In which Percy, weak and confused because of amnesia and Polybotes presence, is fully ready to throw hands because of her big sister instincts even if she doesn't remember her brother. Adorable right?
Replies:
JjlovesPJO: All demigods probably have semi permanent concussions right?
Guest: You will get more Hazel! I promise. And yeah I think the KC fic will be perachelbeth- I have plans for that but it's a way off- Percy's only nine at this stage of that fic lol- and I have plans for how they'll all meet in that one. And how it'll go- though it'll be weird writing bad guy Luke. I love my nice Luke.
Weirdhead: Not for monsters though!
Undeath9087: Percy has no solid memories, but she still has her big sister instincts and she is not impressed. And oh yeah, they'll just be there like 'The fuck?' but also, why was no one more concerned in canon?! Percy does not give a shit really if he lives or dies he's so willing to risk his own life it should be paid more attention too! It drives me insane. And the reunion is definitely going to be chaotic- it does not go well at first- I'm talking people nearly fighting, Octavian trying to stir trouble- acting like he gives a shit when he wants Percy dead really, it's chaos- and of course the whole thing of 'How do we even break the news that Percy is alive to them?' because that is huge. And nah, Hera wouldn't show up- she'd be sulking about something Percy says to her, which is a surprise.
MyNameIsAngel: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy.
Percy felt as if she'd been struck as she heard the other Cyclopes bellow in approval and the other monsters joined in.
Leo. Leo. Hadn't she just found herself thinking something about Leo? She felt a fierce fury despite the pain in her head and the weakness that seemed to have seeped through her bones. They were threatening Leo- she felt anger flooding through her even as she heard Hazel whispering, "Jason! She fought Jason. He might still be alive?"
"Do those other names mean anything to you?" and Hazel was shaking her head but Percy managed to nod frantically as she tried to lurch to her feet- though Frank grabbed her arm and yanked her back down quickly.
"Percy!" he hissed her name, "What are you doing?"
"She threatened my brother." her words were a snarl, "I'll kill her I'll-"
"Percy you can barely stand." Hazel's voice was stunned, "Your brother-"
"Leo- Leo I-" she slumped, clutching her head again. This was more than the memories, she felt feverish, like she'd been poisoned or something, "I- He's- I think he's my brother I- I don't-"
"We can't confront them now Percy we wouldn't stand a chance." Hazel grabbed Percy's hand and squeezed. "You're going to see him again- Leo's not even at Camp Jupiter- she can't hurt him."
"I- Right." Percy closed her eyes, letting out an unsteady breath, swaying slightly- and Frank frowned, his hand moving from her arm to her shoulder to stop her from toppling.
"Oh you really don't look good." Frank was frowning, his hand moving to press against Percy's forehead. "Hazel she's burning up-"
Below them the army was starting to march south again, but the giant Polybotes was stood to one side, frowning and sniffing the air.
"Sea god." he muttered the words, "I smell sea god."
And Percy let out a little whimper, her face pale as Frank pulled her into his chest and pressed them both back against the rock.
The lady Cyclops Ma Gasket snarled. "Of course you smell sea god! The sea is right over there!"
"More than that," Polybotes insisted. "I was born to destroy Neptune. I can sense… Mother told me if I could catch the girl I could keep her until the time comes for her blood to be spilled- I'm sure I smell the daughter of the sea." He frowned, turning his head and shaking out a few more snakes. "I want her. I don't care that she's Saturns leftovers I want the girl- whichever of us catch her gets her and she's Neptunes beloved daughter she'll be mine!"
"Keep her? Saturns leftovers?" Hazel hissed the words looking horrified as Percy shuddered and curled into Frank's chest, her whole body trembling violently.
"Do we march or sniff the air?" Ma Gasket scolded. "I don't get Ding Dongs, you don't get sea god!"
Polybotes growled. "Very well. March! March!" He took one last look at the rainbow-encased store, then raked his fingers through his hair. He brought out three snakes that seemed larger than the rest, with white markings around their necks. "A gift, goddess! My name, Polybotes, means 'Many- to-Feed!' Here are some hungry mouths for you. See if your store gets many customers with these sentries outside."
He laughed wickedly and threw the snakes into the tall grass on the hillside.
Then he marched south, his massive Komodo legs shaking the earth. Gradually, the last column of monsters passed over the hills and disappeared into the night.
