Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Picturesque

Now, the "Nobody" thing wouldn't have made sense to anybody, but Annabeth had explained to Jessica that it was the name Odysseus had used to trick Polyphemus centuries ago, right before he poked the Cyclops' eye out with a large hot stick. 

Annabeth had figured Polyphemus would still have a grudge about that name, and she was right. In his frenzy to find his old enemy, he forgot about re-sealing the cave entrance. Apparently, he didn't even stop to consider that Annabeth's voice was female, whereas the first Nobody had been male. 

On the other hand, he'd wanted to marry Grover, so he couldn't have been all that bright about the whole male/female thing.

Jessica just hoped Annabeth could stay alive and keep distracting him long enough for them to find Grover and Clarisse.

She dropped off her ride, patted Lockhart on the head, and apologized. She and Percy searched the main room, but there was no sign of Grover or Clarisse. She pushed through the crowd of sheep and goats toward the back of the cave. Even though Percy had dreamed about this place, he had a hard time finding his way through the maze. 

They ran down corridors littered with bones, past rooms full of sheepskin rugs and life-size cement sheep that she recognized as the work of Medusa. There were collections of sheep T-shirts; large tubs of lanolin cream; and wooly coats, socks, and hats with ram's horns. 

Finally, they found the spinning room, where Grover was huddled in the corner, trying to cut Clarisse's bonds with a pair of safety scissors.

"It's no good," Clarisse said. "This rope is like iron!"

"Just a few more minutes!"

"Grover," she cried, exasperated. "You've been working at it for hours!"

And then they saw the two.

"Jessica?" Clarisse said. "You're supposed to be blown up!"

"Good to see you, too. Now hold still while I-"

"Perrrrrcy!" Grover bleated and tackled Percy with a goat-hug. "You heard me! You came!"

"Yeah, buddy," Percy said. "Of course I came."

"Where's Annabeth?"

"Outside," Jessica said. "But there's no time to talk. Clarisse, hold still." She flipped her coin and sliced off Clarisse's ropes. The Ares girl stood stiffly, rubbing her wrists. She glared at them for a moment, then looked at the ground and mumbled, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Jessica said. "Now, was anyone else on board your lifeboat?"

Clarisse looked surprised. "No. Just me. Everybody else aboard the Birmingham... well, I didn't even know you guys made it out."

Jessica looked at Percy... she knew he was trying not to believe that his last hope of seeing Tyson alive had just been crushed.

"Okay. Come on, then. We have to help-" An explosion echoed through the cave, followed by a scream that told Jessica they might be too late. It was Annabeth crying out in fear.

***

"I got Nobody!" Polyphemus gloated.

They 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.