AN: So first thing is first, I lied. This is actually the penultimate chapter. This chapter was getting far too long, it was over 16k, so I decided to split it into two parts. This part is being published now, the second is with my betas, so will be getting published in a few days.
So yeah, bad news, but also kinda good. You get two chapters for the price of one, kinda.
So yup, hope you all like it!
After this, there will be one more chapter and then it'll be on to part 2. This will be a whole new story, as I'm trying different stuff now with some of my stories.
But anyway, for now, I hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review etc. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to PM me.
Another thing while I am at it, is this. I am a part of a discord group, there are tons of others there, plenty of writers, admittedly mainly PJO, but other stuff too, including a growing number of writers from other fandoms. Feel free to pop along and say hi, I'm always happy to chat about the stuff I write. So if you fancy it please do join by sticking this: discord .gg / elibrary into discord, with no spaces, or using the link on my bio.
Thanks for reading and please do leave a review, or feel free to PM me, I am usually much better at answering those!
Betaed by Arch_Angel and Silver
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson.
( - )
(Last Time)
Heading down the hill, Percy's ears perked up as he heard a distant bellow.
This one didn't sound like it had come from either Ladon or the four bitchy sisters in the garden.
Frowning, he turned and looked up the mountain.
Narrowing his eyes, he felt them flare up and turn gold as he used his enhanced vision to see through the smoke, clouds and scattered trees.
His heart clenched and gut twisted.
"Well shit," He muttered, his brow furrowing as he tore his gaze away from the peak of the mountain, and instead looked over at the sweetly beckoning city of San Francisco in the distance.
"Shit."
( - )
Chapter 17
( - )
(With Zoe)
Atlas let loose an almost deafening roar when Thalia plunged the tip of her spear into his calf. The force of the strike drew golden ichor and made his leg buckle at the knee.
Pushing herself up, Zoe could see crackling lightning arcing off Thalia's body. Scorching the ground around the daughter of Zeus, and making the hairs on her arm stand on end.
Tearing her gaze away from Thalia's furious eyes, Zoe took note of the vicious snarl on the younger girl's tear-stained face as she ripped her spear out of Atlas's leg and smashed her shield into the small of the titan's back with a loud boom of thunder and an explosion of yet more lightning.
The way she fought was ferocious, brutal. It was practically wild, like the rampage of some kind of savage animal.
She'd never seen Thalia fight that way before.
Yes, the other girl was normally snarky, irritable, and short-tempered, but she'd always been in control of herself.
There had always been a refinement to her style, careful control of the way she fought as she balanced offence with defence. Wielding her spear and shield in tandem to both attack from a distance and fend off counterattacks.
Now though, she was purely on the offensive.
There was no analysis, no careful footwork or position, just pure aggression.
That said, considering all they'd been through, and just who it was they were fighting, she could understand.
Atlas was the pinnacle of strength and endurance. If he became even slightly serious, his attacks could cleave mountains in two, and shatter the earth's crust. There were very few gods that could outlast him, let alone demigods.
Yet at the same time, even if trying to defend against him was a pointless action, attacking him head-on was equally as futile. He was one of the most durable and resilient beings she had ever come across. If he minded too, could regenerate from even the most grievous of wounds.
Already the wounds he had been dealt thus far had all healed, leaving behind only dried golden ichor.
Gritting her teeth, Zoe pushed herself to her feet.
Her ribs were broken, her shoulder ached, and she was bleeding internally. But she could deal with it. For all that she hated her father, she was still his child, and so had inherited a modicum of his strength and endurance. That, and she was also being fuelled by a heady mix of fear, rage, and pure adrenaline too.
Gripping her knives tightly, her eyes narrowed as she quickly caught onto what the daughter of Zeus intended.
Behind her, she could hear Artemis's ragged gasps as she struggled beneath the weight of the sky. Even as Annabeth, tired and gaunt though she was, struggled to head off the rampaging horde of monsters closing in on their position.
Off to the side, she could almost feel Phoebe's empty, vacant blue eyes boring into her from where she lay in a pool of her own blood.
