Kalliope (PJO)

13. Not failing would be good

"Get Annabeth!" Percy yelled at Grover. The satyr tripped over the hem of his dress as he stumbled with her across the bridge.

Clarisse pulled Mari away from Polyphemus and went in for an attack. Like, she went in for an attack. She charged Polyphemus, then charged him again and again and again.

At the same time, Percy advanced, stabbing what small parts of the cyclops he could get to without being grabbed by it. Toes, feet and its last remaining hand.

Mari realised she had to do something, too. Well, something other than de-handing the crazy cannibal cyclops. She yelled and darted around him, slashing at the back of his legs. He turned to try to find her but she turned too, keeping out of his line of sight. Her arms started burning. Lactic acid, she thought. One of her nicer teachers explained that to her once.

A jolt of pain shot up Mari's leg, where the demon sheep had taken a bite. She ignored it.

She grunted and rolled out of the way, back to where Percy was still crouching in exhaustion. Clarisse charged Polyphemus again, but even she was a little slower than before. Percy exchanged a glance with Mari, and she realised what the problem was. Sooner or later, they were going to be too tired to do this. And by the looks of it it was going to be sooner. Clarisse looked strong, but she was already red in the face. How the fuck was Mari, a skinny ten-year-old  with little-to-no training supposed to do it?

"Fall back!" Percy yelled.

Marion didn't need to be told twice.

Hiking up her Chiton, she sprinted as fast as her slightly injured legs could carry her, which was surprisingly fast. Maybe it was the adrenaline.

"Grind you into sheep chow!" shouted Polyphemus. "A thousand curses on Nobody, and the Marion!"

Mari had the impulse to flip him off, but she reigned it in, partly because it seemed wise not to not piss him off anymore than she already had, and partly because she was a little busy running for her life.

"Faster!" Percy yelled at both of them.

"Do you think I can run any faster?!" Mari panted. She was between him and Clarisse, and still managing to keep up. She was pretty sure Usain Bolt would be impressed. Well, probably not. She wondered if Usain Bolt was a son of Hermes. Wait, he had that lightening pose thing he did. Was he a son of Zeus? Oh, right, there was that big three planned parenthood rule.

They legged it down the hill towards the bridge, where Grover was just setting Annabeth to the ground.

"Grover! Get the knife!" Percy called.

Was he insane? Why would he want Grover to start cutting the bridge, before they were even across it? Did Percy forget his father was Poseidon or something? Last Mari checked she was pretty sure Percy couldn't fly. If she found out he could, she'd be seriously pissed he made her and Annabeth climb a cliff with no practice or harness.

They scrambled across the bridge as Grover began sawing at the ropes. The first strand was severed and she stumbled, which made her leg flare up again, but  she gritted her teeth and kept going. Her heart dropped when it started swinging wildly. She didn't need to glance behind her to know Polyphemus was close behind her, and that Grover wasn't sawing fast enough.

Three steps left...

Marion dived towards the meadow with the others, as Percy swung his sword, severing the last rope.

She was lying on very soft grass, which tickled her neck. It would have been a very nice moment if not for the creepy laughter and the shaking ground as Polyphemus landed from the huge leap he must have made before the bridge fell away. Polyphemus cackled in delight as he skipped over to them. She wished she was joking, but he actually skipped.