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goldencherriess · 1 month ago

Text

We visit the Garden Gnome Emporium.

Pairing: Percy Jackson x Fem! Reader

Summary: New dangers show in the horizons as Y/N navigates the beginnings of the her first ever quest.

Word count: 10k (oops!)

Warnings: angst (because apparently I can't stop writing it), a lot of eye contact. Glaring as a love language basically

Previous part II Series masterlist

Night came and went, bleeding into the morning, letting the sun shine down on Camp Half-Blood. Y/N woke up early, well aware of what this morning brought. She put her hair up, tied her shoelaces into perfect bows, made her bed (no wrinkles showed on the marble white sheets) and stepped into the crisp morning air. She looked up towards the clear blue sky, a smile stretching on her lips. A horn announced the beginning of the day and she marched towards the pavilion, her head held high.

The Greek columns touched the sky, the campfire swaying slightly in the breeze. She entered the pavilion, her eyes meeting Annabeth’s. Other demigods stood in a circle and Y/N recognized Percy’s golden hair. He was speaking quietly to Chiron, mr. D standing proudly beside them, arms crossed.

She stopped near Annabeth, not taking her gaze off the pair. “Good morning,” she saluted.

“Good morning, Y/N. Today’s the day,” Annabeth’s sure voice said.

Y/N nodded, shifting her gaze towards her friend. A small smile bloomed on her lips. “Yes, it is.”

Annabeth smiled back, before Chiron’s voice boomed, his hands settling on his hips. “The Oracle has confirmed what we expected, that this quest will proceed toward the Underworld, where you will confront the god who has rebelled against his brothers. Hades.” Y/N turned to look at the centaur, straightening her back, her face devoid of any emotion. “The entrance to Hades’s domain lies under the city of Los Angeles.” Chiron looked down at Percy. “This is where you will journey to. Time is short.” He moved his gaze to the demigods. “I have selected our most compelling candidates, from which you will choose three to join you on this quest and ensure that we succeed.”

Percy’s gaze settled on Athena’s daughter. “Annabeth.” His ocean blue eyes latched onto Y/N’s and she raised her chin. “And Y/N.”

“Customarily, one waits to at least hear a name or two before choosing. Are you sure you don’t wanna hear more?” asked Chiron, looking at Percy, the grey in his hair and eyebrows only enhancing the warm wisdom in his eyes.

Y/N could feel Annabeth shift her weight. She looked at her from the corner of her eyes. Someone who didn’t know Annabeth would have been fooled by her determined stance and stone-like eyes. But Y/N wasn’t fooled, she knew her friend too well. She reached over and took hold of her hand, staring straight ahead at Percy and Chiron. Annabeth squeezed her hand, a way of saying “thanks”. She squeezed back.

“This thing, Zeus’s master bolt, we need to get it back, right?” asked Percy as he looked up at the centaur.

“Yes,” nodded Chiron.

Percy raised an eyebrow. “And it’s gonna be hard to get, yes?”

“Extraordinarily.”

“And if the mission required someone to push me down a flight of stairs for it to succeed… you’d want someone who won’t hesitate when they do it. And someone who would protect from the shadows, someone whose aim you’d trust to reach its target.” Percy’s gaze panned on Y/N.

Chiron’s eyebrow raised, before he turned back to the demigods before him. “The first quest-mates shall be Annabeth Chase and Y/N L/N!”

A smirk appeared on Y/N’s face and she squeezed Annabeth’s hand. The morning had brought the promise of a quest she wouldn’t dare fail.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Y/N didn’t have much to pack for the journey. She looked at the objects strewn across her bed and at the backpack Annabeth lent her, as she didn’t have one of her own. Her arrows were glistening in the sunshine rays and her bow was proudly bending on the sheets. She took hold of an arrow and touched the tip. It was sharp as a needle.

Footsteps came up behind her and Luke’s voice cut the silence. “You got the quest you’ve wanted for so long.”

She turned around. The boy was kneeling down beside his bed, grunting as he took out a box from under it. “I know.”

Luke laughed. “Aren’t you proud? It seems you’ve made quite the impression on Percy.”

Y/N shrugged. “I don’t care.” She turned back around, stuffing the arrows in the backpack, hiding them from mortal eyes. The bow, though, didn’t fit. She would need to carry it around in plain sight.

“Either way, you’ve got what you wanted. Somehow you always do.” A warm hand settled on her shoulder.

She turned to look at Luke, her first friend at camp. He was bearing a soft smile. “You’ll do great,” he added, nodding.

Her lips curled in a small smile. “Reckon I won’t get into trouble?”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Oh, you definitely will. But try to keep it at minimum. Come back in a piece, alright? You’re like a sister to me.”

A warmth spread in her chest at his last words and her smile turned into a full blown grin. “I’ve always wanted an older brother.” She did. More often than not, during the school days and after her mother’s death, loneliness creeped in her life and she longed for someone to share her pain, to understand her sentiments and to soothe her worries. Her aunt tried her best and Y/N would remain forever grateful to her, but she could feel how her aunt was keeping things away from her, how she held secrets of her own, how she was keeping her in the dark. Maybe this was why she grew to fear it.

Y/N’s gaze slipped towards the box held in Luke’s hands. She nodded towards it. “What’s that?”

“For Percy.”

“Am I not getting anything?” she replied, a note of envy seeping into her tone.

“You can take care of yourself, I’d say. You don’t need some old Converse from me to kick ass.” Luke’s eyes twinkled and he ruffled Y/N’s hair.

“Stop that!” she yelled, as she pushed his hands away and tried smoothing down her hair.

A laugh escaped Luke’s lips. “Still bossy as ever, I see.”

Her eyebrows furrowed and she threw him a furious look, before turning back to packing. She had half a mind to take with her the yellow coat she arrived in at Camp Half-Blood, but she had outgrown it quite a few years ago. Still, she regarded the flashing, neon yellow of it, as it stayed hung on the back of her bed.

“You alright?” asked Luke worriedly.

She sighed. “Yes.” She slinged the backpack on her shoulder, the sound of arrows clinking together reaching her ears. She took hold of her bow, her fingers clawing around the smooth wood, fitting like puzzle pieces. She squared her shoulders and she turned to meet Luke’s eyes. “I’m ready.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The pine tree stood tall in the wind, its leaves swaying gently. Y/N watched from afar how Annabeth said her goodbyes to Thalia, her hand on the tree’s bark. When Y/N first met Annabeth, she was green with envy at every mention of Thalia’s name. Thalia this, Thalia that. But after Annabeth slowly warmed up to her, Y/N saw the tree as what it really was. A sacrifice. An attempt to shelter those who were just like herself. She saw the tree’s beauty and she was thankful for it. It brought Annabeth to her (whose eyes seemed to follow her everywhere her first few days at camp. At some point, Y/N was fed up with it and confronted her about it. They slowly became friends).

