Chapter 2: Never Ending
Alanna gasped as she fought against Dianna in a make shift octagon. The daughter of Kronos was dressed in loose fitting clothes with padded sparring gloves and headgear. Alanna cursed as she let loose a strike only to get struck in cheek by Diana.
The daughter of Hyperion was dressed in tight fitting yoga pants and a tang top which showed off the curves of her body. Alanna sighed remembering Diana's pestering to dress more femininely. Alanna hadn't ever worn anything to tight fitting but recently she had a growth spurt and needed new clothes. Diana had been happy to take her into town to get new clothes. Alanna had put it off it off but had ordered standard demititan surplus clothes through Thea.
"Keep your hands up Alanna!" Diana said quickly blocking as Alanna let loose a few well-placed strikes. Alanna made sure to keep her hands up as Diana went up for a quick rabbit punch. The Daughter of Kronos glared willing for time to speed up around her as she laced her hands behind Diana's neck. In a blink of an eye Alanna lashed out with a barrage of well-placed knee strikes. Alanna spun around avoiding Diana's slow motion strikes. The daughter of Kronos tackled Diana while in fast forward. The two toppled to the ground where Diana put Alanna into a head lock. Alanna closed her eyes remembering the pressure points Yin had taught her. Diana cried out in pain as both girls flopped down on the mat.
"Okay you pass!" Diana said shakily as she struggled to her feet her right arm hanging uselessly at her side. "But the point in close quarters combat is that you use it instead of your abilities and . . . what the hell did you do to my arm?"
"Pressure point, Yin taught me . . . Sorry I kind of got... carried away." Alanna said getting back on her feet gracefully. She looked around the small Alaskan gym seeing the guys at the machines across the gym. Alanna sighed wishing she could train with Yin. She looked up seeing Diana looking at her carefully. "What?"
"I saw that you were accepted into a full time placement tent with Yin." Diana said casually as she crossed her arms looking Alanna over more closely. "Being the daughter of Kronos is stressful I imagine and there's allot of guys you could've fallen for at Camp Kronos..."
"You want to know why I'm sharing a bed with Yin." Alanna said knowing three months ago she wouldn't have been able to talk so openly about her feelings. Diana flinched in surprise that Alanna had actually said that.
"You said it not me Alanna . . ." Diana said carefully. She had been surprised at how much Alanna had come out of her deathly shy shell. Diana lowered her voice as she asked her question. "Do you really like him?"
"Wh . . . Why would . . . Yes." Alanna started as she fought to complete a sentence out of shock. Diana had a concerned look. "Of course he has always been there for me."
"Alanna deep breaths . . ." Diana said taking her own deep breaths as an example. Alanna nodded doing as instructed. "I'm not trying to be rude but out of all of the possible big shots at camp Kronos. But I still want to know why you chose Yin."
"Because he saw me Alanna the shy girl who needed help with swordplay not Alanna daughter of Kronos. Other guys only saw me as a child of Kronos and wouldn't train with me because they were scared of winning. They would keep their distance like I was a death sentence. Yin . . . Yin was himself around me. He was always overshadowed by Yang or Demise. Everyone made fun of him for being small for his age and smart rather than strong. Camp Kronos only had him and Yang for examples of children of Prometheus and they seemed to like Yang's traits more. Yin had every right to turn into a jerk but he never did. Yin was always the good guy." Alanna smiled as she remembered when Yin got Neck Lacer. "One day a group of older guys ganged up on Yin because he was hanging out with me in the sparing hall. They took him outside about ready to kill him when a huge eagle swooped down and dropped Neck Lacer. It was the first gift he had gotten from Prometheus-"
"Alanna you could have just said he loves you for just being you." Diana said with a smile as she turned to Viel who was tenderizing a punching bag. "Right Viel?"
"Yep!" Viel giggled as she spun around with a powerful kick. She yelped as the bag broke free from its chain and slammed into the back wall shattering a mirror. "Oops..."
