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.

3. I Get Swallowed

This wasn't good.

Yeah, I know, that's like saying water is wet, but I'm serious. Ouranos is back, with Typhon at his side no less, and Zeus is fighting them alone.

And I already know why. To protect me. To protect everybody, even the mortals, who now lay unconscious in our camp, on the road leading to camp, by the lake, by the beach...basically, if you could see it, they were there.

In fact, the only people that seemed to be conscious, were me and my friends. I was the only one that had sat upright so far, while the others were still stirring. I wasn't even sure if Thalia or those types were here. They weren't standing up, and I certainly didn't see anyone that looked like them. Had Zeus transported them somewhere else?

I stood straight and made a beeline for the beach, a place where I knew I could see the city. Hitting the sand, I immediately jerked my head to the right, and widened my eyes at what I saw.

The city no longer stood there. It was gone, completely gone, reduced to a flat wasteland barren of skyscrapers, or any buildings. It had been rendered an apocalyptic battlefield.

They were fighting, no doubt about it. I reached out with my aura sense, and locked on to both Ouranos and Zeus's flaring auras, going back and forth in surging waves. Typhon's was dormant and calm, which told me he must be sitting out. In fact, I think I can see his shadow from here.

I jumped and flew forward, intent on going and helping him. But not twenty feet into flight, an invisible wall blocked my path. I ran into it headfirst and felt my brain get rattled, my vision went blurry. I fell straight back onto the sand, rubbing my head.

Zeus had put up a barrier, blocking anyone from coming in.

And I heard his voice in my head, as if he were right next to me.

No, Matt. I can't let you. I can't let you die the way he did.

Die the way he did? Like my father? Is that what he was trying to say?

For a second, I wanted to beat my fist against the sand in anger. How could he do this? How could he just throw us off like that and expect us to be okay with it? I wanted to help him, and I could help him. I'm stronger now. Doesn't he see that?

I accepted that there wasn't anything I could do right now. So I targeted my mind to the next task. The mortals. We needed to get them to safety fast. My mom...if Zeus transported everyone in the city, then she was among the pile.

I switched course and hauled ass back to camp, finding my friends all on their feet now, Amaterasu there as well, glaring in the direction I just looked in.

"His aura's sinking drastically." She said grimly, "Zeus has been dealt a fatal blow. That fool..."

I didn't comment on it, but my chest sank. He was losing. He might die...

I forced myself to stay composed, "Guys, can you hear me? You okay?"

Harper groaned. It was a miracle her hair hadn't come undone. "Yeah...just hit my head, that's all."

Percy's eyes shot open as if he'd just been shoved awake, "DAD!" He blinked, looked around, and determined Poseidon wasn't here. "Oh right, I forgot. Sucked up by Typhon."

I walked up to a stumbling Malachi and shook his shoulders, "Malachi, Malachi! Do you see those mortals?"

"Yes..." His response was sleepy, so that didn't reassure me.

But I told him anyway, "Teleport the rest of them inside the camp's barriers. We can't have them getting hurt, okay?"

He didn't respond, but I trusted that he'd heard that.

Sera furrowed her eyebrows, "How are the mortals here with us? I thought they could not enter camp."

"They can't enter Olympus either." Annabeth said, "Zeus was able to make that happen, so he made this happen." She stood up and looked at me, "You think we'll be able to fit all of the mortals in here?"

"We have to try." I then noticed Amaterasu about to take off in flight, and I stopped her, "Wait! It's no use, Zeus put up a barrier! We can't get in!"

She scowled, "That insufferable...what does he think he's doing? Fighting all by himself like this?"

I knew what it was, but I didn't have time to comment on it. None of us did. "It doesn't matter. Right now, we need to worry about getting these mortals to safety." I found Malachi again, still dazed, "Malachi! Get those mortals inside the barrier, please!"

That time, he heard me, and gave a firm nod, teleporting away in blue light.

"Percy, Annabeth, help him, if you can." I requested, "Try and see who's among the crowd, maybe if Grover or Thalia's here they can help us fight when the time comes."

They were both still reeling from the fact that their wedding had been interrupted by the father of all monsters, but they were experienced enough in the craziness to put that aside for now and help out.

"If Zeus falls," I told Amaterasu, "They'll come here to us. We need to be ready."

She processed that, "You're right. Barrier or no barrier, we are sitting ducks."

"I need to find my mom first, and get my shield. Let me know if anything happens."

I didn't give her time to respond or even make an expression, I was already gone, careful not to step on any of the mortals. Harper followed me.

"Now, really? That asshole picks now to enact his psycho world ending plan?!"

"He always did have perfect timing," I called over my shoulder, "Have you seen my mom?"

"You think she's here?"

"She was in the city, so yeah..."

"Just feel for her energy. You should be able to recognize it, right?"

I hadn't even thought of that. Silly me, I have this super powerful radar sensor in my mind, that I literally just used to sense Zeus miles away, and I can't even think to use it finding my own mom. Nice.

"Y-Yeah, you're right."

She nodded, "I'm gonna grab the Eros sword. Don't forget your shield! Might come in handy!"

"Got it!"

As soon as I reached out, a ping came on my radar, mom's lifeforce, like a thermal heat wave. She was to my left.

