Clarrise cracked her knuckles and grinned wickedly.
Before she stood no less than 500 Asgardians dressed in armor, and heavily armed, standing on their ships and heading across the sound.
Behind and next to her, standing hidden in the cover of shadows and leaves, stood 30 guardians, and 80 hunters, along with 200 campers standing as reinforcements, ready to go to war.
The guardians wore special boots Percy had created for them, along with some of the hunters.
An Iris message appeared next to the guardian lieutenant, a child of Iris appearing, Elena.
Her form was partially see-through as she used her abilities over mirages and illusion to dissolve her presence.
"Target sighted. Command Ship. 30 Crew. Ten guards, no other visible threats." She said, short and sweet.
Clarisse nodded, "Hold nothing back, this is War." She looked to the son of Hades standing next to her.
"Let's go." She said and he nodded.
He drew in a deep breath, pulling his sword from the shadows, plunging it into the ground.
"Serve me." He whispered under his breath.
The earth shook, a crack appearing and racing towards the Asgardians, stopping just short of the tide mark.
Skeletal hands began to claw their way forward, revealing a legion of archers as the Hunters nocked arrows, raised their bows and fired as one.
Bodies hit the deck and they reloaded, warhorns echoing through the fog and creating an eerie, otherworldly feel to the invading army.
And that was exactly what they were.
Otherworldly.
Over a hundred were struck down before Clarrise gave the order to advance.
The Guardians raced forward, their boots solidifying the waves so they could race across the waves, the Asgardians isolated in their boats and much too large a target to resist.
Pegasi with archers were in the air, a demigod calvary, something that had never been used before then in any large scale battle, decimating the Asgardians even further as they picked off stragglers and set boats aflame.
Travis and Connor raced forward, winged sandals sending them flying across the waves and over any and all defenses, eyes locked on the command ship.
Thud!
They hit the deck, taking off running before they had truly landed and cut down the guards.
They vanished in a flash of light, transported by the bite of divine metal to a cell in the Underworld, waiting on interrogation by Alecto and her sisters.
Once the deck guards and the crew had been taken care of they lined up on either side of the captain's quarters.
"On three." Travis mouthed. "One. Two."
They burst in, swords drawn, Conner with his blade at Loki's neck.
"You're taller than I thought., Travis said, the guards suddenly having a bad case of superglued shoes.
"It's just the hat., Conner said.
"Boys, that's an Illusion."
Loki dissipated into smoke with a smirk.
Alena sighed. "As if he could trick me with illusions. The Loki I saw before must have been a different Asgardian in his armor."
"γαμώ!" Connor swore, thrusting his sword through the table covered in maps.
Outside the battle was dying down, most ships captured or being set on fire by Leo was cackling maniacally as the ships went up in flames.
Travis pulled up his brother's sword and started gathering maps and taking photos with his phone. "Let's get these back to Percy and Clarrise."
Connor sighed, sheathed his blade, and began to roll up maps. "These are almost useless. When is the last time they were on earth?"
Alena leaned over to see. "There are literally deer and bears on this. What the hades?" She said incredulously.
Travis sighed. "More reason to keep them off world. Let's go."
They hoisted the packs and waved at Leo who landed on the deck, mostly on fire, the crazy light in his eyes making Elena take a step back.
"I'd abandon ship if I were you." He said, flames licking his face and arms. "I'd hate to smoke you out."
"We're going!", they yelled, more scared of the bad puns then the threat of firey death. The sons of Hermes kicked their heels, "Maia!"
They grabbed Alena's arms and were send reeling forward as the blast wave from Leo's fireball hit the ship.
The word SORRY appeared in flaming letters above the ship.
The brothers landed and went to find Clarrise, who was taking reports in the light of the fires.
"20 managed to escape back to Asgard." Niana, the hunter of Artemis who had been watching from on high, reported. "The Rainbow Bridge, as the Guardian Natasha calls it, appeared on the northern end of the battle. It vanished, along with an entire ship and its crew."
Clarrise scowled, the blessing of Ares flaring in response to her anger. She took a breath and the aura was reigned in as she controlled her emotions. "Send a message to Thalia. Loki is on Asgard. We must assume he was on that ship and the command ship was a decoy. And for the love of Zeus, where is Percy?"
"Right here, darling lieutenant."
Clarrisse turned to see Percy standing next to her dressed in leather armour, a fact Clarrise was very prompt on informing him of.
"Why are you in leathers?"
"Its stealthy. It is made of hide, after all."
Clang!
"Ow!" Percy yelped.
Clarrisse lowered her shield and glared.
"Sorry." Percy said. "Report, lieutenant."
The newest Guardian moved to see the maps that were now spread out.
Clarrisse set the shield down on the table. "The attack went smoothly. No losses on our end besides Nico's skeletons."
Said Nico was currently passed out against a tree.
"We managed to capture 450 of the Asgardians, and several maps the plagues found."
"Whosa plague? Mesa?" Connor said in his best Jar Jar binks voice, first bumping his brother.
Percy stiffled a laugh. "Continue."
"All but one enemy ships have been destroyed and we found a spy in the forest."
Percy raised an eyebrow. "A spy."
Two hunters dragged a boy forward, his hands and feet bound together.
His head was down so Clarisse pulled him up by his brownish gold hair.
Percy could see he had a childish face, and couldn't be older than 18, something that made his heart pang.
The government was sending children to do their dirty work now?
"Why is he in Celesitial Bronze chains?" The God asked.
"He snapped the ropes." A hunter replied. "We threw bolos and recaptured him but we very nearly didn't. He's fast."
Percy nodded and turned back to the spy. "Only a child of Kratos could snap these chains and you are no demigod. Who are you?"
Clarrise removed the gag and shifted to the side so Percy could see.
"My name, " the boy spat. "Is Peter Parker."