ｔｈｅ ｌａｓｔ ｏｌｙｍｐｉａｎ

LUCIA SHOT UP FROM THE COT. She blankly stared at the room she was in. Yellow curtains separated medical cots, shelves held different herbs and sterile tools. On a desk, Lucia saw bandaids, cotton pads, tongue depressors: the infirmary.

"Lu? Are you alright?" Will stepped forward, his hand fell on her forehead to check for a fever.

Lucia smacked his hand away and rolled her eyes "I'm fine, kid."

"You're crying." He whispered

Her eyebrows knitted together and she touched her face. Her cheek was wet.

"Hm. I have to go."

Lucia stood but her other arm was pulled back. She heard the sound of a metal chain and was quick to notice she had gotten handcuffed to the cot. She looked up at her little brother who looked back in guilt, she scoffed. "Do you underestimate me this much?"

"No." He said "They're enchanted. They suppress your powers. You won't be able to melt through the chains."

Lucia growled. "Let me go."

"Why?" Will asked, "So you can return to Kronos?"

"Yes." Lucia confirmed, "I want to be with him and Ethan." She pulled on the chain "Not with you"

"Lucia." Will sighed "Lucia. He doesn't care about you. He's manipulated you. He's done something—"

"You don't know anything!" Lucia cried "He never lied to me! He never hurt me! He never let anyone hurt me!" Lucia felt her face becoming damp but she only displayed anger "He cares about me!"

"No." Will's voice raised with hers, Lucia watched as the golden aura around him turned brighter. "I care about you! Annabeth cares! Chiron cares Percy—"

"He can rot." She said, "Don't even bother trying."

Will didn't look convinced "You're in love with him Lucia, there's no way you forgot that."

Lucia laughed like the idea was ridiculous "I don't. I love Ethan."

Will shook his head. "No, you don't."

Lucia deadpanned "Who do you think you are trying to tell me how I feel?"

"You know what it took to convince Chiron to let you stay?" Will changed the subject. "During the war council, most people wanted to throw you to the wolves. Annabeth, Percy, Michael, and even Silena fought for you."

Lucia avoided his eyes "Do you people just choose to not hear a single word I say?" I don't care if you fought for me. I don't want to be here."

"I hear them. I don't believe them." Will insisted "You're lying. You've been lying this entire time."

"Shut up."

"Percy found out the entire Prophecy today."

Lucia huffed in frustration "Can you stop talking? unless it says he's going to die I don't care."

"Lucky for you it does."

Lucia looked back to Will "What does it say?"

"I thought you didn't care."

"Unless he's going to die." Lucia tilted her head, a hateful look formed on her face "I'd like to know the details"

Will frowned, "A half-blood of the eldest gods. Shall reach sixteen against all odds" He continued "And see the world in endless sleep. The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. A single choice shall end his days. Olympus to preserve or raze"

Lucia smiled "That boy's doomed. Kronos will win."

"Is that what you want?" Will asked, "For him to win?"

"Duh?"

"You want Percy to die?" Will asked stepping forward

"It's like it goes through one ear and out the other." Lucia rolled her cuffed wrist and sighed.

"Lucia answer me."

"First of all, I'm your older sister." She huffed "You don't demand things from me."

"Shouldn't the answer be easy for you?"

"You know the answer, Will!" She raged "I've been very clear."

"Then why can't you say it?" He asked, his voice gentle.

"I want him to die."

"His name. Lucia."

"Fuck off. I can say it."

"you don't mean it." Will shook his head " You don't want him to die Lulu. And you don't want Kronos to win" Will sat in front of her on the cot "You—"

"Let me go." Lucia's back hit the wall. "I want to go."

"You're lying."

"I'm not!" She raged "I swear on the River Styx If you d—NO!" Lucia gasped at her outburst.

"See!" Will exclaimed, "You care. you're fighting-"

"Leave me alone." Lucia huffed. She didn't raise her voice, she only grumbled and turned her head.

"I can't." He frowned, his eyes glossing over. "You're my big sister."

"So what?" Lucia hissed "You're going to keep me here locked up until I do and say what you want?"

"No." Will shook his head "That's not what's happening. Lucia, I want you to be yourself again. I want to reverse whatever they did to you but you're not a prisoner."

Lucia's eyebrows furrowed. but you're not a prisoner.

