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PS. Edits will be done once in a while to the previous chapters, and I have been doing that the past two weeks actually, neatening the storyline up a little. My apologies for the wait and changes if you're a follower of my storyline. 6 more chapters to go and I'll be done!

Aid of Coeus

Hudson River, Manhattan, NY, USA.
Everything was pitch black. Hick chewed her bottom lip out of habit, sitting. Waiting. The slow, light thuds of footsteps grew louder. It was getting closer. And then it stopped.

A thin line of dazzling white light emerged before her. It hurt her eyes, and yet it grew thicker and thicker.
The cabinet door creaked wide open, and Jason's faced popped into sight, his blonde locks capturing the pantry's white light. His electric blue eyes crinkled with glee at his discovery. "Come on out! A deal's a deal!"
Hick buried her faces in her knees. She wanted to die.

Judging from the look on Jason's face, Hick could tell he wasn't going to go easy on her. She took a deep breath and raised her fists, positioned for combat. There they stood, within the confinements of the sparring quarters Nico had built in the submarine. The room was made entirely out of thick glass so passersby could watch whoever was training or sparring inside. Much to Hick's dismay, more than half the crew had crowded around to watch the practice match. She glanced nervously at the crowd. It wasn't too hard to spot Percy. He was the only one in the crowd not hollering his lungs out and pumping his fist into the air. A pang of guilt hit her, which really pissed her off. She hated being made to feel that way.

"You know, you and Percy should really make up. It's been two days, and frankly, he was right. You shouldn't have just left for the portal without telling us," Jason called out.

"Ugh! Not you too," grumbled Hick, obviously not wanting to touch that topic again. "I know, I know! It was dangerous! I'm just ONE person! I should've sent the WHOLE submarine to its DEATH instead!"

Dozens of sailors had gathered on the other side of the glass walls and were cheering, but neither Jason nor Hick could hear them from within the soundproofed arena. The crowd had divided into two: one led by Nico to cheer on Hick, and another led by Hazel to cheer on Jason. Both of them, along with Percy and Poseidon, were standing at the front of the crowd, just behind the glass wall. They had a clear view of the impending match, much to Hick's chagrin.

"Alright, let's get this over and done with," Hick said through gritted teeth.
Jason frowned. "You're not using a sword?"
"Uh… Never learnt to use one, never even used one and… heh. Don't think I should even bother," Hick mumbled, watching Jason brandish a blunt, wooden sword he had adopted for the match. The golden sword, Gladius, that Zeus had bestowed on the pretty boy lay snug in the corner of the arena.

"But I did use Macy's kitchen knife set a lot when I fought monsters on the street," continued Hick. "Terms and conditions apply, each sold separately."

The next second, a blur of brown approached Hick rapidly, closing in fast. Hick instinctively ducked to her right, Jason's wooden sword barely missing the skin of her cheek. While she was trying to recover from what just happened, Jason sprinted towards her, ready to tackle her down onto the ground. He leapt at her, but instead of colliding into her, he made a grab at thin air and crashed head first into the glass wall. A chorus of groans came from the crowd on the other side of the glass. Jason immediately leapt to his feet and turned, enduring the pain that was throbbing in his head. Apparently, he had not anticipated that Hick would have shadow travelled. There she stood, just a few inches before him. Picking up the wooden sword from the ground, she flipped it around so the sword's hilt was just within his grasp. There was a comfortable, laidback air to her, which unnerved Jason a little. "Looks like fighting all that beasts on the street has paid off," she smirked.

Jason took the sword and chuckled, "We're just getting started. Don't get cocky." With that, he swung the wooden blade at Hick. She ducked down immediately, barely dodging the swing.

What followed after was too fast for the spectators to register. Jason concentrated hard on his surroundings, always pinpointing Hick's presence in the arena right but always barely missing her at the tip of his blade as she ran up and leapt off the glass walls, disappearing and reappearing so abruptly and unpredictably in different parts of the battle room.

Electricity cackled from Jason's hands in his frustration, as he tried to electrocute his elusive opponent by filling the entire room with buzzing electricity. Silence fell upon the spectators as they watch the match with bated breath.

Hick reappeared with a burst of black smoke, just a few feet in front of him, jumping slightly at the sudden painful stings she was getting from the electric shocks he was emitting. She hadn't broken a sweat yet, but Jason was perspiring profusely and panting heavily, having vigorously swung around his sword for a good fifteen minutes. And he was currently at a temporary state of exhaustion. It was Hick's chance to attack and they both knew it.

