008.















✦ ༉‧₊˚⋆˚( ᵖᵉʳᶠᵉᶜᵗ ʷᵒʳˡᵈ )˚⁺✧₊˚.*♡

🍦— 008. to a fallen angel.

























WAS IT WEIRD HOW VIVI AND ANNABETH knew what to do or what the other was saying just by one look? Well, if it's weird, then get used to it because they do that all the time; including right now. Vivi and Annabeth looked at each other and with a simple nod, they understood the plan. They mounted Guido with Percy right behind them and the pegasus took off. Guido took them up to the helicopter. Vivi could hear Rachel screaming inside and could see the mortal pilot slumped over the controls. She had no idea how Rachel was able to stay awake with the enchantment.

"Ideas?" Percy asked the two of them.

"You're going to have to take Guido and get out," Annabeth stated.

"What are you and Bibi going to do?"

None of them replied. Annabeth said Hyah! and Guido went into a nosedive.

"Duck!" Annabeth yelled.

Vivi did just that. She ducked and the helicopter blades barely missed the top of her head. They zipped along the side of the helicopter, and Vivi grabbed the door, following after Annabeth. And that's when things went wrong. Guido's wing slammed against the side of the helicopter and plummeted down with Percy on his back. Two girls were left dangling from the side. Rachel rushed over to them and began to help Annabeth up first.

Vivi just realized, fates were not on her side. The arm the girl used to grab the side of the helicopter was the one that had her injured shoulder. He shoulder felt like it was ripping apart. She cried out in pain, but despite it, she pushed forward. Her other hand grabbed onto the floor of the helicopter. With the strength left in her body ( and some assistance from Rachel ), she pulled herself up into the helicopter. Vivi let out a breath of exhaustion, and thanked gods for not ripping her arm off. She saw Rachel standing in front of her and Annabeth manning the controls.

"Oh God," Rachel let out as they approached the building. "Oh God."

"Please shut up, you're giving me a headache." Vivi said.

Of course she wasn't afraid; she knew what her best friend can do. Annabeth made the helicopter right itself and spin in a circle. She slowly descended the helicopter until it thudded to landing in the middle of Fifth Avenue. With ease, she shut the helicopter off and turned to Vivi with a grin of her face.

The two girls jumped out of the helicopter as Rachel dragged out the pilot.

She noticed what the girl was wearing. Rachel was still dressed in vacation clothes, which was a t-shirt, beach shorts, and sandals. Her red curly hair was tangled and her face looked green from the helicopter ride.

Percy stared at Annabeth in awe. "I didn't know you could fly a helicopter."

"Neither did I," Annabeth responded. "My dad's crazy Into aviation. Plus, Daedalus had some notes on flying machines. I Just took my best guess on the controls."

"You saved my life," Rachel breathed out.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, well. . . let's not make a habit of it. What are you doing here, Dare? Don't you know better than to fly into a war zone?"

"I ─ " Rachel glanced over at Percy, "I had to be here. I knew Percy was in trouble."

"Got that right. Well, if you'll excuse me, have some injured friends I've got to tend to. Glad you could stop by, Rachel. You coming, V?"

"I'll be there in a few," Vivi told her.

The blonde nodded in response.

"Annabeth ─ " Percy called.

She stormed off, not letting him say anything else.

Vivi watched her best friend walk away for a moment before turning back to Rachel. It's been a year since she last saw the red haired girl, and she hadn't changed much. And for the first time, Vivi didn't feel jealous. Sure, she was a bit jealous, but she couldn't control how people were feeling about one another. She also tried to ignore the red string that appeared between Percy and Rachel ─ from hand to hand, nothing else. But the thought made her smile.

Vivi let out a small smile. "Sorry about Annie, today has been stressful enough."

"It's okay, don't ya worry." Rachel said, her hands inside her short's pockets.

"And I also wanted to say. . ." Vivi took a breath, "Wow, holy shit, why is hard."

"Take your time," Rachel grinned with playfulness.

"I'm really sorry." Vivi said, "There I said it," she threw her hands up.

"I ─ You're sorry?"

"Yes."

"Why?" asked Rachel, "I'm confused now."