I turned my head and started hopping through the spaces between bodies, eventually finding her flat on her back, head tilted to the side, completely unconcious.

I knelt down and shook her shoulders, "Mom? Mom, can you hear me?"

Nothing. Out cold. Whatever Zeus did to these people...it worked.

I cursed under my breath. There was no time to try and wake these people up. If Zeus was losing, which I didn't even want to think about, it meant Ouranos would be here soon. Above all else, I had to make sure my mom was safe. I'd lost her once in one fashion, I didn't want to lose her full stop.

So I picked her up and carried her to my cabin. Since I was going there anyway, I figured it would be a good hiding spot.

For a second, I came close to kicking my door in, but cooler heads prevailed, and I chose to bend down a bit and maneuver my fingers just enough to where the knob would turn, and used my weight to push it the rest of the way.

I sat my mom comfortably on the bed and snatched my shield from its place beside it. Before leaving, I took a long look at her.

"It'll be okay, Mom. I won't let anything happen to you."

I knew she couldn't hear me. It was more of a promise to myself than anything, a verbal promise that would force my body to obey, sealing the deal, almost.

Closing the door, I found Sera nearby, dragging some of the mortals closer to camp, inside of the barrier.

"Sera, come here for a second!"

She noticed me and came over, "What is it, Matt?"

"Can you do me a favor? Make an ice wall in front of my cabin, a thick one. It's for my mom."

Sera took a second to understand what I said. When she realized I meant my mom was inside the cabin, she nodded, "Oh! Yes, of course."

She stepped back and ice shot out of her palms. Hitting the ground, it materialized into thick walls of ice, like a winter wonderland castle, protectively wrapping itself around my cabin, but never touching, just acting as a dome.

"Thanks." I said, "Just want to be careful, you know."

"Is this really happening, Matt?" She asked, biting her lip nervously, "I mean, is Ouranos really attacking? I'm not having a nightmare, am I?"

I sighed, and put a hand on her shoulder. It was cold. "I wish that were the case. But no, this is happening. Which is why we have to be on high alert. We're the only things keeping Camp Half Blood- no - the world from being destroyed."

She nodded and swallowed, "Y-Yes. I'll do my best to help, whatever it takes."

"You've gotten way stronger since we first met." I said, breaking a genuine smile, "I want you to know that I'm really proud of you."

Sera blushed, "Thank you."

I got serious again, "I think Malachi's almost got the last of the mortals rounded up. Can you help him with the remainders?"

"Y-Yes, I will."

"Good, I'm gonna go regroup with Amaterasu and Harper."

We parted ways, her running to help Malachi and I towards the sun goddess. I couldn't believe how I'd shifted into control and remained composed throughout this whole thing. It all happened so fast, yet here I was, taking charge and doing what needed to be done, even though I'm freaking out on the inside.

All part of being a leader, I guess. I'm trying. A for effort, I suppose.

"Any news?" I asked. Amaterasu hadn't moved from her spot, she was still glaring at the city in the distance through the trees. Harper hadn't returned either. Maybe she misplaced her sword or something.

"Not yet. I haven't seen movement for a couple of minutes. But brace yourself, Ouranos has gotten way faster since we last saw him. He could be on top of us in less than a second."

That was a scary thought. This entire thing was a scary thought. Ouranos being much stronger than before, absorbing the Adam Tree, just like he said he would. Everything we talked about...it was coming true. His plan was in motion.

Not ten seconds passed when Amaterasu got my attention again, scrunching her face towards the sky, higher than her gaze towards the city. "What is that?"

I squinted. Past the trees and above the now ruined city, I saw what looked like a giant asteroid approaching Earth, surrounded by the blinding sunlight. As it got lower, I realized that it was no asteroid. Unless asteroids had big scaly arms, legs and horns.

My eyes widened, "It's Typhon. I've got to move, now!"

She may have gotten one word out. "Wait!" Or something like that, I couldn't tell, and I didn't care. If Typhon was about to crash land into Camp, I had to stop him.

I wasted no time in releasing my red aura and the Master Bolt, both at the same time to form a mixed color outline around my body, giving me strength that amplified my own trillions of times. I shot into the sky with flight and found myself directly next to the father of all monsters, his ocean sized foot about to stomp on everyone I loved and cherished.

I flexed my aura and sped up, rearing my fist back before I did. Once the strain of muscles came, I speared right into Typhon's cheek, planting my knuckles into his slimy, scaly, disgusting skin.

The physics, and the size difference between us shouldn't have allowed for what happened next to be possible, but it did. The force of my blow knocked Typhon completely off course, flipping his body around in a near one eighty, and sending him away from camp, into the ocean.

He landed on his side, which caused a colossal tsunami and eruption to take place. You would've thought the world was ending with the destruction he caused just by landing. Which technically, the world was ending, but still.

Imagine a really big kid cannonballing into a swimming pool, then multiply that by a billion. That's Typhon's version. Each 'droplet' of water that flew was a tidal wave on its own, each one capable of leveling camp.

I used my telekinesis to set up little barriers in their path and disperse them. The rest were blocked by beams of orange energy. Amaterasu.

She landed next to me, "It's not Ouranos?"

