House of Hades (completed)

Percy

When Percy heard the voice, he jumped. Literally. He shot into the air, and not just because it scared him. The voice sounded like it was coming from...everywhere. In the dim light of his sword, he saw Annabeth suddenly pale white and shaking. She squeezed his hand so hard it hurt.

He wrapped one arm around Annabeth and used the other to hold Riptide out in front of him. "Umm...who goes there?" Percy squeaked nervously. The voice laughed.

"Just ask Annabeth," it said. "She knows who I am."

Percy suddenly felt hollow inside. Was this the monster Annabeth had told them about? Could this really be Arachne?

"It's HER," Annabeth confirmed, still shaking. She snuggled closer to Percy until her head was on his shoulder. She shrugged off his arm and gave him a kiss before hopping forward on hr uninjured leg. "I thought I killed you, Arachne," said Annabeth.

"My dear! Have you no brain? Think like your mother. Yes, I am dead. But where would I be if I was dead? Here! And so yes, you did kill me. But unfortunately for you, now I can kill you but you can't touch me. I'm a ghost. A spirit. A holographic projection of light."

At this, Annabeth looked at me in a way that told me she had already known that and was asking for my benefit. I nodded back at her, to signal that I understood. She faced front again.

"Then why don't you show yourself? Are you just afraid that I'll outsmart you and embarrass you in front of your little monster friends?" asked Annabeth. Did monsters have friends? Percy shrugged off that thought and tuned back in to Annabeth and Arachne's face-off.

"No!" snarled Arachne. "I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to make me come where you can see so you can slip around me. Not going to happen! You're not nearly as smart as you think you are, Annabeth. Your mother would be ashamed. Do you have any more stupid questions? One more, and I'm sure Athena will practically disown you." Uhoh. Sensitive topic.

Arachne laughed as Annabeth, the bravest girl Percy knows, whimpered and retreated into his armpit. They all knew Arachne had one this round. But there was no way he was letting this be the only round.

"Hey," Percy said either bravely or stupidly as he stepped forward, urging the voice to speak so he could find it's location.

"Hey! I'm Percy! I love my girlfriend! You say you're trying to kill her? Okay! Kill both of us! I'm here too!" The voice mimicked in a high pitched tone. Geez. It had gotten all of that from a single "hey"? And tracking the voice was hopeless. It still seemed to come from everywhere.

Percy retreated and the voice laughed. "And now, my dears, for a special surprise!"

As Arachne said those words, Annabeth and Percy put both arms around each other and awaited their fate.