The Blood of Olympus

Chapter Eighty-Two: Leo

Hi! I'm back!

I'm so sorry for the long wait! I had exams and stuff, which absolutely sucked. But they're now over (yay!) so I can carry on with my regular updates!

So I'm going to dedicate this chapter to everybody who hasn't stopped supporting me, even through the worst of my writing! I love you all so much!

This is such an intense chapter btw guys, so be prepared. I also think it's the last or one of the last major fighting scenes in this story. 

Leo

Leo was momentarily blinded.

The last thing he saw before the Acropolis exploded into shards of searing, golden light was Percy and Jason lunging at the goddess, Gaia.

But of course, it wasn't really Percy and Jason. It was their bodies being possessed by two freaking Primordial's intent on destroying her.

The light faded. Leo blinked the yellow spots out of his eyes as he struggled to comprehend the scene in front of him.

Where Gaia had once stood was a whirling tornado of rock and energy, expanding in time with Leo's heart... which is to say, it was getting bigger very fast.

Percy and Jason charged at the goddess. Their bodies, too, were covered in a layer of energy like a second skin. Leo could feel the heat from their bodies from where he stood a few yards away. With a sick feeling in his stomach, he knew that if he and his friends stayed, they would be caught in the crossfire.

They'll destroy the whole planet if they have to, Calypso had said.

"How do we stop them?" Leo asked, hoping he didn't sound completely terrified.

Calypso glanced at him, her eyebrows creased together. Her beautiful dark almond eyes were filled with worry. "We can't." There was a sharp tone of bitterness to her voice. "They're Primordials."

"There must be a way." Annabeth's hands were curled into fists. Her blonde hair was lank and streaked with blood and dirt. Her expression was one of grief and desperation.

There was another blast of light. This time, Leo smelt the familiar smell of burning.

"We need to leave." He said nervously. He wasn't sure whether his child-of-Hephaestus power would protect him from the occasional exploding Primordial. He certainly didn't want to find out.

"No." Annabeth's jaw was clenched. Leo felt a jolt go through him. The last time he saw that expression, it was just before she and Percy fell into Tartarus.

Frank placed a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing we can do." His expression was pained. "Leo's right-we need to leave. Now."

Piper shook her head as if she were in a dream. "I'm not leaving Jason."

The other demigods exchanged looks.

"I'm not leaving Percy." Annabeth said, her eyes stormy with perseverance. Her expression softened slightly as her gaze swept past Leo and Calypso. "But the rest of you can leave. Get on the Argo2 and head to Camp Half-Blood."

Leo's throat felt like it had closed up. He met eyes with the others, and he knew they all felt the same.

A sudden realization slammed into him like a punch in the gut. If this same situation had happened a few weeks ago when they first boarded the Argo2, Leo was almost entirely convinced that he and the other demigods would've left, even if it meant that they deserted Piper and Annabeth.