A BLACK HEART

A BRUTAL FIGHT WITH A KITTY!

A BLACK HEART Chapter 5
A/N:- So... here's the fifth chapter of "A Black Heart" I hope you like it! Enjoy!

Something enormous bounded up the ramp. It was the size of a pick-up truck, with silver claws and golden glittering fur.

"Shit," Thalia exclaimed. "The Nemean Lion!"

Bianca, Phoebe, and Zoe readied their bows, which appeared out of nowhere with arrows knocked on the target.

Thalia took out her mace and shield, which Percy still didn't like as Hector uncapped Riptide and it transformed into a 3 foot long celestial bronze sword while Percy just sighed and readied his fists, not bothering to use swords for this fight.

Mr. Lion roared again, showcasing it's shining and gleaming fangs, which were sure to pierce through actual steel.

"Distract the beast." Zoe said.

"Until when?" Percy asked.

"Until I think of a way to kill it, NOW FUCKING RUN!" Zoe said and they all charged at the one thing that could kill them all, like insane maniacs, but in the end of the day, that's what they all were!

Insane maniacs charging in the face of danger.

Hector rolled to the left, while Percy rolled to right, giving the hunters free space to shoot.

Zoe and Bianca were climbing up the Apollo capsule to gain more height, while Phoebe shot arrows at the beast from the ground level, trying to pierce the impenetrable hide as all arrows shattered harmlessly off the invincible pelt of the lion.

Thalia stepped in between and shoved Aegis in the Nemean Lion's face pushing it back.

The lion roared loudly as Percy sprinted forward and then turned to the right. Hector was running towards the beast with Riptide in his hands.

Hector slashed at it with the magical sword, but it just deflected harmlessly of the impenetrable pelt of the lion. Then the lion slashed at Hector with it's claws, but just before they could make contact with his skin, a huge force pushed the monster to the side.

Everyone looked surprised and turned in the opposite direction to see the son of Hades standing on the ledge, his hands in a throwing gesture.

Percy had thrown a big airplane model at the Big Bad Lion, and while it didn't do anything, it was enough force to push the Nemean Lion off balance, making it fall down and before it could come up, a silver arrow sprouted out of its eyeball.

Zoe had wasted no time in nocking an arrow and shooting it straight into the gooey nastiness of the lion's eye as the monster screamed in pain, losing its grip on the staircase and tumbled back on the tiled floor, lying still as everyone held their breaths.

"Is it dead?" Hector asked, meekly.

But, of course, the big cat had to prove this pesky human wrong. With an enraged howl, it got back up to its feet, roaring loudly.

"Shit!" Hector exclaimed loudly as they jumped to the sides to avoid the frantic flailing of the lion's paws in anger.

"Bad kitty!" Percy exclaimed as he grabbed a big globe from the side exhibit and threw it straight at the lion's face, making it even more furious.

"I don't really think you should've done that," Phoebe said lightly, as she nocked another arrow and let go of it at the pink nose of the beast.

"Well, I shouldn't have done a lot of things," Percy said, dodging the big blue ball that was coming back at him. "But still, here I am."

Saying that the son of Hades foolishly ran toward the lion, dodging some of the attacks by the monster's paws as he grabbed the fur on its legs and started climbing up.

"What the fuck are thou doing, Percy?" Zoe asked as Hector started running up the stairs to come to the same level as the Monster-Demigod duo.

Percy had successfully reached the lion's back and tried to stand on it shakily as the lion started jumping up and down, obviously not pleased with its rider.

"Percy!" Hector screamed as he grabbed his sword and threw it like a javelin straight at the Nemean Lion's good eye.

The son of Hades dodged the strike and caught the monster's mane as it howled loudly, shaking its head as if trying to get rid of the son of Hades first and then think of the sword in its eye.

Of course, Percy's grip wasn't going to hold on forever as with one final jerk, it threw the demigod in the backward direction.

Percy slipped off the lion's body onto the unforgiving floor, skidding across the tiles and crashing into the divider to protect the exhibits from human touch. The small wall cracked but the son of Hades was sure that something inside him had cracked as well.

"Shit!" It was Bianca's turn to curse as the lion turned on them.

"I shouldn't have done that!" Hector exclaimed as he jumped from the side of the ledge, running towards the rest of the team.

Groaning as his body protested any movement, Percy sat up from where he collided with the divider. The Nemean Lion soon turned toward him, hearing the noise that had escaped his mouth.

Too dazed to recognize his surroundings, the son of Hades sat on the ground, wondering what in hell had just happened as the monster bounded in his direction.

"LOOK OUT!" Thalia exclaimed.

Those words ringed in Percy's head as his eyesight cleared at the last moment, giving him only five to six seconds to react, something which he had to do fast.

He looked back at the hunters and a silent look of understanding passed between him and Zoe, who nodded, nocking another arrow in her bow.

