Warning: Certain ancient Greek names matches words use of foul language but no foul language was intentionally used. Also if you haven't read them yet read 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Early Adventures' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters' 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse' and 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Olympians: The Magical Labyrinth' as well as the one shots 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Stolen Chariot' The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Sword of Hades', and The Tales of the Son of Poseidon & the Bronze Dragon' before reading this story as stuff that happened in them will be mentioned. Lastly, any one who wants to do a Demigods and Olympian reads story using 'The Tales of the Son of Poseidon' is allowed as long as you inform me about it.

Hal's Knife Shall End My Brother's Days

The bridge to Olympus was dissolving. We stepped out of the elevator onto the white marble walkway, and immediately cracks appeared at our feet.

"Jump!" Grover said, which was easy for him to say since he's part mountain goat.

He sprang to the next slab of stone while our tilted sickeningly.

"Gods, I hate heights!" Thalia yelled as she and I leaped. But Annabeth wasn't much better as she stumbled after she reached the other side. "Percy!"

I caught her good arm as the pavement fell, crumbling to dust. Thalia and Grover grabbed me as well and helped me pull her up.

"Thanks," Annabeth mumbled.

"Uh-huh." I wanted to say something about it being like the good old days when we were traveling together with Luke nine years ago fighting monsters, surviving dangerous stunts, but with Kronos using Luke's body to destroy Olympus, I decided it would be a bad time to bring it up.

"Keep moving," Grover tugged my shoulder. We sprinted across the sky bridge as more stones disintegrated and fell to oblivion. We made it to the edge of the mountain just as the final section collapsed.

Annabeth looked back at the elevator, which was now completely out of reach—a polish set of metal doors hanging in space; attached to nothing, six hundred stories above Manhattan.

"We're marooned," she said. "On our own."

"Blah-ha-ha!" Grover said. "The connection between Olympus and America is dissolving. If it fails—"

"The gods won't move on to another country this time," Thalia said. "This will be the end of Olympus. The final end."

"Not unless we have something to say about it," I said. "Come on!"

We ra through the streets. Mansions were burning. Statues had been hacked down. Trees in the parks were blasted to splinters. It looked like someone had attacked the city with a giant Weedwacker.

"Kronos' scythe," I said as I adjusted my armor strap.

We followed the winding path toward the palace of the gods. I didn't remember the road being so long. Maybe Kronos was making time go slower, or maybe it was just dread slowing me down. The whole mountaintop was in ruins—so many beautiful buildings are gardens gone.

A few minor gods and nature spirits tried to stop Kronos. What remained of them was strewn about the road: shattered armor, ripped clothes, swords and spears broken in half.

Somewhere ahead of us, Kronos' voice roared: "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!"

A white marble temple with a gold dome suddenly exploded. The dome shot up like the lid of a teapot and shattered into a billion pieces, raining rubble over the city.

"That was a shrine to Artemis," Thalia grumbled. "He'll pay for that."

We were running under the marble archway with the huge statues of Zeus and Hera when the entire mountain groaned, rocking sideways like a boat in a storm.

"Look out!" Grover yelped. The archway crumbled. I looked up in time to see a twenty-ton scowling Hera toppled over on us. Annabeth and I would've been flattened, but Thalia shoved us from behind and we landed just out of danger.

"Thalia!" Grover cried.

When the dust cleared and the mountain stopped rocking, we found her still alive, but her legs were pinned under the statue.

We tried desperately to move it, but it would've taken several Cyclopes. When we tried to pull Thalia out from under it, she yelled in pain.

"I survived all those battles," she growled, "and I get defeated by a stupid chunk of rock!"

"It's Hera," Annabeth said in outrage. "She's had it in for me all year. Her statue would've killed me if you hadn't pushed us away."

Thalia grimaced. "Well, don't just stand there! I'll be fine. Go!"

We didn't want to leave her, but I could hear Kronos laughing as he approached the hall of the gods. More buildings."

"We'll be back," I promised. "Remember what Hal said about Jason."

Thalia nodded knowing well I was referring to her lost brother Jason. Hal predicted she would see Jason again, and Hal's predictions haven't been wrong yet. Even if I wasn't the child of prophecy, it doesn't mean Hal's prediction about me won't come true.

A fireball erupted on the side of the mountain, right near the gates of the palace.

"We've got to run," I said.

"I don't suppose you mean away," Grover murmured hopefully.

I sprinted toward the palace, Annabeth right behind me.

"I was afraid of that," Grover sighed, and clip-clopped after us.

