Changing the Future

Chapter 47

I paced back and forth in my cabin, nervously chewing on my bottom lip after having woken up from a nightmare. Of course, Morpheus being the worst god of sleep in existence, showed me Kyle and Holly again last night, the duo locked in what appeared to be a training session. 

As I'd feared, Kyle, who I guess I should really refer to as Kronos from now on, was wielding his scythe, a cruel smile resting on his face when the tip of the blade grazed Holly's thigh, causing her to scream and immediately collapse, blood streaming from the wound.

"Pity," Kyle (Kronos) said, seeming particularly indifferent about having hurt his girlfriend. "I recalled you to be a better fighter, daughter of Ares. Perhaps I was mistaken."

Holly grit her teeth and stood up, her sword having never fallen out of her hand. "Well unlike some of us, I don't have unlimited strength or the power to control time. But that doesn't make me any less competent of a fighter." She pressed her other hand flat against the wound, not even flinching as she applied pressure. "Trust me," she continued, "I'll be ready to take down that witch when the time comes."

Kronos's face hardened. "You will do no such thing, girl. I've already made plans for that traitorous daughter of mine. She will suffer alongside all her other siblings, spending the rest of her pathetic immortal life within the confines of that hellish pit."

"Immortal?" Holly asked. "Isn't she a demigod...err, demititan?"

"Yes and no." Kronos set his scythe down onto the weapons rack. "Although she was born of a mortal woman, she possess all of my powers and then some. If she so wished, she could alter her age for the rest of her life." Then Kronos turned to face me, a malicious glint in those blood chilling, golden eyes of his. "Isn't that lovely, darling? See how merciful I am, giving you eternal life? Enjoy eternity in endless suffering as I have!"

That's when I woke up, bringing you up to date. Anyhow, I was currently dressed in running shorts and a ratty, old t-shirt, waiting for James to pick me up. Percy was waiting for a lift, but I couldn't go anywhere without confirming my plan with James first. "I know the risks," he'd told me, "and I'm willing to accept them. So quit your worrying, and let's get to work."

Once James showed up, wearing an oiled stained Camp Half-Blood shirt and polka dotted swim trunks, I mist-traveled to Percy's apartment and brought him back to camp.

The three of us then jogged down to the beach, the large boat replica already floating in the water courtesy of James and the rest of the Hephaestus cabin. Beckendorf was also there, wielding goggles hanging limply around his neck, acknowledging his older brother's presence with a nod.

Beckendorf then handed us each of us a sack of gag grenades, three rolls of duct tape, and a map. "The goal is to get in and out as fast as possible and without being noticed. Let's try for five minutes for our first go."

"Uh, time isn't an issue for me," I commented.

"Well, good for you." Beckendorf turned to the others. "Five minutes, guys. Good luck." He then started his stop watch, and the three of us raced to the end of the dock, hopping onto the deck and going our separate ways.

According to the plan we'd made earlier, Percy and James would target the engine room while my job was to take out as many monsters as possible. I planted bombs at structural points on the boat, bobbing and weaving through the automatons that Beckendorf had added onto the boat, evading capture as I ripped tape off with my teeth and stuck things to the walls.

By the time I hit all my targeted areas, I mist-traveled back onto the dock, waiting for Percy and James to come back. For our first attempt, we agreed that we were going to try to do this without relying too heavily on the other, but in reality, we knew that it was my responsibility to meet up with the others if I finished first.