Once they were gone, the blinding rainbow shut off like a spotlight, leaving them in the dark, Hazel and Frank staring across the road at a closed up convenience store as Percy let out shaky whimpering breaths, staring blankly forward- she felt like her mind had shut down. She wasn't processing anything other than the giants words.
Saturns leftovers. And Gaea had said- but it didn't make any sense Percy couldn't process what they'd said. She wasn't- she couldn't be. She felt like she was going to be sick.
"This is bad." Percy heard Frank's voice, "Really bad. What do we do? I don't think we can get her back to the boat like this- Percy can you hear me-"
"I-" Percy opened and closed her mouth uselessly, shivering- she felt hot and cold at the same time- and she kept seeing flashes of gold eyes- horrible merciless gold eyes, not like Hazel's but evil.
"We need to get somewhere sheltered." Hazel's voice was shaky but determined. "If there is a goddess inside maybe she can help us."
"Except a bunch of snake things are guarding the hill now," Frank said. "And that burning rainbow might comeback."
They both looked at Percy, who was still leaning heavily against Frank, barely even able to open her eyes. "We've got to try," Hazel said.
Frank nodded grimly. "Well…any goddess who throws a Ding Dong at a giant can't be all bad. Let's go." And with that Frank was standing, sliding his arm beneath
Percy's legs and shifting his other arm so that it was supporting Percy's back.
...
The last two days had been a nightmare for Frank. He didn't want to be a son of Mars, and he didn't really want this quest either- he could feel the piece of firewood that would mean life or death for him in his pocket as he cradled his new friend in his arms.
His bow and spear were slapping against his back as he walked- and that was probably what he hated the most. He'd been useless so far. Hazel had been kidnapped by grass, and now Percy- none of what the giant had said was making sense, and Percy was clearly weak, curled into his chest almost delirious whispering nonsense in a language that Frank didn't recognise.
It was all a mess and Frank didn't know what to do as he and Hazel trudged up the hill.
It didn't help that his medals felt cold against his chest- they felt heavy. He hadn't got them because he earned them. He'd only gotten them because his dad had bullied Reyna. Frank didn't know how his friends could stand to be around him.
Percy had made it clear that she hated Mars, and Frank couldn't blame her. Hazel kept watching Frank out of the corner of her eye, like she was afraid he might turn
into a muscle-bound freak.
Frank looked down at his body, Percy still pressed against his chest. Correction: even more of a muscle-bound freak. If Alaska really was a land beyond the gods, Frank might stay there. He wasn't sure he had anything to return to.
Don't whine, his grandmother would say. Zhang men do not whine.
She was right. Frank had a job to do. He had to complete this impossible quest, which at the moment meant reaching the convenience store alive.
As they got closer, Frank worried that the store might burst into rainbow light and vaporize them, but the building stayed dark. The snakes Polybotes had dropped seemed to have vanished.
They were twenty yards from the porch when something hissed in the grass behind them.
"Go!" Frank yelled, half dropping Percy and half handing her to Hazel, who instantly wrapped an arm around Percy to support her and took off as Frank pulled his bow from over his shoulder and knocked an arrow.
He shot blindly. He thought he'd grabbed an exploding arrow, but it was only a signal flare. It skidded through the grass, bursting into orange flame and whistling: WOO!
At least it illuminated the monster. Sitting in a patch of withered yellow grass was a lime-colored snake as short and thick as Frank's arm. Its head was ringed with a mane of spiky white fins. The creature stared at the arrow zipping by as if wondering, What the heck is that?
Then it fixed its large, yellow eyes on Frank. It advanced like an inchworm, hunching up in the middle. Wherever it touched, the grass withered and died.
Frank heard his friends climbing the steps of the store. He didn't dare turn and run. He and the snake studied each other. The snake hissed, flames billowing from its mouth.
"Nice creepy reptile," Frank said, very aware of the driftwood in his coat pocket. "Nice poisonous, fire-breathing reptile."
"Frank!" Hazel yelled behind him. "Come on!"
The snake sprang at him. It sailed through the air so fast, there wasn't time to nock an arrow. Frank swung his bow and smacked the monster down the hill. It spun out of sight, wailing, "Screeeee!"
Frank felt proud of himself until he looked at his bow, which was steaming where it had touched the snake. He watched in disbelief as the wood crumbled to dust.
He heard an outraged hiss, answered by two more hisses farther downhill.
