XXI

Annabeth

ANNABETH HELD HER GROUND. The others around her stepped back as the security guards came forward. "Stop," Annabeth said holding up her knife. She tried hard to keep her hand from shaking; she wasn't used to holding it with her left hand. Blood dripped from her right.

"Stop," Annabeth repeated. Not to her surprise, they continued to advance.

"Annabeth, what's your plan?" Percy whispered in her ear. Annabeth jumped. She had forgotten that he was still standing beside her.

The guards uniforms began to rip as they grew in size. There guns began shaping into spears, and their hair grew long and shaggy. Annabeth saw their names stitched onto the uniform. In ancient Greek they read, Otus and Ephialtes.

This isn't good, Annabeth thought. She could think of only one possible plan. "Run!"

They sprinted into the Colosseum as the doorway behind them burst apart. Percy lost hold on her hand and skidded away. One of the now forty foot giants swung his spear. Annabeth fell to the ground, missing the spear by inches.

Out of the corner of her eye Annabeth saw something-or someone- burst into flames. Percy grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. "Come on."

They dropped behind a bolder where Thalia and Jason were hiding/arguing.

"What do we do?"

"What else do we have to do? We fight them!"

"That'd be suicide!"

"Like that would be anything new."
"No time to argue!" Percy turned to Annabeth. "What's your plan?"

"I don't have one."

"I thought you said you had a plan."

"I was lying."

"I guess we'll wing it then." Then Percy jumped out from behind their hiding place and drew Riptide. He gave Annabeth a look, one she didn't recognize, then ran off to help Frank, who was single-handedly holding one of the giants at bay. Thalia and Jason quickly followed, each going for a different opponent.

Annabeth was alone, hand shaking from loss of blood. She looked down on her wrist, which she had so conveniently cut when she was thrown off the giants back. She ripped a bit of her orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt and wrapped it around her wrist.

Annabeth peaked over the chunk of wall. Frank was shooting one of the giants with hydra arrows while Thalia weaved back and forth through the rubble. While her friends fought around her Annabeth felt remarkably alone.

To her left Thalia, Percy, Hazel and Leo fought one giant, while Jason, Frank and Piper fought the other. Annabeth took a moment to consider her options. She could go help Jason, who had just nearly been stepped on, or Percy, who she really wanted to be near. But there had to be a reason there were giants there in the first place, didn't there? Why would Gaea send two giants to guard somewhere that wasn't important?

Then Annabeth made a decision.

She skirted around the edges of the Colosseum. She looked in the side of the walls for niches or secret entrances. It was like finding the entrance to the Labyrinth. Impossible to find. But maybe that meant that you could stumble on it by accident.

Annabeth was checking out a suspicious crack when a yell caught her attention.

She turned slowly, afraid of what she might see.

With one mighty swing of Hera's gladius, Jason cut the hand of the giant Ephialtes. Hera must have been helping, for the giant began to disintegrate in bursts of colored light. Not like a rainbow, but more like the tails of a peacock, spreading across the landscape. At the same moment, Thalia was locked in battle with Otus. Her spear was imbedded in his stomach, and the only thing that kept him at bay was her shield.

The shriek from his brother caught the giants attention. Otus, with a sweep of his spear sent those fighting him to the ground. He turned to Jason, eyes alight with fire. He swung his spear. Jason had nowhere to go, no time to drop. It ripped through his flesh, ripped apart his lungs and threw him backward. His sword was sent flying.

It landed right at Thalia's feet.

Without hesitation, she drew her brother's sword from the ground and rose it high. Two flashes of light flew through the air. One like lightning, the other a streak of moonlight. They hit the sword and for a moment Thalia was covered in a glow so powerful Annabeth had to look away.

When Annabeth looked again, the sword was glowing white hot.

It was eerie, how quickly it had become silent. Thalia stood in the charred ashes of the giant. She dropped the sword as if it was burning her. Annabeth heard it faintly as it clattered the ground. Annabeth couldn't help but wonder what had happen to its owner.