Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series.

Story: Champion of Olympus: Child of the First One

Chapter 17: Waves of Death

Third Person POV

Manhattan, NY – Empire State Building

The gods helped their children barricade the windows and doors to the building. Hephaestus and Hermes worked together with their children to block doors and windows. Once that work was complete they began to set traps and other devices to destroy or slow down the Draugr, if they got through the barricades. The few children of Mercury and Vulcan helped as well.

The children of Aphrodite and Venus along with the younger children of Apollo went to Olympus to setup a makeshift infirmary. Even though there was a hospital on Olympus, it wasn't setup for emergency triage.

The older children of Apollo led by Michael Yew and Will Solace worked alongside their father and the Hunters of Artemis. The hunters gave the sons of Apollo and their father dirty looks, but they worked together as Artemis stood to the side to make sure no fights broke out.

The Ares and Mars children stood on the first floor sharpening their new steel weapons. Brokkr and Sindri had helped the children of Vulcan and Hephaestus forge the weapons. They had created steel tipped arrows, but they wouldn't kill the Draugr; it would only slow them down. Unfortunately, for the demigods they would have to fight one on one against the demons.

The Demeter, Ceres, Dionysus and Bacchus children worked to create additional traps throughout the first and second floors of the building. They used vines as snares and even used ropes to create nets.

The Athena and Minerva children made plans and strategies. Annabeth and Athena setup planning areas on both floors.

Annabeth was looking over blueprints of the first two floors. Athena was talking to Malcolm about setting up traps on the stairs that led to the second floor. Malcolm nodded before running off to find the Demeter and Dionysus kids.

Athena approached her daughter. Annabeth's brow was wet with sweat and her face was scrunched up in concentration. Her grey eyes were identical to her mothers'. Athena could never be more proud of her daughter.

"You've made me very proud," Athena said.

Annabeth jumped at her mother's voice. She smiled sheepishly at her mother. "Sorry, you startled me," Annabeth said.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have disturbed your concentration," Athena said. Annabeth smiled at her mother. "What are you working on?"

"I have an idea to setup some explosives on the stairwell, here and here," Annabeth said as she pointed at different locations on the blueprints. Athena watched her daughter explain her plans. "We can lure a great deal of the Draugr in here and explode some Greek fire in the stairwell. The fire will destroy them before the sprinkler system comes on."

Athena nodded. She was impressed by the plan. "The explosive will seal them in and the fire will destroy, very impressive," Athena said.

"You really think so?" Annabeth asked curiously.

"Of course," Athena confirmed.

Annabeth rolled up the blueprints. "I better find the Hephaestus campers," Annabeth exclaimed as she ran to find Charles Beckendorf and the others. Athena's smile widened at her daughter's enthusiasm for her plan. Athena's smile faded quickly. She stepped out toward the windows on the second floor of the building. She looked outside the building toward the streets below. The wall of fire Hephaestus had created burned brightly in the dark of night. The street lights had long since faded; the power around the city had gone out a few hours ago. Athena was thankful that the elevator to Olympus did not rely on power from the city. The elevator was powered by the magic of Olympus. She looked back at the wall of fire; she could hear the wales of the Draugr on the other side of the flames. She knew it was only a matter of time before the fire extinguished and the demons attacked. She prayed to Chaos himself that they would be able to hold out until Loki attacked. Athena knew that Percy was the only being that could defeat the god of evil.

Manhattan, NY – Chrysler Building

Loki stood on the ledge of the observation deck of the skyscraper. He looked down to the streets in front of the Empire State Building; he saw the wall of fire that blocked the advance of the Draugr.

Loki raised his magic scythe. He concentrated on the wall of flames creating a force field around the fire. His eyes turned gold as he used his powers to speed up time. The oxygen surrounding the flames caused the wall of fire to begin to fade. After only a few minutes the wall of fire was extinguished. Loki smiled in triumph as the Draugr advanced on the Empire State Building. Loki's end game had begun.

Manhattan, NY – The streets of mid-town

Tens of thousands of Draugr hurried through the streets of Manhattan toward the Empire State Building. The Draugr's only purpose was to devour the living. The demons reached the sidewalks in front of the building. Their eyes glowed red as they stared into the wall of flames that blocked their advance to the building. The demons could sense the presence of the powerful beings within the building; it was like blood to a mosquito.

The demons watched as the wall of fire began to fade. They waited in anticipation. Their instincts were at the ready; to pounce on the living and drain them of their life force. Once the fire was extinguished a roar resounded throughout the canyons of Manhattan. Windows exploded under the rumbling sound of the collective roar of the Draugr. The road stopped before the Draugr surged forward like a swarm of bees or an army of ants. They moved with one mind and with one goal, destruction.

Manhattan, NY – Empire State Building

The gods and the demigods stood in shock as the wall of fire died in front of them. Hephaestus tried to make the flames grow higher, but his power was being blocked somehow.

"Prepare the defenses," Zeus ordered. The gods and demigods rushed to their posts.

The Draugr hit the first floor barricades like a herd of buffalo. The demigods and their parents on the first floor reinforced the barricades; they barely held. Inside the building you could hear the Draugr beating against the stone walls of the building.

