Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Chapter 23: I Fight a Titan

Gough Island

Percy's POV

I saw Nico walk over and help Calypso to her feet, they slowly walked over and joined Annabeth. Annabeth look at her warily before she turned her gaze back to the stand off between Atlas and me. I closed my eyes for a second and willed my skin, bones and muscles to strengthen to their full deep water levels. I opened my eyes and saw Atlas glaring at me.

"Are you going to fight or fall asleep Jackson?" Atlas quipped.

"Fight!" I yelled. I charged at him, but it was only a fade he tried to punch me, but I ducked under his arm and elbowed him in the ribs hard. My elbow actually stung from the collision, hitting Atlas was like hitting a brick wall. I did see Atlas wince in pain and look at me with a shocked expression on his face. This match was pretty even, except I knew that the larger titan was stronger than me, but I was strong enough to make an impact on him. I just needed to be quicker, which was pretty easy for me.

Atlas charged me this time at his full speed he tried to grab me in a bear hug, but I slipped behind him and kicked him in the back as hard as I could sending him flying on to the hard wet sand below our feet. He landed with a loud 'thud', but he stood up quickly brushing the sand off his clothes. I could see the anger in his eyes. He turned and charged again, but I missinterpreted his strategy, he stopped abruptly and before I could figure out what was going on Atlas threw something in my face, it was sand. The sand went into both of my eyes and it stung like Tartarus. Before I could react Atlas punch me in the stomach sending me flying back ten feet, I hit the wet sand hard. Nothing was broken or busted, but the wind was knocked out of me and of course I couldn't see. I remembered my training and how I could fight in the darkness of the sea I would have to use that training now. I focused my sixth sense, my hearing, smell and touch. I concentrated on any movement and waited for Atlas to press his attack. I felt the air move and I heard Atlas breathing heavy as he charged me, I stepped to the side just in time I raised my left leg and caught Atlas's ankle. I flipped him in the air as his momentum kept him from reacting to my movements. I heard Atlas hit the ground hard and I knew by the sound of him panting that the wind had been knocked out of him too.

Suddenly I heard the sound of the helicopter startup and the noise was so loud I couldn't hear Atlas before I knew what happened I was engulfed in a vice like grip. Atlas had used the distraction of the helicopter noise to sneak up on me and put me in a bear hug. Even with my enhanced strength, the pressure that he exerted was incredible. My ribs started to ache and I was finding it hard to breathe. I racked my brain trying to come up with a strategy, but I couldn't use the power of the water in his body as I agreed not to. Suddenly a thought or inspiration came to mind. I wasn't sure if it was desperation on my part, but suddenly I wondered what would happen if I did the opposite of the technique I learned to make my muscles, skin and bones harder? What if I made myself less strong? What if I made myself intangible? Could I do that? I closed my eyes and blocked out everything. I blocked out the sound of the helicopter, my breathing, Atlas's breathing, the sounds of my friends worried voices, the only sound I held onto was the sound of the ocean. I blocked out all of my feelings; the vice like grip of Atlas, my bones breaking, my lungs pleading for air, my eyes burning from the sand. I willed myself to be intangible, I willed myself to flow to be like the water. Suddenly, I felt no pressure, I felt free and most importantly I felt incredibly powerful.

Annabeth's POV

I gasped when Atlas pulled Percy into a bear hug, I knew the fight was over. Atlas was too strong he would crush Percy to pulp even with Percy's deep sea strength. Then I noticed Percy relax and close his eyes. Nico and I yelled his name, but there was no reaction. I began to cry as I knew I was watching the death of the man I loved in front of me. Then something amazing happened. Percy's body began to change shape and color, in an instant Percy turned into water and flowed out of Atlas's grasp. Atlas had a surprised look on his face as we watched the water flow into the sea and disappear. Atlas turned to Nico and I, he grinned madly.

"I win!" Atlas said. Then a noise from the water caught our attention we all turned to the crashing ocean waves and standing somehow before us was a being made of pure water. He looked like a man, but his features were obscured at first I thought it might be Poseidon, but then I realized that this being was different. The creature walked onto the beach and proceeded to walk toward Atlas. I saw for the first time a look of pure fear and dread. Atlas tried to hit the creature, but his hand passed through the water creatures body with no sign of damage. Then the water creature began to solidify, but not into a person, but the creature first turned to solid ice and then the ice turned into crystal. Atlas punched the creature and I heard the sickening sound of bones breaking in Atlas's hand. He clutched his hand in pain and screamed. The crystalline creature walked towards him and then the creature raised his arm and large crystallized claws appeared. He drove his right arm with the claws directly into the abdomen of Atlas, golden blood flowed freely on the sand and Atlas again screamed, but to no avail as his diaphram had been eviscerated by the creature's claws. The creature turned and then punched Atlas in the face at full speed and power. I heard Atlas's jaw snap under the power of the blow. Atlas fell backward onto the sand unconscious. Nico, Calypso and I all stood there stunned looking at this crystalline creature.

