#if percy and annabeth met when they were eight or nine | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ameagrice · 2 years

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chapter eight

garden gnomes and nightmares | Percy Jackson x fem! Reader.

You’d hoped the good luck would carry on, and that you would escape once more into peace with no nicks or cuts, and full smiles.

You’d be in bed by nine o’clock, wrapped up as if in a cocoon, warm and safe and ready to fall asleep.

You really wished your imagination would go away.

You stated flatly at the building before you. The walls were dry and flaking, the plaster chipping off in large chunks, and strange pottery and statues decorated the perimeter.

“Real classy,” you murmured. You faced Percy and shrugged. “We’re definitely going to be kidnapped.” You turned away to face the crumbling monstrosity.

“And never seen again,” Percy added, helpfully.

You clicked your fingers lightly and pointed at him to your left, nodding as your eyes swept the building still. “He knows what I’m talking about.”

“I always know what you’re talking about, you’re not very complex.”

“Thought you said girls were hard to understand?”

“Well, you’re hardly—”

You whipped your eyes in his direction, firmly glaring. He was grinning, most likely knowing you’d react this way for definite. He loved to wind you up. “Finish that sentence.”

“Alright, Miss Bossy,” he opened his mouth.

When an annoying voice cut him off.

“Guys,” Annabeth quipped, looking from you to Percy and back again. Her braids were flipped over her shoulders, and her cap was back on her head. “We have more important things to worry about.”

“Like your eyebrows,” you muttered.

Percy made a choking sound. Annabeth simply did not look impressed.

“You’re only acting that way because Percy’s here,” she nodded to him.

“Guys!” Percy’s tone was exasperated. But he flashed beetroot red.

“Shut it, Prickly,” you looked away.

Despite the general run-down appearance of the place, the bright, neon lights in oranges and pinks, and the smell of good food, gave you enough reason to just...walk right up to the door. There were two stone-coloured gnomes flanking either side of it.

“Are we going in or what?” you said. “I’m starving.”

“You’re always hungry,” you heard Percy mumble.

You nodded and hummed. “And that would be correct, my good sir.”

Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium, it seemed, lived up to its name. The sign above the door told a tale you couldn’t quite understand yet, but the stone statues surrounding the place was enough of a hint.

“This doesn’t feel right to me,” came Grover’s trembling voice. You sighed impatiently and dropped your weight from one leg to the other, turning around to face him. His brown eyes met yours, and you felt yourself falter. He truly did look nervous. But then again, when didn’t he?

You spun around, and he spoke again, lifting his voice. “Don’t knock!”

You raised your fist.

“Are you crazy?! I said don’t knock!”

You knocked. “Listen, bro,” you sniped. “They got a snack bar in there. We need food. It looks warm. We’ll be fine.”

“Sure it looks a little sketchy, dude,” Percy reassured. “But even Annabeth’s agreed with me. What’s the harm in getting some food?”

“Because it smells of monsters!”

“You’ve got --”

The door swung open so suddenly that you stumbled a couple steps back. in front of you was a tall, Middle Eastern lady, wearing a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze. Her coffee-coloured hands looked old, but well-manicured.

And her voice sounded distantly Middle Eastern too, when she said, “Children, is it not too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?”

““They’re...uh...” Annabeth tried.

“We’re orphans!” Percy piped.

“Orphans? But surely not, my darlings.”

"We got separated from our caravan," Percy continued. You blanched. Was this boy for real? "Our circus caravan. The ringmaster told us to meet him at the gas station if we got lost, but he may have forgotten, or maybe he meant a different gas station. Anyway, we're lost. Is that food I smell?"

"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

When she turned her back, and began to walk away, you turned swiftly around to Percy. Maybe you looked thunderous because he smiled too sweetly. “Circus?”

“You weren’t saying anything!”

“I’m not in charge here!”

“You’ve got us this far!”

The warehouse was filled with more statues—people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits, each with a different expression on their face. The food smelt even better inside, and it sent your head dreamy and light. “Guys,” you started. “This was a great idea.”

Over Grover’s nervous whimpers, you heard the sound of metal dropping. When you turned, waiting for the others to pass you, you watched as Aunty Em dropped something into her pocket. She smiled sweetly at you. But you noticed one other thing.

The door was shut.

Instantly, alarm bells were going off. Your stomach was getting tight with uneasiness. And, for some strange reason...

You wanted Travis.

Because the ease you felt around that guy was unmatched. Percy was protecting and sure, but Travis was ease and sense. Right now, he might have known what to do. He would have shown you sense and responsibility.

You’d led everyone in here.

She met your gaze. “Run along, little demigod. Follow your friends.”

It was like being in a haze. Blurry and too soft and warm. You turned around and followed after the others.

But--

Little demigod?...

“Guys,” You said aloud. “Dudes. Pals...”

“Please,” said Aunty Em with a sleepy smile. “Take a seat.”

“Awesome,” Percy quipped, sliding straight into a chair with no hesitation.

“Um...we don’t ahve any money, ma’am,” Grover said reluctantly.

“No, no, children, no money. This is a special case, yes? My treat. For such nice orphans.”

Percy wrapped his hand around your elbow and pulled you down into the seat beside him. “Listen, dudes and dudette; I think we need to leave.” You hissed.

Percy looked you dead in the eyes. “It’s free food, though.”

“Yes,” you whispered harshly. “Free food that could have poison in it!”

“Like that would happen.”

“She knows we’re d--!”

A set of hands fell to your shoulders and made you yelp. “Let’s start with you, hm? What would you like to eat, dear?”

Practically shaking, you searched your brain for some type of food. “Uhhh, maybe nachos?”

“I’ll see what I can do. And what about you three?”

“A cheeseburger, ma’am! And a vanilla milkshake, please!”

“French fries!”

“Cloth?”

Soon enough, the food was cooked and served, and as much as you tried to resist, it really did look good. You found yourself reaching for a double cheeseburger, mouth watering as the loaded cheese and salad atop of it. Maybe a bite or two wouldn’t hurt? Or three...or four...

You cursed yourself when you found yourself finishing the burger, and then some fries, then a milkshake, and after that, some onion rings, and then another burger. Percy stared at you as if you were from another world.

Through a mouth full of food, his eyes wide and pupils dilated, he said, “How do you not get full?”

“Like you said,” you snickered, going to take another bite of your burger. “I’m a bottomless pit.”

“What’s that hissing noise?”

You looked up to Grover on the other side of the table. He was nervously picking at the paper of the bowl the fries sat in. “What?”

“Hissing?” Aunty Em asked. “Perhaps you hear the deep-fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover.”

You’d almost forgotten she was there in the room. You put down your burger.

"I take vitamins. For my ears."

"That's admirable," she said. "But please, relax."

Aunty Em ate nothing. She hadn't taken off her headdress, even to cook.

“So, you sell gnomes,” said Percy.

"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."

"A lot of business on this road?"

"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built... most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get."

You looked away. That statue to your right...

"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."

"You make these statues yourself?" Percy asked.

“Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real.

Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and said, "Two sisters?"

"It's a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a... a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."

Your bones felt as if they were filled with electricity. Everything in you felt buzzing and alive - ready to run.

"Percy?" Annabeth was leaning over, shaking him to get his attention. "Maybe we should go. I mean, the ringmaster will be waiting." She sounded tense. Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she didn't say anything.

"Such beautiful gray eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I've seen gray eyes like those."

She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.

"We really should go."

Thank God.

Your chair shrieked along the floor as you stood quickly.

"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up. "The ringmaster is waiting! Right!"

"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, won't you at least sit for a pose?"

"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.

"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."

Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I don't think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy -- "

"Sure we can,” Percy slurred. You whipped your head in his direction almost furiously. Could he not feel the air changing?

“Idiot boy!” You whispered. “Let’s go, yeah? I’m pretty tired anyway.”

“It’s just a photo, Annabeth,” He ignored. “What’s the harm?”

“Yes, Annabeth,” Aunty Em smiled. “What’s the harm?”

It didn’t matter how much you pulled on Percy’s sleeve, of whispered anxiously to your other companions that this wasn’t the right idea; you were dragged along with them to the front door, and out into the garden of statues. Goosebumps raised along your body.

“Now, shall we say the girl first, here,” she grabbed you tightly by the shoulders and pushed you down onto the bench, by the wooden arm. “And the boy yes, you with the green eyes. And then the blonde girl, and you, the other boy, yes, perfect,”

Your eyes were darting around for something to use to protect yourselves with. Something to hit Aunty Em with. You found nothing of use in sight,

Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"

Grover glanced at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."

"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way, dear."

She still had no camera in her hands.

"Percy—" Annabeth said.

You must have looked terrified. Aunty Em said, “A smile for me, dear, no need to look so upset,”

“That’s just my face,” you muttered.

“"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil...."

"Percy, something's wrong," Annabeth insisted.

"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"

"That is Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.

"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She whipped her Yankees cap onto her head and vanished. Her invisible hands pushed Grover and Percy to the ground.

And left you sitting.

“Don’t look at her!” Annabeth screamed.

And your answer to this?

Was to run.

You jumped bolt up and sprinted. Past statues of terrified-looking people and animals, past broken crockery scattered over the floor, even broken statues.

“Whoever’s listening or watching,” you called, slightly out of breath, searching frantically for a place to hide, turning in circles occasionally. “Help us, please!”

You heard Annabeth’s distant yells. You couldn’t find an exist anywhere. There were no walls to climb up, no doors to leave. You’d run in the wrong direction.

But.

Oh.

That.

You slowly grinned.

And snatched the near broken, now-concrete sword. It was heavy in your hands, but upon touching what was once metal, you found it remained sharp. The grip was a little off, broken from something. But it would do.

