Chapter 14: Battle for the Queen
Percy and the wolf stared at each other in surprise for a split second. Neither of them had expected anything like this to happen. Then a chilling yell rang out, "Attack!" and Percy decided he would take that order very seriously. Ashrow appeared in his hand, and-conveniently- straight through the werewolf. The wolf coughed, eyes widening as a sword appeared in its gut. Percy pushed it off him, tugging his sword out of it. The werewolf lay there, trying to get air in, and Percy almost felt sorry for it. Werewolves could only be killed by silver, so it would remain on the brink of death until a Hunter finished it off.
Leaping to his feet, he saw two storm spirits and an Earthborn coming towards him. Lightning-fast, he spun through the storm spirits, his sword passing though the first one with no effect, but vaporizing the second. He dodged a fork of lightning and put Ashrow through the first one's head. It vanished with a satisfying gust of warm air, and Percy began to feel proud of himself- until the Earthborn smashed him face-first into the ground. Percy groaned into the dirt. Wasn't the armor supposed to protect him?
Then he realized: he'd taken the armor off to get the sand dollar out of his pocket. "Idiot." He muttered, standing up. The Earthborn drew its fist back and Percy summoned the armor. Immediately he was invigorated, felt strength flowing through his limbs. He easily avoided the Earthborn's heavy fist and let Ashrow whirl through the ogre's body. The Earthborn looked at him in surprise before collapsing into five pieces, all of which melted into piles of mud. Percy looked for more things to kill.
Turns out a few monsters were looking to kill him as well. A werewolf bounded towards him, snarling viciously. Percy sidestepped it and rammed his sword through its ribs. Ripping it out, he spun around in the same movement and decapitated a storm spirit. Another werewolf ran towards him, in human form. Its claws were out, and with superhuman speed it swung. Percy's reflexes, quicker than lightning, threw his sword up and met the werewolf's with a clang and a few sparks. "That's new." Percy mused. The werewolf snorted and jumped, flipping over his head and clawing at him. Percy spun with him, sword up, blocking the deadly claws. The instant its feet touched the ground he stabbed it in the heart. It dropped, legs twitching weakly.
He had no time to compliment himself, because a boulder about the size of a minivan was sailing straight at him. He managed to roll out of the way to find an Earthborn standing twenty feet away, boulder in hand. Percy charged, planning on dodging the rock. But when the Earthborn threw it, he didn't. Instead he slashed downward with his sword and sliced the boulder in half. He was probably as surprised as the Earthborn, but that didn't stop him. He took its head off quickly.
Turning around, he spotted another Earthborn backhand a Hunter to the ground. Percy ran, his speed enhanced by the Seafoam Armor. He jumped, propelling off of its lower back and landing with a foot on each shoulder. Ashrow flashed downward and suddenly the ogre was missing two arms. Howling with rage and pain, it tried to grab him. He slashed through two more arms and plunged his sword downward into the Earthborn's head, feeling it go slack. Pulling it out, he jumped off, using a boulder that was flying towards them from a second Earthborn as another jump point. Behind him the boulder smashed into the first Earthborn, splattering mud everywhere. Percy propelled himself off the second Earthborn's head, spinning and flipping at the same time and removing its head. He came out normally and as he was falling down he held his sword out. It hit the neck of the Earthborn and cleaved it in two.
As the two halves of the Earthborn fell away from each other, Percy caught a glimpse of who he had saved and realized it wasn't a Hunter. It was Annabeth. "Well, I never expected to see you here." Percy said casually, stepping over and helping her up. She stared at him in shock.
"I thought you were dead!" She exclaimed. Percy grimaced.
"I was." He answered simply. Before she was able to ask her next question, Percy spotted another Earthborn coming from behind her. Shoving her out of the way, he spun around it, sword hacking off its lower leg. He plunged Ashrow into the center of its back and went back to Annabeth. "No time to explain. What's happening here?"
"The Hunters and I are trying to hold off the monsters while Piper and Leo try to free Hera." She explained. A werewolf leaped out of the fog and Annabeth threw her knife. It caught the monster in the shoulder, knocking it to the ground, and Percy cut off its head.
"I need to talk to Thalia. Where is she?" Percy asked her intently. A silver arrow zipped past his shoulder, and a pained roar exploded from the right. Percy whirled, sword already in motion. He plunged it through the Earthborn's chest as it dropped to its hands and knees. Withdrawing the sword, he went into a roundhouse kick. His heel caught the ogre in the side of the head, the force of his blow shattering half of it. The monster collapsed to the side and turned into one big pile of mud.
