Chapter 20: I Kinda... Cut Her Head Off?

Previously: Percy bolted upright, scaring the life out of Bruce, who had been bent over him. The doctor had narrowly avoided getting a broken nose when Percy jumped awake.

"Finally! I couldn't wake you! We're under attack!"

Percy jumped to his feet, instantly alert. He groaned softly when his muscles protested. He could still feel some of the pain from the nightmare. Not much, but enough to give him a headache and, if past experience was anything to judge by, several large bruises on his abdomen.

Bruce gave him a worried glance before gesturing for Percy to follow him. He ran out of the Quin-jet and Percy followed right on his heels. As he stepped out, he could see that it was still dark, just a couple hours after midnight. In the light of the full moon, Percy could see the rest of the team standing in a semi-circle around the jet's ramp. He hurried to stand next to Steve, who was staring intently into the surrounding corn. Tony was on his right and had his suit on but hadn't yet donned his helmet. Natasha and Clint were on Steve's left, with their weapons drawn and ready. Mrs. O'Leary and Bruce stood just behind the line. The hellhounds hackles were raised, and she was growling softly.

"What are we looking at, Steve?" Percy asked softly, staring into the corn intently.

The soldier replied in an equally soft tone. "About ten minutes ago, several... dracaena?" The man paused hesitantly. "Yeah, dracaena slithered out of the corn. Nat was on watch, but before she could do anything, they went straight back in. Since then, we've seen a few shadows through the corn, but nothing's attacked yet." He finally glanced at Percy. "What took you so long?"

Percy shrugged. "Bruce couldn't wake me. Bad demigod dream, I'll tell you after. Those dracaena aren't going to leave. They probably just went for backup."

Steve nodded in agreement. Percy slowly pulled Riptide from his pocket but left it in pen form. Any noise right now was unwelcome.

After a few tense minutes, Percy glimpsed a figure approaching through the rows of corn. He squinted, trying to make it out, but before he could, it moved sideways, disappearing from his view. "Someone's coming," he hissed. He felt the tension rise as the team prepared for a fight.

Suddenly, a burst of harsh laughter burst out from the corn field in front of him, and he flinched.

"Who's there?" he called, masking any nervousness he felt as he uncapped Riptide. It expanded with a small shink and Percy was grateful for the little light it provided. Natasha raised her daggers, Clint nocked an arrow to his string, Steve brought his shield up from where he'd rested it at his side, and Tony brought up his repulsors. Everyone's eyes were scanning the field, searching for the tiniest movement.

Suddenly, a small hiss split the air and an arrow seemed to materialize in Percy's right arm. He screamed, dropping Riptide and clutching his arm. Mrs. O'Leary barked in surprise and anger as she saw her friend hurt. A moment later, a wave of pain crashed over him, and he sank to his knees, groaning. His vision grew blurry, going dark for a moment, and by the time it had cleared, Bruce was at his side, a worried expression on his face. Steve was standing in front of him, shield raised protectively over the two of them.

Percy was panting, and he tried desperately to slow his breathing. He glanced at his arm and noticed that the arrow had already been removed. However, his bicep now had a large hole just below his shoulder. Another wave of pain hit him, and he gasped, clenching his eyes shut and furrowing his brow in pain. Bruce's hands around his shoulders were the only thing keeping him from face-planting on the ground as his muscles spasmed. He heard a low whine and he allowed a small smile to touch his face. He reached out and felt Mrs. O'Leary's fur. "I-I'm alright girl," he grunted through clenched teeth. "It's just a scratch."

He almost missed the soothing voice echoing from the corn.

"My, my Perseus, you've certainly grown up."

Percy forced his eyes open and lifted his head towards the voice's source. He knew that voice. It had been a long time, he was sure, and there was something about the sickly, sweet tone that sent shivers racing up his spine.

Before he could think about it too hard, the pain spiked again, burning this time and spreading even farther. He gritted his teeth to keep from making a sound and struggled to stand. However, Bruce firmly refused to let him stand, forcing him to remain on his knees. Percy shot him a quick glare but a call from Clint had his eyes darting to the field in front of the archer.

