CW: Suicidal thoughts

The Acropolis, Athens, Greece

Percy should have known it was too easy. He'd crept through the middle of the Acropolis after leaving Piper and Annabeth, just like they'd planned. He'd sabotaged siege weapons and killed as many monsters as he could—which was actually pretty easy in his Earthborn disguise, thanks to Hazel. He'd almost made it to the Parthenon when the giant Enceladus had ambushed him. He'd grabbed Percy in his massive fist before he could even think of running, his disguise melting away in the process.

And now here Percy was in the Parthenon, about to be sacrificed alongside Annabeth to wake Gaea.

Porphyrion loomed over them as they struggled helplessly. He was almost as tall as the temple columns. His face was green as bile, twisted into a sneer, and his seaweed-colored hair was braided with swords and axes taken from dead demigods.

"They arrived just as you foresaw, Enceladus!" Porphyrion grinned. "Well done!"

Enceladus bowed his head, braided bones clattering in his dreadlocks. The flame designs gleamed on his armor. His spear burned with purplish fire. Enceladus was squeezing Percy so tight in his other hand that Percy could barely breathe.

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

The crowd of monsters and giants roared. Percy glanced at Annabeth, his heart twisting to see her held by the giantess Periboia by the neck like a feral cat. He couldn't reach his sword. There wasn't any water nearby. What could he do?

Two things gave Percy hope: 1) the Argo II hadn't made its entrance yet, and the giants definitely would have gloated about it if they'd destroyed their friends, and 2) Enceladus had said "these two." That meant they didn't know about Piper.

Annabeth tried to say something, but Periboia shook her by the neck. "Shut up! None of your silver-tongued trickery."

The princess drew a hunting knife as long as Percy's sword. "Let me do the honors, Father!"

Percy's heart jumped into his throat, but Porphyrion said, "Wait, Daughter." The king turned to Percy and smiled. "The Earth Mother said to begin with the son of Poseidon. She told me how to make him bleed."

Without any further warning, Porphyrion plucked Percy from Enceladus' hand like he was a toy to be passed around. He slammed Percy to the ground, stomach-down, so hard that his eyes rattled, and kept his hand there so Percy couldn't move.

"This one bears the Curse of Achilles!" Porphyrion called out to the jeering crowd. "Let's show these demigods that not even the memory of their greatest hero can protect them."

The crowd roared. Annabeth screamed, "No!"

Percy struggled uselessly. Porphyrion lifted Percy's shirt and pushed a finger into the small of his back. Electricity traveled through his whole body. Percy flinched and tried to move away unsuccessfully.

When your death comes, I promise it will be much more painful than gorgon's blood. Gaea had said. Percy remembered Luke Castellan's death, how he'd barely stabbed himself and yet he'd howled like he was being torn apart.

Percy struggled as much as he could, but Porphyrion's grip was firm. His heart was racing. This was his nightmare coming to life. Gaea knew his weak spot, and she'd told her children.

They'd sent Percy along with Annabeth and Piper because Poseidon's shrine would mask his scent, but he knew there was another reason. No one said it, but Percy knew they'd all been thinking the same thing—he couldn't bleed. Sending Percy presented the least risk of waking Gaea.

But they'd been wrong. The giants didn't want just Percy's blood. They wanted his life, and Gaea had told them exactly how to take it while still waking her.

"Percy!" Annabeth screamed.

Percy glanced at her and saw that she looked as frantic and scared as he felt. Her plan had been to secretly sabotage the giants' weapons so the Argo II could fly in, and then fight the giants and hope the gods would show up to help. There hadn't been one for what to do if they were captured. All they could do now was try to stay alive long enough for their friends to arrive.

He racked his brain for a way to do that. He had no plan, no ideas—only fear. He shouted, and a geyser of water shot into the sky at the other end of the Acropolis, a hundred yards away.

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

Liquid. Percy thought desperately. Blood.

His heart sank.

