AN: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus or Naruto. Just another fan with a bit too much time on his hands.
The Monster Hunter
Lewis Tumnus the Eighth – yeah, make the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe joke, you know you want to – was not having a good day. He was far from Camp Half-Blood, home to demigods, satyrs (like himself) and nymphs of Ancient Greek lore. Well, lore according to normal humans anyway. To beings like Lewis, it was sanctuary, the last good one as far as he was concerned.
Lewis wiped the back of his furry arm across his brow to clear away the sweat. This heat was unbearable. And there were far too many chains with hooks on them that hung from the ceiling in his opinion. A shadow moved and Lewis hurriedly turned to find the source of it. Why did he agree to come to this old steel mill again?
Oh yeah, because Chiron had made it an official request to the council.
Lewis pitied the old centaur, truly he did. He was given the blame for the poison of Thalia's Pine when someone else was clearly responsible. Alas, Lewis was just a satyr, a lowly ranked one in satyr hierarchy at that, and could do nothing but help the trainer out when he needed it.
Lewis grunted as he backed into an old table. Something fell and, before he could fathom an attempt to stop it, the object hit the ground and made a large bang. Lewis yelped and quickly clapped his hands over his mouth to conceal the sound.
It was too late.
The shadows came alive and from one came an enormous Hellhound. A creature of shadow, the Hellhound was seen only thanks to the faint light that came from the mill's active smelters. It's red eyes scanned the room, and drool dripped from the massive jaws.
Lewis scrambled for a place to hide. He ducked behind a large cabinet far from where he stood and breathed heavily as the sound of several deep sniffs hit his sensitive ears. He kept his hands over his mouth so no unintentional bleats came out. He carefully peeked out from his hiding place and swallowed. A muffled bleat escaped his hands, which tightened around his mouth.
The Hellhound sniffed along the ground like a normal dog would and stopped where he had once stood. There were several more sniffs before it looked up. The Hellhound stalked closer to Lewis' cabinet, and the satyr shrunk back into the shadows within.
If only he could hide his scent, for the one few moments in his life, Lewis cursed the fact that he was a satyr.
The Hellhound growled as it approached. The sound of its paws as they struck the ground were like booms of thunder from an angry Zeus, something that absolutely terrified Lewis ever since he was a young goat. Lewis' eyes screwed shut and he held his breath.
The Hellhound's snout started to penetrate the cabinet and the growl became ferociously loud. It was a growl of anticipation and the glee of captured prey. A growl Lewis really wished he hadn't heard.
Then, something happened.
The doors to the mill, left open to only a crack, suddenly exploded with noise as they were thrown open wide. The Hellhound retreated from the near discovery it almost made and barked at the intruder. A chain rattled and the sound of a metallic crack filled the air. The crack was followed by a boom and the Hellhound's whine shortly after.
Lewis chanced another look outside of his cabinet spot and leaned out. He saw the Hellhound on its side on the ground. It writhed and snarled at an unseen foe, or hero in Lewis' opinion, until it suddenly went still with a yowl. A chain fell to the ground as the Hellhound dissolved into golden dust, a small pelt of fur left behind as a reward.
A gunshot rang out and Lewis cringed.
"Come out." The voice that spoke was young, but hoarse like it was unused. There was the soft click of a gun's hammer pulled back. "Next shot will be the last."
Lewis climbed out of his spot with his hands up. "Don't shoot! I'm not a monster!"
There was silence before another soft click followed his words. From the shadows came a giant of a teen. He was easily a few inches taller than the average man and his shoulders were broad. Underneath a black leather jacket was a worn faded camp T-shirt covered his chest and relaxed jeans were on his legs. Boots of some sort were on his feet and in his left hand was a mortal handgun. In his right, the end of a bronze chain that rested where the Hellhound once lay. The gun was tucked into a holster on his hip and the chain, as though sentient, wrapped itself around his arm several times.
"What do you want?" Lewis looked up at the teen's face, or what he could see of it anyway. A bandanna that had the lower image of a human's skull on it protected the teen's face from the nose down. Steel blue eyes glared at Lewis and short wild corn-colored hair covered his head.
Lewis swallowed and slowly reached into his cargos pocket. He pulled out a folded letter and offered it to the blond. The blond snatched the letter from the satyr's hand and flipped it open. His eyes scanned the contents before he folded the note back up and tucked it away into his jacket.
"Payment?"
Lewis blinked at the question and then fumbled around in his other pocket. He pulled out a small bag that jingled with each movement and held it out to the blond. The hand shot out like a viper and grabbed the leather bag. It also vanished into his jacket soon after.
"I'll get the rest at camp." The teen turned and walked out to where a dark motorcycle with a massive front waited. Lewis hurriedly ran after him. The rider got on the bike and turned the engine over. The wheels ignited in flame and the sides of the hood turned on, a red headlight on either side, like evil eyes.
