are you mine[?]

.cinq.

Patroclus handed Nico a spear as the hellhound howled. He unsheathed another and twirled it, ready to throw.

The enemy forces stirred nervously. Then they began to part, clearing a path through the street as Patroclus continued to spin his spear, building up energy.

Soon there was a free aisle down the center of Fifth Avenue. Standing at the end of the block was the giant dog, and a small figure in black armor.

"Nico?" the tall boy in bronze armor called.

"ROWWF!" Mrs. O'Leary bounded toward him, ignoring the growling monsters on either side. Nico strode forward. The enemy army fell back before him like he radiated death, which of course he did.

Through the face guard of his skull-shaped helmet, he smiled. "Got your message. Is it too late to join the party?"

Kronos sneered at Patroclus. "Mortal king, do you truly want to meet your father's end?"

Then he turned away. "Son of Hades." He spit on the ground. "Do you love death so much you wish to experience it?"

"Your death," Nico said, "would be great for me."

"I'm immortal, you fool! I have escaped Tartarus. You have no business here, and no chance to live."

Nico drew his sword—three feet of wicked sharp Stygian iron, black as a nightmare. "I don't agree."

The ground rumbled. Cracks appeared m the road, the sidewalks, the sides of the buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their way into the world of the living. There were thousands of them, and as they emerged, the Titan's monsters got jumpy and started to back up. Patroclus adjusted his grip on his spear, prepared to send it flying.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" Kronos demanded. "The dead are no match for us."

The sky turned dark and cold. Shadows thickened. A harsh war horn sounded, and as the dead soldiers formed up ranks with their guns and swords and spears, an enormous chariot roared down Fifth Avenue. It came to a stop next to Nico. The horses were living shadows, fashioned from darkness. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold, decorated with scenes of painful death. Holding the reins was Hades himself, Lord of the Dead, with Demeter and Persephone riding behind him.

Hades wore black armor and a cloak the color of fresh blood. On top of his pale head was the helm of darkness: a crown that radiated pure terror. It changed shape as Patroclus watched—from a dragon's head to a circle of black flames to a wreath of human bones. But that wasn't the scary part. The helm reached into his mind and ignited his worst nightmares, his most secret fears. Patroclus almost wanted to crawl into a hole and hide, and he could tell the enemy army felt the same way. Only Kronos's power and authority kept his ranks from fleeing.

Hades smiled coldly. "Hello, Father. You're looking... young."

"Hades," Kronos growled. "I hope you and the ladies and the mortal king have come to pledge your allegiance."

"I'm afraid not." Hades sighed. "My son here convinced me that perhaps I should prioritize my list of enemies." He glanced at Percy Jackson with distaste. "As much as I dislike certain upstart demigods, it would not do for Olympus to fall. I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there is one thing we agree on—it is that you were a terrible father."

"True," muttered Demeter. "No appreciation of agriculture."

"Mother!" Persephone complained.

Patroclus sighed dramatically. "Can we get to the point?"

Hades drew his sword, a double-edged Stygian blade etched with silver. "Now fight me! For today the House of Hades will be called the saviors of Olympus."

"I don't have time for this," Kronos snarled.

He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in both directions, circling the Empire State Building. A wall of force shimmered along the fissure line, separating Kronos's vanguard, Percy, and his friends (or so Patroclus assumed) from the bulk of the two armies.

"What's he doing?" Percy asked.

"Sealing us in," the huntress said. "He's collapsing the magic barriers around Manhattan — cutting off just the building, and us."

Sure enough, outside the barrier, car engines revved to life. Pedestrians woke up and stared uncomprehendingly at the monsters and zombies all around them. No telling what they saw through the Mist, but Patroclus assume it was terrifying. Car doors opened.

"No," Percy said. "Don't..."

Then Hades charged at the wall of force, but his chariot crashed against it and overturned. He got to his feet, cursing, and blasted the wall with black energy. The barrier held.

"ATTACK!" he roared.

The armies of the dead clashed with the Titan's monsters. Fifth Avenue exploded into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Demeter waved her hand and an entire column of giants turned into a wheat field. Persephone changed the dracaenae's spears into sunflowers. Nico slashed and hacked his way through the enemy, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could. Two mortals ran toward them, dodging monsters and zombies.

Patroclus flung his spear at the horde of monsters charging for him and it cut through them smoothly as he drew his sword. His sword spun in a deadly arc as he used his third spear as careful protection, poking out eyes when he had to pause.

"Nakamura," Kronos said. "Attend me. Giants—deal with them."

He pointed at Percy and his friends. Then he ducked into the lobby.

The first Hyperborean giant smashed at Percy with his club. Patroclus refuses to let himself get distracted.

Patroclus glanced toward Nico. He was fighting his way toward the two mortals, but they weren't waiting for help. The man grabbed a sword from a fallen hero and did a pretty fine job keeping a dracaena busy. He stabbed her in the gut, and she disintegrated.

"Paul?" Percy said in amazement.

He turned toward him and grinned. "I hope that was a monster I just killed. I was a Shakespearian actor in college! Picked up a little swordplay!"

Patroclus liked him even better for that, but then a Laistrygonian giant charged toward the woman. She was rummaging around in an abandoned police car — maybe looking for the emergency radio — and her back was turned.

"Mom!" Percy yelled.

Patroclus abandoned his enemies and flung his last spear into the giant's heart. He rolled out of the way of the monsters and pulled his laurel off of his head.

It transformed into a new sword, as he sheathed his regular one. This sword was made of all four metals — silver, Celestial Bronze, Imperial Gold, and Stygian Iron.

He smirked. Perfect.

"Percy, we'll be fine. Go!" the woman said.

"Yes," Nico agreed, "we'll handle the army. You have to get Kronos!"

"Come on, Seaweed Brain!" the blonde girl said. Percy nodded. Then he looked at the rubble pile on the side of the building.

"Mrs. O'Leary," Percy said. "Please, Chiron's under there. If anyone can dig him out, you can. Find him! Help him!"

Patroclus wasn't sure how much she understood, but she bounded to the pile and started to dig. The four Greeks bolted for the building.

Patroclus turned to face his enemies with a new fierceness. He retrieved his third spear and twirled it in his slender fingers.

"Ready?" he asked Nico.

He nodded.

Patroclus grinned and handed his spear to the woman. "Take care of her. She was Achilles's."

And then he charged.

}{}{}{

So that happened.