Chapter 68: Despina puts Atlas in his place

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Hey, it's me again! With a brand new chapter, it's 3600 words long which was around 2000 words longer than I intended. Anyway next chapter will be shorter but not less important.

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' Percy '

...

"This is it." Thalia said when we reached the summit.

"Losing or winning." Bianca muttered, she was pale, and she looked terrified, which was not surprising considering the situation.

"Today we save Artemis or die trying." Zoë said with a faint smile.

"The moment we've all been waiting for." I said looking at Artemis who was trapped under the sky. Her silver dress was tattered, her skin looked dirty but her silver eyes were still filled with life, but for how long?

On her shoulders she carried the sky, a vortex of gray clouds forming a funnel that rested upon Artemis, making it look like she was being crushed.

"My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Nyx said while trying to look dangerous.

Thalia and I glared at Nyx, "Seriously? What has that to do with this?" I asked.

"Stop being so dramatic." Britomartis said and the Nemean lion shook his manes and his claws were out ready to kill.

Nyx had created a shield of darkness that would obscure our presence, though she could not keep it up for long.

Even though we saw no one except Artemis I knew that it would not be that easy.

We dashed forward to Artemis. Zoë had a determined look on her face, ready to do anything to free Artemis.

"Don't!" Artemis cried out when she saw us running towards us, her voice was shaky and it was clear talking hurt a lot. I had to stop the urge to offer her a few Strepsils.

"It's a trap." Artemis managed.

Zoë scowled, "I don't care. We came to rescue you!" while she said that, she followed my advice. She uncapped Riptide and slashed through the chains that restrained Artemis, even though she was still trapped it would save a few seconds of time.

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

I sighed and turned, followed by my friends. Atlas was standing there, wearing his silk brown suit.

On his left side stood Despina, who looked like she hadn't slept in years, she was pale and her eyes were red like she had cried a lot.

On Atlas's right side stood Luke Castellan, my spy, holding his sword against Annabeth's throat.

Behind Atlas stood the golden sarcophagus of Kronos surrounded by wolves who were standing on it, baring their fangs.

I counted around 15 of them, the biggest one morphed into human, wearing clothes made of ragged animal skins.

Lycaon.

'Wow, how many times did you run into him?' Hemera asked.

'Too often.' I complained, 'He just doesn't want to die.'

'Where does he get those wolves? I thought I burned all of them last time.' I asked.

'Lycaon has packs spread all over the land.' Hemera explained.

'Well, that is reassuring.' I told her.

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

Luke gave me a painful look, I had told him that the only way he could survive was falling down and almost dying. My best advice ever.

"I can't," Luke said, "Thalia join me, together we can destroy the gods."

Thalia gritted her teeth, I knew she had a hard time seeing Luke like this. She knew he was acting, but Luke still looked terrible.

"Stuck it in your butt!" Thalia snapped, "Now free Annabeth."

"And Artemis," Britomartis added, "Don't forget her."

It was like Atlas just noticed Britomartis, "What are you doing here? They didn't told me about you joining this suicide quest."

They, then I realized he was talking about Triumvirate.

Britomartis huffed, "Well, I'm here to release Artemis and put you back under your burden."

Rebel roared in agreement.

"I'm not going back," Atlas said with a smirk, I am a Titan, you are a minor Goddess."

"Plus five Demigods," I sneered.

Atlas looked at me, "Perseus Jackson, I see you came to."

I grimaced, "Someone needs to put you in your place."

Nyx chuckled, 'I get it, since his place is the sky.'

Atlas grinned, "Good luck trying Perseus."

"Besides," Bianca said, "We got the Ophiotaurus, and he's far away. Out of your reach."

Atlas grinned, "You demigods always make the same mistake. We don't need it. We got better monsters. Better allies-"

"Better speech writers?" Nyx asked with a smile, "Certainly not."

I glanced at my friends and saw that every single one of us was determined and ready to attack.

"Now." I said.

We each choose our own target.

Thalia charged at Luke, ready to push him of the edge. Her shield caused the wolves to stay away from her.

Shield met sword and sword clashed against spear.

Nyx shadow traveled on top of Rebel and charged at Lycaon, holding her whip in her hand and screaming in excitement. Rebel leaped over the wolves and pounded them, slamming them against the walls of the reforming palace.

Zoë charged at her father with Riptide followed by Britomartis who held a pair of hunting knives and Bianca who had her bow out and shot an arrow at Atlas's armor.

I charged at my sister, Frostsilver in my right hand and my left hand was set on fire. Flames were licking on my skin but did not burn nor hurt me.

While my friends were attacking a Titan, wolves and Luke I decided it was the best moment for therapy.

Despina held the ice shield in her right hand and had a long broadsword made of ice.

