CHAPTER SIX.
better a monster than an arrogant god

     DELIA CROMWELL could sense something was wrong.

The second she and her travel companions stumbled across a building, Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium, Delia could sense there was something off about the building. All of them were lured to the rural location by the sweet smell of cheeseburgers that made the girl's stomach growl with a sickly taste of hunger that grew desperate with every waking second that passed her bye. Delia's empty stomach yearned for its fill, and the emporium seemed to be the answer to all of her problems — the perfect escape from the Fury that had chased them out of the bus and down into the woods to begin with.

     However, there was still this nagging feeling digging into the girl's skull that told her something was still wrong, and it wasn't that they were being chased by a monster threatening to tear them into tiny little pieces.

     It was more than that. A shaky breath left Delia's quivering lips while she looked around the decorative front porch of the emporium. She analysed the beautiful greenery accompanied by the stone statues that stood tall in all of their glory. They were all arranged in a way to look decorative and appealing to the naked eye. But the sight of their expressions sculpted into the stone figures, the looks of pure terror and fear was more than enough to make Delia believe there was still something off about these statues in particular. Delia just couldn't place her finger on what it was yet.

     It didn't help that she had Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase bickering back and forth since the moment the quest started earlier that same day. Delia could see it was a clash of personalities. But she could also sense secrecy coming from Percy, like there was something he didn't want to share with the rest of them. And when it came to Annabeth, well, Delia knew she was stubborn and a major control freak at times, and Percy didn't like that. Thus leading to Delia and Grover being forced into the middle of it all, and while the satyr tried to diffuse the tension between the demigods, Delia remained silent.

     Delia didn't want to be involved. The girl believed it was better to keep her head down and do as she was told, and before she knew it she would be back home in camp where it was safe. Where she wouldn't have to encounter dangers that put everything others fought for to ensure her safety at risk ever again. But until then she had to figure out what they had stumbled upon, and if it was safe for them to continue following.

     "Something seems off about this place," Delia was the first to speak up. She looked around at the dozens of stone statues decorating the front porch. It sent more chills up and down her spinal cord the longer she stared at their faces. It was a warning not to trust it. "Do you think it could be someone from our world?" She asked, turning to the others for confirmation.

     "Aunty Em has a garden full of petrified stone folks. Yeah this is someone from our world, all right," Annabeth agreed, nodding her head. The group stopped in their tracks, looking up at the petrified individuals just as Annabeth parted her lips to speak once again. "Anyone wanna guess what Em is short for..."

     It took a few seconds but the more Delia went over it in her head, the sooner she began to realise what Annabeth was referring too, or who she was referring too. A monster. And not just any monster either. She was the killer of men. A whole other kind of evil that Delia had only heard in the darkest stories told by her mother and stepfather when she was nothing more than a naive child. Back when the only monsters she had to fear were the ones hiding underneath her bed, or tucked into the deepest and darkest shadows of her closet. And now she had to fear the worst of the worst. A woman with tremendous power and wrath.

     Medusa.

Delia knew there and then that it was best to run away into the opposite direction. However, when she turned around with her travel companions, she stumbled backwards in fear when she came face to face with the Fury, Alecto. The red scales on her skin and her wings that stretched across the road was enough to make Delia swallow thickly, a look of genuine fear burning deep within her dark eyes. From the corner of her sights, she saw Percy take out his pen and click off the top, allowing his celestial bronze sword to grow, raising it high like he would attack the Fury at any given moment. But all the monster did was smirk, not intimidated by Percy at all.

"You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance," Alecto spoke up, staring straight back at Annabeth, who shuffled uncomfortably where she stood.

Delia glanced over at the girl, a confused look plastered across her face. She made an attempt to speak, wanting to question Annabeth further, but someone else had already beat her to it. "Offer? What offer is she talking about?" Percy asked, his voice beginning to shake with a mix of worry and dread laced in his voice. From what it sounded like, Annabeth was choosing to keep an important secret from them herself.

     "Not today, friends. Not on my doorsteps," An unfamiliar female voice broke through the tense and harrowing silence, followed by a trail of footsteps, the clicking of heels against the concrete ringing through Delia's ears. When Delia lifted her gaze, she saw Alecto shielding her face from the woman. When Delia turned around and caught a mere glimpse of the woman dressed in white, she quickly turned away, looking down at the ground as her breathing began to speed up, her chest heaving up and down.

