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goldencherriess · 2 days ago

Text

I fall to my death.

Pairing: Percy Jackson x Fem! Reader

Summary: Y/N and her friends become prey on their way to Los Angeles and she quickly realises she might be stronger than she thought.

Word count: 11.5k

Warnings: Y/N being the icon she is, mentions of blood, angst

Previous part || Series masterlist

Stars were twinkling in the sky as Y/N fluttered her eyes open. Something soft was cradling her back and she quickly realised she was laying in the dirt, on a bed of moss. She frowned. She didn’t remember falling asleep in the woods. She sat up, her eyes immediately recognising a familiar sight. A cabin stretched towards the starry sky in sturdy wooden beams, shadowed by pricking pine trees. Her blood ran cold, something about it struck a fight or flight response in her.

Or maybe she was just back home. But shouldn’t home feel welcoming?

She got to her feet slowly, turning to look around, but darkness hid what the woods would otherwise whisper in daylight. Everything was quiet. Still. Abandoned even. She turned towards the cabin, startled that a golden light appeared in the window. It was faint and if she remembered well, it came from the old living room, in which she and her mother used to spend evenings reading by the lamplight. Sometimes, her mother would recount to her old legends about Olympus, other times she would refuse to utter a word about them. Y/N didn’t dwell too much on it, happy enough to share some quiet moments with her before bed. It became a ritual.

Y/N took shy steps toward the cabin, the light flowing from the window illuminating her way and stretching shadows on the mossy ground. She pushed the door open. It creaked as she stepped inside. The light from the living room reached the hallway and she hesitated as she took in her surroundings. Everything was how it used to be. The wool carpet was still biting at its touch, the walls deep brown, a rich aroma of an entire forest residing in the cabin. A few photos hung on the walls and tears gathered in her eyes as she pinpointed the moment they were taken. In one of them there was that creek ten minutes away from the cabin and her dipping her toes in it at the ripe age of three. She frowned. Beside the photo there was one she didn’t ever remember seeing. It depicted her. But as a baby. In the arms of a man. She could only see his arms but Y/N already knew. She sniffed and took a step closer, but the floor whined under her feet and in the darkness surrounding her, she felt being watched. Goosebumps raked on her arms.

“Mom?” she called out, her voice trembling.

Silence stretched on and she stepped forward. A waft of tomato sauce and spices hit her and she almost stumbled at the familiarity of it all.

“Mom? Are you in the kitchen?”

She gulped down some tears and stepped into the kitchen. The aroma was stronger there. Pitch black surrounded her, but the moon rays shed light on a pot full of steaming spaghetti and two empty plates. The sight was so familiar that her heart ached. She blinked. She didn’t have enough courage to take a seat at the table and dig into the fresh meal. She turned on her heels, her knees buckling.

“Mom, where are you?”

Her throat was closing in and she had to swallow just to breathe. Shaking, she stepped into the living room. The lamp was on and the light bathed everything in warm colours. Dust swirled in the light and Y/N almost sneezed.

“Y/N?”

She whipped around, the heart in her chest stopping for a second. Her mother was standing before her, with a warm smile stretching on her cracked lips. Her hair was curling in millions of ringlets, just as it always did. A few wrinkles decorated the corner of her eyes and a silver flashed from her neck. It was the necklace she always used to wear. The pendant curved in the form of a single raindrop. Y/N frowned at the sight of it. She remembered her mother gifting it to her on that cursed hospital bed. Y/N almost had a half of mind to check her own neck, but the extra weight confirmed to her that she still had it. She blinked in confusion.

“Mom?” Y/N whispered.

Her mother nodded. “I made spaghetti, my darling. Your favourite.”

A pang pricked Y/N’s heart, as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. And then she rushed towards her and tightly wrapped her arms around her, burying her face in her chest and inhaling her scent. After all this time, she smelled the same. Of pine trees, and dusty books and spaghetti. Of home.

“What’s gotten into you, sweetheart?” her mother chuckled.

“I just really missed you,” answered Y/N, all choked up.

And with her heart quivering in her chest, she felt the gentle hand of her mother caressing the top of her head. Y/N squeezed her eyes shut, her hands balling the shirt of her mother and she gulped down tears.

But then the caressing turned into hurtful pulls. Y/N frowned. “Mom, it hurts.”

Silence fell upon her ears and the hands continued to pull her by the roots of her hair. Y/N’s face twisted in pain. “Mom, please, it really hurts.” She tried breaking free from her arms, but it was as if her feet were glued to the floor. “Mom, it’s hurting me.”

“You’re forgotten, child.”

The voice that reached her ears in a sonorous chorus wasn’t her mother’s and she fought against the suffocating hold.

“With no father, no mother and no aunt, you are forgotten. You are no hero.”

Y/N twisted in the arms and fell back, on her bottom. Somewhere in the distance thunder rumbled. Fear clawed at her throat and she looked up. A cloaked figure holding a lantern peered down at her with a pair of golden eyes.

“You are no hero on this quest. You shall fail it.”

She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. When she snapped them open, she was met with the sight of a moving ceiling. Her heart was racing and her breath was shallow. She sat up, panting, letting her eyes roam around. The puffing of the train reached her ears and she slowly exhaled, remembering she was on the way to Los Angeles. Panic subsided and the blood seemed to flow more easily in her veins now. She heard Grover quietly snore on the top bed of the train cabin. She glanced to the bed in front of her, her eyes catching the silhouette of Annabeth, wrapped in bed sheets, her back to her.

Y/N sighed through her nose, leaning her back on the wall, bringing her knees to her chest. She let her head fall back, watching how the train sped by through the window, grateful that the cabin stopped spinning in circles. She knew what it came after an occurring nightmare. She wouldn’t fall back asleep, no matter the night hour.

It wasn’t the first time she dreamed in the dead of the night. The dreams and nightmares never left her in peace. They followed her even in the deepest cores of her subconscious, haunting her mind and soul. But this one felt different. More real. Her mother felt real. But only for a split second. The illusion was ruined and she was awake, drenched in sweat and alone in a swaying cabin.

She hugged her knees and frowned. Someone knew her most burning desire and lured her in with it, twisting it until her home was only standing on shadows, empty rooms and dusty photos. Until her mother was an unrecognisable ghost of what she used to be. Her mouth twitched and she sniffed.

She leaned her chin on her knees, looking out the window. The moon was enveloping the dark rolling fields in a silver blanket. The stars were winking playfully at her. She missed watching and counting them. In Manhattan they were never visible, and at Camp Half-Blood she was too stubborn to glance out the window, choosing instead to stare angrily at the ceiling every time she woke up during the night. A cloud rolled by and swallowed the moon. Y/N blinked and closed her eyes, listening to her friend’s snoring and the train engines’ puffing. A quiet gasp reached her ears and she opened her eyes, turning to look at the mop of golden curl from beside her.

Percy was staring up at the ceiling, his lips slightly parted and he looked how she always felt whenever thunder invaded her dreams. How she was currently feeling, still under the effect of the nightmare. She heard him swallow audibly and she uncrossed her arms. “Had a nightmare?” she asked softly, mindful of her friends sleeping.

Percy jumped, startled at the sound of her voice. He glanced at her, before moving his gaze back on the ceiling. “How did you–?”

“I have them too.”

