AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hoo boy! This one took a while to write. Had a little bit of writer's block for a bit. Couple that with me changing my job timings, and later on, going out of town to stay at my family's country estate for a couple of days. The house had been undergoing a massive remodelling and the work had been completely very recently, to make it habitable. Anyway, on with the story!

After a few minutes, there was a faint buzzing sound, and a tiny black shape landed on a nearby loveseat. Then, the shape instantly transformed into an adult blonde woman in a green dress edged with black fur at the collar and sleeves. The woman also wore jewelled spectacles and red painted nails.

Percy was a little startled by the unexpected intruder, and even Annabeth tensed. However, they instantly relaxed when Harry didn't even flinch. Instead, he got up and approached the woman, "Rita, what do you have for us?"

She grinned, showing off three gold teeth, "I must say, Harry Potter, this is the most fun I've ever had in years! I might be tempted to leave the Prophet and get into the espionage business."

Harry snarked, "Glad to see that you're enjoying yourself, but just watch your back. Anyway, I ask again, what do you have for us?"

Rita tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Well, whoever is spying on your camp, seems awfully clever at covering their tracks. However, the enemy forces are gathering at every bridge and tunnel in the city. Also, besides that Kronos fellow, there is another being that seems to just radiate power! I saw a huge man, clad in golden armour. If I'm not mistaken, he was amassing a squad on the Jersey shore."

The trio exchanged glances and Percy nodded, "Okay, we'll keep an eye on that development. Any idea why the enemies suddenly stopped attacking?"

She frowned a little, trying to remember, "Well, I eavesdropped on some snake ladies saying that Kronos needs time to regenerate after each fight. He's still not comfortable with his new form, whatever that means. It's taking a lot of his power to slow time around the city, I didn't even know that was possible. Anyway, they will be ready to attack by nightfall."

Harry held out his hand and she shook it, "Good work Rita. You've been a great help! Keep an eye on further developments and let us know! Take care of yourself out there!"

She nodded, transformed back and flitted away.

They sat around in silence for a while, and then Annabeth broke it, "Boys? There's something you need to know. Harry, you weren't there, but back on Olympus, when Hermes talked to us, he was really mad at me."

Percy gently told her, "Are you sure? I mean, if it's hard for you, you don't have to talk about it."

She shook her head firmly, "No, I need to get this off my chest. Last year, Luke paid me a visit in San Francisco. This was before the mess with the Labyrinth. He came under a flag of truce. He said he only wanted five minutes to talk. He looked scared, Percy. He told me Kronos was going to use him to take over the world. He said he wanted to run away, like the old days. He wanted me to come with him."

Harry spoke, "Considering that you're here now, you rejected his offer."

"Obviously! I thought it was a trick. Plus … well, a lot of things had changed since the old days. I told Luke there was no way. He got mad. He said – he said I might as well fight him right there, because it was the last chance I'd get."

Her forehead beaded with sweat and Harry dabbed at it with a cool cloth. She slumped, "Hermes was right… Maybe if I had gone with him, I could have changed his mind. I-I also had a knife and Luke was unarmed."

Harry frowned, "Beth, I've not been a big fan of his, especially because his betrayal, but that is low, even for you. Killing an unarmed enemy is unsportsmanlike."

Percy nodded firmly, "He's right, Annabeth."

She squeezed her eyes shut and blinked away a tear, "Luke said Kronos would use him like a stepping stone. Those were his exact words. Kronos would use Luke, and become even more powerful. But what if Luke's body is only a transition? What if Kronos has a plan to become even more powerful? I could've stopped him. The war is my fault."

Just then, the terrace door slid open and Connor Stoll stepped through. He shuffled nervously, "Guys, Mrs O' Leary just returned. She found Grover, and he has news."

Percy made to get up, but Harry beat him to it. He gestured, "Stay with Beth, I'll meet up with him. If there's anything important, I'll call you guys on the mirror."

He left the couple and went back inside. Grover was lounging in the posh living room of the penthouse. Well, whatever was left of it, as he had taken several bites of the furniture. Harry rolled his eyes, "Grover, mate! You're lucky that I came, instead of Jackson."

The satyr bleated and attempted to look contrite. However, the look was ruined by a bit of armchair stuffing, hanging out of his mouth. Harry pointed his sword at the room and chanted, "Reparo!"

AS the room fixed itself, Grover bleated, "Sorry… It's just, Louis XVI furniture is practically a delicacy! Anyway, how's Annabeth?"

