AN: In a recent posting I requested that people suggest a good fanfiction that I do a 'reading of' story for. I'm updating some of the rules for it.

It has to be a competed story

Harry Potter or Percy Jackson story

No slash

No lemons

No gender bending

Strength of a Leader

Chapter 4

-Percy-

Groaning he glared at Atlas, sweat pouring off his body and into the pool of water that continually healed his muscles as they were torn apart and rebuilt constantly. With Atlas, the Titan had been under the weight so long without a healing factor the being couldn't grow any physically stronger as the beings muscles were destroyed beyond repair, keeping the Titan's strength on a lock while his own muscles were constantly being healed to optimal condition. In the few days he had been trapped under the sky he had seen his body begin to transform, going from a decently muscled and relatively fast swimmer's build to his muscles being harder than stone as be began bulking out, his body not only healing but gaining all the nutrients he needed from the water even if it did leave him hungry, thirsty, and exhausted as he got no food, sleep, or water.

"What do you want dipshit?" he asked the Titan who sat on a throne, smirking at him incessantly.

"We'll be having a new guest arriving soon to keep you company under there," Atlas said with a smirk "one of your precious Olympians was captured when trying to hunt something. Now all that's left is to decide whether or not to keep you under there, have her be put under, or keep you both under there.".

"A goddess can simply flash away you moron." He grunted as he tried to shift the sky slightly to stretch the muscles in his back.

"Only a Titan can flash away from this summit demigod," Atlas said with a snort "that is a magical defense that not even your precious 'Olympians' can overcome.".

In response he simply glared at the Titan that sat upon the throne, mentally cursing up a storm at whatever goddess had been captured as it meant he would lose his chance at escaping. Ever since Atlas had conjured the pool of water that constantly refilled itself he had been using the water to slowly grind into the mountain beneath him, digging tunnels and veins underneath the floor. He had to go slow at first, grinding small holes in the walls of the pool he stood in to create the veins but he had to keep them small enough that they wouldn't be noticed. He had been trying to create a large system of veins that could be used to force Atlas back under the sky so he could get out of it and escape but now he would have to give up that escape to rescue the goddess.

"Which goddess?" he growled out, trying to distract Atlas as he sped up his water grinding as much as he could without drawing attention to it "And how on earth did someone as stupid as you manage to capture her?".

"I captured you." Atlas pointed out in irritation.

"Thorn captured me," he pointed out "and I was more focused on rescuing my friends than anything else. And need I remind you of the whole Hercules 'shoulder pad' incident?".

"Silence!" Atlas yelled angrily, the Titan slamming his fist down onto the armrest on the Throne, cracking the armrest as flakes flew off.

"Boy for a straight guy you're dramatic." He said rolling his eyes, knowing that the angrier he got Atlas the less likely it would be that his efforts with the water would be noticed.

Right when it looked like Atlas was going to come over to try and attack him Luke crested the summit of the mountain, a pair of Laestrygonians trailing behind as they dragged one of the 'Hunters' he had seen when he was captured as he assumed the person being dragged was Artemis. "It looks like you're going to get a 'reprieve' from the sky boy," Atlas said with a glower "she can take your place while I beat some respect into you. Wake her." Atlas ended with an order to the two giants.

Grunting the Laestrygonians on the right backhanded Artemis as she yelled when the rough action woke her from unconsciousness. "Unhand me!" Artemis yelled the moment she was conscious and saw who was around her "How dare you lay your filthy paws on a goddess?!".

"Be silent little moon goddess," Atlas ordered "you and Jackson over there will be spending…shifts holding the Vault of the Sky. You're about to take your shift as I…give our young son of Poseidon a lesson in manners. And don't even bother trying to flash, the magics of this mountain prevent any but a Titan from doing so as long as they are on my summit.".

'Come on,' he pleaded mentally at Atlas 'one more step, and…YES!'. "Oi, Atlas!" he yelled over as Luke, Atlas, and the Laestrygonians turned towards him "Smile for the camera!" before he yelled and caused the veins he had dug to shoot out, each with a different effect and target. Two shot out as spears and pierced the giants through their skulls, turning the beasts to dust. The second vein came out as a blunted fist and slammed up into Luke castellan's Testicles as the traitor doubled over in pain, he would have killed the bastard but he knew that Annabeth, Grover, or Thalia deserved to be able to do that. His third vein rushed out and attacked Atlas's face, the water pouring down the Titan's throat and attempting to scramble the bastard's organs as more and more water rushed through his veins when the pool refilled them. The final vein though shot out and grabbed Artemis, pushing and carrying her off the edge of the mountain as he poured all of his will into it, eventually putting all of his focus on that vein as he flung Artemis outside of the field of magic that stopped flashing as he saw her disappear in a burst of silver.

