This is a random dream I had. Most of my fic ideas come from random dreams. But two of those ideas are from dreams about the world ending… that isn't good, right?
Anyway, this is one long chapter because I'm lazy. I would be highly grateful if you could tell me what you think about it! (That's a hint for a review :P )
"Bloody hell, it's cold." Annabeth breathed, rubbing her hands over her bare arms to achieve some warmth. Percy instantly shed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "Thanks Seaweed Brain."
"It's dark."
"No shit, Valdez." Louisa shot back shortly. "What the hell happened?"
"I think the Sun went out." Annabeth said. Percy drew Riptide and a faint bronze glow encased them.
"So, the world's ending?" He asked.
"Again?" Leo added, setting fire to his hands to offer more light and warmth.
"How many times has the world ended?" Louisa countered.
"Well, near ending." Leo corrected.
"We should look for the others." Annabeth said. "Come on." Percy stepped forward and Leo stepped back. Percy walked first, followed by Annabeth and then his twin, Leo walking at the rear. Louisa activated her watch into a sword and Annabeth drew her knife.
It was as if winter had arrived early. All was quiet except for the sharp whistle of the icy wind and the creaking of the trees' branches. No-one was outside. The stars glittered coldly, teasing their solitary track.
Louisa suddenly swore, stopping abruptly in her tracks. Leo, who hadn't been paying attention, collided with her. She glared at him. Leo backed up hastily, his flames spluttering out.
"Lou, what's wrong?" Louisa pointed her sword up the hill.
Thalia's tree had lost all of its leaves. Peleus was gone and the Golden Fleece was now a smouldering, charred tatter that flickered with its dying power.
Annabeth broke out of their line and ran up the hill. Percy called after her, but she paid no attention. She had spotted something far worse than the tree.
She fell to her knees at the roots, a sob escaping her lips. She sensed Percy's presence a few seconds later. His footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Lying curled at the base of the tree, as fragile as the day they were born, were Tobias and Max. Cold. Lifeless. Dead.
Riptide clattered to the ground as Percy knelt and wrapped Annabeth in his arms. She clung to him, sobs wracking her body. Percy was shaking, silent tears on his cheeks.
Louisa handed her sword to Leo and slipped out of her jacket as they trekked up the hill. She moved forward and wrapped her nephews, the young brothers, in the jacket's warmth. She set them down carefully and stepped away, stopping next to Leo.
Tobias and Max looked like they were sleeping.
Leo returned Louisa's sword, his eyes on the grieving parents. He managed to pull his eyes from the heart-wrenching scene to look at Louisa quizzically.
Louisa's expression was fierce, her eyes burning angrily. A temperamental sea green aura flickered brightly around her, stinging Leo's eyes. He squinted slightly, flinching from the light. Louisa didn't notice.
She reached into her pocket, withdrawing something she kept closed in her fist. Not wanting to intrude verbally on her brother's grieving, she gently nudged his shoulder. Percy tensed slightly, but didn't look round. Leo was sure a silent conversation passed through the twins but he didn't get the chance to tell as Louisa had already turned around and started to head down the hill. Leo hesitated before running after her.
"Lou, what- what did you give Percy?"
"Just makin' sure I know if he gets in trouble."
"Oh. OK." They both walked in silence. "Lou, I- about-"
"Don't say it." Louisa's tone was monotonous, but somehow it threatened unimaginable agony. Leo just nodded, the icy claws of dread shredding his gut.
"Lou…"
"I know." And she broke into a run. Leo followed.
Louisa basically slammed the door of the Poseidon cabin off its hinges.
Everything was as she and Percy had left it- unmade beds, armour and shields in one corner and trophies from various camp battles they had one in another- they had Clarisse's latest electric spear… well, the two pieces of it anyway.
But Elsie's cot was empty.
Louisa and Leo, obviously, wouldn't have purposely left Elsie alone. Percy and Annabeth wouldn't have left Tobias and Max alone. But look what had happened. Everything had flipped upside when the Sun had gone ker-put. Had Apollo lost his marbles after so many years thinking that singing about the fluffiness of a cloud was awesome?
Louisa stared at the empty cot in disbelief. Leo made sure he was at least twice the range of her sword away before she exploded. Swords were great for creating massive gashes in support columns.
Leo ducked around her angry swings and grabbed her from behind, easily disarming her in her lack of control.