As she raised her right fist for a punch, Jason instinctively raised his now tired arms to block his face in anticipation of an impact. But instead of punching him, Hick dropped her hand and kneed Jason in the groin instead. The buzzing electricity in the sparring room immediately died out. Hick backed off and watched as Jason drop his sword and crumple to the floor in painful agony, clutching his groin.

She raised her brows. "Well, what do you know? That was the minotaur's exact reaction when I slammed the fire extinguisher in that area."

Outside the arena, horrified gasps and laughter filled the air after witnessing Hick's harsh deed. Hick looked in Percy's direction. In contrast to Nico, who was very evidently screaming his lungs out and cheering her on, and Hazel, who was yelling at Jason to get up, Percy was clearly unimpressed and still furious at her.

"You know, ever since I arrived, you've been sulking the entire trip because of her," Poseidon muttered to Percy, his gaze still fixed on the glass arena. "Do you not get along with her?"
"I don't get along with stupid people. She's stupid," Percy retorted, folding his arms. He felt like he was some spoilt bratty kid, and that somehow made him angrier. Nico and Hazel exchanged glances.

"That's not all you think of her," Nico muttered under his breath, inducing a giggle from Hazel.
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing."

Unaware of the conversation going on beyond the glass, Hick looked up to meet Nico's gaze and he flashed her a huge grin, which quickly faltered. That could only mean Jason was back up on his feet. Within a fraction of a second, Hick had vanished into wisps of black smoke just before an electric current could hit her. Jason stood his ground and concentrated on his surroundings, anticipating Hick to shadow travel to the spot right behind him like she always did. He positioned his sword for a back jab, so he could ram it into her gut as soon as she materialized behind him. All of a sudden, she appeared right in front of him in a burst of black flames and, taking advantage of his state of shock, head-butted him hard before disappearing again. Percy couldn't help but grin. Everyone roared with laughter and cheered the fight on, fists pumping in the air. It was like a scene straight out of a Jackie Chan Hollywood film.

All Jason could see was stars after the abrupt head-butt. He blinked hard and shook his head, trying to recover his sight. There came a loud bang, like some sort of explosion, just a few meters behind him. Hick had relocated. This was her chance, while he was defenceless. She broke into a sprint, hunkering down into a skid as she neared Jason. Reaching her arm out, Hick grabbed and tugged at Jason's feet as she skidded past him, flipping him up into the air onto his back, his breath knocked out of him upon impact with the floor. In a flash, Hick had picked up the wooden sword and clambered onto him, resting the tip of the blade atop his Adam's apple. The victor was decided. The crowd started to disperse.

Hazel could not believe her eyes. This was the same Jason who had fought his way for hours up Mount Othrys, home of the titans, and defeat Krios. A feat only Hercules has accomplished. Besides Percy, she has never seen anyone else defeat Jason so quickly in combat until Hick came along. She had moved around the room so unpredictably and so quickly: flying, jumping, sprinting… especially the way she used her shadow travelling powers for short distance travel so frequently. She has never seen any other demi-god fight move and behave so much like… a demon.

He fought like a demon, Frank had once told Hazel about how Percy was like in combat. If Hick were to engage in a battle with Percy... Hazel looked in Percy's direction. He was still wearing the frown he had been wearing all day whenever Hick was in sight, but he was ostensibly shocked too.

All of a sudden, the submarine gave a tiny jolt, apparently having ceased all movement. "Looks like we've reached our stop along the Hudson River," Poseidon announced.

Empire State Building, Manhattan, NY, USA.
"The home of the Olympian gods used to be located at the peak of Mount Olympus, but it's now on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, having moved with Western Civilization," Poseidon droned on to Hick, clearly not enjoying his role as her tour guide, as they entered the glass elevator of the Empire State Building.
"What? The Empire State Building doesn't have 600 floors," Hick scoffed.
"600th floor please," Nico told the lobby boy, grinning at Hick's stunned expression upon seeing a 600th floor button on the elevator.

