Ch.23

Once they were outside, they were met by Michael Yew running down the hallway.

"Perce, the Titan Army is on the move. There is a Titan leading an army through Central Park." He said quickly.

Percy's eyes widened, "Okay, send everyone out to cover the same bridges and tunnels they defended yesterday except I want you to tell the Demeter cabin to come with me and Zoe to the park. Take the Apollo cabin and cover their post."

Michael nodded and turned to run back downstairs while Zoe looked at Percy confused.

"How will we be able to hold them back with only the Demeter cabin?" She asked.

Percy grinned, "That's like their home turf. We'll have all the trees and plants in the park to use as weapons. Now let's get moving, we've got another Titan to kill."

Percy and Zoe made their way into the lobby of the Plaza Hotel to find it emptied of the wounded soldiers. The cabin leaders were gathering their demigods and getting ready to march out to defend their bridges and tunnels. Thalia and Annabeth came down from the room as everyone fell silent and looked at Annabeth nervously. It was clear no one trusted her despite Percy's support.

Percy shook his head as he looked at the sadness in his friend's eyes, "Annabeth, you can come with Zoe and I along with the Demeter cabin. We need to get to Central Park, apparently one of the Titans has come out to play and it would be nice to have another trusted friend to help us out."

Annabeth looked surprised but quickly nodded and smiled as she began to strap on her armor. Percy noticed everyone looking at him confused before he narrowed his eyes, "Are you guys going to wait for the Titan Army to reach us or would you mind getting to your posts sometime today?"

Everyone quickly looked away and headed out of the hotel lobby. Annabeth came running up to Percy and Zoe, who were standing with Katie in front of the Demeter cabin, in her armor and a smile on her face, "Thanks Percy."

Percy smirked, "Don't be so hasty in your thanks; we're going to battle a Titan."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed in determination, "Good, I'd like a little revenge."

Percy nodded as he and Zoe led the group towards Central Park. Once they were there, they stopped about halfway into the park. Percy and Annabeth gathered everyone around them as they tried to set up the best plan possible. Campers went running off to set up traps along the paths they assumed the enemy would have to take. Once everything was set up, they waited.

They heard the army before they saw it. The noise was like a cannon barrage as the ground rumbled under the weight of hundred of giants, monsters and enemy demigods. At the north end of the reservoir, the enemy vanguard broke through the woods-a warrior in golden armor leading a battalion of Laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes. Hundreds of other monsters poured out behind them.

"Positions!" Katie yelled.

Her cabin mates scrambled. The idea was to make the enemy army break around the reservoir. To get to them, they'd have to follow the trails, which meant they'd be marching in narrow columns on either side of the water. At first, the plan seemed to work. The enemy divided and streamed toward them along the shore. When they were halfway across, Percy nodded as their traps were sprung. The jogging trail erupted in Greek fire, incinerating many of the monsters instantly. Others flailed around, engulfed in green flames. Demeter campers threw grappling hooks around the largest giants and pulled them to the ground. In the woods on the right, Katie stood with a number of her siblings as branches and plants surged forward into the enemy lines, entangling twenty or thirty Dracaenae, but more marched behind them.

Katie turned to the woods behind her, "Nature spirits, attack!"

A roar went up from the woods on both sides as every tree, rock, and bush seemed to sprout a spirit. Dryads and satyrs raised their clubs and charged. The trees wrapped around the monsters, strangling them. Grass grew around the feet of the enemy archers. Stones flew up and hit Dracaenae in their faces. The enemy slogged forward. Giants smashed through the trees, and naiads faded as their life sources were destroyed.

Zoe stopped firing arrows, "Percy!" She said as she pointed to the huge figure in golden armor that was emerging from behind the enemy.

The Titan in the gold armor wasn't waiting for his forces to advance around the sides. He was charging toward them, walking straight over the top of the lake. A Greek firebomb exploded right on top of him, but he raised his palm and sucked the flames out of the air.

"Hyperion," Zoe said nervously. "The lord of light. Titan of the east."

Percy paled a bit but nodded as he raised his hand, the water in the reservoir rose up as a wave crashed into the Titan of Light.

Hyperion rose to his feet quickly as he locked eyes with Percy who was twenty yards in front of him.

