orenda [leo valdez]

xxxvii. The Evil Demon Grandmothers

Kira looked between the group nervously. She had no idea what Bob was, but it wasn't sounding too good. Annabeth shot her a look to look normal. Easier said then done.

"That's what you are," Percy said calmly. "Bob the Titan. You're good. You're awesome, in fact. But some Titans are not. This guy here, Hyperion, is full-on bad. He tried to kill me...tried to kill a lot of people."

Bob blinked his silver eyes. "But he looks...his face is so—"

"He looks like you," Percy agreed. "He's a Titan, like you. But he's not good like you are."

"Bob is good." His fingers tightened on his broom handle. "Yes. There is always at least one good one—monsters, Titans, giants."

"Uh..." Percy grimaced. "Well, I'm not sure about the giants."

"Oh, yes." Bob nodded earnestly.

"We should go," she urged. "What do we do about...?"

"Bob," Percy said, "it's your call. Hyperion is your kind. We could leave him alone, but if he wakes up—"

Bob's broom-spear swept into motion. Bob slashed through the monstrous blister, which burst in a geyser of hot golden mud.

Kira grimaced when Titan sludge hit her. She wiped her face.

Where Hyperion had been, there was nothing but a smoking crater.

"Hyperion is a bad Titan," Bob announced, his expression grim. "Now he can't hurt my friends. He will have to re-form somewhere else in Tartarus. Hopefully it will take a long time."

"Thank you, Bob," Kira said earnestly. Percy nodded beside her.

"We better keep going," Percy said.

They trudged on. Annabeth and Percy stayed close to each other, whispering encouraging comments.

Kira didn't have that.

Her boyfriend was currently above Tartarus, chilling on Argo II, so her support system was running low. She tore her eyes away from the couple, it hurt to watch them and not be reminded of Leo.

She distracted herself by talking to Bob.

"Hi, Bob." She said, trying to keep up.

"Hi, Kira," He said. She was surprised he remembered her name. She glanced back at the couple, who shot her looks to not over do it.

"Hey, Bob, where exactly are we heading?" Percy interrupted.

"The lady," Bob said. "Death Mist."

"But what does that mean? Who is this lady?"

"Naming her?" Bob glanced back. "Not a good idea."

Annabeth sighed.

"Can you at least tell us how far?" she asked.

"I do not know," Bob admitted. "I can only feel it. We wait for the darkness to get darker. Then we go sideways."

"Sideways," Annabeth muttered. "Naturally."

They continued, now silent. She could feel the couple behind her, but she walked alone.

Suddenly Bob stopped. He raised his hand: Wait.

"What?" Percy whispered.

"Shh," Bob warned. "Ahead. Something moves."

From somewhere in the fog came a deep thrumming noise, like the idling engine of a large construction vehicle. She could feel the vibrations through her shoes.