misplaced || l. valdez

17 || leo's a firebender and everyone almost becomes schmeat

° ~ •. ♆ chapter seventeen ♆ .• ~ °
"leo's a firebender and everyone almost becomes schmeat"

Leo and Mari stopped at the doors and tried to control their breathing. The voice of the earth woman still rang in Mari's ears, telling her that she wasn't ready. Suddenly, her mind started to cave in on itself and she wanted to run away to safety.

But she couldn't just leave her friends like that. Jason and Piper were in danger, and her urge to save them overpowered her fear of what awaited them inside.

She took a deep breath and looked to Leo, who nodded. They both peered inside. Nothing looked different. Gray morning light filtered through the hole in the roof. A few lightbulbs flickered, but most of the factory floor was still lost in shadows. They could make out the catwalk above, the dim shapes of heavy machinery along the assembly line, but no movement, no sign of their friends.

Leo went to call out to them, but he stopped, looking around the warehouse for the danger. Mari quickly realized it was the smell. It was oddly familiar—  the scent of burning motor oil and sour breath stinging her nose.

Something not human was inside the factory, Mari was certain. Her body shifted into high gear, her sense heightened for the danger. Somewhere on the factory floor, Piper's voice cried out: "Mari, help!"

Mari clasped her hand to her mouth, her eyes widening in concern and fear. But something was telling her that that wasn't Piper. How could she have gotten off the catwalk with her broken ankle?

Leo slipped inside and Mari followed. They ducked behind a cargo container, and started working their way to the center by hiding behind boxes and hollow truck chassis, gripping their weapons.

Leo had reached the assembly line while Mari dashed behind another empty crate. Piper's voice called out again: "Mari? Leo?" Less certain this time, but closer than before.

Mari peeked around the crate. Hanging directly above the assembly line, suspended by a chain from a crane on the opposite side, was a massive truck engine—  just dangling thirty feet up, as if it had been left there when the factory was abandoned. Below it it on the conveyor belt sat a truck chassis, and cluster around it were three darks shapes the size of forklifts. Nearby, dangling from chains on two other robotic arms, were two smaller shapes—  maybe more engines, but one of them was twisting around as if it were alive.

Then one of the forklift shapes rose, and Mari realized it was a humanoid of massive size. "Told you it was nothing." the thing rumbled. Its voice was too deep and feral to be human.

One of the other forklift-sized lumps shifted, and called out in Piper's voice: "Leo! Mari! Help me! Help—" Then the voice changed, becoming a masculine snarl. "Bah, there's nobody out there. No demigod could be that quiet, eh?"

The first monster chuckled. "Probably ran away, if they know what's good for 'em. Or the girl was lying about two more demigods. Let's get cooking."

Snap. Mari ducked quickly, avoiding the flash. She peered out again and froze in horror as she saw a nightmare worse than death.

The two smaller things dangling from the crane arms weren't engines. They were Jason and Piper. Both hung upside down, tied by their ankles and wrapped up in chains. Piper was flailing around, trying to free herself. Her mouth was gagged, but at least she was alive. Jason didn't look as good. He hung limply, his eyes rolled up in his head. A red welt the size of an apple had swollen over his left eyebrow.