Thx to everyone who saved Nico- it was noticed and actions were duly taken (it took him an hour to get out of that suit, and he still sounded like a girl a day later). Don't worry, I don't hate Nico- I sleeptalk about him (more on that is painfully embarrassing, including me hitting people in my sleep, rude language, and yelling about Nico being Michael Jackson) anyways... hope you likey

I look up fearfully, gripping my knife with a white-knuckle grasp. Instead, I'm amazed to see the guard who grabbed me lying on the ground clutching his groin and moaning, while some zombies dressed in bullet-peppered camouflage uniforms assault the other two and force them to the ground. A shadow falls across my face, and I get to my feet, brush myself off, and come face-to-face with somebody I thought I'd never see again.

'Emma?!!' I gasp incredulously, doing a double-take as she contemptuously kicks the guard.

She beams, and grabs my hand. 'I found out what I can do!! I have to help you!! Chiron told me it's my destiny, because of my power, and I found I could do this!!' she yells excitedly.

'Do what now?' I ask, trying not to grin because her happiness is infectious.

She spreads her arms out wide, and flexes her fingers. Her eyes close, and then slowly, she becomes more and more translucent. I can actually see the disappearing skeletons through her body, and take a step back. The very last things to fade are her eyes, her dark blue pupils turning slowly transparent. My hands fly to my mouth, as she completely disappears, and I swing my head from side to side looking for her.

I hear an eerily ghostly chuckle float by my ear, and have the sneaking suspicion she's running round and round without me knowing it. I take a fighting stance; nervously looking around, when I hit solid flesh behind me. I scream, and roll to the ground. It's only Nico, looking extremely confused, and becomes even more so when the glove from the missing guard's hand floats into the air like a disembodied limb.

Emma materialises out of nowhere, laughing even louder at our shocked faces. 'How did you... how is that... how?' I demand, brushing myself off for the second time I've fallen on the ground.

She shrugs mischievously. 'I don't know. I just don't want people to see- and POOF. It must be something all Hermes kids can do- Dad being the god of thieves and all. I just wanted to follow you- and Chiron saw me disappear. He just told me to go- and it was easy to catch up, you guys are slower than disabled rhinos, minus the wheelchairs.'

I beam. 'That's great, Emma. We sure could use another fighting hand in this. Right Nico?' I say, nudging him.

'Uh-huh, yep, sure.'

I notice the concentrating look in his eyes, and my eyes flick over to the guards. They're gone-only the glove left. 'Uhhh, Nico?'

'Yeah...?'

'Where are the guards?'

'I dunno.'

'Where?'

'...Somewhere....'

I give an oh sure look to Emma. 'They're running through cactus bushes naked in Hades aren't they?'

'Yup.'

I sigh dramatically. 'What a surprise.' I ladle that one with sarcasm. 'Well, anyway, let's get this door open.'

I twist my knife into the lock, Emma shoves it, and Nico bodyslams it. It gives way with a horrible creak, and we all wince. The room inside is littered with electrical equipment scattered over the floor, from radars with cracked screens, to handsets with microphones ripped off. Everything seems to be in some kind of disarray or broken. The Hephaestus kids would have a fit, I think, and smile weakly.

We gingerly make our way through the wreckage, towards the fire in the hearth that burns with a strange green light, possibly lit with some kind of marsh gas, I reason. Nothing spooky here, officer. In the centre of the room is a hunched over man, his face illuminated sickly by the flickering green light. He's huge- at least 8 feet tall- and is topped by a mound of straight white hair. I glance nervously at Nico, and reach for his hand. I brush against his cool touch, feel his palm lines, and grip his hand. That's when it all goes off.

A growling sound echoes from a dim corner of the room, and red eyes shine. I let go of Nico's hand, and instantaneously, we move into a triangle formation, our weapons on the outside. Suddenly a massive dog with glowing red eyes and matted black fur leaps towards Emma, its pointed fangs coated with frothy drool. Emma ducks and yells 'HELLHOUND!!' as Nico pulls me to the ground, and I get a close-up not-needed view of a hellhound's underside as it leaps across us.

Nico unsheathes his sword with a TTSSSIIINGGG sound of Stygian iron against metal, I position my knife between my fingers for throwing perfection, and Emma slips off her elaborate Celtic rings. I've never noticed them before, but as she pulls them off her fingers, they grow and transform into steel-hilted daggers and a weighted sword. I'm somewhat distracted by them, so I don't see the hellhound lining up for its next shot. With a blood-curdling howl it charges straight at me, and calls on its pack members, which have been watching us all along from the deep black shadows lining the walls. I throw the knife with a swift wrist manoeuvre, and it thuds into the monster's neck, producing a hissing sound like a rubber balloon with all the air being let out of it when you hold the neck. It dissolves into dust, coating the rest of the smashed electronic equipment like a filthy icing on a shattered cake.

I spin round haphazardly, my sneakers squeaking against the floor, to be coated in monster grime as Nico lops one's head off. Grimacing, I pick up my knife from the floor, clutching it close to me. Another howl resounds close to my ear, and yet another hellhound snarls at me with its yellow incisors from atop an elevated desk, then scrabbles with its claws as it leaps straight at me. I try to roll to the side, but I'm too late- its jagged claws smash against my chest, tearing into my clothes, piercing my skin like acupuncture needles. The beast slams into me, its massive head crashing into my neck, directly onto my necklace. And that's when the necklace's clock face spins and retracts in with the hellhound's force.

