~ ☼ ~

As we walked back down to the lobby, stiff as two surfboards, Alec and I didn't speak. Didn't acknowledge what had just happened. Something in the air made the moment seem fragile, like if we moved even a little bit everything in both of us would shatter.

But as we hit the lobby floor again, Alec said to me, "They're moving in slow motion outside the city. If your parents try to get here, they'll be caught like - like a fly in molasses."

I didn't have to ask if that was what had happened to his grandparents. The thought disturbed me, that during that already bad enough conversation I'd eavesdropped on, while Alec was talking as normal, his grandma was moving like she was trapped in amber. I shivered.

"Okay," I said.

As Lucky, our guide, went over to where our cabin was waiting for me to lead them, Alec and I paused for a moment.

"The two of you are leaving, right?"

"We're going to the 59th Street Bridge."

Alec lifted his head, and to my surprise, the tiniest of smiles appeared on his face.

"Really?" he asked. "That's where the Roosevelt Island Tramway is."

Recognition sparked in my mind, going back to that same conversation. He'd told his grandma he was going to ride that. On one hand, I liked the dramatic irony. On the other hand, I didn't like that Alec was amused by this when Riley and I were about to charge to our deaths.

"That's nice, Alec," I snapped. "Do you think it'll give me a good view of the bridge falling apart and all my siblings dying?"

My tone was the most obvious thing, but saying *my siblings* rather than ours made me prickle, too. I wanted to regret saying it, but I didn't, even as Alec's face fell.

"I just meant that I thought it was funny. Like fate or something."

His voice went quieter the more the sentence went on.

"Maybe you should come with, then," I said, just as quiet.

He didn't move, even as the rest of the lobby was being stirred more and more into a hubbub. The head counselors had gone to meet Percy in Central Park to decide what to do. Decide if this plan was right, or if we should all fight Hyperion together.

"I have to stay here," he said. "We only have so many medics."

Then, just like that, he turned and started to walk away. I felt a little offended. I felt like he was walking around the truth here.

"Alec," I said, pulling on his arm to come back to me. Luckily, everyone was too busy to notice.

"What!" he exclaimed.

"That's it? You're - you're just gonna walk away without a goodbye?"

"Maybe I've already gotten used to the idea of you and Riley dying, AJ," he hissed. "Maybe I'm used to everyone dying, and I'm just trying to stay afloat right now. You ever think about that?"

Shame flooded through me, instantly.

"I know you're pissed at me for not telling anybody-"

"I'm not pissed, I'm hurt. Like it was - it was inconsequential to you."

"You know damn well it wasn't," Alec said, suddenly. "If you really think I don't love you, that Riley doesn't love you, that Camp doesn't love you, you're freaking crazy."

I stared at him for a moment, not sure how to take this. My entire body was hot.

Then I said, "You're the one who kissed me in the woods then acted like it never happened." My voice cracked without my control. "Do you know how guilty that made me feel?"

I was surprised by my own saying that, and so was Alec. His scowl immediately fell, not to sadness but to sheer pain. His voice was thick when he said, "AJ-"

He was cut off, of course. It was Lucky, whistling and calling me over. She looked irritated it'd taken me this long.

For a moment, I was stuck. And in that moment, a feeling I'd only felt at my worst times flooded through me. When I sat around at home and did nothing, despite all my classmates playing sports and joining clubs. When I gave up violin over and over again, sometimes all at once and sometimes a little at a time. When my hair was bushy and my face filled with acne no matter how much closer to the end of puberty I got. Absolute disgust with myself. And what was more disgusting than this?

Alec seemed to go through the same realization as I did. I couldn't imagine how he saw me. I just shook my head, unable to handle it, and ran away to Lucky. I knew damn well that if I didn't survive this, that'd be how Alec and I ended, but I couldn't stop myself. Maybe the drama would make me a little more charming in memory.

~ ☼ ~

I tried to find Hemmings to come with us, but he was nowhere to be found. I had no idea where he could've gone to, but no matter what, he'd disappeared. I guess I should've bet on that when Chiron said he didn't want to be here. Maybe he was with his BFF American Elm. Ugh.

I was morose as we hiked over to the 59th Street Bridge. Morose at the fact that Hyperion would be only a few city blocks north, taken care of by the son of Poseidon. That Alec would never meet him. That the Athena Cabin, who was helping Percy, might come back and look at him worse than ever.