Percy reached out tentatively with his mind, searching. He was scared when he found it easily—that same thick, murky liquid he'd sensed down in Tartarus. The smells of the giants around him seemed to intensify.

"The sacrifice must be done properly," Porphyrion said. "Thoon, destroyer of the Fates, come forward."

The wizened gray giant shuffled into sight, holding an oversized meat cleaver. He fixed his milky eyes on Percy. Then he knelt and touched the blade of his cleaver reverently against the earth.

"Mother Gaea . . ." His voice was impossibly deep, shaking the ruins. "In ancient times, blood mixed with your soil to create life. Now, let the blood of these demigods return the favor. We bring you to full wakefulness. We greet you as our eternal mistress!"

Thoon approached Percy. Porphyrion laughed with delight, shouting, "It is time to do what Kronos never could! It is time to finally rid this world of the meddlesome Percy Jackson!"

For a split second, Percy considered letting it happen. He didn't want to tap into the abilities he discovered in Tartarus. He was afraid of what it might do to him, and how much he might enjoy it. It might be better this way.

But then he locked eyes with Annabeth and knew he had to do it. He had to save her and stop Gaea from waking. He had to hold out long enough for their friends to arrive and help them.

That was what personal loyalty meant: doing anything to save a friend, no matter what it might mean for the world—or Percy himself.

Percy stared into Annabeth's eyes, silently asking for forgiveness. From the terrified look in her eyes, he knew she understood. She gave a miserable nod and looked away.

As Thoon lifted his cleaver, Percy concentrated and the tug in his gut appeared. He let loose with a yell. The glass inside him shattered once more, and chaos erupted within the Parthenon.

He started with Thoon. He twisted the water within his body and the giant's hand stopped mere inches above Percy. Percy pushed and the giant howled and jerked about, dropping his cleaver.

"What are you doing?" Porphyrion demanded.

Percy used the distraction to mentally grab onto Porphyrion, forcing him to open his hand and release Percy. He shoved him backwards as hard as he could, sending the giant stumbling as if he'd been pushed by an invisible air spirit.

Percy got to his feet before another giant could grab him, and a few rushed him at the same time. He thrust out his hands and yelled again, latching onto more giants and pushing them back. They were screaming, looking as scared as Percy had been only seconds ago.

Good, he thought. He laughed at their fear. It felt good to be the scary one for once. He'd never had the upper hand against an enemy like this before, and he wanted to exploit every bit of it.

He still had a few more seconds before the giants recovered enough to be a threat. Percy took the chance to make the giant closest to him—Porphyrion—pick up Thoon's cleaver and decapite the giant. Thoon's body fell with a thud, but he quickly started reforming since there weren't any gods around to help.

"What is this?" Porphyrion howled, turning on Percy.

Percy smirked. "I am the son of Poseidon."

The giant reached for him and Percy stopped him in his tracks, fighting to turn the cleaver on the king of the giants. The tugging in his stomach was painful. Sweat poured down his face and his arms shook.

Annabeth cried out in pain, breaking Percy's concentration.

"Stop, sea-spawn!" said Periboia.

Percy turned. Periboia was holding her knife to Annabeth's neck, and she'd already cut her thigh. Blood was slowly trickling down her leg. Annabeth's face was unreadable.

Periboia smirked. "Surrender, or—"

Percy saw red. He barely had to think to do what he wanted. He fastened his mental grip on Periboia and yanked her sword-arm away from Annabeth. He imagined her throat closing up, cutting off her airway.

"No one touches her," Percy growled, and it reminded him of when he'd been possessed by the eidolon.

Periboia gagged and dropped Annabeth, her hands flying to her neck. Annabeth rolled away, her blood soaking the earth. Percy was too angry to worry about that.

A giant roared behind Percy and suddenly he was clutched in a giant fist once more. Enceladus. Percy didn't hesitate. He reached out and pried open Enceladus' hand. Percy landed nimbly on his feet. He turned Enceladus' hand on his own neck.

