A BLACK HEART

PERCY VS ATLAS!

A BLACK HEART Chapter 7
A/N:- So... I'm really glad for the reviews that you guys have been giving me! Thank you! They really serve as motivation for me and maybe this may seem childish but if I don't see any reviews, I feel... uh to put it plainly... bad. Like, literally... I feel like no one read it... and I know this is really, really childish... but... no worries! I'm happy! Don't think that no reviews would stop me from updating... wait... why am I even telling you all this? I don't know... but... let's just get on with the chapter!

Hector, Bianca, Thalia, and Phoebe quickly jumped from the pier they were standing on and ran to Percy and Zoe, who had collapsed on the ground.

"Are you ok?" Hector asked.

"Yeah, yeah, we are fine, nothing that a little bit of Ambrosia and Nectar can't fix," Zoe said, as she nibbled at the godly food, and then gave it to Percy.

"Phew, that was crazy cool man! You just killed the Manticore and Zoe! Oh My God! You both were so great!" Bianca said.

"Well done, you have my compliments," Thalia said. "Just kidding, that was pretty nice."

"Yeah, well that was nice and all, but now we have to go!" Phoebe said.

"Where?" Hector asked.

Zoe paled, but pointed across the bay, past the Golden Gate, in the distance, where a single mountain rose up above the cloud layer.

"The garden of my sisters." She said. "I must go home."

They left the shopping center pier and headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. They could see the sun was already dipping in the west.

"I don't get it," Hector asked. "Why do we have to get there at sunset?"

"The Hesperides are the nymphs of the sunset," Zoe explained. "We can only enter their garden as day changes to night."

"What happens if we miss it?"

"Tomorrow is winter solstice. If we miss sunset tonight, we would have to wait until tomorrow evening. And by then, the Olympian Council will be over. We must free Lady Artemis tonight."

"Then, we need a car," Thalia said.

"But how can we get a car?"

"We need a car, but there's nobody to help us here. Unless we, uh, borrowed one without the owner," Percy said, pointing at a black BMW convertible that was standing at the end of the road.

Soon, the sun was going down as they all sat in the car, and Zoe began to drive.

"Can't this thing go any faster?" Phoebe demanded.

Zoe glared at her. "I cannot control traffic."

"You both sound like my mother," Hector said.

"Shut up!" they said in unison as Zoe weaved in and out of traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge.

The sun was sinking on the horizon when they finally got into Marin County and exited the highway. The roads were insanely narrow, winding through forests and up the sides of hills and around the edges of steep ravines. Zoe didn't slow down at all.

"Why does everything smell like cough drops?" Bianca asked.

"Eucalyptus." Percy pointed to the huge trees surrounding them.

"The stuff koala bears eat?"

"And monsters," Percy said. "They love chewing the leaves."

"Especially dragons," Zoe added.

"Dragons chew eucalyptus leaves?"

"Believe me," Zoe said, "if you had dragon breath, you would chew eucalyptus too."

Ahead of them loomed Mount Tamalpais.

"So that's the Mountain of Despair?" Thalia asked with a pause.

"Yes," Zoe said tightly.

"Why do they call it that?" Hector asked

She was silent for almost a mile before answering. "After the war between the Titans and the gods, many of the Titans were punished and imprisoned. Kronos was sliced to pieces and thrown into Tartarus. Kronos's right-hand man, the general of his forces, was imprisoned up there, on the summit, just beyond the Garden of the Hesperides."

"The General," Bianca said.

Clouds were swirling around its peak, as though the mountain was drawing them in, spinning them like a top.

"We have to concentrate," Phoebe said. "The Mist is really strong here."

"The magical kind or the natural kind?" Percy asked.

"Both."

The gray clouds swirled even thicker over the mountain, and they kept driving straight toward them, out of the forest now, into wide open spaces of cliffs and grass and rocks and fog.

"Look!" Percy said.

"What?" Thalia asked.

"A big white ship," He said. "Docked near the beach. It looked like a cruise ship."

Hector's and Thalia's eyes widened. "Luke's ship?"

