Welcome to the Sea of Monsters

Chapter 13

"I got Nobody!" Polyphemus gloated.

The group crept to the cave entrance and saw the Cyclops, grinning wickedly, holding up empty air. The monster shook his fist, and a baseball cap fluttered to the ground. There was Annabeth, hanging upside down by her legs.

"Hah!" the Cyclops said. "Nasty invisible girl! Already got feisty one for wife. Means you gotta be grilled with mango chutney!"

Annabeth struggled, but she looked dazed. She had a nasty cut on her forehead. Her eyes were glassy.

"I'll rush him," I whispered to Clarisse. "Our ship is around the back of the island. You and

Grover—"

"No way," they said at the same time. Clarisse had armed herself with a highly collectible ram's horn spear from the Cyclops's cave. Grover had found a sheep's thigh bone, which he didn't look too happy about, but he was gripping it like a club, ready to attack.

"We'll take him together," Clarisse growled.

"Yeah," Grover said. Then he blinked, like he couldn't believe he'd just agreed with Clarisse about something.

"Now that's teamwork." Naruto's voice said from next to them, but with his jutsu still active, they could not see him.

"All right," Percy said. "Attack plan Macedonia."

They nodded. They'd all taken the same training courses at Camp Half-Blood. They knew what the water boy was talking about. They would sneak around either side and attack the Cyclops from the flanks while someone else held his attention in the front. With Naruto's help, they would get this done easily.

Percy hefted his sword and shouted, "Hey, Ugly!"

The giant whirled toward him. "Another one? Who are you?"

"Put down my friend. I'm the one who insulted you."

"You are Nobody?"

"That's right, you smelly bucket of nose drool!" It didn't sound quite as good as Annabeth's , but it was all he could think of. "I'm Nobody and I'm proud of it! Now, put her down and get over here. I want to stab your eye out again."

"RAAAR!" he bellowed.

The good news that came from that roar was that the idiot dropped Annanebth, but she was going to land on her head, luckily for her, she saw caught, but it looked like she was floating in midair. Naruto then appeared. "Wow, that was close." He said, catching the giant's attention, but his attention was on the rag doll Annabeth. Apparently, all that shaking around had knocked her out. He looked up just in time to see the giant angry gaze upon him. "Oh and just so you know, I am Somebody."

Naruto jumped away laughing as the giant Cyclopes roared again. This time, he decided to charge the poor water boy. This had Percy panicking. Why? Well you would too if a thousand pounds of smelly Cyclopes came barreling toward you and you only had a small sword to protect yourself with. Yeah, not fun.

"For Pan!" Grover rushed in from the right. He threw his sheep bone, which bounced harmlessly off the monster's forehead. Clarisse ran in from the left and set her spear against the ground just in time for the Cyclops to step on it. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dove out of the way to avoid getting trampled. But the Cyclops just plucked out the shaft like a large splinter and kept advancing on Percy.

Percy managed to move in. The monster then made a grab for him, but he managed to roll out of the way and stab the monster in the thigh. He was hoping that would have dissolved it, but it was way too powerful for that.

Naruto seeing that they needed help, called out, "Grover! Get over here!"

"What is it?" The half goat boy asked as he made his way over to the blond.

"Look, I know you don't like fighting, but please stay here and protect Annabeth, I am going to help them." Naruto order and Grover happily agreed. "And get her over to the beach, I have a feeling that we will need to get out her in a hurry."

Grover nodded before he scooped up the blond girl's cap and made his way to the beach with her.

Naruto turned back to the fight and charged in with Clarisse. The girl smirked when she saw him and charged in with him. Percy watched in amazement as the two out maneuvered the giant with ease. Clarisse was pretty fast as when the giant tried to stomp on her or make a grab at her, she would quickly get out of the way.

Naruto teased the enraged monster with a smile on his face and he used no jutsu to help him. Percy guessed that they would be useless in a fight like this. Of course they could have finished off the monster by now if he had.

Watching them got at it was like watching a dance, they dodged with ease and Percy took their distraction as incentive to stab at the monster's legs when he had a chance.

However, even with his blond friend's crazy ass stamina, they would tire out eventually and then the monster would get in a lucky shot and it would be all over for them. Looking toward the beach, he saw that Grover and had taken Naruto's orders the goat boy carrying Annabeth across the bridge. However, that gave him an idea….even with all the man eating sheep on the other side.

