First Person: Audrey

A wise man once said that being in the airport didn't count as visiting a city. It was the same with the sewers. From the port to the Acropolis, we didn't see anything of Athens except dark, putrid tunnels. The snake men led us through an iron storm grate at the docks, straight into their underground lair, which smelled of rotting fish, mold, and snakeskin.

This is how I imagined the world of The Last of Us was like. Just gross, dank caves where monsters festered in the dark.

The atmosphere made it hard to sing about summertime and cotton and easy living, but Piper kept it up. If she stopped for longer than a minute or two, Kekrops and his guards started hissing and looking angry. We traded back and forth between different songs, and I started resorting to more modern-day songs. Right now I was on a Bastille streak with Pompeii and Happier.

"I don't like this place," Annabeth murmured. "Reminds me of when I was underneath Rome."

Kekrops hissed with laughter. "Our domain is much older. Much, much older."

"Yeah, yeah, older and older and older and older," Percy grumbled. "That seems to be a trend across our journey, meeting old dudes."

Annabeth slipped her hand into Percy's, which seemed to make Piper feel downhearted. I couldn't blame her for wishing Jason were with her. Heck, she'd even settle for Leo…though maybe she wouldn't have held his hand. Leo's hands tended to burst into flames when he was nervous.

Piper's voice echoed through the tunnels as she took her turn. We traveled further into the lair; more snake people gathered to hear her. Soon we had a procession following behind us - dozens of gemini all swaying and slithering.

Piper had lived up to her granddad's prediction. She had learned the song of the snakes - which turned out to be a George Gershwin number from 1935. So far she had even kept the snake king from biting, just like in the old Cherokee story. THe only problem with that legend: the warrior who learned the snake song had to sacrifice his wife for the power. Piper didn't want to sacrifice anyone.

The vial of physician's cure was still wrapped in its chamois cloth, tucked in her belt pouch. She hadn't had time to consult with Jason and Leo before she left. She just had to hope they would all be reunited on the hilltop before anyone needed the cure. If one of them died and she couldn't reach them…

'Just keep singing,' she told herself.

We passed through crude stone chambers littered with bones. We climbed slopes so steep and slippery, it was nearly impossible to keep our footing. At one point, we passed a warm cave the size of a gymnasium filled with snake eggs, their tops covered with a layer of silver filaments like slimy Christmas tinsel.

More and more snake people joined our procession as I took my turn. Slithering behind us, they sounded like an army of football players shuffling with sandpaper on their cleats. I wondered how many gemini lived down here. Hundreds, maybe thousands.

I thought I could hear my own heartbeat echoing through the corridors, getting louder and louder the deeper we went. Then, I realized the persistent boom ba-boom was all around us, resonating through the stone and the air.

'I wake.' A woman's voice, as clear as our singing.

Annabeth froze. "Oh, that's not good."

"It's like Tartarus," Percy said, his voice edgy. "You remember…his heartbeat. When he appeared-"

"Don't. Just don't."

"Sorry." In the light of his sword, Percy's face was like a large firefly - a hovering, momentary smudge of brightness in the dark.

The voice of Gaea spoke again, louder: 'At last.'

I hadn't realized I'd stopped singing until Piper began a shaky tune in my stead. Fear, like back in that Spartan temple with the gods Phobos and Deimos. Piper let the fear burn inside her like fuel, making her voice even stronger. It was just like any other choir concert, how my director used to say 'SUPPORT!' to encourage us to tighten our core. Nerves only made my stomach clench and my singing project louder.

If Gaea was the earth, hiding down here probably wouldn't be any sort of camouflage. We had to hope that because she wasn't fully awake yet, she wouldn't be able to inform the giants of our position or arrival. I joined Piper in singing the harmony to her song as she repeated the chorus that I'd heard before. We sang for the snake people, for our friends' safety. Why not for Gaea too?

Finally we reached the top of a steep slope, where the path ended in a curtain of green goo.

Kekrops faced us. "Beyond this camouflage is the Acropolis. You must remain here. I will check that your way is clear."

