Chapter 34: The Last Line
Severance Arc II
Before she knew it, she was back at the base of the Empire State Building.
The morning light stretched across the pavement, casting long shadows over the gathered demigods. They stood in clusters, their armor dented and worn from previous battles, their weapons gripped tightly despite the exhaustion visible on their faces.
Annabeth approached, weaving through the restless demigods with quick, purposeful steps. When she reached Thalia, she hesitated just for a moment before asking, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm good."
Annabeth studied her for a second longer, then gave a small nod and stepped aside just as Clarisse approached.
"We told them," Clarisse said. She glanced toward the waiting demigods. "They know what's happening. They're waiting for you to decide."
The words settled heavily in the morning air. Thalia exhaled slowly, her fingers curling at her sides. There was no hesitation, no need to think it over any longer.
Thalia lifted her chin, her grip tightening at her sides. "I'm not giving it up."
The words left no room for doubt. Annabeth exhaled, shoulders stiff, while Clarisse gave a short nod. Around them, the demigods stood in tense silence, waiting for what came next.
Thalia's gaze drifted past them, past the ruins of the battle-worn city, toward the far end of the street. Prometheus was there. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his posture as calm and patient as ever. He had been waiting for her decision.
She tore her eyes away and turned back to the others. "Tell everyone to get ready. The second I reject his offer, Kronos marches."
Clarisse didn't need to be told twice. She spun on her heel and strode toward the demigods, barking orders, moving between the groups like a battlefield commander. Annabeth gave one last glance toward the Titan before following.
Thalia squared her shoulders, inhaling deeply as the weight of the moment settled in. She turned to Percy and asked, "Come with me?"
"Of course," he responded.
Together, they walked through the tense, battle-ready lines of demigods and down the empty, war-torn street. They drew closer to the titan. They didn't say a word.
Thalia stopped a few paces away, shoulders squared, feet planted firmly. Percy remained at her side, silent but steady
Prometheus studied her for a moment, then gave the faintest tilt of his head. "You've made your decision."
Thalia met his gaze, jaw tight. "I have." There was no hesitation, no faltering. She already knew what this meant. What would come next. "I'm not giving it up."
Prometheus exhaled slowly, his gaze flickering to her wrist for a brief second before returning to her face. If he was disappointed, he did not show it. If anything, his expression softened, as if he pitied her.
"A shame," he murmured. "You had a chance to be free."
Thalia's fingers twitched, but she didn't look away. "I never can be," she said. "That's not something you can bargain with."
Prometheus was silent for a long moment, his hands still clasped behind his back. Then, finally, he nodded. "So be it."
Before Thalia could react, an arrow embedded itself in the pavement just inches from her boot, the tip still quivering from the force of impact. Another shot past her shoulder, so close she felt the rush of air against her skin.
"Go!" she barked, already spinning on her heel.
She and Percy took off, sprinting back toward the defensive line as more arrows rained down around them. Some shattered against the pavement, others thudded into abandoned cars, the sharp twang of bowstrings echoing down the street.
Thalia risked a glance over her shoulder and felt her stomach drop. The enemy was advancing fast, far faster than she'd expected. The streets behind them surged with movement as Kronos's forces poured forward—monsters of every kind.
She gritted her teeth and ran harder. Percy matched her pace.
Ahead, the defensive line bristled with activity. The cabin counselors were already in motion. Their voices carried over the battlefield. Beckendorf was shouting commands as shields were raised and swords were drawn.
Annabeth glanced over as Thalia and Percy skidded to a stop, barely winded from the sprint. Her expression was tight with focus, but she still managed to lift an eyebrow. "So, how'd it go?"
Thalia exhaled sharply, unsheathing her weapon. "About as well as you'd expect."
Percy pulled out Riptide, rolling his shoulders. "We said no, they shot at us. Pretty standard negotiation."
Nico was already there, standing a few feet away, drawing his dark blade from its sheath. "Let's just hope their aim stays just as bad."
Before anyone could respond, Clarisse's voice cut through the rising tension. "Phalanx formation! Now! They'll be here in seconds!"
All around them, the defensive line shifted. The Apollo cabin had their archers stationed in the rear, arrows nocked and ready. The Ares campers, along with the strongest fighters from the other cabins, moved into position, shields locking together in a solid front. Heavily armored demigods braced for impact.
Thalia, Percy, Annabeth, and Nico turned inward. "Percy, you cover the right," Annabeth said quickly. "We can't let their cavalry flank us."
Thalia tightened her grip on her weapon. "I'll hold the center. They're coming in fast—if we break formation, it's over."
"I'll handle the heavier hitters," Nico said, his voice like cold steel. "The big guys won't even see me coming."
"Don't get lost in the shadows," Thalia warned.
Nico gave her a quick, wry smile. "No promises."
Clarisse's roar rang out again. "Incoming!"
A wall of shields clashed against claws, spears against swords, battle cries against inhuman shrieks. Arrows rained from above as the Apollo archers let loose, striking down monsters before they could reach the front lines. The Ares campers held their ground, their sheer brute force smashing through the first ranks of Kronos's army.
Thalia surged forward as she drove her spear into the nearest dracanae. It screamed before disintegrating into dust. She didn't stop—she shoved another back with her shield forcing the enemy to stumble before slashing her weapon across its chest.
