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Emerald Library: It is so big you can google it
Writer's Block: wttJDs62Dy
LAST TIME:
"NO!" Phoebe screamed as she used all her might to pull the book away from Tracy, even going so far as to put her foot against the girl's chest and use every ounce of her strength to save the girl. The huntress' efforts were not in vain. Each of Tracy's fingers broke with a sickening snap, but finally, the book was removed from her grasp. The two girls flung apart as Phoebe threw the book across the room before rushing to Tracy's side.
"Oh, gods." Phoebe's panicked voice filled the room as she embraced Tracy. The girl seemingly had one foot in the grave as she coughed up large amounts of blood. Phoebe acted quickly as she gently laid the girl back onto the ground on her side and rushed to the kitchen to send an IM to her goddess. As this happened off in the corner of the room, the book was laid with several fading words on its cover. Tracy could glimpse at them even in her state as they faded to nothing, just like her consciousness.
Hallelujah, the Emperor has Risen.
NOW:
THIRD PERSON POV:
LOCATION: Westover Hall, Bar Harbor, Maine
TIME: December, 2007
"Thanks again, Miss Knowles. You didn't have to drive us up here." Annabeth thanked Nick's mom while tucking deeper into her winter jacket to avoid the cold wind and snowflakes. The others stood beside her in similar situations, burrowing into their jackets to prevent the cold from creeping up on them.
"Don't sweat it, hun! Also, call me Heather. Miss Knowles sounds too formal, however as for the ride, I've meant to come up here and explore a bit anyway. I heard there is a nice little country-themed coffee shop here so I want to ensure it's country-themed and not some type of fancy, stuck-up city version." She said with a glint in her eyes, causing everyone to nod in agreement even though they didn't quite understand her point.
"Mom, please remember our agreement. You can't get kicked out of any more restaurants this month, even if they aren't properly country-themed." Nick whisper-yelled at his mother, causing her to roll her eyes.
"No promises, sweetie. Have fun, and stay warm! I'll be back in a few hours!" She said with a brilliant smile before driving away, leaving Annabeth and Thalia slightly bewildered while Nick held his face in his hands.
"She sounds fun to be around… y'all," Thalia mocked while trying to hold back her laughter as Nick looked ready to die while he groaned of embarrassment. On the other hand, Annabeth was more put together than Thalia as she cleared her throat and glanced at Nick.
"You never mentioned you were from Texas. I'm surprised you don't have an accent." She said as Nick managed to pull a bit of himself back together as he glanced at the two girls.
"It never really stuck while I was there. Also, please don't tell anyone about my mom. She is so… embarrassing." Nick begged Annabeth and Thalia as the two couldn't help but glance at one another. Annabeth appeared willing to accept his plea, but Thalia… did not, as her face revealed an evil grin.
"Boy, howdy! Whatever you say, partner!" Thalia said in the fakest Texan accent she could muster while giving Nick a thumbs up. Once she finished, the whole area was silent for several long seconds.
"I'm not giving you a birthday present anymore," Nick said coldly before walking towards Westover Hall as Thalia couldn't help but laugh while following behind. On the other hand, Annabeth facepalmed momentarily and sighed before following the two.
"Oh, come on! Don't be that way. That was hilarious! Learn to laugh sometimes." Thalia managed to say after laughing for several long seconds. Yet Nick still didn't say a word as he ignored her and continued walking toward the building resembling an evil knight's castle.
The building was made of nothing but black stones, and it had several large giant towers with slit windows. Complete with a gloomy, snowy cliff on one side and a forest on the other, this place screamed… military academy for unwanted children. If it wasn't for the large banner at the entrance above the large wooden doors that said 'School Dance Tonight,' one would think they came to the wrong place.
"Grover did say this place was creepy, that was a bit of an understatement if you ask me.." Annabeth mumbled as she studied the building. The castle looking architecture caused amazement in her, while the other two just nodded at her simple rather obvious statement.
"You made it!" A voice said, shaking her out of her studies of the school. Annabeth turned to see Grover in a worn-out suit as he rushed over to the small group with a smile.
"I kind of had to after you sent that panicking IM. Why don't you ever just call to say hello?" Nick said with a grin. He bumped fists with Grover, causing him to bleat out a nervous chuckle.
"I would if I could. It tends to blow your cover when people see you sending magical messages nowadays." Grover retorted as Nick pondered over his friend's words as he turned to Annabeth and Thalia.
"So tell me why you brought us here in this… stunning weather. Also, it better be good! I just got my hands on a stack of My Chemical Romance CDs and was about to have an awesome weekend." Thalia grumbled in anger as hair sparked a few times, causing Grover to give a nervous bleat.
"CDs? Who the heck uses those nowadays? Get yourself an iPod like a normal person." Nick took this opportunity to mock the girl as her electric eyes tore away from Grover and landed on him. Even though she was glaring, he seemed unphased by her anger. Instead, he couldn't help but smirk as the cold weather had given her a red face that was only accented by her large, black, puffy jacket.
"Enough, you two, you can settle this inside. It's too cold out here." Annabeth shivered while bypassing the group and quickly jogging inside, leaving the others behind. They only took a moment to escape the cold as they approached a coat area. A moment later, they were stuffing their jackets and hats into a magical backpack that Nick was wearing.
"Anyways, like I was saying. I found not one but two demigods, strong ones at that." Grover said as he watched everyone remove their jackets, revealing their dance attire.
"Define strong," Annabeth said, fixing her shoulder-length hair before adjusting her top that one of the Aphrodite girls had forced her to wear when they found out a dance was involved. It was a simple but slightly wavy white shirt, a pink crop top button-down jacket with short sleeves, a white knitted scarf, faded blue jeans, and black sneakers. Finally, her youthful and naturally beautiful face had a hint of makeup.
