𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐗𝐈𝐑, 𝐏𝐉

𝟎𝟎𝟔.𝟑

His wiped away the sweat on Juliet's face, pushing strands away and staring at her face as something surged inside him. It was as if a tug, pulling him inside a pit of grief and anger.

"Jules, please," he whispered, his breath catching in his throat. "Wake up. Come on."

There was stirring, finally a response. Percy clutched onto her face with pure concern as Juliet stirred lightly and her eyes opened, Percy felt some form of life return to his body when he saw the Caribbean blues he'd missed for so long, "Perce," Juliet breathed out, her voice was hoarse and tears were welling up in her eyes, "You came,"

He hugged her desperately, breaking away the chains she was bound to, holding on desperately, "I will always come if you were in danger."

"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."

Percy heard Luke in the background and it snapped him back into his daze. He was angry beyond measure and Luke was about to pay for it. "Jules, wait here okay?" He gave her small assuring smile, Juliet was in too much of a painful daze to comprehend anything happening as Percy detached himself from her and stood up.

And then, he charged.

Thalia followed right behind Percy, giving him the signal to go for Atlas while she went straight for Luke. The power of her shield was so great that his dragon- women bodyguards fled in a panic, dropping the golden coffin and leaving him alone. But despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still 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.

Atlas 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!"

Percy knew what she was warning him about but he was far too consumed with anger to think, an anger that didn't even seem his own.

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.

"Percy!" Juliet's yell was piercing and he knew somewhere, somehow he'd lost the fearless part of her. Atlas and Luke had changed her, they'd broken her.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Juliet's arrows. "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 thhat pool of water, he could double his strength.

He parried, and he didn't know where the move came from but his sword did a 360 behind his back before jabbing forward, Atlas's gaze seemed to freeze for a second before he grinned maliciously. "Ha! Old hero, I see the gods meddled with souls again."

Percy didn't have much time to think about his words as the javelins point slashed toward him like a scythe. Percy raised Riptide, planning to cut off his weapon at the shaft, but his arm felt like lead. His 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.

Not now! 

He yelled. But it was no good. Percy tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. He slammed into 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. Juliet rushed to his side, albeit painfully as she could barely move her muscles with crying in pain.