Chapter 17: Stand Against Darkness
Appearing in her silver chariot, Artemis had answered a desperate call from Camp Half-Blood. Apollo rode in his own carriage alongside her, an equally grim expression plastered across his face. As the first ones to arrive, they mirrored angst at the unkempt chaos below. Fires blazed across the forests and cabins, the entire camp littered with hulking silhouettes of both titans and giants. Disoriented campers screamed in the forest, and a few shouts rang out in an attempt to organize and evacuate them. Chiron stumbled out of the collapsed Big House, visibly injured while he searched for his bow.
Artemis scanned the lineup of enemies, her eyes widening further and further as she tallied them. She shot a glowing arrow into the sky, her emergency signal for the rest of the Olympians, as she clasped her hands and sent out her own set of instructions. Suddenly, a midnight black arrow tore through her chariot, splintering it. The goddess teleported to the earth below, and her wreckage touched down shortly after. Artemis snapped in the direction the projectile had come from and found an impossibly black portal with another arrow protruding from it.
The image pulled at a memory from the very first night Percy had reappeared, having been shot in the same circumstance. Artemis launched her own arrow towards the portal as the one from within shot out. She'd dodged as she released, and the black arrow grazed her shoulder, leaving only a thin cut. Her silver one found its mark; the thunk of its impact was followed by a pained grunt. A figure emerged from the portal with her arrow sticking out of his chest. Eyes narrowed, Artemis recognized the midnight archer.
Orion grinned in reply, his mechanical red eyes glowing as the portal closed behind him.
"Didn't have any room to sidestep inside Erebus' domain," the giant complained aloud.
"It was you that night, wasn't it?" Artemis snapped, disregarding his excuse, "When the monsters that ambushed my hunters were massacred by one man? You tried to kill him as a consolation prize before you hesitated and missed!"
Orion sneered at the moon goddess.
"That damn Percy Jackson should have stayed hidden away. It is most disappointing that I am no longer the only man to have been part of the legendary Hunt, but after today, I will be the only one still living."
"You're wrong, Orion. Percy Jackson is the only man to have ever been a part of the Hunt. You were never much more than a boy," Artemis spat as she nocked another arrow.
"A shame that I have not been granted the privilege to kill you," Orion seethed.
The flat of a spear collided with Artemis' blind side, rocketing her twenty feet away into the wall of the nearest building. She angrily clawed out of the rubble of Demeter's cabin, only to look up and find Porphyrion glaring back at her. The goddess was taken aback by the King of the Giants having made an appearance. Recovering quickly, she rose to her divine height and unsheathed her knives just as a thick bolt of lightning ripped from the sky and crashed into Porphyrion's shoulder.
"It is repulsive to see a king do another master's bidding," Zeus said disgustedly as he rose out of the crater of earth he'd just torn open.
Porphyrion shot to his feet, towering above the pair of Olympians as he laughed.
"I would never serve Erebus of my own accord. My father, Tartarus, urged me to be here to usher in his own ultimate victory!"
Zeus gritted his teeth as his body tensed, already coursing with lightning. The Kings of the Gods and Giants roared as they clashed. Orion and Artemis did the same, her hunting knives tearing against his mechanical bow. The camp erupted with the sounds of battle as more Olympians arrived and took up arms against the monstrous lineup before them.
Ares had set his own armor ablaze, rampaging towards the muscle-bound Perses bulldozing the forest. Hades locked blades against Alcyoneus just meters away from a heated clash of spears between Athena and Enceladus. Hermes had pulled Dionysus out of the rubble of the Big House, and they engaged Ephialtes and Otis, the twin giants that had tossed the boulder through the building. In the strawberry fields, Hestia and Demeter had shed their pacifism as they attacked Koios, the Titan of Forethought. Apollo and Hephaestus stood back to back as they respectively held back the giants Leon and Mimas.
(Line Break)
Oceanus' head thudded against the earth after being struck by Percy's Fist of Havoc. Brandishing his serpent, the titan shook himself to his feet and barrelled forward. The demigod found it grueling to fight against such a nontraditional weapon, uncomfortably blocking each living, coiling swipe with Riptide. The titan suddenly whirled at blinding speed, slipping through his opponent's defense, and his serpent wrapped itself around the demigod. Percy groaned as it constricted, the serpent vying to ensure he couldn't move. Oceanus lifted him off of the ground and swung his weapon like a bat, striking the demigod against tree after tree.
