The sun was slowly starting to creep its way into the sky and its golden shafts were inkling their way across the floorboard to the cot where Athena was slumbering. It had been a busy week and as soon as breakfast was over Thalia was taking her Hunters and tracking down any monsters who would be aiding Gaia and the Giants. They hoped to discover a way to prevent the monsters from regenerating so fast so that the campers would have some peace as they built the Argos II. Thanks to the ancient blueprint the Hephaestus cabin had gathered their materials and started framing the boat. Hopefully it would be done by the solstice.
The Amazon princess began stretching and doing her morning exercises. She was eager to see the progress of the campers. Chiron had told her they had never been this focused before and her new methods had reignited the burning spirit inside each of them. He couldn't recall that last time the Hunters had stayed for a week without so much as someone ending up in the infirmary maimed. As proud as she was she feared that it wouldn't be enough. Something inside her told her that danger was lurking near.
The uneasiness refused to go away even as she started enjoying an early breakfast of fresh fruits and cereal with some of her nymph friends. She was telling her friend Chelone, a Naied, about her plans for the future and seeing if she wanted to play volleyball later when she stood straight up stock still. All the campers and Hunters stopped talking and Chiron and Rachel were looking past the pine tree into the mist. Everyone watched in horror and disbelief as shadows of monsters and the Gengenees approaching the perimeter. The wind started howling fiercely and cackling could be heard as harpies started appearing in the air. A loud hissing screech sounded from the beach near the boat. The ground shook as they tested the barriers causing everyone to fall.
"It's not possible this valley is protected! How the name of the Gods did they find us this quickly," Annabeth demanded. All around them the watched in slight fear as the barriers begun to buckle under the strain of the attacks. The barrier would be visible for several seconds, an explosion of color, before reestablishing itself. "I don't think the barrier will hold Chiron do you?"
"No it's been severally weakened during the last invasion. Even with the Golden Fleece healing and keeping the pine strong and healthy its separation from Thalia has weakened its power to reinforce the barrier."
"We can't worry about that right now; Gaia's new allies are determined to wipe out all demigods not just the questers to make sure her children win this fight. We have to force them away and fix it if Jason's and co have any hope of surviving long enough to set sail!" Rachel told them unsheathing a knife.
"The Oracle speaks the truth once that barrier drops were defenseless, but I have an idea that could repel them all away before that happens. But it will take both Thalia and Jason to pull it off," Athena said, looking at the two children of the Gods.
"What do you have in mind Princess?"
"The tree is a living organism it's the immune system to the camp. A fresh infusion of blood along with a booster shot, mainly the power from the goddesses should be more then enough to get rid of these beast."
"Is that a smart idea? I'm son of Jupiter not Zeus. My blood might be toxic to her old pine form."
"We don't have any other options little brother. Let's hope for the best. Hunters! Defend the camp and its campers! We can't allow Gaia to win!"
"Fight to the last breath and remember your training! Only by being disciplined and organized can we send these creatures back to the pit where they belong! Hepheateous protect the Argos II! Iris Cabin take to the skies and defeated the harpies with Apollo's cabin. Hermes and Demeter you'll be our second line of defense, Ares and Athena the first. Aphrodite patrol the edges and Hypnosis and Hecate guard the interior. Wonder Girl will protect us as we make our way to the tree. Chiron, Piper, Annabeth and Leo will give you orders. Heroes defended!" Jason commanded just as the barriers dropped and the place was flooded with monsters.
It was pandemonium in seconds. Butch was leading the Pegasus into the air against the Harpies. The rainbow tattoo lit up and sent out real color ribbon that wrapped itself around one the beasts, (ironically the Harpies were his mom sisters!) forcing it to stop attacking. Butch Pegasus reared and he almost fell off as they tried to snatch him off the winged steed, but Will fired a new trick arrow at one of them exploding in front of their face forcing them back. More appeared along with some ventie making this all the more dangerous.
Miranda was fighting harder then she did during the Titan War as she created crops from the soil growing taller and thicker until she forced them to wrap around Phaea, The Shining One Sow, that was rampaging against the cabin. Some of her brothers darted in forward trying to hack it to pieces, but it through them off and charged again. "Try leading it towards the volleyball court maybe it will sink!" Ignoring the blood trickling down her face she led her cabin in a strategic retreat.
