Zero to Hero (Percy Jackson Fanfic)

Chapter Thirty-Three-The Secret

Annabeth's POV

Mnemosyne was gone! Gods, I thought, whose side is she on? Did she leave just so she wouldn't have to fight me, or was she sneaking around somewhere, waiting to strike? I checked over my shoulder, but all I saw was more treasure. Ahead of me, just seven paces away, lay Grover, imobile.

There was a roar from Percy's direction. The Titan was well occupied. It was now or never. 

I darted forward, dug my hands under Grover's armpits, and towed him behind a pile of treasure. I propped him up against a giant golden shield. His head lolled, but his eyes focused on me, looking absolutely petrified. 

"Grover!" I exclaimed under my breath, relief filling me. "Oh, thank the gods! Can you move at all?"

There was no response. 

"I'll take that as a no," I muttered. I glanced around the riches to see how Percy was doing. Not good. Percy stood straight, facing the Titan down, but I didn't fail to see his left arm hanging limp, or the exhaustion weighing him down. He was going to need some backup.

Give him this, said a voice in my mind. I jumped, looking around. Mnemosyne stood behind me, her hooded face smiling at me creepily. She was holding out her hand, profering a small doughy ball. 

"Wh-what is it?" I asked, after my stomach had settled back to where it was supposed to be.

Mnemosyne walked forward and crouched beside Grover, sliding the ball into my hand. It will help.

I probably shouldn't have trusted her as much as I did, but I obeyed the Titan lady and force-fed the playdough ball to Grover.

As I watched Grover with anticipation, Mnemosyne watched the dueling. Menoetius is very angry. Of course, he is the Titan of Anger. Mnemosyne sounded amused by her own joke. He will kill your friend. If you wish for things to return to the way they were, Annabeth Chase, this must not happen. He is your gateway back.

"Percy is?" I asked, glancing back in his direction. The Titan smacked him to the ground. I winced in sympathy. I would have run over right then to help him if it hadn't been for Grover, who started groaning.

"Grover?"

His eyelids fluttered, but he didn't otherwise move. Mnemosyne's magic pill was working.

I turned to her. "What do you mean? How is Percy the gateway back?"

Percy's father gave him everything you need. In dreams.

I clenched my fists in frustration. "You couldn't be a little more clear could you?"

Mnemosyne turned her hood toward Menoetius. I have done all I can. You must piece it together on your own. And quickly. Your Perseus does not have much time.

I didn't know what Menoetius held over her, but it must have been really big. While Mnemosyne was willing to betray her master, she didn't want to make it obvious.

"Alright then." I sat back on my heels, thinking. I could vaguely remember Percy mentioning some bizarre dreams he'd had about his dad, who'd I'd then concluded was Poseidon. So Poseidon was trying to get a message to his son. Rubbing my forehead, I tried to remember exactly what Percy had said the dream was about.

Percy had hardly been able to understand what his father had said. How was I supposed to come up with anything concrete? 

Speaking of Percy. A terrible scream rent the air. I jumped to my feet, ready to run into the fray. 

Wait, Mnemosyne said, her hand like smoke on my arm. Menoetius will kill you both if you don't break the curse first. All this will have been for nothing. You have to remember.

"He's dying!" I had to force myself not to scream at her as panic rose in my throat. "And you're the one who took my memories in the first place."

Think. Remember Annabeth. Memories have power.

My eyes burned from the stress and the panic and frustration. "Poseidon told Percy to listen to Aphrodite...the goddess of love. But what...? Aphrodite didn't tell him anything. Not that I know of."

Mnemosyne shook her head. No...but Aphrodite has many mouthpieces.

I gasped. "Piper! She's in the Aphrodite cabin. And she had a similar dream to Percy's. She gave Percy a message from her mom! 'The secret is love.' What does that mean?"

I imagined Mnemosyne smiling beneath her cloak. I think you know.

And suddenly, I did. I was reminded of the strange impulse I'd had to kiss Percy on the cheek just minutes ago. I looked back at Percy. Menoetius raised his axe. 

"No!" I charged forward, pulling a sword out of the sheath at my side. Even as I ran, I knew I was going to be too late. There was no way I could clear that distance in time. The Titan swung his axe. I screamed, begging my feet to move faster. But it was useless. I couldn't--

Somehow, Percy managed to roll to the side, just enough so that the axehead didn't bury itself in his chest, but slid through his side instead. As blood sprayed the ground and Menoetius prepared for another strike, I jumped in front of him and gripped my blade. 

The Titan paused, then smiled. "Ah, Annabeth Chase," he welcomed. "Always at Percy's side, aren't you? Come on then."

But my gaze had snagged on something hovering in the entrance to the cavern. The Mermekes hadn't left the room completely, but watched from the sidelines, as though waiting to be tossed the dregs of the Titans' demigod meal. 

"You asked for it, Meatlug," I smirked, then ducked in and sliced at his gut before darting away again, leading Menoetius toward the nearest pile of treasure. There were so many in the room it wasn't hard to disguise what I was doing. Menoetius followed me like a tamed dog, but without the tamed part. He swung his axe in careful controlled strikes, giving me a workout as I tried to get close to him. 

I spun away from an attack, running up a sliding pile of gold. I ducked as I felt the wind of another slash of the axe. The Titan slammed his weapon into the gold, slicing straight through. I grinned. This was going to be easier than I thought. 

Whirling on my attacker, I yelled, "Oh come on Maggots! I thought you were good at this sort of thing. Look at me, not a scratch. Is that the best you can do?"

Menoetius huffed. "You cannot goad me, Miss Chase. I do not make reckless charges. My attacks are calculated and full of fury."

Something about that seamed backward to me, but I rolled with it. Literally. As he swung again, I dived, rolling down the mountain of gold. More gold was chopped into pieces. 

I came to a stop at the base of the hill. I scrambled to my feet as the Titan rounded the gold. At my feet lay a tattered blue Yankees cap. Something stirred within me, a fondness and a betrayal at once. It must have fallen out of my backpack, which was strange, because I didn't remember putting it in there.

Put it on, Mnemosyne said in my mind. 

Menoetius swung again and I ducked, picked up the cap, put it on, and disappeared.