Chapter 45:
"Uh, Thalia? Are you alright?" Percy asked the daughter of Zeus, who was breathing in heavily while riding Rainbow Dash. The questers were flying on their pegasi over Sierras. With any luck, they should make it to San Francisco in only a couple of hours.
"I'm fine," Thalia grit out, trying to calm herself. She still was scared of heights. While she could fly, she could only manage levitating a few feet off the ground. Anything higher than that and she panicked.
"Are you sure?" Percy asked. "Maybe we should-"
"I'm fine, Kelp Head," she insisted, even though she really wasn't.
"Oh? Is the mighty daughter of Zeus afraid of heights?" Zoe taunted while riding Twilight Sparkle alongside Adria.
"At least I didn't act stupid while meeting a couple of ponies," Thalia retorted. The boys oohed while Zoe narrowed her eyes.
"What was that?" she whispered dangerously.
"You heard me, you old hag!"
"You ill-tempered child!"
"Can both of you calm down?" Percy butted in, only to get shot down by getting glared at. "Or fight. Don't mind me," he said meekly.
Adria sighed. "Enough, please. We need to focus on the quest."
Thalia and Zoe kept glaring at each other, then huffed.
At that particular moment, Markus - who was strapped to Rainbow Dash - groaned, stirring. The others looked to see him slowly opening his eyes, then blinking. He tried to move, but found that he couldn't.
"Don't strain yourself, Markus," Thalia said gently, though the comfort in her voice was layered with nervousness. "You're fine. Rest a little."
"Don't feel like it," Markus muttered. Then he yawned. He felt the wind hitting his face. "Are we flying?"
"Yeah," Grover answered.
"Pegasi?" he queried.
"Well... technically," Percy said, struggling to maintain a straight face.
"Define technically. Hey, Blackjack."
'Sup, boss' bro. You good? Markus heard in his mind.
"Peachy. Percy, are we riding on pegasi or not?"
"Yes, but... they're also ponies."
"What do you mean by-" Markus stopped when he fully inspected the pegasus that he was riding. He was silent for a moment, and then he spoke. "Am I riding Rainbow Dash?"
"Yes," Thalia answered this time.
Markus didn't say anything, the confusion obvious. "Okay, let me rephrase that: why am I riding Rainbow Dash?"
"Because Twilight Sparkle and Applejack are occupied," Percy said with a straight face, before breaking down into laughter along with Grover and Thalia.
"Are you shitting me?" Markus asked. What the hell had he missed while he was unconscious.
"Nope," Grover answered, chuckling.
Markus was silent for another moment, before he shrugged. "At least I'm on the most superfly pegasus. No offense, Blackjack."
Some offense taken, Blackjack neighed, a little angry.
Thank you, milord, Rainbow Dash neighed, happy.
"No problem. And don't call me 'milord'. Call me Markus."
But I can't! It's disrespectful!
"Dashie, I'm one of the most disrespectful people that you'll ever meet. I don't mind, seriously."
Uh... how about 'bossman'?
"Dashie, you...," Markus sighed. "You know what? Fine. Bossman it is."
Awesome! Hey, bossman. Can I be your steed?
Markus grinned. "Of course. Now I can ride my majestic steed into battle! My enemies will fear the mighty Rainbow Dash!"
The others looked to Percy. "Mind telling us what happened?" Thalia asked the only other person who can horsespeak.
"Markus got a new pegasus," Percy summarised. He looked to his brother. "You really want to name your pegasus Rainbow Dash?"
Markus tried to shrug. "It's his name. Plus, wouldn't it be badass and funny to ride your superfly pegasus Rainbow Dash into battle?"
The others had the mental image of Markus riding Rainbow Dash and heading towards an army, sword raised in the air. Percy, Grover, Thalia laughed, while Adria and Zoe shook their heads.
Thank you, bossman, Rainbow Dash whinnied happily. You won't ever find a more spunky pegasus than me!
Markus grinned. "Hope not! Now... can someone untie me?"
"Markus, we're flying," Percy deadpanned.
He nodded. "Right."
And so he vibrated his body, phasing through the rope and Rainbow Dash. The others yelled out in alarm, only to stop as Markus fell and started flying using the winds. He met up with the flying pegasi as the others watched shocked.
"You... You're flying," Percy said simply.
"Master of observation, you are," Markus clapped mockingly.
"But... how?" Grover asked, stunned. "You're the son of Poseidon, not Zeus!"
Markus grinned widely. "A secret."
"Thou-" Zoe shook her head. "No. I have had enough of surprises. Whenever thou does one thing, I am surprised by the next thing."
"More fun that way," Markus replied, ceasing his flying and straddled Rainbow Dash, behind Thalia. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned onto her back. He sighed, her pine scent in his nose. "So, where we going?"
San Francisco," Percy answered.
"And who's idea was it?"
"Mine," Zoe answered tersely, as if expecting him to rebuke her.
She was surprised when he shrugged. "Good. Mount Othrys is close, anyways. That's where Artemis is."
"How do you know that?" Adria asked.
"A dream," he answered simply. "Initially, it was hard to pinpoint. But Atlas made it easy for me to locate him." Markus noticed that Zoe flinched at Atlas' name again. He hummed, stroking Thalia's hair.
"You back at full strength?" Percy asked.
"More or less," Markus answered distractedly, hugging Thalia close.
"Aren't you clingy?" Thalia asked, mirth in her eyes.
Markus only leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "You okay?"
Thalia didn't ask what he meant. She knew what he was talking about. She nodded. "A little tense, but I'll manage."
"Nothing will happen to you. I promise," Markus said. She relaxed under his touch.
The others looked at the scene. Grover smiled while Adria looked annoyed. Zoe, however, looked curious about something, which was unlike her. Percy had a curious look, wondering when the two hooked up. He shrugged. He was happy for them. The two were so alike that it was a little scary. They were perfect for each other.
Markus leaned into her ear to whisper something again. "Hey. I have a surprise for you."
"What is it?" Thalia asked, turning to look at him. It was a good thing too, since it helped take her mind off of the flying.
Markus smiled. "It's a birthday present. One I'm sure you'll love."
She smirked. "First Green Day and now this. I think you like spoiling me."
"Very much. But I won't tell you. It's better if I told you after the quest." While he wanted to tell her that Jason was alive, he couldn't. His oath on the Styx prevented him. If he told her that Jason was alive, then she'd ask where he was. And that was if she was willing to actually believe him. He wouldn't leave her hanging onto the fact the her brother was alive, only to not know where he was.
As the flew, Percy recounted what had happened with Zoe and the ponies. Markus laughed while Zoe looked like a burning tomato. Other than that, the group flew in silence. The mountains fell away into hills, and they were zipping along over farmland and towns and highways.
