Percy Jackson and the Avengers

Chapter 43

 Dreams

          Percy is stuck in place, trapped by the mud by his feet. Helplessly he rages as one by one campers and romans alike fall. Percy snarls, fueling his personal hurricane ever larger, sweeping away entire sections of the monstrous army. But no matter how many Percy destroys, more keep marching over the hills. Percy turns around to see Gaea rise, a wave of earth and mud forming her body. Annabeth pecks him on the cheek before dashing forward, dodging the battling monsters and demigods. Percy shouts frantically after her, but his focus was diverted by another wave of Gaea's army. He slogs forward, the soil sucking at his legs as he tried to advance. 

          He blocked out the clanging of weapons, the screams of the injured and dying. He managed to get closer to the primordial goddess as Leo swooped down on Festus, blowing fire, trying to disconnect the goddess from her home turf. Percy funneled his storm against the other side, blowing off chunks of her body, dirt, plants, trees and grass flying everywhere. Gaea just laughed. Suddenly a bright flash of light and a loud boom shook the battlefield. Percy looked up to see Annabeth carrying one of the broken off ballast from the Argo II. Gaea stumbled and fell. 

         Snarling she thrusts her hand out towards Annabeth. Percy was helpless to do anything but scream as a fist of earth thrust out of the ground, surrounding the daughter of Athena, the fingers closing like the bars of a cage. Just as suddenly the space between the bars closed and the hand vanished under the earth. Percy starts screaming her name, over and over. 

         The surge of anger, even worse than on the bridge during the fight against Kronos showed in his power. The hurricane around him surged even larger and the ground began to shake. Percy channeled every ounce of his strength into the storm raging around him. The wind screamed and lightning flashed, the power of the storm decimating any monster foolish enough to try to attack the grieving Son of the Sea God. Percy funneled the storm at Gaea's feet, just at the ground shook harder. Percy roared as he thrust his father's power into every crack he could find in Gaea's body, determined to tear her apart so completely that she can never reform a consciousness again, let alone wake up. Festus roared as he and Leo blew white hot flames at the goddess. Suddenly the dragon lifted the weakening deity into the air, pulling her far away from her source of power. Percy continued to send everything he could into tearing her apart when a bright ball of flames coursed through the sky, turning Gaea into nothing more than a mild dirt shower.

         To storm or fire the world must fall indeed.

         Percy dropped the storm, even as the two camps converged on the remains of Gaea's army. Percy raced across the newly solid ground to where Annabeth had vanished under the earth. Percy dug until his hands bled, sobbing her name. Hands pulled at Percy, trying to pull him away. He shook them off. If he dug even deeper, maybe he'd find her before it was too late, maybe someone could heal her. The hands got more insistent.

        "Percy. Percy, Percy wake UP!"