Pallas growled lowly at that before stepping forward. "Be that as it may you shall wait and do NOT interfere!"
Before Phobos or any others could offer any protest Pallas' frame exploded in a familiar flash of gold making several look away from the intensity of it.
...
Annabeth felt the atmosphere get heavy as malice permeated the air and within it all she heard her daughter's alarmed cry.
Squinting her eyes as the glow died down, she was met with a thirty foot titan dressed in armor forged of Celestial bronze and modern iron to form interlocking plates around his core rather than the traditional single breastplate and stomach guard
With additional guards over his shoulders and thighs along with the full helm left very little of the titan's body exposed and even more telling was the sword in his hands. Even if shaped like the standard xiphos the sword was far longer and thinner with the extended hilt needing a constant two-handed grip to even maintain a balance leaving Pallas without a shield. Annabeth silently questioned the practicality of such a design. However, she didn't have time to pursue the thought as Pallas exploded forward, rushing her at a surprising speed.
Hastily raising her shield, she buckled to one knee at the sheer power of the blow as she grit her teeth and heard some jeering from the watching gods.
Tuning them out she huffed as she tilted her shield to the side, hearing the scrapping of the sword sliding along the metal before she responded with her own attack in turn. Her dagger collided with his armored chest but did little more than scratch it as he scoffed rearing back as he loomed over her with another swing.
She didn't try for a block this time, throwing herself into a roll and back on her feet as his sword sliced not only the ground she been on but formed a cut across the room and far wall as the entire throne room shook. She didn't just sit there and gawk though, knowing that any distractions could mean her life as she rushed forward to meet him.
He almost effortlessly tore the sword from the ground and swung at her but she dropped to a slide on her knees, watching as the bronze blade shaved off a few hairs before she recovered her footing within his guard.
Seeing that he lashed out with a sloppy kick, his balance already off thanks to his swing but she barely sidestepped it before seeing her chance. With a flick of her wrist she held her dagger in a reverse grip again before slashing at the back of his leg, cutting at the side of his exposed knee.
He cried out in pain and with a wild flail, nailed her side with an off-kick, punting her back with his monstrous strength to which she rolled back and recovered her footing, if slightly winded from it. Eyes narrowing on each other they rushed each other again, their collisions shaking the room along with the jeers and shouts of the watching gods, her daughter's own cries mixed within them.
Still she couldn't do much more than continue her fight, using her every trick and memory of fighting bigger, stronger opponents to keep Pallas back. It seemed to work for a time as she scored numerous cuts and stabs in his exposed flesh but it did little in the grand scheme as many healed quickly or just weren't serious enough to begin with.
Her only saving grace was she could tell he was favoring his left over his injured right when making overhead swings. Still, she wasn't untouched either, sporting one nasty cut at the hip when she jumped too late and at least three broken ribs from a sudden knee to the chest when she'd closed in again.
The fight felt like it just went on and on when in truth only a few minutes had passed, but with their movement and the sheer ferocity of it seemed to stretch everything out.
She started to feel a familiar burn in her arms, winced as her body protested under the punishment of his blows, grit her teeth as adrenaline and not only the need to survive but protect her daughter kept her going at full throttle. However it was an uphill battle with a downpour weighing her down as Pallas attacked tirelessly. His style was simple yet brutal, delivering crushing blows quickly while almost seamlessly maneuvering for blocks and following slashes.
She was soon forced into little more than constant dodging and ducking, unable to strike at him while held at a range thanks to his sword and unwilling to step within his guard with her own broken ribs as testament to the risk.
She was starting to pant, her hair matted with sweat and ichor from a sudden backhand she had taken to the side of her head. Pallas wasn't looking much worse for wear, only sporting some cuts and one particular stab she'd managed between plates along his side on the right side but his power was still flowing.
They stared off for a few seconds, the other gods having gone surprisingly quiet to the point she could hear the soft sniffles of her daughter. She desperately wanted to get her out of there but with the arrival of more traitors, Annabeth wasn't very optimistic about her chances. However her thoughts were cut short as Pallas rushed her again and she raised her shield as the first collision came, forcing her to one knee as the marble floor shattered beneath her.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Blow after blow rained down as her feet sunk lower and lower into the ground, her arms shaking as she desperately held up the shield, feeling as the metal started to warp and dent under the unrelenting attack until, with a roar, the heaviest blow came down. Annabeth screamed as she felt her left arm pop, dislocating her shoulder as she fell back.
"Mama!" she heard the terrified cry as her own shield fell to her side.
Before she could even try to stand she felt an armored boot stomp on her right arm, pinning it down with her weapon as she looked up at the covered face, seeing his intense, solid copper eyes looking down at her with satisfaction and even a hint of sadistic glee. The sound of chains being pulled and crying got her attention though as she turned her head to the side to see a heartbreaking sight.
During her fight she had moved closer to the thrones along the edge having destroyed several of the abandoned tethers and the traitors had followed suite to watch, leaving Cloelia at their back with only Deimos still close to her.
Her daughter was desperately tugging at Riptide, even going as far as grabbing the sword's hilt directly while constantly glancing at her as tears streamed down her face. Annabeth couldn't help but try and give her a reassuring, yet sad smile before she returned her attention to Pallas, glaring back defiantly even she knew she was caught.
She was not going to allow herself to give in and fight it to the very last moment. Pallas seemed to catch that though as he sneered down at her, hefting his blade again as it gleamed in the low light of the few torches around the room.
"Proud to the end," he muttered as her rested his blade against her left shoulder, the edge pointed in the direction of her neck as if he was planning on swinging his sword like an oversized gulf club, her head being the ball.
"A pity to have to waste such potential but rest assured, your daughter will make up for it after a proper rearing," he said, giving a sick smile at the venomous glare that formed on her face. "That's more like it. Goodbye Chase!"
With the smile still on his face he raised up the sword to deliver the final blow, the atmosphere suddenly going still as the sword came down in almost slow motion. But within it all, Annabeth heard what sounded like glass shattering all around before there was an explosion of power.
"MAMAAAA!"
===================
Don't forget to throw some power Stones, to keep the story going.
...
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