Silence settled between them and the moon won against the darkening clouds, bathing the cabin in a silver glow. Y/N could see Percy better now, thin beads of sweat crowning his forehead. “Wanna talk about it?”

“No,” he simply answered.

She nodded before she crossed her arms around her knees once again, turning her back to him and her face towards the window. A pine tree stretched towards the inky sky and homesickness washed over her at the sight of it.

She heard Percy rustle in his makeshift bed. She didn’t need to turn around to know he was staring at her. “Do you want to talk about yours?” she heard him whisper.

“No,” she replied, her hands clenching her legs until her knuckles turned white.

The whistling of the train filled the air and Y/N felt her eyelids get heavier, as if they were made of lead. She blinked the sleep away, sitting straighter.

Percy’s voice eventually cut through the heavy silence. “Why do you hate me?”

She stilled. “I don’t hate you.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“Well, I don’t. Believe it or not.”

A few beats of silence passed before he spoke up again. “Have you ever met Thalia?”

Y/N’s eyebrows twitched and she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He was laying on his back again, his hands intertwined on his stomach, searching the ceiling, as if it could give him answers to his questions. “Why do you ask?”

He shrugged. “Well, I mean, she was the last forbidden kid before me, right?”

“From what we know, yes,” Y/N nodded slowly.

“She must’ve dealt with the same kind of stuff.”

“Maybe. I wouldn’t know, I’ve never met her.”

Percy frowned, turning his head to look at her. “But I thought– I mean, you and Annabeth are close. You and Luke, as well. I just thought–”

“I came a year later than them to the Camp. The pine tree was already there,” Y/N interrupted him with a firm voice. “I’ve never met Thalia.”

“Then how come you’re so attached to the tree? I saw you.”

Y/N hesitated for a moment too long. She remembered the rough bark and the energy flowing through it every time she touched it, as if it was alive. As if it somehow knew her.

“It’s sacred,�� she murmured.

She heard Annabeth turn in her bed, the sheets rustling, a soft sigh coming through. Percy moved his gaze from Y/N to the figure of Annabeth laying on her back. “Hey, you asleep?” he whispered.

Y/N rolled her eyes at his question, turning to look at Athena’s daughter. Her chest was raising and lowering in even breaths.

“Yes,” Annabeth answered, sarcasm coating her tongue.

“You and Thalia were really close, right?” continued Percy.

“Yeah.”

“What was she like?”

Annabeth hesitated. “She was tough. I mean, she knew she was a forbidden kid, she just didn’t care. When Luke and Thalia found me, Luke cared for me right away.”

Y/N heard the story already, she knew how it all went down, how the three of them became to each other the home they had lost. She also knew that Luke caring for lost, little children was just the way he was. An older brother even to those who might not have been his half-siblings. But she knew, he was hers, half-sibling or not.

“But Thalia… she made me earn it,” whispered Athena’s daughter in the quiet cabin.

Percy blinked, slightly frowning. “Is this why you give me a hard time? I gotta earn it with you too?”

“Yeah. Maybe,” Annabeth sighed.

Y/N lowered her gaze, looking at the socks on her feet. They were of the dullest a colour, a washed out grey. A flashing memory flowed into her mind. Giggling and running around barefoot, behind the cabin in the woods, dipping her toes into the creek, climbing trees tall enough to touch the ever crystal sky. She blinked and the memory faded.

“I gotta say, that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me,” voiced Percy, his tone sharp.

Y/N moved her gaze onto him. “What doesn’t?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

He looked at her, exhaling in frustration.

“What doesn’t make sense to you?” emphasised Annabeth.

“The way you guys all talk. The way the gods want us to think. Gotta burn an offering to get a parent’s attention. Gotta beat up on Clarisse just to get my father to admit he’s my father. Gotta go on a quest just to get claimed at the end of it,” he said, gazing at Y/N with a storm swirling in his eyes. “It isn’t supposed to work that way. People who are close to you aren’t supposed to treat you that way.”

Y/N moved her gaze away, his words echoing true in her mind. She knew all too well what love is supposed to feel like, she felt it once too. She was lucky to grow up happily between the swaying of the trees and the whispers of the wind. But then luck had run out.

“You wanna know how I ended up on the road in the first place?” asked Annabeth, cutting the silence. “I started out as a gift to my father. That’s how it works with Athena. We’re born from a thought, and then given to a partner she feels connected to. And for a while, I was treated like a gift. My father cared for me. He loved me. I knew it. Then he met a woman. They had their own kids.” She inhaled, a hand wrapped around what Y/N knew was her father’s ring. “And to her, I– I wasn’t a gift. I was a problem. So I left. I was seven.”

Y/N turned to look at her, her eyebrows downcast, a matching sorrow in her gaze. She wanted to reach out and take her by the hand, just as she always did.

“It isn’t the gods who think that way. It’s everybody. But at least with the gods you know the rules. Show them respect and they’ll be in your corner no matter what.”

Annabeth let a hand fall beside her, at the edge of the bed. Y/N took it and squeezed it. She felt Annabeth squeeze back. By this point, it had become their friendship token.

“What about you, Y/N? How did you arrive at the Camp?”

Y/N detected curiosity in Percy’s tone. She glanced at him. He was still staring at the ceiling.

“Did you have a Protector satyr?”

“No. I grew up outside of the city for most of my childhood. Just me and my mom for a while.” A nostalgic smile blossomed on her lips and she looked at her outstretched shadow on the floor. If she squinted, she could imagine it was her mother’s silhouette. “Just the two of us against the world.” Her eyebrows pinched together in a furrow. “My aunt brought me to Camp when my mom couldn’t. She was my protector. Both of them were.”

“You’re a year-rounder,” said Percy in realization.

“Yeah,” she nodded, her voice fading.

Percy didn’t reply, a deep silence filling the cabin. Groans and sheets rustling from the top bunk reached their ears.

“You awake?” the blond asked

“Well, I am now. Thanks,” a grumpy voice answered back.

Y/N smiled, hearing it. “Sorry, Grov.”

He just grumbled back.

“Are you okay?’ Percy continued.

“He’s super grouchy when he doesn’t get enough sleep,” explained Annabeth, her hand still in Y/N’s.

“He’s super grouchy when he doesn’t get enough… Nah!” mimicked the satyr in a pitch high voice, with the back towards them, talking to the wall.

Y/N let a giggle escape her lips.

“Wow,” said Percy, raising his eyebrows.

“You’ve never been on the road with him before,” stated Annabeth. “A little different than a froofy boarding school.”

“Who’s froofy? You’re froofy. What’s froofy?” said Grover, his voice hoarse. “I think I need to eat.”

“Well, I think we should get a little more sleep while we still can,” said Y/N, taking out her hand from Annabeth’s hold and settling back in her makeshift bed, raising the duvet up to her chin. “It’s still early out.”

“Already ordering everyone around and it’s not even daylight,” retorted Poseidon's son, but his tone turned playful. Challenging.

“You will regret not listening to me in the morning when all you will have left is bags under your eyes and a sleep deprived brain.” She paused. “Which it will be a shame, since it’s already made from seaweed.”

“Stop calling me a seaweed brain!”

“Stop giving me reasons to!”

Annabeth audibly sighed, turning in her bed, her back to them. “Go back to sleep.”

