Climb (Percy Jackson x Reader)

forty

⚠️
this chapter contains fairly graphic descriptions of injury. please read with discretion.
———

✺ THE PRETENSE OF DUTY ✺

"(Y/N)?"

Her mind was reeling, her world was spinning, her heart was about to burst.

Atticus, the son of Apollo. Atticus, the boy to be left alive despite her corruption. Atticus, the creation sprouted from the remnants of Hyacinthus's soul.

Atticus. A child who was somehow a threat to the most powerful beings in the universe.

He was doing nothing. Apollo had said that, since born against nature's will, something was wrong with his son. Something was dangerous, impacting the people around him. That there were side effects which needed to be neutralized. Eliminated. But he was doing nothing.

All Atticus had done was live—yet for some reason, gods had dreaded the worst, taking the most extreme possible measures to alleviate their fears.

They sent a curse, commanded a dragon, to remove a danger that had not yet even formed. What threat could there be?

And why was it him?

"(Y/N)?" Percy asks again, his hand on her elbow. "Are you okay?"

She gives her head a firm shake. Light dances behind her eyes, and a throb settles into her skull. "Yeah," she says, though her voice croaks.

Percy frowns. "No, you're not. You're bleeding out and you're panicking about something." The reminder of the gash along her back resurfaces the pain. She sucks in a sharp breath, her shoulders stiffening. Percy squeezes her elbow. "Let's get you healed, all right?"

"I'm not panicking," (Y/N) says, a touch of indignance in the words.

Percy rolls his eyes. "Fine. But you're hurt."

With a sigh, (Y/N) nods. "Yeah, okay. Just give me a moment." She whistles, catching the attention of the campers that cluster in the clearing. Some turn away from the newly-claimed son of Apollo, while others look up from the helmets and arrows strewn around the clearing. "All right!" she says, clapping her hands together and resisting the urge to wince.

Percy narrows his eyes, watching her injury carefully.

"I need armed sentries stationed at each cardinal point of the camp," (Y/N) orders, gesturing briefly in the respective directions. "The dragon may be gone, but it can easily come back. That means we need eyes on the sky. But I also want to know if you see anything suspicious. Anything. There's a chance we're gonna be playing host to royalty, and we cannot afford to be unprepared for a god's anger. So keep your guard up and your attention sharp at all times. Got it?"

The campers chorus their agreement, and Annabeth immediately takes charge of the situation. She divides the group into pairs of sentries, giving them locations and times to stand watch. Percy tugs on (Y/N)'s elbow, and she resigns her determination, following his lead. As he guides her away from the clearing, they offer their congratulations to Atticus, leaving him in Will and Nico's care and assuring them all that Percy will tend to (Y/N)'s wound.

(Y/N)'s feet stumble slightly as they walk through the camp, and Percy quickly moves to support her. He ushers her into his cabin, closing the door and looking to her with a raised eyebrow.