[center][h1][color=f9ad81]β„‚π• π•£π• π•Ÿπ•’ 𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕀[/color][/h1] [color=f9ad81]β€” Ϋ΅ ۞ Ϋ΅ β€”[/color] [img]https://img.wattpad.com/83fa74342617deca4a184e35712a875b3be89a40/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4a6661386b415133504f776e32413d3d2d3735373037343037352e313562303739633762336262343562643731373632363431363238352e676966[/img] Location: Forges; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York.[/center] [hr][hr] Corona woke up earlier that day, her eyes shining with excitement and glee. The obstacle tower event is supposed to be held later that day and that meant that most of the campers would be coming to watch. Subsequently, it meant that Corona would have the forge all to herself! With how much of a workaholic her siblings were, an opportunity such as this would be way too good to pass up, even if it meant missing the absolute spectacle of her fellow campers climbing the imposing Obstacle Tower. Now you might be wondering, why would Corona go to such lengths just for a chance to work alone in the forges? The answer was simply because she recently came up of an idea for a very useful, yet potentially dangerous device that would power the automated turrets she was building as part of the camp's defenses. Since most of her siblings, aside from Ky'vie aren't exactly fire and explosion-proof, she couldn't risk crafting it while they were there, and Ky would probably never let her hear the end of it if she causes ANOTHER accident. Seriously, how was she supposed to know that her formulation for the "Mother of all Skunks" stink bomb would be far too potent that they wouldn't be able to wash it off for a week. [color=f9ad81]"We couldn't even enter the forges at the time, and I think the Cleaning Harpies have been out to get me ever since."[/color] She mused to herself as she got dressed in an orange Camp Half Blood shirt coupled by overalls and safety boots. As she was walking towards the forges, Corona couldn't help but enjoy the crisp morning air just before dawn as well as the tranquil atmosphere that had yet to be broken as most other campers would still be dozing off in their cabins. With how hectic and busy living at camp tends to be, moments like these are meant to be savored. By the time she arrived at the forges however, her enthusiasm was cut in half when she saw that somebody had beat her there. One of her siblings, Lucas if she remembered correctly, was busy hammering away at a piece of metal, molding it into the form of a sword. He gave Corona a surprised look when he noticed her arrival but quickly smiled at her and gave her a knowing nod before getting back to what he was doing. While the idea of getting the forge to herself was now out of reach, the fiery-haired girl refused to let that dampen her spirits. Whatever happens, she was going to accomplish what she had set out to do. Thus, after gathering all the necessary tools she needed for her personal project, she started working on the energy source of her automatic turrets. The first thing she needed to get sorted out was the container for the battery. Nothing a skilled Hephaestus camper couldn't accomplish. After smelting and molding the vessel from Tungsten, she started working on the core, infusing molten Celestial Bronze with the hottest flames she could produce. In her effort to pour her entire focus on her task, she failed to realize that some embers from her flames were leaking out, and by the time she noticed, a stray ember had already ignited some of the more flammable materials she had set aside, causing a decent-sized explosion to occur and sending tools, ingredients, and newly-forged weapons flying everywhere. While Corona was unharmed, as expected, she couldn't help but worry about Lucas who was directly in the line of fire of the debris caused by the explosion. After the dust and smoke had settled, she was relieved to see a black-cloaked figure firmly holding onto one of the spears sent flying by the blast. Had he not arrived in time, Lucas would have been inadvertently turned into a life-sized shish kebab.[color=f9ad81] "So... uhh... what are you doing out here this early?"[/color] Corona asked meekly, trying to hide her embarrassment from another accident she had caused. [hr][hr] [center][h1][color=662d91]πš‚πš™πšŽπš—πšŒπšŽπš› π™ΌπšŒπ™½πš’πšπš‘πš[/color] &[color=f9ad81] β„‚π• π•£π• π•Ÿπ•’ 𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕠𝕀[/color][/h1] β€” [color=662d91]Ϋ΅[/color] ۞ [color=f9ad81] Ϋ΅[/color] β€” [img]https://data.whicdn.com/images/98903270/original.gif[/img][img]https://img.wattpad.com/83fa74342617deca4a184e35712a875b3be89a40/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4a6661386b415133504f776e32413d3d2d3735373037343037352e313562303739633762336262343562643731373632363431363238352e676966[/img] Location: Forges ---> Half Blood Hill ; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York.[/center] [hr][hr] Spencer woke up in a fouler mood than usual. The nightmares about his time in Tartarus plaguing him every night hasn't done wonders for his sleep schedule, and repeatedly asking Adeline to literally give him sweet dreams is embarrassing in of itself that he only consults with her once a week. Upon looking at the alarm clock by his nightstand, he figured that there was no point going back to sleep at that point and instead decided to perform his morning routine a little bit earlier. Said routine involved some calisthenics to start things off, 100 push-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and 10 kilometers of running every day before performing calisthenics again to cool off. Just as he was getting back from his exercise, he happened to pass by the forges. All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, as a chilling sensation crept up his spine. Hurriedly, he rushed into the forge just before the Life Clock of a Hephaestus kid was about to wind down to its final seconds. Without a warning, a decent-sized explosion occurred at the other side of the forge, sending all manner of debris hurtling across the area including a celestial bronze spear which Spencer managed to catch deftly before it could impale the child of Hephaestus. Turning to the origin of the explosion, the son of Thanatos gave Corona Talos an incredulous look as he motioned her to the spear he was still clutching in his hand. [color=f9ad81] "So... uhh... what are you doing out here this early?"