chapter 20-Time To Brawl

For TWO WHOLE DAYS, Grover has been fussing over me as if I were a baby. It may have hurt but that doesn't mean they have to treat me this way. Other than Grover fussing over me Annabeth and I have been getting a little closer. Annabeth trusted me enough to tell me parts of her origin. Her hardships and pain, her family essentially abandoning her.

I mean she still insults my intelligence but I think it's more a jest than a full-blown insult. About Chiron well all he said is that he would talk with Mr. D about this. Which doesn't help that much. I bet Mr.D is just lazing around, acting as if he did so simply.

Enough about me complaining about Mr.D, near the end of the second day when she saw the Gateway Arch she told me how she was going to create something even better.

"I bet you are," I said. Full-heartedly believing that she would.

She looked surprised that I believed her, and she then smiled proudly.

"I'm going to be the greatest Architect in the world, I'll build a monument that will last thousands of years," looking at me to check my reaction. So I gave her what she wanted.

"I believe you."

For the next few hours, she had a smile on her face. Grover was just sleeping. Eventually, the train stopped at an Amtrak station downtown. We would have three hours till the train was to go to Denver.

"Come on, let's go sightseeing," she said in excitement, pulling me by the arm. This ended up waking up Grover who was moaning for food.

"Come on Grover, we're going sightseeing," I told him.

"Will there be food," he said in the most focused I've seen him in a while.

"There's a cafe near it, after we look at the arch we can eat."

"Alright, what are we waiting for, let's go," he said.

It took a while to get there but in a way, it was worth it. Annabeth was spilling out facts about the Arch, she was smiling from ear to ear. While I was paying attention to Annabeth, Grover was eating jelly beans.

"Guys, let's go to the top," Annabeth said, something that I only agreed to because I didn't want to ruin this for her. Even if I'm not good with confined spaces. They make me nuts.

In all this excitement I saw a chihuahua. Which then ended up with me swearing in my head. It was already too late as we were inside. I can't believe I forgot. I should have been paying attention to my surroundings more.

"No parents," asked the owner of the chihuahua. She had beady eyes;coffee-stained teeth; a floppy denim hat, a leather bag, and a denim dress. That did not look very good on her.

This ruined Annabeth's momentum as she was still spewing out facts about the Arch.

"They're downstairs ma'am, They couldn't handle how small these elevators are, or how high we would have been."

During this time I was getting ready to attack. Riptide would be protected by the mist, which allows for the supernatural to be hidden from the world, but I think it would make things worse for me as earlier today I saw a newspaper with my face on it, of me attacking a bunch of old ladies. What's even worse is what Gabe did, I mean seriously a reward to capture me, a twelve-year-old. Granted if they knew the truth about me then it would make sense to capture me. Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked.

"mmm, how sad."

The chihuahua then started growling. At that moment I didn't care that much about my image and prepared to get Riptide out in the open.

"Now, now, sonny, behave."

"Nice name, for your dog I mean," Grover said.

"That's not his name," the lady said.

After that, there was silence in the elevator. Once we got up there Annabeth went back to being chatty again. Talking about the structural support to hold all this up, and what she would have done if she was in charge. Such as bigger windows and see-through floors. Something that I didn't agree with.

Out of the corner of my eye, I was watching Echidna and her chihuahua. I was prepared to use a water bullet for a long-range attack.

Eventually, we had to go back downstairs but there wasn't enough space for all three of us to go inside. It was better this way, I would be able to deal with them easily. At least I hope I do, my confidence in my strength is waning but compared to Kronos they are nothing. The only issue in this probable fight would be the people.

"Are you sure you're okay with staying up here Percy, we can wait for the next one."

"It's okay, I'll see you guys in a bit," I said with a smile.

They still looked like they disagreed but they relented.

The chihuahua then started barking again. I even heard a… meow? Where did that even come from?

"Now, now children of mine… but if you insist."

"That's nice, that you consider him your child that is," I said.

"That's because he is my child, the chimera."

She then rolled up her sleeves, showing green scales. With fang-like teeth. The chihuahua then started to grow. It had the head of a lion with a blood-caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a ten-foot-long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. Seeing its height made me almost afraid of what was to happen. The people in the background were already afraid, crying out for safety.

The chihuahua wasn't the only monster she brought. A cat jumped out of her bag. I already have a bad feeling about this. It then started growing into a lion but bigger. I don't know how to describe it. It was just bigger. I already could assume what it was. The Nemean lion.

