Annabeth POV

BANG. The sound of Porphyrion's gunshot rang in my ears, and my head began ringing.

He hit his mark.

Poseidon suddenly limped massively, and I looked to see a bullet wound on his leg.

But thank God, the bullet hit his leg, not his head or heart. But still. "Poseidon! Oh my god, what–" I got cut off when President Zeus yelled, "brother! , and sprinting after him.

Then I realized it wasn't a bullet. It was a dart.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Hera stood there, her brain not registering what she was seeing. Then, she tried to run to her them, but Alcyoneus, a brother of Gaea, threw a knife.

This time, it hit its mark on spot. Hera froze, blood trickling down her face, as she looked at the hilt jutting out of her forehead. Her eyes rolled up into her head, and she collapsed. I knew she was dead.

"Hera! Porphyrion, I swear by God that you will–" Zeus yelled and cried. His wife was gone. He lifted her lifeless body and started to sob.

But I didn't really mind that much, since Hera always hated me.

But Poseidon raised his gun. He inserted the bullets to his AK-47, and aimed at Porphyrion's face, despite his bad leg.

"Dad?" Percy muttered, a question. Nico pressed harder, and Percy shut up.

Percy. He was one of the only things that's mattered. I tried to run to him, to get closer at least, but Alcyoneus drew his knife. I stopped, and stepped back. Then I unsheathed my own.

"Percy...son..." Poseidon looked down shamefully, but then his eyes hardened, and he raised the gun again, and aimed it at Porphyrion.

But suddenly I realized something.

Porphyrion raised his own gun.

Then Poseidon shot.

Porphyrion didn't collapse. Instead, I saw something even more horrifying.

Nico had let go of Percy, and was now clutching his bloody arm.

Porphyrion was alive and well.

Alcyoneus was still on guard.

Which meant only one thing.

Poseidon had shot Nico. Of course. I had realized that he wasn't aiming for Porphyrion, but for something, someone behind him.

I was speechless. Sure, now Nico was the harm doer, but still.  I didn't know wether or not I still had feelings for him or not, because after he shot him, I didn't feel any too bad.

Percy managed to crawl to a safer place, drawing Nico's attention away from him, and onto Poseidon. He stared at him in shock, and loaded his own gun.

No words were exchanged. Porphyrion and Alcyoneus were watching, like this was some sort of entertainment. Porphyrion saw my expression, and a smirk formed on his ridiculously ugly face.

Suddenly, someone else charged into the fight.

"Dionysus?!" I cried in disbelief.

The man had a loud leopard-print shirt, and a sun hat. He was stout and plump, with a beach hat, and curly black hair.

"Of course it's me, What-Was-Your-Name!" He shrieked, throwing his arms into the air.

He came back with his own gun, a small, beautiful Beretta 92, decorated with grapevines.

He raised it and shot, efficiently yet mercilessly taking down Alcyoneus in one shot.

"Son?!" Zeus cried.

"Yeah, yeah, dad, good to see you too." For some reason, I could tell that good to see you too was a major overstatement.

He started locking another bullet in, but Porphyrion beat him to it. He just aimed and shot. Thankfully, though, Dionysus was good st dodging, not something that you'd expect from a man with his posture and demeanour.

"Screw you and your dodges!" Porphyrion cursed, trying to lock in another piece of ammo.

Dionysus this time was peppered with bullets, but none hit him. He jumped and dodged as easily, and scoffed, "is that your best?"

Zeus, Poseidon, and everyone else looked at him.

"What?" He cocked his head, tilting it sideways.

"Get on with it, nothing." I mustered, and he smirked, and locked his bullet.

BANG.

"ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!" An enraged howl came from Porphyrion's direction, as a bullet embedded itself into his arm.

He dropped his gun, and started clutching it tight.

But then, Nico did something unexpected. He gripped the gun tight with his good arm, and with all his strength, shot President Zeus.

"PRESIDENT ZEUS!!!" I screamed, trying to run, but Nico came over and tied up my ankles and wrists.

"LET ME GO!!! SCREW YOU YOU MOTHER FUCKER!!!!" I cried, but I couldn't get out of my bonds.

Suddenly, Dirt Queen herself popped into the scene.

Her brown, dirt-brown hair flowed in the wind as she stepped forwards. Her grass-pond scum green eyes glimmered with amusement as she sucked in the sight.

I was struggling. Nico was holding on. Zeus was...dead? Poseidon was wounded. Porphyrion was tending his arm wound. Dionysus was standing beside Poseidon, trying to scour the area for extra ammo to lock into the Beretta.

In other words, we were all exhausted, injured, and tired of this everlasting, wounding battle.

"President." She spat, disgusted, as she looked at the body of Zeus.

"L-leave...him...leave...us... alone..." Percy suddenly mustered, raising his head painfully.

I tried to run towards him, but Nico held me tight.

"Ha. President." Gaea sneered. "Well, he's no longer holding that title. It's Queen to you all now. GUARDS!" She shrieked, and her guards came lumbering over, carrying off Zeus.

"Take the other two as well!" She pointed to Poseidon and Dionysus, who were in a state of shock, and were protesting and struggling as her guards took them captive.

"And Nico..." she motioned towards him. His grip on me loosened, but I couldn't find myself going anywhere. I was frozen, from shock, fear, and exhaust.

"Great work, boy. Get your sorry ass over here." Nico went over there, and I suddenly found the will to move again.

"Percy..." I knelt by his side, putting a hand on his forehead. He groaned, but managed to sit up in my arms.

"Wisegirl...as beautiful as always, I suppose?" He tried for his usual smirk, but it came out as a pained grimace.

"Percy, we have to get out of here." I said. "Can you walk?"

He stood up, and teetered on his feet. "Easy..." I muttered, putting an arm around his waist. I was scared at how skinny he had become, with only a frame of bones for me to hold.

"I've...I've got this." He muttered, leaning heavily on me.

"HEY!!!" Suddenly, I looked back. Gaea. Fuck.

"Where do you think you're going?!" She shouted, moving closer, locking a pistol.

I opened my mouth to answer, but then, she scoffed. "Well, you go ahead. You pathetic little idiots were just small roadblocks on my victory lane. Zeus was too, but now I've achieved my throne. Go ahead, you can never, ever stop me ever again."

I took that que to run. I carried Percy on my back, groaning and moaning. I started sobbing.

I'd lost Nico.

I'd lost Zeus.

I'd lost so many of the people that I'd cared about.

I'd lost my mother.

All to the same person.

Me.