"Very. Also, I don't know what you think an attire dance is, but it isn't that outfit, girl. You look like you're about to go to the mall to harass someone about a book." Grover said, looking at her. Annabeth couldn't help but blush as she pulled her jacket tighter over her chest in response.
"Shut up, I was forced into this. If it were me, I would wear a simple shirt and pants. Also, we are on a quest. I don't go on quests without pants." She said with a glare, causing Grover to bleat out a nervous chuckle.
"Wait, is it their strong scent, or is it that they are strong? Because sometimes the two don't coincide." Thalia said as she revealed her dress attire. Unlike Annabeth's attire, hers was not colorful and simple. Instead, she wore black leggings, tall lace-up boots, a red and black plaid skirt, bronze bracelets on each wrist, a Green Day shirt, and a black leather jacket with white fluff around the collar. Finally, she had her normal wild pixie-cut hair with blue highlights and black eyeliner that made her dash of freckles pop.
"It was their scent that was strong. I haven't had a chance to see if they were strong. Also… did you just come from a concert? I specifically said 'dance attire'." Grover said with an exasperation as Thalia momentarily glanced down at her attire.
"A concert is a dance, isn't it?" She pointed out as Grover looked ready to give up. All he could do was glance at Nick, standing at the side in a lovely blue button-up shirt, black jeans, and dress shoes. He even had a nice watch on his wrist and had his hair slicked back. By far, Nick was the best dressed of the three presented to him.
"Fine, whatever, just go inside. I don't care anymore. You will find the two in the corner, be on your way. Try to blend in and approach them if you can find an opportunity. The sooner, the better as well. I'm also starting to pick up the scent of a monster, but I can't tell who or what it is." Grover quickly gave the guidelines to the three, and they all nodded in understanding. A serious look covered their faces.
"Got it. Is there anything else we should watch out for?" Thalia asked Grover, causing him to nod as he led them to the dance area. Just then, a few teachers entered the hall, and they froze suddenly.
"Crap crap crap. Act natural." Grover whispered before putting on his best smile as the teachers approached them.
"What are you doing outside the gym? No students are to be wondering during this time. What class are you from?" The woman said in a firm tone while looking them over. Upon seeing Annabeth and Thalia's attire, the woman found and was about to speak, but Thalia spoke first.
"We are from class 5 and were simply going to the bathroom," She said as a faint hint of her electric blue aura came from her hand and fused with the mist around her. The others watched as the mist flooded over the teachers, who blinked a few times.
"Class 5? I'm not familiar with that one. What is your student code?" The male teacher asked as Thalia and the other's eyes widened. They couldn't believe that Thalia's mist did not affect them.
"Ummm…" Thalia began to panic as she was about to summon her shield and spear, but a hand landed on her shoulder, making her stop. At the same time, a huge wave of mist mixed with a white and black aura flooded over the teachers, causing fog to cover their eyes.
"Come on, don't be like that. You remember them. They are in your class, after all." A familiar voice spoke, causing Thalia's cheeks to blush. She glanced at the hand on her shoulder as the fog covering the teacher's eyes lifted.
"Oh! I see it now. I apologize. Sometimes, they all look the same." The female said apologetically, causing the demigods to let out an internal sigh of relief. Yet even then, the male teacher still looked down at them with a glint in his eyes.
"Isn't that right? Dr. Thorn?" The person behind Thalia asked as the male glanced up at the young man behind the group, who was busy flashing him a grin. Dr. Thorn stared at him momentarily before glancing at the woman beside him. With that glance, he couldn't help but click his tongue lightly.
"Please return to the dance." Dr. Thorn said as he and the female teacher walked past the group, and they quickly made their way to the gym.
"Didn't expect to see you here," Thalia said as she quickly turned around to see Percy. He wore a simple gray button-up shirt, a black overcoat with a hint of snow on his shoulders, khaki pants, and nice dress shoes. With his obsidian black hair slicked back and a grin, he stood there in all his stupidly hot glory. Thalia quickly found herself admiring him for too long, pushed the blush on her cheeks away, and tried to calm her heart.
"Really? This is a quest. Didn't Annabeth explain my job to you?" Percy questioned as he glanced at the daughter of Athena, who was caught red-handed, blushing while staring at him. He had to hold himself back from flashing her a smile as he turned back to the others. Thalia gave him a shrug.
"She did, but I didn't expect to see you. Aren't you supposed only to interfere if the quests grow unstable?" She asked out of curiosity after finally stabilizing her heart, yet she stared at him again. He was so stupidly hot and so her type that it was unfair. She thought she had prepared her mind enough over the last few months but was wrong. Gods, how did Annabeth keep it together?
"Most of the time, I linger about doing nothing but watching, but it is a bit different right now. I picked up a few aura signatures that I didn't like, so I decided to intervene. Your good old teacher, Dr. Thorn, is one of the signatures." Percy said while ignoring Thalia's inner turmoil as Grover's face fell before he groaned, causing everyone to look at him.
"That's probably why I was failing history," He mumbled, while the others didn't quite believe this was the true cause of his failing grades.
"Anyway, double the dosage if you're going to use the mist. It has grown thin as of late, and I fear it will only grow thinner," Percy said while staring at Thalia, who managed to regain her mind. The girl slowly nodded in understanding. She had noticed this phenomenon a few times as well.
"That doesn't sound good," Nick mumbled as he mixed some of his aura with the mist, only to see it quickly dissipate.
