Alright everyone, we have officially entered the very last few chapters of the book. The Invasion is about to begin, hence the final battle of the Book. This chapter is more of a dialogue and development chapter, but it has some key information and good moments, that I think you will all enjoy. My point is, there won't be any fighting this time around, but the next few...believe me, you will get a LOT of fighting. So it's more than made up for. I have many plans in motion, and let me tell you, I seriously think you're all going to enjoy the Invasion. But that's up to you to decide, not me.

Very quick, and I will elaborate more on this later, but right now, I want to announce that I will be doing a crossover with thesuperone342, the author of Zane Williams and the Gods of Olympus. It's no secret I love that story, and consider him a personal friend. But now it's actually happening. What started as a joke has become real. We are writing a four chapter crossover, that is canon to both of our stories, and it will be written by both of us. Thesuperone342 has already written the first chapter. I have read it, and it's amazing, I gotta say, phenomenal, and I can't wait to upload it and see it on his story. We're going to wait until Storm Bringers is done and some last minute editing is done before posting it though, but it will be out soon. I will be writing the second chapter, he will be writing the third, and I will be writing the last. So in summary, Zane and Matt are about to meet. It's pretty epic.

Now then, on with some reviews. This section might be long, so I suggest you skip it if not interested.

RedX316:"Hercules himself is the best character in this fic, among other incredible characters. Great development."

Response: Thanks. Yeah, I'm glad you enjoy his character, and I'm also glad I wrote him good enough for you to say that. Hope you like this installment.

thesuperone342 (both reviews): "Aight, bro. This chapter was pretty good. I know it was a bit more of a filler chapter before Matt and Sigurd's adventure, but it introduced the world serpent and left off with an awesome cliffhanger.

I really, really like Harper and Sera's relationship. I'd say it's on the level with Talon and Harper at this point. Sera is such a cinnamon roll lol. Bro, your character relationships are probably one of the best things about this fic. Everything is so believable and great. Good chapter as always, time to get started on some zombie vikings.
P.S. Sarper?"

"Holy fucking shit this chapter was good. Like really good. Let's start with the dialogue portion of it. Sigurd's backstory is good and his powers are cool. I thought his telekinesis would be like Zane's, but it is different. Another thing was more development on the sons of Thor, and holy fuck you made me hate them more than Levi lol. It might simply be because they're homophobic and murderous psychopaths, but damn I want them to die.
And the second part of the chapter was awesome. The Viking zombie draugr fight was nothing short of top notch, although I am more of a fan of one on one fights to be honest, which is a testament to how good this battle was since I liked it so much. It felt like Percy and Zane fighting against the grey men, but instead of Percy, take a Jedi or something lol. All in all, badass chapter. Can't wait until 53.
P.S. What does the Death thing mean? I'm bad with stuff like that lol"

Response: I'm glad you liked the chapters, man. Yeah, the Draugr fight, I enjoyed writing it, and I'm glad it paid off and was pretty good. Sarper? Haha, good ship name. Honestly if those two were the same age and swung that way...pretty good pairing, at least in my opinion. But oh well, they're taken. Anyway yeah, the Sons of Thor are true villains now, with a backstory and even more hateable qualities. Don't worry, the final battle is coming. And lol, Sigurd being a jedi makes perfect sense, he kind of is one. But anyway, hope you like this chapter.

Shadowhunter2077 (all reviews): "Nice team up between Matt and Sigurd, and it was nice to see Sigurd back story, and I curious to see how you will handle Odin when he appears.

And I honestly thought you would use Surtur as the Norse equivalent to Typhon, but Jormungand also work and nice to see the sons of Thor having some background gives the characters more deep.

Also Big Three children at their full potential are as powerful as Matt was in book one, but all of then adopted Percy ideology of "I want to be a normal kid with normal problems" and by consequence they all got far weaker than they were during the wars, and this also the reason why Camp Jupiter is harder to defeat than Camp Half-Blood, the roman demigods live to fight for their home and they embrace that so much that it takes multiple attacks to actually weaken then and even then they still put a fierce a fight.

Liked the way you "introduce" Jormungand, it gives a imagination on how big that thing is, and the way the Lynx huntress were down right terrified of it shows how much of a threat it is.

Also in this there is some facts in canon that I think should share, in the first book of Magnus Chase trilogy the Midgard Serpent can be summoned in the seas with the consequence being big tidal waves in the coast, and Baldur is already dead though you could just say that he uses a avatar to interact with the mortal world.

And there is children of Odin in the canon, but you could simply say that they were away from the epicenter of their pantheon they never awakened their full power, this could also be used in the Greek-Roman demigods the far away they are from the flame of the west the less likely to them to wake their divine powers, because Annabeth stated in the Lightning Thief that some demigods live their entire lives without knowing they are demigods.

Liked the Norse Camp the way they work make clear why they are better warriors than the greeks.

Also Fenrir is still bound in the canon, but you could simply say that he defeated a avatar of Fenrir, because a unbound Fenrir is powerful enough to defeat even Odin.

I'm not suprised Ares lost that guy is the champion in defeats in both the books and the myths, and damn this show how much a pain is to be King because Zeus can't open a expetion to anyone because the moment one god strays from duty is only a matter of time others starts to do the same."

Response: Okay, I'm gonna try and keep this short, since there's a lot here. He hasn't read in a few days, so these are reviews from three chapters. I'll do my best to tackle what you said, man. First of all, thanks for reviewing and reading, you seemed to like the chapters, so that's good, I appreciate it. About all of this Magnus Chase stuff, I'll be honest, I haven't read the books, and I don't really want to. I might in the future, but right now, I'm doing original stuff with the Norse Pantheon. I know it's canon though, so if I screwed anything up by including stuff here that shouldn't have been included, then I apologize, if I'd read the books then I'd probably have gotten it more accurate to Riordan's version. But thanks for the suggestions, about the avatar's and stuff, it makes sense and that's cool. Anyway, I appreciate all the thoughts you gave, man. Hope you like this one and the last few of the book.