"Lou, we'll find her." He wasn't sure who he was trying to assure- his wife or himself.
He held onto her as best he could, but she struggled. Her aura was almost blinding, but somehow he didn't affect him. Normally, a weaker aura than this would make him want to turn tail and run for the hills. But now, it only seemed like a minor static shock.
Eventually, Louisa relented, silently fuming. Her aura flickered. Leo heard the sound of thunderous, crashing waves and the crack of thunder. It was a better way for her to channel her anger, Leo assumed.
Whoever had taken Elsie and had hurt her nephews, Louisa was going to find.
And then they would be sorry.
Well, they didn't find who had taken Elsie or hurt Tobias and Max, but they had found a lot of things that Louisa could break in temper. Leo had quickly learnt that the Hephaestus cabin wasn't as fire-proof as he was. The cabin had thankfully been empty and the forge remained intact, but it would take a while to shift the debris covering the entrance. And he wasn't sure how Louisa had set it on fire. She just had. Leo wasn't going to question it as she stormed past the Aphrodite cabin, a hurricane ripping it to shreds.
After an hour of raging, the rain was already in a heavy downpour. Leo was cold to the bone and soaked to the skin, but he couldn't summon a fire to warm and dry him. He attempted rubbing warmth into his arms and hands, but to no avail.
He glanced round at the results of Louisa's temper tantrum. Some cabins were wrecks; the ground was torn up and disfigured. Small fires had broken out, but were instantly drowned out by the downpour. Rocks were shattered to pieces and other cabins had massive dents in. The only cabin to remain unharmed was Poseidon's cabin, for obvious reasons.
Leo looked back round. Louisa had sat down and was hugging her knees to her chest. She had remained perfectly dry.
"You done?" Leo asked softly. Louisa didn't answer. Leo moved forward and sat in the mud next to her. She was pale with exhaustion and worry, but her eyes were still angry and dangerous. Leo made to take her hand but the second his skin came in contact with hers, a jolt of powerful energy had him withdrawing his hand quickly.
Louisa noticed though and her eyes came into focus. Leo smiled at her reassuringly, but his fingers had gone numb.
Louisa reached out and closed her fingers around his wrist. Instantly he was dry. Leo nearly laughed in relief as fire burst into life on his palms, chasing away the chill. He willed for the flames to not go out in the rain and it worked. He felt like such a boss.
"Leo?" He looked up at her. "Where'd she go?"
"Someone could have taken her somewhere safe, Lou."
"Who though?" Her anger was back. "There ain't no-one here 'cept us." And with that, she fell into a sulky silence. It was hard to tell, but Leo was sure the thunder shook the ground with its rumbling power and the rain it seemed, if possible, fell with more ferocity.
Louisa's eyes scanned the destruction around her, her ears filled with the booming of thunder and dull thuds of heavy rainfall. Leo was talking to her but she wasn't paying attention. She could barely hear him. One part of her noticed the worry increasing in his features and his fire dying because of it. The other part of her was focused on the warning fiery feeling scalding her skin.
Leo grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. The sound of his voice slowly tuned in. "Lou, talk! Please!" Concern and desperation was strong in his tone and expression.
"Leo." She said, her voice hoarse. He instantly looked relieved and hugged her tightly. "There's someone on the hill." She mumbled. Then she tensed. Her brother and Annabeth were up their mourning their late and unfortunate sons.
Leo had the same thought as her in the same instant. He hauled her to her feet and they broke into a sprint.
When they reached the top of the hill, Percy, Annabeth and the two brothers who had moved on had gone. Maybe Percy had sensed something wasn't right and had taken his wife and sons away to mourn elsewhere.
Well, that's what Louisa hoped.
It was only them and two others - both male - under the dead tree.
Louisa held her sword at the ready. She heard the tell-talescrapof someone else drawing a sword.
The men stepped out of the shadows.
"I would drop the sword if I were you, Louisa." Luke smirked, Backbiter in his hand. He turned to his friend- Harvey- and aimed the tip of his blade at… Elsie's throat.
Louisa took a step forward, her grip tightening on the hilt of her sword. Leo grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, his eyes wide in warning.
Luke laughed coldly. "The idiot does know what he's doing."
"Hey, less of the idiot." Leo muttered, miffed. Luke just grinned evilly.