I'd thought Lacey might learn to respect me, but she wouldn't be able to now.

Riley had to make it out. Riley was friendly with Annabeth; Riley had had psychic powers that had started to falter around the time I'd gotten to camp. All I could do now was make it up to her. I wonder if it'd been me that had gotten in the way of it.

I knew that was a conspiracy theory. But I couldn't stop it from worming its way into my mind.

Someone had given us directions to the 59th Street Bridge. It was just east of the Plaza, a pure straight shot, so it was easy. The monotony almost made my misery worse. I tried to keep my mind on our surroundings, but as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, it became harder. nobody turned the lights on in the buildings. Everyone had been sleeping for so long that - that they had to have been starving by now. What about people who needed their medications? People who were injured and needed their bandages changed daily? Were they festering away in their apartments, or were they simply being held in stasis?

If we saved Manhattan, how would the mortals mist-ify this? Bizarre phenomenon hits New York, the headlines would say. As if the city was was asleep for 2 days straight with no change. 10,000 dead.

That didn't even take into account the rest of the world that was connected to the city. Global industry and economy and all that. What did they see? Did they think we'd all just taken a spontaneous vacation?

Gods. It was making me spiral. For once in my life, I understood how people had existential crises and why they were so terrifying.

"Are you okay?"

It was Riley, right next to me. She was supposed to be bringing up the back, with Lucky, Kayla, and Austin in the middle. But now that she was here, I was confused. I looked over at her, then realized we'd made it to the Roosevelt Island Tramway station. Above us, its crazy gondola style cable system stretched across the street, over a few more blocks, and then out over the East River. Below it, the 59th Street Bridge slowly turned from street to slope.

She seemed like she was asking for practical reasons, not emotional ones. Then she softened, looking like she was about force herself to apologize for earlier. I decided to spare her the effort.

"I'm okay," I said. I nodded at the bridge. "Let's go."

"But-" Riley started.

"Wait," Kayla said, reaching for her bow. "There's only five of us, right? And three of us are archers."

She didn't need to remind me. She, Riley, and Austin were all hauling bows. Only Lucky and I wielded blades, and neither of us were comfortable with them. I would've traded with her, but she had a knife just like me.

"I like the idea of walking up behind somebody and shanking them," she'd told me with a grin earlier in the summer. now she was pale. I don't think she'd ever actually considered being forced to do it.

"Yeah," I said, to Kayla.

"Well, why don't we all go up into the tram?" she asked. "The monsters will think they're safe, then we can snipe them from above."

I was deeply relieved at this idea, because it was a good one. I'd just planned on walking in and trying not to die.

"On the bridge," Austin pointed out, "Michael had us set traps. If we set traps, we could catch them, then the sniping would be even easier!"

now I was pale again. Traps. I didn't know about this. What kind of trap, like a bear trap or something? Had I totally missed the lessons on warfare, or was that just something the head counselors in the War Council got to hear about?

"Well," Riley said, "We don't have traps now."

My skin went warm.

"Somebody will have to stay on the ground to run the tram," I added. "I'm sure you'll be able to turn it on and get in, but then you won't be able to stop it."

"I'll do it," Lucky said, quickly, which is exactly what I was thinking. "I'll stop you like, halfway across the bridge."

"Perfect," Riley said. "Can we open the windows inside?"

"I don't see why not."

now that this was all out of the way, we all stood there, staring at each other. nobody wanted to say, okay, let's do it, because that meant it was time. Finally, I said, "I need to be able to do something, too."

"You can defend me!" Lucky said. "So they don't get stuck out there!"

As much as I would prefer to hang out with Lucky and gossip for the rest of the night, like it was a sleep-over, that really was not what I meant.

I sighed. "I think I should be the bait."

"What!" all of them, even Riley, said together.

"I'm serious!" I exclaimed. "If the monsters leave your - your rifle sights - you won't be able to shoot them. But if I'm distracting them, I can run them in circles around the shooting area. And maybe a kill a few of them, too."

All of my siblings were quiet. Lucky looked horrified at the idea, but the other three seemed, though reluctant, ready for this plan. I tried not to feel hurt. I was going to do it anyway, but usually when someone offers to sacrifice themselves, their peers should at least try to argue with them.

