i figured i'd be generous with this chapter, as i know i won't be able to write for a while. i'll try to get another one drafted soon, but i hope i'm being kind enough by uploading this now.
i'm not sorry for the cliffhanger, though ;)
enjoy!!
✺✺✺
For the eighth time in her seventeen years of life, (Y/N) felt less than confident about a quest.
Sure, she's battled Empousai and Hydras, Chimeras and Minotaurs, Drakons and Basilisks and Laestrygonians. She never died—not permanently, at least. She's still standing and breathing and living her dangerous-as-fuck, extremely shitty half-blood life.
But this quest is different.
This is her destined be all, end all.
And she knows more than the others. She knows her responsibilities and she knows that one wrong move means game over. Which is fine on its own. Any mishaps, and her group can cope, find a solution, restart the game—she knows that.
But there's more.
There's so much more that no one can be trusted to know. Just thinking about it makes her shiver involuntarily.
It's disgusting.
"Are you okay?" Clarisse asks, her brow furrowed as she stares at (Y/N)'s distant expression.
The daughter of Persephone blinks, her eyes clearing as she returns her consciousness to the present. "Totally fine," she responds, flashing a smile at the girl in front of her. "You said we'd scout together before splitting up?"
Clarisse nods, hidden relief filling her at the fact that (Y/N) isn't completely out of touch with reality. "That's right. We'll—"
"What in the world is that?"
The girls look over to Annabeth, who leans against the deck railing as she squints at the distance. Intrigued, (Y/N) approaches, Clarisse following just behind. "It looks like a . . . an amusement park?" (Y/N) says, furrowing her eyebrows at the faint outlines of varying roller coasters sat atop a smudge of light green.
"How do you even see that?" Clarisse asks, her hands acting as a visor above her eyes to minimize the morning sun's glare.
Annabeth scoffs lightly. "You get used to it."
(Y/N) rolls her eyes in response, turning her head at the patter of footsteps.
Percy approaches the girls, hands in his pockets and hair in its usual messy state. "What are we lookin' at?" he asks, flashing a gentle smile at his girlfriend.
Girlfriend.
His chest warms at the remembrance.
At the other end of the deck, Reardon's loose finger bone clacks against the algae-covered metal of a pocket telescope. He holds it up to his eyeless eye socket (Annabeth gave up on the logistics of his vision half an hour prior, when he told her to watch her step while nearing a slippery patch on the deck—only for himself to skid across it and bump into a fellow crew member, creating a chaotic domino-type tumble) before announcing to the crew, "Land ho!"
Percy gently nudges (Y/N) to the side, his arm brushing against hers. "Is that an amusement park?" he asks, eyebrows furrowed.
"How the fuck?" Dropping her hands, Clarisse stares at Percy in amazement.
Tyson jumps down from the upper deck, his typically disheveled hair windswept and tangled. "I'm here, I'm here!" He runs up to the railing, looking frantically across the waves. "Where's the sheep?"
Annabeth turns to him in confusion. "What?"
Tyson's eye is wide with innocent misunderstanding, and he shrugs. "Reardon said something about a sheep. He said, 'Lamb, oh!'."
(Y/N) folds her lips inward, closing her eyes and trying to force back her smile. Percy's shoulders bob with restrained laughter, a snicker escaping his throat before he clamps a hand over his mouth.
Clarisse shakes her head in amusement, muttering under her breath how "I would've thought there'd be a Lamborghini."
Annabeth sighs, too tired to be annoyed (the rocking of the boat continued to wake her up during ungodly hours of the night, preventing her from getting a restful sleep). "He said, 'Land ho'. Over there." She jabs her thumb at the slowly-approaching land mass, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her other hand.
"Oh," Tyson breathes, chuckling. "That makes a lot more sense." He tilts his head, intrigue plastered on his face. "It's an amusement park, right?"
Clarisse throws her hands up in disbelief, scoffing. "X-Man sees it? Seriously? He's got, like, zero depth perception!" Her eyes instantly widen in realization of what she just said about a Cyclops. Turning to him, she offers up a slightly timid, "No offense."
Tyson brushes it off, his eye squinting against the sun. "No, I actually can't see it. I just know that Circe Land is an amusement park, but I also heard Percy earlier."
(Y/N)'s brow cinches in slight confusion. "And you got excited about a lamb?"
"Well—"
"It doesn't matter," Annabeth interjects, and Tyson closes his mouth. "Polyphemus originally lived on a boring island. Circe thought building an amusement park on top of it was a good idea."
Percy nods, pursing his lips. "I'm gonna take a- a wild guess and say that it . . . you know, wasn't."
Annabeth shakes her head. "Nope."
"What happened?" Clarisse asks, and Tyson gasps, sticking his hand in the air and bouncing on his toes.
"I know, I know!" he says, and Annabeth rolls her eyes while tiredly gesturing for him to answer. ("I need some coffee," she grumbles, walking away from the railing and heading below deck.)
"So what happened?" Percy repeats Clarisse's question, and Tyson's excitement dies.
"Opening day," he starts, his voice wavering slightly. "Long lines of savory half-bloods and one hungry Cyclops." He shakes his head. "Bad for business."
Humming softly, (Y/N) shrugs. "Understandable."
Reardon looks at his fellow skeletons before at Clarisse. "I'll just turn us right around then," he says, nodding.
Clarisse sets her jaw, face steeling in determination. "Find us a place to dock," she orders, brushing past him and towards the upper deck.
