Percy was in an arcade. Dionysus had his eyes on a Pac-Man game right in front of him. "Mr. D?" Percy looked around. "How…?"

"I brought you here for two reasons, boy." His hand jerked the joystick as the little yellow dot narrowly missed Blinky. "One," he held up his finger on his free hand. "Don't let Olympus fall."

"Wasn't really planning t—"

"If the titans take that building, it'll be the end of Western civilization, got it?"

"Yeah, okay. Really though, I was going to—"

"Two." He held up his other finger on the same hand. "Keep my son safe."

Percy was caught off-guard. "What?"

"Pollux. You know him. Only kid in my cabin after his brother—" Dionysus seemed to choke with emotion. "After the battle at the Labyrinth."

Percy remembered the boy that was forced to burn his twin's burial shroud. He was a stumpy boy but a fantastic warrior. Percy didn't know him that well, but he was still surprised to see Mr. D hold such emotion for him… and his lost brother.

"You… care…" Percy thought aloud. Then he covered his mouth. That was probably not the best tone for that phrase.

The machine burst the sound of Pac-Man's death and Dionysus turned on him with a snarl. "Yes, I do. Is that so surprising that a father would care for his son… especially after losing one so recently?"

"I-I didn't mean—"

"I know what you meant, boy!" He paused, took a breath, then sighed. "None of us gods will be earning parent of the year, but we do… care. Being immortal, we will see all of our children die. Being gods, we've set the likelihood they die early. But that doesn't mean we can't hope that they live out a longer life than average for a demigod."

Percy was quiet as he took this in.

"So… can you protect Pollux? Make sure he survives this war?"

"Yeah. I mean, yes, sir. I can."

"Every once in a while, the Big Three has a good one…" He smiled, stuck a drachma into the machine, and pushed the joystick after the music cue.

.

"Percy!" I bleat in his face.

"ACK! Grover!" he blinks.

"Sorry to wake you, but… um… it's Rachel."

"What?"

"Rachel's here."

"Rachel's here?!"

It doesn't take long for Percy to get back outside. The helicopter that Annabeth managed to land is still whirling a bit, and Annabeth is standing with her arms crossed. She's not very happy about Rachel being here. When she told me to go get Percy, I was not about to argue. She had just landed a helicopter, saving Rachel's life. As far as I'm concerned, she earned the right to command for a moment.

Percy is nervous when he sees the two girls standing there. Rightly so. Annabeth is boiling. Rachel feels awkward.

"You missed Rachel almost crash landing to her death," Annabeth tells him.

The redhead manages to grin and waves at him. "Hi, Percy, nice to see you again."

"Weren't you… supposed to be on vacation?" Percy asks.

"Yeah, but I had to get here to tell you something important."

"Really? What?" Percy is all ears. Annabeth growls under her breath.

I start to guide her away a few steps when Rachel tells us what she needed to tell us: "Percy… you aren't the hero in the prophecy."

"WHAT?!" we all ask at once.

"Also—"

"Wait… rewind…" Percy stops her. "For the last few years no one could shut up about how I'm the hero of the prophecy, and now you're saying I'm not?"

"Explanations are needed," Annabeth concludes.

Rachel shrugs. "Sorry, I only know bits and pieces…"

"So give us more pieces!" I beg.

Rachel frowns. "Well… I did get a feeling as I was coming over here… before the crash landing… There's something bad happening… a trick that ends in death."

"What kind of trick?" Percy asks.

Rachel's eyebrows knit forward. "I told you. I only get glimpses. I'm not holding anything back, I promise." She plays with a curl. "Here's another… There's some sort of dragon coming, and only a child of Ares can slay it."

I feel like my horns are in my stomach.

"Ares… really?" Annabeth groans.

"Yeah…" Rachel is confused about our concern. "I'm sure that won't be difficult. Ares is the god of war, right? None of his kids will be fearing fighting monsters, right?"

We're all quiet.

"What?"

"Ares's cabin refuses to fight in the war," Percy explains.

"Oh. That's not good."

"No duh," Annabeth huffs.

"No… that's really not good… cuz it's on its way here… Right now. Like, right now."

Percy groans in frustration. "This is stupid! Ares is stupid! All of his children are stupid!"

"Calm down, Percy!" I plead.

"Or just channel that anger at Kronos's army," Annabeth suggests. "Because that dragon isn't the only thing coming…"

She's looking off toward the distance, where the army of monsters have gathered, where the centaurs, remaining campers and hunters, and what's left of my nature army are holding lines to defend Olympus.