I guess it just proved my point from earlier. Here was my chance to make it up to Riley.

"It's a plan," I said, after a moment, trying not to cry. "Go. Do it for Michael, Matt, Aaron, and Lee."

Everyone nodded sharply. I was not the only one trying not to cry. I could barely feel their arms as they all hugged me and each other.

~ ☼ ~

I cannot explain to you the feeling I got heading out on my own onto the 59th Street Bridge. It was one thing being alone earlier, when there was no immediate risk of a charge. When everything just felt like a dream. It was another now, when there were storms in the sky all around me. Wind whipped my hair and shirt, making me feel like it was January rather than August. I could feel the moisture and energy in the air, the static and rain battling for dominance in the sky the same way Percy and Hyperion were no doubt battling now.

I thought of Meri, and wondered if she and her sick peers were struggling with Hyperion's presence. Maybe that was why they'd been blighted - maybe some titan had done it to hurt them and better help Hyperion's chances. I knew the satyrs and centaurs were helping Percy, too, but a sick park would decrease how able they were to help.

The more I thought of it, the more it seemed like a reasonable conclusion. Well. Once the battle was over, if that were true, they wouldn't have to worry any longer.

I was distracting myself so I didn't think about what I was doing.

I heard the Roosevelt Island Tramway creaking above me, Riley, Kayla, and Austin's gondola slowly coming my way. I decided, then, that this was as good a place as any to plant my feet. To hold on to my knife. To half-pretend that I was alone in this.

And to wait.

It didn't take too long. Only a few minutes after my siblings found their place in the air, coming to a shaky stop, I heard the first sound of a stampede on the horizon. not a stampede, but an army. A steady, heavy chorus of footsteps.

I took a deep breath.

The bridge was so long that it was very hard to see the monsters as they appeared, line by line. But little by little, a million eyes appeared to me in the dark. Gold and red and pure white. Empousae and Scythian dracaenas and beasts I'd never seen in my life.

A shiver ran down my spine.

I had to consciously try not to glance up at the tram gondola. With all the trusses above the bridge, it was almost hard to see it. This was good for my siblings' luck at confusing the monsters, but it wasn't good for their aim. I think Kayla was the only perfect shot out of the three of them.

I wished Aria was there.

Or maybe Lucas. Maybe he'd throw himself in front of me, too.

The moment I could see the shine on a dracaena's blade, I ran.

"There's a half blood!" somebody shouted. "Get her!"

Good. That was exactly I wanted. Make them think I had something to hide.

Adrenaline and terror pumping through me, I jumped onto the nearest truss. Luckily, they were still far enough away that I had time to start climbing up. It was no different than climbing a playground apparatus, except that I was hundreds of feet in the air and dodging both monsters and arrows. Easy!

Just as I pulled myself up, the first arrow flew, then a second and a third. Two of them hit dracaena, immediately turning them to dust, and the nearest foot soldiers freaked out.

"What in Tartarus' name!" an empousae shouted. "Where did they come from."

I thought quick, looking up into the maze of steel above us, pretending I was looking for someone. The empousae saw it, then pointed that way. "Up there! There must be more half bloods."

And so, I kept my siblings' location safe, and got them to start chasing me.

I made it to the first level of metal, feeling a little woozy. This was no different from all my other times at a high level, but every time I was at a high level, I was screwed. Kind of like snakes and trains. The gondola was almost an air-train. Was this really a crossing of all my worst fears?

"Betcha you can't climb up here," I said, feeling villainous. I had nothing left to lose. "Come and try."

But the empousae couldn't get their hybrid legs to lock into the holes in the steel, and the draecanae didn't have legs. I watched as they struggled, hearing more arrows whizzing past me to get the monsters behind me, who were distracted by my act. Then, a problem arose - the beasts I'd never seen before, giant, 10 feet tall humanoids with muscular arms. not only could they climb, but there were a lot of them. Suddenly, I felt like I was in Galaga, and too many ships were coming then I could manage.

I had to jump down, but I was too high up; I'd break my ankles. Panic rose in my throat. I'd never see my dog ever again. I'd never see my parents again. I'd never see my cabin again. I'd never see Alec again.