"That means we must be more careful about what we do around mortals. Like lying and saying you ordered two scoops of ice cream when you ordered one or using your water powers when you're trying to impress a daughter of Demeter." Annabeth said, glaring at her friends as they avoided her cold gaze, even going so far as to whistle a little. On the other hand, Percy couldn't help but snicker at their reactions. It was almost like a momma owl punishing her chicks for being naughty.
"We'll be more careful, for now. I promise. Now, let's just get this dance over with. They better have good music." Thalia changed the subject quickly before grumbling, going to the gym, and walking inside. With Nick and Grover closely following the demigoddess of lightning, Percy and Annabeth were left alone at the entrance. Blaring music echoed in the gym as the laughter of voices mixed in, making it almost deafening.
"So what brings you here? Also, where's your babysitter?" Annabeth slowly asked as her stormy gray eyes demanded answers.
"Inquisitive tonight, aren't we?" He asked as Annabeth rolled her eyes before staring at him with a raised eyebrow and a familiar 'Come on, tell me' look on her face. He couldn't help but internally sigh as he saw her expression. He wasn't sure how or when, but Zoe, Hestia, Hera, Vesta, or maybe even Artemis must have taught her that look. Seeing those stormy gray eyes continuing to stare at him, he let out a soft sigh.
"Fine, fine, you win. I'll spill. But first, who taught you that look?" Percy finally gave in as he gave her a curious look. Yet all she did was beam him a beautiful smile that even reached her eyes as she shimmered in delight.
"That's a s-e-c-r-e-t." She teased with a finger against her lips as he pursed his lips. He was left pondering for a moment, only for him to give up and finally respond to her original question simply.
"Well, it's two things. One is indeed the strange movements around here. I got wind that there might even be Titans moving about. Whatever is going on, I'm here to protect everyone and stop any schemes they have planned. The other thing… is the demigoddess soulmate I mentioned before when I explained everything to you. She is one of the two demigods that Grover found, the same one we hope to bring back to camp." Percy explained as Annabeth listened closely. Her expression turned from curiosity to shock and then to deep thought.
"I didn't expect that." She finally said with a long exhale as she gathered her thoughts together. Percy was surprised she didn't immediately shout out and demand more details from him.
"The Titans or the soulmate?"
"Both you space brain! I didn't expect either of these!"
"Hey now, no need to-."
"There is absolutely a need to! Don't go saying there isn't! I'm about to meet another soulmate! First impressions are essential, and I can't be seen wearing this; it's too embarrassing! This can't be happening. I knew I shouldn't have listened to those Aphrodite girls, ugh!"
"Wait… are you more worried about meeting her than you are about the potential threat looming about?"
"You don't seem to understand yourself sometimes. You wouldn't have let us enter this academy if the threat were too great. Since I am standing here right now, that means that even though you know there is a threat of even titans. You have complete confidence to keep us safe. That means your babysitter is also someone you can trust completely." Annabeth had a calculating gaze as she spoke while Percy's mouth fell open at her explanation. He was now 100% sure the others were teaching this girl his secrets.
"Haha, a brilliant and accurate observation. You have Percy's habits figured out quite a bit already. It seems our lessons are paying off." A voice softly chuckled as Annabeth's eyes widened slightly with a slight glimmer of surprise as she turned to see Percy's babysitter.
A woman only a few inches shorter than Percy had appeared by his side. She was wearing a large gray cable-knit turtleneck sweater with a bit of extra poof to it, both her hands tucked into the poofy gray muff, a gray cable-knitted beanie that hid most of her licorice black hair, teal ear muffs, and finally, plain blue jeans with gray shoes with a bit of fluff on the top. Yet even wholly bundled up in her warm clothing, the goddess still had a faintly golden nose and cheeks.
"H- Hera… you're his babysitter? That makes a lot more sense…," Annabeth said, flabbergasted as the queen of the gods gave the demigoddess a simple smile as her soft brown eyes glimmered. Yet just then, her nose twitched, making her sniffle a little, causing Percy to offer her a handkerchief. The goddess gratefully accepted it and blew her nose a little before returning it to him.
"Ugh, this damn snowstorm. I knew it was going to be cold but this is outrageous. I'm not built for this." She grumbled as Percy couldn't help but smile at the goddess' ramblings. He had more or less been listening to her complain the whole way here. Hera was not a fan of the cold he had come to learn. Even if she could use her aura to fend it off, it somehow managed to get to her. Just then, he couldn't help but glance at Annabeth. The demi-goddess was found staring at Hera with normal thinking eyes before a soft smile graced her lips.
"It's nice to meet you in person for the first time, my queen," Annabeth said with a bow, causing Hera to blush and roll her eyes. This mischievous little girl…
"Didn't I say not to worry about formalities in private? Are your dainty ears just for show? Also, you know how I feel about that title right now." She said while moving her muff up and down in a playful manner. Annabeth couldn't help but giggle a little, seeing the goddess pout a tiny bit.
"Okay… what's going on? How are you two so close?" Percy asked skeptically as his eyes darted between the two women. They couldn't help but meet each other's gazes before looking back at him.
"Dreams," Annabeth said, but Hera shook her head as Percy's eyebrows furrowed.
"More like soulmate dreams. We have found ourselves in the same dreamscape once every week, whether we like it or not. As long as we are asleep, we can access it and speak with each other. I think it started around early October or so. We have discovered that the dreamscape will only allow access to soulmates who actively know about being a soulmate. So… me and the girls have been using it to keep in touch more often and give Annabeth some tips here and there." Hera explained to Percy as he stared at them briefly before nodding, his eyes swirling with interest.
