The General

Y/N couldn't help but hold his hand all the way until they reached the summit. It was a way of assuring Percy for the time being. She knew if they made it out, then it will all go back to how it always has been and she would get hurt all over again. It was better to give him a 'yes' for the time being.

A few yards ahead of them, gray clouds swirled in a heavy vortex, making a funnel cloud that almost touched the mountaintop, but instead rested on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old girl with auburn hair and a tattered silvery dress: Artemis, her legs bound to the rock with celestial bronze chains. This is what Percy had seen in his dream. It hadn't been a cavern roof that Artemis was forced to hold. It was the roof of the world.

"My lady!" Zoe rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now."

Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat. None of them had ever seen a goddess in pain before, but the weight of the sky was clearly too much for Artemis. Zoe was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests and tugged at the chains.

A booming voice spoke behind: "Ah, how touching."

They turned. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaena bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Annabeth stood at Luke's side. She had her hands cuffed behind her back, a gag in her mouth, and Luke was holding the point of his sword to her throat.

And the other hand, quite noticeably on her waist. They were standing close. Y/N was sure that if it was her in place of Annabeth, Luke would've probably killed her by now or at least hurt her enough so that she wouldn't be able to move. She slowly released her own hand from Percy's hold, which made him look at her for a second. They didn't exactly have the time to talk about it.

She couldn't pinpoint it exactly but there was clearly some kind of tension in the air between them. Y/N met her eyes, trying to ask her a thousand questions. There was just one message she was sending, though: RUN.

"Luke," Thalia snarled. "Let her go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked even worse than he had three days ago in D.C. "That is the General's decision, Thalia. But it's good to see you again."

Thalia spat at him.

The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

"Do not respond," Artemis groaned. "Do not challenge him."

"Wait a second," Percy said. "You're Atlas?"

The General glanced at him. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoe, " Percy said. "I won't let you."

The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter."

Y/N frowned, "A family matter?"

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father. Let Artemis go."

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, 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.

"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."

Y/N looked at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to tell Percy something. She motioned her head toward Luke. But instead of focusing on what she was trying to say, Y/N noticed something about her had changed. Her blond hair was now streaked with gray.

"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered as if she'd read her mind. "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, the Titans. 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 them, studying Thalia and Percy. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

Y/N wanted to scoff at his comment. He might be Atlas but Percy defeated Ares in a fight and Thalia defeated a ton of monsters alone. They were deserving of the title as a matter of fact.

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

"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."

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 them a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus.

"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?"

"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 Annabeth. Let her go."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like old times. The three 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."

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, they saw images in the mist all around: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around, made of fear and shadow.

"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. This is only a taste of what is to come. Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, her eyes full of pain as if the only thing she wanted in the world was to believe him. Then she leveled her spear. "You aren't Luke. I don't know you anymore."

Even Y/N hated seeing Luke like this. So desperate for something that might destroy him. How could he not see that if Kronos rose, any mistake against him would make Luke cost his life? Was it worth it? For what was he doing this? All she could think of is how there has to be something that hurt him enough to pull this off. Who was he so angry at? Was he just bottling up all this rage instead of opening up to those half-bloods who actually cared for him? It made her feel worse when she thought of how Luke must've been using these same emotions to lure in more half-bloods on his side. Like he was just doing with Thalia.

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

There was no time. If that army got to the top of the hill, they would be overwhelmed. Percy met Annabeth's eyes again. She nodded.

He looked at Thalia, Zoe, and Y/N, and decided it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to die fighting with friends like this.

"Now," Percy said.

Together, they charged.

Thalia went straight for Luke. Percy attacked the Titan Lord Atlas.

He laughed as Percy approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"

"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"

He swung his sword, and Atlas knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. Percy flew through the air and slammed into a black wall. It wasn't Mist anymore. The palace was rising, brick by brick. It was becoming real.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside arrows from Y/N and Zoe. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"

The mention of Ares sent a jolt through Percy. He shook off his daze and charged again. If he could get to that pool of water, he could double his strength.

The javelin's point slashed toward him like a scythe. He raised Riptide, planning to cut off his weapon at the shaft, but his arm felt like lead. The sword suddenly weighed a ton. And he remembered Ares's warning, spoken on the beach in Los Angeles so long ago: When you need it most, your sword will fail you.

He tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. Percy slammed to the ground, his head spinning. He looked up and found he was at the feet of Artemis, still straining under the weight of the sky.

"Run, boy," she told me. "You must run!"

Atlas was taking his time coming toward him. Y/N didn't know what was wrong with Percy and why he was finding it difficult to fight with his sword, but she knew she had to do something. Clearly, immortals who have incredible strength, just had one little flaw when it came to fights. That is, they made everything look dramatic. Sure, they were strong and had the right to be proud and confident.

But there was something way different in the case of this generation. With the increase in population and decrease in job opportunities in every other field, this generation knows how to run and not waste a single moment if it was beneficial in some way. The competition is high. If they know a way to utilize their brain and body, work minimally and get the most profitable results, they would do it without hesitation. Y/N always cursed at her generation and the previous ones for several reasons. But this was probably the first time ever, that she felt a sense of pride.

And Atlas was probably very, very outdated about this fact. The current generation is known to be selfish but they know how and when to raise their voices. He would in no way expect a fight with Apollo's kid - someone insignificant and unworthy of attention. Someone who's not a kid of the Big Three. His little leisure walk towards Percy would give him enough time to come up with something. All she had to do is keep Atlas occupied with herself.

Percy's sword was gone. It had skittered away over the edge of the cliff. It might reappear in his pocket—maybe in a few seconds—but it didn't matter. He'd be dead by then. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Y/N sang a hymn to increase her strength of attacks. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands.

"Die, little hero," Atlas said.

He raised his javelin to impale Percy.

"You slow-poke!" Y/N yelled, and a volley of burning arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas's armor.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward Y/N.

Percy reached down and felt Riptide back in his pocket. He couldn't fight Atlas, even with a sword. And he knew Y/N was already having a hard time fighting him, even from a distance. She couldn't use all of her moves freely, knowing it would hurt her friends, especially Annabeth who was still tied down. All she was able to use were shockwaves and arrows full of fire, using a dome of heat as a defense. Her special bow and arrow finally worked but clearly, it wasn't enough to stop Atlas. Then a chill went down his back. He remembered the words of the prophecy: The Titan's curse must one withstand.

He couldn't hope to beat Atlas. But there was someone else who might stand a chance.

"The sky," He told the goddess. "Give it to me."

"No, boy," Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat, like quicksilver.

"You don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"

"Annabeth took it!"

"She barely survived. She had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long. Your other friend might."

"No! I'll die anyway," he said, knowing the reason the goddess had hope for Y/N just like Annabeth, "Give me the weight of the sky!"

Y/N couldn't keep her dome of heat any longer. She was already tired enough to use a huge amount of energy for shockwaves. She was itching to sing the hymn to deafen Atlas, but he wouldn't be the only one affected by it.

"You put up a good fight for a little girl," Atlas said, knowing she was too tired to use any more shockwaves. But she was a bit glad to know that he actually learned something out of the experience. Not to lose a single second. He walked towards Y/N with long strides and swept her aside with the back of his hand, sending her flying into the black rocks. She knew he was losing his mind watching her laugh at him. To laugh at someone much stronger than her when she was on the verge of death.

Slowly closing her eyes, she focused on healing herself with the little energy left, and whispered, "Shit."