"What the hell did you do?" A over muscled man screamed jumping out of his bench presses. He looked royally pissed to Diana who just shrugged glad the guys weren't paying attention. She sighed as Alanna spoke up.
"Don't worry we'll pay for it sir." Alanna said calming the tension before the owner came out. Alanna explained what happened but Rick wouldn't take her wad of cash.
"You kids about paid for everything in here!" The owner laughed turning to the over muscled patron. "Get back to your bench presses Nick leave the girls alone! They pay monthly for this space and most of the equipment."
The man grumbled but went back to his machine.
Diana pulled Alanna over to the cool down station which was basically an open window and jug of ice water towels. The two sat watching as Yin and Demise entered the octagon both had their hands wrapped. Both were ready to spar.
"Do ever wonder if Yang had never fallen off the wagon if Demise would have ever seen Yin's talents?" Alanna asked as the two exchanged controlled strikes. Diana thought before she answered.
"No I don't think so." Diana finally said recalling Yin's aptitude test results. "There have always been a child of Prometheus at one of the four seats but Yang had Yin beat in combat. Up until recently Yin was scored like an average regular. Something changed though about a month before the first demigod conflict at Camp Kronos."
"What do you mean?" Alanna asked still watching the two fight. It shocked her how much more brotherly they acted to each other recently.
"About a year ago his Scores spiked drastically. Yin suddenly popped into the higher percentile at Camp Kronos. I thought I had read the report wrong but he had jumped about thirty placements up. You must have realized he isn't like other children of Prometheus right?" Diana asked softly noticing Yin and Demise sparing. "Both him and Yang have something to them that other children of Prometheus don't have. They crave the battle field. They want to fight not stand idly by and give orders from behind the front line. You must know other children of Prometheus refuse to fight they learn how to win wars with their mind not with their blades. His and Yang's mother was a Mohawk Native American right? Do they ever talk about her?"
"Yin said that she could see through the mist and had fended off an attack from a demigod when they were really young... Her name was Nichole, Yin and Yang loved her allot." Alanna said remembering stories Yin had told her about his mother. But there was allot about Yin's family she didn't know about. "She died when Yin and Yang were about five after that they came to Camp Kronos."
"What about your mom?" Diana asked bluntly making Alanna blush. "Don't want to talk about it?"
"No she was Young when she had me she was beautiful and graceful. Kronos had spoken to her in a dream telling her that he needed a mother who would love his child. She had fallen for him and everything he wanted to do. A titans essence is a strong thing even an image or dream visit from one has enough essence to make a baby." Alanna said quietly seeing Diana nodding. "She got hooked on drugs after Kronos stopped visiting her and she was declared mentally insane. I was three when Landon was sent to bring me to demititan occupied hospital which doubled as child care. Only now do I realize that Landon was my age back then and Organizing the Demititans to build a society to survive... If it weren't for him I would have been killed."
"I've heard that happening to allot of us and I've always wondered why our titan parents never stuck around. I mean it isn't like they're watching over the entire world or anything like the gods." Diana sighed as she thought back to Yin. "You know who Yin reminds me of right now?"
"Who?" Alanna asked getting a little curious.
"Havoc oddly-"
"Do not compare Yin to that monster!" Alanna growled in hushed tone cutting Diana off before she could finish. Alanna shuddered remembering what Hyperion had shone them. Havoc was a monster hell bent on destruction.
"You didn't know Havoc back then before he took over for Landon . . . He wasn't the same. He was a good leader a great soldier and a deadly fast learner. He was allot like Yin . . . But allot unlike him to. Havoc was always a survivor and only really cared about himself." Diana saw the worry in Alanna's eyes. "Don't worry Yin isn't going down the same path he's too good a person even with all of their similarities Havoc was still a lot darker and full of malice. Yin doesn't have the same feel to him . . . Yin lights a room up. Havoc leaves it in shambles."
...