A moment later, the elevator doors opened, revealing a sea of fluffy clouds lit golden by the early evening sun. A long flight of stairs led the tall, towering marble gates of Olympus. Everyone walked ahead except for Hick, who surveyed the scene before her in awe. She looked down at the scene beneath her. There was Manhattan, once an unfashionable farmland, but now a colourful town bustling with people and shiny, angry honking cars. "Come on, Hick! Keep up!" Hazel exclaimed, running back to the elevator to stop the doors from closing in on Hick.
"Sorry," Hick murmured, letting Hazel drag her up the stairs while she kept her gaze on peeks of Manhattan through the gaps between the clouds.

The trip through Olympus had Hick in a daze. They passed some giggling wood nymphs who flung olives at Percy and Jason from their garden, trying to get the handsome demi-gods' attention. At the market, hawkers offered to sell her love potions, a new spear, a genuine grey-stoned replica of Medusa' head… The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered-satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good-looking adults whom Hick suspect to be minor gods and goddesses. Nobody seemed worried about an impending intergalactic war. In fact, a festive mood was in the air. Several heads turned to watch Hick pass and whisper to their neighbours.
More steps led up to a central courtyard and past that, the throne room. It was practically five times the size of an entire soccer field. There were thirteen thrones arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. Seated on them were the twelve majors Greek gods and Hades, three times taller and bigger than the average person. Behind the thirteen thrones were threes larger thrones, one was empty, the other two preoccupied by male titans literally elephantine in size. Amongst them, Hick recognized Oceanus amidst the audience. None of the gods and the titans were moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they'd just finished an argument.

Then Hick saw him. The father she had never met until that very moment. He had the same albino white skin as Nico, intense black eyes and shoulder-length black hair.
"Come on, then," Poseidon sighed, ruffling Percy's hair as he strolled past the five demi-gods to his throne. They followed after the sea god, stopping at the centre of the throne room.

The silence was deafening. Hick stared at the immortals, who all simply stared back at her. "Uh… apparently, my suggestion for a group video call via Skype was rejected. So, here I am," she muttered, jamming her hands into her pockets.
"That is a child of Hades? Kind of hard to believe," one of the goddesses commented, squinting at Hick as if she was some kind of circus freak show. Hick stared back at the beautiful goddess. "Judging from that red hair and bambi eyes, I would've thought she was your daughter, Hestia; a demi-god of hearth and domesticity."

"We did not gather here today to make shallow comments on our heroes' physical appearance, Aphrodite," another goddess spoke up. She appeared to be the spitting image of Annabeth, with her platinum blonde hair, stormy grey eyes and pale yet toned figure. Hick could only assume she was Athena, the goddess of strategic warfare and wisdom. Athena looked over at Hick. "We are here to address the issue about the invasion concerning the Creepers… that is the bugs you've been seeing in Oceanus' territory."

"Oh, so we're calling them 'Creepers'? That's official now?" asked Hick. Everyone in the room ignored her.

"Word has reached Olympus that you have rejected the gift of an entire ghost army, bestowed upon you by all the gods, titans and protogenois sitting in this very room," Athena continued. "A very foolish move on your part, Hick Valkyrie."

"Come on, Athena. The girl assassinated those Creepers' queens and sent armies of them fleeing back to their realm. With just ONE submarine. Every single one of them have returned to and stayed in their realm now, no doubt thanks to our hero here," Poseidon scoffed. "There is no need to be jea - "

Athena banged her spear on the hard marbled floor of the throne room, cutting off the sea god she has abhorred for centuries. "Had she accepted the army instead of sending them to rest in the underworld, she would have killed all those Creepers by then!" she thundered. "None would have survived to escape back to their realm! But now that they have, they will return with reinforcements! And since it has come to this, she will have to annihilate the entire specie!"

"Relax, Athena. My daughter would have to kill them all either way, whether or not she let the surviving Creepers of the fallen fortress live," Hades sighed, tired of the all the bickering.

"Kill them all?" Hick echoed Hades, shocked at the sudden turn of events. "So in the end, you just want me to get rid of their entire specie?"
"There has to be another way," Percy quickly spoke up for Hick before the immortals, sensing the agitation in her voice. "Couldn't we just close up the portal?"
"We have consulted the Fates and considered that plan, Percy, but it cannot be done. All realms are meant to be connected," Oceanus spoke wearily. "No one can tamper with fate, not even a titan or a god."
"Wow. So murder is the way to go. How convenient," Hick scoffed, folding her arms. "You guys want me to be no different from Hitler, is that it?"
"If you mean your brother, Adolf Hitler, then sure. Both of you share the same father after all," the bulkiest, buffest of the male gods guffawed, unaffected by the furious glare an offended Hades was shooting at him. The god wielded a massive battle-axe in his right arm and was obviously Ares, the god of war and bloodshed. Hick didn't like him very much.

