Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝕀t's always a great day when no one dies

Time seemed to slow down, and Nicki felt like she was practically moving backwards as she tried to rush to Ethan's side. She felt herself sinking into the earth like the ground was a pit of quicksand. "I can't lose you too," Nicki muttered, hot tears burning in her eyes. She could see the tip of the spear coming toward Jason's chest in slow motion. "Move, Jason! You idiot!"

"Now!" Ethan shouted, his face pulled into a grimace.

Leo's voice yelled, "Heads up!"

A large black metal wedge slammed into Enceladus with a massive thunk! Ethan sucked in a sharp breath, and his vision danced. The giant toppled over and slid into the pit. Suddenly, Nicki was moving at full speed again. She slammed into the older boy's arms like he was her lifeline.

"That was brilliant!"

"Yeah," A smile twitched across his face. "I did learn from the best."

"Jason, get up!" Piper called. Her voice energized him, shook him out of his stupor. He sat up, his head groggy, while Piper grabbed him under his arms and hauled him to his feet."Don't die on me," she ordered. "You are not dying on me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now is not the time." Nicki rolled her eyes, fighting a giggle.

About a hundred feet behind her, Leo was standing over a piece of construction equipment—a long cannon-like thing with a single massive piston, the edge broken clean off. Ethan and Nicki peered down in the crater and saw where the other end of the hydraulic axe had gone. Enceladus was struggling to rise, an axe blade the size of a washing machine stuck in his breastplate.

Amazingly, the giant managed to pull the axe blade free. He yelled in pain and the mountain trembled. Golden ichor soaked the front of his armour, but Enceladus stood.

"Oh dear," Ethan mumbled in an attempt to keep it PG for the 15-year-olds.

"I think you mean oh, fuck." Nicki corrected.

Shakily, he bent down and retrieved his spear."Good try." The giant winced. "But I cannot be beaten."As they watched, the giant's armour mended itself, and the ichor stopped flowing. Even the cuts on his dragon-scale legs, which Jason had worked so hard to make, were now just pale scars.

Leo ran up to them, saw the giant, and cursed. "What is it with this guy? Die, already!"

"My fate is preordained," Enceladus said. "Giants cannot be killed by gods or heroes."

"Only by both," Jason said. The giant's smile faltered, and Jason saw in his eyes something like fear. "It's true, isn't it? Gods and demigods have to work together to kill you."

"You will not live long enough to try!"

Nicki sighed. "Y'know, Enchiladas, People keep saying that to me, yet no one has managed to keep me dead."

The giant started stumbling up the crater's slope, slipping on the glassy sides. "Anyone have a god handy?" Leo asked. "Nicki?" The black-haired girl scrunched up her face, before shaking her head sadly.

Jason's heart filled with dread. He looked at the giant below them, struggling to get out of the pit, and he knew what had to happen."Leo," he said, "if you've got a rope in that tool belt, get it ready."He leapt at the giant with no weapon but his bare hands.

"Idiot." Nicki sighed. Cracking her knuckles, purple haze began to dance around her. She had been willing to use up her powers to save someone before, and she was more than willing to do it again for Jason.

"Enceladus!" Piper yelled. "Look behind you!"It was an obvious trick, but her voice was so compelling, that even Nicki bought it.

The giant said, "What?" and turned like there was an enormous spider on his back. Jason tackled his legs at just the right moment. The giant lost his balance. Enceladus slammed into the crater and slid to the bottom. While he tried to rise, Jason put his arms around the giant's neck. When Enceladus struggled to his feet, Jason was riding his shoulders. "Get off!" Enceladus screamed.