He Stoll My Heart - Connor Stoll.

Ch.11: Snowcones.

A/N: This chapter takes place during TLO, ch.15 ("Chiron throws a party")

So apparently Nico's birthday is also the 28th of January as well as the 6th of May?? So... happy birthday Ghost King?? I don't know. I'm tired.

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"Kids! Updates!" Rose screamed to the skies, unable to look up from her work.

Having reached Grover and the nature spirits on Sixth Avenue, the Demeter Cabin had started helping grow it into a jungle while the Apollo Cabin had been called off somewhere else. The jungle had been effective, as it was currently hampering a squadron of Kronos's demigods.

Jinny and Nino flew down close to her.

"Midtown's a war zone!" Jinny yelled. "Lots of small battles everywhere!!"

"There's a giant ripping up trees in Bryant Park while dryads throw nuts at him!" Nino said.

"And Benjamin Franklin is whacking a big evil dog with a newspaper!" Jinny added.

"Benjamin— What?" Rose said, not looking away from the tree she was growing.

"Percy Jackson and the people with the owl flag are at 33rd at the Park Avenue tunnel, fighting a cold giant thing!" said Nino.

Violet flew down on her pegasus. "Rose! The Hunters have set up a defensive line on 37th, just three blocks north of Olympus. To the east on Park Avenue, the Hephaestus campers are leading an army of statues. The south is okay for now, but another army is on its way."

"Okay," Rose said, as the large tree finished growing. "Thank you."

"Rose, what's going on?" Katie asked her.

"The enemy is closing in on the Empire State Building. We're too spread out, and there aren't enough of us."

"Bad bad baaaah-d," Grover bleated.

Telkines attacked the jungle, howling and tearing at trees.

"Get out of here!" Rose shouted at the three kids.

The two pegasi rose into the air again.

The next few hours were a mess. Empousai had joined the mix and a few trees had been lit on fire. It'd taken 5 dryads and Grover's magic to put them out, only for the empousa to light 'em up again.

Katie and Rose were working together as one, like they did in the Labyrinth, back to back, sending out wooden spikes as projectiles. They were exhausted but the adrenaline masked it.

By the time the sun had dipped behind the buildings, the Demeter Cabin and Grover's nature spirits were forced out of their jungle and back towards the Empire State Building, fighting alongside the rest of Camp Half-Blood, forced into one big group.

Percy Jackson fought like a beast, wading through dracanae, empousai, telkhines, and knocking out enemy demigods. Rose noticed Thalia, pushing monsters back with her terrifying shield, Aegis.

"Hold your lines!" Katie screamed, somewhere to Rose's left.

Rose saw Connor and waded her way towards him. She pressed her back against his as they fought together.

"It's good to see you!" Connor shouted, kicking an empousa towards Nyssa, who struck her down with her axe. "You look hot!!"

"Our jungle caught on fire!" Rose replied, .

"Not what I meant!" Connor said lightly. "Glad to see my teachings are doing you good!"

"Dodge, parry, strike!" Rose said, listing the movements she was making with her sword.