MountainBookSage25: "I just noticed just now

Matt's entire team probably surpasses the original Seven by a VERY large margin now

Also

Dealing with concepts like Death eh?

What, you gonna introduce Chaos next time?

OOooohh the Life of a Demigooood"

Response: Yeah, I think it's safe to say Matt's crew is stronger than the original seven. And yeah, the death thing will be expanded upon, you'll see. And no, no Chaos, at least not as a person or a physical form. But thanks for the review, hope you enjoy this chapter.

So sorry that was long, but I have to respond, because I like to let people know what I think, and give more info on the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except the OC's) Percy Jackson & The Olympians, Heroes Of Olympus, or Trials Of Apollo. All of that belongs to Rick Riordan.

Now then, on with the twenty sixth chapter.

26. The Invasion Begins

Harper

Seeing Matt and Sigurd return from their mission, I knew they had been through the ringer.

Obviously, based on the giant beams of light we saw earlier, they had fought with just about all they had. We had stared at it for a few minutes, my group and pretty much every single Norse camper. About the time it passed and disappeared, Malachi said they were on their way back, so we decided to wait for them and see what happened.

Matt walked up with wisps of steam coming off his skin. I instantly noticed his haircut, and to my surprise, he looked even older than he did before. I expected he would look younger, since he had the same cut last year on our first quest. But no, he'd matured and grown so much, that he actually looked a lot like his father, minus the beard. As for any sign of damage, he looked unharmed, with only a few scratches on his chestplate and jeans to show that he had been in a fight at all. Sigurd looked about the same. His body wasn't injured, but his black cloak was ripped up in a couple of places.

We met them at the gate, waiting in anticipation for what they would say.

"What happened?!" Arya asked Sigurd.

But Matt answered first, "Zombie Vikings."

I looked around in confusion. Zombie Vikings? What the hell? But as I glanced at the Campers' faces, their eyes widened with horror. They must've known what that meant.

Arya let out a frightened gasp, "Draugr?"

Sigurd nodded, looking at us grimly, "Yes. There were at least two million of them. We would've been there all day, had Matt not used his new technique."

At that, Hercules pushed through us, "You used it? Matt?"

Matt looked almost sheepishly at his father, "Uh...kind of. Sorry Dad, I had to. Those things were getting smarter and more dangerous by the second, and there were still a million of them left! After we fought for like three hours!"

Hercules put up a hand, "Calm down, you did the right thing. Ain't got any complaints here."

Malachi didn't look so forgiving though, "Matt, while I am sure the situation required it's use. Don't you think that blast might have been a signal to Ouranos? What if our cover has been blown?"

"I think your cover has been blown for a while now." Sigurd said, "It pains me to say it, but Ouranos is smart. He most likely has known you've been here, and has awaited our invasion."

I spoke up, "We're still gonna do it...right?"

Lara, the lynx huntress lieutenant was next to me, "Damn right we are" She said.

Sigurd agreed, "Of course we are going through with it. But we need to begin planning, right now." He raised his chin and his voice to speak to all the Campers, "Everyone! Prepare for battle! I will discuss a plan with our allies and relay it to you as soon as it is complete! Do not panic, we have this war in our favor!"

It was the first time I'd heard him get that loud and authoritative. He bode well as a leader, and wasn't just the brooding silent type it turned out. I could see why he'd been chosen in the first place. Sigurd was a natural boss. The Campers all listened to him, and nodded their heads, going right back to their usual tasks. I could see that they had been through this before, gone through wars. If they hadn't, and they hadn't won those wars, they probably would've questioned Sigurd, or wanted to hear the plan's rough draft. But no, you didn't get any of that here, they simply listened to what he said, and scattered around the Camp, leaving our group, Sigurd, and Arya.

Sigurd sighed, "I'm trying not to worry them. But the reality is, we'll need everything we've got for this invasion. All of our brainpower put together, we need to come up with a good plan of attack."

We all agreed, but stayed silent. Maybe trying to think of something to say to get the ball rolling. But I'll be honest, I was just trying to figure out why Matt had such a confused look on his face. I stared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. He was caught up in a different world right now.

Arya quipped, "Well, we don't have to make the plan out here, do we? Come on, let's go inside. We can get some coffee too."

I don't drink coffee.

Yeah, I know, go ahead and groan all you coffee drinkers. It's just not my cup of tea. Oh, tea, I actually like sweet tea, not hot tea, but Iced. You know, the kind you get at McDonald's, mmm, that's good stuff.

Off track, sorry.

We all went by the brewing stand, run by a couple of teenagers that looked like they could multitask ten thousand things at once. I politely declined a drink, so did Sera and Matt, but the others went for it, getting straight black decaf, and Arya getting some kind of Hazelnut flavor pumped into hers. I was surprised that Malachi would drink coffee, never took him for the type.

Talon was surprised too, "You drink coffee?"

He shrugged, "It has a rather unique taste."

Yeah, a bad one. But I didn't say that out loud.

We all went inside Sigurd and Arya's house. The place was nice, made of dark colored wood and rising three stories high. It reminded me of a cabin home, the kind you would see in Appalachia or something. We all sat in the living room, Sigurd and Matt remained standing however, in front of all of us. They looked like two different species, standing next to each other. From their clothes to their skin to their build, they were totally different. Matt was tan, Sigurd wasn't, Matt was muscular, Sigurd wasn't so muscular, Matt had short, brown hair, Sigurd had longer, red hair. They appeared the opposite, but they seemed to work so well together now, from handling the cavern to the way they silently spoke to each other. I saw Sigurd and Matt about to speak at the same time, and there was a silent conversation with their hands and eyes, trying to convince the other to go first. Eventually, Matt won, and Sigurd spoke first.

"Firstly...I want to say thank you again, for coming all this way. I cannot repay you enough for risking your lives to help us, I only hope that we can be of equal assistance as some form of compensation."

"Don't sweat it, man." Matt said, "We're in this together."

