Chapter 42: Two More Enter to Meet the Enemy

Thalia's P.O.V

I stared at the swirling portal as Sammy and Zoë talked for a bit before they went inside. Thoughts and worries swirled through my mind as I watched Naomi and Stephan say something to each other before looking at us.

"You two coming," Stephan asked with a smirk as Naomi smiled

"You bet," Bianca said as she took a step forward but I grabbed her wrist

"We'll catch up with you in a minute, I need to talk to her for a bit," I said with a smile

Naomi smiled back, "Okay Thaly," she began as she stole her sister's nickname for me. "Don't be too long, you'll miss all the fun," she finished before she and Stephan stepped through the portal

"Don't plan on it," I said with a smirk as Bianca turned to me

"What's up," she asked with a grin

"Don't hide that worry B," I muttered as I grabbed at my arms and rubbed them down. "I know how worried you are about Zoë and Sammy," I paused, "and I share that worry."

Her face fell once I finished, "You're right," she began pausing to look at the portals before speaking once more. "Sammy is her anchor in all of this," she finally said

"How can you tell," I asked as I looked up at the eyes that she inherited from our father

Bianca sighed, "She had us as an anchor when her parents died," she began, "that's why she tried to stay as close as possible to us before CPS found out she was with you. Even before she was forced to move here she tried her best to stay with us so she could feel at least some comfort. I can't imagine everything she tried to do to contact us once she was here, something must have caused her to give up."

"What if it was the abusive foster home," I asked, remembering what Zoë told me about her second foster family. "Do you think they took away any contact that she would've had aside from being able to call them?"

"That's what I was thinking," she began as she tore her gaze from the portal and looked back at me. "If she had that reaction with losing Sammy then I hate to think what kind of thought process she had about losing us."

"You haven't told me the answer to my last question when we talked last B," I began, "do you want to continue being together?"

"Even with us being sisters," Bianca asked her eyes wide

"I mean doesn't incest kind of run throughout Greek and Roman history," I asked causing her to chuckle. "I can't bear the thought of losing you as my partner," I added as she grinned

"I think some people up there didn't care for that sentiment," Bianca remarked just as thunder rumbled. "But an answer to that would be yes," she looked back at me from the sky, "I can't bear the thought of losing you either."

"You wanna tell them after we're out of this," I asked with a shy smile, "I mean this has been going on for a little longer than those two and they don't even know it yet."

I started blabbering and putting my worries about everything right then and there. My worries about our relationship, Sammy and Zoë getting through this, even if Sammy dies once more. I even mentioned how I was unsure she was even heading to rebirth but Bianca soon pressed her lips against mine silencing me momentarily.

"I have those worries too," she began once we parted, "but we need to worry about getting through the now which means going through whatever training he puts us through."

I licked my lips as worry and fear built up inside of me

I wasn't afraid of what everyone would think about us

I was afraid of the future, "Right," I began as I looked back at the portal left open for us, "together?"

"Together," she said with a grin before gently turning my head to face her, "don't die on me before we meet up again."

I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her into a kiss, my worries and fear melting away in the moment as I had felt her grab my hips. "I don't plan on it," I said with a smirk once I parted from her

"See you on the other side my Shining Light," she said as I chuckled at the nickname she gave me from high school

"I still need to get a nickname for you," I muttered with a pout causing her to chuckle. "But I'll see you on the other side of the war," I finished quoting the lyric from the musical that helped us reunite with our friend.

"See you on the other side of the war," she shot back at me as we stepped through, our hands clasped together as we walked through the portal

"Raise a glass to freedom," I sang back at her as I felt her grip loosen

"Something they can never take away," she sang back as I lost the anchor of her hand

"No matter what they tell you," I said as it hung in the air before I crumbled to my knees and started crying. "Why does this have to happen once we get her back," I cried, "why can't we just have a normal life with our friend and the Hamilton cast? I am done having to worry about the life and safety of my friends. I just want them with me." Memories flashed to the forefront of my mind; they were memories of me reading letters from Sammy about the guild. She never told me of the two people she had to kill but her silence was something that told me she was not happy about it. "Can't you just give them a break for once," I began as I shouted into the distance, "she got away from that guild and now you're causing them to hunt her down. She got away from abusive foster homes just to be faced with death and the fear of losing someone else she cares about. I want their life to be peaceful, not tormented like this."