Grover played his pipes to pass the time. Zoe and Adria got bored and started shooting arrows at random billboards as they flew by. Every time they saw a Target department store - and they managed passed dozens of them - they would peg the store's sign with a few bulls-eyes at a hundred miles an hour. Percy and Grover rested for a bit. Markus applied sticking charms onto them so that they wouldn't fall.
After a long flight, the pegasi whinnied loudly. alerting the others. They looked around, only to see that they were able to see San Francisco. It was a sight to behold. It was quite beautiful for those who had their eyes open. In a sense, it was like a smaller, cleaner Manhattan, if Manhattan had been surrounded by green hills and fog. There was a huge bay and ships, islands and sailboats, and the Golden Gate Bridge sticking up out of the fog.
Markus pulled out his Waterland disposable camera and snapped a couple of pictures. "Got to save it for the postcard home," he said to the looks the others were giving him.
Percy smiled at that and replied jokingly. "Oh yeah. It should say, 'Greeting from Frisco, haven't died yet! Wish you were here!"
Markus laughed at that.
"There," Zoe suggested, ignoring the boy's banter at the moment. "By the Embarcadero Building."
It was early morning and not many people were around, which was good. However, they did freak out a homeless guy on the ferry dock when they landed. He screamed when he saw the pegasi and ran off yelling something about chicken ponies. Markus and Percy cracked up at that.
The group said goodbye to the pegasi. Markus promised to see Rainbow Dash later. They flew off soon after.
"So… where to now?" Percy asked, having no idea where to go next since they had made it to the West Coast. Artemis was around here somewhere, however, they didn't know where to look and they didn't have much time left due to tomorrow being the winter solstice.
"We have to find this monster that will 'show us the trail,'" Markus said.
"Indeed and I know who to ask," Zoe stated while keeping Thalia steady. The child of the sky was a bit air sick at the moment. It was surprising, since the two hated each other.
"But how?" Percy asked.
"Nereus," Grover helped.
"The guy Apollo mentioned?" Percy furrowed his eyebrows. "Isn't he the old guy from the sea that was gave heroes answers when needed?"
"You're learning," Markus applauded.
"How do we find him?" Grover asked.
"We follow the smell," Zoe answered, making a face.
"What?" Thalia was sure that she heard her wrong. "Did you say 'smell'?"
Zoe nodded. "Come," she said without enthusiasm. "I will show thee."
And so the questers followed her to a Goodwill drop box. Zoe picked up a large ragged flannel shirt, large jeans, bright sneakers and a floppy rainbow hat. "One of thee wear these," she said to both Markus and Percy.
"No," both of them denied at the same time.
Zoe frowned. "This is no time for being childish. One of thee needs to wear these to lure Nereus."
"And why do we have to do this?" Markus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"As sons of Poseidon, thou would have a better chance than any of us. If Nereus decided to jump into the sea, thou would have the home advantage."
"Why don't you wear it?" Percy asked. Well, more like whined.
"Simple," Zoe said with a straight face. "Because the clothes smell, and I refuse to wear them."
The two gaped while the others laughed. "T-That's a good enough reason," Thalia said while laughing.
Both brothers glared at her and the others. Percy turned to Markus. "You do it."
"Fuck no," Markus frowned. "Why do I have to do it?"
"You have superspeed. You can easily catch him before he tries to escape."
"You're perfectly capable of doing it. Don't be lazy."
"You do not get to say that," Percy deadpanned. "Out of all of us, you are the laziest."
"Hey!" Markus frowned. "I'm very active."
"Those pizzas that you eat say otherwise."
"Do not diss the pizzas, Blue Boy. You eat so much blue food if I punched you in the gut, you'd puke blue."
Percy made to argue, but paused. "That actually might be pretty cool."
Markus scoffed. "Only you would say that."
"Don't see the problem with it."
"Of course not. If you pulled up your shirt, all you'd see is fat. I'm pure muscle."
"Yeah, sure. You a fan of Heracles? You certainly have the brawn but lack the brain."
"You little shi-"
"Shut up!" Zoe yelled, startling the questers, the homeless guys and other people walking. She took a large breath to calm herself. "Thou act like the dumbest of bulls! Hard-headed and stupid!"
"... Are you on your period?" Markus suddenly asked, making the others gape and Percy to fall over in laughter. He laughed even harder when he saw that Markus was actually serious. "Because you're unusually angry. Or maybe I haven't noticed." Markus paused as a thought came to him. "Wait. You're immortal, right? So... since your body doesn't age, you're in a constant cycle of hormones and periods. Gods, I feel sorry for you. All of that hormonal stress. All of that bleeding. I pity you-"
"Shut. Up. Now," Zoe and Adria snarled. The others could feel the bloodlust coming from them.
Markus frowned. "Wait. You know what a period is, but you don't know My Little Pony? How does that work?"
"I will kill thee," Zoe swore, madness in her eyes. "I don't care how long it takes. I don't care if thee are more powerful than me, I will kill thee and hang your entrails across the camp. Then castrate thee with the rustiest knife I can find. Along with lemon juice. Rotten lemon juice."
Markus nodded, not affected in the slightest. "Yep. You're on your period. Do you want tampons? Because I can go buy them right now-"
Zoe yelled in frustration and shot arrows at him. Markus already moved, heading towards Nereus. He didn't know what he looked like, but he could follow his energy signature.
At the end of the pier, there was a guy who looked about a million years old was passed out in a patch of sunlight. He wore pajamas and a fuzzy bathrobe that probably used to be white. He was fat, with a white beard that had turned yellow, kind of like Santa Claus, if Santa had been rolled out of bed and dragged through a landfill.
Markus got a whiff of his scent and gagged. He smelled like old, hot seaweed and dead fish. Oh yeah, this was Nereus.
Markus didn't waste any time. He touched him on the shoulder and removed any kinetic energy from his body, immobilizing him.
He grunted, about to move, when he found that he couldn't. "What the-" The old man continued struggling. "What did you do?!"
Markus ignored him and waved his hand to the other homeless people, the Mist taking affect. He looked back at the still struggling Nereus. "Stop moving, you have no chance of escaping. I know you're Nereus. And I also know that you have answers for questions I have." He kept trying to struggle, but it was pointless. He eventually gave up, dejected.
Percy and the others ran down the steps from the pier.
"You got him!" Zoe said.
"Don't be so amazed," Markus deadpanned.
Nereus moaned. "Oh, wonderful. An audience for my humiliation!" He then turned to Markus and glared at him. "And who are you?"