.

The dragon was actually a Lydian drakon, which was an ancient and powerful monster that the army stood no chance against. Percy insisted on taking on the drakon while the others held off the army. Neither of those plans seemed achievable.

It was all Percy could do to avoid the poison-hot breath of the drakon… and its many sharp teeth. He managed to jump on its back with the help of Mrs. O'Leary before she was slammed against a building. He stabbed Riptide into one of its eyes, causing the monster to roar in pain and annoyance. Maybe if I get both its eyes… we can stand a chance… Percy told himself. He wasn't sure whether there was a chance that Rachel was wrong. Maybe she just thought she saw a child of Ares… unless it was words that she saw… maybe she misread ancient Greek… Percy was holding out hope for any of this to be true.

Soon, Annabeth was by his side, trying to wedge her knife between the monster's tough scales. No luck. The monster swung around, trying to spray them with poison, instead hitting some demons as well as centaurs.

"ARES!" a shrill call to arms came from behind them. They turned in shock and relief and saw the Ares cabin riding chariots into battle, Clarisse La Rue in full armor leading the charge.

"Clarisse!" Annabeth shouted with joy.

Percy shouted, "YEAH!" But as he watched her advance, something wasn't quite right. Her eyes… they didn't look right… And her form… she seemed smaller… definitely shorter… "Wait…" he breathed.

The dragon turned its attention on her. Those eyes under the boar helmet were wide with fear. The drakon swiped at her with its tail, knocking her from her chariot and bringing her to the ground—hard. So hard, her helmet rolled from her too-small head. They all saw that she was no child of Ares.

"Silena?!" Annabeth gasped.

She and Percy jumped from the drakon to get to her rescue, but before they could reach her, it spouted poison at her. She screamed and held up her hands. Percy plunged Riptide toward the drakon's scales again. "Hey! Hey!" He tried desperately to draw its attention while Annabeth moved Silena's broken and burned body out of the way.

"I'm… sorry…" she gasped out, tears mixing with blood, sweat, and poison.

"You brought the Ares cabin here," Annabeth comforted. "What could you possibly be sorry about?"

"I… I…"

Just then, a shout of fury from a flying chariot echoed across the battlefield. The real Clarisse had arrived. "Silena! WHY?! You absolute fool! Why would you charge a drakon?!"

But she didn't wait for the answer. Her spear found purchase directly in the drakon's other eye, sending a storm's worth of electricity through its entire body. Clarisse landed next to it, looking at it with as much hate as a child of Ares could muster.

Then, she turned back to her fallen friend. Percy followed her to Silena's side.

"Why?!" Clarisse repeated.

"I'm sorry, Clarisse… I… I had to… I had to make things right…"

"That wasn't your responsibility," Percy told her.

"It… It was…" Her voice faltered, but not because she was growing weaker, though she was at every second. Tears streamed over her scars. "I… I was the spy."

The battle around them muted.

"What?" Clarisse whispered.

"I was helping Luke… before I met Charlie… And when I wanted to stop… he threatened him… He said he'd kill him if I stopped… He said no one would trust me again if I was outed as the spy… So I… I kept giving them information… I… I killed Charlie…"

"No…" Clarisse laid a hand on her arm. "You didn't."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Charlie…?" The light in Silena's eyes was fading. "Charlie… I'm sorry… I'm…" She smiled. "Really? Oh, Charlie…" And with one final, smiling sigh, she was gone.

.

I learned what brought Clarisse here only moments ago. Percy was now by my side as we looked upon another dying soldier—Leneus. Tears are cresting my eyes despite myself. "Leneus… hold on…" Hold on to what? I can't do anything for him…

"Did we… win?" he asks me, eyes fluttering but unable to remain opened.

"Yeah. We did… thanks to you, Leneus." I speak as though flattery will heal him. As if his body will mend if I keep his ego strong…

"A leader like me… meant for a great thing like this… leading nature spirits into battle… scattering the Titan Army…"

I can't even hate him for taking credit for this.

"You'd do well to learn from that, Grover…"

"Yeah, Leneus… I sure would…" I couldn't even say it sarcastically.

With a final breath out, he fades, turning to dust.

I wipe my eyes and watch as a laurel plant starts where he died. "Lucky guy… a laurel."

"Grover?" Percy puts his hand on my shoulder. "You okay?"

I look at him. "Are you?"

We didn't get to talk much about what happened with the drakon. Clarisse is still out there, shouting insults at Kronos and his forces, daring them to approach. We both realize that asking if we're okay is a stupid question.