"That can be arranged," Chaos' voice said behind me, I turned to see the man that I last saw in front of the portals. "Surprised," he asked as I stepped back rotating my wrists, "no need for those just yet I come in peace," he added as the daggers appeared in my hands

"What do you want," I growled looking into his purple eyes, he was built as the Chaos gimmick that he had used to lure us in here but instead of the usual garb that he wore for it he was clad in ripped jeans and a tight purple shirt

"A gift and an offering," he began, "I don't think introductions shall be necessary at this time am I correct?"

"What is your offer End," I asked as I stared the creator's brother down

"Luke is fighting off Kronos' control," he began, "it was a pain to order him to attack that Valdez and that was after sending the giant through the borders. Kronos needs another host to be at my side, and this is where one of you comes into play."

"What are you offering with me being the host to Kronos," I asked as I rotated my wrists once more to expand my senses searching for any water

End smirked as his purple eyes shown in the darkness, what is it with this world and abnormal eye coloring?

"Why the safety of your friends and family of course," he began, "we'd keep Percy and Annabeth alive as well as the Valdez parents. You get to keep your secret girlfriend as well as all the Valdez's and Zoë as well as getting to meet your brother."

"I have a brother?"

End's gaze turned toward me once more, "You were told of this earlier were you not?"

I bit my lip; Zoë had told us that someone had guided us and who it was but I couldn't remember if she told us who it was. "I don't remember whether or not we were told, I have a feeling Zoë could've told me but the memory isn't coming up."

"I will give you time to consider it," he said with a bow

"What's this gift," I asked as I watched his every movement as his head snapped up while his torso was still horizontal in the bow

"Ah yes," he began, "I almost forgot about it," he paused, "everyone here will get this," he began once more. "Jacksons, Valdezs, and even the legacies who have yet to join us but you will be the first to get it."

"Do you swear an Oath that everyone will get this present including Sammy and Zoë?"

"I shall swear on my name that everyone will get this," he said as I smiled, "are you ready for it?"

"Aye," I said referencing an anime that I enjoyed with Zoë

End sighed as I smiled, "I figure if you join me I will be getting a lot of references from the mortal world."

"You bet," I said with a smirk as he chuckled, "what's this gift?"

End smirked, "Why the power to control every element in the universe," he answered nonchalantly as my jaw dropped. "It'll strengthen your power over any liquids that you get from being Percy's child but it also gives you control of the other elements."

"Fire, Earth, Wind," I began thinking aloud, "light and dark included?"

He nodded, "Do you accept?"

"Most definitely," I said suddenly I felt power enter my body, "about that offer," I began as he turned to leave, "how do I reach you if we get out of this before I make my decision?"

"Make a rainbow," he began, "toss this coin in, and don't say anything until I answer."

I caught the coin, "And just call you if the decision is made here?"

"Be sure to call Chaos in the case that you're with one of them and speak of it as a deal," he said with a smirk, "understand?"

"Yeah," I began, "one more thing."

"What?"

"If nobody joins will you kill Sammy," I asked

"We'll see how everything plays out," he began, "do we have a deal? If so say deal and when you want to become the host flip the coin and ask for Kronos instead."

"It's a deal," I said, "I plan to become host somewhere where they won't expect it."

He smirked, "Then so be it," he said before melting into the shadows, "your preparations shall begin now. Fight well my friend," he said before I felt his presence be replaced by monsters and a cloud lift over me

"You bet I will," I said before I unleashed all my powers and went to town with every monster. Within a minute I was covered in gold dust and panting as I slowed to a stop from the earth jet ski. "That was a lot more power than I thought," I muttered as I looked around the darkened room for any stragglers

"What were you thinking when you accepted End's help," Bianca's voice asked behind me. "He is all-powerful, I already joined him," she added as I looked up into the darkness and furrowed my brow

"No second thoughts," I asked as I thought back to a conversation that we had a day or so before this

"No second thoughts," she replied, "Sweetheart, turn around and look at me," she requested and I could feel charmspeak working at my mind. "I want to look at your beautiful face," she added as I sighed

Whatever this monster is, its goal is to look me in the eyes and try to kill while impersonating my girlfriend, I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and turned around. "How did you get here," I asked as I worked on sensing where the fake Bianca could be

Having an idea, I reached out with my senses to see particles all around me, realizing these were water particles I strengthened my senses to almost gasp in shock. "End wanted me to train with you so he shortened our training so we could learn to fight together, isn't that wonderful? Why aren't you looking at me," she asked

"That's great," I began as I took in some of the details of the mist figure, "End has me working on my senses with water so I'm required to train with my eyes closed."

I stopped working on the mist figure when her hair started to move and I mentally groaned, "Well let's hope that your senses are good so you don't decapitate me."

