Batman/Bruce Wayne

I patrolled the streets of Gotham. Today, things were quiet. Strange, eerie, and quiet. Like the calm before the storm. The air around me was too thick, the silence, again, too heavy. It was as if the entire city was holding its breath for something big to happen, something... bad. On the rooftop, for the first time in a long time, I felt exposed. Like everyone, anyone, in the city, could see me. And harm me.

Usually, something would happen. Maybe it was some thugs or a thief, or something bigger like the Joker, but...

but today, there was nothing.

It was too quiet.

My fist clenched, then unclenched. Then I clenched them again. This was suspicious. I had to be ready, on high alert. I had to-

footsteps, fast approaching, made me turn around. They echoed strangely in the silent city. I had barely time to think before a fist met my jaw and everything faded into black.

Percy/Tern

Bruce still hasn't returned from his patrol last night. I've scanned everywhere using the vapor, and his figure isn't anywhere. At least, I've scanned everywhere except for a small area in California where there is, strangely... no vapor. No vapor at all, despite the fact that the wind was blowing fog toward it.

Even more unsettling, that place... that place is the mountain where Atlas holds up the sky would be. Though I can't confirm it.

If Bruce is being held there, then that would mean that Atlas or Tartarus know about my feelings for him.

The thought made something stir inside me. Something... furious, protective... determined, even. Something I hadn't felt until the death of the rest of the seven. It fought to be let out burning with rage and defiance and loyalty. Stay down, I told it. Stay down. Until the time is right. I felt it settle, become hardened, ready but dormant. Okay, it seemed to say. Okay.

I let myself calm. I IMed Wonder Woman.

Diana glanced at me. "Percy?"

"Bats hasn't come back yet. He's not anywhere, but I think he's at Atlas's mountain. I'm going after him."

"Wait! Tern-"

I swiped through the message. The small stirring thing beckoned at me, and I terned into a tern and flew off. The winds helped my journey, fueled by anger and fear and that small thing that stirred no matter what.

Bruce/Batman

A few more minutes, I thought. A few more minutes until I would let go, stop holding up the sky.

In front of me, Atlas chuckled, seeing a bead of sweat roll down my face and drip on the ground underneath me. "Puny mortal. I must admit, I'm impressed you held it for so long, but you'll give out soon."

I gritted my teeth and hissed angrily, like a savage cat longing to lash out at its enemy but restrained by human hands.

"I know you can't hold it any longer..." taunted Atlas.

Deep inside me, something accepted that, but pulled at the tether, the tether that connected me to the others.

Percy/Tern

Stay down... Stay down

During the flight whatever was stirring inside me was stirring even more. It pushed at my borders, trying to get out. Please... Please,

it murmured, asking to be let out. Please.

Until we need to, I replied.

At last I saw Atlas. He stood in front of Bats. The stirring grew until it was burning. Come on!

I changed into human form, unsheathing Riptide and diving at Atlas with a angry battle cry.

Atlas, seeming to have expected an attacked, turned around, sword unsheathed, deflecting my sword and hitting me out of the air. I rolled to disperse the impact as I landed and charged again. Moving as quickly as I could, I herded Atlas toward Bruce. The clangs of metal against metal rang out against the high damp air on the mountain. Sparks flitted from the blades, blinking out in the mountain air. I looked around, and seeing Bruce sag where he held the sky, I summoned all the strength I had and kicked Atlas into Bruce, sending him to his rightful place under the sky. Bruce collapsed on the ground. I was about to rush to him when I heard somebody behind me. I turned.

Tartarus chuckled. "Good job, Persephone. But I'm afraid that was only the beginning." In front of him was a army.

I groaned. Of course there would be a trap. As I scanned their ranks, seeing several titans and at least a hundred thousand monsters, I knew I would not survive.

I glanced back at Bruce. He lay on the ground, limp, but the movement of his chest told me that he was alive.

He was worth fighting for.

I would not fail this time.

I would not back down.

The stirring grew intense, like a flame defiantly trying not to be put out.

With a wild battle cry, all that stirring and burning erupted out of me. It was just like at the battle against Gaia, except all elements were their, not just those Poseidon-related. Fire, lightning, water, all combined, hurling at the army. I synchronized my movements with my power: a punch was followed by a blast of flame, the swing of a sword followed by a wave of water. I became a weapon, powerful, sharp, strong, melded together by pain and fear and loyalty. All my instincts, my reflexes, my experience, my powers, all my abilities, combined. They made my fighting seem like a dance. I felt my body move instinctively, adrenaline pumping through me, and I relished it. I felt happy to be able to move like this, so fluidly and deadly. It was a fight with both fear and acceptance and joy. This would probably be my last fight, but I would savor it and remember it.