Of Percy, there was no sign. The sounds of his last stand against Ladon had long since faded into nothingness.
As for Bianca, as far as she knew her body still lay entombed beneath the weight of Hephaestus' prototype colossus.
Her expression hardened, and her grip on her knives became white-knuckled.
Of their Questing party, only Thalia and her were left.
Two of their number lay dead, and one was probably being eaten at that very moment.
Taking a deep breath, she could feel sweat coating her brow. The midday sun was making the atmosphere on the mountain thick and muggy.
There had been so much suffering and death. All to bring them here to the top of Mount Orthys.
Deep in her heart, she knew the chances of victory were slim to none.
Atlas was just too powerful and indomitable, and his army of monsters was too numerous.
What could mere mortals do against such reckless hate and primordial fury?
Exhaling, she spat out a mouthful of blood.
They could fight.
That's what they could do.
It had been over three thousand years since she had given up her immortality for the sake of an unworthy hero and taken her place as the Lieutenant of the Hunt.
Three thousand years of hardship, joy, struggle, and freedom.
For three thousand years, she and her sisters had hunted monsters through ancient woodlands, protected the oblivious mortals, and fought Olympus's enemies.
For three thousand years she had constantly been on the move. And in that time, she had lost friends and loved ones. She had seen empires rise and fall and had watched as entire cultures and mighty civilizations became little more than distant memories and curiosities.
Yet in all that time, she had never once lost hope and had never had an ounce of regret.
She could have chosen to keep her immortality and could have spent her eternal life luxuriating in paradise like her sisters.
But that had never been her destiny.
Nor was it a life she would have ever chosen for herself.
No, she had never been cut out for just sitting around in luxury, isolated from the wider world.
She had always longed for adventure and danger.
From the moment Artemis had offered her hand the course of her life had been decided.
She had known from the moment she accepted Artemis's offer of patronage what it entailed. No matter the cost and no matter the odds she had always done her duty.
For Olympus.
For Artemis.
For humanity.
Forcing down her pain and regulating her breathing, Zoe raised the knives in her hands and surged forward.
And now it was once again time to do her duty, no matter the cost.
Looking up at that thought, dark onyx eyes met furious electric blue eyes.
She'd never liked Thalia, not since the moment they had first met.
But in that split second, she had never felt closer to the girl.
Closing in on her distracted father, she watched as Thalia's silver shield smashed into his unprotected back as hard as she could, knocking the already off-balance titan forward a step.
Seeing this, Zoe weaved around his stumbling form and slashed at the exposed back of his knees and hamstrings.
If they toppled him now, then the momentum of his fall could carry him forward and directly into Artemis.
Which, if their timing was right, they could free her even as it once again trapped her father beneath the weight of the sky.
This was it.
The chances were low, and the odds were most certainly not in their favour.
But there was a chance.
Ignoring the feeling of hot, golden ichor spattering against her face. Zoe let loose a roar of anger as she felt her silver knives dig deep into the small sliver of exposed flesh between her father's greaves and tassets.
From behind Atlas, she could hear Thalia's desperate war cry merge with her own, as the dark-haired braced her feet and shoved forward with all her might. She could see the veins on Thalia's exposed neck bulging from the strain, and the sweat beading on her forehead. Her entire form was wreath in crackling lightning, and her blue eyes shone so brightly it almost hurt to look at them.
They were both giving it her all and yet her father, off balance and under assault from both sides, still stood strong.
He was not known as the Titan of Strength and Endurance for nothing.
Pivoting on her foot, Zoe rammed one of her knives up, beneath his armoured kilt and into his groin.
"Enough!" Atlas roared suddenly a wave of pure force rolling off his form – almost crushing her against the ground. As his molten silver eyes, now alight with fury, shifted to look down at her.
His lips twisted into a snarl, as he lashed out with his javelin.
Ducking low, Zoe just about avoided the swing, her brow and hair damp with sweat, as she pushed forward with her initial strike. Only for her blade to miss her intended target, as it instead plunged into his inner thigh and got lodged in dense muscle.