Harry smiled, "She'll be alright. That girl's a tough cookie. Jackson's with her right now and she's resting. Hope for their sake that they keep it PG while I'm gone."

Grover snorted before getting serious, "I've mobilized most of the nature spirits in the city – well, the ones that will listen to me, anyway. I had no idea acorns could hurt so much. Anyway, we're helping out as much as we can. I'm glad you got those goblin people to help. We were covering uptown, and those guys jumped in."

Harry asked, "What happened?"

"A young dragon began attacking Harlem. Lost a couple of wood nymphs, but it could have been much worse without the goblins."

Just then, Beckendorf walked in, "Hey, where's Percy?"

"Outside. Can I take a message?"

"Your spy's intel checked out. The Williamsburg Bridge was one of our weaker points. Looks like Kronos also knew about it, and that's why he showed up and shifted most of his forces there."

Harry hummed, "Huh… I guess that explains why we were able to defend that place easily. But then again, we can't sow discord among our troops. My spy is already trying to flush out the traitor and they'll get back to me. I'll let them know."

Harry walked back outside to the terrace, where Percy and Annabeth was still hanging out. He relayed the information that Grover and Beckendorf had gathered. Percy closed his eyes and breathed in and out. He opened them and spoke, "We keep fighting. We can't obsess about this spy. If we're suspicious of each other, we'll just tear ourselves apart. Harry, let everyone know to set up a rotation for the watches. Tell them to rest up while they can. We've got a long night ahead of us. I'm going to crash as well."

Harry went and took a short nap for a couple of hours. When he woke up, it was around one in the afternoon. He checked his watch, left a note by Jackson and Annabeth's bedsides and headed to Remus and Sally's apartment. Sure enough, Bill, Charlie, Percy and the twins had gathered there. Just then, the Floo activated and Ron and Ginny stepped through, followed by Hermione. They all had a box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products tucked in their arms. Sally had been convinced to move to the Weasley household and she was getting along pretty well with Molly.

Just then, the Floo lit up again and a familiar face showed up in the flames. Rachel brightened, "Oh! Hey guys! Could you please, please get me the hell out of here? I'm going stir crazy over here! Also, I really, REALLY need to get to New York!"

Harry cut in, "Bad idea, mate! New York's currently a war zone. But I think you can head to The Burrow for a while, until its safe."

She nodded, "Yeah, I can do that. I'll call my mom and ask her to make up something believable for my dad. Worst case scenario is that she can use the Confundus Charm on him."

After she ended the Floo call, Harry's mirror began to buzz. Thalia was calling, "Hey! I thought I'd let you know, Perrie just spotted a Titan coming over. I don't think they're launching their invasion early, because he's carrying a flag of truce. I'm going to wake Seaweed Brain and Wise Girl. I'll meet you outside."

Harry glanced at his fellow wizards and witches, "You guys want to come with, or are you okay here itself?"

They elected to stay out of it, and Harry left the apartment. Soon afterwards, Harry, gathered in a local park, along with Percy, Grover and Thalia.

Before long, they spotted a gigantic white flag being held aloft by a ten-metre-tall giant with bright blue skin and icy grey hair. Harry involuntarily shivered, "Hyperborean giants. Those things are pretty nasty when angered."

Thalia nodded grimly, "The giants of the north. It's a bad sign that they sided with Kronos. They're usually peaceful. There's a big colony in Alberta. You do not want to get into a snowball fight with those guys."

As the giant lumbered closer, they could make out a few members of his entourage. There was an armoured demigod, an empousa demon with flaming hair and a black dress. The empousa had linked arms with the third member of the entourage, a tall man in a tuxedo.

The tuxedo-clad man was clearly a Titan, as he towered over them, a good two metres. His black hair was tied in a ponytail. Dark round glasses covered his eyes, but his face was covered in scratches.

He spoke to his companion, "'My dear. Why don't you make yourself comfortable over there, eh?"

The empousa hissed at them before heading to a park bench. Then he addressed them for the first time, "Percy Jackson. It's a great honour."

Percy acknowledged him before glancing at the demigod. Despite the different helmet, he easily recognised Ethan Nakamura. The Titan ignored the two of them trying to glare each other to death. He extended his hand, "To business! I am Prometheus."

Harry and Percy started a little, "Weren't you the one who stole fire for the humans? You were punished for it, by having you chained up and have vultures peck at you."

