Percy stirred. His stomach hurt like he had just done five hours of those ab-exercise videos they had to do in school.
He chuckled silently to himself; school, what a novel idea. Ah, his old life seemed so far away. Hell his life at Camp Half-Blood seemed far away.
Camp…CRAP, Thalia was going to kill him. He grabbed his stomach, where he remembered getting hit by Thorne, but there was nothing there, just a large hole in his shirt.
"Wa.." he started. He felt something stir next to him. A mass of caramel hair moved next to him and he sighed happily. It was nice to wake up near Calypso. She was sitting in a chair near his cot. Looking like she had fallen asleep at his side and he assumed that's what happened even though he didn't even remember how he got into the tent. She looked so peaceful sleeping there. And beautiful. She was a really good friend and he liked her a lot. Maybe he should say something to her when they got back to the Roman camp, he thought.
She stilled again and Percy looked around him. He was in one of the hunters tents. It was surprisingly roomy, and there were a few more people lying in cots around him. He saw Jacob and Tammy conversing quietly in the corner. He continued sweeping the room. Artemis and Apollo were sleeping in cots next to each other while a few hunters were stirring across the tent.
Percy shifted his weight in the cot. A low groan brought his gaze to his other side. Nikolai was lying on a cot with bandages wrapped around his core and legs. Percy started to worry.
"Hey man," Nikolai groaned. "Gods I feel like shit."
Percy chuckled again. "You look it too," he joked.
Nikolai gave a grim smile and shifted his weight causing him to wince.
"What happened?"
Nikolai's face instantly fell. "Took a broadside of Thorne to save Artemis," he said, an emotion Percy couldn't identify clear in his voice.
"And Thorne?"
"Dead. Cal got the kill and Tammy blew up the helicopter scattering the dust. How in the hell did Thorne keep reforming so fast?"
"I don't know, but I feel like something really bad is going to happen. We need to get back to the cave. Get our stuff and head to Camp Jupiter," Percy said pushing himself up and wincing at the stiffness in his stomach. His wince brought Calypso awake. He looked into her eyes and smiled.
"Hey," he said lamely. She chuckled and reached over, brushing some hair out of his face. Strike that, he would definitely be telling her how he felt when they got back to camp.
"You ok?"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Yeah it was nothing," he joked.
She shoved him playfully. "Whatever, I'm glad you're ok."
He smiled. "What happened? I remember falling unconscious after I took the spike?"
Nikolai snorted making both Calypso and Percy turn towards him. "Dude, it took the energy of both Artemis and Apollo to heal you. Your organs were so fucked up even Apollo didn't know if you were gonna make it."
"Shi...Sorry," Percy started before turning to a scowling Calypso. "Sorry," he said to her. "Anyways, damn man. So you took a barrage for Artemis?"
"Yeah I don't know what came over me; I swore I'd let them die next time," Nikolai said, scowling.
"I should kill you for that, but you aren't worth my time scum," a hunter sneered from across the room.
Nikolai spat on the ground and started to get up, but Calypso shoved him back down. "No."
"Whatever," Nikolai growled, "I'm regretting it already."
The hunter opened her mouth to say something but a voice rang out across the tent. "Be silent Phoebe."
The girl sat shocked that Artemis was taking the boy's side.
"Well I'm glad you finally decided to do something, my lady," Nikolai spat. "I heard when you woke up. And you can put away that dagger I can smell it from here. Disgusting," Nikolai said muttering the last word.
Artemis shot to her feet and started towards him. "You will show respect, boy."
Percy felt Calypso tense, Nikolai was going to lose it.
"You...You don't deserve respect anymore," Nikolai spat, shaking with rage.
Artemis raised her hand as if to smite him. "See, this is what's expected of a sexist pig," he spat.
Artemis too was shaking with rage, but Nikolai settled and calmly watched her with uncaring eyes. She brought her hand down and a silver hunting knife appeared in her hand. Something flashed in Nikolai's eyes.
