A.N this was co-written by me and my friends. This is our first fanfic. Do not judge us. We have demented minds. This also takes place after house of hades in pace of Blood of olympus.

disclaimer: we do not own PJO or HoO.

Annabeth

The deafening noises and horrid smells of the monster army camps were overwhelming. Hazel's magic was masking them better than anyone had hoped but walking around with all the monsters was still unsettling. It reminded her of being masked by the death mist in Tartarus, walking among the monsters undetected by any of their senses, but that was also the point. They'd been making their plan for the past 13 days as they sailed by sea to Athens and this was it. One way or another, tomorrow at sunset, the war would be decided. They were far away from the main part of the city, her mother's city, but they were still in an area accessible to mortals. Why would the monsters be so close to the mortals? Unless that's the point. She thought to herself. An army of monsters has to eat somehow. She snapped herself out of it. Now was not the time to think of such depressing things. She was already afraid of what was going to happen during the battle to come. Three years ago five had set off on a quest and only three had returned including herself and Percy. This time they were seven and she didn't think she would have the same luck twice in a row. Shut up! she scolded herself. They would all survive this. They had to. The plan was going perfectly so far, but this was the easy part. Next, they had to get close enough to Gaea to strike. Hopefully while she was alone.

They were walking forward, weapons at the ready when laistrygonians appeared a few feet in front of the group. As they turned around, more appeared behind them, they were surrounded. That is when she realized that the enchantment was no longer up.

"Hazel what happened!" Annabeth cried.

"I-I don't know," she shouted. "Something is blocking my magic."

Suddenly all the laistrygonians turned and bowed at someone. Annabeth knew who it was before she even spoke.

"Ah. The guests of honor have arrived." It was Gaea, Mother Earth. They were led farther up the mountain until they approached the earth mother's fortress. Everything was either made or covered in dirt. It was creepy, but it resembled Mt. Olympus in a depressing sort of way. They were thrown in a muddy cell and even though it had no wall Annabeth figured if they took one step out the earth would swallow them whole.

"I am going to give you time to choose who gets to die," she said and left.

Percy stepped forward and said, "I volunteer as one of the sacrifices."

"Well, I won't let you die alone, Seaweed Brain. I'll be the the other sacrifice," she said. No one else objected to that and Annabeth wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or betrayed. Then again she'd only agreed to it because of Percy.

Annabeth took Hazel aside and said, "We can't let him sacrifice himself. He is our greatest weapon if something goes wrong."

"Don't worry, Jason and I have got it covered," Hazel reassured.

At that moment, Gaea entered the room with some of her giant children. She ordered her two sons, "Bring the little dears outside."

Once outside, Annabeth realized that they were in a courtyard of sorts. It was open except for a stone altar at one end.

"Now little demigods, have you decided on those who will be sacrificed to wake me?" Gaea questioned while giving a spine chilling grin.

Hazel and Jason stepped forward. "We are prepared to lay down our lives so that everyone else may live."

"How sweet, you're trying to be brave," Gaea commented,"It's too bad you're going to die, you were fun to toy with.

"Alright, come up to this altar so that all may see your sacrifice."

At that moment, Percy unfreeze from his shock and spoke up. "No! Take me instead! Kill me, just please let them live!" Percy cried. Frank came up from behind him and wrapped his arms around Percy's waist to keep him from running up to the platform.

"Oh, Son of Poseidon, the decision has already been made, your friends will die, not you. Or at least not yet."

Percy was struggling to escape Frank's grasp in order to take Hazel's or Jason's place on the platform. "I know how much I annoy you, it would be more satisfying to see me dead then them," he tried to reason.

Gaea looked thoughtful. "That is true," she then grinned wickedly, "but it would be even more satisfying to see you broken. I know your fatal flaw, and it would kill you inside to see them sacrificed. What could be more satisfying than that?" She gave a slight cackle. "I have wasted enough time with this idle chatter, on with the show."

Gaea made a long dagger appear out of thin air. She raised it to Jason's neck, and with a flick of her wrist, cut his throat. Jason's body fell to the ground with a thud. He laid there unmoving. Percy was struggling madly now. Frank had to shape-shift into a bear to get a better grip on Percy.

Gaea stepped over Jason's body and approached Hazel. "Any last words before I make you like your friend here?" she asked while pointing at Jason with the dagger.

"I have already died once in order to stop you, and I am not afraid to do it again," Hazel said defiantly. Although she sounded brave, a flicker of fear flashed in her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Daughter of Pluto." And with that she cut her throat as she had Jason's just moments earlier.

Gaea let out a chuckle that became full fledged laughter. In between bouts of laughter, she said, "You demigods thought that a puny sacrifice could stop me, ha! I am Mother Nature, Goddess of the Earth! I will take back what the gods took from me, and I will start with you five."

At this, Percy snapped. He could not let this psycho goddess kill his friends, and then after, his family. With an almost animalistic scream, Percy broke free of Frank's hold. He raised his arms and called forth a hurricane. The winds started to whip around the goddess's dress, making her stumble. Percy saw this and decided to exploit her weakness.

"You're not the only one who can control the elements, oh great Mother Nature," he called, "I can too. And now you will pay for what you have done to my friends." With that the earth started to tremble. Then it became a full on earthquake. The platform crumbled, and Gaea was thrown from it's surface.

Percy approached where she laid on the ground. His usually calm sea green eyes, were now dark with anger. "That's not all I can do. Did you know that water makes up 78% of a person?" he asked.

Percy reached out his hand and concentrated on the water flowing through her veins. He told the water to make her stand. Gaea slowly stood. There was pure terror in her eyes. No demigod should have this much power, she thought.

Percy began to speak,"I am going to make your heart burst. Then maybe you can understand what it felt like when you killed my friends!" When he was done he closed his open hand into a fist. Gaea began to claw at her heart as it beat faster and faster until finally it burst.

Gaea burst into a shower of silver dust and was swept away by the hurricane winds that had only become stronger through the whole ordeal. Before she was swept away for good, a whisper could be heard. "I will rise again, and when I do, I will be ready for you Perseus Jackson."

Percy shook off her words and ran over to Hazel's lifeless body. He knelt down and cradled her against his chest and wept. When he began to cry the hurricane became a downpour.

Annabeth decided that now was the time to approach Percy. "Percy!" she shouted to be heard over the storm, "Stop the hurricane! You are going to hurt someone!"

As she approached Percy raised his hand. "Don't come any closer to them," he warned her.

She ignored him and continued walking. That is until she couldn't feel her limbs anymore. With a shock she realized that Percy was using his newfound power on her. "I said stay away," he repeated. She noticed he was trembling and his eyes were unfocused. He probably isn't in his right mind, she thought.

"Percy, let her go. They're gone, you can't bring them ba-" she was cut off by Percy choking her with her own saliva. Annabeth began to panic. She couldn't breath and was running out of air. She did manage to choke out, "Percy, you're hurting me." Before a loud boom filled the air.

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground gasping for air. She

glanced at Percy and saw that he was unconscious with a large cannonball lying next to him. All of a sudden there were hands on her, pulling her up. "I really hope that doesn't leave any lasting damage," she heard Leo say.