𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

fifteen

YOU/EMBER ✦

"you think we did this?" percy questions the police officer while grover hands percy and i's bags to me. "did you?" the officer interrogates, "how—, and why?" my mouth is agape as i observe the cabin. everything had been destroyed.

"sir— i assure you when i left to get breakfast everything was intact. we don't know how this happened." grover explained. "we got a witness here, says she heard the window smash— and then heard children's' voices."

"oh come on—" i hear percy say as i look at the lady that the officer was referring to. something's not right...

"are we under arrest?" i ask the officer. he was taken aback, "i don't think you want to take that tone with me little girl." he states. i look at him dead in the eye,

"are we under arrest?" i repeat again, louder.

𝚿ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

percy, grover, and i are sat at a table. "so were just killing time till we find out that, that guys like a werewolf or something right...?" percy questions looking over at the policeman. "i dont think hes a monster." i tell him, "hard to say." grover replies. "well if he's not a monster, then whats going on here? why would anyone tear our room apart?"

"maybe, they were looking for something." grover adds, "we don't have anything though," he replies. "the people who think you stole zeus's master bolt might disagree." i tell him, "right" he looked down and nodded.

"well look — they're not gonna find something we don't have." grover assured us. "either way we don't have time to spend, we need to get out of this." i state in a panic when i feel a tapping on my shoulder, i notice percy's hand on the table turn into a fist as he tenses.

"do you mind if i sit?" the lady asks. i give percy an uncertain look and scootch closer to him as she sits down next to me. "you poor dears." she exclaims. something about her voice makes me uneasy. "your parents aren't here, are they?" she questioned when her pet growls in its carrier besides her and i cling on to percy's arm, he looks at me as i observe the lady.

"don't children get scared when they're all alone?" the lady continues. "isn't that right precious?" i give percy a look. she turns her head and smiles at us, "its okay, i'm a mom i know how scared you must be. percy watches as she starts talking to the officer, "excuse me, would you mind giving us a little space, i think... i think you're making them a little nervous." she expresses.

THE OFFICER????? making us nervous? for anything the officer made us feel safe. is this bitch fucking stupid.

my grip on percy's arm tightens, "i want you to know, i don't actually think you made that mess back there." percy's brows furrow, "i just, wanted a moment alone with you."

oh fuck, this isn't going to end well.

"there are some things i need you to understand." she starts but grover interupts her, "you have something on your jacket. looks like... looks like glass." grover finishes. i look up at percy with a worried expression.

"no one smashed out the windows from inside the cabin, someone smashed them in from the outside." grover clarified. the lady gave us a creepy smile before she ran over to her pet that was whimpering, talking to it.

"this isn't your fault." she says and stands up. "but sadly you're going to have to bear the burden of your parents' mistakes." she states. "listen lady, i don't know who you are, but i think i know what you are." percy spoke. "we've run across a few monsters like you and we've sent them all packing." he finishes.

the lady scoffs, "monsters like me? well, of course they're like me. they were my children." she states. it all clicking in place for me, "children? what does that mean?" percy asks. "the mother of monsters." grover states, "echidna." i finish knowing exactly who and what she is. the creature in her bag growling, "shhh" she tells it as it snarls.

"monster, that's an odd word, considering my grandma is your great grandmother and this has always been a family story, but to my eyes the demigod is the more dangerous creature. disruptive, violent— if i exist for anything it is to stay in the way of monsters, like you."

she turns to the creature in her bag as it continues to snarl,  "my little one here, she's just a pup now, bless her heart. today, you will be her prey. are you afraid yet? oh it's all right, fear is natural. it's also essential to the hunt." she explains.

"percy take my hand." i whisper to him swiftly and he does so. "your fear, your doubt, your confusion. i needed you to understand what was happening so that she could track the scent." the zipper on the bag slowly starts to unzip on its own.

"so that she could learn and grow because, that's what a good mother does for her children— not that you would know." the zipper unzips all the way and an arm from the creature stabs percy as i try and lead him out of his seat. "go!" i exclaim to him as i push him off with my hand.

i knew he wouldn't want to leave me, it's why i asked him to take my hand earler. i quickly pulled out the dagger from my bag slashing it against the creature, stabbing it. "go percy!" i yell as he looks back.

a/n i have a pinterest for ember that contains her style aesthetic and more, ill put the link in the comments!