Yo yo yo, I'm back and better than ever! I got my negative covid test a couple days ago so that's been nice. I also get to go back to work on Monday which will be great because I need money lol.

I do not own PJO/HOO.

And what do you think you'd understand
I'm a boy no, I'm a man
You can't take me and throw me away
And how can you learn what's never shown
Yeah you stand here on your own
They don't know me
Cause I'm not here

The Legend of Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase died on that little island that day.

At least, as far as I knew them. Gone were the emotion-filled expressions containing both disbelief and rejoicing; that momentary bliss that had enveloped their faces, beaming with euphoria, only for it to be so rudely interrupted. Gone were the lost, confused kids that I had (kind of) come to know through my dreams, who were simply trying to figure out how to make whatever they had work.

Now, I almost felt sorry for the Cynocephaly who were ordered to attack my parents. Though they outnumbered the demigods at least fifty to one, it soon became obvious that the monsters were also severely outmatched.

With determined expressions that rivaled Chrysaor's helmet in terms of scariness, my parents cut through wave after wave of Cynocephaly as if they had been born to slay monsters. They moved in almost perfect harmony with each other, watching each other's back as they fought. I recognized moves that I had been taught very briefly at camp, but at the same time, I also saw moves that could only have been incorporated from other styles of combat.

My dad was mostly the offensive unit, wielding Riptide in one hand, and using his other to unleash devastating blows from the water surrounding us. There was seemingly no pattern to his attacks, only controlled unpredictability. My mother appeared to take a more defensive approach, and I found myself studying the way she drew her opponents in, her eyes shooting back and forth as she analyzed them, before swooping in to finish them off.

I blinked. I had no idea where that all came from.

Chrysaor grew seemingly more agitated with every wave of Cynocephaly that was cut down. Finally, he had had enough.

"Back off, you absolute imbeciles!" He bellowed, causing everyone, including my parents, to freeze.

The monsters who had been about to attack suddenly lowered their weapons, and retreated a few steps away from the incredibly dangerous tip of my father's sword.

"I will deal with them myself," Chrysaor announced, as he raised his weapon to his shoulder, and began to approach my parents with a slow, haughty walk.

My father whispered something to my mother. Whatever he said, she didn't seem exactly pleased with it, but she nodded her head, and for some reason- she stepped back. Even though his back was to me, I could tell Chrysaor was smiling as he watched my father approach him, sword in hand, with a serious, but also unreadable emotion in his eyes.

"Now this is just poetic," Chrysaor jeered, "You against me, just like old times."

"This is different," My dad replied coldly.

"Not that I care, but go ahead. Tell me how, other than the fact that one of us won't be surviving this time."

"I agree. The prophecy will make sure of that. But you should know a couple things- " The raven-haired son of Poseidon twirled his sword almost carelessly, "I'm not rusty this time, and now, you're not messing with just my friends, you're messing with my family."

Chrysaor didn't wait for any dramatic affect. He lunged, and their clash began.

The Cynocephaly, specifically the ones guarding my friends and I, were momentarily distracted with watching the two sword masters duel, but then they picked up a scent. Scrambling, the dog-headed creatures turned just in time to see my mother barreling towards us, brandishing her pale white sword.

The reinforcements were too late, and the four or so Cynocephaly that had held us captive were quickly dispatched, as gold dust soon filled the air. Just as quickly, my hands were freed, as well as the others.

My mom eyed the regrouping Cynocephaly. "Get your weapons," She ordered, turning to us. Alek moved without hesitation, but I had one thing I had to take care of first.

"You need to get out of here," I said, turning to Carolyn.

Her eyes whipped around in frustration. "What? No way! I can help!"

"Now is not the time, Carolyn!"

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "So you want me to run where exactly? In case you haven't noticed- we're on an island!"