Percy knew that look; Nikolai and Yargesh were fighting for control of their body and mind. Percy shifted in his bed accidentally knocking Nikolai's cot with his heel and for a split second; startled, all the pain and fear that Nikolai was suppressing flashed across his eyes, but just as quickly as it came it was gone.
Artemis stopped. Her knives disappeared and she crouched down next to Nikolai's cot. She reached out as if to touch his shoulder, but his eyes flashed and he growled. Her hand froze, but her eyes remained sympathetic.
"I'm sorry for what we have done to you, Nikolai."
He looked at her for a minute conflicting feelings flashing across his face until his restraint returned. His face became an emotionless mask. His eyes lost all other feelings except one.
"No." He got off the cot and walked out of the tent. A low glow filtered through the tent folds, a few moments later several of feet pounded away.
Artemis sighed and slumped onto Nikolai's abandoned cot. She looked at Percy and Calypso for something. Percy grimaced while Calypso glared at the goddess. "What did you expect, that he would forgive you after all you've done. After he just saved your life and you just tried to kill him."
Artemis looked...no, no not Artemis, Percy thought. That can't be right. She looked almost...sad. Sad for a boy?
Percy laid a hand on Calypso's. He looked at her. Something that had developed between most of their merry band of misfits was the ability to almost communicate wordlessly. She nodded, but the look of repressed fury remained.
She turned and glared at Artemis. "Fix what you have done goddess," she spat. "Now I am going to go find Zoe."
As she said those words Percy visibly flinched. How was he going to explain to her. Gods why did the fates have to be so cruel?
Calypso gave him a questioning look.
"Cal...Zoe's dead. I'm so sorry," Percy said quietly.
The look in her eyes almost broke Percy inside. "Cal..."
"How? When?" She asked in a soft voice.
"We were on a quest to save Artemis. Atlas had taken her hostage and was making her hold the sky. We saved Artemis, but when I was holding up the sky, Atlas struck down Zoe. Artemis was able to defeat the Titan, but at the cost of Zoe," Percy explained.
Calypso sat stunned for a second before she started to cry softly. "Zoe and I were close, but after the Titan war we never got to talk to each other. I...I..I never got to apologize for fighting her during the war," she sobbed.
Percy swung his legs off the cot and stood up. With sympathy on his face, he pulled her out of the chair and into an embrace. "It's ok. It's ok."
He rubbed small circles on her back and tried to calm her down, but she just kept crying and sobbing about betraying her sister.
"And..And now she's gone. I hope...I hope she made Elysium," she cried. And so Percy just held her tight and spoke softly to her. He told her that she was in the sky, but Calypso just cried louder.
Minutes passed and the two just sat there sharing the grief of Zoe's death. Calypso stopped crying, but stayed in Percy's embrace.
A few more moments and she pulled back and an angry determination took her beautiful features. She turned to the goddess and started to say something, but a distant howl stopped her. Her eyes widened and she rushed to the wall grabbing her and Percy's crossbows. "Warning howl," she said tossing Percy his weapon.
Artemis signaled and the hunters started rushing out of the tent.
Percy walked over to the tent flap and held it open for Calypso. He stepped outside and looked around the street. The hunters' tents were being collapsed and stowed in pockets. He would have to remember to ask Artemis about getting them some tents, he thought before remembering they were only two days from being done with their sentence.
He shook his head clearing his mind and switched on his earpiece. "Nik, If you're human; what's going on," he asked.
He waited for a moment and worried that Nikolai or Yargesh were in wolf form, but the radio cackled.
"At least eight choppers inbound, get out of there."
Percy turned to tell Artemis, but she had already heard. She looked up at the sky as if judging the time. Percy followed her gaze, he must have been out for a while because the light was starting to fade from the sky. "Just a few more minutes," she muttered.
"Nik, how fast can you make it back here?" Percy asked.
"Couple of minutes."
"Alright get back here, I think Artemis has a way out." At this the goddess turned towards him as if surprised he figured it out. Percy looked at her and just rolled his eyes, he knew it was a bad idea to patronize a goddess and this goddess in particular, but after his own and Nikolai's experiences with the hunters; his patience had worn thin.