"Tell me, why give me the remains of my father?" Havoc asked the shivering form of a demigod. The son of Krios sighed drawing Fallen with amazing speed as he cut the glass jar in two. The white sand fell to the ground where Havoc stuck his blade into. The ash hissed and fused with the slick ebony blade burning a second silver star onto the opposite side of the blade of Ares's star. Havoc held the blade high as the demigod whimpered again. "You have done me a great service... But why?"
"I want to be spared... I don't want to die so young... My Lord..." The boy added quickly flinching as Havoc gazed at him. The boy was sickly and untrained and had no place in Havoc's presence. The boy whimpered seeing the change in Havoc's expression. "Please my Lord I have stolen from the Romans they will kill me-"
"You will be rewarded child of the gods . . ." Havoc sneered his yellow eyes narrowing as a new plan formed. "But you shall die for your master but your soul will be bait."
The boy screamed as Havoc ran him through with Fallen. The black blade smoldered as fresh blood spilled over it. Havoc pulled the blade free and took off the head of the boy in one fluid motion. The son of Krios turned to the half circle of demititans clad in all black clothes and ancient sliver armor which made them resembled death. All twelve of them had silver skull masks covering their faces but Havoc knew each of them as if by instinct.
"We must claim Erebus's seat if we wish to claim more of the gods and titans power. We must move onward to Alaska to Kill Maxwell the Prince of Darkness." Havoc said his words were heard as unbreakable orders to his minions. "I will go to him while you my children cast away any help he may receive."
'Yes my lord' six male and six female voices said as they fled from their hide out. Havoc slashed the air with Fallen willing to open a door to Titans Roost.
...
Maxwell did not like it when a planned event did not occur. Also he did not like it when every child of Hyperion suddenly became unable to sun travel. Now Maxwell lounged inside the makeshift dining tent. He towered over most of the demititans who were mere teenagers. Maxwell had turned twenty five last month and had wondered why he bothered fighting for ether the gods or the titans. Then Erebus had sent him a pure black key and a note saying forgive me. All of this bothered Maxwell everything that had been so solid in his mind seemed to be shifting as he got older. He sighed sipping his coffee as Katelyn came towards him. She looked different... Almost drained when she sat down next to Maxwell. He flinched as she rested her head on his shoulder.
Over the years of working together Kat had grown to see Maxwell like an older brother. Though he had never really been comfortable with it Kat knew he understood her feelings, both knew there was nothing romantic, they had just been through a lot together
"I hate peace time negotiations . . ." Kat sighed not telling Maxwell the real reason she was so spent. She may be effectively immortal because of Zeus' curse on her but damn did getting stabbed burned and mauled hurt like nothing else, sure the monsters that did it either 'sploaded or tore themselves into piles of golden ashes but gods it hurt and drained her non-the less.
"No you hate being used as cannon fodder, having to rely on your Curse and the color Maroon." Maxwell corrected awkwardly as he sipped his coffee. Kat shrugged in agreement knowing Maxwell was correct. "You haven't grown rusty since the Cashmere..."
"Well hey, don't get all mushy with me soldier." Kat grinned patting Maxwell's beret before she stood revealing that she was wearing her ancient gold sword at her hip. The two locked eyes and exchanged a knowing shrug, just because there was a cease fire, blood feuds were a thing for a reason. Before Kat left she spoke in a light hearted tone. "Hey look alive champ you got another fight coming."
"Yo 'sup." Thea felt like a mess, she had been hunting down the elusive Selene in Florida. Thea had found raking through hours of Maxwell's paperwork more exciting than dealing with smelly drunk mortals. For being a woman who could spontaneously burst into flames Selene was well hidden in Florida. Thea continued retelling her most recent adventures. "The Romans have blocked all forms of communications and refuse to let our scouts enter their boarders. I mean who the hell asks their enemies to fall into a trap only to cancel their offer?"