"Wait, can I hitch a ride?" Lewis asked.
The blond paused as he held a dark helmet and scrutinized the satyr for a moment. A beat passed before he pulled the helmet on and revved the engine. The rider turned to the satyr, his face hidden by the helmet.
"I'll take you to the bus station."
Lewis sighed in relief. "That'll work. Thanks."
"Don't mention it."
"Run! Get Naruto out of here, Kushina!"
"Minato, don't be an idiot!"
"I'll hold them off, just go!"
"Mom! No, we have to go back for Minato! Minato!"
The rider shook his head and lifted his faceguard to rub at his eyes. He lowered it so that the wind didn't bother him and brooded over his dream. That dream had gotten really old, really fast. It had been six years since that day, the day his mother and stepfather died. Six years since he left Camp Half-Blood behind along with all the friends he made. He wondered how many were left, how many had died on quests. He wondered if anyone had taken Moria's place as Cabin counselor.
Well, he thought idly, I guess I'll find out for myself once I get there.
His hand hit the autopilot switch and he retook control of his prized creation. It was originally a bodyguard for his mother, made in his first year, for when he was away at camp. After she had met Minato and things started to look serious, he took the bot with him to camp in his third year to tinker and toy with it. After the incident, Naruto packed up what remained of the original work and left Camp Half-Blood for good.
Six years ago, Naruto thought. He reached out with his right hand and pat the modified Suzuki motorcycle on the massive hood that housed an engine that ran on a smidge of plutonium and recycled energy. "How's it feel to be six years old, Kurama?"
The headlights flashed and the engine revved like a cat would purr.
Beneath his helmet, Naruto cracked a smile. "Yeah, I know. Feels longer, doesn't it?"
The motorcycle revved again.
"Alright, you take it easy and let me drive." There was another rev before the speed dropped significantly from three hundred and twenty one miles per hour. Naruto leaned forward and took the right down the dirt road. Naruto hit another switch that cut the blaze of fiery wheels and replaced them with off-road ready treads.
Naruto turned right at the strawberry fields and kept to the road as the woods neared. The sounds of shouts and yells increased in volume as he drove closer to where the camp was. Naruto banked around the corner and saw a line of armored campers on Half-Blood Hill, shields and spears at the ready while a few archers took shots at the attackers.
The rider sneered at them beneath his helmet, Cyprian Centaurs. A race of centaurs that hail from the island of Cyprus, said to be attendants of Aphrodite and children of Zeus and Gaia, they are similar to normal centaurs but are larger and have bull-like horns that stick out the side of their head. They had thick hides and were fast despite their size.
Naruto let his right hand slip out to the side and grabbed the handle of the weapon that was holstered behind him. The blond pulled the modified Winchester shotgun out and, with a swivel of the cock he had practiced after he watched a Schwarzenegger film, loaded a round. He sped ahead of the centaurs and skid to a halt halfway up the hill. With his other arm as a balance, Naruto fired a round at the small force.
Three seconds after his shot, three of the centaurs were coated in fluid that burst info flames on contact with their skin. One fell into dust then and there, but the other two fled, and the flames that covered them remained despite their attempts to douse them. Naruto swiveled the shotgun again and drove at the surprised platoon. As he drove past one, he unloaded a bronze shotgun shell into its head. At the sight of their brother's head exploding, the centaurs abandoned their charge and chased after him as he sped away.
Naruto shook his head. Too easy. He holstered the shotgun and twisted his wrist. From around his arm, the bronze chain slipped down and rattled in the wind. He threw his arm out at a distant tree and the chain shot out. It wound twice before it became lodged in place. Naruto turned around and led the centaurs into the woods, where he wound his way through the trees. The centaurs continued to follow after him, which led to their downfall.
Throughout the chase, Naruto let his chain get hooked on several trees. The result was akin to a comedic run-into-the-clothesline sketch, only with a bronze chain that cut through the centaur's midsections like they were butter. Naruto retraced his path and unwound the chain with a sharp tug. As he broke through the brush, one centaur blindsided him and tackled him off of his bike.
Naruto got back to his knees with a groan. He pulled his cracked helmet off of his head and put his hand to the gash that rested over his eye. He looked over to where the centaur slowly rose to its hooves, a stump where its left arm once was. The blond then looked for his motorcycle, which he found on its side a few meters away.
One detail stuck out and Naruto's eye twitched. "You scratched my bike."
"You killed my kin!" The centaur growled in return. It used its spear to rise to its full height. "A scratch will not satisfy my desire for your death, Halfling!"
