Chapter Summary:
And to be honest, this was not fair. Nothing ever was, of course, but this was next level.
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If I was being 100% honest, I could not remember exactly what happened.
How could I? A million little things were happening all around me, and I barely saw 'half of them. However, it was hard to miss the sparks of lightning surrounding Thalia as she charged straight for Luke.
Thalia's shield, Aegis, lived up to its legacy as its power sent Luke's dragon-women bodyguards — who look like they really need a spa day — screeching and running away. The ground shook as the golden tomb was dropped. Despite Luke's ill and tired face that tried to fool Thalia, I had to admit he was as strong as ever. His sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield sending yellow sparks to crisp the air between them.
I knew I had to do something, Annabeth was on the floor; too tired to stand much less fight. And maybe it was my adrenaline, or maybe it was my average and trademarked Percy Impulse that forced me to run towards Atlas.
A hearty chuckle escaped the titan's lips. It was mocking; entertained. A sharp javelin materialized in his large hands. His clothes morphed into full ancient Greek armor. "Go on, then!"
"Percy!" Zoë said, her call was a beacon of distress. "Beware!"
My mind scrambled to what her warning meant. And then it came like a gunshot. What Chiron had warned me—at least what seemed like—a long time ago. Immortals have to follow some type of ancient rules. But demigods… they didn't have any rules, they could challenge anyone they wanted to. If they were stupid enough.
Guess that made me stupid enough.
Eyes furrowed, I attacked, leaving Atlas to use his power; all his might.
I swung my sword, trying to hit his side. Atlas — quicker — managed to knock me away using the end of his javelin. I slammed into a wall, the impact made my chest pressed with pain. From the ground, I could feel trembling. Distinctive shaking. The realization trudged along into my mind. The palace was rising, every piece reaching closer to the sky.
"Fool!" Atlas yelled as he knocked away Zoë's arrows with his bare left hand, like swatting away a fruit fly. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"
The mention of Ares gave me an injection of energy.
He was right, this was different from my fight with Ares. Ares was arrogant — not saying that Atlas wasn't — however, the titan knew pain well. He knew humiliation, from his previous failure. That doubled his motivation, his anger; his strength.
My eyes drifted to the pool of water not so far away. If I could reach it, I could definitely increase the power on my side.
He began to slash the air. It created a sound like whistles. Atlas raised his javelin, planning to deliver a direct strike to me.
And to be honest, this was not fair. Nothing ever was, of course, but this was next level.
To counter, I tried to lift Riptide and block his attack. However, my arm turned into a noodle, just like those inflatable noodle guys that car dealerships had. My sword now felt like a boulder that wasn't planning to budge anytime soon.
When you need it most, your sword will fail you. Ares' voice echoed in the canyon that was my brain. My eyes squeezed shut with frustration.
This couldn't be happening. I had too much to do, I could not die right now.
I had to be a hero. I had to save everyone.
I tried to dodge, but the long javelin struck me straight in the chest, sending me flying. The middle of my chest had a burning pain following the slam into the wall. My head was spinning, and I tried to regain my focus. I placed my hand in the ground, planning to push myself up.
"You cannot win, boy," the voice strained, "please, you must run!"
I looked up and my body landed to where Artemis was. Still struggling to hold the sky.
I glanced away from her. Atlas — crooked smile in place — was taking his time to come to me. He was trying to taunt me, making me feel more afraid and anxious.
Predator to prey.
I frantically searched the ground for Riptide. My eyes trailed toward the edge of the mountain where it fell off. It would take a few more seconds — seconds I did not have — for Riptide to reappear in my pocket.
The sound of lightning sizzling the air caught my attention. Thalia and Luke were still fighting. Thalia's face was a storm of anger and my mind quickly remembered how Zeus looked like anger two years ago. Luke did not look angry, he looked frantic. Wild.
Both of them fought like monsters.
Away from them and on the ground, Annabeth's eyes were deep with despair as she tried to free her hands.
Wickedly grinning, Atlas raised his javelin again.
"And now, little child, you will perish."
A rain of silver arrows darted in between the chinks of Atlas' armor, hitting his unprotected armpit. I looked at Zoë, she was yelling something, but with Thalia's lightning so close by I couldn't hear.
Atlas let out a hearty bellow that shook the mountain even more. He turned to his daughter, the golden-accented javelin pointing to her.