Percy's vision blurred from the consecutive impacts. He fought to regain his bearings and stabbed Riptide deep into the serpentine coils trapping him. The monster hissed before it fell limp for a moment, allowing Percy to escape. The demigod sheathed his sword in favor of his Bronze Knuckles, understanding that his only chance to beat Oceanus was in making the slithering weapon useless. Shoving to point-blank with the titan, Percy whaled on his chest and stomach. As Oceanus doubled over, fighting for his breath underneath the mounting onslaught, his thick serpent struggled to bend its body precisely enough to bite the demigod.
"Enough!" Oceanus wheezed, shoving Percy back, "I will beat you into dust."
The serpent vanished, and Oceanus punched his knuckles together while his breathing leveled. Percy grinned as he wiped the golden blood on his attachments into the grass. They charged each other again, launching an unending flurry of punches. But for every barely-glancing blow Oceanus landed, Percy struck five directly. The demigod was far too quick for the much larger titan, and he packed an immensely powerful punch. Quickly growing both bruised and increasingly frustrated, Oceanus lunged forward and wrapped his opponent in a bear hug. Percy's vision exploded with stars under the rapidly burgeoning pressure when a voice spoke in his head.
Line up against the door.
He recognized it was Hera, who wouldn't have been in his top twenty guesses for people there to assist. Percy tensed his body under the duress while considering what she'd meant. Through his throbbing vision, he made out Zeus' Fist and realized the goddess was referring to the entrance of the Labyrinth. Still unable to break away, the demigod shoved with his whole body, all but flailing as he elbowed the titan to adjust. His opponent sneered through gritted teeth.
"Finding it difficult to breathe, Pers–argh!"
A peacock-feather blade sank into Oceanus' back. The Queen of the Gods stood on the other end, leading a battalion of Romans out of the Labyrinth. She thrust her weapon deeper, and Oceanus' grip failed him. Percy wasted no time, vaulting onto the titan's shoulders and wrapping his neck in a headlock. His vice held the titan in place, giving him a moment to speak.
"Thank you for that, Lady Hera."
The goddess waved it off, her brows creasing.
"You must move Oceanus away from here. I have only brought a handful of Rome's best fighters to assist against the giants. The majority are medics for the injured demigods as we evacuate through the Labyrinth."
Percy nodded, tightening his elbow around the titan's neck as he spread his wings. Flying away from the growing batch of demigods behind Hera, he smiled quickly as he caught a few friends among them. With the titan in tow, the demigod disappeared above the trees, and the goddess turned back to the Romans.
"I will leave the rest to you," she said and vanished.
The medics mobilized, throwing up tents and unloading stretchers into the large clearing around Zeus' Fist. They split into two groups, the larger one running straight into the forest to vacate the campers while the smaller stood guard. Hazel and Reyna, both on the back of Arion-Frank, tore away from the medics and towards where the divine fighting seemed worst. A fireball streaked overhead as Leo arrived from Olympus to assist his father.
The trio of Romans broke through the forest to see several battles ensuing in their field of vision. Thalia had found her way out of the trees herself, and was juggling between Zeus and Artemis as they fought Porphyrion and Orion. The daughter of Zeus stood dozens of meters away from both battles, swapping her arrows' targets as often as she could. Reyna appeared alongside her.
"Assist your father; I will fight with Lady Diana," she said.
Thalia nodded and brandished her spear. As Reyna drew her gladius, the pair ran towards their respective assignments. Hazel found Hades wielding dual scimitars against Alcyoneus' massive sword. The Alaskan giant seemed to also be swatting at a fly, and she caught glimpses of Nico appearing and vanishing in shadows around the giant's body, slicing with his Stygian Iron blade. She'd nearly turned her attention elsewhere when Alcyoneus predicted her brother's shift and roughly backhanded him to the ground. Hazel screamed, and a shadow enveloped her.
She reappeared clad in midnight black armor and holding a blackened-gold cavalry sword, her gifted form as Heiress of the Underworld. Hazel ran to join their fight against the giant she'd rebuilt.
Frank scanned the battles and noticed the twin giants battering Hermes and Dionysus with airborne, house-sized, chunks of earth. The last lob had struck the wine god, pinning the drunkard's leg down. The demigod galloped towards them as the giants worked together and launched the largest block yet. The massive piece of earth hurtled towards Dionysus, and Hermes was backpedaling towards the rubble of the Big House when Frank appeared in front of the Olympians.
