The clash of metal against metal filled the air as I protected Piper from another strike. Confused, the guard looked up, wondering why his blade hadn't penetrated the daughter of Aphrodite, only to see me and a son of Hades, our eyes burning with the hatred of the Styx. The guard's eyes widened in fear as he realised the full extent of the danger he was in. He swung his sword at me again, but I deftly dodged the blow and countered with a swift strike of my own. The tip of my sword grazed his arm, leaving a deep gash that quickly began to bleed. The guard stumbled back, momentarily stunned by the pain, and I seized the opportunity to drive my sword into his gut. I felt the resistance of his armour as I pushed the blade forward with all my strength, the sound of tearing flesh echoing in my ears. With a final, anguished groan, the guard crumpled to the ground, his eyes staring up at me in dying shock and panic. I withdrew my sword, flexing my fingers as I revelled in the feeling of wielding my staff once more. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins, and I could feel the power surging within me.
"Who's next!?" I roared demandingly, my voice echoing across the courtyard. "Show yourselves, cowards!" Immediately, the reinforcements faltered in their steps, glancing uneasily at each other. I didn't care. If they wanted blood, they could rest assured they're getting it in such a horrific manner that it would make Kronos look like the Titan of peace.
"Get Piper," I muttered to Nico, pointing at the flailing arms in the background. While I had been fighting, the second guard had sneakily pulled her backwards, into the fortress. Nico gave a nod, but not before slyly whispering, "Come back in one piece, or Calypso is having my head." My glare hardened at the approaching soldiers, as I raised my staff above my head.
Bring it on, I thought, bring it on. And so they did.
I ducked under the first strike, parried the second with my sword, and spun around to kick the third guard in the chest, sending him flying. The others hesitated for a moment, but pressed on their attack. Surrounded, I didn't care. They may be skilled fighters, but I had something neither of them could even dream of. I had family on my side. Nico, my most loyal soldier and friend, was chasing after my other, close friend. Letting out a scream of anger, I brought my sword down as hard as I could. Someone blocked it, but I was too fast for them. Another blow came whirling around the corner, slamming into a guard. Their faces slowly morphed together. It didn't matter what I was doing, only that I was showing these creatures the pain and misery they deserved.
By the time the last guard fell to the ground, crumpled in despair, I ran towards a slightly alarmed Nico. The boy was furiously battling three guards at once. Like a shadow watching from behind, I smiled. All those years of training coming into use… Nico was a menace. Blocking a jab, he simultaneously ducked under another blow. All it would take was one second of hesitation, and suddenly Nico was in control, lunging and jabbing with a speed so fast my eyes couldn't catch up.
"Piper?" I asked as he finished off the last guard.
"I don't know, I was running to get her before four soldiers jumped me," he said with a pause.
"Four? I only saw three?"
"What, do you think I'm incapable of taking out one soldier while you're taking out fifty? Seriously, how low do you think of me?" Despite the tension and anxiety in the air, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Nico's antics.
"Quick, we need to find Piper and Artemis before more reinforcements arrive." Nodding, the two of us charged into the fortress, not looking back.
After all, why look back at the carnage we made? It should be a monument for Gone to gaze upon as I sink my sword deep into his flesh and tell him to never mess with any of us again.
As we entered, two massive lights on the ceiling that seemed to act as search lights became visible. A bright light shone from the top, where a guard was standing armed with a crossbow. The radiant light swept the floor, scouring the area for any sign of intruders.
"Duck!" I whispered as the light came towards us. Without asking, I pulled the son of Hades down furiously. They must know we're here now, and it was imperative to stay concealed. I turned to Nico with a frown, "Where's Piper?" I asked, slowly taking a deep breath. The plan had failed before it had started, and the last thing I wanted was for it to go even more downhill.
"The guard went around that corner," he muttered angrily, pointing to the left. "I expect reinforcements to be blocking our way. Better follow him quickly, before he gets too far.".
"We run on the count of three," I decided, my eyes fixated on the light sweeping past us. Nico gave me a curt nod, and I began the countdown.
"One." The light was coming around again.
"Two." I could see some more reinforcements storming down the stairs. Nico had a face of fear, and I didn't blame him. It would take every ounce of skill and strength to overcome this latest hoard of guards.
