FicWad

Tory: Hey there! Again sorry for not updating in a while. Stupid exams and computer crashing and so on. Okay so in the last chapter I left some pretty big cliffies, at least I think... Anyways. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it so far. Thanks for the support! You all rock! Oh and as you've probably noticed I changed a bit of the summary.:D Well I guess that I'll shut up now and let you get on with the story. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own it, probably never will. I just own my stories.:D

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Cronus stood over his magic pool of water laughing. How he enjoyed to see those seven teenagers suffer. He waved his hand over the blue depths and waited for the image to appear. The image was of five islands, all connected. They seemed to form a circle... or donut. Cronus waved his hand over the island at the top. The image faded away to a closer view. He saw two of his mortal enemies laying there on the ground. In pain and helpless to do anything to save themselves.

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Theresa groaned as she opened her eyes. She stared up at the sky for a while, letting everything sink in. Then she felt a slight tug on her hand. She noticed that something was closed around her five digits.

She slowly turned her head to see what held her captive, almost not sure that she wanted to know. She gasped when she saw Jay's body lying there; her hand in his.

" Jay?" she asked when she couldn't see him breathing.

When he didn't answer fear washed over her. She crawled over to him and placed his head on her lap. She gently brushed his hair out of his eyes and noticed the tear in his shirt. It was odd though, he wasn't scratched.

" Jay. Jay. Wake up. Come on Jay. Jay." she called softly to him.

He slowly began to move and then his eyes flickered open. He gazed up at his red haired goddess and smiled.

" Hey." he said, his voice a little hoarse.

" Hey." she said, her eyes a little watery.

Jay sat up and rubbed his right shoulder, but he found that it no longer seared with pain or was pierced with two giant holes. It was as if he was never attacked, but his shirt was still torn.

Theresa stood up on shaky legs and so did Jay. Then Theresa fell in Jay's arms and wrapped hers around him. He held on to her tight, just enjoying the peace that had covered them momentarily.

" I'm so glad I found you." she whispered.

" Me too." Jay replied, smiling a little.

Then Theresa pulled away and looked into the distance, over Jay's shoulder. Theresa's face froze with fear and her lips began to quiver. Slowly, very slowly Jay turned to see what she was looking at.

Once his eyes rested upon it he too felt the fear she did. Then he grabbed her hand and ran. The sound of pursuit filled the trees as Jay and Theresa ran for their lives.

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Archie pushed himself off the ground and shook his head. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious for but he did know that his shoulder was fine now. Before it ached with the pain of a million daggers but now... now it was fine. It was if he never fought the beast and was driven off a cliff.

He scanned the area with his eyes and noticed that in the distance was an animal, lying on the ground. Archie worked his way through the tall tangle of grass towards the figure. But as he got closer he realized that it wasn't an animal... it was a person. The closer he got the more visible the person began. He stopped five meters away from the body and stood there for a moment, kept in place by shock.

Then he snapped back to reality and rushed to the body's side. He brushed the fire red hair out of the girl's eyes. Then he shook her by the shoulders.

" Atlanta? Atlanta?" Archie softly called.

" Mmmmm." Atlanta stirred in her sleepy state.

" Atlanta?!" Archie's eyes scanned her face for any sign of consciousness.

" Archie?" Atlanta mumbled, she was waking up a little bit.

" Atlanta?" Archie said again as her eyes fluttered open.

" Archie? Wha-... where-... hi." she finished, just glad to see him.

" Hi." he said back as he helped her off the wet ground.

" What happened?" he asked after a small silence.

" I heard some branch snap and someone call for help so I came over to see... and then next thing I know I'm falling off that damn cliff." Atlanta said as she rubbed her side.

" Well everything's okay now." Archie said as he wrapped his arms around her.

Atlanta hugged him back but then she pulled away suddenly. Archie looked at her quizzically. She seemed to be looking in the distance, past him and into the trees.

" What is it?" he asked in a hushed tone.

She didn't reply. Instead she ran past him and to the edge of the trees. Archie followed her with his eyes.

" Odie?!" he said before rushing after his girlfriend.

" Odie! What happened to you?" he heard Atlanta ask as the boy came staggering out of the woods.

" I... Cronus.... hole..." then Odie lost consciousness.

When Archie came running up Atlanta looked at him with concern and worry written all over her face.

