[Third Person's PoV]
As Percy and Clarisse charged toward the Drakon, the massive beast uncoiled from the building it had been wrapped around and let out a thunderous roar. It slithered rapidly toward them, its eyes glowing with rage. The first thing it did was open its mouth, which began to glow a menacing red.
Percy quickly rolled in front of Clarisse and instinctively slammed his trident down. The rain falling around them responded, and water from the ground surged toward them, forming a protective dome of swirling water.
The Drakon unleashed a fiery breath, but when the flames hit the dome, an explosion of steam obscured everyone's view.
From the steam, Clarisse emerged, charging forward with an excited grin. Her spear crackled with red lightning as she thrust it into the Drakon's still-open mouth. The spear tore through the roof of the beast's mouth, causing it to let out a pained roar.
Clarisse yanked the spear out and rolled away just as the Drakon's jaws snapped shut where she had been standing. It reared back, ready to unleash another wave of fire, but Percy was quicker, sending a torrent of water to counter the flames.
However, the force of the steam explosion knocked Percy off his feet. He rolled across the wet street, his knees and elbows scraping against the asphalt.
Meanwhile, Clarisse used the explosion as a distraction, climbing onto the Drakon's back. She tried to thrust her spear into its scales, but they were too tough. With a single shake, the Drakon sent her flying, and she landed painfully near Percy.
They both slowly got up, Percy using his trident for support. He tried to help Clarisse to her feet, but she slapped his hand away. Percy gave her a look but didn't have time to argue as the Drakon lunged at them, jaws wide open.
They dove in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding its attack. As Percy watched the beast slither through the puddles, an idea rapidly formed in his mind.
"I HAVE AN IDEA!" Percy shouted to Clarisse. "But you'll have to follow my lead!"
"Like hell I'm doing that! You do your thing, and I'll do mine! Just stay out of my way!" Clarisse snapped back, her voice full of stubborn defiance.
"This isn't the time! Just listen to me!" Percy insisted, charging toward the Drakon.
"This idea better be Einstein-level genius!" Clarisse retorted, clearly annoyed at having to work with him.
"It's simple biology, actually. I just need you to keep it distracted!" Percy shouted over the chaos.
Clarisse huffed but charged toward the front of the beast. "Hey, ugly! How's that wound I gave you? Want another one?" she taunted, waving her spear at its mouth.
The Drakon growled, licking the wound in its mouth, clearly enraged. Meanwhile, Percy slipped around to the side of the beast and tapped its scaly hide. *It's raining, so it's covered in water… and this thing looks more like a serpent than a dragon… And what happens when a cold-blooded reptile gets even colder?*
Ice began to form along the Drakon's body just as it was about to lunge at Clarisse again. The Drakon suddenly stiffened, turning sluggishly toward Percy.
Percy felt a painful pull in his gut, causing him to grunt, but he held on. The Drakon looked at him, its movements slow and heavy.
"Uh, want me to sing you a lullaby too? Just go to sleep already," Percy muttered through gritted teeth.
The Drakon opened its mouth, trying to breathe fire to warm itself up, but all it managed was a puff of black smoke. It let out a pathetic roar, nothing like the powerful one it had before.
Clarisse, watching the frost accumulate on the beast, realized, 'That's right, Drakons aren't dragons… They're just ancient serpents. But serpents nonetheless. It was smart to use the cold against it, even if I don't want to admit it.'
The Drakon's head lowered softly to the ground, its eyes growing heavy. "Clarisse, finish it off," Percy said, sounding weak.
Clarisse nodded and approached the Drakon's nearly closed eyes. "Don't blink," she teased, then jammed her spear into its eye socket.
The Drakon let out a loud, painful roar, lifting its head and taking Clarisse with it. But it was too weak to move properly. With a final, strong push, Clarisse drove her spear deeper into the beast's brain, killing it efficiently.
Both of them sighed in relief.
"LOOT IT! DON'T WASTE IT!!!"
Lucian's shout startled them. They turned to see him charging toward them with a demonic, hungry expression. His shadow expanded, and all of his summons appeared, descending upon the Drakon's body like a swarm. In a matter of moments, they stripped the beast down, not even leaving the bones untouched.
All of the Drakon's parts were laid out neatly on the ground. When it was done, Lucian wiped his brow and sighed in relief as his summons retreated back into his shadow.
"There, those are for you two to do as you please with. Every part of a Drakon is useful and valuable. I can't believe you two almost wasted them," he said, sounding almost scolding.
"Wha—" Percy stammered in surprise, while Clarisse just gave Lucian a weirded-out look.
"We can't carry all of this," Percy said, glancing around at the remains, noting that not even the meat was spared.
"I'll store it for you two. I'll return everything when we get back to camp." As Lucian swallowed the last piece of the Drakon with his shadow, he noticed the lights of the approaching bus.
"Arise…" Lucian quickly said conjuring forth all of the ancient serpents into his shadow.
Percy looked at Lucian in confusion and wanted to ask him a question but Lucian spoke first.
"Our ride's here, let's go," Lucian said, and they all headed towards the bus stop.
"You two managed to take down a Drakon—good work," Thalia said as she sat by Grover and Annabeth, as they have long since dealt with their own beasts.
Grover looked at Percy with concern. "Are you alright? You don't look so good."
"I'm fine, man. It's just that I'm not used to using that weird gut sensation thing, so I'm pretty much exhausted," Percy replied.
"That's because you were tapping into the ice aspect of the Trident. You're still new to your demigod abilities and jumped straight to a high level of power. Naturally, it'll take a toll on you. Once you get more used to your powers, it'll become easier to wield them without getting so tired," Lucian explained.
Percy nodded in understanding. "It still felt like I kept getting punched in the gut, though…"
Meanwhile, Clarisse was leaning against the bus stop with her arms crossed, a look of contemplation on her face.
Just then, the bus pulled up and opened its doors. After paying the fare, Lucian and his group sat together, while Percy sat with his own group in the seats ahead of them. As the bus started moving, Percy glanced back at Clarisse with a smirk. "So, was the plan Einstein-level genius or what?"
Clarisse scoffed, looking over at him. "More like someone who just passed fifth-grade science."
Percy scratched his cheek, looking a bit sheepish. "I actually failed that subject. I got the idea from a nature documentary."
Clarisse slowly turned to him in surprise. "Are you serious?"
"I'm dyslexic. My best subject is math since it doesn't have any letters," Percy explained.
Grover looked at him, confused. "Weren't you also failing math?"
"Pfft—Hahaha!" Clarisse burst out laughing at Percy's embarrassed expression.
"I said it was my best subject, not that I was passing," Percy grumbled.
Lucian and the others chuckled at their exchange, shaking their heads in amusement.
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