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, basking in the sunlight, feeling the wind’s caress on her cheek.

“She’s really gonna miss that tree, huh?” Y/N heard Percy say from beside her. A scowl darkened her features, but she didn’t open her eyes, instead choosing to strain her ears for any bird sounds. She didn’t hear the eagle sing today.

“When Annabeth first arrived here with Thalia and Luke, they were being chased by monsters,” replied Grover, a satyr with a friendly face.

Y/N met him a few years back when she tried figuring out her place at camp and her talent. The Demeter children were trying to teach her how to tend to plants. She didn’t have the patience (and it seemed that she didn’t have the talent for it either), but Grover did. He often mingled with the Demeter children and he taught her to make a flower crown, before he put it on the mane of her hair with a warm smile, eyes wrinkling.

“Agents of Hades. Sisters,” he continued.

“Furies,” added Percy, nodding. “Mrs. Dodds?”

“Yes!”

Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who’s mrs. Dodds?”

“Our algebra teacher. Alecto,” explained Grover.

She hummed in reply.

“Thalia turned back to fight to buy her friends some time. Her satyr Protector tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. So, at the last moment… Zeus intervened to save her life and… changed her form.” Grover’s voice shook.

“The most powerful being in the universe's best idea to save his daughter’s life… was to turn her into a tree?” asked Percy, a note of doubt in his voice.

Y/N opened her eyes and turned to look at him. For some odd reason, the question irked her, flaring her up. “He did save her, in the end. And trees are a symbol of life. Not that you would understand.”

Percy’s eyebrows furrowed and he opened his mouth to retaliate, but Annabeth cut him off. “She was the bravest demigod I ever knew. She fought valiantly and she met a hero’s fate.”

“She met a pinecone’s fate,” replied Percy, pointing at the tree in the horizon.

Y/N scoffed, turning her back on him, taking a few steps and coming beside Annabeth. She turned around. “You have no respect,” she stated, crossing her arms, bearing a wild look in her eyes.

Percy met her gaze, confusion simmering in his ocean eyes.

“Forbidden children are always in danger, even the strongest one, even Thalia. And you are not Thalia,” said Annabeth, her voice firm.

“Forbidden children are a magnet for danger. Monsters,” added Y/N. “I’m guessing you don’t have a death wish.”

Percy shifted his weight. “No,” he mumbled, clearly annoyed.

“Then, you’d better listen to us.”

“Do exactly as we say, and maybe you survive this,” said Annabeth. “Are we clear?” But she didn’t wait for a reply, as she turned on her heels, leaving for the border.

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “Are we clear?” she stressed, leaning forward.

Percy clenched his jaw. “Yes, ma'am.”

She nodded, before turning around and catching up to Annabeth, bumping their shoulders.

“Does she think she’s in charge?” she heard Percy ask Grover. She rolled her eyes.

“Who’d you think would be in charge?”

“I guess I assumed we’d do a show of hands or something.”

She scoffed lightly, before she passed the pine tree, her fingers softly caressing the bark. She threw a glance behind her shoulder, the sight of Camp Half-Blood reminding her of a home away from home. She smiled, before she jumped down, the unknown stretching before her eyes.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Y/N hadn’t missed the city. It looked the same as the day she left it: wild and untamed. She glanced outside the window, as she sat in the bus, towering skyscrapers passing by. She recognized many places. Like that one corner where she was almost bullied by kids twice her size just because she was different. And there’s that candy shop her aunt brought her to once after her first day at a different school than the one she was attending a week before. Her eyes narrowed. That one block seemed familiar. With a pang of heart, she realised it was the block her aunt lived in. If she still lived in it, and didn’t move away.

She sighed, falling back into her seat. Annabeth was soundly asleep next to her, the chest rising and falling with every breath. Y/N took in her fluttering eyelashes, sweetly kissing her cheek, and Y/N figured Annabeth didn’t sleep the night before. She knew her friend too well. She knew that Annabeth always worried, always strategized, was always one step ahead.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind Annabeth’s ear, lightly putting her head on her shoulder, shifting more comfortably in the seat.

The skyscrapers rolled by, until they were nothing but passing, flashing hills.

Her gaze caught Percy looking at them. He was trying to be discreet, Y/N could tell. “What?” she whispered, careful to not wake Annabeth up.

He only shook his head, before turning to look straight ahead. “Nothing,” he simply answered. A second later, he turned in his seat, towards Y/N. “You’re great friends,” he stated, nodding his head toward the sleeping form of Annabeth.

Y/N’s gaze slipped toward the girl. “Yeah, so?”

“Nothing. Just asking.”

Y/N’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you always this curious?”

“I’m not,” mumbled Percy, his ears turning slightly red.

“Yeah, you are. Not only do you always ask stupid things, but you also stare an awful lot. Did your mommy never taught you it’s not polite to stare?”

“I’m not staring!”

“Right, and I’m Zeus’ child,” she replied, sarcasm dripping down her tongue. “Just stop staring. It’s pissing me off. If you’ve got something to say, just come out and say it.”

Percy looked her in the eyes, his jaw clenching. “I don’t”

Y/N only nodded. “Great. I don’t either.” She turned her head to gaze out the window. The city was long gone and she let herself be whisked away by the green scenery.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

“There is no way this is what sacred smells like,” said Percy, turning to look at Annabeth and Y/N, as a rocker in his fifties came out of the smelling WC of the bus. Y/N scrunched up her nose, a waft of what she could nicely only describe as garbage passing by.

“We’re soldiers on a mission. It’s not a vacation,” retorted Annabeth.

“Thank you for clearing that up. But if this is so important, why didn’t Chiron spring for plane tickets? This seems kind of low priority, doesn’t it?” Percy asked, shifting the gaze between his three companions.

Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed. “What? No one told you?” She moved her gaze onto Grover, who withdrew into himself. “You didn’t tell him?”

“Sorry, I assumed someone had told you,” replied Grover, eyes full of remorse.

“Tell me what?”

“Percy, it isn’t just the monsters who are gonna be trying to stop us. You’re a forbidden child,” explained Grover, tilting his head. “Zeus might decide to take a shot at you himself. The sky is his domain. We’d be serving you on a silver platter to try to travel through it.”

“And flying would be like an act of war, it would mean you’re defying him,” added Y/N. “And you do not want to defy the god of the skies and the king of Olympus.”

Percy searched her face, eyebrows furrowed and lips parted. “Yeah, no one mentioned that,” he eventually replied, his voice full of annoyance.

The bus slowly pulled to a stop in a gas station, Y/N catching sight of far away trees and she was strongly reminded of the fresh air back when she was living with her mother in a cosy cabin. But that was years ago.

“Okay, I’m gonna get us some snacks,” announced Annabeth, getting up from her seat and straightening her purple jacket.

“I wanna come too,” said Y/N, getting up and dusting her pants.

“I’ll come with you,” voiced Percy, trying to get up on his feet but being pushed back by Annabeth’s firm hands.