Percy shrugged. This was not good news but he didn't really care. All he wanted was to get done with this stupid quest and get back home.

"We will have company, then," Zoe said grimly.

"Kronos's army." Phoebe nodded.

After some time, the car came to a stop, "We are here."

"What do you mean?" Hector asked.

"Silence, fool! Do you want to wake Ladon?"

"You mean we're actually here?"

"Very close," she said.

"Follow me."

Sheets of fog were drifting right across the road. Zoe stepped into one of them, and when the fog passed, she was no longer there.

Everyone looked at each other.

"Concentrate on Zoe," Thalia advised. "We are following her. Go straight into the fog and keep that in mind."

She stepped into the fog, into the Mist, and Percy followed, with everyone else.

When the fog cleared, they were still on the side of the mountain, but the road was dirt. The grass was thicker. The sunset made a bloodred slash across the sea, and the summit of the mountain seemed closer now, swirling with storm clouds and raw power.

There was only one path to the top, and it led through a lush meadow of shadows and flowers: the garden of twilight, Just like the one Percy had seen in his dream.

The grass shimmered with the silvery evening light, and the flowers were such brilliant colors they almost glowed in the dark.

Stepping stones of polished black marble led around either side of a five-story-tall apple tree, every bough glittering with golden apples.

"The apples of immortality," Thalia said in awe. "Hera's wedding gift from Zeus."

However, there was a thick serpent wrapped around the tree, its body was as thick as a booster rocket, glinting with coppery scales. He had almost a hundred heads which lay curled in a big spaghetti-like mound on the grass, all the eyes closed.

There were shadows in front of them which began to move and there was a beautiful, eerie singing, like voices from the bottom of a well. As four figures shimmered into existence, four young women who looked very much like Zoe. They all wore white Greek chitons. Their skin was like caramel with silky black hair tumbled loose around their shoulders, looking gorgeous and dangerous.

"Sisters," Zoe said.

"We do not see any sister," one of the girls said coldly. "We see 3 half-bloods and 3 Hunters. All of whom shall soon die."

"You've got it wrong." Hector stepped forward. "Nobody is going to die."

The girls studied them with eyes like volcanic rock, glassy and completely black.

"Hector Babington," one of them said. "Yes," mused another.

"I do not see why he is a threat."

"Who said I was a threat?"

The first Hesperid glanced behind her, toward the top of the mountain. "They fear thee. They are unhappy that this one has not yet killed thee." She pointed at Thalia.

"Tempting sometimes," Thalia admitted. "But no, thanks. He's my friend."

"There are no friends here, daughter of Zeus," the girl said. "Only enemies. Go back."

"Not without Artemis," Percy said.

"And Annabeth," Hector added.

"Who are thou?" One of them asked, pointing to Percy.

"Uh... Hi, I'm Percy! Nice to meet you!"

"Ok." The Hesperides said, disappointing the son of Hades.

Zoe said. "We must approach the mountain."

"You know he will kill thee," the girl said. "You are no match for him."

"Artemis must be freed," Zoe insisted. "Let us pass."

The girl shook her head. "You have no rights here anymore. We have only to raise our voices and Ladon will wake."

"He will not hurt me," Zoe said.

"No? And what about thy so-called friends?"

"Don't worry, Ladon will not hurt anyone," Percy said.

"Silence fool! You don't know anything about us, so you shouldn't talk as well." One of the Hesperides said.

Zoe then did the most unexpected thing, she walked forward and shouted, "Ladon! Wake!"

The dragon stirred, glittering like a mountain of pennies and the Hesperides yelped and scattered.

Percy said to Zoe, "Are you mad?"

Zoe just smiled and nodded.

The dragon Ladon was writhing now, a hundred heads whipping around, tongues flickering and tasting the air.

Zoe took a step forward, her arms raised. "Zoe, don't," Phoebe said. "You're not a Hesperid anymore. He'll kill you."

"Ladon is trained to protect the tree," Zoe said. "Skirt around the edges of the garden. Go up the mountain. As long as I am a bigger threat, he should ignore thee."

"Should," Bianca said. "Not exactly reassuring."