"Wait." Piper turned to address the crowd of gemini. "There is only death above. You will be safer in the tunnels. Hurry back. Forget you saw us. Protect yourselves."

The fear in her voice channeled perfectly with the charmspeak. The snake people, even the guards, turned and slithered into the darkness, leaving only the king.

"Kekrops," I said, "you're planning to betray us as soon as you step through that goo."

"Yes," he agreed. "I will alert the giants. They will destroy you." Then he hissed. "Why did I tell you that?"

I glanced over at Piper.

"Listen to the heartbeat of Gaea," she urged. "You can sense her rage, can't you?"

Kekrops wavered. The end of his staff glowed dimly. "I can, yes. She is angry."

"She'll destroy everything. She'll reduce the Acropolis to a smoking crater. Athens - your city - will be utterly destroyed, your people along with it. You believe me, don't you?"

"I - I do."

"Whatever hatred you have for humans, for demigods, for Athena, we are the only chance to stop Gaea. So you will not betray us. For your own sake, and your people, you will scout the territory and make sure the way is clear. You will say nothing to the giants. Then you will return."

"That is…what I'll do." Kekrops disappeared through the membrane of goo.

Annabeth shook her head in amazement. "Piper, that was incredible."

"We'll see if it works." Piper sat down on the cool stone floor. We might as well rest while we can.

I pulled out my water bottle and took a drink, realizing how dry my throat was. Percy squatted next to Piper and offered a canteen to her as well. "Thanks."

He nodded. "You think the charm will last?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "If Kekrops comes back in two minutes with an army of giants, then no."

"You put all you had into your plea," I assured her. "For the sake of his own people, the odds are in our favor. We should worry about what happens afterwards. Once we make it past here, we're in enemy territory. We've gotta find those weapons, get our bearings fast. If Veon has to go in, Primordial guns-blazing…"

I didn't need to finish, even if I withheld the backup plan that I accept Tartarus's power if things went awry. If I accepted Tartarus, he would be untethered to Khaos and free to do what he pleased in this world. Mentioning it to Annabeth and Percy hadn't seemed like a good idea - especially with Percy being reminded of Tartarus through Gaea's heartbeat.

I lightly hummed "Little Drummer Boy" by Pentatonix to the rhythm of Gaea's heartbeat that echoed through the floor. It almost reminded me of the sea - how the waves boomed along the cliffs.

I wondered what the rest of the world was like right now. Regular people were just living their lives, unaware of what was at stake and the chaos of the demigod world. Heck, Veon suggested that Khaos might be worried about the rest of the religions being thrown into chaos because of everything happening with the Primordials. Yet regular mortals could just be living as they always did.

I wondered about my parents back home. My mom and dad never had trouble with the whole demigod thing. In hindsight, I had been super lucky to have hidden everything from them, but decent grades went a long way to being left to your own devices. I doubt my mom even realized she'd had a little affair with Poseidon.

A part of me wondered how much of my very existence was deliberate on the part of Order or Khaos or whatever. Poseidon knew that I had a horrible fate lined up for me. Perhaps he knew about the whole Tartarus thing all the way back when I was born. Veon had been created deliberately by Order, after all, engineering his ascension as a Soul King and his trials to host a Primordial. I didn't have any trials. Maybe I would, even if I accepted Tartarus.

But nothing about allowing Tartarus free reign over this overworld sounded like a good idea. Sure, Khaos had gone a bit out of control and Tartarus wanted to ruin their plans for destruction, but that wasn't any guarantee. We weren't talking about anything even close to human - or even foolish deities that could be tricked.

Were my parents by the sea now? They went on vacation for their anniversary on the coast of Oregon every now and then. Maybe they were asleep, or watching TV. Order had assured me that she'd come up with the old summer camp excuse as to why I was gone, or maybe it was summer college classes. Whatever the case, I hope they weren't worrying about me. I hoped they were living happily and content, maybe even watching the moon over the Pacific, enjoying their quiet time together.

I wondered about the people at each of the camps. I thought about all the normal friends I'd made back in high school who I might never see again - even if we managed not to die today.

