𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

seventeen

YOU/EMBER ✦

"i think... i think those stinger things were poisonous." percy breathes out. "i have an idea. help me." i say gesturing to grover to help me lift him. we make our way quickly towards the fountain, percy sitting in it as grover and i splash him with water.

people point and stare at us giving weird looks, but we keep going. "if the water cured him back at camp, it should work with poison too, right?" i say hopefully just needing grover to assure me that he would be okay.

"you know i think— i think its working." he says. we stop splashing him and i observe as he gets up, "this was a good call," only to fall back down. "or not."

"maybe it has to be naturally running water for poseidon to be able to heal hi-" im cut off by a loud crash and horns honking. both grover and i turn our heads toward the noise. "we can't stay here, we need to go back inside." i say with urgency wanting to stay and keep trying but knowing we should get somewhere safe. "no, we need to keep trying." grover pleads. i look at him intently, "i know, but she's coming and this doesn't really seem to be helping." i look back at the creepy lady slowly approaching us and stand up.

"okay let's just— take percy inside and, take him to the temples altar." i tell grover, "alter? where is there an alter?" grover scoffs as he questions me. "the highest point."

"okay but what good is that even gonna do us?" grover scoffs. i look down at percy whose eyes are bloodshot, skin paler than paper, and dark circles under his eyes. "i'm gonna ask my mom for help."

"i thought we dont ask for help?" percy questioned. i let percy's confusion fly by me, "we should go." i tell the two boys. grover helps percy up and we all start heading inside. i stop in my tracks hearing whispers in the distance, "d— did you guys hear that?" i ask, "hear what?"

"nevermind" i say catching up to grover putting percy's arm around my shoulder and we make our way to the elevator. grover gets in first while i help percy. "what was that back there? what did you hear?" he asks me breathing heavily.

"she spoke to you," he states. "alecto did that with me back in the museum in new york." percy takes another breath, "what did she say?" as i look outside the elevator doors i spot the lady and the doors shut, "was that the chimera? i think that was the chimera. how did it even get inside. how did any monsters get inside here?" i faintly hear grover ramble as my thoughts ponder.

"ember?" percy looked at me with concern, "were in a sanctuary... athena— or aphrodite would have had to let her in, but why would she do that?" grover tries to understand. my gaze stays on the floor as thoughts race through my head. i hear percy louder this time, "ember!" i finally raise my head— the thoughts vanishing from my mind and i meet percy's eyes. he looks so sick, and i feel like its all my fault.

"what did echidna say to you?" he asks. "she said my impertinence ruined athena's pride, and that, that— will be my doom, that i embarrassed her and let down my own mother." percy shakes his head with furrowed brows, "impertinence? what kind of—" he cuts himself off, "medusa's head." he states as he meet my eyes again. his eyes tired and full of sorry. i bite my lip, he shouldn't feel like this was his fault. "i let her down, again. i let my mother and athena down. now athena and my mom are probably back on bad terms, again" i say. 

"but i'm the one who sent the head to olympus, i signed the note!" he exclaims, "i know— but i didn't try to stop you as much as i should have. it embarrassed her." i finish. "guys, what are we gonna do?" grover asked with worry.

"i dont know." i respond, "echidna and chimera are gonna be right behind us." grover states.

"we won't have much time," i tell the two. grover and i helping percy walk as we step out of the elevator. "if my mother, nor athena are going to help us— we have to fight it out up here." we reach the top of the stairs where a crowd of people are. this isn't good.

"oh no," grover muttered. "we've got to get everybody out of here." i look around and spot a fire alarm in the corner slowly making my way towards it, "i have an idea." i tell them. i've always wanted to pull a fire alarm.

"go with them," i tell the two boys as the visitors exit. "what? no, no, no, no, were not splitting up." grover fought, "grover— please." i beg pushing them ahead but grover stops, "no, no no no, were all getting out of here together." he protests.

"we won't all make it." i tell him sternly. the boy weak, panting heavily. i walk with them towards the door making sure they leave. "look, the chimera is the demigod killer. i'll stay back and buy everyone some time, okay? i don't have time to argue with you, please go." i plead leading them into the stairwell. 

"okay, help him down the stairs and get him to the river, okay?" i instruct grover. "and don't stop, not until you get to hades, not until you have the bolt. do you hear me." i state strongly. grover and percy shook their heads as i began to shut the door, "okay, go!"

"wait! percy spoke. he reaches for his pocket taking something from it. his pen, he uncapped it— it turning into a sword. "here, take this." he offers me the sword by the handle. i reach my hand out for it not bothering to argue with him as i already had a sword of my own. as soon as my hand grabs the sword he uses his strength and yanks me, trading his place with mine.

"percy!" i yell. i look to grover and we both start banging on the door, "percy open the door! please don't do this!"

"hey," grover yells. "percy!"

"percy, please. they'll kill you." i tell him. i attempt to use charmspeak on him which i absolutely hate doing, i would never do that, i don't. but in this moment it felt like i had no other choice. 

"i'm not opening the door, ember." he says. "what?" grover asks confused as to why it didn't work, "if the person is too persistent charmspeak wont work on them— and it's even harder to do it through a shut door. it doesn't work as well when i can't see him." i quickly explain.

"poseidon's never helped me before, he wasn't gonna start now." he states. "percy." i defeatedly say as i lay my head on the door. "i would've never made it to hades." he breathes, "but you can. and now you will." he says as growling is heard from the other side.

i sink down onto the floor with my back against the door as grover continues to yell for him. "it's no use, grover." he stops and turns to me, "this is all my fault." i say, "don't say that."

"i was supposed to keep him safe, help him— instead i led him straight to his—" i stop myself. "i let him down just like i do everyone else, i let annabeth down, i let you down."

"hey, don't speak like that. he's gonna be okay." grovers eyes look down, i really hope so.

a/n this chapter was SO LONG but i really enjoyed writing this. hope u loved reading <333 cant wait for the 'reunion' scene it will be so cute.