Reyna's POV

"The time has come." Chiron had declared in the meeting. The one Thals and I had missed. Annabeth wasted little time catching us up and thankfully didn't ask questions as to why we's been absent.

"Chiron's received messages from all of the groups trying to contain the threat. It's over." Annabeth shook her head, her grey eyes hard with determination. "Everyone's regrouping here. Even those from across the globe. Hell, almost all of Russia is frozen in the shadows, Africa too, and even Europe. Not to mention the entire west coast as well."

"Why would everyone pool here?" Thalia asked in confusion. "Isn't that making us all a group of sitting ducks?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Chaos will be wherever Thia is. She's nearby. He won't wait long. Everyone needs to armor up. We're meeting our allies at the base of the Empire State Building."

"Then what?" I asked.

"We wait." Annabeth glanced about observing all of the campers running around in frantic states. "And we hope."

So that's how it happened. The start of it I suppose. All of us crowded on the street with varying armor and weapons. The reunions were very brief.

"It was no use. A retreat was necessary," Artemis grumbled catching Thalia by the arm in passing.

"So I've heard. Is everyone accounted for?" Thalia asked concern in her eyes.

"Some weren't...lucky." The conversation was left at that. Hylla was the next to join our group of warriors with tired and ragged looking Amazons in tow.

"Aye what happened to you?" Hylla's eyes widened as she took in Thalia's metal arm and leg. "Dios mio."

"Long story," I sighed. Hylla took my word for it and pulled me into a tight hug.

"You ready to kick some Chaos ass? I am. I'm tired of this chingada messing crap up." Of course Hylla would curse in Spanish. Because Hylla only did that when she was really angry, and Hylla was really angry.

"Ready as I'll ever be. Only I don't think anyone knows what to expect." In truth I was nervous. I had to be. For once I was running into a battle I had zero knowledge on. There was almost no strategy in place.

"That's what makes it fun yeah?" Hylla gave me a tiny smile before turning her attention to her warriors.

The next group to join us was full of lean and intimidating women. Their skin were gorgeous shades of black and brown. They were lean with strong muscles rippling beneath skin and armor.  Their armor was full of color and the leader was tall. She reminded me of a panther. She was definitely dangerous.

"So this is the city life?" She questioned, accent thick and smooth. Only Artemis seemed to know her and a look of amusement flashed on her features.

"Indeed it is Tau. Don't tell me your skills will be hindered by the new environment," Artemis mused. The African woman scoffed though a look of very faint mirth rested in her eyes at Artemis' suggestion.

"Certainly not. The Wild is far more dangerous than concrete." Artemis laughed at this and I caught an impressed look on Hylla's face. My poor sister was intimidated. How adorable, it was going to get much worse.

The next to appear were pale skinned women who also knew Artemis. It appeared the goddess had reached far and wide to call allies to arms. They were Russians, loud, proud, and very strong. Large shields rested on their backs and even bigger weapons such as axes and maces graced their belts.

I had never seen so many demigods in one place let alone so many reinforcements. The crowd gathered now would trump all of New Rome combined. Perhaps a real fighting chance would be in their favor.

"This is actually incredible," Thalia breathed, looking around as everyone intermingled and dissolved into ranks mostly at Annabeth's and Maria's discretion.

"I feel very small," Percy admitted, stepping up next to us. "I thought Annabeth was scary. There's a Russian lady with a tattoo of tally marks on how many monsters she's killed. Her arms practically a rainbow of ink."

"Awe, is wittle Percy fwightened?" Thalia teased, earning a half hearted glare from him.

"Guys look." On the horizon it was nearly mesmerizing and petrifying to see the darkness crawl across the skyline and scenery. In the distance you could see people freeze in place. Outdoor cats stopped moving and lights in buildings were no longer yellow.

The others soon spotted the sensation as well and all conversation or anxious movement died. A leaf could have hit the ground and it would have mirrored an explosion.

"So this is it huh?" Thalia asked.

"Yeah. It's close but it feels so far away." It was almost like I wanted to stand there watching it creep closer. "It's kind of...pretty."

"Peaceful in a way," Thalia nodded, glancing at me from the corner of her eyes. "What do you think it'd be like?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, peeling my eyes away from the horizon.

"If it just washed over us. Would it hurt?" She questioned.

"No. No, it doesn't." I remembered being stuck inside of it. It was almost like sleeping, harmless in a way.

"Good." Thalia smiled, shakily gripping the shield she'd borrowed. It fit awkwardly in her hand. It was clear she was used to her other one.

There wasn't much to do except to wait. Wait until the dark mass billowed to a standstill in front of us. At first it was just like a dark fog. Confusion rippled through the crowd until the smoke condensed into a single form. A being of both substance and wispy essence. Like a section of space itself settled in front of us.

"I was not expecting a welcoming party." The voice itself was unnerving. It echoed nearly like surround sound, as if Chaos itself may have been standing in front of you, but he was a million other places at once.