The chunk didn't reach the ground. It hovered feet in the air for several seconds while Frank agonizingly exerted himself. The twin giants' brows furrowed towards the floating mass and the shouting coming from behind it. The ball of earth suddenly lurched to the side, landing with a dull thud, and revealed Dionysus and Hermes unscathed behind a hulking Hundred-Handed-One. Frank let out an exhausted sigh as his experimental form deflated, and he returned to himself before collapsing to one knee.
Massive fires erupted close-by as Leo and Hephaestus battled Mimas alongside Will Solace and Apollo fighting Leon. The singe of the flames brought Frank's vision into focus. He fought back to his feet, shuddering after his most difficult transformation ever, and he readied his spear. Dionysus clawed his way through the trapping rubble, sobered up by the impending attack he'd been saved from. Hermes helped the wine god up, and they stood alongside Frank.
"Uh. Thanks, Francis," Dionysus said awkwardly as he lifted his pinecone-tipped scepter.
Frank, ignoring the mistake, quickly bowed his head before the trio charged the giants together. Otis and Ephialtes each clashed against an Olympian while Frank shifted to the Minotaur and buried both a horn and Ultor into Otis' thigh. The giant roared in his agony, stumbling back and allowing Hermes to jab his stomach with a golden sword swirled by two snakes.
A sober Dionysus was a force to be reckoned with, bruising Ephialtes again and again with his pinecone thyrsus. The giant tried to fight towards his kneeling twin, but the wine god raised an arm, and thick grape vines tangled the creature's scaly legs. Ephialtes fell forward, where Dionysus had been waiting to shove his thyrsus hard against the giant's nose and shatter it. The monster wailed, clutching his bleeding face while his aura of Darkness worked to repair it. Frank noticed his cue and swapped opponents, spearing through the fallen giant's gushing nose.
Otis rose to help his brother, but Hermes kicked up with his winged shoes and ran his blade deep into the giant's ear. George and Martha snaked off of the sword, growing to anaconda-sized, and raised their own havoc within the giant's head. Otis, still unsteady from the cascading wounds on his thigh, fell forward as he screamed in the internal agony. The two giants dropped facedown side by side, breathing shallowly. Frank positioned himself alongside their adjacent heads. The two were both small for giants, but the demigod could still comfortably line his strike against their large, grotesque faces. He reared back Ultor.
"Mars Ultor, give me strength," he whispered as he threw his spear forward.
It pierced clean through both giants' heads, burying itself in the earth after exiting the second enemy. At the same time, Dionysus had brought his weapon down on Ephialtes' skull and Hermes on Otis'. Both giants silently vanished into earthen dust.
In the forest, Ares grinned knowingly as he caught a heaving fist against the side of his face. The flaming God of War fell to the ground, and smoke billowed around him. When he stood, his burning armor was replaced with modern military battle wear, and he was wielding a combat knife. Mars smiled menacingly, manifested by Frank's call, and Perses warily eyed the transformation. The two had been duking it out for some time, illustrated by the bruises riddling their bodies.
The Titan of Destruction roared and charged again, ripping a tree out of the ground and swinging it. Mars ducked beneath the trunk, lunging forward and digging his knife into the titan's abdomen. Perses grunted but ignored the wound; his massively muscled form had only allowed the blade to penetrate an inch. The Olympian dislodged his knife before he jumped back, keeping his breathing calm as he dodged titanic punches that tore holes through entire trees.
In his Roman form, it was next to impossible to enrage the god into attacking blindly. Unlike Ares, who was just as violent as Perses while only having a portion of the titan's destructive power, Mars calculated every move as the titan kept coming. The war god met every raging swing with a precise uppercut, a kick to the throat, or another whittling stab of his knife. Perses slowed his attacks as the mad titan's blood pooled a trail behind him. Mars pressed to the offensive, slicing vital areas before blinding the monstrous creature. The Olympian began to slash at his knees until his opponent roared and fell forward. Finding his opportunity, Mars stabbed upward through the roof of Perses' unhinged maw, and the light fully vanished from the Titan of Destruction's eyes. The Roman God of War cleaned and sheathed his knife, silently observing the burning forest surrounding him.
(Line Break)
"This is a familiar scene," Enceladus laughed as he arced his spear across the earth.
Athena jumped back, blocking with her aegis as she recalled her own spear. Annabeth held her breath just inches from the giant, hidden by her invisibility cap she'd originally put on to sneak to the hunters' flag.
"You will die just as you did at the Acropolis," Athena said confidently as she ran at the giant born to oppose her.
