"Fletcher! Fletcher, wake up!"
With a resounding slap on the face, it took less than a second for the blonde-haired demigod to shoot up out of bed like a missile before gracefully falling flat on his face.
"Ow! The fuck was that for, Abby?!" He asked before hauling himself up, still a little bit woozy.
"Percy asked for both of us. We need to go meet him at the war room asap." The daughter of Apollo responded, not even giving him a chance to respond before leaving the room. Dressing quickly and making his way out of his cabin, he was greeted by the harsh glare of the morning sun. Grimacing, he blinked a few times for his eyes to adjust, revealing the newly rebuilt camp.
He still couldn't believe how fast they managed to rebuild. The defensive wall was completed, the cabins were rebuilt along with some more being constructed for the new arrivals flooding in by the day and so much more including the dining pavilion, hospital, and storage rooms. There was still more that was being built which would take some time but what's already been accomplished in the timeframe of two months was very impressive. Leo and the Cyclops had been working day and night to get this camp up and running properly much to everyone's gratitude. It had been a team effort though. No one lounged around and did nothing. There was always something that could be done to contribute.
And contribute he did. From lifting heavy stone slabs for the wall to hunting for food in the vast Alaskan wilderness, Fletcher did whatever he could to help. Gone was the scrawny kid who second-guessed his every decision. Now all that remained was a well-built and headstrong demigod. Sure his skills in fighting weren't on par with say Jason or Frank but thanks to his constant training with them, he could hold his own against a monster. And with time who knew what type of warrior he could become?
Hopefully, one day, Abby would see him in a new light. It's one of the reasons why he's been so adamant about becoming stronger. But judging by how she treated him the same ever since they'd met and that her eyes were still on that Jake guy, he doubted any progress could be made. But then again, there was always hope.
Briskly walking, he greeted some friends who came across him, already doing their chores for the morning before walking up the steps and entering the cabin which was called the war room. This place was meant only for the higher-ups like cabin and cohort leaders which made Fletcher feel slightly uneasy. He never liked being surrounded by people that were superior to him and especially more powerful than him. A flash of Percy's wolf-like green eyes raced across his mind as he remembered just how crushing the leader of Camp Freedom's presence was.
Taking a deep breath he softly knocked on the office door before hearing a "Come in!" from the other side. With tense shoulders, he stepped inside and was immediately greeted by the sight of cabin leaders, cohort leaders, and even Goddesses. Not knowing how to address everyone, the only thing he could think of was to stand in front of Percy and salute him with a fist over his heart.
"Sir. You requested me?" He greeted, causing Percy to look up from the map he was looking at. His vibrant green eyes stared into his soul as he assessed the demigod before him. He could feel the eyes of the others around him staring at the back of his head as well, especially Artemis and Hecate. The two of them weren't used to not being addressed first but gone were the days of bowing down to the Gods, at least for the demigods of Camp Freedom. They escaped the Gods for a reason and weren't about to start going back to the old ways now. Besides, any God that entered Alaska was basically on par with a demigod in terms of power. That didn't mean they still couldn't kill them which made the demigods stand clear of the immortals, especially Artemis. It seemed the only one that wasn't afraid of her was Percy who was constantly at her side. Or rather vice versa in Fletcher's eyes. He could see the way Artemis gravitated toward the son of Poseidon whenever he was near. It was shocking to see her act like that at first but it seemed everyone had gotten used to it after a while. There were even rumors going around that he would rather not go into lest he wanted to incur both parties' wrath.
"Yes, I did. I wanted your opinion on something. And tell me truthfully, ok?" Percy asked, breaking Fletcher away from his thoughts.
"Do you think we can take on a force of three thousand with our current numbers and supplies?" The son of Poseidon asked, causing his eyes to go wide. Three thousand! Was that how many were coming to attack them soon? Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath before replying.
"Truthfully, sir. Not a chance in hell. There's no way we can stand a chance against a force that large."
"Thank you, Fletcher." Percy replied pointedly, his eyes going towards Jason who let out an annoyed sigh.
"Percy I get what you're saying but who knows how long it will take for Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood to get here. We still have time."
"No, we don't, Jason. Trust me on this, they're coming, It won't be long now before they're on our doorstep. We need to do this now. There's no other choice." Percy replied, jamming his finger down repeatedly on a specific spot of the map.
Getting a closer look, Fletcher noticed it was a map of Alaska but more importantly, he was pointing at a military base called "Fort Wainwright". If he remembered correctly that place had closed down some time ago. Why was Percy interested in it?
"Fort Wainwright, sir?" He asked, causing all eyes to turn back toward him.
