Chapter 12

The Strenght Of Erebos

Ben was furious. He still had torturing pain in his side, but he wasn't about to just watch while Jason got killed. He Shadowtravelled in front of the Drakon, just in time to see Jason getting hit in the air. The fall would kill him so Ben teleported Jason to his side.

„HEY", he yelled to the Drakon. He shouldn't have been able to hear him, but he did.

„Ben" Ben turned around to see Jason lying on the floor about to pass out. „Don't-" Jason sunk to the ground, his arms losing their power.

Ben suddenly felt a wave of strenght go through his body. He didn't feel pain. He didn't feel weak anymore. He felt invincible. No, he knew he was invincible. It wasn't like anything he ever felt before, like pure strenght and power was flowing through his veins. He looked down at himself. He was engulfed in a black aura. He leaped up to the Drakon, an impossible jump for any human: 50 metres. He landed on the Drakon's head, taking his sword and sticking it in to his skull all the way to the shaft. Ben grabbed another one, sliding down the Drakon's neck and slicing it open. He landed on the ground. That action should've broken his ankles and legs but still there was no pain. Ben wondered where the limits were. He suddenly grew to a size of about 30 metres in height. „How about you take on someone in your size!", he yelled. He threw the Drakon to the floor, ripped of his leg and started hitting the Drakon with it. He then proceeded to snap the Drakon's neck, who fell to the ground, his eyes filled with shock. Ben went back to his original size as the power slowly left his body. He rushed over to Jason, who was hopefully not crushed by the fight between him and the Drakon. His chest was full of blood, his breath was short and irregular. But he was alive. John ran over to them together with Nico, who was awake again.

„We saw your fight.", Nico said, still out of breath. „That was the craziest thing I have ever seen!" John smiled. „Looks like I was wrong. What's with your wound?"

Ben totally forgot about his wound on his side. But it didn't hurt, although his adrenalin wore off. He pulled up his shirt to see nothing but darkness where he was hurt. It felt like normal skin so Ben assumed it was something that happened while he had that power he killed the Drakon with.

„And Jason?", Nico asked. „He's just over there.", Ben pointed towards jason, who was now moving again.

„What-what happened?", he muttered. Jason looked up, then at Ben, then to the Drakon's skelleton. „How-?" He passed out again. Nico and Ben cleaned Jason's wounds while John got his car, which was miraculously not destroyed.

„I think we need to get you to Miami.", John leaned on his car's door. His shirt was ripped apart and his hair was dirty. This was probably one of the most dangerous things that ever happened to John, but he continued to be very nice.

They got into the car and drove off to Miami. As they left Charleston John cleared his throat.

„So, I had an idea: I'll drive off to the Camp after this and give them a copy of the books and inform them about your progress. But fort hat I'd need Camp Half-Bloods adress."

„Yes, no problem. But that's a lot of driving you'd have to do.", Jason said.

„I feel like we need to talk about the fight", Nico looked at Ben. „Because that was not a normal fighting strategie."

„What actually happened?", Jason asked. „I was kinda unconcious when Ben fought the Drakon"

„I-I just jumped up on the Drakon.", Ben stuttered, a bit nervous about what they'll say. „Then I made myself giant and killed it, all while I was invincible."

„You did what?", Jason was clearly amazed. „I have only seen one person grow to giant size."

„Who?"

„Zeus"

They fell silent. A few minutes later Nico broke it.

„So basically Ben turned to a god for a few minutes."

Three hours later they arrived in Jacksonville, where they decided to make a break. John stopped at a gas station and they all left the car. They then walked inside to pay. A middle-aged woman smiled at them. She had brown, curly hair and glasses that made her eyes look massive.

„What happened to you four?", she asked, looking at them. „Are you injured? I have a first-aid kit in the next room."

Without waiting for an answer she walked of in a door behind her.

„What do you think?", Nico looked at Jason. „Is she a monster?"

„Probably", Jason said. „But we are four armoured people against one monster."

They followed the woman into what seemed to be the staff room. She stood next to a small closet, watching the door impatiently. Other than the closet there only was a table in the corner with a man sitting there. As they walked in he stood up and stepped next to the woman.
„Last time you barely managed to escape.", the woman smirked. Her clothes started to smoke and she turned to a figure Ben hoped to not see too soon again: Bia.

„Who are you?", John looked at Bia and Kratos, who now looked the same as when they first saw them.

„I am Kratos", Kratos said. „And this is Bia. We were promised to be Erebos' right hand once he defeated the olympic gods as long as we help him and do what he said."

Suddenly, a spear appeared in her hand. „Also, you can't escape this room. It was made the same way Hephaistos buid the nett hat can catch gods."

„So you can't escape", Kratos elaborated. Bia again had a look on her face that just asked Why? „That's exactly what I said."

„Wait!", Jason held up his hands. „You should open the door to be able to escape in emergency. If you fight us we will just defeat you and you cant escape as well."

„You can't defeat us, Jason Grace. We are immortal.", Bia looked at him, probably thinking about the best way to separate his head from the rest of his body.

„That won't help you. I defeated Krios with my bare hands", Jason looked directly at her. „I fought besides the Olympians and defeated several giants. I was a part of the seven who killed Gaea. And Nico crossed Tartaros itself, all on his own." He pointed towards Nico.

„You are lying.", Bia said, but Ben heard her confidence starting to crumble. „I don't believe it!"

„I'm not done.", Jason smiled. „I am the son of Zeus, King of the Universe. Nico is the son of Hades, the God of the Underworld. And Ben is the son of your master. He is more powerful than you can imagine."

As Jason said this the roof was ripped of by several lightnings. Skelletons shot out of the ground. Ben focused on strenghtening Nico, John and Jason. They suddenly started glowing black, but not with an aura as powerful as Ben's. Bia and Kratos attacked. They jumped into the fight, quickly showing that the gods had no chance. The now desroyed roof allowed the gods to escape, what they quickly did. Ben fell to the floor, exhausted by protecting them all from being incinerated as Bia and Kratos showed their true form. They dissapeared and everything went black for Ben.