"Do you guys ever think about your families?" Piper asked.

It might have seemed like a silly question, especially on the cusp of battle, but to me, it seemed pretty appropriate. I was quick to summarize my history - parents, friends, even just passing strangers who I'd never really gotten to know.

Percy's gaze became unfocused. His lower lip quivered. "My mom…I - I haven't even seen her since Hera made me disappear. I called her from Alaska. I gave Coach Hedge some letters to deliver to her. I…" His voice broke. "She's all I've got. Her and my stepdad, Paul."

"And Tyson," Annabeth reminded him. "And Grover. And-"

"Yeah, of course. Thanks. I feel much better."

Piper probably shouldn't have laughed, but she was too full of nervousness and melancholy to hold it in. "What about you, Annabeth?"

"My dad…my stepmom and stepbrothers." She turned the dragon bone blade in her lap. "After all I've been through in the past year, it seems stupid that I resented them for so long. And my dad's relatives…I haven't thought about them in years. I have an uncle and cousin in Boston."

Percy looked shocked. "You, with the Yankees cap? You've got a family in Red Sox country?"

Annabeth smiled weakly. "I never see them. My dad and my uncle don't get along. Some old rivalry. I don't know. It's stupid what keeps people apart."

"Knowing our luck, it might be something godly-related," I pointed out. "If only everyone could magic-therapy the world to peace."

Piper nodded. It was easy to wish for the healing power of Asclepius, the ability to look at people and see what was hurting them, then whip out your prescription pad and make everything better. But there was probably a reason Zeus kept Asclepius locked away in his underground temple.

Some pain shouldn't be wished away so easily. It had to be dealt with, even embraced. Without the agony of the last few months, we never would've made these amazing friends, found new courage and new powers and a new outlook on life. I wondered if I'd have had the guts to sing show tunes to the snake people under Athens.

At the top of the tunnel, the green membrane rippled. We each drew our weapons and rose, prepared for a flood of monsters. But Kekrops emerged alone.

"The way is clear," he said. "But hurry. The ceremony is almost complete."

"You're sure the way is clear and there is nothing to threaten us on the other side?" Piper confirmed, now that Kekrops could be influenced by her charmspeak again.

"I am certain," he insisted. "You need only pass through this boundary and you will be at your destination. I will not follow. I will protect my people in these tunnels. You will see no more aid from me, nor any opposition."

Annabeth nodded. She took the first step to pass through the curtain of mucus, with Percy quickly following after. I sucked in a deep breath as Piper and I took our turn. Well, it was just about as much fun as I imagined it would be. It was just like any other toy slime thing, where the viscous, cool feeling felt wet without actually sticking to them.

We emerged feeling like we'd rolled through a giant's nostril, but thankfully none of the gunk stuck to us. We were in a cool, damp pit that seemed to be the basement level of a temple. All around us, uneven ground stretched into darkness under a low ceiling of stone. Directly above our heads, a rectangular gap was open to the sky. I could see the edges of walls and the tops of columns, but no monsters…yet.

The camouflage membrane had closed behind us, and blended into the ground. Piper pressed her hand against it. The area seemed to be solid rock. We wouldn't be leaving the way we came.

Annabeth ran her hand along some marks on the ground - a jagged crow's foot shape as long as a human body. The area was lumpy and white, like stone scar tissue. "This is the place. Percy, these are the trident marks of Poseidon."

Hesitantly, Percy touched the scars. "He must've been using his extra-extra-large trident."

"More like his regular-sized trident, since gods aren't always human-sized," I said.

"This is where he struck the earth," Annabeth continued, "where he made a saltwater spring appear when he had the contest with my mom to sponsor Athens."

"So this is where the rivalry started."

"Yeah."

Percy pulled Annabeth close and kissed her…long enough for it to get really awkward for Piper and I.

I sighed and looked up to the sky, opening my water bottle and sending up a snake of water to try and scope out the area. It wasn't as easy as using it as a spyglass or anything, but if I flattened out the water into a small enough trickle of water, maybe I could scope out any obstruction that we could use to hide our ascension. I hummed the water at a light, sonorous tune that would hopefully work as a signal without drawing too much attention.

