One would think that taking a person-sized boulder straight to the leg and subsequently having it trapped beneath said boulder would hurt. That was the exact thought running through (Y/N)'s mind as he looked at the bloody pulp that was once his right leg. The sound of the battle around him faded out as his ears began ringing

Then the shock wore off.

"God fucking damn it!" (Y/N) screamed, "Tyson! Tyson, I need help!"

Tyson was preoccupied with Polyphemus, who had successfully garnered a moment's hesitation from the smaller Cyclops through pity. Instead, Percy ran over, sand flying as he slid next to (Y/N).

"Shit, shit, shit!" (Y/N) yelled, panicking. "Fuck, I can't fucking feel it!"

"Alright man, calm down a sec," Percy said, starting to push on the boulder. It didn't move an inch. (Y/N) did his best to help, but he couldn't even reaching ok the boulder, much less assist in pushing it.

Quick CW here: Severe blood and gore, self-amputation. Skip to next bold if needed.

"Shit," (Y/N) sighed, breathing heavily. "Percy, I... I think you need to cut it off."

"What? No, just... give me a second," Percy objected before trying to push again. Same result as last time. (Y/N) took off his suit jacket and began tying it around his leg, trying to cut off the blood flow onto the white beach.

"Percy, that's not doing a damn thing," (Y/N) said, tightening the tourniquet. "Get out Riptide and cut off my damn leg!"

"(Y/N) settle down, just-"

"Percy, cut my leg off right now or I will personally redirect your soul to hell!" (Y/N) yelled, catching Percy's attention. "If you won't do it, give me Riptide and I'll do it myself."

"No, no, just..." (Y/N) grabbed Percy's arm and looked him square in the eyes.

"Percy, just do it," (Y/N) said, "or I won't be able to get off this God-forsaken island."

Percy nodded before raising Riptide up high. (Y/N) transformed Tentazione into its pistol form before putting the slide in his mouth. If Polyphemus was using noise to track them, then he'd want to mute his inevitable shouts of pain.

Percy swung Riptide down as hard as he could. The Celestial Bronze cut cleanly through (Y/N)'s muscle but practically bounced off his bone. Percy raised for another swing.

THWACK

Percy hit a slightly different spot, severing a little more muscle, but still leaving the bon as it was.

(Y/N) whipped his head around, just trying to find something sharp he could get under. He was able to spot a shiny, jagged piece of boulder just out of reach.

"Percy, see that jagged stone over there?" (Y/N) asked him. "The one that looks like it could become a spearhead with a little sharpening? Give me that."

Percy nodded his head, giving (Y/N) what he had asked for. "Are you sure you have it from here?" he asked.

"Yeah, amazing what they teach during the winter at camp," (Y/N) said. He knew the medical stuff, sure, but one false move would still surely result in him bleeding out. Percy nodded his head before turning around and moving to help Tyson, who had just struck Tyson with a tree, enough force behind it to send Tyson flying back, leaving a trench in the sand. Percy shouted something, but (Y/N) was concentrating too hard to hear it. He had just wiggled the sharp rock under his leg and got to cutting. It hurt like a bitch, but he had put Tentazione's slide back into his mouth to keep himself quieter. More than once he was tempted to throw the rock in pain, but he reminded himself what he was doing.

Eventually, he was able to sever enough tissue that he was just down to the bone. He could feel himself get light-headed before taking a look at the rock that he had been using to this point. It was pitch black, but shiny like glass.

Obsidian.

From what he had heard from the Aphrodite campers, who used the stuff for gothic jewelry, one had to be careful when holding it, because it could cut through bone. Looked like it was time for (Y/N) to test that theory.

(Y/N) began sawing at the bone, the urge to scream even stronger than ever. His ears were beyond ringing at this point, every bone in his body was just screaming at him to give up. He could feel the pounding of his heart in his head and the shaking of his hand all the way down his arm. He was starting to see spots and had to resist the urge to pass out several times.

Eventually, though, he heard a snap as the bone was separated enough to detach from the rest of his body. (Y/N) quickly discarded the obsidian to the side and grabbed his pant leg, quickly tying a slipknot into it and pulling it as tight as he could. He could feel the blood pooling against it, but it was the best he could do. (Y/N) then turned on his stomach, shoved Tentazione into his left pant pocket, and started crawling, desperately trying to make his way to the ship. It was only a few dozen meters away, but to (Y/N), it might as well have been on the other side of the planet.

