The Demigod Group approached the fence to the Junkyard, mounds of scrap metal permeated the sky and dwarfed the questers. A loose chain-link fence sat between them and the junkyard, obstructing their only way in. Rusted barbed wire meandered atop.
Before anyone could protest, a few sharp, fast and concise swings from Percy's sword cut open an opening tall enough for them to crouch through, he stalked in first, on high alert and looked over his shoulder to check his quest mates were doing okay. Sephie slid in graciously behind him, looking unbothered by their circumstances, but had her eyes peeled on their surroundings.
Thalia strolled through, seemingly unbothered by everything and lazily spinning her canister of mace. Bianca followed through, looking nervous, but clearly trying to hide it for the sake of the others. Zoe then gracefully walked through, nose high and assessing their surroundings with an almost mockingly regal look. Percy then stood up and began walking through the valleys within the metal mountain range, his group following their sentinel's lead.
Percy could hear Zoe speeding up, and she overtook him, most likely trying to commandeer their hike and resume leadership of the group. Percy relented, having no want to argue and fight with her, and slowed until he was at the back, walking alongside Bianca.
The Children of Hades walked in a somewhat awkward silence for a while, before a glint caught Percy's eye, and Evidently Bianca's too. The two stopped and crouched down, brushing aside of a sheet of metal, metallic bronze in colour.
Percy's breath hitched at what he found. He reached out his trembling fingers towards the necklace, his hands grasping around it and bringing it close to him.
The black chain was studded with small diamonds and a Ruby on the pendant, a miniature helm of darkness engraved onto the crimson gem. It was his Sister's necklace. He could see her wearing it in the photo he had in his room in the underworld. He traced his finger over the chain, the perfectly cut diamonds gliding along his rough fingertips.
His eyes grew cloudy. He still wanted her back.
Suddenly, the necklace was slapped out of his hands, and he stood to full height and looked towards Zoe, a looked that could kill carved onto his face as he glared at the huntress with a ferocity she had never seen before from anyone, she flinched slightly.
"It's Cursed. We are in the junkyard of the Gods." She said, defending herself. "It was clearly cursed or defective."
Percy seriously considered strangling her then and there, but inner reasoning won out. It's Cursed.
She's gone.
He steeled himself, a marble slate expression overcoming his features, and nodded to the huntress. She picked up on the sign and continued leading.
After weaving for almost two hours they saw the edge of the junkyard, and a road beyond it. The group collectively sighed in relief, they had made the other side. Percy had been navigating via stars, and he was almost certain Zoë had been too.
Just as they reached the edge, a huge metal screeching sound was heard, and the group turned as one to see a 50ft tall celestial bronze automaton arose, towering above all other metal mounds. It's malevolent red eyes fixed upon the demigods.
Weapons were drawn, the demigods brining out theirs, and Talos his own from a metal scabbard, a horrific scraping metal sound was made as he did.
"I see a truck, I'm going to go get it." Thalia said, and dashed before anyone else could object.
Percy's roman instincts reared up. Coward.
The group of demigods looked up at the huge metallic monster, as it surveyed it's targets, before it brought it's sword above it's head for a downward strike.
It swung, and the group parted as they dived away from the gigantic sword. Sephie and Bianca dived left, and Percy and Zoe dived right. The beast reared for another strike, and both groups ran in opposite directions and into the maze of unwanted godly things.
Percy and Zoe were sprinting and weaving through the maze, as they ran, a huge pile of discarded metal was sent flying into the sky as Talos' sword cleaved through, Percy tackled Zoe to the ground before she could be bisected.
They both scrambled up and continued running away. They heard a distant crash of another metal mountain being upturned and deciding they had a break, stopped for a second.
Their eyes met, onyx black on the void black, a silent thanks passed between them. Percy turned and began scaling a hill of metal. He reached the top and observed the proceedings of the fight, Zoe joining him.
Talos was between the two groups, and was currently focused on trying to kill the other group. His metallic back was exposed to them as his rusted metal sword swung and cleaved through the piles of scrap; evidently trying hard to kill the offending demigods.
Percy saw opportunity, pulled a spear from a shadow, and charged. He shadow travelled and landed with a thump on Talos shoulder, where numerous metal sheet armour fused together, and a small access door was visible.
Talos had evidently felt the intrusion, and began almost shrugging his shoulders to dislodge Percy, but he remained planted on the metallic mantlet. He threw open the access door to see some wires, and quickly plunged his spear tip into them.
The metallic behemoth was evidently affected by this, as his movements slowed. The metal machine then began to fall sideways, and Percy, for a brief fleeting moment, let himself believe they had won.
He hadn't.
Talos was about to drop himself onto his shoulder to remove the demigod from there, and Percy saw it coming. He melted into the shadows and emerged next to Zoe as they watched the beast drop himself with a large thump onto it's shoulder.
The machine amended itself quickly, and was back to swinging it's sword wildly at Percy and Zoe now. They continued to run down through the valleys in hope of escaping the rusted sword carving up their trail.
Percy heard the beast creak and groan, It's sword no longer manically swinging at them. He quickly ascended a metal mountain to get a better view.
