DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS OR HEROES OF OLYMPUS. THEY BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNER.

Battle for Olympus I, how I think the battle should've been like, I'm sorry if you think that Luke deserved to be the hero. I personally didn't think so.

ONE

BATTLE FOR OLYMPUS I

The doors of the palace were big enough to steer a cruise ship through, but they'd been ripped off their hinges and smashed like they weighed nothing. We had to climb over a huge pile of broken stone and twisted metal to get inside.

Kronos stood in the middle of the Throne Room, his arms wide, starring at the starry ceiling as if taking it all in. His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus.

"Finally!" he bellowed. "The Olympian Council-so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first?"

Ethan Nakamura stood to one side, trying to stay out of his master's scythe. The hearth was almost dead, just a few coals glowing deep in the ashes. Hestia was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Rachel. I hoped she was okay, but I'd seen so much destruction I was afraid to think about it. The Ophiotaurus swam in his water sphere in the far corner of the room, wisely not making a sound, but it wouldn't be much long before Kronos noticed him.

Annabeth, Grover, and I stepped forward into the torchlight. Ethan saw us.

"My lord," he warned.

Kronos turned and smiled through Luke's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same he had four years ago when he'd welcomed me into the Hermes cabin. Annabeth made a painful sound in the back of her throat, like someone had just sucker punched her.

"Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make-to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know."

"Luke would fight with a sword," I said. "But I suppose you don't have his skill."

Kronos sneered. His scythe began to change, until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with half-steel, half-Celestial Bronze blade.

Next to me, Annabeth gasped like she'd suddenly had an idea. "Percy, the blade!" She unsheathed her knife. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

I didn't understand why she was reminding me of that prophecy line right now. It wasn't exactly a morale booster, but before I could say any thing, Ethan charged Annabeth and Kronos raised his sword.

Kronos came at me like a whirlwind.

Me and Kronos crossed swords, bronze and steel against bronze. Sparks flew. Our blades blurred-strike and parry-and the floor trembled. Our first exchange only took seconds. I couldn't see how Annabeth was doing with Ethan. Though I was vaguely aware of Grover playing music.

I charged, and slammed my blade into Kronos. I turned my sword, so the flat of it hit Kronos. Knowing that if I didn't, Riptide would've bounced off, or worse, shatter. But the impact was enough to knock Kronos off his feet.

Kronos roared. A wave of energy hit me onto my back. Next thing I knew, Backbiter was six inches from my face.

"Is this the end?" asked Kronos, quietly. "Is this the end of the all mighty hero, Percy Jackson?"

I managed to say, "No... not yet."

With that, I had recovered more than Kronos realized. I swept out my legs and knocked Kronos off his feet.

Kronos' head hit the floor with a bonk.

Annabeth saw her chance. She kicked Ethan out of the way and charged Kronos. "Luke, listen!"

I wanted to shout at her, to tell her she was crazy for trying to reason with Kronos, but there was no time. Kronos flicked his hand. Annabeth flew backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpled to the floor.

"Annabeth!" I screamed.

Ethan Nakamura got to his feet. He now stood between me and Annabeth. I couldn't fight him without turning my back on Kronos.

Grover's music took on a more urgent tune. He moved toward Annabeth, but he couldn't go any faster and keep up the song. Grass grew on the floor of the Throne Room. Tiny roots crept up between the cracks of the marble stone.

Kronos rose to one knee. He reached for his sword, but this time it didn't fly into his hands.

"Nakamura!" he groaned. "Time to prove yourself. You know Jackson's secret weakness. Kill him, and you will have rewards beyond measure."

Ethan's eyes dropped to my midsection, and I was sure that he knew. Even if he couldn't kill me himself, all he had to do was tell Kronos. There was no way I could defend myself forever.

"Look around you, Ethan," I said. "The end of the world. Is that the reward you want? Do you really want everything destroyed-the good with the bad?Everything?"

Grover was almost to Annabeth now. The grass thickened on the floor. The roots were almost a foot long, like a stubble of whiskers.

"There is no throne to Nemesis," Ethan muttered. "No throne to my mother."

"That's right!" Kronos tried to get up but stumbled. "Strike them down! They deserve to suffer."

"You said your mom is the goddess of balance," I reminded him. "The minor gods deserve better, Ethan, but total destruction isn't balance. Kronos doesn't build. He only destroys."

Grover's music kept playing, and Ethan swayed to it, as if the song were filling him with nostalgia-a wish to see a beautiful day, to be anywhere but here. His good eye blinked.

Then he charged... but not at me.

