed out at the night sky, watching the Hercules constellation dotted the canvas of navy blue.

"I think we should turn in for the night," announced Alabaster and the girls did not disagree.

:: :: ::

She wasn't a demigod yet she still dreamt. Percy could only assume that Morpheus had something against half-immortal and half-mortal kids.

Percy didn't instantly recognize where she was. It took her a few moment sot realize she was back in Luke's stateroom aboard the Princess Andromeda. The curtains were open. It was nighttime outside. The air swirled with shadows. Voices whispered all around her—spirits of the dead.

Kronos's golden sarcophagus glowed faintly—the only source of light in the room.

A cold laugh startled her. It seemed to come from miles below the ship. She hesitated before calling out, "Dad?"

"He's evil," spoke a harsh voice from behind her.

She jumped and whirled around. There was a boy; he seemed vaguely familiar but she wasn't sure why. She didn't think she knew anyone who wore punk-style clothes with silver chains on his wrists. He had spiky black hair, dark eye liner around his stormy blue eyes, and a spray of freckles across his nose.

They eyed one another warily.

"Don't get in my way," the boy finally spoke, his voice in warning and it irked Percy. She pinned him with a glare so sharp it was a wonder he hadn't been sliced in half.

"Don't talk to me," she snapped.

But the boy didn't listen. He marched straight up to the sarcophagus and pushed aside the golden lid. For a moment he stood there, gazing down at whatever was in the box. The coffin began to glow.

"No." The boy's voice trembled. "It can't be." From the depths of the ocean, Kronos laughed so loudly the whole ship trembled. "No!" The boy screamed in denial as the sarcophagus engulfed him in a blast of a golden light.

:: :: ::

"Agh!"

Percy woke to the feeling of someone trying to stuff something down into her ear. She instinctively slapped the hand away, swiveling her head around to glare at Alabaster. "What the Hades are you trying to do?" she snapped waspishly. "I was having a nice, dreamless sleep."

"We're in the Siren's Bay," explained Alabaster who was seated next to her, instead of Annabeth. "It's best to wear these unless we want some accident that involved being devoured by the sirens."

Percy grimaced at the thought, taking the waxing from Alabaster and stuffing it into her ears. "Where's Annabeth?" she asked loudly, realizing that Alabaster had only stuffed one of his ear. She removed the waxing from one ear and glanced expectantly at him. "Well?"

"Annabeth's tied up in front."

"Tied up?" Percy echoed incredulously. "Why?"

"She says she wants to hear what the sirens have to say," explained Alabaster and the expression on his face told Percy he was being forced to help. "I hope you don't ask the same of me. I don't think I can restrain two crazed girls alone, magic or no magic."

Percy grimaced. "I'm not looking for a death-wish. I didn't think Annie was this crazy either."

"They say the Sirens sing the truth about what you desire. They tell you things about yourself you didn't even realize. That's what's so enchanting. If you survive... you become wiser." Alabaster shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure if that has some truth in it or not. Not many have survived the enchanting of the sirens." He frowned. "I think we're very close." He stuffed the waxing into his ears, prompting Percy to do the same before they both checked the ropes around Annabeth was secure or not before returning to their seats.

Fortunately, Percy noticed the dagger in Annabeth's pocket and she took it too, lest Annabeth freed herself.

Yawning, Percy reclined in her sleep, ready to go back to sleep.

:: :: ::

"So, was it worth it?" Percy asked Annabeth once the daughter of Athena had been freed. "Do you feel any wiser?"

She gazed into the distance. "I'm not sure. But we have to save the camp. If we don't stop Luke..." She didn't need to finish. If Luke's way of thinking could even tempt Annabeth, there was no telling how many other half-bloods might join him.

Suddenly Annabeth's eyes widened. "Percy! Alabaster!"

Percy turned.

Up ahead was another blotch of land—a saddle-shaped island with forested hills and white beaches and green meadows—just like Percy'd seen in her dreams.

They had reached the home of the Cyclops.

Alabaster's jaw clenched. "Let's land."

"Wow, this thing can float," said Percy, impressed. "I didn't know it can do that."