Sigurd nodded thankfully, "Matt and I managed to clear a path for our ground troops. Dead Man's Cavern, while challenging, is now open, and we can march every Camper along that path, straight to Ouranos's base. I understand Arya, Harper and Sera went to see the source of the rumbling. What have you concluded?"

Sera and I looked to Arya to tell him, she knew more about it than I did.

She conceded, and told him reluctantly. "It's Jormungandr, Sigurd. The Midgard Serpent."

Everyone else sort of raised an eyebrow, all but Sigurd and Hercules. Hercules nodded, like he'd figured it all along, which he sort of had, when he mentioned it in the longhouse. Sigurd just closed his eyes and tightened his lips.

"I was afraid of that" He said, "Ouranos is summoning our most feared beast."

Hercules leaned forward on his knees, nearly crushing the couch he sat on. "Ouranos sure is playing this game smart. Not that it's a game...but well, to him it is. Anyway, he's using these beings well, the Sons of Thor, taking their anger and guiding it in what he wants, making them think that they can trust him, when really he'll just kill them as soon as he would those Big Four punks. And the World Serpent. The monster can't think for itself, all it knows is Chaos."

I bit my tongue at the Big Four part. It only reminded me how wrong Levi was, and how he seemed to not know that Ouranos doesn't care about him. He might tell him he cares about him, but the Primordial doesn't have a genuine bone in his misty body. I know for a fact he's using my brother, and would execute him as soon as he found no further use for him. The thought made me sick, that Levi was so pent up on revenge and bitterness, that he'd risk it all to get a chance at our mother.

"Look, I don't know anything about this Serpent, but I'm sure we can defeat it." Talon said, "Sigurd, no disrespect to you, man. You seem cool. But we got a damn Demi-Primordial in our crew, the only in freaking existence might I add, that can destroy this entire planet with ease if he wanted to." He gestured to Hercules, "A god, who not only was the greatest demigod of all time for like a few centuries, but has that Beam thing that Matt does." Talon thrust his finger at Matt with emphasis, "And Matt himself! This kid has done shit that I wouldn't dream a demigod his age of doing. He's killed legendary monsters like it was nothing, fought Ouranos and even Typhon in some capacity, killed Krios, nearly killed an Olympian, and he's even stronger than he was now, than when he did those things! So you're gonna tell me, that you're worried about some snake? No, the real problem is those bastard Sons of Thor."

The mood in the room immediately got darker. I could practically feel the hate coming off of Sigurd and Arya.

Matt tried to stop Talon, "Talon, let's not-"

But he wasn't giving in, "No, we're talking about it. Sore subject, blah blah blah, I get it. They did something bad, you kicked them out. Okay, whatever. But we need to address this. They keep getting boosted by Ouranos, they're probably stronger than they were before. And we know what happened before..."

I did. I remembered our fight in New York City, how they healed themselves like it was nothing. I couldn't forget about that vision either, where they said they supposedly killed Matt. Turned out that was almost true, and they had dealt a fatal blow to him.

Sigurd nodded his head, but his mouth showed sourness. "He is right. We must discuss it, as painful as it is." He sort of looked around the room helplessly, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Those two...used to be my comrades. We didn't get along most of the time, but they were still allies, and I respected them as fighters. Then..." His tone angered, "They killed my best friend, Rune. I could not forgive that. That is why they were banished, so that all of you know. This is not a revenge vendetta. They are the enemy now, and I will treat them as such. Don't count on me losing my head, simply because of that."

Matt looked like he wanted to say something comforting, but didn't know the words. He turned to us instead, "They'll be there, Bjorn and Boris. Ouranos has already given them more strength no doubt."

I nodded, "He has. I saw it in a vision."

"They'll be his heavy hitters, targeting our group's strongest. I'm guessing the World Serpent is a big distraction, the Big Four are to contain the rest of the group sitting here, and he'll have an army of Storm Spirits to fight our numbers."

The Big Four, "You think Levi and the other three will be here?" I asked.

Matt shrugged sympathetically, "I don't see why not. They follow wherever he goes."

Sigurd gave a timeout signal, "I've never seen these people with my sight. Who are they?"

I let out a seething sigh and leaned back into my chair, "They're four psychopathic demigods, and my brother's the leader."

"Are they formidable?"

Talon snorted, "They'll keep us busy that's for sure."

I wasn't looking forward to seeing Levi again. The last time...well, you know what happened. I was still conflicted over that, and I thought about it more than I want to admit. It was like there were two souls inside of me, fighting each other. One soul wanted Levi dead, the other wanted to save him. And I suppose one will have to win when the time comes.

I decided to voice my desire to cut to the chase, "So what's the actual plan here? Like step by step, what are we doing?" I didn't mean to be blunt, but I wanted to know what we were supposed to do.

The Son of Odin leaned his hand on a table nearby, putting his weight on it. "I think we should attack from the ground through Dead Man's Cavern. It's open, it's wide enough now, and probably the only way to strike Ouranos's base. Use every Camper we have, and attack."

"But isn't it on the tallest mountain in the region? And not to mention, Ouranos has a barrier. We won't be able to break through." Arya said. I had almost forgotten she was here.

Sigurd cursed, "That is...true."

We all glanced at each other for a solution, but none was found. Or so we thought. Hercules lightly lifted his large hand.

"I can break through the barrier." He said, "I have an attack capable of destroying it."

Everyone except Matt looked at him with surprise. Sure, he's a god, super powerful, but this is Ouranos we're talking about. The guy is older than Kronos, literally time itself. I'm sure whatever barrier he creates is pretty strong.

He noticed our shocked faces and mediated, "I know what you're thinking, but hear me out. To sum it up, I can gather energy from other living things, and I can condense it into a blast. Fully charged, it can destroy just about anything. I'd probably need some of the Campers' energy though, and I'd need to ride on Kyros, above you guys. That way I can get the best angle on the barrier."

Sigurd nodded, "You plan on using the technique Matt did earlier, don't you?"

"Yes."

I didn't know what the heck he meant, or what this technique was, but if it had anything to do with that giant red light we saw earlier, coming from Matt. Maybe I spoke too soon about not being able to destroy Ouranos's barrier.

