The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

89. Percy Sits On The Hot Seat

She was so inspiring, even the panicked centaurs started to rally. The Hunters scrounged arrows from the fallen and launched volley after volley into the enemy. The Ares cabin slashed and hacked, which was their favorite thing. The monsters retreated toward 35th Street.

Clarisse drove to the drakon's carcass and looped a grappling line through its eye sockets. She lashed her horses and took off, dragging the drakon behind the chariot like a Chinese New Year dragon. She charged after the enemy, yelling insults and daring them to cross her. As she rode, she was literally glowing. An aura of red fire flickered around her.

"The blessing of Ares," Ethan said. "I've never seen it in person before."

For the moment, Clarisse was as invincible as Percy was. The enemy threw spears and arrows, but nothing hit her.

"I AM CLARISSE, DRAKON-SLAYER!" she yelled. "I will kill you ALL! Where is Kronos? Bring him out! Is he a coward?"

"Clarisse!" Annabeth yelled. "Withdraw!"

"What's the matter, Titan lord?" she yelled. "BRING IT ON!"

There was no answer from the enemy. Slowly, they began to fall back behind a dracaenae shield wall, while Clarisse drove in circles around Fifth Avenue, daring anyone to cross her path. The two-hundred-foot-long drakon carcass made a hollow scraping noise against the pavement, like a thousand knives.

Meanwhile, campers tended their wounded, bringing them inside the lobby. Long after the enemy had retreated from sight, Clarisse kept riding up and down the avenue with her horrible trophy, demanding that Kronos meet her battle.

Chris said, "I'll watch her. She'll get tired eventually. I'll make sure she comes inside."

"What about the camp?" Y/N asked. "Is anybody left there?"

Chris shook his head. "Only Argus and the nature spirits. Peleus the dragon's still guarding the tree."

"They won't last long," he said. "But I'm glad you came."

Chris nodded sadly. "I'm sorry it took so long. I tried to reason with Clarisse. I said there's no point in defending camp if you guys die. All our friends are here. I'm sorry it took Silena. . . ."

"My Hunters will help you stand guard," Thalia said. "Y/N, Annabeth said you should go to Olympus. They'll need you up here—to set up the final defense."

The doorman had disappeared from the lobby. His book was facedown on the desk and his chair was empty. The rest of the lobby, however, was jam-packed with wounded campers, Hunters, and satyrs.

Connor and Travis Stoll met Y/N by the elevators.

"Is it true?" Connor asked. "About Silena?"

Y/N simply nodded.

Travis shifted uncomfortably. "Um, I also heard—"

"It's true," he said to end the story.

"Right," Travis mumbled. "Listen, we figure the Titan's army will have trouble getting up the elevator. They'll have to go up a few at a time. And the giants won't be able to fit at all."

"That's our only real advantage," he said gravely. "Any way to disable the elevator?"

"It's magic," Travis said. "Usually you need a key card, but the doorman vanished. That means the defenses are crumbling. Anyone can walk into the elevator and head straight up."

"Then we have to keep them away from the doors," he said. "Except that we need reinforcements, else they'll just keep coming and eventually overwhelm us. Problem is, there are no reinforcements. No way to bottle them up in the lobby."