Before he could resume using his water veins to attack Luke and Atlas again the Titan used some sort of spell to close up his veins and, from what he could tell of the new appearance of the pool, did something to prevent him from doing the same thing again. "Not bad boy," Atlas grunted the Titan stomping over, water dripping from the immortal's face and armor "but now you alone shall be trapped under the Vault.".

"Until I see you under here again." he said with a grin, grunting when Atlas punched him in the stomach as he felt his organs tear against his ribs only to heal again instantly thanks to the water.

"You shall remain under that prison always Jackson," Atlas snarled in his ear "when Lord Kronos wins the war I will have you made immortal to be trapped there for all of time.".

-Grover-

Growling he jumped to the side of a spear strike from Clarisse as he swung the club the Hephaestus cabin had made for him, snapping the basic training spear Clarisse had in half as he did so. The club was made out of a wood called 'Lignum Vitae', the hardest wood in the world which Chiron had brought to the camp forest years ago along with several rare or endangered plants and trees. The Dryad that lived inside it having willingly given up the wood for the weapon. Along with the wooden base the head was studded with four Nemean Lion fangs, two on each end, and had celestial bronze plates at certain places along with hilt wrapped in leather which was made from the hide of the Erymanthian Boar. (AN: The club that was used in the 2014 Dwayne the Rock Johnson Hercules movie).

"Not bad Grover," Clarisse grunted as she tossed the broken weapon away "you think you're ready for this?".

"Ready or not I can't wait around anymore." He said with a snarl "I leave tomorrow along with the other questers, with or without a prophecy.".

"How's Percy's sister dealing with being chosen for the quest?" Clarisse asked as they walked down to the cabins "I doubt that the Hunters were too thrilled about it.".

"Some tried to shoot me, their lieutenant tried to stab me, and others threatened to have Artemis turn me into a Jackelope." He said with an uncaring shrug. "Those that aimed their bows at me were met with two Apollo bows in return, Annabeth put her new weapons at the Lieutenant's throat, and the ones that threatened to sick their goddess on me were threatened in return by Apollo who had been roped into dropping them off. Marina herself was more than willing to agree to the quest when she found out it was to rescue her brother, having her father insist that she go only added to that.".

"So it's you, Annabeth, this 'Marina' girl, Thalia, and the newbie Bianca?" Clarisse asked with a small scowl at not being able to come on the quest.

"I'm not going to go against the vision," he said shaking his head "but Bianca is a daughter of Hades and has been training constantly or the quest. We have to be careful though, while Silena may have confessed to Chiron about Luke coming to her to blackmail and threaten her for information we know about his 'main' spy but we don't know of any others.".

Getting to the cabins he said his farewells to Clarisse and walked over to where Annabeth was working with her new weapons that Nyssa had found for her in the shed of Hephaestus projects, a set of claws that would attach to the user's finger tips. Next to the daughter of Athena was Bianca who was shooting arrows at various targets with instructions from Marina while Nico launched them and Thalia could be seen sitting a distance away, the daughter of Zeus having been rather irritable since his change in personality.

Getting over to them he was about to open his mouth when a burst of gold light blinded him for a moment before it faded to reveal Apollo, "I have news about Percy!" the sun god said as he rushed over and the others straightened up.

"What happened?" he demanded urgently.

"He's being held on Othryss as we already knew," Apollo explained "but Artemis was captured and brought before them. The Titans have some sort of spell up over the mountain top so that only a Titan can flash in and out but Percy, somehow, drew from a source of water below the 'floor' of the mountaintop and attacked Atlas, Luke, and a couple monsters while sending Artemis flying outside of the boundary so she could escape.".

"He gave up his chance of escape," he said with a scowl "to save up your stuck up fool of a sister.".

Sighing Apollo ran his roughly through his hair "I know," the sun god said with a sigh, "but he sent her away and now she has refused to leave her palace ever since he saved her. I don't know if she's just throwing a hissy fit about being saved by a 'filthy male' or if she's in shock over it but she won't come out or talk to anyone. I came down here to give you your prophecy.".

Before he could respond Apollo's eyes turned green as the Green smoke of the Spirit of Delphi poured from the god's mouth, declaring:

"Five shall go west to the Hero in chains,

One shall be changed in the land without rain,

The bane of Olympus shows the trail,

Campers and Hunter combined prevail,

The Titan's curse must one withstand,

And one shall risk all to live as their brother's hand."

Before the smoke was sucked back into the god, "Good luck," Apollo said seriously "and bring that Hero home.".

"Don't worry," he growled as he hefted his club "I plan to.".