The Underworld (The Atlas Series Book 3) (9 page)

Entering through the top hatch, Kala climbed down a metal ladder that led to the belly of the beast. The interior of the sub was made from the same undetectable black metal as the Compound’s walls. Kala wondered if this applied to gods? Would Oceanus see them coming from a mile away? Probably. But at this point it was up to Zeus to hold off his uncle.

The entire control center was holographic, which Kala had limited experience with. Derek seemed more adept to it, probably because he’d had free run of Turner’s personal Cog for the last week. As amazing as Kala thought having supernatural powers was, on some levels Turner and Clifton had the gods beat when it came to their gadgets and devices.

There were six of them on board: Zeus, Rotoph, Ashliel, Talan, Derek and Kala. Zeus appeared confident on the surface that he’d be able to break the protection spells hiding Hades, but Kala sensed he was a little wary of the idea as well. However, after Rotoph volunteered to help Zeus after he was finished breaking the teleportation spell, Zeus appeared to relax a little. The Olympian would never admit he needed help, but it was obvious he was relieved to have it.

Kala didn’t know
what
to expect. Being at the bottom of the ocean was already an unnerving concept, let alone the thought of some ancient Titan attacking them.

Only Ashliel had been the surprise tag-along. But someone needed to run the sub and he seemed to have the same knack for computers and technology as Hephaestus. Zeus didn’t want Ashliel on board though, arguing that he felt outnumbered and that Hephaestus might be able to help him break the protections spells. In the end, however, they both agreed that Hephaestus needed to stay on land to keep a handle on the Grigori. Zeus didn’t want to lose his new allies. If no other Olympian was above ground to remind the Grigori who had rescued them, Zeus was afraid they’d abandon his cause. Then he mumbled something about angels and Malaks being flakey and Ashliel volunteered to come.

Kala was starting to like the Grigori. So far, Kala’s experience with the Grigori had been two types: the calm, reasonable type like her father, Talan and Antel; and the rebellious fire and brimstone type, like Rotoph. She felt Ashliel was somewhere in between. He definitely had a cool and collected side, but every once in while Ashliel would verbally take Rotoph down a notch and put him in his place. It was entertaining, and that kind of wit always impressed Kala.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her motion sickness had kicked in the moment she stepped foot on board the vessel. Being underwater, she couldn’t exactly look out at the horizon to steady her equilibrium, either.

Derek’s hands soon found their way to her shoulders as he began to give her a massage. She instantly relaxed and closed her eyes. “I still feel like barfing, but that makes it better. Thanks.”

She could hear Derek’s soft chuckle, “You’re the toughest girl I’ve ever known and even as a god you still get motion sickness?”

“Ha, ha, laugh it up. We all have our things. Mister
cockroach
.”

“Okay, those things are foul. And remember our mission in Florida?! Those things flew! Flew! I can take on bullets any day, but flying cockroaches?! Forget it,” Derek laughed.

“I
did
see in my vision that if I don’t complete my task the world will be taken over by cockroaches. Just saying,” Kala teased.

Derek stopped massaging her and eyed her seriously. “Please tell me you’re joking. Cuz I’m going to live through whatever apocalypse may come if you screw up. I can’t live in a world overrun by those little suckers.”

Kala shoved him affectionately. “Thanks for the confidence, dick.”

Derek’s smile returned and he nudged her back. “Any time, princess.”

The ship traveled through the ocean and slowly moved further and further down for hours.

No one spoke. Everyone was too wrapped up in their thoughts of what was to come.

Ashliel’s voice finally broke the silence. “We’re almost there.” He turned to Rotoph. “You sense the teleportation blocking spell yet?”

Even though Kala planned on using a phase-suit to find Hades, Talan needed to teleport to her once she had located the body. More precisely, he needed to try and teleport directly to the Underworld once Hades killed her.

Rotoph nodded, then added, “It’s one hell of a spell too. It may take a while.”

