Chapter eleven guys, here we go.

This is a short one, but It's probably the most important in content. I hope you all enjoy, and find this worthy of an end to a character that's been around since the beginning, and one of my favorites to write.

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.

11. We Deliver The Final Blow

Before I knew him as my grandfather, I knew him as king of Olympus. Self-absorbed, unfaithful to his wife, and only cares about his title. That was pretty much it. That's what history tells you.

He's a guy that a few years ago, if you asked me what I thought of him, I'd tell you he seemed like a jerk.

If you asked me now, I'd tell you he's one of the best people I've ever known.

And I couldn't let him down. I wouldn't.

I hadn't moved from our spot in what felt like forever. I just stood there, like I did with Kyros, my hand still in the place where we shook. I could still feel the ghost of his skin on my palm.

I was so lost in thought, I flinched when Harper touched my shoulder. "Matt, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh...yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah..."

Now that I'd left the blue circle of Zeus's lifeforce, I could hear the background noise of Ouranos fighting my friends again. There was a loud clang of metal, and then a shout from the Primordial, "ENOUGH!"

His outburst of energy sounded like a sonic boom, blowing Harper and I forward and on the ground. Once it was over, I helped her up, and we faced Ouranos. Both the Labrys and sword had been removed from his body by my friends, but he still held on to his spear. He looked horrible, several new cuts on his chest and arms, a couple on his face, and he was walking like a drunk, not even looking in any of our directions.

"I will not...fall to a bunch of prepubescent morons!" He spat out a pint of ichor, coughing and hacking like he had a disease. It was a far cry from the guy I faced earlier, dominating an entire army and looking like he had everything together. He was a mess now. "I am...Ouranos! The most powerful being in existence! I am smarter! I am faster! I am superior in every single way possible from each and every one of you! Every creature in existence, ever! I am the perfect being! This is nothing! You haven't even come close to winning!"

I began walking towards him, glaring. "Even with all the walls closing in on you, the very obvious looking you right in the face, you can't admit when you've lost."

His head whipped up, and the look on his face was priceless. He snarled, "You! You fucking died! That technique killed you!"

"Again, denying the obvious." Harper and I made it over to the others, standing in line with them, they all looked at me with confused expressions, but didn't comment. I'd have to explain later. "It's time to pack it in, and give up. If you're so smart, you'd know that there's no way out now."

He laughed, deep from the belly, as if he'd just heard the funniest thing ever. "Please! I'm not trapped out here with you morons, you're trapped out here with me! I AM GOING TO KILL EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! AND I AM GOING TO LOVE IT!"

We all watched in silence as he lost his marbles. Laughing like a mental patient and swinging his spear wildly at nothing. "This is it, Matthias! End of the line! None of those asspull transformations or help from your fucking friends and gods are going to save you! I win! I win, and you lose! That's how destiny was written long ago! From the moment you were born! This is the most meaning your life will ever have! All of you plebs! Fighting me is the most your pathetic souls will ever come close to gaining semblance of importance! I mean...look at me! I'm king of the universe! I was here when it began, and I'll be here forever!"

I just shook my head at his ramblings. I imagined this was probably the way Ouranos talked in Tartarus, by himself, when he was deep in his jealousy and bitterness. Drunk on it, like he was now. He sounded like a true madman. Before, there was a collectiveness about him, an intimidation factor. But now...that was gone. The mask was slipping. He was becoming more of who he truly was, moment by moment. A crazy, power-hungry madman.

Without even looking at each other, we all moved to surround Ouranos, forming a circle. He watched on with a crazed stare, head darting around as we caged him, further proving that he had it all wrong. He was trapped out here with us.

He spun around, scanning us, until his wild eyes fell on me. I cocked my head at him.

"You done?"

He growled like a dog, "Oh...far from it, you little brat!" With a spin of his spear, he jabbed the end of the shaft into the ground, creating a shockwave that blew us back a few feet, but we kept our balance. Even Talon and Annabeth.

We all went at him, roaring together for a charge. It wasn't even fair. The attacks with Heavenly Diamond had chipped him down to a point where he could barely fight back. We became one unit, for the last time, working in perfect harmony.