"No, it's Typhon!" I shouted, the noise of the exploding waves making it hard to hear. "Ouranos must be warming us up!" That bastard. I didn't say that last part.

"He's stronger with all the Olympians absorbed!" I said, "Don't hold back!"

"I wasn't planning on it!"

What was Ouranos's game with this supposed to be? It couldn't be sending Typhon to kill us. Typhon's gotten stronger, but if we all work together, he won't be able to beat us, so that answer wouldn't make sense. Was he watching from afar, trying to gauge our strength, or just having some sick fun seeing us struggle?

Maybe he wanted to chip us down before we fight him. Who knows. Those are just some likely ideas.

We'd all been training in Zeus's training chamber throughout the last two months, whenever he wasn't in it. Everyone had grown a bit stronger than they previously were in preparation for this. We weren't to be messed with before, but now, especially.

Even now, we still have an obstacle in our way from getting to him. It always ends up being this way. Ouranos remains just out of reach, even when his master plan takes place, he still has a minion to throw at us. We're never able to confront him.

The thought angered me. That's gonna change today.

Typhon regained his footing and threw a massive punch at us, parting any cloud in the sky as he did it. Before Amaterasu could do anything, I stepped forward, a scowl on my face, and charged up a cannon, much quicker than usual. I gathered my energy into my hands as always, and took a huge chunk of energy from Typhon, Olympians included. I'd gotten much better and faster with my energy absorption, making the cannons far more effective.

The red, glowing ball of energy formed within two seconds, and I fired it. Like a deadly laser, it hit Typhon in the wrist, cutting his hand clean off before the punch could hit anything.

He howled in pain, a sound and force that shook the Earth, once again, and could probably be heard on the other side of the world.

His hand fell into the water, sending a circular wave skyrocketing on all sides like a geyser. But Typhon, once he finished his initial bellow of pain, he threw his stump forward, and unleashed what looked like big, brown droplets of blood.

Until they came for the sand, hitting like bullets. Then I realized what they actually were. Each droplet, or particle that came from his exposed wound, was a monster.

Physical copies of monsters I'd seen before. There were a dozen Minotaurs on the beach, Chimeras, Laestrygonians, wolves, Cretan Bulls, Cyclops...you name it, it appeared in the hundreds.

They marched on the beach like an army, ready to charge us. I was prepared to summon another cannon and send them to kingdom come, but Harper did it for me.

I knew it was her because of the pink color. A line of it came from behind Amaterasu and I, slicing all of the monsters in half, turning them into golden dust, all in one fell swoop. Guess the monsters kept their same strength, even coming from Typhon.

I smirked at her, "Thanks."

She got up from her striking position. From behind her, came the others. Malachi must've finished getting the mortals to safety, because he was on the beach. Percy and Annabeth were there, Sera too, and Talon. Who...I hadn't seen at all in Camp. Come to think of it...

"Where have you been, Talon?"

He gestured to the trees with a celestial bronze sword he must've snatched from the armory, "I had to put Snowflake up! I couldn't risk him getting hit by a stray blast or something!"

His pegasus, Snowflake. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I couldn't blame him. I'd be the same way about Kyros.

Speaking of, Kyros was there too, flying above us, ready to charge at Typhon.

Hey buddy, thanks for showing up.

Of course, Young Master.

Harper groaned once she saw Typhon, "Oh man, this guy again?"

"Afraid so," I said, "He's stronger, but it shouldn't be too hard for us to take him out."

"Seems like he's real this time." Malachi said, "Not an avatar."

"Count ourselves lucky." Percy grumbled.

"Guys, focus!" Amaterasu barked, pointing at Typhon, "He's throwing more monsters!"

It was just as she said. All heads turned towards the giant, swinging his arm again in a haymaker that swung thousands more of the little brown dots. I never thought I would see such a thing, or even such an ability. It was kind of impressive, summoning all these freaking monsters like that, and throwing them like cannonballs as casually as a baseball player throws a ball.

They hurled at us like arrows. I had to be quick with this, or we were gonna keep getting swarmed.

Before they landed, I shouted orders. Not meaning to take that job from Percy or Annabeth, but I instinctively took initiative. "Talon, Annabeth, and Kyros, you guys stay on the beach and deal with the monsters!" I turned to the rest, "The rest of you, are with me. We're gonna charge Typhon."

"Charge Typhon?" Harper gawked, "On what? Percy's water boat?"

Percy looked uneasy, but willing to try. "I mean, I can probably-"

"No!" I said, "No water boats! I have a plan! You guys understand your positions?"

They all nodded.

"Alright, here they come!"

The monsters hit the beach like crazy, sending sand flying in the air, shockwaves that sounded like grenades, dozen by dozen, the beach was filled to the brim with creatures from the past, and some I didn't even recognize.

"Don't let them get to Camp!" I said, "Protect the mortals! They're still unconscious!"

I didn't even have to tell Talon, Annabeth, or Kyros twice. They all understood the assignment, and started going to town on the horde. I figured this would be the best bet for them, and it wasn't even a small job either. These guys outnumbered us a thousand to one, and if they got their hands on the mortals...well, let's just say the New York City population would go down a peg.

