There's a poll on my bio page about Pandora, go on and take a look at it!
Mocef and fatimapausini5 - I've replied to your reviews at the end of this chapter. My responses got way too long!
Warning: Ajax is Ajax. Children in danger. Dangerous fights, some gore.
Listening to: Battle Cry by Imagine Dragons
Sciron whipped out his gun to shoot Ajax in the head, but the latter rolled out of the tarp and kicked the large fabric at his face.
Dust flew in his eyes and Sciron growled, pushing himself towards the wall and pressing the trigger. With several ear-shattering bangs, the gleaming bullets flew with pinpoint accuracy, but they passed harmlessly through Ajax's healed, bloody skull.
Sciron swore. His Imperial Gold weapons didn't work on mortals and that's what Ajax was. He reached for his revolver, an older style that he'd fallen in love with the moment he'd been introduced to guns.
However, Ajax grabbed a wicked crowbar from a corner and ran at Sciron with a death wish.
He dropped the revolve and dove to the side in time to avoid the wickedly sharp edges from piercing through his skin. Ajax swung again, this time catching Sciron's jacket and tearing the side.
Sciron turned and kicked back, slamming at Ajax's knee before getting some distance again.
His revolver had fallen somewhere but he couldn't waste time searching for it. Ajax was up with a grunt, his jaw so stiff Sciron could practically hear his teeth grinding.
They exchanged no words. Instead, the crowbar came down again and hit the side of a car, ripping the paint and denting it in. Sciron remembered a heavy pocket knife that he'd stowed away in a smaller pocket on his cargo pants.
Ajax dropped the crowbar into his left hand and Sciron moved to the side, but it was his right fist that slammed into his face. Balance thrown, Sciron only just managed to jerk back into the wall to avoid the crowbar from taking a chunk off of his face.
A can of turpentine lay open on the ground. Sciron grabbed it and threw the foul fluid at Ajax. A well-timed arm blocked his face, shielding most of his face. Sciron used the distraction to grab at the crowbar, now far too close to Ajax for comfort.
They wrestled for the lever for a tense second before Sciron managed to angle it up and slam it into Ajax's nose.
It broke and Ajax snarled, rearing his head back to bang their skulls together.
That took Sciron offguard. He sucked in a breath and stumbled backwards, head pounding and ears ringing. Ajax advanced, crowbar raised, his nose bloody and his eyes maddened.
A hot red stunning curse hit him square in the back.
Ajax fell to his knees, body trembling. He dropped the iron bar with a yell and groaned out loud. He didn't pass out though.
Kara and the others approached the garage carefully, weapons poised. One of them was a wizard, his wand aimed at Ajax's head. He sent another curse but Ajax ducked behind a car, his feet zipping to the side, taking him to the other end of the garage abnormally fast.
"Don't!" Sciron snapped at them. "He's mine!"
He had to be the one to take Ajax down. The Earth Goddess was watching. It was her way or the highway.
A car roared to life.
He did not—
Ajax popped up in the driver's seat of the car he'd damaged, grabbed the stick, and shoved it into gear. The tires tore through the garage and Sciron jumped to the side to nearly avoid being run over.
"No!" Sciron snarled, swinging his arm around to take control of the ground beneath the car. His chest tightened and the earth cracked. The front tires of the car sunk in, the whole thing keeling forwards.
Ajax nearly slammed his head into the steering wheel. He wrenched open the door and just managed to avoid getting wrenched into the ground along with the car.
Out in the open, Kara raised her spear but Ajax dodged the razor tip, his body moving like it was born for war.
Sciron managed to look up, his entire frame shaking from manipulating the ground when he saw Ajax snatch the spear and turn on Kara. Impossibly quick, he impaled her in the gut, twisting the spear until she was screaming and falling.
The others hesitated for a fatal moment but converged onto Ajax but he took them all down. He slammed the butt of the spear into one man's shoulder while dodging the open curse thrown by the second. The spear spun in his expert hands, the bloodied edge going through one chest and another throat.
The earth grew wet with blood and Sciron just got to his feet, finally reaching for his Swiss Army knife. It was the only thing he had that could hurt Ajax.
Other than his powers, of course.
Sciron located the hotel's water tank and concentrated. Pipes shuddered, fractured, and burst forth.
The fourth victim fell and Ajax nearly turned upon the hotel owner, the woman who'd just dropped her rifle in shock as she watched one of the men on the ground, choking on his blood.
The water crashed into Ajax and Sciron held the large bubble of water in place, squeezing in and increasing the pressure. Ajax held his mouth tightly closed, refusing to yield, managing a furious glare even through the pulsing water.
"Patrick!" the woman screeched, falling to her knees and clutching at a man on the ground. It was the blond man who'd shown Sciron the body in the garage. He had an open wound in his neck, hot blood gushing out and staining his clothes. She tried to stem the flow, her shaking palms and glittering ring now a dark red.
