I 031. I

𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔

❝ i'm nobody and i'm proud ❞

ARIADNE FELT HER WHOLE BODY SHAKE. Rage. That was all she felt when she looked at the sight of Annabeth hanging upside down by her legs, stuck in Polyphemus's grip. Her Yankees cap lay on the floor and she was clearly visible, the Cyclops shook her.

"I got Nobody!" He gloated. When he took notice of Annabeth, he wrinkled his ugly nose. "Hah! Nasty invisible girl! Already got feisty one for wife. Means you gotta be grilled with mango chutney!"

Annabeth seemed dazed while she struggled, blood dropped down as there was a nasty cut on her forehead.

She couldn't hear what Percy was saying because of the blood roaring through her ears. Her only focus was getting Annabeth back safely. "Attack plan Macedonia."

He noticed the girl with a glare on her face and nudged her, "Come on." She broke from her trance and nodded firmly, twisting out Lunacy before holding it up as Percy held up Riptide. "Hey, Ugly!"

Polyphemus whirled around to face them. "Another one? Who are you?"

"Put my friend down," Ariadne gave him a glare. "I'm the one who insulted you."

"You are Nobody?" He asked.

"That's right, you smelly beast," Percy gulped. He didn't know what she was doing or if she was trying to be the distraction, but she was angry. "I'm Nobody and I'm proud of it! Now, put her down and get over here. I want to stab your eye out again."

"RAAAR!" he bellowed.

Good news: he dropped Annabeth. Bad news: she fell headfirst into a pile of rocks, where she lay motionless. The other bad news: Polyphemus was charging towards her and she had a very small sword compared to his body. The other good news: she had her powers. Bad news: there was no where to grow vines from.

"For Pan!" Grover shouted and rushed from the right. He threw an sheep bone, only for it to bounce harmlessly off of the monster. Clarisse left her spear on the ground as he took a step, causing him to wail in pain once the tip embedded itself into his foot.

The daughter of Ares dove out of the way to avoid being trampled. Th Cyclops plucked the shaft out like a large splinter before continuing towards her.

She held Lunacy tighter while Percy took a confident step next to her with Riptide in his hand. Polyphemus made a grab for Percy but he rolled away before stabbing him in the thigh, hoping for the monster to disintegrate, but he was too big and too powerful.

"Get Annabeth!" Percy yelled towards Grover. He rushed away and grabbed the girl's cap before picking her up. Clarisse stayed back with the two other demigods to keep Polyphemus distracted.

Clarisse charged again and again towards the Cyclops who tried ponding, stomping and grabbing, but the girl was too quick. And anytime she made an attack, Ariadne and Percy stabbed the monster in the toe or the ankle or the hand.

She noticed how both of her friends were growing tired and she was too. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Grover carrying Annabeth across the rope bridge, and she got an idea.

"Fall back!" She told Percy and Clarisse. They both decided to trust her and rolled away as Polyphemus's dust smashed into an olive tree.

They ran for the bridge, the Cyclops right behind them. He was bleeding from all his wounds and hobbling after them, slow and angry. "Grind you into sheep chow!" He promised. "A thousand curses on Nobody!"

"Faster!" Percy yelled back at Clarisse as Ariadne led them across.

Grover has made it across the bridge as they tore down the hill. Their only chance was to make it across before the monster caught them. "Grover!" Ariadne yelled. "Get Annabeth's knife!"

His eyes widened when he saw the monster chasing them, but nodded in understanding. All three demigods hurried over the bridge before Grover started sawing at the ropes. A strand snapped off.

Polyphemus was on the bridge, she could tell by the thundering steps and how the bridge swayed wildly. Half of the ropes were cut before all three of them dove to solid ground beside Grover.

Ariadne slashes her sword and finished the ropes. It fell away and into the chasm below as a howl signaled throughout the air... but it was full of glee. The Cyclops was standing on the side with them.

"Failed!" he yelled with delight. "Nobody failed!"

Clarisse and Grover ran at him but were swatted away like bugs, smashing into the ground with a thump!

Her anger built up, and she realized Polyphemus was at a disadvantage. They were on solid ground and in the middle of a grassy field. And both her and Percy were vengeful.

They needed to save camp and they couldn't because they had been stopped by an ugly monster who thought he could make them fail— well jokes on him, because she was done with holding her anger in like she had been for the whole quest. From everything towards Luke, her and Annabeth, to her anger at Circe, losing Tyson... she was done.

Ariadne raised her sword and so did Percy, vibes sprung from the ground as they inches along the Cyclops's body. He looked down as he was confused before they pulled him down. And in seconds, the monster had been slashed and smashed and bashed repeatedly by two powerful demigods who both held their swords over his one eye.

"Uhhhhhhhh," Polyphemus moaned.

"Percy! Aria!" Grover grasper. "How did you—"

"Please, noooo!" the Cyclops moaned, his eye staring up at them. Blood ran from his nose as vines tied him down tightly while he struggled. A year welled up in the corner of his half-blind eye. "M-m-my sheepish beed me. Only trying to protect my sheep!"

A sob escaped him.

Her eyes narrowed in anger, vines inching towards her own feet as they were crawling up his body, close to smothering him.

"Kill him!" Clarisse yelled. "What are you waiting for?"

