Chapter Twenty-Nine: Night Club Crashers

Nick reluctantly lead us to his living room that could easily fit my living room, kitchen, and dining room back home in it, a couple times. One wall was completely covered by an entertainment center that held a large plasma T.V, rows of movies/video games, and a Wii. Surrounding all of it were well placed speakers to make it surround sound. The furniture was all top of the line and had a modern look to it, nothing looked very comfortable to sit on. Then there were just various photos around on the remaining walls and side tables. Yeah, I guess Nick and his mom didn't do simple.

Our host threw himself across the couch while Sophia took a chair and I claimed the love seat. Gwen had taken watch by the window. She faced us mostly, but I could tell she was keeping watch of the yard from the corner of her eye. Smart girl.

"So what exactly makes you three girls so qualified to stop the Keres?" Nick asked bluntly from the couch.

My eyes narrowed and I could feel my temper rising quickly. Men I swear! Usually it's on;y Mr. D who could under my skin so fast. This guy was going to be a real treat.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm pretty sure Gwen already covered what we can do to you."

"It means that my aunts aren't three little demigods. They have powers that cause nothing but blood to end up on the ground. Ir's not about what you can do to me that I care about. The real question is what can you possibly do against the likes of them? What's your powers?"

That shut me up real quick. My powers had always been a sore subject with me, even more so since coming to camp and seeing others actually wielding powers. Percy controlling water, Nico using shadows, Apollo kids shooting arrows and healing, even freaking Drew using charm speak. But me? Nope, nada, nothing. In my whole life the only time I accessed my power over vines was when I was six, when I had been about to die. I shook my head, no, not going down that memory right now. The point, was that besides my fighting skills, I was practically a mortal. And Nick Winters did not need to know that, no one did, but especially not him. Time to turn this conversation around.

"What powers do you have? Huh? What makes you think you're so big and powerful as to ignore our help?"

"What help can you be if you can't do anything?" he glared back at me, he wasn't going to let this drop.

I opened my mouth to snap at him, but Sophia got there first.

"I am a daughter of Aphrodite. While my siblings and I are not known for our physical strength, we use mental warfare to destroy our opponents by turning them against the other. I, myself, have trained myself in long daggers and small swords. I am also a novice at Charm Speak which can get me to control and manipulate weak willed individuals, mortal or otherwise. Those are my powers and they've kept me alive this long, not to mention got me into the Underworld and back out again." she finished with a sly smile and a flirty wink, which actually made him squirm a little.

Gwen didn't move from the window as she spoke next.

"I'm a kick ass daughter of Apollo and I don't do much by half. If I shoot an arrow you can be damn sure it will hit my target. My hand to hand combat is slightly less deadly than my arrows, but not by much. Before I went to camp I couldn't fight my way out of a paper bag. I guess it goes to show what little time can make a difference." she openly glared at him and gave him a look that challenged him to deny her talents. Nick kept his mouth shut. Good move.

Then I felt my stomach drop as his gaze settled on me.

"What about you Sunshine? Does your powers make your eyes purple or is that just a perk?"

"My eyes are none of your damn business you prick." I snapped earning wide eyes from Sophia and Gwen. Nick just his smirk which only made me want to tell him less. "I am a resident of the Hermes cabin and I could slit your throat before you could blink. My 'powers' don't really matter as long as I can kill my enemies before they can kill me. So we are what we are, take it or leave it." I folded my arms and leaned back in my seat, still trying to burn holes in his face with my glare. If only looks could kill. "What can you do Winters?"

"Well since you asked me so nicely." His tone sarcastic, he must be fluent in it. "I have some control over souls. As simple as that, sometimes they tell me of dangers nearby and I stay away."

He didn't lose his smirk, but something in his eyes shifted. He knew I wasn't telling him everything, but he wasn't telling us everything either. For now I was willing to let that slide, until whatever he wasn't saying became important, then we would so be having a talk.

Without warning he got up off the couch while looking at his watch.

"As interesting as this all is, I have somewhere to be. If you ladies are going to be stubborn and stay where you're clearly not wanted or needed, by all means join me."

Gwen stood straight up from her leaning back against the wall.

"You're not going anywhere pal! Those creatures could be waiting to get the jump on you." He shrugged. "Too bad, I do have a part time job and they need me so you can either stay here and be pissed or you can come with me and maybe actually have some fun. You all really need it." he looked straight at me "You more than those two, do you always scowl? If you're not careful your face will freeze that way." He left and ran up the stairs, leaving us alone.

Sophia looked at me. "He does have a point, at least if we go we'll know where he is. And we should be safe until tonight."

Huh? "I don't follow."

She closed her eyes while saying softly. "The archer, the dove, and she will fight, to lose or conquer in the dead of night." she opened them again "The fight will happen at night, so we will know vaguely when we can't go out. It's not even two yet, let's just follow him. What the worst thing that could happen?"

"Yeah Sunshine, what could possibly go wrong?" Nick had reappeared in the doorway, now wearing a different pair of dark blue jeans, same shoes, and a red plaid shirt on under a gray jacket.

"Fine. Where are we going?"

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"So what's this place again?" I asked wearily as I took in the two story building. There was no sign or anything displaying a name.