"That's right." Percy gave a somewhat hungry smile. "It's abandoned now and closed off to the public last time I read in the news. You know what that means?"
"Can't say I do."
"Opportunity, Fletcher. Just imagine what they've left there. Weapons, armor, vehicles, supplies, there's no telling what's all there just waiting for us to come and take it."
Fletcher's mouth formed an "O" as he realized what Percy was insinuating. It was downright crazy and came with tons of risks but the reward definitely outweighed that. If they could get their hands on those things left behind by the military, it could very well turn the tides of war in their favor!
"I see. But I don't see how I fit into this?" He said, causing Percy to walk beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"All of us here, including you and some others, are going there tonight and taking everything." The son of Poseidon said matter of factly. Fletcher involuntarily swallowed and could only nod his head yes. There was no room for debate in Percy's voice. This was going to be done tonight whether or not he wanted to be a part of it.
"W-When do we leave?"
"Ten P.M. We'll take the truck there a mile out and walk the rest. Hopefully, if everything goes in our favor, we'll be driving out with a lot more than just a pickup." Travis Stoll interjected with his signature thieving smile.
"It'll take at least two hours to get there if things go smoothly so make sure you're there by the truck at ten, got it?"
"Yes sir!" Fletcher stated before turning his back to get out of the room. He didn't want to overstay his welcome. The tension and power in there were palpable, to say the least, and was definitely not a place where he belonged.
"Oh Fletcher, one more thing." Percy said, causing him to stop and turn. "Not a word of this to anyone."
"Yes sir."
The room went silent as everyone waited for the younger demigod to get out of earshot before continuing the meeting.
"I'm coming too." Artemis stated, causing Percy to look at her with a confused look.
"You realize we're probably going to get in some trouble there, right? Mortals, monsters, the whole shabang. And since you've lost most of your powers, there's no telling what mortal weapons could do to you."
"Now you listen-" Artemis tried to say with an angered look on her face.
"Wait, wait, Artemis. I'm not telling you not to come, ok. I'll gladly take all the help I can get, I just want you to realize that there's more risks now. You're not invulnerable anymore." Percy interrupted, causing Artemis to let out an annoyed huff.
"Ironic coming from you." The Goddess replied, which made everyone gain a confused look on their face. Clearing his throat, the son of Poseidon dismissed the leaders of Camp Freedom, reminding them not to be late for tonight before closing the door to his office leaving only himself and Artemis in there.
"How'd you know?" Percy broke the silence, his back turned to her. He probably should've realized that Artemis was a lot older and more knowledgeable than he was and couldn't possibly hide something like the curse of Achilles from her. He wasn't mad that she knew and was thankful that she kept it from the others but it would've been nice if he could've kept it under wraps for a while longer.
"I can sense it." Artemis replied, running a hand over his arm. "I can even see the faint glow of power. It's barely there but to the trained eye it can still be spotted." She continued, not realizing that she was still touching Percy.
"I didn't want others to know." He stated, grabbing her hand off of him. "I want no one to know about this. It can work in our favor. Zeus and the other Gods on his side won't expect it. After all, no one has ever gained the curse twice."
With tinted cheeks, Artemis cleared her throat and walked over to a window. She didn't want the demigod to see her embarrassed.
"A wise decision. The less Zeus knows, the better for us."
"Exactly but even then, there's only so much I can do with the curse. Sure it'll help my chances when encountering immortals but it doesn't mean it'll help win the war." Percy sighed as he sat down, running a lazy hand over his tired brow.
"That's why we're going tonight to acquire those mortal weapons, Perseus. You're doing everything you can to give us a fighting chance. That's all anyone can ask for." The Goddess reassured.
"I know but it doesn't feel like it's enough."
"And it'll never be enough. No army can ever have enough supplies, weapons, or soldiers. It'll always feel like it's not enough." She said while taking a seat in front of him. "What really matters is what you do and what you're able to accomplish with what you have. Never extend your reach if you're not able to grasp it. Know your limits."
Percy took those words to heart as he gazed down at the map. Eyeing the fort, he nodded his head.
"I hear ya."
-X-
"Gimme those pliers." Conner Stoll whispered as he knelt next to a barbed wire fence that separated them from the military base. With shivering hands due to the frost-ridden night, it took more time than usual for him to cut a hole large enough for them to fit through. Eventually, the fence was cut and with a silent gesture, he asked everyone to start crawling towards him.
"I hate the cold." Leo whispered with clattering teeth, his breath visible due to the below-freezing temperatures.
"Can't you just warm yourself up with your powers?" Jason questioned causing the son of Hephaestus to roll his eyes.
"And risk becoming a fiery beacon that practically says "Hey I'm here! Shoot me!" Come on Jason, use your head."