"Son of Poseidon," Markus responded with a nod.
"Curse that upstart! I was here first!"
"Yeah, no one cares," Markus responded.
Nereus glared at him, but couldn't do much of anything. He huffed. "So! The normal deal, I suppose? You'll let me go if I answer your question?"
"We have more than one question," Markus said.
"Only one question per capture! That's the rule."
"Well, you can't go anywhere. So I assume that I get more than one question," Markus responded with a smile. "Or do you want to be frozen forever?"
Nereus growled. "You little upstart! You can't keep me like this!"
Markus turned to the others. "What do you think? I could keep him as my own little fortune cookie. Only, he works."
"You can't just take him, Markus," Grover said.
"Why?"
Grover made to answer, but couldn't. He really didn't have an actual reason.
"Oi! You can't kidnap me!" Nereus barked, suddenly nervous.
Markus had a grin on his face, but the others disagreed. "Where are you going to put him?" Percy asked. "And don't say our cabin. Or camp."
The son of Poseidon had a thoughtful look. Where was he going to put him? He shrugged. "Pocket dimension."
"Pocket dimension? You know what? I don't want to know," Thalia said, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "But why do you want to kidnap him?"
Markus frowned. "'Kidnap' is a strong word. More like taking him and never returning him back."
"I'm not an object!" Nereus yelled.
"Enough of this," Zoe butted in, frowning. "We need to ask him the question."
Percy sighed. "All right, I'll ask. Nereus, tell me where to find this terrible monster that could bring an end to the gods. The one Artemis was hunting."
The Old Man of the Sea smiled, showing off his mossy green teeth.
"Oh, that's too easy," he said evilly. "He's right there."
He nudged his head towards the water at Percy's feet.
"Where?" Percy said.
"There! I answered your question! Now let me go!" Nereus yelled, still wriggling to move.
Markus scoffed. "Nope. Still got more questions for you."
"But that's not fair!" he whined.
"Life isn't fair. Suck it up."
"Wait." Thalia's eyes widened. "What is that?"
"MOOOOOOOO!"
Percy looked down, and there was his friend the cow serpent, swimming next to the dock. She nudged his shoe and gave him the sad brown eyes.
Markus kept his hold on Nereus, draining him of kinetic energy. "Percy. You know this thing?"
"Ah, Bessie," Percy said. "Not now."
"You named it 'Bessie'?" Thalia asked, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"Mooo!"
Grover gasped. "He says his name isn't Bessie. And he doesn't liked to be called an 'it'."
"You can understand her… er, him?"
Grover nodded. "It's a very old form of animal speech. But he says his name is the Ophiotaurus."
"Serpent bull," Markus muttered. "What's it doing here?"
"Moooooooo!"
Markus created a speed clone to mind Nereus as he walked up to the creature. He looked him in the eye, seeing the innocence. "He's kind of cute," he said, reaching up to tickle his chin. The Ophiotaurus mooed lowly in happiness.
"He says Percy is his protector," Grover announced. "And he's running from the bad people. He says they are close. And he also says to keep scratching him."
Markus smiled, doing so.
"Wait," Zoe said, looking at Percy. "You know this cow?"
Percy was feeling impatient, but he told them the story about how they met and how it helped him get on the quest.
Thalia shook her head in disbelief. "And you just forgot to mention this before?"
"Well… yeah." It seemed silly, now that she said it, but things had been happening so fast. Bessie, the Ophiotaurus, seemed like a minor detail.
"I am a fool," Zoe said suddenly. "I know this story!" Adria had a knowing look on her face.
"Story?" Markus asked.
"From the War of the Titans," she said. "My… my father told me this tale, thousands of years ago. This is the beast we are looking for."
"How can this cute guy destroy the world?" Percy asked.
"That is how we were wrong," Zoe said. "We've been anticipating a huge dangerous monster, but the Ophiotaurus does not bring down the gods that way. He must be sacrificed."
"MMMM," Bessie lowed. Markus calmed him down by patting his head and scratching behind his ears, sensing his distress.
"I don't think he likes the S-word," Grover said.
"How could anyone hurt him?" Percy asked. "He's harmless."
Zoe nodded. "But there is power in killing innocence. It was a terrible power. "The Fates ordained a prophecy eons ago, when this creature was born. They said that whoever killed the Ophiotaurus and sacrificed its entrails to fire would have the power to destroy the gods."
"MMMMMM!"
"Um," Grover said. "Maybe we could avoid talking about entrails too."
Markus scoffed. "I didn't need a serpent bull or a prophecy to have the power to destroy gods. But still..." Markus had a small hungry look in his eyes. He licked his lips, scaring the Ophiotaurus and making it wriggle away from him.
Percy and the others looked unnerved. They became even more unnerved as Thalia had the same look. She stared at the cow serpent with wonder. "The power to destroy the gods… how? I mean, what would happen?"
"No one knows," Zoe said. "The first time, during the Titan war, the Ophiotaurus was in fact slain by a giant ally of the Titans, but thy father, Zeus, sent an eagle to snatch the entrails away before they could be tossed into the fire. It was a close call. Now, after three thousand years, the Ophiotaurus is reborn."
Thalia sat down on the dock. She stretched out her hand. Bessie went right to her. Thalia placed her hand on his head. Bessie shivered.
The hungry look in both Markus' and Thalia's scared them. Percy was even more scared, because he knew the reasons: their fatal flaws.
Markus was in a conundrum. Truthfully, he didn't need the Ophiotaurus. He already had the power to destroy the gods. Hell, he could even destroy the Titans if he so wished. But the fight with Samael reminded him that, for all his power, he was still able to die. It was a slight humbling experience for him. Even though he won the fight, he had to struggle, and almost died. Something he didn't want to happen again. A little more power wouldn't hurt, would it?
He might've actually burned the entrails right now, but he got a hold of himself. He was in control, not his greed. More power was good, great even. But one look into the Ophiotaurus' eyes made him rethink. His sad gaze, downtrodden expression and helpless face stopped him. Maybe it was because he was a sort of sea-creature. Maybe the innocent expression got to him. But he managed to calm himself down, somewhat.
Markus closed his eyes, sighing. He looked to Thalia, who had the same expression that he did. "Thalia," he said, snapping her out of her expression. "Do you want to burn his entrails?"
The Ophiotaurus mooed loudly, scurrying away. The others looked shocked at his question, Thalia included.
"What are you doing, Markus?!" "How can you ask that?!" "Are thy insane?!" came the shouts from the others, but Markus ignored them. Only looking at Thalia's electric orbs that were filled with shock.
