***So, just read the Blood of Olympus preview and loved it! Now I'm seriously wishing it was already October. But sadly, it's not. Anyway, this is just kind of a fun little story about what may have happened on the Argo II shortly before Annabeth, Piper, and Jason go to Ithaca. It comes partly out of the fact that Annabeth doesn't seem completely comfortable with her disguise, either. Hope you enjoy!***

Annabeth knew it was necessary. And the plan was a good one. But that didn't mean she had to like her stupid disguise.

"Sit still," Piper ordered her through a mouthful of bobby pins. Annabeth made a face at her friend in the mirror, but tried not to fidget as Piper finished pinning up her blonde curls. Piper's own dark hair was already braided and twisted on top of her head in a style that made Annabeth think of prom. But they weren't going to a dance. They were getting ready to infiltrate a gathering of evil spirits, disguised as Greek serving maidens. Piper was still wearing jeans and a tank top, but Annabeth was already dressed in a white Greek dress and laced up sandals. The dress was a lot more revealing than anything she typically wore, which made her a little uncomfortable, but their entire plan revolved around her, Piper, and Jason looking their parts, so she figured she would just have to put up with it. At least she got to carry her sword in her water jug.

"There," Piper said, putting a last pin in place and setting the extras down on the sink in the girls' bathroom. "It looks good, right?"

"Yeah," Annabeth admitted grudgingly. "Although it's not going to last very long if we have to fight."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Piper said. "The point of this mission is stealth, not combat."

"True." Annabeth checked her reflection one last time, sighed, then said, "You'd better get dressed. It's almost time to go."

Piper nodded. "I'm going to check on Jason and Hazel, too; see how that's going. Meet you on deck."

The summer air was as hot and humid as a sauna, but Annabeth didn't mind. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of feeling the sun and wind on her skin after being trapped in the sulfurous darkness of Tartarus. She took a deep breath, enjoying the sunlight, then looked out at Ithaca.

The colors of the island seemed especially vibrant—the pure white cliffs, the houses with their bright red roofs, the green of the trees covering the hillsides, and the brilliant blue of the ocean. The view was gorgeous, but Annabeth's eyes zeroed in on the ruins, which she could just barely make out from this distance. The home of Odysseus, one of the greatest Greek heroes, a personal favorite of her mother, Athena. And she, Piper, and Jason were supposed to sneak into the ruins of his palace to gather information from the ghosts of the suitors Odysseus had killed, information that might help them solve their current problem. Hopefully.

Hazel, Jason, and Piper were still below getting ready, but the others were on deck. Leo was tinkering with one of Festus's eyes, whistling happily. Frank was up in the crow's nest keeping watch and Percy was standing at the railing, looking out to sea. Presumably because of the heat (and the fact that they wouldn't have to leave the ship), all three of them were sporting the shirtless look. Not that Annabeth was complaining; it gave her an excuse to check out her boyfriend. Like her, Percy had lost some weight in Tartarus, but the muscles in his arms and back were still well-defined, especially with the way he was leaning against the railing. Annabeth's stomach fluttered.

Get a grip, she told herself sternly. You're about to go on a dangerous mission, for Zeus's sake.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she said as she joined him at the railing.

"Wow." Percy's eyes widened when he saw her. "You look great."

"I feel ridiculous."

"You don't look ridiculous," he assured her. "You look amazing."

She had to smile at that. "Thanks. You're sweet."

"I try." He kissed her, which Annabeth had to admit did make her feel better. But when he pulled away, Percy's eyes were worried. Annabeth guessed she knew why. This would be the first time they'd been apart for something dangerous since Tartarus. But it didn't make sense for Percy to go to Odysseus's palace, too; three was the best number for a quest and he would be more useful staying on the ship.

"It'll be fine," she told him. "We're just going to sneak in, get the information we need, and come right back."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Percy said, though he still looked worried. He leaned in to kiss her again, but before he could, Piper's voice rang out.

"Percy, I swear, if you mess up her makeup, I'll kill you."

"I should probably take that threat seriously, right?" Percy murmured against her lips.

"Probably." Annabeth kissed him lightly, then turned to where the rest of their friends were coming up the stairs. Piper was now also dressed in a white sleeveless gown, with her cornucopia tied to the belt at her waist. Hazel looked normal, in shorts and a t-shirt. And Jason, well, didn't look at all like Jason.

Leo gave a low whistle when he saw Jason. "Dude. I mean, the girls look great, but you—"

"Shut up, Leo," Jason muttered.

"Wow, Hazel," Annabeth said, impressed. "That's incredible."

"Thanks." Hazel beamed, clearly pleased with her work, though Jason just as obviously wasn't thrilled.

He looked like a seventy-five year old man. His back was hunched, he had balding gray hair and liver spots, and his normally electric blue eyes were cloudy with cataracts. He was holding a cane in one gnarled hand. "This information better be worth it," he grumbled.

"You even sound like a grumpy old man," Leo said gleefully as he walked over. Frank landed on the deck as a hawk, then turned back into himself. As many times as she'd seen him change form, Annabeth could never quite get used to it.

"And that's all just the Mist?" Frank asked Hazel.

"Yep," she said. "I have to focus to keep up the illusion, but it should fool the spirits."

"Should?" Percy asked.

"It will," Hazel corrected herself.

"We'll be fine," Piper said, picking up the amphora jar that concealed her sword.

As she picked up her own amphora, Annabeth thought that for the seven of them, things weren't usually "fine." Plans typically ended "epically badly." She decided not to mention this. "As soon as we get back with the information, we can make a plan about what to do next."

Frank nodded. "And figure out how to, you know, save the world and stuff."

"I like saving the world. And stuff," Leo agreed.

Percy kissed Annabeth's cheek. "Just come back, okay?"

She squeezed his hand. "We will."

"Alright, you three, stand by the railing," Hazel said.

Annabeth and Piper moved to stand on either side of Jason, who smelled vaguely like chicken soup and something else Annabeth couldn't quite identify—maybe mothballs? Piper took Jason's hand and Annabeth lightly grabbed his arm. Hazel took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The deck disappeared from beneath Annabeth's feet. There was a rush of darkness. The next second, Piper, Jason, and Annabeth were standing on the beach, looking out at the Argo II anchored a few hundred yards away in the water.

"She's getting really good," Piper said.

"Almost too good." Jason winced and put a wrinkled hand on his back.

Annabeth turned to look at the hill towering over them. A rocky path led up the steep hillside. At the top, she could just make out the ruins of the palace. Time to focus.

Annabeth adjusted her amphora more securely on her back. "Let's go."

***Thanks for reading! As of May 20, there's 140 days until Blood of Olympus! If you're looking for something to read during this time, you can check out my version of Blood of Olympus (even though it was written long before the preview, so no Ithaca, sorry). Have a great day!***