Ajax struggled in the water. Sciron held him there, mercilessly counting the minutes. Two… three…
The woman was sobbing now. Her partner's eyes showed no pain.
Ajax's body finally began to writhe as he swallowed water and his lungs protested. Sciron didn't let up, making sure to drown the mortal completely. He wasn't going to weasel away from this.
The body in the sphere of water had gone still. Any regular mortal would be dead now, but Sciron didn't want to leave it to chance. He had to check for a pulse. And then maybe chop him up and scatter the bits all over the planet.
He dropped the bubble from six feet up. Ajax's body crashed onto hard ground, limp as a doll. His waterlogged clothes stuck to him like a second skin and his lips had gone blue.
Sciron approached him carefully, his multipurpose knife held aloft in his hand. Ajax didn't move, eyes closed, body completely prone. He wasn't breathing. He looked like he had well and truly drowned.
Deciding to stab Ajax a couple of times in the neck, Sciron raised his knife. But the body moved, an arm slamming into Sciron's gut, a sharp piece of glass from the broken car piercing through to his stomach.
All the breath left his body and Sciron gasped, pain bursting from the blow. Ajax snarled, bringing his knee up to bang it into Sciron's head. The demigod fell back unable to breathe.
"You think I've never drowned before?!" Ajax roared, his face contorted with fury. "You think your father and all your siblings have never thought to try and kill me?"
Limbs trembling and skin sweating, Sciron scrambled away in mad haste. His stomach had broken glass in it and it burned. He could do nothing as he watched Ajax dove for the woman's rifle and cocked it, aiming the barrel at him.
One bullet was all it took, aimed right at Sciron's heart. He jerked back from the force of it, mouth open from lack of air and rising agony. He fell to the ground and knew no more.
Ajax whipped the rifle around and pointed it at the last live enemy. The woman was clutching her dead lover to her chest, sobbing and shaking in fright. She cowered under the barrel of her own gun, her name tag dangling from its hold on her shirt. It read Beatrice Tailor.
The ground hissed lightly, pebbles bouncing from the tremor. Body roaring with adrenaline, Ajax panted, shooting a glance at Sciron. Nope. Still dead.
His replacement. Bah! The hero was dead from a mortal weapon. Served him right.
The ground still smoked. This wasn't his doing then.
Ajax turned back to the woman who seemed stunned that she wasn't dead yet. The Earth Mother chuckled in the background, warding him away from this curious person that she wanted alive.
Ajax smiled grimly at Beatrice. "We're all just playthings, honey."
Pointing the rifle away from her, he headed for one of the men he'd killed first, retrieving a quill—a cleverly concealed portkey.
His right arm was bare for the first time in more than three thousand years. Ajax touched the empty space, feeling the ridges branded into his skin from the bracelet that had once granted him immortality.
So, Cass and Iphy thought they could replace him?
Ajax fixed his broken nose, wiped the blood, water, and sweat away from his face, and activated the portkey. The portkey began to glow, its blue light overtaking his vision and yanking through across the country.
.
He landed easily, the world rebuilding around him. He was at the edge of the desert, facing an immense jail centre seemingly abandoned. He could smell the ocean from here.
Alexandria, he wondered.
All around him, the air flickered. Ajax turned. One second, he was alone, facing the Sahara desert. In the next, he was surrounded by several wizards apparating in front of him.
With several loud pops, the air was disturbed as Aurors descended upon the scene, facing Ajax with severe expressions. They had royal blue robes charmed to keep them cool and ventilated against the beating sun and the unforgivable desert. Ajax raised an eyebrow at the dozen Aurors.
"Unauthorized use of portkey," one of them told Ajax sternly. "You are in violation of code A273 and are using a device connected to the jailbreak that happened last night at Cairo's Auror Offices."
"Am I?" Ajax muttered.
"Where are your accomplices?" the Auror demanded.
Ajax shrugged. "You must be mistaken, officers. I work alone."
"Surrender your belongings and come quietly," the Auror continued, wand keenly pointed at him. Ajax dropped the portkey and his rifle before swiftly sneaking out a metal disc from his pocket. It fit very easily into his palm was almost concealed from them. He pressed his thumb into its centre. One of the Aurors glared.
"Wait—"
The air shimmered again and this time, it was the Auror squad who was caught off guard.
"I misspoke," Ajax rectified as more people began to apparate around them. "I don't exactly work alone. I have a lot of people reporting to me and you may report to them."
The ground shook and the air burned as his men began duelling the Aurors. Ajax turned on his heel and entered the premises.
Sciron opened his eyes, breathing heavily laboured. Desperate, he grabbed at his chest, feeling it hot and burning. The bullet had gone through his jacket and struck an old metal watch fob, his personalized portkey.
There was a hot red bruise over his heart which was hammering painfully. Sciron extracted the crumbled fob and threw it onto the ground, the bullet wedged halfway in it.