"The sea god's brat," he roared. "You're the one who trapped Atlas beneath the sky again?"

Percy's eyes narrowed as he uncapped Anaklusmos and drove it into the ground, a crack forming from which skeleton warriors poured out by the dozen and attacked the enemy monsters.

"You Titans really aren't all that bright, are you?" Percy spat back at the Titan. "It's Hades brat if you want to get it right."

"You want bright?" Hyperion snarled as his body ignited in a column of light and heat.

Percy shielded his eyes as he focused on the water again, using it to douse the Titan again and snuffing out his light.

Percy charged forward just as Hyperion struggled to his feet. His golden armor was dripping wet. His eyes no longer blazed, but they still looked murderous. "You will burn Jackson!" he roared.

Percy raised his blade and blocked a strike from Hyperion before he was kicked hard in the chest and sent flying back into a tree. Percy groaned loudly as he looked around at the Demeter cabin and nature spirits holding back the enemy as best they could but they were losing ground. Hyperion was sending columns of fire into the trees, burning them and in turn the dryads to ashes.

Percy shook his head and stood up, his eyes narrowed in determination before he marched forward again, the winds slowly picking up as he walked.

Hyperion turned to look at Percy in shock as the winds were whipping violently at this point, extinguishing the flames on Hyperion's body every time he tried to ignite it.

"Stop with the wind you little brat." He roared.

Percy narrowed his eyes as it began to rain, pouring down in sheets and further infuriating the Titan of Light.

Hyperion charged at Percy despite the rains whipping and weakening the Titan. Percy on the other hand was reenergized by the rain and met the Titan's strike with his own. The two exchanged blows as Hyperion became infuriated as he tried and failed to land a single strike. His frustration only grew as silver arrows began hitting him from both sides.

Percy looked at saw the hunters on either side of the Titan, keeping him distracted while taking care to not hit Percy with their arrows.

Hyperion roared before thrusting his hands outward, blasting the hunters back and halting their assault. Percy used the chance to attack, slashing a deep gash in the Titan's chest, cutting through the golden breastplate and into his flesh as ichor began to flow from the wound.

Hyperion growled as he stepped back before lunging at Percy who tried to block but the Titan's blade glanced off his sword and connected with his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground again.

"I'll spend as long as it takes to find your one vulnerable spot Jackson." He growled as he drove his blade into the place Percy was lying only to meet the earth as Percy rolled to the side and jumped to his feet.

The rain and winds continued whipping into the Titan who struggled to move forward. Percy and Hyperion met in another clash of blades as sparks flew wildly from where their blades met, neither willing to give an inch. The two locked blades before Percy flicked his wrist as the Titan stumbled forward only to have Percy's fist connect with his face sending the Titan staggering back a bit.

Hyperion looked at Percy in shock at the power behind the punch, Percy's body was covered in water as the rains continued to pour down on the two combatants.

Hyperion took a step forward before he winced as the rain suddenly became more painful. Percy looked to his left to find Katie there, her eyes focused and glowing faintly with power as they rain turned into sleet, pelting the Titan with thousands of pieces of ice.

Hyperion stumbled back under the assault only to have a huge bolt of lightning come down from the sky as Thalia walked up with her hand raised. The lightning struck Hyperion dead on and blasted him onto his back where a number of silver arrows imbedded into his armor and body as he lay there reeling from the lightning.

Before he could recover, Percy stood above him with Anaklusmos raised before he drove it into the Titan's chest. Hyperion let loose a bellow of pain as the blade was driven into his heart before he dissolved into a bright golden dust.

Percy turned to find the enemy army gone as the wounded were being tended and removed from the park.

Thalia, Katie, Zoe and Annabeth came up to Percy.

"Where is the army?" Percy asked confused.

Zoe rolled her eyes, "Most fled when a mini hurricane hit the middle of Central Park. The ones foolish enough to stay were killed quickly as they were outnumbered."

Percy nodded and turned to Katie grinning, "That was awesome."

Katie smiled shyly, "I just thought I'd add a little bit to the storm you were brewing up."

Percy smiled, "No, it was awesome, without you and Sparky, we wouldn't have been able to defeat him." He said before turning to Thalia, "Why are you here? Did you guys lose the Lincoln Tunnel?"

