Hermes looked really irritated. Whether it was at Annabeth, Gaea, Juno, or some odd combination of all three, he had no idea.

"So let me get this straight," he said, trying to remain calm (even though every few seconds his form started to glow before he regained a hold on himself), "Juno told you that the Giants have captured Nike in Olympia and are holding her hostage, that it's too dangerous to do anything but said around the Peloponnese, and we need to make a fucking pit-stop in Delos too?!"

Annabeth nodded. "That about sums it up, yes."

"This is the most obvious trap I have ever seen," Zoe said bluntly, "There is no way the Earth Mother does not want us at Olympia, for whatever reason that may be."

Leo rolled his eyes. "So?" He said, exasperated, "Let's just go! If we know it's a trap we'll be careful, and we have, like, ten people ready to go and bust some heads down there! It'll be easy! Maybe even fun!"

The son of Hephaestus was very lucky they had all migrated downstairs for this discussion, sitting around the table as they planned. Otherwise, Percy likely couldn't have stopped Zoe from leaping at him in rage.

Piper flicked him on the ear for her. "It's not that simple, numbnuts!"

Hermes sighed from the head of the table. "We still have to go."

"What?!" Annabeth looked at him in shock. "If the Giants have Nike controlled, that means they have victory on their side, willing or not. How are we supposed to do anything to stop that?"

"Are you really a child of Athena?" Hermes asked, unamused, "Yeah, they might have her in Olympia right now, but if they get her to Athens? It's game, set, match. Whatever that old hag has planned for Nike can't be good, but we have to do something about this. We stand a better chance in Olympia now against whatever stray forces Gaea's built up there with victory than against the entire Giant brood in Athens in two weeks."

Annabeth wisely shut her mouth.

"But," Piper tried, "How can we do anything? If the Giants have captured victory, does that mean they'll automatically just win against us?"

Hermes shrugged. "Maybe. Nike's powerful, but I don't know if she can be controlled that easily. If she can't, then we'll have an easier time freeing her. If she can, then that just means we have no choice but to go now."

Percy didn't really like the logic behind this argument. He understood what Hermes was saying, sure, but it didn't make him feel very confident in their chances against whatever awaited them in Olympia.

"So we just have to invade Olympia and hope for the best?" Frank asked, "I mean, with all of us there–"

"No." Hermes cut him off with a look. "Just being around Nike brings out the competitive edge in people. Have any of you ever seen her kids?"

"They get really intense during capture the flag," Annabeth muttered, "They're worse than children of Ares."

Hermes nodded. "Exactly. They always want to be the best at everything. Being around her? She'll drive all of your competitiveness, or drive, or any rivalries any of you have to the next level. If we all go searching around Olympia, half of you will likely start trying to kill each other, and the other half will be trying to hold you back. It'll make you easy pickings for whatever's waiting for us. We have to be very careful about who goes hunting for her."

Leo hummed. "So unless we're doing an Amazonian expedition, I'm thinking it's smart to keep granny here on board."

"One day thy barbarity will get thou in trouble with a maiden much less patient than I," Zoe scoffed, "And the Amazons are almost as bad as men, giving up maidenhood solely for pleasure. Disgraceful!"

He sighed wistfully. "It already has… Jason's sister totally stole my heart. She's so hot!"

Hermes ignored their bickering. "Okay, sure. Zoe's out. I'm definitely going to be going, so if any of you have a problem with me, it'll be best if you hang back."

Percy was pretty sure that last bit was at least partly directed towards Annabeth, but the girl just rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid, Hermes. I know how I can get with my pride sometimes - it'll be better for me to stay."

"Jason's also out," Piper pointed out, "I'm not letting him get out of bed anytime soon, much less go fighting the Giants."

"He might be healed by the time we make it there, though," Frank pointed out, "But, uh, it's probably for the best if only one of him or Percy goes."

"I'll go," Percy shrugged. Riptide buzzed with excitement in his pocket. "Jason needs time to heal if we're going to charge into Athens, guns blazing and all that."

Hermes nodded. "I guess that means Nico is out too then?"

The son of Hades turned even paler at being called out. "That's fine," he mumbled, "Hades is all about grudges. Better that I don't get involved with that stuff."

Percy kept a straight face, but every time he looked at Nico he was wracked with guilt. The fact that Nico was starting to be more and more obvious about his dislike of Percy wasn't doing much to help, but it was vindicating his thoughts.

"I'll stay here," Leo offered, "Someone has to man the ship, after all!"

Piper flicked him again. "We all know Festus is more than capable of running the ship, y'know."

Leo pouted. "Come on! I made this bad boy, at least let me keep working on it as much as I can! I'm constantly working on upgrading the Argo II, cut me some slack!"

"It's whatever," Hermes shrugged, "You don't have to come. We probably only need one more person, anyways. Between me and the Wellerman here we're not exactly starved for power."

"Wellerman?" Percy blinked. "I thought I was Ocean Man."

Hermes smirked. "I'm just trying to figure out what names stick! I've got a whole list, if you want to see the other options."