Ashliel barely acknowledged Rotoph (to his annoyance) as he turned to Zeus. “What about Oceanus? Anything on your radar?”

Zeus shook his head. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

Famous last words.

SLAM!

The ship jolted hard right and everyone that was standing toppled to the ground.

“I think your uncle Oceanus found us.” Kala directed her comment to Zeus as she tried to stand, but fell down again ungracefully to the floor.

Ashliel gained his bearing back first and steered the craft downward, then stopped. “Better strap on those phase-suits, because we’re right above Hades’s cave.”

Chapter Seven

After several minutes of General Clifton’s XV-4250 being thrown around like it was Oceanus’s plaything, Kala was finally suited up and ready to go. The phase-suits practically looked like scuba gear anyway, so she’d fit right in at the bottom of the ocean. With the gear adjusted for water pressure and temperature, Kala could at least be assured that her body wouldn’t explode or freeze when exiting the ship. But swimming in the blackness of the ocean… knowing that a Titan was waiting to tear her to pieces… It didn’t exactly make her feel confident.

Feeling selfish that Derek was right beside her, ready to go, Kala suppressed a wave of guilt. He was immortal, yes, but she still didn’t like putting him in danger. Yet he was the only person she truly trusted. Sure, her father and Talan were a close second, but whether or not they wanted to admit it, they had to think of their people first. They may claim that Kala was their one and only, but if they were put in a position where they had to choose between the entire Grigori race and her, Kala wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t pick her.

With Derek, he’d pick Kala every time. Even in the past when he had thought she was crazy and had handed her over to Clifton. Once Derek had realized Clifton wanted to kill her, he risked his life, his career,
everything
to save her. She’d never doubt him. Loyalty was what Kala valued the most. She’d never betray her best friend and he’d never betray her. It was that simple.

Derek handed her a handgun that appeared to be made of some kind of plastic or resin. “Turner gave me a few toys from his Cog,” he explained. “Thought we might be able to use these.” He placed an identical gun inside his phase-suit.

Kala took the gun, but couldn’t hide her doubts. “I don’t think a gun will help us down here. Even if it shoots, bullets don’t hurt Titans.”

Derek smiled knowingly. “It’s no guarantee, but these might. Roberta said she studied your Grigori blades and carved some kind of magic-mojo-something-or-other into the bullets. She’s pretty sure it’ll at least do
something.
”

Kala strapped the gun into her suit, grateful. “I’ll take something over nothing any day.”

The ship swung violently to the left. Kala and the crew were used to the jolts by now and managed to stay on their feet.

Calling back to Zeus, trying to hide her annoyance, Kala yelled, “I thought you were here to take care of that guy?” She turned to Derek, holding her stomach. “I’m seriously going to vomit.”

Derek eyed Zeus, who was throwing Kala irritated glances. “You guys really
are
like family,” he laughed. “And for the king of the gods or whatever, Zeus is a whiner.”

“Right?!” Kala was glad someone finally saw that too. The Demons, Malaks and Grigori all had a certain element of understanding not only their powers, but where they fit in the world, whereas the Titans and Olympians just seemed like big babies that cried when they didn’t get their way. Kala’s only regret was the fact that by her swallowing Atlas, she had brought all of the Titans and Olympians back to the surface. Life would probably be a lot better for everyone involved if Cronus and his siblings had stayed in the 5
^th
Level of Hell and Zeus had remained on the crazy train rendering him harmless.

However, as Kala’s Atlas visions were showing her, the universe obviously wanted these upper beings back in the game, otherwise she wouldn’t be on her way to wake up Hades and prison-break the rest of Zeus’s siblings in the Underworld.

Derek led the way to the decompression chamber and the ship’s exit. Kala was impressed with the durability the XV-4250 exhibited, considering the constant beating it was currently receiving. After a particularly large jolt, Kala grabbed the wall to steady herself. She was surprised she hadn’t vomited yet from all the lurching and jerking.