Thalia and Annabeth approach us. Annabeth isn't making eye contact with anyone. Thalia looks down at the laurel plant. "One of yours?"

I nod.

Percy kneels down and pokes it with his finger. "Is his soul in there?"

Thalia gives him a kick. "Be sensitive!" she snaps.

I scoop it up. "I think we should plant this in Olympus's garden," I say. Percy and Annabeth and I head for the elevator.

The ride is tense. I can feel our morale waning.

Annabeth speaks. "Percy, you were right…" Pain. Agony. Hatred. Annabeth is radiating such horrifying emotions, I feel like the lights in the elevator dim. "You tried to tell me. Luke's evil. He used Silena…"

"I'm sorry," Percy managed to mumble.

"Annabeth…" I put a hand on her shoulder, but she shakes it off and leans against the wall.

"I hope you're happy."

"That doesn't make me happy," Percy insists.

The tension between them grows. I can't help but recognize it—from way back on Percy's first quest… when we were together, just like this… saving the world from something else going wrong.

"Grover…?" Percy nudges me.

I notice I'm actually slightly smiling. "Sorry!" I apologize. "Just… It's nice to be together again…"

Percy and Annabeth look at me like I've grown an extra horn.

"Arguing, facing death at every turn… abject terror. Just like old times."

Percy and Annabeth look at each other. They may think I've gone crazy. Maybe I have. Maybe this is my grasp on what's left of what I have before we all die. Whatever the case, I'm glad to have Percy and Annabeth with me. I'm glad the three of us are together here at the end.

With a ding, the elevator doors open. Mount Olympus has turned into an infirmary, and Apollo's kids are running around trying to tend to everyone they can. A few burial shrouds cover some bodies. Percy looks away. Then, he sees Pollux, Mr. D's kid, sitting up in a bed with a broken arm.

"I can still fight!" the injured demigod says through clenched teeth.

"I think maybe it's best you stay here… and help the wounded…" Percy insists. He seems desperate. I wonder what's up.

I feel a bit of relief from Pollux, though he manages to look disappointed as he says, "Alright, if you say so…"

After I plant Leneus in the garden, I join Percy and Annabeth as they head to the throne room. I'm not sure what Percy has planned, but he looks confident, at least. Before we get far, we see Rachel Elizabeth Dare holding Pandora's jar, staring at it.

"Rachel!" Percy shouts. "What are you doing with that?!"

"Hm?" Rachel looks at us. "Oh… I don't know… This is Pandora's box, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Percy takes it. Now he's staring at it.

I step forward, "Uh… Percy—"

Suddenly, he looks at the hearth. "Lady Hestia? Are you there?"

The goddess of the hearth materializes by the flames. "I am always here."

Percy gives her the jar. "Hestia… goddess of the hearth… the last Olympian and most important… I trust you with Elpis… with Hope. Because Hope survives best at the hearth."

The goddess smiles. The flame burns brighter.

"We won't be giving up hope. We'll be winning."

We all nod solemnly.

"And one way to ensure that is to get my dad to bring his forces here. Kronos is separating the gods, but Olympus needs to stand. Poseidon has to come HERE."

"How are you going to get him to do that?" Annabeth asks.

Percy looks up toward the front of the room. I follow his gaze then gasp. "Whoa, Percy. Don't."

"It'll get his attention."

Annabeth follows what we're talking about. "Are you insane? You'll get blasted!"

"He won't blast me."

"He might blast you."

"He won't."

By now, Percy is in front of his father's throne.

"Here goes nothing…" I can hear him mumble. And he sits on his father's chair.

For one breathless moment, we wait. Then we see Percy smile, and he slides off the throne. "He's coming."

Before we can cheer, Thalia bursts through the doors. "Guys! Kronos himself has reached the doors of Olympus!"

.

Chiron seemed to be the only one standing between Kronos and the doors as Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, and Rachel poured out. "Chiron!" Annabeth screeched.

Chiron didn't move. His gaze was fixed on Kronos, his sword drawn—his quiver was empty. Kronos was talking to him. "I did not corrupt your little hero. You lied! You gave empty promises! You said the gods cared! They don't! They don't care about me!"

Chiron's hooves shuffled. "Me?"

Kronos's form was breaking again. Chiron took this moment to strike, but Luke's body was invulnerable and his fighting skills were sharp—and Chiron never liked using a sword. In an instant, he wasn't just parried, he was blown back against a wall with such force that it crumbled on top of him.

