A/N: Hello duckies! I'm back with another Chapter peeps and hoping you guys are still having fun! I'm quite proud to have as many views and visits as I do, especially as a first time poster so once again thanks for the continued support! With that outta the way on to the disclaimer and Chapter.
Disclaimer: *Ahem* I own PJO and HOO. *Get hit by a copyright truck* Okay never mind I don't.
Chapter 13: Are you Kidding?
"A'ight. I've had enough of this crap." Noir whipped his tails with the force of a Howitzer sending their nitro-charged monotreme procession tumbling into one another before they bloody exploded! Annabeth and Percy took the time to practically keel over.
"Why…*huff*…In the Hades…*huff*…did those platypuses have to explode?"
Percy looked to his companions for some kind of explanation all he got was, "I think the plural term is platypi…" Annabeth trailed off at the glare Percy shot her while Noir snickered.
"Not gonna lie guys. Ya have to admit that was pretty funny. Besides, these ones didn't shoot goo eggs from their-"
"Okay! It could've been worse but let's not make it worse or give it a chance. Let's get moving before something else decides to chase us before exploding in our face."
"Yes…Let us."
Both Annabeth and Percy turned to a smirking Noir, who lo and behold, was holding a head of lettuce. They both looked incredulous before chuckling, then full out laughing on the floor while Noir joined after a bit. When they finaly regained their bearings Noir was already back to huge wolf form. Percy helped Annabeth up onto his back. He ignored the sly look Noir shot him when Annabeth leaned back against him and focused more on the ride. They didn't encounter any further trouble but eventually came to a pair of massive celestial bronze doors. Noir didn't bother knocking as he walked right up to them and they opened without a sound. They were met by the inside of a car shop.
"Hephaestus! How dare you pull apart a 2004 Nissan GTR and not even bother to throw back in a bloody twin turbo! And for the love of all things manly the bloody wing is supposed to be a GT race wing not a carbon sport spoiler! C'mon man!"
Hephaestus came out from underneath the car scowling before looking thoughtful and summoning the necessary parts.
"Ain't that better?" Hephaestus grudgingly nodded to Noir and the questers bowed.
"Lord Hephaestus, we need guidance through Labyrinth. We must find Daedalus's workshop and prevent the Titans from getting Ariadne's string." Hephaestus looked Annabeth in the eyes.
"Aye, you will require my help, however it will come at a cost." Both demi-gods paled at this. "It will be menial at best heroes. One of my nearby forges is being used by a couple monsters and I do not approve of it. I cannot do it myself since they sense my presence whenever I get near. Clear out the forge and I will provide you with guidance to the workshop."
The questers nodded their consent before bowing once more and heading to the door. When they got there a tiny gold automaton popped out of the floor, revealing itself as a spider, and scuttling off. Noir and Annabeth shuddered before they all took off after it.
"Why the hell does it have to be a spider? Couldn't have been a nice fat bumble bee?"
"Agreed."
"Spiders are kind cool actually."
Both Annabeth and Noir turned to Percy looking incredulous. He simply looked sheepish and tried to shrink further down.
"One more comment like that and you're walking the rest of this trip."
Percy, dutifully, stayed quiet.
-NA Na Na Na Na NA~ NA~ I wanna start a Line Break-
"Menial task my ass."
"Language Perce. Leave it to the ridiculously old, polymorphic, power entities will ya?"
Percy and Annabeth shared a look before they turned back to the forge entrance. If could be called a bloody forge. They had come to the end of the tunnel with another bronze door. The spider automaton scuttled up the door and set itself into a small indent before turning into a small bronze pellet and sinking into the door. They ended up walking down a hallway fit for a god before a luminous glow caused them to come to a slow. They peeked out into the 'forge' and found themselves in a massive open cavern. A platform was suspended above a boiling lake of lava.
They were in a volcano. A bloody volcano.
The real kick in the teeth was the 'couple monsters' Hephaestus told them to expect turned out to be 20+ telekhines…that seemed to be fire resistant. Perfect.
It only got worse.
"Careful you fool! One cut will sever your immortal soul from your body!"
They focused in on a pair of telekhines carrying a scythe. It was grotesque. It was unnatural and just plain…wrong. It was blended mortal steel and celestial bronze. However where the metals met, it glowed and sizzled. The metals just weren't meant to be together.
"Perhaps another dip in blood? Maybe water from the River Styx will help?"
Percy didn't know why but every instinct was screaming to break that blade before it was completed.