That only confirmed my suspicions as to who this was and that it most certainly was not my girlfriend, "About that," I began as I willed the darkness to cover the monster's eyes so I could open them. "You're not Bianca," I growled as I swiped at her head. "You're Medusa," I said as she ducked

"You're not the only one with senses that can pinpoint actions of others," she growled as she shrunk back as I had expected

"There's a thing you should note," I began, "decapitation isn't the only thing that kills people," I finished as I watched her trip over the rock that I had raised from the ground. "How about several stabs in the gut," I said as I dropped my sword and rotated my wrists. "I know you aren't immune to that," I growled as I dropped to my knees, "this pain is what you'll get for trying to imitate my girlfriend," I added before I started stabbing at the monster's stomach. With each stab that I made the monster screamed in pain until it eventually died down bringing me back to the silence as I lifted my hand and closed its eyes before I removed the darkness that was covering them. Finally, I wept as I felt a sting in my gut and pain in my head as if I had a splitting headache.

I staggered to my feet as I kept crying realizing how similar Medusa looked compared to Bianca. Everything was the same aside from the snake hair that she is well-known for. Soon I found a fountain that I dunked my head in relieving the pain before I looked at my reflection.

"No," I cried as I looked at my reflection to see myself looking back at me but there was one thing different compared to when I walked into this damned place

I had a scar going from the top of my head to just past my left eye, stopping across from my nose.

Bianca's P.O.V

"Beautifully done Miss Jackson," a voice said as I bit back tears from finishing the song that Thalia and I had begun before entering

"Thank you Chaos," I answered as I sensed someone behind me, "what brings you here?"

"An offer that I have given everyone that has entered the training area and all but one have decline," he replied as I turned to see him

I pressed my lips together, "What is this offer," I asked as looked him in the eyes that shone like the galaxy

Chaos smirked, "Join me," he began and I shook my head

"Most have declined," I repeated with a smirk, "and why should I join the enemy when you're threatening to kill my sister's girlfriend?"

Chaos' lips thinned into a line, "I could save her," he began with a grumble, "but if you choose not to join me then so be it. Good luck on your training," he added with a sneer

Before he left I saw a flash of purple that made my heart stop, "We'll find a way to save her," I shot at him as he disappeared

"That's if you get through this training," he shot back just as I felt something leave my body. "We'll see if you survive Miss Jackson," he finished just as a hellhound jumped me

I had managed to keep it from biting me as I pushed it off bringing up a sword to slice its head off. "Come on," I yelled to the monster that I saw appearing in front of me just as some cloud was lifted from me. Soon enough monsters swarmed me as I started fighting them in a whirlwind of attacks. Slashing and stabbing at everything that tried to kill me, mist forms of demigods dispersed into the darkness whether I stabbed at them with a dagger or decapitated them as I did with the hellhound. Soon, I noticed the golden powder that the monsters dissolved in started flying around me shredding each monster before they went through it. Eventually, I didn't sense anything aside from the tornado around me, "what are you," I asked aloud as I willed it to slow down. The dust, as I remembered it, was darker than I first remembered seeing it. "The dust is wet," I breathed in shock as I inspected it closely, "but by what?"

"What do you think it would be my dear," a voice asked, causing me to release the hold on the golden tornado that went in the direction the voice came from. "Why must you attack me," it asked as I struggled to regain control and sense where the voice was coming from but to no avail

"Where are you," I growled, "I wasn't trying to attack you by any means but please tell me who you are and where you are."

"You already know who I am," she began, "how could you not recognize your Shining Light's voice?"

I froze as I closed my eyes, working on dispelling the tornado that was running rampant around us and finding the being who's claiming to be my new girlfriend. Eventually, the tornado disappeared and I felt the figure as her form appeared a lot taller than I remember her being. She was also walking with a limp which threw me off, "I may recognize her voice," I began as I opened my eyes and saw the monster in front of me. "But your imitation of that voice and her looks are terrible."

The Empousa growled at me, "At least my job isn't to convince you that I am."

With that, she put her arms on my shoulders as I worked on freezing her body I rotated one of my wrists. "If you were you're doing a terrible impression because I can easily do this," I began stabbing her in the gut with my dagger before uncapping a pen. I watched as she staggered in shock as I was unable to keep my hold on her

"You think one stab in the gut is going to kill me," the monster growled, "even your puny mother did more than that."

"I wasn't done Kelli," I said as I lifted the sword which was fully formed, and swiped it straight down into her skull stopping at the monster's nose. "Have fun in Tartarus," I said as she crumbled to dust, and pain erupted from my stomach. I looked at my stomach and saw that scars littered it, "no," I whispered before I started running into the darkness, tears running down my cheek.