"Just get away from here as much as you can," I pleaded. The stubborn girl opened her mouth to argue back, but I grabbed her hand, and squeezed it. "I'm not letting anything happen to you, so please… " Her remarkable brown eyes never wavered from my own, until she finally nodded her head, and without saying another word, disappeared through the trees behind us.

I watched her go, a small sense of relief flowing through me, until I was drawn back to reality by the sound of Alek calling me name, as he tossed me the small bronze shaft. With a quick touch of the mark, I soon held Torrent in both of my hands, as the small but vicious horde of Cynocephaly descended upon us.

Off to the side, the sounds of metal clanging against metal could be heard, as my dad battled Chrysaor in a deadly match. The demigod jabbed, and his opponent parried it sideways, before countering with a swift uppercut of his sword, which my father only just managed to dodge by one of his thin black hairs. He recovered, and expertly maneuvered Riptide around, bringing it down with full force on the side of Chrysaor's golden helmet.

It glanced off harmlessly.

While the two continued raging their battle, a few of the Cynocephaly had split off from the main pack, and now circled the two combatants, no doubt eyeing an opening.

"I need to protect your father," My mother said intently, before turning to Alek and I. "Can you two handle the rest?"

My mind drifted for a moment, as I stared down the awaiting horde of monsters, and all I could think about was Erica. What had they done with her? Was she still on the island?

I had mixed emotions about her; lots of anger and resentment, and that thorn of betrayal was very much still fresh in my mind, but at the same time, she was still my friend. Of course, that only made the betrayal hurt even more. I tried to appeal to myself logically, which usually worked.

She technically did all that before you became friends.

Then why didn't she say anything at some point? She had plenty of opportunity.

Maybe she was scared. Maybe she was afraid you guys would-

"Luke!" My mother's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Huh?" I said rather goofily.

She didn't take the time to say much else. A loving eye roll, and a simple kiss on the side of my head was all she had to give, before she took off, her blonde curls whipping about in the Alaskan air. I didn't understand how, since I was just as tall as my mother if not an inch more, but in that moment, I suddenly felt very small.

There was little time however for sentimental reflection, as Alek and I turned to face the army of snarling, drooling monsters. A pitbull bared its fangs at me. I gulped.

Alek seemed way more excited about the prospect of fighting these creatures, as he had already taken off, his Samoan war club raised high above his head. Once again, much like the time we fought the gryphons, there was a faint red glow enveloping him. Still, I figured he may end up needing my help, so I took off after him as well.

We met the Cynocephaly head on, and I had a poodle take a good shot at my shoulder with his jaw full of canine teeth. I said 'hello' back to him with my trident.

For about ten minutes, it was nothing but chaos. And yet, my mind thrived in the chaos somehow. There was meaning in it all, as inexplicable patterns emerged, and I found myself formulating strategies on the fly. I ducked under the jab from a Cynocephalus spear, and swiped his human legs out from under him. His body hadn't even hit the ground before I used the business end of Torrent to turn him into golden dust.

There was plenty of movement happening around me to keep my mind occupied, but a flash of bronze metal and ginger-colored hair caught my eye. It moved outside of the chaos, like a vulture waiting for the hyenas to finish with their kill.

My vision tunneled. Cole.

The treacherous son of Zeus lurked on the edge of the battlegrounds, his sword drawn, as he lazily sauntered about. His gaze was fixed on me as well, and when our eyes met, blue on green and grey, he had the nerve to smirk.

I didn't even hesitate. As I ran past Alek, who had just finished off a Cynocephaly with the head of a rottweiler, I yelled, "I'm going after Cole."

"Luke, wait- " I heard him say, but I hardly even registered it, nor did I care.

Cole appeared to be waiting for me as I charged him, while cutting down any monsters in my path. Behind me, I heard Alek trying to finish off what was left of Chrysaor's army. I slid under a slashing spear, and with a quick spin, the Cynocephalus turned to dust as well, though I barely noticed as I then found myself face to face with Cole.

