Rise (Percy Jackson x Reader)

thirteen

edited: april 2, 2021; re-written: august 10, 2023
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Grover walks up to one of the statues in the shop. Cobwebs hang from almost every available surface, rustling with the breeze that passes through the open doors. 

Grover smiles at the depiction of an older satyr, peering closely as something tugs at his memory. Noticing a resemblance, he laughs. "Oh!"

Continuing to speak to himself, he nods at the statue, examining its features. "Check this out. He's just like my Uncle Ferdinand." He chuckles. "That's crazy." As he looks closer, his amusement dies, and his gut begins to sink. He narrows his eyes. "Got the mole in the same place."

It's just a coincidence, he thinks before voicing his thoughts. "No. It's not my Uncle Ferdinand, 'cause my Uncle Ferdinand was killed by . . ." He freezes.

"Medusa!" he hears from behind him, just as he whispers the same name. 

(Y/N) runs up to him, grabbing his hand and pulling him outside to the maze of statues. "Percy!" she yells.

"Annabeth! We're in trouble!" Grover exclaims, holding his crutches under an arm.

Wandering between the hedges, Percy freezes. "Grover?" he calls out, looking around. "(Y/N)?"

His gut twists. Goosebumps prick on his neck.

Frantic, he digs into his jacket pocket, pulling out Riptide. He clicks it, and the sword forms in his grasp. A spark of courage forms in his stomach at the familiar weight and feel. He weaves through the lines of ferns and statues, picking up his pace with each second.

"Grover, (Y/N), where are you?" he shouts, looking for his friends.

"No, he's over here!" (Y/N) exclaims, yanking Grover away from the direction he'd turned to go. They run together, and (Y/N) fumbles with her backpack as Grover takes the lead. She halts at the sound of thudding footsteps, cursing under her breath while pulling her arm from one of her bag's straps. Grover continues forward, crashing into Percy.

They tumble to the ground, emitting pained groans.

"Come on, man, watch where you're going," Percy grunts, pushing himself to his feet.

(Y/N) pulls her sword free from its sheath, zipping her backpack again and tightening the straps.

"Perce, listen!" Grover says, his words disrupted by his heavy breaths. 

"What's going on?" Percy asks, panting. Grover doesn't answer, resting his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath.

(Y/N) steps forward, her gaze flitting back and forth.

"We're in Medusa's lair," she explains. Percy's eyes widen.

"Annabeth!" he shouts.

"Annie!" Grover manages through his strained lungs.

The boys take off in opposite directions as (Y/N) looks up at one of the statues. Thinking strategically, she grabs onto one of the ridges, pulling herself up and feeling her muscles tighten. As she climbs the statue, she continues to look around her surroundings. When she reaches the top, she mutters a quiet apology before standing on the person's head, taking a few seconds to gain her balance before closing her eyes and focusing her hearing. She hopes that the less cluttered area will have fewer obstacles for any noise.

Right after she starts listening, she hears a faint voice screaming, "Don't look!"

Gasping, she opens her eyes and jumps off of the statue. Looking around her, she thinks to where she'd heard Annabeth and runs in the direction.