Chapter Text
Alternative Chapter Titles: ..We Find Out The Fates Aren't Done With Us Yet; I Channel My Inner Schroeder; I Come Clean To Camp About What I Know (Again); Beginning Of The Second Giant War Arc, Part One
(A/N: Shout-outs to -JASONSGRACE and Morro11 here, as well as AO3 User liminal for their fanfic "oaths cracked lengthwise (don't let it go)" which is as one tag puts it, "a requiem on the gods' broken promises" and is another fanfic that realistically depicts that after something like the Battle Of Manhattan, the demigods are very much traumatized teens now. Thanks to this user for helping me be inspired in writing at least part of this chapter.)
If one has to wonder when I started to be called the "Sniper Of Olympus", it was in the aftermath of having Rachel's prophecy come to past and becoming alongside my girlfriend, the two most powerful demigods of the campers at Camp Half Blood.
Somebody - I think it was Tyson - shouted 'Hail Colton Reynolds, the Sniper Of Olympus!' during the start of the celebrations on Olympus before we demigods started to head back to Camp Half Blood and the moniker simply spread like wildfire.
Contrary to what probably everyone else had in mind when it came to the two of us, with a simple nod from Kayla, the two of us booked it out of Olympus and headed to the elevator, Kelli deciding to follow us.
It was a bit of an awkward silence that pervaded a while between the three of us as we descended towards the ground floor of the Empire State Building, Manhattan once more hustling and bustling below us with reconstruction efforts going on to repair damage from the battle that had been fought. Eventually, Kelli broke it.
"So are we going to tell them about what's coming..?" she asked worriedly. Kayla sighed, and I just fidgeted with my hands.
"Yeah sure.. but we'll try to do it on our own terms, not those dictated upon us by other forces.." I told them, and they simply nodded in agreement. Oh how naive I was then..
Kelli changed back into her human form so as to not arouse suspicion from mortals. "So.." Kelli started again. "Rachel's prophecy has come to past, hasn't it?"
I nodded, and Kayla did too. I could feel power surging through me like I was made out of nothing but electrical circuits all pulsing with major surges of electricity. It was weird, to be honest. "Yeah it has.." I told Kelli. "Honestly.. I feel like I'm on a whole another level right now."
"Same here.." Kayla said, just as the elevator dinged for the ground floor a few moments later and the doors then opened.
The three of us simply darted through the mobs of dazed mortals once we had exited the building until we came upon the demon horse I - as the Monster King - had used as my mount in the final stages of the battle in an alleyway, simply snacking on hot dogs from a hot dog stand it had dragged over. When it saw me, it let out a low, affectionate neigh, stopped snacking and just walked over to us. It lowered its head and huffed, not doing anything when Kayla came up and petted its head, avoiding its spikes, gently.
It shook itself, and a rope ladder with metal steps unfurled itself on the side of the very tall horse, allowing each of us to climb on. Kayla wrapped her arms around my chest firmly from behind, while Kelli did the same thing.
"To Camp Half Blood, my steed!" I told it, and gave a shake of the reins, and like that, we were off. I'm not sure what we looked like to the mortals, but judging from the fact that basically everyone who looked at us didn't have any horrified looks on their faces and just turned away in boredom, I think the mist made the horse look something more like a double decker bus or something.
I'm not really sure here.
- — - — - — - — -
Somehow, despite the three of us having a head start, we arrived at Camp Half Blood just in time to see none other than Rachel Elizabeth Dare zoom in from above on Blackjack, Percy's pegasus. Needless to say, we were all caught by surprise.
"How?" Kelli asked.
"I don't know.." Kayla said.
"Me neither.." I told them, as the demon horse easily passed through the shield along with Kelli. Guessing one of the Gods gave them both clearance for their deeds. I will admit, camp seemed so peaceful compared to the burning buildings, wounded fighters, and infernal noises in Manhattan for the past couple of days, even if it was still dark out. Actually.. no.. the sun was just beginning to creep up now.
