A/N: Hola. I will be writing about the quest for the next few chapters. I'll do my best to keep Percy's skill as balanced as possible so that things don't get too dull for you all.
I don't own Percy Jackson.
Austin Lake growled as he continued to try to wake Percy Jackson. The boy leaned heavily on their shared bunk bed as he tried to shake the son of Poseidon awake. After a minute of shaking him, the son of Apollo paused and considered his next move. He nodded to himself and reasoned that it might be the only solution he would find any time soon. He still needed to get back to sleep, after all.
He raised his hand above his head and slapped the son of Poseidon across the face soundly.
Percy sprung up in his bed as he let out a yelp of surprise. His hair was more disheveled than usual, and his eyes were unfocused. All Austin cared about was that he was finally awake.
"Good," the son of Apollo grumbled as he leaned more heavily on the bed to look at Percy with undisguised annoyance. "You're awake. It took you long enough."
"How long did it take you to wake me up?" Percy asked as he stretched his arms over his head. He wished he never asked the boy a moment later, however, when he received a nasty glare from the heavy-eyed Austin.
"Long enough. I think I was shaking you for, like, five minutes before I slapped you," Austin replied with a shake of his head. "Why exactly do you need to be up this early anyway?"
Percy gave him a confused look before a look of realization crossed his features. "Oh jeez, what time is it?"
He shuffled himself off of his bed across from Austin and landed on the floor with a soft thud. He grabbed his phone from his nightstand, pulled out a few outfits from the drawers, and stuffed them all in a duffel bag that he had hidden underneath their shared bed. Luckily, Austin already had his back turned to him as he began to settle back down on his bed.
"You still have a few minutes before sunrise. I still don't know why you won't jog at night instead," the son of Apollo said as he sat on his bed, scratching his chin sleepily.
Percy laughed sheepishly as he hurriedly took a seat on the bed to pull on his shoes. "I just like mornings, what can I say?"
Austin shook his head and went to lie down slowly. "Whatever, Percy. Just remember you owe me drachmas."
"Yeah, yeah," Percy snorted as he stood and pulled the duffel bag onto his shoulder. "I'll fuel your unhealthy gambling habit for waking me up so early. Thanks, Austin! I'll see you in a bit!"
Percy received a grunt in response as the boy drifted off to sleep. He chuckled and shook his head as he quietly made his way out of the cabin.
Percy was greeted by a dark sky that was beginning to turn orange in hue. He began to jog to the docks where he knew no one would be at this time of day. He needed to fly off without any witnesses, after all.
As he jogged, he found himself pondering the words of the prophecy that the Oracle had told Zoe. He worried slightly about the lines predicting the 'loss' of some of the quest members. Percy wasn't scared of death like other demigods were because, in the Underworld, he'd get a chance to see his mother again. He'd escape the prophecy and leave the fate of Olympus in the capable hands of Thalia Grace, who seemed to be generally trustworthy. His teachers were gods, which meant that they could strike up a deal with Hades to see him from time to time if they wanted to. He didn't see any cons to outweigh the pros of the situation should he end up dying on a quest to save Artemis.
However, he found that he didn't want to die either. His mother could wait, and the fate of Olympus wasn't something that he was willing to risk. His teachers were counting on him, and his death would probably bother them for a few years. He didn't want to make them sad.
Above all, he was beginning to feel like his life was looking up more than ever. With his arrival at Camp Half-Blood, he made many new friends in a day and secured his future as a warrior for Olympus for the foreseeable future. He wouldn't be killed off on a whim because he had an important role to play in the eyes of the gods. He was starting to feel like he belonged.
Percy was so deep in his thoughts that he failed to notice the other person sitting on the docks with a large pegasus hovering overhead.
Elaine turned her head with a curious frown on her face when she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Her eyebrows raised when she saw Percy with a duffel bag on his shoulders in an outfit that was surely not meant for a morning jog.
"Percy?" She called out to the boy, whose eyes widened in surprise as he saw her.
"Elaine? What are you doing here?" Percy asked nervously. He mentally slapped himself for being so lost in his thoughts.
"Blackjack told me about a creature that needed my help," Elaine explained. She gestured to the pegasus that hovered around in the air as she continued, "he said it was in the lake. I didn't have anything else to do, so I came. What about you? What are you doing up so early?"
"I'm jogging," Percy said lamely. He shifted the duffel bag on his shoulder, knowing full well his excuse wouldn't work on the girl.
