Not even awake for ten minutes in Tartarus, and Percy was already getting attacked by a monster. Fantastic.
The rubble of the small room laid atop him, thankfully not weighing an unbearable amount. After having to hold up the sky, there were very few things Percy found that were able to crush him. He shifted around, gladly finding that his celestial bronze restraints had dented slightly due to the crash, allowing him to wiggle himself free of the chains. He pushed himself up, shoving the hardened rubble off him, only to breathe in toxic air that instantly made him drop down to one knee and cough up blood.
While it made little difference, Percy moved the collar of his t-shirt upwards to cover his nose and mouth, before he assessed his situation. But what he turned to see made his blood run cold. Close to him, stood the largest hydra he had ever seen. Standing at least 20 feet tall with seven monstrous sized heads, the six outer heads breathing out what looked to be poisonous gas.
Percy knew the story of hydras. Thanks to Annabeth, he actually had learned a lot about Greek monsters, including their strengths and weaknesses. He knew that for every head you cut off from the hydra, two would grow in its place. In order to actually kill the monster, you had to cauterize the stumps of a head that was chopped off, so that it wouldn't be able to grow more. But as far as Percy could tell, there was no fire in sight.
Percy returned his attention to the Hydra, but saw that the beast was focused on something else, making him release a breath he didn't know he was holding in. He shifted his gaze towards the Hydra's target only to see his captor. Medusa stood in front of the beast, a worried yet defiant look on her face as she tightly gripped a sharp scimitar.
The Hydra roared, all seven heads releasing a deep and gurgly sound that would make even monsters tremble. Its large, reptilian eyes stared hungrily at Medusa, before one of the heads struck, opening its wide maw, ready to take a bite out of the gorgon. Medusa rolled out of the way a moment before the head crashed into the rocky ground, letting out an angry growl. The other heads then began attacking simultaneously, each trying to chomp down on her.
Percy watched in awe as he watched the gorgon dodge and parry the oncoming onslaught, her scimitar redirecting the heads just enough to where she wouldn't get hit. Who knew that the gorgon was such a skilled swordsman.
A thought then coursed through Percy's head. Should he stay and help her, knowing that she would probably soon run out of stamina, or should he take the opportunity to sneak away and get far from the two ferocious monsters.
As he was contemplating this decision, Percy was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a feral scream. He looked to see one of the hydra's heads, clamped down onto the left arm of Medusa. The head shook wildly, tearing the limb away from the body, the arm hanging out of its mouth like a piece of spaghetti. It began to fight with some of the other heads as they were all trying to get a piece of the appendage.
Medusa collapsed to the floor, gripping her bleeding stub and screaming out in agony. At that moment, when Percy made his decision. Quickly, as the hydra heads was still fighting for the arm, Percy ran in the direction of Medusa, surprisingly scooping her up effortlessly in between his arms, even with her long serpent tail. He ran as fast as he could in any direction that took them farther away from the monster.
Medusa, dazed and still in pain, looked up at the demigod, before weakly laughing.
"Foolish demigod, there is no way for you to outrun the Lernaean Hydra. It has caught onto our scent, and it will keep hunting us until we are nothing but bones."
Percy glared down at her, even though he knew she was probably right. How could he outrun a 20-foot monster?
"Well, unless you know where to get some fire, this is the only option we have right now."
Medusa froze in his arms before a look of realization crossed her face.
"The Phlegethon! I built my home close to it. We could use its flames to cauterize its heads."
A small bit of hope appeared in Percy's eyes. But it left soon afterwards when they dark roar of the Hydra sounded in the distance. It was on its way.
"Which direction, we need to get there right now!"
Medusa looked around the surroundings before pointing off to their right.
"That way."
"Got it." And Percy began running until he was punched hard in the chest, making him stumble.
"Put me down demigod." Medusa spoke with a warning tone, her emerald orbs glaring at him and beginning to glow a bright green. "I've lost my arm, not my tail, so you better put me down before I turn you into stone."
Percy quickly nodded his head with a semi-scared look, and let Medusa down. They then quickly sprinted, or slithered in Medusa's case, off to the direction of the Phlegethon in silence.