“No, you’ll stay right there.”

Percy’s face morphed into a look of disbelief. “What? And how come you’re letting her go, but not me?” he looked towards Y/N, before quickly moving his eyes back on Annabeth.

“She has a name. And because I asked her,” piped in Y/N, eyebrows furrowing. She crossed her arms, the blood in her veins starting to boil.

“Yeah, well, I asked her too. Didn’t seem to help,” furrowed Percy.

“You’re staying here and that’s final.”

“Monsters can’t smell you through that, so that’s where we want you,” added Annabeth, nodding her head.

Percy’s eyebrows twitched. “I wanna vote.” He briefly looked at Grover, who was worryingly watching the interaction, his gaze shifting back and forth as if he was at a game of tennis. “Who thinks that we should all go get to breathe fresh air and buy our own snacks?” he asked, gazing at Y/N, one eyebrow slightly arched. He deftly raised his hand.

“There’s no voting,” Y/N and Annabeth said in unison.

“Chips and sodas okay for you guys?” questioned Annabeth.

“I don’t think you should just get to decide we don’t vote.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Annabeth voiced, sarcasm lacing her words.

“There’s no point in voting. I just said you’re not coming. Annie agrees,” replied Y/N, leaning forward, looking Percy in the eyes. Her blood was still boiling in her veins and her skin was hot and she knew she would soon reach her limit, before she’d start to erupt, much like a volcano would, but she kept her voice even and her face devoid of any emotion.

Percy’s lips curled in disdain. “Of course she does! She agrees to whatever you say!”

Y/N’s lips twitched. “She knows it’s for the better. You, on the other hand, don’t.”

“Okay. I wanna vote on whether you get to decide we don’t vote.”

Y/N’s frown only deepened and bolts thundered in her gaze, flashing. Percy met her eyes, a storm brewing in his ocean gaze.

Annabeth sighed. “Grover, please, can you help your…” Her voice faltered as Grover started clapping slowly, smiling awkwardly “...friend?”

Y/N swiftly moved her gaze onto him, confusion lacing her features. She blinked.

“I really don’t wanna be a tiebreaker,” Grover said, taking all of them in, shaking his head. “I have a better idea.” His clapping increased in a quick rhythm. He opened his mouth and his voice rounded in swift sounds to sing. “Oh, golly, the road’s gettin’ bumpy ‘cause I got me some friends who just can’t get along.”

Y/N’s eyebrows raised, her lips parting.

“Oh, dear! When the team’s gettin’ bumpy the trick to gettin’ through it is singin’ this song–”

“Dude, what are you doing?” asked Percy, his voice flat.

Grover blinked, and he moved his gaze from Percy to Annabeth to Y/N, smiling slightly as if the answer was clear as day. “It’s the consensus song,” he simply answered. “Verse two encourages us to say nice things about each other.”

Percy looked at Y/N, who was still bearing a confused look on her face. Her eyebrows did lower, though.

“You get a few rounds in and you’d be amazed at how disagreements just kind of… fade away,” continued Grover, his voice faltering at Annabeth’s bored look on her face.

Silence settled for a few seconds and Y/N briefly glanced at Percy, who was blinking and looking ahead at nothing in particular.

“Chips and sodas okay for you guys?” repeated Annabeth, her hand in her jacket’s pockets.

“Whatever.”

“Yes, please.”

Y/N scoffed before she left Annabeth’s side, heading for the bus exit. The air was as fresh as remembered.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The sliding doors opened, making way for Y/N and Annabeth to enter the gas station. The cashier was a plump woman in her forties, her face empty of any emotion. She looked bored at best.

“Alright, let’s split up. I’ll get the chips, you get the sodas, okay?” said Y/N, looking around, body tensed.

Annabeth nodded, before going in the direction of the candies. Y/N looked at her departing figure, before she passed the cashier and stopped in front of the snacks aisle. The refrigerators were humming behind her and she moved her gaze down the alley, trying to read the products. The letters were jumbling together, swirling in front of her eyes in a tangle of mess. She blinked and furrowed. She reached a hand out and took hold of a Lay’s chips bag. She whispered the letters. “La… le… lein?” She shook her head. “That didn’t sound right.” She sighed before she picked up three more identical bags and turned her head to search for Annabeth. She recognized her dark braided hair behind the candy aisle. A small smile blossomed on Y/N’s lips and she let her gaze slide away, taking in the shop around her.

The smile fell off her face when her eyes caught sight of a woman staring at her over the drinks aisle. She shifted her weight before she left for the cashier, turning to glance behind her shoulder. Annabeth was just coming beside her. “Don’t look now, but I think we’re being watched.”

Annabeth gave a subtle nod before she dumped all the candies and sodas on the cash register. The cashier raised her eyebrows before she started scanning the products. Athena’s daughter glanced behind her shoulder, as Y/N gave the chips bags to the blonde plump woman in front of her, who was suspiciously checking them both out. “Are you dears alone?” she asked.

Y/N gritted her teeth. “No.”

“You were right,” Annabeth whispered to Y/N, from the corner of her mouth without looking at her. “Do you think it’s…?”

“Yes,” nodded Y/N, throwing the cashier a tight-lipped smile.

“That would be 10 dollars,” announced the cashier.

Y/N searched her pockets before she pulled out a green bill, the face of Alexander Hamilton greeting her. She slammed the money on the cash register, took the bag full of chips, candies and sodas and pulled Annabeth out the gas station. The sliding doors closed behind her with a whoosh sound.

They quickened their steps, Annabeth glancing behind her shoulder, a frown on her face.

“Don’t panic,” Y/N voiced, looking at her, as they entered the bus.

“I’m not panicking.” Annabeth stopped in the middle of the aisle. “You go ahead,” she said before she put on the Yankees cap, disappearing.

Y/N sighed, as she approached the boys.

“Look, I’m not against the idea of consensus, I’m just not sure the song is doing what you think it is, is all,” she heard Percy say. She threw the bag onto his lap and he whipped his head around, his eyebrows furrowed. “Hey!”

She shushed him, waving her hand, and looking at the place where she knew Annabeth would be. She strained her ears, hoping to catch bits and pieces of anything that would alert her of the presence of monsters.

“What are you doing?” asked Percy, closely watching her.

Her eyes widened when she saw Annabeth reappear, a frantic look on her face. “Open the window,” she urged Percy, pushing him.

“What?”

“Just do as I say!”

Percy opened his mouth to retort, his ocean blue eyes darkening, but he was interrupted by Annabeth. “Guys, you need to open that window! Now!”

“I don’t think these windows are supposed to–” replied Grover, panic overtaking his features once he saw a Fury getting up from her seat. “Oh, no.”

Y/N swore under her breath and she backed, taking hold of her bow.

“Go, go, go, go, go!” Grover yelled, getting up and pushing Percy.