"Because I was jealous bitch." Vivi said plainly, "And, I dunno, with all this war and stuff, I don't want us to be hating each other." she let out a sigh, "A lot of shit is happening and. . . you could've died in that helicopter, and I didn't want that to happen. I didn't want you to remember me being mean and bitchy to you ─ "

"Because she's not like that," Percy said beside her.

Vivi honestly has forgotten he was still there.

"Bibi is kind, caring, loving, selfless girl who would do anything for her friends and family," Percy said, his eyes widening after he realized what has left his mouth, "At least. . . that's what I heard."

Daughter of Hermes could feel her cheeks burning. In the corner of her eye, she watched as a red string that traveled between their bodies went from hand to hand, to heart to heart.

Rachel looked between the two and came close to Vivi, hugging her and mumbling the words, "We're cool."

"I ─ "

The red haired girl laughed slightly, "I accept your apology. Don't know why we got off on the wrong foot, but I'm happy we can be friends now."

"Me too."









































The Hephaestus cabin was out of Greek fire and that's just what they needed for this attack ( hear the sarcasm ). The Apollo cabin and the Hunters were scrounging for arrows. Most of them had already ingested so much ambrosia and nectar they didn't dare take any more. They had sixteen ( seventeen counting Violeta ) campers, fifteen Hunters, and half a dozen satyrs left in fighting shape. The rest had taken refuge on Olympus. The Party Ponies tried to form ranks, but they staggered and giggled and they all smelled like root beer. The Texans were head-butting the Coloradoans. The Missouri branch was arguing with Illinois. The chances were pretty good the whole army would end up fighting each other rather than the enemy.

Chiron trotted up with Rachel on his back. "Your friend here has some useful insights, Percy," he said.

Rachel blushed. "Just some things I saw in my head."

"A drakon," Chiron said. "A Lydian drakon, to be exact. The oldest and most dangerous kind."

"Just what we needed," Isa grumbled sarcastically beside Vivi.

"How did you know that?" Percy asked confused,

"I'm not sure," Rachel admitted. "But this drakon has a particular fate. It will be killed by a child of Ares."

Annabeth crossed her arms. Even if Vivi was now on good terms with Rachel, Annabeth was still wary. "How can you possibly know that?"

"I just saw it. I can't explain."

"Well, let's hope you're wrong," Percy said. "Because we're a little short on children of Ares. . ." 

He suddenly cursed in Ancient Greek.

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"The spy," Percy said. "Kronos said, We know they cannot beat this drakon. The spy has been keeping him updated. Kronos knows the Ares cabin isn't with us. He intentionally picked a monster we can't kill."

Thalia scowled. "If I ever catch your spy, he's going to be very sorry. Maybe we could send another messenger to camp ─ "

"I've already done it," Chiron said. "Blackjack is on his way. But if Silena wasn't able to convince Clarisse, I doubt Blackjack will be able ─ "

A roar shook the ground. It sounded very close.

"Rachel," Percy said, "get inside the building."

"I want to stay."

A shadow blotted out the sun. Across the street, the drakon slithered down the side of a skyscraper. It roared, and a thousand windows shattered.

"On second thought," Rachel said in a small voice, "I'll be inside." 
































Do you want to know what a drakon is?

No?

Too bad.

Drakons are several millennia older than dragons, and much larger. They look like giant serpents. Most don't have wings. Most don't breathe fire ( though some do ). All are poisonous. All are immensely strong, with scales harder than titanium. Their eyes can paralyze you; not the turn-you~to-stone Medusa type paralysis, but the oh~my~gods-that~big~snake~is~going~to~eat~me type of paralysis, which is just as bad. 

They have drakon-fighting classes at camp, but there is no way to prepare yourself for a two-hundred-foot-long serpent as thick as a school bus slithering down the side of a building, its yellow eyes like searchlights and its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth big enough to chew elephants. It almost made me long for the flying pig.

Meanwhile, the enemy army advanced down Fifth Avenue. They'd done their best to push cars out of the way to keep the mortals safe, but that just made it easier for their enemies to approach. The Party Ponies swished their tails nervously. Chiron galloped up and down their ranks, shouting encouragement to stand tough and think about victory and root beer, but Vivi figured any second they would panic and run.

