|tlo| all that bloodshed, crimson clover
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ANDROMEDA HAD DONE ENOUGH 'RESTING'. she was tired of lounging around while everybody else worked. so she stood up and exited the terrace herself. her vision didn't blur with fatigue, she could see clear as she walked down the stairs. her short hair stuck to her face with grime and grease, and she pushed it back repeatedly.
the wound on her arm still throbbed, and her temperature was a little higher than usual with all the ambrosia and nectar, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. she held her spear in her hands, pushing it into the holster of her belt. it gave her mild comfort, like she was finally stepping into her own skin. she ignored the jarring pain, and entered the ground floor.
annabeth was with malcolm, jake mason and evander in the middle, the blonde overlooking the shield with a frown. andromeda threw an arm around her.
"please tell me there's good news,"
annabeth only frowned, "do you want me to lie?"
evander faced her in shock. "you're supposed to be resting."
"yeah, you're still very pale," jake added.
"did you guys really expect her to lay down and do nothing?" annabeth perked an eyebrow. "it's a miracle she slept the three hours."
"i was out for three hours?" andromeda's eyes widened.
"only three hours," jake pressed. "you were poisoned."
andromeda waved off. "nothing i haven't done before. what's going on out there?"
"kronos is taking a nap," evander shrugged.
"the enemy lair is empty," jake added thoughfully. "we haven't seen where they are yet,"
andromeda looked into the shield as annabeth switched between scenes of empty new york streets.
"they were camping at medusa's," annabeth explained. "thankfully, the gorgon herself hasn't reformed yet, but they're already marching out, presumably here."
andromeda nodded, she faced the two boys. "what's been happening here?"
they shared looks, and evander began narrating. "prometheus came with some empousa to give percy pandora's box. he said that if we wanted to surrender, all he would have to do was let out hope from that jar. give up. he said kronos would spare us if we surrendered."
"pandora must've been pretty adhd, too," jake added.
"and with grover?" andromeda prompted.
"he said he convinced as many nature spirits as he could," jake nodded. "apparently, many people don't listen to him. pan being dead affected them a lot."
andromeda nodded, digesting the information. she was just about to ask where was percy with the jar, when annabeth's voice interrupted her.
"guys," she called, frowning. "i found them."
the three of them huddled over the shield.
there were twice as many monsters are there had been on williamsburg, they were marching fairly slowly to south central park, but their speed didn't even matter. they were so large in numbers, and even at their best, the demigods would barely make a quarter of their army. she could only hope the ares cabin would arrive in time.
"we should prepare," annabeth put away the shield. "this is going to be the goddamn fight of our lives."
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andromeda went to look for percy. well, she got in armour and put up half her hair first. but then she went to look for percy, and found him in a room at the entrance, passed out on a couch.
she had only hovered her hand to shake him awake, but he flung up, and the sudden action made andromeda reflexively put up a block of magic shield. percy bonked his head on it.
"ow!" he complained
"shit, sorry." andromeda sucked a breath through her teeth, lending him a hand. "i was just about to wake you."
he put his hand in her's, but he didn't get up. he zoned out on a spot at the floor.
"hey, hero?" she called. "what's wrong?"
"nothing," he shook his head. "what. . .what are you doing in armor? you should be resting."
"oh, i'm fine," she waved off. "that nectar and ambrosia fixed me up."
"uh-huh. you can't seriously go out and fight."
she finally pulled him up on his feet.
"you're going to need every person you have," she reasoned. "i was just looking in annabeth's shield with the others. there's an army —"
"heading south into central park," he finished said. "yeah, i know."
he then began narrating his dreams. it started with poseidon's palace being broken into and tyson leading a charge of the cyclops to defend them. then it shifted to the enemy camp, where he'd seen a conversation between ethan and kronos. who was asking if percy would surrender based on the deal that prometheus struck him. but the conversation then shifted to whether or not ethan knew where percy's weak spot was. kronos suspected that he might. ethan also speculated that luke was fighting kronos inside his body, kronos seemed to be weakened by luke not agreeing to host him. kronos had then spoken with a dracaena queen, and they were talking about some surprise they had in store for the demigods.
