Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson
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Emerald Library: It is so big you can google it
Writer's Block: wttJDs62Dy
LAST TIME:
"I cannot and will not give you an answer to your question at this moment. You will need to wait for the day you visit Tethys and me. I will have your answer by then." He spoke calmly and with a hint of mystery in his deep voice, causing Artemis and Percy's eyes to widen immensely. Both couldn't believe Oceanus was even considering Percy's proposal.
"Now, I must be going. The Fates will sense me if I continue to linger any longer. It was nice meeting you, Perseus. Let us continue our chat when we meet again. Until then, take care of Hera and the others. A man should be able to do that much at the very least." Oceanus continued as he finally pulled in his catch. Yet it had something clinging to it this time. A young unconscious cyclops that Percy was familiar with was somewhat tangled in the rope.
"Until next time! Also, I believe he is here for them." Oceanus said as he easily plucked the young Cyclops boy from the net and set him on the sand beach with ease. With a nod and wave goodbye, Oceanus soon disappeared into the ocean as Artemis and Percy were once again stunned for several long moments. After a bit, Percy finally spoke as he took Artemis' hand into his own.
"That was something else… Are you excited to meet your second mother-in-law?"
NOW:
THIRD PERSON POV:
"Thank you for the ride. I owe you a favor now. If you ever need help, contact Nick or someone at Camp Half Blood. They will contact me. Also, if you see the old man… tell him he can suck a fart out of my butt. Be specific, though, and say I am the one who said it. Otherwise, you might get in trouble." Percy said while feeding the hippocampi a few fish and carrots from his magical food bag. The sea-horses happily ate the treats he was giving them but gave him a confused look at his last remark as Percy laughed a bit.
"Really?" Artemis asked him with a raised eyebrow, and he gave a soft shrug. Rubbing his hands together to clean them off, he waved goodbye to the hippocampi, who let out a few delightful neighs and cries before disappearing entirely into the ocean.
"What? I can't let him forget how much he sucks. That would be too kind to him." Percy said in a scholarly tone as Artemis stared at him briefly before rolling her eyes at him. Yet a thoughtful expression crossed her face as if she had just discovered something interesting. Diana was even throwing a few suggestions to insult Zeus, but Artemis put that on the back burner for now.
"Let's get to shore for now. The others have just about made it," Artemis said, turning her eyes towards the distant shoreline. Following her gaze, Percy could see three figures nearly at the sand beach as he nodded. Percy and Artemis then began to run across the water quickly as they began to catch up to the questing squad.
"Ugh." Just then, a familiar groan echoed in the air as Percy's gaze quickly snapped to the figure lying in Artemis' arms. A once unconscious Annabeth stirred in the goddess' arms as her face scrunched. Upon seeing the dormant demigoddess finally moving again, Percy and Artemis heaved a huge sigh of relief. The moon goddess' hands tightened around the girl as her expression softened before adjusting the golden fleece around the girl.
"Let's hurry," Artemis whispered as both their speeds increased. A twisted trail of silver and black aura was all that was left in their wake as it quickly dissipated into the air. In less than a minute, Percy finally set foot on America's soil for the first time in months. Yet he didn't seem to care as he walked towards the three kids before him as they used Nick as a personal dryer.
"Thanks," Clarrise said as Nick finished helping her dry off. The daughter of Ares was much quieter than usual as she sat on the ground beside an equally tired Grover as the two tried to recover some of their energy.
"Don't mention it… but you owe me." Nick said, wiping the fake sweat off his forehead. Just then, he noticed Percy walking their way with a familiar figure in his arms as their eyes brightened immensely.
"Percy! Annabeth!" Nick yelled as he rushed toward the two of them. Clarisse and Grover also quickly ran after Nick, their exhaustion seemingly nonexistent as they approached the Ranger of Olympus as he carried their friend.
"How is she?" Clarisse was the first to ask as Percy carefully laid down Annabeth on the soft sandy beach. Percy glanced up at the worried girl before him as he gave her a small smile.
"She is fine now. I can't say she is back to 100%, but the fleece has healed all her injuries." Percy comforted Clarisse as the demigoddess let out a sigh of relief. Upon doing so, silence filled the air as the daughter of war found herself being stared at by two sets of eyes. A glance left made her gaze meet Nick and Grover's eyes as the two gave her a surprised look.
"W-What? Who said I can't worry? You wanna fight!?" Clarisse yelled at them. The two quickly coughed and turned their gazes away from the daughter of war, who glared at them for a moment in return. Was it so out of character for her to care? Well… maybe a little. That didn't mean she didn't care, though!
"Why are you so loud?" A grumble came from the ground, and all eyes turned to the figure on the ground. Annabeth slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the four people above her. She then slowly sat up and let out a massive yawn before rubbing her eyes a little. She couldn't get her system's grogginess to disappear, leaving her half awake. The quest group looked ready to hug the girl to death but kept their distance as they revealed happy smiles and their eyes filled with tears.
Percy also had to hold himself back from wrapping the girl up in a hug as he watched her sit up and shake off the sleepiness that had held her captive for several long moments. Annabeth then slowly looked around, finding Nick, Tyson, Grover, Clarisse, and Percy surrounding her. Each had faces full of relief and worry as they stared at her.
"What's going on?" She slowly questioned as she scanned the ground. She then felt something soft on her arms, which caused her to look down and see a brilliant golden fleece draping over her body. Her eyes slowly widened upon realizing the mythical item draped across her. Her eyes's stormy gray color slowly intensified before a hand grabbed her shoulder, causing her to snap out of her thoughts.
"P—Percy." Annabeth stammered his name out in a worried tone that seemed to ask a hundred questions as she looked up at the man holding her shoulder. Looking into his multicolored swirling eyes, she seemed to find something to rely on, and his face revealed a somewhat sorrowful and happy expression.
