Chapter 4- Perseus vs Minotaur

"The best thing about Twitter is that you can make up a quote and assign it to anyone you want"

Albert Einstein


There was just one problem. Percy understood why his mother and Grover were so afraid. Between them and the Camaro, there stood a line of creatures. They were dishevelled creatures, their bodies skeletal and long black shadows enveloping the upper half of their bodies and eyeless sockets. They were staring directly at him.

"Those- those are dai…" Grover whimpered.

"Change of plan, run the other direction." Sally ordered as they prepared to run away. But Percy couldn't move. Not for a lack of trying, but he couldn't physically move his feet.

"Percy, come on," Sally said, grabbing his arm, but as soon as her fingers made contact with his, she jumped back in alarm. She frowned in confusion as Percy tried moving his feet.

"Do not run brave one," a voice said in his head. A voice he'd never heard. "You must face this challenge. For the sake of your mother and your friend. They require your protection right now."

"Who are you?" Percy asked

"Family, dear child. Your mother's former lover is fighting to keep you alive, but his attention is divided as he stands on the edge of an unwanted war. You must do as I say if you wish to survive this night. There are forces that are beyond enraged at your birth and existence. And until things are set right, they will attempt to harm you. You must rise up and defend not just yourself, but those around you."

Percy took a deep breath. All this time, his mother, Grover, Mr Brunner, they'd all been protecting him. Now was his turn to make things right.

"What must I do?"

"You know what you need to do. You called upon your powers mere days ago when fighting the Erinyes."

"You mean Mrs Dodds?"

"Indeed. Call upon them again, they will serve you."

Percy felt the force tying his feet to the ground disappear. He growled as he watched those creatures run towards him. He had maybe around twenty seconds? Thirty if he was lucky.

He tried to remember what he'd done when fighting Mrs Dodds. He had dodged her attacks, but he hadn't done anything specific to slow her down.

Or did he? He may not have spelt it out, but he did call upon something to protect him. A tug in his gut. He just needed to do the same thing again. He closed his eyes.

"Percy, come on," Sally pleaded.

He focused, his breathing slowing down as he listened to the rush of the wind. The roar of thunder matched his heart. He tugged at his gut, calling upon his powers, whatever they were, and prayed to every god that existed to help him this once. As he opened his eyes, he expected to see those creatures pouncing on him.

That wasn't the case.

The creatures were still running towards him, but it was exactly the same as when he'd fought Mrs Dodds. They were moving in slow motion. He could see each foot lifting from the ground as they took their next step. He looked behind to see his mother in mid-scream, her mouth closing slowly as Grover's hands were slowly stretching to grab him.

He turned back to the creatures and rushed forward. He had been in enough fights with other people to know how to tackle an enemy bigger than him. He lunged for the chest of one of the creatures, grabbing the arm and throwing it across the beach. He turned back, grabbing the other creature by the neck and landed a swift hit on its face, knocking him to the ground. Before he could congratulate himself, his slow-motion spell had broken down as the other two realised that Percy was right behind them. They turned impossibly fast and pinned him to the ground. Percy was far too exhausted to even defend himself. Whatever he had just done drained his strength completely. The creature on his left grinned as he summoned a large greatsword right from his sleeves. He held it right above Percy's chest, ready to strike it through him.

Behind them, Sally's scream tore through the sounds of the wind as Percy braced for the inevitable pain.

It never came.

Percy felt the adrenaline shoot right through his body. His senses woke like he'd been injected with a full free samples bag of his mother's blue candies. His ears popped, and he could taste a metallic scent on his tongue. Then something impossible happened.

The roar of thunder boomed far louder than before. Right from the skies, a jade-blue arc of lightning struck past the wind and directly hit the two creatures pinning him to the ground. In a split second, they disintegrated into dust.

His ears were ringing, and he could barely register his mother's voice as she pulled him up.

"Oh thank the gods," she cried, kissing his forehead as she held him tightly in her arms. Then she grabbed him, and all three of them ran for the Camaro.