I unleashed a series of swipes and attacks upon Despina, she blocked all of them with either her sword or shield but made no attempt to attack me, normally I would think she was trying to tire me out but I knew she was trying to fake loosing.

I stopped attacking her and pointed Frostsilver at the ground, "Despina, I had dreams about you."

Despina smirked though I saw pain in her eyes, "Percy, I know I'm hot but I'm your sister."

I blushed, "Not that kind of dreams.,"

Despina lashed out with her sword but I paired it, "I mean dreams about your past, about how you wanted to die."

Despina stopped dead in her tracks, "You did what?" she asked angrily.

"Apollo," I quickly said, "He's been sending me dreams."

I was not sure about this, and I might be struck by a golden arrow from Apollo. However, nothing happened.

Despina eyed me suspiciously, "Why would Apollo sent you dreams about me?"

"Because he cares about you." I said and Despina frowned, A wolf suddenly lunged at me but an ice spike materialized straight through his open throat.

I glanced at Despina, "Despina I know you are not evil or something."

Despina laughed, "I'm not?"

I shook my head, "You want me to kill you."

Despina frowned, "Stop talking and start fighting."

I dropped Frostsilver to the ground.

"No." I said, "I won't fight you."

Despina lunged forward, her sword aimed at my throat but I remained unmoving.

She stopped in front of me and stopped the sword an inch away from my throat.

Her face was close to mine, her blue eyes pierced through mine, challenging me to do something.

"Why won't you fight?" Despina sneered, but I saw she was on the point of breaking.

"Because you are my sister." I said and tried to give her my warmest smile, "I love you."

"A bit to quick isn't it?" Despina asked with a shaking voice, her hands were trembling and her sword was still at my throat.

I shook my head, "You are just like me, snarky, sarcastic but over all caring, You held back when we fought, helped us with the helicopters even prevented that Lycaon would blow up our van."

Despina's expression softened, "So what?"

I sighed in exasperation, "You are my sister, Apollo helped me to see this. You don't want to die. You want someone to care for you." I said with as much Soulspeak I could put into my voice.

Despina was sobbing, "You're lying, The Fates made sure I would never be loved."

I raised my hands and pushed the sword down. Despina let me.

"I do, and I don't care about Fate." I said and surprised Despina by hugging her.

"Wha-" She began, but I pulled her closer and hugged her tightly, letting the flames of the hearth fill her with hope.

It was weird because Despina was taller than me but right now I couldn't care less.

"I'm your brother Despina. You don't need to be alone anymore, if you want you, can even come to camp and hang out with me."

Despina buried her face in my shoulder, and I felt she was crying, "You think you can do that? Love me?" she stuttered.

I nodded and patted her on the shoulder, "I already love you and I promise you once this quest is over we are going to hang out together. I won't betray you like your parents did, I swear on the river Styx."

Thunder boomed, and Atlas looked up from his fight and saw I was hugging Despina.

"Despina!" he cried out, "What are you doing?"

Despina pushed me away and glared at Atlas, "Sorry but I changed sides." and she smiled at me, "Together brother?"

I nodded, "Together."

...

' Zoë '

...

'Three hunters fighting a Titan, winning or dying alongside my sisters. There were worse ways to die.' Zoe thought.

She held Riptide in her hand and slashed at her father, but Atlas parried it with ease and stopped Riptide. Somehow Zoë knew this sword didn't like her.

It was a gut feeling, nothing more but the sword did not seem to cooperate, she had seen Percy fighting with it and it was like Percy and Riptide were one.

Zoë only felt the sword trying to be heavy and annoy Zoë in any way possible.

Maybe she was going crazy.

While Zoë blocked her father's javelin Britomartis appeared on his right flank and lashed out with her hunting knives, Atlas was not even impressed.

He kicked Britomartis so hard that she swung against a pillar.

That didn't stop the Goddess of Nets.

A bow appeared in her hand, and she began shooting arrows at Atlas a few pierced into his armor but most of them were blocked by his javelin.

Zoë saw an opportunity and lunged forward, but Atlas was the general of the Titans for a reason.

When Zoë lunged at her father, he stepped away, making Zoë stumble and an arrow almost hit her in the face, she had positioned herself between Britomartis and Atlas rendering herself useless.

'I should've seen that coming,' Zoë thought as she gritted her teeth.

The javelin slashed at Zoë, and she managed to roll away.

With one glance Zoë saw that Bianca had trouble keeping the wolves away from her and Britomartis.

Nyx was still riding on the Nemean lion's back but the wolves were more agile than Rebel and managed to dodge most of his attacks.

Then she saw Despina and Percy hugging, Atlas followed her gaze and cried out, "Despina, What are you doing."

