ODD ONE OUT [ hazel levesque ]

Arrows are painful

THALIA 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 met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air with yellow tendrils of power.

As for Percy, he did something Mariah would've done. It was stupid, but it that's what made it fun. He attacked the Titan Lord Atlas.

He 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 swung his sword, and Atlas knocked him aside with the shaft of his javelin. He 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.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you could challenge that petty war god, that you could stand up to me?"

Percy shook off his daze and charged again.

The javelins point slashed toward him like a scythe. He raised his sword, planning to cut off his weapon at the shaft.

He tried to dodge, but the javelin caught him in the chest and sent him flying like a rag doll. He slammed into the ground. He looked up and found himself at the feet of Artemis and Mariah, still straining under the weight of the sky.

Mariah knew this wasn't the time, but she took her chance to say it anyway. "Go date Annabeth."

Percy looked very confused by her statment.

"Run, boy," Artemis told him. "You must run!"

"That too." Chimed in Mariah.

Atlas was taking his time coming toward Percy. His sword was gone. It had skittered away over the edge of the cliff. Luke and Thalia were fighting like demons, lightning crackling around them. Annabeth was on the ground, desperately struggling to free her hands.

Mariah stopped focusing on Percy, her attention now on Annabeth. "ANNABETH CHASE!" She screamed, trying to warn her to stop being an  idiot and get off the ground. Annabeth was smart, so hopefully she got the message.

She then turned her attention back to Annabeth's boyfriend.

"Die, little hero," Atlas said.

He raised his javelin to impale Percy.

"No!" Zoe yelled, and a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas's armor.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward his daughter.

"The sky," Percy told the goddess and Mariah. "Give it to me."

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

"Annabeth took it!"

"Because Annabeth is a queen!" Called Mariah

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

"I'll die anyway," Percy said. "Give me the weight of the sky!"

Mariah admired Percy's bravery, for he didn't know how truly horrible the weight of the sky was. 

Percy didn't wait for the goddess answer. He took out his sword and slashed through both their chains. Then he stepped inbetween them and braced himself on one knee—holding up his hands—and touched the cold, heavy clouds. For a moment, Artemis, Mariah and Percy all bore the weight together.