Hi Guys! So it's been a while, and I'm so sorry for the late update. Life got busy with school, studying abroad for a semester, social life and my lack of writers inspiration. It also didn't help that I lost my plan for these story and I had to really remember or change a lot of what's to come. But, anyway here is the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!

Also, I think I have probably 2-3 more chapters until we reach the end of this story! So enjoy it now while you can! ;)

Percy

Before any battle, everything is slow and completely soundless. It's a beautiful, deadly silence. Most people would be intimated by this, but I'm not obviously not most people. Instead, i channel that normal fear into my instincts, instincts that supposedly keep me alive as Annabeth says.

Although I'm not entirely sure how much control I'll have over my powers or if Kronos will have any mind games, I try not to focus on that. Instead, I direct my attention to upcoming fight as Annabeth and I charge towards an uncertain outcome.

As soon as Krono's army clashes with Annabeth and I, the sound barrier breaks and we are surrounded by clashes, screaming and chaos. My goal is to cut down as many men as I can while trying to push forward. The first move I take is to test my powers. Before we left, I trained hard to control my powers so hopefully the hard work paid off. I focus as I intend to throw a wave at a crowd of soliders charging towards me. I look for that usual feeling of a current from the ocean around the island. When I find it, I channel its power through my veins. Soon enough, a wave crushes on the large group of soldiers and I move ahead. It seems that my control over my powers is back and my confidence grows. More men pour out of the gates of Kronos's fortress and we are clearly outnumbered. We have to get to get through the gates and to do that, Annabeth and I can't pull any punches or hold back.

I use everything I have in me even though I'm exhausted and my body is still recovering from being poisoned by Luke. I cut and slash down men with Riptide, drain the liquid out of their bodies with my blood bending and control the elements of wind and water to get through more men. I don't like using blood bending since it's a new and darker power but for this moment, it's directed at my enemies and not at anyone I love. When you're in a battle you can't afford to hold yourself back. I feel like a storm unleashing onto land, unrelenting and merciless.

While pulling my sword out of man, I spot Annabeth out of the corner of my eye. She is a flurry of arrows, blonde hair and blood. With some victims, she is slashing them with unmeasured force. Their blood sprays her face and clothes. Other targets are shot down by her quick and deadly arrows.. Her bow is in one hand and sword in another, and she uses them interchangeably. I catch a glimpse of her stabbing a man through the heart and screaming as she pulls it through his chest and knocking another arrow.

I turn and stab another soldier and briefly look to see how many we have to kill to get to our goal. There are a lot more, but we killed or maimed a good amount. Annabeth and I continue forward, but the momentum we had before is waning. Each stroke and strike gets more difficult and the crowd seems to be growing even though Kronos's men have stopped coming out of the gates. Time seems to be going slower and every movement is twice as hard to complete. At first, I think my control of my powers is dying but I realize it's something else, but I'm not sure what.

Instead, I try to direct my attention to the task and blood bend three soldiers. When they fall, I can finally see a clearing to the gates. There's still a lot of soldiers but at this rate and at our energy levels, I think our best option would be to make a run for the gates. I quickly look up to catch Annabeth's eye and just as I look up, I see her surrounded by a group. She cuts down two with her quick sword moves but loses sight of someone behind her and he slashes down and across her arm, leaving a deep cut. She groans angrily and spins around, slashing the solider's throat. Her shirt is bleeding but she doesn't seem bothered. I weave through and stab some men to get over to Annabeth and she is out of breath when I get to her. I hold Riptide out in front of her as she takes a moment to catch some air.

" We need to make a run for it. At this rate, we won't make it." I say and Annabeth nods.

" I know. But how do you suppose we do that?"

She pants and wipes sweat and others' blood off her face. I gaze into her stormy, grey eyes and even though she is covered in blood and mud and has a broken nose, she still looks beautiful.

I look around and evaluate our options. There's not a lot of space to run through but there's enough to make it work. Eyeing the soldiers and knowing that they aren't going to let us stand here forever, I whisper to Annabeth.

"You good?"

She nods and stands upright while regripping her sword, " What do you have planned?"

" Follow my lead."

I look for the tug from the ocean and take a deep breath as I use everything I have to make a wave and crush the men in front of us. Taking the wave, I hit the soldiers aside hard, their bodies flying through the air and water. As they lay on their backs, we finally have a clearing to the gates.

I grab Annabeth's hand and we race to the gates. Time is slowing again and every move seems likes we are moving against a current. I groan as We push through, barely making it to the gates. We hurry to lock the other soldiers out and quickly close the large, heavy wooden doors to the fortress.

"Kronos must have been messing with the time speed to slow us down." Annabeth concludes as we catch our breath and look around.

"That makes sense. How do you think the others are doing?" I ask and Annabeth shakes her head.

"I'm not sure. Our plans were compromised so I'm not sure how well they would be doing."

Suddenly, a dragon rises from the ground with some people on its back and I realize that it's Frank with the others. He flies through the air and zooms across the wall of the base to avoid the fury of arrows and men on the other side. Frank lowers them down safely on the ground and Annabeth and I greet them.

When we get to them, Jason and Piper help Leo off the dragon. The side of his shirt is bloody and he is covered in sweat.

"I think we need to figure out plan b." Jason says and Annabeth answers.

" I agree. I'm not sure how though. How'd it go on your side."

" Badly. Leo tried saving Nico and got injured. We couldn't get into the gate on the other side so Hazel and I had to get rid of the archers on the wall and luckily Frank got us over in time. It looks like you guys had just as much trouble."

I nod and say, " So what's the next step?"

Annabeth looks around and concludes, " We are sitting ducks in here and they are probably going to break down those gates soon. Percy, we need to get you to the throne room. Now."

