Chihuahuas and a snake (2)

{Indiana, 15th of June 2006}

Percy POV

There we were, scattered across the grass like a bunch of rag dolls tossed by a temperamental toddler titan, with six very angry chimeras and their even angrier mom barreling towards us. And let me tell you, Echidna was not happy to see us.

"You dare try to esscape" she hissed, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. "My children and I will feasst on your bonesss!"

I struggled to my feet, my head still spinning from our impromptu skydiving session off the train. "You know," I said, trying to buy time, "most moms just ground their kids when they're angry. You might want to look into that."

Echidna's eyes narrowed. "Insolent child! I will teach you respect!"

She lunged forward, her snake tails whipping through the air. I rolled to the side, barely avoiding becoming a Percy-kebab. As I came up, I noticed something odd – Echidna wasn't wielding any of her signature blades.

"Hey, where are your fancy blades?" I taunted, remembering Ozzy's story. "Did you lose them in the wash?"

Echidna's face contorted with rage. "Odysseus," she spat. "That thief! Will be the next demigod to pay!"

Great. I'd just made her even angrier. Maybe I should start a business: "Percy Jackson – Making Bad Situations Worse Since... Well, Forever."

Annabeth appeared at my side, her dagger glinting in the sunlight. "Percy, focus! We need a plan!"

Right. A plan. Because "don't die" wasn't specific enough.

Thalia was already in action, her spear crackling with electricity as she faced off against two of the chimeras. Grover was doing his best Pan impression, playing his reed pipes to entangle another chimera in rapidly growing vines.

I looked around, assessing our situation. Open field, no water in sight (bummer), and a bunch of angry monsters. Time for some good old-fashioned demigod improvisation.

"Swiper! Lailaps!" Grover called out to our animal companions. "We could use some help here!"

The magical animals, still recovering from their train car transformation act, shook their heads wearily. They looked exhausted, and I couldn't blame them.

Thalia, noticing their condition, shouted between zapping chimeras, "No, you two rest! We'll need you to get us to California later!"

Grover nodded in agreement. "She's right. We've got this... I think."

With our furry friends out of the fight, it was just the four of us against Echidna and her brood. No pressure, right?

"Okay, team," I shouted, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt, "divide and conquer! Annabeth, you're with me. Thalia, Grover, take the left flank!"

"Since when do you know military terms?" Annabeth asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I watched a war movie once," I replied, raising Riptide. "Now, let's go kick some mythological butt!"

And so began the weirdest game of monster whack-a-mole in the history of, well, ever. Annabeth and I took on three chimeras, while Thalia and Grover handled the other three. Echidna, apparently enjoying the show, hung back, her snake tails writhing with anticipation.

"My children," she called, "bring me their heads!"

"You know," I panted as I dodged a chimera's fiery breath, "I'm starting to think she's not much of a hugger."

Annabeth rolled her eyes, ducking under a swipe from a lion paw. "Less joking, more fighting, Seaweed Brain!"

I had to admit, we made a pretty good team. Annabeth's invisibility cap came in handy, allowing her to sneak up on the chimeras and deliver precise strikes. Meanwhile, I kept them distracted with my witty banter and occasional sword swings.

"Hey, ugly!" I called to one chimera. "Your goat half is showing!"

Not my best insult, but it did the trick. The chimera roared in anger, charging straight at me. At the last second, I sidestepped, and the monster barreled right into its sibling. Two chimeras down, one to go.

On the other side of the field, Thalia was like a one-woman storm. Her spear crackled with electricity, zapping chimeras left and right. Grover's pipe music had turned the grass into a tangle of vines, tripping up the monsters and making them easy targets.

With a final thrust of her spear, Thalia took down the last of her chimeras, turning into golden dust.

That left one chimera for Annabeth and me. It was a nasty piece of work, with a lion's head that seemed to be perpetually angry, a goat body that smelled like a barnyard on a hot summer day, and a snake tail that just wouldn't quit.

"Any bright ideas, Wise Girl?" I asked, circling the monster.

Annabeth's eyes gleamed with that look she gets when she's about to do something either brilliant or terrifying. Often both. "Just one. Follow my lead!"

She charged straight at the chimera, her dagger raised. The monster, surprised by the direct attack, reared back. That's when I saw Annabeth's plan. As the chimera rose on its hind legs, its underbelly was exposed.

"Percy, now!" Annabeth yelled, rolling to the side.

I didn't hesitate. With a yell that probably sounded more like a frightened squeak, I lunged forward, driving Riptide into the chimera's soft underbelly. The monster let out a strangled roar, then exploded into a shower of golden dust.

We stood there for a moment, catching our breath and trying to process what just happened. Then, a slow clap reminded us that our battle wasn't over yet.

Echidna stepped forward, her face a mask of fury and... was that pride? "You have done well, but not any better than I expected!"

She lunged forward with surprising speed, her snake tails whipping through the air. We scattered, each taking a different angle. Annabeth went invisible with her Yankees cap, while Thalia and I played a dangerous game of keepaway with Echidna's snake tails. Grover readied his pipes, prepared to support us with his nature magic.

"Hey, Echidna!" I called out, dodging a strike. "I bet Ozzy's real happy with those blades he took from you. Probably using them as glorified letter openers!"

Okay, so maybe taunting the ancient monster wasn't my smartest move. But hey, it worked. Echidna's face contorted with rage, and she focused all her attention on me.

"You think I care about that misbehaving shadow", she hissed. "Soon enough I'll see him once more and watch him suffer!"

"Yeah, about that," I said, backing up.

Right on cue, Annabeth appeared behind Echidna, her dagger flashing. She managed to score a hit on one of the snake tails before ducking away again. Echidna howled in pain, whirling around to face this new threat.

That's when Thalia made her move. With a battle cry that would have made Zeus proud, she charged forward, her spear crackling with enough electricity to power a small city.

Echidna turned just in time to see Thalia's spear plunge into her chest. There was a blinding flash, the smell of ozone, and then... silence.

As the light faded, we saw Echidna on the ground, her body already starting to crumble to dust. But she wasn't done yet. With her last breath, she fixed her gaze on Thalia, her eyes burning with hatred.

"You may have killed me, daughter of Zeus," she wheezed, "but I'll always come back. However, Odysseus won't be so lucky."

And with that ominous prophecy, Echidna, mother of monsters, dissolved into a pile of monster dust.

We stood there for a moment, catching our breath and trying to process what just happened. The field around us was a mess of monster dust, uprooted grass, and the lingering smell of ozone.

"Well," I said, breaking the silence, "that was..."

"Intense?" Annabeth offered.

"Terrifying?" Grover suggested.

"Wasteful," Thalia said, her breath coming in short gasps. "We need to go, the sooner we get to Jason and the roman camp."

I nodded, I walked towards Grover picking him up, his goat legs shaky from using all the nature magic.

Annabeth's face soon turned serious as well, she walked towards Thalia and whispered something though it was loud enough for my ADHD ears to pick up "First the prophecy, now Echidna, do you think Odysseus will.. "

I saw as Thalia tensed up, at her words, she didn't need to finish the thought. I didn't want to think about it either, all signs pointed that Ozzy probably wasn't coming back. Lailaps and Swiper also seemed demoralized but they soon shook it off, growing to the size of cars before yipping - barking for us to get on.