Where there's smoke // L.Valdez

Chapter forty-six

One look. One look at Jason and the four of them knew exactly what to do. Part of her was surprised they could read each other so well. But after all they'd been through together...

Jason charged Enceladus. Piper rushed to her father. Leo dashed to one of the machines. And Persephone stood in front of the Earthborn.

Leo got the machine to work, quickly disposing of two Earthborn. Persephone gritted her teeth and growled at one of the Earthborn stood before her.

"Kill Yay-son!" He bellowed.

"Not on my watch!" She shot back, charging at him. She dodged an incoming rock thrown at her and skidded on the floor, ignoring the grip Gaia tried to keep on her. She slashed upwards and the Earthborn look shocked for a moment, before crumbling into a mush at Persephone's feet, from where she'd just sliced through his mid-section.

She didn't have long to celebrate her short success as another charged at her, actually managing to catch her off guard. She let out an 'oomph' as he slammed her into the ground. She kicked at him, but he overpowered her, six arms holding her down, one hands choking her.

She gasped as the Earthborn was slammed into by something, a puddle of mud falling next to her. She glanced around, locking eyes with fiery-brown ones. Leo had a determined, almost scary, look in his eyes, as he gritted his teeth, eyebrows furrowed in concern and concentration. Their eye-contact was broken as Leo narrowed his eyes at an Earthborn running at the machine Leo was controlling.

She didn't have time to watch the outcome. Another earthborn ran at her. She sliced off two of his arms, panting slightly as he looked at the two small piles of mud on the ground, from where his arms had fallen. Seeing this as the perfect distraction, she drove her sword straight into the middle of the Earthborn's chest.

"Uh oh," Was all he could say, before melting.

Rocks soared over her head, in the direction of where Leo was. She watched as he flung himself in a backwards somersault off the machine half a second before a boulder hit. She sprinted towards him, mildly impressed by his newfound acrobatic skills, and extremely worried he'd been hurt.

Persephone skidded to her knees in front of him, grabbing his face and checking over for serious injuries.

"You're okay?" She asked. He nodded, taking her arms and pulling her to stand up, steadying himself. "Piper!" Her eyes clocked onto the Earthborn turning their attention to her.

"Dozer!" Leo yelled.

Thirty feet away, a bulldozer roared to life. Leo's face lit up as his idea had worked, the bulldozer roaring towards the enemy.

Just as Piper cut her dad free and caught him, the Earthborn launched their second volley of stones. The dozer intercepted them, managing to melt at least two other Earthborn, before a rock crashed into its engine, the machine stuttering to a stop.

Leo turned to Persephone.

"Don't you dare-" Leo ran forwards before she could finish.

She growled and sprinted after the maniac. He leaped through the flames, and that's where Persephone lost him, only comforted by his shouting. An Earthborn spotted her and screamed "Yay-son friend!"

This particular Earthborn was huge. Bigger than the others had been. He charged her, Persephone only able to move at the last second, a sharp rock slicing her arm. She hissed.

"Ouch! Dude!" She yelled. She faintly heard a cry of 'Hephaestus!' on the other side of the fire, before the Earthborn charged again.

Time slowed down. The cut on her arm made it hard to wield her sword properly. She was done for. She was exhausted, bruised, injured and freezing cold, muscles seemingly locking up. Her adrenaline was wearing off. She glared, readying her sword, not wanting to go down without a fight.

A blast of flames engulfed her vision in front of her. White hot. She stumbled back, watching at the Earthborn cried out, before melting into a bubbling, steaming puddle.

Her knees gave out.

"Sephy!" Leo called out.

She looked at him, seeing him run to her, grabbing her arms and checking her over.

"Are you hurt? Did it get you?" He quizzed.

"Just my arm. I'm fine." She told him, chest pounding. "Oh my gods, it would have killed me-"

"Shh, you are not dying, you hear me? Not while I'm here. You're not allowed to die." Leo told her.

She didn't answer, as Piper called out to them.

"Guys!" They turned. "Jason!" She pointed to the battle.

Jason wasn't holding up so good. In fact, he looked like he'd given up. The earth was swallowing him, and Enceladus' spear was inching ever closer to his chest. It felt like she was watching a movie, she couldn't do anything to help.

Rage built inside of her.

"Hey!" She ran forwards, towards Jason and the giant, Piper and Leo not being quick enough to hold her back. She blocked the spear with her sword, a sickening boom throwing her backwards. She looked at her sword and nearly sobbed. It was broken. The ring now sitting in her palm, in two halves.

The giant laughed.

"Foolish girl, trying to stop me!"

She growled and stood up, ignoring the aching pains throughout her body.

"Perhaps I shall kill you first, instead of giving you as a gift." He grinned, raising his spear and driving it towards her.

She felt a knot in her stomach form, wanting to be untied. She glared at him and raised her arms, yelling.

The knot unfurled and a burst of darkness flew towards the giant. All she saw was black and white as whatever it was wrapped around the giant and tightened. She heard his yell and growled, squeezing her fists. Enceladus tried to fight back, swinging his arms and spear around, trying to knock her down. A chilling sensation thrummed down her spinal cord, something reaching out of the ground and restraining the giant.

Skeletons. Ghosts.

The ghosts blinded the giant before her, wrapping tightly around him. The skeletons answered to her, restraining him, chattering with the harsh movements of Enceladus. He bellowed and roared in frustration, as the skeletons began to attack him, with their old weapons. Nicks and cuts appeared on the giant, each skeleton getting at least one hit on before Enceladus knocked them into pieces.

Of course, there were only so many skeletons on the mountain, and the ghosts were not patient enough to answer to her forever, so her power over the giant died down into nothing, making her limbs shake and vision swim. Once the last skeleton fell apart and the last ghost evaporated, Persephone fell next to Jason.

The giant took a few seconds to regain his bearings before turning to the girl and laughing. He raised his spear above her.

"Nice try, Child of Hades. You have willpower. I can see why you are wanted. However, unfortunately there has been a change of plans, you will now die. Say goodbye to your precious friends."

She closed her eyes.