Decimate

Chapter Thirty Two--Dan--Phil Goes Nuclear

I was going to die.

I'd never get to tell Phil how I felt.

I'd never get to go back to camp half blood. To tell stories about this quest to my children.

I'm never leaving here.

"Demigod," Prometheus said, panting. "You are a fool. You have only slightly delayed my plans. Gaia will rise, and you will die. You will all die. Gaia will destroy you all."

"No," Phil said, suddenly rising to his feet.

Prometheus turned to him, his gray eyes flashing for a split second with confusion.

"You will die, Prometheus," Phil said, his voice turning menacing. "You will never leave this place. Gaia will never rise."

And that's when he began to fly.

Now I don't mean he sprouted chicken wings and rose majestically into the sky. I mean his eyes turned a pure, startling green, he raised both arms up like a poltergeist, his hair suddenly floated around like gravity meant nothing, and he floated about five feet off the ground.

It seemed all the plants in the ruins had swarmed to Phil. Or at least tried to. Grass, trees and flowers all leaned towards him like a crowd to a stage. Even dead plants suddenly were infused with life and stretched out as far as they could.

Hundreds of plants grew directly under him, reaching up to curl around his legs, almost affectionately. The sky seemed to get slightly darker, as if the sun was being blocked out.

"Prometheus," Phil said, his voice suddenly echoing through the ruins. "Die."

Vines lashed around the bodies of the enemies, suffocating them like snakes, completely ignoring us.

Several tree saplings burst from the ground under Prometheus's feet, wrapping around his legs and creeping around his body, growing wider and taller by the second.

When the wood had reached his neck, Prometheus somehow found the breath to speak.

"Curse you," He wheezed, as the wood crept over his head.

The branches constricted, and I heard a stomach-twisting crunch.

Blood oozed out from between the trunks.

The sky went back to normal.

The plants settled back into their normal positions, save for the one's that had attacked Prometheus and his followers.

And Phil collapsed.

I finally found the strength to move and rushed to his side.

He was pale, even paler than usual. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow, almost stopped.

Blood trickled from a wound on his head, and from his nose and mouth.

"Phil," I whispered, feeling like my heart was being squeezed like Prometheus.

"Hand me the nectar," I demanded, holding out my arm to Sean and Mark, who were standing next to me. Sean pulled it out of his bag with shaky hands and pressed it into my palm.

I opened it quickly and poured it's contents into Phil's mouth, praying to every god I remembered.

Nothing happened for several, heart-stopping seconds.

Then Phil gasped, color flooding into his cheeks.

"Phil!" I exclaimed happily, burying my head into his shoulder and hugging him.

I opened my eyes to see doves flying around us in a circle.

Honestly, after all that's happened today, I'm not surprised.

Something tugged at my gut, and suddenly we were standing on a table in the dining pavilion, with me still hugging Phil.

And then, in front of the entire camp, I made either the best or worst decision I've ever made.

I kissed Phil.