Y/N took out an arrow, and she raised it, not taking her eyes off Alecto, as she slowly advanced towards them, her wings stretching menacingly. She heard the boys forcing the window open, the bus alarm filling the air.

“Everyone, leave your belongings and exit the front of the bus,” the driver spoke up.

Y/N inhaled, taking a step back as she made eye contact with the Fury. People got up from their seats, swarming the aisle and slowing down Alecto.

“Y/N, Annabeth, let’s go!,” yelled Percy, touching Y/N’s arm. She shook his hold off, hearing shrieking.

Another Fury flew in, breaking a window and turning her attention to Percy.

“Hey!” Annabeth yelled, taking out her dagger.

“For gods’ sake!” Y/N mumbled as she raised her bow and launched her arrow. It cut the air, before it targeted the Fury’s forehead at the same time the dagger stabbed her heart. The Fury gave out another shriek, her eyes turning glossy. She turned into an ashy dust and Y/N huffed.

“We’re done here, let’s go!” said Annabeth, picking her dagger up and jumping down the open window.

Y/N took hold of her fallen arrow. “Come on, Percy!” she yelled over shoulder, looking at the boy as he picked up the box she recognized as being Luke’s. He nodded, and she took it as a sign he would follow her out the window.

He did.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Birds were chirping and Y/N was happy to be immersed in nature once again. The wind was dancing through the tall pine trees and light was filtering through the deep green leaves. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine she was back home, at the cabin with her mother. But she was on a mission. And she couldn’t let herself be distracted. Not even by the slightest breeze or bird song.

“Somewhere up ahead this turns into a satyr path,” voiced Grover from behind her.

“What’s a satyr path?”

“It’s a road through the wilderness. Satyr explorers use them. Harder to track us.”

Y/N’s Converse scuffled, hitting a strayed, small rock. She watched as it rolled down the dusty path.

“That’s great but if we stay in the wilderness, how are we gonna find a phone?”

She frowned at hearing Percy’s question. She turned to look at him. The blond was holding the box as it was the most sacred thing he’d ever get to hold, and envy’s claw squeezed her neck.

“What do we need a phone for?” Annabeth voiced the question that was swimming in Y/N’s thoughts and mind.

“So we can call camp,” stated Percy as if the answer was obvious and plain.

“For what?” asked Y/N, stopping in her tracks.

“To get help.”

“We’re not getting help,” she replied, resuming her walk.

“We don’t need help. We’re fine,” added Annabeth.

Percy scoffed. “We’re fine? We haven’t even gotten to Trenton, and we’re wandering through a forest. I didn’t even know they had forests in New Jersey, but we’ve found one. I would say we’re the opposite of fine.”

“It’s a very pretty forest, though,” mumbled Y/N, looking up at the towering, sheltering trees.

On hearing this, Grover threw her a small smile.

“We were sent on a quest by the Oracle, by the gods,” Annabeth said, turning to look at Percy over her shoulder. “What’d you think, it would be easy? It’s supposed to be hard. That’s why only certain people are chosen. If we call camp, we’re basically saying it was a mistake to choose us.”

“I’m completely comfortable with that,” replied Percy, shrugging. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

Y/N scoffed. “We can’t afford to make mistakes. This is a one time only chance.”

Percy blinked, looking at her. He opened his mouth to reply, but Annabeth spoke up, stopping in the middle of the path and turning to look at him. “Why are you so afraid of who you are?”

“What?” frowned Percy.

Grover looked between them, inhaling. “You know, what’s interesting about this particular satyr path is it’s actually the one my Uncle Ferdinand took when he set out on his own quest.”

Percy ignored him, looking at Annabeth. “What was that supposed to mean, afraid of who I am? I’m not afraid.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. She was getting tired of his attitude.

“Yes, you are,” emphasised Annabeth. “You aren’t just a kid. Just a kid doesn’t do what you did to Clarisse back at camp. Just a kid doesn’t have Hades sending top lieutenants to retrieve them. You know, you are a part of something so much bigger than we can understand right now. We have to move forward whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not.”

Percy shrugged. “You don’t want to call camp, fine. Then, at least let’s call your mom.”

Y/N uncrossed her arms, lips parting. She shifted her gaze onto Annabeth. She knew her friend well. All too well. She knew that right at this moment Percy had unleashed a storm upon Athena’s daughter. She knew that million thoughts were currently racing through her mind, swirling around and clouding her vision. She knew that she was holding herself back. She knew her friend very well, because they were mirror images of each other. Y/N worryingly searched her face and took a step closer to her.

Annabeth blinked several times in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“Athena? Your mother?” continued Percy, as if he was talking about the weather. “I’d call my father, but we aren’t exactly on speaking terms. You know, because of the lifelong neglect and all, but you and your mother seem close, So, why don’t we ask her for help?”

“Grover, will you explain to your friend that he needs to pull himself together?” fired off Annabeth, looking fixedly at Grover who shook his head, looking between them, lips parted.

Percy’s face morphed into one of understanding. “You can’t ask her, can you?” There was an edge to his voice, one that cut deep. “When was the last time she talked to you?”

Y/N took a step forward. “Alright, cut it out. We’re losing precious time here.”

Percy’s gaze snapped to hers. “What about you?”

Her eyebrows arched, hiding behind her hairline. “What about me?”

“Miss Bossing-everyone-around, left and right. What about that?”

Her face fell and she scoffed. “I’m just trying to help, but if it bothers you that much, seaweed brain, maybe I should stop. Leave you to do the honours, but as far as I can see, you don’t even know where to start.”

Y/N threw him a tight-lipped smile. She stepped towards him, meeting his gaze with furious eyes. “Really? I thought we were saying what was bothering us.”

“You did not just make this about me, we were talking about you,” furrowed Percy, taking a step towards her.

“Grover,” sighed Annabeth, a plea for help.

Percy whipped his head to her. “I don’t know why you keep pulling him into this. He’s on my side.”

“What makes you think that?”

“He’s my Protector, it’s his job,” stated Percy, raising his eyebrows.

“He was my Protector first!”

Y/N heard Grover sigh and she took a step back from Percy, turning around and settling on a log.

“First?” flared up Percy. Her mouth twisted in disdain. “What do you mean first?”

Everyone turned to look at Grover, who shifted his weight and cowered beneath their furrowed gaze. “Very exciting, getting to walk in Uncle Ferdinand’s footsteps. Next best thing to getting to talk to him again”

Y/N swore under her breath, her gaze sliding away from the trio. Her blood was rushing through her veins like hot mercury. She had an itch in her heels, her leg jumping up and down. She raised her gaze upwards, catching the sight of the azure sky between the deep green leaves of the forest.

“Thalia, Luke, and Annabeth had a satyr protector,” Percy slowly voiced. “That was you.” Then, his voice tensed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Grover furrowed, sniffing the air curiously. “Do you guys smell that?”

Y/N glanced at him, slowly getting up. “Are you smelling something, Grov?”

