Chapter 13: I Bungee Jump To My Death (Minus the Bungee Part)
Will and I continued to weave in and out of the branches of the trees, moving somewhat silently, (Will can be rather loud) and heading for the anticipated direction of the enemy flag. We crossed paths with a handful of hunters, all of which we knocked out cold with my sword and Will's bow, though not very efficiently. How we managed to do it is still a mystery to me.
"How much farther do you think the flag is?" Will asked.
"Not sure. It could be anywhere really," I replied. I don't remember where the flag was the last time I played Capture the Flag with the Hunters. I didn't even have the job of finding the flag, I was simply border patrol. Percy and Thalia had that job and if I remember correctly, failed miserably. The Hunters probably moved the flag again, especially if they knew Annabeth Chase would be leading the Blue Team.
Then I began to think about it some more. What would be the most logical hiding spot for the flag? What would be the best possible place in general?
The Hunters of Artemis certainly aren't stupid, if winning all 56 games against the campers is anything to go by. They aren't going to hide the flag out in the open, right?
But that's just it.
Maybe they will, a lure for the perfect trap to catch a couple of annoying demigods. The Hunters are swift and stealthy. They definitely wouldn't have a hard time hiding—plotting for the right moment to sneak up on the enemy team and take them down. Perhaps leaving the flag out in the open would be the most logical way to go about it. However, taking into account that they've used this strategy before—which is what Annabeth mentioned when explaining the plan—hiding the flag out in the open with easy access would simply look too easy. Their strategy would self-destruct before they even got a chance to use it.
Although, if they somehow managed to put the flag out in the open in some place with a treacherous terrain, the strategy would certainly work once again.
It would look difficult, and yet, still attainable.
Then it hit me.
Zeus' fist. That's where their flag is.
"I'll be right back," I said. Without warning I began to climb the tree, shifting to each branch and foothold.
"Where are you going?" I heard Will follow behind me. I struggled to pull myself up, though continued to inch slowly higher and higher up the trunk. A couple of branches would creek here and there, and I would quickly grab on to the branch beside it.
Just keep on climbing, don't look down, I kept thinking to myself. Just keep climbing.
As I ventured higher, the feeling of vertigo and fear didn't escape me. My knuckles turned white and my arms shook, but I kept my head high and fixed on the desired point: The very top of the tree. If I'm going to get any sort of vantage point, this is the way to do it. I need to figure out how far away Zeus' fist is from our location in the trees. If it's too far… well, I'm hoping I don't need to ditch Will.
Finally, after an agonizingly long time, (which was more like a minute, but who's counting?) I reached the very top. Needless to say, my fear of heights has only worsened. I wrapped my arms around the thin trunk and held on for dear life.
This is what my life has come to, I reflected. Battling genetically mutated monkeys, driving magic school buses, viewing terrible orientation films, recalling terrifying family spats, an-n-n-d now I'm about to bungee jump to my death… minus the bungee part. Super.
"Are you trying to look for the flag?" Will asked right next to me. Thankfully he and I have relatively the same weight, or else both of us probably would've fallen off the tree by now. Will, unlike me, looked perfectly comfortable and content up in the air. I could now clearly see that his eyes are the same exact shade as the sky, a brilliant blue, with his face in the background of the world around us.
"I'm trying to see how far away we are from Zeus's fist," I answered. my eyes scanned the distance for the unique formation of rocks.
Will pointed north, "That way."
My eyes followed his finger, and there I saw it. The familiar rock formation right on the side of the mountain, next to the forest… and also too far away to travel by foot.
I stared back at the son of Apollo, who confidently held on and gazed at the microscopic world below. I thought about how he followed me through the trees, how he helped me take down Hunters, and how he climbed up with me despite not needing to. I thought about how we became friends, and shared those bright smiles. I thought about the way we looked at eachother when Will worked to heal the long line of the wounded back in the war, which almost seemed like a world away—an awful nightmare I finally woke up from. Will needs to know.
Will deserves to know.
I risked a glance below, and after adjusting to the spinning scenery, I noticed a thick patch of shadows on the forest floor—just enough to shadow travel the two of us.
"Do you trust me?" I asked Will.