To her right, Percy moved like a storm surge. He dodged a swinging axe, parried a cyclops's strike, then slashed upward, cutting through its armor. With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent a wave of water bursting from a nearby fire hydrant, knocking several enemies off their feet. He didn't wait to see them fall—he turned and threw Riptide like a spear, the celestial bronze blade impaling a Laistrygonian giant before it could crush one of their archers before running to collect his weapon.
At first, they were winning.
The front line held. The defensive formations stayed intact. Every time a monster broke through, they were cut down before they could do real damage. But then Thalia heard Clarisse's voice roar from the back ranks.
"They're flanking us! From the side!"
Thalia whipped around just in time to see another force surging in from a different street, charging toward their exposed flank. Hundreds more—Laistrygonian giants, hellhounds, and dracanae.
The second army slammed into them like a tidal wave, blindsiding their defenses.
Demigods screamed as the impact broke their formation, shields splintering, weapons clattering against the pavement. The Ares campers tried to hold, but the sheer force of the ambush shoved them back.
Thalia turned toward Clarisse, shouting over the chaos, "We have to fall back!"
Clarisse snarled, barely holding off two giants at once. "We're not retreating!"
"We don't have a choice!" Annabeth yelled, shoving an empousa off her dagger. "They'll box us in!"
They fell back in controlled chaos, moving step by step, shields raised, weapons ready. The enemy pressed forward, relentless, but the demigods held their ground, slowing the retreat just enough to avoid a full rout.
Thalia cut through a dracanae that got too close, kicking its dissolving remains away as she moved. Then, through the dust and chaos, Thalia saw him.
Kronos.
He stood a short distance away, just beyond the thick of the battle, watching with an unnerving patience. His golden eyes burned like fire, his face twisted into a grin that was both familiar and completely wrong. He was waiting for this moment—for the retreat, for the chaos, for them to be exactly where he wanted them.
A terrible certainty crawled up Thalia's spine. He was about to do something. Her body tensed, instincts screaming at her to move, to warn the others, but before she could even draw a breath, Kronos raised his scythe—
A shockwave blasted through the battlefield, rippling outward like a thunderclap. The force hit Thalia like a physical wall, sending her stumbling back as the air itself seemed to tremble. Around her, demigods staggered, shields rattling, weapons slipping from their grasp. Some lost their footing entirely, hitting the pavement hard. Kronos's army surged forward, pressing the advantage
The battlefield was chaos.
Monsters smashed into the defensive line, overpowering it inch by inch. Clarisse and the Ares cabin fought like demons. The Apollo archers fired relentlessly. Nico was at the center of the battlefield, his black sword flashing as he cut down monsters, but it wasn't enough. They were losing ground.
And Kronos was moving. Wading through the far flank of the battlefield, far away from where Thalia was at, cutting through demigods like they were nothing as he made his way to the entrance of the Empire State Building. No one could oppose him.
She had to reach him.
She shoved forward, slamming her shield into a dracanae before driving her weapon through its chest. The monster disintegrated, but before she could take another step towards Kronos, a Laistrygonian giant swung at her, forcing her attention.
She barely dodged, rolling to the side as the pavement cracked under the club's impact. She shot forward, cutting through its hamstring. The giant roared, toppling as Annabeth drove her knife into its back.
Thalia took off again. Percy was right next to her. Kronos was already past the thick of the battlefield, only a few yards from the Empire State Building doors.
She tried to push through, but another wave of monsters crashed into the defenses. A hellhound lunged at her—she dodged and slashed. A second later, a telekhine leapt for Percy—he cut through it midair. There was no time.
Kronos reached the doors, then the elevators. She was too late. A sick feeling settled in her chest. Olympus was unguarded. He was heading straight for it, and she—
A sharp yell cut through the chaos. "Thalia!"
She turned, whipping her head to see Nico standing in the middle of the battlefield.
His eyes were pitch black. Shadows curled around his form, thick and alive, pulsing with raw, untamed power. The temperature plummeted around him, and the air hummed with something ancient, something deep and cold.
"You have to go after him!" Nico shouted. His voice was layered, something not entirely human.
Thalia hesitated, glancing back at the battlefield. They were losing.
Nico saw the doubt in her face and slammed his sword into the ground. The impact sent a deep, resonating crack through the pavement. The battlefield shook. Then the dead rose.
Hundreds of skeletal warriors erupted from the ground, armor clanking, swords glinting. They charged forward instantly, overwhelming the monsters, pushing them back. The battlefield that had been crumbling just moments ago was suddenly shifting in their favor.
"I'll hold them back as long as I can," Nico said, his voice strained, power still radiating around him. "Go!"
Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth turned and ran—racing into the Empire State Building towards the elevators. They reached the elevators, nearly skidding on the polished floor. Percy slammed into the button, jamming his finger against it like that would somehow make it move faster. The elevator dinged open. Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth rushed inside. The doors slid shut behind them, sealing them in.
No one spoke. They didn't need to.
Thalia slammed the button for the 600th floor. The three of them stood there, breathing hard, their reflections catching in the mirrored walls. The elevator lurched upward, carrying them toward Olympus.