Then, the one nearest me fell off, shot by an arrow. He exploded with a burst of gold dust; in his wake, there was Riley.

In a split second, my heart nearly burst.

"Riley!" I exclaimed. If she'd made it all the way down here from the tram, she had to have started climbing down before the monsters even got here. And she would've been risking her safety more than even I was.

"Come on!" she exclaimed. "Get back to back to me!"

So I did as she said, and while she kept her balance, I held on to the beam above me like it was a car door handle. As our backs hit each other, I shouted, "I'm sorry!"

"You don't need to be!" she exclaimed. "And neither do I!"

She didn't say this confidently, but emotionally. It felt like a declaration of our trust in each other. Tears hit my eyes.

I swung my knife like it was the weapon I'd always had.

With me slicing at everything that came my way, making giants fall, and Riley shooting them before they could get close enough to her, we survived. There were arrows from Kayla and Austin flying all around us; little by little, I saw the enemy battalion thin out. But we could not take care of everybody. With the holes in our line, several dracaena made it through to the other side of the bridge. After all, they were not here to kill us, but to make their way to Olympus.

For a moment, I almost just let them go. Then I jumped down.

"AJ!" Riley exclaimed, but my ankles didn't feel the pressure. If I could do anything, I could run.

I ran after them, stabbing one in the back. next thing I knew, another one had been shot at by Riley; I could tell based on the golden arrow. Part of me wanted to freak out because she'd shot in my direction and could've hit me, but I knew her. 3 summers, and she'd never abandoned me once. Maybe she was crazy for it, but she did love me.

She just trusted herself.

I turned to see her, a sight in the night light, shooting from every angle, unafraid of the heights. And I saw the string linking us, the blood of the god of the sun. I felt pride like I'd never felt before.

I swung my arm back and stabbed a draecana just as it snuck up on me.

Finally, there was only one more near me. I turned, facing it down, but it was still a few steps from me. Maybe I shouldn't call it it. Maybe she would be better.

Because I recognized this one.

This one was the one who'd taunted me outside of the entrance of Camp. Who'd forced me to run from the campground my parents and I were staying at. On whom I'd used Liakada for the first time. Her yellow, slit eyes went to my hand, as if to make a mark of the lack of the sword in my hand.

"Daughter of Sssun," she said. "It's ssso good to sssee you again."

I could've sworn she'd called me the Daughter of Song that first time. The fact that that was what my mind had jumped to made me pause.

"Sssomething wrong?" she asked.

"When you think of me," I said. "What do you think of?"

The battle was still raging on its last legs behind us, but I was acting casual. She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm ssssorry?"

"You heard what I sssaid," I said, mocking her (then feeling bad, because did that count as a speech impediment?). I took a step towards her. "You call me Daughter of Sssun. Why associate me with the sun when I don't wield sun powers?"

"What elsssse should I call you?" the dracaena asked, bewildered. "Daughter of... of... "

"Daughter of Apollo," I said. "God of everything, bitch."

She gasped at my swearing, then I jumped forward and stabbed her in the heart.

As she exploded into dust, I briefly felt bad again. She wasn't a bitch just because she was a foot soldier. I'd be a foot soldier for the Titan Army too if the other side was constantly assuming I was evil just based on my body.

Gods. Being the daughter of the God of Everything made me too centrist.

I wiped sweat from my forehead. Suddenly, everything I'd just been through physically came to me - the pain in my ankles (though my body was apparently starting to get used to the shock of falling from tall heights), the utter lack of air in my lungs. And the insane giddiness of the fact that I was alive, and my sister loved me.

I tipped my head back and laughed.

"AJ!" Riley exclaimed again, just as I fell to my knees. "Are you-"

She dropped down beside me too, looking in my eyes for something to be concerned about. Then that part of her faded as it dawned on her, too. She started to chuckle, then she laughed, too. The two of us howled like hyenas. If Kayla and Austin could see us from the tram, they must've thought we were crazy.

Maybe we were.

~ ☼ ~

A/n: T_T

I have a very interesting relationship with Riley, who, when I first created her, looked and also acted very different. She was white, shy, and played by Lucy Hale. That's how you know I created her in 2013 xD

Developing her over the course of the series has been a lot of fun and I love her so much <3 Shout out to my Riley out there, you know who you are ;)

Please vote if you liked this chapter <3