amazinggalaxy2003: Yes! Finally some sibling time with no one killing each other! I hope you update soon! / I was quite happy to finally give the kids of Kronos time to bond, Olympus knows they sort of need it.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO and/or HOO.
Chapter 45 - Fighting the Sky
The weapon pulsed with light as his ichor stained the blade. "Finally," the Blade hummed with energy, "after nearly two billion years, we wake."
To say Theron was shocked to hold a talking weapon in his hand was an understatement. He almost didn't register the fact that he was falling into Tartarus. Theron could feel his grandmother's anger that he had the Blade in his hand, and he was happy that he hadn't let her get hold of it. The voices of the fourteen eldest Titans (including himself) yammered on in his head, until they all suddenly quieted. The Blade suddenly lit up with energy and Theron stopped falling. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and Theron shot up into the throne room of Othrys around two hundred feet above him.
The gods stumbled back as the vault doors grinded closed. Theron studied the Blade for several seconds, in a slight daze from the amount of power the weapon emitted. He quickly sheathed the sword when he realised he was getting carried away.
"Theron," Hades said incredulously, "how…? You just…"
Theron grinned, "Secrets must be kept, my dear brother."
Hades shook his head slightly. "Are you alright?"
"Fine," Theron said, though he couldn't hide his small grimace as he realised that he had somehow managed to put a part of himself in the Blade, "never better."
"As Kronos so often says, nephew," Krios called, "you are a terrible liar."
"Oh, shut up," Theron grumbled.
Krios carefully climbed to his feet, "Why are you lying?"
Theron sighed, "Because the Titans' Blade can talk," he scowled, "somehow we managed to put a part of ourselves into it. Likely a side effect of us inserting our powers."
"I did not expect that," Krios muttered.
Theron nodded slightly, "Me neither. Incredibly annoying to hear myself shouting, 'Kill the gods! They killed Father! Return the favour!' and 'How in the name of Tartarus could Othrys fall? I will murder the gods!'"
Krios laughed, "A drastic change to your current self, no?" he paused for several moments, "Oh, and, nephew?"
"Yes?" Theron asked warily.
"Ouranos was asking for you," Krios said bluntly, "something about returning the favour."
Theron grinned crookedly, "The favour of chopping off his head?"
"Yes, that one," Krios said in amusement, "and, uh… he managed to get Kronos."
Theron froze. "What?" He demanded as he turned on the older Titan.
"Ouranos tried to get Rhea, and Kronos – the fool that he is – jumped in the way," Krios said carefully as he watched Theron's reaction.
Theron growled under his breath and disappeared in a column of Greek fire. Krios smiled slightly, "That is my job done."
"Your job?" Hestia asked incredulously, "He will get killed!"
"You underestimate him," Krios growled, "and all of us are out there risking our lives for your sorry asses, whilst you cower in here like wild dogs. The least you could do is help!" He hesitated slightly, "Not that we need it, of course."
"Of course," Zeus said dryly.
The air shimmered and a perfectly fine Prometheus appeared in the room supporting a limping Perses. Prometheus avoided Krios' glare as he helped Perses down.
Krios glowered at his nephew, "Finally managed to persuade Oceanus to travel you in here."
"Perses needed my help," Prometheus defended.
"No, I did not," Perses growled, "and I do not now. You just wanted a way out of the fight before you were injured." He turned to look at Krios, "You finally sent Theron down?"
Krios snorted, "He almost fell into Tartarus. That is why he took so long."
Perses grinned, "He has turned the battle around singlehandedly. The Titans' Blade is absorbing all of Ouranos' lightning bolts."
Krios looked relieved, "Good. We may win this battle." He surreptitiously glanced at the gods, "But, if the gods help this will be over faster, with less injuries, and may be a bonding experience. Chaos knows we need it if there are going to be no arguments."
Zeus looked at his brothers who nodded. Zeus summoned his armour and master bolt to him as his siblings all the same and the rest of the gods quickly followed. Zeus lightning travelled into the arena.
Krios grinned when the last god had gone. "I am rather good at this, am I not?"
Prometheus sighed and attempted to help Perses to his feet. The Titan of Destruction growled, "Piss off," he swatted away his cousin's hand, "I am not an invalid."
"Okay," Prometheus said as he quickly withdrew hands, "sorry."
"You should be," Perses scowled.
"Shut up," Prometheus muttered.
"What was that, Weasel Breath?" Perses asked innocently.
"Weasel Breath?" Prometheus spluttered.
"Oh, yes," Perses smirked, "Metis can be rather creative when it comes to nicknames."
Prometheus glared at Perses. "If you do not shut up, I will…" he struggled to think of a good threat.
Perses snickered, "Come on, cousin, think." Prometheus whacked Perses round the head and Perses scowled, "you little-"
"Boys," Krios interrupted in mild irritation and amusement, "both of you, shut up." The younger Titans quickly did so and Krios smiled slightly, "Thank you."
Prometheus shifted his leg slightly so he kicked Perses. The Titan of Destruction growled, "Alright, that is it!"
Krios groaned as the cousins started squabbling again. "I am seriously starting to regret voting to come here."
Theron wasn't sure what he was expecting when he arrived in the arena and summoned his armour to him, but seeing vines circling the pillars and a massive storm raging inside whilst the Titans fought dozens of earthborn wasn't really surprising. Kronos was fighting Ouranos and the Primordial was formed out of pure electricity as he only fought with his powers.
Theron unsheathed the Titans' Blade as he realised that Krios – the idiot that he was – had lied to him when he said that Kronos was out of action. Theron could see that Kronos had been hit as his armour was blackened and his true form was weaker than usual. Kronos' true form was incredible – a warrior made of a swirling golden aura which flickered with heat and energy. Around Kronos the air was superheated with enough energy to spontaneously combust a demigod from just being within miles of him. Luckily for the demigods, after the Titans had found out that true forms killed lesser beings they had immediately reinforced the walls of Othrys to prevent it from happening again.