" Come on. Let's get him somewhere dry." Archie suggested as he picked Odie under his arm.

Atlanta grabbed the other arm and they took him under a tree, where the ground was more or less dry. Atlanta ran to the river to get some water for their fallen friend.

She reached a river that was only five minutes away. She dipped a small bag in the water, hoping that the water wouldn't leak out. Just as she was about to turn around and run back, she heard a loud noise. She froze in place as her mind tried to identify the source of the noise.

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Herry woke to find himself in what appeared to be a hanging cage. He rubbed the back of his head and looked around. He found himself to be hanging nearly twenty feet in the air, held up by a rope tied around a tree branch.

" What happened?" he asked aloud as he stood up in the teetering box.

He tested the strength of the bars with his fist. He figured that he could break them but he didn't know what traps he might set off in doing so.

He heard the sound of footsteps, twigs snapping and water splashing. He slid onto his stomach and watched the trees below him intently. The sounds were getting closer. Whatever was running his way should be coming into view any moment.

" Hurry. Keep running. It's right behind us." Herry heard the familiar voice of one of his team mates.

" I'm running as fast as I can. Wait! Listen." another voice accompanied the first.

" I don't hear anything." the first voice stated.

" Exactly. We're not being followed anymore!" the second voice said happily.

" Well let's keep moving. It might come back." the first voice said.

Two people emerged from the trees that Herry was looking at. He was right; it was his friends.

" Theresa! Jay!" Herry said loudly from his dangling prison.

" Herry?" the two seemed to be confused as to where he was.

They looked around and then exchanged confused looks.

" Up here." Herry said.

The two looked up and saw the hanging cage. Theresa ran to the nearest tree and began to climb it. She was quickly followed by Jay. They came to eye level with Herry.

" What are you doing in there?" Theresa asked.

" I don't know. The last thing I remember is hitting my head." Herry replied, rubbing the back of his head again.

" Hang on. We'll get you down." Jay said as he examined the structure.

" Wait! It might set off other traps." Herry warned.

" Okay. Theresa. Can you get up there." Jay pointed to the branch from which Herry's cage hung.

" I think so..... Yeah. Should be no problem." Theresa replied as she decided her path with her eyes.

She began to climb, slipping only twice but she quickly and skillfully caught herself. Within a minute she reached the rope. Looking down at Jay she gave him a thumbs up.

" What now?" Herry asked as he looked from Theresa back to Jay.

" Now. I throw this vine up to Theresa." Jay paused throwing her the vine, " then she'll slid down to the top of the cage, slip it through the handle and then climb back up, throw the vine to me and then when I give her the signal she'll cut the first vine."

" Here goes." Theresa called down as she did what Jay instructed.

She reached the cage, tied the rope, climbed back up to the branch, threw Jay the vine, cut the first vine and then climbed back down to Jay, who was now on the ground.

" Now, we use the vine like a pulley and ease you to the ground." Jay called up to Herry.

The two managed to lower Herry to the ground with little trouble. Then, once on the solid ground, Herry broke the bamboo bars and hugged his friends.

" Man am I glad to see you guys." he said.

" We're glad to see you too Herry." the two replied at the same time.

The three started to walk when Jay suddenly stopped. He peered into the distance and fear washed over him.

" Run. Now. Turn and run." he whispered.

" Why?" Herry asked.

" That's why!" Theresa screamed as a beast in the distance charged towards them.

" What is that thing?" Herry asked as the three ran for their lives.

" We don't know..." Jay started.

" ... and we don't want to know." Theresa finished.

The three continued to run; jumping over fallen trees, running through creeks and dodging trees that got in their way.

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Archie pulled up his sleeve and glanced at his watch as he paced back and forth. Atlanta still wasn't back yet.

" Come on. Where are you Atlanta?" he asked aloud.

Finally losing his patience and getting incredibly worried he started towards the trees. But he stopped short and turned around.

" I can't just leave Odie here. But I have to find Atlanta." he said to himself.

Finally not being able to bear it any longer he picked Odie up and carried the unconscious boy on his back. Then he started into the trees. He just hoped that Atlanta was okay.

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Atlanta's muscles tensed as the noise grew louder. Her eyes scanned the surrounding trees. ' Where have I heard that sound before?' she thought to herself. Her mind began to race with possibilities.

