Everything was going according to plan, which worried Jason. Their plans never worked out. He leaned against the edge of the roof and looked down. They had easily taken out the guard, and once they had confirmed he was a member of the cult, Gwen slit his throat and threw his body in the garbage.
Gwen donned the man's robe and then made her way into the building. Jason just hoped that things were going well. Reyna and Gwen had bought walkie talkies at the store. All three of them had one, but Gwen turned the volume down on hers. If she needed help, she would call for them.
Jason turned the volume down on his, but he kept it close to his ear in case he needed to hear anything. Jason glanced back at Reyna. She had already covered the outside perimeter of the building in gasoline, along with the side of the building. Now, she was covering the roof in gasoline.
"Please do not catch yourself on fire," Jason said. Reyna glanced at him and seemed to be hiding a grin. "I really don't want to see you get hurt."
"I'll be fine Jason. I've burned a few things down before," Reyna said. Jason watched her for a moment. He finally sighed and walked towards the edge of the building. He jumped over and used air to keep him hovering near the second story window. Jason grabbed onto the window in front of him and then lifted it. He jumped inside.
Jason looked around the room, and he was relieved to find that it was abandoned. It was also covered in dust and cobwebs. Jason almost shivered as he saw the spiders skittering by. He slowly looked around the room. There was two doors in the room.
Jason walked towards the first door and found that it was a closet. He walked towards the second door and opened it, revealing a well lit hallway. Jason peeked his head into the hallway and looked around. There was stairs leading down in front of him, and on his right, there was a door. Down the hall on his left was another door.
After taking a deep breath, Jason slowly walked down the hall. He could hear talking below him. Jason made it down the hall and tried to open the door. It was locked, and he looked down. There was no light peeking out from underneath the door, but there was also no dust on the floor. Jason laid on the ground and looked under the crack in the door. He didn't see any dust in the room, so it had to be used recently.
A stair creaked, and Jason tensed. He looked around the empty hallway that was in. There was nowhere to hide. Jason scrambled towards the room that he had entered in through. He slipped inside and closed the door just enough to see out.
Jason watched two people make it up the stairs and walk down the hall. They stopped in front of the locked door and opened it. One stood outside, and the second stepped inside. They returned a few moments later with vials full of golden liquid: ichor.
They locked the door once again and then made it down the hall. Jason tried to study anything significant about them, but their robes covered all of their features. Jason watched them walked down the stairs, and he grabbed his walkie talkie.
"Reyna, they locked a door. I think Ceres is in there," Jason said quietly.
"Then pick the lock," Reyna said softly. "You know how to do that, right?"
"I am friends with Dakota, am I not?" Jason asked. The praetors kept trying to lock away the kool-aid from Dakota, and everyone in the Fifth Cohort got to take turns breaking open the lock and stealing the sugary drink, lest Dakota make all of their lives a living hell.
"Then why are you bothering me about it?" Reyna asked. She hissed. "I'm kind of busy here."
"I don't have anything to pick the lock with," Jason answered. He kept his voice quiet. His heart was racing. What if someone heard him? "I can't kick open the door either."
"Get the key then," Reyna said. Jason tried to think of a good response. "Jason, someone else is coming up the building. I don't think all of the cultists entered. Shit. They're with Ezekiel."
"What do you mean?" Jason asked. He froze. While he didn't actually see Ezekiel enter the building, the man had to be in there, right? The cult couldn't have a cult meeting without the cult leader. "Is that a bad thing?"
"Other than the doorman missing?" Reyna hissed. Jason froze and tried to think. "Hurry up and get the goddess out."
"I can't just kick the door in," Jason hissed. He didn't hear a response for a few moments. A frown came to his face. Jason looked down. "Reyna. Are you there?"
"Quiet," Reyna hissed so quietly that Jason barely heard her. Jason almost spoke, but he heard creaking on the stairs. Someone walked up the stairs and went into the one room that Jason hadn't checked yet. They walked into the room.
Jason slowly stepped out of the room that he had been hiding in and then followed behind the person. He made it down the hall and glanced into the room. His heart almost stopped as he the person was climbing a ladder up towards the roof. Jason quickly backed away and raised the walkie talkie. He spoke, "Reyna, someone is coming up behind you."
Jason tried to think. His only job was to free Ceres, but he didn't have a way to open the locked door. It wasn't like he could kick it open. Jason rushed towards the ladder and climbed up it. He pulled himself up to the roof.
A robed figure had Reyna pinned to the ground. Reyna used her feet to kick the man backwards. She rolled onto her knees and slowly got to her feet. Jason ran to the man's side and tried to slam into him. Instead, he was slammed directly into the ground. Jason gagged as gasoline got in his mouth.