"It can't," wheezed Alabaster, as if he'd ran a marathon around the country. "I made it so." Right. That explained the sudden fatigue in his actions.

"Magic's so cool," Annabeth remarked.

"Much better than science," agreed Percy which made Annabeth scowl. The daughter of Kronos saw this and hurriedly added, "Not that mortals' inventions suck, they're good. I don't think I can live without the Internet." Annabeth's face was still hard but she wasn't glaring anymore at least.

"Why can't we land up the cliff?" Percy demanded when they did a once-over and noticed that there was no way up.

"We have to climb," Alabaster stated the obvious, which gave Percy the urge to throttle him.

"I know," she bit out. "but why?"

"Because we can't let out enemy know we're here. There's no way Polyphemus would be fooled into believing we're there for a friendly visit when we're waving Celestial Bronze in his face." Alabaster grimaced. "You two were asleep then, but I saw the sheep devouring a deer."

"But Polyphemus is blind," Annabeth pointed out.

"And here I thought we were facing something worse," grumbled Percy, shrugging. "Oh well, let's get this done."

"Wait," said Annabeth, holding up her hand to stop the other two from advancing. She squinted into the distance.

Percy made an impatient sound. "If, you know, you're ready to tell us in about three years later, you better have a damn long explanation."

"Is that Clarisse's life boat?" Annabeth murmured, not seeming to have heard Percy—or more likely she had chosen to ignore the daughter of Kronos.

Percy crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "A reunion with her, hurrah!"

"Isn't it odd, though?" Alabaster cut in, sweat beading down his forehead. "If Clarisse's fighting, it wouldn't be this quiet."

Percy paused to think about it and Annabeth looked uneasy; the daughter of Athena noticed the look on her companions' face and instantly, her eyes hardened. She snapped, "Don't even think about it." Her voice was trembling.

Alabaster raised his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry!" he said hurriedly, standing from where he had been crouching. "L-let's go and check to make sure she isn't hogging those treasures all to herself—ugh..." Percy caught him before he fell, righting him but he just sat down on the ground.

"You should stay," said Percy and Annabeth together.

Alabaster frowned. It didn't seem right to let two girls go off on their own... "A-all right. Yell if you need help."

Percy rolled her eyes. "Come on, Annie, let's climb this cliff."

The daughter of Athena had a marginally easier time with that since they did mountain-climbing activities back at camp but Percy, who had never scaled anything taller than an apple tree, was more worn out by it. Don't look down, she advised herself, grimacing. She comforted herself by thinking that, if she fell, Alabaster would be able to catch her.

No. There was no room for 'probably'. He definitely had to catch her.

Or she'd dismember him.

Yeah, that sounds better.

"Percy! What's taking you so long?" Annabeth called from above, noticing that there were about ten feet of difference between the girls.

"I've never done this before! I still need to get used to it!"

"It's best not to rest—or you'd get tired out easier—and we still have a long way to go!"

Percy sighed to herself. "Honestly, you suck at comforting, Annie..." she mumbled, but she hitched herself up and continued the climb upward. Grover had better groveled before her for saving his damned life.

Annabeth was climbing far too quickly for Percy's liking. If wasn't that she was starting to feel inferior, it was the fact that the higher they climbed, the longer the fall and... the more bone-breaking it would be. Percy thought Alabaster was as small as an ant.

"Percy!" the daughter of Athena snapped. "Stop looking down!"

"My arms are tired," the daughter of Kronos griped, heaving herself up; she didn't quite understand how it happened next but the foothold she'd been on gave away. She yelled in shock: she couldn't support herself well and her arms were aching with strain. She scrambled for purchase but failed.

"Percy!"

The oddest sensation stole her breath away: as if someone had hooked her navel and hauled her in. She didn't fall, in fact, she was suspended in mid-air.

If she wasn't scared shitless, she would've complained about how ridiculous she looked. As it was, she could only splutter. "Huh? Wha—? Annabeth! Help me!"

She needn't have shouted, the hook in her gut tightened and tugged: she lurched forward, nearly slamming face-first into the rocky cliffs. She gripped the protruding spots tightly, finding purchase.

"Percy, you OK up there?" Alabaster's voice was distant but Percy heard him OK.