"She's right here." Thalia said, grinning. "You look very…not dead."
Percy couldn't help but smile as well. "Probably because I'm not. Sorry, I meant to find you guys but I was stuck in a snow drift for two days. I haven't run into you since then, although I can't say the same for the Amazons, unfortunately." Thalia nodded and fired off another arrow. A squeal of pain resounded from the left.
"Well it's good to see you're still alive. Nice armor, by the way." She remarked. Percy shrugged.
"It is cool, isn't it? Pretty darn helpful, as well as-." He was cut off by an unnoticed Earthborn backhanding him with the strength of a wrecking ball. He flew back a good ten feet before crashing to the ground. He was honestly surprised to find he wasn't very hurt. Standing up, he saw Annabeth withdraw her knife from the Earthborn's face. "You didn't leave any for me?" Percy asked.
"How are you not hurt by that?" Annabeth gasped.
"Skill, m'lady. It's all about that skill." Percy said. He suited his words by killing a werewolf in the blink of eye as it jumped for his throat. "Alright, so if Leo and Piper are taking care of the cage, then I'll help you guys with the monsters."
"And who," someone asked, "is going to take care of me?" All three of them turned around the see Luke standing on the last remnant of the fourth floor, forty feet off of the ground. He grinned down at them arrogantly.
"He went traitor?" Percy asked. Annabeth nodded. "In that case, he's all mine." Using the speed and strength the armor lent him, and ran ten feet up the wall and sprang onto the third floor. He did it again and stood in front of Luke, sword out. The floor, as well as the walls, looked very unstable.
"You're looking good, Percy." Luke said, still grinning.
"I wish I could say the same for you." Percy retorted. Luke's smile only widened.
"Still as fiery as ever." He remarked.
"I try." Percy said sincerely. "Now, can you do the world a favor and just die?"
Luke shook his head. "Only if you fight me. And win, of course, but I don't think that's going to happen."
"We'll see." Percy growled.
"But let's settle this with our hands. No weapons, no magic, just good ol' fist fighting. Sound good to you?" Luke asked. Percy dropped his sword, and it vanished.
"You're still going to die." He warned Luke.
"May the best man win." Luke said formally, and then he was moving. Without the armor, Percy probably would've died within the first three seconds. As it was, he was barely able to keep Luke's blurring hands away from him. He was insanely fast. He wasn't able to stop that one punch that hit him in the chest, staggering a few feet backwards. He blocked the next two and got some breathing room by hitting him in the face with his elbow. Luke stepped backwards and Percy drew back his fist and punched him right in the jaw. Luke's head snapped to the side, but he turned back to face Percy without even a mark. Percy blinked in shock. That much force should have broke all of the bones in his face! "You're not the only one with improvements." Luke said, and slammed him in the ribs with a fist.
Percy gasped but managed to block the next punch. He responded with one of his own, catching Luke in the stomach and doubling him over. Percy's knee came up to meet his face and Luke jerked backwards, falling to the ground. Before Percy could finish him off, Luke kicked him in the chest with two feet, knocking him backwards. When he recovered he found Luke on his feet, already launching another offensive. Percy hit his leg away and batted down a fist. Luke went to hit his head from both sides but Percy raised his arms and felt them hit Luke's. He head butted Luke straight in the forehead, causing him to drop to his knees. Percy took him by shoulders and threw him to the side.
Luke sprang up and charged towards him, spinning a thick wooden staff. Where did he get that? "What happened to no weapons?" Percy asked, forearms shuddering from blocking two quick strikes. Luke went from one side of Percy to the other, staff a big blur. Percy found himself slowly being forced backwards, arms beginning to grow sore from taking a thick heavy wooden staff to them about five times a second. Luke went into a roundhouse kick, catching Percy off-guard. He stumbled away and Luke delivered a massive, two-footed kick in the chest. Percy flew backwards and crashed into the brick wall, smashing what was left of a window. Before, he would have been killed by that blow, but now he stood up, a little sore and winded. Luke moved to crush his head into the side of the wall and Percy caught the end of the staff, redirecting it so that it thudded into the scorched bricks.
He began to attack, fists flying. Luke was forced onto defense, furiously blocking every strike, or trying to. Finally, Percy threw his clenched fist into Luke's chest, fully extending his arm, and Luke had no choice but to get thrown backwards, smashing another window.
