CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
—dumb bridges

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—JUDITH was not alone when she woke up not even 15 minutes later. She was not alone in the room she went to sleep alone in. She was not alone in the bed she distinctly recalled being alone in when she fell asleep.

Judith solely blamed her instincts for what happened next.

"Augh," a disgruntled groan rose up from the ground, muffled only by the carpet. "Did you just kick me out of the bed?"

Judith balked at the ceiling for only a second before scooting over and leaning up on her elbow just enough to see over the edge of the mattress. Sure enough, the target of her impulsive violence was sprawled out on the hotel room floor, looking as if he might just fall right back to sleep there.

"Did I just—yes. Yes, I kicked you out of my bed," she scoffed. "You can't just crawl into other people's beds, Jackson."

The singular eye that wasn't smushed down into the ground peaked open to peer up at her. "Technically, it isn't your bed. We haven't rented any of these rooms."

"Don't try to be all technical when you're tired, you sound dumb." She looked him over again, his legs contorted in awkward ways and back weirdly arched. "Almost as dumb as you look right now."

"Aw, Jude," he yawned, eyes squeezing shut. "You flatter me."

"Yeah, well, flatter this." She chucked one of the pristine white pillows down at his face. Instead of receiving another grunt of impact like she expected, Percy only sighed contentedly as he dragged the pillow underneath his head and cuddled in.

"Thanks. You're the best," he mumbled.

Judith grimaced, falling back to where she was laying before. With the extra body gone, she moved back to the center of the bed — her rightful spot. Unfortunately, as she shoved her own face into one of the remaining pillows, she got a big whiff of what she could only describe as Febreze Sea Spray and sweat.

There was a part of her that was tempted to hurl this pillow down over the side, as well. Instead, her traitor body clutched it closer, unrelenting.

After a while it became hard to breathe, her nose and mouth shoved so uncomfortably into the plushness. When she eventually had to come up for air, she frowned.

What was she doing?

"Get up here, Barnacle Breath."

There was a moan of exhaustion before an actual answer. "Too much work. I think I'll just stay down here."

Judith clenched her teeth. "Percy, I said, get. up. here."

There were a few more displeased grunts and groans, but he didn't reject the call. Which was smart of him, because Judith was quite close to jumping out of the bed to drag him back into it by his ear.

He got under the covers, sliding in as Judith shuffled over to give him space. At first, she gave him as large of a berth as possible, and with how little she had to work with, her body was nearly hanging off the far edge. This wasn't exactly what she had imagined, but, honestly, she couldn't say for certain what she had imagined.

With eyes still closed, he asked, "Do I really smell that bad?"

She only just barely caught her tongue before it could betray her and say that, no, it's the opposite actually.

"You smell like sweat," she said in place of lying.

He snorted faintly, both eyes cracking open just a sliver to look at her. "I wonder why. You think you're much better?"

She wasn't, she scowled while averting her gaze. She could feel the familiar grimy coat of sticky sweat on her skin, and the baby hairs at her hairline were curling up and drying out. "No."

"So why are you so far away?" he teased.

It was a good question, one she really couldn't answer without sounding like a squeamish little girl confronted with the very startling realization that her crush/boyfriend/something was in the same bed as her.

"We've slept right next to each other in sleeping bags before," he commented, guessing expertly at what had her hesitating.

"This is different," she huffed.

"Is it, though?"

Judith sighed, trying to navigate the complexities of her own emotions. She couldn't deny the familiarity of their proximity, yet something about the shared hotel bed made her acutely aware of the closeness. A tinge of vulnerability, perhaps.

She scooted a few inches closer, and that satisfied him for maybe two seconds before he reached out a sluggish hand to tug on one of her belt loops insistently. She gave in with a huff and shuffled over till they were just a hair's breadth away from being completely flush with each other.

As they lay there, the rhythm of their breathing gradually synchronized. Judith allowed herself the comfort of its familiarity.

Just when she was about to succumb back into finishing her well-deserved nap, like she assumed he'd done, he mumbled quietly, "Crossed paths with the Aphrodite kids on my way here...said you took on a legion by yourself?"