"Wait till they disperse, then we sneak in and try and get rid of that blade before it gets into the intended hands."
They did exactly that. The blade was left on a table next to the forge while the telekhines moved off for 'happy meals on wheels'. They all shuddered and began to creep towards the table. Hopefully this would go smoothly.
It didn't.
"Ahera tu gawa set mera tré. Foraém projírá te éra lo haza íkera."
The words grated on their ears, their teeth ground, and their skin crawled. They turned to see a regular average everyday lumber jack. Minus an arm and had a Cheshire smile. Noir growled low. The telekhines had come back full force. 30 stood around them, half with pure black eyes, and holding boiling balls of lava. They were surrounded and things were grim.
"Noir can you-"
"Not unless this Cheshire bastards moves too. The rules we abide by? They're meant to maintain balance. I can't engage unless he does, and as much as I want to crush his goddamn face in it'd destroy a good portion of this mountain. Speaking fights, how's the arm kitty cat?"
Cheshire's smile didn't falter. Rather he raised what was left of the arm. The stump bubbled and boiled before exploding into a perfect new limb. Noir scowled, "Ya know it wasn't easy to tear that off asshole. Respect the effort I put in douche-canoe."
They closed in closer together and Noir took human form. His fingers were ablaze with platinum flames. The flames sharpened to points and dripped with power. Cheshire's smile seemed to broaden at this action while Noir narrowed his eyes. They could hear his teeth grinding when something clicked in Percy's mind. He dropped a hand on Noir's shoulder.
"Can you get her out of here without consequence?" His eyes widened for a second before they narrowed once again. He nodded. Annabeth didn't look happy.
"Seaweed Brain what're gonna do?" He didn't respond. Noir let the claws dissipate along with Cheshire's smile.
"Get her out of here. I'll handle these bastards. Cheshire over there can't get involved with me, if that were the case we'd be a smear and you'd be removing his head. Go. I got this."
Cheshire looked straight angry at this point. Percy drew Riptide and went to stand ahead before a hand stopped him. He spun and was met with the softest feeling ever. Annabeth's lips left his a moment later, leaving his body singing, and his brain addled.
"Don't go dying on me Seaweed Brain." He didn't have time to respond as Cheshire made a lunge for Noir. Noir simply tossed him over the railing, grabbed Annabeth, and blinked out. Cheshire rose back over the railing covered in molten lava, face half melted to the bone, and completely pissed off. The sound he loosed was something unholy and shook his ribs in his body. He blinked out as well, leaving Percy and the telekhines. He wasted no time and plowed full force into the telekhines.
He whirled and spun, Riptide casting an arc of pure destruction. Bronze shredded through dark fur and bone with ease. He ducked and spun. Flipped and rolled beneath claws and lava.
He eventually got caught on the shoulder with a claw. Hissing he spun away with speed only to take a shot to the chest with a ball of magma. Pain was all he felt as his ribs melted beneath the molten rock. His skin sizzled and charred and his shirt started to burn with it. He didn't get a chance to respond as another caught him in the shoulder. He was pressed up against the railing of the forge. His choice was between swimming in a volcano or 19 angry telekhines with fire balls. Great.
"Careful now. We wouldn't want him…overcooked. On the bright side however, you will have a nice outer char. Hope you've enjoyed life demi-god." The telekhine raised his hand with another fireball aimed at his head.
The world slowed as Percy remembered his claiming at camp.
Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of Poseidon. Lord of the Sea, Father of Horses, Storm Bringer, and Earth Shaker.
Percy prayed and focused on all his strength. He focused on the crash of the waves of the sea and his connection to his father. He vaulted the railing and fell towards the lake of fire beneath. As he was about to hit he pushed his power outwards. The tug in his gut hit like a boxer's straight and he doubled over.
The cavern shook, vapor surrounded him, and a voice rang true despite the deafening roar of the volcano.
Hail Perseus Jackson, Son of the Earth Shaker
Everything went blank with the roar of an explosion.
A/N: Hey guys just gonna say that the bold I used for Cheshire wasn't any particular language I just kinda slapped words together with accents to for it so if it did come out in any language and was inappropriate ya have my apologies. But what he said was, "Hello trio of the maze. Found the perfect place to set you ablaze." Yeah I know I coulda used some other language with google translate but I didn't want to presumptuously use another's language for some evil dude and offend anyone. I'm a complete sap like that. Anyway, hope to see you next chapter and don't forget to REVIEW! Please…