Thalia nodded sadly, "We were overrun. We lost five hunters and all the fallen hunters except Phoebe and Diana."

"I'm sorry Thalia." Percy said sadly.

Thalia shook her head, "It's my fault, I should have pulled them back sooner."

Zoe put a hand on Thalia's shoulder, "It's not your fault. They died honorable deaths; do not blame yourself. They gave their lives willingly."

Thalia nodded but still looked saddened, "We need to fall back, almost all the bridges and tunnels are lost, everyone is slowly falling back towards the Empire State Building."

Percy paled a bit but nodded, "Let's go, we can't lose any more ground. We need to hold out and hope some help comes from somewhere."

The Demeter cabin and hunters followed the group back towards the Empire State Building. They could see their fellow campers backtracking and trying to hold back the enemy as best they could. The hunters and Demeter cabin began to engage the Titan Army when Percy's blood froze as he heard an ear splitting "REEEEEEEET."

A sow!" Annabeth cried, "Take cover!"

The demigods scattered as the winged lady pig swooped down. The sow's wings were pink like a flamingo's, which matched her skin perfectly. Her hooves slammed into the ground, barely missing one of Katie's siblings. The pig stomped around and tore down half an acre of trees, belching a cloud of noxious gas. Then it took off again, circling around for another strike.

Percy paled again as he thought about how impossible this thing would be to get to. Then an idea popped into his head. The chances it would work were slim to none but he just prayed there was a Pegasus around. Otherwise, this giant pig would tear their dwindling forces to shreds.

Percy gave the loudest New York taxi cab whistle he could before waiting and praying it would be answered. A minute later an all-black Pegasus appeared over his head, just narrowly avoiding the sow's wings. Percy sighed in relief as Blackjack dove downward, landing in front of a few hunters and looking around confused.

"Alright who called?" Blackjack asked looking around.

Percy smiled and jumped onto the Pegasus, startling it.

"Relax buddy, it's just Percy." He said as he pet Blackjack's mane.

"Don't do that boss!" Blackjack cried indignantly.

Percy smiled, "Sorry buddy, do you think you can get me close to that sow?"

"The flying piece of bacon? Are you sure about this?" Blackjack asked a bit timidly.

"I've got a plan; just get me close and I'll take it from there." Percy said as Blackjack took off into the sky.

Zoe watched Percy take off only to shake her head at his stupidity. She knew it was bravery but at the moment, she felt putting an arrow in his ass for taking off without anyone noticing.

Blackjack soared through the sky, following the sow as it dove down low to take another run at the campers. Percy twisted the ring on his finger as his bow materialized in his hand. He quickly fired a few arrows that caught the sow in the wings. They didn't do much damage but they did do a heck of a job of pissing the giant pig off.

She quickly changed direction, averting from the dive and shooting into the air again before turning towards Percy and Blackjack.

"Um… Boss?" Blackjack said nervously as the sow sped towards them.

"Relax buddy, just get me close and then you're free to go." Percy explained.

Blackjack went into a dive as the sow followed before he quickly changed directions, far too quickly for the giant pig to follow. Blackjack maneuvered himself so he was behind the sow and in pursuit.

"Get above it. When I tell you to bail, get as far away as you can." Percy said seriously.

Blackjack caught up to the sow which was still looking around widely for Percy and Blackjack unaware that they now were flying a few feet above her.

"Are you sure about this boss?" Blackjack asked nervously.

Percy smiled as he jumped up so his feet were underneath him. He had a hunting knife out in each hand as he looked at his target warily.

"Not in the least but here goes nothing." Percy replied as he leapt from Blackjack and onto the sow's back where he drove both hunting knives into its flesh.

The sow screeched in outrage as Percy's hunting knives sunk into its flesh. The sow began to dive fast but Percy held onto the knives which were firmly imbedded deep into its flesh. The sow tried to throw him off by flying erratically but Percy held firm.

As the sow flew, Percy pulled out one of his hunting knives and stabbed it a couple feet further up onto the sow's back before doing the same with his other knife. The sow tried to buck Percy off but he could feel when the monster would tense and hold on tightly.

After a few horrifying minutes, Percy had made his way to the sow's neck, or what he deduced was the neck as it was hard to tell as the thing was just a light pink mess of muscles. The only thing that distinguished this part from the rest of its back was the fact that its head was now only a few feet in front of him.