Naruto just glared at the centaur. The chain dangled from his wrist and he tightened his grip around it. Fire burned in his eyes and he focused solely on the centaur before him. The centaur charged forward with a yell and Naruto twisted his right wrist. The chain shot out to wrap around his left wrist and he ran at the centaur. Just before the centaur's spear was within strike distance, Naruto jumped and turned mid air. His chain dropped down and caught itself under the centaur's neck. Naruto landed on the half-horse's ass and pulled the chain back.
Air left the centaur's mouth and slowly, the bronze chain glowed as it started to burn its way through the centaur's neck. Naruto tightened the length of the chain and continued to pull while the centaur bucked. This continued for about five minutes, when the centaur dropped to the ground and pulled at the chain that strangled him. Naruto twisted the chain so it completely encircled the Cyprian's neck.
"This is for scratching my bike," Naruto said softly before he gave a final pull and sliced through the monster's neck with his chain. The monster's head fumbled in the air for a second before it began to dissolve into golden dust along with the body. Naruto let his chain wind up around his arm once again as he watched the monster disappear. All that remained was the centaur's spear, which Naruto picked up and broke over his knee.
As he took the spearhead and tossed the natural remains of his 'spoil' into the wood to be made use of, the armored campers ran towards him. Naruto ignored them and went to his bike. He ran his finger along the scratch on the hood and glowered.
"Sorry, Kurama," he said softly. The bike's headlights flashed once and the engine revved. Naruto patted the hood and pulled the bike back onto its wheels. While he looked over the side that had hit the ground, the campers had circled him and watched him warily.
"Who are you?" A girl with a red plume on her helmet demanded, her spear pointed at him. Naruto ignored her and continued to clean his bike of dirt and examine it for any damage. The girl growled and the tip of her spear became covered by red lighting. "I said, who are-!?"
"Enough Clarisse!" The voice of an older man cut in. The girl, Clarisse, frowned and backed off, her spear's red lightning died down as she did. Hooves clopped to a still and Naruto looked up at one of the few friendly centaurs he knew that didn't have a bad drinking habit. Chiron smiled down at the blond. "Thank you for coming, Naruto."
"Monsters are coming in waves, why wouldn't I be here?" Naruto rose and offered his hand, which Chiron took in a strong grip. "Nice to have some decent forges to use, anyway."
"I'd imagine so," Chiron said with a small smile as he released Naruto's hand. He looked Naruto over and sighed. "So much has happened in these past few years...I hear you took on the Nemean Lion."
"It ran away before I could finish it," Naruto said bitterly. He looked down at his bike and then back at the centaur. "Can you give me some space? I need to give Kurama a thorough check up."
Chiron nodded and turned to the other campers. "Back to your stations, there is no more trouble here."
"...Yes, Chiron," Clarisse said after a moment. She turned to the other campers that dawdled behind and barked. "You heard the centaur! Move it!"
After the campers had made it halfway up the hill, Naruto turned his attention to some of the controls on the bike and began to flip various switches. With a final turn of the ignition, he backed away and gestured for Chiron to do the same.
The motorcycle shuddered and revved the engine before it started to change. The hood flipped back and the wheels rolled up into the bike. The sight was one of technical wonder, as Naruto's bike continued to change. With a few final clicks of gears being shifted in place, the bike had transformed into a lion-sized fox, with bright red eyes. The fox shook itself and stretched like a cat before it barked at Naruto.
"I'll bet," he said with a nod. Naruto turned to the surprised Chiron and nodded his head to the bike. "Chiron, meet Kurama, or Kyubi 3.5.1."
"Astounding work, Naruto," Chiron said as he looked over the automaton fox. "Teumessian inspired?"
"Minato's favorite story." Naruto shrugged. He patted the machine on the head. "Kurama here is my greatest creation."
"Interesting name. I know you're of Japanese heritage, but why Kurama?" Chiron asked.
"It's a mountain in Japan and an anagram," Naruto said, his hand scratching the machine behind it's left ear. "Killbot Utilized for Roaming Areas and Monster Annihilation."
Kurama barked and sat at Naruto's side like a loyal dog would.
"Good boy." Naruto tossed the spearhead he had gotten from the Cyprian into the air and Kurama caught it in his mouth. As it chewed, Naruto looked to Chiron with a bit of pride in his eyes. "His teeth are bronze, but painted over with steel infused chemicals to give the illusion of normal metal."
"Quite..." Chiron stared at the fox as it swallowed the spearhead like a meal. He was a bit unnerved by the fox, more so when it seemed to look at him and lick its chops. The centaur cleared his throat and then turned towards camp. "Well, er, shall we?"
Naruto shrugged and slipped his hands into his jacket pockets. "I don't see why not. Come on, Kurama."
Kurama barked and it followed the centaur and its creator. Chiron explained the situation in greater detail as they walked. Naruto took it all in with a small frown behind his bandanna. Apparently, someone had poisoned Thalia's Pine and the barrier had fallen a few weeks back. As he walked past the tree, Naruto observed the dying wood with a bit of concern. No wonder Chiron was taking the blame, Zeus must have been infuriated when he saw what happened to his daughter's tree.
