Son of the Moon
Chapter 62
-Percy-
Stepping out of the Empire State Building, Percy gazed out over the City of New York. He could taste the prophesied sleep spell in the air, feel it on his skin. "This is unnatural." Percy grunted as he drew out Riptide, "I've never heard New York been this quite before."
"I'd consider it a good sign at least." Polybotes rumbled, spinning their trident "Kronos desires subjects to rule for his 'golden age' and he would want to destroy as little infrastructure as possible. Even during the first golden age, from what all I know, he was as lazy as he could be as a ruler of the cosmos. He ensured that the land flourished with crops and there were no seasons to war against, just to ensure a constant supply of offerings and prevent as many problems from popping up for the sole reason to avoid having to fix anything."
"So, stagnation? Nothing degraded but there was no push for growth or improvement?" Percy felt disgusted by the notion, his blood boiling at the thought of such a life. Where every day was exactly the same as the last with no real need to grow, with nothing to strive for.
"Kronos has a very specific view of prosperity." Polybotes shrugged, the two of them hearing the sound of the Titan's forces approaching in the distance, even if the army had limited areas to enter the city. New York was the home of Olympus, home of the gods, there were spells and wards to keep enemies of the gods from flashing in an army onto Olympus' doorstep.
"We have to cover the bridges and tunnels onto the island." Percy shook his head "Do you need backup, or could you handle one by yourself?" Polybotes no longer had a Gigantes' invulnerability, but they were still as powerful as a major god. There were only a handful of adversaries Kronos might have brought that could prove a threat here, mainly other Titans.
"I'll take the Brooklyn Bridge." Polybotes cracked their neck, the Empousai that always travelled with the giant readying their bow, "It's a chokepoint and it's by the water." The giant's fanged grin was eager "I have a few trick's I've been eager to try. And even if they don't work the River god will probably be willing to soak the bridge for me to poison so long as none gets back in his River."
Percy nodded, watching as Polybotes took off running toward the Bridge, Athena appearing in bursts with various groups of campers. The War Table was laid out in the lobby of the Empire State Building, the various bridges and tunnels leading to the Island marked as Percy began sending out groups of demigods to handle one spot or another.
Some were too far away to coordinate easily, so he sent detachments of Demigods to hold the Lincoln tunnel, the Queen's Midtown tunnel, the Queen's Borough Bridge, the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, and Holland Tunnel. That would force the Titan's forces to either burn through their forces trying to break past the defenses or take the other entrances on the far side of the Island and make their way over.
They'd have to either pass through Central Park to do that or on either side so most of the demigods were sent to secure that front.
"Nico, Bianca," he looked up at the two "I want you both here, summoning as many undead as you can and sending them out. We need numbers right now to thin the Titan's forces as much as we can." The rest of the Cabin Leaders had already been sent out to oversee the different detachments directly, so the Empire State Building just had the three of them and the field hospital.
"On it." The two children of the underworld began to focus, summoning skeletal warriors at a consistent rate. The undead wasted no time in rushing out to find enemies to fight.
"Michael," he looked at the Apollo camper focused on the healing contingent "hold down the fort here. If my sisters arrive then send them to Central Park, they'll be of the most help there."
"What are you going to do?" Michael questioned even as they nodded at his orders.
"I'm going to go wherever I'm needed the most." He'd bounce from squad to squad to back them up as best he could.
-Polybotes-
Roaring, the bane of the Sea hurled his trident at the Clazmonian Sow. The giant flying boar screeched in anger at the toxic barbs scratching its thick hide, even if they didn't puncture as deeply as he would have hoped.
He'd been holding the bridge without too much issue once the enemy had arrived, none in the force moving across the Brooklyn bridge even close to a threat to him, with or without Gaea's blessing. But then the Sow came, having seemingly been hunting him by scent with how focused the beast was. The Sow was one of the monsters considered on the par with some of the minor gods, having survived every hero that came for it since the ancient days and something that required his full attention, even if he was stronger. Beside him, his Empousai companion Serephone was firing arrows as fast as she could into the horde still moving across the bridge.
Before he could try to lash out to push back the land forces again, he smelt the scent of Ozone in the air. The scent of white capped waves and the oncoming storm.
"DUCK!" Jackson's voice roared out as Polybotes grabbed Serephone, ducking down as Jackson shot over their heads and toward the bridge group. A small, personalized hurricane started forming around Jackson as he tore through the horde who panicked by the Destroyer suddenly in their midst. With that threat handled, Polybotes grabbed the trident that had returned to his hand, grinning as he had the breathing room to focus on the damned sow.
Focusing, Polybotes reached out to the waters that churned underneath. He was born and bred to be the bane of the Sea god, but each Gigantes was intended to take over the domains of those they usurped. All he'd ever been taught was how to corrupt Poseidon's domains, how to turn life-giving water into deadly poison. But if he was meant to one day take over the seas?
Water burst up from the river, crude and ungainly, but distinctly rising at his command. He had the water run past his hand, blue turning toxic green as it spun around and show toward the Sow. The beast was smart enough to recognize the danger as he focused on controlling his new weapon.