"do you think ethan suspects about your weak spot?" she asked with worry.
"i don't know," percy admitted. "he didn't tell kronos anything, but if he figures it out —"
"we can't let him." she said firmly.
"i'll bonk him on the head harder next time," percu suggested. "any idea what surprise kronos was talking about?"
she shook her head. "we didn't see anything in the shield, but i don't like surprises."
"agreed."
"and luke," she went on as they went to the troops, "do you think he's really fighting back?"
percy frowned. "for your sake, i hope he is."
she give him a smile. he hesitantly returned it.
her own dream popped in her head again. her fate was approaching. and she didn't even know what it was. sure, she knew she was destined to save olympus. but how? would she survive at the end of this? who would she be taking the life of? what kind of plan would kronos be implementing out of the many he had made?
those questions were ones she wouldn't mind not having an answer to.
they reached the reservoir, where thalia and the head counselors were waiting. the lights of the city were blinking on at twilight. streetlamps glowed around the shore of the lake, the sky was streaked with red and purple hues.
"they're coming," thalia confirmed, pointing north with a silver arrow. "one of my scouts just reported they've crossed the harlem river. there was no way to hold them back. the army. . .it's huge."
"we'll hold them at the park," percy assured. "grover, you ready?"
he nodded. "as ready as we'll ever be. if my nature spirits can stop them anywhere, this is the place."
"yes, we will!" said another voice. a very old, fat satyr pushed through the crowd, stumbling over his own spear, dressed in wood-bark armor that only covered half of his belly.
"leneus?" percy guessed.
"don't act so surprised," he huffed. "i am a leader of the council, and you did tell me to find grover. well, i found him, and i'm not going to let a mere outcast lead the satyrs without my help!"
behind leneus's back, grover made gagging motions that made andromeda grin, but the old satyr beamed, blissfully unaware. "never fear! we'll show those titans!"
percy seemed conflicted, by ke kept a straight face. "um. . .yeah. well, grover, you won't be alone. the athena cabin will make their stand here. andy, me, and. . .thalia?"
thalia patted him on the shoulder. "say no more. the hunters are ready."
andromeda looked at the other counselors. "that leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. you have to guard the other entrances to manhattan. you know how tricky kronos is. he'll hope to distract us with this big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. it's up to you to make sure that doesn't happen. has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?"
the counselors nodded grimly.
"then let's do it," percy encouraged. "good hunting, everybody!"
the army was heard before it was seen.
the noise was like a taylor swift concert. at the north end of the reservoir, the enemy vanguard broke through the woods — a warrior in golden armor leading a battalion of laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes. hundreds of other monsters poured out behind them.
"positions!" annabeth yelled.
her cabinmates scrambled.
the idea was to make the enemy army break around the reservoir. to get to the demigods, they'd have to follow the trails, which meant they'd be marching in narrow columns on either side of the water. at first, it seemed to work. they divided and streamed inward along the shore. when they were halfway across, the defenses kicked in.
the jogging trail erupted in greek fire, incinerating many of the monsters instantly. others flailed around, engulfed in green flames. athena campers threw grappling hooks around the largest giants and pulled them to the ground.
in the woods on the right, the hunters sent a volley of silver arrows into the enemy line, destroying twenty or thirty dracaenae, but more marched behind them. thalia shot a bolt of lightning crackled out of the sky and fried a laistrygonian giant to ashes, grover raised his pipes and played a quick tune. a roar went up from the woods on both sides as every tree, rock, and bush seemed to sprout a spirit. dryads and satyrs raised their clubs and charged. the trees wrapped around the monsters, strangling them. the demeter kids grass grew around the feet of the enemy archers. they were engulfed in poison ivy and thorns.
the enemy slowed as they moved forward. giants smashed through the trees, and naiads faded as their life sources were destroyed. hellhounds lunged at the timber wolves, knocking them aside. enemy archers returned fire, and a hunter fell from a high branch. at the reservoir, a titan in the gold armor was advancing around the sides.