Rachel landed Blackjack on the ground next to the Big Cabin, and I will say, for a clear sighted mortal who has probably never flown a pegasus before, she made that landing look so damn easy. Hopping off of Blackjack, she walked up to the bottom of the porch steps and raised her arms. I pulled in on the reins and halted the demon horse close to the Big House too, just as the place started to go berserk.
Every closed window opened, green light shot outside from every window, and magical mist began to swirl around the yard. The demon horse reared upwards, startled by this, and Kayla and Kelli clung on to me and Kayla respectively for dear life to avoid falling over. The horse settled back down eventually, and we all hopped off of it, Kayla keeping the horse calm as we all watched the scene along with Blackjack.
"What are you doing?" I called out to Rachel, but she didn't respond.
I tried again.
No response, so I just let the matter drop for now.
Kelli and Kayla both looked nervous, as neither of them, like me, had seen anything like this. We had all both been there for a good long while before Chiron, laying on a horse sized stretcher with a bunch of Satyrs carrying it and him came up over the ridge and stopped dead in their tracks.
"Colton.." Chiron said. "..what is going on..?"
I shrugged. "I have no idea.." I told him. "We just about got here when Rachel flew in, walked up to the Big House after getting off of Blackjack.. and just raised her arms and this started happening. I can't tell you anything more."
Soon enough, a bunch of footsteps behind us, while the Satyrs sat Chiron's stretcher down in the volleyball pit nearby, indicated that others had arrived. Turning around, we noticed coming up towards the Big House none other than Argus, followed by Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Belle Adair, and Nico Di Angelo. Needless to say, the four demigods who had returned to camp were just about as equally confused as the rest of us.
"Uh..." Belle started, but Annabeth interrupted.
"What is she doing..?" Annabeth asked. "And how'd she get past the barriers?"
"We don't know exactly what she is doing.." Kelli replied to them, neither side demonstrating uneasy feelings towards the other now. "..and as to how she got in.. she flew in."
"She flew in on Blackjack.. right past the dragon, right through the magical boundaries.." Kayla added. "Someone must have given the horse and Kelli clearance too because we came in on land and didn't have a thing happen to either of them."
"Rachel!" Percy yelled. However, the Satyrs stopped him when he tried to get closer to Rachel. I didn't know why, but I had a feeling that I was about to find out. By this time, gradually the rest of the camp - including the Hunters and strangely Artemis was absent from the hunters for some reason - were also now arriving. They too were baffled by what was going on.
"Percy, don't.." Chiron warned, wincing in pain as he tried to move his partially bandaged body. "You can't interrupt."
"I thought you explained things to her!" Percy shot back.
"I did.." Chiron retorted. "..and I invited her here."
I looked at Kayla. You have any idea as to what he is talking about? I asked her telepathically.
She shrugged her shoulders. Your guess is as good as mine darling, she replied back.
I looked back at Percy, who was staring at Chiron at disbelief. "You said you'd never let anyone try again! You said-.." Percy started, then Chiron interrupted him. I was even more confused now.
"I know what I said, Percy" replied Chiron. "But I was wrong. Rachel had a vision about the curse of Hades. She believes it may be lifted now. She convinced me she deserves a chance."
"And if the curse isn't lifted? If Hades hasn't gotten to that yet, she'll go crazy!" Percy shouted back. Then it hit me.
The Oracle.
Hades must have placed a curse on the Oracle in the past. That's what this is all about. Suddenly, I was a bit worried for the Dare girl now.
More mist swirled around Rachel, and she shivered as if she was going into shock or something. It was a bit concerning.
"Hey!" Percy shouted, running towards her and ignoring the protests from the satyrs. "Stop!"
He hit something invisible after going about ten feet and bounced back onto his butt, landing in the grass. Everyone looked on a bit in alarm, but I instantly knew what exactly Percy had hit.
"Force field.." I muttered to Kayla and Kelli, and they nodded. Rachel turned to us now with her eyes open, and she looked an awful lot like she was sleepwalking, like it was a little bit creepy to be honest here.
