𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐘 𝐜𝐡𝟏𝟏|One of my oldest enemies

Percy

I had not expected to spend my short shopping trip fighting an ugly lady who hates my twelve-year-old-self's-guts.

That could be a lot of people, to be fair. I've wound up a lot of monsters, Gods, Goddesses, Immortals, maths teachers, Titans, giants, demigods, et cetera et cetera, over the years. But this one is particularly nasty.

__________

We'd been traveling just fine until Khione had come. But after we'd written our names on the wall, Leo had told us he needed some supplies.

He rambled on about something wrong with the engine, after Khione's ice. I don't think any of us understood even remotely (apart from Annabeth of course) what he was talking about regarding the mechanisms - but I got the general gist of what he was saying.

"So where can you get the stuff?" Piper asked, stifling a yawn.
"The store of doom?" I asked.
"Yeah. Nah. Just a hardware store," he said.
"Why don't you just use your belt?" Jason asked.
"Dunno - keeps malfunctioning," he sighed, "It's starting to get really annoying - someone's tampering with it," he huffed.
"Gaia," Annabeth responded, "She's being restricted from interfering too much with the quest - she's probably doing little things to annoy us."
"Great. So she's petty as well," I rolled my eyes. Now that I think of it, the primordial hadn't directly interfered with the quest at all yet. Apart from Nico's a little while ago, no nightmares since. Nothing. Weird.

"Okay well, who's coming?" Leo asked.

__________

Leo, Annabeth and I left the Argo II a short while later, after finding some countryside to land in. Thank Gods for the mist - I wonder what the mortals would think of a giant war ship in the middle of the countryside.

For some reason, I had really wanted to come. It was weird. Like an alien putting thoughts in my head. But it's fine, because we're just going to get supplies and head out.

It was a bit of a walk from where we had landed. "I checked the map, we just have to keep heading South until we get to town," Annabeth said.
"Which way is South?" Leo and I said at the exact same time, before grinning and giving eachother high fives at being equally stupid.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and tried hard to keep the smile off her face.
"We should be nearly there," she said.

I laced my hand in hers and glanced at Leo. He seemed lost in thought, and by the look on his face, I'd take a guess at Calypso.

"Hey, man, how's Calypso?" I asked him and he brightened. Annabeth's face immediately soured. What? What did I do? This girl is harder to read than English Encyclopaedias - and I'm dyslexic.

"She's great! She's starting to fit in at camp, she likes to help the youngsters," Leo replied. I nodded before noticing the town ahead.

It was clustered shops and houses and dusty streets. There was a park, a community centre and cars that looked like they hadn't been touched in centuries. The whole place was creepy. Cleared out. It reminded me of when we battled Kronos, and the whole of Manhattan was put to sleep. Not in a good way, then.

____________

We stood outside the store. "Does that seem familiar to you?" I asked Annabeth. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the sign. It took us a while to decipher it, but I recognised it alright.

AUNTY EM'S HARDWARE STORE

Annabeth and I exchanged a look. "When you checked Google Maps on the mobile, there definitely weren't any other places to go to Annabeth, right?"

"Nope, no where near. It wasn't called Aunty Em's on there, either. I assume some mist was in play here. Convenient," she sighed.
"You guys been here before? I mean, I don't exactly remember every store I go to... well apart from this one time - this guy, right? It was so funny, well basically he-" Leo started, his attention span clearly just as big as his ego.
Trust me:  that was sarcasm.

"Yeah well, it could just be a coincidence Leo, but me and Percy have met Aunty Em, before. AKA, Medusa," Annabeth cut him off.

Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, plan. Me and Percy find her, distract her, while you shop. Find what you need, get out. Hopefully, she'll be particularly interested in us, as Percy killed her last time, so she won't notice you. Once you get out, send us a signal," Annabeth said.

"What signal?" Leo asked.
"Could be anything," Annabeth shrugged.
"Awesome. Code. What do you think, Perce?" Leo asked me.
"You should totally scream, Repair boy ready, over and out!" I joked.
Annabeth sighed and muttered something under her breath, I heard something about maturity.
"Sure! But I think fire boy or Bad Boy Supreme is better, y'know? I sound cooler," Leo negotiated.
"But Bad Boy Supreme is too long... Repair Boy."
"Fire Boy."
"Repair Boy."
"Fire boy."
"Rep-"
We were interrupted by a woman who looked very annoyed and exasperated at the same time.
"Can you guys be serious for one sec-" Annabeth started.

She was interrupted by another woman. This one had a veil.

"My name is Aunty Em, would you like to come in?"

__________

"Don't open your eyes! Or look at the floor instead! Just in case she takes off her veil!" Annabeth exclaimed.

I charged with riptide, swinging blindly.

"Go, Leo!" Annabeth yelled beside me.

Looking at the floor, I saw Leo's neon orange sneakers sprint off in the direction which I guessed was the door.

Annabeth and I fought against her in sync, as always. Dodging and returning attacks, yet wavering due to lack of sight.

"Where's the satyr?" Medusa mused.
"Protecting the camp," I replied, dodging her attacks by sound alone, as I had my eyes squeezed shut.

The Gorgon laughed, "Ah, yes. Gaia told me of your petty little camp. A shame it'll be gone soon," she replied, "Just like your Repair Boy."

"What do you mean?" I asked, backing away from her, holding my sword out in front. I heard her cackle.

"Oh no," I heard Annabeth say.

"Daughter of Athena? You are supposed to be wise. I am being given the opportunity to get my revenge on you both. You could say I'm a distraction. Gaia does not care if you are broken - she only cares that you are both alive. Maiming is most certainly allowed. But the son of Hephaestus? He's an inconvenience. He's better off dead. Of course we knew you were coming. Khione ruined your engine on purpose, so you would come here. All we needed was for Leo to come. Gaia planted thoughts in your head - that is why you wanted to go too..."

So that's what that had been about.

"...As I wanted to have a little fun with you first. You are honestly so predictable. And don't even think about finding your friend. He's locked in with a bunch of monsters."

I felt sick.

"So, should we have a little fun?"