Hey! This is the second last chapter of my fic!
So, I think you already know that what's mine and what's not... if not, check out the last few chapters...
I don't think I ended this fic very well, but I tried. So, yeah, enjoy the chapter.
Annabeth stared at the ceiling. Her head killed. It ached with the force that only a hang-over can deliver. She rolled over and checked her alarm clock: 2:15.
Annabeth sat up in her bed. Then immediately regretted it- she felt dizzy now. She flopped back down and decided that she couldn't be at dinner tonight. She rolled back onto her side and shut her eyes.
"Um, Annabeth?" Frank asked tentatively. She rolled over and groaned. "Annabeth, are you awake?"
"Yeah, Frank. What d'up?"
"Well, you slept yesterday off. And today is like Thursday and um, I think you got drunk on Tuesday." Annabeth sat up and watched him walk over to the desk. He picks up one of the empty bottles, swivels it around a bit, then holds it up for her to recognise. The events flooded back.
Frank told her of the nights events.
"Well, they're ignoring each other. Like, Jason has become there messenger and stuff. But I think it's more out of awkwardness than anything else."
"Okay, cool." She talked to Frank a bit more before he left her to get ready.
Annabeth walked towards the mess hall, deep in thought. She was starving all of a sudden. Then she heard it. A defining screech. Pulling her dagger out of its sheath she ran up the stairs and bolted for the top deck.
It was the Echidna. The mother of all monsters. It had a woman's body and a serpent's giant tail. The Echidna screeched again. Annabeth must have been closest so she was on deck first. Then Piper came clutching her dagger, with Jason flipping his coin. Followed by Hazel, who drew her Spartha and Percy who had uncapped Riptide already. Frank and Leo were the last to come, from the lower decks. Leo drew a sword and Frank had knocked an arrow to his crossbow.
The seven demigods faced the huge threat that was looming over them. "How's it going to attack?" Hazel asked.
"Alex bats you around with its tail and she's fairly mean." Everyone stared at Leo in confusion.
"Um, well it has does attack with its tail and eats flesh with its very sharp teeth. It's never been killed before in Greek Mythology, but Zeus did beat it."
"So, all your saying is that we need Zeus. Who here happens to know or be Zeus then?" Leo said sarcastically. Jason shot him an annoyed look before looking at the sky.
"Any help?" He asked. There was no dramatic cackles of thunder or rain or any indication that the Zeus and heard.
"Well, there was a rain cloud there this morning. Maybe that's Zeus." Frank points the raincloud that had been approaching all day. The Echidna, clearly tired of her dinner just talking, screeched and lunged for the nearest demigod.
Piper dived to the side and tried to dig her dagger into the monsters neck. It deflected and through her off her feet. Annabeth watched as Jason intercepted a death blow with his sword. This thing seemed to be impossible to kill. There had to be a way.
Every demigod had launched into attack now. Annabeth could see Frank trying to drive home some arrows to her right and Percy dodging the tail trying to dig his sword into its back. Jason was distracting the monster to let Piper or Leo kill it, but the Echidna was too wise for such tricks. Also Leo seemed unsure of the sword and Piper's dagger just wasn't strong enough. Only Hazel was standing her ground well. Her long Spartha was just big enough to deflect the blows. But she couldn't attack with it as it was awkward and difficult to handle.
Annabeth watched Hazel for a little longer, an idea formulating in her head.
"Right, here's the plan." She charged into the battle to get in earshot of her fellow demigods. She stood next to Hazel. Annabeth used her speed to avoid the monsters deadly attacks as she explained the plan to the others.
"Hazel can deflect the blows easy enough." Her voice came out loud and calm. She needed her plan to be clear. "Jason will cover her, and defend her as she can't get her spartha to keep the monster away form Piper and I. Piper and I will use the distraction to try and get the echidna to bow her head slightly. Then Frank can launch an arrow into its neck. Leo and Percy will be handling the tail and trying to keep it away from any of the other demigods. Capish."
"Capish," they chorus. Each demigod quickly took up their positions. It became apparent just how hard Piper and Annabeth's job actually was. The Echidna kept hissing and trying to dig her claws into them. Annabeth just hoped Piper was as quick on her feet as she was. It was clear that the only reason why the demigods were still alive was because Hazel and Jason were doing a good job at deflecting the Echidna's bites.