Where I went high towards the face, Malachi went low. And once that was done, Talon came in to a leg, while Harper went for the other, following up where we left off. Percy produced water around Ouranos's shins, and Sera hardened it into ice to keep him from moving. Amaterasu created fiery chains with her aura and threw them at Ouranos's wrists from behind him, telekinetically planting them in the ground.

He was completely immobilized, and he knew it too. His head turned from side to side in disbelief, "You think this can hold me?! Nothing can! Not even Tartarus could keep me away!"

Harper, Talon, Annabeth, Percy, Sera, and Amaterasu all took a spot on Ouranos, using all pairs of their arms to hold him back and down, keeping him from writhing free of his chains. He struggled, but it was clear they were too strong for him now.

Malachi and I stood in front of the Primordial, him a bit further than me. He took a second to just take his father in, and how pathetic he had become. Malachi thrust his hand out and lightning came from it, connecting with Ouranos's wrist.

It hit him right between the forearm and the hand, knocking his spear clean out of his grip. It spun in the air, until it landed in Malachi's right hand, the same one he'd shot the lightning with.

Malachi held that spear for a moment, just staring at it.

Do it, man. I silently cheered. You've got this.

Ouranos started to freak out, "Malachi! Malachi, just wait a moment! Y-You wouldn't actually kill your own father, would you?"

Malachi's head tilted up to look at him. I couldn't see his eyes, but I just knew he was glaring.

"I'm sorry, son. Okay? I'm sorry." Ouranos was lying right through his teeth, trying to manipulate Malachi into joining his side again. It made me sick. "I know I could've been a better father, and I know I made you do some things you didn't want to do. But I can change! We can work together for real this time! It won't be like before, it'll be better!"

"Don't listen to him Kai!" Sera shouted.

"Shut up!" Ouranos roared, "You don't know him like I know him! We're flesh and blood, Malachi. That means something! Family has to stick together, no matter what!"

Silence.

He made a last, desperate attempt, conjuring up all the fake sincerity he could muster into his eyes. "Please, son. Please, you have to help me. I know I haven't said it in a long time, but I love you. I really do. You are the only one I can trust."

Malachi's grip tightened on the spear. I heard him scoff.

"You know, it's funny." He said. "Not one thing about you has changed in the years I've known you. You're doing right now what you've always done. Manipulate me into doing your dirty work, and saving your own ass."

Ouranos's face twitched, "N-No, that's not true!"

"Well, I'm not falling for it anymore." Malachi's voice was firm and powerful, "I'm not your son anymore! You are not my flesh and blood! These people right here, helping me defeat you, they are my flesh and blood!"

I smiled with each word, just anticipating with excitement for the moment he jumps forward and ends it. As he should. It was him that should deliver the final blow. He deserved it.

But he surprised me. "And I'm going to get a front row seat in watching you lose." Malachi turned around and smirked at me, tossing the spear in my direction.

I caught it, furrowing my eyebrows. "Huh? Malachi, what are you-"

"Do it, Matt." He said. "Finish him. Save the world."

My eyes widened. He was...letting me do it?

I wanted to say so much, but all that would come out was, "Are you sure?"

He nodded sincerely, "Of course." Malachi's body glowed blue light, and he teleported behind his father's head, locking his neck in a choke hold, finishing off the cage that my friends put him in.

Ouranos turned his head to look at his son, his face contorted with hatred. "You little shit! Do you realize what you've done?! I could've given you the world. The entire world! And you choose them?!"

Malachi chuckled, "If I ruled the world, Ouranos, it would be under my own terms. Not yours."

Ouranos growled, "I will not be defeated! The great Ouranos won't fall to a bunch of rotten half breeds!" His eyes glowed blue, and I felt a painful impact hit my chest, knocking me back thirty feet.

I groaned. When I propped my elbows beside me, my chest twinged with a burning sensation. Smoke was rising from the middle. He must've hit me with lightning, shooting it from his eyes as a last-ditch attempt to create some distance.

