*I am so sorry this is late. I have had such bad writer's block with this it's not even funny.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Rick Riordan's.*

*Chapter 8*

Everyone stood frozen for a moment, unable to believe that Percy was standing in front of them, alive.

Annabeth was the first to unfreeze. She ran into Percy's arms and hugged him so tightly he couldn't breathe. Then she pulled back and punched him in the arm.

"Ow," Percy said. "What was that for?"

"For making me worry sick." Annabeth crossed her arms.

"Sorry," Percy said softly. "I woke up in Rome and knew I had to come here. I was chased the entire time by a swarm of monsters."

"You could've at least let us know you were alive," Thalia said, following Annabeth's example and punching him. Then she softened and hugged him. "But I'm glad you're alive, Kelp Head."

"Me too," Nico said. "I was getting tired of being the target of Thalia's bad jokes." Thalia stuck her tongue out at him, which made him smile.

Suddenly they heard a loud roar, and they turned just as a giant swung a newly ripped up building at Reyna, who was still on her pegasus. She didn't have time to duck or fly out of the way as the building smashed into her, making both her and her pegasus crash into the Senate building.

"Die, you horrific vultures!" screeched Terminus, dissapearing and reappearing with a loud popping sound, going back and forth from one spot to another as the giant kept turning in circles trying to catch him. Percy found the sight oddly amusing, and would have laughed if they weren't facing danger.

"We have to help Reyna!" Jason said, and started foward.

"Jason!" Piper yelled, then started after him, Leo following close behind.

"Guys, we're not supposed to . . . split up." Frank sighed. They were gone.

"Perseus Jackson!" a woman screeched. Campers and monsters both flinched and ducked out of the way as Medusa came stomping through the army of demigods and monsters, her face red and the little snakes on her head hissing.

"Don't look at her!" Annabeth screamed, squeezing her eyes shut. Percy looked back to make sure his friends had closed theirs before closing his.

He felt hands on his face, and hissing noises just above his head, which told him that Medusa was standing right in front of him.

"Percy," Medusa crooned. He felt her softly stroking his cheek. "Back again. Won't you open your eyes?"

"Don't do it!" Thalia said firmly. "Keep your eyes shut."

"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice was soft again. "I won't hurt you, dear. That horrible spawn of Athena's has corrupted you. I can help you. Take your pain away."

"By turning him to stone?" Annabeth sneered. "I don't think so."

Medusa growled. "I can not stand Athena nor any of her children. I'll be glad when my mistress rids of you."

"You mean Gaea?" Nico asks, his eyes shut tightly. "All she's going to do is use you."

"Like the gods are any better," a new voice said, and they didn't have to look to see that it was a demigod, and their hearts broke. They hated it when demigods joined the bad side. They were being fooled into thinking that joining the enemy was the right choice.

"And you think Gaea is going to help you?" Thalia asked. "Once she's through with you she'll toss you aside."

"Well, the gods use you!" the demigod exclaimed angrily. "They use you to do their dirty work-"

"Because they need us," Annabeth said firmly. "Whether they know it or not."

"Enough talking!" Medusa snarled, grabbing Percy's arm. "Time to die!"

Quicker than he thought possible, Percy pulled his pen out of his pocket, uncapped it, and swung it in front of him, still keeping his eyes closed. He heard hissing and a horrible screeching sound, then heard a soft thump as something fell to the ground at his feet.

"Ew," he said, scrunching his nose. He kicked the thing at his feet, and it rolled away. He opened his eyes.

"It's okay to look now, guys," he said.

Annabeth opened her eyes and moved to Percy's side, taking his hand. "This is the second time you've cut off her head," she said proudly, smiling at him.

"Well, lets hope I don't have to do it a third time," Percy said. "We have to help Reyna."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Reyna!" Jason screamed as he hurried through the remains of crushed buildings and bodies of campers and monsters. If a monster got in his way he'd slice them to bits. He had to get to Reyna. He had to make sure she was okay.

"Jason!" she heard Piper yell behind him, but he didn't slow down. Eventually she caught up to him, Leo close behind.

"Where is she?" Piper asked over the loud noise.

"She landed somewhere ahead," Jason called back. Together they marched through the mess, and stopped in front of a toppled building. They could see a pair of legs poking out underneath it.

"Reyna!" Jason jumped foward, trying to push the building off her, but it was no use. The building was too big.

Jason, Piper, and Leo together tried to push it, but it still wasn't enough.

"We need Tyson!" Leo told them. "He can move it."

"Yeah, but where is he?" Piper scanned the crowd, but didn't see the cyclopes.

"Guys," Percy said, breathless, Annabeth right behind him. "Where's Reyna?"

"Under here," Jason said, pointing. "But we can't get this building off of her."

Percy looked around. Through the dust and bodies he thought he saw a figure with a hundred arms.

"Briares!" Percy yelled. The figure looked over, then huddled toward them.

"Percy Jackson," Briares grunted. "Nice to see you again."

"Can you move this building?" Percy asked. "Please, hurry. Our friend's under there."

Briares' hands shifted under the building, and with a grunt slowly lifted it enough for Jason and Percy to drag Reyna out.

"Reyna?" Jason said, lifting her head. To his relief, she gave a small cough, which let him know that she was still alive.

Piper poured some nectar into her mouth, glad that she was still alive but slightly annoyed that Jason was holding her.

Eventually Reyna opened her eyes and looked around. "W-what happened?" she asked.

"You were hit with a building," Percy said gently. "Just lay still."

Reyna coughed. "Where's Scipio?" she asked. "Where's my pegasus?"

Suddenly Reyna's dogs, Aurum and Argentum, bounded foward and dissapeared behind the fallen building. They returned a few minutes later, dragging Scipio to them with their teeth.

"My poor boy," Reyna said as the dogs layed Scipio down beside her. She reached out and gently petted the horse's mane.

"Guys," Nico said, running up to them, hands on knees, trying to regain his breath. "We have a problem. Gaea's other army showed up. And Hyperion is leading them."

*Sorry for making you guys wait. Chapter 9 will be up sooner, I promise.*