Hey guys! We got the continuation of the war here. No recs for this week either (and probably the next week as well). Still in exam season.

Note: I do NOT own PJO or HOO. Otherwise, I wouldn't be uploading this here.

Chapter XXXVIII

The camp was completely silent, although the calmness which should have been present was conspicuously absent. The tension hung heavily in the air, but the troops were far too exhausted to notice. Despite the worry about what the following day would bring, they fell into a fitful sleep, desperate to give their bodies a much needed rest.

In the gods' main tent, however, there was not a single sleepy individual. All of them were gathered around the map once more, watching as Monaxiá, Athena and Annabeth moved the pieces around, with each god adding their opinions as well, some more useful than others.

They returned to the arrangement that had planned before they changed to the one they had used for the first wave. The minor adjustments done were made to compensate for the losses they had suffered during the battle. Despite hitting the monsters far harder, they had lost nearly forty demigods and eighty monsters from amongst their ranks.

Their numbers had received a slight boost when a number of nature spirits had shown up, led by the Lord of the Wild himself, Grover. While Monaxiá was glad for any more troops, he didn't know how to feel about having to interact with another one of his old friends.

Time slowed as they watched the three observe the map, before Monaxiá pushed himself back. "I think it's the best we can do for now," he said. His mind was whirring , and he forced himself to calm down.

Athena nodded. "For once, I agree with Monaxiá. This is the best we'll get for the second wave. But the third one will be us using a defensive formation."

He nodded. "I want to see how effective it would be to split our forces up to play to their strengths. Staying together is advantageous, but it will force some of the people with more specialized powers to not rely on them. This will make our troops more spread out, and we'll be able to utilize their skills to the fullest."

"But how will we prevent more death," asked Hazel, looking over their arrangement.

"Be aggressive," he replied. "Don't give them a chance to slip past your guard. But know when you're going into a situation you can't escape, and pull back quickly."

Monaxiá stood up, moving towards the entrance. "I think that's enough for today," he said. "We should rest for now. Tomorrow will bring another wave."

The other gods nodded, starting to follow him out of the tent. He noticed Hephaestus, Apollo and Hermes try catching his eye, and he knew they wanted to have another gathering in their tent.

"So, how was it for you all," asked Apollo leaning against the bedrest in his tent.

Monaxiá threw back his hood, allowing his face to come into view. "It was difficult. Even I wasn't expecting such a massive force for the first wave itself."

"Doesn't matter. You took out Hyperion for the second time in your life, man. Even the other Olympians haven't done that." Hermes patted his on the shoulder, but Percy shook it off.

"My squadron lost the most troops, even more than the rear guard. We were less than a third of their numbers, but they only lost ten troops. We lost twelve." His eyes blazed in fury as he punched the nearby wooden support, his anger finally getting the better of him.

"Perce, don't be so hard on yourself," said Apollo. "Your squadron was the one that faced the bulk of the army. I would say that you guys alone took care of nearly a forty percent of the entire force. The casualties you suffered were actually far less than even the most generous estimates Athena would have given. You should be proud of yourself."

Percy's shoulders sagged as he slumped against his chair. "I know, but I still think that I should have been able to prevent it. It just eats away at me over time, you know that."

There was a long silence, before Hermes finally broke it.

"Well, Heph. How's your divorce plan coming along?"

The blacksmith god shrugged his shoulders, not looking overly troubled. "It's coming along fine. My mother was trying to overturn it, but Zeus told her to shut up and accept my decision. It was probably the first time he stood up for me like that, considering I'm not his son."

Percy still stiffened at the mention of Hera. The Big Three may be famous for holding grudges, but Hera took it to another level. The bitch had thrown her own son off Olympus because he didn't look perfect. But the fact that Zeus had actually supported his friend was a surprising revelation. Maybe the King of the Gods actually did have a compassionate side to him, or maybe he wanted a chance to go after Aphrodite himself without any shred of guilt. Percy was leaning towards the former, since marriage had never stopped Zeus before.

"Does Aphrodite know as of yet?" he asked, shaking his thoughts away from the Queen of the Gods. The less acknowledged she was, the better.

Hephaestus shook his head. "I wanted to keep it secret for the moment at least. We're in the midst of a war, and the last thing we need is for the people to be distracted by gossip. I asked mother to finalise the plans and then present the idea to Aphrodite as if I had no involvement. She'll instantly jump on it, and then I just add my signature. The marriage will be like it never existed. After it's done, we'll probably be far too busy to pay any attention to it once the next wave arrives. I estimate it'll be ready in about an hour or so."