"You are fine now, I promise. Thankfully, we had the fleece on hand, or else… you wouldn't have made it." Percy's words only made her worry grow. Her mind simply couldn't remember what happened or how she ended up in this state. Knowing she couldn't remember something made her worry even more. Out of habit, she reached up to grab some of her hair, only to find the piece she usually messed with was no longer there.
"What?" she questioned as her heartbeat quickened. She reached higher to find her hair had been cut into a messy and uneven bob, her once long hair full of princess curls no longer present. She began to breathe faster as panic swept through her system while her memory started to stir. Images and clips soon started to play in her mind. Just then, the hand on her shoulder sent a pulse of aura into her body, jolting her out of a hyper-focused panic-induced state.
"Calm down, you are okay. Everything is over. You are safe now, Annabeth. Do you… remember what happened?" Percy asked her calmly as Annabeth looked up at him with panic-filled eyes. Ever so slowly, she moved the golden fleece off her chest to find her once-orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. The shirt was a ghost of its former self at this point. Cuts, tears, rips, and stains covered it.
"I… remember now," Annabeth whispered as her wide eyes stared down at the massive blood stain that covered nearly the entire front of her shirt. Her grip on the fleece tightened as her other hand desperately fiddled with what hair she had left. She could even feel the sorrowful gazes of the other three on her.
FLASHBACK:
THIRD PERSON POV:
The taste of her blood in her mouth was not new, but the amount spilling from it was. The ring in her ears was like a deafening roar as it drowned out all other sounds in the world. She couldn't smell a thing either, but if she could, she was sure it would be the smell of blood. Her mind couldn't make sense of her situation or try to figure out what to do, but her body wouldn't listen to her demands.
SNAP
Another gush of blood spewed from her lips as another rib snapped inside her chest. The new pain only fused with the already immeasurable pain she was feeling, one so intense it brought her to unconsciousness only to wake her up again. Her mouth opened wide to let out a scream, but blood was the only thing that left her lips. All the air in her lungs was long gone, replaced by shards of her broken ribs. Even then, the grip around her only tightened, causing her vision to flicker.
Her body suddenly went limp in the Cyclops' grip as the pain exceeded her limit. Her mind was shutting down every nerve in her body as the loss of blood grew worse, and the pain continued to grow. In a moment, the pain coursing through her body was replaced with static. Her mind had finally had enough and had given up. Her vision blurred even more, and her consciousness waned. Without the pain, it was hard for her to stay conscious. Even colors became black and white as she managed to see three figures rushing her way.
'They made it out.' Her mind barely managed to form that thought as her vision narrowed slowly. It seemed her plan had worked. Nick had saved Grover and Clarrise. Yet even if her plan did work, she didn't feel any joy in its success. Her emotions stagnated; all she could do was try and fight off the encroaching darkness. She tried to stay awake, but… she was so tired. She had worked so hard, a little shuteye wouldn't hurt.
'Just a quick nap…' Those words filled Annabeth's mind like sweet poison. Part of her knew not to give in, but then her body lost even the static feeling flooding through it. Her vision finally gave way to the darkness, and she soon found herself floating in an infinite well of darkness. Her body continued to lose all its feelings as her mind slowly dimmed.
'Just… 5 minutes and then I'll get up.' One final thought echoed through her mind as her thoughts turned to darkness. All she wanted to do was rest. She didn't want to feel these horrible things anymore. Annabeth soon felt nothing as she drifted into a sea of darkness, her mind finally finding the desired silence.
Tap Tap Tap
"This isn't a good place to nap, you know." A man's words suddenly echoed in Annabeth's mind as she felt three taps on her forehead.
"Ah!" Annabeth let out a cry of surprise and pain. With the taps to her forehead and words echoing in her mind, it felt like something had just zapped her with Zeus's master bolt. Every nerve in her body fired off simultaneously as her whole body twitched and jerked for several long moments before she was left gasping for air and lying on the ground.
"W-What?" Annabeth gasped as she tried to calm herself down. One moment, she was lying in complete darkness and felt nothing, and the next, her body was firing on all cylinders. Her mind tried to catch up, but she could only look around and figure out what was happening.
All she saw was a tranquil field and rolling hills full of soft grass that gently swayed in a slight breeze. Above her was a calm, peaceful blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds; behind them was the warm sun that felt nice against her skin. The daughter of Athena simply didn't know what to make of this place as her eyes slowly scanned the horizon. It was not Polyphemus' island… and it wasn't hell… maybe… where was she?
"Are you done with your nap?" A calm voice suddenly asked, causing her to jump slightly at the sudden noise. She quickly snapped her head to the side as she finally saw the man and took in his features. He appeared to be a noble middle-aged Greek man with a scruffy black beard and shoulder-length soft black hair that was brushed back. His brown eyes were calm and seemed to pierce right through her with a single glance as Annabeth tried to figure out who he was but failed. She contemplated running but decided that the man meant no harm to her. If he had, then when she was asleep, it would have been a perfect opportunity.
"I will take that as a yes," He said while slowly sitting on the ground, adjusting his long white toga to make himself more comfortable.
"... Who are you? Where am I? Did you bring me here?" Annabeth rapidly asked a few questions, which caused the man to hold up his hand to stop her onslaught before chuckling a little. Annabeth couldn't help but frown a bit at his actions as he managed to get himself under control.
"You daughters of Athena are always fun to talk to, but please, one question at a time. To answer the first… why don't you guess?" Annabeth couldn't help but blink at the man's response. Yet… part of her couldn't help but accept his small challenge as she scanned over the man several more times. Picking up several small details about him, after a little while, she finally decided to guess.
"Are you… Odysseus?" she asked in a prolonged tone. The man stared at her for several moments before a smile grew on his lips, and his eyes seemed to sparkle.
"Interesting, you got it on the first try. I was expecting you to say Achilles or Theseus." Odysseus said that as Annabeth's eyes widened immensely, she barely managed to wrangle the questions and excitement that were rapidly building in her mind as she focused. Taking a few breaths to calm her down, Annabeth concentrated on the hero before her without entering fangirl mode.