Anxiety clutches my chest as the time has finally come from me to face Kronos and put a stop to all of this.

" Alright. I remember where his throne room is and I'll try my best."

Annabeth, Jason and Piper all look at me with various expressions ranging from worry to acceptance. But my focus is on Annabeth whose face is covered with blood which should be the most obvious feature but instead it's her eyes that grab my attention. They are stormy and focused wth a hint of water as she realizes just as I do that we don't know if this is the last time we see each other.

Jason walks away to give us some space and Annabeth clenches her jaw as she says, " You better come back to me Seaweed Brain."

" I will." I answer and smile as she looks around. I can tell that she doesn't want to be too emotional or upset since she has to go back and lead but I can tell it's killing her just as much as this goodbye is killing me.

" Why are we always doing this? We're always saying goodbye."

" I know. But it's almost over. Then we can figure out what happens next. Then we can finally live in peace."

Although I don't know what I want for the future, I know I want her in my future. Suddenly, there's a loud bang on the front gate and I realize it's time to go.

" Well, this is it."

" Ok. You better hurry. I don't know where Luke ran off to and he's probably merging with Kronos."

I grip and go to turn before turning back to Annabeth and saying, " I love you."

She smiles and says, " I love you too."

I catch one more look at her and then turn to go up the stairs and find Kronos

Annabeth

I watch Percy run up the winding, spiral stairs up to the second level and I see him disappear into the door. I take a deep breath and then turn to what I need to focus on.

Walking over to the rest of the group, I see Hazel and Frank tending to Leo and Nico.

" How are they doing?"

" Leo is looking to good. He needs more medical attention then we have here. We need to get him out of here. Nico will be fine." Hazel says.

" I can shadowtravel him and whoever else is badly wounded." Nico says as he holds his wounded side.

" No, that could make you worse. Maybe Frank can take them?"

I shake my head, " We need Frank here. For now, let's have Hazel work some magic on Leo and Nico you stay and rest here. I'm going to talk to Jason about what's next."

Hazel nods and continues to work on Jason and the banging on the front gate becomes more frequent, meaning that those soldiers are going to barge in at any moment. I jog over to Jason whose talking with the others.

" We have to hold this area. At least until Percy can stop Luke from merging with Kronos and then we can give him back up."

" That's a great idea but I'm not sure we can hold it for too long, Annabeth. We are down in numbers and with those we do have still they are exhausted."

I look around the area and see the others tired, beaten and down. Bodies litter the courtyard and I realize that our morale is shaken. The pounding at the gate gets more louder and frequent and I realize I have to rally the troops. I am a daughter of war and wisdom and now is my time to gather the troops for one more battle.

Quickly, I race to the front of the crowd and shout.

" Demigods! Today is a moment in history when they will either remember us as heroes, fools or martyrs! Right now, we can write our own stories by defending this courtyard with our lives and honoring all those who lost their lives trying to defeat Kronos tyranny! We are the children of gods. We cannot be easily defeated! Now, join me and fight for your lives and your freedom so that one day, children in the future will know this day as the day that the world changed for the better!"

Suddenly, a part of the wooden gate cracks and I can hear the soldiers on the other side cheer. The demigods behind me stand and cheer louder and I ready my bow and sword. Jason, Piper and Frank walk up besides me with their own weapons and we all stand ready to fight. Jason shouts as the gate starts to fall.

" Demigods! On me!"

The gate falls and Jason screams. " Charge!"

Kronos's men collide with us and everything is sensory overload. I thought the last battle with Percy was chaos but this is even worse. Since the courtyard is small, everything is condensed and louder. The swords are clanking and screams are blaring. My focus is divided this time around as well as I worry for Percy's safety and hopefully his success. But, as I slash a solider's neck and his blood squirts in my face and body, my mind concentrates at the task at hand. My demigod instincts of warfare and battle skills kick in and I am mowing down every solider I face. Ahead, I see two men charging on Piper and I know she can handle herself but she is outnumbered. I see an abandoned shield in front of me and I remember a training excerise we use to do back at basecamp in New York with my mother. Luckily, during training for our attack, I showed the other demigods some skills, especially one with shields.

As I slice through a man's chest, I double check that I have enough arrows and sprint to grab the shield. Once I grab it I shout to Piper.

"Piper, catch!"

Piper's eyes are initially wide but then she realizes what's happening and catches the shield. She puts it over herself, angled so I can easily jump off it. I sprint and run off it, using my momentum to launch me. I knock two arrows and pull, sending the arrows into the upcoming men's heads. They collapse on the floor and I roll as I land. I catch eyes with Piper and we both nod and focus on the task ahead. I knock a couple of more arrows and kill a few more men. Looking around, I realize that the demigods are winning this battle. Just as I turn though, a sharp pain engulfs my senses and I scream out in agony.

Percy

After climbing the spiral staircase that I hate myself for remembering, I finally get to the corridor that leads to Kronos's throne room. It's a place that I lost myself in and I hate having to go back, but this is what I was meant to do. I need to face my aprehensions and kill Kronos once and for all.

As I walk down the corridor, a scream rips through the fortress and it's a scream I know well. My heart seizes and I stop.

"Annabeth!"

Half of me wants to race down and see her but I know if I did, she would send me right back. Annabeth would want me to focus on the task at hand, not on her. I try to shake her scream of agony out of my head. Once I do, I walk ahead, trying my best not to focus on Annabeth. The large steel doors stand before me, and I push them open, revealing the dark, large throne room of Kronos.

Ahead, Kronos sits on his steel throne with Luke at his side, holding his wrist that Annabeth broke.

I stare at Kronos whose golden eyes stare back at me, and he greets me in his ancient, deep voice.

"Welcome to your destiny, Perseus Jackson."