"Wh-What?" she asked, stunned that he would ask that. Sure, she wanted the power. Badly. She could escape the prophecy. She could defeat the Titans. She could even get back at her deadbeat dad. But... "Why do you want me to? Don't you want it?"
Markus scoffed. "Thals, I already have the power to destroy the gods. I don't need the entrails. I'm asking you because I can see it in your eyes." She flinched, but Markus wrapped an arm around her, frowning. "Thalia, you have nothing to be ashamed of. If you want the power, simply say so. I'll help you. I won't think any less of you. I promise you. So I'll ask again. Do you want it?"
She stared into his eyes, seeing his honesty. He honestly didn't care if she said yes. He'd do it for her without question. She felt extremely grateful for that. He wouldn't think any less of her. He'd still love her. This was one of things she loved about Markus: he wouldn't judge her on whatever she did. He'd either support her or caution her whenever she did something stupid.
Thalia looked at the Ophiotaurus. His sad gaze struck a chord in her. He even seemed to shed a small tear, as if accepting his fate. She... didn't want to kill him. She wanted the power... but it wasn't worth an innocent life. She couldn't do it.
She shook her head slowly. "No." She slowly walked towards the creature and patted him on his head. "I... don't need it. Besides, I have you to protect me, right?"
Markus smiled, walking forward and kissing her lightly. He ended it, looking at her. "Yeah. Though I know that you can handle yourself." She nodded, smiling.
"Hello!" Nereus yelled, startling the others. Markus' speed clone was still holding him. "I'm still here."
"Oh." Markus blinked. "Forgot you were there." He reluctantly removed his arms around Thalia and walked towards him. He hummed, turning to the others. "Ask him what you want."
The others blinked. "You sure?" Percy asked.
"Yes I'm sure. Ask him."
The others scrunched their faces in though, wondering what to ask Nereus. Thalia stepped up, having her question. "Will I die when I turn sixteen?"
At the powerful glare Markus gave him, Nereus knew that he had no choice but to answer. "No."
Thalia sighed, a huge weight taken off her shoulders. "Thank the gods."
Markus pouted. "I thought we agreed that I would be the one to save you."
"I know, sweetie," Thalia grinned, walking towards him and pinching his cheek. "I just wanted reassurance."
Markus huffed, crossing his arms. "Sure, you did. So unfaithful..."
"Will I find Pan?" Grover asked passionately, fingers crossed and eyes closed.
Embarrassed that he was nothing more than a glorified fortune teller, Nereus glowered. "Yes."
Grover was so shocked, happy and emotional from the word that he cried. Percy patted him on the back as the satyr sobbed in happiness.
"Will we rescue Lady Artemis?" Zoe asked, Adria nodding beside her.
"Yes."
Zoe didn't become as emotional as Grover, but she did smile lightly. Her eyes twinkled with happiness. Adria had the same expression. "That is good to hear."
"Will we win the war against Kronos?" Percy asked. Everyone tensed up at that question.
Nereus scrunched his face up. "I... I don't know."
"What?!" Percy exclaimed in shock. The others had similar expressions. "What do you mean you don't know? You're supposed to know!"
Nereus glared at him. "For your information, brat, I don't know everything. I can only answer a question that has a solid path ahead. All of your other questions are bound to happen, no fuss. But the war? That's harder. Plus, with all the new additions that he-" Nereus jerked his head in Markus' direction "-brought, the path is even murkier."
Markus took a moment to register this. So, the future was unclear. They could either win the war, or die, and the world is destroyed. He put that at the back of his mind. "Well, I got a question: if we do rescue Artemis, who do we face? And be specific about their powers specifically."
Nereus scrunched up his face in thought. "In a few moments, you will face some demigods. Though they ain't Greek, and I don't know of which origin. You will then face a horde of demons. Not really strong except for the big guy. He's powerful. After that, you will fight Atlas, rogue demigods and monsters. Atlas has an unknown power that boosts his level to that of the Big Three." The questers looked horrified by this while Markus raised an eyebrow. Well that was new. And who were these new demigods? Soldiers of Kronos?
Suddenly, Markus sensed seven beings close by. Not ready to strike, but in hiding. He frowned. An ambush?
Markus nodded. "That's fine. You can go now."
Before Nereus could argue, he was pushed into an Atlantean water portal spell. He only had time to yelp before he vanished. The Ophiotaurus was also pulled into a water portal, not even getting the chance to moo.
"What's going on? Where did you send them?" Percy asked, confused.
Markus frowned. "We're not alone."
"Well damn," a voice said loudly. "I thought we managed to hide ourselves pretty well."
And with that, the air in front of the group shifted, as if a trick of the light. Markus could detect the signs of an illusion. A really good one. The illusion faded away to show a group of teenagers. They ranged in age from fourteen to nineteen. Markus frowned, actually a bit worried. Not for him but for the others. These demigods... they had a familiar aura around them.
There were four boys and three girls. One of them, who seemed to give off an aura of superiority, had long brown hair and stormy blue eyes. His hair was in a ponytail, and seemed to be done up quite well. He was of Asian descent, garbed in normal clothes that a teenager would wear; sneakers, jeans, a blue t-shirt and a sports jacket. He looked to be sixteen, and could be considered very handsome. However, he had steely look in his eyes, which quickly turned into anger when he looked at Markus. The son of Poseidon was reminded of Susanoo, surprisingly.
Another boy stood beside the first one. While he didn't have the aura of power as the first boy, he was still strong in his own right. He was of African-American heritage, with cold brown eyes. His frame was lanky and skinny, and he looked to be about fourteen. He wore a black Japanese kimono that had the moving image of a moon-lit sky. It also seemed to be a bit too big for him. He had an aura of mystery around him.
The third one looked like an American boy, and had a cocky attitude around him. He wore a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and scuffed boots. It was like looking at a male Thalia, only with blonde hair and green eyes. Markus found the comparison to his girlfriend disturbing. He was around sixteen as well.
The fourth boy was tall, of Puerto Rican descent. He had broad shoulders, strong arms, and an ominous build. His eyes were electric blue, like Thalia's. He had black hair cut short, and a stoic expression. He wore an army jacket, black jeans and boots. He had a powerful electric aura around him, and Markus got a feel of ozone. He looked to be nineteen.
Moving onto the girls; the one in front with the first boy was breathtakingly beautiful. She had silky black hair that fell down like a waterfall behind her back. She had crimson eyes that seemed to ooze arrogance. She wore a black kimono with the moving image of the sun in the sky. She wore hakama pants and sandals. She carried a katana that was sheathed at her hip, and looked to be sixteen.
The second girl was of Asian descent, and quite beautiful. She had short black hair and dull blue eyes with freckles on her face. She wore ripped jeans, a T-shirt, and had some jewellery on her. She gave off a bored expression and acted as if she was emotionless. She was fourteen.