Travis was using every trick he knew and then some to slow down the advancing Delphyne a half maiden half dragon that held a grudge against a son of Hermes who had stolen back Zeus tendons from her. She attempted to claw his chest open, but he stepped out of the way catching her in one of the spring traps. He threw some centaur blood balloons at the beast causing her to spew toxic smoke in pain. "Dang that smells really worse then dirty old gym socks and month old sandwiches!"
"Will watch out she's getting loose again!"
"Come on keep together! We can do this we just need to figure out its weak spot!"
Rachel was with Cloven and his cabin as they struggled against hundreds of deadly pythons slithering at them. Rachel stabbed her knife through the head of two pythons and Cloven was using his gifts to lull the snakes to sleep, but there were too many even for the four of them. "My powers may come from slain python, but this is ridiculous!"
Lou Ellen was beginning to truly understand how little she knew of magic and the ways of her mother when her attendants the Empousae decided to school her cabin mates. These demoness had one brass and one ass leg with big wings and deadly claws with maiden faces. Their usual job of tormenting and devouring shades wasn't as much fun as attacking their mistress kids. Lou Ellen managed to disconnect a few claws while her sisters hurled spears into their wings. They were dripping ichor, but smacked them with their wings breaking her arm and knocking another out. "Okay we can do this, come on get up!"
The Hunters were patrolling around slaying creatures such as Earthborn and Brize along with monstrous animals tramping around destroying the place. Some of their new trick arrows releasing nets and splintering helped, but they refused to stay down.
Meanwhile Piper and Leo's group were having their own sets of difficulties. Leo was working with Nyssa and the rest of the siblings protecting the frame of the Argos II from the Telchines, Children of the Sea, were nine dog-headed, flipper-handed sisters who originated in Rhodes. They were pounding the beach with water from the sound in a variety of shapes trying to destroy the vessel. Leo aimed fireballs into the water trying to evaporate the monsters, but they would dissolve into mist and escape. At the same time Piper and her siblings were using their newly enhanced gifts to battle against Mormo, the vampriss bogeywomen from ancient times. Drew had received a huge bloody gash across her face while Lacey and Mitchell were trying to stand after the ankles got twisted, but Piper was magnificent using her charmspeak and Katoptris to hack off the monsters hair.
Clarisse and Annabeth were doing their best fighting both the Earthborn along with the Sphinx and Scythian Monster destroying dozens, but more would rise to take their place. Using the Roman style fighting Clarisse managed to get underneath piercing the Sphinx liver wounding the beast at the same time Annabeth proudly cut off the arms they Scythian monster. "This is the kind of fight I needed! Oh man can you imagine the carnage! I bet I've more then you Chase"
"This isn't a contest Clarisse! These monsters are worse then anything we've ever fought before! I really hope Jason and Thalia get to that tree soon! Chiron how many more of these monsters are there?"
Chiron fired his long bow sending an arrow straight through an entire column of Earthborn shattering them to pieces. Some turned to dust while others started to reassemble into monsters. Two Earthborns reached out with their six arms trying to grab his legs to break them. He reared up flaying about kicking their heads off causing them to disintegrate on the spot, but more just took their place. "Stay strong my heroes! I know the hoards seem endless, but we can outlast them if we pace ourselves! Jason, Thalia, and Wonder Girl should be restoring the barrier soon! We just need to hang on for a little longer!"
At the moment the trio was still only halfway to the tree when they had been ambushed by a hoard of Earthborn brandishing celestial bronze and imperial steel blades against them. Thalia notched three arrows; one silver and two trick took careful aim and fired. The silver arrow was deflected by one blade bouncing off the roof of the camp store two trees and a statue before piercing the hearts of three earthborn. Her trick arrows managed to net a small group and stick two of them together.
Jason moved in using his Roman training to deflect and avoid the blades bringing up his shield to deflect blades and using the javelin tip to channel his lightning crumbling more gaining them another ten feet. "Thalia you okay?"
"I'm doing okay little brother, but we don't have time for this! We need to clear a path and fast otherwise the camp will be taken!"
"Move you two!" Wonder Girl shouted causing the siblings to jump to the side as a giant boulder bowled down the hordes clearing a path. Wonder Girl flew through the air did a mid air split followed by a round house kick getting rid of the stranglers. She lassoed the remaining Earthborn who cursed her as she flung them into the air. "Quick strike them in the air while they're weak!"
Jason and Thalia did as they were commanded firing their weapons of choice along with some air currents sending the parts of the Earthborn far from camp. The path was clear and the trio raced onward only to be stopped again by merged giant Earthborn. Thalia muttered a curse in Ancient Greek and notched more arrows. "What's the plan?"