"Any ideas on who did it?" Naruto asked softly. A harpy flew overhead and warned him of his demise, but was scared off when Kurama barked at her. Naruto snapped his fingers to regain the machine's attention, but kept his own eyes on the centaur.
Chiron sighed with resignation. "It matters not, the deed is done and the blame has been placed. There is no hope for Thalia's Pine."
"...Uh-huh," Naruto said in disbelief. He could think of a few things, but if Chiron said they were a no-go, then they probably wouldn't be accepted. "I'll meet with Mr. D tomorrow. I'm tired and I want to kick whoever had taken my bunk out of it."
"I'm sure." Chiron gave Naruto a smile and put his hand on the blond's shoulder. "Thank you, again. I know how hard it is for you to be here, Naruto."
"...Goodnight, Chiron," Naruto said with another nod. He and Kurama left the centaur and headed for Cabin Nine. He opened the door easily and walked in. Kurama followed and pushed the door shut with its tail. Naruto walked through the cabin until he came to the underground bunks. He stomped three times on the ground until a hatch popped open and out came a tired dark skinned teen that looked a few years younger than him.
"Huh, who're you?" he asked.
"Naruto Uzumaki," the blond said with a frown. Seemed Moria either died or followed his example, since the kid was in her bunk. "Son of Hephaestus."
The boy blinked tiredly and focused in the dark on the taller teen. "When'd you get claimed?"
"Nine years ago." Naruto frowned. "Look, can you tell me if anyone took the bunk furthest from the forge?"
"No one could. It's been locked since I got to camp several years ago by the previous counselor," the boy said. He held a hand out. "Sorry, haven't introduced myself yet. Charles Beckendorf, head counselor."
Naruto took the hand and shook it lightly. "No prob. Get back to bed. Just wanted to make sure no one broke my lock."
Naruto left Charles confused and tired and went to his bunk, furthest from the forge and on the left corner. He knelt down and grabbed the bronze lock that held the hatch in place. Several people had tried to pick it, and it made Naruto chuckle. His gas-lock must've knocked them out or made them sick. He looked to Kurama and nodded.
"Eat up, Kurama."
The fox's eyes flashed and it pounced on the lock like a lion to an antelope. Kurama ripped the bronze lock off after a few tugs and went to town. Naruto shook his head and opened the hatch to his old bunk. He dropped in and looked up to where the fox remained behind, happily gnawing on the bronze remains.
Naruto shook his head. "Kurama, get in here before one of the kids tries to take you apart."
The fox fell in with the grace of a cat, accompanied by a loud thump, and curled up on the floor. Kurama continued to gnaw peacefully on the lock and Naruto pulled the hatch shut. He walked over to his bunk and sat down on the edge. The room was dusty and a few sketches of ideas for his house in Oregon from when he was twelve were taped to the walls. Naruto smacked the bed and a small cloud of dust shot up. With a frown under his bandanna, Naruto looked at his machine.
"Kurama, activate air recycler," he said. The fox paused in its treat before its back clicked and two vents popped up from its back. They turned on and Kurama went back to its treat. Naruto slipped his jacket off, hung it over the edge of his bunk, and then bent over to untie his boots. He slipped his feet out and laid back on the bed. With one hand hovered over it, Naruto debated whether or not to take his bandanna off for the night. He decided against it because of the dust in the room and focused on the roof of his bunk.
Naruto stared at the picture attached to the roof, one with a redheaded woman and a tall lean blond next to her, while a younger version of himself was in front of them with a small machine in his arms. They were outside of the new house Minato bought in Oregon and both blonds had Camp Half-Blood shirts on. Naruto's was newer and several sizes too large – though now it was a bit snug – while Minato's was older and the lettering had faded.
"...I forgot about that picture," he said softly. His heart ached like a clamp had been squeezed around it and the blond draped his arm over his eyes. He listened to Kurama's vents clean the air and his eyes fell shut behind his arm. "...Night mom. Night Minato."
Naruto shot up, his skin covered in cold sweat. With a grunt, Naruto turned to sit on the edge of his bed. His left hand wiped the sleep out of his eye and he forced back a yawn. Naruto looked down at the massive machine that had curled up at the head of his bunk. He bent over and rapped his knuckles on the top of the foxlike head. "Hey, wake up, Kurama."
The eyes of the metal fox brightened from the dimmed setting they were in sleep mode. The fox got up with a stretch while Naruto rose from his bunk and opened the hatch. Naruto grabbed the edge and pulled himself out of his room with little effort. The son of Hephaestus welcomed the heat of the forge as it passed over his skin and the blond took in a breath of air. He sighed and looked around for any sort of clock and found it on the wall above an opposite room three bunks away.