"Not by myself," she grouched, both at being pulled from sleep and at the reminder.

"Right. Jerk brothers were there, too, I heard."

She hummed noncommittally.

"You're good?" he asked.

"Not a scratch," she said in answer. Perhaps she should have considered telling him about the boiling blood—or whatever it was Deimos had yapped on and on about—but, honestly, what good would it do him to worry about yet another thing that concerned her? And she wasn't even clear on all the details, anyway. "You?"

"River gods are supposedly out there sinking enemy ships, Annabeth triggered an automaton army I think...oh, and the Minotaur wanted a rematch."

Judith nudged the toe of her shoe into his shin in tired excitement. "Mn. And?"

"Killed him with his own axe."

Her eyes flickered open, squinting through the dim light. They hadn't ended up perfectly in line with each other so she had to look down a little to see his face, but the small smirk on his face was clear. Either he was proud of himself or he knew exactly what that thought did to her insides. Set them on fire.

Ugh, she wished she had been there to see that.

And if she awkwardly bent herself down to shove a kiss on his stupid smug smirk, well she'd blame that on her newfound thermovaria-whatever. He didn't seem to mind, smile stretching even further as he pressed back into her.

"So what's next?" she asked as soon as she decided her blood may actually overheat and pulled away.

"Second wave is headed for Williamsburg Bridge. Our scouts think Kronos is with them. I've been told to rest before they get there," he grumbled.

"ETA?" she sighed.

"An hour or so. Annabeth and Michael Yew are watching the bridge. They'll call me or one of the Apollo campers that are here when they need me."

Need him.

Because he was going to fight Kronos.

Judith's gaze lingered on Percy's face, the weight of that particular battle settling into the room.

"Rest, Percy," she whispered, a note of genuine concern seeping into her voice.

Even with her gentle command, his eyes fluttered open as he nodded, the gravity of the situation reflecting in their sea-green depths. He lifted his hand from where it rested between them, unhooking his finger from her pants, and grabbed the one she'd fisted in the blanket. Slowly, he guided it up and over his torso so that the crook of her elbow rested between his bicep and rib cage. Understanding his request, she laid her palm flat in the space between his shoulder blades. He shuddered.

Though he'd adamantly refused to listen to her when she went to tell him of her weak spot, she still took this moment to tap him with the toe of her shoe again. A slight tingle raced up her leg.

She knew he didn't register the significance of the move when he simply let his eyes fall shut. And she decided that was for the best.

For a moment, they were just two demigods caught in the eye of the storm, seeking solace in each other's company before the battlefield beckoned once more.

"You rest, too," he said before knocking his forehead against hers.

She hummed, already feeling herself drift off.

  To say they were rejuvenated was an understatement. As soon as the ringtone for Annabeth's phone number rose up from Percy's Jean pocket, they were out of bed and out the door. It took a single harsh taxicab whistle from Percy to hail Blackjack down from where he had been grazing on a nearby rooftop garden.

  "You're such a New York City boy," Judith scoffed as she situated herself as comfortably as possible behind him.

  "Through and through," he agreed with pride. "And I'm about to save it, so I think I'm the only relevant New York City boy."

  Judith did not want to let on to how much his confidence affected her, so she pinched his side. He squirmed away, hissing at her about not distracting the driver. Even with the Curse of Achilles, he was still ticklish.

  As they approached Williamsburg Bridge, it was clear they'd been called at just the right time. A horde of marching monsters and demigods on skeletal horses were a mile or two away, weaving their way through the streets of Boston. Blackjack made a few surveying swoops before they landed behind an overturned school bus on the Manhattan side.

  Judith peeked inside, wondering if the children had been dragged off to safety or if there had only been a bus driver to account for. As it was, it was converted into an emergency hideout for campers, and that's where they found Annabeth and Michael Yew surrounded by the rest of the Apollo campers.

  They looked up when she tapped on the window, both sighing in obvious relief.

  They exited the bus, having to climb out and jump down.