"Jogging?" Elaine snorted and shook her head. "Yeah, right. Look, why don't you help me find the creature, and then you can tell me where you're going so early in the morning?"
Percy winced and looked up at the sky. It wouldn't be sunrise for a few minutes, but he couldn't afford to waste too much time. He sighed. "Okay, fine. But let's make this quick."
He set his duffel bag down on the dock and kneeled, looking over the waters with narrowed eyes.
"Why did this creature need your help, exactly?" Percy asked as he looked. He needed to make sure she was in an agreeable mood if he wanted her to cover his leaving camp illegally.
"Blackjack didn't tell me anything," she said with an annoyed frown on her face. Suddenly, she pointed into the water and called out, "there it is!"
Percy turned towards where she was pointing and found a half-cow half-serpent creature that swam around in the lake. There was a net wrapped around its lower half.
"It's having a hard time swimming," Elaine said as she reached out a hand over the waters. The ophiotaurus began to move through the waters towards them, and soon, it was in arms reach.
Elaine reached out and gently placed her hand on the creature's head. Percy watched her quietly, waiting for her orders. As soon as the ophiotaurus rose slightly in the water, Elaine grabbed what she could of the net and hoisted it up further. "Hold her while I take the net off of her."
Percy hummed in response as he did as she asked. He reached over and steadied the creature while she leaned over further to push the net down and off of its tail. He grunted slightly when his arms began to tire from holding the ophiotaurus, "Hurry it up, Chi. She's not as light as she looks."
Elaine nodded and managed to get the net off a moment later. She held onto the creature with him, and they both lowered it back into the water. It swam circles underneath them in what they assumed was happiness.
"Well, now that Bessie's free," Elaine began as she smiled at the creature before turning to him, "what're you doing out here with a duffel bag? The sun isn't even out yet."
Percy winced and glanced back at the bag. He inwardly debated whether or not to tell her the truth. "I don't know if I can say."
"Sure you can," Elaine said with a small frown on her face. "It's just me. I can keep a secret."
"I know you can, Elaine," Percy sighed as he slowly got to his feet and retrieved his duffel bag. "I just don't know if I can drag you into this. You could get in trouble."
"I'm a big girl, Percy. I can take care of myself," she huffed. Percy looked as if he was contemplating her words before he slowly nodded.
"Just don't tell anyone you ever saw me, okay?"
Elaine nodded with a curious look on her face. Sighing, Percy spoke, "Zoe thinks Artemis is the goddess in chains in the prophecy and no one in camp is strong enough but Thalia, you, and me to help the quest. Chiron won't allow two demigods of the Big Three to be on the same mission because it's in our blood to clash, which is why he didn't argue for you to go on the quest. Zoe knew that so she decided to tell him she would bring a hunter. She's hoping she'll be allowed to leave the camp with one less hunter because she chose one that wouldn't be able to go. I'm supposed to follow them without Chiron finding out to complete the five that need to go so that we fulfill the prophecy. I was about to go and leave until I saw you."
Elaine frowned and looked back at the lake in thought. She turned back to a restless Percy. The boy saw her slightly hurt look.
"Why didn't she want me to sneak out like you? Why didn't she choose me instead of Thalia?" Elaine asked.
Percy immediately wished he hadn't told her anything. The girl looked like she was on the verge of crying.
"Elaine, I don't think it's anything against you," Percy tried to comfort her with a placating tone. He felt guilty for making her feel so down. "I think she just wants the right people on the quest, that's all."
"So, I'm not right for the quest?" Elaine suddenly looked angry. "Is that what you're trying to tell me, Percy?"
"No!" Percy replied in a panic. He struggled to find the right words before he sighed. "It's just...I think you want to go on the quest for different reasons than the rest of us."
Elaine didn't respond, choosing instead to stare critically at him.
"You wanna go to save Annabeth, not Lady Artemis. That's not what Zoe's mission is, Elaine," Percy said. His tone was firm, but not rude.
Elaine continued to stare for a moment, looking like she wanted to argue before she looked away. She let out a long breath. She slowly nodded.
"I guess you're right," she said after a few moments. "I just want to get her back, you know?"
Percy nodded and responded, "I know. Look, I'll try to get her back for you. If she was close with Luke, then I don't think he'd hurt her more than necessary."
Elaine frowned, "For Annabeth's sake, I hope you're right."
