Chapter 13 The Prison

Leo POV

After not hearing word from Chicago for a couple of days the army started to get worried and I knew I had to act in some way. Everyone knew the mission to attack Ares was risky and it was a stupid decision to send Chris on his own. I couldn't help but feel guilty about the whole situation and I quickly made the decision to move on Chicago and discover what happened.

Since my army could not move as fast as I could I decided I would go alone and scout the location before a course of action was decided. I didn't want to lose any troops for silly reasons.

I was approaching Ares' fortress when I saw a cloud of smoke in the horizon. I made it to a clearing and saw what used to be Ares' fortress in ashes. It was a gruesome sight as skeletons, Greek and Roman, lay in the ashy floor while rats picked at whatever charred flesh was still available. The cloud of dust was enough to keep me from seeing any farther than about ten feet in front of me. I walked through the desolate area picking through the rubble hoping to find any clue as to what had transpired in the previous days.

What frightened me the most was how quite the area was. I could only hear my own heartbeat and that gave me the chills like you wouldn't believe. I tried shouting out but when I did I received no response.

After hours of searching I had almost given up when I noticed a path that lead underground in the back of the rubble. I created a small flame on my hand and forged into the darkness hoping to find answers.

The tunnel was murky and boggy and all sorts of uncomfortable. It was cold, wet, and abundant with vermin of all sorts. After a few minutes I stumbled into a hallway, I extinguished my flame and moved forward. The hallway somehow managed to be creepier than the cave. With white walls which had received its fair share of wear and tear. Creepy flickering fluorescent lights, which gave me a huge headache by the way. I continued through the tunnel for a few more minutes when I heard people talking. I hid behind an equipment shed and tried to get a decent look at who was speaking.

I saw three men dressed in roman armor guarding a wooden door. The three men were big and burly but they should be easy enough to get rid of. I stopped and listened to what they were saying.

"It doesn't matter what you want to do. Mars was very specific when he gave us our very simple orders, guard the door." Said the man in the middle of the three. He was the tallest at around 6'4 and looked to be the leader of the small group. His tattoo identified him as a son of Mars.

"It's not like anyone is going to come in through the door during the time it takes us to go get some fresh air. I'm sick of standing in this spooky hallway all day." Said the man on the left. He was the smallest of the 3 but definitely had the biggest muscles. His tattoo also identified him as a son of Mars.

"You guys are both idiots, just shut up and do your job." Said the one on the right. He was the skinniest of the 3 and the grumpiest as well. He had a dark complexion, which gave away his identity as a son of Pluto.

While the three argued I formulated a plan to get though the door. After some careful thought I settled on a plan. The first thing I did was throw a screw down the hall. The clanking noise attracted the attention of the Son of Pluto, who moved down the hall. When he was past the equipment shed I shot up a ring of fire around him all the way to the ceiling. His friends screamed in horror as the fire slowly came in on him until he burned to death.

"Come out you bastard!" Screamed the short one as he charged down the hallway. Right as he got to the equipment shed I turned the corner and stabbed him through the heart with a flame sword. I stared down the leader of the group who recognized me and instantly begged for mercy. I quickly killed him and opened the door to the room.

What I saw next is the most horrifying sight I have ever seen. Laid all around the room were the remains of the Greek force sent to Chicago. The floor was drenched in blood as every body part you could think of was rotting on the blood-covered floor. I looked around and saw two metal cells. I approached the first one and opened it using the key I got from the dead guard. Inside of the cell was the rotting corpse of Zach. I looked away in disgust and tried to not throw up, I moved to the second cell and opened it.

My heart broke when I opened the second cell. Rebecca was stretched out on a bed with her skin clinging to her bones, somehow still alive. Next to her was Chris's dead body, split in half by a weapon of some kind. Rebecca had a lost look in her eyes and didn't even notice that I walked in to the room.

I walked up to her and gently patted her back; she immediately sprang up on contact and looked at me with terror in her eyes. When she saw it was just me she broke down crying into my arms. The real consequences of war were finally starting to hit me. All these lives lost and shattered over a power struggle that will rage for centuries on end. With Rebecca crying in my arms I could only think of all the lives the Olympians have ruined in their selfish rule and I was infused with anger. I was so angry my hair momentarily caught fire.

I calmed down and tried to comfort the weeping girl in my arms. I sat her up in front of me and tried to speak with her.

"Hey Rebecca, you're safe now." I said as I rubbed her shoulder reassuringly.

She shook her head and spoke for the first time. "I will never be safe, what I have witnessed will never leave my mind. Leo you have to do me a favor."

I nodded for her to go on. She leaned in and whispered in my ear the two words I never wanted to hear.

I shook my head fervently. "I can't."

"You have to." I looked at the girl and did not see the headstrong warrior that once was, all I saw was a broken girl the Olympians ruined. I nodded my head understanding what I had to do. Even if I objected there was nothing I could.

I closed my eyes, raised my sword, and swung with a tear stained face.

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