σɾɳιƚԋαʂ (ρʝσ x ɱαʅҽ σƈ)

We Jump the Three-Chested Prick

Geryon: Ah, I've been thinking about that. The problem is, if I let them go, I don't get paid.

I fucking knew it.

Percy: You promised.

Geryon: (clicks his tongue) But did you make me swear on the River Styx? No, you didn't. So, it's not binding. When you're conducting business, sonny, you should always get a binding oath.

Percy drew his sword. Orthus growled. One head leaned down next to Grover's ear and bared its fangs.

Geryon: Eurytion, the boy is starting to annoy me. Kill him.

Eurytion studied Percy. I did not like Percy's odds against him and that giant club of his, so I started cutting faster.

Eurytion: Kill him yourself.

Geryon: Excuse me?

Eurytion: You heard me. You keep sending me out to do your dirty work. You pick fights for no good reason, and I'm getting tired of dying for you. You want to fight the kid, do it yourself.

It was the most un-Ares-like thing I'd ever heard son of Ares say.

Geryon: You dare defy me? I should fire you right now!

Eurytion: And who'd take care of your cattle? Orthus, heel.

The dog immediately stopped growling at Grover and came to sit by the cowherd's feet. I smirked even more once I felt the ropes on my wrists finally get cut.

Geryon was so distracted with Percy and Eurytion that he was not paying any attention to me, so I quickly cut the ropes off my ankles.

Geryon: Fine! I'll deal with you later, after the boy is dead!

He picked up two carving knives and threw them at Percy. He deflected one with Riptide. The other impaled itself in the picnic table an inch from Eurytion's hand.

Percy went on the attack. Geryon parried his first strike with a pair of red-hot tongs and lunged at his face with a barbecue fork. Percy got inside his next thrust and stabbed him right through the middle chest.

He crumpled to his knees. I waited for him to disintegrate; the way monsters usually do. But instead, he just grimaced and started to stand up. The wound in his chef's apron started to heal.

Geryon: Nice try, sonny. Thing is, I have three hearts. The perfect backup system.

He tipped over the barbecue, and coals spilled everywhere. One landed next to Annabeth's face, and she let out a muffled scream. Tyson strained against his bonds, but even his strength wasn't enough to break them.

I thought about how to take care of Geryon. The only way to kill him is by attacking all three of his hearts at the same time, and there was no way he'd let me or Percy close.

Which meant we had to do it from range.

I removed my gag and went over to Zoe. I removed her gag and started cutting her binding.

What was I thinking was that in order to hit all three of Geryon's hearts at the same time from range, we needed three archers. It would take too long for one archer to line up a shot that would hit all three hearts at the same time.

I had to be one of the archers since I was the son of Artemis, which gave me advanced archery skills. Zoe had to be the second since she used to be a Hunter of Artemis.

Annabeth would be the next best archer, but I barely had enough time to cut one of the others loose. I don't know how Grover or Nico would fare with a bow and arrow, and I was afraid that Tyson might break a bow like a twig the second he grabbed it.