"I promise you I'll do my best." Percy gave her what he thought was a reassuring smile. He was glad to see her smile back slightly.
"I need to go," Percy said after a few moments as he looked up at the sky. "They might've gone ahead already, and I can't be late. If things go wrong, I need to be there to back them up."
Elaine nodded slowly before her eyes widened. "Okay. I think I know how to help without coming on the quest."
Seeing Percy's questioning look, she pointed at Blackjack. She called the pegasus down from the sky and whispered in its ear. "Do I have to, boss?" Blackjack seemed to whine. Elaine whispered in his ear again, and the pegasus heaved his equivalent of a sigh.
"Alright, boss. I'll do it. Just don't expect me to swoop in and save his ass from anything he can't handle!" The pegasus said, causing Elaine to laugh. Percy did his best to pretend as if he couldn't understand the winged horse but struggled to hide his scowl at being called weak.
"Thank you, Blackjack," Elaine said with a smile. She turned back to Percy and nodded to him. "Blackjack will take you to follow their van. I don't know how you planned on following them, but I think it'll be a lot easier to hide from mortals on his back. Pegasuses have a weird natural mist disguise."
Percy considered her offer before slowly nodding. "Okay. I'll take him. How will I let him know if I need him for anything?"
"Call out his name, and he'll be there. He's a good pegasus. I saved him from Luke's ship last year, so there's no chance he'll betray us to Kronos," Elaine said with a determined look on her face.
Percy nodded again. There were a few moments of silence between the two before Elaine suddenly moved forward and gave him a quick hug.
"Thank you for going on this quest," she muttered into his shoulder. She pulled back a moment later with a smile on her face. "I trust Thalia and all, but I can't say I think she's more powerful than you. I would be lying if I did."
Percy chuckled when he got over his surprise from her hug and grinned back. "I'm guessing that confession of yours is our little secret?"
"Tell Thalia I told you that, and I'll skin you alive, Jackson," she replied. She laughed when she saw him pale slightly and hurriedly mounted the pegasus.
Percy shifted slightly on Blackjack's back and placed his duffel bag on his lap. He turned his head to Elaine and gave her a wink as he patted Blackjack's neck. The pegasus made a noise, and the two were soon flying up into the sky. Percy looked back briefly to see Elaine watching them leave with a smile on her face. He turned his head back to look forward and guided the pegasus towards the entrance of the camp. He saw Zoe being the last to get inside the van and told the pegasus to follow them when they began to move.
Soon, the two were trailing behind the camp's van with Percy trying to ignore the pegasus' mumbling.
"I have no idea what boss sees in you, tough guy. You aren't even good-looking. You look plain. Where's your sword? What kind of hero doesn't have a sword?" Blackjack muttered to himself.
"My sword's in my pocket, you rude horse. And I think I look just fine!" Percy growled over the wind. "And what do you mean what Elaine sees in me?"
The pegasus rocked in the air slightly in surprise, causing Percy's grip around the beast to tighten. "Woah! You understood me?"
"Yeah," Percy said as he growled. "I tried to ignore you, but you've been a real pain in the ass for no reason!"
Percy had endured the pegasus' rather rude words for the better part of an hour. He tried to distract himself as much as possible to avoid having to listen to the rather colorful descriptions he gave Luke Castellan and his master. He would glance down from time to time to make sure they were still following the van if only to get the chance to lean away from the rude pegasus.
"How can you understand me? Are you some kind of freak?" Blackjack asked. Percy was annoyed that the question wasn't even meant as an insult but as a genuine question.
"If I tell you, will you shut up and stop talking?"
"That depends on what you tell me."
Percy groaned and contemplated falling to his death on purpose. "Look, I have a secret that very few people know. I'll tell you all about it if you shut up, and swear to keep the secret too, especially from Elaine. Deal?"
The pegasus didn't respond for a few moments, and Percy worried that he'd have to continue listening to the creature's rant about life.
"Alright, tough guy. I'll bite. What's the secret? Why can't boss know about it if you seem so close? " Blackjack asked. Percy heaved a sigh of relief.
"Swear you won't tell Elaine first, then I'll tell you," Percy replied with a slightly smug tone. It felt good to demand things from others from time to time.
"Fine, fine. Just hurry up and tell me!"
"I was born a son of Poseidon, and I was taken in by another god when my mother died," Percy started to explain. He was immediately interrupted by the pegasus.