Enemy

"The handcuffs suppress your powers." He repeated. "You can't hurt anyone as long as they are on. And I have your weapons. So you're free to be anywhere in camp besides the armory and archery fields. Chiron already agreed as long as someone's with you. You can be in the cabin by yourself though. If you want you can stay there tonight..."

"So a babysitter?" Lucia barked "I don't want to. I don't want anything from this place." She refused "I'll stay in this room until I can get back to Kronos."

"If that's what you want." Will shrugged "But if you say the word. I'll uncuff you from the bed and let you walk around."

Lucia rolled her eyes

Will sighed "Do you know what's going on in Olympus?"

"Who the hell cares Will."

"I'm sure 'your lord' had to have informed you. Since he cares about you so much,"

Lucia hissed at his mocking tone

"Careful Will." She said, "I have no problem forgetting you're my brother."

The threat didn't affect him. He fished a golden drachma out of his lab coat, grabbed a glass of water, and turned on the bright ceiling light.

He threw water into the air and tossed the drachma through the small rainbow that formed. he muttered, "O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show us the threat."

The mist shimmered. Lucia saw the image of a smoldering volcano—Mount St. Helens. She knew that place.

As she watched, the side of the mountain exploded. Fire, ash, and lava rolled out. A newscaster's voice was saying, "—even larger than last year's eruption, and geologists warn that the mountain may not be done."

Lucia remembered last year's eruption. he'd caused it after - after?. But this explosion was much worse. The mountain tore itself apart, collapsing inward, and an enormous form rose out of the smoke and lava like it was emerging from a manhole. Lucia assumed the Mist was keeping the humans from seeing it clearly, because what she saw would've caused panic and riots across the entire United States.

The giant was bigger than anything she'd ever encountered. Even her demigod eyes couldn't make out its exact form through the ash and fire, but it was vaguely humanoid and so huge it could've used the Chrysler Building as a baseball bat. The mountain shook with a horrible rumbling, as if the monster were laughing.

"It's him," Lucia said. "Typhon?."

"The most horrible monster of all, the biggest single threat the gods ever faced. He was freed from under the mountain. But this is from two days ago. Here is what's happening today."

Will waved his hand and the image changed. She saw a bank of storm clouds rolling across the Midwest plains. Lightning flickered. Lines of tornadoes destroyed everything in their path—ripping up houses and trailers, tossing cars around like Matchbox toys.

the people Lucia thought

"Monumental floods," an announcer was saying. "Five states declared disaster areas as the freak storm system sweeps east, continuing its path of destruction." The cameras zoomed in on a column of storm bearing down on some Midwest city. Lucia couldn't tell which one.

Inside the storm, she could see the giant—just small glimpses of his true form: a smoky arm, a dark-clawed hand the size of a city block.

His angry roar rolled across the plains like a nuclear blast. Other smaller forms darted through the clouds, circling the monster. Lucia saw flashes of light, and she realized the giant was trying to swat them. she squinted and thought she saw a golden chariot flying into the blackness, She inhaled sharply. Then she saw some kind of huge bird—a monstrous owl—diving in to attack the giant.

"Are those...the gods?" Lucia asked.

"Yes," Will nodded. "They've fought him for days now, trying to slow him down. But Typhon is marching forward—toward New York. Toward Olympus."

Lucia let that sink in. "How long until he gets there?"

"Unless the gods can stop him? five days. Most of the Olympians are there. except for Poseidon, he has a war of his own to fight."

"So no one's guarding Olympus?"

Will shook his head. "If Typhon gets to New York, it won't matter who's guarding Olympus."

"But—"

The gods must pay.

Camp Half-Blood is my enemy.

They must pay.

Lucia grimaced in pain. When it subsided, She giggled. "So...Olympus is completely vulnerable to attack. This is only making me even more excited. The gods will fall. Kronos will prevail."

She thought about everything Kronos had told her. He trusted her but not that much. Still, He said one thing that still lingered in her mind.

Olympus will fall, dearie, the gods will never be able to make it.

"It's a trick," Lucia laughed. "The boat was a ploy. He's going to attack. And the gods are going to lose."

"You realize how you only say the gods?" Will snapped "They won't be the only ones to lose. Everyone you care about will too...."

"Everyone I care about." She hissed "Is safe and will be safe once Olympus falls because we're on the same side."

Will stepped forward. Lucia watched him carefully. "You don't care about me?"

Lucia's face shifted. She watched her little brother with sad eyes "Of-"

My Enemy

"Course not." Lucia laughed "Not even a little bit."

