The first thing Burza smelled was blood. Well, she couldn't really smell anything considering her nose felt like it had been crushed. The iron was so overwhelming that she could almost taste it with a half-open and numbed mouth. A small groan escaped her as her eyes slowly drifted open. Her eyes stared at all of the blood beneath her face. How long had her blood been gold?
Burza rolled onto her back, and the world spun. Her breakfast was coming back up, and she tore off the piece of metal that covered her face. Burza tried to vomit but only ended up retching. Right. The only nutrients she had was whatever was in that IV that Pia gave her.
As Burza retched, her gaze focused on the face plate that had fallen from her grasp and now rested on the blood-soaked elevator floor. She had done some research on the Sixth Legion, mostly because she wanted to know how the legion managed to survive in secret for so long. And why was she not invited?
Julius Caesar led the legion throughout his immortal life as he was the champion of one of the Fates. Somewhere along the way, his heart must have grown three sizes. That wouldn't do for a Roman, though. Romans could not afford to become weak and hesitant in battle. They had to be just as willing to die as they were to send others to their deaths. Instead of simply detaching himself from this new-found softness, Caesar tried to combat it. Thus, the face plate was created.
It wasn't for protection or even just to look intimidating. Caesar did not want to remember the faces of the people who would live and die whilst flying his banner. That was why he hid their faces and took away their names. Naming each member after a city was not some kind of anonymity thing. It was to keep any trace of humanity buried.
Burza tried to blink away her confusion and grasped her face. It felt like blood had stained her skin. Burza slipped the face plate onto her belt and stared at the ground. Blood and ichor had flooded the elevator floor. Then, her eyes moved to the side. She almost gasped at the sight of the severed head.
"Holy shit," Burza whispered. She made it to her knees and stared down at the scene before her. Her eyes examined the head and body of Bellona. While the plan was for Jupiter to be the first one to taste Tartarus, Bellona was another appetizer on the menu. But, Burza couldn't claim this kill. Did Reyna kill her own mother?
It took a moment for Burza to turn her head. Her gaze focused on the demigod in question. Reyna was sitting against the elevator wall and staring distraught at her mother's corpse. Kronos' blade rested in the puddle next to her. She still had that stupid face plate on, but Burza could see the panic in her eyes.
"Come on," Burza grunted, shifting herself over to the Titan lord's weapon. She blindly reached out for Kronos' blade and grabbed it. Burza tried to drag herself up to her feet, but her knees shook at the effort. Pain tore through her entire body, and she bit her cheek hard enough to draw blood. This pain wasn't going away. It was going to get worse in just a few hours. That was what their doctor warned them about, but Burza had to be healed. She had to take out her father when the chance was ripe.
They didn't get to Jupiter though. The only dead immortal at their feet was Bellona. They hadn't even made it to the damn throne room. This was not how their plan was supposed to go, but they had to make it work.
"We have to leave. I know it's hard, but we need to get out of here," Burza said to Reyna, kneeling down next to her.
Reyna didn't answer. Burza growled and turned away in irritation. She slammed her fist into the button for the lobby and felt the elevator descend. Had Reyna not even made sure they were out of danger before having her little breakdown? Things could only get worse unless the little emperor pulled it together.
Burza took a deep breath. She had to be patient with people. That was what Beleza kept telling her. What did Beleza know anyway? She just liked to talk.
"Reyna, I know this is hard, but don't make me drag you out of here," Burza said, looking back down at Reyna. "If the Olympians find us here, we will be killed. I just need you to get to your feet and get moving. Got it?"
After a few moments, Reyna lolled her head up at Burza. She finally nodded and struggled to stand. Burza grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Reyna took off the faceplate for her helmet and hooked it onto her belt. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying. Normally, Burza would chastise her fellow Romans for allowing their emotions to reign, but she knew that Reyna was different.
The girl had been through so much these past few months and was on the brink of unbridled insanity. The peacekeepers had to treat her delicately. Otherwise, the anger that was boiling inside would explode and be aimed directly at them. They needed to keep Reyna on their side.