Matt cleared his throat, "But there's still the problem of getting everyone up there. If Dad manages to get rid of the barrier, that still leaves a ton of distance to trek up the mountain. And I don't remember you telling me your Campers could fly, Sigurd."

I think he meant it as a small joke, but Sigurd didn't take it that way. He probably thought Matt was being dead serious. "That would be useful, but they cannot."

To my left, I saw a patch of white hair appear next to Malachi. Sera. She hasn't spoken the entire time, probably due to her nervousness, but like I said, she had changed a bit since Griffith Manor. The old Sera would never have spoken up in a meeting like this, but now she had a hand on Malachi's thigh. "Kai...what about your teleportation?"

He seemed unsure, and gave a little eye twitch at the suggestion. Signaling the outcomes of danger in his mind. "I...have never teleported that many people before. No more than seven or eight. However that was not at full power. Perhaps..."

"Wait a second" Arya objected, stopping any more words from Malachi. She shifted to Sigurd, "I don't want any Campers dead before we even get up there."

Sigurd studied Malachi, not taking his eyes off him. "He transported us fine earlier."

"That was with six of us though." Matt muttered.

Talon drank the last of his coffee and wiped his mouth with his jacket sleeve. "Think you can do more, Malachi? I mean, how many campers are in this place, in total?"

Sigurd looked up, counting in his head for a moment. His eyes flicked back down, and he said evenly, "Eighty, give or take."

Eighty? That was it? I wasn't complaining or anything, and I should've known by the number of the Campers outside, being only about sixty or seventy that I saw. Not that Camp Half Blood is much bigger in numbers these days, what with this attack, we lost a lot of Campers, and some dipped. Like no joke, dipped in the middle of the night and took off. I can't blame them though; I'd leave too if I was in their shoes. I'd say we have maybe fifty or so back home now, but before? Sheesh, we had probably three hundred plus at our peak, when Percy made the gods promise to start claiming their kids and giving cabins to minor gods. That spiked the attention.

Obviously Eighty is better than nothing, but this is Ouranos we're talking about, and like Matt said, he can influence people. He's probably got an entire army for us to go against. I didn't like the odds, but maybe we could make up for it with raw power.

I noticed Talon grimaced at the odds too, thinking the same thing I did. Only he was more likely to voice his uncertainty. To my surprise, he didn't, and just raised an eyebrow at his old friend. "What do you think, man?"

Malachi looked unsure, but he ultimately nodded, determined. "If I use my full power, I'm nearly positive that I can transport that many up the mountain. Perhaps more. I've just never tried it."

"It's the nearly that I worry about." Arya said, not in a talking down type of way, but of worry. She was worried about the Campers, and the possibility that the teleportation could go wrong, and then we'd lose all our backbone.

Sera tightened her grip on her boyfriend's knee, showing her faith in him. "Kai can do it. I've seen him accomplish impossible feats in the past, and he has always prevailed. I believe in him."

Malachi smiled at her thankfully, and we all exchanged looks, trying to come to a final decision.

"So that's the plan then?" I said, "We all charge in from the ground, Hercules in the sky." I gestured to the strength god, "He fires that thing you keep talking about, the barrier shatters, Malachi teleports us all to the top, and we attack the base." I looked around the room, "I miss anything?"

They all shook their head, Sigurd saying, "No, that's on the nail. Sounds a lot more basic when put that way…"

Matt shook his head and put a hand on his shoulder, something that Sigurd probably wouldn't have liked, given his personality, but some sort of comradery and manly bonding must've happened in that cavern, because Sigurd welcomed Matt's assurance.

"The plan's going to work, man." Matt said, "I know it will. We're all going to give our best, and if we stick to what we said, we'll come out on top."

Sigurd, and the rest of us eased a bit at his words. Some of the Aphrodite kids had charm speak, back at Camp, and could sometimes will others to do things they didn't even want, or know they were doing. They just did it. I felt like Matt was doing that right now, only it wasn't an ability, it was sheer charisma. Compare that to him last year, when he was more awkward, and less of a leader. Man, he's grown so much, it makes me have to really catch myself sometimes. Like I'm dating this guy, this powerful demigod. It's kinda crazy, plain old me, Harper, is somehow desirable to a guy that defeated a full powered Titan, among other insanely strong beings.

Sigurd's mouth twitched, "You're right. We must have hope and stay concise to the plan. That is the key."

A silence fell, and we all agreed right there that it would be the plan of attack. And afterwards…I supposed we'd just fight with everything we had. The Norse Campers would fight the Storm Spirits that were no doubt waiting, if the Big Four were there, Talon, Sera and myself would deal with them, once and for all. Sigurd agreed to take on the World Serpent and keep it under the Earth. He wasn't sure how he would kill it, or if that would even be smart, since it basically is the size of the planet it inhabits. So, if it went limp, would it take the Earth with it? We didn't know, but Sigurd was going to figure it out. As for Matt, Malachi and Hercules, their job was to take on The Sons of Thor and Ouranos. Since the brothers had been amped heavily by Ouranos, we concluded it was best to have both Matt and Malachi fight a brother, which one, didn't matter. Hercules was to take out the Primordial. Since Ouranos should be weakened by giving so much of his strength away, and the fact that he doesn't have a physical form, Hercules should have more than enough power to send him back to Tartarus.

It made sense, and it was a pretty good layout of the Invasion. We all knew what we were supposed to do, and it gave a sense of order. I liked knowing everything step by step, going by specifics. It was just how I operated, and how most of our group operated. I could feel the hope rising in my chest significantly, we had a plan now, and I seriously thought it would work. I'll confess, I've been a little skittish and wishy washy about this whole quest, not fully believing in the whole thing, but this right here…just might work.

Talon broke our comfortable silence with a little slam of his coffee mug on the table, "Are we in agreement, members of the jury?"