"You just look like your name. If I were to imagine Odysseus, your image would come to mind. Which makes me wonder… are you real? Perhaps a figment of my imagination?" Annabeth said calmly as her stormy gray eyes swirled with questions before listing several possibilities she had quickly thought up as the man shook his head.
"Nope, I'm as real as I can get. I was in Elysium, betting Jason he couldn't eat 2 apple pies in 4 minutes, just a moment ago, and now I'm here." His words made Annabeth question her sanity, but then she remembered that Elysium was said to be a party haven. With a glance at Odysseus, who raised an eyebrow at her, she quickly took his word on it for the moment. She had more important questions to tackle.
"Do you know where we are? What brought you here?" Annabeth asked as Odysseus shook his head before nodding. Seeing his response only made Annabeth's eyes swirl more as the hero put his hand to his chin and began to think.
"I don't know where we are. Unfortunately, I have never seen a place like this in Elysium or Earth. But I do know what brought me here. That would be you." Upon hearing those words, Annabeth couldn't help but freeze. She tried to speak, but no words came out of her mouth. The thought that she had summoned Odysseus' soul straight from Elysium befuddled and confused her.
"I don't…" The words caught themselves in her throat. Slowly closing her mouth, she soon shook her head a little, and Odysseus gave her a small shrug in return. The two of them had no idea. Annabeth tried to think of the reason but came up with nothing. Just then, a slight tingle in her sternum made her stop thinking momentarily and reach up to her chest.
"..." Panic set in as her most recent memories of pain and anguish flooded her mind. Her whole body began to shake in place as her breathing grew rapidly. It was like she was experiencing the pain of being crushed yet again. Even the taste of her blood began to flood her mouth, and the ring in her ears began to grow. She tried to suppress it, but her mind was filled with a storm of dark emotions that were making it harder and harder.
"Easy now, calm yourself. Take deep breaths." Suddenly, a large hand gripped her shoulder while calm words filled her mind. She didn't know how, but the violent storm of emotions and her oncoming panic attack were pushed back slowly. The hand on her shoulder was almost like an anchor to her in this mental storm, and before too long, she could think and breathe properly again as Odysseus looked down at her.
He watched as Annabeth's stormy gray aura gathered around her body and began to pulse slowly. The aura grew and shrunk with every breath. It soon spread onto his hand as Odysseus began to sense and understand more of what was happening.
"Thank you," Annabeth whispered in a voice filled with emotions as Odysseus gave her a sad smile before kneeling before her. Annabeth slowly raised her head and looked at the hero before her with watery eyes.
"Don't worry. I am here to help. This is why you summoned me, knowing or not. It seems… you are quite the impressive daughter of Athena." Odysseus said with a smile, and Annabeth couldn't help but feel a large amount of pride swell up in her upon hearing those words. Using that pride to stabilize herself more, she wiped her eyes free of spare tears and focused on the situation.
"Did you figure it out?" Annabeth asked as Odysseus gave her a grin.
"At least a little bit. It seems you inherited your mother's mind… and her domain of heroes. You have summoned me because you need help, and I am willing to provide that help. All you must do is specify what you need me to do and then pay the price," Odysseus said, motioning to the aura slowly spreading across his skin as Annabeth's eyes grew turbid and her mind worked as fast as possible. In seconds, she took in all the information about herself, her surroundings, her enemies, and her friends and devised a plan.
"How confident are you about facing a stupid cyclops who likes sheep and has terrible eyesight?" Annabeth asked as Odysseus' grin widened. The aura spread faster across his body until it eventually swallowed him whole.
"Oh, I am very confident."
"Fantastic, let's put this plan in motion, shall we?"
LINEBREAK:
"Annabeth!" Nick howled in anger as he watched his best friend being crushed in Polyphemus' grip. His feet couldn't seem to carry him fast enough as he continued to run as fast as he could. As he got closer, he couldn't help but notice the trail of blood that ran down from Annabeth's mouth as his anger only grew. A sea-green aura burst from his body in rage as he felt his anger overcome him.
"Nick, don't charge in, or you will die! We need to get him to drop her, and then we can use the fleece!" Suddenly, a familiar booming voice tore through his mind and anger as Nick returned to reality.
"Clarisse is right!" Grover shouted as Nick glanced at the two and nodded. Even though the two of them never saw eye to eye, he had to hand it to the daughter of the war god. She knew how to fight and the best way to fight sometimes.
"Fine!" Nick yelled as they finally reached the Cyclops. The beast's grin revealed a row of yellow teeth as they came running up.
"It seems my bride came running back!" He yelled happily as Clarisse's face turned sour, and her anger only boiled more upon hearing his words.
"Hey, ugly!" Nick yelled as Polyphemus' eyes narrowed at the boy, and his grin became a scowl. "I'm going to poke your eye out again! You caught the wrong person, you dumbass! I'm Nobody!"
Nick's words instantly struck a nerve with the legendary beast, who gritted his teeth together and let out a roar of anger that seemed to shake the whole island. Stomping toward Nick, Polyphemus was no longer interested in his game and dropped Annabeth's bloody body.
"Grover, get Annabeth out of here! I'm going to help the shrimp!" Clarisse yelled, and Grover nodded. In a moment, she and Nick were both attacking Polyphemus. Clarisse used an old spear she found in the Cyclops' cave, while Nick used a shimmering silver sword named Silver Tide, which Percy had made for him. Both focused and managed to sync their attacks with each other as the demigods fought like beasts.
Their anger fueled their strikes as their auras began to surge from their bodies. Their blades dug deep into the cyclops' thick hide with each strike. Because of the height difference, most strikes landed on Polyphemus' legs and hands. One moment, Nick was sliding on his knees and cutting the Cyclops' inner thigh with a large gash while Clarisse was busy fending off the giant hand, trying to grab the boy.
