Chapter 12

At Some Point

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus, and you will be more powerful than the gods." Luke persisted.

"Luke… what happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

"I… can't Luke. Let Annabeth go." Thalia said, her voice cracking a little.

Luke simply waved his hand, suddenly there was a brazier next to the altar, lit with an already roaring flame. The type of flame one might sacrifice things with.

"Thalia…" Percy began to say.

The golden sarcophagus the snake-ladies were carrying began to glow. The mist around them grew just a little thicker. Through it, Percy could see black marble walls and pillars rising out of nowhere, the pieces of a dark palace slowly forming out of the fog.

What have I gotten myself into?

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here." Luke promised. "We will be stronger and greater Olympus. Look Thalia, we are not weak."

He pointed towards the ocean, and Percy felt like going back to the garden to hide behind Ladon. Marching up the side of the mountain, was an entire army. He could see giant dogs, what looked like giant birds, giants and other assorted giant things. Then he noticed something else walking up with them.

People.

Other demigods? Bad demigods?

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood, and then Olympus. All we need now is your help."

For short while, Thalia didn't answer. Percy could tell from her eyes, she was in incredible mental anguish. She looked like she wanted to believe him. Then…

"You… you aren't Luke. I… I don't know you anymore." She said, but her voice cracked again.

"Please Thalia. Don't make him destroy you."

With an army marching up the mountain side, there wouldn't be much time.

Zoë turned to the rest of the group. "Now?" She asked.

Everyone nodded.

Everyone charged.

Well, everyone except Percy who was a mere mortal and probably couldn't stand up to anything here, and Bianca, who was in no condition to fight. Thalia charged Luke and the snake-ladies, and Zoë took aim at Atlas. Grover played a tune on his pipes, causing weeds and vines to sprout from the ground, snaring Atlas and slowing him down, but not by much.

Bianca turned to Percy. "I have a really stupid idea, and I'm going to need some help with it."

"Stupid ideas are the only ones we've had the entire journey. I'm in." He replied.

They ran over to Artemis, who was still struggling under the pillar of storm clouds. Bianca knelt down beside her.

"My lady, let us take it."

"No Bianca, it will crush both of you!"

"Zoë won't hold out for long against a Titan. We need you to fight Atlas. I can hold it with Percy."

She didn't wait for answer, slashing down with her knife through the chains holding Artemis. Bianca scooted under the pillar to her right, and Percy went to the left. For a brief moment, the two of them held the storm cloud pillar with the goddess.

Then Artemis crawled forward, out from under it.

Even with someone else helping, Percy felt like he would become a clear-sighted pancake with every second that passed, and every second felt like an eternity.

Percy didn't know how Bianca was handling it, but he felt as though every muscle in his body had turned to jelly, and every bone was now rubber. His hands and feet felt like molten lava, and every fibre of his being was screaming for him to let go. Before it got so intense he couldn't form much in the way of coherent thinking, he had one thought.

I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS CRAP!

From under the pillar, Percy and Bianca watched the battle rage on. Artemis leaped and dodged gracefully around Atlas's every move, slicing and slashing with twin daggers whenever the opportunity showed. Zoë pegged arrows at the chinks and weak points in his armour.

The snake ladies were nowhere to be seen.

Grover had turned his attention to Luke, the grass and weeds now snaring around his feet while he fought with Thalia. Every time Thalia swept her spear, a trail of blue sparks followed its arc. Whenever their weapons met, lightning cracked and burnt the air.

Luke was growling and wincing, retreating from Thalia, or her shield. Probably both.

"Yield!" Thalia yelled. "You could never beat me!"

For both battles, it was two against one, and they seemed like they might actually pull it off, and snatch victory from defeat.

But of course, thing always go horribly wrong at some point.

Atlas feinted, luring Artemis to evade when she shouldn't have. He swung his javelin into her stomach, sending her flying. Wether by luck or calculation on Atlas's part, she went flying straight into Zoë, knocking her over

Grover got a little too close to Luke, and he swung his blade upwards, shearing his reed pipes in half. The grass sprouting through the cracks in the ground withered and died. Grover ran over to Artemis and Zoë.

Thalia jabbed forcefully at Luke. He barely blocked it, and was sent stumbling to the ground. But he recovered quickly, and when he came back up, he had a fist full of dirt and rocks. He threw it in Thalia's face and she recoiled, blinded. Luke swept his legs and tripped her feet out from under her. Thalia's spear and shield flew out of her grip when she hit the ground.

Atlas walked over towards Luke and Thalia. Artemis and Zoë were getting up. Atlas simply kicked Zoë away, sending her flying into a marble wall. He again swung his javelin into Artemis, knocking her back to the ground. He barely put any effort into backhanding Grover to the floor.

Meanwhile, back at the storm cloud pillar…

ARGGHHHHH!

