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Clarisse felt more alive than ever. It was the high that came in the midst of a fight. The adrenaline rush from a near hit. The bloodlust from punching a hole through the enemy lines. It felt freeing that being inside the confines of a Head Councillors meeting, arguing endlessly didn’t. Freeing in a way sparring at camp didn’t.
She was alive.
And even if it would be brief, it would burn brightly.
It was worth it.
And then it was over. Just the echo of blade against claw mingled with ragged breath after ragged breath. As the sweat along her brow dried she felt the cold winds flowing through the abandoned warehouse for the first time that night.
As the red haze lifted and the buzz of endorphins replaced the adrenaline she looked around the cavernous shell of a building.
“What the fuck even was this place?” She grunted, kicking a rusty dagger a dracaena had rushed at her with.
“According to Malcolm, a meat packing plant,” Selena spoke up. She swayed as she picked her way over the armour and bricks, debris and monster dust from the side door.
This wasn’t the first time Chiron had sent Clarisse out to raid monster nests for Celestial Bronze, but it was the first time he’d asked her to take Selena. Normally it would be one of Clarisse's brothers or one of Hermes' kids.
Clarisse’s eyes stuck on her companion - her best friend - she had a cut on her cheek that was slowly oozing blood. A busted lip. Her blade was dusty - no, coated in monster dust. Alarm choked her.
“What happened?” Clarisse barked, then winced. She hadn't meant to sound like a drill sergeant, “I mean, are you okay?”
By now Selena was standing in front of Clarisse. Her face upturned slightly and Clarisse automatically stooped to read her face better. To make Silena feel less small.
“I’m okay,” Selena murmured, “One managed to get out the back door and caught me by surprise.” A delicate manicured hand brushed against Clarisse’s, the gesture soothing.
“Okay,” Clarisse murmured. Her eyes still flitted from face to neck to forearms, anywhere a monster could have gotten a hit in.
They paused. A hair’s breadth away from each other. Clarisse felt trapped by those impossibly blue depths before the wind blew harsher and Selena shivered. Her eyes closed and Clarisse suddenly felt like she could breathe again.
“Let’s get a move on?”
Clarisse didn’t feel entirely back in her body, like there was a buzzing at the base of her skull and if she just leaned forward there’d be fireworks. Or maybe just an aneurysm. Despite this, she nodded.
It was a messy job, better than doing the dishes at the height of summer, but not by much. Eventually they had a truck full of rusty weapons and scraps of celestial bronze.
Selena was sitting in the driver’s seat, her armour thrown into a backpack on the middle seat. Boots swapped with sandals despite the cool spring air. Chest plate swapped with an oversized white button up. Her hair had been tied up at some point and Clarisse just watched as a random lock fell into Selena’s face.
A laugh and a “Take a photo, it’ll last longer,” broke the silence.
Clarisse cursed being so fair skinned, as she was sure her face had gone a splotchy red. “Don’t have a camera,” She shrugged, hoping for nonchalance. Clarisse tried to channel the aggressive indifferent mask she’d spent years wearing.
Selena glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, her mouth curved upwards into an indulgent smile and Clarisse knew she’d failed spectacularly. “I have one in my bag.”
“Oh,” Clarisse breathed. She wasn’t used to whatever this feeling in her chest was, it squeezed and fluttered. Like a bird burrowing a hole in her chest and forcing her lungs to make room.
“If you want that is,” Selena’s grin dimmed a little.
Clarisse was digging through the bag in seconds, the urge to keep the other girl smiling overwhelming. She laughed when she realised Selena had a polaroid camera, “How old are you ‘Lena?”
“I’m just going to ignore that," Selena smiled, leaning across her bag until she was nestled under Clarisse’s chin. "One for old time's sake?"
Clarisse snorted and looked up into the bright flash. Selena had taken her chance before Clarisse's face dropped onto a scowl.
Clarisse blinked back the black spots swimming in her vision. Her sight was still blurry as Selena pulled back so she wasn't sure, but she wondered why Selena had an extra leather necklace.
Maybe Beckendorf had given her a necklace? Clarisse thought, ignoring the pang in her chest as she turned the key in the ignition. If they stayed any longer they might run into Kronos' scouts.