Talos was stumbling around, and periodically punching itself. He saw Sephie also watching on in shock; Bianca not with her.
It dawned on him that Bianca was inside it. He cried out as the beast stepped backwards and tripped itself, plunging backwards and meeting some powerlines. A horrificly bright spark illuminated the dark night inside the junkyard as the metal conducted the electricity all over the metal being.
Percy sucked in a desperate breath through his teeth as a sharp pull at the tug of his gut caused him to fall to his knees, his arm and neck hairs on end and goosebumps coating his body, he shivered at the cold feeling that ran down his spine. He was familiar with this feeling.
Death.
His head fell down, a silent tear weaving it's way down his face as he wept for another sister lost. To electricity of all things. Basically lightning.
-FM-
The car ride was quiet; both Percy and Zoe in the back of the truck Thalia had found; the son of Pluto staring off into the distance as they rode along the empty road. The slowly pulled to a stop. The hoover dam lay in front of them. They all dismounted and made they way over to it, hoping to find some much needed rest and refreshment. The group dispersed around, Sephie and Percy going into the small café they had.
"I'm Sorry for letting her go." Sephie said quietly.
Percy gave her a sidelong glance. "It's not your fault." He replied, in an equally quiet voice. He knew her guilt would be eating her from the inside.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a figurine. Percy recognized it; the statue of Hades from Mythomagic, and apology gift to Nico. He knew when she'd taken it aswell. it was the same time he had almost taken his sister's necklace, she had also found something, evidently the figurine.
They eventually reached the front and got some pastries and coffee for the group and met up at their table, a somber mood hovering over the group. They ate in drank in silence as they thought of their passed quest member.
The silence was enjoyable for Percy, sitting in the corner, his resting brooding face melting in the condensing shadows. Until more Spartoi appeared anyway. Their attention was drawn to the clattering of undead bones as they saw the skeletal warriors begin to search around the complex.
"There's too many mortals around, break off and try to lose them, meet back at the van." Zoe ordered. They all nodded, and began to discreetly scatter. The Spartoi began to follow the individuals, unaware that they were being stalked themselves.
Percy followed the two that followed Sephie as she delved deeper into the dam, entering an elevator just as the doors closed. The Spartoi clattered in annoyance, and began to wait for another lift. conveniently, the lift had left only them in the small lobby.
Percy jumped out of the shadows and plunged a small knife into one's neck, forcing it to dissolve, it's soul returned to his dominion. The other raised it's sword and began to fight with the prince of the underworld. The clashing of swords reverberated around the room as stygian iron met crude celestial bronze.
The two battled it out, this soul being particularly skilled, maybe a demigod in its' past life. The Spartoi jabbed at Percy, who quickly dodged and sliced the hand of the offending thrust arm off, separating it at the wrist.
The Skeleton looked furious, and in a surprise move, dived at Percy and tackled him to the floor, the skeleton on top him. He quickly drew a dagger that was really a pugio, and attempted to kill the spartoi. It's cold bony hand grabbed his own, and the force behind it surprised him again, not thinking it would posses such strength.
They wrestled before the Spartoi got the upper hand, and placed the tip of the pugio on his chest and began to force down. It took all of Percy's strength to hold it's wrist to prevent it from murdering him.
The cold Imperial gold pierced his skin, a small stream of warm, sticky blood began to seep out of the light wound in his chest. He felt more force come from his opponent, and pushed back for his life. Just as he was about to lose it, he was coating in ashes.
He cleared his eyes to meet those of Sephie Memphis, who offered a hand after sheathing her sword. He took it gratefully and pulled himself up, sending her all the weak smile her could muster.
The two then quickly moved on back to the van, to find Zoe and Thalia waiting.
"About time, we shook our Spartoi off ages ago." Thalia said, before cocking a brow and gaining a sinister smirk. "Not busy were you two?" She asked.
Sephie spluttered a no, and Percy just shook his head.
"The car has no gas, and they slashed our tires." Zoe said. Percy looked at her before he nodded.
"I can get us to where we need to go." he assured her, before giving a sharp snap of his fingers. Three hellhounds emerged from the shadows behind them. The demigods instantly took weapons. "They're fine, with me infact." Percy assured them. They lowered their weapons as the beasts of night ambled over and got low, allowing them to climb on. Percy took the biggest, and gave it an affectionate scratch behind it's ear. Thalia and Zoe mounted their own separate ones not willing to be so close to eachother.
Percy tensed when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and a face buried into his back. He craned his neck to see the dark locks of Sephie's over his shoulder. Percy gave a pat on the side of his pet, and the dogs bounded into the shadows, where Percy thrived.
======AN======
-Personally, i feel that these chapters aren't long enough, i dunno its just that i feel i need to pressure myself into making these chapters an acceptable word count.
Eh, anyway sorry for the wait, i got massively burned out and couldn't bring myself to write much, its still kind of going on.
welp, it's 1:56 am here in the UK, so good night all, morning yanks.
Best wishes, stay safe
- Dudududuehehehe