They tore through the country roads in the night. Percy wasn't sure how his mother could see through the lashing rain and lightning, but she didn't let go of the gas pedal once.

Percy just sat behind, trying to regain his bearings. His head was still slightly hurting from the encounter.

"What were you thinking?" Grover cried as they drove on. "You could've died!"

"I… I heard another voice. In my head." he admitted. He told them what the voice had told him. When he mentioned a former lover, Percy could see a small twitch on his mother's lips.

"He kept his promise," she muttered to herself. "He still defends you."

"So you," Percy gestured to Grover's legs, trying not to focus on the fact that we had almost tasted death just a few minutes ago. "You're half goat? Donkey? Greek myths said those were satyrs, right?"

Grover made a loud bleating noise, startling Percy. He'd always assumed it was just a nervous laughter, but now it sounded like an animal.

"A donkey!" he cried, outraged.

"What?"

"I'm a goat from the waist down. Not a donkey. There are satyrs who'd trample you underfoot from the waist down for such an insult."

Percy shook his head, knowing this wasn't the time to pick a fight with Grover.

"Mom. The voice mentioned your former lover. What were they talking about?"

Sally sighed as she took a sharp left turn. From behind them came a large bellowing noise. Grover turned sharply, trying to see what was chasing them.

"I told you Percy, there was a complication when you were born. I thought my boyfriend, he was your father. But from what the Fates told you, there's more to your birth than just that. Something else is responsible for your birth, your powers. And that's why there are so many people who want you dead."

"So let me get this straight," Percy demanded. "The man who is my father, isn't really my father, but something else is and that thing is the reason I was born. Someone feel free to fill in the blanks whenever it's convenient."

Grover opened his mouth to reply, but Percy cut him off. "I swear if you mention Mr Brunner again, I'll knock you out Grover. I'm not in the mood to be annoyed."

"Percy," his mum said. "There's too much to explain, and not nearly enough time. We need to get you to safety."

"Who's trying to kill me right now?" Percy asked, his frustration getting the better of him.

"Oh, nobody important," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment and the threat. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions."

"Grover!"

"Sorry Mrs Jackson. Could you drive faster please?"

Percy so desperately wished he was dreaming, but he knew he lacked the imagination for this.

The Lord of the Dead.

The Erinyes.

"Hades!" Percy said, looking at Grover. "Lord Hades, King of the Underworld wants to kill me?"

The earth shook violently below them as Sally swerved the car.

"Percy!" she shouted. "Don't say his name. It'll make things harder."

"How does saying a damn name-"

"Names have powers!" Grover warned. "Say it again, and trust me, none of us are making it alive."

"Is there a single thing I can say without causing some kind of disaster," Percy groaned. He knew he sounded like a whiny kid, but at that moment, he didn't care at all. He'd come unbelievably close to dying, and he didn't even know why he was being hunted.

"You can start off by apologising for the donkey comment," Grover muttered. Percy rolled his eyes.

Sally took another hard left, and this time a signpost whipped past them. PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES

"Where are we going?"

"The summer camp I told you about." His mother's voice was tight. She was doing her best not to be scared for his sake, considering he had almost lost his life a mere hour ago.

"The place you didn't want me to go?"

"Please, dear," she begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. The fates spoke to you. You're in grave danger. I need to get you to the people who have the power to keep you alive."

"Because the fates said a bunch of nonsense to me? They just cut some yarn, what's so bad about that?"

"Percy," Grover said. "When the Fates cut a thread, it means death. The thread? That represents someone's life. When they cut it, that person will die."

"So I'm going to die?"

"Not sure. But they appeared to you. They spoke to you. They very rarely speak to mortals Percy. In every instance that has happened, it's because something bad is about to happen. There's usually a lot of death involved with it."

"Then how will a camp protect me? From what Mr Brunner taught us, if the fates want something to happen, it happens?"

"Percy, nothing is set in stone. Not even fate. If I can get you to Mr Brunner, there's hope for you."