"I'm fine," Percy called back, slightly shaken but she continued to climb, more reassured than before. That, she assumed, was a manifestation of her powers—which would naturally be associated with her father's domain. Time. So she had stopped time and reversed it so that she was back on the cliff.

This time, Percy made sure the handhold and foothold could withhold her weight before letting go completely. Annabeth was resting, gasping for breath by the time Percy made it up there.

"Ugh." The golden-eyed girl groaned.

"Shh!"

Annabeth gestured frantically for Percy to join her. It took awhile for Percy to realize that they were right above them and that the ledge was narrower than she was comfortable with.

"You're a feisty one!" the deep voice bellowed.

"Challenge me!" Clarisse's voice, no doubt about it. Percy did not know whether she was happy or aggrieved by this turn of events: turns out, the daughter of Ares was hard to kill. Or maybe even Hades didn't want her aboard. "Give me back my sword and I'll fight you!"

The monster roared with laughter. Annabeth and Percy crept to the edge. They were right above the entrance of the Cyclops's cave. Below them stood Polyphemus and Grover, in his wedding dress. Percy buried her face in her arms, shoulders shaking, to stop herself from laughing out loud.

Clarisse was tied up, hanging upside down over a pot of boiling water. Percy was half hoping to see Tyson down there, too. Even if he'd been in danger, at least she would've known that he was alive. But there was no sign of him. Percy's heart sank in disappointment: she'd grown fond of the Cyclops and she would've fancied seeing him alive.

"Hmm," Polyphemus pondered, his voice echoing. "Eat loudmouth girl now or wait for wedding feast? What does my bride think?"

He turned to Grover, who backed up and almost tripped over his completed bridal train. Percy couldn't keep the grin off her face. Oh this was priceless. She had to tease Grover for every minute of his life after this; plus, this was awesome blackmail material. "Oh, um, I'm not hungry right now, dear. Perhaps—"

"Did you say bride?" Clarisse demanded. "Who— Grover?"

Next to Percy, Annabeth muttered, "Shut up. She has to shut up." Percy shifted, silently willing Clarisse to be frozen by time. Nothing happened. Clarisse ploughed on through and completely blew Grover's cover. While Grover reasoned with the giant, Percy's mind drifted.

So there was a limit to her ability. The range at least, was limited. Maybe she had to be closer?

Do their powers grow stronger as they age?

Percy was tempted to ask Annabeth but things had progressed. "We can't kill the giant," declared the blonde girl once Polyphemus had left the area and the girls made eye contact; she could see what Percy was thinking. The daughter of Kronos had never been the sort to think about long-term consequences or plan much for the matter. "There's no saying we can move it."

"I'll try to see if I can reverse time," suggested Percy and without waiting for an answer, she left her hiding spot. She placed her hands on the boulder, trying to shove it while summoning some of her latent ability. Annabeth was tapping her foot on the grass. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I'll try to pull off this ridiculous stunt and you can plan."

"...Fine." Annabeth sounded amused and exasperated, despite the situation.

Percy sighed forlornly. "I wish I had Herculean strength."

"You don't. Now shut up and listen to what I have in mind."

:: :: ::

After what seemed to be hours, Percy had finally beat Annabeth down in the argument of who would be having the honor of entering the cave via sheep. Not riding it, but clinging to its underbelly. Percy won only because of her stubbornness and partly because Polyphemus and his herd were returning so they didn't have much time to argue anymore: Annabeth gave in before they could blew the plan off.

Annabeth gave Percy the stink-eye before stomping off.

Smirking, Percy whipped on Annabeth's hat and disappeared from view.

The plan went off without a hitch: if the pebbles cutting Percy's forehead and cheek weren't taken into account. Maybe Percy should've watched her mouth. Jeez, how was she supposed to know that the Cyclops cared about his parentage? He seemed proud to be a son of Poseidon, never mind that any dad would be ashamed of a son like him.

Percy would, if she had a son like that.

Percy wasn't sure about whether she was proud of her dad or not but she figured she wouldn't be too happy to hear someone insulting either parent.

