***Hi guys, thanks again for all the reviews, you're all awesome! Here's Chapter 28, featuring Jason's POV. After this one, only twelve chapters left! I'm currently working on revisions to the next few chapters so hopefully the final battle will have some epic moments. Stay tuned! Also, quick disclaimer, I'm still not Rick Riordan. Chapter 29, featuring Hazel's POV, will be up by Tuesday, June 10.***

XXVIII. JASON

Jason heard the explosion and turned just in time to see Percy and Annabeth flying through the air away from a funnel cloud of dirt and stones rising from the summit of the mountain. The funnel cloud expanded until the entire Acropolis was encompassed in a swirling vortex of dirt and stone. Jason flattened himself on his stomach to avoid being brained by the chunks of marble whipping through the air. He tried to control the winds, but he didn't stand a chance; a force far more powerful than anything he'd ever experienced had control of the storm. It was impossible to see anything through the clouds of dust. Jason had no idea where his friends were or if they were okay. All he could do was brace himself and wait for the tempest to die down.

But when it did, Jason looked up and his insides dissolved. Standing in front of him was a woman. Except she was clearly not human: she was twenty feet tall, wearing a green dress, with dark, curly hair tumbling around her shoulders. She was beautiful, he supposed, but there was also something cruel and malicious about her face. Her eyes, when she fixed them on Jason, were as dark and bottomless as pits and her smile was cold. Jason knew he should stand up and draw his sword, but the power and malevolence radiating from the woman froze him to the spot.

Gaea was awake.

The earth goddess's gaze traveled slowly around the temple, moving from Jason to the remaining monsters, kneeling awestruck before her, over Hazel, still slumped against a pillar (Jason had no idea whether she was conscious or not), over Piper, who still had the cornucopia in one hand and her sword in the other, but looked just as stunned as Jason felt, and passing over Porphyrion and Alcyoneus, who looked beyond thrilled, before settling on Percy, who was crumpled on the ground not far away from Gaea. Jason couldn't tell if he was alive or dead and he had no idea where Annabeth was; for all he knew, she'd been thrown off the Acropolis during the storm, though he seriously hoped that wasn't the case.

Gaea walked toward Percy. Jason wanted to say something, like "stay away," but his voice wouldn't work. He met Piper's eyes and knew they were both thinking the same thing: How could this have happened? How could Gaea be awake?

The earth goddess bent over Percy with a smug smile on her face. She reached forward, but before she could touch him, Annabeth said, "Leave him alone!"

Gaea straightened up. Jason followed her gaze to where Annabeth was standing on a fallen block of marble. She was covered in cuts and scrapes, but her sword was in her hand and her eyes were blazing.

Gaea's smile widened. "My dear," she crooned, as if Annabeth were a long-lost child, "I believe I have you most to thank for my rise. You made such lovely bait to draw out my favorite pawn." The goddess gestured to Percy, sprawled at her feet.

Annabeth's eyes didn't waver from Gaea's face. Jason knew she had to be panicking, but her face and voice were calm as she said, "You haven't risen yet, Gaea. For that, you need a full sacrifice. We only gave you enough blood to wake you up."

Jason's heart began to race. "Wait, what? You guys woke her up on purpose?"

Annabeth glanced at Jason. "Only way. Remember Neptune's advice?"

How do you put to sleep that which is not awake? Suddenly, the sea god's cryptic advice made sense. Jason saw Piper's eyes widen in understanding.

Gaea waved a hand. "It doesn't matter. I am awake now. War will soon break out between the demigod camps and when it does, the soil will be drenched in the blood of Olympus. It is only a matter of time until my rise is complete. Until then, there are other tasks I can accomplish, now that I have a physical form."

At the goddess's feet, Percy groaned. Jason saw relief wash across Annabeth's face. Gaea looked down at Percy again.

"The upstart hero," she mused. "Though I suppose I could use that term to describe all of you on Hera's team." She said the last word scornfully, then gave a short laugh. "The best heroes Olympus has to offer. What a joke."

Jason gritted his teeth. He managed to get to his feet, his sword clenched in his hand as he faced Gaea. "Yeah, we were such a joke when we defeated the Titans last year. And it's pretty funny how we've been beating up your precious giants for months, isn't it? Who's the real joke here, Gaea?"

The smile disappeared from Gaea's face. Now, she was wearing a very ugly look that was directed at Jason. He knew he should feel more afraid, but he was tired of the stupid earth goddess bullying him and his friends. She'd been doing it for decades, ever since she'd taken over Marie Levesque's mind. Gaea had cost Hazel and her mother their lives. Then, she'd come back again and tricked Leo into starting the fire that killed his mother. Not to mention all the things she had done to try to prevent the demigods from even reaching Athens in the first place. Jason was over it.

"You're going to lose," he told Gaea. "Just like Kronos."

Gaea snarled. Porphyrion, Alcyoneus, and the dozen or so monsters scattered around the temple were looking back and forth between the two of them like they were watching a tennis match. Jason raised his sword. In his peripheral vision, he saw Piper and Annabeth do the same.

"I don't have time for this," Gaea snapped. She turned to Alcyoneus. "Handle these demigods, then join us on Olympus. We will destroy the gods at their roots. And then we will destroy everything else."

Alcyoneus cracked his jewel-encrusted knuckles and nodded. "Don't worry, Mother. They will die. Painfully."

Porphyrion smirked. Jason felt equal parts enraged and sick with fear. Gaea gave the demigods one final, cold smile. She raised her hands and the earth trembled.

"Enjoy watching your world burn, little heroes," she hissed as the earth opened up and swallowed the goddess and the giant king.