"Ok, jeez, sorry." The son of Jupiter muttered as he crawled through the fence. It seemed Leo was a little tense and apprehensive about this mission. He couldn't blame him. What they were doing was very stupid and dangerous. If they were caught, who knew what the consequences would be? Would the military just shoot them on sight? Or lock them up in jail for twenty years? Deciding that he would worry about that if worse came to worse, he continued to crawl through the snow until he was fully through.
Making sure the coast was clear, he signaled for the rest to come along until eventually, everyone was inside the perimeter.
"Alright, easy part done. Let's get to it." Percy said before quickly jogging over to a building that looked to be a headquarters of sorts. Quickly glancing inside through a window, he noticed that the rooms were relatively empty besides a couple of stray chairs and desks along with tons of dust and spiderwebs.
"Annabeth would have a fit if she saw those." He laughed to himself but a pat on his shoulder quickly got rid of her image inside his head.
"What do you see?" Frank asked, his large head peering over his shoulder to try to get a look as well.
"I think we're good." Percy replied as he tried to open the main door but with no luck. It was locked. But that didn't deter him. He expected most of everything here to be locked behind closed doors. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on every molecule of his body forcing its way through that door. Slowly, he felt himself dissipate until eventually he had become a mist-like figure and was able to pass through the class. Reappearing on the other side, the son of Poseidon twisted the knob causing the door to unlock.
"Get inside." He ushered them in.
"Why do you always get the cool powers." Jason remarked gruffly as he walked past.
"Because I'm built different now come on. We need to find a map or something to get a layout of this place."
Soon, with hushed whispers and footsteps, the group of demigods were scouring the entirety of the office for some sort of map they could use to find all the buildings they should check for the supplies they were looking for. Eventually, it was found by non other than Leo who almost let out a yelp of joy but was cut off by a slap upside the head by Jason.
"Thank you Jason for shutting him up, now what do we have?" Percy said as he eyed the map. Thanks to a dimly lit finger by the son of Hephaestus they were able to somewhat see the map through the thick darkness.
"The armory is on the south side, the hangers are to the east, and um…I actually don't know what that is?" Frank said, pointing to an unmarked building. Getting a closer look, it seemed to be smaller than the rest but it might be something worth looking at. Whatever they could get their hands on, they would greatly appreciate.
"Ok, we're splitting up. Jason, Stolls, and Frank, you're going to the armory. Will, Leo, Katie, and Nico, you're going to the hangers. " Percy commanded, causing everyone to nod their heads in agreement.
"Wait what about you, Artemis, Abby, and Fletcher?" Nico asked.
"Since it's such a small building, it'll be better if it was just us four. We'll check it out but it's probably nothing so we'll come running back to you guys to help. Agreed?"
A chorus of "yes's" was thrown before everyone quickly ran off to their designated spots. Abby and Flecther gave each other a corner-eyed look as they were the last ones in the office, waiting for Percy to stop looking at the map.
"Alright. Thanks for volunteering guys. Let's get rolling. I'm sure it's probably just a storage shed or something so we'll go help out the others soon once we make sure."
"We didn't volunteer." Fletcher whispered, causing Abby to give a rough elbow to the ribs.
"OW!"
"Shut up, idiot. We do whatever Percy wants of us." She whispered fiercely. Before the two could argue so more, the son of Poseidon quickly shut them up before running out the door, the two younger demigods and Goddess following closely behind. Avoiding anything out of the ordinary and making sure to stay quiet and in the shadows, it took longer than necessary to reach their destination. When they did, however, they found it to be a building similar to the headquarters they were just in. Barely any furniture and tons of dust.
"Doesn't look like much. Just another office I think." Artemis exclaimed as she walked along the carpeted floors.
While Abby and Fletcher searched through the drawers of the abandoned desks, Artemis and Percy continued to walk down the dark hallways, the only source of light coming from the moon's light shining through the few windows.
If he hadn't become so desensitized to dark places thanks to his time in the underworld and Tartarus, Percy would've been somewhat unnerved walking throughout this building. The odd creaking sounds and the moonlight causing furniture to have oddly shaped shadows around them could certainly scare any innocent person.
Making sure to check each and every room but finding nothing, Percy was about to call it quits on this building if it hadn't been for Artemis softly whispering out his name from the end of the hallway. Quickly walking over to her, he noticed that she had opened a door that led down to a strand of stairs that seemed to go on down for eternity.
"Probably some sort of basement or something for storage." He said but Artemis shook her head.
"I-I feel something down there." She said.
"Feel something?"
"I can't explain it because of my weakened powers but there's definitely something down there that isn't from the mortal world."