With Annabeth's experience, this was a walk in the park for her. And Talon may not have powers anymore, but that doesn't mean he lost his fighting experience too. He's still wicked good with a sword. And Kyros, forget about it. Kyros can swoop around at the speed of sound and drive through the monsters, before they even knew what hit them.

Meanwhile, we would try our best to breach Typhon's defenses, and take him down. With our power, and our numbers, we should be able to find weak spots and exploit them.

It was a good plan. For now.

Once I knew Talon, Annabeth, and Kyros had it under control, I turned to Sera. "Alright Sera, you're up. I need you to turn the ocean in front of Typhon to ice. Can you do that?"

She didn't even seem nervous. She nodded, determined. "Of course."

With ease, she entered her Absolute Zero form. Just displaying the incredible amount of training she's undergone casually, because used to, it would take a life-threatening event to force her into this state. Someone she cared about would have to be on the verge of death.

But now, with one flex of aura, she's golden. Not literally, golden, but you know what I mean. Her hair actually gets much whiter, and her skin gains this icy coating that turns her skin just the lightest shade of blue. The biggest change comes from her eyes. They get downright demon-like, the pupils turn a dark blue, and dilate to the point where they take up most of the space in her eyelids. But what little is left behind that, turns completely black. She looked possessed, almost. It's very eery.

And in the past, she had this different side to her when entering it. Very unlike herself. Ruthless, calm, stoic. But with training, she's gained complete control. Which has...brought on some weird moments. It's just odd to see Sera giggle when she's got those demon eyes.

Either way, she turned the forseeable ocean to ice without any difficulty. Thrusting her hands in front of her, ice shot out of both palms, and hit an oncoming wave, freezing it mid crash. What happened next, was the fastest chain reaction I'd ever seen. The white ice seeped over the ocean like a disease, hardening it all the way up to Typhon's feet, several meters deep too. We had plenty of room and safety to run across.

And that was the plan. For those that couldn't fly, which is everyone but Amaterasu and I, they were going to use that way to travel.

I smirked, "Nice job. Now we have a path."

"We're running across that?" Harper asked, eyebrows raised in a way that told me she was impressed. "Clever."

"Yeah, I have a decent idea every blue moon." I got serious, "Now, let's go!"

With the five of us running across the ice sea, I'll be honest, I felt like we were kind of unstoppable. Especially to a chump like Typhon. I mean, come on, five against one? That's not gonna work. I don't care if he's got the Olympians' powers or not.

"Matt, what do you want me to do?" Percy asked, yelling over the wind, "I'm following your lead!"

Hearing Percy of all people say such a thing was a huge compliment. I mean, he's the demigod of demigods, and he's treating me like I'm the leader. If that's the case, I can't let him down.

"Get behind him! Try to use the water to knock him off balance!"

"Got it!"

"Sera, use your ice to trap his arms!"

"Okay!"

"Harper, I'm gonna throw you towards his head! Deliver a strike to the face, with all you've got!"

She nodded, keeping her eyes forward.

Amaterasu was right next to me, so I didn't have to shout. "You and I are gonna fly up to the rib cages, each on one side. We blast him, okay?"

"Yes."

Plan in motion. Percy and Sera sped up, using the ice to propel them faster to their positions, while Harper got closer to me, reaching out with her free hand.

I grabbed it with both of mine and spun her around on the ice, like a figure skating routine. Imagining that almost made me break my composure and burst out laughing. Now that's a good idea for a date.

Focus, Matt.

With a heave, I threw her in the air. She shot upward like a rocket, and I took that cue to fly forward myself, Amaterasu following suit. If we could time this up right, we'd all be able to get in position at the same time, and deliver a simultaneous blow that would rock Typhon.

But you know, it's like Mike Tyson says. Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.

And that's what sort of happened. Typhon unexpectedly regenerated his severed arm as fast as any god, though it should've taken longer, due to his sheer size. But no, within a second or two, his scaly, dragon arm returned to normal, and he shifted his weight, slamming said arm into Harper's little shadow.

A shockwave ring cracked around the impact, and Harper went flying towards the beach. I grimaced. Shit, that didn't go according to plan at all. I'd better stop underestimating Typhon, or we're gonna be in trouble. That was my mistake for getting cocky.

Amaterasu was next to me in a quick swoop of flight, "Just because he is big, doesn't mean he isn't fast. We need to come up with a different plan."

"He's probably faster because of the absorbed power." I reasoned, "I need to deliver a big blow that can create an opening. Get ready!"

"What are you-"

The rest of her sentence was dulled to my ears as I drew the Master Bolt in its raw form. A two-foot-long rod of lightning as bright as the sun, whirring with power. Basically, the best way to describe what it feels like to hold this thing; It's like having a nuclear stick in your hand.

I threw it as hard as I could. With perfect accuracy, too. It was a straight shot towards Typhon's head, right for the spot in between his numerous, spider-like eyes. I knew if the shot rang true, it would pierce right through him. At the very least, it would disorient him, but I'm hoping it's enough to kill him. Probably wishful thinking.

However, what happened, was the last thing I expected. I figured Typhon would be arrogant and try to tank the shot, considering that's what killed him last time, and the time before. He might even deflect it with his arm, or try to. But what he actually did, took me by surprise.