Your heart raced and spun in circles as you slowly approached where you had run from. Your friends needed you. You’d led them here. Now it was time to help.

Even if every inch of you felt wrong for what you were about to do.

You approached the scene with caution, bones alive. There, on the ground, eyes squeezed shut, lay Percy, and Annabeth calling to keep his eyes shut. It must have been for a reason. Hissing. Hissing?

Oh, jeez.

So you'd be swinging a sword blindly, then.

"Ah, the youngest one has arrived." Aunty Em pruned. "Kind of you to return for your friends. Such a shame it is a waste of your time."

You were terrified and determined. You would all get home.

There was something about approaching danger and death that settled in your body. You didn't want to let it take you.

"Such a shame your views are wrong," you spat. Forcing the words came naturally.

It felt quick. The lifting of the sword, heavy, and the swift swing as you watched Aunty Em's hands lift quickly.

No going back.

The sword hit something heavy. But it didn't stop there. It went straight through.

Bile rose.

And your eyes switched directions as the head of Medusa rolled to your feet.

Percy, staring at you.

Annabeth, pale.

Grover, jaw dropped.

You breathed the breath you didn't realise you'd held. "Well, that got her out of the way."

Annabeth reached for something on the ground. The black veil Aunty Em had been wearing. She approached the area looking at Percy. "Don't look at her yet," she instructed. "At least until I've covered her head."

You simply pursed your lips in disgust, staring at some statues.

As Annabeth stood, holding the now-wrapped thing, it dripped green juice. You gagged.

"Why hasn't it disintegrated?" Percy questioned.

"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she explained. "Same as your minotaur horn. But don't unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."

Grover groaned and caught your attention. A small smile came to your face. He was clambering down from a tall, grizzly bear statue. He had a big, bruised welt on his forehead and...there were...flying shoes? floating around his head.

The four of you found your feet and stumbled away back into the warehouse. Percy dragged out some old grocery bags from behind the counter and wrapped up the spoil before dropping it down onto the table, too close for comfort, sitting down again, exhausted, Your hands still shook.

"So," said Percy. "We have Athena to thank for that monster?"

You shrugged, unbothered. "The woman must have done something."

Annabeth flashed you both irritated looks.

"Your dad, Percy, actually. Don't you remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."

"Ewww, monster crush."

Percy was not deterred by your comment. "Oh, so it's my fault that we ran into her?" He flashed you a look.

Your heart plummeted.

"It's just a photo, Annabeth. What's the harm?" Annabeth imitated.

"Forget it, you're impossible! And you --" he turned, and you felt your face flame. "What was with the whole leading us here?"

"HEY!" Grover interrupted, sending yourself and Percy to look at him, dumbfounded. "What are we going to do with the head?"

Percy's chair shrieked as he stood. "I'll be back."

"Percy," Annabeth called after him. "What are you--"

percy came back carrying a box, some money, a slip of paper, and a pencil. You didn't lean over to watch him write, feeling slightly hurt. Percy never once had a go at you for anything, certainly not to your face.

"They're not going to like that," Grover spoke. "They'll think you're impertinent."

You leaned over, desperate to be in on the plan, Forget your feelings.

The Gods Mount Olympus 600th Floor, Empire State Building New York, NY

With best wishes, PERCY JACKSON

You nodded. "They'll hate you."

Percy tipped a few golden coins into a pouch. When he pulled the drawstrings closed, there was a sound similar to that of a cash register. The package began to float, and suddenly disappeared with a popping sound.

"I am impertinent," Percy said.

You watched him look at Annabeth, and them stare at one another.

"Come on," she said, turning around. "We need a new plan."

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fbfh · 4 years

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hey, sailor - leo x daughter of poseidon

genre: a little bit of angst, a little bit of fluff, a lot of mermaids lol

word count: 2.4k

au: none really, you have mermaid powers as a daughter of poseidon if that counts lmao

pairing: Leo x Daughter of Poseidon

requested: yeeyee !! hope u enjoy xoxo

warnings: uh brief mention of your step dad leaving when you were younger, an interaction with your best friend doesn’t go as planned, percy’s grappling with rlly complicated feelings towards his dad and new sister

summary: Percy, Annabeth, and Leo all get a little more than they bargained for when they bring Percy’s half sister back to camp Halfblood, and Leo remembers why he had such a huge crush on Ariel growing up.

reccomended songs: hurricane drunk - florence + the machine, sinkin’ in - cody simpson, deep sea ambiance

a/n: as soon as i got this request my dormant mermaid phase woke up from a sound sleep

requests r open uwu

"...And you know what he said to me? He says, 'kid, I think it's time you met your sister'. I have a freaking sister, and that two timing piece harpy sh-"

"Okay, Percy, why don't you cool off a little before we leave. Come on, we'll grab a drink or something while Leo finishes getting ready."

Annabeth takes her boyfriend's hand, and leads him to the nearest drink cooler. Leo turns back to the car they're going to take, and continues loading in the rest of the supplies. He, for one, is excited to meet Percy’s sister. His first thought was ‘hope she’s hot’, which he blurted out before he could stop himself, and was met with a killer glare from both of them. He’s not trying to be insensitive, finding out you have siblings you didn’t know about is kind of traumatic. I mean, hey, Leo’s family went from zero to sixty in one day - literally. Okay, not quite sixty, but only child to one of eight is still a pretty big jump.

A little while later, they’re ready to go. Leo offers to drive, so Percy and Annabeth can sit in back and try to sort out Percy’s feelings. After a couple hours of driving and emotional conversations, most of which Leo just listened to - Annabeth seemed to have a good hold on this, and Leo didn’t want to overstep his bounds again - they arrived in Cape Cod. At this point, the gist seems to be that Percy knows if he should be mad at anyone, it’s his dad. They park in the driveway of the address Chiron gave them. They get out of the car, and look up at the house. It’s gray with white trimming, two or three stories, with a balcony porch on the upper floor - a normal, small town New England house, as far as they could tell. They seemed to take a collective breath, and approached the door.

You’re breathing fast, trying to hold back the floodgates of emotion, when your bare feet hit the sand. You drop your bag, taking in the familiar, secluded stretch of the Cape. A big wall of jagged rocks to your left separates this part of the beach from the others. The old wooden stairs and their faded white paint that connected the low cliff to the sand below are hidden by plant life, so most people don’t even know this area existes. You’ve been coming here regularly since you were nine or ten. So many important parts of your life happened on these shores. You could just tell your mom ‘I’m going to my beach’, and she’d know right where you are. You finish pulling off your shorts and rush towards the water in your swimsuit. You’re met with immediate relief as soon as the water touches your skin. If it was possible to have an emotional support location, you did.

You feel it happen as soon as you’re waist deep. Bubbles and sea foam collect around you from the hips down and your legs get tingly and numb. A moment later, it dissipates, leaving behind a life sized mermaid tail. It changes slightly with most transformations, usually based on your mood and desired appearance, and you’ve noticed over the years you can change how it looks more easily. You don’t care today, you just need to be in the water. This time it’s a big tropical fish tail, its purple, blue, and shimmery gray tones reflecting both your mood and the impending storm clouds rolling in. You dip below the surface, and let the tide carry you a little ways. You don’t worry about getting lost, you somehow always know where you are at sea. You don’t have gills that you can find, but you can definitely breathe underwater.

You finally sink to the bottom, and stare up at the surface of the water. The patterns of light remind you of the night light you had as a child.

Your mom had ensured you were comfortable with water and ocean life for as long as you could remember. She must know other people like you, because sometimes she would have long phone conversations with someone called the Director. You were pretty sure he had a weird name that started with a K or C, but you could never remember. He’s apparently sending someone to bring you to a ‘safe place’ today. It sounds like bullshit to you, but you trust your mom, and your mom trusts the Director. Since you might not be back for a while, she said you could finally tell your best friend Wes the truth.

‘Oh god,’ you think, wishing the salt water would erase your memories of what happened today, but you can’t stop the onslaught of memories. Wes has been your best friend for years. You helped him when he realized he’s bi, he helped you when your step dad left, you could trust him with anything. Or so you thought. ‘It’s not his fault,’ you remind yourself, trying futilely to stop reliving what happened hours earlier.

You brought him to your part of the beach to go swimming so you could show him. You can still hear his voice, asking if you’re sure you want to go in the ocean, you’ve always been afraid of water. Once you’d worked up the nerves to get in the water and transform, you showed him your tail. Your heart broke again every time you remembered what he had said.

“That is... incredible,” your heart had soared, there was hope, “I can’t believe you got one of those silicone swimming tails just to prank me!” Ah, there it was. The other shoe. You tried to tell him it was real, but he said he could see the mold lines, and there the scales don’t quite line up, and there’s the edge of the zipper. You wanted to cry.

“I’m not gonna lie, you almost had me for a second. I can’t believe you learned to swim just to prank me, but whatever works, dude,” he laughed like you were having a good time together. It was too much.

You let out a huge underwater scream, and thunder rumbles in the distance. You sink further down, wishing once again that the salt and algae would erode your memories from today.

Annabeth knocks on the door for the third time. Thankfully, it opens to a middle aged woman in a shirt that said Brooklyn Nine Nine.

“Hello, what can I help you with?” she asks. She has a strong presence, and none of them want to be on her bad side. Percy is still too nervous, and Leo seems to be analyzing wires poking out of the doorbell, so Annabeth introduces themselves, and asks where you are.

“Who wants to know?” she asks.

“We’re her internet friends, we’re surprising her by visiting a day early.” Annabeth replies. The woman doesn’t seem convinced. She smiles, seeming to see right through them.

“Are you from camp?” The shock on their faces gives her all the answer she needs. She smiles, and continues, “She’s down at the Cape, the quiet part past the rocks.” They thank her, but before they can leave she says, “Hey.” She looks at each of them intensely.

