[David's Pov]

"So, what have you been up to since...you know, our last meeting?"

Hecuba sniffed her nose, staring at the open field of the Junkyard.

Her eyes never rested ever since she joined the Lava Turtle Express, scoping through the empty land as if something might jump out at her at any given moment.

Judging from where we are and the nature of a dysfunctional automaton, her sensitivity was not too far off from ordinary precautions.

However, when there weren't any signs of attack, she finally sighed and turned her snout to face me.

"You are aware that monsters never truly die, yes?" She asked.

"I've heard," I conceded.

I tried not to sound too bitter; it felt very unfair from a demigod's perspective. Weren't we supposed to protect the innocents from monsters? Why were we the ones that didn't get the resurrection treatment?

The she-wolf chuckled softly, "Immortality isn't as admirable as you think, Son of Ares."

"I didn't say anything," I protested, but the wolf only chuckled again.

"After that Huntress shot me through the head, my essence returned to where it came from; the darkness of Erebos."

"Erebos...like the Primordial god Erebos?" I asked.

Hecuba nodded, "The very same."

I was lost for words for a moment. Out of all the Greek Mythology revealed to be accurate, the Primordial deities were among the least likely to be accurate.

Because, you know, scientists have figured out most of Earth's history, right?

I can buy that we'd regard records of monster attacks as symbolism or folklore, but an actual ancient god that created the universe? Now that was taking it too far.

"It doesn't matter if you believe or not. It is the truth either way," Hecuba said. However, she seemed smug that she understood something that I couldn't wrap my head around.

"I thought immortal beings depended on beliefs," I asked, "Isn't that why monsters seek to fight heroes for thousands of years?"

"That is true for the monsters born in the depth of Tartarus," Hecuba agreed, "But The All-father of the monsters is not the only creator of monsters."

That was a contradictory sentence if I've ever heard one; the All-father of monsters not being the father of all monsters?

Then again, one of the countless titles of Zeus was also the 【All-father】, and he wasn't the dad of every living human, despite what his track record will make you think.

"So, you are born of Erebos instead of Typh—"

Suddenly, Hecuba let out a loud hiss, almost like a cat, to interrupt me.

"Are you mad?!" The she-wolf yelped, "You can't just go around throwing the name of the All-father!"

"Oh, right. Because names have power, or whatever." I muttered.

"It is not simply a whatever, son of Ares," Hecuba scowled, "If you gain the attention of him, you would desperately hope for Hades to claim your soul instead."

"But you can say Hades's name without any problem?"

Hecuba huffed, "Why should I be afraid of the Ruler of the Underworld when I'll never be entering his domain? Whenever I die, I'll return to Erebos."

"What about Erebos, then?"

"Erebos..." Hecuba trailed off. The tension in her body left as she slumped on her front paws, "He does not exist anymore."

"Doesn't exist? But you just said..."

"I know what I said!" Hecuba snapped, but then, she sighed, "Imagine if the Olympians are gone, Son of Ares. What do you think will happen to their children and legacies?"

"Uh..."

I never thought about that. What with the impending war between the gods and Titans, it is not an idea you can handle casually during a study session.

Especially when Annabeth Chase and her nerdy-yet-surprisingly-apt-in-wrestling friends orchestrate the said gathering.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, "I guess...we'll live on, right? It's not like our very existence is tied to the gods or anything."

Hecuba nodded, "Precisely. That is the current state of the residence of Erebos. Our God has vanished, but his influence still lingers."

"Is that why you're a pushover?" I asked. A bit of a mean question to throw, I know, but the curiosity overcame my manners. It was fascinating to learn a new portion of this world.

"I suppose there is a relation to it, sure," Hecuba admitted.

The way she phrased the answer made me suspect that there was another reason why Hecuba lacked strength.

However, before I could ask, the she-wolf asked me an unexpected question.

"...David, after you are done with your quest, you will return to your camp, correct?"

Pushing aside the fact that she just used my name without any reason, and honestly, it was pretty uncomfortable getting called friendly by someone I didn't feel too attached to, I wondered why she would be curious about something like that.

"Obviously. I'm not planning to live in a Junkyard," I answered.

"Sure, sure..."

Hecuba hesitated for a long second, tapped her front toes together, then said:

"Perhaps, you can take me along with you?"

"Take you where? The Camp?" I asked, bewildered by her request.

Hecuba nodded.

Out of all the confusing words she said, this one was the most confusing of them all.

"Why do you want—look, in the first place, I don't think you can bring monsters inside the camp."

"I'm sure you can. Just look at your dragon."

I frowned deeply, "How do you know about Skaw?"

Hecuba gulped, "I saw the dragon flying in from afar. It is not hard to miss, especially in the dark."

"...anyway, Skaw is different. She is not a monster; she is an automaton."

"Yes, and those two are very distinct," Hecuba said sarcastically, "Besides, I've heard the forest in your camp is filled with monsters anyway. What's the harm in bringing in one more? A weak one at that?"

She got me there. I was the one who called out on her weakness.

Still, the whole idea was so bizarre for me to accept without further question.

"Why would you want to live in our camp? I thought you had your own group, The Ageli—"

Hecuba hissed again, "Don't say the name!"

"Whatever," I waved her concern aside, "The last time we met, you were on a high horse about being a servant of Orion or something. What happened to that?"