"You're a son of Poseidon?" Blackjack yelled. Percy felt the beginnings of a headache form in his head.
"Yes, Blackjack, I am a son of Poseidon," Percy said as he sighed. "That makes Elaine, my sister."
Percy assumed that the pegasus was too surprised to respond, so he continued, "Hermes took me in and trained me with Apollo and Artemis helping out along the way. They made sure I was ready for the prophecy that decides Olympus' fate. I was supposed to be kept a secret from everyone until I reached the age of sixteen, but I ended up going to camp a bit early."
Percy decided that a summary of the last few years would suffice for the pegasus. Maybe he could earn some respect from the beast.
"You know, the boss won't be too happy that you're keeping this from her. Family means a lot to her, and from what I've seen so far, she does not see you in the family sense, tough guy," Blackjack said with a snort.
"Yeah, I know she'll probably be upset for a while. There's nothing I can do about it, though," Percy said with an uncertain look on his face. "And what do you mean 'not in the family sense'?"
Blackjack shook his head slightly, "you're on your own with that one, tough guy. You two are as dense as bricks."
Percy grumbled but let the pegasus focus on his flying. He could see that they were nearing Washington, D.C., where he assumed they'd eat their first meal of the day. He was proven correct when the van stopped in front of the National Air and Space Museum. He told Blackjack to set him down in a nearby alleyway next to a Starbucks.
Percy snapped his fingers as he walked out of the alleyway and into the Starbucks, ordered himself a grande white chocolate frappuccino, and made his way towards the museum he saw them enter.
He narrowed his eyes when he spied a large man shuffling his way inside the National Museum of Natural History. The man glanced behind him warily, which allowed Percy to get a good look at his face. Angular yet wrinkled, the man had slicked back black hair and thick eyebrows. He wore a brown trench coat that covered his entire form. His eyes were two different colors: blue on the left and brown on the right, which told Percy that this man was none other than the manticore that had taken Annabeth that night on the cliff.
Percy resolved to follow Zoe and the others later; he needed to find out what the manticore was doing so close to the quest. He wondered if the beast was there to kill the demigods that had bested him in the past. The very thought of it made Percy's blood boil. He turned and hid his duffel bag in the alleyway before he made his way to the National Museum of Natural History.
He rushed slightly to follow the man into the museum and ignored the 'closed for private event' sign on the front. He kept to the shadows of the dark museum as he followed the manticore from a distance. He thanked Hermes in his head for blessing him; sneaking around without being noticed was second nature to him thanks to the god's blessing.
They walked past dinosaur skeletons as they walked through the museum. Percy did his best to forget that his mother had brought him here once, and was successful in his efforts when he noticed the manticore walk towards a closed set of doors. Two guards stood at either side of the doors.
The guards leaned in and pulled open the doors for the manticore, who gave them a small nod in thanks. Percy rushed in as they began to close the doors.
He slammed one's head into the wall behind him and spun, using the first guard's now limp body as a battering ram that he slammed into the second. He left the two unconscious guards in a heap outside and quickly closed the two doors behind him.
He found himself in a large round room with a balcony on the second floor. Looking up, Percy counted at least a dozen mortal guards and a couple of monsters standing on it. The monsters had strange snake tails instead of legs.
Between them stood Luke Castellan, who Percy only recognized due to the scar along the side of his face. The rest of Luke didn't look very much like Hermes had described him; his blonde hair was almost gray, he looked unhealthy with how pale he was, and his eyes held fierce anger in them.
A large man covered by the shadows sat beside the wayward son of Hermes. Percy could only see the man's knuckles that rested on his chair.
"Thorn," the man spoke. His deep voice sent shivers up Percy's spine. "What do you have for us?"
The manticore shifted in place, and from where Percy was hiding, he could see the man's eyes shine in excitement. "The quest is here, General. They are in the rocket museum."
"The National Air and Space Museum, you idiot," hissed Luke. Percy enjoyed the look of loathing on the manticore's face as he regarded the son of Hermes.
"Right. The National Air and Space Museum."
"How many have come to find her?" The man asked. Percy assumed he was talking about either Annabeth or Artemis.
"Four, General. Three hunters and a girl with a shield." Thorn replied.
"Thalia," Luke muttered, though everyone in the room heard him.
"One of the hunters wears a strange headpiece," Thorn supplied helpfully. His words prompted a growl from the large man in the shadows. Percy saw the knuckles whiten as they tightened their grip on the chair.