"I'll take the drakon." Percy said, but his voice came out as a timid squeak. Then he yelled louder: "I'LL TAKE THE DRAKON! Everyone else, hold the line against the army!"

Percy turned to Annabeth, "Will you help me?" 

"Course I will, Seaweed Brain." she said.

"So will I." Vivi said, tightening her grip on the hilt of her dagger.

"Me too!" Isa added, her sword ready to slay monsters.

Percy went on to say something, before Isa cut him, "We both know Vivi will win whatever argument you have. So let us help and we can live another day."

The boy stared at the younger girl, but she didn't budge.

"Fine," he muttered, "Annabeth, go invisible. Look for weak links in its armor while the three of us keep it busy. Just be careful." Percy whistled. "Mrs. O'Leary, heel!" 

The hellhound leaped over a line of centaurs and gave me a kiss that smelled suspiciously of pepperoni pizza. With their weapons drawn, they charged the monster.  






















































The drakon was three stories above them, slithering sideways along the building as it sized up our forces. Wherever it looked, centaurs froze in fear. From the north, the enemy army crashed into the Party Ponies, and their lines broke. The drakon lashed out, swallowing three Californian centaurs in one gulp before anyone could even get close.

Mrs. O'Leary launched herself through the air ─ a deadly black shadow with teeth and claws. Normally, a pouncing hellhound is a terrifying sight, but next to the drakon, Mrs. O'Leary looked like a child's night-night doll. Her claws raked harmlessly off the drakon's scales. She bit the monster's throat but couldn't make a dent. Her weight, however, was enough to knock the drakon off the side of the building. It flailed awkwardly and crashed to the sidewalk, hellhound and serpent twisting and thrashing. The drakon tried to bite Mrs. O'Leary, but she was too close to the serpent's mouth. Poison spewed everywhere, melting centaurs into dust along with quite a few monsters, but Mrs. O'Leary weaved around the serpent's head, scratching and biting. 

Vivi ran, using her speed as an advantage and slashing at the monsters underside, sliding onto the floor like Violeta thought her to. But the slash did nothing. The scales were too strong to take any damage. The girl stood up quickly, jumping back as the drakon's tail came towards her.

She heard a distant yell and saw both Percy and Isa stabbing their swords deep into the monster's left eye. The spotlight went dark. The drakon hissed and reared back to strike, but Isa rolled both Percy and herself aside. The monster bit a swimming-pool-size chunk out of the pavement. It turned toward the pair with its good eye, but they weren't foolish enough to look at it.

Mrs. O'Leary did her best to cause a distraction. She leaped onto the serpent's head and scratched and growled like a really angry black wig. The rest of the battle wasn't going well. The centaurs had panicked under the onslaught of giants and demons. An occasional orange camp T-shirt appeared in the sea of fighting, but quickly disappeared. Arrows screamed. Fire exploded in waves across both armies, but the action was moving across the street to the entrance of the Empire State Building. They were losing ground.

Suddenly Annabeth materialized on the drakon's back. Her invisibility cap rolled off her head as she drove her bronze knife between a chink in the serpent's scales. The drakon roared. It coiled around, knocking Annabeth off its back. Vivi ran to a spot where Annabeth would fell and safely caught the blonde girl in her arms.

"Well hello there, my prince charming." Annabeth said as Vivi let her onto the ground.

"I told you to be careful!" the brunette hissed.

"Yeah, well, DUCK!"

It was her turn to save Vivi. She tackled Vivi as the monster's teeth snapped above her head. Mrs. O'Leary body-slammed the drakon's face to get its attention, and two girls rolled out of the way. Meanwhile their allies had retreated to the doors of the Empire State Building. The entire enemy army was surrounding them. 

They were out of options. No more help was coming. Vivi, Annabeth, Isa and Percy would have to retreat before they were cut off from Mount Olympus. Then she heard a rumbling in the south. It wasn't a sound you hear much in New York, but the girl recognized it immediately: chariot wheels.

A girl's voice yelled, "ARES!" And a dozen war chariots charged into battle. Each flew a red banner with the symbol of the wildboar's head. Each was pulled by a team of skeletal horses with manes of fire. A total of thirty fresh warriors, armor gleaming and eyes full of hate, lowered their lances as one ─ making a bristling wall of death.

