Percy Jackson, the Son of Olympus: The Sea of Monsters

| Chapter XVII || Nobody Makes it Out Alive |

*August 28 XXXX*

***

Being a distraction for a cyclops seemed like a good idea. It seemed like an idea as good as any they'd had in the past. Until, that is, they had to start running. He may be blind, but Polyphemus was big, and running from him was like running from a large, murderous, toddler – stumbling and reaching and falling, but always getting back up.

Percy darted off to the right, knowing that Tyson and Artemis had gone their separate ways as well. His feet were a blur under his body, the ground uneven and making him nearly trip on multiple occasions. He somehow managed to stay upright, the forward momentum keeping him from flying onto his face just as much as it was causing him to be unable to slow down.

Suddenly, he was thrown in the air as the ground pulsed under his feet. A shadow fell over his body and he heard a deep, satisfied chuckle from above him. Quickly turning over, he saw Polyphemus – all the worst parts of him – smirking down at the ground in his general vicinity.

Percy closed his eyes as he saw the hand come down, thick fingers ready to wrap around him. Tensing up, he prepared himself for death and prayed that he gave the cyclops heartburn or E. coli or something else that was generally horrible.

"Hey!"

The cyclops' hand didn't touch him, but Percy could smell the putrid stench of sheep' blood and damp wool; it came off his sweaty fingers in a pungent aroma.

"Who is there?" Polyphemus demanded.

"Nobody!" It was Artemis' voice. What was she doing? Was she trying to get herself killed? She didn't have any of her godly powers and yet she was goading a cyclops?

Yes. Percy knew exactly what she was doing when she called herself Nobody. In all his years on Olympus, he'd heard the story about Odysseus at least a thousand times. "Nobody" was the name that the hero had used to trick Polyphemus, right before poking out his eyes with a hot stick. Needless to say, that experience left Polyphemus with some issues, especially with that name. Once, Percy had suggested that the cyclops get a therapist, but his idea was quickly cast aside – the travel cost alone would've been monstrous, not to mention the patient would probably eat whoever they sent.

"Nobody!" The cyclops screamed, his rage had apparently hit its peak. He stepped away from Percy and immediately followed the sound of Artemis' voice as she led him away. "I will get you, Nobody!"

"Brother!"

Another shadow fell over Percy, who was still on the ground. The demigod looked up, seeing another cyclops standing there. This one, however, he was happy to see.

Tyson pulled him to his feet. His bulky hands completely enveloped Percy's, and he yanked him up too fast, but at least Percy was no longer under threat of being eaten alive. That was a plus.

"Thanks. Now, come on. We have to help–"

A loud crash echoed through the clearing, followed by a sound that made Percy's heart sink. It was a sound that made him think that they were too late. It was Artemis crying out in fear.

***

"Ha! I got Nobody! I'm going to kill Nobody!" the cyclops boasted as he swung Artemis around in the air. From what Percy could see, his childhood friend was starting to get a little green in the face. She didn't usually get motion sickness, so the young demigod assumed that it was due to her lack of powers.

He would never have thought that it would have such an effect on a goddess. Surely, she had know. She must've known.  'But if she did,' he thought, 'Why would she volunteer herself for this quest? She wouldn't come all this way just for me, especially if she knew what she was risking regarding her own safety.'