Sigurd ignored his quip, "Yes. All I have to do now is tell the Campers. I'll make a speech to them, inform them of the plan. Perhaps…try and instill some hope." He sighed and gazed out of the window closest to him. I could see the pain in his eyes, at the thought of losing any more of his friends. Hearing about the Sons of Thor killing his best friend made my blood boil. Those guys needed to pay; they were heartless.

"Go ahead and make the speech, man." Matt said with support, "We're right behind you."

Sigurd turned and motioned that everyone could go if they wanted, "I will. You all can exit the house if you want, or stay, whichever is fine. But make battle preparations as you see fit. We will be invading today and ending this war."

There was a little whoop from Talon at that, and he got up, clapped his hands once and walked to the door, "Hell yeah! Bastards won't even see it coming!" Before he opened the door, he lifted a questioning finger, "You got a shooting range around here?"

Sigurd knit his eyebrows, "No, we do not."

Talon frowned, "Where can I shoot my gun?"

Arya rolled her eyes, "You may use the Huntresses targets. But don't harass them! I know about your flirting and it's not funny!"

Talon opened the door and didn't even get embarrassed. If anything, Arya's comment only boosted his sly smirk. "It ain't harassing if it's a two-way street, ma'am. I seen the way those chicks were looking at me, standing all close as we watched Matt and Sigurd tear it up miles away." He whistled and shook his head, "Fine women, fine women." Then he walked out the door and slammed it shut.

I facepalmed at the idiot's behavior, but I couldn't help the smile that crept across my face. I felt for him, remembering how he'd lost his own girlfriend at just the age of twelve, then immediately got shipped to the Cursed Island. He'd had it hard, and honestly deserved someone that liked him. The problem was…just who would? I mean, Talon's a LOT to handle. He just needs someone like him, someone that can handle his sarcasm, crude remarks, good but mostly mishandled intentions, and his freaking nickname calling. Not sure if there's a girl out there that's into all that, but if there is, my friend's single, hit him up.

Sera gave a sympathetic smile to Arya, "I will make sure he doesn't attempt to court the Huntresses." She got up and excused herself.

Malachi watched her leave and took this as his cue to get up as well, "I will prepare myself. Matt, when you get the chance, I would like to speak with you."

Matt reared his head back a little, trying to figure out if he'd done something wrong. "Uh…sure, man."

Malachi nodded and walked out the door, this time when he shut it, it hit the doorframe the wrong way and stayed cracked open, but it didn't matter, because Hercules was getting up too.

"Guess I'll wait outside too." He turned to his son, "Hate to overload you kid, but like the Demi Primordial, I wanna have a word with you. If you don't mind."

Matt breathed a little laugh, and shrugged, "No problem. I'll be out in a minute."

Hercules nodded, and he too exited. Arya not long after him, giving Sigurd a kiss on the cheek, she squeezed his shoulder and smiled at him, then followed Hercules's lead. It was now just Matt, Sigurd and I left in the room.

Sigurd sighed, and I saw him glance at Arya's figure walking back to her Huntresses, a couple of them watching Talon closely as he shot his revolver. Were they…giggling? Oh gods, they actually liked him back. I fought the urge to burst out laughing. If Talon knew…oh man, his ego would burst through the roof. Arya scolded them and told them to stop staring.

"I worry for her." Sigurd said, "When we fought Ymir, there was a moment where…I thought she died. I can't let that happen this time around."

I found myself putting an arm around Matt's waist, and hugging it, bringing my face to the side of his chest. He smelled good, despite having been in a cavern fighting Zombies. He tensed a little at the unexpected side hug, but when he registered it was me, he put a strong arm around my shoulder.

I tried to comfort Sigurd's nerves. "She's a tough girl, she'll be alright. Did well in that mountain earlier, I can tell you that."

Sigurd nodded grimly, "Oh I know. I just can't help it. Every time we enter battles like these, wars like these, I think…how many more will die? How many more Campers will I have to bury before it ends? I already buried my father figure, and my best friend. Who's next? Ivan? Arya? I can't bear to think about it, but there will always be a monster or god out there that wants revenge, or even world domination. It's the sad truth, but the cycle will never cease."

I looked helplessly up at Matt. I had no words to say, to make him feel better, because he was right. Look at history, even the past few years at Camp Half Blood. First it was the Titan War, Kronos wanted to take over the world and dethrone the gods, feeling that the Titans were better rulers. Then after his defeat, here comes Gaea, wanting the same thing, but with Giants. Now it's Ouranos, another Primordial, but this time, he claims he wants to make the world a better place, better than the gods ever have.

Point is, it's one thing after another. And yeah, who's next? After Ouranos, who can the Universe send our way? Another Primordial? A mad god turned villain? Chaos itself? I mean, is that too much of a stretch? Given everything that's happened, maybe not.

I saw in Matt's eyes that he didn't know the answer either, but he found words that I couldn't anyway. "Maybe the cycle won't end. Maybe there'll always be somebody out there that wants us dead, but…right here, right now, we're going to end this war, this one. We can worry about the past or future later, but right now, in the present, Ouranos is going down. Let that be a testament to anyone that wants to try after he's gone. Hey, as far as I see it, the list only grows. Kronos, Gaea, Ouranos, that's two Universal beings that have lost to ants like us, and one that's about to. If there's another psycho out there stupid enough to attempt what they did, let them. They'll lose too."

Sigurd processed his mini speech and nodded. Something shifted in his eyes, and I saw a great deal of respect form in them for Matt. He motioned upstairs, "Will you follow me? I have…something I'd like to give you."

Matt's face contorted in confusion, but he gestured for Sigurd to lead the way. He looked at me, and I shrugged. Heck if I know.

We followed Sigurd upstairs to the second floor. This part of the house was different than below. Below looked normal, like something you'd find on a real estate show. But up here, it looked more like the attic at the Big House. There were maps, books and notes spread out across the room, on tables, on the floor, posted to the wall. Basically, it reminded me of a hardcore conspirers' basement.

He stopped at a small chest on the left side and stuck his finger to the lock. A faint green glow lit up from it for a moment, then it popped open. Sigurd lifted the lid and reached inside. After a second of digging around, he reverently lifted out a dark brown cape, about as long as his cloak, and held it out in front of him like an offering.