Percy steadied himself which had become easier the last few minutes much to his confusion until he looked ahead and saw Blackjack keeping the sow distracted by flying just out of its reach.

Percy smiled when he saw the Pegasus helping him out. He quickly pulled out Anaklusmos as he looked down below to see them flying over a mass of monsters that were pushing forward against the resistance the campers, hunters, and nature spirits were putting up.

Percy turned back to the wings of the sow that were only a foot behind him, at least where they connected to the monster's back and swung as hard as he could, severing the left wing from the body of the sow as it let loose a thunderous "REEEEEEET!"

Percy paled and held onto the hunting knives for dear life as the sow dropped from the sky, making a crash landing into the crowd of monsters, crushing thirty or forty in the initial crash and many more as it skidded along the street.

The sow finally came to a stop as Percy looked up to find himself in the middle of the monster army as they slowly recovered after the giant flying pig slammed into them.

"Hold on Boss, I'm coming." Blackjack yelled as Percy slowly stood up on the injured and immobilized sow. Percy looked ahead and saw the golden eyes of Kronos boring into him from about fifty yards away as he stood behind his army in a golden chariot.

"JACKSON!" The Titan Lord roared as recovered from his shock.

Percy looked up and grinned, "Nice to see you too Gramps." He said as a shadow appeared over his head. Percy held one hand up while pointing the other towards the Titan Lord with his middle finger casually extended as a mischievous grin spread onto his face.

A Laistrygonian Giant stepped up to crush him with his club when Percy grabbed onto Blackjack's rear hoof and shot into the sky still flipping off a fuming Titan Lord. The Laistrygonian was too slow to react as its spiked club slammed into the sow before it dissolved into nothing but golden dust.

Percy climbed onto Blackjack's back, "Thanks buddy, I owe you one for sure."

Blackjack snorted, "I expect a few dozen boxes of donuts when this war is over boss. You owe me more than one."

Percy laughed as he patted Blackjack's side, "I'll make sure you get all you can eat buddy, that's a promise."

Line Break

Midtown was a war zone. As they flew, Percy could see little skirmishes everywhere. A giant was ripping up trees in Bryant Park while dryads pelted him with nuts. Outside the Waldorf Astoria, trio of Hephaestus campers fought a squad of Dracaenae in the middle of Rockefeller Center. Percy was tempted to stop and help, but he could tell from the smoke and noise that the real action had moved farther south. The defenses were collapsing and the enemy was closing in on the Empire State Building. They did a quick sweep of the surrounding area. The hunters had set up a defensive line on 37th, just three blocks north of Olympus. To the east on Park Avenue, Beckendorf and some other Hephaestus campers were trying to hold off a legion of Empousai. To the west, the Demeter cabin and some nature spirits had turned Sixth Avenue into a jungle that was hampering a squadron of Kronos' demigods. The south was clear for now, but the flanks of the enemy army were swinging around. A few more minutes and they'd be totally surrounded.

Percy scowled as he saw his friends being pushed back. He spotted Zoe and Annabeth fighting alongside Phoebe, Achilles and a few other fallen heroes as a legion of enemy demigods pushed forward.

"There!" Percy said as he the place out to Blackjack.

Blackjack soared overhead and began to descend but when he was still thirty feet overhead Percy lost patience and jumped from his Pegasus. The demigods noticed the shadow overhead and managed to dive out of the way before Percy could land on top of any of them. Instead he landed on a knee cracking the pavement, focusing on his powers of the earth-shaker to send a small quake through the surrounding area and knocking both the legion of enemy demigods and his friends off their feet.

Instead of using the time to retreat to his friends, Percy uncapped Anaklusmos and summoned his other sword from the earth before beheading two demigods as they struggled to their feet. Percy was ruthless, slashing and hacking his way towards his friends, blood covered both his blades and his body as he left a line of demigod corpses in his wake. Every strike aimed at him simply glanced off his armor or invulnerable skin as he moved, his Achilles spot hidden underneath his armor.

Soon the demigods were backing away from him as an aura of black seemed to surround his body and his movements sped up leaving the enemy even more defenseless against his onslaught.

