Address to Readers: Voice of Juliette Aster, MA
Transcript By Annabeth Jackson-Chase, PhD
JA: Hey, loves.
JA: Sorry to break the fourth wall here, but I felt that I might need to introduce this section myself. Quite a bit of this story has been a fun little galivant through my wonderful, traumatic teenage years-
JA (aside): Percy, shut up. Yours were not worse.
[Muffled voice of Perseus Jackson-Chase]
JA (aside): Yes, I'm aware you've been to Tartarus. Oh my gods, you already had your own books you could talk in. It's my turn.
JA: Sorry about him. He's an attention whore. Anyway, this section isn't fun. Even I couldn't think of a way to make it fun. It's...You're about to read through the worst month of my life. It was a time that...
[Pause]
JA: I didn't...think I was going to make it out of it all. It was...
JA: Okay, did any of you ever learn about the hero's journey in school? I think that was, like, seventh grade English for me. I don't know about y'all. Basically, though, for those of you who aren't familiar, there's a step in the hero's journey called "The Ordeal." In a nutshell, it refers to that pivotal moment in the story when everything goes to shit.
JA: Yeah. This is that. Welcome to mine.
END OF TRANSCRIPT (0:02:03 - 16:48 - 03/31/2021)
Good people are weak.
Lit has no idea why he's doing this.
Getting rid of the guards was easy. Violence comes naturally to him. The two blemmyae that were guarding the door are now swimming in the depths of Tartarus, and Lit isn't even winded. But, now, looking down at this stupid fucking chair...
Gods...
What the fuck is he doing?
How did everything change for him so quickly?
Why is he...
It doesn't matter. He's in too deep to turn back now.
Lityerses steps into the storage closet and snatches up the only thing inside it. It's lighter than he expected it to be. It's fucking child sized.
Of course it is.
Something this small - how the fuck could this be so important?
Lit has no idea why he's doing this.
When did she make him so weak?
The problem with being really good at compartmentalizing her childhood trauma is that Julie never remembers it's still there until it takes her over completely.
Her screams cut off with a choke when the emperor lowers his hand. Juliette's body stays curled on the ground, forehead pressed to the rough concrete of the throne room floor.
She's shaking. Her lips went numb five minutes ago. After she bit through the bottom one and finally had to let out a sound. A sound to release the agony searing through her left side veins.
Only her left side veins. Julie doesn't know if that's been noticed yet. She figures it's only a matter of time.
Commodus' sandals click against the ground. He's approaching her. Which means it's time to forget that she's in pain.
It's time for Julie to get up.
Her back is straight, her head facing forward before he gets the chance to start the burning in her arm back up again.
If he's going to hurt her, he won't be doing it while she bows to him. Juliette is stubborn enough to make sure of that.
"I really don't know where I've gone wrong with you," Commodus sighs, shaking his head like a disappointed father. He puts his hands on his speedo-clad hips and tuts. "I don't remember Lucius having such troubles with Achillea. Is it normal for cordolia to go through a teenage rebellious phase?"
Julie doesn't respond. She puts all of her focus into not teetering over from the white hot buzzing zipping across her skin.
He looks to Lit. The swordsman is a foot to the right of the throne. He's still. Stiff. With his hands behind his back.
When he notices his employer addressing him, he clears his throat. His voice still comes out more gruffly than normal. "I don't know, sir. I was-"
"Dead by then," Commodus finishes with a sigh, nodding. "Yes, I suppose you were. Pity." He looks back down at Julie and crosses his arms in thought. "Well, I don't suppose there's any IT help desk for ancient artifacts, is there?"
"Not that I'm aware of, sir."
"Shame. Perhaps this cordolium is just faulty. I should have signed a warranty with Nero before making that trade. I gave him a Leontocephaline in exchange for this one! What a scam..." Commodus sighs. "You know, Cadmea, I have been very welcoming to you thus far. I have given you lodging. Medical care after every fight. Clothing. Do you realize just how kind I have been?" He asks, shaking his head.
"My colleagues had their own plans in store for you. I am sure you're aware of Nero's...interest in maintaining your service. Admittedly, I find such urges of his rather distasteful, but I never have preferred the fairer sex myself. I believe my accommodations for you here to be much more comfortable, though, wouldn't you agree?"
