Chapter 10: Step Out On The Stage You Made

Annabeth looked out the back of the truck to the horizon. The sun was only starting to rise over the horizon, and most of the sky was still a dark blue. The night air chilled Annabeth and made her shiver slightly, but she didn't mind. The cold was bracing, in a way. It kept her alert. And it wasn't like it was going to get any colder, considering night was giving way to day. She reached up to the pendant around her neck, her fingers running over the dull blue stone attached to it.

They were almost to Valus. Almost to the possibility of restoring Zazie's memories and powers. Almost to getting back the Zazie Annabeth knew. She smiled. Maybe things could be like they once were. Zazie would be back to her old self, and then...

And then what?

Obviously, the first thing they would have to deal with would be the Black Hand. Why were they after Zazie? Was it because of her past in this world, or something else? The Zazie of old was all too familiar with attempts on her life, but never had such high-grade assassins come after her life so often. Once they figured out how to restore Zazie's memories and powers, the next step would be to figure out who was hiring the Black Hand to go after Zazie, and why. And then, put a stop to that.

But after that? Annabeth wasn't sure. The world Annabeth knew was gone, its kingdom and people with it. Unless Zazie ended up remembering some sort of magic spell that could return them to the world they knew, there was no going back. They were stuck.

But Annabeth made it over. So did Zazie. Maybe that meant maybe others could have come over. Even if they lost their memories like Zazie. Maybe it was possible.

Yes, that could be a thing they could do. Travel this new world. Search for those who may have ended up like Zazie. Maybe -

A ringing sound interrupted Annabeth's thoughts. It was coming from Zazie, who was sitting asleep across the truck from Annabeth. Her pocket, more specifically.

"Huh?" Zazie muttered, stirring awake. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her scroll before opening it up.

"Good morning, Zazie. Did you sleep well?" Annabeth asked, watching Zazie read some sort of message on her scroll as her brow furrowed slightly. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just... never mind. Just something I need to send to someone," Zazie mumbled, tapping at her scroll a few times before closing it and putting it back into her pocket. She sat up and yawned. "Morning already, huh? It's still dark outside."

"Well, it's not completely dark. The sun's coming up."

"I guess it is, huh?" Zazie muttered. "Well, whatever. I'm up now, might as well stay up."

"We're almost to Valus, right?" Annabeth asked. "Do you know how long until we reach there?"

"Uh... lemme check," Zazie said, pulling her scroll back out. She tapped it a few times and a map came up on the screen. "Valus is deep in the mountains along Vale's border, just past the edge of Vacuo's desert. There's a small town at the foot of the mountain that we'll get to in about an hour. After that, it's straight to Valus."

"I see. That isn't too bad," Annabeth said, leaning back against one of the crates stacked along the back of the truck. "By the way, what exactly is Valus? You mentioned that it's a place known for supernatural and spiritual incidents, but not much more than that."

"It's a, uh..." Zazie said before pausing for a moment. She looked to the side, out the back of the truck. "It's hard to people live there, but it's not really a town or anything. The terrain you need to cross to get up there is rugged and dangerous, so it's hard to get there. And considering the lack of natural resources and the Grimm that supposedly roam there, there's no real point in going there, unless..."

"Unless you want to go there for the area's supernatural properties."

"Yeah... supernatural properties."

There was a moment of quiet. Zazie continued looking out the back of the truck.

"I'll make sure to keep you safe, no matter how dangerous it is. Whether it's against the Black Hand, the creatures of Grimm, or whatever other trials we face on our way to Valus. The journey may be dangerous, but you have nothing to fear."

Zazie said nothing. She continued looking out the back of the truck.

"Zazie?"

"Sorry, I was just... I was just thinking," Zazie said, turning back to Annabeth. She put a smile on her face, but it seemed weak. "Thanks. For protecting me up to here."

Annabeth nodded. Something seemed odd about Zazie, but she decided not to press. "It's my duty, and I do it gladly."

"I... I know."

The truck rumbled on across the desert, towards the mountains in the distance.

"Thanks for getting us up here," Zazie said to the driver as she hopped out the back of the truck. "It would've taken us way too long to get here on foot."