“Grover, I’m not kidding–”

“Neither am I. Just shush.”

Silence settled between them, heavily, induced with tension. Y/N glanced from the corner of her eyes at Percy, who was already looking at her, confusion lacing his features.

“Hamburgers,” announced Grover, taking off.

Leaves crunched under Y/N’s Converse as she rushed off after Grover.

“Grover! What are you doing?” voiced Annabeth from behind her.

“Somebody’s making hamburgers in the middle of nowhere, on a satyr path,” explained Grover, still confidently leading the way. Soon they came out onto a road, a clearing in the depth of the emerald forest. “Whoever it is… They’re from our world.”

Y/N’s hand clenched around her bow, knuckles turning white. Her stomach churned. “I have a bad feeling about this,” she mumbled.

Percy threw her a curious look before he continued on his way.

Grey, gruesome statues stretched menacingly towards the skies, their mouths twisting in pain. Y/N’s lips parted at the sight.

“Oh, come on,” exclaimed Annabeth from beside her.

“What?” asked Percy from the other side, turning to look at Annabeth over Y/N’s head.

The feeling in her stomach intensified and Y/N gripped her bow as if it were a lifeline. The carved wood was familiar at her touch.

“Aunty Em has a garden full of petrified stone folks. Yeah, this is someone from our world, all right,” scoffed Annabeth.

Y/N dodged an outstretched finger as she passed the petrified form of a bearded man. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets in fear and remorse and his mouth was open in a silent, neverending scream. She tore her eyes away, a shudder running down her spine.

“Anyone wanna guess what Em is short for?”

“Medusa,” echoed Y/N as all of them stopped in front of towering petrified monsters. Her answer came as a breath. Short. Rapid.

“Oh,” replied Grover in defeat and realisation. His face had fallen, regret painting his features.

Y/N took a step back, goosebumps chilling down her arms.

“Let’s get out of here, please, while we still can,” voiced Annabeth, an urgency in her tone.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

They all turned around but stopped in their tracks at the sight of a furious Alecto. Her wings were outstretched and she rolled her shoulders, raising her chin. Y/N took out an arrow and she raised her bow, targeting her heart. She felt Percy shuffle beside her, handing Grover his box and taking out Riptide.

“You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance,” said the Fury, looking at Annabeth and taking a step forward, her claws glinting in the sunlight.

Y/N’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She straightened her back, not taking her eyes off of the target, even if her mind was screaming at her to turn to look at Annie. To search her face for unsaid answers.

“Offer? What offer is she talking about?” asked Percy.

Tension filled silence laid heavy between them and Y/N counted her breaths, preparing herself to let the arrow fly through the air. Heels clicking on concrete cut the silence, a sure voice echoing soon after. “Not today, friends. Not on my doorstep.”

Alecto hid her face in a raised wing, scarlet scales catching the sunlight, and Y/N didn’t need to turn around to know who was fast approaching.

Annabeth exclaimed an “Oh, shoot,” before she turned around, hiding her gaze away, Grover doing the same.

Y/N swore under her breath. Her hand gripped Percy’s elbow, forcing him to turn away. “Don’t you dare look at her, kelp head,” she whispered harshly, meeting his lowered gaze with furrowed eyebrows. He only nodded his head indistinctly.

“If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and I’ll help? Alecto? Will you be joining us?”

The Fury only turned her body away.

“No, well I wouldn’t think you would.” A beat of silence. “She won’t bother you as long as you’re with me,” a honey dripped note seeped into her voice.

Y/N slowly let her hand fall from Percy’s elbow. Her other hand was still clutching her bow and arrow.

“But it isn’t as though she’ll leave either.” The voice raised in a venomous octave. “Not if it means reporting that she failed to retrieve the son of Poseidon.”

Y/N stiffened and she glanced at Percy. His eyebrows pinched together in confusion and he slightly turned on the spot, his gaze pinned to the ground.

“How did you–”

“A forbidden child has been claimed. How long did you think that secret would keep? It’s a pleasure to meet you, son of Poseidon. I’m Medusa.”

Percy swallowed thickly and risked a glance from the corner of his eye. Upon noticing this, Y/N took hold of his elbow once again. She was shaking her head in warning.

“Percy, don’t,” voiced Annabeth. “She’s a monster.”

“We all choose who we make our monsters, but right now, that one wants to tear you limb from limb…” Medusa replied in disdain. “And I’m offering you lunch. The choice is yours.”

Heels clicking announced her departure. Y/N let her hand fall away from Percy’s elbow and she straightened her back, staring at the blonde’s profile with furrowed eyes. “You didn’t listen to me! I told you to not–”

“I think we can trust her,” Percy interrupted her, glancing at her before looking at the emerald trees surrounding them.

Y/N’s eyebrows shot up and she felt her blood boil.

“Dude!”

“What?”

“I can’t explain it, I just–” shrugged Percy, stumbling over his own words. He turned to look at Y/N, his gaze sincere. “My mom used to tell me her story. And the point was always that she isn’t what people think.”

Y/N opened her mouth to retaliate that they can’t take that risk now, not on this quest, not when she was on her way to find out who her father was, but her glare softened at Percy’s next words.

“And I definitely trust my mom.”

She could relate to that. Even though she hadn’t felt the warm embrace of a mother in a long time. She closed her mouth and just stared back at him.

“So I’m going in,” he continued, turning his gaze onto Annabeth and Grover. “You guys do what you want.” He looked one more time at Y/N before he turned to walk away, the sword weighing heavy in his hand.

Grover stared at both of them, eyes wide as saucers before he left after Percy.

“What are you–” Annabeth started to ask before her voice slowly died. She turned to look at Y/N, conflict written on her face.

“We can’t leave them alone, Annie,” replied Y/N softly. “We came as a team, we’re leaving as a team.” She squared her shoulders and threw the bow and the arrow on her back. “And I also can't leave you alone either. So, are you coming? Or are we keeping Mrs. Alecto here company?”

Annabeth took in a breath and nodded her head. “I’m coming.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The bell chimed as Y/N opened the door and stepped into Aunty Em’s home. Immediately, a wave of sweetness enveloped her and her stomach grumbled at the sight of a filled table. She swallowed away her hunger.

“Thanks for coming,” said Percy as his gaze found hers. She simply shrugged,her eyes roaming around the room. It strangely reminded her of a grandmother’s house. The kind that knitted and held mint drops in crystal, intricate bowls. Also the kind that was wealthy. She could tell by the antique carpet and the centuries old chandeliers.

“This isn’t the same for me as it is for you,” she heard Annabeth say.

“Why?”

Swift heels and a steady voice interrupted the conversation. “You’re concerned I would hold a grudge against you simply because you’re a daughter of Athena?”

Y/N closed her eyes and turned her head away. The sound of a liquid being poured in glasses reached her ears and a frail waft of lemonade tickled her nostrils. She tried to ignore her scratchy and dry throat.