"Stay still!" Polyphemus roared in anger as his hand was cut yet again as he tried the girl who was rapidly stabbing his knee. The silver sword in Nick's hand glowed a viscous sea-green color as it was drenched in the Cyclops' blood. Nick quickly began to move with Clarisse as they both performed the tactical retreat they did between each strike.
"ARG!" Polyphemus roared in pain at the cut as he reared back a bit. His damaged eye glared at the blurry blue figure as he balled up his massive fists. Each strike from the blue figure carried extreme pain that lasted only a few moments but was still infuriating beyond belief. Finally, Polyphemus had reached his limit, raising both fists as his muscles bulged. Nick and Clarisse felt their necks tingle with danger as the cyclops began to emit a putrid yellow aura.
"Stay back!" Nick yelled, but he was too late. Polyphemus slammed both his fists down as hard as he could.
BOOM!
Both demigods were thrown into the air from the force of the blow rippling through the ground. Then came the wall of dust and rocks that slammed into Nick and Clarisse with full force. They tried to defend but could only do so much as they were tossed through the air like ragdolls. In the end, multiple broken rocks slammed into them in the air before they rolled across the ground. Eventually, they stopped as they lay motionless on the shattered ground.
"Where are you? Show yourself, Nobody!" Polyphemus roared as he started to stomp his way through the dusty area. His blow was powerful but only served to limit his eyesight even more for the moment.
"C- Clarisse, you alive?" Nick said with a few coughs as he slowly pushed himself off the ground and propped himself up with his sword.
"B… Barely." The girl groaned in pain as Nick managed to get on his feet and move towards her voice. Eventually, he found her in the dusty wasteland surrounding them. Upon laying eyes on her, his eyes widened immensely. Clarisee lay on the ground unmoving; one hand hugged a broken spear while the other gripped a large stone shard lodged in her leg.
"Oh no," Nick whispered as he moved closer to her. She was currently grimacing in pain as she tried to move but eventually fell back to the ground. Not a single cry of pain escaped her lips, but Nick knew she was done for the moment.
"Is it bad?" Clarisse asked, and Nick couldn't help but nod in return as she gritted her teeth even more.
"Help me fix it. We don't have time to sit here." She said as she began to tug at the stone, but a hand suddenly stopped her.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. The stone is keeping you from bleeding out." A calm voice whispered as a figure slowly came into being beside them as their camouflage disappeared.
"Per-!" Nick nearly shouted before Percy's hand slapped itself over Nick's mouth as Percy glared at the boy. Clarisse was still in shock because Percy simply appeared out of nowhere.
"Hush, we only have a few moments. Clarisse, don't move that stone unless you want to walk in the future. Nick, if you can run, then do it. This area is going to get messy soon." Percy said as he moved swiftly and picked up the daughter of war bridal style, much to her embarrassment. Nick could only nod rapidly as he got ready to run before he froze.
"What about Annabeth? She is critically injured." The moment his words left his mouth, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Percy's face. He had on an emotionless mask, but his eyes could make hell freeze over. They were like cyclones of hatred and malice in a bottle on the verge of exploding.
"I'm aware. But you don't have to worry. She will be okay. I put the golden fleece on her." Percy's words made Clarisse and Nick shiver again as his ice-cold tone fell on their ears. But his positive message made them relax a little.
A powerful aura pulse ran through the island as if on cue with Percy's words. The air and ground shook a little, causing Percy, Nick, and Clarisse to all blink in surprise as they turned their gazes to the epicenter of the pulse. The wind on the island picked up, and soon, a massive gust blew away the giant dust cloud surrounding them as a second pulse ran through the island.
"What the hell?" Nick cursed as he steadied himself in the winds. As he did, he quickly found Polyphemus about 50 feet in front of them, and behind him was where the aura pulse was coming from.
"Annabeth?" Percy whispered in surprise and shock. He nearly dropped the injured Clarisse and ran to the daughter of Athena's side, but he managed to stay rooted in place as he watched with wide eyes.
A bloody and battered Annabeth kneeled on the ground with the golden fleece draped on her back. Blood continually dripped from her lips, but her stormy gray eyes burned with emotions. Most of all, she looked like she had a plan. Her aura was only growing fiercer by the moment until it reached the level of a minor immortal, shocking everyone present, Percy included. She then reached up to her long blonde hair and gripped it. Her trusty dagger rested against her hair a moment later, but she stopped right before it cut. Her eyes focused on the Cyclops as her aura pulsed with anger.
SHING!
The blade cutting through her hair echoed as everyone watched, and as if on cue, the wind stopped. The whole world grew silent as the echo drowned out all other sounds; at that moment, everyone felt a shiver run down their back as Annabeth's gray aura gathered and started to fuse into the bundle of golden hair in her hand. Sensing something terrible was coming his way, Polyphemus moved towards Annabeth rapidly, but he was too late.
"Accept my offering and rise," Annabeth barely croaked out those words before spitting out another mouthful of blood. With that, her strength finally left her body as she let go of the hair bundle and collapsed to the ground below the golden fleece. Her eyes barely remained open as she watched the hair float in the air before releasing a brilliant gray light. With that, Annabeth passed out as the hair began to weave into the shape of a human heart.
"NO!" Polyphemus roared as a premonition of death swept over him. It was almost like Hades himself had just signed his death warrant. Rumbling forward, he reached out to grab that magical heart, but just as he was about to grab it, the heart suddenly beat and released a shockwave that threw the massive 14-foot-tall cyclops back like he was nothing.
As the shockwave approached Percy and the others, they all braced for impact, but all they felt was a small gust of wind passing them by, and they blinked in surprise. Raising their heads to see what was going on, they saw a very mysterious sight. The golden heart wrapped in a gray aura started pulling stones from everywhere around it.