"Come on," Burza whispered. She knew that her body wouldn't last long. Pia had managed to temporarily heal the worst of the wounds that Eris inflicted with her torture, but they didn't have long before the treatment would whither away. Burza's back and body would literally snap, and she would be bedridden for at least a week. They needed a plan before then.
The elevator door opened, and Burza found herself face to face with Neith. A small frown broke onto her face at the sight of her comrade. Neith should have left the building by now. At least the door did not open to another god when they were just leaving.
"The job is half done. We have one dead immortal, just not the one we planned on," Burza informed Neith, slight disappointment laced her tone.
"Reyna killed her mother?" Neith questioned. Burza nodded and led Reyna towards the chair behind the counter. She sat her down and examined her eyes. Reyna looked away from her. "What do we do now?"
"I don't know," Burza admitted. "Why haven't you left already?"
Before Neith could answer, the front door to the building opened. Burza turned her head and was shocked to see Theo. What was everyone doing here? Theo was supposed to be raising a few small hurricanes to distract his father. Neith's role was just to already be gone. Why were they not following the plan?
"Is everything okay?" Theo questioned.
"We're fine, Theo. Is your job done?" Burza demanded. Theo shrugged his shoulders. Burza could not believe this. What the hell was he doing here? "Then, why are you here?"
"I wanted to make sure that everything went according to plan," Neith began. Burza turned on her. She knew that there was more to Neith. That woman hated Romans, but at the same time, she was working with them. What was the game with her?
"By diverting from the plan?!" Burza demanded. Theo looked down in shame. "We cannot all gather here! The gods may be able to sense us. Neith, leave with Theo and Camila if she is here.. Have her come back for us. Quickly."
"Are you sure?" Neith asked. Burza turned on the woman and glared. Did she stutter? She felt the hair on her arms raise as lightning built around her.
"I am sure," Burza growled. "Get moving. Now."
Theo became worrisome between the two of them. Neith looked like she wanted to argue. Burza just wanted to strangle the two of them.
"Security cameras," Reyna suddenly interrupted, drawing attention to her.
"Cameras?" Burza questioned. She turned towards her fellow Roman and tried to think. Like most of the other peacekeepers, Burza was still trying to get used to this modern world. Almost a hundred years had passed since her time. All of this new technology was overwhelming. "Beleza spoke of those. What are they?"
"Is this laptop yours?" Reyna asked after a short moment. She opened the laptop with shaking hands. Neith and Theo exchanged looks with each other. "Neith, is it?"
"No. It was here when I arrived. I don't know of its use," Neith said. Reyna nodded and began searching through the laptop. Burza looked at Neith in confusion, and her fellow peacekeeper just shrugged.
"What are you doing?" Burza finally asked. Reyna didn't answer for a minute. She just pressed random buttons on that strange device. Burza closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. She knew that these technological devices could do many things, but if she tried to use one, she became too frustrated and ended up just throwing it.
After another minute, Reyna closed the laptop and picked it up. She flung it at the wall across from her and let out shaky breaths. Burza smirked. It was a good thing that she wasn't the only one who hated technology. Reyna sat back in the chair and stared at the ground.
"I don't think she is taking this too well," Theo muttered under his breath. Burza looked back at him.
"No shit. You and Neith leave. Now," Burza ordered. Theo nodded and turned away. He left the lobby, and after a few moments, Neith followed behind. Burza looked back at Reyna and grabbed her shoulder. "Reyna, are you with me?"
"I killed my mother," Reyna whispered. She closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands. "How could I just kill her?"
"Because you see the evil of the Olympians. Of her. She even ordered your death at Camp Jupiter," Burza said. It took Reyna a moment to look up. Burza tightened her grip on her shoulder. "We have your back, Reyna. You are our ally and friend now. First, we must leave and make a new plan. Tell me why you needed the laptop."
"There are cameras," Reyna stated. She looked away again. "I deleted the footage. They won't know we were here."
"They won't know? We should announce ourselves to the world," Burza protested. Reyna looked up at her and then at the blood drenched elevator. A flurry of emotions passed through her eyes, and she looked back down. Burza nudged the younger girl's shoulder. "Listen to me. We are Romans. We do not knock. We kick the door down and announce our presence."
