Kronos was called the crooked one for good reason.
Assaulting Olympus when a prophecy, despite what the Fates say, was rigged against him? Merely a ruse to something greater.
No, with Gaea rising and the emperors of old waiting in the wings, it was...
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The snap of twig and a sweet smell on the wind were the only warnings Jack got of the impending attack.
"So, ready for round two?" he asked, popping one eye open while sprawled out on the forest floor. His stalkers halted in their tracks, trying to fool him into thinking he was alone, that it was just his imagination. "Oh come on guys, you know that's never worked!" he laughed as he leapt to his feet with a nimbleness and grace that came from years of traveling through the wilds of Tartarus. "This is just going to end the same way it always-" Jack jumped back just in time to avoid being pounced on by the mass of golden fur and fang "-does?"
The Nemean lion skidded to stop; its claws leaving long gashes in the forest floor. Its deep, brown eyes never blinked as it slowly began to circle him, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. A rumbling growl originating from deep within its powerful chest pierced the silence of the Sanctuary, as its mane blew in the breeze.
"Nearly got me there. You're really showing signs of-" he called forth a copy of Babylon to his hands, spun around, and wrapped its chain around the second lion's paws, knocking it out of the air with a quick jerk. "-improvement!" he huffed, jumping back from the thrashing lioness. "Definitely some-" the son of Kronos dropped to the ground as the third lion leapt over him, sending it crashing into the second "-improvement."
The first lion had circled around to its brother and sister, using its head to help lift the dazed lioness to her paws. Once all three were on their feet, the two males began to growl and snarl at each other, undoubtedly arguing whose plan was better and why their initial attack failed. It was a strange thing to Jack, as all three of the Nemean lions used to get along when they were younger, but he supposed they were more focused on attracting their sister as a potential mate than actually fighting him.
Gross...
The lioness, annoyed by her brothers' squabbling, bit at both their necks to refocus them on the task at hand. She began to approach him, while the two males began to circle around him in opposite directions; slowly drawing closer and closer. Each step they took was filled with both purpose and caution, keeping one eye on him and one looking for the telltale golden shimmer of Babylon.
"That's really good guys!" Jack cried, praising the now fully-grown lion cubs. "But what if I do THIS!" He ran forward as fast as his feet could carry him, the lioness halting in surprise while her brothers broke from their formations and began to give chase. He used the female's surprise to his advantage and leapt onto her head; her eyes widening at the audacity of being used as a stepstool. The lioness reared up, propelling Jack further into the air while the other two pounced forward.
It was only then the Nemean lions realize their mistake.
At the apex of his jump, a copy of the Celestial Bronze vinculum shot out of the air, the son of Kronos grabbing it by its chain and being pulled away to safety by its momentum. The three lions though were not so fortunate. The two males knocked into each other's skulls as they collided headfirst into their sister's chest. The poor girl, already off balance from leaping up, was on her back with her brothers crashing on top of her in a tangled mass of limbs and fur. Immediately the three began to fight, claw and tooth slashing and biting at golden fur that was otherwise impervious.