Zeus followed close behind, Rotoph on his heels.

“Do they need suits?” Derek asked Kala, not bothering to talk to the two supernatural beings directly.

Zeus answered though. “I am a god,
human
, I don’t need a
suit
to be underwater. I just wish Poseidon were here. My powers come from the air and sky, not… ocean.”

“Well, he’s not. So do you think you can break the protection spell
and
fight Oceanus?” Kala was in no mood for negativity.

Zeus’s face said ‘no,’ but he nodded. “I’ll break that spell.”

Rotoph added, “And I’ll break the teleportation field.”

Two protection spells that needed to be broken. The hardest part for Kala was that Zeus and Rotoph were the ones she depended on to break them. Not two of the most reliable beings in creation.

Rotoph nodded toward the door. “Let’s just get in the chamber with your…” he nodded awkwardly at the phase-suits, “…rubber clothes.” He turned to Derek. “After she’s in, you’ll have five minutes to return to this ship. That’s all the time Ashliel thinks he has to keep your General’s contraption together before Oceanus destroys it beyond reckoning. With your immortality, you won’t die if you don’t make it, but it will be a very long swim back to shore considering we’re in the middle of the Atlantic.”

Derek’s nod was barely perceptible. “I can do five minutes.”

Rotoph nodded back. “Good.” He turned to Kala. “I’ll need to get as close to the chamber walls as possible to destroy the blocking spell. Grigori aren’t great underwater.”

“Do you need an oxygen tank? We’re using these.” Kala showed him the small lipstick-sized mouthpiece that had enough oxygen in it to last a few hours. The size was important because it fit snuggly underneath the hood of her phase-suit and every part of her body needed to be covered by the suit in order to move through walls. She didn’t want to leave any body parts behind.

Rotoph shook his head. “I’m Grigori, we don’t need to breathe, we just like to. No, it’s more of the swimming and seeing that will be an issue. Oceanus will target me if he finds me.”

Zeus breathed in deep, trying to pump himself up. “Oceanus won’t find you. I’ll take care of him. When you’re done, signal me and we’ll take down Hades’s protection spell together.”

“Two spells. You sure you guys got this?” Kala surveyed them both.

Rotoph shrugged. “The universe seems to think you can perform this mission, so we must be the reason you do.”

It made logical sense, but Kala hoped the outcome would be favorable for everyone. It was one thing if they managed to break both the teleportation spell and the protection spell, but entirely another if they mortally injured themselves in the process.

There was nothing else to be said.

It was now or never.

Derek sensed this as well. He shut the door to the decompression chamber, sealing the four of them inside. Kala and Derek placed the small oxygen tanks in their mouths and pulled their hoods over their faces, securing themselves inside their phase-suits. Walking to the holographic wall, Derek punched keys floating in the air like he was playing with lasers in a laser show.

A loud sucking sound filled Kala’s ears as she felt her body squeeze from the pressure. There was no pain, but it didn’t exactly feel great, either.

Derek nodded to the three of them, then typed in the final code.

Water rushed into the chamber from a slot above them next to the hatch that led out. As the water level rose, its icy touch made Kala shiver. She wished it would pour in faster, but having three tons of water rush in at once at these depths would snap the ship in two. It took a few minutes for the entire room to fill with water.

Derek took the leadership position, being the only one familiar with the ship and its technology. The holograph controls were still visible and useable even in the darkness of the ocean-filled chamber. He swam up to the hatch and typed in a code on the holo-keypad. The door swung downward.

Kala saw only blackness through the hole. To counter that, she and Derek were equipped with specially made glow sticks that would give them a few feet of light. Rotoph and Zeus would have to rely on Kala and Derek’s light or whatever supernatural powers they could muster. Searching Atlas’s memory banks for any kind of advantage the Titan may have underwater resulted in nada. Kala would have to rely on Turner and Clifton’s gadgets to get her down to Hades in one piece.