Julie just continues to glare, limbs twitching, swallowing mouthfuls of her own blood.
Commodus reaches up to fix his gelled curly brown hair. "As for my other colleague...Well, I believed his use for you to be just such a waste. He always has given that witch of his far too much leeway with valuable things. But, really, that seemed such a disregard for your potential." He puts a hand on his hip. "If you cannot behave yourself here, though, perhaps his little experiment is the better option after all."
Something about the way he says that makes Juliette's stomach drop. Indignance gives way to fear as she considers what that threat might mean.
Experiment...
'Just sit still, squirt. Haven't you ever gotten a shot before? Just one little prick, okay?'
The rate of her breathing picks up against her will.
"I'm willing to give you just one more chance, my love," Commodus says with a kind smile. He bends down to tuck her hair behind her ear. His fingers are cold against her cheek. Unnervingly smooth. "Would it be so unreasonable for you to offer a little gratitude?"
'It's about time you paid me back for that kindness.'
Fire burns in her bicep. Her vision shines red. Juliette is too afraid to pay attention to either. She shuts her eyes tightly and slams her forehead down onto the concrete. Stars burst in her mind. So do faces.
'It's safest for you - for both of us - if you do what he asks you to. Okay?'
'Okay.'
The influence of her shackles is whispering to her. Hissing vile words. Slimy lips brush the insides of her ears.
'Am I weak?'
'She's just a daughter of Aphrodite.'
'You ought to just feed her to the hellhounds.'
Juliette doesn't even notice she's making sound until her whimper becomes a wail.
'This is what I've been training you for, remember? I took you in. I kept you safe.'
'You're doing so well. Pain is power, Julie.'
'Teach her.'
"Thank you."
Two words that crumble her from the inside out. Who she thought she was.
Shame almost makes her sick all over the floor of this filthy sewer.
The emperor reaches down and collects her head from the concrete, palm cradling her chin. He tilts her face up to look at him. His impish features split into a fatherly smile.
"Good girl."
She wants to die.
"Lityerses, take her to get cleaned up. Our guests should be arriving soon for the rehearsal, and I need her in place and dressed to impress by the time they do!"
"Yes, sir."
"Splendid! Run along, then. I have a mani-pedi calling my name."
Julie doesn't watch Commodus leave. She only knows he's gone once her vision starts to slowly gain back colors other than red.
Someone comes to stand beside her. Probably Lityerses. He sighs, and Juliette closes her eyes, ashamed.
"I told you you were fucked," He mutters.
Julie laces her hands together. Her fingers haven't stopped shaking.
"Helping Apollo is going to get you killed."
She opens her eyes to trace them across the sizzling purple bloodstains on the floor.
"If you keep fucking up, he's going to keep hurting you."
Juliette turns to look at her friend. His scarred features are all pulled tight. His mouth is downturned. Lit looks angry at her. And worried.
She smiles tensely at him, tears in her eyes, and shakes her head. "I didn't fuck up."
It just didn't matter.
Getting those people free was more important.
If possible, Lityerses looks even angrier. He scoffs and shakes his head, hand raking through his dark hair and pulling on the red bandana tied in it.
She watches him turn his back on her and take a few steps away. He stops then, and Julie hears him let out a heavy breath.
He seems to stare at the opposite wall for ages. She just watches him do so. She zones out on the 'N' of Nebraska on the back of his jersey. The pain in her arm has become a distracting drone of discomfort.
Eventually, Lit turns back to her. When he does so, he seems upset. In more of a distressed way than Julie is used to with him. He scoffs at her again, accusatorily.
"You're going to screw all of this up for me, you fucking bimbo."
Julie laughs. Quietly. And, she nods before smiling up at him for real this time. "Will you help me stand up?"
He flinches at the question for some reason. But, he nods.
Shuffling her to her feet is a little awkward. It's a good thing Lityerses is such an ass.
"Twenty minutes getting tortured, and you can't even stand by yourself. Pussy."
It's sort of annoying how few guards Lityerses passes. He's completely sure he stationed a few Germani in this hallway, and he can't help but be a bit irritated they aren't at their posts, whether it makes his betrayal go smoother or not.
