Another boulder came hurling at them. The younger swatted it away with ease. "Not a traitor," Tyson repeated. "And you are not my kind."
"Death or victory!" Polyphemus charged into the crashing waters, but stumbled on his face due to his foot injury.
"Percy! Astoria!" Clarisse yelled. "Come on!"
"Go," Tyson told the two. "I will hold Big Ugly."
"No!" Percy shouted. "He'll kill you. We'll fight him together.
"Together," Tyson agreed.
Astoria's mouth was agape. She forgot about this part. Was she supposed to just stand here and wait? She waded to an area shielded by large, sturdy rocks as Percy and Tyson fought Polyphemus. It sounded pretty intense as the larger Cyclops persistently shouted "Destroy you!" and "Fleece stealer!"
She peeked through the cracks. Polyphemus was holding an olive tree and swinging it madly. Percy was in a loop of jumping in the air and crashing into the tree's branches while Tyson was digging a trench like a mole. When Percy was midair again, he fell right onto Polyphemus' eye.
The monster howled in pain, to which Tyson took the opportunity to tackle him. Percy was just about to kill the older Cyclops when he put away Riptide.
Astoria revealed herself, knowing that the battle was over.
"Don't forget me, you two!" She waved her arms around and the boys ran to her. Tyson grabbed her by the waist the they plunged into the waved.
Seawater invaded Astoria's nostrils. It was almost the worst feeling ever as the salt burned her nose. Things were flying left and right thanks to Polyphemus throwing whatever he could grab at them, but the immediate danger called water was the only thing on her mind.
Percy summoned a current and they started gaining speed. It felt as if the streams of salt water slapped her face every millisecond. Just as they were about to aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, Clarisse taunted, "Yeah, Jackson! In your face, Cyclops!"
"Rahh!" Polyphemus picked up a boulder and threw it towards her voice, barely missing Tyson, Percy and Astoria.
"Yeah, yeah!" Clarisse taunted. "You throw like a wimp! Teach you to try marrying me, you idiot!"
"Clarisse!" Percy shouted irritably. "Shut up!
Oops. Polyphemus threw another boulder that crashed through the hull of the Queen Anne's Revenge. The ship creaked and groaned as it fell apart and started sinking at an alarming rate.
"Dive!" Percy told Tyson.
Astoria sucked in as much air as she could hold just before the sons of Poseidon went under. Her eyes were shut, trying not to waste any oxygen as they swam around. At one point, it felt as though she were mounted on something. Still, Astoria kept her eyes clamped shut until she felt herself breaking the surface.
When she opened her eyes, Astoria saw a liquidy, rainbow mane in front of her. A hippocami. She swiveled her head and saw Tyson sharing a seat with her and her friends on their respective horses as well. Just beyond their group, Polyphemus' island was fading away from view.
"I did it! I finally sunk Nobody!" the monster roared in triumph.
No one said anything and sailed until the island disappeared.
"Did it," Annabeth muttered in exhaustion once the island disappeared. "We..." She slumped into the neck of the hippocampus and fell asleep.
Percy whispered something in Annabeth's direction before resting his head against the Fleece, falling asleep, too.
"What a beautiful otp," Astoria sighed contently.
"What is otp?" Tyson asked.
"Er... Overall Trusting Partner?" she half-lied.
"Then," Tyson scrunched his face, deep in thought, "you and brother are oh-tee-pee, too? Are we oh-tee-pee?"
"Sure!" Astoria said high-pitched. "We're all otp's!"
"Does Percy know?" he asked.
"No?"
"Then I will tell him!"
"No! No, no, no, no, he doesn't need to know!"
"Why not?"
Astoria paused. Why? she wondered. It's not like she means anything by it. "Because it's a secret between us?" She smiled awkwardly.
"Okay," Tyson agreed innocently.
Astoria let out a breath of relief, resting her head on the Hippocampi. Gods know why she did that. "Thank the gods," she muttered before slipping into peaceful sleep.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