The doors of the palace were big enough to steer a cruise ship through, but they'd been ripped off their hinges and smashed like thy weighed nothing. We had to climb over a huge pile of broke stone and twisted metal to get inside.

Kronos stood in the middle of the throne room, his arms wide, staring at the starry ceiling as if taking it all in. His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus.

"Finally!" he bellowed. "The Olympian Council—so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first."

The Hearth was almost dead, just a few coals glowing deep in the ashes. Hestia was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Rachel. I hope Hestia took her somewhere safe. Tauro swam in his water sphere in the far corner of the room, wisely not making a sound, but it wouldn't be long before Kronos noticed him.

Annabeth, Grover, and I stepped forward into the torchlight.

Kronos must have sensed us because he turned and smile through Luke's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same he had when he left camp. Annabeth made a painful sound in the back of her throat, like someone had sucker punched her.

"Shall I destroy you first, Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make—to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophecies never end well, you know."

"The Luke I know fight with a sword," I said. "But I suppose you don't have his skill."

Kronos sneered. His scythe change, until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with its half-steel, half-Celestial bronze blade.

"Annabeth, hand me Hal's knife," I said.

Annabeth looked at me and nodded.

However, before Annabeth could give me the knife, Kronos came at me like a whirlwind.

My instincts took over. I dodge ad slashed and roll, but I felt like I was fighting a hundred swordsmen.

Annabeth waited in the back to strike as Grover played his reed pipes. The sound filled me with warmth a courage—thoughts of sunlight and a blue sky and a calm meadow, somewhere far away from the war.

Kronos backed me up against the throne of Hephaestus—a huge mechanical La-Z-Boy type thing covered with bronze and silver gears. Kronos slashed, and I manage to jump straight up onto the seat. The throne whirred and hummed with secret mechanisms. Defense mode, it warned. Defense mode.

That couldn't be good but it might work to my favor. I jumped straight over Kronos' head as the throne shot tendrils of electricity in all directions. One hit Kronos in the face, arcing down his body and up his sword.

"ARG!" he crumbled to his knees and dropped Backbiter.

Annabeth saw her chance ad charged at Kronos. Kronos flicked his hand. Annabeth flew backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpled to the floor.

"Annabeth!" I screamed.

I wanted to run to her, help her out. Unfortunately, Kronos rose to his feet, picking up his sword.. His hair was smoldered. His face was covered with electric burns.

Grover started playing music, causing grass to grow around Kronos' legs. It only slow Kronos down as he charged at me.

I blocked over blow Kronos at me. Kronos slashed an armrest off the throne of Ares and backed me up to my dad's throne.

"Oh, yes," Kronos said. "This one will make fine kindling for my new hearth!"

Our blades clashed in a shower of sparks. He was powerful but by just standing next to my dad's throne, I felt the power of the sea. I pushed him back and struck again slashing riptide across his breastplate so hard I cut a gash in the Celestial Bronze armor.

I took out my thermos but Kronos slammed his foot on the ground, and time slowed.

"It's too late, Percy Jackson," Kronos said. "Behold."

He pointed to the hearth, and the coals glowed. A white sheet of smoke poured from the fire, forming images like an Iris-message. I saw Nico and Bianca down on Fifth Avenue, still fighting while being ringed by enemies. The battleground Hades fought from his black chariot, summoning wave after waves of zombies out of the ground, but the forces of the Titan's army seemed just as endless. Meanwhile, Manhattan was being destroyed. Mortals, now fully awake, were running in terror. Cars swerved and crashed.

The scene shifted, and I saw something even more terrifying.

A column of storm approaching the Hudson River, moving rapidly over the New Jersey Shore. Chariots circled it, locked in combat with the creature in the cloud.

The gods attacked. Lightning flashed. Arrows of gold and silver streaked into the cloud like rocket tracers and exploded. Slowly, the cloud ripped apart, and I saw Typhon clearly for the first time.

Typhon's head shifted constantly. Every moment he was a different monster, each more horrible than the last. His body was humanoid, but his ski reminded me of meatloaf sandwich that had been in someone's locker all year. He was mottled green, with blisters the size of buildings, ad blackened patches from eons of being stuck under a volcano. His hands were human, but with talons like a eagle's. His legs were scaly and reptilian. Needless to say, Typhon was the most terrifying monster I ever seen.

"The Olympians are giving their final effort." Kronos laughed. "How pathetic."