Finally, about twenty feet away from the eight of them, a woman in a black dress stepped into their line of sight. The only thing Percy could make out in the moonlight was her toothy grin. He squinted at her approaching form. Why couldn't he see her fa- oh no, Percy thought. Dread filled his body as he noticed the dark veil covering the woman's face.

He could see Bruce's worried expression when he saw the blood drain from the teen's face. "What's wrong?" the doctor whispered. "Who is she?"

All Percy could think to say was "I kinda... cut her head off."

The confused look on Bruce's face would have made him laugh at almost any other moment, but now he was in too much pain to enjoy it. His vision swam as a wave of nausea hit him. He could barely see straight now, but he knew he was right when he heard that sweet laugh.

"Ah, little son of Poseidon. You don't look so good." Her accent was exactly as he remembered it. "The poison always amazes me with its effectiveness."

Percy froze. Is this... gorgon's blood? he thought. The woman was out in the open now, not ten feet away. Steve raised is shield threateningly, and Clint pulled his arrow back to full draw. "That's close enough!" Steve called, but she ignored him. She seemed to notice the horrified expression on Percy's face and she laughed again.

"Oh don't worry, dear. That isn't gorgon's blood. That's a little gift from your friend Thorn. I'm afraid my master was quite specific when he said he wanted you alive. However, he didn't say anything about your companions." She turned to the rest of the team, finally acknowledging their presence. She took an audible breath through her nose and suddenly tensed. Percy could see the surprise in her posture before she erupted into cackling laughter.

"Mortals!" she laughed. "Not a single demigod! Oh, this should be easy."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Clint said, still with his arrow at the ready.

"And why shouldn't I be?" she asked, amusement clear in her voice. "You don't even know who I am, do you?"

"Old grandma late for a funeral?" Tony guessed sarcastically.

"I am one of the most feared people in all of Ancient Greece!" she screamed in anger. "Priestess of Athena and lover of Poseidon! Then one night cursed me forever!" Her hands started moving towards her veil, and Percy's eyes widened. "I AM-"

"COVER YOUR EYES!" Percy screamed, closing his own. The rest of the Avengers didn't hesitate to avert their own gazes, Percy's tone left no room for argument.

"-MEDUSA!" she finished, screaming her name into the cool night air. Percy heard the loud hissing of dozens of snakes, and he knew she had removed her veil. Looking now was suicide. Careful not to look at her, he stared at the field around them and saw dracaena and hellhounds emerging from the darkness. They were outnumbered at least 5 to 1, probably more. He cursed. "Steve! We've got more incoming!" Steve glanced around and nodded as he saw the other monsters. He turned back to the demigod.

"If we meet her eyes we turn to stone?" he asked. Percy nodded. The soldier glanced at the teen's arm and grimaced. "Alright. You stay back. We'll take care of this." Before he could protest, Steve turned to the others. "Clint keep Medusa back. Don't look at her. Get out your phone and use the reflection. We'll take care of the others. Bruce, take care of Percy. Mrs. O'Leary-" she barked loudly when she heard her name, "protect them. Let's go!" He charged forward, engaging a dracaena with his sharpened shield. The others followed, and soon the monster ranks started shrinking. Percy watched with a slight feeling of pride as he watched them fight.

Clint was periodically checking his phone while he was firing at Medusa. He kept his head turned and would occasionally fire at the other monsters whenever they were about to overwhelm his teammates.

Natasha was weaving through the crowd of monsters, slashing tendons, severing snake trunks and causing havoc. As he watched, Percy saw her take out at least three monsters while they were distracting. They didn't even know what hit them before they were on their way back to Tartarus.

Tony was flying just above the heads of the monsters and, like Clint, helping wherever he was needed while picking off straggling monsters on the outside of the battle one-by-one. Arrows from enemy couldn't do more than scratch his bronze and red armor. Soon enough, all of the dracaena archers were nothing but dust thanks to his repulsors.

Steve, on the other hand, was at the center of the battle. Using his sharpened shield and occasionally his dagger, he was decimating the monster ranks. Hellhounds and dracaena alike fell before him as he waded through. Percy gaped a little in awe. Is that what I look like during battle? he wondered before the pain in his arm drew his attention back to his immediate surroundings.

