𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐓𝐖𝐎
𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌

❛ and there she was, covered in
blood and dirt and still the
most beautiful girl in the world ❜

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐍 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊, "𝕷et Artemis go," Zoe sternly demanded.

From Aurora's spot next to Luke she watched with wide eyes at the confrontation before her. She desperately wanted to reach out and rejoin her friends, but the sharp sting of Backbiter pressing against her neck was a firm reminder that she still had obstacles to face. And unfortunately for her one of them was watching a family reunion.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoe opened her mouth to speak almost like she wanted to agree, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoe! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but the goddess bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

Serves him right, jackass.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

Percy looked at Aurora once again and met her eyes. She had already been trying to make eye contact with him. She wanted to let him know that Nathaniel was still chained up, and they needed to look for him, especially after the last state she'd seen him in. He was bleeding profusely from a wound on his head and his energy wasn't good. If their captors knew him, then they wouldn't risk him getting back to full strength. That'd be their worst possible scenario, a nightmare waiting to happen if the all mighty protector managed to escape.

Yet, as she was trying to communicate this to Percy . . . All he could do was stare at her. He hadn't noticed before, but something about her had changed. Her chocolate short hair was now streaked with gray.

Annabeth breathed out in wonder, "She actually carried it."

Percy blinked, "But her hair—"

"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered, "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, theTitans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape."

Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you." He approached the demigods causing Aurora to tense as he studying Thalia and Percy "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's see."

Aurora frowned. Leave it to Percy to challenge an all powerful being.

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," Percy said. Aurora really wanted to punch Percy in the arm.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia."As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful.

"Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to the group of demigods a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in blackmarble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. Aurora furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke . . ." Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

Aurora knew why she was hurting. After coming back to life and learning that one of your best friends turned to the dark side ( quite literally, Anakin style ) you wouldn't want to believe it . . . but here she was finally seeing it was all true. All the pain he caused, All the people he hurt came crashing down into one painful memory.

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

Thalia shook her head. "Free Aurora. Let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times, with you Annabeth," he gestured at the blonde girl next to Thalia. "The four of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia, if you don't agree . . ." His voice faltered. "It's my last chance. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

"Do not, Thalia," Zoe warned. "We must fight them."

Luke waved his hand again, and a fire appeared. A bronze brazier, just like the one at camp. A sacrificial flame.

"Thalia," Percy said. "No."

Annabeth nodded in agreement with Percy, "Don't do it Thalia. Look at how he has Aurora."

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Thalia. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean, and Aurora's heart fell. Her eyes widen in panic as she saw the scene. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, and many more.

The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds, many more than Aurora had seen on board last summer. And they were marching toward them. In a few minutes, they would be right with them. If that happened they'd be incredibly outnumbered. They wouldn't stand a chance.

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help," he glanced down at Aurora. "Aurora can also join us, her and Nathaniel. We'd be unstoppable."

Thalia narrowed her eyes and she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me . . .  Don't make him destroy you."

"Now!" Percy yelled and together, they charged. Thalia went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that three dragon women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wildanimal and counterattacked, after he threw Aurora to the side and yelled, "I'll deal with you later!"

When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

"Aurora!" Annabeth tried to run her way towards her best friend who desperately tried to free herself from the ties.

She swung her blade and ducked under various blows being sent to her from the dracnae around them. Trying to cave a path to Aurora.

She leant down, "You're okay," she ripped off the gag out of her mouth and frowned at her state. "Rory, What did they do to you?"

Aurora winced but felt grateful at her mouth completely free, "Nothing I couldn't handle, but they have Nate, brainiac. I have to find him."

Annabeth turned and glanced at the fight behind her. Percy was in dire need of help with his fight with Atlas and Zoe's face looked sickly ill. Thalia and Luke were still going at it, with Thalia having the upper hand.

She turned back to her sister and nodded, "I'll stay here and help out as much as I can," she used her knife to hack through Auroras binds. "Go find Nate and be careful."

Aurora gasped at the feeling of her hands free. She quickly embraced her best friend, "You too."

It took Aurora less than a minute to find her protector and her eyes welled up in tears at what she saw.

Nathaniel was beaten and bruised almost to the point where it was hard to recognize him. His nose was bleeding, his mouth looked busted and was drooling with blood. He had two black eyes which were swollen and leaking even more blood. His head was hung low and his arms were chained above him. The closer she looked the more she realized that there were cuts all over his body. The way she figured that out was because he was shirtless and his skin was a bright red, a big contrast to his peachy tanned skin.

They were torturing him to ensure he wouldn't gain any of his energy back.

Aurora rushed over and knelt in front of him, her bottom lip quivering in emotion, "Na-Nate! Oh gods! Why did they do this?"

Nate slowly lifted up his head and his eyes widen when he saw the girl in front of him. His mouth dripped with blood, "What did they do to you?"

Aurora shook her head, "Sword!" Her sword appeared in her hand and she slammed it against the chains holding him up.

Nathaniel fell to the floor and groaned out in pain. Aurora rushed to his side and began to help him up. It was hard due to the fact that she was also recovering but she put in as much strength as she could.

"Nate, why are you here?"

Nathaniel glanced at the fourteen year old girl and sighed, "They took me."

Aurora furrowed her eyebrows, "How can they do that? Why couldn't you fight them?"

Nathaniel shook his head, "If I didn't comply they would kill me," he glanced at Aurora with a pained look in his eye. "I cant let that happen."

Aurora pursed her lips and chose not to ask anymore questions. She scrunched her face up in concentration, having a grown man putting his weight on you is pretty hard. However she did manage to successfully struggle towards the sky, and she didn't like what she saw.