He swore out loud. Ajax was gone. Sciron's backup lay around the garage, dead. The hotel owner was still crouched beside her partner, focusing on him and not paying any attention to the world.
Sciron moved to sit up but flinched against the glass piece still embedded into the side of his torso. He had some ambrosia squares thankfully and moved as delicate as he could to fish them out.
All the cars in the garage were still there. Could Ajax be hiding, waiting to kill Sciron?
No, he'd have done it already. Maybe he thought Sciron was dead? But then where was he now?
Sciron felt the ambrosia heat up his entire body slowly. The open wound pricked sharply and he held his breath trying to loosen his abdominal muscles before yanking the glass shard out.
A stream of curses flew out. Some of the skin caught on the jagged sides, but the wound was rapidly closing.
Think, think, think.
He recalled Iphigenia's wireless phone number. He didn't have one himself, but the hotel would. He had to call them and let them know. They were already on their way to Alexandria…
Sciron frowned. Could Ajax be headed there?
Eff! Kimberly!
Triton was long gone, with any and all incriminating dreams.
Kimberly held Percy close, her butt still aching from the hard cement floor. But she was in a better mood now. Sciron had left to finish a job, but he'd promised that two women were on their way with Sally right now. In a couple of hours, they'd all be home.
"Mama's coming, Pepe," Kim cooed at her sleepy nephew. "Are you ready to go home? We'll get you a new binky, promise."
Percy drooled over her collar, tucking his heavy little head in the crook of her neck. Kim hated that his baby smell was disappearing the more time they spent in here in their cell. She can't wait to fix that.
There was a commotion outside.
Kim leaned her head to watch the locked door through the bars. She heard people yelling and running. The ground beneath her shook very lightly. Dust and pebbles bounced madly. Kim held onto the walls, terror brewing. Was this an earthquake?
The blast of a gunshot left her reeling. Who was shooting? What was happening?
Something roared in the distance, but it didn't sound like any animal she knew. Kim pushed herself towards the corner of the room, breathing hard.
The door slammed open, hitting the wall with a great thud. Percy shook awake, blinking wearily before letting out a wail.
Kim couldn't concentrate on him at first. She was staring at the water-soaked man who'd entered the room, trailing a long rifle over his shoulder. His pale brown eyes took stock of her before sweeping the room. He was alert and enraged but didn't show it explicitly in his face.
"Get up," he said, clearly not in a good mood.
Kim swallowed, eyes darting to look at the iron padlock on her jail cell.
"Where's… where's Sciron?" she whispered.
Ignoring her question, he saw her gaze at the lock and huffed angrily. Reached forwards, the man gripped the padlock in one large hand and crushed it without a second thought.
Kim was shaking now. He raised an eyebrow at her and said, "Hi, there. I'm Ajax. I'm sure you know all about me. Now. Get. Up."
She scrambled out of the sheets and got to her feet, contemplating leaving the baby in the cell. Kim didn't want this man anywhere near Percy.
"Demigod, eh?" Ajax muttered, eyeing the baby with distaste. "Or is this Sciron's brat?"
"Huh?" Kim stammered, holding Percy tightly.
"I don't care," Ajax decided, grabbing her upper arm and yanking her from the cell.
He pulled her into the hallway and Kim nearly screamed. Dead bodies littered the floor, some shot, some stabbed, and the rest strangled. One man couldn't do all this.
But with the way Ajax was walking, kicking at some of the corpses, it seemed like he had.
Kim tried to angle Percy's head away from the gruesome sight. He didn't like it, whining against her hand. Ajax harrumphed and Percy fell quiet as though he understood innately to not push the man.
They entered a wide chamber that held a broken water fountain in the middle. Kim avoided the heavy cracks in the wall, finding that the fissures ran up the walls and into the ceiling as well. The room was about to crumble in and they probably shouldn't be standing here, but Ajax came to a stop, watching the fountain with growing curiosity.
"What god visited you today?" Ajax hummed.
Kim gulped a little too audibly. She probably shouldn't say it. But what could a mortal do to a god?
"Lord Triton," she said hushed.
Ajax hummed and looked down at Percy. "This is his spawn?"
"I… I don't…"
"Same eyes," Ajax pointed out.
"Maybe… I don't know!" Kim wheedled. She definitely could not say who Percy's father truly was. That was precious data.
Ajax eyes slid up to meet hers. He'd made up his mind. "You have two minutes to tell me why I should keep you alive."
Sally had a bad feeling even before Iphy's phone rang.
Dependent, something whispered in her ear.
Iphy frowned at the number before answering it. "Hello? Beatrice?"
"It's me!" a young man shouted. Everyone in the van went on alert, hearing his alarmed voice.
"Sciron?" Iphy said, eyes wide. "Is it done? Did you—"
"NO, HE F**KING WOKE UP!" Sciron roared. "Terra wanted us to fight for the bracelet! He knocked me out, killed practically everyone! I think he's on his way to Alexandria now!"
