Hello readers!

So yeah... definitely more than a month has passed since the last chapter update. But at last this story is 100% complete. I wanted to thank you all again for staying with this story and encouraging me to continue writing. Y'all are the best!

Special shoutout to Lennox13 for your multiple (and I mean multiple) reviews in the past two days. I don't encourage binge reading- because I know how addicting it is) but thank you for leaving me your thoughts on a handful of chapters, it was super motivating to read them all :)

No more stalling, please enjoy the last installment of the PJO/TKC Crossover: When Worlds Collide

-Ardoa88

p.s. I'm not crying, you're crying...

Epilogue: The End (Or is it?)

(Annabeth POV)

Annabeth let out a tense breath as she closed the door to the infirmary behind her- or, at least, the spare room on the Argo III that was being used as one. Jaz was still inside, the younger magician opting to remain at Felix's side as a precaution for further treatment: The kid was stable now, thanks to a combination of healing potions and a repair spell the demigod had found in the Book of Thoth. (Annabeth had only needed to adapt a phrase specifying the 'repair' as that of the cell structure in human anatomy for the magic to function.)

Speaking of...

The demigod's eyes lingered on the book itself, the weathered tome practically falling apart beneath her fingers. Her chest constricted at the thought of what she had to do; metaphorically and physically. Ever since defeating Hathor, the vow Annabeth made to Ihy had become a literal weight on her conscience; each passing moment making it harder for the demigod to breathe.

The only reason the deed was not yet done was because after casting the incantation with Sadie, Annabeth had told the younger Kane that she was going to go help Jaz however she could.

It was an excuse. Annabeth knew it, and so did her trans-magical vow, apparently. But now, the demigod could put it off no longer. There was just one last thing she had to do before...

The Daughter of Athena shook her head, refusing to think about it even as her eyes lined with moisture. Gods this was so unfair. Cruelly ironic to make the child of the goddess of wisdom and knowledge destroy a tome of ancient and powerful information.

After taking a moment to gain control over her emotions, Annabeth made her way outside.

The aftermath of the battle spanned the length of the inner city. The destruction and chaos wrought by Hathors magic lingered in fragmented remains. Annabeth let her gaze rove over the plethora of ruts in the earth and craters in the sides of buildings; shriveled husks of once lush vivacious trees scattered across the roads like so many fallen leaves.

But already the rebuilding had begun. The London mages- those who could muster up the energy, that is- methodically made their way down the rows of asphalt, repairing the damage as best they could. Although, so far, none had discovered how to restore the life sucked from the evergreens.

Annabeth couldn't hold back a snort as she saw Percy trying to water said trees, using his godly ability to activate the sprinklers in the park. Needless to say, that wasn't working either.

The other magicians were grouped around the (newly repaired) London Needle, with Carter and Walt in a deep conversation with Latoya while Sadie was throwing small chunks of stone for the sphinx's to chase. Zia was the only one who noticed her descent from the Argo III's deck, the black haired elementalist pushing away from the pillar she'd been leaning against and making her way over.

"Felix is fine." Annabeth said once she was within earshot, answering the unasked question.

The elementalist released a breath, the hint of a smile crossing her lips. "He's a tough little anklebiter." Zia's eyes then dropped to the object in the demigod's grasp, recognition and understanding flashing across her features. Her gaze flicked back up to where Carter stood. "How would you like to do this? Need me to distract him while you..."

"No." There would be no hidden meaning behind her action. Moreso, the Kanes deserved to know the truth.

Zia nodded. "Alright, then. I'll follow your lead."

"Thanks."

The singular word could hardly convey how grateful the Daughter of Athena was to the elementalist, but Zia's eyes softened in understanding all the same. As the girls made their way over to the others, Annabeth prayed to Athena to give her the strength she needed to see this through. One last battle before the day was well and truly won.

Sadie and Percy noticed their approach first, the two abandoning their activities to move closer to Carter and Latoya. The older Kane's voice faded out as he turned to them, worry pinching his brow and chest rising with a deep breath. It was he who asked the question that was on all of their minds.

"How's Felix?"