Percy clenched his jaw at that statement before gesturing over Abby and Fletcher. He didn't like bringing them along down here if even Artemis was somewhat apprehensive about it but it was safer rather than just leaving them up here by themselves. Informing them of what was going on, he instructed them to stay focused and to stick close together. With eyes of resolve, Percy was the first to step down into what felt like an abyss. Careful with each step, he pulled out Riptide which offered a soft glow for them to see. As they delved deeper, he couldn't help but be reminded of the stairs of the underworld but these were just normal stairs hopefully leading them to the basement and not the domain of Hades. Hopefully.
After a few more minutes of walking, the stairs seemed to end as they led to something he hadn't expected at all.
"A laboratory?" Artemis said, looking around at the white room that although still held nothing of importance, was still intriguing.
"What's one doing down here? We're at least one hundred feet below the ground." Abby exclaimed as she walked around. Walking around the place, the son of Poseidon couldn't find anything that was of importance to them which was disappointing. It seemed all that walking had put hopes in his mind that there was something cool down here but that was just a lie.
"Guys, check this out!" He heard Fletcher's voice yell from around the corner. Running past the corner, he was greeted by the sight of something even more crazy and spectacular. Behind a glass panel was what looked to be a cave.
"What the hell?" He said, walking up to the glass. What was a cave like this doing right here next to a lab? And why was there glass blocking any form of entry to it? Hearing footsteps next to him, he looked to his side and noticed Artemis holding an intrigued look on her face.
"This is what I felt. This cave is unordinary." She said before striking at the glass with her dagger, shattering it into a million pieces.
"Not how I would've gone about it but ok." Percy replied as he carefully stepped over the glass shards. The first thing he noticed as he entered the cave was the stench. It smelt of rotting flesh along with the taste of copper in the air. The hot brush of wind against his face only amplified those smells.
"Oh Gods, what's that smell." Abby gagged as she covered her nose.
"Smells like…" Percy's sentence trailed off. It reminded him of Tartarus but the thought of this cave having some sort of resemblance to that place honestly put worry into his heart. Gripping his sword, the son of Poseidon walked deeper into the cave, careful to not make any noise. With the others right behind him, they began to clear the cave with silent precision.
"It looks pretty normal." Fletcher was the first one to break the silence, his voice echoing throughout the cavern.
"Yeah except for that." Abby replied, pointing over at a gleaming sheet of bronze sticking out of the wall. Due to Riptide's glow, it was easy to spot what she was talking about. Walking over to it, Percy did a double-take at what was in front of him.
"Celestial bronze?!" He exclaimed.
"This must be what I was sensing." Artemis said, running a hand over the rare metal.
"What's celestial bronze doing here?" Fletcher asked, eyeing the bronze metal in its most purest form. He had never seen the metal out in the wild before because it was so rare. But looking around the cave that held even more bronze on the walls, it seemed the place was a prime spot for it to be.
"It seems we've gotten lucky tonight. Although rare and practically unheard of, there are some spots throughout the world that hold such vast amounts of celestial bronze. It seems this cave is one of them." Artemis said, walking deeper into the dimly lit cave.
"The mortals probably shut this place down because of this cave. I remember in the news article that they shut it down because of poor conditions and health and safety concerns. The mist probably tricked them into thinking the celestial bronze was some sort of toxic material." The son of Poseidon said, joy evident in his voice. What were the chances of stumbling upon something like this?! This was absolutely great for them. The things they could create with all this metal would most certainly help them in the war. Weapons, armor, machines, the possibilities were endless.
"Hence why the cave was blocked off and abandoned."
"Great!" Abby said with a smile. "But how are we gonna transport all this stuff back to camp?" She asked, causing Percy to put a hand on his chin. It was a valid question and one he was having trouble thinking up a solution for. They didn't have the equipment nor manpower to dig the bronze out and haul it off. The only logical solution he could think of at the moment was to get Tyson and the other Cyclops down here to help. But the problem with that was they were already busy helping rebuild the camp.
"I'll think of something but for now we need to head back up and tell the oth-" Percy tried to say but was interrupted by a clanking sound coming from deep within the cave. The group quickly got silent as they looked in the direction of the mysterious sound. Holding their breath, they watched as a dim light began to appear out of the darkness, illuminating the cave walls with an eerily orange glow. The clanking became much more evident and seemed to multiply signaling that it wasn't just one source. Raising his sword, Percy watched with horror as the sound finally arrived at them, revealing a scourge of monsters looking as hungry and deadly as ever. The two groups stood still as they looked upon one another. The cave's wind was howling loudly now causing the torches the monsters were carrying to die off, leaving them all in pitch blackness. When the last light went out, that was when Percy broke the silence.