Sally felt the bracelet grow warm at the horrifying news. They were barely an hour out from the city.
"Punch it!" she snapped at Cass who was already at 120.
"No time!" Cass gasped. She looked over to Lily and James said, "You're gonna have to apparate! T. Reigns Jailor Quarters outside the city. Get in, get Kim and the baby out. Go anywhere, just don't let Ajax reach them!"
James swore. Lily brought out her wand and grabbed onto him. Sally pushed herself against the side of the van and watched as the couple vanished into a single point between them, a loud crack splitting the air.
Sally exhaled. Magic was still so new to her.
Wouldn't you like your own?
She shook her head.
"He left you alive?" Iphy demanded into the phone.
The man named Sciron groaned, "He probably thinks I'm dead. Shot me in the chest, but my fob blocked the bullet. Can he recalibrate someone else's portkey?"
"He can," Cass said, her grip on the steering wheel tightening. Sally saw her knuckles strain.
"Sciron, have Beatrice issue you teleportation help from Lady Iris. She owes me a favour from oh'-nine."
"1909?" Sciron asked, static issuing from the line.
"1709," Iphy corrected. "Iris will remember. Get to Alexandria. We have the bracelet. We'll figure something out."
Sciron cursed in Latin and cut the call. Iphy dropped the phone on her lap and let out a groan.
"Why didn't we go with Lily and James?" Sally asked, her voice high. "It's just one guy and he isn't immortal anymore."
Cass grimaced. "That's an edge we have but we shouldn't bank on it. Ajax is very good at manipulating static magic. If he's reached the city, the building's barriers can't keep him out for too long. But Lily and James can actively restrain him from a distance. Close combat will never work on him."
Sally clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. "Then what about us? Why can't we take another portkey there?"
"The whole point of the van is so the Aurors won't track us," Iphy said, eyes still closed. "But that cat's out of the bag now. Cass, how long?"
"Twenty tops."
Sally nodded, trying to calm herself.
If only there was something you could do.
She gritted her teeth.
The room was crumbling slowly and so was Kim's strength.
"I don't know!" she whispered, horrified.
Ajax was unimpressed. "You don't know how to survive?"
"I don't know what to say," she said, stepping away from him.
He shrugged. "Perhaps something like. 'Oh, no, Great Ajax the Magnificent! Please don't kill me! I know so much more than you think and can help you figure out what Cass and Iphy are up to!'"
Kim exhaled shakily, jostling the baby. "That! I can help you!"
"Can you?"
"I have dreams!" she blurted. "I can see into the past!"
"Those are called memories, darling."
"Thousands of years ago!"
Ajax stared. He stepped forwards. "Now we're getting somewhere."
"It's why Triton was here!" Kim said, praying the god wouldn't be mad at her because her life was literally on the line. "He came to hear what I had to say!"
Ajax actually looked curious. "What did you tell him?"
"I don't know! He took the memories from me, but I'll get more dreams!" Kim promised. "And I can tell you.
His face went blank. "Not so good, Kimberly."
She paled. "I don't know, I really don't know right now! But if you… if you give me a few nights, I can search! I'm good at searching in my dreams!"
He nodded thoughtlessly. Kim was stammering now.
Ajax's stare was unnerving. His eyes slid over to the baby. Tilting his head, he asked, "And who's this happy camper?"
Kim huddled her nephew closer. "Um… he's no one."
"No name?"
"No, no. He's got that," she whispered. "This is Pepe."
Ajax smiled. His change in mood didn't help things.
"Hello, Pepe," he called softly and the baby looked up, recognizing his name. Ajax looked pleased. "Is your babysitter right? Are you a nobody?"
Pepe was busy slobbering on his little fist, but he stared at Ajax intently. He didn't say anything or make any other sound than his current advent but Ajax made up his mind. Without another word, Ajax reached in and grabbed the baby, pulling him away from Kim.
"Wait!" Kim panicked, reaching for him, but Ajax shot her a look, silencing her immediately.
"I know how to handle babies," he said, not at all reassuringly. "I have one almost as old as this one. They'll get along nicely, I'm sure."
Pepe looked at the stranger holding him, uncertain about the new circumstance. Kim felt breathless.
"You don't need him," she whispered, unable to catch her breath. "He's just a baby!"
Ajax smiled. He balanced Pepe in one hand and reached into his pocket to bring out a collapsible hand-held crossbow. Kim couldn't even process the weapon before a ten-inch arrow bolt shot out, impaling her between her lungs.
Her body slammed into the wall behind her and her lungs screamed. Air was pushed out and Kim gasped, knees buckling. She fell on the hard floor, moaning in pain.
Ajax smiled down at her, softly rubbing Pepe's back. "It's rude to tell people what to do."