“Make sure she gets there safely. Take care of her.” They agree solemnly, and head down the sidewalk.

“And tell Chiron I say hi.” she says with a smile. They smile back, agreeing again.

They get to the Cape, and it’s full of people.

“Shouldn’t be any harder than a Where’s Waldo,” Leo says. Percy’s head snaps to the right, and thunder rumbles.

“Did you hear that?” he asks.

“The thunder? Yeah,” Annabeth says.

“No, no.. someone screaming.”

“I don’t-”

“This way,” he takes off towards a pile of jagged rocks. They manage to get over with only a few scrapes and Percy surveys the empty beach.

“She’s here… She’s here somewhere,” he mutters to himself. The dark clouds part for a moment, and Annabeth points out to the water. Someone was there, pretty far out to sea. She could just make out their shoulders and head above the water.

“Gods, Percy, can you get her to shore?”

“Ah ah ah, uncle Leo’s got this one,” Leo pulls something out of his backpack. It’s bronze, and the size and shape of a deflated soccer ball. He throws it into the water. It starts to sink, then expands into a small bronze and wood speed boat. Percy and Annabeth’s jaws drop. He hops in, revving the engine to life. They sail out over the water, Percy directing them around currents and waves. They can see the figure clearly now, and they’re sure it’s you. You’re looking away from them, out towards the darkening sky. The boat starts to slow down, and makes a whining noise. Their eyes dart to Leo.

“It’s probably just a sticky piston,” white smoke leaks from the engine, “... and I should check the coolant, too.” He opens up a panel, and starts to tweak a couple things. He sits on the edge of the boat to get a better angle, and reaches into his tool belt. He pulls out a wrench, and almost in slow motion, feels it slip between his finger tips, and into the water with a light plip.

“Shit!” He covers his mouth, worried he scared you off. Three heads turn to where you were a moment ago. Gone. He feels that familiar shameful heat creep into his stomach and cheeks.

“Sorry guys, I-”

“You dropped this,” He looks into the water, and you’re right next to the boat, handing him the wrench.

“...Thanks,” he says, his heart speeding up. Your hair is wet and beads of water glisten on your skin. Your red bikini top sure isn’t doing anything to slow his racing pulse, either. Your hands brush as he takes the tool from you. You smile, and the clouds part - literally. A beam of golden sun shines behind you, making you glow. His heart is in his throat, and he knows he’s probably grinning and blushing like an idiot.

Percy stares at your head, poking up over the side of the boat. Your hair is dyed shades of blue and teal and seafoam that blend right in with the water, but your roots are dark. He takes in your freckles, your tan lines, and your eyes… they look like part of the sea - shells, or waves, or something. He watches as Leo takes the tool, and a smile appears at the side of your mouth - the same smile he’s seen in the mirror, the same smile he’s seen on his dad. He sees all these familiar traits and knows it’s true, you’re his sister. The realization hits him like a truck, and he’s suddenly choked up. Annabeth sees this, and places a hand on his shoulder. She looks between Percy and an infatuated Leo, and takes the reins for the whole ‘the gods are real’ speech.

“Hi,” she says, giving Percy’s hand a squeeze, “I’m Annabeth, this is Percy, and Leo. We were sent here to take you to a safe place for kids like us-”

“Ohmygod, finally,” the tension leaves your shoulders and you sigh in relief, “you have no idea how hard it’s been keeping all of this a secret, trying to be normal…” You push yourself up the side of the boat Ariel style, and pull yourself in, the edge of your tail draped slightly off the boat as you continue, “I seriously thought I was losing it for a while…” you trail off, watching them stare at your tail.

“You’re not… you’re not merfolk, are you?” The confusion on their faces says it all. Panic rises in your chest as you start to dive off the boat. Before you can, Leo grabs your hand.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay. We all have weird powers, it’s part of being a demigod.” He shows you his free hand, and flames suddenly dance across his palm. Part of your fear is replaced with confusion.

“A what?” you ask.

“A demigod.” you look over at Percy, who’s speaking since the first time since you’ve met him, “Our dad is Poseidon, god of the sea.” You scrunch your eyebrows, processing what he said. Annabeth smiles at the gesture, having seen her boyfriend do it a thousand times.

“Wait… our?” He takes in a breath.

“I’m Percy, your brother.”

The ride back to shore is a little awkward, to say the least. They had finished explaining about camp and the gods and monsters a few minutes ago, and it’s been pretty much silent since. Annabeth sits next to you, and hands you a water bottle.

“He just needs some time,” she tells you quietly, “Poseidon’s not really supposed to have children, and Percy got a hard time for it when he was younger. He also… he thought his dad was really in love with his mom, so finding out he has a sister so close in age…” You nod in understanding. She pats you on the shoulder, and sits next to Percy at the back of the boat. You scooch up a little closer to Leo as gracefully as you can, which isn’t much, considering you have to drag along an almost 60 pound fish tail. Leo looks over at you from the controls.

“Weird day, huh?” he asks.

“Yeah…”

“So how long does it take to, uh,” he nods down and you flick your tail, “de-fishify?”

You laugh.

“Once I’m dry,” you look up at the summer sun reemerging, a little surprised that it hadn’t stormed. Then again, if children of Poseidon really could make sea storms, it made sense that it had died down now that you and Percy were feeling better.

“which shouldn’t take long.” you finish. You look over at Percy, who’s having a quiet intense conversation with Annabeth.

“He knows I didn’t ask for this, right?” Leo looks back at them.

“He does,” he replies.

“It’s so surreal finding out I have a sibling I knew nothing about,” you mutter, mostly to yourself.

“Try finding out you have seven,” he laughs, shaking his head at the memory.

“Seven?!” your head snaps up to him.

“Oh yeah,” he tells you the story of when he first came to camp, and you feel so much better already. Leo has such a comforting presence, the pain from all your problems softens a little just hearing him talk. You have a feeling you’re going to get a lot closer.

Little did you know, the feeling was mutual - and correct.

#leo x reader #heroes of olympus x reader #Heroes of Olympus #Leo Valdez #percy jackson #leo valdez x reader #daughter of poseidon #child of poseidon

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theolympusfiles · 3 years

Text

RED - but make it PJO

state of grace - percy & annabeth

"You come around and the armor falls Pierce the room like a cannon ball Now all we know is don't let go We are alone, just you and me Up in your room and our slates are clean Just twin fire signs, four blue eyes

So you were never a saint And I've loved in shades of wrong We learn to live with the pain Mosaic broken hearts But this love is brave and wild”

red - piper to jason

“Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly Loving him is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall Like the colors in autumn, so bright just before they lose it all Losing him was blue like I'd never known Missing him was dark grey all alone Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met But loving him was red Loving him was red”

treacherous - may castellan

“I can't decide if it's a choice Getting swept away I hear the sound of my own voice Asking you to stay And all we are is skin and bone Trained to get along Forever going with the flow But you're friction

This slope is treacherous This path is reckless This slope is treacherous I, I, I like it”

i knew you were trouble - silena to luke

“Once upon a time, a few mistakes ago I was in your sights, you got me alone You found me, you found me, you found me I guess you didn't care, and I guess I liked that And when I fell hard you took a step back Without me, without me, without me And he's long gone when he's next to me And I realize the blame is on me”

all too well - rachel to percy

“ Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze We're singing in the car, getting lost Upstate Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place And I can picture it after all these days And I know it's long gone And that magic's not here no more And I might be okay But I'm not fine at all ”

22 - greek demigods

“Yeah, We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time It's miserable and magical. Oh, yeah Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines It's time”

stay stay stay - calypso to leo

“You took the time to memorize me: My fears, my hopes, and dreams. I just like hangin' out with you all the time. All those times that you didn't leave; It's been occurring to me I'd like to hang out with you for my whole life. Stay. And I'll be loving you for quite some time. No one else is gonna love me, when I get mad, mad, mad. So I think that it's best if we both stay, stay, stay, stay, stay, stay.”

the last time - luke to annabeth

“I find myself at your door Just like all those times before I'm not sure how I got there All roads—they lead me here I imagine you are home In your room, all alone And you open your eyes into mine And everything feels better”

holy ground - hazel to sammy

“Spinning like a girl in a brand new dress, We had this big wide city all to ourselves. We blocked the noise with the sound of ‘I need you’, And for the first time I had something to lose, And I guess we fell apart in the usual way. And the story’s got dust on every page, But sometimes I wonder how you think about it now. And I see your face in every crowd. Cause darling, it was good never looking down. And right there where we stood was holy ground. Tonight I’m gonna dance for all that we’ve been through. But I don’t wanna dance if I’m not dancing with you. Tonight I’m gonna dance like you were in this room. But I don’t wanna dance if I’m not dancing with you”

sad beautiful tragic - sally to poseidon

“Long handwritten note deep in your pocket Words, how little they mean when you're a little too late I stood right by the tracks, your face in a locket Good girls, hopeful they'll be and long they will wait We had a beautiful magic love there What a sad beautiful tragic love affair In dreams I meet you in warm conversation We both wake in lonely beds, different cities And time is taking its sweet time erasing you And you've got your demons, and, darling, they all look like me”

the lucky one - percy jackson

“And they tell you that you’re lucky. But you’re so confused, 'Cause you don’t feel pretty, you just feel used. And all the young things line up to take your place. Another name goes up in lights. You wonder if you’ll make it out alive. And they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one. Yeah, they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one. Can you tell me now, you’re the lucky one, oh, oh, oh.”

everything has changed - jason & reyna

'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello" And your eyes look like coming home All I know is a simple name Everything has changed All I know is you held the door And you'll be mine and I'll be yours All I know since yesterday is everything has changed Come back and tell me why I'm feeling like I've missed you all this time, oh, oh, oh And meet me there tonight And let me know that it's not all in my mind”

starlight - frank & hazel

He said, "Look at you: worrying too much about things you can't change. You'll spend your whole life singing the blues if you keep thinking that way." He was tryna skip rocks on the ocean, saying to me, "Don't you see the starlight, starlight? Don't you dream impossible things?" Like "Oh my, what a marvelous tune." It was the best night, never would forget how we moved The whole place was dressed to the nines, And we were dancing, dancing Like we're made of starlight, starlight Like we're made of starlight, starlight

begin again - nico & will

“You said you never met someone Who had as many James Taylor records as you But I do We tell stories and you don't know why I'm coming off a little shy But I do But you throw your head back laughing like a little kid I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did I've been spending the last eight months Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again”

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perseusjackson-jasongrace · 4 years

Text

A Summer by Your Side

Percabeth Fic

I know I can't believe it either?!?! A fic about a couple that ISNT jercy????? Who possessed me?!?