But, whatever. It isn't really his job now. Now that he's apparently lost all sense of logic and only thinks with his-
"Shit," He mumbles to himself.
Lit looks around, turning a circle in place with the chair over one shoulder. There's a staircase leading down to the locker rooms. On the other side of the hallway is a locked door that Lit knows to lead out onto the street. AKA, their ticket out of here.
The hall he left the idiot at was way closer to here than the storage room he retrieved the chair from. He expected her to get here first.
So, what the fuck is taking so long?
"Where are we going?" Julie pants, cringing against the pain in all of her joints as they move quickly down yet another concrete hallway.
This whole building looks the same. It kinda pisses her off.
Thousands of years alive, and the guy never hired an interior designer.
"Pick up your fucking feet," Lit grumbles, arm around her waist. He's practically carrying her at this point. Juliette is barely standing. Her eyelids feel like they have anchors tied to them.
Torture tends to wear a girl out. In her experience, anyway. So annoying.
"Well, my apologies, your highness. Did you have somewhere-"
"Shh!"
Lit pulls her back suddenly against his chest, hand clamped over her mouth and back to the wall. Juliette freezes.
Footsteps. A lot of them. Blemmyae, from the waddling pace they're going at.
"That prisoner is very unruly."
"So impolite."
"Did you see how he scratched Jarold's face? And, Jarold was only trying to break his arms and legs so he'd stop resisting!"
"How rude!"
"Such an unnecessary escalation."
Prisoner?
Julie's mind reels. They said 'he,' so they weren't talking about her. Did one of the prisoners she freed not get out?
Who else does Commodus have down here?
The footsteps fade away, and Lityerses relaxes behind her, removing his hand from her mouth. His relieved expression raises more questions in Julie's mind.
"Why are we hiding from the guards?" She whispers. "Aren't you, like, their boss?"
Lit pauses.
Julie feels a strange mix of emotions from him.
Urgency. Irritation. Frustration. Fear. Desperation.
Most of all, he feels confused.
"Lit?"
The boy sighs, running a hand through his dark hair and pulling the bandana in it tighter around his head. He glances at the corner the blemmyae just passed.
"Look, I ran into your sister and Apollo at the zoo yesterday."
"What?!"
He silences her with a look. "The reason they're coming here later...The Throne of Mnemosyne is locked up in one of Commodus' high security vaults. They're trying to get it so they can free the Oracle of Trophonius. I know how to get to it, and I can do it without getting chopped into little pieces like those morons will."
Julie stares at him, unsure just where he's going with this. Lityerses nods at the corner again.
"That's not all he has, though. He mentioned a prisoner. A hostage. Other than you. I'm the one who assigned guards on him in the first place," Lit tells her, frowning. "I don't know who it is, but I know they're important enough to Apollo that Commodus is planning on using them as bait during the event tonight."
Another hostage. One important to Apollo. A boy.
Will Solace's face flashes in front of her eyes. Austin's...Nico's.
Could it be?
Instead of any of the very intelligent thoughts she's having, out loud, Julie asks "Why were you at the zoo?"
He scowls. "That's really not important right now."
"Well-But-Why are you telling me this?" Julie asks.
Lit's shoulders slump. He looks frustrated and...defeated.
He shakes his head. "Because...Just-Ugh, stop asking stupid fucking questions."
"But-"
"Look, I'm saying, I can get the Throne for Apollo. But, if I'm doing that, you'll have to handle saving this hostage." Lit points to the corner. "He's just around this bend. Get him out, meet me at the top of the stairs down to your usual locker room."
Juliette is gaping, hands shaking, eyes wide and dry because she can't remember how to blink. As shocked as she is, though, there's a smile growing across her cheeks.
"Does this mean that we're friends now?" She asks.
Lityerses looks pained again. He glares down at his scuffed off-brand Vans. "I said stop asking stupid questions."
Julie beams at him, bouncing on the balls of her feet and trying not to giggle. The action makes him look even more horrified at the choice that he's making. "Deal! I'll meet you there! This is gonna be great!"
With a new burst of energy, Juliette steps towards the corner. Lit catches her around the wrist and pulls her back sharply, scowling. "Hang on! You can't just run in unarmed, you fucking moron."
