Emily didn't feel sorry for the giant at all, all that were able to fight had attacked Clytrius from every direction, Leo and Emily were shooting fire at his legs. Thor and Jason were in the sure, Thor was hitting Clytrius with his hammer of which was just as affective as a celestial bronze sword. Her uncle kept throwing his shield at Clytrius, Emily had expected it go through the giant but t didn't for it acutely hit the giant. Tony was shooting some of the weapons from his armor or at least the least dangerous weapons. Barton was shooting arrows and Natasha was shooting with her gun, Frank and Piper were jabbing at Clytrius chest. Nico was taking care of the black smoke whenever it tried to get to one of them and Nico was here slashing though it. Emily was glad of the fact that Nico was there as well as the others. Percy, Annabeth, James, Persephone, James, Lauren and Daedalus were on their feet with their swords were drawn. But he all looked weak and dazed. It seemed that they wanted to help but the giant was surrounded all ready,

"Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!" The darkness around him had dispelled completely so that the only protection he had left was his battered armor. Ichor was coming from different wounds, even with the damaged being healed just as fast that Emily knew that Clytrius was getting tired. Jason had flew at Clytrius and kicked him in the chest for the last time, the breastplate had shattered and Clytrius had staggered backwards. Clytrius had dropped his sword and went to his knees. The avengers and the six demigods were around him, in a way it felt like the battle of Manhattan a couple of years ago. Of when Emily had the avengers were in a circle after the hulk had stopped the one alien thing. Than Hecate had step forward with her torches raised, mist was curled around the giant hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin,

"And so it ends."

"It does not end. My brethren have risen. Gaia waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?" Hecate had turned her torches upside down and thrust them like daggers at his head. Clytrius' hair went up faster than anything Emily could think of and it spread across his no dupe like a before, similar to the one back at Camp Halfblood but it doesn't change colors. Clytius had fell without a sound and his face hit the rubble of where hades' altar had stood before his body crumbled to ash. No one had spoke, the only sound was the heavy breathing of the demigods and the avengers.

"You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place."

"Just like that? No "thank you"? No "good work"?" Emily had put her hand on Hazel's shoulder, Emily knows where Hazel was coming from but Emily had supine leer es that the gods have an iPod way of phrasing the demigods and sending therm gratitude. But Hecate rarely showed any gratitude even when it was not due war time, it was just who Hecate was.

"Hazel, Hecate rarely says those things besides we are at war and there is isn't much time for it. Well more time for the demigods but not time is different for the gods." Hecate had looked at Emily before looking back at Hazel and tilted her head and Gale had disappeared into he folds of Hecate's dress.

"Elizabeth is correct that we are at war and there are more things you should be worried about. You look in the wrong place for gratitude. For this is not the time or place for it. As for "good work", that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen – all of them, stronger than ever. Gaia is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her." The chamber had started to rumble, another steal had crashed to the floor and shattered.

"The House of Hades is unstable. Leave now. We shall meet again." Hecate had disappeared and the mist had disappeared as well.

"She's friendly."

"She is usually like that." Everyone she looked at Emily before looking back at Percy and Annabeth. It was like they realized that Percy and Annabeth were there for the first time since they entered the carven.

"Dude."

"Back from Tartarus! That's my peeps!" Piper had threw her arms around Annabeth and started to cry, Frank had ran over to Hazel. Steve and the avengers had went over to Persephone, James and Daedalus. However Emily had went over to Lauren and hugged Lauren with Leo just behind her. Emily cried into Lauren's shoulder, Emily knew that Lauren was died for she had ask hades about Lauren before in the last seventy years and hades had told her that she had a place of where all heroes go to. Emily was glad that Lauren has a good afterlife. Emily had more or less expected to see Lauren again when Emily dies from battle during her time in the hunt so far. That was one hing Emily had looked forward to when shindig die, yes that seem strange, but it was the truth. But now Lauren was back among the living and it was something that Emily was glad of and emits couldn't help but cry when she hugged Lauren. Before they could say anything that Emily heard the ceiling shuddered and Emily looked up to see cracks in the ceiling.