"Maybe later."

Hazel meekly raised her hand up. "I'll go."

Annabeth pursed her lips. "Pluto and Poseidon aren't exactly the ideal match."

"There's more to people than their parentage, you know," Percy found himself saying, "If I remember correctly, you spent most of my first summer at camp telling me how we couldn't work together because Athena and Poseidon were rivals."

"I know that!" She shot back. "I'm just saying that if competitiveness is something to worry about, two children of the big three might be an issue. Remember how you and Thalia were at first?"

Frank looked between Percy and Hazel, who were just sitting quietly. "I don't think that will be a problem for those two - I don't think they've ever had so much as a negative thought about each other. You remember what happened in Rome after–"

"Okay!" Piper said loudly, "How about we don't bring that up again, and focus on the task at hand?"

Percy cocked his head to the side slightly, confused. "What happened in Rome?"

"Trust me." Leo shot him a look. "You don't want to know. Actually, all things considered–"

"Isn't just the three of you a bit risky?" Frank interjected, "I mean, there's eleven of us in total, wouldn't it be smarter for one or two more people just to be safe?"

Hermes shook his head. "Nah, like I said between me and Perce we're pretty stacked on power. Hazel here can pull her own weight, so we don't need any extra hands. Besides, what if the ship gets attacked? With me and Percy gone and Jason injured, if you guys get ambushed you'll need all the help you can."

Leo rolled his eyes. "This ship is pretty defensible, you know! I've got traps out the wazoo on here! Anything less than a Giant is getting turned into paste by Festus!"

The god waved him off. "Whatever. It's settled! Me, Percy, and Hazel!" Hermes clapped his hands. He eyed the map of Greece that Leo had helpfully splayed out on the table earlier. "How long will it take to reach Olympia? A day? Two?"

Leo shrugged. "Depends on how much interference we get on the way. If nothing stops us, half a day, maybe less. It'll take more time to fly inland, though, so I can't give you a concrete answer."

Hermes nodded. "Well, you heard the lad! Percy and Hazel, go get some rest! I'll see you in a few hours when we're ready to go!"

"Are… are you being serious?" Percy asked.

"Yep!" Hermes responded gleefully. "Go to your room! I promise I won't disturb your beauty sleep."

He rolled his eyes. "Do you not remember what happened like thirty minutes ago? I don't think I could fall asleep if I tried, mom."

"Don't care!" Hermes stood up and started to shoo Percy away. "Go take a nap!"

He also began to push Hazel towards the door, the two squirming in the god's iron grip awkwardly. "Leo, be a doll and get the door for me, will ya?"

Leo snorted. At least one of them was having fun with this. "Aye aye, skipper!"

He threw the door open (which was surprisingly difficult considering how much Percy was resisting), and Hermes shoved the pair through with ease before quickly shutting it behind them.

"I'll come get you guys when it's time to go!" Hermes shouted through the closed door, "Until then, toodle-oo!"

Percy sighed. He turned towards Hazel, who was looking just as lost as he was. "See you in twelve hours, I guess."

She frowned. "Hermes is weird."

He snorted. "Yeah," he agreed, "He is. He's not the worst of them though, so I'll give him that. He's alright for a god."

"That doesn't seem like a very high bar," she muttered, "Especially with how you were treating Mars in New Rome."

"It's not," he agreed, "But he cares about us. I think."

Hazel hummed as though she didn't fully believe that, but nodded anyway. "If you say so. I'll take your word for it." She turned to walk towards her and Zoe's room. "I'll see you later."

Percy waved his goodbyes, but his brow furrowed. What was he supposed to do for the next half a day if he was cooped up in his room?

–

Evidently, not much.

There wasn't exactly much he had in his room to pass the time with. He had his bed and that was about it. Percy didn't exactly intend to live a Spartan lifestyle, but when he spent every summer trying to save the world and every school year barely passing his classes he didn't have time for mortal luxuries. All he could do was lie in bed and stare at the ceiling as his thoughts ran wild.

Percy frowned at the thought of school. He had missed pretty much all of his Junior Year of high school, hadn't he? There was no way he could come back from being behind an entire year of school. He'd probably been expelled from Goode, and there wasn't a single school in the country that would accept him with his academic record - it's more like an academic horror story. There was no way he could live a normal, mortal life anymore, was there?

Although, hadn't his efforts to try and do so anyways always been a pipe dream?

Percy sighed silently in frustration. Once again, he got fucked over because he had to save the gods asses. And what would he get in return? A slap on the back? A hearty 'good-job, kid!' from his father? A few more dead friends?

Maybe the gods would just see what he had become and kill him anyway. It's not like he had any sort of a future to look forward to after this nightmare ended.

A knock on his door dragged him out of his thoughts, three precise little raps that were so quick Percy had to pause to think if he was just imagining things.

"Percy?" A muffled voice asked through the wood.

"Coming," he grunted, "Gimme a sec."