Mrs. O'Leary was happily taking care of any monster that came remotely close to him and Bruce, who was still examining his arm. Currently she had her jaws locked around another hellhound's throat. Percy had never really appreciated just how big his dog was compared to other hellhounds. He still wondered how Daedalus had managed to befriend her. He gasped again in pain as his shoulder throbbed. The pain was definitely worse than when he'd been scratched at Westover Hall all those years ago.

Suddenly, a flash of gold appeared in the corner of his eye, but before he could move, he felt the distinct touch of a sharp blade resting on his throat. He immediately froze, and on his right, Bruce quickly stood, staring at the owner of the very pointy, dangerous sword.

"What are you doing?" he said angrily, and Percy could have sworn he saw the veins on the doctor's neck go slightly green.

"Step away, mortal," a deep, male voice from close behind Percy said smoothly. "This is a family matter." The sword was pressed harder to Percy's neck and he tensed.

Bruce reluctantly stepped away, and Percy felt the blade shifting slightly as its owner moved around him. When he finally stepped into Percy's view, Percy narrowed his eyes. He glared up at the familiar golden gorgon mask above him. He tried to stand, but the point dug deeper into his throat, forcing him to remain on his knees.

"Why hello, brother," Chrysaor drawled. "Long time no see."

"Chrysaor." Percy matched his mocking tone. "Long way from the Mediterranean, aren't you?"

The man shrugged. "To catch his prey, even a pirate most sometimes go ashore."

"Where's you 'fearless' crew?" Percy asked. "Too scared of Dionysus to stay with you?" He gasped as the sword dug even deeper. Percy felt it pierce the skin, and a line of blood started trickling down his neck. Behind them, the sounds of battle were subsiding.

"You will pay for that day, brother," Chrysaor snarled. "They were the perfect crew, and now they are too terrified to even see me."

Percy grinned. "That was actually one of my better plans. I'm quite proud of it personally."

An angry growl echoed from under the helmet. A quick flash of his sword and Percy's left arm was left with a large gash. He groaned slightly but refused to make any other noise. He just directed a hate-filled glare at the monster before him as he returned the sword to his still-bleeding throat.

"If Lord Tartarus had not commanded you be brought alive, boy, I would kill you right here and n-"

Suddenly, a flash of green crossed Percy's vision, and the sword disappeared from his throat. He turned his head and saw Chrysaor crashing to the ground twenty feet away, and standing between them was...

Percy whistled softly. Bruce hadn't been exaggerating at all when he told them about the Hulk. He was giant, green, and, Percy had to admit it, terrifying. As the Hulk advanced on the groaning Chrysaor, Percy turned his attention to his injuries.

He groaned as another wave of pain sprouted from his shoulder. Bruce had already bandaged that one as best he could. He grabbed another bandage from the bag beside him and wrapped it around his other arm. He winced as the fabric came in contact with the wound. He then delicately prodded his neck, examining the cut. It was small, and had already started clotting, though the blood trail was starting to make its way down his chest. He gave it a quick swipe with a bandage and called it good.

By the time he looked up, the battle was almost completely over. Tony was mopping up the final fleeing monsters with some help from Mrs. O'Leary, Steve was helping Clint, throwing his shield at Medusa just based on his hearing. Her snakes did make a bit of noise so that probably helped.

Natasha was running over to were he'd last seen Hulk. He looked over and... oh gods. Hulk had Chrysaor by the leg and was smashing him on the ground repeatedly. Percy winced in sympathy after a particularly hard one. After a few more smashes, Hulk left the beat-up man laying in the dirt and looked around furiously. Percy was worried he was going to destroy the jet. Then, Natasha got close enough to him and started talking softly to him. The Hulk seemed to calm down, and Percy watched in fascination as he gave her his arm.

Then a groan from the beaten and bloody form on the ground caught his attention. He stood with difficulty and stumbled over to Chrysaor's broken form. It was sad really. The man's sword was nowhere to be seen, and half of his armor had been ripped off. His helmet... was gone too.

Percy met his brother's eyes that were staring out of a deformed face. It was like someone had taken a gorgon's and meshed it with a human's. Tusks were only small numbs at the corners of his mouth, and his hair seemed to be half-normal and half-alive. Not full-on snakes, but they writhed slightly for no reason. But his eyes...