"W—What is that?" Nick asked Percy as he dodged a stone flying towards the quickly growing rock ball. Parts of the rock began to even out with smaller pieces until arms and legs began to form.
"I have no idea… but if I were to guess. Annabeth inherited Athena's power of heroes." Percy said before turning and running away from the destroyed area. Nick quickly followed behind but kept an eye on the growing stone man. Even after a few seconds, his legs had fully formed, and his arms became more defined.
"Heroes?" Clarisse asked as Percy sped behind a large boulder where a familiar satyr was hiding. Grover lifted his head just in time to see Percy setting down Clarisse against the boulder while Nick rounded the corner only to trip and slide for a few good feet before stopping. Even as comical as the scene was, Grover focused on the bleeding demigoddess as his eyes widened.
"Tend to her wounds and Nick's as well. Don't remove the stone it is holding the artery shut. Use ambrosia and nectar to have her body force it out naturally. Also, don't move from this spot." Percy rattled off commands to the shaking goat man, but Grover managed to swallow his fear and give a nod. With that, Percy stood up to leave, but a hand gripped his arm, stopping him from leaving. Turning to the source, he found Clarisse looking up at him fiercely.
"What do you mean heroes?" She asked again as Percy glanced at the nearly entirely formed figure. His face started roughly shaping itself out of smaller stones until his features fully appeared, revealing a rough appearance. The rough rocks made it tough to tell who he was, but Percy could have given him a much more ancient Greek look.
"It means Annabeth has gained the power to summon legendary heroes to her aid. Let's hope she picked someone good," Percy said as Clarisse, Nick, and Grover's faces widened in shock. Percy ignored the three stunned figures and rounded the stone again. Just then, Polyphemus got back on his feet and started charging the rock figure. Yet even as the two were about to clash, Percy's eyes lingered on the collapsed demigoddess as if a magical glow of the fleece cocooned her body.
"Hmm… not the best form, but it will suffice." A gritty voice suddenly spoke in Ancient Greek, causing Percy to turn to see the rock figure. His eyes were now burning with a mysterious gray glow in his two eyes. Feeling Percy's gaze, the rock man's eyes turned his way, causing Percy to feel naked under his gaze. Everything about him felt exposed in the split second as those gray eyes landed on him. In the next moment, the weight was gone as the man faced the Cyclops before him.
"Die!" Polyphemus roared angrily as he swung a fist at the man. At the same time, the stone figure moved like a blur.
BOOM!
Dodging the blow with extreme ease, the figure appeared at the side of the billowing dust cloud left by the strike as he dusted off his rock shirt a little. Seeing the indifferent act of the stone man made Polyphemus growl in response. This only made the figure chuckle before waving at him to keep coming at him. Polyphemus soon looked like a man trying to catch a squirrel that kept bouncing around out of reach. He tripped and stumbled about as his hands ripped apart the ground or blew it apart as the stone figure dodged each strike perfectly.
Percy was at a loss for words as he watched a stone statue use the most minimal movement to dodge. Seeing such a sight left Percy at a loss of words. Considering the power of the rock man's body, he was at least 90% sure that if his body were like that, he would be crushed by the Cyclops 8 out of 10 times. But then he began to notice a specific pattern in both their movements. Upon realizing what it was, Percy's eyes narrowed as he watched the stone man dodge another blow. This man, stone or not, knew the Cyclops' moves to the heart.
"Come on, ugly! You were much faster last time! Then again, you were skinnier back then. Did blinding do this much damage to you?" The man spoke confidently, making Polyphemus freeze in place as the figure danced before him. At the same time, Percy's eyes widened as he pieced together everything and figured out who the hero inhabiting the stone man was.
"NOBODY! I will eat your flesh and drink your bones!" Polyphemus roared in pure anger as he began to rampage. His hands began to rip large chunks from the ground and throw them at him. Yet Odysseus led the Cyclops by the tip of his ugly nose. Each strike or blow missed only a hair again, and each grab was so close that it infuriated the Cyclops even more and made even more dangerous moves.
"Come on, you sloth! Work that body! Move that flab! Do you expect to get yourself a wife looking like that? You ain't thicc! You fat!" Odysseus shouted and laid on the insults, and Percy's mouth fell open in surprise. Even though the words were automatically translated from ancient Greek to English, he still didn't expect the legendary Odysseus to use the phrase thicc. The insult worked as it enraged Polyphemus more, causing him to give chase as Odysseus led him further away from everyone.
Percy took that moment to shoot towards the prone Annabeth and check on her. When he got to her, he felt his heart jump into his throat and his anger flare. Even though he had seen it once before, he still couldn't help but let his emotions run wild. The poor girl before him looked like she had two feet in the grave and was waiting for Hades to kick her in. Her face was pale, and the blood around her was far too much.
Seeing her in such a state only ignited even more rage inside him as his aura began to escape his body in the form of black sparks. He could barely keep his rage in check as he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep his sanity. To make matters worse, he felt their connection wane the moment her life was about to end. Though they had only formed their soulmate bond recently, it did not mean she meant any less to him than the others. Even now, the other soulmate connections radiated worry, confusion, anger, and anxiety over the dimmed connection.
Percy didn't know how they knew since they had never met Annabeth after confirming the soulmate connection. Maybe it was the River of Love's way of warning them that a soulmate was nearly dead and asking them to help. Whatever the function or functions were, he also felt a mysterious energy from the others flood into Annabeth's connection to strengthen it as much as they could. Annabeth's connection solidified for the moment after being bathed in the energy.
He wasn't sure how this had helped her; it may have healed her body, ensured her soul stayed in place, or maybe some other life-preserving effect. But upon reigning in his anger due to the pain in his cheek, he reached forward and took her pulse to check on her condition more thoroughly. After waiting a moment, he felt a feeble but steady pulse across his fingers as he breathed a sigh of relief.