Hecuba winced, recoiling as if I had shot her with a bullet. For the first time, I saw a glimpse of despair flash across her face—and this was a wolf's face too, so it was not easy to read emotions out of it.

She looked so desperate and lost that...I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for her. I was lost and scared when I ran away from home, too.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Hecuba bit her lower lips, "I, I..."

But before she could confess her troubles, Toffy suddenly stopped in his tracks with a low grunt. Steam erupted from his shell, indicating that we arrived at our destination.

From afar, I heard a young voice say, "We have to go help him!"

I saw a child arguing with what looked like a giant bronze statue with a pair of wings like an angel. And behind the child was...

"Skaw."

The angelic automaton was scolding the child, and neither of them was aware of our presence nearby,

I jumped down from Toffy's back.

"That flying statue is right, kid," I said out loud, drawing the attention of both of them.

"You are not taking my dragon anywhere."

[Line Break]

I quickly summed up the two strangers. The boy seemed nothing special, just a regular boy around the age of...11? Maybe 12, if he was a bit malnourished growing up.

The automaton, on the other hand, was a much more intimidating figure. It was nearly 7 feet tall, with wings wide enough to smack a sedan upside down.

But the most prominent trait was the extra pair of arms. It was attached a few inches under the first pair's armpits, so none of the four components would have trouble maneuvering at a 360 angle.

As soon as it laid eyes on me, the automaton reached for its back and pulled out a long metal pole.

"Is that the thief?" I muttered to Toffy's...ear.

Does a turtle have ears? I never figured that out.

Toffy nodded with a grunt. The volcano on his back rumbled ominously as the lava turtle prepared for combat. Hecuba hastily jumped from the shell before she burnt herself and skulked beside me.

"We'll talk about your problem after we settle this, ok?" I suggested.

Hecuba didn't seem to be fond of postponing her problem but nodded nonetheless.

I turned back to the thief of the Junkyard.

Not going to lie; the identity of the supposed thief of Hephaestus's Junkyard was disappointing.

I wasn't expecting anything specific, but when a god personally asked a favor to be done, you can't blame me for expecting something more exciting than catching a scrawny kid.

Is that kid even a demigod? Even if he is, what was I supposed to do? Get him in cuffs and drag him to Olympus? I didn't want to beat up a kid. A kid, mind you, that is the same age as Rose.

I tried to get Skaw's attention, but the bronze dragon gave one look at Toffy, huffed steam through her nostrils, and deliberately turned her head away.

The automaton fluttered down a few feet apart from us, at a perfect distance away for it to swing its weapon if necessary, which it held high as it said, "Leave now, anomalia. Thou are not welcome here."

"Anomalia?"

"It means an anomaly," Hecuba whispered.

"Oh, that makes sense," I nodded and stepped forward.

The automaton raised its weapon, but I held up my hands to show that I meant no harm, and it hesitated.

"I think there was a misconception," I said calmly.

"I'm here because Hephaestus requested me to find a thief here. And one of the guardians here," I nodded at Toffy, "he said that the kid with you is the thief. So..."

"What? That's impossible!" The automaton swung around to the boy, who flinched in his spot.

"Νεαρωας, what is the meaning of this accusation?!" It demanded furiously.

The kid, or the young hero, as the automaton called him, fidgeted nervously in his spot, "I, uh, might've taken some small scraps from here and there."

He emptied the small duffel bag around his shoulder. Small tidbits of gears and machines dropped on the floor.

The automaton sighed, "...As thee have heard, it wasn't any serious theft. Thy quest is completed. Now leave us!"

It brandished the pole threateningly, but I didn't budge.

"Hold on a minute; that kid also has something else."

I pointed at Skaw, who was still making it clear that she was ignoring me.

The automaton scowled and straightened up, "That's not true. Νεαρωας found that automaton in the middle of the Junkyard. It is highly unlikely that it belongs to a demigod."

"She flew away when we had an...argument," I explained, "Besides, I don't own Skaw. She is a friend of mine."

The automaton huffed triumphantly, "If it is true thee do not own that automaton, thee cannot claim the right to its position. It is free to stay here with Νεαρωας if it wishes to."

I held back a curse.

It was just like trying to argue with one of the Athena kids, where they would always be technically correct but wrong in every other conceivable way.

"Look, I'm not leaving without Skaw," I demanded.

There is no way in Hades that I leave without my dragon.

Let alone; I can't leave without Skaw. I don't think we'd be able to catch a ride to Cloudcroft from here, much less all the way to Camp Half-Blood.

However, the automaton didn't take my word kindly.

It gripped the weapon and twisted either end of the shaft. An ax head and spearhead popped out from each end of the pole, forming a polearm.

"Whoa, that's cool," I couldn't help saying it. I wish my new weapon could do something like that.

Unfortunately, the automaton didn't take my compliment kindly either.

With a yell, it swung the axe down. Hecuba and I jumped back right before the blade cleaved us in half.

Instead, the axe smashed into the junk beneath our feet, sending them flying in both directions.

As I steadied my footing, I saw the boy scrambling onto Skaw as she flapped her wings, ready to fly off.

"Oh no, you don't!" I leaped forward to stop them.

"Don't you dare touch Νεαρωας!" The automaton shouted.