Grimacing, she was forced to release her now-stuck knife. She couldn't dodge the follow-up knee that struck her in the shoulder and shattered the already fractured bone. Even as it sent her rag-dolling across the ground with a cry of pain.
The entire string of events had only taken seconds.
Looking up through pained eyes, as she rolled to a stop, Zoe could only watch as Atlas rapidly regained his footing and turned to face Thalia. Who – judging by the large crack which now split the gorgon's face embossed upon the face of her shield in two was now very much on the defensive as Atlas turned his full attention onto her.
"Zoe," Artemis hissed out from nearby, her silver eyes watering as she fell to one knee. "You've got to run, get Thalia and get away while you can."
Looking up, Zoe felt blood bubbling in her mouth as she desperately tried to push herself up again. Only to fall to the ground once more as her right arm gave out. Her shoulder was completely shattered, making her right arm completely useless.
Ignoring her goddess, she used the agonizing pain rippling through her body to concentrate as she lurched to the left and used her left arm to push herself up into a sitting position.
In front of her, she could see Annabeth quickly retreating from the horde of monsters.
Her gaunt face was slick with blood, and she was limping heavily due to the large spike lodged in her leg.
Behind the blonde, she could see a smirk on Manticore's pointed face as he led the way. His spine-covered tail idly flicked back and forth as he practically strutted up the mountain. He was clearly taking vindictive pleasure in drawing out Annabeth's suffering.
Off to the side, Thalia had now been sent on the defensive as she desperately tried to avoid Atlas as much as possible, even as her father continued to toy with her.
Taking in their situation. A soundless cry left her lips, as for the first time in three thousand years she felt well and truly hopeless.
( - )
(With Thalia)
Ducking and dodging, Thalia struggled to keep a step ahead of the furious titan as Atlas relentlessly pursued her across the broken, rocky ground.
For a moment, just a single solitary moment, she had thought they were on the verge of victory.
She had managed to overpower and defeat Luke and had sent his wounded, battered body hurtling off the cliff to the forest below.
Annabeth was free, and although tired from her ordeal, had quickly put her tactical know-how to use distracting and holding off Atlas's reinforcements.
For a few minutes at least they had received a small reprieve. One which both she and Zoe had swiftly taken advantage of by nonverbally coordinating with one another to hit Atlas with an almost perfect pincer manoeuvre. She'd first hobbled him, and hit him in the back, while Zoe had flanked him and slashed at his tendons. The plan had been to weaken his base, and then knock him into Artemis, and back under the sky.
Simple, but effective.
Only the plan had gone wrong.
She had massively underestimated just how tough Atlas truly was, which had led to Zoe being taken down. The lieutenant's shoulder was little more than a mangled ruin.
As for Annabeth from what she could see she had been overwhelmed by the monsters and had also been struck a glancing blow by one of Thorn's spines.
She meanwhile had been sent scurrying away as Atlas turned his full attention to her.
Continuing to give ground to the enraged Atlas, Thalia knew she was in trouble.
Atlas's initial retaliation had not only shattered his own javelin. It had also cracked her shield, putting a rent right through the replica of Medusa's face making the shield's magic all but useless. She doubted it would even scare a pigeon now, let alone the former General of Kronos's armies.
Wetting her dry, cracked lips, her breaths came out in ragged gasps as she continued to try and avoid Atlas.
He was like an unstoppable tank.
His legs were coated in ichor, as were his head and neck, yet despite all the punishment he'd endured he was still as indomitable and overwhelming as he had been at the start of the fight.
She meanwhile was injured and getting more and more tired.
She was flagging.
Her muscles were aching, and her lungs were burning.
She had never felt this tired before in her life.
Yet despite that, if she slowed down for even a moment, then not only was she dead, but so were her friends too.
All their lives now rested on her shoulders… they were fucked.
Pumping more lightning into her screaming muscles, she continued to dodge and keep ahead of Atlas's negligent pursuit.
She was all but done.
Her body just couldn't take much more punishment.