"On my way," Nikolai responded before the radio went dead.
"Jacob, grab one of the soldiers guns and go with Tammy. You guys set up to hold until Nikolai gets here," Percy said. He picked up one of the discarded guns and checked the clip.
Artemis and Thalia had a short discussion and the hunters started setting up to defend the street.
Percy knelt down next to Anita. He could tell that all this nervousness in the air was getting to her. "Hey now, I want you to meet Artemis. She helps people like you who hate bad men."
Anita looked up at him and nodded. Percy led her to Artemis. "Lady Artemis, I want you to meet Anita."
Artemis knelt down next to the girl. "Hello Anita. We will talk as soon as we are safe, but I want you to meet some of your new family if you choose to accept them." Artemis called over Thalia and Eve. "Anita, this is Thalia and Eve, they're going to explain some things to you and keep you safe okay?"
Anita nodded and went off with the two girls, leaving Percy with Artemis. "You did a good thing Perseus. We will keep her safe and train her." Percy was happy that Anita would have a good home where she would be protected, but he harbored ill will at the fact that she would hate him soon. His eyes narrowed. "Good, train her and take away her innocence. Make her a sexist," he said, his anger for Nikolai bubbling over.
Artemis narrowed her eyes too. "Be careful boy, unless you wish to end up as a..."
"Small animal, yeah I know your threats," Percy said turning away. It hurt him a little to do this. He considered the goddess of the hunt a friend. A friend that would kill him in an instant mind you, but a friend none the less. Still, she needed to see that she was in the wrong, and that treating all males badly is even worse than what most of the males do to women.
He didn't look at her, but he could almost feel the different emotions rolling off of her. He considered apologizing, but the roar of helicopters brought him into battle-mode. He jacked a round into the chamber on the assault rifle and looked towards the coming helicopters.
Apollo came up to stand beside him, his bow had turned into an extremely powerful golden rifle, it looked like a cross between a Barrett and an M14, and he seemed more badass than he usually was. Then it hit Percy, he was in his Roman form. He nodded to the sun god and stared up at the lead helicopter. Artemis went off to speak with her hunters leaving the two of them standing their ground as the helicopters came on.
"I know your trying to defend us guys and all, but don't piss off my 'lil sis, Perce. She's likely to get back at you and if you hurt her too much me and you are going have problems."
Percy looked at the sun god and nodded. He liked Apollo, and the threat seemed genuine. "I know Lord Apollo, It's just she needs to understand."
"I've told you before! It's just Apollo, Cuz. And I know, but just be careful."
Percy just nodded and readied himself as the helicopters came in range of Apollo's gun. The god started to raise it to his shoulder, but a sharp crack beat him. Tammy, Percy thought with a note of gratitude. Her skill with a rifle was amazing and it sure had saved their asses many times over.
The lead helicopter suddenly banked to the right fast. The copter spun out if control and took down two others. Three down and fourteen more to go, Percy thought counting the remaining airborne death machines.
Apollo grinned at the accuracy, "Who's the shooter?" he asked.
"Daughter of yours, Tammy," Percy said as Apollo fired two shots in quick succession.
"She's damn good," Apollo commented with pride as several shots followed his own. Three more helicopters dropped.
"You know I'm kind of surprised they haven't fired back yet, Percy said as two of the helicopters lit up and several hellfire missiles streaked towards them. "Me and my stupid mouth," he muttered.
Before the missiles even came close the huntresses demonstrated their skill as a hail if arrows seemed to intercept them in midflight, blowing them up.
This was too easy, Percy thought as he began looking around. The country side behind them seemed to be clear enough, but several howls further into the town brought him back to reality. At first he thought it was Nikolai signaling his return, but these howls were different, more guttural and thick like boiling tar.
"Hell hounds," Percy called towards the hunters as he discarded the gun and grabbed up his crossbow.
Apollo and Tammy seemed to have the mortals under control, so he directed his attention to the approaching monsters. The first hellhound he saw ate a bolt to the face, but two more barreled through the dust. Percy grabbed the claw on the end of the stock and pulled back his weapons string until he felt the click. His mind focused down to the essence of battle and he tuned out the others.