He was honestly kind of surprised anybody had come to visit him. He wouldn't say people had been avoiding him since he came back from Tartarus, per se, but out of the original Seven only Hazel really went out of her way to talk to him. He didn't think he'd said a single full sentence to Nico since his return.

Percy didn't blame them. He knew he wasn't exactly approachable anymore.

He opened the door to see Zoe patiently waiting for him. "Hi?"

"Hello, Percy," she greeted, politely smiling at him, "May I have a moment of thy time?"

"Uh, sure," he replied easily, "What's up?"

Zoe pursed her lips, looking around the hallway. "Would it be alright if we talked inside thy room? I do not wish for any eavesdropping to occur."

Percy nodded. He would have thought she was being paranoid if he hadn't seen Leo fall out of the ceiling more times than he could count. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely aware that if Coach Hedge found them, he'd start screaming about this being against the rules.

He stepped back and opened the door for Zoe, who grimaced at the state of the room. His side was neat enough, but Hermes wasn't exactly the cleanly kind. "I am going to assume that the candy wrappers and empty soda cans are not here by thy doing."

"I kept the bed," he said plainly, shrugging, "I let Hermes have the floor. I'm surprised he can even find his sleeping bag beneath all that garbage."

Zoe made a gagging noise. "He sleeps here?"

"I've caught him snoring away at least a few times, yeah."

She wrinkled her nose before gingerly sitting down on his recently-made bed, smoothing out the sheets that crinkled beneath her.

Percy sat down at the other end of the bed. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Hermes and the savage said we are about to reach Olympia," Zoe said stiffly.

Ah. This was one of those not-so-fun talks. He ignored the way she called Leo 'the savage'.

He'd had a really bad feeling about what was going to happen in Olympia, something that had only gotten worse and worse the closer they came to the ancient city. It was like he was back in Tartarus with how bad his nerves were firing. There was a pretty decent chance that they failed, or worse, had no shot at victory in the first place.

What a pleasant thought. He had to keep himself from shuddering.

Zoe noticed the troubled look on his face. "I do not mean to give thee cause for worry–"

Percy put a hand up. "No, you're fine. I just–" He let out a harsh breath. "I'm just anxious, I guess."

She nodded softly. "You sense it too?"

"What?" His head whipped around towards her.

Zoe's lips fell into a grim, flat line. "Hermes and I have been on edge ever since we resumed sailing. The others don't seem to be aware, although I'm sure they are cognizant of the perils we shall face ahead."

He sighed. "Great. So we're walking into a deathtrap."

"I–" Zoe hesitated. "I can not imagine that whatever awaits thee in Olympia is strong enough to defeat thou. Thou hast faced down some of the strongest creatures in the universe and come out victorious each time."

"Well there's the issue, isn't it?" He snorted humorlessly. "Can't do much if victory isn't on our side."

She fell silent. It seemed she wasn't able to convince herself either.

Riptide buzzed in his pocket.

"Oh!" He gasped, catching Zoe's attention immediately. "Anaklusmos. You should have it."

Zoe blinked. "What?"

Percy was quick to pull the pen out of his shorts and offer it to Zoe, who was staring at him with wide eyes. "I mean, we don't know what's going to happen in Olympia, right? If–"

"Percy," she cut him off, "Please do not speak like that."

He shrugged. "I mean, it's the truth, isn't it? If I die then I die, and it'd be better for you to have your symbol, right?"

"Why are thee speaking of thy mortality so casually?" She said, anger starting to form, "Life should be cherished, not thrown around like so! We do not know what is awaiting in Olympia–"

"Exactly!" He exclaimed. What part of this was Zoe not getting? "If it's something really dangerous, with Nike on its side–"

"Thou hast faced down Kronos!" Zoe hissed. "Hyperion! Polybotes! Ares! Night! The pit himself! Need I go on? Thou are acting like thou expect to die!"

Percy hesitated. "I–"

"Doth thou not realize how many people care about thee?" Zoe pressed on, tears starting to pool in her eyes. "How many people have given their lives so thou could live on? How many people are relying on thee? Are thee truly willing to sully Bob and Damasen's sacrifice so?"

Ouch. That was a low blow. He flinched, and it seemed that even Zoe realized she had gone too far. The anger flowed out of her quickly, and her posture slackened immediately.

"Apologies," she said quickly, "I should not have said that. But thou should not be acting as though this quest is a lost cause. If thou giveth up hope, then Gaea has already won."

"It's okay," he mumbled, unintentionally doing his best impression of a kicked puppy, "Sorry."

Zoe sighed and went silent. Percy stared at the floor, morose, and briefly wondered if she had simply left.

And then she reached over and wrapped him in a hug. He tensed as she pulled him taut against her, but relaxed and returned the gesture after a few moments.

"It's okay to be scared," Zoe whispered in his ear, her arms tight around his torso, "But so many people want to see thee safe. Want to see thee live. I– I care greatly for thee, Percy. Everybody on this quest does. Your father does. Your mother does. Please–"

Her breath hitched. "Please promise that thou will return to me alive. If thou still desire it, then thou may return Anaklusmos to me once Gaea is defeated and thou are safe."