Annabeth stabbed Enceladus' foot before she bolted, stepping away from his thrusting spear. She reached into her backpack and fitted a glove-like contraption onto her arm. Meanwhile, Athena rammed the giant with her aegis, forcing him back before she stabbed her spear at his chest. Enceladus parried it with his own before he felt a presence graze his right shin. Rearing back, he slapped hard with his free hand, and the heavy impact made an audible squish.
Athena's heart dropped, and she nearly lost her grip on her weapons. Tears welled in her eyes while Enceladus roared with laughter.
"Your so-called great daughter squashed like a bug!" he shouted, still pressing his hand against his calf.
Athena's pain shifted to anger until a voice whispered next to her.
"He's a moron; I'm not there."
Athena's face washed with relief, much to Enceladus' confusion before Annabeth tipped off her Yankees Cap, standing very much alive next to her mother. The giant's eyes widened as he pushed to straighten himself. But he couldn't move. Gritting his teeth, the monster strained to free his hand from his calf, but was thoroughly trapped while hunched forward. When Enceladus started shouting towards the duo, Annabeth smirked and gestured with her gloved hand. Thick webs shot from her lean gauntlet and blinded the screaming giant. Dropping his spear, he clawed at the substance with his other hand, only for it to become stuck to his eyes. Athena looked both disgusted and impressed.
"You assimilated Arachne's power as your own?"
"And made it a thousand times stickier, yeah. Just an idea I had to commemorate the journey," Annabeth answered proudly, but shuddered at the memory.
"You have become a Spider Lady yourself," the wisdom goddess mused.
"The name could use some work, but kind of, yes!"
Enceladus dissolved shortly after, following a flurry of brutal blows against his web-induced defenseless form.
Behind them, Alcyoneus stumbled back from the combined attacks of Hades and his children. Nico clutched his side and hung behind the other two, raising Spartoi and Hellhounds to chip at the angry giant. Hades' Helm of Darkness had been enveloped in black fire as the God of the Underworld ruthlessly swung his dual scimitars against the giant's heaving blade. Hazel sliced at the monster's lower half, severing regenerating toes and tearing open rapidly healing cuts.
Alcyoneus grew frustrated and barreled forward. He dealt a glancing kick to Hazel's chest, but her Stygian-crafted armor absorbed most of the impact. The giant's bulldozing sent Hades stumbling down while Nico backpedaled, the demigod especially vulnerable to a fatal blow. The giant raised his sword overhead to bring down on the fallen god, and Hazel closed her eyes. She thrust out her arms as Alcyoneus swung, and her gut tensed as she called to her power.
The glowing gems and weapons sewn into the giant's hellish braids answered. She balled her fists as she pulled downwards, dragging the shocked giant to the dirt by his hair. His face dug into the earth, weighed down by the precious metals under Hazel's control. Hades climbed back to his feet, standing over the giant that was trying to raise his head. Hazel grunted through her tight jaw, her forehead beading with sweat as she struggled to hold Alcyoneus in place. Her burden eased when the God of the Underworld buried his scimitars in the giant's neck and Nico sent a Hellhound to bite down simultaneously, leaving nothing of the monster but a pile of gems.
(Line Break)
"Wait, I remember you now!" Leo shouted, airborne he set Mimas' hair alight for the umpteenth time, making the monster scream once again.
"Annabeth and Piper fought you during our trip to Greece. They said you ruin attack plans just by existing, so that must be why dad has such a hard time against you; he's too intricate!" the demigod thought out loud as he glanced at a battered Hephaestus climbing to his feet.
Leo grinned madly, returning his attention to Mimas. He flew between the giant's scaly legs, cracking his ball peen hammers against the monster's knees before kicking him in the stomach. The giant continued to swipe at Leo, who jerked in midair on pure instinct and avoided every clawing hand.
"Dad, just stop thinking!" he shouted as his father grunted.
The giant shifted towards the rising God of the Forge, ecstatic to beat him down again.
Will Solace shot another arrow into the chest of his lion-headed opponent. Apollo did the same, adding to the riddled pincushion. Leon roared and swatted at the dozens of arrows sticking out of him, snapping their shafts. Apollo grew frustrated, accepting that arrows wouldn't be enough. But he suddenly grinned, replacing his bow with his lyre. Will cocked his head, bewildered, his eyes shooting between the god and the horseshoe instrument.
"Just trust me and aim only at his neck," Apollo said before ripping the strings out of his lyre, leaving only the frame.