Nor could her mind, already it was a struggle to keep focused as tiredness and fatigued tugged and her consciousness. She'd been overusing her abilities, and it was starting to take its toll on her.
Atlas, meanwhile, just seemed to be getting faster as he finally put a modicum of effort into fighting back.
Raising her shield, Atlas ploughed through a hastily conjured bolt of lightning. She didn't even have time to let out a cry before he hit her, forcing her down to one knee. The point of his broken javelin piercing through the cracked face of her shield and plunged into her sternum.
Gagging she could feel coppery blood filling her mouth and lungs.
The broken end of the javelin had gone deep.
Looking up, she watched almost as if she were an impartial observer, as Atlas ripped her shield away from her arm with one hand, the remnants of it breaking to pieces in his titanic grip, even as he rendered her arm into a mangled ruin.
Peering up at him through suddenly heavy lids, she saw the vicious snarl on his face as he looked down at her.
No words were spoken.
He didn't boost or throw out any more threats or promises.
Instead, with a snarl he lashed out with his foot and kicked her clear off her feet.
Flying limply through the air, she hit the side of the mountain hard.
She could hear several of her bones audible break with the impact.
The pain was intense.
In fact, it was so that she could feel her teeth shatter as she clenched them together to hold back a scream. It was so extreme that it somehow managed to sharpen her muddled thoughts enough to banish the darkness from her vision.
"For what little it might be worth," Atlas said coldly, his gaze shifting over all those present.
Artemis was trapped on her knees beneath the weight of the sky.
Zoe was badly injured but still somehow conscious.
Annabeth had made it to Artemis, only to collapse at her feet, her shoulders shaking as she tried to stave off tears.
Phoebe was lying dead in a pool of blood.
And finally, her. Her broken, battered form collapsed against the side of the mountain, held up only by the embrace of cold stone and no longer by the strength of her own body.
"Despite the futility of your struggles, you fought well," Atlas continued, casting aside his shattered javelin as he instead reached down and wrenched Zoe's knife from his inner thigh.
Thalia let out a gurgle in response, blood bubbling around her mouth as she tried to speak.
No sound came out though, only a dribble of blood.
"My lord," Thorn said subserviently as he approached, his sharp eyes shifting to Thalia. "The daughter of Zeus is dying. I thought the plan was to keep her alive?"
"Her loyalty to Olympus was not as questionable as the boy had claimed," Atlas replied dismissively. "She cannot be relied upon to bring down Olympus or trusted with the power of the Ophiotaurus. Besides this, there are other children of Zeus and Poseidon. The Roman brat is just as power-hungry as his sister and far more malleable. The child of Poseidon meanwhile is weak in spirit and spine. They will be easily turned, either through Prometheus's guile or through force."
"As you say, my Lord," Thorn bowed, his tone unctuous.
Atlas smiled in response, his eyes alight with cruel amusement as he cast his gaze over Thorn and the army of monsters behind him. "Now, enough questions. As promised, you can have all the fun you want with them." He continued, gesturing at the surrounding downed demigods. "Do what you will with the demigod's brats, I care not. Just make sure they're dead. My daughter, meanwhile, I'll deal with personally."
"You honour us, Lord Atlas," Thorn said dutifully, his eyes burning with callous amusement. "But alas I feel you've been too rough with them. There is not much life left in them, nor much sport in toying with those that have already been thoroughly defeated."
"Meat's still meat," A nearby Laistrygonian giant grunted dismissively, its avaricious eyes fixed on Thalia.
Thalia's eyes started to water at his words, even as she tore her gaze away from his leering face and looked at the shining sun overhead.
It was hot and yet somehow pleasant too as it bathed her in its radiance, momentarily distracting her from the pain and horror of her situation.
For some reason, the sight of the sun reminded her of Percy.
A fragile smile slipped across her lips at that thought.
For all that he was an abrasive, cocky, sarcastic asshole, she did like him.
Hopefully, she'd see him again in Elysium.