While Kronos was still on his knees, Ethan brought his sword on the Titan lord's neck. It should have killed him instantly, but the blade shattered. Ethan fell back, grasping his stomach. A shard of his own blade ricocheted and pierced his armor.

Kronos rose unsteadily, towering over his servant. "Treason," he snarled.

Grover's music kept playing, and grass grew around Ethan's body. Ethan stared at me, his face tight with pain.

Ethan whispered to me, loud enough for only me to hear. "Try-under his... left arm-"

Kronos stomped his foot, and the floor ruptured around Ethan Nakamura. The son of Nemesis fell through the heart of the mountain-straight into open air.

"So much for him." Kronos picked up his sword. "And now for the rest of you."

Grover was at Annabeth's side now. He stopped playing and was feeding her ambrosia.

Kronos cleaved downward at my head, but I wasn't there.

I jumped to Poseidon's throne. The throne had water, and the water seemed to push me into the air and I catapulted over him, slashing as I came down. But Kronos was just as quick. He twisted, and the strike that should've caught him directly in the spine was deflected off the end of his sword hilt.

Kronos slashed again and I was forced to jump in front of Zeus' throne. I tried to sidestep, to get back to my father's throne, but Kronos seemed to know what I wanted. He outmaneuvered me, pressing so hard I had to put all my concentration on not getting sliced into pieces (even though I can't). I kept backing away from my father's throne. I couldn't find any openings to attack.

I stepped inside with a thrust, but Kronos was waiting for that. he knocked my blade out of my hands and kicked me in the chest. I went airborne. I would've broken my back if it weren't for my Achilles Heel.

"Percy!" Annabeth yelled.

I was seeing double. My chest felt like it had just been hit with a battering ram, but I managed to get to my feet.

I rolled to one side but Kronos's blade slashed the floor.

I ran for my sword, scooped it up, and launched a swipe at Kronos's face, only to find my blade deflected again.

"You've lost, Percy Jackson," Kronos said, laughing. "Behold,"

He pointed to the hearth, and the coals glowed. A sheet of white smoke poured from the fire, forming images like an Iris-message. I saw my friends, Hades and my parents fighting a hopeless battle on Fifth Avenue. Hades was summoning waves and waves of undead soldiers, but the Titan's army demolished them. I saw Nico what looked like him running away. As Manhattan was getting destroyed, mortals are waking, witnessing the crisis.

The scene shifted, and I saw something even more terrifying.

Typhon. The gods were making their final stand against Typhon. Lightning flashed. Arrows of gold and silver rained, then exploded. For the first time ever, I saw Typhon.

Typhon's head shifted constantly. Every moment he was a different monster, each more horrible than the other. Looking at his face would've driven me insane, so I looked at his body instead. He was humanoid, but his skin reminded me of a meat loaf sandwich that has been in someone's locker all year. He was molted green, with blisters the size of buildings, and blackened patches from eons being under a volcano. His hand were human, but with talons like an eagle's. His legs were scaly and reptilian.

I knew the Olympians were giving up. Their attacks were weaker and slower. Almost as if time was stopping them, or maybe Kronos had played a part then. But when Typhon stepped into the Hudson River, a conch horn was sounded from the smoky picture. The call of the ocean. The call of Poseidon.

Then, all of Hades broke loose.

Forty foot waves surrounded Typhon. The Cyclopes Army and Poseidon attacked. Tyson was leading the Cyclopes and they wrapped chains around Typhon and the Olympians struck with new force. Then, Typhon started to lose balance, Ichor was spilling. Then he fell.

Kronos was shocked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The Olympians did it. They defeated Typhon. Now, they are on there way.

"BAH!" Kronos yelled.

"You've lost," I said. "They're on their way."

He turned his attention towards me, and charged. Kronos slashed and I deflected his blade. I got close enough to strike, tried to fake him out with a feint, but my blow was knocked aside. Poseidon's throne was behind me, and I could feel the water behind me.

I felt the rhythm of the sea, it's power, I had an idea.

Kronos came towards me, grinning confidently. I lowered Riptide, as if I was too exhausted to go on. Wait for it, I told the water. The doors burst open with the Olympians in full battle armor with their weapons ready (that was quick). Kronos raised his sword. I sent a tidal wave at his face. When it hit, he stumbled back. I jumped to his left side and swung my sword to the the spot Ethan told me to hit. I cut him. Kronos cried out in pain and fell onto the floor, face first. I raised Riptide and stabbed his back. The top to the middle of my blade was covered in blood. Grover, Annabeth and the Olympians stared at me with shock and awe. Even Zeus and Athena!

"Welcome Olympians," I started. "We have much to discuss.