"It's all right.." she spoke, her voice seeming far away now. "This is why I've come."
"You'll be destroyed!" Percy retorted.
Rachel shook her head. "This is where I belong, Percy. I finally understand why."
Percy tried to get to his feet - he was definitely struggling to do so - but it looked like he was being held down by something. Belle gripped the keychain of Sunflower tightly after she had reached down to it, trying to calm her nerves. Annabeth and Nico stood back and watched, both probably aware that they could do little to intervene in what was taking place literally right in front of all of us right now.
The Big House rumbled.. like no seriously.. it tumbled.. green light pouring out everywhere as the door swung wide open. Mist curled up into what seemed like over or close to a hundred serpents that idled about in a lazy manner before they slithered up the porch columns and curled around the house. More mist shot towards the doorway and curled around the figure standing there like serpents too as well.
The figure that moved forward out of all that mist was instantly recognizable.
It was the Oracle herself in her rainbow dress, shuffling forward. I felt Kayla's hands cling to one of mine in worry, and I pulled her close to me to keep her calm. The demon horse behind us took some audible steps back in response too.
The mummy that was our Oracle.. she looked.. way worse than the night I had gotten that prophecy from her over three years ago. Her hair was falling out all over the place in clumps and her leathery-like skin was cracking, crusty and dry like no human's skin ever was before.
Even though her glassy eyes stared blankly in space, she seemed to be focusing directly on Rachel apparently.
Rachel held out her arms, not looking scared at all. "You've waited too long. But I'm here now."
The sun then suddenly blazed more brightly, and what then appeared floating above the porch..
.
.
.
.
..was none other than my girlfriend's godly father, Apollo.
The god winked at Percy - I believe - after Percy behind me said his name and Apollo also held a finger to his lips.
"Rachel Elizabeth Dare.." Apollo spoke. "You have the gift of Prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"
Rachel simply nodded at Apollo. "It is my destiny.." she replied back.
"Do you accept the risks?"
"I do."
"Then proceed."
Rachel then closed her eyes, and recited this pledge from where.. I have seriously no idea exactly where she got those words from, but they just flowed out of her as the mist thickened around her. A green column of smoke flowed out of the Oracle's mouth and slithered down the stairs curling affectionately at Rachel's feet. Mist then proceeded to completely envelop both Rachel and the Oracle and conceal them from anyone else's view at all for a while, even though I was pretty sure that for a brief moment or two, I could see the Oracle's body literally crumbling into dust.
Then the smoke cleared, revealing Rachel collapsed on the ground curled up in a fetal position and nothing left of the past Oracle anymore. Without hesitation, I rushed forward, letting Kayla's hands go and I was pretty sure that a few people behind me did the same.
"Stop!" Apollo shouted, stopping us dead in our tracks. I had halted roughly about 7 feet away from Rachel, being the closest to her. "This is the most delicate part."
"What's going on?" Percy asked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Apollo stared at Rachel in concern, and I figured it out immediately. "Either the spirit takes hold inside of her, or it doesn't" I said.
"Correct, my boy.." Apollo confirmed.
"And if it doesn't?" Annabeth questioned.
"Five syllables.." Apollo said, counting them on his fingers. "That would be real bad."
I could hear someone ignoring what Apollo said and coming forward, so when they were right next to me, I quickly reached up with my arm and grabbed them by the shirt collar, holding them in place.
"LET ME GO!"
It was Percy.
"Dude.. chill.. I don't know her, but she'll likely be fine.." I told him, and he seemed to calm down. The mist sunk into the ground and the green light faded, but Rachel was still pale and she seemed to be barely breathing.
Rachel's eyes then fluttered open, focusing on the two of us with difficulty.
"Percy. C..Colton" she muttered.
"Are you okay?" Percy asked, concerned.
Rachel attempted to sit up and press her hand to her temples. "Ow."
The next words from Nico.. they were very concerning. "Rachel, your life aura almost faded completely.." Nico said to her. "I could see you dying."