"Three fifteen...four hours, new record," Naruto said. He cracked his neck and stepped out of the way so that his loyal creation could follow him. Kurama shook itself off, a small cloud of dust shot out from his vent and the machine growled. "Yeah, yeah. I'll clean you after I get a shower in. It's been a few days since we stopped at that pond in Illinois."
Kurama's eyes flashed eagerly and it scratched at its left ear with its hind leg. Naruto shook his head and walked down the hall towards the shower. "Come on, buckethead. You've got the spare clothes in subspace."
Kurama let out a few clicks and followed Naruto down the hall. It stopped outside the door and its right shoulder popped open. Naruto snatched the rolled up clothes and took them with him into the bathroom. "Anyone tries to tinker with you, bite their hand off."
Kurama tilted his head and clicked a few times.
"I'll just build them a new one," Naruto said with a shrug as he grabbed one of the clean towels from the closet next to the bathroom. Kurama seemed content with that and curled up in front of the bathroom while Naruto shut the door behind him.
He placed his clothes on the counter and looked into the mirror. The skull on his bandanna grinned back at him and with a hard look in his eyes, Naruto pulled the article from his face, which was revealed to be quite handsome. Naruto glared at the three large scars that went from one side of his face to the other, courtesy of a monster he had yet to fully remember. The scars that crossed over his nose, mouth and chin were lighter than his skin and jagged.
The day he had gotten them, Naruto had lost his mother and stepfather.
He looked away from the mirror and pulled his shirt off. He balked at his own odor as it wafted off the shirt and hurriedly turned the shower on. With a mental note to burn his shirt and get a new one, Naruto stripped down and jumped into the hot shower. When he was finished, Naruto quickly dried himself off with the towel he had grabbed and got dressed.
Naruto walked out of the shower clad in a clean pair of jeans and a white wife beater that clung to him like a second skin. He balled the other clothes up, save for the Camp shirt he planned to drop into the forge, and gave them to Kurama. The metal fox stored the dirty clothes in the opposite shoulder and followed its creator back towards the bunk. Naruto fell in, pulled his boots on, put his contained ammo clips strapped around his right thigh and left his jacket on the edge of the bed since he didn't need it.
Now fully dressed and ready to run into battle without injuring his foot – talk about embarrassing – Naruto climbed back out of his bunk and went towards the forge. As he planned, the first thing he did was drop his old Camp shirt into the fires and watched it burn. When it finished, he moved on to the next project in his mind; ammunition. He grabbed a bar of bronze and set out to make the two calibers he needed.
A few hours passed and Naruto had made at least a hundred full metal jacket .45 bullets for his Colt and had just closed the fortieth twelve gauge round for his Winchester when the boy from before, Charles, walked into the forge with a few other children of Hephaestus behind him. As he heard them amble in, Naruto grabbed his bandanna from his pocket and tied it around his face. So he's sensitive about his scars, sue him.
"Hey, who's that?" One kid 'whispered' to the others.
"Relax Sam. His name is Naruto," Charles said. He walked over to the blond, but backed off when Kurama looked up from where it laid next to its creator and growled at him.
"Easy," Naruto said gruffly and dropped a small chunk of celestial bronze to the fox. The fox grabbed the chunk and began to gnaw on it. He turned away from the shell he finished and looked over the slightly shorter teen. "How'd you sleep, Charles?"
"Call me Beckendorf," the head counselor said.
Naruto shrugged. "You got it, bed and drawers."
"...On second thought, call me Charles." Charles rubbed his face while the other kids snickered. He gave them a stink eye, which made them stop snickering but couldn't stop the smiles on their faces, before he looked back at Naruto. "After you woke me up, I slept rather well. When'd you wake up?"
"What time is it?"
"Six."
"Three hours ago," Naruto said. He turned back to his crafted bullets and hummed. "I need boxes to carry these...Kurama, fetch some small iron sheets. Don't eat them."
The metal fox looked up from its treat of bronze and whined.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that, you've got a chunk of bronze in front of you. Eat that when you're done."
Kurama let out snort and got up. It slunk past the other members of the cabin, all of their eyes glued to the complex machinery that moved past them, and grabbed the items as requested.
"Automaton?" Beckendorf asked.
Naruto scoffed. "Please, no offense to Hephaestus, but Kurama is more advanced than a simple Automaton."
"AI?" the lone girl of the group asked. "I'm Cassie, by the way."
Naruto nodded at her. "Naruto. AI are too chatty. He's pretty much a really intelligent animal. Like a dolphin or an ape or something."
Kurama let out a dolphin's laugh as it brought back several sheets of iron as Naruto requested. The blond let out a snide chuckle and snatched the sheets from the machine's mouth. "Smartass."