A few demigods tried to get past him and back to their comrades but Percy drove Anaklusmos into the chest of one and kicked a second onto his back before spun slashed a fatal wound into the side of another as he tried to slip by unnoticed.

Percy turned to one on his back as the kid looked up at him with fear, "Please. I surrender." The demigod pleaded.

Percy eyed the boy carefully. He was about seventeen with blonde hair and blue eyes, a son of Hermes or Apollo most likely.

"Will you swear loyalty to Olympus?" Percy asked in an icy tone.

The demigod scowled, "Nev.." He started to reply before Anaklusmos was driven through his heart.

"Then you deserve no mercy." Percy spat.

Percy looked up at his friends, most smiling but Annabeth was looking at him shocked.

"He was surrendering." She yelled.

Percy scowled, "Are you going to guard him the rest of the battle? He made his choices and he chose to join the Titans. If I spared him, he would just return and try to kill you or Thalia or any of our friends. Sympathy and pity have no place in a war like this." He growled.

Annabeth looked at him shocked but the rest seemed to agree with his statement.

"We need to fall back to the Empire State Building, we're getting overrun." Thalia said urgently as they all started to fall back.

For the next hour, Percy fought alongside his friends as they continued to get pushed back. Percy fought alongside Zoe for a while before she and some hunters went to shore up the defenses on another street. Soon his friends slowly disappeared to help others in more dire need until only Percy and Achilles stood side by side holding off what seemed like an endless stream of monsters and enemy demigods.

"I never thought I'd get to actually fight beside you in a real battle." Percy said as he cut the leg off a Hellhound before driving his blade through the monster's back.

Achilles smiled, "I know and I must tell you it is quite an honor for me to do so my friend." He said as kicked as enemy demigod back as slit the throat of a Dracaena. "You have surpassed every expectation I could have had for you Percy, truly becoming one of greatest warriors to walk this earth."

Percy couldn't help but smile at his mentor's words before rolling between the legs of a charging Cyclops and stabbing him in the mommy-daddy button.

The two heroes were a force all by themselves, holding back wave after wave of enemy, refusing to give even an inch. Eventually the enemy managed to get behind them after breaking through the lines on the street to their left. Percy lunged forward and grabbed his mentor's shoulder as the duo were engulfed by a shadow just before a wave of monsters closed in from behind them.

The entrance to Olympus was twenty feet behind them as a ring of brave demigods, hunters, fallen heroes, and nature spirits guarded the doors. Percy slashed and hacked, destroying everything in his path, but even he was getting tired. Behind the enemy troops, a few blocks to the east, a bright light began to shine. Percy scowled as he realized Kronos was riding towards them on a golden chariot. A dozen Laistrygonian Giants bore torches before him. Two Hyperboreans carried his black- and-purple banners. The Titan Lord looked fresh and rested; his powers at full strength. He was taking his time advancing, letting Percy and his friends wear themselves down.

"Hold your lines at all costs! We cannot allow Olympus to fall!" Percy bellowed over the sounds of battle.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the sound of a hunting horn sounded in the distance. It cut through the noise of the battle like a fire alarm. A chorus of horns answered from all around them, echoing off the buildings of Manhattan.

Percy glanced at Thalia, but she just frowned. "Not the Hunters," she assured him. "We're all here."

The horns got louder but he couldn't tell where they were coming from because of the echo, but it sounded like an entire army was approaching.

The small ring of demigods that were left were afraid it might be more enemies, but Kronos' forces looked just as confused as they were. Giants lowered their clubs. Dracaenae hissed. Even Kronos' honor guard looked uneasy. Then, to their left, a hundred monsters cried out at once as Kronos' entire northern flank surged forward.

The demigods prepared to defend, but the enemy didn't attack. They ran straight past them and crashed into their southern allies. A new blast of horns shattered the early night. The air shimmered and in a blur of movement, an entire cavalry appeared as if dropping out of light speed.

"Yeah, baby!" a voice wailed.

"Party!" Another voice shouted.

A shower of arrows arced over their heads and slammed into the enemy, vaporizing hundreds of monsters. But these weren't regular arrows. They made whizzy sounds as they flew; some even had pinwheels attached to them. Others had boxing gloves rather than points.