"That explains quite a bit, huh… I wonder if it's a byproduct of me growing stronger, passively merging with Hypnos' domains or the river of love's extra features. Hmm. the river of love and Hypnos' domains would make the most sense, I think," Percy said as the two seemed slightly surprised at his response.
"That's the conclusion we also came to, something to do with the soulmate bond and possibly your domains. We just found it surprising that you weren't there." Annabeth said as Percy nodded before closing his eyes and thinking.
"I bet it has to do with the river of love and the fact you are my queens to my king status. It's kinda like your own private little garden. A place where you can talk and gossip all you want and not have to worry about me eavesdropping or knowing. I am curious, though. What do you guys talk about?" He said with a chuckle. Yet a sudden quietness came from the two as he saw a blush cross Annabeth and Hera's cheeks at his words.
"We should probably go inside and find Bianca before a monster does." Annabeth quickly said while avoiding eye contact with Percy. Hera also promptly nodded in agreement while avoiding his gaze. Percy didn't even have a chance to speak as Hera disappeared in a split second, and Annabeth marched into the gym.
"Girl gossip can't be that bad… can it?" Percy questioned for a single moment before quickly disregarding his thoughts. He didn't need to go down that path today.
LINEBREAK:
"The scent is getting stronger; it's in this direction," Phoebe said upon noticing a few of their hunting wolves motioning toward a particular direction. Unfortunately, that direction was right into the snowstorm and town they were trying to avoid.
"Looks like this hunt just got a bit funnier. I can feel music in the air," Tracy said with a smile as she made cups around her ears. Even in the whistling winds of the snowstorm, she could pick up on the faintest sounds they carried.
"Middle school dance music, to be precise." She said in an informative tone while finally pulling up her hood to protect her from the snow as the others groaned.
"Middle school? What's a Manticore doing there? Couldn't they have hidden in a Chinese restaurant or shopping mall?" One of the girls complained, and the other mumbled other complaints. Tracy and Phoebe couldn't help but glance at each other as a third figure stepped forward and clapped her hands.
"Come on! I don't want to hear any complaints until the Manticore's skin is hung on Milady's wall!" Zoe commanded, but the voices around were silenced. The once-former lieutenant of the hunt but current General of Artemis' hunts couldn't help but smile as they quieted down.
"I have 1 week left with you girls! Let's make it count!" She shouted before motioning for them to move forward. With that, everyone started to run forward as the wolves led them against the storm's winds.
"It's nice to be back. I just wish the kids could join us." Zoe said with a soft sigh as another figure walked up to her side and quietly took her hand in hers. Zoe didn't need to see who it was as she gave the hand three gentle squeezes before having her own squeezed three times.
"I don't think either of them have the patience for this yet. Besides… I don't think they would understand what happened to you." Artemis said while brushing some snow off her parka, glancing over at the 15-year-old Zoe. Long gone was the curvy, sexy 22-year-old Persian queen she had come to know over the last few years. Instead, she had returned to the same body she had used in the hunt for several millennia. Thanks to a bit of Artemis' magic, she could return to this form, albeit only for a few weeks at most.
"Hmm… you're probably right. Maybe I can hunt like this with them when they are older. It is also nice to run around a bit like this. It makes me appreciate my younger and older bodies much more." Zoe said knowingly as Artemis couldn't help but feel a bit curious at her soulmate's thoughts.
"How so?" She finally asked as Zoe turned to her goddess with a mischievous smile.
"Well, I don't have those mounds of flesh to worry about while hunting," Zoe said while patting her chest as Artemis's eyebrow twitched a few times. She wasn't bitter about it! Sure, Zoe's adult form has a bigger bust than every age or form she took… But that didn't mean she was losing either! She had the perfect thighs and proportionate butt!
"The other thing is…" Zoe continued momentarily before suddenly leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on Artemis's cheek. "I can be a bit more mischievous without any consequences," Zoe whispered in a cute tone before pulling away with a smile that caused Artemis's heart to flutter. Seeing her soulmate so giddy and happy, Artemis couldn't help but give Zoe's hand three more squeezes as her blush grew.
'By the gods… you two are so adorable.' Diana whispered in Artemis's mind as the goddess ignored her Roman half.
"You silly girl… someone might be watching," Artemis whispered, trying to hide her face as Zoe hummed in delight at Artemis's actions, clearly not worried if someone saw them.
"Nobody is around; we both know that from using our senses. Also, I was curious about something: Why did you want to hunt a manticore? You've never shown interest in its hide before either," Zoe said with a knowing look as Artemis froze under her gaze before she nervously chuckled.
"I- I don't know what you are talking about. I just picked a random monster to hunt, haha. It just happened to be the manticore's main body. Nothing more, nothing less. I also thought it would give you a good challenge since you are back. It doesn't have to do with anyone or anything else." Artemis tried to say in her best informative tone, but Zoe instantly knew Artemis was lying. Yet that didn't stop her from grinning as the goddess failed to meet her gaze.
"Hmmm… well, it sounds like we need to get a move on then. We wouldn't want to let the girls have all the fun now." Zoe couldn't help but give her adorable lying goddess a way out, which she instantly took by nodding quickly before quickly jogging forward.
'She is so cute! Ugh! Her little plans are just as adorable! Her plan is pretty smart—the hunt for a monster who just happened to be on Percy's quest itinerary. I wonder if it's so she can see Percy, Hera, or the new girl. Maybe all three? No… I'm betting she is still peeved about her getting the babysitting duty taken away from her and just wants her job back. Seeing those three is just a bonus, hehe.' Zoe thought as she followed behind her goddess, who ran through the forest to catch up to the others.
BBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!
Before Artemis and Zoe could get far, a shockwave ripped through the forest and around them, shaking the trees and causing them to drop the snow accumulated on their branches. Both of them barely had time to dodge the sheet of snow coming down upon them when a secondary eruption followed, blowing all the snow in the air away. The pressure nearly blew away Zoe, but she stood her ground as a stone gray aura burst out, and one of her hands tore into the tree right next to her, allowing her to stay steady.
"That isn't good," Zoe said, shaking her hair free of snow as she felt Hera and Percy's aura flood the forest following the shockwaves. As if on cue, three more large auras joined theirs, causing the forest to vibrate with pure energy. Zoe's skin tingled as her nerves began to fire on all cylinders, and she sensed the immense danger ahead. She recognized those aura's all too well. Artemis also seemed to identify them at that moment, her face darkening as her silver sparks began to jump around her.
"What the fuck are three titans doing here?"
LINEBREAK: right before the boom
"Let us go!" Bianca yelled as she tried to rip her arm from Dr. Thorn's grip, but it was like an iron vice. No matter how hard she or Nico tried to escape, to no avail, he continued to walk forward in silence while dragging them along.
"Dex! Dex!" Nico screamed, but his voice was met with silence as Dr. Thorn yanked the struggling 11-year-old forward and threw him onto the snowy ground. The small child tumbled through the thick snow several times before stopping with his face down.
"Nico!" Bianca yelled as the grip on her wrist loosened for the first time. She yanked as hard as she could and finally broke free from Dr. Thorn's grip before running to Nico's side. She quickly noticed that Nico was groaning in pain as a decent-sized cut appeared on his forehead. She felt her chest fill with anger as she gritted her teeth and began to pull her brother off the snowy ground.
"Nico, get up! We need to run away and get away from him!" Bianca yelled as she turned back to Dr. Thorn, only to freeze. An inch away from her face was a large scorpion-like tail covered in razor-sharp quills that shimmered in a nasty green light. The tail was carefully moved to the side, but the distance between her head and the poisonous stinger remained the same. Bianca's eyes shakily ran down the length of the tail, where she found the base connected to Dr. Thorn.
"Get up and keep moving." He hissed at them as Bianca couldn't help but gulp in terror. She couldn't help but notice his eyes which were bland at one time, now vertical slits that sent even more chills down her spine.
"N-Nico's hurt, he can't-." Yet as Bianca tried to speak, the tip of his tail suddenly pressed against her cheek. She couldn't help but shake in fear as the tip slowly dragged across her olive skin, causing a tiny cut to appear across her cheek. Just then, the pungent smell of the poison covering the quills nearly made her gag. But the sudden pain flaring across her cheek made her cry out as she jolted away from the tail and grabbed her cheek as the pain increased.
"If you don't start moving right now, then a cut will be the least of your worries," Thorn growled in a deep, gurgled tone before whipping his tail so hard the air cracked apart, and a foot-long quill shot right past Bianca and Nico and impaled a tree right behind them. The area the quill hit exploded, and a moment later, the tree toppled to the ground.
"N-Nico, get up," Bianca begged as she fought through the pain of the cut on her face and pulled a groggy Nico off the ground. Nico had a dazed expression as Bianca pulled him forward, not daring to look back at the menacing tail hovering right at their backs. The nape of her neck tingled like crazy with every step she took. She wasn't sure if it was the presence of Dr. Thorn or the sense of death she was feeling.
"You demigods are all the same. Sometimes, you just need a little roughing up before you become docile." Thorn hissed to himself as Bianca overheard him. Demigods? What the hell was he talking about? Then again… he had a monster tail covered in poison that felt like she had a hot iron to her face. All she could do was keep the groggy and blood-covered Nico's arm across her shoulders and walk silently.
As the temperature continued to drop, only the sounds of snow falling and their steps could be heard. The snow began to fall harder and harder as the storm around them grew in intensity. Glancing up at the sky, Dr. Thorn frowned and narrowed his eyes. Bad weather was always a sign that plans would go awry, and he felt something would happen soon.
"Walk faster." Thorn urged as his tail poked Bianca's back, causing the girl to jump slightly. Yet as she tried to walk faster, it wasn't much, as Thorn frowned. These useless demigods! Why did he need to return them alive? Corpses were much easier to handle than live goods… the boy had already bled a lot. Maybe he should…
"Hey, ugly!" A sudden shout snapped him out of his thoughts before he snapped around and got into an attack position, only to find nothing in the direction of the shout. He blinked in confusion momentarily as he continued staring but found nothing. Just then, a snowball he didn't see coming suddenly hit the side of his head.
"Haha! He can't even dodge that!" The voice cackled in delight as Thorn let out a roar of anger, his hair whipping around several times as it launched a dozen quills in the direction the snowball came from. The quills blew apart several trees, causing them to fall to the ground and debris to be thrown over the perfectly flat snow.
"Missed me, you idiot! One would think you're a child of Poseidon with those aiming skills!" Another voice echoed as two snowballs landed on Dr. Thorn's head back to back from his blind spots. He couldn't help but let out a roar of frustration that shook the forest as he snapped his tail in all directions and laid waste to the forest around him.
Trees continued to fall, yet more snowballs flew over and hit the man on the head and face until his head was covered in snow and frost. Somehow, he couldn't feel the snowballs being thrown through the air or detect their trajectory. As one last snowball hit his face, he finally had enough, and his body began to morph and transform.