"Fall back!" Percy told Clarisse and Naruto.

Clarisse rolled away as the Cyclops's fist smashed the olive tree beside her, but that was what Naruto needed as he punched out the monster, dazing it for a second.

They ran for the bridge, Polyphemus right behind them. He was cut up and hobbling from so many wounds, but all they had done was slow him down and make him mad.

"Grind you into sheep chow!" he promised. "A thousand curses on Nobody and Somebody!"

"Faster!" Percy yelled to his friends.

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Naruto laughed as they ran, but Clarisse clocked him on the head.

"NOW IS NO THE TIME FOR PERVERTED JOKES YOU IDIOT!" She yelled.

"Sorry." Naruto chuckled a bit as he rubbed the back of his head while Percy rolled his eyes.

They tore down the hill. The bridge was their only chance. Grover had just made it to the other side and was setting Annabeth down. They had to make it across, too, before the giant caught them.

"Grover!" Percy yelled. "Get Annabeth's knife!"

His eyes widened when he saw the Cyclops behind us, but he nodded like he understood. As the three scrambled across the bridge, Grover began sawing at the ropes. Naruto, who got the idea, too out some kunai and threw them at some of the ropes that connected the bridge and sliced them.

They heard a multitude of snaps and that made them run faster, not wanting to fall with the bridge.

Polyphemus bounded after them, making the bridge sway wildly.

The ropes were now three quarters of the way cut. Clarisse, Naruto, and Percy dove for solid ground, landing beside Grover. Percy quickly got up and made a wild slash with his sword and cut the remaining ropes.

The bridge fell away into the chasm, and the Cyclops howled ... with delight, because he was standing right next to us.

"Failed!" he yelled gleefully. "Nobody failed!"

"Great." Naruto got out sarcastically, making the giant glare at him.

"Somebody failed as well!"

Clarisse, Naruto, and Grover tried to charge him, but the monster swatted them aside like flies, However, Naruto managed to hold on to the monster's giant fist before running up it and punching him in the face.

While our favorite blond fought the oversized idiot, Percy's mind was filling with rage at see his friend get swatted away like that, especially when he saw the monster manage to catch the whisker blond and throw him away. He did not believe he could have failed after all that happened, including losing Tyson. They were losing because of some idiot in a baby blue tuxedo kilt who was bashing that around with no problem. Nobody hurt his friends….and not he nobody that the monster thought was a person….eh…you know what I mean.

Strength coursed through Percy's body. He raised his sword and attacked, forgetting that he was hopelessly outmatched. He jabbed the Cyclops in the belly. When he doubled over the water boy smacked him in the nose with the hilt of his sword. Percy slashed and kicked and bashed until the next thing he knew, Polyphemus was sprawled on his back, dazed and groaning, and he was standing above the monster, the tip of his sword hovering over the giant's eye.

"Uhhhhhhhh," Polyphemus moaned.

"Percy!" Grover gasped. "How did you—"

"Oh I think I know." Naruto said as he smiled as he his friend, while Grover looked at the blond, wanting an answer. He just waved the goat boy off, signaling that he would tell him later.

"Please, noooo!" the Cyclops moaned, pitifully staring up at me. His nose was bleeding. A tear welled in the corner of his half-blind eye. "M-m-my sheepies need me. Only trying to protect my sheep!"

He began to sob.

Percy had won. All he had to do was stab—one quick strike.

"Kill him!" Clarisse yelled. "What are you waiting for?"

"Hey man, it is up to you what you do." Naruto said leisurely as he lay on his back still and was staring at the clouds of all things. "Just do what you think is right."

The Cyclops sounded so heartbroken, just like ... like Tyson. Percy was having trouble on what to decide.

"He's a Cyclops!" Grover warned. "Don't trust him!"

Percy knew he was right. He knew Annabeth would've said the same thing. However, what Naruto said was right, it was his choice. But Polyphemus sobbed ... and for the first time it sank in that he was a son of Poseidon, too. Like Tyson. Like himself. How could he just kill him in cold blood?

"We only want the Fleece," Percy told the monster. "Will you agree to let us take it?"