"No problem, ain't any skin off my back. It's on my route, and it's always nice to have someone who knows how to fight around," the driver said, nodding to Annabeth as she climbed down from the truck. "Appreciate having you on board, knight lady."

"The pleasure was mine. Thank you for the ride," Annabeth said with a smile as the driver made his way back to the front of the truck. He started the truck and drove off down the road, presumably to deliver whatever goods he was transporting, leaving the two girls just outside a small town at the foot of the mountains.

"Welcome to Mountstep. From what I've read, it's basically a small intermediary town between Vale and Vacuo. Way back, travelers would stop here before setting out into the deserts or the mountains to gather supplies and prepare for the harsh terrain ahead of them," Zazie explained, looking towards the town entrance. "Now that airship travel's gotten more common, it's a lot easier to cross deserts and mountains, but even airships will still use this place to refuel and resupply sometimes."

"Airships?"

"Huh. Guess you haven't seen those before. They're, well, flying vehicles. Like trucks, but they fly through the sky."

"How?" Annabeth asked. She pictured the truck they had just been riding in driving through the sky above their heads. "That... doesn't seem possible."

"I dunno the physics behind it, but it's something about how they're made. They've got wings that push air down or something. And also Dust. Lots of Dust. It's usually more efficient to go by ground or water, but airships are a lot faster, and you don't need to worry about terrain."

"Really? Interesting. I'll have to see one for myself."

"There should be an airfield where ships come and go. If we've got time, maybe we can check the place out, but for now let's head into town," Zazie said. Annabeth nodded, following her into the town of Mountstep. It was still fairly early in the morning, and while there were some people around, the streets were mostly barren and quiet. Merchants were setting up their shops and stalls, and people were likely still asleep or just starting to get ready for the day ahead of them.

"What should we be buying before we head up to Valus? And how much money do we have?" Annabeth asked. "You get your money from Courier jobs, right? You haven't taken one since the package you delivered to Saguaro."

"Yeah, I, uh... I have some money saved up. From back before... from the past. I don't like using it, but I can go some time without a job for something as important as this," Zazie explained. "We need food, obviously. A good few days worth, at least. We'll also need warm clothing, since the mountains are pretty chilly. Not as cold as the ones where I found you, but - "

A ringing sound. Zazie pulled her scroll out and opened it up, reading something on the screen that Annabeth couldn't quite see. She frowned for a moment, then nodded before pocketing her scroll again.

"What is it?" Annabeth asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just... never mind," Zazie said, turning to Annabeth with a smile on her face. "Anyways, There's some more things we need to get after that, but we should focus on food for now. We can worry about the other stuff later. And make sure to watch out for any Black Hand assassins, alright? Now that we're out of the desert, we can probably expect more of them."

"That makes sense. I'll make sure to keep an eye out for anyone who might seem suspicious," Annabeth said, looking around the street for anyone who might appear as such. Past attacks had come from behind doors and windows, but they had also come from those who seemed inconspicuous, like with the assassin who had disguised herself as a waitress. What would be the next method of attack? She had to be alert for any possibility. Anyone who seemed suspicious or out of place, anyone who was giving Zazie more attention than a passing glance, could be an assassin. Her eyes scanned over the street. A man setting up a cart of fruit. A woman leading a child somewhere. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

No, something was. A large man in a white gi standing in the middle of the street just ahead. He was looking straight at Annabeth. Zazie seemed to have noticed as well, as she had stopped.

"Zazie, stay back. Get somewhere safe," Annabeth said, grabbing Zazie's shoulder and gently pulling her back. She approached the large man, keeping her hand close to her sword. While the man didn't seem hostile yet, it was clear that he had something to do with them. "Who are you?"

"My name is Sirius. I'm with the Black Hand," the large man said. "I assume you're familiar by now."

"I am," Annabeth said, drawing her sword. She looked back and saw Zazie further back down the street, ducking into an alleyway and out of sight. That was good. With her safely out of the way, Annabeth could focus on the threat in front of her. "I believe I know why you're here. I've been told of an assassin, a martial artist who would challenge their target to a duel to the death. Would that be you? I see no other reason why an assassin would be standing out in the street, in plain sight."

"Yes. You would be correct."

