Chapter Text
Jason almost missed the seal.
As he made his way down the road to the training grounds, his eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of white, darting just beneath the surface of the camp’s lake. For a moment, Jason thought it was just a trick of the light, but something about its swift, fluid movement made him stop and look again. He doubled back, just in time to see the sleek form of a seal emerging, its white coat blending almost perfectly with the shimmer of the lake.
How did a seal get here? Jason glanced toward the camp’s northern border where the sea lay. Somehow, it had wandered all the way into the lake.
"Definitely lost," Jason muttered to himself. "Trapped, maybe."
But could a seal even survive in freshwater? He frowned. He wasn’t exactly an expert on marine life. He wished Percy was here. The son of Poseidon would surely know what to do with a lost seal. But he hadn't seen Percy around the camp since this morning.
“Come on.” Jason mumbled to himself. “What would Percy do?”
Probably dive straight into the water and solve the problem within minutes.
“Alright.” Jason took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. “You are the slayer of the Trojan sea monster. You can catch a seal.”
Without another moment’s hesitation, he plunged into the lake.
The water was dark and much colder than he expected, sending a shock through his body despite the bright sun overhead. Jason blinked, his eyes adjusting to the dim light beneath the surface. Then he froze—a pair of glowing green eyes were fixed on him, unblinking and eerily still.
Jason jerked back in surprise, choking as he accidentally swallowed a mouthful of the frigid water. The seal's eyes gleamed with mischief, and with a flick of its tail, it shot away into the darker parts of the lake.
Great.
Good news: Jason was a decent swimmer. Bad news: the seal was a far better swimmer and could hold its breath longer. Also, the seal clearly enjoyed this game of cat and mouse.
After a lap of chasing the seal around the lake, Jason was forced to surface for air. The seal popped up right behind him, its whiskered face twisted in what could only be described as a seal’s version of a smug grin.
Jason groaned, treading water. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, his pride stinging more than the cold. He was soaking wet, out of breath, and still no closer to solving the seal problem. Time for a new plan.
He waded out of the lake, shivering as the breeze hit his drenched clothes. The seal continued to float lazily on the surface, occasionally waving its flippers at Jason as if taunting him.
Jason shook his head, muttering a few choice words under his breath as he stomped off toward the strawberry field.
He figured a satyr might be the next best option for help with the seal, being a nature spirit and all. Fortunately, he literally bumped into Coach Hedge soon after.
"There's a seal in the lake!" Jason blurted, grabbing onto Coach Hedge for balance.
Coach Hedge gave a gruff snort, steadying Jason with one hand while squinting toward the water. “Is he causing trouble?” He looked like he was going to whack the seal with his baseball bat if Jason said yes.
“What? No!” Jason said quickly, water spraying everywhere as he shook his head vigorously. He? Jason thought, confused. “Coach, it's in the lake!.”
Coach Hedge grunted in annoyance. “Then what’s the problem? Let him be.”
Jason sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. "It’s not supposed to be here. I think it’s lost or something.”
Coach Hedge snorted, his baseball bat resting on his shoulder. “I told ya. The seal will be fine. Now, I promised Mellie I’d watch Chuck later, so get lost.”
Coach Hedge marched off before Jason could argue, leaving him standing there, wet and frustrated.
Jason stared after him, feeling rather dejected. What was he supposed to do now?
“We heard you’ve got a seal problem.”
Jason spun around and found himself face to face with the smirking Stoll brothers.
Jason eyed them warily. “Yeah?”
“You should find Annabeth,” Travis suggested, his eyes gleaming with something Jason couldn't name.
Connor snickered. “She’d know where Percy is-”
“-and then you can ask him to, y’know, handle the seal.” Travis finished with a wide grin.
That…was actually a pretty good idea.
Jason straightened up, feeling a glimmer of hope. "Thanks," he muttered, already turning toward the cabins. The brothers snickered to themselves, waving Jason goodbye as they went on their way.
After some asking around, Jason finally found Annabeth sitting on the steps of the amphitheater, engrossed in a thick book. Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows across the stone. Annabeth looked up as Jason approached, her expression shifting from mild curiosity to concern when she saw Jason’s disheveled state.
Annabeth listened intently as Jason described the situation, her eyebrows climbing higher and higher with each word. By the time he finished, there was an amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips, though she tried to hide it.
“A seal, you said?” she giggled—actually giggled. Annabeth never giggled. Jason blinked, feeling both confused and slightly offended.
“Is it a harp seal?” Annabeth tried to keep a straight face, but her resolve crumbled when she saw Jason’s indignant expression. She broke into full-blown laughter.