"We do not kill. We slaughter as a message for all who would oppose us. Your mother's body should be crucified in that elevator," Burza preached. Reyna shook her head and pulled away. "What is the point of hiding what we have done? The Olympians must know that their time is coming to an end."
"If the Olympians know that I killed my mother, what are they going to me? To my legion. To... Hylla. Oh gods. Hylla is going to hate me," Reyna whispered. Her shoulders deflated. "What have I done?"
"You have taken the first steps to change this world," Burza said. She stood and offered a hand. "We can debate what the right move was later. We will leave your mother's body where it is, but we must go."
Reyna slowly took her hand, and Burza pulled her to her feet. The two of them left the Empire State Building. If anyone asked Burza, they failed. Their only job was to destroy Jupiter while the rest of the Olympians were distracted. Now, they had to do things the hard way. The peacekeepers would make it work though. It would just take more time.
The two of them made it outside, and Reyna pulled away. She sat against the wall and placed both hands to her chest. It looked like she was about to have another panic attack. Burza tried to remember what she was supposed to do, but really, she just yelled at people like this. The yelling didn't stop until they got their focus back, but something told her that wouldn't work with Reyna.
For the first time in her life, Burza bit her tongue. She kept all of her thoughts to herself and just stood there. Reyna laid her head back against the wall and let out shaky breaths. After what Burza could guess were breathing exercises, Reyna calmed down slightly. After a few minutes, she made it to her feet. That was when the hair on the back of Burza's neck stood up.
"I heard what happened," Camila sighed. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, and it looked like she could hardly stand.
"Can you shadow travel?" Burza questioned. Camila's eyes narrowed for a moment, and she finally nodded. "Spare me the attitude. You've shadow traveled more today than some children of Pluto do in their lifetime."
"We all have been pushing our limits. I'm no different than you, which means I can handle it," Camila snapped. She grabbed Burza's forearm roughly. Her other hand gently grabbed Reyna's shoulder. The daughter of Bellona hadn't said much. She wouldn't even look at them.
Burza closed her eyes and resisted the urge to shake Reyna's shoulders. She needed to snap out of this funk. They needed her at her strongest. Burza thought the pep talk in the elevator had worked, but Reyna was talking even less now. While Burza was sure that it was her talk with Reyna that prompted the demigod to kill her mother, there could be more to it.
Burza had been unconscious for the death of Bellona. Had the goddess said something that sealed her fate? Did Reyna even kill her mother? Was it all a trick? No. Burza knew it wasn't. She knew that she could trust Reyna. After all, the demigod didn't kill her in that elevator. She just wished she could've seen Reyna do the deed.
As the shadows around Burza shifted, she tensed. She heard whispers all around her, and her stomach felt like it had been thrown from a Pegasus. Burza's feet landed on something solid, and she collapsed to her knees. Someone caught her.
"I'm fine," Burza hissed. She tried to shove the person away, but pain tore through her back. Burza growled in pain and slowly looked up. Reyna steadied her and slowly looked around. "Oh. Uh, thanks."
"You're welcome," Reyna said softly. She turned and helped Camila. "I tried to share my strength."
"You didn't have to," Camila muttered. A small smirk came to Reyna's face, but her eyes immediately grew sad. She seemed to become lost in thought and looked away.
"What now?" Reyna questioned.
"We make another plan," Burza answered. She looked around the room in their base. This one was completely dark. Camila had learned long ago that it was easier to shadow travel to a place full of shadows, so they kept a room of darkness just for her. Burza hated the darkness though. She was always reminded of the stories of Pluto and his Helm of Darkness.
When Burza looked at any of the dark corners, she wondered if the god was lurking in the shadows and listening to them. That would require him to see them as a threat though. The Olympians had grown complacent long ago though, and that was why now was such a good time to strike.
Part one of their plan didn't go the way they hoped, but Burza never met a plan she couldn't salvage. They just needed to meet and make a new plan. It would be the best time to bring Reyna into the fold and prove that she was on the same ground as the peacekeepers. Once they had their meeting, Burza would pull Reyna and a few other peacekeepers aside to figure out how to deal with Neith.
