I'm not too terribly satisfied with how last chapter turned out. Which is why, I give to you, this one. One word: Action.

Jacob's POV

And it was working so well too. Miz lamented.

For once, he was right. It hadn't been that hard to realize a head in charge would have gotten me killed. Which is exactly why I'd had to take the long road to get to my parents. As soon as I'd found them, I let myself get spotted, just for a second, and led off as many Embers as I could.

The whole point of that hadn't been to pick them off one at a time though. In fact, I'd only actually killed one of them. The rest, I kept on a wild goose chase. I kept them, and by extent Urunos, frustrated and searching. It had taken a lot of running, turning into water and back again, plus a few very clever hiding spots, but eventually I got on Urunos's nerves enough to get him to send out the big guns.

As soon as I'd realized Evan was after me, I started to draw them all out. At a good enough distance, I threw them off my trail and onto a pointless one, then worked my way inside, through the pipes.

After that, it was just hack to dust anything in the way, and make a break for it with Mom and Dad in tow. It had been going great, we were in the home stretch, and I'd barely had to swing a sword.

But now, all that careful planning and maneuvering had just gone pear shaped. I tried to be optimistic, but in all honesty, both of my parents were battered and exhausted. This was going to be a rough fight, and that was if I managed to wrap it up before more Embers showed up.

And they were most definitely on their way right now.

Evan's body loomed in front of us, but it was definitely Urunos in control now. Only vaguely could I recall how all of this mess had started, with a band of angry demigods trying to get at Olympus. They'd been losing, and so they pulled the only trump card they thought they had. And now look where it had gotten them.

"I feel as though I should commend your bravery," Urunos said.

He raised a hand, closing it into a fist. Behind me, my parents were thrown into each other, their heads cracking together in a loud and painful way. Instantly, their eyes shut and they went limp. Urunos extended his fingers, I was flung backwards into them, and all three of us tumbled across the sand like ragdolls.

I groaned, pulling myself up off of them. Thank Olympus they were both still breathing.

I didn't have long to be relieved though, because no sooner had I staggered to my feet than I was hurled to side, yanked by an invisible rope. I hit the sand hard, was flipped into the air like a pancake, and slammed back down face first, getting the wind knocked out of me.

"But in truth, I find it annoying," Urunos finished. I was already covered in bruises, and he hadn't moved from where he was standing.

I pushed myself back onto my feet. I'd already lost track of Miz, but sooner or later he'd be back in my pocket. All I had to do was stay alive until then.

Flames burst to life on Evan's hands, and he set his sights on me. I stood ready, knowing I'd be able to take a hit if I had to. But I also knew I didn't have to.

The beach was about as close to the ocean as I could get without actually diving in. There wasn't a better home turf advantage to be had.

Evan let loose with a fireball. The ocean responded, surging out with a wave that came well past the tide line and intercepted the flames, leaving only thick, salty steam in its wake. Urunos growled and repeated the process, throwing more and more fire.

Each time, I willed the ocean waves behind me to come forward and stop the fire in its tracks. The beach was becoming blanketed in steam, and the place was beginning to feel like a salty sauna, but so far, I hadn't taken a fireball to the face.

The instant I felt a familiar weight return to my pocket, I yanked Miz out and clicked him back to life.

Miss me?

I didn't even answer. I just moved through the steam towards Evan, who right now was acting like a big, glowing red lighthouse. When I was close enough I swung twice, both times going for a killing stroke. There was the sickening sound of metal cutting flesh, and when I pulled Miz back there was blood across the blade. But Even didn't go down.

A wave of force radiated out, blowing away the steam, knocking Miz out of my hands again, and sending me rolling across the sand, getting a mouthful of it in the process.

I spat it out, though my mouth still felt disgustingly gritty. This fight was going about as well as I'd imagined it would.

Evan wasted no time in summoning a sword of primordial lead. It was huge, heavy, and two handed, with a wicked looking blade of jagged edges and sharp curves. Urunos let out a roar, and Evan came charging forward.

I rolled to the side, watching the blade cleave through the space I'd just occupied. Evan stabbed downward, and I scooted backward as fast as I could, moving just in time to let the blade up in between my legs instead of in my gut.

Evan growled in frustration, and I decided sticking close to him was a bad idea without a weapon. I rolled backwards, trying to get some space, but I never even finished my roll. As had happened to me so many times before, I felt an invisible hand lift me up off the ground and hurl me backward across the beach.

I landed in wet sand with a moist thud , the wind knocked out of me. I felt a weight return to my pocket, and knew Miz was back again. But right then, I didn't even see a point in drawing him. After two long, desperate years of resisting, of fighting back, this last beat down finally broke down a wall that had been waiting for an excuse to crumble.

I didn't try to pick myself up off the ground. I just laid there, in the mud, groaning. Every death I'd ever seen and every friend I'd ever lost, every scream I'd ever heard and every hit I'd ever taken all dog piled on top of me. Like a damn breaking, anything and everything that had been nagging for my attention now assaulted me full force.

I remembered the reactions from everyone who'd heard the plan for the offensive. I thought to my parents, both lying unconscious and helpless. With vivid detail I was able to recall the exact sensation of Alex taking her frustrations out on me in the form of a bolt of lightning. And with every painful recollection, I found less of a reason to get back up.

