Chapter 15: I waterslide up a Squid's throat

"Drink cactus juice! It'll quench ya!"

Sokka the Meat and Sarcasm Guy


AN: I hate putting an AN at the start of a story but this is important. I released a oneshot in which I talk about all the problems I have with the PJO series (Percabeth, Athena, Chiron etc.) and I talk about how I plan on fixing those problems in my version of the stories. Have a read of the oneshot, it should give all of you some idea of where I plan on taking this story and how I'm going to make it different.


"Percy!"

"Huh….?"

"Percy, wake up!"

"Five more minutes…"

SLAP!

Percy felt a sharp sting of pain across his cheek, jolting him awake instantly.

"What the hell Annabeth?"

"Wake up dummy. We've got problems."

"What prob…. oh."

All around them was a large covering of squishy, mushy, slimy walls, pulsing every few seconds. There was a horrible stench of rotten eggs and dead skin in the air. Percy was sure he could also see some crushed bones in the distance.

"Help me up," he said.

"Percy, maybe you should take it easy," Annabeth interjected. He ignored her, attempting to sit straight. His sight blurred, his vision melting into a whirlpool.

"Woah…" he said, his voice queasy. He felt slightly nauseous and would've fallen back down if Annabeth hadn't steadied him.

"You took a slight hit to the head on our way down here," she told him, glancing at his forehead. "I don't think it's a concussion, but you need to take it a bit easy."

Percy tried to focus, taking in his surroundings. Other than the slimy walls around them, there was a long cylindrical tube above them.

"We were in the love ride thing," Percy remembered. "You managed to free Ares's shield from the trap, but it got triggered anyways. Then that huge blob red-eyed monster came."

"That huge blob monster swallowed us. We're literally inside its stomach." Annabeth finished. "Yet… we're alive."

"No need to sound disappointed."

"More like confused," she replied. "Based on the space between the creature's eyes and the length of its oesophagus we travelled through, coupled with the muscle mass density of the stomach in here, there's enough muscular force for the intestine to crush us into small subatomic molecules and reduce us into nothing more than glucose."

"First architecture. Now what… biology? Are you trying to be an all knowing scientist or something?"

She glared at him. "It's basic science Percy. For all your smartness, you use it to figure out how to bash monsters and annoy gods. Athena would be disappointed."

"Yeah, because impressing her is high on my to-do list," he muttered. "My main priority is surviving the wrath of my dear old brother Zeus. Which brings the question of how do we get out of here?"

Annabeth didn't respond. She was more focused on him.

"What?" Percy asked, feeling self-conscious as she stared at him. "Do I have something on my face?"

"You're hiding something," she said, crossing her arms.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, not meeting her eyes. He really didn't want to get into this right now.

"You won't talk to me or Grover. We can tell you're still avoiding us. You constantly look like you're in a different world. And you continuously keep us at arm's length. You said back at Medusa's place that we would stay together. That also means not hiding things from each other. We agreed that we would get through this quest together. So what are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything Annabeth," Percy insisted, glaring at her. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

"That is a load of crap, and you know it. Grover knows it. I know it. What has got you so afraid?"

"Annabeth, I'd rather focus on getting out of this squid right now," Percy deflected, but Annabeth wasn't having any of it.

"What are you hiding, Percy? I can't have you running out on us again," she demanded.

"The Oracle!" Percy snapped. The fresh reminder of his recent mistake finally got to him.

"What?" Annabeth asked, bemused.

Percy felt his face burn up, silently cursing himself. "The Oracle said one of you would betray me. It's why I don't trust either of you."

"Percy, I..." Annabeth trailed off, not knowing what to say for once. This was exactly what Percy wanted to avoid, the awkward conversation. As much as he tried not to, the Oracle's words had really gotten to him. He was the child of an enemy titan. A titan who's reign was filled with savagery, backstabbing and paranoia. Someone who should've never been born. And no amount of words made it easy for him to feel accepted at all. The oracle's prediction just made those fears ten times worse. He was from a completely different branch. Could he ever fit with the children of the gods? He was born from the blood of their worst enemies.

"Right now, how about we focus on getting out of here, returning Ares's shield and getting back to our already impossible quest?" Percy said, wanting to avoid getting too much into the words of the Oracle.

Annabeth turned to look at the long tunnel directly above them.

