robinnest | Children of Hades

[ mal recognizes the stranger too. her fingers begin to itch for her spell book, but before she can even reach for her bag, the woman is lunging at them, and nico's sword has sliced into the stranger's arm, and the woman— ]

What the hell is that?! [ mal screams.

the monster—this is what nico meant, this is what he was talking about—charges, claws extended. mal does not think. ] No! [ her arm catches nico in the stomach, shoving him behind her. instinct has her raise her hands.

the green fireball smashes the monster into the stairs, twisting the metal like clay. mal stares at her hands in disbelief. her gloves are unburnt, her jewelry intact. yet she felt it. she felt the heat pool in her palms, explode through her skin. without an incantation, she summoned fire. ]

How—

Edited 2019-09-13 22:02 (UTC)

[Nico is prepared for a lot of things to happen in the fight. He's prepared for the wolf to charge or maybe even transform (can they transform during the day? He doesn't remember but he's prepared for it just in case.) He's also prepared for it to pull out a weapon or call on friends. What he is not prepared for is for his amazing lovely sister to shove him down the stairs. He lets out a panicked yelp and tumbles back gracelessly, coming to a stop when he reaches the next landing with several new bumps and bruises.

What the fuck just happened???

A moment later he gets over his shock, remembering that Mal is still up there fighting and now surrounded by flames. He jumps to his feet immediately, wincing at a twinge in his ankle.]

She's a werewolf! Don't let her bite or scratch you! Find something silver! [And after shouting his instructions, he begins to hobble slowly back up the stairs.]

What?

[ mal has no time to look for nico. she watches in stunned disbelief as, under the burnt and ruined clothes, the burns close on the werewolf's body. the monster, annoyed now after having been roasted and thrown like a doll, comes after her with a snarl. mal barely manages to dodge, feeling the furious swipe of deadly claws in the air above her head. she backs away, but there is no space inside the stairwell. her shoulder hits the copper wall of the statue's body hard.

out the corner of her eye, mal catches sight of nico coming back up the stairs and fear grips her chest. she cannot let nico get hurt. the werewolf comes after her again. in her panic, she can only remember one spell. ]

Twist of hand, and twist of fate, leave the ground and levitate!

[ outside, the monster would have floated above them, furious and impotent. inside the statue of liberty, a ton of fur crashes into the stairs above with a resonating bang!

it drops back down as mal retreats down the stairs, patting herself for anything silver. everything on her, her necklace, her ring, the hand-flower, is either gold or platinum. she is struggling for the transmutation spell she used in mcdonald's to change aluminum to gold when her fingers brush her pocket. jutting out her hand, mal lets out a joyful cry.

on her palm lies the silver keychain shaped like the statue of liberty she had reflexively pocketed when no one was looking. the werewolf above her roars. mal's eyes glow green. ]

We've had enough of this tiring part, now punch my enemy through the heart!

[ the werewolf jumps her. the keychain shoots upward like a bullet from a gun. it cleaves straight through the monster in mid-air. the keychain's ring stabs into the wall of the statue. the werewolf explodes in dust. ]

[Nico is having a lot of thoughts currently, like: "Wow, that was cool," "We should probably do something about that fire," and "She couldn't have levitated me down the stairs?" None of which he voices. Instead, he watches the werewolf dust disperse in the air and stands there uselessly, his heart still thundering in his chest from when the wolf had jumped at Mal and for a terrifying moment he didn't know what to do. Thankfully Mal had figured it out because Nico had frozen—mentally at least, he'd continued charging up the stairs but if he wasn't going to reach them in time a lot of good that would have done.

When he finally reaches the top of the stairs he eyes the green flames still licking up the walls for only a moment before pulling Mal into his arms. With his head buried in her hair it almost sounds like he's choking or holding back tears, but after another moment it becomes very clear that he is laughing.]

I can't believe you threw me down the stairs...[He manages between snickers ] and then completely wrecked the werewolf with a keychain. [Truly, they are siblings.]

[Belatedly, still chuckling a little] Are you okay?

No! [ as the adrenaline rush subsides, mal starts shaking. she still has an arm around nico's waist. she has no recollection of having grabbed him, but her hand fists the back of his shirt.

anyone might have thought her afraid. but it is not fear taking her voice an octave higher than normal. ]

Look at me! [ she sweeps at her hair. monster dust forms a cloud. ] I'm covered! I'm going to be getting werewolf out of my hair for a week! What in Lucifer's name was that thing even doing here?!

[In spite of her complaint, Nico can feel Mal's shaking and realizes she's maybe more upset about everything else then she's letting on. In response, he gives her a gentle squeeze. ]

Monsters target half bloods, and ones like us—children of the elder gods—are especially powerful and bigger targets because of it. It probably followed us here.

