[Third Person POV]
As soon as Tyson grabbed hold of the big pink box of donuts, he immediately plopped down onto the ground with a heavy thud, crossing his massive legs like a child. The cardboard crinkled in his large hands as he pried it open and let out a happy little hum, already pulling out the first sugary treat. Without hesitation, he stuffed it into his mouth with an almost comical eagerness. Powdered sugar dusted the air as he chewed, his single brown eye squinting in bliss. A wide, goofy smile stretched across his face, a few small tears were still present in the corners of his eye.
"You're so lucky," Percy muttered with a scoff, folding his arms as he shot Lucian a sideways look.
Lucian only wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, exhaling in relief. "Phew," he said with a half-grin, "crisis averted."
From above came the soft rush of wind and the beating of wings. Two familiar figures swooped in gracefully from the sky. Thalia's dark hair whipped back in the breeze while Annabeth's blonde curls gleamed in the night as they descended. They touched down lightly beside Lucian, their boots barely making a sound against the rocky ground.
"Yo, fancy meeting you guys here," Annabeth greeted casually, raising a hand in a lazy salute, her gray eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Looks like the squad's back together again," Thalia added with a crooked smirk as she scanned the group. Her gaze eventually settled on Tyson, who was still happily devouring donuts like nothing in the world could possibly bother him. "Although," she added with a teasing arch of her brow, "it seems we've gained an extra companion instead of our usual satyr."
"Honestly, I'm kind of glad to have you guys here," Percy admitted with a weary sigh, ruffling his messy black hair in frustration. "Clarisse and I were just… discussing which route we should take to officially enter the Sea of Monsters. Trying to figure out which path is safer."
"Discussing?" Lucian repeated with a sharp, incredulous laugh, eyes flicking between Percy and Clarisse with open amusement. "You two looked ready to rip each other's throats out a few minutes ago."
"What exactly was the discussion, anyway?" Thalia asked, tilting her head, her curiosity clearly piqued.
Percy's shoulders slumped in defeat, and he gestured vaguely toward the turbulent waters in the distance. "We were arguing about which path gives us the best chance of survival. Clarisse wants to go straight through Charybdis, but I said we'd have a better shot taking on Scylla instead. Now, please—" he looked from one friend to another, almost pleading— "help me convince her she's out of her mind. We're talking about a giant whirlpool here. Charybdis would swallow the whole ship in a heartbeat. At least with Scylla, we've got a chance to slash off one of her heads if it comes down to a fight."
"Sorry, Pers," Lucian said immediately, not even pretending to hesitate. "Clarisse is right on this one."
"I have to agree with Clarisse," Thalia added with a firm nod.
"Clarisse is actually correct," Annabeth said with a knowing chuckle. "You have a better chance dealing with Charybdis."
"Hahaha!" Clarisse threw her head back and let out a triumphant cackle, her grin practically splitting her face as she turned toward Percy. "Told you! I told you I was right!"
Percy scowled and crossed his arms, glaring at the group with mock offense. "You guys are only saying that to contradict me."
The trio exchanged amused glances before Lucian turned back to Percy with a deadpan stare. "Dude," he said flatly, "you're the son of Poseidon. Why in Hades name would you willingly pick a fight with a monster that lives on a cliff when there's another one literally in the sea? You have the ocean at your back. That's your domain. Whenever you're given the choice to fight on land or in water, you always choose the water. That's what it means to be the Son of Poseidon—you don't lose when you're in your element."
Percy blinked, the logic hitting him like a wave. "Oh… yeah. Right."
"Dumbass," Clarisse said with a smirk, folding her arms with smug satisfaction.
"Shut up," Percy groaned, rolling his eyes before dragging a palm down his face.
"Anyway," Lucian continued, his grin turning almost mischievous, "it's good that you're taking on Charybdis. That means I get to battle Scylla myself."
"What? What would even be the point of that?" Percy asked, giving him a bewildered look. "Let's just stick to one and get through this together."
"But that would be boring," Lucian replied matter-of-factly, his grin widening. "You handle one monster, and I handle the other. Besides, it only feels right—we're both related to the monsters we fight."
"Wait—what?" Percy blurted, his eyes widening.
"You're what?" Annabeth, Thalia, and even Clarisse echoed in confusion, all three snapping their attention toward Lucian at once.
Lucian nodded as he pointed towards the whirlpool in front of them, "That thing out there, that's your sister, the daughter of Poseidon"
"Huh?!" Percy exclaimed with his mouth agape.
Thalia tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she turned toward Lucian. "And how," she asked, her voice laced with confusion, "are you related to Scylla?"