Prometheus winced, "Please, don't mention the vultures. But, yes, I stole fire from the gods and gave it to your ancestors. In return, Zeus had me chained to a rock and tortured for all eternity. As for how I got free? You can thank Herakles for that, aeons ago. So you see, I have a soft spot for heroes. Some of you can be quite civilized. Now, Percy Jackson, let us parley."

The two of them sat down at a picnic table, with Harry, Grover and Thalia standing behind Percy, like bodyguards. The giant lumbered around inside a playground, unintentionally destroying everything around him.

Prometheus steepled his fingers, "Allow me to introduce myself properly, "I am Prometheus, the Titan of forethought. I can predict the outcome of this war. Percy, we are at an impasse. You can weather what we've thrown as you, and we have done the same. However, you are still somewhat understaffed. Can you really stop another assault?"

Grover snarked, "You missed something in your introduction. You're also the Titan of crafty counsel. Emphasis on crafty."

Prometheus shrugged nonchalantly, "True enough, satyr. But I supported the gods in the last war. I told Kronos: 'You don't have the strength. You'll lose.' And I was right. So you see I know how to pick the winning side. This time, I'm backing Kronos. One advantage you do have, is the presence of Potter, who is a First-Born, a rarity. However, I fear that his strength will not be enough. I will admit though, that I am partly motivated by revenge. But that's not the only reason I'm supporting Kronos. It's the wisest choice. I'm here because I thought you might listen to reason."

He drew a map on the table with his finger. Wherever he touched, golden lines appeared, glowing on the concrete. "This is Manhattan. We have armies here, here, here and here. We know your numbers. We outnumber you twenty to one. But I suspect you already know that. You have your spies, and we have ours. Yet, our forces are growing daily. Tonight, Kronos will attack. You will be overwhelmed. You've fought bravely, but there's just no way you can hold all of Manhattan. You'll be forced to retreat to the Empire State Building. There, you'll be destroyed. I have seen this. It will happen."

Percy grit his teeth, "The future isn't set in stone. I can promise you that I won't let it happen!"

Prometheus shook his head sorrowfully, "Percy, you must understand. You are refighting the Trojan War here. Patterns repeat themselves in history. They reappear just as monsters do. A great siege. Two armies. The only difference is, this time you are defending. You are Troy. And you know what happened to the Trojans, don't you?"

Percy eyed him, "Please tell me you're not planning to stick a hollow wooden horse into the elevator at the Empire State Building? I'm not sure how that will work."

Harry suppressed a snigger, only for Thalia to elbow him. Prometheus merely smiled, "Troy was completely destroyed, Percy. You don't want that to happen here. Stand down, and New York will be spared. Your forces will be granted amnesty. I will personally assure your safety. Let Kronos take Olympus. Who cares? Typhon will destroy the gods anyway."

Percy cut in, "What guarantee is there that Kronos will spare New York? There is none."

Prometheus promised, "All he wants is Olympus. The might of the gods is tied to their seats of power. You saw what happened to Poseidon once his undersea palace was attacked. I know that was hard for you. When Kronos destroys Olympus, the gods will fade. They will become so weak they will be easily defeated. Kronos would rather do this while Typhon has the Olympians distracted in the west. Much easier. Fewer lives lost. But, make no mistake, the best you can do is slow us down. The day after tomorrow, Typhon arrives in New York, and you will have no chance at all. The gods and Mount Olympus will still be destroyed, but it will be much messier. Much, much worse for you and your city. Either way, the Titans will rule."

Harry growled, "Look, we're not going to just sit down and let you roll over us, unopposed. If you want to occupy Olympus, you're going to have to go through us, first."

Thalia also snarled, "Harry's right! Percy, you're not seriously going to listen to this slimeball, are you?"

Prometheus didn't look offended, but he simply chuckled, "Your courage does you credit, Thalia Grace."

The girl snapped, "That's my mother's surname. I don't use it."

The titan casually said, "As you wish. At any rate, you need not be my enemy. I have always been a helper of mankind."

Thalia sneered, "That's a load of Minotaur dung. When mankind first sacrificed to the gods, you tricked them into giving you the best portion. You gave us fire to annoy the gods, not because you cared about us."

Prometheus replied, "I'm afraid you don't understand. I helped shape your nature. I have been whispering in man's ear since the beginning of your existence. I represent your curiosity, your sense of exploration, your inventiveness. Help me save you, Percy. Do this, and I will give mankind a new gift – a new revelation that will move you as far forward as fire did. You can't make that kind of advance under the gods. They would never allow it. But this could be a new golden age for you."