“You shouldn’t be,” continued Medusa as if she were talking about the weather. “We’re not our parents after all.”

Y/N frowned. Was she even like her father? She faintly remembered her mother saying she had the same eyes as him, but other than that, was she even her father’s daughter?

“And you and I might have more in common than you think.”

She felt Annabeth stiffen beside her. She took her hand gently. A touch of reassurance.

“Please, sit and eat.”

Y/N slowly opened her eyes and took in the sight of a thousand, fresh sweets. A glass was filled to the brim with lemonade and she had to tear her gaze away from it to not give in. She wasn’t sure if she could trust Medusa. She trusted Percy enough to follow him but her gut was telling her otherwise. She felt Annabeth squeeze her hand. She squeezed back.

“So you’re not a monster, what are you then?” asked Percy as he took a seat at the table, chair scratching the wooden floor.

“A survivor,” Medusa simply answered.

A shiver ran down Y/N’s spine.

“You must be a little more than that. There’s a Fury out there that seems terrified of you,” added Percy, while filling his plate. Y/N watched miserably as he started eating.

Medusa inclined her head, hands laced. “Because she knows what I think of her.” She straightened her dress before she took a seat on a wooden carved chair. And by the squeak it gave out, Y/ could tell it was also old. If she wasn’t aware of whose house she was in, Y/N would have thought she just stepped into a museum or an antique shop. “I don’t like bullies. When one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for. The gift that gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore.” Y/N could detect a small smile in Medusa’s words. She felt Annabeth’s hold on her faltering.

“What my mother did to you wasn’t a gift, it was a curse.”

A pause. “You are loyal to your mother.”

“Yes.”

“You stand by her?”

“Always.”

“You love her?”

Annabeth took out her hand from Y/N’s and crossed her arms. “Of course I do.”

Medusa slowly nodded her head. “And so did I. So did I.”

Y/N shifted her weight and looked towards Grover who was stuffing his face with muffins.

“Do you know the story of how I came to be this way?” inquired Medusa. Y/N felt as though she was once again in those stuffy classrooms, where other kids glared at the back of her head and where she never knew the answers to the questions addressed by the teachers (they always did seem to pick her in her least finest moments. Like that one time she saw an eagle perching itself on a wire and tilting its head at her, as if it knew her.)

“I do,” replied Grover, mouth full of food.

“Do you?”

The satyr blinked. “Do I?”

A bell tolled in the distance and that grumbling feeling in her stomach returned.

“Athena was everything to me,” started Medusa. The red on her lips was popping and she was speaking slowly. “I worshipped her, I prayed to her. I made offerings… She never answered. Not even an omen to suggest she appreciated my love. I wasn’t like you, sweetheart. I was you.”

“I think you’re in the wrong,” Y/N spoke up. It hurt speaking, her throat was too dry and the words came out scratched.

Medusa moved her gaze on the girl. “Am I? How many times did your father show you a token of his love? Did he ever answer your prayers and offerings? Did he ever recognise you as his kin?”

Y/N remained silent. Her lips drew in a thin line and she exhaled through her nose. She could feel Percy’s stare at the side of her face.

“I would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime… in silence,” Medusa continued as if she wasn’t interrupted just a moment ago. “But then one day, another god came, and he broke that silence. Your father. The Sea God told me that he loved me. I felt as though he saw me in a way I had never felt seen before.” Her words turned acid. “But then Athena declared that I had embarrassed her and I needed to be punished. Not him. Me. She decided that I would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale.”

“That isn’t what happened,” raged Annabeth. “My mother is just, always.”

“The gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible. But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves, for their own shortcomings.”

Y/N hated herself for finding mirrored truth in Medusa’s words, in bits and pieces of anger and broken trust.

“That is not what happened. And you are a liar,” screamed Annabeth.

For a moment silence reigned between them and Y/N counted the seconds until someone spoke up. Ten.

“Something’s burning,” said Medusa.

Y/N sniffed the air. Nothing was burning.

“Would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready.” Receding footsteps echoed in the room.

Percy turned his head to look at the girls. Annabeth shook her head. Y/N only glared at him, a clear sign that she wasn’t on board with what he was about to do. He blinked and followed the older woman into the kitchen.

“He never listens,” sighed Y/N, staring after him.

“Grover…,” said Annabeth. The satyr gazed at her, a pastry sticking out of his mouth and crumbs falling down his chin. “Get ready to run.”

“Or fight,” added Y/N, getting out her bow, determination glinting in her eyes.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

The dark always seemed to sharpen its claws everytime she was around, taunting her, as if it knew she was scared to find out what it was hiding. Doubt made a nest into her mind as she watched her Converse walking down the stone stairs and around the corner, following Percy. She blinked and furrowed against the thick blackness. The front of her sneakers caught onto a small rock and she tripped, her hand landing on Percy’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” she mumbled. He only nodded his head in response.

Scorching fire travelled down the room, illuminating it whole. Percy turned around, coming face to face with a petrified victim, a woman who seemed to have begged for mercy in her last moments. Percy, startled, gasped and took a step back, bumping into Y/N.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. She didn’t answer.

Thousands of statues stretched before them, losing themselves in the depth of the room. “Well, she definitely has a collection worth of envy in her basement,” said Y/N, sarcasm coating her words.

A door creaking and closing with a resounding slam alerted the group and Annabeth waved them over. “Come on.”

They ran through the labyrinth of statues, once in a while throwing a look over their shoulders.

“There’s four of us and only one of her,” started Grover, his voice slightly wavering. “If we split up, she can’t be watching us all at once.”

Y/N shook her head. “She’s smarter than that.”

“I agree,” added Annabeth once they all came to a stop. “I don’t think it’d be that simple.”

“It could be,” replied Grover, sure of himself. “Here’s the plan. I’ll get in the air, I’ll draw her attention. As soon as you hear me say Maia, you guys–” His voice got muffled by the sound of flipping wings and he was raised in the air. “Oh, boy! Okay! Um.. Off. Down.”

Y/N watched helplessly as Grover disappeared in the abyss of the basement, his whimpers and screams faltering.

“So, we’re gonna need a new plan,” voiced Annabeth.

“Yeah,” echoed Y/N.

“We are not our parents until we choose to be,” Medusa’s voice travelled to their ears, authoritative and powerful, a knife in the heavy silence. Y/N scrambled into a run, her Converse sliding against the stony floor. She settled behind the statue of a man with a back wide enough to hide her from petrifying eyes. Across from her, stood Percy, behind a crate, watching her with a fearful gaze. She raised a finger to her lips.

“You three have chosen.”

She slowly took out her bow and arrow, her eyes catching sight of a stretching shadow. Hissing of snakes reached her ears and she raised her bow.

“A daughter of a self-righteous mother, who chose self-righteousness for herself.”

She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut..

“A daughter of a stand-by father, who chose to remain deaf to the cries of the innocent.”