"We've got to get out of here. Uh, Frank …?" Frank was shaking his head

"I think one favour from the dead is all I can manage today." Emily had raised her eyebrows when Frank had said that.

"Wait, what?" It was Piper of who had spoke.

"Your unbelievable boyfriend called in a favour as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here through … um, well, I'm not sure, actually. The passages of the dead? All I know is that it was very, very dark." To their left that a section of the wall and split and a stone skeleton had come out and rolled across the floor.

"We'll have to shadow-travel."

"Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With sixteen more people –"

"I'll help you."

"I will also help and give you hope and that should help with giving you two a boost." Nico had nodded when Emily and Hazel said that. Tiles were starting to peel loose form the ceiling as they spoke.

"Everyone, grab hands!" They made a hasty circle, Emily was standing between her uncle and Leo, she had poured hope into each one of them and put the most hope into Nico and Hazel so that he could do this. As Emily did so that she felt herself dissolve into the shadows, than they appeared out of the shadows on the hillside overlooking the river ache on of where they left the Helicarrier and the Argo II. Emily smiled when she saw the hillside even thought her felt like she was going to be sick. Leo had let go of her hand and stsggere backwards.

"You know … I think I'll sit down." Leo had collapsed and the others joined him, Emily was between her uncle and Leo and Lauren was close by as well. Even though the Argo II was a few hundred yards away. After a few minutes that they started to exchange stories, Frank had went first and explained of what happen with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters and how Nico used the scepter and how bracelet Jason and Piper had fought along with the avengers.

"Frank is being modest, he controlled the entire legion. You should've seen him. Oh, by the way … I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling."

"No argument here."

"Praetor?"

"Well … yeah. I know it seems weird." Emily merely smiled when Frank had said that.

"I know how that feels. I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I am the protector of the roman state and the home in Camp Jupiter that is." Hazel tried to throw her arms around Frank but she had winced and she just kissed Frank.

"It seems perfect." Frank had than looked over at James, Persephone, Annabeth, Percy, Lauren and Daedalus.

"But you guys … Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there? How did you …? Not only at but who those two?" Frank had nodded to Lauren and Daedalus.

"Well I cns answer of who those two are. The one is Lauren Huntington, daughter of Zeus and my best friend during World War II before I joined the hunt and the other is Colonel Chester Phillips, or stupid head as I like to call him, as I know him better as or you all know him better as Daedalus, son of Athena." Daedalus raised an eyebrow when Emily had said that.

"So plant fire, you still calling me that?"

"Yes, just like you call me plant fire." All of them chuckled when they said that. Percy and Annabeth had laced their fingers together. Emily had noticed out of the corner of her eyes that she saw pain in Nico's hands and he was looking at their hands. Emily merely shrugged it off and decided to ask him later about that.

"We'll tell you the story. But not yet, okay? I'm not ready to remember that place."

"No. Right now … Uh, I think our ride is coming." Emily turned and watched as the Argo II had come towards them.

"That's my boy!" Emily could see ageless on standing at the prow and he yelled down at them.

"About time! What took you so long, cupcakes? You kept your visitor waiting!"

"Visitor?" Emily had notice that there was a dark hair girl next to Gleeson and she appeared when Gleeson hand said visitor. She was wearing a purple cloak, it was Reyna. Shortly afterwards that they managed to lower the Athena Parthenon from the ship with ease.

"Incredible." Emily had looked at Reyna, Emily had been though a lot so has Reyna more so with what happen to Reyna recently. For Reyna had been crying and she still had the red eyes to epode it, for her Pegasus had collapsed from the poisoned clamps marks from a gryphon attack the epithet before. Reyna had put the Pegasus out of it's misery, Emily felt sorry for Reyna, she couldn't began to think of what it would be like to lose Mrs. O'Leary or Princess. Princess was very loyal to Emily and she knows Scipio was loyal to Reyna as well. Reyna had circled the Athena Partenos. "It looks newly made."

"Yeah, we brushed off the cobwebs, used a little Windex. It wasn't hard."