"Don't be so obstinate, Valkyrie," Hera spoke up, brushing aside Ares' unnecessary snide remark. "The Creepers are the enemy. It is necessary that you do this for the greater good."

Hick could not believe what she was hearing. "Are you even listening to yourselves? Killing for the greater good? This is messed up, what you're asking me to do!" she exclaimed. "These… Creepers, or so you call them, have children amongst them! They have families, they mourn and they feel, like you and I! I saw them fleeing the fortress we took down with my own two eyes, and they suffered because of what I have done! We… we can't just annihilate them!"

"It is not that simple. If I may speak, lone warrior… I am Coeus, titan of rational intelligence."

The other male titan seated next to Oceanus stood up. He was roughly ten feet tall with elaborate black Stygian iron armour and a single diamond blazing in the breastplate. His hair and eyes were a blue-white, like some sort of winter blizzard. His face, though marked by a number of battle scars, was quite handsome just like the other gods. He had the same cold eyes as Artemis – the goddess of hunting, but the same kind smile as Apollo – the god of the sun.

"Let me remind you that while you were busy evading our attempts to get you to commence your mission, the war we waged against those insectoid went on for months. No demi-god could go in your place because of the prophecy. Because of your absence, many lives have been lost, immense damage was done and too deep a hatred has been stirred. You know that well. You witnessed the result of their wrath at Oceanus' temple, and the process of it when you battled them at the portal.
"I will not lie, the sea nymphs have reported that the bugs have all fled back to their world and have so far not re-emerged for now. But they will seek revenge on you for attacking their fortress and killing their queens. Even if you've spared the lives of many of their soldiers," he spoke. None of the gods had dared interrupt him so far.
"If you do nothing now and these monsters wage another attack, very likely an attack that will be too big for us to handle, you will put billions of lives at risk, including the humans you could not bear to leave behind. Oceanus, my brother here, as well as Poseidon, will eventually die under these creatures' relentless attack and the ocean will die along with them without a ruler."

Poseidon will die? Hick's gaze shifted to Percy. His face had paled to a sickly grey.

"When the ocean dies," Coeus continues. "So will the realms it connect to the human world. The underworld will fall, along with your father. Olympus will fall, along with the all gods. And the humans will be left defenceless for these monsters to kill, conquer and steal land from once they find their own realm has been destroyed. You know what the Lone Prophecy states, Hick. You and your friends will either save or watch all worlds ablaze. Do you understand now why we must destroy them?"

"What about Phoebe's prophecy?" Jason asked. "She gave Hick another prophecy."
"May we speak to her?" Hazel asked.
"Ah… my sister. My superstitious, irrational counterpart. She was supposed to attend this meeting," Coeus said, gesturing to the empty throne beside him. "But she refused. She does not sit well with our plan to – "
"Execute genocide? Why, how rude of her to not hear you out," Nico commented sarcastically.
"I see Hick's rudeness has rubbed off on you, boy," Zeus muttered. A deafening boom of thunder filled Olympus and the demi-gods jumped, except for the gods, the titans and a sorely unimpressed Hick. The thunder petered out in echoes within the gigantic throne room.

"Even if we were to charge in with an army now to take over an entire world, it will take us years and it won't guarantee us a victory," said Hick, as soon as the thunder booms died down.
"Coeus has preempted that," Hades replied. "The titans and gods will forge Aetos, a celestial vehicle of mass destruction, under Hephaestus' instructions from the fires of hell. Your powers as demi-gods of the Big Three will be Aetos' fuel and ammunition. It will aid you in your attack."
"It is a first in history for gods and titans to cooperate," Coeus added, a hint of reluctance in his voice. "But desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Meanwhile, all five of you will return to your respective camps and learn to use Aetos once we have completed its construction," Hera announced. "The soldiers of the underworld will join Poseidon and Oceanus' army to stand guard at the enemy's portal. Any signs of disturbances will require every one of you to reassemble."

To be continued...

Sorry for the abrupt end! This chapter was getting too long and I decided to cut it off. Be sure to leave some comments in the comment box if you've got any ideas on how I should proceed writing future chapters. :