     It was her. . . Medusa.

     "If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and I'll help? Alecto, will you be joining us?" Medusa called out. Delia lifted her gaze to stare at the Fury. She didn't even flinch or make an attempt to respond. Almost like she was afraid. A monster afraid of another monster. Delia believed the fear was justified. The mere sound of Medusa clicking her tongue was enough to make her flinch. "No, well I wouldn't think you would. She won't bother you as long as you're with me. But it isn't as though she'll leave either, not if it means reporting that she failed to retrieve the son of Poseidon."

     Delia was surprised to learn everyone knew of Percy's parentage already. She guessed word travelled fast amongst the land of gods and monsters. Percy was just as confused, sounding unsure as he parted his lips to speak, "How did you—"

     "A forbidden child has been claimed. How long did you think that secret would keep?" Medusa questioned, cutting the blond haired boy off. "It's a pleasure to meet you, son of Poseidon. I'm Medusa," She then introduced herself.

     Delia glanced over at Percy to see he was slowly lifting his gaze. Almost like he was going to glance at the monstrous woman at any given moment. So Delia made an attempt to stop him from doing exactly that. "Percy, don't look! She's a monster. You can't trust anything she says or does," Delia warned, a deep and vigorous sound of overwhelming hate dripping from her tongue.

     "We all choose who we make our monsters, my dear, but, right now, that one wants to tear you limb from limb...and I'm offering you lunch. The choice is yours..." Medusa replied, almost like she was amused by Delia's statement.

The sound of Medusa's footsteps receding into the distance was a sign to Delia that she could finally look up. So the girl lifted her gaze, her eyes flickering between the Fury standing behind her, and when Medusa had been standing only moments ago. She shivered, then she let out a sigh in relief, knowing now was the moment to make their escape from Medusa and the Fury. That was until Percy turned to her, Annabeth, and Grover. Delia didn't exactly know what to expect from the forbidden child of a Sea God, but his next few words wasn't what she was expecting at all.

"I think we can trust her," Percy informed, sounding almost confident with his choice of words.

"What?" Delia, Annabeth and Grover exclaimed in unison with each other, staring at Percy in disbelief.

"I can't explain it," Percy replied, shaking his head. "My mom used to tell me her story. And the point was always that she isn't what people think. And I definitely trust my mom," He elaborated further, but Delia was adamant on them fighting their way out instead of walking straight into danger.

And due to her fear and worry, the next string words that spiralled out of her mouth would quickly fuel the girl with regret. "And look where that got your mom..." Delia had snapped. The second she noticed the visible look of hurt wash over Percy's face like a tidal wave, her eyes softened and parted her lips to apologise. But it was clear Percy didn't want to hear it because he immediately cut her off.

"Well, I'm still going in. You guys do what you want," Percy muttered, but Delia could still hear the bitterness and hurt in his voice.

The girl then watched as he walked away from the rest of them, heading towards the entrance where Medusa had gone into moments before. Delia let out a sigh when she saw Grover send her a disapproving stare before he headed inside after Percy, leaving her alone with Annabeth. The two girls glanced at one another, exchanging a series of lingering looks before they ventured off after the satyr, reluctantly stepping into the lion's den, ready to be swallowed whole by the monster hidden in plain sight deep inside the building.

     The second Delia Cromwell entered the building, every cell and nerve in her body burned, screaming at her to run back out and never look back. But she couldn't leave Percy, or Annabeth, and she definitely wouldn't leave Grover behind, not after everything he did for her. So Delia rolled back her shoulders and continued to venture deeper into the building, a sigh of relief leaving her lips the second she spotted Percy and Grover, both boys staring down at the table decorated in an assortment of sweets and treats. Delia had to admit her stomach was still growling with hunger, but she didn't dare touch a single item on that table.

     Percy glanced between the two girls for a second, nodding his head. "Thanks for coming," He expressed. Delia could still see he held some sort of resentment towards her for her previous comment though.

     "This isn't the same for me as it is for you," Annabeth argued, and Delia couldn't help but nod her head in agreement with the girl standing next to her. If Percy knew about her history the same way Grover and Annabeth did, then he would understand her immediate distain for all monsters of all kinds. That included Medusa.