Alright, over and done.

(Y/N) felt cool saltwater wash over him, doing his wound no favors. It burned severely, but it was carrying (Y/N) towards the ship, which he was beyond grateful for. He turned his head toward said ship and smiled, ready to get out of there.

Then a boulder smashed right through it. Without that hope, that slight chance at making it, (Y/N) passed out.

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(Y/N) didn't think he was going to wake up. He thought for certain that the next sight he would see would be the pits of Hell, specifically whatever ring his father ruled. What he didn't expect was the crystalline water, the wooden docks, or the many luxury yachts.

"Since when did Hell look like a private island dock?" (Y/N) asked no one in particular. His first clue that he wasn't where he thought he was was the fact that he was draped in Golden Fleece which had been disguised by the mist as a red-and-gold Letterman jacket with a large and glittery Greek letter on the back. His second was that someone told him.

"Since it wasn't Hell," Annabeth said. "We're in Miami."

(Y/N) checked his leg, just to make sure. It was still long gone, probably either rotting on the beach or being eaten by Polyphemus, but the stump had somewhat healed. Not enough that he could afford to leave it be if he didn't want chronic pain, but enough that it wouldn't kill him.

"Come on," Percy said, supporting (Y/N)'s right side after putting the son of greed's arm over his shoulder.

"June Eighteenth!" Annabeth cursed. "We've been away from camp for ten days!"

"That's impossible!" Clarisse complained. The others knew that it wasn't. Time moves differently in monstrous places.

"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight."

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement. "How are we supposed to do that?" Her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No ride, (Y/N)'s money at the bottom of the sea. This is just like the Oracle said. It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered-"

"Oh, shit, she's right! My money!" (Y/N) looked back out to sea, like he was willing the money back to himself.

"Percy's fault?!" Annabeth exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest-"

"Stop it!" Percy said. Clarisse put her head in her hands. Annabeth stomped her foot in frustration.

"Wait..." (Y/N) said, remembering something from earlier. "What was the prophecy again?"

"Didn't  I already tell you, money mind?" Clarisse asked, before sighing and repeating the prophecy.

"You shall sail the iron ship with Greed and bone, you shall find what you seek, and make it your own. But fear for your life entombed within stone, and fail without friends, to fly home alone."

"Wait," Percy said, searching his pockets. "Does anybody have cash?"

Annabeth and Grover shook their heads. (Y/N) just looked down, mourning his losses. Clarisse pulled a wet Confederate dollar from her pocket and sighed.

"Cash?" Tyson asked hesitantly. "Like... green paper?"

Percy looked at him. "Yeah."

"Like the kind in duffel bags?"

(Y/N) got excited as he looked at Tyson, who rummaged in his saddle pack and pulled out one of the Ziploc bags he had packed his cash into.

"My money!" (Y/N) said, making a grab, though forgetting his current position and instead face-planting on the asphalt. "Ow."

"Thought it was a feed bag for Rainbow," he said. "Found it floating in sea, but only paper inside. Sorry."

He handed Percy the cash. It was mostly fives and tens, at least five hundred dollars. Percy ran to the curb and tried to call a cab, but was stopped when (Y/N) grabbed his leg. He made a 'gimme' motion with his hand, wanting the money. Percy obliged and (Y/N) counted out two hundred in tens before sticking them in the air.

"It's my money, I decide how much breathing room you get!" he declared. "And I want the change back!"

Percy grabbed what (Y/N) had offered and ran to the curb, calling a taxi. "Clarisse," he yelled. "Come on. You're going to the airport. (Y/N), give her the Fleece."

(Y/N) wasn't sure who looked more stunned between Annabeth and Clarisse as he took off the jacket and handed it to Percy, who stuffed the cash into one of its pockets and put it in Clarisse's arms.

Clarisse looked stunned. "You'd let me-"

"It's your quest," Percy said. "(Y/N)'s only offering enough for one flight-"

"Damn right," (Y/N) yelled, pocketing what remained. "It's my money."

"And I can't travel by air. Zeus would blast me into a million pieces. That's what the prophecy meant: you'd fail without our help, but you'd have to fly home alone. You have to get the Fleece back safely."