His blue eyes that normally could have charmed a snake were now slanted, and beady, and his ginger hair was scarily neat. Almost perfect actually. I knew that ginger hair and blue eyes was one of the rarest combinations in the world, but even more importantly, I knew that Cole, even in his treachery, was still a son of Zeus, and therefore very dangerous.

So naturally, I didn't hesitate to attack. Our weapons met with a resounding clang, and while I was still registering my surroundings, and the noises coming from all around, my mind had made Cole its sole focus.

I specifically remembered the last time we had fought, back at camp during capture the flag. He had easily disarmed me, and the only reason I wasn't humiliated further was because of Alek. But now, things had changed.

I held my own, and then some, as the two of us traded blows, neither one seemingly able to gain the upper hand. My trident proved useful in keeping Cole at a distance, but his sword allowed him to be quicker, and more agile. For the longest time, it seemed as though we would be at a stalemate.

But then I picked up his pattern, and the next time he tried that lunging move with his sword, I managed to bring Torrent down at just the right moment with all my force, and pin his sword to the ground under it. The weight of the blow forced Cole down to a knee, as his hand was pinned as well underneath his sword handle.

He looked up at me, but there was no fear in his eyes, no worry. He simply shrugged. "Not bad, Luke."

That's when the electricity coursed through my body. My muscles constricted all at once, and I suddenly collapsed to the snowy ground.

Cole stood up casually, still holding his sword, and brushed himself off with his free hand. "Good thing I retrofitted a taser into my sword handle. It proves to be quite useful when you're the only one who can't get shocked."

My muscles were spasming like crazy, and I found myself to be completely helpless, and at the mercy of the son of Zeus, who was now smiling evilly down at me. The blade of his weapon reached for my chest, such that the point of it rested right above my heart.

"Such a shame," He mused, briefly glancing in the direction of where the battle still raged between Chrysaor and my dad, with my mom defending his blind spot, "You're parents are distracted, and won't be able to watch as I kill their precious son." He spat on the ground next to me. "Don't think I haven't forgotten how great everyone just assumed you would be, what with your parents, and you being a legacy and all. Imagine if they could see you now, for what you really are."

"Let me guess," I managed to croak out, still waiting for the feeling to return in my fingers, "Nothing?"

Cole's lips curved menacingly up to one side. "See? Even you know it- "

Inexplicably, the ginger-haired boy's face was knocked out of my frame of vision with a loud smack, and I turned to see Cole picking himself out of the snow, while a seemingly furious Alek glared him down. I swore I could see smoke billowing out of his nostrils.

I mentally shook my head.

Guess some things haven't changed much at all. Alek's still saving my butt.

Cole recovered quickly. Lucky for him, since Alek wasted no time in going on the offensive. The two boys fought back and forth, while I had to resort to simply watching, as I waited for my muscles to begin working again. Not too far away, I could see my trident laying in a patch of snow.

Alek was somewhat at a disadvantage in his fight unfortunately, as he had to take extra care not to give an opportunity for Cole to use his taser. His strikes had to be quick and nimble, minimizing the contact with Cole's sword as much as possible. Of course, that turned out to be pretty hard to do with a war club, especially considering it's a weapon meant for brute force, not agility.

Nevertheless, Alek surprised even me when he managed to knock Cole's sword from his hand. It was as if time suddenly stopped. Feeling was returning to my legs, and I could faintly move my fingertips. All felt quiet seemingly, as the son of Zeus stood defeated before the son of Ares.

I knew something wasn't right. Alek was hesitating; he should've killed Cole already, or at least knocked him out cold. But he just stood there, and that was all the ginger-headed boy needed. I watched in horror as he reached into his back pocket, and produced a small black object. There was a spark of voltage, and then- there was lightning.

Stuffing the spare taser back in his pocket, Cole strode casually over to retrieve his sword from the ground, before approaching the smoldering body of Alek, who groaned and twisted in pain, which was a relief to me. At least he was still alive.