  Michael smiled at them both. "Glad you could join us, Percy," he said. "Where are the other reinforcements?"

  Percy gave a very pointed gesture to Judith.

  The shorter boy looked between them, smile turning flat. "Oh, we're dead."

  "Where's the chariot?" Judith asked, steering the conversation away from something that would surely make her angry.

  "Left it at camp." He shrugged. "I told Clarisse she could have it. Whatever, you know? Not worth fighting about it anymore. But she said it was too late. We'd insulted her honor for the last time or some stupid thing."

  Judith scowled. That did sound like Clarisse.

  "Least you tried," Percy said weakly.

  "Yeah, well, I called her some names when she said she still wouldn't fight. I doubt that helped any."

  "Name calling's just a good way to get your hands cut off with 'Risse," Judith told him half heartedly. The disappointment of not having her siblings beside her was heavy, but she tried to think about them being safe.

  He gave her jazz hands. "Lucky me I knew when to run, then."

  "So...any plans?" Percy looked at Annabeth.

  She clicked her tongue, looking around at their group. "We're low on campers. We thought the other cabins would have finished up their battles to come assist by now, but most are in stalemates and can't leave their posts."

  Percy nodded in understanding.

  Judith scanned the numbers of the Apollo cabin. "There's enough for a decent defensive line."

  "That's not enough to hold them off for very long," Michael said.

  "Just needs to hold long enough for Percy to beat Kronos."

  "True, but ... that leaves Percy pretty open while in combat," Annabeth worried.

  "Percy will take Kronos whenever he instigates, I'll take any close range attacks on him from the rest after that point, defensive line will pick off the legion with bows," Judith proposed.

  "...You're going to take on a legion basically by yourself?" Michael asked in disbelief.

  "Already did it once today. What's one more?" She shrugged.

  Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that, Judith? We can all hold a defensive line until we can get some more reinforcements."

  "If they haven't come within the last two hours, they're not coming." Judith shot her a confident stare. "We've got this."

  Percy chimed in, "Judith's instincts are sharp. I trust her to have my back."

  She stiffened.

  Annabeth nodded in acquiescence, "Alright, then. Let's get ready. The bridge is our battleground, and we need to make this stand count."

  As they huddled together, preparing for the impending clash, Judith couldn't help but feel a surge of determination. She was itching for the feeling she'd gotten a taste of earlier that day. Itching for that heat. For that fire.

  She stole a glance at Percy, who was adjusting Riptide with a serious expression. Their eyes met briefly, a silent understanding passing between them.

  She would watch his back. She would only intervene if absolutely necessary. That was what they'd decided on. If it looked like he was getting overwhelmed, she had to use her best judgement.

  The group made the trek to the Brooklyn side of the bridge, wanting the advantage of a swift retreat if need-be.

  The tension in the air grew thicker as the enemy forces approached, the rhythmic marching echoing ominously. Judith shifted her weight from her weak foot to her strong one and then back. The group tightened their formation, and Percy took a deep breath, his grip on Riptide firm enough to turn his knuckles pale white.

  Judith, once again, tapped his ankle subtly with the toe of her boot. The sole of his sneaker scraped the ground as he leaned into it.

  As they readied themselves, a figure emerged on the other side of the bridge, waving a purple banner high in the air. Kronos in Luke Castellan's skin, sinister smile playing on his lips. The sight sent a chill down Judith's spine, but she steeled herself, focusing on the task at hand.

  Guard Percy's back. Literally.

  "They don't cross the halfway mark on the bridge," Percy told the group resolutely.

  Judith's eyes narrowed, her senses on high alert. Kronos approached confidently, his army following closely behind. The purple fabric billowed in the wind, a dark emblem of a black scythe rippling in the breeze. Judith hated that scythe.

  Percy's gaze locked onto Kronos, his expression determined. "Stay sharp, everyone. This is it." In a quieter voice, "Judith?"

  "I'm with you," she said under her breath.

  He nodded to himself and echoed lowly, "I'm with you."

  In just seconds, the army was upon them.