Reardon closes his telescope, his arms falling against his ribs with defeat. "I was afraid she'd say that."
"Oh, please," (Y/N) mutters as he heads to the captain's station. "He's already dead."
Tyson lets out a quiet giggle as Percy smiles down at (Y/N), opening his mouth to joke back when Annabeth opens the door from below deck. She clutches a chipped mug in her hand, approaching the railing with shuffling feet and a slightly scrunched nose.
Not saying anything, she stands next to (Y/N) and takes a sip of her mug's contents. The daughter of Persephone glances at Annabeth in concern when a shudder runs down her body, and (Y/N) looks into the mug with concern.
"I thought you hated black coffee," (Y/N) says.
Annabeth gives a half-hearted shrug. "And I thought my life wouldn't be one big, ever-growing suicide trap, but here we are."
Percy thinks for a moment before nodding in realization. "They didn't have milk, did they?"
"I don't drink regular milk anymore, and even if I did and they had any, it would probably be moldy, two-hundred-year-old cheese by now." Annabeth takes another sip of her coffee, her face contorting in disgust for a brief moment before smoothing into its tired expression once more. "Either way, I wasn't going to risk it."
(Y/N) smirks, turning to Percy. "Five bucks says you won't eat the Civil War cheese."
Percy scoffs, looking down at her with incredulity. "You already owe me ten drachmae."
"It hasn't been a week yet," (Y/N) fires back, arms crossed.
"Four days left and you really think you can get sixteen more jumps of fear out of Mr. D.?" Percy raises his eyebrows. "What are you gonna do, I.M. him a jump scare?"
(Y/N) pauses, her lips turning up at the thought. "Maybe I will."
Percy shrugs. "I'd say save your money so you can give it to me."
"I'd say not to be so confident about winning something you're undoubtedly going to lose," (Y/N) fires back.
"And I'd say let's not eat the moldy Civil War cheese because then you might die," Annabeth blandly interrupts, taking another sip of her coffee and fighting back a gag.
("Buzzkill," (Y/N) grumbles.)
Tyson looks at Annabeth in concern. "Are you sure you want to drink that?"
"Oh, trust me, I don't," she answers, staring down at the drink with hatred. "But it's my only option at the moment, and I take what I can get."
"Did they not even have sugar?" Tyson asks, and Annabeth's body goes stiff before she lifts her head, looking blankly ahead of her as her complexion visibly dulls.
(Y/N) fights snickers at her best friend's expression, Percy once again trying to contain the laughter that bubbles inside of him.
Annabeth lets out a defeated sigh. "I hate my life," she mutters, turning around and returning below deck to drown the bitterness of her coffee in sugar.
"Poor Annie," (Y/N) chuckles, trying to force her amusement behind a wall of sympathy. "Too sleepy to exercise her wisdom."
"It happens to the best of us," Percy follows, shaking his head solemnly.
"Happens to me all the time," Tyson shrugs, looking plainly at (Y/N) and Percy before back at the approaching island.
The half-bloods share a glance of uncertain amusement before (Y/N) pats Tyson on the back and walks off, leaving the sons of Poseidon to watch and wait as the CSS Birmingham steadily nears Circe Land.
When they get close enough for Tyson's distance vision to clear up, the Cyclops' mouth falls slightly agape. He stares at the roller coasters and colors with awe, eye widened in wonder. "That looks amazing."
Percy chuckles, humming softly in agreement. He leans his forearms on the railing, the sight of the island bringing back memories from two years ago in the Lotus Casino. Subconsciously, he moves an arm to brush his hand against his pocket, relaxing when he feels Riptide securely there.
Annabeth returns from below deck, coming to a stop next to Percy with her mug still in hand.
He glances at her in his periphery, raising an eyebrow. "Is it better?"
She shakes her head, eyes half-lidded and words somewhat slurred. "It's a terrible combination of too bitter and too sweet."
Percy sighs. "Then why are you still drinking it?"
Annabeth smiles tiredly. "I'm hoping the caffeine and sugar will give me the kick my ACDC needs."
Percy blinks. "You mean your ADHD."
Annabeth looks at him, her brow furrowed. "Is that not what I said?"
Percy shakes his head.
She tilts her head. "Huh." Looking back down at her coffee, Annabeth contemplates for a moment before chugging it.
"Annabeth, no!" Percy reprimands, reaching to snatch the mug out of her hands, but she steps away, gulping down the last of the drink before pulling the mug away and taking a breath.
"Oh, that was disgusting." She hunches over slightly, leaning her side against the rail with her face screwed up in discomfort.
"Wow." Tyson's face is a representation of pure worry as he looks at the daughter of Athena.
"Annabeth," Percy grumbles, taking the mug from her hand and lightly slapping her shoulder. "You know better."
She exhales with a slight lip trill, blinking furiously and rubbing her cheeks, "Ugh, my blood feels fast."
"Yeah, I wonder why," Percy retorts, glancing to the side as (Y/N) climbs down the rungs that lead to the upper deck. "Hey, your idiot of a best friend just inhaled her coffee to help herself focus; what should I do?"
(Y/N) jumps off the fourth rung from the bottom, shrugging when her feet hit the deck. "Eh, just give it a minute; she'll be fine."
"Has she done that before?" Tyson asks, incredibly concerned by the situation.