He opened his mouth as wide as he could, and released a series of lightning bolts, all originating from his throat.

They coiled up the roof of his mouth and all condensed into one strike mid-air, creating one massive lightning bolt that met mine in a cloud parting, ear splitting clash.

The Master Bolt still held the advantage, but its descent was slowed down by Typhon's counter, allowing him to see it coming, and reach up with his arm to grab it out of the air.

My body went into overdrive. Oh no, hell no, he's not grabbing my weapon.

Using telekinesis, I pulled on the Bolt with all my might, and it ripped through Typhon's hand, out the back through scaly skin, and soared towards me.

When I caught it, I had an epiphany. He just used lightning. I never knew that Typhon could do that. Could he? That just doesn't seem right.

Then I thought about it.

He absorbed the Olympians. If Ouranos defeated Zeus, then that means...

Typhon must've absorbed Zeus too, that's how he's able to use lightning.

Even though logically, that makes perfect sense, I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to reach out with my aura sense and confirm it, but I still did. I had to.

I tightened my lips when I felt it. He was in there, deep in his stomach, with all the other gods, his aura much weaker than before. Less than half of his strength.

Which meant, not only was Typhon using his freaking energy like a machine from the Matrix, but Zeus had been hit with the Heavenly Diamond spear, badly.

Drained. The King of the Gods...beaten.

The confirmation made me clench my fists and growl with hatred. The thought of those two bastards hounding him, probably feeling so smug about it the entire time...enraged me. Like nothing ever before. It felt like I was losing my dad all over again, to the same fucking person.

This has to end. This can't go on any longer. And it's up to us.

I heard a warning shout in my ears, muffled from my trance. I didn't know the words, but I could hear the urgency. For what, though?

Then I saw it. In my peripheral, a giant shadow approached. Then, darkness, and a tremendous force against the front of my body.

Next thing I knew, I was flying through the air, an intense throb coursing through my muscles. As I blinked, I saw Typhon with his dragon hand outstretched. He'd slapped me out of the air.

I approached the beach so fast, I had no time to use telekinesis or flight, I could only brace myself and tuck my knees in, hoping for the best.

BOOM!

I pancaked on a dune in front of the tree line. Sand flew everywhere above me; I heard the sound of it hitting the trees.

Recovering quickly, I pushed myself up to see a big semi-tunnel dug in front of me, where I hit the ground. Beside it, Harper was there, stumbling and leaning on her sword.

That made me get up quicker. I ran after her, "Hey! Harper, are you alright?!"

She turned around and smiled weakly, "That big bastard hits harder than I thought." She then shook her head, "But I'm good. I'm going back out there."

Both of us watched for a second as the others tried their best to bring the monster down. Percy had summoned a funnel of water so gigantic, it resembled a hurricane, swirling around Typhon and nipping at his knees, making him stumble, but unable to bring him down.

Sera was throwing big, jagged missiles of ice at Typhon to annoy him, hitting him in weak points, like the eyes, mouth, and patches of soft skin.

Amaterasu was the only one making real progress, and the one Typhon was focusing on the most. She flew around his swats and swings faster than he could recover and try again, which gave her ample time to come up with another attack. She had speed, he had durability, so it was a good match. As she flew, she left a trail of fire behind her, meaning that she must've activated her aura. If Typhon's punch got too close, Amaterasu would throw a comet of flames at him, and it would catch his arm, igniting as if he were covered in kerosene. His entire arm lit up and shriveled to a crisp. But shortly after, he'd just rip the burned limb off and replace it with a new one.

Like I said before, we need something big to disintegrate this asshole.

I could charge up a big cannon, but that would take time. And that also begged the question...if I hit him, and did disintegrate him, would the Olympians be killed as well?

The entire situation was a frenzy. Numerous monsters still roamed the beach, going nuts. There were much fewer than before, so that meant Annabeth, Talon, and Kyros were doing their job, but it wasn't finished yet. I just hoped the mortals were okay.

As if on cue, Kyros flew by with a cyclops in his beak, holding it by the neck as it uselessly flailed its arms, trying to find Kyros's head.

I nodded at him and linked to his mind to offer encouragement. Looking good, Kyros!

Same to you, young master! Then he flew off, faster than before.

A Cretan Bull rushed past us, bellowing a war cry it seemed, in a beeline right towards Camp.

I was about to do something, when Annabeth jumped out of the bushes and jumped on the bull's back, stabbing it through the neck with her Drakon sword, effectively turning it to golden dust.

She landed swiftly on the sand, "How you guys holding up?"

Harper shrugged, "Could be better."

Annabeth started to say something else, but noticed another monster getting dangerously close to the Camp's borders. "Crap, I've gotta take this!" Then she ran off after it.

Down the beach, we heard a bunch of whooping and hollering, a sound that reminded me of a drunk cowboy riding a mechanical bull.

I turned to see Talon going crazy against a horde of monsters, all different kinds. He swung his sword like a madman, chopping down the beasts like trees, from their necks to their legs to stabbing them through the heart. Nothing was safe.

"YEAH!" He yelled, a crazed grin on his face. "TAKE THAT, YOU FURRY FREAKS! YOU CAN'T KILL TALON!"