Annabeth offered a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "He's doing a lot better now. Stable and recovering albeit slowly; but he'll pull through- he's a tough kid, after all." She added, borrowing Zia's earlier sentiment.

As one, the others sighed, relieved smiles painting their faces at the good news. Annabeth's own lips pressed thin as she steeled herself for her next, not-so-good news part.

"What's wrong?"

The Daughter of Athena blinked, glancing to Percy. Sometimes she forgot how perceptive he could be- and how easily he was able to read her expressions (then again, they had been dating for upwards of three years now, she guessed that it was only a matter of time before they started finishing each other's sentences). His question brought the Kane siblings back from their elation, the siblings exchanging a confused look before turning their attention once more to the demigod; even Latoya's head tilted up from the scroll she was reading.

"There's one more thing we- or, more specifically I- have to do. Back when Ihy told me Hathors secret name, he asked something of me in return." Her gaze mt Carter's, seeing confusion cross his features. "I vowed, on the Throne of Fire, to see it through, and in return he promised on the River Styx to not lie when he told us Hathors name."

Percy took a step forwards, worry crinkling his brow and tinting his words. "What did you do?"

No doubt he assumed the worst- some dangerous promise Annabeth would be forced to keep (although, Percy was hardly the one to talk about making dangerous gambles with the gods). As a Daughter of Athena the truth of what she had to do was almost as bad, emotionally if not physically.

"Nothing, yet." Annabeth reassured, hand tightening around the Book of Thoth. "I just wanted you to know the reasoning behind my actions." She looked at the Kanes, holding first Sadie and then Carter's unwavering gaze. "And to apologize, in advance. I hope you can forgive me."

With that she passed the book over to Zia, nodding at the fire elementalist.

To her credit, the magician barely hesitated, dark eyes flicking up to Carter before back down at the book. Zia opened it halfway, placing a hand in the center of the worn tome. In the next moment, the papyrus was alight with flames, the dry pages kindling with ease. Annabeth's heart twisted at the sight. The edges blackened in seconds, curling up into ash as the intensity of the fire grew. It took those few seconds for Carter to realize what had just been done, the older Kane having stood in shocked silence until then.

"What are you doing!" He shouted, snatching the still burning book from Zia grasp only to hiss in pain, reflexively dropping the offending item. The book thudded to the ground.

Before anything else could be said, Zia raised a hand, empowering the mini conflagration to grow, the heat so intense that they all took a half step back. After another moment the flames calmed, receding until it revealed what was left of the Book of Thoth: a mound of blackened cinders.

Silence dominated.

Annabeth's eyes were watering, and not from the smoke that still curled from the smouldering remains. It took every ounce of willpower in the demigod to hold back the waterworks.

A slow clapping drew everyone's attention. Latoya, who had watched the proceedings with interest, was now smirking, eyebrows raised in approval. The disdain in her eyes sickened Annabeth, and the demigods hands clenched into fists.

"My my," The Sem Priest drawled. "I'm impressed. It looks like at least two of you have sensible heads on your shoulders. I commend you, demigod, for your service to the nomes of Ma'at. Truly a-umph!"

Latoya's speech cut off with a grunt as Annabeth closed the distance between them in two long strides, drew back, and landed a punch square across the magicians jaw. Latoya stumbled back from the force of the blow, tripping over some spare debris and falling on her rear. The Sem Priest looked up indignantly but any words she may have been about to say died instantly at the sight of Annabeth towering over her.

Acrimony radiated from the Daughter of Athena in thunderous waves, gaze narrowed in fury as she jammed a finger at the older woman. "No." The one word was soft spoken, but crashed down like one of Percy's strongest waves. "You do not get to celebrate the destruction of knowledge. Especially when that knowledge just saved not only you, but your entire Nome, London, and the whole world from certain destruction. And all because of your ignorance in heeding the warning of your fellow magicians."

Annabeth took another step forward, forcing the Sem Priest to scramble back else be stepped on. "The fact that that book was ten times more helpful than you, goes to show just how incompetent your style of ruling is. Knowledge is to be learned from, and taught- only those that don't understand it, fear it. If I had my say, you would be the one that's now a smouldering pile of ashes." Grey eyes flashed. "But luckily for you, I made a vow to help save the world and I keep my promises."