"This isn't any ordinary creature," she said. "Otherwise, we'd have been spat out before reaching the oesophagus. It's a magical creature. Based on the biological structure, the creature can rearrange and expand its internal organs to fit whatever it swallows. It's probably why it seems so much bigger on the inside."

"So that explains how we're alive," Percy said. "But how do we get out? I doubt we'll be able to climb through its neck?"

"I don't think we need to," Annabeth replied. "The magic of this creature is limited to rearranging internal space. But just like most living creatures, it still has a regular biological body structure. I think we can force it to regurgitate and spit us out."

"How exactly?"

"The same way humans do. Unsettle the stomach enough to cause acid reflux. Use the force of the reflux to ride up the oesophagus and out."

"That's all well and good. But what's gonna stop it from chasing us or trying to eat us again. We need to try and kill it here and now."

Annabeth hesitated. "I'm not sure how to. I haven't heard about or seen this creature in Greek mythology. It's not one of Hephaestus's contraptions; it's a living creature."

"The Asuras say hello," Percy recalled. "That's what it said before swallowing us."

"Asuras?" Annabeth's brows furrowed in confusion. "Haven't heard of them."

"You think they could be from another mythology?" Percy supplied. "Just like the Chordeva?"

"Mythologies rarely mix. And most of them are supposed to have died out."

"Hey, up until a few weeks ago, I thought Greek mythology had died out. Could be the case for other pantheons as well right?"

"If they are, why are they so interested in you?"

"I'm Percy Jackson," Percy sighed. "The universe exists to make my life difficult."

Annabeth looked like she wanted to retort, but then she decided it was in her best interest not to antagonise Percy even more. He glanced at the ring on his ring finger. He could see the shine on the dark stone of the ring, almost like it was begging him to unleash its power.

"Percy, the last time you used that spear, you ended up cutting through your own legs," warned Annabeth.

"I don't have a choice. The spear's made from Stygian Iron. Chiron said that this was the most powerful metal in the pantheon. Powerful enough to take down this squid?"

"How exactly? Stab it repeatedly till it dies? There's not guarantee that it'll work out Percy."

"Why bother stabbing it? We're literally inside the monster."

Annabeth's eyes widened in understanding. "You want to kill it from the inside while we're going up. Like Hercules did to the Trojan Sea Monster."

Percy nodded. "All we need to do is figure out how to regurgitate ourselves out from here."

Annabeth took out her dagger and picked up the shield beside her. "That's easy. Get your spear ready."

Percy looked at her confused but nonetheless summoned his spear. The sharp tip gleamed as though preparing to feast on its victim. Which... it probably was.

Without hesitation, Annabeth stabbed one of the muscle layers on the side. Their entire chamber rumbled in response, and Percy struggled to maintain balance. The toxic smell seemed to get thicker around them.

"Uhh Annabeth-" Percy started, but she ignored him, stabbing another layer of muscular flesh near them. This time, he was knocked off his balance and fell to the slimy ground. Just past them, he could hear the sound of liquid sloshing around.

"Get ready Percy," Annabeth told him. "One more strike and the acid is going to send us up."

"If this is a monster, couldn't the acid be dangerous enough to burn our skin or cause us to mutate or something?"

The look on Annabeth's face told him she'd already considered those factors and was prepared to swim around in monster goo. "You got any better ideas?"

Percy did not.

"Hold your breath."

Annabeth stabbed the flesh one more time. Then everything went hazy.

If you ever have the opportunity to ride up a creature's oesophagus using its acid, don't.

The best way Percy could describe the experience was like going on an extreme rollercoaster ride going through a water slide. That was if rollercoasters had liquids that could burn someone's skin, causing them to swirl 360 degrees every second like a washing machine and rearrange their legs and arms upside down. Percy could barely breathe. He felt his arms burning up the moment the acid came into contact with his skin. His vision was severely tunnelled and distorted from the constant movement. His body felt wet and sticky from the acid. It smelt like ten Smelly Gabes had been sent to live in the trash and bathe in skunk. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the flesh expanding as he and Annabeth made their way up the burning water slide, making space as they travelled. Percy gripped his spear and struck it with his remaining strength through the fleshy layer of muscle under him. The tunnel around them shook even further as Percy and Annabeth were finally spat out.

