Chapter 21 - Reading Taken
*in the morning before reading*

Percy stood on the balcony his hood done, and the cloak flew in the breeze, he wasn't sure what to do, he knew he would have to show himself soon as Percy. but it was going to be hard. This book they were reading was basically just about him, Kronos and their love life. He was the hero, but he'd be forsaken.

Percy also knew that he didn't entirely care what the others thought of him, because he was immortal, sooner or later they would die, and he wouldn't.

"What is bothering you?" Kronos asked, his golden eyes staring at his lover, the titan had been standing their lost on thought for hours.

"The future, its going to be different with them knowing."

"This may have happened in out time, but it is not going to happen as it did with us, they might remember what is going on, and subconsciously change things as they go. The Fates might be all powerful, but I am not being controlled." Kronos spoke and tugged on Percy's hand. "Time for bed," he smiled and lead Percy to the big grand bed.

It was dark in the room, that Kronos and Percy where sleeping in, his hands

.

.

"I will read" Annabeth said and picked up the book, it flipped to the right page, she cleared her throat and began to read.

Annabeth had quickly realised what Hyperion was doing. He'd quickly preceded to take his sword from Leo, and then knock him out before retreating to just within the tree line - Annabeth could just see him, and didn't dare to move out of the creek. The fire was still raging, but at a more controlled pace, and she realised that Hyperion wasn't there to attack them. He was there to box them in.

"Annabeth" Zeus spoke up, his voice hard and emotionless. "Continue reading," he said and ignored the glare he got from Athena.

That thought was strengthened when Piper ran into the reasonably large clearing with Jason and Clarisse behind her, and several dozen campers following them. "Annabeth!" Piper exclaimed. "Run!"

Annabeth stopped Piper as she ran by, grabbing her arm. "Don't. Hyperion's here."

Piper's eyes widened. "What? But Koios is following us!"

"Let me guess," Annabeth said dryly. "He took your weapons?" She asked nodding at Jason and Clarisse.

Jason nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure he'd have killed me if Clarisse didn't come along."

"He stole my spear," Clarisse sniffed. "The bastard." She frowned at Leo who was still unconscious. "What happened to him?"

"Hyperion punched him," Annabeth said bluntly, and then raised her voice. "EVERYONE IN THE CREEK! HE CAN'T GET YOU THERE!"

The campers all scrambled to do as she'd said, and Annabeth watched warily as Koios emerged from the trees, the sword that Jason had wielded for the last year in his hand and Clarisse's spear that used to be Lelantos' on his back. He scanned the campers briefly before nodding slightly across the clearing at Hyperion.

Annabeth sucked in a sharp breath. "They're herding us."

"What?" Clarisse asked.

"Like cattle!" cackled Krios, his eyes wide with mirth.

"Hyperion and Koios," Annabeth murmured. "They're keeping us all together. The other two will be coming soon."

As if on a signal, there was the sound of shouting and Nico ran from the trees with a group of campers, completely ignoring the two Titans on the edge of the clearing as he ran straight towards Annabeth. "It's Iapetus," Nico hissed.

Iapetus looked down and smiled, sure being good was okay, but he was a titan, crooked to the core, he would help Kronos no matter what. Family was everything to him.

"What?" Annabeth demanded.

"He's helping them," Nico growled. "I don't know why, but he is."

"Who can you sense?" Annabeth demanded.

"There are six of them in the forest," Nico murmured. "And only three of them are here."

"Three?" Clarisse demanded. "There were only two."

"Iapetus," Nico said as a way of explanation, and Clarisse nodded.

"Six?" Annabeth asked as the blood drained from her face. She hurriedly scanned the campers. "Where's Percy?"

"Where is Percy?" Poseidon asked aloud and waved the book to him, he wanted to know, not many of the mortals knew, but the gods honestly did care about their children.

Nico shook his head. "I don't know."

"Chiron?" Annabeth asked, and Nico's eyes widened.

"Genius!" He exclaimed and hurriedly took a drachma out of his pocket, kicking up some water so it would form a rainbow from the sunlight. "Iris, show me Chiron," he said as he threw the golden coin into the mist. "Chiron," he said hurriedly, "there are-"

"Titans," the centaur finished grimly. "I know. Mr. D is informing the council."

"I know all on what goes in the camp, its my domain after all," Dionysus said at the shocked looks he received from the campers.

Annabeth relaxed slightly. "Get them to hurry up?" She asked as more shouting drew closer.