Agony expanded like electricity tendrils of it firing up Kim's dying nerves. She couldn't focus, but in her blurry vision, she saw Ajax walk away. Pepe was looking at her over his shoulder, eyes wide with confusion. He pointed a finger back at her and babbled.
Ajax spoke to him but the words didn't reach her. The world dipped in and out of the darkness. She could feel the heaviness of the bolt weighing her down. It was excruciating and was nothing like she'd ever felt before.
What was worse was watching Ajax leave with Percy, heading for a locked room at the end of the hallway. She couldn't see how he opened the door, but the room inside was breaking apart.
A flash of light exploded from it before searing heat blasted outwards. Kim was losing her grasp on reality. She was falling, fading.
Lily and James apparated into a battlefield.
Curses and knives flew over their heads, burning the air around them. Lily shoved James's head down and they ducked behind a half-collapsed wall, broken in the fight.
"Damn it!" James swore breathlessly. "Where is he?"
Lily peered around the corner to take stock of the scene. The Aurors from Cairo were easy to spot since they all wore blue. The rest of the duelers had no strict garment style, but they fought brutally. They were fighting to kill. Crucio and AK curses flew everywhere. A few whirled around with swords and maces, slicing and crushing whoever was unfortunate enough to cross their paths. The ground outside the jail centre was broken and shaking from the energy of the massive fight.
James could feel it too. He frowned up at the only building in sight.
"The tremours are from in there," he said. "We need to get in there."
"HEY!" someone roared. Lily flipped to the side, narrowly avoiding a blasting curse. She retaliated with a stunner. It bounced off an impressive shield and caught the attention of four others.
"James," she hissed. "Get in and get Kim and the baby. I'll distract them!"
James hated that plan. He knew she was more than qualified to take on multiple people, but these weren't Death Eaters. They had no idea what these rogue wizards were capable of.
"No time to argue!" she snapped when he hesitated.
He swore again and agreed.
"Don't die," he said, wishing he could kiss her. But they instead nodded at each other and separated.
Lily spun to the right and popped out of their hiding place, sending a rally of curses, greatly upsetting the balance of the battle. James could sit there and watch his wife duel all day and fall in love with her all over again, but he had a job to do. He rolled to the left and darted out from behind the wall.
Being wandless didn't slow him down too much, but he stumbled a couple of times. Bringing up shields to deflect the curses didn't work always and he had to duck or jump out of the way in intervals.
Then he came up behind one of the duelers fighting Omar.
He swung his leg, taking out the rogue's feet from beneath him. The man hit the ground and James slammed his fist down with incredible strength, breaking the foe's jaw in one go. He grabbed the man's wand and aimed a slicing curse at the closest fighter wielding a sword. The arm lopped off with a scream.
Omar ducked behind a dune with James.
"Did you bring them here?!" Omar interrogated, furious. He had a cut above his eyebrow and was panting uncontrollably.
"I didn't, I swear!" James gasped. "It was a bloke named Ajax! He's here in that building!"
Omar glowered up at it. "Che! Cairo Central's just ordered us to seal the area!"
"What?! Why?"
The Auror stared at him like he had two heads. "James, can't you tell? The air is burning!"
He stabbed a finger into the atmosphere around the building. James looked up wildly, ready to see fire and calamity, but instead, he found the air shimmering. Heat rose from the ground, causing a strange mirage effect all around the building. James's jaw dropped. He'd never seen anything like this.
"What… what is that?" he whispered, stunned.
"I don't know, but it'll interfere with the Duat if we don't seal the building," Omar groaned.
James choked. "What's a Duat?"
"Just trust me, this is bad! Whatever's happening in there is ancient and powerful, but very much not Egyptian magic!"
The wizards watched the building that was now being engulfed in a haze of dangerous aura that shimmered in a vicious red tone. James could see it and also see through it. It was dizzying.
Not Egyptian.
Wasn't Percy Greek?
James asked urgently, "What d'you mean seal the building? A dome shield?"
"SOP is a dome," Omar agreed. He rolled his shoulders, ready to cast the spell, but James caught his arm.
"I need to get inside!"
"What?" Omar spluttered. "James, I don't know if anyone can even survive that! It's setting off toxin sensors all across Alexandria—"
"The hostages!" James was half-yelling now. "Two minors are stuck in there right now with a maniac!"
Omar swore spectacularly. "I can't let any of my team inside that! It's too dangerous!"
"I'm heading in there," James said, crouching close to the side and trying to spot an opening to squeeze through. "Start the dome shield but I'm not coming out until and I get the Jacksons!"
"James…" Omar trailed off, now looking terrified. "I can't imagine them surviving that if they're muggles."
"I have to search for them!" James said, pained. He turned back to look for Lily, locked in a fierce fight with a swordsman. He let her form be imprinted in his mind before turning back to the jail centre.
"Give me five minutes!" James shouted, leaping over the dune and running for the building. Omar yelled something but he couldn't hear it. James crossed into the strange haze and gasped.