"Maybe those who no longer live cannot give orders." A snide voice said from behind Thea. Maxwell reacted fast but Kat was faster as Arma sprung to life primed for combat as she surged forward her blade primed if needed. Maxwell watched carefully waiting for the right moment to move as Kat entered combat. Havoc paid Kat little attention as he swung at his old second in command that was his first mistake. The well trained Demigod Soldier locked down hunkering down behind Arma which absorbed Fallen's strike flawlessly. Havoc staggered backwards cursing himself for forgetting about her damn shield. The Demititan moved quickly looking to split Arma down the middle only to have deflect Fallen with her own blade planting his sword hilt deep into the ground yet still tight in his grip. The demititan could only speak a single word before Arma and all of its amplified power smashed into his nose. "Really!"
An earth shattering crack filled the air as Kat spun around to face off against the twelve black clad goons causing trouble. Knowing Maxwell needed an opening
Maxwell acted with lightning speed as he pulled one of his stygian black iron pistols from his trench coat and unloaded on Havoc. Sparks flew from Havoc's skin as the ancient gold bullets tore his clothes and armor but flattened against his skin. The Tainted Demititan was still shell shocked by Arma's impact with his skull, but soon recovered. The son of Krios grinned at Maxwell as he dropped his empty magazine and slid a new one into his pistol. "Oh Maxwell after not seeing each other in so long this is how you greet an old friend? Kat did a better job!"
"Hardly... She smacked you with a shield, she does that to everyone. But with me my friends get both pistols, you should know that Havoc, Landon nailed it into your brain yes?" Maxwell said with a rare grin and lighthearted tone. Havoc popped his neck restraining himself from an outburst of anger. He had already misjudged one of his old acquaintances he wouldn't be made a fool twice in such a short time. "Didn't think you were capable of holding yourself back?"
"Love changes a man Maxwell." Havoc said cynically as he added. "Now you should know that for Landon nailed that lesson into your skull many times yes?"
"Whereas I changed from losing my Love you seemed to have cut it from yourself completely." Maxwell said taking Havoc's strike with painful restraint. "You seem well after killing so many of your own kind maybe you should leave before you really need a doctor."
Even Thea flinched at that. Maxwell's voice was calm yet his tone was sharp and piercing. The two regarded each other for a moment before Havoc turned to Thea. She gasped seeing his haunting yellow irises and predator like build. He smiled which gave Maxwell time to move. Thea gasped as she was thrown over the narrow table by Maxwell's inhuman strength. Kat leaped forward to soften Thea's fall before rolling forward and attacking one of Havoc's goons. Thea nearly missed Maxwell drawing his second pistol to block Havoc's pure black sword.
Maxwell cursed as Fallen bit at his second stygian pistol casting sparks as he jammed his first gun into Havoc's eye. They both stood still for a moment not sure if the other would commit to their strike fully.
Thea blink just as it happened. Havoc pulled back and sliced clean through Maxwell stygian handgun only to fly backwards from the blast of the other gun which shook the tent with a loud crack and instant wet crunch. Maxwell surged backwards grabbing Thea by the arm with his viselike grip, he pulled her from the tent just as Havoc staggered to his feet dripping black liquid from his forehead.
Kat was tagged back in as she reentered the dining tent having been relieved of her twelve on one battle by the Demititans.
"Funny Havoc, how some Regulars have my back while a born Soldier sits licking his oily wounds." Kat sighed loosening up like a boxer before a prize fight. Havoc had always hated her fighting style, it was fast, jittery, erratic and impossible to read she used her natural born ADHD and godly Heritage to the fullest. Being a Daughter of Enyo the Greek Goddess of war and destruction, Kat wasn't an average Demigod, no she was a born soldier with an eternity to sharpen her skill because of her nasty curse. "So what next soldier, gonna lick your wounds some more or are you going to see if your dip in the styx makes you curse proof?"