"No!" Annabeth, Percy, and Grover cried. They ran to him and tried to pull the bricks off of the old teacher.

Then, another rumbling started. The shadows got thicker, darker, and a fissure split the ground. The dead was rising to fight. Hades stood with Nico, Persephone, and Demeter, and the four of them were forces to be reckoned with.

For a moment, it seemed that Kronos was outmatched, until he brought up a barrier between him and his son. Now, Kronos and a few giants were within ten feet of Olympus, along with Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and Thalia.

Kronos sent the giants at the demigods and satyr, then disappeared into the building. "He's going in!" Thalia called. But they had all seen it. They were currently kept back by the big, blue, frosty giant breathing icy wind at them.

Grover pulled Annabeth out of the way. She had been trying to dig out Chiron still. Her arm ached, her heart ached… everything ached. She cried into Grover's shoulder. Grover tensed. "It's… It's okay… we'll get him out…" He looked desperately at Percy.

Percy looked around. He saw Mrs. O'Leary growling at the barrier. "Mrs. O'Leary!" he called. "Chiron's under here! You've got to get him out!"

The infernal hound bounded over to him and sniffed the pile of rubble.

"Come on, girl… Search!"

She started digging.

"Good girl." Percy and Thalia nodded to each other. "Let's go!" And the four of them hurried into the Empire State Building.

.

Well, we're back at the top again. Of course, the grand city of the gods looks even worse than it did before. The bridge is falling apart, and it's all I can do to shout "JUMP!" in time for everyone to leap across the first falling fragment. Thalia is pale. I grab her arm. "You've got this!" I try to encourage her. We jump together to the next safe place.

Percy and Annabeth are lagging behind. Annabeth is in bad shape, and her arm is still weak. She manages the first jump, but Percy has to grasp onto her and pull her out of a bad fall for the second.

The four of us keep sprinting towards the sound of destruction… my favorite thing to run towards. Speaking of destruction, a statue of Hera falls as if it was aiming right for Annabeth. "Look out!" I call, too far to do anything more. "THALIA!" She just pushed Annabeth out of the way!

I run to her. "Thalia… please… no… not again…"

"Chill, Grover, I'm fine." She forces a smile. "Just very, very stuck."

We can't move her. "Thalia…" I stutter. The three of us stare down at her.

"Guys, you have to go! I'll be fine. Just go!"

My throat closes and my brain turns to mush. The dizziness and nausea I'm feeling… it's recognition. "Guys, you have to go… Just go!"

"This is different, Grover," the present voice of Thalia snaps me out of my memory. "You're the ones running toward the monsters…"

I look over my shoulder. Percy and Annabeth look behind them, too—towards Kronos.

"You've got this, you guys."

I turn back to her.

She winks at me. "It's all you. It's time to show him what you're made of."

I'm not sure whether she means Kronos or Luke. With a gulp I stand up straight. This is where I turn things around. This is where I make up for everything I regret. I run toward the battle. I fight.

"Go!" Thalia shouts.

The three of us sprint off.

.

Ethan stepped back to face Percy and Annabeth. It was the third time Percy faced him, and he started the battle with words instead of swords. "Ethan… can't you see… you're on the wrong side! Kronos will destroy everything! I know that the gods can be… well, jerks. But this isn't the answer to those faults!"

"Then what is, Percy?"

"I… I don't know…"

They crossed swords. Meanwhile, Annabeth hesitantly drew her dagger, saying, "Luke… you're still in there… I just know it…"

Grover started playing a melody on his pipes, causing grass to tangle up and roots to start wrapping around Kronos. It wasn't enough to stop the titan from his destructive rampage, but it slowed him down a little.

Ethan continued, "The minor gods… they aren't recognized… They need to be recognized… It's only fair."

Percy replied, "I agree, Ethan. Really, I do."

"The other demigods… Hermes cabin is filled with more unclaimed than his own children…"

"Yes, that's unfair. There's no space for anyone in there…"

Ethan lowered his blade. Ever since facing Percy in the Labyrinth, his loyalties had been wavering each time he saw him. "Things need to be… better."

Annabeth ran at Kronos. "Luke! Please!" she cried. But Kronos merely waved his hand, blasting her away. Grover shouted out, which interrupted his melody. He ran to her, saw she was okay, and quickly fed her some ambrosia.

Percy saw that Grover was helping Annabeth and turned his attention back to Ethan. Ethan was looking at Kronos. Percy nodded with hope. "We can make things better… But only if Olympus still stands…"

"Traitor!" Kronos roared.