"Three!" With a speed faster than Hemera, the two of us charged towards the guards, taking them by surprise.
"They're over here-'' With a swift slice of his blade, Nico quickly silenced the guard, pushing him down to the ground. I quickly knocked down every living entity I could see that wasn't Nico. My staff was ruthless, a hellish nightmare, as it tore through the armour of guards like it was paper. As they fell, each guard had the same expression of pain and fear. They feared me. A sly smirk spread across my face. That's the punishment for laying a finger on my Revenant without my permission.
"Anymore?" I asked, taking a deep breath. Nico numbly shook his head.
We continued through the corridors, staying on high alert. There could be traps laying about and we wouldn't even know. Precision was a must.
"We're looking for a cell," I reminded Nico. He frowned
"So it's probably somewhere downstairs?". I smiled. Observation was key to this operation.
I began to notice paintings of soldiers and battles with so much detail and colour covering the walls along with chandeliers that hung low casting long shadows. The floor was made of cracked black stone bricks along with polished granite tiles. Greek writing was etched into stone tablets that were showcased on small tables.
"Dammit" Nico groaned as we turned another corner.
As I turned to look at the situation, a spear whizzed towards me, barely missing my head. Unfortunately, even more backup had arrived and these weren't just normal guards. I cursed in a mixture of Greek, English, and Mandarin as three Itegra and two Armatini began circling us. The Itegra began snarling and baring their teeth, which were as sharp as knives.
I quickly slashed at an Armatini who easily sidestepped and countered with a kick. I dodged the furious beast while deflecting the bite of an Itegra and jabbing my sword at the hellhound like figure. It jumped back with incredible speed and snarled, continuing to circle me. Barely being able to react, I ducked a wild slash from the Armatini and sidestepped the lunge of the second Itegra. The two Itegra and Armatini started circling me. Nico on the other hand, had killed the Itegra and was focusing on the Armatini.
Feighting left, with the speed of Hermes I hurled my sword towards the Itegra. Surprised, it didn't have enough time to react and howled in pain. As it stumbled backwards, the second Itegra ran at me at full speed. Jumped over it and landed next to the Armatini who without wasting time drove his knife at me. I deflected the attempt and feinted a left blow while stabbing its right side.
The monster stumbled back in pain and in a desperate attempt, threw both his knives at me. Instinctively, I dodged one while catching the other.
The good news was I caught the blade! The bad news… I might've caught the sharp of the blade and cut myself. I winced, throwing the knife back with amazing precision at the wide eyed Armatini. Archery may not be my speciality, but Frank always said I was a beast with knives, long and short range. It fell to the ground with thud. I spun around wildly, just to be met with the horrible face of an Itegra. I ran my sword through it right before it could bite my head off. Finally, just for good measure, I whacked it away with my staff and finally drove it into the beast on the ground. The sound of flesh being cut through was heard from beside me as I looked at Nico, who had finished his last Armatini off as well.
I looked at the stains of blood and the gold dust that covered the hallway. The reason we took longer than usual was because we were in such close quarters, but we still managed to wrap it up before more reinforcements came.
"That was fun." Nico looked down at the mess they'd created.
"Yea, but we really need to find Piper," I said frustrated.
"Where the hell could she have gone?" Nico frowned.
"Left I pointed," already jogging. Nico was perplexed.
"How can you tell?"
"Because that's where the outrageous yells are coming from," I muttered, rolling my eyes.
We ran over to the sound avoiding the occasional chairs or tables that were scattered here and there. As we came to a dead end, I saw stairs that lead deep down. We sped down the stairs and came into another corridor. I suddenly saw a cell to my left and peaked inside. "We're getting close to both of them," I muttered as I turned away from the horrendous monsters locked away.
"Finally," Nico let out a sigh of relief. "Don't let your guard down yet though." I warned, completely alert.
Nico nodded and we continued. After a few seconds, I saw a huge steel door with a lock hanging from the middle.
Nico walked past me before taking out his sword and relentlessly slashing at the lock. After a few seconds had passed, the lock fell to the ground. He smirked and showed me to the door. I rolled my eyes and pushed open the door. Inside was a huge laboratory-like place, with all sorts of chemicals and plants growing. I looked around before I saw Piper tied to a chair, her mouth taped. Her eyes widened, then became panicky.