"percy," she called, pointing to the titan.
he was charging forward, walking straight over the top of the lake. a greek firebomb exploded right on top of him, but he raised his palm and sucked the flames out of the air.
"hyperion," andromeda sighed. "the lord of light. titan of the east."
"bad?"
"next to atlas, he's the greatest titan warrior. in the old days, four titans controlled the four corners of the world. hyperion was the east — the most powerful. he was the father of helios, the first sun god."
"i'll keep him busy,"
"what?" she snapped. "are you out of —"
"just keep our forces together."
that was all he said before he advanced toward hyperion, running over the top of the water.
"great gods i hate you," she hissed venomously.
she pulled out her spear and seperated it in half, putting one in each hand. usually, she preferred fighting with one half using her right hand. but seeing as her shoulder wasn't doing a good enough job, she utilitized both.
andromeda stood with the satyrs and demeter kids. she gave them time to build their defenses by distracting the monsters. sometimes she conjured a shield, pushing them all back, then with a snap of her finger, she lit them all on fire. the monsters burned before her eyes, screeching and screaming.
more just kept coming.
"you guys done yet?" she asked the others.
"just a minute!" evander encouraged.
the satyrs and the three demeter kids had built a wall of thorns around them, higher than all of them combined. andromeda watched the last spike portrude out, and she let go of her shield.
the monsters charged blindly, and they disintegrated as they ran into the wall, dead dust drifted into the blowing wind. but another volley of enemies gained on them, prepared to cut the thorns away as they marched.
the athena archers shot arrows at them, but barely any hit, carrying off into the picking wind.
andromeda used both hands to fight, the wound in her left shoukder only increased in throbbing, but she persisted through the pain. fighting with her left hand wasn't her best work. she made a mental note to perfect both sides of her offense.
her hair was suddenly a lot more in her face, despite having put it in half a ponytail before leaving. the wind hit her cheek, the monsters she killed floated away as dust in a dessert carried by the wind. arrows went astray, long shots weren't made.
"andy!" someone called.
andromed turned to see annabeth, a small cut above her eyebrow as she regarded her. she was busy in offense, but malcolm finished the statement for her, defending her backside.
"could tell your boyfriend to calm down?" he yelled as he slashed at the dracaena with his sword.
andromeda stabbed a telekhine. "what?"
"our archers can't shoot straight with all the wind!" annabeth complained, slicing a hellhound in half.
andromeda encased a shield around herself as she looked to see the reservoir. and the air left her lungs when she saw the sight.
percy was standing in the centre of a hurricane. winds swirled around his feet, water sprayed from his stance, winds howled around his face. he seemed to be fighting hyperion without combat, the winds pushed him away, water sprayed his face, stinging his eyes. enemy warriors threw javelins at him, but the storm knocked them aside. lightning flickered around him, the clouds darkened and the rain swirled faster. he closed in on hyperion and blew him off his feet.
andromeda couldn't help but smile. she remember a conversation she had had with percy three years back.
what's so great about water? he had asked her aboard the princess andromeda. now, he was winning against a titan by conjuring a hurricane. it seemed like one of those moments mortal parents captured in cell phones of their child's first words or steps.
her shield cracked in front of her, and she was brough back into the present. a hellhound was clawing at it.
andromeda tutted. "you guys could learn a thing or two from mrs. o'leary."
then she sliced two arcs with her spear, cutting off all the monsters within a four feet radius of her. this gave her enough time to jump away from the battlefield. the winds carried her, as did her magic. she could feel the breeze blowing in the direction she wanted to go in.
she could see percy clearly from here, hyperion wasn't even close to a match against his power. the glow in the titan's eyes was wavering. he tried to power up, but percy never gave him a chance to fight back. despite his weakening powers, he kept up the hurricane. and with a push of wind, he propelled hyperion across the field.
that gave andromeda an idea.
the archers had been shooting against the wind, that's why their arrows went awry. but to shoot into the wind? using it as a boost? it was worth a shot.
she looked around for arrows, because she couldn't just use her spears over and over again so many times. she didn't find lone arrows, but her attention was drawn at the stray thorns that the monsters had torn down. she called them all up.
she stationed them all by her in the sky, carefully aiming them at monsters in her eyeline. she waited a moment, waiting for the wind to pick up. she felt it pass by her face, tickle her skin.
and she let the thorns hit their targets.
nearly all of the monster army wailed as they disintegrated. the few that were left looked around confused, making it easier for demigods to defeat them. fortunately, no demigod had been injured.
andromeda grinned in triumph, floating to grover and percy.