Ethan charged him.

"Ethan! Don't!"

Kronos's body was still invulnerable. Ethan's sword bounced harmlessly off of the titan. Kronos fought back with Backbiter, running the sword straight through Ethan Nakamura's stomach.

"No!" Percy cried.

Then, Poseidon's throne glowed. Kronos turned back toward it. "What?!" he asked, mouth agape. The shouts of the gods—victorious by the sound of it—echoed from the distant Hudson River. Poseidon had joined the fight, and Typhon was about to fall.

"You've lost!" Percy shouted at the titan lord.

Kronos's eyes flashed. "We'll see." With dangerous speed, he came upon Percy.

"Percy!" Grover grasped Kronos's sword arm.

"Grover, don't—"

Kronos tossed him aside, and he slammed into Hera's throne.

Percy felt sick. Everyone was falling around him. Everyone who tried to face Kronos was tossed aside without effort. Chiron… Annabeth… Ethan… Grover…

But then Percy realized Kronos was no longer holding his weapon. He looked over at Grover. Backbiter was between the titan and the satyr. Grover had disarmed him!

But not for long. Kronos took up his sword again, but before he could use it, Annabeth caught it in her knife, holding him there. "Luke… Remember your promise! You promised we'd be a family! Remember who we were before all this!"

Kronos shuddered. Backbiter dropped to the floor. "Annabeth…" a weaker voice, more like Luke's, came from him. "I didn't want you to get hurt… We… are a family…"

Percy hurried to pick up Backbiter. He threw it into the hearth, where he knew Hestia would protect it, just like she was protecting Pandora's box. He wasn't sure how long Luke could hold off Kronos, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. He had to find the weak spot. He had to know where to strike to kill him once and for all.

Annabeth was still holding out her knife. "Luke… It's you, isn't it? This whole time…"

Percy wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he didn't like that Luke was reaching for her blade. Percy swiped it from them, and they turned to him as if noticing him for the first time.

"Percy…" Annabeth tried. "It's him."

A groan came from behind him. Grover was coming to.

"Percy…" Luke begged, "I can't hold him back from you for long… You must trust me… only I can defeat Kronos… I need to strike him within me… That's the only way he won't regain power… Please… give me the knife!"

"The hero… The blade…" Percy stared at the knife in his hand. All this time, he thought he was the hero… he thought Backbiter was the blade. But Rachel had said he wasn't the hero. He didn't understand what that meant… until now.

"We were a family… Thalia… Annabeth… even Grover…" Luke turned and saw the satyr getting to his feet, or at least trying to without touching Hera's throne for fear of being incinerated. But he looked at Luke, and their eyes locked.

"L-Luke?" the satyr spoke timidly.

"Grover… thank you. And I'm sorry. I've blamed you for everything bad on the way to camp… but it's about time I blame you for the good as well… I would not have gotten to camp without you. Annabeth wouldn't have survived all this if not for you… You… are the bravest satyr I ever knew… and I… I'm the one who has done the unforgivable…"

Grover sniffled, unable to stop the streams of tears coming from his eyes. Luke turned back to Percy.

"Percy… I'm sorry. I turned from your friendship and tried to kill you… I know you can't forgive me… but please… please… let me stop him."

Percy was now confident in Luke's sincerity. "I do forgive you, Luke…" He looked at Grover, who was trying to crawl to them. He looked at Annabeth, who was losing consciousness, clutching her injured arm. Then he looked back at Luke. His face was contorted in a concentrated effort to hold Kronos back. Hestia had told him that yielding was the most difficult power to control. Percy remembered her… he remembered her in this moment of his final decision. He looked over at the fading hearth, then handed over the cursed blade. "Do what you need to do, Luke."

Luke took the knife and nodded. "Thank you, Percy Jackson…" He began to unbuckle his armor, looking at Annabeth. "I'm sorry, Annabeth…"

She tried to give an encouraging smile through her tears and pain. "It's forgiven, Luke…"

His camp necklace slid from his armor straps, and he caught it in his hand. He turned back toward Grover, who had almost closed the distance. "You brought me home, Grover…" He tossed the beaded string over to the satyr who stared at it as it landed in front of him.

Grover clutched the necklace. "Luke…" he choked out. "Of course you're forgiven."

Those promises of forgiveness gave him the strength he needed. With a cry of determined repentance, Luke drove the dagger into his weak spot, under his arm, destroying Kronos and winning the war for Camp Half-Blood, while Percy, Annabeth, and Grover looked on with bittersweet tears.