He could even feel it grow slightly stronger after a few seconds, be it the fleece or the soulmate mystery energy it was working. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Percy carefully scanned Annabeth's broken body with his Eyes of Creation to gather more information and see what he could help with.
BOOOM!
RUMBLE!
CRASH!
Suddenly, a giant explosion followed by the sound of a rockslide startled him from his focus. Percy turned to see a massive bloom of dust and debris coming from a sizable rocky wall. All he could see was an enormous chunk of the rocky wall that was now broken and sitting in a giant pile at its base. More debris and dust continued to fall onto the pile as a 6-foot-tall stone figure slowly emerged from the dusty cloud, waving his hand while keeping the other over his mouth.
"That takes care of that," he said with a fake cough, rubbing his dusty hands on his rock shirt for a moment before stopping and looking down.
"Right, I forgot about that," he murmured before giving up on dusting himself any further. As he did, he began walking towards an astonished Percy as he clung to Annabeth. Percy couldn't help but glance at the giant pile of rock and then Odysseus as he tried to figure out what happened. He simply didn't know what to make of the situation. The stone hero had so quickly aggroed, led on, and dealt with the legendary Cyclops so quickly that it seemed unreal.
"What? Never had a rampaging monster crash into a rock face to kill itself by an avalanche?" Odysseus asked as Percy couldn't help but shake his head.
"I can't say I have…" Percy said. The stone man shrugged a bit before coming closer, and Percy couldn't help but notice a slowly growing pool of monster blood pooling beneath the rubble pile.
"Works 100% of the time, I promise," Odysseus said with a rocky grin before glancing at Annabeth and frowning upon seeing her condition.
"How is she?" he asked, kneeling beside her and looking over the golden fleece draped over half her body.
"She is in a rough condition, but the fleece is working magic. Her pulse is slowly returning, and most of the cuts and stuff on her body are healing." Percy said before releasing his aura, which quickly took a green hue for healing. Yet he was stopped by a stone hand that extended before him. Feeling a flare of new anger, Percy turned to Odysseus to see only two calm gray eyes as he shook his head.
"If you use a second source of healing, some things won't heal properly. The golden fleece is one of the greatest healing items in our mythos, so let it do its work. If you wish to help inject your aura into it. That will make it work faster." He quickly explained as Percy's eyes widened and nodded before doing just that. Seeing the green aura fluctuate back to black and flood into the golden fleece, Odysseus couldn't help but stare at Percy for a moment before sighing and glancing to the side.
"I wouldn't use too much of your aura, though. You seem drained; use any more aura, and I'm afraid you will collapse." Odysseus' words made Percy's mouth frown as he glanced at the stone figure. It seemed he couldn't hide his current status from the great hero. He was still drained after his fight with Oceanus, and he didn't have enough time to recover energy before Annabeth got injured.
"What do you suggest then? I can't let her be in such a state for any longer. Who knows if her injuries may worsen? She can't be moved in her state either." Percy argued with the hero as he glanced back at the young man and laughed a bit before returning to the area he was just looking at.
"Why don't you use the resources gifted to you by Olympus?" he suggested, and Percy instantly understood the hero's words. Before he could speak, the grass began to rustle before the two of them. As it did, a white rabbit, as normal as any other, soon bounded out of the grass toward them. Percy couldn't help but stare at the bunny, but it simply ignored his and Odysseus' gaze as it quickly approached Annabeth.
"It was only a guess. I didn't expect I would be right," Odysseus said in slight astonishment. Yet his words caused the bunny to give him a glaring side eye, making the hero reveal an awkward, rocky smile. A few more bounds forward, and the bunny rested on the golden fleece as if it was about to nap.
'I will take it from here. The Cyclops isn't done yet.' Artemis' strained whisper echoed in Percy's mind as Percy felt an invisible godly aura flood off the bunny and into the fleece. The mythical item was supercharged by the goddess' divine aura and began to emit a beautiful golden glow in only a few seconds.
'Thank you, love,' Percy responded to Artemis with a thought. Percy could feel Artemis' anger lessen through the soulmate link as she helped Annabeth recover. Both felt the connection with Annabeth begin to grow brighter with the treatment. As her connection no longer showed signs of fading, the mysterious energy from the others stopped coming.
However, Percy could still feel the livid emotions from the others that fueled his own as his eyes trained themselves on the rocky pile with Polyphemus beneath it. Percy gently laid down Annabeth upon feeling her pulse begin to steady. Then, he quickly turned to the pile and began to walk. Before he could even get a few steps away from the girl, Odysseus stepped out before him, acting as a barrier between him and the pile.
"Stop. Your energy is far too low to begin a fight with him. Even those demigods over there have more than you do," he said as Percy glanced back at Nick and Grover, who was tending to Clarisse, whose mouth was full of ambrosia.
"Besides… it is not his time to die as much as I hate to admit it." The hero said with a sigh as Percy's hands tightened into fists. His energy inside him burned with anger for the Cyclops, but it had nowhere to go. Sensing Percy's anger, Odysseus' glowing eyes locked onto Percy's to warn him. Yet all he saw was two galaxy-like eyes swirling with anger that seemed ready to explode.
"He must pay for what he did to her. Even if my energy isn't sufficient, I will find a way to send him back to Hades one way or another." Percy nearly growled at Odysseus as the stone man continued to lock gazes with him.
"You are right. He deserves far worse than what he has gone through. I wish I could also help you, but this body is at its limit, and the energy I have left won't let me stay here for more than a few more minutes. Besides, those poor demigods need to get out of here. Their quest is done. The fleece is secure." Odysseus calmly spoke as Percy's fists tightened at his words. His boiling anger stagnated inside him as he gritted his teeth. He was so frustrated at Odysseus, but deep down, he knew the hero was right.
'Percy… he's right. We need to leave, but Annabeth should be able to be moved here without issue in a minute. Clarisse is also in need of aid. Ambrosia and nectar won't cut it.' Artemis spoke to Percy in his mind again as Percy stood there for a few moments in silence. Finally, he took a deep and long breath, slowly releasing his fists and turning back to Annabeth. His swirling eyes still showed hints of anger, but most of it had been locked deep inside him.
