He nodded, face strained as columns of sunlight flowed from his palms and wrapped what looked like a lasso around the black mass in the sky. Once it was secured completely around it, he pulled hard, turning the light into a taut rope.
“Need help?” Crius asked as he came up behind Hyperion with Koios. They grabbed his forearms, helping him pull the black mass closer.
As I peered at the giant blob that was War, I saw … faces … and heard screaming coming from the inky black surface.
Fuck. That thing is going to go inside of me?
I’d need to shower off immediately afterward, and by shower off I meant remove my skin, send it out for dry cleaning, and then hopefully get it back in tiptop shape.
Rhea popped in front of us onto the White House lawn, blowing icy frigid air at the mass, assisting in her way to get it closer to us. War was shrinking, hissing, screaming, and fucking terrifying. In that same instant, Cronus appeared, wearing an expression like nothing I’d ever seen before. The storms above, the black War tentacles … they had nothing on the Titan storming his way toward us.
“Maisey, now!” Hyperion yelled, distracting me. Shit, if I let Cronus get his hands on me, we were all fucked. I’d be whisked away to the end of the universe.
“Don’t do it, Maisey,” Cronus shouted, blinking again, no doubt ready to land on top of me this time.
I wasted not another moment, slamming my hand onto the wispy black end of a War tentacle that danced before me. Hyperion had almost gotten me close enough. Almost.
#BeBrave #IsThereTacoBellInTheUnderworld
I jumped forward as Hyperion's hand smashed into my chest, taking the tip of the tentacle and forcing it into the necklace just as Cronus appeared, power shooting from him, freezing everything around us.
Except me.
Hyperion stopped moving, as did Rhea, a blast of icy air half way out of her fingertips.
It was too late to stop me though. War was coming home. Cronus didn’t have the power to stop that.
I gasped as frigid cold hit my bones. The rest of the massive ball of Sin screeched, trying to pull away. I was thrown forward as War flopped me around like I was on the back of a bucking horse. Cronus was attempting to get to me, but the energy of the Sin must have held him back. With a frustrated curse, he released his hold on time itself, and all of the Titans lurched into action again like they’d never stopped.
“Maisey!” Hyperion roared, pushing forward. He couldn’t get to me either though, and looked thoroughly confused about how I’d gotten so far from him.
I didn’t see what else happened next, because I was once again flying through the sky. This time I was determined not to let this bastard go. Come on, you motherfucker. Come to mama.
Using my powers, I wrapped my arms around the thick black cord that was hanging out of my necklace. So far, only a small section was trapped. I needed to make sure the rest followed.
Sick dread filled my stomach as I pulled War into the necklace inch by inch. The blob hissed and smoked; the tips of it burned red hot, small flames flickering to life.
When War lowered me close to the ground, I could see Rhea shooting ice blasts at the fiery parts to cool them. Koios and Crius still used their powers to help usher War my way. Hyperion and Cronus were locked in some sort of murderous conversation, each of them looking more furious by the second.
Finally, with a battle cry, I yanked the most of the remaining chunk of War into my chest and was dropped from five feet into the air. I slammed my ass down on the green lawn, a three-foot tentacle still hanging out of the necklace.
“Maisey,” Cronus shouted, swinging away from his friend. With one blast of his hand, he tore a twenty-foot strip of the tall iron fence away to get to me. “Don’t move. I’m coming to help, love.”
My head felt heavy as I tried to answer; words seemed to be beyond me. I tried to stand but my legs collapsed under me.
Everything was so cold that my teeth chattered, but the sky … I looked up and smiled at the sky because the sun was peeking through the blue clouds and the blackness was retreating. We were winning.
“I’m fine,” I whispered, a smile on my face. I felt so light and free.
A blur to my right caught my attention. I was shocked to see Thanatos standing there. He was wearing a black cloak, looking at me sadly.
My mind was going hazy. #WhyIsTheGodOfDeathHere #ISaidTitansAssemble #YouCantSitWithUs
Another blur to my left and my stuttering heartbeat picked up when I spotted Cronus at Thanatos’ side.
“No!” he was shouting, the force of his roar shaking the windows of the White House and ripping cracks in the cement. Suddenly, a green puff of smoke flared onto the lawn. What the...? Another very important being had found her way to the Titan’s party.
Narida, standing tall even with a face tight with worry, held a potion bottle in her hand with green smoke swirling out of it. Cronus glanced at the crone, said something short, and she nodded once.
I was too far gone to worry about what they’d said though. This was my swan song. My final moment. “I love y—” I tried to choke out, knowing this might be the last thing I said to him. A surge of frustrated annoyance rose up inside of me. I’d been so sure I was strong enough, but I only got fucking halfway through the nine. I was going to die, release the fucking sins, and they’d be back to square one.
I was a waste.
The last of War slammed into my chest, and pain like I’d never felt before ripped into my body. I was being blown to pieces, burned alive, sliced in half. Horrifying screams assaulted