Someone grabbed her shoulder gently but the demigod shook them off. She wasn't done speaking her mind. But the hand persisted, spinning her around to face Percy, whose expression was one of complete understanding and sympathy. "Annabeth…" He said, her name soft on his lips. "It's over."

"But she-"

"Has no respect for intelligence, or people, and a surprising lack of insight for someone who claims to be able to see the future." Percy interrupted. "Yeah, I know. But people like her either see the error of their ways and change or," he shrugged, "they die from arrogance and stupidity." His eyes slid past her to meet the gaze of the Sem Priest. "Honestly I'm not sure which one I'm rooting for. But either way, it's over."

It was… and yet it wasn't.

Annabeth sent one last scathing glare Latoya's way before facing the Kanes. Sadie had set her lips in a thin line, grimly observing the remains of the book, while Carter's face had become a mask, betraying no emotions. His posture, on the other hand, was stiff and tense, knuckles white among clenched fists. The elder Kane's eyes raised to meet Annabeth's and the demigod winced internally at the hurt and betrayal she saw just below the surface of the hard hazel gaze.

The Daughter of Athena drew breath to apologize again but Carter closed his eyes and turned his back on them all. "What's done is done." He muttered, before heading towards the Argo III. Sadie quickly fell into step behind him.

Zia, the only magician left, sighed at their departure. "I'll talk to them." She assured, "They both just need some time."

And then it was just Annabeth and Percy, Zia hurrying to catch up with the retreating backs of the Kane siblings. Grey eyes lowered to the charred remains, and the demigod could hold back the waterworks no longer. The dam broke and tears fell silently down her cheeks as she hoped she hadn't just destroyed the book, and their newly formed friendships, with one act.

The trip back to the Brooklyn house was quiet and uneventful (for once)

It was a two-day trip (Leo proclaiming that he wasn't gonna push his baby to the limits if they weren't in a rush) over open waters and under calm, clear skies. Annabeth wished the mood on the boat could match it. Things were still tense between the Kanes and herself. And while they didn't seem to outright condemn her action- the price of saving the world was always steep in some way- that didn't mean they had forgiven her.

As they were all confined to a fairly cramped ship, it was inevitable that they would run into each other every now and again. It was hard for Annabeth to not apologize every time she bumped into one of the Kanes, because she knew 'sorry' could only go so far, and saying it on repeat would only dampen it's sincerity.

By the second morning, Sadie seemed to have come around, the younger Kane even striking up a casual conversation about how good it would be to be home again. She lamented about the wonders of being able to soak in a hot bubble bath before asking about the demigod's own residence.

"Camp Half Blood?" Annabeth shrugged. "Not so much bath tubs, but there is a pretty sizable lake: crystal clear water all year round."

"And there are no albino crocodiles in it either." Percy chimed in.

"And that's a plus how?" Sadie retorted with a smirk. "Phillip of Macedonia is a wonderful house guest, he's so good with the kids."

Percy laughed. "Maybe at eating them, sure."

"He would never! At least... not unless they really deserved it."

The fact they were now back on speaking terms helped relieve some of the strain in the air, even though Annabeth knew that Sadie wasn't as frustrated by the loss of the book as her brother. When the demigod breached the subject with the younger magician, Sadie just shrugged.

"Yeah, he can be a wee bit of a pinhead at times." She agreed, picking a stray strand of dyed hair from her sleeve. "You did what you had to to save the world- we've all been there. Carter just needs to get that though his thick skull. Maybe I'll borrow one of Leo's hammers to help beat it in faster…"

That night, Jaz surprised them all by bringing a very well-rested looking Felix to dinner. Everyone was overjoyed at his return, Percy even embracing the kid in a light hug, careful of the bandages still wrapped around his abdomen. Felix had no such precaution, the blonde-haired magician bouncing with unused energy as he scarfed down half a dozen tacos, asking endless questions between bites about how they'd beaten Hathor.

Percy humored the kid, providing a vivid retelling of the final battle with as much flair and exaggeration as he could muster, explaining how Carter had decimated the fight, the poor goddess never knowing what hit her. Felix turned his starstruck gaze to Carter, breathing out an awed "Whoa…" that made the elder Kane's cheeks flush.