Zeus threw a thunderbolt from his chariot. The blast lit up the world. I could feel the shock even here on Olympus, but when the dust cleared, Typhon was still standing. He staggered for a bit, with a smoking crater on top of his misshapen head, but he roared in anger and kept advancing.

My limbs began to loosen up. Kronos didn't seem to notice. His attention was focused on the fight and his final victory. If I could hold out a few more seconds, and if my dad kept his word…

Typhon stepped into the Hudson River ad barely sank to midcalf.

Now, I thought, imploring the image in the smoke. Please, it has to happen now.

Like a miracle, a conch horn sounded from the smoky picture. The call of the ocean. The call of Poseidon.

All around Typhon, the Hudson River erupted, churning with forty-foot waves. Out of the water burst new chariot—this one pulled by massive Hippocampi, who swam I the air as easily as in water. My father Poseidon, glowing with a blue aura of power, rode a defiant circle around the giant's legs. Dad was no longer an old man. He looked like himself again—tan and strong with a black beard. As he swung his trident, the river responded, making a funnel cloud around the monster.

"No!" Kronos bellowed after a moment of stunned silence. "NO!"

"NOW, MY BRETHREN!" Poseidon's voice was so loud I wasn't sure if I was hearing it from the smoke image or from all the way across town. "STRIKE FOR OLYMPUS!"

Warriors burst out of the river, riding the wave on huge sharks and dragons and sea horses. It was a legion of Cyclopes, and leading them into battle was…

"Tyson!" I yelled.

I knew he couldn't hear me, but I stared at my brother in amazement. He'd magically grown in size. He was at least as tall as Polyphemus, and for the first time he was wearing full armor. Riding behind him was my immortal Brother Briares, the hundred handed one.

All the Cyclopes held huge lengths of black iron chains—big enough to anchor a battle ship—with a grappling hooks at the ends. They swung them like lassos and began to ensnare Tyson, throwing lines around the creature's legs and arms, using the tide to keep circling, slowly tangling him. Typhon shook and roared and yanked at the chains. The sheer weight of the Cyclops battalion began to weigh Typhon down. Meanwhile Dad threw his trident and impaled the monster in the throat. Golden blood, immortal ichor, spew from the wound, making a waterfall taller than a skyscraper. The trident flew back to Dad's hand.

The other gods struck with renewed force. Ares rode in ad stabbed Typhon in the nose. Artemis shot the monster in the eye with a dozen silver arrows. Apollo shot a blazing volley of arrows and set the monster's loincloth on fire. And Zeus kept pounding the giant with lightning, until finally, slowly the water rose, wrapping Typhon like a cocoon, and he began to sink under the weight of the chains. Typhon bellowed in agony, thrashing with such force that waves sloshed the Jersey shore, soaking five-story buildings and splashing over the George Washington Bridge—but down he went as my dad opened a special tunnel for him at the bottom of the river—an endless waterslide that would take him straight to Tartarus. The giant's head went under in a seething whirlpool, and he was gone.

"BAH!" Kronos screamed. He slashed his sword through the smoke, tearig the image to shreds.

"They're on their way," I said, "You've lost."

"I haven't even started."

He advanced with blinding speed. Grover tried to protect me, but Kronos tossed him aside like a rag doll.

I manage to use the time to duck and roll away from Kronos.

"STOP!" Annabeth came from nowhere.

Kronos whirled to her face and slashed with Backbiter, but somehow Annabeth caught the strike with her dagger's hilt. It was a move only the quickest and most skilled knife fighter could've managed and Annabeth used it to hold back the Titan Lord.

"Luke stop it!" I yelled.

Kronos roared in outrage. "Luke Castellan is dead! His body will burn away as I assume my true form!"

Kronos pushed against Annabeth pushed against Annabeth, trying to dislodge his blade, but she held him in check, her arms trembling as he forced his sword down toward her neck.

I tried to rush to her side, but I found myself frozen in time again.

"Your mother," Annabeth grunted. "She saw your fate."

"Service to Kronos!" the Titan roared. "This is my fate."

"No it isn't Luke!" I yelled, "It's the fate Halcyon mentioned! Remember? Sacrifice, Choice—"

"And Betrayal," the Titan grunted.

"That's right!" I responded. "Halcyon didn't get to finish because Thalia interrupted him, but he was actually talking about now. With the prophecy."

"And your mother saw it," Annabeth said. "She saw it when she tried to become the host of the Oracle."

"LIES!" Kronos pushed again, and this time Annabeth lost her balance. With his free hand, Kronos struck her face, and she slid backward

I got one more idea of how to bring Luke out. It was a long shot but I summoned all my will to rise and rushed in front of Annabeth. I spiraled out my shield while rising u

"That punny shield won't stand against me Jackson," Kronos said.