Percy heard a battle cry and turned to see that Piper had finally joined the fight. She was running towards Annabeth, who had dragged herself across the dirt. Piper stabbed Periboia in the gut with her ice blade, and frost spread across Periboia's bronze breastplate.

Piper yanked out her sword. The giantess toppled backward—steaming white and frozen solid. Periboia hit the ground with a thud.

"My daughter!" King Porphyrion leveled his spear and charged.

Percy let go of Enceladus and reached for Porphyrion. He forced him to lower the point of his spear into the ground. The giant's own momentum lifted him off his feet in an unintentional pole vault maneuver and he flipped over on his back.

Percy finally took out Riptide, swiping at the giants who approached him. Piper reached Annabeth and stood over her, sweeping her blade back and forth to keep the giants at bay. Blue steam now wreathed her blade.

"Who wants to be the next popsicle?" she yelled, her voice filled with anger. "Who wants to go back to Tartarus?"

That seemed to hit a nerve. The giants shuffled uneasily, glancing at the frozen body of Periboia.

Percy fought his way to Piper's side. She glanced at him, and he saw the fear in her eyes. She must have seen everything he'd done. He ignored it and helped Annabeth to her feet. She looked him in the eye and squeezed his hand, sending him a silent message.

You saved us, she was saying. You can let go now.

Percy suddenly remembered Tartarus and the way she'd looked at him at the edge of Chaos. He remembered how broken he'd felt, and it was like a switch was flipped in his brain.

He let go of the giants he'd still been holding onto and felt the euphoria fade with it. The glass settled. He felt only disgust with himself. But there would be time to deal with that later. Right now, they still had giants to kill.

Annabeth seemed to notice the change, because she gave him a small smile. She retrieved Periboia's hunting knife and stood ready, even with her injured leg. It was still bleeding, and every time a drop of blood hit the ground it bubbled, turning from red to gold.

The blood of Olympus, Percy thought.

"Come on, then!" Piper yelled. "We'll destroy you all ourselves if we have to!"

A metallic smell of storm filled the air. All the hairs on Percy's arms stood up.

"This thing is," said a voice from above, "you don't have to."

Percy grinned. At the top of the nearest colonnade stood Jason, his sword gleaming gold in the sun. Frank stood at his side, his bow ready. Hazel sat astride Arion, who reared and whinnied in challenge.

With a deafening blast, a white-hot bolt arced from the sky, straight through Jason's body as he leaped, wreathed in lightning, at the giant king.

For the next three minutes, life was great. So much happened at once that only an ADHD demigod could have kept track.

Jason fell on King Porphyrion with such force that the giant crumbled to his knees—blasted with lightning and stabbed in the neck with a golden gladius.

Frank unleashed a hail of arrows, driving back the giants nearest to Percy.

The Argo II rose above the ruins and all the ballistae and catapults fired simultaneously. Leo must have programmed the weapons with surgical precision. A wall of Greek fire roared upward all around the Parthenon. It didn't touch the interior, but in a flash most of the smaller monsters around it were incinerated.

Leo's voice boomed over the loudspeaker: SURRENDER! YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY ONE SPANKING HOT WAR MACHINE!

The giant Enceladus howled in rage. "Valdez!"

WHAT'S UP, ENCHILADAS? Leo's voice roared back.

"GAH!" The giant scooped up his spear. "Monsters: destroy that ship!"

The remaining forces tried their best. A flock of gryphons rose to attack. Festus the figurehead blew flames and charbroiled them out of the sky. A few Earthborn launched a volley of rocks, but from the sides of the hull a dozen Archimedes spheres sprayed out, intercepting the boulders and blasting them to dust.

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Buford ordered.

Hazel spurred Arion off the colonnade and they leaped into battle. The forty-foot fall would have broken any other horse's legs, but Arion hit the ground running. Hazel zipped from giant to giant, stinging them with the blade of her spatha.