In a matter of moments, Dr. Thorn's body expanded rapidly, and the sound of bones cracking and skin tearing filled the air. His limbs and torso began to grow rapidly, and his suit was torn to shreds, as golden fur almost covered his whole body but left his tail. Soon, his body dropped to all fours and grew until it reached his true height, revealing the legendary Manticore in all its glory. He was now 'graced' with the body of a lion reaching 9 feet tall, the 10-foot-long tail of a scorpion covered in poisonous barbs, and the human face of a furious Dr. Thorn.
"Where are you?!" He let out a roar of anger as he stomped his giant paw on the ground, blowing back the snow and shaking the forest around him. Yet, as he heaved breaths that filled the air with steam, he was met with silence from the forest. He couldn't help but glare at the forest as he tried to find the culprits of his embarrassment. He couldn't even smell them, which made him even angrier.
ROOARRR!
"Cowards! I will find you! Then I will kill you slowly!" He roared angrily while his tail slammed on the ground, shaking the forest even more. With a few more heavy breaths, he slowly turned to where he had left the two lowly demigods, only to freeze in place. The very place he left them was now empty except for a tunnel dug into the snow. Thorn stared at the hole as his body began to shake; his anger boiled over, and a violent red aura surrounded him.
RRRROOOOAAARRR!!!!
LINEBREAK:
"We need to move faster. We can't let him catch up!" Annabeth yelled after hearing the roar in the distance. Nick, Grover, Thalia, and she continued to run deeper into the forest and barreled through the incoming snowstorm as fast as they could. Yet Nico and Thalia slowed them down as each carried a demigod.
"You try carrying someone then! I'm already tired from making those snowballs!" Nick complained as he carried a dazed Nico like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder.
"Quit being lazy! Percy's training was 4 times harder than this!" Annabeth yelled back at him. Nick couldn't help but shoot her a short glare before stomping his foot. A wave of ice-blue aura shot into the snow around him and caused it to shake and effectively erase all the footsteps they had just created in the snow.
"Grover! How the heck do we leave this forest?" Thalia asked as Bianca continued to groan out in pain on her back. The poison had finally made its way through her body, paralyzing her limbs as it did.
"With how the forest is structured, we should reach the cliffs here soon. From there, we can follow them to safety. There is a dryad hotel not too far away that we can take refuge in for a while!" He yelled while nervously looking around with his reed, ready to cast some flute magic.
"Dryad hotel? I think I know why Grover's grades are so bad." Thalia laughed as a look of panic swept over his face.
"NO! I discovered it just in case Juniper wanted to… never mind. We need to keep running!" Grover shut up as fast as he could, and Annabeth and Thalia couldn't help but stare at the red-faced satyr. Even though they never said anything, their gazes seemed to burn Grover's beard as he quickly sped up.
'Perv.' Thalia and Annabeth shared the same thought before glancing at each other and laughing. On the other hand, Nick was quiet throughout the interaction as he safely kept his expression from the girls. He would have to ask Grover about some… ideas he wanted to try with Katie.
Just as he put the idea in his back pocket, he suddenly noticed the group had reached a clearing as they finally found the cliff. Nick couldn't even ask Gover which way to go when a violent pressure crashed down on them. Even Thalia and Nick were unable to move more than an inch as everyone felt as if they had a knife against their throat that would kill them at the slightest movement.
"It seems like the beast has failed his mission." A man's displeased voice filled the cold air, yet it only filled everyone with more fear as their eyes landed on the figures before them.
Three people stood and sat by the cliff's edge overlooking a violent ocean below. One was a woman who sat on a rock as the snow fell around her, as it had no plan to touch her. An elegantly designed shawl with quail and star designs covered her upper torso and head, hiding her face entirely from view, while a simple light blue toga covered the rest of her body.
Standing beside her was a man who stood at least 10 feet tall and looked like a pillar of pure muscle. He wore dark red Greek armor covering his torso and legs but left his arms open to the air, revealing his dark olive skin littered with scars and wounds that had healed over. Finally, he had a standard Greek helmet that matched his armor with a huge red plum on the top. It hid his face but revealed two glowing blood-red eyes and some white hair poking out the bottom of it.
Standing beside the giant man was another 7-foot-tall man who had just spoken. He wore armor similar to the man by his side, but his set was dark brown and revealed smooth, dark olive skin. But unlike the giant man with a massive saber and round shield on his back, he had a spear and shield on his. He also didn't have a helmet on, revealing a dashing middle-aged man with glowing black-brown eyes whose face appeared to be the personification of pride itself. Yet the way he looked at the demigods was almost like he was looking at trash.
"Έκανε ό,τι καλύτερο μπορούσε. Σας παρακαλώ, μην τον κατηγορείτε. Αυτά τα παιδιά είναι εξειδικευμένα." The woman spoke the oldest ancient Greek language with a gentle tone and presence that caused the prideful man to glance at her and click his tongue. Clearly, he did not share the woman's opinion.
"Asteria, we spoke about this. You must use English here. You must try harder to blend in, my love." The giant man said in a deep, rumbling voice that shook the air with the power behind it. In turn, the woman sighed slightly at her husband's words.
"Perses, these words… tough," She complained in a frustrated voice as the man nodded before gazing at the demigods frozen in fear. The presence of the three titans was simply too much for even the strongest demigods, as they could not move a muscle. All they could do was pray in their minds for someone to help.
"Menotius, do your job and capture them this time. I don't want any repeats of earlier." Perses said gruffly as Menotius frowned and glared at the larger titan.
"Don't you order me around, you brute. Just because he made you lead on this mission means nothing. Also, that last one was too slippery! Using shadows and shades together is only something Hades should be capable of!" He argued back as he was met with a blank look from Perses' helmet.