     "You're concerned I would hold a grudge against you simply because you are a daughter of Athena?" Delia looked away again when she heard Medusa's familiar voice the second she stepped back into the room. "You shouldn't be. We're not our parents after all. And you and I might have more in common than you think. Please, sit and eat," The woman encouraged, but only Grover and Percy took a seat, tucking into the food displayed in front of them. Delia and Annabeth remained standing.

     "So you're not a monster, what are you then?" Percy questioned curiously.

     "A survivor," Medusa replied to the young boy.

     Delia shook her head, lifting her gaze to glance over at Percy with a stern look plastered across her face. "Don't listen to her, Percy. People like her...they always see themselves as the victims, when in reality, they're exactly what they are...a monster," Delia informed, her resentment becoming more apparent to the naked eye. Not only did her travel companions notice this, but so did Medusa, who let out a quiet chuckle.

     "Better a monster than an arrogant god," The woman chimed bitterly, almost like she was amused by Delia's previous statement. "But I understand your deep hate for our kind, given what you went through a year ago."

     Medusa's words caught the girl off guard. She was so surprised that she almost lifted her gaze to glance at the woman, but remembered at the last minute that she ran the risk of being turned into stone. So she diverted her gaze back to the ground. "You know nothing about me," Delia countered, her body tense and her jaw clenched in the process.

     Medusa laughed again. "Well, of course I do, daughter of the Sun God," She replied. Medusa knew who her father was. Delia couldn't believe it, not knowing how she would know that kind of information. "Your story is notorious in our world. What your father did for you, well, that was amicable. Nearly brought a tear to my own eye," She explained. Delia shuffled uncomfortably from where she stood. Especially when she noticed the others staring at her.

Delia was quite frankly grateful Annabeth picked up on the tension in the air, the girl deciding to change the subject. "What my mother did to you wasn't a gift. It was a curse," Annabeth interjected, however, her words only seemed to amuse Medusa even more.

"You are loyal to your mother. So was I. I loved your mother very much," Medusa replied, a sense of understanding laced in her voice as she continued to speak. "Do you know the story of how I came to be this way?" She asked.

"I do," Grover piped up, his mouth full of food.

"Do you?" Medusa challenged him.

Silence fell upon the group, quickly flooding the air as Grover stopped chewing on the sweet treats scattered across the table with a puzzled look glimmering in his eyes. "Do I?" The satyr questioned, sounding unsure.

"Athena was everything to me. I worshipped her, I prayed to her. I made offerings. She never answered. Not even an omen to suggest she appreciated my love. I wasn't like you, sweetheart. I was you," Medusa explained, her words aimed directly at Annabeth, the daughter of Athena. "I would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime...in silence. But then one day, another god came, and he broke that silence," Medusa continued, and Delia noticed her head turn to glance into Percy's direction.

"Your father. The Sea God told me that he loved me. I felt as though he saw me in a way I had never felt seen before," Medusa spoke with such passion when it came to Poseidon. Delia could sense the smile on the woman's lips as he spoke about him. She was genuinely in love with him at one time in her life. "But then Athena declared that I had embarrassed her and I needed to be punished. Not him. Me. She decided that I would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale," She explained further, her words sending chills up Delia's spine again.

     She never knew that about the woman. She was punished for simply being in love with a man she could never have. She wondered how many other women there were who were just like her, and how many would there continue to be after Medusa.

     However, not everyone shared the same sympathy as Delia did. "That isn't what happened. My mother is just, always," Annabeth declared, defending her mother against the monstrous woman sitting across from her.

     "The gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible. But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their own shortcomings," Medusa countered calmly.

     Annabeth shook her head. She appeared almost angry, but Delia could've easily blamed the girl's anger and frustration on her own denial over the situation. "That is not what happened. And you are a liar," She snapped harshly.

     Delia winced at the girl's violent tone and prepared to see Annabeth be turned to stone there and then. But instead she heard Medusa rise from her chair. "Something's burning. Would you give me a hand in the kitchen? I think lunch is ready," Medusa spoke up, leaving the kitchen, and it didn't take long for Percy to follow close behind her.

     The second she knew the rest of them were alone, Delia turned her attention to Annabeth, a serious look burning in her eyes. "Did you seriously have to talk like that to a monster in her own home? Are you trying to get us killed?" Delia whispered to the girl, upset with how she chose to handle the situation.

