Hey guys, I hope you all enjoy this one, please please do review, I love the reviews so much they mean the world to me. Also, minor update which you guys may appreciate- I wrote like four chapters in one day because I was on a roll, I'm like, 55 chapters ahead at the moment.

Percy stared at Ethan as he desperately tried to breath. She felt slow, sluggish- and the world around her seemed to have gone totally silent, there was an air of shocked awe all around.

Percy turned her head slowly- her eyes finding Annabeth, Rachel and Leo, who were all staring at her.

Annabeth's expression was pained as she shook her head, and Percy could almost hear her voice, telling Percy that this wasn't like her.

Rachel looked terrified, her eyes blown wide- and so did Leo. Neither of them had ever seen her losing control before. And Percy's gaze moved away- she couldn't handle the way they were looking at her- and they were drawn to Antaeus and Alabaster.

Her brother looked almost gleeful, his eyes shining with pleasure at the sight of the teenager choking and clutching at his throat.

And Alabaster- he was smirking down at her- and he knew- he knew why she'd reacted like that. He knew that it was because of him, he knew how much power he held over her, how much effect her time in captivity had had on her, he looked smug.

And Percy released Ethan, uncurling her fist and letting him collapse to the ground, clutching at his throat as he coughed up great heaving mouthfuls of water- and she took a small step back, forcing back the urge to vomit as she watched him heave and- oh gods there were tear streaks- of course there were it was a natural response to choking- of course he'd cried.

"G-get it over with." Percy genuinely wasn't even sure how the boy managed to force the words out through his hacking coughs.

Percy looked up at Antaeus. His red face was stony with displeasure- he'd wanted her to lose- he'd wanted to hand her over to Alabaster. Her fear would have amused him, but still, he held up his hand and put his thumb down.

Percy stared up at him before glancing back at Ethan again, her face going blank for a long moment before she shook her head.

"No."

"Don't be a fool." Ethan's voice was weak and hoarse, "They'll kill me anyway."

"They can try." Percy held out her hand, "But I am not a monster." she offered him her hand, and after a long moment of hesitation he took it and let her pull him to his feet.

"No one dishonors the games!" Antaeus roared the words, a look of fury on his face, "What do you think you're doing girl?"

"Well-" Percy gave a jaunty little grin, "I think I'm dishonoring the games-"

"Your heads shall both be tributes to Poseidon! The deal is off, you will di-"

"I don't think daddy will be happy with that." Percy cut him off lightly, "I gotta say I think I'm probably higher on his list of his favourite kids- I mean he seemed pretty fond of me when I spent a weak in Atlantis." she shot Alabaster a look and he scowled, "Y'know when I fell into the sea during my daring escape from my dearest betrothed." she snorted the word.

"I am Poseidon's favored son-"

"When you see your chance, run." Percy hissed the words to Ethan, "And help Annabeth, Leo and Rachel while you're at it. You owe me Ethan." she swung her gaze back to Antaeus. "If you're dad's favorite why don't you come down here and prove it? Or are you too much of a big whiny baby coward to fight me yourself?" And she tried to ignore the look that crossed Alabaster's face- the resigned frustration- he knew better than to expect her to try and not piss her older brother off. She flicked open her locket, letting the familiar armor form around her. She got the feeling she'd need it.

The monsters grumbled in the stands. Antaeus looked around, and apparently realized he had no choice. He couldn't say no without looking like a coward, just as she said. "I am the greatest wrestler in the world, girl," he warned. "I have been wrestling since the first pankration!"

"Pankration?" Percy raised an eyebrow, "Do you expect me to know what that is?"

"He means fighting to the death," Ethan said. "No rules. No holds barred. It used to be an Olympic sport."

"Thanks for the tip,"

"Don't mention it."

Percy glanced back towards her girlfriend, brother and friend. Rachel was watching with wide shocked eyes, literally gaping at her, Annabeth was shaking her head violently, the Laistrygonian's hand still clamped over her mouth and Leo- he was grinning insanely and giving her a big thumbs up as he nodded frantically.

Well at least one of them believed in her.

She forced back a snort, turning her head to focus on Antaeus. "Winner takes all! I win, we all go free. You win, we die. Swear upon the River Styx." she'd rather not have to deal with another instance like the whole Geryon deal.

Antaeus laughed. "This shouldn't take long. I swear to your terms!"

He leaped off the railing, into the arena.

"Good luck," Ethan told her. "You'll need it." Then he backed up quickly.

Antaeus cracked his knuckles. He grinned, and Percy saw that even his teeth were etched in wave patterns, which must've made brushing after meals a real pain.

"Weapons?" he asked.

"I'll stick with my sword. You?"

He held up his huge hands and wiggled his fingers. "I don't need anything else!"

"Good to know." Percy smirked, "Hopefully I'll make you regret that."

"Master Alabaster!" Antaeus called out, "You will referee this one. And you will watch me kill your love-"

"Ugh, I am not his love." Percy snorted, "He's just an obsessed asshole.

"Antaeus I won't watch you kill her Lord Kronos-"

"I care little what Kronos desires." Antaeus snapped, "The girl disrespected my games. I will kill her for that."

"Nice." Percy grinned, "On the list of my favorite brothers you're really down low you know that? And I have a lot of brothers so I mean-" her mouth snapped shut because he was lunging and Percy rolled under his legs- resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

It was always so easy to provoke the big dumb ones. She stabbed him in the back of the thigh.

