stollen things || c. stoll

5.6 ~ Spy Kids But Actually This Time

Connor and Travis were standing at the elevator, guarding it. The doorman had left long ago, meaning that anyone could waltz in and head up to Olympus. I walked slowly over to them.

"Silena..." I started, but just crashed into their shoulders. We stood in silence. They'd heard already. I couldn't say anything to Connor while Travis was right next to him, so I just looked him in the eye as if to tell him that we'd talk after the battle. He nodded, seeming to understand. We both knew that there was a great possibility we wouldn't make it to 'after the battle.'

There was no time to pause. The rumbling of the enemy's army came as loud as ever. I knew Travis and Connor had to stay at their post to guard the elevator, but it was hard to turn and leave them for the battle anyway. I grabbed Connor's shirt and pulled him into a kiss. "Don't die. We have a conversation to have after this." I murmured. He winked.

I gave Travis a tight hug. "Don't forget about what we got from the drug store. Make sure no one else finds it." He nodded, and I stepped backward, addressing both of them. "Alright, I'm gonna go out there and kick some Titan ass, but after this: me, you guys, the drinks Travis and I got from the pharmacy, and one of the parks in Olympus. I know some epic dryads and satyrs up there, we'll get a party going."

I turned and rushed outside. The enemy was standing about twenty feet away from the building in an arc. Kronos was standing right in the front, flanked by Hyperborean giants.

Chiron stood in front of the entire army, an arrow notched and aimed towards Kronos's face. Everything but the two of them froze.

"Step aside, little son." Kronos said to Chiron.

"I'm afraid not." Chiron said calmly. Chiron's 'calm' voice was the voice he used when he caught us on his roof or in the woods after hours. Not a happy one.

A dracaena charged him but he let his arrow fly into her head, vaporizing her. He reached for another arrow, but had no more left. I wanted to toss him one of mine, but I was still frozen. He switched to a sword but when he tried to strike he was thrown against the wall and crushed by bricks. We could only hope he was alive underneath them.

We had no time to look for him, because Annabeth attacked Kronos head-on with her knife. She would've gotten him, too, had he been mortal. Her knife hit him right below the collarbone, but bounced off. She flew backwards and Percy grabbed her to hold her back. She was crying, screaming at him to let her go, but he held fast.

Then, a loud howl broke through the air. The enemy forces started parting to form a path, perhaps unwillingly. Behind them was tiny Nico Di Angelo and Mrs. O'Leary the Hellhound.

Nico leisurely strolled forward, every monster backing away as he passed.

He turned to Percy. "Got your message. Too late to join the party?" He smiled underneath his helmet.

"Son of Hades," Kronos spat in his direction. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?"

"Your death would be great for me."

"I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus! You have no business here, and no chance to live."

Nico grinned and drew his sword. "I don't agree." With that, cracks appeared in the ground. The loud grumbling from below the Earth was almost enough to rival the drakon's roar.

The sky turned dark. Thousands of the dead crawled out of the road and sidewalks, waiting for Nico's orders. Kronos's army got scared —rightfully so — and were clearly ready to flee. On top of it all, Hades came riding down Fifth Avenue in an enormous chariot of obsidian, gold, and bones. Persephone and my mother were in the backseat behind him. Everything about the scene radiated pure nightmare material, inciting my deepest fears and anxieties.

Hades smiled coldly. "Hello, father. You're looking... young."

"Hades," Kronos growled. "I hope you and the ladies have come to pledge your allegiance."

"I'm afraid not," Hades sighed. "I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there's one thing we agree on, it is that you were a terrible father."

"True," muttered Demeter. "No appreciation for agriculture."

I smiled slightly at my mothers words. I was glad that she was here to join the fight.

"I don't have time for this!" Kronos snarled. He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in a perfect circle around the Empire State Building. A wall of force appeared around the circle, and New York began to wake up around us. It was just us and Kronos and his vanguard inside the protected circle. Hades was shut out of the circle. He charged his chariot at the border, but it just crashed.

"Attack!" He roared, and his army of zombies clashed with the monsters. Demeter was turning monsters into wheat fields and Persephone was turning weapons into flowers. I hadn't ever considered turning the weapons into things. I'd make note of that.

Kronos ordered the Hyperborean giants towards us and ran towards the lobby. Percy had it handled, so I ran after Kronos. He made it onto the elevator before me and shut the door. He plowed through Connor and Travis. They were both lying on the ground, unconscious. Or dead. I hadn't even told Connor I loved him. He'd told me and I hadn't answered. I couldn't bring myself to check them. Someone would get to them. My job at that moment was to reach Kronos and slow him at best.

I was hitting the elevator up arrow as many times as I could as if it would make it go faster. Finally, it reached my floor. I ran in and pressed the button for Olympus. I had to stand for what seemed like forever, listening to the nothingness of elevator music. Maybe it was Kronos slowing time down, or maybe I was trying to move faster than everything else.

By the time I reached the bridge, I could see Kronos on the other side of it. He was heading up the hills, knocking over minor gods and goddesses as he rushed towards the throne room. I ran across the crumbling sky bridge as fast as I could.

He was too fast. Or rather, I was too slow. I grew trees in front of him, trying to do anything to slow him. But I was already weak from earlier that day, and my powers weren't as strong as they usually were. He was getting close to the throne room, and there was nothing I could do.

I collapsed next to some dryad who had tried to stop Kronos as well. She was fading. Her tree wouldn't live much longer, and she would disappear slowly and alone with her fellow nymphs unconscious nearby. My vision went black as I felt the ground rumble terribly.

•

so much happened in this chapter

this is unedited and i wrote it all in one night at 1 in the morning so if there are any mistakes please comment and i'll fix it

also author secret whenever she like passes out it's just me being too tired to write out a whole other scene