The last girl had brown hair and red eyes like the first girl, only hers were scarlet in colour. She wore a red one-sleeved dress that went to her shins and high heels. She had red lipstick on and seemed to have a cruel expression on her face. She looked to be seventeen or eighteen.
Markus frowned, feeling their aura and powers. Now he knew why the first boy looked similar to Susanoo. These were Shinto demigods. Just his luck. "What are you doing here?" Markus asked evenly, already tense. The others had their weapons out, unsure as to who the demigods were.
The boy in front seemed to be the one in charge. Him and the crimson-eyed girl. When he spoke, Markus could feel the strength in it, as well as the anger. "The famous Markus Henderson. I am honoured." He gave a mocking bow, the girl at his side smirking.
Markus raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm surprised that you know of me. Tell me, what are Shinto demigods doing here?" The questers at his side were shocked. Shinto? What was with the non-Greek elements on this quest?!
This time, the crimson-eyed girl spoke. "Why, who hasn't heard of the champion of my uncle, Susanoo? Quite a surprise that a Greek would claim such a title." She said 'Greek' as if the word was a disease.
"Markus, what is she talking about?" Thalia asked, muscles tensed.
"Oh?" The girl sounded amused. "You didn't know? Well, allow me to enlighten you, Greek. He-" she pointed to Markus "-is the champion of the Shinto god of storms, Susanoo. My uncle."
"Susanoo?" Percy looked to his brother, who had a neutral expression on his face. "Shinto? Markus, what is she saying? I thought that your title as the 'champion of storms' was due to Poseidon."
"Thy lied to us?" Zoe said, suspicion and anger in her tone. She held her bow tightly in her hand.
Markus turned to look at her. "You have your secrets, Nightshade. Do you see me asking why you don't tell the truth?" At Zoe's flinch, Markus turned to look at the assembled group. "What do you want with me?"
"Them?" the lead boy asked, gesturing to the rest of his group. "Nothing. Me? I want to kill you."
Markus slumped his shoulders. "Why is it that every non-Greek entity wants to kill me? Seriously, go bother something else! And why would the son of Susanoo want to kill his dad's champion? Wouldn't you just earn his ire?"
The son of Susanoo nodded. "That is true. Your death would anger my father, since he sees you as one of his own." His face scrunched up in anger. "But I don't care. Your existence as a champion of a Shinto god is insulting and disgraceful."
Markus raised an eyebrow. "So this is jealousy? Does dear old dad not care about his own son, and instead favours me more?" He remembered when he asked Susanoo about Shinto demigods, he was regretful, as if ashamed. "That's so sad. I can tell why he would be so embarrassed by you."
"Your only digging your grave," the boy snarled. Then his features shifted to a more neutral expression. "Regardless, we will still kill you."
"We?" Markus looked to the others. "You, I get. But why the others? I haven't done anything to you or your parents."
The crimson-eyed girl shrugged. "I just find it distasteful that a Greek would associate with Shinto matters. Nothing more, nothing less."
The African-American boy shrugged. "I follow these two." He gestured to the son of Susanoo and the lead girl. "Wherever they go, I go."
The cocky punk grinned maniacally. "Me? I just want to kill you. I heard all that you've done, both in the Greek world and our own, as brief as it is. I just like the challenge."
The tall guy had a calm expression. "I got dragged into this. Plus, those two would not stop whining." He pointed to Susanoo's son and the crimson-eyed girl.
"I'm going with the flow," the dull-eyed girl responded.
"Same reason as Abigail," the last girl smirked.
"I assume Abigail is the daughter of Amaterasu?" Markus queried, nudging his head towards the crimson-eyed girl. Her clothing identified her parentage. The Greek group had confused faces at the names of the Shinto gods. "Let me see if I got this right. We already know him." He pointed to the son of Susanoo. "You-" he pointed at the younger boy "-are the son of Tsukuyomi. You are-" Markus frowned in thought, feeling the restless energy and unpredictable nature, "-Fūjin's son?" At his nod, Markus continued. "Raijin?" he asked the tall guy, who nodded. He hummed, looking at the girls. "Suijin and Kagutsuchi," he ticked off, then frowned. "Wait, I thought Kagutsuchi was beheaded and cut into eight parts. How'd he have a kid?"
"Was spawned from one of his severed parts," the scarlet-eyed girl informed.
Markus nodded. "Right... so, can you guys go after me when I'm finished my business? I'll have a lot of free time and less stress when dealing with you."
"Sorry," Abigail said, even though she didn't sound sorry. "But we want to kill you now. However..." she looked at the questers, who tensed. "... we wouldn't mind killing your little friends."
"You touch them and I will mind rape the shit out of you and leave you as a vegetable," Markus said coldly.
Abigail smirked. "Ooh, scary."
"We know that you can and possibly will back up your threat, Markus Henderson," the son of Susanoo said. "We know of your feats, and of your powers. Truthfully, we know that, individually, we stand no chance against you. But all together... well, even someone of your strength will fall."
"Or I could just do this," Markus responded, taking hold of their blood and trying to make them explode. Only, they didn't.
"That won't work," the daughter of Suijin said dully. "We know of your blood control. So we took precautions." Each one of them lifted their hands up, showcasing some seals written on their arms. The kanji translated to 'blood warding'.
Markus clicked his teeth, glaring at them. "Don't you know that if you do this, your interfering with another pantheon? As such, I'm damn sure that your gods will kill you or punish you for this."
"That's true," Abigail nodded. "But you're a Shinto champion, so that point is mute. And while those little weaklings-" she nodded to the questers, who glared "-are fully Greek, all we have to do is make sure that all of this is kept quiet."
"Markus," Thalia prodded his back. "We can't fight these guys. We have to get to Artemis."
"And you really think they're going to let us go?" Markus responded back.
"We don't have time," Zoe pressed impatiently. "We have to go now."
"It's funny that you think that you have a chance," the son of Susanoo interrupted. "Considering that none of you are going to live for very long. But alas, introductions are in order. I am Christopher. Or Chris."
"I'm Joshua," the son of Tsukuyomi introduced.
"Thomas," the son of Fūjin said, still grinning.
"Lucas," the son of Raijin spoke lowly.
"Alex," the daughter of Suijin said.
"Rose," the daughter of Kagutsuchi spoke arrogantly.
"I don't care," Markus responded, glaring. "This isn't an anime in which you introduce yourself before a fight."
"Where do you think we got it from?" Joshua grinned.