“On it,” said Grover, seconds away from snoring again.

Y/N fluttered her eyes shut, the rocking of the train lulling her back to sleep. Before she fell into her slumber, she heard Percy whisper to her.

“Sweet dreams. I’ll keep the nightmares away.”

The sleep came to her swiftly, a deep, dreamless one.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

She only managed to sleep for an hour, as Annabeth acutely told her, before she was woken up by Grover’s grumbling stomach. Dawn was just breaking through, painting streaks of fiery orange and deep indigo into the skies, the first rays of sun bathing the dining car in shallow light. And after Grover gulped down an entire breakfast in the span of ten minutes, a silence only cut by the train's horn settled between them. Y/N blinked the sleep out of her eyes, her head in her hand, watching the clouds gather shy and quivering sun rays in them.

“Two days until we reach Los Angeles. Plenty of time before our deadline to reach the Underworld,” chirped Grover. Y/N turned to look at him. He was bearing a slight, satisfied smile. Y/N suspected that the breakfast must have done its job. She felt the corners of her own lips curling up.

“Can I ask a dumb question?” she heard Percy say beside her.

Her smile fell from her lips and she rolled her eyes. “You always do.”

“It’s like you need us to make fun of you,” added Annabeth, squinting her eyes at the blond.

“I think he does, Annie,” snickered Y/N, earning a sharp jab in the side from Percy. She frowned at him, kicking his feet under the table. The boy huffed, glaring her way.

“Shoot,” interrupted the satyr, a note of panic seeping into his tone as he witnessed the exchange.

“I’ve never been to Los Angeles before,” stated Percy, his gaze shifting between the three of them. “I’m guessing neither of you have been to Los Angeles.”

Y/N shook her head. She had never been anywhere in the world, apart from the wild pinetree forest where she spent the first few years of her childhood growing up, Manhattan and Camp Half-Blood. She could still recall the fresh, raw smell of pines and the crunching of leaves under her feet. Her senses still remembered the feeling of home. As if she had never left it. A shudder passed her, as fragments of her nightmare resurfaced once again.

“So, how will we have any idea where we’re going?”

Grover shrugged. “No idea.”

“We can always acquire a map,” piped in Y/N.

Percy panned his gaze onto her. His eyebrows pinched together. “We can’t read maps.”

She rolled her eyes for the second time that day. “I’m well aware, kelp head, thank you.” A small smile blossomed on her lips as she turned to look at the satyr. “Grover can read it for us.”

A look of remorse passed on Grover’s face, his lips curling in an apologetic smile and his eyes softening. “I’m not great with maps either, actually.”

Y/N blinked. “Well, then–”

“But that’s like step thirty-seven, and we’re still on step four. Cross that bridge when we get there,” he continued in a reassuring, warm tone, nodding his head.

Percy slightly nodded his head along, his eyebrows still furrowed. “Follow-up stupid question.”

“Dude,” Annebeth sighed, rolling her eyes.

“And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end. Back in Jersey, I told you the Oracle said this quest will fail. And no one’s mentioned it since,” he said, gazing at Y/N. “Seems like something we oughta be taking more seriously…” His voice trailed off, as he caught a glimpse of outside behind Y/N’s shoulder, his lips parting. “Hey. Look at that. Are those–”

Y/N turned her head towards the window. Four centaurs were galloping alongside the train, on rolling green fields, carrying arrows and bows. Y/N quirked up a smile at the sight of them. This was the first time she was seeing centaurs outside the protective barrier of Camp Half-Blood. She still vividly remembered meeting Chiron for the first time. Words had died in her throat as she took in his hooves and four legs. Wonderstruck, she had asked if he was a horse (“And if you are a horse, does that mean I can ride you? I’ve never ridden a horse before, or saw one for that matter! You’re the first, mister Chiron.”). Alas, she was much younger back then. And much more naive.

“Centaurs,” she and Annabeth said in unison. She threw her best friend a small smile.

Percy looked around the dining car, confusion lacing his features. “No one even knows they’re there.”

“They can’t see through the Mist,” explained Y/N, tearing her gaze away from the centaurs and towards Percy. “Unlike us. Few mortals do.”

“There used to be herds of them everywhere,” voiced Grover, wistfully glancing outside the window.

“What happened to them?”

“Humans.” He sighed, eyes downcast. “A few thousand years ago, the god of the wild, Pan, disappeared. And ever since, without Pan to protect the natural world, humans have been trying really hard to chip away at it.”

“The bravest satyrs volunteer to become Searchers, trying to find Pan,” added Athena’s daughter, knowledge dripping down her tongue. “None have ever returned.”

A thick tension fell upon them, like a heavy winter blanket.

“Your uncle we found in Medusa’s, Ferdinand,” said Percy, closely watching his best friend. “He was a Searcher?”

Grover only nodded. Y/N’s heart grew heavy at the sight of him, quiet with his lips curled downwards. She tipped her head sideways, catching his gaze, and she smiled his way. He softly smiled back.

“The Oracle didn’t say the quest would fail,” voiced Annabeth, raising her eyebrows. “Fail to save what matters the most. That could mean a lot of things. That’s how prophecies work, that’s how fate works. It could mean a lot of things. The harder you work to understand, the harder it gets to understand.” She shook her head, her dark locks swaying. “Sometimes, you’ve just gotta let it come to you when it’s ready.”

“Excuse me. Can I see your tickets, please?”

Y/N jumped in her seat, turning her head towards the voice. She immediately frowned upon seeing a police officer asking for train tickets. Didn’t they have a conductor for that?

She opened her mouth to retaliate, but upon seeing Annabeth subtly shaking her head, she shut it back down. She watched as her friend took out their tickets out of her jacket pocket, handing them to the officer. He glanced down at the tickets, before snapping his gaze back to Annabeth. “You’re in Cabin 17B?”

The hair on her neck stood up and Y/N felt that familiar fire travelling through her veins. “Yes. Is there a problem, officer?”

She felt someone kick her under the table and she briefly acknowledged that someone as being Percy but she ignored him this time, holding eye contact with the police officer. The man only sighed through his nose and waved them to follow him. She shared a look of confusion with her friends, pursing her lips in thought. Her stomach twisted in knots as they followed him out the dining car and through the corridor. He swiftly pushed open the door and a cold draft hit her, chilling her to the bones. The wind whistling reached her ears and her mouth fell open as she took in the disarray state in which their cabin was in. The window was smashed open, sharp glass glinting dangerously on the floor. The mattresses were thrown across and turned up-side down, the white sheets fluttering in the wind. The pillows were strewn across the cabin.

“You wanna explain?” asked the officer as he pointed towards the chaos.

Y/N snapped her gaze towards him, the air stuck somewhere in her throat. “What is there to explain? Someone clearly vandalised our cabin!”

The man only raised his eyebrows at her.

“Wait. Wait, you think we did this?” asked Percy in disbelief, turning his whole body towards the officer.

“Did you?”

Y/N scoffed, crossing her arms. “What gave you that idea? The fact that we are kids?”

“I mean– How? And why?” added Percy, taking a step closer, his shoulder lightly touching Y/N’s.

“Sir, when we left to get breakfast, everything was intact,” intervened Grover, his voice calm but his eyes frantic. “We don’t know how this happened.”