"Move!" Jason ordered as one set of arms tried to smash the three friends. A second set threw rocks and earth at them while the last tried to grab them. Wonder Girl grabbed some fallen swords and hurled them at the creature slicing off many fingers and one arm. "Good work, but we need to keep moving don't get caught! Remember keep up a strong defense while creating an equally strong offense! Watch his feet when he comes after us try to slip under his legs and make it to the tree!"
"Got it Praetor! As my boyfriend would say the bigger they are the easier it is to make them fall!" Wonder Girl shouted moving her feet in legionnaire style. She kept an eye on the creature dodging his hands and staying one step ahead of his feet. She saw Jason and Thalia slipping underneath and dove for it, but missed her opening being kicked several feet away. She could hear her friends call out for her and the creature laughing as it prepared to stomp her to death, but the kick had busted a rib and bruised her lungs making it hard to get up.
Right before the creature could kill her a red and gold blur zoomed past the two siblings making physical contact with the Earthborn monstrosity. The creature only had a second to wonder what was going on when the blur vibrated right through it shattering it to pieces that didn't reform before picking her up. A warm glow from her pure heart necklace encompassed her body as she slowly healed. She looked up and her jaw dropped at the sight of her savior. "Flashboy? What in the name of Olympus are you doing here?"
"Now is that anyway to greet your boyfriend who's been worried sick about you for the past two weeks?" Flashboy asked. Jason and Thalia rushed over to protect Wonder Girl from the red and double gold lightning trim with the crossing thunderbolts, but she yelled to them it was okay. "So those demigods they don't look like much to me."
"Can it Gordon we don't have time for this. Camp Half Blood is under siege by the forces of Gaia outnumbering us two to one. If we don't get to Thalia's pine quickly this place is going to be wiped off the map. So answer my questions fast. How did you get here, is the whole league here and where the heck are they?"
"We got concerned that you were taking so long so we went to Dr. Fate and Max found a one way spell to get here. We knew you had a way to get back for all of us. We appeared just outside of the camp and saw what happening so we split to offer assistance. The others should be roaming the campgrounds helping out where ever they can. What do you want me to do?"
"Use your speed to help out Hermes cabin or anyone else you come across. Make sure the monsters stay down by scattering their pieces in the wind. Monsters here reform after being slain so be ready for a quick comeback until we can reset the barrier. Tell the others to protect the campers and make sure the Argo II isn't destroyed! They don't have time to rebuild if the frame gets destroyed!"
"Will do keep save Athena I love you!" Flashboy said, kissing her before running off to help. Wonder Girl looked at the siblings and shrugged her shoulders. "I know, but my team can help. Right now we need to get to that tree. I'll take point, Jason you lead, Thalia stay in the middle let's go."
The front lines of defenders were tiring out as they continued to push back and slay many all the Earthborn, but the Sphinx and Scythian Monster refused to die. Annabeth and Clarisse with the help of others had greatly wounded the two beasts, but not even Chiron's expert aim could make them go to Pit.
"How much juice is left in your spear?"
"Enough to kill maybe one beast, but not two. Half my cabin is bleeding all over the place or to maimed to take on a second monster if we miss the first one."
"Same with my cabin if we could just link them someway we could get rid of them together. But I'm out of ideas ugh! I hate that stupid Sphinx! Last time she was annoying talking nonsense now all she wants is to just eat me!" Annabeth shouted driving her knife into the creatures paw.
"That wasn't very nice! I'm going to enjoy devouring you piece by piece and feeding the leftovers to the Scythian Monster. Oh Scythian are you ready to eat Athena Child a lamo?"
"Hiss sounds yummy! What is that strange sound?" The Monster questioned as zing was heard. Both monsters grunted a little as a strange red and black bat shaped weapon lodged itself into their chest. A few seconds later a beeping could be heard when suddenly the two devices exploded ripping open a giant whole in their chest wounding them. Out of thin air two black grappling's appeared spearing the beasts in their shoulder and wrapped together linking the beasts.
"Alright who did this? Come out I can smellll you!" Monster shouted.
"No one does this to the ultimate riddler!" Sphinx shouted.
A deep male voice was heard and the campers and monsters looked up in the air as it spoke. "Greatest riddler huh? I guess you are the original, but not the best. Answer this one. Riddle me this, riddle me that, who's afraid of the big black bat?" Batman asked revealing himself in his full black suit and blood red bat symbol, hovering in the air with his rocket boots.
