the great wave | percy jackson

𝑥𝑖𝑣 - annabeth

Annabeth wasn't sure which was scarier— her nightmare, or what she was woken up out of it to. At least in her dream, she was 99.9999999% sure of what awaited her in the dark. But when she opened her eyes to reality, she was 100% sure she had no idea what the fuck was looming above her. On pure instinct she grabbed the dagger sheathed underneath her pillow as the half-dophin pirate hybrid thing lunged at her, flippers smacking and grabbing at her face. She brought the knife up under its ribs and kicked it aside, immediately scrambling out of bed and darting for the door only to run directly into another opponent. This one had actual human arms and punched her in the face, pinning her arms to her sides while she was taken by surprise and wrapping ropes around her entire body. Despite her fighting and thrashing, he managed to restrain her and haul her up over his shoulder, where she was treated to the view of more grotesque dolphin-y forms starting to sneak their way into her friends' rooms. She'd requested to be put closest to the exit, so maybe they still had a chance...

Annabeth screamed at the top of her lungs, effectively sounding the warning bell until her captor shoved a hand into her mouth and she gagged. Were fingers usually supposed to be this slimy? He brought her abovedecks and threw her roughly against the mast next to a half-conscious Leo, knocking the wind straight out of her. Struggling to recover her breath, she quickly took in the situation–about a dozen dolphins were swarming belowdecks to ransack the ship and kidnap the crew while maybe a dozen more surrounded Percy and Ash near the starboard rail, spears leveled directly at their chests. Or rather, Percy's chest, and Ash's head. He had an arm around her and Annabeth wanted to tell him that was a tactical error, no sense giving the enemy more information than they had to, but she was more occupied by the golden warrior who was examining them closely. He was literally armored head-to-toe in gold, but the real crowning glory was his helmet, fashioned in the likeness of a Gorgon's head, even with golden snake hair curling around his temples. Golden sword, gorgon helmet, hmm...

"So," the unfamiliar man said in a thick, velvety accent, confirming her suspicions, "these are the heroes we have heard so much about. Percy Jackson, the young man who saved Olympus, and his faithful little reaper, Asphodel Tran."

Chrysaor had been walking back and forth, inspecting them like prized cattle, but on his last words came to a stop before the referenced girl, somehow managing to leer even through the full-faced mask. Annabeth could tell Ash was unnerved by the way her hand (noticeably without Reaper's ring) strayed to the hilt of the dagger at her belt, watching him watch her, and Percy brought her closer into his body.

"She's not my fucking sidekick," he said defensively. "Your accent sounds familiar. Have we met?"

Annabeth hissed under her breath and Ash's head turned, eyes widening when they caught sight of her, and she jerked her head towards golden boy, hissing a little louder before her dolphin guard kicked her in the side and she groaned. Ash's hand was shaking, whether in rage or fear Annabeth didn't know, as she looked back at the enemy.

"Perce, he sounds familiar because he sounds like his mother," she said, you know, Annabeth loved the way they always managed to understand each other. "We killed her in New Jersey."

Percy frowned. "I'm pretty sure that accent isn't New Joisey. Who's his... Oh." Annabeth could see the pieces fall into place in Percy's thick head as he grimaced, eyebrows raising. "Medusa is your mom? Dude, that sucks for you."

Not wrong, Annabeth thought as Chrysaor snarled under his mask.

"You are as arrogant as the first Perseus," golden boy said. "But yes, Percy Jackson. Poseidon was my father, and Medusa was my mother. After Medusa was changed into a monster by that so-called wisdom goddess..." The golden mask turned towards where Annabeth and Leo were being kept. "That would be your mother, I believe, Annabeth Chase..." She pretended not to shiver and he returned his attention to the couple with difficulty. "Medusa's two children were trapped inside her, unable to be born. When the original Perseus cut off Medusa's head, my brother and I came forth."