"This is obviously a trap," Nico groaned. I sighed.
"Don't worry, I have a plan," I reassured him. Nico motioned for me to keep talking.
"I go in and help Piper, while you wait for the guard to catch me off guard" "no pun intended," I added. Nico slowly nodded his head.
"Then, you'll sneak up behind him and knock him out," I continued, formulating ideas, "And whoever it is, don't kill them at all.." I added making Nico raise an eyebrow. "Indeed I have a plan for the poor soul…"
Nonetheless, he nodded and blended into the shadows. Slowly, I took cautious steps towards Piper, focusing at the corner of my eye, for any signs of movement. "Piper!" I whispered loudly, trying to act normal and lower suspicion. "There you are!" Piper said something that was muffled by the tape. "Don't worry, you're fine," I hushed, tearing off the tape on her mouth and beginning to undo the ropes.
"TRAP!" She yelled, taking deep breaths. I looked at her quizzically.
"Where?" I asked. Frantically, Piper tried pointing backwards to something behind us, causing me to smirk.
"Ohh, you mean the three guys standing to my left who Nico's just about to take down? Yeah, he's no issue, trust me.
As if on queue, my soldier suddenly ran his sword deep into the darkness. A loud cry followed as Nico roughly grabbed the enemy's and dragged them towards me.
Finally released from her restraints, Piper stretched before walking over to the guards and kicking each of them in the dangerous place. I winced, my eyes slowly looking down. Nico laughed before poking me in the arm.
"We should probably wake them up and ask them where Artemis is." Nico suggested.
"You think they'll know?" Nico shrugged.
"Well we definitely won't know until we try," Percy smirked, before walking over to Piper and telling her to try and charmspeak the guards. Piper looked at me unconvinced, but I reassured her by saying that they were already weakened this time. She nodded unsurely.
"What do we wake them up with? Surely we're not gonna just stand here and wait for them to gain consciousness, right?" She asked jokingly, before she saw my serious expression.
"Right?" Her tone worried. I smiled lightly.
"Of course," Piper's expression turned relieved.
I walked over to the unconscious bodies and looked at them. Immediately, my eyes focused on a dark purple vial that had the warning label 'HOT'. My eyes also zoomed in on a dark red vial that had the label warning 'FREEZING'. I clenched my fists. Was this really what they were going to do to Piper, shove these vials down her throat? Oh, well two can play at that game. I grabbed both vials out of their pockets without reading the description and walked over to my soldiers, whistling a happy tune. Nico raises his eyebrows at me, his face showing mirth. Piper on the other hand narrowed her eyes at me. I swiftly walked past both of them holding the vials. I took the cork off of the 'HOT' vial.
I proceeded to spill a tiny bit into each of the guards mouths and waited a few seconds. "What did you just do?" Piper frowned at me.
"Oh nothing, just give them a taste of some dangerously hot concoction that will probably make them burn alive." I grinned while Piper looked horrified. "Hey, they were going to do this to you, and just remember, these are all monsters, villains."
"You're sure they're not demigods or mortals?" Piper asked hesitantly. This time Nico nodded.
"I can feel Tartarus on them."
"Wait," I frowned. "Since when have you been able to feel the Tartarus on someone?" Piper rolled her eyes and Nico snickered.
"Percy man, where have you been? I've been doing that ever since I escaped the pit, about six years ago now." I shrugged, turning my focus back onto the guards. All three were awake and were clutching their stomachs, groaning in pain. Before they could get up, a crackle sound was heard. The monsters started hissing in pain and shaking.
"Feels nice?" I smiled. "Well, I have a cure, more or less, that will stop the heat." Their eyes widened and tried to snatch the vial from my hand.
"Nuh, uh, uh" I taunted holding the vial in front of them.
"Only one of you will get it," The guards looked at each other in pain, wanting the vial for themselves. "Moreover," I continued, "The one who tells me Artemis' location first will be the one who gets it." I held it out in front of them again. "So, who will it be?" I asked, smiling at the three.
They all waited for a few seconds in agony. After that, their hands started catching fire. Then more flames started to appear and they couldn't extinguish them all. I waited impatiently, tapping my foot on the ground.