Instinctively, I reached into my pocket. Riptide was back and in pen-form.
The Titan's curse must one withstand. A distorted piece of his mind whispered. I had no chance of stopping Atlas. My eyes snapped to Artemis.
"The sky. Give it to me."
Artemis' silver eyes widened in alarm and disbelief. Beads of sweat made her forehead look shiny.
"No. I-I can't... It will crush you."
From the corner of my vision, I saw Atlas gaining on Zoë. I was getting desperate. Time was running out.
"You have to. I'll be okay—Annabeth survived!"
"She barely survived, her spirit is a true huntress. You'll die!"
Panic was making my hands shake like keys.
"Then I die. It doesn't — it won't matter. So just give it to me." I practically growled at her. I didn't dare wait for another answer. I stepped next to her and used Riptide to slash her chains.
I had one leg kneeled on the ground and held up both of my hands. Cool and moist dampness brushed against my fingertips. I was touching these cumulus clouds, they weren't at all fluffy but they felt like I was holding my hand in mist or fog.
For what seemed like less than a second, both Artemis and I held the sky.
My sense suddenly became aware. My back strained; the tissue was being stretched and sifted like a rubberband. And this rubberband wanted to snap. I wanted to immediately let go and leave.
And then Artemis released her hold and slipped away. Leaving me alone to carry the sky.
The pain was unexplainable. My bones shook like a small tree being attacked by the strong wind. There was a tight pressure in my chest. The bone part of my chest yelled for mercy.
My lungs squeezed each other together for air. Working two times faster. But, I couldn't breathe. I couldn't—air. I needed air.
I started choking, my breathing hastened.
I can't do this. I'm going to die.
I wanted to scream, but I didn't have the strength to. I bit my tongue.
A warm metallic liquid was in my mouth. It wasn't saliva. It was between my teeth and my tongue. Was it… blood?
Hot tears came out of the corners of my eyes.
They burned like smoking coals and stuck like plastic wrap to my cheeks.
Hold On! Grover begged. It's okay! Just a little longer, Percy!
Just a little longer, I agreed. I could—I needed—to try that. My breathing started again. Feral and gasping for air.
Bianca.
If she could sacrifice herself, so could I.
My vision blurred. Like a camera with a smudged lens. There were these weird red tints everywhere. I caught glimpses of the battle, but I could not be sure if I saw them clearly.
Atlas stood with that wicked and prideful smirk. He let out a malicious laugh with every jab of this javelin. Artemis was a silver blob, with my current vision, I could hardly see her with her incredible speed and agility. She had two long hunting knives that gleamed silver whenever they caught the faintest light. Sometimes the blob of her shape would change into some animal. She was a panther, some type of a raptor, and a bear. Or maybe she didn't change at all.
Maybe my messed-up brain was spouting images of animals for the fun of it?
Who knew?
Zoë shot a swarm of arrows at him where Atlas's armor held no protection. He gave a lion roar every time an arrow managed to impale itself in his skin. Seeps of ichor spilled out of those arrow wounds. Atlas kept fighting Artemis, the storm of his anger, growing.
Thalia and Luke kept fighting just like Thalia's lightning kept crackling. Thalia's shield pressed more closely to him. Luke flinched, Aegis's power forcing him back.
"Stop!" Thalia screamed. "You know you can't beat me. You never could!"
Luke snarled. "Don't be so prideful, Thals. You know better than anyone that things can change within a snap."
My shoulders melted like metal in agony.
I couldn't stop crying from the pain.
My hands were almost soaking wet from sweat and the clouds' water droplets. My sternum was cracking under all the pressure like a wafer. Hot pins were being nailed inside my vertebrae.
Atlas was advancing, forcing Artemis back.
It was Strength Vs. Speed now.
Atlas slammed his javelin into the Earth — causing a small quaking — barely missing the spot Artemis had been a millisecond ago. Atlas leaped over it, continuing to advance to her.
She was leading him closer to me.
Get ready, Artemis spoke in my mind.
But for what?
Oh.
Ohhh.
Atlas.
"You fight somewhat well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But then again, no girl could beat me."
Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis' legs to the ground. She fell, Atlas bringing the tip of the weapon. Ready for the kill.
"No!" Zoë screamed. She leaped from seemingly nowhere and landed in between her father and Artemis. She shot an arrow directly at Atlas's forehead. Making him look like some deformed and ugly narwhal.