Percy was carrying the sky, by himself like Aurora had previously done.

Nathaniel grinned, "Kids got heart, little dove. I can see why you like him so much."

Aurora panicked, "By the gods" she went to help him but was pulled back by Nathaniel.

"He'll be fine," he pointed at the fight between Atlas and Artemis. "Look"

"You fight well for a girl." Atlas laughed. "But you are no match for me."

Not only was he a jackass, but he was also sexist?!

He feinted with the tip of his javelin and Artemis dodged. Aurora's eyes widened at the upcoming trick, she went to help but Nathaniel kept a firm grip on her.

"This isn't your fight, little dove."

Atlas's javelin swept around and knocked Artemis's legs off the ground. She fell, and Atlas brought up his javelin tip for the kill.

Aurora struggled under Nathaniels grip but even though he was all bloodied and bruised, he was still really strong.

"No!" Zoe screamed. She leaped between her father and Artemis and shot an arrow straight into the Titan's forehead, where it lodged like a unicorn's horn.

Atlas bellowed in rage.

He swept aside his daughter with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks.

"Zoe!"

Then Atlas turned on Artemis with a look of triumph in his face. Artemis seemed to be wounded. She didn't get up.

"The first blood in a new war," Atlas gloated. And he stabbed downward. As fast as thought, Artemis grabbed his javelin shaft. It hit the earth right next to her and she pulled backward, using the javelin like a lever, kicking the Titan Lord and sending him flying over her, straight to Percy who was sweating like crazy.

As Atlas slammed into him, Percy let himself be pushed out of the way and rolled for all he was worth. The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky.

But it was too late.

"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!"

Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

Aurora ran towards Percy and helped him up. He leaned all of his weight on her and looked at her in the eyes, "I—I didn't catch you."

Aurora only sadly smiled, "And I didn't have your back, ocean eyes."

Ocean eyes.

Percy pulled her into a hug, "You always do."

Behind them, Thalia backed Luke to the edge of a cliff, but still they fought on, next to the golden coffin. Thalia had tears in her eyes. Luke had a bloody slash across his chest and his pale face glistened with sweat. He lunged at Thalia and she slammed him with her shield. Luke's sword spun out of his hands and clattered to the rocks. Thalia put her spear point to his throat. For a moment, there was silence.

"Well?" Luke asked. He tried to hide it, but everyone could hear fear in his voice. Thalia trembled with fury.

Aurora ran towards Thalia and gently shook her head. As much as she despised the boy after what she saw with Nate and what happened to her sister, killing was not an option. At least in her mind it wasn't. She gently placed a hand over Thalia's and lowered the sword.

Aurora gently shook her head, "He's not worth it, Thalia"

"He's a traitor," Thalia said. "A traitor!"

Aurora nodded, "He is," she affirmed. "But killing him will mean we're not better than him."

Thalia seemed to take a look at Auroras gray streak before her eyes hardened, "Too bad," she knocked her hand back and swung.

Annabeth rushed forward but was too late, "No!"

CRACK!

The momentum of the swing sent Luke sprawling over the cliff.

Everyone rushed to the cliff's edge. Below them, the army from the Princess Andromeda had stopped in amazement. They were staring at Luke's broken form on the rocks.

"Kill them!"

Percy pulled her back as a wave of javelins sailed over their heads.

They ran for the rocks, ignoring the curses and threats of Atlas as they passed.

"Artemis!" Percy yelled.

The goddess looked up, her face almost as grief-stricken as Thalia's and Aurora's. Zoe lay in the goddess's arms. She was breathing. Her eyes were open.

Nate knelt down across from Artemis and sighed, "The wound is poisoned," he told her. "I can sense it."

"Atlas poisoned her?" Annabeth asked.

"No," the goddess said. "Not Atlas."

She showed them the wound in Zoe's side. Aurora didn't know how the huntress received the cut and chose not to ask. The timing was far too inappropriate.

"The stars," Zoe murmured. "I cannot see them."

"Nectar and ambrosia," Percy said. "Come on! We have to get her some."

No one moved. Grief hung in air. The army of Kronos was just below the rise. Even Artemis was too shocked to stir. Aurora clenched her fists together, until she heard a familiar high frequency burst.

Just as the army of monsters came over the hill, a red and gold suit flew over their heads. Followed by the loud strumming of an electric guitar.

cause I'm back in black!

The machine gun on his back burst to life along with her father's thrusters. The machine gun peppered the ground with bullet holes and startled the whole group of monsters into scattering.

Aurora's eyes lit up at her father injuring as many monsters on sight, "Dad!" She yelled in excitement.

Tony turned, "Aurora for once in your life listen to me and Run!"

This shook Artemis out of her grief. She stared up at the suit, "A brave man," Artemis said with grudging approval. "Come, We must get Zoe away from here."

She raised her hunting horn to her lips, and its clear sound echoed down the valleys of Marin. Zoe's eyes were fluttering.

Tony attacked again. A few giants threw javelins, and one flew straight at the red and gold suit, but the machine guns blazed.

The first row of snake women wailed as the machine gun's volley blew them into sulfurous yellow powder.

As Aurora watched her father in amazement pain erupted in her stomach. She gasped and glanced down only to be met by a tip of a sword sprouting through her stomach.

"Aurora!" She heard Percy yell.

As she fell down she turned so she landed on her back. She could already taste the iron in her mouth. She clutched at the wound on her stomach as she looked up to her attacker.

It was Natalie.

She had a sad smile on her face, "I told you, Rory . . ." She twirled the sword. "You reap what you sow."

— NAT TALKS !

LOL

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