Son Of The Cup Bearer {Percy Jackson x Ejen Ali}

Be Grateful You Don't Have To Fight Hydras For Breakfast

The first thing Iman prioritised was to get to the box of donuts. It's not that she didn't care about Moon being in a damaged condition, but she reckoned that lifting the donut box from its niche might stop the stone hydras, who hopefully, might be magical automatons. 

Iman pelted straight for the nearest hydra, which opened nine maws to shred her into a million pieces, but she was quicker than that. She grabbed one of its head by the neck, Ali-style, and wrapped it around its other eight heads. The nine heads squirmed in discomfort and ran head-first into the stone wall beside it, crumbling from the impact. One down, many more to go.

The next one seemed to be angrier at Iman (probably because she killed its comrade, but you'll have to expect that from a live breakfast) because it attacked with more speed and ferocity. However, thanks to her increased agility, she managed to dodge every single head strike that came for her. When she was sure she was in the right position, with another one of the hydra heads zooming towards her, she leaped on top of it and, using it as an extra boost, jumped onto the next mount after the other, her momentum assisting her in the process. 

Iman was nearly there, atop of the last hydra, when it outsmarted her. One of its heads shot up just as she was on its back, resulting her to trip. And again, the second time within ten minutes, she was lying on the floor. 

Without even opening her eyes, Iman could sense that three hydras had her surrounded. From across the room, she could hear the sound of a swishing blade and a yelling that sounded familiarly like her name.

Even surrounded, Iman noticed that the hydras approached her warily. Almost easily, she could discern their locations with merely their footsteps and soft hissings. Gods bless they couldn't spew acid like the real stuff, or she would have been mortal stew.

When they were three feet around her, Iman bounded onto her feet faster than you can say "holy Hades". The hydras seemed taken aback as they froze, and for a moment Iman was almost convinced that she had been hallucinating the whole time about being attacked by stone hydras. 

Almost.

Without sparing a second, she lashed out with her headscarf at the nearest hydra and with the greatest force she could muster, smashed it into its buddy beside her. The two stone hydras collapsed like a building hit with a wrecking ball. The third one came charging to her, but Iman was ready. She turned on the spot, allowing the hydra to charge past her, before slashing a long wound along its back. Her Imperial gold blade went through the hydra's skin as if it were cutting through jelly, and the hydra too was reduced into a pile of stone.

Her way clear, Iman snatched the slightly squashed and oily donut box off its niche. She turned around, hoping to see that both Moon was safe and that the remaining hydras would stop moving. To her disappointment, the hydras were still stomping around with as much speed as they did previously, and all of them were surrounding none other than Moon. But despite having the carnivorous crowd's attention, Moon appeared to be holding off fine.

She was still at the centre of the pit where Iman left her. Her sword swung like a deadly blur of bronze around her, beheading any hydra heads that dared come close. Visibly, there was a circle of five feet radius that was littered with broken hydra heads.

"Moon!" Iman yelled.

Another thing to admire for, especially of a recently-realised demigod with exceptionally limited training: she was still able to hold off the enemy while taking notice of Iman's call.

"What is it?" Moon grunted, kicking a hydra so powerfully that it toppled into the hydra behind it.

"We have to get out of here," Iman said urgently, looking up. And sure, the pit was not enclosed. Above her, she could see orange light bulbs that were commonly found in cafes. If she truly focused, she could also smell the mild waft of coffee.

"Yeah, nice to know that we have to get out of here, but I have many fans to satisfy in the mean time!" Moon exclaimed. Ah, a true girl of sarcasm as well. Di immortales, Alicia's rude behaviour must be rubbing off on her. Iman must have a word with the Hunter of Artemis later. Hunter to Hunter.

Iman scanned the pit, trying to see if there's anything she could make use of with the current tools she have as of now. Then an idea struck her.

"Moon, I'm going to shoot a grappling hook and we'll have to climb upwards together!" Iman shouted, at the same time she unslung her bow and aimed at the top of the pit with a hooked arrow.

"Um, hello? I'm still kinda stuck up here?" came her reply.

"Find a way!"

Upon being released, the arrow flew through the air as if wind factors or gravity didn't exist. It chinked itself into the ground just above the pit, a trail of metallic rope uncoiling from its other end, in which Iman has a firm grip on. Iman gave the rope a little tug, making sure it's secure, then whistled for Moon.

"Xorki: Astrapi!" Moon yelled in Ancient Greek. The smell of burning filled the air, and next thing Iman knew, tendrils of pure white electricity passed through the remaining stone hydras as easily as if they were conductors. There was only a split second where screeching of the dying hydras echoed around the pit, then silence. Around Moon now were heaps of monster dusts able to fill a few sandpits. Iman stared at her, amazed. Moon shrugged before bounding towards her.

"You were saying?" Moon hummed questioningly.

Iman quickly noted to not underestimate a cheerful girl like her before climbing up the rope with one hand, the box of donuts gripped in the other tightly. A few feet up and Iman felt an extra weight below her, meaning Moon has started to climb too. Upon reaching the top and assisting Moon out of the pit, she saw that the edge of the pit was exactly a step into the shop from the main entrance.

She started to say, "Who would-" when her mind finally fully registered the situation. Dunkin Donuts. Hydras. Traps for demigods.

Dunkin Donuts was simply the Asian alias for Monster Donut, a chain of shops connected to the life force of many monsters, especially the hydra.

Iman was so horror-struck at the trouble they have gotten into that she nearly jumped when a rumbly voice said with a hear-able frown behind her, "Hey, you don't belong here."

"Oh, hello!" Moon said merrily back to whoever- or whatever that spoke. "We were just-"

Alright, Iman takes back whatever compliment she has given Moon. The girl really needs to learn the best time to be friendly.

Sensing the danger they were in, Iman helped by screaming, "SHUT UP AND RUN!" 

Without looking back, Iman snatched Moon's wrist and dashed out of the donut shop in style. In which she means, out of the glass walls. The glass shattered upon their impact, thankfully. Moon nearly slipped, but Iman held her tight so as to keep up their speed. 

Chancing a glance back, Iman saw a few monsters gathered at the window in fascination. One of them, a Cyclops, obviously did not like that he would have to buy a new window thanks to a Hunter and demigod crashing into his shop, as he was shaking his fist in their direction. But luckily, no monsters followed them. Iman had enough for a morning (you can never say 'day' because the Fates would take that as a challenge to weave more trouble). 

However, turns out the Fates were extra mean today, because after a second's relief, Iman was faced with another issue even more terrifying than the last.

They were surrounded by Dunkin Donuts retail shops from all directions.