"What did you expect?" It took me a moment to realize it was Nico who had spoken up. Still one of the bravest of us all.

"You all realize you will be smothered as everyone else in this world has been?" Chaos' eyes travelled slowly across the ranks.

"Your army will have to take us first." Tau, the African leader, jutted her jaw in challenge. "I guarantee it will be quite a fight."

"I do not doubt it." The deep chuckle that followed his words rumbled like thunder. "Is it the girl you seek to protect?"

Silence.

"You understand she will be here shortly. She knows her fate. Those poor children." Chaos shook his head in dismay. "Why must a challenge be issued? You need more blood on your hands?"

"I fight for the innocent. The ones you are killing because you lack faith and clear sight." The Russian leader seemed completely in her element.

"What about who've died to protect this world? If you end everything their sacrifices will be in vain. I will not lose more of my family," Hylla growled, her eyes narrowing like a wolf's.

"I may despise men but I believe in the good of humanity. Humans were made to be flawed. It is no surprise their intentions are often riddled with dirty deeds." Artemis tilted her head drawing her bow string taught. "Are you not a man? Is it a sin that I despise the very gender who has sinned through time and space? If you are one of them should you not suffer as well?"

It was a good question. One even Chaos seemed surprised by. Only a calm seemed to settled over him and he smiled. Even if it had been kind of didn't look comforting. "My suffering is my eternal existence my dear. I expect you to understand such hardships."

The darkness behind Chaos began to writhe and slowly creatures of the night, monsters yet known to the earth, crept into daylight. Chaos' eyes trailed across the crowd once again until they settled on Thalia and I.

"Ah, I wondered when I would find the both of you." I caught sight of Thalia stiffen with caution next to me. Hand gripping her spear tightly with white knuckles.

"What do you want?" My voice carried out across the space, tone harsh and biting.

"I can feel the weight of your souls. They are the heaviest I have felt in a while. You have cheated death time and time again. Your burdens have yet to be paid for." Chaos held up a hand and the monsters gathering by the hundreds went still behind him.

"What do you mean? We've all paid enough." Thalia growled. "You have no idea what we've all been through, the things we've lost, the things we've do-"

"The things you've done?" Chaos laughed though it was without humor this time. "Child I know very well the things you've all done. I know that Perseus Jackson aided his mother in turning his step father to stone. That Jason Grace betrayed his friends. That Grey Di Angelo spent his time in an adoption center where he was tormented by other kids until he finally snapped and pummeled them into a pulp. I know that you, Reyna, killed your father along with two demigods in an arena. That you Thalia, slaughtered your friend in cold blood and dozens of others. I know that you, Artemis, stabbed out the eyes of Orion and have turned many people into animals for hunting practice. I know that you Tau from Africa poisoned your sister as a means to escape her tyranny."

"Such actions were justified," I argued.

"Justification does not excuse the action itself. You've all run free for far too long on this planet. I am here to ensure my wife's reign continues unhindered. Order must be restored and it is time you all pay for your choices justified or not." Chaos lowered his hand and the hundreds of beasts became restless.

"So this is how it is then?" Percy asked, twirling his blade.

"Indeed young Jackson. The girl will be here soon enough. You cannot prevent fate." Chaos turned his back to us and his body dissolved into shadow. The moment he disappeared the monsters charged forward. It seemed to happen in slow motion. The snarling black beasts lunged eagerly toward the crowd of demigods surging forward in unison.

Arrows of silver flew by in my peripheral, shields were raised and locked into place as spear tips and swords glinted in the light. Battle cries mingled together in a mighty roar while feet thundered on asphalt. Water rose from the ground roiling in turmoil. The shadows reached greedily to consume the monsters and the sky burst open.

Suddenly it all exploded in sound. Demigod met beast. Thalia slammed her shield into the nose of a four legged saber toothed scaly monster. It was halted in its tracks, her spear quickly piercing its hide. Tossing my blade to her I pulled the spear free and spun slicing down a flying terror.

It was hard to believe that mere hours ago we had been in bed and now we were fighting a war. Then again, that seemed to sum up a majority of our lives.

"Thalia?"

"Yeah?" She called, ducking a clawed swipe of a monster's hand before blasting it back with a gust of air.

"It's time for you to run." She didn't need me to speak a second time. Her shield was abandoned along with her weapon and she drew two glistening knives. Lightning crackled around her, blue electricity snapping in the air, until a loud bang sounded and she was gone. Almost like she'd teleported, only she hadn't, and you could tell. Because the ground was steaming from friction and a clean slice through the thick horde of monsters had been made.

Refocusing on the fight at hand I began to cut through monster after monster. The only problem was that where one fell and dissolved into shadow another clambered from the dark depths of Chaos. We were surrounded on all sides.

Maybe he was right. It was a pointless fight. But he was wrong in one regard, we didn't have to pay for our sins or anyone else's. He had to pay for his own; and that was threatening my family, killing my daughter's friend, and lastly...asking her to join him or die for a world she had not created.