Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Heroes of Olympus.

One

"It's not going to work."

Annabeth was perched on the low branch of a tree by the Little Tiber, the barracks a few meters away. A book lay forgotten in her lap. It was a particularly nice day at Camp Jupiter. The Greek campers were only staying for a few more days before heading back to Long Island, and Percy had convinced Jason, Leo, and Frank that they had to try something "totally awesome" that he had thought up before they left.

Currently, the four boys were scattered around a strange-looking chariot, each of them working on a different part of it.

"Annabeth, what's with the lack of confidence? Don't you believe in us?" Leo poked his head out from under the aforementioned chariot and shot her a smile. He was attaching what looked suspiciously like a boat motor to the butt end of it.

"I believe," she started dryly, "that you guys are going to end up crashing and killing the few precious brain cells you can't afford to lose." She turned her head so she was looking at Jason. "Jason, I thought you had enough common sense to see that this isn't going to end well."

The blonde shrugged his broad shoulders. "After winning two wars against evil Titans, nothing really seems daunting anymore." That got a grin out of the other three boys, while Annabeth rolled her eyes for what seemed like the umpteenth time in the past few hours.

"Come on, Annabeth. Don't worry!" Percy walked over to her, grease smudged on his hands and a streak of it on his forehead. "We've been through more dangerous stuff than trying to ride a chariot across water."

He reached for her, but she swatted the grease-covered hand away. "Yeah, and the only reason you survived was because I was there to save your sorry ass."

The stifled laughter of the other three boys could be heard, but Percy shot them a look that quickly wiped the amused looks from their faces.

"Well, think about it this way," Frank said, tightening the screws of what looked like some kind of flotation device where the wheels of the chariot should've been, "Leo built a boat that could fly. How hard could it be to build a chariot that can tread water?"

"We spent more than six months building the Argo II. And it wasn't just Leo that built it. It was a team of his siblings and mine. I really wouldn't call the rest of you guys," she gestured to all of them with a hand, "mechanically capable."

"Haven't you ever wanted to live on the edge?" Percy asked.

"No. I wasn't joking when I said Athena always has a plan." Annabeth took her index finger and jabbed it into Percy's chest as she said, "And I didn't save your life all those times, just so you can go kill yourself while doing some crazy stunt!"

"Trust us, Annabeth. I can control the water, Jason can fly, Frank can turn into any animal he wants, and Leo is a master mechanic." Percy tried to give her a reassuring smile. "We all know what we're doing."

"That sounds like four spectacular ways things can go wrong."

Before he could respond, Leo jumped out from under the chariot. "It's done! Time to get this baby on the water." He rubbed his hands together, an impish smile tugging at his lips.

"Alright, you know what to do, Frank," Jason said, looking in his direction.

Frank made his way to the edge of the river and dove in, head first. When he reemerged, he had transformed into a large bottlenose dolphin.

"Sweet!" Leo walked thigh deep into the water, attaching a harness around Frank's dolphin body.

Percy and Jason dragged the chariot to the water's edge, gently lowering it into the river.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along for the ride?" Percy called to Annabeth as he got into the chariot, Jason and Leo right behind him.

She had gotten down from the tree and now stood with her arms crossed. "I don't have a death wish, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said, exasperated.

"Suit yourself."

"Ready?" Jason asked, grabbing the handle on the chariot.

Leo counted down. "Three… two… ONE!" He started the motor and Frank zoomed through the water.

The first fifty feet went by without incident. The three boys in the chariot could be heard whooping and screaming all the way to New Rome, maybe even Frank's excited dolphin squeals.

But everything went wrong when they passed under the first bridge. The chariot was flowing downstream and with the added speed from the motor and Frank's vicious swimming, the chariot all but crashed into the small gap under the bridge. The gap was too narrow, and, as a result, the two floaties in place of the wheels were ripped off the chariot.

"Uh, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Leo called over the rush of water.

Percy and Jason turned their identical incredulous expressions to the son of Hephaestus.

"You think?" Jason yelled sarcastically.

Percy looked ahead of him to Frank. "We have to get Frank to slow down!"

The three boys in the chariot yelled for the friend, but Frank paid no attention to what was happening behind him. The only thing he had in mind was what Leo had told him as he was adjusting his harness before they took off. Just swim as fast as you can and don't stop until we've reached the lake!

So, while Frank zoomed through the rippling water, Percy, Jason, and Leo screamed and held on for their lives.

"Wait!" Jason shouted over Percy and Leo, "I think I can fly the three of us off!"

"Are you nuts?" Percy yelled. "That means we have to let go!"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

Jason let go of the bar on the chariot and gripped Percy and Leo's shirts tightly.

He made to fly off the chariot, but as he tread air for a few seconds, he hadn't noticed the second bridge coming into view and promptly smacked his head into it and flew into the river.

"Now, what?" Percy called looking back for Jason.

They were quickly approaching the mouth of the lake. Frank would stop soon and then they'd be able to come to a smooth stop without too much incident. Of course, this was only wishful thinking.

Frank was almost to the lake when suddenly, Terminus had popped up out of no where, only his head and chest poking out of the water.

"That chariot is a weapon," he bellowed, "and weapons are strictly forbidden from entering the Pomerian Line!"

But Frank was going way too fast and couldn't come to a complete stop. Before he knew it, his bottlenose had crashed right into Terminus's marble chest, sending them both somewhere into the river.

Luckily (or maybe unluckily?) the harness that had been strapped to Frank broke and the chariot went skidding across the lake like a giant skipping stone.

"You're the son of Poseidon!" Leo shouted, "Do something!"

Only one coherent thought crossed Percy's mind. Stop!

Suddenly it felt as if the waves from the lake had grasped onto the chariot, but the moment of peace was short lived. Because the chariot had stopped so abruptly, the force threw Percy and Leo out of the chariot, and then, they were sailing in the air.

In the back of Percy's mind, he sensed that Leo had landed in the water by the lake's edge. Percy, on the other hand, landed on with an oomph in the grass, somewhere by the Circus Maximus. He turned so that we was laying on his side. For a moment, all he could feel was pain and little stars clouded his vision.

Finally, when he could see clearly again, he saw Annabeth's sneakers in front of his face. She leaned down so that he could meet her eyes.

The look on her face clearly said I told you so.

Annabeth helped Percy onto his feet, not without some trouble. When he was able to stand on his own, he could see the remains of a their chariot, partially sunk in the lake. He also saw Jason, Frank, and Leo, all looking wet and delirious.

He could hear the smug tone in her voice. "Are you sure you still want to 'live on the edge,' Seaweed Brain?"

AN: This was so much fun to write! I imagine that Annabeth becomes pretty frustrated with all of Percy's Seaweed Brained antics, but I guess moments like this, when she's so obviously right, make up for it. Oh, Percy. When will you ever learn?

This story will be a total of five chapters. I think the title is pretty self explanatory. I can't wait to write up the next chapters for this story!

I hope you liked it! Reviews are welcome and appreciated!

xoxo Cherie