"What kind hero are you? You're dressed like a monster!"
"I'm the monster that will terminate your existence. On my signal attack with everything you got. One two three!" Batman shouted hurling more explosives as Clarisse and Annabeth and their cabins struck with the weapons. The combined assault sent both of them back to the Pit. Batman landed between two groups and Chiron. "Not bad I've never fought a Greek Monster before, but a monster is a monster."
"Who the heck are you?" Clarisse demanded.
"Clarisse be at peace, I recognize him from Wonder Girl's memory. Batman I presume. I thank you for your help am I to assume the rest of your team is here?"
"Yeah they're around helping out. I'll do check to see where everyone is," he replied touching his ears and sounding off with the rest of the League. From the static and cries he was getting it appeared the rest of his team were knee deep in trouble.
Piper's group had met up with the hunters and right now Piper had Katoptris out and was running out of magical enhancement. "Back off and go away. You're not welcomed here!"
"Do you really think child of Aphrodite that I the seductress and eater of children can be stopped by you? Face it your end is very near ha ha ha!" Mormo laughed hysterically at the sight. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a midnight blue blur swing from the trees at her. She turned to counter, but the gymnast released herself in a perfect double side twist releasing a several smoke bombs before landing perfectly on the ground. The smoke was too much for Brize and the sparrow sized gadfly with dagger stinger fell to the ground and killed by the Hunters who also used the smoke to their advantage to slay the last of the Earthborn. Two twangs were heard and suddenly Mormo was tied up by twin bolos like a sausage wiggling around in frustration. "I'll kill you! I'll suck your marrow out and leave you for dead!"
"Different reality same problem you bad guys just don't know when to shut up now do you?" Batgirl said emerging from the smoke. "Don't bother trying to break free those bolos are reinforced tritanium laced with a bit of miracle metal to work reshape and tighten its grip on you. Well are you just going to stand there or are you going to kill this creature?"
"She's not going to die forever, but at least we can send her back to the Pit hopefully for awhile. Lacey, Drew, Mitchell help me out!" Piper commanded as her siblings and she sliced the bogeywoman to pieces. Piper wiped the ichor off her blade and looked at her savior. The long black hair beauty smiled at her from under her cowl. "Thank you for your help, it was greatly appreciated."
"No problem being a hero is what I do. Come on there are more monsters out there and your boyfriend hasn't reached the pine yet," Batgirl replied as she took to the skies leaving a blushing Piper to give commands to her cabin and the Hunters.
Lou Ellen and her friend sisters were bleeding and running out of energy. The emergency ambrosia squares they had digested were burning their insides as they tried to call for more magic. The Empousae cackled as they moved in to kill the girls. "Stand your ground if we die we die fighting!"
There was movement behind the Empousae and in a flash one of them was struggling inside a black and bronze cape to break free. The owner of the cape spun the creature into its sister and proceeded to give them a thorough smack down eventually breaking the leg on one of them. Their surprise back up, a girl with short pink hair in a blue and black costume with a with bronze MR emblem and circlet tossed several bird shape objects into the Empousae which seemed to cause them pain as they shrank.
"I knew it was a good idea infusing my bird a rangs with magic! Hey you girl's are seriously bad ass if you managed to weaken the Empousae this much, but right now we got to send them back to the Underworld."
"It wouldn't do much good monsters are reforming faster and faster! They wouldn't remain in the Underworld long!" Lou Ellen remarked getting her second wind.
"Then we'll seal them just follow my lead and say what I say! Form a circle around them and focus your magic. Repeat after me!" Mystic Robin said her eyes glowing and wind whirled around her. The cabin did as she instructed and repeated the strange words in sync with her, "Um Syci Mero Tila Satiran Seal!" Lou Ellen and her sisters were startled by the strange symbols that appeared in the circle and sealed away the monsters.
"Whoa that was some impressive magic! I don't understand if you have that much power why did you fight them physically?"
"It's good to be balanced. Come on we have others who are in need of our help."
Demeter cabin was winning the fight against Phaea, but the sow was causing much destruction to the land. Already several of them had fallen to the powers of the beast and many bloody wounds could be seen, but the giant pig refused to just die. Miranda drove her knife as hard as she could against the thick hide of the beast drawing more blood, but was flung in the air for her troubles.