"No!" Clarisse shouted. "Kill him! Naruto! Say something!" The blond just sighed and muttered out a troublesome before blinking owlishly at what he mumbled.

The monster sniffed. "My beautiful Fleece. Prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace."

"I'm going to step back slowly," Percy told the monster. "One false move ..."

Polyphemus nodded like he understood.

Percy stepped back ... and as fast as a cobra, Polyphemus smacked him to the edge of the cliff.

"Foolish mortal!" he bellowed, rising to his feet. "Take my Fleece? Ha! I eat you first."

He opened his enormous mouth, and the water boy knew that his rotten molars were the last things he would ever see.

Then something went whoosh over the small boy's head and thump!

A rock the size of a basketball sailed into Polyphemus's throat—a beautiful three-pointer, nothing but net. The Cyclops choked, trying to swallow the unexpected pill. He staggered backward, but there was no place to stagger. His heel slipped, the edge of the cliff crumbled, and the great Polyphemus made chicken wing motions that did nothing to help him fly as he tumbled into the chasm.

Percy turned.

Halfway down the path to the beach, standing completely unharmed in the midst of a flock of killer sheep, was an old friend.

"Bad Polyphemus," Tyson said. "Not all Cyclopes as nice as we look."

Naruto chuckled, "About time you made it Tyson."

"You knew he was here?" Clarisse and Grover shouted in shock.

"Well I am a ninja after all. I sensed his energy when he arrived. Why do you think I just laid here?" Naruto explained.

Clarisse went red faced before she too got up and stomped over to the blond. "YOU IDIOT!" She screamed as she raised her foot up to stomp on him.

"NOT THE FACE!" Naruto pleaded before there was thump that made all three boy cringe "UGH! Not the nuts either!"

XXX

As Naruto was nursing his wounds, Tyson gave them the short version: Rainbow the hippocampus—who'd apparently been following them ever since the Long Island Sound, waiting for Tyson to play with him—had found Tyson sinking beneath the wreckage of the CSS Birmingham and pulled him to safety. He and Tyson had been searching the Sea of Monsters ever since, trying to find them, until Tyson caught the scent of sheep and found this island.

Also, apparently, he saw the tail end of Naruto's fight with a bunch of sea serpents and then take off with Clarisse and a pretty girl with wings. Said pretty girl with wings is also what brought the two to the island other than the scent. Ella smirked as she landed a few feet from them.

Percy wanted to hug the big oaf, except he was standing in the middle of killer sheep. "Tyson, thank the gods. Annabeth is hurt!"

"You thank the gods she is hurt?" he asked, puzzled.

"So silly!" Ella said. "He thanks them that you are alive, but is also telling you that she is hurt."

"Oh." The young Cyclopes replied.

"NO! She is hurt!" Percy said in a panic. He did see that there was a gash on her forehead….obviously; the old giant hit her against something. It looked pretty bad.

"Well…that does look bad," Naruto stated while he smiled at Percy's panic over the blond girl's health. "Ella or Tyson, would you mind getting the Fleece for us?"

"Which one?" Tyson said, looking around at the hundreds of sheep.

"In the tree!" Percy said. "The gold one!"

"Oh. Pretty. Yes." Tyson said cheerfully while Ella landed on shoulder, making the Cyclopes blush, which made Naruto smirk despite the situation. He saw Clarisse look at the scene with a small smile as well. Maybe….maybe if he could not free Thalia…that could be together someday like she wanted? Who knows…

Tyson lumbered over, careful not to step on the sheep. If any of the others had tried to approach the

Fleece, they would've been eaten alive, but they guessed that Tyson smelled like Polyphemus, because the flock didn't bother him at all. They never even bother to jump at Ella. They just cuddled up to him and bleated affectionately, as though they expected to get sheep treats from the big wicker basket. Tyson reached up and lifted the Fleece off its branch. Immediately the leaves on the oak tree turned yellow. Tyson started wading back toward them, but Percy yelled, "No time! Throw it!"

The gold ram skin sailed through the air like a glittering shag Frisbee. Percy caught it with a grunt. It was heavier than he had expected—sixty or seventy pounds of precious gold wool.

