Hellfire

35: Big Three

THIRTY-FIVE

Jason summoned the winds to carry his friends back across the field. The look in Michael's eyes had unnerved him, though he loathed to admit it. He just wanted to get his friends and himself as far away from the angels as possible in that moment. So, he did.

"They have her," Piper confirmed once she had landed beside him at the head of their army. Uneasy whispers and mutterings spread through the crowd. "But it's going to be fine!" she called out to the horde of demigods and satyrs before them. Her voice was flooded with gentle charmspeak. She was projecting her feelings again, Jason realized. "We're going to beat this. We're going to be just fine." She smiled at the crowd before her, taking Jason's hand in her own. He squeezed it gently.

"We have until sundown to surrender," Percy said bitterly, running his fingers through his unruly hair. "They want us to give you all up." He looked at the gods despondently. "In exchange for our safety."

Athena pressed her lips together. "You'd all be saved," she murmured. "Maybe it's the best choice."

"Absolutely not!" Annabeth cried, staring at her mother. "How can you even say that?"

"We will never betray any of you," Frank confirmed, nodding.

"He's right!" Lou Ellen called from a few feet away. She looked at the gods, bowing her head slightly. "We stand with Olympus. No matter what." She cast her gaze downward. "We know that a lot of our parents are still... sick. We're fighting for them."

A few yards further down the line, Butch stepped forward. "Lou Ellen is right," he announced. "We owe it to our parents to try to fight for them." He nodded to Jason and his friends. "You guys all got your parents back. And everyone's happy for you for it. But we want our parents back, too. This is our only chance."

There was a smattering of applause. "Well said!" Travis Stoll called out. He clapped a hand on his brother Connor's shoulder, grinning at their father, Hermes. "Time to make you guys proud. I mean, after all, this is what Percy and Jason fought for after the last few apocalyptic wars, isn't it? It's our turn."

Jason flushed a bright red. Beside him, so did Percy.

Hephaestus coughed loudly, his face bright red under his scruffy beard. "That's unnecessary," he grumbled awkwardly.

Aphrodite nodded, her face shining with tears. "We have always been proud of all our children." She smiled tremulously at Jason. "Even those who are not our own."

"This is all very touching and sweet," Artemis broke in, her gaze sharp as flint. "But we need a plan. They have our only asset. They've given us a deadline. It's time to dig our heels in."

Poseidon nodded. "She's right. We need a plan."

The sea of heads before them turned towards Athena, Annabeth, and the clump of demigods that Jason knew where children of Athena and Minerva.

"Athena and her children will find us a strategy that will lead us to victory," Zeus declared, nodding at his daughter. "Meanwhile, every other god, satyr, and demigod needs to work."

"Use your strengths," Hera chimed. "You've all been blessed with gifts and the love and blessings of your gods. That is all you need."

Leo snapped his fingers, lighting a flame. "Knowing we're gonna live to see another day would be nice," he remarked. Leo pushed the flame into the air. "Hephaestus and Vulcan kids!" he shouted, waving his arms wildly. "Follow me! Time to make some weapons."