"What are the base components?" a boy, perhaps Sam that spoke earlier, asked. His fingers twitched and Naruto could see the plans form in every one of the kids' eyes.
The blond smirked beneath his bandanna. "An old Sony radio, a Suzuki motorcycle and several household items." They all looked a bit upset that he didn't elaborate and he chuckled. "Yeah, no. Kurama's one of a kind."
"One of a kind!" The Breaking Point lyric played from Kurama as he resumed to gnaw on his treat. Naruto reached down and patted the foxlike machine on the side.
"Damn right, boy," Naruto said with a hidden smile. He looked up at the kids and amusement glistened in his eyes. "So, we going to continue with twenty questions or are we going to work?"
"Just one last question," Charles said. "How old are you?"
"Eighteen," Naruto said. That seemed to satisfy the kids and they scattered to different corners of the forge in order to begin their own projects. Naruto watched them all for a moment and then turned back to his project. "Cute kids. Give me some of Draiman's lyrics, Kurama."
The fox let out a few clicks before the drums of heavy metal filled the cabin. The other kids didn't seem to mind as they were all hard at work. Naruto grabbed a sheet of iron and started to measure out dimensions for an ammo box. He nodded along with the beat of the metal that blared from his fox's speakers and grabbed a welder's mask that had a white skull painted on the front of it. He pulled out a saw and began to cut the iron to his measurements.
About a half-hour later, Charles walked over to Naruto as he put the finishing touches on his second box. Naruto lifted the mask and looked at the younger counselor. "Can I help you?"
"Actually, I have a question." At Naruto's brief nod, Charles hesitated, searching for words, before he spoke. "Well, is there any particular way you dismantled the radio or any specific parts you used?"
Naruto stared at Charles for a second before he shook his head. "To be honest, I was just working off my gut and instincts. Let the smith in me come out and take control. It's why I blare the metal, I get lost in the chaos."
"Yeah, I noticed..." Charles rubbed the back of his neck. He lifted his other hand and showed off a green cube. "I, er, pulled myself out of a trance and found this cube of circuits and wires from different things put together. I don't know how I did it."
"Instincts," Naruto said. He grabbed the cube without bothering to ask and looked it over. "Looks like Kurama's core. A bit larger. Thinking of anything in particular while you worked?"
Charles swallowed and looked away slightly. "Uh, no one-nothing in particular."
Naruto arched a brow. So Charles had a crush, huh? Good for him. The blond, personally, didn't get girls. They were stranger than guys were, and Naruto knew plenty of strange guys.
Naruto let his eyes roam back to the cube in his hand. "Well, whatever you were thinking of is the core's purpose. I, personally, was thinking of a neighbor that had pet dogs I liked. Got the most loyal 'pet' out of it."
Charles blinked and flushed lightly. "So, if I was thinking about a girl..."
"Probably something mushy," Naruto said as he handed the cube back. "Don't really know how my stuff works, it just does what I want it to. Kind of like that mutant from X-Men."
"Forge? You do know that character was based off of our father, right?"
"Whoopee. Let's send Marvel a 'thank you' note on his behalf," Naruto said dryly. He turned back to his ammo box and flipped his welder mask back down. "Listen, Charles, I'm not one for advice on girls. I'm still a virgin, so I obviously don't get them."
"Right..." Charles blinked, a bit surprised at the laidback announcement. "So, you've never had a girlfriend?"
"Don't see the need for one right now," Naruto said shortly as he started his welding torch back up. "Maybe later."
"Okay...Thanks, Naruto," Charles said. Naruto grunted in return and the cabin counselor went back to his workstation.
When he was done with the ammo boxes and stored them in another subspace storage limb on Kurama. The blond lightly tapped the side of Kurama. "Get up. You're getting a tune up."
Kurama looked up from his treat and let out a whine.
"Oh don't give me that, it's been four months since your last one. And there's the scratch from last night I still have to buff out," Naruto said.
Kurama clicked in return before it stood up on all four legs. Several parts hissed before the left side of Kurama's body opened to reveal a complex, near biologically accurate but mechanical interior. Naruto crouched down next to the Killbot and pulled a flashlight from his back pouch. He heard several tools clatter to tables and rolled his eyes.
"Anyone tries to sneak a peak at his interior and I'll rip your eyes out." He didn't bother to turn around as he gave his warning. The six kids, compared to him anyway, immediately returned to their own duties. Content that his work wasn't going to copied directly – accidental or indirect duplication was acceptable to him – Naruto began to thoroughly look his pride and joy over. Kurama really was the greatest thing he'd ever created.
As he finished the wax job that would leave Kurama near spotless of any dirt, a horn sounded. Naruto turned the buffer he used off and looked over to Charles. The head counselor looked at his other siblings with a lopsided smile.