Before any of the Greeks could say anything, each one of them charged at them; Chris and Abigail to Markus, Alex to Percy, Lucas to Thalia, and Thomas, Rose and Joshua to Zoe, Adria and Grover. Chris summoned a totsuka blade to his hand, meeting Markus' charge with Wavebreaker. The Greek blade groaned under the strike from the powerful blade. Abigail unsheathed her katana and started attacking at Markus as well. Both strikes from the Shinto demigods pushed Markus back, near the edge of the pier.
(Markus vs. Christopher and Abigail)
Thinking quickly, Markus pushed power into his legs and jumped backwards out of the pier and onto the water, freezing it for a solid surface. Chris jumped onto the icy surface, as well as Abigail. Markus immediately liquefied the water, but Chris took control of his section of water and held it in place. Meanwhile, Abigail grew wings similar in structure to a phoenix's from her back made of black fire. Allowing her to fly.
Markus quickly inspected his sword, seeing some cracks on it. Guess the blade won't be able to hold for much longer. He channeled his divine energy to strengthen it. Just in time, too. Markus clashed with Chris, lightning sparking off his form.
Markus sneered. "Is the little baby jealous that his daddy likes me better than you?"
Snarling Chris disengaged, going for a controlled but powerful swing that would've beheaded Markus, if he hadn't ducked and went for a strike across his chest. However, Chris moved inhumanely quick, dodging and slicing downwards. Markus deflected the strike and - with kinetic energy - gave a powerful Spartan kick that winded him, making him fly backwards.
Before Markus could do anything, his skin boiled as he felt the incoming attack from behind. He zipped away, watching as a large stream of black flames melted the ice and even the surrounding water, instantly evaporating it. The scary thing was that the flames kept on burning, never extinguishing.
Looking at the smug Abigail in the air, Markus made to move, but blocked a swing from Chris that would've destroyed his spine. A shockwave was created, parting the remaining waves and flames slightly.
Both boys grunted, trying to overpower one another. Abigail kept on raining down spears of black flames, making both boys dodge. Markus wondered why she was ruining her teammates advantage, but guessed that they weren't playing for the same team, despite being of the same pantheon.
Chris made to strike Markus again, but Markus phased through his attack, vibrating his body. Markus punched forward, still vibrating his body and went to hit his chest. Just as his fist passed through his chest and touched his heart, Markus moved, immediately dodging the small but deadly projectile of flames. Chris gasped, kneeling onto the frozen ocean and clutching his chest, feeling his heart in pain. Even if Markus only touched his heart, the contact still injured him.
Markus mentally went over ways in which that he could that he could deal with the flying Abigail, and came up with one. "Yūrei Idō," he chanted.
As Abigail was flying in the air, she was suddenly hit by an unknown and invisible force from above, making her grunt and head straight to the frozen sea. Seeing his chance, Markus leaped into the air, exchanging Wavebreaker for Yamato. He unsheathed his blade and slashed at the falling demigoddess, cutting and slashing through dimensions. Panicking, Abigail coated her entire body with black flames, essentially creating an armour of flames. This didn't stop Markus, as he was cutting through the flames and making them part slightly. Abigail quickly burst into black flames, reappearing onto the frozen sea, panting.
Markus landed on the ground, scowling.
Chris managed to recover, walking to stand beside her. "You should be more careful," he warned. "I told you not to underestimate him. Where is your arrogance now?"
"Shut up!" Abigail snarled. "You don't order me around!" Before she could say anything, it air got colder. Deadly cold. Both Chris and Abigail - who never got cold - shivered as the surrounding black flames suddenly froze, before shattering.
Abigail scowled, heating her body and Chris'. She glared at the son of Poseidon. "How did you do that?! The flames of Amaterasu can't be extinguished!"
Markus didn't say anything. His body produced an icy mist that froze the molecules in the air solid, before shattering. His Yin tattoo glowed on his back, producing inky darkness that covered his body. Markus' Devil Bringer was revealed, making his eyes glow red. The ice that they were standing on slowly turned black, being the result of Markus' demonic ice control. Not only could he control black water, but - by extension - black ice. More deadlier and colder than normal ice. The darkness, black ice and Devil Bringer created an imposing image to the Shinto demigods, who shivered.
"I'm going to ruin you," Markus said simply, annoyed at the Shinto demigods before him and their allies.
Abigail smirked while Chris didn't show any emotion. She burst into her signature divine flames, the element acting as armour. Chris was coated in lightning that was pure blue in colour.
Neither of them said anything. Markus dashed forward, ice, mist and darkness trailing after him. The two Shinto demigods met his charge. When they clashed, the surrounding frozen sea shook and burst into an explosion of black flames, lightning, black ice and darkness.
(Zoe, Adria and Grover vs. Joshua, Thomas and Rose)
As Markus were fighting the other two demigods, and Percy and Thalia were dealing with Alex and Lucas respectively, the Hunters and satyr were dealing with their own opponents. Zoe and Adria rolled out of the blades of wind that Thomas created while Grover scampered away from Rose's fiery blast.
"Come on, bitches!" Thomas hollered, bloodlust in his eyes. "You gonna run away or are you gonna fight?!" Thomas immediately started on the offense, sending balls and swords of wind at the Hunters, who displayed incredible acrobatic skills. They dodged, weaved and ducked around the projectiles and responded in kind with their arrows. The homeless people scrambled away, yelling and screaming about a freak tornado. Thomas just just kept disappearing and reappearing in the wind, his cocky grin on his face.
"Is that all you bitches got?!" Thomas taunted. "How sad. Two cum rags who follow a delusional two-faced bitch!"
Adria snarled, about to charge, but Zoe held her wrist tightly. The lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis had rage written on her face, but still remained calm.
Thomas pouted. "You know, it's no fun if you don't react to my banter." Just as he said that, an explosion of fire erupted behind him, making him jump slightly. "Oi, Rose! Watch where you're fucking aiming at!"
"Fuck you, too!" she yelled, trying to roast the stupid goat that kept scampering about.
Grover immediately darted towards the Hunters, his fur singed. He panted, his heart beating rapidly.
"This isn't working," Adria muttered. "We can't touch him, the girl is flinging fire everywhere, and-" She looked around, alert. "Where's the other boy?"
Immediately after saying that, both Hunters and satyr moved from the spot that they were previously on, dodging a beam of powerful lunar light. They quickly saw that Joshua had his hand, outstretched.
He looked to his fellow demigods. "You two need to shut up and work together."
Thomas scowled. "Why don't you mind your own business, kid?" Before he could say anything, he and the other Shinto demigods dodged a speeding attack by Markus' speed clone.
Thomas grinned widely. "Finally! The one I've been waiting for!"