"She's in the cell. The way to it is a trapdoor," He stuttered, taking a shaky breath, "Hidden under a stack of meat in the feeding chamber. It's r-" He screamed, as a flame engulfed his feet which he kicked, but in the process, almost passed out. "Right from here and then straight. Take the second left," He managed before choking.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, his whole body burst into flames and the yelling and agonising screams were almost unbearable.
"Come on now, quickly!" I was unfazed. "If you don't want that happening to you, I'd advise you to tell me where the moon goddess is." My voice was dangerously quiet and soft.
"Second left, then go straight into a massive iron door," He grunted, extinguishing another flame. "Like this room's. There you'll find the chamber with the trapdoor." He finished, groaning. Sadly, or not sadly, depending on whose position you looked at it from, he also burst into flames. The last one, the one that didn't speak, looked at me.
"Since you're the last one, you can have it." I gave it to him mercifully. He quickly chugged it down and his whole body returned to normal. The sweat evaporating, the flames dying, and the heat turning to severe cold.
"You won't burn to death, but you'll freeze." I smiled at the guard's wide eyes. Don't lay a finger on Piper or Artemis again, was my only thought. I didn't even know why I was being so protective of Artemis. Most likely, it's just because she saved my life, and so it's only right for me to return the favour.
I turned to Piper and Nico, hearing the guards' shrill roar of pain at the coldness that now enveloped him. "Let's go," I called out. My soldiers quickly snapped to attention.
"Some of those vials may be useful," Piper said nervously, looking at the other vials on the racks. "Should we grab a few real quick?". I pondered for a second. That may be a good idea.
"Alright, but we have to make it fast." I replied. We ran over to the racks and grabbed everything that looked useful. As we were in the middle of finishing the last rack, Piper screamed. A vial that read, 'Upgraded Greek Fire' was on the floor, broken and flowing on the ground. It started to create flames that expanded quickly, spreading everywhere.
"We have to get out," I grabbed both of them and jumped out of the way of the flames. "NOW" I yelled, sprinting with the two to the exit.
"Oh," was all Nico said as we were running. We all leaped out of there and closed the door just as the whole room exploded and caught fire, burning everything. We took a deep breath and Piper breathed a sigh of relief.
"Left, straight, second left and finally straight." Piper said, remembering the guard's words.
"No," Nico objected, "It's right first, then the same as what you said." Piper looked at me for confirmation and I nodded my head. She shrugged.
"Guess I have to be more attentive and practise my memory." I smiled and led the way. We dashed through the corridors skidding here and there to take the turns. I saw many different cells with monsters and other creatures. At the last turn we came face to face with a guard. I ducked under a jab and rolled behind him. As he brought down his sword, I sidestepped and deflected the next blow. I then proceeded to swiftly slice him. His head fell to the ground and rolled. Piper and Nico both grinned and followed me to the second giant steel door. This one had another lock. Just as Nico was about to slash at it with his sword and repeat history, Piper stepped In front of him and pulled out a paper clip. She then proceeded to pick the lock with ease. In a few seconds the lock fell off, which Piper caught. She turned around and smirked at Nico's expression.
"You can't have all the glory, now can you Nico? Piper teased and I smiled.
"Whatever," Nico rolled his eyes. "No more joking around," My expression turned serious. Piper and Nico nodded in agreement. We burst open the door and walked inside the huge feeding chamber. I looked around and instantly ducked, motioning for Nico and Piper to do the same.
"What is it?" Piper asked, confused. I pointed over to a red light. She gasped, and Nico grimaced.
"Too many hidden lasers," I remarked, looking at all the red dots on contraptions, attached to the wall. "We set the alarm off once and we're dead meat." I cocked my head to the side. "Unless," I sneaked over to the wall near the lasers. There were cables running through to them that were hidden in the walls. I knew this, because I saw a part of a cable sticking out near one of the lasers.
There must be one cable that splits and divides. I whistled to Nico and Piper. "Main cable, in the wall, destroyed equals laser gone," I summarised, giving them the short form. They gave me a curt nod and we split up around the main door. I stabbed my sword into one part of the wall and saw nothing. I kept on going, trying to find the main wire. Cracks formed in the wall around me as Nico and Piper were searching.