A familiar fire travelled through her veins, bringing her to a boiling point. She scowled.

“And you, you could have shown your father what it means to stand up for someone you love. You could choose to save your mother, instead of doing your father’s bidding. If neither of you will help teach these lessons, perhaps you should be the lessons.”

Heels clicking alerted Y/N that Medusa was getting closer. She could hear the snakes better now.

“When I ship your statues to Olympus… maybe that will get my point across even better.”

“You won’t,” Y/N’s voice boomed.

“The unclaimed one. Pity. I understand you, child. You’re forgotten, just like me,” Medusa’s voice echoed.

“You understand nothing. You claim to know me, but you don’t.”

“Come out. Let’s have a look at you.”

Y/N came out from behind the statue with her head held high, bow clenched in her hands and an arrow raised. Her feet were unsure, though. It felt as though she was walking on thin air.

Heels clicked and Y/N took a step back. She had to maintain a distance in order to launch her arrow. Her ears strained. From her left, she could hear Percy taking out his sword.

“Don’t I? We’re the same, you and I. I feel your envy and fury. And I know how much you long after your father, how much you miss your dear mother. But I can help you. I can soften your pain. Open your eyes, child. Let me see your eyes. Let me see your father’s eyes.”

She almost complied, like a lost child on the first day of school. The hold on her bow slightly weakened and she felt the pain she always buried deep inside her, the one she had lived with since her mother took her last breath on a hospital bed. She wanted it gone. Erased. But then she remembered the promise she had made to her mother on her last day, she remembered her aunt’s kind smile and the bow was raised once again, the arrows glinting in the firelight.

“No,” Y/N growled. And then she launched her arrow. A pained hissing reassured her that it reached its target, slashing one of the snakes in half.

Grover’s yelling brought a smile onto her face and she ducked once she heard him zigzagging through the air towards her. “I didn’t really think this through!” He crashed into a pile of craters, breaking them. Y/N heard Annabeth yell “Now!” and she dared open her eyes.

She saw Percy’s sword glint before it came down, cutting the air and slashing what Y/N assumed to be Medusa’s neck. She inhaled before she came beside him. Somewhere behind her she heard Grover complain about his back and Annabeth fretting over him. Percy gulped before his foot kicked the air. Squelching filled the air and Y/N’s nose scrunched up. “Nasty.”

Percy kneeled and took hold of Medusa’s invisible head, grunting and scowling in disgust. “Aw, man.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t wanna be in your place either,” replied Y/N, eyeing the air between Percy’s hands.

“You found it?” asked Annabeth, nearing them.

“Hope so,” replied Percy, getting up.

“There’s one more thing we need to do,” affirmed Y/N with her hands on her hips.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Watching Percy bravely take off the Yankees cap and petrify Alecto, sent a shudder down Y/N’s spine. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought she was witnessing an already written Olympian legend, the kind written on time consumed, yellowed scrolls.

She exhaled as Alecto’s petrified body fell to the ground, shattering in million pieces. Percy put the cap back on, turned on his heels and marched towards the door, where Y/N was patiently waiting. She opened it for him and they slowly descended the stairs towards the basement, the quiet settling between them.

She squinted against the darkness, but her feet tripped the second time that day. She huffed in annoyance, once she regained her balance and dusted off her pants.

“You okay?” inquired Percy, the ocean in his eyes shining in the dark.

“Just fine,” she simply answered, an edge to her tone.

Torches lit their way and they came before a still Grover and a worried Annabeth, who was throwing them looks.

“Grov? What is it?” Y/N asked, as she stopped beside him. Her eyes caught sight of a marble white statue. A satyr. He had the ghost of a smile on his lips and a daring posture. Realisation dawned on her and she whipped her head towards her friend, watching him swallow tears away.

“Uncle Ferdinand,” replied Grover in a broken whisper.

“Oh no,” voiced Percy.

Y/N hesitated before she let her hand gently fall on Grover’s shoulder. She squeezed it for a second, trying to muster a soft smile. She failed. Y/N could never imagine losing her aunt. A pang pierced her heart at the thought of it.

“Grover, I’m so sorry,” said Annabeth, coming closer to him.

“This is as far as he got on his quest. We aren’t even to Trenton. But look at him,” the satyr chuckled softly, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “He’s not like the others, he… He doesn’t look afraid.”

“Sounds like someone I know. It must run in the family,” smiled Y/N.

Grover met her gaze and softly smiled back. “Thank you, Y/N.” He then blinked his tears away and cleared his throat. “You used the, um, you used the head to get rid of Alecto?”

“Yeah,” answered Percy, watching his best friend with concern simmering in his eyes.

“Good. That was the right move.” He wiped a stray tear. “Uh, we probably should get going. It’ll be dark soon.”

“But what are we gonna do with the head?” interjected Percy, pointing towards what remained of Medusa. “I just took down a Fury with it and I wasn’t even trying. We can’t just leave it for someone to find.”

Y/N crossed her arms and opened her mouth to reply, an idea already forming into her head, but Percy beat her to it. “Leave the hat on and bury it in the basement, that oughta keep it safe.”

Her arms fell to her sides and her gaze swiftly moved onto her best friend, but Annabeth’s face was devoid of emotion. Stone. “Sure. Now, can we talk about the bigger issue here?”

“What bigger issue?” frowned the son of Poseidon.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. “You could have saved your mother? That’s what she said to you, like you discussed it already. Is your mother still alive?”

Y/N looked at Percy expectantly.

“She’s with Hades. But I appreciate your concern.”

Her mouth fell open and her eyebrows pinched together. “Is this why you’re on the quest?”

“Guys, just please stop,” Grover’s meek voice came from behind them.

“Oh, I’m concerned,” continued Annabeth, her voice sharp as a knife. “What are you actually doing on this quest and why did we have to hear it from Medusa?”

Percy shook his head, his face scrunching up and he rolled his eyes. “Okay, while we’re at it, “You should have accepted my offer?” What’s that about do you think? And why did we have to hear it from Alecto? And seriously, Y/N? What was that stunt that you pulled?”

Y/N scoffed, cocking an eyebrow. “What stunt?”

“I feel your envy and fury? Let me see your father’s eyes? You almost lowered your bow. I saw you!” he screamed into her face, taking a step closer.

“But I did not!”

“Enough,” yelled Grover, turning around.

A beat of silence. Y/N glared at Percy’s profile, lightning flashing in her eyes. She crossed her arms and shifted her gaze from him.

“The hat was a gift from her mother. It’s the only thing she’s ever possessed that connects them. That oughta matter to you,” continued the satyr with a steady voice.

“Okay, but how are we gonna make sure this thing is safe?” asked the blond.

“I’m not up to that yet,” Grover replied sharply. “And you know Y/N’s trying to find who her father is. You were like her once, too, Percy, so I’m sure you understand where she’s coming from. But she didn’t let her guard down.”