Soon enough, the dozen or so monsters that initially surrounded him, were dead. Talon ran out of the dust circle and slowed down once he got to us.

"Told ya I still had it!" He said, "Even without Nikandreos, I'm a badass!"

He gave no time for us to give our opinion. He let out another whoop, and went back to work.

"If Talon's showing us up, then we're really doing something wrong." Harper grumbled.

"Typhon's absorbed Zeus's energy. That's why he's gotten so strong."

She glanced at me and cringed, "Yeah...I thought I felt his energy. I'm sorry."

I shook my head, "No, it's okay. We're gonna get him out of there." I knew that wasn't what she meant. She meant sorry, as in, he lost. To Ouranos. But I didn't want to talk about that.

In fact, I needed to focus on what I just said. How the hell I'm gonna get Zeus and the other gods out of there. As long as he has them, he can use their power at will. But if they get taken out, then he'll get weaker.

But how do I do it?

Think, Matt. How did he get their power in the first place? What did he have to do?

The rusty gears in my noggin started turning. I remembered the spot that I felt the energies in. It was...his stomach.

His stomach. So that means he must've swallowed them to get their energy! He didn't just take their aura, he had to physically swallow them whole to complete the process!

They're not scattered or chewed up. At least, that's not how their energies feel. If I had to bet money, they were cocooned in Typhon's stomach, huddled together right now. Probably above his acid, or something.

Which is...disgusting to think about. But at least I cracked the code. I had a way to free them.

Harper must've saw the smirk growing on my face, because she reared her head back, getting worried. "I know that look, Matt. You've got an idea."

"Yeah, a risky one too."

"Oh gods..."

I ignored her, and turned to grab her shoulders. "Harper, I need you to help the others. Go at him with all you've got. I'm going to try and free the gods."

"How? He has their energies absorbed."

I gestured to my stomach, "Yeah, but he took the bodies with him. They're in his stomach, Harper. He swallowed them to absorb the energy."

She slowly processed that, and as she put the pieces together, she realized my plan. She looked horrified. Yeah, that's about the reaction I'd expect.

"Matt, you can't seriously be thinking about..." She trailed off.

I nodded, "Yep. I know it's not our pantheon and all, but did you ever hear the story of Jonah and the Whale? Well, it's about to be Matt and the whale."

She shook her head rapidly, "Don't, Matt. That's crazy!"

I patted her arm, "Go at him, Harper! Buy me some time!" Before I tried to enact my plan, I wrapped one arm around her and kissed her. A peck on the lips, nothing crazy, but it seemed to catch her by surprise.

"And hey, if I get turned into Typhon food, I love you, okay?"

I was half-joking. But to be honest, as goofy as it sounds, there's a real possibility things could go sideways, and Typhon could absorb my energy. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.

I pressed off the ground and took flight. I heard Harper's voice behind me, "Matt!" But I kept going, soaring through the air like a bird.

For a second, I closed my eyes, and tried to force down the disgust in my mouth from what I'm about to do. Stay calm. You won't be able to think in there if you don't. The Olympians, whether they know it or not, are counting on you.

That's more than just their lives. That's the balance of the world in the palm of my hand. In the grip of my decision. That's the entire reason gods can't interact with their children. If they don't fulfill their duties, everything gets derailed.

As much as I think that sucks, and as much as I hate the ancient laws, I don't want the world to end.

Reaching out with my aura sense, I felt Harper's flare below me. She was charging Typhon, just like I asked.

I sighed with relief. Inwardly thanking her. She's the best, putting up with my stupid plans the way she does.

When she got just under Typhon's looming shadow, she sliced upward with the Eros sword, creating a thick, pink line of energy that smacked him in the chin, knocking his head to the side.

That must've frustrated him, because Typhon broke his silence and let out a deafening roar, opening his mouth wide.

That was my chance. A small window of opportunity that would close soon.

Not even hesitating, I dove towards his mouth.

But I wasn't fast enough! Just as I began my descent, he started to close it.

Knowing I wasn't going to make it in time. I scrambled to come up with something that would buy me an extra second.

And only one thing popped to mind. Quickly, I slung the shield off my back and reared it by my side, gripping it tight with my hand. I've never tried this before, but here's hoping it works. Apollo, if you can hear me down there...please help me with this. I know a bow and arrow is your thing, but just this once, please make an exception.

I shifted my weight mid-flight and released the shield. It was probably one of my best throws ever, with anything. The shield went so fast it was a quick gray blur in the air, just before smacking Typhon in the upper lip.

With that kind of throw, and shield metal, I wasn't surprised when his head got knocked back, and his mouth stayed open. It gave me just enough time and room to fly in and secure my plan.

I plunged into darkness and hit his tongue. Or, what I hoped to be his tongue. It was soft, big, and wet. Bouncy, too. As soon as I hit it, I bounced right off and hit the roof of his mouth, now closed up again. It was pitch black.

My rear end hit the tongue again. I bounced a few more times, then sat still. But I could tell Typhon's head was still moving.

Alright. I'm in. Now it's time to create a new Bible story.

Matt and the Whale.

As I climbed down the esophagus, I thought of what my verses would sound like. Could I have my own book? Like, the book of Matt?