Will only became more confused but nodded before his father spun to meet the charging giant. Leon was trudging laboriously because of his massive blood loss, but the wounds were rapidly healing. Not willing to lose another second to regeneration, Apollo swung his lyre against the lionhead, veering the giant to the side. He used the opportunity to climb onto Leon's shoulders and shove the off-balance monster's head through the instrument's frame.
"Now, Will!" Apollo shouted.
The sun god braced his knees against the back of Leon's neck as he pulled hard on his unorthodox weapon. Being strangled, Leon was forced to look up while he clawed at the symbol of Apollo's power. Will let arrows loose as quickly as he could, peppering holes in the giant's fleshy neck as his father yanked as hard as he could. As the giant's oxygen depleted, his hands lost their dexterity and fell loosely to his sides. After a sharp crack, Leon fell flat on his animal snout before dissolving into nothing.
Hephaestus and Mimas traded blows, the giant slipping beneath a wide swing from the god and elbowing him in the face. Leo sucked his teeth at the impact before encouraging his dad to stop thinking things through. Hephaestus swung angrily as he turned away from the giant.
"What do you mean?!" he snapped towards his son, unwittingly punching Mimas square in the jaw.
"That! Do that again!"
Hephaestus looked at his own hands before narrowing his swollen eyes. Each time he thought of how to attack, he stopped himself and flailed. Punch with the right? No, a sweeping kick with the left. Mimas positioned to block the former only to be struck by the latter. Leo laughed as he joined in, eviscerating the giant with massive fireballs thrown at random. In a matter of minutes, Mimas wailed as he dissolved under Leo's burning flames and the crushing blows of a temporarily-spontaneous forge god.
As battles ended, Olympians and their companion demigods made their way towards the camp's center. But in that open area, two battles still raged. Zeus and Thalia together were a force of nature, their hurtling winds uprooting trees while dozens of lightning bolts tore into the earth. Porphyrion speared Zeus through the shoulder, but the god only grunted before responding with his Master Bolt through the giant's knee.
Thalia carefully and quickly weaved between the legs of the giant king, stabbing his joints and electrifying his tendons. Porphyrion bared his teeth as he tried to stomp her out only for Zeus to lower his shoulder and barrel into the giant. Next to them, Artemis and Orion traded arrows while Reyna circled closer to their opponent. The Praetor held her cloak steady as she neared the giant, knowing that the impenetrable cloth gifted by the Parthenos could negate his arrows. Orion backpedaled as another one of Artemis' silver projectiles found his shoulder.
The goddess snapped the two black arrows protruding from her side, and she steadied her labored breathing while Reyna bridged the gap against the stumbling giant. Seizing the chance, the demigod stabbed at him with her gladius, but the giant caught the blade on his compound bow. He shoved against the demigod, knocking her onto her back.
"This will not end like the last time," Orion grated as he drew and released an arrow at Reyna.
The demigod's arms flew to protect her face. When no impact came, she lowered them to find a silver arrow buried inches from her face beside a black one snapped in two. Her eyes widened as Orion's mechanical ones whirred, both realizing Artemis had intercepted the projectile with her own. The giant moved quickly, readying another shot as he spun towards the moon goddess.
By the time he'd fully drawn his arrow back, glass had shattered, and Artemis dropped her shoulders, lowering her bow. A silver arrow protruded from a darkened mechanical eye. Reyna reacted instantly, shoving herself up and silencing the other red glow with a rough stab from her gladius. Orion's body fell slack before it vanished.
"Milady, are you alright?" Reyna asked, running up to the goddess who was clutching her side.
"Yes, this is nothing; we will handle it when the battle ends. Good work, Reyna," Artemis answered.
"I couldn't imagine that it was possible to intercept an already-fired arrow. Thank you."
Artemis smirked, but before she could reply, a sheet of white struck the earth behind them followed by a deafening boom. They spun together to find Porphyrion shoved to the bottom of a ten-foot crater, his skin sizzling. The giant king groaned weakly as Zeus stood at the edge of the crater, clutching his shoulder that was pouring ichor. Thalia raised her spear overhead with both hands before launching both the weapon and another hurtling bolt of lightning into the giant's chest, emptying the hole of a body.
(Line Break)
Percy and Oceanus froze simultaneously when the loudest boom of thunder either had ever heard rolled across camp.
"Of course that inferior giant king is struggling against your God of the Sky," Oceanus spat through bloodied teeth.
"Twenty bucks that that was actually just his daughter," Percy replied, grinning through the bruises on both sides of his face.