"Hey, Reyna. Have some food. Join us." Reyna had glanced over at them, it seem that Reyna wasn't sure if she should join them. Emily was looking at Reyna careful, there was only a couple of other times of when Emily had saw Reyna without her armor on and it seem strange to see her wearing a purple camp Jupiter shirt and a pair of jeans.

"All right." They had made room for Reyna to join them and she sat down next to Annabeth. Reyna had picked up a cheese sandwich.

"So, Frank Zhang … praetor." Frank hand shifted when Reyna had said that.

"Well, yeah. Field promotion."

"To lead a different legion, a legion of ghosts." Emily didn't say anything, she was sitting between Lauren and her uncle, they watched as Hazel out her arm around Frank. After a hour in sick that everyone there looked much better, but Emily wasn't sure of what Hazel and Frank were thinking. It was during that hour that Emily had explained to Lauren about the roman demigods and why Emily didn't tell Lauren during the war and why the two groups were kept apart.

"Reyna, you should've seen him."

"He was amazing."

,Frank is a leader, He makes a great praetor." Reyna's eyes stayed on Frank.

"I believe you, I approve."

"You do?" Reyna had smiled when Frank had said that.

"A son of Mars, the hero who helped to bring back the eagle of the legion … I can work with a demigod like that. I'm just wondering how to convince the Twelfth Fulminata."

"Yeah. I've been wondering the same thing."

"The legion will listen to you, Reyna. You made it here alone, across the ancient lands."

"In doing so, I broke the laws of the legion."

"Caesar broke the law when he crossed the Rubico. Great leaders have to think outside the box sometimes."

"I'm not Caesar. After finding Jason's note in Diocletian's Palace, tracking you down was easy. I only did what I thought was necessary."

"Reyna, you're too modest. Flying halfway across the world by yourself to answer Annabeth's plea, because you knew it was our best chance for peace? That's pretty freaking heroic."

"Says the demigod who fell into Tartarus and found his way back."

"He had help."

"Oh, obviously. Without you, I doubt Percy could find his way out of a paper bag."

"True."

"Hey!" Emily and the others had started laughing, it seem like it was rare times of where they could forget of what was going and be normal for a change. Emily had spoke up.

"I have to say I honk that holds true with James and Persephone, for I don't think James would made it out of a paper bag either."

"Hey!" Everyone started to,laugh harder at this. After a while they had stopped laughing and Leo had handed a tint screwdriver from his too belt and stabbed a chocolate covered strawberry and handed it to Gleeson. Leo had pulled another strawberry and screwdriver for himself before he had spoke.

"So, the twenty-million-peso question. We got this slightly used forty-foot-tall statue of Athena. What do we do with it?"

"As fine as it looks on this hill, I didn't come all this way to admire it. According to Annabeth, it must be returned to Camp Half-Blood by a Roman leader. Do I understand correctly?"

"I had a dream down in … you know, Tartarus. I was on Half-Blood Hill, and Athena's voice said, I must stand here. The Roman must bring me."

"It makes sense The statue is a powerful symbol! A Roman returning it to the Greeks … that could heal the historic rift, maybe even heal the gods of their split personalities."

"Now, hold on. I like peace as much as the next satyr –"

'You hate peace." Emily rolled her eyes when Leo had said that. Ebpven though Gleeson liked fighting more than nature and peace, Emily knows that Gleeson still likes peace. It was not like as if he was fighting everything,

"The point is, Valdez, we're only – what, a few days from Athens? We've got an army of giants waiting for us there. We went to all the trouble of saving this statue –"

"I went to most of the trouble."

"– because that prophecy called it the giants' bane. So why aren't we taking it to Athens with us? It's obviously our secret weapon. It looks like a ballistic missile to me. Maybe if Valdez strapped some engines to it –'

"Uh, great idea, Coach, but a lot of us have had dreams and visions of Gaia rising at Camp Half-Blood …" Piper had put her dagger on a plate for everyone to see.

"Since we got back to the ship, I've been seeing some bad stuff in the knife. The Roman legion is almost within striking distance of Camp Half-Blood. They're gathering reinforcements: spirits, eagles, wolves."