As he spoke, he fashioned a small clay figurine and played around with it. The figurine even came to life, stumbling, groping, crawling. But then, Prometheus' voice hardened, "Or you could be against us."

With that final declaration, he smashed the clay figurine. Prometheus calmed down, "Percy, you know the Titans and their offspring are not all bad. You've met Calypso. Much like me, she did nothing wrong, and yet she was exiled forever simply because she was Atlas's daughter. We are not your enemies. Don't let the worst happen. We offer you peace."

Percy glanced at Ethan, "What's your take on all this? I mean, if we took this deal, you would lose your chance of revenge. You don't get to kill any of us. Isn't that what you want?"

Ethan glared with his one good eye, "All I want is respect, Jackson. The gods never gave me that. You wanted me to go to your stupid camp, spend my time crammed into the Hermes cabin because I'm not important? Not even recognized? Nemesis stands for balance! When people have too much good luck, she tears them down."

Percy asked, "Does that explain your eye?"

Ethan growled, "It was payment. In exchange, she swore to me that one day, I would tip the balance of power. I would bring the minor gods respect. An eye was a small price to pay."

Percy snarked, "Great mom."

Ethan snapped, "At least she keeps her word, unlike the Olympians. She always pays her debts – good or evil."

Prometheus ignored the exchange and then spoke to Percy, "I suspect you wish to understand Luke's actions and what led him to go down this path. Hestia didn't show you the full story. I could help you understand."

He reached out a hand, but Harry stopped him, "How do we know what Jackson is about to see, is an accurate retelling of the events? For all we know, you could twist the narrative to favour your side."

Prometheus chuckled deeply, "Hahaha! I like you! Very well, I promise that what I am about to show Percy is accurate."

Hesitantly, Percy grabbed his hand and he stiffened. When the Titan let go, Percy staggered back, with Thalia steadying him. Prometheus attempted to look sympathetic, "Appalling, isn't it? The gods know what is to come, and yet they do nothing, even for their children. How long did it take for them to tell you your prophecy, Percy Jackson? Don't you think your father knows what will happen to you?"

Grover bleated, "Percy, he's playing with your mind. Trying to make you angry."

Prometheus sighed, "Do you really blame your friend Luke? And what about you, Percy? Will you be controlled by your fate? Kronos offers you a much better deal."

Percy clenched his fists, what Luke went through was awful and he hated that it happened to him. However, he also hated Kronos a lot more. He grit his teeth, "I'll give you a deal. Tell Kronos to call off his attack, leave Luke Castellan's body and return to the pits of Tartarus. Then maybe my friends and I won't have to destroy him."

The empousa snarled, but the Titan stopped her. He merely let out a weary sigh, "Very well, If you change your mind, I have a gift for you."

He snapped his fingers and a Greek vase appeared on the table. It was about a metre high and thirty centimetres wide, glazed with black-and-white geometric designs. The ceramic lid was fastened with a leather harness.

Harry's, Grover's and Thalia's eyes widened. Prometheus explained, "This belonged to my sister-in-law, Pandora. I know many tales often refer to it as a box, but I suppose those were merely loose translations. The correct term is a pithos. Yes, she did open this jar, which contained most of the demons that now haunt mankind – fear, death, hunger, sickness. And the first ever empousa was trapped in the pithos."

He let out a breath and breathed in again, "What I find curious about the story, is that Pandora always gets the blame. She is punished for being curious. The gods would have you believe that this is the lesson: mankind should not explore. They should not ask questions. They should do what they are told. In truth, Percy, this jar was a trap designed by Zeus and the other gods. It was revenge on me and my entire family – my poor simple brother Epimetheus and his wife Pandora. The gods knew she would open the jar. They were willing to punish the entire race of humanity along with us."

Percy cast his mind back to his dream about Hades and Maria di Angelo. Zeus laid waste to an entire hotel, just to eliminate two demigod children, to circumvent a prophecy that may not have been about them. He killed an innocent woman. Hades was no better, cursing the Oracle of Delphi. Finally, there was Hermes and his own row with Luke.

As Percy's inner turmoil raged, Prometheus pat the lid of the pithos. He said "Only one spirit remained inside when Pandora opened it. Hope… Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, would not abandon humanity. Hope does not leave without being given permission. She can only be released by a child of man. I give you this as a reminder of what the gods are like. Keep Elpis, if you wish. But if you decide that you have seen enough destruction, enough futile suffering, then open the jar. Let Elpis go. Give up Hope, and I will know that you are surrendering. I promise Kronos will be lenient. He will spare the survivors."