  The Apollo campers and Annabeth at their backs shot a volley of arrows, some flaming and some whistling. The ones that aimed true and hit the demigods brought them down, but any that missed or hit the skeletal horses did nothing for deterrence.

  The cavalry swarmed Percy and Judith first, Kronos hanging back.

  Odikinesis, thermovariance, pure adrenalin. Whatever it was, it set Judith's body afire.

  Her scimitars were a blur of motion around her. She moved with an almost dance-like precision, each swing of her blades calculated and deadly. She parried attacks from armored warriors, sidestepped the relentless charge of several hellhounds, and swiftly dispatched any dracaena that dared to come too close. The scent of sweat and dust mixed with the metallic tang of monster blood filled the air.

  The fever was increasing.

  Her brothers would probably remind her to chill out at this point.

  Beside her, Percy unleashed the power of the East River, creating whirlpools that swallowed groups of enemies and sent them crashing into the water below the bridge. Riptide flashed with each swing, a force of nature in Percy's skilled hands.

  As the fight intensified, Kronos neared closer still, his scythe gleaming ominously. Percy shifted his attention, preparing for the confrontation that had been inevitable. Judith maintained her defensive stance, eyes locked momentarily on the titan before focusing on everything else. Kronos was Percy's.

  A demigod, armed with a wicked-looking spear, lunged at Percy from the side. Judith intercepted, deflecting the blow with a rapid parry. "I've got you. Focus," she shouted to Percy, her voice cutting through the chaos.

  A particularly agile demigod lunged at her, and she countered with a swift strike, but his long knife caught her curved blade in a stiff hold, sending them both sprawling. Judith released her grip on Soulrend, cutting that loss before it became a bigger issue.

  When Judith rolled back up into a defensive stance, she narrowed her eyes at the face inside the helmet. Eyepatch. Recognition flashed in his own eye. Ethan Nakamura.

  So he lived through the labyrinth, huh?

  Before she could charge back at him, his eye narrowed in suspicion. He looked her up and down in a way that seemed too knowing, too perceptive. Then, in dawning alarm, she noticed his gaze catch on her foot. He glanced swiftly to Percy, whose back was turned to them, before returning his sight to her.

  He knew.

  She wasted no time, attacking with a loud shout. Judith's lasting scimitar met Ethan's knife in a series of lightning-fast exchanges, their skills evenly matched.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Percy take on his own set of demigods, but Judith's focus swiveled back on Ethan. She feigned a predictable move, drawing him in, and then unleashed a rapid series of strikes that left him momentarily off-balance. As she pressed her advantage, she spared a glance toward Percy, ensuring he held his ground.

  Ethan, however, proved resilient. His movements became more strategic, exploiting the small opening Judith left, and delivered a precise strike that sent a jolt of pain through her.

  She gritted her teeth, stumbling back as her leg involuntarily gave way. Ethan, seizing the opportunity, reinforced the attack. As he lunged forward for another strike, Percy, who had been locked in a fierce exchange with a dracaena, caught sight of her in distress over his shoulder.

  Time seemed to slow as Judith saw him turn to witness Ethan's next move. Fueled by a surge of protective rage that she could feel emanating off of him in waves, Percy unleashed the full force of his wrath upon the enemies between them. Riptide flashed with newfound intensity as he drove them back, his eyes ablaze with a stormy fury.

  However, Judith was already down, grappling with the pain shooting through her injured foot even as she successfully deflected the next few hits Ethan delivered. She fought to regain her footing, but he circled around her to stand between her and Percy, ready to take on the next threat.

  Percy, abandoning all restraint, roared in anger. His first strike against Ethan was relentless, each swing fueled by the sight of Judith doing her best to plow through the pain and failing.

  Her anger at Ethan, at herself, and at her stupid, stupid foot seemed to affect them both. A tight coil was building in Judith's chest. A buzzing heat. She let it fester, let it go.

  This was what she could do, what she could still give Percy. The rage of war.

  "Annabeth!" Percy shouted, voice strangled.

  "On it!" Judith could only faintly hear the girl as she focused on the two demigods locked in combat in front of her, vision tunneling. That was, until she felt a strong yank at the back of her armor.

