Marcus had to duck quickly to avoid the fire bolt that had been flung at him. It bounced off the large mirror behind him, ricocheting and exploding one of the chairs around the center table. Taking stock of the situation quickly, Marcus saw that this version of the room was as completely different from the one they had just been in. Where that room had been pristine, this one looked like… well, a battlefield. Hardly any of the furniture was still standing, either having been knocked over or destroyed. The bookshelf was lying on the floor, presumably having been pushed over. Jason was standing atop it, with Joel defending him from two hooded half bloods as he tried matching the N.O. half blood's spell for spell. Maddie was in full rampage mode, with Alicia and her hellhound Roxie dodging around her, wearing her down little by little.

Like a well oiled machine, almost with one thought, Marcus, Phillip, and Chastity leaped into action. Chastity strummed her lyre, and Marcus felt the strength she was bestowing on him, as well as seeing the effect it had on the others, easing the weariness from their faces and strengthening their resolve. Phil raised his bow, firing shot after shot at the two half bloods bearing down on Joel, causing one to break off their attack to defend themselves. As for Marcus, there was only one thing on his mind. Maddie!

Marcus leapt forward, swinging his watch into sword mode. He had learned last time that when it came to whip combat, Alicia still had him beat. If I can get in her guard though… Marcus had aimed his leap to put him over the back of Roxie, where he used his free hand to push himself into a vault over the hellhound's back. Roxie turned as he did and tried to catch him in her teeth, but he just managed to twist by, turning himself in the air. Marcus flinched as her teeth snapped mere inches from his face but then he was clear, landing not quite elegantly next to Maddie. He stood straight, turning to Maddie and about to lay his hand on her head to bring her back to herself when she whipped around on him, her eyes wild. Shit. Marcus had to quickly dodge back to avoid a swipe from Maddie's spear, Alicia's laugh echoing in his ears as he did.

"Poor Marcus. Jumping in to play hero and it backfiring. Isn't that just typical?" Alicia's voice was filled with malice, barely contained.

"What game are you playing, Leash?!" Marcus purposely used the nickname she had always hated. Get in your enemies head, and they make mistakes. That's what Aaron always used to say. Marcus ducked under another stab of Maddie's spear, spinning to get behind her. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he quickly pushed Maddie forward, hoping she'd catch herself from falling and backstepping quickly. He was just in time, as Alicia's whip cracked into the floor where Maddie had been standing just a moment before.

"You think this is a game?!" Came Alicia's reply. "For someone who's always so damn serious, you choose the worst times to be a joke."

Marcus opened his mouth to retort but his heart caught in his throat as Roxie leaped at Maddie as she stumbled from his push. But Maddie was just as well trained as Marcus was, and she used her momentum forward to twist, bringing her spear up into what should have been the hellhound's lower jaw. At the last moment the hellhound vanished, melting into the shadows cast by the constantly shifting lights from the battle of spells and appeared at Alicia's side before starting to circle again, readying herself for another attack.

Marcus breathed a sigh of relief. Safe for now. Marcus felt a shift in the air around him and sidestepped quickly, not realizing what he had sensed until Alicia's whip cracked next to him. Dodging away from Maddie, he tried to put some distance between them. Whatever is happening here, it isn't just battle mind… He had to make space. He couldn't protect Maddie if he had to focus on Alicia and Roxie while dodging her attacks as well. Alicia's whip cut him off though, stopping him from putting too much distance between them.

"As much as I love the thought of you getting away from that little psycho, Marcus, orders are orders." Alicia said, a slight pout to her voice. He heard Roxie's growl from behind him and felt a small pressure on his back. Maddie. For a moment he felt relief, an instinctual reaction to knowing she hadn't been attacked, but he quickly realized what was really happening. Maddie, feeling what she had to have thought was an enemy at her back, was about to spin her spear behind her, a move Marcus himself had taught her. A way to protect your back while never taking your eyes off the opponent in front of you. Marcus knew the tip of Maddie's spear was about to swing back and catch him, and with their height difference it would probably catch him right in the middle of his back. He was about to repeat his trick from earlier, ducking and side stepping out the way, when he realized just what kind of trap he had walked into. He saw Alicia, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail and glare on her face, as she flicked her wrist of the hand that was holding the whip. In so many ways, he knew her. He knew what that flick of the wrist meant. It was her tell, something she could never hide. She was preparing a whip strike, probably one aimed right at his heart. If he moved that would make the target the back of Maddie's head. No.

Marcus had felt moments like this before. Moments where the world around him seemed to slow down, where he took in all these details faster than normal. Chiron had told him this was his demigod abilities, the ones that kept him alive in combat. He was trained to react instantly, without conscious thought. But Marcus had only felt moments like this once or twice before, when he had been trapped with no escape.

Marcus watched Alicia's whip pull back, flowing through the air as it prepared to strike forward. He felt Maddie's back tense against his and knew her spear was coming. He saw Alicia raise her other hand, which was holding a book…? Book! In a snap, Marcus realized what was happening. That book must be the book, allowing Alicia to use the Mist. Maddie wouldn't attack me, even in berserker mode! Through all their training, Marcus had learned how that state worked. How to work around it so he isn't seen as a threat. But with the Mist blocking her instincts… He had to get that book away from Alicia. Unfortunately for him, that realization came at the same moment he snapped back to the world.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been obsessed with that little psycho." Alicia sneered, jealous even in her moment of victory.

Marcus saw the whip coming for him. He felt the air shift as Maddie spun her spear, knowing the tip would strike him if he didn't move, but not daring to.

Sorry Mads…