Matt 1:1 - He climbeth down the disgusting throat of the monster. He gaggeth, and throweth up from the smell. Zeus is nowhere to be seen. Amen.

Probably not cool to mention Zeus in a bible verse, but that was the first person I wanted to spot. And the part about gagging and throwing up, is very true. The smell down here is absolutely retched. Worse than anything I've ever smelled. It takes that dead body smell to the next level.

I left my spot on the tongue pretty quick, because I figured once Typhon wised up to what I was doing, he'd spit me out. The plan would fail.

So I slid my ass down his throat and into the esophagus, clinging onto the muscle like a rock climber. The good thing was, Typhon's throat wasn't tight, or constricted. He was so huge and enormous, that his esophagus was the size of a cavern. Enough room to fit a legion of half-bloods.

But I could tell that even if Typhon didn't mean it, his body naturally sucked energy from whatever it ate. In the way that our bodies absorb the nutrients of food, his body takes in the auras of whatever he kills and swallows. Makes sense, to be honest.

But the last thing I want to be, is a part of Typhon's latest lunch menu. I need to find the gods.

So I quickened my pace. Below me, sat nothing but darkness. It seemed as deep as the entrance to Tartarus I took, when he forced me down there. Endless at first glance.

I gagged again from a strong smell wave. "Shit...that's rough."

This slow, nervous rock-climbing shit isn't gonna get it. I have to get down there fast.

I took a bold move and let go of my grip. Switching from a careful pace to a fireman sliding down a metal pole.

And I slid. Boy, I slid.

The slime overtook my shoes and hands, and I plummeted as if I weren't holding on to anything.

"SHIT!" I shouted, "WHOAAAAA!"

Not five seconds later, I hit something soft again. But this time, no bounce, and no time to sit around sucking my thumb either. Something started sucking me in, muscles grabbing at my legs and pushing me forward into some kind of hole. It felt like quicksand, because as I tugged and pulled, there was nothing I could do to stop it. Even with all my strength, I was helpless.

Once it got to my chest, I stopped struggling. It sucked me in faster, and then I fell down another slimy tunnel, only, this one was much smaller. About the size that I thought the esophagus would be. It reminded me of a circular slide at a Mcdonald's kids' playground. I know I keep comparing Typhon's insides to weird stuff, but it's the best I can come up with. I mean, come on, you've been dealing with my narration for years at this point. You know what you sign up for when you listen to me.

Having enough of the darkness, I lifted my hand and activated my aura. The red glow ignited around my wrist and covered up to my fingertips, offering a good amount of light. Enough to show me what my surroundings looked like.

It was disgusting. I fought back the urge to gasp and throw up, yet again. I could say that it looked like a human intestine, which it sort of did, but that would be a little misleading. It was like a bunch of giant worms decided to get together and have a slumber party. Pink, wriggly worms, all lined up around me. That's exactly how it looked, and that's exactly how I perceived this place.

Now, I've never been scared of worms. I don't have a problem with worms. But when you're surrounded with nothing but worms, and they're giant, and disgusting, and slimy, and...wriggly. I start to panic.

It's just the stomach. It's just the stomach. The esophagus leads to what, Matt? That's right. The stomach. So that means you're here. The gods should be right below you.

I took in a deep breath to calm my worm nerves, and activated that sixth sense. I was right, just below me, there were all kinds of little flares of heat, pinging against my neck.

Twelve of them. The Olympians, and Zeus is among them.

Feeling that forced down my worm fears and I was able to get into action. The energy absorption effect didn't wear off the deeper I went, either. In fact, it was getting stronger. I could feel myself sticking to Typhon's energy like glue, my aura being siphoned away into his by the second.

I did my best to squeeze through the worm cave...oh no, gods, don't call it that, Matt. Do not call it that.

The stomach passed by me as I shimmied deeper, and finally, fell from the tightness, into an open space. Then splash, right into a liquid.

I didn't go underwater, thankfully, but it wasn't exactly ankle deep. I plopped all the way up to my chest, and whatever it was, starting burning my skin. I knew right then, it was stomach acid.

Shining my red light to it, I saw the confirmation of my fears. All around me, sat a stagnant, horrendous green pool of water, that looked like it came from a swamp. Bubbles popped up every second, and when they burst, they emitted little puffs of steam.

I held back a gag and calmly found my footing, walking up the 'bank' of the stomach, and onto the side, where I could get myself out of that cesspit. According to my sensing radar, the gods should be right above me.

I lifted my hand and raised the aura light. When I looked, I saw them.

Like I predicted, they were all being held in cocoons. The twelve of them, wrapped up in these skin pouches, with thick, fleshy cables connecting and holding their cocoon from the top of the stomach to the bottom. Completely covered, except for their faces. That's how I was able to recognize who was who.

As I trailed my eyes over them, I saw familiar faces. Athena was actually the closest to me, then Dionysus, then Apollo, Hermes, Ares, the list went on. Every one had their eyes closed, probably in a deep sleep, awaiting for their auras to be stolen in full.

Finally, I found Zeus. He was located at the very top of the bunch, the foremost to the stomach's roof. He was so high up, I could only see the side of his nose, not the rest of his face. I pursed my lips and prepared to cut them all down.

