Chapter 10: The Trial of Ifrit

I am STILL making my X-mas crackfic Young Elites x Kick Ass special. But still, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL FANFICTION.

Oh, and I am planning another betrayal story but it'll be Jason, and there will still be Jasper, and there shall be LOTS OF OOC STAR WARS CHARACTERS.

Percy/Nero POV

This road trip is turning into a creepy-ass gathering quest. I guess this is what happens when I go around finding demonic weapons that want to kill me first before I could claim them as my own. Alastor was sheathed on where Red Queen was supposed to be, since I left it in the care of my girlfriend. Right now, I'm on my way to Yosemite National Park. I hope the others can hold them off until I can get enough Devil Arms and drive back to New Rome. Wow. This trip IS becoming a nightmare.

Jason POV

I hope Octavian doesn't realize what we've been doing right now. Diana...Artemis's Hunters are staying at New Rome for now. They're quite the man-haters. I saw Leo drooling at the sight of one of the Hunters, Phoebe I presume. He claimed that he's into girls that are way over his league, which is seemingly true. Thalia used to be the leader until the Titan War ended. I'm guessing she just wanted to experience life all over again. Understandable for everyone. I hope Percy comes back soon. The colossus has been remaining silent and dormant and it's creeping the s*** out of me. I watched it for a long time. Not much time later, I felt someone hold my hand. I turned to see Reyna with a concerned look on her face.

"You look paranoid, Jason." she said.

"That...thing is creeping me out." I admitted, pointing at the colossus. I tugged my Roman praetor toga a little.

"It's not healthy for you to be like this."

"That's what you always tell me."

"It's for your own good, Golden Boy."

"Sure, Warrior Princess." I snickered after I just called her that.

"You used Percy's nickname for me?"

"What's wrong with that? You're basically Wonder Woman, minus the flight and super strength."

Reyna stopped holding my hand to my distaste, then just looked at the colossus with me. I suddenly felt her hair on my shoulder, making me red with embarrassment. I hope Thalia isn't seeing this, or even Piper.

"What's going on here?" I heard someone ask. Reyna and I turned around and we paled. How convenient. It was Thalia and Piper.

"I shipped this right from the start!" the daughter of Venus screeched.

"Sounds good!" my sister replied, making me feel a lot more embarrassed than ever.

"Not cool, sis!" I exclaimed.

"Okay, okay. We'll give you guys some space." Thalia teased, leaving with Piper, who was holding Percy's moto-flame sword and double barreled revolver.

"Thank you." Reyna mouthed when I looked at her.

I smiled and I leaned in to kiss her. She tasted good.

Third Person POV

Meanwhile, Percy/Nero just arrived at Yosemite National Park. It was green and well protected like usual. But what pissed him off was having to find a hidden weapon located in what looked like a WIDE OPEN AREA.

'This is gonna be a long hike.' he thought.

'It's somewhere within the waterfall.' Sparda told him.

'That's a long ass hike.' the son of Vesta thought back as he got a faint view of the waterfall.

The walk to the waterfall was extremely boring. That was all it took to describe how the demon powered son of Vesta was feeling as he searched for a second Devil Arm of Tartarus.

"I hope the others are okay." he said to himself.

Meanwhile...

Camp Jupiter felt a little boring at first but with the arrival of Thalia (even if she's no longer a hunter) and the Hunters, it was hyped up by a little, just a little. Octavian appeared out of nowhere and asked Jason and Reyna,

"Who are those girls in silver?"

"Those are Lady Diana's Hunter group." the son of Jupiter explained.

"They don't like men for obvious reasons. And the girl in black, that's Thalia Grace, daughter of Jupiter." the daughter of Bellona finished.

"Your sister, eh?" Octavian teased.

"She's not a member but the Hunters still like to bring her on hunting journeys." Jason replied, a little appalled at the augur.

"Very well. Are they going to help us fight that...thing?"

"Of course." Reyna replied.

"I'll be off now. Recently, my readings have been saying something about...Greeks."

With that, Octavian left. Jason and Reyna were shivering and looking at each other with worry in their eyes.

'This won't end well.' they thought as they watched Octavian walk away.

Back to Yosemite...

"Finally! I made it!" Percy screamed in triumph. When he approached the waterfall, Devil Bringer started glowing red. Something behind the falls also glowed red. When the son of Vesta entered, a cavern was revealed with blazing torches on both sides. A stairway was also seen.

"How convenient." he thought, slowly walking down the stony stairs. Spiraling down the steps slowly, Percy entered a circular chamber where a literal ring of fire on the walls was used to light up the whole place. In the middle was another statue. It was a literally bloody man with no head. There was a mysterious gauntlet on where the head should have been. It was black and gold and shaped like a dragon and inside its mouth was the glove itself. Confused, Percy tried to grab it but the gauntlet suddenly flew into his left hand and his vision become pitch black.