The other three leaned back, nodding their heads in appreciation.

"Good for you, man," said Hermes. "You deserve someone better than her. You tried for so long, and she still stayed with our slightly brain-dead brother for no reason I can think of. He may have been impressive in battle, but he's missing something up there."

The others snorted at the comment, although they all privately did agree with the assessment of Ares. He may have looked smart from a mortal perspective, but after becoming a god, Percy realized that he was akin to the scum at the bottom of the barrel when it came to intellectuals in Olympus.

However, a thought struck him as he was about to lounge back eight his glass or nectar once more. "Heph, I remember you said that you still loved her before we left on the quest. What happened to that?"

The god smiled sheepishly, before answering in a low voice. "You know, every time I saw her on Ares' arm, I would always feel a sting in my chest. In the beginning, it was because I did love her, and I hadn't questioned it for almost a millennia. But when I gave you that answer before you went on the quest, a bit of doubt crept into my mind. The next time I felt the same emotion, I truly looked within myself to identify exactly what it was.

"After such a duration of her cheating on me in plain sight, any love I may have held for her died out. Instead, what I felt was the hurt and indignation of her not treating me like an equal, instead she looked at me like someone who she can simply request quick favours without having to do anything in return. Me being the fool I was, I complied to her every request hoping she would finally love me back."

"What made you change your mind," asked Percy.

Hephaestus sighed before he continued. "A couple weeks before you all returned from your quest, she just strode into my forge while I was working on the weapons that were going to be necessary for this encounter. Her first words were, 'I need a new necklace. I've used the old ones far too many times, and I need something to set me apart tonight'."

Apollo and Hermes were barely able to contain their laughter at Hephaestus' impression of Aphrodite's voice, and even Percy's mouth twitched a little. But none of them interrupted him as he continued, something he was grateful for.

"For once, I told her I wouldn't be able to do that. I was focusing on my work at the moment, and I didn't have enough spare time to make one for her. If she wanted one, she would have to wait until the war was over or go to one of the smaller goldsmiths on Olympus.

"She wasn't happy with that at all. She said that she wanted her jewellery now, and that she wasn't going to wait until I was done prepping for a war that was never going to occur.

"I was starting to become very annoyed with her for once, and asked her just who was saying the war wouldn't occur despite the messages you had sent from Canada. I'll give you two guesses as to who she mentioned."

The other three didn't even need to think. "It was Ares, wasn't it?" asked Percy, while Apollo and Hermes simple said "Ares," simultaneously.

The forge god nodded his head. "Yes. She said that Ares had already told her there wouldn't be a war, and that was why the two of them were going out on a date to Paris. I think she forgot she was talking to me, otherwise I don't think she would have allowed that part to slip out, especially since she wanted me to make her the necklace."

Percy winced in sympathy, feeling bad for his friend. Aphrodite had played with Hephaestus' heart for far too long, and that was bound to make any man snap.

"Needless to say, that was when I lost it. I don't think she's ever seen me so angry before, but I didn't care. I simply roared at her to leave my gods damned forge and not to step back in there unless I allow her to. She didn't bring up the subject of her jewellery at all, now that I think about it. She was just running out of my place as quickly as her heels would allow."

The others chuckled at that part, before allowing Hephaestus to wrap up his story.

"I think it was after that instance when it finally clicked for me. Any love that may have been lurking around within me died after those words from her, and I decided it was best to end it as quickly as possible. I wanted to do it the day before you were expected to arrive, so any gossip about the divorce would be swallowed up by preparations for war after you brought the tidings. But now, I've had to improvise, since you returned far earlier than expected."

Percy raised his eyebrow, an amused look on his face. "You seemed awfully sure that there was going to be a war. Is there something you're hiding from me, Heph?"

The god snorted in derision. "Please, everyone on the council could tell there was a war coming. Well, except for Ares and Aphrodite, those two thought it was all sunshine and roses. Even Hera knew it was coming, but she just thought it was going to be beneath her notice. The past two wars were fought mainly with demigods, why not this one?"

"Frankly, I'm not surprised," Percy said. He was all to familiar with how Hera operated. "But she seriously underestimated how powerful our enemy was going to be."