The second bolt tore through the leading hellhound, turning it to dust, but the others kept on coming and Percy could see more on their way. Discarding the crossbow, Percy flipped the flap of fabric back over the hanging diagonally around the back of his waist. No point in spilling his quarrels. The hellhound was almost upon him as Percy took out riptide and slashed at the barred teeth. The hellhound was a small one, only the size of a BMW, about Nikolai's size come to think of it. The hellhound lunged again and Percy slashed at its throat. He opened up a good sized wound and the beast disintegrated.
He turned his attention back to the street as the other hellhounds met their deaths to a volley of silver arrows. He stooped and picked up his crossbow as several dracaena carrying javelins came around the corner.
He discarded both the idea and the weapon itself, instead diving forward as several gold tipped weapons hit the ground. He rushed the dracaena and struck about with his sword. These snake women offered little challenge, but what he saw coming down the streets made him want to cry out at the unfairness of it all.
A black shape streaked down the street towards him, followed by a legion of dracaena and a small group of fifty or so hellhounds in hot pursuit. Nikolai leaped into the air over Percy's head and turned back into his human formed landing and continuing running.
Percy turned and started running himself, scooping up his weapon as he ran. The hunters were locked in vicious combat with two large hellhounds. They were fighting a losing battle and Percy wouldn't be able to reach them in time. He watched as Thalia had Aegis batted out of her grip and sent flying. She stuck the truck sized hellhound, but the beast just knocked her down. It prepared to end her with a bite when a black shape knocked into it. The beast was momentarily unbalanced and Nikolai set to work on the monsters throat. It tried to dislodge him with a giant forepaw and Nikolai let it, he just took it's throat with him. The second hellhound turned to help its brethren and leapt at Nikolai. The wolf turned and just like that seemed to shift physically. Percy caught the look in his eye and knew Yargesh was in control. The hellhound was almost on the smaller wolf when Yargesh leapt at it. Somehow he managed to get on its back and rake his claws down the monsters spine. The hellhound started to roll over, but a quarrel took it in the neck and the beast disintegrated.
Yargesh turned towards Jacob who gave a little salute and knocked back another bolt. One of the huntresses was on the ground dazed. When she looked up she saw a black shape and stabbed at it with the knife. Yargesh was unsuspecting as the knife entered his leg, shredding tendons. His howl shook the mud structure next to him and his form began to glow.
Yargesh stood in the human form, clutching his left arm just above the wrist. He glared down at the huntress and stomped downwards his foot flashing towards the cowering girl. The blow stopped centimeters from the girl's face. Yargesh seemed to struggle for a moment and then put his foot down hard next to the girls head. He leaned over and spat in Phoebe's face and Percy heard something about disgusting women from Yargesh.
Something made him spin around as he brought Riptide up just in time to block the falling javelin. He parried the next strike from the dracaena and started to retaliate when the demon burst into a shower of gold dust, a silver and gold throwing knife striking the ground next to Percy's foot. He flashed Calypso a quick smile of gratitude and flipped the blade up with his foot. Grabbing the hilt he threw it past her face and struck the hellhound behind her. She jumped as the blade flashed by, but settled for giving him a death glare before she turned away and struck out at a hellhound. The hunters executed the last dracaena and started to shout in triumph, but quieted quickly.
Percy turned back to the main street as the legion of monsters arrived. The monsters paused and started forwards as one. The group slowly realized just how screwed they were.
Percy looked around the group of scared faces. Everyone realizing they probably wouldn't make it out of here alive. His gaze came to rest on Apollo who was staring at Tammy with a look of pure pity on his face. There was nothing he could do, gods he probably already broke so many rules thus far. He wasn't like Artemis, he couldn't assist his demigods.
