Legend of Perseus 2: Mission: Bermuda (Completed)

~Chapter 22~

"Percy, wake up."

Salt water splashed my face. Clarisse was shaking my shoulder.

I blinked in confusion, until a foot slammed into my side.

"Hey, he's awake!" Hespera yelled.

"You didn't have to kick me, you know." I mutter as I stand up. "Man my body feels so stiff!"

"Why wouldn't it? You were sleeping for like two days, you exhausted your body, and pushed it quite to the limit." Hespera replied.

In the distance, the sun was setting behind a city skyline. I could see a beachside highway lined with palm trees, storefronts glowing with red and blue neon, a harbor filled with sailboats and cruise ships. "Where are we?"

"Miami, I think," She said.

"And the Fleece, did we get it?" I asked as I saw Clarisse and Grover walking towards us.

"Yeah, Ethan managed to sneak in and steal it while Silena charmspoke the sheep into not attacking as I held them at guard with my spear." Clarisse replied as she punched me right in the face.

"OW!" I exclaimed, although it didn't hurt much. "What was that for!"

"For taking on Polyphemus on your own and almost dying! We are supposed to work as a team!" Clarisse exclaimed annoyed.

"Geez, I'm sorry, but I wanted to go all out in the fight. Luckly I defeated him-"

"Yeah, just wait till Annabeth hears about this."

"You're threating me?"

"Yes I am."

"Touche" I replied as I docked the ship and we all got out as we wandered along the cruise line docks, pushing through crowds of people arriving for vacations. Porters bustled around with carts of luggage. Taxi drivers yelled at each other in Spanish and tried to cut in line for customers. If anybody noticed us—six kids looking like they'd just had a fight with a monster—they didn't let on.

Now that we were back among mortals, Grover had put on his cap and sneakers. Even the Fleece had transformed from a sheepskin to a red-and-gold high school letter jacket with a large glittery Omega on the pocket.

Silena ran to the nearest newspaper box and checked the date on the Miami Herald. She cursed. "June eighteenth! We've been away from camp ten days!"

"That's impossible!" Clarisse said.

But I knew it wasn't. Time traveled differently in monstrous places.

"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight."

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement. "How are we supposed to do that?" Her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No money. No ride. This is just like the Oracle said. It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't decided to take a nap—"

"Percy's fault?!" Silena exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? He faught to—"

"Stop it!" I said.

Clarisse put her head in hands. Silena stomped her foot in frustration.

The thing was: I'd almost forgotten this quest was supposed to be Clarisse's. For a scary moment, I saw things from her point of view.

"Alright, lets get back to camp." I said as everyone grabbed on. Well except for Hespera. "Are you not coming with us?"

"No, I need to go back home. I have been gone to long, and I miss my family."

"Alright, guess this is goodbye."

"Yep!" Hespera replied as she turned and walked away as she vanished into the crowd. I manipulated the shadows around us as I electricity crackled and we vanished from the port.