ANTI-HERO, j.grace

TWENTY THREE

     Klein absolutely did not fuck with wolves, and she wanted to make that very clear. And she did - she was very successful at making it clear, given her repeated "oh fuck no"'s and "I don't fuck with Twilight"'s.

Jason summoned his sword, Leo and Coach Hedge rose to their feet, and Klein reached for her bow and arrow only to remember that the only part of it that's remained was the shattered piece she had stuffed into her backpack. Despite the way her face fell, and despite her lack of weaponry, Klein still stepped to closer to the front of the group while Jason told Piper to stay where she was. 

Piper didn't exactly seem to appreciate the sentiment, but she zipped her lips the second she saw the blood red eyes glowing in the dark at the very edge of the cave.

"You have anything in that tool belt for me, Valdez?" Klein asked the boy, "A knife or something?"

Leo pulled out a hammer.

"Not what I had in mind."

"Want a screwdriver instead?"

"I... no, no it's fine." Klein took the hammer and pursed her lips, "Thanks."

"Anytime."

Multiple wolves began to edge into the firelight, each of them larger than Great Danes with ice and snow caked on to their fur. Their red eyes seemed overly adept and their fangs gleamed in the light. There was a wolf at the head of the pack that was larger than the rest - easily as tall as a horse, stands red like he'd come straight from the slaughter.

I don't fuck with wolves.

Jason stepped forward, sword gripped tightly in his hand as he said something in Latin. Once again, the only narration in Klein's head seemed to be what the fuck.

The alpha wolf growled and curled its lip, snapping at the ear of one of the advancing lieutenants that tried to approach the demigods. Then, strangely enough, the wolves began to back into the dark.

"Dude, I gotta study Latin." Leo's own hammer shook in his hand, "What'd you say, Jason?"

"Whatever it was, it wasn't good enough." Hedge cursed, "Look."

The wolves were approaching them again, but they didn't attack - just stared down the demigods with snarls on their faces. They formed a semicircle in front of the exit of the cave, but Klein noticed that the alpha wolf seemed to be missing.

"They're waiting for their orders."

Coach lifted his club, "Here's the plan: I'll kill them all, and you guys escape."

"Coach, they'll rip you apart." Piper sounded just as exasperated as Klein felt.

"Nah, I'm good."

A dark silhouette of a man came through the parting storm, making his way through the wolf pack. It unnerved the demigods how all do the wolves seemed to dip their heads in the direction of the silhouette, still just loitering in wait.

"Stick together. They respect packs." Jason said, "And Hedge - no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind."

Jason turned his head to Klein then, a warning in his eyes not to do anything brash. The girl only shook her head in response, offering about her thousandth 'I don't fuck with no wolves'.

The Grace boy was remotely relieved that Klein seemed to be bouncing back to her normal self - at least to the Klein he knew.

The man stepped into the firelight, and he wasn't exactly a pleasant sight. His hair was lint, greasy, and ragged, and topped by a crown that looked to be made of finger bones. His robes were a mesh of fur - wolf, rabbit, deer, and whatever else he had been able to get his hands one his frame was almost like that if a runner's, and his teeth sharpened like animal fangs. But the worst thing was his face. Pale skin was pulled tight across his skull, and the red of his eyes only seemed to be accentuated by the fact.