Altered Destinies

Battle of Manhattan

Ch.23

Once they were outside, they were met by Michael Yew running down the hallway.

"Perce, the Titan Army is on the move. There is a Titan leading an army through Central Park." He said quickly.

Percy's eyes widened, "Okay, send everyone out to cover the same bridges and tunnels they defended yesterday except I want you to tell the Demeter cabin to come with me and Zoe to the park. Take the Apollo cabin and cover their post."

Michael nodded and turned to run back downstairs while Zoe looked at Percy confused.

"How will we be able to hold them back with only the Demeter cabin?" She asked.

Percy grinned, "That's like their home turf. We'll have all the trees and plants in the park to use as weapons. Now let's get moving, we've got another Titan to kill."

Percy and Zoe made their way into the lobby of the Plaza Hotel to find it emptied of the wounded soldiers. The cabin leaders were gathering their demigods and getting ready to march out to defend their bridges and tunnels. Thalia and Annabeth came down from the room as everyone fell silent and looked at Annabeth nervously. It was clear no one trusted her despite Percy's support.

Percy shook his head as he looked at the sadness in his friend's eyes, "Annabeth, you can come with Zoe and I along with the Demeter cabin. We need to get to Central Park, apparently one of the Titans has come out to play and it would be nice to have another trusted friend to help us out."

Annabeth looked surprised but quickly nodded and smiled as she began to strap on her armor. Percy noticed everyone looking at him confused before he narrowed his eyes, "Are you guys going to wait for the Titan Army to reach us or would you mind getting to your posts sometime today?"

Everyone quickly looked away and headed out of the hotel lobby. Annabeth came running up to Percy and Zoe, who were standing with Katie in front of the Demeter cabin, in her armor and a smile on her face, "Thanks Percy."

Percy smirked, "Don't be so hasty in your thanks; we're going to battle a Titan."

Annabeth's eyes narrowed in determination, "Good, I'd like a little revenge."

Percy nodded as he and Zoe led the group towards Central Park. Once they were there, they stopped about halfway into the park. Percy and Annabeth gathered everyone around them as they tried to set up the best plan possible. Campers went running off to set up traps along the paths they assumed the enemy would have to take. Once everything was set up, they waited.

They heard the army before they saw it. The noise was like a cannon barrage as the ground rumbled under the weight of hundred of giants, monsters and enemy demigods. At the north end of the reservoir, the enemy vanguard broke through the woods-a warrior in golden armor leading a battalion of Laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes. Hundreds of other monsters poured out behind them.

"Positions!" Katie yelled.

Her cabin mates scrambled. The idea was to make the enemy army break around the reservoir. To get to them, they'd have to follow the trails, which meant they'd be marching in narrow columns on either side of the water. At first, the plan seemed to work. The enemy divided and streamed toward them along the shore. When they were halfway across, Percy nodded as their traps were sprung. The jogging trail erupted in Greek fire, incinerating many of the monsters instantly. Others flailed around, engulfed in green flames. Demeter campers threw grappling hooks around the largest giants and pulled them to the ground. In the woods on the right, Katie stood with a number of her siblings as branches and plants surged forward into the enemy lines, entangling twenty or thirty Dracaenae, but more marched behind them.