A small smirk came to Burza's face. Neith was no Roman or Greek. She was something much older and different, and Burza didn't like it. She knew the woman was just waiting for the right moment to be rid of her, and Neith knew the same. Before, they had to work together to even get into the position of taking out the other. There was mutually assured destruction for both of them if they struck before the time was right.
Now, the time was exact. There was no Eirene to control them. They had their strings. The only problem was that they had to do this quickly. Wasting time would only allow for the Olympians to strengthen their defenses.
"Everyone should be in the meeting room," Burza stated. She turned and walked out of the room. Footsteps followed right behind her, and another set followed a few moments later. Burza led them down a hall and into a large room. Her eyes moved to the rest of the peacekeepers that were already occupying the room.
Theo, the son of Poseidon, was leaning on the table and staring down at his best friend. Burza swore the two just needed to get their feelings out there. This whole dance was stupid. Theo glanced at Burza and nodded to her. While the two argued half of the time, they did see eye to eye on one thing. The peacekeepers were a family, and they would do anything to protect them.
Theo died defending Camp Half-Blood long before their barrier problem was magically solved by a daughter of Zeus dying on the stupid little hill. Did Camp Jupiter get a magic barrier like that when a child of Jupiter died in the camp? No. But, the Greeks just had to be little babies about it.
Zara smiled up at Theo and leaned back in her seat. Zara was the oddest one of them. She was a daughter of Thanatos; yet, she was one of the nicest people that Burza knew. It might have just been the Greek blood running through her though. Even with her being tortured to near death and beyond any sane limits, Zara didn't lose her faith in those who she thought deserved it.
Camila pushed past Burza and collapsed into a chair. The daughter of Pluto wouldn't admit it, but she was exhausted. Even with their strings, she had pushed herself to her limit. The only other time that Burza knew about Camila pushing herself this far was when her entire village was slaughtered in front of her. She had been forced to watch due to a mixture of fear and her father. After the attackers left, Camila's grief crashed like a wave and she destroyed half of the forest that she called home for so long.
"You're safe," a voice said softly. Burza turned her head to look at Beleza. The daughter of Venus looked her up and down, glanced at Reyna, and then focused solely back on Burza. Heat blazed to life in Burza's cheeks, and she looked away. "I'm glad you didn't kill yourself trying to murder your father."
"As if," Burza muttered. She studied Beleza. Of all of them, Beleza was probably one of the evilest of them. She killed men for money and enjoyed it. Most of her targets had a righteous reason behind them, but murder wasn't the problem. It was the fact that she took gold for it. Burza never knew how Beleza became a peacekeeper, and the woman never told her. She had more secrets than Rome had barbarian corpses lining their steps.
"You need to rest," Pia added. Burza glanced over at the daughter of Apollo. Pia was still exhausted. She had spent most of her time healing Reyna and Burza. It didn't help that she had fully healed Burza's back for a temporary amount of time. Most of the peacekeepers needed rest, but did they have time?
"I won't have a choice," Burza grumbled.
"That is true. You won't be able to argue for once," Pia commented. Burza rolled her eyes and studied Pia. She had been a great doctor in her time who only wanted to heal the sick. It all went wrong when her former patients revered her and tried to raise her as a god. When Pia was almost killed by the brother of a patient she couldn't save, her unwanted cult saved her life, and the gods turned their attention to what they thought was a threat to their power.
"I'll find a way," Burza commented. She walked towards a chair but didn't sit down. Her gaze moved to the side. Reyna was standing at the door and just staring at them. It was hard to read the look in her eyes. "Reyna. Come. Join us."
After a few moments, Reyna began her walk towards them. She looked exhausted, and her shoulders were hung lazily. Reyna made it towards the table and slowly sat down. Burza leaned against the table, and she took a moment of reprieve. Her body began to shake.
"Glad to see you two still standing," Dominic greeted. The son of Mars looked almost happy to see them, but Burza only returned a glare. Dominic was a good attack dog and nothing more. He spent some time at Camp Jupiter but wasn't able to make the cut. He was exiled and he hated to even be thought of as a son of Rome. He couldn't run from his heritage forever though.
"We'll all need to get some rest after this," Charles stated to the group. The son of Somnia scanned each of them carefully. Charles was probably the most peaceful of them all, but that didn't stop Pluto from sicking his Furies on Charles and torturing him. All because the boy just wanted to show a bit of mercy.