"Titan's I forgot how good of a leader you were, to be honest I haven't been moved to end a Demigod so righteously since this morning and hey that was just for fun." Havoc chuckled cursing as Kat surged forward out of boredom from the look of it. Havoc was feinted to the left only to have Kat ignore his feint while slamming her sword into Arma with a deadly clang of Devine metals the shield hummed and glowed to life as Havoc was mid strike hitting only air as Arma hit home into his gut like a heavy weight champ hitting a dirty yet winning strike. The second Arma connected with Havoc's gut a thunderous roar filled the air and he was tossed like a rag doll out of the tent with Kat dead on his heels. Havoc acted fast holding Fallen high, willing Hyperion's light to blind his Foe. Kat cursed not acting quick enough as she became blinded just as she saw Havoc prime for an Attack. "Look alive Soldier!"
Havoc lashed out with all of his might surprised that Kat Managed to block his strike sadly with her sword and not Arma. Kat grimaced as her forearm let out a sickly wet snap as it broke and she was tossed aside from Havoc's mighty strike. Havoc gulped as his right forearm let out a series sickly wet snap just as Kat's had only where she had only a single break Havoc's arm was shattered. The demititan cursed as he almost dropped Fallen as he waited in fear to see if his wound would mend.
Maxwell unloaded his pistol into the air sending up an alarm to the unaware demigods and titans. Before Thea could react she was thrown sideways by Maxwell as he drew one of his Stygian black iron cutlasses. He spun around meeting Havoc's dance of powerful sword strikes.
"So if you were curious old friend it seems I am curse proof!" Havoc sneered as he unleashed his full might upon the Son of Erebus.
Maxwell hadn't seen people come back from what just happened to Havoc. No doubt he had taken a swim in the Styx but iron flesh only helped so much, but to brush off the Mark of Caine? Sure when the Styx was formed only blades of bronze and iron were used with exception to celestial bronze and imperial gold. But Maxwell's twin handguns fired both ancient gold and silver bullets from complete Stygian black iron handguns. This combination meant that the bullets would shred through anything from Kevlar to titanium to even godly metals. Though few things could boast to be impervious to this combination the river Styx blessing would do next to nothing at point blank rang. And Maxwell could recall Havoc being knocked backwards as the bullet slid through his temple. Maxwell's eyes widened as he saw the dried black liquid that clung to Havoc's face. It was the same as Maxwell's own blood.
Havoc growled as he pressed on striking Maxwell's stygian blade with enough force to chip it with each strike. Maxwell lashed out with a swift kick to Havoc's knee knocking onto his back. It was apparent only Kat's Arma was capable of taking the full brunt of Fallen but she needed to heal. The son of Erebus dropped down bring his knee down on Havoc's blade arm and his pistol to his chest.
"Good bye Havoc." Maxwell said pulling the trigger.
Click.
"Getting forgetful I see Maxwell!" Havoc laughed arching his back to toss Maxwell off him. The son of Erebus flipped midair allowing himself to land on his feet and meet Havoc's next flurry of strikes. "Perhaps I'll see if you can lose your head next!"
Havoc brought Fallen around in a deadly arch making Maxwell act fast. The son of Erebus brought up his last pistol which stopped Havoc's strike long enough to evade. Fallen cleaved through Maxwell's stygian black iron pistol just as the son of Erebus spun backwards pulling his second cutlass from the shadows of his trench coat.
Very few people knew the extent of Maxwell's full armory as well as Thea did. And she was the only one besides Landon and Kat who knew how Maxwell accessed it. She wondered now why he didn't just pull a rocket launcher out or a machine gun. Which, Thea knew he had plenty of after seeing his full armory to do a complete inventory of the endless collection of custom made weapons. But then she saw how close they were to the line of demititan tents which were sure to hold demititans hurrying to rush to battle.
Maxwell leaped backwards in a back flip as he evaded Havoc's near lethal parry. The son of Erebus landed bringing around both blades to block Havoc's next strike. Havoc grinned as fallen cleaved clean through both of Maxwell's blades.
"Out of weapons I see." Havoc chuckled allowing Maxwell to search his trench coat. The son of Krios saw too late that Maxwell had his whole arm inside of his still flat trench coat. Maxwell pulled out a lethal looking stygian black iron katana. The whole thing was black and made with masterful style. "So you have one more blade I'll cleave it in two as well Maxwell!"
