𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐇 [Jason Grace]

70

𝐒𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 seemed to be working. So, naturally, Dante expected a massive last-minute fail.

The closer they got, the more details he could see. Framed in Stygian iron, the magical Doors of Death were a set of elevator doors—two panels of silver and black etched with art deco designs. Frost spread from the base and they seemed to emit a purple glow in the air around them.

Cords of black iron ran down either side of the frame, like rigging lines on a suspension bridge. They were tethered to hooks embedded in the fleshy ground. The two Titans, Krios and Hyperion, stood guard at the anchor points.

As Dante watched, the entire frame shuddered. Black lightning flashed into the sky. The chains shook, and the Titans planted their feet on the hooks to keep them secure. The Doors slid open, revealing the gilded interior of an elevator car.

Next to Dante, Jason tensed, ready to charge forward, but Hipp planted a hand on his shoulder. "Wait," he cautioned.

Hyperion yelled to the surrounding crowd: "Group A-22! Hurry up, you sluggards!"

A dozen Cyclopes rushed forward, waving little red tickets and shouting excitedly. They shouldn't have been able to fit inside those human-sized doors, but as the Cyclopes got close, their bodies distorted and shrank, the Doors of Death sucking them inside.

The Titan Krios jabbed his thumb against the up button on the elevator's right side. The Doors slid closed.

The frame shuddered again. Dark lightning faded.

"You should understand how it works," Hipp muttered. He addressed the kitten in his palm, maybe so the other monsters wouldn't wonder who he was talking to. "Each time the Doors open, they try to teleport to a new location. Thanatos made them this way, so only he could find them. But now they are chained. The Doors cannot relocate."

"Then we cut the chains," Dante whispered.

He looked at the Titan Krios. The last time Jason had fought him, he had almost died. He had managed to kill the Titan single handedly, but it landed him in bed rest for a week. Now there were two Titans, with several thousand monsters for backup.

"Our camouflage," Dante said. "Will it disappear if we do something aggressive, like cutting the chains?"

"I don't know," Hipp told his kitten.

"Mrow," said Hoop.

"Hipp, you'll have to distract them," Dante said. "Jason and I will sneak around the two Titans and cut the chains from behind."

"Yeah, okay," Hipp said. "But that's only one problem. Once you're inside the Doors, someone will have to stay outside to push the button and defend it."

Through the death mist, Jason looked awful. "Uh... defend the button?"

Hipp nodded, scratching his kitten under the chin. "Someone has to keep pressing the UP button for twelve minutes, or the journey won't finish."

Dante glanced at the Doors. Sure enough, Krios still had his thumb jammed on the UP button. Twelve minutes... Somehow, they would have to get the Titans away from those doors. Then Hipp, Dante, or Jason would have to keep that button pushed for twelve long minutes, in the middle of an army of monsters in the heart of Tartarus, while the other two rode to the mortal world. It was impossible.

"Why twelve minutes?" Jason asked.

"I don't know," Hipp said. "Why twelve Olympians?"

"Fair enough," Jason said.