"Fine, let's leave this place. But I'm returning to destroy him when I'm free," Percy said with a hiss in his tone, and Odysseus simply nodded before pausing momentarily.
"Would you do it once the girl is stronger? I also want to help out," Odysseus offered as Percy glanced his way before revealing a slight grin on his lips.
"Maybe, no promises. He is my prey. When he reforms, I will give you a shot." Percy said as Odysseus revealed the most flabbergasted look his rocky face could make.
"What do you mean when he reforms? I was the one who blinded him all those years ago and escaped his clutches. If anything, I deserve to kill him first," Odysseus argued as Percy snorted out a laugh, which caused the hero to frown.
"Why, you little piece of-."
RUMBLE!
"NOBODY! I WILL KILL YOU!" A bellowing roar filled the air as the giant pile of rubble began to shift, much to everyone's surprise. Even Percy and Artemis didn't sense Polyphemus awaken due to their focus on Annabeth.
Everyone quickly turned to the pile of rubble to find it slowly shifting and moving as the giant cyclops began to emerge from it. Huge chunks of rocks and slabs of stones fell to the ground, revealing the 14-foot-tall cyclops in all his bloody glory. His body was covered in bruises and cuts, but none were very large other than a large gash on his back that showed signs of healing already. His one eye was red in pure anger as he glared at everyone present.
Percy quickly summoned his kopis and shield while Nick rushed to his left and Oydessus to his right. Grover was also trying to hold down the struggling Clarisse as she yelled at him to let her go so she could fight. Soon, all three stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight, as their auras began to spew out of their bodies. While this happened, Polyphemus was busy trying to regain his balance after being hit on the head.
"YOU PUNY INSECTS! I WILL MAKE YOU INTO SOUP FOR MY WEDDING! NONE OF YOU WILL EVER LEAVE THIS ISLAND! YOU WILL ALL PERISH UNDER MY WRATH-!"
Pheeee
THUDD!
Before Polyphemus could even finish yelling at the three, a giant boulder smashed down right onto his head and blew into a thousand little pieces. Polyphemus was left standing straight as a tree for a moment as the debris began to settle. Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene with slack jaws. Suddenly, Polyphemus took one step forward and only took two steps back. He stumbled over the rubble he had just climbed out of as he tried to straighten himself out.
"What the hell just-."
Pheeee
DONG!
This time, instead of a boulder, a cannonball fell from the sky and smashed right onto the Cyclops head. Polyphemus didn't even make it half a step before tumbling to the ground like a poor game studio's death animation.
RUMBLE!
With that, Polyphemus lay on the ground, twitching slightly in his unconsciousness. Astonishment was palpable in the air. Even Artemis, still in her bunny form, was wide-eyed at the scene before her. Soon, all pairs of eyes slowly turned their way upward to the top of the cliff Polyphemus was beneath. Far above was a familiar teenage Cyclops waving down at them with a large goofy smile on his face.
"Tyson?" Nick asked in a flabbergasted voice.
"Hurry up! The boat is ready! We need to leave!" Tyson yelled as he waved at them to hurry up before descending the cliff's other side, facing the bay where their boat lay.
"Well… that was certainly effective. Props to the boyclops for an effective tactic. Athena would be proud." Odysseus said with a hearty laugh as he turned to face an amazed Percy and Nick.
"I would take this opportunity to go now. I doubt those blows will keep him down for long. We can talk later," he suggested, as Percy couldn't help but nod along with Nick. With that, Nick began running towards Grover and Clarisse and figuring out how to transport the wounded girl. On the other hand, Percy quickly ran to Annabeth's side and scooped her up, along with the fleece and white rabbit.
"What about you?" Percy asked as he approached Odysseus, only to find the stone figure silent for the first time. Percy walked around him with a raised eyebrow, suddenly finding the gray aura in his eyes gone. It took a moment to sink in, but Percy soon realized that Odysseus' soul was no longer inhabiting the stone statue.
"Not even a goodbye," Percy commented as the stone figure quickly fell apart, leaving nothing but a small pile of rock.
'He did say you would talk later. That is a goodbye. Just a terrible one.' Artemis said in Percy's mind as Percy pursed his lips together for a moment while staring down at the pile of rubble. He didn't know what to do now; he had so much he wanted to talk about, but now his opportunity was gone. It wasn't every day you met a famous hero like Odysseus.
"I guess so. Are all ancient heroes like this?" Percy couldn't help but ask as the bunny opened its eyes and stared at him before tilting its head from side to side. Seeing such a sight, Percy nearly wanted to reach up and pet the goddess but decided against it for now.
'Most famous ones are a bit… eccentric, ' she admitted, and Percy couldn't help but chuckle a small amount.
"Percy, you ready?" Nick asked as Percy turned to see Nick and the other two approaching him. Clarisse was trapped to Grover's back as the Sytr struggled to carry the girl. Nick, on the other hand, was carrying a bag of supplies.
"Ready as ever, let's get going. Tyson is waiting," Percy said, as Nick's eyes lit up at the mention of his newest half-brother. With that, the four of them started to jog toward the boat. Percy took one last look at Polyphemus as a spark of anger ignited in his eyes. He barely managed to tear his gaze away from the Cyclops as he continued to move.
FLASHBACK END:
"So that's about it." Percy finished retelling their side of the story while avoiding the parts with Artemis as Annabeth continued to sit there and quietly listen to him. Her hands could not stop playing with her newfound short hair while her stormy gray eyes filled with thoughts. Seeing her stuck with her thoughts, Percy turned his eyes to Clarisse, who was busy packing a few things into Nick's backpack.
"You got everything you need?" Percy asked as Clarisse gave it one last look before nodding.