I felt like an asshole now for holding Percy back like that now. I shouldn't have done that. Sometimes, I hate being me.
"I'm all right.." Rachel murmured. "Please, help me up. The visions — they are a little disorienting."
At that, I released Percy's shirt collar and he, Annabeth, and Belle ran over and gently helped Rachel to her feet.
"Rachel, are you really sure you're all right?" Annabeth asked her. Just then, Apollo floated down from the porch and interrupted in typical Apollo fashion. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi."
So Rachel had been destined for this after all. She hadn't been lying at all. Wow.
I definitely was a bit speechless to be honest here. Annabeth blinked. "You're kidding."
Rachel just managed to give Annabeth a weak smile. "It's a little surprising to me too.." she added. "..but this is my fate. I saw it when I was in New York. I know why I was born with true sight. I was meant to become the Oracle. Finding out those few words in my head about the Monster King was actually a prophecy was what sealed the deal about it for me."
Percy tilted his head at her, skeptically I might add. "You mean you can tell the future now..?"
A pang of worry, fear, and despair crept up in my stomach now at those words, and I shuddered and quietly gulped.
Future.. oh f*ck..
I forgot about that part.
What lay ahead for all of us.
"Not all the time.." Rachel responded. "But there are visions, images, words in my mind. When someone asks me a question, I.." She paused. "Oh no.."
I took a glance at Kelli and Kayla. Neither of them liked the sound of that. No one else, aside from maybe Apollo, knew it then, but judging from the last two words and our knowledge of what is to come, I think it was safe to say that the three of us knew that a prophecy was coming.
"It's starting.." Apollo announced.
Rachel doubled over. Then, she stood up straight and her eyes glowed a very familiar serpent green. When she began to speak, her voice sounded tripled and out of her lips was what was, in every conceivable sense, a reminder of just how not done fate was with us at this point in time.
"Eleven half bloods shall answer the call.. drawing many with them on a journey beyond all.
Through heaven and hell many will go.. but to storm or fire the world must fall.
The Queen's powers shall unlock when needed most.. and the web of fears shall wilt in its wrath.
Love arises to help fall another.. and the gun shall bear the test brought in the mire.
Against many he and his forces will stand.. and unleash the rage on where they stand.
Between him and the future he demands.. are three usurpers bent on revenge.
Two pantheons collide in the tower of hell.. and the Monster King's rage bore forth to save all.
An oath to keep with a final breath.. and foes bear arms to the doors of death."
We all just looked at her in absolute shock. Of course, like I said, the trio of me, Kayla, and Kelli had at least some inkling of what was to come, but nothing like.. this. It was chilling, to say the least.
At the last word, Rachel collapsed again.. but Nico and Percy caught her and helped her to the porch. Kelli, Kayla, and I shared worried looks with each other.
"I'm alright.." Rachel reassured us.. 'tried to' would be a better way to describe it, even as her voice returned to normal.
Percy's eyebrows just knit in thought. "What was that?" he asked. Deep down inside, I had a very good feeling as to exactly what that was. I didn't like it one bit at all.
Rachel shook her head, mostly likely confused as it was likely she had no memory of what she had just said. "What was what?" she asked.
Then, Apollo sealed the deal and confirmed my worst fears.
"I believe that we just heard the next great prophecy.." he replied, causing Kayla and Kelli's jaws to drop open in horror. I was.. livid, and that's putting it mildly to be honest with you all.
"Oh, f*ck off.." I muttered quietly under my breath. It suddenly dawned on me that my dreams about Gaea, Tartarus, Porphyrion, and Periboia as well as the other weird dreams weren't exactly dreams of just the future, but dreams of the near future."
Belle blinked. Luke just looked on in shock, Ethan had a worried look on his face, Chris' expression was just 'oh god not again', and Annabeth was just.. perplexed to put it lightly. Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the reactions of camp. "Didn't we just have one?" she asked Apollo.
Rachel frowned. "I don't even remember what I said.." she spoke, confirming my suspicions about her not remembering exactly what she had said.