In his mind, Percy woke up in what looked like the inside of a volcano. In front of him was a giant, dark brown skinned demon with upward horns, red facial hair, clawed feet, and rock-like armor. In its hands were two copies of the same gauntlet.

"Oh, great. Another demon trying to kill me." the son of Vesta groaned, drawing Alastor as it released purple sparks.

"I am Ifrit the Fire Demon. You have entered my trial, demigod. Now, FEEL THE FLAMES OF TARTARUS!" he screamed, blasting two red fireballs from the gauntlets. Thinking quick, the son of Vesta dodged and dashed at the demon and gave him two good slashes on his side. Ifrit growled in pain as he jumped and tried to drive his opponent to the ground. Flames roared when his right gauntlet hit the rock.

Meanwhile at Camp Jupiter...

"JASON! REYNA!" someone screamed as they ran to the Principia. It was Leo.

"Leo? What's wrong?" the two praetors asked in sync before looking at each other weirdly.

"The colossus, it's moving!"

Shocked, they ran to the barricade along with the other Romans and the Hunters. There, the Savior began to move again. This time, it charged up energy in between its cupped hands before it was released. A rain of yellowish energy nailed some houses in New Rome, damaging them and even destroying some.

"That bastard." Piper growled, clutching Blue Rose with her right hand.

"She'll pay for this." Jason agreed.

"We can't win without Nero. But he'll make it back. I know it." Gwen said, having faith in their comrade.

Another wave of animated armors came out of the statue. The bad news? They carried spears along with their generic set.

"Not again." Reyna groaned.

"Defend Rome!" the son of Jupiter announced.

A Shield Wall consisting of all Five Cohorts were made, with the Hunters behind them, arrows nocked.

"Fire!" Phoebe ordered as they released their arrows. They sailed through the air and struck down many of the armors. Piper and Frank helped out with bullets and trick arrows. They continued shooting until the animated armors slammed right into the shield wall. The Romans and Hunters had the upper hand but this time, the armors put up a much better fight. Thankfully, help arrived in the form of Pluto, Minerva, Apollo, and Mars.

Back in Ifrit's trial...

Percy stopped another punch with Devil Bringer before forcing Ifrit down and smoothly jumping on the fire demon's right arm and preparing another electric slash. Ifrit tried to punch him off of him, only for the son of Vesta to jump over it at a ridiculous height. It was as if he could jump over a house. When he descended, Percy landed a hard punch right into Ifrit's face.

"Gah, imbecile!" the fire demon screamed, blasting the demigod with fire, sending him flying to the wall.

"Don't be so sure, meathead!" Percy/Nero yelled back, drawing Yamato and suddenly teleporting behind Ifrit and slashing him numerous times in the back. The demon howled in pain as he crumpled to his knees. Percy teleported back to where he was and launched a Buster arm that grabbed Ifrit's face.

"DIE!" the son of Vesta yelled before closing Devil Bringer's fist, causing the Buster arm to crush the fire demon's face. A shockwave struck Percy with extreme force and when he hit the wall...

...he woke up, with TWO identical copies of the same gauntlets.

"This doesn't feel right." Percy muttered. As if it responded to its master's requests for improvement, the left gauntlet sprouted the shape of Devil Bringer, adjusting the set to be well balanced, and as if the demigod had TWO Devil Bringers instead of one.

"That's better."

He got up and charged up his feet with fire. Next, he raised his right foot up and finally, he dashed forward and gave the statue a literally explosive side kick, destroying it. Giving a satisfied smirk, Percy willed the gauntlet to stop. Suddenly, the right gauntlet disappeared in flames and became one with the left one. They shrunk into a red and black watch with the outer rim shaped like Ifrit's face. The extra Devil Bringer shape on his left arm also disappeared.

"You are worthy..." the voice of Ifrit boomed.

"Cool. Where's the next one?" Percy once again asked the demon guiding him.

"Seattle, a.k.a. where the Amazon thing was created. I'll explain everything else all the way." the voice of Sparda echoed in his mind.

"Very well."

Satisfied at the result, the son of Vesta left the chamber. Ifrit, the second Devil Arm, had been found and conquered.

Back at New Rome...

Frank had turned into an elephant and Hannibal was released, crushing the armors underfoot. The Romans have charged again to take out the remaining forces. The Savior suddenly attacked again, launching a ball of energy at an unsuspecting Hannibal and striking his front legs. The elephant trumpeted in pain as it collapsed on the grass.

"Hannibal!" Jason exclaimed, rushing to the poor animal's side with Thalia and Reyna.

"Phoebe! Can you heal him?!" the daughter of Zeus called one of the Hunters.

"I'll try, Thalia. Give me some time." she replied as everyone tried to haul Hannibal back in his pen. After watching the others, Jason, Thalia, and Piper looked at the now unmoving Savior one more time.

"She was my friend. Now, this is what she's doing." the former Hunter spat.

"I know. We'll bring her down, sis."

"I hope Nero comes back. I miss him."