"Why?" Percy asked. "What the hell is so special about Mr Brunner. If he's got this power to protect me, why isn't he here right now?"

"Percy," Grover said, putting an arm on his shoulder. "Mr Brunner is Chiron."

There was a moment of silence.

"Chiron? As in the Chiron from the stories? The trainer of Hercules, Achilles and other heroes?" Percy asked, his brain shrinking more and more at each revelation. Grover nodded.

"That's why he isn't here. I told you, there are other demigods as well. He had to return to protect them as well. The gods are angry and his presence is what keeps them safe. That's why I'm here. He asked me to bring you back safely while he returned to check on things. He.." Grover trailed off as he looked behind them. Percy got a glimpse of a figure chasing them, a dark fluttering shape.

"What the hell is that?" Percy asked, fear creeping into his voice. Sally ignored him.

"Another mile please," she pleaded, "Just one more."

Percy wasn't sure what he meant, but he figured he'd asked enough questions for one trip. He reached forward, watching the road in anticipation.

Percy's hair stood on his ends. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his blood.

"Get out!" He screamed. The sudden rise in his voice jolted Sally and Grover as they obeyed instantly.

Seconds after leaping past the car door, their car exploded. A bolt of lightning had shot right past them and hit the hood of the car. How Percy knew the lightning was going to hit them, he had no clue at that moment. He had bigger problems, though.

"Percy," his mother said behind him in a serious deadly voice. "You need to run. Do you see that big tree."

"No mom," Percy interrupted. "I'm not leaving you. We're going together. Help me with Grover."

He didn't wait for her answer but knelt down and grabbed his best friend. No matter what happened, Grover was his first and true friend, and he wasn't abandoning any of them.

They draped Grover over their shoulders and ran for the tree. Percy glanced back, and his heart stopped. He got his first proper look at the monster that had been chasing him.

He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine—bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes except underwear—bright white Fruit of the Looms—which would've looked funny, except that the top half of his body was so scary. Coarse brown hair started at about his belly button and got thicker as it reached his shoulders.

His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as his arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns—enormous black-and-white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.

Percy knew this monster far too well. It had been the very first story Mr Brunner– Chiron, whatever, he had enough information overload for one day– had ever taught him.

"That's–"

"Pasiphae's son," his mother said. "I wish I'd known how badly they want to kill you."

"But he's the Min—"

"Don't say his name," she warned.

"Right. Names have powers."

The pine tree his mother had mentioned was still far away. The minotaur was sniffing around, almost like a dog. Percy remembered the myths. The Minotaur had terrible hearing and sight. It used scent to track its prey. Hence why Minos kept him in the labyrinth. A place where sight and hearing would do no good.

"Food!" Grover groaned. Percy wanted to tell him to shut up, but he was too focused on the bull man.

He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded.

Not a scratch, Gabe had said.

Oops.

"I was too selfish. I should've sent you away. I wanted you to be with me."

"Mom," Percy started, but she cut him off.

"As soon as it charges Percy, jump to the side. He can't change directions once he's locked on and charging."

The Minotaur roared.

He'd smelled them.

He bounded towards them.

Moments before he leapt on them, Sally grabbed Grover and jumped to the right. Percy jumped to the left.

The Minotaur bounded past them. At last, he managed to turn, but not towards him. Towards his mother.

They'd reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side, he could see a valley, just as his mother had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. They'd never make it. Percy was far too drained from his earlier fight.

The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing his mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back toward the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.

"Run, Percy!" she told him. "I can't go any farther. Run!"

The minotaur charged towards her. Percy couldn't do anything but helplessly watch as she tried to sidestep but the monster had learnt his lesson. He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her.

"Mom," he yelled.

She caught his eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"

Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around her, and she dissolved before his eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash and she was simply ... gone.

"No!" Percy roared. He didn't realise it at the time, but his body had begun to glow. A golden aura had spread across him. A rush of strength shot through his limbs. The Minotaur was now eyeing Grover.

Percy was not going to allow that to happen. He wasn't about to lose someone else as well.