It tried to swoop in my path, but Hecuba slammed into it before the machine reached me.

Hecuba clamped her jaw around the automaton's neck, but it must have been much sturdier than expected because the she-wolf yelped and recoiled, blood dripping down her chin.

Still, that bought me enough time to snatch Skaw's bronze tail before she took off.

Skaw snarled in frustration and flapped her wings, but I dug my heels into the ground and tried to drag her back to the ground.

"You are... seriously being trouble right now, Skaw!"

"Screee!"

Finally giving up on flying away, Skaw landed on the ground and swung her tail around, yanking it out of my hand as she turned to face me.

The ruby eyes glowed brighter than usual, and I could tell she was more irritated than ever, which was highly unfair.

How could she be mad at me after she was the one who ran off without any rhythm or reason?

"Look, you..." I struggled to keep in most of the insults I've learned from my siblings from bursting out, "...You be a nice dragon and come home right now!"

"Scree!" Skaw screeched in my face.

The boy sitting on Skaw's head nervously said, "Uh, Skaw says you can go swallow a Tabasco Sauce."

"What do you mean, Skaw says?" I scowled at him, which must have been more intimidating than I thought because the boy recoiled with fear.

It gave me a sense of exhilaration for a split second, but I felt worse as soon as that moment passed.

If you really think about it, the kid was the only one without any faults. He didn't steal Skaw away from me; he just found a metal dragon out on the literal field of trash and befriended her.

"You can understand her?" I asked, more calmly this time.

The boy nodded.

I took a deep breath, "Sorry for lashing out like that, but this dragon is one of my few friends, and she is angry at me at the moment for some reason. Can you ask her why?"

"If your wolf stops fighting my..." The boy paused, unsure what to call his companion automaton, "...my friend. Then I'll help you."

It was a fair deal in my book.

"She's not my wolf, but I'll call her off," I turned to the black wolf and shouted, "Hecuba! Stop fighting!"

"Kythera, you can stop fighting. too!" The boy shouted as well.

The two hesitated in the middle of their combat, which was rather sided against Hecuba, and they grudgingly came to peace as they came next to each other's associates.

"Are thee going to leave now?" Kythera, the automaton, scowled.

"In a minute," the boy said. He whispered something into Skaw's ear. Skaw tilted her head with a skeptical expression, but after some goading, she huffed and creaked something in return.

The boy nodded and turned to me, "She says she is angry because you don't respect her."

"I respect her," I said almost immediately.

Skaw snarled at me. This time, even I could tell that she was heartily disagreeing.

"She says that a dragon is supposed to roam free. Fly around and breathe fire at their own will," The boy explained further, "But Skaw says you prevented her from doing that, even after Skaw considered you a friend."

"Yeah, well, that's because..."

As I tried to explain why I stopped her from doing said things, a realization dawned over my head.

"The Camp is...not a great place for you to live, is it?"

I said to Skaw, who snorted angrily as if to say: Took you long enough.

I felt like someone had clobbered me with a large hammer. How could I have ever missed that? If Skaw were more lively than other automatons, she would obviously be more like a dragon than a regular automaton.

And yet, all I did was try to contain her in the Camp instead of thinking about whether she wanted to be there, to begin with.

"...yeah, that was...that was my bad," I rubbed Skaw on the nose, "I'm sorry, Skaw. I never thought of it from your perspective."

Skaw huffed steam in my face, then nudged me on the chest with her snout.

"Would you rather stay here in the Junkyard?" I asked.

Skaw nodded, nearly dropping the kid from her forehead.

I tried not to feel too hurt by it and smiled, "You'll still have to give us a ride back to Camp, but after that, if you really prefer it here...then I suppose you can stay."

"Scree!"

I glanced up at the boy.

"She says she'll visit as often as possible," He told me.

I wasn't sure if Chiron would approve of a giant bronze dragon flying in and out of the borders of the Camp, but it was a comforting idea.

I gave Skaw a hug around the nose, and Skaw nuzzled her head into my chest. For the first time, her nuzzling wasn't painful.

"Alright," I said after stepping back, "As for the thief situation..."

I turned to the boy, who flinched and hid behind his automaton friend.

Kythera raised her weapon again, "Thou shall not harm him or take him away," she declared.

"About that, is he a demigod?" I asked, "Because if he is, I don't think the Junkyard is the best place for him."

"I am not going back to Teresa!" The boy shouted defiantly, although his voice trembled with fear, "She makes me sleep under the stairs!"

"Your mom makes you sleep under the stairs?" I scowled.

What kind of family did this kid come from?

The kid shook his head, "Teresa is not my mom. She is from a foster home I stay. My real mom, she..." he choked on the air, "...she's gone."

"Oh."

I went silent for a moment.

"Sorry about that," I said softly, "It's tough when your mother is gone."

"No kidding," The kid sniffed. He pretended to rub his nose wildly, but I saw him wiping off a speck of tear from the corner of his eyes.

"What about your father, though? Where did he go?" I asked.

The kid scrunched up his face into a mean expression, "I never saw him. Not even at my mother's funeral...he never showed up," His voice was spiteful.

It was surprising to hear that level of loathing come from such a young child, but that also sealed my speculation.

I glanced at Kythera, asking for permission to tell the truth. The automaton shook her head in disagreement. I couldn't help but frown at her decision.