"Of course," he said without hesitation.
I took a deep breath, "Look, I know this is going to sound insane, but I'm a time traveler. I've been sent from the future—which is four years from now—to fix a terrible mistake the Gods have made. And… I'm a Son of Hades," I admitted carefully, "Do you still trust me?"
Will blinked, attempting to process what he just heard. He hesitated, "I do. Sounds insane, but I do. I can sense that your telling the truth. One of the perks of being a son of Apollo."
I nodded. "Well, children of Hades have a special ability called shadow travel, where we bend the shadows to teleport and pop out in an entirely different place. I think I can use it to get us to Zeus' fist, but it's super disorienting, so I wanted to check with you if you're still willing to do this with me."
"Of course! What are friends for? How disorienting are we talking?"
"Like, puke or faint disorienting. Still with me?" I inquired.
"Still with you. Only problem—there are no shadows here, so how are we going to teleport?"
I smirked and Will's eyes suddenly widened, as if he read my mind. "Um, I don't think that's a good idea," he said, glancing down below.
"Do you have a better idea?"
"Climb down?"
"Takes too long, we've already climbed all the way up."
"And who's fault is that?"
"Hey! You're the one that decided to tag along, remember?" I fired back.
"... Fine. But if we end up in your dad's domain, I'm blaming you for it."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that. But if it does, we can always be neighbors in Elysium," I said. "Grab on. Whatever you do, don't let go under any circumstances!"
Will nodded nervously, looking quite fearful, and it suddenly occurred to me that I'm talking to an eleven year old. "Hey, I'll be with you the whole time," I smiled reassuringly, "And if you don't want to do it, you are more than welcome to climb down. I won't judge," I said gently.
"No, I want to do this. Let's go. I'm ready!"
Will did not look ready.
I sighed and shook my head. "You're sure?" He nodded vigorously, "Grab on."
Will death gripped my wrist, which I guess is fitting as we might as well be falling to our deaths at this point. "Ready?"
"Ready."
I dove off the tree, dragging Will with me, aiming for the pocket of shadows far below. Neither of us screamed—there was simply no time to scream. I shut my eyes tight and willed the shadows to wrap around us. I pictured Zeus' fist vividly in my mind, praying to every god that we don't die because we stupidly jumped off a tree to our impending doom.
I counted the seconds until we reach impact:
5
The wind whistled in my ears.
4
The shadows flickered.
3
The world passed by me in slow motion.
2
The shadows encased us.
1
We fell through the pool of darkness, into the void.
*This is a line break by the way.*
The whispers of the dead echoed through the shadow dimension. Everywhere I looked, the blackest of blackness surrounded me. I exhaled, and my breath swirled around me in a frosty cloud. The shadows tickled my skin with their cool touch. Suddenly my ears popped and light began to fill my vision.
I tumbled out of a shadow with Will behind me, and I collapsed from exhaustion. The world spun around me and I felt an overwhelming desire to pass out. "Nico? Nico, are you alright? Nico!" Will whispered in a garbled voice. Why does he sound like that? I tried to focus on Will's face, but I could feel myself slipping into the welcoming arms of sleep. Maybe I can rest my eyes, just for a moment…
Will's hands glowed a brilliant gold as they found mine. I gasped as warm energy surged through me. My vision cleared and my hearing returned from underwater.
"Will…" I blinked several times to regain my bearings. This certainly isn't the first time I've experienced side effects like these when shadow traveling, though usually I just sleep it off. However, I forgot that I don't have the same endurance I used to have—I've got the exertion of a spaghetti-armed 10 year old who has trouble holding a sword. I can't push myself like I used to. My body simply won't allow it.
"Nico! Oh thank the Gods you're okay! Are you alright? What just happened?!" Will exclaimed. He tried to be quiet, but freaking out doesn't exactly tolerate quiet.
"Will, I'm okay. Just some side effects I forgot about. I didn't realize how fast I would burn out," I answered, keeping my voice calm, level, and soft. There's no need to freak out Will anymore than he already is.
"'Just some side effects?'" He asked incredulously, "And you forgot to mention them?"