"As Zazie's guardian, I cannot let you lay a hand on her. But I've also been told that you will not pursue your target if they refuse your offer for a duel," Annabeth said. Her sword was lowered, but her muscles were still tensed up and ready to strike, like a coiled snake. "What if I were to refuse you here?"

"Unfortunately, this situation is different. You've already claimed the lives of two members of the Black Hand, and fended off one more," Sirius said. His stance widened, and he brought his fists up. "My pride as a warrior tells me that I cannot pass up an opportunity such as this."

"What do you mean?"

"I joined the Black Hand to hone my fist. To fight the strongest and become the strongest," Sirius explained. Annabeth could feel a powerful aura radiating from him, as if his mere presence was physically affecting the air, making it feel heavy. "To have fended off such strong assassins, you must be strong yourself. Strong enough to hone my fist on. Strong enough to give me a worthy fight."

"So it's me you want to fight," Annabeth said, raising her sword. "Then promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"If I give you the duel you want, and you win, then I want you to leave Zazie alone. Swear upon your pride as a warrior that you will not lay a finger on her, that you will go back to the Black Hand having failed your contract to kill her," Annabeth said. "If you do, then I will give you the duel you want. I assume your pride as a warrior is greater than your commitment to the Black Hand."

"You would be correct. But I believe there has been some confusion regarding the nature of the contract that the Black Hand has been tasked with."

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked, lowering her sword slightly. Perhaps the name had confused him? "Have you not been hired to kill Zazie? A Courier girl without any family or history?"

"You are mistaken. We have no contract to kill a Courier, as far as I'm aware," Sirius said. "But yes, the Black Hand has been hired to kill a girl with no family or history. A powerful warrior who wields the sword and strange abilities. One by the name of Annabeth Helmsmith."

Annabeth's breath caught in her throat.

"What?"

"Now, let us not delay any longer," Sirius said. Annabeth could somehow feel power radiating from his body, pushing against her own like a strong wind. Annabeth raised her sword and tried to focus as people around them started to notice the fight about to commence, clearing the area and leaving the street to them. "Prepare yourself."

This doesn't make any sense, Annabeth thought as she tightened her grip on her sword. The Black Hand was trying to kill Zazie, right? Zazie fought one of them in that alley, all the way back in Wind Path. Then the other assassins came after her. Now this man was saying that they weren't trying to kill Zazie, but rather -

Something struck Annabeth's chest, seemingly straight through her armor. Sirius's fist. The impact felt as if her heart stopped for a moment. Then, the force behind the blow sent her flying back, crashing through a nearby merchant's stall before tumbling down to the ground.

"Something is off. I can tell. Are you holding back? Or distracted?" Sirius said as Annabeth caught her breath and pushed herself up. "If you do not fight at your strongest, then you will surely die. I want to see what you are capable of."

He was right. Now wasn't the time to think. Now was the time to fight. Figuring out what was going on with Zazie and the Black Hand could come later.

"I'm sorry. Something about your words bothered me for a moment," Annabeth said. She raised her hand, concentrating for a moment as she covered her body in a magic barrier. "But that can come later. After I defeat you."

"Good."

Sirius dashed forward. Annabeth brought her sword up. Being the one with the weapon, she had the advantage in reach, but not by much. She couldn't let him slip past her blade and land another hit. He was too strong for her to allow that. Best to not let him get in range in the first place. Annabeth concentrated energy into her palm and conjured an orb of white-hot energy before tossing it at Sirius's feet. A blinding flash and waves of scorching heat exploded around the impact point, but Sirius had already stepped to the side and past the attack, avoiding it altogether.

All that power wouldn't work if she couldn't hit anything with it. It was time to use something more reliable. Annabeth raised her sword. Watched as Sirius quickly closed the gap. A forward slash with her blade. He stepped back, just out of range. Then, a kick at Annabeth's chin. Quick, but without much power behind it. Annabeth lifted the hilt of her blade and deflected the strike, causing Sirius to back off before she could counterattack. He was quick. Quicker than she expected, given his large frame. The two stood a few meters apart, waiting for the other to make the next move. Annabeth breathed in. Breathed out. She stepped forward, stabbing down towards Sirius's stomach. He stepped to the side, slipping past the blade as he drew his arm back, ready to strike the seemingly vulnerable Annabeth.