"Would you mind if I have a talk with her for a bit?" I asked the child.

He nodded, and I beckoned at the automaton a few feet away from the rest of the group.

"That kid is a demigod, isn't he?" I asked bluntly.

The automaton neither confirmed nor denied the accusation. I was positive that if the kid were just a mortal, she would've said otherwise, which would mean that I was right.

"Why are you keeping it a secret from him?" I demanded, "All demigods should be at Camp Half-Blood. That is the only safe place for us. You're actively putting him in danger."

I expected Kythera to snap back, but to my surprise, the automaton gave a resigned sigh and said, "I do not know, anomalia."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"It means that I am protecting the boy under orders," The automaton said, "And the order specifically asked to keep Leo aware of his abilities and help him overcome his trauma without alerting him of his parentage.

I'll bring him here every night, help him practice his skills, and give him hope...before taking him back to the foster home."

"Leo?" I repeated, recognizing the name, "That's his name? Leo Valdez?"

Kythera looked up, "How do thee know his last name?"

I fumbled around my pockets for a moment before bringing out a miniature metallic horse left in my possession after Luna... reunited with her mother and sisters.

"He made this," I said, holding it closely so that the automaton could see the tiny engravings, "He gave it to a girl who stayed at the same foster home, and she asked me to return it to him before she passed away."

"Deus meus...(My god...)" Kythera muttered, taking the horse into her hands.

"Let me take him to Camp Half-Blood," I implored, "He needs family and friends, people he can communicate with and trust, not training for his skills."

Kythera stayed silent, watching the small horse neigh as it ran in circles in her palm.

"If you really value Leo, you know that doing this won't help him much."

"...Thou are asking a machine to go against one's orders," Kythera muttered, "If I were an actual automaton, it wouldn't have worked no matter how hard thee had tried."

I paused, confused by her words, because it sounded like Kythera was saying she wasn't an actual automaton.

Kythera gently closed her hand over the small toy and returned it to me.

"Thou are truly an anomalia, David," She said, "Very well. Thee may take Leo to Camp Half-Blood."

"You can come too," I suggested, "Leo likes you a lot. He would want you around."

However, Kythera shook her head, "Once I let him go, I would be failing my mission. I'll have to face the punishment from the Mistress."

"But—"

"Besides, I have another job, Son of Ares," Kythera said before I could complain.

A small smile seemed to appear over her copper skin, even though it was supposed to be impossible, "A job that I had been faithfully keeping ever since ancient times. I cannot disregard it."

I wanted to argue against it, but Kythera's tone had a certain finality, leaving no room for arguments.

When we returned, Leo was absentmindedly playing with a paddle ball.

Skaw bobbed her head up and down rapidly, following the movement of the rubber ball, while Hecuba was sitting on top of her, looking around the area nervously.

"You guys done talking?" He asked as soon as we came close.

I nodded, although I had no idea how to segue into dumping all the knowledge he needed. I was fully equipped with Greek Mythology, and even I was stunned when Percy and his friend told me the truth about the world.

Before I started, however, Kythera floated forward.

"Leo, I have something to confess to thee," She said.

Leo sat up with a slight frown across his forehead, "That's new. Is it why you use such weird English?"

"It's—"

"Wait!"

Kythera turned to me, wondering why I interrupted her, but I held a forefinger to indicate that everyone stayed silent.

For a brief second, the Junkyard was silent.

Then, a soft clattering was heard from the darkness. As they approached, a duo of footsteps kicked aside small scraps from the ground.

From the shadows of a corridor, a handsome guy walked out. Blood dripped from the sword held in his right hand.

The man laid his multi-colored eyes on me and grinned, "Ah, the héros célèbre(famous hero) himself. It is an honor to meet you in person. I must introduce myself."

"My name is Travenon. I'm a member of 【Ageli Lykon】, servants of Orion. I take the role of a Carnifex, the Butcher," He said with a bow, "I am here, looking for a big wolf..."

His voice trailed off as he found Hecuba frozen with fear on top of Skaw.

"That's the one."

"Halt!" Kythera demanded, swooping in front of Leo to protect him just in case, "State thyself; why are thee here?"

The man—Travenon, ignored her voice and reached for his weapon.

Suddenly, Hecuba yelped and scampered off of Skaw in an attempt to run away. Before any of us could react, Travenon suddenly thrust his sword arm forth.

Something went swooshing past my cheek like a whip.

I realized a second later that it was a whip, only the leash wasn't made of leather like an ordinary whip. It was made of celestial bronze and had shards of a sword embedded every few inches.

"A composite sword?" I muttered. It was such an unusual choice of weaponry...

From behind, Hecuba howled with pain, followed by Leo's gasp of shock and horror.

Travenon yanked his arm back, retrieving his weapon as if reeling back a fishing pole.

And just like a fish caught on a hook, Hecuba was flown over my head and landed at the feet of Travenon with a painful whimper.

One of her hind legs was impaled by the edge of the composite sword.

"Sorry for the commotion," He said, "This mutt was about to escape."

Travenon yanked the sword from Hecuba's leg and stomped on her wound. Hecuba howled in pain until he stepped over her jaw, forcing her to be quiet.