"Oh, yeah."
He unsheathes his sword and presses the pommel of it into her hand. Julie opens her mouth to protest, but he glares at her. "Take it. Don't fucking die."
She sputters. "But-"
"Don't."
He stares into her, scarred features stiff and shadowed.
Juliette is suddenly very aware of their close proximity. Lit has her partially caged to the wall, one hand passing her the sword and one still clutching her arm to keep her on her feet. There's an intensity in his tired dark eyes that is making her feel a bit startled.
"Okay," She mumbles, puzzled why she's suddenly feeling so awkward.
Lityerses nods. He glances back at the corner the blemmyae rounded. Then, he checks behind himself too and takes off down the hallway.
Julie looks down at the wicked gold blade in her hands.
She feels kinda bad about how little good this weapon is probably going to do her. Maybe she and Jason should have spent less time at camp making out behind the arena seats and more time actually training. Better than nothing, though.
She grins to herself.
Finally, things are looking up.
She's going to get out of here. And then, she'll see Leo. And Meg.
And Jason.
Her heart skips a beat at the thought.
Jason.
Lityerses hears a clatter down the hall. It makes his heart jolt. He really can't be just hanging around here with his dick in his hands. Juliette needs to show the fuck up. Now. Or they're both going to be in deep shit.
Another clatter. Closer.
This time, he can't just ignore it.
Chair over his shoulder and muscles tense, Lit puts his back to the wall and creeps towards the stairs. The clattering is coming from the locker room. It's the one Commodus keeps reserved for his cordolium, so no one should have access to it but Lit and the emperor.
It definitely doesn't sound like Commodus, though. At least, not unless the Lit's boss decided to have a random solo dance party in Juliette's locker room and brought along a few metal pot lids to bang together.
Lit curses under his breath and starts taking the steps two at a time, moving silently down to the metal door. He tries the handle.
Unlocked.
For some reason, that fact makes his stomach turn.
Dread is beginning to build in Lityerses' chest. He glances back at the meeting spot. Then, at the chair. Then, he closes his eyes for a beat and takes a deep breath.
Good gods.
He really needs to get laid if otherwise he's gonna be running around risking his life for every pretty girl with a death wish.
If Lit didn't already have a reason to despise sons of Zeus...
With a grit of his teeth and some more mumbled profanity, Lityerses pushes down on the handle and steps into the locker room.
Julie won't bore with the details of breaking into the prisoner's cell. It's Cheryl and Johnny guarding it. She pretty much says 'Hey, would you both pretty please go get me a glass of water? I'm feeling faint,' and they trip over themselves in their haste to the kitchens.
So, a prick of her finger and three minutes later, Julie's holding the half melted padlock in one hand and the handle to the door in the other as she stares, wide-eyed at the squirming bundle of chaos in the center of the room.
There's a burlap sack right in the middle of this steel cell.
Around the burlap sack are several heavy chains. Why? Probably because of the many many holes viciously chewed through the sack in vain attempts for the little creature inside to escape.
What creature?
Well, it's definitely not Will Solace after all.
"Peaches!" Julie gasps, running forward to drop to her knees beside her thrashing karpos friend.
Well, 'friend' might be premature. Last they saw one another, he still hadn't forgiven her for the whole 'threatening Meg against a peach tree' thing. Maybe rescuing him from these chains might convince him not to bite her nose off though.
Peaches lets out a very frustrated sounding "PeACHes!" in response. Julie rests a hand on the burlap sack soothingly.
"Hang on, buddy. I'll getcha out."
"It would be very rude if you did."
Cheryl's sudden voice makes Juliette's heart spasm. She grips the pommel of Lit's sword tighter and turns around to face the two frowning blemmyae now standing at the door.
They look heartbroken.
"It is very impolite to lie," Johnny says sadly.
Cheryl nods in agreement, holding a cup of water and seeming so betrayed that Julie actually starts to feel guilty. She'd probably feel guiltier if they weren't probably about to try and kill her. "Freeing prisoners is very inconsiderate as well."
Julie tries to give the blemmyae a friendly smile. Her heart is pounding. "Guys, listen-"
"Unfortunately, we will have to dismember you now," Cheryl sighs. "Which makes me very sad."