As expected.

The stab had no power behind it. A complete feint. In a flash, Annabeth's blade sliced up towards Sirius's neck. An arm came close to deflect the attack, but doing so pushed Sirius off balance, letting Annabeth take the offensive. She stepped forward. Cut towards his shoulder. Deflected, but only just barely. A second slash connected with his chest, but instead of splitting Sirius open, the strike only knocked him back as his body seemed to shimmer. It was as if he had his own magic barrier as well. Zazie had mentioned some time ago that people in this world could block attacks using... aura, was it? Perhaps this was what she was talking about.

"You're quite skilled," Sirius said, regaining his footing as the shimmering across his body faded. "Despite your age, I can sense experience behind that blade."

"Thank you."

"If you don't mind me asking, where did you learn your technique? It's simple and straightforward, unremarkable yet effective. I've seen little like it."

"The Kingdom of Arcadia. I doubt you've heard of it."

"I have not."

Sirius took a different stance. His legs spread out wider, and he drew his arms close to his body. His breathing slowed, and he seemed to be deep in concentration. Was he casting something? No, magic didn't exist in this world, but that didn't mean he wasn't trying something. Or maybe he was just waiting for Annabeth to make the first move. If that's how he wanted it, then fine. She would oblige him. Annabeth gathered magic energy in her hand. Not a fireball this time; that would be too slow. The energy started dancing between her fingertips as sparks of electricity searching for any outlet to be released. Sirius's eyes seemed to widen slightly as Annabeth extended her arm, bringing up his arms to block.

K-KRACK!

A clap of thunder reverberated through the street as a bolt of lightning shot out from Annabeth's fingertips and struck Sirius, exploding against his form. Before the dust could clear, Annabeth rushed forward, raising her sword -

A cannonball smashed into Annabeth's chest. At least, that's what it felt like as the impact shattered her magic barrier and sent her flying through the air and completely through the wall of a nearby building. The wind had been knocked out of her and as she tried to take a breath, she felt a pain in her chest. Had she broken a rib? No time to worry about that now; she was in a fight. Gritting her teeth, she endured the pain as she breathed in and out, regaining her bearing as she pushed herself up from the pile of brick and mortar that used to be the wall she had just blown through. Standing across the street was Sirius, his fist still out in front of him.

"Impressive. Most don't survive a blow like that, let alone get back up."

"I've endured worse," Annabeth said, spitting a glob of bloody saliva to the ground. That was probably bad. She placed a hand on her chest and channeled her magic into it; while she couldn't repair broken bones in the middle of battle, she could alleviate the pain and set the surrounding muscle and flesh back where it should be. Fix whatever damage she could.

"I see. It's no wonder you've survived this long with a price on your head," Sirius said, shifting back into that same stance. "I'm glad the Black Hand decided to take this contract. Maybe you'll show me the fight I've been looking for."

Annabeth responded only with a grunt as she re-raised the barrier around her body. The last time she had tried to attack him, he had been able to block without much issue before transitioning into a deadly counterattack. The question, then. How to break his guard? Offensive magic wasn't doing enough, and the last time she had tried to take the offensive, that ended up getting her smashed through the side of a building. So, what then?

Perhaps the best way to fight a bear holed up in its den was to just not do that. Annabeth held fast, her sword at the ready but still as a stone. Seconds passed. Neither she nor Sirius moved. The pain in Annabeth's chest was still there, but it was dull, masked by concentration and adrenaline. The seconds turned into a minute. Still, neither moved.

"You won't approach?" Sirius asked.

"Should I? You're the aggressor. The assassin supposedly after Za - after my life," Annabeth replied. Her sword remained steady. "I have no reason to approach. If you want to complete your contract, you need to come to me."

"I suppose that logic makes sense. But if you're standing out here in the open, with your full concentration on me, wouldn't that leave you vulnerable? After all, I'm only a single member of the Black Hand. If you don't defeat me quickly, then another assassin could strike you from the shadows while you're distracted fighting me."

"You don't seem like the type to allow that."

"You're right. I'm not," Sirius said, and Annabeth thought she saw a slight smile on his face. He shifted his stance again, relaxing his shoulders and lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. A sharp contrast from the solid, steady form he took only a few moments ago. "Very well. I'll be the aggressor then."