Inchor trickled from the wound, the trail moved as Atlas bellowed in rage. He knocked Zoë with the back of his hand. Zoë went flying into the black rocks.
I tried to shout but all that came out was a hoarse noise and a speck of the metallic liquid from my mouth. I didn't see where she landed, but I hoped that she didn't get thrown off the mountain.
Atlas turned back to Artemis — who remained on the ground — with his trademarked smirk splitting into his lips. Artemis' face was morphed with hurt and exhaustion.
"You are lucky, little girl, you get the honor of being the first blood in a new war." He boasted.
And he stabbed earthward.
Faster than lightning striking, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the place next to her and she pulled the javelin backwards, using it as a lever, kicking The General and sending him flying over her.
Once I saw him towards me, I suddenly knew what I had to do. I loosened my grip on the sky, trying to ignore the piercing pain in my chest as Atlas slammed into me.
A clear scream followed. It was weak yet, it penetrated itself into my hearing.
For a second I thought it could have been from me, but I could barely open my mouth. I looked up at the Titan Lord. The sky was back on him and he was groaning loudly. Atlas swore in ancient greek, bellowing in terror and pain.
But where did the scream come from?
I tried to stand up, but my damaged and bruised legs didn't let me. Besides the scream, I didn't want to be so close to Atlas. I held a breath and readied myself to try again.
Good news: I stood up.
Bad news: Every step I took was another talon stabbing into my joints.
I could not lay on the ground because I was weak. I had to find Zoë or help Annabeth out of her bindings. The area was uneven which didn't help with my newly developed limp.
Another ear-piercing scream was let out. Several other screams—every one more hysterical and pained than the last—followed.
"PERCY!"
My eyes shot my left, following the call.
"Anna...beth?"
She was on the ground. That wasn't the first thing I noticed, but that was the first thing I could process.
Her eyes. From my dreams, I'd seen her eyes red and strained as she carried the sky.
That had no comparison to how the struggle and pain those grey eyes were now.
I knelt next to her, processing it all, one pixel at a time.
A dark red liquid was squirting out of space underneath her right arm, in her armpit. If her arm was not stretched out I would not have noticed the gaping hole. The blood gushed out, fast and with sickenly ease. It was like a thumb was held on the top of a garden hose. Blood was being sprayed all over her right arm.
Annabeth's Californian tanned skin was paling.
A fresh coat of sweat covered her body.
My gut rocked like a ship in a storm. I could feel the contexts of my stomach sloshing around threatening to come back up.
Annabeth held Atlas's golden javelin in her left hand. The tip of the weapon was painted red. I glanced back where Artemis had used the javelin as a lever — the spear was gone.
Where was Artemis? She could help Annabeth. Save her.
I scanned the area for her, but Artemis was gone. Then I remembered Zoë.
Artemis must have gone by the black rocks to help her.
"Please," Annabeth's voice broke out, "Percy, you need to help me. It—It hurts a lot."
"It's going to be okay, Wise Girl. Just hold on for a sec, we'll get you ambrosia and nectar."
A wheeze came out as a response. I grabbed her hand and checked her pulse. I never paid much attention to the first aid classes at camp. However, Lee would not rest until all demigods knew at least how to check a pulse.
Annabeth's pulse was weakening.
I couldn't force myself to let go of her hand.
She can't die. I don't know what to do. I need to save her.
But there's so much blood…
My hands were twitching so much, shaking Annabeth's hand with it. My breathing labored and oxygen itself was choking me. The same hot tears from earlier burned out from my eyes. I swallowed the hard lump of rock in my throat.
"THALIA!" That desperate yell came from me.
Thalia and Luke were near the corner of the mountain. The blue-eyed girl advanced and forced Luke towards the edge. Thalia's eyes snapped to me. The electrifying blue practically crackled in a rage of me distracting her.
It wasn't long before she saw Annabeth.
Rage tangled in Thalia's lungs. She let out a bellowing scream that sent lightning towards Luke.
His scar line straightened on his terror-filled face. The lightning struck directly at Luke, his body threw itself back falling off the edge.
Thalia was panting. Tears slipped out of her eyes as she ran towards us.
"Annie… I. Oh gods." Fear shuddered Thalia as she spoke. Thalia ripped a piece of her shirt and tied it around Annabeth's wound. The cloth wasn't thick, and it didn't seem to do much seeing how the blood was quickly starting to soak through.