I pursed my lips, "I made a mistake. I thought I could handle shadow travel, but I'm not 14 anymore. I overlooked the side effects. Normally when I get tired, I sleep it off, though this jump was particularly bad," I looked away, unable to meet his piercing eyes, "I'm sorry I scared you. Thank you for healing me."
Will's eyes softened, but I could still clearly see the annoyance in his sky blue orbs. "It's alright, I'm just glad you're safe. Don't scare me like that again, Death Boy!"
I almost smiled at the Déjà vu. Will called me "Death Boy" when we first me at Half Blood Hill too. Looking back on it, the whole exchange seemed more humorous now then irritating. But I still haven't quite gotten over Will's chastising over using my "Underworld-y powers." If he thinks this is the last time I will unintentionally scare him, he is in for quite the ride. He did just make friends with a Son of Hades, after all.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Besides the fact that I'm five seconds away from puking my guts out? Yeah, I'm great," Will replied. Sarcasm? I didn't know he had it in him.
"Where are we? Did we make it?" I scanned my surroundings for any familiar landmarks, or just the flag in general. Will scanned around with me. "I think we—" I stopped talking abruptly. There, in the distance, right below Zeus' fist, the silver flag sparkled like luminescent metal in the evening sun, "There it is! I was right!" I felt a rush of triumph, bu-u-u-t it quickly vanished when I glanced at exactly who is guarding the flag. There, all decked out in silver with a confident expression on her face, stood Bianca di Angelo. Next to her, an unfamiliar Hunter guarded by her side.
Yep, we are doomed.
"Oh no," I voiced involuntarily.
"'Oh no?' What does 'oh no' mean?"
"See that girl, standing on the left side?" I pointed. He poked his head out from the tree trunk, the only thing that's preventing the Hunters from seeing us. He nodded, "That's my sister, Bianca. She just became a Hunter not 24 hours ago. We've been having a couple of… family spats. The thing is, she's a really inexperienced Hunter, but a good one. There's no way we can just hit and run with the flag without getting caught. As you may have noticed, we both have chicken legs, meaning we won't run very fast, especially against two speed-enhanced Hunters. If we're going to get past them with the flag, we're going to need to play this smart. Meaning we're gonna need a distraction," I mused, turning my still non-existent ring. Then my eyes drifted to Will.
His eyes widened in understanding.
I hate throwing Will under the bus—I truly do. But this is our only option. In terms of distractions and diversions, Will definitely takes the cake with that hair of his.
"Um, I don't know about this."
"Will, don't take this the wrong way, but your hair is literally the equivalent of the sun, especially in the dark. If anyone can create a diversion, it's you. I believe in you, Sunshine." The name rolled off my tongue so naturally, yet it was so unfamiliar to my vocabulary. "You can do this. I'll be right behind them, silently stealing the flag while you distract them with your arrows. Do you have any other abilities that might be useful in this situation?"
"Well…" Will's face lit up, like, it literally lit up, "I have a really high pitched whistle that's an amazing stunner and super effective! I can also curse people with rhyming couplets for a week, if that's any help."
I brought my hand to my chin and contemplated for a moment. "The first option sounds more effective. The second option seems good too, though I don't think Bianca would appreciate speaking in rhyme for an entire week."
"Sounds good. So, what's the plan, Death Boy?"
"I'll sneak from behind and grab the flag, while you distract from the front. Do whatever you see as fit, just try not to get yourself killed—or worse—expelled," I paused, waiting to see if he got the reference.
Will smiled, "Whatever you say, Hermione Granger."
My lips curled into a smirk, "When I grab the flag, I'm going to try to knock them out. That would be a really good time to use your whistle. When they're out cold, we run," I explained.
"And what happens if that doesn't work? What will be plan B?"
"We run like the wind."
"There's no change in that plan," Will pointed out.
"It's called improvising. Adapt and overcome," I clarified.
"I don't think running away is adapting and overcoming."
"It is with the Hunters of Artemis."
"... Touché. Do you always argue with your friends?"
"I don't have friends," I instinctively answered. Then I thought about it for a moment. "Well… no, not really."
"That's kind of depressing, not gonna lie."
"Welcome to my life," was all I had to say to that.