Matt looked at it, confused, but a little impressed. Was he sensing an aura from it?

"Whoa…what is that?" He asked, his eyes glued to the fabric.

"It was my master Hannes's cape of the dead. A gift to him by his mother Hel, who had power over the Underworld." He explained, "It gives the wearer power over the deceased, allowing you to speak to them temporarily."

Matt took his arm off me and gave Sigurd a questioning look, silently asking if he could touch it. And Sigurd responded with a smirk, saying of course.

Matt took it from his hands and held it, staring at it with awe and running his fingers across it.

"I can feel it's aura…" He whispered, "It reminds me of Nico's back at Camp." He smiled and looked at Sigurd, "How does it work?"

Sigurd looked pleased that Matt liked it, "Well, it has a few rules. You cannot talk to souls that are in punishment, as freeing them of that for even a few seconds would be against Underworld law. It also has a time limit, about ten to fifteen minutes I'd say, and then the conversation will be cut off." He shrugged, "Other than that, I suppose you will it to use it's power. I've seen Hannes do it, but I've never worn the cape myself."

Matt's smile faded, and he looked at Sigurd cautiously, his hands already trying to give it back. "I can't take this, man. It was Hannes's. Don't you want to keep his stuff?"

Sigurd shook his head, "It has a useful ability, and I hate to see it go to waste. I…need to move on from Hannes's sacrifice and look to the future. Besides, take it as thanks for helping us. I insist."

Matt still looked unsure, but eventually caved and nodded to Sigurd. "Thank you, man. I won't let you down in this Invasion. That's a promise."

"I know you won't." Sigurd said, "I suppose I should make the announcement, then. The Campers need time to prepare." He began to walk off, "Stay up here as long as you need, I don't mind."

"Thanks" Matt said, a grateful smile plastered to his lips.

Sigurd gave a semi smile back, and walked down the steps, leaving the house.

Matt looked down at the cape, and back at me. "Would you…"

It took me a second to catch on, but I finally did. "Oh…yeah, of course."

I took the cape and he turned around, his wide frame and muscular back right in front of my face. I resisted the urge to trace my finger along every crevice, every muscle, because now wasn't the time or place. Instead, I let the folded parts fall to the floor, and I unfurled it, finding little latches that let it hold on to the shoulders of armor.

They almost perfectly matched Matt's chestplate, and I was able to latch the cape on pretty quick. Once it was secure, I stepped back and took a look at him.

I expected it to look goofy and stereotypically superhero-esque, but actually…It didn't at all. It made him look even more impressive and powerful, if that was humanly possible. The cape clung to the round upper part of his arms, and fell down his back, nearly reaching his boots. Its brown color matched his brown hair, and it made him look more like a leader, a mythical figure even. As if he wasn't even real, but a statue of a famous hero from long ago.

I jokingly whistled, "Watch out Ouranos, Superman's coming for you."

He snickered, and looked backwards at the cape, "I like it. Think it looks good?"

I nodded, "Oh yeah. I was just kidding."

"I know."

A silence fell, and we stared at each other, for just a few seconds. But in those few seconds, a lot of things passed between us. He drank in my presence like it would never come back, and I did the same. We were about to enter a hectic battlefield, and now might be the only chance we could truly have an intimate moment in the next week. Who knows? I knew I had to cherish this because things were about to get crazy.

I stepped forward and put my face against his chest, the top of my head hitting his chin. He raised it and maneuvered it, so it was in between the crook of my neck. I hugged him tightly, and he returned it, only his was gentle. Probably trying to be careful so he didn't hurt me.

"Your chestplate's cold." I said, a little tease. He chuckled, his breath hitting my neck like a refreshing hot towel. Gods, that felt good.

"Sorry" He muttered, "Didn't have time to hit the sauna."

"I did, with Sera." I said, "It was fun."

We remained in our embrace, just talking to each other in low voices. It was probably strange to anyone that might've walked up here and saw us, but to me, it was amazing.

"Really?" He said, "Figured she would hate that kind of thing. You know, Absolute Zero and all."

I lightly punched his back with my fist, "I can't believe you're going to call it that from now on. Everything has to have a name?"

"Well, from the girl that calls me Shark Boy…Yes, everything has to have a name. Including my attack." I felt his smile against my skin, and I knew something goofy was about to be said. "Check it…Read Beam Cannon. Huh? Pretty cool, right?"

I pulled away and looked up at him in disbelief, "You are such a dork!"

He smiled, "You like this dork, though."

I bit my lip and wondered if I should say what I was about to say next. But remembering that night, when were on Kyros, riding in the sky…I knew I could say it without hesitation.

I leaned up on my toes and kissed him passionately. Yeah, passionately. Oh, don't groan, reader. This isn't about to become some dumb romance novel. I can't help it, that's the only way to describe the kiss. He was surprised at first, but eventually returned it, and deepened it, snaking his arms around my back, and pulling me closer. I let my arms shift from his lower back to his neck, and I held myself there.

After about half a minute, our lips parted, the connection of warmth staying for a couple of seconds afterwards. The sensation made my lips tingle, and the urge to kiss him rougher and harder nearly took over, but I fought it. I needed to say these words.

"Correction" I said, "I love this dork."

His eyes widened a little, but they soon softened, and I felt his hand cover the left side of my face, "I love you too. And we're going to make it out of this, I know it. We're going to defeat Ouranos, the plan's going to go off without a hitch, and we'll finally be able to go home." He traced his fingers in my hair, "Rebuild Camp, maybe, and heh, we can finally go on a normal freaking date."

I laughed, and remembered our conversation on the beach last year, when we joked about where we wanted to go for our first. "Coney Island?"

He looked shocked, "I thought you said you hated that stuff?"

I shook my head, "I like carnivals, sure. But you're not winning prizes for me, Shark Boy. I can do that on my own."