"Got you! Hold on I'm going fry me some bacon!" Supergirl said, dropping the girl back on the ground. All of Demeter watched in disbelief as the girl literally lifted the creature off the ground and flung it to the air. She proceeded to pound it and use heat vision to cave it up before finally freezing it as it fell apart. Supergirl landed breathing hard and holding her arms tighter, "I think I might have overdone it ugh,"
"Hold still we'll help you."
Rachel and Cloven were nearly overwhelmed by the snakes when a black teen in green and black used powerful energy from his body to create several terrariums and cases to hold the creatures preventing them from attacking. Green Lantern could see from his position in the air his other friends helping out. Flashboy and Martian Boyhunter were assisting Hermes cabin dealing with the Delphyne quickly confusing it and matching it move for move. It appeared Boyhunter was attempting to use his telepathy to bring the Delphyne down to its knees sort of and gave Travis's cabin a chance to kill it.
In the sky aided by her avian friends Hawk Lady let loose all her power. The Harpies were beguiled by flocks of angry crows and ravens and a few jays. Swooping in and around the flying chariots the bird masked purple green clad girl let loose a Thanigarian war cry as she struck the Harpies with her nth metal bo staff. Nth metal disrupted magic that included the Harpies. When they got to close she radiated the Firebird Force inside her at them causing them to turn away. She relaxed when the last of them was gone before turning to Butch and Will. "Does anyone need help? I'm trained in the medical arts."
"We're good for now thanks for your help," Will said.
"Yeah that was some pretty fancy flying," Butch said.
"I guess, it looks like Aquagirl is helping your friends on the beach," Hawk Lady said and it was true. Not since Percy Jackson had such displays of water been seen. Down at the beach Leo was pleased to see such a hot babe in a one piece black suit and fingerless gloves commanding columns of water and sea life to attack. Aquagirl opened her mouth and let loose a sonic shriek blowing up two of the Telchines, but then she sank to her knees tired.
"That was a lot more power then I was expecting."
"Hey are you okay? Watch out!" Nyssa shouted pulling Aquagirl from sound onto the beach towards the ship. GL had kindly placed in a bottle for protection before he headed. "You look exhausted."
"I am, but those creatures aren't going away unless you hit them a very newspaper. Ugh hey you fireboy!"
"What is beautiful lady? I'm sort of busy right now!" Leo shouted creating a wave of flames that was boiling the water, but they would just reform from the mist. "Doesn't anything work on them?"
"If you would listen for a minute I can help. My empathy is telling me there on the last of their reserves and one last good hit will do them in. I have a way to keep them from changing water states when I give you the signal burn them," Aquagirl said as she pulled out small piece of metal that transformed into a huge Triton.
"You related to Poseidon by any chance?"
"Let's just say Atlantians and Poseidon has a unique connection to one another. Alright on the count of three, by the power of Poseidon and the oceans I command you to bind their water form ugh!" Aquagirl was not use to the backlash of the Triton nearly dropping it, but the powerful gold energy forced the Telchines to stay in one form long enough for Leo to burn them! "That was hot!"
"Yeah, but they'll be back if Jason team doesn't reset the barrier."
"Don't worry something tells me they're there."
Aquagirl was right as the trio had finally managed to get the tree. Jason and Thalia cut their palms and pressed the bloody prints to pine bark. The tree soaked up the blood feeding on it getting stronger. Wonder Girl's necklace glowed even more as she pressed it against the trunk. "Okay begin the ritual."
"I Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus King of the Sky, offer my blood as payment for protection of this valley.
"I Jason Grace, son of Jupiter King of the Sky, offer my blood as payment for protection of this valley."
"I Athena Thermyscara, Champion of the Gods, offer this energy as payment for protection of this valley."
There was a surge of energy as the tree sucked in their offerings growing at least two feet flashing multiple colors. There was a hum in the air and suddenly there was a surge of pure white energy traveling through the camp and picking off the last of the monsters and renewing the protection that had kept the camp safe.
Many hours later everyone was sitting down to the evening meal. The Hunters had left to find out more about these monsters, the damage repaired and Athena had introduced all her friends to her new ones. Rachel as the one who made the connection pointing out that they (by combining the bats as one) were the ones mentioned in the third line of the prophecy. The ones that would help train and ensure they would set sail. Seeing as how they couldn't go home until Athena completed her mission they agreed to stay for awhile seeing how much they could help out. So donning both hero and civi clothes the world got ready for the next adventure.