"Argggh!" he yelled. But where blood should've come out, there was a spout of sand, like Percy had busted the side of an hourglass. It spilled into the dirt floor, and the dirt collected around his leg, almost like a cast. When the dirt fell away, the wound was gone.

Percy blinked, her eyes wide, but she dodged sideways when he charged again and she stabbed him under the arm, her blade was buried to the hilt in his ribs- that was good.

The bad side of it was that it was wrenched out of her hand when the giant turned and she was thrown across the arena as Antaues bellowed in pain.

But instead of disintegrating as monsters usually did Antaeus groped for the hilt of the blade, pulled it out and tossed it behind him.

More sand poured from the wound, but again the earth rose up to cover him. Dirt coated his body all the way to his shoulders. As soon as the dirt spilled away, Antaeus was fine.

"Now you see why I never lose, demigod!" Antaeus gloated. "Come here and let me crush you. I'll make it quick!"

Percy blinked slowly. Okay. Okay now she saw the problem, and to make matters worse he was standing between her and her sword.

Percy's mind raced and she glanced around, catching Annabeths eye- and she saw the look on her girlfriends face- she'd tried to tell her something before, about Gaea. Antaeus' mother was literally the earth mother.. that had to be why he was healing like that. As long as he was touching the ground, touching the earth she wouldn't be able to kill him, it would just heal him straight up.

Right, right she could work with that. Hopefully.

"You said about the plankton thing right?"

"The Pankration!" Antaeus roared. "What of it girl?"

"No rules and no holds barred, right?"

"Yes!"

"Is that what this is?"

"Yes!"

"Good." Percy moved as she thought, trying to skirt around him- but Antaeus anticipated that, blocking her path, laughing at her. He was toying with her, he had her cornered and weaponless- or he thought he had her weaponless- but her dagger wouldn't do her much good unless she got him off the ground.

She looked up at the ceiling and she spotted the chains hanging down- dangling the skulls of his enemies on hooks- and she smirked slowly- and much to her annoyance Alabaster leaned forward almost eagerly when she smirked- but hey if he wanted a show then fine, she'd give them all a show.

She feinted to the other side, Antaeus blocking her as she did and the crowd screamed and jeered at him to finish her off. Thankfully he seemed to be having too much fun.

"Pathetic little sister. You think father favors you over me? You are weak-"

"Oh bitch please I blew up a volcano." Percy rolled her eyes. She had to do this right- she had her dagger- she wasn't weaponless but Antaeus thought she was. He would think she was trying to get her sword- not much of an advantage but it might just be enough.

She charged straight ahead, crouching low to make him think that she'd try and roll between his legs again.

When he stooped to try and catch her she pushed herself up in a smooth motion, launching herself into the air with all of her strength, kicking off his forearm and using his forearm and shoulder to gain height until she had her foot on his head.

And of course he did what anyone would do- he straightened up yelling "HEY!" and Percy pushed off, using the force of his rise to catapult herself towards the ceiling.

She caught the top of a chain and the skulls and hooks jangled beneath her as she wrapped her legs around it, just like in gym class.

She reached down with one hand, still gripping the chains tightly as she yanked her jean leg up and grabbed the dagger and unsheathed it, sawing at the chain next to her.

"Come down here coward!" he was trying to grab her but she was just out of reach, and she grinned manically down at him, waving her dagger tauntingly as she yelled down.

"Come up and get me then if you're too short to grab me. Or are you too slow and fat?" and she could hear Leo cheering and cackling madly- she could almost picture the resigned look on Annabeth's face at her taunting of the giant- and Rachel's wide eyed look of shock because even if she'd seen Percy fight before she'd never seen anything like this.

He howled and made another grab for her. He caught a chain and tried to pull himself up. While he was struggling, Percy lowered her sawed-off chain, hook first. It took her two tries, but finally she snagged Antaeus's loincloth.

"WAAA!" he yelled. Quickly Percy slipped the free chain through the fastening link on her own chain, pulled it taut, and secured it the best she could. Antaeus tried to slip back to the ground, but his butt stayed suspended by his loincloth. He had to hold on to the other chains with both hands to avoid getting flipped upside down. Percy prayed the loincloth and the chain would hold up for a few more seconds. While Antaeus cursed and flailed, she scrambled around the chains, swinging and cutting like she was some sort of crazed monkey. She made loops with hooks and metal links, cackling all the while- she'd always been good at getting stuff tangled, her mom had often complained about it, and within a couple of minutes the giant was suspended above the ground, hopelessly snarled in chains and hooks. Percy dropped to the floor, panting and sweaty. Her hands were raw from climbing, but she was grinning widely, giving a mock bow.

"Get me down!" Antaeus roared the words and Percy snorted.

"Ah yes, let down my bloodthirsty big brother who wants to kill me, sounds like a wonderful plan to me."

"Perce." the call came from Alabaster, who was looking down at her, "You did well-"

"Oh shut it." Percy glared up at him, the distance between them was comforting. "I don't want to talk to you right now. I'm busy." she turned her back on him, ignoring how her heart pounded as she stabbed the giant in the stomach.

He bellowed and sand poured out, but he was too far up to touch the earth and the dirt didn't rise to help him. He just dissolved, pouring out but by bit until there was nothing left but empty swinging chains, a really big loincloth on a hook and a bunch of grinning skulls dancing above her like they finally had something to smile about.