She let out a pained, ragged breath at that thought, and looked back at the monster. She no longer felt anything as she watched them approach her. Her body was broken, and her spirit would soon follow. She couldn't fight back or escape, she didn't even have the strength to kill herself. All she could do was wait for death.
What a way to go, she thought as she felt darkness once again tug at her consciousness and her life force slowly but surely leaving her body.
Only for the darkness to once again be banished in an instant by a radiant explosion of golden fire that turned the approaching monsters to ash.
Letting out a painful breath, she turned to the source of the commotion and gaped.
( - )
(With Percy)
Why the fuck am I doing this? Percy thought as he bathed the horde of monsters in front of him in golden flames.
He could have been halfway back to the car by now, and home free.
He had completed Hades' mission and had snagged an apple of immortality too as a bonus.
He had no reason to be here, he certainly didn't owe these people anything.
Hades, he'd only known them for a few days.
It was stupid and made absolutely no sense.
He was a loner by nature. He enjoyed his own company and had never needed anyone else.
Yet here he was, risking his life for people who were still basically strangers.
It was fucking ridiculous.
Turning on his heel, he ignored the screams and shrieks of the dying monsters, as he instead flung yet more fire at the now scattering and panicked horde.
The sun was at its zenith, and likewise, his power was at its peak.
His connection to his in-born powers was so great at this point, that he could barely sense his connection to Melinoe anymore.
All he could feel was fire, light, and heat as he absorbed the sun's energy. Eating it up like a starving man might gorge himself on an all-you-can-eat buffet.
He was absorbing so much energy it hurt.
It felt like there was a raging furnace in his stomach, one which was consuming his entire being.
He was drawing so much solar radiation that he could feel his body literally shifting and changing in response to the power he was absorbing. With every second that passed he grew bigger and taller. He wasn't exactly sure how tall he was now, but he towered over everyone else around him. Save for the shocked-looking Atlas, and even then, he was nearing the titan's height too. The rest of his body likewise grew with him, his muscles bulging and condensing as he absorbed yet more solar energy into his form.
At this point, he had absorbed so much that his flesh turned golden, as light and heat radiated out of his body.
His eyes were little more than fiery golden orbs of pure energy as he turned and surveyed all that stood in front of him.
Taking a step forward he could feel the rock beneath his feet start to melt, his every footstep left an indelible mark on the earth.
Looking around he could see that his mere presence seemed to set the monsters closest to him aflame.
The manticore, Thorn, let out a shriek of surprise and fear. His flesh immediately splitting apart like a cheap paper bag, as he assumed his true, monstrous form.
It didn't do him much good, as with a roar, Percy immolated him with a breath of pure fire. The monsters around Thorn were likewise turned to cinders. As Percy continued to desperately unleash the overwhelming heat and flame from his body.
A pool of water some ways away was instantly vaporised, disintegrating all that was inside it, even as the remaining monsters turned and fled.
Throwing even more fire at their retreating backs, Percy quickly noted that the only things that seemed immune to his fire were the slumped-over forms of his companions, Artemis and Atlas. though in Atlas's case, this was due to him healing from his burns almost as fast as he was receiving them.
He felt strong.
Taking another step forward, Percy rolled his shoulders and met Atlas's calculating gaze.
He felt stronger than he ever had before.
This was not the first time he had drawn power from the sun. Ever since the moment he had first awoken his powers, he had done so, as for some reason the sun had always provided him comfort and support.
When he was sad or feeling down, the sun's radiance brought him joy.
When he was angry, its gentle warmth soothed him.
When he was in danger or needed help, it lent him the commensurate power he needed to accomplish the task ahead of him.
In many ways, the sun had been more of a parent to him than either of his actual parents, his unknown deadbeat down and his absentee mother, had ever been.
But, for all that he had relied on the sun, he had never taken it for granted either. He had never taken more than he needed, and he had never drunk so deeply from its endless supply of power as he was doing now.
Why not? Both because he had always been scared, and because he had never had a reason to do so. After all, before today he'd never engaged in a fight that he didn't know he could win. Nor had he taken on a challenge that he wasn't certain he could complete.