Theron raised the Blade up to the storm and concentrated on drawing it over to him. Ouranos' head shot up and his eyes narrowed when he saw Theron. The Primordial bellowed and a lightning bolt shot down towards the Prince. Theron positioned his weapon to block the bolt, and released a blast of Greek fire from the point. The fire went straight towards Ouranos and Kronos dived out of the way. Ouranos roared in pain and stumbled back as Kronos charged forwards to duck under his Father's searching hands and stab Backbiter into the back of his leg.
Theron grinned and walked forward, influencing the air beneath him to harden and support his weight. "Hello, grandfather, nice to see you again."
All of the Titans were focused on the weapon held in Theron's hand. Ouranos' stormy blue eyes flitted down to look at the sword and his eyes glinted. "I assume that is the Titans' Blade?"
"Yes, and you are not having it," Theron smirked.
"Then I shall have to take it," Ouranos hissed and started forward. Kronos barrelled towards his father and swung Backbiter, impaling Ouranos' leg. Ouranos glared at Kronos. "You will die, son," he promised, "whether by my hands or Gaea's. No one disrespects us and gets away with it!"
Theron raised the Titans' Blade and shot a jet of green fire at the Primordial. The flames were shoved to the side by a gust of wind and Ouranos laughed, "You think you can beat me? I am the father of Othrys. Gaea and I, we are eternal! We own you, flesh and blood!"
"No one owns me," Kronos growled, "I make my own life. Something that you do not know how to do if you allow Gaea to play you."
"Gaea is not playing me," Ouranos scowled, "I am helping her of my own will."
Theron grinned, "Why would you do that if it was her idea that got you killed?"
Ouranos hesitated slightly and his eyes flickered a different colour for a moment, then it was gone and he glowered at Theron. "Nice try, grandson," he admitted, "you almost had me there."
Theron studied Ouranos for several seconds as the Primordial stalked towards him. The Prince was realising what was wrong. He controlled the winds to propel him forwards, but almost immediately they stopped in their tracks. Theron cursed as he tumbled to the ground and rolled to stop himself breaking a leg. Theron rolled sideways as a lightning bolt shot by him and smashed into the arena stands, sending rubble and dust flying.
Ouranos bellowed in laughter, "I am the sky, the air and the wind around you! Just like you cannot control Gaea, you cannot control me!"
Theron scrambled to his feet and held his hand out for the Titans' Blade. The sword shot into his hand and Theron looked up at the Primordial towering above him. Ouranos reached down to pluck him off the ground, but Theron swept the Blade above his head and cut into the palm above him. Ichor dropped onto Theron as he retreated back from the angered being.
Ouranos slowly lumbered after him, taking his time, knowing that Theron couldn't defeat him alone and all the Titans were concentrating on the Earthborn. "I will kill you," Ouranos growled, "after I flay your flesh from your bones, and give you eternal agony. Consider it a very late first birthday present."
Theron swallowed, "You may want to return it. I would prefer something nice as a present." A lightning bolt shot out of the storm above them and landed in the stands. When the dust cleared Theron saw his youngest brother standing there. The Prince stopped for several seconds and slightly surprise – he had thought the gods would prefer the stay safe, but obviously he was wrong. Theron idly thought he should give them more credit; they were apparently more courageous than he had known.
Ouranos took advantage of Theron's distraction and swung his hand. Theron went flying back into the base of the stands, the Blade falling from his grip. His back smashed into the base of the stands and he fell to the ground in a heap, groaning and curling into a ball as his back throbbed.
Ouranos looked down at him smugly and a shaft of lightning formed in his hand, stretching until it was nearly twice as tall as Theron. "Maybe Tartarus will be kind to you, grandson," Ouranos said mockingly as he moved the point so it was above Theron's heart, "or maybe not." He added and stabbed down.
A black sword severed the bolt in half before it connected with Theron's chest. "Do not touch him," the Titan King's eyes were almost black in his anger as he planted himself between the two beings. He held his hand out and Backbiter returned to him as he glowered at his father. Although he was only around a quarter of the Primordial's height at twelve feet, he seemed taller than usual.
Ouranos looked down at Kronos as the remaining lightning in his hand dissipated. "I shall do what I want!" He boomed, "Do not worry; your time shall come soon. After I chop of your son's head."
Kronos bellowed and charged the original Sky King. Ouranos blasted lightning at him, but Kronos slowed it down in time and did a baseball slide directly under it. Backbiter slid into the foot of the Primordial and out beside his Achilles heel. Ouranos fell to one knee and Kronos jumped, intending to bring Backbiter down on his father's back. The sword slid in beside the middle of Ouranos' spine, and Ouranos arched his back in agony. A tremendous blast of energy erupted from the Primordial and sent Kronos flying back to the stands. A lightning bolt shot down into the mid-flight immortal and the Titan King slammed into the top of the stands. He fell down several of the seats before lying limply with his body half off the edge of one. Backbiter landed on the floor of the arena, and Ouranos laughed triumphantly. The Titans cried out in dismay as they saw the broken form of their King.
Ouranos picked himself off the floor as ichor pooled around his feet. He held his hand out and the half of the lightning bolt beside Theron flew towards him. "So much for him," Ouranos said dismissively as he turned back to look at Theron who was struggling to crawl away, "and now to deal with you."
Next chapter - Death of Two Kings
So Kronos is down and the Titans are in trouble as they fight the Father of Othrys. What will happen next chapter for Olympus and Othrys?
