The Great Eight (Temporary Hiatus)

Chaos 101

"Looks like something already busted out of here." Atlanta called back to her group from her position of looking down into the broken up grid on the vessel," We might be too late guys. "No sooner had the words been spoken, then did a pair of eerie eyes glare back at her from the darkness. "Or not!" The monster, now riled up, was banging against the grid in retaliation to their arrival.

"Ah" A smooth voice spoke from behind the three of the young mortals, "I see you've met my friend. But we haven't formally met, have we Jay?" Arriving from out of the darkness of a lone doorway on the ship, the perfect entrance one could argue as a villain. Standing with his hands at his hips and with a crazed, excited smile, "I wasn't sure you'd come back since you ran off so quickly earlier but, uh, I'm glad you did. You see, I heard something about how you and your friends here, were going to try and stop me. And well, " Cronus couldn't stop that slight laughter that bubbled up at this ridiculous notion, "I wanted to talk to you about that."

"I don't feel like talking. Not to you." Jay sassed back at the obvious threat. Sheesh, someone might think that Cronus's brand of villainy was a bit too old-fashioned. Must be due to his lack of recent socializing over the last, well, few centuries. But who are we to judge.

"Where are the others? I thought there were supposed to be eight heroes?" Cronus took the sass up a notch.

"It's three against one, I think we're good." Herry put up his dukes in their defense. And with an impressive show of skill, Atlanta flipped over her companions' heads to grab a pole of steel that was laying their haphazardly. Taking a professional stance in front of them with the pole lowered and her feet splayed in perfect balance.

"Yeah! I'm good with that!" She snarked back, her confidence for the fight ahead startling, but also rallying, her friends.

"Oh, I'm sure you're good." Cronus acquiesced as he stood high and mighty as three giants appeared from their hiding places behind him. And another popped up to the side of Atlanta. " But I'm better." Cronus guffawed maliciously.

With that, Atlanta was the first to begin their fight by whacking away at the giant nearest to her. Stabbing it in the gut with her pole then at his foot to which it caused an audible snap in the giants foot and it toppled over momentarily. The other giants came at the two boys, Herry remarkably taking down two giants with a similar move to the one he used before Hermes picked him up from the farm. And Jay dodged around the last giant's brutal swing by rolling behind its leg and kicking at it. Unfortunately, of no use since the giant's calf was practically steel instead of muscle. It swung and missed again as Jay leapt up to the grid and stepped onto its edge.

Meanwhile, the other two teens were taking a beating as their advantages fell short to the giants' brute force. Atlanta being knocked against some barrels and Herry tossed in front of shipping crates and chains. Jay, yet again, dodged a swing but this time chose his focus of attack to be on the giant's inner knee. Successfully knocking the giant off balance conveniently in front of the hole in grid Atlanta had called out prior. The giant Jay faced had little balance and waved to and fro before succumbing to his defeat by falling into the hole. The giant managed to grab onto one of the broken parts of the grid, but the snake that had scared off its fellow giant before now reached up. It shadow on the side of its chamber showing it going to chomp on its available prey. Devouring the giant in a singular bite.

"Poor fellow. Oh well." Cronus said with little sympathy as a brilliant gust of flames erupted from the grid after the giant was gobbled up. Jay having to leap away from the immediate area to avoid being boiled by the fire's vicinity. Choosing his next fight to be against Cronus as he took a stance in front of the God with a determined expression.

"Guys! I could use a little help here!" Atlanta called out as she was seen climbing a steel cable. Attempting to get away from her opponent that stood below her with a sickening grin.

"Herry, the lock!" Jay hollered out as the Herculean boy drew near to him in his own fight. "Let that thing out of there!"

"You think they'll get out of the way if I ask them nicely?" Herry remarked, moving to end his own fight to do as Jay prompted. Utilizing the chain set in front of him, he whipped it up and about before sending it to the two giants he faced. Causing it to wrap around the two lugs and due to their inability to break free, Herry barreled forward to knock them off the side of the boat and into the water below. Turning quickly to the grid to get Jay's plan in motion.

"What? You look scared Jay." Cronus redirected the attention to him by summoning his signature scythe. A beautiful blade of gold with a decorated, black handle that was barely a two feet long if not a yard due to the God's proportions. "You're gonna run away again?" The God taunted the mortal childishly as Jay circled him.

Using the distraction, Herry rapidly charged to the locks on the grid and heaved away at them until they broke off. One by one.

"I'm not scared of you Cronus." Jay growled out as he eyed Herry's progress on the grid. "But I think you're afraid of the Oracle's prophecy!"

"Fools believe in destiny, Jay." Cronus chuckled darkly, " I was destined to spend an eternity in prison. And here I am!" The God puffed his chest and gestured to himself pridefully. But his rant was cut off by Atlanta's shout.

"Heads up!" The huntress had made it up the cable and was stood on a shipping crate. But she shouted because she used to cable as a slide and mid-way down, hopped down and caught herself on it like a playground's bar. Then using her momentum, slammed her feet into her opponent's gut. Forcing the giant to fall off the boat in a magnificent show of strength.

"You talk a lot, don'cha?" Jay sassed to the elder being but was shut up by the arrival of the monster of the ship. The Typhus. A lion-maned creature of gargantuan proportions, skin as red as lava, teeth yellowed and blood stained, eyes a radioactive green the way they lit up, an impish or perhaps gremlin-like face, devil wings as black as coal, hands with razor-clam sharp claws. And last of all, not one but two snakes as legs that had horns that matched the claws on the monster's wing joints.

With a great gout of fire from its mouth, the Typhus roared its ugly fury. Engulfing its newly-made master in its fire to no harm, as the God merely cloaked itself in his own power. Leaving the more defenseless mortals to get away as fast as they could from the exploding barrels of oil that sprang metal bits at every direction in killer speeds. Though Jay was not saved from a forceful blast that went off nearby. The other two managed to duck behind a chain mechanism for protection. Herry hunched further over Atlanta as an extra shield due to his large physique.

"Fire-breathing is one thing, snakes for legs? What's that all about?" Herry asked rhetorically.

"Where's Jay?" Atlanta worried as she tried to see through the fire.

Their young leader was actually on his way, sprinting through the fire though not unseen to the Typhus that sent another round of fire at the mortal and even striking at the area with one of his snake legs. Jay somehow got away, relatively unscathed though not without some shards and superficial burns etched on his skin and face. Not unlike the others who were already out of breath and mentally exhausted as they sought escape.

"That thing is way too hot for us to handle." Atlanta made the point, and pun, once Jay got over and behind Herry as they all crouched for cover.

"Come on, we gotta get off of here." Jay instructed and as a group they all launched themselves over the boat's side and into the cool water below.

"Remember the price of your freedom." Back on board the God walked out of the flames and commanded the Typhus. "We still have work to do."

Down below in the water, the teens could only watch in horror as they resurfaced, as the Typhus wreaked havoc on the city's port and shot fire in every direction with its primordial screams.