Finally, Nico snapped his fingers, signalling to us.
"Found it," he whispered. Nico drove his sword into the cable creating sparks and disabling the lasers.
"Great, now let's head over to the door," I said quickly. We ran over to the end of the chamber, passing monsters in cages and elevators leading to who knows where. Before we could open the gate , Nico kicked it open with his legs for some reason. This instantly backfired as he screamed in pain, clutching his legs. Piper ran over to his side and helped him stand up straight.
"What's wrong?" I looked at his leg, which was twitching slightly
"Electric," he groaned, pointing to the door. "Insane voltage," I grimaced.
"Piper, help him walk, we need to get Artemis and get out of here as fast as possible. He needs the electric current to be exuded." Piper looked at him concerned. Piper nodded, concern etched on her face as she supported Nico's weight. We had no time to waste. The screams of agony filled the air as Nico gritted his teeth, determined to push through the pain. Together, we moved towards the imposing electric door, its crackling energy a stark warning of the danger that awaited us beyond.
With each step, the electric current surged through Nico's body, intensifying his agony. We knew that the longer we stayed in this chamber, the greater the risk became. Every second counted, urging us to find a way to disable the electric current and free Nico from its torment.
I scanned the area, searching for any clue or mechanism that could help us bypass the door's deadly voltage. My eyes landed on a control panel nearby, covered in a layer of dust. It seemed to be connected to the door's power source. Without hesitation, I rushed towards it, hoping to find a solution.
As I examined the control panel, my mind raced to recall any knowledge or experience that could aid us in this dire situation. I spotted a lever tucked away in a corner, partially obscured by a tangle of wires. It seemed promising. Carefully, I reached for it, my fingers trembling with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Before I could pull the lever, an alarm blared throughout the chamber, piercing our ears with its shrill sound. Well, I guess that was it. The entire army of Gone had officially been alerted to our presence. Time was slipping away rapidly, urging me to make a decision. With a determined resolve, I gripped the lever and pulled it downwards, hoping for the best. To our relief, the electric current abruptly ceased, and the crackling energy surrounding the door dissipated. It swung open, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond. Oh stupid Gone, I thought. You made your prison to stop people escaping, but never did you think about stopping people from breaking in. Piper and I exchanged a glance, a mix of determination and apprehension passing between us. This was it—the moment we had been working towards, the chance to rescue Artemis and escape from this treacherous lair.
We hurriedly helped Nico through the now-opened door, his pain gradually subsiding as we moved away from the lethal voltage. With each step, our anticipation grew, knowing that the fate of Artemis and the safety of our allies rested in our hands.
As we ventured deeper into the corridor, the shadows seemed to dance around us, whispering secrets of the unknown. The air grew colder, sending shivers down our spines. But we pressed on, driven by a fierce determination and the unwavering bond of friendship that held us together. Ahead, the corridor twisted and turned, revealing hidden chambers and winding passages. We navigated through the labyrinthine structure, wary of any traps or surprises that awaited us. The echoes of our footsteps filled the silence, a constant reminder that time was running out.
Our journey led us to a sturdy metal locked door right at the end of the pathway, its surface scarred with marks of struggle and resistance. My eyes gleamed with determination as I raised my staff up. With a swift strike, it crashed against the lock, shattering it into pieces. Nervously, I pushed the door open, revealing a sight that froze us in our tracks.
Before us, sprawled on the cold, unforgiving floor, lay a figure battered and beaten. It was a girl, no older than me, her once regal and dignified presence now marred by bruises and bloodied wounds. Her silver hair, usually cascading down her back in majestic waves, was dishevelled and tangled. The vibrant glow of her celestial aura had dimmed, overshadowed by the pain that gripped her weakened form. Her torn clothing spoke of a fierce struggle, a testament to her unwavering defiance in the face of hardship.
For a moment, I felt my breath catch in my throat, struggling to form the goddess's name. Her natural beauty had died down, but there was no mistaking who it was.
"Artemis?"
Sorry for the wait, been a bit busy, but here it is! Hope the rescue was good, and Percy wasn't too dark. I tried to show how because they were hurting the people he cared about, Percy would hurt them back. He made sure they were monsters first.