A blur of movement. Suddenly, Sirius was in front of Annabeth, slipping past her blade with a palm strike aimed towards her chin. She ducked back to avoid the blow. Countered with a forward slash, but he danced back, just out of reach. Then back in, this time with a jab to her chest. Too quick. It wasn't strong, but it was enough to set Annabeth off balance for a moment. Enough for a second, stronger strike to knock her back, straining her barrier and nearly knocking her off her feet.

He's faster. Almost too fast. As Annabeth regained her footing, she saw Sirius rushing forward once again. Tried to intercept with a horizontal slash. Too slow. He went low, ducking beneath the attack. A sweeping kick caught Annabeth's ankles, knocking them out from beneath her and sending her tumbling to the ground, only for an uppercut to catch her chin before she could fall all the way. Her head snapped back as she was launched into the air. Already, the barrier around her body was close to shattering again. Did she have enough energy to make another one? She didn't know. Maybe not. She righted herself as she touched the ground, jumping back to create distance between herself and Sirius.

The foe in front of Annabeth was stronger than her. Faster than her. Likely more skilled. How to fight such a foe? What advantages could Annabeth create over her opponent? No time to think of one. Said opponent was quickly approaching. Sirius leaped forward with a flying kick. Sidestep. Counterattack as he falls. It didn't work; he whirled around as he hit the ground, deflecting the strike with his forearm followed by a roundhouse kick towards Annabeth's side. She brought up her sword back to block the attack. Her blade withstood the brunt of its force, but Annabeth was still knocked off balance. Sirius pressed forward, aiming a punch towards Annabeth's chest. She was still reeling from the kick. No time to bring her sword up to block. Instead, she gathered what magic she could into her palm and held it out.

Burst!

A shockwave rippled out from Annabeth's hand. It was weak, but still enough to push Sirius back and send him stumbling, giving Annabeth the time and space she needed. A moment to breathe. A moment to think.

"Interesting. Fire, lightning, and now this," Sirius said as he regained his footing. "You don't seem to be using Dust. Is it a Semblance? I've never seen anything so versatile."

"It's..." Annabeth started to say before stopping herself. Nobody in this world was familiar with magic. What it could do. If Annabeth had any advantage in this fight, it was the versatility and unexpectedness that magic held. But how to make use of that? She had already tried to assault Sirius with elemental magic, and he shrugged that off. Healing would do little in the middle of a fight. She knew little else. How could her magic take Sirius down? No, it didn't have to take him down. She just needed to use it to create an opportunity. An unexpected moment of vulnerability. Once that presented itself to her, all she had to do was take advantage of it. Easier said than done, of course. She took a deep breath and focused.

"Well, if you don't want to say, I don't mind," Sirius said, dashing towards Annabeth. He punched towards her chin and - no, that was a feint. No force behind it. She brushed his fist aside with one hand before bringing her blade up to block the true attack, a knee strike to her stomach. Despite how quick the blow had come out, there was still considerable power behind it, nearly enough to break her guard. But not enough for now.

Block. Counter, Annabeth repeated in her head as she brought her blade up, cutting towards Sirius's chest. The back of his hand deflected the attack as he countered with a high kick to her head. Duck. The foot passed overhead, and Sirius's back was to Annabeth for a moment. Just a moment, but enough to -

Sirius's elbow smashed into Annabeth's face as he turned further, and she toppled to the ground. She felt her barrier flicker and fade. No time to think about it. By the time she hit the ground, she was already rolling out of the way as Sirius stomped down where her head just was.

I might have enough for one more barrier, but only just, Annabeth thought as she scrambled to her feet. She raised her hand, ready to use her remaining magic to stop herself, but stopped. Was that the right way to use her remaining energy? She had been on the back foot for the majority of this fight, and another barrier wouldn't change that. If she wanted to catch him off guard, she needed to hold onto what remained for now. That meant she was vulnerable, though.

Just don't get hit. Simple as that.

Sirius rushed forward again, looking to keep up the assault. Instead of going on the defensive, Annabeth ducked low, dashing to intercept him as she stabbed up towards his chest. The bold maneuver seemed to catch him off guard for a moment as he stopped to sidestep the attack. Good. Now he was the one on the defensive. Annabeth pulled her blade to the side, cutting into his hip for a moment before he leaped back. His body shimmered again. Another hit to his aura? Hopefully.

