𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐑, 𝐏𝐉

𝟎𝟎𝟔.𝟐

"I'll rush him," Percy whispered to Juliet and Clarisse. "Our ship is around the back of the island. You two and Grover-"

"No way," they said at the same time.

Clarisse had armed herself with a highly collectible ram's-horn spear from the Cyclops's cave. Grover had found a sheep's thigh bone, which he didn't look too happy about, but he was gripping it like a club, ready to attack. Meanwhile Juliet twisted her laurel to form her crossbow.

"We'll take him together," Clarisse growled.

"Yeah," Grover and Juliet said. Then they blinked and exchanged looks, like thye couldn't believe they'd just agreed with Clarisse about something.

"All right," Juliet said. "Attack plan Macedonia."

They nodded. They had all taken the same training courses at Camp Half-Blood. They knew what Juliet was talking about, besides plan Macedonia was created by Alexander meaning it was one plan Juliet had to memorize. They would sneak around either side and attack the Cyclops from the flanks while Percy held his attention in the front. Probably what this meant was that they'd all die instead of just Percy.

Percy hefted his sword and shouted, "Hey, Ugly!"

The giant whirled toward him. "Another one? Who are you?"

"Put down my friend. I'm the one who insulted you."

"You are Nobody?"

What did that even mean!? Juliet was extremely confused.

"That's right, you smelly bucket of nose drool!" Percy really needed some camp lessons on how to properly insult monsters, this was his second year and he was already failing. "I'm Nobody and I'm proud of it!" It was like he was coming out or something, "Now, put her down and get over here. I want to stab your eye out again."

"RAAAR!" he bellowed.

The good news: he dropped Annabeth. The bad news: he dropped her headfirst onto the rocks, where she lay motionless as a rag doll.

The other bad news: Polyphemus barreled toward Percy, a thousand smelly pounds of Cyclops that he would have to fight with a very small sword.

"For Pan!" Grover rushed in from the right. He threw his sheep bone, which bounced harmlessly off the monster's forehead, Juliet took over for him then by aiming three arrows on the cyclops back. Clarisse ran in from the left and set her spear against the ground just in time for the Cyclops to step on it. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dove out of the way to avoid getting trampled. But the Cyclops just plucked out the shaft and arrows like a large splinter and kept advancing on Percy.

Percy moved in with Riptide.

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

Juliet was hoping to see him disintegrate, but this monster was much too big and powerful.

"Get Annabeth!" Percy yelled at Grover.

He rushed over, grabbed her invisibility cap, and picked her up while Juliet, Clarisse and Percy tried to keep Polyphemus distracted.

Juliet had to admit, Clarisse was brave. 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, Percy and Juliet followed up by stabbing the monster in the toe or the ankle or the hand.

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.

Out of the corner of her eye, Juliet saw Grover carrying Annabeth across the rope bridge. It wouldn't have been her first choice, given the man-eating sheep on the other side, but at the moment that looked better than this side of the chasm, and it gave Percy an idea.