Will found a high, somewhat concealed vantage point amidst the trees, while I vanished into the shadows and silently made my way behind the Hunters. I moved like a panther, my figure lithe and quick, my sight keen. Will fired his first arrow when I gave him the signal. Bianca and Hunter #2—the name I now dubbed her—fired back with alarm. A flory of bronze and silver sparkled like a miniature meteor shower back and forth. My sister and Hunter #2 ventured closer, brandishing their silver hunting knives and advancing. Will, being the clever son of Apollo he is, moved back.
My hand drifted over the flag, which had been disregarded in the frenzy.
Ha! Nico 1, Hunters 0.
Of course, Bianca took the liberty of glancing behind her at that exact moment. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. "Nico?! What are you doing here?!"
I suppressed a sigh. Why does this always happen to me? Nico 0, Hunters 1.
I snatched the flag and made a break for it.
"Oh no you don't!" Bianca made a grab for me, but my demigod reflexes kicked in and I side-stepped. She slashed her hunting knife at me, though I could tell she didn't mean it. Hunter #2 chased after Will as he ran the other way. Bianca attempted to slash again and I kindly blocked with my liable celestial bronze sword. A deadly dance ensued, one of slashing, blocking, twirling, and dodging—though not necessarily in that order. Bronze and silver collided.
I risked a glance to see how Will's holding up, and found him shooting another volley of arrows at a very impatient hunter.
"Why are you out here all alone? Where is your group?" Bianca interrogated. I wasn't sure if she was trying to distract me, or if she was genuinely curious.
"Hunter #2 is fighting my group right now. Also, stop talking to me," I gritted my teeth as Bianca forced me on defense.
She briefly glanced at Will and Hunter #2 out of the corner of her eye. "There's only one person there."
"I know."
I recalled the different strategies one can use with daggers and knives. As short as the blades are, they can be quite effective against a sword, especially an unbalanced one. Short blades are designed for people who like to get up close into someone's space. Daggers and knives can be even more deadly in the offensive, but practically useless for defensive. Swords on the other hand, can be incredibly versatile depending on the user. Most people are aggressive fighters, though some are more comfortable blocking. I'm somewhere in the middle in that spectrum. I prefer to get aggressive, but with my stamina, I can't afford to use it every fight. Sometimes, resorting to defensive can be really conservative of your energy and generally tires the opponent out.
Though if I'm going to outmatch Bianca, I have to be more aggressive.
I thrust my sword towards her dagger, and she blocked expectantly, but I feigned it and aimed for her feet instead. Startled, she jumped up and lost her balance. Just as quickly I gained the upper hand. I spun around and slashed at random, careful not to cause any damage, but enough to scare the living dead out of my sister. She's fast, though not fast enough.
Bianca parried and dodged, struggling to keep up. Am I being too merciless? Probably. Although Bianca's sharp words were certainly encouraging. Besides, I really want the Campers to win for once. I continued to keep a steady pace, slowly but surely backing Bianca into a tree. I stabbed half heartedly at any openings I could fine, which unsurprisingly, given Bianca's experience, were a lot. My sister grunted in frustration and swung carelessly. She stepped on a root and stumbled. I grabbed her forearm instinctively.
No! My mind screamed. Why did you catch her? An opportunity wasted!
Why did I catch her?
"Thanks," she panted.
"No problem." Well, it was a problem, but I'm not about to tell her that.
We resumed fighting as if nothing happened.
My spaghetti arms grew tired and flimsy. I can't go on much longer. I have to end this now. I swung my sword at her knife and pushed down with all of my weight. Bianca's arms shook as she struggled to keep the dagger away from her vicinity. I pushed harder. Just as the dagger finally conceded, a cry came from behind me.
"Nico!" Will's voice echoed in the clearing. I turned and instantly regretted it. Bianca snatched my sword out of my hand. Next thing I know, my sword and her dagger hovered over my chest. A few feet away, Will had a silver hunting knife pointed at his throat. I surveyed the situation. Will and I are both powerless in these positions. I don't have enough strength to disarm Bianca, and I doubt Will does either. Physical strength is out of the question. What can we do? We can wait, but I did promise Annabeth I wouldn't be seen. So what's the best option? I racked my brain on what Will said only moments before.
