United As The Ten- Part One Of The Conclusion To The United Series

Chapter Twenty Nine

Max's POV:

I jolt upright in Leo's bed, screaming with fear and pain (mental, of course). Leo automatically wakes up and within less than a second has embraced me in a tight, protective hug. I automatically hug him back, crying into his chest.

We stay like that for a few seconds until Leo pulls me away from his chest and looks me in the eye. He smiles warmly at me, wiping away my tears with his hands.

"It's okay, Max. It's okay," Leo whispers to me, pulling me towards him again. I lay my head on his chest, shaking with fear.

"D-Do you think the others h-heard?" I ask him, mentally slapping myself for the stuttering. Leo shakes his head, which is a relief.

"Don't worry, the rooms are sound proof."

At that moment, as if on cue, the door to Leo's room is slammed opened and a shirtless Nine stands in the doorway, his eyes wide and ready to attack.

"What happened?!" He shouts but when he sees me leaning against Leo, tears streaming down my face, he automatically gets softer.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Max," Nine says, closing the door and sitting on Leo's bed next to us. Right then, the door opens again, now revealing John, who looks from Nine to Leo and back again.

"God, you two look like overprotective parents," John tells Nine and Leo, who chuckle half-heartedly. I just barely manage a weak smile.

"Okay, let's go. Get some rest, Max," Nine tells me. I nod my head before John and Nine walk back out, closing the door on the way. Leo turns to me and once again wipes my tears away.

"What was it about?" Leo asks me, whispering. I take a shaky breath before answering.

"Remo," I answer, starting to shake again. Leo just holds me tighter.

"Why do you do this, Leo? Why do you put up with all this happening to me? Why don't you just leave me, go out with someone easier to date?" I ask Leo, burying my head into his chest.

"Because I love you, Max, and I'll never stop loving you. I want you. Gods, I need you," Leo replies, kissing my head. I smile warmly, snuggling closer to Leo. Before I know it, we're cuddling on his bed again with my face buried deep into his chest, and I'm falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, this time without any dreams.

-Time Skip Brought to you by Frank's Exploding Arrows-

Two days later, we're finally in Chicago again. We're all in the John Hancock, hanging around. Nine and I gave Lexa a tour and she seems pretty familiar with it.

Now we're all sitting around wherever, finally relaxing for the first time in months. I'm sitting next to Leo on the floor, our backs leaning against the wall. His arm is wrapped around my shoulders and my head lays on his.

"So I'm guessing that's why you're so forgiving? From Remo?" Leo asks me and that question surprises me. I never thought about that until now. I guess I forgave Remo so much it became a habit. That's why I'm always forgiving Ivan and, now that I think about it, why I feel so bad about killing Curtis and Octavian, and maybe Bryce Lawrence, if he died in the Anubis explosion.

I nod my head against Leo's shoulder. "I guess so."

I suddenly feel a strong presence in the living room and the penthouse suddenly gets cold. Leo and I jump up and face whoever made it freezing. It could just be Marina with her ice legacy, though it feels so much stronger than that.

Leo and I rush to the living room where we're face-to-face with a pretty woman with chocolate brown eyes and long black hair. Her eyes aren't warm, though. They're cold and unwelcoming but they have a proud glint in them. I can feel Leo heating up beside me, literally. Smoke curls off his fingers and he glares at the woman in front of him.

"Khione," Leo growls at the girl- Khione, the ice goddess. Piper and Leo told me about her during our two weeks in the penthouse in New York. She was working with the Titans and Gaea.

"Leo Valdez. Back from Ogygia, I see," Khione smirks at Leo and notices me right next to him.
"And Max Jackson. I've heard much about you and your...extraordinary powers. You're powerful for a demigod, one of the strongest us gods know."

My fists clench and I'm ready to lunge at this goddess, but I manage to keep my cool as she stares coldly at me.

"I've heard about the little...skirmish with the Mogadorians, and you have such a powerful legacy- resurrection. Why not help them with it?" Khione asks me and a sudden realization hits me.

"You told Bryce Lawrence about my resurrection," I guess. Khione smiles coldly and nods her head.

"I've done a lot during this war to harm you, Jackson. You just haven't seen it."

"Why?" I growl at her, my Lumen flickering in my hands. Everyone wisely takes a few steps away from me.

"Demigods. They're so overrated, and you, you're a bit too overpowered," Khione answers and a realization bigger than the last hits me. I cock my head to the left.

"You're afraid of me."

Khione laughs harshly but there's a nervous edge to her voice. "I am not afraid of some child!"

I shrug my shoulders and step towards Khione nonchalantly. She stumbles away from me and fear flashes in her eyes before she regains her posture.

"Okay, fine. Maybe we are a bit afraid of you, Jackson," Khione spits at me, the room turning colder by the second.

"'We'?" I question and Khione's scowl deepens.

"Yes, 'we'. 'We' as in us gods," Khione growls.

I knit my brows in confusion. I never thought that the gods would ever be afraid of me. My powers are nothing compared to theirs.

Then I realize that I have a mix of a bunch of their powers- water, flight, fire, healing, invisibility. I can even cheat death and bring back the dead. If a god challenged me, it wouldn't be too hard to beat them, and that includes Khione.

"Alright. What else have you done to hurt me?" I ask Khione and she seems relieved of the change of topic. Instead she smirks.

"Oh, I'm the one who gave the Mogs the idea to experiment on you, of course."

I may have been angry before, but now I'm furious. Flames start to curl in my clenched fists and random objects in the room shake and fall from my telekinesis. It's her fault. The reason I was experimented on by the Mogs after everything that happened with Remo is her fault.

I don't bother thinking about it. I just lunge at the ice goddess.

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