Ariana's Trials

Part 30

Three months later

Ariana's POV

I texted Peter to meet me at the sub shop for patrol. I had seen a big lizard crawling around in the sewers lately, and some suspicious canisters being set up on power poles and internet towers. I walked into an alley and let my T-shirt and jeans morph into the suit. With a quick jump, I reach the sub shop's roof and wait for Peter to show up

Peter's POV

"Peter, you have a message from Ariana," Karen said. the blue bubble appeared in my vision

"Where R U? Sub shop rendezvous" 

"S***!" I cuss and turn around to get to the shop. I spot her in her suit, watching a radio tower blink

"Hey," I say 

"The big lizard is setting up a new tank" Ariana pointed to the radio tower 

"Let's get moving then" I nod, and we take off

Ariana sees the lizard before I do

"I'll distract lizard man, you dismantle the can" Ariana whispers, and she vanishes in the fading light. I swing closer and see the green gas trapped in the can

"HEY GREEN DUDE!" Ariana shouts. With a hiss, the lizard climbs down the tower, and I can hear multiple crashes as they engage in combat. I focus on the can as the fighting picks up speed.

"Just got to de-pressurize the air" I mumble, then get to work

Ariana's POV

Shouting was the worst possible approach, but I did it anyway. The lizard crawled down the tower, and I saw the flash of gold jewellery

"I will succeed! Humans will evolve beyond their pathetic forms. And now I have the help of the gods to help me" his forked tongue flicks over spiked teeth. Didn't Percy talk about an Egyptian magician?

"Call Percy" I whisper, and my suit complies. Somehow, it absorbs my phone while I transform. The line rang as I dodged the first lunge

"Go for Percy," Percy said

"I'M FIGHTING THE SON OF F****** SOBEK, SO CALL CARTER AND SADIE AND TELL THEM TO GET OVER HERE ASAP!" I screech

"'Kay. No need to scream" Percy hangs up and I pull out my sword

"I didn't want to have to do this" I lash at him, and he tried to grab my arm and I jab at his side. The metal slides into his skin, and he gets a good few slashes across my back as I regather my thoughts. I'm nearly a Greek god, and being too close to this artefact from a different pantheon is making me woozy. 

We trade blows, and every time he manages to cut my skin, I feel like I'm on fire. I see a web sling across the posts just behind him and I know what to do... In my moment of distraction, the lizard goes to rake his claws across my back-and Peter dives in to intercept the blow. He tumbles to the rooftop gravel, and I lure the lizard into the trap as I can hear the falcon shrieks a few minutes away.

"Oh god, this hurts" Peter moans. In the low light, I can see the blood pool getting larger and larger... I scoop him up and jump down into the small area beside the building

"Peter, I'm going to go deal with the lizard. Just stay here, okay?" I ask

"Yeah-" He moans. 

Peter's POV

Ariana jumps back to the roof, and I can hear the battle continue, with an occasional flash of light and shouts. I pull my mask off, and with a roar, I know the lizard's been subdued. But the pool around me was growing much larger, to the point where I knew I wasn't going to live much longer. Ariana comes back, her cuts bleeding heavily

"Peter, oh gods," She says.

"It's worse. I know" I struggle to get back on my feet.

"I-I know someone who can patch you up. No hospital" She stumbles, and then clutches her head "You have to trust me"

"Go take care of yourself" I groan

"I care too much" Ariana steps closer and presses her lips to mine. My last thought was 

"Wow, her lips taste like sea salt"