I remembered the old rule of the Aphrodite cabin: that to be recognized as a daughter of the love goddess, you had to break someone's heart. Piper had long ago decided to change that rule. Percy and Annabeth were a perfect example of why. You would have to make someone's heart whole. That was a much better test.

When Percy pulled away, Annabeth looked like a fish gasping for air.

"The rivalry ends here," Percy said. "I love you, Wise Girl."

Annabeth made a little sigh, like something in her rib cage had melted.

Percy glanced at Piper. "Sorry, I had to do that."

Piper grinned. "How could a daughter of Aphrodite not approve? You're a great boyfriend."

"You'd be suckier if you didn't kiss her when we're about to walk into the lion's den," I called. "Speaking of which, we're beneath the Erechtheion. It's a temple to both Athena and Poseidon. The Parthenon should be catty-corner to the southeast. We'll need to sneak around the perimeter and disable as many siege weapons as we can, make an approach path for the Argo II."

"It's broad daylight," Piper said. "How will we go unnoticed?"

I wiggled my snake of water back down, still humming a weak message.

Annabeth scanned the sky. "I made a plan with Frank and Hazel. Hopefully…ah. Look."

A bee zipped overhead. Dozens more followed. They swarmed around a column, then hovered over the opening of the pit.

"Say hi to Frank, everybody," Annabeth said.

Piper waved. The cloud of bees zipped away.

"How does that even work?" Percy wondered. "Like…one bee is his finger? Two bees are his eyes?"

"What you should be asking is what happens if some of his bees are taken out or captured from the rest," I said.

"I don't know," Annabeth admitted. "But he's our go-between. As soon as he gives Hazel the word, she will-"

"Gah!" Percy yelped.

"Shh," I urged.

Annabeth clamped her hand over his mouth. Which looked strange, because suddenly each of us had turned into a hulking, six-armed Earthborn.

"Hazel's Mist." Piper's voice sounded deep and gravelly. She looked down at her own lovely Neanderthal body - belly hair, loincloth, stubby legs, and oversized feet. If she concentrated, she could see her normal arms, but when she moved them they rippled like mirages, separating into three different sets of muscular Earthborn arms.

Percy grimaced, which looked even worse on his newly uglified face. "Wow, Annabeth…I'm really glad I kissed you before you changed."

"Thanks a lot," she said. "We should get going. I'll move clockwise around the perimeter. Piper, you move counter-clockwise. Percy, Audrey, you scout the middle-"

"Wait." Percy tried to make a time-out gesture with his transformed hands. "We're walking right into the whole blood-spilling sacrifice trap we've been warned about, and you want to split up even more?"

"We'll cover more ground that way. And just like before - if one of us gets caught, the others keep going. We need to get as many of those onagers as possible to clear the path for the others. I hate to say this, but we have to assume we're going to get caught at some point. We need as big an advantage as possible, and if we're all caught at once-"

"Right, we lose even more of our element of surprise," I sighed.

"We have to hurry. That chanting…"

I hadn't noticed it until then, but now I heard it: an ominous drone in the distance, like a hundred forklifts idling. I looked at the ground and noticed bits of gravel trembling, skittering southeast, as if pulled towards the Parthenon.

"Right," Piper said. "We'll meet up at the giant's throne."

"Good luck," I murmured as we ascended to join the masses of enemies. Well, it wouldn't be the worst crowd I'd faced…I mean, there were a few more giants, but overall the armies of Tartarus had admittedly been scarier.

At first, it was easy. Monsters were everywhere - hundreds of ogres, Earthborn, and Cyclopes milling through the ruins - but most of them were gathered at the Parthenon, watching the ceremony in progress. We strolled through the cliffs of the Acropolis, unchallenged.