Everyone could tell her mind was working overtime. She was suspicious at first, wondering what trick Percy was playing, then finally deciding that he meant what he said.

Clarisse jumped into the cab. "You can count on me. I won't fail."

"Not failing would be good."

The cab peeled out in a cloud of exhaust. The Fleece was on its way.

"Percy," Annabeth said, "that was so-"

"Generous?" Grover offered.

"Insane," Annabeth corrected. "(Y/N)'s injured still, and you're betting the lives of everybody back at camp that Clarisse will get the Fleece safely back by tonight?"

"It's her quest," Percy reminded her. "She deserves a chance."

"Technically I'm a companion for her, but oh well," (Y/N) chuckled.

"Percy is nice," Tyson said.

"Percy is too nice," Annabeth grumbled, but Percy couldn't help thinking she was impressed. He'd definitely surprised her, at least, and that wasn't easy to do.

"Come on," Percy told the group, having picked up (Y/N) and now supporting his right side. "Let's find another way home."

That was when he turned and found a sword's point at his throat.

"Hey, cuz," said Luke. "Welcome back to the States."

A pair of bear-man thugs appeared on either side of the group. One grabbed Annabeth and Grover by their T-shirt collars. The other tried to grab Tyson, but Tyson knocked him into a pile of luggage and roared at Luke.

"Percy," Luke said calmly, "tell your giant to back down or I'll have Oreius bash your friends' heads together."

Oreius grinned and raised Annabeth and Grover off the ground, kicking and screaming.

"What do you want, Luke?" Percy growled.

The son of Hermes smiled, the scar rippling on the side of his face. He gestured toward the dock where Percy noticed what should have been obvious. The biggest boat in the port was the Princess Andromeda.

"Why, Percy," Luke said, "I want to extend my hospitality."

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The bear twins herded them aboard the Princess Andromeda. They threw them down on the aft deck in front of a swimming pool with sparkling fountains that sprayed into the air. They tried to force (Y/N) into the same classic hostage position as the others, but let him sit normally when he kept falling over. A dozen of Luke's assorted goods, be they snake people, Laistrygonians, or demigods in battle armor, had gathered to watch the group get some 'hospitality.' However, the one that made (Y/N) the saddest was seeing Adrianna, daughter of Hephaestus. Something had happened to her between January when she had left and now, something terrible. Her jaw was completely gone, having been replaced by machinery that was almost certainly of her own creation.

Whenever she turned her head, anyone who was looking at her could see right through her mouth, as there was a massive hole between where her cheeks used to be. The teeth looked natural, but everything else about the left side and lower right of her face had been replaced by blue and black metal. She also had a pair of massive blades that almost seemed to be coming out of the flesh on her right forearm.

She pulled some kind of device, about the size of an iPod, from her pants and threw some drones on the floor. They were almost the exact same as the ones that (Y/N) had gotten a preview of last year, except they were now using human skulls as part of the primary chassis. The drones began to hover in the air, waiting for any of them to make a move.

"And so, the Fleece," Luke mused, having to speak up slightly to be heard over the buzzing of the drones. "Where is it?"

He looked the group over, prodding Percy's shirt with the tip of his sword, poking Grover's jeans.

"Hey!" Grover yelled. "That's real goat fur under there!"

"Sorry, old friend." Luke smiled. "Just give me the Fleece and I'll leave you to return to your, ah, little nature quest."

"Blaa-ha-ha!" Grover protested. "Some old friend!"

"Maybe you didn't hear me." Luke's voice was dangerously calm. "Where- is- the- Fleece?"

"Not here," Percy said. He almost second-guessed himself for saying anything, but it felt good to throw the truth in his face. "We sent it on ahead of us. You messed up."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. You couldn't have..." His face reddened as a horrible possibility occurred to him. "Clarisse?"

"No shit, Sherlock," (Y/N) said. "You really think I wouldn't be trying to regrow my leg if we still had it?"

"You trusted... you gave..."

"Yeah," Percy said.

"Agrius!"

The bear-man flinched. "Y-yes?"

"Get below and prepare my steed. Bring it to the deck. I need to fly to the Miami Airport, fast!"

"But boss-"

"Do it!" Luke screamed. "Or I'll feed you to the drakon!"