All jokes aside, this was great fun to write! Also no it's not the usual Percabeth dynamic but I kinda loved a shy-Annabeth and a sweet-Percy :)

Anyway I hope you guys enjoy and maybe I'll be able to write some jercy this weekend.

Masterlist for more crackships and other stuff

-------------------------------------------------

Ah Greece, with its bleached white walls, and ocean blue roofs; it's soft sand and cool waters. Its— goats?

"Watch out," a mop of dark hair came barreling around the corner hands reaching for the string around the animal's neck.

I jumped back, flattening myself against the wall just as the goat screamed past me.

"Stop! Don't go into the book shop please don't," The brown haired girl pleaded, still racing after the blur of white.

I ran after them, set on helping. By the time I reached the book shop however the girl had captured the goat and was angrily yanking it back up the pathway.

"Glad you caught it!" I smiled, trying to regulate my breathing after the whole two hundred meters I sprinted.

"He is the worst! He always escapes and my dumb brother makes me run after it."

The girl, I now realised, couldn't be more than eight or nine.

"I'm sorry kid, but at least you got him before he went into the store? I heard goats aren't the friendliest with paper."

"They aren't friendly with anything. Especially this old prickly pear," She scowled.

"Well how about me and you go for icecream after you deliver the package to its rightful place?" I offered.

She gave me a suspicious look, "Why would you wanna take me for icecream?"

"To thank you for warning me to get out the way." I ruffled her hair.

She swatted my hand away but grinned at me, "Okay! I'll meet you back here in two hours."

And before I could agree she was gone. I giggled at her energy and walked into the bookstore.

"Can I er, help you with something?" A rich voice broke through my haze.

"I must look like a tourist huh?" I laughed, turning around to face....the most beautiful person I had ever seen.

Thick dark hair stuck up in all angles. Ocean green eyes that stared into the deepest parts of you. A white shirt that offset the burnt golden of his skin.

I cleared my throat, "Wow, I'm sorry, yea I'm looking for a book on Greek culture? My friend wants it for her project."

He smirked at my eye roll, "I see, well you'd be in the wrong section for culture since it's on that side." He pointed to a shelf on the far end of the store, grinning.

"Right uh well, I suppose trying to read the labels when you don't understand any Greek is a bit pointless." I smiled sheepishly.

"How about I pick out a book for your friend and then give you a tour of the English section?" Mirth danced in those emerald eyes.

I frowned at his amusement but nodded, following after him.

"Now tell me, what do you like to read?"

We walked through the isles and he gave me his insights on the best Greek fiction. I told him about my ever growing collection at home.

"The shop is my collection. I share a room with my little sister. We barely have enough space for us, nevermind a shelf of books."

I laughed, "Well this is a pretty impressive collection Mr....."

"Percy, my name is Percy." He smiled softly.

"Annabeth," I tucked a stray curl behind my ear.

"Wow that is beautiful. You are beautiful,"

I blushed, thanking him.

"How about we go for dinner tomorrow night?"

My eyes grew as wide as saucers, "Like a date?"

His eyes danced with amusement, "Yes a date, kardiá mu."

"Okay, and what does cah- car-" I fumbled over the greek word, "What does that word mean?"

He simply smiled at me, turning to walk to the counter. Before I could protest the small girl from before waltzed into the shop.

"Hello, I'm ready for ice-cream!"

"Estelle what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the goat house." Percy scolded.

"Your dumb goat got out again and I had to catch it. This nice lady said she'd take me for icecream because I made sure the goat didn't hurt her." The little girl, who fast took on a striking resemblance to Percy, huffed.

"You two are siblings?" I piped up

Percy nodded, still surveying little Estelle

"Fine if she offered then you can go, but don't forget you have to help mom with the gyros tonight."

"Yea yea," She grumbled before grabbing my hand and yanking me out.

"Must we bring you back a cone?" I managed to yell to Percy.

"Chocolate please!"

And then Estelle and I were gone, racing to the icecream hut a few roads down.

Over the next weeks, while my friend researched for her project, lazed around the villa, and sauntered down to the beach every few days I spent more and more time at the bookshop.

Percy and I never ran out of things to talk about. I learnt that he had grown up in Santorini but moved to Naxos when he was 16, for an internship with his Dad. He's been here ever since. In return I told him about life as a city girl and how I fell in love with Greece for the cheesy reason that Greek Mythology was one of my favourite subjects.

He showed me around the island, and spoiled me with icecream and books. We were often buried up on the beanbags in the bookshop, him reading to me or I to him. Sometimes we'd take Estelle to the arcade or watch her at the skate park.

One day about six weeks into the summer he and I managed to grab some food and a blanket and decided to have a picnic on the beach.

He laid out the checkered cloth and nestled the basket in one corner before grabbing my hand and pulling me down towards him.

I laughed as I fell into him, but settled comfortably by his side.

He turned to me, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Your eyes kardiá mu, are so beautiful."

I immediately looked away, already trying to deny the compliment.

He lifted my chin with his finger so I was staring at him again, "You do not have to look away from me. You are so gorgeous and you should know it."

I smiled at him, "Thank you. And I hope you know I think you're gorgeous too."

"Yes, I know," He smirked, "You were blushing like a ruby the first time we met."

I smacked his chest but laughed, "Horrible tease."

He laughed with me, and I watched in awe as his eyes sparkled like the ocean, hair flopping over his face.

I couldn't resist the urge to lean over and kiss that smile. Before I knew it my lips were on his and the world had ended.

He returned it in equal passion, pulling me towards him until our bodies were flush against each other.

"I am so glad you did that," He husked.

"Me too," I breathed.

And with his answering grin the new world began.

The last weeks of summer rolled by in a blur of fruit platters, book chats, icecream dates and beach walks. Before we knew it I was shoving my last dress into my bag and ruffling Estelle's hair for the last time.

Percy and I promised to stay in touch, but it did not make saying goodbye any easier.

Our summer had finally come to a close; I was due back in the big city to start on my honours year and he was about to start on renovations for his mom's bookstore.

Our last hug lasted for many minutes as all our moments squashed themselves between us.

"Thank you for everything Percy." Tears pricked my eyes.

"I will miss you, kardiá mu."

I huffed a laugh at the familiar nickname and decided to ask one more time, "What does it mean?"

He put my hand to his chest, and let me feel the beating drums.

"This is what it means."

"My heart," I echoed softly, looking up at him in awe.

He simply drew me in for another hug, kissing my forehead.

"Until we meet again."

"Until then," I nodded.

I stepped onto the boat that would take me home.

#Percabeth #i bloody love percabeth #Percabeth fic #Percy Jackson #Annabeth chase #Percy #Jackson #Annabeth #Chase #PJO #Greece #fanfiction #Baby fanfic #baby fanfic series #Baby fanfiction #PJSSG series #Lol believe it or not I actually do love Percabeth

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percyjacksonfan3 · 7 years

Text

Finding Home (Part Nine)

Part One: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home

Part Two: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home-part-two

Part Three: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home-part-three

Part Four: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home-part-four

Part Five: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home-part-fiive

Part Six: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home-part-six

Part Seven: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home-part-seven

Part Eight: http://percyjacksonfan3.tumblr.com/post/164310003982/finding-home-part-eight

Percy had really thought for a while that there was no way things could get worse.

Which was stupid; obviously when it came to him, things could always get worse.

Seriously though, he’d really thought things were gonna work out. Or at least have the semblance of working out. His plan had seemed to be going well- the giant had agreed to leave and get Percy his ‘supplies’ and hey, that was the first obstacle overcome.

Of course that was when everything fell to pieces. Seriously, Percy can’t ever remember his luck turning so quickly and so drastically.

After eating his dinner of scrambled eggs Percy had dozed. Aristaeus had muttered about ‘refueling’ and ‘having one last thing to get done’ before he went to sleep. Percy had tried to stay awake and pay attention but he’d found himself with a full stomach for the first time in hours and couldn’t help it; his eyelids drifted shut.

It was a short lived sleep. What must have been only a few hours later- though it was quite dark outside- Percy had been awoken by a loud thump outside and what sounded like wingbeats.

Like a certain golden automaton dragon’s wingbeats.

His eyes had shot open and Percy had pushed himself up on the futon, trying to see outside of the cave. He’d slowly gotten up, mindful of his still present injuries, and hobbled towards the mouth of the cave.

The sudden appearance of Aristaeus’ arm blocking his path made him stop.

“Stay very still demigod.”

The tone had been deadly quiet and deadly serious. Percy had looked over from where he was frozen to see the giant beside him and looking out of the cave intently.

“Shh,” the giant warned him, bringing the hand in front of Percy up to place a finger on his lips and complete the gesture.

