DEVOTION, percy jackson

Tallulah Gets To Help Blow Up A Bus

Of course Percy had to attract the most dangerous monsters in all of Greek mythology. Just their luck.

An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves, and a shapeless red-knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. The old woman's black eyes glittered with malice as she looked directly at Percy.

The son of Poseidon slid down into his seat, but it was no use as the monster had already seen him. Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a blue hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodds—same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses.

 They were the evil Powerpuff Girls.

They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walkway, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves. Tallulah decided they were royally screwed.

"Well, we're fucked." Tallulah said to the others. "Always the optimist." Grover stated. Tallulah gave him an exaggerated smile. "Annabeth, I thought you said they would stay dead for a while." Percy said. 

"I said if you were lucky that would happen." Annabeth retorted. "You, my dear friend, are not very lucky." Tallulah told him. "Tell me something I don't know." Percy said.

"All three of them," Grover whimpered. "Di immortales!" "It's okay," Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We'll just slip out the windows." "They don't open," Grover moaned. "A back exit?" she suggested.

Their luck just kept getting better. Of course there wasn't a back exit. Even if there had been, it wouldn't have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.

"They won't attack us with witnesses around," Percy said. "Will they?" "Mortals don't have good eyes," Annabeth reminded him. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist." Tallulah said, "Oh to be a mortal."

Mrs. Dodds got up. In a flat voice, as if she'd rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the rest-room." "So do I," said the second sister. "So do I," said the third sister. "Well, shit." Tallulah said.

Then all three women started coming to the back of the bud, headed straight to them. "Double shit." Tallulah said. Percy nodded with her and repeated, "Double shit."

"I've got it," Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat." "What?" "You're the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away." Percy protested, "But you guys—" 

"There's an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You're a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering." "I can't just leave you guys." he demanded. "Percy, it's ok. Take the hat." Tallulah said. That was all it took to convince him. With one final look at each other, he took the hat and put it on.

Tallulah could see the Furies sniffing the air. There was a horrible wail, and three rows in front of them the old ladies turned into horrible, ugly monsters. Their faces were still the same but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws. Their handbags had turned into fiery whips

They screeched and one of them yelled, "Where is it? Where?" "He's not here, you crazy fuckers. Leave us alone!" Tallulah yelled.

That was not the right thing to say, as they raised their whips to strike. Tallulah stood in front of Grover and pressed the gem on her ring, and her sword was in her hand. Tallulah swung in hopes of getting the hags to back up. It worked. All of a sudden the bus swerved to one side of the road. The driver yelled, "Hey!"

Tallulah looked to the front, and saw nothing. Since she saw nothing she knew it was Percy. The driver continued to wrestle with nothing. The driver pulled off the road so that they didn't crash.

The Furies regained their balance. They lashed their whips at Annabeth while she waved her knife and yelled in Ancient Greek, telling them to back off. Grover threw tin cans. Tallulah continues to swing her sword, successfully killing one the Furys. One down, two to go.

Percy, being the idiot he was, took off his cap and decided to get their attention. One of the hags started towards him. "Perseus Jackson," Mrs. Dodds said,"You have offended the gods. You shall die." "I liked you better as a math teacher," Percy told her.

Tallulah kept his full name tucked in the back of her head. 

For research purposes and blackmail. 

You know, the usual things.

Percy drew his sword, but before he could swing the whip of the Fury wrapped around his hand. He yelled out in pain. As soon as Tallulah heard his yell she became a combination of concerned and livid. Before she could even think she ran up behind the monster and swung right through her shoulders.

The monster turned to dust. When she was fully gone Tallulah saw Percy sitting on the ground cradling his badly burned hand. "Thanks." Percy said. "All in a day's work." Tallulah told him with a smile.

Annabeth stabbed the last Fury, but she didn't disintegrate right away. "Zeus will destroy you!" she promised. "Hades will have your soul!" "Braccas meas vescimini!" Percy yelled. Tallulah knew it was Latin, but she didn't know what it meant. 

Thunder shook the bus. The hair rose on the back of her neck. "Get out!" Annabeth yelled at everyone. "Now!" "Grab the bags!" Tallulah yelled. Grover managed to grab Annabeth and his, but did not have enough time to grab anyone else's.

The group got out, and when they did they were met with a Hawaiian shirted tourist with a camera. He snapped their photograph before they could return their swords to their respective inatimate objects. 

Before anyone could say a word there was a deafening, BOOM.

The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof, but an angry wail from inside told Tallulah Mrs. Dodds was not yet dead. "Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!" "Don't have to tell me twice." Tallulah said.

The group ran off into the woods, trying to get as far away from the exploded bus as they could.

Authors Note:

I was gonna keep this with the last chapter but it would've been too long. 

Anyway yay they blew something up

let me know what you think of the characters and their dynamics.