"Hey!" he screamed. "Ground beef. Your father thought you were so ugly he built a maze so he wouldn't have to look at your face. Your mother hated you so much, she let your father lock her up in prison so she would never have to see your embarrassing face."

The Minotaur let out a loud bellow. "Raaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr"

Again, Percy would later realise how lucky he got and how suicidal his next actions were. In that moment, all he knew was his mother was gone, and Grover was close to joining her. Not on his watch.

The Minotaur locked in on him and began his charge. The moment he was within jumping distance of Percy, Percy leapt forward, putting all of his body weight as he tackled the Minotaur by the chest.

"Ooh, I'm kinda strong," A small part of his brain was surprised at his own strength. The rest of his brain wanted blood.

He dodged to the side as soon as they fell to the ground. He swiped his hands forward, grabbing the Minotaur's horn. He tugged at it, and it snapped off.

Percy was angry. He was filled with immense rage, and he could only see red.

He kicked the Minotaur's ribs, a satisfying crunch filling his ears. The Minotaur let out a yelp of pain as his hand shot out, grabbing Percy by the leg and flinging him a few feet away. Percy groaned in pain, using his hand to stabilise himself as he brought his own body up. The rain had helped energise him, and he could still feel some strength in his arms. Percy lunged forward as the Minotaur attempted to get back up, knocking him right back to the ground. He grabbed the broken horn of the Minotaur and jammed it right through his chest. The Minotaur let out an agonising scream. Percy remembered how his mother had dissolved. He would do the same to the monster in front of him.

"My mother!" he roared in anger. "Now my friend! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO HURT THE PEOPLE I LOVE YOU PATHETIC CREATURE!"

He locked both of his arms around the Minotaur and kicked his feet. To his surprise, both of them flew straight up, almost like the winds were lifting them up. As soon as they were a relatively high distance, unknowingly, he pushed his body back down. Instantly the winds responded, and with alarming speed, both of them hit the ground with a loud thud. The Minotaur let out a large bellow of pain. Percy steadied himself with his hands and grabbed the horn, still lodged in the Minotaur's chest.

He yanked the horn out, and with all his strength, he jammed it straight back in. The Minotaur let out one more pained yelp before his body started to disintegrate, like sand falling from someone's hand.

It was gone.

The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. Percy smelled like livestock, and his knees were shaking. He couldn't even understand what he'd just done. He didn't even care that he'd flown a few hundred feet in the air.

His head felt like it was splitting open. He felt weak and scared and was trembling with grief. He wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing his help, so he managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley toward the lights of the farmhouse. Percy was crying, calling for his mother, but he held on to Grover—he wasn't going to let him go. He'd lost enough already.

The last thing he remembered was collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above him, moths flying around a yellow light, and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blond hair curled like a princess's. They looked down at him, and the girl said, "He's the one. He must be."

"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "He's still conscious. Bring him inside."


Author's Note: A good 3490 words. Not bad. Obvious changes from the main book, he gets attacked by other weird creatures, and his fight with the Minotaur goes a lot different than it did in canon. Also, you get to see some of his other powers. I imagine people are confused, but I'm following a specific cult myth about Kronos' reigning era, and Percy's abilities will make sense very soon after his claiming.

Per usual, if you have time to review, it would be much appreciated. I love reading them.

To answer some reviews:

Anaklusmos404: Well, spot on. And I hope this version of Percy's fight lives up to expectations. It may seem a bit brutal as compared to canon, but there's a reason I've kept it that way.

Lord Kronos1950: Chiron and Percy's relationship through Kronos is briefly touched on before Percy leaves for his quest, but it's mainly highlighted towards the end of this book. I've intentionally put it that way to build up for Sea of Monsters. But I'm glad to see you're enjoying it so far.

Anyways, don't really have much else to say. Can't be sure for next update, it'll either be this Saturday, or Monday. Purely depends on how much my teachers hate me. Also, it's snowing out here. IN MARCH. And it's snowing. We love to see that.

Anyways, that's all for this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed.

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