Percy watched as Aristaeus moved slowly towards the mouth of the cave, taking in the giant’s expression and seeing something it took him a moment to recognize.

The giant looked worried.

Percy noted the huge battle axe strapped to the giant’s back and his mouth went dry.

“What is it?” Percy croaked, swallowing to clear his throat.

“Silence.” Aristaeus hushed him without even looking back. “If you move forward anymore, I will kill you, Perseus, believe that.”

Percy watched the giant’s back in horror as Aristaeus moved to the opening of the cave and shouted, “Hurry up! There are demigods coming after you!”

He wasn’t talking to Percy, but that didn’t matter. He couldn’t stop himself from taking a few steps, but the giant didn’t notice. Aristaeus didn’t need to stop him because the sight that met him when his eyes finally adjusted was enough to make him halt.

Leo was dragging a body towards the two of them.

“I’m coming!” Leo yelled in response over his shoulder. Percy was stuck watching wide eyed and felt dread curdle inside of him when Leo’s eyes shifted to meet his. “Hey, Percy.”

He shook his head, trying to quickly make sense of what was going on. “Leo? What are you-”

His mouth snapped shut as Percy realized what was happening. Of course. Aristaeus had shown Percy the extent of his powers multiple times and Percy had been the one to suspect Leo of being controlled back before he was kidnapped. He should have put together that it was Aristaeus controlling Leo; there was no other explanation, that was obviously what was happening right now.

Percy’s mind raced. What should he do? Keep his cover of being on the giant’s side? Go along with whatever they were doing?

His eyes caught on the mortal Leo was lying at Aristaeus’ feet. He looked up and saw the giant lick his lips, a hungry look in his eyes.

“What’s she for?” Percy asked, remembering the night with the Chimera. The other dead woman, the glowing circle, Aristaeus bathed in dark light.

Aristaeus looked at Percy as if he’d forgotten him, which was unlike the meticulous immortal Percy had come to know and, frankly, a little insulting. “Magic comes at a price, Perseus. You should know better than anybody, were you not the bearer of the Achilles Curse for a while?”

Percy’s hand shot to Riptide in his pocket before he could stop it. A fuzzy memory of Aristaeus standing in the middle of a circle of glowing lines at the forefront of his mind and Percy gasped. “You’re going to kill her for- for magic?”

Aristaeus was looking out of the cave again, unconcerned with Percy. “One of them is fighting me already.”

“One of- what are you talking about?”

“Oh, the others followed me.” Leo said unconcerned while Aristaeus looked out of the cave and muttered. “Hazel is stripping away the glamour over the cave right now and it’s taking a lot of Aristaeus’ strength to fight her.” He finally stood up from where he’d been bending over.

Percy finally looked at what his friend had been doing. Leo had been busy making a replica of the circle from before, the one Percy had seen that night he’d fought the Chimera. Inside of it was a six-pointed star. The points touched the edge of the circle and in the spaces between the star and the circle there were other symbols.

Percy looked closer, realization filling him as he slowly started the recognize the drawings. The star itself was an Ancient Greek symbol for a conjoining of the four elements, earth, water, air and fire, meaning as above, so below. In the top right space was the symbol for earth drawn once more, an upside down triangle with a triangle cutting off the bottom’s tip. Going clockwise, the next was one of immortality, followed by magick, enchantment, strength and lastly the symbol for the past.

The lines were drawn in ash. Leo had burnt the circle onto the floor, leaving soot behind.

The giant looked down to where the mortal was at his feet and lifted her with one hand to place her in the middle of the circle.

Percy couldn’t stop himself.

“No!” He threw himself forward, not sure what he was going to do and not sure what exactly it was that he was stopping. All he knew was that he couldn’t let this woman die- if she was still alive.

The giant let out a sigh as if he’d been expecting it and Percy was scooped up in one of his hands before he knew what was happening. The mortal was placed in the middle of the star, slumped over to lay on the ground.

“Leo,” Percy choked past the death-grip Aristaeus had him in. “What did you do?”

Leo looked up at him and Percy could pinpoint the exact moment he regained control of himself. Instead of a blank expression his eyes grew wide, his face paled and he stared at the mortal with horror. “Oh my gods-”

His voice was a higher pitch than usual from fear, but it was definitely Leo speaking. Fingers tightened around Percy and Aristaeus cursed.

“This is falling apart,” the giant muttered to himself and Percy blinked and looked at him. “If you had only listened and joined me-”

Percy was distracted by the sight that greeted him outside of the cave. Before when he’d looked he hadn’t seen anything. Now he saw...

Annabeth.

There she was, standing with their friends, sword in hand, looking absolutely livid. Around her were Frank, Jason and Piper. He saw Hazel sitting astride Arion standing a bit behind them.

His friends. They’d actually found him.

And Annabeth.

Gods, she was here.

“Annabeth!” Percy called before he choked, feeling the air flow to his lungs cut off suddenly.

“Shut up!” The giant roared. “She can’t hear you!”

“Percy!” Leo yelled, scrambling to come closer and glaring at Aristaeus. “You want some of this, snake eyes?”

He held up his hands and Percy squeezed his eyes shut, hoping Leo knew how to aim the fire that would come shooting from his hands, but nothing came.

“What-” Leo looked at his hands in confusion, fear creeping into his expression.

Percy cursed in his head. He opened his mouth and tried to explain that the giant was suppressing their powers but no sound came out.

Leo met his eyes and then looked at Aristaeus.

Then he did what any rational person would have.

He ran.

Aristaeus snapped the hand that wasn’t currently holding onto Percy out and grabbed Leo as well. “Not so fast, son of the fire god.”

Leo went limp so suddenly that Percy was afraid he was dead, thinking the giant had somehow crushed him. He would have yelled out if Aristaeus wasn’t controlling him and making sure his mouth didn’t move an inch.

“Pluto’s daughter is stronger than I anticipated.” Aristaeus muttered and Percy had no choice but to listen, looking at Hazel who did indeed seem like she was saying something. She was holding a hand out and muttering and for a second, just a second, Percy thought he saw the air shimmer.

She’s going to bring them down, Percy realized. The wards were really going to fall. Hazel’s stronger than him.

He looked down at the mortal and the drawn circle that would glow with the right incantation and Percy fit more of the pieces together.

The mortal was for Aristaeus to gain strength. His magic came from draining others

All of the dead mortals hadn’t been the Chimera. It had been the giant that was currently holding Percy. He used them to make his magic grow stronger and without them he grew weak. Once he’d drained their life from them he gave them to the monster to eat.

Which reminded him. Percy looked around but didn’t see the Chimera anywhere and he tried to open his mouth again, to warn his friends.

Leo had been the one Aristaeus used to bring him a mortal. But he’d been too late because now their friends were here and he didn’t have time to perform whatever ceremony he needed to.

He was weak. Percy suspected if they could fight him long enough that he would completely lose his power and grow so tired they could actually beat him.

He looked back at Leo and saw his eyes moving beneath his eyelids and relief swept through him.

“I have to let the wards down,” Aristaeus continued speaking. “And I must release this demigod from my control. But you, Perseus, you will not speak.”

Percy felt his lips clamp even tighter closed against his will and felt sweat bead at his temples from the strength it was taking him to try and speak.

Percy watched as Aristaeus set Leo down as the demigod opened his eyes. Turned towards their friends, Leo looked about to speak before he was pushed forward, and he stumbled as he passed from the mouth of the cave to eventually stand up straight outside it.

The others froze and all eyes turned to him.

Percy saw a rustle in the trees behind them all, saw a large four-legged creature with a golden-yellow mane and realization him him.

“Guys?” Leo looked at each of their friends and Percy fought harder to speak than ever before. Aristaeus stepped forward once, then again, hovering just behind the line where the cave ended and grass began. Just out of his friends sight.

“You have no god on your side,” Aristaeus muttered to Percy as his friends spoke to one another feet away from him. None of them seemed to be able to see or hear the giant and Percy tried to get their attention, but his arms were pinned to his sides and the giant’s grip was firm. “No matter what you do to me, you can’t kill me. I have a Chimera and am invincible. This is a hopeless fight. Make them surrender and leave and I will spare you all.”

Percy looked over from the Chimera’s shadow behind all of his friends to meet the giant’s eyes. For a second he was tempted to do what Aristaeus asked. They’d formed a strange relationship over the past couple of days. It wasn’t friendship, they weren’t equals, but Percy felt that he inherently understood the giant.

They’d backed him into a corner here. One the giant had forced himself into, by kidnapping Percy and wanting to end Olympus, but a corner all the same.

All Aristaeus wanted was his family back. He’d been nicer to Percy than other enemies would have been. He still hadn’t killed him, though it was the smartest thing to do. A part of Percy felt sorry for him.

Without letting him reply Aristaeus stepped forward and Percy felt layers and layers of magic falling from him. He finally heard what his friends were saying. He saw as they all noticed the giant and if his eyes hadn’t been locked on Annabeth, he would have seen them all notice Percy in Aristaeus’ grip. He heard the gasps, he heard Hazel’s stream of incantation falter and he listened as Jason cried out.

For a second Percy wondered what he must look like. He’d never gotten to use any of that toothpaste, fresh clothes or deodorant Leo had brought with him. Stupidly Percy wondered about his hair before remembering there was a bandage hiding most of it.

Then he shook himself out of it. Annabeth had seen him look worse and now was not the time for his vanity to make a reappearance.

He tried to say something. He attempts were, ‘hi,’ and, ‘what have you guys been up to the past couple of days,’ and also, ‘could you please kill this guy so I can go home now?’

Nothing escaped his lips.

But the relief he saw written plain across Annabeth’s face was mirrored on his own and he hoped that said enough. “Percy,” she breathed out, and his heart gave a painful thump.