"Thomas, I told him to wait. Besides." Reyna had looked up at Emily. "You made him an outcast when you lifted he protection on his family and the legion should know better to listen to an outcast. More so after Rachel and showed us that you were there but it was a demigod dream to you. Even more so after what you did to Octavian again." Emily,

sighed when Reyna had said that, Emily really needed to so something about Thomas, apparently the son of Apollo that she had lifted her protection from.

"I need to take care of him somehow."

"When we take over command, our first order of business should be to load Thomas into the nearest catapult and fire him as far away as possible. What about Octavian."

"Never mind Frank, if Octavian somehow manage to get back out of which I doubt now the doors are out of Gaia's hands, just let me know." Frank nodded and Reyna had than spoke.

"Agreed. But for now –"

"He's intent on war. He'll have it, unless we stop him."

"Unfortunately, that's not the worst of it. I saw images of a possible future – the camp in flames, Roman and Greek demigods lying dead. And Gaia …" No one said anything, it was clear that what ever it was that it was bad for Piper had be unable t to say it. Emily knows that Annabeth was right that the statue belongs on Long Island and it was not meant to be with them.

"So Reyna takes the statue. And we continue on to Athens."

"Cool with me. But, uh, a few pesky logistical problems. We got what – two weeks until that Roman feast day when Gaia is supposed to rise?"

"The Feast of Spes. That's on the first of August. Today is –"

"July eighteenth. So, yeah, from tomorrow, exactly fourteen days."

"It took us eighteen days to get from Rome to here – a trip that should've only taken two or three days, max."

"So, given our usual luck, maybe we have enough time to get the Argo II to Athens, find the giants and stop them from waking Gaia. Maybe. But how is Reyna supposed to get this massive statue back to Camp Half-Blood before the Greeks and Romans put each other through the blender? She doesn't even have her pegasus any more. Uh, sorry –"

"Fine. Unfortunately, Leo is correct. I don't see how I can transport something so large. I was assuming – well, I was hoping you all would have an answer."

'The Labyrinth, I – I mean, if Pasiphaë really has reopened it, and I think she has … Well, you said the Labyrinth could take you anywhere. So maybe –"

"No."

"Not to shoot you down, Hazel. It's just … For one thing,mthe passages in the Labyrinth are way too small for the Athena Parthenos. There's no chance you could take it down there –" it was Daedalus who had spoke next.

'And even if the maze is reopening, we don't know what it might be like now. It was dangerous enough before, under my control before I died the first time and i am evil. If Pasiphaë has remade the Labyrinth the way she wanted …" Daedalus had stopped there but Annabeth had spoke up.

"Hazel, maybe your underground senses could guide Reyna through, but no one else would stand a chance. And we need you here. Besides, if you got lost down there –"

"You're right. Never mind."

"Other ideas?"

"I could go. If I'm a praetor, I should go. Maybe we could rig some sort of sled, or –"

'No, Frank Zhang. I hope we will work side by side in the future, but for now your place is with the crew of this ship. You are one of the seven of the prophecy."

"I'm not." Everyone had stopped ears when Nico had said that and looked at Nico.

"Nico –"

"I'll go with Reyna, I can transport the statue with shadow-travel."

"Uh … I mean, I know you just got all of us to the surface, and that was awesome. But a year ago you said transporting just yourself was dangerous and unpredictable. A couple of times you ended up in China. Transporting a forty-foot statue and two people halfway across the world –"

"I've changed since I came back from Tartarus."

"Nico, we're not questioning your power. We just want to make sure you don't kill yourself trying."

"I can do it, I'll make short jumps – a few hundred miles each time. It's true, after each jump I won't be in any shape to fend off monsters. I'll need Reyna to defend me and the statue." Emily looked at Reyna but Emily couldn't tell of what Reyna was thinking.

"Any objections?' No one had said anything. "Very well, I see no better option. But there will be many monster attacks. I would feel better taking a third person. That's the optimal number for a quest."

"Coach Hedge." Emily looked over at Frank when he said that, Emily wondered why Frank picked Gleeson.