A strangled cry came out of Annabeth.
"Percy, where's Artemis?"
I looked at Thalia's grief-stricken expression. "She's by the black rocks. Looking for Zoë."
"Okay," she breathed. "Help me get Annabeth up— be careful. We need to get her to Artemis." Thalia grabbed Annabeth's left side and I hauled the right side — the side with the wound. The golden javelin that Annabeth held, rolled away, shining in the sun mockingly.
Between the three of us, we all stumbled with every step we took. Some other force was maintaining effort and strength for every aching step.
My ears were stuffed with cotton balls because of my dizziness.
Percy? Grover spoke so suddenly, I almost loosened my hold on Annabeth.
Percy... is something wrong? I feel weird. I'm starting to freak out with these surges of your feelings.
My lungs squeezed themselves so firmly, I let out a wheeze of pain. Something bad is happening Grover, we're trying to get help.
Okay. He whispered at length. Percy, try and stay strong. Bessie and I believe in you!
The corners of my mouth almost cracked upwards. Thanks, buddy. I needed that.
"Thalia. Percy." I tilted my head down to see Annabeth. We didn't stop walking — if it could even be called walking — but I grunted to show I was listening.
"Luke," her voice amplified into miles, "he's... hurt. Angry. Scared."
Thalia and I averted our gazes. Annabeth had been on the ground when Luke fell. Weakened and in pain, she still cared about him.
"Luke is dead—" pant "— it's too late," Thalia responded. A fit of anger reached her as that spark of danger lit up her eyes.
"No."
"Anna—"
"He's alive. You- you can't give up on him."
Anyone could tell that Annabeth was getting weaker by the second.
"Wise Girl, we are almost there. Don't worry about Luke. Save your strength, please." I stressed. Annabeth had only stopped hyperventilating but she was paling more quickly. The blood was still gushing like a fountain, some of it began to trail out of the measly cloth.
Annabeth's arm was getting drenched with blood. Looking at her arm made me dizzy.
I used my left hand that wasn't wrapped around her to press the cut in her armpit. I used all my strength into that press. From my position it felt awkward to be walking and compressing.
My palm was wet. And I knew it wasn't from sweat. Suppressing a shiver, I pressed harder and firmer.
Annabeth groaned. Her eyelids started to weigh down.
"You need to stay awake. C'mon Annie," Thalia pleaded. Annabeth's expression faltered with exhaustion. "You need to—"
"KILL THEM!"
Instantly after that yell, the ground quivered and storms of javelins followed with jeers.
Luke's army.
We blundered faster— now seeing the sharp black rocks up ahead.
"Artemis!" I yelled.
She looked up, her face was frozen in sadness and grief. Just like Thalia.
Her eyes widened as she saw Annabeth. "Here, lay Annabeth down," Artemis whispered, gesturing to the ground.
To do this, I would have to let go of my hold on Annabeth's wound. I glanced down, blood was starting to leak from my fingers. I held a small breath of panic.
I gave Thalia a nod. We knelt, careful with Annabeth's head on the hard uneven ground. I sat next to Annabeth, placing my hand right back on the cut.
My gaze trailed to her arms. Zoë laid there, her dark lava eyes welting in pain.
A thick sheet of sweat was covering Zoë as she trembled.
Thalia was the first one to find her voice. "What happened?"
"Her wound is poisoned." Artemis laid Zoë next to her on the ground, showing us.
"H-How?" I asked.
Atlas didn't have any poison.
The answer came to me quickly and painfully.
Landon.
The bite was wide and leaking blood. Coming out with the dark red blood was this white-yellow pus that looked like phlegm.
Red lines stretched in her skin, around the wound. Where the bite was, the skin was irritated and swollen. The skin was shriveled like a rotten apple.
Bile in my stomach agitated again with nausea.
"Ambrosia, and nectar," I snapped. "We can save them. We have to."
Artemis grimaced. "I can't. Zoë's wound, it wound close up with my powers for a reason. It's fate-related."
And one shall perish by a parent's hand. Again that stupid voice in my head echoed.
"The stars— I can't see them."
Thalia shrunk in guilt, she went next to Zoë whispering things to her.