Chiron nodded grimly. "I'll try," and Annabeth swept her hand brought the mist, disconnecting the call as the next group of campers exited the trees. They quickly started making their way over, joining their friends in he creek.

"Something's not right," Annabeth murmured as she watched Oceanus appear just in the tree line.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"Why box us all in together?" She asked. "It'll give us all a fighting chance. Why not kill us all separately?"

"I don't know," Jason murmured.

"Well we need to know why, and I hope you figure it out, something major is going to happen," Apollo spoke up his eyes looking to the Titan that was sitting so close to Kronos, one who would not reveal his name, but seemed familiar with everyone.

Someone from the future?"

"It makes no sense," Annabeth grumbled, and the fifth group scrambled into the clearing, with Krios following them. "All but King," she murmured as she watched the five Titans, and she cursed. "Where's Darren and Percy?"

Nico's eyes widened. "You don't think-"

"I'm thinking that I should've seen it before," Annabeth muttered, mentally hitting herself.

"You've lost me," Clarisse frowned.

"Five out of six Titans here... Percy not here... Along with King. Where do you think he is?"

Jason sucked in a quick breath. "You think he's fighting King."

"Putting on a show brother?" Oceanus said and smirked, he remembered this day, it was a victory against the puny gods.

"You know me so well," Kronos joked back.

Annabeth nodded and opened her mouth to reply when Darren stumbled out of the tree line, his eyes wide and sword in hand. "He's here," Darren said, obviously panicking. "King's here."

"Darren!" Annabeth exclaimed, "Where's Percy?"

Darren blinked and turned to look behind him. "He was right here," he frowned. "I swear, he was right behind me a minute ago." His eyes widened. "He turned back," the son of Poseidon breathed. "Percy turned back."

"Why would he do that?" Clarissa demanded.

Darren opened his mouth to answer, and a shout of pain echoed around the forest. "Percy," Annabeth breathed, her eyes widening.

In the tree line, Oceanus grinned wickedly. "How much do you want to bet he's getting battered?"

"I'll bet it's Kronos being battered," Iapetus offered.

"Go Percy!" the gods and the demigods cheered, like it was new years day.

"Deal," Oceanus said happily. "One hundred says Perseus loses."

Annabeth frowned at Iapetus. "Why'd he just bet against Kronos?" She asked.

"Maybe he doesn't want to do this," Nico murmured.

"But why-" Annabeth started, stopping when something flew out of the trees, landing in the clearing and skidding a dozen yards. "Percy!" She exclaimed, making to run to him, but Jason grabbed her arm.

"Don't," he said warningly. "Something's wrong."

Percy struggled to push himself to his feet, and Annabeth noted he had a gash on his left calf. He scrambled back to the water, letting out a relieved sigh when he started to heal. He glanced back at them before turning to face the forest. "All of you, stay here, no matter what happens."

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth demanded, and then she looked into the forest. "Oh, gods."

Kronos was making his way out of the tree line, his scythe in the form of a sword, and he was watching Percy. The immortal son of Poseidon took a breath before stepping out of the creek and holding his hand out. Tsunami shot out of the forest and into his outstretched hand as he uncapped Riptide.

"I hate how he got my sword," Oceanus mused, he frowned at his other king, who raised an eyebrow. "But I did manage to get my own sword, Tsunami wasn't mine to wield forever, the Fates told me so."

Percy stopped walking two dozen feet from Kronos, holding both his blades up. "Come on then, bastard. Do your worst."

"Oh I have," Kronos smirked.

Kronos smirked and suddenly disappeared, Percy spinning to the side quickly to avoid the sharp black blade. Percy sidestepped as he slashed Riptide up, Kronos easily flicking his wrist to block the attack and spinning out of the way of Tsunami at the same time. Then Kronos took a step forward, and Percy moved back, struggling to keep him at arms length as they fought. Percy patiently waited, always on the balls of his feet as he moved, ready to spring to either side. Then Kronos moved, springing forward so quickly he was only a blur, and Percy rolled to the side, wildly swinging Tsunami as he went. Ichor seeped from the small cut in Kronos' shin as Percy rolled onto his feet, turning to block the attack going straight down towards his shoulder. Percy was forced to one knee as Kronos increased the amount of strength he was forcing down, and the Titan swiftly knocked his other leg out from under him, watching as the immortal demigod went sprawling.

Annabeth sucked in a breath, expecting Percy to be killed then and there, but Kronos just watched as he clambered to his feet. "He's toying with Percy," Annabeth murmured.