They landed in the pool of water from the Tunnel of Love. As soon as he touched the cold water, he felt a rush of adrenaline. His vision sharpened, and his body felt more substantial and mobile than ever before. He turned to look for Annabeth, who was floating just a few feet away from him. She looked worse for wear. Her skin was bright red, and her hair was a mess, but she was alive. Nearby, the oversized squid was looming over both of them. Its eyes glowed red, and it looked at them with evident anger.

"Get to the boat," he told Annabeth. She was about to argue, but Percy cut her off. "You can't fight in the water. The squid will swallow you whole. I can use the water to my advantage. It's already hurt from the damage we did on the inside. I can overpower it. You won't be able to move around with all the currents in here. Swim to the boat and get to Grover. I'll meet up with you."

Annabeth clearly didn't like the idea of splitting up, but she knew she wouldn't be much help in the water. She glared at Percy, but he could detect genuine concern in her eyes.

"Don't die," she told him with a firm voice.

"I'm not losing that easily, wise girl," he smirked back at her. He pushed his hands against her. The water responded, giving Annabeth a boost towards the boat.

Percy turned his attention towards the squid, which was recovering from the cuts Percy had given it. Percy let out a growl as he thrust his arms forward. The water swirled around him, trying to push the squid further down. He felt a tug in his gut and used the water to launch himself right at the squid, his spear outstretched. He cut a deep gash into the squid's torso, but it wasn't enough as the squid formed a giant tentacle from the right and smacked him back into the swirling water. Percy was sure if he wasn't the son of Kronos, the impact would've broken his ribs.

The squid stretched its mouth out as though preparing to swallow him again. It seemed pretty intent on eating him. And he had a feeling this time that he wouldn't be able to find his way back out. He needed to defeat it here and now. He swam deep down, narrowly the squid, entirely focused on trying to stay away from its mouth. He needed a plan. But he couldn't kill it that easily. Whatever the squid's skin was, it was much tougher than it looked. And the creature was a lot more mobile than something its size was capable of. And it was able to generate tentacles from any surface of its skin to hit him. His earlier idea seemed more plausible, killing it from the inside. But he wasn't sure his body could survive another dosage of that toxic burning acid.

How did Hercules defeat the Trojan Sea Monster? He let the monster swallow him up, but because of his divine strength from Hera, he was able to hold his body before getting digested and was able to tear its internal organs apart. According to Chiron, Percy has enhanced strength from being a Titan's son. But was it as strong as Hercules? Even if it was, it clearly wasn't as durable. Despite the water healing him, he could still feel the stinging, burning sensation from the acid on his arms, legs and neck.

That's when it clicked in his head. He may not be as durable as Hercules. But he had something else. He had the power of the Big Three. There was water all around him. And he had the power of lightning at his disposal. He knew he shouldn't be risking using the power of Zeus while the King of the gods was clearly not happy with him, but it was either that or him dying and not retrieving his brother's oversized toothpick, so Zeus would have to deal with it for now.

He stopped swimming, giving the squid a clear target. The squid locked in against him, ready to devour him. This was what Percy needed: a clear opening to the inside of the squid.

30 feet

His heart was pounding.

20 feet

He silently prayed to Hestia and Poseidon. He even sent a small plea to Zeus, hoping the King would give him a free pass, considering he was on this quest to find his bolt.

10 feet

He readied himself. As soon as the squid was ready to swallow him, Percy turned so quickly that the squid almost snapped its own neck, trying to keep its gaze on Percy. Percy raised his arms upwards, and the water followed his movements. It rushed into the squid's mouth, keeping it open and flowing into its stomach. Percy pointed his spear towards the flowing water and concentrated. He felt his ears pop from the change in air pressure, and his fingers crackled. He gripped the spear tighter, using the weapon as a medium to channel his power. It began to glow, and an arc of lightning shot from the tip, making its way to the stream of water, which directed the lightning right at the squid, dispersing the electric charge all over the monster from the inside. For good measure, Percy used the water to propel himself right back at the squid and, with whatever little power remained, stabbed the squid, unleashing the power of Stygian Iron to consume the monster's essence.

It worked. The squid let out a squeal of pain as it uselessly flailed around in the water. The lightning had fried it entirely, and the spear practically absorbed it wholly. Percy let go of his spear as exhaustion took its toll on him. Despite being in the water, his vision began to reduce again, and he could barely keep his balance, relying on his innate abilities to keep him afloat. He wanted to lie in the water, let exhaustion take over him and forget all his troubles. Let someone else deal with the stupid quest.