"I know that one well," the man said. Percy felt his heart quicken; how did this man know Zoe?
"I have sent the lion to deal with them," the General said as he stood, allowing Percy to see the man clearly in the light.
The man was big and muscular, with eyes as cold as stone. He wore a suit that couldn't hide his broad shoulders and large arms. Percy wondered if the man's face always looked so angry.
"You have failed me once, Thorn," the General spoke as he took a few slow steps forward. "I do not want a repeat of what happened in Maine."
Percy felt his palms get clammy. He rarely ever felt truly terrified of another person, and this man gave him the creeps.
"If you would just give me a unit of my own to command," Thorn tried to say, but he was cut off by the General.
"No," the man said firmly. "Kronos chose me as his commander, and I will not have lieutenants who fail to do their jobs. Count yourself fortunate that Luke here managed to pick up the pieces of your failed attempt at kidnapping the two children of Hades."
Percy glanced at Luke, who looked smugly at the manticore. Thorn glared back silently.
"Leave us, Thorn. I will call upon you when I find a task fitting for your skills," the General said. The manticore winced and bowed before he left quickly.
Luke turned to the General, who gave him a small nod, "you have done well thus far, Luke. Now, we need to separate the hunters from Thalia Grace. The lion will seek her out naturally."
Luke softly frowned as he spoke, "how do we do that, General? The hunters are far from easy prey, and Zoe Nightshade–"
"Do not speak her name, boy," the man growled at the demigod, who quickly took a step back.
"I-I'm sorry, sir," Luke said quickly. Percy wanted to yell out and call him a coward but refrained from doing so in the interest of keeping his life.
The General grunted and waved him off, turning to point at one of the guards.
"Bring me the teeth," he growled. The guard scrambled to make his way towards the man. He kneeled low and held up what looked like dinosaur teeth to Percy. "Fools," muttered the General as he took the teeth and inspected them in the light. "The teeth of the dragon Sybaris mistaken as dinosaur teeth!"
He gave a humorless chuckle as he leaned on the railing and jumped down. Percy's eyes widened as the man landed on the first floor with a loud crack coming from the marble beneath his feet.
The General walked towards a large heap of soil in the center of the room. He placed the teeth inside and grabbed a watering can that sprayed red liquid. He watered the soil generously before tossing the watering can aside.
The soil began to bubble, and a skeletal hand shot out of the ground.
"Bring me the scent!" The General roared, prompting Luke to grab a silver cloth that Percy recognized as a part of the hunter's uniform. The son of Hermes gave one of the guards the fabric and threw the mortal over the ledge. The mortal screamed as he fell, and he landed on the marble floor with a crunch. Percy felt his blood boil as the General used his large hand to grab the fabric from the deceased guard's hands.
The General stepped back towards the soil where a dozen skeletons rose from the ground. They all began to grow gray translucent skin that Percy could see through. He saw their bones glow faintly within them, and he saw that their eyes were golden. They all wore sleeveless tops with cargo pants and boots.
"This is how we will defeat the hunters, Luke," the General said as he gestured to the gray men. "Behold, the spartoi!"
As soon as the General said that, Percy decided to interfere. He spun from around the pillar he was hiding behind and channeled his focus into his legs. He immediately felt a large amount of power in his calves. Percy leaped and stole the fabric from the General's hand as the man gave it to the spartoi. He found himself mentally thanking Hermes again as he rolled to a stop as he landed. He looked up to see everyone in the room, looking at him in shock.
"Hermes?" Luke stuttered out. Percy grinned back and winked, "wrong, Castellan. I'm Percy Jackson, champion of Hermes, and when all this is said and done, I'll kick your ass!"
Percy froze when he noticed the spartoi were passing around a dark fabric that looked familiar. He looked down to see his ripped sleeve and paled.
As if noticing his fright, the spartoi heads all snapped to look at him at once.
"Shit," Percy muttered.
He immediately got to his feet and sprinted away, his heart beating loudly in his chest as he ran.
"Lock the doors! Cover all exits! Do not let him escape!" Percy heard the General roar. The guards all burst into action, but Percy was quick enough to slide out of the doors he entered through earlier before they could close them.
He continued to run out into the street without looking back and yelled out as he entered the alleyway Blackjack had set him down in. He grabbed his duffel bag as he ran.
