Chapter 18: Im not a fan of this photo

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"Something's wrong." Annabeth said looking around.
"Nonsense, my child, keep looking at me." Aunty Em purred as she started unraveling the gauze that surrounded her eyes.

As soon as aunty Em was about to take her gauze off Annabeth screamed,"Don't look!!!" Annabeth pushed all of us off the bench. Right before I hit the ground I caught myself with my hands and stumbled off to the lot.

"God, this place was creepy." I said to myself as I ran through what felt like a labyrinth with stone statues everywhere. While running I was looking everywhere for a weapon. The best I found was a stick the size of a baseball bat. I grabbed it and ran trying to find the others.

I turned a corner and ran into... something. I fell on the ground and looked around for what I hit. I couldn't see anything until Annabeth materialized out of nowhere and stood above me.

"Are you ok?" She asked offering me her hand
"Yeah, are you?"
"More or less."
"Good, go find Grover Im going to help Percy." I told her as I went to walk past her.

She grabbed my arm and opened her mouth as if to protest.

"Go, now." I commanded. This time she listened and went off to find Grover.

I ran around the maze trying to hear any signs of Percy. I randomly turned a corner and found a hair full of snakes. Thankfully her head was turned away from me looking down at a dazed Percy.

"Maia." I whispered trying to gain control of the shoes.

I flew up into the air only slightly in control of where I was going. As I got closer to the gorgon I closed my eyes now only going off of my sense of hearing.

"Percy duck!" I yelled moving my head side to side trying to triangulate where Medusa was. I heard her a crack of a twig and swung as hard as possible.

I hit something.
I hit... her?
I heard a rage-filled growl. Yup, I hit her.

"I will add you to my collection, son of Artemis!"

"You forget the magic word." I said as I came in for another pass.

I flew in a few more times hitting her more and more. I didn't hear anything for a little bit.
"I think I knocked her out!" I said triumphantly.
"RAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!!!" I heard a fierce yell.
"Maybe not!"

I couldn't keep this act up forever and eventually I flew too low and felt a searing hot pain in my leg. I fell onto the floor and screamed in pain when I hit the ground.

I heard Medusa's calm steps coming towards me.
"Poor child" she said faking sadness. "I might just have to put you out of your misery."

"Hey!!" I heard Percy's voice come from behind.

I heard no more noise coming from Medusa but instead the sound was taken by Percy's footsteps as he got closer.

"You wouldn't hurt an old woman would you, Percy? I know you wouldn't." Medusa crooned

"Don't listen to her!" I heard Annabeth and Grover yell in the background.

"Too late" I heard Medusa growl before the most sickening sound of metal against flesh "graced" my ears.

I heard a thud as something hit the ground. I tried as hard as possible to not open my eyes until I got the "go ahead" from someone.

I heard more footsteps

"Are you ok?" I heard Annabeth ask. I took that as an "open your eyes" cue.

I opened my eyes to see a black veil on the ground covering something. Around the veil there was this gold dust.

"Y/N, are you ok?" Annabeth said. Firmer this time.

"Other than getting slashed in the leg. Im fine." I said trying to lighten the mood.

Annabeth's looked down at my legs.

"I don't see anything."

I looked down at my leg to see what she was talking about. My leg was covered in blood but there was no wound. I guess moonlight is the best medicine out there.

"Huh.." was all I could manage as Percy and Grover pulled me up.

"Don't look at the head, it can still petrify you." Annabeth said.

"Of course it can still petrify you. Why wouldn't it?" I said sarcastically as I tested if my leg was fully healed. I put weight on my leg and felt excruciating pain in the middle of shin.

I bit on the inside of my cheek to avoid screaming. I laid back down on the ground hoping that waiting in the moonlight a little longer would heal it. To my surprise it did heal it. When I got back up it was turned into more of a limp.

We started making our way back down to the warehouse where we met Medusa. We all sat down at the table we had our dinner at.

"So we have Athena to thank for this monster?" Percy asked gesturing to the veiled head.

Why? Can't we just sit in silence for about 3 minutes.

"Actually your father." Annabeth rebutted slightly annoyed. "She was your fathers girlfriend and they decided to meet in my mothers temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her sisters turned into the three gorgons. That's why she wanted to cut me up but wanted to preserve you. You probably reminded her of your father."

"So it's my fault?" Percy asked. Almost offended.

Annabeth started mocking Percy's voice, "It's just a picture. Where's the harm?"

I tried holding back laughter but a little bit escaped.

"You're impossible."

"You're insufferable."

Now they just started insulting each other.

"Hey, hey, hey." Grover said getting in between them. "You guys are giving me a migraine and satyrs don't even get migraines. What are we going to do with the head."

I looked down at the head and saw a snake hanging out of one of the holes. That sent a shiver up my spine.

Percy grabbed the head," I got it. I'll be back." He told us as he walked to a room in the back.

I turned to Annabeth and I gave her a confused look. We walked into the room that Percy had just entered and found that he had placed the head in a box and was writing something on it.

I looked at the note and saw it said,"Empire state building, 600th floor, New York,New York."

I heard Grover behind me, "The gods are going to think you're impertinent"

Percy seemed to ignore him as he closed the box and watched as the box disappeared with the sound of a cash register.

"I am impertinent." He said looking at Annabeth.

"Come on." She said. Sighing whilst speaking, "we need a new plan.

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