I heard Urunos's deep, taunting laugh. I wanted to feel angry. All I could feel was defeated.

And then, the tide came back in.

A fresh wave of seawater rolled over me, and what to most was a wet slap to me was a shot of ambrosia. I felt a fresh wave of strength course through me, pushing back the dulling ache of the mountain of burdens trying to suffocate me. They weren't gone, not by a long shot, but now I was determined to hold them at bay, because there was no way I was going down without a fight.

I stood up in the surf as the waves came in and out around my calves. In one fluid motion Miz was drawn and clicked to life, sending droplets of water flying as he was.

Throwing Poseidon kin into the ocean. Miz scoffed, noting the tactical error on Urunos's part. And you were worried about this fight.

"Go again?" I asked, my voice filled with renewed vigor.

Urunos let out a low growl and hurled a fireball at me. In response, a six foot swell surged past me, dousing it in midair.

I felt a familiar burning sensation running down my arm and across my chest, and I felt the power of the ocean behind me. The brilliant blue glow of Poseidon's blessing came back, shining on par with Urunos's own red hue.

"My turn," I told him. With a single flourish, I stabbed Miz into the sand.

Behind me, the waves roared to life, cascading forward in a single, angry wall of water. And I aimed it right at Evan.

It swept over me like a light breeze, but it hit him full force. In an instant both of us were underwater, Evan flailing around wildly. As if the mini tsunami wasn't bad enough, the biggest great white I had ever seen shot past me, jaws open wide.

It sank its teeth into Evan, thrashed its head from side to side, and then released him , sending him cartwheeling through the water even as it began to recede. When the water finally pulled back out into its proper place, Evan laid bleeding on the shore, screaming in pain and rage, coughing up seawater.

I pulled Miz out of the ground, feeling winded. Already, I could feel the glow of my tattoos flickering, taking their surge of power with them each time they went out.

I thought it was over, but still Evan staggered to his feet. He looked like he was in a lot of pain.

"YOU WILL NOT WIN!" Urunos bellowed. The angry red aura around Evan grew even more intense, and suddenly the blood coming from his wounds was silver, not red. Tainted ichor, immortal and mortal blood mixing together.

Just as quickly as Evan's blood went silver, his wounds began to close up. Oh Styx.

Fire blazed into existence across Evan's arms and shot straight at me. I used what little strength I had to throw up a dome of water around me just in time. The fire hit the water, causing a layer of steam to rise up, but the quick defense held.

Protected at least for a little bit by my little bubble, I took one good look at Evan, trying to ignore all of Urunos's curse that had so fully consumed him. I tried to see the man behind all of it. Evan had been angry. Damaged. Murderous, even. But Urunos was out to destroy everything. Everything that had ever, will ever, exist. Though both were really bad, Urunos was a far cry from simply wanting revenge on the gods.

"Is this really what you want Evan?" I yelled, my voice penetrating the bubble. "This end of the world we're talking about! You let Urunos get inside your minds, and now look what's happened! You can stop all of this. Fight him Evan. Fight him!"

"EVAN NAKAMURA IS GONE!" Urunos roared. He charged forward, hands ablaze, and tore open my water dome.

Miz was my last line of defense. I swung, slicing into Evan's cheek and causing him to stagger, giving me the much needed chance to dive out of his reach and roll away, springing back up into a fighting stance at the end of it.

The glow in my tattoos finally gave out completely, taking most of my energy with it. I suddenly had the strong need to eat a dozen footlongs and then nap for a week. I was utterly drained. And Urunos just looked angry.

I heard tortured shrieks coming from behind me, and I checked over my shoulder. Sure enough, a pack of Embers were coming in on foot, baying for blood. My blood.

Within seconds I was surrounded, encircled by a ring of snarling, shrieking, burning corpses. And in front of me, brandishing a monster of a sword, was Urunos controlling Evan like a puppet.

"Death has arrived," Urunos proclaimed.

"And he's sorry he's late!" a new voice jibed.

Despite the presence of several burning individuals, the air suddenly grew much colder. Dead, decayed hands shot out of the ground, grabbing several Embers and using them as handholds. I recognized minions of Hades anywhere, and I'd never been happier to see them.

Above, storm clouds brewed, and from them shot bolts of lightning, all of which struck with perfect precision, turning every Ember into ash.

I turned around, though I already knew who'd shown up. Nico and Thalia di Angelo had never been a more welcome sight. Thalia wielded her spear and shield, Nico a sword of Stygian iron. Both of them looked ready to kick some serious butt.

"Sorry about your friends," Thalia apologized sarcastically.

"I have more," Urunos threatened.

Taking their cue, more Embers flew onto the scene, and were promptly cut down by Nico's small band of undead warriors.

"So do I," Nico retorted.

I turned back to Urunos, smiling in victory. "Well…your move."

Screw that, Miz proclaimed, let's kick his ass!

For once, I didn't tell Miz to shut it.

"YAY! The cavalry has arrived! Everything will be just fine now! Everyone's making it back okay! Nothing could possibly go wrong!"

-Said whoever doesn't know my plot style. See you next time.

002: 003!

003: *shudders* You know…if there is a next time. I'm coming, Hun!