"Okay." Percy buried his head in the crook of her neck to hide his own tears. "I promise."

They stayed together like that long after Hermes called for Percy and Hazel to disembark with him.

If Frank found them both red-eyed and weepy when he was sent for Percy, then he wasn't going to say a word.

–

Percy grunted as he shoved yet another shattered statue out of the way, only for there to be nothing behind it.

"Anything?" Hazel called from her own corner of the ruins. He just shook his head.

This place was like a ghost town. A completely destroyed ghost town.

Normally, this place was apparently flooded with tourists, but it looked as though whatever had happened here was enough to dissuade mortals from visiting. The museum was wrecked all the way down to its foundation - like explosives had rocked the whole thing. The visitor's lot was completely empty, which was good, because anything that was there would have been buried under several hundred tons of rock and earth. It was like a landslide from nowhere had attempted to smash the entire ancient city.

Which left the ruins - which were, of course, in ruins. It was pretty much the only thing that looked presentable. But they were empty as well - no tourists, no treasures, and no Nike.

Hermes landed next to him, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. "Searched the whole valley," he breathed out, "No sign of Nike."

Damn. How could the gods be so powerful, yet so useless? Cowards, the lot of them. He had half a mind too–

Percy shook his head, gritting his teeth as he tried to push out the thoughts that weren't his own. He felt the exact same way he had when Eris was trying to get him and Zoe to kill each other in the Mansion of Night - like his head was being twirled around by forces that weren't himself, thoughts implanted and manipulated that he didn't really believe.

"Nike is here," Percy insisted through clenched teeth, "I can feel it."

Hermes frowned. "You okay?"

He nodded after a second, but Hermes didn't look convinced.

Whatever. He could deal with this after they rescued Nike.

Hermes surveyed the area. "You're right, at any rate. I can feel the godly essence permeating here, but there's more here too."

Hazel slowly made her way over to them. "It reeks of magic. And– we're being watched."

Percy tensed, but made no acknowledgement of her words otherwise. Better to not let the enemy know that you knew.

"Well," Hermes sighed, "I guess I can try this."

He breathed in deeply, before motioning for the two demigods to cover their ears. "NIKE! SHOW YOURSELF! AN OLYMPIAN DEMANDS YOUR PRESENCE!"

Hermes's voice propelled itself across the ruins, echoing over and over again and creating a sick reverb, but there was no response.

The earth gently trembled beneath their feet.

"Um–" Hazel tried to warn.

"Dumb idea time!" Percy announced, a shit-eating grin on his face, "Hey Nike! We know you're here somewhere! Why are you hiding? Are you scared? That's not very competitive!"

The ground began to quake harder.

"Percy–"

"That shoe brand sucks!" Percy hollered, "Horrible branding! Lame logo, bad slogan!"

The earth rumbled angrily.

"I much prefer…"

The earth groaned.

"Adidas."

If Percy had thought the earthquakes his dad could make were impressive, then there wasn't a word to describe what he had inadvertently caused with his words. The ground exploded in a flood of dirt and stone, the earth shaking as though he was inside Mount St. Helens once again.

"Shit!" Hermes swore, before reaching out and grabbing Hazel in one arm and Percy in the other, "Up we go!"

Hermes pulled the three of them up several dozen feet into the air, and not a moment too soon. Two clumps of clay reached around the position they had just been in and smashed together, and Percy grimly realized that if it weren't for Hermes he and Hazel would likely just be smears by now.

All around them (or beneath them, at this point), the ground erupted in similar, slightly smaller explosions. Instead of two pieces of earth simply slamming together, this time most of the explosions were used to free Earthborn.

Dozens and dozens of Earthborn. They seemed pretty angry. Or maybe they were just hungry.

Finally, in an eruption of mud that dwarfed all others, their leader appeared in a fog of dust so thick Percy couldn't actually see anything.

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you both! You're dead, son of Poseidon! Right after I get my revenge on this fucking toenail!"

What?

Percy and Hazel looked towards Hermes in confusion, who just shrugged at them - he was just as lost as they were.

A booming laugh erupted from the cloud, and Percy was immediately on edge. Well, even more on edge then he had been.

"Such a feisty goddess!" It bellowed, "I like you!"

Hermes froze. "You have got to be kidding me."

With a final shove as though Gaea herself was clearing the way for her child, the dust spread outward and Percy's vision cleared up.

He didn't like what he saw.

Nike was wearing a glittering, sleeveless dress with her hair piled-up and circled with a gilded laurel wreath. Her golden wings shimmered brightly, almost enough to make his head spin - he was getting a sunburn just looking at her.

His only saving grace was that she was a) covered in dirt and filth, thereby reducing the sheen of her wings, and b) she was in the grip of a Giant, which meant she couldn't actually try and attack him.

Oh yeah, there was a Giant there, too.