"Oh no, Cheryl, is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"
"What a nice thought, Johnny. Thank you for asking. Would you help me tear Cadmea's limbs from her torso?"
"Of course! Anything to help out!"
"How kind. Thank you, Johnny."
"You're welcome, Cheryl."
Juliette moves while she has the chance and slashes her sword through the chains holding Peaches.
The first thing Lit notices is that the banging sounds are coming from inside a locker.
Frowning, he steps into the room and strides silently over to the source of the racket. The metal door of one of the lockers, which has been secured shut with a metal padlock that definitely is not made for this, is dented from the inside out. Little fist marks are puckered through the surface of the door like whatever is inside is very unhappy about being so.
So, obviously, since he's not a fucking dumbass, Lit decides opening the locker is not something he's going to bother with, and he turns to exit the locker room once more.
But, the second thing he notices is the cuff of gold laying innocently on the floor.
It's nestled into the big blue 'C' that once stood for Colts. Now, Lit has to reach over his employer's name in order to clasp his fingers around the discarded metal band.
Rage sparks behind his eyes. He closes his fist around around the cuff.
Lit had suspected. After watching her get tortured barely an hour ago, only one of her arms turning purple and blistered beneath the Tiberii donum, he'd known for sure.
Holding it now and knowing it's no longer on her body makes all of his combat instincts amp up into overdrive.
The cuff - the fake cuff - is half melted. The clasp must have failed because of that.
Which means that she's bleeding. A lot.
And, if she's wandering around with an unshackled arm, Lityerses is running out of time to get her out of here.
She has no idea how fucked she'll be if she gets caught. And now, Lit is regretting never taking the time to tell her.
Peaches has not forgiven her. Or, at least, that's what Julie assumes by the way he uses her head as a springboard to take a flying leap at the blemmyae advancing behind her.
Watching Peaches fight is like watching a rabid raccoon go to town on a bag full of marshmallows. The karpos lands on top of Johnny's shoulders, battlecries "PEEEAACCHHHEEESSS!" and plunges both fists directly into the blemmyae's open eyeballs.
Juliette doesn't have time to be impressed. Cheryl is grabbing for her.
She dodges and swipes Lit's sword up at her attacker. Her thrusts are clumsy, and Julie is off balance. She can hear Nico's scolding voice in her head, annoyed at Juliette's shitty footwork, but her limbs all still feel like Jello from her ordeal with Commodus, and she hasn't successfully sword fought since losing her leg. She's slow. And, Cheryl takes advantage of that.
One of Julie's slashes goes a little too far wide, and she doesn't have time to bring it back in front to block the blemmyae's fist. Cheryl's knuckles collide with Juliette's collarbone, and she hears a snap.
She cries out, and her weapon tumbles to the ground with a clatter.
See? She knew handing her a fancy sword was a waste.
Cheryl jerks forward and grabs Juliette around the neck, tugging her down to her knees. "I'm going to have to break your arms and legs now, okay? Please be cooperative."
"Fuck you," Julie snaps. She follows Peaches' example and swings her prosthetic up to jam the metal into Cheryl's eye. The blemmyae howls in pain and releases her, stumbling back and clutching at her chest/face.
"HOW RUDE!" She screeches. She snarls at Juliette, who's scrambling back quickly on all fours, and raises up a foot to stomp on her.
Then, a flying ball of leaves and teeth attaches itself to her face, and she's back to screaming.
"Peaches!" Julie cheers, beaming.
The karpos continues his rampage, kicking, clawing, and biting at Cheryl as the blemmyae runs around the room like she's on fire, trying unsuccessfully to bat away the vengeful grain spirit. Johnny is a pile of dust by the chains. Julie does not feel nearly as sad about that as she might have three days ago. After a minute of screeching and pleas for Peaches to be more polite, Cheryl bursts into dust as well, and the room becomes silent.
Lit breaks the padlock off the locker with pure demigod strength and a dash of adrenaline. He doesn't even have to open the door. The moment the lock is removed, it's slamming open, and a pudgy, fuzzy, peach-shaped...baby(?) is launching itself across the room, snarling. Lityerses stares at the creature in bewilderment.
A karpos?