"NO!" roared Polyphemus, nearly busting Percy's eardrums and shaking the earth. Percy jerked to her feet, trying to rub the blood from her face. She didn't want her friends to go crazy about a stupid wound like that. "FOOD! WIFEY! COME BACK!"

Percy nearly broke her ankle laughing.

Clarisse, Annabeth and Grover were running like crazy.

Percy took a glance at Polyphemus' face, and decided instantly that this was not the right time to see if she could freeze people or anything of the Cyclops' size. She skidded to a halt.

"Percy!" shrieked Annabeth. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"JUST GO!" hollered the daughter of Kronos, placing her palms forward. She closed her eyes and willed time to stop. Just as Polyphemus was close to flattening her, Percy felt it: the invisible hook hooking her gut and tugging violently. The pain was almost excruciating and Percy suspected she knew why.

Controlling time was a big thing; much tougher than controlling the ocean or the sky, water or lightning or the dead. Time was everywhere, it encompassed the whole world and nothing was unaffected by it. Her dad could handle it effortlessly because he was an immortal Titan (the strongest even) but not her: she was mortal.

Percy's eyes flew open to see Polyphemus frozen stiff; he wasn't even blinking.

This would've been a good plan if she could muster up the energy to run. Before Percy could even stagger sideways, someone seized her waist almost effortlessly and hoisted her up. She let out a cry of shock. "Wha—"

"Percy!" cried a familiar voice.

The daughter of Kronos halted her struggling. She squirmed until she could crane her neck properly to see who she thought it was. Elation filled her heart. "Tyson!"

The Cyclops grinned at her. "Hello, sister."

:: :: ::

They barely made it. With Tyson carrying her even as he waded into the flock of sheep—about a hundred of them—she could safely concentrate on the task at hand: stop Polyphemus' time. But even as she did that, she could feel the strain of her powers. The space behind her eyes throbbed with increasing pain but she held on, she had to give the others the time to prepare for launch.

They probably would've been able to get away scot-free if Clarisse hadn't given Tyson the order to toss her like a sack of rotten potatoes.

The daughter of Kronos shrieked as she went sailing through the air and collided with someone.

"What the HECK?" she yelled.

"The sheep would've tear you to shreds and trap your Cyclops friend, runt," growled Clarisse, dumping her on the ground as the revived Cyclops roared in confused rage.

Percy turned her head to see Tyson running from the sheep that nuzzled him. "Lure him away!" yelled Annabeth. She tugged Percy down, both darting towards the beach where Alabaster would be waiting with their escape ticket.

"We just got to swim," said Annabeth. "And we're home free."

"That's great. It's as if my brother isn't actively trying to drown me," grumbled Percy. They were just wading past the entrance to the ravine when, with a tremendous roar that prompted all to turn towards its source, Polyphemus came charging after them, a boulder in each hand.

"You'd think he run out of rocks," the daughter of Kronos commented bitterly as Tyson skidded to a halt beside her.

"Swim for it!" Grover yelled. He and Clarisse plunged into the surf. Annabeth was slower than the other two mainly because of the wet Fleece weighing her down—and Percy suspected she was not a good swimmer with the Athena-Poseidon rivalry and all.

But the monster's attention wasn't on the Fleece. "You, young Cyclops!" Polyphemus roared. "Traitor to your kind!" Tyson froze.

"Don't listen to him!" Percy snapped, tugging on Tyson's arm but she felt she might've been pulling a mountain with the good she did. "Come on."

Tyson's face was surprisingly stony. He turned and faced the older Cyclops. "I am not a traitor."

"You serve mortals!" Polyphemus shouted. "Thieving humans!" Polyphemus threw his first boulder. Tyson swatted it aside like a fly with his fist.

"Not a traitor," Tyson said. "And you are not my kind."

"Death or victory!" Polyphemus charged into the surf, and Percy drew her scythe.

"Percy!" Clarisse yelled. "Come on!"

They were almost to the airship with the Fleece. But if Polyphemus was on their tail, it would be pretty useless. "Go," Tyson told Percy, surprising her. "I will hold Big Ugly."

"You're not the one calling the shots here," said the daughter of Kronos, hefting her scythe. Her golden eyes glittered with determination. "We fight him together." She charged, closing in on the Cyclops despite the difficulty of the waves pushing her back. But she was a melee-fighter and fighting from a distance? A very bad idea.

