I have been crazy crazy busy lately, no time to reply to all of the reviews but thank you for them! And enjoy this chapter please please do!

Percy was willing to admit that what she was doing was, by any sane persons standards, completely and totally crazy. She and Artemis should be making good their escape. They should be half way down the mountain by now. But to do that Percy would have to abandon Luke and she couldn't.

So she'd pulled her shoes back on, made sure that she had her dagger ready, and, after double checking with Artemis that she was sure she wished to come with, she'd ascended back up the mountain, skirting around the sides of the ruins of the Titans old stronghold. Their enemy would hopefully be at the peak of the mountain where Apollo was currently trapped.

Percy wasn't happy- there should be far more monsters blocking their path than there were. It almost felt as if the path had been cleared for them to return- which was possible Percy supposed. Alina would know enough about her to know that she wasn't the type to leave people behind. That meant that they were probably headed straight into a trap. Not good at all.

At least there weren't too many monsters on guard- though that probably wasn't as good as Percy was trying to pretend it was. After all that meant that they were all probably at the summit.

As if Percy's thought had summoned it a large Cyclops rounded the corner, and all three of them froze for a brief second. Percy and Artemis staring at the Cyclops, the Cyclops staring at them.

He was maybe two meters tall- much taller than Percy- but that wasn't hard, and broad shouldered- though his frame was somehow gaunt at the same time. His brown hair was messy and his brown eye was wide and startled.

He looked young Percy realised- the height might make him look older, but his face and that single brown eye reminded Percy of Alex and Estelle- that childish innocence. It felt out of place in a place like this. And Percy was startled by a voice that sounded like her mom's in her head, telling her how the Cyclopses were most commonly children of Poseidon much like Polyphemus had been. If so he was probably her brother- and gods but it was always annoying having to fight her half siblings, and the childishness in his eye made her not want to fight him, especially when he pressed a single finger to his lips, his gaze turning panicked as he whispered- or to be more accurate whisper yelled- "You gots to go." pointing back in the direction they'd come, "The scary one ordered us to catch you. Tyson doesn't want to though."

And Percy's hand lashed backwards, catching Artemis' wrist before she could throw the dagger at the Cyclops. "You're Tyson?" that earned her a nod and Percy swallowed hard. "Right. If you don't want to help her then why are you here?"

"Said they could protect me from the nasty monsters." Tyson shook his head, "I prayed to daddy but he didn't answer. So I came here. But they're not nice."

"Daddy?"

"Poseidon." yep, yep this Cyclops was her brother. And he didn't actually seem to be a bad guy at heart. Just like a frightened kid who'd gotten involved with bad people because they'd offered to help him.

"Right." Percy considered her options quickly, biting her lip before- "Do they have Luke Tyson?"

"The blonde boy with the scar?" Tyson nodded, "He came running up to the scary ones yelling about the prisoners escaping. Then the see through one-" what the fuck did that mean? -"Said he was lying and helping you escape."

"Okay." Percy took a deep breath, "Okay Tyson thank you." she glanced back at Artemis, who's expression was grim.

"The Cyclops is right Percy. We should go. We can come back for the boy after you've regained your magic. Going in now is madness."

"Good thing I've never been accused on being sane." Percy's voice was flippant- though the look in her eyes wasn't, "You can go back if you want Artemis but I am not abandoning Luke now. I get the feeling that he isn't used to people fighting for him." Annabeth might have once but she'd been too young to save him from the voices whispering in his sleep. From the monsters that haunted him. Percy wasn't.

"It will be a trap. You know that yes?"

"Of course I do." Percy scoffed, "But I'm going head first, no matter what you say Artemis."

"Then I suppose we go head first together, I stand very little chance of escaping on my own after all."

Percy turned her gaze back to Tyson, who was fidgeting anxiously, his single eye wide. "You're not running?"

"Sorry Tyson but we can't." Percy paused, "You should leave though. Get the Hades out of here."

"Nowhere to go." Tyson's expression was so heart-breaking. Percy wanted to punch something for making her poor half brother look so sad.

"Go to Brooklyn." Percy said suddenly, "There's a dockyard near Williamsburg bridge. Go there, eventually someone will come talk to you. Tell them that Percy sent you and they'll find somewhere safe for you I promise." she ignored the raised eyebrow Artemis was shooting her. She didn't care what the goddess thought of her helping out a monster. Tyson didn't deserve to look so lost.

"You promise?" the wide eyed look on Tyson's face was filled with a sort of awed wonder.

"Yeah, yeah I do." Percy gave a slightly strained smile. "They'll take care of you if I don't come back, and if I do I'll make sure you're looked after myself I promise Tyson- Ack!" the Cyclops had surged forward, enfolding her in his arms, a tight, almost crushing hug, and Percy let out a somewhat strangled noise, though when he did release her she did her best not to let on just how winded she was from the extreme hug.

"Go." She ordered him, "Look after yourself Tyson, you hear me."