The other three nodded in agreement, before throwing their legs up on the central table. Somehow, the structure was both large and sturdy enough to support them.

The silence was about to set in once more when Hephaestus asked one more question. "What about you, Percy? How are you're feelings for Artemis?"

Next to him, Apollo choked on his drink, before a small laugh escaped his clogged windpipe. He bent over, hacking loudly while Percy's eyes burned holes into his back.

"Yes, Percy. Tell us how you feel," asked Hermes, a twinkle of mirth in his eyes. Percy didn't like the look one bit, but he decided to answer for Hephaestus' sake.

"I had searched my feelings multiple times over the past century, Heph, and I can assure you that all I have is love. But that doesn't mean I trust her. In the past, before the incident in camp, I had always looked at her as one of the fairer Olympians. She may have had a distaste for us males, but that didn't look like it was going to be a big issue.

"Then came my double stint as the hunt's guardian, along with the first phase of my 'marriage'. Honestly, I was hurt by how she acted once I revealed my feelings, and then how she was after we were forced into something neither of us wanted.

"I thought she would understand that I was just as much of a victim as she was, but I guess that was just wishful thinking. Of course, she was suffering from having one of her domains forcibly taken away from her, so I could understand her elevated emotional state. Chaos knows how any of us would act in a similar situation.

"But what I saw during my brief periods in the hunt always stuck with me. There were times when new recruits would come, and some of them were younger than ten, having suffered at the hands of some animals who had a human form. The kind that made me sick to my stomach."

He could see the unsaid dialogue in Apollo's eyes. The kind who reminded you of Gabe.

He continued with his story. "The tenderness she would display in those moments told me something. It told me that there was another side to her, one that I hadn't been able to see, or hadn't had a chance to see, before. That was what made it impossible for me to hate her. Like me, she wore a mask, one that was crafted due to her experiences. And I would be damned if I was pushed away due to a mask.

"That's the thing, Heph. I know it may hurt for you to hear it, but Aphrodite never had a mask. Everything she did, she did because it was how she actually felt. There was nothing any of us could have done to change that."

His friend shrugged. "I figured that out myself, but I think I needed to hear someone else put it into words to truly accept it. Thank you," he said in his gravelly voice.

Hermes nodded sagely, before a wicked grin broke across his face. Oh shit, what's he done now, Percy thought, a little hint of fear working it's way through his body.

"That was an amazing speech my friend. I'm so thankful that it actually managed to reach the intended audience," the messenger god said. "Artemis, you heard everything from there, didn't you?"

Percy whirled around, his eyes wide in shock. He watched as a shadow moved across the front of the tent, before the moon goddess' head poked through the flaps.

"Yes I did," she said, no hint of emotion escaping her. "Perseus, could we talk?"

I'll fucking kill him, he thought when he saw the grin that was still present on Hermes' face.

Artemis watched as Perseus glared at Hermes so venomously that she expected her half-brother to run away screaming. Instead, he just kept grinning like an idiot, pointing towards her in an inviting manner.

"Well, go on, don't keep a lady waiting," he teased, not even worrying about any arrows she might shoot. She had to give it to him, he was either ridiculously brave or ridiculously stupid to try and piss off two other Olympians.

Perseus grumbled something under his breath. Knowing his father's mouth and just how much Perseus had inherited from Poseidon, she didn't know if she wanted to hear it. He yanked his hood back on before walking toward her, and she could already tell that the beginning of their talk was going to be quite awkward.

"Your tent?" he growled from under his hood. She simply nodded, watching as he strode away. Before going after him, she glanced back into the tent once more. Hephaestus simply looked at Hermes, a little irritated, while Apollo held his head in his hands, sighing in exasperation. Hermes was still grinning like a maniac, before a silver knife embedded into the chair, a few inches from his ear. That wiped the grin off his face quite quickly.

She huffed before slowly making her way to her tent, wanting to give Perseus enough time to cool down. Her eyes traced the constellations, her heart dipping slightly when she looked at the reminder of her oldest friend. She shook her head, not wanting to get lost in her memories at the moment.

She entered her tent, only to see Perseus striding across its length, his hood already thrown back and a look of pure irritation present on his features. She could already tell that it was going to be a rough start.

"So, do you want to explain what you meant," she asked, tapping her foot lightly against the ground.

"What do you mean?" His words were clipped as his eyes swirled, darkening from their usual shade.