“Demigods, we’ve been waiting for you!” Aristaeus crowed happily. You never would have known the guy was practically having a nervous breakdown a few minutes ago. “Are you all ready to die?”

oooOOOooo

That’s the moment Frank can say things really went haywire.

If he’d been watching the giant like the others he wouldn’t have caught it in time. But he and Annabeth had been watching Percy, so they’d seen his eyes widen in alarm at the sight of something behind them.

Frank had enough sense to tackle Piper and Jason to the ground as the Chimera had jumped from the trees and landed with one clawed paw exactly where Frank had been standing a few moments ago.

Someone screamed. It could have been him. Arion whinnied, so high-pitched it made Frank wince, and Festus roared, whirling around from where he’d be standing beside Hazel to face the monster and stand in front of Leo protectively.

Annabeth used the monster as a distraction and charged the giant.

Immediately it moved forwards and made to grab her, but Annabeth darted to the side and avoided his grasp.

Frank would have gone to help but he was brought back to the present by Leo yelling, “Frank, move!”

He jumped up, turning into an eagle and flapped his wings, barely avoiding the Chimera. When he looked down the scene he saw made his stomach tighten from anxiety.

Arion was running circles around the Chimera with Hazel on his back, swiping at the monster with her spatha. She couldn’t get close enough to it though, because the tail was trying to strike her.

Fear made his blood slow down in his veins when Frank saw the tail was a viper with huge, hideous fangs and that those fangs were inches away from Hazel.

Jason was trying to distract the Chimera’s lion head, yelling insults and Frank noted the thunder clouds that were gathering very quickly overhead. Piper was murmuring soothingly to it, her voice layered in charmspeak, and Frank caught one word- sleep- before he turned his focus away, lest he fall asleep in the sky and plummet to the ground.

It was Leo that was making the most headway however. He was moving towards the Chimera and the threat of fire wasn’t bothering him in the slightest. In fact, Leo was throwing huge orbs of fire towards the monster, making it yowl in frustration and pain after it had tried to bat one away with a paw.

Then there was Annabeth who had run up to the giant and stabbed it in the foot, making the huge figure scream out in pain and drop Percy.

“Annabeth!” Percy yelled, seeming to have regained his ability to speak and Frank moved forward without hesitating, changing shape in midair to become a dragon.

He grabbed Percy just as Annabeth turned to see him, face pale and yelling “Percy!”

Frank felt Percy’s breath whoosh out of him at the sudden jolt of being caught midair but he didn’t let go. The giant roared and surged forward towards him and Frank roared.

He hurriedly put Percy on the ground and Annabeth ran up to him, speaking hurriedly, hands hovering over the multiple bandages that covered him, but Frank didn’t stick around to pay attention.

He rose up in the air to face the giant and met it’s eyes.

“The shapeshifter,” the words were a growl and Frank felt fear scrape down his spine like a cold blade. “You would be useful.”

Frank dove forwards and tried to scratch the giant, but the huge axe swinging through the air stopped him, making him veer out of the way. He tried again, keeping his momentum to circle around behind the giant and managed to claw at it’s left shoulder.

He howled in protest and pain and before Frank could celebrate his victory the axe was swinging around again and piercing his shoulder.

He roared at the sensation and felt the burning rip in his shoulder as the blade was pulled away. Dimly he was aware of Hazel’s call of “Frank!” before he plummeted to the ground.

Frank’s shape changed to a human only seconds after he crashed to the ground and he found himself yelling out from the pain radiating through his body.

Shapes appeared over him and he heard Hazel yelling somewhere “Go to him!”, but he only managed to see Festus rising up in the sky, teeth whirring angrily and jaws opening to shoot fire at the giant.

Festus swiped and managed to rake a single claw across the giant’s face. The giant’s right eye would have been blinded if he hadn’t pulled away in time, but instead all Festus did was leave a scratch from above the giant’s eye to end at the the apple of his cheek.

Warmth fills Frank even as Annabeth rolled him onto his side, hurting him with the movement. Percy was feeding him ambrosia squares and Frank ate numbly, unaware of what he was doing.

He had never thought the dragon liked him that much.

Then everything went black.

oooOOOooo

“Annabeth, he’s passed out!” Percy’s hands roved over his friend, patting his cheeks, checking his heartbeat- which was still strong, but slowing down- and he saw steam coming from Frank’s skin. No more ambrosia then.

“I know!” Annabeth said back to him, teeth gritted together as she rooted through her pack. “I-I have bandages in here somewhere-”

Jason came to kneel beside Percy. “What can I do?” He asked hurriedly. “Hey,” he directed to Percy quickly. “Boy am I happy to see you.”

Percy met his eyes and nodded. “I know the feeling.”

They shared a quick tired smile before Annabeth shoved bandages into Percy’s hands. “Start wrapping,” she instructed, and Percy did, looping the gauze around Frank’s shoulder, passing it to Jason to do the back.

It took less than 5 minutes and was a shoddy job, but Annabeth whipped out safety pins and started pinning the bandages in place.

Her hands were shaking, Percy saw and he looked up to see tears in her eyes.

“Someone needs to stay with him-”

A roar from Festus made all of them look over only for the sight of Festus’ neck caught in one of Aristaeus’ hands to greet them.

The giant let his axe clatter to the ground and caught Festus’ right back leg with his other hand. Percy watched as the muscles in the giant’s arms bulged and a few seconds later Festus’ joints gave an unhealthy groan and his leg was ripped off and throw away.

Leo looked up at that second from where he’d been standing in front of the Chimera and screamed. “Festus!”

The dragon’s jaw creaked and Percy swore his glowing red eyes looked pained as Aristaeus dropped him to the ground, picked up his axe and cackled with glee. “Goodbye dragon!” The giant said and brought the axe swinging down to sever the automaton’s head from his body.

The red eyes dulled, the jaw stopped moved and Festus was no more.

Percy’s hand shot out to grip Annabeth’s automatically, feeling her squeeze his in return. Leo screamed and Hazel cried out to warn him but it was too late, the Chimera was opening it’s mouth and let loose a huge stream of fire directly where Leo was standing.

Jason yelled in anguish from beside Percy, but it was drowned out by another sound.

“NO!” Piper’s voice reverberated around the clearing. “No, stop, Leo-!”

The giant hefted his blade back up and looked around before grinning wickedly and, meeting Percy’s eyes, lifting a foot to stomp on Festus’ head.

When he stepped back the head was completely destroyed. Metal was mangled and bent and Percy looked at what remained of Festus and wondered how Leo or anybody else would ever be able to fix him.

Rage filled him and Percy felt the strength he’d been missing in the cave fill him.

“Stay with Frank!” He yelled before surging forward, taking Riptide from his pocket and uncapping the sword, rushing towards the giant.

He heard Annabeth curse behind him and say something to Jason, but he focused on the sudden presence that appeared next to him.

When he glanced over Leo's face was murderous and for a second Percy felt a flash of pity for the giant, because there was no way that Aristaeus was making it out of this encounter alive if the look on Leo’s face was any indication.

"Ready?" Leo bit out to Percy as the giant turned and grinned down at them.

Percy’s eyes met those of Aristaeus and for a second he wondered if the giant felt even the slightest bit sorry. He’d seen that this giant had emotions, much like Damasen, and Percy thinks if things had turned out different, Aristaeus might not have been their enemy. He had tried to stand up to his siblings and been punished for it. All he was trying to do now was bring his family back so that he didn’t have to be alone.

But Percy had a family too, people he had to protect. And Aristaeus threatened that.

Percy rolled his shoulders, blocking out any sympathy he felt for the giant as he did so, feeling the muscles pop as he placed the last square of ambrosia he'd been about to feed Frank on his tongue. The taste of cookies soothed his words. "Oh yeah."

Together they charged and Percy saw Aristaeus' face change from gleeful to serious.

Percy grinned and the giant zoomed in on him for a second before he shifted to look at who appeared beside him.

"Thought I'd let you two do this alone?" Annabeth asked cheekily and met Percy's look with a grin.

"Never," Percy said and he bit back a sudden laugh when Annabeth lifted her Yankee's cap to her head and disappeared, making Aristaeus howl.

"Tricks!" He called, swinging his axe in front of him in case Annabeth managed to sneak past Leo and Percy. "I have tricks too, demigods, would you like to see?"

His eyes glinted and Percy felt his limbs slow and when his eyes looked over he noticed Leo moving as if in slow motion.

"No!" Hazel yelled, and she turned her attention from the Chimera to the giant, palms out. Even Arion was slower, though slow motion for him just meant normal horse speed. The Chimera however was moving just as fast as ever and his tail whipped out to bite one of Arion's ankles.

No words were escaping Piper's mouth and her eyes were wide with fear.

Until a blast of pure, untainted magic erupted from Hazel as Arion collapsed beneath her. She jumped from the horse's back and rolled to stand up, facing the giant rage on her face. "This is for Frank." She spat, eyes glowing fiercely, and Percy felt a spark of fear towards this girl who he'd always thought of as a little sister. "And for my horse." Hazel’s eyes glowed, golden and furious, and Percy watched as Aristaeus staggered, clutching his chest and howling at an unseen wound.

Hazel’s magic touched Piper and she unfroze, moving forward quicker than anybody could have expected with her dagger in hand to leap up and stab the Chimera right in the eye.

The tail whipped forward to bite at her shoulder, but Jason was there first, using his gladius to swipe and slash the newly regenerated snake's head deeply enough to send it whipping back.

The Chimera yowled and it was then that Percy realized his limbs weren't frozen anymore and Leo was feet ahead of him already, hands glowing.