"The children of Ares!" Annabeth said in amazement. "How did Rachel know?"

Vivi didn't have an answer. But leading the charge was a girl in familiar red armor, her face covered by a boar's-head helm. She held aloft a spear that crackled with electricity. Clarisse herself had come to the rescue. Vivi could make out George's figure in one the chariots, his sword held high and yells of curses leaving his mouth. The girl couldn't have been more happier to see her friend.

While half her chariots charged the monster army, Clarisse led the other six straight for the drakon. The serpent reared back and managed to throw off Mrs. O'Leary. The hellhound hit the side of the building with a yelp. Percy ran to help her, but the serpent had already zeroed in on the new threat. Even with only one eye, its glare was enough to paralyze two chariot drivers. They veered into a line of cars. The other four chariots kept charging. The monster bared its fangs to strike and got a mouthful of Celestial bronze javelins.

"EEESSSSS!!!!!" it screamed, which is probably drakon for OWWWW!

"Ares, to me!" Clarisse screamed.

But Vivi frowned. That was not a voice of Clarisse Le Rue. Her voice sounded shriller than usual, but maybe it sounded like that because she was fighting. Across the street, the arrival of six chariots gave the Party Ponies new hope. They rallied at the doors of the Empire State Building, and the enemy army was momentarily thrown into confusion.

Meanwhile, Clarisse's chariots circled the drakon. Lances broke against the monster's skin. Skeletal horses breathed fire and whinnied. Two more chariots overturned, but the warriors simply leaped to their feet, drew their swords, and went to work. They hacked at chinks in the creature's scales. They dodged poison spray like they'd been training for this all their lives, which of course they had. No one could say the Ares campers weren't brave.

Clarisse was right there in front, stabbing her spear at the drakon's face, trying to put out its other eye. But as Vivi watched, things started to go wrong. The drakon snapped up one Ares camper in a gulp. It knocked aside another and sprayed poison on a third, who retreated in a panic, his armor melting.

"We have to help," Annabeth said, her eyes watching as George was thrown away and onto the ground; a loud cry leaving his lips as he hit the pavement.

She was right. They all had just been standing there frozen in amazement. Mrs. O'Leary tried to get up but yelped again. One of her paws was bleeding.

"Stay back, girl," Percy told her. "You've done enough already." 

The four demigods jumped onto the monster's back and ran toward its head, trying to draw its attention away from Clarisse. 

Her cabinmates threw javelins, most of which broke, but some lodged in the monster's teeth. It snapped its jaws together until its mouth was a mess of green blood, yellow foamy poison, and splintered weapons.

"You can do it!" Percy screamed at Clarisse. "A child of Ares is destined to kill it!"

Through her war helmet, Vivi could only see her eyes ─ but she could tell something was wrong. Her blue eyes shone with fear. Clarisse didn't have blue eyes.

"ARES!" she shouted, in that strangely shrill voice. She leveled her spear and charged the drakon.

"No," Percy muttered, seeming to realize just like Vivi that the girl wasn't Clarisse. "WAIT!"

But the monster looked down at her ─ almost in contempt ─ and spit poison directly in her face. She screamed and fell.

"Clarisse!" Annabeth jumped off the monster's back and ran to help, while the other Ares campers tried to defend their fallen counselor. Vivi and Isa followed as Percy stabbed his sword between two of the creature's scales and managed to turn its attention on himself. But Vivi didn't focus on battle anymore. She helped Annabeth to unfasten the girl's helmet.

Another flying chariot land on Fifth Avenue. Then someone ran toward them and a girl's voice, shaken with grief, cried, "NO! Curse you, WHY?" 

It was Clarisse, real Clarisse. Vivi dared to look at the girl she was kneeling beside. Her armor smoked with poison. She was much thinner, not as tall as Clarisse. How didn't they notice?

"WHY?" the real Clarisse demanded, holding the other girl in her arms while the campers were still struggling to remove the poison-corroded helmet.

Chris Rodriguez ran over from the flying chariot. He and Clarisse must've ridden it here from camp, chasing the Ares campers, who'd mistakenly been following the other girl, thinking she was Clarisse. But it still made no sense.