Why the Hades is there a karpos in here? Unless...
"Hey!"
The spirit stops foaming at the mouth long enough to turn to Lit with a growl. It freezes when it sees him. Then, it straightens its back and immediately drops any sign of aggression, blinking up at Lityerses innocently instead.
He sighs. At least his useless mother is good for something.
Lit crosses his arms and stares down at the karpos. "Do you know Juliette Aster? Tall? Hot? Super fucking annoying?"
The spirit curls its lip, looking irritated. Lit takes that as a 'yes.' So, this must be the hostage she freed.
Seriously? A fucking karpos? That's what would have lured the Sun God to his death?
But, Meg McCaffery is also a child of Demeter. Sometimes, Lit forgets his siblings take more pride in their domain than he does. That they use it for things other than robbing and murdering dumb tourists.
"Alright, which way is she?" Lit asks tiredly.
The karpos grumbles and looks around. Then, it points to the door leading out onto the field, and Lityerses wants to cry in frustration.
This girl never makes anything easy, does she?
"Fuck. Okay. Let's get this over with."
"WOULD YOU STOP BITING ME?!" Julie shrieks, slapping at Peaches' head. She manages to dislodge him from where he had his teeth buried in her thigh. Glaring at him, Julie clutches the (bleeding, wow, thanks a lot) teeth marks in her leg and motions to the door. "I'm trying to help you escape, you dumb vegetable!"
"PEACHES!" Peaches corrects, still looking pissed.
Julie groans and snatches Lit's sword off the ground, cradling her broken collarbone.
"Can we do this later? I'm trying to get us both home to see Meg!"
Peaches' eyes widen at that, and he relaxes. "Peaches?" He tilts his head sort of shyly, and Juliette rolls her eyes. He looks like a demon cherub come to invade the farmer's market.
"Yes. Meg. She's fine right now, but she won't be if we don't get out of here fast enough to stop her from walking into a trap. So, can you wait to maul me until we're safe back with her?"
Peaches doesn't look thrilled about it. He grumbles, but nods. Julie takes a deep breath.
"Okay. Thank you. Now, let's go. We're meeting Prince Charming by the locker rooms."
"Peaches."
"Don't you take that tone with me, young man."
Lityerses pushes open the door to the field as quietly as he can. He peeks around the side of it.
The stands are full, buzzing excitedly with conversation, but there isn't any action out on the field yet. That's good. It means Apollo and McCaffery haven't arrived. But, Lit doesn't see any sign of his friend either.
"Peaches," mutters the karpos.
"Helpful," Lit grumbles sarcastically, eyes still scanning the arena. "Now, shut the fuck up."
"Peaches."
"Dude, I'm trying to-"
"Peaches!"
Annoyed, Lit sighs and glares down at the spirit, only to find it pointing over to a rack of weapons nearby in the dugout. Lit's eyes immediately find a familiar Imperial Gold saber, and his stomach drops into Tartarus.
Juliette holds Peaches close to her chest as she ducks beneath another Germani's thrown dagger.
Lityerses is stupid and she hates him. Why the Hades would he choose this hallway for a meet up?! There are, like, four guards stationed here, and Juliette is on the brink of 'totally useless' right now from how many injuries she's racking up.
Peaches took a warhammer to the head almost immediately into this fight, so now Julie's just lugging him around, dodging stray projectiles, and thanking her lucky stars he's still breathing, because she did not want to have to tell Meg she got her best friend killed.
Best friend? Pet?
Julie doesn't really understand their relationship, to be honest, but Meg likes the snotty little dirtball, so that means Juliette has to keep him safe.
She baseball slides underneath a Germani's axes and slices Lit's sword across the guy's ankle. He grunts in surprise and falls forward just in time for his friend to trip over him and land flat on the first guy's head. The dude crumbles into nothing - no literally. nothing. it's weird. - and Mr. Clumsy and Background Germani #1 and #2 all look absolutely feral with rage.
Which Julie takes as her cue to bolt for the stairs to the locker room.
There's more room down there. More places to hide. Maybe if she can stall this fight long enough, Lityerses will show up to be a gentleman and do the heavy lifting for her. (Lit, a gentleman. Hilarious.)