[The faint sound of voices reaches him and he glances over his shoulder. After a moment of hesitation, he grabs her hand and begins leading her down the stairs. Mal's already shaken, he doesn't want to put her through his shadow travel weakness on top of it and he doesn't have any ambrosia with him.]

We need to get out of here, I'll explain more when we're safe. [Just as he finishes speaking, a pair of security officers comes charging up, guns drawn, and Nico does something he isn't even sure he can do. He closes his eyes, concentrates, and the officers' eyes pass over them not unlike they had when Mal got them in. The officers keep going and Nico watches after, a little shocked that it had worked. He doesn't manipulate the mist very often, though he's heard it's much easier to do in a chaotic situation like this. Apparently that was true.]

[ mal looks wide-eyed from nico's back to the officers running past them. when nico starts back down the stairs, she stops on the third step. ]

Wait. We can't go. [ she turns around again. the walls are blackened by the fire, the stairs destroyed. the metal is warped. above them, she hears shouts echoing from the people trapped above them. ]

We can't leave it like this. We have to help. [ not waiting for an answer, she scrambles to find her spell book. she rips through the pages so fast it's a wonder she does not rip them out. the book shakes in her hands. ] I can fix this. I know I can fix this—

[ she tries to read, but the letters swim before her, changing places, reversing shape. she has to read the first line three times before it makes sense, and she lets out a half-choked cry of frustration. ]

Edited 2019-09-15 02:28 (UTC)

[It's not part of the normal demigod routine and it freezes him where he stands. It isn't that he wouldn't like to help, it's just that it's usually not an option. For one he didn't have any powers that could help repair the damage. Mal though. Mal does, and he nods at her, moving back to her side. When she begins to tear through her book though, he reaches out, setting a hand over the one turning the pages.]

Hey, it's okay. Mal. [His fingers wrap around hers and he squeezes. He isn't sure if it's the adrenaline and fear from the fight or if she's feeling rushed but he wants to help.]

It's okay. Take a deep breath for me.

[ her head snaps toward him with a glare. for a second, she seems like she's about to tell him exactly where to shove that breath. in the next, she squeezes her eyes shut. her shoulders lift as she inhales.

mal pulls her hand free. she traces the spell in the book with her finger as she reads. ]

Please let me be on time, [ she whispers to literally any god who might be listening. louder, she commands, ] Time stop!

[ her eyes flash green. the air around them abruptly feels heavy. a strange electric sensation raises goosebumps on her skin. the spell fights her. this is the first time she has ever tried something so big, and the effort is almost more than she can bear. through clenched teeth, she finishes, ] Turn the clock back to the top.

[ as soon as the last word is spoken, mal drops. the spell book falls from her grasp. she does not see the stairs straighten, the metal regain its shape, the walls wiped clean. even the shouting stops, though a new voice soon cries out, "what the hell!"

mal presses a hand to her chest. ]

Okay, [ she manages weakly. ] Now we go.

[His heartbeat skips when she falls, and he catches her before she hits the floor, letting the book fall with a thud. He barely notices the spell's effects, instead focused entirely on Mal. Exhaustion, he's sure, from a spell that big. He doesn't need to know anything about spells to know what power drain looks like.]

Okay. [Twisted ankle be damned, after grabbing her book and slipping it into her bag, Nico lifts Mal as well, adjusting her until he's giving her a careful piggyback ride. It's like that he descends the rest of the way down (picking up the key chain that had landed at his feet after the spell and pocketing it for later.) The mist wards off unwanted attention and Nico doesn't stop until they reach a street a ways off from the Statue. Only there does he set Mal down, and only so that he can pull out his sword to stab it into the ground, his eyes closing as he summons a friend.

Moments later an old fashioned state car pulls up in front of them and Nico helps Mal into the backseat sectioned off from the front like a limo. A basket with a few water bottles and candy bars lays to the side and Nico grabs one of each for Mal, handing her the water first.]

'M fine, [ mal mumbles, waving away the bottle of the water.

the strange sense of malaise lingers, but it's starting to lift somewhat. her head still feels heavy to her, and it is with a not inconsiderable amount of relief that she lets it drop onto the back of the seat. she passes a hand over her face. a deep breath helps ground her once more, and she opens her eyes to find the world is no longer tilting dramatically.

and to discover that she is in a car.

mal frowns at it like it insulted her. ]

Where are we?

[After giving her another once over, Nico knocks at the window that separates them from the driver and the panel slides down with a soft buzz. Behind the driver's seat, there is a zombie wearing a chauffeur's hat.]

Jules Albert, this is Mal. Mal, this is Jules Albert, my driver. Um. Dad told me I can call on him when I need him. I thought it would be a good idea to let him drive us back to Camp. [After they make one important pit stop of course.]