"RUN!" He yelled to the others before charging at the group of monsters. From Cyclops to hellhounds, and Telekhines, there were enough of them to put up a formidable force of death and destruction. Enough to make the large cave feel like a small box. But thanks to the curse of Achilles, Percy paid no heed to the dangers around him. Instead, with a crazed laugh, he charged dead smack into the opposing force, causing a whirlwind of destruction around him. With elegance, he avoided every sword, spear, and arrow thrown at him, all the while forcing his own attack with Riptide with absolute precision. Swiping at throats, heads, arms, and legs, it didn't matter what he hit because the force behind every strike was enough to kill any monster that stood in his way.
The son of Poseidon's laugh was evident over the loud clashing of metal and screams of the dying throughout the darkness. It was like he was back in the Titan War again when he had first gained this power. The surge of energy flowing throughout his body, the raw strength he felt in his bones, he felt as if he were a God of destruction! That was his namesake after all! So why not act like one?! With that thought in mind, he slammed his sword into the cavern walls' causing it to shake violently. With rock and debris now falling on the monster's heads, it was time for him to leave. No one could surely survive such a thing like a cave collapse. But a voice stopped him from leaving in time.
"I'm here, Percy!" Fletcher yelled out over the screams as he came running back in with his sword raised. Frantically looking back, Percy didn't notice the large broadsword aimed directly at the back of his head. "Look out!" The younger demigod cried out but it was too late. Sensing that something was behind him, the son of Poseidon, thanks to his reflexes, managed to turn around quickly enough to not get hit in the head and instead raised his forearm to act like a vambrace to block the strike. Obviously, thanks to the curse, his arm wasn't taken clean off but Fletcher didn't know that. Thinking that his leader was out of the fight, Fletcher immediately went into action, jumping on top of the Telekhine before delivering a fatal blow to its head.
Screaming like a crazed warrior, Fletcher got into action, taking out everything in his path with his sword. Percy watched in fascination as the younger demigod acted like some sort of possessed animal, killing everything that came too close to them. He admired his tenacity but that was going to get him killed since the cave was about to collapse at any given moment. Trying to get his attention, Percy waved at Fletcher to leave but it was impossible for the younger demigod to notice. He was in a trance that the son of Poseidon was all too familiar with. "The trance of death" he liked to call it.
Once you acquired it, it was very hard to get out of. With adrenaline pumping through your veins so fast that you could hear it and eyes so deadlocked on a certain thing that everything else around you was a blur, it'd be a miracle if Fletcher would ever be able to leave in time before the cave collapsed.
"Oh shit." Percy suddenly said to himself as he watched a beast unlike any other monster come barreling through the cave at speeds that shouldn't be possible for its size. Watching in slow motion as it charged dead onto Fletcher, it took no time for the son of Poseidon to react as he tackled the younger demigod out of the way before he was flattened into a human pancake.
Thankfully, Percy had managed to save him from a gruesome death. Unluckily, however, the monster had continued on its charge of destruction and had hit the cave wall, sending debris all over the place and essentially trapping them inside.
Coughing in fits, Percy got to his feet as he looked around at the mayhem that had befallen upon them.
"W-Was that the Minotaur?!" Fletcher groaned.
"Yup." Percy replied, popping the P. It seemed the rubble had separated them from the Minotaur which disappointed him slightly. He really wanted to fight that big bastard again. He hadn't seen him in three years.
"Holy shit." The blonde-haired demigod said as he slowly got to his feet. The realization setting in that what he just did was stupid, to say the least. He could've gotten killed had it not been for Percy saving him. And the son of Poseidon made sure he knew it.
"The fuck were you thinking?! I told you to run!" He said, slapping Fletcher upside the head.
"I-I don't know. My body just reacted on its own! Artemis and Abby, when we got to the top, said they were going to go get the others, but when I heard those screams of the monsters and all the loud crashing sounds, I just couldn't stand back and not help!"
Percy took a step back as he sighed in annoyance. He couldn't truly be angry at the kid. He was just like him when he was younger. Never able to leave a friend behind. It was a good quality to have but certainly one that could get you killed.
"Alright, I get it. Next time, do what I tell you though, ok? I can't have you dying on me."
"Understood, sir."
Looking around, despite the pitch-black darkness they were in, Percy could see that they were cut off from the exit thanks to the rubble blocking their path. Which meant the only means of escape, if there was one, was to venture deeper into the cave. Thinking quickly, Percy took a piece of cloth out of a pile of monster dust and wrapped it around a wooden stick.
"Suppose you wouldn't happen to be a son Hepestaus would ya?" The black-haired demigod asked.