"Few years ago, yeah." (Y/N) sticks her thumbs in the front pockets of her jeans, leaning sideways against the rungs. "We snuck out of our cabins at midnight with Grover one summer to go see a movie for the first time. It was her random idea after downing a triple-chocolate espresso milkshake that morning for a dare." She pauses for a moment in thought. "It's weird, though; she doesn't ever crash or become hyper—just falls asleep a lot easier after becoming beady-eyed and superhumanly aware for, like, eighteen hours."
At the words, Annabeth straightens, rolling her shoulders and looking around with no trace of disgust from her much-hated coffee. "That's better," she breathes out, snapping her head to the sky with a gasp at the distant sound of a bird call. "Oh, look—a laughing gull!"
Percy looks expectantly to the daughter of Persephone as Tyson follows Annabeth's line of sight with newfound excitement.
"It's always birds," (Y/N) explains with a smile. "She identified every one that made a sound that night. It was actually pretty impressive." She chuckles softly, looking away from her sugar-induced friend and towards the island. "She should calm down by the time we dock. Oh!" (Y/N) points at Percy, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "I got another jump. I made sure he didn't see my surroundings, but that's five."
An eyebrow raised, Percy crosses his arms. "How do I know you're not just making it up?"
(Y/N) lifts a hand to her heart, feigning offense. "I'll have you know that I am an honest player, Mister Judgy. I've got more drachmae than you, meaning I can stand to lose some—why would I lie?"
His eye roll prompts (Y/N) to stick her tongue out at him.
A short while later, Percy watches as the crew ties off the dock lines on the pier. Seeing Clarisse and (Y/N) in his periphery, he walks over to them, coming to a stop next to his girlfriend. "Go time?" he asks, his voice quiet yet steady.
(Y/N) nods, her face an image of relaxed composure and determination. "Go time."
Clarisse steps forward, turning around to face Percy, (Y/N), and the now-approaching Annabeth and Tyson. "All right," the daughter of Ares starts, muscles tense and expression hard. "We only know some of what to expect in there. What's important is that we communicate, stick together, cover each other, and never back down. This might be the fight of our lives, and I don't want to leave mine in the hands of someone who chickens out."
Annabeth blinks. "That's harsh."
"That's the truth," Clarisse responds, crossing her arms. "We need that fleece, and I'm not letting a big, dumb monster get in my way. Is everyone clear?"
Percy rolls his eyes, Annabeth lets out a light scoff, Tyson nods somewhat fearfully, and (Y/N) shrugs.
"Good," Clarisse says, turning to face the step-off that leads to the rungs on the ship's side. "Let's go."
The five climb down, their feet hitting the wooden dock in succession before they approach the pier as a group. All of them remain quiet, watching their surroundings and taking in the area. Only three sets of footsteps are heard.
Percy and (Y/N)'s eyes flit around, their ears touched by the faintest sounds of the abandoned amusement park—the soft jangling of metal chains, rusty squeaks of carousel seats, gentle flutters of flags in the breeze, and the distant cawing of crows.
Both heads whip to the side at a muffled, evidently large thump. It came from underground.
Percy and (Y/N) share a wary glance, the only two out of five to hear it. On the same page, they reach for their weapons.
"I guess the Cyclops was bad for business," Clarisse mumbles, looking around at the destroyed rides and pavement. "Who knew?"
Annabeth groans as she takes in the magnitude of the area. "We don't have time to search this whole place," she says, her voice laced with a hint of desperation.
(Y/N) pauses, tilting her head at one of the rides. "I don't think we have to," she says, drawing the group's attention to the sign.
"'Plummet of Death'?" Percy reads, brow slightly knitted.
"Well," Annabeth starts, shaking her head gently, "that's subtle."
(Y/N) eyes flicker over the destroyed sign, metal and wood bent and splintered inward, pointing to the darkness within. "It looks like something really big went through there, doesn't it?"
Clarisse frowns, shrugging. "I don't know; it doesn't exactly scream 'Cyclops' to me."
An echoing bellow sounds from inside, sending crows flying and causing the ground to rumble.
Clarisse, Annabeth, and Tyson all jump with surprise, stepping back. Percy and (Y/N) hold their ground and draw their swords, Celestial Bronze glinting alongside Imperial Gold.
The sound quiets, each demigod holding their defensive stance until everything goes still once more.
Breaking the silence is a chuckle, and the demigods look to its source. (Y/N) smirks back at Clarisse, an eyebrow raised. "That enough of a scream for you?"
Clarisse scoffs, brushing past the amused (Y/N) to storm ahead.
Tyson keeps staring ahead of him, trying to lighten the mood by saying, "At least there's no line."
Percy and Annabeth shoot Tyson looks as if to say, 'Not the time' before the three follow after (Y/N) and Clarisse. Walking past the toppled velvet rope line-markers, the group approaches a sole rocket-shaped car for an indoor roller coaster, the metal covered in dirt and rust. As (Y/N) and Percy respectively sheathe and re-pen their swords, Tyson breaks away, clearly looking for something.
"Sweet ride," Clarisse deadpans, trying to see further ahead on the tracks.
Annabeth tilts her head before turning to survey the area. "Is there a lever or something to get it moving?"
Tyson points to his left at the shattered lever. "Yeah. It's broken, though."
Annabeth sighs, looking back at the car. "Excellent."
Percy shrugs, looking down at the tracks. "Might just need a push."
"And a pull," (Y/N) tags on, taking in the rocket's shape. "It's heavier at the front."
