ANTI-HERO, j.grace

SEVENTEEN

       "You should be dead!"

There was a fine line of distinction between those who should and shouldn't be dead. Kieran shouldn't be, he should be living his life and bothering his sister. Silena shouldn't be, she should be happily off at college with Charlie. Michael and Lee shouldn't be. Luke, well...

But Medea... she should certainly be dead.

Klein was sure that the woman was Medea, all the pieces of the puzzle were settling in her head and the answer was written in bold right in front of her. But every time she turned to Piper to try and tell her it was like there was a fog intentionally pushing her back.

"As I said, a new life in a new country." Medea smiled, "I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, and a murderess. But I acted out of love."

"And it was still murder." Klein emphasized.

The princess ignored her, turning to the boys with a pitiful smile that pulled them right back in, "Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?"

"Oh, sure." Jason immediately agreed, Leo nodding alongside him. "Totally."

"Guys!" Piper gaped, "Don't you see who she is? Don't you-"

"Let's continue, shall we?" The princess interiors with an all too antagonistic smile, "I believe you wanted to take about a price for the storm spirits, and the satyr."

Leo bounds happily after the Princess of Colchis, hopping off the escalator as soon as his eyes lock on the giant contraption ahead of them.

"No way - is that an armored forge?"

"You have good taste." Medea smiled, "This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt celestial bronze and imperial gold."

Jason flinched, subconsciously slipping his hand into his jacket pocket. "Imperial gold?"

"Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket." The princess nodded, "To be properly forged, imperial gold has to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. It's quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break the blade..." There was a smirk coating her face as the ominous words chilled the air. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here - this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately entrapped."

Leo took that as an order. Klein yanked him backwards before he could take more than two steps.

He blinked as he pushed her arm away, "How much for both?"

"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge... seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength-" The princess led Leo away and towards a rack of various different appliances, and Piper looks between him and the other two demigods with apparent stress on her face.

She turns to Klein, "Are you... foggy?"

"Not right now."

"I have to go after her and Leo, I'm worried what'll happen if we leave them alone." Piper licks her lips, "Try and snap Jason out of if."

Jason looks all to eager to run after Leo and the princess, eyes locked on their disappearing figures as Piper dashes after then. The only thing keeping him from following is Klein as she steps in his way, not exactly an unstoppable force but an obstacle enough to force him to falter in his steps.

"They're leaving without us." The faraway look in his eyes is mixed with worry, a growing frown on his face when he moved to step past the girl only to be stopped by her grabbing ahold of his jacket.