     But instead of responding to Delia, Annabeth looked between her and Grover before she parted her lips to speak. "Just get ready to run," She informed.

Delia didn't know what Annabeth had already seen coming, but she still trusted the girl wholeheartedly more than just another monster. So she nodded her head, waiting for the go ahead to run, but seconds turned into minutes, and Delia was becoming anxious. That was until Percy came rushing back into the room, declaring that they had to run and hide from the vicious woman. Delia followed him down below into what appeared to be a basement hidden deep underneath the building above. It was dark, and from what she could tell, it was also cramped. Delia just didn't know how cramped until streaks of fire ignited down the staircase after them.

Once the room was fully illuminated, Delia looked ahead and stumbled backwards in horror when she saw the hundreds of petrified monsters, creatures, demigods, and even innocent civilian. She couldn't believe Medusa almost made her feel sympathetic when she told her story. Medusa might have paid the price for a man's misdeed, but she was still a monster through and through. Nothing could change that. Her stone victims were enough proof to show Delia that once a monster, always a monster.

She was grateful that Grover spoke up when he did, distracting the girl from the horrors displayed in front of her. "There's four of us and only one of her. If we split up, she can't be watching us all at once," Grover informed. It made sense, but Delia knew it sounded too easy, and nothing about their situation screamed easy.

Delia wasn't the only one thinking it either because it didn't take long for Annabeth to speak up. "I don't think it'd be that simple," She countered, shaking her head.

"It could be..." Grover trailed off, pausing for a moment while he looked around. It was almost like he was plotting a plan of his own. "Here's the plan. I'll get in the air, I'll draw her attention. As soon as you hear me say, Maia, you guys start—"

Grover didn't even get a chance to finish explaining because the second he said the secret word, the shoes on his hooves grew wings and began to flap, lifting the satyr boy into the air and carrying him away. The last thing Delia saw was her friend disappearing into the darkness above, his screams of worry becoming distant echoes. Delia then let out a quiet sigh, turning to Percy and Annabeth with concern burning in her dark eyes. "So...onto plan b?" She questioned in a rhetorical manner.

"We are not our parents," Medusa's familiar voice bellowed off the walls of the basement. This caused for Delia to run and hide. Percy and Annabeth quickly did the same. "Until we choose to be. You three have chosen," She seethed, the sound of her heels clicking against the concrete floor ringing through Delia's ears, followed by the hissing of the snakes that made her hair.

Delia remained hidden behind a wooden box used for shipping. She could feel her heart hammering hard against her ribcage, throbbing in her chest with each heavy beat that pulsated through the vital organ. Her breathing became rapid, sending her into a downward spiral. If Delia didn't calm herself down Medusa would surely find her and turn her into another one of her stone victims. So Delia lifted her trembling hand and cupped it over her mouth and nose, muffling her frantic breaths laced with blood curdling fear. Her panicked eyes then darted all over the dimly lit room, the stone figures surrounding her like a reminder of what she would become if she allowed herself to be caught.

Delia used her free hand to reach up and clutch the sun pendent hanging loosely around her neck. She thought about her parents and their sacrifice, and how it would mean nothing if she was killed right here and now. She thought about her sisters, Feyre and Alina, and that they were patiently waiting for her safe return back to camp. Then she thought about the meaning of the necklace around her neck, and Feyre words to her before she left. As long as you're wearing this, the gods above will protect you. Delia closed her eyes and prayed to the gods, hoping they would allow Delia and the others to make it out of this alive.

And when she heard the sound of a grunt, followed by the swiping of a sword, and the thud of something hitting the ground, she opened her eyes again. Delia slowly removed her hand from her mouth and peaked her head up. She looked around for a moment, a weary look in her eyes until she saw Percy, Annabeth and Grover, who now had his feet placed firmly on the ground. Delia stood up and approached the others, looking around for Medusa. But there was no sign of the woman. It made Delia wonder where she must have gone.

"Is it over?" Delia asked, her voice shaky while she spoke.

She then watched as Percy walked ahead and lifted up something, holding it in his hand, yet they couldn't see what it was, being hidden by Annabeth's cap. But the squelching of flesh was more than a clear indication of what must have happened to Medusa. She was dead. Killed by Percy Jackson himself. "What should we do with it?" Asked Percy.