The bear-man gulped and lumbered down the stairs. Luke paced in front of the swimming pool, cursing in Ancient Greek, gripping his sword so tight that his knuckles were starting to turn white.

The rest of Luke's crew looked uneasy. "Maybe they'd never seen their boss so unhinged before," Percy whispered.

"Or maybe they have and know what comes next," (Y/N) whispered back. "Look at Adrianna." Said half-blood bore whatever counted as a nervous look with only a quarter of one's face.

'Maybe if I could use Luke's anger, get him to talk so everybody could hear how crazy his plans were...' Percy thought to himself. He looked at the swimming pool and the fountains spraying mist into the air, making a rainbow in the sunset, and got an idea.

"You've been toying with us all along," Percy said. "You wanted us to bring you the Fleece and save you the trouble of getting it yourself."

"What was it the demon said?" Luke asked. "'No shit, Sherlock?' But no, you had to go and mess it all up!"

"Traitor!" Percy dug his last golden drachma out of his pocket and threw it at Luke. As expected, he dodged it easily. The coin sailed into the spray of rainbow-colored water.

Seeing what Percy was doing, (Y/N) let out a prayer, despite the headache it caused him. "Oh goddess, accept our offering," he whispered, low enough that not even he could hear it.

"You tricked all of us!" Percy yelled at Luke. "Even DIONYSUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD!"

Behind Luke, the fountain began to shimmer, but Percy needed everyone's attention on him, so he uncapped Riptide.

Luke just sneered. "This is no time for heroics, Percy. Drop your puny little sword, or I'll have you killed sooner rather than later!"

"Who poisoned Thalia's tree, Luke?"

"I did, of course," he snarled. "I already told you that. I used elder python venom, straight from the depths of Tartarus."

"So Chiron had nothing to do with it?" Percy questioned.

"Ha! You know he would never do that," Luke chuckled. "The old fool wouldn't have the guts."

"You call that guts?" Percy demanded. "Betraying your friends? Endangering the whole camp?"

Luke raised his sword. "You don't understand the half of it. I was going to let you take the Fleece... once I was done with it."

That made Percy hesitate. Why would he let them take the Fleece? He must have been lying. But Percy couldn't afford to lose his attention.

"You were going to heal Kronos," Percy realized.

"Yes! The Fleece's magic would've sped his mending process tenfold. But you haven't stopped us, Percy. You've only slowed us down a little."

"And so you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up... all to help Kronos destroy the gods."

Luke gritted his teeth. "You know that! Why do you keep asking me?"

(Y/N) leaned over into Luke's view, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. "We wanted to make sure the guys in the back really heard you."

Luke turned around, eyes narrowed, while Adrianna and the other goons did the same. They all gasped and stumbled back, except Adrianna who prepared to slice through the message.

Above the pool, shimmering in the rainbow mist, was an Iris-message version of Dionysus, Tantalus, and the whole camp in the dining pavilion. They sat in stunned silence, watching the group.

"Well," said Dionysus dryly, "some unplanned dinner entertainment."

"Mr. D, you heard him," Percy said. "You all heard Luke. The poisoning of the tree wasn't Chiron's fault."

Mr. D sighed. "I suppose not."

"The Iris-message could be a trick," Tantalus suggested, desperation in his voice, despite that his attention was purely on his cheeseburger, which he was trying to corner with both hands.

"I fear not," Mr. D said, looking with distaste at Tantalus. "It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse's pinochle games."

Tantalus grabbed the cheeseburger. It didn't bolt away from him. He lifted it from the plate and stared at it in amazement, as if it were the largest diamond in the world. "I got it!" he cackled.

"We are no longer in need of your services, Tantalus," Mr. D announced.

Tantalus looked stunned. "What? But-"

"You may return to the Underworld. You are dismissed."

"No! But- Nooooooooo!"

As he dissolved into mist, his fingers clutched at the cheeseburger, trying to bring it to his mouth. But it was too late. He disappeared and the cheeseburger fell back onto its plate. The campers exploded into cheering.

Luke bellowed with rage. He went to slash through the mist, but Adrianna beat him to it, slashing upward across her chest. The message dissolved, but the deed was done. Percy was feeling pretty good about himself until Luke turned and gave the group a murderous look.

"Kronos was right, Percy," Luke simmered. "You're an unreliable weapon. You need to be replaced."

Percy wasn't sure