The Path Of Glory (Annabeth Chase x Male Reader)

57. Putting On A Few More Pounds

 The horrible thing was, you could see the family resemblance. Atlas had the same regal expression as Zoë, the same cold proud look in his eyes that Zoë sometimes got when she was mad, though on him it looked a thousand times more evil. He was all the things Y/N disliked about Zoë.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded.

Atlas walked closer to the chained goddess. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for her, then? Be my guest."

Zoë opened her mouth to speak, but Artemis said, "No! Do not offer, Zoë! I forbid you."

Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Artemis and tried to touch her face, but she bit at him, almost taking off his fingers.

"Hoo-hoo," Atlas chuckled. "You see, daughter? Lady Artemis likes her new job. I think I will have all the Olympians take turns carrying my burden, once Lord Kronos rules again, and this is the center of our palace. It will teach those weaklings some humility."

Y/N glanced at Annabeth. She was desperately trying to speak despite the gag. She motioned her head toward Luke. But he didn't really notice it; something about her had changed. Her blond hair was now streaked with gray.

"From holding the sky," Ethan muttered, as if he'd read Y/N's mind. "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky."

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaea first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

He approached them, studying Y/N, Percy, and Thalia. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's see."

Signing their own death warrant: Check.

"Have the gods taught you nothing?" Atlas said. "An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"Y/N beat Ares," Ethan slipped in. "Being an immortal and hearing that . . . must scare you stiff, right?"

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia.

"As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful. You would almost have felt sorry for him. Almost. Y/N would rather have punched him in the face. "Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

Luke waved his hand, and next to them a pool of water appeared—a pond ringed in black marble, big enough for Bessie. Y/N could imagine her in that pool. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he was sure he could hear Bessie mooing.

"Don't think about her," Ethan whispered. "If you do, she'll come. Block the thoughts."

Y/N tried not to think. Easier said than done. He tried to think about basketball players, candies, donuts. Anything but the cow-serpent he had to not think about.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke. . . ." Thalia's voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"