A/N: I own nothing. Sorry it's short, didn't want to try to cram in too much. Review please and enjoy!
The Mother of All Sinkholes
No one had spoken after Jack delivered the news. Quietly, but quickly, the heroes had piled into the chariots and sped away. Thalia and Nico naturally insisted on coming along. For all his ugliness, Festus was able to keep up with long strides.
"Move! Get out of the way!" Dax yelled.
The demigod army was transfixed on whatever it was in front of them. Yelling seemed to be the only way to shake them out of their trance. Even then, the chariots were tough to maneuver in the crowd, so Percy and Dax elected to proceed on foot.
Percy was terrified. Gaea wanted to talk to them, in front of their whole army. Dax had been right, the Earth Mother wanted to make a really big show of destroying them. Anytime now, guys, Percy prayed to his divine family.
"Brother!" Tyson ambushed Percy near the front. Percy thought his ribs would break when Tyson hugged him.
"Hey, Tyson. Good to see you. Listen we've got a big problem."
"I know. Dirt Lady asks for you. Speedy boy goes to get you. Now you are here. Let's pound dirt!" He raised his club, and a legion of Cyclops warriors behind him bellowed. Tyson settled down and pointed to Dax, "Who's that?"
"This is Dax. He's our brother too." Dax braced himself for the hug.
"Other brother!" Tyson stopped hugging Dax and inspected him, "But your eyes… are like Annabeth's?"
"Uh, yeah, well, I'm Annabeth's brother too."
Tyson looked confused to the point of pain. "Daddy… and Athena? Oh."
Percy needed to speed this up. "Tyson, let's go talk to the Dirt Lady. We don't have much time." The three of them pushed past the last few rows of warriors and fell in line with the other chariots. Annabeth, Jenni, and Ryder climbed down and stood with them.
The army behind them was vast and deep. Greek, Roman, and Flotilla soldiers assembled in the thousands. Confidence flowed through Percy for the first time all day.
Before them, the scorched and trampled grassland stretched for miles. About ten feet in front of them, only one figure stood. Gaea, in all her dirt body glory, took a few steps toward them. Her eyes remained closed.
Heroes of Olympus, I thank you for offering yourselves as a sacrifice. Your blood will allow me to fully wake. Before the day is over, I will have my revenge.
"No one's being sacrificed today, Gaea. You've lost." Dax said.
Fool, you do not understand. After the Doors of Death were closed, I was forced to alter my plans. You are right, I weakened the ancient magic, but only in this location. The closer you sailed to here, the more your precious protection failed.
"So?" Leo yelled.
Leo Valdez, you would be wise to watch how you speak to me now that I determine how you will die. Daughter of Athena, tell your friends how that hole had formed under Arachne's cave.
Annabeth's eyes grew wide with horror. "All the hatred of all the beings in Tartarus ate away at the barrier, trying to get to the Athena Parthenos." Her voice quivered.
Yes, and can you imagine how much hatred boils beneath the roots of the gods? Much, much more than beneath the Parthenos. The ancient magic is strongest here, but it only takes a little push. The power I drained from your two friends was not quite enough, but the blood that has already been spilled today will do quite nicely.
"NO!" Percy screamed as Gaea stomped her foot, sending a wave of rippling energy in all directions. The earth began to shake violently. Behind Gaea, the ground started to twist and come apart. Pieces of rock and grass fell into the middle of a whirlpool of land. The bottom fell out, and even from his low vantage point, Percy could see a blackness so deep it seemed to suck in light. Tartarus.
Almost as quickly as it had started, the ground stopped shaking, leaving a gaping pit a mile wide in the middle of the field. Percy expected them all to be sucked it immediately, but nothing happened. She needs our blood, not our souls.
Percy watched in horror as monsters started to climb over the sides of the pit. The ugliest and scariest monsters any of them had ever seen started to gather in front of their eyes. Hydras, chimera, and manticores followed drakons and other beasts that even Annabeth didn't recognize.
Not a single demigod spoke or moved. Then a rough voice broke the silence, "Is that all you've got?"
Oh, no, Clarisse, why did you have to open your– Percy's thought was interrupted by a brilliant flash of light. When his eyes refocused, he saw that ten of Gaea's children stood in front of them. Percy only recognized the four he helped kill, and Porphyrion. They all glared at the demigods with hatred.
Movement behind this new line of enemies drew his eye. A massive black chariot, just like in his dream, rose out of the pit, only it was now pulled by two dragons, not horses. Percy spotted Otus holding the reins while Clytius stood behind him.
Following them out of the pit, another drakon rose. This one was bigger than all of its cousins and had wings. Looking at it for the first time was the scariest second of Percy's entire life.
No, daughter of Ares, that is not all.
As the giants' chariot and the megadrakon flew towards the demigods, the quickly growing monster army charged forward under them.
"Prissy, you guys kill the big uglies! We'll take care of the monsters. Travis, Connor, let's go!" Clarisse raised her spear in the air. The Greek soldiers, following the cyclops and Ares cabin's lead, yelled a war cry and cautiously followed the two chariots around the giants, who didn't seem to notice them.
Reyna practically threw the Roman eagle at Octavian. "Octavian, lead the legion into battle. I will help fight the giants."
Percy couldn't tell which emotion was more present in the augur's face, pride or fear. To his credit, Octavian overcame his shock and confidently grasped the eagle. "As you wish Praetor." He turned to face his soldiers. "Well, Romans, what are you waiting for? We can't let the Greeks get the better of us! Charge!"
Again, the giants didn't even blink when the Roman legion surged around them and quickly caught up with the Greeks. A few brave Flotilla soldiers, not wanting to be left behind, ran after the camps. It was all the encouragement needed for the remaining warriors to charge after them.
Thankfully, shadows began to pass over them. The Flotilla's ships were engaging the monster army. Ballistae coughed, and monsters exploded. The giant chariot and megadrakon headed right for the fleet.
Percy looked around at who was left to oppose Gaea and the giants. Fifteen demigods, that was including the injured Thalia and Nico, Festus the robot, and Tyson stood around Percy. Well, we've had worse odds before.
One giant that Percy didn't recognize stepped out of line. "Mutt, you die now!" His voice was steaming with rage.
Dax walked in front of Percy. "Gration, it's nice to see you in one piece." Dax's eyes were almost red with loathing.
His statement seemed to anger the giant further, who bellowed and charged. Dax, who was now glowing, his aura flickering between green and gray, rushed out to meet his opponent. Their blades collided, releasing a concussion wave with enough force to knock everyone but the two combatants to the ground.