"Now, as for the other reason why I'm here—"

Before he could finish the sentence, I stepped forward and swung my left arm with full force—it not being my metal arm was my last straw of mercy as I slammed my biological fist into his jaw.

Travenon was thrust several feet back through the air before landing on the ground with a thud.

I hurriedly crouched over Hecuba, who was wheezing painfully through broken teeth.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Wh, what have you done..." She muttered.

"I just saved you," I pointed out.

Hecuba shook her head, "You didn't save me, David. You merely angered the Carnifex..."

And sure enough, when I looked up, Travenon was getting back on his feet. Although his mouth was bloody from the surprise uppercut, he seemed more enraged than damaged as he was helped up.

But what surprised me more was the person helping her up.

"Silena?"

Travenon wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and spat a spec of blood on the ground, "Thank you, sister," He said with a sly grin.

"Silena, what is going on?" I asked, "Is he your brother?"

However, Silena didn't say anything. Moreover, when Travenon whispered something in her ear, she reached behind her back and drew her knife.

"I was going to suggest a truce between us," Travenon said, still rubbing his chin, "Sir Orion would be delighted to have you on his side, but I suppose that train is long gone, ñ'est-ce pas?"

I clenched my fists, "What have you done to Silena? Who are you?!"

Travenon smirked, "I believe I've already introduced myself.

I am the Carnifex. I get rid of useless meats, and I don't find anything valuable here."

[Line Break]

I never thought Silena would be such a skilled knife fighter. I would've picked any situation other than this for that revelation.

Silena stepped in my path before I could reach Travenon and swung her knife in a reverse grip.

I blocked it by butting my armpit into hers. As soon as the first strike failed, Silena dropped her knife to her other hand and stabbed at my neck.

I quickly stepped back, yet her knife grazed my neck. I cupped the area and felt blood trickling down the skin.

However, what concerned me more was Silena's expression. It was scrunched up with anonymous effort as if she was straining against some other force controlling her.

Silena switched her knife hand again and advanced.

I reached for her wrist to disarm her, but she spun around my hand and plunged the knife between my neck and shoulder.

I ducked under the deadly strike, but I couldn't bear to make a counter-attack, even more so when Silena wasn't in control.

In the background, I could hear some clashes and shouts.

Judging from those, Kythera had taken it as her responsibility to protect the others, but it didn't sound like she was holding up well.

I had to find a way to disarm Silena without harming her.

Silena swiped the air, cutting open my shirt and grazing my chest. As I staggered backward, she took the bait and lunged with a fatal stab.

"Ah-ha!"

I quickly slapped my hands together, catching the blade between my hands a few inches before it pierced my Adam's apple.

"...!"

Silena tried to free her weapon, but the difference between brute strength was evident.

When she couldn't retrieve it by force, Silena tried to kick at my legs, but I blocked her first low kick and twisted my arms, throwing her onto the ground.

Silena grunted as the sharp blade slipped through her fingers. I pocketed the knife in my pocket before kneeling next to her.

"Silena! Are you alright?"

My mistake was thinking she was freed from whatever spell she was under.

Silena suddenly jumped, her shinny-nailed fingers clasped around my neck, and she was wrestling me to the ground while I gasped for breath.

"You've...got to...be..kidding...me!"

I tried to pry her fingers off, but the nails painfully dug into my neck.

Despite my legs struggling violently, Silena climbed onto my stomach, secured her position, and squeezed harder.

As additional suffocation squeezed my brain, a fleeting dialog passed through.

"Charmspeak?" I asked at the top of my voice. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Zoë scoff in disgust.

"Yes, it's a rare type of hypnotism that some children of Aphrodite can use. Thou wouldn't believe how much trouble it can cause in the wrong tongue."

"Charmspeak..." I gasped, "That's it...isn't it? He's...controlling you with that..."

Silena didn't react at all to my voice aside from squeezing her hands tighter.

Even at the brink of death, I couldn't help but think that at least one of the campers would gladly switch places with me.

"...Unfortunately, I'm not...dying like this," I gripped Silena's arms tightly, "You're a...great person, Silena. I refuse to be the one...to put blood on your hands...!"

For whatever reason, that line made it through the Charmspeak.

With a small gasp, Silena's hands went slack just a bit, just enough for me to pull them off. I quickly shoved her aside and scrambled up to my feet.

"Gah!"

Kythera gasped as her polearm was knocked over her head by Travenon.

The automaton had numerous scratches and gash marks, while the human was healthy and grinning widely.

Leo was tucked under Skaw's wing for protection, although the boy seemed desperate to jump out and aid his friend.

"It was an amusing fight," Travenon said, "But I think I've played for too long."

"Enough!"

I shouted to draw his attention, but Travenon smirked before extending his composite sword.

The tendril wrapped around Kythera's body. The blade shards dug under the bronze skin, making streams of steam fissure out.

I pounced at Travenon with Silena's knife, but it was too late.

Before I could reach him, Travenon yanked the sword hilt and tightened the tendril around Kythera.

With heart-wrenching noises of metals being torn apart, the angelic automaton was torn to shreds.

"No!" Leo screamed, followed by Travenon's laughter. Despite Skaw's best efforts, Leo burst out from under her wing.

His skin and shirt flickered with fire as he rushed toward Travenon in a blind rage.