One blue light and one gold light appeared between us and the creature, when the lights faded standing before us were Poseidon and Theseus. They smiled when they saw us and then they saw Atlas on the ground, but their smiles disappeared when they saw the creature standing before us. Poseidon walked toward the creature and I was scared for him for a moment. Then Poseidon placed a hand on each of the creatures crystalline shoulders. A blue light engulfed both the creature and Poseidon. The light became so bright that we all had to turn away or our eyes would have been burned out of their sockets. When the light finally faded I saw Posedon and I could tell he was holding someone in his arms, when he turned toward us I realized that he was holding Percy. Percy was the creature, the being of pure water that turned into the crystalline creature that defeated Atlas. We were all speachless including Theseus. I ran to Poseidon and helped him place Percy on the ground.

Percy slowly opened his eyes, a look of complete bewilderment was on his face. "What happened?" Percy said. I started to laugh and then Percy stared into my eyes and I stopped. "What's so funny wise girl?" I reached down and hugged him. I looked at Poseidon, his face was a mix of relief, happiness and pride.

'Son you did it, you beat Atlas. More importantly you learned the last and greatest power of our heritage. You learned that you can transform into water and subsequently into all its phases." Poseidon said. I was speachless, Percy can turn into water and then he can turn into ice or water vapor. Percy just looked at his father stunned. "No child of mine has ever learned this power."

"I don't remember how I did that." Percy said with concern in his voice. Poseidon just smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Therseus walked over and knelt down next to Percy.

"Great job little brother as usual." Theseus said. Percy smiled back at him, but I could tell he was really tired from the battle. I heard someone clear their throat and I turned to see Nico standing over the unconscious form of Atlas. Poseidon stood up and then created a mist in the air, he threw a drachma into the mist and asked the goddess to speak with Hades. The image cleared and Hades face was clearly visible. He had to be in Tartarus because we could all here the screams of agony in the background.

"Drag his sorry butt in here." Hades said, with that statement Cerberus dragged in a large man and I instantly recognized him as Prometheus. Poseidon cleared his throat and Hades looked into the IM. "Brother, how goes the battle?"

"We have won and Percy has defeated Atlas, he awaits his punishment in Tartarus." Poseidon said. Hades smiled fiendishly at this revelation.

"Good, I look forward to establishing his eternal torment personally." Hades said ominously. Suddenly we heard Prometheus yell in the background.

"You may have defeated my brother and I, but our true goal has been fulfilled." Prometheus yelled.

"What in the name of Zeus are you talking about titan?" Hades yelled.

"Ask you're brother to look at the helicopter that just took off." Prometheus said. We all turned around and the helicopter hovered over the beach we all looked into the windshield of the craft and saw the pilot and five others. I never saw those people before, then I recgonized three of them. Three of them were the evil sisters that worked for Hades or at least we thought they had. They were the Furies. The other two people I did not recognize. I heard Poseidon gasp in recognition.

"It can't be." Poseidon said. Hades looked frantically into the IM.

"Brother, what is it?" Hades asked impatiently.

"It's Iapetus and Crius." Poseidon said. Those are the last two brothers of Kronos that are still alive. They were trapped in Tartarus. Hades closed his eyes and I knew he was concentrating on all of the souls trapped in Tartarus. When he opened his eyes we all could see the fire in his eyes that reflected his anger and surprise. The helicopter flew off and suddenly a lightning bolt hit the helicopter, but a forcefield of some type protected it. The helicopter flew away at incredible speed and then disappeared into a golden light.

"You see all of these plots, sub plots and battles were all diversions from our true goal. We wanted the last two brothers of Kronos to be free so they can plan our next war against Olympus. Our plan worked well if not perfectly. You and your families have one the battles, but you will lose the war." Prometheus yelled and then laughed insanely.

"Take this bastard from my sight." Hades yelled. Cerberus grabbed Prometheus around the throat and dragged him deeper into Tartarus followed by an army of the dead.

"We have been played from the beginning. This was a plan worthy of Athena herself." Poseidon said.

"Yes, I'm afraid that I underestimated these titans and I also trusted those blasted Harpies too much. Luke had discovered Alecto's treachery, but I never would have guessed that all three sisters would betray me. Bring everyone home brother and then we need a special meeting of the council, Iapetus and Crius cannot be underestimated." Hades said as he swiped his hand through the mist. Poseidon looked at all of us with a grave look on his face.

"All of this was ploy to free two titans?" Theseus said in disbelief.

"I'm afraid so son, we have to get everyone onboard the research ship it should be here soon." Poseidon said as he helped Theseus and I move Percy to his feet. All I could think about was the future and possible repercussions of this event.

AN: Looks like this entire set of events by Atlas and Prometheus were orchestrated to free Iapetus (their father) and Crius (their uncle). Looks like a good setup for a future story, I wonder!