The drakon tugged its head from the brick wall and screamed in rage.

"Look out!" Chris warned.

Instead of turning toward Percy, the drakon whirled toward the sound of Chris's voice. It bared its fangs at the group of demigods. 

The real Clarisse looked up at the drakon, her face filled with absolute hate. "YOU WANT DEATH?" Clarisse screamed at the drakon. "WELL, COME ON!"

She grabbed her spear from the fallen girl. With no armor or shield, she charged the drakon. Percy tried to close the distance to help, but Clarisse was faster. She leaped aside as the monster struck, pulverizing the ground in front of her. Then she jumped onto the creature's head. As it reared up, she drove her electric spear into its good eye with so much force it shattered the shaft, releasing all of the magic weapon's power. Electricity arced across the creature's head, causing its whole body to shudder. Clarisse jumped free, rolling safely to the sidewalk as smoke boiled from the drakon's mouth. The drakon's flesh dissolved, and it collapsed into a hollow scaly tunnel of armor.

The rest of them stared at Clarisse in awe. Vivi had never seen anyone take down such a huge monster single-handedly. But Clarisse didn't seem to care. She ran back to the wounded girl who'd stolen her armor.

Finally Vivi and Annabeth managed to remove the girl's helmet. They all gathered around: the Ares campers, George, Chris, Clarisse, Annabeth, Vivi, Isa and Percy. The battle still raged along Fifth Avenue, but for that moment nothing existed except their small circle and the fallen girl. Her features, once beautiful, were badly burned from poison. Vivi could tell that no amount of nectar or ambrosia would save her. Tears started streaming down Vivi's face as she looked down at the dying face of Silena Beauregard.




















































"What were you thinking?" Clarisse cradled Silena's head in her lap.

Silena tried to swallow, but her lips were dry and cracked. "Wouldn't. . . listen. Cabin would. . . only follow you."

"So you stole my armor," Clarisse said in disbelief. "You waited until Chris and I went out on patrol; you stole my armor and pretended to be me." she glared at her siblings. "And NONE of you noticed?"

The Ares campers developed a sudden interest in their combat boots. George looked down at the pavement and Annabeth stood up and walked to him, giving the boy a side hug, letting him put his head in the crock of her neck.

"Don't blame them," Silena said. "They wanted to. . . to believe I was you."

"You stupid Aphrodite girl," Clarisse sobbed. "You charged a drakon? Why?"

"All my fault," Silena said, a tear streaking the side of her face. "The drakon, Charlie's death. . . camp endangered ─ "

"Stop it!" Clarisse said. "That's not true."

Silena opened her hand. In her palm was a silver bracelet with a scythe charm, the mark of Kronos. Vivi felt her throat dry up.

"You were the spy."

Silena tried to nod. "Before. . . before I liked Charlie, Luke was nice to me. He was so. . . charming. Handsome. Later, I wanted to stop helping him, but he threatened to tell. He promised. . . he promised I was saving lives. Fewer people would get hurt. He told me he wouldn't hurt. . . Charlie. He lied to me." 

Behind them, the battle raged. Clarisse scowled at her cabinmates. "Go, help the centaurs. Protect the doors. GO!"

They scrambled off to join the fight. George went to join too, but Annabeth's hand stopped him. Her face was chalky. She looked like somebody had just yanked the world out from under her feet. The boy stayed back.

Silena took a heavy, painful breath. "Forgive me."

"You're not dying," Clarisse insisted.

"Charlie. . ." Silena's eyes were a million miles away. "See Charlie. . ." she didn't speak again.

Clarisse held her and wept. Chris put a hand on her shoulder.

Finally Isa closed Silena's eyes. "We have to fight." Annabeth's voice was brittle. "She gave her life to help us. We have to honor her."

Clarisse sniffled and wiped her nose. "She was a hero, understand? A hero." 

Everyone nodded.

"Come on, Clarisse."

She picked up a sword from one of her fallen siblings. "Kronos is going to pay." 

















niki speaks!

holy shit, only four more chapters
+ an epilogue!!
how did this end so fast!?
but i'm so excited for you all to better
meet isa in the next book!
i adore her sm!!

have a nice day/night!
bye!

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