Days of Boom: Chapter 36

Joseph Mierek

XXXVI

Saving Lives and Asking Questions

We saw Nolan collapse in El's arms I bolted over to them. El placed him on the ground and knelt down next to him. I put my ear next to his mouth and watched his chest. I put two fingers on his neck searching for a pulse. His breathing was shallow and the breaths there few and far in between. I found his pulse but it sounded like Joey Kramer was playing on it.

"What's wrong with him?" El asked, her voice was clearly panicked.

"He started running with the tornado you guys created trying to speed it up." Dan explained.

"Nolan you idiot!" I said under my breath. Something like this had happened to Nolan before. He once told me how he had moved so fast that his body simply couldn't keep up with the speed and he had almost killed himself. Luckily his father had stopped him in time. Now he had exhausted all his power, and almost died to unnecessarily speed up the process of destroying Chernabog.

"Is he going to be okay?" Dan asked.

"Give me some room." I said loud enough for them to here. Amber, Dan, and El backed up. I sat up and took a few breaths trying to calm my nerves. I wasn't a son of Apollo but if I didn't act fast Nolan would be in the Underworld for a second time this week and this time he wouldn't be coming back. I held my hands a few inches above his chest. I focused on the air that he was breathing. I moved the molecules and all the tiny debree that he breathed then I forced the air in and out of his lungs. Soon his breathing became even and I didn't have to aid him.

His breathing had returned to normal but when I placed my hand on his chest I could feel his heart beating weaker and weaker. I quickly took my hands off his chest and brought them together. Miniature lightning bolts flew between my fingers. They grew brighter then faded as I tried to get the amps right. Too many I would kill him not enough and he would die. In a split second I got the number correct.

"Clear!" I shouted. I placed my hands on Nolan's chest and the electricity shot through his body. Nolan's eyes snapped open and his body shot a foot off the ground. He leaned forward and began hyper-ventilating.

"Welcome back." I said patting him on the back.

"Where'd I go?" He asked causing all of us to laugh.

We walked over to the Jolly Rodger anchored a few yards away. John, Amber's grandfather, waved to us from the starboard side he tossed a rope ladder down to us. We climbed up and saw a feast spread out on the deck. Everything from hamburgers and hot dogs to steak and lobster. There were goblets filled with Nectar which well all grabbed as soon as we were with in reach.

After we nectar-ed and dined a number of automatons cleared the table.

"Alright team," Dan said wiping his mouth. "We have one more bomb to deactivate."

"Where is it?" El asked. Finishing off a bottle of water.

"I don't know." Dan replied spreading his hands.

"Wait what about the map we had back in Paris?" I asked.

"You were in Paris?" Amber shouted in my ear.

"Long story," Dan interrupted. "When I spontaneously combusted while we were traveling to Greece the map caught fire and burned to a crisp. Luckily we've been able to find the bombs by other means. El can you use your pillow thing again?" He asked.

"Sure," El said reaching for her pocket. A look of shock suddenly appeared on her face. She pulled out Morpheus's pillow disguised as a piece of silk cloth. The cloth however had four large rips in it like a giant cat had slashed at it. I looked down at Angel who was sitting on my lap. She gave me a look that said "You did not just think that".

"Well so much for that magic item." El said throwing it behind her.

"Anybody else have an idea?" Dan asked looking around.

Amber stood up. "I'm glad you asked." She clapped her hands and two automatons emerged from below deck carrying a large circular object covered in a large black cloth. They hung it on the mast of the ship and removed the cover. Underneath was a mirror, it's frame intricately woven out of gold. Amber walked to the mirror and smoke and fire appeared in the mirror. From the blaze emerged a mask.

"This is the magic mirror," Amber stated. "He knows all and sees all and will answer any question you have."

Dan rose from his chair. "Mirror where is the bomb?" Dan demanded.

The mirror stayed silent. Amber turned to Dan. "You have to speak in rhyme." She said.

"Let me try." I said rising from my place at the table. I faced the mirror and considered my question. "Mirror, mirror on the mast show us the bomb we are to find last."

The mirror began to smoke and a scene appeared. I saw a bomb like the five others we deactivated. Twelve hours were left on the clock. The scene expanded and with it so did our eyes. When the scene stopped expanding the lay out of Camp Half-Blood was displayed in the mirror.