He was almost as big as Polybotes - if his memory served, this guy was only a few feet shorter than they were. His golden armor had fiery decals etched into each and every crevice, reminding Percy of Hyperion, and his skin was just as bronze as the armor. His eyes were pure white, and from the waist down he had the legs of a dragon - just like every other son of Gaea and Tartarus he had met (that wasn't Alcyoneus, at least).

Yep. This guy gave him the creeps.

His thick dreadlocks, laced with bone, swayed back and forth as he laughed, completely unconcerned about the goddess in his grip, the Olympian above him, and the two demigods at Hermes's side. "Hermes!" He roared, "I have not seen you in many moons! Are you well?"

If Hermes had an extra hand, Percy suspected he would be using it to flip the Giant off. His shoes were working overtime to keep the three of them afloat. "Let her go, Enceladus!"

Enceladus shook his massive head. Little clumps of dirt flew off, and many seemed to be aimed for them. Hermes could barely dodge. "No!" He said, eyes narrowing, "Nike is an accompanier to Athena and Zeus! She charges into battle with them, yes? What a perfect wife for me, then! Once Mother has risen and you and your kin are slain, I will take this goddess to be my bride! We will fashion our rings out of Athena's skull!"

"Go fuck yourself!" Nike roared, still fighting to free herself from Enceladus's grip.

She had no such luck.

"Surrender and we will offer you a quick death!" Hermes roared, "The gods are one again! Our civil war is over! The Giants will fail!"

Enceladus raised a single bushy eyebrow. "Is that so?" He sneered at the trio. "Then why have they not all come to Olympia to fight me? Why is there an army of Romans camped outside Camp Half-Blood's borders? Last time we battled I went blow for blow against the gods and the two greatest heroes of all time! Is the god of shepherds and a pair of cursed children truly the best Olympus can offer these days?"

Hermes's eyes darkened. "You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?"

Enceladus met his gaze evenly. "I know exactly who I am dealing with. I have had millennia to prepare for this, and I am going to enjoy it. You want Nike? Come and take her from me!"

"I'm not your property!" Nike screeched, "I'll rip you to shreds!"

The Giant ignored her. "Of course, if you truly wish to fight, you may have to contend with the rest of my Mother's creations. They are itching for a feast, as you can tell." His eyes glinted dangerously. "But I have a feeling they will be the least of your worries."

He reached down with his free hand and picked up a handful of earth, before casually tossing it towards Hermes. It flew at them, uncaring for the ease Enceladus had thrown it with, and the god was forced to drop a few dozen feet to keep himself and the two demigods he was carrying from getting crushed.

"What the–" Hermes began, only to swerve drastically as the Giant threw yet another small clump of mud at them, this one even quicker than before.

"Do you see?!" Enceladus boomed, "I have not even begun to fight you, and yet you are still at death's doorstep! Victory favors me!"

"I FUCKING HATE YOU!"

He laughed. "You'll learn to love me in time, dear goddess! In the meantime after Gaea rises, I think I shall slay your children to ensure you have no one to love but me!"

Nike screamed. Her eyes turned into literal balls of fire.

"We have to go down!" Hazel urged, even as Hermes continued to barely dodge Enceladus's volleys, "We need to free Nike!"

"Easier said than done!" Hermes grunted, "I can barely breathe up here, and you want to go fight? On his mother's home turf?"

"What choice do we have?" Percy interrupted. "We can't let the Giants get a hold of Nike. If he's just playing with us now, imagine what'll happen if Gaea gets her dirty little hands on her."

Hermes seemed to be fighting a war inside his mind, but nodded after a second. "Both of you, close your eyes. You're going to feel really warm for a few seconds, but it should be enough to get rid of the Earthborn."

"Wait, what?" Hazel began to ask, only for Percy to reach over and cover her eyes himself.

"He's going into his godly form!" He rushed to explain as Hermes slowly turned gold, "If we look we'll be turned to dust. He's going to try and do that to the Earthborn to make it easier for us."

Percy squeezed his eyes shut. True to his word, Hermes was heating up, and it felt like the arm wrapped around his shoulder was going to burn straight through his arm. He could only imagine how bad it was for Hazel.

And then it was over like it didn't even happen.

He cracked one tentative eye open. The Earthborn below him were all slowly dissolving into golden dust, and it looked like Hermes's plan had worked.

Until Enceladus snapped his fingers, and the Earthborn immediately reformed like nothing had happened.

Hermes paled. "Shit."

"Do you see the futility of your resistance yet?" Enceladus asked, "With Nike at my mercy, you are doomed!"

"I AM GOING TO GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT!" Nike roared, "SON OF POSEIDON! I WILL NOT KILL YOU IF YOU ASSIST ME IN KILLING THIS BEAST!"

"Beast?" Enceladus frowned. "I am a generous host, but even I have my limits, goddess."

He squeezed his hand tight, making Nike groan in pain as he applied a little bit of pressure to her.

"Hermes," Hazel urged, "We don't have a choice. We have to fight."

The god grimaced. "I know."

