The Altered Seven

Ha-mazon

"Where are we?" Annabeth asked when they pulled into a port. "Why're we stopping?"

"Seattle, Washington," Killian answered. "Reyna asked me to check in with her sister."

"She has a sister?" Piper asked.

"Yup. She's the leader of the Amazons."

"Then why are we in Seattle?"

"This is where they are located. The company, Amazon? It's run by them. And their main base is currently here in Seattle."

"Didn't the Amazons dislike men? Like, a lot?"

"No. They're okay with men. Like to keep them as pets."

"That doesn't bode well for us," Annabeth muttered. "Where's their base?"

"Just follow me," Killian assured him. "We'll find it."

They found it after thirty minutes of walking. It was a huge skyscraper with the Amazon logo emblazoned on the doors.

The lobby was like an empty fish tank-glass walls, a glossy black floor, a few token plants, and pretty much nothing else. Against the back wall, a black stone staircase led up and down. In the middle of the room stood a young woman in a black pantsuit, with long auburn hair and a security guard's earpiece. Her name tag said Kinzie.

Kinzie nodded at Piper, ignoring Killian. "May I help you?"

"Um...I hope so," Piper said. "We're looking for the Amazons. "

Kinzie glanced at Piper's sword, then Annabeth's knife, though neither should have been visible through the Mist.

"This is the main campus for Amazon," she said cautiously. "Did you have an appointment with someone, or-"

"Hylla," Killian interrupted. "We're looking for a girl named-"

Kinzie moved so fast, Piper's eyes almost couldn't follow. She kicked Annabeth in the chest and sent her flying backward across the lobby. She pulled a sword out of thin air, swept Killian off his feet with the flat of the blade. Or, she attempted to.

Killian had jumped over her blade and kicked her away. His white sword, Vorkna, sprung to life in his hands in time to catch Kinzie's next strike.

"Not so fast," Killian said, straining to keep Kinzie at bay. "Hear us out."

"Males don't speak without permission," Kinzie snarled, stepping back before launching another strike. Killian caught her blade in his hand, stopping her dead.

"I said," Killian growled, embers starting to come from his eyes, "hear us out." His hand glowed molten red, and Kinzie's blade melted in his grasp.

She dropped her blade as it glowed red hot, steaming and hissing against the ground.

"A son of Hephaestus?" she snarled, taking out her spear. Before Kinzie could even blink, Killian was in front of her, her spear snapped in half in his hand.

"A son of Hyperion," he corrected. He glanced up. A dozen girls like Kinzie had surrounded Piper and Annabeth. "Put down your weapons. We come with peaceful intentions."

"You attacked one of our own," one of the girls said.

"In retaliation for attacking me first," Killian said. "Or are you all too set in your sexism to understand that I am not the enemy here? Are you like the Hunters of Artemis, then?" Several girls bristled at the comparison. "I see. If that is the case, lower your weapons. All we want is to see Hylla."

Reluctantly, the women lower their spears.

Killian nodded. "Thank you. Now can you please take us to see Hylla"