"I've given up hope trying to find who my godly parent is. The way I see it, the only family I have left is Camp Freedom." Fletcher said as he watched the cloth catch flame thanks to Percy's sword and a rock igniting sparks onto it.
"I would say don't lose hope but when I created the camp, my intentions were to create a family that one could rely on. I'm glad you were able to find that." Percy said as he kneeled over the cloth, blowing on it to get the flame larger.
"Me too." The boy could only reply as he walked beside Percy as they ventured into the cave. It was silent throughout the walk beside the sound of the howling wind and their footsteps echoing across the cavern walls. The scene was eerily similar to something out of a horror movie but when you had the strongest demigod of all time walking next to you, things weren't as bad as they may seem.
"Percy." Fletcher broke the silence as he looked slightly up at the older demigod. "When you blocked that sword with your arm, it-it seemed to bounce off of you. How?"
"Shit. Was hoping you didn't see that." The son of Poseidon replied. He didn't really want to tell him the truth but there wasn't really a way around the question.
"Swear on the Styx that you won't tell."
"I swear." Fletcher said without hesitation, drawing a sigh of relief from the older demigod.
"Have you ever heard the story of Achilles and how he bathed in the River Styx?"
"Of course. That was one of the first stories my mother ever told me."
"Well-" Percy replied, gesturing with his hands with a sly smirk on his face. Fletcher audibly gasped as he realized what he was insinuating.
"B-But how?! Didn't you already bathe in the Styx once?"
Percy nodded his head as they rounded a corner of the cave.
"I did but-"
"But you lost it when you entered New Rome." Fletcher finished causing the son of Poseidon to raise an eyebrow.
"Who's been telling you stories about me?"
"Who doesn't have a story to tell about Percy Jackson? You're the most famous person in all of Greek history."
Rolling his eyes, Percy made sure there were no monsters nearby that they might have inadvertently snuck up on before continuing to talk.
"Well, we needed more firepower to fight this war so I figured why not try it again? It helped a lot in the war against Kronos. I would've died many times over if it wasn't for the curse." He said, steering clear of the part where Hades practically made him do it to get him on their side.
"I'm sensing a but here." Fletcher replied.
"But there's many drawbacks to the curse as you know. And even more for me since I'm a second-time curse bearer."
"What does that mean?"
"To tell you the truth, I really don't know myself." He said, hesitating to tell more in fear of what Fletcher might do with the information. His swearing on the Styx eased his worry but still, some things needed to be kept secret. But he needed to get this off his chest as it had been gnawing at him since his departure from the Underworld.
"The only thing I do know that's different is that I didn't get to choose my mortal point to tether me. Last time I chose a spot to anchor me but this time…I don't know. I don't remember choosing one. It just shot me out of the river."
"What does that mean then?"
"I-I don't know. There are only two explanations I can think of right now. One is that I'm fully invulnerable which is just too good to be true. The Fates would never allow that type of luck to befall me."
"And the other."
"Lady Styx knows where my mortal spot is and won't tell me."
"Why wouldn't she? Don't all bearers of the curse know where their vulnerable spot is?"
"Yes but since I'm a second-timer, she probably doesn't like that. Immortals are very prideful, you know. She probably took it as disrespect as I was able to handle her waters twice."
"But that's not fair!"
"Yeah, well, it is what it is. Her river gave me something and in the process took something away."
"And what is that?" Fletcher asked.
"Knowledge. She knows something I desperately need in order to keep myself alive. But since I don't, I have more of a chance of getting myself killed if I can't properly guard my vulnerable spot. To tell you the truth, that was very clever of her. Honesty makes it more of a curse now than the first time. It's driving me crazy not being able to know."
"I hope you can figure it out." The younger demigod tried to reassure but Percy only shook his head with a laugh.
"I sure as hell hope not! If I find my vulnerable spot, that can only mean a damn sword has been sent through it."
And with that being said, silence ensued upon the two demigods once more before eventually, a faint, dim light could be seen coming from the end of the tunnel. Jogging to it, Percy noticed a crack through the stone wall, revealing a glimpse of the night sky with the moon shining ever so brightly.
"We made it." The son of Poseidon sighed in relief. He was hoping this situation wouldn't turn into the Labyrinth all over again but thankfully the Fates had given them a break for once. Rearing back, he took down the wall with one swift punch causing Flecther to chuckle in amazement.
"I heard the stories of when you first had the curse during the Titan War. I'm glad I wasn't on the opposing end of that." He said gesturing to his hand that didn't even have a scratch on it. Smirking at the statement, Percy exited the tunnel before noticing that they had ended up in the woods presumably outside of the military base.
