A/N: BIRTHDAY FIC! Congrats I am Thalia daughter of Zeus for turning one year older! Sadly I wasn't able to finish this fic in time because of lack of inspiration. So I had to divide it into two parts. Who knows when I'll finish the next part? Maybe next year? Lol, just kidding. I'll try to find some time. Sorry for the incomplete fic! I hope you enjoy Malcolm and Will's banter because they're adorable, silly and just being bros.
For Old Times Sakes
"Oh let's go on a quest, he said." Will muttered sarcastically as he pumped his long legs, hopping over a fallen tree like an Olympic hurdler without breaking stride. "It'll be fun, he said." Malcolm ran right behind him, matching his best friend's speed as branches and leaves fell behind them. An earthshaking roar cried out behind them. "JUST FOR OLD TIMES' SAKES! I hate you so much right now, Malcolm!" Malcolm tackled Will, pushing both of them out of the way of a huge ball of acid. The acid ate the ground, leaving a huge pothole. "This is your fault." Will panted, pushing his blond locks out of his blue eyes.
"Yes, I take full responsibility for saving your ass." Malcolm quipped back, grabbing Will's forearm and pulled the son of Apollo up. A huge drakon barged through the woods, fixing its red eyes on the pair of blonds. "Move Arrow Boy!" They sprinted deeper into the woods trying to get an upper hand on the huge beast. The drakon was covered in metal scales plated like armor but moved like a snake. Its mouth snapped threatening as it trailed behind the two demigods. Malcolm tightened his grip on his sword, trying to stay on his feet as they dove into a clearing. Will and Malcolm paused for a moment, catching their breath. At the corner of his sharp gray eyes, Malcolm noticed a petite figure scaling one of the taller trees. Perfect, Katie. He thought as the drakon rose to its full height. "That's bigger than I expected."
"That's what she said." Will muttered immaturely.
"Really? Right now?" Malcolm exclaimed as the drakon let out an ear-shattering roar.
"Yes, right now." Will shot back as they slowly backed up before splitting up. The metal serpent hesitated, giving Will enough time to pull out three arrows and notched them on his golden bow. "I did not turn eighteen to become drakon food!" The drakon turned its huge mouth towards Will, opening wide. The archer's arrows threw straight into the beast's mouth only to get melt by a sprout of acid. Will braced himself for the acid but the ground underneath him shook and a pillar of vines propelled the archer up into the air. Malcolm slowed to a jog and watched as Will collided with a tree but landed safely on one of its huge limbs. "Ow, fuck, Katie! A little gentler next time!"
"There won't be a next time!" Katie shouted back from her high perch on an evergreen tree. Her hands were held out, dark brown eyes laser-focused on the drakon as she tried to grab it with her vines. The beast slithered rapidly, dodging and snapping her vines faster than she could summon them. Malcolm swore as the drakon fixed its gaze on him. "Malcolm!"
"Don't!" The son of Athena ordered back, already feeling the ground underneath his feet shake. He quickly turned, running around the edge of the clearing as the drakon followed him closely. He needed to be the distraction. Will and Katie were sitting ducks in the trees. "Stick to the plan!"
"There's a plan?!" Will shouted from his spot as Malcolm dodged another shot of acid. Malcolm rolled his eyes, not really having time to figure out if his best friend was being sarcastic or genuinely didn't know. "Where was I when you were coming up with this plan?" Sarcasm, Malcolm thought as he vaulted over a tree and crouched as a spray of acid flew over him. "Dodge faster brainiac!"
"Shut up so I can concentrate!" Malcolm yelled back, popping his head up instinctively. He froze for a moment, staring the drakon directly in its glowing red eyes. "Shit." Malcolm rolled as the log he was hiding behind dissolved. Katie's vines were finally able to tangle the drakon, holding down its massive body. Malcolm took the chance and charged, dragging his sword against the scales. Sparks jumped off its metal body as the celestial bronze scraped it. Cursing, Malcolm hopped on the beast's back, stabbing his sword between the scales near the neck. It roared, lifting its head and Malcolm off the ground. The demigod dangled helplessly with his sword stuck in the drakon's hide. "Hi there…" Malcolm laughed as he heard the vines snapped, freeing the beast.