It was quiet for a moment before Delia lifted her gaze, an idea coming to mind. "Why don't we kill two birds with one stone?" She inquired, but the others just stared at her with confused looks in their eyes. "I mean, why don't we use Medusa's head to kill Alecto? One of us goes out and holds it to her when she least expects it. Medusa's dead. Alecto is dead. We're free to carry on the quest," She explained.

"That's actually a really good idea, Delia," Annabeth complimented, followed by nods of agreement from the boys while Delia did her best to hide the small smile ghosting across her lips.

That gave Percy and Annabeth the go ahead to head upstairs and take care of Alecto together, leaving Delia and Grover alone in the basement. It was silent for a brief moment. Delia mostly spent the silence looking around the basement, scanning her eyes over each face that were not as lucky as them. She would remember today, and remember the faces of the unwilling victims who couldn't escape from Medusa's sick and twisted plans for them. It also reminded Delia how lucky she was to have made it out alive so she could help continue on in the quest as best as she could. She breathed a sigh of relief, realising how close she had come to death's jaws. She was relieved to know her time wasn't up just yet.

"That was smart, you know..." Delia was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Grover's voice. The girl turned to her satyr friend, a confused expression plastered across her face. "Using Medusa's head to get rid of Alecto...it was quick thinking. See, you're more of use to this quest than you think," He elaborated, and the second Delia heard those words, she shot Grover a look.

"Feyre said something before we left, didn't she?" Delia questioned, raising her brow suspiciously.

Grover shrugged his shoulders in response to the girl's question. "She might have caught me before I was heading out. She explained how you were feeling about going on the quest. She said to look out for you," He admitted. Delia rolled her eyes. Her sister was too overprotective sometimes. "She thinks this quest will be good for you. You can make some friends along the way," He added, a small smile ghosting across his lips.

     "Like Percy and Annabeth?" Delia scoffed, shaking her head. "Thanks, but no thanks. Percy is sweet, but he just doesn't get any of this. And Annabeth, I like her, but she's bossy. I just want to help retrieve the master bolt, and then go home," She explained further. "Plus, I have friends. I have you."

     Grover watched as Delia smiled. She was trying to deflect the real issue here and how her inability to make friends stemmed from childhood trauma. She's done it so many times that it created a pattern Grover managed to pick up on over time. "I mean, friends that aren't just me, Delia," He reminded the girl.

     "And where's the fun in that?" Delia replied, brushing past him as she began to walk away, wandering deeper into the dark basement.

     Grover was quick to trail after the girl. "Look, you went through a lot last year and I get that it's hard to get close to anyone, but maybe new friends will be good for you—"

     The satyr boy was quickly cut off by Delia who stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him, her serious eyes staring into Grover's soul. "Are you saying this to me as my friend, or my former protector?" She asked, furrowing her brows together, a curious look dancing around her dark, brown eyes.

Grover was hesitant to answer at first before he tilted his head slightly to the side, shrugging once again. "Both?" He answered, but it sounded more like a question when it left his lips. This caused for Delia to let out a huff before she turned on her heel and walked into the opposite direction again. Grover then followed after her. "Delia, I understand your reasons for not wanting to be friends with anyone. But not everyone you care about is going to end up like your—"

Delia stopped in her tracks once again when the deafening silence quickly filled the dark void. She turned around to see Grover was now looking up at one of the stone statues, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Delia felt her heart drop when she saw her satyr's saddened face, causing for the girl to slowly approach him, a concerned look washing over her face in the process. She stopped once she was standing beside him, looking up at the statue that rendered Grover speechless. Delia could see he was another satyr, but she didn't quite understand the connection between the petrified creature and Grover.

"What is it?" Delia looked over her shoulder when she heard Annabeth's familiar voice, watching for a moment as her and Percy approached them.

"Uncle Ferdinand. This is as far as he got on his quest. We aren't even in Trenton. But look at him. He's not like the others he doesn't look afraid," Grover informed. Delia felt her own heart ache for her friend, knowing all too well what this kind of loss felt like. She placed her hand on the satyr's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as an attempt to comfort him.

     She then looked back at Percy and Annabeth. "Did you guys take care of Alecto?" She asked.

