I worked so hard on this! Enjoy!
Smile
Luke Castellan was officially screwed. They're going to lose and he knows it. And its clear that Kronos does too.
Unlike popular belief, Luke is not a monster. It pains to see his beautiful Annabeth stabbed in the arm, and even the twerp Jackson's pain at the death of their spy Silena kills him, even if just a little.
Its Kronos who has manipulated his personality, changed him from a compassionate, strong-willed young man into a glorified killing machine. His thoughts are diluted to the point that they're almost unrecognizable. Luke realizes that maybe letting Kronos use his body as a host wasn't such a good idea after all, but its too late now. Luke continues to try to persuade Kronos to do things that... wouldn't be the best choice for the Titan Army, but Kronos is as wise as Earth itself. He catches the tricks at their roots.
Luke remembers that sickly sweet voice echoing from the cavern. He doesn't understand why his younger self didn't catch on to the fact that yes, Kronos hated the gods with the same bloody fury that he did but he was in hell for a reason. The gods maybe be arrogant, cruel, self-centered, condescending people but they were not stupid.
So here Luke Castellan is, fighting in the Olympian throne room with the son of Poseidon, using the little power he has to try to stiffen the arms, or trip the legs. Kronos is a titan though, what use is it? He is ten million times more powerful than Luke will ever be. He was an idiot to believe Kronos's lies that maybe he would be.
After minutes that felt like years fighting heroes that didn't deserve to die, Kronos finally gets distracted enough for Luke to ask Percy to give him the knife. Yes, it was a stupid idea. Why would Jackson trust him not to stab Annabeth and Grover and take over the world? This wasn't going to work. This Bronze Age is going to end. The world will be chaos. Say goodbye.
But the desperation in Luke's eyes probably told different.
With hesitation, Percy hands over the dagger. Taking a deep breath, he removes a slight bit of armor and stabs himself between the arm and the shoulder.
The teens shield their eyes as Luke explodes into golden light.
The lights fade, and the twenty-two year old says goodbye to the world.
Finally, Luke Castellan does something good for the world, and he can't help but smile.
If you're actually reading this, please put Hanging by a Moment in your review.
Don't forget to R&R!