Alternatively

Those Are Fighting Words

Her back cracked against the wall and she saw stars as she slid to the ground. She coughed, struggling to sit up as the kishin roared. White hot pain shot up her spine, but hell if she was going to let him wield Grover.

"Are you okay?"

She waved Silena's concern off, gripping her side as she gasped, "Back off, Jackson, he's mine!"

"Wha-" Percy glanced back. "You're out, stay down!"

The ache faded to nothing as she stalked forward, ducking under a hacked off arm soaring through the air. Blood and gore sprayed across the cobblestones, lamplight darkly reflecting in the puddles, and she could see the sweat glistening on Percy's face as he threw his body into the swing. Behind her, Silena was calling Clarisse back to her, facing off a monster of her own.

"You took him out last mission!"

"Yeah, but," he hefted Grover over his shoulder. "I never get to wield anymore!"

Annabeth dodged the kishin's lashing tail, clapping her hands to draw it's attention. "That sounds like a personal problem, toss him here!"

Metal scraped against the stones as the grotesque being whipped to face her, salivating as it's black eyes pinned her down. It lunged just as the hammer landed in her waiting hand and she used the momentum to slam the head through the kishin's gaping maw. She didn't stick around to watch it's upper jaw splatter to the ground, darting between it's flailing legs as Percy started clapping on the opposite side.

"We need to finish this, Grov," she huffed, flexing her fingers around the worn grip.

The hammer hummed in her hand, nervous energy racing up her arms.

"Don't worry, it's just the two and we'll go to practice, I swear."

It didn't feel like he believed her.

"Shut up," she grumbled before throwing him side long against the kishin's supporting legs.

He tore through bone and blade before being caught by Percy on the other side and they all ran to avoid being crushed by the collapsing monster. She could see it's dirty soul flickering, yet it was still relatively stronger than Clarisse and Silena's opponent. One more run through with a demon blade and their insectoid would be nothing but a power up for Clarisse.

Annabeth could not have Clarisse level up before her weapon did.

She ran up the creature's back as it batted Percy back, his "oof" palpable as he stumbled into the trashcans. Garbage rained down when he slammed Grover into one of the cans and she had to hang onto the kishin's spines as it reared up, disoriented. Her world tilted and rattled as it then screeched, knocked off balance by a well placed blow to the ribs.

A flash to the side left yellow spots in her vision as Silena yanked the tip of Clarisse's spear from the disintegrating corpse and Annabeth ground her teeth, starting to yell for Percy when the hammer landed in her already waiting hand.

"Your soul is mine," she growled, spinning with the momentum and crushing Grover through the kishin's skull.

In a wave of light, the creature crumbled to dust, leaving only it's red soul floating to the street. Breathing heavily, she slid down the pile of sand and let go of the hammer so she could tighten her ponytail.

"Overkill," Percy wiped brain goo off his face with a scowl. "Complete overkill."

"Got the job done," she groused.

A blink of energy later and Grover was rolling out his neck as he said, "That was dangerous."

"It was fine."