Heart Pierced - Kayla Knowles (1)

XLIV. I Go On A Figurative Digging Expedition

Alternate Chapter Titles: Secrets And Files, Part One; Beginning Of The Second Giant War Arc, Part Three

(A/N: This is it! After this, only four chapters remain of this book. We're in the endgame now, everyone. I will admit, when I started writing this thing, I don't think that I had intended for the story to go in the direction that it has by now. But hey, my brain has a way of making crazy ideas that actually work, so.. I followed what I had in mind and here we are. Needless to say, I definitely like the result of it honestly.

Lastly, the end of this chapter.. I was planning on introducing some more of the Monster King's minions and members of the Tengu Clan at the end of this chapter, but after playing the scene the characters they are based on first appear in during TMNT 2003, it just didn't feel right this time around. Needless to say, this decision is going to have some far reaching consequences on the new King Of The Giants when the Lost Trio confront him in Book Two.

Anyways, enjoy!)

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As it turned out, the upper level offices were absolute fucking pay-dirt. I don't know who had been last around in this place before it disappeared from wherever and then was resurrected here in the U.S., but they had apparently stocked the basement, guarded by that creature, full of lots of valuable items and shit so much that the contents of what was down there when Cháris had translated all of the files we had found in Ancient Greek added up to basically a field day for Hermes Cabin kids.

I was not really kidding at all there when I say that, I'll be completely honest with you. It was a damn supply drop that the last people to be in here had in the basement. So, in order to claim all of this loot, that's where we would have to go next. Down there into the basement.

The basement that despite the torches, still looked dark and creepy to many.

"Do we really have to go down there?" Malcolm asked, his and Annabeth's anxiety obviously going very on edge right now, because if basements are known for anything, it's treasure, filth, and things you fear the most. Which, for the Athena Cabin, meant spiders.

"Of course.. dingus.." Clove said to him, my new half sibling clearly showing her colder than cold attitude, something that even people like Clarisse had thawed out from after a few years here. Of course, it was equally likely that Clove would thaw out too, because Cato.. but that's a topic for a whole another day, to be honest. Not worth going on a rant here right now. "..if what we're looking for now loot-wise is down there, we go down there."

Cato took one look at the basement and cursed under his breath. "I hate basements that look ominous like this.. I really do now.." he muttered.

Luke and Charles looked rather anxious about it. "Not exactly my cup of tea.." Charles said, shining his flashlight down into it. "..it's also definitely a basement you wouldn't be able to get Silena to walk down into in a million years."

"You got that right.." Luke said.

"So what now, Colton?" Percy asked.

I just turned to him, with a smirk on my face. "We go into the basement.. what did you expect us to do?" I retorted, and with that, we did descend into there. I did feel a little satisfaction that Percy was deferring to me this time on what to do, I will admit that.

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(** Music here is from the "Searching For Clues" score from the original Scooby Doo Where Are You cartoon, on YouTube also because of user Montgomery Gator, minus the segment between 1:47 and 2:11 in the video. Repeat as many times as you need to before the part that tells you to stop.**)