“We got a witness here, says she heard the window smash, and then heard children’s voices.”

Y/N looked over the officer’s shoulder. A woman with long, lush brown hair was talking to another police officer, waving her hands around. She was wearing a light pink blazer, which to Y/N looked expensive enough to seem out of place in a Second Class train wagon. She shifted her gaze back to their own cabin and took a step towards it. A hand shot out in front of her, colliding with her waist.

The police officer hardened his gaze. “Do not enter, kid.”

Y/N frowned. “Why? Now I am not allowed to enter my own cabin?”

The man clenched his jaw but let her pass. She fisted her hands and crouched near the window. There were a million shards sticking into the carpeted floor and glimmering in the just risen sun. She frowned as she took hold of one. It bit into her finger, drawing blood. She winced and raised the finger to her lips, a metallic taste invading her mouth. There were way too many shards for the window to have been broken from inside. Someone must have done it from the outside. Someone or something.

She got up, her eyes catching sight of a slashing mark left on the wall. It stretched across it, in dark and wide lines. She absently acknowledged Percy exclaiming in the background, his voice strained in frustration.

“Can you tell me what time you left the cabin?” interrogated the police officer.

Y/N turned around, her gaze immediately meeting Annabeth’s hardened one.

“Are we under arrest?”

The officer backed up, frowning. “I don’t think you wanna take that tone with me, little girl.”

“Are we under arrest?” she repeated, her voice raising.

The officer huffed and crossed his arms as he glared down at Annabeth. Y/N’s mouth twitched and she marched towards him, her eyes clouding in white hot anger. “No, no, she asked a good question. Are we under arrest?”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

“Turns out we are under arrest,” huffed Y/N as she fell into her seat beside Percy, back in the dining car. Her arms were crossed, and she was tapping her foot impatiently. Her blood was boiling in her veins. The train was speeding down the tracks, the sun now suddenly covered by clouds that weren’t there before.

Percy glanced at her as he gulped, before he shifted his gaze towards the policeman now speaking with the supposed witness. He was jotting down on a small, black agenda, taking her statement. “So, we’re just killing time ‘till we find out that guy’s like a werewolf or something, right?”

“Werewolves don’t exist, kelp head.”

Percy shifted in his seat as he felt the fury radiating from Y/N in scorching waves.

Annabeth glanced behind her shoulders at the officer.

A static voice filled the car, announcing the next station. They were soon arriving at St. Louis Gateway in ten minutes. Y/N thought that was as good a time as any to get off that cursed train and try their luck somewhere else. She would even go on foot if it meant she wouldn’t see that police officer again.

“I don’t think he’s a monster,” replied Annabeth in a whisper.

“Hard to say,” said Grover.

“He’s definitely an idiot,” added Y/N, as she burned holes into the police officer’s head.

“Well, if he’s not a monster, what’s going on here? Why would anyone tear our room apart?”

“Maybe they were looking for something,” suggested Grover, throwing Y/N a worried glance. The girl only sighed through her nose as she tore her gaze away.

“We don’t have anything,” answered Percy.

Annabeth slightly leaned over the table, meeting Percy’s eyes. “The people who think you stole Zeus’s master bolt might disagree.”

Percy shifted his gaze away, blinking. “Right,” he replied, dejected.

The train horn blared, and Y/N shook away some of her stupor at the sound of it. She straightened in her seat.

“Well, look, they’re not gonna find something we don’t have,” Grover hastily replied, shaking his head.

“Either way, we aren’t spending the day answering questions in the St. Louis police station,” added Athena’s daughter, frowning.

“Or anywhere for that matter”, mumbled Y/N.

“We need to get out of this before we get delayed,” continued Annabeth, panic lacing her features.

“I agree,” voiced Y/N as she uncrossed her arms. “We get off the train and take another or…” Her voice faded as she saw that woman tapping Annabeth gently on her shoulder. She was bearing a wide smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and Y/N felt a shiver travel down her spine at the sight of it.

“D-do you mind if I sit?”

Y/N roamed her eyes over her, taking in her clean appearance. Her teeth were pearly white and her clothes were ironed to perfection. She definitely did not spend the night on the train, and as far as she knew, the train didn’t have any stops during the night. She was carrying a pet carrier. It was slightly shaking, whimpering sounds coming from inside of it.

Y/N raised her gaze towards the woman and smiled a strained smile. “We do, in fact.”

The woman disregarded her reply as she took a seat beside her, pushing her towards Percy. Y/N huffed in annoyance, shifting as her thigh grazed his. “You poor dears. Your parents aren’t here, are they?”

Sounds of whining came from the pet carrier and Y/N shared a look with Annabeth. Suspicion simmered in her dark eyes and Y/N gave a small nod.

“Isn’t that right, precious?” the woman said, as she bent towards the bag with the smile still etched on her face. “Don’t children get scared when they’re all alone?” She straightened her back, shifting her gaze between the four of them. Y/N scooted closer to Percy once she felt her shoulder touching the woman’s.

“It’s okay. I’m a mom. I know how scared you must be,” she smiled Y/N’s way.

Y/N’s eyebrows twitched in a small frown.

“Excuse me. Would you mind giving us a little space?” the stranger asked the police woman standing guard near them. “I think– I think you’re making them nervous.”

“I don’t think she’s the one making us nervous,” Y/N muttered, her lips scowling in disdain.

“Did you say something, dear?”

Y/N plastered a tight-lipped smile on her face. “Nothing.”

The woman closely regarded her, smiling back. There was something sinister about her smile. Something that chilled Y/N to the bones. “You must be the rebel kind.”

Y/N’s eyebrows shot up to the top of her head. “Sorry?”

“The child who’s angry at the world and therefore rebels.” Her lips pouted. “I would know. I am a mother after all.”

Y/N shifted under her heavy gaze. She felt Annabeth nudge her foot and she raised her eyes to meet hers. Annabeth’s gaze shone with kindness and unspoken reassurance and Y/N knew that if she could, her friend would have squeezed her by the hand.

“I want you to know… I don’t actually think that you made that mess back there,” the woman nodded.

“Really? And then what did you even tell the officers?” replied Y/N, her voice dripping with acid poison.

“I just wanted a moment alone with you. There are some things I need you to understand–”

“You have something on your jacket,” interrupted Grover, his eyes pinned to the pink blazer the woman was wearing.

Y/N moved her gaze towards it. Something was glimmering, catching the faint, morning light. The sun was still hidden away behind clouds, but a few rays braved them.

“It looks like– It looks like glass.”

She reached towards the small shard, pinching it between two fingers and taking out of the blazer. A white, thin thread stuck to it. The shard tore into her tissue, a droplet of crimson blood bubbling up and streaming downwards her skin. “It is glass.”

“No one smashed out the windows from inside our cabin.” Grover’s voice hardened as his gaze never left the stranger’s, realisation dawning on him. “Someone smashed them in from the outside.”

“It was you,” added Y/N, her voice trembling with notes of anger. “You tore our cabin apart.”

The woman hummed, her smile faded by now. Grunts and whimpers shook the pet carrier and she shifted her attention towards it, rising from the seat and crouching in front of the bag. “Yes, sweetheart. I know, I know. You’re impatient.”

Whatever was in the bag snarled and Y/N’s eyes widened upon hearing it. “There’s no dog in there, is it? It’s something else. Something bigger.”

