Hey guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter- in which we all fucking love Carter so much.
Replies:
SentinalSlice: They're canonically stronger than normal mortals so yeah, Percy's stronger, and I think magicians are too. And no, Poseidon doesn't know where she is, all he knows is that Sally was married to an abusive man, and then one day Sally and Percy disappear and there's no sign of them- so poor Poseidon's likely to make some pretty understandable if incorrect assumptions- and yes Sally does know some magic even if she didn't take to it as easily as Percy. She started learning pretty late in life.
Ryan Fowler: Why thank you, you really do make me smile.
Seaweedbrain760: I haven't decided yet if I'm being honest- and I know! Julius loves his kids but his decisions were influenced by stress and fear and they were not the best.
Guest: Sheer force of willpower honestly, I love writing and I am damn sure that I'm not gonna stop anytime soon.

Fortunately for Bast, Carter didn't get the chance to push it- though Percy couldn't help but think about it- it would make sense, Carter and Sadie had very very powerful blood- it would explain why Set wanted them so much- and he wanted her because- well. She was a hybrid, a cross between the two worlds, even if she wasn't hosting a god she had the potential to be very powerful and dangerous.

In any case- the tension was broken by a Siamese cat breaking through the bushes and running up to Bast.

They looked at each other for a moment. Then the Siamese dashed away.

"The carriers are close," Bast announced. "And something else...something much stronger, closing in from the east. I think the carriers' master has grown impatient."

Percy felt her chest going tight with fear at that, and Carter tensed.

"Set's coming-" and she really couldn't blame him for the terror on his face. Set was a god, they were just three kids and a goddess who- as badass as she seemed to be, wouldn't stand a chance if he came for them.

Thankfully the goddess quickly put their fear to rest.

"No," Bast said. "Perhaps a minion. Or an ally. My cats are having trouble describing what they're seeing, and I don't want to find out. Sadie, now is the time. Just concentrate on opening a gateway to the Duat. I'll keep off the attackers. Combat magic is my specialty."

"Like what you did in the mansion?" Carter asked.

Bast showed her pointed teeth. "No, that was just combat."

The woods rustled, and the carriers emerged. Their sedan chair's shroud had been shredded by cat claws. The carriers themselves were scratched and dented. One walked with a limp, his leg bent backward at the knee. Another had a car fender wrapped around his neck.

The four metal men carefully set down their sedan chair. They looked at the three Kanes and drew golden metal clubs from their belts.

"Sadie, get to work," Bast ordered. "Carter, Percy, you're welcome to help me."

The cat goddess unsheathed her knives. Her body began to glow with a green hue. An aura surrounded her, growing larger, like a bubble of energy, and lifting her off the ground. The aura took shape until Bast was encased in a holographic projection about four times her normal size. It was an image of the goddess in her ancient form—a twenty-foot-tall woman with the head of a cat. Floating in midair in the center of the hologram, Bast stepped forward. The giant cat goddess moved with her.

It didn't seem possible that a see-through image could have substance, but its foot shook the ground. Bast raised her hand. The glowing green warrior did the same, unsheathing claws as long and sharp as rapiers. Bast swiped the sidewalk in front of her and shredded the pavement to concrete ribbons. She turned and smiled at them. The giant cat's head did likewise, baring horrible fangs that could've bitten me in half.

"This," Bast said, "is combat magic."

Percy grinned at that, unable to help herself, "That is so badass." she shoved her hand into the Duat, pulling her Khopesh free and breaking into a run after Bast- even as Carter stood with his mouth open gaping at Bast's avatar.

Of course Bast was a lot bigger than her, which meant that before Percy was even half way to the goddess she was already in the middle of the carriers.

She slashed one carrier to pieces with a single swipe, then stepped on another and flattened him into a metal pancake. The other two carriers attacked her holographic legs, but their metal clubs bounced harmlessly off the ghostly light with showers of sparks.

Percy reached them a second later, slashing at one of the carriers heads with her Khopesh- chopping the head off before bringing her foot back and swinging it forward, kicking the head in a high arc away- and Percy took a brief moment to feel smug before she whirled to focus on the fight- and she could see Carter with his Khopesh out ready to fight as he charged towards them- at which point Cast sliced the last carrier apart like a loaf of bread- which was super cool, in Percy's opinion.
Of course, things could never go that well for Percy, and she could see that they were reforming- the flat one peeled himself from the pavement, the sliced ones pieces clicked together like magnets and the carriers stood up as good as new.

"Carter! Percy! Help me hack them apart!" Bast called, "They need to be in smaller pieces!"

"On it!" Percy called out brightly- and she was aware that she probably shouldn't be enjoying this as much as she was- but- well it was in her blood- it was part of being a demigod- her blood was pumping, heart pounding and she felt alive as she and Carter moved, staying out of Bast's way as she sliced and stomped, dipping in as soon as she'd taken out a carrier to chop them up into itty bitty pieces- They were almost done with the second as Bast dealt with the third carrier when things went wrong- Percy had forgotten about the one she'd chopped the head off and Carter had his back to her, he'd turned to help chop up the third carrier when it happened. Percy heard movement behind her but she didn't have time to turn around or scream when two strong arms wrapped around her, one around waist, the other clapping over her mouth and hauled her up off the ground and backwards.

She struggled, kicking out wildly and jamming her elbows backwards as it started to tow her towards the Sedan.

She wasn't sure if she just got lucky or if it actually hurt the monster because the second time she jerked her elbow back the carriers grip slipped, and she managed to jerk her head, freeing her mouth from the carrier. She opened her mouth and let out a scream, managing to slip out of his grip.