"It is the only way," she said. "Even the six of us together cannot fight him."

Ladon opened his mouths. The sound of a hundred heads hissing at once was chilling, and then there was his breath, the smell was like acid, mixed with chewed eucalyptus.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded.

Thalia and Phoebe went left. Hector and Bianca went right.

When Hector asked Percy to come with him, he just shook his head and said, "I'll stay with Zoe, if anything goes wrong."

"You don't have to," The huntress said but Percy stayed.

Bianca and Hector were both worried but nodded. Then, Percy and Zoe walked straight toward the monster.

"Please," Zoe said again. "I don't wish you to get hurt."

Percy simply said, "I'm staying." Which forced Zoe to nod, reluctantly as they advanced.

"It's me, my little dragon," Zoe said. "Zoe has come back."

Ladon shifted forward, then back. Some of the mouths closed. Some kept hissing.

Meanwhile, the Hesperides shimmered and turned into shadows. The voice of the eldest whispered before disappearing, "Fool."

"I used to feed thee by hand," Zoe continued, speaking in a soothing voice as she stepped toward the golden tree. "Do you still like lamb's meat?"

The dragon's eyes glinted at the sound of lamb.

Thalia and Hector were about halfway around the garden. Ahead, there was a single rocky trail leading up to the black peak of the mountain.

The storm swirled above it, spinning on the summit like it was the axis of the whole world.

Bianca, Phoebe, Hector, and Thalia had almost reached the end of the meadow, when everything went wrong.

Ladon lunged at Zoe and Percy, and only years of training kept them alive.

Zoe dodged one set of slashing fangs and tumbled under another, weaving through the dragon's heads as Percy and Zoe ran, gagging from the monster's horrible breath.

Hector wanted to help, but "No!" Zoe panted. "Run!"

The dragon snapped at Zoe's side, but Percy pushed her out of the way. Percy cried out.

Thalia uncovered Aegis, and the dragon hissed. In his moment of indecision, Zoe and Percy sprinted up the mountain, and everyone followed.

The dragon didn't try to pursue them. He hissed and stomped the ground. They ran up the mountain as the Hesperides resumed their song in the shadows.

At the top of mountain were ruins, blocks of black granite and marble as big as houses. Broken columns. Statues of bronze that looked as though they'd been half melted.

"The ruins of Mount Othrys," Thalia whispered in awe.

"Yes," Zoe said. "It was not here before. This is bad."

"What's Mount Othrys?" Hector asked.

"The mountain fortress of the Titans," Percy said. "In the first war, Olympus and Othrys were the two rival capitals of the world. Othrys was—" He winced and held his side.

"You're hurt," Zoe said. "Let me see."

"No! It is nothing. I was saying... in the first war, Othrys was blasted to pieces."

"But... how is it here?" Thalia looked around cautiously as we picked our way through the rubble, past blocks of marble and broken archways.

"It moves in the same way that Olympus moves. It always exists on the edges of civilization. But the fact that it is here, on this mountain, is not good." Zoe said, giving Percy a little Ambrosia, for which he mumbled thanks.

"Why?" Bianca asked.

"This is Atlas's mountain," Phoebe said. "Where he holds—" She froze. "Where he used to hold up the sky." They had reached the summit.

A few yards ahead, 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.

"My lady!" Zoe rushed forward, but Artemis said, "Stop! It is a trap. You must leave now, before—" Her voice was strained. She was drenched in sweat.

Zoe was crying. She ran forward despite Artemis's protests, and tugged at the chains.

A booming voice spoke behind them: "Before what, little goddess?"



They turned trying to pinpoint the location of the speaker. The General was standing there in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae 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.

Stealing the words from Hector's mouth, he said, "Before I come to kill you all?"

"Luke," Thalia snarled, ignoring the titan in front of them. "Let her go."

Luke's smile was weak and pale. He looked 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 for a second," Hector said. "You're Atlas?"

"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, Son of Hades! This is a family matter."

Bianca frowned. "A family matter?"

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."

"Let Artemis go," Phoebe demanded.

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."