Wait! Where was Artemis, Percy thought as a loud horn honked. He looked to the sky and almost cried in relief. Artemis had saved them all. She swooped down in a silver Aston Martin. She hopped out of the driver's seat and gave them all a wicked, grin. "What you thought my brother was the only one with a nice car?" she asked mischievously. She chirped the keys and the car slowly grew into a silver and white camouflaged Duce and a Half. The hunters and their small band of misfits began climbing in the canopy covered back. Percy and Apollo covered the retreat as Artemis got back in and gunned the engine. Percy waited in the back until he heard Apollo slam the shotgun seat door. He jumped backwards and slashed at the closest hellhound. He felt strong hands grip him under the arms and haul him into the back of the truck as the hellhounds closed in on them. Percy safely inside, Tammy rapped twice on the metal separating the cab and the crew compartment. Artemis responded and sped off into the sky. The dracaena tried throwing javelins at the fleeing truck, but they were already too high.
The hunters and their small band gave great whoops of triumph, having not lost a single person in the battle. Percy sighed happily and lay back against the cold metal floor of the truck exhausted.
Nikolai woke with a slight start when the truck pulled to a stop. He hadn't even remembered falling asleep, but sure enough he hadn't remembered anything about the flight. His mind was in a turmoil right now, swirling around and around. So many emotions and ideas clashing together, fighting for supremacy. And it didn't help that Yargesh was adding his own little comments and ideas into the mix. Sometimes Nikolai wished he didn't have an entire other person in his mind.
Everything seemed to be revolving around the hunters and Artemis right now. All the conflicting emotions, possible ways to react...everything had to do with them.
Fisking hunters, he thought clutching his arm where the huntress had slashed him. What had he done to them to deserve this? No. He knew. The hunters were just a bunch of evil monsters in the clothes of demigods.
His wound had already healed, another thing he had to thank his father for, he thought bitterly. Lycaon, the piece of shit, no good, fisking wolf god shit. Nikolai was glad that Calypso couldn't read his thoughts right now. She'd probably be disappointed in his lack of control over his language, but right now he decided he didn't care.
Fucking useless wolf. Lyacon was the reason that Nikolai was in this predicament now. He just had to go rape a mortal and then leave her alive. And oh whoops! Out pops baby Nikolai a few months later. Good right, he's alive. No. He somehow killed his mother when she was giving birth to him so baby Nikolai was put in the orphanage. When he was eight things started to change. He started becoming more feral sometimes and lashing out at the other children. And something was pinging inside his mind. Constantly, telling him to go somewhere.
After a particularly brutal fight with another child, Nikolai decided to take off to find the source of the pinging. He had worked his way across the country. Surviving off the woods and killing or escaping from monsters with his great strength and speed. Eventually he had found the source of the pinging. It was a pack of wolves. When he approached them, they had looked at him like he would be their next meal, but the Alpha had held them in check. Lycaon could smell himself on the boy and figured out what he was, so over the next few years the pack had gradually accepted and trained Nikolai. They taught him about how to control his wolf form; that he would heal faster, be stronger than other humans, and have an immunity to the normally killing celestial bronze and imperial gold.
So Nikolai gradually grew to the pack, even though they treated him as a plaything and bullied the boy. He got older and stronger, but in his mind he held onto his own beliefs, pushing aside the packs. He didn't believe in killing all the demigods and mortals they came across, but sometimes he was forced to fight them.
He had started to accept his place when the wolves had come across the hunters of Artemis. The hunters had been unsuspecting and the pack had taken them out. Lycaon had taken on Artemis and won as the rest of the pack chased off the hunters. Lycaon had told Nikolai to keep guard as he had his fun. And so Nikolai did.
Somehow the wolf king had gotten Celestial bronze manacles and attached them to the maiden goddess. She was completely helpless and Lycaon was taking his time torturing her. Every cry of pain drove a dagger into Nikolai's heart. Every whimper or squeak. Sure, the goddess had been strong and resisted giving Lycaon any pleasure for a while, but the wolf king's hatred for the gods and her in particular had fueled his tortures.
