It was dim. I could make out lots of bulky shaped that looked like pieces of machinery, but I couldn't be sure. Leo was next to me, pulling out his hammer. I pulled out my bow and quiver. We silently looked around. The catwalk that we left Piper and Jason on was empty. Somewhere below, on the factory floor, Piper's voice cried out, "Leo, Alex, help!" . But me and Leo looked at each other. That couldn't be right. How could Piper have gotten off the catwalk she landed on with a broken ankle? We quickly slipped behind a cargo container, and then hiding behind similar pieces of junk and machinery, we slowly made our way to the center, behind a robotic arm. Piper's voice called out again, but less certainly this time, but very close, "Guys? Are you there?"Leo peeked around the arm. I couldn't bring myself to. Suddenly, it sounded like something was getting up. I turned to look.

"Told you it was nothing." said something. It's voice was way to deep and feral to be human. The thing opposite him got up too. There was something in between them. I couldn't see what. The second one said,

"Leo! Alex! Help-" then his voice changing to deep and feral like the first one. "Bah. There's no-one out there. No demigods could be that quiet, eh?"

"Probably ran away, if they know what's good for them. Or the girl was lying about two more demigods. Let's get cooking." Suddenly, there was a burst of white light, and the scene was alight. There were two figures either side of the fire. There was a...spit, I think. In horror, I realised there was a truck engine dangling above it. And there were two figures dangling from it. They were Jason and Piper! Jason looked alive enough, but he was unconscious, and there was a large red welt the size of an apple above his left eye. I winced. That must have hurt. Next to him was Piper, wriggling from side to side. At least she was alive and conscious. They were wrapped in bandages like cacoons, and they had gags over their mouths. It might have been funny, except they were about to get roasted by...it hit me. Monocle Motors. How did I not get it before? The cooks were Cyclopses. Three massive humanoids were gathered around the fire. The two on either side of the fire were around ten feet tall, and they were very hairy. One was wearing an uncomfortable looking chain-mail loin cloth. The other was wearing a fuzzy robe made out of...was that fibre insulation wire? Any ways, I'm pretty sure these two beasts wouldn't have made it into my top ten wardrobe choices. Yes, dear reader, I have standards! The ginourmous humanoid in between them was facing away from the arm we were crouching behind. They were wearing a metal...dress? and they had dark hair. I think it was wires and bolts in their hair. My legs started quaking. I'd seen some weird things so far, like a metal dragon that liked Tabasco sauce. But this was different. These were flesh and blood 10-foot monsters who wanted to eat my friends for lunch. I was so terrified I could hardly think. Even having Festus here-Cyclopses were immune to fire. He wouldn't do any good. Our weapons looked tiny against these humanoids. This is what Dirt face was talking to Leo about. Leaving me, Piper and Jason to be at the mercy of the cyclops menu. Leo took his bag, and slowly started unzipping it. I grinned at him. He had a plan. The cyclops in the chain mail loincloth walked over to Piper, who squirmed and tried to headbutt him in the eye. I smirked, and did a silent, small fist pump.

"Can I take the gag off? I like it when they scream." He directed this question at the third cyclops, who was obviously the leader. The crouching figure grunted, and the cyclops pulled the gag off Piper. She didn't scream. She took a shaky breath, trying to stay calm. Meanwhile, Leo was pulling stuff out of his tool belt and backpack. I crossed my fingers, hoping he would hurry. We were running out of time. He also had to stay really quiet. It seemed impossible that he could do anything without making a lot of noise. The cyclops in the fuzzy robe poked at the fire, and said,

"Scream, girl! I like funny screaming!". When Piper spoke, her tone was calm and reasonable, like she was correcting a naughty puppy.

"Oh, Mr. Cyclops, you don't want to kill us. It would be much better if you let us go." I grinned. Piper rocked. Loincloth scratched his head.

"She's kinda pretty, Torque. Maybe I should let her go." Fibre glass robe guy seethed with rage.

"I saw her first, Sump, I'll let her go!". I felt myself making a sour face. Torque and Sump. Who actually came up with these names?

"Fools!" The third Cyclops growled, getting up. With a shock, I realised that the third Cyclops was a female, and an ugly one at that. "That girl is Venus spawn. She's charm speaking you!". This lady was bigger and beefier than both Torque and Sump (again, what with the names?), and several feet taller. She was wearing a chain mail dress-a muumuu. Yeah, the lady cyclops was wearing a muumuu. Her greasy black hair was matted into two pigtails, that were woven with copper wires and metal washers. Her nose and mouth were smashed together, as if she spent her free time ramming into walls, but her single red eye glittered with evil intelligence. She pushed Sump to the side, and Torque made no hesitation to get out of the way.

"Please ma'am-" Piper began to say.

"Rarr!" said the lady Cyclops, grabbing Piper around the waist. "Don't try your pretty talk on me, girl! I'm Ma Gasket! I've eaten heroes tougher than you for lunch!" I was scared that Piper would get crushed, but Ma Gasket just let her dangle, hanging from the chain. Then she started yelling at Sump about how stupid he was. That's when I realised that Torque and Sump must have been her sons. If so, Ugly most certainly ran in the family. Leo seemed to have finished what he needed. I grinned at him, silently encouraging him. He grinned back.