The stranger rose up and turned towards her, smiling that bone-chilling smile. “Well, aren’t you perceptive?” She shook her head, shrugging. “This isn’t your fault. But sadly, you’re going to have to bear the burden of your parents’ mistakes today.”

Percy’s voice didn’t waver as he spoke up, eyes darkening, determination written on his face. “Listen, lady. I don’t know who you are, but I think I know what you are. We’ve run across a few monsters like you and we sent them all packing.”

The woman scoffed, still smiling. “Monsters like me?” She tilted her head. “Well… of course they’re like me.” Her smile fell off her face and her gaze hardened. “They were my children.”

Y/N froze as goosebumps raked her arms.

“Children?” asked Percy, shifting in his seat. “What does that mean?”

The satyr straightened his back. “The Mother of Monsters.”

“Echidna,” explained Annabeth, her lips parting.

The woman smiled at the mention of her name, her eyes glinting.

The pet carrier rattled and growled. Echidna turned towards it, her hand reaching out to caress it much like a mother would embrace her child. She calmed the monster down, her voice coming in comforting shushes and Y/N started at the familiar look in her eyes. She saw it in her mother’s and aunt’s gazes whenever they used to look at her. Looks of warmth and nurture.

“Monster. It’s an odd word, considering my grandmother is your great-grandmother, and this has always been a family story” said Echidna, leaning on the table behind her, but still staying close to the pet carrier. Her smile appeared on her face, stretching her lips wide and showing her sharp pearly white teeth. “But… to my eye, the demigod is the more dangerous creature. Disruptive. Violent. If I exist for anything, it is to stand in the way of monsters like you.”

The monster inside the bag growled once again, and for a split moment Y/N thought she was hearing the two-headed dog from four years ago, standing in the pouring rain, outlined only by the flashing lightning. Her breath hitched and she backed into her seat, eyes glued to the pet carrier.

“My little one here. She’s just a pup now. Bless her heart,” Echidna chuckled, laying a mothering hand on the bag. “Today… you will be her prey.”

Y/N gulped and she felt Percy stiffen beside her.

“Are you afraid yet? Oh, it’s all right. Fear is natural. It’s also essential to the hunt. Your fear. Your doubt. Your confusion. I needed you to understand what was happening so that she could track your scent.’ Y/N was suddenly hyper-aware of the blood dripping down her finger, of its scent lingering in the air. “So that she could learn and grow, because that’s what a good mother does for her children.”

The bag unzipped, furious growling filling the air. Y/N breathed in, her hands twitching, well aware she wasn’t able to use her bow and arrows in such a proximity. She was cursing the day she chose to learn archery, instead of sword fighting.

“Not that you would know,” continued Echidna, her face now devoid of any emotion.

Y/N’s jaw clenched and she saw red before her eyes. She did know. And she had a feeling Percy did too.

The bag opened with a whoosh. Y/N squinted her eyes and she realised that whatever was in that bag, had a sharp tail.

“You should run now,” smiled Echidna.

“Duck!” yelled Y/N, as she leaned over with her hands sheltering her head. A draft of air rustled the hair from the crown of her head and she heard a resounding stab near her. Pained screeching followed and she raised her head to see Annabeth sticking her dagger into the monster’s tail.

“Go!”

Y/N shot up from her seat and bolted towards the door, slamming it open. She sprinted down the corridors, almost sliding as she went. Padded footsteps told her the others were close by.

“You! Stop! Stop!”

Her teeth grinded together as she recognised the policeman’s voice. The train shuddered and she stumbled, falling into a door compartment. She looked over the shoulder, seeing Annabeth lock the door behind them.

“Percy!” Grover exclaimed, his voice wavering. He reached out to take something glittering out of Percy’s green shirt.

Y/N frowned and she leaned closer.

“What is that?” panted Percy.

“It’s a stinger,” replied Annabeth, running up to them.

“It got to you?” asked Y/N, her eyes wide as she stared up at Percy. The boy only swallowed as he held eye contact with her. A grimace flashed across his face.

“Grover, do you know what kind of monster has one of those?”

“I don’t know. I mean, nothing good probably.”

“Do you feel okay?”

Percy moved his gaze off Y/N onto Annabeth. His breathing turned heavy and he was clutching his shoulder, his eyes widened. “I think so. Why? Do you think it’s poisonous or something?”

“I’m not sure,” replied Annabeth, studying the stinger.

Y/N sighed through her nose, her eyes flashing. “I told you to duck! Why are you never listening?!”

Percy snapped his gaze back onto her, eyebrows furrowing. “Why are you always ordering me around?”

She scoffed. “Would you prefer for me to leave you to die?”

“Guys, is this really the best time?” asked Annabeth as she looked behind her at the officers banging on the door. The train whined and stumbled forward before slowing down. The sound of approaching, thunderous steps shook the train. Y/N’s eyes widened in horror as a door’s window shattered, the metal creaking and the lights flickering. Familiar growling reached her ears and she took a stumbling step back.

“We gotta move!”

They rushed through the corridors, out of the train and over the train tracks, hurried steps raising dust and leaving traces behind. They came to a stop once they didn’t hear the growling anymore.

“Why isn’t it still chasing us?” heaved Percy.

Y/N inhaled a breath of air as she doubled over.

“Echidna said whatever she was hiding in that carrier, it’s young. It won’t venture too far from her mother. She’s learning to hunt and this seems like the hunting part,” explained Athena’s daughter, fear clouding her eyes.

“Great,” muttered Y/N as she straightened her back, a faint pain stabbing her in the side. “Let’s go, we can’t stay here.”

Soon the train tracks were replaced by streets and buildings. The occasional raw green of trees popped up between the gray of buildings and concrete as Y/N marched down the street, her hand now gripping her bow. Her mind was reeling and there was a hurry in her steps.

“We aren’t gonna be able to outrun them for very long,” said Grover, struggling to keep up with her.

“I know,” replied Y/N, her knuckles turning white on the bow.

“We don’t need to,” intervened Annabeth. “We just need a safe place to hole up.”

“Some place safe,” added Percy. “Any ideas where we might find one of those?”

Y/N spared him a glance. He was much paler than a few minutes ago, his lips turning an alarming shade of purple. He glanced back at her once he felt her gaze on him and she blinked before looking forward.

“I do,” said Annabeth, her voice confident and steady. She skipped a few steps ahead, now leading the group. “A sanctuary, dedicated to Athena, built by one of her demigod children a long time ago.”

“There is an Athenian temple hidden somewhere in the middle of downtown St. Louis?” asked the satyr, disbelief written on his face.

“Yes. Except it’s not all that hidden.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

A wide arch stretched towards the sky, bending and shining under the sun. To Y/N’s eyes, it looked like an unfinished bow and she grinned upon seeing it.

“It’s 630 feet wide, 630 feet tall, both to within an inch. It’s got no internal support. Each side is balanced perfectly against the other. The arch is held up by symmetry. It’s held up by math,” said Annabeth as they entered the Gateway Arch, a sparkle in her eyes and her voice filled with pride and wonder. “And it’s earthquake-proof, so Poseidon can’t ruin it.”

“Impressive,” said Y/N, sending her best friend a smile. Annabeth smiled back.