"Uh, what, Frank?"

"The coach is the best choice. The only choice. He's a good fighter. He's a certified protector. He'll get the job done."

"A faun."

"Satyr! And, yeah, I'll go. Besides, when you get to Camp Half-Blood, you'll need somebody with connections and diplomatic skills to keep the Greeks from attacking you. Just let me go make a call – er, I mean, get my baseball bat." Gleeson shot a look at Frank, it was clear that was more behind the reason of why Frank picked Gleeson. Of what that reason, Emily wasn't sure on that. Nico had than stood up as Gleeson went to get his bat.

"I should go, too, and rest before the first passage. We'll meet at the statue at sunset."

"He's acting strangely. I'm not sure he's thinking this through."

"He'll be okay." Hazel had passed her hand over the ground and diamonds had broke the surface. Emily merely raised an eyebrow when Hazel had did that,

"I hope you're right. We're at another crossroads. The Athena Parthenos goes west. The Argo II goes east. I hope we chose correctly."

"One thing bothers me. If the Feast of Spes is in two weeks, and Gaia needs the blood of two demigods to wake – what did Clytius call it? The blood of Olympus? – then aren't we doing exactly what Gaia wants, heading to Athens? If we don't go, and she can't sacrifice any of us, doesn't that mean she can't wake up fully?" Annabeth had took Percy's hand.

"Percy, prophecies cut both ways. If we don't go, we may lose our best and only chance to stop her. Athens is where our battle lies. We can't avoid it. Besides, trying to thwart prophecies never works. Gaia could capture us somewhere else or spill the blood of some other demigods."

"Yeah, you're right, I don't like it, but you're right."

"That is not the only reason, we need to make sure Emily stands on the original Mount Olympus the day of the feast of Spes in two weeks." Everyone looked at Hazel when she said that. From her tone it sounded like if it was life and death.

"You make it sound like if I am the fire in the one line in the prophecy and there is a chance that I am." Hazel shook her head when Emily said that.

"I don't think you are fire. Remember when I had meet Hecate the first time."

"Yes, what about it?"

"I didn't tell you everything. Hecate told me a few other things and she spoke ormolu. What Hecate said was this: 'But there is one who can keep the hope strong as long as she stands on Mount Olympus the day of hope. Unlike with Gaia, she intends to keep the hope strong and she is the only one who stands in the way of Gaea breaking all hope. That is why she is so important in this quest.'" Emily too a sharp I take of breath when Hazel had said that. Emily wasn't sure what that means but somehow she felt something important would happen besides making sure that there is hope. Something that was meant to an open for a long time since even before Rome was found. The mood of the group was gloomy but Piper had broke the tension.

"Well! Good picnic. Who wants dessert?"

Emily and Lauren were at the railing watching Percy talking to Nico and eventually Annabeth, Reyna, and Gleeson had went to the statue. It was clear that Nico had changed from the first time Emily had meet him as she watched Nico and Percy. Nico had went from a geeky ten year old to something else of what that was, Emily wasn't sure of. But Emily hoped that he would be all right and that he would talk to Bianca when eh gets to camp, for Emily hoped that Bianca would help Nico though whatever he was going though. When Nico, Reyna, Gleeson and the statue disappeared that Lauren and spoke at least.

"So, James and you are no longer together?" Emily shook her head when Lauren had said that. "What about that boy over there?" Emily looked to where Lauren gesture to where Leo was working on Festus or something like that. Emily had looked back at Lauren.

"What about him?"

"Do you like him?" Emily raised an eyebrow when Lauren had said that, but as Emily thought about it and what Aphrodite said that she realize of what has been happening but she didn't want to admit it.

"I am a hunter now, Lauren." Lauren looked at Emily and smirk.

"You know you have changed but you haven't changed enough that I can't figure you out, but have it your way." Emily rolled her eyes, at nightfall that the Argo II set still towards Athens. Emily and Lauren were still at the railing and Emily looked towards where they were headed and thought of what Hazel had said earlier of what Hecate said about her. For it was clear of own thing, that Hecate had be talking about Emily."