Putting more aura into my hand light, I jumped up and sliced the fleshy cable keeping the cocoon together. Athena first, and then down the line.

Each time I cut them loose, I heard Typhon groan, which shook the stomach acid and rumbled me around, making it harder to cut the rest of the gods down. But once I took my time, and regained my footing, I was able to continue.

I placed them all, still in their cocoons, on the bank of the stomach, the only somewhat flat land that stood down here. Eventually, it was just Zeus left.

I took a big leap, and closed the distance between he and I. With a powerful swipe, I cut the fleshy cable, and Zeus's cocoon fell in a free fall towards the stomach acid.

With my telekinesis, I yanked him out of the path and onto the bank. I'd done it. They were free. I could actively feel Typhon's boosted aura dropping drastically as my thoughts progressed.

Now, I just had to figure out how to get them out of here. Which, was honestly the easy part. Now that he'd lost a bunch of his durability, I could just blow a hole through him, like a bank vault.

And that's exactly what I did.

I reared my fist back and punched the side of Typhon's stomach as hard as I could. Not even knowing where it led, or what side of his body outwardly it would effect. But I knew if I created a hole, it would at least get me out of here.

His stomach exploded in on itself, and a big hole was created, tearing muscle, fat, and scaly skin, hundreds of feet thick, all leading to a tiny hole that showed me the outside world.

I hauled ass and flew forward, carrying all twelve cocoons behind me with telekinesis, not once looking back to see if they were still there. I trusted my abilities, and felt the weight of them against my mind as a reminder.

I burst through the hole in Typhon's skin, out in the open air, with the twelve Olympians behind me. I took a deep breath as soon as the air hit, it was refreshing. Even a minute in the cesspool of Typhon's stomach was enough to make me realize I'd been taking fresh air for granted.

Typhon himself was throwing a fit. Swinging his arms around like crazy and bellowing with his monstrous voice, shaking the entire planet.

"Come on, guys!" I shouted, not even seeing where my friends were, but hoping they heard me, "Follow me!"

I trusted that they would and just kept flying. As soon as I saw the beach ahead, I tossed the twelve cocoons on the sand, and they landed like sacks of potatoes, all laying beside each other.

I landed in front of them, and heard the crashes against the ground, signaling that everyone had followed me like I'd hoped.

"What the hell is that?" Harper said, the first to speak.

I turned to find all of them staring at me, out of breath from dealing with Typhon. Amaterasu was the one that stepped closer, her eyebrows knit.

"The gods...they really were inside of his stomach!" She looked at me, something close to admiration. Or disgust at stating the fact. Not sure. "You freed them!"

"Yeah," I nodded, "Zeus too. Which means-"

"Typhon is much weaker now." Malachi finished, "We can kill him easily."

On cue, Talon and Annabeth jogged over to us. It was then that I noticed the beach was empty, not a single monster in sight. They'd cleared out the entire area, along with Kyros, who I didn't see, but I assumed he was flying somewhere in the air.

"Good job, guys!" Sera praised.

Talon spun the sword he'd snatched around, "Blondie and I took care of it. I'm a monster's worst nightmare."

Annabeth shook her head at Talon's antics, which I couldn't blame. It probably looked like Doom out here, with the way Talon was mowing himself through the horde. "There were some close calls, but we didn't let any of them inside the camp's barrier. Kyros was a great help, too."

"Nice." I said, "Now that that's taken care of, we can focus on Typhon, and then Ouranos."

I could feel the invigoration in everyone's chest at the words, then Ouranos. It was really within our grasp this time. The end.

Typhon was still five football fields away, much weaker and vulnerable now, throwing a fit, bashing his mountain sized fists into the ocean and creating tsunamis from the tantrum. I was about to call a charge, and go headfirst at him, with one shot prepared to obliterate him, when...someone else did it for me.

From the sky, beside Typhon's head, came a giant, blue arrow, seemingly made of energy. It pierced through Typhon's head and came out of the back of his skull, staying there for a moment.

Everything was still, until Typhon started to scream, and his body began disintegrating to ash. The arrow's heat was burning through him. It wasn't a real arrow, obviously. Who could be big enough to fire something like that. No, it was made of pure aura, and a very powerful set too.

It took a few seconds, but after struggling futilely, Typhon turned into a mountain of golden dust, and floated away with a powerful gust of wind, scattering across the water. The blue arrow disappeared as soon as the job was done.

We all looked at each other, giving the same expression. What the hell just happened? Had someone come to help us? But...who?

And then it hit me. There was only one other person I could think of that's involved in this. Someone I hadn't seen since before my training. Before the others left for their quest in Japan.

Amaterasu was catching on too. Her confused gaze soon turned into one of surprise, "In the sky...I know that aura."

"Me too." Malachi said.

I didn't have to say a word. Out of the clouds, emerged a dragon from medieval times, with sharp horns and rough skin, half the size of Typhon, but still absolutely enormous. As it got closer to the beach, I recognized the man at the front, leading the creature's path.

His black cloak flapped behind him; his cutlass gleamed against the sun. When I squinted, I could make out red hair on the top of his head.

It was Sigurd, the son of Odin. And it looks like he's brought reinforcements.

(000)

See you next chapter!

Until Next Time.