“A what?” Jason asked, bewildered.
“A harp seal,” she managed between giggles, wiping at her eyes. “Is the seal white?”
“Uh, yeah…it's white." Jason replied, feeling even more lost.
Annabeth took a deep breath, finally calming down, though the corners of her mouth still twitched with amusement. “Alright, I'll take you to Percy.”
Jason’s eyebrows shot up. “You know where he is?”
“Of course,” Annabeth replied, putting her book carefully aside and slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “Come on.”
To Jason's surprise, Annabeth led him straight back to the lake. The seal was still swimming in lazy loops, but it popped its head up and barked at Annabeth as it noticed her approaching.
With a swift flick of its tail, the seal disappeared beneath the surface. Moments later, it resurfaced, clutching a stunning blue shell between its teeth. The shell shimmered like a gem in the sunlight, casting glints of iridescent light across the water. With strong, elegant movements, the seal glided to the lake’s edge, offering the beautiful shell to Annabeth.
“Oh.” Annbeth breathed as she sat down on a nearby rock, accepting the seal’s gift. Jason couldn’t help but notice the seal's eyes widened adorably, its gaze almost expectant as it watched Annabeth admire the shell with a hint of delight.
“I'm still mad at you.” She told the seal, her fingers tracing the shell’s intricate edges. “You didn't tell Jason?”
The seal let out a soft, almost apologetic bark, and then nudged Annabeth’s legs gently with its nose.
Jason shifted, completely baffled. “Does it…actually understand you?”
Annabeth chuckled and flicked the seal’s head lightly. “Oh, it sure understands me.” She gave the seal a stern look. “Change back. You owe Jason an explanation.”
Jason opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but before he could, the water around the seal started to churn. Out of nowhere, a wave surged upward, lifting the seal high into the air. The wave swirled around the creature, faster and faster, until Jason could no longer make out its form.
A few moments later, the water slowed and cascaded gently back into the lake, leaving the surface smooth and calm again. But the seal was gone—standing in its place was Percy, completely dry, and grinning like nothing had just happened.
“Surprise,” Percy said, spreading his arms with a smirk.
Jason's jaw dropped, speechless.
“Always so dramatic,” Annabeth rolled her eyes fondly. Percy grinned at her and walked to the shore, touching Jason's shoulder and drying him instantly. “There. Better?”
Jason finally found his voice. “I spent an hour chasing you around the lake thinking you were some lost creature!”
“Hey, I just wanted to swim in peace. Didn’t expect to get chased by you.” Percy shrugged nonchalantly, the smile never leaving his face. “Pretty entertaining though.”
“Entertaining?” Jason sputtered. “I thought you needed help!”
“Sorry, bro,” Percy said, completely unapologetic. “But it was fun watching you trying to catch me.” He shrugged again, looking far too pleased with himself. “What made you think you could catch a seal in the water anyway?”
“I thought you were some poor sea creature trapped in the lake!” Jason threw his hands up. “And you just—what— want to play?”
Annabeth shot Percy a disapproving look but couldn’t hide the amusement in her eyes. “You owe Jason an apology, seaweed brain. You nearly gave Jason a heart attack.”
Percy sighed dramatically and turned to Jason. “Fine, fine. I’m sorry. But look on the bright side, at least you got some swimming practice!”
Jason narrowed his eyes, but he couldn’t stay mad, especially with Annabeth smirking beside him. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told.” Percy grinned wider, then motioned to the lake. “But seriously, you should’ve seen your face when I transformed. Classic.”
Jason shook his head, unable to fight the small grin forming on his face. “You're the worst.”
“C’mon,” Percy said, slinging an arm around Jason's shoulders. “Thanks for trying to save me. Now, how about we grab some lunch? Being a seal works up an appetite.”
Jason groaned, but his stomach grumbled in agreement. “Fine, but we're going to the sparring ring after lunch. I'm getting my revenge.”
Percy raised an eyebrow. “Revenge, huh? I’d like to see you try.” He chuckled, but then his face softened slightly. “Seriously though. I’m sorry for messing with you. I didn’t think you’d worry so much.”
Jason shoved him lightly. “It's fine. Just don’t make a habit of it.” He was frustrated, sure, but it was a harmless prank and his annoyance had faded after Percy’s sincere apology. They were cousins — more like brothers, after all.
The three of them made their way back toward the dining pavilion. As they walked, Percy kept throwing out seal-related puns, and despite himself, Jason couldn’t help but laugh along. Maybe having a friend who could turn into a seal would be fun after all—life was certainly more exciting with Percy around.