A single swing of my sword, which was lit on fire, decapitated a hydra. Flipping over its slowly dissolving body, I brought my sword down on a cyclops's eye, then ducked under a dracaena's blade and landed a blow on it's abdomen. I leapt to dodge an arrow, flipped over a spear, then slashed through a few empousa. And this continued for about an hour.

Soon all the regular monsters were killed, and the Titans came charging at me. Perses was first, sweeping his spear at my legs in an attempt to unbalance me. I jumped onto his spear, scrambled up his arm, and plunged my sword into his neck. I jumped off him as he fell to face Coeus, the Titan of Intelligence, who managed to land a swipe of his sword on me. I grit my teeth and sliced down on his leg, causing him to buckle. I quickly finished him off and came face to face with Tartarus. He punched me, and I flew back a few feet. I got up again and charged.

Tartarus laughed. "Puny Demigod. You think you can defeat me?" he said. "You will join your friends Bob and Damesan in my armor."

Just hearing their names sent fire through my veins. I attacked with renewed vigor. Night was falling, and above me Zoe's constellation glowed brightly as if in encouragement.

Tartarus grinned. At night, he had the advantage. He was stronger, more powerful. Darkness surged around me. I relieved my worse memories.

Mom and Paul lying dead in the apartment. Controlling Poison. Going through Tartarus with Annabeth.

I went through all and felt Tartarus's power increase.

But then I remembered the happy memories. Finding and making friends with Bruce. Joining the League. Having fun with Annabeth and the Seven.

Bruce is still alive, the stirring seemed to say.

And so I lashed out, one last time.

A sweep of a sword and a wave of flame surprised Tartarus. That was followed by a torrent of elements: lighting and fire and ice, all combined and hurled at Tartarus. The blast hit him in the chest, and I swung my sword, cutting a deep would in is abdomen. From it dark blood spurted out.

I followed it with several slashes to the arms and legs.

Tartarus became apparently weaker. I continued to slash at him, weakening him further. Tartarus got down on his knees. "You will not defeat me today, demigod. You are finished. I will rise again and return!" he sneer and disappeared into the darkness, presumably going back to Tartarus to nurse his wounds.

I collapsed there on the ground. As I was slaughtering the monsters, about one thousandth of them managed to land a blow on me. That may not seem like much, until you remember that Tartarus's army had more than a hundred thousand monsters, not counting the titans. Then there was that blow from Coeus, some from Atlas, and many other wounds from Tartarus...

Add the exhaustion from using my powers.

I would not make it.

But Bruce would.

And so it was worth it.

As I looked up at the stars, I saw Zoe's constellation glow even more brightly.

Thou can let go now

Zoe?

Tartarus will not rise for at least a few years. When he does, they will be ready.

I could see Zoe in front of me now. "Thy friends will be safe."

"Tern!" there was a voice somewhere besides me. I saw Bruce over me. "Tern..."

"Bruce," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Tartarus will not rise for a few years. Tell camp to train. Tell the league to train. I'm sorry. Tell Dick."

I closed my eyes.

Bruce/Batman

A pang of grief rushed through me. I shouldn't have been captured. I was Batman, not just an old fellow with a bat costume.

"Dick," I said through the comm. My voice struggled not to break.

"What? Where's Percy?" he said with alarm.

"Percy... she's gone." My voice cracked. I turned off the comm.

"Batman," someone said behind me.

The rest of the league stood behind me.

"What happened?" inquired Superman. His face darkened in anger and grief. "How is Tern..." he didn't finish his sentence.

"Just... use an Iris message," I said, turning away, feeling numb. I looked at Percy, then at the sky. Up there, near The Fallen and The Huntress, a new star glimmered, sea green and slightly brighter that the stars surrounding it.

Behind me, Orin and Diana made an Iris message and watched what happened. I just stared up at that star. The longer I stared at it the brighter it seemed.

The rest of the league had finished watching the Iris message. They followed my gaze. We stood there in silence.

AN:

She isn't gone forever.

This isn't complete

Sorry for delays