“Nice,” added Percy.

Annabeth excused herself as she made her way through a crowd of students on a school trip and Y/N wondered for a split second what it would have been like if they were simply just kids, visiting a monument with the class. “This is how you show Athena your love. A monument to the power of perfection.”

“It’s a monument to some other stuff, too,” replied Grover, looking towards an animal skull and a rifle put on display.

Y/N’s smile fell off her face at the sight of them and she worriedly glanced at him. His eyes were glued to the skull and his jaw clenched. It was the first time she ever saw Grover harden his face. Whenever she thought of the satyr (which was much more often when he was away from Camp, as her mind worriedly travelled to one of her few friends) she thought of a face warmed by the sun, a face lightened by a soft smile. She tried catching his gaze in an attempt to reassure him, but he avoided any eye contact.

“You’re talking about what some humans want this place to be about. I’m talking about what it actually is.”

“Annie,” Y/N gently called out, slowly shaking her head.

Annabeth met her gaze and softly sighed.

“Whatever,” replied Grover, looking around. “We’re safe here, right?”

“No monsters can enter. Not even Echidna. We’re safe.”

“Great. Well, since our train exploded, I’m gonna see if there’s another one we can get tickets on. We can’t stay here forever.” Grover’s gaze slid to a picture hung on the museum wall, depicting two horse riders hunting a bison, holding a pair of rifles. “Just because we’re prey, doesn’t mean we need to be helpless.”

“Do you need help with that? I can come with you,” offered Y/N, mustering what she hoped would be a kind smile.

“No, it’s alright," replied the satyr, before walking off.

A silence stretched for a few seconds before Percy spoke up, walking around and letting his eyes travel the size of the room. “He doesn’t like it when people mess with animals.”

“Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t have snapped at him, I just–” Annabeth sighed. “I know.” Her gaze shifted between her best friend and Percy before she took a step back. “I’ll go help him out. Even if he said he didn’t need any help.”

“Right,” nodded Percy.

She sent Y/N a pointed look that screamed “Behave!” as she walked away. The girl just rolled her eyes in reply. A thick silence fell between her and Percy and Y/N crossed her arms, taking in the sight of the small museum.

“So, uh, this is Athena’s place, huh?” she heard Percy ask as he shuffled his feet.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. He was looking around, slightly swaying on the spot.

“Apparently so,” replied Y/N, frowning as Percy took in a laboured breath.

“Wonder if she’s around.”

“I doubt it”

“Be right down, just going to the potty,” said Percy in a squeaky voice, attempting a posh, British accent.

A smirk tugged at Y/N’s lips and she turned fully towards him. “Charming.”

“I have a gift,” smiled Percy.

“Who told you that?”

“My mom.”

Y/N’s smirk faltered and she uncrossed her arms. “I’m sorry about your mom.”

Percy just shrugged, a sadness swirling in the ocean of his eyes.

“I know how you’re feeling.”

She did. When her mother fell sick, she lived in a constant state of waiting. Waiting for her to live, waiting for her to die. Waiting for someone or something to give her a sign. A small flicker of hope. And when her mother took her last breath, Y/N felt as if she had lost a part of herself, as if someone had taken her from her. Afterwards, everything was a blur. She didn’t remember the first month after her mother’s passing, nor did she recall the funeral. But she remembered the rage that had clawed its way into her heart.

Percy’s eyes locked onto hers. “You do?”

“Yes.”

He just nodded, almost imperceptibly. “I’m sorry about your dad.”

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry, too.”

Percy waved his hand around. “This is a temple, right? You can pray to him. Like you did back at the Camp.”

“I’m past praying.” She moved her eyes away from him, already feeling that rush of fire taking over her and clouding her mind in red wrath. “I’ve prayed enough. He doesn’t seem to listen.” She turned her eyes back on Percy, who was closely watching her, his pale lips parted. “But maybe you should try. Maybe Poseidon will listen.”

Percy’s gaze fell on the floor. “No thanks.”

“Why not?”

He took in a shuddering breath, as he raised his ocean eyes to hers. “My father…He… I don’t want anything from him, not like you do. He’s had his chances. You’ve done a lot more for me in the past few days than he ever did, even if you annoyingly love to order everyone around. But I’ve seen you do it with care and if I’d had to stick to someone, I–”

He fell silent.

“What? You’d stick with me? Is that what you were about to say, seaweed brain? You don’t even know me.”

“I wouldn’t stick only with you. The others, as well,” he swallowed.

She squinted at him. “Right. And if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought you were thanking me for ordering you around but—” She stopped short once she noticed his uneven breathing. The vibrant ocean in his eyes was now a dull shade of blue and the once now tanned skin was ghostly white, the freckles prominently spotting his cheeks and nose. There were dark eye bags that weren’t there before. “Hey, are you feeling alright?”

He nodded before he collapsed. Y/N latched onto him just before he hit the floor. “Woah! Easy there!”

Thundering footsteps announced her friends’ presence and she grimaced as she struggled to keep Percy upwards.

“Hey! What happened?”

“I think– I think those stinger things were poisonous,” croaked out the blond as he gave up and slid down on the floor.

Y/N’s frantic eyes met Annabeth’s. Her friend only reached towards Percy, taking him by the arm. “I have an idea. Come on, help me.”

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Standing in a fountain wasn’t something that Y/N had on her bucket list. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t even spared the idea a thought. But there she was, crouching in front of Percy in the middle of the fountain, spraying him in the face with water. She scrunched her nose in disgust. The water fountain wasn’t very clean. Not like the creeks in the woods. Not like the one behind the cabin.

“You look awful, seaweed brain,” she said in an attempt to raise his spirits, her tone teasing.

The boy met her gaze, pain twisting his face. He inhaled a sharp breath. “Gee, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled as she threw a handful of water onto his face. He coughed it out.

“The water cured him back at Camp, it should work for poison too, right?” asked Annabeth as she splashed water onto him from the side.

“Right, but I don’t think it’s working, Annie,” replied Y/N, sharing a worried look with Grover. She looked back at Percy. He was blinking the water out of his eyes, breathing heavily, his chest rising up and down in an effort to ground himself.

“You know, I think it’s– I think it’s working,” he eventually breathed out, his voice scratchy. “This was a great call.” He grimaced as he leaned his weight on his hand and tried getting up, only to fall back into the water not even a second later. “Or not.”

“Maybe it needs to be naturally running water for Poseidon to be able to heal him,” deduced Annabeth.

Y/N opened her mouth, her mind sparkling with an idea. Wasn’t the Mississippi river just behind them? A car honking interrupted her train of thoughts. It slid down the road, tires screeching before it spun out of control and crashed, the widows shattering, coating the street with sparkling glass.

“Okay. We need to get back inside,” said Annabeth, an urgency in her tone.

“No, we need to keep trying!” replied Grover.

“This isn’t working and she’s coming!”

“Grov, listen to me,” said Y/N, her voice firm and authoritative. “We can’t be any help to Percy if we’re killed, can we?”

The satyr’s eyebrows frowned in regret and he sighed. Another car honked, police sirens wailing in the distance. Y/N snapped her head around. Echidna was advancing towards them with steady steps and a smile stretching on her face.

“Gods,” Y/N mumbled, a cold fear scratching at her neck, raising her hair.

