Project Demigod (a Percico fanfic)

Chapter 30: The Game of Wits and Hazel's Tricks

I not kidding when I say, "sorry for the long wait." Now hang on. It's Hazel's time to shine!

Words: 12,285

US-15 Interstate, Pennsylvania, 4:06 a.m.

Bang! Bang!

"Put your head down!" Hazel shouted and Nico snapped his neck to his knees, pulling Percy down with him.

Bang!

The back windshield was hit again and Nico yelped when a shard exploded from the glass, cutting his ungloved hand.

"W-What about you?!" he screeched. "You could get hi–"

But Nico couldn't finish the sentence as Hazel turned the wheel sharply and sent the coupé into the other lane. Her gold eyes were sharp and unblinking as she drove recklessly down the single-lane highway.

Their vehicle zoomed down the empty Interstate whipping past the town like a demon. Kronos' Monster followed in a black sports car, like its identical shadow.

They still had about two hours left to make it to–

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Gah!" Nico gasped and squinted through his eyes. He eyed the trunk camera on Hazel's monitor and its rear light lit up the front bumper of the car. His heart raced painfully as he felt the quiet purr of Hazel's car grew louder the more she pressed her boot on the accelerator.

Another chase was about to start.

"Damnit!" Hazel growled. The Monster's car was no match in terms of speed when it came to Hazel's V12 engine. But that didn't mean the girl was naïve. She tightened her glove on the wheel as she eyed the trunk cam. A car dispatched by a Monster would carry all the tricks and gear that Kronos wanted his men to.

But it wasn't like the girl wasn't packed either.

With a dark flicker from her mirrors to the oncoming road ahead, Hazel clenched her jaw and pulled off her right glove with her teeth.

"You both going to be alright back there?!" she called and Nico lifted his head just the slightest to look at her.

"Yeah!"

"Good," she replied. "'Cause I'm about to go rogue on his ass. You ready?"

And Nico looked her directly in the eye through the mirror. He shot her a determined look.

"Whenever you are," he breathed and that was enough for her.

That's when the bullets stopped for a moment as the Monster ran out of rounds and paused in his tirade to reload. So taking the opportunity, Hazel sent a quick look through the trunk cam and at her blind spot. Then with a snap of both her wrists, Hazel twisted the wheel (and the car) back into the lane ahead of the Monster.

Nico then watched her swiftly press her palm flat against the touchscreen closest to her.

Immediately, it lit up bright blue, and so did the one next to it, and the one next to it... until all the screens lit up and confirmed her handprint.

Beeep!

Suddenly, a clear visor dropped from Hazel's overhead compartment. She caught it in her hand and shoved it over her eyes. As she did, two small keyboards slid out under the screen and a program started to run and chime.

"What's–"

"Initiating ElectronicAlpha Sequence Tracker: Engagement Ready... Priority Level?"