Percy growled, "I don't want it."

Prometheus nonchalantly said, "It's too late. The gift is given. It cannot be taken back. I shall take my leave now. We will see you seen, Percy Jackson. One way or another."

As he left with his entourage, Percy and Ethan exchanged hateful glares again before the latter left. Soon, it was just the four of them out alone in the park. Very reluctantly, Percy decided to carry the pithos back to the hotel.

Thalia then led the group to a deserted restaurant in the hotel. Percy laid the pithos on a table and they all gathered around it. Just as he was about to discuss what to do with the pithos, Thalia broke the silence. She asked, "What did Prometheus show you?"

Reluctantly, he opened up about the vision of May Castellan's house. Thalia rubbed her thigh like she was remembering the old wound. She spoke softly, "That was a bad night. Annabeth was so little I don't think she really understood what she saw. She just knew Luke was upset. As for May Castellan, I never saw her have an episode, but Luke told me about the glowing eyes, the strange things she would say. He made me promise never to tell. What caused it – I have no idea… If Luke knew, he never told me."

Percy replied, "Hermes knew. Something caused May to see parts of Luke's future, and Hermes understood what would happen – how Luke would turn into Kronos."

Harry sat up, "Look mate, I wasn't kidding when I said that the narrative can be twisted. Memories can be altered, so who knows if Prometheus was manipulating what you saw, Maybe he was showing you what happened in the worst possible light. Hermes did love Luke. I've spoken to him before and I could tell just by looking at his face."

Percy argued, "Luke was just a little kid. Hermes never helped him, never stopped him from running away."

Thalia's face hardened, "Look, you can't suddenly start feeling sorry for him. Every demigod has had to deal with a lot of tough sh*t. Sure, our parents may hardly be around, but Luke is making bad choices. And the worst part is that no one is forcing him to do that. I'm worried about Annabeth. If she has to face Luke in battle, I don't know if she can kill him. She's always had a soft spot for him."

Harry sighed, "I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there."

Thalia warned, "After that night, after we left his mom's house? Luke was never the same. He got reckless and moody, like he had something to prove. By the time Grover found us and tried to get us to camp, it had gotten really bad. Part of the reason we had so much trouble was because Luke was getting reckless. He wanted to pick a fight with every monster we crossed. Annabeth didn't see that as a problem. Luke was her hero. She only understood that his parents had made him sad, and she got very defensive of him. She still is defensive, even to this day. All I'm saying … Don't you fall into the same trap. Luke has given himself to Kronos now. We can't afford to be soft on him."

Thalia and Harry exchanged a look, "Listen, get some sleep. Harry and I will check on the Hunters. I know you're worried about more dreams, but who knows when our next opportunity for rest will be."

Harry then grabbed the pithos, "I'll also drop by the goblins and ask if they can keep this thing locked up in Gringotts."

As Percy settled down for his nap, Harry trekked over to the Woolworth building, where the goblin army had set up a makeshift barracks. Harry didn't see any wizards, which was surprising, considering that this was the location of the MACUSA. He met up with General Bogrod and gestured to the pithos, "Would it be possible to keep this in my Gringotts Vault?"

Bogrod stopped sharpening his sword and glanced in his direction. He studied the pithos and said, "I can sense strange magic from this vessel. I doubt that a Gringotts vault would be able to house it. You will have to figure out some different arrangements. We'll store it in your Trust Vault for the moment. Though I doubt it will stay there long. I can sense an enchantment keyed to your friend Percy Jackson. This thing will appear before him, at a time when all hope seems lost."

Bogrod picked it up and handed it to another goblin, who scuttled away. After a while, Harry went to check up on Annabeth. The girl had just woken up and was already looking healthier. Madame Pomfrey and the children of Apollo had done an exemplary job with her. Harry took her to the Hephaestus cabin to be kitted up in fresh armour.

Close to evening, Rita came flitting in and warned that there was an army heading south into Central Park. There was also a massively strong Titan, who was leading the army. However, her next words cause him to start worrying, "The enemy talked about a 'special surprise' that will attack today."

Rita flitted away again, and the two decided to find Percy. Approaching his bed, he looked to be in the throes of a nightmare. He sat up quickly and almost knocked himself out on Annabeth's shield. Percy waved away their concerns and shared some of his dreams.

According to him, the situation at Poseidon's palace was getting worse. More worryingly, Ethan Nakamura was getting dangerously close to guessing where Percy's Achilles spot was. As he spoke though, Harry got the feeling that he was hiding something.