After what had seemed like hours Lycaon had started getting more and more feral. His cuts became deeper and his blows more jarring. He was trying to destroy the goddess, but when he stopped Nikolai thought the goddess would get a clean death. But all Lycaon had done was start to fiddle with his smelly breeches. It took Nikolai a second but he realized what Lycaon was going to do. Artemis realized as well and had started to struggle again, but Lycaon was too strong and she was bound. Nikolai realized that Lycaon was not what he wanted to be, and in a fit of rage he flew at his father. The unsuspecting king of wolves was too late to react as Nikolai drew a silver blade from a discarded sheath and stabbed it into Lycaon's neck. Ignoring the burning of the silver, Nikolai jerked the blade around until Lycaon gave him one final curse and dissolved. Nikolai had released the goddess from her chains, and brought her his own supply of Ambrosia, she had thanked him even though he was a male, and fallen unconscious. Nikolai decided to stand guard in case any of the pack returned, so he took to his wolf form and that was how the hunters found him.
Nikolai looked up as someone shook his arm. It was Calypso and Percy. Together, looking at him with worried faces. He looked up at his friends and gave them a crooked smile, his fangs flashing in the florescent light of their cave.
"I'm ok," he said getting up and grabbing his crossbow. "Let's get loaded up so we can get out of here."
Percy and Calypso looked at him for a few moments more before both of them nodded and went into their cave-base. Nikolai didn't know why they didn't just tell each other that they liked the other.
"Yes, Stupid human emotions," Yargesh said in his mind.
Shut up, Nikolai thought back and started raising the barriers he kept to tune out Yargesh.
Barriers up, Nikolai sighed and started around the truck just to run into a waiting Artemis. Shit, what can she want?
"Boy," she started and with a growl he tried to walk past her, but she stuck out an arm and blocked his path.
"Please. Move. Lady. Artemis." he said with barley held in check anger. Even with his barriers up Yargesh was still influencing him. "No this is all you," Yargesh said from the back of his mind.
"No, you and I are going to talk," Artemis said not moving her arm.
"I have nothing to say to you," Nikolai responded turning on his heel and walking the other way.
"Good Nikolai, maybe there is hope for you yet."
"Shut up, Yargesh."
"Whatever Nikolai."
Gods he hated having Yargesh in his mind at times. Also the stupid hunters fault he thought, but pushed the memories away for the time being. He needed to focus on packing up and heading back to Camp Jupiter. He had proven his loyalty to the camp and perhaps he would even find another family than the one he already had.
He walked around the other side of the truck and was glad to see Artemis wasn't blocking his way again. He didn't know what he would have done had she been there. He walked through the entrance to the cave and into the back. A cool little hidey-hole they found when tracking a hydra a while back. The cave connected into a series of tunnels that in turn connected to a secure underground bunker. It had once been a secret Nazi bunker, but after killing the hydra, their little group had cleared it of all Nazi paraphernalia and now it was all theirs.
The main series of tunnels at the back of the cave led in several directions. One to a pit drop down to Tartarus, when deciphering some of the Nazi log books they found that the Nazi's were doing experiments with the pit and trying to determine what it was. The fools that were sent down on cords never returned, so the Nazi's began throwing dead and live prisoners into what they thought was a "pit to hell" which was funny to Nikolai because that's what it was.
Two of the other tunnels lead to a furnace, and the main bunker. The furnace had a human sized door and their little group had burrows that bit under rubble when they figured out what it was for. The last tunnel, the one that lead to the bunker, was the one Nikolai took. The door to the bunker looked like one of those bank vaults, and normally it took four of them to open it, but right now the door was already ajar.
Nikolai walked in and pushed past the hunters that were milling around the main chamber. They were lounging around and eating food from the well-stocked pantries and kitchen. Sure the original supplies had been thrown out when their little group cleaned the place up, but they had restocked. Only non-perishable foods and preserves, but it was still nice to be able to have a hot meal whenever the group was at home.
Ignoring the grumbles and sneers from the hunters, Nikolai pushed through to the hall that lead to his chamber. He went to the barred door and pushed it open. It had used to be a fairly large barracks, but over the years Nikolai had moved most of the excess bunks and stuff into other rooms. Right now there were two three tier bunks against the far wall and a few belongings chests at their feet. Nikolai closed the door and threw the bolt. He didn't want to deal with anyone right now, so he made sure the bolt was secure.