After a few minutes, Percy and Medusa arrived at the River of Fire, the Phlegethon. The liquid fire rolled downstream just as water would have, tumbling into rapids and crashing against the shores. The sight brought back memories for Percy, remembering when he and Annabeth fell into Tartarus together and survived the trek to the Doors of Death, drinking from the river in order to sate their hunger. He wondered what she was doing now. Did she believe the Olympian's lies and now hated him? Or was she mourning his banishment with the rest of his friends? The thoughts almost brought tears to Percy's eyes, but he soon shook the thoughts out and returned his attention to the river.
"So how are we going to use this? It would be pretty ineffective trying to scoop up the flames with our bare hands and try to fling it at it." Medusa said matter-of-factly.
The statement actually brought a small smile to Percy's face. Even if she didn't mean it, Medusa was able to make a joke in such a stressful situation.
"Don't worry about it, I think I have this covered." Percy said confidently, even when he wasn't sure if his powers over rivers would correlate with a river made of fire. He quickly sent a silent prayer to Hestia that this would work. Percy concentrated on lifting the flames from the river and he felt the familiar tug in his gut. With a lift of his hand, the liquid flames launched out of the river and swirled into a ball right above his outstretched hand.
Both Percy and Medusa's eyes widened in amazement.
"How did you do that. Poseidon's domain wouldn't be able to control fire even if it came from a river." Her mouth slightly agape at the demigods control.
While still surprised, a smile appeared on Percy's face. "I'm not even sure how it works, but at this moment I don't care. We've got a Hydra whose ass needs a beating."
Medusa couldn't help but smile as well. This demigod was unlike any she had met before. He was interesting.
"I agree." She said determined.
After both smiling for a brief moment, Percy then turned his attention to Medusa's wound, still leaking out golden blood.
"We should cauterize that as well" pointing towards her left shoulder. "I mean since were here and we could stop the bleeding."
Medusa's smile left her face and she glared suspiciously at Percy.
"Don't think I fully trust you demigod, how can I know you won't attempt something. You could have some motive to kill me." She spat.
Percy met her glare with his own, before it softened. He could understand what she was thinking. They were supposed to be enemies, why wouldn't she be suspicious of him.
"I swear on the Styx that I only want to stop the bleeding of your wound." He sounded sincere. Thunder boomed from the distance.
Medusa's glare didn't leave her face, but she slowly nodded.
"Fine, but if you attempt anything, I'll run my blade through your heart before turning you into stone." She said seriously.
Percy just quickly nodded before summoning some of the liquid flames from the river into his hand.
"This may hurt, I'm just warning you." Before he placed his hand on her stub, the flesh sizzling and crackling as it was charred.
Medusa winced slightly, but didn't let out a sound as Percy cauterized her wound. She wasn't going to show weakness to a demigod. Percy removed his hand from her newly scorched shoulder, before looking into her mesmerizing emerald orbs.
"All good?" he asked a little warily, afraid that she might be angry for causing her pain.
Medusa was silent at first, but finally a small smile appeared on her face.
"I guess so."
Percy was taken aback by her smile. Even as a monster, she was somehow seriously beautiful. Percy quickly shook the thought out of his head.
"Well that's good then." He said, trying his best not to stammer. "Do you think you'll still be able to fight?"
Medusa scoffed at the question. "I lost an arm, not my head. Don't underestimate me for being weak, demigod."
They both couldn't help but grin at her remark. But the smiles instantly left when they heard a viscous roar, the sound of the monster's stomps sounding closer and closer with every passing second. As the duo turned around, they found the Lernaean Hydra about a football field's length away, charging fast like a rampaging bull.
Medusa and Percy looked at each other, both nodding and pulling out their weapons. Luckily for Percy, it seemed his trusty sword Riptide would follow him anywhere, even to the depths of Hell.
"Ok, were both going to attack head on, and when one of us cuts off a head I'll quickly cauterize the neck."
Medusa just nodded her head, silently saying that she got the plan.
When Percy turned around to face the Hydra again, he was surprised when he was rapidly headbutted in the middle of his chest and launched in the air, landing dangerously close to the banks of the Phlegethon. How in the name of Hades did that monster cover so much ground so quickly?