Hector was looking at a gray streak that had formed on her head.

"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered as if reading his mind. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Hector 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 everyone.

"So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Bianca 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," Percy said. 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 Bessie.

"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," Phoebe warned. "We must fight them. Not with them."

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

"Thalia," Hector said. "No."

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, images formed in the mist, black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around them, 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."

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 harpies.

"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."

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."

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

"Now," Hector said. Together, they charged.

Thalia, Hector, Phoebe, and Bianca went straight for Luke and the Dracaenae behind him.

Luke was quick with his sword, he snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword, Backbiter, met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

Phoebe and Bianca shot arrows at the dragon women, turning them to dust, and Hector had also uncapped Riptide and was fighting the son of Hermes.

Percy just sighed and foolishly lunged at the Titan Lord Atlas.

The general laughed as he approached.

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

"Percy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"

Percy nodded and rushed at Atlas with Justice and Chaos unsheathed.

Atlas dodged the attack and threw his glowing javelin at the son of Hades.

Percy held Chaos up to block the attack, but the force of the weapon was so much, that it shattered the sword to pieces and sent him flying back.

Percy slammed into a wall, breaking it into bricks, blood coming out of his mouth.

"NO!" Zoe yelled and shot several silver arrows at her father.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe's arrows.

Percy just sat up dazed, getting déjà vu from the National Air and Space Museum. He sighed as he looked at the shattered pieces of his stygian iron. He grunted as he felt the poison from Ladon's bite coursing through his veins.

He really had to stop inviting trouble.

Atlas roared and turned towards Zoe, who shot a volley of arrows in the chink of armor in the armpit.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and slammed his daughter back.

Percy got up groaning, the poison from Ladon's bite was acting fast, slowing his movements, but he had to push it down. When he looked around he saw that Thalia and Hector were fighting against Luke like demons, lightning was crackling around them. Phoebe and Bianca had finished the Dracaenae and were now dealing with the monster army coming up the mountain.

He knew no one would be able to help him now, Zoe had crashed somewhere else, but now he had to deal with the titan general in front of him.

But before he could do anything, Atlas had disappeared from in front of him and was right on top of him, his fist raised. Percy had to act fast as he dipped into the shadow, appearing behind the general as the Titan's punch landed in thin air.

But Atlas was fast to react as turned around and kicked the demigod back, making him break yet another wall.

The son of Hades tried to stand up but couldn't as he stumbled back down.

"What's the matter, little demigod?" Atlas asked as he picked up his javelin. "Gone weak in your knees?"

Percy was about to respond, but then he was sucked into a flashback, back to when he was learning how to fight with Theseus.

They were having a sparring session, and Percy had lost once again.

"Looks like I win again. Listen Perseus, while you are good, you will never be the best if you don't attack, you just defend, you don't attack, and if you don't attack, and if you can't defend, then one day, you will die, and meet me back here. And if that happens, then that will be a huge waste of your talent."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, getting up.

"You believe that everything will be solved after you die," Theseus said as he sheathed his sword. "To die and then win, and to die victoriously... are two different things."

Those words kept resounding in his head as he just sighed. "I guess this is it for me."

Atlas grinned evilly as he walked forward, slowly, "Yes it is, I shall enjoy crushing you, little demigod."

Percy's eyes glowed, and then soon the glow covered his whole body and his sword, Justice.
This was his trump card, the point where he would sacrifice himself, just to save his friends.



Theseus' words kept ringing in Percy's head, and then he grinned, a sadistic, evil grin, eviler than Atlas's.

"Screw it!" Percy said and the glow around him vanished.

The grin was wiped off of Atlas's face.

Percy got up, wiping the blood off his mouth, "Bring out the full potential of the shadow. Don't worry about specifics now. and just push it out as soon as I collect the energy." He said shaking as Atlas took a step back, wondering what he was trying to do. "Imagine a future version of myself who has freely surpassed all my limits! Oh, I can do that!"

Suddenly he got a flashback to his training with Hades. 'With a firm base, good sense, and a wild imagination, humans can change with the slightest of events.'