He pursed his lips and widened his eyes, like he was scared of me, "Hey, I never said you couldn't win your own prizes, just that I would win them and give them to you…like um, a gift."

He was so cute when he thought he had made me annoyed. In reality, I just liked teasing him, but it was funny to see him squirm a little. Call that mean, I don't care, he's too cute to resist.

"Hmm, I like a competition better. How about we play each other? Whaddya say, you scared?"

He snorted, "Please. I could beat you at mini golf or whatever it is with my eyes closed."

"Alright then, I'll remember that. When we get back home, I challenge you to a game."

"Deal."

We chuckled with each other, and his hand fell from my face, but immediately grasped on to my hand. I laced my fingers with his, and we left Sigurd's house.

"Didn't Malachi and your dad want to speak to you?" I asked, looking around for them.

Matt concentrated, feeling for a specific aura. "Yeah, I'll go to Malachi first, since he asked first."

I let go of his hand, "Well, I'll leave you two be. I'm gonna hang out with Sera and Talon."

He nodded, "Alright, see you later."

We parted, him going in the opposite direction of Camp to find Malachi. I walked over to the archery range, where Talon was shooting his revolver like crazy, annoying Sera, who had her hands over her ears.

I finally approached the ex-assassin and grabbed his shoulder, "Mind quieting down?!"

He looked at me and spun his pistol into his holster. He had on his trademark sunglasses, leather duster, jeans, and cowboy boots. The only difference now was that he'd started to wear his cowboy hat more, for some reason. It wasn't wide brimmed, but it was definitely something you'd see out of a western movie.

"What the hell, goth girl?"

I'd gotten used to the stupid nickname; I didn't even protest anymore. "Oh no, keep shooting, by all means! Pretty sure Ouranos didn't hear you!"

He groaned, "Okay, okay, I'll quit. Done with practice anyway. I think Sigurd's about to give some speech or something."

Sera still had her hands over her ears, and her eyes closed. Her face was scrunched up like she was waiting for a dozen sets of dynamite to stop blowing up.

I tapped her forehead, and she opened her eyelids to look at me. I gestured for her to take her hands off. She did.

"Talon's done, you're good."

She sighed, "Thank the gods, I thought it would never stop!"

I turned to him, "What's with all the shooting anyway? It's not like you need any practice."

He gave a little tilt of his head, "You complimenting me, goth girl?"

I felt my neck get hot and I shook my head like my life depended on it, "You wish. I'm just saying, you nervous or something?"

"Nah, just ready to kill." He said simply, like saying I'm ready to go to the grocery store. He quickly covered that up with, "Not innocents, you know what I mean. That shit's past me. But the Big Four, and that Cherry Daughter of Hermes bitch or whatever her name is…" He growled, "I'll gladly put one in their heads. And enjoy it."

I sighed, "Yeah, I know what you mean. They might be there."

I could see through his sunglasses that he was giving me a slight look of sympathy, and a little regret at bringing up their names. "Shit, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to remind you."

"It's fine."

Sera got up and started rubbing my back, "Your brother…will you be able to fight him?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. Last time he beat the hell out of me. He was physically stronger, more durable-"

She cut me off softly, "Harper, I meant…will you be able to fight him?"

I paused, and my heart sunk a little, knowing what she meant. Not would I be able to fight him physically, but emotionally. The truth was…I have no idea. If it came down to it, and I was somehow able to get the killing blow, or even a fatal shot, would I take it?

I started to respond, but a booming voice shot across the entire Camp. "CAMPERS!"

Everyone turned and stopped what they were doing. At the center of the Camp, in front of his house, Sigurd stood on a platform, next to the Raven flag. It was about thirty or forty feet high, and he stood over everyone, a clear look of him. He had on a new black cloak, not the one from earlier, and he was using green aura to project his voice.

"If everyone would gather around, I have a few words to say."

Everyone followed his direction, even us. We all huddled up, about eighty or so strong, and looked up at him. I searched the crowd, and saw Matt, Malachi, and Hercules all standing together. I guessed Matt had gotten his talks out of the way quick enough before the speech.

Once everyone was present, Sigurd scanned it in a single turn of his head and gave an approving nod. "Today, Campers, we do something extraordinary. Today, with the help of our allies, we will Invade Ouranos, and take down his forces!" A roar erupted from the Norse Campers at that. "The plan is quite simple. We will all follow the path of Dead Man's Cavern, now cleared up, and storm the base. Matt's father, Hercules, will use a powerful attack to break Ouranos's protective barrier, allowing us access." He paced what little space he could on the platform, "Now I know what you're thinking. Reports I have given state that Ouranos's base is on top of the tallest mountain in the region. So how will we get up there?" He gestured to Malachi, "We have an answer to that as well. Malachi, the Son of Ouranos, will help us attack his treacherous father, and teleport all of you to the top!" Before anyone could give disapproval, which they were about to start doing, Sigurd raised a hand, "Before you protest, hear me out. Malachi is on our side, I can assure you of that. So, there is no need to mistrust or judge him based on his parentage, something he cannot help. He is extremely powerful, and with full power, he is positive he can teleport the bulk of us up the mountain." He looked to the Demi Primordial, who didn't shy away from the attention. If anything, he welcomed it. "Malachi?"

Malachi nodded with assurance, "I can do it. No need to fear, as long as everyone stays near me, I am sure it will succeed."

The Campers still seemed a bit cautious, but gave in to Sigurd's orders, and several of them nodded.

"Good" Sigurd said, "Now, as for when we get to the base itself, there will be an army of lightning spirits waiting." He stuck his arm out and moved it across the crowd like a sprinkler, "That is where you all come in. There will most likely be an army of them, but our individual power should match their numbers. You will meet them in battle, but do not underestimate them. Their electricity is dangerous, and only go for their blue core, the heart. It is the only way to vanquish them."

The Campers agreed with this and seemed fine with their role. Sigurd continued, "The Greeks have told me that there is a small group of four elite demigods that work for Ouranos, called the Big Four. A select few of our allies will battle and take them out. You know who you are." He glanced at Talon, Sera, and me.