"I meant whether you could explain your words on how you felt about me," she pressed, wanting answers.

"I think you head everything, because my bastard of a friend allowed you to sneak in undetected, just so that I could embarrass myself further!" he roared, before slamming his fist against the central support of the tent. She could only watch as it snapped under the force of his blow, the top caving in. Before she could move, however, he'd already sent a quick beam of energy, fixing the damage in an instant.

He leaned against the repaired frame, his eyes returning to their normal shade. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he hung his head before allowing his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm sorry about that. It was wrong of me," he apologized. "It just... I was expecting to have some privacy for once, and Hermes just had to mess with me."

"Why did he do it? Isn't a friend supposed to respect the other's wishes?" she asked, not expecting as much from the God of Thieves.

He shook his head, traces of fondness and exasperation present on his face in tandem. "He does have my best interests at hear, even if he thinks I need something while I would have a completely different opinion. He probably thinks that I should sort everything out with you as quickly as I can, and that's probably why he pulled that."

She inclined her head, seeing the reasoning behind it. "Okay, then let's talk. I'll ask you something first. Why do you believe I'm wearing a mask? For all you know, I could be showing how I truly feel about you every time."

He chuckled lightly, although it still sounded a little strained. "Artemis, there's no way in Tartarus you weren't making your true emotions. I've been doing it for a long time, and I can recognize it when someone else does so. You may have had millennia of experience over me, but the traces are still present for me to notice."

She felt slightly flustered at being caught in such a manner. Before she could respond, he added a question of his own.

"Artemis, I need to know. How do you feel about me? Tell me, please." His eyes were pleading, begging her to answer him.

It was her turn to sigh. "Truthfully, I don't know. It's far too mixed up within for me to sort it out. I just need more time. Could you give that to me?"

He looked slightly saddened, but nodded his head. He had experienced such emotions before, and he could understand how it felt. It wasn't a lie either. She truly wasn't able to decipher the jumble within herself.

She could sense a small part of lingering anger at him for the death of Chloe, along with being forced into a marriage with him. However, that part had decreased considerably, and was probably going to still recede even more as time passed. Accompanying it was a hint of pity for what he had to go through, something she wouldn't wish on anyone.

Another part of her was riddled with guilt about how she treated him in the past. Those interactions had been simply atrocious on her part, and she would never be able to erase them. All she could do was hope that she would do better in the future.

Another part of her was composed of a smidgeon of respect for just how protective he was of his charges. She had seen it first-hand, when some of the monsters had tried to attack Tanya and during the aftermath of Dakota's sacrifice. However, there was the barest hint of another emotion present, one that she couldn't identify.

He shook his head slightly, moving to the next topic. "How are you holding up? War is never easy."

She knew exactly what he was talking about. Her hunters may have suffered no casualties while they were directing the monsters down a particular path, but once they joined forces with the demigods who formed the rear guard to their pincer trap, two of them had fallen in the ensuing fray. She always took their losses hard, and what worried her even more was how it would pan out in the upcoming days of battle.

"I pray that their souls will find Elysium," she whispered. "But at the moment, I need to look out for those who are still with me. I don't want any more to die, but I know I can't escape the ravages of war."

He simply nodded, knowing that he couldn't offer her comfort. Anything he could have said would sound hollow in the face of her stark admission. "I know how it feels. All we can do is try our best to prevent it whenever we can."

His words rang true, much as she wished they weren't. The silence descended on them once more before he made his way to the exit. She wanted to stop him, but brief as their conversation was, she knew that they weren't going to get much more out of each other at the moment.

"It think I'll go for a walk before I turn in for the night," he said over his shoulder, already throwing his hood back up. "I would suggest that you step outside as well. You wouldn't want to miss what's about to happen. I think it's about time as well."

Her intrigue was piqued, causing her to follow in his footsteps. She had overheard part of the conversation regarding Hephaestus' relationship with Aphrodite. If he was really going to divorce her, she wasn't going to miss it. Artemis may consider women to be better, but if there was ever a woman who she hated as much as her step-mother, it was Aphrodite. Seeing her get rejected in such a fashion was going to be something she had to see with her own eyes.

Hera stood in front of Hephaestus and Aphrodite, her hands enclosing the rings on their fingers. Aphrodite hadn't worn hers in a long time, but in that moment, she was more than happy to.