He flew down while Enceladus was entertaining himself with abusing Nike, hurriedly dropping Percy and Hazel onto the ground as well.

"Here's the plan," he explained quickly, "I deal with the Earthborn. You two keep Enceladus busy. Got it?"

"Are you crazy?!" Hazel hissed, "How are we supposed to 'keep him busy'?!"

She made little air quotation marks with her fingers, and Percy found himself in agreement. Enceladus was nearly able to hit Hermes midair by just casually throwing rocks around. What could they do when he started getting serious?

A shadow fell over the trio.

"Well, well, well," Enceladus said slowly, "You have decided to try and fight me. A brave decision, yet ultimately foolish. You will all die a painful death by my hands, but not before your blood is spilt in Athens to raise Gaea."

Hermes dashed away to go deal with the dozens of Earthborn closing in on them, but Enceladus only had eyes for the two demigods standing in front of him. In his free hand a giant spear materialized, the tip covered in dried blood and ichor.

Percy's eyes widened, and he barely had time to push himself and Hazel out of the way as Enceladus's spear came thrusting down at them. It buried itself in the earth a few feet behind him, and a few errant pebbles flew up from the impact.

"DO BETTER!" Nike shouted, "TOO SLOW!"

"Hazel," Percy warned, "Get back. I'll fight him."

She looked at him like he had grown a second head. "Are you insane?"

"Listen to your comrade, little boy," Enceladus chuckled as he casually ripped his spear out of the earth, "You have no hope of matching me as it is. What makes you think you could defeat me one-on-one?"

Percy reached for Riptide. The blade was already raring to go, buzzing in excitement as he uncapped it and aimed it towards the bane of Athena. "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

His brow furrowed and he reached for the ichor flowing through the Giant's veins, immediately pulling him to a halt–

Enceladus backhanded Percy into the nearest marble column with zero effort.

"!" All of the air in his lungs immediately left as he collided with the pillar, his back taking nearly all of the force as he crashed perpendicularly into it. It felt like his spine was trying to bend into the shape of the St. Louis arch.

"Percy!" Hazel cried, already rushing towards him. It was no use, however, as a wall of earth erupted around him and Enceladus, keeping the daughter of Pluto from intervening.

Enceladus stalked slowly towards him, laughing like a madman all the while. "Did you really think such low tactics would work on me? Victory is in my grasp! You cannot control me so easily, boy. I have had eons to plan my revenge, you are nothing but an ant to be crushed beneath my boot. I do not know why Mother is concerned with you, but her will shall be done."

While Enceladus continued to monologue, Percy was struggling to pull himself to his feet. The one good thing about fighting overconfident jackasses all the time was that they tended to give him time to think and recover.

"Eat shit," he wheezed, little black dots dancing around the edge of his vision, "I'm going to beat your ass no matter who the fuck you are."

Enceladus sneered. "How uncouth. I guess I should expect as much from a bastard mortal. I will not be killing you yet, but don't worry, I will make sure your death is extra painful."

Percy rolled his eyes. "Good fucking luck."

The Giant snorted like a bull, before charging like one too. Percy was barely able to leap to the side, and even then the butt of Enceladus's spear nailed him in the ribs, sending him sprawling once again.

"STOP FUCKING AROUND!" Nike screamed, still squirming around in his grip. "GET SERIOUS!"

"Not helping," he groaned.

Enceladus waited patiently for Percy to rise. "Come on, demigod, listen to my lover. Show me what you did that made my brother so angry. What made Kronos fail in his attempts to dethrone the gods. I am waiting."

"I'M NOT YOUR LOVER!"

Percy's breath was becoming pretty ragged, and every single one of them hurt. At least one of his ribs was definitely broken, and there were more.

He tried to focus on his breathing again. On his blood, flowing through his veins. He felt his heart speed up as he got mad at yet another immortal out for his head tried to be the one who would finish him off.

Yeah fucking right.

His blood began to boil. Steam slowly rose up from his skin, and his eyes hardened.

Percy lunged at Enceladus, who was briefly taken by surprise, and was barely able to deflect Percy's strike with his spear. He pressed his advantage, completely unfazed when the Giant snarled and attempted to roast him with fire breath (although the smell was terrible), and was finally able to start pushing him back.

"YEAH!" Nike whooped, "THIS IS WHAT I LIKE TO SEE! GET HIM!"

Her wiggling in Enceladus's grip only intensified, and the Giant snarled. Earth rose up around Percy in an attempt to ensnare him, but he was far too nimble to be caught at this point, even with his injuries. He swung Riptide in a wide arc, aiming for his heel–

"ENOUGH!" Enceladus boomed, nearly launching Percy backwards with just his voice. Percy fought against the force and struck Enceladus, but to his horror the sword couldn't even pierce the Giant's skin. Riptide buzzed in what Percy could only imagine to be anger as Enceladus laughed, before dropping his spear and picking Percy up in his now free hand.