Percy and Annabeth disappeared to my left, and Piper to my right. Out of all four of us, I had the best chance of surviving if I was caught to buy the others time. I joined the crowd of sour-smelling Earthborn and closed my eyes, focusing on the feeling of Tartarus that Veon and I had practiced establishing with the Primordial's help. Veon would have to be nearby, but if Frank had managed to sneak in as a swarm of bees, then him and Hazel should have prepared the frontal assault as well.

Piper was making quick work of the onagers around the edge, taking out Earthborn and sneaking past Cyclopes and Laistrygonian ogres. She had a supply of Greek fire on her that could be placed to make the machines go off in a blaze of glory the moment they were used, but otherwise they'd remain inconspicuously normal.

I noticed a group of empousai in a shadowy archway that appeared to be slumbering, their fiery hair flickering dimly, their brass legs glinting. Hopefully the sunlight would make them sluggish if they had to fight.

'So, you have made your decision then?'

'Yes,' I thought, still getting used to the intensity of Tartarus's powerful consciousness just brushing past mine. We'd only practiced this once before, but now that the connection had been established, Tartarus seemed eager not to let me go. Once I accepted the deal completely, it would either be a million times worse than this, or I wouldn't feel anything at all. 'Just need to wait for the right moment to take them all by surprise. You are going to help us destroy the giants, yes?'

'I will. So long as you assist me in getting revenge against my parent.'

'And how am I supposed to do that exactly?'

'They will be here - she will be here. My former wife will awaken; there is no avoiding it. And when the chaos has begun, you must unleash my free will.'

I frowned, but my snarl probably only sold my monstrous act even better. 'You're saying I just have to wait for the blood to be spilled?'

'Be at ease, mortal. It takes barely a drop of blood to awaken her. Your…friends need not be juiced to death.'

'And if I refuse to let her wake?'

'By all means, fight the futile battle for as long as you can. But when my parent arrives, Primordial Khaos will ensure that this world is destroyed - however it may happen. My benevolence will not last. If you wish for me to spare your comrades while I have my revenge, you will agree to my terms.'

'Seeing as we're the ones that can just let the world get destroyed out of sheer spite, you should at least try to be nicer about it!'

'Audrey.' Veon's voice emerged in my head, speaking in unison with a gentler, softer…woman's voice. 'We don't have time to argue further. The ritual will begin. Prepare for the fight to come…and be ready to do what it takes. This is not just our pride or our lives on the line.'

I sighed, knowing he was right. The things I do for the world, honestly.

The crowd at the Parthenon grew larger, the chanting got louder. I approached the ruins, trying to get a better look at the twenty or thirty giants standing in a circle, mumbling and swaying, maybe doing the evil monster version of "Kumbayah."

I glanced over and saw a small rope fall limp on the siege weapon by the south. That would give the Argo II a clear approach from the north. I wondered how long it would take the ship to arrive. I wondered where Veon was now, how chaotic it would be when he started unleashing Tartarus's power to the best of his ability. It would hopefully attract Rei and her Khaos Primordial…who would be vying for a good fight and maybe even the end of the world.

A part of me flashed back to Kaze. He was so scared of what the gods would make of his sister, how they would use her, throw her life away. Wherever my friend was now, a part of me feared she might not make it out of this alive. A part of me knew she had been gone for a while now, and she'd never truly be herself again, no matter what the outcome of this battle was. None of us would, our team built by a goddess that wanted to ensure the Seven prophecy went through.

Nothing more than sacrifices in a game of the higher beings. Gods, Primordials, it made little difference. We were nothing more than disposable pawns. This entire world was just a game to them, one they could destroy and recreate at their leisure…especially with the corruption of humanity adding on top of it.

Suddenly, the chanting stopped. A BOOM echoed across the hillside. In the Parthenon, the giants roared in triumph. All around me, monsters surged toward the sound of celebration. I followed, pulling a ring of water around me to make sure I didn't get crushed in the tidal wave.

Before Porphyrion's throne, dozens of giants stood in a loose ring, hollering and shaking their weapons as two of their number paraded around the circle, showing off their prizes. The princess Periboia held Annabeth by the neck like a feral cat. The giant Enceladus had Percy wrapped in his massive fist.