     Percy nodded his head in response while Delia removed her hand from Grover's shoulder. The duo then approached the same table they saw Percy and Annabeth standing at. "But what are we gonna do with the head?" Percy asked, looking around at the others. "I just took down a Fury with it, and I wasn't even trying. We can't just leave it for someone to find. We should leave the hat on and bury it in the basement," He elaborated.

     Delia's gaze drifted over to where Annabeth stood, her eyes on Percy, like the mere mention of leaving the gift from her mother behind severed a nerve in her body. Delia was sure the girl was going to snap back at him. But instead she shocked Delia by nodding her head in agreement. "Sure. Now, can we talk about the bigger issue here?" She replied, attempting to change the subject.

     Percy glanced back at the girl, a puzzled look glimmering in his ocean blue eyes. "What bigger issue?" He countered

     Delia turned to Grover, an exasperated sigh leaving her lips. "Here we go again..." She whispered, knowing another argument between Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase was imminent.

     "You could have saved your mother?" Annabeth reminded him of Medusa's words. Delia vividly remembered hearing those words leave Medusa's lips moments before her gruesome death. But she didn't dwell on them until Annabeth brought it back up. "That's what she said to you, like you discussed it already. Is your mother still alive?" She pursued, her voice laced with so much urgency demanding answers from the curly haired boy.

     Delia then turned to Percy. "Wait. Your mom is still alive? And you didn't tell us?" She interjected herself into the conversation.

     "She's with Hades," Percy told the girl, sparing Delia a quick glance before he turned his attention back to Annabeth. "But I appreciate your concern," He fired back at the wise daughter of Athena, a bitterness laced in his sharp tone.

     "What are you actually doing on this quest? And why did I have to hear about this from Medusa?" Annabeth argued, growing frustrated.

     Percy nodded his head, a scoff filled with disbelief leaving his lips. "Okay, while we're at it, you should have accepted my offer?" He asked, repeating Alecto's words from earlier. "What's that about do you think? And why did we have to hear it from Alecto?" He continued to speak, beginning to raise his voice towards the girl in the process.

     "Enough!"

     Delia almost jumped in her own skin when she heard Grover yell loudly, putting an end to Percy and Annabeth's senseless bickering. Delia turned to face the satyr boy, watching as he began to breathe heavily, clearly angry and frustrated with the demigods fighting back and forth, delaying their process in the quest. She almost didn't blame Grover for losing his cool in their presence. If Delia wasn't so against confrontation, she would've blown up on them all the way back on the bus when they first started to bicker back and forth. She then watched as Grover turned to Percy.

     "The hat was a gift from her mother. It's the only thing she's ever possessed that connects them. That oughta matter to you," Grover told the boy. Percy made an attempt say something in response, but he was quickly cut off by Grover once again, who turned to Annabeth. "And you, really? His mom's alive. Can you imagine how confusing that must be for him? Feeling like he may have to choose between the fate of the world and the fate of the only person who's ever cared about him?"

     Grover's eyes then found Delia, the boy letting out a shaky breath before he parted his lips to speak once again. "And you..."

     Delia felt like her eyes were about to bulge out of their sockets from how wide they grew. "Me? What did I do?" She questioned.

     "You need to stop sitting back and acting like you don't belong on this quest. You might not be a fighter, but you just came up with the idea to use Medusa to kill Alecto. You need to speak up instead of staying quiet because that's what's easier for you," Grover lectured. Delia folded her arms over her chest, looking down at the ground. "I get that you went through a lot last year, but that doesn't give you the right to shut people out."

"What happened last year?" Percy piped up, staring at Delia with a curious look in his eyes.

"Nothing," Delia quickly replied, shutting him down in an instant. Her past wasn't exactly something she wanted to talk about it.

"This is exactly what I'm talking about, Delia," Grover snapped at the girl. "Believe it or not, people actually care about you, and if you just let them in, you'd be surprised by how many will still stick around afterwards."

Annabeth then stared at the satyr with concern. "Grover, is everything okay?" She asked.

"No. All day I've been trying to keep this quest on track without upsetting any of you. But maybe things need to get a little upsetting before they move forward," Grover answered truthfully, appearing to be more stressed than usual. The satyr then turned to Percy, a serious look plastered across his face. "She asked you a question back in the woods, and you never really answered. What are you so afraid of?" He inquired suspiciously.

Percy shook his head in response. "What are you talking about?" He countered.

