Author's Note:

Oh my gosh guys, over TWO *clap* THOU *claps* SAND *clap* VIEWS *clap*

Just want to remind y'all of how much I appreciate your reading this every week!

Also, I just started doing "Percy Jackson One-Shots," where everything is at the request of you, the readers! We've got some Caleo, some Tratie, it's a lot of fun go check it out if that sounds interesting!

Cheers!

justapercyjacksonfan

Chapter 17

The five demigods were in a line, concealed behind a low stone wall. Each head was peaking over, trying to get a good look at the monster in front of them.

"Ian what's our play?" the daughter of Apollo asked, craning her neck past Jess and her brother to get a good look at the leader.

To his credit, Ian had taken the role in stride, accepting the burdens of leadership with grace.

Bri was having a much harder time with it. They had been floored by Ian's suggestion on the bus, that they were never thought of as the team leader.

It simply wasn't fair. They were the child of Zeus for the love of the gods! They had been training at camp for sixteen years! They were practically raised by the greatest heroes of the age, they were the oldest, they actually knew how to swing a sword unlike Ian!

Why the hell should they not be the leader?

"If I'm right, we're looking at a full grown cyclops. I don't know why it's hanging out at the bus terminal, but if we want to make it south, we need to take care of it. It'll try and separate us and trick us, so if you can't see someone, but you hear their voice, by the gods, don't go running after it." Bri charged into the question

"Yeah, but what's our play?" Jo repeated

"See if we can conceal our true numbers from it. Jo, find someplace high, and aim for it's eye as much as possible. If you can, move around and shoot from different places so it seems like there's more than one archer."

She nodded. "Got it."

"Jess, got anything for me?"

The daughter of Nemesis nodded. She'd opened up a bit the night before, and shared her talent for recognizing exploitable flaws. Bri credited that ability as the only reason Jess could have possibly beaten them in the duel. Honestly, if they'd actually known that - but Jess was already speaking.

"Yeah. You'll notice as he steps, it's louder when his left foot hits, he's favoring that side. You can also see lots of scratches and scars along his right leg, further proving his weakness to his right. He's already been in a fight with someone recently. Not bad enough to send him back to Tartarus. And another thing. He's got all sorts of blistering scars across his back and legs. Those are from fire. I have to imagine Leo, Calypso, and Georgina ran into him when they went to see Instinct. Mentioning them might send him into a rage, and break his focus."

Ian nodded, taking in the information, adding it to whatever plan was going on in his head. Bri was actually pretty impressed by that. I mean, they hadn't actually noticed a lot of those things, or even gone so far as to connect the fire with the story of those at the Waystation and find another flaw in the beast.

But they didn't want Jess to get all uppity, so Bri offered a condescending smirk, and rolled her eyes.

"Here's what I've got." Ian said, and ducked down. The others followed suit. He grabbed a stick, and drew a big circle in the dirt, followed by several smaller circles in different places. "This is the cyclops." he pointed to the big circle.

He labeled a circle with a B, "Bri, this is you. Hit him with lightning. We don't know how injured he is, so there's a chance it will kill him. If it doesn't, then you and Caleb (he labeled another smaller circle with a C) will charge out and engage. Try and keep his attention on you, Bri, while Caleb does his best to freeze him. The more elemental shocks we can send through the dude, the better."

"Before the lightning hits, Jo, get to the top of that building right over there. Once the lightning hits, begin to pelt him with arrows." He added a J to the dot furthest from the others.

"What about me?" Jess asked.

"Do you think you can do the thing like where you jumped on the harpy?"

"Ian, the last two times she did that, she ended up falling off the monster, and not being able to keep fighting. Maybe it's time to come up with something useful for her." Bri snapped. "And even if she does, what'll you be doing, sitting safely here, making it go mad? There's only one this time, no one for it to attack!"

Ian rolled his eyes at their verbal attack. "Whatever, Bri. This time, she's going to get some extra lift, and when she jumps at it, she's going to drive her daggers into it's back, slicing it down the middle. She'll be both using all her weight to cut it open, and be slowing her fall to the ground. As for me, I'll be providing her with the extra lift."

"How?" Caleb asked

"Magic."

As soon as Jo was situated, Bri called down the lightning. A very surprised cyclops managed to survive the attack - shocker - and turned around in livid anger at it's assailant. Bri and Caleb sprinted toward it.

Bri's sword point danced with electricity, as they swung at its legs. To their side, Caleb was twirling his staff, trying to get in close. In the corner of their eye, they could see arrows starting to fall on the monster, picking at its barely closed wounds until it turned around, only to find an arrow in it's eye.

As they danced in and out of the dangerous grasp of the irritated creature, they saw Jess climb the decided upon tree. She tensed, ready to jump as soon as Ian gave the word.

Focusing back on the fight in front of them, Bri noticed Caleb whirling his staff like a helicopter blade. He hadn't been able to stay close enough to effectively freeze the monster, and was instead using this particular move to spray snow and cold air all over its legs and feet.

They risked another glance at Ian and Jess. Ian had his eyes closed. They snapped open, and he opened his mouth to shout.

"Virtae!"

Jess jumped, and a gust of wind took her higher into the sky. Ian's magic was going to take her all the way to the cyclops!

In that moment, the big ugly, jealous monster that had been bubbling up inside of Bri got the better of them. They threw themself at Caleb, sending his blast of icy magic at the son of Dionysus, who froze.

Not as if in a block of ice. As though someone had tagged him in a game of freeze tag, and he was very obedient to the rules.

His magic cut off, leaving Jess stranded in the air, with no more lift. She plummeted fifteen feet through the sky, only managing to roll most of the impact away. Even so, she groaned, and didn't move.

And the worst part? Bri didn't even feel bad about it.

Author's Note:

Sorry to leave you on such a cliffhanger. What will happen to Ian? Is Jess okay? I don't know! How will they defeat the cyclops without two of their members? That's a pickle

There's something about writing a character like Bri that just fills the black void I call my heart. *evil laughter*

No new reviews, follows, or favorites this week. Hoping to talk to you here next week

Remember to check out Percy Jackson One-Shots!

Lastly, I'm curious- Who's your favorite out of the five man band? I know who mine is, but I'm curious about the public consensus as well.

Have a lovely day!

justapercyjacksonfan