"The base can't be that-" Percy was about to say but was interrupted by the clattering sound of gunfire off in the distance. The pair looked at one another with wide eyes as the gunfire continued to echo throughout the air. Without hesitation, they set off in that direction hoping their friends were ok. Jumping over logs and ducking under thick tree branches, the two demigods ran like the wind as they tried to make it in time to help. Coming up on the perimeter fence that separated them from the base, Percy noticed orange flashes of gunfire popping up through the darkness. He couldn't tell who or what was shooting but whoever it was, they were scared enough to empty an entire magazine. Climbing over the fence, the two quickly but carefully made their way toward where they believed their friends were which inadvertently was also in the direction of the gunfire.
"Let's go check that hangar. That's where Nico and them were supposed to be." Percy turned to Fletcher but without even getting a chance to hear a response, the hangar doors in front of them busted open with insurmountable force. What came out from the other side in a blazing glory was something that put a smile on the son of Posedion's face. Three armored cars, all equipped with fifty cals on top of them, raced out in unison.
"Holy shit!" Fletcher yelled out as he watched the three cars sharply turn in their direction. But the smiles were quickly wiped off their faces as gunfire, coming from the woods behind the cars, was shot at them.
"Get behind me!" Percy yelled as he tried his best to protect the younger demigod while trying to get the attention of the three armored cars. Frantically waving his arms, he watched as the cars gained speed as they headed towards them. He could see one of the drivers, Travis Stoll with that sly smirk on his face, behind the wheel.
'Whose shooting at us?!" Fletcher asked over the gunfire. That question however was soon answered as five armored cars, similar to those that the demigods had stolen, came out of the woods. Shooting at them without mercy with their 50 cals, Fletcher's eyes widened comically as he watched them chase.
"That's the United States Military!"
"Well, yeah! Who'd you think would show up?!"
'I thought you said this place was abandoned!"
"Yeah, but this is still U.S. property. I'm surprised we weren't caught when we were by the fence!"
"Percy!" Fletcher exhaustedly cried out.
"Hey, it's not the first time I've been chased by the government. Don't worry!" He replied, giving a hearty laugh. The son of Poseidon covered Fletcher with his steel-like body for a few more seconds until finally, Travis drifted the car right in front of them, shielding the both of them from gunfire. The back doors opened up to reveal Nico and the others sitting in the backseats, all wearing crazed and adrenaline-laced smiles on their faces.
"Get in!" He yelled, making room for the two of them. Helping Fletcher first, Percy was just about to jump on board when he noticed from the corner of his eye something huge come barreling out of the woods. It moved at speeds that shouldn't be possible for its size before ramming straight into one of the military's armored cars, sending it flying into the air. Percy watched in slow motion as the beast he was well acquainted with, locked eyes with him for a split second. That split second, however, was all that was needed in order for the beast to convey its message.
"I'm coming for you."
Percy gave his signature smirk in reply, angering the beast even further, before jumping into the car.
"Better get to driving, Travis. The Minotaur is gonna be on our ass soon." He said, causing the son of Hermes to step on the pedal as far as it could go.
"Now it's the fucking Minotaur! First the United States military now this?!" Fletcher cried out causing the others to laugh.
"Relax. It'll take some time for that monster to take care of soldiers before it's on our ass. Once he is, we'll have this guy take care of it. He's done it I don't know how many times now." Katie replied, patting the son of Poseidon's shoulder.
"Why are you in here by the way? Aren't you supposed to be with Jason?" Percy said, kneeling next to the front seat where Travis was currently at. The poor man who although had driving experience under his belt, had never driven such a behemoth as this before. It was a miracle that they had even managed to even start it, let alone drive it!
"We met back up once we realized what was in those hangars and armories. We needed all the help we could get. Leo got these things working while we loaded them up with whatever we could carry." Travis replied as he swerved past the corner of a building, narrowly avoiding it.
"Wait? How much stuff did you find?" Percy asked to which all he got in reply was a signature smile of a son of Hermes.
"We got split up after we heard those other cars show up. Jason, Frank, Will, and Leo drove off with theirs to give us time. We didn't know they were gonna fucking shoot us though!" Connor said as he looked back, noticing that the military had now begun to shoot at the monster currently throwing a mrap into one of the hangers.
"Well, you stole government property! Military property to be exact! What'd you think was gonna happen?!" Fletcher yelled, amazed at their confusion. You don't mess with the U.S. military and their toys. How hard was that to comprehend? When he was asked to come along, he just thought they were going to steal some rations and clothing, not military-grade vehicles with 50 cals on top of them! And to make matters worse, they had a beast that was renowned throughout Greek mythology right on their asses as well!