Annabeth and Thalia stood on the third floor of the building. They had exchanged their celestial bronze weapons for two steel swords.

"The barricades are holding," Thalia said.

Annabeth kept her eyes on the horde of Draugr as they massed around the base of the building. "What're they doing?" she asked.

Thalia looked at the mob of Draugr; the demons formed lines around the building. At the moment they were ten deep.

Suddenly, Annabeth's grey eyes flashed with realization. "They're creating a ladder," Annabeth yelled. Athena and Zeus appeared at their side. "They're using their bodies as a massive ladder."

The Draugr climbed onto the backs of the demons in front of them as they began to create an undead ladder with their bodies. They slowly moved up the side of the building.

Annabeth watched them in fascination before a terrible thought crossed her mind. "Did we barricade the second floor windows?" she asked.

Athena gasped before her body began to glow. Annabeth and Thalia closed their eyes as Athena disappeared.

A few moments later she reappeared with Beckendorf and a group of twenty half-bloods.

"Barricade these windows. I have other teams working on the third and fourth floor," Athena said.

"Should we go higher than that?" Thalia asked worriedly.

Athena nodded. "I want you and Annabeth to take a third team and work on the fourth floor. We will keep rotating until we reach the tenth floor or run out of materials," Athena explained. Annaneth and Thalia ran off to assemble their team.

Zeus eyed his daughter carefully. "What else is wrong?" he asked.

"Loki has a plan, but I have no idea what it is," Athena admitted. It was the first time that Zeus had ever heard his daughter admit defeat.

Zeus placed his arm around his daughter and hugged her. It was the first time he ever hugged her. She knew that he hugged Thalia, Jason and Percy, but she never thought he would hug her.

"Do your best; I have faith in you," Zeus reassured.

Athena smiled at her father. It was the first time that he really acted like one. "Thank you," she said.

Zeus smiled. "I know I've been a terrible father over these many years, but I love you. I love all my children," Zeus explained.

Athena was shocked. "I love you too father," Athena said.

Zeus's smile widened. "Try to anticipate his next move," Zeus urged.

Athena's brow furrowed in thought as she tried to predict Loki's next action. Suddenly, she jumped out of her father's arms. "I'm so stupid. I fell into his trap," she said.

"What is it?" Zeus asked worriedly.

"He used the ladder tactic as a distraction. We need to send reinforcements to the first floor," Athena explained.

Zeus and Athena flashed out to find help.

First Floor – Empire State Building

Jake Mason and Nyssa walked around the first floor of the building with two of their brothers. The rest of the floor had been deserted after the call for reinforcements on the upper floors.

"I should have volunteered for upstairs," Jake said.

Nyssa smiled up at her big brother. "Don't worry; Beck is up there," she reassured.

Jake sighed. "I know, but I should be helping build, instead of playing guard dog," he said.

Suddenly, the main doors to the first floor exploded. The four children of Hephaestus looked on his horror as the Draugr surged through the open door. The traps exploded snaring dozens of Draugr, but it wasn't enough. There were too many demons. The four tried to fight them as they ran through the door, but they were strong. Jake cut the head off a Draugr turning the demon into black powder. Two of his brothers were overrun. Their screams echoed through the first floor. Nyssa was frozen in fear. Jake grabbed her and ran toward the elevator. The door to the elevator opened. Beckendorf and Luke stood in the elevator with Michael Yew and a group of Apollo archers. They fired into the crowd of Draugr. Jake ran to the elevator as Beckendorf screamed for his brother to hurry. Jake ran as fast as he could until a Draugr grabbed his leg. The demon bit down on his calf. Jake screamed in agony. He dropped Nyssa to the floor.

Jake turned and cut the Draugr's head off with his sword. "Nyssa run," he yelled.

"I'm not leaving you," she protested.

"Go," Jake screamed. Nyssa saw the demons run toward her. She turned and ran. She made it to the elevator just in time. She turned and watched as the elevator doors shut behind her. The last thing she was Jake's terrified face and the sound of his screams.

Beckendorf held his sister tightly as she cried into his shirt. Luke and Michael were frozen in fear and disgust. They had watched the Draugr rip their friends to pieces in front of them. One thought raced through their minds. How could they fight and survive against so many demons?

Manhattan, NY – Sidewalk in front of Empire State Building

Loki appeared on the sidewalk. The smoke in the air settled around the base of the building; it was the final remnants of the powerful blast of energy Loki used to blow open the doors to the building.

The two large Cyclops behind him held Gaea and Rhea. The two immortals were chained in celestial bronze.

Loki smiled as the Draugr surged into the building. One demon turned and ran toward the god of evil, but Loki raised his hand and the Draugr's red eyes dimmed. The creature finally looked up at the god. "Go my child; feed on the souls and energy of the gods and their children." The demon nodded and ran back into the building.

The god walked into the building followed by the Cyclops and their prisoners. The bodies of three demigods lay on the ground. Their bodies had been ripped apart. It was impossible to recognize them.

Rhea looked at the bodies and began to cry. "You evil bastard," she yelled at Loki.

Loki turned toward the Titaness. "Thank you," Loki said. He began to laugh as he walked to the elevator.

AN: Stay tuned more battle to come.