With extremely bad timing, Kekrops and his snake people chose that moment to join the fight. In four or five places around the ruins, the ground turned to green goo and armed gemini burst forth, Kekrops himself in the lead.

"Kill the demigods!" he hissed. "Kill the tricksters!"

Before many of his warriors could follow, Hazel pointed her blade at the nearest tunnel. The ground rumbled. All the gooey membranes popped and the tunnels collapsed, billowing plumes of dust. Kekrops looked around at his army, now reduced to six guys.

"SLITHER AWAY!" he ordered.

Frank's arrows cut them down as they tried to retreat.

The giantess Periboia had thawed with alarming speed. She tried to grab Annabeth, but despite her bad leg, Annabeth was holding her own. She stabbed at the giantess with her own hunting knife and led her in a deadly game of tag around the throne.

Piper stood back to back with Jason, fighting every giant who dared to come close.

Percy was doing much of the same, wielding Riptide like the extension of his arm it had become over the years. But after giving in to his darker powers earlier, they kept calling to him, begging him to use them again. The scary thing was—Percy wanted to. He wanted to do it so bad. He wanted to show these giants what he could do and stop them from hurting anyone else he cared about.

But he remembered all too well how awful he had felt after using those abilities down in Tartarus, and what he'd done to Annabeth. The memory kept him in check, and he fought only with Riptide and the occasional drop of water if he could find it.

For a moment, Percy felt elated. They were actually winning!

But too soon, their element of surprise faded. The giants overcame their shock—and confusion at what Percy had done to them before.

Frank ran out of arrows. He changed into a rhinoceros and leaped into battle, but as fast as he could knock down the giants, they got up again. Their wounds seemed to be healing faster.

Annabeth lost ground against Periboia. Hazel was knocked out of her saddle at sixty miles an hour. Jason summoned another lightning strike, but this time Porphyrion simply deflected it off the tip of his spear.

The giants were bigger, stronger, and more numerous. They couldn't be killed without the help of the gods. And they didn't seem to be tiring.

The six demigods were forced into a defensive ring.

Another volley of Earthborn rocks hit the Argo II. This time Leo couldn't return fire fast enough. Rows of oars were sheared off. The ship shuddered and tilted in the sky.

Then Enceledus threw his fiery spear. It pierced the ship's hull and exploded inside, sending spouts of fire through the oar openings. An ominous black cloud billowed from the deck. The Argo II began to sink.

"Leo!" Jason cried.

Porphyrion laughed. "You demigods have learned nothing. There are no gods to aid you. We need only one more thing from you to make our victory complete."

Porphyrion lunged at Percy, who rolled under his feet. He was getting up when he felt a shiver run down his spine and his blood went cold. He turned just in time to see Frank launch himself in the path of Porphyrion's spear, the tip slicing through his side. And just like when Annabeth took Ethan Nakamura's poisoned blade for Percy, he realized that if Frank hadn't been there, he would have died.

Frank cried out and collapsed, but Percy caught him with one arm. With the other, he reached out and searched for the water in Porphyrion's body one last time. He felt the glass crack inside him once more, and this time it felt different. Maybe even permanent.

Percy shoved Porphyrion so hard he crashed into his brethren and accidentally speared one of them. Percy dragged Frank back towards the circle of demigods. It looked like he only had a flesh wound, but he was bleeding badly and they were still surrounded.

"You knew . . ." Percy said.

Frank steadied himself using Percy's shoulder, getting his feet under him with a groan. He looked tired and pained, but he managed an awkward smile.

"Well, Porphyrion kinda showed off your weak spot when he tried to kill you a few minutes ago," Frank said.

Percy grimaced, trying to keep his worry and self-loathing under control. He was supposed to be the one who protected everyone else, but Frank was hurt because he'd been careless.