After Percy had flown them away from the Labyrinth's entrance, Oceanus had struggled out of his chokehold above the forest's river. The titan had dropped like a rock, followed closely by Percy ripping into the current right behind him. They'd exchanged blows for several minutes, rejuvenated by the water around them, but the damage had taken a devastating toll on both of their bodies.
The duelists' chests heaved as they glared at each other, grudgingly allowing a moment of solace for the waist-level water to heal them. But the demigod suddenly had an idea. He tensed his arms, and his flaming hammers materialized in his grasp. Percy launched them at the titan, hoping the explosions would evaporate the water or push it away. But his objective was short-sighted; Oceanus undoubtedly had the upper hand in the river because of his vast experience.
The titan stifled Percy's Hammer of Sol almost immediately, dousing the demigod with a tight geyser. Percy dove down, his hammers already dissolved, and Oceanus met him underwater. Their battlefield was evened; Oceanus' affinity in his domain outweighed Percy's just as much as the demigod's speed outclassed the titan's. The battered pair continued their fight in mutual silence as the river roared around the two entities of the sea warring for dominance.
Percy shoved Oceanus back and uncapped Riptide, having only a moment before the monster propelled himself forward with the current. The demigod ducked under the incoming fist and stabbed his sword into the titan's thigh. The blade cut through his leg with zero resistance, and Percy rolled forward. Oceanus laughed as his form dissipated into the river, and the demigod realized Riptide had harmlessly passed through water.
"I have lived for thousands upon thousands of years, child. Your understanding of this domain is a droplet within my sea," Oceanus boasted, his voice shapeless.
Submerged completely, Percy didn't have to close his eyes to sense presence in water. He tightened his focus and watched as the river condensed, revealing Oceanus' liquid form. Percy looked directly at the titan, who quickly realized he was no longer invisible to the demigod.
"Surprising," he mused before barreling towards Percy.
The demigod met him halfway, and their clash flooded the banks as water exploded away from them in waves. The titan summoned his serpent, who bit down on Percy's left arm. He screamed underwater before twisting and beheading the living weapon with Riptide. Oceanus glowered at the demigod that was clutching a bleeding arm before the titan smiled sadistically.
"You have made a grave mistake by dragging our duel to the seas. An arrogant human trifling in the domain of a titan. I am your father's predecessor!" Oceanus roared as he thrust out his hands and exponentially increased the pressure of the water around Percy.
The demigod gritted his teeth as his arms pinned to his sides and knees were forced towards his chest. He shut his eyes, concentrating single-mindedly on not allowing the water to crush him. Percy forced his palms to face outward against the water, desperately willing it to ease. Oceanus grinned maniacally as he brought his hands closer together. As the pressure further heightened, the demigod felt his bones fracture and his spirit lessen, his vision narrowing to an imminent, painful end.
It was then Percy learned that before a person dies, their memories flood through their mind and play back a reel of the life they lived. He was suddenly ripped through his own story. He watched himself grow up, move in with that disgusting creature, Gabe, and attend all of the schools he'd hated. He again experienced all of his quests throughout the years, all of his near-death experiences against the likes of Kronos and Gaea. He relived his best memories as well: eating blue cookies with his mother on their fireplace couch, lounging on the Argo II with his best friends as they cruised along sharing stories, and every single moment of the last several months he'd spent with Artemis. His mind lingered on her face as his consciousness started to fail him.
But a deep memory tugged at Percy's mind when his entire world had nearly faded to black. He was twelve years old again, looking up at Poseidon on his throne. The young demigod was on Olympus after returning the Master Bolt, his first ever quest. The god's eyes creased when he smiled, speaking indistinctly to his son. But suddenly, the memory's sharpness increased to a painful degree, and Poseidon's eyes seemed to bore through time at Percy when he spoke.
"The sea does not like to be restrained."
The demigod's eyes snapped open, and the water around him exploded as he released a feral shout. Oceanus launched backwards, slamming against a dirt wall in the river. The titan stared in shock at the demigod glowing with power as he willed the river to obey him. Oceanus recovered quickly, lining up against Percy and wrestling for control. The torrential river swirled around them, threatening to shear apart under their strain.
Percy's glow only grew brighter as he acknowledged their reasons to fight. Oceanus' control began to slip as he understood the same. The titan lusted for power and for destruction, hoping to dominate the sea itself. The demigod had no similar ambition; he was fighting to free his father from the clutches of an ancient evil, and to return him to the domain where he belonged. The river chose its victor.