“Okay, look, we’ll take Percy inside and we’ll go to the temple’s altar,” voiced Annabeth, getting up.

“Altar? Where is there an altar?” asked Grover, standing up, water dripping down his arms.

“The highest point, the best view.”

Y/N’s gaze locked onto Percy’s and she sighed through her nose. Her hands reached out to him, latching around his shoulder and arm. “At three, okay, seaweed brain?”

The boy nodded.

“One, two, three!” She pulled him up, heaving as her Converse almost slipped on the wet floor of the fountain, water sloshing around them. Percy breathed out as he leaned his whole weight on her and she almost staggered.

“Okay, but what good is that even gonna do us?”

“We’re gonna get to the altar and we’re going to ask my mom for help,” replied Annabeth, a note of finality in her voice.

“I thought we don’t ask for help,” said Percy, looking at her.

Another car honking and skidding down the path.

“Come on, let’s get moving.”

Grover took hold of Percy’s other arm, putting it around his neck. Together they jumped out of the fountain, landing with a splash on the concrete. Percy swayed before Y/N put her arm around his back, steadying him. “Gods, kelp head, you weigh like lead.”

“Sorry,” he grimaced, leaning all his weight on the satyr.

“I didn’t tell you to stop leaning on me, did I?” she said, pulling him back onto her.

“Guys, d–did you hear that?” asked Annabeth, her voice shaking. She was trailing behind, looking towards Echidna.

Y/N’s footsteps faltered and she frowned, turning toward her best friend.

“Hear what?” questioned Grover.

The girl remained silent for a second, her eyes flickering between the three of them. There was a confusion and a familiar sadness simmering in her gaze, one that Y/N got to know in the time she befriended Annabeth. During camp fires, and quiet nights when the nightmares became too much, during fiery sunsets at the edge of the Camp, near Thalia’s pine tree. “Annie?”

Annabeth only hastily shook her head. “Never mind. Come on.”

They rushed to the entrance, hastened steps slowed down by Percy’s weight. They dodged crowds and made their way into a tram. Y/N, with the help of Grover, let Percy fall gently into a seat, before she settled next to him. The fluorescent blue light of the tram coloured his face in the shades of a million oceans, illuminating his now discoloured freckles and dark indigo circles under his tired eyes. He was panting and Y/N realised that speaking hurt him, as well.

“What was that back there? What did you hear? She spoke to you. Alecto did that with me back in the museum in New York. What did she say?” he asked Annabeth.

Y/N’s gaze moved onto her friend, watching her closely. She was avoiding her gaze, her lips parted and eyebrows slightly furrowed. And Y/N knew then that what she must have heard had to do with one of her many wounds. The kind that only cut deep when growing up with the absence of a mother. One that Y/N knew all too well. “Annie, did she–” But the sound of growling froze her and she snapped her head towards it. Echidna had just entered the museum with her head held high and back straightened in pride and silent rage. The shadow of a monster with two sharp horns was stretching on the wall. Y/N gaped as the tram’s door slid closed, fear paralysing her body, her mind going in overdrive. The tram jolted and started to ascend.

“Was that the Chimera?” whispered Grover, shock painting his features. “I think– I think that was the Chimera!

“It was the Chimera,” replied Y/N, still staring at the closed door.

“How did the Chimera even get inside here? How did any monster get inside here?”

“Annabeth?” called Percy, trying to stay upright but failing. His breathing was shallow. Y/N could hear it near her ear.

She shifted her eyes on Annabeth. Her best friend was still staring down at the floor, blinking and furrowing. She caught her gaze. Shame was painting her cheeks in a dusty pink and her eyes turned into a dark pool of sorrow.

“We’re in a sanctuary. Athena would have had to let her in, but why would she do that?”

“Annabeth! What did Echidna say to you?” asked Percy, frustration building in his tone.

She sighed through her nose. “She said my impertinence wounded my mother’s pride. And that that will be my doom.”

Y/N’s lips parted. “No…” she muttered in realisation, guilt starting to eat at her stomach. She clenched her fists on her knees.

Percy started shaking his head, eyebrows creasing together. “Impertinence? What kind of–” His face softened, eyes widening. “Medusa’s head.”

“I embarrassed my mother.”

Now there was a hole in Y/N’s stomach, a glowing deep red flashing beneath her eyelids. “But how’s that possible? You didn’t do anything.”

“I’m the one who sent the head to Olympus,” added Percy, crouching in pain. A drop of water fell from his hair onto his forehead as he shook his head. “I signed the note. Only mine and Y/N’s names were on it.”

“And I went along with it!” flared up Annabeth. “It embarrassed her. Now, she’s angry.”

Y/N shook her head, remorse lacing her features. Her hand itched as it wanted to reach out for her friend’s, but the guilt handcuffed her, tying her to a surging anger and a deep flowing regret.

“Guys, what are we gonna do?” inquired the satyr, eyes downcast.

“She isn’t gonna help us when we get to the top to save Percy.”

“No, I meant what are we gonna do about Echidna and Chimera?” emphasised Grover, looking between them. “They’re gonna be right behind us!”

“We’re gonna fight,” answered Y/N, feeling the curving of the bow on her back.

The tram slowed to a stop, its door opening with a ding.

“We’re not gonna have much time. They’ll be up here any minute. And if my mother isn’t going to protect us, then we’ll just have to fight it up here,” said Annabeth as she came out the tram, putting her bag around her shoulders, determination glinting in her eyes.

Y/N followed her out, marching up the stairs. She came to an abrupt stop, as chatter filled her ears. Tourists crowded the top of the Gateway Arch, smiling and pointing towards the view.

“Oh, no,” voiced the satyr from beside her, steadying Percy up. “We gotta get everybody out of here.”

Y/N swallowed, looking around the room before a wailing alarm slashed the air, blaring and whining. She jumped at the sound of it, before she felt the warm hand of her friend on her shoulder, guiding her along. “You and Percy follow them down.”

Y/N frowned, stopping in her tracks, implanting her soles into the floor, letting them grow roots there. “Absolutely not!”

“What? No, no, no. W-we’re not splitting up,” agreed Grover, shaking his head.

Annabeth sighed, taking him by the arm and pushing him down the hallway. “Grover, come on.”

“No. No, no, no, no, no, we’re all getting out of here together,” breathed out Percy, his lips by now cracked and dry.

“We won’t make it. Someone has to stay back and slow her down and buy everyone some time.”

“And that someone has to be you?” retorted Y/N with a frown etched on her face.

“Yes. It’s the only way.”

“Well, then, I’m coming with you.”

“What? No.”

“I’m coming with you, Annie. Whether you like it or not. Whether you want to or not. We’re in this together,” Y/N replied, taking her by the hand. She gave it a comforting squeeze.

The girl opened her mouth in protest, but fell silent upon seeing the lightning in Y/N’s gaze.

“You’re not Thalia,” continued Y/N, her tone harsh. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

A look of understanding passed between them and Annabeth’s frown softened. She nodded and squeezed Y/N’s hand back. “Come on.” She pushed the boys down the stairs. “Okay, help him down the stairs and get him to the river. And don’t stop. Not ‘till you get to Hades, not ‘till you have the bolt. Do you hear me?”

The blond started to shake his head, his eyes moving between the girls, his mouth hanging open in clear panic.