Percy clasped his hands together and stomped the ground as cracks started to appear and shadows started to roll off of his body and soon as if an immense tide of darkness had washed over the entire place, the whole terrain was covered, changing the beautiful garden to the dark and red underworld.

Everyone looked around at the terrifying change in environment, even Artemis, the goddess who must have seen numerous horrible events, was shocked.

"What is this!" Atlas yelled, looking around at the dark waves of shadows that loomed around them, tingling at his body, speaking to him in low whispers.

Percy was laughing like a madman, a psychopath, insane and crazy as the entire group had stopped their fighting, looking at him in a new way.

Skeleton warriors climbed up the leg of the Titan, clawing at his feet, but Atlas reacted quickly and took his javelin and tried to stab them, giving Percy the distraction he needed to charge at the general.

He quickly crouched down, and kicked the big bad titan in the face, pushing him back, then Percy jumped and turned around to 540-kick him in the chest.

Atlas was sent flying back, but he again landed on his feet, but then skeletons again climbed up his feet, and this time, the titan wasn't ready, and scared, he stumbled backward.

As soon as he did, Percy landed on top of Atlas, crashing into his chest as a big wave of dark shadows washed over them.

Soon, they regained positions as the blood dripping from Percy's hair washed away as his wounds started to close.

Percy smiled, a bloody smile which scared the wits out of the general, "Is that all you have Titan!" and rushed at Atlas, a punch directed to his face but the general dodged turned around and pushed Percy back.

In the demigod's moment of indecisiveness and confusedness, Atlas saw a lucky opportunity as he threw his javelin at him.

The son of Hades was pushed back as the spear impaled Percy, entering from one side and coming out from the other but then, the demigod just turned all black and melted into the shadows.

"What!" Atlas bellowed as Percy plowed into him from the back.

"Shadow Clones! Extremely useful." Percy said loudly as he laughed, entirely unharmed, as two skeletons threw themselves at Atlas, sending him flying backwards.

In the middle of all this, Hector had appeared next to Artemis.

"Run boy, run!"

Hector shook his head, "I'm done running away, Now, the sky, give it to me."

"No, boy," Artemis said. Her forehead was beaded with metallic sweat. "You don't know what you're asking. It will crush you!"

"Annabeth took it!"

"She barely survived and she had the spirit of a true huntress. You will not last so long."

"I'll die anyway! Percy there is losing his strength, I can feel it! He can't keep this up forever, even if he is doing great, and you are a goddess, you will be able to help him. Please!" Hector said. "Give me the weight of the sky!"

He said and took out Riptide to slash through her chains.

Then he stepped next to her and got on one knee—holding up his hands, he touched the cold, heavy clouds.

Artemis nodded, albeit reluctantly, and then quickly slipped from under the weight of the sky, and Hector was left alone to bear the burden.

'The Titan's Curse Must One Withstand.'

Atlas roared, "ENOUGH!" And then slammed the ground with his spear butt so hard that the whole mountain shook, and Percy's vision of the underworld collapsed, the hill returning back to what it was before, a beautiful garden holding the ruins of Mount Othyrs.

"You will die demigod!" He said advancing towards Percy, with his javelin in hand as he spat out golden ichor from his mouth. "I will crush you personally!"

Just then a force slammed into Atlas, pushing him back, and he slammed into the walls of the palace that were reforming.

"You!" He said, turning around to sneer at the Goddess.

Atlas got up and advanced, pressing Artemis. She was fast, but his strength was unstoppable.

His javelin slammed into the earth where Artemis had been a split second before, and a fissure opened in the rocks. He leaped over it and kept pursuing her as Percy realized what the goddess was trying to do.

She was leading him back toward Hector.

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

He was going to impale the goddess with his risen-up spear, but before he could do that, Percy swung from a vine that hung from a tree and kicked Atlas back, making him roll towards the sky, groaning and grunting, right where Hector was holding the general's burden as he slid out of the way, and the Titan regained his position under the sky.

"NOOO! NOT AGAIN!" He bellowed, loudly, so loudly that it shook the entire mountain.