There were now no remaining unbroken windows in the Wolf House.
Luke ran for Percy, staff held over his head. He let loose a fearsome battlecry, and Percy got ready. But right before Luke came in striking distance of Percy, the floor gave out beneath him. He slammed into it and dropped to the floor below. Percy went to the edge of the hole and peered down at him. He started to laugh, but with a creak and a groan, the hole widened, depositing Percy onto the ground right next to Luke. They both rolled to their feet quickly and resumed the fighting. Luke's staff blurred into a figure eight, forcing Percy backwards. The staff snapped forward, aiming to catch Percy in the side. Percy caught it instead. Luke's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could do anything Percy counterattacked. Bracing the staff under Luke's armpit, he heaved the staff upwards, taking Luke with it. He threw Luke over his shoulder, causing the half-blood to skid across the ground on his shoulders. Percy took the staff and slammed it as hard as he could on his knee, snapping it in two. His knee began to throb, but he tossed the pieces away. Unfortunately, it gave Luke the opportunity to strike back, and Percy took a fist to the face.
He countered with a kick in the side, and tried to slam Luke into the ground. But Luke rolled out of the way, a wickedly sharp knife in his hand. Where did these weapons keep coming from? The blade went straight for Percy's throat, and Percy desperately ducked under the strike. Luke held the dagger in a reverse grip, slashing at Percy. Percy ducked and avoided every slash, and responded to most of them with a punch, which Luke blocked. One slash came from overhead, and Percy raised his arm to block it. The blade struck the armor with a clang of celestial bronze-on-whatever-the-armor-was-made-of and a shower of sparks. The knife shot for the side of his neck faster than before and Percy jerked backwards, the celestial bronze blade a few millimeters away from his throat.
His arm came up and pushed Luke's further away, knocking him off balance. A swift kick and a hard punch sent Luke staggering backwards, dagger held up to avoid any more strikes. Percy lunged for him but Luke saw it coming and stepped aside, grabbing his shoulders and throwing him forward. Percy lost his balance and fell to the ground. Rolling onto his back, he kicked Luke away and kicked up to his feet. Luke came at him again, dagger swinging. "Seriously, where do you get all these weapons?" Percy asked as he danced away from an attack that would've sliced open his stomach. Luke didn't answer and went for another killing blow. Percy batted his hand away and elbowed him in the face. He grabbed the side of Luke's head and slammed it into the wall. Luke recovered almost immediately and jumped, pressing his knife against Percy's neck and bending him over backwards so that Percy's upper body was almost parallel to the floor. Only Percy's iron grip on Luke's arm kept him from slitting his throat.
Using the wall as leverage, Percy kicked off it, flipping over Luke's arm and bending him forward in an awkward, painful position with his arm twisted. Percy turned and swung Luke, throwing the demigod across the floor. The knife skittered out of Luke's hand and went over the edge. Luke stood up with a sword in his hands. "REALLY!?" Percy exclaimed. Luke rushed forward, and Percy met his swing with his forearm. The blade hit and rebounded, but Luke turned it into a second strike. Percy's other arm went down to block that one, but Luke's sword bounced off it and tried to hit his shoulder. Percy blocked that one as well, but every time he prevented one attack, Luke turned that into another one. He could barely keep up with the rapid strikes.
He spun around a stab and shoved Luke away. "To hell with this." He growled, and Ashrow was in his hands. Luke grinned at the sight, but it was momentary. Then he was back to serious as the two demigods met blade-to-blade. The two swords whirled faster than the eye could possibly follow, quick as lightning strikes. As they fought, sparks exploded from the two celestial bronze blades, thousands of them each time the swords hit, until they were literally surrounded by a shield of them. Neither of the two combatants noticed; they were so focused on the fight that the rest of the world was nonexistent. Not a single scratch marred either of them; each of their swords served just as well as shields, spinning and whirling so fast that it seemed like nothing could get past them.
Percy's mind went blank as they went attack, counterattack, block, strike, counter, attack….His arms, his sword, they all moved without his brain controlling them, instead seeming to come alive and move on their own. In one second, his sword met Luke's roughly six or seven times. His body was moving so fast he felt like it was in danger of falling apart any second. This wasn't physically possible. He wouldn't be surprised if one of his arms popped off at the shoulder.
