I'm at war with the world and they try to pull me into the dark.

-Thalia Grace

One week later

Thalia blasted another building down with her lightning impatiently. "Luke, it's done. Can I go to lunch?" she demanded.

Luke didn't reply. Instead, he crossed his arms and studied her curiously. "It's strange how you're fine with destroying the world."

Thalia gave him a faint smirk. "When a person is controlling you, you just have to deal with it, because you know that they can do worse if you don't cooperate."

Luke smiled and tilted his head. "You're right. I can do a lot worse," he said, caressing her cheek. "Like making you kill mortals instead of blasting empty warehouses into debris."

Thalia shoved his hand away playfully. "Hey, I've got no problem with destroying ugly square buildings that are empty."

"Good, because I've got tons of them lying around."

"Thanks a lot; I never get tired of this," Thalia muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Why don't you just pick up a huge wrecking ball and smash the thing into pieces like in that digital game your monsters like playing?"

"Because I don't feel like it," Luke smirked and tried to tie her hair into a braid. She swatted his hand away.

"This feels so weird; I'm having a conversation with you, my archenemy, and it's not about my glorious visions of throwing you off the Empire State Building." Thalia attempted half heartedly to push Luke away when he reached for her again.

"I know, right?" he kissed her lips gently and pulled away.

The two demigods lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Ten minutes later

"Jace, it'll be okay." Piper placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging them softly.

"No, it's not," Jason said angrily. "Now Luke has her under control, he can do anything he needs to. Luke wants power; Thalia has it."

Leo shuddered. "That's dangerous. I don't want to be Luke's enemy in battle, much less Thalia's."

"We can't do anything," Jason sighed quietly. "I don't want to admit it, but I think we just lost the war."

"Don't say that," Piper chided immediately. "We may still have hope."

"While Elpis is in the Box," Leo muttered, his voice not quite audible.

"And I don't think it's going to stay inside it," Jason glared at the sea, throwing a rock and disturbing the peaceful waters.

One hour later

"So, now, you're like my new weapon," Luke said cheerfully. "Operation Omega is almost reaching the first quarter of the procedure."

"What's "Operation Omega"?" Thalia questioned quickly.

"Mmm, not telling you." Luke whipped out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"Nakamura, check on the armory. How much supplies do we have left?" Luke glanced at Thalia, who was raising her eyebrows at him.

The son of Hermes wasn't satisfied by his answer as he frowned impatiently. "Fifty? We have to replenish our numbers, then. Prepare twenty three demigods for raiding."

Ethan had probably dissatisfied Luke again, because he glared at the debris. "What do you mean we don't have twenty three half-bloods to spare? I need twenty three demigods for raiding. Now." Luke snapped his cell phone shut with a small smack.

"You only have fifty demigods alive," Thalia told the male quietly.

"Yes, I know that," he said flippantly. "Do I care? Let's see, no."

"You have twenty eight half-bloods left to secure the building. Perfect moment for my demigods to attack." Thalia smiled at him.

"Yes, but I don't think they will; I sent them a message." Luke tossed her dark locks around playfully. "Do you know anywhere that stores magic weapons?"

Thalia thought for a moment and hesitated. "Yeah, I do."

"Where is it?" Luke asked her, his eyebrows raised.

"Camp Half-Blood."

Luke smacked his forehead and shut his eyes. "Right, forgot to raid that place. But… do you really think that the Big House has large arsenals of weapons?"

"No," Thalia admitted. "But, however, the Ant Hill does."

He stared at her for a moment.

"I am so glad to have you on my side," Luke said slowly.

"I'm cute. What can I say?" Thalia laughed, trying to ignore the empty feeling that built up inside her chest.

Why couldn't she have thought of that first and told Jason and Nico?