Call him a coward, or call him a pragmatist, but either way, he'd never put himself in a situation where he needed to surpass his limits.
Until now.
Percy grimaced.
It felt like his very soul was on fire.
Turning on his heel, Percy caught sight of Artemis.
She was still trapped beneath the sky; her auburn hair lank and her face covered in a sheen of sweat.
Just in front of her was an unconscious blonde girl, Annabeth.
And on the other side was Zoe. Who, proving her pedigree as the heir to the domains of strength and endurance. Already managed to push herself up into a sitting despite her injuries. Making eye contact with her, he could see that she was clasping a silver knife in her left hand, even as she stared at him in shock.
Shifting his attention, the other way, and throwing out yet more fire. Including a giant fireball at Atlas, Percy looked over at Thalia.
The dark-haired daughter of Zeus was in a terrible state.
Far worse than the others.
Her arm was a mangled mess, her mouth was covered in blood, and there was a vicious wound in her sternum.
She was very pale from blood loss too, and her eyes were slightly glazed.
The only sign that she still lived was the faint rise and fall of her chest, and even that seemed to be slowing.
At the sight of her broken form, he felt his already fiery temper reach new heights of rage.
In response to his shifting mood, the air around him grew several degrees hotter, and yet more heat spewed of his golden form.
The ground at his feet was molten at this point.
And all the monsters within fifty feet of him had been reduced to golden dust.
Flexing his hands, he was soon broken from his trance by a loud bark of laughter.
It was harsh, guttural and for some reason, painfully familiar.
"Well, this is unexpected," Atlas's voice boomed out. A wide grin had spread across his rough features, and his eyes were blazing with a potent mix of amusement, excitement, and bloodlust. "I had heard you had faded long ago…, little cousin…."
Turning to face him, Percy scowled in response.
He was angry, and in no mood to banter with Atlas, or to cater to his bullshit.
Yet at the same time, something in the titan's tone held him back.
"Or are you even my cousin anymore?" Atlas mused, his head cocking to one side curiously as he eyed Percy up and down. "You feel similar… but this fire of yours… it is weak compared to what he was capable of. His fire could incinerate entire cities, evaporate oceans and ignite the atmosphere itself. Yet this," He gestured to the molten rocks and the piles of irradiated golden dust. "This is weak in comparison. But at the same time, your aura, your divine energy, it is still oh so familiar. It burns with fury and righteousness, and just like I remember, it burns only your enemies, even as it wraps your allies in its protective embrace."
Atlas raised his hands and watched as his silver skin blistered and burnt, only for it to heal just as rapidly.
Shifting his gaze sideways, he once again noticed that his companions were the only ones that hadn't been burnt.
"What do you mean?" Percy spat out, shifting his attention back to Atlas once more, even as he continued to absorb more and more radiation. Replacing the energy he had lost while creating his previous firestorm, even as he stored the excess. Gaining another few inches of height in the process.
"I see," Atlas hummed, his lips curling up in a smirk. "You don't know who you are or even what you are, do you?"
Percy's eyes sharpened and his anger once again roared to life at Atlas's condescending tone.
With a snarl, he exploded forwards, as more fire burst to life around him. Adding additional momentum to his charging body, even as he sent a condensed blast of raging gold at Atlas.
Laughing, Atlas dispersed the fire with his bare hands and met Percy's charge head-on.
His eyes were practically gleaming with anticipation as he closed the gap between them in moments. Dodging Percy's attack, even as he delivered a brutal haymaker of his own.
Narrowly dodging Atlas's blisteringly fast counterattack, Percy juked left and right as he tried to gain space.
He was too big to use his weapons right now. As his gladius might as well have been a butterknife for all the good it did him.
And, although he was adept enough at hand-to-hand – he could brawl and knew how to throw a punch but little more than that – it was definitely not his speciality.
He was certainly no match for seasoned experts like Atlas in a one-on-one fight.
Which left him with only his fire and his wits to even the odds. As he certainly wouldn't be able to physically overpower the Titan of Strength and Endurance.
