orenda [leo valdez]

vii. The Grass Laughs at Kira

Kira didn't go down without a fight.

But with being caught off guard, trying to protect a cripple, fighting a major concussion, and battling a giant Cyclops, she didn't win.

But she tried. She had taken her sword out a given a few good whacks at Cyclops before he had thrown her against a wall and knocked her out effortlessly.

She hung unconscious from a crane arm, mouth gagged.

As soon as she looked around, her first thought was: Not again.

Sighing dramatically, she glanced at the setting. Surprisingly, she was in a beautiful location. There were tall mountains surrounding her, with heavenly waterfalls protruding from the cracks in them. Lush grass surrounded her for a far as she could tell.

"Isn't it beautiful?" A voice called. She turned to see a face, but it made from grass. Literally, the grass had woven together to create a sleeping woman's face.

Kira assumed the woman was a god visiting her. She smiled politely.

"It is, ma'am,"

The face didn't react.

"I created all of this," She told her. "I am the reason you all exist."

"Thank you, ma'am," Kira said with a fake smile stapled to her face.

"Join me, young one. We could use someone with so much..power."

"Join you in what, exactly?" Kira asked, sitting down in the grass and plucking a flower. She began playing "he loves me, he loves me not".

"Destroying the gods. We can make Earth look like this again, without their godly drama. I know how much you despise your father, Kira Willows,"

Kira dropped the flower. She looked at the grass face in shock.

"I may dislike him, but I wouldn't never want to destroy him. I don't want to destroy anyone, that's horrible!"

"You are such wasted potential, darling," The voice snarled, becoming more angry.

"Leave my head," She said, surprising herself with the amount of confidence that it came out as. Her voice only squeaked once.

The grass laughed at her. "We'll see how long you can hold me off for, darling,"

Kira's entire body erupted in pain.

"Are you sure you still want to say no?" The grass yelled.

"Leave..me...alone!" Kira cried in pain.

Kira woke up screaming.

When she realized she was no longer in pain, she stopped yelling, but a few tears escaped. Her voice was muffled by a gag.

Then she realized she was upside down.

Gagging, she tried to tear out the cloth but she hands was tied as well. Without thinking, she called out for Leo.

"Kira!" Piper. She turned to see her best friend also upside down, dangling from a string on a crane. Jason was still out, a knot growing on his forehead.

"AHHHHH!"

Flinching heavily, she turned to see a giant cyclops get thrown into one of the warehouse support beams.

Yellow dust rained to the floor.

"My son...you...you..." The woman cyclops gasped, looking towards...Leo! Thank gods he was okay.