Too late, Percy heard Porphyrion laughing. He was looking at Frank expectantly. Percy glanced at him and saw the blood dripping down his side.

This time, Percy couldn't move fast enough.

A drop of blood fell. It hit the ground between their feet and sizzled like water on a frying pan.

The blood of Olympus watered the ancient stones.

The Acropolis groaned and shifted as the Earth Mother woke.

For a moment, Percy thought they were done for. He lamented the loss of his future with Annabeth—college, maybe children and grandchildren, but most importantly peace. Now it was all gone.

And then the clouds parted over the Acropolis. Instead of blue skies, Percy saw black space spangled with stars, the palaces of Mount Olympus gleaming silver and gold in the background. And an army of gods charged down from on high.

It was too much to process. And it was probably better for his health that he didn't see it all. Only later would Percy be able to remember bits and pieces.

There was supersized Zeus riding into battle in a golden chariot, a lightning bolt the size of a telephone pole crackling in one hand. Pulling his chariot were four horses made of wind, each constantly shifting from equine to human form, trying to break free.

On the underbelly of the Argo II, the glass bay doors split open. The goddess Nike tumbled out, free from her golden net. She spread her glittering wings and soared to Zeus' side, taking her rightful place as his charioteer.

"MY MIND IS RESTORED!" she roared. "VICTORY TO THE GODS!"

At Zeus' left flank rode Hera, her chariot pulled by enormous peacocks, their rainbow-colored plumage so bright it gave Percy the spins.

Ares bellowed with glee as he thundered down on the back of a fire-breathing horse. His spear glistened red.

Percy's father was there too. Poseidon's chariot was being pulled by enormous hippocampi, his trident ready for battle.

In the last second, before the gods reached the Parthenon, they seemed to displace themselves like they'd jumped through hyperspace. The chariots disappeared. Suddenly, Percy and his friends were surrounded by the Olympians, now human-sized, tiny next to the giants, but glowing with power.

Jason shouted and charged Porphyrion. Percy and his friends joined in the carnage.

The fighting ranged all over the Parthenon and spilled across the Acropolis. Out of the corner of his eye, Percy saw Annabeth fighting Enceladus. At her side stood a woman with long dark hair and golden armor over her white robes. The goddess thrust her spear at the giant, then brandished her shield with the fearsome bronzed visage of Medusa. Together, Athena and Annabeth drove Enceladus back into the nearest wall of metal scaffolding, which collapsed on top of him.

On the opposite side of the temple, Frank and Ares smashed through an entire phalanx of giants—Ares with his spear and shield, Frank (as an African elephant) with his trunk and feet. The war god laughed and stabbed and disemboweled like a kid destroying piñatas.

Hazel raced through the battle on Arion's back, disappearing in the Mist whenever a giant came close, then appearing behind him and stabbing him in the back. The goddess Hecate danced in her wake, setting fire to their enemies with two blazing torches. Percy didn't see Hades, but whenever a giant stumbled and fell, the ground broke open and the giant was snapped up and swallowed.

Piper fenced with the giantess Periboia, sword against sword. Despite the fact that her opponent was five times larger, Piper seemed to be holding her own. The goddess Aphrodite floated around them on a small white cloud, strewing rose petals in the giantess' eyes and calling encouragement to Piper. "Lovely, my dear. Yes, good. Hit her again!"

Whenever Periboia tried to strike, doves rose up from nowhere and fluttered in the giantess' face.

Leo was racing across the deck of the Argo II, shooting ballistae, dropping hammers on the giants' heads, and blowtorching their loincloths. Behind him at the helm, a burly bearded guy in a mechanic's uniform was tinkering with the controls, furiously trying to keep the ship aloft.

The strangest sight was the old giant Thoon, who was getting bludgeoned to death by three old ladies with brass clubs—the Fates, armed for war. Percy decided there was nothing in the world scarier than a gang of bat-wielding grannies.