"Blackjack! I need you!" Percy screamed, and he looked up to see the pegasus hovering just above the buildings. Percy jumped and kicked off the wall on his right and did the same with his left a moment later, slowly parkouring up the walls to make his way to the pegasus. He grunted as he pulled himself over the ledge of the building on his left, and he could hear Blackjack do the horse equivalent of a whistle.
"You look like hell, tough guy. What happened to you?"
Percy growled as he pulled himself onto the pegasus. "Some dude named the General and Luke sent spartoi to hunt for my friends. They sent a lion after Thalia too, but I don't know how a lion is going to beat her. Still, we need to get to the other museum as soon as possible. I need to warn them."
The pegasus didn't wait a moment longer. As soon as Percy had finished speaking, he zoomed into the sky. The two flew in the direction of the Air and Space Museum.
Blackjack lowered himself for Percy to jump down behind cover where no mortal would see him.
"I'll call you when I need you!" Percy yelled to the pegasus, who nodded and returned to the sky.
He held onto his duffel bag tightly as he ran around the museum. Sweat was pouring off him in waves, which was probably why the people around him would get out of his way quickly.
He was about to give up searching and simply yell out his friends' names when he ran into an immovable object. As Percy landed on the ground roughly, he looked to see that the immovable object was Phoebe.
The girl's eyes widened as she looked at Percy, and she turned to call over Zoe, Thalia, and Naomi, a nymph who had light brown hair and green eyes. The three looked surprised to see Percy, especially Thalia.
"Percy? What the hell are you doing here?" Thalia asked. She would've been angrier if they weren't in a public area. In addition to that, Percy looked as if he just finished running a marathon.
"Saving your asses! Luke's here, and some guy named the General sent skeletons after Zoe. I managed to get them away from your scent, but..." He trailed off as he looked at his ripped sleeve.
"Luke?" Thalia spoke, her voice surprisingly soft.
"The General?" Zoe looked positively pale.
"Skeletons?" Phoebe looked worried about the monsters that followed one's scent.
"Percy?" Naomi asked, completely lost. Percy assumed Zoe had neglected to tell her their plan.
"I'll explain it all later. Right now we need to go before–" A roar cut off Percy's sentence. The five looked to see a large lion the size of a truck stalk towards them slowly. It had razor-sharp claws and gold fur that glittered in the sunlight. Its eyes locked onto Thalia, who paled.
"The Nemean Lion!" Thalia yelled, grabbing her can of mace, and transforming it into a spear. Her shield sprung to life in her other hand.
Percy's eyes widened, and he slapped himself on the head. The other four glanced away from the monster to look at him. "The Nemean Lion! Oh, that makes so much sense now!"
They were interrupted by the lion as it leaped towards them. "Scatter!" Zoe yelled, and the five all separated quickly. Thalia ducked under its assault, the hunters all scrambled backward, and Percy tossed his duffel bag aside as he dove behind a kiosk. He watched as civilians ran out of the building and could tell that not all of them had left yet.
Percy unpocketed his phone and flicked his wrist, sighing as it shimmered into his harpe. He peeked from behind the kiosk to see Phoebe dodging the lion's slow strikes with relative ease despite its strength. Zoe and Naomi fired off arrows into its side from atop the Apollo capsule, only for the projectiles to bounce off the beast harmlessly. The lion roared and charged the two hunters, who jumped off the structure just before the lion knocked it down. Phoebe had been knocked down by the force of the lion's tail, but luckily, she seemed only winded.
"Hey!" Thalia called out from her position on top of a table. "Here kitty kitty!" The lion roared as its eyes locked onto her and charged her. Thalia immediately pulled her shield into its view, causing the lion to hesitate. Thalia advanced on it slowly as she held her spear out in front of her.
Percy noticed its hind legs tense, and he immediately jumped out from behind the kiosk. He channeled his focus into his legs again then jumped when he felt the power flow through his calves and feet. He held his sword in front of him as he slashed downward and into the lion's back. Unfortunately, the sword did not penetrate its skin. Sparks flew into the air, and the lion roared in anger.
Percy rolled to a stop a few feet away from the lion. He barely had time to blink as he dodged back and away from the lion that had leaped forward to attack him. He saw it pause, and Thalia yelled for him to get out of the way.
Percy gritted his teeth and turned around, only to find that he was on the edge of that level of the museum. He spared a glance behind him and jumped over the railing. He managed to avoid the strike sent his way, landing on top of the wing of an aircraft suspended in the air multiple levels above the ground.