"No, you won't remember.." Apollo clarified for Rachel, ignoring Annabeth's question in the process. "The spirit will only speak through you occasionally. The rest of the time, our Rachel will be much as she's always been. There's no point in grilling her, even if she has just issued the next big prediction for the future of the world."
"What?" Percy cut in, obviously caught off guard by that. "But-.."
"Percy, I wouldn't worry too much.." Apollo said to him. "The last great prophecy about you took almost seventy years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime."
Unfortunately for Apollo, it was extremely likely that he was dead wrong on that one.
Belle looked deep in thought, as did Annabeth.
"Maybe.." Percy continued. "But it didn't sound so good."
"No.." Apollo said cheerfully. "It certainly didn't. She's going to make a wonderful Oracle!"
That's when I snapped and decided to be a killjoy.
"Unfortunately for us.." I said. "..this will be on us sooner than most of us think."
Everyone turned to me. I didn't flinch from all the attention. I figured at this moment, well.. might as well reveal to them what else me, Kayla, and Kelli are hiding.
"Colton.." Apollo said, suspiciously. "..what exactly do you mean by that?"
I looked at Kelli, then at Kayla. Both of them nodded. Then, I sighed and front of all of those present, I spoke. "I must confess.. there have been some more secrets I have been keeping from all of you.. secrets that only Kayla has come to know of recently.." I started. "..when I first ran into Kelli in the labyrinth, she informed of some things that were really so disturbing at the time I thought it was best to not tell anyone about them. Kelli, though serving in Kronos' army, actually was a double agent for Gaea."
Some gasps in the crowd arose at that revelation. "Correct.." Kelli added. "But I changed.. realized that neither of them would offer a better future for mortals and demigods and lesser deities. But that's not the point here."
I took back over. "She's right.." I added. "The point is, she told that Gaea is making moves and planning and plotting her return soon. She's bringing back the Gigantes too."
Everyone's eyes, aside from Kelli and Kayla, grew wide at those statements from my mouth. "Colton.. please tell me you're kidding.." Clarisse said, trying very hard it seemed not to believe what I was saying.
"I wish I could, sister.." I said back to her mournfully. "I wish I could. But it's true. She has already risen one of them in Alaska, the bane of Hades."
"Alcyoneus.." Apollo said. I nodded, and then continued.
"I have also had dreams recently.. of what is to come, I believe. But before that, somehow the bane of Hades isn't the only one that's risen.." I said, and Apollo's eyes grew even wider.
"Wait.. wait.. hold up.." he said. Chiron nearby looked very worried as well. Apollo continued, "..you're telling me that there is more than one giant out there right now?"
I had to nod, unfortunately. "Kelli noticed Porphyrion and Periboia lurking in the trees around the camp border after the Battle of the Labyrinth last summer, in human form somehow while we were talking with Hera that day. They're back too, and possibly Enceladus as well. The thing is.. the king of the Giants and his daughter are not on Gaea's side anymore."
Everyone was dumbfounded by that one. "What?" Percy asked.
Kayla filled in the blanks for them. "They're after Colton's Monster King power.." she stated, and a even more worrisome look crept over everyone else's faces. Apollo looked beyond terrified now.
"As crazy as this might all sound, it actually gets worse because of the two.. possibly three giants betraying their parents.." I said uncomfortably, and everyone seemed to shiver since I hadn't mentioned the part about Gaea and Tartarus having new kids to anyone yet, not even Kayla or Kelli.
"Colton.." Kayla said, looking at me worriedly. "..how exactly does them coming after your power make this upcoming war any worse?" She definitely looked like she wouldn't like what the answer to her question was.
I took a deep breath, and then I told them. "One of my recent dreams, right before the battle in Manhattan, was of Gaea and Tartarus. Their conversation in it revealed to me that.. they have given life to more Gigantes. Six of them, to be exact. Three to replace Porphyrion, Enceladus and Periboia, and three born to oppose Demeter, Hera, and Hestia."