Julie slings open the locker room door and darts inside, listening anxiously to the bickering of the Germani chasing her as they argue over who gets to go down the stairs first to take her head off.
She scans the room quickly, taking inventory of her new battleground. The Colts locker room is so fucking boring. Even the locker rooms at Goode are cooler than this dump. It's just a big room lined with lockers and cubbies to keep football gear in. Of course, since this room has been designated to Juliette, most of those are filled with the ridiculous gladiatrix costumes Commodus likes forcing her into for each fight.
Julie jumps in fright when heavy footfalls finally start on the stairs. She's only got seconds.
She picks a locker on the far end of the room in hopes it'll go unnoticed. Not bothering to be super gentle, Julie hauls Peaches' unconscious form inside and shuts the door, locking it with the padlock she got off his cell for good measure. Maybe that way it'll look like just another cubby full of weapons or something.
She gets done right as the first Germani bursts through the door. He's so tall, his head is scraping the ceiling. Black snarls of hair fall past his shoulders in a sort of Viking twist, a black beard obscuring most of his scarred and dirty face.
It isn't obscuring the bloodthirsty smirk on his lips. No, that only grows as he twirls his very very sharp sickled sword in his hand and takes a large step towards her.
Lit can't slow the pounding of his heart as he slips his sword back into its sheath.
It feels strange. To be afraid.
He doesn't think he's felt that...maybe ever in his life.
He doesn't like it. But, it motivates him to shoulder the chair he's carrying and begin creeping past the dugout towards the stands so he can peer up into the crowd.
Lit's gaze goes immediately to the emperor's box.
He wishes it hadn't.
Juliette is sure she's about to be brutally murdered. There's a sword to her throat, a boot on her broken collarbone, and about ten smoking slashes through her arms and torso that are currently melting away at her already unnecessarily revealing leather armor (Julie is certain Commodus must have gotten ahold of a copy of Xena: Warrior Princess or something before commissioning these).
Honestly, as she waits for the final blow to hit, Julie finds herself just really frustrated.
She's so tired of bleeding. She's so tired of being injured. In pain. She's so tired of constantly being in danger.
She's so tired.
But, she wants to see Jason. So, she actually feels relieved when she hears Emperor Commodus shout "Stop!" from the doorway.
All of the guards are instantly ten feet away from her. Juliette is left sprawled in the middle of the room, soaked in blood.
Commodus' gold sandals click clack across the floor like a principal's heels. The sound raises Julie's blood pressure the same way Percy's chewing does. She's frustrated. She's frustrated, and she's just plain mad. She wants to shove those sandals so far up his-
"Cadmea, I really just don't know what's gotten into you!" Commodus exclaims, hands in the air. He shakes his head and peers down at her through plumes of purple smoke, looking highly disappointed and quite bewildered. "I mean, are you ill? What is it with all this-all this free will?!"
Julie grits her teeth. She doesn't have any answers for him that won't make this situation ten times worse for her.
"Is it something I have done?! Have I trained you improperly? I read all the way through Dog Training for Dummies and Dad's Guide to Baby's First Year! I thought I was prepared!"
Juliette makes herself sit up, regardless of the blood freely flowing from her wounds, painting her skin violet. She glares at Commodus, still silent.
What the fuck is she supposed to say to that? She's certainly not about to apologize or thank him again.
He sighs and taps his fingers impatiently on the waistband of his purple speedo. "I suppose I can't allow this to go on any longer. I'll have to kill you. What a shame. I really am very disappointed - I so looked forward to having you here. For centuries! But, you've forced my hand, it seems..."
Shit.
He reaches for her, and Juliette tries to pull back.
The cuff on her left arm freezes in place. Midair. Oh, no.
She lets out a pained, fearful cry as she tries to pull away from it. It's like the metal is frozen in time, and all Juliette can do is struggle as she sits, restrained to the cuff, on the locker room floor.
Commodus sighs again and comes to stand just before her, raising up a hand.
Gods.
Oh gods, is this really happening?
Did she finally screw up this badly?
Is she about to die?
For real?
Julie squeezes her eyes shut.
She knows it probably makes her look weak. But, she doesn't want to cry. She won't cry.
If this is the end...Just, no way.