Nodding, Percy jumps down onto the tracks behind the car while (Y/N) positions herself in the front. "I sure hope these aren't somehow live," she mumbles, keeping her feet away from the rails. Crouching to examine the wheels, her nose crinkles at the buildup of rust that locks them into place. "Percy, it's gonna take a bit more effort than anticipated," she says, standing up to look at him. "The wheels are totally blocked by rust; it'll be hard to get 'em to move."
Percy runs a hand through his hair, slightly concerned, before he brushes it off. "Eh, it's fine. We can do it."
(Y/N) shrugs. "I know we can; I was just saying that it'll take a bit longer."
Percy chuckles, shaking his head. He looks up at Annabeth, gesturing towards the car. "You wanna piece?" he asks, alluding to her strength.
Annabeth shrugs, beginning to step down before yelping slightly and jumping away. "Nope," she responds, frantically shaking her head as she backs away from the edge, her eyes focused on the tracks. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No. Nuh-uh. No way. I'm good."
(Y/N) follows her line of sight, breathing out a soft, 'Oh' in realization when she notices the tiny spiders scurrying along the ground. She offers a reassuring smile up to her best friend. "It's okay, Annie. We got it."
Annabeth responds with a shaky laugh, flashing an apologetic smile at Percy, the boy waving it off with understanding.
He and (Y/N) wait for the others to get in, Clarisse and Tyson sitting in the front while Annabeth takes the rightmost back seat.
Percy leans to the side to look at (Y/N), "Are we all good?"
(Y/N) bites her lip in thought while looking at the smooth, bullet-shaped nose of the car. "Not necessarily," she says, her eyes drawn to the large rocket fin near Percy. "Help me out a bit, Blue."
She creates a large vine, taking the end and whipping the rest out towards Percy. Instantly knowing her thought process, he catches it, pulling it taut along one side of the car and wrapping it around the base of the fin. Once secure, he gathers the excess and tosses it across the bare side to (Y/N), who takes it and adjusts her stance.
"Ready?" Percy asks, and (Y/N) loosely loops the vine around her hands while reaching forward to grab sections closer to the car.
"Ready."
"All right, guys, hold on!" Percy warns, stepping back to gain some momentum before quickly approaching the car and pushing. The rocket shakes from his strength alone, and the demigods inside quickly reach for the edges of the car. (Y/N) lowers into a squat, pulling the vines to her body and taking a step backwards.
A loud, metallic screech rings out before the car just barely budges. Clarisse winces at the sound's pitch, and Annabeth's heartbeat picks up with the worry of being heard.
"Almost!" Percy calls out, he and (Y/N) both increasing their effort. The cart begins to roll on the rails, its movement halting and minimal, and (Y/N) takes another step back as Percy moves forward. Gradually, the wheels begin to slowly turn with a new smoothness, and (Y/N) dissolves the vine, stepping over the rail line and moving to join Percy. When it becomes clear that the car won't move any faster than its current two feet per second, (Y/N) swings over into the back seat next to Annabeth, Percy joining her just after.
Excited at the prospect of being on a roller coaster, Tyson claps, a broad grin on his face. His smile falls when he remembers the name of the ride and what lies ahead.
The car approaches a tunnel, and Clarisse looks at the Cyclops with confusion and annoyance. "Um, Tyson? Let go of my hand."
Tyson looks down at his hand, which he unknowingly moved to grip Clarisse's, and he quickly lets go. "Sorry."
Percy chuckles, glancing down at his and (Y/N)'s hands, their pinkies gently locked. (Y/N) leans back into her seat, her right arm extended behind Annabeth with no trace of acknowledgement on her face apart from a slight glance in her boyfriend's direction.
Annabeth lets out a quiet squeal, leaning into (Y/N) as a spider crawls over her edge of the car. Without a moment's hesitation, (Y/N) opens her hand to cradle it in her cupped palm, gently moving it to the back of the rocket to let it crawl off and in the opposite direction. Annabeth relaxes, meekly thanking (Y/N), who rubs her shoulder in reassurance.
Percy smiles at the interaction, ducking his head for good measure as the car enters the tunnel, the darkness broken by dim, colored string lights. He glances at Clarisse's back, the girl's shoulders tense, and grins with an idea. "It's a small world after all," he begins to sing, watching Clarisse bristle with frustration. "It's a small world after all."
"It's a small world after all," (Y/N) and Annabeth join, smiling.
"It's a small, small world," the trio finishes, and Clarisse turns in her seat.
"Could you three just shut up?"
"We could," (Y/N) says, shrugging.
"Doesn't mean we have to," Annabeth finishes. (Y/N) removes her right arm from its relaxed position, holding it out for a high five and then dropping it to her side.
The car exits the tunnel at that very moment, passing over a deep crevice between cliffs where a waterfall runs further down. The car continues on the rails, approaching the next cliff where the tracks were supposed to continue at a downward slope into another tunnel.
Said tunnel is blocked off by rockfall, and Percy manages to exclaim, "Hold on!" when the car suddenly picks up speed. Clarisse and Tyson grab the windshield, Annabeth holds onto the side, (Y/N) extends her arm across the front of Annabeth's shoulders, and Percy opens up his hand to properly hold (Y/N)'s while using his left hand to press her shoulder back. The car thumps upon impact, all passengers' bodies swaying forward with the inertia. When they still, each demigod relaxes, and Percy squeezes (Y/N)'s hand.
"Everybody okay?" he asks. (Y/N) squeezes back, letting go as Annabeth breathes out a, "Yeah."
Tyson frowns. "I thought that would be more fun."
