The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

37. The Fleece Goes With Nobody

The monster made a grab for him. He rolled aside and stabbed him in the ankle.

"Get Annabeth!" he yelled at Ethan.

Ethan rushed over, grabbed her invisibility cap, and picked her up while Y/N and Clarisse tried to keep Polyphemus distracted.

"I must admit, you're not too bad at this," Y/N told her as he dodged one of Polyphemus's fists.

"You neither, punk."

Clarisse was brave, you couldn't take that away from her. A fool, too, but a brave fool. And that kind knew how to make itself troublesome. She charged the Cyclops again and again. He pounded the ground, stomped at her, grabbed at her, but she was too quick. And as soon as she made an attack, Y/N followed up by stabbing the monster in the toe or the ankle or the hand.

They danced between the monster's constant attacks.

But they couldn't keep this up forever. Eventually they would tire or the monster would get in a lucky shot. It would only take one hit to kill them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Y/N saw Ethan and Grover outside, carrying Annabeth across the rope bridge.

Percy joined the dance. First he saved Y/N's life, thrusting Riptide in Polyphemus's heel, which made him cry out and gave enough time to Y/N to sneak away from a blow that would otherwise have torn his head off his shoulders.

Then Percy shouted, "Fall back!" He seemed to have an idea.

Y/N and Clarisse rolled away as the Cyclops's fist smashed the olive tree beside them.

They ran for the bridge, Polyphemus right behind them. He was cut up and hobbling from so many wounds, but all they had done was slow him down and make him mad.

"Grind you into sheep chow!" he promised. "A thousand curses on Nobody!"

"Carry on; it's fascinating!" Y/N shouted, but he barely managed to make his voice sound ironic, breathless as he was.

"Faster!" Percy told Clarisse and him.

They tore down the hill. The bridge was their only chance. Ethan and Grover had just made it to the other side and were setting Annabeth down.

"Ethan!" Y/N yelled. "Get Annabeth's knife!"

His eyes widened when he saw the Cyclops behind them, but he nodded like he understood. As Y/N, Percy and Clarisse scrambled across the bridge, Ethan began sawing at the ropes.

The first strand went snap!

Polyphemus bounded after them, making the bridge sway wildly.

The ropes were now half cut. Y/N, Percy and Clarisse dove for solid ground, landing beside Ethan and Grover. Y/N and Percy made wild slashes with their swords and cut the remaining ropes.

The bridge fell away into the chasm, and the Cyclops howled . . . with delight, because he was standing right next to them all.

"Failed!" he yelled gleefully. "Nobody failed!"

Y/N, Clarisse and Percy tried to charge him, but the monster swatted them aside like flies.

Y/N felt his anger swelling. He couldn't believe he'd come this far, suffered through so much, only to fail—killed by a big stupid monster in a baby-blue tuxedo kilt! He wouldn't disappoint his mother like that. And he would not forgive this monster for what he had done to Annabeth.

YN raised his sword and attacked, forgetting that he was hopelessly outmatched. He jabbed the Cyclops in the belly. When Polyphemus doubled over, Percy smacked him in the nose with the hilt of his sword. They slashed and kicked and bashed until the next thing they knew, Polyphemus was sprawled on his back, dazed and groaning, and Percy was standing above him, the tip of his sword hovering over his eye.