Violet:
A drizzle had started to fall outside, as I stood at the grand window in the hotel suite. The skyline of New York was as beautiful as ever, but I could see the black clouds and lightning on the horizon. Our time was running out.
I think about Will, and rage burns that I backed down from a fight. But this was not the time. More important matters to be seen to. I'd duke it out with him later, if it was even necessary.
I grabbed Malcolm and hurried down the hallway, grabbing all free Athena kids as I went. I managed to scrounge up Soletta, Marlena, Jackson, Snapdragon, Kyle, Graciela, Jordan, Chase, Avery, Tally, and Roscoe. It's not a full force, but we'll manage. Probably.
We just barely managed to stop the force coming over the 59th Street bridge, driving them back from Manhattan. According to the scouts, they're trying to make a break for it while we're not looking and cross over again. All the other cabins are busy, so they sent us back. Only us.
I dunno, maybe we'll get lucky.
I pull my fiery hair back in a tight pony tail and brush some of the shit off my orange tank top and jeans. Might as well make my corpse look nice.
c c c
"Mother fucker." I mutter as I sway in the wind. A breeze has lifted up from the river, moving the cord I'm dangling from ever so slightly. It's one of Daedalus's inventions, one that we could put together quickly. One end has large, secure grappling hook, while the other attaches to the belt around my waist. Being the Athena Cabin, we came up with a complex strategy in order to keep ourselves alive.
The grappling hook is wrapped around the railing of the 59th street bridge, and I hang about twenty feet below it. There is one person to my right, Avery, and two people hanging on the other side of the bridge, Chase and Tally. Malcolm and the rest of the cabin are waiting on the Manhattan end of the bridge, hiding, waiting for the signal.
The front of enemies coming across the bridge is huge, lead by the monsters and followed up by demigods. We figured the monsters were too dimwitted to notice the hooks, so when they're halfway over the bridge we'll come up out of nowhere, destroy the monsters, and then Malcolm will appear and we'll beat the crap out of the demigods.
Malcolm shoots me the bird from his hiding place on the Manhattan side. I then shoot to Avery, who shoots it to Chase, who shoots it to Tally. The signal having gone full circle, I push down the lever on my belt and fly upwards before slamming into the side of the bridge. I get a foothold on the bridge and propel myself over the railing, gracefully rolling onto the pavement and pressing the button to release the cord from my belt. Once everyone's up, and the monsters are looking at us in confusion, I let out a battle screech and we move forward, weapons raised.
The monsters barely know what hits them, and they are all dust in the wind very quickly, that's when the demigods are upon us, and Malcolm's group jumps up and runs down the bridge to join us. The ratio's about three to one, and as you may have guessed, we don't have the advantage. Soon I'm surrounded by four demigods, all of which I know.
Tara Rix, Arthur Benford, Emily O'Hara and Shane Wilson. They were all at camp a few years ago, and all disappeared about the same time. I didn't know them very well, but I didn't believe, or didn't want to believe, that they would have deserted us. They were all unclaimed, and what disturbs me most is Tara's gray-eyed stare burning into my own, and Arthur's coloring which is much to similar to Will's.
They haven't attacked yet, a little circle of silence in the middle of the battle raging around us. They just look at me, and I know they remember me. I can't tell what they're thinking, but I hope they'll back off. I don't want to hurt them. It is because of this that I speak up.
"I feel as though you should know exactly what you're getting into as of now." I say calmly. "Call it mirandizing. I don't want to kill you, but I'd much rather just subdue and dishonor you, if you take another step forward. But If you prove to be an actual threat to me or anyone I care about, then I will kill you, and you won't like it." A bit harsh, but it got the point across. I could see the gears turning in their head, the look of regret flashing across their eyes.
Except in one. "What are you doing?" Tara screeches. "Can't you see she's just bluffing, playing with our heads?" The others shake their heads viciously, clearing their minds. "Kill her!" Tara cries.