Artemis shook her head sadly and sat next to Annabeth. "Her axillary artery, it's disturbed, " the goddess placed her hand on top of mine, pressing harder.
"Mortals would have already bled out. Her godly blood is keeping her alive. I don't believe her wound is fateful, how did this happen?"
Annabeth groaned, her eyes were still open, but it didn't look like they would be for long. "I don't know, I just saw Atlas's javelin in her hand."
"Javelin—" wheeze "—hit me. Just when I stretched my arms out. I panicked and pulled it out." Annabeth's face contorted in agony.
Artemis grunted, "Atlas must have materialized his weapon, aiming it in anger… I should be able to heal her."
The goddess pushed my hand away, leaving her hand hovering on top of the wound.
A low hum and silver glow breezed from her palm. Annabeth squinted her grey eyes from the light.
I couldn't see what was happening from the glowing, but every ounce of me hoped that Annabeth would heal.
Artemis yanked her hand back like she had been burned. "I—I can't heal it. Fate. It's not letting me. The least I can do is to tie a cloth around the wound." I nodded at her distantly, staring at the silver ribbon tied around the shoulder.
"Young hero, they won't survive much longer," Artemis whispered.
My breathing palpated, my whole body quivered. I couldn't keep my eyes away from Annabeth's blood trailing off my hand.
"No. There has to be something—anything—we can do!"
My head felt in a fog, I was lost. Everything was blurry. Everything was far away.
Too many things happening. Too many wrong things. My heart pounded faster, shuddering my whole body with each beat.
All of a sudden, loud yells erupted. It sounded like clamoring and chaos.
Monsters.
I stared at Artemis desperately. How could we fight monsters with Annabeth and Zoë injured?
Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a Sopwith Camel dove in like an eagle.
"Get away from my daughter!" We all looked up to see Dr. Chase in his biplane swooping the skies above. Abruptly, the aircraft's machine guns blasted a meteor storm of bullets to the monsters.
Monsters screeched when they exploded into gold Cheeto dust after being hit with a bullet.
"Run!" He shouted, his voice became distant once he pulled back to the sky.
A hoarse croak caught my attention. I looked down next to me, tears were streaming from Annabeth's dirt and soot-coated cheeks. "D-Dad..." she let out a sharp cry, "Is that him? Percy, is—is that my dad?"
My heart dropped to my stomach, splashing in with the bile. "Yeah, it is Wise Girl. He's helping us out. Shooting monsters, you know. He's pretty awesome." I tried to keep a light tone, but hearing it from my ears; it sounded empty.
"We need to leave," Artemis broke in. "We must take advantage of his distraction." A silver glow emitted from her hands, making a hunting horn. She raised it to her lips releasing a trembling blow.
The Sopwith Camel plunged again. Monsters aimed their spears and weapons at the biplane to no avail. Dr. Chase flew that Sopwith Camel with ease, it was awe-striking.
The machine guns copied their efforts, sending bullets to the army. To kill the monsters, the bullets had to be made with celestial bronze.
But how?
The light shimmed with Artemis' trademarked silver moonlight, revealing a leaming chariot pulled by a beautiful deer that had to come straight out of a Disney movie.
"Bambi?"
Artemis gave me a look.
"Get in and cover Annabeth and Zoë with the blankets." She ordered.
Without hesitating, I followed Thalia's lead and helped place Annabeth and Zoë in the chariot.
"This is like Santa's sleigh. 'Cept Bambi is here."
Artemis glanced back to me, "Where did you think that old legend came from? However, Eloise is female and is certainly not Bambi."
I gazed at the pretty deer, "She can be a girl-Bambi." I muttered.
Seeing us safely away, Dr. Chase turned his biplane away and flew above us— as an escort. It must be a weird sight for anyone who could see past the Mist.
Bambi pulling a silver version of Santa's sleigh with a World War I plane.
I let out a weird and hollow chuckle.
I looked at Annabeth and Zoë.
Their eyes squinting in pain and weariness. Sweating from the effort of staying alive.
I knew I wasn't carrying the sky on my back anymore.
But now it felt like I was carrying something way worse.
I was carrying the weight of the world.
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A/N: Don't mind me, I'm just embracing my inner Uncle Rick :')
Also for any of my fellow anatomy nerds, the place where Annabeth was hit is called the axillary artery, located in the armpit. It is a continuation of the Subclavian artery and eventually turns into the Brachial artery.
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