Clover POV

*inhales deeply and exhales shakily*

Gaea... let me go.

My dear... I would, but you're too valuable to me.

What do I give you? You have what you wanted.

Oh, not true. That was only part of my plan. Breaking you is another part of it.

Break me? As in, spiritually? Mentally? Or physically?

Ah... Yes... Very confusing, it is.

Don't go all yoda on me, dirt face.

Yoda?! You dare compare me to that minuscule abstract creature?!

Wow. I didn't know you had such a large vocabulary.

You are such an inexcusable girl...

Again, great vocabulary. Did you read a dictionary just to come up with threats?

I will tear you to shreds, like what I did to my other servant!

*starts choking* S-stop...

Have more respect.

I-I will... *takes deep breath and begins to cough on the floor*

I am taking over now. You have no power over me. *places hand on head* You are under my influence now...

*trembles and tries to fight it* N-no... I w-will never...

Tyler POV

Leo and I popped out at the edge of the field, running as fast as we could. (Personally, I thought of it as a race. I would love to beat Leo to Clover). Aspen proofed into existence at the bunker's entrance, scaring the patrol and both Arthur and Penelope. Arthur screamed, causing Penelope to jump.

"My goodness!" Penelope exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart. "Don't scare me like that!" I looked at Leo.

"Did you understand her?" I asked, pointing at Penelope. Leo shrugged.

"Sorta. I caught a little bit of Greek."

"She's speaking Greek? It sounds like French to me..." I studied Penelope closely.

"Alright you two," Aspen said, gesturing to the bunker. "Wanna show me where she is?" I nodded and pushed between Penelope and Arthur.

The bunker was in better condition it was in. The more campers that joined us, the more it was getting repaired. Tables had been repaired and built, the support beams were getting replaced, and because it was all being fixed was because we needed new room. Not everyone who was coming in fit in the destroyed space.

Leo was watching everyone with great interest. He watched a roman camper and a Greek camper flip a table and hammer it in place. I smiled back at him.

"See? We're doing something other than wait for the saviors of Olympus." Leo shot me a dirty look. I raised my eyebrow then turned my head forward. I stepped over a support beam that still hadn't been repaired and started down the hallway.

Dread came over me. I had left Clover in her agonizing state, but I needed to find help. And what did I find? Help. She should be fine...

But I was wrong.

I opened the operation rooms door to find Will scrambling around. Clover had a face mask that gave her fresh air, but it didn't seem to do anything. She was curled into the fetal position, trembling and glowing. Her breaths were short and fast, like she had gone for a long run. I stared at her, then rushed to her.

"Don't touch her!" Will warned. "She's too hot!" I expected Leo to make joke of that, but he didn't. He had followed me to Clover and was studying her closely.

"Why is she glowing? I asked frantically.

"No idea," Will responded, shifting through a first aid kit. "I've been trying to figure that out."

"I bet it's her glowing personality!" Leo said sarcastically. I sneered at him. I knew he would make a joke. Will stopped and dropped his supplies.

"That's brilliant!" He exclaimed. He rushed to Clover's side and slipped on hotpads. Yeah, like the ones used in ovens. He touched her forehead and concentrated.

"What are you doing?" I asked. Will shushed me and focused harder. He gasped and let go.

"No..."

"What?" Leo pressed.

"She... Can't..."

"What's wrong with her?" I demanded. Will gave me a horrified look.

"She's dead." My heart dropped like a stone. Leo's face fell and he looked like he might cry. I looked down at Clover.

"But why is she still moving?" I asked. Will shook his head and stood. He rubbed his forehead.

"It doesn't make sense... She's dead, but the monitors are still beeping that she has a heart rate and is breathing."

"Are they broken?" I questioned. Will shook his head.

"No, they're working just fine." Leo hadn't said hardly a word. He walked over to Clover and put a hand on hers. The heat didn't bother him, but her death did. I watched him bend down and kiss her forehead. The place his lips had touched seemed to dull, like they had absorbed the heat. I heard him whisper something to her:

"I'm sorry I was never there for you..." I looked at the floor. Her death weighed heavily on my shoulders, like the heaviest barbel in the world. Will sighed as he stared at the monitor.

"I couldn't save her..." He muttered.

"Neither could we," I responded, even though I knew Will didn't want a response.

Then, the weirdest thing happened.

Clover gripped Leo's throat!

He began to choke and sputter. Will and I gasped and stepped back. The first thought that came to my mind:

Zombie!

I watched in horror as Clover opened her eyes. Except it wasn't Clover. Her eyes were as shiny and glossy as polished black marble. She smiled evilly at Leo, which was a face I rarely saw.

"Hello there Leo Valdez..." Leo's face was turning a blueish purple, which made me worry (but not too much).

"G-Gaea..." Leo croaked out. Clover, no, Gaea smiled.

"Puny demigod..." She squeezed tighter. "You fell right into my trap..."

"Wait," I broke in. "Clover was working for you?" Gaea faced me. Her black eyes glistened with intelligence.

"Yes, fool!" Something about her words made me ponder. Leo clawed at his throat, desperate for air. I needed to do something, but my fear glued me to the floor.

Will was the one who took action.

He lunged forward and pushed Gaea. She screamed, just like Clover's scream, and Leo was able to break free. He collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. I rushed to his side and helped him stand while Will was struggling with Gaea.

“Get off of me!!” She screamed. Will sneered and tried to keep her pinned down.

“Never!” He protested. Just as I thought Gaea would explode, something very very weird happened.