"We've got to help him," Nico said desperately. "He can't beat him alone."

Annabeth winced as Kronos slammed Percy into the ground and backed up again, his mouth a pleased smirk. "We can't help. Kronos is too strong," Annabeth said nervously and Percy staggered back to his feet, swaying slightly on the spot.

Nico opened his mouth to answer, but whatever he was going to say was drowned out by a clap of thunder as lightning flickered across the sky. Kronos' head snapped up and his eyes narrowed as Oceanus shifted nervously. "My Lord," the eldest Titan said carefully, "we should be on our way. The gods will be here soon."

Hyperion snorted. "We can beat them," he said dismissively.

"No," Kronos said as he took several paces away from Percy, "we can't. Not at the moment. I'm not strong enough yet."

Kolos nodded. "We should go. They'll not be much longer."

Kronos reluctantly nodded, his eyes still watching Percy. "We'll go, but not immediately."

Iapetus shut his eyes as if he was in pain as he watched Kronos close in on Percy again, and his eyes met Annabeth's across the clearing, but he quickly turned back to the fight. Kronos shot towards Percy with obvious intent, Backbiter easily cutting through the air, and Percy leapt to the side, barely parrying the attack away. Kronos smoothly sidestepped, bringing Backbiter up in a movement that was just a blur, and Percy didn't move in time. The edge of the blade scored a small hit across Percy's forehead, ichor slowly dripping into his eyes from the little cut. Percy paused to wipe away the ichor, and Kronos struck. He slammed his shoulder into Percy's chest, the loud crack from several ribs breaking echoing around the forest as the gods flashed into the clearing, and Percy was sent flying, his swords falling from his grip as he went tumbling across the ground before sliding to a stop between Kronos and the other Titans.

Kronos was above him in an instant, and before Zeus could fire his master bolt he had his foot firmly planted on Percy's chest, and Backbiter resting just below his chin. "Any of you make a move to attack us, and the boy dies," he said, still looking down at Percy, but obviously talking to the gods.

"Father," Poseidon said carefully, "let him go and leave."

"No one barters with Kronos, he gets what he wants," Hyperion said.

Kronos cocked his head to the side. "I'd rather not. I still haven't succeeded in breaking him."

Percy nervously licked his lips, his hands above his head in a gesture of surrender. "Please, Lord Kronos."

The gods gasp, their faces shocked, as an image of an older Percy kneeling at the Kings feet, blood spatters and monster dust clung to his frame..

"Lord Kronos?" Luke murmured, his eyes wide, anyone looking could see all the thoughts running through the immortal teens head.

Kronos raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Realised you won't have your irritatingly interfering father around to protect you?"

Percy looked terrified as his eyes locked on Annabeth's, pleading with her to do something. It was Hades that stepped forward slightly. "Father, don't do it."

Kronos' lip curled up slightly. "Do what?" He asked innocently.

"You know what," Hades growled. "I can feel you calling them even now."

"Calling what?" Annabeth hissed to Nico.

"Monsters," Nico said grimly. "Dozens of them from Tartarus."

"Doomed, I say, Doomed!" Leo frowned at his apple wondering why he hadn't been mentioned often enough.

The ground between Kronos and the gods cracked open, monsters hissing as they climbed out of the depths of Tartarus. A hellhound fixed its blood red eyes on Annabeth as it stalked forward.

"You're going to be a coward and let the monsters right us?" Ares demanded angrily.

Kronos chuckled. "Oh, you have a lot to learn, godling. When you want to have your eyes opened, come find us. I'm sure Atlas would love to repeatedly beat you to a pulp," he taunted.

Ares narrowed his eyes. "You-"

"My Lord," Koios said warningly.

Kronos sighed. "Yes, brother. We must go, you are correct." He crouched down over Percy, changing the black blade into a golden dagger. "Ready to go, Jackson?"

Percy swallowed as he eyed the dagger. "I hate you so much," he growled.

"That's the past," Percy murmured to the king who nodded.

Kronos smirked. "Good. Hatred keeps you alive," he said as he grabbed the front of Percy's armour and hauled him to his feet, putting one arm around his neck and the dagger resting on his collarbone.

The light of the fire raging through the forest burned in Percy's eyes as his eyes darted between the gods and demigods all occupied by monsters, and then the Titans were gone. And they'd taken Percy.

"Oh Fuck" everyone exclaimed, and that was when magic flared, Percy's glamor's, all his spells to hide himself vanished and he stood amongst the titans.

"Percy?!"