"Go through this gate right here! This will take us to the street that we parked the truck on." Percy pointed, causing Travis to gain speed.
"Hold on!" He yelled before ramming through the gate like a freight train. Luckily, it didn't take any damage from the obstruction which somewhat disappointed the son of Hermes. They didn't even get any air under them as well!
"That wasn't like the movies at all!" He complained, causing everyone to roll their eyes. Getting back into his seat, Percy looked out the back window and could see the military base slowly fade out of view. Smoke from the destroyed mraps could be seen high in the sky which made him somewhat worried. They drew way more attention than planned. Soon helicopters, police, military, all of them would be searching for them and what they had stolen. They needed to get back to camp and fast before it was too late. Sadly, however, 18-ton vehicles don't go that fast. Hell, the old pickup they drove to get here could probably keep up with this thing.
"What'd you find at that building you were at? You were there for pretty much the entire time." Katie asked from her seat next to him. Percy's eyes lit up as he had entirely forgotten about the cave thanks to what had just occurred. Smiling, he looked at her with excitement.
"We found the reason why they shut this place down." He replied, causing the daughter of Demeter to gain a confused look. "Celestial bronze, in a quantity you have never seen before, was done there! It was blocked off by some thick class. The mist probably tricked the military into thinking it was toxic or something which was why they evacuated."
"How much do you think?"
"Enough to supply us for this war!"
For real?! Holy shit, man." Connor exclaimed excitedly.
"What did you all find?" Percy questioned back, to which Katie shook her head in amazement.
"Enough stuff to supply us for this war." She replied similarly causing Percy to lean his head back in relief. He didn't know who he should be thankful to but he was glad that things were going in their favor. It didn't ease his anxiety about the war itself but at least he knows now that they stood a chance.
"Oh shit!" Travis suddenly yelled, causing Percy to snap back to reality. Feeling their vehicle suddenly turn sharp right, Percy could just barely make out the image of a burning mrap falling from the sky right in front of them.
"The fuck was that?!" Fletcher cried out as he frantically looked back at the destroyed vehicle fading from view.
"That's gonna be us if we don't pick up the fucking pace!"
"I'm trying but it's not going any faster!" Travis said, slapping his hand angrily against the steering wheel.
Looking back, the demigods notice a large, black mass running straight at them through the darkness. They could make out the beady red eyes that were trained on their very souls. Percy groaned as he realized what he needed to do. If they couldn't take care of this big bastard, then this trip would be all for nothing.
"We have any ammo in that thing?" He asked, pointing up at the fifty cal above them. Katie shook her head causing Percy to give out an even louder groan of annoyance. Looks like he's doing it the hard way. Climbing through the hole on top of the vehicle, careful to not fall off the damn thing, he pulled out Riptide as he held on.
"Steady your driving!" He yelled over the wind as he looked back at the minotaur getting closer and closer to them. Grinning at the prospect of killing the bastard again, he twirled his sword and waited for the perfect opportunity. He could hear the pounding of its footsteps and its heavy breathing even over the wind. It seemed the big beefy thing really wanted revenge for all that the son of Poseidon had done to him throughout the years. The thought of ripping the demigod to shreds fueled his legs to run even faster, his eyes tunneled on the vehicle in front of it.
"Hey, you big bastard!" Percy yelled, getting the monster's attention. "Miss me?!"
The minotaur yelled out in an unfiltered rage as he lunged for the armored car but sadly for it, that turned out to be a mistake. A mistake that the son of Poseidon was waiting for. Without hesitation, Percy jumped off the vehicle and raised his sword high above his head. It felt like he was in slow motion as he flew through the air, his eyes trained only on the minotaur's red ones. The two, both in mid-air, aimed for one another, wanting to be the one to connect first. But once again, it was the son of Poseidon that prevailed. Driving his sword down at a blistering speed, it was the first to connect directly to the minotaur's head, delivering a fatal blow. The crunching sound of its skull succumbing to the force of Riptide could be heard throughout the air. Falling back to the ground, Percy felt his body roll into a tree that splintered upon impact. Thankfully, the tree took more damage than him due to the curse of Achilles.
Getting up and walking over to the monster that was laying still on the ground, Percy looked down at it with triumph in his eyes.
"I win." He said before swiftly taking his sword out from its head, sending the famed minotaur back to Tartarus where it will inevitably reform once again. Breathing a sigh of relief into the cool air, he could hear Travis driving back up to him. Looking back, he noticed the son of Hermes stick his head out the window.
"Now that was like in the movies!" He said with a smile, causing Percy to shake his head in exasperation.
"Let's just go home."
