Work Text:
Spiders and Annabeth.
Percy was relaxing in his mom’s apartment, watching Finding Nemo on the TV while his mom was out getting groceries. He didn’t have any homework to do, and he was bored. It wasn’t like he could just call Annabeth and hang out, she was in San Francisco.
Then the phone rang from the kitchen. Percy didn’t want to get up from the couch. He figured it was just a telemarketer anyway. He tried to bring his attention back to the movie, but the ear-piercing screech of the phone was making that impossible.
With a groan, Percy got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen. He grabbed the phone of the receiver and said, “Hello?”
“Percy!” Annabeth’s frantic voice screamed through the phone.
Percy flinched and held the phone away from his ear. What kind of telemarketer screams your name into your ear?
Percy put the phone back to his ear and said, “Annabeth, nice to hear from you too.”
Annabeth started screeching incoherently and judging from the noises, she was in her bathroom. Her voice was echoing off the walls. “Percy, there’s a spider in my room!” She cried. Percy chuckled, but that only distressed Annabeth even more. “This isn’t funny!” She said.
“Annabeth, you’re probably overreacting.” Percy said.
“I’m not overreacting, Percy, I’m not!” Annabeth said, “Listen, I was just coming from the kitchen because I wanted some water. I was just studying! I just got back from the kitchen and I couldn’t have been in there for more than five minutes.” She took a deep breath, “And well, have you ever seen something moving out of the corner of your eyes and it’s not supposed to be there?!”
Percy was trying hard not to laugh, she sounded like she was about to start crying. Yes, the strong and scary Annabeth Chase was about to start crying.
“It’s on the ceiling, Percy, it’s on the ceiling!” Annabeth squealed, “It’s up there. Like how do you even do that?!”
“W-what do you want me to do?” Percy said, trying really hard not to break down in laughter.
“Stay on the phone and help me kill it.” Annabeth begged.
“Okay.”
“Okay, I’m going out now.” Annabeth said. Percy heard a door open and Annabeth walk out. He heard her squeal something he couldn’t understand. “Oh, I need a weapon.” She said.
Percy sat down at the dining room table, grabbing a banana as he listened to Annabeth try to kill this spider.
“Percy, it’s gone. I waited too long, I don’t know where it’s at!” Annabeth panicked. She walked around her bedroom, looking all over the room. “I’m not sleeping in here, Percy.” Percy snickered, which she heard, “This is not even fucking funny!”
“Sorry.” Percy murmured.
“The thing was on the ceiling. It can be anywhere by now.”
“Did you check your notes?”
“Shut up!” Annabeth screamed, “It was so big!”
Percy heard her flip a binder over, probably looking for this spider.
“Where did this thing go? What, did it just get in its car and drive off?!” Annabeth yelled.
Percy was turning red from trying not to laugh at Annabeth’s situation. He wondered if he could ask his dad or one of the gods for a ride. Maybe he could go help Annabeth before she had a heart attack.
“It was right there, Percy, when I saw it last time!” Annabeth whined. The sound of Annabeth flipping over a backpack came through the phone. She opened and closed drawers, squeaking every time she opened one.
“Where did it go? I was only in there for five minutes!” Annabeth cried.
Percy was wondering if Annabeth regretted going home for the school year, then he thought about it, he was the one who talked her into going home a few years ago in the first place. She was going to kill him when she saw him again. This girl wasn’t scared of a talking Sphinx, but she was terrified of a tiny spider.
Then Annabeth screamed over the phone and the sound of her charging through her room caused Percy to slap his hand over his mouth to not cackle over the phone.
“There it is!” She screamed.
Percy heard her pick something up, so he asked, “What did you just pick up?”
“Shoe.” Annabeth whimpered, “I’m a big girl, I can kill it. I can do this. I can—Oh, it just bared its fangs!”
“Annabeth, just hit it.” Percy said.
“I can’t! Help me!” Annabeth cried over the phone, basically sobbing at this point.
“Hold on, Annabeth, I’m going to get someone who might be able to help. Think you can hold on for like ten minutes?” Percy said.
“Please don’t go!” Annabeth sobbed, “I’m about to cry.”
Percy was surprised she wasn’t already crying. Either way, he just figured he’d be able to iris-message help. “Alright, fine, just give me a minute and someone should be there to help you.” He said.
“Please.” Annabeth begged.
After messing with the kitchen arrangement, Percy got a rainbow going by using a mirror and a sink. He set the phone down for a minute. He could hear Annabeth screaming at him when he put it down.
“Show me Lady Athena on Olympus.” Percy requested.
The Iris-message start to form into colors before swirling around. Percy was soon staring at the goddess Athena sitting in a chair in what he assumed to be her palace on Olympus, reading a book.
Athena looked up and said, “Perseus. What is the reason you have for calling me?”
“Hey, Lady Athena, listen, Annabeth is freaking out right now in San Francisco. Can you go help her?” Percy asked.
“Annabeth needs my help? I’m on my way!” Athena said, jumping to her feet and flashing away.
Percy quickly wiped the Iris-message away and ran to the phone and picked it up. He started to listen in.
“Mom!” Annabeth cried, “There’s a spider!”
“Spider?” Athena’s mature voice said, “Where?”
“In the corner.” Annabeth whimpered.
The sound of Athena walking came through the phone. Then Percy heard a scream that definitely wasn’t Annabeth.
“Oh my gods!” Athena screamed, “It’s huge!” Percy heard something heavy get flipped over, probably Annabeth’s dresser or bed if he had to guess.
“Kill it!” Annabeth shrieked.
“Run away!” Athena screamed, “IT’S COMING!”
“What the hel—” Percy heard Frederick Chase’s voice through the phone.
“Frederick, get the Hades out of my way!” Athena shouted.
Percy heard someone step behind him, so he turned to see his dad was standing there. “Hey, dad.” Percy said.
“Son.” Poseidon said, “Iris told me you messaged Athena. Why?”
Percy held the phone out to him. Poseidon stared at the phone for a second before holding it up to his ear. He heard Athena, Annabeth, and Frederick screaming as well as the Chase household get torn apart by a terrified war goddess and her daughter.
“Oh.” Poseidon said, before roaring with laughter.
“Poseidon!” Athena screamed, “Come over here now and help me!”
“Fine, on my way.” Poseidon said, handing the phone to Percy, “I got this. I’ll come back when I’m done.”
Percy figured the fun was over now that someone who wasn’t terrified of spiders was getting involved. He put the phone on the receiver and walked back to his couch. He sat down and tilted his head back, snickering every once and a while.
Five minutes later, Poseidon appeared in front of him.
“So, how was it?” Percy asked.
“It was a two-inch brown recluse.” Poseidon said in a deadpan voice.