“Okay, go,” urged Annabeth.

“It’s not negotiable,” voiced Y/N, staring down at Percy.

He inhaled a breath of air to reply before a shot of pain made him cower and grimace.

“You need to get to the river. We’ll be fine, seaweed brain. We’re tough girls.”

“But–”

“Just listen to me this once,” she cut him off. “Trust me.”

She sent him a small smile and started closing the door, her other hand still in Annabeth's.

“Wait! Take this,” said Percy, taking a pen out of his pants pocket. A metallic ringing tinkled in the air. A golden, glowing sword materialised in Percy’s hand and he held it out for Y/N to take. She hesitated. “Keep it, you’ll need it, seaweed brain.”

“You need it more than me now,” he croaked out.

“I have my bow and arrows and Annie has her dagger.”

“Just take it,” he sighed.

She reached out for it, wrapping her hand around the handle. It was smooth to the touch, the metal cooling her hand. “Thank–” But with a grunt, the boy pushed her through the door and down the stairs. Annabeth fell behind her, knocking into her and Y/N lost her footing, crashing into the satyr. She whipped her head around after Grover steadied her, but the door to the panoramic view was already closed.

“Hey! Open this door!” she yelled, banging on it with knuckled white fists.

“Hey! Percy! Percy, please!” Grover pleadied.

“Percy, no! Don’t do this. They’ll kill you.”

“You idiot! Open this door right now!”

Percy’s muffled voice travelled to them through the door. “Poseidon’s never helped me before. He wasn’t gonna start now. I would’ve never made it to Hades. But you can. And now you will.”

She heard enough and with a low grunt, she turned around, marching down the stairs, a scowl curling her lips downwards.

“Y/N? Where are you going? Y/N!” Grover called out after her but she ignored him, her determined steps carrying her down. Her blood was boiling again and she took out her bow, the wooden curve of it fitting in her hand like the piece of an intricate puzzle. She turned the corner, arriving on the first floor. Her eyes roamed around the room, stopping onto an opened tram. She looked around, seeing a scrawny teenager dressed in the uniform of the museum as he hurried to the exit, the alarm still blaring in the background.

“You!” she called out to him.

The boy turned his head towards her, his gaze fearful. He pointed towards himself. “Me?”

“Yeah, you! You’re gonna make this tram work and ascend towards the top,” she replied, marching up to him, her jaw clenched.

“B-but, miss, the alarm–”

Her voice turned thunderous, her eyes flashing, as she raised her bow and an arrow. “You will do as I say.”

The teenager stammered, his eyes flickering between her and the weapon before he hastily nodded, rushing towards his working cabin. Y/N followed his example, marching towards the tram. After she entered, it closed with a bang and jolted as it started ascending. She lost her balance, colliding into the wall. With a pained grunt, she rose up as the door opened with a ding. She sprinted out, running up the stairs, her hand gripping her weapon.

“I knew you were coming, demigod. My little one here sensed your blood,” Echidna’s voice echoed, a malice coating tone. “She said it smelled sweet.”

Y/N panted as she arrived at the top, her heart beating in accord with her heavy breathing. Her gaze flew around the room, seeing no sign of Percy, but a hole into the floor. Flames were licking the floor and walls. Echidna was standing proudly in the middle of the room, the Chimera growling beside her, showing its sharp fangs.

“Where’s Percy? What did you do to him?!” she shouted.

“Down below. 630 feet below. Are you in a rush to meet his fate?” Echidna replied, cocking her head to the side. “Perhaps that can be arranged.”

The Chimera started advancing towards her, opening its mouth in a loud growl. Y/N shuddered and raised her bow, willing her hand to not tremble. The monster growled once more, its scaly skin catching the light of the flames. A bulb of fire scorched the air towards her and she dodged it, before launching an arrow. It stabbed the Chimera in the neck. It gave out a pained growl and raised its tail to hit her but Y/N let another arrow to slay the air, implanting itself in the tail.

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” she heard Echidna say.

Y/N shook her head as another arrow flew, stabbing the Chimera in its chest and drawing blood. The red slits of its eyes widened and the monster gave out a furious growl, raising its paw, sending Y/N across the room. She fell to the ground, hitting her head. She blinked, grunting in pain as she tried getting up. A buzzing filled her ears and blurred lines obscured her vision. Growling reached her ears, padded steps shaking the Arch. Y/N searched herself for more arrows, quickly realising she ran out of them.

“Heroes have short lives,” Echidna’s voice echoed, stepping towards her. “You are no exception. It’s just how the tales go.”

Stinging tears gathered in Y/N’s eyes as she crawled away from the monster. Fear froze her body, her stomach turning into a small knot as a lump blocked the air in her throat.

And then she felt it.

Something electric seemed to travel through her body, needles pricking her skin. But they didn’t hurt. It was as though someone was caressing her skin, energy leaving in its wake. It was levitating and life-giving.

She felt very much alive.

And then she finally understood. She understood that her father was the king of the skies and of gods. And that she was his daughter, in every conceivable way. And that despite his long absence, he granted her the power to pick herself up from the cold ground, that his powers and skies were also hers, that he was the sky she grew up under and that even in her most thunderous dreams he chose to show himself in ways she hadn't understood at first.

Her feet lifted from the ground, her eyes glowing purple, and she let the energy welcome her home, her hair ruffling in the wind. She raised a hand, conjuring lightning and directed it at the Chimera. It bashed upon the monster in crackling fire and thunder. The monster whimpered before it charged towards her, its skin burning, smoke swirling into the air. Y/N raised both of her palms and hit the monster with a final lightning. It dissolved into ashes, wind carrying them away.

“No!” shouted Echidna, her voice breaking. “You monster!”

The wind slowly lowered Y/N to the ground and she blinked the glow out of her eyes. Her hands still crackled with alive energy. “Between the two of us, I think you’re the monster.”

Echidna’s face darkened with a scowl, as she stepped towards Y/N. The girl realised that she preferred her bone-chilling smile. She took a step back. “Above it all, I am a mother. And you took that from me.”

“You killed Percy!”

The Mother of Monsters steadily advanced towards her, her scowl slowly turning into her sinister smile. Y/N backed away from her until the back of her sneakers stepped onto the edge of nothing. She regained her balance, as she looked over her shoulder. The ground was stretching before her eyes, wind hollowing.

“Who’s gonna save you now? You have no one. A motherless and abandoned child.”

She whipped her head around. “That’s not true,” she replied, her voice trembling. “My father helped me today!”

Echidna tilted her head at her, still smiling. “Poor you, so naive. I am so sorry, but you took my baby from me.” Her hands clawed out to her, slashing her across the shoulders and pushing her down the open hole into the floor.

And then Y/N was falling.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

A/N: So, there it is! We have finally learned about Y/N's father. How do we feel about the big reveal? Did you guys suspect it? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated.

I expect the next chapter won't come out very soon, I'll try my best but I've been very busy lately, with uni especially. I'm graduating this year so it's a tumultuous one. Thank you for understanding x

If you'd like to be added to my main tag list or the series tag list, drop a comment or send me an ask!

Lots of love xx

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Series tag list: Storms tag list: @mynicknameisgasoline @constellation-archive @leptitlu @br3nt-12 @utterlyunawarewriter @spidermansfangirl

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