The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

2. Facing The Monster

It had been almost six hours since the two boys had fled from the Champlain Institute. Y/N had tried several times to get information out of Ethan, yet he kept telling him that he would explain everything later, that if he did so now, the monster would find them easily.

Y/N had no idea how his understanding of the situation would help a giant two-headed snake to catch them up. Besides, the monster had disappeared for such a long time now there was no point fearing it now. This is a dream, or I'm mad.

The car had a built-in GPS, and Y/N noticed the car was running near New York. Through the window in the distance, luminous skyscrapers were visible, soaring up into the dark sky.

"Hey, Ethan," Y/N said while looking at the landscape, "why are we here? Why do you drive to New York?"

"I already told you I'll explain later," Ethan replied, focused on the road.

A little time passed. The radio was playing slow music as they entered the town. Ethan, who had been rather relaxed during the drive on the highway, started to look scared again. He glanced back all the time and tried to go through paths with nobody inside. More than once, a police car ran next to them. They never remarked it was a twelve-year-old boy who drove their car.

They crossed a bridge and arrived on Long Island. After a little more time, Ethan stopped the car on an empty road. Outside, nothing but a farm was visible. No light except the street lamps.

"Here we are," Ethan whispered. "See that little hill?"

"Where the big tree is?" Y/N said, confused.

"Yes, that's it. When we get out of the car, you rush straight up there. And you don't stop until you've passed this tree."

"Why?" Y/N asked. "What's behind?"

But Ethan didn't answer. Instead, he curled up in his seat and took off his pants.

"What are you doing?" Y/N shouted, hiding his eyes. "Are you crazy or—"

He didn't finish his sentence. Where two perfectly normal legs should have been, there were other things. Are those... goat legs? He blinked. I must be mad.

"Ethan... are you going to explain to me what's happening?"

"I'll do it lat—"

"Oh no!" Y/N said. "You'll tell me why you have goat legs now! You better tell me right away 'cause neither am I mad nor are we in mythology—"

A piercing cry rang out. Y/N was immediately paralyzed, and a shiver ran through his whole body. He was sure if he looked behind him, he would see a dark shape rushing toward the car through the window. And he didn't like that. He didn't like that at all.

"RUN!" Ethan kicked open the door and burst outside the car.

Y/N didn't have to be asked twice and got out of the car. On his right, he quickly saw the shape standing out under a street lamps' light. He ran like never before, Ethan in front of him urging to go faster—easy to say when you were a goat from the waist down. He crossed the road and began to climb the hill. He could hear the shriek getting closer behind him, louder and louder in his ears.

How had that snake caught them up? How had it been able to follow a car thrown at full speed on the highway for six hours? These questions and more passed through Y/N's mind, and his brain worked harder than ever to try understanding, yet he didn't find any logical answer.

His legs were ready to give him up; each step required to overcome the tetany which seized more and more his body. Yet he didn't stop for a single moment. Part of him knew he had to run, run to a safer place at all costs. The survival instinct maybe. It was the only thing holding him over the abyss of fear, yet it wouldn't let go as long as there was this tree in his sight. He was sure of that.