He glanced over and noted Hazel and a limping Arion moving to settle beside Frank, Hazel holding her hands over Frank's shoulder and muttering, eyes still glowing. Arion was staggering, falling to the ground, and Percy wondered how long the poison would take to kill the magic horse.

He remembered the feeling of that poison in his own veins, burning through his blood, dizzying his vision. It took seconds, minutes maybe, but not long.

Percy looked towards Aristaeus and saw him take all of this in as he slowly stood up straight again. The giant was just opening his mouth and raising his hands to do more damage before he cried out and staggered.

When Percy blinked he saw Annabeth appear behind the giant, sword in hand and blood from the cut she'd just made on the back of the giant's leg dripping from the blade. Her cap fell from her head, falling to land on the ground, and she didn’t have time to pick it up, instead dodging Aristaeus as he quickly turned around to face her.

Percy noted the cut was already healing, the ichor that escaped slowing to a trickle before stopping altogether.

“Fool,” Aristaeus cursed at Annabeth and Percy felt himself speeding up. “You could join me, girl. We could recreate the world in your image.”

Annabeth’s grip shifted on her sword and Percy saw her swallow, even if nobody else did. He knew Annabeth’s fatal flaw, and he knew, however much she might try to deny it, that a small part of her always thought she should be in charge. Compared to the gods, Percy thought she’d definitely be an upgrade.

But Percy also knew Annabeth enough not to worry about the giant’s offer. Her words backed up his faith in her.

“I’ve had that offer before.” Annabeth hefted her sword up in a ready stance and met Percy’s eyes briefly before looking back up at Aristaeus. “So, thanks, but no thanks.”

The giant opened his mouth but didn’t say anything else because Percy stabbed him once more in the back of the leg with Riptide. He clung on as the giant fell to one knee and used the movement to push himself up, one hand reaching up to the waistline of Aristaeus’ leather skirt. He pulled, heaving his weight, and swung Riptide up again to stab the giant’s back until he finally made his way up onto the giant’s shoulders.

“What- Perseus-” The warning was lost when the giant had to turn and face Leo who’d shot a fireball at him.

“Hey ugly!” Leo yelled. “This is for Festus!”

‘This’ was a fireball to the face and Percy nimbly dodged the flames, slashing at the giant’s neck and ending up cutting off a patch of braided hair before sliding down an arm and landing on the ground.

Aristaeus was screaming in pain and as Leo managed to conjure up another ball of flame, this one significantly smaller than the previous, he slashed the air with his axe wildly, looking for any target.

Percy noticed Jason call down a flash of lightning and watched as it slammed just inches away from the Chimera, only missing it because the Chimera dodged towards Jason, claws out and reaching.

“Stop!” Piper screamed and for a second everybody except her froze where they were, even the Chimera was hanging still in midair, a second longer than physics should have allowed. Piper used the moment to throw herself at Jason and slam him to the ground, making the Chimera sail over them before it hurriedly turned around, meeting their eyes again as both Jason and Piper stood up hurriedly.

Percy’s eyes shifted to Hazel and Frank and saw her still bending over him, hands moving, mouth muttering and face creased in a frown. Percy swallowed, seeing the drawn, pale look on Hazel’s face, but he saw Frank’s eyes flutter and noticed him shifting before letting out a groan of pain and some of his worry eased.

Annabeth came up beside him and Percy met her eyes, knowing she was taking everything in as well. For the moment the giant was occupied with Leo, both of them dancing around Festus’ ruined remains.

In that second all Percy wanted was to wrap Annabeth in his arms and hold her tight, to breathe in the smell of her hair and feel her heartbeat against his chest. He’d missed her so damn much and now she was here and once again they were fighting for their lives.

“Game plan?” He asked instead, seeing her grey eyes roving the clearing and taking everybody in. He could practically see the plan forming behind her eyes.

She looked back at him, pain in her eyes. “Percy, without a god-”

“I know.” He said, meeting her gaze steadily. “But right now he won’t let us leave alive.”

He saw her flinch. “There’s something you should know. Rachel gave me a prophecy and-”

“Uh, guys I know you were just reunited and everything, but a little help would be nice!” Leo yelled, narrowly jumping back from Aristaeus throwing some kind of conjured lightning at him. “Like now!”

Without another word the two of them jumped forward, Percy moving to stand beside Leo, who was trying to bring more fire to his palms but managing only flickers.

Percy saw him breathe deeply and noted the sweat on his brow. Annabeth was helping up Piper, who had been knocked down by a sudden move by the Chimera while Jason yelled and called down another blast of lightning, this one weaker, but catching the Chimera’s tail end. The monster yowled and Jason moved forward to strike, slashing the throat but having his blade glance off when it hit a collar instead of fur.

His blade clattered out of his hand and the Chimera shook itself and advanced. Piper wasn’t responding to Annabeth and Percy saw her head loll onto her shoulder as Annabeth tried to drag her over to Hazel and Frank. Frank was still unconscious, though looking like he had more blood in his features and his face wasn’t contorted in pain anymore as he lay resting. Hazel was slumped against a collapsed Arion, whose stomach was heaving. Percy saw the whites of the horse’s eyes and heard the pain (and cursing) as Arion let out a call of warning to the girls just in time for Annabeth to turn and slash the Chimera’s tail again. The blade was knocked out of her hand as she did and she had a choice between continuing to drag Piper or try and pick it up.

Leo tried summoning another ball of fire and managed it, only for the flames to sputter out seconds later. He was frantically pulling things out of his toolbelt and eventually, after throwing away a pack of breath mints and toothpicks, he pulled out his smithy hammer.

His arms were shaking as he lifted it up.

“Is this it?” Aristaeus spread his arms and taunted. The axe gleamed wickedly and Percy randomly noted that it was dawn. The sun was rising, slowly, but it was rising.

If you feel like helping anytime, Percy thought up to Apollo, now would really be appreciated.

No gods or godly symbols appeared. Instead Aristaeus called the Chimera over to stand beside him and surveyed the tired teenagers in front of him.

“This is all who come to rescue the famous Perseus Jackson?” The giant spun around to yell. “Where are the gods now, demigods? You see how much your parents love you? Show me your reinforcements from your camps! Where is their help? What happened to the rest of your friends? You’re alone, you’re injured and too tired to fight! Join me, half-bloods. I am not unfair, this I would swear to you all. Even Perseus can agree. I was never malicious and I know all of you can understand my meaning when I say that the gods do not deserve to rule as they do. Zeus does not deserve it. My family has made mistakes, grave mistakes that many would think of as unforgivable, I do not deny it. But you are gracious demigods, and you are wise. You see the value in learning from the past and you see that the gods must change. How did they thank you after you saved the world, saved their world, from defeat at the hands of my mother? Did they shower you with gifts? Offer immortality? No, they did nothing, not a word of thanks, and instead cast out one of their own, blaming Phoebus Apollo, sending him to your doorstep and starting more trouble, leading to more war and more casualties of your friends and family. How many comrades did you lose against the Triumvirate in the war? How many demigods littered the battlefield of New Rome? The satyr Grover Underwood, a friend to you all, was nearly driven insane by having to return to the Labyrinth. You, Leo Valdez, were drawn into the fight earlier than anybody else. Your relationship with Calypso was tested and almost didn’t survive, causing you to hide in the Huntress’ safe house to repair it, away from anything else that might cause it harm. How does she feel about you being here now, instead of with her?

“And you, Aphrodite’s daughter.” He turned to Piper, who was clutching her head and sitting beside Frank. When she looked up to the giant though, her eyes flashed with fury and Percy saw Aristaeus stiffen. “All you want is a life with your boyfriend and for your dad to care about you, yes? You try going to school in Los Angeles, ignoring the monster attacks that plague you both daily, trying to be normal, but how often is your dad home? He couldn’t handle the truth about you or your mother, why do you still cling to the hope that someday he might? If he knew do you think he’d be proud of you?” Piper flinched and Percy looked between her and the giant, confused at the words, knowing there was something he was missing. “You think he would look at you,” Aristaeus finished softly, “and see anything but a manipulative goddess and murderous daughter?”

Piper’s face paled and Jason, who had moved towards her as soon as the Chimera was situated beside the giant, glared up at him. “That’s enough. Why are we even-”

“Ah, the son of Jupiter.” Aristaeus’ eyes glinted. “So moral, always so good. Unwaveringly so. Does it hurt to be so angelic all the time?” The giant’s smile was wicked. “So different from your mother. But of course, you wouldn’t remember her, would you?”

Rage was building in Percy but he didn’t know what to say to combat the giant’s words. They were like finely honed knives, striking the weakest places in each of them, crippling their defenses.

“Even if she’d lived, demigod, you would have grown to hate her. Your sister only stayed because of you, and once you were gone she left too. How does that feel, having your mother give you up to the Olympian Queen without a thought? Having your sister accept your death within days, never trying to look for you or speaking of you to anybody. Never looking for a body or having a funeral. Not even her closest friends knew about you.” Aristaeus gestured to Annabeth. “It bothers you, doesn’t it? The first time you were stolen you were a toddler and nobody came looking for you. The second time, years later, was the same. What search parties came for you all those months you were at Camp Half-Blood, hmm? What did your friend Reyna do? What about your cohort? Your Roman family?”

Aristaeus sneered. “They did nothing. Because you were just another loss. It weakened them, but that was all your disappearance was. A spot to be filled, a rank to replace. A loss of leadership and power. I wonder,” Aristaeus mused, “if I had stolen you away, instead of Perseus, would your friends have come back? Would they have cared? I doubt we’d be here now, in this clearing, with these people fighting to save someone they lost. What do you think?”

Jason’s mouth was open but he made no move to speak, looking as if someone had just struck him.

“Jason-” Piper reached a trembling hand out to him, voice pleading.