But that didn't change the fact that Cole had now beaten both of us, (granted, by pretty cheap means if you ask me) and was now looking as though he was trying to decide which one of us he would impale first.

To my utter joy and relief, he didn't get to choose.

A flash of golden blonde, and the black taser flew out of Cole's hand. It was a miracle he wasn't skewered on the end of my mother's sword, as he reeled several steps back. Once he regained his feet, he turned and saw my mom standing over me and Alek like a lioness protecting her cubs. Yes, I used that analogy one purpose.

Cole chuckled. "Looks like I'll get to add your name to the list, Annabeth Chase."

"It's Jackson," She bit back venomously.

"Yeah, whatever." The young demigod twirled his sword in his hand, and faced down the older challenger.

One thing I noticed was how my mother, unlike Alek and I, didn't attack immediately. Instead, she bided her time and waited, eventually forcing Cole to come to her. I was now desperate to move again, and I forced myself to sit up just in time to see their blades clash. I could feel my heartbeat escalate with every swing of their weapons, knowing that any slipup on my mother's part could be the end of it all. I kept waiting for the moment when she would collapse from the electric shock of Cole's taser, but it never came.

I guess I forgot that my mother is a daughter of Athena, and that more often than not, she probably knows what she's doing.

Their fight was intense, with Cole using his youth and agility to try to gain an upper hand on my mother, though she always seemed to be one step ahead of him. His jabs and slashes proved futile, as she simply moved out of the way of each attack. Cole was no pushover though, and he parried her blows just as well.

And that's when I felt my hand move. Determination coursed through me, and I began to pull myself up off the ground. My trident wasn't too far away, if I could just get to it. The sound of metal clanging, and slipping reached my ears.

"Luke! Stay Down!" My mother screamed.

I turned just in time to see an arc of electricity shoot down, and blow a small crater in the ground directly in front of where my mother had been standing. My chest relaxed slightly when I saw that she had managed to dive out of the way, while Cole was sprinting toward a pile of snow, where I could see his sword laying.

My mother scrambled to her feet, and ran over to me, quickly helping me up off the ground. There was a gash on her leg that hadn't been there before, and the sleeves of her shirt were mostly torn. Her curly blonde hair had several mats of dried blood, which I didn't think she would appreciate me pointing out.

"He used the taser in his sword. I just barely managed to disarm him in time, otherwise, you might- "

My eyes went wide. "Alek," I gasped, and I whipped around to see the son of Ares still laying on the ground. I managed to limp towards him, before collapsing on my knees next to his prone body, as my fingers went immediately to his neck. The pounding in my chest was deafening.

"He's alive," I huffed, "Barely, but he's alive."

My eyes wandered, till they found my dad and Chrysaor, still locked in deadly battle. Unfortunately, it appeared as though things weren't as even as they had been earlier. Exhaustion was apparent in my father's face, and his movements were slower, his attacks less powerful.

"You need to help dad," I said firmly. I looked up to see my mother's grey eyes glance worryingly in her husband's direction. She bit her lip.

"He'll be fine," She replied, although there was no confidence in her voice, "Right now, I need to focus on keeping you alive."

I shook my head. "You know that's not true. He can't last much longer, and there's still more of those dog monsters lurking about."

"I'm not leaving you again- "

"Mom!" I yelled, pleading with her, "I'll be fine. I can handle Cole. He doesn't have his taser, and without it, he can't produce any electricity."

"There's still the one in his sword hilt."

"Well then I'll just get rid of his sword. I'll protect Alek." It wasn't a very plausible answer, nor did I seem or sound confident in it. My mother looked at me, then back at my father, then briefly at the son of Zeus, who by now had retrieved said sword, and was wiping the bit of blood off his lip, all the while a psychopathic expression etched on his face.

"Here," My mother said, and I blinked in confusion, as she held out her sword to me. "Use this."

I hesitantly took the weapon from her hands, and ran my hand down the flat of its blade, studying it as if it were some ancient artifact. "It's- it's not metal," I concluded.