Right then, he heard a blood-curdling scream echo through the tunnel, and he felt his heart stop.

Annabeth was still out there...

So was Grover. How could he forget? Despite the Oracle's words, he was still the quest leader. He was responsible for protecting them and keeping them safe, not running out on them like he stupidly did earlier.

He shook his head and splashed cold water on his face to help him. He stretched his arms out, and the spear shot out of the water into his hands, morphing back into a ring. Determinedly, he commanded the water to take him to his quest mates.


Author's Note: So, it's been a while. Yeah, I'm sorry life got a bit complicated for me and then university started and then a whole lot of other things got me busy. Then I planned on writing a chapter in March, but that chapter wasn't good enough and I didn't want to release a chapter that I wasn't happy with for the sake of updating. I do apologise but I'm back. Quick note: I'll probably re-edit the Medusa chapter, but when I do, I'll let you all know. Just some changes I wanna make for the sake of making this story better and unique.

2670 words though. It's decent. Hopefully I'll be able to get out longer chapters soon enough. Now for the reviews that have been left waiting for a long time.

Walter: Yup there'll be some mixed themes for other mythologies and an entire book dedicated to explaining them.

Death Fury: Thanks for the review :)

Guest: Yup there'll be more monsters of other mythologies showing up. Percy's situation is... unique and there's a reason why other monsters are attracted to him. It'll be explored more later on.

Lord Kronos1950: Yes, he does. But there's actual scary limitations to his powers that will be expanded on later. Remember, he's mortal for one. Using his regular powers drains him more than if he was a demigod. Using his time powers will just deplete him. The monsters he'll be facing are quite different. And there are going to be consequences he'll bee facing for his powers down the line.

Tadachi mukosoki: Oh he will get to don't worry.

Anaklusmos404: Yes and No. Percy's involvement with the Hindu Pantheon is complicated, and will be confusing for a while. You'll understand later on. But it'll make for a very good story plot.

PhantomFury JP: Thank you

KlausBaudelaireIsAwesome: 1) Yes. Percy's ability to use Stygian Iron will help strengthen him, but only one he understands how to use the weapon. But there'll be direct consequences for overuse of the power and it'll be touched on in one of the extra books I write for this series.

2) Okay, let me explain this slightly better. In the myths, Kronos's powers were bartered with The Big Three (Demeter got agriculture, which Percy has shown use). Kronos's powers as King of the Universe from Gaia made him responsible for the Skies, Sea and Underworld. Yes he never particularly cared about those domains (just like he didn't care about agriculture as explained by Demeter), but those were his domains, just like Time was. Hestia's domain was never given to her from Kronos. He never had any divine relation to the Hearth. Hestia got that domain because that was the domain she requested this instead of being on the council. She always preferred to tend to the hearth and that's why she became associated to it. That domain had no relation to Kronos at all. Neither does Hera's domains. Only Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Demeter to an extent.

3) Nope, as explained in Q2

4) Well, you're going to find out the answer to that one quite soon. But remember, snakes were one of Kronos's sacred animals, that's why it sought Percy out.

5) Monsters between Greek and Roman Pantheon are all common. Roman demigods, I haven't actually decided on that one just yet whether I'll do it in the this series or my HoO series, I'll see. There won't be Hindu demigods in the series (directly). That one is a bit tricky, it'll be explained much much later on. Japanese Pantheon I need to read up on if I want to include it, but it sounds like a good idea, I'll have a look.

Walter: Maybe, maybe not. No spoilers :)

Death Fury: Thanks again

Titus5: I don't plan on the other myths coming in that often so hopefully it won't cause an issue. Also as explained before, Percy's powers will have consequences down the line, and plus he won't be overpowered. If you have a read of the oneshot I just released, Percy will be fighting far far more dangerous creatures and in a lot of the situations, his powers are going to be rendered useless.

Guest: Thank you

Thunderbolt: Thank you, reviews do keep me motivated; I really appreciate them a lot.

JoJo Perlia Jesus: Thanks a lot, much appreciated

KingBob: I could be wrong but I'm fairly sure Chiron was born near the end of the Titan War thus not actually living during the Golden Age. I'm not sure but yeah.

Isahh: Thanks a lot :)

VertigoTT: Oh damn yeah minor mistake. I'll fix that, thank you. I may need a beta actually down the line, I'll let you know if I do.

Anyways I'm going to leave it there for now. Thanks a lot everyone, good to be back.

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