Jason was fighting in concert with Zeus, the two of them a deadly team against King Porphyrion. Together, they drove him to the edge of the cliffs, where Percy lost sight of them.

Percy noticed all of these things, and a dozen other melees in progress, but most of his attention was fixed on the enemies before him—Otis and Ephialtes, the dynamic duo—and the god who fought by his side: Poseidon.

Poseidon was wearing his usual loud Hawaiian shirt even as he wielded his enormous trident. His presence was soothing. It reminded Percy of the best days he'd ever had at the beach or in the ocean—his childhood in Montauk, walks with Annabeth, talks with Tyson. It had been so long since he'd gotten any sort of sign from Poseidon, and after losing his memory and going through Tartarus, it felt like coming home to see him in person and fight alongside him. Percy had never fought with his father like this before. He wanted to make him proud.

Percy moved faster than he ever had before, dodging attacks and returning with his own quicker than he could think. Riptide had never felt so good in his hands. He jumped from giant to giant, dealing them numerous cuts and bruises.

The twin giants stumbled. Poseidon's trident morphed into a fire hose, and he sprayed the giants out of the Parthenon with a high-powered blast in the shape of wild horses. Percy used the water to knock the giants off their feet. He charged forward while they were disoriented and leaped, stabbing Otis through the throat. Poseidon did the same to Ephialtes, and the two giants disintegrated.

Percy scanned the battle to see who needed help and was relieved to see that the answer was: no one. All the giants had been taken care of as a result of the gods and demigods working together, and there were no monsters left. His friends were mostly unharmed, too—only Annabeth and Frank had any injuries. Apollo quickly fixed that.

A loud crack sounded from the direction Zeus and Jason had gone in. A minute later, Percy saw them returning and allowed himself to finally relax.

He hadn't even realized it, but sometime during the fight, a set of armor had materialized on Percy's torso. Wave designs gleamed on it. He locked eyes with his father and silently thanked him. He'd mostly shut down his panic from the close call earlier—both of them—but he knew he'd have to deal with it soon.

Annabeth appeared at Percy's side and gripped his hand. Percy kissed the top of her head and sent a mental prayer to all the gods he knew that she had survived. It had been way too close earlier. When she slipped her hand underneath his armor and touched the small of his back, he knew she was thinking the same thing.

He felt jumpy. Pushing his abilities like that . . . it felt like it had awakened something inside him. The glass hadn't healed like it did the first two times. Even now, he felt the urge to give in to it again. He was scared by how difficult it was to say no.

Percy felt Annabeth's eyes on him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Percy didn't trust himself to speak. He tried to nod—couldn't. Tried to shake his head—couldn't. He just shrugged.

Annabeth tugged him closer and leaned her forehead against his. "We'll figure it out. We're together," she whispered.

"We're together," he repeated.

Leo and Hephaestus joined them in the temple, both of them with soot-covered faces and smoldering clothes. Slowly, the gods and demigods gathered in the middle of the temple. They may have defeated the giants, but Gaea was now fully awake.

Another fight was coming. Gaea had said she would destroy their camp, and Percy knew she wasn't kidding. The adrenaline from this fight was still running through his veins. Hopefully, it would last long enough for him to help his friends back at Camp Half-Blood—friends he hadn't seen in almost a year.

Percy couldn't help thinking of the Great Prophecy, and Nike's insistence that one of them—Percy, Hazel, Frank, or Leo—would die fighting Gaea. He remembered what Kymopoleia had said about a coming sacrifice; that it would be one that Percy might not be able to make, and that it might cost the world. Putting those two things together, he was starting to think he might make it through this fight and that someone else would die.

Instant guilt came with the wave of relief he felt at that thought. Of course he wanted to survive, but that didn't mean he wanted someone else to die. His sense of dread kept growing.

Percy tried to push the thoughts out of his head. Dwelling on prophecies never helped, and they weren't done yet. He needed to focus.

Just one more, he promised himself. One more fight, and then it'll be over.