"-eat her last, Ma?" Sump was saying.

"Idiot!" Ma Gasket yelled. "I should have thrown you on to the streets when you were born, like proper cyclops children. Curse my soft heart I kept you!". I smiled to myself in amusement. Soft heart. Obviously, Torque and Sump weren't as stupid as they looked.

"Soft heart?" Torque muttered.

"What was that, you ingrate?"

"Nothing Ma. I says you has a soft heart. We get to work for you, feed you, file your toenails-"

"And you should be grateful!" Ma Gasket bellowed. "Sump, my case of salsa is in the other room! Don't tell me you expect me to eat the demigods without my salsa!"

"Yes Ma," Sump gulped. "I mean, no Ma. I mean-"

"Go get it!" Ma yelled, chucking a truck at her son. But apparently, Sump got hit by trucks a lot, because he just pushed it off him, and went out of the door, legs shaking. I looked at Leo. Now was the time, while they were separated. He seemed to be having the same thoughts, as he dashed between the machinery. Luckily, the Cyclops didn't see him, but Piper did. Oh, gods, I thought to myself. Please don't get us busted. Piper's expression of surprise turned to disbelief, and she gasped. I gulped and tried to stay as still as possible. Maybe that way, I could pass off as a statue. Ma Gasket turned to her.

"What is it, girl? So fragile I broke you?" Thankfully, Piper was a quick thinker. She looked away from us, and said

"I think it's my ribs, Ma'am. If I'm busted up inside, I'll taste terrible." Ma Gasket bellowed with laughter.

"Oh, that was a good one. Remember last one we ate, Torque? Son of mercury, wasn't he?"

"Yes Ma," Torque said obediently. "Tasty. Little bit stringy."

"He tried a trick like that. Said he was on medication. But he tasted fine!" Ma continued.

"Tasted like mutton," Torque recalled. "Purple shirt. Talked in Latin. A little stringy, but good." My heart froze. Purple shirt? Like the one Jason was wearing said an annoying voice in my head. Like the people in your dream. My head started to spin. It wasn't possible. Chiron never mentioned anything about...what was it your dream said? Never speak of this to anyone. There is a reason Chiron has never spoke of this. A dangerous gamble. I put the thought out of my head. It wasn't possible. I didn't want to think of what could happen if it was true. I was broken out of my thoughts, when Sump said,

"Oh and remember that other demigod, son of Apollo, wasn't he?" My senses froze. No, it couldn't be. Leo gave me a look, like, 'You know this dude?'

"Oh yes," Torque agreed happily. "Orange shirt one. Said he was lactose intolerant." He then made a face. "Was lactose intolerant." My chest raced. Apollo. Orange shirt. Lactose intolerant. Liam. The world stopped around me. Liam went on a solo quest, to visit a friendly cyclops who would help secure the defences around camp. But he never returned. This was why. He had been eaten by these cyclops', over this very spit. My knees buckled, and I slid to the floor. Rage boiled inside me. I wanted to avenge Liam. The first person who felt like family to me at camp. The one who was like my older brother, my parent, always looking out for me...my head was spinning. I wanted nothing more than to jump out and gut every last one of these hobos. But I restrained myself, the force I had to use on myself turning my knuckles white. Leo shot me a concerned look, but I shook my head at him, telling him to go on. I watched his every move, determined to enjoy the destruction of the bastards who tore my brother to shreds. I was too taken over by anger and need of revenge, that drowned out the pain. I closed my eyes, and remembered the last time I ever saw him.


I was ten. Liam was 17. He gave me one final lopsided grin, before hugging me.

"Bye Alex!" he said in his up-and-down voice, that always made me laugh. I chewed on a piece of my chestnut hair.

"You'll be safe, won't you?" I asked, worried. He laughed.

"Hey, Alex, I'm a demigod. That is literally impossible." He saw my concerned face, and broke out into a grin.

"But I'll come back to you, dead or alive, Alex, promise. I swear on the river Styx."

And he never did.


"Good eating." Ma Gasket commented, bringing me out of my bubble. Rage was slamming against my chest, crashing, bringing it down. "Point is, girl, we're not as dumb as people think. We're not falling for those stupid tricks, not us Northen Cyclopses!". I looked over at Leo. His hand was skillfully twisting wire around wire, around metal pole. I crossed my fingers, hoping Piper would keep stalling. Leo looked up at the dangling car engine, right above the Cyclops campsite. I smiled. That would make a great weapon. But then I realised that it was being suspended over by a crane on a conveyor belt across the other side. There was no way Leo could get over there without being seen. And besides, we were running short on time.


Hey guys! Yes I have not been killed. I know I have now sabotaged my regular upload pattern, but I have just been really busy. I just wanted to get this chapter out, so hope you enjoyed! And sorry again that this chapter took so long!

Yours truly,

MilkandCheez