Oblivious to Percy's thoughts and still grinning, Atlas's feet created craters in the molten rock with every swift step he took as he harried Percy. Delivering a rapid onslaught of jabs and kicks, quickly forced Percy on the defensive as he swiftly pursued him across the plateau.
"There is no denying it. I can feel the divinity in you, boy. You're no mere demititan or lowly demigod. You're so much more than that." Atlas laughed, as he deftly avoided or brushed past Percy's retaliatory blasts of fire. "But nor are you a full titan either…. Or at least not anymore…. You're an aberration, something that shouldn't exist. Which begs the question, of just what is it that you have done?"
Percy didn't have either the time or the knowledge to answer, as he instead was forced to block swift several punches. Each blow hit like a freight train and threatened to shatter his arms like twigs.
Atlas was picking up the pace.
With every second that passed he seemed to be getting quicker and stronger.
He was ramping up his efforts from toying around with him, to actually trying to take him down.
"Come on Helios!" Atlas laughed, dodging a sloppy counterattack and landing a punch of his own in Percy's face. The force of the punch sent Percy rolling, his jaw fractured and his head spinning. Even as he redirected the roaring energy inside him to repair the damage and reinforce himself. "Why do you feign such weakness? This can't be all you're capable of! Or did getting usurped by that whelp Apollo really weaken you?"
Helios? Percy thought, his head spinning.
The name struck a chord with him.
But at the same time, it didn't feel quite right either.
Forcing those thoughts out of his mind, Percy forced yet fire to explode from out of his feet, legs, and back. Launching him forward like a bullet as he quickly broke past Atlas's guard and got close enough to ram his shoulder into the titan's gut.
Snarling as he winded the titan, Percy lifted his head, smashing it into Atlas's jaw, even as he delivered several kidney punches. Pouring more of his firepower into his punches giving them explosive force as he rained down blows on his winded opponent.
Growling in response, Atlas raised his hands and smashed his fists down on Percy's back staggering him. Still snarling, Atlas proceeds to then grab him with one hand. His powerful fingers close around Percy's throat with spine-splintering force. Only for him to turn and hurl him away across the mountain.
Grunting as he hit a dilapidated wall – a remnant of the old palace – Percy pushed himself to his feet.
Even with his massive boost in strength, he was no match for Atlas's sheer power. Atlas could have already finished him, but for some reason, he hadn't. Instead, the Titan General was prolonging their fight.
"You're an enigma, boy. You both are and are not Helios. It is odd. There is too much of his divinity in you for you to be just his child. But you're also still mortal, or at least for the moment…." Atlas mused as he strolled forward. His attention was solely focused on Percy to the exclusion of all else. His eyes narrowed, as he continued to pick him apart like a problem that he desperately wanted to solve. "What have you done to yourself, cousin? You're only a shadow of…, ah, I see…" Atlas trailed off, his eyes widening and a delighted smile spread across his face.
Seeing an opening, Percy exploded forwards once more, fire erupting around him as he unleashed a flurry of blows, his arms were literal golden blurs as he rumpled Atlas's black armour and went for as many vital points as he could.
Shifting his stance and using his muscle forearms, Atlas blocked and tanked the onslaught, his smirk not faltering.
"The Helios I knew has indeed faded into memory. You, you're just an aspect of the Titan of the Sun." Atlas let out a bark of laughter. "I was wondering how you had survived the Olympians imprisoning you and your domains being usurped. The answer is you didn't, or at least not fully. Instead of going out fighting like a true warrior. You desperately clung on for as long as you could. Pathetic. The Helios I knew has faded or has been absorbed. I know not which. But one of his aspects, they managed to cling on long enough to what…? Impregnate a mortal? No, you're far too powerful for that and your divinity is too pure. Ah, I see..., you didn't impregnate a mortal, you imbued yourself into one to be reborn not as a titan, but as a mortal…."
Atlas's lips curled in disgust at the last word.
Percy held back a snarl as he listened to Atlas's bullshit.
They were almost back where they started, only now he was slightly smaller than before.