Of course, even as Carter, Bast and Sadie all twisted to look towards her the carrier was lashing out, and she let out a pained yell as it hit her over the head- she twisted, trying to slice the carrier with her Khopesh but it caught her wrist, squeezing hard enough that her second scream was one of pain rather than fear as she dropped her blade.

"PERCY!" that was Carter's voice- panicked, terrified, but Percy was being hit again, a copper fist hitting her face so hard that she was half convinced she heard her jaw cracking, she could certainly taste the blood that flooded her mouth, and then a fist smashed into her stomach and she doubled over- then she was being lifted again and the sedan door was opened and she was flung into it, the door slamming shut behind her.

Percy lurched to her feet instantly- her head spinning, making her stumble as she lunged for the door- but there was no handle on the inside- she screamed, screamed as high and loud as she could, so high and loud that it made her throat hurt, hammering on the door with her fists uselessly- it was pitch black inside of the sedan- and she couldn't hear anything from the outside.

She felt her panic rising, tears pouring down her cheeks as she battered the door uselessly.

She was trapped- she was trapped there was no way out- her panic clouded her mind. She couldn't think straight- couldn't think of a way to escape. She was trapped, trapped in a small box in the dark. There was no way out, no way out she'd be trapped and they'd take her to Set and- she sobbed and screamed even louder, her fists throbbing with pain as she punched the door over and over and over again.

It couldn't have been more than a few minutes before the door was suddenly wrenched open, but it felt like a lifetime before the light streamed in- so bright after even a few minutes in the pitch black of the sedan- and Carter was there, a grim look on his face, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead, clutching his Khopesh tightly- and Percy sobbed violently as she launched herself out of the sedan into his waiting arms, and her brothers arms wrapped around her almost instantly, dragging her away from the Sedan as Bast made a glowing fist and smashed the sedan into kindling.

"It's okay." his voice was soothing, "It's okay I've got you Percy it's okay." he was combing his fingers through Percy's curls as she sobbed and shook. "It's over. It's over."

"Is she okay?" Sadie's voice was high, panicked.

"She's okay. She's going to be okay."

"Don't let them take me again." Percy sobbed the words, "Don't let them take me-"

"I won't. I won't. They won't take you Percy I promise. I promise you."

"We can't stop." Bast's voice was almost apologetic "We must keep moving-" and Percy lifted her head from where she'd tucked it into her brothers shoulder. Inside her glowing shell, Bast's face was coated with sweat. Clearly she was drained from so much magic. "We're not safe yet. I'm sorry. Sadie, how is it coming."
"It's not," Sadie complained. "Isn't there another way?"

Before Bast could answer, the bushes rustled with a new sound—like rain, except more slithery.

Percy forced back a whimper- weren't the carriers bad enough? What could possibly be coming next?

"No," Bast murmured. "It can't be. Not her." Then the bushes exploded. A thousand brown creepy-crawlies poured from the woods in a carpet of grossness—all pincers and stinging tails.

Percy could see the terror on Carter's face. She knew how her big brother felt about scorpions. He hated them with a passion, Percy couldn't blame him for that. They were horrible.

"Sadie!" Bast called urgently.

"Nothing!" Sadie moaned.

The scorpions kept coming—thousands upon thousands. Out of the woods a woman appeared, walking fearlessly through the middle of the arachnids. She wore brown robes with gold jewellery glinting around her neck and arms. Her long black hair was cut Ancient Egyptian–style with a strange crown on top. Except- except it wasn't a crown was it. No she had a live, supersize scorpion nesting on her head. Millions of the little nasties swirled around her like she was the center of their storm.

"Serqet," Bast growled.

"The scorpion goddess," Carter guessed. "Can you take her?"

Bast's expression wasn't at all reassuring.

"Carter, Sadie, Percy," she said, "this is going to get ugly. Get to the museum. Find the temple. It may protect you."

"What temple?" Carter's voice was desperate.

"And what about you?" Sadie added.

"I'll be fine. I'll catch up." But when Bast looked at them, and Percy could tell that she wasn't sure. She was just buying them time.

"Go!" she ordered. She turned her giant green cat warrior to face the mass of scorpions.

Percy let out a sob as Carter unwrapped his arms from around her- though he grabbed her hand tightly, grabbing Sadie's arm too before taking off at a dead run, dragging both of the younger girls with him as they fled.

And what choice did they have? Percy's head was still spinning, she could still taste the blood in her mouth- she was pretty sure that when the carrier had punched her she'd cut the inside of her cheek on her teeth- and her ribs were aching something horrible from the blow to her stomach. There was no way she could help fight a god in her condition.

Still, as they fled she felt like a dirty coward. Running away wasn't in her nature.

Still, she didn't fight as Carter dragged her and Sadie along toward the entrance of the museum.

Percy wanted to look back, she wanted to see that Bast was okay- but- she was pretty sure she wouldn't like what she saw so she didn't. She just looked forward, forcing herself to move despite the pain, despite the fact that her chest felt like it was on fire it was so tight, as as Carter pulled them along through a row of bushes.

They burst onto Fifth Avenue, which seemed ridiculously normal after the magic battle. They ran down the sidewalk, shoved through a knot of pedestrians, and climbed the steps of the Met. A banner above the entrance announced some sort of special Christmas event, but Percy didn't have the time or focus to try and read it- with her head swimming as it was she figured it would make it even harder to read than it usually was- which was always pretty bad.

Instead they simply sprinted straight into the museum, it went past in a blur as they ran- Percy usually liked museums- liked exploring them, but she couldn't even focus enough to take in their surroundings really- though she knew that they annoyed someone because she could hear security guards yelling at them as they dashed into the exhibits.

Percy glanced behind her as they did- feeling sick. Because without Bast, what chance did they have of escaping?