"Luke look at the center of the shield!" I yelled.

By some miracle he did, and Kronos froze as he stared at the image carved in my shield, the image of Annabeth Thalia Luke and I in my mother's apartment with our arms linked with arm to shoulder like one big happy family.

"Remember, Luke? My mom took the picture. It represents us as a family, that our bond is stronger than anything," I reminded him, "Kronos tried to destroy that bond when he had you disowned me back at Anteaus' arena, but he couldn't, because no matter what you or anyone else says, you're my brother."

He stared at the image at my shield as he said. "Brother."

Then he gasped like he couldn't get air. "Percy… Annabeth…" but it wasn't the Titan's voice. It was Luke's. He stumbled forward like he couldn't control his own body. "Annabeth, you're bleading…"

"Luke, I'm sorry to ask you this, but if you have any control, drop backbiter," I said.

I don't know if it was by luck or act of fate or both, but Luke did drop his sword and I quickly kicked it in the Hearth.

"Percy the knife." Annabeth tried to raise her dagger, but it clattered out of her had. Her arm was obviously broken as it was bent in a funny way. I picked it up instead.

"Halcyon's knife," I told Luke, "He sacrificed himself so we could survive."

Luke nodded knowing full and well where I was going.

But before he could take the knife, Luke's body stated to glow gold, as if turning that way.

Luke gasped as if trying to stay in control. "He's changing. Help. He's… he's almost ready. He won't need my body anymore. Percy—"

"NO!" Kronos bellowed. He looked around for his sword, but it was in the hearth, glowing among the coals.

He stumbled toward it.

Lady Hestia, if you're listening, stop Kronos from getting his sword, I prayed.

Just as Kronos grasped his sword, he bellowed in pain and dropped it. His hands were smoking and seared. The Hearth fire had grown red hot, like the scythe wasn't compatible with it. I saw an image of Hestia flickering in the ashes, frowning at Kronos with disapproval but at the same time giving me a reinsuring look.

Luke manage to gain back control as he said. "Percy, the knife."

Only Luke knows how to stop Kronos, Ethan's words echoed in my head as I realized Ethan was talking about Luke's vulnerable spot.

I gave Luke the knife which he grasped it.

Luke the unlatched the side of his armor, exposing a small bit of his skin just under his left arm, right where I had mine. With difficulty of Kronos trying to gain control, Luke stabbed himself.

It wasn't a deep cut, but Luke howl. His eyes glowed like lava. The throne room shook, throwing me off my feet. An aura of energy surrounded Luke, growing brighter and brighter. I shut my eyes and felt a force like a nuclear explosion blistered my skin and cracked my lips.

It wasn't until a minute after things quiet down that I opened my eyes and saw Luke sprawled at the hearth. On the floor around him was a blackened circle of ash. Kronos' scythe had liquefied into molten metal and was trickling into the coals of the hearth, which now glowed like a blacksmith furnace.

Luke's left body was bloody. His eyes were open—blue eyes, the way they used to be. His breath was deep and rattle.

"Good… blade," he croaked.

I knelt next to him. Annabeth limped over with Grover's support. They both had tears in their eyes.

"You knew," Luke said to Annabeth and me. "I could of killed you, but both of you knew…"

"You're a hero, Luke," I said. "You'll go to Elysium."

He shook his head weakily. "Think… rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest."

Annabeth sniffled. "You always pushed yourself too hard."

"Sorry, Percy… I didn't mean what I said… at the arena," Luke said, "You and Annabeth were like brother and sister to me."

"I know," I said.

"Tell Thalia I said, I'm sorry," Luke said. "Annabeth, same to you…"

Annabeth wiped a tear from her face.

"Grover," Luke gulped. "You're the bravest satyr I ever knew."

Luke coughed again and gripped my sleeve. I could feel the heat of his skin like fire. "Percy, do me a favor. Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it… don't let it happen again."

"I won't, I swear on the river of Styx."

The sky boomed at my oath. Luke nodded, and his had went slack.

…

The gods arrived a few minutes later in their full war regalia, thundering into the throne room and expecting a battle.

What they found were Annabeth, Grover and me standing over the body of a broken half-blood, in the dim light of the hearth.

"Percy," my father called, awe in his voice. "What… what is this?"

I turned and face the Olympians.

"We need a shroud," I announced, my voice cracking. "A shroud for the son of Hermes, and my brother: Luke Castellan."