How are you feeling? [In lieu of the water, he passes her a candy.]

Edited 2019-09-15 04:05 (UTC)

[ that sure is a zombie.

mal is too stunned to do much else than lift her hand and wave at jules-albert through the rearview mirror. mechanically, she takes the candy bar without looking away from their 100% dead driver.

after a second, she realizes nico asked her something. ] What?

[Jules Albert waves back and then closes the panel again to focus on driving. Mostly because there's a BMW in the lane next to him that he knows is trying to cut him off and he'll be damned if he lets that happen.

Meanwhile Nico is glad to see Mal more responsive and taking the candy bar which helps to answer his question.]

You're starting to feel better? That was a crazy powerful spell you used back there.

Yeah, I don't think it liked me very much. I should have… [ her eyes widen in horror. ] My spell book!

[ she sits up abruptly: a mistake. she leans over with a groan, clutching her head. she is about to faint. she has never fainted before, but she is about to now. she presses her forehead to her knees. ]

Edited 2019-09-15 04:25 (UTC)

Your book is safe, I grabbed it. [Nico digs through the basket with candy and water and—yes, thank you Dad—his hand closes around a bar of ambrosia. He breaks off a piece and closes Mal's fingers around it, his other hand at her back.]

Eat this, it will help, I promise.

[ mal does as she's told. to her surprise, the taste of strawberries fills her mouth. by the time she swallows, she no longer feels as light headed. carefully, she straightens. no dizziness.

her power still feels low, but a manageable level now. and physically she no longer feels like the statue of liberty fell on top of her. she turns to nico in surprise. ]

What was that?

Ambrosia, the food of the gods. It heals us. [With a guilty look he adds] I should have brought some with me so you didn't have to wait.

[He nods at her bag then] I put your book in there.

[Nico's quiet for another second and then his hand lands back on her shoulder.] That was crazy, Mal.

[All of it. The spell, her trying to keep him safe, the attack.] Are you actually okay? I mean, about everything that just happened.

[He hasn't forgotten how shaken she'd been after the initial fight or how determined to fix it.]

[ mal’s cheeks dimple when she smiles. ] Why wouldn’t I be? [ she pats nico’s hand. ]

I’m sorry for worrying you. [ she continues wryly, ] Occupational risk of spells I’ve never practiced. It won’t happen again. And not just because I’m tapped out magic-wise right now.

[ it would have been more convincing were she not still exceedingly pale ( even for her ); if she could relax her hold on her wristlet, pressed to her lap; if she were not trying just a little too hard to maintain that everything is fine. ]

[It would also be more convincing if Nico wasn't expert level at "I'm fine" and didn't know how to recognize it so well. He doesn't push though, knows from personal experience that questioning her on it is likely to only prove frustrating for both of them. Instead, he scoots closer to her, hesitating for a second before laying his head on her shoulder. He hopes that it'll help her to come down.

After a long moment of companionable silence he speaks up, careful to keep his voice worry free.]

Was that the first monster you've ever fought?

[ it worked. his closeness worked. already so accustomed to his presence that it feels strange to be without it, mal relaxed beside him, after a moment resting her head on his. her entire body breathed a sigh of relief.

then he asks her about the first monster she faced and she does not so much tense as turn completely rigid. not a girl anymore, but an alabaster statue: lovely and pale and extremely brittle. ]

I met one before, [ she admits. she does not elaborate. ]

Edited 2019-09-15 17:33 (UTC)

[The second he feels her tense, Nico regrets it. He should have known better. Demigod lives being what they are, he should have known better. Mal does not elaborate and Nico doesn't ask. If she ever wants to tell him, she can tell him when she's ready.]

I've fought werewolves before, [He starts casually, changing the subject] The silver thing is really annoying. Who even carries silver? [Not any demigods he knows, that's for sure.]

Hey, do you know how to use a weapon? Aside from magic.

[ the stiff line of her shoulders relaxes a little. grateful for the change of the topic, she grabs onto it. ]

Pity we lost the keychain. I could have magicked it into a pocket knife or something.

At least this survived. [ she reaches up to tug at his crown, miraculously still on his head. ]

[He'd forgotten all about it until she tugs on it and horror washes over his face. Nico immediately tugs the offending crown off of his head and stares at it in his hands, aiming his ire at it directly and shaking his head.]

How? [He doesn't even have the presence of mind to tell her that he saved the keychain, he's far too distracted.]

It was meant to be, [ she teases. ] You realize you can never get rid of that now.

[ memory of their first visit to the statue of liberty: steal someone else's tickets, kill a werewolf, wreck the interior of the statue, walk out with an indestructible green foam crown. ]

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