Don't relent, Annabeth told herself, leaping forward with her blade raised overhead. Sirius brought his arms up to block as Annabeth cut downwards, slashing across his forearms and making his body shimmer more intensely than before. As strong as he seemed, taking hits like that would definitely strain his defenses. All she needed to do was -

Something slammed into Annabeth's stomach, stopping her in her tracks. Sirius's knee. With no barrier to protect her, she took the full force of the attack, doubling over and nearly throwing up as her pain receptors exploded. She fell to her knees, barely propping herself up on her sword.

"You... took that attack deliberately, didn't you?" Annabeth asked, looking up at Sirius. She coughed, and blood splattered the dirt. That probably wasn't good.

"I did. It was a risk considering your strength, but your reckless offense made me think you wouldn't block a counterattack," Sirius explained, as calmly as a teacher with a student. He wasn't attacking. Maybe he already thought she was beaten. Then again, considering the pain shooting through her body at the moment, maybe she was.

Not that she'd accept that, of course.

"I see," Annabeth muttered, lowering her head. She gathered her remaining magic energy into her hand. "Maybe I can use that too."

Annabeth slammed the ground with her hand and a wave of frost poured out, running along the ground and freezing everything in its path. Sirius's eyes widened as he tried to jump out of the way, but he was too close to Annabeth; his legs were frozen in place, and his momentum caused him to stumble off balance. A moment of vulnerability. Just one. Probably the last one Annabeth would get.

She needed to take it.

Ignoring the pain across her body, Annabeth leaped over the frozen dirt with her sword raised. Before Sirius could regain his bearings, she cut across his chest, causing his body to shimmer a third time as he roared in pain. Another slash, this time from hip to shoulder. Sirius lashed out with a right hook, but with his lower half frozen, there was no power or speed behind it. She ducked. Cut upwards across his side. If he had a moment, he would break free of the ice and regain the advantage. So Annabeth needed to not give him that moment. Slash. Slash. Dodge. Stab. Slash. Duck. Unrelenting. Unavoidable. A constant rain of blades.

Finally, the barrier around his body shattered. Annabeth's blade caught flesh. Spilled blood. She stabbed forward, intent on ending the fight.

For Zazie.

Annabeth's blade stabbed into Sirius' chest. Through it. She couldn't see the other side, but she was certain that the end of her blade was sticking out his back, covered in his blood. His eyes were wide with surprise. Then, strangely, calm.

I... can't say I expected this," Sirius muttered. He coughed, and blood started to spill from his mouth. "But I can't say it wasn't a possibility."

"To be honest, I'm surprised as well," Annabeth said, her hand still on her sword. "You were strong. Stronger than me."

"So says the victor," Sirius said, chuckling slightly. "I knew there would be only one way my career would end. I'm glad it was an interesting fight, at least. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Annabeth said. It felt strange, listening to the last words of an assassin. "Now, find peace in the realm of the Gods."

With that, Annabeth pulled her sword out of Sirius's body. Blood spilled from the wound as the ice around his legs shattered, allowing him to fall to the ground. He lay still. Annabeth looked over him for a moment, thinking about the duel she just had with him.

Then, her adrenaline wore off. Annabeth collapsed next to the dead man as her entire body was wracked with pain. Every part of her body hurt.

I probably took more damage than I should've, Annabeth thought as she shakily pushed herself to her feet, using her sword to prop herself up. She wiped her mouth, and her hand came back with blood. Where's Zazie? Hopefully, she found somewhere safe to -

Danger. Danger. Annabeth wasn't sure what tipped her off. Maybe it was an unnatural wind or some subtle sound she unconsciously picked up on, but her instincts were screaming at her. Despite her entire body protesting in pain, she whirled around and lashed out with her blade, slicing an arrow out of the air. Another assassin. Where? Annabeth's eyes scanned for a moment before landing on a figure standing on a rooftop far in the distance with a bow pointed at her. Annabeth was in no shape to fight. Better to run. Regroup with Zazie. She turned to the nearest alley -

"Man, I wish Sirius didn't get to go first. Now all we get is his leftovers!"