Travenon's eyes glinted as he looked at the fire dancing over Leo's body.

"A Pyrokineticist? This is such a rare occasion. Come on, boy!"

"You—"

I grabbed Leo by the shoulder before he could lunge at Travenon.

I winced from the heat of his skin. It immediately burned my hand, even before Leo whirled around and smacked my hand away.

"Why are you stopping me?!" He demanded.

His face showed no sign of tears, but I assumed they had evaporated before they could adequately form.

Still, I had to stop him.

"Because you'll get killed or get captured. Look," I pointed at Travenon, who was grinning from ear to ear, edging Leo on with his forefinger.

"He's asking you to attack. What do you think will happen if you go after him?"

Leo clenched his fists and held his head down. But after a deep breath, the blazing fire around him dissipated.

I pat Leo on the shoulder with my good hand, which was also my metallic one.

Leo also seemed to notice the difference because he looked confused, but I shooed him aside and turned to face Travenon.

Silena was back on her feet. With a pained expression, she stood between the two of us.

"Let her go," I said.

"Why should I do that?" Travenon rebutted.

I put on my most provocative smirk and retorted.

"What? You can't fight without hiding behind your older sister?

Maybe you can call out to Mommy for help too. That might even the odds in your favor."

That wiped the grin off his face.

With his face contorted by a ruthless snarl, Tavenon thrust Silena aside, not caring where she landed, and held his composite sword aloft.

"I'll have you know, Son of Ares," Travenon growled, "I've loathed how people made assumptions of me from my godly heritage.

I've spent all my life acquiring skills that directly oppose what Venus stands for: Love and the frailty and weakness of men that comes with it!"

"That's what you think Aphrodite stands for?" I asked, appalled, "You need to take some lessons on Greek Mythologies, man."

Travenon scowled loudly and swung his sword. As it moved, the blade elongated like a snake unraveling its body as it lashed out.

I pulled out the short blade, barely 2 feet long, and deflected the slithering python of a blade.

Travenon retrieved his weapon and licked his lips.

"Your head will amount greatly to my name," He hissed.

I flicked the blade in the air before grabbing it.

"Try and take it if you can."

Travenon swung his arm once again.

The extending blade swiped in a wide arc, forcing me to duck as low as possible to avoid getting beheaded.

I straightened up just in time to notice that Travenon had narrowed the distance, which I didn't expect.

He slashed down without hesitation when his sword snipped back to an ordinary blade. I raised the knife to block it, but a single strike knocked the weapon to the ground.

"You can't fight me with that toothpick!" Travenon jeered and swung his blade for the finishing blow.

"Bet."

I raised my right arm right before the sword cleaved through my neck.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the sword clashed against the metal arm. Travenon's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're not the only one with a cool item."

I shot a jab at his handsome nose.

The fist connected with a satisfying crack, followed by a pained howl signaled the first broken bone of the fight.

Travenon staggered backward, holding his bleeding and a broken nose in one hand. However, he didn't forget to push me back with a giant swing with his sword.

The Carnifex took a moment to check his wound as I picked up the knife.

"Not bad..." Travenon huffed, swiping the blood off his philtrum, "Not bad. But let it be known; you just sealed your fate, Son of Ares."

"Eh, don't have one," I retorted.

The composite sword whipped out again.

I tried to duck under it again, but this time, the orbit of the blade changed mid-course and came straight down.

I quickly tucked and rolled to the side, but the blade still grazed my shoulder.

As I sprang back to my feet, the sword came after me with a vengeance. I deflected the first stab, but the sword merely swung the other way.

I leaped over the snare before it managed to grab me. A second later, I would've been torn to shreds.

Travenon came running toward me once more. But this time, right before he stepped into my range, he stopped and swung his shortened blade, which was still longer than mine.

I quickly weaved under the slash and stabbed forward with the knife. Travenon tilted his head, narrowly avoiding a cut across the nose bridge, and swung his leg at my calf.

Before the low kick connected, I spun around for a back-handed blow to his chest. Travenon grunted in pain, stepped back a few more paces, and swung the elongated sword.

In my eyes, the chains rattled across the air in slow motion. I could see the trajectory of each link between the blade pieces.

I flipped over the swooping edge, twisted in mid-air to avoid the spiraling middle, slammed the knife down to the ground, impaling one of the later sword pieces and nailed the weapon.

"What the—!?" Travenon gasped.

He tugged at the hilt, but I secured the pin by pushing the knife deeper into the ground with a foot.

"Now, about that, opposing frailty and weakness and whatnot," I cracked my neck from side to side and raised my fists, "Let's check that out."

Travenon raised his hands, and with a fierce yell, he charged forward. But compared to his majestic swordsmanship, his bare hands severely lacked skill.

I quickly blocked his punch before returning a swift jab to his mouth, ducked under his wild swing, and landed a hefty swing at his rib.

Travenon wheezed in pain, clutching his stomach as he staggered back while coughing blood from his mouth.

"I, it's not over yet..." He muttered between watching.

"I don't know, seems final to me," I said.

I approached with a final blow, ready to go.

But before I reached him, a loud thud shook the earth.

I hobbled on my feet, "Whoa, what is..."

Then, a shrill scream came from behind.

"Charlie!"