Monaxiá stood off to the side, his hood concealing his features. Even so, his eyes burned underneath the shadows, daring Hera to even attempt making his friend's life worse. It wouldn't matter to him if she was Zeus' wife, he would unleash everything he had once the war was over.

"Do you two willingly accept the dissolution of this union, knowing that once undone, it cannot be brought back to what it had once been? Do you accept that you will have no say in the other's affairs anymore, even if you may have a change of heart in the future?" Her voice was sour, as if it was an insult to her own self.

Didn't have much say in her life even then, did he, Monaxiá thought bitterly. Seeing the glee present on Aphrodite's face made his hand itch with a desire to just punch the smug smile off.

"I do," Aphrodite said the moment Hera finished speaking. She was almost bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation, her eyes still straying onto Ares' bulky form in the background.

Hephaestus glanced at her for a moment, and Monaxiá could only see disappointment in his gaze. She never deserved you, my friend. You're much better off without her.

"I do," the slightly misshapen god said. His outline may not be as perfect as the other gods', but it was leagues better than what he'd looked like before Apollo had helped him.

"Then by the power vested in me, I declare this marriage null and void," she said. As she spoke, the sharp crack of two rings breaking rang across the clearing.

A part of Monaxiá still doubted whether doing it in the middle of the war was a smart idea. He could see multiple demigods peeking out of their tents to see what was going on. He was pretty sure the story would have spread like wildfire by the following morning. But there just wasn't enough time for the story to truly get out there.

Then again, that could be the biggest advantage they had. Aphrodite thrived by being the gossip of Olympus. Whenever she did something big, she wanted it to be the topic of discussion for the next week at minimum. When it comes to something as momentous as her divorce from her 'husband', she would want it to be the centre of attention for a decade, constantly bringing it up. But since it happened in the middle of the biggest war they've ever had, it would get swept to the side, depriving her of the opportunity. In that way, she would be denied of her greatest wish.

He watched as the two broken rings fell to the ground, symbolizing the end of their matrimony. The second they hit the grassy floor, Aphrodite ran towards Ares before jumping into his arms. The sight made him want to retch.

Hephaestus, on the other hand, somehow managed to maintain his composure. He simply looked at her, before beginning to speak.

Monaxiá knew Hephaestus could have told her how he'd felt about her, and how her own actions had caused it to come to an end, but it would have been worse than useless. She would have most likely felt vindicated that she managed to do what she wanted done for so long. Instead, he went for where all of them knew it would hurt.

"Aphrodite, as recompense for the annulment of our marriage, I demand that you return all the jewellery that I've crafted for you, without exception." His voice was flat, giving no clue to the love goddess as to how he truly felt. Truthfully, even Monaxiá was having trouble reading him.

The Olympian Whore, as Monaxiá liked to call her, suddenly resurfaced from her embrace with the war god. Her eyes widened in shock at the statement, before she started to stutter out a response. "Wait... what..."

Hephaestus wasn't finished. "Further, you will never again be a priority customer of mine. If anyone else has an order, theirs will be completed before I move on to yours. And anything I may craft for you in the future will be charged at my normal rate, instead of the free service you've received until now."

Monaxiá grinned under his hood. Get her, man. She didn't even see it coming.

Aphrodite sputtered for a moment, before she turned her eyes over to the god whose arm she was clinging to. "Ares, do something. Please, you can't..."

Ares stepped forward, allowing his sword to materialise in his hands. "Look here, brother," he sneered. "I think you're being a little too unfair here. You've left her, shouldn't that be enough to soothe your wounded ego? Don't make this into more than it has to be."

In an instant, Monaxiá was standing next to his friend. "On the contrary, Ares," he said, lacing the name with even more scorn then the war god did, "I think it's a perfectly fine settlement. Now why don't you back off and stop creating a scene? We all need to go to sleep soon, with the next wave prone to come any moment. Leave the man be; he's just went through the annulment of his marriage, after all."

The whole time, he allowed the rings on his fingers to catch the light of the torches surrounding them, ensuring that Ares could see them as well. It was obvious in the sudden hesitation in his step that the plot worked. Ares wasn't keen on duelling him anytime soon, and he was happy to keep it that way. He didn't want to waste his time on the damn war god when he had an actual war to attend to.

They watched as Ares and Aphrodite moved towards their tent, probably to work off the tension due to Hephaestus' declaration, Monaxiá's veiled threat, or to enjoy the end of the marriage. Either way, it didn't matter to them anymore. Anything they did was their business, and Hephaestus would no longer play a role in their affairs.