Markus' clone scoffed. "I ain't here for you. Believe me, if I had the energy, I'd kill you myself." He turned to the Hunters and Grover. "'Sup. The head honcho is busy with the firecracker and stormy crybaby. I did, however, got you these." He held some ambrosia, nectar, sealing scroll and canister of water that had a rune on it. He gave it to each respective person. "These are for you. Grover, in this scroll is some nature energy for you to fight with. Zoe, water canister. It keeps on supplying itself with water. You'll need it for your... heritage. Adria, ambrosia and nectar you'll need it. Unfortunately, I had to run and waste some energy getting you the canister and nature energy, so-" He was interrupted by him fizzing out of existence, having spent all of his kinetic energy to gather all of the stuff.
Thomas looked at the spot where Markus' clone disappeared. "Are you fucking kidding me?! He didn't even stay to fight! Coward!"
Zoe, Adria and Grover looked at their respective items. "Thanks, Markus," Grover bleated.
Zoe nodded slowly. She sighed. She never used her powers from her mother. She refused to do so, since using them reminded of her... past. And yet, she had no choice. It was either that or die. "Maybe he is one of the better males out there," Zoe whispered. She smiled lightly, turning to Adria. "Do not tell him I said that."
"Noted," Adria smiled. They turned to face their opponents. "The plan?"
"I will take the girl," Zoe said, determined. She pointed to Rose, who sneered. "Adria, you take on the boy there." She pointed to Joshua. "We don't know his powers, so be vigilant. Grover, you take on the other one." She pointed to Thomas, who sneered.
"Are you kidding me?!" he screeched. "I get to fight the goat bitch?! Bullshit!"
"At least you get an easy opponent," Joshua muttered.
Scowling, Grover unravelled the sealing scroll, letting the natural energy flow through him. His physical features showed the effect of the absorption. His horns lengthened, turning into antlers. His body got a little buffer, but not too much. And his body glowed with a slight green aura.
As Grover was busy admiring his new features, Adria aimed her bow at Joshua and shot arrows at him. Joshua ducked, trying to close in on the group, but was kept at a distance. He didn't seem to be bothered by this, though, if the grin on his face was any indication.
Zoe opened her water canister, using her divine powers and drawing the water from it. She commanded it to sail towards Rose. However, because she hadn't practiced with her powers in a long, long time, the elemental attack was quite weak. Rose sneered, her body coated in flames and evaporating the water.
"Is that it?" she sneered. "Honestly, I don't know why he gave you that little canister. If that's the kind of thing I can expect from you, then this will be no contest."
Zoe snarled. "We'll see about that."
Rose smirked. "Bring it, bitch."
Thomas started attacking Grover out of rage, wind whipping everywhere. He was furious that the fight that he was craving for with Markus was put on hold. And he was fighting a useless satyr. "Don't think that a little fucking pick-me up is going to save you, shit-stain!" he yelled, trying to destroy Grover. However, the satyr kept on jumping and dodging, using his reed pipes and woodland pipes to summon some roots to wrap around Thomas. He noticed that his magic was stronger, his legs were more powerful, allowing him to jump farther and higher. Along with that, he felt a lot stronger. If he survived this, he was going to ask Markus more about this nature energy.
(Percy vs. Alex)
Percy immediately got onto the defensive, taking out both of his swords and batting away bullets and whips of water. Initially, he wasn't worried about this fight. Despite Alex being physically more capable than him, he had water on his side. When she shot water at him from her body by liquefying it - something that he'd seen Markus do - he let it hit him, strengthening him. He even tried to take control of the water, but found that her will surpassed his.
So the two were left at a stalemate. Neither could really harm each other with their respective elements. Which left physical combat. Alex hardened the water at her hands and made it extend to form two swords made out of water. Not even saying anything, the daughter of Suijin charged at the son of Poseidon. They clashed and fought. Each swing of their swords were countered by another. Percy managed to block and slash at Alex, but no damage came to her, since she just liquefied her body. He was really getting annoyed at that.
Alex tried kicking him but Percy dissolved into a cloud of vapour. He commanded his vapour body to form behind her and went for a strike behind her, only for it to pass through her. She slashed at him but he dissolved into vapour again, circling around her and doing his best to find an opening. He reformed again and went for a strike at her again. Alex didn't bother dodging, scoffing. That was where Percy acted.
Channelling earthquake energy to Riptide, he struck. The vibrating blade reached her liquefied body and made the water ripple harshly. Her whole body was now rippling and unable to form a solid body. Alex quickly turned to normal to keep her structure lest she fall apart. Taking this chance, Percy slashed at her. While she was able to dodge, she managed to get nicked on the stomach, creating a tear on her shirt and a cut to open up there.
Grinning, Percy kept on pressing her, slashing and opening more wounds. She backed away, liquefying her body and healing her wounds. She clicked her teeth, annoyed. "Well, this is boring," she muttered.
Percy tried to get the drop on her, but he was unsuccessful. "Why are you doing this?" Percy asked as the two kept on fighting.
"I told you: I'm going with the flow," Alex responded, not bothered by talking while fighting. "Abigail and Chris want Markus Henderson dead for their own reasons. I just follow them."
"But Markus didn't do anything to them!" Percy retorted, ducking a particularly close strike. Going for a different tactic, Percy tried freezing the water vapour around Alex, which worked for a moment... before she unfroze it herself.
"True. But I can't argue with the two of them. They're too stubborn." Alex dodged a swing filled with earthquake energy and kept on attacking. "Plus, Greeks weren't meant to mix with Shinto affairs."
"Look, I get that. But that doesn't mean that you have to go through with this," Percy reasoned, hoping for her to stop. Alas, it was futile.
Alex just blocked another swing and backed away slightly. "This is pointless. Both of us can just use the water to either heal ourselves or strengthen us."
"So just stop fighting," Percy said, not wanting to deal with this. He wasn't having any trouble, far from it, but this was getting them nowhere. Percy was about to move, when he found his body stiff. Frowning, he tried to move again, but found that he couldn't. Then his arm betrayed his movement, dragging Lowtide up slowly, towards his neck.
Percy's eyes went wide as Alex had a satisfied look on her face. "Water may not be effective, but blood... that's something that can work on practically everyone."
Blood control, Percy thought with panic. He tried to struggle, tried to break free and gain back his movements, but he couldn't. His sword inched closer towards his throat. He was panicking, wondering what he was going do. Was he going to die like this? By his own blade? No. No, he couldn't. Futilely, he struggled and struggled, not wanting to die. He couldn't leave behind his friends and family. His mum, Markus, Grover, Thalia... Annabeth. At that particular thought, he found strength and pushed with all of his might.