"A valiant effort," Enceladus admitted, watching in amusement as Percy struggled to get himself loose, "But unfortunately you were doomed from the start. The messenger god is still preoccupied with my subjects, but your little friend is minutes away from a similar fate to you."

He squeezed his hand and Percy immediately buckled underneath the force. His arms were forced against his body and it felt like every bone he had was going to shatter.

Enceladus eventually lightened up on the pressure, and Percy was finally able to take a painful breath. "It's not over," he groaned, the gears in his head already turning as he came up with yet another dumb plan that might just save him, "I didn't hear no bell."

Nike nodded in agreement! "YEAH! THAT'S THE COMPETITIVE SPIRIT I LIKE TO SEE!"

Enceladus shook the hand that held Nike violently. "You are starting to seem like more trouble than you are worth, goddess."

With the Giant briefly distracted, Percy saw his chance.

He took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and hocked a loogie (guided by his mastery over water) straight into Enceladus's left eye.

"Gah!" The Giant roared in disgust, instinctually dropping Percy as he went to wipe his eye, "You fucking cretin! You absolute mongrel! I will devour your bones!"

He landed with a dull thud, his bones creaking as he hit the earth. "My bad, comrade!" He shouted, struggling to pull himself to his feet, "I seem to have miscalculated my aim! I was only trying to assist you, after all!"

Enceladus and Nike both paused, turning to look at him strangely.

"What?" The Giant asked, seemingly at a loss for words.

"You heard me!" Percy grunted, running towards the Giant once again, "Comrade! Ally! Friend! I'm on your side! We will succeed here!"

To an outside observer, he might have looked like he was charging to his death in a suicidal manner.

To himself, he knew he looked like he was.

But Nike's eyes widened in understanding immediately.

"NO!" She roared, "NOT ANOTHER ALLY OF ENCELADUS! THE GODS ARE DOOMED!"

As she said the words, it felt like someone had replaced his blood with nectar. Newfound strength surged through him as he charged forward, easily avoiding Enceladus's seemingly sloppy strikes as though he was in slow motion.

He narrowed his eyes as Percy ran between his legs and began to climb up the Giant's body. "What is this?" He demanded, "We are not allies! You are merely a rebellious pawn in Gaea's grand plan!"

At the Giant's words, Percy immediately felt his strength fade. His grip on Enceladus's leg loosened, and he hurried to regain control of the situation. "You're right! A pawn! But I see my place in Gaea's grand vision now, I understand! I am ready and willing to help you, Ency! Victory is on your side and mine now!"

With each sentence he got more and more confident, clambering past the Giant's lag and up his back as Enceladus desperately tried to shake him off like he was a fly.

"No!" He roared in protest, "Victory bows only to me!"

"YES!" Nike agreed, "AND THE BOY BOWS TO YOU AS WELL! THEREFORE, HE IS A RECIPIENT OF MY POWER AS WELL! JUST LIKE THE EARTHBORN!"

Enceladus froze. "No. This cannot be."

"Is this goddess bothering you, sir?" Percy asked, leaping onto Enceladus's shoulder and running down his arm towards Nike, "Let me deal with her for you!"

"NO!" He cried, shaking his entire arm in a desperate attempt to throw Percy off, "BEGONE!"

Percy gripped onto Enceladus's massive arm hairs to keep from flying away, slotting Riptide's hilt between his teeth. "No can do!" He grit out, slowly dragging himself closer and closer to the child of Gaea's wrist, "I must help you! Once she is gone, victory will be assured!"

"No it won't!" He cried, losing all composure, "I need her! Gaea needs Nike! This is not victory!"

Percy pulled Riptide out of his mouth. "Of course it is!" He brought the Titanic weapon down onto Enceladus's wrist. "A Pyrrhic one!"

Enceladus screamed in fury as Nike egged Percy on even harder.

Riptide cut through the Giant's hand like butter.

"GAH!"

Ichor gushed from the wound like a geyser as Nike and Enceladus's severed hand fell towards the ground, and Percy was quick to let gravity do the rest.

He landed on his feet next to Nike, who had immediately unfurled her wings to throw the fingers that had held a tight grip on her off. Little brown tendrils wriggled furiously on her skin, connecting her to Enceladus's former hand, and she ripped them off savagely. Little bits of ichor stained her dress as she did so, but at least it didn't look like a parasite was feeding off of her anymore.

Enceladus fell to his knees. "NO! NO! NO!" He screamed and threw his head around like a toddler, but Percy felt no mercy.

"Shall we?" He asked Nike, who for her part looked ecstatic to kill this particular Giant.

"YES!" She roared, "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

They lunged forward as one, quick as lighting.

Gaea was quicker.

The ground swallowed Enceladus just as Nike's spear pierced his skull, taking away the bane of Athena to live another day.

With one less eye. The milky white orb hung impaled on Nike's spear, and she sneered at the object as she flicked it off her weapon.

"DAMN IT!" She roared, fury encompassing her entire being. "DAMN HIM AND HIS KIN FOR ETERNITY! THEY SHALL NEVER TASTE VICTORY AGAIN!"