"Tyson will." he gave her a wide smile that once again reminded Percy of her baby siblings. "Bye bye Percy! I hope you don't die!" then he was turning and rushing off, and Percy flushed as she turned her head and saw Artemis staring at her.

"Don't say a word."

"You're soft-"

"There is nothing wrong with softness in the right place." Percy huffed the words, taking a deep breath, refilling her half crushed lungs, "Now we need to go rescue Luke."

"Of course." Artemis nodded, her expression instantly solemn, "You may be correct that we cannot wait. They may hurt him as punishment for his betrayal. Do you know whom the cyclops was referring to when he said about the see through one?"

"Not a clue." Percy pulled a face, "Which is not a happy feeling believe me but I'm not going to panic we can handle this."

"I truly hope you are right."

With that they both kept heading onwards, picking their way through the rubble. And eventually they reached the summit, and Percy felt her breath catch at the sight even as Artemis pulled her behind one of the broken archways.

A few yards ahead of them gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a golden haired teenager- maybe seventeen, eighteen or so. But then gods could choose how they looked, he'd likely been in the form of a teenager when he'd been captured. His legs were bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains.

She turned her head slightly at the muffled sob that slipped past Artemis' lips. Her hand was clasped over her mouth to force down the noise but her eyes were shining with unshed tears as she stared at her brother. And Percy knew that feeling well enough, which was why she reached out, squeezing Artemis' shoulder. "We'll rescue him." her voice was pitched low, "We just need to bide our time, I need my magic back and there's the prophecy."

And Artemis visibly braced herself before she nodded, lowering her hand and pursing her lips together into a tight thin line, eyes shining with anger.

Once she was certain Artemis wasn't going to do anything stupid Percy turned her head again, peering out beyond the rock to focus on the peak- and she swallowed hard.

Alina was expected, she was glaring down at Luke, who was on his knees, arms bound behind his back, his chin gripped between her fingers as he glared up at her, his face bloody and bruised, undoubtedly from his capture.

The more worrying part was the man stood just behind Luke. He was tall and muscular, with light brown skin and slicked-back dark hair. He wore an expensive brown silk suit like the guys on Wall Street wore, he had a brutal face, huge shoulders, and hands that could snap a flagpole in half. His eyes were like stone.

Even the monsters gathered- about two dozen of them, were nothing compared to him. Percy could feel the power rolling off him in ways. She glanced at Artemis, mouthing 'Atlas?' and Artemis gave a small nod in response, and there was fear in her eyes too.

There wasn't anyone who was see through though, that mystery wasn't solved yet, annoyingly enough. But she couldn't dwell on that, they were talking. "You will tell us where they were going." that was Alina's voice, "Or the General will break every bone in your body- and that's the kinder option."

"You betrayal will be punished." that was Atlas, his voice was deep and powerful and it made Percy's whole body tense. Gods this was a mess. A tiny part of her wanted to turn and run, she had no magic yet, or not enough to even try and fight Atlas, but what choice did she have? Well, she had a choice- a very rough plan but it wouldn't be easy.

"Artemis." she whispered the words, "When I say, you grab my hand and you do not let go no matter what okay?"

Artemis' brows furrowed but after a moment she gave a small nod. "As you say Percy."

"I don't know where they went." Luke's voice was strained but defiant. "They'll be gone by now."

"She tricked you." Alina was sneering at him, "Percy Kane is a deceitful little bitch. Whatever she said or did to convince you to help them, she was lying-" rude much- "She's a poison, toxic. And now you'll die because you were foolish enough to help her."

"She's the only one who's been fucking honest with me from the start." Luke managed, "At least she didn't fill my head with- with those dreams and promises that weren't real."

"And so you choose the gods-" Atlas scoffed, "Those faithless worms-"

"I chose myself." Luke shot back. "I'll never love the gods but I chose myself. What you did to that school- there were little kids there- I was wrong. I was so wrong-" and Percy's heart clenched at the reminder. Gods but she hoped that Bianca had gotten everyone out.

"Weak." Atlas sneered the word, "I knew you were weak boy. Lord Kronos was a fool to choose you. If it wasn't for this Magician-" he sneered, "You would have been given the highest honor-"

"I'd have been his meat suit." Luke spat the words, shuddering at the idea of it. "No fucking thank you."

"Instead you'll suffer for your betrayal." Alina scowled darkly at him, "And if we don't capture Percy Kane then we'll use you to lure her in. She's a sucker for saving people, has a hero complex." and that made Percy's face flush as Artemis gave her a look- Alina wasn't actually wrong as much as Percy hated to admit it. But that didn't make it a completely bad thing, it just meant that sometimes she was predictable- truly shameful for the embodiment of Chaos.

"She's not that stupid." Luke scoffed, "Why would she save me? I might have helped her escape but that doesn't mean she actually gives a flying fuck what happens to me. Last time we met I tried to strangle the life out of her-"

"You don't know Percy Kane very well do you?"

"You know sometimes having books detailing your life story can be a pain in the ass." Percy muttered the words, earning a raised eyebrow from Artemis before a voice spoke from behind them.

"Enjoying the show my favorite Kane?"