Luckily, the car stopped over the cliff instead of its drop-off, allowing Clarisse and Annabeth to climb out. (Y/N) and Tyson follow, the daughter of Persephone offering a hand to help Percy out. He takes it, flashing a gentle smile in her direction before looking ahead of him.
The expression falls at the sight.
Lit up by a single torch, tree branches stick upward in the sand, human skulls resting atop each one.
Human skulls that just so happen to have long, beautiful horns sprouting from the top.
Annabeth gulps. "I think I get what Grover was so worried about," she says, eyes frantically darting around for a skull with the smaller horns of a newer protector. With relief, she finds none.
Clarisse looks past the stakes, gasping in amazement. She weaves through those closest to her, approaching one of the cave walls. "This must be the boulder Polyphemus used to trap Odysseus when he was returning from the Trojan War." She lifts a hand to touch it, almost reverently.
A moment of silence passes, and Clarisse turns around to find Annabeth, Percy, and (Y/N) looking at her with an impressed amusement. Clarisse rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I know stuff. Surprise."
She continues past the boulder to a divide in the cave wall, tilting her head at the light on the other side.
Annabeth carefully slaps Tyson's hand away from the wooden post that supports the stone while passing. "That's only a good idea if you want us crushed and them trapped inside." Tyson meekly apologizes, jogging after the other half-bloods.
(Y/N) falls into step beside Clarisse, both girls scouting the area for any sign of Polyphemus or Grover. Littered around the cave are piles of tarps, colored string lights, sheep collector items, the occasional skeleton, and other miscellaneous items both in accordance with and unrelated to the outside amusement park.
A crow screeches, the sound echoed by others in the cave before quieting.
Still hidden in the makeshift hallway of the thick cave walls, (Y/N) catches the flicker of a shadow in the rays of light that beam down from overhead. She holds a hand out behind her, the other demigods falling still.
Right at that moment, a large wicker basket flies through the air ahead of them, a frustrated yell following it as it crashes in the opposite end of the cave.
"Enough!" roars the deep voice that could only belong to a giant Cyclops. (Y/N) frantically gestures for the group to hide behind a pile of collected crates (which is topped off with a model shark from the pier) just as a wooden shelf follows the previous basket, shattering. "I can't take this anymore!"
The demigods peer out from behind the pile as the ground rumbles with giant footfalls.
"It's been four days!" Polyphemus continues, his shadow towering over a figure that stumbles into Percy's line of sight, their hands raised in front of them to convey peace and keep distance.
Grover.
Who, for some strange reason, is clad in a lacy dress and veil with a plastic googly eye attached to his forehead.
"Calm your temper!" the satyr says, his voice high-pitched and forcibly effeminate. "Calm your temper!"
"Calm my temper?" Polyphemus roars, approaching the significantly smaller Grover in front of him. "I haven't had a decent meal since those half-bloods you brought!"
(Y/N)'s eyes fixate on the shimmering item clutched in the Cyclops' hand as it jabs accusingly toward her best friend.
"This stupid fleece is supposed to lure satyrs!"
Grover's heart races as Polyphemus leans down closer to shove the Fleece under his nose.
"Do you see any satyrs around here?"
Grover's breath hitches, and (Y/N) crosses her arm over her body to brush against the hilt of her golden sword. Percy pulls out Riptide, his thumb poised at the ready. Tyson holds his breath, eyeing a boulder against the cave wall. Clarisse grits her jaw, flexing her fingers. Annabeth carefully studies the large Cyclops' face, unsheathing the dagger at her side and pinching the blade.
Unknown to the half-bloods, and Tyson, Polyphemus' vision is clouded to make silhouettes and faint colors all that are visible.
Polyphemus blinks rapidly, trying to clear his sight. He shakes his head, dreadlocks swaying. "This hunger is making my eyesight worse." He pauses, looking closely at Grover in front of him. "I could just eat you." The moving blurs in his vision begin to meld together, revealing a clearer figure—a figure with two suspicious points on the top of its head, sticking up from under the veil.
Annabeth's eyes widen at the contemplation that passes over Polyphemus' expression, the look that indicates a realization not yet fully acknowledged. She screws up her face in concentration before cupping her hands around her mouth, "Ca-caw!"
(Y/N) smiles.
The other demigods whip their heads to Annabeth with incredulity and anger, about to hiss at her for what they interpret as a stupid action before the crows inside the cave echo the sound, wings flapping and feathers rustling to create the cacophony needed for a distraction.
Polyphemus looks up and around in slight surprise, growling in annoyance at the sound. He returns his attention to Grover, the satyr's form blurred once more to show a small figure with one large, circular eye on its forehead. "Too bad you're a Cyclops," Polyphemus grumbles, swatting away a bird as he turns around to walk off.
Grover sighs in relief.
(Y/N) looks over her shoulder at Annabeth, nodding in approval. Percy pats the daughter of Athena's shoulder in apology before turning to face the inside of the cave.
"Grover!" he whispers, the sound carrying in the silence, just loud enough to catch the satyr's attention. Grover whirls around, looking in the opposite direction with confusion. "Grover!" Percy repeats, only for the satyr to turn forty-five degrees, still looking the wrong way. "No"—Percy cuts himself off with a sigh, shaking his head—"over here, buddy."
Annabeth, Tyson, and Clarisse step out slightly from their hiding spot, waving at the satyr with the other two half-bloods.
Grover gasps. "Percy?" The boy nods, and Grover glances warily in the direction Polyphemus went before carefully hitching up his dress' skirt and running to the group.