"That wasn't the best way to do that." Naruto chuckled at his friend expense, making the water boy roll his eyes before he spread the Fleece over Annabeth, covering everything but her face, and prayed silently to all the gods he could think of, even the ones he didn't like.

Please. Please.

The color returned to her face. Her eyelids fluttered open. The cut on her forehead began to close. She saw Grover and said weakly, "You're not... married?"

Grover grinned. "No. My friends talked me out of it."

"Yeah, we would not let him make that mistake." Naruto laughed as he gave Grover a noggie, making the girl laugh softly.

"Annabeth," Percy said, concerned for the blond girl "just lay still."

But despite everyone's protests she sat up, and they noticed that the cut on her face was almost completely healed. She looked a lot better. In fact, she shimmered with health, as if someone had injected her with glitter.

Meanwhile, Tyson was starting to have trouble with the sheep. "Down!" he told them as they tried to climb him, looking for food. A few were sniffing in our direction. "No, sheepies. This way! Come here!"

They heeded him, but it was obvious they were hungry, and they were starting to realize Tyson didn't have any treats for them. They wouldn't hold out forever with so much fresh meat nearby.

"And that is our queue to get out of here while we can." Naruto stated before turning to Ella. "Hey Ella, are you coming with us?"

"Ella thinks so. Her sisters won't miss her." She replied, still on Tyson's shoulder.

"Right," Percy said, still wondering who Ella was, but if she was friend;y like Tyson and Naruto didn't seem to have a problem with her, then neither did he. "Our ship is..." The Queen Anne's Revenge was a very long way away. The shortest route was across the chasm, and they had just destroyed the only bridge. The only other possibility was through the sheep.

"Tyson," Percy called, "can you lead the flock as far away as possible?"

"The sheep want food.

"I know! They want people food! Just lead them away from the path. Give us time to get to the beach. Then join us there."

Tyson looked doubtful, but he whistled. "Come, sheepies! Um, people food this way!" He jogged off into the meadow, the sheep in pursuit.

"Keep the Fleece around you," I told Annabeth. "Just in case you're not fully healed yet. Can you stand?"

She tried, but her face turned pale again. "Ohh. Not fully healed."

Clarisse dropped next to her and felt her chest, which made Annabeth gasp.

"Ribs broken," Clarisse said. "They're mending, but definitely broken."

"How can you tell?" Percy and Naruto asked at the same time.

Clarisse glared at them. "Because I've broken a few! I'll have to carry her."

Before Percy could argue, Clarisse picked up Annabeth like a sack of flour and lugged her down to the beach. The boys followed shortly afterward. Naruto made his way nex to the war girl and said, "You know, that was not the answer I was expecting, but I should shouldn't be surprised."

"What were you expecting?" The girl asked softly, which caught Annabeth's attention and smirked.

"Well, I thought you gained some medical knowledge." Naruto said with a shrug, thinking about Tsunade and inwardly shivered. They were kind of similar…

As soon as they got to the edge of the water, Percy concentrated on the Queen Anne's Revenge. He willed it to raise anchor and come to him. After a few anxious minutes, they saw the ship rounding the tip of the island.

Naruto's eye widened before he had stars in his eyes. "YOU GOT A PIRATE SHIP! AWESOME!"

"Incoming!" Tyson yelled. He was bounding down the path to join us, the sheep about fifty yards behind, bleating in frustration as their Cyclops friend ran away without feeding them.

"Not awesome!" Naruto freaked at seeing the killer sheep.

"They probably won't follow us into the water," Percy told the others. "All we have to do is swim or the ship."

"With Annabeth like this?" Clarisse protested.

"We can do it," Percy insisted. He was starting to feel confident again. He was back in his home turf—the sea. "Once we get to the ship, we're home free."

They almost made it, too.

They were just wading past the entrance to the ravine, when the group heard a tremendous roar and saw Polyphemus, scraped up and bruised but still very much alive, his baby-blue wedding outfit in tatters, splashing toward them with a boulder in each hand.

"Ah...craptastic. He's back." Naruto deadpanned.

XXX

Well there you all go. Another cliffy! Sorry it took so long but…shit happens. Only a few more chapters for this and I will take another break from this series.

Hopefully I can get out a chapter for Uzumaki's Wrath this weekend.

Review.