A One Way Trip (Dancing With Death part 2)

A Road Not Fit for Mortals

Eliza followed Bob through the darkness in complete silence. This was beyond uncomfortable - natural-born enemies, alone, on a long walk, in the dark. It would be a miracle if they didn't ring each other's throats.

Bob had been doing well so far, but Eliza knew it was only a matter of time before he did something. Of course, that could be her paranoia talking. She had spent way too long thinking about all the ways Bob could betray them and... he hadn't come close to doing any of them. Maybe he was a good guy.

She shook the idea out of her head. Just because Bob was on their side, didn't mean Iapetus was.

The path seemed to get darker as they continued on. The deepening shadows were almost tangible.

"What exactly is this path?" Eliza could barely see more than a foot in front of her.

Bob kept his gaze forward as if there were something important waiting in the dark. "A road not fit for mortals."

Eliza sighed. "Well, that's comforting."

"We will be fine." Bob assured her as Little Bob rubbed against his neck, purring. "We have you."

"Don't sell yourself short." Eliza scanned the shadows suspiciously. "Besides, down here, I'm weaker."

"But not weak." Bob held.

Eliza held his gaze. It was hard to imagine him as anything except the sweet guy she saw now, but she also couldn't erase the image of a bloodthirsty titan.

Something shifted in the darkness.

"Down!" She shoved Bob aside as a black beast lunged from the shadows, raking its claws across her upper arm. "Gah!" She dropped to one knee, Ichor dripping down her arm.

A low hissing sound echoed out of the darkness.

Eliza forced herself to her feet and stood back-to-back with Bob. "How many do you think there are."

Bob put Little Bob in the big pocket of his coveralls. "I'm not sure. Too echoey."

She clenched her fists, thorns sprouting in her hands. "That's what I was afraid of."

"Duck!" Bob bellowed, pushing Eliza down and stabbing one of the creatures with the blade on his broom. It melted into shadows and disappeared.

Eliza stared at the spot where the beast had been. "That's not normal." She spun and sliced through another one, it morphed into the shadows as well. "What are these things?"

Bob met her gaze. "I wish I knew."

They stood there ground, fighting back the oncoming monsters, but every time they killed one the hissing seemed to get louder.

Eliza's arm throbbed from the cuts across her bicep. Normally, she could feel herself healing by now. Her heart skipped a beat. Whatever these creatures were, they could hurt and, quite possibly, kill immortals.

"What's our next move?" She asked Bob. "We're outnumbered at least a thousand to one and they can hide."

Bob looked a little terrified. "Don't know."

"I was hoping for something a little better than that." She pressed closer to the titan and watched the shadows expectantly.

Suddenly, the hissing fell silent, which was almost worse.

"What are they waiting for?" Eliza gripped her blades tighter. "With their numbers, they could easily take us."

Bob scanned the darkness curiously. "They're not trying to kill us."

Eliza glanced over her shoulder at him. "What? Why not?"

Bob cocked his head as if he were listening. "They want me to."

She whirled to face him. "They're talking to you?"

He turned to face her. "They say we're enemies." His gaze dropped to the golden blood streaming down her arm. "You're a goddess."

Eliza locked eyes with him, trying to read his expression, to figure what he'd do next, but there was nothing. "Yes."

He stared at the Ichor. "You didn't tell me."

She took a deep breath. "At first I was afraid I couldn't trust you. I wasn't sure what you'd do if you found out."

"Do Percy and Annabeth know?"

"Yes," Eliza felt her chest tightening. "I told them shortly after I found them down here."

Bob stalked forward, broom clutched tightly in one hand. He grabbed Eliza's uninjured arm roughly and leaned close to her face. "Run!"

They bolted into the darkness, away from the whispering shadows.
                                   *   *   *
When Bob finally stopped, Eliza's arm felt like it was going to fall off. He'd refused to let go of her. Said he didn't want her to get lost, which was sweet, but, ultimately, very painful.

She rolled her aching shoulder to try and loosen the joint. Her right arm still throbbed from the cuts, but at least the bleeding had stopped. She sat on a short boulder and ripped a strip a fabric away from her tattered shirt.

Bob moved to help her as she struggled to wrap the wound, but she waved him away. "I've got it."

He watched her awkwardly try to tie a knot for about five minutes. She finally grunted in frustration as the fabric slipped through her bloody fingers.

Bob knelt beside her. "Let me." His big fingers were surprisingly gentle as they rewrapped the cloth and tied it off. He trailed the dried paths of blood down her arm with his eyes.

"It'll be fine." Eliza assured him. "I can feel them closing now."

He nodded, his hand still poised over the knot.

Little Bob climbed out of his pocket and crawled onto Eliza's shoulder, rubbing his bony head against her cheek.

She couldn't hold back her grin as she turned to face Bob. "Why didn't you betray me back there?"

Bob met her gaze curiously. "Why would I?"

She bit her lip. "Because I lied to you. Because I'm your enemy."

He furrowed his brow. "You're not my enemy. You're a friend. You treat me better than the other gods do."

Eliza's heart sank. If she gave him better treatment than the other gods, he must have been treated pretty badly. "You know. I lost my memory too once." She sighed. "Sometimes a wish I could go back. It was easier to just be 'the girl who couldn't remember.'"

"It's good to have memories." Bob countered. "But when you lose them, you change. You'll never be the same."

Eliza nodded, realizing how alike she and Bob actually were. "Come on." She stood, careful not to knock Little Bob off her shoulder. "Let's get out of here. I have a promise to keep."

A/N
There's another fun chapter!!!
Hope you enjoyed. We're actually getting close to the end already. 😅
Thanks for the support guys. 🥰🥰🥰
-Cheshire