"Excuses! Now hurry! We only have so much time." He roared back in anger, which caused the ground around them to shake as a blood-red aura burst from his skin. Yet Menotius couldn't help but glare back at the titan as if threatening him to make a move. Yet as the seconds ticked by, Menotius gave in and snorted at Perses before moving towards the demigods. Seeing the titan coming their way, they all revealed their auras at full blast to try and free themselves.
Seeing a mix of several auras pushing back the pressure covering them ever so slowly, Menotius raised an eyebrow at their struggles before grinning. He revealed his dark brown aura, which seemed to eat away at the light around him. It slammed into the dome their auras had made and forced them all to their hands and knees. Even with all three demigods and one very strong satyr, fighting back against a titan was too much for them.
Yet even then, they continued to push back as hard as they could, gritting their teeth as blood began to drip down from their noses and lips. They were pushing themselves to the limit to try and escape as Menotius came before them with his spear ready. He couldn't help but sneer while looking down at them as if staring at ants as they continued to struggle.
"Struggle harder before your doom, you insects!" He egged them on in a sadistic tone as Annabeth, Nick, and Thalia gritted their teeth at the same time. They pushed their auras even harder, making the air spark with energy as it fought against the Titan's aura. They finally managed to stand, shaking their knees before drawing their weapons. Yet the bleeding from their noses only grew as they stood their ground.
"We need to run." Annabeth managed to say through gritted teeth as Nick and Thalia grunted out a response. Sparks of electricity began to jump around Thalia while water droplets gathered around Nick. They began to build up their powers as Annabeth's eyes began to glow a dangerous stormy gray.
"That's right! Struggle more like the bugs you are!" Menotius happily roared as he readied his spear with a vicious grin plastered over his face. The two sides prepared to fight one another. A sudden shift in the battlefield happened as a large shadow that took the form of a door rose from the ground not too far away.
"What-?" Menotius began to say something, but the shadow suddenly split open as a figure shot right at the titan warrior faster than the speed of sound. He barely had time to move and defend himself but was too slow at the surprise attack as an armored fist slammed into his head.
BOOOMM!
The force behind the punch rippled the air around the titan, blowing back the snow with tremendous force before sending him flying into the forest. Every tree in his path was ripped apart and exploded from the impact of the titan's body as he disappeared into the forest. All left in his place was a figure wearing a simple gray button-up shirt, a black overcoat, khaki pants, and nice dress shoes. Yet this time, he had on two black gauntlets with the faces of a tiger roaring on each fist.
"Sorry, I'm late. I had to grab some help." A familiar voice fell on Annabeth's ears, and she nearly burst into tears. Looking at Percy standing in the center of a crater of snow caused by his punch made all of her worries fly out the window. She nearly collapsed from the relief but held strong as her eyes whipped toward the other two titans who hadn't moved.
"Percy, it's Perses, Menotius, and-."
"Asteria… what a surprise. I haven't seen you in quite a while." A woman's voice suddenly cut Annabeth off as another figure exited the shadow door. Hera arrived this time in her formal toga, which she usually wore on Olympus, with all her jewelry decorating her like the queen she was. Her presence brought relief and a hint of worry to the group as they saw the Queen of Olympus stare down the woman sitting on the rock.
"Hera…." Asteria said from under her shawl as the tension in the air rose. Even though both women hadn't released any of their aura, there still seemed to be sparks between them. Seeing that Hera and the woman were having a staring competition, Percy turned to the group as the shadow door shifted positions right to their side.
"All of you need to leave. This isn't a battlefield you can survive on." Percy quickly said as he appeared at their side and started to help them while looking them over. When his eyes landed on the bloodied Annabeth and the paralyzed Bianca, he noticeably took an extra second to compose himself. He wanted to quickly step by their sides and heal them right then and there, but he knew now wasn't the time for emotions. He needed to act fast and could feel Menotius' aura in the distance.
"Take these and go through the shadow door. You will find someone who can help you on the other side," Percy said quickly, shoving a bag filled with ambrosia and nectar into Annabeth's hands before leaning over and easily picking the small Bianca. Upon doing so, he could feel her pulse was steady, but her breath was a little ragged.
"No! Let us help you fight!" Thalia yelled as she wiped the blood from her lips, her spear and shield sparking with energy. At the same time, Annabeth and Nick both nodded in agreement. Their weapons were once again brandished to fight. Percy couldn't help but see the anger in their eyes as their emotions overflowed. He couldn't help but compliment their determination, but he still shook his head as a wave of emotions crossed their faces.
"This isn't your fight. Let me do my job and protect you." Percy said, stepping toward Thalia and handing over Bianca. The daughter of Zeus barely had time to put away her weapons before the passed-out girl was handed over to her. He purposefully avoided her angry, electric blue eyes before patting the top of her head as he effectively stunned the daughter of Zeus.
"I'm relying on you to keep her safe." Percy quietly said as Thalia suddenly felt awkward. Her face flushed lightly as a rise of emotions she knew weren't appropriate for the moment rose in her chest. She didn't even have time to react to them. Percy's hand left the top of her head, and he pointed at the shadow door.
"Go!" He commanded as Grover and Nick, who had once again picked up Nico, nodded before running to the door and disappearing into it. A second later, Thalia, who was running on autopilot due to her emotions, quickly followed behind them with a snug Bianca in her arms. All that was left was Annabeth, who couldn't help but stare up at Percy with worried and panic-filled eyes. Yet she could feel Menotius' quickly approaching aura and knew she didn't have time.