Oceanus fell forward as the current swept through his grasp. Percy thrust out his hands, just as the titan had, slowly bringing his palms closer to one another. Oceanus struggled against the weight collapsing in from all sides. His eyes shot wide as the glowing demigod bridged the distance between them, the titan unable to move another muscle.
"Where. Is. Poseidon?" Percy asked in a steely tone, his hands inching together.
Oceanus gritted his teeth as bones snapped, and he relented. The demigod's eyes narrowed at the place the titan named.
"I swear it. On the Styx. Please," the titan begged as sealing thunder echoed far overhead.
Percy clamped his hands together, and a sickening crunch was followed by the dissolution of dark water in the river.
(Line Break)
Nearly all of the gods and demigods had gathered by the center of camp, overlooking all of the former battle sites. They stood around awkwardly, waiting for reports as the wounded ones patched themselves up. Hermes arrived from the forest on his winged shoes, landing in front of a bandaged Zeus.
"The demigods have been evacuated to New Rome. We unfortunately lost over a dozen before our arrival, but none fell to the fire. Oh and, uh, I found this one refusing to leave through the Labyrinth after she heard Percy was fighting a titan," Hermes reported, pushing a shy little girl forward.
Anna timidly waved to the group. Thalia quickly wrapped the huntress in a hug before scolding her for staying in the forest and then she hugged her again. Zeus nodded, and everyone present felt rightfully saddened by the passing of demigods. Hestia and Demeter appeared calmly in flashes of light, and Artemis checked in with them after caressing Anna's head.
"Hestia, you two look completely unscathed. Did you not also fight a titan?" she asked incredulously.
All eyes turned to the strawberry fields in the distance where the peaceful goddesses had faced off against Koios. Their collective gaze fell on a badly charred, unrecognizable creature held spread-eagle by high, thick vines. Demeter gasped and flicked her wrist, and the environmental contraption ripped the shape apart, leaving only golden dust. Everyone present stared aghast at the pacifist duo, who looked back innocently.
Anna walked up to Demeter and pulled on the goddess' long, green dress. The Olympian smiled warmly as she picked the young huntress up.
"I think you're my mom," Anna said, biting her tongue and raising a plant from the earth.
"I am, dear. I have watched over you for years and have also seen all of your impressive growth with Perseus," she said before her eyes widened.
"Did you see what happened in the strawberry fields?" Demeter asked cautiously.
Anna laughed in confirmation, telling her that Percy and Artemis attack people that brutally all the time. The goddess launched into a rant, claiming she only did it because Koios was there to harm her family, and violence for other reasons was bad. Rounds of Olympian groans ensued.
"I believe all that is left is putting out the forest fires," Hestia said, changing the subject.
"And Perseus' battle with Oceanus," Hera added as she flashed in.
On queue, the demigod appeared flying high above the forest followed closely by a tidal wave. Water from the river coursed behind him, and it dispersed evenly across the forest to douse the remaining flames. Nearing the group, Percy stumbled as he touched down, his body struggling to hold him upright after his battle against Oceanus.
The demigod grinned, seeing that his friends were okay, and he smiled even more brightly as he locked eyes with Artemis, who mirrored his expression. Percy took a few shuddering steps towards her before a sweeping black dome erupted from thin air, entrapping the demigod and submerging him in absolute darkness.
(Line Break)
Artemis' heart dropped, and she immediately sprang into action, followed closely by several Olympians and demigods. The black dome reverberated a draining, heinous aura, pulling in even some light outside of it. Artemis and the rest of the group targeted a spot of the dome together, desperate to release Percy from the dark prison.
Percy stood in the enveloping blackness as a menacing presence bore down on him from all directions. It sapped his strength, and his body drifted towards sleep, already riddled with damage from his fight. A maddened, grating laugh rang inside the dome.
"Insects. You creatures have somehow crippled my forces. But even those are meaningless specks in my shadow. This war does not end until I am victorious!" the raging voice roared directly into Percy's mind.
The demigod fell to his knees under the weight of it. He sent out his senses, trying to identify where to attack, but nothing came to mind. There seemed to be no weakness to Erebus' present domain. Percy coughed blood when a blow suddenly struck his stomach. Then his back. Then shoulders and chest and legs. The demigod fell flat as Erebus mercilessly struck him again and again. The blows eventually stopped and, still barely conscious, Percy heard a sigh.
"My mother's chosen champion," the voice throbbed in his head, "I will kill you and make your precious family watch!"
