Act II Chapter XIV: "But, mutually assured destruction. Right?"
"Let's try to get in and out," Annabeth began as she looked at Clarisse and Reyna. Her gaze focused back on Clarisse. "Please stop trying to provoke Hylla. She can't be happy that you keep ending the messages on her."
"I won't provoke anyone," Clarisse promised as she raised her arms. She rolled her eyes and opened the door to the building. "After you, Princess."
"And stop calling me that," Annabeth protested. Clarisse just smirked. Reyna looked between them and walked into the building, Annabeth following behind her. The receptionist looked at them, and her eyes widened in surprise as she focused on Reyna.
"We need to speak to Hylla. Again," Reyna said as her fingers rested on the belt. "We have something she wants."
"Of course," the receptionist said as she stood. "I need your weapons this time."
"No deal," Clarisse grunted. The receptionist crossed her arms. Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Fine."
Clarisse grabbed her spear and impatiently tossed it on the desk. The receptionist jumped back in surprise, especially as it rolled off to the ground. She reached down to grab it. Annabeth placed her sword on the counter as well. Reyna walked toward the door and pushed it open.
"What are you doing?" the receptionist questioned.
"Going to see Hylla," Reyna said as she looked back. She rested her hands on her belt. "I'm sure we can find the way."
"Your weapon," the receptionist began. Reyna motioned to the fact that she didn't have anything hanging from her belt. Then, she turned and started to walk down the hallway. Clarisse grinned and stepped into the hallway. She went the opposite way of Reyna. "Stop. Alright. Just follow me."
Annabeth found herself smiling as she snagged their weapons off the desk and followed behind the receptionist. They were led to Hylla's office, and Annabeth kept glancing at her watch. They were running on a deadline, but they didn't know when it expired. Annabeth wasn't sure how long it would take to rally those rebel Amazons, but it should take more than a few hours.
The receptionist knocked on the door, "Queen Hylla, you-"
"Come in."
The receptionist opened the door to the office but didn't step inside. Clarisse pushed in first. Annabeth made eye contact with Reyna and gave her a reassuring nod. Reyna returned it and followed behind Clarisse. Annabeth was the last one to step inside, and the door closed behind her.
Hylla was sitting back at her desk and staring at the wall near her. It took a moment for her gaze to shift over to them. Then, her attention snapped to the golden belt that Reyna had slung across her chest. Reyna rested her hand on the belt.
"Where is Iris?" Clarisse demanded. Hylla studied the belt for a few more moments before she leaned forward and pressed a button on her phone.
"Bring the goddess," Hylla ordered. She sat back in her desk chair and kept her gaze directly on Reyna. "Did they put up much of a fight?"
"They were taken by surprise," Clarisse answered after a moment. Hylla moved her judgemental stare onto Annabeth.
"How many did you kill?" Hylla wondered. Annabeth lifted her chin and met the challenging gaze. "How. Many?"
The door behind them opened. Annabeth turned, and a gasp left her. Two Amazons walked into the room, practically dragging a woman between them.
"What in Ares' name did you do to her?" Clarisse demanded.
"W...what is your problem?" Annabeth slowly asked. "W...why?"
Annabeth read and heard so many stories about the gods and goddesses. She always imagined them as regal figures. Untouchable men and women with statures that could never be bent. As if the marble statues in a museum had come to life.
The chained woman in front of them looked nothing like that.
Her brown hair was a tangled mess that had clumps of something nasty in it. Bruises darkened her olive skin. Her right arm was hanging limply, and she put no pressure on her left leg. The jumpsuit she wore was tattered and torn; it looked more like prisoner rags than anything else. Shackles of a strange looking solid gold were clamped on her wrists and ankles.
"The belt," Hylla demanded.
"Hylla, why did you do this?" Reyna questioned as she snapped back at her older sister. Hylla rolled her eyes.
"We're going to take you someplace safe," Annabeth promised as she looked back at Iris. The goddess slowly met her eyes. While there was pain on her face, there was steel in her eyes. A defiance.
"The belt," Hylla repeated.
"After you free her completely," Reyna said. Hylla rolled her eyes. "Let her go!"
Hylla grabbed a key from her pocket and tossed it toward one of her Amazons. The guard caught it and unlocked the chains that were around Iris' wrists. Then, she unlocked the one on Iris' ankles. It was followed by a hard kick to the goddess' leg.
"What are you doing?" Annabeth demanded as she rushed forward to grab Iris as she collapsed. Clarisse wasted no time on words. She grabbed the Amazon that had kicked Iris and slammed her into the wall.
"Enough!" Hylla ordered impatiently. "Just give me the damn belt!"
Reyna glared at Hylla and looked back at Iris. Annabeth looked at the goddess as well. Iris' body was shaking, and she was leaning heavily on Annabeth. Hylla rolled her eyes.
"Last time," Hylla warned. "The belt. Now!"
Reyna threw the belt at her sister. Hylla caught it and slowly stood. She put the belt on before sitting back down and propping her legs up on her desk. Hylla did not move her gaze from Reyna.
"My spy in Kinzie's inner circle told me what you said," Hylla commented. Annabeth tensed and looked back at the queen. "And that you convinced her to attack tomorrow. I thought we had an agreement."
"We do, Hylla. That's why I told Kinzie about your spy, and she gave you all kinds of wrong information," Reyna retorted. Hylla's face twitched, and Annabeth heard an ear shattering noise. The building rocked, and Annabeth almost fell. She barely kept Iris on her feet.