  "No!" Judith snarled, flailing as two pairs of hands dragged her back across the bridge where the defensive line had retreated. "Let me go!"

  In her squirming, though, she kicked a nearby car and screamed at the excruciating pain that shot through her soul.

  "It's okay, Judith. We'll take over for you, you've already taken down the majority of the legion. And Percy's already taken care of Nakamura," Annabeth assured. "Michael, you go back and watch his six."

  "Copy that," the boy said, and Judith vaguely registered him falling back to where they'd just come from.

  "Kronnoz..," Judith gargled through the spit building in her throat.

  "...I know. Percy will—"

  The bridge shook, and Annabeth nearly tripped under both of their weight.

  "Whawuztha—" Judith only just managed through her numbing mouth. Her eyes had long since gone fuzzy, skull feeling like it was being shrunk between two hands.

  "Come on, up, up, up." Annabeth threw one of Judith's arms over her shoulder, pulling her the rest of the way to the overturned bus. Based on the contortion of her limbs, Judith knew they'd set her down somewhere.

  There was no longer any pain, just swelling heat.

  Just an overwhelming burn.

  She could deal with fire. She knew fire.

  She felt some taps on her cheeks, a liquid on her tongue that felt as cold as ice. No sound, only steady humming and ringing.

  The ground trembled again, this time on a scale that rivaled a 9.0+ earthquake. The world ending, probably.

  Judith's consciousness teetered on the edge of oblivion. The ground beneath her trembled with an intensity that seemed to surpass the tumult of the battle. Annabeth's voice, now distant, murmured words of assurance that barely reached her numbed senses.

  As the world around her stopped quaking, Judith felt a gentle touch on her cheek. The familiar warmth of a calloused hand caressed her skin, a fleeting moment of solace in the midst of the upheaval. His presence, a steady anchor in the maelstrom, brought a fleeting sense of comfort to her disoriented mind.

  He was alive.

  Or they were both dead.

  At least they were together.

  The liquid on her tongue felt colder now, a stark contrast to the searing heat that engulfed her. Her vision flickered, and the world became a hazy tapestry of shadows and dim lights. The steady humming and ringing in her ears merged into a distant melody, lulling her towards the edge of unconsciousness.

  Percy's touch lingered for a moment longer, a silent promise of strength and solidarity. And then, just as she felt his rage bubble up to worrying levels again, darkness claimed Judith, wrapping her in its ephemeral embrace. The battle raged on in her blood, but for a brief moment, she found respite in the oblivion that swallowed her whole.

NOTES ;

Welp, I'm not quite sure what to say tbh

It feels weird being that author that leaves for like two years at a time and pops back in to deliver an update only to disappear again lol

If the show has done anything, it's inspired my love for writing in this fandom again. And I really did love writing this chapter. It was a great one to come back to, and I hope I did justice for my revival.

I will say that over my past couple breaks, I have reread a bunch of my chapters, older ones especially, and found them...very, very cringey. Lol, I love all of you guys for sticking through this story. You got to see the evolution of my writing. Not that we're sort of nearing the end of this series, I think I'm confident in promising that I'll go back and edit older chapters. Maybe not a full rewrite, but definitely some big revisions. I love Judith, but I think she was lacking in depth at the beginning.

Anyways, enough about all that! How about this chapter!!

Writing a wholesome scene between Judith and Percy is like...cathartic. It's therapeutic, I swear. They deserve it.

And then I went and ruined it...whatever. At least they got their moment

If Judith seems ooc, just blame that on me being away for so long hahaha. She's a figment of my imagination, but she's still been growing and changing up in my brain so

Well, that's all for now folks. I promise not to make you wait too long before the next few updates. We're chugging through to the end of this, I promise.

P.S. if anyone wants to chat about the showwww???? Hit me up ya know

P.P.S. If anyone is also a fan of my Ethan Nakamura fic, God Complex, expect an update for that soon too :)) (it's weird writing for that fic when Ethan is such a pill in this chapter, but eh the duality of man)