"I've got it all," She said, motioning to her fancy new letterman jacket, which was the mist disguising the fleece for the moment. Percy gave a nod of approval as Nick came rushing back to them and threw his thumb over his shoulder toward a cab parked on the side of the road.
"Your chariot awaits. Have fun flying," Nick said with a glance at the sky and a hint of fear as Clarisse laughed at him.
"With these first-class tickets, I plan on doing just that. Now I'm going to finish my quest. Have fun getting back to camp," she said with a smirk. The two exchanged a short glare before breaking eye contact. With that, the girl ran towards the cab, and in a few moments, she cruised down the street in the cab. Nick walked back towards Grover, Percy, and Annabeth as he plopped onto the beach with a sigh.
"I regret giving her the fleece. I hope she gets food poisoning from airplane food," Nick mumbled as Grover and Percy exchanged glances. Just before they could speak, another voice beat them to the punch.
"The fleece will prevent that. Also, it was a smart move… even for you." Annabeth said while glancing at Nick. The boy opened his mouth to say something snappy but stopped when he realized Annabeth had spoken for the first time in a hot minute.
"Finally, done thinking?" Percy couldn't help but ask as Annabeth shook her head and turned her gaze his way.
"A daughter of Athena as talented as myself never stops thinking." She said confidently that Percy, Tyson, Grover, and Nick glanced at her words.
"Did she revert to her prideful phase again?" Nick asked in a worried tone, much to Annabeth's displeasure.
"I think so," Grover added as Annabeth glared at him and Nick.
"Well, at least it wasn't her princess phase," Percy added as Annabeth quickly punched forward and struck him on the arm. This caused him to fake wince in pain, and she huffed in anger at him before nursing her aching fist. Why the hell was his arm so hard?
"I was just joking. You three are the worst," she complained as they all shared a loud laugh. Percy couldn't help but stare at Annabeth. She glared at them before revealing a smile, and her eyes found his.
"I have a few questions. Where is the boat? Also, how are we getting home?" she asked as the boys looked towards Tyson, who revealed a face of embarrassment with red cheeks. Seeing his expression, Annabeth glanced at the others as they revealed sorrowful expressions and awkward looks.
"I accidentally… ran it into a reef. It broke the hull and sank the boat. I didn't realize I didn't have good steering skills like Nick does," Tyson said sadly while twiddling his large thumbs. Annabeth didn't know what to say as her mouth opened and closed like a fish. Part of her wanted to probe further, but the other part felt so bad for him that she simply decided to leave it alone.
"I see… we made it here safely. That is all that matters. So, about our ride?" Annabeth asked, trying to steer away from the topic. Percy revealed a smile as he pulled out a fancy black whistle with a small emblem of Chaos on it.
"I got it covered," Percy said before taking a large breath and blowing into the whistle, expecting a loud noise. Everyone covered their ears, but no sound came out of the whistle. After a few seconds, Percy finally stopped using the whistle. He grinned, and everyone, including an invisible Artemis, gave him a funny look.
"Our ride should be here in about 30 minutes. Until then… want a hotdog?" Percy asked the group randomly as he pulled his back off and started rummaging through it. He then pulled out a fresh, fully loaded hotdog with just about everything on it.
"Is that sanitary?" Annabeth couldn't help but ask, but her words never found an answer as Nick grabbed one and scarfed down the food before grabbing a few more from Percy as he kept them coming.
"Do you have vegan hotdogs?" Grover asked as Percy nodded and handed him a few, much to the Satyr's delight. All three boys were soon happily eating hotdogs, leaving Annabeth befuddled before Percy offered her one while he swallowed down a bite.
"It's safe to eat. My bag uses magic to store them away from germs." Percy said as Annabeth glanced at his bag before nodding and accepting the hotdog just in time for her stomach to growl. Annabeth quickly turned away from Percy and blushed as she started to eat. Before she knew it, she had polished off the hotdog and was busy licking her fingers and lips. With another slight growl, her stomach demanded more food as she blushed before slowly returning to Percy.
"Could I possibly have another?" Annabeth asked, but when her eyes landed on Percy, she found him seemingly frozen and unmoving. She thought he was playing a prank, but then she noticed a golden hue surrounding him before she saw his face slowly move as his expression began to change. Her sixth sense flared as an overwhelming sense of danger ran through her mind.
"Enemies!" Annabeth yelled as she turned to see the very air ripple in front of her before a sword was suddenly pressed up against her throat. She froze in place as she felt the cool steel against her skin. Panic swept through her mind as her eyes slowly followed the sword to the person holding it. She felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her whole body shook as buried emotions began to escape their confinement upon seeing the pale, smirking face of Luke looking down at her.
He held a basketball-sized quartz stone filled with a golden aura in one hand. A small crack was currently letting out the golden aura encasing Percy. Luke glanced at Percy as he saw Percy slowly reveal a furious expression on his face. Luke simply scoffed at Percy before dropping the quartz rock a few feet away from Percy and turning to Annabeth. His expression turned into a happy smile, making her stomach sick as she gritted her teeth.
"It looks like Hyperion was right after all. I didn't realize the gods cared so much about some quest to send you along, Mr. Ranger. Annabeth! It's good to see you again so soon. You wouldn't happen to have seen a golden fleece recently, would you?" Luke asked with a raised eyebrow. Annabeth gritted her teeth together causing a glare to cover her face.
A/N: I bow in apology to you all. I had a hard time with this chapter and coming up with a good point of view and a plot for revealing Annabeth's new powers. I ended up writing a whole chapter but did not like it, so I deleted it and then made a new one. But I hope you all enjoyed this rollercoaster because it isn't stopping yet!!! Happy reading and please review if you can hehe.
E/N: I really loved the reveal of her powers personally! It worked well! As for the cliffhanger, I already sense the mean comments coming from the discord (join if you haven't, we have some fun there). Anyway you fanatics! Review, like, follow, whatever you want! - Sidus