"You heard me," Grover replied, a stern look burning in his eyes.

"I don't know," Percy answered, his voice beginning to shake while he shrugged his shoulders.

"I think you do," Grover argued back. "You've been fighting with her. You've been fighting with me—"

"Because the Oracle said one of you would betray me. Okay?" Percy snapped back. His response was enough to fuel the air with a thick layer of tension. Delia's eyes softened, listening as Percy began to elaborate further. "You shall be betrayed by the one who calls you a friend, and you shall fail to save what matters most in the end. That's the rest of what she said to me," He explained, the details of the prophecy sending chills up Delia's spine. She couldn't imagine the weight of such responsibility on her shoulders.

Percy looked to Annabeth for a moment before his gaze shifted back over towards Grover and Delia. "I chose her because I couldn't imagine we'd ever be friends," Upon hearing Percy's words, Delia's gaze landed on Annabeth, who appeared almost hurt by the boy's words about her. "And I didn't want to choose Delia. I wanted to choose Feyre because she's more experienced than any of us. But I didn't know if I could trust her, so I picked someone who was more like a stranger to me than a friend," Delia felt a sharp pang shoot through her heart when she heard Percy's words about her.

It was meant to be Feyre. Not her. He chose her because they weren't friends. Maybe they never would be.

"And I chose you because I thought if I can count on anyone to be on my side, no matter what, it was you," Percy explained to Grover, swallowing thickly, like he was holding back a cry. "And now I'm feeling so alone. I don't know what to think or who to trust," He sighed, and when he saw the hurt looks on both Annabeth's and Delia's faces, he knew he was wrong for what he had said. "I didn't mean it that way."

Annabeth shrugged her shoulders. "Alecto offered to help our quest if I gave you up to her," She informed.

"What did you say?" Percy replied.

"I killed her sister," Annabeth answered, a ghost of a smile forming across her lips.

Percy did his best to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. "Medusa offered to help save my mom if I turned on the three of you," He told the group.

"And what'd you say?" Annabeth asked him.

Percy nodded towards the invisible head placed on the table. "I cut off her head." Delia smiled when she heard Percy chuckle quietly. It was the first time in a while she felt herself genuinely smile.

"You didn't choose to be demigods. We didn't choose this quest," Grover spoke up, his eyes shifting between each demigod in his presence. "But we can decide that as long as the four of us are together, none of us are gonna be alone. And if we can't do that, we might as well head back to camp right now. 'Cause we won't make it," He explained to the trio.

Normally Delia would have jumped at the chance to head home and abandon the quest. Instead she shocked the others and herself by saying, "No. We can do this. We will do this. Once we figure out what to do with the head..." Delia glanced over at Percy to see an idea had quickly crossed his mind.

"I think I've got a better idea what to do with this..." He trailed off. Delia watched as the curly haired boy took out a cardboard box, writing down something across the material. The boy then placed Medusa's head into the box. "Hermes express, she ships these things all over. Some of it goes to Olympus."

Delia was quick to shake her head in response. "No. You can't to that," She retorted, not on board with his plan. It seemed like she wasn't the only one either. Annabeth and Grover seemed to be in agreement with her.

Percy shrugged, "Why?"

"They will see this as impertinent," Annabeth informed, not liking the sound of sending Medusa's head to the mighty gods above. There was no telling how they would react to such an unexpected gift from a couple of children.

"I am impertinent," Percy corrected. Grover made an attempt to protest, but Percy was quick to cut him off. "Medusa tried to derail our quest. She's got serious beef with your mom. When you look at it that way, this seems like tribute or something. Besides, this way, a part of your mom's still with us," Percy elaborated, justifying his actions.

The boy then closed the box, pulling out Annabeth's hat in the process before he handed the item back to the girl. "Thank you," Annabeth nodded, grateful for Percy's sincerity and dedication to getting the hat back for her.

Delia couldn't help but smile again. Maybe the quest wouldn't be a total waste after all. Maybe something good could still come from the chaos. . .

Little did she know, the worse was yet to come.

━━━━━━━━

authors note.
I love Delia so much. I teased her backstory a lot in this chapter to set up the future friendships between herself and the others. But yeah her backstory is the most devastating.
Also I realised the way Medusa describes Poseidon kinda reminds me of Feyre and Luke. Brb I'm going to go and cry now.

But I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon!!