I have a really high pitched whistle that's an amazing stunner and super effective!
That's it.
"Will, do the thing."
His eyes widened. "Are you sure?"
"Definitely."
"What's 'the thing?' What is he talking about?" Hunter #2 interrogated.
"Nico, what's going on?" Bianca asked tiredly.
I ignored her. "It's the best chance we've got."
"But you'll feel the effects too," Will reasoned.
"I know the risks." A look passed between us, one of understanding. He nodded. I braced myself.
Will blew his hypersonic whistle and Bianca and Hunter #2 winced, covering their ears. I winced too, but I refused to concede to the cacophonous sound. The whistle was appalling to my ears, though it's nothing compared to the horrific symphony of the fallen, a tune that shook me to my very core.
The ringing in my ears subsided.
I freed myself from my sister's not-so-loving arms, retrieved my sword, and reclaimed the silver flag from the overgrown grass. I dashed out of the clearing with Will right beside me, though not before disarming the Hunters and throwing their weapons far out in the forest. Good luck finding those. Bianca and the unnamed hunter were still recovering, quivering in the grass with their eyes shut tight.
We ran like the wind, breezing through the unmoving trees and moving Hunters. They hunted us like bloodhounds, shooting arrow after arrow. But Will and I refused to relent, refused to back down. Not when we're a yard away from the creek. I prayed to Nike that she would grant us victory for the first time since all 56 games and I prayed that our chicken legs would carry us over the boundary line. My knuckles turned white around the handle of the flag.
Will wheezed, and I knew I wasn't much better, "We're so close, yet so far!"
I willed my legs to sprint faster. The sound of the Hunters' footsteps behind us were our motivation. I suddenly heard commotion and I risked a glance behind me. What I saw shocked me.
Thalia, Annabeth, and a whole bunch of Campers we're currently wrestling the Hunters of Artemis, neither group backing down, "Keep going, Nico! Don't stop!" I quickened my pace and I felt a cramp forming just below my rib cage. Percy noticed Will and I sprinting to the creek, and he raised his arms. A wall of water formed, preparing to crash down on the enemy. I gasped as an arrow pierced my skin. I stumbled and fell.
Will whirled behind me, "Nico! Are you alright? What happened—" he paled considerably when he noticed the silver arrow sticking out of my calf. My blood flowed down in a river of crimson.
"Take the flag and get to the creek!"
"But—" I interrupted him.
"There's no time! Take the flag and leave me behind!" I insisted, shoving to flag into his hands.
"Never."
Will hoisted me up and dragged me with him. The flag dangled in my bloody hand. Percy joined us and placed my right arm over his shoulder. Together, all three of us crossed the creek line as a wave of water crashed into the Hunters of Artemis. The cheers of Chiron's Campers overcame the shrieks of Artemis' Hunters. The flag shifted from silver to black, and finally settled on a luxurious shade of gold.
Everyone crowded around us, singing songs of victory and cheering for the unprecedented win. They glanced above my head expectantly as Will tended to my leg.
They're waiting for a claiming. I thought. They actually think my father is going to claim me.
Fat chance. Especially after what Zeus did to my mother...
"Congratulations, Nico!" Percy exclaimed, ruffling my hair.
"It wasn't just me. If it weren't for Will, we wouldn't have won," I pointed out. Percy's gaze shifted to Will, and he studied the Son of Apollo as if he were looking at him for the first time.
"Thanks, man. You did good. Both of you."
A soaking wet, exhilarated Thalia and Annabeth made their way over to us, "Looks like you were right after all, Neeks. How did you do it?" Annabeth asked.
Will and I shared a quick glance, which didn't go unnoticed by the Daughter of Athena, "Later."
She nodded, getting the message. Thalia and Percy adopted identical expressions of skepticism, but didn't comment.
A thought occurred to me: The fight between Percy and Thalia hasn't broken out! My theory worked, I changed an event by changing my actions. Then the next thought occurred to me: Where is the guest of honor?
My answer came by shrieks and screams as everyone turned around.
There, slowly walking in the field, the mummified Oracle of Delphi made her way to us.