A voice from above. Annabeth looked up and saw a young man leaping down at her. He was holding two stick-like mechanical contraptions along each forearm; each had a menacing set of metal teeth rotating around them like a demonic saw. She brought up her sword to block, and as he struck, the impact was enough to make Annabeth's knees buckle. The metal teeth grinded against her sword for a moment before the assailant pushed forward, overpowering Annabeth's guard and knocking her back. She scrambled away from the man with the saw weapons -

BOOM!

- as the ground exploded beneath her, blowing her into the air before sending her crashing to the ground. Now the adrenaline was coming back. Ignoring her pain and fatigue, Annabeth pushed herself to her feet and saw a figure with a thick metal mask and metal armor. He was carrying some sort of tube-shaped weapon on his shoulder; she wasn't sure what it was, but she guessed that it was what caused the explosion.

Run. Run. Get out of here.

To where? The man with the saw weapons was just behind her. The archer was down one end of the street, and the man with the tube weapon on the other. Maybe she could duck into the alleys on the other side of the street. That could work. She ran to the nearest alleyway, but only made it halfway through before someone stepped out in front of her from around the corner. A bored-looking girl with short green hair and a chain around her right leg, with the other end connected to a large iron ball.

"So you're the one causing all this trouble for us? Nice to meet ya," the girl said with a smile as Annabeth grit her teeth and raised her sword. The girl kicked forward with surprising speed, and the iron ball suddenly rocketed towards Annabeth. She moved her blade to block. No, tried to move her blade. Her body didn't want to listen. It was doing all it could just to keep itself up.

The ball crashed into Annabeth, shattering her armor and slamming her straight in the chest. She felt ribs crack and splinter as she tumbled back out onto the street. Her hand still gripped her sword, but only just.

Gotta get up. If I lie down, I die. Annabeth screamed in pain as she rolled over and forced herself onto her knees, propping herself up with her sword. Then, onto her feet -

Bang!

Something shot into Annabeth's thigh, piercing through to the other side and leaving a bloody hole through it. She immediately tumbled to the ground, screaming as the pain receptors in her leg exploded. The adrenaline was starting to wear off. She could feel it. Only aches, pain, and an unwillingness from her body to listen to her commands remained. Her sword still remained in her grip, but it lay uselessly at her side. She could barely lift her arm, let alone swing her blade.

"And that's that. I wasn't expecting a contract like this to put such a dent in the Black Hand," Annabeth heard someone say. Looking up, she saw the woman from the weapon shop, with the wide-brimmed hat and the bandana over her face. Jessie Slate, was it? That's the name Zazie had told Annabeth. Around her were the others who had attacked her; the man with the chain weapons, the green-haired woman with the iron ball, the masked man with the large tube weapon, and a slender man holding a bow with a quiver of arrows on his back. "A no-name target like you, taking out three of the Black Hand's elite? The boss won't like this."

"I could take more of you," Annabeth said.

"I don't doubt it. Sirius was the strongest of us. Besides the boss, of course," Jessie said, squatting down in front of Annabeth. "You should be happy. It took six of the Black Hand's best to take you down. That's never happened before. Whoever hired us, I can see why they told us that only our elite members would have a chance at killing you."

"You... you don't know?" Annabeth asked. She remembered what Zazie told her about the Black Hand's contracts. "Right. You don't get told who hires you."

"You've done your homework. Fortunately for you, you won't go to the other side without that knowledge," Jessie said, taking out a scroll and opening it up. She tapped the screen a few times before throwing it in front of Annabeth. "Whoever the client is, they wanted us to call a number they gave us just before we made the kill. Guess they wanna talk to you. To gloat, I'm assuming. I've seen stuff like this before. Go ahead, make your last call."

Annabeth looked down at the scroll. There was a number written out on the screen. She looked back up at Jessie.

"Sorry, I... don't know how to use one of these."

"Seriously? Here, let me do it," Jessie muttered, tapping the screen again. Now there was a ringing sound coming from the scroll as she handed it to Annabeth. "Hold it up to your ear. When the call ends, I'm shooting you."

Annabeth took the scroll and did what she was told. The ringing stopped, then started again. Stopped. Started again. Then, a beep, and the sound of breathing.

