A/N: I own nothing.

Don't Give it Power

The drakon wrapped its body around the Marathon like a snake. Percy watched in horror from the ground as the monster constricted its body, like an anaconda. The Marathon held, then exploded, sending wood and metal flying in every direction. Behind it, another ship caught fire and began to fall back to Earth.

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to mourn, because an earthborn chose that moment to hurl a chunk of rock at him. Percy ducked. The rock sailed past him and took off his friend's head, who had been locked in combat with Annabeth. They were fighting back to back, completely surrounded by a sea of enemies. Earthborn, gorgons, empousai, and just about every type of monster Percy had every faced had risen from the earth to fight them.

Just as another earthborn stepped forward to take the fallen one's place, every monster stopped advancing. A silent command rippled through the army, and every baddie directly in front of Percy moved to the side.

To his dismay, Gaea's mud body was walking slowly toward the pair, giants flanking her on both sides. She stopped across the clearing from Percy, and her children fanned out to the sides. Even worse, some of the Olympians were being dragged forward by the giants. Percy watched as Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Hera, and Demeter were brought forward.

A massive chariot sailed over their heads. Another giant, steering impossibly large horses, cackled as he shamelessly deposited Dax's bloodied body at Percy's feet. He moaned and tried to crawl to his feet. On one knee, Dax gasped in pain and fell. Gaea raised a hand, and the ground around Dax slowly crept up and swallowed his body. Gaea started to glow.

I will awaken when the blood of Olympus falls to my earth. This boy is not enough, but the Elder Olympians will quench my thirst.

On that cue, daggers made of solid earth formed in the giants' hands. The ones holding gods raised their weapons to the sky and stabbed their captives in the heart. Percy cried out when Polybotes stabbed Poseidon. The god's eyes were filled with pain. I'm sorry, he mouthed to Percy. Golden ichor flowed from the gods' wounds and holes opened in the earth to collect it. With each second, Gaea's aura grew brighter.

A red streak flashed overhead. Percy recognized the Marathon's chariot and his heart leapt in his chest. Ryder jumped out and landed in front of the Earth Mother, his blood red sword on fire. A flash of light, and Hephaestus appeared next to the Titan Boy, wielding a colossal, black warhammer.

Without a word, the two engaged Gaea. Gaea summoned two swords from the earth, and met her attackers head on. None of her giants stepped forward to help. That could mean only one thing. Percy gulped and his stomach dropped. They don't think she can lose. Ryder's flaming blade connected with Gaea's but hers didn't even smolder. He was sent flying backwards. Hephaestus slammed his warhammer into the ground, and an inferno rocketed towards Gaea. Striking her dead center, the force knocked her off balance, but Gaea steadied quickly. The other gods were still bleeding, and Gaea's strength was still increasing, but more slowly.

Percy and Annabeth tried to rush forward to fight, but they found there feet stuck. The earth around them was slowly but surely encasing them. In their fascination with the battle, neither had noticed that the ground was already around their ankles. Percy hacked at the rock with Riptide, but it barely chipped.

You are fools. The earth will not fall to fire this day.

"How about storm?" Jason flew at Gaea on the back of Tempest, who whinnied a war cry. His blade met the earthen one, and lightning struck the point of impact. Jason was thrown from Tempest, but was quickly on his feet. Gaea fell over, but only laughed as she regained her footing.

Ryder recovered his sword and advanced on Gaea in a line with Jason and Hephaestus. Gaea smiled, and punched the air with her fist. A spire the width of Percy's torso leapt from the ground and impaled Hephaestus in the chest. With another flick of her hand, a stone wall grew up and surrounded Ryder, while smaller spires attacked Hephaestus at his knees, wrists, and neck. His warhammer clattered to the ground. Ichor drenched the black rock. Gaea's laugh pierced Percy's soul.

Panicking, Percy swung his sword again and again at his rock tomb. The ground had risen to the middle of his thigh. Annabeth was busy hacking at her own bonds, but she didn't have any better luck. Percy turned back to see Jason charge Gaea again.

The son of Zeus fought well and hard, but Gaea was too strong, and growing stronger. Still wielding two swords, she soon had Jason on the defensive, and then he was just barely parrying her blows. One of her swords came up and disarmed Jason, while the other punctured his stomach. Jason fell silently, and the ground opened up to greedily devour his body.

Gaea looked at the gods, who were visibly aging as their power was drained. Satisfied, she turned and began walking towards Percy and Annabeth. The closer Gaea got to them, the faster the earth built up around the demigods. Percy's body was covered past his waist now.

"Annabeth, I'm so sorry." The rock around him surged to his chest.

"I love you, Seaweed Brain!" His shoulders were immobilized and he felt cold stone on his neck.

"I love you, Wise Girl!" The rock crept around his chin. Percy couldn't even turn to look at Annabeth one last time.

I wake!

The last thing Percy saw before being consumed by the Earth was Gaea opening her eyes, but there were no eyes, only glowing, red orbs of hate.

Percy's eyes shot open. Annabeth was staring at him, her own eyes full of tears. He was shaking and covered in sweat. His arms reached out and pulled Annabeth tightly to his chest. Tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I'm right here, Percy. It was a dream. We're safe. We're together." Annabeth cooed softly.