His face breaks into a grin when he sees (Y/N) clearly. "Oh, my gods, hi!" he breathes out, crashing into her with a hug. She chuckles, her breaths strained with relief as she squeezes him.
She kisses his cheek quickly, pulling back to look at him properly. "I'm so glad you're okay."
Grover nods. "Yeah, me, too." (Y/N) steps away, letting Annabeth hug him next.
"You have no idea how worried we were," Annabeth says, her eyes scrunched closed. "It's good to see you."
Grover closes his eyes, holding her tighter before pulling away and worriedly placing his hands on her shoulders. "That bird noise was you, right? Did you have too much caffeine again?"
She gives him a meek smile. "Yeah. It saved your ass, though."
"Trust me, I'm not complaining."
Percy receives a hug next, this one shorter than the other two due to the son of Poseidon pulling away and concernedly looking at his best friend. "Hey, why are you wearing a dress, by the way?"
Clarisse grins as she takes in the satyr's full getup, digging in her pockets.
Grover glares at Percy. "I'm having a really bad day," he hisses, blinking at the flash of light from Clarisse's phone. His eyes widen at the realization of what she just did. "Hey, hey, hey!" he starts, desperately, "Do not let that go viral!"
Clarisse returns the phone to her pocket, smiling sheepishly at Grover. "Sorry, there's just no way the other kids would believe me otherwise."
Grover scoffs. "Look, this"—he gestures animatedly around his face—"is a disguise. The guy's half-blind. He thinks I'm a Cyclops chambermaid. I'm showing mad survival skills here."
Clarisse raises her eyebrows, looking him up and down before saying, "And not a small amount of leg."
"Funny," Grover deadpans, returning his attention to Percy. "I was trying to stay uneaten long enough to figure out how the fuck I could get the Fleece off of him."
"So did you?" Annabeth asks, and Grover looks at her with incredulity.
"Do you think I'd still be dressed like this if I did?"
Tyson nods with confidence, "It's a good look."
Grover looks at him, letting out a sharp exhale. "Thanks, Tyson."
(Y/N) purses her lips slightly, "You could lose the veil, though."
"Okay, you know what—"
Grover jumps at an angry grunt and the clattering of giant utensils as Polyphemus upturns a table. The satyr runs into the giant's line of sight, his voice high-pitched once more. "Um, um . . . Clopsies, um, how about I cook . . . you something to . . ." he looks around before picking up a metal pitcher, "drink to, uh, calm your nerves?"
(Y/N) pokes her head out. "Use less throat and more head voice, it'll be easier," she whispers across the space between them, earning a glare from Grover.
Percy hurriedly pats (Y/N)'s shoulder, catching her attention. She turns to face the group, repeatedly glancing in Grover's direction as Percy explains their plan of action in hushed tones. (Y/N) nods upon hearing her role, returning her full focus to Grover and Polyphemus.
A thudding footstep sends vibrations through her feet, and the monster's shadow on the opposite end of the cave grows larger.
As Polyphemus begins speaking, Grover gestures for the five hidden demigods to move out of sight.
"Time to go, time to go," (Y/N) hisses behind her.
"I don't know what to do anymore," Polyphemus grumbles, approaching the satyr.
Clarisse uproots one of the longer stakes from the sand, pulling off the skull and examining the branch's tip. Percy jumps up onto an extension of the cave wall that forms a sort of walkway, turning to the others. "Go! Go!" he whispers, noticing Polyphemus get closer to their hiding stack.
"This fleece used to lure satyrs here every day."
Clarisse joins Percy while Annabeth and Tyson run across the gap between two stacks of junk, their footsteps reaching Polyphemus' ears. "Huh?" the monster whirls around, and the questing demigods hold their breath in anticipation.
Polyphemus sniffs the air, coming up short and throwing the Golden Fleece over his left shoulder.
"Now things are so bad, I've even had to eat my own sheep. The whole flock!" He sits down dejectedly, unaware of Percy and Clarisse carefully making their way around the cave wall to an overhang behind and above his head. (Y/N) watches them, rubbing her hands together and letting out an exhale to prepare herself.
"Don't fail me now," she mutters.
Polyphemus sighs. "They were tender, though."
Grover gives his best impression of a girly giggle, clanging different items together to appear busy.
Clarisse lowers the grip on her stake to the bottom, glaring at Percy. "Drop me, and I promise you'll never hear the end of it."
Percy rolls his eyes, offering his right hand to Clarisse. She takes it in her left, and Percy looks back to the cave wall, a thick root conveniently growing out of a crevice and reaching to him. He grabs it, and it wraps around his wrist, keeping him secure. Percy looks down at (Y/N), who flashes him a wink, and he smiles.
Annabeth watches anticipatedly near Grover, her stomach dropping as Polyphemus sniffs the air once more.
"You smell something?" the Cyclops asks, looking around in confusion.
Clarisse, her arm stretched behind her and hand gripping Percy's, extends the branch, doing her best to keep the wood from touching Polyphemus' shoulder as she eases the sharpened end under the Fleece. The pressure of the upcoming balancing act on the stake's point causes her arm to shake, and she holds her breath as the Fleece shifts.
"Smells like . . ." Polyphemus pauses, and (Y/N) takes a deep breath in preparation. "—half-bloods!"
Polyphemus begins to stand just as (Y/N)'s eyes flash red, the stack in front of her engulfing in flames. The Cyclops, shocked, whirls to face the fire, consequently giving Clarisse better access to the Golden Fleece. She yanks the stake towards her, the Fleece being picked up and beginning to travel through the air towards the half-bloods.