Percy growled as he barely held onto the structure. He stabbed his sword in it so that he had a better grip on the aircraft.
The lion roared and leaped onto the same aircraft. Percy called the monster numerous names as they swung from side to side. He could hear the cords holding them up groan in protest. He also heard screams below them and glanced to see a whole group of children staring up at them in fright.
"Help! Please help!" Percy screamed, prompting Zoe to take aim and fire at the cords holding up the aircraft. The aircraft plummeted down onto another spaceship thing that Percy was unfamiliar with, and he managed to get enough surface beneath his shoes to push off of it. He landed roughly on a lower level, and he took in deep breaths as he slowly got to his feet.
The lion tried to follow by leaping onto another aircraft closer to Percy's level. The cords holding up the three spaceships began to snap, causing Phoebe to scream, "the children!"
Naomi had already spun an arrow tied to a rope around a railing and secured it with a few tugs. She quickly jumped off the level she was on and descended upon the children.
"Come this way, children! We must get you to safety!" She yelled. The children sprinted in her direction. She yelled for the four to hold it off while she evacuated the civilians.
Percy grunted as he swung his harpe at the lion. Sparks flew, and he used it as a smokescreen to dodge to the side. The lion had no time to look for him as Thalia thrust her spear at the lion, shooting blue electricity out of its tip. The lion looked irritated but otherwise unharmed.
"We need a plan!" Thalia yelled as backed away from the lion's strike. "What the hell is its weakness?"
"Does it have one?" Phoebe yelled back as she charged at the lion from behind, slamming the butt of her knives into its back leg. It faltered, allowing Thalia to slam her shield into its face. The lion roared in anger.
The moment it opened its mouth to roar, Percy's eyes widened in realization.
"The mouth! Shoot the mouth!" He yelled, running for a water fountain a few kiosks away from them.
"Where the hell are you going?" Phoebe screamed back as she continued to draw the lion's attention. Thalia was by her side doing the same.
"It is too quick! I cannot get an arrow inside!" Zoe shouted back at them. Naomi, who had returned a few moments earlier, winced and shouted the same.
Percy grunted as he swung his harpe into the water fountain. Water sprayed out of the rough opening Percy had made in its body, splashing him and rejuvenating him. He turned with a wince, praying to every god he knew that his plan would work.
"Be ready! You'll know when to shoot! Thalia, Phoebe, jump away when I tell you to!" Percy roared. He held his arms out behind him, allowing the water to gather around his arms.
Phoebe and Thalia had no chance to glance back at him as they continued to dodge the lion's attacks. Its annoyance was growing, and it seemed that the angrier it got, the quicker its strikes would come.
Percy felt his gut tighten, and he yelled, "now!"
Phoebe and Thalia leaped away as far as they could from the lion, who would've given chase if not for the large mass of water that slammed into it.
Thalia's eyes widened as she saw two hands made of water claw and grip the lion as it struggled against its confines. The hands managed to get a grip on the lion's mane and the bottom of its mouth, and it began to pry the lion's mouth open. She looked to see where the water was coming from to find Percy with glowing eyes holding his hands out in front of him.
She narrowed her eyes in determination as she jumped out from behind cover and thrust her spear into the water, letting loose her blue electricity. Phoebe had charged the lion and slammed her knives into its legs, causing it to collapse onto the floor with a loud thud.
Both Naomi and Zoe aimed and fired off arrow after arrow into the lion's mouth as quickly as they could. The lion continued to struggle for a few moments, thrashing against the hands of water before it went still. The water lost its form a few moments later, splashing onto the ground and getting Thalia and Phoebe soaked from head to toe.
The lion began to dissolve slowly, giving Thalia and Phoebe time to glance at Percy.
He grinned and gave them a thumbs-up. He then promptly fell over as he passed out from exhaustion.
Phoebe sighed and jogged over to him. Zoe and Naomi appeared a few moments later, and they too kneeled around Percy. Naomi rolled him over to lay him on his back and quickly ordered the two to gather water in their hands and pour it over the unconscious boy.
The three remained blissfully unaware of the daughter of Zeus behind them until she screamed.
"What the hell was that all about?"
Phoebe, Zoe, and Naomi all shared glances. They agreed to let Percy explain himself when he woke up while they went off to look for food.
A/N: Yay me. This one's a bit short but in my defense, it'll be a long fic anyway. I hope you all enjoy this one.