“You’re a liar.” Leo’s voice cut through the clearing. “Of course we would come for Jason, you foul-mouthed, slimy, green-”

“Oh, Leo.” Aristaeus looked almost pitying as he turned to him. “Am I to believe you would come save Jason when you allowed him to think you were dead for months?”

Leo, Jason, Annabeth and Piper all flinched.

“I suppose it’s to be expected. You distanced yourself from the people who cared about you, ruining your friendships and whatever trust you might have had because you were so used to being alone. Isn’t that right, Leo? Ever since your mother left you, ever since you started a fire that killed her, you didn’t have anybody who cared. You searched so hard, and eventually you thought you found two friends.” The giant gestured to Piper and Jason. “But Jason’s memories were false,” he continued softly, “and Piper cared more about finding a boyfriend than putting up with said boyfriend’s tag along friend. When they started dating, well, you weren’t surprised when you were suddenly the third wheel, were you? Unwanted so often, never included in the whispers and jokes. So then you found Calypso and you thought here was a girl, someone who cared about you. This girl was yours and she loved you- of course, she loved Percy too. You think her love for you is so different from what she feels- so sorry, felt- for your friend here?”

Leo was glaring so hard at the giant Percy almost took a step away. Instead he looked at Annabeth, seeing the dull twist at her mouth and knowing the giant’s words had gotten to her, no matter how hard she tried to keep them away.

He would have said something, he was going to say something, but Hazel beat them to it. “Leave them alone.”

“Don’t get me started on you, daughter of Pluto. I feel you fighting me even now, but your strength is gone from all of your healing. Your Frank will still die. Poison coats my blade and he didn’t escape it’s touch. But let’s talk about you, shall we?” He ignored Hazel’s look of anguish as she bent over Frank again. The rest of the demigods were frozen as her magic turned from them to him. “Bullied and abused by your mother only to have her turn around and manipulate you into sacrificing yourself just because she was dying. How does it feel, to be used so thoroughly that you give up your life for the person who cares nothing for you and cursed your very existence?”

“Stop it.”

Aristaeus ignored her. “How does it feel to be shunned because of your parentage? To have a brother who doesn’t trust or care about you enough to share anything of himself with you? Do you cry because your long-lost Sammy has a doppelganger that stands right in front of you but doesn’t feel anything when he looks at you?”

“Don’t say another word-”

“And now you string along the son of Mars, who would lay down his life for you, because he’s convenient and cute. He had a crush on you since he arrived at your pitiful camp and you said, oh, here’s someone I can manipulate and use just as my mother used me. You saw the potential in him, you knew one day he would be powerful, and you have him wrapped around your finger. Anything you want, he would get for you and yet are you dating? Do you tell him you love him? No, you distance yourself, causing him pain and ignoring what he feels. At least you get what you want.”

Percy looked at Hazel in surprise as she cried out. “I’m only fourteen, Frank understands-”

“You break his heart everyday,” Aristaeus continued. “And you don’t even notice.”

Hazel fell silent, looking at the wounded demigod boy at her side and biting her lip.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Annabeth stood up, glaring at the giant and surprising them all as she broke through his magic. Percy’s heart swelled from pride even as he wanted to warn her, not wanting to hear whatever the giant was about to bite out to try and make her fierce expression crumple.

“Annabeth Chase.” The giant’s forced tongue flicked out as he clucked it disapprovingly. “Do I even need to say anything when it comes to you?”

“Say all you want,” Annabeth said. “We all know you’re nothing but a liar, alone and scared. Aristaeus, was it? I know tales of you, giant. The last of your kind, left to wander the earth alone, trying to escape the wrath of everybody who would kill you. What happened this time? Why is it always you your siblings leave behind to live alone?”

Pure, unrestrained rage flicked across the giant’s face and Percy saw the fist around his axe clench. He also saw him stroke the Chimera’s mane and watched as the snake head hissed, flicking up to eye Annabeth with interest.

“You’re one to talk about being left alone.” The giant said quietly. “Who played with you as a child, Annabeth? What parent defended you when you were kicked out of school every year? What kids wanted to play with the freak who couldn’t read, the smarty-pants who tried to show them up in every class? Did your step-mom let you have any of the cookies she baked for her sons? Did she ever trust you to be alone with them? Who killed the spiders for you Annabeth, and who let you scream yourself hoarse in your room, scared to death of the creepy crawlies that would come to you at night? Nobody believed you, so you ran away. Alone. You came across two demigods, but they were together long before they found you, and they cared for each other differently than they cared for you, didn’t they? Alone again. Thalia died on the hill, Luke turned his back on you, and now where are they? One dead, the other immortal and distancing herself from everyone she loves to try and make their eventual deaths easier, never taking time to come see you, never there when you need her. Who’s left from that family, Ms. Chase? You. Alone. Then you find Perseus,” the giant gestures to Percy, “but he leaves you too, doesn’t he? He might not mean to, but three times now he’s left you. Once to fall in love with a beautiful titan on her island,” Annabeth and Percy both flinch at the mention of Calypso, “another to become Hera’s pet amnesiac, and thirdly taken by me. He never mentioned you once, you know, in all the time he’s been with me. I don’t think he even cared whether you came to save him or not.”

Percy’s eyes widen and he tries to think back. How could he never have mentioned Annabeth? Didn’t he? He’d tried to protect her and stop the giant from going after his friends instead, but surely he’d said something about her-

Aristaeus’ eyes were hard as he continued. “Your friend Luke is dead. Your friend Silena is dead. Your friend Thalia cuts herself off from you. Your parents don’t care, your step-brothers don’t care, your cousin Magnus Chase has more important things to worry about than you. Your boyfriend-” Aristaeus laughs. “Well, it will be a miracle if he survives past today, not to mention a year, or two, or more. Who will you have then, hmm? Who stands by your side?”

Piper tremulously stands up, and Percy can’t believe these girls, his friends, who are strong enough to overpower the giant’s magic. He can barely twitch a finger, Leo hasn’t moved in minutes and Jason isn’t doing anything more than looking back and forth between everything going on.

Percy doesn’t know how they’re doing it, he just knows it must be taking incredible strength. He hopes they figure out a way to run up and stab Aristaeus in certain places he wouldn’t like to be stabbed and see if those wounds heal as quickly as the others have.

Piper stands to her full height, Annabeth slightly in front of her, Hazel on the ground next to Frank protectively, all of them glaring at the giant. The three of them look more formidable than a whole group of Amazon warriors (Percy knows from experience what that sight looks like) and if he was Aristaeus he’d be tucking tail and running right about now.

“She has us.” Piper’s voice cracks until she tries again and this time it’s stronger. “All of us. Always.”

But the giant is either more desperate or not as smart as Percy thought, because he doesn’t cower and beg for their mercy. He doesn’t immediately surrender.

“All of you.” The giant muses. “Such a formidable bunch, you are. What happens, I wonder, when one of you is lost forever?”

None of them understand but the giant just grins, looking from Annabeth to Percy and then back again smugly as he says softly, “Now, Precious.”

Before any one of them can move, before any of them could even predict what was about to happen, the Chimera’s tail strikes, fast as any of them can blink-

-and closes its jaws around Percy’s midsection.

He blinks.

Annabeth screams, a sound so heart-wrenching that Percy looks at her while he falls to the ground, feeling pain course through him, pain worse than anything the giant had done in the past, pain worse than anything Percy had ever felt. He would compare it to the pain of jumping in the River Styx but at least then he’d had hope that Nico wasn’t leading him to die and there’d been a possibility that he would make it out.

So this is what dying feels like.

He sees Annabeth’s terrified face as he drops Riptide, he hears her scream ring in his ears as he falls, he feels the poison from the snake’s fangs move through his veins, can actually feel it’s progress working through his body as Annabeth comes to skid into a kneeling position beside him.

Percy thinks he hears the giant’s laughter.

“No, no, no,” Annabeth’s hands are moving over him frantically, she’s whipping out what must be the last ambrosia square she has and shoving it in his mouth, moving it so that he’ll chew, telling him to swallow. Her voice is high-pitched, more scared than he’s ever heard her and he’s seen this look on her face only once before, this terror and heartbreak. He’d seen a shadow of this expression when Thalia kicked Luke off of Atlas’ cliff.

“Not you, it can’t be you, please, gods, anybody but you, Seaweed Brain...” Percy can’t concentrate on what she’s saying, can only watch her mouth form the words and he sees tears in her eyes.

He remembers when Annabeth had been stabbed by a poisoned dagger and Will Solace had been the difference between losing her and keeping her with him.

“Where’s… Will… when you need him?” He wheezes out to Annabeth and sees her freeze before she makes sense of his words.

Then her hands are pressing into him harder but there’s four different marks where the serpent’s teeth dug in and ripped through him and not even Annabeth can stop that.

“Shut up,” she says fiercely, but the way her voice cracks at the end takes any heat out of the words. “Don’t you dare talk like that. You’ll be fine.”

“Never thought… I’d go down… by a snake.” Percy coughs and thinks he tastes blood on his tongue. With the way Annabeth’s eyes widen he suspects some of it had gotten on his chin. “Thought- at least a giant- titan maybe-”

“Stop it.” Annabeth says, asks, begs, pleads. “You can’t leave me- permanent, you said, something permanent in New Rome, marriage and- and kids-”

“I really did want it. You. For as long as I could.” Percy whispers to her, feeling his eyes start to close. The pain has dulled now, all he feels is his heartbeat, which seems slower than usual. “Annabeth…”

“Don’t you dare-”

“Tell my mom I’m sorry,” Percy whispers brokenly, and, “Love you.”

Then he doesn’t feel anything anymore.

#pjohoobigbang2017 #percabeth #percy jackson #fanfiction

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