[/color], the young daughter of Hephaestus said nervously before flinching when she heard the spear drop to the floor with a loud clang. [color=662d91]"Oh, I don't know? Saving this poor bloke from getting a one way ticket to the doors of my father?"[/color] Upon saying that, Spencer glared at Lucas, motioning him to scram, to which he complied, running out of the forge in sheer terror. He could have sworn the poor lad had also soiled his pants from the whole ordeal. [color=662d91]" For gods sake, Beer Girl, be careful with your little experiments! You're lucky I was nearby, otherwise, you'd have a hard time explaining to Ky('vie), Chi(ron), and Di(onysus) why you decided that one of your brothers was in a drastic need of a new orifice."[/color] Corona visibly frowned from his comments, pouting and giving him the stink eye. [color=f9ad81]"You know I didn't mean to do that! I was working on a personal project when suddenly BOOM! There was this huge explosion, and KAPOW! Stuff just flew everywhere. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have placed those flammables so close to where I'm working, but still, aren't you worried about me the least bit?"[/color] She protested, puffing her cheeks in an attempt to look offended at him. Sighing vehemently as he facepalmed at Corona's poor excuse of... well an excuse, he began chastising the reckless inventor. [color=662d91]"You do realize I am aware that you're fireproof, right? Even if you somehow had gotten hurt, I'll make sure to give you a Phlegethon Fire Water bath, then you'd be good as new."[/color] The mere mention of the procedure seemed to have terrified Corona for a brief second, before she managed to regain her composure and sighed in relief. [i][color=662d91][i]"Wait, did this idiot forgot for that brief second that she was immune to fire, then remembered it just as quickly?"[/i][/color][/i]. Ever since arriving at camp a few months ago, Spencer seems to have gotten dragged into every major accident Corona had caused within that time span, INCLUDING, that Mother of all Skunks incident. The smell was SO bad, he had to go back into Tartarus and soak on the Phlegethon for an entire day just to get the smell off. Surprisingly, no monster dared to approach him while he had Pepe Le Pew perfume all over him, so he guessed that it was effective for its intended purpose, but he didn't dare tell her that. Still, no matter what crazy antics he gets involved in due to Corona's mishaps, he can't seem to get angry at the redhead the least bit. For some reason, he reminds her of his best friend back when he was part of Camp Jupiter, and at the same time, she feels like a little sister to him of sorts. [color=662d91]"Well, good luck cleaning up this mess, Ronnie. I don't want anyyyyyy part of this." [/color]Just as he was going to leave the forges, Corona hastily went after him, tugged his shoulders, and gave her one of those "puppy dog eyes" that clearly meant that she needed something from him... Oh boy, as if he hadn't helped her enough with that incident earlier. [color=662d91]"What?"[/color] [color=f9ad81]"Well, I'll have to tell you that my tinkering wasn't a complete failure." [/color]She said excitedly as she gingerly held a metallic object in front of him. It was the size of a typical baseball but it must have weighed heavier than that due to its composition. The center of the object radiated a pleasant warmth and it glowed fiercely as if it was some sort of...[color=f9ad81] "Tadah!, I call this, the Prominence Mark I. It's basically a mini reactor for the turrets I've been working on. Since the turrets need to be operational 24/7 so it could assist fleeing half bloods no matter what time it is, I figured I needed a self-sustaining power source for them to be online constantly."[/color] Internally, Spencer was amazed beyond belief that Corona has managed this feat at such a young age. He felt like a proud parent right then and there, but he didn't want the fiery-haired girl to get a big head out of her achievement so he settled for giving her a pat in the head. [color=662d91]"As impressive as this is, how is this any of my concern?"[/color] An excited grin spread across Corona's face making Spencer regret that he even asked. [color=f9ad81]"Well, I needed to test the operational capacity of this baby right here. I can't have it sputtering out just after a few shots... and that is where you come in, my good friend."[/color] Corona said in a conspiratorial manner. [color=662d91]"Let me guess, you need monsters for target practice?"[/color] He figured that was the case. This wasn't the first time she asked him to spam his Shadow Necromancy for her field tests. [color=f9ad81]"Bingo! So whaddya say, partner?"[/color] She extends her free hand to him in an effort to shake his, but Spencer brushes it off heads toward the exit, leaving the redhead feeling dejected. However, he stops momentarily just as he reached the exit, turns to her and grumbles [color=662d91]"Thalia's tree, 1 hour from now. I'll leave if you're even one second late."