Beating Hearts

Red Alert

Slice. Dodge. Duck. Kick. Stab.

Percy hacked away at the various automatons with ease. 

Cut. Slam. Sweep. Flip. Destroy.

As the final robots crumbled to the ground, Percy slumped. He'd been training and teaching non-stop since he left Nico and the others in the woods. Loki had dropped in on his lessons, since he ran into Clovis and the son of Hypnos told him he hadn't sensed Percy in the dream realm lately. Of course, Percy hadn't slept in a while because of all his work around camp, and even then it was only a few hours, but Loki they didn't need to know that! He was acting super annoying; prodding Percy all day for him to actually rest. 

Percy felt kind of honored. Loki didn't seem like a people-person, but he still followed Percy around trying to take care of him. However, it also worried him. Loki grew attached to Percy within their first conversation, and Percy felt the same, but he thought of the fact that everyone who got too close to him died, Percy started shying away from the group. It didn't help that they were all coming together in a time of war. Percy shook his head. 

The Hunt would be coming soon, and the Reyna had gotten in contact with her sister in order to defend Camp Jupiter more efficiently. Percy had a bad feeling about this. All the recent signs and previous suspicions were adding up to a conclusion that Percy really didn't like. It was all too similar to Gaea- and yes, Percy preferred to use the Latin names for most of the big time enemies he had to discuss, but he guessed that it wouldn't really matter after all these years. Monsters were already attracted to him; why try to prevent a few more? 

Either way, they had a major problem. Zeus hadn't closed down Olympus, which meant that there wasn't some major primordial rising, but on the other hand, monster attacks had just...stopped. The calm before the storm. 

Zing!

In a moment, a silver arrow was pinched between Percy's fingers. He smirked and glanced over at the shooter. A grinning Thalia Grace was standing in front of the Zeus cabin, bow poised for another shot. "KELP HEAD!!!" she screamed, tackling him. She tried to noogie him, but Percy was several inches taller than her now, and he craned his head out of her reach. She groaned and pouted, before regaining her excitement. "Where's Skeleton Snot?" she asked. Percy laughed, and dodged when she sent a blow towards his head. "Neeks is in his cabin, most likely briefing the Avengers on how to avoid castration and/or death from the Hunt," he half-joked. 

Thalia snorted. "Puh-lease. You said they were allies! As long as the males stay away from our campsite, we'll try not to kill them."

"How reassuring." Percy deadpanned. Their shadows were then sucked together and melted into a short, Italian ghost boy. "Yeah," Nico smirked, "That means I don't have to talk to them anymore. The one with a goatee is as annoying as- annoying. He's annoying, and then there's the one with the bow who whines about being 'beat by a bunch of kids', and don't even get me started on the others! I already hate people, so why was I the one stuck with them?" he complained. "Also, don't call me 'Neeks'," he ordered, scowling at Percy.

"What am I chopped liver? I didn't even get a 'hi, how's it going, favorite cousin in the world'?" Thalia waved her arms around her head. 'She is her father's daughter,' Percy thought. 'So dramatic.'  Nico raised an eyebrow. "You think you're my favorite cousin?" Thalia scoffed. "Well who is could it be? Are you saying you like Kelp Head more than me?!" The girl pressed the back of her hand to her forehead and stumbled backwards. "Oh, woe is me- the sea scum has surpassed me in favorite cousin-ship. Whatever shall w-" Thalia was cut off when Connor ran over to them, eyes wide and skin pale.

Thalia straightened up quickly, confusion etched in her features. "What happened? What's wrong?" Her hand flew to her pocket, which contained her brother's old golden coin, which she'd claimed after the war. "Attack. We're under attack. But, it's not just monsters- there are demigods, too, and they've got both camps surrounded. We received a message from Reyna by eagle, and there are thousands- maybe even millions- in total. Almost every monster to ever exist in Greek and Roman legends." 

"Have they got weapons yet? Onagers, swords, machinery; have they aligned themselves with the cyclopes? I think we can still rely on Tyson and his troops, but it may be more difficult to convince them all if their own kind are on the other side." Connor's shoulder's relaxed. As unusual as it was to see Percy like this, it was always a relief to have a leader, someone to depend on. Percy just fit the role so well, and he understood that(really, he did!), but sometimes it got to him- they could always call on him in their time of need, but they never saved him, never worried for him, cared about where he was unless they needed him. Just like their parents...the demigods may be better, but it was like with the Titans and the gods- it's not that the gods were good, per say, just that they were better. 

Because they knew, through thick and thin, Percy would always stay loyal to them, like a guard dog that would always come back, no matter what. He'd always save his family, as awful a family as they were. They didn't mean to use him. But they did.

But he didn't care; so here he was again, tightening the straps of his armor and adjusting his chest plate. Sharpening extra daggers to go along his belt, and ambrosia and nectar packages tied to his sides. A vial of water was concealed in his armor. When he saw the sea of monsters awaiting him, he had a feeling he would need every drop of it. Out of the corner of his eye, Percy could see Loki conversing with the Hecate cabin, Thor and Steve with Reyna, and Clint was correcting a small Nike girl's form with her bow. Natasha and Clarisse were simultaneously glaring at each other and dragging out war plans from Ares' cabin, and Bruce was helping Will and Kayla make more bandages while Harley assembled Tony's suit. The man himself was hopping around on one foot trying to fix his boot's thrusters. 

Percy wondered if they were like this before their fight against Loki and the Chitauri. If so, then no wonder the aliens had nearly invaded- 'Earth's Greatest Heroes' were bumbling around like fools the entire time. "Hey, Percy?" The demigod turned around with a stoic expression. "If we don't win this war..." Drew trailed off, "Do you think I've lived up to them? Piper and Silena, I mean?" she looked at him nervously. Percy's jaw relaxed. 

"Honestly? No. But you have redeemed yourself. And I'm hoping that no one else will have to become sacrifices like them."

Hi again! So...I'm sorry, but I've been reading a lot of Harry Potter crossovers lately and I just need to get some of my ideas out right now. I just wanted to let you all know that I won't show the battle- in fact, I might end this story right here, or add an epilogue as the end. I guess what I'm saying, is that I'm abandoning it. I don't think it's too much of a loss- there are plenty of other stories just like mine, or better, but with my other stories, I feel I will be able to commit more, and I think that abandoning this work altogether is better than letting everyone down with a super crappy ending.

~DarkCooki3