His mind wandering again, Nikolai unzipped the torn and bloody combat clothes that Percy and he had designed over their sentence and threw them into the chute. They had learned that the chutes lead to a cleaning room somewhere below them, but Nikolai didn't really care; he had plenty of other sets in one of the chests.
Tired and dirty Nikolai went to the back of the barrack to the showers. He took a hot shower and returned to the bunks.
He opened one of the hinged belongings boxes and took out another suit.
He took time to marvel at the design they had created. The pants were black and cargo. The pockets were plenty and sturdy, able to hold anything from Ambrosia to a block of C-4. The undershirts were a simple choice. Depending on the climate of where their next mission was the group had a choice between a thin cotton shirt or an underarmor style for the cold. Their jackets were amazing. They too were black, but there was removable armor pieces that could attach to the shoulders, chest, and forearms. Nikolai liked to keep the thick pads of polyfiber armor on most times, they offered more protection to him when he was fighting and cushioned blows. Sprouting out of the collar of the back of jacket was a hood made of a heavy linen or polyfiber material, Nikolai couldn't remember. The hood came to a point in the front, to conceal ones face better and the sides were made of a black gauze so hearing wasn't restricted by the heavy fabric. It was no difference to Nikolai with his heightened senses, but it helped the others a great deal. Attached to the sides and front of the jacket collar was a halfmask, when the hood and mask were both pulled up the face was obscured perfectly. Over the jacket would go a combat harness or vest. With pockets that could be filled with Kevlar or Ceramic plates depending on where they were sent to. Along with a few more pouches these vests were a stroke of genius. Around the back, slung diagonally from the small of their back were their quivers for the crossbow bolts. There was a flap of fabric attached with a buckle to keep the quarrels still when sneaking and from falling out when they had to roll or dodge. Beneath the quiver was a sheath on all of their suits for a sword, except for Percy and Calypso who's weapons were enchanted. Finally the shoulders both under and on the removable armor pieces were an American flag and the symbols S.P.Q.R, an extra little precaution for when they had to enter combat zones or areas where demigods could be.
Nikolai, finished admiring the combat clothes, put the new ones on, but left the jacket and vest off. It would be easy enough to slip into them if they were attacked, but Nikolai liked the freedom without armor when in the base.
He looked around his room and tried to figure out which of his trophies to pack up first when there was a rap on the door. He went over, removed the bolt and turned the non before walking back.
"Hey Nik, you want to go shoot down at the range while Artemis and Percy are talking?" Jacob asked coming into the room.
Nikolai turned to look at the boy as he slipped a hydra tooth into a small plastic case and dropped it into an empty chest. Jacob had brown hair and a darker complexion than seemed fitting to him. His eyes sparkled with untold mischief. Jacob was a good friend, he knew Nikolai couldn't stand the hunters and was offering to give up his chance to plan their next move so Nikolai wouldn't have to be uncomfortable.
"Naw man, we both need to be there," he said taking down a battered shield and throwing it into the chute.
Jacob just shrugged. "Alright man. If you want to hang later holler," he called over his shoulder as he left. Nikolai smiled and went back to packing. He had collected quite a few trophies over the years.
He packed up all of them and froze when he saw one that had been shoved into a corner on a ledge. It was the cuff that the hunters had forced upon him. He grabbed the cuff as sat on the bed, his thoughts swirling again.
AN: So here's chapter 4. Sorry it's late and I hope you all enjoy it. Summer is here and I have a ton of time on my hands, so I will get them out faster (hopefully.) Remember I read and respond to all Reviews and PMs so any questions or concerns you have send um my way.
As always, go read Anaklusmos' stories. They are great and he's BACK! Go read Y.A.R.N and Blueper's stories they also rock. And as a new note go read Inspiration on a Stick, he has a AU story (that I think is great) already started and he will begin something new hopefully soon. I promise you will enjoy both.
-Invictus