And I leap into action. My pull off my bracelet, which is vaguely African, brown and black and with cowrie shells stitched in. The bracelet extends into the golden hilt of the my half swords, and from the hilt grows the black, curved blades themselves. They are made of Eternal Meteor, which is even rarer than celestial bronze. The swords were a gift from my mom, and I carry them with me always. With them, I am a formidable force to reckon with.
Tara is the first to swing, lifting her sword above her head and trying to bring it down on mine. I see it coming a mile away and block it with an x-block with my swords. I kick her in the chest and feel the breath leave her body. She goes flying backward. Shane tries to slash me with his sword, but I swiftly disarm him and twist his arm until I hear a satisfying snap. He hunches over in pain, and I know he's out for the count. But Tara's back on her feet, and she looks angry. Emily swipes her dagger out, quick as lightning, and manages to create a long scratch above my chest, near my collar bones. I'm so surprised, that without thinking I break her blade and run my own through her shoulder. It's a cruel blow, but not fatal if she gets it taken care of. But it's just another of the quartet that I don't have to deal with.
Arthur tries to thrust his spear but I dodge and catch the wooden spear between my two swords. I twist and the thing splinters beyond hope of repair. I smash the butt of my sword against his helmet and he crumples. My sword clashes with Tara's, and as it turns out she's pretty good with her clunky weapon. It's a heavy, uncoordinated sword, but she wields it well. Kronos just needed bodies for his army, they didn't necessarily have to survive. For a moment I feel bad for Tara, so young, so mislead.
We dance for a few moments, but though she's good she's no match for me. And I know she's holding back too, but I have no idea why. This little fight has no life in it. I'm not trying to subdue her yet, and she has another agenda. Her eyes flick behind me, and I connect the dots in half a second.
As it turns out, it's a half a second too late.
I turn around just in time to see the sniper take his final aim and fire. I can't move fast enough, and the celestial bronze bullet goes directly through my right side abdomen.
The idea of demigod guns is a relatively new concept, only a few prototypes have been made. Because celestial bronze is rare, and bullets can only be used once, it's unsustainable. Apparently, Kronos managed to get his hands on one, probably illegitimately. I blame it on bad luck.
I fall to my knees, clutching my wound in pain. I can barely comprehend what is going on around me as blood spreads across my hand and shirt. Tara smiles cruelly, and waves to the sniper amiably. He waves back victoriously. I give them points for managing to dupe me in battle, which is no small feat.
"I will kill you." She imitates, and laughs evilly.
"Well played." I choke out through gritted teeth.
"I know, sis." I totally knew it, but how did she? She must have seen the surprise on my face, cause she continued. "Once I decided to join Kronos, my mother decided to try to claim me and turn me back. Not because she loved me. Because she wanted another body on her side. But it was too late. You're a sucker, Violet, thinking Athena cares about you. I can tell you first hand, she doesn't. She doesn't care about any of us."
"You're wrong." I say.
"And how would you know?" Her eyes are cold and unforgiving.
"Because she gave me this sword!" Before she can move, I summon the strength to snatch up one my swords that I had dropped, and run it through her abdomen. I pull it out again, and she hits the ground, unconscious. I feel an icy twist of guilt in my gut at hurting my own sister, someone who doesn't deserve to die, and had right to be mad at the gods. But I saw the way she held her dagger, poised to strike. She intended to finish me off, and I'm not going to sit there and be killed if I can help it. But then again, I might die anyway, and then I have accomplished nothing.
Pain shoots through me, and I hit the ground, lying on my back, putting feeble pressure on my heavily bleeding wound. I'm lying there pitifully when Malcolm sees me and runs over. The battle's pretty much done with, and our strategy's worked. The enemy force has been neutralized, dead or running away with their tails between their legs, with only one fatality on our side. I can see Jackson's lifeless form to my left, and emotion overwhelms me. Another sibling gone. I pass out as my remaining brothers and sisters lift me from the pavement.