Percy didn't dwell on his thoughts though as he leapt back into action. He lifted his shirt once again to cover his airways from the toxic gas produced by the beast. While the monster attacked both of them simultaneously, Percy and Medusa kept up a solid defense by blocking and dodging nearly every strike. Percy ducked under one head before blocking the teeth of another off to his left. But with his side exposed, one of the heads zipped in to take a bite of his ribs. Expecting pain, Percy clenched his eyes shut. But when nothing came, his eyes snapped open to see a sharp scimitar impaled in the ground like a knife on a cutting board. The head that was about to take a chunk out of him severed from its neck which was wildly whipping around. His wide eyes met his savior's, the emerald orbs looking straight into his sea green.
"What are you waiting for idiot!" Medusa nearly screamed. "Use your powers and make sure this thing grows no heads instead of two!"
That snapped Percy out of his shock and he immediately summoned the liquid fire, shooting straight towards the severed neck. As the fire charred the area, the other six heads howled out in pain, before their savage eyes turned back to them.
"One down, six more to go." Percy muttered under his breath.
Percy and Medusa continued dodging, parrying, and cauterizing 5 more heads until all that was left was the center one. From what Percy remembered, the center head was supposed to be immortal, but Hercules was able to defeat it due to a blessed sword. Percy hoped that Riptide was blessed some way or another, and brought the sword down onto the neck of the remaining head, only for it to bounce harmlessly off.
The last bit of hope from Percy's eyes was slowly disappearing. He and Medusa were both worn out, barely able to keep up with anymore attacks. If they weren't going to be able to cut the final head off, then sooner or later they would be killed because of their exhaustion.
Fire
Percy almost missed the quiet, yet deep and menacing voice that sounded in his head.
Use the Fire and you will survive…
It was like a whisper, as if a ghost was talking to him. A very evil and intimidating sounding ghost. Percy tried to contemplate what the voice was saying. Was it saying to use the fire from the river? But wouldn't that just anger the monster? It wouldn't be able to kill it; the head would have to be chopped off.
But Percy didn't have time to think about it, any longer and he and Medusa would die. With the majority of his leftover strength, Percy summoned the liquid flames from the river. A wall of fire, standing 30 feet high and twice the length in width rose up behind him. A look of fear appeared on the last head of the Hydra, as the wall illuminated its face. With a disgruntled roar, Percy launched the wall towards the monster, covering it head-to-toe in flames. A fierce screech of pain sounded from within the flames, before it became silent. Once the fire dissipated, all that remained was a large pile of golden dust.
Percy dropped to his knees, too tired to even stand. He was about to fall to his face before he was caught by a single arm. Medusa slithered in front of him and kept him upright.
"Looks like you did it demigod." Her words holding no animosity. She was truly surprised, and impressed. Never had she seen a demigod wield so much power, nor have such a strange yet interesting personality such as his.
"We did it." Percy insisted, still breathing heavily. "Without your help, I would have been dead meat."
Medusa raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you think you're not dead meat now with you vulnerable like this and me still having some strength?"
Percy looked scared for a second, but his expression softened. "Because when we first arrived at the Phlegethon, you showed that you were still human inside. You only act cruel because you're bitter at the Gods for turning you into what you are. You're different, I can tell." He said calmly and determined.
Medusa looked at Percy in surprise. She had never met a mortal who wasn't scared of her, or someone who actually tried speaking to her. Before she could say anything, Percy spoke up again.
"Look, I understand if you still hate me. I mean I did send you back to this Gods forsaken place." He said, pointing around at the red, barren landscape. "But I can tell that you don't wish to live this life, to be hated and hunted." Percy's eyes darkened before he continued. "I swear on the Styx that if you help me, I will help you get revenge on the Olympians, bring them to justice for all there crimes." Thunder rumbling in the distance.
If possible, Medusa's eyes widened further, showing her surprise. The demigod had just sworn an unbreakable oath to get revenge on those who she despised most.
"What could I possibly help you with that would make you make such a promise?" She asked, still trying to process what was happening.
Percy smiled a crooked grin. "All I want is for you to swear to help me get out of this pit, and I will aid you in destroying the Olympians, once and for all."
Medusa just slowly nodded her head. "I swear on the Styx to help you get out of Tartarus." Thunder booming once again.
Percy continued to smile before he suddenly dropped forward atop the unsuspecting gorgon, unconscious, out like the dead. The adrenaline from the fight leaving his system, and the tiring day catching up to him.
While surprised and a bit angry, Medusa couldn't help but smile down at the unconscious male, drool somehow already hanging off the side of his mouth.
'What an interesting demigod' she thought to herself.