Lowtide just touched his throat, producing some blood, when his hand halted, as well as the blade. Taking advantage of his blood, he pushed the arm away and tried to move. He was successful, if only partially. He panted, feeling tired.
"Oh?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "So you can control your own blood. Although it looks like you can't do it often. Oh well, that just makes it more fun." At her wide grin on her usually dull face, Percy feared for his life.
(Thalia vs. Lucas)
Thalia's fight with the son of Raijin went pretty much the same way as Percy's, in that she wasn't really struggling, but she also wasn't able to deal any damage. She went for a stab with her spear, but he allowed it to pierce him. The hole where he was stabbed showed lightning in it. Taking advantage of her shock, Lucas brought out a large knife and went to stab her, but she raised Aegis and used it to bash his face in. Lucas didn't do anything, allowing the shield to hit him and pass through his body. His head and upper body turned into pure lightning, letting him become intangible.
Lucas still had his neutral expression while facing Thalia, who backed away to gain some distance. Lucas' calm exterior pissed Thalia off.
"You need to calm down," Lucas chided calmly. "You can't defeat me as you are. Or even at all."
"Aren't you confident?" Thalia sneered, slamming the butt of her spear onto the ground and allowing a trail of lightning to travel from the butt to Lucas. He didn't say or do anything as the lightning hit him and did absolutely nothing.
Lucas cocked his head to the side. "I thought you were smarter than that. I'm the son of the lightning god. Your lightning has no effect on me."
Thalia growled, knowing that he had a point. Lightning was her better element, and it was useless here. Then again, she was immune to his lightning, so that was something. Summoning her divine powers, she concentrated on the winds, using them to form blades and gusts of wind to blow him back. This only made him stumble slightly, but didn't really knock him back.
Going for broke, she slammed the butt of her spear on the ground again, this time summoning a small twister. Lucas made to move, but was distracted by Thalia using the winds to disturb his concentration. This allowed him to be sucked into the cyclone, tumbling around like a rag doll. He was slightly damaged and disorientated. Gritting his teeth, Lucas discharged a large amount of lightning disrupting the cyclone. He managed to land on the ground, only for Thalia to keep on attacking him, not giving him any chance to recover.
Lucas countered by using his knives to push away her spear and strike at her shield, the terrifying image of Medusa doing nothing to him. Getting bored of the clash, Lucas dispersed into lightning, shocking Thalia. She wasn't bothered by this, only annoyed.
"Fight me like a man, coward!" she yelled, sick of his dodging and attitude. Her only response was more zaps of lightning raining down on her.
Knowing that the lightning didn't work, she sneered. "And you call me stupid?! Lightning doesn't work on me!" She made to move, only to fall down, kneeling. "What the-"
"So it seemed to work," Lucas commented, his body forming from the lightning that was flying around.
Growling, Thalia made to dash at him, but found herself disorientated. Her spear and shield left her hand, her body not responding to her command. "What?" She made to stand, to grab her weapons, something. And yet she found that her body was acting wonky. When she tried to move her hand, her leg twitched and shifted slightly. When she made to move her legs, her fingers moved. "What the Hades did you do to me?!"
"A little trick I learned," Lucas responded calmly. "I've messed up your nerves. I can control your bio-electricity. All your nerves, your brain activity, your impulses... all at my command." At Thalia's fearful and confused expression, he elaborated. "It's something I can do as the son of Raijin. I'd explain it more, but..." Moving quickly, he slashed at her face, slicing her cheek.
She yelled, blood dripping down her face. "... the fight is under my control. Meaning that you won't live long for me to explain it." And so Lucas continued slashing at her, with Thalia doing her best to dodge with her scrambled body. She knew that she was in for the fight of her life right now.
Done. So very thankful for that.
We're getting closer to the end of The Titan's Curse. I won't tell you how it'll end, since I want it to be a surprise. In this chapter, Markus has gained a new pegasus (a badass one, if I do say so myself) and encounter Nereus and the Ophiotaurus. And just to be clear, Markus won't burn the Ophiotaurus' entrails. While he is tempted, he doesn't really need the power, as he can already destroy the gods. Him burning them will only increase his power only a little, anyway, so it'd be useless.
Through Nereus, the questers learn answers to the questions they have. I purposefully left Percy's question as a maybe to show that new elements will be added to the Titan War to make it interesting. But that's a story for another time.
Hope you like the addition of the Shinto demigods. I know that their arrival into the story is sudden, may seem like bullshit, or that I just put it together on the spot. I don't blame you for thinking that. But they're actually important for my story. Reasons being that a) it shows that more pantheons will interfere with the Greeks. Mainly due to Markus, and also for other reasons. And b) I want the others to showcase their own strengths and powers. Each opponent will make them think better, fight more brutally, and improve them. And Markus won't hold their hands, since he's having his hands full with Abigail and Chris. I said that the others will be much stronger, so why not show it in battle with demigods not of the Greek pantheon?
And as for Atlas' power-up, you'll have to be patient and wait for next chapter. Or possibly the chapter after.
Also... God of War 4 came out two days ago. And. I. LOVE IT! Just saw it and bought it. And playing it right after this! So excited! ... Ahem. Yeah.
Also... this story reached over 400 reviews! I'm so thankful to you all! Really, I'm so grateful. Never actually thought the story would reach this far, so thanks. To everyone who liked, read, reviewed, followed and favourited the story. (Though I could do without the flamers, but beggars can't be choosers, so meh.)
Now... Guest review answering:
1) Thanks for your opinion. And I do mean splitting the story into two. I don't know about Wolverine's metal skeleton, but we'll see. Thanks for the idea. And I don't know about him tracing godly weapons, but I'll think about it and get back at you.
2) I'm reading 'Son of the Western Seas' and I really like it. Thank you very much for suggesting it to me, as it's really good. Haven't finished it, but when I do, hopefully it'll be a 10/10 for me.
3) Glad you liked the Excalibur scene.
4) I don't care if I copy Riordan's style and fail at it. You know what I'm trying to do. In the end, the decision is up to me.
5) Understandable. I get that it's strange and doesn't make sense that Markus is so knowledgeable as he was homeless. But the thing is - and this is an argument many writers use - it's fanfiction. It's not supposed to fully make sense. I understand your concern and agree with it fully. But just roll with it.
6) I switch from first person to third person narrative because... well, I just do. It's a habit.
7) First off, it isn't a Mary Sue SI. If you think so, fine. Whatever. I don't care. Secondly, just write something constructive instead of adding something without any explanation as to why.
Now, with that out of the way, stay cool, read freely, and do random shit that you like. Might patent that. Anyways...
Read and Review!