Luke's sword rose up and came down, meeting his vertical on horizontal. It flew up and down repeatedly, smashing down on Percy's sword and driving him to one knee. Then it stopped, pushing down hard on Percy's blade. Percy struggled to hold him off. "Give up, Percy." Luke said hoarsely. "Even if you win here, you're fighting the Earth itself. There's no way you can win. You, your friends, your home, they will all burn. There is no escape from Gaia's wrath. I made that mistake myself. She has me now, and I'm stronger than ever. Give up." The last came out as a whisper. Percy realized he was right at the edge of the floor. A thirty-foot drop onto solid ground below was only inches away from his foot.
"No." he said, staring Luke down. "Have a nice trip, Luke." Luke's eyes narrowed. "'Cause I'll see you next fall." Percy growled. With that, he threw himself to the side. Luke stumbled forward- straight off the edge. He screamed once and hit the ground head-first. The resulting crack echoed across the entire battlefield. And everyone went still.
Line Break
Annabeth froze when that terrible snapping sound echoed out into the battleground, involuntarily looking towards the mansion. She was half-aware of everyone else, monster, god, and demigod, doing the same. She saw Luke's dead body crumpled up in a heap o the ground, and Percy standing on the third floor, panting hard. "He's dead." He said, and the words rang out among the fighters.
"Kill them! Kill them all! None of them must leave this place alive!" Lycaon howled, and the monsters attacked. A sound like someone crumpling a really big piece of aluminum foil reached her ears, and she saw the spire that was rising out of the ground crack and open up. A huge giant stepped out. Porphyrion.
"Prepare to die, mortals!" He roared, hefting a massive spear. A rush of air announced Hera stepping away from her cage.
"Look away, heroes!" She yelled out. Porphyrion cursed loudly in Ancient Greek and slammed his spear into the ground. He vanished into the earth and then Hera revealed her true form. Annabeth averted her eyes as a brilliant golden flash illuminated the place. When she looked again, all the monsters were piles of dust, and Khione and Lycaon were not to be found.
Annabeth was breathing hard, claw marks on her arm, a massive bruise by her shin. Overall she was pretty beat up. Percy jumped down from the Wolf House and stumbled when he hit the ground. He fell and Annabeth rushed to help him up. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
Percy grinned at her tiredly. "That…was awesome." He said quietly, limping towards Hera. She regarded him with interest.
"Well, young Perseus, it seems like Athena was right about you all along. I had my doubts, but you proved me wrong today." She complimented. Percy nodded and sat down hard.
"I can't really say it's nice to see you again, Queen Hera." Thalia said, stepping up with the Hunters right behind her. Annabeth frowned when she noticed that only half the Hunters were behind her. The rest were…oh.
"I must say the same, Thalia Grace." Hera said, sniffing disdainfully. "However, I suppose I must thank you for actually freeing me, much as I hate to do so." She sighed.
"It was nothing." Thalia said, but Annabeth detected a hint of satisfaction in her voice. Apparently Hera heard it too, because she glared at her.
"Queen Hera?" Annabeth asked. "Would you do us a favor and return us to Camp Half-Blood?"
Hera nodded absently. "Of course, go right on. I'll return to Olympus to make sure my husband hasn't destroyed the council again." She waved her hand and Annabeth felt her vision blurring. Her stomach was left behind at the Wolf House. They appeared in the dining pavilion, standing on the tables. Well, most of them did. All the campers, who'd been in the middle of eating dinner, froze and stared at them, some with their mouths hanging open and food halfway there. Everything was dead silent except for Percy, who had appeared at the Demeter table for some reason. "I hate my life." He grumbled, loudly enough to be heard, and promptly fell backwards off the bench and started snoring.
A.N.: Here it is! The big fight at the Wolf House!
I really enjoyed writing this; I've been waiting for it since chapter 1. That fight between Percy and Luke was planned out move-for-move even before I posted my first chapter!
So yeah, I really, really hoped you guys enjoyed this, but just so you know, this isn't even close to the last chapter. Nope. I'm like, halfway-ish maybe? I don't know exactly how many chapters I'm going to have, but oh well. We'll find out!
Review-responding time:
Thatonekidnobodylikes: Thank you for your seemingly undying interest in this story. You really shouldn't feel bad about missing that last bit in chapter 12. Everyone did. It's cool.
Come on, people, PLEASE review here. I want to know what you guys think. So read, follow, favorite, and review, and if you can't do all of them, at least. Please.
I hope you enjoyed it!
READ ON!