Burza usually thought of those who extended mercy as cowards, but Charles was different. He simply put to sleep those who were on the verge of death. Pluto believed that Charles was somehow messing with the rules of death and not allowing some people to live out their punishment, even though they were going to die. It made no sense to Burza.
"What happened?" Vasicio questioned. His eyes moved to Burza and focused on her. Burza slowly reached up to her face with her hand. She had forgotten all about the blood. The ache in her cheeks was nothing she hadn't felt before. Vasicio's eyes moved to Reyna's hands.
"An immortal was felled today," Burza answered. "It wasn't my father though. As the doors of the elevator opened, Bellona was standing there. And, Reyna killed her."
"But not Zeus?" Vasicio asked. Burza nodded. The son of Minerva. No. Athena. Son of Athena. Burza was never going to get used to that. The son of Athena frowned and crossed his arms. "Did anyone see you?"
"I don't think so," Reyna said softly. "There was no one else around. It was just our bad luck she was waiting for us."
"Bad luck," Neith repeated. She peeled off her leather jacket and dropped it on the back of her chair. There was a tattoo on her arm that was some kind of stupid snake. Burza hated how lifelike it looked. "Are we sure she didn't know?"
"Don't know how she would," Hilk interjected. "I've been watching any and all Iris messages. No one could have warned the Olympians, and you were watching the front door."
Since Hilk was a son of Iris, he had extended control over the Iris messages every demigod so much loved to use. He also could look back at old messages, if he knew what he was looking for. It involved a lot of rainbows and coins before he got his string.
"One thing plans never account for is bad luck," Asher pointed out. He spun around in his chair. Burza never thought she would have a use for a child of Bacchus, but she was wrong. Asher could completely change the flow of the battle, and he was also a good listener for anyone who needed to get their problems off of their chest.
"We still have to figure out our next steps," Beleza said. She looked at Burza. "Before your back snaps on us like a twig."
"We will make a plan," Burza agreed. "And after that, we should all try to get some rest. The world is going to change soon, and we are going to be the gatekeepers of a new era."
Burza moved her gaze to Neith. The woman stared back at her. Before they had their strings, they needed Neith around for her near-divine power. But now, the peacekeepers were the divine ones. The strings, their very fate, was now in their own hands. The Fates didn't control them anymore. All thanks to that foolish Eirene.
Burza moved her hand to her pocket and felt the string that was inside. Despite Vasicio explaining it a few times, the concept of the string still confused her. All mortals, demigods, and gods had a string like this. And it wasn't really a string. It was their fate, their destiny. How could one hold an item like that in their hands? What they saw were the strings. It was the only thing their minds could process, she figured.
Normally, the Fates kept the strings in their temple. When someone was destined to die, the Fate Atropos would grab their string and sever it with her shears. The remaining bits of the string were cast out, but Burza didn't know where. There were times when gods or goddesses stole a string from the Fates in a foolish attempt for power or just to keep their children safe.
One way or another, all of the peacekeeper's strings had been stolen from the Fates. Eventually, the strings found their way to Eirene, and she recruited them. They had all managed to get their strings back, and their power had increased ten-fold. It had something to do with them being in control of their fate in a way. They also couldn't die, since their strings couldn't be cut by the three sisters. Granted, there were a few weapons that could cut through strings. One of those weapons hung on Burza's belt. Another on Reyna's.
"How are you going to handle the demigods?" Reyna asked curiously to everyone in the room. She looked up to meet their eyes. "They won't just let us kill the gods, and I don't think I can just kill the people I saw as friends."
"That is what we are going to discuss," Burza replied. She slowly sat down and let out a pained breath.
"We should do this with the least amount of bloodshed as possible," Zara said.
"I agree, and I have a plan for it," Theo said. Burza leaned back in her seat and nodded in approval. She would let the others take the lead and tell their plans. If she didn't like the plan, it would be easy enough to veto. The only goal she had was for Reyna to feel comfortable with them. To feel that she was one of them, and she should be. Ever since Burza first laid eyes on the imperator, she wanted Reyna on her team. Now, they just needed to not screw it up.