Frank dropped his disintegrating bow and ran for the porch. Hazel had let go of Percy so that she could pull him up the steps. When Frank turned, he saw all three monsters circling in the grass, breathing fire and turning the hillside brown with their poisonous touch. They didn't seem able or willing to come closer to the store, but that wasn't much comfort to Frank. He'd lost his bow.
"We'll never get out of here," he said miserably.
"Then we'd better go in." Hazel pulled Percy up to her feet again and pointed to the hand-painted sign over the door: RAINBOW ORGANIC FOODS &LIFESTYLES.
Frank had no idea what that meant, but it sounded better than flaming poisonous snakes. He followed his friends inside.
As they stepped through the door, lights came on. Flute music started up like they'd walked onto a stage. The wide aisles were lined with bins of nuts and dried fruit, baskets of apples, and clothing racks with tie-dyed shirts and gauzy Tinker Bell–type dresses. The ceiling was covered in wind chimes. Along the walls, glass cases displayed crystal balls, geodes, macramé dream catchers, and a bunch of other strange stuff. Incense must have been burning somewhere. It smelled like a bouquet of flowers was on fire.
"Fortune-teller's shop?" Frank wondered.
"Hope not," Hazel muttered.
Percy was still leaning heavily against Hazel- she looked worse than ever. Like she'd been hit with a sudden flu, her face was glistening with sweat. "N-need to sit." she muttered the words, "Maybe water."
"Yeah," Frank said. "Let's find you a place to rest."
The floorboards creaked under their feet. Frank navigated between two Neptune statue fountains.
A girl popped up from behind the granola bins. "Help you?"
Frank lurched backward, knocking over one of the fountains. A stone Neptune crashed to the floor. The sea god's head rolled off and water spewed out of his neck, spraying a rack of tie-dyed man satchels.
"Sorry!" Frank bent down to clean up the mess. He almost goosed the girl with his spear.
"Eep!" she said. "Hold it! It's okay!"
Frank straightened slowly, trying not to cause any more damage. Hazel looked mortified. Percy turned a sickly shade of green as she stared at the decapitated statue of her dad.
The girl clapped her hands. The fountain dissolved into mist. The water evaporated. She turned to Frank. "Really, it's no problem. Those Neptune fountains are so grumpy-looking, they bum me out."
She reminded Frank of the college-age hikers he some times saw in Lynn Canyon Park behind his grandmother's house. She was short and muscular, with lace-up boots, cargo shorts, and a bright yellow T-shirt that read R.O.F.L. Rainbow Organic Foods & Lifestyles. She looked young, but her hair was frizzy white, sticking out on either side of her head like the white of a giant fried egg.
Frank tried to remember how to speak. The girl's eyes were really distracting. The irises changed color from gray to black to white.
"Uh…sorry about the fountain," he managed. "We were just—"
"Oh, I know!" the girl said. "You want to browse. It's all right. Demigods are welcome. Take your time. You're not like those awful monsters. They just want to use the restroom and never buy anything!"
She snorted. Her eyes flashed with lightning. Frank glanced at Hazel to see if he'd imagined it, but Hazel looked just as surprised.
From the back of the store, a woman's voice called: "Fleecy? Don't scare the customers, now. Bring them here, will you?"
"Your name is Fleecy?" Hazel asked.
Fleecy giggled. "Well, in the language of the nebulae it's actually—" She made a series of crackling and blowing noises that reminded Frank of a thunderstorm giving way to a nice cold front. "But you can call me Fleecy."
"Nebulae. . ." Percy muttered in a daze. "Cloud nymphs."
Fleecy beamed. "Oh, I like this one! Usually no one knows about cloud nymphs. But dear me, she doesn't look so good. Come to the back. My boss wants to meet you. We'll get your friend fixed up."
Fleecy led them through the produce aisle, between rows of eggplants, kiwis, lotus fruit, and pomegranates. At the back of the store, behind a counter with an old-fashioned cash register, stood a middle-aged woman with olive skin, long black hair, rimless glasses, and a T-shirt that read: The Goddess Is Alive! She wore amber necklaces and turquoise rings. She smelled like rose petals.
She looked friendly enough, but something about her made Frank feel shaky, like he wanted to cry. It took him a second, then he realized what it was—the way she smiled with just one corner of her mouth, the warm brown color of her eyes, the tilt of her head, like she was considering a question. She reminded Frank of his mother.