"He's a Cyclops!" Grover warned them. "Don't trust him!"

Ariadne finally let it sink in that he was a son of Poseidon too. Just like Percy. And just like Tyson. "We only want the Fleece," Percy told the monster. "Will you agree to let us take it?"

"No!" Clarisse shouted. "Kill him!"

The Cyclops sniffed. "My beautiful Fleece. Prize of my collection. Take it, cruel human. Take it and go in peace."

"We're going to step back slowly," he told the monster. "One false move..."

Polyphemus nodded.

Once they stepped back, Polyphemus smacked Percy towards the edge of the cliff as she was launched back into the grass. "Foolish mortal!" he bellowed before rising to his enormous feet. The vines had broke once he had hit her away. "Take my Fleece? Ha! I eat you first."

He opened his mouth and rotting molars stared Percy in the face. She scrambled up and just as she launched new vines his way, a rock the size of a basketball was launched into Polyphemus's throat— a three pointer.

Polyphemus staggered backwards— but there was nowhere to go. He fell back into the chasm and plunged below while moving his arm like a birds, in hope it would work— it didn't.

She placed her ring back on before looking down at the beach, her eyes finding tears in them. "Bad Polyphemus," Tyson said. "Not all Cyclopses as nice as we look."

Tyson and told them that Rainbow— the hippocampus— has been following them since the Long Island Sound, waiting for playtime with Tyson. He found Tyson sinking under the CSS Birmingham wreckage and pulled him to safety. They had been searching for them until Tyson had caught the scent of sheep and found the island.

"Tyson," Percy breathes out, "thank the gods. Annabeth is hurt!"

"You thank the gods she is hurt?" he asked with a puzzled look upon his face.

"No!" Ariadne told him before kneeling beside Annabeth with Percy. The gash on her forehead was large and she was pale and clammy, blood soaking her hairline. "Tyson, the Fleece. Can you get it for me?" she asked him.

"Which one?" Tyson said while looking around at the hundreds of sheep.

"In the tree!" Percy called. "The gold one!"

"Oh. Pretty. Yes."

Tyson was careful not to step on any sheep. It seemed like he smelled like Polyphemus, so the sheep weren't bothered by him. They cuddled and bleated lovingly against him before he lifted the Fleece off its branch. The oak tree turned yellow. He walked back but Ariadne yelled, "No time! Throw it!"

She was hit with the feeling of sixty or seventy pounds of wool in her chest. A grunt escaped her mouth before the girl spread it over Annabeth— everything except her face. The girl prayed to every single god that the Golden item worked.

Color returned to her face. Her eyelids fluttering open. The cut on her forehead closed slowly before she looked to Grover and weakly spoke, "You're not... married?"

Grover gave her a grin. "No. My friends talked me out of it."

"Annabeth," Percy said, "just lay still."

She sat up despite them telling her not too, the cut on her face healing completely. Ariadne grabbed her hands with tears in her eyes, worry coating her pretty face. "I'm so sorry, Annie," she whispered. "I'm sorry I'm always complaining, I'm sorry. I love you like my sister, and I was so worried."

Annabeth gave her a teary eyed smile. "I love you too, Aria. And I'm sorry I called you all those things, they weren't true."

"I know. And I'm sorry I used Luke against you. I promise I'll keep you safe."

"I promise too."

Grover gave a sniffle before Percy spoke up, "We have to go. Our ship is..." the Queen Anne's Revenge was a long ways away. The shortest route had been over the chasm and they had destroyed the only bridge. She could make one, but there was no grass across the ravine for the vines to hook onto.

"Tyson," Percy called, "can you lead the flock as far away as possible?"

"The sheep want food."

"I know! They just want people food! Just lead them away from the path. Give us time to get to the beach. Then join us there."

Tyson seems doubtful but he whisper anyways. "Come, sheepies! Um, people food is this way!" He jogged off as the animals followed behind him.

Ariadne looked around Annabeth's face. "Keep the Fleece around you," she told Annabeth. "Just in case you're not fully healed yet. Can you stand?"

She tried, but as soon as she did, her face turned pale again. "Ohh. Not fully healed."

Clarisse dropped next to her and felt her chest, causing Annabeth to gasp. "Ribs broken," she said. "They're mending, but definitely broken

"How can you tell?" Percy asked.

Clarisse glared at him. "Because she's broken a few of mine, ring!" she told him while gesturing towards Ariadne who cringed slightly at the memory. "I'll have to carry her."

The daughter of Ares picked up Annabeth like a sack of flour before lugging her down to the beach. The other three followed behind.

Percy willed the ship to raise anchor and start sailing towards them. It rounded the tip a few anxious minutes later. "Incoming!" Tyson yelled. The sheep were fifty years a behind as they bleated in frustration because they weren't fed.

"They probably won't follow us into the water," Percy told them. "All we have to do is swim for the ship."

"With Annabeth like this?" Ariadne protester slightly, her purple eyes boring into his sea-green ones.

"We can do it," he insisted, reassuring her it would be okay. "Once we get to the ship, we're home free."

As they waded pas the ravine entrance, a roar sounded as they saw Polyphemus splashing towards them with a boulder in each hand. He was scraped and bruised form his fall.

But they were Percy's home turf, and she had all of the confidence she could muster for him. She trusted him with her life, and her friend's lives.