About 15 minutes later, everyone had gathered by the reservoir. Hedwig suddenly flapped over and nuzzled Harry's ear and softly hooted into it. "Alpha, the enemy has crossed the Harlem River. The army is massive!"

Harry turned to his companions and relayed the information. Percy rubbed his face and then turned to face the army gathered behind him. He declared, "We'll hold them at the park!"

A familiar voice called out from the side, "Yes we will!"

They turned to see Leneus the satyr, marching forward. The old, portly satyr was dressed in wood-bark armour that didn't quite cover his belly, and he also carried a spear. He huffed at their incredulous looks, "Don't act so surprised. I am a leader of the council, and Potter's words did strike a chord. Well, it looks like Grover Underwood has been found, and I'm not going to let a mere outcast lead the satyrs without my help! Never fear! We'll show those Titans!"

Percy nodded, "Okay, so the Athena cabin will hold fort over here. I'll help too. Harry?"

Harry shot him a thumbs up, "Leave the Hunters to me."

Percy glanced at the other counsellors. Fleur was acting head counsellor for the Aphrodite cabin until Silena returned, hopefully with Clarisse. He spoke, "That leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. You have to guard the other entrances to Manhattan. You know how tricky Kronos is. He'll hope to distract us with this big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. Has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?"

The counsellors nodded grimly and everyone split up. The various factions took up their designated positions and braced themselves. It didn't take long before they all heard the army before they saw them. The noise was practically deafening, like a crowd of football hooligans in preparation for a derby.

After five minutes of waiting, at the northernmost end of the reservoir, the vanguard burst out of the woods. Leading a battalion of Laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes, was a warrior in golden armour. Behind the giants, charged hundreds of monsters.

Annabeth barked an order and the Athena campers got into position. The idea was to bottleneck the army in narrow columns on either side of the water. Sure enough, the tactic worked like clockwork and the enemy split up. When they were halfway across, the jogging trail erupted in Greek fire. This resulted in several monsters getting incinerated.

Some of the unscathed monsters managed to make it past. However, several small tornados erupted and swept them off their feet. Annabeth looked at Percy in shock, "Is that you?!"

He looked equally baffled, "Annabeth, I swear, it's not me! Maybe Thalia? Weather's more of her thing."

Just then, his mirror buzzed a few times. He picked up to see Harry's grinning face as he and the Hunters waited by the woods. He smugly said, "Enjoyed the dizzy dummy? It's one of the Weasley twins' products. They call it a Tiny Twister. According to Fred, it's basically a mini tornado inside a bottle. If the bottle breaks, then it unleashes hell!"

Despite the mayhem meted out to the enemy, more kept coming. The Athena campers pulled some of the giants down with grappling hooks. Harry and his Hunters sent out a shower of arrows, downing 20-30 dracaenae. Thalia even managed to call down some lightning and fry a Laistrygonian. Occasionally, some monsters were dragged away, one-by-one, by a flurry of animals.

Grover played a quick tune on his pipes, mobilising dryads and satyrs. Harry was still on the mirror and he joked, "Bloody hell, mate! It's f**king mental, here in the woods! This is like a scene if Snow White ever turned evil!"

The enemy surge continued, but there was one more surprise waiting for them. Just as they thought they were in the clear, they passed a pyramid-shaped box scattered around the path. Suddenly, an arrow sailed out from the woods and struck it. Instantly, the area around it in a wide radius, turned into a marshy swamp. This slowed down most of the army, as they had to wade across the muck, and several vines even entangled them. This made several more monsters become easy pickings.

However, the defending side weren't without casualties. An enemy archer returned fire and nailed a Hunter, who was perched on a high branch. Harry rushed up and caught the girl as she fell and steadied her. He snapped his fingers, and a House elf promptly showed up, grabbing and teleporting the injured Hunter away.

Percy didn't have any more time to admire his surroundings, though. Annabeth suddenly grabbed his arm and pointed at the reservoir. The golden armoured Titan had evidently grown impatient. He charged towards the demigods, straight on top of the lake. A Greek fire bomb exploded right on top of him, but he raised his palm and sucked the flames out of the air.

Annabeth gasped, "This is going to be tough! Next to Atlas, he's the greatest Titan warrior. In the old days, four Titans controlled the four corners of the world. Hyperion was the east Titan – the most powerful. He was the father of Helios, the first sun god."

Percy glanced at her, "I'll keep him busy. Just keep our forces together. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

On that note, he charged as well, running across the water, ignoring the urge to make a Jesus Christ reference.