"You aren't you." Will replied "And I'm going to find out why"

"What are you, my therapist?" Lucia huffed

"I'm the camp's health care." He teased

Lucia vaguely remembered making that joke. But her memory of anything before joining Kronos was too blurry and obscured. Everything besides the pain.

"You're wasting your time." She said with finality.

Will frowned "Maybe I am." he continued "But for you, I'm willing to."

Lucia didn't feel like talking anymore, she turned her back on him. He didn't make any effort to talk to her this time.

but for you, I'm willing to

☼

LUCIA WAS DYING OF BOREDOM. She had been stuck in the infirmary the entire day yesterday. And today she had done nothing but twiddle her thumbs for hours.

Will brought up the fact she could walk around if she wanted to once again but she refused to. She didn't want anything to do with the camp. Still, her butt was getting numb from sitting for so long.
Will would come in at different intervals of the day and tell her what was happening. He came in after cabin inspections and again after Beckendorf's funeral. He told her things no matter how mundane: from the Apollo and Ares cabins fighting over some stupid flying chariot to Beckendorf's shroud being made of metal links like chain mail.

No matter how many times she told him she didn't care, that she hated him, that she wanted him to shut up. He just wouldn't stop. It was so annoying.

Lucia then heard someone at the door of the infirmary, and she groaned.

"Will I swear if you've come to tell me another Demeter kid grew a rose bush I will start choking myself."

"It's not Will."

Lucia looked up, grey eyes stared at her.

"What do you want." Lucia snapped

"To see how you're doing." She muttered, walking forward. She sat in front of Lucia on the bed. "I heard you were bored."

"And? Why the hell do you care Barbie."

Annabeth grimaced at the name, but she fished out something from her pocket and held it towards Lucia.

Lucia looked down to see an iPod with a golden yellow case and white wired headphones wrapped around it.

it's a gift from those who love you the most.

The Gods must pay.

"You dropped it." Annabeth frowned "Back when you broke your leg in Antaeus' arena and P—You were carried. I picked it up I thought you wouldn't want to lose it."

"You thought wrong." Lucia grumbled, "I don't want it."

"It would keep you less bored." Annabeth debated "Keep you mildly entertained."

"What do you care Child of Athena." Lucia snapped

"Who said I didn't care?" Annabeth asked "Luke?"

"Luke isn't there anymore." Lucia smirked when she saw Annabeth's hurt expresssion "He's gone. It's only Kronos."

"So Kronos." Annabeth deduced

Lucia rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time "What is your goal here?"

"To return your iPod," Annabeth said

"Your real goal." Lucia hissed "You think I'm not aware that this is some kind of strategy of yours??? Please Beth I'm not stupid."

"You called me Beth." Annabeth pointed out.

Lucia grumbled, "You're all actually insufferable."

"Lucia you need to fight whatever is going on." Annabeth frowned

"I know you and I'm not going to let you end up like—" Annabeth paused. "Kronos is going to destroy the world we need your help to face him. We need you."

"I'm not helping you." She said, "I serve Kronos."

Annabeth frowned "The gods, your dad, they're not perfect—"

"They've done nothing for me." Lucia said bitterly "Nothing but let me suffer."

"It's not that simple Lu-"

"It is." Lucia barked, something swirled behind her eyes in warning. "I will not fight for them."

She sighed "But you were never fighting for them, Lucy. You were fighting for your friends. for camp. for us."

Lucia fell silent.

She continued. "Kronos doesn't want the gods to just fall Lucia. He wants the world to crumble. He wants to reshape it as he sees it. Think about it. The Titans' rule would never be better than the Gods."

Lucia thought about everything she saw on the ship. Things that made her stomach turn, made bile rise up in her throat. innocent lives... mortal, demigod, and monster.

"Lucia-."

"Get out." Lucia said, "I don't want to see your face."

"Lucia—"

"I said to get out Barbie."

"You're trying to hurt me and push me away," Annabeth said "Because you know I'm right..."

"No." Lucia snapped "I just hate you."

Annabeth stood from the cot. She set the iPod down in front of the brunette.

"I missed you, Lucy."

She left. Leaving Lucia to stare at her iPod in question.

Camp half blo—

Lucia picked up the iPod.

And as a song came on shuffle, for the first time in a while, her mind cleared.

You were fighting for your friends. for camp. for us.