Percy turned around and placed an arm forward as a black spear formed in his hand, driving it straight through the roof of its open mouth.

The monster roared and slashed wildly as it fell back and instantly more than half-a-dozen silver arrows filled the mouth of the poor lion.

The Nemean Lion thrashed wildly and fell forward, right on the son of Hades. And then it was still.

Zoe led the hunters as they ran down to the spot where a mass of brownish, gold fur was lying. But as they watched, it turned to pure gold. The golden form, now nothing more than mere dust, blew away harmlessly in the breeze, leaving a glimmering pelt on the floor.

Frantically, Bianca started looking for her brother, searching the entire area for the son of Hades.

Nothing moved.

They stopped at the edge of the blanket-sized pelt as they looked for any signs of anything living under the lion's skin and fallen rocks.

"He was a great boy," Phoebe said, a little sadness seeping into her voice. "I'm going to miss him."

"Wait," Zoe said as she stared intently at the pelt for a few seconds before she gasped. "It moved!"

Everyone turned around on their heels, looking at the skin incredulously. Sure enough, it was moving.

Soon, a voice came from beneath the pelt. "Wake me up when September ends."

Thalia snorted as she walked forward, grabbing the lion's skin and pulling it back. "Its December, ghost head."

"Did you really have to choose that nickname, Sparky?" Percy asked as he groaned, sitting up.

Hector quickly ran towards the son of Hades, followed by Zoe and Bianca and finally Phoebe.

"Percy! Are you okay?" Hector asked.

"I have a killer headache, man," Percy groaned as he massaged his temples. "Please let me sleep for a while?"

Zoe shook her head. "A headache comes and goes. Are thou really injured?"

"I told you I have a headache," Percy said, louder. "Does that count as an injury?"

Zoe shook her head as she placed her hand on the demigod's chest, making him wince.

"You really are a bad liar brother," Bianca said as she grabbed the lieutenant her hunting knife.

"Alright maybe, I am hurt?" Percy said deliriously as he lied back as Zoe cut the demigod's shirt, careful not to slice his skin open, revealing the mess of his chest.

"Shit," Phoebe exclaimed as she saw the body of the kid. The skin of the demigod's chest was pretty tan, littered with a few white lines. But tracing from his right collarbone, over his heart to his shoulder was the worst wound Hector had seen.

"Just throw a little water on it," Percy said, gesturing to the seven inches long wound from which scarlet syrup and a green sticky liquid was oozing out. "I'll be fine."

Hector just looked at him incredulously as Phoebe supplied fresh white bandages to the lieutenant.

Zoe took out a canteen of nectar from her magical huntress pouch, and poured the magical liquid on the entire length of the injury as the son of Hades groaned.

"It burns!" Percy exclaimed as the huntress took out a needle from the pocket and started stitching the wound together after the bleeding had stopped enough.

"What's the green stuff?" Thalia asked questioningly.

"Poison," Phoebe replied. "Lady Artemis was right."

"What do you mean?" Hector asked.

"Lady had lied, the toxin wasn't water hemlock. It was something much dangerous and ancient. Something beyond her understanding." Zoe replied as she finished dressing the injury. "She couldn't expel it full from the boy's body."

Percy groaned, not having the strength left to say anything. He just raised an arm up as Thalia and Bianca pulled him up.

"Don't move much now," Zoe said as she broke off a piece of Ambrosia and fed it into Percy's mouth.

Percy nodded weakly as Phoebe handed him the pelt of the Nemean Lion as Hector and Thalia were looking at it in awe.

"Here, take it, it's yours."

"I don't want it," Percy said, nonchalantly, as he limped off to a water dispenser that had somehow survived the fight.

"It's a spoil of war, it's rightfully thine," Zoe said.

"But I didn't kill it," Percy said and poured the entire glass of water on himself. "You guys did."

"Need I remind you that it was your plan and your spear that killed it?" Bianca said, while Hector and Thalia were looming over the pelt, touching it to see how smooth it was.

"Fine," Percy said as he drained another cup and picked up the skin, surprised to see how light it was. "It's not really my style."

"I think it's better if I do this." Percy took the coat and draped it over Hector, who's eyes widened, but then he smiled.

"You gave such a valuable pelt to someone else?" Zoe asked, shocked.

"Well, I don't really like it, last I checked, Heracles had it, and he was pretty much of a jerk," Percy said as he cracked his back. "Besides, Hector has been literally fangirling over it for the last ten minutes. It's better for him to have it."

"Thank you!" Hector said, while Zoe smiled a little bit, which went unnoticed.

"Well, hate to break the mood but," Phoebe said, pointing to the opposite direction. "We need to go."

Through the glass walls of the museum, they could see a group of men walking across the lawn. Gray men in gray camouflage outfits. "The Spartus!" Hector said.

A/N:- Here's the fifth chapter! Hope you liked it! Involved a little more action in this chapter! Have a nice day! Enjoy!