They were just like his. Sea-green, and right now, full of pain. Chrysaor moaned again, and his eyes turned pleading. Percy nodded and drew Riptide. With no regret, he stabbed it into Chrysaor's chest.

Just before the light left his eyes, Percy saw gratitude.

"NOOOOOO!" Medusa's scream erupted across the field and Percy covered his hears. He heard grunts of pain from Steve and Clint before footsteps started rapidly approaching him. He immediately closed his eyes and covered them when he heard a body fall to the ground beside him.

"Chrysaor..." the mumbled name was more caring then Percy thought Medusa could ever be. A pang of sympathy his heart.

"You." Though spoken at the same volume, the tone had changed from loving to murderous in less than a second. Percy heard the hissing draw closer and clenched his eyes shut tighter. He tried to lift Riptide, but a sudden pressure on his right arm had him screaming in pain and he dropped it. He tried blindly to push the hand off, but it only tightened, sending another wave of pain through him. His knees gave out and he would have fallen had the hand not forced him to remain standing. His vision started to go fuzzy and he couldn't think straight.

Then, he felt razor-sharp talons resting on his chest. He tucked his chin against his chest, refusing to look up.

"Oh, Perseus," he heard her say in a soft, gentle tone. "You're hurt. Why don't you open your eyes for me, so I can see how much pain you're in?"

Percy had spent enough time with Piper to recognize charmspeak when he heard it. He fought the urge to open his eyes and shook his head frantically. He heard her cluck her tongue disapprovingly.

"Please, Perseus?" she crooned. "I would just like to see those beautiful green eyes again. Just like your father's. Oh, how you remind me of him!"

Again, Percy fought the temptation, but his eyelids flickered slightly. He heard someone shouting his name, but the sound was muffled, and he could barely hear it over Medusa's soothing tone.

"Come on, my dear. Just open them, and you can see all of your old friends again! Just open them, and you can rest."

"Rest?" Percy mumbled.

"Yes, my dear. Rest. No more worries, no more quests, no more pain. And all you have to do, is open your eyes."

Percy's eyes opened. He stared at his feet and the talons pressed to his chest without seeing them. A hand appeared under his chin, gently lifting it, and he didn't resist.

"What a good boy," was the last thing he heard before a wall of darkness slammed into them.

Percy was thrown backwards and landed on his back, all of the air rushing out of him. By the time he had recovered enough to move, his mind was clearing. He saw Mrs. O'Leary savaging what was left of Medusa's body. Her head was already gone, down the hellhound's throat, and Percy couldn't see much else.

He got to his feet gingerly and stumbled over to her. He was met by the other Avengers. Steve and Clint both had small injuries and Tony had returned at the same time as Mrs. O'Leary. Natasha had a few small scratches and Bruce was officially de-greened. Percy grinned at them, but it slipped of his face when he heard a whimper.

His head whipped over to the hellhound as she whimpered again. Their eyes met, and he immediately rushed to her side.

"Hey, hey, girl. What's wrong?" Percy asked softly. The large hellhound collapsed onto her side, exposing her underbelly. Percy gasped when he saw the darkness slowly leaking out of her stomach. Five puncture wounds showed there, and Percy finally understood. When Mrs. O'Leary had pounced on them to save him, Medusa must have lifted the talons from his chest, plunging them into...

Tears started streaming down his face and he raced to her head, pulling it into his lap as best he could and stroking it. He knew there was nothing he could do to save her, he'd dealt similar wounds to hellhounds before and they all proved fatal. He was soon joined by Steve who began stroking her as well.

"T-Thank you so m-much, girl," Percy choked out. "You've saved me more times than I can count. Thank you for being there for me."

Mrs. O'Leary gave a small bark and managed to lick his face. He laughed hollowly and hugged her nose fiercely.

"I'll never forget you," he whispered. "And tell Quintus I said hi."

Moments later, he was holding nothing, and a puddle of shadow lay in front of him. His heart broke, and he screamed his pain to the Kansas sky. He felt hands on his shoulders as his newest friends comforted him as he said goodbye to one of his oldest.

They stayed that way for a while, comforting him, under the light of the full moon.

A/N: I'm really sorry if you all hate me rightnow.