The pair struggled helplessly. Their captors displayed them to the cheering horde of monsters, then turned to face King Porphyrion, who sat in his makeshift throne, his white eyes gleaming with malice.

"Right on time!" the giant king bellowed. "The blood of Olympus to raise the Earth Mother!"

The giant king rose to his full height - almost as tall as the temple columns. His face looked just as I remembered from so many moons ago - green as bile, with a twisted sneer, his seaweed-colored hair braided with swords and axes taken from dead demigods.

He loomed over the captives, watching them wriggle. "They arrived just as you foresaw, Enceladus! Well done!"

Piper's old enemy, who had taken her father captive and caused us more than enough trouble back when we'd first started this journey, bowed his head. He had braided bones clattering in his dreadlocks. "It was simple, my king."

The flame designs gleaned on his armor; his spear burned with purplish fire. He only needed one hand to hold his captive. Despite all of Percy Jackson's power, despite everything he had survived, in the end he was helpless against the sheer strength of the giant - and the inevitability of the prophecy.

It hadn't really stung as badly as I thought, knowing that Tartarus was right. All of our enemies who had taunted us along this journey, knowing our fate in this place and the blood to be spilt…there was no stopping it.

I grumbled, unheard among the roaring crowd of monsters. Well, if they were gonna get their precious mother back, might as well make sure it was a pain in the ass.

"I knew these two would lead the assault," Enceladus continued. "I understand how they think. Athena and Poseidon…they were just like these children! They both came here thinking to claim this city. Their arrogance has undone them!"

Over the roar of the crowd, I could barely hear myself think, but one tiny thought nagged at the back of my mind. 'These two would lead the assault.' Piper was still out there. Piper still had the advantage of surprise. Even if one or more of us was caught, the rest needed to keep going.

Annabeth tried to say something, but the giantess Periboia shook her by the neck. "Shut up! None of your silver-tongued trickery!" The princess drew a hunting knife as long as a sword. "Let me do the honors, Father!"

"Wait, Daughter." The king stepped back. "The sacrifice must be done properly. Thoon, destroyer of the Fates, come forward!"

The wizened gray giant shuffled into sight, holding an oversized meat cleaver. He fixed his milky eyes on Annabeth.

Percy shouted. At the other end of the Acropolis, a hundred yards away, a geyser of water shot into the sky.

King Porphyrion laughed. "You'll have to do better than that, son of Poseidon. The earth is too powerful here. Even your father wouldn't be able to summon more than a salty spring. But never fear. The only liquid we require from you is your blood!"

A small spring it might have been, but it had still made it through the earth. It was far away, but the water had made it through the earth and now just needed to be pulled upon. I grabbed all the water I could from the geyser and began snaking a large wave of it, hovering along the ground.

Thoon knelt and touched the blade of his cleaver reverently against the earth. "Mother Gaea…" His voice was impossibly deep, shaking the ruins, making the metal scaffold resonate around the Parthenon. "In the ancient times, blood mixed with your soil to create life. Now, let the blood of these demigods return the favor. We bring you to full wakefulness. We greet you as our eternal mistress!"

I swung out my hands as hard as I could, slicing Percy's water forward as flat and sharp as a blade, freezing it at the last second just as Thoon rose to use his cleaver. The ice weapon took off Thoon's hand at the wrist.

The old giant wailed. The clever and severed hand lay in the dust at his feet. I rushed forward, summoning the water to circle around me, making the biggest show of myself as I could. I had to buy Piper and the Argo II as much time as I could. And when the Earth was inevitably awoken…I had to trust in the others to go on in my stead.

I let my Mist disguise burn away, summoned my trident, turning my feet to water so I could float up and try to seem more than just a tiny girl in the midst of an army of giants.

"Come now, Enceledus!" I shouted, using the water to enhance the volume of my voice. "Didn't that foresight of yours remind you that demigods always travel in threes?"

Third Person: Boss

"Master," Boss said, speaking up to the new god.

"You are concerned, child."

"I am," she confessed.