Suddenly a golden ray spreads out from the clock symbol, bathing me in golden light. As the light passes over me, I can see armour appearing on my chest magically. The armour's smooth and flexible, so light it almost feels like my clothes. Shiny gold bands and hand protectors materialize on my hands and fingers, with bronze plates leading up my arms, with leather strapped shoulder pads tied under my shoulders. The armour's helmet is silver with a simple black plume cascading down my neck. Most importantly, my breastplate is embossed with a black clock symbol, etched into the silver plate. The hellhound's teeth bounce off against the hard plate, and it rebounds away.

I look down in wonder at the golden light, which vanishes as soon as it finishes creating my ankle guards, all sparkling silver. It even has a sheath for a knife, and as I find out, an actual knife in it, gold-hilted with elegant spiralling designs down the blade. I finish off the hellhound with a swift stab to the neck, then turn to glare at the hunched figure, which has been casually regarding the spectacle all along.

Atlas, I think. He regards me scornfully, a regal look in his eye. 'Very clever, halfling.' He rumbles in a commanding voice. 'But Cretan armour is not enough for you now.'

'Wait, that's what is is?' Oof, that sounded dumb.

'I know who you are, godling, Clio's little brat. You've obviously come a long way- to stop the uprising, I suppose. The journey ends here, I'm afraid.'

He unsheathes a huge wicked-looking sword from a scabbard along his back, and swings it lazily. I hold up my knife defensively, and stop time with quick inspiration. He doesn't stop- only laughs malevolently, running his massive finger along the sharp edge of his weapon. 'Gifts from your mother, child? You should know better than to try against a Titan. Time doesn't affect us, for we have been here since the beginning of it, and we serve none other than Kronos, lord of time '

I grimace heavily, and let it slip through my fingers, desperately trying to stall. 'Why do you want to do this? Isn't there another way?'

He laughs again, booming his false mirth round the narrow room. 'Another way?' he bellows. 'Another way for six thousand years of imprisonment under the sky? You are more stupid that you look, godling. '

I scowl, but the stalling is working. 'Thanks. But who is holding that sky...thing up now?'

He smiles proudly. 'My greatest achievement. My daughter Zoë Nightshade's body was brought to me, shortly after her death. I knew her spirit had been set among the stars, and so, I called it to me with the ancient arts. Star essence is a powerful thing, you know. It was easy from then on to divide her into two, her body for me, and her soul to hold up the sky until Zeus holds it himself '

With that, he holds his sword over his head, like a human-Titan actually- guillotine, and strikes it down. I panic, and leap out of the way, as the sword bites into the floor and sinks deep in. A cry comes from my right, and I see a sword flying through the air, attached to an invisible person. I duck, and it soars over my head, against atlas's stomach. It bounces off, and he looks down bemusedly, and then laughs yet again. 'So there is more than one of you.' He muses. 'Come out, little son of Hades.'

Nico responds by hiding in the shadows, but a huge crack appears in the middle of the hallway, with even more dead warriors in Civil War uniform come crawling out. Their eyes glow fire, and their teeth gnash. Atlas responds by clapping his hands, and he's fully clothed in armour. Emma launches another attack, and this time it pierces him while he's distracted. He roars with pain, and shouts out 'Daughter of Hermes!!! You shall pay for this! '

I run in quickly, but he deflects my knife with his shield. He roars again, and flicks his hand- the skeletons disappear. I try a few swift stabbing manoeuvres, but he barges me with his shield, and I fly off into the wall. My head cracks against a filing cabinet, causing a whiplash all down my spine, and I slump, winded and unable to move. Atlas moves from side to side, moaning softly, looking for Emma and Nico. After that, everything goes fuzzy. Nico yells out, cutting a sharp slice through the fog. I shake my head, causing nerve-wracking agony down my back, and grit my teeth. My hand shakily reaches for my knife, sunken into a wall beside me. A scream cuts through the tense air, and I groan, pulling myself up. Emma reappears beside me, screaming for me to help. I run back into the battle, where Nico's defending himself desperately.

Atlas seems to be enjoying this. Every thwack as the blades collide is punctuated by his grin. I try throwing my knife towards his neck, but he deflects it at the last minute. It's like he knows everything I'm going to do. But Emma's too quick for him- she finally jabs him with her sword, causing only a small graze. He screams with fury now- then faster than the eye can follow, he spins and throws his sword straight at her.

Everything moves in slow motion. The least important things are incredibly important- the glint in his eye, Emma's panicked face, the scream that goes on and on until I realise it's me. Emma ducks- too late. The sword pierces her shoulder, pinning her against the wall. I move, but it's too late. She crumples, like a rag-doll with its strings cut, and I know I can't help her. But then the fury begins.

Well... I did not enjoy writing that. I hate it when characters get injured- not cool, but the other stuff was fun to write. Hope you're enjoying it much as I am :) I love reviews :) Please review :) The cool ones review and think about fluffy bunnies and chocolate chip cookies before you review :) i find i get the best reviews when people do that but I'm not happy... Justin bieber was going to come to my school, but he didn't what the hell????? Don't exactly love JB but still... I'm very mad at him. Very mad. :(

Anyways, review ily peeps :) :) :) :)