The two Amazons stepped forward, but Hylla held up her hand. Hylla spoke, "What did you do?"
"Why don't you worry about your empire crumbling at your feet?" Reyna questioned. "How weak are you going to look to your Amazons now? You might want to save face."
Annabeth blinked, and a chair was flying at her face. She threw herself in front of the chair, and it crashed into her and Iris. Both of them tumbled to the ground. Annabeth shot her head up to see the two Amazons had their weapons drawn. Clarisse rushed forward to meet them.
"Are you okay?" Annabeth mumbled as she looked down at Iris. The goddess watched her with narrowed eyes. "I'm sorry to tackle you. I didn't mean to hurt you. We have to go."
Annabeth turned her head and tried to take note of everything in the room. Hylla had Reyna pinned against her desk and caught her with a brutal punch to the jaw. She brought her fist back again. On the other side, Clarisse was holding her own against the two Amazons and had disarmed one of them. She was now using their weapon against them.
"Can you stand?" Annabeth questioned as she looked at Iris. The goddess glared at her. "Please. We are not going to hurt you. Do you remember Chiron? He's been looking for you. He trained us. He trained me.
"I'm sorry that the Amazons hurt you," Annabeth continued. She glanced back to see Reyna had gotten out of her precarious position and was using her sword to block one of Hylla's knives. Clarisse flipped one of the Amazons over her shoulder. Annabeth looked back at Iris. "We're not like that, though. Please."
"What is your name?" Iris slowly asked. Her throat sounded parched, and she looked like she struggled to speak.
"Annabeth Chase," the demigod answered. A crash caused her to turn her head, and she saw that Hylla had tackled her sister into the fountain of blood. Hylla pinned Reyna and punched her hard in the face. "Hold on!"
Annabeth jumped over the desk and threw her full body weight into Hylla. The two of them crashed awkwardly to the ground, and Annabeth gagged as blood got all over her. And oh gods, in her mouth! An elbow slammed into her throat, and she started to cough sporadically.
"I can't decide if I'm going to kill both of you or-"
Hylla's head snapped to the side as Clarisse kicked her hard in the face. Annabeth tried to scramble to her feet only to end up slipping in the blood that was still somehow shooting out of the remains of the fountain.
"Why don't you leave them both alone?" Clarisse demanded as she stood over Hylla. The queen suddenly brought her legs back and slammed both of them into Clarisse's chest. While the kick did look strong, it didn't look strong enough to send Clarisse flying backward.
Annabeth watched as the kick threw Clarisse backward and into the wall. She crashed into it, creating a large hole. Hylla grabbed her knife from the ground and turned toward her sister. Reyna had one hand to her shoulder and the other to her mouth. Both of her eyes were screwed shut in pain.
"I don't know how the hell," Hylla hissed as she grabbed Reyna by her armor strap and forced her to stand. Hylla slammed her sister into the wall. "But, mutually assured destruction. Right?"
Annabeth grabbed Reyna's fallen sword and placed it to Hylla's neck. Hylla froze. Her eyes slowly moved down to the blade pressed against her neck. Annabeth spoke, "Drop your weapons."
Hylla stared ahead. Annabeth shifted the blade, "Drop it."
"You're not going to do it. I can see it in your eyes," Hylla challenged.
"I will," Annabeth said, but her voice shook slightly. Hylla smirked.
"Then, do it," Hylla dared. Annabeth studied her for a moment before looking at the blade. She frowned and shifted the hilt in her hand. Hylla suddenly grabbed her wrist and jerked it forward, aiming the tip for Reyna's chest. Annabeth tried to jerk the sword away, but Hylla was much stronger than her.
Reyna threw her arm up in front of herself, and she cried out as the sword cut into and through her forearm. The pointed end appeared caked in blood, and Annabeth nearly vomited. She swallowed back the vile and let go of the sword, clenching her fist. Annabeth tried to punch Hylla in the face. A hand caught her fist.
"You're so pathetic," Hylla seethed as she jerked Annabeth toward her. Annabeth stumbled and tried to catch her balance. A sharp pain blossomed in her side. Her gaze slowly moved down to the knife buried in her side. "I need that back."
Hylla pulled the knife out and brought it back like she was going to stab forward again. A blur slammed into Hylla, and Clarisse drove her to the ground. Annabeth heard a loud crack as the queen's head bounced off of the ground.
Annabeth placed her hand to her bloody side. She stared as blood streamed out of it. Clarisse appeared next to her and forced Annabeth to apply pressure. Annabeth spoke, "I...I'm okay."
"It's shallow, Princess. You'll be fine," Clarisse said. Her wide eyes betrayed her concerns. "How are we going to get out of here?"
Reyna knelt next to them and placed a hand to her bloody arm. The sword had been removed, and one of her sleeves had been cut off of the jacket and wrapped hastily around the wound. Reyna was covered in blood from the fountain. As was Annabeth. And Clarisse. Gods, they were never going to get the stain out. Reyna slowly looked at her sister.
"She'll be okay," Clarisse grunted. Her gaze moved to Annabeth. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Annabeth replied, even though it felt like a thousand needles were poking her in the side and something was throbbing in her. She pressed both of her hands against the wound. Another shadow appeared over them.
"We must go," Iris stated. "I sense great violence."
"Going out the front door is going to be difficult," Clarisse quipped.
"We're not going out the front door," Iris clarified as she held out a hand. "Everyone grab on."