"It was a team effort." Carter said. "We all worked together to bring Hathor down."

"So cool! You're like the Avengers!" Felix smiled wide.

"Oh yeah?" Sadie prompted, raising an eyebrow. "Which one am I then?"

"Hmm…" Felix thought for a long moment, furrowed gaze scanning the assembled group. "You would be Thor- because he just zaps things with lightning. Carter would be the Hulk since he grows into his giant falcon-warrior avatar."

"What about me?" Leo asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Iron Man." Felix answered without hesitation, "Because you're best friends with a mechanical dragon. Kinda like Jarvis."

Leo pumped a fist into the air, folding the other behind his head. "Oh yeah, I'm Iron Man! Hear that Festus?" The ship clacked and whirred in response. Annabeth rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Percy would be Captain America," The kid continued, without missing a beat. "Because he's good at giving speeches, and Annabeth would be Black Widow because she's really cool even without special powers."

Annabeth snorted into her drink even as her boyfriend and Leo laughed.

Percy grinned at her. "Guess who's got a new nickname?" He asked rhetorically in a sing-song voice.

"Oh yeah, Captain?" The Daughter of Athena retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey- that's my title!" Leo protested, Festus clicked in agreement with his maker-slash-pilot.

"No- you're Iron Man, remember."

Leo frowned, looking at Percy. "Hmm… she makes a good point. Hey, Percy, wanna be Iron Man instead?"

Felix looked appalled at the suggestion. "What? No. You can't just switch!"

"Why not?"

"Because… because that's against the rules."

The hispanic mocked a frown of confusion. "What rules? I didn't hear anything about not being able to switch superheroes."

"Well… I'm making that rule now. No switching!" Felix decreed with as much bravado as he could muster, banging a fist on the table three times like a gavel. The action sent the room into another bout of chuckles and laughs, the mood lifting even as Felix demanded to know what was so funny.

It wasn't long after that when Jaz ushered the kid to bed as, despite his earlier energy, Felix was becoming visibly exhausted as the night wore on. Felix only put up a smidgen of protest, saying how he wasn't tired while fighting back a yawn. Leo smiled wanly at the action, shaking his head.

"Now I understand why y'all get on my back when I say things like that." He stood from his seat, walking around the table. "C'mon Nick Fury, time for bed."

"Nick Fury?" Felix frowned.

"Naturally!" Leo agreed, gently steering the kid towards the door. "Who else can form an entire team of ice penguins and command them into battle?"

Annabeth watched them go for a long moment, then checked the clock on the wall. "It's pretty late, actually. We should arrive at the Brooklyn House by morning, so why don't we all get some shut eye." She stood, moving to wash her dishes in the kitchen sink.

The others mumbled their agreement, helping the demigod clear off the table before filing out of the room one by one. Annabeth began the tedious process of hand washing the plates, Percy stopping to peck her on the cheek with a hearty 'goodnight' before making his way to their room. The water from the faucet was like white noise, a constant background noise to her inner thoughts. The monotonous process of scrubbing the dishware was like a balm to her nerves, allowing her mind to get lost in the calming, routine motions.

So much so that she didn't realize she wasn't alone until Carter cleared his throat behind her. The elder Kane didn't meet her gaze, instead motioning to the drying rack. "Mind if I help dry?"

Annabeth blinked at the offer, surprised. "Not at all."

Carter nodded, stepping up to the counter and grabbing a rag. They worked in silence, the air heavy between them. Annabeth could tell the magician had something on his mind (three guesses as to what) so she stayed quiet, opting to let him choose his moment to speak. They were almost done when he did.

"I… understand why you did it."

Annabeth's hands stilled in their motion, soap suds slowly creeping down her arm. She sighed softly. "I wish I hadn't."

"You didn't." Carter's retort surprised her and the demigod glanced over. "At least, not immediately. Sadie told me you went to help Jaz after the fight. Went to help Felix." He placed the mug he was drying down with a soft clink. "You tried to get every use out of it that you could before… before it was gone. The Book of Thoth was a trove of knowledge, one we could've learned a lot from. But so could others- others who would've used the information with malintent."