He'd gotten me good. I tried to put my feet under me, but the burning only got worse, making me cough and fall on my chest, even dropping the spear.

"C'mon, Matt!" My friends yelled, "Get up!"

All of a sudden, I felt this rush. This invigorating feeling pour into me like the most refreshing glass of water in the world. Suddenly, in front of my eyes, I no longer saw Ouranos, or even my friends. I saw my father, with his hand on Kyros's head, and Zeus next to him, a hand on his son's shoulder.

They were looking at me with twinkles in their eyes, giving me thumbs up. I couldn't hear them, and maybe my conscious was creating words for them, but I like to think they were speaking to me. They're words mirrored Malachi's.

Do it, Matt. Save the world.

And they disappeared.

With newfound strength, I yelled out with all I had at the top of my lungs, and pushed myself up into a run, swiping my hand on the ground to scoop up the spear.

I broke out into a sprint towards Ouranos, gripping the spear with both hands now. This was it, the final blow.

He tried his best, but it was no use. No amount of struggling or pulling could overcome our will to end this. It was like he said before, it all came down to who wanted it more.

And we wanted it more.

Every face. Harper, Malachi, Talon, Percy, Annabeth, Sera, and Amaterasu were all cheering me on. Encouraging me to finish the fight.

"DO IT!" They shouted in a collective chant.

As I closed in the final bit of distance, I saw all of our quests flash before my eyes, appearing next to my path in apparitions. From the very first one to the last. The Cursed Island, Scandinavia, Mount Othrys, Tartarus, and Japan, to our enemies in the Big Four, Bjorn and Boris, Atlas, Tartarus, the Shinto gods, to the incredible moments shared between all of us. That first kiss between Harper and I, or saving Malachi from hurting himself, or working together to help the Norse camp, or Sera's revenge at her family mansion...there were countless flashes that I saw. Tears filled my eyes when it was over.

About ten feet away, I jumped. In the past, I've been able to fly and jump higher than the clouds, higher than the atmosphere, even. But right now, the leap felt ten times more powerful.

With all of my might, I pushed down with the spear, stabbing it straight through Ouranos's chest.

There was a gasp from him, and then nothing. He made no noise, and his movements had stopped altogether. His mouth was open, his eyes were wide, his face slack. I landed firmly on the ground, letting go of the spear when I did.

My friends let him go and stepped back. We all watched on as he desperately tried to fix the situation. His breathing was rapid, and he stood up, pulling weakly against the spear to get it out.

Finally, he managed to pull the weapon from his chest, but upon doing so, fell over on his chest, creating a loud thud.

Ichor spread out in a puddle beside him, his aura was dropping like a roller coaster...he was beaten. Finally. No illusions, no fake outs, no escaping or slipping out of our grips, no one to save him. He was actually beaten.

In his final moments, he crawled forwards, using his arms to pull the rest of his body like a slug. He wasn't looking at me, or any of us, he was looking at Olympus.

He pulled himself maybe ten feet before the Heavenly Diamond's effect took over. Starting from his feet, he became green dust, chipping away in small pieces. Knowing this was it, he shakily lifted his hand towards the city above the Empire State Building, probably imagining what could have been.

I stepped in between him and the view of the Empire, sizzling out the satisfaction of that being the last thing he saw. We both locked eyes with each other, and for his last few seconds on Earth, we held that.

I didn't laugh, or make a face of victory. I remained emotionless as I watched him fade away, just like how my father did. I didn't feel any overwhelming sense of satisfaction or smugness. Instead...I felt relief. Relief that the job was finally done.

The curse quickly made it to his shoulders, then his neck, and finally his head. The last thing I saw him do was close his eyes, finally accepting his fate. The last bit of embers floated away with the wind, and Ouranos was gone for good.

It was over. We had finally won.

(000)

And that's it for Ouranos. After all those chapters, and nearly three years of writing, he's finally beaten. I finally let Matt overcome his main obstacle. It feels really surreal to write. I've imagined it a lot of times, but to actually execute it feels crazy.

Anyway, he sucks as a person, but he was a lot of fun to write. I'll miss that!

Until Next Time.