Oh shoot!
I totally forgot to post this chpt!

I'm so sorry DDDD:

Enjoy?

Chapter 20: Murderer or Savior

Nicholas POV

The wall of clouds closed in so quickly, I didn't even have time to have any last thoughts. Fear and terror flooded my mind. It felt like gravity was crushing me. This was the end! I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the inevitable impact.

It never came.

Still frozen with terror, I tentatively opened my eyes. I had to be in heaven. Maybe the impact was so quick, I couldn't feel it. I gazed upwards. No, this wasn't heaven. The gray clouds still loomed over me. But…they were moving?

Like a miracle, the mass of clouds slowly lifted. My mind wasn't processing this. Still stiff with shock, I shakily rose to my feet. Next to me, Queena stood up. We were all looking at the same thing.

The spiral of clouds known as the sky, the world, was being held up...but not by Atlas. The great Titan was on the ground and as shocked as everybody else on the mountain.

Tria was holding up the sky.

My brain cells were desperately trying to register what was going on. The world had almost crushed us. The world had almost ended by the world falling. Tria was holding the sky. Atlas wasn't holding it. My mind sent off its panic radar.

Atlas wasn't holding the sky! He was free!

Fighting had erupted around me again, when I realized my opponent was gone. Where was Proteus? I gripped my sword tightly, looking around me. Queena tugged on my sleeve and pointed at a body on the floor. Proteus was unconscious.

"I'll destroy him before he's conscious again," she said tightly. She held up her hands, her fingertips sparking.

"We have to get Atlas!" I said. "He's the biggest threat right now."

She hesitated and then promptly directed her lightning at Atlas. "Let's pray that Proteus will remain unconscious until this fight is over." Then, she nodded at something behind me. "Check on Ash. I can handle Atlas by myself for a while."

She rushed off and I hurried to an unconscious Ash's side.

Percy POV

I barely had time to register the world falling when Achlys attacked again. I was getting tired, desperate, and frustrated. I couldn't seem to get through her guard. All I needed was one opening, one misstep. I lunged with my sword and she deftly danced out of reach. She countered with daggers of water and barely, I was able to catch them with a shield of water.

All I had achieved from this fight were wasted attacks. Nobody else seemed to be getting anywhere either. The current situation was Annabeth and I fending off Achlys and Timoleon. Hector was attempting to get through to Obelix, who seemed to be shielding Idylla. Nicholas and Queena were occupied with Atlas. Achlys had knocked out Tyson and Proteus had disengaged Grover. I didn't have the chance to check if he was alive or not. At the moment, Ash and Proteus seemed to be unconscious.

Achlys' attacks had me constantly moving, dodging. Her water manipulation was so swift; I didn't have time to think. I had already lost my sword once. Until it had returned to my pocket, I had to fend myself off with only the sea. Achlys was smart and quick. I had learned quickly that I couldn't fight her off like a normal monster.

Breathing was becoming difficult and knew I couldn't hold for much longer. I had to change up my style. Moving my sword to just one hand, I willed a shield of water with the other. I'd have less power, but I needed to keep up with her speed.

Dodge. Counter, cut, dodge. Jump, dodge, lunge, swing. As I leapt about her attacks, a thought slowly crept in my mind. I'd never done it before; I didn't know if I could do it. My breath caught in my throat and I gasped for air. My muscles were deathly sore and my lungs on fire. Even if I couldn't do it, I had to try. I didn't have the stamina to continue. First, I had to let her disarm me.

I jumped into a forward roll, barely dodging a water slicer. Suddenly, a force knocked me off my feet. Even expecting it, I couldn't brace myself against the water blast. I sprawled on the ground and hurried to face her. As water spun off her fingers, I braced myself. Focus, Percy. Focus!
 I closed my eyes, feeling for the sea. Vaguely, I sensed a distant pulse. I grasped the sensation and zoned in on the heartbeat. Desperately, I clutched the pulsation and tried to synchronize my heartbeat with it. I felt a familiar violent tug my gut.

Flashing my eyes open, I whirled the water back towards Achlys. It knocked her down. Wasting no time, my fingers found Riptide and I leapt towards her. I thrust my sword towards her heart.

"Percy!" Annabeth shouted.

My swing was already in full throttle. The blade swung down and cut flesh…of an arm. Achlys' bewildered expression mirrored mine. A bloodcurdling scream rang through the air.