Polyphemus starts at the loss of weight on his shoulder, his reactions surprisingly quick as he grabs the Fleece out of the air and away from Clarisse. Facing her and Percy properly, Polyphemus gasps. "Half-bloods!"
"Get up! Quick!" Percy says, pulling Clarisse away from the overhang's edge.
"I was right!" Polyphemus roars, a sickening grin creeping over his face.
(Y/N) leans back against the cave wall, breaths slightly heavy from the use of her Hades-given abilities. All exhaustion, however, is forgotten the moment she sees the others in trouble.
The root unravels itself around Percy's wrist, letting him follow behind Clarisse as she runs back down the way they came. Polyphemus' voice thunders through the cave. "Oh, no, you don't!"
The half-bloods gasp as a giant forearm crashes into the cave wall, blocking their path. "So," Polyphemus starts, looking at the teenagers, "should I cook you or eat you raw?"
(Y/N) unsheathes her sword, preparing to run forward just as Tyson jumps out from his hiding place.
"Hey!" Tyson calls, catching Polyphemus' attention.
"Huh?"
Tyson forces a grin. "Hiya." His breaths are heavy with fear as he continues: "My name's Tyson. How are you?"
Polyphemus' throat rumbles with a growl.
"These guys are my friends," Tyson continues, "so I was hoping, maybe, we could talk." His voice grows in pitch and fear as Polyphemus approaches. "You know, Cyclops to Cyclops."
Polyphemus scoffs. "You pissant with one eye!"
"Whoa! Not nice," Tyson frowns.
Percy's eyes are drawn to the Fleece once more, and he runs along the wall to position himself properly.
"You're no Cyclops!" Polyphemus reprimands. "You're a traitor to your kind!"
Percy looks at his half-brother, who glances worriedly up at the half-blood with a question in his eye: 'Are you sure about this?'
Percy nods.
"To be honest . . ." Tyson starts, looking back at the giant in front of him.
Percy runs to the edge and leaps off in an aerial cartwheel, grabbing the Fleece and twisting before his landing on the opposite overhang to face the Cyclops in a three-point stance.
"—he's my kind," Tyson proudly finishes.
Polyphemus looks at Percy in shock before sneering at Tyson. "You disgust me." He moves to knock the smaller Cyclops out of the way, ignoring a girl's frantic 'No!' as Tyson flies through the air and out of the cave's entrance, his head slamming on the ground.
Polyphemus chuckles in victory just as pain shoots through his right ankle. He looks down, noticing the half-blood with the golden blade.
"Back off," (Y/N) warns, her sword outstretched.
Polyphemus moves to kick her before noticing Percy leap towards the ground. "Going somewhere?" Polyphemus asks, swinging his arm to knock the boy aside and towards the blazing fire.
(Y/N) gasps, vines materializing out of the air to block Percy's path. The boy tumbles to the ground with a thud, groaning as he clutches the Fleece. Polyphemus snarls, approaching his body, only to be intercepted by (Y/N).
"I said," she starts, standing between the Cyclops and Percy, "back off."
Flexible bamboo stalks sprout from the ground, whipping around the monster and binding his body. Polyphemus strains against the strengthened plants, a few snapping while the rest bow under the pressure.
"Annabeth!" Percy calls out as (Y/N) helps him up, throwing the Fleece to the daughter of Athena. Annabeth catches it, running to the far end of the cave as Polyphemus grunts with exertion.
Outside, Tyson groans, his head turning limply to the side.
Polyphemus' binds splinter before shattering completely, and he storms past (Y/N) and Percy, quickly catching up with Annabeth.
"Clarisse!" she yells, tossing it up to the girl who runs along the cave wall. Percy gasps as Clarisse approaches a drop-off with nowhere to run or jump, and he sprints over.
Clarisse doesn't pause as Polyphemus slams his arm in front of her, sliding underneath and throwing the Fleece back down to Percy below. The son of Poseidon dashes to the exit, towards the waiting and hidden Tyson, and Polyphemus spins around.
"Get back here, you punk!" he yells, about to follow Percy when Grover runs out.
"Yo, Clopsies!" Grover calls out, catching Polyphemus' attention. When the Cyclops' eye is on him, (Y/N) creates a makeshift bridge for Clarisse to run down from the ledge, bringing her safely to the ground.
Grover rips off the dress and googly-eye-attached veil, throwing them aside. "I quit!"
Polyphemus pauses, confused. "Wait, you're a dude?" The air seems to vibrate with his growl of frustration. "Well, that explains a lot."
Clarisse hurries over to Grover, grabbing his forearms and pulling him backwards. "Say goodbye!" she tells him, continuously backing up as the enraged Cyclops approaches.
"Okay," Grover breathes out. "Goodbye!" He and Clarisse sprint out of Polyphemus' reach, further angering him.
"You deceitful little brats! I'll tear off your flesh!" Polyphemus storms in their direction, oblivious to (Y/N) regrouping with Annabeth and Percy.
"Give me that fleece!" Polyphemus stumbles on a sharp turn, allowing Grover and Clarisse to pick up their speed.
"Come on!"
Confused, Grover and Clarisse look to the exit, seeing Tyson with the Fleece, gesturing frantically for them to move as his head turns from side to side. Upon further examination of their surroundings, they notice (Y/N), Annabeth, and Percy poised to act.
They sprint even faster.