"Get out of there, Malcolm!" Katie screamed. Will rained arrows from the sky as Malcolm let go of his sword, falling. Not fast enough as the drakon's long tail smacked his back, hitting him like a tennis ball.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Malcolm cursed as he fell through the air. He twisted his body, keeping his eyes on the drakon as it reeled its head back, about to spit acid towards him. The boy reached for the shield strapped on his back. He curled his body behind the shield just as a hot ball of acid launched towards him. The acid ate through the shield slowly, burning his forearms. The force threw him into a tree, knocking the air out of his body. He fell to the ground, face in the dirt and chest burning. The last thing he saw before darkness took over were a pair of sturdy black combat boots.
"Wake up, Dude." Malcolm groaned at the sound of Will's voice, wiping his face with his palm. His ear drums were ringing. Whatever he was laying on was solid and uncomfortable except for his head which was cushioned. "I know my lap is comfy but we have bigger problems. You're not dead, so quit wasting our time." Malcolm jolted up, moaning as blood rushed quickly to his head. His gray eyes were closed shut as he patted his chest, searching for burns.
"Will, why am I shirtless?" Malcolm asked, feeling bare skin. He blinked, eyes adjusting to the brightness of the room. The burns he expected were nonexistent as he felt smooth skin. Will arched his eyebrow as he crossed his arms in front of his Half-Blood orange t-shirt.
"Hey look, it was either your shirt or your life. It was partly melted off anyways." Will stated as he stood up, stretching to his full height. "There should be a shirt here somewhere. It's Amazon." Malcolm ran his fingers through his tangled hair before pausing, processing his friend's words. Amazon… The two boys were in a huge cage with sturdy iron bars. Malcolm instinctively patted his waist for his sword, missing the familiar weight of the sword. Will didn't have his golden quiver of arrows either.
"Amazon… Will, what mess did you get us into this time?" Malcolm kidded as he pushed himself off the cold concrete and stretched. His body felt tight from the rapid healing Will needed to do. Will rolled his blue eyes at Malcolm's comment as he idly tapped the bars. The room they were in appeared to be a warehouse with moving conveyor belts and countless number of boxes. A small security camera was aimed towards their cage, watching their every movement.
"Yes, it's my fault we were captured by the Amazons, separated from Katie and probably turned into sex slaves. This was a fun road trip. Thanks Mal for inviting me but next time, if there is one, don't." Will said sarcastically as he leaned against the bars. Malcolm closed his eyes, massaging his temples as his fast mind sorted through what Will said.
"Amazons? Sex slaves? Katie?" His gray eyes grew huge as he looked up, finally noticing their missing member. "Where's Katie?"
Will shrugged his shoulders. "Hopefully figuring out a way to get us out of this since you're not doing a very good job. The Amazon girls won't talk to me. They took her through that door." Will replied, reaching his long arms through the bars and pulled a decent size box towards him. He ripped through the package, pulling out a well-packed ukulele. Malcolm and Will traded glances. "What? We're at Amazon, they have everything."
"Do you think you can find me a shirt?" Malcolm asked as he shoved his hands into his jean pockets.
"Try your luck." Will said, gesturing to the huge pile of boxes within reaching distance. Malcolm already calculated the odds of him finding a shirt randomly. They weren't on his side. Will, undeterred by his friend's lack of clothes, sat down and started strumming a few random cords. Soon, the melodic sounds of his plucking filled the silence along with Malcolm's pacing.
"Out of pure curiosity, do you have a plan?" Will asked after a few moments. The last bits of the Jeopardy theme song faded away, Will's sad attempt to help Malcolm think. The son of Athena paused for a moment, eying the blinking light of the security camera.