I stumbled backwards as I saw Timoleon drop to the floor, clutching his arm. His face was contorted in horrific agony.

"Leon? Leon!" Achlys cried out. She grabbed his shoulders in panic.

He cried out in anguish again, his muscles convulsing. A long jagged gash ran across his forearm. The wound was black and the flesh around it seemed to be disintegrating. Grotesque black slime oozed from the wound and seemed to be patching the wound. As soon as the slime patched the cut, the flesh would burn away again.

"What's going on?" Annabeth exclaimed.

"I…I don't know," I said. "A cut from celestial bronze should destroy a monster instantly."

"Destroy!" Achlys repeated in disgust. "Listen to you demigods. And you think you're all merciful and good."

"What's happening?" I demanded.

"Gods, you demigods are stupid," Achlys spat. "Leon's not just monster; he's part god."

"What?"

"He's part god, demigod! It's trying to fight off the celestial bronze, trying to heal him!"

"What'll happen?" I asked.

She ignored me and turned to her brother. "Leon, talk to me!"

"Hey…Alice," he said gritting his teeth. Timoleon's fingers dug into his wounded arm in a death grip. As the flesh in his injured arm bulged with black bruises, Charybdis' transformation flashed in my mind.

"What'd you do that for?" she demanded.

"I…made a promise to…Mom," he struggled to say.

"What?" Achlys said quietly.

I promise, Mom. I remembered the dream vividly.

He turned to me. "Percy knows."

In those two words, it was almost like he was regarding a friend. His pained expression looked nothing but human. For a moment, I couldn't see the monster.

"Maybe I can help," I said suddenly. I shut my mouth. What was I saying?

Achlys' eyes looked up, flashing with anger. "Stay away, demigod!"

Leon grimaced, but he didn't look he was in as much pain as before. He pushed himself into a sitting position. "I…I think I can control it."

I couldn't tell if his arm was better, but at that moment Annabeth called out. "Percy! Destroy Achlys!"

What? My quest came back to me. Destroy the wraths.

"I won't let you," Timoleon said, clenching his teeth. Suddenly, he grimaced, bending over his blackened arm. He shook his head. "I don't care whatever happens to my body, you aren't hurting my sister."

Then, his arm thrashed, throwing him upon the rocks. In distress, he cried out. Black slime oozed from his wound, spilling on the rocks. His features no longer looked human, but were contorted into an alien-like shape.

"Leon!" Achlys yelled.

Suddenly, Leon stopped thrashing. His expression was peaceful.

Achlys breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, Leon. I thought…"

The scent of a sea breeze passed through. Abruptly, Leon's body disintegrated and blew away in blue dust. Achlys froze, her mouth gaped open. There was a figure standing behind her.

I looked more closely. "Dad?"

His sea-green eyes were sad. "He was suffering. I…ended it."

I stiffened, remembering the prophecy line. An oath to keep with a final breath.

Everybody in the cave at this point, was stunned at the god's arrival.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm not supposed to interfere with quests," he said, "but Timoleon is my grandson after-"

"POSEIDON!" Achlys shouted. Her voice was so full of fury and rage, I jumped.

"How dare you show up!" she yelled, her voice rising with every word. She had jumped to her feet now, her hands curled in fists.

"I just saved your brother," he said calmly. "I don't understand why you're angry."

"You saved him?" she shouted. "You killed him. You killed my brother!"

"He was going to die anyways, Ach-"

"Don't even try to reason with me! He could've survived. You kill my father, you destroy my mom, and then you kill my brother!" Her voice was trembling with anger at this point. "Idylla!"

Idylla? The wrath who had manipulating abilities?

"Yes, Achlys?" I was taken back. Idylla's voice was beautiful. Snap out of it, Percy!

"Bring him out," Achlys said. Her voice was low now, but still full of dangerous rage.

"Achlys, but we're not on Mt. Olympus yet!" a beautiful, dark-haired girl, most likely Idylla, replied.

"I don't care! We bring down one of the Big Three, we can handle Zeus by ourselves."

"Proteus is unconscious, tho-"

"BRING HIM OUT!"

Stunned to silence, she nodded stiffly. She closed her eyes and seemed to be silently communicating to someone. Out of nowhere, a figure stumbled from the shadows and fell on his knees. His ebony hair fell on top of his…

…pale eyes.

Few more chapters, my beautiful readers :)

Hold on till the end!

(I'm sorry I forgot to post this!)