"Now!" (Y/N) yells when Clarisse runs through the exit, Grover following just behind. Annabeth, having climbed her way to the top of one of the junk piles, leaps forward, grabbing two of Polyphemus' large dreadlocks and using her combined momentum and enhanced strength to throw him off-balance. Expertly, she unsheathes the dagger from her belt and throws it at his shoulder on the backswing. Polyphemus roars in pain and anger as the blade lodges in his muscle and his head gets pulled aside once more, and (Y/N) looks at Percy just a few yards away from her.
He nods, widening his stance and interlocking his fingers.
(Y/N) takes off at a run, clearing the distance with a jump so that her right foot lands on Percy's connected hands. He pushes her up with ease, sending her spinning into the air as she unsheathes her golden sword.
Annabeth swings back to Polyphemus' shoulder, using it as a backboard and pushing off once more, pulling the Cyclops' head and body in the same direction. She lets go, rolling once she hits the ground and running away. Polyphemus rights himself with a grunt, turning to find the daughter of Athena just as a flash of gold enters his vision as the last thing he ever will see.
The entire cave rumbles with the Cyclops' roar of pain, his large hand clutching his bleeding eye as he stumbles back. (Y/N) kicks off from his chest while sliding her sword into its sheath, running up to Polyphemus' shoulder and grabbing Annabeth's dagger.
Using her bodyweight, she pulls it down his bicep before ripping the blade out of his flesh and jumping off just as his other hand slams onto where she just stood. While in the air, she creates vines to wrap around and through imperfections in the walls, swinging across the cave as a board of woven tree branches forms on the side of the still-flaming pile of crates near the exit.
Polyphemus crashes into the walls, cursing the 'misbegotten half-blood bastards'. Ichor paints the stone as he tries to right himself, his hands slipping and head searing with pain. "I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill all of you!"
Tyson pulls Clarisse and Grover away as Percy and Annabeth join them just outside the exit, still in the hallway-like area between the walls. Tyson hands off the Fleece to Percy, who, wringing his hands, peers through the entrance.
As she stands on an overhang, (Y/N) slides the ichor-drenched dagger between her belt and waistband, her nose scrunching as she flicks some of the golden substance off of her hand and onto the cave wall. "Ew," she whines, trying to clean her hand as much as possible before giving up.
Returning her attention to the situation at hand, she adjusts her grip on the vine wrapped wrapped around a distant stalactite, her body facing the newly-created wooden board that leans against the blazing pile of junk. She watches as Polyphemus blindly tries to find her and her friends, eventually growing impatient.
"Hey! Idiot! Polly! Blind dude!" she calls out, her tone dripping with boredom. The monster sniffs for her scent, unable to properly find the origin of her voice. (Y/N) chuckles, "You look so pathetic right now. You're like a . . . a weak, sad, little mole."
Polyphemus faces her, and (Y/N)'s eyebrows raise at the gruesome sight of her work. The Cyclops' voice rumbles in his throat as he asks, "Who even are you?"
(Y/N) smirks, shrugging although he can't see. "Nobody."
Polyphemus bristles with anger.
"I see you've met me before," she taunts. "It's the last time, I'm afraid."
Thundering footsteps drown out quieter ones, a large hand just missing a significantly smaller body. (Y/N) kicks her legs out, striking the top of the board and causing the burning crates and ropes to tumble. The objects block the cave's exit, flames catching on loose objects and steadily growing higher.
Polyphemus stumbles towards the noise, his body being attacked with heat as he approaches, and he yells while backing away.
(Y/N) easily maneuvers the vine around to place her in line with the exit, and she lets go on the forward swing. Her body flips in the air, just missing the flames, and she rolls on the sandy ground before righting herself into a three-point stance.
Polyphemus charges again, and (Y/N) instantly pivots to face the opposite direction.
"Run!" Clarisse yells at the group, all of them sprinting away from the inside of the cave and out through the tunnel. Tyson grabs the post that keeps the large boulder steady, pulling it away to seal the entrance.
Sand kicks up and clogs the air, prompting the breathless demigods to cough and sputter.
After a brief moment, Percy hands (Y/N) the Golden Fleece for safekeeping. "Thanks," she breathes, patting his shoulder.
Annabeth waves a hand in front of her face to hopefully clear some of the air, managing to choke out, "Good job in there, guys."
Grover beams, looking at the group. "Y'all, we rocked that quest!" he says, nodding to himself with pride.
Clarisse takes a moment to catch her breath. "Yeah, we totally did." She chuckles, "I didn't know all of you guys had it in you!"
(Y/N)'s face goes stoic when she looks up at the cave wall.
Smirking, Luke approaches from the overhang. "Yes," he says, causing the group to look at him with wide eyes. "Well done."
Seeing the Laestrygonian just behind them and more of Luke's cronies approaching to surround them, the six teenagers group together, keeping their eyes on Luke.
The son of Hermes shrugs, nodding. "It's nice work, I really appreciate it."
Percy scoffs, "It wasn't for you."
Luke tilts his head. "Oh, but it was. You may not have known it, but it was."
Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Clarisse furrow their eyebrows while Tyson hugs his arms to himself in fear.
"Thank you for not letting me down."
Percy opens his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by the person beside him.
The person who couldn't—wouldn't—possibly do what Luke just implied.
(Y/N) steps forward, the Golden Fleece in hand.
Oh, but she did.
She did, and her response makes the others freeze in horror.
"Did you honestly think that I would?"
✺✺✺
oooh plot twist!