Percy took an unconscious step back. If Nike turned on him, he'd rather have some breathing room in case she attacked.

She eyed him angrily and sighed, her form deflating slightly. "Stay here. I'm going to assist Hermes."

He dumbly realized that this was the first time she wasn't screaming. He nodded, but it seemed like her help wasn't required.

The world glowed yellow for a moment as Hermes went into his godly form once more, and with a scream everything dissolved. The earthen walls that surrounded Percy and Nike crumbled and collapsed, and when he opened his eyes again there wasn't a trace of the hordes of Earthborn that had previously covered the area.

The god soared in next to them absolutely caked in mud, with Hazel in a similar situation in his arms.

"Percy!" She leapt out of Hermes's grasp and into Percy's arms. "Thank gods! You're okay!"

She wrapped her arms around him to hug him, and he groaned in pain as his ribs were crushed once again. "Okay is a strong word for it," he grunted.

Hermes eyed the goddess in their group. "Nike," he greeted sternly.

She nodded her head at him in acknowledgement. "Hermes."

"What happened here?" He eyed the desolate landscape with a cautious eye. "How did Enceladus capture you?"

Nike's face scrunched up in disgust. "That thing," she spat, "Came here a few weeks ago, before our split had been healed by the Parthenos. Said I was Gaea's "backup plan", and planned on using me as a lure to capture two sacrifices before taking all of us to Athens to slay the Olympians in a pitched battle. I nearly got away, but alas, he destroyed my home! I will relish his screams of despair when the time comes."

Hazel blinked. "Backup plan? But aren't you the deciding factor in all battles? Like, the be-all-end-all? How are you a backup plan?"

"I am!" Nike agreed, "I do not know why he was so foolish, but his plan would have worked if not for Poseidon's child and his unorthodox strategy. Very good work!"

Percy blushed. "Thanks. Don't mention it."

Nike shook her head, accompanied by Hermes slapping him lightly on the back of the head for his humility. "No, I must. You had no right surviving Enceladus, much less defeating him while he was leeching off of my power."

Her wings unfurled once more, nearly blinding Percy, and she pointed dramatically at him. "Thanks to your valiant efforts, I am free and ready to aid the forces of Olympus against Mother Earth and her children! I shall accompany the Seven to Athens, where we shall vanquish the Giants once and for all!"

"Nope!" Hermes shot that idea down immediately with a stony shake of his head. "The Argo II is already crowded enough, we really can't afford another person on the ship - unless you're willing to sleep in the stables."

Nike looked aghast at the proposal, but quickly returned to her dramatic facade and simply nodded. "Understood! I shall only return to aid you all once the other Olympians arrive!" She turned to Percy, fishing a hand through a bag at her side that had magically been summoned. "To the victor goes the spoils."

She handed him a wreath of thick green laurels. "To symbolize the victory you earned here today. Wear it with pride as you lead the rest of the Seven to victory against the forces of Gaea."

"Lead?" Percy asked cautiously, even as Hermes stared at the wreath with wide eyes, "I'm not the leader. We don't have a leader. We're a team."

Nike shook her head. "No. You are their leader, even if you haven't realized it. You have been the one they looked to for guidance and support, the strongest demigod of your age. Even if it wasn't official until today. It will be you who leads the forces of the Argo II into battle in Athens if Olympus is to win the day."

"She's right, Percy," Hazel whispered, "You're the one who brought us together."

Nike placed the wreath on his head. The only figure that he could think of that wore something similar was Julius Caesar, but he didn't really think he could compare.

"You will face many challenges in the coming days," Nike said softly (which was really strange to hear), "And many difficult choices. You will need to truly embody a leader for yourself and your comrades if the Prophecy of the Seven is to come true."

Nike's form flickered as she prepared to disappear. "One of the Seven is fated to die," she warned, "Victory can not be achieved without death. One of you must be prepared to make the sacrifice when the time comes."

Percy's blood ran cold. "What?"

Hazel gasped.

"Nike!" Hermes shouted, "Why would you–"

The god was too late. Nike disappeared. Percy nearly let her godly form turn him to ash.

He swayed on his feet as the adrenaline left his systems and Nike's power disappeared from the remains of the battlefield. His injuries finally caught up to him and he felt like he was going to completely collapse.

"Guys," he warned, "I don't feel too good…"

His vision swam. Blood dripped from his lips.

Somebody screamed as he teetered over.

Everything went black, with Nike's warning the only thing he could think about.

–

A/N: Another long wait, huh? At least this one is a longer chapter! Had some struggles with the first half, but the second was quick once I got into the flow of writing! Some Zoe, some fighting, some angst, what more could there be?

Good news and bad news. Bad news is I'm itching to update some of my other stories, so it might be some time until the next chapter. Good news is that it just means I want to write more, which is never a bad thing!

But what did you think? Good? Bad? Both? I survive on feedback! Let me know what you thought! We're heading into uncharted waters now!

Either way, hope you enjoyed it! See you next time!