"i will not be toyed with!" hyperion was bellowing.
he got to his feet, but grover put his reed pipes to his lips and began to play.
"the others?" percy asked.
"safe and successful," andromeda nodding, putting her spear in her holster.
leneus joined grover. around the grove, every satyr took up the song — an eerie melody, like a creek flowing over stones. the ground erupted at hyperion's feet. gnarled roots wrapped around his legs.
"what's this?" he protested. he tried to shake off the roots, but he was still weak. the roots thickened until he looked like he was wearing wooden boots.
"stop this!" he shouted. "your woodland magic is no match for a titan!"
but the more he struggled, the faster the roots grew. they curled about his body, thickening and hardening into bark. his golden armor melted into the wood, becoming part of a large trunk.
the music continued. he stretched out his arms and they became branches, from which smaller branches shot out and grew leaves. the tree grew taller and thicker, until only the titan's face was visible in the middle of the trunk.
"you cannot imprison me!" he bellowed. "i am hyperion! i am —"
the bark closed over his face.
grover took his pipes from his mouth. "a very nice maple tree."
several of the other satyrs passed out from exhaustion, but they'd done their job well. the titan lord was completely encased in an enormous maple. the trunk was at least twenty feet in diameter, with branches as tall as any in the park. the tree might've stood there for centuries.
"where's the army?" percy looked around.
"i took care of them," andromeda nodded, the athena cabin roared cheers in the background.
he raised a brow. "you casually took care of five hundred monsters, with a wounded arm?"
she shrugged a shoulder. "not five, maybe two. it's pretty easy,"
percy gave a smile. "how's the wound?"
she glanced at the bandages. "minor inconvenience."
"reeeeeeeet!"
the squeal echoed through upper manhattan. everyone froze in terror.
grover shot a panicked look. "why does that sound like. . .it can't be!"
andromeda had no idea what they were referring to, but more monsters were coming from behind the entrance of the park.
"reeeeeeeet!" a huge pink creature soared over the reservoir.
"a sow!" annabeth cried. "take cover!"
the demigods scattered as the winged lady pig swooped down. her wings were pink, which matched her skin beautifully, but it was hard to think of her as cute when her hooves slammed into the ground, barely missing one of the athena kids. the pig stomped around and tore down half an acre of trees, belching a cloud of noxious gas. then it took off again, circling around for another strike.
"don't tell me that thing is from greek mythology," percy complained.
"afraid so," grover gulped. "the clazmonian sow. it terrorized greek towns back in the day."
"let me guess," percy rolled his eyes. "hercules beat it."
"nope," grover pursed his lips. "as far as i know, no hero has ever beaten it."
"perfect," percy muttered.
the new wave of titan's army was gaining on them, getting increasingly nearer. they weren't fazed by the boar at all. they only had seconds before they were plunged into another fight, and the forces were still in a panic. every time the sow belched, grover's nature spirits yelped and faded back into their trees.
"that pig has to go." percy grabbed a grappling hook from an athena kid. "i'll take care of it. you guys hold the rest of the enemy. push them back!"
"but, percy," grover said, "what if we can't?"
percy looked at them, as if just realizing that they were tired from the fight. andromeda hated to admit it, but her wound really was aching her whole arm. there were tingles of numbness going down her skin. she wondered if the achilles curse prevented exhaustion.
"retreat if you need to," he finally said. "just slow them down. i'll be back as soon as i can."
before andromeda could even counter his statement, he swung the grappling hook like a lasso. the sow came down for its next pass, he threw it up, and it wrapped around the base of the pig's wing. it squealed in rage and veered off, yanking the rope and me into the sky.
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guys i stink at writing action so pls excuse me if parts of this are horrible
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