"Yeah…" He replied slowly.
"You hesitated." Will pointed out, unable to resist. The two friends traded grins before Will's flattened out. "That drakon got you really bad. We were lucky when the Amazons showed up, Mal. Minus the whole capture and shoved into a cage part."
"I know." Malcolm whispered, sitting down and stretching his legs in front of him. Right now, he really wished he had more useful godly powers. Will had his healing. Katie had her control of plants. Malcolm just had his brain. As brilliant as he is, there was only so much a guy could do without resources. Annabeth could figure this out. A dark voice of his subconscious murmured. Malcolm's eyes narrowed, pushing the thought away. "It wasn't supposed to be a drakon by the way. It should have been a chimera." He confessed.
"Oh, really? That makes me feel so much better." Will replied, dragging out the o's in 'so'.
"Glad you can still be sarcastic while we're in a cage." Malcolm replied. Will gave him a rude hand gesture in retaliation. Malcolm was about to return it when the door behind them opened, revealing a very pretty young redhead in a pencil skirt, business blouse and clipboard. Behind her stood two intimidating girls in black jumpsuits who could probably snap Will and Malcolm in half without trying. "Hi, care to join the party?" Malcolm asked casually as he and Will stood near the iron bars.
"No," the redhead responded, dragging her eyes appreciatively over Malcolm's naked chest before pulling out a plain t-shirt. Malcolm tried to hide his shiver as she looked at him with a smug expression. She knew he was uncomfortable. "But would you like to join ours? You have friends in very high places." She pushed the t-shirt against his chest. Her hand was warm against his chest, even through the bunched up fabric. The sound of the lock clicking open pulled Malcolm's gray eyes away from her catty ones. "Follow me." Will and Malcolm traded glances before shrugging and following the beautiful woman.
After an uncomfortable long elevator ride, Kinzie lead the two Greek demigods through a long hallway. She paused at a door and looked at them. The Amazon secretary flashed the boys a pleasant smile before opening the door, revealing a large office with huge windows to allow natural light in. "Katie!" Will shouted, pushing past Kinzie as he recognized the brunette seated on the leather couch, fidgeting nervously. Katie's head shot up and she bolted across the room, running straight passed Will. Malcolm barely had time to open his arms and received her energetic hug.
"Malcolm!" She shrieked, wrapping her arms tightly around Malcolm's neck. He returned the huge wit equal force, inhaling Katie's earthy strawberry-infused scent which smelt like the fields at home. "Thank gods you're alright."
"Hi, Kitty Kat." Malcolm whispered back, hugging her waist as she pulled back and smiled.
"Oh I can see who your favorite is." Will whispered bitterly as he tried not to pout too much. Katie rolled her brown eyes and quickly pulled Will into an equally tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders. "Always save the best for last." Malcolm rolled his gray eyes at his friend's comment, eyes scanning the room they were in. It was well-furnished with a large oak desk in front of the huge windows. The Seattle cloudy skyline could be seen beautifully outlined as the sun dipped in the distance. This office was for someone important, higher than the basic lackeys who found them in the woods.
"Why are we here?" Malcolm asked Kinzie as she stepped in. The redhead nodded towards the figure behind the desk. She was young, much younger than Malcolm expected. Probably in her early twenties. Her dark hair was artfully pulled back into a manageable bun with a few strands kissing her face. Her suit jacket was a rich shade of red paired with dark flattering slacks and sensible heels. Malcolm took a step towards the figure, drinking in her appearance. She had sharp dark features, a Roman quality, with smooth lightly tanned skin and full lips. Her eyes were focused on the laptop in front of her, speaking into the mic attached to her headset, nodding to whomever she was speaking with. There was something familiar about her, from her dark exotic features to the way she held herself, which felt familiar to him. One name popped up in his mind and slipped out of his lips. "Reyna…"
The young woman looked up; lips twisting into a sly smirk, a look the female Roman praetor would often give him right before checkmating him. "Close, boy, but not quite."