Second Awakening....

They almost made it to the entrance when a club

swung right at them.

*WOOSH* *BOOM*

The club missed by just a foot as Max swerved at the last second feeling an overwhelming sense of danger.

They kids were thrown off the bike as it crashed into a tree. As Max was in front he covered group from the rocks which blew away from the club's impact on the ground.

He was shielding his eyes when a large four fingered hand, as big as himself, swatted him away few feet away.

Max got a look at the attacker. It was a cyclops! Specifically THE cyclops that kills Thalia in the book. The cyclops grabbed a rock and threw it at the 3 demigods, Luke quickly grabbed Annabeth and jumped to one side. Thalia not knowing where the attack came from, jumped right in front of its huge feet, realizing her mistake too late.

Max saw what happened, he crouched down tensing his legs to the limit, digging his feet into the ground he launched himself off the ground immediately, seeing Thalia about to be crushed by the cyclops's feet.

His whole body aching as if a truck hit. Chuckling to himself of the analogy he thought, he propped himself up got ready.

He clenched his whole body and shot toward the cyclops chest area, which was the least protected.

His thoughts were in a disarray,[ No! I can't let it end like this. Is she fated to be killed(almost killed) and turned into a tree? Why does she have to suffer like this? Just because she is the daughter of Zeus? Is this Fate? ].

Ripping through the air he cleared 14feet between them in a single leap.

"YOU WONT TOUCH HEEEEEEER!!!" Max roared, ramming his whole body into the monster knocked it on its ass 7feet away before crashing into a tree knocking it out. Max's dropped down after the hit and went to Annabeth and Luke who were just hiding behind the bike out of sight from the cyclops. He then reached Thalia to check her for any injuries

Thalia was in shock, her body numb and her mind blanked out from fear, a trickle of warm liquid flowing out staining her pants. She came back to her senses when Max placed a hand on her shoulder, and the events that took place a second ago registered in her mind. She curled herself into a ball. Thalia was racked with fear and shame not wanting Max to witness her vulnerable, fragile dignity crumbling before her.

Max silently picked her up after repeatedly stroking her back to calm her down. He went to a tree away from Luke and Annabeth's view and bent down on one knee to place her on the ground as gently as possible.

Max's was about to place Thalia against the tree, when he found two trembling hands clutching the front if his shirt tightly, refusing to let go, "Don't let go...please"

Max parted her bangs, and placed a kiss on her forehead. He lifted her chin and said, "Thalia look at me. Good. The fights not over, okay? I need you to be strong for me and for Annabeth. She sees you as a big sister, you know that right?" Her hands stopped shaking, she slowly let go and whispered, "Promise me to never let me go."

Max instantly understood what she meant, his heart skipped a beat, he never felt so much nor loved anybody, but at that moment he looked into her eyes and instantaneously felt his soul connect with hers. He felt as if he 'drifted' with her, but he knew that was not the case. "Never" Max whispered back.

After his promise, Max got a bottle of water from Thalia's bag and poured it on Thalia and himself. She gave him a grateful smile. They both stood up and Thalia went to Luke and Annabeth's place to ask if they were alright.

Max slowly made his way to the wheezing cyclops, a Max-sized dent in his chest. Looking at the monster he thought he would feel anger, rage or disgust, instead he felt pity and his mind oddly tranquil.

He took out his shepherd's crook from it's storage . Concentrating on the feeling he had when he faux-drifted with Thalia, he tapped the butt of the staff on the ground. A sizzling sound and the familiar itch was felt on his back. Thick roots of the surrounding trees uprooted and started wrapping the struggling monster's wrists, ankles and its neck. Max gave a pause and reached out his hand open and the palm facing the ground, pointing at the cyclops.

More roots started coming up and started twisting and turning wrapping around the cyclops. After a full minute the monster looked as if it was mummified by the roots. Max closed his hand making a fist, "Nature's Embrace" he said out loud. The roots constricted violently crushing the monster into gold dust. {imagine Gaara's "Sand Coffin" but with roots}

He turned back to see Thalia, Luke and 50 people wearing orange shirts with Camp Half-blood written on it, armed to the teeth. Their jaws gaping wide, not able to believe their eyes. Only Annabeth who was piggyback riding on Luke had an expression eerily similar to Luffy looking at Franky's Robots.{ If you don't know, its his face with a huge gaping grin and stars in his eyes, sometimes shouting "SUGGEEEE!!!"

Max lifted his hand in greeting, "Sup!"