Frantic, terrified, she throws her consciousness into the warmth in the left side of her chest and prays.
Graces...
I don't know who you are, really, and I'm sorry for that. But, if you put this tether here for a reason...Let me see him one more time. Please.
She can feel her left cuff heating up as it reacts to Commodus' power. It's warming on her arm. Warming in her veins. Every instinct in her is going haywire, like his power is bringing the ichor in her blood to a boil. She gasps, pulls harder at the the cuff restraining her arm, and begs to the gods once again. With everything she has left.
There's a flash of red.
A flash of gold.
An image of a boy, blonde and tanned, hunched over a desk. He's sketching. Focused. The yellow light of his lamp is soft against his cheeks. He's drawing a girl sitting in the rain. His hair has fallen into his eyes. He's beautiful.
A clattering of metal on concrete, and the image is broken.
The influence in her blood disappears.
Juliette's eyes snap open, and it's not Jason she's looking at anymore. It's Commodus. With wide, curious eyes as he stares down at something on the ground beside her.
His hand is still hovering over her head. Still cloaked with red magic, but paying her no attention.
Confused, Julie follows his gaze.
Lit almost screams out in rage.
He doesn't.
Like he said earlier, he's in too deep already. There's no going back.
So, he grabs the karpos around the middle instead and makes his way back to the locker room at a brisk pace.
He passes through the field door. Through the lockers. Up the stairs. Around the bend of the hallway, and to the exit of Commodus' Stadium of Madness. Lityerses finds the right key. He unlocks the door. And, he walks right out into the evening air, karpos in one arm, Throne of Mnemosyne in the other.
He makes for the Waystation without a backwards glance.
"Oh," Commodus chirps. He draws his hand back to his hip and laughs. "Silly me! Your Gift is merely broken."
Julie watches in terror as he lifts Nyssa's false cuff from the floor and inspects it.
"Oh yes, this definitely explains it. Well, no problem then! False alarm!" He chuckles. Then, he smiles down at her like she's quite the prankster. "Why didn't you tell me Nero gave you a faulty Gift? Silly girl. Just one moment, darling."
He laughs to himself as he turns from her and heads towards one of the supply closets. One of the ones that's always been locked when Julie has come through here before. He flicks his hand, and the lock on it poofs into a cloud.
Julie's heart is sinking.
This isn't...
It couldn't be possible...
Right?
Commodus opens up the cabinet like he's peeking into the pantry for some PopTarts, grinning and humming to himself. He reaches inside, mumbles a bit about 'close calls' and 'poor silly creatures.'
Then, he picks something out, turns to Juliette, and every drop of her blood turns cold as the inside of the cabinet is revealed to her.
There are five shelves. Top to bottom in the cabinet. Each about two feet wide and two feet deep.
Each completely piled with Tiberii donum.
"Here we are, love. Arm up! We'll make you good as new."
Julie can't breathe.
She can't breathe.
"Raise your arm, pet."
No.
No, she won't.
Juliette thrashes harder against her stationary cuff.
Nothing budges.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic, child. We're going to have you feeling all better!"
That's three orders she's ignored. The sizzling of her arm lets her know it.
"Hold her still for me, would you? Righteous Rome, I'll be so pleased when this whole ordeal is dealt with."
Juliette screams, pulling so hard at her shackle that the skin along the seam of it begins to split. She's crying now. Loudly. Openly. She's fighting.
She sinks her teeth into every hand that reaches for her. She spits venom. She even tries stretching her right arm into a wing in hopes the odd shape might slow them down long enough for Lit to save her.
It doesn't.
Lit's nowhere.
No one is here.
No one is going to help her.
Because Juliette fucked up.
She's useless, and she's stupid, and all of this is all her fault.
Luke was right. She could have done better.
But, she never learns.
The last thing she gets out is a broken whisper of Jason's name. First and last. Every syllable savored like a prayer. Like a wish. A plea.
Then, her vision turns red.
And, Juliette Aster disappears.
Lityerses leaves behind his only ever friend and the ability to be afraid.
Because he took too long. And, he was too late.
Vitriol and carrion.
That's all he'll ever smell anymore.
At least he knows, one day, he'll see her face again when he returns to the Fields of Punishment.