LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE . . . pjo

XXIX.

"I GOT NOBODY!" Polyphemus gloated.

Yeah, Mia thought. You have nobody to love you.

She and her friends crept to the cave entrance and saw the Cyclops, grinning wickedly, holding up empty air.

The monster shook his fist, and a baseball cap fluttered to the ground. There was Annabeth, hanging upside down by her legs.

"Hah!" the Cyclops said. "Nasty invisible girl! Already got feisty one for wife. Means you gotta be grilled with mango chutney!"

Annabeth struggled, but she looked dazed. She had a nasty cut on her forehead. Her eyes were glassy.

"I'll rush him," Percy whispered to Mia. "Our ship is around the back of the island. You, Clarisse, and Grover—"

"No way," they said at the same time. Clarisse had armed herself with a highly collectible rams-horn spear from the Cyclops's cave. Grover had found a sheep's thigh bone, which he didn't look too happy about, but he was gripping it like a club, ready to attack. Mia rolled her eyes, taking out Sirius and hefting it with both of her hands.

"We'll take him together," Clarisse growled.

"Yeah," Grover said. Then he blinked, like he couldn't believe he'd just agreed with Clarisse about something.

"Did you really think that I'd leave you alone, Delphinus?" Mia elbowed Percy lightly. "Come on, you know better."

"All right," Percy said. "Attack plan Macedonia."

They nodded. They'd all taken the same training courses at Camp Half-Blood. They knew what he was talking about. They would sneak around either side and attack the Cyclops from the flanks while Percy held his attention in the front.

Percy hefted his sword and shouted, "Hey, Ugly!"

The giant whirled toward him. "Another one? Who are you?"

"Put down my friend. I'm the one who insulted you."

"You are Nobody?"

"That's right, you smelly bucket of nose drool!" Mia nearly facepalmed at the horrible insults. "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.

The good news: he dropped Annabeth. The bad news: he dropped her headfirst onto the rocks, where she lay motionless as a rag doll.

The other bad news: Polyphemus barreled toward Percy.

"For Pan!" Grover rushed in from the right. He threw his sheep bone, which bounced harmlessly off the monster's forehead. Clarisse ran in from the left and set her spear against the ground just in time for the Cyclops to step on it. He wailed in pain, and Clarisse dove out of the way to avoid getting trampled. But the Cyclops just plucked out the shaft like a large splinter and kept advancing on Percy.

He moved in with Riptide.

The monster made a grab for him. He rolled aside and stabbed the Cyclops in the thigh.

Mia was hoping to see him disintegrate, but this monster was much too big and powerful.

"Get Annabeth!" Percy yelled at Grover.

Mia grabbed Annabeth's invisibility cap and gave it to Grover. He put it on and picked Annabeth up while Clarisse, Percy, and Mia tried to keep Polyphemus distracted.

Mia had to admit, Clarisse was brave. She charged the Cyclops again and again. He pounded the ground, stomped at her, grabbed at her, but she was too quick. And as soon as she made an attack, Mia and Percy followed up by stabbing the monster in the toe or the ankle or the hand.