𝐂œ𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐬é𝐬 [Percy Jackson]

95

Percy thought he was hallucinating again. It just wasn't possible that a huge, silvery figure could drop out of the sky and stomp Kelli flat, trampling her into a mound of monster dust.

But that's exactly what happened. The Titan was ten feet tall, with wild silver Einstein hair, pure silver eyes, and muscular arms protruding from a ripped-up blue janitor's uniform. In his hand was a massive push broom. His name tag, incredibly, read BOB.

Hadrian yelped and tried to draw his bow, but the giant janitor wasn't interested in him. He turned to the two remaining empousai, who stood over Percy.

One was foolish enough to attack. She lunged with the speed of a tiger, but she never stood a chance. A spearhead jutted from the end of Bob's broom. With a single deadly swipe, he cut her to dust. The last vampire tried to run. Bob threw his broom like a massive boomerang (was there such a thing as a broomerang?). It sliced through the vampire and returned to Bob's hand.

"SWEEP!" The Titan grinned with delight and did a victory dance. "Sweep, sweep, sweep!"

Percy couldn't speak. He couldn't bring himself to believe that something good had actually happened. Hadrian looked just as shocked.

"H-how...?" he stammered.

"Percy called me!" the janitor said happily. "Yes, he did."

Hadrian crawled a little farther away. His arm was bleeding badly. "Called you? He—wait. Who the hell are you?"

"Bob" He said pointing to his nametag. Obviously, this raised more questions for Hadrian. The janitor frowned when he noticed Hadrian's wounds. "Owie."

Hadrian flinched as Bob knelt next to him.

"It's okay," Percy said, still woozy with pain. "He's friendly."

He remembered when he'd first met Bob. The Titan had healed a bad wound on Percy's shoulder just by touching it. Sure enough, the janitor tapped Hadrian's forearm and it mended instantly. The boy in question looked up at Percy, unable to believe what was happening.

Bob chuckled, pleased with himself, then bounded over to Percy and healed his bleeding neck and arm. The Titan's hands were surprisingly warm and gentle.

"All better!" Bob declared, his eerie silver eyes crinkling with pleasure. "I am Bob, Percy's friend!"

"Uh... yeah," Percy managed. "Thanks for the help, Bob. It's really good to see you again."

"Yes!" the janitor agreed. "Bob. That's me. Bob, Bob, Bob." He shuffled around, obviously pleased with his name. "I am helping. I heard my name. Upstairs in Hades's palace, nobody calls for Bob unless there is a mess. Bob, sweep up these bones. Bob, mop up these tortured souls. Bob, a zombie exploded in the dining room."

Hadrian gave Percy a puzzled look, but he had no explanation.

"Then I heard my friend call!" The Titan beamed. "Percy said, Bob!"

He grabbed Percy's arm and hoisted him to his feet.

"That's awesome," Percy said. "Seriously. But how did you—"

"Oh, time to talk later." Bob's expression turned serious. "We must go before they find you. They are coming. Yes, indeed."

"They?" Hadrian asked. 

Percy scanned the horizon. He saw no approaching monsters—nothing but the stark gray wasteland. Wasteland, baby...

"Yes," Bob agreed. "But Bob knows a way. Come on, friends! We will have fun!"

A thousand thoughts churned through the vortex of Hadrian's mind. Who was this guy? Why did Percy seem friendly with him? Where was he leading them? Who were they?

He swallowed his questions and trudged after the Titan. 

"You okay?" His fingertips brushed the back of Percy's neck where an empousa had sank her teeth in. Percy shivered at the touch. The wound had closed now, not a trace that it had ever existed. Percy wished it could happen that way with mental wounds as well. 

"I'm okay" Percy lied, "I just- Wasn't expecting that"

"No one was"

Hadrian had lost three arrows. Percy stared back at his quiver, they couldn't afford to be so reckless now. 

Percy ducked his head and leaned it on Hadrian's shoulder as they walked which was a bit awkward since he was taller. Hadrian didn't protest so Percy didn't move either. Hadrian's face looked like he had been dragged through mud, but his scrapes and bruises were all gone. 

Percy stopped leaning on him, watching him walk determined. His gaze travelled to the secret birthmark. If Bob hadn't shown up- Percy was afraid to think what would have happened to both of them.

Hadrian looked tense, tenser than normal. Percy felt like he had memorized his existence- like he could tell from a single glance what Hadrian was feeling purely based on body language. His eyes narrowed dangerously in Bob's direction. 

"Sing" Percy nudged his shoulder, "I think you were rudely interrupted, sing again"

"Percy-"

"Wasteland baby-" Percy recalled the tune and the words, though he wasn't nearly as good as Hadrian, "I'm in love, I'm in love with you"

Hadrian clenched his jaw and looked at Bob again, but he started singing at least, "And I love too that love soon might end-"

"Be known in it's aching, Shown in the shaking" Hadrian's voice was clearer now, less stressed, Percy wanted to live in it. "Lately of my wasteland, baby..."