Then it clicked and her muscles relaxed. She turned around and looked at the trees. Her eyes gazed near the top of a large tree and she groaned.

" NEIL!" she shouted at the figure in the tree.

" Wha-" he mumbled as the half asleep boy fell out of the tree.

Atlanta burst out laughing as the blonde boy struggled to get up out of the tangle of roots and vines.

" Hey! What'd you do that for?" he asked once he was free.

" Cause your snoring nearly gave me a heart attack. Now come on. I've got to get this water back to Odie." Atlanta replied as she began to walk.

" No need to go anywhere." a voice said from the trees.

" Archie?" Neil asked as the purple haired boy stepped out of the trees.

" What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be keeping an eye on Odie!" Atlanta yelled.

" He's right here." Archie said as he turned around and gently lowered the unconscious boy to the ground.

Atlanta splashed a little water on Odie's face and everyone watched intently. Within seconds Odie started to wake up.

" Odie!" the three cried when the boy sat up.

" Hey guys. What's going on?" he asked drowsily.

" You came staggering out of the trees and collapsed to the ground. What happened to you?" Atlanta replied.

" The last thing I remember is Cronus splitting the earth open and me falling into the cavern. Then I woke up and I had to work my way through an underground maze of rocks and holes. I made it outside when I saw some kind of animal. I was attacked but I got away... just barely. Then I guess I ran into you two." Odie explained as best he could.

" Well now that that's cleared up.... what do we do now?" Archie asked.

" We should keep walking. Maybe we'll find the others. I mean we found each other right." Atlanta suggested.

" More walking?" Neil complained.

" She's right. We'll never find them if we just stay here." Odie said.

" Okay then. Let's get going." Archie said.

The four had made it only steps through the river when they found themselves stuck.

" What the..." Archie started as he looked down.

The river seemed to have a grip on them and it wasn't going to let go any time soon. The four sunk deeper and deeper. Only it seemed as though the water was rising or the ground was falling because only their ankles were stuck in the dirt.

The water was above their heads in no time. Archie opened his eyes and looked through the clear water for his friends. He saw Atlanta struggling in the water. ' If only I could get to her.' he thought as he looked at his other friends.

The water seemed to stop rising. The surface was merely a foot above them. The four tried to free their feet, but to no avail. Minutes went by and four sets of bubbles reached the surface as the heroes' worlds faded from blue to black. It was all over.

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The three had reached an ocean and decided to run through it. Maybe the creature wouldn't follow them. But they were wrong. The three headed further and further in the water before Theresa stopped.

" Theresa. What are you doing? We have to keep moving." Jay said as went to her.

" I can't! I'm stuck!" Theresa said as she found herself ankle deep in the sand and unable to move.

" Grab my hand. I'll pull you out." Herry said as he too walked towards her.

They tried to pull her out but it wasn't working.

" Go on without me. I'll be fine." Theresa said a little teary eyed.

" No. We won't leave you." Jay replied.

" Jay look!" Herry pointed to the shore where the creature had stopped. It saw their dilemma and was sitting there. Watching and waiting.

" Well at least we'll have time to think of a plan." Jay said on a positive note.

" I don't think so." Theresa said as she noticed the rising water.

Jay and Herry tired to move but found that they too were stuck. With the water rising and them sinking they had no time to think of any way to escape. The three exchanged worried looks.

Within a minute the water was above their heads. The salty water swirled around them as they were pulled deeper into the depths. They struggled to free themselves, struggled to get loose and struggled to breathe. It wasn't much longer before the air escaped from their lungs and everything turned black. It really was all over. Cronus had won.

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Cronus gazed into his magic pool and laughed at the sight of the heroes' demise. He was clearly glad at what he had done. Now with them out of the way no one would stand in his way. He had won. He had finally won. The world would now be at his mercy.

He waved a hand over the pool and left. He had to prepare for his ascent to the surface and prepare for his triumphant return as ruler.

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A/N: There you have it! I hope that the long chapter makes up for not updating in a while. Thanks again to iheartyou07 for beta reading. You rock Anolez! Ooo Cronus has finally succeeded in getting rid of the heroes. Is this how it all ends? It might be... but then again it might not be. Send a review my way and let me know you thoughts about this chapter. Constructive critism is always welcome too! I'll try to update soon. Actually I will because exams are over and that means no school... till monday! So I will definitely get the next one done and up for you! Cheers!:D