The air felt thick enough to terraform Earth into Venus. It heated everything around him. His skin felt like he was under the midday sun in the middle of the Sahara.
Kim and Percy. Just get them and get out. Attack Ajax from far. Don't get too close to him.
The large door to the main building seemed locked, but James ran at it, throwing his shoulder into the front, splintering it into pieces and stumbling into the poisonous jail.
It was getting harder to breathe.
"Kimberly!" he yelled, the borrowed wand held in front of him, ready to strike at anyone who resembled Ajax.
Iphy had given a brief description of him—male, entitled, six feet tall, light brown eyes, dark brown hair, olive-toned skin, furious enough to burn you just with a look.
A very brief description but it was enough. Lily promised James would know once he saw him.
The air was looking hazy. James could almost see the obscure magic trailing around him. It was nauseating, giving him a headache, making his limbs ache. Ancient and terrible power was coursing through this building.
There was a crack in the space behind him.
James whirled around, aiming the wand at a man who was stumbling into the corridor, from a portal edged in rainbow colours.
He took this in stride and focused on the newcomer. He had a hand over his torso, his shirt soaked in blood. His face was dirtied and pained, but he brought out a sword, pointing it at James without hesitation.
James frowned. This man's eyes were a gorgeous deep green. They had a wild violet quality to them. His skin was much darker than Iphy's description of Ajax.
"You called on the tele—the teleophone," James said, clenching his jaw.
The man squinted. "Telephone? Yeah, I called Iphy and Cass in the van…"
"Sciron?"
"Yeah, yeah!"
James didn't want to put so many eggs in one basket, but they were running out of time. "Don't make me regret this. But we need to find the Jacksons."
Sciron looked annoyed. "I agree. I'll handle Ajax, you get them out."
"That's the plan," James nodded.
The two men walked down the corridor, wincing against the invisible strain of corrupted magic. At a turn ahead was an open door. James could see broken bits of the room scattered about, the floor having completely caved in.
"No!" Sciron whispered in horror.
They hurried to the room and looked at the destruction. The walls and ceiling were cracked with fissure lines running all over them. The floor was gone, jagged edges warning them to stay away. But below the room wasn't a basement as James would have expected.
It was an enormous cavern.
It was lit in strong red and orange light. James peered in and saw a massive plateau hundred feet below them. It was banked by two impossible rivers, one dark and desolate, the other pearly white like acid. They flowed from a source to the right. That source was a pool of inky blackness.
He couldn't even look at the dark. There was something there, but it was also nothing. The source was absolute nothingness.
"He broke the fountain room…" was all Sciron could say.
James found his voice. "What is that? What is that place?!"
Sciron just shook his head, unable to make noises now. James swallowed heavily, feeling the air start to burn his skin now. He felt hot spots all over his body. It took some effort to stay in the moment.
Sciron dropped his sword.
James looked up but found him staring away from the cavern. Sciron was looking to the extreme left, his body stiff and trembling.
A girl was leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor, body practically inert, head slumped over her chest.
Sciron moved so fast, James flinched. The man was in front of her almost immediately. James followed, stopping beside the pair to stare at the dying teenager.
"Kimberly," Sciron's voice broke. He raised his hands to touch her face but stopped inches away. James knew why. Because Kimberly's body was covered in rashes, possibly due to the noxious fumes coming from the cavern. Her arms and face had gone a dangerous red, veins sticking out.
The arrow in her chest did not help things. James kneeled beside her, trying to think through the fear.
"You're a wizard!" Sciron suddenly said, looking at James, agitated. "Can you heal her? Or get her to a hospital!"
James ran the scenarios through his panicking brain. "I can't apparate with her. Not like this! And unsanctioned portkeys won't help. She needs medically authorized—"
Kimberly coughed, eyes blinking open. Sciron looked stricken. "Kim! Oh gods, are you…"
"The—" she tried to say, but the agony was clear in every breath she took.
"We're going to get you out of here," Sciron promised, shaking nearly as badly as she was. James grimaced. It was a hollow oath. They were all going to suffer for failing her.
"Pepe," she gasped, one hand flailing up. She managed to point at the door behind them, at the room leading to the cavern.
There was no way a baby could survive that hellhole.
Footsteps echoed from the entrance. James stiffened as Sally came crashing into sight.
He couldn't let her see this. This should not be the last memory of her sister. He stood up and caught Sally before she could fully look at the girl.
"No!" Sally shrieked. James caught her arms, standing up to cover the scene. Iphy was right behind her, staring at Kimberly in horror.
"Kimmy!" she was screaming. "No! You promised! You all promised!"
Sciron and Iphy shared a devastating look. James held onto Sally tight as she punched him in the shoulder and face. Every blow was deserved and was not enough.
"MOVE! GET AWAY!" she was howling, tears streaming down her face.
Kimberly stirred at the voice and mumbled, "Sally?"