"You guys know what that means. Breakfast," he said. He set his welding torch and goggles down. "Let's go before Mr. D sends another harpy after us."
A couple of the kids shudder while the other grumbled and put their own tools down. Naruto shook his head and set the wax buffer on his workbench. He looked at Kurama, the machine sparkled under his gaze, and smirked. "You're going to rub yourself into the dirt, aren't you?"
Kurama just looked at him innocent eyes, or at least as innocent bright red lights could be.
Naruto sighed and patted the fox on the head before he followed his cabin mates out. "Alright, well, don't stray too far and don't try to eat any satyrs."
Kurama barked indignantly.
"I know it was five years ago, but still. The goats are everywhere here and I'm pretty sure the other campers wouldn't be happy if a satyr went missing," Naruto said dryly. He followed the other members of Cabin Nine to the dining pavilion and, despite the whispers of the other campers, had a rather nice time to himself as he did. Kurama even ran off at some time to rub himself into the ground and ruin the wax job that had taken Naruto twenty minutes to do.
Just before Naruto could sit down and enjoy breakfast, a throat was cleared. Naruto turned to the head table, where a man dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and purple shoes sat. Dionysus, or Mr. D as he insisted the demigods call him, had his blue eyes locked on the son of Hephaestus and a small scowl on his face. On his right was Chiron, his white flank as spotless as ever and his human torso covered in light armor. On the left was a man in an orange jumpsuit with the number 0001 on it.
"Hello Mr. D," Naruto said as he approached the table. He turned to Chiron. "Morning Chiron."
"Good morning, Naruto," Chiron said with a nod.
The prisoner coughed into his fist. "Allow me to introduce myself to you, demigod-."
"Don't care," Naruto said. He didn't want to give the dead king the satisfaction of having his attention. Instead, Naruto focused on the god that looked a tinge amused at the rebuttal to the prisoner. "Sorry I didn't come see you when I first got here. It was late and I know you don't like your naps interrupted. Wasn't really in the mood to be turned into a squirrel...again."
"So you did learn from that," Mr. D said with a smirk. He grew serious and opened a new can of Diet Coke. "May I ask why you have returned?"
"Chiron issued a contract," Naruto said. The god turned to the centaur and Chiron crossed his arms.
"A little going away gift to you, Mr. D," Chiron said with a wry smile.
Mr. D did not share the sentiment. "Thank you, Chiron, for the wonderful 'gift'."
"Think of it this way," Chiron said. "It'll save you from writing those ghastly 'sorry your kid died' letters."
Mr. D hummed. "That's true. I may not care if they do or don't, but the parents' replies are rather rude. And I'm not allowed to turn them into vermin anymore, so they just pile up. Instead I have to wipe memories and you'd be surprised how angry some of the other Olympians can get when they're forgotten by past lovers."
"I'm sure they are," the prisoner said. He glared at Naruto, most likely for his rude behavior towards him. "So, boy, what makes you so special? I see you're a son of the crippled god."
Naruto blinked dryly at him and then turned to Mr. D. He threw a thumb at the prisoner. "Is he really the best you could scrap up for Chiron's job?"
"Oh, Tantalus has all the qualities of an activities director," Mr. D said with a wry smile. His eyes twinkled in amusement when he glanced at Tantalus. Naruto arched a brow quizzically and followed the god's gaze. Tantalus was staring intently at a pancake set before him and swallowed down the drool that threatened to leave his mouth. A fork and knife were in his hands and he tried to cut the breakfast, but it rolled up and fled from his fork. When Tantalus tried to stab it, it stood upright.
Naruto blinked at the sight and a smile cracked under his bandana. "I see what you mean."
Mr. D looked back at the demigod and his smile left his face. "I'm done with you, Narnia. Back to Hephaestus' table."
"Yes sir," Naruto said. He nodded to Chiron, who nodded back, and then, on a whim, snatched the pancake from Tantalus while he glared at it.
"Wh-You brat, give that back this instant!" Tantalus demanded.
Naruto tossed the pancake at the king, but it stopped midair and flew back to his hand. A smirk appeared beneath Naruto's bandana. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy his time back at camp.
"Off with you, Nana Cho. And worry not, Tantalus. Silenus, bring another plate for our new activities director!" Mr. D said as Naruto walked away and ripped part of the pancake off to slip into his mouth under his bandana. He sat down next to Cassie while she and the other members of his cabin looked at him in shock.
"Naruto, do you know who that was?" she asked him softly.
"Yes," Naruto said. He ripped more of the pancake off and put it in his mouth under his bandana. "That was Hannibal the Cannibal."
While the other kids were a bit confused, a passing satyr heard him and laughed. "Nice one!"
"Who?" Charles asked.
"Serial killer that ate his victims." Naruto waved it off. "You gotta see the movies."
