The Unknown (A Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

20. The Mother of Monsters

Well hello there, muggles...uh, sorry, wrong fandom...mortals, I mean. 

This is the end of part one, so it's pretty short but really important. Part two will continue in the same book, but there might be a few interval chapters in between.

In advance, i apologise for the horrible cliffhanger >:)

Chapter Twenty

"Aren't you type of anteater?" I asked.

Fury flared in Echidna's bright green eyes. "Gaaaaaaaah!" Her blood tipped claw-like fingernails reached up to her face, hooking into her skin. Swallowing my nausea, I watched as she peeled her skin off, revealing reptilian-like scales underneath, in several messy movements.

I stumbled back, my hands still bound tightly behind my back. The other mortals only just seemed to grasp the danger-though what they saw instead of a monster was unknown to me, thanks to the Mist-and began to retreat as well, holding their weapons with shaky hands. Several of them sprinted away, shouting for the other mortals, most of whom followed with little persuading.

"Percy!" I heard my friends cry from behind me.

Echidna lunged at me like a viper, hissing with her long forked tongue. "Come quietly, Perseus." She bared her fangs at me. "It will be far less painful that way."

I stumbled away to avoid her attack. Riptide felt hot in my pocket, having returned a few moments ago, but there was no way I could reach it with my hands bound.

Suddenly, I could hear the sounds of wailing and moaning. I turned to see a few groups of Infected staggering out from between the buildings, alerted by the sounds of fighting.

My friends had already noticed. Thalia, shaky on her feet but conscious, released several silver arrows, protecting Will and Nico whom kneeled over Grover treating his gunshot wound as fast as they possibly could.

Annabeth was running towards me. Her beautiful grey eyes burned with an inner fire and she had her Drakon bone sword in her hand, raised and ready to fight. "Watch out!" She shouted at me, her eyes widening.

I whirled around but it was too late. Echidna grabbed me and pressed her claw-like fingernails to the hollow of my neck. "I can't kill you yet but no one said I couldn't harm you." She cackled and then fixed her green eyes on Annabeth, who had skidded to a stop with her sword with both hands, gripped tightly and ready to fight. "Take one more step, daughter of Athena, and there will be blood."

"Where's your Chihuahua this time, then?" I taunted, attempting to distract her. I could see the Infected closing in on my friends and I knew it wouldn't be long before they would be completely surrounded with little to no hope of escaping.

Echidna hissed with anger, and I took the chance to slam my head back into her hers. There were a loud bonk! And the Mother of Monsters stumbled back, clutching at her forehead with her fangs bared at me. "You—" She went to slash at me with her talons but suddenly a heavy shape collided with me and I was sent flying.

Amara cried out as the claw sliced at her instead, opening a red line across her sternum. Her machete shook slightly in her hand, glinting in the sunlight. "Rachel, what are you doing?" She cried.

"Foolish mortal!" The monster roared and backhanded her. Amara was sent to the ground violently, her head smacking against the tarmac. She didn't get up.

Annabeth grabbed me by the shirt, stopping me from falling over. "Give me your hands." She ordered, glancing at Amara with concern.

I obeyed and she hacked through the bonds with her sword. In that moment, I breathed in the scent of her lemon shampoo and felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me before I was dragged back to reality.

Echidna gave Amara's unconscious body a distasteful look. "Mortals." She curled her lip. "They always get in the way. My mistress was right."

Annabeth and I exchanged looks. "Who is she?" Annabeth demanded. "Who is your mistress?"

I glanced nervously back at the others. Nico had joined the fighting, protecting Will as he attempted to move Grover on his back so he could carry him. The Infected seemed to ignore Nico more than Thalia, who was almost completely surrounded as she fought them with her silver hunting knives.

Echidna chuckled, her forked tongue slithering from between her lips and whipping at the air. "Do you not know?" She smiled with her fangs. "Perhaps I overestimated your intelligence, daughter of Athena."

"Maybe." Annabeth said, clenching her jaw. "But perhaps you've overestimated your ability to fight against me." She lunged and became a whirlwind, slicing and dodging and stabbing and feinting. I was stuck between helping Annabeth and aiding Amara but, when I glanced back at where she had fallen, she was nowhere to be seen.

My attention was brought back to the main fight by the hideous, pain-filled wail of Echidna as she stumbled away from Annabeth. A large wound had opened on her abdomen, pouring out black-green liquid instead of blood. I had half-expected her to crumble to dust, but we had no such luck. Instead, we watched as the cut slowly healed up, scales reforming in layers.

"Well, f—" I started to say.

"Language." Annabeth snapped at me as went to stand next to me, shoulder to shoulder. She glared at the Echidna, who only seemed angered by her temporary wound.

The Mother of Monsters hissed. "Just give me the son of Poseidon and save yourself along with your friends."

Annabeth snorted. "No way."

Echidna dived again, seemingly for Annabeth. At the very last moment, she lurched towards me instead.

Before I knew it, she had her taloned fingers wrapped around my throat, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

I swung my sword but she was too close to make a well-aimed blow. Instead it just scraped down the side of her face, leaving a trail of dark slime, making her cackle with laughter.

Annabeth also tried to attack, but her sword was knocked out her hand. It clattered to the ground several feet away. "No!" She yelled, her eyes bright with fury.

Suddenly, the earth beneath my feet began to tremble.

Echidna chuckled. "It's time, my demigods. Next time you'll see your hero, he'll be drained of his blood and lifeless."

Great. Like I haven't heard that before. I thought. My head felt light. My lungs desperately gasped for oxygen, but the grip around my throat was much too tight.

Annabeth was starting to move slyly towards her fallen weapon. "What do you want with him?" She demanded.

"To fulfil the prophecy, of course." The monster said, a toxic smile stretching her lips. "To build a new Olympus."

I saw the Infected close in on my friends. Will was giving Grover a piggyback ride while Nico and Thalia fought either side of them covering their attempted escape. Nico happened to turn, his gaze sweeping towards me. Our eyes met. His widened and he opened his mouth to cry out to alert the others.

Annabeth made a desperate dive towards her sword.

The ground broke open underneath my feet and I fell into eternal darkness.

Oops. 

So in part two, I was thinking of using other point of views as well as Percy's in 3rd person (she, they, etc) so you guys don't miss out on any action. Does that sound like a good idea or not?

Also, like I've already mentioned, I'm probably going to do a interval chapter (or more) between the two parts, centered around the new prophecy. 

I've already written the prophecy (I sent a message out towards my followers) but it's not very good so it will take some time to edit and stuff. 

Comment what you think, vote and have a great day XD