Everyone looked freaked out of their minds now at that bit of info. "You can't be serious.." Percy said to me.
I looked at him, worry in my face too. "Well.. I don't f*cking know why exactly I had these dreams, but I did.. and yeah.. they said that in my dreams. So lo and behold.. it's probably likely that we don't have long to wait before we have to fight for our lives and the fate of the world.. again.." I said bluntly to him, and I probably should have been more careful with my words, given that we had all just fought the battle of our lives.. only for it to not be over for us.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Because I basically broke camp emotionally. If there was ever an award for single-handily pushing a large group of demigods and semi-immortal hunters and huntresses - minus yourself and your girlfriend and your monster friend as well as the God of the Sun who happens to be your girlfriend's godly dad, plus also your activities director - then with those words, I had probably just won that award hands down. That's how badly I had misjudged in saying those exact words.
Grief swept through everyone else like wildfire, except given all the tears, it was more like 'wild water' if anyone wanted to be factually accurate here.
Storm clouds up in the sky form and darken around the barrier, a visual maelstrom likely answering to Percy's fluctuating moods at the moment. Either way, this wasn't good at all. Nor was it surprising, for Mr. D, who had come over the ridge moments ago, doesn't have it in himself to criticize this. We're Greeks after all, our lives were meant to be tragedies for the most part; desperate, unyielding mourning is in our blood.
Still, I had to do something to calm down the sobbing, wailing mass of kids here. That's when it hit me.
The piano.
Lee had given me plenty of lessons on it in the past. If I only could play something soothing that could calm them down..
It was a long shot sure, but at this moment, it was better than nothing.
So I let go of Kayla's hand again, and I took off running into the Big House, ignoring the startled cries of Kayla and Kelli behind me. I had to find the piano.
.
.
.
.
.
It took me two desperate minutes, but I eventually found it with sheet music of Beethoven's Piano Sonata Number Ten In G Major, First Movement set up on it in one of the rooms on the second floor close to the front.. with three open windows. Perfect.
Amongst all the sobbing, wailing, crying, and screaming from outside, I hopped down onto the piano seat, did a quick little stretch of my fingers and began to play. Believe me when I say.. that blessing of Apollo worked wonders here.. because even though I had never played this piece at all before, when I needed to play it good the most which was right now, I played it to perfection and then some.
It was close to seven minutes of playing on the piano, probably one of the most clutch seven minutes periods of my life if I had to be honest, but.. it worked.
People stopped crying and sobbing uncontrollably and calmed down, joining in with Kayla and Kelli in a little clapping celebration when I came back out.
"I really should have worded that better.." I muttered out loud, and Clarisse punched me in the shoulder. I didn't flinch, since I deserved that entirely.
"Yeah, you should have, jerk.." she said to me, before hugging me tightly. I just hugged her back.
The scene moved everyone else, and while two gods, some satyrs, and Chiron looked on, in a scene reminiscent of two years ago under the light of a campfire, the other campers all joined in on the massive group hug. Even all the Hunters and Kelli did as well.
I looked up at the crest of Half Blood Hill. There stood the Heralds, behind which were twelve human figures that had the auras of the wardens, Asterios being clearly noticeable and recognizable, which could mean that these were the human forms of the wardens. All of them simply looked at me with smiles on their faces, being proud of their king and queen, and it made my day.
Hugging as many of my fellow friends, fellow campers, and half siblings as I could, as well as Kayla, I simply said this.
"We're family, and just like before, we're all going to get through this together. No matter what they throw at us. I swear it on the River Styx."
That, along with the cuteness of what was happening here, made me not mind the internally chilling, long and loud bout of malicious, creepy, evil, and malevolent laughter that my Monster King voice started inside me.
Not mind it at all.
Even as a familiarly creepy portion of music played alongside it.
To be continued..
(A/N: And yeah.. all of Colton's secrets are now out of the bag. And yes.. alternative chapter titles aren't kidding here.. this war will be starting much sooner than in canon.
An interlude awaits, and then we can get on with the final arc of this book!)