The Party Pony army exploded into their midst in a riot of colors: tie- dyed shirts, rainbow afro wigs, oversize sunglasses, and war-painted faces. Some had slogans scrawled across their flanks like HORSEZ PWN or KRONOS SUX. Hundreds of them filled the entire block.

"Percy!" Chiron shouted across the sea of wild centaurs. He was dressed in armor from the waist up, his bow in his hand, and he was grinning in satisfaction. "Sorry we're late!"

"Dude!" Another centaur yelled. "Talk later. Waste monsters now!"

He locked and loaded a double-barrel paintball gun and blasted an enemy hellhound bright pink. The paint must've been mixed with Celestial bronze dust because as soon as it splattered the hellhound, the monster yelped and dissolved into a pink-and- black puddle.

"PARTY PONIES. '" a centaur yelled. "SOUTH FLORIDA!"

Somewhere across the battlefield, a twangy voice yelled back, "HEART OF TEXAS CHAPTER!"

The entire Titan Army turned and fled, pushed back by a flood of paintballs, arrows, and swords. The centaurs trampled everything in their path.

"Stop running, you fools!" Kronos yelled. "Stand and ACKK!"

The last part was because a panicked Hyperborean Giant stumbled backward and sat on top of him. The lord of time disappeared under a giant blue ass. The Party Ponies pushed them back for several blocks until Chiron yelled, "HOLD! On your promise, HOLD!"

It wasn't easy, but eventually the order got relayed up and down the ranks of centaurs, and they started to pull back, letting the enemy flee.

Chiron galloped his way over to where Percy stood beside Zoe, Annabeth and Thalia along with a concealed Achilles and Theseus.

"Damn Chiron, talk about saving the day." Percy said with a grin.

Chiron smiled, "I'm sorry it took so long. Centaurs travel fast, as you know. We can bend distance as we ride. Even so, getting all the centaurs together was no easy task. The Party Ponies are not exactly organized."

Percy nodded before he dropped to a knee finally able to catch his breath, "All that matters is you bought us some time, any news of the gods and their battle with Typhon?"

Chiron's face darkened, "The gods are tiring. Dionysus was incapacitated yesterday. Typhon smashed his chariot, and the wine god went down somewhere m the Appalachians. No one has seen him since. Hephaestus is out of action as well. He was thrown from the battle so hard he created a new lake in West Virginia. He will heal, but not soon enough to help. The others still fight. They've managed to slow Typhon's approach. But the monster cannot be stopped. He will arrive in New York by this time tomorrow."

Percy nodded in understanding, "The gods will have to think of something because we can't hold much longer. It's a miracle we've managed to hold for two days already."

Chiron nodded solemnly, "We will do what we can and have to hope the Fates are on our side." He said before noticing the two masked figures behind Percy. "And who are they?" He asked with a bit of apprehension.

Percy smirked, "What? You think you're the only one who has allies to call on in time of need?"

Chiron looked confused until the two figures removed their masks to reveal the smirking faces of Achilles and Theseus.

Chiron turned pale while in shock, "How is this even possible?"

Percy grinned, "What? I'm the ghost king aren't I? I can summon the dead to fight for me, I just convinced my Dad to let me pick and choose who I summoned. We had about seventy five including Perseus and Odysseus but I'm afraid they're already back in Elysium after they fell and I cannot summon them again."

Chiron shook his head in disbelief, "I can't believe your father let you do this but I can't say it wasn't necessary, it looks like you've had a rough couple days."

Percy chuckled and nodded, "You have no idea Chiron, no idea."

Achilles and Theseus went to catch up with Chiron as Percy went into the Empire State Building and up to Olympus to check on the wounded. Zoe went with him while Thalia and Annabeth went to check on the hunters and help get the wounded inside.

When they were in the elevator, Percy noticed Zoe looking at him strangely.

"What?" He asked confused.

Zoe shook her head, "Sorry I was just thinking."

Percy looked at her curiously but she just smiled and slipped her hand into his making him smile back.

"Why do you want to see the wounded?" Zoe asked.

Percy shook his head, "I don't. We're going to the throne room. I need to see Lady Hestia. I have an idea."

Zoe raised an eyebrow but Percy just leaned down and kissed her softly, "You'll see when we get there."