Metis smiled down at her, kneeling and shrinking so that they were around eye level. "There is no need to fear. I will keep your people safe. Have faith in me, little one."

"I lost faith in the gods long ago - you are no exception."

"Then have faith in your people. You may struggle with this concept, but they believe in you just as much as you wish to believe in them."

"They…trust me, yes. But Quake nearly died. The upcoming battle will be difficult even for us. My team has trained to destroy the pantheon of gods. Primordial entities, however…that is something I cannot properly account for."

"That is what I am here for, young Boss. When we have won this war, I shall rule an empire that will value your people more than my father's kingdom has. I shall not let your kind go unknown, forgotten, or forsaken."

"I don't know what I'll do," she confessed, "if and when I am free to choose."

"That is what troubles you so?" His smile was confusingly gentle, like he hadn't quite gotten the hang of what a sympathetic expression looked like, but he was doing his best. "You need not concern yourself. The thing about freedom is that you are also free to follow someone if you desire that as well."

"Do you truly intend to rule, to usurp your father's throne?"

He rose back to his full height, nearly twice as tall as her, and that was still a condensed form. "You see right through me. To be expected. Yes, I have my doubts about taking my father's place. Ruling is so difficult, especially as a deity who doesn't…fully understand my subjects. My father wished to rule a better world than his father before him, and Kronos as well desired a better world than the monstrosities of his father's rule. When I inevitably become king, I do wonder - and fear - what sort of era and age I shall begin."

"I confess, I can't imagine you will do much worse than your father. He who neglects the children of the gods, who neglects poor souls lost to time, who blames those who suffer rather than comfort them. You make an attempt to care, and though you may fail, you…will at least begin your reign in a good position."

He laughed, stilted and stiff but still genuine. "I appreciate your loyalties, little one of the Third Eye. If you will follow me, I will not let you down."

"Hey! Smartass! Time to go!" Kronos called.

"Lord Khaos has certainly…remade him in an eccentric manner," Boss confessed. "Will he truly be worth the risk?"

"A cunning mastermind always itching for betrayal?" Metis smiled in his half-human sort of way. "I couldn't think of anyone better to teach me of my own weaknesses. Better to learn early than to worry when I am the center of attention. Is your team prepared?"

"Famine, Forge, Iota, Sandman, and Mirage remain at the camp, but they will join us soon."

"Famine…wasn't she planning on restoring her people - a safe haven for demigods? Perhaps that's something to look into soon…"

"We are prepared to subdue the gods at your order."

"Well…first we need to make sure the gods make their appearance. The rift between the camps must be repaired, and then they must be struggling to defeat the giants with their brethren."

"We will aid neither giant nor mortal?"

"We shall see what becomes of the battle." He waved her to follow after him, regal and sure in every motion. "The wild card remains Khaos, what they are planning. Ensuring that I have been freed and have Kronos and Typhon at my side works to my benefit, and yet…"

"There is a hidden motive."

"It's not hidden," he protested. "I am to take over as king of the gods, but…in the meantime, the monarchy shall be crumbling, this world left in turmoil. I will rule over ruins if we do not do this correctly."

"The host…" Boss murmured. "Her team…my team. It is all a game."

"One we must be careful to win. Shall we?"

Metis indicated towards the imprisoned Hera/Juno, still struggling with her split. However, the two were no longer screaming at each other. They seemed more disturbed by being stuck in the same body, unable to control who was in charge, than by the hatred for each other. Metis had worked some sort of magic on her to calm her down, and beyond the painful flickering back and forth, they seemed to have stable and productive conversations.

"When Hera is healed, we will know when the gods have been restored. Your team is in charge of monitoring the situation at the Acropolis and aiding who you deem worthy. I would recommend-"

"Waiting until Khaos shows themself. Yes. We need to know their plans as well."

"Where is that Emily child, anyway?"

"Held with Famine at the camps. When they are freed, they can join us at the Acropolis."

"Good. I believe she will know what to do."

"That is the hope. I hate hoping," Boss grumbled.

"You have Seven. The odds are in your favor."

"I hope that wasn't meant to be a joke."