It was from Silena. She was looking up at a giant figure looming over all of us. It was so tall that I couldn't see the top from all the way down here.

Travenon chuckled between pained grunts, "Big things...always take time to arrive."

"What is that?" I asked urgently, grabbing him by the collar, "What does Beckendorf have to do with that thing?"

Travenon kept chuckling, "You'd better hurry, Son of Ares. That thing has been lonely for so long—it has plenty of hatred against the world to work through."

I thrust him back down as Silena and Leo hurried over.

"Charlie is inside the giant!" Silena cried.

"What do you mean he is inside?!" I shouted back.

Silena shook her head in dismay, "I, I don't know what happened exactly. Charlie went to the head to investigate that automaton and..."

"Zonos," Leo muttered.

We both turned to him in confusion.

"That's the giant's name. It's Zonos," Leo explained to us.

I had no idea why he wanted to share that useless piece of information with us right now or how he figured it out in the first place.

Silena must've felt similarly, although she looked more confused about who this kid was.

"Leo, Silena. She is one of my friends.

Silena, Leo. He's a demigod—a son of Hephaestus," I briskly introduced each other.

"Son of Hephaestus?" Both Silena and Leo asked in unison.

"Let's discuss the matter later; how do we stop that giant?" I asked.

Even as I spoke, the giant Zonos roared. It thrust its hands into the mountains of junkpile and flattened it.

The giant repeatedly smashed his hands into the ground like a toddler throwing a tantrum as if the toddler could shake the earth with each impact.

Through the shaky vision, I caught Travenon disappearing into the shadows, supported by a hooded figure.

I tried to yell at him to come back, but he was already gone by the time Zonos stopped his rampage.

And that was the least of our problems.

It became clear that Zonos had only calmed down for a moment because it found a bigger junk mountain and kicked it over, sending a massive avalanche of scrap metal crashing down on us.

"Take cover!" I yelled.

"To where?!" Leo screamed.

"On Skaw!"

Skaw squawked in terror—something I would have found hilarious in other situations—but she kept her ground as I helped Leo and Silena get up on her back.

"Toffy!" I shouted.

Over the roaring avalanche, I heard a sturdy roar from the lava turtle.

It was far away from us at this point, not being fast enough to catch up with the brisk pace of the action, but its eyes didn't show any fear as it stared at the wave of scraps head-on.

I thought Toffy would get swallowed by the wave.

However, the turtle roared louder than ever before, and the volcano on his back exploded in full force.

A thick column of lava shot 30 feet into the air, a mesmerizing sight that we all paused momentarily to stare at as the molten liquid poured everywhere.

It even melted a vast portion of the avalanche, and I realized that Toffy did it to buy us time to escape.

The turtle himself seemed to have tapped out. The volcano shell fizzled out as Toffy slumped on the ground with a sigh.

I pulled back the urge to check on him as lava pooled around him; he'll be fine.

Hecuba, on the other hand, was not fine.

"Can you stand?" I asked the she-wolf.

Hecuba struggled momentarily, but as she stood up, she yelped and flopped back on the ground.

"L, leave me..." The wolf said, "Even if I survive...the 【Ageli Lykon】will hunt me down..."

"Oh, shut up!"

I carried her front legs over my shoulders and hauled us both up on Skaw's back.

"Come on, girl. Let's fly!" I said.

Skaw screeched and took flight. It looked like we made it for a moment, but soon I realized another problem.

"We're not flying fast enough!" Leo said, "We'll get overrun by the avalanche!"

I looked down at Skaw, who was huffing and puffing, straining to pick up the pace. But even for her, the weight of three teenagers and a giant wolf was too much.

"I told you..." Hecuba muttered, "Leave me behind...I'm already good as dead."

I clenched my fists. Her lack of willingness to live made me angry.

"What about your magic? Can't you hide in the shadows for safety?" I suggested.

Hecuba chuckled weakly, "In a state like this...I'll need tremendous focus to succeed...I'm not sure I'll be able to manage that."

With that, Hecuba nagged at my shirt, imploring me to let go of her legs.

When I still didn't release her, she raised her voice and said, "You idiot, you said it beforehand, didn't you? We will be reborn after death.

Monsters have an unfair advantage over demigods, Son of Ares."

She had a fair point.

Yet, I didn't want to let these paws go.

Not only because it meant death for Hecuba, but if her death was meaningless...that would also mean her life was empty.

Maybe, it didn't make sense.

But Ares was never about making sense.

So, I turned to Leo and Silena.

"You two can rescue Beckendorf on your own, right?"

"What do you mean?" Leo asked with a frown.

On the other hand, Silena was silent. Ironically, her expression showed millions of different emotions.

I felt she knew what I was thinking and thought it was a very, very dumb idea.

Yet, she didn't stop me, either.

That was good enough in my book.

"You have to fly up as soon as I jump," I said.

"Wait, but—" Leo started to protest, but Silena held him back.

I turned around to face the edge of Skaw's body. The tidal wave of trash and junk was almost upon us.

"We're jumping down together, Hecuba."

The front paws of the she-wolf tensed, "What do you mean? Are you mad?!"

"Maybe," I admitted, "The only chance we'd survive is if you activate your magic. Otherwise, we both die."

I turned back at Hecuba, her mouth agape as she was lost for words at this crazy idea.