Breakfast continued, and Naruto occasionally slipped something under his bandana to eat. Other tables whispered and gossiped, mostly about the strange blond that joined Hephaestus' cabin that morning, or about what their plans for the day were. It was idyllic, and nostalgic in a way for Naruto.
Then, as expected, it went downhill.
Another horn blew and several campers rose from their seats. Mr. D hardly batted an eye and continued to discreetly goad Tantalus with food. Instead, Chiron took charge and looked over the campers, his eyes met Naruto's and the blond nodded. Naruto rose from his seat and ran towards the camp's boundary line.
He cupped the side of his covered face with his left hand. "Kurama!"
The metal fox burst from the brush with a roar and ran up alongside him. There was a few clicks before the fox's back shifted up and two handguns shot from holsters built into it. Naruto caught them as they came down and turned the safeties off. He cocked the hammers back and kept his index fingers on the side of the triggers until he saw what he was up against.
When he got to Half-Blood Hill, Naruto found a camper pinned by a large monkey-like creature, only it had no tail. Naruto lifted his left hand and took a shot that nailed the monster in the head, it fell to its side off of the demigod and turned to dust. While Kurama ran into the fray to take more of the monkey-like monsters out, Naruto stopped and offered his hand to the downed demigod.
"Thanks," the boy said. He was about the same age as Cassie and had honey blond hair and grey eyes. Athena's kid. "Who're you?"
"Name's Naruto. Cabin Nine," Naruto said.
"Malcolm. Cabin Six," Malcolm said in return. He picked up his dropped sword and looked at the weapons in Naruto's hand with a hint of distain. "Guns?"
Naruto arched a brow. "You're dissing the weapon that saved your life?"
"No, but-"
"Listen, kid, we can debate the morality of using mortal weapons as the son of a Greek deity later," Naruto said. He peered past Malcolm and lifted his right hand up. The gun within it fired and a monkey-like monster fell to the ground as it leapt at the same girl from the night before, Clarisse. She glared at him, but Naruto turned his attention to Malcolm. "What are they?"
"Nesioi Satyrs," Malcolm said with a frown. Kid obviously didn't like guns.
"...These things are satyrs?" Naruto asked. He turned and fired at another Nesioi that tried to get the jump on him.
"Rare, island born," Malcolm said. "They don't usually come inland."
"Huh, well, guess what? Today's our lucky day." Naruto turned and walked into the fray, calm as he put a hole in each satyr that leapt at him. Over their hoots and hollers, Naruto yelled. "Kurama! Unleash the wrath of Ares on these things! Activation code: Slaughter!"
Kurama stopped where it was before it shifted and changed. The sleek, slightly menacing fox curled up into a large ball and suddenly jutted bronze spikes out of its surface. With a few final clicks and whirrs, Kurama started to spin. Dirt was kicked up as it did before the death ball started to rip its way through the ground and shred any poor monster that got in its way to bits.
Throughout all of this, Naruto continued to keep the Nesioi away from the boundary line while the other demigods recovered. There were a good couple dozen of them out of Kurama's range, so it kept Naruto busy for a few minutes. One managed to bite his arm before he shot it point blank in the head.
"Ugly buggers," he said under his breath. Another jumped at him with its mouth open and he shoved the barrel of his colt into the orifice. "Say ah."
Bang, one less Nesioi.
They capitalized on Naruto when his clips ran out. Naruto spun his guns around and used them like blunt weapons to knock them away. When he had a few seconds, he ejected the clips and tucked his guns into the back of his belt. Naruto pulled two more clips out from the strap on his right thigh and slammed them into place. He pulled his guns back out and grinned beneath his bandana.
"Round two."
The skirmish lasted another five minutes before Kurama came to a stop and unrolled. Naruto emptied his clips and reloaded the handguns calmly, despite the feeling of eyes on him. When he finished, he tucked the two weapons into the back of his belt and flipped the safeties back on before he faced the armored demigods behind him.
A golden brow arched up. "What're you all staring at?"
"...Dude...can I get one of those?"
"Richard," Malcolm said to the boy.
Richard shrugged. "What? That was awesome! And a lot easier than swinging a sword."
"Trust me, there's more skill in using a blade than shooting a gun," Naruto said. He ignored the quizzical looks he received and walked towards Kurama, who gathered the rewards dropped by the fuzzballs that attacked them. Once he reached the machine's side, Naruto patted it on the head. "Have fun?"
Kurama barked and leaned into Naruto's hand. Naruto's eyes glistened in the same bliss Kurama displayed.
"Yeah, and to think, this was just the first day," he said.
Oh yes, Naruto was glad to be back at Camp.
AN: Alright, yes, this chapter was shorter than the last. Originally, I did have Monster Hunter planned to be published on its own and this chapter used to be two separate chapters, but I figured I'd use this as a test run. However, combined it still flowed very smoothly.
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