Lucian paused, scanning the group with a thoughtful look before responding. "Before I answer that," he said, folding his arms and raising a brow, "do any of you actually know the full story of how Scylla came to be?"
The group exchanged puzzled glances. Percy gave a small shrug, Clarisse shook her head with an annoyed grunt, and Tyson merely blinked while munching on another donut. Only Annabeth nodded, her gray eyes glinting with recognition.
"Of course you know," Lucian said with a faint, knowing smirk. "But for the rest of you, buckle up." He exhaled slowly. "Scylla wasn't always the terror of sailors that she is now. She was once a beautiful nymph—radiant, graceful, and loved by many. There was a fisherman who became a sea god, Glaucus. He fell madly in love with her, but Scylla wanted nothing to do with him. She fled onto land, where he couldn't follow. Heartbroken and desperate, Glaucus went to the sorceress Circe to beg for a love potion, something that might melt Scylla's heart. But Circe…" Lucian's voice grew sharper, more deliberate. "Circe fell for Glaucus instead. She tried to win him over with her sweetest words, her most beguiling magic, but he refused her completely. Furious, Circe didn't punish Glaucus—she punished Scylla. She brewed a poison so potent it warped the very essence of whoever touched it. She poured it into the pool where Scylla bathed. The moment the nymph stepped into the water, her beauty twisted into horror—twelve monstrous legs, six ravenous heads, each with three rows of teeth, forever hungry for sailors' flesh."
The group stood silent for a moment, the waves crashing faintly in the background as the weight of the story settled in.
"Whoa," Percy finally blurted, eyes wide. "I didn't expect her to have… like, actual deep lore. That's way more tragic than I thought."
Clarisse crossed her arms, still frowning. "Yeah, okay, sad story and all, but I'm still not getting how that has anything to do with you."
Lucian scratched the back of his neck, looking faintly uncomfortable. "Because Circe is my great aunt," he admitted at last. "She caused the mess, and I want to fix it. Call it an overdue family responsibility."
Thalia's lips twitched, fighting a grin. "What is seriously up with your family tree?" she asked, shaking her head. "It's like you're related to everyone in Greek mythology."
Lucian scoffed, shooting her a pointed look. "You're one to talk. Look at who your father is. I could probably point to a random bird flying overhead and there's a fifty-fifty chance you're related to it."
Thalia's face reddened as she crossed her arms and let out a sulky huff. The others stifled their laughter, Annabeth covering her mouth with a discreet hand while Percy failed to hide his grin.
Lucian wasn't finished. "That's not the only reason I want to fight Scylla. She's also Medusa's sister."
Everyone's eyes went wide at once, save for Annabeth, who groaned and slapped her forehead. "Of course," she muttered, half to herself. "I completely forgot about that connection. Scylla is the daughter of the deities Keto and Phorcys. They're the same parents who gave birth to the Gorgon sisters—Medusa included."
Lucian nodded firmly. "Exactly. And even if Scylla and Medusa were never close, it still feels… important. If there's even the slightest chance I can help her—I have to try."
For a moment, the group was quiet again, each processing his words. Even Clarisse simply gave a slow, almost respectful nod.
Finally, Percy broke the silence. "Why don't we just help you?" he suggested, his voice steady but earnest. "If we all fight together, we'd get through to the Sea of Monsters much faster."
Lucian shook his head immediately. "No. I need to do this myself. Everyone here has already faced battles of their own—Thalia fought Luke, Annabeth took on the Hydra. This is my trial. My fight. And frankly, Percy, you need to focus on Charybdis. You'll need the combat experience too, and nothing helps you grow stronger like fighting your own fight."
Percy's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, hold on—backtrack just a tiny bit," he said, looking between Lucian and Thalia in disbelief. "You fought Luke?"
Thalia's proud grin widened. "Sure did. We don't even know if he's alive or dead at this point."
"It was a marvelous battle," Lucian added with a wistful smirk, though his eyes held a distant, almost reflective glint. Then he shook his head briskly. "But that's not the point right now. The point is, we have a plan. I'll take Scylla, and Percy will face Charybdis."
Annabeth glanced around, gauging everyone's reactions. One by one, the others nodded in agreement—though Percy's nod came with an unmistakable flicker of nerves.
"Okay," Percy said at last, exhaling a long breath. "But can I at least have some help? Backup, maybe?"
Lucian's smirk returned. "Fight however you please," he said with a casual shrug, the hint of a challenge in his voice.
Percy relaxed just enough to let out a relieved sigh, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed how uneasy he still felt. Tyson, meanwhile, cheerfully chomped on another donut as if none of this involved him, powdered sugar dotting his chin.
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