"Who is this?" Annabeth asked. "Why do you want me killed?"

"You did well, Annabeth. You really did. Honestly, I was surprised."

Annabeth's heart stopped for a moment. She dropped the scroll, letting it clatter to the ground.

That voice.

Zazie's voice.

"I'll take care of things from here. Thanks for everything, Annabeth. And I'm sorry."

Bang!

A gunshot. Not from Jessie. The man with the saw weapons fell to the ground, a bloody hole through the side of his head.

"Who - " the man with the bow shouted, just before another gunshot went off. Another bloody hole, this time through his forehead. He stood still for a moment, his eyes wide. Then, he fell. The three remaining assassins scattered.

"How?! My semblance... why didn't I detect anyone?!" Jessie shouted as she and her two remaining allies frantically looked for their assailant. There. Behind the green-haired girl. Someone holding a gun, no larger than Jessie's revolver. Five gunshots to the back, all seemingly in an instant, at point-blank range. Annabeth recognized the shooter.

"Zazie?"

Zazie didn't respond as the green-haired girl fell, her back and chest riddled with bloody holes. Jessie and the masked man turned towards her, each firing their respective weapons. An explosion consumed the spot where she was just standing. Did she get caught? Was she hurt? What was happening? A shout. Annabeth looked over to see Zazie with her gun against the man's neck, between his thick mask and his metal armor.

A gunshot rang out. The man clutched his throat for a moment, as if to try and stem the tide of blood erupting from it. Then, he fell. Zazie suddenly started breathing heavily as she dropped her gun.

"One more time, huh?" Zazie said. She chuckled slightly. "I guess there's no turning back now."

"Zazie..." Annabeth muttered, pushing herself up to her knees as she propped herself up on her sword. Jessie didn't notice; she had her attention focused solely on Zazie.

"You... I recognize you," Jessie said, her gun pointed towards Zazie. "You're the boss's daughter. The one who disappeared so long ago. Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Sorry, I don't really feel like telling you," Zazie said, turning to Jessie and putting her hands in the air. "For what it's worth, I don't plan on killing you either."

"What?!" Jessie asked. Annabeth heard both rage and confusion in her voice.

"Your semblance detects killing intent, right? I never planned on killing you like I just did with the others. Otherwise, you'd have noticed long beforehand," Zazie said with a smile. "Of course, that doesn't mean you won't die. It just won't be by my hand."

"You... you traitor! I'll kill you!" Jessie shouted. Her hands were shaking as her fingers started to pull the trigger. Zazie did nothing to defend herself. As if she wanted to die.

Annabeth had to protect her. Protect Zazie.

"No!" Annabeth shouted, leaping towards Jessie with strength she didn't know she had left in her. She raised her sword, bringing it down on Jessie's wrist and cutting straight through it. Jessie's hand fell, and so did the gun. The shot went wide, harmlessly hitting the ground.

"Augh!" Jessie shouted, stumbling back and clutching the stump that used to be her hand. Fueled by adrenaline and instinct, Annabeth raised her sword again, cutting Jessie open from shoulder to stern. A final slash cut through Jessie's neck, separating her head from her body. Both fell to the ground and lay still.

All that remained in the street were Annabeth and Zazie.

"Zazie..." Annabeth muttered, breathing hard as she collapsed to her knees again. She was covered in blood, and she had no idea how much of it was hers. "What's... going.. on..."

"Thanks, Annabeth. I knew you would protect me," Zazie said, walking over and looking down at Annabeth. She had a gentle smile on her lips, but her eyes looked... sad, almost. "I'll explain everything. You deserve that, and a lot more. But not here. For now, get some rest."

Something struck the back of Annabeth's head. Then, everything went black.

A/N: And that's chapter 10! Looks like the Black Hand's down more than a few fingers.

Thanks to Q and alexc123 for the reviews! Oz and Salem might indeed take interest in people using what looks like magic, especially considering they're already looking for the Maidens. However, it might take a while until Annabeth catches their attention; most of her uses of magic have been in rural, backwater towns or other areas with few witnesses to spread the word.

Thanks as well to those who those who've read to this point, as well as favorited and followed. If you've got anything to say, please leave a review, and have a nice day!