[/color] to which she immediately perks up and nods enthusiastically. After taking a much needed shower, and having a refreshing cup of tea, Spencer trudged towards Half-Blood Hill to meet with Corona. Fortunately, it seemed that she had already finished preparations as a a rather imposing [url=https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TO3ksJuSIQU/XY6ASCtVtPI/AAAAAAAAClk/O4l4WxbuY8MPTVk01laMYqjAZQPnlDjlACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/70895388_2397481280372010_853592318781947904_o.jpg]turret [/url] was now set up right next to the infamous pine tree known for once temporarily being Thalia Grace. She grinned sheepishly when she caught sight of Spencer before motioning for him to begin using his death kid powers a couple of yards behind some hastily set upped practice dummies. [color=662d91]"Are you sure that thing is safe?" [/color]Spencer had a doubt written all over his face as he eyed the gigantic machine. [color=662d91]"I seem to recall the last time we did this you not only managed to rip my summons to shreds, but also the dummies we were supposed to be protecting."[/color] [color=f9ad81]"Oh ye of little faith. I made the proper adjustments since last time. Now can I please have my monsters already?"[/color] Smiling wryly, Spencer stretched out his hand before making an upwards grasping motion and uttering the words [color=662d91]"Arise!"[/color]. As soon as he said the trigger word, three columns of darkness burst from the ground before revealing 3 distinct monsters; a hellhound, a flesh-eating horse, and a Cyclops, all of which were made out of darkness. He noticed Corona shudder for a moment after seeing the Hellhound but after taking a deep breath, she regained her composure and stared down the shadowy mutt with fiery conviction in her eyes. [color=f9ad81]"Commencing First Field Test of the Prominence Mark I Energy Core for the Talos Turret Defense System in 3... 2... 1... BEGIN!"[/color] Pushing a small remote, the turret spewed out a column of steam as it roared to life. Almost immediately, its targeting systems began tracking the monsters who were already in pursuit of the automaton dummies. The dummies were designed to accurately simulate how a demigod desperately trying to reach the camp's borders would act, from the running speed, down to any possible erratic behavior half bloods who were scared shitless while running for their lives would act. This made every individual field test a very unique experiment and it helped the Defense System react accordingly to every possible situation. As soon as the turret identified the flesh-eating horse as the most immediate threat given how it can easily close the distance to the fleeing dummies, it trained its sights on it before unleashing a hail of celestial bronze bullets on the creature, disintegrating it almost instantly. The hellhound was shot with a formidable-looking javelin soon after, and finally the cyclops was felled when the turret launched a grenade chock full of celestial bronze shrapnel. [color=662d91]"Huh, that went unexpectedly well! And not a single scratch on the dummies this time! And it looks like your little battery performed as intended. Great job, Ronnie."[/color] This time, Spencer genuinely gave the young redhead some much needed praise. If there's one thing he admires about Corona Talos it's how she gives it her all in everything she does and how she stops at nothing in making sure her final products are always reliable. The sudden praise seems to have flustered the fiery-haired daughter of Hephaestus but she relished it for only a second before signaling for another run. The pair were able to perform a total of 20 tests in total before the loud, booming voice of Mr. D had both of them scrambling to clean up the mess they caused. [center][h1][color=662d91]πš‚πš™πšŽπš—πšŒπšŽπš› π™ΌπšŒπ™½πš’πšπš‘πš[/color][/h1] β€” [color=662d91]Ϋ΅ ۞ Ϋ΅[/color] β€” [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/59/c7/33/59c73319f7b36ef6c278222f5c725833.gif[/img] Location: Obstacle Tower ---> ; Camp Half-Blood - Long Island Sound; New York. Interacting with Erin Chase [@Vicier] & Dorian Underwood[@King Kindred][/center] [hr][hr] Thanks to Spencer using Shadow Travel to instantly teleport the two of them just in time to hear the important bits of Mr.D and Chiron's announcement. Majority of the campers expressed their disdain immediately towards the baseless allegations on Erin stealing Aphrodite's dove. Of course, this included Spencer. He basically owed her the second leash on life he was enjoying right now. They've bonded considerably since then, and aside from Adeline and Corona, he considers Erin to be one of his most precious friends. Despite seeming like a standoffish, cynical twat to others, Spencer was extremely loyal to those he considers as his friends and he was ready to go through Tartarus and high water for her. [color=662d91]"Yet again, the cunts upstairs pin the blame on someone completely innocent!"[/color] The son of Thanatos glowered at the sky as if he was scowling at Ares himself. He was half-tempted at putting a middle finger up on the sky just to spite Ares but he figured the gesture would just be pointless. What he needed to do was find Erin and join her on her quest to find the dove and prove her innocence. After saying a quick goodbye to Corona, Spencer set out to find Erin. By now, she was supposed to receive her prophecy from the Camp Oracle, Rachel Elizabeth Dare so the Big House was his first destination. By the time he arrived, he spotted Erin... along with his younger brother. He was aware that Dorian was also close with Erin and he also caught what he said about swearing on the Styx to fight Ares if he lays a finger on her. He had to admit, as much as he detested the little twerp, he was willing to put their differences aside for the time being for Erin's sake. [color=662d91]"So, what did the Oracle tell you, Erin? Whatever it is, I'm in. No buts."[/color] The older child of Thanatos told the distraught daughter of Hades in the most reassuring tone he could muster.