The blackness in her eyes began to flicker, like a bad channel. Clover’s blueish grey ones stared up at Will with fear and pain.

"H-help!" She spat out. Gaea began to take control of her again. The darkness creeped back across her eyes like a veil of black cloth.

"Stop it!"" Gaea screamed, regaining her posture.

I had almost forgotten that Aspen was there. She has been standing so still and quiet, just watching all of this play out.  She finally jumped into action. She cried a battle cheer and charged at Gaea. She had no weapon. Nothing but her bare hands.

Gaea turned toward her, but Aspen caught her off guard. She tackled her and before any of us could react. Aspen began to glow. Like, sunlight on a hot summer’s day glow. The type of glow you would curse the sun for and wish for in the winter. Unsafe, with the ability to burn horribly, and extremely hot.

“You. Leave. Clover! Right now!” Aspen screamed, her voice radiating with power like the rest of her.

Leo, Will and I all took a few steps back, unsure if we would be hurt or not. Leo was still trying to breathe deep breaths while Will had a massive bruise forming on his eye. I looked down at myself, then at Clover. Gaea’s influence had gripped her tightly, but everybody had seen Clover win over her, at least for a minute or so.

“We need to get out of here!” Will shouted. “Or Aspen might burn the place down!”

“Too late for that!” Leo shouted back. The air began to grow warm, like a bathroom after a hot steamy shower. All of us were starting to sweat.

“Just run!” I shouted. We all took one last look at the two forces fighting, earth and sun, and bolted out the door.

As we ran/stumbled down the hallway, we could feel the intense heat at our backs.

“Faster!” Leo screamed.

‘As if we needed the encouragement’, I thought bitterly. We burst out of the building and screamed at the other campers to clear the area.

“Move move move!” I shouted, waving my arms to get them away. “She’s gonna blow!” The campers all scrambled back with fear and uncertainty. Penelope and Arthur appeared beside Will.

“What exactly is going on?” Penelope asked.

“Aspen is taking down Gaea!” Will shouted to her, which indicated to me that she had asked about what had happened.

“Get back! Hurry! To the woods!” Leo directed, pointing at the tree line. The mixed group of demigods bolted for the trees. Nymphs had popped into existence to check out what all the commotion was about. When they saw the bright light coming from the bunker and the crowd of demigods, they knew something was up. One nymph dropped her teapot and it shattered on the grass, spilling liquid everywhere.

The heat now was becoming a force field of energy that reached the bunker’s doorway. Almost directly where we were. It burned against my skin like a hot fire. Will and the french kids took off, following the crowd, leaving only Leo and I left standing.

Leo looked over at me, his gaze one I had never seen before.

“Get out of here!” He shouted. “The heat won’t harm me! Go!” I shook my head and gave him a determined look.

“I’m not going to leave you here! Especially with an angry goddess!”

“Do you want to kill yourself?!” Leo snarled sarcastically. “You’re gonna die here!”

“So are you!” I shot back. I paused to let that sink in before continuing. “Do you realize what Clover would do to have you sacrifice yourself?”

“She’s dead!” Leo snapped. “There’s no hope for me or her!” He looked at me. “What would you do?”

“But you saw her break through Gaea’s spell! She’s alive and you know it!” Leo scowled at me, his pupils burning a bright red.

“You’re giving me false hope!” I was speechless for a moment, then I made my decision. I grabbed Leo’s hand and pulled him with me as I ran toward the others.

“You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not!” I shot him a look. “Nobody gets left behind!” I pulled Leo along as the heat field started to expand outside the doorway of the bunker. It crept along the grass, burning everything in it’s path. Leo and I tripped over the holes and trenches, but whenever we fell, we got straight back up again.

Might I just say, running for your life is hard.

As we jumped over another trench and landed on the other side, Leo’s foot gave out. When he came down, his ankle twisted in such a bad manor, I heard it crack. Leo screamed and face planted the dirt. I was yanked backward, losing my momentum. I crashed to the ground, then scrambled to get to my feet. The heat field was getting closer. I picked Leo up under his arms and he yelped.

“My ankle!” He cried. “Curse beauty queen!” I had no idea what he was talking about, but helped him stumble forward. We couldn’t go too fast, or else Leo would cry out. After a couple more of the ditch climbing, I looked over my shoulder. The heat was coming faster.

“Faster!” I screamed.

“Dude! I can’t!” Leo snapped back. The heat field was right on our tail. I made a split second decision. I pushed Leo into a pit and dove in after him. Leo spat some naughty language at me as he fell. We crashed down five feet below the surface and when I landed, I pushed Leo down.

“Stay down! Protect your head at all costs!” Leo did as I said, but still shot me a couple unfriendly words. I pressed myself against the wall and the rocks as much as I could.

The heat field rolled over us.

The intense warmth felt like it was taking all the air out of my lungs. It was eating my life right out of my own breath. Fear gripped my heart as I worried about everyone else. Sure I was worried for my life, but I was more concerned for Clover, Will, and the rest of our team of demigods. They were being so brave for the greater good against the powerful evil. And all I was doing was hiding in a pit from a miniature sun.

No biggy right?

After a few more moments of the painful heat, the field sucked back toward the beginning point. When the force field disappeared and I was finally was able to breathe again, the air around me felt freezing cold. It seemed as if I were breathing in ice daggers. Leo took a few shaky breaths, looked at me and gave me a small smile. I was about to smile back when we heard the explosion.

WHOOOOOOOM!!!