Percy shifted his weight awkwardly, gazing at the girl beside him. She caught her eyes with a still thunderous glare.

Grover turned to the girls. “And you girls, really? His mom’s alive. Can you imagine how confusing that must be for him? Feeling like he may have to choose between the fate of the world and the fate of the only person who’s ever cared about him?”

She could imagine. If her mom was still alive, she for surely, without a doubt, would have done the same. Y/N’s arms weakened but they didn’t uncross. “What are you trying to say?” she softly asked.

“Why are you talking like this?” added Annabeth.

“Because all day I’ve been trying to keep this quest on track without upsetting either of you.” He deeply inhaled and exhaled, calming himself down. “But maybe things need to get a little upsetting before they move forward.’ He turned towards Percy. “She asked you a question back in the woods, and you never really answered. What are you so afraid of?”

Percy blinked and shifted his feet. “What are you talking about?”

“You heard me.”

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do. You’ve been fighting with them, you’ve been fighting with me.”

“ Because the Oracle said one of you would betray me. Okay?” flared up Percy. He sighed and licked his lips. “You shall be betrayed by the one who calls you a friend, and you shall fail to save what matters most in the end. That’s the rest of what she said to me. I chose Annabeth because I couldn't imagine we’d ever be friends. I chose Y/N because I thought I could rely on her to protect me, to protect us. And I chose you because I thought if I can count on anyone to be on my side, no matter what, it was you.” He squared his shoulders and his voice broke. “And now, I’m feeling so alone. I don't know what to think or who to trust.”

A silence settled heavily over them. Y/N sighed, her gaze still pinned to one of the statues. It horrified her but she didn’t have the courage to look anyone else in the eye. “I guess I’m jealous,” she eventually voiced.

She could feel Percy’s steady stare on her. “Why?”

“You’re claimed.” Her tongue weighed heavily and she had to swallow some of her pride away in order to speak. “And I’m not.”

“It’s not like I have the best relationship with my dad. It’s practically non-existent.”

She heaved, turning to look at him, her eyebrows still furrowed. “Maybe, but he sees you. He knows you, he cares enough to claim you. Mine didn’t and continues to don’t.”

Percy shuffled his feet. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t need your pity.”

“Yes, I know, it’s just–” he sighed. “This is why you’re on the quest, right? To get the attention of your godly parent?”

She hesitated, averting her gaze for a moment. She almost had the urge to tell Percy off, to turn her back on him and return to the camp to drown her invading thoughts in archery training and tree climbing. But she didn’t and she let her arms fall to the sides of her, her eyebrows and eyes softening in a sad gaze as she turned her head to catch his ocean eyes. “To find out who I really am,” she corrected him softly.

Percy nodded, at a loss at words. He raised his hand as if he wanted to touch her shoulder in a reassuring manner but changed his mind at the last second. “We’ll find out together.” He turned towards Athena’s daughter. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

Annabeth hesitated, looking at the ground. “Alecto offered to help our quest if I gave you up on her.”

“What did you say?”

“I killed her sister,” shrugged Annabeth.

“Medusa offered to help me save my mom if I turned on the three of you.”

“And what’d you say?”

“I cut off her head,” he replied as if he was talking about a normal Tuesday.

Grover looked at all of them, wisdom swirling in his eyes. “You didn’t choose to be demigods. We didn’t choose this quest. But we can decide that as long as the four of us are together, none of us are gonna be alone.”

Y/N’s eyes caught Percy’s and she blinked. He pursed his lips.

“And if we can’t do that, we might as well just head back to camp right now. ‘Cause we won’t make it,” continued Grover, a note of finality in his voice.

Percy’s gaze shifted between them, a focused look in his eye. He slightly nodded his head, his curls catching the golden light of the torches. “I think I’ve got a better idea what to do with this.”

He marched towards the desk settled between crates and forgotten statues. His green shirt fluttered and Y/N jogged to catch up to him. He got behind the desk and flipped through a notebook. From where she stood Y/N could see scribbles, black on white, some of them hastily written, others noted in cursive writing. “Hermes Express. She ships these things all over. Some of it goes to Olympus.”

Upon hearing this, Y/N frowned and she took a step closer to the desk, taking hold of the notebook and turning it towards her. Her eyebrows raised in slight surprise. Right there, in neat handwriting stood her father’s address.

Mount Olympus, 600th Floor, Empire State Building New York, NY

“Percy, you can’t ship Medusa’s head to Olympus,” replied Annabeth in disbelief.

“Why not?”

“Because the gods won’t like it.”

“At all. At all at all,” added Grover, shaking his head.

Percy frowned and leaned his hands on the desk. “Why? That’s what you do with dangerous stuff. Like batteries, you just send ‘em back where they came from.”

“Okay. Look, this is a bad idea,” voiced Annabeth, a clear worry seeping into her tone.

Y/N raised her eyes from the notebook. A slight smirk was pulling at the corner of her lips. “I think it’s a brilliant idea. Make them see us.”

The blond turned his gaze onto her and shared her smirk. There was mischief shining in his eyes.

Annabeth scoffed and threw her best friend a pointed look. “They will see this as impertinent.”

“I am impertinent,” shrugged Percy.

“Yes, but we’re not,” puffed the daughter of Athena.

The satyr shook his head. “Really, very not.”

“I am,” said Y/N as she crouched down and took hold of an empty box, passing it to Percy. He threw her a brief smile, putting in the invisible head. He slammed the box onto the desk.

“Look. Medusa tried to derail our quest. She’s got serious beef with your mom. When you look at it that way, this seems kinda like tribute or something, doesn’t it? And besides…” He reached into the box and took out the blue cap with a grimace painted on his face. He held it to Annabeth. “...this way, a part of your mom’s still with us.”

She hesitated before she let her fingers wrap around the familiar fabric of the cap. “Thank you.”

He smiled at her lightly, warmly, as only a friend would. Y/N found a tape, forgotten on the corner of the desk, and she passed it to him, still smirking. He raised his gaze to her and took it from her, their fingers touching only for a fleeting second. “Be sure to sign my name as well, seaweed brain.”

His smirk broadened. “Will do.”

“So this isn’t exactly what I meant. By choosing each other,” Grover shook his head.

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Lighten up a little, Grov. We just took down Medusa together. There will be fewer statues in the world now.”

“That’s not what I meant and there are actual dangers involved here that cannot be–”

Slow clapping filled the air and Y/N’s smirk turned into a full blown grin.

“You’re gonna sing the song, aren’t you?”

Percy met her gaze and he started clapping faster.

“Okay,” continued Grover evenly.

“Oh golly, the road’s gettin’ bumpy.”

“Whatever.”

“Consensus.”

A giggle escaped Y/N’s lips. Yeah, she could trust Percy.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

A/N: Percy and Y/N being partners in crime is my Roman Empire. Also, I introduced Y/N's fatal flaw in this chapter. Can you guys guess which one it is?

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