"If we make it, I'll take you to Camp Half-Blood." I promised, "You'll love it there."

"Wait—"

Before it got too late, I jumped.

I saw Leo shouting something in shock.

Skaw soured up over the tidal waves, and then—

[Line Break]

[3rd Person's Pov]

Skaw barely made it over the crashing scrap metals.

Leo couldn't understand what just happened. He was too shocked to process what had just happened.

"Is, is he dead...?" He asked in a shaking voice.

Silena shook her head.

Although she had no accurate way to know for sure, she didn't want to believe that David had just died after saving everyone else.

"You're a...great person, Silena. I refuse to be the one...to put blood on your hands...!"

"He will never make someone else responsible for his death," She muttered.

Her heart weighed a ton as she chewed on David's words. It made her feel like a complete idiot—clinging to the role of a spy under the pretense that she was saving lives.

'I was wrong,' She thought, clutching the cursed amulet under her shirt, 'This is not how you save lives. I was not saving the others—I was only saving myself.'

As the wave of trash subsided, Silena took off the scythe-shaped necklace and threw it overboard.

The silver necklace shone under the moonlight once before disappearing into the endless junk below.

Perhaps, it was a bit too late.

But Silena felt a colossal weight getting lifted off her shoulders.

And with that exhilaration, her head became clear.

"Leo, was it?" She asked the boy. Leo nodded, still in shock from what just aspired.

"I need your help to save my boyfriend," Silena said, "He is also your half-brother, by the sounds of it. Can you help me?"

She didn't put any Charmspeak in her voice, but it managed to bring Leo back from his shock.

"Y-yeah, alright," He said, "But how do I help?"

Zonos roared again. This time, they were much closer to its vocals. Leo scowled in pain and clutched his ears.

"He's getting angrier!" Leo warned, "We have to do something to help him!"

Silena bit her lower lips. Truthfully, she prioritized Charlie over whatever this giant metal baby was, but something told her that those two were connected.

"Leo, can you understand what he is saying?" She asked.

Leo nodded, "Not completely, but I can get the gist of it. It is saying something about being lied to and abandoned. It was supposed to be the greatest creation...but someone lied to him, I guess?"

The giant roared again. Leo scowled a second time, "And it is now seeking revenge for the gods. Is that bad?"

"Very," Silena nodded, "What about Charlie? Can you tell where he is?"

"Ma'am, I'm a 12-year-old child, not a super AI that can scan for lifeforms in 2 seconds."

"Fair enough."

Silena led Skaw to the shoulder of the giant. Beckendorf had entered through the head, so it would be the place to start searching for him.

However, when they got close, Zonos noticed their approach as well.

Zonos slammed a button at the side of his nose with a deafening roar. From his nostrils, dozens of automaton hawks flew toward them.

"Scree!"

Skaw shot fire at the oncoming assault, melting half of them straight out of the air. However, the other half a dozen were still intact.

"We need to maneuver around them!" Silena yelled.

"How do we do that?" Leo shouted back.

Silena grinned, making Leo blush, "You're looking at one of the best beast riders in the Camp, Leo. Watch and Learn."

Silena gripped the back of Skaw's neck. She preferred a proper rein, but true masters never complained about equipment.

"Hold on tight!" Silena warned as the falcons came closer and closer.

She saw their bronze beaks and talons poised to tear apart their flesh as the fierce automaton birds soared at their prey one by one.

Leo gulped nervously, "Uh, shouldn't we move—"

Silena took a nose dive at the last second. Leo felt as if his heart was beating through his throat as they accelerated.

The cybernetic hawks swerved in mid-air, plummeting down after their prey.

Silena guided Skaw's head upward inches before they hit the ground.

The bronze dragon swerved upward, her feet scraping off a top of a junk hill, and they flew between the giant's legs.

More thab half of the flocks crash-landed on the ground, while 3 mimicked the last minute save and pursued.

Silena bit back a curse, "I can't lose them!"

"I have an idea!" Leo shouted.

He held out his right palm and supported it with his left, aiming at the three metal birds of prey coming closer and closer.

Remember the fire, young hero.

The sound of the lady from the earth cackling loudly echoed in his memories.

Remember the flame that took away your life!

Leo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Thou must not let thy past decide thy future. Thee shall achieve the utmost greatness in the future, Νεαρωας.

"You got your wish, Geo-gaga!"

From his outstretched arm, white-hot fire burst out.

The roaring flames engulfed the automatons before they could even squawk in astonishment, and when the fire died out, there was no trace left behind.

Silena stared open-mouthed with shock.

She'd never seen any demigod showcase such a powerful ability before, much less a child of Hephaestus.

"...How did you do that?" She asked Leo in awe.

Leo grinned proudly, even though a wave of nausea made his smile droop to one side.

"It's one of million quirks Captain Leo has," He said, "Now, let's go save my brother. I would love to meet him while he is alive."


A/N:

I really wanted this to be the last chapter of this story—seriously, it took so long to get through the storyline. Most of it is because of my procrastination and my life pulling a Gordian's knot.

But the chapter was getting too long, which is not only tiring to read but also a lot more tiring to look through for errors.

So, I'm splitting it in half(well, at 60~70%).

Aside from that, I had fun writing this in a while.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as well!

I'll see you all in the next chapter

Ta ta~