Atlas walked over to Thalia and picked her up by the neck, dragging her towards the Ophiotaurus. Wasting no time, he placed a knife in her hands, and forcing her to with his own hands, he made Thalia plunge the knife into the creature, and begin cutting.

This gave Percy a few moments of clarity and focus, his mind temporarily shielded from the pain, put it didn't shield him from the panic and fear.

No… no no no NO NO! Thalia… fight them Thalia. Thalia? THALIA!

In just another few short moments, the altar was coated red, the Ophiotaurus was dead, Atlas's hands had left Thalia's arms, and her blood stained hands were holding its innards.

"Thalia, join us… we can rule the world under the Titans." Luke said. "All you have to do, is throw those into the fire. Thalia?"

From this angle Percy could just see the side of her face. She looked… confused… conflicted.

Thalia…

She hesitantly took a step towards the flame, Atlas and Luke behind her.

No no no no…

She raised the innards over the flame.

THALIA!

And then, her head turned very slightly towards Percy. The look on her face, the one of confliction and confusion, vanished. Now she looked… smug? Then, she winked his way. The look of confliction returned as quickly as it came.

Thalia?

She dropped the guts into the fire.

For exactly three seconds, nothing happened, there wasn't a single sound. Well, apart from the grunt of pain coming from Percy and Bianca.

Then Thalia began to glow. A pale blue light surrounded her; dull at first, but it got brighter and brighter. A horrible ringing noise filled the ears off everyone nearby. No one here knew it, but the same sound was heard by the closer half of San Francisco, everyone down there shaking their heads, trying to clear their ears, looking around in confusion.

She spread her arms and looked to the sky, and then… she started floating off the ground. Bolts of lightning and electricity arced off her and charred the ground and near walls.

Percy could only just make out her shape inside the light.

Then, a bolt of lightning came down from the sky, and struck right where Thalia was standing, a cloud of electric mist emitting from the point where it struck. The light vanished, the noise ceased, the fog cleared.

And Thalia was gone.

Atlas looked around in anger and confusion. "REALY! Was her father really so quick to strike her down!? Blast! Now we have no-"

Atlas was interrupted, by another bolt of lightning, striking the ground directly behind him. He was sent flying forwards, skidding along the ground, coming to a stop not too far from Percy and Bianca, groaning, and smoke rolling off his body. There was a hole in the back of his armour.

Where the lightning bolt struck the ground, Thalia was now standing. Wind swirled violently around her, the air crackled, and sparks of blue light danced on her skin. Then Percy noticed something. Something which his visions had gotten wrong. Her eyes weren't solid purple.

She still had her pupils and the whites of her eyes, but her irises were glowing bright neon light, literally shinning and glowing, making it almost hard to look her way.

Standing in the eye of her own storm, Thalia crossed her arms. "Now if you really think having the power to kill gods will make me want to betray my friends, you've got another thing coming."

Atlas was standing know. He turned towards Thalia. "You insufferable, insolent, PATHETIC HALF-BLOOD! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!"

He charged towards her, pulling back his fist for a mighty blow.

Percy could tell by the way she recoiled defensively what she did next was accidental, but it happened nonetheless.

She raised her arms in defence. As she did so, twin streams of bright lightning burst from her hands, cracking against Atlas, searing his skin, scorching his armour.

The constant streams hurt him and slowed him, but he was still charging right at her.

Thalia suddenly looked tired, exhausted. She slumped over a little, and the lightning stopped.

The lightning no longer in his way, Atlas sped up…

Only to have Artemis dash forward from nowhere and imbed her daggers into his shins. He tripped over, face first onto the ground.

As slowly got up again, yelling in anger as he did so. Artemis kicked him in the chin upwards, bringing to his feet. As he stood there, Thalia poured as much lightning into her hands as possible, the electricity forming into an orb of light in her hands, she lobbed it at Atlas while he was still dazed. It cracked against his chest with the sound of a plane crash, and he was flying through the air… again.

He went flying straight at Percy and Bianca. He rolled and skidded along the ground, knocking both Percy and Bianca out from under the pillar.

Arhghhhh

The storm cloud pillar dropped onto his back. He managed to shift around and get on his knees, but that was all he could do.

"NOOOO!" Atlas bellowed. "THIS… ISN'T… POSSIBLE! NOT AGAIN!"

Thalia turned around. Luke was gone.

Artemis walked over and helped Bianca up, along with Percy.

Arghhh Urhhhhhh

Together, they all stood in a circle in front of Atlas. Percy, Bianca, Annabeth, who was now untied, Thalia, Grover, Zoë and Artemis. All of them were standing there, panting, out of breath, not saying a word.

Percy's bones and body still felt like molten rock. Bianca's cuts were bleeding again. Thalia looked sickly and way too pale. Grover had a giant red mark on his face. Annabeth was cut up a little. Zoë was clutching her stomach, and Artemis looked ragged and was covered in dirt.

"Well…" Percy said. "I have to admit… this all turned out… turned out better than I thought it would."

Then Zoë collapsed.