"Nothing personal kid," the man said. Jason recognized the voice and tried to look up at Hank. The police office stood and dodged Reyna. He pulled a baton out of thin air and slammed it into the back of Reyna's head. She collapsed and gripped her head. Jason tried to sit up, and the baton slammed right into his head.
Jason groaned and opened his eyes. He blinked a few times and stared at the ceiling above him. Had he blacked out? Jason slowly looked around, and he froze. He was surrounded by cult members. Reyna was laying next to him and looked like she was unconscious.
Jason quickly looked around, but he didn't see Gwen anywhere, just the hoods of a bunch of cultists. Two hands pulled Jason to his feet. He wanted to struggle away, but his entire world was spinning a little bit.
"Seat them," Ezekiel ordered. Jason glared and felt himself being shoved into a chair. He winced and put two hands to his head. Reyna was pulled to her feet and shoved into a chair near Jason. She almost collapsed, but Hank grabbed her arm and kept her in the chair. "Where is your friend?"
Jason didn't answer. He just looked up at Ezekiel. The cult leader studied him and then spoke, "Answer me, boy. Where is your friend?"
"Not here," Jason finally answered. "She went to help the professor."
"And, I don't really believe you," Ezekiel said. He nodded to Hank. After a moment, Hank grabbed Reyna's jaw and lifted her head. He placed his baton to her temple. "Tell me the truth boy."
"That is the truth," Jason said quickly. Ezekiel nodded. Hank let go of Reyna's jaw and slammed the baton directly into her temple. She collapsed to the ground. "Stop! Gwen isn't here!"
The baton slammed into Jason's jaw, and he collapsed to the ground. Jason placed both hands to his jaw and groaned in pain. He slowly spoke, "Why are you people such psychopaths?"
"We are not psychopaths, boy. We are doing what we must," Ezekiel said. He looked around at the cultists that had gathered around him. All of them were watching, and he couldn't see their faces at all. Jason just really hoped that one of them was Gwen.
"You three help keep the true world hidden from everyone. How is that fair?" Ezekiel demanded. Jason glanced to his right. Reyna was laying on his stomach and not moving. He was getting really concerned about her. "Why should we not know the truth?"
"Do you want to know the truth?" Jason demanded. He slowly sat up and glared up at Ezekiel. "The truth is that I grew up without a mother or a father. I was raised by actual wolves! My father is the king of the gods, which means he will never see me. I don't even think he cares to. Instead, I'm raised with other kids not in a school but training to protect the world from monsters and people who want to destroy it."
"I've seen things that you people can't comprehend. That thing that shrouds the true world from you is saving your life. I know the truth would shatter the mind of most mortals. They can't handle it. Taking blood from Reyna or me is not going to help you. It may let you see further into my world, but do you really want to see that? Do you want to see a world of gods and monsters where kids die for no good reason?" Jason yelled.
Jason got to his feet and looked directly at Ezekiel. He spoke, "You want to see behind the curtain, but you do not know the horrors that are behind it. I don't think you could handle it. Stop this madness now. Stop this insane idea of a group."
"Or, you will continue to kill us?" Ezekiel asked. He smiled. "I know that you killed the ones that we sent to capture you. It must be a pretty good secret if you are willing to kill us for it."
"It was self defense," Jason snapped. He heard a groan and looked at Reyna. His friend had opened her eyes and was blinking rapidly. She slowly made it to her hands and knees. Blood was trickling from her forehead. "Ezekiel, please stop this."
"There is nothing to stop," Ezekiel said. He studied Jason. "Take the two of them to our storeroom. I want their blood."
"Then come get it," Jason snapped. He swung at Ezekiel. His punch actually connected, and Ezekiel stumbled back in surprise. Before Jason could plan out his next move, a heavy weight slammed into him from the side. Jason hit the ground hard and tried to scramble away from the person that was pinning him.
A knee slammed into his groin, and that tore all the fight from Jason. He let out a whimper of pain and curled up. A solid kick hit him in the gut, and he wheezed. Jason groaned as he was pulled to his feet and dragged up the stairs. They carried him towards the locked door and threw him into it.
Jason bounced off the door and stumbled backwards. Before he could collapse to the ground, a heavy weight slammed into him. Jason fell to the ground, and Reyna fell on top of him. They both groaned in pain.
"Are you okay?" Jason wheezed. Reyna nodded slightly and glanced up. Jason looked up and watched Hank unlock the door and open it. He grabbed Jason by his shirt and dragged him inside. Jason took a moment to look around, and he stared.
A woman was strapped to a chair. She was tied to the chair with golden chains, and there was golden handcuffs around her wrist. This woman had dark hair and brown eyes. Jason knew exactly who she was: the missing goddess Ceres.