"All knowledge is precious." Annabeth agreed, moving her hands again in the circular pattern. "But how people choose to use it is where its power truly comes from."

Carter nodded sagely, absorbing her words. "I guess when you think of it that way… it's a good thing that the book was destroyed."

"... That doesn't mean you have to be happy about it."

"I never said I was." The elder Kane replied, meeting her gaze for the first time in two days. "But… I'm not angry at you."

Annabeth smiled softly. "Now that is something I'm happy about."

They said their goodbyes from the deck of the Argo III. The older boys exchanged manly handshakes and pats on the back while Sadie, Jaz, and Felix went for the hugs. Zia, meanwhile, was deliberately avoiding physical contact with anyone that wasn't Carter; despite Leo's many attempts to get the elementalist to at least share a fist bump of farewell. Annabeth wasn't really one to get all choked up with emotional farewells, but she had to admit she would miss working with the magicians.

Carter held out his hand to Percy, who shook the offered appendage. "Maybe we'll see you around?" The Son of Poseidon was saying. "After all, Brooklyn isn't that far from Long Island."

"Maybe." The elder Kane agreed, "Perhaps even sooner than you think."

"Oh?" Percy raised an eyebrow questioningly.

But Carter simply smirked knowingly. "We'll be in touch."

"Hopefully not for another apocalypse." Annabeth chimed in. "Although if one does come up do let us know."

"Same to you." Sadie said. "Don't leave us out of the fun. Maybe next time we'll have one of those foreboding riddles guiding us."

The demigods shuddered in unison at the thought. "Yeah," Percy shook his head, "let's hope not."

The Egyptians made their way down to the rooftop, Festus roaring out a goodbye as well. Carter rolled his eyes at whatever the animatronic had said, muttering a "Yeah, yeah, I'll miss you too. Just don't go and crash again, I think you'll give your pilot a heart attack."

"Gods forbid." Leo concurred solemnly from the control console.

With a few flipped switches the gangplank retracted, the Argo III's oars lifting as the ship ascended. Annabeth and Percy waved from the bow as the magicians grew smaller and further away. It was a quaint end to their quest, Annabeth thought to herself. However, the Daughter of Athena was unable to deny the lingering sensation that this was only the beginning of their time spent with the Kanes and their friends. She had a feeling they would be seeing more of each other in the future- for better or worse.

The flight across the city towards Long Island sound was peaceful, the bright morning light beaming down on the three demigods. There was an indescribable calm to the day, and if Annabeth had to put it into words, she'd say it was almost like the dawn of a new era.

"So…." Percy drew out the word for a few seconds, turning to lean his back against the railing as they drew near Camp Half-Blood. "I realize I kinda sorta owe you a do over on our date. Since our trip to the Met was… interrupted."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow, lips tugging into a smile. "That's putting it mildly. Did you have somewhere in mind?"

Percy shrugged casually. "Nowhere in particular, although I was thinking maybe next week it might be a good idea to swing by the Washington Monument. I mean, now that we know it's a hub of magical Egyptian travel, and all."

Annabeth grinned, leaning against her boyfriends shoulder. "Washington sounds great."

"Well count me in!" Leo piped up from the helm with a wink at the two lovebirds. "But, uh, first I have to ask: How are we gonna explain to Chiron that we were gone for a week to stop an apocalypse with the great great great great grandkids of ancient Egyptian Pharaohs?"

Percy and Annabeth exchanged a look. They'd completely forgotten about that.

"You know what? We could just go to Washington today."

"That's not a bad idea, Seaweed Brain. Leo-"

"Already on it!"

Fin.

Thanks for reading!

Again I do plan to go and add shoutouts to the respective chapters as well as review responses. That update will be sometime next week before Thursday so if you've left me a review on a chapter and I haven't responded look for it then!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and holiday break. Enjoy the company of friends and family and keep enjoying fanfiction and all of it's wonders. Drop me a review or PM if you wish to see more crossovers- I'll be looking at possibly making a sequel to When Worlds Collide (no ideas as of yet, but they're brimming).

That's all for now. Until next time! :)

-Ardoa88