Annabeth stole a glance at Frank, who had an arrow knocked to his crossbow and was trying to find the aim that she and Piper were supposed to be giving him. This plan was risky as it relied on each demigod defeated whatever they were up against. One small error and she and Piper were dead.
Percy's POV
The Echidna's tail lashed out at Percy, pushing him back. He parried to avoid the second blow, a death blow. The tail attacked him again only to be pulled away by a nasty collision with Leo's blade.
"Thanks bro," Percy muttered not looking at Leo.
"No probs, mate." Leo replied with his back to Percy.
Percy's eyes wondered to his friends. He noticed that Annabeth was watching him and Leo. Great, my perhaps-girlfriend just saw Leo save my life! He thought. Show-off time.
Percy sprung at the Echidna, sword outstretched and ready to attack. The Echidna's tail launched its own attack. Percy parried to avoid the blow and ran his sword on the underside of the Echidna's tail. Golden blood trickled down the monsters scales. It wasn't enough reduce the monster to dust, but it was enough to get the monster angry. Percy dived out of the way to avoid the Echidna's gaze.
Sadly Leo didn't.
The monster swung its huge tail straight at Leo. Trust Leo Valdez to be the only demigod in history to not dive out the way or parry when being attacked by a giant monster, but to grab onto its tail.
Leo's POV
The world was spinning. He saw sky, sea, boat, demigod… Clinging onto the scaly tail of the Echidna Leo was swung around like a pin-yarder.
The Echidna was trying desperately to shake Leo. The scales beneath Leo's whitened fingers were becoming clamming and slippery. He clung on desperately as the Echidna thrashed around madly. Out of the corner of his eye, Leo could just make out his fellow demigods taking advantage of his distraction. The echidna hissed in anger and thrust its tail, with Leo clinging onto it, into Piper. The demigods fell like dominos. First Piper, then Jason and Hazel and lastly Annabeth.
Now it was just Frank, Percy and Leo. Leo hugged the tail as he was swung him around.
POV 3rd person
"Frank, can you get a good aim?!" Annabeth shouted franticly.
"I might hit Leo!" He screamed back. The demigods were huddled helplessly around the Echidna. Jason had been hurt when he was knocked aside, and he and Piper now cowered on the floor waiting for Hazel to return with Ambrosia.
Percy lunged at the Echidna's tail while it was distracted with Leo. He clung onto to some scales a few inches in front of Leo.
"Percy," Leo gasped "Cut of the head!" Percy tried to raise Riptide but it was impossible. The sword was too heavy to swing at the monster while clinging on to its tail.
"I can't!" He shouted back. The tail swung around again, causing wind to whip over Leo and Percy.
"What do we do?" Leo yelled at him.
Percy gulped, "What can we do? We'll wait, Annabeth will think of something."
They clung on desperately as the Echidna swung them around trying to knock them off.
"Um, Perc. I'm sorry your girlfriend snogged me." The Echidna tail moved again with blood curdling speed.
"Well, you snogged back. But I guess that's fine." Percy muttered. The Echidna thumped its tail onto the floor making Percy and Leo wince.
"I didn't snog back."
"You did! I saw you!" The Echidna slammed them into the floor again; their sides hit the hard deck of the ship, before the Echidna raised them into the air.
"You didn't see anything, it was dark!" Leo screamed.
"Oh, you're saying that if a girl comes over and kisses you, then you don't kiss back?" Percy said sarcastically.
"Yes! Wait, any girl? Cos then maybe I might… wait what's the right answer?"
"It's that you shouldn't be snogging my girlfriend!"
"She snogged me!" The Echidna rattled them around at the end of its tail and made their heads spin.
"I have a plan!" Annabeth shouted at them.
"Shh," they screamed at her.
"Are you telling me that you didn't snog Annabeth back?"
"Well, no I'm fairly sure…"
"Fairly!"
"Boys! Listen!"
"Did Leo kiss you last night?"
"What! Is this really the time for that?" Before they could reply the Echidna swung Leo and Percy high into the air, before crashing its tail down onto the deck. The Echidna's tail collided with the deck first and took the impact from the blow. The floor was smashed apart and both demigods were thrust into the second deck of the ship. The tail was yanked out and the demigods were flung back into the air.