James faltered and let Sally slip out. She ran, crashing down right in front of Kim, sobbing and clutching at her shoulders.
Iphy exhaled, face set in stone. "Where is he?"
Sciron stepped away from the Jacksons. "Down there. With the baby."
Sally whipped her head around, shaking and gasping, "Get him back, get my baby back!"
Sciron pressed his back to the wall, a shadow falling over his face. "He wants the bracelet. He won't accept anything else."
If possible, she looked even more enraged now. Sally yanked out a dark metal bracelet from her shirt and threw it on the ground. She held Kimberly close and dared Sciron to cross her. Wisely, he said nothing, picking up the bracelet.
"Sciron," Iphy whispered. "He won't yield without a fight."
James watched him closely. This man was a demigod. He was sure of this.
"I know," Sciron answered. He turned on his heel, swiped up his sword as well and took a running leap into the hellish cavern below them.
Ajax stood at the edge of the plateau. He knew this place. It was the highest point of Tartarus, a plateau surrounded by a large marsh, the source of the five cursed rivers of hell.
The Styx and the Lethe were divided by this plateau. They were so close to the marsh that Ajax could sense the nothingness from it, pure Chaos bubbling in the pit. The Acheron, Phlegethon, and Cocytus emerged on the other side, taking longer routes to scour through Tartarus. Their power was immense and malignant. The pit itself was coarse, sending savage vapours that seemed to set the air ablaze with pure energy, untouched by any mortal or immortal soul.
The air of Tartarus was toxic. Baby Percy fussed slowly sensing the damage. They could feel the burn of ancient magic touching their skin, but Ajax didn't accede. When he heard footsteps behind them, Ajax turned. He grinned at Sciron.
Heroes were such a treat, always aiming to surprise you.
"You think I can't beat you even if you wear my gift?" Ajax asked, keeping a good distance away from him. Sciron's face twisted and he held out a hand, showing the bracelet dangling off a single finger: free and unattached to anybody.
Hot fury seared his veins, leaving him panting and alive. Ajax vision tunnelled onto his bracelet. Sciron was foolhardy to think he could survive this fight.
"An exchange," Sciron said, weighing the words carefully. "You can keep the bracelet. Give me the baby, unharmed."
Ajax was unimpressed. "Why should I believe you? You were resurrected to fight me!"
If Sciron could look any more incensed, it was hard to believe. His eyes kept flitting between Percy and Ajax. "Priorities changed."
Ajax cocked his head, weighing the response. "I'd still bet you aren't this little guy's dad."
Sciron couldn't help the grimace he made. Ajax chuckled, tickling Percy's belly. "Now… what are the chances you're a child of one of the Big Three?"
Percy squirmed, not at all happy about being the focus of this strange man's attention. Not even Ajax's jovial mood could cheer him up. Sciron flinched, holding the bracelet tighter.
"What d'you want more than anything in the world?" he demanded.
Ajax shrugged. "My property. But the boss has rules, hero. I need to fight to prove that I'm still worth her time. And you… you can fight for your brother."
Sciron glowered at him. "We don't have to do this, Ajax!"
"Oh, but I want to," Ajax grinned. He raised a fist and smashed it into a boulder behind him. It cracked like thunder, dense pieces falling onto the ground.
He held the baby out to the side and gently placed Percy beside it. Then he rolled a heavy piece over the loose material of Percy's little trousers. The baby pouted, trying to crawl but unable to move away from his impromptu prison.
Sciron gritted his teeth, but relented, bending to drop the bracelet on the ground as well. The shiny metal reflected the dark red light of hell, attracting both Ajax and Percy, giving them a gleam in the eye. Ajax stood up with a smile. Sciron braced himself.
And they charged at each other.
Moncef: Love reading your reviews! Yes, I'm a very character-oriented story writer.
1) I'm so glad you caught the connection between Pepe and Pumki! Although Pumki has many non-plot related chapters and is sweeter and full of fluff, the heaviness is residing just beyond the screen. Pepe, however, dives head first into action and tension with high personal stakes.
2) Cass and Iphy will be built more in the last two fics!
3) Sky (Sciron) is a guy whose personality grows over the course of this story. The result of his actions here is what we seen in Power and what will continue in Immortals and the final fic. But not everyone will trust him. Harry and Percy are definitely going to react differently with him.
4) Rachel! She grew on me the more I wrote her. Originally, it was just Harry and Percy leading the charge. I was afraid that adding a third person could upset the balance. Then I wrote Rachel. Riordan was sparing with her, especially reducing her appearance once she became the Oracle. My Rachel never chose that willingly, so how does that affect her life? Immensely.
but she fit so well within the teams, outside the demigod and magical worlds, but also so intrinsically connected. I have a good arc set for her to learn, make mistakes, fail, and grow. o(*￣▽￣*)ブ
She goes from being a secondary character to a primary one, right alongside Harry and Percy. I'm replanning the end of the series to make the prophecy fit her as well. Not changing the words, but the meaning is mostly locked down ad I can't wait to share it with everyone!