"As you will the next and then the next and continuing until I am all out of weapons." Maxwell said confidently as he took up a stance. "How tired is your blade arm Havoc?"
"Not tired at-" Havoc was cut off by the sound of Kat smashing Arma in to his skull bringing him to one knee allowing Maxwell to throw a wad of black beads at his feet. "How childlike Maxwell. Didn't your father ever teach you manners?"
"Manners no." Maxwell said solemnly. "But how to kill other children of darkness yes. You should have left Erebus alive long enough for him to tell you why so few children of Darkness walk this Earth."
Kat leaped backwards not before shield bashing Havoc to his hands and knees.
"You seem confused Maxwell I am the child Krios-" Havoc began as he attempted to step forward rising from Kat's attack with relative ease. Instantly the black beads rolled into place enclosing Havoc in an encircled pentagram. Havoc cursed as he froze in place as if time had frozen around him. "What is this? What did you do?"
"You may not be a child of Erebus Havoc but in your veins runs the blood of darkness. And that is more than enough to be bound by such a simple trap." Maxwell stepped away from the pentagram holding his Katana high. Havoc growled as he saw white runes burn across the length of the ebony blade. "The reason there are so few like us Havoc is because this world craves balance."
"You still obsess over that nonsense! How could you still buy into that? How could you believe in such a thing after so much has been taken from you?" Havoc growled his skin burning as he watched the blade in Maxwell's hand burn white with more runes. "After all you have lost-"
"I never said I thought it was fair Havoc. Only children believe in such ignorance. The world craves Balance by giving us the opportunity to level it out. We the children of gods and titans hold this ancient right. For one death there is one born. This does not happen instantly which is what confuses you Havoc." Maxwell said calmly as his hand singed from his blade. "I was named the Prince of Darkness for a reason you know Havoc . . . No one should be able to kill their brothers and sisters with such ease and still live happily."
Maxwell brought down his blade with all his strength. The son of Erebus gritted his teeth as his blade was shattered by a throwing knife. Maxwell leaped backwards as twelve cloaked figures surged forward blades drawn and bloodied from the demigods and titans that had tried stopping them.
Thea stood in shock as the twelve figures turned to her and attacked. They were slower than Havoc but still wicked fast. Thea turned seeing Maxwell leaping forward in vain as too was Kat who had a much mightier gap to close from behind Havoc. He was too far away and her body wasn't skilled or fast enough to make a difference. Thea shut her eyes willing their blood to boil. Instead she wasted her chance to flee as the twelve were unaffected.
"Go!" Demise growled snapping Thea out of her shock as the son of Hyperion leaped between her and Havoc's twelve reapers. He burst on fire ablaze of sickly green flames but his shoulders tensed as if it pained him more so then the Flames of Vengeance usually did. Thea acted fast pulling a knife from her belt and tossed it. She realized the twelve had been put into slow motion as her knife stuck hilt deep into ones shoulder. Thea turned just as a small wave of half armored Demititans surged forward Lead by Kat who was at point and closing fast.
There seemed to be a moment where the demititans finally had the upper hand. That moment was sliced clean in half as Havoc broke free of his prison. In an instant Havoc was upon Maxwell and drove his blade into him with unfeeling accuracy as all efforts were to save Thea.
Thea called out as Havoc kicked free his blade and lashed out once more taking Maxwell's head off in one fluid motion. Maxwell's body crumbled to ash leaving only a black key behind.
Thea's gut turned inside out as she let out a battle cry with her hand reaching out to Havoc. The son of Krios howled like a feral dog as his skin blistered and black blood leaked through his still boiling skin. Thea held out feeling her emotions explode as Havoc's henchmen melted from the inside out.
The world turned black as Havoc sliced the air and leaped into darkness leaving Thea screaming after him. Nothing mattered besides Thea making Havoc pay for what he had done. Thea cried out as Arma cracked against her skull and she fell into bitter nightmares.