"Thank you, my friend," the blacksmith god whispered as they slowly walked away, keen on getting some real sleep before dawn.

"Don't mention it, Heph," Monaxiá replied. "I would gladly stand up to Ares for you any day."

"It's not just that," Hephaestus replied. "You were the one who first told me that I should think about leaving her. If it weren't for that comment, I would probably still be chasing an impossible dream. Now, I feel freer than ever."

They were silent for a few minutes before Hephaestus spoke again.

"You'll lead us to victory, my friend," he said in a serious tone, catching Monaxiá by surprise. "I don't care about the prophecy. It won't be some mythical Demon King that wins it for us. It will be you." The god headed into his tent, leaving Monaxiá with quite a few questions on his mind.

They had split up into their respective factions, stationed at the spots that played best to their strengths. For Monaxiá, that meant being on an open plain, with more than enough space to manoeuvre around. The lake was close enough for him to still be able to draw on it, although he was going to leave it mostly to his father, especially since reinforcements from Atlantis had trooped in that morning.

His helmet was once again covering his features, the snarling hellhound facing the approaching army. His light armour looked as perfect as ever, not even a scratch present after the punishment it had taken the previous day. Of course, even if it was damaged, Hephaestus could fix it within an hour. But none of them wanted to deal with that at the moment, least of all Monaxiá.

His troops were around him, lesser than what he had previously. They had split their troops up more, with the six and Nico receiving their own battalions. Reyna had gotten one as well, due to her rank as praetor.

Hestia was still not participating in the battle, but to their surprise, Aphrodite had chosen to abstain as well. It had been an unexpected change, but in the end, they chose to ignore it for now. At least they had an even twenty leaders, which made the division far easier.

His squad had thirty three demigods and forty eight monsters, the same as all the others. It seemed surprising how the numbers had been perfectly divisible, but he wasn't going to question it at the moment.

He could already see the storm of dust that was cresting over the distant hills. Within moments, he was able to see the monsters charging down the slope. Massive as the force was, it looked slightly smaller than what he'd expected. He estimated three thousand troops at the most, not even double that of Olympus' forces.

Is Tartarus really losing monsters that quickly, he wondered, before shaking the thought out. No, he's got some other intention. I don't know what he's planning, but we have to be on our guard.

He held his hand up, telling his squadron to wait. The demigods and monsters shuffled slightly, waiting for the wave to hit them. It seemed that the previous battle had erased any doubts about working together, since neither of the two factions looked the least bit uncomfortable at having to stand beside those that used to be their mortal enemies.

His eyes scanned the front lines, noting that the monsters were not more powerful than the ones they'd already faced. There were also none of the most powerful ones, instead having the entire army be composed of the common beasts they faced, albeit with Tartarus' blessing.

Something isn't right, he thought, but he held his ground, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

They were barely fifty yards away when he brought his hand down. As one, his troops marched forward, ready to weather the oncoming storm.

Brandon knelt before the primordial, a bead of sweat running down the side of his face.

"A... Are you sure, my lord?" he asked, feeling the terror seep into his veins.

"Yes I am, Brandon. How many times must I repeat it before you understand," growled Tartarus, a sign that he was very close to losing his patience.

The demigod felt the intensity of the pull emanating from the vortex that was present in place of his master's face intensify, trying to pull him in without a second thought. He gripped the ground with his fingers, trying to hold on for dear life.

"B... But wouldn't it be easier to..." he began, only to be cut off by Tartarus slamming him with his entire aura. Brandon hunkered down, struggling to breathe under the intense pressure.

"It would be easier, but it wouldn't be better," the primordial said. "Your strategy would anger them, and the Olympians are cunning enough to direct that anger towards us. And he might become angry enough to come charging down here himself. You know that I will not allow that to happen until it is time. Instead, the other way will crush their spirit, making it far easier for us to break them."

"A... As you wish, my lord," the demigod choked out, his breath coming in short, wheezing gasps.

Tartarus noticed the pathetic condition of his pawn, before reining his aura in. "Go now," he said. "Take another fifty troops with you. I expect you to reach the location within the next hour."

He flicked his hand, reopening the entrance he had created for the second wave he had sent out. He my not be able to create entrances in mainland America unless they were already present, like in the Underworld, but he had no problem doing so in Canada. Creating one right next to the border was nothing more that a simple flex of his fingers.