"Almost forgot about the other, because at least he had the patience that my other child did not have," she said while glaring at the chimera.

"Must be hard, having children that are merely footnotes in history."

"What," she growled out.

"I mean they lost to heroes of the past and now they're basically out of date. If they lost once then they can lose again." I don't think that what I said works but it felt right to me.

"*Grrrr* be honored demigod, Zeus has permitted me to have my children show your worth. For I am the mighty Echidna, the mother of monsters."

"Wow, they named an anteater after you."

"*grrrr* go get them my children show him pain for his disrespect to me."

At that line, I uncapped Riptide. I also made an ice sword for my other hand.

The chimera came from the left while the Nemean lion was just circling us.

The chimera pounced at me but I slashed straight up from the bottom. Which gave me more than enough momentum to push it back. I was able to slash it diagonally down from the left leaving a gash on its side. It cut me on the shoulder but that's fine. I heard a scream of annoyance come from the side which sounded like Echidna.

Then something moved fast. I couldn't react in time but Riptide was knocked out of my hand. Finding the Nemean lion right in front of me wasn't exactly a good thing but I had the one thing that countered it. The proportional strength of a spider and my demigod abilities. So it's time to start getting grabby.

It moves forward toward me but I jump right over it. I kick it one face making the Nemean lion step back. It slashed at me but I just moved forward and punched it in the chest. I used my whole strength as I didn't know how much was enough.

It went down just like that. It didn't stay down there for long. So I did the next best thing. I tried grappling it. I grabbed it and just started making it stand down. With its impenetrable skin, the only thing to do would use brute force. I didn't stay on its back as it kept pushing back onto the walls, making me smash into them.

I don't know how this place is still standing. I eventually relent and get off its back. It tries to bite me but I just grab it by its mouth. My back is currently facing the wall. My only saving grace is my strength. I hear cheering in the background. I can't tell who it's from, or for who the cheering is for.

Grabbing it by its maw and standing up I start increasing the pressure I have on it. While my hands are occupied it starts slashing at me. It hurts but not as much as those five minutes with Kronos.

It gets a claw in my shoulder increasing the pressure as much as I do. I then go full in. Breaking the jaw. My hands are all bloody from holding the jaw and having touched the teeth one too many times.

Echidna behind me is just yelling profanity after profanity. I was too tired to care what the people thought about me so I just walked up to her and punched her. Instead of her being knocked out she held my hand and gave me a punch of her own.

She threw me across the room. My back is starting to hurt now. I stand up again. This time she transforms into some human beast monster thing. She goes from ugly and fat to tall and strong. I mean she's still ugly.

Her scales go all over her body, and she increases her height. Her muscle mass increases. Then she lunges at me. She's too fast for Spider-Sense to work.

She grabs me by the shoulder and just bites me. I then start unleashing punch after punch on her stomach. I increased my strength with every single punch, pushing myself so that I could get her off me. Instead, she stays there.

I then grab her hips and start crushing it. At this, she starts twitching. I eventually felt Riptide in my pocket again so I grabbed it out of my pocket and put Riptide right through. I was going to make sure I cleaned Riptide after this. She then turns into dust.

I look around and see the people. How they're afraid. Not of them, of me. I look out the window and think if I should jump. If normal Percy could do it so can I but normal Percy doesn't have deadly wounds on him.

*Growl*

I feel a tingle go down my neck but by then it's too late.

ARE YOU SERIOUS, from behind me the chimera stings me with its tail. I feel even worse now.

"You know what, I can't leave you out here. So we're both going down."

I use riptide to cut off its tail. Grab the chimera and jump. Time to drown you damn monster.

Water rises from the river to catch me. I make sure that I hold the chimera tightly to not drop it on the people.

In the river, I keep pulling it down. I use the water to push him down. To increase the pressure. I crush it before it can do too much.

I think I'm going to rest for a moment. No, I can't, I need to get up. In this water, I feel rejuvenated. It heals me. Not as much as I need but enough to keep me awake.

I see something moving in the water. Instead of it being another monster it's … a lady. Okay, that's cool. I'm still light-headed right now.

"Brave child, I am a messenger, head to the beach of Santa Monica before you descend to the underworld. I cannot stay long. Stay safe, young one."

Right, I don't want to deal with this right now but I'll have to. Getting out of the water, I wish that I wouldn't have to deal with all the people there.

It's just a wish though.

——-——————-—-——————-———

<2,048 words in text>