Polyphemus chucked the boulders continuously, as if those boulders weighed nothing more than a baseball. She was at his feet when he decided to bring a boulder down. She stopped it—the more she tried, the easier controlling time got—and she could hear Polyphemus' confused grunt.

She jumped, kicking off the boulder, then his knee and stabbed him in the gut. The blade sunk into his flesh and he howled in pain. Gritting her teeth, Percy somersaulted upwards, pulling the scythe out of his gut, unleashing a spray of Cyclops blood that tainted the sea—she didn't think she would be going swimming anytime soon. Her body was light enough that she could do a back-flip to avoid his flailing arm.

She heard Tyson's battle-cry as he slammed into the larger Cyclops: Polyphemus collapsed on the beach.

Percy landed on her feet, out of breath.

But Polyphemus was not done: his right arm caught a coconut tree that looked healthy, one of the very few that had survived the removal of the Golden Fleece. He swung it with strength Percy thought had been lost to pain. Tyson went flying. The daughter of Kronos dove to avoid it but still got raked across the back by a dozen jagged branches. She was bleeding and bruised and exhausted but Polyphemus was rising.

Summoning the last of her strength, she staggered to her feet and brought her scythe down for one final blow. It hit Polyphemus in the... well, the most painful place you could possibly hit for a guy. Polyphemus howled.

Percy decided that it was time to get off the Cyclops. She climbed onto his leg and ascended, nearly thrown off by his thrashing.

"No!" whimpered Polyphemus, perhaps sensing that Percy was ready to deal the finishing blow. "My sheepies need me!"

"Oh yeah?" Percy had no lost love for this Cyclops and the sheep. "Well, I don't!"

Percy had nearly decapitated Polyphemus before she recalled that her dad had actually done the same thing to her granddad. She was so weirded out by that thought, she completely forgot about the blood and sinews pouring out from the wound she'd made.

"Sister?" called Tyson hesitantly. Later, only would Percy comprehend why he was wide-eyed: she was covered in blood, her sneakers and clothes soaked through with the Cyclops blood and had she enough strength left, she would've continued chopping Polyphemus and cast him into the sea.

Her eyes softened when she saw the vulnerability in that large, gentle, brown eye. He looked teary, sad.

"Polyphemus was evil," she told him as he helped her down the remains of the Cyclops. "You're good, Tyson."

They staggered into the sea. Percy sort of clung to Tyson as he swam them through the sea to reach Alabaster and the others: she caught a glimpse of their faces and knew that they'd seen how close she'd came to turning Polyphemus into Oceanus version II.

"Don't look at me like that," she snapped.

"Are you hurt?" asked Annabeth tentatively; her gray eyes wouldn't meet Percy's.

"Give me the Fleece," ordered Percy; she was tired and wanted dearly to sleep, but the last thing she wanted was a nightmare after the gruesome murder of a Cyclops. So her best bet was not to sleep. She thrust her hand out for the Fleece that hung around Annabeth's shoulders. She heard it could re-energize people.

The daughter of Ares seized the Fleece and flung it away from Percy's reach. "Oh, no, no way."

"Why not?"

"Technically, Jackson, we aren't on the same side," said Clarisse, glaring at her: wariness flickered in those fierce eyes.

"We're not enemies either," said Percy quietly. "Alabaster?" She turned to the son of Hecate.

"Percy, we came to save Grover, and we succeeded. We should just leave," he said quietly.

"I want a taste of the Fleece!" she cried. "I'm tired, I just wanna regain my energy."

"Just... just do it by sleeping."

Percy let out an angry huff. "Alabaster, you can drop us off Long Island but remember to dump these demigods into the ocean before he reach."

"Yes, cap'an." Alabaster had resumed his seat beside the driver so she couldn't exactly tell if he was being cheeky or serious. Exhausted, the daughter of Kronos staggered to the nearest seat and passed out before she could find a more comfortable position.

:: :: ::

The next part is the last for this book, I think. Also, I'd started a PJO SI, go and check it out and tell me what you think!

Review!