Brandon stumbled out of the room, his master's eyes never leaving his back. He knew his time had come, and he had to deliver. If he didn't, then he wasn't going to see another morning.

Tartarus watched him leave, before returning to his musings. A small sacrifice for my victory, he thought, before beginning to plan out his third wave.

The battle had descended into chaos around them, his troops barely holding together. They hadn't suffered a loss yet, but if they were separated, it was more of a question of when, not if.

He danced around their perimeter, cutting down monsters without a second thought. His armoured boots were already dusted with faded gold, but he didn't slow in his continuous massacre.

He glanced to his sides, seeing that the rest of Olympus' troops were slowly being brought together by the monsters. It was something he had picked up on early into the battle. The monsters were actively trying to kill them, but it also seemed like they wanted to herd all of them together.

What are they planning, he thought. At this point, it was obvious that splitting up wasn't going to work anymore. They would have to attack them as one if they wanted to do better.

Right as he had the thought, he could hear Zeus' voice thunder across the landscape.

"Olympus, to me," the king roared, a bolt of lightning streaking down from the sky, giving them an idea as to where he was. Monaxiá turned to his troops before nodding, indicating that they should follow the order.

They charged forward as one, not breaking ranks as they moved. Surprisingly, it looked like the monsters were giving them minimal resistance as they went forward, something that sent his already suspicious mind into overdrive.

Beside him, he could see Athena charging forward with her troops as well. The wisdom goddess had a similarly concerned look on her face, her grey eyes flashing under her Greek helmet. Monaxiá nodded towards her, pushing his personal feelings aside. He had to know if she could decipher what was going on.

She shook her head, the gesture telling him that while she did find it suspicious, she couldn't tell the reason behind it. He grunted, silently cursing within the confines of his mind. He wasn't liking where it looked to be going.

He could see the other companies coalescing together to form a single unit. His own joined as well, while he moved towards the forefront of the complete Olympian army. The monsters, still more numerous than they, hemmed them in from all directions, forcing them to stay in a singular unit.

"What's going on," he yelled over the surrounding chaos.

"No idea," replied Apollo. The sun god looked just as worried as he did.

They were preparing to push forward as one when the noise suddenly died down. The monsters turned forward, their eyes trained on one particular spot. The Olympians followed their gaze, feeling a slight hint of fear at their action.

A squadron of fifty monsters were making their way forward, all of them looking more powerful than those they had faced for the past hour or two. They marched ahead, while the lesser monsters parted before them, their heads bowed in submission.

The company halted around twenty yards away from the gods, slowly parting to reveal an armoured figure in their midst. He was wearing what would be considered classical Greek armour, except for a mask that prevented them from seeing his face. However, they could see the golden locks that framed the edges of the mask.

Monaxiá could feel a prick of recognition, but he couldn't lock down on it. "Who are you," he asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

The man didn't answer. Instead, he said something none of them had expected. "Monaxiá, I challenge you to a duel of honour. Step forward if you dare." Even the voice was familiar, a faint echo from his distant past.

Monaxiá's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't refuse a challenge to a duel of honour, but it definitely made him wary. Anyone who would call for one in the middle of the war definitely had ulterior motives. What worried him even more was how the monsters were waiting for him to step forward, not making a single offensive move.

He looked back towards the rest of the Olympians. "Don't move, any of you. I'll handle this right now." He knew the rule. No one was to interfere in their duel, something he had no plans on breaking.

"Monaxiá, be careful," his father said. Even when they were supposed to hide their relation from the demigods, Poseidon couldn't help but worry about his son.

He nodded, moving forward. He allowed his swords to retract into rings, waiting for the opponent to select their weapon. He knew that they would have to use the same one, and he would give them the choice, since he could match it without pause. His symbols of power were definitely up to the task.

He stood five yards away from the masked figure, ready to begin. However, his opponent didn't draw a weapon. Instead, he reached for the strap of his mask, unbuckling its strap.

He watched as the piece of metal fell to the floor, but his attention was drawn to the face. The blue eyes, high cheekbones and chin were so reminiscent of his friend's, but the hard, cruel lines hit him like a freight train. His memory instantly supplied him with a name, one he'd hoped he would never have to say again.

"Brandon."

Aaand cut! Well, see you all next week.

Okay, no questions this week! (Or at least ones I could reasonably answer without fucking up).