Elsie whimpered in fear. Luke looked at her, pressing the side of his blade to her throat. Elsie started to cry. "Lou, drop the sword. Please." Leo felt his palms hitting up as he grew anxious.
"Louisa." Luke suddenly said, not looking round as she dropped her sword. "Where's my son?"
"Ya don't deserve a son." Louisa snarled. Leo was confused, but he thought it was best to remain silent and think about how to free Elsie.
Luke studied Leo with a smug, cold and triumphant smirk.
"So the faithful and trustworthy husband doesn't know. Interesting." Luke teased the blade along Elsie's throat. Elsie only cried harder. "It's very, very tempting to silence this child." He said 'child' as if it were poison rolling off his tongue.
"Give her ta Leo." Louisa's eyes were pained but her expression was set in determination. Leo frowned in confusion before the panic and understanding settled in.
"Lou, don't!" Louisa ignored her. Leo felt his heart cracking.
Luke looked Louisa up and down, contemplating the offer.
"I think I'll have you beg for mercy before anything else, Louisa." He gestured for Harvey to hand a hysterical Elsie to her father. Leo secured Elsie in his left arm while sending a tendril of white hot flames up Harvey's arms. "You see, Louisa, your precious camps…" Luke's icy laugh enveloped them in a smothering blanket of chilling evil. "Well, they weren't up to any standards when we found them. But now…" Luke spread his arm and displayed the other side of the hill.
Leo clung to Elsie protectively. Demigods- all of them- were clustered in a swelling mass.
Roman and Greek fighting side by side.
Swords, spears and shields reflected the starlight. Armour clinked as they trudged steadily up the hill in dozens of organised legions. Louisa saw Jason and Reyna in their purple praetor cloak sitting on pegasi at the front, armed with spears and shields. Chiron trotted next to them, armed with a bow and arrows, a sword in his belt.
The only and majorly obvious thing different was that the gigantic collection of once rival demigods were all hosting glowing scarlet eyes.
"What did ya do?"
"Oh, organised the first half of our entertainment for this evening." Luke and Harvey's following smirks made Leo's heart sink. Louisa had given herself in for Elsie's safety. She was going to become their plaything.
"Your brother was highly amusing, Louisa." Harvey inputted. "He fought well while that Annabeth girl held her very unfortunate sons as if to protect them." Harvey snorted. "A daughter of Athena, you said." He looked at Luke. "Why was she protecting what we already killed?"
"Annabeth is a strange one. But," Luke looked back at Louisa, eerie interest etched over his features, "Louisa might get tired…"
"You're not taking her." Leo wasn't sure where his sudden courage had come from, but he didn't care. He had promised Louisa that the slimeball in front of him would never get her again.
"Leo, your poor fool!" Luke chided. "She gave herself to us! Clearly, you are not worthy of such a powerful demigod." Leo's hands were starting to heat up again, but he forced himself to remain in control- Elsie was at risk here.
"Then why did she stab you in the head?" Luke's humoured smirk faded into a snarl. "You're just some freaky zombie and power's gone to your fathead." Backbiter was suddenly levelled at his chest.
"You'll regret those words, you scummy son of Hephaestus." Luke growled. He pulled his arm back. Leo braced himself, shifting his hold on Elsie so she wouldn't be in line to be skewered.
Louisa kicked up her sword and parried instantly. She slashed and jabbed at Luke with such speed and ferocity, he was distracted from Leo.
Harvey, however, wasn't. Swarms of malicious navy energy clustered around his hands and he charged at Leo. Leo set his right fist on fire and waited until Harvey was in range before slamming his fiery fist straight into Harvey's face.
Harvey slammed into the tree, but recovered instantly. Leo summoned a strong and large square of material from his tool belt and secured Elsie in a makeshift baby sling, his daughter held close to the small of his back. How he managed to do that in the three seconds it took for Harvey to reach him, Leo wasn't sure, but right now all that mattered was keeping his head on.
Leo set fire to his other hand while ducking a wild swing from his opponent. He set fire to Harvey's shirt. While Harvey attended to that, Leo smacked Harvey with both flaming hands on either side of the head. Harvey cried out in agony as his hair caught alight. His shirt was still burning into mere tatters and blistering his skin.
But Leo wasn't done just yet.