He felt his heart rate slow down as his body registered he was safe. "It wasn't Tartarus. Gaea – we – you –"

Annabeth stopped him with a quick kiss. "No, don't say it. Don't give it power. It was a nightmare, no more." Her head fell back to his chest.

The demigods lay like that until morning, Percy gently stroking her hair while she slept on his chest. He wouldn't let himself fall back to sleep. There was too much fear lurking in his dreams.

Clark stood by himself at the bow of the Marathon. The stars glistened brightly, as if they were mocking him. There was no way he would be able to sleep tonight. Fear, anxiety, and sadness were the only things that waited for him in his bed. Clark was afraid that he and his friends were going to die tomorrow, and it would be in vain. Gaea would rise, and everyone he cared about would die. Their civilization would fall, and eternal chaos would consume the planet.

Running tomorrow through a mental simulation of every possible action and outcome had driven him insane as he had tried to sleep. The key to Gaea's defeat continued to elude him, so he tried to escape his thoughts. Hopefully the fresh air would clear his head.

He wasn't wrong, the hopeless thoughts finally left him, only to be filled by painful ones. Clark's heart had fallen into his feet when the war meeting had adjourned earlier in the night. Everyone else had found solace in their significant other, maybe for the last time. Even Dax and Jenni had finally defeated the awkward wall of tension between them. When Jack had run off with Skylar, Clark felt like he had been stabbed with a dagger of ice. Returning to the deck now only reopened that wound. The only other person who'd gone to bed alone was Ryder, but that boy never seemed to be shaken. His inner calm was perpetual, and Clark admired and envied that.

A figure materialized out of the shadows next to him, and Clark jumped backward.

"Relax, Clark, it's just me." Jack was standing next to where Clark had just been, his arms crossed.

"Hades, you very nearly gave me a heart attack." Clark took a few steps toward the other boy.

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep, you?"

"Not a wink." They both leaned over the railing. The air between them buzzed with tension.

"I'm scared, Clark." Jack broke the silence. Clarke didn't know how to respond. "I'm scared of losing what I have, what we have. This family that we've worked so hard to build out of nothing. This ship is my home."

The silence was painful. Comforting other people was never Clark's strength. In fact, emotions in general were not second nature, or third, or fourth for that matter. He opted with honestly.

"I'm afraid too. I just wish we had more answers, or more time to find the answers."

"Hey, I mean, I have faith in us, and in the new guys. Percy and Dax will never give up, and I'll bet my life Annabeth figures out something. The gods will help, I can feel it. I just want everyone to come back alive." Jack turned to look Clarke in the eye, "Listen, man, if anything happens to me tomorrow, you gotta protect Skylar for me, okay? I don't want her to die." Jack's eyes glistened.

Clarke didn't know how to respond. Here was the boy who he had been unofficially been competing with for a girl's heart, asking Clarke to protect said girl. "You know I will."

"No, I've got a bad feeling about my own odds tomorrow. I need you to swear it." Jack's outstretched hand was shaking. "Please?"

"I swear on the Styx." He grasped Jack's hand.

Jack sighed, and his anxiety seemed to flow out of him in that breath, "Thank you. I needed that."

"You said before we were a family here. You were right. There's no need to thank me. We've fought hard to build this, and we'll fight harder before we see it be destroyed."

The son of Apollo's eyes hardened and he nodded. The two stood in an oddly comfortable silence for a long time.

"This kind of makes me miss Panama. At least we didn't have to worry going in. We thought it was going to be taking candy from a baby." Jack thought out loud.

"If that was our expectation then, what's going to happen tomorrow?" Clark mused grimly.

A third voice startled them both. "You can't think like that Clark." Ryder had emerged from the darkness to join them. "Listen, I know this task is daunting and downright terrifying, but if we let fear control us, Gaea's already won." He posted up on the railing between the other two demigods.

"People really need to stop sneaking up on me."

"Clark, I'm sorry again. That was terrifying." They all laughed.

"Hey, I've got a surprise." Ryder reached into his pocket and produced three long, dark cigars. "Either of you ever smoke one of these before?"

"Where did you find cigars? Are those Cubans?" Jack eyed them greedily.

"How did you know to bring three?"

"You both know I can't reveal my secrets. I have my ways." Ryder grinned.

"That's a load of minotaur dung," Jack said as he grabbed a cigar.

Clark took the other, and Ryder ignited one of his fingertips. He quickly lit all three cigars and extinguished his hand. Clark had never smoked before, but didn't want to look bad in front of the others, so he took a large drag, and immediately doubled over in a coughing fit. Jack and Ryder burst out laughing. They quickly taught him how to properly smoke a cigar. Clarke got the hang of it, but his face stayed red with embarrassment for some time.

The cigars were well made, and burned well into the night. The three heroes stood together in place on the railing for hours, even after the last cigar went out. The sun rose, and it was well worth the wait. Orange slowly peeked over the distant mountains and lit up the clouds and country. Clark smiled. He was just glad he didn't have to spend what might turn out to be the last night of his life alone. Looking at the others, he knew they felt the same way.