The son of Hades just looked at the goddess and smiled, a charming smile that reminded Artemis of the one whom she had fallen in love with long ago. It pained her heart.

Percy's knees buckled and he fell face-first on the ground as all of the exhaustion and pain and suffering from the fight caught up to him as he drifted into unconsciousness and a dream.

He was back in the underworld, playing a game with a girl, someone who introduced several emotions into him and also ripped them away.

He recognized her right away. Camilla Clawthorne. Italian daughter of the only female mafia boss, the most feared, Charlize Clawthorne, and the god Apollo.

They were eleven. They had met at nine. And they had vowed to continue staying with each other till the end of eternity. That was their promise. Not an oath on the Styx, but a pinky promise. And that was much stronger.

They had met after Percy had killed her mother, ending the fearful gang that she had started and continued for her entire lifetime.

He still remembered the sweet words that her astounding white-haired daughter had said to him for the first time, while he was still bathed in the blood of her mother.

"Hi!" She had said. "I'm Cam. Short for Camilla. What about you?"

The son of Hades was astounded to see someone living talk to him and that too so beautiful for the first time in his life, and that showed on his face. But he regained his composure and replied, "Percy! Short for Perseus!"

And that was the start of their friendship and the son of Hades had spent the most beautiful moments of his life with her. From killing monsters together to family movie nights! His dad was a little weirded out to see Camilla for the first time, but after a few explanations behind a closed door which Percy never bothered to listen to, Hades had invited her to be a part of the family.

Of course, she would disappear for a few times, but, when they were thirteen, Cam had to break the bad news to him.

They were sitting on Percy's bed as the daughter of Apollo had called for a private meeting. There were a numerous thoughts that had been roaming around in the demigod's head about what would happen but whatever he had thought wasn't even close to what he heard.

"Percy," Cam had started, biting her lip. "Percy, I need to go."

After a pause, Percy said in a low, quiet voice, so innocent that it broke Camilla's heart. "What?"

"You know how I was the daughter of my Mafia mother?"

Percy nodded, scared to see where this was going.

"Well, the lawyers contacted me yesterday. I have an aunt. In Greece. And it is necessary to go there. I need to," Cam said with a wink as she saw the tears in Percy's eyes. But she also saw the understanding in them, as if he knew that this moment would come, sooner or later.

Percy nodded, he had understood the hidden meaning behind her words. Cam had to go on a quest and she may or may not come back. A tear dripped down his cheek and wiped his nose. "I don't want to lose you, Camilla. I really don't. But... promise me. Promise me that you'll come back."

Soon, the fateful day had come. The daughter of Apollo had to leave and Percy and family had come to bid her farewell.

Smiling bittersweetly, Persephone hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you a lot, Camilla. You've done a lot. For all of us."

Cam hugged her back tightly as she whispered in her ear, away from Percy. "Please stop crying Aunt Persephone and also tell your mother to stop her overacting." She gestured to Demeter, blowing her nose repeatedly on tissue.

The wife of Hades laughed as she just nudged her mother.

The god of the dead also placed a hand on Cam's shoulder and cleared his throat. "It was nice to have you here. See you soon."

Then, finally, Cam turned to Percy as the rest of the immortals left them alone.

"Just remember your promise," The son of Hades said as his voice broke. "I... I'm going to miss you, Cam."

"I'm going to miss you too, Skull-head," Camilla said as she wrapped her arms tightly around the demigod. "I'm going to miss you very, very much.

Soon, they detangled and Percy, brushed a strand of hair from her eyes which had fallen over her face during the hug. Camilla couldn't take it anymore. She stood on her tiptoes and brought her face closer to his until they could almost feel each other breaths.

Soon, she brushed her lips against his and without even seeing, she knew that Percy's eyes would've been as wide as saucers.

This was the moment that confirmed all of the crushes that Percy had had on Cam from the moment they had met. And it was wonderful.

But then, of course, she had to go... and Percy was left alone, again.

And no one ever saw or heard from Camilla again.

A/N:- I hoped you liked this chapter! Please tell me what you thought in the reviews down below! Have a nice day! Bye!