Ceres skin was extremely pale, and there was multiple, small tubes in her arms. Ichor was trickling through the tubes and then being collected in vials. Jason slowly spoke, "How much blood did you take from her? You're all monsters!"
"If we can capture one goddess, can you imagine what will happen when we finally manage to drink the ichor and break through the barrier. We can finally see the truth," Ezekiel said. Jason looked back. It looked like Hank, Ezekiel, and two more robed figures had escorted them up the stairs.
"You're crazy," Reyna muttered. She stumbled to her feet and looked at Ezekiel. Jason made it to his feet. Reyna glanced at him and switched to Latin. "Ready for a bad idea? Lightning."
Jason stared at her. He could call down lightning that would slam into the building, probably destroy the roof, and probably ignite the fire. It was the worst idea he had ever heard, and he didn't have anything better to offer.
A baton slammed into Reyna's side, and she yelled in pain. Reyna collapsed to her knees. Jason stepped forward and stared. He spoke, "Leave her alone."
"Why don't you two stick to a language that we all know, so the two of you cannot make a plan," Hank suggested. He swung the baton in his hand. Jason glared and took a deep breath. He started to raise his hand. One of the robed figures suddenly stabbed the other in the throat.
Jason didn't hesitate to react. He slammed directly into Ezekiel. The two tumbled to the ground. Jason pinned Ezekiel to the ground. Something cold rested against his chest. Ezekiel spoke softly. "I'm going to kill you. Then, I will kill your friends."
Jason remained silent and slowly looked down at the gun pressed against his chest. He didn't care if he died, but he couldn't allow for his friends to be hurt. After a moment, Jason spoke, "Why do you have to kill my friends? Why do we have to die? Isn't there a way that you can show the truth without hurting anyone?"
"Haven't you listened to anything I have said?" Ezekiel asked. "Your gods have hidden the truth from people like me. I am the one who has been chosen to lift the wool from their eyes. You are trying to stop me, and I will kill you."
"Why do you have to torture demigods and steal their blood?" Jason hissed. He could hear the sound of fighting behind him, but his gaze stayed on Ezekiel. "You're torturing kids! What is wrong is you?"
"You three are the ones who went after us," Ezekiel said. He suddenly tensed as a knife appeared at his throat. "Back away girl, or I will shoot your friend."
"You're going to shoot him anyway," Gwen said. Jason slowly looked up at her. While there was worry on Gwen's face, her hand was steady. Jason glanced to his side and saw that Hank had been subdued, and Ezekiel didn't seem to notice. Reyna was right next to Ceres and seemed to be trying to free her from the chains.
"Answer something for me, Ezekiel. You say that mortals have the wool pulled over their eyes, and you are going to lift that wool. How do you think regular people are going to act? Kids who hear about the monsters in the night will realize that those aren't just stories. Parents will realize that their neighbor is actually a monster. People can't comprehend these things. That is why this so called wool exists," Gwen said.
Ezekiel remained silent and just studied Jason. The barrel of his gun still rested on Jason's chest, and Jason's heart was racing. Gwen spoke, "You and your cult caused for a demigod to kill himself. You captured a goddess and have been draining her of blood. At what point do you realize that your hero fantasy is a lie, and you are the real monster here?"
"You may slit my throat, but I will shoot your friend in the heart. My message will continue to live on," Ezekiel said. Jason glared at him. A hand appeared next to Ezekiel's temple and touched it. The mortal suddenly collapsed forward.
Jason tensed but didn't feel the gun fire. He tried to shove Ezekiel away from him, and Gwen helped. Jason slowly looked up at Ceres. The goddess lowered her hand and stumbled backwards. Gwen stood and quickly steadied her.
"Lady Ceres, are you hurt?" Gwen asked. Ceres didn't answer them. She pulled the small tubes out of her arm. While the goddess was shaking and looked weak, pure fire burned in her eyes. She stared down at Ezekiel. "Lady Ceres, can we provide you with an escort or anything else?"
Jason had met a minor god or two before, but something about Lady Ceres just scared him. She looked upset, and he was worried she would turn her anger on them. After a few moments, Ceres spoke, "Who sent you?"
"Camp Jupiter, my lady. I believe Lupa is the one who first alerted us," Gwen answered. She bowed to the goddess. Jason slowly stood and looked around. The rest of the cult wasn't coming to investigate yet, but that could change soon.
"Finish the job," Ceres said, and she started to glow brightly, to reveal her true form. Jason looked away. When he looked back, the three of them were alone. Gwen was staring at the ground. Reyna was on her hands and knees near them.
Gwen helped both of them to their feet and studied them. Then, she spoke, "Let's finish this, once and for all."