Where before he was nearly the same height as Atlas, now he was slightly shorter. Every blast of fire he unleashed, enhanced blow he threw, punch he tanked, or wound he healed from, whittled away at the swirling pool of solar energy within him.
"You always were as crafty as you were foolish, cousin. To think you escaped death by becoming mortal," Atlas chuckled, before pausing. "But not entirely mortal though. This oblivious shell you wear. It is nothing more than an incubator… a fleshy armour not only keeping your immortal soul safe. Strengthening it without regard for the ancient rules or the limits placed on Divine Beings. And then, when you have accumulated enough power, or grown strong enough you will be reborn once more! A titan in full!"
"You're mad!" Percy spat.
"You're the one that did it, not I," Atlas chuckled, shaking his head. "Nor was I the one that was so weak that I allowed domains to be usurped like you and your sister. No, I would rather hold the weight of the sky again than allow my power and authority to be stolen by those witless Olympian worms."
Grinning Atlas lunged forward, and grabbed Percy again, his hands sinking deep into his scorching, golden flesh.
Struggling, Percy quickly found himself getting physically overpowered.
Atlas, even weakened from his imprisonment, was too fast, too strong, and too skilled for him to physically hold off, even while at the peak of his power.
"But which aspect is in there?" Atlas pondered to himself manhandling Percy, so he was now facing the titan. With a rough shove, he forced Percy back against the side of the mountain, cratering it. Without warning Atlas's hands shifted upwards as he took hold of his head and started squeezing his skull. "There is power in a name you see, and I'm kind of curious about just who it is in there. It isn't Helios. I know your prime aspect too well. My old sparring partner could never hide from me, even within the shell of a foul mortal. So, who is it, who is the great survivor? Which of your aspects were crafty and versatile enough to survive the collapse of Greece, the fall of Rome, and the changing of the times? Who was it that was hiding in the shadows throughout these many millennia? Is it Sol Invictus?"
Percy's gut clenched, and the fire burning away in his core flared once more as he gained a few more inches.
Overhead the sun continued to shine down upon him, even as it started its slow and steady descent.
He was running out of time.
His power rose and fell with the sun.
"Not that one then," Atlas chuckled, his eyes alight with curiosity. "I suppose it would make sense for your surviving aspect to be one of your most obscure ones. Fortunately, my dear daughters have kept me abreast of the times these many long millennia. But even so, it's tricky. It would have to be one only loosely related to our Pantheon. After all, that is how you survived as long as you did, isn't it? Where most titans and gods stayed stagnant, you evolved. Isn't that right, Helios-Mithras? Or do you just prefer Mithras for short?"
( - )
AN: So yeah, what did you expect? Atlas is the Titan General and a certified badass, even when weakened. I dislike reading stories where the MC completely stomps him, especially when that MC is still only a teen. The gods and titans in my story are dangerous. They are not cartoon characters or pushovers like they tend to be written in canon. That said, Percy and the others are wimps either, as can be seen.
That said, I suspect this chapter will be my most controversial. Both because people don't tend to like it when the MCs don't immediately curb-stomp everyone. And because I went a bit left field with the big question of the story, who is Percy's dad?
Turns out, he is his own dad, kinda.
Yup, weird, but hopefully explained in an understandable enough way. More on this will come out, don't worry and things will get clearer next chapter, and in the next part of the story.
That said let me just ask, who expected it to be Mithras? Or Helios-Mithras, which is just one theory I found. Like seriously the mythology around Mithras is a bit convoluted and mysterious and up for interpretation. That said it is also pretty interesting and something I am learning more and more about as I continue my research for this story.
That said, yeah, hope you enjoyed it and stick with the story. The next chapter will be out soonish.
Also, I am on discord with a load of other writers, so if you fancy popping over to ask questions or offer suggestions about this story, or any of my other ones, or to find new authors you might not have come across yet, please feel free to use the link in my bio.
Thanks for reading and if you have any suggestions or questions feel free to PM me or find me on Discord.
Catch you later.
Greed720.