"Oh no you don't!" Serephone snarled, firing a sonic arrow in the Sow's path, detonating the screeching blast by its head, stunning the beast as his toxins hit, plunging into the numerous shallow cuts he'd made in its hide while trying to fend it off and hold the bridge.
The screech was high pitched and prolonged as he felt the poison worming its way through the Sow. The ancient monster thrashed, falling from the sky with a crash amidst the back rows of the invading forces, a burst of gold dust shooting into the air from impact.
"Jackson, I can handle things from here!" he shouted, the demigod ending their hurricane and leaping back "I'll send word if another problem like the Sow shows up."
"Right." Jackson nodded and, before they could run off, an Iris message appeared in the air.
"Percy, Clarisse needs backup! They're being overrun!"
-Percy-
Gritting his teeth, Percy's blade swung down, bursting an Empousai into a shower of golden dust that covered the Lincoln tunnel. The tunnel was filled with Monsters trying to push their way through, a massive force that seemed to focus on quantity over quality.
"Marcus, John, get the injured out of here!" Clarisse was coordinating the remaining detachment that had been sent to hold the area, "Move it!" the two sons of Ares took off, carrying a group stretcher with the demigods who'd been taken out of the fight before Percy was able to arrive.
"Laestrygonians!" Will from the Apollo cabin shouted out, firing an arrow at one of the charging giants, the brutes thankfully devoid of explosives at the moment.
"Clarisse, get the others back!" Percy shouted, coating his arms with water charged with an electric current from his storm bringer powers. He lashed out, the sparking water extending like long whips as he worked to strike down the rushing monsters "Get a defensive line ready!" Hearing a whistle in the air, Percy had the water surge up, intercepting a celestial bronze arrow, one who's make he recognized.
There were only a few monsters that used bows to begin with and the arrowheads tended to follow specific patterns for each one. This arrowhead matched what was used by Camp Half-Blood.
Snarling in fury at yet another traitor, Percy swung his arms faster and faster, Monsters screaming as the lightning filled water struck them. Most burst the second it touched them, yellow dust being absorbed by the water whips, staining the clear liquid into molten gold.
"Archers!" a familiar echoing voice shouted out "Use Arrow C." a small rain of arrows was cast from the back ranks of the monsters, the fuses on them and the arcs cluing him in to their purpose. Rapidly covering his eyes, Percy snarled as he heard his allies behind him shouting in shock when the flashbangs went off. Lashing out his arms, Percy flung the electrified water filled with monster dust as a wave, hearing the screams of bursting monsters and the yells of electrocuted traitors.
"Hmph, should have expected something like this." That same familiar voice scoffed, growing closer along with loud deep booming steps. Percy glared, seeing the smug ghostly form of Luke moved ever closer, seated on what looked like some sort of throne even while still bound in the chains that Percy had seen around the specter as it was thrown into Tartarus.
The monstrous crowd under Luke's command parted as Percy got a clear look at just what was bringing the traitor to Olympus closer. The figure was distorted and twisted, humanoid clearly but lumbering without much thought. The throne that Luke sat upon was fused to the creature's back and Percy honestly couldn't tell if it had been attached there or was somehow growing out of the being naturally. The figure was massive, unnaturally rigid-looking muscles showing just how dangerous it would be to fight in close quarters.
But most of all, he recognized what, or rather who, this monster used to be.
"You did that to Annabeth? The one person who'd defended you the most?" Percy may have hated the girl, but he was still utterly revolved at the abuse of loyalty.
"Me? No, Tartarus did this to dear Annabeth." Luke actually had the gall to laugh at the question, "There are only so many ways for a mortal to survive down there for long periods of time. While trying to carry me, Annabeth couldn't simply keep moving and hiding. She couldn't reach the rivers easily for sanctuary and magical nourishment." Luke spread his arms grandly, celestial bronze chains clinking as he gazed out from the throne Percy was starting to think was indeed growing out of the creature that had once been Annabeth. Her reverence for Luke, the pedestal she had placed him upon, had become literal.
"Tartarus is the home of Monsters, the place where their souls are called upon being destroyed. So, Annabeth gave in to that place's nature, cast aside her humanity, and became a 'monster'." Luke pat the monstrous Annabeth on the head, the girl somehow looking happy about the barest sign of affection from the evil spirit "There were side effects of course, Tartarus and the act of becoming a monster will twist the nature of those who do it, it would seem." That would explain it. Annabeth had been book smart but utterly devoid of the Wisdom to use it. So now her Monstrous form had the same low levels of wisdom and the devotion to Luke but the base intellect was replaced by sheer strength.
"And since you've tied yourself to her, she can escape Tartarus as a monster and bring you with her." Percy scowled, wanting to keep Luke talking while the demigods blinded by the Flashbang recalibrated themselves.
"Exactly." Luke grinned, "I may be bound as a shade but I've more than enough brains to direct Annabeth's new brawn to crush whatever I tell her to. And when Lord Kronos rules, I'll be freed from these shackles!" Luke threw his head back, fully confident of their victory, that they finally had Percy outmaneuvered.