Despina glared at Atlas, "Sorry but I changed sides."

Zoë let out a sigh of relief, Percy had told me how he hoped he could convince Despina to join our side and Zoë was truly glad for both of them.

Atlas gaze returned to Zoë, and he lashed out with his javelin again. Britomartis jumped over Zoë and parried the javelin with both her knifes, she was sweating and clearly having trouble blocking the strike, if she was a demigod she would be dead already, but she was a goddess.

But Atlas the Titan of endurance.

Atlas twisted his javelin making Britomartis stumble forwards.

Atlas slammed kicked Britomartis to the side, she crashed into a three wolves that had surrounded Bianca.

Two wolves fell to the ground, closed eyes and tongues hanging out of their mouths.

Bianca looked up in surprise, the remaining wolf took this moment of weakness and bit Bianca in the arm, dragging her down.

Bianca yelped and screamed, but the wolf's fangs were locked into her arm.

Britomartis threw one of her hunting knifes at the wolf and it immediately combusted into golden dust.

Zoë immediately knew that Bianca could no longer fight with a badly wounded arm.

Zoë got up and drew her bow, sending a volley of arrows at Atlas armpit chink in his armor.

"Argh!" he cried out and stepped back in pain. Zoë glanced at Britomartis, "Defend Bianca, I'll fight my father!"

"I'm not letting you fight against a Titan on your own." Britomartis said, she had her bow drawn and was ready to shoot every wolf that would dare to get close.

Zoë saw Atlas pulled the arrows out of his skin, and Zoë knew she only had a few seconds before Atlas would attack again.

"I'm fighting him. You protect Bianca, that's an order from your lieutenant." Zoë said determined, she could not let Bianca die.

As she said that a line from the prophecy ran through her head, One shall be slain by parent's hand.

'Well,' Zoë though, 'Let's make it count.'

She charged at Atlas with Riptide in her hand, she towards Atlas, and she felt the sword getting heavier in her hand, like it was trying to slow her down on purpose.

Zoë cursed when she reached her father and jumped up and was about to slash his throat, she fell the sword slip out of her hand and it fell useless to the ground.

Atlas laughed and waved his hand. Zoë was hit and crashed against the wall, her head was spinning.

She watched in fear as Atlas walked towards her. She desperately tried to look for a way out, her bow was useless against Atlas, maybe if he would be distracted by something else she could shoot at him, her hunting knives had no reach compared to Atlas's javelin.

Riptide, where was Riptide?

Zoë scanned the floor and noticed it was gone, 'Where is it?'

He raised his javelin, ready to impale Zoë.

"Don't think about it." Percy yelled, and he crashed into Atlas's side, his shoulder slamming into his stomach.

The armor-protected Atlas was not against the enormous power of a demigod who bumped into him.

Atlas stumbled, Percy suddenly held Riptide in his hand and lashed out at Atlas.

Atlas took another step back, dodging it and brought down his javelin like a scythe on Percy but before he could impale Percy a whirl storm of snow appeared in front of him.

In the snow storm stood Despina, she had her shield raised and blocked the attack, the force of the javelin against an unbreakable shield.

Despina struggled under the pressure and was forced back, her snow boots losing grip on the floor.

Percy stepped away from Despina's back and summoned Frostsilver and threw it Atlas's face.

When it was close, it suddenly combusted into a fireball, blinding Atlas.

Zoë got up and lunged at Atlas, who was now screaming in agony, being blinded by the flash of the swords.

Zoë stabbed in back of his knee.

Atlas roared in pain and blindly spun around, still holding his javelin.

Zoë dodged it but Percy who had the same idea to attack Atlas while he was blinded was hit by the shaft of the twirling javelin.

Percy slammed against a black pillar, he groaned from pain.

"No!" Despina screamed and threw her shield at Atlas, who recovered from being blinded, but Atlas slammed the shield out of the air and charged at Percy, determined to end his life.

Zoë shot a volley of arrows at Atlas's back, trying to stop him from charging at Percy but Atlas didn't flinch, he kept charging.

He lifted his javelin. Percy, who was still dazed, couldn't do anything to stop Atlas.

Despina screamed and disappeared in a flurry of snow and reappeared in front of Percy.

She screamed and raised her hands, like she was about to surrender, and an ice blast shot outwards but it was too late.

Atlas had already lashed out with his javelin and pierced it straight through Despina's chest before he was hit by the blast and flew to the other end of the room.

...

' Percy '

...

Right before my eyes Despina fell to the ground with a gaping hole in her chest, she gasped as blood spilled out of the wound, red blood.

I hurried over to my sister and saw she was dying. Blood soaked her dress, and her white hair was now drained in red.

