If Percy Jackson said 'yes'

Two Years Later

I wandered aimlessly into the rankings room and turned on the board.  I didn't even know how long it had been, all I knew was that I was not going to forget Annabeth, so I checked up on her every day.  She always left her sink running so I could use that as a sort of way to watch her.  (Don't ask how.)  It may sound stalker-ish, but what was I supposed to do about that.  I needed to see her, but I couldn't physically be with her.  On the screen the list popped up.  This was the first time I had looked at it since Apollo showed it to me that first day.  It now read:

OLYMPIANS RANKS:
1. Zeus
2. Hera
3. Poseidon
4. Athena
5. Percy
6. Artemis
7. Apollo
8. Demeter
9. Ares
10. Hephaestus
11. Hermes
12. Dionysus              (Keep that grape-pummeling wine dude away from me!)
13. Hestia

   I sighed at the sight of my name two places above Apollo's.  Last time I saw the board, I was three places below him.  Ares and Demeter had dropped a lot too.  No wonder they hated me especially.  I try not to think of it as me doing good; it's just me doing nothing and them doing things to get moved down, and I just take their place.  If I overtook Athena, I'd have some serious fighting to do.
   I easily made my way to the room where I could see Annabeth.  I concentrated on her face, and located the nearest source of water I could reach her with.  I used water as a sort of looking glass to see the mortal world.  Anything I wanted, I just had to find something wet near it and I could see it.
   Annabeth was on that weird Greek battleship thing, the Argo II, again.  Everyone was on deck; Annabeth, that little weirdo Leo, the dead girl Hazel, the tomboy Aphrodite Piper, superman Jason, sumo-baby Frank, and kick-butt satyr Hedge.  They all knew I existed, but they all figured I was dead because whenever they asked Annabeth about me, she just cried.
   Suddenly, the picture was covered with black fog.  I could see through it the shadowy figures that were attacking the ship.  They were hitting down posts and poles and hitting holes in the deck.  The Leo kid screamed things at his Happy the Bronze Dragon Figurehead and he began to breathe fire.  Not that that helped with the smoke at all.  Annabeth was paralyzed in fear; I could see her because I was focusing in on her.  She was shaking and holding her breath, then I realized why.  The deck was swarming with spiders, and Annabeth's severe hereditary arachnophobia had kicked in.  All children of Athena had it, but I think it was worse for Annabeth than anyone else, even Athena herself.
   I saw a post break in the distance, and somehow, my mind calculated that in seventeen seconds, it would break and swing right into Annabeth.  I had to help and think quickly.  I couldn't take the chance that the fog would conceal me, because I would get in a LOT of trouble if I incinerated all of the Six of The Prophecy.  I had to make sure no one was looking, and I'd have to appear behind Annabeth.  Fifteen seconds now.  Dam, I think fast.  No one was looking at Annabeth right now, they were fighting the smoke figures.  I could focus on my hand and make it mortal before the rest of me to cover Annabeth's eyes.  I would take the swinging wood for her; my spine would probably stop it from hitting her.
   My mind was set, so I concentrated on the ship.  On Annabeth.