Apparently, when Nick Winters wasn't being a world class douche, he spent his time working at a night club in downtown L.A for people under twenty one. One of his older buddies took the place over two years ago and let Nick have a job despite his age. He didn't work so much as he goofed around when he was setting up the stage for performances or arranging lights, or even just talking with his friends. Not that he needed to work because his mother, Claire Winters, was a movie producer. When Nick first told us that, mostly to fill the silence as he drove us to the club, I didn't believe him. I knew of Claire Winters, she was C.E.O of Fears Unlimited Productions. They made all the best horror movies in the past twenty years and I made it a point to own every single one of them. No wonder the guy was rich.

Getting out of the car with a careless grace, Nick was smiling for real now, with only a hint of cockiness,

"It;s more of a legend spot. People just know where to find it. Us locals just call it the D.O.N club, the name isn't important, it's what's inside that matters. Come on."

Not wanting to get left behind I got out of the car quickly with my girls close behind. When we entered I felt the atmosphere change. I had never been a to club before, but from what I'd heard they could be wild and fun. But when there was no one here except the employees, everything seemed calm. I could step outside the door to the hussle and bussle of the city or step back and be in the calm and quiet of the closed club. It was nice.

Nick walked over to the bar and picked up a piece of paper. Giving it a quick glance he called over his shoulder.

"My friend stepped out for a little bit so it's just us. But we can still have some fun!"

"What kind of fun? A club isn't fun without people in it. New York City has the best club you know." Gwen said as she eyed the stereo system on stage. Unlike me, Gwen certainly got out in the nigh life of the Big Apple.

At that he actually chuckled. "Only New Yorkers would think that way, in reality, this town has the best clubs easily." he grabbed a remote off the stage "Watch this."

He hit a button and the whole place went dark, the windows had been covered with a thin metal lining, totally blocking out the afternoon sun. Then sudden a blue strobe light was flashing as a rock song blared from the stereo. I could vaguely make out Nick in between the gaps of dark, but he seemed to be smiling as he pushed more buttons. More lights came on in greens and yellows and purples. The music got louder and faster. Before I knew it we were all just dancing, some of us badly (me) and some with a way of a professional (Sophia). We all just laughed and danced and got lost in the music. At some point Nick had come up next to me and we were actually dancing together. Our eyes met and for the first time since we met hours ago, I didn't feel negative towards him. He even smiled at me.

Then all the lights went out and the music was silenced. Leaving us in the complete dark.

"Geez! Right when the son was getting good. What gives Winters?" Gwen asked from somewhere of my left side. I couldn't see an inch in front of my nose, but I could feel Nick close to me, hear him cursing a little under his breath.

"I didn't touch the remote, it was on stand by mode. Must be a blown fuse."

"Or maybe it's your death come knocking demigod." a distant, emotionless voice echoed through the room and my blood ran cold.

"Someone find the lights! NOW!" I yelled pulling my dagger out from my boot. I grabbed Nick's wrist and he didn't try pull away.

"Is someone afraid of the dark? How pathetic." the voice was closer now and I felt a cold air brush against my back, I shivered.

Keeping my voice steady I snarked back. "No what's pathetic is hiding like cowards in the dark. Show yourselves and fight me Keres!"

Big mistake. I felt myself being lifted off the ground and then thrown. I hit what I think was the bar counter, but it might have been the stage. All I knew was that my back had taken the most damage and would be very bruised, but nothing felt broken.

I stood. "Is that the best you got?"

"Sarah you might want to shut up until we can actually fight them." Sophia whispered as she had found her way over to me, towing Gwen, who had dragged Nick along. We were sitting ducks in the dark.

"As if you stood a chance against us. This is how it was always meant to be. But since you are all about to die, the least we can do is show you your executioners." the voice mocked.

The lights above the stage came on, filling the room that was still had its windows concealed, with light. I had in fact hit the bar when I was thrown and actually cracked the black granite top. How hard did I hit that thing? Gwen had her bow at and ready, Sophia had her small sword in hand, and Nick had pulled a baseball bat from behind the counter and had it drawn back. They all had their eyes locked towards the stage, my eyes followed. What I saw was something that would even be found in horror movies, but in ancient texts describing demons.

The creature was on stage, one body with gray and green skin. It's arms were disjointed but moved perfectly and were covered with scars. It's hands were more like bloody claws. The legs were covered in rotting skin that made me want to vomit. But worst of all was the heads, yep, my eyes were right. Two. Heads. Both wearing matching evil smiles and glowing red eyes. Their teeth were mostly fangs and were barred to us. This thing was a monster in every sense of the word. But it had a name, the Keres.

"You could have lived you know, if you had only stayed away and left us to our business." the left head sneered. "The boy was always meant to die, but you weren't, at least not by us."

"But now that you're here we're not just going to let an opportunity slip by." the right one said "We just love getting to be the reason you demigod brats die. Not enough of you die from our personal touch, so far only our brother's kids have had that honor. So after we finish with him, we'll send you to the Underworld."

"But this time you won't be coming back." they said together.

"You got that turned around." I said, giving them my best 'fuck you' smile. "We'll be the ones sending you to Tartarus for a very long time. The world doesn't need you freaks anymore."

Their faces contorted in rage and they jumped from the stage, coming down on us fast.

Crest: Cliff hanger! Yes I know I'm mean, but the next chapter is going to be awesome, trust me. The quest is coming to a close and the surprises aren't done yet! Thank you for all the reviews from the last few chapters. I think it's safe to say that a trilogy is in the making. For now, continue to read and tell me what you think.