The darkness of the huge barrier eased, pulling from the wall and condensing in the center of the dome. The impossibly black veil shifted to a lightly tinted seal. Inside the dome, a towering figure took shape. Clad in armor darker than silent space, Erebus stood in his full glory holding a spear over the demigod. The group outside of the dome fell stunned for a moment, faced with the devastating form of a primordial, before renewing their attack in fervor.
Percy shared a gut-wrenching look with Artemis, the goddess covering her mouth when she saw his bloodied form. She shoved her shoulder against the dome as tears fell freely from her eyes in front of the rest of the gods. Thalia's legs shook as she pushed herself to her limit bringing down one bolt of lightning after another. Hestia's hands burned brighter than any flame as she tore at the barrier trying to stifle her tears. Every one of Percy's friends did the same alongside the rest of the gods.
Percy found it in himself to crawl to his feet and draw his Void Ether blade. He stumbled towards where the gods were attacking together, using the last of the strength in his body to jump to and stab through the spot. The barrier shook violently as Erebus roared. But then the dome steadied, and the primordial's pain turned to triumph.
"That would never work twice, cretin," the monster laughed, "I had not expected a weapon of Chaos the first time, and I learned my meager lesson. Look at the weakness of your combined gods; this barrier is constructed of my true power! Even Mother's weapon cannot pierce it."
Percy knew Erebus was only taking his time to bask in the despair that was being instilled in the demigod's family. Percy could see it himself, the last traces of hope leaving their eyes as their powers failed against the unbreachable dome. He hung his head, and the dark monster grunted behind him, further languishing in their helplessness.
"Your race is one of faulty prophecies. Die by the blade," the primordial spat, "I AM BEYOND DEATH!"
The demigod whispered to himself, his hand tightening around his weapon. His heartbeat throbbed in his ears as he set his jaw. On his knees, Percy pressed his hand to the dome, locking eyes with the Goddess of the Hunt. She dropped in front of him, mirroring her hand against his, and swore she would get him out. Percy could only hear her distantly. Hestia knelt at her side, and Anna fought out of Demeter's grasp as she sobbingly pressed against the dome.
"Anna, I'm so sorry. Be good to your sisters and take care of Artemis for me. Thank you for being my little sister," Percy said, his own tears slipping, only making Anna's wails worse as she screamed his name.
"Mom," he said, turning to Hestia, "I can't ever thank you enough for everything you've done for me. You're the best mother I could've asked for," he said.
"I could not have been blessed with a better son," Hestia whispered as she sobbingly tore herself away while carrying a flailing Anna.
Artemis shoved her shoulder against the barrier again and again, but never removed her hand as she cried.
"Artemis, I love you," he said, only loudly enough for the goddess.
"I love you," she replied immediately, not caring that everyone could hear her.
Percy smiled as he placed his other hand against the dome. He grunted and shuddered before his bubble formed, only enveloping the gods and demigods outside. Artemis looked around in confusion before she watched the demigod's hand return to his weapon hilt.
"No! Percy! Stop! I WON'T LET YOU! DROP IT! DROP IT!" She screamed, clawing against the bubble before Apollo solemnly wrapped her in a bear hug, also understanding what Percy was planning.
The demigod inched away from the dome, slowly turning his knife.
"I love you, Artemis," he repeated.
"Very heartfelt," Erebus mocked, "But you should have saved that barrier for yourself. Now die."
As the primordial lowered his spear, Percy lifted his head, a steely look of determination in his eyes. The demigod pointed the blade at his own chest. He clasped the hilt with both hands and stabbed the Blade of Chaos into the chassis surrounding his heart.
The world erupted in a blinding light. The primordial was flattened in his dome as everyone in Percy's bubble was shoved to the dirt. Nobody could stand as the epicenter continued to unleash violent force from within the dome of darkness. The bubble cracked then shattered, scattering its occupants just a moment before the explosion ceased. When the light dissipated, Camp Half-Blood was covered in a desolate, grey haze.
All of the gods and demigods struggled to their feet as they made their way back together, separated far across the camp. Hestia still clutched a sobbing Anna, having shielded her from the impact. A distraught Artemis made it back to the site first, only to find Erebus on his hands and knees breathing shakily. His form sputtered with each sporadic breath.
"H..how," he said gratingly, barely audible before the monster dissolved completely.
Everyone searched the area and found absolutely nothing besides the wreckage of a demolished camp. The presence of Erebus had vanished absolutely, along with any trace of Percy Jackson. A demigod had died defeating a primordial, and there wasn't even a body left behind to bury.