"Drakon bone," My mother told me.

That's how she managed to not get shocked, I realized.

"I can't use this," I stammered.

"Yes, you can- "

"No, I don't think you realize," I insisted, interrupting her reply, "I'm only good with a trident, and even then, I'm barely good."

Her stormy grey eyes studied me, and I felt like I was being interrogated silently, my whole conscious under deep examination. She pulled me back up to my feet, and forced me to look her directly in the eyes.

"A trident might work for a child or legacy of Poseidon, but you've got Athena in you too, and from what I've seen, you're more like her than anyone. The goddess of wisdom and battle strategy-" She placed the drakon bone sword in my hands, "You and I, we were born to fight."

"What are you saying?"

"You're so much like your father," My mother said, as she pressed a finger into my chest, but not so much that it hurt, "Especially in here." She then reached up, and softly ran her fingers through my bipolar, black locks of hair. "But up here, you're Athena, through and through."

I definitely didn't feel like a descendent of Athena. I felt stupid, and confused. No doubt, my mother sensed as much.

"You don't think being incredibly smart is the only gift we Athena kids have, do you?" She asked, a little amusement in her voice. That amusement went away quickly, when we heard a gasp come from the direction of my father, who was favoring his sword arm more than usual. A red stain could be seen on his other shoulder.

"You have no choice," My mother said hastily, as she grabbed an abandoned spear off the ground nearby, "It's the only way to ensure you don't get shocked again." As she spoke, she began walking back towards where Chrysaor had pressed his attack even harder against my dad. A couple Cynocephaly tried to slow her down, but she cut them down easily, and then ran to assist my injured father.

I held the drakon bone sword loosely in my hand. It felt… odd, to say the least, but I knew my mother was right. It was too dangerous to attack Cole with a metal weapon.

Speaking of Cole, the rather annoying son of Zeus was stalking towards me, as I stood by Alek's almost lifeless body. His grin was terrifying, and somewhat comical at the same time. My grip on my mother's sword tightened, and I slowly moved to meet him. At Cole's order, several Cynocephaly appeared out of nowhere, and moved into the space between us, less than twenty yards apart.

I paused for a moment, and waited. One of the monsters, a Doberman no less, grew impatient, and with an eerie howl, began to charge at me. I figured now was as good a time as ever to try out the sword.

As if I had been doing it my entire life out of habit, I spun the sword in my hand, and took a defensive stance. I noted the way the monster approached, his spear pointed at my head, leaving his torso vulnerable. I then decided my course of action.

With a little maneuvering, and a sweep of my blade, the Cynocephalus was reduced to dust. This greatly enraged all the rest of the monster's pals no less, and they each followed in their buddy's footsteps, attacking me head on, which only ended up working to my advantage. I found myself making very good use of the sword surprisingly, as if it were second nature now, and with every passing second, I was growing more comfortable with it.

It truly became an extension of my body, much like the trident, but more agile.

By the time I had finished cutting through the last of the Cynocephaly, I was feeling pretty good about the drakon bone sword, and faced down the son of Zeus confidently. His smirk from earlier had disappeared, and was replaced with a serious countenance.

And that's when I heard the muffled scream, and immediately my mind thought 'mom', except it came from the opposite direction. 'Carolyn' was my next thought, and I felt my stomach drop, but then a couple figures appeared out from the trees a few yards behind Cole, and my eyes narrowed.

"Erica," I whispered to myself.

The daughter of Hermes was held captive by two Cynocephaly, and her arms were restrained behind her back. A gag had been stuffed lazily into her mouth, as she fought to get rid of it. When her eyes met mine, I froze completely, as did she.

She's alive, my brain said, and my heart suddenly grew conflicted.

Erica began struggling again, mostly against the gag in her mouth, which she eventually managed to spit out just in time to yell, "Watch out, Luke!"

I turned just in time to see Cole bearing down on me, and our swords clashed.

.

Updating on schedule? Never heard of her