"I have also been informed…and do not fear, that the rumbling in the mountains we've been feeling, is…Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent."

A lot of gasps could be heard from the crowd, they began to mutter to each other, talking about the giant snake and how it should be impossible that it was alive.

Sigurd quieted them with a flex of his aura, "Do not be afraid, everyone. Jormungandr is strong…but I believe I am stronger, or at least, his match. I will battle him and try to contain him inside of the Earth underground. If he rises from it, then we are all doomed, as his carcass would most likely pull the planet out of orbit." I saw him slightly shake his head, "I will figure out a way to defeat him without killing him, if possible." He quickly changed the focus and pointed to Matt, Malachi, and Hercules. "Now then, the main focus. The strongest of the Greeks will take out the biggest threats. Ouranos…and the traitors, Bjorn and Boris."

There were a lot of angry growls and cuss words thrown at the brothers. Sigurd again, raised a silencing hand, "I understand your anger, and that you would like to deal with them yourselves, but trust me when I say this, Ouranos has given them unbelievable power. Power that…I'll admit, I can't even scratch or wound. The only chance of taking them down, lies with Matt and Malachi. Both have agreed to fight them, and Hercules will defeat Ouranos. In his weakened state, he should be frail enough that he can be defeated."

Hercules nodded, and spoke with a deep, authoritative voice, "He'll be sent back to Tartarus, and rid from this world. Count on it."

The Campers nodded at that, several of them feeling the same hope that we had. That we could win this thing, that we could end this war for good.

Sigurd gave some more inspirational words, and the Campers cheered and roared, sounding like Vikings from the past. It rang throughout the Camp and the mountain, and for a moment, it sounded like we had ten thousand people over here.

Sigurd raised his fist, "Think about all those that have fallen! Today, we avenge them! Today, we take down the monster, the great threat, and we free not only our world, but the world of the Greeks!" He looked at our group with gratitude, "We shall enter an era of peace. Not temporary, one year kind of peace, but a permanent peace. It is possible, my friends. All we have to do is make it happen." He scanned the crowd, "ARE YOU WITH ME?!"

They all yelled in response, fully behind their leader. I could see now that Sigurd was definitely more charismatic than he let on. He had these people rolling, ready to go fight for their lives. It was amazing, honestly.

He seemed satisfied with the response and put his fist down. "Make last minute preparations. We leave soon!" He stepped off the balcony, and the Campers all started cheering and howling with pride, chants of "Death to Ouranos!" Rang throughout the Camp. I nearly joined in, but it died soon after it started.

The next few minutes, I could only describe as the calm before the absolute storm. Every Camper got their weapons, their gear and armor, anything they needed, and prepared for battle. Our group stood by the gate, and waited for them, none of us even saying a word. Talon had his round magazine open, and he was spinning it. I was fiddling with my knives, taking in the familiar grip in my hand.

The silence was broken when Matt spoke up, "Guys…can you believe it?"

"What?"

He looked like he'd just realized something amazing. "We're going to win, guys. I just know it. And then…we can finally go home, and things can go back to the way they were. Or…the way they should've been the first time around."

I knew what he meant, last year when we thought we'd beaten Ouranos, only for it to be false.

"I'm not letting that happen this time around, son." Hercules said, comforting Matt. "I'm taking down that bastard, for all the shit he's done. He deserves Tartarus for the rest of time."

Matt smiled at him, "I know you will."

I'm sure Hercules was going to say something back, but Sigurd walked over and cut it off, whatever it was.

"Are you all ready? If not, now would be the time to get ready."

We all looked at each other, noting that everyone seemed ready as they'd ever be. We all turned back to Sigurd at the same time, and he received the message. The Campers were all ready to go as well, about eighty of them were lined up in neat formations, all wearing intimidating looking armor. All of them had fur on their torsos, varying in color. Each wore metal armor under that, leather pants, boots, and helmets with horns on them. The weapons were honestly pretty varied too. I expected just axes and hammers, which there were many, but there were also several bows, swords, morning stars, spears, and other things. I guessed they dabbled in other cultures if the situation required it.

They all marched up to where we were, nearly shaking the ground beneath us with their perfect timing. It was pretty epic, I'm not gonna lie. For a moment I was pretty intimidated, and glad they were on our side. They all looked so fierce, so prepared for this. They wanted blood, the Primordial's blood, all over their weapons. This has been a long time coming.

Sigurd actually broke a smile at the sight, "Fine warriors, all of you. Now then, let the invasion begin!"

With that, everything jumped into action. Several Campers summoned their wolves and sleighs, multiple coming out of the pens, already prepared. Sigurd hopped on one large enough to fit an entire family and motioned for us to get on.

"We'll take this until we reach the entrance of the Cavern, then we go on foot."

We all agreed and hopped on. I sat next to Talon and Sera in the back, Matt and Malachi were in the middle, and Sigurd was in the very front.

Hercules grabbed Matt's shoulder quickly, "See you on the other side?"

Matt returned the shoulder grab, and nodded with determination, "See you on the other side."

Hercules grinned wickedly and let out an ear-splitting whistle. A caw erupted from the air and Kyros swooped in faster than sound. Hercules jumped before he could catch him, but somehow, he knew the perfect way to time it, and his delayed jump worked out. Kyros caught him and both disappeared with a blur into the gray sky.

Sigurd drew a sword that looked oddly like the kind Pirate's use. He lifted it in the air, and gave a deep, booming war cry. "GO!"

Our sleigh began to move, fast as a car, down the slopy hill. The army of Norse Campers followed, every one of them with their head down, face serious, and weapons nearby. The wolves simultaneously howled, signaling the battle had begun.

(000)

Well, looks like the final battle of this book is under way! What's going to happen exactly? Not sure, gotta read and find out.

Sorry if it felt a bit rushed towards the end, I just wanted to go ahead and get to the actual battle itself. But other than that, I felt it was a pretty good chapter, with some dialogue, Matt and Harper moments. Good stuff.

Anyway, next chapter will be out soon.

Until Next Time.