"Despina!" I cried out, Zoë hurried to my side and watched the scene in horror.

Despina was heavenly breathing and with one hand she tried to close the wound but blood spilled through her fingers.

Despina saw us and smiled, "Hey." she managed.

"Despina, you're bleeding!" I said, trying to remain calm and stop myself from crying.

Her smile wavered, "Well, at least we know who got the brains from our father."

"Stop joking!" I cried out, "You're seriously wounded."

I summoned my backpack and was about to open it when Despina stopped me, she gently placed her hand on mine and whispered, "It's too late."

I choked back a sob, "No, I can fix this."

"We're running out of time brother." Despina said, still having the same warm smile on her face.

Atlas had recovered and charged at us, Zoë readied her bow and was about to shoot at Atlas when Despina waved her free hand at Atlas.

An ice spike summoned under his feet and penetrated it, Atlas let out a howl of pain but was stuck to the spike.

Despina smiled cruelly, "Atlas, I curse you. As long as the sky need to be carried and you aren't carrying it your Ichor will freeze." she said with such determination I felt the tension of the curse in hanging in the air.

"You can't curse me, you're a minor goddess. I AM A TITAN!" Atlas howled.

Despina smirked, "A curse placed with a final breath is powerful, even more powerful than a Titan."

As she spoke, the words ice began to creep up Atlas's body, it was a thin layer but it steadily kept growing and forming more ice. Atlas tried to move but his movements were getting slower and slower till the point the only unfrozen part of his body was his head.

Despina turned to me and Zoë, "That should keep him busy." she said with a smile.

"Despina, you can't do that." Zoë said, "A curse that powerful will kill you."

Despina smirked, "Well, good thing I'm already dying."

"That's not funny!" I cried out.

Despina sighed, "I'm dying, soon the Fates will cut my string."

"No, you can't!" I whispered, "This is my fault."

Despina's expression softened, "No, it's not."

"It is not your fault." Zoë said, and she placed her hand on my shoulder.

All around us the fighting had stopped, the ground was littered with dead wolves and arrows, Luke and Thalia were standing on the edge of the cliff, Thalia had her spear point at Luke's throat.

Britomartis had placed Bianca against a black rock and began feeding her Ambrosia.

"It is my fault, I shouldn't ask you to join me." I said.

Despina's expression changed to anger, "Don't." she demanded.

"Don't what?"

"Don't blame yourself. It was my own choice and the best choice I ever have made in my life." Despina said with a serene smile.

"NO!" I yelled, "You're literally dying!"

She frowned, "You keep repeating yourself brother. I made my choice, and I couldn't be happier."

The blood stopped spilling from her chest but not because the wound was healed, because there was nothing left to spill.

"Despina." I cried out, how could she take this so lightly?

Despina snapped her fingers and her shield, that had been lying on the other side of the room, flew towards her arm.

She managed to lift the shield and showed it to me.

"Take it." Despina demanded, "Take the shield."

"No, it's yours!" I said sternly.

"She's dying Percy. You have a better use for it." Zoë whispered softly.

"But-"

"Take it. I can foresee the future and you will need it."

I took the shield, and it automatically attached itself to my right arm.

Despina smiled proudly at me, "You begin to look like a real warrior."

She coughed and spit out blood and pink pieces of flesh.

Despina turned to face Zoë, "Zoë," She managed, "Please take care of my brother, he's got a knack for finding trouble."

Zoë slowly nodded,"I promise."

I was silent, not knowing what to say.

Despina turned to me, "I love you brother."

"I love you too." I whispered.

Her blue eyes stared at me, her blue lips still smiling, frozen in a mirthful laugh.

Slowly her body began to disintegrate into snow, her hair melted into the floor and soon there was nothing left than snow.

"She's gone." I whispered.

Zoë placed her hand on my shoulder. Her eyes were red.

"Maybe I can get her back from the underworld." I mumbled even though I knew that was impossible, she had faded.

"She can't come back," Zoë said miserably. "It happened just as it was supposed to."

"What do you mean?" I sobbed.

She looked into my eyes, with a shaking voice she said, "The prophecy, With final breath one shall betray."

I sobbed, why hadn't I seen it coming.

I lost my sister.

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So, big plot twist. Who expected this? All of you thought it was Luke, haha funny.

Please review and tell me your thoughts.

Also to answer a few of the questions you guys are probably gonna ask.

Why was Percy so weak?

-- ) He had not foreseen that Zoë would stab her father in the knee, which caused Atlas to spin wildly. If she hadn't done that he would've finished Atlas.

Why was Britomartis so weak?

--) She is the goddess of Nets and Hunting, two relative weak domains.

Do crab think that fish can fly?

--) No, crabs don't think.

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