"What's the plan?"
"You have to…" the sentence was cut off by the Echidna slamming its tail at her. Annabeth threw herself to the side to avoid the attack.
"I have an idea." Leo shouted to Percy, while groping around in his tool belt.
"There nothing in there except breath mints," Percy shouted back. He was surprised to see Leo come out with a tin of gasoline.
"Can you control the water in this?"
"Um, I'll try."
"It's about thirty per cent water," Leo said as he shoved the tin into Percy's outstretched hand.
"I'll cover you."
Percy clamped the tin between his teeth as the floor took another beating from the Echidna's tail. He tried to feel the water particles in the tin. The Ethanol particles had been diluted with water, but Percy found it hard to keep separate them. He tugged at the few particles he could control, and felt the ethanol just teetering with them. At last the black gooey liquid came under his control.
Meanwhile Leo had been hacking at the Echidna with his sword. The Echidna had been swinging around angrily and was snapping at Leo alone rather than dragging its tail into the Argo. Its claws racked down his arm drawing blood, but other than that Leo was unharmed.
"I've got it; let's get of this roller coaster." Percy murmured although he was still concentrating on the tin. Leo pulled out a flat-head screwdriver and pulled the lid of the tin.
"COVER IT!" Leo screamed as the Echidna moved into attack him. Percy tossed the thick black thick liquid at the Echidna. The monster screeched in outrage. Percy grabbed Leo hand and dragged him of the monster.
They tumbled to the floor and Percy sent a wave of the liquid at the Echidna. Shimmering black droplets were flung into the air. Leo sent a jet of fire which ignited the ink-like droplets. Fire rained down onto the Echidna causing the rest of the gasoline to ignite all over its body. Percy and Leo stood back to admire the bonfire that was the monster.
"That won't hold!" Annabeth yelled at them. They looked at the Echidna to find it battering the fire away. She was right.
"What do we do?"
"C'mon," Percy pulled riptide out of his pocket while Leo pulled out the crosshead screwdriver that Mr. D had given him out. "We'll never defeat it." Percy whispered.
"Sorry."
"What."
"About the whole Annabeth thing," Percy huffed in exasperation. On the other side of the deck Annabeth rolled her eyes. Suddenly a blinding light appeared by the stern. All the demigods turned to face it in surprise.
"Hello," Hermes- dressed like some person in a sixties aerobics class- and Aphrodite emerged from the stern. The Echidna roars. Hermes flicked his hand and the Echidna disappeared in golden light. "Zeus needs it back in its cave."
"Huh," Percy murmurs.
"Dude! How hard would it have been to just like have done that at the beginning and save us the trouble!" Leo exclaimed.
"Leo! He's Hermes! Be quiet."
"Oh, that explains it. He's related to the Strolls." Annabeth buried her head in her hands.
"We had a lot of things to do before we came here." Hermes defends himself.
"Yes, like buy clothing from this century." Aphrodite shoots an glare at Hermes.
"Anyway, I am here to stop the bet."
"And I'm here to restore love to the world." Aphrodite voice sounded dreamy and heroic.
"Wait, bet?" Leo asked excitedly.
"Yes, I have a bet going with Dionysus."
"You bet on Mount Olympus?"
"Yes, on demigods survival, which monster our children will come against next, etcetera etcetera."
"Huh, and how high are the stakes on this quest." Leo asked while feeling for a drachma in his pocket.
"Well the stronger the demigod, the more money you get if they die."
"Really, so if I give you one drachma on Jason death, then how much would I earn?"
"Leo!" Jason's voice called out across the deck.
"Anyway," Aphrodite interrupts. "We are here to discuss this fight. Percy, Annabeth loves you, and she will always love you. Your love is strong so be happy together."
"Wow, it's like they're getting married." Leo mutters. Aphrodite shoots daggers at him with a look. The turns back to Percy with a happy smile.
"Now, we must be off and bon voyage!" Just in time the demigods look away as the blinding powerful light of Olympus submerges the ship.
Okay, the ending was pretty pointless, but I couldn't think of any better.
This is random but way to go GB on coming third.
Next chapter is the last chapter so please keep reading!
Later