"Stay safe… both of you," Annabeth said in a worried tone, as Percy's face softened before he smiled at her and nodded. He then pulled out a white mask and put it on a moment later as his black aura swelled from him. His clothes slowly started to change into silver armor with gold trim. It gave off a regal look like paladin armor, but upon closer look, you could see a hint of savageness to it.
The mask had also changed, becoming a sleek and smooth helmet with a red plum on the top that completely covered his face, leaving only a small slit that revealed two glowing eyes that could be seen inside. During his transformation, he had grown taller and now stood 8 feet tall and held a 6-foot long, dull silver sword and a 7-foot tall tower shield on his back.
"A knight will always follow his queen's commands. Now go." Percy's voice came from inside the helmet as Annabeth nodded and rushed into the shadow door. A moment later, the shadow door fully dissipated, and Percy turned his gaze back to the Titans before him. At this point, Perses had long focused on the transformed Percy.
"This wasn't in any of the reports I got. This is going to be fun," Perses said in a happy tone as Percy pulled off the sword and tower shield from his back. His black aura slowly shifted before becoming a silver, red, and black mix as he stood by Hera's side.
'Barbatos, I'm going to borrow your powers and take the lead for a bit.' Percy thought to himself as Barbatos let out a gleeful chuckle, the red eyes inside the helmet shining brilliantly as Menotius' approaching aura was right on the edge of the forest.
'So long as your body holds, my powers are yours, my lord. Hold the line and defend your queen like a true knight.' Barbatos said in a happy tone as Percy couldn't help but glance at Hera, who was staring up at him with a surprised face and eyes full of curiosity.
"You haven't seen this form have you?" He asked as she shook her head.
"Can't say I have, but I have heard reports from Asclepius… I must say you look a lot more reliable in that form." She said skilfully as she slowly backed up and gave Percy room to move. Yet she wasn't going to sit back and do nothing simply. A lavender-colored aura sprung forth from her as the ground shook, and from the ground, a pristine white granite throne with all sorts of designs befitting the queen of the gods sprung forth.
"A queen is best fit leading, not fighting," Hera said as she gracefully sat on the throne and crossed her legs as she took her rightful place. Her aura fused with the throne the moment she did, creating a perfect transparent lavender-colored barrier around her as her eyes shimmered brightly. Percy couldn't help but be amazed; this was his first time seeing Hera in action, and he was about to learn why his goddesses called her the Queen of buffs.
"My knight, take my blessing and go forth and slay my enemies," Hera commanded while raising her hand toward Percy. A wave of the goddess' power suddenly flooded over him as his strength surged to new heights. Every sense was sharpened even further. Every muscle exploded with power as he felt the energy flowing through them strain them to their limits. Even his aura grew fiercer and more robust.
"AHHHHH!" A sudden roar filled the air as Menotius finally reappeared and launched himself at Percy at full speed. The wind from his sprint alone tore apart the ground and forest, throwing debris in one direction as his aura shredded everything in its path. He brandished his spear and aimed at Percy's heart as he closed in on him. But with his senses sharpened by Hera's buff, his domains, and the enhancement by Barbatos' strength, Percy felt like time slowed. He could see a bloody nose and a large bruise on the titan's furious face as his body moved.
Every muscle in his body flexed while he rooted himself in place and raised his shield to protect himself. His aura gathered around the shield, forming a second layer on it, and in the moment before the spear hit the shield, he bashed it forward with all the strength he could muster. Silence filled the world, and a brilliant light filled the space between Percy and Menotius. Then, a dome of raw energy and destruction expanded outward between the two faster than even gods and titans could move, consuming everything in its path.
BBBBOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!
The energy domain expanded at tremendous speed while destroying the ground and air but was suddenly stopped as it began to collapse. Hera, Asteria, and Perses watched with curious eyes as the destructive energy was sucked inward and collapsed in on itself in a fraction of a second. It would have been like a flickering light to an ordinary human, yet to these gods and titans, they could see the truth. Standing at the epicenter of a newfound crater were both Percy and Menotius, but the titan had a strange look on his face.
"What did you do?" Menotius yelled in anger. As the last remaining bits of energy were absorbed into Percy's tower shield, the symbol of chaos started to shimmer on its face in a deadly light. The light suddenly vanished from the symbol as red veins started to run up Percy's arm and across his armor before reaching his sword, causing it to glow a violent red color. The energy emitting from it sent a chill down the titan's spine.
"I'm simply returning what you have lost, trash."
A/N: It's done! Finally! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter this time around. It took me a while to complete it, but I have a good reason this time. You boy has officially bought a house and is becoming a homeowner! Unfortunately, I am going to be busy with life in the coming days with the repairs and remodeling I'm going to be making to the house, so I'm going to be a bit slower. Sorry.
A/N #2:Anyways! What did you all think of the chapter? Another solid cliffhanger right? Hehe, the sad thing is that I plan to finish the Hestia lemon first and then I'm going to work on Akashic for a bit. Regardless I hope you all enjoyed! Leave a review and tell me what you think!
E/N: Ahh the little hints I love it! You guys are so not ready for what we have planned. Also yes yes I know I do plan on doing re-edits of older chapters eventually, but I have so many projects I am doing for you all it is hard to keep track! I am not blaming you, I am a procrastinator through and through. This is my own flaw. I think firstly, I have to get another chapter of Sun out. Then I will likely do some of the editing for the OG Fatal, and finally after that is fully done and I am comfortable with it (for the time being and my current experience), I will do a re-edit of this story and maybe help out on Akashic so that there isn't a lapse in coverage for the editors. Anyway I am done yapping, tell us what you think in the comments y'all! - Sidus