What nickname could I give her…? I'll try my best with that!
Power was an absolute high point in this series. My only con about it is that it was so long! I can't imagine cutting down chapters though, so it stays as it is giving several characters their due.
5) Harry is out and proud whether its his powers, sexuality, or personality. He's quiet bt his actions are loud and unnoticeable. Having healing powers does not make him sweet and give him automatic good bedside manners. He has to actually work on himself to be approachable and good to his friends. His shield powers are incredibly next level and he's going to learn how that can even backfire on him if he does not make good choices.
I'm definitely going to make Percy confront that dark side of his. He has so much potential to destroy everything around him. He's a such a great character, lovely, respectful, caring… with powerful destructive abilities.
In contrast, Rachel has a very stable kind of relationship with her newfound magic and powers. She isn't weighed down by them, but needs to step and learn how to wield them properly.
6) The ghost of Privet Drive! Oh, I am going to bring that back in the first half of Immortals. You're all going to love it! We're going to find out exactly what Harry has been up to and how nefarious he truly is.
Rachel's going to confront Petunia as well. And she and Harry will find some common ground with with Dudley 😎
fatimapausini5: Sky versus Ajax is something I'm so nervous about, so this chapter has a teaser for it! I love you're reasoning for who you think Pandora is! I will reveal the truth at the end of Immortals, so that's something for everyone to look forwards to!
1) Percy is happy, cheery, and very uplifting because he knows that Camp Half-Blood looks up to him. He's the leader when all is said and done. Even though Thalia is older and a child of Zeus, even though the Hunters are their own team, everyone recognizes his power and knows that he wields it with a lot of thought. People slowly realise that he's not a goof without serious thought, even though that's a front he puts sometimes. Even Harry listens to Percy's notes and orders and follows him without much complaining.
The trauma of Halloween night will be delved in when the ghost of Privet Drive is brought up. It's also partially connected to the main plot, so everything is ready for the truth to come out. We just need someone to prod at it. 😋
2) I love your insight on Rachel. Her duality within these worlds is so important! She'll struggle with it for a while, but she's not going through this alone. I'm writing good friendships, none of that bad friend drama (unless I got a really good idea for it). Immortals will focus on Rachel, Percy, and Harry learning to accept that their bracelets are enhancing all their qualities and changing the situation. Which means they need to make decisions and choices they otherwise would not have done.
3) Pepe – subtext is about Percy. Pumki – subtext is about Harry. I'm so glad that people are getting that. It may seem obvious with the titles, but there's a lot more to it.
4) The forest behind Privet Drive is a really interesting place. No magic or anything, but that's a good spot for these three protagonists. I have a couple of scenes with that area in Immortals.
A music band, eh? I'd love that. It'll be a difficult to get across because my fanfic series are a strictly visual-text based medium. No audio :( But I can add a playlist of songs that I headcanon for these characters and their significant others!
Can Rachel sing? Who knows, maybe I'll give her a lipsync scene. Either way, Ginny would be delighted to hear that. Annabeth already knows that Percy plays the piano. I have a great scene for them. Will Harry play the guitar for Sky? Let's find out.
4) Ajax is a horrifying villain. I'm going to give him an end that befits him. Harry will have something to do with it, but I'm not revealing anymore! But how much will Ajax destroy before the conclusion of the series?
5) I don't want to say too much, but you understand the characters and their motivations and fears so well! I love it. I love reading this! Thank you so much! Harry and Percy's relationship around their trauma can absolutely be connected to the mythos about Pandora and her pithos! A lot of this will be brought to light in Immortals.
6) Harry and Sally have such a special and unique relationship. She's the woman who shaped his ideals growing up. She practically raised him. There's no avoiding that. Her keeping secrets is a betrayal of that trust. I wouldn't say that he hates her. But he's now hesitant to give his full trust again. Yes, he loves her, no doubt about that. It's complicated now and it will be resolved after a heartfelt conversation.
I don't want them to yell at each other. Harry's trying to be a better person and Sally is learning to tell people more about the secret of the Patron. They genuinely love each other. She's the mother he's always had and Sally understands that incredible power she has over him. She will never abuse it. They're going to talk and cry and hug. Get some chocolate ready.
Percy feels less betrayed, because he's been possessed before and believes that Sally had way less power over her choice to keep it a secret. He may be right or wrong, she'll reveal more of it soon and reconcile with both her boys.
6) Piper and Leo will get their own chapters because even though they aren't primary (there are so many people in these stories, I cry sometimes), I still adore these characters. They'll make connections with not just Harry but with other witches and wizards. In fact, I'm going to bring witches and wizards over to camp. Harry's being doing a solo act for long enough.
You're both awesome! Keep your thoughts coming in I love reading them! Stay tuned for the last two chapters of this fic.
CabbaK