Heroes of Olympus Series. Annabeth Chase X Male Reader Story

Boxing Our Worst Nightmares

(Y/N)'s POV

It appeared suddenly like it was always there, travelling a distance that would have killed (Y/N) to attempt in a moment, slipping through the shadow beneath him. Being closer to death made him stronger, that was the only reason (Y/N) was able to even move.

The shadow lunged at him, it's claws extended, each like chef's knives. (Y/N) threw his head to the side. His ear was still nicked, causing blood to run down the side of his face as the creatures fingers jammed into solid stone like it was a spoon through ice cream.

Not content to just run away, (Y/N) countered by using the shadows momentum to smack it in the chin. Not really a punch, he was almost too weak to form a fist, but he basically slapped the creature in the face, then ducked under it's arm and swiveled around so he was behind it,

Where he was facing it's protruding, spiky spine, it looked different than the last time he had seen it, the skeletal figure that hid underneath the hood was less of a skeleton.

It had muscles, grey and bluish, intertwined over it's bones, its eyes were more alive and ferocious. It was humanoid, human even at a glance, but anyone could tell you that something wasn't right. Shadows, ginn, and daimon, they were creatures of spirit, born of a person, their forms would always resemble their creators, but they were never the same.

Incorporeal beings like ghosts were always in motion, in the smallest of ways, they would shift and move, their forms like the wind in some ways, that was their nature, and this thing, whatever it was, despite stealing from (Y/N)'s father, was still bound to that nature.

It's skin didn't fit right, the muscles were twisted at odd angles, and it's form was too lanky to be normal, it was so tall it was almost hunched, even as it stood up straight it loomed over (Y/N), once a shadow always a shadow.

(Y/N) raised a hand, and to test something, he tried to use a shadow to restrain the creature, this time, they answered, springing from the sides of the mausoleum and coiling around the creatures arms, the shadow was unfazed.

It turned it's head like the Pazuzu and laughed, using it's gangly legs to spring off the mausoleum, pulling it's arms free and landing on the pedestal next to the scythe. "Yes, clever boy."

"You removed the seal your father had on the scythe for me, thanks for that. After that, all I had to do was follow you." It reached it's hand out and began to lift the scythe free. "How did you know where I was?" (Y/N) asked, trying to distract it.

It scoffed. "You think I don't know you boy, you think I don't know every horrid, twisted thought that has ever crossed your mind, I'm not the monster here, I just wanted to be free. You were the one who denied me that, and after all your bluster about being free of the gods."

"Look at you, you are a monster!" (Y/N) snapped back, The shadow snapped, pulling the scythe free of its pedestal and chucking it at (Y/N), who dodged, just barely, thanks to his weird love hate relationship with scythes.

As he rolled out of the way the creature had already made its way to him, shadow travelling the distance and kicking him in the ribs so hard he was taken off his feet and landed on his hands and knees.

"For years you tormented me, in the dark and the cold, for years you betrayed me, and I'm THE MONSTER?" It kicked him in the back, "Of course that's what you called me isn't it?" It snarled. "I was the monster. I was the curse. I was the evil. Just because if I wasn't you would have to be!"

"Do you know what you turned me into? What I became because of you!" It screeched. (Y/N) tried to draw his weapon, but for some reason, as soon as his hand wrapped around the hilt of Glimmer, he felt...wrong. "I'm starting to...get an idea." He coughed.