A tongue of flame snaked around Harvey's waist and lifted him clear from the ground. Leo looked round. Louisa and Luke were looked in mortal combat. Both were covered in multiple bleeding gashes, but it looked like Luke had many more. Louisa feinted to the left. Luke braced himself for the left attack and wasn't ready to block the hilt that slammed into his temple.
A hit of that force to the temple should have killed him. But Leo could tell it was taking a great effort for Luke to keep himself conscious.
Leo drew his hand back, as if readying himself to throw a ball. The fire tendril scorching Harvey five feet above his head wrenched back. Leo bought his hand round quickly, throwing the ball. Harvey went flying and barrelled straight into Luke. The pair hit the tree with such force, it shook violently. Luke gave into unconsciousness, yet Harvey continued to try and push himself up. His hair was smoking and his shirt had been reduced to charred tatters.
"Nice shot, Valdez." Louisa breathed. She looked at him and frowned. "Where's Elsie?" Leo turned and pointed down over his shoulder. Louisa noticed the makeshift baby sling. She took a few steps forward and checked on her daughter.
Elsie was curled up in the sling, her eyes wide and confused. She saw her mother and reached out for her. "Hey, bub." Louisa smiled, allowing Elsie to close her small, chubby fingers around her thumb.
"Uh, Lou? Not meaning to be a party pooper, but uh… Harvey's up."
"Git." Louisa stood shoulder to shoulder with Leo.
Leo had only just noticed that at some point in the fights, the rain had ceased, but the storm clouds hung low. The legions were halfway up the hill, about fifty paces away. On level terrain, they could have thrown their spears and struck down their targets, but uphill would have needed more power.
"Did you make it stop?" He asked, pointing up.
"Yeah. Got tired."
"Oh. OK." Flames burst out around his hands and up his forearms. "Me and you, yeah?"
"Yeah." Louisa grinned. Her sword snapped back into watch form. A mix of sea green sea energy and churning water mimicked the fire's movements, entangling and twisting around her hands and lower arms.
They charged Harvey. He looked petrified and his powers flickered feebly. The might of a daughter of Poseidon combined with the opposing element? That couldn't be good.
He turned tail and rain towards the legions. Leo and Louisa stopped at the crest of the hill. Leo looked at her.
"What do we do?"
"We can't kill 'em. If we can get that coward," She jabbed a finger in Harvey's direction, "We can make him turn back ta normal."
"And if that doesn't work?"
"Kick ass. Big time."
"I like it."
But there plan was never to be.
Louisa staggered, giving a choked cry. Leo grabbed her by the elbow, steadying her, but she barely noticed, looking down at her front. Leo cried out himself upon seeing the tip of Backbiter protruding from her stomach and the growing bloodstain. "Lou…" Backbiter was wrenched out. Leo didn't even look round as he loosed white hot flames straight in Luke's gloating face.
Leo eased Louisa to the ground, the tramping of the legions resounding in his ears and mixing with the dying rumbles of thunder. "Lou…" Her hands were glistening with blood as they gripped his hands. But her grip suddenly slackened and her eyes dulled…
Leo sat bolt upright with a strangled cry. He was drenched in cold sweat and breathing hard as if he had sprinted from one side of the city to the other.
Someone complained next to him, hitting his arm weakly.
"Go ta sleep." Louisa grumbled into her pillow. Leo laughed in relief, pulling her onto her back and sitting astride her hips. "What cha doin' now, Val-" She was cut off by Leo pressing his lips to hers. He held her face in his hands, his fingers tangling in her hair.
Leo pulled away, resting his forehead against hers.
"You're OK. You're OK. You're OK." He kept repeating himself, sounding more and more relieved and relaxed.
"Does OK include bein' woken up at five past one in the mornin' but a featherless parrot?" Leo didn't answer, kissing her again. "What were ya cryin' for anyway?"
"Bad dream. Bad bad dream." Leo kissed her lightly again. "And I don't cry."
"You were." She paused. "A lot."
"I don't care. You're OK." Leo pulled her into a hug. "I love you, Lou."
"Thanks." Leo laughed, shifting as he let her lie back against the pillows. He settled on top of her, using her chest as his new pillow. "Comfy?" She laughed.
"Very."
"Well then, get some kip. It's way too early for anythin'." She ran a hand through his curly hair. "Night, Valdez."
"Good night, my chica."
Done! Who hated me for killing Lou? I know I do :P